With the mention of Ivey Business School, many might immediately jump to thoughts of the fast-paced worlds of consulting or finance, filled with case competitions, networking events, and high-stakes recruiting with a 15-month-ahead timeline. While these impressions are undoubtedly a part of the business bundle, they are just one piece of the complex puzzle of HBA life in reality. Meet Amy Zhang, an HBA 1 student with a passion for biotech and healthcare, who is proof that Ivey is a place where diverse interests and career paths thrive.
Amy’s Journey to Ivey
Coming from British Columbia, Amy didn’t always envision herself in business school, hence passing over UBC despite Sauder School of Business’s proximity and popularity. She was drawn to Western for its dual-degree program, which allowed her to pursue her interests in both medical sciences and business. “In high school, I really enjoyed the sciences, but I also loved creative thinking and collaboration,” Amy recalls. “That’s why I chose Western — it gave me the opportunity to explore both fields.”
Now, Amy is carving out a unique path for herself, combining her passion for healthcare with her business acumen. Last summer, she worked as a business analyst at Sensory Technologies, a medical technology firm, where she gained hands-on experience in the intersection of business and healthcare.
Life Before Ivey: Tips for Success
As a dual-degree student in medical sciences and HBA, Amy’s road to Ivey wasn’t easy, as she had to balance a rigorous academic workload with extracurriculars and recruiting. Here’s her advice for pre-Ivey students:
1. Active Learning > Passive Studying: “Lots of people struggle in Business 2257 (Ivey’s accounting pre-requisite class) due to the case-based method that emphasizes critical thinking and active participation,” Amy says. She emphasizes the value of understanding the material and always putting in the necessary work rather than simply mechanically taking notes.
2. Time Management is Key: While extracurriculars are important, Amy limited herself to 2-3 clubs but chose roles that aligned with her goals. “In second year, a significant amount of your time will be taken up with recruiting,” she points out, “It’s important to prioritize and focus on goals you care about.”
3. Lean on Your Network: Amy credits her roommates and friends for helping her stay on track and destress before a burn-out. A support network is crucial to a healthy life balance.
Transitioning to Ivey: What to Expect
For Amy, the transition to Ivey was a big shift. “It’s a completely different environment,” she says. “In the science faculty, you’re in 500-person lectures and rarely get to know your professors. At Ivey, it’s like early education — you’re in one classroom with a set group of people and a fixed schedule. You’ll get to know everyone by name.”
While Ivey's student-led undergraduate council, the HBAA, does a great job of creating a community atmosphere through socials, trips, the Ivey Cup, and other events, the HBA life comes with its own set of challenges. Amy speaks of the early morning 8:30 classes with mandatory attendance that sit on every Ivey student’s schedule. Contribution and attendance are both very important, she notes, which is often a big shift coming from the first two years of a science background.
Aside from a shift to early wake-up times and extremely contribution-focused classes, Amy immediately flagged recruiting as the universal biggest challenge. Ivey offers a lot of resources, and their Career Management team is incredible,” she says. “But recruiting is always tough, especially when you’re surrounded by so much talent.”
Why Consulting?
When asked why she chose consulting over other popular career paths at Ivey, Amy explained that it was never about following the crowd. “I just enjoy working on projects that create tangible change,” she says, and her extracurricular roles solidified this passion. As a Senior Project Lead with Ivey’s chapter of the Global Research and Consulting Group (GRC), and a Project Lead for Western Management Consulting (WMC), she collaborated with local nonprofits to optimize their operations.
However, beyond personal interests, skills, and goals, did her experiences at Ivey impact her career direction? Amy admits that Ivey does play a role in shaping students’ career paths: “Everyone at Ivey generally steers to finance or consulting,” she says. “But Ivey has been trying to push students toward other paths, like entrepreneurship.” For Amy, Ivey’s exclusive resources – the 12-twenty job portal, industry-specific job fairs, etc. – and connections have been invaluable in helping her explore her interests and find her niche in the healthcare sector.
Advice for Prospective Students
For high schoolers eyeing Ivey, Amy’s message is clear: Ivey is what you make it. There’s no need to fit a mold. “Focus more on what you enjoy and what you want rather than external factors,” she stresses. “Leverage coffee chats, you’ll realize that there are a lot more options out there for you.”
And for those without AEO? Amy’s advice is simple: “Stay involved in extracurriculars, maintain a strong academic average, and don’t be afraid to try something new. Ivey values innovation and initiative.”
No Two Paths Look Alike
Amy Zhang’s journey to Ivey is a reminder that there’s no one-size-fits-all path to success. Whether you’re interested in finance, healthcare, product, or any topic with correlations to business, Ivey’s the place to transform your quirks and passions into your strengths.
So, if you’re considering Ivey, remember: all roads lead here.