“Both of my parents graduated from the Carlson School of Management, and I wanted to be a part of that,” says Emily Thompson, class of 2007. “Being a legacy at the Carlson School is an honor, and my education will provide me with the opportunity to set myself apart from the competition.”

Thompson, a Minnetonka, Minn. native, graduated from high school with a 3.8 GPA and an ACT score of 27. She was actively involved in her community and ready to make a difference in her post-high school experience. But despite her stellar application to the Carlson School of Management, Thompson found herself denied admission.

Due to space limitations, the Carlson School currently serves only 12 percent of those who apply. Many of those who are not admitted are the among the state’s best students, like Thompson. Fewer than half of these applicants attend another college at the University. When she chose Butler University (Indianapolis), Thompson joined the many who leave the state altogether.

Although Butler is a reputable school, it was not where Thompson wanted to be. With her professional future and familial expectations at stake, Thompson decided to make another attempt at getting into the Carlson School. In the fall of 2003, she transferred to the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, in hopes of eventually getting into the Carlson School. Finally, in the spring of 2004, Thompson achieved her ambition.

Now, Thompson is a marketing and finance major in her senior year. In addition to maintaining a high GPA, she is a member of College Republicans, Truth and Business, and volunteers at the Minnesota Opera and Family Hope Services. She was also selected to represent the Carlson School as a student ambassador for the undergraduate expansion. In this role, Thompson is afforded the unique opportunity of interacting with legislators, deans, corporate and community leaders, and prospective and fellow students. She serves as a student representative at community meetings, greets guests of the Carlson School, meets with corporate recruiters, and helps to organize school events.

“I feel like I have a responsibility to the Carlson School for all it has done for me, and being an ambassador gives me that opportunity,” says Thompson. “Helping to expand the undergraduate program will give students like me the chance to attend the Carlson School and receive all of the benefits that go along with getting an education here.”