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(4.9) |
I came to Booth directly after an active duty military career, and at first, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had done my research, but attending the institution itself is a completely different story than talking to alumni and reading articles online. The first thing that struck me about Booth was the quality of my classmates. These were some of the most intelligent and ambitious people I had ever met in my life. You are constantly challenged by those around you to bring your best, and there is a culture that encourages direct feedback. This may make you uncomfortable at first, especially if you come from a culture of more indirect communication, but you will soon find that acting on the direct feedback of your peers is one of the best ways to directly address your weaknesses and build upon your strengths.
Take New Venture Strategy with Jim Schrager. It's one of the best classes I took at Booth, and I'm looking to launch a startup now and he has been helpful with guidance even though I have graduated.
Recruiting wise, career services runs a really tight ship, and they fight for the students to get more rights with firms that recruit on campus. Personally, I know that for some of the top consulting firms, students who don't get close-listed are able to bid for interviews with those firms, and I know for a fact that my peers at some other schools do not have this process. The career services office wields power over firms on campus because of Booth's brand and reputation, and that works in the favor of the students.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Classmates rating (5.0)
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I had an incredible experience during my two years at Booth. To say it was the best two years of my life would not be an exaggeration. The new friends I made, the experiences both in the classroom and travelling the world, and the personal development opportunities all exceeded my expectations.
I believe that all top schools will provide wonderful opportunities to network, learn, grow, and experience new things and Booth certainly offers all of these. I think what makes the biggest difference in experiences between schools is finding a supportive environment where you feel at home. For me Booth delivered on that completely - I felt like I could be myself and that people were happy to accept me - unique quirks and all.
You will feel humbled by the achievements of your classmates both before and during school. You will be challenged by people who think differently from you or are smarter than you or want different things from life. This diversity of thought makes Booth a special place.
There are two things I wanted out of my MBA experience:
CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Met/exceeded expectations
- I was able to transition into a role at a company in a Leadership Development Program, which are only open to MBAs from top schools
- Booth Career Services is excellent if you want a job in a company that recruits on campus. They are a well-oiled machine that prepares you for the interview process and sets you up to get a job you want if you put in the work. They are less helpful if you are looking for a job that is more unique or non-traditional because they have less experience with them, so be ready to do more of the work on your own. (I suspect this is true at most schools). How you perform once you get the job is up to you.
FUN/REWARDING MBA EXPERIENCE: Far exceeded expectations
Since I've already written perhaps more than people care for on the amazingness of my classmates and the experience overall, maybe a list of some of the things I did during school would illustrate this better.
- Visited 3 continents with classmates (before, during, and after school) including trips to Jordan, Tanzania, Morocco, and SE Asia
- Ski Trip! Hundreds of Booth students skiing and partying together for a week
- Weekend trips including New Orleans, Nashville, Ice Fishing in Wisconsin
- Lived in the "unofficial dorm" with hundreds of my classmates
- Startup Weekend - pitch and launch a startup over a weekend
- Leadership Challenge
- Kellogg's Marketing Strategy Challenge
- Helped with Production for the Follies Show
- Co-chair of our Strategy Games Club
- Helped launch the first Leadership Class at a Law School in the country
- Member of many professional and social clubs
- Worked with two companies in Lab classes on quarter long projects
- Helped numerous classmates with interview prep
- My husband was integrated into the community - he went on spring break with me and my classmates, came to formals and happy hours, and even went on a road trip with classmates without me!
When I look back at my experience and list things out like that it feels overwhelming and amazing how much was packed into those two years. And I wish I could go back and do it all over again and not change a thing.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
Southern California network is not very strong
My two years at Booth were the best in my life: professionally, socially, and academically. I am now working in a job that I absolutely love and represents a huge advancement in my career, my b-school friends are among the best I've had in my entire life, and the curriculum and professors at Booth simply cannot be beat.
What really set Booth apart, for me, was the humility of the students. Getting a bunch of successful young professionals under the same roof has the potential to go downhill really fast. At Booth, I didn't find a lot of people "tooting their own horns." I loved that about Booth. I want to be branded by a school known for it's hard work and humbleness, not it's hand shakes. Booth exceeded my expectations in all respects.
For future applicants: understand what drives Booth and let that shine in your application. I think students at the top b-schools could easily blend in with any other top institution - that what makes us good candidates - we can interact well with all sorts of people. The school will change you more than you will change the school. The culture and way of seeing the world will undoubtedly seep into most aspects of your life because the communities are so strong at Booth and other top institutions. So really think about the schools' reputation and what you want to be known for coming out of b-school. The reputation of your school matters more than you think. My current company specifically avoids certain top schools because of the culture clash. You'll do well in any of the top schools, but think hard about who you want to be when you're done.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
Booth has completely exceeded all expectations I had coming in. I find myself being enlightened everyday in my classrooms by excellent faculty and being humbled everyday by extraordinary classmates.
A common concern I had coming in was the lack of cohorts and converging social structures in the schools. But its this exact characteristic which has given me 1200 classmates instead of 600, as both 1st and 2nd years take the same classes and form study groups together.
My biggest suggestion to applicants is always to get to know the school and its amazing culture. The beauty of the community is the humility it imparts, any Boothie or alum will surely respond if you reach out to them regarding the school. (But please pardon any delays in response; the workload sometimes can be excruciating).
A question I generally get from prospective applicants is "What surprised you the most when you got here?"
My answer till now is that I was surprised with how wanted I felt after reaching here. Over 400 companies come to the school to attract students to work with them. I am recruiting for consulting and every major consulting firm has dedicated consultants who have been officially tasked with answering our questions and to connect with us to get to know us.
There are avenues for any profession no matter how niche. For example I have a friend who is recruiting specifically for managing investment of family and university trust funds.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Finance, Economics and Strategy
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