Introducing The MBA Class Of 2017

Lavinia Petrache

A program’s overarching philosophy was another big draw for students. Lavinia Petrache, a native of Romania who most recently worked for Facebook, was seeking a program that would help her “grow towards the person that you want to become.” And this purpose led her to the Yale School of Management. “Yale has a mission that fits well with my views,” she says. “Educating leaders for business and society puts an emphasis on both business but also on helping and building a better world around us. It was a decisive factor for me to be a part of a class where people care about working on meaningful projects that make our communities and the world better.”

Before enrolling at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Chris Cottrell was a budding entrepreneur who’d already established a nonprofit. He cites the integration of spiritual values in the curriculum as his program’s X factor. “The school’s Jesuit tradition and emphasis on cura personalis, the education of the whole person, was attractive to me. A strong moral compass is equally important to a rigorous education, and I have appreciated the school making this a point.”

Lisa Conn

Not surprisingly, however, “the people” was the top reason why the Class of 2017 chose particular programs. Nargis Sakhibova, who hopes to launch a tech startup after graduation, was immediately won over by potential classmates she met at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. “What possibly played the most critical role in my decision was the fact that I felt happy and excited around the school and meeting current students. I liked and admired every student I met. They possessed incredible intellectual vitality, analytical skills and contagious energy, yet were approachable and creative in surprising ways. I immediately realized that MIT Sloan is the place where I will enjoy learning, working and playing.”

However, future peers weren’t the only people who helped seal the deal. Iyembi Nkanza, who came from a private equity and analytics background, witnessed the value of a Northwestern education through a former boss, a Kellogg alum. “She was a fantastic representation of the spirit within the institution. Working closely with her allowed me to see the value of the Kellogg brand in practice.”

Sometimes, the decision just boiled down to a gut feeling. MIT’s Lisa Conn, a field organizer and director for Obama for America in Florida and California, got the sense that Sloan’s interest in her was mutual. “Not only did I think Sloan was the perfect fit, but I could tell instantly in conversations with past and present students, and during my admissions interview, that Sloan got me, too. We clicked. This was critical.”

Jean-Marc Chanoine

A CLASS OF SELF-STARTERS, DO-GOODERS AND DREAMERS

Traditionally, professionals have registered for MBA programs to eventually land cushy jobs and build thick Rolodexes. While some still subscribe to that vision, many members of the Class of 2017 come to business school with very different expectations and aspirations. And their ultimate goals span the humble to the kitschy. The University of Toronto’s James Webster confesses to being “strangely excited about becoming an Excel-whizz,” a skill that he has mostly avoided in his finance career. Yu Chen, a former science and humanities teacher, dreams of bringing home the Golden Briefcase for UCLA as part of the Challenge For Charity. Haas’ Chanoine plans to “high-five every single one of my classmates at some point before I graduate.”