Meet Michigan State’s MBA Class of 2018

Michigan State's Broad College of Business

Michigan State’s Broad College of Business

The school also attracted a more global cohort, as the percentage of international students rose from 33% to 41%, making this class comparable to Duke in this regard. The percentage of underrepresented minorities also jumped from 13% to 19%, though the percentage of women dipped slightly from 40% to 38%, making it equal to Haas, long a trailblazer in female enrollment.

However, you’ll find a major change in the class composition with incoming first years. In the Class of 2017, undergraduate humanities majors comprised 47% of the class, followed by STEM at 28%. Those numbers were almost inverted in the 2018 Class, as STEM majors accounted for 51% of the class followed by the humanities at 28%. The percentage of undergraduate business majors held relatively steady at 23%, down just one point from the previous year.

A FAMILY FEEL WITH A TEAM-DRIVEN APPROACH

Michigan State's Beaumont Tower

Michigan State’s Beaumont Tower

Like most small MBA programs squeezed inside larger research universities, Broad is plush with resources yet focuses heavily on team-based learning over lectures and cases. That was a big draw for Travis Martin, a Michigan native who was a social studies teacher and head football coaching before realizing that he was Spartan Ready. “The emphasis that Broad places on collaboration really stood out for me,” he explains. “Students are assigned a cross-functional team for their entire first year of core classes. Working in these groups on nearly every project pushes you to think, collaborate, and lead in new ways. This practice creates an exciting, collegial and competitive atmosphere which really appealed to me.”

The program also exudes a family feel that was authentic and comforting to Kapoor. “I was looking for a strong program that provided me an excellent education, a large alumni network, and a sense of being part of a community. Michigan State University meets every single requirement. The professors at the school are outstanding and genuinely care to do everything they can to help their students succeed.”

For Hrezi, this sense of community started the minute he started to look into the school. “The Broad MBA program was the only program to make me feel welcomed from the moment I sent my application,” he says. “The administration was extremely helpful and easily accessible. Once I made it to campus, I found that the second year students were all eager to share their experiences and help me out however they could.”

Michigan State University.

CLASS LOOKING TO GIVE BACK AFTER GRADUATION

Helping out is a big part of the class’ plan after graduation. Umuhizi, for one, is looking to capitalize on the opportunities inherent to Africa’s rapid growth. “My dream job is to run a big social enterprise in Rwanda and Africa someday,” he shares. “I have realized the impact that a small business can have on people’s lives and I would love to apply the same concept at a bigger scale.”

Business is also a means to fulfill a mission for Martin, who plans to use marketing as a way to bring value to consumers in either the health or education sectors. “Every morning that I wake up for work,” he admits, “I want to know that people will see a true benefit in their lives if I can properly market this service and connect to the consumers who need it most.”

In the meantime, the Class of 2018 is focused on carving out a legacy over the next years. Martin hopes to be known as the guy who does things the right way and “attacks each day with a passion that rubs off on those around him.” Kapoor pictures her classmates remembering her as “someone who is easy to talk to, goes out of her way to help others, is hard-working, and spreads positive energy.” True to Broad’s humanitarian spirit, Luke Knox is working to be a model of reliability and selflessness to his classmates. His intended legacy: “I deliver on all of my commitments and can be counted on to put team goals ahead of my own when needed.”

DON’T MISS: THE STEREOTYPE-DEFYING MBAS IN THE CLASS OF 2018

To read profiles of incoming Broad MBA students — along with their advice on tackling the GMAT, applications, and interviews — click on the links below.

Sung Y. Hong / Des Plaines, IL

Mohamed Hrezi / Naugatuck, CT

Kevin B. Jackson / Detroit, MI

Nanci Kapoor / Leesburg, VA

Luke Knox / Nashville, MI

Travis Martin / Hudsonville, MI

(Nicolas) Nsabimana Umuhizi / Kigali, Rwanda

Ramin Vismeh / Tehran, Iran

Weifei Zou / Shanghai, China

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE MEET THE CLASS OF 2018 SERIES

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.