Why Extracurriculars Matter To Adcoms

MBAs Reflect on Their Experience

It took a long road to get to this point. For a year or more, students obsessed over getting into business school. They hired consultants, completed every GMAT practice test and fretted over word choices in their essays. After they were accepted, they moved to a strange city to join hundreds of other strangers to pursue their MBAs. They compulsively networked, bounced from clubs to group projects to class trips, driven by power drinks and FOMO.

Eventually, the time comes when they must move on. This month, some are claiming their diplomas amid the pomp and circumstance. Others are jetting off to their internships. In the flurry of tying up loose ends and saying their goodbyes, some students are also reflecting on the journey itself. With debt payments on the horizon, some are wondering, “Was it all worth it?”

With MBAs poised to start their six-figure jobs (or four-figure interships) with the McKinseys and Amazons of the world, Bloomberg Businessweek recently reached out to students with two thought-provoking questions: In what way has the MBA experience lived up to or exceeded your expectations? In what way has it let you down?

Here is how members of the class of 2014 responded:

“My MBA experience has been very positive thus far, but I think I had forgotten how tough it is to be a student. Being a consultant prior to coming here had spoiled me with all the globetrotting and fancy dinners and high-flying lifestyle in New York. Quitting my job and suddenly having to worry about my expenses and then doing homework was a transition I had not given much thought to until I was in the thick of it. There are so many readings, assignments, and group projects, on top of all the fun clubs, social activities, leadership activities, in addition to all the recruiting and networking. It’s hard to do it all but very easy to overcommit to all these really fantastic opportunities. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to live at the mercy of my Outlook calendar!”

Arnab Mukherjee ’15, Johnson Graduate School of Business, Cornell University

“Getting exposure to real-life business problems has helped me think more critically to tackle challenges. My confidence to speak as a business leader has grown due to the strong leadership focus in the program and opportunities to be trained by amazing leaders.”

Janice Claudio Morales ’15, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University

“I received the rigorous and challenging education I desired, I’ve been exposed to students, alumni, and faculty who expect me to deliver on my potential, and I’ve worked for the opportunities I desired with prominent firms. Most humbling, though, has been the strength of the relationships I have formed with many of my classmates. Any entrepreneurial venture I enter in years to come will be with some of those very same students. Nothing has let me down. The only thing that could let one down about the MBA experience is oneself.”

Dominic Rasini, Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester

To read all of the student responses, click on the Bloomberg Businessweek link below.

Don’t Miss: Who Landed the Best Graduation Speakers for 2014?

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek