The Best Business School Campuses

STUDENTS HEAVILY INFLUENCE DECISIONS AT ANDERSON

“We are a school comprised of different programs,” asserts Weiler. “The full-time MBA is the flagship, but when you look at the various programs – the resources we share and the synergies between the programs, whether you are enrolled in the FEMBA program or the full-time program. They are taught by the same faculty; they are allowed to join clubs; there is a lot of overlap, which affords some really interesting opportunities. For example, the full time students can talk to the FEMBAs about careers, which provides students with some pretty significant advantages. Some schools have different campuses. We’re located in the same complex.”

With students sharing the same physical space, Anderson is able to break down silos, all while creating opportunities for students to “cross-pollinate” in Jesek Carman’s words. This collaborative mindset isn’t just restricted to students, she adds. “A lot of the improvements the school has made have come from students. They certainly have a lot of ideas. Where we can, we try to meet their needs. It’s a great partnership between school and student body. We collectively make this a better place for everyone.”

For example, the school hosts a student-led facilities group, which meets periodically to discuss infrastructure needs. Jesek Carman herself has started a sustainability group across the business school, one that has already produced a substantive change on campus. “We brought in these water bottle filters called FloWater,” she explains. “This system puts water through 17-18 different filters and it is an amazing water experience. And I have to say it is good for water standards and the students love this. And it has the added benefit of lowering our land fill. That’s important to UCLA since we are striving to have zero waste by 2025.”

BOOTH STUDENTS AND FACULTY REGULARLY DINE TOGETHER

At Booth, MBA students also forge close bonds with faculty and staff. The campus setting is a big reason why. According to Kole, Booth faculty members return to their offices in the Harper Center 5-6 times a week. As a result, they interact with students regularly. In fact, student government has even established a program where students will take a faculty member to coffee or lunch to further deepen their relationships.

“Big name faculty will go to lunch with students,” Kole explains. “That happens because they’re all going to lunch anyway and they’re in the same physical space. The fact that we have one main home for our faculty, and it is also the home of the full-time program affords a level of interaction that very much fits our culture. This place is about ideas. We ask faculty to do brown bag lunches and 300 students will turn up. Last night, we had a neuroscientist come over to talk about empathy and 200 students showed up. That dynamic happens here in a way I would argue just doesn’t happen in other programs.”

Booth’s facilities also lend themselves to career support. Traditionally, Booth ranks among the top MBA programs for job placement. Aside from great staff and students, the Harper Center includes 40-50 rooms earmarked for company interviews, not to mention a lounge and outdoor patio specifically for recruiters. What’s more, the school offers a unique benefit that helps students always look their best.

BOOTH STUDENTS FIND EVERYTHING THEY NEED IN-HOUSE

“Our students can go down to the ground level to lockers that are large enough for their suits,” Kole says. “They can use the steamer to remove wrinkles from their suits. Our facilities are really set up for a day where they have an interview, a cocktail party, and a study group meeting all in the same building. They can navigate and transition from one role to another very easily.”

With two Chicago campuses, Booth enjoy another unexpected advantage as well. “We think being in the city is critically important,” Kole adds. “We have a lot of students who spend one day a week in private equity or do volunteer consulting as a way to learn through opportunities in this city. So students can book study rooms at Gleacher; anything they can do here, they can do in that space downtown too.”

When it comes to dining, most schools would be hard pressed to compete with Booth – at least where Gleacher is concerned. Within a few blocks, students can enjoy everything from The Purple Pig to Howells & Hood. The Harper Center is no slouch either. It includes a café run by Aramark, with selections ranging from a hot grill station to a deli bar. Nearby, there is also a high end coffee shop with fresh pastries and vegan dishes. In contrast, Anderson, MBAs are treated to il Tramezzino, a café best known for its scrumptious paninis. Both Anderson student lounges are equipped with coffee machines as well.

SUNSHINE VS. LAKESHORE

While neither school boasts an in-house workout facility, exercise facilities are nearby. At Anderson, the Wooden Center is just a three minute jaunt from class – not to mention a swimming pool that’s within 10 feet of one Anderson building. The school is also working to make the campus more accommodating to fitness-driven students. “With our great weather out here, we have a lot of people who bike, walk, or run to campus,” says Jesek Carman. “They have very long days, so we’ll be expanding shower and locker facilities over the next year to install those.”

The university gym is within 4-5 blocks of the Harper Center according to Kole. However, the school boasts an unexpected treat: an easy walk to the city’s famed lakeshore. “One of the huge attractions of the city of Chicago is its incredible lakefront. We have plenty of students and faculty who bike to school. The Lakeshore is a huge asset for us.”

Transportation also gets a thumbs up from students at both schools…for entirely different reasons. Anderson sits adjacent to two parking structures serving the Pauley Pavilion – with one of the structures slated to be connected to Marion Anderson Hall. In contrast, most students take the Metra (aka “The Centipede”) from downtown Chicago to Hyde Park, with a stop that’s just three blocks from the Harper Center. The remaining students, says Kole, take Uber or park near the Midway where parking is free.

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