Biggest Myths About Your Favorite MBA Programs

Myth: Booth is the “nerd/quant” school.

Reality: In some sense, this is true. My peers at Booth have plenty of intellectual horsepower and take their academics more seriously than my peers in other programs. I suspect their ability to work in frameworks and be analytical is part of the reason why Booth’s placement into top consulting roles and tech firms is so good. I have not, however, experienced any lack of community or found my coursework excessively technical. If anything, I think people underestimate coming into Booth how much of the experience is made up of rigorous, but more qualitative group experiences like analyzing PE deals in Steve Kaplan’s course or understanding the evolution of modern economic thought from Professor Brian Barry.

Alexander Daifotis

Myth: At CEIBS, all students are from China and it’s too Chinese-focused.

Reality: This is not entirely true. Our batch is composed of 180 students, about 60% are Chinese nationals. Nevertheless, I found a large amount of diversity in work experience, backgrounds, and personal experiences within my Chinese classmates, which basically made the batch very diverse. Some even had more experience working overseas than foreign students from that same region! CEIBS is a great platform to learn business in a China context. However as the Chinese economy continues to become globalized, CEIBS is also a great school to be exposed to global business.

Pablo Che León Sarmiento

Myth: Yale SOM is just a nonprofit school.

Reality: For being known as the “nonprofit school,” I was surprised to learn that Yale SOM sent 98.8% of its 2018 graduates to fields other than nonprofits. It’s a myth that Yale SOM is a place only for students interested in entering the public sector, though I find it true that most students come to Yale SOM because they are interested in making a positive impact on society. My perception is that Yale SOM students understand the outsize role business plays in the way the world operates, and many of my peers will effect change through their work in the private sector.

Nate Silver

Myth: The Simon Business School’s in Rochester is less than ideal.

Reality: Now, I may present as biased, being born and raised in Buffalo. However, the feedback from my non-Western New York peers includes the following:

1. 1. Business school is two short years of hyper-focused energy. Rochester is the perfect location to stay attentive to your studies and career search.
   2. Business school is expensive. Rochester is a very affordable place to live.
   3. Business school is an opportunity to travel and make connections. Rochester is in the middle of the Northeast, making New York City, Boston, Toronto, DC, and Chicago accessible via train or a 1-2-hour long flight.

Victoria Vossler

Myth: Tuck is only a consulting-focused school with little emphasis on technology.

Reality: While consulting is certainly a dominant force when it comes to recruiting, there are plenty of resources and connections for technology recruiting at Tuck. Beyond the more obvious resources in our Career Development Office, the Center for Digital Strategies is an invaluable source of technology-focused knowledge, connections, and career opportunities. Every week, I see tech-focused guests on campus from companies large and small, providing ample access to careers in whatever facet of technology a student could be interested in pursuing.

Marcus Morgan

Myth: The University of Florida is predominantly a party school.

Reality: Growing up in Miami, I always saw UF as the fun school where people went to have a blast in college. When I arrived here for my MBA, I realized quickly that the Florida Gators mean business (literally!). Yes, there is plenty of opportunities to have fun, especially tailgating Gator football games. However, UF also has an immense support system for networking and professional development. In my time in the MBA program, as well as mentoring students from other business programs, I have seen hundreds of dedicated Gators pursuing job opportunities and representing our school proudly in front of employers.

Nicolas Ramos

Myth: INSEAD students are so diverse that they struggle to find commonality

Reality: INSEAD prides itself in how diverse its student body is, how many nationalities we represent, how many languages we speak, and how different our experiences are – but I’ve found a pretty homogenous group of students here: Everyone I’ve met is fiercely intelligent, an expert in their respective fields and committed to using business to effect positive change.

Constantinos Linos

Myth: Kelley grads can only land jobs in the Midwest.

Reality: Being from the West Coast, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it back to the West post-graduation if I went to a school outside the region. However, this myth was quickly dispelled as I started networking with Kelley alums. As I was searching for career opportunities, I connected with many Kelley grads who moved to the West Coast after graduation. The alums that I met were not only helpful throughout the recruiting process, but also helped reassure me that moving to the West from Indiana was not impossible. Additionally, when I worked at Amazon during the summer, there was a group of Kelley alums at Amazon who met with me and my classmates every week of our internship to help us with our projects to ensure we were on track for a full-time offer. Kelley has the resources to get you to where you want to go. So long as you put in the work, you’ll get there.

Miguel Klee Roldan

Myth: You won’t have time to read every case at Darden (especially during the core).

Reality: While I would agree that doing so is challenging, it can certainly be done. However, my question would be whether reading and preparing every case is the best use of one’s time. If Darden students want to make completing every case a top priority, they can prioritize accordingly and make this happen. The challenge comes when other important activities compete for time, such as recruiting, socializing, sleeping, or working out. The ability to prioritize activities and allocate time accordingly is one that is certainly beneficial at Darden. While the myth might not be true, it may at times be more practical to get that extra hour of sleep and rely on your learning team’s support (shout-out to LT5!) than to do every case on your own.

Franklyn Darnis

Myth: The only opportunities at USC Marshall are in the entertainment industry.

Reality: If you are interested in entertainment, it’s totally the place for b-school. However, LA and our USC Marshall alumni network are so diverse across industries. Being involved with the Marshall Energy Club enables me to see the innovation happening around clean energy and the High Tech Association and Entrepreneurship & Venture Management Association connected us with incredible people from Silicon Beach and Silicon Valley. Marshall sends a great number of people into consulting as well and our connections across the firms are outstanding. No matter what industry you’re interested in, there’s excitement around it at Marshall!

Jasmine Hagans

Go to next page for the biggest myths about MIT Sloan, Northwestern Kellogg, London Business School, and UCLA Anderson.