Kellogg Poet Crunches The Numbers On His MBA Experience

Yearnings and eternal truths. That’s what poetry expresses. It is a meditation that connects, a labor that brings clarity. Let’s face it: who doesn’t enjoy stretching and siphoning language?

Poetry comes in many forms. William Shakespeare perfected the sonnet, replete with pre-ordained pentameter beats and rhyme schemes. In contrast, Walt Whitman’s free verse replaced rules with raw energy. Now, a Kellogg School may have created a new poetic form altogether.

Guilherme Blanski Küster calls it a “quant poem.” A week ago, the 2020 Kellogg MBA grad let the numbers fly on a LinkedIn post. Forget pomp-and-circumstance. Rather than riffing on good times and grand possibilities, Blanski Küster simply broke the past two years down by the numbers. He turned lyrics into ledgers and diction into data – as only an MBA could. In the process, he laid out exactly what MBA candidates can expect in “My Kellogg MBA by the numbers: a quant poem.”

Guilherme Blanski Küster (’20), Northwestern Kellogg

Here is one stanza…

67 kg of swag from 51 companies
61 job applications
37 hours in interviews
12 amazing internship weeks at Microsoft
71 hours helping peers as Career Coach

Now, that’s serious data-crunching!

Then again, Blanski Küster was the president of the Kellogg Corporate Finance Club – not to mention the recipient of the Kellogg Dean’s Distinguished Service Award and a 2020 Poets&Quants Best & Brightest MBA. As a student, he also became the father to two sons (with his poem conspicuously leaving out a calculation of diapers changed and sleep hours lost).

Indeed, his poem has resonated with Kellogg peers…and beyond. On August 14th, it had already generated 103 comments, along with 972 thumbs-ups, hearts, and ovations on LinkedIn. Chalk it up to original concept meets rigorous research that’s reinforced by genius execution. In other words, the secret behind a good poem is grounded in the same lessons absorbed in the Kellogg MBA.

Here is Blanski Küster’s MBA masterpiece…

My Kellogg MBA by the numbers: a quant poem

Prep/Admission

617 hours on GMAT/TOEFL/Essays/Applications
720 GMAT score
111 TOEFL score
9 MBA admissions interviews
50 % tuition scholarship at Kellogg (#3 US News Ranking)

Academics

660 classroom hours
120 virtual class hours (COVID)
1014 off-class study hours
177 cases
27 exams
2 graduation ceremonies (1 online + 1 next year)

Recruiting

67 kg of swag from 51 companies
61 job applications
37 hours in interviews
12 amazing internship weeks at Microsoft
71 hours helping peers as Career Coach

Social

478 2Y FT MBA classmates, including 71 fellow meese (best section!)
851 attendance to 22 events hosted by my Corporate Finance Club
243 hours spent on 157 campus events
56 TGs (Friday happy hours of Kellogg)
23 goals scored in 5 soccer tourneys
36 small group dinners
25 Brazilian BBQ parties

Personal

92 hours in road trips
2 awards: P&Q 2020 Best & Brightest MBAs and Dean’s Service Awards
2 baby boys (Klaus, born on 1st MBA quarter, and Eric on last)
1 incredibly supportive JV, my dear wife Vivi
2 life-changing years
0 regrets

PS: 43% of these numbers are accurate

#kellogg #mba #mbalife #bschool #classof2020 #mykellogg

 

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