Favorite Traditions At The Top MBA Programs

 

“One of my favorite traditions as a second year has been Fuqua Vision! Think Saturday Night Live – but created in video form and by your classmates, spoofing off of things happening at Fuqua. We have a show at the end of each quarter, following the Fuqua Friday happy hour for that evening. This year’s Fuqua Vision leaders have done an admirable job of creating humor in good conscience and generating a lot of positive energy in the community around every show. It’s a blast to gather as a community in Geneen (our largest auditorium) and sit back and laugh before going into final assignments and projects mode. These shows reflect Fuquans’ willingness to feel comfortable reflecting and poking fun at ourselves.”
Helen Elizabeth Old, Duke University (Fuqua)

“Fuqua Friday has been restarted this academic year. It is a weekly tradition where Fuquans connect with each other and unwind at the end of a long week. There is often an opportunity to learn from different cultural clubs, or support a philanthropic cause (e.g., Fuqua Special Olympics Auction, Hispanic Heritage Month dance presentations). Everyone prioritizes this event, as it is a Fuqua staple and the best way to start the weekend, is by catching up with Fuquans that you may not have classes with. It’s always a joy to see our classmates bring their parents, children, and partners to Fuqua Friday and these events are the perfect example of what Team Fuqua is.”
Iboro Ikene, Duke University (Fuqua)

 

“My favorite tradition at Emory is our annual Keystone event that occurs right before the start of the school year. Keystone was created to merge the upcoming graduating class of one-year MBA candidates and two-year MBA candidates while also engaging the community in a meaningful way through a series of class-wide community service events across Atlanta. As VP of Community Outreach, I had the pleasure of planning this initiative (our first big non-zoom event), and we ended up having 128 MBA students serve 350 hours on 15 projects across 13 amazing Atlanta NPOS in the areas of education, environment, humanitarian relief, healthcare, and animals. I personally was able to work with the Kyle Pease Foundation where we assembled bicycles for disabled in-chair athletes participating in an upcoming race. Participating in this event and assisting our community was an amazing and inspiring kickoff to our last year of school.”
Kegan Baird, Emory University (Goizueta)

 

“The McDonough School of Business KEGs Series is a staple within the MBA community. KEGs are a series of after-school social events, hosted on a rotating basis by student organizations. The hosting student organization will create an engaging two-hour event with a complimentary happy hour. This tradition really gives students an opportunity to engage with students outside their demographics and career areas of interest. I truly believe that even the modified versions of this event allowed the McDonough community to stay strong during the persistent challenges presented by COVID-19.
Richard Williamson, Georgetown University (McDonough)

 

“The Spring MBA Golf Tournament is a special tradition hosted by GBA. The event takes place at the home course of our UGA Division I Golf Team, but the course is open to people at all skill levels who come to play. The MBA tournament consists of MBA students and alumni on mixed teams having players of different skill levels and we play a four-person scramble.

There’s a unique energy on the golf course that day. Because teams are randomly assigned, people have the chance to spend roughly 4 hours with alumni and other classmates whom they might not normally spend time with. After the event, everyone goes to the local brewery and we give out fun awards like most lost balls, longest drive, and MVP. It’s a special event that brings everyone together and fosters networking.”
Michael Eggie, University of Georgia (Terry)

“Spring Networking Night in Atlanta. This event allows the Full-Time and Professional MBA students to network and make meaningful lifelong connections that otherwise would not be possible secondary to program locations and professional career requirements. Through this event, I was not only able to meet employers and PMBAs, but I was also able to share classroom resources, financial modeling examples, industry, hometown, and family connections in the span of two hours. This speaks to Terry’s dedication to not only building leaders inside the classroom, but also a network of relationships outside the classroom.”
Kayla Snipes Vickers, University of Georgia (Terry)

 

“Each year HEC Paris gives the MBA students the opportunity to participate in the Outdoor Leadership Seminar. This 2-day, full-training course aims at developing leadership skills of students during short exercises in high pressure environment. The seminar starts with basic problem-solving exercises and ends up with a full commando mission of 4 hours, during which each team member gets to experience the role of the leader.

I did this whole training 5 months pregnant and can only recommend it, as I learned so much on myself and on my team members. I was assigned a leader in the final, 3 hours long exercises and was coordinating a rescue mission after a massive earthquake in France. From deploying complex problem-solving to using calmness as a superpower to honing analytical skills and team management, this seminar is the perfect assessment of the values of HEC Paris: mutual aid, strategic and cold thinking, and leadership.”
Anna Pozniakoff, HEC Paris

“The Saint Cyr’s Outdoor Leadership Event is my most memorable MBA tradition. It is a 2-day event where students solve a series of increasingly difficult field exercises under the supervision of a military-trained mentor. I got to stretch my leadership and problem-solving skills and receive valuable feedback from my colleagues on how to lead effectively. I was glad that the school refused to cancel the event despite the pandemic restrictions, as it provides such a unique learning experience no classroom seminar can ever provide.”
Folasade Owoeye, HEC Paris

 

“With the risk that IESE students before me have provided a similar answer, I have to say MultiCulti. After not having had the opportunity to experience this event last year, I am so blessed that we were able to organize it in 2022. A whole evening dedicated to the cultures of all the different countries represented in the MBA. I loved the pride and joy people exuded in sharing their favorite foods, drinks, and music with the rest of the two MBA cohorts, the classes of ’22 and ’23. With performances by 20 different nations (ranging from dance shows, and human-tower-building to sketches), it really demonstrated the diversity of the student body in the program, the ability to bring together all these different cultures, share them, celebrate them without any judgment, and learn more about each other and where we come from. Going forward, thanks to this event, when meeting people from different countries, I will be able to refer to something I had tasted or learned about during the MultiCulti event. Business school allows you to do that.”
Katharina Klohe, IESE Business School

 

“SOUL CURRY is one of my favorite traditions at IIMA. We met as a cohort either on Zoom(online) or in classrooms (offline) and got to hear raw and unfiltered life stories of our batchmates. Every month, I got inspired by stories ranging from how someone helped fight child labor, led army units in the world’s most challenging terrain, or got over personal losses they faced early on. Over the last year and especially in the face of the pandemic, these sessions have brought us together as a batch and helped us unwind and look beyond the hectic MBA life and get to know each other personally. The entire experience also shows the environment of trust that we have built as a cohort where people are ready to express their vulnerabilities in their truest forms.”
Nikhil Srivastava, IIM Ahmedabad

 

“At the end of each class, Kelley students clap. The Kelley Clap is iconic and is indicative of the Kelley community.

The Kelley Clap comes from a distinguished Kelley professor, Walt Blacconiere, who passed much too early from pancreatic cancer. Professor Blacconiere was known for clapping at the end of each lecture to celebrate and express gratitude for the learning that had taken place. Eventually, students started joining in. This is now a tradition that continues in every single classroom at the end of every single class. I love clapping at the conclusion of class, whether it’s with my two hands or an emoji on Zoom, as it reminds me to be thankful for the learning I get to experience at Kelley.”
Sam Yoder, Indiana University (Kelley)

 

“Following the diversity topic, my favorite tradition is the National Weeks. Basically, this tradition consists in a week in which a country or a group of countries organizes different traditional activities for the rest of the cohort. This year, the Spanish National Week hasn’t taken place yet, but I am very much looking forward to it since I have some friends in the 22J (previous batch). They have already given me a hint of how it was the previous year when they organized many funny activities such as traditional dances, and dinners with typical Spanish food, They even held a San-Fermines festival recreation (as known as the Running of the Bulls), which is a party celebrated in Spain that attracts thousands of people from all around the world every year.”
Joel Garrido Gallardo, INSEAD

 

“Definitely Tattoo! Tattoo is our school’s yearly celebration of our cultural and national diversity – the evening includes different cuisines, traditional dances from different nations (although the dance competition can become quite competitive!), musical performances, and stalls showing off cultural heritage. This year it is back on campus and outside in our school’s gardens. It is a tradition that we light up and project onto the school building all the different flags represented by our student population. The reason I love this tradition is that encapsulates what is so special about LBS – our diversity and that we love our differences and choose to learn from each other.”
Naveen Kler, London Business School

 

“It’s hard to choose one! If I had to, I’d probably say it was MAP, the capstone event of my MBA1 year at Ross. Students are split into consulting teams and assigned to projects based on their interests and career ambitions. I’m not sure how the Office of Action-Based Learning pulls it off, but every year the list of projects that MBAs get to work on gets better. Alongside three of exceptionally bright, mission-driven classmates, I had the chance to create a go-to-market strategy for a solar company in Bangladesh that was looking to break into rural markets. When else do you get to do something like that? I have friends that worked with fisheries in Patagonia and National Parks in Peru. It’s truly an unforgettable experience.”
Sam Buck, University of Michigan (Ross)

 

“The Rolling Sloans! The student-led rock band plays at least one big show every year for our classmates. Hanging out, playing music, and performing for a large crowd is so much fun and has helped me make several close friends at Sloan. The takeaway? As serious as we are about our learning, at MIT we like to have fun outside of the classroom as well.
Kenny Groszman, MIT (Sloan)

 

“When the school year kicks off, the university (and the wonderful folks at Stern’s Office of Student Engagement in particular) puts on some excellent programming through Launch MBA Orientation to welcome students to New York City. One of the more memorable and magical experiences for the class is a Private Dinner at Ellis Island, which was held outdoors in our second year. My classmates and I traveled by ferry, enjoyed stunning views from the water, and savored a great meal with each other; it was a good time. This was especially lovely for my class to do after spending so much of our first year isolated due to the pandemic. It is a really lovely evening that showcases two of the things that make Stern so unique: our location, and our people.”
Khalil Zueh Romain, New York University (Stern)

 

“So much of my Kellogg experience has been remarkable. However, KWEST (“Kellogg Worldwide Experiences & Service Trips”) has certainly been my most memorable experience. Traditionally, KWEST is a week-long trip students take with ~20 strangers that emphasizes getting to know your fellow KWESTees for who they are rather than what they are (e.g., profession, hometown, etc.). My KWEST experience was particularly unique because I opted to take the “mystery” trip. Mystery KWEST adds another level of excitement because the entire itinerary is a secret until the day of departure. KWEST brings to life Kellogg’s emphasis on teambuilding, knowing your peers more deeply and sharing experiences. I made great friends and memories on KWEST, and I am happy I had the opportunity to be a part of such a rich tradition.”
Luke Elder, Northwestern University (Kellogg)

 

“As someone who enjoys a chance to be in the company of my fellow M.B.A. students, the Katz’s Student (Fall or Spring) Ball is my favorite MBA event. The Student Ball is a way for the Katz community to come together to laugh, smile, and dance. Coming to Katz during a pandemic, we didn’t have the student ball my first year, but as the university guidelines permitted in-person events, S.E.B. wanted to bring back the Student Ball with a community aspect to it. All the proceeds from tickets purchased for the ball were donated to Communities in Schools – Pittsburgh & Allegheny County. I enjoyed this fun-filled night and seeing some of my classmates’ best dance moves. The Student Ball is an excellent opportunity to showcase the lighter side of life across the Katz student body.”
Anthony C. Winfield Jr., University of Pittsburgh (Katz)

 

“My favorite MBA tradition is Simon Volunteers’ annual Fall Ball event. Every year, the Simon Community comes together for a special night of dressing up and socializing, while raising money to support Rochester families in need. It is the first club-sponsored event of the school year where the incoming and returning classes get to gather outside of Simon. This year was our 30th anniversary for Fall Ball, with 300 tickets selling out in under 3 days. While the event is memorable on its own, it is particularly important to Simon Volunteers because Fall Ball serves as a fundraiser for our Secret Santa initiative. This year half of all Simon clubs co-sponsored the event, and we were able to raise a record-breaking amount of $18.6K (up 245% from the prior 2019 record).

At Simon Volunteers, my leadership team and I leveraged 100% of those funds raised to provide gifts for children of local families during the holiday season. Altogether, 189 families were supported. With excess funds still remaining, we are excited to be exploring even more ways to support the Rochester community this spring. I am really proud of how involved the Simon community is with the larger Rochester community, and our Fall Ball event is emblematic of that.
Andrew Black, University of Rochester (Simon)

 

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