The Biggest Myths About Your Favorite Business Schools

 

Myth: The idea that Cura Personalis, care of the whole person, is lip service at Georgetown

Reality: “I heard about this concept numerous times when I was learning more about the Georgetown program. I thought it was just a branding message. However, when I got to campus, I realized how intertwined Cura Personalis is in the soul of the business school. It is reflected in academic classes like Ethical Leadership, where groups are given $1,000 to do a project that does good. It is also part of  additional activities put on by the program office such as “Operation: Cura Personalis”, which involves bringing in external speakers and workshops to help students on this journey. It is truly the core of the McDonough MBA program and a principle that I have come to live by.”
Esther Adusei, Georgetown University (McDonough)

 

Myth: We are all engineers!

Reality: “While I do have an engineering background, my classmates come from all sorts of industries. We have a variety of folks in our program including a former mountain climbing guide, an art gallery curator, financial advisors, Army officers, hospitality experts, and marketing nerds.”
Paroma Chakravarty, Georgia Tech (Scheller)

 

Myth: HEC Paris is located in Paris

Reality: “Actually, it is nestled in Jouy-en-Josas, a quaint town about 30 minutes southwest of the city. This has come at times as a shock for some students, including myself, who were expecting to be able to be in the heart of Paris. I believe though that this distance is a huge benefit as there is a real campus culture to the MBA experience, something that I think may be rare for some European MBA programs. In living on the campus away from the city, you gain an opportunity to bond with your fellow classmates and dive into local French culture with markets and restaurants.”
Vernice Arahan, HEC Paris

 

Myth: IESE focuses its post-MBA career opportunities in Spain and Latin America.

Reality: “Although it is true that IESE has very strong links with Spain and Latam, IESE has a strong international presence, with a campus in Munich, Sao Paulo and New York and focal points-of-contact in Asia. When I arrived to IESE and talked with our Career Development Center (CDC), I discovered a far larger range of job and career opportunities across the entire world. Nowadays, I have colleagues starting to work in the Middle-East, Northern Europe and Asia, among other locations.”
David Boix Nebot, IESE Business School

 

Myth: Imperial College London as a university is known to be extremely academically-driven.

Reality: “I had heard more than once that it is an extremely intense programme and so it’s better to keep that in mind when selecting a business school. I think it’s a myth because it’s not at all driven by academics, but rather it is driven by what you make out of it. My journey as an MBA student has been so much more than academics. I have created a wonderful widespread network, I have learnt about different ways of working, I have eaten a lot of different food and even celebrated a lot of new cultures and festivals as a part of my MBA at Imperial college business school. Yes, it’s intense, but well I wouldn’t settle for anything else.”
Komal Bapna, Imperial College

 

Myth: Kelley isn’t ranked high enough.

Reality: “Often, when considering a Top 25 school, a fatal error of applicants is to think their job opportunities will be limited due to rankings – or that there is a requirement to attend an M7 school to get their dream jobs. This is objectively and factually inaccurate.

I have been exceptionally impressed with the placement of my classmates for both internships and full-time jobs. Our Consulting Academy is placing students in the MBBs as well as other top boutique firms. Our Business Marketing Academy is sending people to Microsoft, Dow Chemical, and Chevron. You might think that a school in southern Indiana would have difficulty placing MBA candidates in investment banking, since we’re so far away from New York and other traditional financial hubs. On the contrary, our Capital Markets Academy members have almost a 100 percent success rate in placement for IB. I would want other applicants to know, you must go where you feel like you will achieve the most success. During my time at Kelley, the only inhibitor of success was my own self-doubt. I had every resource available to me to improve and feel supported through the process. When you come to Kelley, the only thing limiting your success is yourself.”
Ben Krebs, Indiana University (Kelley)

 

Myth: INSEAD is only for consultants and people trying to switch careers into consulting!

Reality: “The MBA cohort is very diverse in terms of professional background and career plans, including tech, energy, venture capital, entrepreneurs working on startups – and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of people planning to put their MBA to use working in impact investing and sustainability. I always have interesting conversations with my classmates about their experiences, as you never hear the same story twice.”
Rebecca Chandler, INSEAD

 

Myth: There is a lack of diversity in the student boy of Western University (and Ivey by extension).

Reality: “The data proves otherwise: 54% of the 2023 Ivey MBA cohort hold citizenships outside of Canada (representing 24 different birth countries in total), while 49% of Western students as a whole identify as a visible minority. With events put on by my classmates such as Diwali, Holi, Lunar New Year, Nigeria’s Independence party, Eid al-Fitr, and Ukrainian winter holiday celebrations, our cohort was immersed in such a rich variety of cultural experiences over the past year!”
Ramsey Andary, Ivey Business School

 

Myth: London Business School is only for students who want to work in finance or consulting.

Reality: “While these industries are popular career paths for LBS graduates (including myself), the school offers a diverse range of academic programs and career opportunities. London Business School offers a variety of MBA concentrations, including entrepreneurship, marketing, and something which will be new for the MBA class of 2024, a concentration in sustainability and social impact.”
Cameron Martin, London Business School

 

Myth: Michigan is not a great school if you’re interested in entrepreneurship.

Realty: “We’re one of the only top-tier schools with a highly ranked business school, engineering school, med school, and law school. Some may have two or even three but not all four. This concoction of talent overlayed with the rigor and connection to our undergrads through programs like the Living Business Leadership Experience, +Impact Founders, or the Applebaum Design Fellows provides an unrivaled stage to produce and invest in innovation. Additionally, the revitalization of the entire venture ecosystem in Detroit, with TechStars led by UM alum and ZLCF Advisory Board member Monica Wheat, will only accelerate the unlocking of untapped opportunities at the school in the years to come.”
George Okpamen, University of Michigan (Ross)

 

Myth: MIT Sloan is just “numbers, formulas and mathematics.”

Reality: “Although MIT excels at those (I’m definitely the worst offender for being a math geek), there’s a lot more that Sloan and the broader MIT has to offer. Some of the soft-skill leadership classes have changed my life and there’s a world of other courses than just the nerdy ones. As an example, I’m also taking an Electronic Music Composition class which is unreal. It is a totally new creative outlook. Also, I’ve heard that some of the MIT Media Lab courses are also amazing since those sit at the intersection of art and tech. MIT’s motto is now Mind, Hand & Heart. While there’s still a lot of emphasis on the Mind-Hand the Heart is more prevalent than ever.”
Paolo Luciano Rivera, MIT (Sloan)

 

Myth: It’s too cold.

Reality: Do not write off the Carlson School because it is cold in the winter. The city of Minneapolis (well most Minnesotans, really) embraces the weather! You can enjoy winter activities like curling, ice mazes, and the Luminary Loppet (a celebration of ice and light, held at night, and usually on a frozen lake). All of these turns what can be a dark and dreary time of year into something amazing.
Neville Williams, University of Minnesota (Carlson)

 

Myth: You have a lot of free time when you start your MBA at NUS.

Reality: “NUS’ first year schedule is roughly three days of classes a week, leaving the student with four free days a week. Before starting classes, I was worried about how to fill up my free time, but soon realized with everything going on in school that even social events needed to be put on the calendar. Those “free days” get booked up really quickly, especially since the school organizes a lot of career talks and club activities along with group meetings. The schedule also worked out for students who wanted part-time internships. I enjoyed how I had the option to choose how to spend my time and how the school allowed us the flexibility to chart our own paths.”
Ayla Francesca Reyes, National University of Singapore

 

Myth: NYU Stern doesn’t have a tight knit community because we’re right in the middle of the madness in NYC.

Reality: “That is absolutely untrue. In fact, I believe we have a tighter community at Stern because we choose to spend time together and do things we’re interested in both at the same time – not just because there’s nothing else to do. We are a strong, tight-knit community despite the million ways to spend our time in NYC, and the city helps us be stronger together and find our crew – be it Broadway fans or bikers, foodies or fitness enthusiasts.”
Jeetendra Khilnani, New York University (Stern)

 

Myth: With Kenan-Flagler being 34% women, it is probably not a place where women can thrive.

Reality: “I think this is often backed up by the fact that UNC Kenan-Flagler is known for banking and real estate, which are traditionally male dominated spaces. I think it is easy for applicants to see this and write UNC Kenan-Flagler off as dominated by men. What I always tell applicants is the number of women is not indicative of the impact that women make to this program every year. In the 2022-23 academic year almost 50% of our clubs were run by women. So, despite what the numbers or blogs say, UNC Kenan-Flagler is a place where women thrive and are supported. I have not only found a strong network of women but also allies. We have a long way to go in terms of growing diversity representation in every area of the school, but I can confidently say it is not due to the faculty, student or staff leaders who I have seen time and time again go out of their way to create an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone at UNC Kenan-Flagler.”
Taylor Jackson, University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)

Next Page: Myths about Northwestern Kellogg, UCLA Anderson, Wharton School, and more.