Everyone has different priorities going into an MBA program. One of mine was to attend a school with a strong community – one that was active not only in the program, but also remained engaged long after graduating.
Booth may not seem like the poster child for community at first glance. It’s not widely known that we have organized cohorts and squads for LEAD that you’ll engage with for your two years here. A flexible curriculum means that you can choose an accelerated learning path while your peers may choose to take introductory classes. But I think it’s what motivates us to get out and mingle even more outside of our classes.
Sure, we have more clubs and activities than you can count. What can get overlooked is that the community atmosphere at Booth is largely shaped by a highly “plugged-in” faculty, staff and student body. What does that entail exactly?
For starters, most of my peers live within a block or two of me.
Many students choose to live in the heart of Chicago, right next to Millennium Park. These unofficial “dorms” create a very close-knit feel. In fact, many of my friends are an elevator ride away. This makes everything – from organizing potlucks to hyperventilating about exams – very convenient.
I can always find someone with specific knowledge or industry expertise.
I’m currently working on a project that requires a nuanced understanding about the construction industry. I’ve never even set up an Ikea table properly. Naturally I needed help and it came from all corners. Three different students with a background in construction happily offered to help me out. A professor put us in touch with his brother-in-law. I put my request on Facebook and the alum who had interviewed me reached out personally to set up an interview time.
Recently, there was discussion on the 2017 Class’ GroupMe about bitcoins. It quickly became clear that there was a lot of interest in the topic. A first year is looking into organizing a Bitcoin panel now.
Second years will take time out of their busy day to help you out even if they don’t know you.
The great thing about B-school is that there’s a lot of choice. Sometimes though it’s almost too many choices. I was quite overwhelmed when I started fall quarter – suddenly a whole world of possibilities was open to me! Within just the career aspect, I could choose to move across the country, switch industries, roles and even functions if I wanted to. Make decisions that could set the course for the rest of my life? Pass the paper bag please.
I shared my confusion with a second year who had faced the same choices last year. This Boothie chatted with me for hours – understanding my dilemma, explaining her rationale and eventual choices. She took it upon herself to guide me through the decision making process. By the way, this kind of pay-it-forward culture will be apparent throughout your two years at Booth and even after.
I could go on and on about how strong the community is over here. Whenever I walk into Winter Garden, I see at least one friendly face that I can easily have a 10-minute conversation with. I love that Dean Kole organizes regular coffee sessions where students can chat with her. When I run into a professor outside of class, they’ll engage with me in a discussion about a recent article that’s relevant to class, and want to hear my take about the same. The welcoming nature creates a wonderful sense of belonging and camaraderie.
Ultimately, choosing which business school to attend is not an easy decision to make. Every time I walk into Harper Center, I know I’ve made the right one
Prior to Booth, Amruta Anil Hunnurkar was an advertising copywriter. In addition to being a first year student, she’s an avid reader of whodunits and a very sore runner.
