Mikus wrote:
Echoing posts above, ASW was well organized and a very positive experience. The people were great and the weekend was quite fun
Some pros and cons for me below:
Pros:1. Diverse and friendly classmates
2. Engaging and high-energy classroom experience
3. Large international alumni network
4. Extremely tight-knit section of 90
5. Beautiful campus, facilities and lively city
Cons:1. Very heavy 1st year courseload - students I spoke to get on average 5 hours of sleep every night. Mandatory 7AM learning team meetings every single day.
2. From what current students told me, social circles are largely confined to sections. People oftentimes default to just knowing their section and many do not make extraordinary strides to branch out. (Maybe because they aren't sleeping...?
)
3. Seemingly high ratio of aspiring students to coveted job slots. (This may be the case across all schools)
Conclusion: Overall, a confirmation of the high standards I had for the program-- if I matriculated here, I'm confident it would be a positive experience. Main issue is quality-of-life during the RC year (sure, only the 1st year, but the MBA program is only 2 years in total)-- interested in knowing how "rigorous" other MBA programs are, and how much free time they would allow me to pursue extracurricular and social interests. Secondary issue is community inclusiveness given its large size.
Hey guys, thanks for the recaps! Have any of you guys made your final decisions on which school to attend yet?
I have a lot of friends currently at HBS and they all tell me that the RC year experience will largely be determined by your section. Even then, I know people within the same section that like it or don't just based on their personalities. However, there are many opportunities to meet people from other sections (learning teams, clubs/activities, socials, etc.). The RCs I know don't sleep very much, but its not all due to work. The classic saying is you can pick 2 out of the following 3: school work, socializing, or sleep.
Anyways, from what I hear from ECs and alumni is that the EC year is completely different. No more section structure so you meet more people, flexible curriculum, and people generally prepare for class less (either because they are completely focused on getting a job or because they've figured out how much they need to prepare for cases in order to get by). ECs are just more laid back... unless they can't find a job (a lot of people this year)... then they're stressed out.