Kelley 2012 - Calling All Applicants

Hi All-
Congrats to all the admits and those about to come!

I am a Kelley first year MBA student and it was not long ago I was making decisions about where to apply and whether to accept Kelley’s offer. After the first semester, I am convinced that Kelley deserves its ranking and probably a much higher one. I know these boards can be a valuable resource as well as an addiction for those in that process so I thought I would offer a few things I have really enjoyed so far to help feed your need for info.

Here are some of the specific things I have enjoyed about it:

The Core - One of the things I really enjoy about Kelley is it takes the academic portion of the MBA seriously. The core at Kelley is 8 classes. At many other schools the number is only 5 or 6. During the Kelley core, Fridays are not off. I am happy to know that I have worked hard and built a solid foundation that allows me to understand the implications of pretty much any business problem or situation.

Flexibility - I am looking forward to the remainder of the MBA due to the flexibility and depth available in the subjects. Due to the compressed 7 week schedule that begins after the core, you are allowed to continue taking 8 courses per full academic semester. I am planning to do a major as well as two minors and I will still be able to take additional courses in other subjects I am interested in. Many people double major. The depth in offerings will allow me to enter the workforce with much more than a piece of paper.

Me INC - Another part of Kelley I enjoy very much is all of the tools it makes available to students for career development. It is one thing to get a great education but that education is useless if you can’t land the right opportunity. At Kelley, career development begins even before school officially starts with the ME INC program. This program forces you into the process of crafting our own personal brand. The great thing about this process is it allows you present yourself in front of peers before you have to do it in front of recruiters. It gives you practice as well as feedback. And feedback is not to be underrated; it is hard to know exactly how others coming from different background will perceive what you are saying until you hear from them directly.

Academies – It is hard to talk about Kelley without mentioning the academies and rightfully so. I have enjoyed my academy in that it has allowed me to work on specializing skills, my brand and my network. The academy could probably fill up a post in itself but suffice it to say that I have found these to be a very valuable resource in helping me develop a network for potential internships, as well as prepare me for the interview process through mock interviews, peer coaching and resume reviews.

I could keep going, these are but a few of the things and opportunities I have truly enjoyed at Kelley. It is definitely a well-rounded and thought out program with enthusiastic leadership, alumni and students. Once again, congrats to those of you who have already been admitted and I will hope to see you on campus for visits and Experience Weekend.

My one piece of advice when looking at schools that goes for whether you are deciding where to apply or whether to attend is really try to pull back the onion of what is offered at the school. Don’t go off rankings and advertising materials too much. Talk is cheap. Spend some real time and make sure you get the whole picture. Find out who the leadership of the school is. If you are planning to major in a subject, find out what courses are offered in that subject. If you are planning to go into a certain area find out how the school will help you network in that area. If you really want a collaborative culture, find out how the school actually promotes a collaborative culture. If you really want a good job, find out how exactly the school will help you get there. These degrees are not cheap so make the most of it. Hope it helps and Best of luck!