B School FAQ: Michigan Ross Edition

B School FAQ: Michigan Ross Edition

Every week, I will post an FAQ thread on all the schools I applied and interviewed at (which, if you don't know already are quite a few). I did a lot of research on these schools and spent over four years at GMAT Club talking to current students and alums and now that I am a year into business school. it is about the right time I share some of my learnings. So for the first week, I wanted to start with Michigan Ross. Why? Well, for starters I go there and spent an incredible year here at Ann Arbor. But I must warn you - a lot of my answers may not be the ones you want to hear, and like most things in the world, the answer could very easily be summarized as "It depends!". With that said, let's get started.

What does Ross look for in applicants?

This is a really hard question to answer. I have all kinds of people in my class. Some of them have had very traditional business-y backgrounds, while others have taken very uncharted paths to business school (including yours truly). I think a common trait that Rossers have (and of course, there are exceptions to this) is that they are kind to each other. Being kind has nothing to do with how smart you are or how great your quant chops are, but a lot more about how willing would you be to review your classmate's resume even when you pulled a 16 hour day doing classes and recruiting. The other thing that I would add is that Ross places a tremendous focus on action. It is in their curriculum, branding and pretty much every experiential course. Ross is very proud of action based opportunities on campus such as MAP, LBLE, Venture funds, Crisis Challenge, etc. and they would like to see how much you value getting your shovel to dig the dirt when the going gets tough. It is not the school for armchair philosophers, even though we have a few of those here. Just like everything else, exception makes the rule.

How do I increase my chances of getting in?

The short answer is - be the applicant they would love to add in their class. The long answer, however, is in two different aspects of your application. The first one is the quantitative aspects - your GMAT, GPA, undergraduate prestige, work experiences. The qualitative aspects would add merit based on how strong your essays are, how great are you at making a compelling pitch for yourself, and how your recommenders vouch for you. It means you actually need to have great accomplishments and have the argumentative articulation to show the adcoms how those accomplishments will create your success in Ross and beyond. Finally, networking with current students and admissions can also go a long way. Thousands of people apply to the school, and you don't want to miss any opportunity to have a positive interaction with the school. This means reaching out on LinkedIn, email, getting on the phone, showing genuine interest and actually make a positive connection. Networking is hard, but when done well yields incredible results.

How does Ross help me get where I want to be?

Well, like most top business schools, Ross has a very robust career development office which brings hundreds of companies to campus - your consulting giants, to IB shops to big tech companies. Also included in the roster are CPG, General Management and other more niche companies. But what makes Ross unique is the incredible reach of University of Michigan alumni network. University of Michigan has arguably one of the largest network thanks to an incredible set of schools (engineering alums will greatly help in tech recruiting, and MAcc alums will not shy from talking to you if big 4 is your thing), and my classmates and I have had very positive experiences interacting with both Ross and the broader UM network alums on LinkedIn and personal interactions. Finally, peers and second year students in business school will play a crucial role in your success. I have had an army of students rallying for my success, and I wouldn't have half the professional outcomes in my summer recruiting without them.

How is it living in Ann Arbor?

It has its ups and downs. I lived most of my adult life in a big city called Mumbai in India. I always walked in overcrowded streets and was pretty used to brightly lit streets and coffee shops and diners open in the middle of the night, and I thoroughly enjoyed a city life. Ann Arbor has a more big city feel that most cities its size, but in no way it will compare with a Boston or a Chicago. But, many Rossers consider that a good thing. Being in a small community makes bonds with peers stronger and we end up exploring the city a lot more than we could if we were in a major metro. We go to the same 10 bars that they have here and while there are plenty of restaurants (Shake shack just opened last month!!!), I still am yet to find a quality Indian or a Chinese place (the Korean scene in this city is GREAT FWIW). Finally, the weather in the mid west is brutal. There are more than four months of snow and it can get shockingly cold with temperatures lower than the arctics. I would still say it is better than Chicago but its not better than pretty much any coasts. You end up restricting travel but business school go-getters do not skip their thursday beers (we have a tab!) even in freezing December. Is it hard? Yes. Does your commute make for a great conversation starter? Hell Yes!

What are some of the unique offerings at Ross?

This question serves two purposes. First, it gives you a short-cut to write unique stuff about Ross in your essays. But more importantly, it helps you navigate their website to learn about them even more. Here is a list of some of the coolest stuff at Ross (IMHO):

REAL: Here's the main link; you can explore the 4 "REAL" paths there: https://michiganross.umich.edu/about/RE ... d-Learning
Aspiring entrepreneur? "REAL.START" is for you
Wanna be a consultant or strategy-type? "REAL.ADVISE" will help you get there
Any type of investing (including VC)? "REAL.INVEST"
None of the above, or more of an aspiring general manager? "REAL.LEAD"

Sanger Leadership Center: The Sanger Leadership Center organizes learning communities, challenges, and workshops to develop leaders who make a positive difference.

LDRx: Leader Experience (LDRx) is a student-led community that provides you with tools and a community to reflect upon your leadership experiences and take control of your development. You’ll meet once per week with a small group of 4-6 peers, and utilize a flexible, discussion-based curriculum. Throughout the year, you will advance your leadership development and your group’s by increasing self-knowledge, experimenting with new ways of leading, reflecting on results, and synthesizing learning.

William Davidson Institute: Located at the University of Michigan, WDI is an independent, non-profit research and educational organization guided by our founding principle that thriving businesses drive economic development and improve social welfare in low- and middle-income countries. They also offer summer internships, PT roles for development consulting and other experiential learning opportunities.

Student Investment Funds: Get involved with a variety of funds, ranging from early-stage ventures and commercialization to funds with specific investment themes, like social impact and real estate. Prior investment experience isn’t required; you can start out as an analyst and then take on a portfolio-manager role leading your peers. Complement your experience with one of Ross’ many classes focused on funds and assets ― the most offered by any school. These funds are through application and a rigorous selection process.

What question(s) did I miss? Ask me here!