Hey Kunal,
Yes, we did hear about your call with Cheryl

Btw, I would also like to address some of the questions raised by you on the post by MRoss2018. Hope that helps the larger audience clarify the questions in their mind right now. Also, remember that there are 44 students in the class with each one having his/her own opinion and the one mentioned by MRoss2018 is NOT a representation of what the majority thinks. Please find my responses below
1)
MRoss2018: Yes, the program is now 10 months as opposed to 12 months before. There is no full-time Summer Internship.
KG: I guess this is in reference to the paid internship that was a part of the curriculum before. Does this directly translate into students having less chance of landing a job and that job hunting basically begins on day 1 itself?
mscmross: Yes, MRoss2018 is referring to the paid Tauber internships which were part of the previous version of MSCM program. They were definitely a great way of gaining experience of working here in the US and networking with a company, but as the statistics of the previous years go, less than 10% of the class converted those internships into jobs, except for the class of 2017 which was an exception. For the question on job hunting starting on day 1 - no, if you are talking about approaching companies for jobs or attending on-campus interviews. But yes, if you are referring to working on your resume and networking skills to be prepared for the fall recruiting season that starts in September.2)
MRoss2018: Consulting Studio is like a Project you do with a company, not at their facility but rather from the school, by organising meetings and sharing information over WebEx. It can’t really be compared to Summer Internship but it’s the best we have right now. We don’t really know if people will get full time jobs from Consulting Studio, as this is the first time this has been launched and the Studio has just begun in Winter. But from our personal perspective, we don’t expect the number to be more than 2-3, if any.
KG: Considering that ConStudio has taken the place of internship, does this mean that there has been a decent trimming on the core course structure as well? As in removal of some courses/electives?
KG: What larger purpose does ConStudio serve? (Sorry for being blunt here!) ( I clubbed your questions here)
mscmross: I will answer this in 2 parts -
a) consulting studio and its relation to jobs: The consulting studio is part of the action based learning program that Ross emphasizes on. As the name goes, you act like a consulting team of 5 - 6 students working with a company while being based out of Ann Arbor and visiting the company on a need basis. some of them have visited as many as 2 times since Jan while some have visited them once. so, you still have your opportunity to network as you engage every week with the client. You get to implement the learnings from your experience and at class in those projects. We are just one month into the 4 month long consulting studio and it is too early to judge the results.
b) The course structure - this has changed a bit from the previous years. You have 3 core classes along with the consulting studio and it is a little hectic, but not unmanageable. There is a good focus on Big Data analytics, SQL skills that the market is looking for and the courses are covered optimally. 4)
MRoss2018: There are still opportunities for practical hands on experiences like AT Kearney Projects, Independent Studies & Consulting Studios but it’s no where near as good as before. AT Kearney Projects happen in Fall during peak recruitment cycle & thus, most of the people don’t take it.
KG: What is generally the hiring season for majority of roles from this program in the US? As in do companies generally hire near the fiscal end?
mscmsross: Historically, most of the students graduating from the program in Dec found jobs during the Jan-April months. And that was one of the primary reasons for the timeline to be shifted from a Jan start to June. But as MRoss2018 pointed out, it can get hectic to do recruiting, A.T.Kearney and the coursework. So, you will have to make a choice on which one you would give more weight to. 5)
MRoss2018: The academics are pretty good. Some classes might not seem very value adding but in general, we don’t have much complain from academics.
mscmross: The acads are top notch and you will learn a ton during your time here. 6)
MRoss2018: We don’t really know what new rules or impact Trump organisation can have. What we will like to clarify though is that STEM doesn’t help you get a job, no employer even looks at STEM. How it does help is that once you’ve a job, you can apply for H1B for 3 years.
KG: I previously had an understanding that companies would much rather hire a guy with STEM degree coz that relieves the pain of sponsorship for them. If I understand this correctly, STEM or No-STEM, you basically need to fight the same battle to land a job because from the company’s point-of-view, they still have to sponsor an H1-B for you, albeit after 29 odd months. Am I correct?
mscmross: KG - you are absolutely right with the analysis above. I would, in fact, disagree with MRoss2018 here that STEM doesn't help. one of our classmates found favor with the employer only because of STEM. But on the other note, as MRoss2018 pointed out, there has been anxiety in the companies with respect to sponsorship, especially with the current administration in place. But on a positive note, if the current administration makes the H1B process merit-based, then we are the ones, esp with STEM, to gain the most. 7)
MRoss2018: The job scenario right now is pretty **** & to be honest, only 5 people have jobs right now out of 44. The Ross brand is big but on its own, it’s only helpful, if you’re doing an MBA. With the MSCM degree, it doesn’t help much. Amazon is the only company who recruits on campus for MSCM. Off-campus can be very daunting, not impossible if you keep your focus and keep on trying. Most of the companies, even the big ones, are not very keen to hire or sponsor Internationals right now.
KG: 5/44 ??? Do we have a similar number for December end last year? I ask this because if majority of the hiring happens in the last 3 months (Jan - Mar/Apr) then probably this may not be such a big pain point.
Also, the 5 students who have got placed
(A) Are these with the same organisation
(B) What was the source of their employment - networking or school initiated?
(C) Is there currently an update to this number?
(D) How easy or difficult is for the students to network for jobs with, say, Ross MBA students? Or in other parts of the country?
mscmross - 4 Amazon, 1 wayfair. Our class position was different because we were competing with the 2017 class for on campus recruiting. In the class of 2017, everyone, except one, was placed while on campus with a most of them going to Amazon, a few to Fiat-Chrysler, Microsoft and a bunch of other places. And just yesterday one of our classmates from 2018 heard back from Google. The Ross MBA's are very receptive to network with. you can always connect with them and seek help. 8)
MRoss2018: For International Students- We don’t recommend you to apply or not apply, that is purely one’s own choice but we do recommend to do your due diligence thoroughly. Managing the academics with assignments and cases and networking vigorously for off-campus jobs can be daunting. It’s still a good program but yes, not the same it was a couple of years ago. It’s very much possible that the implementation of this new program structure is done much better for your batch as the school will have some experience with our batch but again, we can’t be sure of that.
KG: How easy / difficult will it be to scout for jobs in the nearby (pun intended) Toronto?
mscmross - Mr. Trudeau has always been welcoming of immigrants.
. But on a serious note, we can't compare the program to its previous version. Both are different and have their own merits and demerits. A 9-month program is always going to be hectic given how much you are packing into that short timeline. The major challenge most of us face is with getting the nitty gritty of networking right especially when you are in a different cultural setting like the US which is majorly individual driven. 9)
MRoss2018: On a personal level, we suggest that if you do apply, do also look for similar programs from other schools like MIT or look at the IOE program in University of Michigan. If you’ve made your decision to come to US, irrespective of the school, we would also suggest to prepare yourself for a tough, exciting, challenging and a stressful year. It is not easy for everyone to manage all this, especially when you’re here on a big loan. So, all the best for your applications and let us know if you have any more questions.
mscmross: All programs have their unique proposition. Personally, IOE is engineering focused while MSCM is a balance of engineering and management. Based on the experience level and the future career path of each individual, we make our choice. Ross MSCM is still one of the best programs in supply chain management. A couple of additional pointers for applicants and admits are -
a) The program is going to be hectic but at the same time is a ton of learning. Most of you would be coming here after working in the industry for a while, so prepare for the transition by taking and completing courses online through edx or coursera. This would help you get into the habit of focusing for long hours
b) Start working on your networking and resume. I can't stress enough on how important it is, especially for people coming from non-US countries. The school is working on making this transition smoother for you guys. So keep an eye out for it. If you already received access to IMpact, start taking careerleader, MBIT assessments and look for some strategies on networking there. More importantly, practice!!!
c) Case study preperation - Another important element of recruiting where students face a challenge is case studies. "Case interviews for Beginners" by Stephen pidgeon, "Case interview secrets" by Victor Cheng are good start points. And start Now!!!
d) The recruiting scene in the US is majorly driven by networking and this is not specific to just Ross. There are some great resources on campus like Peer coaches for interview practice, other faculty and staff to give personalized advice and many more. it is up to you to approach and make a good use of them to prepare yourself for the opportunity.
e) Lastly, the current class was indeed facing challenges with respect to placements, but that has to do with the greater political climate in the country and not Ross. And this was something we all signed up for, but probably underestimated the magnitude. In fact, the program office has come forward to support us in every possible way by arranging travel to career fairs and organizing chat sessions with alums, etc.
It was a long note. But, hope that answers some of your doubts and questions. This forum was supposed to help students answer questions on their interview and application process and not promote/tarnish Ross over others. Let me know if you have any more questions and I would be happy to answer them.