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MIXEDin86
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Easiest workload? Top 25 Business Schools 16 May 2011, 16:48
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I don't mean to seem lazy BUT I was wondering if any of you have any input towards which programs have slightly lighter workloads while in school? I'm not particularly interested in schools that require 70+ hours of work per week like Darden for example.

If this was already covered in another post please kindly point me in the right direction. :)

Also, my target schools as of now are Stern, Anderson, & Marshall (and Howard as an extreme safety) so if you have any info regarding workload/ social life balance of those programs please inform.

THANK YOU!
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Matador1985
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Easiest workload? Top 25 Business Schools 17 May 2011, 18:07
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you could just not go to school and save the 100K in debt. sorry not trynna be mean, just sayin
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Matador1985
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Easiest workload? Top 25 Business Schools 17 May 2011, 21:25
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Matador1985
you could just not go to school and save the 100K in debt. sorry not trynna be mean, just sayin
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I should probably put it in context by saying that most top schools are a ton of work. so I wouldn't look at it from that perspective. But at the same time you'll have a time of your life. You'll get what you put into it.. That's the point I was trying to make.
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MIXEDin86
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Easiest workload? Top 25 Business Schools 18 May 2011, 09:50
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Matador1985
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you could just not go to school and save the 100K in debt. sorry not trynna be mean, just sayin

I should probably put it in context by saying that most top schools are a ton of work. so I wouldn't look at it from that perspective. But at the same time you'll have a time of your life. You'll get what you put into it.. That's the point I was trying to make.
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you said "MOST top schools are a ton of work."...implying there may be one or two that are NOT a ton of work...?
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Easiest workload? Top 25 Business Schools 18 May 2011, 11:16
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With the possible exception of Darden, I haven't heard about a big discrepancy in the workload at the top schools. Slight differences would be practically impossible to measure, especially since there are going to be elective options that require different levels of work within the same program. I can appreciate not wanting to choose a school with a significantly bigger workload than average, but I kind of agree with matador that I wouldn't make a $100k decision over that alone when the differences aren't huge and there are so many other factors that determine fit.

Overall, it seems like every program has plenty of time for socializing (especially if you don't have a significant other or other obligations outside of school). The people I know from Anderson who were completely swamped were the ones who took on a ton of leadership in clubs and organizations. Even they managed to pack in a bunch of social stuff. Those that mostly just went to class and did recruiting seemed to have a good amount of free time on their hands. I had a roommate who was at Marshall as well and would say the same about that program. The degree to which academics are challenging for you in general, and how important you think grades are will also play a huge role, of course.

There's some discussion about how busy b-school is here: so-how-busy-will-i-be-at-b-school-107482.html?hilit=how%20busy
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Easiest workload? Top 25 Business Schools 23 May 2011, 09:39
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With the possible exception of Darden, I haven't heard about a big discrepancy in the workload at the top schools. Slight differences would be practically impossible to measure, especially since there are going to be elective options that require different levels of work within the same program. I can appreciate not wanting to choose a school with a significantly bigger workload than average, but I kind of agree with matador that I wouldn't make a $100k decision over that alone when the differences aren't huge and there are so many other factors that determine fit.

Overall, it seems like every program has plenty of time for socializing (especially if you don't have a significant other or other obligations outside of school). The people I know from Anderson who were completely swamped were the ones who took on a ton of leadership in clubs and organizations. Even they managed to pack in a bunch of social stuff. Those that mostly just went to class and did recruiting seemed to have a good amount of free time on their hands. I had a roommate who was at Marshall as well and would say the same about that program. The degree to which academics are challenging for you in general, and how important you think grades are will also play a huge role, of course.

There's some discussion about how busy b-school is here: so-how-busy-will-i-be-at-b-school-107482.html?hilit=how%20busy
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Is Darden that much more work than other places? I talked to a SY at Darden and he said that he thinks it's more the same as any other b-school but just goes along with the general perception because it benefits him.