Mbamission Michigan Ross Insider's Guide 2018-2019 PDF

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com
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presents
mbaMission’s Insider’s Guide

Stephen M. Ross
School of Business
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
2018–2019
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mbaMission Insider’s Guide: Stephen M. Ross School of Business · 2018–2019
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Introduction
After more than a decade helping MBA applicants get Over the past eight years, Poets&Quants has be-
into top business schools, we have learned what can come the foremost authority on the top business
compel an admissions committee to send that cov- schools. Our mission has always been to help young
eted letter of acceptance. Selecting the right MBA professionals with one of the most important—and
program for your needs and developing a true un- potentially most expensive—decisions of their lives:
derstanding of and familiarity with that program are whether to pursue an MBA.
crucial in crafting a successful application. We have
therefore invested hundreds of hours into research- This Insider’s Guide is part of a new editorial part-
ing and examining the leading business schools—in- nership between Poets&Quants and mbaMission,
cluding speaking with students, alumni, and other the world’s leading MBA admissions consulting firm.
representatives—to construct these guides, with the We closely evaluated all such guides currently on the
express goal of helping applicants like you make in- market, and I am confident that you will not find a
formed decisions about this important step in your more thorough analysis of an MBA program than
education and career. mbaMission’s. These in-depth reports are well re-
searched and well written, offering the detail and
We hope you enjoy this guide and encourage you to examination applicants need to really understand
visit us at www.mbamission.com for complete and de- a school’s culture, offerings, and outcomes. We are
tailed analysis of the leading schools’ essay questions, thrilled to offer these guides to our readers for free,
weekly essay-writing tips, MBA news and trends, and thanks to our new partnership.
other valuable free information and resources. And
for any advice you may need on applying to business Moreover, the guides are a great complement to the
school, please contact us for a free 30-minute consul- daily coverage of MBA news, students, programs,
tation. Our consultants are extensively trained to help and admissions practices on PoetsandQuants.com.
applicants present themselves in the most interesting We hope you will visit our site often to stay informed
and compelling way and take advantage of every op- about the programs that interest you and the one you
portunity that might increase their chances of being ultimately attend. We will continue to provide the
admitted to their target MBA program. most relevant and current resources on the MBA world
to help you make the best possible decisions on your
Jeremy Shinewald path from school selection to career advancement.
info@mbamission.com
www.mbamission.com I wish you the best of luck on your journey to what will
646-485-8844 undoubtedly be a transformational experience.
Skype: mbaMission
John A. Byrne
Founder & Editor-In-Chief
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Free Resources from mbaMission
The following guides are also available from mbaMission (online at https://shop.mbamission.com/collections/
guides), and more are being added regularly:
Admissions Guides
• Complete Start-to-Finish MBA Admissions • Optional Essays Guide
Guide • Personal Statement Guide
• Brainstorming Guide • Resume Guide
• Essay Writing Guide • Selecting Your Target MBA Program E-Book
• Fundamentals of an MBA Candidacy Guide • Social Media Primer
• Interview Guide • Waitlist Guide
• Letters of Recommendation Guide • MBA Student Loan Reduction Primer
• Long-Term Planning Guide
Insider’s Guides
• Insider’s Guide to Columbia Business School • Insider’s Guide to the Stanford Graduate
• Insider’s Guide to Cornell University’s School of Business
Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of • Insider’s Guide to the Stephen M. Ross School
Management of Business at the University of Michigan
• Insider’s Guide to Duke University’s Fuqua • Insider’s Guide to the Tuck School of Business
School of Business at Dartmouth
• Insider’s Guide to the Haas School of • Insider’s Guide to the UCLA Anderson School
Business at the University of California- of Management
Berkeley • Insider’s Guide to the University of Chicago
• Insider’s Guide to Harvard Business School Booth School of Business
• Insider’s Guide to INSEAD • Insider’s Guide to the University of Virginia’s
• Insider’s Guide to the Kellogg School of Darden School of Business Administration
Management at Northwestern University • Insider’s Guide to the Wharton School of the
• Insider’s Guide to the MIT Sloan School of University of Pennsylvania
Management • Insider’s Guide to the Yale School of
• Insider’s Guide to New York University’s Management
Leonard N. Stern School of Business
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Interview Primers
• Chicago Booth School of Business Interview • Northwestern Kellogg Interview Primer
Primer • NYU Stern School of Business Interview
• Columbia Business School Interview Primer Primer
• Dartmouth Tuck Interview Primer • Stanford GSB Interview Primer
• Duke Fuqua Interview Primer • Wharton School of the University of
• Haas School of Business Interview Primer Pennsylvania Interview Primer
• Harvard Business School Interview Primer • UCLA Anderson Interview Primer
• INSEAD Interview Primer • UVA Darden Interview Primer
• London Business School Interview Primer • Yale School of Management Interview Primer
• Michigan Ross Interview Primer
• MIT Sloan School of Management Interview
Primer
B-School Primers
• Cambridge Judge Business School Program • INSEAD Program Primer
Primer • Ivey Business School Program Primer
• ESADE Program Primer • London Business School Program Primer
• HEC Paris Program Primer • Rotman School of Management Program
• HKUST Program Primer Primer
• IE Business School Program Primer • Saïd Business School Program Primer
• IESE Business School Program Primer
Career Primers
• Asset Management Career Primer • Private Equity Career Primer
• Consulting Career Primer • Real Estate Investment & Development
• Hedge Fund Career Primer Career Primer
• Investment Banking Career Primer • Tech Career Primer
• Marketing Career Primer • Venture Capital Career Primer
The mbaMission blog is updated daily and offers a plethora of MBA admissions tips, business school news, company
updates, event listings, and other valuable information. Be sure to also follow us on Twitter (@mbaMission),
Facebook, and Instagram (@mbaMission)!
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Table of Contents
9 The MBA Program in Context: Choosing Michigan Ross
10 Location: Urban Campus Versus College Town
13 Class Size: Smaller Versus Larger
18 Curriculum: Flexible Versus Mandatory Core
22 Pedagogy: Lecture Versus Case Method
24 Academic Specializations/Recruitment Focus: Resources and Employers
27 Alumni Base: Opportunities to Engage
28 Facilities: Shaping the Academic/Social Experience
30 Rankings and Reputation: Important Metrics or Arbitrary Measures?
36 The Stephen M. Ross School of Business

36 Summary
37 The Dean
38 Professional Specializations
38 Consulting
39 Entrepreneurship, Private Equity, and Venture Capital
43 Finance
44 General Management
46 Health Care
47 International Business
50 Marketing
52 Operations/Manufacturing
54 Real Estate
55 Social Entrepreneurship
57 Notable Professors and Unsung Heroes
58 Social/Community Life
60 Academic Summary
62 Admissions Basics
66 University of Michigan (Ross) Essay Analysis, 2018–2019
69 mbaMission’s Exclusive Interview with Soojin Kwon, Director of Admissions for the
Ross School of Business
78 Appendix: Ross Facts and Figures

78 Basics
79 Class Profile (Class of 2019)
79 Employment Statistics (Class of 2017)
82 Bibliography
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The MBA Program in Context:
Choosing Michigan Ross
Over the years, we have met many aspiring MBA students who have tried to You may not find a
identify their target schools and quickly become overwhelmed, wondering, single program that
“How are the top MBA programs really different?” and “How do I choose the meets all your needs
one that is right for me?” and preferences, but
you should be able to
Frustrated, some applicants ultimately choose schools based simply on identify ones that fulfill
rankings or the opinions of friends or alumni. Although these inputs have a the factors that are
place in your evaluative process, you should also do the necessary research most important to you.
to find the program that is truly best for your personality and professional
needs. In doing so, you will find significant differences between, for exam-
ple, programs that have a class size in the low 200s and those that have classes of more than 900 students. As you
are undoubtedly already aware, an MBA is a significant investment in the short term and a lifetime connection to
an institution in the long term. We therefore strongly encourage you to take time now to think long and hard about
this decision and thoroughly consider your options. We hope this guide will prove helpful to you in doing just that.
At mbaMission, we advise candidates evaluating their potential target schools to consider the following eight
specific characteristics (in no particular order) that shape MBA programs:
1. Location: Urban Campus Versus College Town
2. Class Size: Smaller Versus Larger
3. Curriculum: Flexible Versus Mandatory Core
4. Pedagogy: Lecture Versus Case Method
5. Academic Specializations/Recruitment Focus: Resources and Employers
6. Alumni Base: Opportunities to Engage
7. Facilities: Shaping the Academic/Social Experience
8. Rankings and Reputation: Important Metrics or Arbitrary Measures?
You will not likely find a single MBA program that meets all your needs and preferences across these eight criteria,
but you should be able to identify schools that fulfill the factors that are most important to you. Although this
guide is intended to familiarize you on a deeper level with this particular school, nothing will prove more valuable
in your decision making than visiting the programs that appeal to you and experiencing them firsthand. Inevitably,
no matter what your research may reveal, some schools will simply “click” with you, and others will not.
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Note: The authors and editors at mbaMission have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the
information included in this guide. However, some discrepancies may exist or develop over time between what is
presented here and what appears in the school’s official materials, as well as what may be offered by other content
providers in print or online. For the most up-to-date information, always check with your target school directly. The
opinions expressed by the people interviewed are those of the attributed individuals only and may not necessarily
represent the opinion of mbaMission or any of its affiliates.
We also wish to thank the students, alumni, faculty members, and administrators who gave generously of their time
to provide valuable input for this guide.
1. Location: Urban Campus Versus College Town
Pursuing an MBA can be quite intense, and the environment and community The environment
surrounding the campus can profoundly affect and even shape your MBA and community
experience. For example, imagine stepping out of a class at New York Univer- surrounding your
sity’s (NYU’s) Stern School of Business and into the energetic bustle of New chosen school can
York City’s West Village. Now imagine walking outside after a course at the profoundly affect and
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and being surrounded by the tranquil- shape your MBA
ity and natural beauty of New Hampshire’s Upper Valley. Neither scenario is experience.
necessarily “better” than the other, but one might appeal to you more.
An urban campus can undoubtedly offer social and cultural opportunities that a college town simply cannot match.
This is not to suggest, however, that college towns are devoid of culture—indeed, intense intellectual and cultural
programs exist in college towns precisely because the academic institution is at the core of the community.
While schools in college towns tout their close-knit atmosphere and the tight bonds classmates form in such a
setting, this environment can be welcoming for some students and overwhelming for others. In contrast, urban
campuses are more decentralized, with students often living in various parts of a city and even in the surrounding
suburbs. Someone who has a greater need for privacy or personal space might therefore prefer an urban environ-
ment. In addition, in major urban centers, some students—particularly those who lived in the city before enrolling
Urban Campus Schools Urban/College Hybrid Schools College Town Schools
Chicago Booth Northwestern Kellogg Cornell Johnson

Columbia Business School Stanford GSB Dartmouth Tuck
Harvard Business School UC Berkeley Haas Duke Fuqua
MIT Sloan UCLA Anderson Michigan Ross
NYU Stern Yale SOM UVA Darden
UPenn Wharton
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in business school—may already have well-developed social groups, and this scenario may again be better for
those who find an academically and socially all-encompassing environment less attractive.
One aspect of the MBA experience that candidates often fail to consider when evaluating their school options is
weather. Although factoring climate into your school choice may initially seem superficial, if you know you cannot
comfortably manage frigid conditions or soaring temperatures, certain programs should be stricken from your
list. We encounter many applicants each year who wisely stave off a potentially miserable experience by choosing
to not apply to certain schools in locations they just do not feel are “livable” for them.
In addition, housing costs are one expense that many applicants do not stop to consider before choosing a school
to target. By researching real estate prices at the top programs, we found that the cost differential between rent-
ing a one-bedroom apartment in a Midwestern college town and renting one in New York City, for example, can
be quite significant—adding up to tens of thousands of dollars on a cumulative basis across two years. This is an
important factor to include as you weigh your options and calculate your projected budget.
In summary, a college town can be appealing for some candidates because its smaller size tends to create strong
bonds within the business school’s community, though for others, the lack of privacy could be undesired or over-
whelming. Furthermore, some find a slower pace of life calming and comfortable, whereas others crave the energy
and bustle of a city. If you strongly prefer one or the other, you should be able to quickly eliminate certain schools
from your list.
Average Monthly Rent for a One-Bedroom Apartment
NYU Stern New York, NY $3,157 within .20 mile radius of campus
MIT Sloan Cambridge, MA $3,041 within .75 mile radius of campus
Harvard Business School Cambridge, MA $2,777 within .33 mile radius of campus
UCLA Anderson Los Angeles, CA $2,684 within .50 mile radius of campus
Stanford GSB Stanford, CA $2,577 within 1.50 mile radius of campus
UC Berkeley Haas Berkeley, CA $2,349 within .75 mile radius of campus
Columbia Business School New York, NY $2,134 within .50 mile radius of campus
UPenn Wharton Philadelphia, PA $1,396 within .75 mile radius of campus
Michigan Ross Ann Arbor, MI $1,292 within .50 mile radius of campus
Northwestern Kellogg Evanston, IL $1,291 within .75 mile radius of campus
Chicago Booth Chicago, IL $1,270 within 1.0 mile radius of campus
Yale SOM New Haven, CT $1,240 within .50 mile radius of campus
Dartmouth Tuck Hanover, NH $1,186 within 3.0 mile radius of campus
Duke Fuqua Durham, NC $1,140 within 1.5 mile radius of campus
Cornell Johnson Ithaca, NY $992 within .75 mile radius of campus
UVA Darden Charlottesville, VA $826 within 1.50 mile radius of campus
According to Rentometer.com, accessed May 2018.
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Ann Arbor, Michigan, is unmistakably a college town, bustling with students and boasting a young, vibrant
atmosphere. The entire city has been said to turn maize and blue on game day, and athletics are a central
part of the University of Michigan experience. Moreover, Ann Arbor offers sophistication not necessarily
found in other college towns or Midwestern cities of similar scale, in part because of the university’s sheer
size (it employs approximately 46,000) as well as its reach in terms of research and technology. The Stephen
M. Ross School of Business claims on its website that the city offers “cosmopolitan living without the has-
sle.” The Detroit Metro Airport is located approximately 30 minutes from downtown, and residents of Ann
Arbor enjoy an active arts scene (which has included visits from the Royal Shakespeare Company), restau-
rants to fit all budgets, and an array of outdoor activities, with more than 140 parks within the city’s limits.
During the business school’s three-day Go Blue Rendezvous welcome weekend, which typically occurs in
early spring, new admits have the opportunity to get a feel for Ross, its MBA program, and its student
body. Some admits also use this time to explore housing options, and many who have already decided on
Ross may choose to secure housing during this visit. The vast majority of Ross students live in off-campus
houses or apartments, of which the choices are abundant.
The affordability, safety, and accessibility of public housing allow Ross students to easily live within walk-
ing or biking distance of campus. Those who live further away from grounds can take public transportation
or drive to get to campus; however, parking is often limited. Of the more than 600 students who completed
the Ross MBA Housing Guide 2017–2018 survey (conducted by housing search company VeryApt), 75% re-
ported that they commute by foot, while 10% use public transit, 6% drive to campus, 6% bike, and 3% use
a cab, an Uber, or a Lyft.
Most of the respondents reported that commuting to campus takes them five to 15 minutes on foot or five
to ten minutes by bike. Proximity to campus is something to consider, given the severity of Michigan’s win-
ters, which could make for an unpleasant commute for those not accustomed to snow or frigid tempera-
tures. Half of the survey respondents said that they live in a mid- or high-rise apartment building, while
43% reported that they live in a standalone apartment unit, low-rise, or a house, and 7% said they live in a
mid- or high-rise condo building. The majority, or 34%, said their household has three or more bedrooms,
while 30% lived in a two-bedroom, 29% in a one-bedroom, and 7% in a studio or efficiency.
According to the survey, the average rent for a studio apartment in the Ann Arbor Area is $1,050. One-
bedrooms average approximately $1,175 per person, two-bedrooms $750 per person, and three to six bed-
rooms $850 per person. Factoring in utilities can be a key consideration, given that heat alone can cost
upward of $100 per month during the winter.
The school advises the following for housing selection: “[Ann Arbor is] a small city. Therefore, housing in
Ann Arbor can be very limited, especially during the fall semester. We strongly recommend that you begin
searching for available housing as soon as possible.” In the past, the school has highlighted the Go Blue
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Rendezvous weekend as a possibility to explore options. A participant in the 2015–2016 Partners Club sur-
vey shared a similar view: “When we arrived at GBR, we felt like we had to find housing that weekend (I am
glad we did); so do your homework prior to arriving.”
Student comments in the surveys can also be particularly helpful, such as the following examples from
the 2010 version of the school’s Go Blue! Rendezvous housing survey: “We flew out from NYC one weekend
and had made 15+ appointments in advance to see apartments—there was so much diversity in the qual-
ity of housing (you can’t tell from the price how nice it is—we learned that right away) that we’re glad we
came and saw it all in person. We saw a ton of places and signed a lease that weekend (this was in April)—it
worked out great” and “Live close to campus (<10 mins by walk) for the first year. First year is crazy! Even
if you have a spouse and are looking for a quiet place to live, there are many options close to campus.” A
partner of a Ross student underscored the importance of starting the apartment hunt early in the Partners
Club survey, saying, “Find housing as soon as possible! It’s very difficult to find affordable and nice housing
in Ann Arbor.” Another partner shared this tip: “Look at unconventional housing options. There are lots of
places for rent and for sale and lots of different communities.”
When considering attending Ross, one should factor in whether living in a town in which the school and
the city are inextricably intertwined is appealing. Although students do not typically live on campus, the
community is tight-knit and appears to share a strong appreciation for higher learning, collaboration, and
school spirit.
2. Class Size: Smaller Versus Larger
Another element that affects the character of a school’s MBA experience is Reflect on your past
class size. You might want to reflect on your high school, college, and work academic and work
environments to help you determine whether you would be more comfort- environments to
able in a larger class or a smaller one—or whether this is even a consider- determine whether
ation for you at all. you would be more
comfortable in a larger
Students at smaller schools (which we define as having approximately 350 or smaller class—or
students or fewer per class) tend to interact with most of their peers and whether this is a
professors at some point during the typical two-year MBA period. Thus, the consideration for you
smaller schools are generally considered more “knowable,” and their com- at all.
munities tend to be quite closely knit. Also, consider that assuming a leader-
ship position is easier in a smaller environment, because, for example, the
Finance Club may have only one president at both a small school and a large school, but competition for such a
position would obviously be greater in the larger program.
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Some individuals might prefer to be at a larger school Class Size
where they can better maintain their anonymity if 900 to 1,000 Harvard Business School
they so choose. A student at a school with close to 800 to 900 UPenn Wharton
900 people or more in each class will not likely get 700 to 800 Columbia Business School1
to know each and every one of his/her classmates 500 to 600 Chicago Booth
by the end of the program, and some people might 400 to 500 Northwestern Kellogg
prefer this. Further, advocates of larger classes tout Duke Fuqua
Michigan Ross
the advantage of being able to interact with more
Stanford GSB
people during one’s MBA experience—and to thereby MIT Sloan
develop a broader and more robust network of peers. 300 to 400 NYU Stern
UCLA Anderson
Note that many schools divide students into smaller
Yale SOM
groups—called “sections,” “clusters,” “cohorts,” or UVA Darden
even “oceans”—in which approximately 60–90 stu- 200 to 300 Dartmouth Tuck
dents take certain classes together, and this ap- UC Berkeley Haas
Cornell Johnson
proach can help foster a stronger sense of commu-
nity within the larger programs. Schools are listed in order from largest class to smallest within
each category.
Historically, Ross’s class size was in the 430– 1

Includes J-Term students.
440 range, making the school a midsized one.
The Class of 2011, however, grew to 500, and the next several classes were comparable in size, in part
because of the school’s ability to handle a larger incoming class. Director of Admissions Soojin Kwon ex-
plained in an interview with mbaMission, “Because of our new building, we have the ability to increase
our class size, and so we are moving in that direction.” The Class of 2015, however, had just 455 students,
reflecting—as a March 2014 Poets&Quants article explained—an effort on the school’s part “to bring its
acceptance rate down to 33.7%, from an unusually high 40.6% a year earlier” and subsequently improve
the admissions statistics used to determine its place in the rankings. The downward trend has since con-
tinued, with only 407 students in the Class of 2017—the lowest incoming class in years—415 students in the
Class of 2018, and 422 in the Class of 2019.
Whether the class numbers closer to 400 or 500, the group as a whole is too large to allow every student
to truly get to know one another. However, Ross divides its students into cohorts, which helps provide
ample opportunity for students to become well acquainted with a smaller group of classmates. Further,
the 270,000-square-foot building that opened on Ross’s campus in 2009 helps foster community and sup-
port team-based learning (see the Facilities section for more).
Ross offers several programs to promote friendships and connections between new students in the incom-
ing class. For one, many students participate in initiatives hosted by the Sanger Leadership Center at differ-
ent points throughout the two-year MBA program that are designed to help students test and develop their
leadership capabilities. These include the Business + Impact Challenge, through which student teams work
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School (Class of 2019) Women International Minorities
Chicago Booth 40% 36% 27%1
Columbia Business School 41% 43% 34%1
Cornell Johnson 31% 33% 31%1
Dartmouth Tuck 44% 29% 23%1
Duke Fuqua2 35% 39% 20%
Harvard Business School 42% 35%3 25%1,3
Michigan Ross 43% 34% 23%
MIT Sloan 42% 33% NA
Northwestern Kellogg 42% 35% 25%1
NYU Stern 38% 37%4 29%
Stanford GSB 40% 41% 3,4

29%1
UC Berkeley Haas 40% 39% 29%1
UCLA Anderson 38% 30% 28%
UPenn Wharton 44% 33% 33%1
UVA Darden 39% 34% 20%1
Yale SOM 43% 45%3,4 27%1,3

1
Specified as U.S. minorities.
2
Fuqua offers statistics on its website to represent a “typical” class.
3
Includes permanent U.S. residents.
4
Includes dual citizens.
to provide a Fortune 100 company with business solutions, and the Crisis Challenge, which is a time-sensi-
tive, role-playing competition that tests students’ capacity to think on their feet and cope with pressure.
Students are presented with a simulated crisis at a company and have a limited amount of time in which to
develop a strategy for addressing the issue. The students then communicate and defend that strategy to
the company board and potentially to some journalists as well (all played by professors). Another element
is a Story Lab, in which participants hone their storytelling skills in preparation for job interviews. The Lab
culminates in a gathering of students, faculty, and alumni, where student work is revealed.
Other optional programs include M-Treks— multiday, outdoor-focused trips led by second-year students
and are intended to build bonds between participants and to promote leadership in a team setting. Past
M-Treks have taken participating students to such places as the glaciers of Norway and the beaches of
Croatia. In total, 29 M-Treks took place in 2018 (29 in 2017 as well), including a trip to Peru titled “Alpaca
Your Bags,” a South Africa trip titled “Safari Not Sorry,” and a tour of France, Spain, and Andorra titled “I’ll
Never Get Bordeaux Your Pyrenees.” Trips in 2017 included one to South Africa titled “Cape Town Throw-
down,” one to Spain and Greece called “Party with the Gods,” and one to Indonesia themed “Ballin’ in Bali.”
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Most Common Undergraduate Major for Incoming Students (Class of 2019)
Chicago Booth Business 27%
Columbia Business School Tied: Business, Social Science 32%
Cornell Johnson Business 34%
Dartmouth Tuck Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences 55%
Duke Fuqua NA NA
Harvard Business School Economics/Business 45%
Michigan Ross Economics/Business 36%
MIT Sloan Engineering 32%
Northwestern Kellogg Economics/Business 49%
NYU Stern Business 36%
Stanford GSB Humanities/Social Sciences 44%
UC Berkeley Haas Business 21%
UCLA Anderson Business 27%
UPenn Wharton Humanities 41%
UVA Darden NA NA
Yale SOM Humanities and Social Sciences 30%
Trips are rated on a scale of one to three for lodgings, culture, nightlife, and physical activity, with one be-
ing minimal and four being luxurious or intensive. For example, a “one” might mean that students have just
tents or cabins for accommodations, whereas a “four” would indicate a fancy hotel. Students on a Brazil
trip, for example, spent time visiting beaches and partying, and the trek was rated a four for nightlife. In
contrast, a trip to Nicaragua was rated a four for physical activity.
Each year, one or two of the treks are MYSTERY Trips, where participants discover the destination right
before takeoff. The 2018 MYSTERY Trip carried the theme “Mystery 6.0: It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere.” The
2017 MYSTERY Trips were titled “MYSTERY 5.0 Maize: Into the No No Zone” and “MYSTERY 5.0 Blue: Journey
through the Back Door.” The non-MYSTERY Trips in 2016 included one to Bolivia titled “Don’t Stop Bolivian’,”
one to Morocco and Portugal called “Morocc’n the Night Train to Lisbon,” and one to Guatemala and Belize
with the title “Guate Get Down.” Among the trips in 2015 were “Peru-sing the Tinder Scene” in Peru, “Shish
Kebaby One More Time” in Turkey, and “Thai and Stop Us… From Raging!” in Thailand. 2014 trips included
“We Came in Like a Reyk-ing Ball,” which took participants to Iceland; “Puerto Freakin’,” for which students
visited Puerto Rico; and “Pour Drinks, Poor Choices, Portugal!,” a South Europe trip heavy on social events.
As at many other business schools, first-year students at Ross are divided into sections, which are each
made up of approximately 70–85 students (depending on the size of the incoming class) who take the
school’s core curriculum classes together. Ross’s first years do, however, have the option of taking some
classes apart from their section. Nonetheless, given that section members generally spend a significant
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Year-Over-Year Class Class Class Class Class Class Class Class Class
Class Profile Data: of of of of of of of of of
Michigan Ross 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
Total Number of NA NA NA NA NA 2,436 2,929 2,722 2,697

Applicants
Number of Full- 422 415 407 447 455 502 501 488 500
Time Students
Average GMAT 716 708 708 702 704 703 703 704 701
GMAT Range 670– 650– 660– 650– 650– 650– 650– 650– 650–
(Middle 80%) 760 750 760 750 750 750 750 750 760
Average GPA NA NA NA 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4
Average Years of NA NA NA 5 5 5 5 5.2 5

Work Experience
Range of Years of NA NA NA <1–15 <1–20 <1–15 <1–15 <1–16 1–20

Work Experience
Average Age of NA NA NA 27 28 28 28 28 28
Candidates
Female 43% 40% 32% 32% 33% 30% 31% 30% 33%
Representation
Minority 23% 24% 25% 23% 24% 27% 28% 27% 23%
Representation
International 34% 31% 35% 34% 31% 36% 31% 38% 31%
Representation
amount of time in the classroom together and that the sections involve a large social component, section
mates are often forever linked—and most Ross students and alumni we interviewed speak fondly of this
part of their experience. Ross does not officially assign students to learning teams, but some classes do
divide students into small groups for project-based work.
Ross also offers specific programs tailored to its underrepresented minorities and international communi-
ties. Minorities and students from outside North America represented 23% and 34%, respectively, of the
incoming Class of 2019 (24% and 31% for the Class of 2018 and 25% and 35% for the Class of 2017). Ross’s
annual diversity event, UpClose, is hosted by the Black Business Students Association and the Hispanic
and Latino Business Students Association, in partnership with the Admissions Office. UpClose is designed
for prospective MBA students of any race or ethnicity who are interested in improving the representation
of minorities in management, and the event provides them with the opportunity to experience Ross’s com-
munity and programs. Typically held in the fall, the program spans two days and consists of workshops
and discussions, such as an admissions presentation on how to build a competitive application, a panel
discussion with students about campus life, and the opportunity to attend a Ross MBA class. The agenda
also includes a dinner reception and a night out with first- and second-year students.
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To assist international candidates who have been accepted to and are considering attending Ross in mak-
ing their school selection decision, students and alumni around the world make themselves available for
questions via phone calls and online chats. These students and alumni ambassadors provide perspective
on attending Ross as an international student, and their names and email addresses are provided in the
admissions section of Ross’s website. International students at Ross can choose from an array of clubs and
organizations that may be of interest, such as the Africa Business Club, the Hispanic Business Students As-
sociation, and the Indian Subcontinent Business Association.
Lastly, the university’s International Center provides support on a variety of issues specific to students
from outside the United States, from immigration to health insurance to cross-cultural questions.
3. Curriculum: Flexible Versus Mandatory Core
Many business schools have a “core” curriculum—a standard series of cours- The rigidity or
es that all students must take. However, these core requirements can vary flexibility of a school’s
tremendously from one program to the next. For example, one school may first-year curriculum
teach its required curriculum for the entire first year, meaning that students affects students’
will not take any elective courses until their second year, whereas another education and
MBA program may stipulate only one or two required courses. socialization.
The rigidity or flexibility of a school’s required curriculum affects students’
education and socialization. Regardless of their professional experience, students at a school with a rigid core
curriculum must all take the same classes. At some schools, for example, even CPAs must take the required founda-
tional accounting course, whereas at others, students can waive selected classes if they can prove a certain level of
proficiency. Again, both approaches have pros and cons, and what those are depends on your perspective.
Proponents of a rigid core curriculum would argue that academics understand what skills students need to become
true managers and that when students “overspecialize” in one area, their overall business education can ultimately
suffer. A significant body of academic writing has been devoted to critiquing programs that give students a nar-
row view of business, notably Henry Mintzberg’s Managers Not MBAs: A Hard Look at the Soft Practice of Managing
and Management Development (Berrett-Koehler, 2004) and Rakesh Khurana’s From Higher Aims to Hired Hands: The
Social Transformation of American Business Schools and the Unfulfilled Promise of Management as a Profession
(Princeton University Press, 2007).
Advocates of the core curriculum approach would also argue that having all students take the same classes cre-
ates a common language and discussion among the classmates because of the shared experience. In addition,
proponents contend that a rigid core curriculum facilitates learning, because students who have applicable direct
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experience bring that knowledge and insight into the classroom Average GMAT of Incoming Students
and can thereby help teach others. Finally, schools with manda- (Class of 2019)
tory cores generally keep students together in their sections for Chicago Booth 730
several months, if not an entire academic year, and students who Columbia Business School 724
interact every day in this way ultimately forge strong bonds. This Cornell Johnson 700
sustained contact and connection can create a deep sense of Dartmouth Tuck 722
community among the students.
Duke Fuqua NA
Harvard Business School1 730

In contrast, those who would argue in favor of a more flexible
Michigan Ross 716
curriculum feel that students benefit from the opportunity to
MIT Sloan 722
specialize immediately—that time is short, and students need
Northwestern Kellogg 732
power and choice in preparing for their desired careers. So if, for
NYU Stern 714
example, a student intended to enter the world of finance, an ad-
Stanford GSB 737
vocate of flexibility would argue that the student should be able
UC Berkeley Haas 725
to study finance in depth throughout the MBA program, possibly
UCLA Anderson 716
even from day one, so as to gain as much experience as possible
UPenn Wharton 730
in this area—especially before interviewing for a summer intern-
ship. Furthermore, proponents for flexible curricula caution that UVA Darden 713
experienced students could end up “wasting” hours taking cours- Yale SOM1 730
es in subjects in which they already have expertise. Finally, they 1

Represents median rather than average.
would assert that a flexible schedule allows students the oppor-
tunity to meet a greater number and wider variety of their classmates.
Ross has two 14-week terms, re-

Can Waive/ Cannot Waive/ ferred to as Fall and Winter, each
Test Out of Classes Test Out of Classes
of which is subdivided into two
Chicago Booth Harvard Business School
seven-week sessions. As a result,
Cornell Johnson MIT Sloan
Columbia Business School Stanford GSB students have Fall A and Fall B,
Dartmouth Tuck UVA Darden followed by Winter A and Winter
Duke Fuqua Yale SOM
Michigan Ross B. Many Ross classes are taught
Northwestern Kellogg within the shorter seven-week
NYU Stern
time frame, but some courses may
UC Berkeley Haas
UCLA Anderson span the entire 14-week period
UPenn Wharton
(i.e., an entire term).
Ross’s first-year core curriculum consists of nine classes plus the Multidisciplinary Action Project and is
standardized; three additional elements are also required for graduation but can be completed at any
point in the two-year MBA program. The first-year schedule is as follows:
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Fall A
“Applied Business Statistics”
“Applied Microeconomics”
“Corporate Strategy”
“Principles of Financial Accounting”
Communication Competency Requirement
Fall B
“Financial Management”
“Leading People and Organizations”
“Managerial Accounting” (can also be taken during Winter A)
“Marketing Management”
Optional business elective or degree requirement
Winter A
“Managerial Accounting” (can also be taken during Fall B)
“Operations Management”
Optional business elective or degree requirement
Winter B
Multidisciplinary Action Project
As noted, all first-year students are required to participate in the Multidisciplinary Action Project, or MAP.
During the last seven weeks of the winter term, teams of four to six students, in conjunction with a faculty
advisor, work for corporations, nonprofits, and start-ups around the world to tackle real-life business
problems. MAPs constitute the entire academic course load in the final quarter of the first year; no other
classes are taken during this time, making MAP an intense, hands-on learning experience. This experience
can be helpful to students, particularly those seeking to change careers, in gaining exposure to their field
of choice for the job search process. In fact, one student with whom we spoke declared that MAP was one
of the main reasons he chose Ross for his MBA education.
The MAP website describes the partnerships between student teams and sponsor organizations as among
“the world’s most extensive and intensive [in] action-based learning.” MAP was instituted in 1992, when
then dean Joseph White renewed the school’s commitment to innovation and expanded the hands-on
teaching program. Since then, upward of 10,000 Ross students have completed more than 2,000 assign-
ments for more than 1,300 sponsors in nearly 100 countries across the globe. MAPs are submitted by both
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domestic and international organizations and are subject to a rigorous approval process before being as-
signed a student team.
Past MAP projects have ranged in scope from working with Kumi Hospital in Uganda to analyze its supply
chain system, develop recommendations for improvement, and pilot changes, to helping American Express
understand new ways of reaching customers in leading-edge interactive channels. More than 400 Ross stu-
dents participated in MAP projects in 24 countries in 2017, with such projects as teaming up with the Global
Fairness Initiative in Nepal to develop a business plan for a company attempting to eliminate child labor in
the country’s brick industry and working with a Kenyan coffee company to plan its expansion to Tanzania.
In 2016, Ross students conducted more than 80 MAP projects in 20 countries. These projects included
working with an Indian nonprofit to eliminate needless blindness, preparing a strategic plan for Make-a-
Wish, designing a strategy for an investment fund in Finland, and formulating a new business model for
Roche Brazil. MAPs in 2015 included rebranding an apparel company in the Dominican Republic, collaborat-
ing with Google in Singapore and Bangkok, and helping create a training program for the Miami Dolphins
in Florida. Among the 2014 project options were working with a global bank in India, conceptualizing busi-
ness models in the world’s most underprivileged locations, and cooperating with a multinational nonprofit
health organization in South Africa.
In their second year, students are largely free to take only the courses they want, provided they fulfill the
57 credits (27 of which may be taken as electives; electives can be 1.5, 2.25, or 3.0 credits) and three ad-
ditional requirements needed for graduation. The three additional requirements are (1) the “Competing
in the Global Business Environment” strategy course, (2) successful completion of a course in business
law, and (3) fulfillment of the Communications Competency Requirement (explained later in this section).
Students can choose from among nine elective classes that satisfy the business law/ethics requirement.
Typically, students spend most, if not all, of their first year with their section, taking core classes. However,
Ross’s program does offer some level of flexibility in that (1) a slot is provided for students to take at least
one elective in the Fall B and Winter A sessions and (2) students are able to waive core courses via an exam
or a waiver request, based on their academic background, prior Ross coursework, and/or professional ex-
perience or designation. A student can submit a request to waive the business law/ethics obligation based
on academic experience or professional designation, but students cannot test out of this requirement. The
only two courses that technically cannot be waived are “Corporate Strategy” (part of the first-year core
curriculum) and “Competing in a Global Business Environment” (one of the three additional requirements
for graduation), and these classes must be completed at the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus.
Applicants interested in the specific requirements for testing out of or waiving a particular core course
should check out the Core Course Waivers & Waiver Exam Information found within the Academics section
of Ross’s website. Here one will find an exam testing timeline and information on the process and criteria
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for submitting a waiver request as well as information on the “pros and cons” of waiving classes. Ulti-
mately, the decision to waive a course should be weighed against the loss of time in the first-year section
experience.
The Communications Competency Requirement, which is designed to ensure that graduates leave the pro-
gram with excellent managerial communication skills, can be fulfilled by passing a written exam. This exam
is typically offered in July or August. Students otherwise fulfill the MBA Communications Requirement in
one of the three groups they are divided into.
A total of ten hours of coursework may be taken outside Ross, meaning that second-year students can
take advantage of hundreds of classes available via the university’s numerous graduate school programs,
including the Ford School of Public Policy, the School of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Taub-
man College of Architecture and Urban Planning. In addition, second-year students can participate in inde-
pendent study projects as well as classes at the Washington Campus.
4. Pedagogy: Lecture Versus Case Method
Students will likely encounter multiple styles of learning while in business Students will
school—including participating in simulations, listening to guest speakers, encounter many
and partaking in hands-on projects—but the two most common MBA learn- different styles of
ing styles are case method and lecture. learning during their
time at business
Pioneered by HBS, the case method, or case-based learning, requires stu- school, but the two
dents to read the story (called a “case”) of either a hypothetical or a real most common are case
protagonist who is facing a managerial dilemma. As the student reads, he/ method and lecture.
she explores the protagonist’s dilemma and has access to various quantita-
tive and qualitative data points meant to facilitate further analysis. (Cases
can vary in length but are typically 10–20 pages long.) After reading and studying the entire case, the student
generally understands the profundity of the problem and is typically asked a simple question: “What would you
do?” In other words, how would the student act or react if he/she were in the protagonist’s place? What decision(s)
would the student make?
After completing his/her independent analysis of the case, the student typically meets with the members of his/
her study group or learning team (if the school in question assigns such teams) for further evaluation. Together,
the group/team members explore and critique one another’s ideas and help those students who may have had
difficulty understanding particular aspects of the issue or progressing as far on their own. Often, though not al-
ways, the team will establish a consensus regarding the actions they would take in the protagonist’s place. Then,
in class, the professor acts as facilitator and manages a discussion of the case. Class discussions can often be-
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come quite lively, and the professor will guide students toward Average GPA of Incoming Students
resolving the dilemma. Sometimes, the professor will ultimately (Class of 2019)
reveal the protagonist’s decision and the subsequent results—or Chicago Booth 3.6
even bring the actual protagonist into the classroom to share Columbia Business School 3.5
and discuss the case’s progression and outcomes in person. Cornell Johnson 3.36
Dartmouth Tuck 3.51

In short, the case method focuses primarily on the analytical
Duke Fuqua NA
process and illustrates that the problems presented have no
Harvard Business School 3.71
clear-cut right or wrong responses. For a student to disagree
Michigan Ross NA
with the protagonist’s chosen path—even after it has proved
MIT Sloan 3.49
to be successful—is not unusual. After all, another approach (or
Northwestern Kellogg 3.6
even inaction) may have produced an even better result.
NYU Stern 3.48
Stanford GSB 1
3.74
Note that case-based learning is not specific to one academic
UC Berkeley Haas 3.71
discipline. Cases are available in finance, strategy, operations,
UCLA Anderson NA
accounting, marketing, and still other areas. Further, many cases
UPenn Wharton 3.6
are interdisciplinary, meaning that they address more than one
area at a time, such as requiring students to think about how a UVA Darden 3.5
financial decision might affect the operations of a manufactur- Yale SOM2 3.69
ing company or the ways in which a marketing decision might in- 1

U.S. schools, 4.0 scale only.
volve significant financial considerations. Importantly, students 2

Median GPA listed.
in case environments are often graded on their “contribution” to
the class discussion (measured by the level of one’s participation in discussions and analysis, not on the frequen-
cy with which one offers “correct” answers), so the case method is not for those who are uncomfortable speaking
in class. However, it can be incredibly helpful for those who want or need to practice and build confidence speak-
ing publicly.
Lecture is the method of learning that is familiar to most people—the professor stands in front of the class and
explores a theory or event, facilitating discussion and emphasizing and explaining key learning points. Often, stu-
dents have read chapters of a textbook beforehand and have come to class with a foundation in the specific area
to be examined that day. Although the case method gives students a context for a problem, those who favor lec-
ture tend to believe that the case method is too situation specific and therefore prefer a methodical exploration
of theory that they feel can be broadly applied across situations. In lecture classes, the professor and his/her re-
search or theory are technically paramount, though students still participate, challenge ideas, and debate issues.
Note that at some schools, professors may alternate between cases and lectures within a single semester of
classes.
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Ross’s teaching method combines both case method and lecture-based classes. Our conversations with
students and alumni revealed that an individual’s preference and area of interest can often determine the
mix of case method and lecture coursework that each student experiences during the second year. Stu-
dents who prefer lectures tend to gravitate toward classes with professors who favor that method, while
those who find case-based learning appealing do the opposite. For example, one student with whom we
spoke estimated that 90% of his classes were case based, while another estimated that less than half of
his classes were.
As noted in the Curriculum section, the required MAP entails a major curricular emphasis on experiential,
or “action-based,” learning. As the self-described pioneer of this approach, which was introduced in 1992,
Ross explains action-based learning on its website as “unmatched by any other business school,” adding,
“Putting our students in real-world situations—with faculty guidance but with real stakes on the line—
helps prepare them to thrive and lead in a dynamic world. They learn how to meet challenges that may be
complex, ambiguous, and fluid. As a result of their practical experience, Michigan Ross graduates enter the
working world uniquely empowered to excel.”
A 2012 post on the dean’s blog describes action-based learning as remaining ahead of the curve of similar-
ly experiential field studies at other business schools. Then Dean Alison Davis-Blake states, “At Michigan
Ross, we assert that no other method of learning can better prepare today’s business student for tomor-
row’s business challenge. And here’s what our faculty have learned during 20 years as leaders in action-
based learning: It’s not just about action. It’s not just about solutions. It’s about transformation.”
5. Academic Specializations/Recruitment Focus: Resources and Employers
Schools’ brands and reputations develop over time and tend to endure, Do not merely accept
even when the programs make efforts to change them. For example, many stereotypes but truly
applicants still feel that Kellogg is only a marketing school and that Chi- consider the breadth
cago Booth is only for people interested in finance, even though both pro- and depth of resources
grams boast strengths in many other areas. Indeed, this is the exact reason available at each
mbaMission started producing these guides in 2008—we wanted applicants school.
to see beyond these superficial “market” perceptions. Make sure you are
not merely accepting stereotypes but are truly considering the breadth and
depth of resources available at each school.
We have dedicated the majority of this guide to exploring the principal professional specializations for which re-
sources are available at this particular school, and we encourage you to fully consider whether the MBA program
meets your personal academic needs by supplementing the information here with additional context from the
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School Top Industry for 2017 Graduates % Entering the Industry
Chicago Booth Consulting 32.6%
Columbia Business School Financial Services 34.4%
Cornell Johnson Financial Services 33.0%
Dartmouth Tuck Consulting 33.0%
Duke Fuqua Consulting 33.0%
Harvard Business School Financial Services 31.0%
Michigan Ross Consulting 32.7%
MIT Sloan Consulting 32.1%
Northwestern Kellogg Consulting 32.9%
NYU Stern Financial Services 32.4%
Stanford GSB Finance 32.0%
UC Berkeley Haas Technology 36.9%
UCLA Anderson Technology 30.1%
UPenn Wharton Financial Services 32.7%
UVA Darden Consulting 34.0%
Yale SOM Consulting 35.9%
Most Common Pre-MBA Industry (Class of 2019)
Chicago Booth Consulting 21%
Columbia Business School Financial Services 29%
Cornell Johnson Financial Services 26%
Dartmouth Tuck Consulting 21%
Duke Fuqua Tied: Consulting, Financial Services 19%
Harvard Business School Consulting 16%
Michigan Ross Finance 19%
MIT Sloan Financial Services 21%
Northwestern Kellogg Consulting 27%
NYU Stern Financial Services 29%
Stanford GSB Investment Management/Private Equity/Venture Capital 21%
UC Berkeley Haas Consulting 25%
UCLA Anderson Finance 25%
UPenn Wharton Consulting 26%
UVA Darden NA NA
Yale SOM NA NA
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school’s career services office, by connecting with the heads of relevant clubs on campus, and perhaps even by
reaching out to alumni in your target industry.
Top Industries: 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
Michigan Ross
Consulting 32.7% 32.2% 30.9% 34.1% 32.8% 31.9% 27.6% 26.2% 24.8% 24.7%
Technology 23.6% 20.4% 17.6% 14.6% 14.3% 14.8% 11.0% 12.2% 11.8% 10.8%
Financial Services 11.0% 13.6% 7.5% 9.0% 12.0% 7.4% 9.8% 8.5% 5.0% 10.2%
Consumer
8.8% 9.8% 11.0% 11.7% 9.4% 11.0% 9.5% 10.3% 11.1% 9.0%
Packaged Goods
Health Care 6.9% 6.8% 2.6% 1.5% NA 2.5% 2.4% NA NA NA
Ross focuses on teaching students general management business practices through multidisciplinary,
action-based programs. The school claims on its website that it strives for excellence across functions,
and its curriculum supports the general management philosophy, offering essential core classes with
many electives in each specialty. Further, although the school does not offer majors, students can tailor
their coursework, particularly in the second year, to meet personal objectives. Lastly, Ross’s general man-
agement focus is perhaps reinforced most acutely through the previously mentioned seven-week MAP, in
which teams of four to six students work on current, real-world problems for a wide range of companies.
Ross’s Office of Career Development (OCD) fields questions about recruiting, provides workshops on job
search techniques, organizes on-campus recruiter events, and manages job postings and interview sched-
ules. According to the OCD’s 2017 employment report, approximately 71.1% of Ross’s 2017 graduates se-
cured their jobs through on-campus or school-facilitated recruiting (70.2% of the Class of 2016, 68.7% of
the Class of 2015, and 71.4% of the Class of 2014). A second-year student we interviewed spoke very highly
of the office’s process with regard to on-campus recruitment, responsiveness, and overall concern for
students’ career development, saying, “If you go to them with questions, they will get back to you, but you
should expect to put in a solid effort when it comes to the job search process.”
As evidenced by the school’s 2017 employment report, recruiters at Ross will find a diversity of interests
across the Ross student body. While the school graduated its fair share of consultants (35.2% accepted
jobs with a consulting function) and finance professionals (18.2%) in 2017, the marketing/sales function ac-
counted for 19.5% of job acceptances, and an aggregate 21.1% of the class accepted offers in the functional
areas of general management (11%), operations/supply chain management (6.6%), and strategic planning
(3.5%). Geographically, Ross students come from and later return to all parts of the United States, in-
cluding the Midwest, where the largest percentage—34.6%—of Ross’s 2017 graduates found work, and the
West, where 32.1% accepted positions. Of the Class of 2017, 7.5% found jobs outside the United States, with
most of these students accepting positions in Asia (6%).
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Alumni can continue to make use of OCD services long after graduating from Ross. The school’s graduates
can post a full resume and streamlined profile on the Ross alumni resume database, which is viewed by top
companies around with world with whom the OCD has relationships, such as Amazon, Eli Lilly and Company,
and Google. The alumni career services website also provides resources related to career search strate-
gies and staying current in one’s profession.
6. Alumni Base: Opportunities to Engage
The size and depth of a school’s alumni base may be important to you as you Some schools boast
seek to break into a specific field or region/country. Some MBA programs sizeable alumni
have had large classes for many years and can therefore boast sizeable networks, while
alumni networks, whereas other schools may have pockets of strength in others have pockets of
particular parts of the world or in certain industries—or can claim a smaller strength in particular
but tighter-knit and more dedicated alumni network overall. For example, regions or industries.
Dartmouth Tuck has a smaller absolute number of alumni than most top U.S.
Alumni Base
Schools are listed in order from largest alumni base to smallest within each category.
NYU Stern, UPenn Wharton, Harvard Business School 75,000 to 100,000
Northwestern Kellogg, Chicago Booth 50,000 to 75,000
Michigan Ross, Columbia, UC Berkeley Haas

25,000 to 50,000
UCLA Anderson, Stanford GSB
MIT Sloan, Duke Fuqua

10,000 to 25,000
UVA Darden, Cornell Johnson
Tuck 10,000
Yale SOM or fewer
0 25,000 50,000 75,000 100,000
Note: Some schools include MBA program graduates only in their alumni total; other schools may also include alumni from their part-time,
executive, doctoral, and/or other programs, so totals may not be directly comparable.
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schools but has repeatedly been touted as having the highest rate of annual alumni giving, thanks to its very
dedicated graduates.
Although acquiring detailed breakdowns of a school’s alumni base is sometimes difficult, you may want to con-
sider whether the school you are targeting has alumni clubs in your chosen professional area (i.e., some schools
have industry-specific alumni groups) or preferred post-MBA location. Furthermore, if you are determined to live
in a particular city/country/region after graduating, then earning your MBA in or near that area, if possible, may
be a good idea, so that you can more easily connect with local alumni while you are in school—particularly if you
want to pursue a niche professional area and do not expect to participate in on-grounds recruiting. Of course,
technological developments have greatly facilitated outreach, meaning that alumni are no longer a flight or long
drive away, but are now just a phone call, email, text, or even Skype session away.
Ross boasts more than 50,000 alumni living in 103 countries. Alumni clubs are active in 24 cities in the
United States and 25 cities internationally. In addition, Ross graduates can participate in affinity clubs, in-
cluding the Black Business Alumni Association. Alumni club events range in scope from the Annual Congres-
sional Breakfast hosted by the University of Michigan Club of Greater Washington—which in 2018 welcomed
U.S. Representative Tim Walberg as keynote and benefitted the club’s Scholarship Program—to Ross Talks,
which feature staff, faculty members, and alumni and which in 2018 were hosted in such cities as Shanghai,
Dallas, Boston, and Seoul.
Lastly, one should not underestimate the power of the larger Ross alumni network, which includes Uni-
versity of Michigan undergrads (Michigan’s Bachelor’s in Business Administration program ranks highly in
surveys of undergraduate business school programs) as well as professionals from the university’s other
graduate schools. Michigan’s living alumni total more than 575,000, and mbaMission’s conversations with
Ross students indicated that not only are the business school’s alumni responsive and helpful in career
networking, but graduates of the university’s other schools are, too.
Membership in the Alumni Advantage program provides Ross’s graduates with exclusive benefits, including
online courses and access to University of Michigan library databases, livestreaming events at the school,
and Ross Talks.
7. Facilities: Shaping the Academic/Social Experience
When contemplating an MBA program, do not overlook the school’s facilities. Renovations, upgrades, and new
construction are all regular occurrences on school campuses these days, as some programs increase their square
footage while others unify disparate areas or refresh existing spaces. Some schools boast on-campus housing or
elite athletic facilities, others have established new green spaces and meeting rooms, and still others have refur-
bished or added classrooms, theaters, libraries, and other such resources.
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Keep in mind, though, that just because a school has not updated or added If a school has not
to its facilities in recent years, this does not mean that its offerings are out- updated its facilities in
dated or subpar; the lack of updates may simply be because none have been recent years, perhaps
needed or the school has invested in other aspects of its program instead. A none were needed or
campus visit is always the best way to evaluate firsthand what a school has the school has invested
to offer, but we nonetheless dedicate this space to a discussion of the facili- in other aspects of its
ties available at this particular program. program instead.
In early 2009, the business school at the University of Michigan com-
pleted construction of a new facility, which was funded by a $100M gift in 2004 from real estate tycoon
Stephen M. Ross (BBA ’62). Because of this generous gift, the business school was renamed in his honor.
Measuring 270,000 square feet, the building was designed to support the school’s action-based learn-
ing approach. In addition, the administration regularly consulted a student committee to gather input on
how best to design the space. One of the student-led initiatives was to create a building that supports
the school’s commitment to sustainability—the Ross building is LEED certified and supports the school’s
commitment to sustainable living, incorporating recycled building materials and eco-friendly energy and
water systems. In February 2014, the university’s governing board approved plans for a $135M addition to
the Ross building, again funded mainly by alumnus Stephen M. Ross. The project, which was completed in
October 2016, encompassed renovations, the demolition of one building, and the development of a com-
pletely new one named the Jeff T. Blau Hall (after donor and alumnus Jeff T. Blau [BBA ’90]). The construc-
tion added 179,000 square feet to the campus, including study areas, classrooms, and offices. The new
building features nine new classrooms, two workshop spaces, and space for the many centers and insti-
tutes of the school to work together.
At the (now renovated) Ross building’s center is the Davidson Winter Garden, a three-story, glass-enclosed
public space used by students and faculty alike. In our conversations with second years, the Winter Garden
was described as being like an indoor quad—allowing students to gather and study or to socialize year
round, just as they would otherwise do outside, but in a temperate setting, shielded from Michigan’s win-
ter snow and cold winds.
The building’s other notable features include the Blau Auditorium (which seats 500), the Seigle Café (of-
fering a wide variety of foods, from sushi to sandwiches to Indian curries), the Jane and Dan Och Fitness
Center (for exclusive use by Ross students, faculty members, and staff) and more informal meeting areas,
which offer ample space for student gatherings. Each of the 12 state-of-the-art, auditorium-style class-
rooms has two adjacent group-study rooms to support the team-based learning model. Five additional
classrooms have flexible configurations to facilitate a variety of hands-on learning endeavors. Important-
ly, the building features the latest in technology, such as plasma screens in group study rooms and video
conferencing capabilities, to enable more effective communication among students, professors, and the
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administration, as well as with the school’s external corporate and nonprofit partners—particularly those
who participate in MAP.
We asked students about the building’s role in campus life at Ross, and the athletic facilities it offers
earned high praise. One second year noted that the fitness center is an “amazing perk that everyone
loves!” And another second-year student asserted that the gym “is one of my favorite things about our
new building; it’s just so nice and never crowded.”
The Kresge Business Administration Library at Ross closed in May 2014 to accommodate the construction
of the new building. During the construction project, students were able to use the larger University of
Michigan library system—the ninth largest academic research facility in the United States—which includes
19 separate libraries and more than 13 million volumes. The updated Kresge Library opened for students
in late 2016 and was redesigned to no longer house print collections. An expert staff now guides access to
e-books and electronic journals.
8. Rankings and Reputation: Important Metrics or Arbitrary Measures?
MBA rankings should always be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism, The various surveys
given that they can fluctuate dramatically from year to year and from publi- should and will
cation to publication. For example, if you had relied on the Financial Times’ provide some context
rankings to choose the Yale School of Management as your business school for your decision, but
in 2011 because of the program’s position at number seven, you probably resist the temptation to
would have been disappointed to see the school then slide down to number choose a school based
12 just one year later before rebounding to number nine the following year. on rankings alone.
Similarly, if you had selected UC Berkeley Haas in 2004, when it was number
17 in Bloomberg Businessweek’s ranking, you would have been delighted to
see the program rise to number eight in 2010 before it slipped out of the top ten again to number 13 in 2012.
Can an MBA program—which is made up of so many moving parts—really change so much in just one or two years?
Furthermore, how can one reconcile that UVA Darden is in the tenth position (among U.S. programs) in The Econo-
mist’s rankings but is listed at 17th by Bloomberg Businessweek and by the Financial Times? Or that Stanford GSB
holds the fifth position in The Economist and Bloomberg Businessweek surveys, but is ranked first by the Financial
Times? Or that Northwestern Kellogg is ranked number eight on the Financial Times and Bloomberg Businessweek
lists but holds the number one slot in The Economist’s survey?
An MBA ranking that appears to be gaining in popularity, according to feedback we have received from candidates
in recent years, is from Poets&Quants, which aggregates what it considers the top five MBA surveys—Bloomberg
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Businessweek, The Economist, the Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report, and Forbes—to create a composite
ranking.
Of course, the various surveys should and likely will provide some context for your decision, but resist the temp-
tation to choose a school based on rankings alone, because rankings may ultimately betray you—possibly even
before you graduate.
One thing to keep in mind, particularly for international students, is that a school’s reputation domestically can
be quite different from its reputation abroad. Years ago, mbaMission worked with an international candidate who
was accepted into the MBA programs at Cornell Johnson and Dartmouth Tuck. When this individual shared the
good news with his manager, his manager said, “I thought you would have gone to an Ivy League school like Princ-
eton!” Of course, Dartmouth and Cornell are in fact Ivy League institutions, and Princeton does not even have an
MBA program—the manager’s reaction illustrates how possible misconceptions can arise. So, after considering an
MBA program’s strengths, you might factor in that some schools have greater brand power in certain parts of the
world, especially if you plan to live and work abroad after you complete your studies.
We advise you to consider your MBA a long-term investment that will pay dividends throughout your life, and such
an investment should be based on more than a one-time ranking. In fact, most MBAs who are five to ten years out
of school are not even aware of what their school is now ranked. Perhaps more importantly, if you were to ask one
whether the school’s position in the rankings has any effect on his/her career, the response would certainly be an
impassioned “No!”
U.S. Ranking: 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
Michigan Ross
Poets&Quants NA NA 11 13 13 11 12 13 12 13 NA NA
U.S. News &

7 11 12 11 11 14 13 14 12 13 NA NA
World Report
Bloomberg
NA NA 12 13 10 9 [8] 8 [7] 7 [5] 5
Businessweek 1
Financial Times NA 15 12 11 13 13 15 14 12 12 12 NA
The Economist NA NA 12 15 17 15 16 16 20 15 12 NA
1
Until 2015, Bloomberg Businessweek released rankings every two years (in November), so numbers in brackets represent carryover from
the previous year’s ranking.
Ross rose slightly to 12th place in the 2017 Bloomberg Businessweek rankings from 13th in 2016. Overall,
the school has consistently fared pretty well among leading business school programs; prior to 2016, it
maintained a top-ten ranking in the Bloomberg Businessweek poll since that ranking was first published in
1988. Notably, the school has often rated well in terms of both student satisfaction and recruiter satisfac-
tion. One first-year student with whom we spoke about Ross’s position in this prestigious MBA ranking not-
ed, “I do feel a higher ranking is in order based on the manner in which my needs and wants are being met.”
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We suspect that Ross’s absence from the top ten in The Economist’s and the Financial Times’ rankings is
likely because the school is not as well known internationally. The school does stand within the top 20 in
the United States on both, but fell from 12th to 15th place domestically in the 2018 Financial Times survey,
as well as from 23rd to 26th internationally. The program climbed three positions domestically—from 15th
to 12th—in The Economist’s 2017 ranking and rose more notably internationally, moving from 21st to 12th.
Poets&Quants ranked Ross 11th in 2017, two spots higher than 13th in 2016 and 2015.
Ross is within the top ten in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report survey, climbing four spots from 11th to sev-
enth (tied with Berkeley Haas) within the United States. In that publication’s specialty rankings, the school
was included among the top ten in all of the following areas: management (3), production/operations (3),
accounting (4, tied with USC Marshall), marketing (4), international (5), nonprofit (5), supply chain/logistics
(6, tied with Rutgers), entrepreneurship (7), and finance (10). In addition, the Princeton Review’s 2018 sur-
vey of 267 MBA programs named Ross number five for consulting, number six for operations, number seven
for marketing, number eight for Best Campus Environment, and number nine for entrepreneurship.
A 2011 article in the Monroe Street Journal, the business school’s former student newspaper, notes that
rankings tend to be much on students’ minds. The article details a question-and-answer session with then
Dean Alison Davis-Blake in which she explains that immediate changes in the rankings are hard to make,
but that “in the longer term, the school will improve if students interview well and demonstrate that they
are good employees.”
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Poets&Quants (2017)
1 UPenn Wharton
2 Harvard Business School
3 Stanford GSB
4 Chicago Booth
5 Northwestern Kellogg
6 MIT Sloan
7 Dartmouth Tuck
8 Columbia Business School
9 UC Berkeley Haas
10 Yale SOM
11 Michigan Ross
12 Duke Fuqua
13 UVA Darden
14 Cornell Johnson
15 UCLA Anderson
16 NYU Stern
17 Carnegie Mellon Tepper
18 UT Austin McCombs
18 UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler
20 Emory Goizueta
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U.S. News & World Report (2019) Bloomberg Businessweek (2017)
1 Harvard Business School 1 Harvard Business School
1 Chicago Booth 2 UPenn Wharton
3 UPenn Wharton 3 MIT Sloan
4 Stanford GSB 4 Chicago Booth
5 MIT Sloan 5 Stanford GSB
6 Northwestern Kellogg 6 Duke Fuqua
7 UC Berkeley Haas 7 Dartmouth Tuck
7 Michigan Ross 8 Northwestern Kellogg
9 Columbia Business School 9 Columbia Business School
10 Dartmouth Tuck 10 Rice Jones
11 Duke Fuqua 11 UC Berkeley Haas
11 Yale SOM 12 Michigan Ross
13 NYU Stern 13 Cornell Johnson
13 UVA Darden 14 Carnegie Mellon Tepper
15 Cornell Johnson 15 Washington Foster
16 UCLA Anderson 16 Yale SOM
17 Carnegie Mellon Tepper 17 UVA Darden
17 UT Austin McCombs 18 NYU Stern
19 UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler 19 UCLA Anderson
20 Emory Goizueta 20 UTA McCombs
20 USC Marshall
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Financial Times (2018)1,2 The Economist (2017)1,3
1 Stanford GSB 1 Northwestern Kellogg
2 UPenn Wharton 2 Chicago Booth
3 Harvard Business School 3 Harvard Business School
4 Chicago Booth 4 UPenn Wharton
5 Columbia Business School 5 Stanford GSB
6 MIT Sloan 6 UCLA Anderson
7 UC Berkeley Haas 7 UC Berkeley Haas
8 Northwestern Kellogg 8 Dartmouth Tuck
9 Yale SOM 9 Columbia Business School
10 Dartmouth Tuck 10 UVA Darden
11 Cornell Johnson 11 Yale SOM
12 Duke Fuqua 12 Michigan Ross
13 NYU Stern 13 Duke Fuqua
14 UCLA Anderson 14 NYU Stern
15 Michigan Ross 15 MIT Sloan
16 Georgetown McDonough 16 UF Hough
17 UVA Darden 17 IU Kelley
18 UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler 18 Vanderbilt Owen
19 Carnegie Mellon Tepper 19 UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler
20 UTA McCombs 20 Cornell Johnson
1
Reranks U.S. schools from international ranking.
2
The Financial Times ranks Michigan Ross 26 internationally.
3
The Economist ranks Michigan Ross 12 internationally.
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University of Michigan
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business
Summary
In 1924, the Regents at the University of Michigan announced the establishment of the School of Business Admin-
istration. Since then, the school has developed and matured into a leading MBA program, always holding true to
the spirit of its initial leaders, who laid the groundwork for an innovative, hands-on approach. In 2004, Stephen M.
Ross (BBA ’62) donated $100M to the school, in part to fund the construction of a new building on campus for the
program. At the time, his donation ranked as both the single largest gift ever given to a U.S. business school and
the largest gift in the University of Michigan’s 190-year history; thus, the school was renamed in his honor. The
program had been in need of updated facilities and technology, so “the gift reinvigorated the student body and
faculty,” remarked an alumnus we interviewed. In January 2009, the building opened, boasting a state-of-the-art
business education facility with tiered classrooms to facilitate student-to-student and faculty-to-student inter-
action, 20 small group study rooms with wireless connectivity and video conference technology, and a top-notch
fitness center.
From the John R. and Georgene M. Tozzi Electronic Business and Finance Center (Tozzi Center)—a simulated trad-
ing floor on campus—to the MAPs, Ross incorporates a hands-on approach into its curriculum. The school teaches
that real-world problems are not solved in a vacuum, limited to just one business area, but that the impacts
of business decisions are felt across and throughout an organization. The program therefore offers students a
broad-based, multidisciplinary core curriculum in the first year, and then allows students to tailor their MBA ex-
perience in the second year to meet personal goals.
In our conversations with Ross students and alumni, two common threads emerged in descriptions of the school’s
community. First, all with whom we spoke referred to the community as both collaborative and friendly. The
word “humble” was also used several times to describe the student body. Ross was presented as striving to re-
cruit a certain type of individual—one who leaves his/her ego at the door and comes prepared to learn and work
alongside classmates both inside and outside the classroom. In fact, each student and graduate we interviewed
referred in some way to the collaborative nature of the school’s community. According to a second year we inter-
viewed, “You hear about it as a cliché, but Ross really is a collaborative place—everything from formalized help as
part of the career-focused clubs to the informal, people go out of their way to help others.” Similarly, a first year
described his classmates to us as “really collaborative and helpful.”
Second, all agreed that Ross students are passionate about their program and all things Michigan. From Go Blue
Rendezvous weekend for new admits to section shout offs in the sea of maize and blue in The Big House (Michi-
gan’s football stadium) on football Saturday, the school appears to abound with spirit and enthusiasm for Michi-
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gan and for the MBA program. “Go Blue!” is a phrase that is fondly exchanged among Michigan students and
alumni around the world.
Lastly, Ross is part of a very large organization that offers numerous other top-ranked graduate school programs
(e.g., law, public policy, medicine, engineering). Although one could argue that this is also true at some of the Ivy
League schools, we learned that students at Ross can readily—and easily—access the resources of Michigan’s
other graduate schools. In fact, on its website, Ross highlights its flexibility in creating joint degrees: more than
20 are offered in conjunction with the MBA, and the university even allows students to create any dual degree they
may be interested in pursuing. In addition to the full-time MBA program, Ross offers a very well-respected Bach-
elor’s in Business Administration program for undergraduates as well as part-time and executive MBA programs.
The Dean
In the spring of 2015, then Dean Alison Davis-Blake announced her plans of stepping down from the position at the
end of her first five-year term in June 2016. “I have decided that I want to turn the focus of my professional service
to the broader problems and opportunities facing universities,” Davis-Blake wrote in a school-wide memo. In the
news release, Davis-Blake highlighted her accomplishments at the school, including raising global student partici-
pation by 40%, launching the capital campaign with more than $210M raised at the time, and generating positive
media coverage of the school worldwide. A search advisory committee for a new dean was formed July 2015, and
the school announced in May 2016 that Scott DeRue was chosen for the position. DeRue was no stranger to Ross—
at the time, he was a professor of management, the associate dean for the Executive Education program, faculty
director of the Emerging Leaders Program, and director of the Sanger Leadership Center. He first joined the school
in 2007 after serving as a lecturer at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business and working for such
companies as Monitor Deloitte (then the Monitor Group) and Hinckley Yacht Company. DeRue earned numerous
accolades for his work at Ross before even entering the consideration for the dean position—in 2012, for example,
he received the Executive Education Teaching Impact Award and in 2011, Poets&Quants named him as one of their
“Top 40 Business School Professors Under 40.”
DeRue stepped in as the ninth Ross dean in July 2016. “Since 2007 when I joined the Michigan Ross faculty, I have
come to cherish the commitment to excellence and collaborative culture that define this school,” DeRue said in
the school’s announcement of his appointment. “Looking forward, I am thrilled to be working with our world-class
faculty, staff, students, and alumni to build on that success and propel Michigan Ross into the future,” he said. His
accomplishments at Ross prior to deanship include leading the creation of the new Alumni Advantage initiative
and helping the Executive Education program reach its best performance in ten years.
The Ross website notes that DeRue is “committed to creating transformative student experiences” in his position,
and in an interview with Poets&Quants, DeRue described his initial goals at Ross as “the continued investment in
Ross’s faculty, the objective of creating transformational experiences for students, and a renewed commitment
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and investment to the school’s global resources.” University Provost Martha Pollack expressed confidence in De-
Rue in a statement regarding his appointment, saying, “Under [his] leadership, the school will build on its already-
impressive contributions to business education at every level and achieve even greater distinction.” Indeed, no
goal or obstacle as dean is likely to seem too large for DeRue—in 2013, he completed a successful expedition to
the top of Mount Everest.
In a February 2018 interview with the Harvard Business Review, DeRue discussed the new era of MBA education,
where students are taken far beyond the classroom for their studies. “Our vision is that every student who walks
through our doors has the opportunity to start real companies, to run actual investment funds with real capital
and we want them actually managing actual business functions in businesses embedded in their education,” De-
Rue said. “These are examples from our school, but … there are schools around the globe that I think are redefin-
ing the standard of business education by bringing the learning together with the doing in really powerful ways.”
Alison Davis-Blake, who was the first female dean in Ross’s history, set a goal of 40% women for new faculty hires
at the beginning of her deanship and met that goal prior to her departure. In addition, in 2014, Bloomberg Busi-
nessweek reported that among the top ten business schools in the country, Ross had the highest proportion of
women who are tenured or are on the road to tenure—27% (40 faculty members). During Davis-Blake’s time at the
school, the Ross website stated that global learning opportunities for students had seen a boost of 89%, while the
school had also formed new partnerships with 17 universal programs.
In 2013, Davis-Blake unveiled a new strategic plan for the school based on input from the Ross community, em-
bracing a mission that aims “to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world,” declares the school’s
website. The strategic plan subsequently defines four key values: positive business practices, a boundaryless ap-
proach, analytic rigor, and action-based learning. “These four principles come to life in many different ways at
Ross, and collectively they define our unique identity,” Davis-Blake stated in a blog post (https://michiganross.
umich.edu/deans-blog/) that month, adding, “They are both our ethos and our roadmap.” In a 2013 post on her
blog, Davis-Blake detailed some specific goals of the plan, including greater integration between Ross research
and curriculum, increasing analytic rigor in the classroom, and hiring 12 new faculty members in the following
academic year. By April 2015, Ross had placed 30 lecturers and 25 faculty members on the tenure track—altogether
making up 30% of the teaching faculty.
Professional Specializations
Consulting
Perhaps not surprisingly, given Ross’s general management and hands-on, problem-solving focus, approximately
a third of the school’s students typically choose a position in the consulting industry upon graduation (32.7% in
2017, 32.2% in 2016, 30.9% in 2015, 34.1% in 2014, and 32.8% in 2013). With 30 active faculty members and approxi-
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mately 20 course offerings, the strategy department at Ross offers a broad array of educational opportunities for
MBAs interested in this field. Further, the school’s MAP course is well suited for would-be consultants, allowing
Ross students to basically act as external consultants for a company for a seven-week period during the first year,
making recommendations at the project’s conclusion, just as one would do as an employee of McKinsey or Bain.
As described in the Curriculum section, MAP (the Multidisciplinary Action Program) is a full-time, hands-on assign-
ment that takes place during the last seven weeks of students’ first year. Given the nature of the projects, which
focus on helping organizations solve strategic issues, MAP appears to be a perfect training ground for students
interested in consulting careers. Just as one would find within a major consulting organization, the program’s
teams, advisors, and projects are cross-functional in nature.
In terms of extracurricular activities, would-be consultants will find several options to supplement their course-
work. The Ross Consulting Club describes itself on its site as the largest professional club at Ross with more than
500 members, and the group’s mission is to help members develop the skills necessary to attain and succeed in
consulting careers. To this end, the club hosts speakers from consulting firms, schedules visits to consulting of-
fices, and offers case interview workshops, mock interviews, and case competitions.
Through Ross’s Community Consulting Club, students can put their skills to work assisting local nonprofit orga-
nizations with a variety of strategic initiatives. Approximately ten to 15 projects involving both MBA and under-
graduate students are completed through the club each year. Past opportunities have included developing growth
strategy for Arbor Hospice, finding a corporate sponsor base for Habitat for Humanity, and consulting on a fund-
raising campaign strategy for the Ann Arbor Leaning Community.
Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, Accenture, Bain & Co. Inc., A.T. Kearney Inc., PwC, the Boston Consulting Group, EY,
Strategy&, and ZS Associates were listed among the school’s hiring companies for full-time MBA graduates in 2017.
Entrepreneurship, Private Equity, and Venture Capital
At Ross, entrepreneurship and the Samuel Zell and Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies (the Zell
Lurie Institute) go hand in hand. The Zell Lurie Institute offers an array of resources for students interested in en-
trepreneurial endeavors. Housed within Ross, the institute was funded in 1999 with a $10M gift from University of
Michigan alumnus Sam Zell (BA ’63, JD ’66), a real estate executive, and the widow of Robert Lurie (Bachelor of Sci-
ence in Engineering, Industrial and Operations Engineering Department ’64, MSE ’66), Zell’s University of Michigan
classmate and long-term business partner.
The institute provides “curriculum, program initiatives, community involvement, and alumni outreach” for entre-
preneurs at Ross, says its website, but its reach extends beyond the business school to other University of Michi-
gan graduate schools, including the Schools of Medicine and Engineering, where ideas and specialties are cross-
fertilized. Through the Zell Lurie Institute, Ross entrepreneurs will find a list of ten professors who teach classes
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that have an entrepreneurship focus (plus eight from the entrepreneurial studies department), as well as a course
selection and programming guide tailored to the needs of aspiring entrepreneurs. The list includes more than
20 cross-functional courses, including selections from marketing, finance, strategy, and operations. Examples of
courses that have been offered in this study area include “Entrepreneurial Management,” “Base of the Pyramid,”
“New Venture Creation,” and “Writing for Entrepreneurs.”
Part of the Zell Lurie Institute’s funding is used to provide capital and support to students as they research, build,
and launch new businesses while earning their degree—as well as in the years to follow. To kick off the academic
year, the Zell Lurie Institute and the Entrepreneur and Venture Club cosponsor Entrepalooza, a symposium that
brings leaders in the fields of entrepreneurship and venture capital to campus to discuss industry trends.
The 2017 Entrepalooza was themed “Entrepreneurship: Nuts and Bolts” and began with a keynote address by the
founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan. The daylong event’s four workshops discussed the topics “Alter-
natives to Adobe: Open-Source Applications,” “Startup Law 101: Legal Issues for Entrepreneurs,” "Grand Circus:
Anyone Can Code," and “Bootstrapping Basics: Launching on (Very) Little.” Participants were also able to attend a
lunch-and-learn session and a networking reception.
The 2016 symposium carried the theme of “Creativity through Entrepreneurship.” The daylong event kicked off
with a keynote address by a co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s. Five workshops covered “Demystifying Creative Process:
Developing New Skills to Enhance Innovation, Collaboration, and Diversity,” “How to Build a Killer Team: Effective
Leadership 101,” "Start a Business in the Arts? We're That Crazy, and You Can Be Too!," and “Your Logo is Worth-
less.” A lunch-and-learn session and networking reception were also offered to participants.
Themed “Entrepreneurship through the Kaleidoscope,” the 2015 Entrepalooza featured as its keynote speaker a
BBC World News lead anchor and author. Also speaking at the event were the founder of Sphinx Organization and
the executive director of the Zell Lurie Institute, as well as numerous other participants who delivered TED-style
talks. One of the event’s highlights was the “un-conference,” a peer-to-peer discussion facilitated by university
experts.
The Zell Lurie Institute also provides sponsorship and development seminars for students via the Michigan Busi-
ness Challenge, a university-wide event comprising four successive rounds of team competition over four months.
Winners at the 2017 Michigan Business Challenge included the following:
Pryor-Hale Award for Best Business
SAHI Cosmetics (First Place, $25,000 award; Outstanding Presentation award, $2,000) – A company
offering customizable cosmetics for women with medium skin tones.
proteinbits (Runner Up, $10,000 award; Outstanding Presentation award, $2,000; Most Successful
Undergraduate Team award, $2,500; Marketing Award sponsored by Marketing Associates, $2,500) –
Resealable, bite-size snacks high in protein.
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Siegle Impact Track Award
AIM Tech ($15,000 award; Marketing Award, $2,500) – A company developing affordable pressure
ventilators for children with respiratory illnesses.
Through another initiative, Dare to Dream, students can apply for grants (of $500 to $5,000) for student start-ups
at three critical developmental stages: business design, business assessment, and business plan. Winners of
grants in 2016 include the creators of such innovations as Digital Face, which creates facial prosthetics for clini-
cians, and Pedal Cell, a bicycle generator. Mingle ’n’ Match, a series of casual networking events that introduces
entrepreneurs and potential colleagues to one another, is yet another of the institute’s offerings. Through the
Marcel Gani Internship Program, the institute works with start-up companies and venture firms that are interested
in hiring Ross students as summer interns. In some cases, financial assistance is provided to the hiring companies
to alleviate the financial burden of taking on an intern and to encourage students to explore such opportunities.
Lastly, the Wolverine Venture Fund (WVF) conducts due diligence and then makes early- and later-stage invest-
ments in young companies. The WVF manages more than $7M of capital and has invested in more than 27 com-
panies, according to Ross’s site. Students interested in joining the teams that review business plans and make
investment decisions must apply for the positions. For the WVF, twelve to fifteen first-year students are selected
by existing student members of the fund and by the managing director(s), who are faculty members, based on each
applicant’s resume and a personal statement that addresses specific questions posed by the selection committee.
Existing student members of the Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund (formerly the Frankel Commercialization Fund)
and the fund’s managing director (currently an Ann Arbor–based venture capital professional) choose six to ten
first-year students and two to four second-year or evening students to become members. Interested students
must submit a personal statement and a resume and demonstrate an interest in entrepreneurship and/or com-
mercialization. Selected students serve on the fund for two years and are given the privilege of investing up to
$100K per entrepreneurial venture. In addition, in late 2009, Ross launched the Social Venture Fund, the nation’s
first student-led impact investing fund, which Soojin Kwon, Ross’s director of admissions, described in a 2011 ad-
missions chat as “a student-managed fund, and the students are learning how to invest in and manage sustainable
for-profit enterprises that really address a societal need.”
The Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance (CVP) at Ross directs entrepreneurship as it relates to
the investment component of the school’s curriculum. Working closely with the Zell Lurie Institute, CVP strives to
create a connection between the school’s entrepreneurs and the greater finance community through initiatives
such as the annual Michigan Growth Capital Symposium and the Michigan Private Equity Conference. The Growth
Capital Symposium is a two-day, off-site event designed to bring financiers together with the “best of the Mid-
west” in new business and emerging technologies. The 2017 symposium involved 59 presenting companies, with
the CEO of Crowd Valley and a general partner at Hatteras Venture Partners featured as the keynote speakers.
The event also included company presentations, networking opportunities, and panel discussions covering such
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topics as “Early Stage Life Science Companies: Building a Great Team,” “When Obamacare Becomes Trumpcare—
Implications for Healthcare VC,” and “Accelerators, Incubators, and Foundries.”
The 2016 event saw 33 presenting companies and keynotes from a founding and managing partner at Plus Capital
and a managing partner at Deerfield Management. Panels explored such topics as “The Challenges of Medical
Software Startups,” “Nurturing the University Start-up: Licensing and Venture Investment,” and “The Corporate
Venture Capitalist Role and Goal in Healthcare Innovation.” In 2015, the symposium attracted 32 prequalified
Midwest companies seeking funding. The event featured the president and CEO of Ford Global Technologies and
the CEO and co-founder of Uptake Technologies as keynote speakers. Panels explored the topics “VC Investment
Trends and Opportunities in the Midwest,” “Cybersecurity: Attracting Big Headlines and Even Bigger Valuations,”
and “The Internet of Things.”
The Michigan Private Equity Conference provides an opportunity for aspiring MBA entrepreneurs to network with
finance professionals and business leaders from all over the United States. The September 2017 event, as in 2016,
began with a networking reception before the actual conference got under way the next day, and featured a foot-
ball game the day following the conference. The conference featured the CEO of Related Companies and the CEO
and managing partner of Stonehaven as the keynote speakers. Panel discussions explored the themes “LP’s Out-
look and Change on PE and Alternative Investments,” “Strategic Uses of M&A Insurance to Help Close PE Deals,”
and “Where are the Deals? U.S. or Cross-Border?” A networking luncheon concluded the event.
The September 2016 event keynotes were delivered by a managing partner at Capital Z Partners and the director
of athletics at the University of Michigan. Panel discussions covered such topics as “Deal Winning Strategies” and
“Today’s LP Mindset: Opportunities and Challenges in a Global Market.” The conference concluded with a network-
ing luncheon. At the October 2015 conference, the co-founder and managing partner of KPS Capital Partners, LP
gave the keynote address, and panel discussions examined the topics “Private Equity Firms and Public Policy,”
“Private Equity in China,” and “LP/GP: A Constantly Evolving Partnership.” The conference was preceded by a golf
outing and a dinner reception, both of which provided attendees with access to representatives from investment
banking and private equity firms from across the country.
Lastly, would-be entrepreneurs at Ross can choose from an array of student clubs and organizations that may
be of interest, including the Entrepreneur and Venture Club, which provides networking and career development
resources for students. The club states on its site that it offers members the opportunity to further “their educa-
tional and professional goals as prospective entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and/or venture capitalists.”
The club cosponsors Entrepalooza (a public symposium that attracts, on average, 300 entrepreneurs and venture
capitalists and explores current issues and trends in the industry); organizes a Venture Capital Investment Com-
petition; assists members with securing part-time jobs with local venture capital firms and start-ups; hosts a trip
to the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas; and offers an Entrepreneur Consultants Program, in which
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student teams work with local start-ups as consultants, providing business plans, market research, and financial
and strategic analysis.
Ross’s 2017 employment report notes that 1.2% of the school’s graduates (five students) were either starting or
buying a business after completing the MBA program. This figure was 0.9% (four students) in 2016 and 0.7% (three
students) in 2015.
Finance
Incorporating a hands-on component to learning wherever possible, Ross’s finance department offers a curricu-
lum that blends largely traditional finance courses with those that are more specialized and tailored to today’s
issues. In total, approximately 30 finance classes are taught by Ross’s nearly 30 finance faculty members. Recently,
the finance department abandoned its traditional five career paths and introduced the Fast Track in Finance (FTF)
initiative. Students pursuing this initiative have two track options: in one, students qualify for the “Advanced Fi-
nancial Analysis” course and participate in a case-based “Valuation” course in the Fall B section of the first year
of the MBA program. In the second option, students are required to take the “Valuation” course and take part in
an online summer program.
Calling the initiative “highly selective,” the FTF website states that the “program offers the best of both worlds,” in
that students can start taking classes in finance from their first day in the Ross program without having to sacrifice
any of the benefits offered by the school’s foundational core curriculum.
Of Ross’s 2017 graduates, 18.2% accepted positions with a finance function (down from 21.6% in 2016, 21.4% in
2015, and 18.4% in 2014): 8.8% entered corporate finance, 7.2% investment banking, and 2.2% general finance. In
2017, firms listed as hirers of the school’s MBAs include Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan,
Capital One, American Express Co., and Wells Fargo.
A distinguishing feature of Ross’s finance program is the John R. and Georgene M. Tozzi Electronic Business and
Finance Center (known as the Tozzi Center), which opened in 2003. The Tozzi Center is a hands-on learning facility
that combines a mock Wall Street trading floor and a financial analysis classroom equipped with the latest tools,
including live financial news wires, data, and research. The center also offers several workshops to teach students
to use research databases such as FactSet and MSCI Barra Portfolio Manager.
Ross students can also gain hands-on finance experience through the Ross School of Business Maize and Blue
Endowment Fund, a student-managed fund of more than $300K that makes up a portion of the greater university’s
endowment. Both undergraduate and graduate students can apply to serve as fund managers, for which the stu-
dents can also earn academic credit.
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Students interested in pursuing a career in finance can also take advantage of several Ross clubs dedicated ex-
clusively to investing and/or financial engineering. These groups primarily provide members with resources and
materials to assist with career development and job searches in specific areas of finance. Such clubs include the
Finance Club, the Michigan Real Estate Club (see the Real Estate section for more information), and the Ross In-
vestment Management Club.
Through the Finance Club, students can participate in the Wall Street Forum, an annual weeklong trip to New York
City that includes presentations by and networking opportunities with professionals at major financial institu-
tions. The club offers a similar trip to Chicago, in addition to treks to San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Charlotte.
According to its website, the Finance Club focuses on helping its members via three specific “Silos”: corporate
finance, investment banking, and private wealth management/sales and trading. Second-year club members lead
each Silo.
The Finance Club also hosts the Corporate Finance Forum, which aims to expose first-year students to poten-
tial career paths within various finance-related industries. This annual event has welcomed representatives and
sponsorship from such firms as Dow Chemical Company, PepsiCo, Target Corporation, and American Express.
The Ross Investment Management Club states on its site that its primary focus is “to help members recruit for and
obtain investment management and research positions at mutual funds, hedge funds, asset management firms,
and investment banks.” The club hosts a number of events each year, such as the annual Ross Investment Compe-
tition, in which teams from top business schools pitch investment options to a panel of industry expert judges. At
the October 2016 competition, teams from nine MBA programs participated in the two-day event, whose panel of
judges featured representatives from American Century Investments, INCORE Capital Management, and Catalyst
Capital Advisors LLC.
General Management
Although no specific general management department exists at Ross, students can look to the subject areas of
business administration, management and organizations, and strategy for a solid foundation in general manage-
ment. Required courses such as “Corporate Strategy” and “Leading People and Organizations”—along with the
seven-week MAP—provide an underpinning of business fundamentals throughout the core portion of the curricu-
lum. In the core course “Corporate Strategy,” which first years take in Fall A, students explore the skills required of
a general manager to understand complex business situations. The class is designed to provide a foundation for
the more functional courses first years will take later in the year. In Fall B, the “Leading People and Organizations”
course gives students a framework for understanding complex institutional issues and helps them develop the
skills necessary to effectively manage organizations, lead teams, and create high-performing groups that thrive
in the competitive global arena.
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Of the 57 credits required to graduate, at least 47 must come from business administration courses. Classes listed
under business administration range from “Green Development” to “International Business Immersion,” which in-
volves a three-part exploration of a specific target country’s business environment. Students first study the target
country in the classroom, then travel to the location over winter break, and finish by analyzing their conclusions
in group projects. “Business Strategies for the Base of the Pyramid” explores the condition of the world’s poor
and uses ideas gleaned from strategy, international business, and nonprofit management to develop BoP (Base of
Pyramid) enterprises. Such ventures are designed to apply traditional market-based measures for growth to work
toward alleviating poverty.
Courses offered through the departments of management and organizations and of strategy might also interest
future general managers. With 41 faculty members, the management and organizations department provides stu-
dents with an understanding of organizational practices, leadership, and human resources. Nearly 20 electives cov-
er a range of topics, such as “Bargaining and Influencing Skills: Negotiation Strategy in a Global Economy,” “Inter-
personal Dynamics in Management,” and “Navigating Change: Skills and Strategies for Consultants and Managers.”
In the course “Developing and Managing High-Performing Teams,” students undertake a self-assessment of their
leadership style and receive feedback from other students in the class. Then, using this amassed information, the
students take steps to improve their effectiveness as team leaders through both group and individual exercises.
Rather than focusing on functional areas such as finance or accounting in isolation to enhance specific areas of
a firm’s performance, the strategy department views organizations as a whole to improve their overall effective-
ness. Thirty faculty members comprise the strategy department, which consists of nearly 25 electives, including
“Global Strategy,” “Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Development,” and “Strategic Management of Alliances.”
The General Management Club also supports students interested in this function. The group notes on its website
that it “seeks to prepare its members for the leadership challenges that lay ahead while providing access to un-
paralleled professional opportunities from dozens of industry-leading companies.” By organizing and sponsoring
events throughout the academic year, such as fireside chats with company representatives, mock interviews, a
career trek to Chicago, and company visits, the club works to achieve this goal.
The club also sponsors an annual, two-day General Management Conference. The November 2017 event was
themed “Leadership in Times of Crisis” and was sponsored by companies such as T-Mobile and Chase Bank. The
vice president of leadership development at Datum LLC served as the conference’s keynote speakers. The event
featured a leadership crisis mini-challenge, a career fair, and coffee chats.
The November 2016 event, themed “Managers of the Future,” was sponsored by companies such as ExxonMobil
and DaVita. Keynotes were delivered by representatives from Republic Services and Cummins. As with the Novem-
ber 2015 event, which was themed “Business Leadership in Changing Times” and included keynotes from Beckman
Coulter, The Dow Chemical Company, and Cummins, the 2016 event featured two career track panels titled “Inter-
nal Corporate Strategy” and “Business2Business.” The 2015 event concluded with a career fair.
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In 2017, 11% of Ross’s graduates accepted positions that had a general management function (up from 6.5% in
2016, 6.4% in 2015, and 8.2% in 2014), with another 6.6% entering roles in operations/supply chain management
and 3.5% taking jobs in strategic planning. In 2016, these two latter function areas accounted for 4.7% and 3.0% of
graduates, respectively.
Health Care
Ross introduced a health care management concentration in 2013, which the school declares is “perfect for stu-
dents looking to combine interests in business and healthcare” on its website. Drawing on the school’s abundant
offerings in this area, the concentration gives students the freedom to pursue a specialized focus in the business
of health care by taking advantage of related electives and extracurricular activities. Although the Class of 2015
was the first for whom declaring this official concentration has been an option and 2.6% of students entered posi-
tions in the health care industry, 1.5% of the Class of 2014 did so as well. This figure went up for the Class of 2016
and the Class of 2017, of which 6.8% and 6.9%, respectively, accepted positions in the health care industry. While
there was no figure listed in the 2016 or 2017 employment reports for the pharmaceutical/health care products
industry, 2.6% of the Class of 2015 accepted jobs in these areas (2.9% in 2014 and 2013).
Students may opt into the health care management concentration in their first year by supplementing Ross’s core
MBA curriculum with health care–related electives and learning opportunities. Qualifying for the concentration
requires a minimum of 12 credits earned via such courses as “Healthcare Markets and Public Policies,” “Business
of Biology,” and “Comprehensive Healthcare Strategies.” In addition, three of these required credits must be
taken as an approved class offered by one of the following outside of Ross: the School of Public Health, the School
of Information, the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, the School of Social Work, the Law School, or the School
of Nursing.
Through the William Davidson Institute (see the International Business section for more on this offering), the
school’s Healthcare Initiative supports globally focused research projects across three areas of expertise: private
sector supply chains for global health, public sector medicine and vaccine supply systems, and global market
dynamics and forecasting. Projects in these areas often dovetail with the business school’s MAP opportunities,
allowing students to engage with partnering organizations and work on industry-specific research. Students can
also gain hands-on experience working for an international health care organization by applying for the institute’s
Global Impact Internship program (also discussed in the International Business Section). Internship projects that
align with the institute’s Healthcare Research Initiative are among those given preference for the program.
The Healthcare and Life Sciences (HLS) Club helps prepare students for careers in all health care–related sectors
through a number of resources and events, including a weekly newsletter, career workshops, a recruiting guide,
treks to health care companies, and interview tutorials. The club also organizes the annual Ross Global Healthcare
and Life Sciences Symposium, which typically welcomes more than 250 students, faculty, and professionals “to
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explore how the health care industry is adapting to the changing expectations and standards of individuals in the
U.S. and around the world,” states its website.
The September 2017 symposium, themed “Focus on the Patient: Elevating the Underserved,” featured as keynote
speaker the group vice president and general manager of VillageHealth at DaVita. Four panel discussions explored
the topics “Defining Value-Based Care,” “Creating Value through Health Care Innovations,” “Closing the Gap in
Health Disparities,” and “Adapting to the Dynamic Health Policy Environment.” The event also featured networking
possibilities and a career fair.
The September 2016 symposium explored the theme “Disruptive Healthcare Practices: Challenging the Status
Quo” and welcomed a group vice president of DaVita as the keynote speaker. There were three panel discus-
sions: “Big Data and Privacy,” “Private Sector Responses to Public Health Issues,” and “Policy, Risk Sharing, and
the Global Marketplace.” Participants were also offered networking possibilities, a career fair, and a health care
start-up panel.
The September 2015 symposium, themed “Rising Costs and Declining Reimbursement: Emerging Trends in the
Healthcare and Life Science Industry,” featured a keynote address by the general manager of DaVita VillageHealth.
A series of breakout panel discussions were dedicated to such topics as “New Approaches to Reimbursement,”
“New Business Models for the Development of Innovative Therapies and Devices,” and “Emerging Trends in the
Commercialization of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices.” The event concluded with a career fair.
Health care and pharmaceutical companies that recruited members of Ross’s graduating class in 2017 include
Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, DaVita Inc., Humana Inc., and Medtronic Inc.
International Business
From the required “Competing in the Global Business Environment” class, which can be taken in the first or second
year, to the many international MAPs to strategy electives such as “Competing in the Global Business Environ-
ment” and “Global Strategy,” those interested in international business will find a variety of resources at Ross to
help them prepare for their chosen career. As then Dean Davis-Blake noted in her 2010 interview with the Monroe
Street Journal with respect to emerging markets, “The landscape is changing really rapidly. For business schools,
the norm used to be that everyone comes to the United States. … I think there is a trend toward more people hav-
ing interests that drive desires for initial placement outside the [United States].”
Indeed, 7.5% of Ross’s Class of 2017 accepted positions outside the United States, with 6% going to Asia and 1.6%
to South America. The percentage of graduates entering internationally based positions has stayed fairly steady
within recent years, with 7.7% having done so in 2016, 6.4% in 2015, and 6.6% in 2014.
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The William Davidson Institute (WDI) at the University of Michigan may also be of interest to those who wish to in-
corporate more of an international component into their business school studies. WDI was created in 1992 through
a grant from Guardian Industries Corporation and named in honor of that organization’s late chairman, president,
and CEO, William Davidson. WDI has previously described itself on its site as “the only institution of higher learn-
ing in the United States that is fully dedicated to understanding and promoting actionable business and public
policy approaches to addressing the challenges and opportunities in emerging market economies.” The objective
of the educational and research programming is to develop knowledge and capability that help improve the ef-
fectiveness of firms and social welfare in developing economies.
In its efforts to integrate education, research, and practical project-based work, and in collaboration with some
of its corporate and nonprofit partners, WDI organizes several MAPs for Ross students, usually partnering with
organizations in emerging economies. These projects allow Ross students to work full-time with international or-
ganizations to address real-world business issues, including developing business plans, restructuring marketing
programs, and analyzing new business opportunities in such places as India, Rwanda, and Kosovo.
WDI also sponsors internships for University of Michigan graduate students through partnerships with businesses
and nonprofits in emerging-market economies. Through its Global Impact Summer Internship program, WDI pro-
vides participating students with international business experience and partner organizations with the benefit
of student expertise and assistance. Internships are of two types: (1) WDI-Partnership Global Impact Internships,
which are internship opportunities identified by WDI, and (2) Student-Initiated Internships, for which students
identify the project themselves and then apply for funding from WDI. In lieu of a summer salary from the student’s
employer, fellowships of up to $10,000 and a $1,500 airfare reimbursement are granted to students selected for
internships through either program.
A notable opportunity for students interested in international business is the University of Michigan’s annual In-
dia Business Conference, which serves as a campus-wide platform to “engage in a thought provoking discussion
about various aspects of India and its relationship with the United States as well as with the global economy,”
states the event’s website. The latest and ninth annual conference, offered in March 2018, featured keynote ad-
dresses by the founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of the Fair Observer and a senior partner and director at the
Boston Consulting Group. The event’s panel discussions included such topics as “Invest India,” “Business and
Globalization,” and “Smart Villages.” Panelists and speakers included the CEO of Outcome Health, the founder and
managing partner of Tandem Capital, and a partner at Artiman Ventures. Students could also participate in the C.
K. Prahalad Grand Challenge (formerly known as the C. K. Prahalad Case Competition), in which teams presented
their findings to a panel of judges.
The March 2017 conference featured a keynote address by the Indian minister of state for civil aviation, as well as
panel discussions titled “VC in India: Getting Funded and Growing Companies Across Geographies” and “Role of
Businesses in Social Impact.” Panelists and speakers included the chief marketing officer of SC Johnson, the chair-
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man of TVS Capital Funds, the CEO and founder of Seclore, and the founder of LuminAID. Students were invited to
take part in the C. K. Prahalad Case Competition.
The March 2016 conference featured CEO Sessions with leaders from Myntra and Tata Consultancy Services, as well
as panel discussions and Q&As titled “Make in India,” “Issues in the Indian Economy (From Vajpayee Rule to the
Present Day),” “Managing in India’s Institutional and Legal Environment,” “Building Brands in India,” and “Technol-
ogy Entrepreneurship in India.” The C. K. Prahalad Case Competition was also offered.
The previous conference, hosted in 2014, was themed “The Four Trends Impacting Global Business that Every
Leader Needs to Know.” The president and CEO of Epic Sciences, a former cabinet minister of India, and the CEO of
Mahindra GenZe were among the featured speakers. Panel topics included “Healthcare in India,” “Businesses En-
tering New Markets: Context Matters,” “Digital Education in Emerging Markets: University of Michigan as a Pioneer
in Online Education,” and “Creating the Next Generation of Global Leaders.”
Another significant opportunity for students with an interest in international business is the school’s Asia Busi-
ness Conference, which—in its 27th year in 2018—purports to be the longest-running student-organized confer-
ence in North America that focuses on Asian business. The 2017 conference featured the North American repre-
sentative at Asian Development Bank as the keynote speaker, and panels concentrated on such topics as “India,”
“ASEAN,” and “China.” Panelists included representatives from such companies as Microsoft; A.T. Kearney; Nikkei
America, Inc.; and NextServices.
The 2017 event’s keynote was delivered by the Hong Kong commissioner for economic and trade affairs to the
United States. Panels discussed such topics as “Consulting,” “Finance,” “Japan,” and “Sustainability” and featured
representatives from several companies, including Boston Consulting Group, Greenfield Consulting Group, AGac-
quisitions Group, Ford Motor Company, and Maybank.
The previous conference, held in 2015, drew approximately 400 attendees—roughly twice as many as in 2014—and
featured 31 speakers participating in 11 panels. Singapore’s ambassador to the United States delivered the confer-
ence’s keynote address. The discussion panels focused on different countries (e.g., Japan, China, India), industries
(e.g., transportation, marketing, entrepreneurship, technology), and careers, with participants representing such
companies as Whirlpool Corporation, the Lincoln Motor Company, A.T. Kearney, Deutsche Bank, Otsuka Pharma-
ceutical, PRIME Research, Boeing, and Qualcomm Incorporated.
The 2014 event, themed “Discover the Possibilities, Shape the Future,” featured a former United States Ambas-
sador to Vietnam as keynote and offered a series of nine panels on China, Japan, entrepreneurship, India, ASEAN,
energy, technology/manufacturing, Korea, and finance. Panelists represented a variety of organizations, including
CVC Capital Partners of Greater China, the Singapore Economic Development Board, Mazda Motor Corporation, Lan-
zaTech, the Heartland Mobile Council, the Asian Development Bank, General Motors, A.T. Kearney, and Tractus Asia.
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Finally, second-year students may gain further international experience by participating in the MBA Global Semes-
ter Exchange Program. The program offers the choice of either a half or a full semester abroad and allows students
to pursue specific academic interests in an immersive, cross-cultural environment. Ross maintains exchange op-
portunities with the following partner institutions:
• Australian Graduate School of Management, Sydney, Australia
• China Europe International Business School, Shanghai, China (half semester only)
• Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark
• ESADE Business School, Barcelona, Spain
• ESSEC Business School, Paris, France
• HEC Paris, Paris, France (half semester also available)
• Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
• IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona, Spain
• Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India (half semester only)
• Keio Business School, Yokohama City, Japan
• London School of Economics, London, England
• Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (half semester only)
• Norwegian School of Economics, Bergen, Norway
• Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands (half semester also avail-
able)
• Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina (half semester only)
• University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
• Warwick Business School, Coventry, England (half semester only)
In a 2012 Dean’s Blog post, Davis-Blake detailed her plans to expand Ross’s global programs, saying, “We’ve con-
ducted a complete inventory of our global activities and discovered that, while we are doing more than it might first
appear, we can integrate our efforts more effectively and go deeper than before. In 2012, we’ll focus on academic
and research activities, as well as [on] alumni and corporate outreach. This includes custom executive education,
in-country student projects, and new knowledge creation.” Emphasizing the “global nature of the Ross community”
in a later post, in 2014, Davis-Blake further elaborated on the school’s international outreach efforts, saying, “One
of the key concepts we want to make sure each Ross student understands and experiences is that business is a
global enterprise. Success in business requires strong relationships and multicultural understanding.”
Marketing
The marketing curriculum at Ross appears robust, combining a strong research base with the school’s character-
istic hands-on approach to learning. “Our professors use concepts from psychology, economics, statistics, neu-
roscience, and engineering to tackle the crucial issues of today’s fast-moving markets,” says the school’s website,
which also asserts that “working with award-winning teachers and researchers, [students will] be prepared to
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handle a wide array of marketing challenges.” In 2017, 19.5% of Ross graduates accepted positions with a market-
ing/sales function (13.5% brand/product management and 6% general marketing), while 18.3% did so in 2016 and
21.4% in 2015.
The school’s 30 marketing faculty members are well published, and perhaps not surprisingly, Ross seems to focus
on melding these experts’ cutting-edge research with classroom simulations and/or field experience to fit the
“thought and action” component of the school’s educational approach. The department offers 15 courses, the
majority of which appear to require work outside the classroom. The quality of Ross’s marketing department—and
of the students it trains—has not gone unnoticed by large, multinational packaged goods and consumer product
companies, including Procter & Gamble, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, and PepsiCo, who all recruit at and hire
multiple candidates from Ross each year.
The Yaffe Center for Persuasive Communication at Ross, funded in 1996 by alumnus Fred Yaffe (BBA ’54, MBA ’58),
is dedicated to research and education in the field of persuasive communication—an area strategically important
for marketing-oriented individuals, though equally useful for those pursuing other fields. Yaffe established the
center to help educate and prepare students for marketing careers, and as part of this goal, the center sponsors
certain marketing courses. It also funds primary research, commissions case studies, brings industry speakers
to campus, and occasionally hosts topical industry conferences that attract practitioners from around the globe.
Speakers in the center-sponsored Distinguished Speakers series have in recent years included executives from
Keebler, Procter & Gamble, Sundberg-Ferar, the Detroit Lions, EnvisionIt, Kaleidoscope Product Development,
Carnevale Interactive, Crisp Media, Specific Media, Digitas, and the Kellogg Company. The series also encom-
passed the seventh annual Yaffe Center Digital Marketing Event (previously called the Social Media Workshop),
which had the theme “Hands-On Experience and Stories From the Real World” and explored on the evolvement of
digital marketing with speakers from such companies as Procter & Gamble and Google.
Ross’s Michigan Marketing Club boasts more than 300 members and is one of the larger student organizations
on campus. The group states on its site that it strives to “equip students with the necessary tools and coaching
to excel in networking and interviewing.” In addition to mock interviews and case study preparations, the club
organizes one-day visits to more than 20 companies in cities from coast to coast and hosts the two-day Market-
ing Symposium, which includes a social hour for networking, mock interview sessions, panel discussions led by
industry experts, and a mini career fair. Some well-known companies that have participated in the symposium
and company visits include ConAgra Foods, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Ford, General Mills, American Express,
Frito Lay, and Nestle S.C.
The November 2017 symposium carried the theme “Behind the Brand.” The November 2016 symposium, themed
“Dialogue in the Digital Age,” featured speakers from Owens Corning and SC Johnson. Participants were able to
attend company breakout discussions, mock interviews, panels, and a concluding career fair.
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The 2015 symposium was themed “Big Data: Leveraging Constant Information in Marketing,” and the senior vice
president of social engagement at Doner, the senior vice president of U.S. dairy foods at Land O’Lakes, and the
chief marketing officer of Kimberly-Clark Corporation served as keynote speakers. The event’s two panel discus-
sions were titled Marketing to Consumers Who Have Access to Unlimited Information” and “Turning Big Data In-
sights Into Actionable Marketing Initiatives.”
Other clubs at Ross that may be of interest to students who intend to pursue a marketing path include the Luxury
Goods and Retail Club and the Entertainment and Media Club. Established in 2003, the Luxury Goods and Retail
Club focuses on all types of retailing, from mass electronics to luxury apparel, as well as a broad range of business
functions, from supply chain management to retail consulting and marketing. The club hosts educational presen-
tations for members, including “The Fundamentals of Retailing,” as well as networking lunches for students, dur-
ing which first years meet and mingle with second years who spent their summers working in the retail industry.
The Luxury Goods and Retail Club has also organized a New York City retail trek (a one- to two-day event involving
visits to organizations such as Saks and L’Oreal) in addition to luncheons and presentations hosted by companies
that interview on campus. Treks in recent years have featured visits to such brands as BCBG Max Azaria and DKNY.
The group has also arranged a West Coast Forum trek to San Francisco to visit retailers such as GAP, Levi’s, Wil-
liams Sonoma, and The North Face.
Like the Luxury Goods and Retail Club, the Entertainment and Media Club provides networking opportunities,
career treks to both New York City and Los Angeles, and professional development workshops on media-related
topics that may be of interest to students pursuing marketing.
Operations/Manufacturing
Given Ross’s proximity to Detroit, one might expect a very strong tie between the business school and the au-
tomobile industry. Numerous General Motors and Ford employees have certainly passed through Ross’s halls in
both the full-time and executive MBA programs, but no particular emphasis is placed in the curriculum on the
motor industry or manufacturing, and indeed, Ross offers an array of classes and resources that provide ample
training for operations careers in any industry. The Tauber Institute for Global Operations (discussed later in this
section) is also available to help prepare students for long-term careers in global operations.
Of Ross’s 2017 graduates, 7.1% entered positions with an operations/supply chain management function, up from
4.7% in 2016, 6.4% in 2015, and 5.2% in 2014. From an industry perspective, 8.8% of the class accepted jobs in
consumer packaged goods and 6.6% in manufacturing. The following companies known to hire graduates in this
area recruited and hired Ross students in 2017: Amazon, Microsoft Corp., Kraft Heinz Co., Whirlpool Corp., General
Motors Corp., The Procter & Gamble Co., and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
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The Tauber Institute for Global Operations has its roots in the Michigan Joint Manufacturing Initiative (MJMI), an
interdisciplinary program of the university’s College of Engineering and the business school. MJMI was renamed
the Tauber Institute in 1995 after Michigan alumnus Joseph Tauber (BBA ’56, MBA ’63) donated $5M to ensure that
the program’s mission was sustainable. That mission is “to lead the field of operations through our Business and
Engineering collaboration, global industry partnerships, faculty research, and pioneering action-based education
to create the next generation of operations leaders,” states the institute’s website. Tauber is an “overlay” or “de-
gree add-on” program that requires additional coursework. Ross students can apply for admission to the Tauber
Institute in conjunction with their Ross application. If the candidate is admitted to Ross, he/she is then reviewed
for entry into Tauber; candidates interview separately for Ross and Tauber.
All Tauber MBA students must complete the courses “Topics in Global Operations” and “Manufacturing and Supply
Operations,” as well as a paid summer team project with a sponsoring company. In addition, students are required
to fulfill flexible elective requirements and participate in four facility tours at such corporations as General Mo-
tors, Microsoft, and UPS. Tauber students are also required to participate in LeadershipAdvantage program, a se-
ries of workshops on the everyday challenges operations professionals face, covering soft skills such as strategic
networking as well as hard skills, such as specialized, operations-focused software training.
To fulfill the team project requirement, all institute participants are offered guaranteed, paid, team-based sum-
mer internships with corporations with whom Tauber has relationships. Through Tauber, students can network
with company executives, some of whom are on the institute’s advisory board. A second year with whom we spoke
noted that “the guarantee of the internship takes the pressure off, but you will use the time you would have de-
voted to recruiting to keeping up with Tauber’s additional academic requirements.” This student explained that
Tauber also provides the opportunity to “learn from a different group of students and develop another set of
friends and colleagues” while at Ross. A reportedly popular course offered through Tauber has been “Integrated
Product Development,” in which a team of students from Ross, the College of Engineering, and the School of Art
and Design develop and launch a product from the market research stage to the design and manufacture stage, in
competition with other student teams.
The 40 faculty members in the school’s technology and operations department offer a total of 28 courses in the
area as part of the full-time MBA curriculum. Students will find opportunities to supplement their education out-
side the classroom as well, particularly through the Operations Management Club, which focuses on developing
leaders in operations and encourages an appreciation for the need to work cross-functionally within an organiza-
tion. The club promotes and shares operations management knowledge for its members through activities such
as lunch and learns events, mock interviews, and panel discussions.
For the past 11 years, in conjunction with the Tauber Institute, the club has hosted the Global Operations Confer-
ence, which brings together students and industry leaders to discuss and debate current ideas and issues in the
complex world of global operations. The 2017 conference focused on the theme “Operations in a Dynamic World”
and offered keynote addresses from the chief operating officer at Dolly, the director of fulfillment execution data
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science at Amazon, and the director of business intelligence and analytics at Procter and Gamble’s global business
services. A series of panel discussions explored such topics as “Sustainability through Innovative Operations,”
“Leveraging Forecasting for Improved Operations,” and “Incorporating Industry 4.0 into Operations.” Panelists
represented such companies as the Ford Motor Company, Polaris Industries, Nike, and Dell.
The 2016 event was themed “New Frontiers in Operations.” Keynotes were delivered by the global supply chain
visibility leader at The DOW Chemical Company; the vice president of information, data governance, and health in-
formatics at IBM; and the vice president of operations at Stitch Fix. Panel discussions covered topics such as “Big
Data and Predictive Analytics,” “Globalization through Operations,” and “Evolution of Operations in Healthcare,”
and featured representatives from such companies as General Motors, Boeing, and Cardinal Health.
At the 2015 event, which was themed “Disrupting the Competitive Landscape through Operations,” the senior
vice president of integration at Eaton, the co-founder and executive vice president of Llamasoft, and the general
manager of additive technologies at GE Aviation served as keynote speakers. Panel discussions welcomed rep-
resentatives from Deloitte, Microsoft, and Amazon, with such topics as “Creating Extreme Industrial Innovation,”
“Focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility Throughout the Supply Chain,” “Exceeding Customer Expectations in
an Increasingly Competitive Environment,” and “Managing Global Risk in a Complex Supply Chain.”
Real Estate
Given that Stephen M. Ross, the school’s namesake, is one of the most successful real estate developers of his time,
we would be remiss if we did not highlight the resources available at the school for students interested in this field.
For starters, students will find eight dedicated real estate classes at Ross, including “Real Estate Development:
Fundamentals,” “Real Estate Law,” “Real Estate Finance and Investment” (I and II), and “Real Estate Essentials.”
Few Ross graduates go into the real estate industry—although the school’s 2017, 2015, and 2014 employment re-
ports did not offer any percentage at all for this area, 0.3% of the Class of 2016 accepted jobs in the industry.
However, the Michigan Real Estate Club is still quite active, providing its members with educational and profes-
sional networking opportunities that will help them in their job search while they pursue their MBA, as well as af-
ter graduation. The group also assists members by maintaining an online job opportunity board, and hosts panel
discussions on a variety of industry-related topics with such speakers as principals from Walton Street Capital
and Kohn Pedersen Fox.
When applying to the Ross MBA program, candidates can simultaneously apply to the school’s Real Estate De-
velopment Certificate Program, which focuses on sustainable metropolitan development and educates students
about ways in which developers can improve quality of life for those who live in areas affected by their projects
and lessen the environmental impact when designing and building tomorrow’s communities. The program re-
quires nine additional hours of coursework at the University of Michigan’s Horace H. Rackham School of Gradu-
ate Studies. The program allows for eight hours of “double counting” in the 17-credit-hour certificate, so a Ross
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student would complete the required 57 MBA hours and then an additional nine hours at Rackham. Participants
receive a Real Estate Development Certificate designation at graduation, in addition to their MBA.
Social Entrepreneurship
Ross students interested in social entrepreneurship can tap into a number of resources at the business school
as well as elsewhere within the larger University of Michigan community. For one, several opportunities for dual
degrees are available for Ross students. The Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute for Global Sustainable En-
terprise (known simply as the Erb Institute) is a joint partnership between Ross and Michigan’s School of Natural
Resources and Environment. The institute fosters professional education, public outreach, and scientific scholar-
ship in support of sustainability, particularly related to the business and industrial community.
Candidates applying to Ross who have a deep interest in environmental issues can apply for acceptance to the
institute’s MBA/MS program. Applications must be submitted to both Ross and the School of Natural Resources.
The MBA/MS is a three-year degree that integrates coursework in business with that in environmental science,
with the goal of educating future corporate executives on ways companies can incorporate environmental impact
awareness and sustainability into their day-to-day business activities. Students who do not enter the MBA/MS
program but have an interest in this business area can enroll in such environmentally focused classes as “Strate-
gies for Sustainable Development I: Competitive Environmental Strategy” and “Systems Thinking for Sustainable
Development and Enterprise” in the second year of the MBA program.
In addition, students have the option of earning a dual MBA/Master’s in Public Policy through the Gerald R. Ford
School of Public Policy; candidates interested in this degree must apply separately to both Ross and Ford. All Ross
students are able to use resources and take electives at Ford during their second year. On the Erb Institute website,
one will find a list of almost 100 course offerings not only from Ross, but also from other schools within the larger
university—such as the School of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ford School, the College of Engineering,
and the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning—that frequently are of interest to Erb students.
The Center for Social Impact is a major resource for Ross students interested in social issues. The center states
on its website that its mission is “to prepare and inspire leaders to solve complex social challenges.” Its focus
areas include social innovation, nonprofit and public management, and social enterprise and entrepreneurship.
The center also hosts the Board Fellowship, which allows selected students to gain experience in nonprofit orga-
nization management and board governance via workshops and special events, as well as by serving on a board
committee and working on organizational team projects.
In addition, the Center for Social Impact partners with a Detroit-based organization to host the annual Social
Impact Challenge. Participants grapple with a real-life strategic challenge, and the winning team claims a $2,500
cash prize. The 2018 challenge focused on pop-ups in the Detroit area. In 2017, the focus was the economic devel-
opment of Flint, Michigan. In 2016, participants worked on the redevelopment of a historic area with partners the
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Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy and Detroit PAL. The center also offers MBA students sponsored consulting intern-
ships via its Impact Corps Internship Program (formerly Domestic Corps), providing selected individuals with an
approximate salary of up to $10,000 over the course of a ten-week internship.
Ross also boasts an active Net Impact chapter (Ross Net Impact, or RNI), which has been recognized numerous
times by the national Net Impact organization: as a Gold Chapter (a designation awarded to the most active chap-
ters) every year from 2012 through 2018; as a Chapter of the Year in 2006; and as the Large University Chapter of the
Year in 2010. In 2012 and 2009, it was named the runner-up Chapter of the Year and for three consecutive years (2006
through 2008) was chosen as National Chapter of the Year, reflecting the club’s large and enthusiastic membership.
As part of its mission, RNI helps identify appropriate courses for students who aspire to become social entrepre-
neurs and frequently brings executives to campus whose companies prioritize sustainability. Past speakers have
included the founder and president of Honest Tea and the vice president of sustainability for Procter & Gamble.
The Net Impact Conference is an annual, two-day event that attracts students from Net Impact chapters at top-
ranking business schools across the country. RNI members typically travel to the conference each year, though
the 2010 event—themed “2020: Vision for a Sustainable Decade”—was held at Ross and drew 2,500 attendees
representing 129 schools in 14 countries and 39 states. Keynote speeches were presented on the topics “Corporate
Responsibility 2020: The Future of Sustainable Business” and “Green the Ghetto: And How Much It Won’t Cost Us.”
More recently, the conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia with the theme “Path to Purpose: Accelerate Your
Impact Career.” Keynote speakers included the CEO of Imperative, the president of Echoing Green, the executive
director of Project Drawdown, and the CEO of Clif Bar & Company, while breakout session topics included “Creat-
ing Shared Value through Business,” “Navigating the Clean Energy Transition,” “Farm to Trash: Disrupting the Food
Waste Epidemic,” and “Responsible Travel for Eco-Friendly Tourists.”
Nearly 2,500 participants traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the October 2016 conference, which was
themed “Make History.” The keynote addresses were delivered by such notables as the president and CEO of Wal-
Mart Stores, Inc.; the CEO of Etsy; and a special assistant to the President at the White House. Attendees were able
to choose from more than 80 discussion panels hosted by 300 speakers.
The November 2015 conference drew approximately 2,400 people to Seattle, Washington. With the theme “Game
On,” the event featured as keynote speakers the founder and CEO of KIND Snacks; the group president of Star-
bucks Coffee U.S. and Americas; and the CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Discussions examined such
topics as “The Key to Making Nonprofit and Corporate Alliances Work,” “Sustainable Cities From the Inside Out,”
“Making Social Impact the New Professional Norm,” and “Climate Change Hits Home: Adapting to the New Normal.”
Other offerings included workshops, networking salons, and story series lectures.
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The University of Michigan’s Social Innovation Summit, sponsored by the Nonprofit and Public Management Center
and hosted by Ross, presents another opportunity for students to explore the intersection of entrepreneurship
and social impact. The summit has not been hosted in the last few years; however, the event took place in 2014
with the theme “Finding Purpose, Delivering Impact.” The event featured the CEO of Imperative as the keynote and
welcomed guest speakers from such organizations as the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, the City of Detroit,
and Focus: HOPE. Two discussion sessions explored multiple topics, including “Equity in Detroit’s Food and Water
Systems,” “Investing in Social Impact in Detroit,” and “Aligning Personal Values and Social Innovation.” Students
were also given the opportunity to collaborate with the event’s keynote speaker in creating a social innovation
action plan.
In 2013, the summit had as its theme “Exploring Social Funding Methods” and commenced with a rapid-fire profile
session in which industry leaders presented an overview of social funding methods. A keynote address from the
co-founder and CEO of Kiva followed. A series of expert panel breakout sessions then explored the topics “Foun-
dations and Impact Investing,” “Microfinance and Crowdsourcing,” “Social Venture Funding and Philanthropy,”
and “Government, Banks, and Agencies,” with representatives from such organizations as the Ann Arbor Area
Community Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the United Way of Washtenaw County. The day ended with a
networking reception.
The Ross community sadly lost a shining light in 2010 when Paul and Ruth McCracken Distinguished University
Professor of Corporate Strategy C.K. Prahalad passed away unexpectedly. In a 2011 admissions chat, Director of
Admissions Kwon stated that in the wake of the professor’s untimely death, the school would be “developing an
initiative around his vision for creating inclusive capitalism. So there will be activities to focus on his research and
his commitment to try to get businesses to do more with less, for more people.” Indeed, the school launched the
C.K. Prahalad Initiative in the spring of 2011, offering two components honoring the late professor: a MAP project
focusing on the relationship between profit and social value creation and a fellowship for students to work on
action-based learning projects.
Notable Professors and Unsung Heroes
Aneel Karnani (https://michiganross.umich.edu/faculty-research/faculty/aneel-karnani): Aneel Karnani is a mem-
ber of the strategy department at Ross and teaches courses in both the core and elective curriculums. All the
students mbaMission interviewed about Karnani lauded his innovative way of teaching, which, one said, keeps
you “at the edge of your seat.” Karnani is known to challenge his students constantly, forcing them to rethink
their views and opinions. His areas of interest include corporate competitiveness—particularly in the context of
companies that are growing in emerging economies—and the role of the private sector in the fight against poverty.
Karnani has received the Teaching Excellence Award, voted on by the Ross student body, on eight occasions, in-
cluding 2014, 2015, and 2016. In 2011, Karnani published his first book, titled Fighting Poverty Together: Rethinking
Strategies for Business, Governments, and Civil Society to Reduce Poverty (Palgrave McMillan).
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Gautam Kaul (https://michiganross.umich.edu/faculty-research/faculty/gautam-kaul): Gautam Kaul, the Fred M.
Taylor Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Finance at Ross, teaches both core curriculum cours-
es and electives. In addition to referencing his intellectual capabilities, students with whom mbaMission spoke
described Kaul as extremely friendly and having a great sense of humor. He is also known for his willingness to
help students both inside and outside the classroom. In 2005, in direct response to student interest, Kaul devel-
oped the course “Finance and the Sustainable Enterprise.” In return, students recognized his efforts and awarded
him the Sustainability Pioneer Award and a plaque in his honor on one of the chairs in the main auditorium of the
university’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. Kaul has been nominated for an MBA Teaching Excel-
lence Award, (which is voted on by the student body) numerous times, and won the award in 1996, 2006, 2009, 2011,
and 2013. He is also the 2009 recipient of the Victor L. Bernard Leadership in Teaching Award from the university’s
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. More recently, Kaul has gained followers online with classes on the
college course website Coursera, where he offers such classes as “Principles of Valuation: Risk and Return” and
“Valuation: Alternative Methods.”
Nejat Seyhun (https://michiganross.umich.edu/faculty-research/faculty/nejat-seyhun): Known for his work in
breaking the story on backdating options for corporate executives in 2006, Nejat Seyhun was praised by a second-
year student with whom we spoke not only for his technical expertise but also for his willingness to regularly share
his thoughts on current events with students. In fact, Seyhun, who is the Jerome B. and Eilene M. York Professor
of Business Administration and a Professor of Finance, takes the first ten minutes of each class to engage in a
dialogue on what is making news in finance and how it could affect his students—whether it be the government
bailout packages or new regulations. Added the second-year student, these thoughts “make the class interesting
and relevant.”
Social/Community Life
The Arb: Nichols Arboretum, known as “the Arb,” is located approximately 12 blocks from the University of Michi-
gan’s Central Campus, not far from Ross. The “Arb” offers space for an abundance of outdoor activities and pro-
vides a great place for students to jog, throw around a Frisbee, study, or even sled during the winter. In an email
to mbaMission, an administrator at Ross reported that students from nearby Residential College present “Shake-
speare in the Arb” performances in the arboretum in the summer.
Football Tailgates: College football is big in Ann Arbor, and Ross students appear to enjoy the season with real
fervor. Tailgates precede nearly every game, and some tailgate parties are even sponsored by corporations and
serve as mini recruiting events. At these sponsored tailgates, corporate representatives—who are usually Michigan
alumni—network with Ross students. And generally, the more important the game, the more senior the executives
representing the sponsor company! We should also mention “The Bus”—a literal school bus painted to look like
a Michigan football helmet that is owned by roughly 50 Ross students and has been passed down from class to
class each year since the early 2000s. Originally conceived as a way to centralize tailgating for the Ross community,
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“The Bus” is present at every home game as well as at least one away game each season, serving as home base for
spirited tailgate parties. Even the dean has been known to visit tailgates at “The Bus”—which has its own Facebook
page! A first-year student with whom we spoke noted that “Bus tailgates at home football games” were not to be
missed, saying they are “Lots of fun, and you get to hang out with the whole class.”
MBA Games: As the wrap-up to the Ross Leadership Initiative (incoming students’ weeklong orientation), roughly
a week after classes start, MBA Games matches section against section in a series of field competitions. Although
these games take place early in the academic year, the new class of students has already spent orientation and the
first week of classes together, so sections have developed initial bonds, and the competition is fierce. The games
kick off with Shout Off, a cheering competition between sections that is sponsored by SC Johnson. In addition to
bragging rights for the rest of the winning section’s time at Ross, a financial gain is also on the line: the winning
team wins funds for a section happy hour. Sections then compete in a variety of sports activities that have been
organized by second years, including soccer, an obstacle course, and tug-of-war. These events also are sponsored
by companies who donate generous prizes, such as free massages and gift cards for the winning teams.
MBgAy Party: Ross Out for Business hosted its first school-wide party, called MBgAy, in 2009. The event is typically
held at a club in Ann Arbor and features a drag fashion show followed by dancing. Profits are split between a lo-
cal charity and the club’s scholarship fund for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students. A first year we
interviewed just days after the February 2011 party (which raised $1,000 for the aforementioned scholarship fund)
described the event as a “must see—for everyone.” The 2017 event benefited the Ozone House, a shelter located in
Washtenaw County for homeless and runaway youth in the area, and raised $3,000. In 2016, a portion of the pro-
ceeds raised went to support the Jim Toy Community Center in Ann Arbor, which supports gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender, queer, and allied residents in the area. In 2015 and previous years, the event benefited the Trevor
Project, a national organization that provides suicide and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth.
Ross Follies: Not to be missed, the Ross Follies is an entertaining evening of student-produced and -performed
theatrical skits held at the Michigan Theatre during winter term. Attended by Ross students, faculty members, and
staff, the show is a chance for first and second years to show off some of their talents—anyone can participate in
the production, even members of the faculty and administration. The 2018 Follies were themed “The Sh*t Show”
and highlight skits included “Mean Tweets Peer Coach,” based on the recurring bit on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and “12
Weeks of Ross,” a play on “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The 2017 Follies show was themed “Dirty Thirty” and fea-
tured such skits as “Real FACT Group Leaders of Ann Arbor,” “Be an MBA1 Angel,” and “Section 6 Rumors.” The 2016
show marked the 30th anniversary of the Follies and had the theme “What the Follies.” That year’s skits included
“Harbaugh Takes the Core,” a parody on Jim Harbaugh, the head football coach at the University of Michigan, and
“Ew!,” a take on the similarly named sketch on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
In 2015, the show was themed “This. Is. Follies.” The show highlighted musical and dance performances, such as an
“All About That Case,” a parody of the hit song “All About That Base,” in addition to video performances, including
“Hotel Room Interviews.” In 2014, the Follies was titled “Face the Music (and Tune Out)” and featured Bollywood and
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Bangra dances by members of the Ross Indian Subcontinent Association and “Big Music Hits” by the performance
group rossMob. Other Follies themes from years past have included “Imported from Ann Arbor” and “It’s Always
Funny in Follydelphia.” Inside jokes, spoofs on life at Ross, and heartfelt acting ensure that the show is enjoyed
year in and year out.
RSA Winter Formal: Think “prom.” Hosted off campus at a hotel each year and reportedly attended by approxi-
mately two-thirds of the student body (first- and second-year students alike), this is the Michigan Business Student
Association’s big winter party. Dressed in tuxedoes and gowns, students temporarily put aside their case work,
forget about interviews, and party in style. The 2018 Winter Formal, which took place in January and had a Great
Gatsby theme, was held at the historic Fillmore Theatre of Detroit, a building that originally opened in 1925 as a
movie house.
Thursday Happy Hour at Scorekeepers (Skeeps): Ross students gather for happy hour, sponsored by the Ross Stu-
dents Association (RSA), every Thursday at Scorekeepers, or “Skeeps,” a watering hole near campus. This sports
bar and grill offers cheap drinks, good music, and lots of TVs—especially important when a game is on. The casual
atmosphere offers an opportunity for students to “unwind, free their minds from assignments and corporate re-
cruiting, and socialize with classmates,” asserts the RSA’s website. Happy Hours are occasionally frequented by
faculty and often co-sponsored by Ross clubs and organizations.
Academic Summary
Curriculum: The curriculum at Ross is mostly rigid in the first year but entirely flexible in the second. Further, room
for two electives is scheduled into the first-year curriculum, and students have the option of waiving a core course
(by proving their competency in that area), which then allows them to take another elective in the first year to bet-
ter prepare for recruiting season. Ross offers nearly 100 elective courses each term. In addition, ten hours of elec-
tives can be taken outside Ross at other schools within the University of Michigan.
Ross’s first-year core curriculum consists of nine classes plus MAP and is standardized; three additional elements
are also required for graduation but can be completed at any point in the two-year MBA program. The first-year
schedule is as follows:
Fall A
• “Applied Business Statistics”
• “Applied Microeconomics”
• “Corporate Strategy”
• “Principles of Financial Accounting”
• Communication Competency Requirement
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Fall B
• “Financial Management”
• “Leading People and Organizations”
• “Managerial Accounting” (can also be taken in Winter A)
• “Marketing Management”
• Optional business elective or degree requirement
Winter A
• “Managerial Accounting” (can also be taken in Fall B)
• “Operations Management”
• Optional business elective or degree requirement
Winter B
• Multidisciplinary Action Project
In their second year, students are largely free to take only the courses they choose, provided they fulfill the 57
credits (27 of which may be taken as electives; electives can be 1.5, 2.25, or 3.0 credits) and three additional re-
quirements needed for graduation. The three additional requirements are (1) the “Competing in the Global Busi-
ness Environment” strategy course, (2) successful completion of a course in business law, and (3) fulfillment of the
Communications Competency Requirement. Students can choose from among nine elective classes that satisfy the
business law requirement. A student can submit a request to waive this obligation based on academic experience
or professional designation, but students cannot test out of this requirement.
The Communications Competency Requirement, which is designed to ensure that graduates leave the program with
excellent managerial communication skills, can be fulfilled by passing a written exam. The exam is case-based and
typically offered in July or August. Students otherwise fulfill the Communications Competency Requirement by
passing one of five specific elective classes.
Grade Disclosure Policy: The school does not prohibit students from disclosing grades to recruiters. Students can
generate unofficial transcripts for interviews, if needed.
Majors: Ross does not officially designate or offer majors, but it does recommend that students select elective
courses in a way that balances broad perspectives on business and more in-depth, industry-specific coursework
that will best support the student’s career ambitions.
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Research Centers and Institutes:
• Center for Nonprofit and Business Management
• Center for Positive Organizations
• Center for Social Impact
• Center for Value Chain Innovation
• Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance
• China Initiatives
• East Asia Management Development Center
• Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise (joint partnership with the School of Natural Resources and
Environment)
• Global Student Experiences
• India Initiatives
• Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations
• John R. and Georgene M. Tozzi Electronic Business and Finance Center
• Mitsui Life Financial Research Center
• Office of Tax Policy Research
• Paton Center for Research in Accounting
• Samuel Zell and Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
• The Sanger Leadership Center
• Tauber Institute for Global Operations (joint partnership with the College of Engineering)
• Technology and Business Innovation Forum
• William Davidson Institute
Teaching Method: Ross does not adhere strictly to either case method or lecture. Professors are free to select the
format that best fits the subject matter being conveyed. However, all departments focus on “action-based learn-
ing” in all classes.
Admissions Basics
Note: Any specifics discussed in this section related to application requirements were valid for the 2017–2018 admis-
sions season (unless otherwise noted). Be aware that requirements for any subsequent admissions cycles may differ.
Always check with the school directly to confirm all application details.
As part of its outreach effort, Ross has developed a Student Ambassador program; these ambassadors are stu-
dents who blog about their Ross experience and are reachable (via email) to answer applicants’ questions about
school, life in Ann Arbor, and specific career paths. Through the Ross website, applicants can select from nearly
200 students to contact based on industry, geography, career focus, or major. Some Student Ambassadors also
maintain blogs about their Ross experiences, lead school tours, host prospective students for class visits from
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September through March, and make themselves available for Café Chats (informal one-on-one sessions for pro-
spective students to get to know a Ross student firsthand) around the globe during their winter break, study
abroad, or MAP.
In addition, Ross’s student newspaper, the Monroe Street Journal, has interviewed Director of Admissions Soojin
Kwon several times about a variety of topics, from how the committee goes about building a class to her thoughts
on life at Ross. Kwon also keeps an active blog, through which she provides application tips, updates prospective
students on the process, and offers updates on decisions (http://michiganross.umich.edu/admissions-blog).
Application Process: Applications for each round are processed all at once, beginning immediately after each
application deadline. Applications are randomly assigned to and reviewed by an admissions committee member
for a “first read.” At this stage, an applicant is grouped into one of three categories: (1) move to second read and
invite to interview, (2) move to second read and consider for interview, (3) remove from further consideration. If
a candidate is placed into one of the first two categories, a different admissions committee member then reads
the application in the second review. Interview invitations are extended simultaneously with or after the second
review. The second reader makes a pre-interview decision on the basis of the application material. Once the ap-
plicant completes his/her interview, a third reader reviews the interview report and file and then renders a post-
interview decision.
The committee discusses all post-interview decisions on a weekly basis, and evaluations are calibrated during this
review. After all decisions have passed through the admissions committee review, Kwon reviews each one, adjusts
decisions in the context of the entire applicant pool, and submits the results to the associate dean for degree
programs for final approval. Applicants are able to access final decisions online on the posted notification date
for each respective round, though admitted students can expect a phone call from a member of the admissions
committee a day or two before the notification date.
Of the decision-making process at Ross, Kwon wrote in a 2011 blog post: “You might think it’s as easy as upload-
ing a decision file and flipping a switch, but it’s not that simple. There are many behind-the-scenes processing
and coding activities that need to take place to ensure that all decisions are posted accurately.” Kwon continued,
“Decisions are not about selecting qualified candidates. … Decisions are really about creating the right mix of
backgrounds, experiences, and goals among our students while preserving our quality and culture. It’s not an easy
task when the applicant pool is strong.”
Admissions Rounds: Ross has three application rounds. Submitting an application before the deadline confers
no advantage for the candidate. Typically, the admissions committee will fill approximately 90% of the class from
the first two rounds. In her exclusive interview with mbaMission, Kwon explained that the admissions committee
wants candidates to apply when they feel that their applications are at their best—applicants should not rush to
submit by the first round. However, waiting until Round 3 is not ideal, because scholarship decisions are primarily
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made in Round 1 and Round 2. In addition, international applicants are encouraged to apply in Round 1 or Round 2
to ensure their visas can be processed appropriately.
GMAT/GRE/GPA Cutoffs: Ross has no GMAT/GRE score or GPA cutoffs; however, the admissions committee consid-
ers each applicant’s highest total score and reviews the breakout between the quantitative and verbal scores. The
committee generally recommends that candidates retake the GMAT until they achieve a score within the school’s
middle 80% range, at least, which for Ross’s Class of 2019 was 670–760.
TOEFL/PTE: Ross accepts only the Internet-based TOEFL. The school will accept the Pearson Test of English (PTE)
in lieu of the TOEFL.
Word Limits: Admissions committee members do not count words or cut off candidates’ essays, but they expect
candidates to adhere to the word-limit guidelines provided.
International Quotas: Ross does not have any specific quotas with regard to country or industry. However, the
admissions committee strives for diversity among the school’s international students. Typically, international
students make up 30%–35% of each class and come from dozens of countries. Of Ross’s Class of 2019, 34% were
citizens of countries outside North America.
Younger Candidates: The average age of Ross students was 30 for the Class of 2016. Ross has no official require-
ment regarding applicants’ number of years of work experience, yet the admissions committee notes that most
admitted students have at least one year of professional experience. With all applicants, regardless of the extent
of their work experience, the admissions committee is primarily interested in learning how the candidate has in-
fluenced his/her organization(s) over the course of their employment, whether that spans one year or ten. Further,
comments made by members of the admissions committee in various online chats indicate that for candidates
whose years of work experience are limited, as well as for those with an above-average number of years in the
professional realm, explaining why they want an MBA now and why Ross is the best program for them is particu-
larly important.
Extracurriculars: The Ross application does not ask applicants to provide a list of their extracurricular activities.
In a 2010 admissions blog post, Kwon explained why: “This was a conscious decision based on our observations
over the past many years that: (1) not all cultures and industries encourage or accommodate extracurricular activi-
ties; (2) many applicants included awards and activities that were ‘beyond the expiration date’ (i.e., were from high
school or college); (3) many applicants felt compelled to provide a laundry list of activities that often didn’t gel
with the rest of their application; and, (4) lists were often ‘padded’ (e.g., when we added up the amount of time that
applicants said they engaged in an activity on a weekly basis, it occasionally exceeded their full-time jobs, which
made the [admissions committee] wonder, ‘Do these people never sleep or did they forget to do their math?’).”
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However, adding that “we want to know that the applicants we admit will be engaged members of our community,
not just in the classroom, but outside as well,” Kwon explained that candidates can instead “include an ‘extracur-
ricular activities and honors’ section” in their resume or “address it in one of the essays—either the ‘what are you
most passionate about’ or the optional essay.”
Recommendations: Ross asks candidates to provide one letter of recommendation, preferably from a direct su-
pervisor. The admissions committee discourages applicants from sending any additional letters.
Campus Visits: The Ross Visit in Person program provides a tour of the Ross facilities, an opportunity to meet with
students and Student Ambassadors, and the chance to attend a class (only on Mondays and Thursdays).
Interviews: Interviews are mandatory for admission for all candidates and are by invitation only, even for reap-
plicants. The admissions committee does not target a specific percentage of applicants to interview, but histori-
cally, approximately 40%–50% of applicants are interviewed each application season. Interviews are granted on
a rolling basis within each round as applications are processed. The admissions committee assesses each candi-
date’s GMAT score, GPA, and work experience but also focuses on recommendations and essays, and specifically
interviews when confirmation is needed of an applicant’s “fit” with Ross’s culture and potential to contribute to
the Ross community as a student.
Interview questions are based solely on the information in the applicant’s resume, not the entire application
packet, meaning that interviewers have not read the candidate’s essays or other portions of his/her application.
Although not “make or break,” interviews are intended to confirm what the candidate has shown in the rest of his/
her application; applicants are encouraged to prepare for their MBA interview as they would for a job interview.
In a 2015 post on the Michigan Ross Admissions Director Blog, Kwon offered the following tips to candidates pre-
paring to interview with the school:
1. Make your answers clear and succinct. This is an important skill. But don’t come across as scripted.
2. Answer the questions that are asked. This will differentiate the scripted interviewees from those who
aren’t. It’ll also demonstrate listening and thinking skills.
3. Do your research. Know why Ross, why XYZ career (pre- and post-MBA).
4. Don’t agonize over how you can differentiate yourself, or the fact that you work in a non-business field. If
you tell your unique story, and follow Tips 1–3, you’ll go a long way towards making a positive impression.
Waitlist: Ross’s waitlist is not ranked. Candidates who are waitlisted are re-reviewed in subsequent rounds in the
context of the class’s overall composition, at which point they may be accepted, held on the waitlist, or denied. In
a 2012 admissions blog post, Kwon explained how and why some candidates find themselves on this list, saying,
“There are two main reasons for being placed on the waitlist: (1) you had good academics, work experience and
personal experiences, but there were many other candidates who promised to bring the same thing to the table
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as you did; or, (2) you had good work and personal experience, but there wasn’t enough evidence in your academic
record to give us confidence that you wouldn’t struggle in our program.”
The admissions committee is open to learning about any changes or improvements to an applicant’s candidacy
(e.g., new GMAT score, promotions, additional community service, coursework) that occur while he/she is on the
waitlist.
Financial Aid: Ross offers both need- and merit-based scholarships, and all applicants to the school are consid-
ered for both as part of their general application.
Reapplicants: Reapplicants who apply within one year of their original application date are allowed to submit
an abridged application, which includes an updated resume, a new application form, one recommendation, and
the fee. The recommendation letter can be from an original recommender but should be updated. The reappli-
cant should also provide a detailed cover letter outlining how he/she has spent the previous year and what the
candidate has done to strengthen his/her candidacy. Submitting one of the current year’s application essays is
optional. All deadlines are the same for reapplicants as for first-time applicants, and reapplicants are likewise
required to interview, if invited. Those reapplying more than a year after their previous application must submit
an entirely new application.
University of Michigan (Ross) Essay Analysis, 2018–2019
The Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan must have liked the essay questions it used last year,
because it has made only the smallest of tweaks to them for this season. Previously, the school gave applicants
nine options for its 100-word short answers—this year, candidates have just six. One has to wonder whether the
admissions committee received an abundance of responses to the prompts that were kept, while those that were
largely ignored by applicants were discarded. Similarly, Michigan Ross has maintained a second 300-word career
goal essay but has refined it, dropping verbiage about long-term goals and asking only about applicants’ short-
term goals. Again, we will make an inference here: Michigan Ross is saying that most long-term goals are so vague
and prone to change that it is interested in learning only about the short term, which the school can more directly
influence. Anyway, those are the tweaks; our analysis of the essay prompts themselves follows…
Part 1: Short Answer Questions
Select one prompt from each group of the three groups below. Respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or
fewer (<100 words each; 300 words total).
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Group 1
I want people to know that I:
I made a difference when I:
Group 2
I was humbled when:
I am out of my comfort zone when:
Group 3
I was aware that I was different when:
I find it challenging when people:
In a blog post last year, Michigan Ross Managing Director of Full-Time Admissions Soojin Kwon said of the then
new short-answer prompts, “[We want to] get to know more about you than we would in a traditional essay where
you’d talk at length about one topic.” So, we encourage you to thoughtfully brainstorm and carefully consider
which response in each group feels most authentic to and revelatory of who you are as an individual. You might
be tempted with a 100-word response to just start writing, but thinking strategically about who you are as an ap-
plicant is critical to making the most of these “short answers,” which we think of more as mini essays.
We recommend starting by reading through all the options for the three groups and considering each one thor-
oughly in turn. You want to be able to “own” your answer—as we like to say—meaning that no other applicant could
write the same thing as you do. Using the second prompt of the first group as an example (“I made a difference
when I… ”), writing something like “committed the entirety of myself to a public service project” would be far too
general a response and could easily be stated by a large number of applicants. Although this person may very
well have committed him/herself to this project in a fiercely original manner, the reader does not have a window
into how he/she performed. Instead, something much more specific like “… ignored the objections of countless
peers and launched a charity pie-eating contest” would stand out for its originality and paint a clearer picture
of the candidate who wrote it with respect to his/her values, persistence with an unpopular idea, and sense of
humor in executing an idea. We suggest that in treating this as a mini essay, you use a narrative approach to allow
the reader to enter into your story. With only five sentences (or so), you can still craft a visual of how you conduct
yourself and engage and guide a reader with a compelling story that has a clear beginning, middle, and end. If you
choose to simply discuss a trait without a narrative, at worst, you will risk bragging, and at best, you will waste an
opportunity for the admissions reader to get to know you.
When you are done writing, take a look at your two responses and see if they are complementary of one another.
If you feel they seem repetitive or focus on the same general idea, story, or area of your life, you will likely want to
rewrite one. Your goal is to have each response reveal something new and interesting about you. Another factor
to consider is everything the admissions committee will already know about you from the other portions of your
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application; you do not want to waste this opportunity to paint a well-rounded picture of yourself by repeating
information the school already has.
So, to recap, strive to make sure your responses (1) genuinely reflect who you are as a candidate and are as specific
to you alone as possible; (2) present a narrative that allows the reader to walk in your shoes, so to speak; (3) are
complementary of each other, with each one revealing something different about you; and (4) do not discuss a part
of your profile that is already well explained or represented elsewhere in your application.
Part 2: Essay
Michigan Ross is a place where people from all backgrounds with different career goals can thrive. Please share
your short-term career goal. Why is this the right choice for you? (300 words)
With just 300 words, you do not have any space to waste here, so focus on presenting your answer as clearly and
thoroughly as possible—and give the admissions committee what it wants! That said, this is a rare instance where
we suggest giving the school a tiny amount of what it has not specifically asked for. Stating your goals in a vacuum,
without any connection to where you have been, can be a little bit confusing for the reader, especially if you are
a career changer. Imagine you plan to move from consumer marketing to equity research for consumer goods
companies after graduating. If you were to simply state, “Post-MBA, I want to join a boutique equity research
firm” as your opening sentence, your reader could be left wondering where this interest comes from. But if you
were to instead write, “For the past four years, I have lived and breathed Fruity Pebbles in a way I would not have
believed humanly possible. I now understand how the tiniest increase in the price of coconut oil or a ten-cent
Cocoa Pebbles coupon can affect my product’s margins. As a result, I have become obsessed with the big data
that drive computer goods and want to spend the next phase of my career in equity research, helping investors
to understand the riddle.” These are two very different answers, all because of some helpful context. From here,
you can delve deeper into why equity research is right for you—how you intend to grow in your role and further
develop your passion for the position.
Michigan Ross does not ask you why its program is the right one for you, but we encourage you to nevertheless
note two or three resources at the school that would enable you to make this professional goal a reality. Remem-
ber to not just tout stereotypes but truly integrate your mention of these resources into your essay in a way that
shows true professional need. We explain these concepts and how to achieve them in more detail in our mbaMis-
sion Personal Statement Guide, which is available free of charge. Download your complimentary copy today at
https://shop.mbamission.com/products/personal-statement-guide.
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Optional Statement
This section should only be used to convey information not addressed elsewhere in your application, for example,
completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points
where appropriate.
This optional essay prompt may start out sounding like an invitation to discuss anything more you wish to share
with the admissions committee, but a closer look—paying particular attention to the word “only” and the nature of
the examples offered—seems to restrict the possible topics to problem areas and auxiliary elements of your pro-
file that may not be readily conveyed elsewhere in your application. The additional directive about bullet points
seems to be a not-too-veiled implication that the school wants you to focus on imparting key information rather
than offering a detailed and longwinded explanation of the issue in question. This is not the time or place to share
another cool story or otherwise try to impress or pander to the admissions committee. If you do not truly need
to explain an issue or potentially confusing element of your candidacy (a poor grade or overall GPA, a low GMAT
score, a gap in your work experience, etc.), we do not recommend that you submit an option essay; if you do have
issues to clarify, keep things concise. In our free mbaMission Optional Essays Guide (https://shop.mbamission.
com/products/mbamission-optional-essays-guide), we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage
of the optional essay, including multiple examples.
The Next Step—Mastering Your Michigan Ross Interview: Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stress-
ful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the
key is informed preparation. We therefore offer our free Interview Primers to spur you along! Download your
free copy of the Michigan Ross Interview Primer today at https://shop.mbamission.com/products/michigan-ross-
interview-primer.
mbaMission’s Exclusive Interview with Soojin Kwon, Director of Admissions for the Ross School
of Business
July 2009
mbaMission: I’d like to start with a standard question we’ve been asking all the admissions directors: what should
Ross be known for that it is not currently known for?
Soojin Kwon: We’re a lot more international than prospective students realize. Globalization is integrated through-
out the whole MBA experience, from courses to independent study and internships. I think more than half of our
students travel overseas each year. As an example, our MBA Class of 2008 spent more than 6,000 days collectively
in over 30 countries outside of the United States as a part of their coursework—that doesn’t include internships.
They have international opportunities through our Multidisciplinary Action Projects, or MAP. We’ve got a course
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called “Global Projects” and then a number of other courses that have included fieldwork in places like Cuba, Tur-
key, Ireland, the Netherlands, China, India, just to name a few. We’ve also got a center for international business
education that has semester abroad opportunities with 11 schools in nine countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa,
so there’s a plethora of international opportunities. People think that we’re bound to the Midwest, and that’s just
not the case.
mbaMission: How are those international opportunities sourced?
SK: Well, a lot of them are through MAP. We do have a MAP staff that go around the world, talking to companies
and alums to source the projects, but because we’ve been doing it so long—since 1992—we’ve got a really strong
roster of companies that have done repeat projects with us, and word of mouth gets out there as well. We’ve had
over 600 organizations partner with us to sponsor MAPs. We’ve done over 1,300 projects around the world. And
then our development officers also talk to alums to source MAPs, and faculty members will do country-specific
research projects in which they will offer a class or do research projects associated with it.
mbaMission: Is Ross currently focused on strengthening any particular academic areas or offerings?
SK: Well, we’re, as you know, a general management school, and we have been true to our general management
focus. But even during these tough times, when short-term cost cutting has been the goal on everyone’s mind,
we’ve continued to hire new faculty in a variety of areas, including accounting, finance, operations, management
and organization, and marketing. So we are staying as broad-based as we always have been, and it’s our way of
putting an investment into the research issues that are important across the business spectrum.
mbaMission: You’ve mentioned Ross’s international aspects and opportunities. When evaluating applicants, how
do you screen for whether someone has genuine international interest and whether they would be effective in the
international environment?
SK: Well, we’re not necessarily screening for whether someone will be effective internationally, but we are looking
for people who are, in general, open-minded and will be able to do well in any kind of environment in a diverse
setting, whether it’s in another country or another region of the world, or another region of the United States that
they hadn’t been in before, or working in a different industry. So we’re looking for an open-mindedness to diver-
sity in a variety of dimensions.
mbaMission: Obviously, there’s been a pretty significant downturn in the economy in the last little while, and I’m
curious about how you view candidates who discuss a primary and a secondary career goal in their essays.
SK: We think that [having two possible goals] is realistic. Any given individual will not have just one passion. We
always advise our students to do a thorough career self-assessment and then rank their top three or four career
goals so they can understand which ones they’re best matched with. And then we encourage them to reassess as
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they go along, amend it. So this year was really no different than other years in that we don’t just say, “Go after
that one industry or that one function.” Do have at least one backup in mind and be prepared to interview well for
that as well.
mbaMission: In the Ross essay question that asks, “If you were not pursuing the career goals you’ve described,
what profession would you pursue instead?” do you expect applicants to offer something that’s kind of an ideal or
something more pragmatic? For example, “If I don’t become a banker, I’d like to go into corporate finance” versus
“I recognize that fundamentally, I’m successful as an educator of others, so if I weren’t to become a banker, I would
become an elementary school teacher instead.”
SK: I think that’s the question that gives applicants the hardest time. We’re not looking for a specific type of an-
swer. I think there are some people who think, “Oh, I’ve got to keep it all within business.” Either, to the example
that you used, if I’m not going to be an investment banker, then my alternative career would be something that’s
related to that, maybe like corporate finance. That could be the right answer if that’s truly what you were pas-
sionate about. Or it could be that there’s this other side of you that wouldn’t have come out if we didn’t ask this
question. It could be as far away from business as teaching, dancing, art, whatever.
And I’m not saying it needs to be a creative-art kind of thing, but we’re looking for people to, for one thing, tell us
what they are really excited about, and that could be, instead of IT [information technology], it’s finance, or for
some people, it could be totally different things. And the other thing we’re looking for is someone who can make
the connection between that interest and how that’s going to make them a better member of our community in-
side the classroom, being a teammate, and going out into the workforce and being effective, because they’ve got
this other side of them.
mbaMission: How does Ross view class visits?
SK: We don’t require them. We do encourage prospective students to visit. I’m sure every business school would
encourage the same. It benefits the student in multiple ways. One is that they can make informed decisions about
which school to apply to and ultimately attend, because they’ll get a better sense of fit. Some schools are going
to be a better fit based on someone’s personality and goals, and you can’t really make that determination based
on view books or websites or rankings, so you really need to experience it firsthand and see what the classroom
dynamics are and what the student culture is like. That’s not something that can be done virtually.
That said, we understand that budgets and schedules are tight, and it may be tough for prospective students to
visit all the schools they’re considering. So at a minimum, prospective students should try to talk current students
and alumni at each school. On our website, we’ve got profiles of student ambassadors posted, and ambassadors
are students who have volunteered to answer questions. I would imagine that most schools have that. And pros-
pects should email these ambassadors to find out what the school is like from a student’s perspective. I wouldn’t
use students to ask questions about the admissions process, because they have nothing to do with the admis-
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sions process. They’re there truly as ambassadors, to answers questions about what it’s like to go to school here.
What are some of your favorite classes, or what clubs are you involved in—that kind of thing.
mbaMission: Do you have any information as to the number of applicants admitted and the number who came to
campus to visit?
SK: We do track the number of visitors, and we do track the number of admits, but we do not compare visitors to
admitted students, because we don’t want to create a perception that there’s a correlation between if you visit,
you have a higher likelihood of being admitted.
mbaMission: Right. As you alluded to earlier, different schools have different personalities. What kind of person-
ality would you say is attracted to the Ross community?
SK: What I’ve heard our students say—and you’ll hear this from students at many other schools—is that it’s about
the people. I think when you’re looking at the top ten programs, they’re all going to offer you very competitive
business preparation, all the foundations of business, very unique experiences in a variety of functions and indus-
tries and academic areas. What is different is what the student culture feels like. I think a lot of students elect to
apply to schools that feel right to them.
I would describe our student body as collaborative, very team oriented. They are ones who take a lot of initiative.
Our community is very student driven, from the clubs to our conferences to some of the recruiting on campus and
the classes that are here. A lot of it is driven by student interest and student initiative. So people who tend to have
the best time here and the people we really look for are students and applicants who really want to get involved
in things and not just come to business school and let it happen to them and go to classes and get good grades
and go to interviews and that kind of thing. But those who want to get really involved in the entire community,
from running clubs to conferences to getting involved with faculty research, leading new treks, whether it’s for
extracurricular purposes or for recruiting purposes, finding new markets for us to explore. Students who really
want to get out there and make a difference and have an impact are the ones that tend to do well in the applica-
tion process as well as at the school.
mbaMission: And how do you think candidates can reveal those kinds of traits in their application?
SK: Obviously, the essays are a great vehicle to reveal fit. Recommendation letters are also very helpful in giving
us a third-party perspective on your level of initiative and impact. The interview certainly plays a very important
role, too. Interviews are conducted by MBA students, our staff, and alumni around the world, and they have a good
sense of the kinds of students we’d like to have in school or who we’d like to have as part of our network. And then
also to some extent, through some of the kinds of positions and extracurricular activities that someone’s had. It
speaks to someone’s initiative and interests. So it’s really the whole application almost that reveals fit. Even on
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the application form itself, where you list extracurriculars and that kind of thing, each part of it does help put a
piece into the mosaic of each applicant.
mbaMission: Can you talk a little bit about the interview experience at Ross and what an applicant can expect? Are
there any differences between an on-campus interview, an alumni interview, and a student interview?
SK: To begin with, our interviews are by invitation. We make the invitations based on an initial review of the ap-
plication, to see whether this is someone we want to get to know more about and on a personal level. As I men-
tioned, interviews are conducted by students, alums, or staff. The on-campus and the off-campus interviews are
weighted equally. They have different benefits. Interviewing on campus obviously gives you an opportunity to
visit, sit in on a class, meet with students to ask questions, get a sense for what the school’s vibe is. Interviewing
off campus with an alum gives you the opportunity to actually talk to an alum and ask questions at the end about
what was their experience like: “Now that you’re living here, how do you find the network? Are there other stu-
dents from this area, or other alums from this area? How do you feel Ross is represented in this particular area?”
And interviewing with a staff member, generally, that’s on campus. Some of them will be off campus, but they’re
all weighted equally, and they all offer opportunities to ask different kinds of questions.
mbaMission: What is the process of evaluating an application at Ross? Can you walk me through the different
phases?
SK: Since last year, we review our applications electronically, so we don’t have to wait as long for the reviewers to
start the review process. That said, when we’re receiving over a thousand applications per round, we can’t look at
them simultaneously, so there is a queue, in no particular order, through which we review applications. We don’t
sort by any criteria. We are looking at all applications randomly and assigning them to different members of the
admissions committee. So each application will get multiple reviews. Some applicants will be invited to interview
with us after the first evaluation, while others are interviewed after the second evaluation. And what we’re looking
for in the application review is whether someone has the academic ability to do well in our program as evidenced
by their GMAT and their transcripts. We’re also looking for what they’ll bring to the table in terms of professional
and personal experiences. We’re looking for students who will have something to teach their fellow students. And
thirdly, we’re looking for whether they’ll be a good fit in our community, based on their essays, recommendation
letters, etc. Both the evaluations are looking at the applications along those three major dimensions.
The interview is another gauge of fit as well as a gauge of communication skills. The applications, as I mentioned,
are reviewed by staff; interviews are conducted by second-year students, alumni, and staff; and the interviews
are conducted blind, meaning interviewers won’t see the candidate’s application. All they will see in advance is
a copy of their resume. Once the application reviews and interviews have been completed, then the admissions
committee will make recommendations about each applicant as to whether we should admit, deny, waitlist. Then
I’ll review all the decisions as a whole, by round, to see what the class is shaping up to look like and make decisions
on the overall composition of the class, and then I pass it all along to the associate dean for her review.
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mbaMission: When you sit down to read an application, where do you start, and what is the order you follow?
SK: I do look at the resume first. I view that as kind of the introduction to the applicant. I use that to get a sense
of the big picture. What’s their work experience, their education, their interests, their extracurriculars? Hopefully
that can be summarized in one or two pages. We don’t need a ten-page version. Then I look at their GMAT score and
their transcript to get a sense of where they are on our academic spectrum, and then I turn to the essays. While all
four of them are important, I use the first essay—the why MBA, and why Ross—to assess whether they can make a
compelling case to be part of our class. I’m looking for a sense of authenticity. Or does it read like someone trying
to tell me what they think a B-school student should sound like? I probably go in that order and then I look at the
recommendations to make sure they’ve not been created by the applicant him- or herself.
mbaMission: I think you touched on this a little, but can you share some of the common mistakes people tend to
make in their applications?
SK: There are two main things that come to mind. On their resumes—often they don’t tell us what their contribu-
tion or impact on their organization was. Many of them will give us a job description or a set of responsibilities,
and that doesn’t tell me why you were important in that organization. And by important, I don’t mean what posi-
tion did you hold or how much money did you make, but what impact or contribution did you have there?
And the second thing, which I alluded to a little bit earlier, was that oftentimes, applicants in their essays will tell
us about us. They cite a laundry list of our classes and our clubs and faculty in their essays and interviews, and
use that as evidence of research about the school without really understanding what they’re about. We already
know what we’re about. What we want to know is what the applicant is about and how they can picture themselves
fitting into our community and benefiting and giving back.
mbaMission: These days, it’s not uncommon for people who are applying to business school to have been laid
off. What would you say to someone who’s been laid off, possibly even months ago, in terms of applying to Ross?
SK: They should still definitely consider applying. They shouldn’t think this is going to be a black mark on their
application. We understand that great employees at all levels within an organization can get laid off, especially
during times like this, so there’s no need to feel like your chances are automatically less than [those of] someone
who hasn’t been laid off. We’re going to look at an applicant’s entire professional history and not just the last year.
And we’re going to look at all the pieces of the application, not just the work history. So I wouldn’t worry too much
about, “Oh my God, I’ve been laid off in the last six months. Am I going to be less competitive than someone who
is continuing to work?”
As with all applicants, we’re going to want to know how the MBA fits into your goals and why now, but we will be
wary of applicants who decide to apply to the school simply because they’ve been laid off and don’t have another
job lined up. So we’re going to want to know what you’ve been doing since the layoff. And that can be addressed
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in the essay, in the interview. A layoff can be an opportunity to showcase your initiatives, your maturity, and your
resilience. Some folks have taken this time to get more involved in volunteer work or investigate a career path that
they’re passionate about. The important thing is to address it and show us how you’ve dealt with it.
mbaMission: Great. What can you tell us about the school’s new building and the kind of impact it has had on the
Ross community?
SK: Oh, it’s been great. It’s a fantastic new building. It’s very open, very conducive to community-building. We’ve
got a great big winter garden space that lets in a lot of light and has a lot of seating that lets people gather infor-
mally. We also use that for big events. There are great classrooms that are state-of-the-art. We also have a lot of
group-study rooms, which is very important to the way we approach business education. I think each classroom
has one or two group-study rooms attached to it, so that teams can work on projects immediately outside of their
classroom.
We’ve also got a great new gym dedicated just for our business school community—students, faculty, and staff—
that has all of the latest equipment. Students don’t have to go very far. Once students get to school, they can eat
here. We’ve got a great new café that sources a lot of our food locally. The building is LEED certified, which is in line
with our focus on sustainability. Very group oriented, as I already mentioned. And there’s a lot of great artwork
around the building, too. Our dean’s [Robert Dolan’s] wife has been an art consultant to the school, and she has
brought in a lot of amazing pieces to make it feel not so sterile. It feels more like a community. It’s very inviting.
mbaMission: Speaking of an inviting community, do you expect to see more applicants this year? Do you have any
predictions as to what will happen going forward?
SK: That’s hard to say, given this past year. It was really a mixed bag for us. We did see an increase in our domestic
applications and a decline in applications from abroad. Given that the credit and international student programs
were cancelled earlier this year, many international students looked closer to home to get their MBAs. That said,
we are looking to be about as international as last year, with a third of our incoming class so far coming from out-
side the United States.
As far as next year, I think it’s too early to tell. My hope is that we will continue with this growth in domestic ap-
plicants and not lose ground on international, and I think the quality will still be there, with a lot of people now
considering an MBA, given changes in their work status. I think this is a great time for people to consider it. And
also, because of our new building, we have the ability to increase our class size, and so we are moving in that di-
rection starting this fall.
mbaMission: How many more students do you think you’ll be admitting for this fall?
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SK: Last year’s incoming class was about 430 students. This year’s incoming class we’re anticipating to be about
480, and with room to increase that a little bit beyond, as well—that was by design. Our new building can accom-
modate classes that are larger in size, so we’ve got that wiggle room.
mbaMission: Are you focusing on any particular countries to yield additional applicants?
SK: We want to have geographic diversity, of course. We continue to see a lot of applications from Asia and India,
and we would love to get more applications from Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Latin America has been a good
region for us. We would love to see more from Europe and Africa, in particular.
mbaMission: Can you talk about the international student loan situation right now and what’s going on specifically
at Ross with regard to this issue?
SK: We’re in a position of having secured a loan program through the University of Michigan’s credit union to cover
our incoming international students with very good terms. That will be for our current and incoming international
students. We’re also in the final stages of another international student loan program with a different bank to
cover students who will be coming in next fall, in 2010.
mbaMission: What can you tell us about the discrepancy in application volumes between Round 1, Round 2, and
Round 3 at Ross? I think more and more candidates are feeling compelled to apply early, and I’m wondering
whether you would encourage that or whether you feel the opportunities are relatively equal for applicants across
all rounds.
SK: Percentage-wise, we get about a third of our applications in Round 1, about 60% in Round 2, and the remainder
in Round 3, and I don’t think that’s because of encouragement from us saying, “Please apply in Round 2.” But it’s
because that’s when students feel ready to submit an application. By the time you get around to completing the
essays and getting your recommendation letters lined up, I think a lot of people would rather take the extra time,
over the holidays especially, before they hit the Submit button. We encourage people to submit their application
when they feel that it is the best possible application that they could submit.
As much as we’d like to see more applications in Round 1, the percentages change in Round 1 versus Round 2. I
wouldn’t want to read applications that are not at their best. So, if you can get everything lined up and completed
and you feel really good about it by October 10, then I would love to get more people to apply by our first deadline,
but if it takes you a little bit longer, and you want to take the time to look at [your application] again and have
somebody else look at it, then Round 2 is fine, too. For international applicants, we do really encourage them to
apply in Round 1 or Round 2, definitely not Round 3, because there may not be enough time to get visas lined up.
All of our scholarship considerations are made in Round 1 and Round 2, so it’s to everybody’s advantage to apply
during one of the first two rounds.
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mbaMission: While you have an audience of about 35,000, is there anything else you would like people to know
about Ross?
SK: Sure. It seems to be a growing trend for business schools to be doing field activities or hands-on learning ex-
periences, and in that regard, Ross, I think, provides the best opportunity to have a hands-on learning experience.
With MAP in particular, the Multidisciplinary Action Project, students work with peers and faculty on strategic and
operational issues for companies, nonprofits, and start-ups all around the world. About half of our projects are in-
ternational, the other half in the United States. While many schools have field study opportunities, I believe we’re
the only one that requires it as part of our core curriculum. In other words, it’s not an elective, it’s a requirement,
and we dedicate seven weeks of the first year to the Multidisciplinary Action Project full-time—no other classes
during that time.
We think that this way of applying the theory makes it easier for students to really own the knowledge they’re
learning in the first 21 weeks of the first year, and it also makes them better equipped to deal with the uncertainty
of working in the real world, where problems and solutions aren’t defined for you. You learn how to ask the right
questions, identify the real challenges, and solve problems. From a practical perspective, action-based learning
and MAP in particular are helpful for career switchers and for students with less than an average year of full-time
work experience, plus it gives them seven weeks of full-time experience in an industry or a function. And that’s
comparable to a lot of summer internships, which are often ten weeks. So seven weeks of full-time work—no other
classes, this is all you’re doing—is a really meaty, hands-on experience. And I think because we’ve been doing it
so long, we’ve really got the experience to get projects that are good from an educational perspective as well as
valuable for the sponsors.
mbaMission: Great. Thank you for taking time to speak with us about Ross.
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Appendix:
Ross Facts and Figures
Note: Facts and figures in this section are prone to change. Occasionally, conflicts may exist between the school’s
publications and its web pages. Applicants are urged to recheck facts and figures for the most up-to-date information.
Basics
Year Established: 1924
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Dean: Scott DeRue (2016)
Managing Director of Admissions: Soojin Kwon (2006)
Programs:
• Full-time MBA
• Evening MBA
• Weekend MBA
• Executive MBA
• PhD
• Global MBA
• BBA
• Master of Accounting
• Master of Management
• Master of Supply Change Management
Joint Degrees: The University of Michigan is known for its flexibility in creating dual degrees. Many combinations
are possible at Ross, which offers more than 20 established dual-degree programs across numerous disci-
plines:
• Area Studies: Asian Studies
• Area Studies: Japanese
• Area Studies: Modern Middle Eastern
• Area Studies: Russian and East European
• Area Studies: South Asia
• Area Studies: Southeast Asia
• Education: Architecture
• Education: Educational Studies
• Education: Environment and Sustainability
• Education: Health Services
• Education: Higher Education
• Education: Information
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• Education: Law
• Education: Medicine
• Education: Public Policy
• Education: Social Work
• Education: Urban Planning
• Engineering: Construction Engineering
• Engineering: Industrial and Operations
• Engineering: Manufacturing Engineering
• Engineering: Naval Architecture
Class Profile (Class of 2019)
Class Size: 422
Average GMAT: 716
GMAT Range (middle 80%): 670–760
Women: 43%
Minorities: 23%
International Students: 34%
Enrolled with GRE Scores: 20%
Countries Represented: 45
Employment Statistics (Class of 2017)
Graduates accepted positions in the following industries:
• Consulting: 32.7%
• Technology: 23.6%
• Financial Services: 11.0%
• Other: 10.4%
• Consumer Packaged Goods: 8.8%
• Healthcare: 6.9%
• Manufacturing: 6.6%
Graduates accepted positions in the following functions:
• Consulting: 35.2%
Strategy Consulting: 30.8%
Internal Consulting: 3.8%
General Consulting: 0.6%
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• Marketing/Sales: 19.5%
Product/Brand Management: 13.5%
General Marketing: 6.0%
• Finance: 18.2%
Corporate Finance: 8.8%
Investment Banking: 7.2%
General Finance: 2.2%
• General Management: 11.0%
• Operations/Supply Chain Management: 6.6%
• Other: 4.1%
• Strategic Planning: 3.5%
• Human Resources: 1.9%
Graduates accepted positions in the following locations:
• Midwest: 34.6%
Chicago Metro: 21.1%
Detroit Metro: 6.0%
Other: 4.7%
Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro: 2.8%
• West: 32.1%
Seattle Metro: 17.6%
San Francisco Bay Area: 10.4%
Los Angeles Metro: 2.2%
Other: 1.9%
• Northeast: 15.4%
Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut): 12.6%
Boston Metro: 2.8%
• International: 7.5%
Asia: 6.0%
South America: 1.6%
• Southwest: 4.1%
Dallas Metro: 1.9%
Denver Metro: 0.9%
Houston Metro: 0.6%
Phoenix Metro: 0.6%
• Mid-Atlantic: 3.1%
Washington DC Metro: 1.6%
Other: 0.9%
Philadelphia Metro: 0.6%
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• South: 3.1%
Miami Metro: 2.5%
Atlanta Metro: 0.6%
Top Hiring Companies:
• Amazon: 31
• PwC: 24
• McKinsey & Company: 16
• The Boston Consulting Group: 14
• Deloitte: 14
• Accenture: 12
• Citi: 9
• Bain & Co. Inc.: 8
• A.T. Kearney: 7
• Bank of America Merrill Lynch: 7
• PepsiCo Inc.: 6
• Dell Inc.: 5
• Google Inc.: 5
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.: 5
• Barclays PLC: 4
• DaVita Inc.: 4
• Procter & Gamble Co.: 4
• American Express Co.: 3
• EY: 3
• Whirlpool Corp.: 3
• General Motors Corp.: 2
• Goldman Sachs Group: 2
• Ford Motor Co.: 2
• Wells Fargo & Co.: 2
• ZS Associates: 2
• KPMG LLP: 1
• RBC Capital Markets: 1
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Web Sites
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2011 Ross Net Impact Fall Conference: www.purposedrivenprofits.org/pdp/
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India Business Conference: www.rossibc.org
M-Trek: http://mtrek.org
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Net Impact Conference: https://netimpact.org/conference/
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The Tauber Institute for Global Operations: www.tauber.umich.edu
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Interviews and Other
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Ross Alumnus. Personal Interview. March 24, 2009.
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Ross First-Year Student. Personal Interview. February 28, 2011.
Ross First-Year Student. Personal Interview. March 8, 2011.
Ross First-Year Student. Personal Interview. February 7, 2012.
Ross Second-Year Student. Personal Interview. March 10, 2010.
Ross Second-Year Student. Personal Interview. April 5, 2012.
Ross Second-Year Student. Email Exchange. April 22–23, 2015.
Ross Web Marketing Coordinator. Email. April 20, 2012.
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crucial in crafting a successful application. We have

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guides), and more are being added regularly:

Guide • Personal Statement Guide

• Brainstorming Guide • Resume Guide

• Essay Writing Guide • Selecting Your Target MBA Program E-Book

• Fundamentals of an MBA Candidacy Guide • Social Media Primer

• Interview Guide • Waitlist Guide

• Letters of Recommendation Guide • MBA Student Loan Reduction Primer

• Long-Term Planning Guide

• Insider’s Guide to Cornell University’s School of Business

Management of Business at the University of Michigan

School of Business at Dartmouth

Business at the University of California- of Management

Berkeley • Insider’s Guide to the University of Chicago

• Insider’s Guide to Harvard Business School Booth School of Business

• Insider’s Guide to INSEAD • Insider’s Guide to the University of Virginia’s

• Insider’s Guide to the Kellogg School of Darden School of Business Administration

Management at Northwestern University • Insider’s Guide to the Wharton School of the

• Insider’s Guide to the MIT Sloan School of University of Pennsylvania

Management • Insider’s Guide to the Yale School of

• Insider’s Guide to New York University’s Management

Leonard N. Stern School of Business

Primer • NYU Stern School of Business Interview

• Columbia Business School Interview Primer Primer

• Dartmouth Tuck Interview Primer • Stanford GSB Interview Primer

• Duke Fuqua Interview Primer • Wharton School of the University of

• Haas School of Business Interview Primer Pennsylvania Interview Primer

• Harvard Business School Interview Primer • UCLA Anderson Interview Primer

• INSEAD Interview Primer • UVA Darden Interview Primer

• Michigan Ross Interview Primer

• MIT Sloan School of Management Interview

Primer • Ivey Business School Program Primer

• ESADE Program Primer • London Business School Program Primer

• HEC Paris Program Primer • Rotman School of Management Program

• HKUST Program Primer Primer

• IE Business School Program Primer • Saïd Business School Program Primer

• IESE Business School Program Primer

• Consulting Career Primer • Real Estate Investment & Development

• Hedge Fund Career Primer Career Primer

• Investment Banking Career Primer • Tech Career Primer

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36 The Stephen M. Ross School of Business

78 Appendix: Ross Facts and Figures

specific characteristics (in no particular order) that shape MBA programs:

1. Location: Urban Campus Versus College Town