CLASS OF 2000 GRADUATE COMMENTS
Editor's Note: BusinessWeek collected graduate comments in 2000 during its ranking of full-time MBA programs. The next ranking is scheduled for fall, 2002.
How else could I progress from being a product manager at a small German firm in the natural stone industry to a project manager with one of the hottest startups in Silicon Valley? --Entrepreneurship
Overall, I am really glad I chose the Haas School of Business. I had the opportunity to meet great people and learn much more about the finance world. I will work for a bank in Brazil, and am sure that I will take advantage of the finance knowledge that I acquired over the last two years. --Finance
I grew up in Tokyo, and had never lived nor studied abroad. Education is completely one-way communication in Tokyo -- teachers repeat the same stuff for years, and students just take notes. My MBA was the first exposure to the U.S.'s 'interactive' education. I feel more satisfaction with learning and respect to people who teach me at Unversity of California at Berkeley than in my entire experience in Japan. I really appreciate invaluable teaching staff, and the incredibly nice MBA students in my school. --Investment Banking
Sad that it is over. It was a great experience. --Anonymous
I feel like I've had such a solid education (not to mention having graduated into a booming economy), that I am holding out for a job that I really want, as opposed to one that I am unsure [of taking]. The offers I turned down were great, just not exactly what I wanted. It is a great position to be in. --Consulting
The MBA program at Haas greatly exceeded my expectations! I got the exact job that I wanted; learned a lot of interesting, valuable, and relevant tools; got great exposure to the people who move the business world; and made great friends along the way. --Anonymous
I was [deciding] between Columbia Business School and Haas when I was trying to [decide which B-school to attend]. In retrospect, deciding on Haas was the best decision I could have made. The people here are great, the school rocks, and California weather and outdoor sports are so much better than New York. At Haas, I had two of the best years of my life, I have met a lot of fun and talented people, expanded my knowledge, created a wide network of contacts in the finance world in the silicon valley, spent a fair amount of time skiing in Lake Tahoe, and surfing at the Berkeley Marina. In fact, I liked it so much, that I have accepted an offer to work in San Francisco after I graduate. --Investment Banking
The Haas experience is definitely invaluable. The academic and social focus on the Internet, and the geographic proximity of the school to San Francisco and Silicon Valley, made my experience feel, at times, as though I were actually getting two degrees: a traditional MBA, and an Internet/New Economy/entrepreneurship degree. Also, I have an unusual perspective as I was one of three Haas MBAs who participated in the first-ever domestic MBA exchange. I spent the first semester of my second year at Columbia University in New York. --Anonymous
The career center went through major improvements between my first and second year. New people were brought in, and there has been a huge effort to improve and expand the services to students -- account managers have been created to handle specific industries and initiatives, for instance, having periodic career fairs. Those really helped students to get in touch with companies in the Silicon Valley. --Consulting
The program's recruiting process has much improved since the school hired Dean Laura Tyson. I noticed a dramatic improvement in recruiting between my fist and second year in terms of the diversity and caliber of firms that came to the Haas School. Full-time account managers were hired to manage the recruiting process for different sectors such as consulting, high tech, and finance. Despite efforts to increase the number of large banking and consulting firms that come to recruit, the school still actively promotes recruiting by small high technology companies. Therefore, the recruiting process continues to appease the desire by many Haas students to join small, entrepreneurial companies. --Investment Banking
My experience at Haas exceeded my expectations in many ways. The quality of the teaching was much better than I had ever experienced before. Although the small size of Haas is a disadvantage in drawing recruiters to the school, the size made it possible for me to know almost every student in the program. I expect that the congenial, cooperative atmosphere at Haas will enhance the value of my alumni network after school. --Anonymous
Outstanding experience. Would do it again with no doubt at all. --Information Technology
My MBA experience was tremendously worthwhile, and I would do it again. I am extremely pleased with the MBA program at Haas; the personal relationships I have established there, not only with my classmates but also with the staff and faculty. I also feel that the academic program and environment at Haas are first-rate and will really help me going forward in my career. --Marketing
The diversity and community experience of Haas is truly amazing. Overall the experience exceeded my expectations. There are of course areas for improving the school of which many are being address by the relatively new administration under Dean Tyson. --Entrepreneurship
I have to acknowledge the major improvement in the career center at Haas. They have been able to attract back to campus the top companies, and they have engaged with nontraditional recruiting events that have been very successful at bridging the career path between students and hot young startups. I also have to recognize the school's openness to letting students make things happen. Two years ago, we had no business plan competition. Last year, students organized a competition, that with the school's support, was a major success. Seven of the eight finalist got funded, and in less than six months they had received $34 million in finance money. Such initiatives would have not happen if the school did not fully support students initiatives. --Consulting
The career center has traditionally been Haas's Achilles' heel, but the school is making great strides to remedy the situation. Ilse Evans, previously at Sloan, was brought on board to run the center, and is doing a fantastic job. It won't be turned around overnight, but the school has been taking the problem very seriously, and the career center is rapidly improving. --Anonymous
I would not recommend Haas to others because of the students. The school is too small and cliquey. There are very few courses offered that many students are interested in, and those fill up immediately, so it is very easy to spend two years [at Hass] and not get in to the classes you want. That makes the money you spend very un-worthwhile. Haas suffers from not being able to pay more instructors, and offer more classes, because it is a public university. --Marketing
During my MBA program I have started a company (handy.de) with a classmate. Without the support of faculty and staff we would not have been able to get funding and run the business in Germany while finishing our degree in California. Also, our classmates actively contributed to the success of our startup by by inspiring us, providing us with ideas, and technical expertise that made handy.de happen. I cannot think of any other school, especially in Germany, where this would have been possible. --Entrepreneurship
|
=Subscribers Only
Copyright 2001, Bloomberg L.P.
MBA Insider
