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.
My MBA experience was excellent for the price. I received a free tuition waiver, and it added one full year on to my graduation date for my doctoral program. The experiences, skills, and macroscopic view of how business "really" works was invaluable to an engineer. Although the quality of the MBA experience was not as good as many other programs in the country, I entered with specific focus on entrepreneurship and new venture creation. I got what I wanted out of the program. --Anonymous
Great network for the future. Incredible learning experience (I know now what really makes businesses work). Quadrupled my salary upon graduation, and the sky is the limit from there. --Finance
At Illinois MBA, students are encouraged if not required to participate or lead consulting projects with various organizations (private or public). These projects add a new dimension to our sets of skills and knowledge and help us to prepare for jobs in the corporate world or in any entrepreneurial setting. The Illinois MBA experience has been fantastic!! --Finance
My remarks on the program at UIUC are high, yet as noted, I would not suggest it for a friend. The reasons are: 1. The administration is falling apart. There is a decreasing support for the program at the university, and it is being swallowed by the undergraduate commerce department. 2. The job market is such that, if you are competent, you will increase salary and position quicker by staying at work and spreading a night-time MBA over several years. 3. I chose an MBA because the state of Illinois paid for it under the veteran's grant. I had over a 700 on my GMAT and could have easily gone elsewhere. I simply figure I will catch my Ivy League friends in a few years and have no debt to show for it in the interim. --Marketing
The Illinois MBA is a great product for a wonderful price, and I find it frustrating that the rankings do not reflect the quality. Most impressive about the program is the Office for Strategic Business Initiatives (OSBI), which connects eager students with high-profile projects in small, medium, and large public and private firms and institutions. Without a doubt, I was able to snag my leadership position at my new employer as a result of the training and exposure gained leading, managing, and participating in these strategic information-technology projects. --Information Technology
Champaign-Urbana is a great place to go to school. Cost-of-living is very affordable without the hectic pace of a big city. MBA tailgates are fun during the big-10 football season. The diversity of the program is great, giving me the opportunity to learn more about different cultures. --Operations
I am not sure if my experiences and opinions of the UIUC MBA program are representative of the rest of my class. My interest was in mathematical finance (option-pricing theory, etc.), which is NOT the forte of this school. Only Professor Pearson really taught me anything useful in this area. I switched over to the MBA program from the Physics Ph.D. program. The kind of companies I wanted to work for did not, and would not, recruit at UIUC, with the exception of a small number of utility companies that also do this kind of work. The career-services office helped me as much as it could, but it just did not have the kind of clout needed really to help me. In retrospect, I would have been equally well-served (and would have saved all my tuition money) had I just taken the classes I needed through the finance department while still a graduate student in physics, and eligible for a tuition waiver. I will likely be sent back to UIUC to recruit. I will spend most of my time looking for master's and doctoral students in physics, math, and computer science, rather than the MBAs ... they just don't have the mathematical skills that I would need. --Finance
I really enjoyed my stay at Illinois, and I feel I made the right decision. The professors that I had were incredible, and the curriculum truly is integrated. There were numerous opportunities to build leadership skills that I didn't feel would be possible at other schools I visited. Teamwork and camaraderie are really built into the program, making for a well-rounded experience. The only thing holding this school back is the need for a stronger administration. --Finance
I spent (i.e., wasted) so much time trying to find a summer internship during my first year and so much time trying to find a full-time job during my second year that my learning suffered immensely. In other words, internship/job-hunting was like having an extra two or three classes a semester. I can't think of a solution to such a problem; it is just part of getting an MBA (unless you are sponsored by your government or company and have a job waiting when you are done). 2. MBA programs should promote or encourage students who are interested in accounting or finance to take the classes necessary to pass the CPA and/or CFA exams. CPA/CFA is probably more useful in the job market then an MBA. So if you are spending two years and beaucoup bucks on an MBA, you might as well leave the program with something more than just an MBA. Numerous times during my job hunt, prospective employers asked about my having a CPA/CFA. I'm sure I would have had a lot easier time getting a job if I had either one of those certifications. My MBA program did not emphasize its significance enough, and I only realized its significance until my final semester. 3. I am disappointed overall with my experience in terms of what I learned (time spent internship/job-hunting mostly to blame for that). However, in terms of career advancement, the MBA has been good. Just two weeks before graduation, I received my first and only job offer. It was an excellent job offer though, and I am very happy; I'm sure without the MBA, I would not have been able to get such a great offer. 4. B-school rank makes a huge difference when job-hunting, and I should have realized that and tried to get into a better-ranked school; I was naive to think a second-tier school is just as good. 5. The fact that my B-school is in the middle of cornfields (and not so highly ranked) also made it harder to find a job. Attending a school in or right next to a big city (I believe) makes it much easier to get better job offers. 6. In terms of MBA administration, our program lacks a dean and has no leadership, which has caused a ton of problems --- our pathetic Web site is an example of how neglected the program is. It takes forever for the administration to improve/make changes/act. If it was a company, I sure wouldn't own stock in it. But at the same time, during my last semester, I saw some positive changes starting to take place, and perhaps this program may be at a turning point. --Consulting
I feel the faculty of this MBA is the most friendly group that I have ever had. Most professors are dedicated to students. They are always there to answer students' questions. Moreover, they are also the nicest friends you could have in your life. --Anonymous
The MBA experience was a great boost for my career in terms of salary and position held. Besides that, the learning experience was tremendous. Now I feel very confident that my business knowledge is a huge plus in any professional environment. Moreover, Champaign-Urbana is a perfect place for those who prefer a more quiet place where one can really focus on one's studies. Living expenses are much lower than in big cities and studying environment is all around. --Finance
1. MBA office needs restructuring: Illinois MBA program has top-ranked faculty while it suffers from poor MBA administration team. 2. Illinois MBA program is well-known for its academic achievements in finance and accounting; however, first-year finance courses were loosely organized. Though it's a No. 1 accounting program in the U.S., some of the first-year accounting classes were disappointing. 4. Despite these weaknesses, U of I provides an excellent environment for learning and business training. Illinois MBA has well-designed first-year courses with innovations that you will not ever find in other B-schools. Compared with other top business schools, U of I MBA is the choice for those who do not want to put all their tuition into interviewing, network creating, and job searching. 5. Due to a higher percentage of international students, many of the criteria used in MBA rankings are unfavorable to Illinois MBA. The Illinois MBA program indeed deserves a higher ranking. --Finance
I particularly liked the Illinois MBA program curriculum-integrated structure (modules). It made everything come together, especially towards the end of the program. In addition, my program was very singular in that I was pursuing a Ph.D. in sciences and economics and the MBA at the same time. --Anonymous
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