STUDENT COMMENTS
The Carlson School has an AMAZING career center. The CARS program is genius and the school has so many connections with companies! It's so easy to get a job or internship. I signed with Deloitte before my senior year even started.
Tougher grading policy this year helped to refocus classmates and increased the competitive environment. There is a core of recent MIS students that are top-notch. They are starting to create waves as they enter the workforce, impressive impact. Administration needs to be a bit more creative in their problem-solving approach but this appears to be improving under the new dean. Dean Davis-Blake's leadership has breathed new life into the program.
There were issues with consistent grading in courses. Your GPA could be affected more by the professors you chose than the work you do. This is a problem the school is currently working on by forcing curves in all classes.
I wish more investment banks would come to Minnesota to recruit. Students are forced to travel to NYC if they want to find a job or internship in bulge-bracket investment banking.
There is one required class in particular that warrants special mention. Career Skills educates students about résumé revision, interview skills, communication, and many other related topics. It is the best class I have taken to prepare students for seeking employment. I have referred to the Carlson-tailored manual several times since I took the class, and have offered its advice to my then job-hunting husband and sister. It is a remarkable manual.
Carlson is an excellent business school overall. However, more attention needs to be placed on ethics and social responsibility. It would be a wise move to offer a nonprofit major and to encourage philanthropy. Some of this has been done already, but I am unsure if the efforts have been temporary or if they are a trend. Carlson would impress me even more if they implemented this softer side.
I strongly believe that the Carlson school has some great times ahead with the new appointment of Dean Allison Davis Blake. The program had some weak spots over the last few years such as grade inflation, poor curriculum consistency across separate sections of the same course, and a lack of diversity. Allison has addressed all of these issues, we've instituted a new grading policy, there is a new curriculum committee that has set new standards and accountability measures for our core courses, and the program is set to expand by 50% over the next two years. I've had a great experience, and I would strongly reccomend a Carlson student to anyone searching to fill a business position.
The career services are too Midwest-focused. The career center does an excellent job helping students to find a position in Minnesota, but for someone who wants to move outside the Midwest the choices are limited and you're pretty much on your own.
The largest asset to a business school is its location. Because CSOM is located in Minneapolis/St. Paul, it has access to vast pools of diversity in business as well as business leaders. Cargill, 3M, Medtronic, Target, Best Buy, General Mills, etc., are either headquartered in this area or have very large operations in this area. This creates excellent hiring opportunities for CSOM grads as well as opportunities to network and bring in people from specific industries to speak at student group functions.
There is a stark difference between general core curriculum classes and major classes. Major classes are extremely rigorous, well taught, and require high amounts of time outside of class; I am very impressed with my major classes as I know from my professors that they are taught at an MBA level. However, the core classes are taught at about a high school level, require little work, are not challenging, and are mostly a waste of time.
The university itself has been steadily improving since I arrived. While it still lacks the campus atmosphere of many Big 10 schools, students are getting smarter, living in increasingly high percentages on campus, and getting involved with the community. Although it somewhat distracts from the college experience, living in a large metropolitan area also has its benefits.
Overall, I have been very pleased with my experience at Carlson. The school hammers into our heads from Day One that we are the future business leaders of this city and we are treated as such. Carlson's Minneapolis location has proven invaluable when it comes to having current business practitioners interact, support, and then hire out of the school. While the first three years are academically a joke, the senior-year major classes are extremely rigorous and well taught with heavy emphasis on group work.
As a student of color, the school is not very representative in addressing inclusion for all.
The academic levels of students at Carlson are very high and students come to Carlson with high GPAs and a competitive nature. Because most students want to be the best, each student strives to do good quality work and work well with peers (teamwork is very important at Carlson). And the competitiveness helps each student to work harder.
We need more international business development with in the business program. The school does well to recruit businesses from the Midwest and decently for recruiting businesses from the coasts. However, my school has very little direct contact with international opportunities. In my opinion, this is one of the key factors that holds our program back: It needs more international connections.
The Carlson School of Management has lost touch with encouraging independent thinking among its students. I've noticed the tone of the program is based around job placement for middle-management positions. Much of this is to do with the corporate sponsors (each room named after one) the school is affiliated with (funny what money can do). Traditionally, the University of Minnesota is known for developing, inspiring, and encouraging the creative aspects and entrepreneurial spirits of its students.
I believe that the Carlson School of Management is one of the best programs in the country because of the excellent professors and the small size of the program, which allows for selection of only the best students. There are tremendous opportunities to get involved with many organizations, entrepreneurial ventures, and networking opportunities.
I came into the school not knowing what I wanted to do in my life. Carlson allowed me to search and connect with whomever I wanted and led me to find my true passions in life. That allowed me to be strategic in my job hunt, and now I am getting ready to work in my dream job. This is more than what I could have possibly expected coming into the program as a freshman.
The experience has been very fulfilling. Having the opportunity to study abroad and meet people from many different cultures has helped to open my eyes to business practices and social norms within other countries. I found the whole experience to be positive as a whole but some of the classes could use a little rework.
CARS (the online recruiting system) is incredibly helpful in connecting students to internships/careers. Also, Carlson does a great job of fostering relationships with businesses in the Twin Cities Area. I just wish the school had more national connections and credibility.
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