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| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School |
OVERALL 1998 RANK: 19 BW corporate rank: 23 BW graduate rank: 17 BW 1996 rank: 19 |
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1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics Graduates' Comments: Kenan-Flagler Business School is an excellent school that provides one of the best value MBA degrees in the market. The new building and information technology systems greatly enhance the learning experience. The differentiating factor of the school is the collaborative culture. --No career path given UNC provides an excellent environment for learning where teamwork is most important and "back-stabbing" is not tolerated. The classes are small enabling students to get to know each other much more thoroughly. In my opinion, this intimate environment greatly aids the learning process, allowing students to draw more effectively on the experience of others. The first-year organization and curriculum is both highly challenging and rewarding. The classes are presented in an appropriate fashion and in the correct order, especially after the recent adjustments to the curriculum. The professors will push you to excel! It is definitely hard work and quantitatively challenging. While I dreaded the thought of being sequestered with my mandatory study group for the full first year, this proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at Kenan-Flagler. The school's faculty and administration are incredibly responsive to our needs and in tune to what the business world will demand of us. This group gets stronger every semester. I can see marked improvements in the quality of the school's leadership, especially since the arrival of Dean Sullivan. The school has a vision, and the leadership is making great strides towards achieving goals consistent with this vision. They are building a world-class team and school. --Marketing I chose to attend Kenan-Flagler because of the people, and I have remained impressed for two years. In addition to being highly intelligent and motivated, I have found KFBS MBA students and faculty to be extremely team-oriented and willing to assist me in my academic and non-academic endeavors. The availability and support of faculty at KFBS cannot be overstated or overvalued. This is true for the collaborative (yet competitive!) nature of most of my fellow MBA students as well. Additionally, my exposure to students from other countries/ethnic and religious backgrounds has been an important aspect of my Kenan-Flagler MBA experience. During this year alone, I have worked in study groups (and on case competitions) with other students from Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, N. Korea, Peru, Chile, Spain, Puerto Rico, Greece, Brazil, Australia, Taiwan, Thailand, China, the former Yugoslavia, and Malaysia. Last summer, I was able to spend two weeks in Mexico learning more about the culture and businesses there, and I have been an "Exchange buddy" with a foreign MBA student on exchange at KFBS for a semester too! Another very significant aspect of the MBA program for me has been my participation in and leadership role with KFBS's chapter of SRB (Students for Responsible Business). Through our active club activities, including the national conference and an annual SRB case competition that is co-sponsored with Duke's Fuqua chapter, I have been able to develop my own values of social responsibility within a business-oriented context. It has been great for me to build my management skills in a B-school setting where my natural tendency toward community involvement, volunteerism, and outside (non-business) interests were also nurtured and respected. My two greatest concerns about KFBS from last year (facilities and information technology) have been more than resolved with this year's move into the McColl building. It is a phenomenal, state-of-the-art facility and beautifully designed to boot. Alliances with HP, Dell, and others will keep the school's IT on the leading edge. --No career path given Kenan-Flagler has made tremendous strides over the last two years to improve the overall curriculum. I was impressed with the well-balanced integration of the core courses and the increased effectiveness of the technology courses in the MBA program. Most impressive however, is the school's integration of global business perspectives into the program. Kenan-Flagler effectively leveraged international immersion courses in Asia, Latin America, South Africa, and Europe (more than 50% participation) and was very aggressive in placing students in international summer interships. --Consulting Attending Kenan-Flagler has definitely been one of the best personal and professional decisions of my life. The faculty is extremely accessible to the students, and professors promote a classroom environment that more closely resembles a partnership. The students' commitment to Kenan-Flagler is best exemplified by our class gift. The 222 students in the class of 1998 presented a class gift of over $341,000 to Dean Sullivan at the graduation ceremony. --Marketing Being an international student at Kenan-Flagler was easy. The school provides us (the international students) with lots of opportunities to learn about American culture and to share ours. Two great examples are the international orientation week and the support received from the faculty (not in the classroom, but outside). It was common to receive invitations from professors to spend Thanksgiving with their families, as well as Christmas, 4th of July, etc. During my two years at North Carolina, my wife and I had the opportunity to meet the families of many different professors at their homes. The relationship built among students and faculty through these activities will last a lifetime. --Operations In addition to all the standard business functions, like accounting and marketing, I've learned about balancing work and family, about other cultures, and about dealing with crises, to name just a few highlights. The faculty here is extraordinary -- in their knowledge and abilities, and in their commitment to teaching excellence. There are few classes that have merely met my expectations -- most have far surpassed them... --Operations I am concerned about the racial climate not only at North Carolina, but at all of the top business schools. I feel there is a cloud of resentment by the white students at North Carolina toward black and other minority students in respect to affirmative action and raced-based admissions and financial aid. I believe this cloud of resentment is detrimental to the evolutionary future of the emerging multicultural and international business environment. --Marketing At Kenan-Flagler I got a first-rate general management education and interacted with some of the brightest individuals I have ever met. My professors were incrediblly dedicated to teaching, and I would feel comfortable calling them at anytime in the future for advice. In two years, I doubled my salary, got my dream job, developed an understanding of business, made more than a dozen lifelong friends, cheered my team at the Final Four, and became godfather to the first-born of one of my classmates -- and my student loans are less than $26,000. The place really is Blue Heaven. The faculty and administration are extremely receptive and responsive to student concerns. Through town meetings, weekly coffee meetings, student task forces, and informal channels, student concerns are always addressed. The new business school building (McColl) has really enhanced the information technology capability of the program. --Marketing Core courses are really good. The finance, real estate, and accounting electives are nothing short of outstanding. Doug Shackleford made U.S. and international tax strategy extremely easy. I learned more in that class than any other with the possible exception of real estate with David Hartzell and Negotiations with Bob Adler. Crisis Management with Chris Pearson is also excellent. --Finance With the recent appointment of the new Dean (Robert Sullivan), Kenan-Flagler will definitely make some positive strides towards developing an excellent curriculum for the 21st century. He is very open to new elective classes and actively seeks out student input toward classes, professors, lifestyles, etc. The intimate size of Kenan-Flager allows the professors to know us on a personal level -- beyond the classroom. Companies love KFBS grads, because we aren't the typical "egomaniac" MBA grads. We're able to succeed in a team environment while simultaneously being strong leaders. --Marketing The analytical skills provided by the curriculum have vastly improved over the past few years. The school made a commitment to improving the quantitative skills of all of the students. Dean Sullivan's background in Information Technology has already been felt throughout the program as the school has made a concerted effort to integrate technology into all parts of the learning experience. New classes and world class professors, dedicated to international teachings, have been added. --Finance After discussions with friends who have attended other Top 20 MBA Programs, Kenan-Flagler is without question the best value. Coming from California and UCLA, it is a fantastic place to spend two years, while earning both an excellent education and the highest quality job offers. --Marketing The new business school building, which we moved into during the first semester this year, is truly outstanding and provides much needed boosts to the program, most notably in the technology available in the classrooms. Next year, the program will grow slightly as a fourth "section" of students is admitted and the other sections will be slightly smaller. This will allow for more flexibility in the program without diluting the quality of the students. --Marketing Kenan-Flagler is still the best MBA value in the country by a wide margin. The school's new home (McColl Building) is an impressive facility, which will undoubtedly help the school in continuing to attract and retain the best and brightest among students, faculty and recruiting firms alike. --Finance During these two years at Kenan-Flagler, I have been amazed by the changes... Not only has the school inaugurated a state-of-the-art facility, but it has also implemented changes in the office of career services (more user-friendly alumni database and interview bidding system), curriculum, etc. The school has an incredibly responsive administration and faculty. Any concern is quickly routed. The school emphazizes teamwork a lot. As an individual learner, this was my most important and difficult lesson, but I have finally got it... The school keeps a strong balance among the Finance, Marketing, and Operation areas in the first and second year. On the flip side, there are still a significant number of bad professors (usually tenured), particularly in the marketing area. The finance area is O.K., but there is a lack of depth in some areas (e.g. fixed-income). As the school has changed the old building, it should "change" "old" professors. I am aware that considerable efforts are being done to attract and recruit outstanding professors. --Finance Kenan-Flagler was an outstanding investment for me. As an in-state student, I got a Top 20 MBA for around $1,500 per semester in tuition and fees, and I've doubled my previous salary. The new McColl Building, which opened in October 1997, is state-of-the-art. Featuring large, comfortable classrooms with myriad audio-visual capabilities and ethernet ports at every seating location, I can't imagine it has many equals around the country. The Office of Career Services was extremely helpful. Everyone there knew me by name and career interest. I'm thoroughly impressed with the selection of Robert Sullivan as the new Dean. --Consulting ...The last few years have been very productive in terms of bringing on exciting progressive companies from all over the country (and world for that matter) to recruit. While some of these gains are due to an impressive economy, we often hear from companies how pleased they are with Kenan-Flagler graduates because of a solid general understanding of business principles, understanding of team dynamics (no doubt created through an intense team-oriented first year in the MBA program), and ability to work in rapidly changing environments. We are not an MBA mill, churning out 800 or 1,000 graduates per year. I am proud to be able to say that I know all of my 200+ classmates and many of their backgrounds and future plans. When companies come to recruit on campus, there aren't 100 people shooting for the same job. --Marketing Kenan-Flagler has a unique connection to the rest of UNC-Chapel Hill. There are numerous opportunities for students to join the university community at sporting events and other UNC-sponsored events. This fosters a real sense of community and acceptance here. There are many opportunities to meet and befriend other professional school students as well. Because the two classes are smaller than many other schools, Kenan-Flagler students have a unique camaraderie. The academic environment is less intimidating as a result, and many students pitch in to help others with classwork, projects and even career searches. My pre-business-school perception of students as self-serving and money-hungry was quickly diminished and changed to just the opposite. This is a collection of intelligent, hard-working and generous individuals. --Finance This school has an excellent program and really took the time to help each individual get the most out of the two years at UNC. The improvements even since my first day here are remarkable, especially with regard to job placement. Salaries, number of offers per student, and number of firms on campus have all risen dramatically. Many feel that the low tuition and fees charged by the school detract from our image, but I think it's quite the opposite. --Finance Go to Carolina and you get two schools for the price of one. Accepting admission to UNC is simply a smart business decision (which also implies that every student who chose to go to Carolina over other schools is a sound business decision-maker). Moreover, Carolina students stand out to recruiters looking to extend geographic scope and add a Southeastern perspective to their hire mix. Being a student at the Southeast's strongest business school increases your probability of being noticed and getting the optimum job. Also, in the spirit of practicing the customer service that they preach, faculty members actually study your resume, learn your name, etc. before you even start the program. The first time an esteemed professor seeks you out by name to discuss something of interest in your background, the impression is unforgettable. --Consulting The program at Kenan-Flagler is exceptional in its ability to integrate the graduate students with the undergraduates to create an exciting, fun, unique experience; an environment where we really felt like we were a part of the campus. --Consulting Kenan-Flagler provides much more than an academic experience. In addition to the many "school" projects I worked on with classmates, I had the opportunity to work on projects with professors, local business leaders, and with the community. I think the small size of the program combined with its collaborative spirit provides students with a unique, enriching experience. --Consulting Back to Top 1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics |
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