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JULY 2001 MBA JOURNAL: B-SCHOOL REVIEW Priti Patel: Reflections on the Overall MBA Experience "For me, Kellogg has been enriching for reasons that I did not anticipate prior to attending. While I assumed, and received, a rigorous education in business, I learned more about generosity and humility than I ever expected to." The best thing about Kellogg, and the biggest difference between my expectations and the actual experience, are the people. I was not expecting such an interesting, talented, and genuinely nice group of peers. As we scatter our separate ways, I can only hope that my next group of peers will offer even half the rewarding level of friendship that this group did. On the academic side, I was not prepared for the vocational nature of the education. I was expected a more theoretical, more abstract, more intellectual experience. Instead, we got two years of practical business training. In retrospect, that is of course what business school is all about, but it is not what I was expecting. -SC I think that before Kellogg, my expectations were different than those of most. Coming from advertising, I had little if any exposure to areas like finance, corporate strategy or operations. I was, in a sense, a blank slate, except for marketing principals. NPV? Upstream? Downstream? First-mover advantage? I had no familiarity with any of these things. But I was fortunate enough to be aware that there was a lot that I didn't know, and that's why I chose to explore business school in the first place. It was very important to me to attend a program that was known for being a community. I'm not sure that many of the top schools can truly claim to be one. I knew that given all the catching up that I'd have to do compared to the people with consulting and investment banking backgrounds, I would never have been able to survive if the key (whether implicit or explicit) to the culture were competition. I needed my fellow students to be helpful and patient, not back-stabbing and critical. That was my expectation of Kellogg, and it fit the bill perfectly. I knew that given my background, business school would be about becoming comfortable with the first layer or two of knowledge in every subject area, NOT becoming an expert in anything in particular. Kellogg's curriculum and team-based approach made the school a perfect fit for that purpose as well. -EL Pre-Kellogg: Advertising Post-Kellogg: Advertising When I first arrived at Kellogg, I was concerned as to whether I would be able to compete with so many gifted, creative, and dynamic individuals. Within days, I learned that this school is a special place -- where the students are supportive of each other and build off each other's energy. I leave here filled with enthusiasm about my future opportunities and the lasting friendships that I have created. - CR Pre-Kellogg: Sales Engineer Post Kellogg: Consultant Upon my acceptance to Kellogg I was thrilled by the prospect of meeting new people and being stimulated by an environment filled with intelligent and ambitious individuals. I hoped to figure out what I wanted to do after graduation once I got here. My expectations about my classmates were more than exceeded. I have met so many fascinating people from the world over. It still amazes me how different we all are, yet how we all seem to share some core philosophies that helps create what is known as the "Kellogg Culture." As to what I want to do with my life, that still seems to be an elusive mystery, but Kellogg has certainly helped broaden the scope of possibilities and enabled me to savor the process of self-discovery. - MOC Pre-Kellogg: Marketing Manager Post Kellogg: Consultant Business school was everything I had hoped for and more. After two years at Kellogg, I am a more confident, thoughtful, and experienced person. I never imagined that I would be exposed to such a diverse range of opportunities and people. - ZC Pre-Kellogg: Entreprenuer Post-Kellogg: Product Management Expectations: 1) Meet great people 2) Have fun 3) Work hard and learn 4) Develop a strong "tool kit" (for example, learn to put "frameworks" around the kind of business analysis I was already doing) 5) Gain a broader perspective 6) Work on my golf game Actual: All of these expectations were fulfilled, with the exception of the last one -- my golf game still stinks. I made great friends and learned from their experiences. I worked hard at times (and less hard at other times). I never had enough time to do everything I wanted to do, either socially or academically. For example, I would have liked to be more active in more of the Kellogg clubs. I also would have liked to take more classes. However, I was also consumed with a challenging job search and wanted to maintain some semblance of balance in my life. - DG Pre-Kellogg: Venture Capital Post-Kellogg: ? Still looking for that dream job… Prior to Kellogg I worked in the non-profit industry as a Program Officer at a foundation (like VC for non-profits) and also ran a youth development program. Post Kellogg I'll be working as a consultant at Monitor at M2C in Chicago. My expectations prior to coming to Kellogg were that I would acquire a first-rate business education -- my first foray into the private sector. I expected that this would be a time for me to "push the envelope," take me out of my comfort zone, and broaden my perspective. I feel that this definitely occurred. In addition to doubts about moving out of California, another doubt I had was regarding the people who would be my classmates. What would these "greedy capitalists" be like? This has been the biggest surprise of all. In addition to the learning in the classroom, I've had an education in true friendship and support. The effort and heart that my friends here dedicate to building friendships has been phenomenal. This has been the unexpected icing on the cake. In two years of many emotional ups and downs, the meaningful relationships and non-stop laughter are the lasting legacy of business school. Considering that I said that I would never be a consultant and that I was definitely moving back to California, I've learned that sometimes you just have to enjoy the ride that life takes you on -- just close your eyes and hang on! -JW Pre-Kellogg: Non-Profit Program Officer Post-Kellogg: Consultant I want to thank these friends for being so generous with their time and offering their perspectives. For me, Kellogg has been enriching for reasons that I did not anticipate prior to attending. While I assumed, and received, a rigorous education in business, I learned more about generosity and humility than I ever expected to. This completely contradicted what I secretly feared…that I would be surrounded by business androids, or worse, that would I turn into one. Those fears seem so comical now. I don't know that it is possible to summarize my two years at Kellogg and really do the experience justice. What I can say, however, is that my experience has been exceptional from start to finish.  | | [an error occurred while processing this directive] Learn about your online education options |
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