Foster School of Business

-UW Foster is a very small program (approximately 110 full-time students per-class year) that provides a highly customized experience to students. At the same time the school is clearly starting to "punch above its weight" in terms of attention from coveted employers, attracting top faculty, and having world-class facilities.

-Student body can be a bit more diversified. Currently over half of the students are from in-state.

-The location in Seattle with access to companies, top speakers, and cultural activities is great. Several of the classes had guest speakers from the Seattle business community who offered great stories and guidance based on their experiences.

-Fall quarter the first year is difficult because the University needs to pack in as much information as possible before recruiting season. Stretching the quarter out and starting in August would be preferable.

-The emphasis on collaboration, not only from the program office, but from the students themselves, is something I didn't see anywhere else. Student-led study sessions before exams, constant assistance from teammates, and even interview preparation groups for the same interview were all things I experienced.

-Career services are very concerned about getting all students placed, but I think at times they could focus on the students’ interests regarding firms that do not recruit on campus. The leadership development efforts are improving, but still have room for improvement.

-It's a diverse program where people with non-traditional career backgrounds can go, and feel like they belong, and can get the individualized resources they need to create new careers or further specialize in an area like marketing or entrepreneurship.

-I think we need to try to extend our reach and reputation beyond the Pacific NW more. Most of the companies that recruit and come to campus are from Seattle (likely because most of us also want to stay in the area afterwards). However, we need to be seen as more of a worldwide institution where you can get a job anywhere, not just in the area afterwards. So we need to both recruit students who aren't necessarily wedded to staying in Seattle and bring more companies on campus from out of state.

-It’s a small program where you get to know every student. The hiring companies from Foster are fantastic. Seattle is a great location to get into technology and startups. The finance and marketing departments were packed with amazing professors that cared about teaching great classes.

-It needs to strength its Information Systems and its Operations Departments. The Career Center is undersized at the moment and needs to be able to better assist students who don't want to land a job at large companies.

-I think that Foster is more focused on collaboration and building relationships than other schools. Foster students develop a community and help each other in learning and finding jobs. There is not a cutthroat atmosphere overall, even during those stressful periods of looking for internships and jobs.

-I think a larger student body would attract more recruiters to campus. Certain companies outside of Seattle don't recruit at Foster due to the combination of a small student body and a ranking that is out of the top 15. Continuing to focus on attracting the best students is also important.