Carroll School of Management

What makes BC's business program unique is the combination of high quality content, teaching quality, and the student body. Use of strong, real world examples paired with enthusiastic and effective teaching skills really drive students to learn and succeed. On top of this, I think that the atmosphere among students contributes. A friendly competition type of environment allows students of all types to speak up and be heard, while driving meaningful conversation to enhance learning.

If they had an MBA program that was at all recognized as quality, the name would become better known. People know of Boston College but CSOM is not known like Ross as its own entity because not many consider going to CSOM for an MBA except for locals.

I love the emphasis that has been placed on current events, teamwork, and case studies. I believe that these have helped me to get a better grasp on what is happening and help me learn in a more efficient manner. The faculty at the business school is incredible and always willing to help. Faculty members take an interest in their students and want them to succeed.

Advising could generally be more accessible to students. Most students end up connecting with a professor that they like and trust and go to them for their questions. It's great that BC CSOM has created an environment where that is possible and encouraged. BC is sure to assign students advisors in their first year, but those advisors are replaced depending on a student’s major. But some students slip through the system and are not assigned an advisor after their freshman year advisor is removed to take on the new class of students.

There are not two separate communities on campus when it comes to students and teachers. They are one group working towards a common goal. Upper classmen are constantly holding resume/interview/information sessions for underclassmen. They are almost as valuable as the professors who foster a love for business in their students and are fantastic at gently guiding students to their passion. I'm not worried about the future because I realize that I am being thoroughly prepared for it right now.

From a personal perspective, we need more emphasis on entrepreneurship beyond the club level and integrated more into the curriculum. We have a lot of students going to large financial companies but there are not as many resources for those looking to go in to something more early stage such as a startup. We also need to focus more on teaching students more technical and analytical skills.

The classroom size is a huge component in the relationships I've been able to form with my professors. The smaller classrooms have allowed me to fully engage with both the coursework and students. All the professors I've had also seem to be very invested in us students. I've had plenty of professors give our their cell phone numbers "just in case" we need anything, which has proven their trust in us and vice versa.

I did not have to go through the full-time recruiting process this Fall because I already had a job offer and accepted. But from my perspective, I do not believe BC had enough recruiters or enough diversity of recruiters this year. Part of that problem is due to the economy, but I wish BC could have done a better job; and the same goes for internships.

What seems to be unique about our business program is the expansiveness of the fields covered in our business core curriculum. We have covered many of the basic aspects of business in a fair amount of depth, but also have capstone courses that attempt to tie all of the aspects together to help us analyze complete business strategies. This analytical aspect is what I believe makes our business program unique.

I personally feel like most courses are taught too pragmatically, with the intent of teaching people how to complete tasks, and find jobs. I feel like there should be more thinking theoretically and creatively within the framework of the discipline. Being to complete tasks is an important skill, but I think to a certain extent it only teaches how to complete commands, rather than come up with intuitive solutions to problems.

I think that the Carroll School is unique in the individual attention it pays to every single student and the unparalleled focus placed on behaving ethically. I have had very few professors who don't know me by my first name and have had none who will not make time for extra help outside class.

The quantitative aspect of business could be emphasized to make the program stronger. The quantitative analysis can be as powerful as the more holistic approach in viewing business.

As a Jesuit university, BC focuses on educating business students with a strong background on ethics and leadership, something other schools don't do in my opinion. I feel like BC grads are more well rounded and prepared to be strong, level-headed leaders in the business world as opposed to greedy, sneaky business people that the news highlights.

There are not enough quality professors in CSOM. Especially in the marketing and finance departments, there are not enough professors that are available to truly teach marketing. I do not learn a lot in class for these subjects. To prepare for exams and projects, I have had to learn everything on my own. I feel that class time could be used in a more valuable manner.

My advisors are what I think really separates BC from other programs. I would be lost without them- from picking classes to getting an internship last summer to now being employed after graduation, they have been fantastic. BC Career Services is another resource that has been incredibly useful and BC's alumni network has been very helpful throughout the whole recruitment process. I also love how we not only do the business core requirements but also the core requirement for the School of Arts & Sciences. I really feel like I have received a broad education that I will be able to use and benefit from for the rest of my life.