MBA-essay：Why Chicago GSB? By Paul Jan

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"Never judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. After that, judge all you want: he's a mile away, and you've got his shoes."



Speaking of shoes, a year ago, I was in yours, walking around with other admitted students, wondering "How many of the women in the Public Policy or SSA Schools would possibly sleep with me?" Incidentally, the answer, in Spanish, is "Ningunos". The incurable strain of Athlete's Foot I picked up from your shoes notwithstanding, my inability to find suitable sexual partners among various professional schools shouldn't prevent you from seriously considering the Chicago GSB for your MBA education.

So why did I choose the Chicago GSB? Why did I decide to forgo my steady income as a ninja, a deadly assassin for hire, to pursue an MBA at a school known for its world-renowned faculty, rigorous approach to management education, and intellectual honesty?

Well, frameworks, for one. Despite my two years spent in investment banking, three years in venture capital, and a lifetime in pursuit of the "dark" arts, the truth is that I was severely lacking in frameworks. You see, I am a biochemist by training, and although I built an enviable record of mediocrity in the business world, I had no formal education with respect to marketing, operations, and industrial organization. I decided that the Chicago GSB, which is widely-known to offer the most intense educational experience of top business schools, would be a good place to learn the fundamentals.

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Regarding the flexibility of MBA curricula, the Chicago GSB is the former-gymnast-girlfriend I never dated, but wish I had, and may even one day marry if I can get clearance from the U.S. Consulate and my parole officer to visit some of the former Soviet Republics. Having spent two years churning out comparable company analyses, merger models, and league tables that said whatever my MD wanted them to say, and three more years thinking about the best ways to invest institutional capital and generate top-quartile returns in private companies not involved in the production of banned substances, pornography, petting zoos, or the import of mail-order brides, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on WACC, CAPM, BTW, ROTFLMAO, and AFL-CIO.



Accordingly, I didn't want to be forced to take "core" classes that would be a relative waste of time (relative because you can always learn something more) and money. The sweetest thing about the Chicago GSB, besides the free coffee and cookies at Dean Kole's Wednesday Coffee Hours (well, they're not exactly free because, as in dating and relationships, you'll always pay for your cookies, one way or another), is the fact that you don't have to take any "core" courses; you are required to take classes in "core" disciplines (Economics, Accounting, and Statistics). Even then, there are a wide variety of courses in these concentrations, and you can even petition to substitute other classes. For example, despite the strength of Finance at Chicago, I will most likely graduate without taking a course in this concentration, choosing instead to focus on Strategy, Marketing, and boxed lunches.



That's another great thing about the Chicago GSB: the boxed lunches. If you come here, you'll get all of the boxed lunches you care to eat (well, until companies stop presenting on-campus). I'm sure other business schools offer boxed lunches as well, but do other schools give you a locker in which to store your boxed lunch, to be consumed at a later time? No, they don't. When it comes to lockers and boxed lunches, Chicago is the best.

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The surprising thing about my MBA experience has been the work. Make no mistake about it: if you want to do well at Chicago, you'll have to put in some time. Now I don't study like I did in undergrad, but I make sure to keep up with reading and assignments. I had been told by my friends who had graduated from other business schools that my next two years would be a breeze. And compared to my undergraduate experience, business school hasn't been as challenging, academically. But this doesn't mean that it's been a complete cake-walk: although we have non-grade disclosure, the type of student the GSB attracts is going to study anyways. Students are prepared, class discussions are lively. But this is another reason why I chose Chicago: if I'm going to drop $35,000 a year in tuition alone, I better get something out of my classes and from my interactions with classmates. After, you get what you give. If the idea of doing some work to learn the fundamentals of business (particularly if you don't have an undergraduate business degree) appeals to you, then Chicago should be at the top of your list.



One critical differentiator for the GSB is our faculty. It is the best, IN THE WORLD. As much as I'd like to claim that my professors in college were just as good, the teachers at the GSB are unparalleled. Of course, in college, I was taking classes like thermodynamics and inorganic chemistry - not terribly exciting stuff. However, at the GSB, even with typically "dry" subjects like Macroeconomics, Taxes and Business Strategy, and International Comparative Organizations, the faculty here make the material come alive, crawl across the floor and up your desk, and slap you across the face for cheating on your girlfriend with her best friend since junior high. Visit a class and see for yourself: I can't guarantee that every faculty member will light your fire, but my experiences with Hurst, Erickson, Young, Dube, and Garicano, for example, have been awesome.

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Let me say something about Chicago's MBA Career Services: it is the best. I'm not the type of person to claim that Chicago is #1 in everything. To do so would be foolhardy, and intellectually dishonest, the latter of which I am not. Our alumni network, marketing to prospective students and employers, and outreach effort to certain populations of international students: these are all areas the GSB can work on. But when it comes to MBA Career Services, Chicago brings the heat. I don't know what Julie Morton is feeding her staff, but I hope there's more where it came from. When it comes to preparing students for interviews, interfacing with recruiters, facilitating presentations/meetings/interviews, and solving problems on the fly, MBA Career Services, in my opinion, has been nothing less than spectacular. This is important to any student, but if you're a career switcher, it may be even more critical for you to have an organization on your side that will do everything in its power to get you to where you want to go, not only for the summer, but post-MBA as well.



My most important reason for choosing the Chicago GSB: it felt like where I most belonged. Let's be honest: regardless of where you end up going, you were good enough to get accepted here, and you will be successful, both immediately and in the long-run. Whereas some schools are known for finance and others for general management or marketing, for example, the top programs pretty much teach the same concepts, and the same companies recruit at these top schools, year after year. Given this, how should you make your decision? It must be made in terms of fit. I'm not going to claim that the GSB is for everybody. At times, it can be hard work. Our culture is not one of blind enthusiasm and false sincerity; it is one of intellectual honesty and academic rigor. Does this mean we don't have fun or that we can't have a strong community? Not at all. This just means that, here at Chicago, we work as hard as we play. Truth is, like at any other school, some people get involved, some people don't do sh*t. I wish the latter weren't here, and I think we should do a better job of screening out these types.



If I don't like you, I'm not going to pretend that I do, I won't hold your hand, and we won't sing songs about how great it is to be at the Chicago GSB. But what I will do is respect your right to voice your ideas, challenge my thinking, and do your own thing. I would guess that most of my classmates feel as I do. That's what I love about the GSB: most of the people I've met are sincere, smart, and ambitious. Yes, there are several toolboxes I can't stand, but these Craftsmen types are going to be at every school. (In all fairness, I'm sure there are several people who don't like me either - they think I'm a terrific bastard, and they wouldn't be entirely wrong. But how successful would a bakery be if it sold only one type of pie? Okay, I guess if this bakery sold the best pecan pie in the world it would be pretty successful, but my point is that most quality bakeries have stock all different sorts of pies). What's important is that there is a higher proportion of people I do like - and in two years of business school - that makes all the difference.

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So think long and hard before you commit to a program. Don't worry about median GMAT scores or placement at XYZ firm. Do concern yourself with the strength of the faculty and fit with the culture. Visit classes. Talk to students. Most importantly, be honest with yourself. Is this the type of place you can spend your next two years? Is this the kind of program that you want to be associated with for the rest of your professional life? Does our culture resonate with you? Someone at another school might say, at this point, that regardless of who you are, you're special, and we want to see you here. Well, I'm sure that you're special (at least your Mommy thinks so), and Admissions would definitely like to see you here (since they let you in, after all), but I definitely don't want every single person reading this to come here - Lord knows I couldn't tolerate every single one of you. But then, I'm an ardent proponent of bakeries stocking a plethora (yes, a plethora) of pies and the class is big enough so that I can choose to not hang out with the ones I don't like, so I should conclude by saying "Welcome to the Chicago GSB: I may think that you're an assh*le but Admissions thinks you're pretty sweet, so come on in".





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