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SCHOOL COMMENTS
School Comments:
The Carlson Full-Time MBA is a two-year program with opportunities for valuable summer internships between your first and second years. A nationally ranked program with a commitment to experiential learning, the Carlson School attracts students who aspire to work with world-class researchers, teachers, and business leaders, and to have access to local, national, and international business communities. In class, experiences come to life with opportunities to immerse yourself in the real world of business, including the Enterprise program where all students work alongside professionals at client organizations gaining valuable knowledge through work on high-profile business projects as well as a mandatory international experience – the Global Discovery program. Global Discovery helps students understand how to successfully operate a business in a global environment through the two-week overseas experience. Our alumni say these are two aspects of the program that are the most enriching, life-changing opportunities they’ve ever experienced.

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The quality of the education, the school's rank, and the very powerful alumni and local business network make this school an ideal place to pursue an MBA. It?s got great relations with companies like Best Buy, Target, Northwest Airlines, General Mills, Carlson Companies, Anderson Windows, and 3M. -- Finance

The Carlson student body is composed of very bright, highly energetic people, many of whom passed on more prestigious schools. This makes for very interesting and beneficial learning opportunities, both inside the classroom and out. -- Investment Banking

The brand name of the school is stronger regionally than nationally. -- Marketing

Carlson has a very solid program with a strong marketing department, notably in pricing and brand management. The unique Carlson Enterprises program offers the incomparable opportunity to provide paid consulting services to companies like United Health, Best Buy, Target, and 3M. -- Marketing

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A Carlson MBA is an excellent value, providing an good education at a state-school price. It has outstanding relationships with local companies, where it competes with top 10 schools. -- Consulting

I learned a heck of a lot in the MBA program, and enjoyed it a great deal. But I have had an exceedingly difficult time getting employment in my chosen field, and the MBA simply is not opening the doors I expected it to. -- Marketing

The Minneapolis business community is vibrant and plays a big part in recruiting from Carlson; however, it is hard to get jobs outside of the Minnesota. -- Information Technology

Carlson has a strong history and focus on social responsibility through the Graduate Volunteer Consultants, Net Impact, and the Microfinance alliance. Having an opportunity to give back and work in a business and non-profit community on a volunteer basis is something that I'll take with me into my professional career. -- Consulting

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The culture of the school breeds a sense of community rather than individualistic competition. -- Marketing

There?s an incredible opportunity to develop and carry out research. I traveled to Cuba under an academic license to study American brands in the Cuban gray market. -- Marketing

Great program for marketers. It?s more difficult if you want a job outside Minneapolis community, but still possible. -- Marketing

I am interested in a non-traditional career, and I think the school could do a better job connecting students to small businesses, start-ups and non-profits in the area. Carlson has strong relationships with the many large companies in the Twin Cities, which is beneficial to most students. But a growing number of us are looking for a different kind of experience after graduation and there seem to be few resources to help us explore alternative possibilities. -- Finance

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I think that the camaraderie built between the 120 students in my graduating class is one of the most important aspects to my education at Carlson. The learning atmosphere is incredible. -- Marketing

The difference between Carlson MBAs and MBAs from higher-ranked schools is that we don't walk around all day telling ourselves how great we are. Instead, we focus on delivering effective results and fostering a great collaborative environment. -- Marketing

The students that run the growth and fixed-income funds at Carlson beat their benchmarks by a significant amount each year. It is amazing to me that the school has not been able to promote these results more and start getting its students into higher profile positions at investment banks and asset management companies. -- Finance