10 Random Thoughts For An Admit to Chicago

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10. The next two years could be the most exciting years of your life.

Irrespective of where you decide to spend them (though we certainly hope to see you here at the Chicago GSB!), the time you spend in business school will be your most memorable. That is exactly what a senior manager at work, who had an MBA, said to me just before I left to come here. Being me (and probably because I knew that I was leaving the next day), I responded with, "Do you think that maybe you should have worked harder to do more with your life after the MBA in that case?"

But after nearly two quarters at the GSB, I understand what he meant and how no matter what you do after you leave the GSB, it'll be hard to match the experiences, both inside and more so outside the classroom, that you will have here.



9. If you decide to come to the Chicago GSB…

You won't regret it! OK, that's a really strong statement to make considering I don't really know you, so I'll just take it right back. You may or may not regret it, but much more importantly, I don't. It was one of the smartest decisions I've made, though admittedly that's really not saying much. But while people look for different things in an MBA program, I do believe that at the GSB anyone can find what they are looking for. For example…



8. If you're looking to have some fun.

It doesn't really matter what your idea of fun is, you'll find both the opportunities and the company to have it here. TNDCs, Cold Call parties, LPFs, clubs for everything from dancing to cricket to rugby to sailing; anything you want to do you will find people to do it with and mostly likely the Graduate Business Council (GBC) will give you the funds to kick it off. The GBC and the school do a great job of building a community here and organizing events and gathering to keep the community intact.

If your idea of fun is a little more unconventional, you can try what we did last week during Dean Kole's Wednesday Coffee Hour (where students come to get their mid-week sugar high from the magical, endless cookie generating machine while mingling with Faculty) when I tried to convince a fellow ChiBus editor to walk up to recent Fed Board of Governor's nominee, Prof.Randall Kroszner and ask, "Is CAPM the one with the beta?", but she didn't bite and we agreed that I'd made enough of a fool of myself around faculty for one week to be allowed to do it.



7. The people; it's all about the people.

Something that many people will tell you, and unfortunately tell you ad nauseam, is that every one of your classmates is amazing. That, of course, is simply not true. No matter where you choose to go you will find, how shall I put this, 'challenging' people, and the GSB cannot be an exception. If you haven't found them yet, you need to look harder. If you looked hard and still came up with nothing, well, it's probably you, but don't worry! We have a lot of resources here to help.

But in my experience so far, the quality of the vast majority of the people you will meet here will far exceed your expectations. Most truly are amazing and will help ensure that the experience you have here will be as well.



6. The Opportunity

Getting back to what's important, you probably have a great reason to come to business school. It might even be something similar to what you put down on your application essays. As recruiting statistics will show you, the GSB will give you a fair shot at every career opportunity that you're looking for. The best part is that after this school you'll be ready to make the most of those opportunities as well.



5. You'll learn to LEAD.

The acronym above is a really bad pun that you'll hear many times over the next two years, and if our class is anything to go by, some of you won't like the program very much. Full disclosure, I loved most of it! If you've decided that becoming an effective leader is important to you, LEAD is something you should take seriously, and so are the various other opportunities for student leadership at the GSB.



4. You can make a change and see it come alive.

I was surprised at the opportunities at the GSB to effect change. Through various student groups and as part of some amazing lab classes you will have the chance to make a difference.

They'll even let you take over a newspaper and run amok.



3. The lingo

You'll start regularly using words and phrases that you'd never seriously considered using before. I find that I'm "adding value" and "building social capital" much more now. Of course, that is only when "I have the bandwidth," and can "connect" with my "team members."



2. The way you think will fundamentally change.

To me this has been the most significant aspect of my MBA experience so far. I've been tremendously excited by the classes I've taken; classes that have opened my eyes to things that were right in front of them and had been ignored for ages. But there's something more: if I try to articulate this, I will mess it up. The best I'll be able to do is regurgitate the things that I've been told many times in the past. Of course, back then I couldn't help rolling my eyes just a little bit (just mentally, it's too creepy to do it physically). You've probably heard, and will continue to hear, a lot about a 'transformational effect' and preparing for 'moments of truth.' I believe that I've already experienced both at my time here and am a better person and professional for it, and that has perhaps been the most personally satisfying part of my five months here so far.



1. It won't all be fun, but it'll be worth it.

After getting called out by Career Services in an email (whom I should get around to profusely apologizing to, since I'll probably need to recruit in the Fall), I'm asking to get into trouble with Admissions now (but they let me in already, so…)

So, will you enjoy every single minute of your time here? Of course, not! If you're expecting to be handed the keys to 10-room mansion with wireless broadband, the biggest plasma screen TV in the world stuck on the roof with bed right underneath, next to which there is an unlimited supply of french fries (hey, each to his own fantasy!), you're going to be disappointed.

Anyone who tells you that every waking minute of their MBA experience was bliss (no matter where they go) is probably lying or didn't really do much. There will be classes that'll be hard and there'll be a study session that you'll not enjoy, there'll be an interview or two that you'll hate (actually make that many), but the fact that you're at the GSB will make these few and far between experiences well, well worth it!