Feet and words Facts and Myths painted on an asphalt road , Two Yellow Arrows Painted on Asphalt showing different directions
No one wants to be called a “nerd.” The caricature is a pop culture staple: Bullied and celibate, nerds are the outliers whose high IQs and technical wizardly are only matched by their stunted social skills and laughable bench presses. Decked out in bow ties, thick-rimmed glasses, and pocket protectors, the prototypical nerd has his nose pressed into a textbook (or a laptop), consumed with the abstract and oblivious to its applications.
But what do you know — these nerds grow up to be Mark Zuckerberg and Tina Fey. You know, the ones who amass fortunes and shape the way we all live and think.
MIT has a reputation for being “nerdy.” That probably makes sense. Flush with research dollars, MIT is a bastion for engineering and physical science, a pioneering force in robotics, genetics, and artificial intelligence. Naturally, people tag the Sloan School of Management as the MBA program for tech-driven, all-consumed prodigies. You’ll find Sloan students are happy to adopt the “nerdy” moniker – provided people know what “nerdy” really means.
“If ‘nerdy’ means that we are intellectually curious and passionate about what we do — then, absolutely,” says Faye Cheng, a Siebel Scholar, Bain recruit, and 2018 Best & Brightest MBA. “We like to have fun but that’s not how we spend all of our time. For most of us, the MBA is way more than a two-year vacation.”
MYTHS HIDE THE TRUE VALUE OF THE MBA EXPERIENCE
Like most programs, Sloan benefits from the myths surrounding it. Sloan is the tech school, no different than Kellogg being associated with marketing, Wharton with finance, or Stanford with entrepreneurship. In many ways, such myths serve as a compliment: a recognition of excellence in a particular field. At the same time, they often obscure a reality: most business schools are strong across the board. Slapping them with a certain stereotype simply diverts attention from more fascinating aspects of a program.
Take Sloan. Operating from a Mens et Manus (“Mind and Hand”) philosophy, Sloan leans heavily on experiential learning as a means to imagine, experiment and act. While it traditionally ranks among the top programs in “hard” areas like information systems, operations, and logistics, Sloan has also carved out world class programming in areas like finance, management, and entrepreneurship. Even more, it has emerged as a leader in team-based learning that prepares MBA for far more than the lonely and nerdy tasks of crunching data and drawing up models.
“Sloan has a reputation for being very tech-focused and quantitative,” Cheng admits. “While there is definitely expertise in this area, there is also a great range of training in “soft” skills. For example, Communications and Organizational Processes are part of the core curriculum that all MBAs have to take. We even have a class where students put on a Shakespeare play! MIT has a lot of diversity around methods and perspectives, and Sloan’s curriculum really reflects that.”
As part of the Best & Brightest MBAs program, Poets&Quants asked MBAs to share the myths or stereotypes about their business school – and address whether they are true or not. From cutthroat cultures to dull campus life, here are some of the biggest myths you’ll hear about your favorite MBA programs.
Myth: Everyone goes into tech or entrepreneurship.
Reality: “It’s true that there are many interested in technology (wait, who isn’t?), and that many of my classmates aspire to start their own companies, but even more pronounced for me has been the genuine excitement I’ve felt and seen from the community for every imaginable career path.”
Sarah Anne Hinkfuss, Stanford GSB
Myth: Tepper is a nerdy, engineer-focused school.
Reality: “While we do love analytics and benefit from many students who have heavy-quantitative backgrounds, we are much more than that. My classmates come from many different professions, ranging from music to finance to non-profit, which gives Tepper a diverse and well-rounded community. That said, we are all (proudly) nerdy about something.”
Emily Gennaula, Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)
Myth: Columbia has a very competitive culture.
Reality: “This could not be further from the truth. Both in the classroom and in recruiting, students are constantly working together and are always willing to help each other. I’ve found that the culture at CBS is incredibly collegial and supportive.”
Ryan Ripp, Columbia Business School
Myth: Babson is all about entrepreneurship.
Reality: “Entrepreneurship is not just about starting your own business. When I arrived to campus, I was expected to see classmates founding new businesses left and right, which hasn’t been the case. Instead, I’ve seen many more forms of entrepreneurship than I expected, including classmates running and growing family businesses; expanding businesses they had personally founded before grad school; working on the innovation team of large, Fortune 500 companies; or applying an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset to a social justice problem. Babson does an exceptional job of infusing an entrepreneurial perspective into every course you take so that you learn how to think like an entrepreneur across many contexts like finance, strategy, operations, and human capital.”
David James, Babson College (Olin)
Myth: IESE is (in)famous for its workload.
Reality: “Before I started my first day of the MBA, second year students told me that I would be extremely busy with 15 cases a week, team assignments, clubs, job searching, and networking events. My first month at IESE was exactly like that. Soon after realizing how unsustainable my life would be, I decided to design my MBA life based on my three goals – networking, learning, and soft skills. This is how I learned prioritization and giving things up. This is how, paradoxically, I elevated my MBA life to the maximum.”
Jieqiong Xu, IESE
Myth: Like other schools surrounded by rural areas, people think there isn’t much to do for fun in the Champaign-Urbana area.
Reality: “That is far from the truth. Due to our family-like environment, we are always finding ways to connect with each other in social settings. We have weekly tailgates during the football season, mug clubs to connect at the end of each week, onesie parties, BBQ’s, and much more. The Champaign downtown area has plenty of hidden gems, as it houses some vibrant bars and restaurants. Green Street is filled with some of your favorites such as Panda Express, Panera Bread, and Noodles and Company. In addition, there is a cultural element as Champaign is filled with Korean, Chinese, and Cajun restaurants that are sure to never leave your tongue bored. We’re a pretty fun bunch, take my word for it!”
Brandon Byers, University of Illinois (Gies)
Myth: Darden has a reputation for being incredibly challenging academically,
Reality: “Because of this, I was hesitant to take on too much as a student with a non-business background. I worried that I would get lost in the case method as peers with more experience would know the right answer and I would be left behind. While its true that Darden is rigorous, the case method allows for everyone to contribute. Different backgrounds offer new insights while the people with more subject-matter expertise are trained to communicate more effectively. I was worried that I wouldn’t succeed academically at Darden, but instead I found a classroom experience that I thrived in.”
Devin Underhill, University of Virginia (Darden)
Myth: CEIBS’ curriculum is censored with little focus on innovation.
Reality: “Different experience: The energy and innovation both on and off campus were amazing to experience and are testament to China’s evolving economy. Open discussion was promoted to debate pressing issues.”
Richard Higgs, CEIBS
Go to next page for myths about Wharton, INSEAD, Duke Fuqua, Yale SOM, and NYU Stern.
Myth: Wharton’s culture is cutthroat.
Reality: “I found the opposite to be true. My major career goal when coming to Wharton was to break into the technology industry as a product manager at one of the big tech companies. With no prior tech experience, I knew this was going to be challenging. Throughout my recruiting period, I received tremendous support from classmates and my advisors. I remember having coffee chats with multiple classmates who worked at major tech firms. These people invested hours into my success – even during their own peak recruiting seasons – all without asking for anything in return. Furthermore, I worked closely with Samuel Jones and Erica Marks, the Wharton career advisors specializing in technology, both of whom offered constant support and professional advice. Together with the Big Tech and the startup treks, Semester in San Francisco Program (SSF), Tech Club and more, I had all the resources I needed to land a job as a product manager at a major tech firm.”
Tomer Meir, Wharton School
Myth: Smith is a smaller school, so there are relatively fewer resources for MBA students.
Reality: “Absolutely false! There is an abundance of resources and opportunities to take advantage of at Smith. Through experiential learning to gain hands-on business experience, global business classes, or leadership in student clubs, there is something that meets all students’ needs and provide value beyond the classroom. I sometimes worried that if I didn’t participate in everything that I would be missing out. But I had to learn early to set goals and identify key skills to choose the best avenues to achieve my personal and professional goals.”
Erin Moore, University of Maryland (Smith)
Myth: The school is French.
Reality: “The school is so culturally diverse that even after having lived more than 17 years in France, whenever I arrive at INSEAD campus, I am in a new planet with no cultural boundaries, and such a unique diversity that I sometimes forget that I am in France.”
Fatoumata Sy, INSEAD
Myth: Being on campus in the middle of southern Indiana is the equivalent of being in the middle of nowhere and results in a severe lack of a social scene.
Reality: “While Bloomington is about an hour from the next major city (Indianapolis), there are abundant opportunities to engage socially. Whether it’s attending operas and stage plays at the IU Auditorium, seeing some of the best young musicians from the acclaimed Jacobs School of Music, or enjoying performances at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, I have been able to feed my passion for the performing arts. If you are more of an outdoors enthusiast, there are plenty of hiking and bike trails in addition to being able to go out on Lake Monroe and enjoy the late summer and spring weather. While it’s not Chicago, New York or Boston, Bloomington is definitely a hidden gem whose campus experience is what you make it.”
Tyler Whitsett, Indiana University (Kelley)
Myth: The “Team Fuqua” spirit isn’t real.
Reality: “We really believe in supporting one another, whether in school or outside of it. Whether it’s an open door policy by classmates for interview preparation, pep talks in the hallway, or just a warm smile, we care passionately about lifting as we climb. Beyond any one experience, Team Fuqua really means thinking more about others than about your own personal interests.”
Julian Gordon, Duke University (Fuqua)
Myth: Rice is the school for the energy industry.
Reality: “It is true that energy fits into Rice’s wheel house. If you want to be in energy, there is no place better. Rice also has strengths in finance, health care and entrepreneurship. The Rice campus is directly across the street from the largest medical facilities in the world, Texas Medical Center. Rice Business also touts a #2 national ranking in entrepreneurship lead by the Rice Alliance acting as a catalyst for launching successful tech ventures through education, mentoring and networking connections.”
Stuart Crockford, Rice University (Jones)
Myth: There is a lack of community given that students live across the city and there is no central campus that would keep them in the same location.
Reality: “Stern students are genuinely interested in getting to know each other and creating valuable professional and education experiences through clubs for our peers. A great example of this is Stern Speaks, a year-long speaker series where Stern students share their personal stories. It is always a packed room, and I have seen students organize their schedule to make sure they can attend each event. It is a testament to the strength of the Stern community.”
Mahum Yunus, New York University (Stern)
Myth: Saïd Business School is embedded within Oxford, so it must be an archaic place.
Reality: “You certainly get the ‘Harry Potter’ experience of formal dinners and exams in black capes, but on the whole, I have found the business school to be very connected with the wider world. When I look around me, in many ways I believe the school’s progressive bent is ahead of the times, and is a marker of where the global business community is headed.”
Elly Brown, University of Oxford (Saïd)
Myth: All Yalies go into non-profits and eschew consulting and finance.
Reality: “Although the Yale community never fails to amazing me how diverse, unique, and unbelievable interesting the people are, last year close to 60% of graduating students went into finance or consulting. While there’s a long fracture tail that trails after that, the allure of the consulting and finance is remarkably strong, even at Yale.”
Hosanna Odhner, Yale SOM
Go to next page for myths about Chicago Booth, Northwestern Kellogg, Cornell Johnson, and UCLA Anderson.
Myth: Booth isn’t for me because I come from a non-traditional background.
Reality: “Having prior experience as a child actor and talent manager, I felt as alternative and non-traditional as you can get. Anxiety flowed through me the first week of fall quarter, as I realized I would be taking accounting classes alongside CPAs, corporate finance classes alongside CFAs, and competitive strategy classes alongside sponsored consultants. My gut instinct was to conclude that I was going to be eaten alive; I had made a monumental mistake in matriculating, and that Booth “wasn’t for me.”
However, I would come to find out throughout my time at Booth that I could not have been more wrong, and this environment has led to one of the most enriching experiences in my life. The academic curriculum, discussion, and deliverables are structured to inspire group work and collaboration, and I’ve learned just as much from my peers in preparing our case analyses for the week as I have from lecture material – their personal and professional experiences relevant to the topic adds a robust dimension to course and class discussions. I’ve also learned the ways in which I can give back to my fellow students who have not had client facing experiences. The exchange of stories, ideas and lessons learned has been a huge asset.”
Jonathan Osser, University of Chicago (Booth)
Myth: There’s not much to do in Ithaca.
Reality: “Not only is there plenty to do in the area, but we also have full access to the larger Cornell community, which draws so much talent and activity. In the past two years, I have gone sailing on Cayuga Lake, (kind of) learned to ski, taken salsa classes, and signed up for a rock climbing class…to name a few. Ithaca has plenty of restaurants, festivals, hiking trails, performances, and more to keep anyone busy.”
Lucie Coates, Cornell University (Johnson)
Reality: “Ithaca is boring — total lie. No, you will not stay out all night raging at a club, but you will hike the trails, go to Johnson on Tap or Wine Club; make very solid truly personal connections through the seemingly endless dinner partiesl get involved with various clubs; swim Cayuga Lake; and take advantage of the local wineries. No matter where you study, MBA programs are notorious for the “FOMO” — fear of missing out — that they create. Johnson is no different; trust me.”
Nicklaos De Maria, Cornell University (Johnson)
Myth: I think there’s a myth that UNC Kenan-Flagler is a regional school, both in terms of where students come from and which companies we join post-MBA.
Reality: “Native North Carolinians like me are actually quite rare! I’ve really enjoyed that a third of my classmates are from outside the U.S. and the rest are from all over the country. While many UNC Kenan-Flagler students do choose to stay in the Southeast, we also place a huge number of students on the West Coast and in the Northeast. I’m excited to have friends to visit from Seattle to Indianapolis to Austin!”
Catie Venable, University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)
Myth: Kellogg isn’t an incredible place to pursue entrepreneurship.
Reality: “Kellogg has the best “resource-to-competition” ratio of the top MBA programs, and its programming is tailored to the needs of the next generation of entrepreneurs. From the Growth and Scaling Program (headed by Karin O’Connor) that is leading the evolution in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA), to the Sales Institute (headed by Craig Wortmann), Kellogg is providing real-world opportunities and tactical, applicable skills (like the fundamentals of selling and how to manage a sales team) that entrepreneurs and small business owners must learn to be successful.”
Carr Lanphier, Northwestern University (Kellogg)
Myth: Scheller is only for people with STEM backgrounds.
Reality: “That is totally not true. So many of my classmates come from outside STEM. Some were former teachers or even singers! The curriculum was developed to help people become more versed on the effect of technology on business; Scheller doesn’t require an understanding of this before you apply.”
Declan Nishiyama, Georgia Tech (Scheller)
Myth: Anderson’s collaborative mindset to a touchy feely environment that was not conducive to hard work or success.
Reality: “It’s interesting to see how wrong these people were. Though our share success culture can be quite touchy feely at times, from intimate fireside chats to weekly meditation sessions with our peers, it is this exact intimacy that places UCLA Anderson a notch above the rest. My success can be directly attributed to the personal relationships and connections I made with first years, second years, and UCLA administration. If you walk into our career center, every advisor will know your name, not just the one that was assigned to. Every administrator makes an effort to not only know you, but your story, your goals, and your progress. And I’ll take a moment now to even add some touchy feely to this and shout out to my amazing advisor, Regina Regazzi, without whom I would in no way have been as successful during my MBA career—a stalwart entity for all of us through thick and thin. I will forever be thankful for the help and advice she shared with all of us.”
Melody Akbari, UCLA (Anderson)
Myth: Rotman’s reputation is a finance school.
Reality: “People have been trying to dispel this myth for years now, but this one seems to stick for no real reason. The school has dozens of active industry clubs, strong recruiting opportunities in marketing, consulting, tech, operations, and even the startup world, and there are plenty of electives to choose from no matter where your interest lies.”
Varun Chandak, University of Toronto (Rotman)
Myth: Competition always takes a backseat to our “famously friendly” culture.
Reality: “While this has been the most collaborative environment I have ever been a part of, I can honestly say that after participating in three case competitions my first semester, the spirit of competition here is alive and well. We are unique in that we bring together highly intelligent, driven, and competitive people. Yet, at the end of the day, we still remember that we’re all part of the same community.”
Joseph Martin, University of Texas (McCombs)
Go to next page for myths about Northwestern Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Dartmouth Tuck, U.C.-Berkeley Haas, and Virginia Darden.
Myth: You should only go to Kellogg if you are interested in marketing.
Reality: “I have had some wonderful marketing classes. Truthfully, I have found my entrepreneurial courses and finance classes to be some of my favorite classes at school. The Kellogg finance department is rich with exceptional professors and courses; I even found myself in a Capital Markets elective and am currently in a thought leadership Finance class. Old reputations die hard, and Kellogg has an excellent Marketing program, but it doesn’t get credit for the robust offerings in their finance and entrepreneurial pathways.”
Kathryn Bernell, Northwestern University (Kellogg)
Myth: There are a lot of engineers at MIT Sloan.
Reality: “Yes, engineering is the most represented background (about a third of the class). Frankly, coming from a non-engineer, we’re all the better for it. Being here, you quickly recognize that “engineering” is a broad category and is significantly more diverse than traditional business backgrounds (given the typical 3-5 year prior work experience of “feeder” industries, such as consulting and banking). Additionally, in-class discussions often have more depth as we are able to go beyond hypotheses solely reliant on “strategy” and include the realities from our peers’ practical experiences.”
Jason Liu, MIT (Sloan)
Myth: South Bend, Indiana pales in comparison to other cities with MBA programs.
Reality: “While it lacks the glamour of Chicago (my hometown, which is only 1.5 hours away) or New York City (where I lived pre-business school), the more rural and small-town vibe naturally brings the class together, which is an overlooked benefit of business school. Before classes started, I expected to regularly travel home, but I’ve spent almost all my weekends in South Bend (and at the Linebacker Lounge!).”
Alex Prosperi, Notre Dame University (Mendoza)
Myth: That being in Hanover, NH, somehow disadvantages you.
Reality: “I think it’s the opposite. Being in Hanover makes the Tuck network as strong as it is. It amplifies the connections, interactions, and bonds that you develop here.”
Sravya Yeleswarapu, Dartmouth College (Tuck)
Myth: Haas is built on the Defining Principles.
Reality: “These are no myth. In particular, “Question the Status Quo” and “Beyond Yourself” have defined my experience here. Every day, I see students who have decided, “This needs fixing” (whether it’s food systems, Bay Area housing stock, or the lack of tampon machines in the Berkeley bathrooms) and then, without a beat, rolled their sleeves up and started working towards a solution. They are just as motivated by their desire to dream up innovative solutions as they are by their commitment to making the world better to those around them.”
Liz Koenig, University of California-Berkeley (Haas)
Myth: Marshall Trojans are almost cult-like.
Reality: It is true that Trojans will go out of their way to support another Trojan in personal and professional need. However, I quickly noticed during many external networking events that Marshall students also willingly and happily open ourselves up to other MBA programs. Many of our student-led organizations host cross-program networking events because we understand that we will eventually all leave the Marshall walls to work alongside other MBAs. These events help us get to learn more about our future co-workers and expand our viewpoints on the overarching MBA experience. Because, in the end, we are all striving to grow and improve our various industries of interest and we do so through diversity of thought, experience, and backgrounds of all kinds.”
Darlene Zephyrine, USC (Marshall)
Myth: A small class size can limit certain recruiting opportunities.
Reality: “For the MBA programs with larger classes, there are obviously going to be more tried-and-true recruiting funnels with major companies. However, Owen’s size (fewer than 200 students per class) does not prevent any particular career outcome from occurring. Owen may have slightly fewer companies coming to campus than its larger peers, but I’ve seen countless classmates carve out paths to dream careers, even if their company didn’t have a huge recruiting pipeline at Owen. The Career Management Center and a supportive and increasingly expansive alumni network can more than offset any limitations the class size introduces.”
Bennet Hayes, Vanderbilt University (Owen)
Myth: Darden is not considered a quant-heavy school.
Reality: “Naturally, I don’t have a good data point from any other school, but I do believe that Darden is just as quantitatively rigorous as any other top MBA program. The case method lends itself to such broad discussions that we may not always be in weeds of the most complicated spreadsheets, but we use our “stealth-quant” skills to drive managerial insights across subjects. While we certainly develop robust analytical skills, Darden places a lot of emphasis on being comfortable with ambiguity and working with imperfect data. My favorite example of the use of quantitative analysis in a larger context comes from a joint case we did last year between ethics and finance – a pretty unusual combination, I’d say.”
Ilja Orre, University of Virginia (Darden)
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