MBA Student Life

Hi there,

I think certainly the caliber of the education regarding the high tech industry is very strong at Kellogg as well as the other schools you mentioned. I can't speak particularly to the part-time programs since I didn't investigate that option when I was applying to school but I can share my overall thoughts. Speaking specifically for Kellogg, we have a number of classes focusing on technology as well as extracurricular activities. For example, there is a popular Tech Marketing class that is taught by a professor that has consulted for many of the big high tech firms like Microsoft and others. Personally I am part of the MMM program at Kellogg, which is a dual MBA and Masters of Engineering Management (through the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern). The MEM side focuses on design and operations, which can certainly be applied to different industries but I felt those functions would certainly be a good foundation for my interest in high tech.

The High Tech Club, similar to other industry clubs at Kellogg, offers ways to learn about the industry as well as prepare for recruiting. The club puts on events like bringing in a variety of speakers, and we recently kicked off the 1st year interview prep groups for this year. These are groups of 4-5 1st years that are interested in the same industry (in this case, high tech) that are paired with a 2nd year who interviewed for that industry the previous year. The interview prep groups (IPGs) are ways that students can share industry trends, company research, and practice interviewing together. The club has also put together a wiki where students share notes of their experiences interviewing with and interning at different tech companies, as well as general news or trends within the industry.

Independent from the High Tech Club (but they partner closely), there are other high tech focused activities at Kellogg such as the High Tech Trek and Kellogg Technology Conference. Students organize a number of industry-specific treks where they will visit with a series of companies. For example, the Bay Area High Tech Trek will be taking place in a couple of weeks during our winter break. A group of 5 1st year students have set up 3 days of visits with various high tech firms in the bay area. In these visits, we learn more about the companies and get to ask our questions of employees, often Kellogg alumni. It's a great opportunity to not only visit the companies and learn more, but also express your interest for the industry/company through your participation. The Technology Conference takes place for one day in the spring and again is a very student-driven activity (students arrange industry speakers, company sponsors, manage logistics, etc.). This year will be the 16th year of the conference and the theme is the challenges of monetizing emerging technologies.

So I think overall Kellogg has no lack of resources to help you learn about the high tech industry and recruit for a job in the field. I think where Kellogg has a larger challenge compared to schools on the west coast is in on-campus recruiting for high tech firms. The large firms like Microsoft, Apple, Sony, Dell, RIM, Adobe, Amazon, Intel, etc. do come here for company presentations or networking nights, and often on-campus recruiting - but obviously firms in the bay area are more likely to visit the local schools. So there are some large firms that choose not to come on campus, and as you might expect, certainly many of the smaller firms don't come to campus either. However, I do want to be clear that many of these companies still very much appreciate Kellogg MBAs and hire them for internships and full-time positions, just more within off-campus recruiting. (Kellogg is still a top business school with considerable name recognition.) So this means more of applying on company websites versus the school career management system and likely phone interviews for first rounds. (It also means that learning about the company may be more up to you since they are not doing a company presentation on campus, so that's where events like the treks can really help out.) It's also worth noting that roughly 9% of each graduating class in the past few years has gone into the high tech industry, in a variety of functions, and there is a strong Kellogg alumni network at many of the major firms. High Tech is not one of the big two career paths from b school (e.g. consulting or investment banking) but there is still a strong community within Kellogg, and it's growing.

I'll probably have more to add once I get more into the recruiting process myself - which is going to ramp up pretty soon - but feel free to ask any additional questions you have!

Wow thanks (and thanks to futuremba for asking more of my questions ) for the detailed response! Based on my research I had a general idea of the quality of the program but it really helps me to understand it from your point of view.

Thank you for your detailed comments and thoughts Angela.

Regards.

Hello,

Really appreciate the great insight you are sharing with us. I had three specific queries -

I wanted to know- apprx what % of your batch hails from traditional industries ( Industrial goods, automotives, Oil and Gas etc) !

Does Kellogg/ Northwest Univ allow spouses to take/audit some courses and if there are any employment avenues for partner within and outside the university on part time basis ?

Typically do international students gets any need based scholarships in 1st or 2nd year of the program.

Thank You,
Nitin

Hey Nitin,

Actually the answers to all your questions are available on the Kellogg website (www.kellogg.northwestern.edu). There are statistics on the entering class of 2009 (e.g. my year). It doesn't break down the industries to the level of detail that you indicated but will give you a general idea.

Kellogg allows significant others of students to audit classes -- and many are even involved in extracurricular activities at Kellogg. "Joint Ventures" (or "JVs") is our name for the significant others. On the Kellogg website, if you click on the "Beyond the classroom" link there is info for spouses & partners -- and it can get you connected with the JV group. (They offer career resources as well.)

There is also information about the different types of scholarships available. If you have specific questions beyond what is on the website regarding the scholarships, I would contact the admissions office directly.

Hope that helps -- thanks! Let me know if you have trouble finding the information and maybe I can post the direct links here.

--Angela

Angela-

You may not know the answer to this, but it's a point that has been nagging at me a little bit. I am applying for the two year MBA program (not MMM) and I want to go into marketing and product management for a high-tech company. Do you think me applying for the MBA program and not MMM might raise red flags among the adcom?

Hi Brian,

I wouldn't worry about that at all -- there are plenty of folks interested in high tech that are not in MMM

--Angela

Ah Angela you're too quick to the keyboard! I forgot about the "no asking about admissions in this thread" rule and came to delete my post.

I am glad to hear that though Thanks for the quick reply.

Hi Angela -

I've been on the fence about the MMM program for a while. My pre-MBA career has centered around software development and IT systems integration, and post-MBA I plan to pursue more of a marketing and strategy role (product management, etc.). My core area of interest would be web-based products, but the close ties with and logical extension to hardware products make the MMM program appealing to me.

Are there integration projects available across different industries, and do the students have a choice in that matter? If I had the choice to, for example, work on a project with the likes of Apple, Dell, etc., that would be of great interest to me, but other projects might not fit my interests. What types of projects have you seen?

Thanks!

Hi there,

I can't speak from personal experience since I haven't done my integration project yet (it happens during your second year) but I was able to get a list of potential projects for this year:

- Abbott Labs: determine actionable design inputs for future improvements in a handheld blood analyzer device
- Academy for Urban School Leadership: analyze and improve a variety of operational issues
- John Deere: analyze and develop recommendations for supply chain & suppliers regarding sustainability
- Emerson: supply chain & inventory optimization projects
- General Motors: energy challenges in automotive manufacturing; key business and technical drivers to make advanced electric motor manufacturing economically viable
- Northwest Community Hospital: design new space for a laboratory & high level implementation plan
- SAB-Miller Coors Brewing: determine optimal SKU portfolio
- Harley Davidson Motor Company: review & revamp dealership incentive system

As you can see, there are a variety of industries as well as different functional areas (e.g. some are more design-focused, some more on operations, some even have elements of marketing). Students do have input in the project process, and of course it also depends on which companies participate. I would also keep in mind that a lot of what you learn would likely be applicable to other industries, even if you don't get a project specifically in the industry you're pursuing. In addition, outside of MMM, Kellogg offers other ways to get practical experience (e.g. labs, case competitions, consulting projects with companies, etc.).

Hope that helps!

--Angela

Hi Angela,

Thanks for your valuable inputs.

Some people I was discussing the programs with, had this doubt that the MMM program may not be as well known as the normal 2Y MBA. So you might need to sell your MMM degree every time, unlike the normal MBA degree which is well known throughout the world.
I would like to get your perspective on this. Basically, does the MMM course hold the same value as the 2Y MBA program?

Also, to a recruiter who comes to the school to recruit MBAs, what is the difference between the MBAs and the MMMs?

Regards,
kkube

Hi there,

Just to clarify, the MMM program does give you an MBA degree from Kellogg. You also receive a Master of Engineering Management (MEM) degree from the McCormick School of Engineering.

I certainly think the MMM program has as much value as the "regular" 2Y program, but I do think it's not the right program for everyone. You are still very much a part of the Kellogg community -- most of the time other students can't tell who is in MMM and who isn't. You take part in the same orientation and same activities, and you can take the same classes. Some of the requirements are different but you have the same access to courses as Kellogg students, you just also have courses from the McCormick side that you can take. (Some of these courses are also open to Kellogg students). Personally, I feel like the MMM program gives you the Kellogg experience as well as a smaller community within the MMM program. That being said, I think the program is designed for students wanting to focus on design and/or operations, in addition to the business skills that Kellogg provides -- so whether or not to join the program does depend on what you are pursuing after business school and how you think the MMM program will or won't help you get there. I think the case can be made for a variety of career paths, but it depends on each person.

From a recruiting perspective, you still have a Kellogg MBA so again, I think it's more about your story about why you chose the MMM program in addition and how you think it applies to what you are pursuing. This is my personal opinion, but I don't think an employer would reject you solely because you have the additional MEM degree - but they may ask you about it if it doesn't seem relevant.

Does that help? Thanks!

--Angela

Wow - very helpful advice there Angela, thanks so much.

Hello, I am interested in learning more about Kellogg. I have several questions:

1) What attracted you to Kellogg first over other top-tier schools?
2) Does Kellogg have any industry mentoring program to get real world exposure to various careers within your academic specializations?
3) What strategy and financial consulting initiatives exist where you can get hands-on experience?
4) What's your favorite class so far and why?
5) For those interested in a career in finance or even Wall Street, how do you deal with recruiting at a distance from Chicago or New York, the typical major financial hubs? (Yes, I know there is a downtown campus in Chicago, but the main campus is in Evanston, an hour away)
6) When is the best time to visit campus? Is the summer time before Round 1 applications a good time?

Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

I will do my best to answer your questions but I am pursuing a career in the high tech industry, so I'm afraid I don't have personal experience with some of the resources in paths you asked about.

1) There are a lot of reasons but I think if I had to call out the major factors: First and foremost, it was the people. I think any of the top business schools will give you a great education and network, so I think it comes down to what culture is the best fit for you. In talking to current students and alumni, everyone I talked to from Kellogg was really enthusiastic about their experience there, and I wanted to be in a place where people were genuinely excited to be there. Kellogg is known for its collaborative culture, and it's very true. Students are open to getting to know each other, really involved in the community at Kellogg, and always willing to help one another. There are a bunch of different clubs and activities to get involved in, and pretty much everyone is involved in something (if not multiple things). I've reached out to students I didn't know who had interned at companies I was interested in, and everyone was really helpful and honest in answering my questions. I've also had similar experiences reaching out to alumni. Even for things like recruiting, where you could imagine students being competitive, we help each other -- there are interview prep groups where students get together to prepare.
I would say the next big thing for me was the MMM program, which seemed like a unique offering and a good fit for what I want to do after business school.

2) There are different avenues for getting exposure to various careers. There is a general alumni mentoring program, where you get paired up with an alum based on your professional interests. You are also able to set up informational interviews with alumni per the alumni database - so you can seek out those in roles or companies you're specifically interested in. I would also not discount the wealth of knowledge among your fellow students - everyone comes from a wide variety of careers so you have easy access to people who have come from the field you want to enter. Many of the industry specific clubs will also provide overviews of career paths as well as bring in industry speakers to talk about careers, companies, and trends in the industry.

3) I am not pursuing strategy or financial consulting so I can't speak from personal experience, but Kellogg has a few different resources. If you go to the Kellogg website, there is a section under Academics called Experiential Learning which discusses ways to get hands-on experience through classes, competitions, or other programs. There are a number of different classes called "labs" in which students will do a project for a client in a specific industry, with support from a faculty member. Many of the "regular" Kellogg courses also have components of client work for real companies. For example, I'm currently taking Technology Marketing and Research Methods in Marketing, and both of those classes have projects that entail you finding an outside client and doing a project for them.

4) I'll tell you my two favorite classes so far and why. The first is Technology Marketing and I like the class because a) it's relevant to what I'm interested in after business school and b) the professor is really good. And by good, I mean the professor has a lot of industry experience (he consults for a lot of major companies in the industry) and he's a great speaker so he keeps the class engaging. The course covers a variety of cases in the tech industry, and you also do a project with a real company so you get hands-on experience as well.
The second is Advertising Strategy, which I enjoy because again, the professor is really good, and the class is really interesting, even though I may not do anything related to advertising in my future career. In the class we learn the strategic frameworks and considerations when developing advertising, and we learn how to critique strategies and executions. I think it's a testament to the classes and the professors at Kellogg that you can really enjoy and get engaged in classes that are not very related to what you plan to do career-wise.

5) Again I can't speak to this personally since I haven't recruited for those paths, but it's a similar question to one I've gotten about the distance factor between Kellogg and the high tech industry being concentrated on the West Coast. Kellogg is a well-known enough school that all the major companies across industries will likely recruit here. The distance may mean that you're doing more phone interviews or have to travel to be on site, but I don't think you're at a disadvantage in terms of whether or not they will consider Kellogg students. A great resource for you to reach out to would be the different industry-specific clubs. You can access the club websites from the Kellogg website, and from there you can contact the clubs to reach students who have personally pursued those paths and can speak better to their own recruiting experience. The Kellogg website also has an employment report so you can see the specific companies where students are going for internships or full time jobs.

6) I don't think there's necessarily a good or bad time to visit campus - it probably depends moreso on what you want to learn and how that fits in timing-wise to your application plans. I would suggest that coming during the school year may be better if you want to be able to sit in on classes or speak to current students. The Kellogg website has a lot of information on what kinds of events you can partake in when you visit, and you can also contact the admissions office if you have specific questions.

Hope that helps!

--Angela