Armyoftim:
Culture: Kelley is very collaborative and not cutthroat at all. That isn't to say it isn't competitive. Because of the first semester Core*, you will find that you have many strong points but may have to look to classmates for assistance with your weak points. Everyone is willing to team up and collaborate and help each other out.
Kelley does care about your well-being. We had a classmate who had to miss a class for a very personal reason; one of the students' team members told the professor, who told the Core coordinator, who had the MBA office send a very nice message to the student expressing consideration and understanding. These little things speak a lot about the Kelley culture.
My campus visit consisted of a class visit, and information session, lunch with 2nd years, and a tour of the Kelley school. I was lined up to sit in on a Negotiations class, but a 2nd year overheard me inquiring about sitting in on a Finance class to the MBA office. He immediately said, "I'm going to [Finance class] - he can come with me." The 2nd years I had lunch with and those that gave me a tour of the building were very candid when I asked questions. Everyone I spoke to was very honest about their experiences and did not feel the need to hide anything. I never felt like anyone was trying to sell me anything - I realized after talking to Faculty, Staff, Alum, and 2nd years that they all had certain inimitable qualities that reflected the values of the Kelley School of Business.
There are also a lot of opportunities for career coaching, mock interviews, etc. Something unique that Kelley does is keep their class sizes small - the class of 2012 is only about 210 students. This means more attention for students from faculty (you'd be surprised how many faculty members will give you their personal phone numbers!), Academy** Directors, and career coaches. I have spoken with classmates who were admitted to Darden, Fuqua, Ross, Cornell, and other coveted programs, but chose Kelley because, "[They] didn't feel like [those schools] cared about [them]." There are a lot of opportunities to have fun (intramurals, designated bars, other MBA events), too, and with the small class size, you will leave Bloomington as a very tightly-knit group.
As for the building, it's pretty nice. There's a ton of key-card access only breakout rooms, a lounge downstairs, a natural-light filled atrium, a corporate innovation center, and a trading room with Bloomberg terminals, a ticker, and tons of financial research resources.
Orientation: Orientation was no joke. The week before Orientation consists of optional "Jumpstart" courses. These are typically designed for students with no business background or those who have been out of school for a while. They never hurt to take, however, to refine your skills and get a head start on meeting your classmates. The courses include: Finance, Accounting, Basic Excel, and Advanced Excel.
The first week of Orientation consists of presentations by the Dean, Graduate Career Services Director, Core Coordinator, and the Chair of the MBA program; Academy presentations; and panels with second years. There is also a day-long, outdoor team building activity where you get your first opportunity to work with your Core team.
The week rounds out with a Case Competition and two rounds of presentations.
The second week consisted of approximately 12-13 hour days. This is a relatively new, evolving initiative called Me, Inc. It deals with telling your story, personal branding, networking, and company research. Week 2 rounds out with an Induction Ceremony and a Reception.
Bloomington: Bloomington is a true college town! 40,000 out of its 70,000 residents are Indiana University students. There is great athletic tradition (football tailgates and basketball!), tons of international restaurants, a gorgeous campus, and a vibrant social life. I advise making the effort to explore and discover the campus. You'll find tons of interesting trivia:
-The Dalai Lama's brother owns a Tibetan restaurant in Bloomington
-There is a copy of a Gutenburg Bible at the Lily Library
-The Art Museum has no right angles
-The Kinsey Institute has one of the largest collections of pornography in the world
-More languages are offered here than any other U.S. school; you can even design your own major - I met someone who majored in Hip-Hop!
-It goes on, but I can't give too much away.
If you can squeeze out enough time during your MBA for some entertainment, you won't be disappointed. Here are some artists/celebrities that have performed/spoke/appeared at Indiana University in the last few years:
James Brown (just before he passed away)
Widespread Panic
Incubus
Bone Thugs and Harmony
Blackalicious
Members of Phish
Members of the Allman Brothers Band
Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Damian and Stephen Marley
Snoop Dogg
The Roots
George Clinton
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds
The Flaming Lips
Lupe Fiasco
Vampire Weekend
Rob Riggle
Ann Coulter
Bill Clinton
Hillary Clinton
Kal Penn
Jeremy Piven
Lance Armstrong
Barack Obama
Blue Man Group
Stomp
Bill Cosby
David Sedaris
Dave Chapelle
David Spade
David Copperfield
Tons of Broadway shows
Last edited by
salmaan on Sat Sep 18, 2010 4:25 pm, edited 8 times in total.
Salmaan
MBA Student at Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
