Chicago GSB

The University of Chicago has a lot to boast about. For starters, it's the first b-school whose faculty has included five Nobel laureates. Merton Miller, winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize in Economics and Robert Fogel, winner of the same in 1993, currently teach in Chicago's MBA program. It's also the first to publish a scholarly business journal and to initiate a Ph.D. program. But the nation's second-oldest b-school hasn't chosen to rest on its laurels. As one student put it, "This school is continuously trying to improve itself. There are so many innovative opportunities here." Chief among them is LEAD, a mandatory leadership program that students - not faculty - run each year. Another first for Chicago: Among b-schools, LEAD pioneered the emphasis on leadership, interpersonal and multicultural programs, and learning by doing. Unsurprisingly, Chicago students give themselves high marks for their interpersonal skills (unique to a "quant" school) and tell us minorities and women are more than comfortable here. Students declare the curriculum "the single most flexible around." Beyond the required LEAD program, students can pick and choose from a variety of courses to satisfy Chicago's core requirements, and students aren't required to repeat work they have mastered elsewhere. "There's no hand holding here, and there's a lot of freedom," commented one student, "which is great for students who know what they want'. The newest addition to Chicago is the International MBA, which, according to the school, "builds truly global management skills by giving people substantial knowledge of the culture and language of a foreign country." Students can also participate in Chicago's Laboratory in New Product and Strategy Development, acting as consultants to major corporations.
Chicago is best known for its economics and finance departments and is considered "numbers-heavy." But a majority of Chicago MBAs told us "it's much more than a quant school." Though students rate their quant and finance skills a excellent, they also consider themselves to have strong accounting, teamwork, and communication skills. "The excellent academics at Chicago have given me all the tools I need for the business worked," wrote one MBA. They also feel terrific about Chicago's faculty, whom they consider passionate, accessible teachers. "Where else can you take classes with Nobel Prize winners both current and future!" exclaimed one student. Another MBA declared, "I would pit my instructors against any other faculty in the nation, bar none." Chicago administration has responded to some prior student complaints about facilities and administration. They recently completed an extensive renovation on classrooms and student areas and have announced plans to construct a new student building. The MBA program recently added some new administrative positions to provide a higher level of service to students. One complaint we did hear from students is about the inordinate focus on the job search. "It begins on Day Number 1," griped on student, "classes just come second."