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December 31, 2007
R&R&R&R
This winter break has treated me exceptionally well. I’ve hung out with my family and friends from high school and college, and gotten lots of the 4 R’s: rest, relax, read, and run. There’s still a few more days before the start of Winter A, so I’m taking full advantage of not having to wake up before noon.
I’ve also spent some of the down time preparing for the impending interview season – hopefully I’ll have some interviews! I’m slightly nervous and excited – I feel like I’ve done my due diligence so we’ll see what happens.
The MAP list was released last week and there are some awesome projects. I’m really hoping to get one in Europe and in the healthcare industry, but the process is out of my control, aside from my ranking of my top 10 choices.
My Winter A courses will be predominantly quantitative: Management Accounting, Valuations, Operations, and maybe World Economy. I’m applying to do a 3-week exchange program in Germany, which will be another great experience, according to alum and MBA2’s, and they haven’t led me astray yet.
Happy New Year, and Good luck with those Round 2 applications!
Highlights:
- Seeing family and friends
- Getting those 4 R’s in
Lowlights:
- None – it’s winter break!
Things I’m looking forward to:
- Interviewing, or rather, being finished with the interviews
- Winter A core classes with my section mates and electives with other sections
- Finding out my MAP assignment
Posted by amyhuang at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2007
My First Semester at Ross
Well I just finished my first semester at b-school. Looking back I am still amazed that I took 8 classes in 14 weeks! However, I must say that I learned a ton in my classes. The completion of the first semester has really made me further realize that I am extremely happy with my decision to come to Ross. This experience has been enriching for me and I have learned so much academically, personally, and professionally. I don’t think that I went wrong with deciding to come here. Finals have come and gone and grades are starting to come out already. Things are looking good for far.
I will be spending my break in Atlanta visiting family and friends. I am going to try to relax as much as I can over the break and also start prepping for my interviews in January. But mostly I will be having fun and chilling out.
I know that second round deadlines are coming close. So I wish you all the best in preparing your applications. Have a great holiday and I will be back in January to start blogging about my second semester.
Posted by alantria at 09:03 PM | Comments (0)
December 17, 2007
The End of Fall B
I can’t believe the second quarter has already ended, it was quite a blur this past week with finals and recruiting events. I finished up exams on Saturday, so for the past couple of days I've mostly been laying low with friends, catching up on sleep, and cleaning up a cluttered email inbox. We got about a foot of snow over the weekend, so it has definitely been good indoor weather.
Some highlights from the past few weeks:
Recruiting is really picking up, and there are a couple of cool experiences that I wanted to highlight just to give a sense of the types of things you can expect as a 1st year MBA hunting for an internship. Companies offer students opportunities to apply for a “day in the life” visit to one of their offices around the country. I know students who went out to New York to visit financial services companies, one of my roommates went to the West Coast to meet with some marketing executives, and I even heard about a group of lucky students who got flown to and from Ann Arbor via a corporate jet – they took pictures on the plane, so I’m confident this actually happened.
As far as academics, we registered for Winter A courses and there is some flexibility in scheduling next term, since we only have two core classes (Management Accounting and Operations Management). Most students take either three or four total - I will probably stick to three classes, with Valuation rounding out the two core courses.
Towards the end of this week, we will find out what the options are for MAP this year and then begin to decide which ones we’d like to bid on (learn more about MAP here http://www.bus.umich.edu/MAP/ProspectiveStudents.htm). I’m really hoping to do an international MAP, but it is not guaranteed that I’ll get one. About 50% of the class gets sent on international projects, and they are always very popular, so we’ll see what happens.
I imagine that if you are reading this, you are probably in the thick of the application process. Thinking back on last year, I remember that it was not exactly the most relaxing Christmas and New Year’s for me (I applied in Round 2), but the end is definitely in sight. Good luck to all finishing up apps, and Happy Holidays!
Posted by leahyt at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2007
Finals week
I just want to drop a quick "Thank You" for those who've emailed me with comments and follow-up questions on my blog.
Several of you have inquired about the transition to b-school, especially from a non-traditional background. While it hasn't been 100% stress-free, it really hasn't been that hard. Everyone is coming from different backgrounds, so we're kind of all in the same boat in that respect. I've really focused on leveraging my skills that I'm confident about, and then really capitalizing on the collegiality of my classmates to fill in the gaps.
It’s finals week, so deadlines are everywhere. I’m pretty excited about finishing up and then having some stretch of time to relax.
Good luck to those of you who are wrapping up the round 2 applications!
Posted by amyhuang at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2007
End of the line!
We are in the last week of Fall B! We have classes on Monday and Tuesday then finals the rest of the week. Looking back, the academics this semester were less intense than Fall A, but the time devoted to recruiting and other activities was much more. The recruiting process got intense with corporate presentations, happy hours, dinners, etc. But I know that next semester is going to be even more extreme with interviews. We all cannot wait until we know where we are going for the Summer and can relax about the job stuff. Everyone is being supportive of each other though and helping with mock interviews, cases, and general preparation.
I plan on using time away from school during Winter Break to chill out a little. I am splitting time between Vermont, upstate New York, and New York City. I know that it is going to be a lot of traveling around, but I want to see all the friends and family that I can during break. I might try and do some company visits, but the main focus of the time is going to be having fun.
I am seeing more and more prospective students around Ross the last few weeks. I remember being in that position just last year! I know the application process is stressful and I devoted a lot of time to preparing for the GMAT, writing essays, and speaking with the individuals writing recommendations for me. But I want to say that looking back at Fall A and Fall B that is all worth it! I am positioning myself for a future career that is going to be more in line with where I want to go with my life and the people that I have met along the way are the best. I hope this motivates you all to keep working at the application. Best of luck!
Posted by cmkohl at 05:36 PM | Comments (0)
December 08, 2007
Case interviews...
The Case Competitions
Hello everyone! Recruiting activities are definitely under way here at Ross and everyone seems to be scrambling, or almost everyone. Since I am part of the Tauber Institute, we have a little different experience when it comes to our summer internship. Once admitted to the program, we are guaranteed a spot on one of about 20 projects which various companies sponsor. In early January, these companies will come to Michigan to present each of their projects, which we will then rank. Once we have seen all the projects and decided which ones we like, we select 5 to interview with. According to our program managers, about 75%-80% of students get their 1-2 choices. Although typically no consulting firms sponsor summer projects (for several reasons… If you’re interested in knowing more about this e-mail me) most projects are consulting type in scope and nature.
In getting ready for the interview process I have started to practice some case interviews with classmates from the Consulting Club. Also, I have participated in a few case competitions, being a finalist in the last one. Doing these cases has actually improved my overall learning experience since I try to apply as many concepts seen in class to these “real” scenarios. After working on my last case competition, I realized that a lot of the concepts in our case followed the finance core class and I feel that the class concepts are a lot clearer since I was able to put them in practice on a real valuation. The other benefit that I found in practicing the case interview with colleagues is how much better you get to know them and how effective their feedback can be (both positive and negative). I believe that I am definitely getting better and so much practice has started to change the way I look at problems. Before coming to Ross, I suppose I was using some sort of “framework” to solve my problems, but it was no where near as focused and effective as it is today. I truly believe that I am starting to look at most problems with a different lens, even family issues (like picking where to go for Christmas, with the in-laws or with my family). I plan to continue with the case interviews and practice interviews so that come next year I am prepared for full-time interviewing.
This sort of leads me to my next point about teams and competitions. I can not over-emphasize how important diversity is in these teams. Having people with different backgrounds makes the team a whole lot stronger, although sometimes a little harder to work with since they are “different” from you and look at solutions differently. Now, imagine what would happen if you formed a team of 400 people, all with unique and interesting backgrounds. What you get is our MBA class.
Posted by jolaiz at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2007
T'was the week before finals...
Only two more days of classes left, which is slightly bittersweet. Marketing with Professor Nordhielm has been an amazing class for me, and I’m just hoping that my marketing electives are similarly excellent. Another class that I’ve really enjoyed is Finance, so I’m looking forward to taking Valuations next term in Winter A, which will be a whirlwind of recruitment interviews, MAP project preparations, and three quantitative courses (Valuations, Management Accounting, and Operations.)
In retrospect, this term was definitely more challenging than Fall A, due to the increase in team projects and assignments. Finding common hours among a group of MBA’s together is no easy feat. I’ve definitely learned more about my classmates and about working with teams. Some people continue to surprise me with their work ethic, their insights, and the overall energy they bring to the table.
I’ve also met a bunch of MBA2’s, both socially and professionally. I don’t know if they realize how helpful they’ve been to my internship search, but it’s definitely a lever that’s helped tremendously in the past weeks.
A fantastic thing happened this past Tuesday evening. A few Deucers (fellow section 2 classmates) and I were sitting around in the b-school’s lobby finishing up some work when we decided to continue hanging out at Good Time Charley’s, a bar/restaurant down the street. It turned into happy hour and karaoke. Hopefully we’ll repeat this.
This upcoming week is going to be insane. I have three papers and a Finance final. In addition, I’m wrapping up my Community Consulting Club (CCC) engagement. CCC partners with local non-profits to provide consulting services while giving MBA’s and BBA’s the opportunity to make an impact in the local community.
I still don’t know what I’m doing for winter break. I thought I would travel, but I think I’m just going to stay put and really focus on drafting cover letters and preparing for interviews.
Highlights:
- Doing better than I thought I would on my finance midterm
- Meeting a new people
- Networking with some key people in the companies I’m pursuing for an internship
- Tuesday night impromptu karaoke with my section mates
- Happy Hour on Thursday
Lowlights:
- Work, work, work. And, work. (It’s Friday night, and I’m at the library with a couple friends…)
- Ann Arbor has officially frozen over
- Missing some key recruiting events, having to pick and choose, and etc. (Repeat from last blog.)
- Not finding enough discipline to run more (Repeat from last blog.)
Things I’m looking forward to:
- Tomorrow’s hockey game!
- Reading for fun
- Seeing family and high school and college friends over winter break
- Winter A classes
- Interviewing
- MAP projects list – they’ve been teasing us about this long enough…
Posted by amyhuang at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)
December 06, 2007
With Fall B, summer recruiting is here...
Hope all of you had a fun thanksgiving break. I spent the break in Ohio visiting my parents and attending my ten year high school reunion…I can’t believe it has been ten years since I graduated from high school! It was nice to reconnect with old friends and teachers…It is amazing that so much time has passed but that night we picked up where we left off in 1997…great friends…great times…
I remember this time last year as the toughest time in the application process. First round interviews and decisions with the deadlines of the second round looming…remember to take a deep breath. All of you are working very hard during this process and although it seems like it will never end, it will be over before you know it. It has been amazing meeting prospective students during tours and information sessions. I am amazed by the caliber of candidates for the Class of 2010.
This semester has been extremely busy with classes and recruiting. The core classes required this term are Finance, Marketing, and Human Behavior & Organization. Many MBA1s take advantage of the open slot to take an elective in their area of focus. In addition to the classes, recruiting for summer internships is in full swing. Most of the major companies are on campus in November and December to talk to MBA1s about summer and full time opportunities. Students are taking advantage of the corporate presentations, office hours, and dinners to learn more about the firms and potential job opportunities. Additionally, students are taking advantage of the numerous case competitions to analyze solve real business issues faced by firms…Students win both recognition and cold hard cash! The case competitions have covered one of my section-mate’s shopping sprees in NYC over fall break!
It was refreshing to see Dean Dolan take time to meet with each of the sections over lunch to answer questions, discuss Fall A, and identify opportunities to improve the MBA experience for current and future students. So, what was the question on everyone’s minds? Of course everyone wanted to know about the progress of the construction of new building. As of now, the school will receive keys to the new building in October 2008. After the run-through, building should be open for use in Winter 2009…right in time for us to enjoy it for our final term. It was a very candid session that covered many areas and the ideas coming out of this discussion will further enhance the Ross MBA experience and will allow the students to grow professionally and build lasting relationships…great friends…great times…
Posted by jbal at 02:09 AM | Comments (0)
December 02, 2007
Still loving it.
Before I forget, my email address is amyhuang@umich.edu , if you want to ask me about anything I’ve written. Also, if there’s something you (the reader) would like me to blog about, feel free to email me as well.
I can’t believe how fast time is flying by. I am almost finished with Fall B, so the end of class is fast approaching. Recruiting is on full-speed now, and yes, I’m still loving Ross.
Last Tuesday, the day before Thanksgiving break, my Brand Management class held a focus group on Miller Lite, our topic, and we had a great turnout from our section mates. Imagine twenty MBA’s sitting together to discuss beer – and you have the focus group. We collected excellent data and had a lot of fun – business school in essence.
Over Thanksgiving Break, I visited New York City to spend some time with my brother and cousins. It was fantastic to see my family and get away from school for a little bit. It was also great to return to school and see my friends here again – it’s amazing how close I’ve grown to some people!
Yesterday I played Dodge Ball with my section. We got slaughtered (0-6, can’t be great at EVERYTHING!) but again, it was a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to other similar events that take us out of our elements.
Last week my marketing group presented our mini-case to class. I think it was well-received by our peers but not by the professor and the TA. I really like how the professor has us writing and presenting the case, because it was absolutely a great learning experience – lots of work, but a great experience.
My recruiting is going pretty well – I didn’t realize how consuming it’d be, but I think I have a good handle on it. The MBA2’s have been un-quantifiably helpful, offering their free times for panels, 1-1 chats, mock interviews, and so on. I’ve definitely taken advantage of their help, and hopefully I’ll get a fabulous internship.
Highlights:
- The Ohio State Game – that was nuts! Even though we didn’t win, we still had a good time that night, enjoying the crazy crowd that was in town.
- Classes – I’m loving them all.
- Hockey game – fun
Lowlights:
- The Ohio State Game – we didn’t win.
- Missing some key recruiting events, having to pick and choose, and etc.
- Not finding enough discipline to run more
Things I’m looking forward to:
- More hockey games
- Winter break – not sure where I’ll be yet
- Winter A class
- Getting this whole recruitment process over
- MAP projects list
Posted by amyhuang at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)