February 17, 2008
MAP assignments announced!
The MAP projects were finally announced a few weeks ago. The last time I was this excited to find about anything was about a year ago when I was hearing about admissions into MBA schools…
I was very eager to find out about my MAP project. Deep breath…a little prayer…and I was ready to click on my MAP project link. Yes!!!! I am headed to India for MAP! It was one of my top 3 choices. At 5pm on the day of the announcement, it seemed like people across the school had just won the lottery. I saw at least two people almost fall out of their chairs when they found out that they got their first choice.
In addition to the MAP project announcement, I was also keen to learn who would be on my team. My team is compromised of people with diversified work experience and background. Although I am almost 75% done with the first year, I have not had any classes with any of me MAP teammates. Since I have met most of my team outside the classroom, I truly believe that we will work well together on the project.
The MAP office provides a great support system as teams prepare for their projects. Each team assigned a faculty liaison advisor, advisor, and a communication coach. The advisors and coaches will be a great asset for each of the teams.
My MAP presents an excellent opportunity to practice action-based learning and solve real-world issue in the emerging markets. I’ll keep all of you posted on my MAP experience in the coming months.
Follow the links to learn more about how MAP works and list of 2007 MAP projects.
Posted by jbal at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)
February 04, 2008
New term brings excitement with classes and summer internship search…
I hope all of you are staying warm this winter. I, on the other hand, can’t seem to shake off the cold I came down with last week. Oh…what I would give for a beach vacation!
The winter term will be challenging for all MBA1s not only in class but also in the summer internship search. The core classes for this term are Managerial Accounting and Operations Management. In addition to the core, students have the opportunity to take additional electives. For my elective, I am taking Valuation with Professor Uday Rajan. It is a great class that is a continuation of Corporate Finance from the fall term. I am excited to learn various valuation principles through comprehensive lectures and cases. My case group meets weekly to discuss and apply principles learned in class to value businesses across various industries. I would highly recommend this course to all incoming MBA students next year.
In my previous posts, I had mentioned all of the networking opportunities with the recruiters in the fall term. Well…now is the time to see the results of the networking…the summer internship interviews are upon us. Every major firm visits Ross to recruit over the next month for their summer programs. The first week of recruiting was the time for the I-bankers to shine...and my section mates truly did! Many of them received multiple offers and now have the tough task of deciding between offers. The last week was a big week for marketing and consulting interviews. In a few weeks, the interviews will be over and many of the students will begin looking forward to the spring break, MAP project, and summer internships.
Since I am doing a self-directed search, I get to enjoy the recruiting month from the side. The Office of Career Development at Ross (OCD) is a great source for students who are working on self-directed searches for their summer internships. OCD offers various tools to help students stay on track to secure an internship. I am using my network and the Ross alumni network to target strategic development positions in the emerging markets (India). I am hoping to complete my summer internship search soon…can’t wait to lock down a great summer opportunity!
Posted by jbal at 01:07 AM | 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)
November 16, 2007
End of first term and fall break
As I mentioned in my previous post, the time is flying by! In a blink of an eye, the first semester came to an end. Looking back on the term, I am astounded by depth of the class discussions, the number of corporate presentations, the close bonds I have developed with my classmates, and of course by the fact that Michigan football team still has a chance to win the Big Ten and go to the Rose Bowl!
The fall break (professional development week) provided a great opportunity to MBA1s to gain deeper understanding of various career paths through forums targeting finance, marketing, high-tech, and emerging markets. The forums were set-up by the various clubs at Ross. They allowed students to visit various companies to get firsthand knowledge of the differences in companies and their cultures. Additionally, the forums allowed the students to spend some time in New York City, Washington DC, and San Francisco. Here are the various forums that were held over the fall break:
West Coast Forum
Forum focused on high-tech companies in the bay area. Students spent two days listening to informative keynote speakers, discussing career opportunities with recruiters and alumni, and taking company tours. Here is a list of a few of the companies at the forum: Agilent, Amazon.com, Apple, Cisco Systems, eBay, Genentech, Google, Intel, and Microsoft.
Wall Street Forum
Forum provided students the opportunity to hear from leaders in the finance community, network with alumni and industry figures, and visit the major investment banks. Here is a list of a few of the companies at the forum: JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Citigroup, Bear Sterns, and Goldman Sachs.
Marketing Forum
Forum provided the students an opportunity to spend two days visiting and networking with companies in New York City/New Jersey. Here is a list of a few of the companies at the forum: Pepsi, Unilever, and American Express.
Emerging Markets Forum
Forum focused on Base of the Pyramid and emerging markets. Students visited and networked with various companies in Washington DC area. Here is a list of a few of the companies at the forum: International Finance Corporation, The World Bank, Ashoka, World Resources Institute, and USAID.
Well, I am off to prepare for my Finance exam! I need to get jump on the studying with the BIG GAME this weekend…Look out Ohio State! Hoping to make plans for Pasadena next week! GO BLUE!!!!
Posted by jbal at 12:02 AM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2007
Orientation and first semester at Ross
Everyone told me that time flies by at the business school…entering my third month at Ross, I totally agree. I feel like I barely had time to take a breath in the first two months and am already in my second term.
It all started with orientation at the end of August. The Ross Leadership Initiative was a major part of the orientation. We took part in many activities to develop teamwork, creativity, and innovation skills. Additionally, we volunteered for the “Greening of Detroit� and learned about the role of business in society. After the orientation, all sections competed in the MBA games. It was very interesting to see the competitive side of people come out on the athletic field. The activities in the first week definitely brought our entire class closer!
In the first term, all first year MBAs are required to take the core curriculum consisting of Corporate Strategy, Business Economics, Statistics, and Accounting in sections of 70 students taught by the premier faculty. My section, 5, has bonded in class and over various section outings planned by our social representatives. Some might say that I am biased but I firmly believe we have the best section!
In addition to the curriculum, clubs and recruiting activities took up majority of my time. Since most major firms recruit at Ross, there is at least one and most of the times multiple presentations daily for each career track. Furthermore, second year MBAs set up “Meet the Interns� lunch and dinners to provide MBA1s with insight into their internship search and summer experiences. These events are a priceless source to learn about firms and I know the first years appreciate the time second years take out during their busy recruiting time. How could I have a blog and not mention Michigan football? Michigan football home games are yet another great opportunity to connect with recruiters and Ross alumni because every home tailgate is sponsored by a company. So far this year, we have had Google, Target, Deloitte, and Bain as sponsors. What is better than building your network over burgers, hot dogs, beer, and talking about the mutual love of Michigan football? Nothing...okay maybe one thing...seeing Michigan win after the tailgate!
Hope to catch a breath soon...Till next time...
Posted by jbal at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2007
Introduction from Jagroop
Greetings prospective MBA students! Welcome to my blog. My name is Jagroop and I am a first year at Ross. Here is a quick introduction: I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio and graduated with a BBA from University of Michigan in 2001 – I am a Wolverine for life! How I ended up in Michigan after growing up in Ohio is an entire blog entry by itself. I absolutely loved my undergrad experience at Michigan – challenging education, great city, and of course Michigan Football!
After college, I worked as a management consultant and non-profit director in New York. I decided to pursue my MBA so I could combine my private and public sector experiences to develop a framework to focus on corporate social responsibility. In the next five to ten years, I would like to apply the management concepts learned at Ross to establish a consulting firm in South Asia. The goal of the firm will be to assist corporations to meet the demands of the shareholders while interlacing social responsibility into the culture of their businesses. The new firm will work with both public and private sectors to ensure social and environmental responsibility through sustainable business practices.
I decided to return to Ross for my MBA because of the emphases on action-based learning and leadership development. The Multidisciplinary Action Projects Program will provide me an opportunity to solve real world business problems faced by corporations beyond the class cases. Furthermore, the MAP experience will enhance my ability to leverage others’ capabilities and integrate knowledge of various business functions to develop cutting-edge management and strategic solutions. In addition to participating in the action-based learning programs and Ross Leadership Initiative, learning from distinguished faculty and interacting with other MBA students with backgrounds in all sectors will provide me with a framework to manage an enterprise in an ever-changing business environment.
I look forward to sharing my experiences with all of you. I’ll discuss my first two months at Ross in my next blog. Have a great week! Go Blue!
Posted by kkellerz at 07:11 PM | Comments (0)