Last week the team and I headed out to the coasts (and Chicago) to meet up with newly admitted students and alums. I was in L.A. and San Francisco for receptions hosted by two of our alums in those cities. For me, it was great to put faces with names - names that the Admissions Committee has seen on applications, discussed in committee, and sent up to the Dean's Office for approval. Names that we hope will be those of future Rossers!
We're looking forward to meeting more than 300 potential Rossers and 60+ partners next weekend during Go Blue Rendezvous (GBR). If you haven't registered yet, there's still time. Here are the reasons you should come:
(1) If you're debating between Ross and another school, you should do your due diligence and experience both. You're about to make, perhaps, the second biggest investment of your life. Don't rely on online research or word of mouth or even a prior visit to make your decision. The decision isn't just about the institution and the programs, it's about your future community/family. Make an informed choice about the community you're about to join, for life.
(2) If you've already decided that Ross is the place you want to be, come meet future classmates, meet alums and faculty, get a head start on housing, find a roommate, learn about our student clubs, explore Ann Arbor, experience dinner in the Big House.
Enough of the plug for GBR. Just come.
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If you come to GBR next week, you may notice that our Wintergarden is somewhat empty. That's because most of our MBA1s are on MAP travel. I noticed it on my way to getting a steaming bowl of oatmeal from our cafe. The halls and Wintergarden weren't buzzing as they usually are. So I was pleasantly surprised when I ran into one of our MBA1s who just returned from a trip to Prague for MAP. She shared with me how incredible the MAP experience has been on so many dimensions. She said that she had been skeptical that she would go into her summer internship after just a couple semesters of b-school and be able to apply newly-gained skills and knowledge, but that MAP has quelled her skepticism as she has applied skills and knowledge she didn't have before b-school (she was a corporate communications manager for an energy company in California). She also talked about how much she has learned from her MAP teammates, her MAP coach and MAP faculty advisor - not only as it pertained to the project, but also as it pertained to her own leadership development journey. It was great to hear a student confirm that the things we tout about the Ross experience are really true.
To be fair, some students have MAP experiences that are not as rosy - team dynamics challenges, disagreement about project goals and deliverables, etc. But I'd argue that those kinds of experiences are far better learning opportunities than the ones that are incredibly smooth, because real life is not always incredibly smooth. And leadership is something you develop and strengthen through experience. Our students are out there developing their leadership muscles.
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I'm really looking forward to meeting many of you next week! If you come, and you've been a blog reader, let me know. I'd love to meet the people that go with the eyeballs that have been reading the blog!
Great post about GBR and MAP. Can't wait for next weekend. Go Blue!
Posted by: Zander | 04/05/2012 at 08:36 PM
Dear Michigan Ross' Gatekeeper,
Seeing you perform Crazy Train and then chanting your name was surreal and awesome! Go Blue!
Posted by: yipt | 04/15/2012 at 07:27 AM
I missed the GBR :(. How often do you have these events? Once a year?
Posted by: Andy goldstein | 04/25/2012 at 05:48 PM
This is great to hear! Do you have another in the near future?
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Posted by: Almost Isn’t Good Enough | 12/12/2012 at 01:43 PM
I observed it on my way to getting a sizzling dish of oats from our restaurant. The places and Wintergarden weren't humming as they usually are. So I was pleased when I ran
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