MBA Front Lines

Balance. Teamwork. Vision.

Every day, tens of thousands of aspiring MBAs strive to define and achieve the meaning behind these oft-used, yet seldom grasped buzzwords. They attempt to prioritize the competing interests of homework, club activities, and recruiting. They struggle to collaborate and learn with virtual strangers. They continually reevaluate and redefine their goals and aspirations for the future.

Business-school professors unanimously agree that self-discovery is just as significant as the case studies, cold calls, and problem sets associated with traditional classroom work. Unlike those tangible tasks, however, there are no correct or incorrect answers to the everyday questions that bombard B-school students.

Fortunately, coaches, survivors, and gurus abound.

In honor of the classes of 2001, Fast Company has compiled the following MBA survival guide. We have spoken with professors, faculty members, and entering second-year students at ten of America's most recognized and respected business schools in order to glean from them lessons, advice, and insight concerning their individual schools, and the MBA experience in general.

The Anderson School at UCLA

• Advice from Bill Cockrum, adjunct professor of finance
• Advice from student Jay Devivo

Columbia Business School

• Advice from Safwan Masri, professor of operations management
• Advice from student Colin Johnson

The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University

• Advice from Joel Huber, professor of marketing strategy
• Advice from student Kulwadee Wangkeo

Harvard Business School

• Advice from student Karl Schade

Kellogg Graduate School of Management

• Advice from Anthony Paoni, clinical professor of e-commerce and technology
• Advice from Mohanbir Sawhney, clinical professor of e-commerce and technology
• Advice from student Kelly Ladiges

MIT Sloan School of Management

• Advice from Robert Freund, professor of management science
• Advice from student Phil Regnault

Stanford Graduate School of Business

• Advice from Sherrie Taguchi, assistant dean and director of the MBA program
• Advice from George G.C. Parker, assistant dean for academic affairs and director of the MBA program

University of Chicago Graduate School of Business

• Advice from Donald Martin, associate dean of campus MBA programs
• Advice from student Corinne Martinez

University of Michigan Business School

• Advice from Allan Afuah, assistant professor of corporate strategy
• Advice from student Laura Cooke

The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania

• Advice from Bob Alig, director of MBA admissions and financial aid
• Advice from student Christian Tate