Business school, the breeding ground for the next generation of business leaders, is a mysterious rabbit hole where corporate larvae undergo metamorphosis. The Masters in Business Administration (MBA) has been the most popular graduate degree in America since 2010, with over 250,000 people enrolled in programs worldwide. However, only a fraction of those students are in top-tier MBA programs.
I woke up at 8:00 a.m., went to the gym, took a shower, and had a quick, sad love-making session. My apartment, which I thought was immaculately decorated, was compared to a hotel where someone goes to kill themselves. But I digress.
I decided to investigate the world of business school, starting at the Darden School of Business in Charlottesville, Virginia. I spoke to students to understand their experiences. The students were a diverse bunch, with different backgrounds and goals. Some were career enhancers, looking to improve their credentials, while others were career switchers, using business school to pivot into new industries.
I also had the opportunity to speak with business school professors, like Adam Grant and Ed Freeman, who shared their insights on the evolving landscape of business education. Ethics, they emphasized, is a crucial component of business education, especially in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
But not everything is rosy in the world of business school. Jeff Feffer, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, warned of a saturation of MBA programs, making it only worthwhile to attend a top-tier school. Scott Galloway, a professor at NYU Stern, highlighted the relationship between elite MBA programs and the corporations that hire their students.
In conclusion, business school is a complex world, with students seeking to enhance their careers, switch industries, or simply take a break from the grind. It’s a place where coffee flows freely, small talk with KPMG employees is a daily occurrence, and the pursuit of elite programs is fiercely competitive.
So, should you pursue an MBA? Well, that’s up to you. But one thing’s for sure, business school is not for the faint of heart. It’s a place where you’ll learn, grow, and maybe even question your decision-making skills. But hey, isn’t that what education is all about?
