Because growth happens inside and outside of the classroom, and because your interest in a subject deepens when you actively engage in it, the MBA experience is elevated and enhanced when you pursue organized club activities. We’ve looked at some of the coolest clubs offered at top MBA programs and are highlighting them in a series of blogs.
INSEAD
INSEAD Private Equity Club: With over 1,000 alumni engaged in PE across the globe, this organization is mission critical if private equity is your future. IPEC, run solely by MBA students, serves as a forum for those interested in all aspects of the private equity industry. Flagship events are annual conferences in Fontainebleau (the largest PE event hosted by an academic institution in Europe) and Singapore. So, if you’re a future private equity associate, turnaround wizard, portfolio-company exec or just an investor, this is the club for you.
OUTSEAD: Cleverly named, this club represents the lesbian, gay and bisexual community at INSEAD. Its mission is to raise education, increase visibility and generate an inclusive atmosphere that reflects a more holistic view of diversity rather than simply diversity along national and gender lines. There are frequent networking events with major consulting firms and investment banks and regular social happenings in Singapore, Fontainebleau and Paris.
Columbia
Green Business Club: Sustainability and business are no longer mutually exclusive! Enhance your preparation and education for careers in alternative energy, green marketing, carbon finance and sustainable investing. As a GBC member, you’ll make connections to employers and resources in the private for-profit, public and non-profit sectors. Deepen your understanding of emerging “triple-bottom-line” business issues through events and discussion forums. Then, put theory into action by joining GBC members to advocate for and perform sustainable practice in the Columbia community through campus greening projects.
Eureka! (Greek Club): You have found it! The mission of this unique club is to (quoting from their website here): “promote the Hellenic ideals of humanism, thought leadership, grassroots democracy and community spirit in the context of modern business.” Explore the crossroads where personal contentment and intellectual, moral, hedonic, physical and spiritual contentment meet professional advancement and satisfaction. And don’t be surprised if they break out the baklava and ouzo every so often. Opa!
MIT Sloan
Happy Belly Club: Gourmets and gourmands of the world, unite! This club’s mission is to coordinate events that allow the MIT community to get to know each other over delicious food beyond crowded C-Functions and noisy BHP. You’ll be delighted by comfortable and casual events including speakers (like James Beard Award winners), restaurant outings and student-hosted dinners. The chance to explore Boston’s most famous — and infamous — restaurants will help make your b-school experience unforgettable.
MIT SOS (Significant Others of Sloan): Spouses and partners deserve quality time and attention from their super-busy MBA student. From AdMIT weekend socializing to periodic food & drink outings to Sloan Olympics and outdoor activities, you and yours will find a place within SOS. Friendships formed here can span the globe and will last a lifetime.
Sloan Veterans Association: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard vets, this is your organization. From the development of WWII radar and computers to the creation of modern air-defense systems and the Internet, MIT profs and students have been at the forefront of new military technology. “Building on the strong foundation of leadership veterans develop in the military, we help to propel veterans to new heights in their business careers.” Welcoming newly arrived vets as they transition into b-school (and, for that matter, into business), this group is the hub for those with armed-services backgrounds to leverage espirit de corps, customize their career development, and expand their networks.
To learn more about each of these schools, and to request an evaluation of your MBA candidacy, click here.
