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.
Cornell Johnson
Human Capital Association: Club members — including students, corporate execs and faculty — explore HR issues in global business and experience academic and professional development. How? Through collaboration with the Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, the Society of Human Resource Management, the Consulting Club and the Center for Leadership at Johnson. Events include regular speakers, workshops and symposiums, all following the group’s stated values of “respect, inclusiveness, passion, integrity and egalitarianism.” These are truly “people people”!
BR MicroCapital: Unique among business schools, this student-run organization connects the human capital and resources of Johnson with talented, community-based entrepreneurs, spurring microenterprise development by assisting self-employed individuals in reaching their business goals. BRM partners with a leading community development credit union and the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise to support microbusiness owners. By offering targeted business assistance — including loans to entrepreneurs — BRM achieves its goal of supporting local, inclusive wealth creation and economic development. Who could argue with that mission?
Cookin’ the Books: This social club, to quote them, “has nothing to do with accounting but everything to do with food and cooking.” If you love to cook, want to learn more about cooking, or just have a passion for food then this is the place for you. Here you will pursue your culinary interests while making connections with like-minded Johnson students, members of the greater Cornell community, and local culinary aficionados. B.Y.O. truffles.
Michigan Ross
iMpulse Dance Club: Dance away the everyday pressures of MBA life at Ross with twice-weekly group dance lessons in salsa, swing and hip-hop – starting from the first step: no previous experience required! As the club website declares, “if you can walk, you can salsa!” Boost your confidence in social occasions, meet other Ross MBA students, and get a great workout! Finance Foxtrot or Marketing Mambo, anyone?
Ross Mentorship Program: Take full advantage of networking opportunities at Ross while participating in the flow of good will — and great contacts — passing from one year to the next. New students are matched with continuing students through formal events and informal gatherings: the buddy system at its best! And you might just end up working for your mentee someday, so be careful out there.
Ross Photography Club: Ann Arbor is a scenic college town, so take advantage of it while pursuing your passion for photography as you pursue your Michigan MBA! Club activities raise the visibility of student work, educate club members, create social and professional networking opportunities, and encourage opportunities for broader community benefits. Say cheese, everyone!
Carnegie Mellon Tepper
Alpha Club: This club stands alone in its dedication to investment management — ideal if you’re planning to pursue a career in asset management or are just interested in becoming a better-informed investor. Alpha males (and females) welcomed. “Bridging the gap” between what you learn in Tepper’s rigorous curriculum and real-world investment portfolio management, this club creates networking opportunities as you develop your investment decision-making skills and prepare to make a positive impact upon graduation. As a member, you’ll help to manage the Tepper Opportunity Fund – a real money portfolio of US-listed equities, and enjoy guest speakers, trading contests, resume reviews, career guidance, Bloomberg training, and CFA program preparation. A great source of beer money if Wall Street ever settles down.
Endurance Club: No, this isn’t about pulling all-nighters before mid-terms. Take your sport to another level as a member of this club by becoming better educated and informed in training and racing techniques. Join fellow club members — including students, partners, professors and alumni — as you train and compete in distance sports ranging from hiking and biking to running and swimming. It’s not uncommon to see these folks running in Schenley Park, pedaling through urban Pittsburgh, and volunteering in local sporting events to give back to the community.
To learn more about each of these schools, and to request a free evaluation of your MBA candidacy, click here.
