Experience during the program

- Extremely helpful staff across all departments
- Faculty is very approachable and willing to help
- Small class sizes help with more interactive classes
- Faculty encourages class discussions and experience sharing
- Highly collaborative culture
- Great place for families as Owen Partners Association and other clubs plan several events throughout the year
- Super helpful career management team who is willing to work with you based on your career goals and aspirations
- Great resources available in library to help with case and class work
- Several clubs for students to immerse themselves in activities to help them develop skills needed for a role
- Students can take classes of their choice at other schools in Vanderbilt
- Several classes and specializations to choose from
- Faculty members work with students to create projects as part of self-study and research for credits

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Alumni Network
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Marketing

Can be improved:

Brand/Ranking
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)

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Experience during the program

I recently graduated from the Owen School and I am very happy with my experience.

The student body size was just right. It might be relatively small compared to other top schools, but the benefit is that you end up meeting just about everybody and knowing everyone's name, which creates a more intimate setting than what you would otherwise get at a larger program.

Another benefit is that classmates are more willing to help others. The school does a good job of selecting students from many backgrounds, and when you're placed in groups, there always seemed to be a quant, a poet, etc., so that the groups were always well-rounded and everyone's strengths and weaknesses always complemented each others'.

As for needs and goals, I wanted a program that would provide me with a quality education as well as quality networking opportunities. I received both. The brand really helped during the job search, especially since I was looking for a job outside of the southeast region. Also, I was surprised by how extensive the alumni network is, so that was also very helpful.

To top it off, Owen has a great faculty. The professors all come from impressive backgrounds, or if they're new, are otherwise very smart individuals.

Overall I have to say I had a great experience at Owen.

About professors, classes and curriculum

The first "mod" is by far the most intense. Expect your life to be consumed by school the first couple of weeks. However, the workload gradually eases to a more manageable level as you progress through the program.

About job placement process

Owen is definitely ideal if you plan on staying in the Southeast, or if you're looking to get into consulting, healthcare, or finance. Take a look at the list of companies that regularly recruit here, and if you like what you see, definitely apply. These include Deloitte, Microsoft, Citibank, etc.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Student body, diversity
Brand/Ranking

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Investment Banking
Tech
Healthcare

Can be improved:

Career opportunities provided by school
Facilities

Read More

Experience during the program

I came to Owen looking to change careers, and found that there were a great deal of opportunities to take classes I wanted not only for the specific concentrations that applied, but also a wide range of courses in other areas as well. The program really allows for students to become well-rounded in a number of areas if they choose. The size of the program was also great, as I got to know my 175 classmates well while also being able to get to know the classes ahead and behind me as well. With this size of a group, there are enough people coming from the industries and functions that anyone would be interested in that they can aid in networking, while still maintaining an intimate classroom setting.

About job placement process

Amazon (mostly operations) and Deloitte Consulting are the biggest draws at Owen, but a wide variety of companies from a number of different industries recruit at Owen, and often there are accessible alumni in a variety of functions with each of those core companies.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Culture & Student Support
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Management

Can be improved:

Student body, diversity

Read More

Experience during the program

Owen has been a great place for me to attend B-School. The faculty and students are wonderful and really make the experience everything that I would want. As well, Nashville is a great place to be right now with the city growing so rapidly. The facilities are currently being remodeled (Library) which will add to the overall experience. The culture is an important part of Owen and it is something I believe can only be felt by visiting campus. The smaller class sizes could be a potential deterrent, but I believe it really plays into Owen's close knit, community based culture that would be lost if the class sizes increased much more.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Location
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Finance
Entrepreneurship
Healthcare

Can be improved:

Brand/Ranking
Facilities

Read More

Experience during the program

This is a smaller program, which can be good if you're looking for small class sizes, but proved to be a challenge at times. Many large companies focus on recruiting at larger schools, as with more students, they are likely to get a better ROI. Owen is great if you're interested in finance or consulting, but not for marketing. Although the alumni network is small, they do seem to want to help if you contact them, and I got my job through an Owen alum. You can't beat the location, Nashville is a great place to spend two years! Overall the program didn't meet my expectations. If I could go back in time, I would have chosen a larger school with a better reputation in the business school community. Although Vanderbilt is a strong brand, Owen is not up there with the Fuqua's, Booth's, etc.

Overall BSchool experience (3.0)
Schools contribution (3.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Alumni Network
Location

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance

Can be improved:

Student body, diversity
Career opportunities provided by school
Culture & Student Support

Read More

Experience during the program

To date, I have really enjoyed my experience at Owen. I'm posting this review so that prospective students can get a big picture overview of what to expect.

The program is relatively small with a class size of 170-180 students. This is a double edged sword. You get to know everybody, BUT this also means that some companies will not necessarily have as strong of an on campus presence when compared to larger programs. This means that for certain roles, you may have to put in a little extra legwork.

Obvious areas of strength are Healthcare and HOP. Some strong choices in those fields with good OCR. Deloitte has a large presence and many banks come on campus for IB/PWM roles as well. Do keep in mind that much of the recruiting for IB or consulting will be self driven and require networking. Ultimately, I feel as though we've had some solid choices, but the OCR could be beefed up some with more variety/company relationships.

Nashville is an excellent place to spend two years. It is a rapidly developing city with no shortage of activities for b-school students. You'll find that your classmates have a great sense of humility and are all intelligent and capable. The culture of this school is pervasive and is definitely a big selling point.

I would not hesitate to recommend Owen to prospective students and I'd greatly encourage interested folks to come visit!

About professors, classes and curriculum

Top notch faculty. Very satisfied with the faculty, but the curriculum could use a bit of tweaking. As with many other programs, the core is front loaded and it's up to you to manage your time when studying/recruiting.

About job placement process

Many top tier companies come on campus, but we are not necessarily core for all roles. I would advise making sure that your target companies recruit for roles that are of specific interest.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Location
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
HOP/Healthcare

Can be improved:

Career opportunities provided by school
Brand/Ranking

Read More

Experience during the program

I picked Owen because it stated to emphasize on personal scale development which I find much helpful as an international student. I also like the curriculum that focus on nurturing teamwork and leadership skills. I love the fact that everyone is friendly and open to share their knowledge and experiences.

So far, Owen has met my expectation. I really enjoyed classes such as Managerial Finance, Managerial Economics and Operation Management. The school has been developed many electives that benefit those who want to pursue careers in Healthcare and Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) program. Many well-known companies such as Microsoft, Deloitte and Amazon recruiting on the campus.
Career Management center is so resourceful. The staff are supportive and provide many workshops that help current students improve job searching, networking and interviewing skills. There are no pushing students to do things we don’t prefer.

Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Career opportunities provided by school
Culture & Student Support
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)

Best fit at this program:

Finance
Management
Human and Organizational Performance, Healthcare

Can be improved:

Location

Read More

Experience during the program

When compared to most business schools, Owen is pretty small at ~175 students per class. This gives you the opportunity to get to know EVERYONE at Owen pretty well and build strong relationships. The flip side of this is that our alumni base, is much smaller than most other schools. However, since we are so small, when you do reach out to alumni, you'll be sure to get a response as they don't get 100s of people reaching out to them all the time. After going to a massive public university for my undergrad, I thought I'd do so much better in a smaller setting and that's definitely been the case. I've got the chance to be very involved in a lot of different aspects of the school from student government to clubs to alumni relations to company relations and much more. The school is very much student led; most initiatives and events are all created and run by students so it gives those who want it, a lot of chances to gain all kinds of experiences. There's also a lot of interaction between students and faculty so you get to know them pretty well too. Overall, if you're okay with a small school and the implications of a smaller student body, this is the place to be!

About professors, classes and curriculum

Core curriculum professors are a real mixed bag but there are some truly tremendous professors who teach lots of interesting electives.

About job placement process

The career and recruiting center have been doing a fantastic job getting more and more high-profile companies with amazing MBA jobs to come on campus year over year. Our alumni base, although small compared to other schools, does a fantastic job growing the school's name and increasing employment opportunity for Owen students.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Student body, diversity
Location
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Management

Can be improved:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Brand/Ranking
Facilities

Read More

Experience during the program

The school does an excellent job selecting students who fit into the culture. Almost all are collaborative and not cutthroat and those who are quickly find themselves the odd ones out. There are plenty opportunities to gain additional training and help with internships/full-time jobs.

Nashville is a great city to live. There's lots of great food and outdoor activities.

Future applicants should bring their authentic selves to both their application and interview. Attend one of the Discover Weekends (http://www.owen.vanderbilt.edu/newsroom/calendars/events-calendar/event-details.cfm?customel_datapageid_39542=128600) to learn more about the school and to get to know current students and admissions staff.

Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (3.0)

Strengths of the program:

Alumni Network
Culture & Student Support
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Entrepreneurship
Management

Can be improved:

Student body, diversity
Brand/Ranking

Read More

Experience during the program

My experience at Owen was great. There is a tremendous culture that has been built around camaraderie and collaboration that is perfect for the city, the university, and the size of the program. The future of the program looks to be very bright and the gains in admissions/recruiting are evident.

Something to consider about the program are the trade-offs the come with a smaller program in the south. The small class size and culture at Owen leads to a great sense of community but it also means there is probably less diverse elective options and specializations. Being in Nashville is a great plus for Owen. It is a vibrant and growing city that has maintained a welcoming and friendly culture. It also means that many of the on-campus recruiting opportunities, particularly in consulting, are for the Nashville and Atlanta markets. If you are interested in working in consulting in the northeast or on the west coast, this would be more of a challenge at Owen.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (3.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Location
Culture & Student Support
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Focus on Healthcare

Can be improved:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Brand/Ranking

Read More