Go for the experience, the people

Experience during the program

I truly believe that the quality of education is pretty comparable at any of the top schools. Given that, I chose Kellogg over other schools due to its collaborative atmosphere, student leadership opportunities, and collegial nature. I'm happy to say that I wasn't wrong about any of these. Even in recruiting, when two of us were going for the same positions at the same office locations, we helped each other, connecting each other with recruiters we might have missed or people we weren't able to network with. And when it came to student leadership, it was unparalleled. The amount of responsibility and leverage you have as a club leader, a student government leader, an event leader, or any other position is truly insane. My only complaint about that is that at times I wish the administration and other Kellogg staff helped the student leaders more and were more proactive instead of reactive (waiting for students to ask them to do something) — it was sometimes like having a full-time job in addition to your studies. If you're an extrovert, Kellogg is for you. Especially the social scene. If you're in introvert, it'll be tougher; I won't lie. But it can still be a very enjoyable experience, especially when people are friendly and willing to help.

Also, Kellogg LOVES diversity, including people from non-business/non-traditional career backgrounds. However, if you are one of these people, you will probably have a little more trouble in your classes and in recruiting. It's frustrating, especially, in recruiting because companies will be very interested in talking to you (because you're not the 15th ex-consultant they've met) but they'll test you harder in interviews and often choose a candidate with a more traditional background over you, all things being relatively equal. This is probably true of any business school you go to, though.

About professors, classes and curriculum

There's a ton of group work. And although this isn't everyone's cup of tea, I think it's an important skill to have. You're going to have to deal with it when you go back into your career — this lets you improve your leadership skills, your coping mechanisms, and your communication.

About job placement process

If you're going for a traditional avenue — consulting, CPG marketing, finance — Kellogg is very supportive, both from the student club side and the career office side. If you're going for something less traditional — media, sports, start-ups, net impact — it's going to be a little tougher. I know Kellogg continues making strides to help these non-traditional folks, but you will have to do a lot of your own legwork.

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

Strengths of the program:

Student body, diversity
Brand/Ranking
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Marketing
Investment Banking
Entrepreneurship

Can be improved:

Alumni Network
Career opportunities provided by school