My Sloan experience

Experience during the program

Review by an Aringo Admissions Consultant who has attended Sloan

What is special about MIT?
a. The spirit of MIT – the university has a soul, and for me that was the most amazing thing
b. Focus on entrepreneurship, being a hub of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking not only from the MBA classmates but also the brilliant minds from the engineering schools
c. No peer pressure to join stereotypical MBA jobs like consulting or ibanking, a lot of new ideas and pursuits are encouraged
d. Focus on team work
e. Tolerance for failure

MIT has introduced the optional/video essay. I would recommend attempting the video essay if possible because it gives an opportunity to showcase something very different about the candidate, and create an informal setting to learn more about who you really are. It reflects the spirit and energy of the school as well.

As for the atmosphere in the school, there is a palpable sense of mutual respect and admiration amongst all students, no one is ranked or called out for either being from a wealthy background or having certain brands on their resume. The students love the way in which selection process happens and assume there must be something wonderful about everyone who is there. Sloan is not transactional. There is no fee for every mixer or interaction, a lot of things are school sponsored and encourage everyone to come out and get to know each other and do stuff together.

As for the area, Cambridge is a university town. Lots of brilliant young minds, the vibe is very young, entrepreneurial, energetic and optimistic. Accommodation is expensive but unaffordable. Boston/Cambridge has a nice cultural vibe. Lots of art events to attend, very pro-diversity and liberal. Winters are cold and snowed under but its not windy like Chicago so its quite beautiful if you ask me.

Who will enjoy the program?
Someone who is liberal, looking for a genuinely engaging experience versus just doing bschool as a resume check point. Someone with an inquisite mind and proactive nature and doesn’t expect to be spoon fed or handheld all the time. Folks with a passion for innovation, entrepreneurship and technology will do very well here. Those who need structures not so well.

Tips for candidates:
a. It is particularly important to be yourself in the Sloan application, they are not impressed by arrogance or make-believe.
b. Highlight what you are passionate about in life and what makes you who you are
c. Show a clear passion for the school, do a lot of research in detail about courses and activities that would benefit you
d. Understand what the Sloan mission is all about, they really believe in it, and mean it. The focus on ethics, diversity and advancement of management principles is very deeply ingrained in the school
e. Higher analytical ability, passion for data, technology, new and efficient way of doing things, challenging status quo are all great things to have for Sloan.

About professors, classes and curriculum

Faculty is all about high thinking. Focus is on bringing out the essence of a concept, encourage open debate and discussion, provide a spectrum of perspectives. Assignments and learning are for the most part meaningful and relevant. If you don’t like a class, you can opt out late into the semester and it won’t reflect on your academic record which is just wonderful.

About job placement process

Saying you are from MIT or MIT Sloan opens almost every door. Its really upto how focused, proactive and determined you are
Career office is very good when it comes to consulting, finance, tech and increasingly marketing jobs. They organize a lot of workshops, coaching sessions etc. Very helpful.
Career office not that great in traditionally non-MBA sectors like media entertainment, fashion, etc.
There are some opportunities to get part-funding for doing social impact internships, but not as much as some other peer schools
McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Genentech, Deloitte, J P Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Citi, love Sloan, there’s definitely a few more that I’m missing.

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
Finance
Entrepreneurship

Can be improved:

Admissions Team