Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

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Students Say - Academics
At the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, you can almost feel the cooperation in the air. "It's the kind of atmosphere that even if you don't know people, you will say ‘hi' in the halls," reports one student. This "collaborative," "collegial," and "student-led environment" at Kellogg means that students' input is always sought, and their voices and desires have a huge impact on the course the school takes both academically and socially. Students agree that this crash-course in democracy is "the best way to train tomorrow's business leaders" and note that it also lends the school "a certain energy around the campus that brings excitement to each and every day." One facet of the cooperative spirit is that professors receive regular performance evaluations. However, it seems the results are rarely negative as the majority of students here praise them as "bright, accomplished, fair, and engaging." Students aren't exempt from the scrutiny of their peers, either. Through a web-based program called LeadNet, Kellogg students are able to receive "confidential, detailed, and honest feedback on how they work in teams" from fellow students, faculty, and staff. According to the school, this produces an unparalleled ability to "respond to and give confidential peer feedback, something excellent managers do well." Another major draw to the program is the school's one-year MBA program that allows students to earn their MBAs in just 12 months. "Kellogg's one-year program is one-of-akind," one student says. "It's the best return on investment and offers great flexibility combined with small classes and highest quality students." There is, of course, the traditional two-year program available as well. In addition to the one-year MBA program, another unique facet at Kellogg is the MMM program, a dual-degree in conjunction with the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University and designed to aid students who wish to pursue "management roles in product and/or service driven companies." In addition, the MMM program integrates management, operations, and design. Kellogg offers a lengthy list of majors in which students can specialize, from biotechnology management to technology industry management, though some students feel that "application of technology is a little slow compared to other schools." Conversely, students single out the "breadth of the marketing, strategy, and finance departments." Overridingly, students feel confident in regards to their prospective futures thanks to the Kellogg school's "overall atmosphere, solid reputation and ranking, [and] strength across academic disciplines."

Students Say - Admissions
Admissions Officers at Kellogg have the unenviable job of whittling a pile of approximately 5,000 applications down to an admitted class of about 600. During this process, they look for work experience, academic excellence, and personality. The school's Admissions Board conducts thousands of interviews each fall. For the entering class of 2008, the average GMAT score was 710. The average amount of employment time was just over 5 years for admitted students. In addition, 34 percent of Kellogg students hail from outside of the United States, and for those applicants, TOEFL scores are required. The average TOEFL score for enrolled students is 274 on the computer-based exam.

Students Say - Campus Life
Kellogg is situated in Evanston, Illinois, along the shores of Lake Michigan, with only a short commute on the El (elevated train) to downtown Chicago. Most here appreciate this proximity or campus "There is a lot going on [at] school." One student explains, "There are dozens, maybe hundreds of clubs at schoolâ€"special interest, sports, academic, career, spouse/children, politics and government, nonprofit, gay and lesbian, etc." The student body on the whole is "alive and energetic." The school has been steadily undergoing multiple renovations to its facilities over the years, including "new classrooms wired for network access," "group study rooms," "quiet study rooms," a "computer training facility" and "expanded computer lab," "freestanding computer terminals," a "student lounge," "lockers," and a "sky-lit atrium." Others note that "off-campus living facilities are outdated, but they're working on it!"

Students Say - Careers
Recent recruiters with a presence at Kellogg include Merrill Lynch, Microsoft, UBS, JPMorgan Chase, and Johnson & Johnson, and Booz & Company; most students are confident that their school has a "sterling reputation among corporate recruiters." It helps, too, that professors are "student-focused" and fellow students are "willing to go out on a limb to help . . . with recruiting, career advice, and schoolwork." Students agree that the team-focused environment ensures that "networking at Kellogg is tremendous."

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