The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business

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Students Say - Academics
Ohio State "has a strong business schoolâ€"the best in Ohioâ€"and has a very large and dynamic reach, both in terms of academic resources [and] opportunities and in terms of alumni," students at this top-25 institution tell us. Opportunities to receive an education of this quality at a public school price are rare, and MBAs at the Fisher College of Business appreciate how good they have it. Perhaps that's the reason for the unusually "collaborative climate among the students" here. As one student observes, "Everyone is very outgoing and helpful. Your classmates want to see you do well and we celebrate each other's victories. Everyone is extremely smart and wants to succeed by doing their best, not by trying to sink others to get ahead." Fisher is "renowned for operations management" and is also very strong in finance and accounting, but as a top school it excels in nearly every field and so "offers a great opportunity to explore different disciplines and gain hands-on experience to prepare for placement." The program's designers exploit this depth of expertise in "the interdisciplinary nature of the program," which students identify as a great strength. "Students are challenged to stretch themselves outside of their comfort zone to try new, exciting opportunities" at Fisher, where a "strong and flexible academic curriculum" gives them the freedom to explore different disciplines. Students also benefit in this regard, and have access to the "resources of the largest undergraduate university in the country." Being in a small program at a large university allows students the best of both worlds: a "small batch size that ensures personal attention" with access to near-limitless resources. The OSU faculty "strikes a strong balance between academia and professional expertise." It's the "perfect mix between professional leaders (i.e., Jeff Rodek, CEO/Chairman Hyperion; Tony Rucci, CEO Sears S. America), and academic faculty (i.e., strategy guru Jay Barney; ex-Harvard professor and devoted student advocate Karen Wruck; etc.)," according to one student. Despite all the star power, "The professors here are very approachable and go out of their way to be accessible to students all the time, and that includes coming in on weekends for review sessions, which shows their high level of commitment to help[ing] their students."

Students Say - Admissions
The Admissions Office at Fisher requires applicants to provide two official copies of transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, GMAT scores, three letters of recommendation, essays, and a resume of work experience. Interviews are conducted at the request of the Admissions Department. In addition to the above, international applicants whose first language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency (the school accepts several standardized tests, including the TOEFL, MELAB, and IELTS; minimum acceptable scores are 600 on the paper-based TOEFL, 250 on the computer-based TOEFL, 86 on the MELAB, and 8 on the IELTS) and an affidavit of financial support.

Students Say - Campus Life
Fisher "benefits from strong student organizations that provide opportunities to work on experiential learning projects outside of the classroom," such as "Fisher Professional Services (a paid MBA consulting firm working with companies like Google, Nationwide, Cardinal Health, and Microsoft)" and "Fisher Board Fellows (MBAs participate on local boards as non-voting members)." These opportunities, in addition to in-class responsibilities, make for a busy schedule. "Most regular business hours in a day are taken up with projects being done in the community and class time" while "evenings are spent doing reading and assignments. You have to be able to multitask and prioritize effectively" to survive at Fisher. As hard as they work, most students still find time for "regular[ly] scheduled social events for classmates and significant others." OSU's hometown of Columbus "brings a lot to the table, not only in [terms of] culture (restaurants, sports, and museums), but also in [terms of the] the strong companies headquartered here (Nationwide, Huntington Bank, Scotts Miracle Gro, AEP, and Limited Brands) that consistently consult with our students." On campus, "Facilities, clubs, and team sports at Ohio State are excellent and there is truly a group for every taste. The large campus includes amazing history, tradition, and great green spaces. Buckeye athletics are great for evenings and weekends." Fisher attracts a "diverse group of people from all over the U.S. and world." Students tend to be "very bright and well spoken but still down to earth," and are "driven" and "entrepreneurial" but also "very collaborative" and "genuinely willing to help." A"strong international mix" supplements the American majority.

Students Say - Careers
Fisher's reputation is strongest in the Midwest, the region in which two-thirds of its MBAs find employment after graduation. More than one in four finds a job overseas, primarily in Asia. OSU MBAs are most often hired by financial services companies (20 percent of graduates, $85,390 average starting salary), consulting firms (16 percent, $103,571), technology firms (15 percent, $80,000), and retailers (14 percent, $91,250). By function, graduates end up in marketing and sales (27 percent, $86,000), finance (21 percent, $90,166), and operations and logistics (17 percent, $80,285). Companies most likely to extend offers to OSU MBAs recently included: American Greetings, Capital One, Deloitte Consulting, Emerson, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Kimbery-Clark, Limited Brands, Motorola, Nationwide, Nestle, Oracle Consulting, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Procter & Gamble, and United Stationers.

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