The Indian Tiger Roars Again... At Chicago GSB!

The South Asia Business Group at Chicago GSB is organizing The 4th annual Tata India Business Conference on May 17th. This year’s conference with the theme “India – A Winning Contender” promises a star-studded lineup of speakers, with panels headed by Dr.Arun Shourie (former Disinvestment Minister in the Union Cabinet), Mr.Luis Miranda (President & CEO, IDFC Private Equity), Mr.O.P. Bhatt (Chairman, The State Bank of India), Dr. Sam Pitroda (Chairman, Knowledge Commission of India) and Mr.Muthuraman (CEO, Tata Steel).

The time and venue of The Tata IBC 2008:

Date
8:30 am - 6:00 pm on May 17th, 2008
(Registration begins at 7:30 am)

Venue
Charles M. Harper Centre, Chicago GSB,
5807, S. Woodlawn Avenue,
Chicago 60637.

The conference website is at http://www.chicagogsb-ibc.com/ and the blog is http://chicagogsb-ibc.blogspot.com/.

If you are in Chicagoland in mid-May, we look forward to seeing you there!

GSB newswire

Here's a look at what's been happening at the GSB over the past few weeks:

Bill Gates, founder and chairman of Microsoft, visited campus on February 20 and gave a speech to students at the Harper Center. Gates talked about investing dollars where they are most needed, and how the Gates Foundation is trying to help. He pointed out that "less than 10 percent as much is spent on malaria as is spent on baldness. Malaria kills a million people a year." Gates emphasized that the current focus of businesses to innovate should incorporate innovations that will help the world's poorest citizens: "With all these rapid innovations - material science and cultural science, medical science, entertainment, the quality of video games, enhanced commercialism - we should really not just focus on what these breakthroughs mean for the richest two billion of the six billion on the planet." Gates also talked about some of his biggest challenges in managing people at Microsoft. “My mistakes were picking engineers and saying, well, if you’re a high IQ engineer, then you can manage people, basically on the belief that IQ is fungible,” he said, “because I don’t understand why it’s not. But it turns out, it’s not.” Over two hundred students packed into Room 104 of the Harper Center in an event that was so highly demanded that a lottery had to be conducted for tickets.

The webcast of this speech can be seen here.

In a recent New York Times article, Professor Austan Goolsbee said tax proposals by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama “would be fully paid for by closing business tax loopholes, cracking down on international tax evasion schemes” and restoring higher tax rates on some capital gains earned by the wealthiest taxpayers, according to an article published January 23. Professor Goolsbee is Obama’s senior economic adviser.

Clinical Professor Scott Meadow and Adjunct Associate Professor Linda Darragh were quoted in a Chicago Tribune article about entrepreneurs considering starting two businesses at the same time. “Look for a strategic link and a reason they fit together,” Professor Darragh said. “Unless I had Steve Jobs for both companies, I doubt I would consider backing someone who was working on two different deals,” Professor Meadow said in the February 11 article.

Gerald Beeson, MBA ’99 was promoted to COO of Citadel Investment Group LLC, a large hedge fund. Previously he was CFO of the fund which is based in Chicago. The announcement appeared in the February 7 edition of the Wall Street Journal.

Finally, over 300 students and their partners congregated at the River East Arts Center on February 23 for the 2008 Intrigue and Mystery Winter Formal. There were performances of old classics and modern hits by a live cover band, and this year's theme was a masquerade ball, so many students decided to get creative with their facewear. The setting was the dance hall of a modern art gallery overlooking the beautiful - and frozen - Chicago River. This event was put on by the Graduate Business Council. Thanks you guys for a great event!

Upcoming Admit Weekend

Congratulations to all our admits from Round I!

You have really impressed us with your experiences and qualifications, and we welcome you to the GSB community! We would like to take this opportunity to remind you about the upcoming Admit Weekend (March 7th). The Admit Weekend is a great way to get to know the school, the community and your fellow admits. We've got an exciting, informative and fun schedule lined up for you.

Here is what Becky - a 1st year student - has to say about it:

Hearing all the talk about Admit Weekend preparations here on campus reminds me of how I was feeling at this time last year. I was so excited to receive my acceptance from the GSB, but was a little nervous, kind of like a kid going off the summer camp. Would I know anyone? I had only communicated on the Admit Discussion Forum with a few other admits from the Washington, DC area. Would it be hard to make new friends? Was I going to freeze?

I can say now that my anxiety was unwarranted. I had a fantastic time at Admit Weekend, met some amazing people (who are some of my best friends today!), had a great time exploring the Harper Center here on campus and sitting in on a model class with the famous Kevin Murphy (and for those Freakonomics fans, Steve Leavitt sitting in the corner) and getting excited about taking microeconomics, hanging out downtown at Lucky Strike watching Rose try to bowl, and hearing about how much the current students loved the GSB. The weekend was a great start to my GSB career. Everyone I met was so excited to see me there, which eased any fears I had about not finding people to hang out with.

So, let me ease your anxieties, encourage you to make your plans for Admit Weekend and come have a fantastic time with us. Here are some logistical details to help you get started:

· Chicago has two airports: O’Hare and Midway. Midway is on the Orange “el” line that will take you into the downtown loop. O’Hare is much bigger and is served by all major airlines. It’s on the Blue “el” line which will also get you to the downtown loop. Information on public transportation can be found at http://tripsweb.rtachicago.com/.

· Hotel rooms certainly aren’t lacking in Chicago. Most people stay in downtown (GSB will run a shuttle from the downtown Gleacher Center to Hyde Park). The Admitted Student Website does have some suggested hotels here. Remember, weekends are a popular time to visit, so make your reservations early!

· Pack a coat. We’re realistic, Chicago can be chilly, and you’ll have much more fun if you are not cold. But take heart, the average temperature in March is in the 40’s.

· Get ready to have fun. If you talk to any first-year student who attended Admit Weekend last year, you’ll hear over and over again that Admit Weekend cemented the decision to attend GSB.

For more information, please visit this link on the admit website (requires login and password).
http://www.chicagogsb.edu/fulltime/admits/weekend/index.aspx


Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Fall CWiB Conference

With the number of women at the GSB at an all time high of 35%, it is not surprising that the Chicago Women in Business (CWiB) student group was able to put on a successful Annual Fall Conference on October 25, 2007 at Chicago’s Intercontinental Hotel.

As a first year student the prospect of figuring our which career path you want to take is daunting. Just when you feel as though you are settling into life in a new city with new friends and figuring out what it’s like to be a student again, you are quickly reminded that you have a future career to think about. We looked to Dr. Seuss to shed some very valuable insight:

You have brains in your head
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose

As such, we decided to make this year’s theme for the conference - “Forging and Managing Your Career Path.” The CWIB Annual Fall Conference provides a safe environment for our women students to ask many corporate women candid questions about their experiences.

The Conference was well attended by over 175 members and 100 sponsors representing 26 firms across various industries.

We kicked off the event with two panel discussions – Managing and Navigating Your Career Path and Off the Beaten Path. The first panel is pretty self explanatory. We brought in many successful women across a broad range of industries to give their advice on how they had “figured it out.” The second panel was geared towards those interested in pursuing a non-traditional career path such as entrepreneurship, non-profit and corporate social responsibility. Panelists included:

Toby Alfred – Customer Acquisition Leader, Progressive
Katie Cusack – Director, Credit Suisse
Teri Hill – Senior Executive, Organization Strategy Practice, Accenture
Spring Hollis – Director, Deutsche Bank
Kristen Rossi – Executive Director, Investment Banking, Morgan Stanley
Julie Coffman – Partner, North American Recruiting, Bain & Company
Patrice P. DeCorrevont – Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
Marissa Haas – Senior Product Manager, Marketing, Abbott Pain Care
Anne Hamilton –Vice President, Lehman Brothers
Ingrid Tierens – Managing Director, Equity Strategies, Goldman Sachs
Susan Alnaqib – Co-President, Chicago Community Ventures
Margaret Annett – Assistant Treasurer, The Art Institute of Chicago
Chandra Greer – Founder, Greer
Maria Kim – The Cara Program

Following the panel discussions, we opened the floor up to a networking event where students were given the opportunity to float across the room and speak to representatives from all 26 firms. With over 100 corporate representatives present at the networking portion, students were given an amazing opportunity to ask candid questions about specific industries, jobs and firms.

The Conference closed with a formal sit down dinner in the Grand Ballroom where we graced with the presence of a truly inspirational female leader, Shellye Archambeau, CEO of MetricStream, who was the keynote speaker for the evening. The theme to Shellye’s speech was naturally about career planning. According to Shellye, a plan, much like a map, will help you navigate the potholed and congested road. It will also help you get back on track when you get lost. Funnily enough, Shellye had a plan to be CEO of a company at the age of 14! She is a true testament to the whole idea of having a plan. Her belief in having a plan is best encapsulated by the following story she shared. When Shellye was in college, she needed a winter coat (an expensive purchase for a student living on a budget). Knowing that a coat is meant to last approximately 5 years, Shellye took her plan into account. Shellye had a plan to be pregnant in 5 years. She took this into account when making her decision to buy a winter coat and opted for the one that she could wear while pregnant over the trendiest coat at the time. Although she was kindly reminded by her roommate that she didn’t have a boyfriend at the time, Shellye was indeed pregnant five years later and had a coat that she could wear.

Year after year, we hear great feedback about how valuable the opportunity to spend quality time with firm representatives is to students. CWiB is one of the largest student groups at the GSB. Our mission is to aid our members in developing professional and personal skills and building relationships with corporate recruiters, faculty, alumni, and other female students. With over 200 members, the group hosts career development, community service, and social events. The women of CWiB are pleased to speak with prospective and admitted students and always welcome new members!


Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

GSB newswire...

Overview of current events from the past week @ GSB:

In a speech to GSB students at the Gleacher Center, Motorola CEO Ed Zander said his company looked into the possibility of buying Navteq Corp before rival Nokia struck a deal but rejected an acquisition because it wasn’t a good strategic fit. “We looked at it and went on our way,” Zander said. He called the $8.1 billion price tag for Navteq “stunning.”

University professor Steve Levitt, author of the best-seller Freakonomics, was this week's guest at the Harper Center for the Becker Brown Bag Series. He discussed the benefits of running experiments in real businesses, even if many short-sighted CEOs have historically refused to participate in what they perceive to be risky undertakings. He also shared with students his most recent study, which analyzes the economics of prostitution in the United States.

Professor Steven Kaplan was quoted in a Bloomberg article about the slowdown in buyouts. Many private equity firms are now unable or willing to leverage up as they did before, Professor Kaplan said. “Those multiples are dead … The amount of leverage they can get has gone down and will stay down,” he said in the October 1 article.

Professor Raghuram Rajan appeared on The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams October 10 in a story about foreign investment in U.S. companies. Although some Americans may be leery of such purchases, Professor Rajan says it often makes good business sense. “People don’t spend $10 billion or $20 billion on a company just to run it into the ground or for some nefarious purpose,” he said.

Professor Rajan was also quoted in an October 6 article by The Economist about whether there needs to be more regulation of banks’ liquidity. Professor Rajan said what is needed is consistent monitoring of banks’ liquidity positions over the economic cycle. One benefit of the recent crisis, he said, is that it will provide a benchmark for assessing whether banks have enough liquidity in the future. More scrutiny may be the only way to ensure less reliance on the state.

Timothy Chen, MBA ’91, was named CEO of NBA China, a subsidiary of the National Basketball Association, according to a September 21 Forbes article. There are an estimated 300 million basketball fans in China, the article said. Previously Chen was CEO of Microsoft China.

James Kilts, MBA ’74, was elected to the board of Pfizer Inc., according to an announcement September 27. He is a founding partner of Centerview Partners, a private equity and financial advisory firm and was CEO of The Gillette Company prior to its merger with Procter and Gamble. Kilts is also chairman of Council on the Graduate School of Business, a group of executives that advise Dean Snyder on program issues and serve as a link to the business community.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Chicago... my future home--but where?

Where to live? It’s a question that many applicants think about in deciding where to apply for business school. Whether you’re very familiar with Chicago or have never visited, housing is always a hot topic among applicants and incoming students.

At first, many incoming GSB students are under the impression that housing is simply a choice between Hyde Park and the north side (usually either downtown or Lincoln Park). While a good portion of students do choose to live either very close to campus or in the popular north side locations, some decide to tap into one of Chicago’s many other interesting neighborhoods. After all, Chicago is known as a city of diverse, rich neighborhoods, so it makes sense that the student body has equally varied tastes when it comes to housing.

Here are a few “other” neighborhoods in which GSBers live that you may not have initially thought of:


South Loop: Want proximity to school outside of Hyde Park? How about closeness to both downtown and the exciting nightlife of Gold Coast? If so, then the South Loop may be a great option for you. Not many years ago, this neighborhood just south of Grant Park was an abandoned area of railroad tracks and warehouses. Since then, it has been revitalized by a frenzy of construction: mainly high-rise and mid-rise condominium buildings with all of the amenities. Many GSB students with families have chosen to invest in buying condos in this neighborhood, while others who prefer to lease have settled in rental buildings or sublet from condo owners.

Student Ade Ifelayo said of his neighborhood: “It’s a central, or ‘compromise’ location between Hyde Park, Downtown and the Northside areas. It has easy access to public transportation—on both El and Metra lines. Driving is even better, as it’s against the flow of traffic both commutes.”

Although it still has the feel of a young, new neighborhood, the South Loop is full of everything you’d want in everyday life—from grocery stores and a huge Target, to bars and restaurants, including Ade’s favorite brunch spot, Yolk. (“It’s the best!”)


Wicker Park / Bucktown: These neighborhoods are just west of the Loop, are more affordable than some of the more central locations in the city, and offer a delightful combination of charming shops, restaurants and cafes. This area is also much more parking friendly than the rest of the city can be, which is important because public transportation to the Harper Center can be time-consuming from here. In other words, you’ll probably want a car if you make this your home.

According to second year student Christen Cuculich:

“The people in Bucktown are a little less homogenous than other areas of the city, partially due to the big arts scene in the area. There are no high-rise buildings, few chain restaurants, and you can easily walk to tons of great restaurants, coffee shops, bars, grocery stores, boutiques, music venues, the blue line, dry cleaners, and just about everything you could imagine. Beyond being home to some of the best restaurants and shopping in Chicago, Bucktown is also an ideal area for animal lovers. There are a lot of pet-friendly apartments and condos and there are multiple dog parks.”


Lakeview: This neighborhood is adjacent to the northeast part of Lincoln Park and can best be described as a comfortable, moderately-priced and easily-navigable option for your time in b-school. Families and young folks alike choose to make this their home, resulting in an interesting mix of parks, gyms, pubs and Lake Michigan.

Dru Rossbacher chose Lakeview “for its proximity to the lake, to public transportation and to a myriad of good restaurants and bars” and accessibility to everything from supermarkets to various good places to do yoga. There’s always a lot going on at night, from local bars to trendier clubs—and the chance to attend a Cubs game in nearby Wrigleyville. Dru notes that “it is considered to be one of the safest neighborhoods in the city, so I have never felt unsafe returning home from a night out.” Parking can be a problem, however, since rented spaces tend to be quite expensive and street parking is limited and can take a while, especially in the bad weeks of winter.


Hopefully, you’re beginning to realize that Chicago is a great city offering its residents a variety of living choices depending on what matters to you most. If you come to the GSB, everyone will have an opinion on where is the best place to live—just remember that, whatever it is that you want, Chicago has it.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Q&A with Rose Martinelli

Greetings from all of us at the Dean’s Student Admissions Committee! A very warm welcome to the class of 2009 – congratulations on your success, and best wishes for a wonderful and exciting time at the GSB! We hope to see you soon on the campus.

Our warm wishes also go out to all the prospective students out there, gearing up for this year’s admissions cycle. As you navigate through the exciting, challenging – and often times exhausting – process of b-school applications, we will try our best to assist you in all ways we can. This particular blog entry is another step in that direction. Rose Martinelli (RM), the Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions, answered some of the most important admissions related questions posed by 2nd year student and DSAC co-chair Saurabh Sharma (SS). We hope that the conversation below will help clarify the admissions process to all prospective students out there.

SS: Good morning Rose, and thanks for taking the time out for this chat.

RM: Good morning. It’s my pleasure.

SS: Let me start by asking some specific, application-related questions. I'll begin with a question that is probably on everyone’s mind. The Adcom recently came up with the application questions for the Class of 2010, and there has been one significant change – the PowerPoint slides. Can you talk a little bit about the motivation behind adopting such a non-traditional format?

RM: Well, as you know, the Chicago GSB has a reputation for challenging norms. In some respects that is what the PowerPoint is doing. Traditional essays, although helpful in the application process, tend to be confining. Essay questions do not allow applicants to fully stretch beyond the question and communicate their strengths, weaknesses, passions etc. The PowerPoint slide is our way of giving applicants a blank slate on which to communicate with us. There aren't many restrictions for an applicant, and they have free reign to communicate to the committee whatever they feel is valuable for us to know. An applicant can expand upon their application or they can go beyond it and reveal something completely new. This is their opportunity to express themselves without guidance or restriction.

SS: Compared to the usual essay questions, how differently should an applicant think about the slides? What is similar, and what is not – in terms of how the AdCom will be looking at the responses?

RM: In many respects we are looking for similar things in the slides as we would in the essays. We are looking for organized thoughts, strong communication skills, and the ability to convey ideas clearly. We will also be looking at an applicant's ability to be insightful and their willingness to express themselves in a new medium. In some respects, this question adds an element of risk to the application that has not been there before. There is no question to guide you, or any history to use as an example. Therefore, an applicant's success will largely depend on his/her ability to think and reflect on those things that capture who they are as a person and a potentially successful member of the GSB community.

SS: It appears that there is an option to attach a word document to provide an "explanation" of the slides. In what cases do you think this option might be used? Is there a restriction/suggestion on the length of this document?

RM: The word document is there as a safety net. We recognize that interpretation of material is not always consistent across languages, cultures, socio-economic differences, etc. The intent is that the slides will communicate the messages without explanatory notes. However, we want to ensure that the meaning conveyed in these slides is clearly understood in the evaluation process. If a notes document is included, it should not exceed one paragraph per slide.

SS: While reviewing applications, how would you weigh the actual content vs. the presentation style? Obviously, different applicants will have had different levels of experience creating slides and presenting ideas in that format?

RM: This question is not designed to evaluate the applicants’ PowerPoint expertise, but rather to reveal how people think and communicate their ideas. This question, like the rest of the essay questions, is designed to provoke critical thought and self-reflection, not just their creativity. It is the message within the slides that is important, not the presentation.

SS: Thanks for these responses. Let me now switch gears, and talk about the application process and GSB in general.
Hopefully by now, prospective students would have started thinking about their applications in detail. As they make up their mind regarding this significant change in their lives and decide upon their target school(s), what, in your opinion, should be the key aspects they consider?

RM: For applicants to be successful in this process, they must be effective at doing two things:
1) Self-reflection – Know why you are applying for an MBA. Know your strengths, weaknesses, and why you think an MBA will prepare you for the future. Know your goals and be able to communicate how you think you can achieve them.
2) Understand fit – Every school is different in terms of culture, courses and extra-curricular offerings, so make sure you know what makes an MBA from a specific school so important for you to achieve your goals. If you know yourself and you know how each school can help address your needs, you can make a compelling case in the application. If you do not fully understand or reflect on either of these points and rely solely on your credentials to carry you, chances are you will fall short in a very competitive application process.

SS: Wise words!
As you wrap up the admissions process for the class of 2009, what is your view of the applicants and the incoming class? How was this year?

RM: We had a great year, and are very excited to welcome the Class of 2009 to the GSB. This class is not only bright, but incredibly diverse in terms of background and future goals. We are eager to have them start the program and have high hopes that they will add tremendous value to the GSB community as students and beyond.

SS: I personally have been super-impressed by the knowledge and the helpful attitude of the Class of 2007. What is the buzz in the market, and among recruiters? What are the most common strengths of GSB grads?

RM: Recruiters are big on GSB students for two reasons: 1) Our students leave here with incredible critical thinking skills. They understand the fundamentals of business, are well-equipped to break down complicated problems to the bare essentials, and make smart, well-informed decisions. Which leads me to my second point: 2) Our students leave the GSB with tremendous confidence. They thrive in challenging environments and are not afraid to ask questions. Our entire community is about challenging one another, and companies appreciate people within their organizations who think differently and push for the best answers, not just the expedient ones.

SS: My final question for you – as they go through the application process, what are some of the avenues that prospective students can use to get to learn more about the GSB?

RM: All prospective students should visit our website. There you can learn about our people, our programs and our culture. Through our website they should check out our discussion boards, chats and this blog. All these things give a prospective student an in-depth and revealing look at the GSB through the eyes of our students and staff. I would also encourage students to visit the school. You can sign up for a daily visit or a GSB Live event starting in October. If you can not visit campus, then try to visit us at one of our information sessions being held all over the world. The more you interact with us, the more prepared you will be to write a compelling application. We are a school that is all about transparency, so take the time to explore and ask questions. We want you to be successful, so take the time to engage and get to know us better.

SS: Rose, once again, thanks for taking the time out to answer these questions. I am sure applicants will find your insights quite useful.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Admit Weekend II Recap

"You Are Here."

Over 400 admitted students and their partners invaded the Hyde Park Center from April 20-22 for Admit Weekend II. Students experienced a variety of events, ranging from information sessions on career services and financial aid, to student panels on housing and Random Walks, to hands-on LEAD activities. Saturday evening was capped off by a send-off dinner at Union Station, followed by an informal night out at a local club where admits and current students celebrated admission or the impending end of the academic year.

Admitted students trickled in throughout Friday, joining their current student hosts for breakfast and then heading off to a day packed with activities. Spouses and significant others had their own events to attend but linked up with their partners for meals and the day-ending LPF with Mexican food and all kinds of beverages, as well as student groups that had set up tables across the Rothman Winter Garden.

Other activities on Saturday and Sunday included model classes and a tour of Chicago on bus, which took students around the city's monuments and residential neighborhoods. Deans Ted Snyder and Rose Martinelli were on hand to welcome students on Friday and Mandel Hall and at the Saturday night reception.

For everyone who attended Admit Weekend, thanks for coming! We hope you learned about what makes Chicago GSB such a spcecial place and, most importantly, that you had a great time. See you in the fall!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Student Perspective: Long Distance Relationships

Hello to all, congrats to the newly admitted students, and good luck to those who applied in round three!

Today, we’d like to talk to you about something – or better said, someone, who is often overlooked in the whole MBA process: the significant other. In particular, we’d like to focus on the long-distance relationship. Lo and behold, our target is not to give you some couple counseling – we are not qualified for that. But we would like you to profit from the experience of some students who are going through this.

To frame the problem and assure you that I know what I’m talking about, here is a brief portrait: I am French, and I worked in Germany and China before school. Now I am a second year student at the GSB. My better half is Swedish, and she currently works in Stockholm.

The first thing that we long distance people all see is that you need to count on each other. It sounds like a huge tautology but let me be more precise: she/he will support you. Make sure that this project is as much hers/his as it is yours, if you do not want to wake up one day with a break up email or phone call. Be sure that you let him/her know about the upsides of this program for both of you (a hopefully higher future income, Career chances etc.) and the downsides (distance).

Most of the people who choose the long distance relationship do it because of job constraints. In my case, my girlfriend loved her job. She was torn between her will to be with me and her job. As a foreigner, what would she do in the US? She did not want to quit (it is her first job, so quitting after 3 months might have had some resume repercussions), yet she wanted to be with me. Here is the first tip: talk about that together and be open. If you are the one leaving for the MBA, do not forget that by following you, your significant other might jeopardize his/her career too. Given that at the time you come into school you generally do not know where you are going to end up, this represents significant risk added to you, your life, and your relationship. Ponder also that you as an MBA student will be awfully busy. Our partners club here is doing an incredible job, but many wives/husbands recognize that they do not see their partner so much, while they spend some time with other partners of MBA students within the club activities. The reason is that the whole socializing, events, recruiting, etc. is as much part of the MBA education as sitting in class is. In my case, distance allowed me to focus a lot on school, job, etc. Some of my friends who live with a partner tell me about their constant time struggle. My girlfriend and I decided that she would keep her job and that after the MBA we would go to the same place together, our decision driven by the best of both job opportunities.

That being settled, the hard part starts – separation. Here are a few tips that many saw as critical:

• By the time you part, always make sure that you know already the precise date when you will see each other again – ideally you will already have the plane ticket. This is critical because it transforms an otherwise empty horizon into a countdown to seeing each other again. It builds up the expectation and shifts the wait from an interrogation (when do we see each other) to an excitement (2 weeks to go!). To help you with this, the academic calendar is published on the school’s webpage and has a very substantial horizon – check it out.

• Nowadays, communication systems make it really easy to talk together and even see each other. My girlfriend and I are avid Skype users. The network at the GSB is so good that we can also use our webcams with the wireless system. It works very well, and we talk once or twice a day. You will have to get used to the time difference. In general, your schedule as an MBA student will offer sufficient flexibility and breaks so that you can adapt to his/her working schedule – it does take a bit of planning and effort.

• For you Gentlemen: Valentine’s Day IS important. Roses, sent by any delivery company are best. It will cost you 90-150 USD but hey, that’s no money compared to the 80 grand you are paying in tuition.

• Look at job options early. Where do you want to go? Where could you go? Keep your significant other informed on a regular basis and take their input into consideration. It will help you to converge towards a mutually agreeable place more easily. Be creative in generating options – use the Career Services Office for help. In my case I discovered with amazement that my target company (Bain & Co) had an office in Stockholm… Maybe I could spend the summer there. If you are interested in the country where your significant other lives, ask him/her for advice. Brainstorm together: what companies are there in his/her place (and that works also if you are from the same country). My girlfriend sent me a list of 60 companies based in Stockholm. Then I cross checked with the list in our career services office – we had data for ALL of them. I ended up at Bain Stockholm for the summer, and when I got an offer, both Anna and I were thrilled to accept!

• All in all, try to involve your partner as much as you can in your everyday life. If he/she stayed in a country for work, chances are that you will have a somewhat more exciting life than him/her. You will meet people from everywhere, go to receptions, cocktails, diners, parties, etc. Get her/him involved in the experience. Talk about what you do, whom you meet. Ask for his/her advice when confronted with some local problems. Basically, when he/she comes to visit you, he/she should be able to know a lot about all the people he/she will meet. Not only their names, but also if you like the guy, if you’ve worked with him, etc.

Of course this is not a simple recipe for success. Just a few things that people with long distance relationships keep on repeating between each other. Good luck to all!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Campus Visit Logistics

Special note for Admitted Students: Contact your AdCom if you would like to visit campus outside of Admit Weekend. They can help us arrange your visit so that we can best meet your needs as you decide which MBA program is best for you.

Step 1: Plan your visit to Chicago GSB
Figure out the best time for you to visit the GSB. Although info sessions and tours are conducted almost every day, we highly recommend that you come when school is in session and when current students are participating in campus visit activities. This way, you can get a student’s perspective on everything from classes to student groups to where we hang out at night. Current students will have a limited role in campus visits during schools breaks (Winter, Spring and Summer) as well as during the first and last weeks of each quarter.

Check out this site for campus visit exclusion dates (no visit activities offered on these days) as well as a general schedule of events for future date ranges. For those of you that want a little more than a regular visit, be sure to check out our “GSB Live” expanded campus visit offering on the same webpage.

Step 2: Register online for your visit
When you determine the date of your visit, please inform the admissions office so we can be ready to welcome you. To do this, you can register online here. This will help us ensure that we correctly match our volunteer resources with the volume of visitors coming in each day.

Step 3: Book reservations for travel and lodging
If you an out-of-towner, you’ll probably need to fly into Chicago and stay at least one night. Visitors often ask, “Which airport should I fly into?” Chicago has two airports: O’Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW). You can use either airport for your campus visit and both have public transportation to and from the center of the city. However, Midway is much closer to Hyde Park and that can be advantageous. For example, if you won’t have much time to make it to the airport after your visit, you should choose Midway if possible. Depending on traffic and your mode of transportation, travel times to O’Hare from Hyde Park can range from 45 minutes to 2 hours during “rush hour”. On the other hand, you can typically make it from Hyde Park to Midway in less than 45 minutes.

As for lodging, the GSB does not have any preferred hotels. However, you can find a list of frequently used hotels here. In addition, you can choose to stay at the International House on campus, which is just three blocks away from the Hyde Park Center. You can learn more about the “I-House” here.

Step 4: Getting to Hyde Park Center
There are many ways to get to campus if you’re coming from Downtown Chicago. The fastest way is to take a taxi, which you can find easily at any hotel. Just tell the cab driver that you’re headed to 5807 S. Woodlawn in Hyde Park.

Public transportation is also a great option. You can take the Metra train to within a few blocks of the HPC. You can find the Metra schedule for the train to Hyde Park here. Note: if coming from Downtown, you can board the Metra at Millennium Station, Van Buren or Roosevelt Road. You will want to exit the train at 59th Street. If you plan take the Metra, call the admissions office for walking directions from the train station.

In addition to the Metra, you can take the CTA’s #2 bus from multiple stops Downtown to 60th & Woodlawn. The HPC is only a two-block walk to the north. You can find the schedule for the #2 bus here.

If you intend to drive, you can find directions here. You will need about 20 minutes to drive from Downtown, and longer if you’re staying further north. Also, give yourself ample time to find a parking spot since parking can be difficult around the HPC. If all else fails, park in the UofC visitors pay lot on 55th St. and Ellis Ave and then walk to the HPC (it will take about 10 minutes).

Step 5: Enjoy your visit!
Ask lots of questions and take in the entire GSB experience! Be sure to sign in at the Admissions Office when you arrive.

Step 6: Getting back to the airport or your hotel
If you’re low on time and need to go to either airport right after your visit, your best bet is to take a cab. You can call ahead and reserve a taxi through most taxi services. While we don’t endorse any cab company, the easiest number for me to remember is Yellow Taxi: (312) T-A-X-I-C-A-B. You can also ask the admissions receptionists to help you contact a cab company. Cab rides to the airport will be expensive, but they are usually the quickest, most direct mode of transportation. See the travel times in Step 3 for estimates on when you should have your taxi pick you up.

If you have time, feel free to explore Hyde Park on foot or head back up to Hyde Park via any of the previously mentioned public transportation options.

Step 7: Give us feedback
We rely on feedback from our campus visitors to help us continually improve the program. You can post suggestions on our web forum (http://www.chicagogsb.edu/fulltime/forums), e-mail the admissions team (admissions@chicagogsb.edu) or contact any of the student volunteers you meet during your visit.

Best of luck to all of you!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums