WHAT's it like being an MBA student in the USA? Here's our interview with Aditya Sinha, a 29-year-old Indian student in his first year of an MBA program at the Stephen M Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Student World Online: So, why did you want to do an MBA in the USA?
Aditya Sinha: I wanted to do an MBA in the United States to learn the best practices of business management from a top business school in the world (it happened to be in USA). Additionally, I also wanted to apply the acquired skills and tools in globally competitive platforms existing in the country by utilizing various action-based learning opportunities offered during an MBA course, internship and full-time job. Such experiences will help me be among the top professionals in my industry, globally.
SWO: How did you find and choose the university?
AS: I looked at various prestigious rankings, talked to alumni of my undergraduate school who had done their MBAs, and talked to current students of all the schools I was interested in. With the help of these interactions, extensive online research and then using the criteria important to me like school’s culture, facilities available to meet my professional goals, and prestige, I chose universities to apply to.
SWO: What qualifications did you have before you applied to do an MBA?
AS: I had a master's and a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and computer science.
SWO: Did you have to pass an English test? If so, which test, how long did it take, how much did it cost and where did you take the exam?
AS: I didn’t have to take an English test because the medium of instruction in my undergraduate institution (Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India) was in English. However, for someone who didn’t have English as a medium of instruction in college or went to a non-accredited institution with English as a medium of instruction, they would have to take a TOEFL or IELTS exam.
SWO: Was it difficult to apply?
AS: It definitely requires a lot of soul searching and time management to apply to business schools whilst working full-time. The applications require one to be true to herself/himself. Thinking about almost everything you have done in life to date, what you want to do, and conveying this effectively in application essays, takes time. Also, the GMAT exam is an important component. If you have been working full-time for 4-5 years and are out of touch with mathematics or analytical reading, the preparation demands labor!
SWO: Tell us about the program. How long does it last? What are you learning at your business school?
AS: A full-time MBA at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, at the University of Michigan, is about 20 months long. It is divided into two years, each with four seven-week quarters. In the first year the majority of courses are core to the MBA degree fulfillment. As part of core requirements we learnt accounting, finance, marketing, operations, leadership, strategy, business economics, applied business statistics etc.
One of the highlights of a Ross MBA education is MAP. It stands for Multidisciplinary Action Project. It is like an internship in the last quarter of the first year but is worth 7.5 credits out of approximately 57 credits required for degree fulfillment. Every year Ross receives around 100 project proposals from various sponsoring companies. These projects can be in any part of the world, the sponsoring organization can be a start-up or an NGO, or a government organization or one of the Fortune 500 companies, and the work can be in any intersection of numerous industries and various business functions. In a team of 4-6 students we get to work on these real business problems as consultants.
MAP is a great learning experience for several reasons. One can get a complementary or supplementary experience in any industry or function, get an experience of working in a team with a variegated professional background and culture, and in the process make life-long friendships. I for one made some good friends, learnt about a different industry, and supplemented my professional experience in the direction I want it to take.
In the second year, one can choose to specialize in any of the business functions or even can choose not to. There is an array of electives available, taught by an even more formidable array of professors who are world-renowned in their respective fields.
SWO: Are there many international students on your course?
AS: More than 30% of about 450 students in our class are international i.e. non-US citizens.
SWO: Have you visited or worked with any companies as part of your studies?
AS: As part of my MAP, I not only worked with a Fortune 500 company but visited about 10 more firms in the oil and gas sector in Houston, Texas, to achieve the project goals. I understood the sector, its players, the roles and standing of these firms in the supply chain, and their individual businesses. There are some other elective courses too which entail working with different client companies. The client can very well be international and can require international travel. All of these travels, whether in US or international, in MAP or in these electives, are sponsored by the client company.
SWO: Has it been easy to make friends? Do you get homesick?
AS: I chose Michigan because of its collegial and friendly culture. Not only students but the professors and even people on the street are very easy going, friendly and helpful. It has been very easy for me to make friends. Of course it is a little challenging as an international student because there are things about a different culture one needs to understand to assimilate into it. However, my American classmates have made it very easy for me to learn the cultural aspects and it further helps that they are accommodating and open-minded.
I don’t get homesick because I have a support system of good friends here plus there are so many exciting things going on in the school or university that I don’t get time to be homesick.
SWO: Do international students at your business school get any extra support, such as English lessons, help with accommodation, cultural help or student societies?
AS: For some international students whose English requires some work to thrive in a competitive business environment, the school helps with an English for Business Studies program before the actual classes begin in fall.
The university’s International Student Center runs various programs throughout the year specifically for international students to help them acclimatize with the US culture. Sessions on how to interact in a US class room, make friends or date Americans, buy winter clothes, get a driving license etc. or others like guidance on buying a car, getting a work-visa, ice-cream socials etc. are organized frequently.
Finding accommodation is made very easy by the school. They provide international incoming students with a list of trusted real estate agents and their contact information. Descriptions of the available options are provided online as well as in a brochure. It’s really easy to contact them, do some online research, and reserve a place online.
Further, the second year MBA2s are always willing to help and guide the first years on any possible topic under the sun.
SWO: How much are your MBA tuition fees? Has it been a worthwhile investment so far?
AS: Tuition fees has been around $57.5K per year for me. Considering how much I was earning, how much I will be spending on this education, how much salary I have forgone, and the current prospective salary I am looking at, it has definitely been a worthwhile investment. But this is only the monetary aspect. The lessons I have learnt, the experiences I have had, the connections I have made and the doors that have opened for me are invaluable.
SWO: Did you get financial help, such as a scholarship or grant? If so, where from?
AS: I received a small loan scholarship from a trust run by K.C. Mahindra in my home country. The business school provides a list of avenues one can explore to get scholarships or loans.
SWO: Where are you living (e.g.: university-owned hall, private hall, apartment, house-share etc) and how much is your rent?
AS: I have rented a house with three other students. Because of economies of scale and a relatively far distance from school, I end up paying around $600 a month.
SWO: Do you have any advice for international students?
AS: An MBA requires a tremendous investment of money and time. Make sure your goals are clear before you start applying to schools. Knowing where you are coming from, what you like to do now, what you will like to do in future, and what kind of person you are, are very important. You must talk to a few current students of the school to understand if you like the people it chooses. Also, make sure the school provides all the facilities and opportunities you would like to take advantage of.
As an international student there are additional challenges for you because you don’t know a lot about the US culture. This has some bearing on jobs you can get. Additionally not all companies sponsor international students for work visas. Do research on these before applying.
I can vouch for Ross School of Business. It has opened up all possible avenues for me because of its reputation and a very large, strong and effective alumni network.
SWO: Lastly, what do you plan to do after you graduate?
AS: I am going to do an investment banking internship this summer and hope to do investment banking full time after I graduate next year.
