Global outreach

12/21/2009 - Pedro Espin ’10 of Spain took many factors into account when he was choosing a business school: the academic reputation, the curricular offerings, the opportunities for personal and professional enrichment.

But what sealed the deal were his interactions with Kellogg students and alumni during the application process.

“At the end of the day, it’s important that you go to a school that you feel good about personally,” Espin says. “There were many signs that Kellogg was the right place for me.”

Espin hopes to share that sense of connection this month, when he hosts an event in Spain for prospective Kellogg students. He is among 50 current students who will return to their home countries this winter to talk about Kellogg as part of the student ambassadors program.

Students in the program host events during the winter and summer breaks during which they share their experiences as Kellogg students. The program is a partnership between the Kellogg Student Association Global Affairs committee and the Kellogg Office of Admissions.

This winter, students will host events in nearly 30 countries, including China, Denmark, Nigeria, Pakistan and Chile.

“The students are volunteering to do this because they are interested and invested in helping build Kellogg’s network in their home countries,” says Shimi Lin ’10, a second-year representative on the KSA Global Affairs Committee. “We want people to be aware that Kellogg is a top program.”

“I see it as a way to give back to the Kellogg community,” adds Irene Ann Yartey ’10 of Ghana. “I absolutely love Kellogg. For students overseas who can’t visit Evanston, these events help them decide which schools to apply to. There is no substitute for this kind of event.”

The student ambassadors are making a strong impression: 96 percent of the prospective students who responded to a survey said that these events were “very” or “extremely” valuable in helping them with their graduate school decision. Last year, nearly 650 prospective students attended more than 60 global ambassador events.

“This really is changing the way that Kellogg is perceived,” Senior Associate Director of Admissions Jennifer Hayes says. “When prospectives talk to people who live and breathe the Kellogg brand, they get so much more excited about being a part of Kellogg.”