What current students found important when choosing Kellogg
Choosing the right business school for you is a pivotal decision in your professional journey. To shed light on this critical turning point, we spoke with eight first-year Full-Time MBA students, each with a unique perspective on why they chose Kellogg as their academic home. Whether drawn by the innovative curriculum, collaborative culture or transformative experiences, these students share key factors and meaningful interactions that made all the difference in making Kellogg the right choice for them.
Unique program offerings
Alex Mestre ’25 MMM Program
“I chose Kellogg for its MMM dual-degree program, the first and only of its kind. As someone who studied business in undergrad, I was eager to augment my MBA with an MS in Design Innovation. I felt the MMM program would help equip me to innovate in today’s ever-changing world and differentiate me over the course of my career. I also appreciated the smaller cohort experience (about 60 students), which allows for greater connection and support.”
Ana Sulakvelidze ’24 MBAi Program
“Kellogg’s MBAi program, a joint degree in business and artificial intelligence from Kellogg and McCormick School of Engineering, fit my background and aspirations in tech and AI perfectly. However, knowing that I would have exposure to a highly intellectual, diverse cohort through all the graduate business programs that Kellogg offers also played a very important role in my decision-making process. I have a couple of MMMs, MD-MBAs and JD-MBAs in my section, and every time they share their perspectives or experiences during our classroom discussions, I’m learning something new. It’s very stimulating.”
Jen (Joo Young) Park ’26 JD-MBA
“From the onset of my MBA preparation, the Kellogg JD-MBA was my number one choice without a doubt and therefore the only school I applied to round 1. I had my heart set on a JD-MBA dual degree, and I knew that Kellogg had the strongest U.S. program. Kellogg and Pritzker, both renowned institutions, made this choice a no-brainer.
“The extensive history of their joint degree program was a paramount factor for me. With two decades of experience shaping exceptional JD-MBA graduates, Kellogg offers a robust curriculum that maximizes the value of the intense three-year experience while fostering an enduring and influential alumni network.”
Martha Wong ’24 One-Year MBA
“Kellogg’s One-Year MBA Program was a huge factor in my decision. Knowing that I wanted to go back to private equity after my MBA, the One-Year Program allowed me to dive right into the engaging electives that Kellogg has to offer. Another unique part of Kellogg is the Advanced Private Equity Experience (APEX) program, which is a program designed for students who have a background in private equity and want to return to it after Kellogg. It’s a great way to connect with alumni and classmates in the industry.”
Community and culture
James Griffin ’25 Two-Year MBA
“I was dead set on attending a different business school until the last day of the school’s admitted students day known as “Day at Kellogg” (DAK). I had jumped out of the last break-out session to catch up on some work when a Kellogg professor sat down at the table next to me with a couple who was coincidentally deciding between the same two schools. As I eavesdropped on this conversation, I came to realize three things: 1) Kellogg faculty are incredibly distinguished, but uniquely focused on teaching and providing a differentiated student experience 2) The school’s proximity to and distance from Chicago has helped to foster both world-class professional opportunities and a culture that is second to noneand 3) joining a business school network is only valuable if the alumni in that network pick up the phone when you call. Every single Kellogg alumni — and student — to which I reached out not only offered to jump on the phone but could not say enough good things about their experience.
“I left the Global Hub, and while walking five laps around the campus’ lake fill, I talked to my family through my change of heart. I could not be happier I changed my mind that day.”
Zach Queen ’25 Two-Year MBA
“The truth is that you can get a great business education at plenty of top schools. But Kellogg is the right place if you’re looking for a transformational life experience. From your first moment on campus, Kellogg deliberately structures events and programming to build a cohesive culture. The school also has a uniquely collaborative culture, which manifests across all facets of student life – from classroom work to recruiting.
“As somebody leaving eight years of service in the Marine Corps, I knew I wanted more than a school – I wanted a community. All my interactions with current students during the application process and my experiences on campus convinced me that Kellogg was the place to grow and evolve while maintaining a sense of camaraderie that defined my previous life.”
Innovative curriculum
Courtney Sloan ’25 Two-Year MBA
“I was drawn to the school’s leadership classes, specifically the number of renowned professors with deep expertise in organizational psychology and effective team management. Classes like The Science and Strategy of Bias Reduction and Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work are interesting to me because they combine data and relevant social science frameworks to provide students with an effective toolkit to serve as a leader in our increasingly globalized, technology forward business environment.
“I plan to use my time in business school to reflect on the type of leader I want to become. I hope to attain practical leadership skills that will allow me to successfully lead in today’s complex business environment. I feel that the leaders of the future will need several skills that stretch far beyond technical proficiency. So, it was important for me to find an institution that valued leadership development as much as the traditional MBA curriculum.”
Phillip Cox ’25 Two-Year MBA
“As an engineer, I’m a firm believer in hands-on learning and real-world application. What sold me on Kellogg was learning about all the different experiential learning opportunities that crossed all industries and functions. I was blown away that every single student I chatted with had taken or was planning to take advantage of at least one of these opportunities.
“I vividly recall a conversation with a Kellogg student who shared a story about his experience launching a new medical technology in Africa that was helping save lives. The story resonated with me because I could feel his excitement for translating work done in the classroom into tackling a real-world problem. At this point, I knew Kellogg was committed to action-oriented education and I was ready to jump right in.”
Read next: Combining passion, purpose and profession through your MBA