Thursday, October 07, 2004
Cooperation and Camaraderie
I did want to make an additional point that is tangentially related to the TOM test I am about to take. Before I started applying to HBS I was really taken in by the reputation the school has for competitive behavior, including backstabbing and cutthroat tactics to get ahead on a forced curve. Once I got fairly deep into the application process I started to realize that the reputation wasn't being confirmed by what I was reading. Then I went to my Kellogg interview and the interviewer told me about his visit to HBS and how unpleasant and uncooperative the students were, I believe he specifically told me that people would hide cases from other students. Anyway, I visited the school in February, and I just didn't see where the reputation came from, I found everyone very friendly and helpful. That sealed the deal and I decided to come here.
Since I've been here, I have seen much more cooperation than I ever saw as an undergrad in UT engineering, which I felt was a very cooperative program. People are more than willing to help you in class, outside of class, hold special review sessions, pass around helpful test review material, it goes on and on. Several times in class when I've been asked a particularly tough question by a professor I get multiple helpful hints whispered to me by those around me. Everyone here wants to see everyone else do well. Anyway, this was just on my mind since I had to filter through the 4 study guides that people e-mailed to the section e-mail list in preparation for the TOM test today.
Anyway, don't believe the reputation, cutthroat is about the last word I would use to describe HBS. Arrogant? Maybe. Fun? Definitely. A lot of work? Without a doubt.
Since I've been here, I have seen much more cooperation than I ever saw as an undergrad in UT engineering, which I felt was a very cooperative program. People are more than willing to help you in class, outside of class, hold special review sessions, pass around helpful test review material, it goes on and on. Several times in class when I've been asked a particularly tough question by a professor I get multiple helpful hints whispered to me by those around me. Everyone here wants to see everyone else do well. Anyway, this was just on my mind since I had to filter through the 4 study guides that people e-mailed to the section e-mail list in preparation for the TOM test today.
Anyway, don't believe the reputation, cutthroat is about the last word I would use to describe HBS. Arrogant? Maybe. Fun? Definitely. A lot of work? Without a doubt.
