Summer, Revisited (The Consulting Edition)

Linda, Management Consulting  
A.T. Kearney, Chicago

Friday, 06/13

First day of work, and I’m not even done with my last final. The new Chicago office is gorgeous but my brain is otherwise engaged in trying to figure out how much I don’t know for Lubos Pastor’s Portfolio Management class. Answer: too much. Second answer: it's ok, it was worth doing for the experience.

Key Takeaway: Don’t take morning AND afternoon Friday classes Spring quarter.

Wednesday, 06/18

Training, Day 2. Starting to remember peoples’ names. I’m in a group with two associates from the New York office, one in Toronto, and one in San Francisco. We're trying to figure out how much we can save in transportation costs. Our slides look pretty good for a bunch of people with zero consulting experience and negligible artistic skills. 

Key Takeaway: Listen to the full-time associates when they tell you the slide makes no sense. It doesn’t, even if you break out the fancy graphics.

Monday, 06/23

First day at the client site; first day getting up at 4:30AM to catch a 6:30AM flight out to Connecticut. This is the stress-test for career switchers—can you handle life on the road? I am armed with three apps, a Monster energy drink from the 7-11 across the street from MPP, and the ability to pass out on any moving vehicle in under 5 minutes. Verdict looks good.

Key Takeaway: Apply for Global Entry before your consulting internship.

Tuesday, 07/01

My manager is God’s gift to new consultants. I’ve been assigned to a workstream of my own (!) and am learning how to structure a well-reasoned hypothesis and analysis around investment income for the client. The transition from financial services is a little weird—whaddya mean we have to wait for data? Not having a Bloomberg is making me a little sad.

Key Takeaway: Structure your case and figure out what data you absolutely need, before you ask for it.

Saturday, 07/12

In New York, at LAF (Learn About the Firm) to get a better sense of the firm as a whole and get to meet Kearney folks outside of your case team and your office. On Friday, I had some great chats with the heads of the E&P (Energy and Processes) and PE (Private Equity) practices—the E&P teams who won the Client Impact award for their work in Saudi Arabia definitely had fun. Then the real fun began: afternoon cruise in the harbor around the Statue of Liberty followed by Top of the Standard followed by a great night in New York City.

Key Takeaway: Always remember to take something fancy to a firm outing in case you need it. 

Saturday, 07/21

Midterm Review! I would have spent the morning quaking in my boots except I was too busy building my new slides on international competitors in a new market segment. I’ve gone through a truly ludicrous number of historic annual reports and investor presentations in the last week.

Review is totally in line with what I expected. Everything’s great, I’m on track to getting an offer, but my slides still need to be improved. My manager: “They are…just a little bit ugly. Hahaha.”

Key Takeaway: By Week 5, you should know exactly where you stand. If you don’t, that’s Trouble with a T.

Thursday, 07/31

Cannot believe the end is in sight! The last two weeks have really started to ramp up. Gone are the leisurely team dinners—our key deadline is soon, our deliverable to the CEO is beginning to expand in scope, and the Head of Strategy is scheduling many, many meetings. Working past midnight most days at the client site; have eaten my way through 85% of the room service menu.

Key Takeaway: Make friends with your Information Services counterpart. They are very nice, and you get better, faster data when crunch time comes.

Friday, 08/15

Last day of the internship; went to salon to get a blowout for my final presentation. Hair looked awesome and presentation looked even better.  My fellow interns had amazing summers, and it was really something to see all the impactful work that they did in ten weeks. Are we really the same group of people who sweated through Excel Training 101 earlier in the summer? Unbelievable.

Key Takeaway: Work hard, work smart. Crush that internship.

Wednesday, 08/27

In Shanghai!!! Living with my aunt and uncle, and seeing my grandparents on a daily basis. The food is so amazing I nearly cried when I bit into my first xiaolongbao (soup dumpling). My grandparents did cry when I showed them all the pictures of my first year at Booth—dinners with friends, Chicago outings, hiking the Inca Trail with 25 awesome Boothies and partners during Spring Break.

Key Takeaway: When the work’s done, when the slides are in, remember how to take a step back and embrace the important things in life: your loved ones and your community. 

Ferris Boothie's Day Off

Mike dressed as Ferris Bueller
for Halloween

Ever wonder what it’s like to live in Chicago?  When you come to Chicago Booth for a visit, try to experience the city like a local – and let first-year Booth MBA (and Ferris Bueller aficionado) Mike Janko be your guide.

Prior to Booth, Mike worked at an entrepreneurial real estate investment firm, acting as Debt Portfolio Manager, Asset Manager, and Investment Analyst during his tenure.  At Booth, Mike is a member of the Admit Weekend planning committee, Follies Creative Team, Management Consulting Group, and Ski and Snowboard Club.  In his spare time, he enjoys exploring the array of neighborhoods in his native Chicago … and playing hooky once in a while.

--Matt Richman

“How could I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?”

In the classic film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the title character utters this memorable line moments after he tricks his parents into thinking that he is sick and requires a day off from school.  Inspired by the free day before him, Ferris then leads his friends on a spectacular, day-long adventure, exploring the artistic, scenic, culinary, and cultural offerings of the nearby metropolis – Chicago.

Born and raised in Chicagoland, I have always idolized Ferris Bueller and his antics.  To me, Ferris embodies the best characteristics of our beloved Chicago: a friendly, optimistic demeanor; a passion for maintaining rich cultural traditions; an openness to exploration; and an ability to stand up and inspire.  Given these qualities, I cannot call any other city home, and I am eager to show my fellow Boothies why.

But how can I persuade you, visitor to Chicago Booth, that Chicago provides the perfect backdrop for business school?  Perhaps I can lead you on a day-long adventure of Chicago that will leave you almost wondering, like Ferris, how you could possibly focus on school with such an enticing city around you?

The Plan:

Leave your accommodations and grab some caffeine at an Intelligentsia Coffee location, a direct-trade coffee and tea retailer born in the Lakeview neighborhood.  Should you be near The Doughnut Vault or a Glazed & Infused location, please supplement your warm beverage with a piece of freshly baked heaven.

Glazed & Infused's Maple Bacon Long John...cue Homer Simpson drool

Arrive at Randolph and Michigan and meander through the modern landscape of Millennium Park.  Embrace your inner tourist and snap a picture of your twisted reflection on “The Bean” before walking across the bridge to the Art Institute of Chicago.  

Footbridge from Millennium Park to the Art Institute

There, enjoy the well-curated collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and American art, which include such iconic works as Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Wood’s American Gothic, and Hopper’s Nighthawks.

Hopper's Nighthawks, on display at the Art Institute of Chicago

Are you hungry after viewing an assortment of still-life paintings?  Yes?  Good.  Head towards the West Loop, Chicago’s flourishing culinary neighborhood, and enjoy a relaxing lunch at Michelin-starred Blackbird or Sepia.  Though fine-dining establishments, both restaurants provide more reasonably priced lunch menus than dinner menus.  Should you want something more casual, head across the Michigan Avenue Bridge (allowing your jaw to drop at the gorgeous cityscape along the river) and try the choriqueso torta and classic hot chocolate at Xoco.

Chicago River view from the Michigan Ave. Bridge

After lunch, take in Chicago’s incredible downtown architecture – the birthplace of the skyscraper.  The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers a number of tours – by boat, on foot, or by train or trolley – of Chicago’s architectural icons.  Or, just hop on a CTA elevated “L” train in the Loop, crank up Kanye West in your ear buds, and enjoy the ride and view.

View of the Harold Washington Library from the L

As the sun sets over the Windy City, ascend to a rooftop oasis – like the famous Signature Lounge atop the Hancock Building or the The J. Parker – to sip from a frosty beverage while gazing at a panoramic view of Chicago.    

View from the 96th floor of the Hancock Building

Afterwards, head north for a unique bite at the legendary Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co.  Situated directly across from the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (in a building that served as an Al Capone mobster lookout), CPOG offers pizza like you’ve never seen it.  Literally, or your tuition back.  (Note: The University of Chicago Bursar does not endorse this message.)

End the night with a laugh at The Second City – the most influential and prolific comedy theatre in the world.  The launching point for such comedians as Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Stephen Colbert (ever heard of them?), The Second City offers various stages to discover how Chicagoans best poke fun at life and the city that they call home.

Whether you now retreat to bed, grab another frosty beverage or two at The Barrelhouse Flat, or enjoy blues at the renowned Kingston Mines, hopefully you have developed a strong affinity for my and Ferris’s hometown, Chicago. The city provides a truly world-class cultural and culinary playground that will keep you and your classmates salivating, learning, exploring, admiring, laughing, and dancing for your two years at Booth – or a lifetime, if me, Ferris, and Chicago have any say. 

A true Chicagoan since birth, (Baby) Mike being held by
Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton

Living and Learning in Hyde Park

Adam Hanselman is a second year MBA at Chicago Booth.  After graduating from BYU, Adam worked in economic consulting with the Analysis Group and then in operations strategy at Capital One.  After graduation, he will move to Houston to work in energy investment banking.   Adam is a member of the Dean’s Student & Alumni Representatives (DStAR),the Investment Banking Group (IBG), and Energy Group , and he and his wife are members of Parents of Little Ones at Booth (POLO).  He is married with two children (future Boothies?!?!).

Adam is also a proud Hyde Park denizen.  While many students live in downtown Chicago, Hyde Park, the home of the Harper Center, is a vibrant community which offers many amenities and a great intellectual environment around the University.  Adam shares why he loves living in Hyde Park, and how he and his family have built their academic and social lives in and around the University of Chicago community.

--Matt Richman

When I decided to return to school for my MBA, the impact on my family was one of my main considerations in choosing which program to attend.  Chicago Booth and Hyde Park are a unique combination of a great MBA program and a family-friendly neighborhood.  Chicago Booth has been a great experience for my entire family and living in Hyde Park is a big reason why.

On the way to school

My family and I live within 3 blocks of tons of other families with one or sometimes both parents in graduate school at Chicago Booth or elsewhere at the University of Chicago.  There are fellow MBA and Law School families that we do babysitting swaps with for date nights on a regular basis (gotta keep the romance going!).  It’s always fun to stop by the University tot-lot, which is only one block away from our apartment, and catch up with whoever is there letting their kids get the wiggles out.  My son goes to pre-school a block from the Harper Center and it’s convenient that I can drop him off at school and then go right to my classes. Our apartment is also a nice size for our family, for a very reasonable price.  My family and I get a great quality of life in a walkable neighborhood. 

Hyde Park soccer league

In addition to the community of families in Hyde Park, I love that I can walk to school in about 10 minutes or I can head over to one of the two (super nice) University gyms, get a workout in, and then go to school.  The gym is free for students and my wife also has a membership (she gets a discounted price).  We like being so close to Lake Michigan, with its beaches and footpaths, and there’s even a beautiful vintage movie theater two blocks away.  Although there is great public bus service within Hyde Park, we can walk to most everything we need and want, and when I need to go downtown it’s only a 15 minute Metra ride from the station between my house and Chicago’s Loop, including our downtown campus at the Gleacher Center.

Hyde Park has helped my family to develop lifelong friendships and to enjoy the 2 year Booth experience more than I could have hoped.  We've taken our kids trick-or-treating in the neighborhood and at the Harper Center, and put them in sports leagues in Hyde Park.  My family is part of the social life at Booth, and we rarely miss a Friday afternoon Liquidity Preference Function (LPF) at Harper.

Booth kids trick-or-treating in Hyde Park

Whether or not you have a family, Hyde Park is a great place to get access to everything that Booth and the city of Chicago have to offer, at a relaxed pace.  Booth students have so many options for which neighborhood to live in, depending on their preferences, and I’m glad that I picked Hyde Park.  Although I’m looking forward to moving to Houston, I’ll really miss the community my family and I built in Hyde Park.

Adam's kids playing in a Hyde Park park

A Quarter of Booth, Told in Photos

Rather than compose a traditional blog post, Chris Hauck has shared the story of his first quarter of Booth through photographs. I hope you'll have as much fun as I did following what seems to have been a very busy and exciting quarter!

Dana
***

In my initial blog, I wrote a long post about the constant challenges you face in business school. However, now that you are working on another round of applications and probably reading and writing constantly, I wanted to do something lighter and actually show you my first quarter in pictures. This is an abbreviated list, but for even more pictures and updates from my first quarter, you can visit the photo album on the Booth Experience Facebook page.

With that said, let me take you through a very busy first quarter:

Uniquely Chicago
Understanding my first quarter at Booth means knowing the city I have called home for the last five months. The city you get your degree in will have a big effect on your overall experience. Does this mean Chicago is perfect for your experience? No. Each person thrives in different settings. However, it has been perfect for me. Let me show you...

My first week in the city, I met some of my new friends and headed down to the pier where they have a fireworks show every week during summer. This was one of the first moments it really clicked for me that I was actually going to Booth and kicking off a new adventure.

In October we took a trip out to a Cider Farm. For the record, I had very low expectations, but acquiesced to my friends. After eating a big meal, watching pig racing, driving Go Karts, navigating a corn maze and playing with farm animals, I was happy to admit I had been wrong.

Chicago’s annual Color Run. I normally hate waking up before 9:00am on a Sunday, but this was worth it. This “race” (some people run it, some people dance it) – is a corlorful trip through Chicago culminating in a DJed dance party at the finish line.

There’s perks to being a student. We secured $10 tickets from the University to see Les Misérables at the Cadillac Theater in Downtown Chicago.

And this is the view from my roof. After a long day of studying or recruiting, there are few better ways to unwind than having a glass of wine with my roommies up here.

LEAD
For those of you not familiar with LEAD, it is Booth’s leadership class. While I don’t have any pictures of the classroom portion, an important part of LEAD is the Leadership Retreat that happens during orientation.

Unlike the other sections, I can’t get into many details with LEAD. You just have to experience it. But I will tell you this is a “victory” picture after a heated competition. Ok, so maybe no one else would describe it as heated. I am just way too competitive. I’m working on it. In fact, I will be the best at not being too competitive.

And no retreat would be complete without an end of the weekend social. This is my roomies and me in our themed costumes preparing to head to the event.

The Booth Experience
If you are reading this, it’s probably no surprise that Booth has a lot of unique social, business and academic events. Here’s a few of them.

This is the Booth formal held early in the quarter. It’s a chance to dress up and socialize with your new classmates.

Booth holds an annual Leadership Challenge involving students and many of our prestigious alumni. Like LEAD, I can’t give details about the event. But it was undoubtedly one of the quintessential moments of my first quarter and helped me to network and grow as a person.

Booth brought in the CEO of Burger King to discuss the evolving concept of intrapreneurship and how it has helped spur growth in their organization.

Socializing with Boothies
Business school is also a great opportunity to network and make lifelong friends. And it’s a very unique setting. Similar to college, you’ll find yourself feeling very close to people here after the first couple of months. Having a great community is a key part of business school and has been a wonderful part of my Booth experience.

This is my first night hanging out in Chicago with my new roomies. Finding new roommates, thought mechanisms provided by Booth, and coordinating your move to Chicago are the first big business school challenges.

Of course everyone gets dressed up for Halloween. Zombies, fairy tale characters and business bunnies everywhere.

We had an unofficial Canadian culture night with some of the people in the Canadian Business Club. We started off by eating poutine at a local Canadian restaurant. Afterwards we drank Molson beer and watched episodes of Corner Gas.

For Thanksgiving, we hosted a big potluck for everyone who wasn’t flying home to enjoy the holiday with their families. Here, I made everyone smile and take an embarrassing picture for the blog before I would give them any Pumpkin Pie. I can be kind of evil like that.

The Startup Trek
The Startup Trek is a Booth tradition organized by the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Group, where students travel to various parts of San Francisco and Silicon Valley to meet with entrepreneurs running both brand new and relatively established startups. We also visited a firm that does legal work for starts ups and a VC firm. The following pictures are two of the highlight collages from specific days on the trek.

Day 2 Highlights:
Upper left: Sitting in the offices of Fenwick & West getting a lesson from a former University of Chicago MBA/JD on important structural considerations for new ventures.
Middle left: Riding the BART back to San Francisco at the end of the day to meet the rest of the group for dinner.
Lower left: Speaking with the CEO of Agile Diagnosis, a medical information startup run by multiple Boothies. It was also a winner of the New Venture Challenge, which helped them get into the prestigious Y Combinator.
Right rail: Group dinner at an Italian restaurant in the city with some executives from Tinyco.

Upper left: Talking with Booth graduate and Gen 110 co-founder inside of their offices in downtown San Francisco
Bottom left: Two trekkers checking directions between companies after leaving 42Floors
Upper right: Beautiful Christmas tree erected in the middle of the city we saw while walking to dinner
Bottom right: We joined a Booth alumni event for fine food and cocktails at the end of a fun day.

This was my first quarter. Obviously, this doesn’t include class or recruiting where you can’t walk around taking pictures. For even more pictures and updates from my first quarter, you can visit the photo album on the Booth Experience Facebook page.

The Second Year Sprint

As 2012 draws to a close, Nupur Bhargava reflects on the first quarter of her second year at Booth. Life as a second year is certainly action-packed, but in a different way than it was during first year, as Nupur describes.

Dana
***

Happy holidays!! It’s been a while since my last post and as the year draws to a close I thought it might be a good idea to reflect on the quarter gone by.

This quarter felt a lot calmer than my first year at Booth in some ways, and a lot more hectic in others. On the calmer side, getting used to Chicago being home played a big role. When I came back this year I looked forward to being in the city, seeing my friends and navigating my way from downtown to Harper Center again. I knew what the weather would be like, and I knew how to find cheap coursepacks (thanks to a classmate, Farhan Ahmed, who created boothsell.com!) and I just felt a great deal more comfortable. Recruiting, on the other hand, did come a little bit faster and more intensely than first year. Whereas first year recruiting was more of a marathon, second year recruiting was a full-out sprint for a month. After our summer internships, most of us came back with a better answer to ‘what do I want to do when I grow up?’ or in many cases ‘what I definitely don’t want to do when I grow up’, which was important, as we needed to quickly act on these thoughts in order to secure full time positions. A large percentage of my friends have found jobs and our overall anxiety levels are significantly reduced.

The good news is the lightning fast sprint was over quickly and allowed me plenty of time to get to know lots of first-year students. It’s amazing how the caliber of students gets better each year, and I have to say I was completely blown away by the accomplishments and stories of many of the first years. My job now is to assist them in polishing and tailoring their stories to effectively navigate the first year recruiting marathon that they will go through in Winter Quarter. Helping many with resume reviews and coffee chats about the summer this fall was both rewarding and nostalgic, as I could remember going through the very same process last year and the people that helped me so much during that time. I’m very happy to pay it forward and am sure the tradition will continue!

Outside of the official work, be it classes or resume reviews, it has been fantastic to relax a little bit with my fellow classmates; whether it’s a game of Taboo, a quick Thanksgiving trip to Jamaica, or a night out in Chicago with my closest friends, it’s been a great quarter to further strengthen the bonds with my classmates, and I look forward to continuing to do so in the last couple of quarters we have left before we enter the big bad “REAL WORLD”!

In keeping with the holiday spirit, I wanted to have some fun and do a Booth fall quarter summary in numbers for me:
Number of admissions applications read (I'm an Admissions Fellow) = 24
Number of on-campus recruitment interviews conducted = 5
Number of coffee chats with first years = 8
Number of resume reviews done for first years = 15
Number of case interviews with fellow second years = 45
Number of books read (non-coursework related) = 1
Number of house parties attended = 15
Number of movies watched in the AMC theatre near Gleacher Center = 10
Number of holidays planned = 4 (executed 2, 2 more being figured out)

Happy holidays and good luck with the applications, especially as the Booth Round 2 (Jan. 9!) deadline draws closer!

Questions to Ask Before Spending $177,366

As the Round 2 application deadline draws closer, it's important to reflect on your motivations for wanting an MBA and why Chicago Booth is the right school for you. This week, Josh Hirschland, a first-year student and member of the DSAC Communications team, gives us an honest perspective on such a life-changing undertaking.

Dana
***

My name is Josh Hirschland. I am a first-year student here at Booth, I am a member of the Dean’s Student Admissions Committee, I am pursuing a concentration in strategic management, and I play a mean game of Settlers of Catan.

When leading information sessions with prospective students, one of the questions I am asked most is “How did I decide to come to Booth?” Every person has a different set of criteria that are most important to them. For some, it’s location and cost; for others, it’s prestige and career opportunities; and for others still, it’s size and networking opportunities. There is no one right or wrong answer, just as there is no single “best” school. But as you consider where to send applications or enroll, here are some things you may want to consider.


Do I want an MBA?

Are you sure? Are you really sure?

There’s a reason that every application asks you why you want to attend. Beyond the obvious—you should have a good reason before taking two years and spending upwards of $180,000 on a master’s —knowing why you want an MBA is essential because once you arrive, you will have precious little time to waste. Given Booth’s flexible curriculum, you have to choose your first semester courses less than two weeks after you arrive on campus, and recruiters for summer internships arrive within six weeks. If you don’t know what you want to do when you arrive, you could end up floundering or getting pushed in whichever direction is most popular.

Will this help me get the job I want?

While people get MBAs for many reasons, one near-constant is the desire for a new / better / different job. As such, one key criterion should be whether any particular MBA program is better aligned than another to secure your dream position. For me, one of Booth’s big differentiators was the list of major employers of Booth graduates and the fact that 93% of students had job offers within three months of graduation. Investing some time to determine which recruiters go to which campuses, job placement statistics, general reputations of different programs, and which departments are particularly respected within a given field are all ways to ensure that you find a place that’s a good fit for you.

What classes would I take if I attended here?

While it’s certainly not necessary to plot out six quarters’ worth of education before orientation begins, understanding the kinds of classes that different programs offer can help you better understand what your day-to-day will entail and how the school will (or won’t) prepare you for your career. Knowing that I could take Managerial Decision Modeling , Applied Regression Analysis, and Austan Goolsbee’s class on Economics and Policy in Telecomm, Media, and Technology was a big reason that I was so excited to apply to Booth.

Do I like the people?

One of the most important factors impacting your MBA experience is the students who surround you. Not only will your classmates play a crucial role during your time at school—joining you in classes, study groups, clubs, and happy hours—but they will also comprise your professional network after you graduate. As such, it’s important to find a program where you both like and respect the other students. Be sure to visit the schools you are considering applying to and soak up the culture. I figured out that Booth was for me the day that I came for my interview, during which I was able to attend a class, talk to students, and really getting a feel for the community. By immersing yourself, you can get a strong sense for whether you fit in.

Do I want to be here?

Entering an MBA program can mean moving thousands of miles and spending hundreds of dollars each month on plane tickets to see loved ones. Understanding how a move will affect your short- and long-term plans is an important part of preparing for business school. For me—a native Michigander who majored in Urban Studies—Chicago seemed like a great place to explore and to learn.

Beyond regional considerations, it’s also good to think about whether you like the campus itself. While facilities shouldn’t be the top priority for any MBA student, it’s not uncommon for MBA students to spend 50 or 60 hours a week in a single campus building. It’s important to feel comfortable on campus knowing that it may be the host to many future late nights.

How am I going to pay for this?

With interest rates low, federal loans readily available, and high average salaries for alumni, many incoming students brush off concerns about paying for business school until the invoice arrives. But even with all of the resources available to students, it’s important to understand how personal finances, loans, and expected future salary come together in meeting tuition payments. Talk to on- and off-campus financial advisors, create a budget, and begin plotting out your repayment cycle before you arrive, or your second-year diet may consist solely of ramen and boxed lunches from recruiting events.


These are just a few of the issues you may want to consider before applying to and selecting an MBA program. The key to finding a good fit is doing your research and visiting the schools you are considering so that you can make an informed decision.

“Sleep”? What’s That?? Two Days in My Life. Uncut.

Life at Booth can be busy, exciting, and inspiring all at once. This week on The Booth Experience, first-year student Matt Tracey does an excellent job of providing a glimpse into two of his action-packed days.

Dana
***

I’m often asked what business school is like. As a prospective student and applicant, I routinely asked this question... I wanted details! This post is my attempt to provide details. All of them. I give you an unfiltered look at two highly representative days I’ve enjoyed here as a first-year at Booth: one during Orientation in September and one during regular classes in November.

First, some very quick background about me. Born/raised in Colorado. College at Vassar in New York. Worked in public infrastructure finance in California for about 4 years prior to Booth. Love macroeconomics...and Booth is the epicenter of all things macro. Post-MBA career interest: macro investing.

Let’s begin with Friday, September 7, the third day of first-year-student Orientation (a day that would prove quite characteristic of the Orientation experience!).
6:45am: Alarm sounds. About time to go work out. Sit up in bed. Nope, on second thought, no way I’m going anywhere. Last night with Booth friends was...umm...late.
7:30am: Wake up for real. Shower, throw down some eggs, and pack into the Millennium Park Plaza elevator along with a host of other eager first-years en route to the 8:20am Metra train down to Hyde Park.
8:50am: Walk into Harper Center in awe of the building’s energy; as I move about the bustling mass of students in the Winter Garden I hear echoes of conversations ranging from how awesome the dining hall’s chicken sandwiches are to how stimulating Erik Hurst’s Macroeconomics class is. (Do I really go here? Do I deserve to be here? Unreal.)
9:00am: Become reacquainted with just how much business school costs (yikes!) during a helpful presentation on financial aid. (Don’t worry, by this point I’m already convinced that Booth is worth every last penny...and then some.)
10:00am: Faculty panel. Booth professors present on courses and concentrations. At this point, I’ve never been so pumped to be here. Can’t wait for classes to start. Booth rocks. Best faculty on earth. (And they’re more than researchers—they’re unbelievable teachers too. I was pleasantly stunned by Alan Bester’s introductory statistics course. My friends think my newfound love of regression is a bit creepy.)
12 Noon: Grab food at Harper Center...informal lunch with faculty in the Winter Garden. Between professors and classmates, I’ve never been in a room with so much brain power…ever. I’m realizing that there is a lot more here than mere brains, however. People are surprisingly open…they really “let you in”. I like.
1:45pm-4:00pm: Miscellaneous orientation activities (academic advising, Chicago public transit primer, down time for socializing). Reconnect with an Admit Weekend friend who was a fighter pilot prior to Booth (...the amazing range of backgrounds at Booth is both humbling and mesmerizing, all at once).
4:00pm: Walk to the train (Metra). Scramble home. Throw on swimsuit. Hop on bus. Head to North Avenue Beach for football and beach volleyball with classmates. Glorious day! Who knew Chicago has beaches like this?! Where am I...Miami??
6:15pm: Bus back to apartment. Shower, slam down a PB&J and a protein shake, and head out to pregame at a friend’s apartment...ultimately en route to one of the most memorable social events during Orientation...neon party! That’s me in the skinny pink tie (...no, I didn’t own the tie before the event...but on the contrary I must confess that the sailboat shorts were not an ad hoc purchase).

8:00pm: What happens at neon party stays at neon party. Come here and you’ll find out.
2:45am: Ibuprofen and then sleep...at last.

Once classes started in late September, the fun only intensified—but changed form a bit. Perhaps my day on Wednesday, November 28 will paint a picture for you.
6:30am: Wake up, turn on CNBC, make/eat breakfast (green smoothie, eggs, quinoa with chipotle salsa).
7:30am: Make final revisions to “macro investing” pitch to be presented to my peers in the Investment Management Group later in the morning. Spend 15 minutes updating myself on the EU’s latest efforts to resolve the ongoing Greek debt crisis.
8:30am: Shower. Suit up. Do some last-minute online prep for my 10am informational interview with an investment-management professional. (Thrilled that I’ve found so many alums to speak with about my niche interest, “macro investing”.)
9:50am: Leave apartment—running behind. Jog-walk down Michigan Ave and over to La Salle St. to meet a corporate contact for an informal talk about my career goals.
10:00am: Informational interview. Love how generous Booth alums are with their time and insights.
10:50am: Scramble to Millennium Station for the 11:15am train to Hyde Park. Read The Economist on train. (Here’s to hoping that the French relax their labor-market rigidities...).
11:40am: Arrive at Harper Center. Run quick errand to mail folder, then bolt to the Investment Management Group meeting. Deliver macro presentation and listen to peers’ “stock pitches” for an hour and a half or so. My peers’ sharpness challenges me routinely...in a very motivating and non-threatening way. They’re awesome.
1:30pm: Grab lunch. Salad bar today: Asian chicken, green peas, artichoke hearts, beets, mushrooms, lentil salad, a pineapple slice and two strawberries (...no, that doesn’t all come in one premade dish; I’m weird).
1:50pm: Read my case assignment for Competitive Strategy (Nintendo). Interesting read. I have a ton of thoughts, but—if history is any guide—I know my thinking will be revolutionized come Friday’s class discussion...amazing things happen when you put about 60 tremendously insightful people in a room together and say “Go”.
4:30pm: Meet with Microeconomics study group (4 others) in Harper Center to work on our final paper; topic: U.S. labor-market dynamics.
5:30pm: Walk down the hall to listen to a Booth-sponsored talk on the current state of the economy, given by Raghuram Rajan (a Booth economics legend). Seems like every other day there’s a free talk featuring a prominent Booth thought-leader. We are so, so spoiled.
6:30pm: Work for another hour or so on group Microeconomics paper; group then parts ways. I’m actually momentarily caught up on schoolwork (keyword = momentarily), so I head off to Booth Wine Club tasting event.
7:30pm: Attend wine-tasting event in the downtown area. Awesome wines and cheeses, but sure to kill my productivity for the night.
9:30pm: Head home. Call my sisters for a quick hello on the way. Upon arrival at my apartment building, stop by a friend’s place for a 15-minute chat.
10:15pm: Catch up on emails (there are many, per the usual deluge). Read The Wall Street Journal until my brain no longer functions, then turn on Sportscenter for a few minutes before I become too useless even to follow the TV. Sleep.
2:15am: Pop out of bed, startled, as somehow I’ve miraculously remembered that I’d forgotten to respond to a time-sensitive, job-related email. (If it’s not one thing, it’s surely another!)

There you have it. The average day is about this packed with stuff. I’m always flying around doing something—but life is a very, very, very good, interesting, enlightening, and energizing type of “busy”. In fact, I’ve never been happier to be so busy. With three months in the books, I’ve realized not only how right I was about all the great things I came to believe about Booth during the application phase but also just how much richness exists here that cannot be conveyed and must, instead, be experienced firsthand. I realize, in writing this post, that there really isn’t anything about my life here that I don’t like. Occasionally I have trouble sleeping at night because I am so excited to get up and get going the next morning; other times, I’m so exhausted that I fall asleep in seconds.

Wishing you all happy holidays,
Matt Tracey