14 The Wellesley Globalist
Women in Revolutions: Politics & Economics
An interview with Joanne Legler continued
Interview By Becky Huang Class of 2014 Reflection By Becky Huang Class of 2014 Picture By Gigi Ibrahim
Q: We know that Booth is especially strong in its finance program, and the theme that WWIB desires to explore this year is entrepreneurship. What do you think are the advantages of applications with entrepreneurial background? A: It is true that Booth has arguably the best finance program in the country because of our alums, but it’s also true that finance jobs have dried up a little due to the economic situation. Regarding entrepreneurs entering our program, I would say that an MBA is an MBA, everyone comes out with same degree. Finance and entrepreneurship are only concentrations within the MBA. I would say that an MBA degree for an entrepreneur is especially key. An entrepreneur needs to know all aspects of business, such as marketing, operation, accounting, etc. He or she needs to be schooled in all of the concentrations. Furthermore, an entrepreneur needs to raise funds, he or she can do so by networking with alums, those on the board, etc. Entrepreneurs will also have the chance to throw a business plan out in class and have other people tear into pieces. This way, the business plan eventually comes out rock solid, and the investors will have no questions. Thus, anyone who is interested in business, especially entrepreneurs, would benefit a lot from an MBA degree. Q: What advantage does Chicago Booth have over other business schools? A: I would say that there are four pieces of differentiation for Chicago Booth MBA. Our management program is discipline-based, and we emphasize the fundamentals. If our students forget how to attack a specific case, they can always refer back to the building blocks of business and go from there. These four pillars of business are accounting, economics, behavioral science, and statistics. At Chicago Booth, you will meet people from all parts of world, and by constantly being in class with different people, you will be exposed to all of them and learn from the exposure itself. We also have the most flexible curriculum out of all peer schools. Our students are the biggest supporters of each other. We believe in peer learning, and Chicago Booth makes it happen.