"A Truly Transformational Experience"
Welcoming New Students to the GSB

In a message that would be repeated to new students in all GSB programs, dean Edward Snyder explained to students in the Full-Time MBA Program what sets the school apart and how that would shape their studies, and their careers and change how they view life. Snyder, who earned his PhD in economics at the university, summed it up by saying, “I had the most transformational experience of my life at Chicago and that’s what I want for each of you. Because of Chicago, I feel prepared for whatever I take on. I want the same feeling of preparedness for you.”

New students will discover how the GSB’s defining philosophy–that ideas matter–shapes the “Chicago Approach to management education.”

The pursuit of ideas at Chicago GSB is what rules the curriculum and the experience and gives graduates a competitive edge, he said. Snyder emphasized that “ideas compete here in an environment of intense learning, discovery, and dialogue,” and which means both faculty and students are guided by four points:

• Discipline-based knowledge is a powerful tool for understanding how organizations function and how markets work.
• Empirical evidence is important for building discipline-based knowledge.
• Good decisions follow from good analysis.
• Good practice follows from good fundamental principles, not the latest fads.

That "pure Chicago" approach is shared by all students, the dean explained. "Whether you are studying in the Harper Center, or at our campuses in London and Singapore, you'll have the competitive edge. You will perform at a superior level when the stakes are high because you’ll have the ability to confront problems and opportunities that demand skill and independence of thought."

Snyder reminded students they also have a responsibility to bear in their own education and that the GSB has expectations of them. Snyder explained:

• stretch yourself and set the highest of aspirations in the classroom and beyond. The risks of trying new things are low here and the rewards are high. Expand your interests, broaden your comfort zone, and acquire distinctive skills. Most important, today, and going forward, set your sights high. Aspire to greatness.
• represent the GSB well. It is an expectation I have of everyone, enterprise-wide: faculty, alumni, students, and staff. Everyone strives to represent the GSB well. From today forward, you represent the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. Wherever you go and whatever you do, when people meet you or see the results of your work, you determine the impression they have of GSB.
• communicate professionally. When you interact with your classmates, the faculty, the staff, alumni, corporate recruiters, or anyone else connected to GSB, be professional. People will turn to you for leadership. I urge you to lead, in part, by being able to explain yourself in a compelling, convincing, and professional manner.
• show mutual respect for all of those who are part of the GSB enterprise. We will disagree, we will debate, and we will challenge each other. But we can do so and still respect each other. There is zero tolerance for harassment and discrimination in their various forms.
• take responsibility, ownership, and control of your job search. You won’t be alone in your search—the Career Services team will provide you with best-in-class support – but it is ultimately your responsibility. I advise each of you to combine your on-campus career exploration with an individualized search. Develop your network, here and throughout the globe. Take advantage of the GSB community – get help from others – and reciprocate.