Many know Nashville for its music scene and spicy hot chicken, but another hidden gem is Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. Ranked #23 on U.S. News’ list of Best Business Schools, Vanderbilt Owen welcomes professionals in all stages of their careers to learn, collaborate and lead.
Several Vanderbilt Owen MBA students discussed with us the value of the school’s two-year, full-time MBA program. Naturally, the strong academics and experiential opportunities are chief among the highlights. Students also appreciated the school’s intimate class sizes, personal campus culture, diversity, and, of course, bustling location in the heart of the music city.
Strong Academics and Experiential Opportunities
The Vanderbilt Owen MBA program is known for its small and impactful classroom settings. The students are “driven, passionate and collaborative,” and faculty and staff are just as engaged as the students.
In addition to Vanderbilt Owen’s nationally acclaimed MBA program, Sarah (Sam) Steele appreciates its flourishing healthcare program. With a healthcare background and a mission to stay in the industry, she required a school with excellent business and healthcare programs.
Vanderbilt University is a diverse and prestigious institution with many high-ranked academic programs, so it is a top choice for any student seeking to improve their business acumen alongside another discipline.
Moreover, the experiential opportunities are the perfect complement to the competitive academics.
Emory Skolkin touted the value of the Distinguished Speaker Series: “I didn’t expect to sit down with C-level executives and have them be so accessible and vulnerable.”
Ethan Seigel agreed: “This past spring, I secured an in-school internship with Sorbie Group, a start-up consulting firm founded by an Owen alum which focused on developing extensive business plans and financial models for global startups. In helping each business think through their business strategy, I saw the tangible impact I was having in helping these businesses gain footing on their way to securing seed funding.”
Several other students cherished the program’s networking and internship opportunities. From very early in the program, and through the very end, students can access crucial hands-on experience to set them up for post-grad success.
Small Class Sizes Breed Connection
Many of the Vanderbilt Owen students who shared with us cited the small class size as one of the reasons they committed to the university – and one of the reasons they loved the program so much during their time as students.
Ethan Seigel shared that each class is sized at only 180 students, so he had the opportunity to interact and build relationships with every single person in his class.
Jacob Schrimpf also appreciated the bonds and connections he could build in a smaller cohort.
“The small class size cultivates close-knit relationships among classmates and between students and faculty and staff. I feel an effort from myriad members of the Owen community to get to know me on a personal level and maximize my time at Owen,” Jacob Schrimpf said.
Personal MBA Program and Campus Culture
Another pro tied closely to the MBA program’s small class sizes is the personal campus culture. Vanderbilt Owen students rave about the close-knit community they found on campus, and the relationships they will be able to keep and cultivate for life.
Ania Sanchez shared she was able to secure a student visa and attend business school because she just happened to catch an opening with the U.S. Embassy. After securing her visa, she had only 10 days to move from Mexico to Tennessee to attend Vanderbilt’s business school. The support of the Vanderbilt Owen community during the international move was invaluable.
“During this time, many of my classmates, faculty and professors called or texted me offering their help and advice during this moving process. I always felt supported!” Ania Sanchez said.
Even those who don’t expect to find such a supportive community are surprised by Vanderbilt Owen’s personal culture.
“I didn’t really expect to find a community here. I was never a member of a fraternity, but since Owen admissions focuses on screening people that fit their idea of successful culture, I truly felt at home,” said Emory Skolkin.
“Group projects and recruiting are a huge part of business school and being virtual certainly adds a new factor,” Sarah (Sam) Steele said. “However, everyone has been patient and willing to help one another, whether that is explaining the material, sharing job posts, or conducting mock interviews.”
Students From Diverse Backgrounds
Every student brings something different to the conference table, at times even in unexpected ways. For example, several Vanderbilt Owen students without business school backgrounds learned to find pride and merit in their nontraditional experience before business school.
Ethan Siegel leveraged Vanderbilt Owen’s high-ranked MBA program to navigate a pivot in his career.
“I went to business school to pivot out of employee benefit consulting and explore general strategy consulting and brand management/brand strategy,” Ethan Siegel said. “The MBA allowed me both the opportunity to explore, pivot, and gain practical business knowledge.”
As an international student, Ania Sanchez also appreciated the diverse student populations. She feels the program prepared her to be a better leader in a different country.”
“Minds that are so different from me, but at the same time with similar goals, was very important,” Ania Sanchez said.
As the Vice President of Owen’s LGBTQ+ student organization, Out & Allied, Jacob Schrimpf appreciated the opportunity to embrace and celebrate Pride through a happy hour tradition.
“We decorated the Owen courtyard in rainbow and brought in a local drag queen to perform throughout the evening,” Jacob Schrimpf said. “To see so many of my classmates and professors embrace and celebrate Pride wholeheartedly was incredible and spoke to the support of the community.”
Prime Nashville Location
Vanderbilt Owen’s location in Tennessee’s own Nashville can’t be beat. Nashville is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and offers the Vanderbilt Owen students a wealth of benefits.
“The food scene is also amazing and so many big companies are now migrating to Nashville. It is a great place to live and I enjoy every day here,” Ania Sanchez said.
“Nashville is the healthcare industry capital, so if you ever wanted to work in healthcare, have great food, enjoy live music, and receive a top business education, Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management in Nashville, TN is the place for you!” Sarah (Sam) Steele said.