"Our students are very collaborative!" - Anonymous student at any MBA program
If you reach out to any potential student at an MBA program you are bound to hear the word "collaborative". Although a lot of students say that their schools are collaborative I feel that Anderson was the most collaborative school out of all the schools I reached out to.
Applying to Anderson was no easy task and I needed all the help I could get. The application process was arduous to navigate and between trying to give the GMAT, researching essays, networking with currents students help was sorely needed. I reached out to multiple students at various schools and most were willing to schedule a phone call or two or answer a question over email.
In contrast, my experience interacting with Anderson students was phenomenal. Students at Anderson not only answered my questions but some also proofread my essays and setup multiple mock interviews with me - not an easy task for a first year student at the school. Everyone was open to sharing information freely often giving me more than what I needed. Students went the extra mile to make sure that I felt comfortable about Anderson and making sure that I apply.
The pre-Anderson MBA trip to Binsar, India
As soon as I was accepted I got consumed by a flurry of activity. The current class of Anderson was engaging not only through Facebook and WhatsApp but also through Slack, a networking platform intended to promote collaboration across multiple teams. Students were constantly informing each other about articles read, upcoming deadlines for summer deliverables, rate plans for health insurance, cheering their sports team and even recommending movies worth a watch. Furthermore, students were taking the initiative to setup trips even before setting foot at Anderson. I personally had the chance to meet my fellow students in India at a Pre-Anderson trip to Binsar, Uttarakhand and made some great friends with whom I will be spending my next few years at school.
All this indicated to me that at Anderson collaboration isn't just a buzzword and that Anderson's three principles - Share success, drive change and think fearlessly, are embodied at every student attending the school.