Babson

Here goes Babson. It is located west of Boston in a quiet woody place. I dare say Babson's campus is the most beautiful I have seen. Everything is green because Boston is in the north of country, I believe. The lawns are mowed accurately. Local roads have two lanes and wander through forest. For some reason, the image of "Rublevo Uspenskoe shosse" came to mind, yet it does not hold a candle to Boston area.

Last year, an article came out in Business week with the headline "Hidden gem." It reflects the fact that Babson is ranked 20th, yet it has been ranked first in entrepreneurship for 11 years in a row. A strange fact is that the average GMAT is some 630. I sat in on a couple of classes of a one year program, which just started a month ago. As far as I remember, the auditorium seats 80 people in arch and four rows next upper than the previous one. What I noticed is that a portion of 30% of the class is kind of brain storming when the instructor collects ideas of students on the issue at hand and he or she leads the discussion in the right direction. The instructors confirmed to me that they always tried to push students to think through that kind of class. I saw a team of two students in the program "Fast track". It is a kind of program that suits students who are launching entrepreneurial projects while they are studying. A year ago, these guys got an idea of "toy furniture." They had some designers design furniture for them. They found some manufacturer in Brazil. Sounds unusual. I estimated roughly on the spot that the projected first year sales would hardly cover initial expenses. Then they were going to see if there was any market for expansion. I am not decided so far if Babson is a "gem" or not. People with whom I discussed that matter said that it might be too risky to have an MBA like Babson's. However, I believe that most of them perceive entrepreneurship too narrow - new venture creation. In fact, as Babson defines it - "A way of Thinking and Acting that Creates Value. The Pursuit of Opportunity for growth in the Individual, Business, and Society. Creating one's own path to Success." Certainly, the place is marvelous, but this beauty will hardly help you find a job after your graduation. I hope to find some more info in the coming months.