Got a high school senior with a passion for business? Then you’ll want to look at Babson College.
“Babson is a unique school,” explains Courtney Minden, dean of undergraduate admissions for Babson. “We are a residential college where everyone gets a business degree.”
But Babson’s business school is much more than just a B.S. in business administration. What really sets Babson apart is the curriculum’s emphasis on entrepreneurship. In fact, students are immersed in entrepreneurial experiences from the day they step on campus.
Combine that with top-notch faculty, a curriculum that also stresses the liberal arts, and a campus just minutes from Boston, and it’s no surprise that Babson’s students are more than prepared for the 21st century workplace, whether that’s at a start-up, a Fortune 500 corporation, or something else entirely. Let’s take a closer look at Why Babson?
Focus on Entrepreneurship
At Babson business school, entrepreneurship studies is in the mix from the get-go. It starts with a required first-year program, called Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME), that immerses students in starting and running a business.
In fact, 100 percent of first-year students at Babson will launch a business in the FME program, explains Minden.
“From the first day of class, they’re learning about entrepreneurship and about creating a business. Usually, this kind of experience comes at the end of a business program. But we’ve turned that on its head.”
After writing a business plan and developing a product or service, first-year students are given $3,000 to launch their idea. At the end of the year, any profits are donated to area organizations.
“We’re going to teach you business, but we’re going to teach you business in a way that you’ve never thought about,” Minden notes. “There is a lot of creative thinking, risk taking, and a big part of our curriculum is the liberal arts.” About 50 percent of the degree program is in the liberal arts.
More specifically, during their first two years, students take FME, plus broad-based business classes that give them an understanding of most every aspect of business. By junior year, they’re ready to specialize and can pick from 27 concentrations. Think of these like minors; they range from economics, finance, and marketing to the literary, visual arts, and environmental sustainability.
“The flexibility of the concentrations allows you to make that degree what you want it to be,” explains junior Adam Kershner, who’s concentrating in accounting and business analytics.
Small-College Experience
[adrotate banner=”9″]“I was interested in Babson because I wanted to study business and I wanted a small school. That is tough to find,” adds Kershner. Indeed, most undergraduate business programs are housed at big universities.
And like many small New England colleges, Babson’s campus is a vibrant place. “The majority of our students live on campus, so there is a real community here,” says Minden.
Turbo-charged Career Planning
As you’d expect, Babson excels when it comes to helping students with career planning. “Our counselors specialize in different industries, so once you choose your focus, you’ll have an expert helping you,” explains Kershner. Beginning freshman year, students are encouraged to start using the college’s career center. Companies are often on campus. “It’s amazing the opportunity you have to engage with companies,” adds Kershner, who was recently accepted into Ernst and Young’s prestigious summer internship program in Chicago.
No surprise, Babson’s students end up in most every industry there is. “I’m interested in airlines, a friend of mine is interested in poetry, and another wants to manage a hockey team,” says Kershner. And that’s just three of us. “There are so many different things you can do with a business degree from Babson. Students here go into everything.”
- Founded: 1919
- Undergraduates: 2,300
- Student-Faculty Ratio: 11:1
- Average Class Size: About 20
(the biggest class is 40) - Concentrations: 27
- Campus Organizations: 110
- Sports: NCAA Division III
- Application Deadlines: Early Decision I and Early Action (Nov. 1), Early Decision II and Regular Decision (Jan. 2)
- babson.edu
