Why the Wisconsin MBA and Nicholas?
The main reason I chose the Wisconsin MBA program over other business schools in the U.S. was the promise of real-world finance experiences within the Nicholas program. Browsing over hundreds of business schools in the U.S., very few schools have a center dedicated to providing a full year of finance problem solving or consulting experience for students. Having a conversation with Director Adams detailing the program during my interview made UW-Madison and its Nicholas Center my first choice.
| Bonifacius Pasaribu Nicholas 2005 |
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| Cisco |
What surprised me about NIcholas?
In today's world filled with news of unfulfilled promises like Enron, World-Com, etc. I found that the Nicholas program really delivered its promise of providing challenging real-world finance experience to its students. What surprised me most during almost two years in the Nicholas Center is the attention and hours of availability provided by Professor Seward and Director Adams to their students. Both are very accessible and interact with us almost daily, helping us to rethink every impact of the recommendations we're going to present to the clients. In addition, Professor Seward and Director Adams also invite project related experts to provide alternative views for the projects. All these aspects make Nicholas an exciting learning environment.
Other valuable benefits of Nicholas have been the variety and quality of consulting projects. My projects have ranged from designing hedging and risk management for an international polymer producer, valuing an IP portfolio for a start-up facing potential acquisition, measuring market profitability to help a law firm decide new markets to enter and designing an entry strategy for a credit union financial service in Latin America.
Why recommend Nicholas (especially for international students)?
What I learned most during my two years in Nicholas is working together as a team and coming up with comprehensive and feasible financial solutions and the ability to communicate the solution clearly to our clients. I think this kind of skill will help me most in my next career because most business schools teach financial solutions but what is important is whether my clients are able to understand and implement the solution. While this is true for any MBA to be able to compete successfully in the job market, it is especially important for international students who lack knowledge and experience of professional/business culture in the U.S. Nicholas projects are outstanding opportunities for international students to learn and experience cultural norms of the U.S. professional business environment.
What would I have done differently in my first year? I would have put more effort into my non-finance courses like marketing, operations, strategy and management. My experience with the Nicholas projects made me realize that financial woes or problems that companies face are often a result of a company's deficiencies in other functions. Even though we can provide financial solutions to help a company survive, we wouldn't be able to provide comprehensive solutions if we don't tackle the root causes of financial woes. Our clients usually are more impressed if we can find the root of the problem, and provide recommendations.
I've recently accepted a financial analyst position at Intel. I'm certain that the skills I've learned during my two years here at UW-Madison will boost my career at Intel and allow me to contribute to the continued success of the company.
More Featured Alumni Interviews |
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| Sheldon Liu (2006) | Rachel Nielsen (2006) | ||