MBA ROIs are understated

Congratulations to all of the July 2007 graduates! I can imagine this must be such a bitter sweet moment for you all. On one hand you look forward to reentering the workforce with a bright new perspective and dreams of big successes to come. On the other hand, more acute at this moment is the realization that you must say goodbye to what was one of the greatest years of your lives. This environment, this set of diverse, smart, interesting, ambitions people living in the woods sharing this amazing experience can sadly never be recreated as much as you would wish it could.

These feelings were exactly what I felt after participating in an amazing Erasmus program while in University. It was so hard to say goodbye to that environment and it took so long to accept the fact that it was over and I could never again recreate that experience. Luckily for me, I have one more shot at something similar and, based on how I have grown as a person since University, I am positive that it will be even better this time around at INSEAD.

One has few opportunities in life to experience something like this. I am 100% sure the next year will be one of the most enriching personal experiences in my lifetime. It's an intangible benefit of the MBA program that isn't captured in a purely rational ROI calcuation (you know, the comparison of how much you will spend on your MBA + lost earnings vs. incremental future earnings post MBA). I assign A LOT of value to this intangible aspect of the MBA. Lets face it, MBA programs are great fun and (for me) INSEAD is quite probably the most fun program out there. I love the international aspect; INSEAD is the most international program out there. I love the fact that we are isolated together among the chateaus and farmhouses of Fontainebleau. Of course doing a program in London is nice, but how different are the bonds and experiences when everyone melts away into the depths of of such a city once classes are over for the day. You can't compare the two!

To all of my future classmates... I look forward to sharing this unforgettable experience together and building lifelong friendships. Let's do our best to remember that it's not just about future earning potential; let's make sure we enjoy it for what it is before all we can do is look back and reminisce!