Graduate Study Preparation

The Berry Center seeks to motivate student interest in graduate school, particularly MBA programs, and provides support in all aspects of career planning and graduate school admissions. The Berry Center assists student preparation in graduate study in the following ways: Visits by our students to graduate schools in the Midwest Hosting admissions counselors from regional institutions to speak to our students Helping students prepare for the GMAT exam Using the Resource Center to provide students with information on graduate study opportunities.

On January 24, 2007, the Berry Center hosted Jodi Schafer of the University of Iowa Tippie School of Management, whose MBA program consistently ranks as one of the top 25 in the country among public schools. She met with 20 students to discuss the advantages of an MBA degree in general and the University of Iowa MBA program in particular.

Chicago MBA Day-trip

For most undergraduates with an interest in business, an MBA is at least several years away. But with the University of Chicago and the financial heart of the city just four hours away, 10 economics and business students took the opportunity to think ahead in 2006.

Led by economics and business professor A’amer Farooqi, the students arrived in the Chicago loop in time for a luncheon event amongst business leaders from around the city. The event was hosted by the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and featured several of their distinguished faculty speaking about the global economy.

Next stop was the University of Chicago. There the Cornell students received a guided tour of the Graduate School of Business and met with an admissions representative.

Farooqi, who also serves as faculty director of the Berry Center, viewed the day as an opportunity to plant seeds that might bear fruit five or more years down the road. 

Student Perspectives

• "We were able to get a feel for what graduate work might be like at a world-class institution. I could see everyone on the trip, myself included, was immediately inspired to work even harder to earn acceptance into a similar program. I felt incredibly fortunate just to interact with the students and faculty and get a glimpse of the high-level research conducted there. It was an exceptional experience, but I love that these have become the norm at Cornell. It only reaffirmed how dedicated the faculty and staff are to providing us with opportunities outside the classroom that are a step above what I would have known at any other school." -- Caitlin Ewing '08

• “My visit to the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business was a defining moment in my college career.  It demonstrated what an MBA degree could do for me in the future because I was able to see the cream of the crop students studying at one of the world's best MBA programs. Before that trip I never really entertained the idea of attending an MBA program, but the visit opened my eyes. It showed me a whole new level of possible personal achievement and ignited a desire in me to one day sit among the best.” -- Lisa Lefebure '07