Johnson Means Business weekend at Cornell University

I promised to add a debriefing of my weekend at the Johnson School at Cornell University, and here it is.

I went to Johnson for the Johnson Means Business program. This is a recruitment weekend hosted by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. I must say, for a small office, they put on quite a weekend. Things started Thursday, November 1 at around noon. After registration, I had my “Individual Consultation” with a member of the staff. This wasn’t what you’d call an interview. Instead, it was an opportunity for me to ask questions to a knowledgeable source. The woman who spoke to me was very nice and helpful. I wish I had scheduled my Consultation for the end of the weekend so I could have asked more directed questions.

I skipped on the campus tour since I graduated from Cornell as an undergrad fairly recently and decided instead to visit one of my recommenders. Next up was the ‘Sage Social.” This was a GREAT opportunity to meet some faculty and current students in the beautiful atrium of Sage Hall. You really have to see it to understand how great it looks. The free food didn’t hurt either; the RBG favorite was the egg rolls.

After that, we went to Joe’s Restaurant for a ton of Italian food and an address from Dean Joe Thomas. He actually sat at my table so I had a chance to speak to him at length. He’s pretty funny and he loves to play basketball, plus 2 points for him.

Saturday was INSANE. The day started at 8am with breakfast. Next up was a class simulation. We watched a “Management & Leadership of Organizations” class. Very informative and gave me a good feeling about the atmosphere at Johnson. Next, we took part in a Career Panel Discussion with a member of the CMC (Career Management Center) staff. Afterwards, we ate lunch with members of the faculty and some corporate sponsors. I enjoyed this a lot. I really liked the accessibility of the faculty and their willingness to provide frank answers about the school.

Afterwards was my favorite program. Randall Sawyer, the Director of Admissions, spoke to us about applying to business school. He’s a passionate speaker and his words stuck with me. I had already turned in my application to Cornell before this weekend, but if I was on the fence that would have made my mind up, lol.

Next up was a financial aid seminar given by a nice woman from that office. She put the room at ease about finding money for business school. The tuition seems astronomical, but the way she explained it, things seemed a lot more manageable.

By this time, the sun was setting, and we moved on to a reception sponsored by Lehman Brothers. I can’t say I’m interested in I-Banking, but the recruiter was cool, and the food was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I have never had hours’ devours that good…seriously.

Our dinner that night was really creative I thought. Several current students hosted dinner in their homes. We were able to ask questions in a comfortable setting, and of course…the food was great.

Saturday wasn’t as long, but it was still packed. This time we had breakfast with more current students. They gave us a feel for the clubs/organizations at Johnson. They, like most schools, have it all, but I already know that I’ll have plenty to occupy my time when I’m in school.

Afterwards was a really long teambuilding exercise. It involved one the Myers-Briggs personality indicator. The good part was that the generic description of my type was the best one. I’m a “natural born leader” or something, hooray for me.

The day ended for me with a historical tour of the campus. I decided to go on this one because we stopped at every point on campus that involved significant moments for minorities in Cornell history. I went there for 4 years and learned a lot.

Well that’s it, I tried to keep it short, but as you can see, we did a lot of stuff. Again, if there’s anything you want me to explain, hit up the comments section.

-The RBG