As an undergraduate or young professional beginning your career, you have the chance to enhance your summer with the three-week Chicago Booth Summer Business Scholars Program (SBSP).
Interdisciplinary Approach to Business Content
We are delighted to share that this year’s SBSP curriculum will combine a unique blend of theory and practice, led by our star faculty members. They have expanded the experiential nature of the program by introducing a curriculum that strategically builds upon key business competencies from week to week. SBSP Professor Ellen Engel explains that this model immerses scholars in an integrative and holistic view of business fundamentals.
“I encourage students with a curious mind and an interest in a career in the business world to pursue SBSP,” she says. “The program entails in-depth content on the key business concepts of financial and managerial accounting, marketing, finance, strategy and innovation, to give a comprehensive look at important business ideas explored in a graduate business program. I am especially excited about this year’s more interdisciplinary approach to business content. We build a variety of business concepts and experiences into the course and will finish with an interdisciplinary capstone experience involving real business decisions.”
By combining classroom discussion and a live business simulation, the SBSP curriculum will equip you with the skills to build out a business, take calculated risks, and work collaboratively with your peers. Beyond the classroom, the program is coupled with personal and professional development programming, an alumni speaker series, and corporate visits with top Chicago companies.
Distinct Competitive Advantage
For SBSP 2015 alumna, Charlotte Turner [University of the South, ‘16], the program’s immersive curriculum helped launch her future internship and career aspirations.
“In SBSP, the coursework in Finance, Accounting, and Marketing provides a breadth of knowledge and insight, while the corporate visits provide incredible networking opportunities,” she says. “Indeed, one of the largest impacts of my SBSP experience has been my career with Morningstar!”
During SBSP, the opportunity to tour Morningstar Inc. ignited Charlotte’s interest in the company and inspired her future. The following summer, she went on to intern with Morningstar and began working there full-time soon after graduation. She shares that, “working here has been an incredible experience thus far!”
The SBSP experience is designed to provide you with a distinct competitive advantage when recruiting or taking the next step in your career. Other SBSP alumni have gone on to succeed in roles at Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, Nike, and other major organizations. A number have even returned to Booth to earn their MBA. Current Booth MBA and SBSP 2014 alumnus, Leon Evans [University of Florida, ‘14], is no exception.
“SBSP fundamentally changed the arc of my career,” he says. It provided me with a strong base of business knowledge that I leveraged during my time at General Mills and provided a lens to the full-time MBA program at Chicago Booth. SBSP gave me a flavor or business and was the catalyst for my interest in pursuing an MBA, specifically at Booth.”
Bonds That Last a Lifetime
It is incredible to see where our alumni take their SBSP experiences and how only three weeks in Chicago can bond this unique and diverse cohort. Many scholars have shared their stories of class reunions, reconnecting years down the road, and the value of engaging with the Booth community. For SBSP 2016 alumnus, Jeroen Audenaert [KU Leuven, ‘18], these relationships have continued to develop over time.
“The best part is,” he says, “that I created an incredible group of friends from all over the world through this program. Wherever you go, you know someone. I even ran into a friend from SBSP when I was in Beijing last year! These are the kinds of experiences that make SBSP and the Booth community amazing!”
As a Summer Business Scholar, you will build a global network of future business partners and friends. You will leave Chicago prepared to tackle complicated business concepts and take the next step in your professional career. Join us for the 2018 Summer Business Scholars Program and discover your potential!
Apply today to become a Chicago Booth Summer Business Scholar! The application deadline for our final round is Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
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