Prospective Students


Why Kellogg

1) How strong is Kellogg in Finance?

Kellogg has one of the strongest finance curriculums among the top MBA programs in the world. Kellogg offers world class finance faculty to all students interested in the field and an unparalleled teaching quality. And even though it does not have the same reputation in finance as pure finance schools that can actually be an advantage to those interested in launching a career in investment banking, sales and trading, private wealth management, investment management or corporate finance. This is mainly for two reasons:

  1. As you will get to know, finance is not about cracking the numbers; it's about finding the reasons and the drivers behind each figure. And Kellogg, with its superb general management approach, supplies students with the tools and general perspective necessary to grasp the big picture. Either pitching an investment idea or trying to sell a company, Kellogg will allow you to draw from your other classes to deliver a holistic thesis that can persuade the most skeptic investors.
  2. At Kellogg, getting a finance job might actually be easier, given the smaller number of people competing against you. The recruiting process, although challenging and competitive, is far better experienced in the teamwork environment of Kellogg, where classmates got out of their way to introduce you to recruiters rather than pushing you back during corporate presentations and break outs.

Kellogg alumni have built a stellar reputation not only in Wall Street but also in Europe, Middle East, Far East and Latin America. And top finance recruiters recognize the supreme quality of Kellogg students and enjoy having them on their team. At Kellogg, the finance professional clubs will provide you with all the resources and guidance necessary to launch a career in finance.

2) How strong is Kellogg in Marketing?

Kellogg's Marketing department is undoubtedly one of the school's biggest strengths. While considered by many to be a qualitative subject, Kellogg built its reputation in Marketing through instilling an extremely quantitative approach to almost all of its Marketing classes. Don't be surprised when you spend more time building spreadsheet models in Marketing 101 than you do in Finance 101. And be prepared for intense group sessions when engaging in interactive market simulation games in Technology Marketing and Marketing Strategy with the legendary Professors Sawhney and Hennessey, respectively.

If you are still unconvinced about what you will learn, then maybe you should ask some of the recruiters what they think of Kellogg Marketing; you won't have to go far because the Corporate Strategy and Marketing departments from every top brand management company flock to Kellogg to hire their future VPs from here. Perception is reality, and Kellogg still is unchallenged as the world's top marketing school.

3) How strong is Kellogg in General Management?

Kellogg is consistently ranked as one of the best schools in the world for general management. Its strength in areas such as marketing, strategy and finance allows students to have a well-rounded and sound education in the main skills that a general manager will need during his career. Many leading companies come to Kellogg to offer its students positions in roles where a broad knowledge of the different aspects of business is necessary. But technical knowledge is not the only characteristic that these firms are looking for; they need leaders with strong teamwork skills and solid ethical values, and this is exactly what they find at Kellogg. Many alumni of our school are clear examples of successful managers in the most diverse fields; some of them are:

  • Christopher Galvin, ex-CEO and Chairman Emeritus of MotorolaMark Randall Goldston, CEO of United Online
  • Mark Randall Goldston, CEO of United Online
  • Jim Safka, CEO of Match.com
  • Douglas R. Conant, President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company
  • Walter Scott, former Chairman of Diageo, CEO of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., CFO of the Pillsbury Company, and Associate Director for Economics and Government at the United States Office of Management and Budget
  • Richard H. Lenny, Chairman, President, & CEO of The Hershey Company
  • Phil Marineau, CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. (1999-2006)
  • Robert Eckert, CEO of Mattel
  • Raymond F. Farley, President and CEO Emeritus of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
  • Robert H. Beeby, Retired CEO of Frito-Lay, Inc
  • William D. Smithburg, Retired Chairman and CEO of The Quaker Oats Company
  • Sheryl O'Loughlin, CEO of Clif Bar Inc.
  • Gordon I. Segal, Founder & CEO of Otto Group's Crate & BarrelSteve Odland, Chairman and CEO of Office Depot
  • Steve Odland, Chairman and CEO of Office Depot
  • Gregory P. Josefowicz, Chairman and CEO of Borders Group
  • Joseph M. DePinto, President and CEO of Seven-Eleven
  • Gregg Steinhafel, CEO of Target CorporationBrad Blum, CEO Emeritus of Burger King
  • Brad Blum, CEO Emeritus of Burger King
  • Harry M. Jansen Kraemer, Jr., Chairman and CEO Emeritus of Baxter International
  • Colleen A. Goggins, Worldwide Chairman of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products
  • Theodore Peter Phillips, President and CEO of the Chicago Bears
  • Scott C. Smith, President and Publisher of the Chicago Tribune
  • David Shaffer, CEO of Thomson Financial
  • John J. Lewis, President and CEO of AC Nielsen USA
  • Fred Kindle, President and CEO of the ABB Group, the world's largest engineering firm
  • J. Stephen Simon, President of ExxonMobil Refining & Supply Company
  • Tadahiro Yoshida, President and CEO of YKK Corporation

4) How strong is Kellogg in Consulting?

Kellogg is one of the best places in the world to launch a career in consulting.

Kellogg is a 'target school' for all the top firms, which means that all firms actively come to our campus to recruit. If you compare employment reports of different business schools you will see that we have one of the highest number of students going to work for the best firms each year. Kellogg has one additional important benefit: it is well-known for teaching students strong communication skills and how to work effectively in teams – these are essential skills for a consultant, and firms recognize this competitive advantage.

Students who want to start their consulting career in Europe are at an even bigger advantage. MBA graduates are just as much needed in Europe, yet consulting firms face a limited supply of students coming from the very few prestigious European schools, let alone top US schools. Moreover, since language plays a bigger role than in the US, finding high quality people for positions in Europe is very difficult. If you have a reason to go to a European country, you will find very little competition while recruiting for consulting jobs. Many students find that there is no 'closed list' process for their target country – if you're from Kellogg, they want to interview you, period. All the consulting firms in Europe recognize Kellogg as one of the best business schools in the world. Mind you, there are never guarantees to get hired, but if you're from Kellogg, your chances are as good as they get.

5) How strong is Kellogg in Private Equity/Venture Capital?

Every year several Kellogg students get internships or full-time roles with leading private equity and venture capital firms, in Chicago, New York as well as internationally.

The Private Equity & Venture Capital Club, with over 700 member, does an excellent job in helping students with different backgrounds understand the basics of the industry, keeping students up to date with recent events and providing employment opportunities.

Every year Kellogg hosts a student-run Private Equity Conference that brings together some of the biggest names in the industry. Recent keynote speakers include John Canning, Chairman and co-founder of Madison Dearborn Partners, John Pfeffer, partner at KKR, and Thomas H. Lee.

Kellogg also organizes private equity and venture capital treks in Chicago, New York and San Francisco, where students have the chance to meet and network with several leading funds during a one- or two-days trip.

Academically, Kellogg offers several courses that are relevant to and helpful to get prepared for a career in private equity or venture capital. Courses include Wall Street, Hedge Funds and Private Equity Funds, Entrepreneurial Finance, Venture Capital and Private Equity Investing, Financial Modeling for Leveraged Buyout Transactions, Financial Decisions and Financial Planning for Mergers and Acquisitions.

Additionally, through the Buyout Lab and the Venture Lab students have the opportunity to work part-time (usually one day per week) for a private equity or venture capital fund in the Chicago area to gain precious experience on-the-field while getting course credits at Kellogg.