How Go Blue Rendezvous Brought the Michigan Ross Experience to Life
I was extremely lucky to be admitted to all four business schools I applied to in 2024 for a Full-Time MBA. While it was an exciting position to be in, it also made the decision feel overwhelming.
Choosing a business school meant quitting my job, leaving New York, the only state I had ever lived in, spending a significant amount of money, and giving up a steady salary. It also meant choosing the people I would spend the next two years with and the community that would shape the next step of my career. It was not a decision I wanted to get wrong.
I appreciated that the Ross School of Business and other programs hosted accepted student days, which allowed me to experience each school outside of the stress of the application process. I traveled to Ann Arbor from New York in April 2024 for Go Blue Rendezvous. By that point, I had narrowed my options from four schools to two, largely based on financial considerations. I had a visit scheduled at another school the following weekend and still felt unsure about how I would make a final decision.
From the moment I arrived at GBR, I was struck by the energy of Ann Arbor and Michigan Ross. Everyone I met was welcoming, enthusiastic, and genuinely excited to talk about their experience. Conversations felt easy and authentic, and it was clear that students and staff alike cared deeply about building real connections.
I also paid close attention to the other accepted students. These were the people who would become my classmates, friends, and colleagues. At one event, I sat down with two incredible women, and after only a couple of hours together, we decided to be roommates. That moment made everything feel real. I could already picture my life at Ross and see myself building a community there.
GBR helped me realize that what separated the schools I was choosing between was not academics, recruiting outcomes, or career opportunities. Both programs offered those. What made the difference was the culture. Ross stood out for its sense of community and the way people were intentional about building relationships and making the most of the two years. That commitment to connection and shared experience felt genuine and unique.
By the final day of GBR, I had canceled my visit to the other business school, submitted my deposit to Ross, and started a shared spreadsheet to track rental houses with my new roommates. I have never once regretted that decision.
Nearly two years later, my experience at Ross has closely matched what I imagined during GBR. I have lived with those same two roommates throughout the program and we’ve become extremely close friends, and while we are sad to leave Ann Arbor, we are equally excited for what comes next. Choosing Ross was one of the best decisions I have made, and GBR is where I knew it was the right one.
