Ross Women’s Weekend and UpClose Diversity Weekend

October 5-7, 2023

Questions after reviewing the information below?  
Please email RossAdmissions@umich.edu

Ross Women’s Weekend: October 5-6, 2023

UpClose Diversity Weekend: October 6-7, 2023

Join current students, alumni, admissions representatives, and fellow prospective students for interactive and informative programming designed to help you gain an understanding of life in the Michigan Ross Full-Time MBA Program.

At Michigan Ross, we believe that enrolling a diverse community is essential to the character of our school, the education and leadership development of our students, and the contribution our graduates make to business and society. Ross Women’s Weekend and UpClose are integral parts of these continuing efforts. 

You may choose to apply to attend Ross Women’s Weekend, UpClose, or both programs. All events will be in-person at the Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor, MI.

NOTE: Ross Women’s Weekend programming will go through the entire day on Friday, October 6. It is best to book your travel plans with this information in mind.


Event Schedule

 Ross Women’s Weekend programming  UpClose programming

Ross Women's Weekend Check-In
2-4:30 p.m. 
Winter Garden

Check-in for Ross Women’s Weekend at our Winter Garden location between the hours of 2-4:30 p.m. You may arrive any time between 2-4:30 p.m. for check-in.


Ross Building Tours
2-4 p.m. 
Winter Garden

Join a current student for a building tour of Michigan Ross. Tours will take place on the hour at the following intervals:

  • 2 p.m.
  • 3 p.m.
  • 4 p.m.

Optional Coffee Talks
2 - 4 p.m. 
Various Classrooms

Meet with a current student 1:1 or in a small group to learn more about your shared career interest(s) and a current student's related experiences at Ross. These will be 30-minute chats. Sign up information will be sent out the week of September 25.


Michigan Business Women Panel
5-6 p.m. 
Robertson Auditorium

Hear from current female-identifying students at Michigan Ross about their experience and what makes Ross an innovative place for women in business.


Women's Weekend Welcome Dinner
7-9 p.m. 
Zingerman's Greyline
100 N Ashley St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Enjoy a welcome dinner at Zingerman’s Greyline with your fellow Ross Women’s Weekend attendees, current students, and staff!

*Shuttles departing Ross at 6:40pm to head to Greyline, or use Uber/Lyft vouchers on your name tag

Women's Breakfast
9-10 a.m. 
Robertson/Stewart Lobby

Breakfast with your fellow Ross Women’s Weekend attendees, running concurrently with our Meet the Institutes Fair


Meet the Institutes Informational Drop-In Fair
9 a.m. - noon
Robertson/Stewart Lobby

Come meet our institutes at Michigan Ross and learn all about their offerings! Stop by the booths of Zell Lurie Institute, Sanger Leadership Center, Tauber Institute for Global Operations, Center for Positive Organizations, and Business + Impact. You can visit these booths during Women’s breakfast or UpClose check-in.


Mock Class: Leading Diverse Teams with Lindy Greer
10-11 a.m. 
Tauber Colloquium

In this interactive session, students will work through a team decision-making exercise. We will then debrief the exercise in light of the cutting edge science and best practices for leading high-performing teams. We will explore the value of diversity in teams, the need to create equitable and inclusive participation in team meetings, how to facilitate effective team task-debates, and how to manage team influence dynamics to make data-driven, high-quality team decisions.


UpClose Registration/Check-In
10:30 a.m. - noon 
Winter Garden

Check-In for UpClose attendees will take place in the Winter Garden between 11-12:30 p.m. Stop by our Meet the Institutes Fair in Robertson/Stewart Lobby or join the 11 a.m. building tour while you wait for lunch.


Ross Building Tours (for UpClose Arrivals)
11 a.m.- noon 
Winter Garden

Join a current student for a building tour of Michigan Ross. We will have multiple tours running at 11:00 a.m. only.


Making Big Decisions, Facilitated by Nicole Smith, Ross MBA '11
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. 
Tauber Colloquium

Hear from Alumna Nicole Smith ‘11 on the process and impact of making big decisions, in the workplace and beyond. 


Lunch
12:30-1:30 p.m. 
Tauber Colloquium

Enjoy lunch with fellow RWW & UpClose attendees and current students.


Welcome Message from Admissions
1:30-2 p.m. 
Robertson Auditorium

Hear from the admissions team about what to expect from the weekend and how to make the most out of your RWW/UpClose experience.


Ross Difference
2-2:45 p.m. 
Robertson Auditorium

Current Ross students share what the Ross Difference has been for them in a Ted-Talk style setting. A must attend event!


Your Recruiting Journey at Ross with the Career Development Office

The Career Development Office walks you through the recruitment journey at Ross, highlighting details about career outcomes, top hiring companies, FACT groups and peer support available to you at Ross, and more.

Imposter Syndrome: Changing the Narrative led by Justine Shelton from the Ross Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office

This workshop will allow participants to engage in a deeper dialogue around Imposter Syndrome through team building and small group activities, individual reflection, and large group discussions. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the origins and reflect on ways to challenge the organizational norms of Imposter Syndrome. Individuals will also learn about techniques and strategies to persist and cope while experiencing this phenomenon and learn how to change the narrative of imposter syndrome to that of empowerment.

3-5 p.m. 
B1560 and R2210

*Participants attend BOTH sessions and will be assigned a group upon check-in


Student Hosted Dinners
6 p.m. 
Student Homes/Various Locations

Attend a catered dinner at the home of a current Ross student. Connect with your fellow attendees and current students in an intimate, personal setting.

NOTE: Student hosted dinners were assigned the week of 10/1. Please check your google calendar invitation for your assignment and address of the location.


Night in Ann Arbor
8 p.m. 
Downtown Ann Arbor, Locations TBD

Enjoy a night in Ann Arbor at various locations! Check the GroupMe for updates.

OR

WILC Sponsored Slumber Party Themed Pizza Movie Night
7 p.m. 
B1570

Michigan Business Women Club and Women In Leadership Conference Sponsors host a movie night in B1570 at 7:00 p.m.

UpClose Breakfast
8-9 a.m. 
Tauber Colloquium

Breakfast for UpClose attendees.


Magnifying Your Superpower
9-10 a.m. 
Tauber Colloquium

Join Admissions team member Michelle Pava for a dynamic session on how to magnify your own personal superpower. 


Mock Class: Equity Analytics with Chris Rider
10:15-11:15 a.m. 
Tauber Colloquium

Greater sensitivity to societal inequality, combined with an increasingly diverse workforce, has led many managers to ask if their business practices create disparities in opportunity and/or outcomes for employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Yet, many managers lack the analytical skills to answer such questions. This course addresses that need. Join Professor Chris Rider to learn analytical frameworks for identifying "differential treatment" and "disparate impact", and learn how to analyze equity using real-world data from various contexts.


The Consortium Experience Unplugged
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. 
Tauber Colloquium

Hear from alumni and current students about what makes the Consortium experience at Ross unique (Fun fact: Ross has been a member of the Consortium since 1983 and currently has the largest Consortium Alumni Network!).


Lunch at Pizza House
12:45 p.m.
Pizza House

Close out the weekend with lunch at Michigan  classic, Pizza House - located within walking distance from Ross.

*The Ross School of Business and the University of Michigan (for more information see President Ono's remarks) remain deeply committed to recruiting and educating diverse student populations and striving for equity in all aspects of our work. The recent Supreme Court ruling in no way impacts our shared U-M core values that include diversity, equity and inclusion—these values make us all better, broadening our perspectives, creating equitable access and outcomes, and helping us make the best decisions in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Shuttle Schedule

Some transportation will be provided during your time at RWW/UpClose. Please note: shuttle transportation is not provided by Ross from DTW (Detroit Metropolitan Airport), however, Ubers and Lyfts are readily available, as is the Michigan Flyer.

1:30-4:30 p.m. 
Continuous shuttle service running every 20 mins, departing from Kensington Hotel (3500 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48108) and Hyatt Place Hotel (3223 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48108) to Ross School of Business 


6:40 p.m. 
Shuttles depart from the Ross School of Business (700 Tappan Ave) for dinner at Zingerman's Greyline (100 N Ashley St). 


9 p.m. 
Shuttles depart from Zingerman’s Greyline back to Hyatt Place and Kensington Hotels. Guests can also explore Ann Arbor on their own and return to their hotels later that evening with provided Uber/Lyft vouchers.

8:45 a.m. 
Shuttles depart the Kensington Hotel and Hyatt Place Hotel for the Ross School of Business. Loading begins at 8:20 a.m. 


5:15 p.m. 
All shuttles depart the Ross School of Business for the Kensington and HYATT PLACE Hotels. Loading begins at 5 p.m. 

You may choose to shuttle back to your hotel if you need to drop off your bag(s), get changed, etc - otherwise, if your assigned student hosted dinner location is close to Ross, feel free to stay nearby campus, mingle with new friends, and walk/Uber/Lyft to your dinner from there!


5:45 p.m.
Head to your dinner locations! You will each be assigned a student’s home to attend for dinner. We will provide Uber/Lyft codes for you to use to get to these homes, or you may choose to walk directly from Ross.

7:55 a.m. 
Shuttles depart from the Kensington Hotel and Hyatt Place for the Ross School of Business. Loading begins at 7:40 a.m. 


8:20 a.m. 
Final shuttles depart Kensington and Hyatt Place hotels. Loading begins at 8:15 a.m.

Frequently Asked Questions

Programming during Ross Women’s Weekend is for prospective MBA students to get to know our women’s community along with resources and support at Michigan Ross. Ross Women’s Weekend is open to all prospective students, of any gender identity, who have an interest in improving the resources, support, and advancement of women in business schools and management.  If you choose to attend Ross Women’s Weekend, plan to be in Ann Arbor October 5-7.

NOTE: Programming on Friday, October 6 will run for the entire day. We advise arranging travel plans for the following day.

Programming during UpClose is designed for prospective MBA students to get to know our African American, Hispanic American, and Native American/Indigenous Peoples community along with resources and support at Ross. UpClose is also open to all prospective students, of any race or ethnicity, who have an interest in improving the resources, support, and advancement of underrepresented students in business schools and in management. If you choose to attend UpClose, plan to be in Ann Arbor October 6-7.

If you are a prospective student in support of the advancement of women in academic and professional settings and also interested in improving the visibility of underrepresented minorities in business schools and in management, please consider applying to attend both programs.

If you choose to attend both events, plan to be in Ann Arbor October 5-7. The application for UpClose and Ross Women’s Weekend is combined, so if you are interested in attending both events, please select that option on the form. You will need to submit essay responses for both UpClose and Ross Women’s Weekend. 
 

You will need to submit your current resume and a response to one essay question*, in addition to indicating if you plan to submit a GMAT score, GMAT Focus score, GRE score, or a statement of academic readiness when you submit your application for the MBA program. If you have already taken the GMAT, GMAT Focus, or GRE, there will be a place on the Ross Women’s Weekend/UpClose application to submit your test scores.

*If you are interested in applying to attend both Ross Women’s Weekend and UpClose, you will need to submit responses to both essay prompts.

The essay should be limited to 1500 characters and include your response to the following prompt:
 

UpClose Essay Prompt

UpClose seeks to promote the advancement of underrepresented minorities in management by attracting prospective business school students with a demonstrated commitment to that purpose. UpClose attendees may be of any race or ethnicity.

Please describe how you have or intend to support the advancement of underrepresented minorities (defined in this context as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans) in academic or professional settings.

Ross Women’s Weekend Essay Prompt

Ross Women’s Weekend seeks to promote the advancement of women in management by attracting prospective MBA students, of any gender, with a demonstrated commitment to that purpose.

Please describe how you have or intend to support the advancement of women in academic or professional settings.

If you are selected to attend, you will be notified on September 11, 2023. Due to the growing popularity of this event, we cannot invite all qualified candidates to attend. We encourage all interested candidates to apply for the full-time MBA program whether or not you receive an invitation to this event.
 

Ross Women’s Weekend: Hotel accommodations are covered by Admissions on the nights of October 5 and 6.

UpClose: Hotel accommodations are covered by Admissions on the nights of October 6 and 7.

If you’d like to stay additional days, you are welcome to book the additional night(s) on your own. Hotel Information will be provided when you have been accepted to the weekend.