trinity [week 7]: mind-the-gap

I've attended 7 college dinners in the past 8 days. And this next week looks just as busy. It's natural, of course, that with our final term ending we all want to connect with classmates who we've lost touch with, and visit colleges that we haven't had time to yet see.

Conversation at dinner varies, but for the most part we reflect on our year at Oxford. The majority of the conversations are positive. Some are negative, such as the amount of student loan debt we must now pay back, and the poor (but improving) job market. I'm most interested when the conversation turns toward the future. How will the Oxford MBA be viewed in 5-years? What can alumni do to help? What is our class legacy that we leave behind to future incoming classes?

The one-year MBA makes these issues even more pertinent. We even have an elected "Mind-the-Gap" representative whose express purpose is to help transfer knowledge from one class to the next. In my capacity as Finance-OBN Chairman, and Vice President of Finance for the Student Advisory Board, I also try my best to help others. Mostly, I do this through my blog. But sometimes, when I find an equally motivated group of incoming students, or MBA applicants, my job is made that much easier.

For example, Mayank from the 2010-11 MBA class has done a wonderful job organizing a Facebook page for incoming students. Similarly impressive, I've been in close contact with Shamik who kindly organized a visit to Oxford for roughly 10 incoming MBAs last week. Members from our class met with next year's MBA cohort outside SBS where we then embarked for Exeter College for a full English breakfast. Later we headed toward the Oxford Retreat for drinks to share experiences, and answer questions.

Meeting the incoming MBA class made me feel very proud that Oxford continues to improve each year. I've even heard rumours that next year's average GMAT may be above 700 for the first time! The Oxford MBA clearly represents to me a huge growth story, and it's better to get in early, then wait until our acceptance rates dip below 15%. Look at all we've achieved so far:

• FT ranking improved to #16 (tied with Yale, and 5 spots ahead of Cambridge (Judge)
• BusinessWeek ranked us #10 for "Best International B-School," supplanting Cambridge
• FT ranking for Executive Education improved to #15
• MFE program is more competitive to get into than LBS with an average GMAT of 720+
• Our undergraduate Economics and Management program continues to be ranked #1 in the UK
• Most importantly, we've attracted another £25 million investment from Wafic Saïd, which along with a £20 million matching contribution from Oxford University will help complete our "Phase 2" building by 2013. This will provide another stream of MBAs and MFEs
  

I hope that MBAs reading this will find time in their busy schedules (as I did) to help future years of MBA students and applicants. In addition to meeting with new MBAs, participating in this year's MBA Class Pledge, and having an occasional Skype call to go over interview preparation, I'm also looking to:

• Raffle off my bike: I bought a nice Trek bike from Halfords for £90 in the beginning of the year. Rather than sell it, I'm going to raffle it off to an incoming MBA studying at Exeter college (my alma mater). I've encouraged other current MBAs to do the same.
• Order books in college: I've also approached my Exeter College librarian to order enough sets of business books for each of the incoming Exeter MBAs, so they don't have to compete for the limited number of copies at SBS. And if Exeter won't order all those books, then I'll offer to match them through a charitable donation, by having each of us buy 4-sets of books for the 8 MBAs that typically study each year at Exeter College.
• OBA involvement: When I return to New York I will become actively involved in helping the New York OBA chapter, including creating a Finance-OBN website that will offer interview training, alumni contacts, and job application for NY finance jobs.

I share these things with you for one reason, and one reason only. I want to set an example, as others have done before me, that it is our moral obligation to help each other, and to help improve the young Oxford MBA brand. It's important to ingrain in the MBA culture a sense of giving; that we all have an equity stake in the future of SBS. I hope that as an incoming student, or an MBA applicant, you find ways to play forward to other classes whatever kindness you have received from previous classes.