When you select an MBA program, you are not just choosing your learning environment, but are also committing to becoming part of a community. Each Thursday, we offer a window into life “beyond the MBA classroom” at a top business school.
For the International Food Festival at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business Administration, sponsored by the International Business Society, students arrange themselves into teams according to their home country or culture. On the night of the festival, the teams set up tables with decorations representing their home countries and cultures and present home-cooked, authentic cuisine; in addition, the students often dress in their region or culture’s traditional clothing. A cultural showcase at the end of the evening allows participating groups to show off their region’s music and dancing. One alumna told mbaMission, “It is fascinating to see all of your classmates whipping up their own culinary decadence. Everyone makes a point to eat light the day before, and they gear up to taste foods from 30 different countries and regions—from Korea to Greece to Texas.” Most of the student body and their partners attend this event, as do many professors and alumni.
For in-depth descriptions of social and community activities at Darden and 14 other top MBA programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.