Jones Journal -- Alumni Magazine of the Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University

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Deanna Sheaffer, Editor
Director of Alumni Affairs
Jones School of Management - MS 531 Rice University
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Houston TX 77251-1892
e-mail:JGSalum@rice.edu

Diary of an MBA: A First-Year Student Writes Journal for Business Week
– By Saul Keeton, Class of 2002

Saul Keeton

“It has been said that all first-year MBA candidates can be classified into one of three groups: #1, those who definitely know what they want to do and are tireless in their pursuit of it; #2, those who think they know what they want to do but really do not; and #3, those who truly have no idea what they want to do and readily admit it. I admit it – I have no idea.

My name is Saul Keeton, and I am a MBA student at the Rice University Jones Graduate School of Management. Not only am I unsure of what I will do with my degree, but until 12 months ago, this entire episode of my life was largely unforeseen. I hope that this introduction will give you some insight into my world, explain how I have come to this crossroads in my life, and make clear why I have decided to pursue an MBA at Rice.”

With those two paragraphs, my role as a Business Week Online MBA Journalist officially began.

When people discover that I’m writing for Business Week Online, they usually pepper me with curious questions especially about how I obtained this job. Well, here’s my story.

Last year as I was deliberating on the decision to attend business school, I frequently scanned online resources for extra nuggets of information or advice that would help me make a more informed choice. One such resource was Business Week Online. A section of the BW Online website is devoted to current MBA students, who write first-person essays about their experiences in business school.

Shortly after I decided to attend the Jones School, I re-visited the BW Online site, and after surfing around a little, I noticed a solicitation seeking applications from those interested in writing a business school journal for the upcoming two years. Several months after I submitted the required cover letter and writing samples, I received a phone call from an editor at Business Week asking me to join their student panel.

In my capacity as a journal writer, I will have to write approximately 15 essays (that are actually more like diary entries) chronicling various aspects of my business school experience. So far, I have written entries introducing myself to readers (see excerpt above), rehashing the application process, and discussing my impressions during pre-term/orientation.

In my entry on the application process, I was able to give readers an inside look at some of the real-life decisions B-school applicants have to make:

“Ultimately, I applied to only one school, Rice’s Jones School. I seriously contemplated applying to UT, and even went as far as to begin writing the required essays. For some reason, the absurdity of commuting to a school 160 miles away didn’t sink in initially, but I quickly wised up. Also, I found my experiences in dealing with the University of Texas administrators and employees to be somewhat difficult. They weren’t particularly friendly and never seemed anxious to assist me when I requested information. On the other hand, the Jones School was very service oriented. E-mails and phone calls were returned promptly, and every request was greeted with a smile. And as impractical as it may sound, their welcoming and responsive environment was a major factor in my decision to eliminate UT from my list of schools.”

I often joke with school administrators that my capacity as a journalist for Business Week Online will give me the opportunity to sing the praises of the Jones School, provided of course that I get preference in signing up for company interviews, that I get no grade lower than an ‘A,’ and that I receive a personal parking place immediately adjacent to Herring Hall. Not surprisingly, my tongue-in-cheek demands have gone unmet. But my impartiality remains, nevertheless.

One theme that pervaded the most recent Pre-term/Orientation for new students was the Jones School’s renewed vision and clear focus on shaping the school into a top-tier business institution. My column provided me a chance to voice my thoughts surrounding the school’s effort:

“As I made my way into Herring Hall and began mingling with my new classmates, it was obvious that the onset of orientation brought with it an unbridled enthusiasm. I soon discovered that the Jones School’s renewed vision of improving its standing within the community of elite B-schools was responsible for this sense of urgency. The administrators wasted no time brainwashing us with the school’s new catch phrase, “10-in-10,” signifying Rice University’s commitment to elevate the Jones School to top-10 status within 10 years. I knew of the school’s commitment to this endeavor prior to arriving, and ultimately, this audacious expectation was a major factor in my decision to attend.

Throughout pre-term, the administrators, faculty, and second-year students took every opportunity to encourage us to take ownership of this ‘10-in-10’ effort, and I believe their evangelizing paid off. The school’s lofty goals had my respect, but I bought into the Jones School effort because they actually believed ‘10-in-10’ was attainable. This daring, can-do, just-try-to-hold-us-back attitude had me perched on the edge of my seat, ready to spring into action. So like every other first year, I slapped on my nametag and jumped into the fray.”

Saul Keeton is originally from Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio in 1995 with a degree in communication. He went on to earn a master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University in 1996. His professional experience includes marketing and public relations for the United States Golf Association in Far Hills, New Jersey and Organization & Human Performance consulting with Andersen Consulting in Dallas. All reprinted excerpts from Saul’s MBA journal entries are provided courtesy of Business Week Online. You can read all of Saul’s entries in their entirety at www.businessweek.com/bschools/index.html.