The best way for students to prepare for business school is to come together in an intensive, in-person learning environment that mirrors the rigor and high expectations of graduate school, but occurs at a point in time when students can delve into subject matter without facing the time constraints, high opportunity costs, and unique performance pressures they will encounter as MBAs.

The Practice MBA® Summer Forum offers students an opportunity to create a network of fellow classmates who are enrolled in leading full-time MBA programs in North America and Europe, to engage with accomplished MBA alumni and business leaders who serve as Summer Forum guest speakers, and to enjoy social and outdoor activities in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

Logistics

  • Capacity: A maximum of 200 students may register for Summer Forum. Students can enroll for one week, two weeks, or for the full three-week program
  • Dates: July 5th – 25th, 2018 (encompassing all three weeks of Summer Forum)
  • Venue: The University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, WA
  • Cost: $2,300 per week (including tuition, housing, and a $150 per week dining hall voucher at UW’s Alder Commons and Alder Hall)
  • Deadlines: There is one registration deadline for the 2018 Summer Forum:
    • Friday, June 1st, 2018 (5:00 pm ET)

Students can also undertake one of two Practice MBA® Wilderness Skills courses (see Wilderness Skills), held in conjunction with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Washington’s Central Cascade mountains both immediately prior to and after the conclusion of Summer Forum.

The Curriculum

Our curriculum consists of the three subject areas below. Students are encouraged to enroll, at a minimum, in the MBA Career Strategy Seminar during July 12th-18th.

  • Culture & Language Transition (CLT): July 5th – 11th (Week 1)
    1. For international students, undertake full language and culture immersion, including daily writing exercises and a final oral presentation
    2. Understand and adjust to host country academic, professional, and social standards that are critical to success as an MBA
    3. Embark on your host country experience and gain an early lead on MBA career planning (including work authorization / visa topics, the two-country job search)
  • MBA Career Strategy (MBCS): July 12th – 18th (Week 2)
    1. Gain deep insight on the MBA recruiting process and develop a successful job search strategy for both internships and full-time job opportunities
    2. Interact with representatives of MBA recruiting organizations to understand current marketplace trends, hiring, and talent strategies across industries and functions
    3. Receive coaching integrating past professional and educational experiences with current interests and abilities to create an individual roadmap for business school
  • People Performance Lab (PPL): July 19th – 25th (Week 3)
    1. Acquire hard skills relevant to software and research tools critical to the MBA classroom and post-MBA work environment (e.g., accessing and understanding financial statements, conducting quantitative analysis)
    2. Learn personal and interpersonal effectiveness skills (e.g., improved organization and time management, communication, and influencing skills)
    3. Undertake workshop on financial literacy, estate planning, and private wealth management

Each week-long course meets daily, starting on a Wednesday and culminating on the following Tuesday, and involves the equivalent of 12 class sessions, or a total of 36 hours of instruction in both lecture and workshop formats. Class times are scheduled between 8:30 am and 3:00 pm daily, with additional group work and individual homework scheduled during the evenings.

Summer Forum is organized and taught by a small team of principal faculty members who have outstanding experience training elite MBAs in both a higher education and private sector setting.

Requirements

Admission to Practice MBA’s 2017 Summer Forum is contingent upon acceptance to a full-time MBA program in which English is the primary language of instruction.

Students who are highly-motivated to undertake pre-MBA coursework are encouraged to Register for the limited space available by June 2nd, 2017 (Final Deadline).

All Summer Forum participants will be required to submit evidence of an offer of MBA admission (a copy of the student’s business school acceptance letter), a current résumé detailing academic and professional experience, and proof of medical insurance.

International students will receive special instructions regarding obtaining travel visas (at least two months prior to arrival in Seattle) and exiting and re-entering the U.S. in order to activate their F-1 student visas, if applicable.

Practice MBA Coaching Program

Summer Forum participants have the option of maintaining contact with program faculty, as an extension of the MBA Career Strategy Seminar (MCSS), and can request formal consultations throughout their time in business school.

Practice MBA® peer faculty can provide continuity and additional perspective to help students achieve short-term goals as well as stay on track with respect to their long-term vision. As students near the point of graduation, we are also able to recommend additional resources and to help Summer Forum alumni navigate opportunities to work with executive search firms as well as develop their mid-career executive skills.

Pre-MBA Conference

In 2017, Practice LLC is developing a pre-MBA conference to be held at the mid-way point of Summer Forum – on Saturday and Sunday, July 15th-16th.

The goal of the conference is to explore topics influencing the modern economic landscape, to create vibrant interactions between rising MBA students and current business leaders, and to foster an ongoing process of inquiry as well as conversations that might carry on beyond the Summer Forum.

We look forward to inviting extraordinarily successful MBA alumni and industry thought leaders to serve as guest-speakers and panel participants, discussing marketplace trends and MBA career paths with Summer Forum students in the following industries:

Consumer Products & Retail

Management Consulting

Education

Manufacturing & Transportation

Energy & Environment

Media & Entertainment

Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital

Real Estate & Urban Planning

Financial Services

Social Sector (Nonprofits & Government)

Healthcare, Biotech & Pharmaceuticals

Technology

Each full-day conference session will conclude with a special reception for all Summer Forum students and invited guests. Please stay tuned for more information and updates during the spring of 2017.