The “Big Idea” during Wharton MBA Pre-Term pits cluster learning teams against each other in a battle royale for the brain. Now in its third year, first-year students devote 24 hours to the Big Idea during their first weeks on campus, during which time they research a particular social or business problem, devise their own solution and present it to their classmates.
Each year, the problem (always big) changes. Last year: climate change. This year: create a product or service that makes work better.
Team Caboose from Cohort L was the 2015 winner with its idea “Sage Advice.”
Judges included Howie Kaufold W75, vice dean of the MBA Program; Peggy Koenig WG86, co-CEO of Abry Partners; and Gwendolyn McDay WG13, a strategy and product manager at Braskem. A way for students to get excited about their upcoming MBA curriculum? Yes. A great teambuilding exercise? Yes. A chance to be impressed by their classmates too? Yes. Time to work hard and play hard? That’s Wharton MBAs for you.
