Past Participants

SVMP - Article on SVMP 2003

by Freddrick Morrow, SVMP 2003 participant

"The experience of a lifetime" is how I would describe the week I spent at the prestigious Harvard Business School’s Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP). The possibilities that this one week could lead to are endless. SVMP is not only a tool to view Harvard’s MBA program, it is a confidence and opportunity builder. That one week exposed me to new ideas and compelled me to work harder toward my goals.

I am Freddrick Morrow, a senior electrical engineering major attending North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. Through my experiences and those of other SVMP participants, I hope to provide an insightful look at Harvard’s SVMP.

SVMP is a weeklong program hosted by Harvard Business School with the goal of enhancing diversity in Harvard's MBA program by giving talented students who might not otherwise be exposed to a business career a small taste of what business school offers. HBS has recognized the vast potential of talent that has been untapped to its full extent. Through this program, HBS hopes to increase its minority enrollment, which would help promote a more dynamic and diverse workforce.

Lauren Rhue, a senior at Stanford University, said, "SVMP showed me that there were minorities like me who were talented and motivated. Seeing that many talented minorities in one place was amazing!"

The process for applying to SVMP is quite simple. The first step is to secure an internship with an organization that is willing to nominate you to the program. An application and essay must be completed along with mailing an official college transcript. After I completed this process, I was one of 560 hopefuls who were all competing for one of 85 SVMP spots.

Receiving the acceptance email left me with an indescribable feeling of joy!

A sense of confidence surrounded me as I arrived at Boston’s Logan Airport. Being the adventurous and frugal person I am, I decided not to the take the conventional taxi or shuttle to Harvard. I opted to take the airport shuttle to the infamous Boston T, the local transit train. This was not a very hard choice for me because taxi and shuttle services would have cost me anywhere from twenty to thirty dollars. The T was a mere one dollar.

As I approached the residence hall reserved for the SVMP students I was taken back by the beauty of Harvard’s campus grounds. The natural landscape and buildings were beautifully designed and manicured as if I had stepped into a page of Home and Garden magazine. Entering the dorm, I was placed in the midst of an instant networking festival. The top students from around the country were eager to learn about me, and to tell me about themselves. I tried not to be nervous and jumped right in, greeting as many people as possible. I knew this would be my family for the next week.

The accommodations were unbelievable. Every SVMP student had his or her own dorm room which was equipped with its own bathroom and, of course, the internet! Each day the program provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so we did not have to worry about food or beverages (except for the late night Starbucks cravings!).

The SVMP day began with breakfast at around seven o’clock quickly followed by the daily study group. After a hard night of preparing cases, the morning study group was a way to discuss findings and ask peers questions before class. These morning study groups are not unique to SVMP, but are the mode of operation for the HBS student.

Now its show time! At nine o’clock the first class of the day began with students seated in five rows of stadium-like seating. One thing I noticed was that some seats were better than others, depending on your taste. Some students preferred the first row, closest to the professor while others preferred the back row to be highest in the professor’s view. Ideally, I liked the second row because I was seated eye level with the professor.

Have you ever sat in a boring lecture where the professor sounded like the teachers in Charlie Brown? Well don’t expect that at the Harvard Business School. The professors are lively and engaging, making the students comments the center of the class. Professors simply guide and steer the conversation toward the points they are trying to make, sort of like a traffic cop blowing a whistle and pointing.

I recently asked Sonya Thomas, a senior at Birmingham-Southern College, her thoughts on the Case Study Method. She says, "I really liked it. I have to do case studies in school and I think they are a really effective learning tool because they require unconventional thought and application of business principles."

Olga Diaz, a senior at the University of Hartford, says, "I really enjoyed the case study method, it was a great way to learn by letting the students interact during the classes."

Harvard’s Case Study Method is most significant in the development of the leadership at HBS. The case study method allows one to dive into real world business situations. These cases are a combination of classic business situations and newer business trends to give a well rounded prospective. Students are encouraged to give their opinions and perspectives on what would improve the situation presented in a given case. It is refreshing and impressive that the professors at HBS researched and wrote all of the cases; therefore they know the ins and outs of the business situations being discussed.

During the course of the week we read, studied, and developed ideas for fourteen different cases. Each day, three cases were developed and discussed in class. The cases ranged from the world famous Ducati motorcycles to the infamous RU-486 abortion pill. We also studied the cases on Biogen, EuroDisney, and Singapore to name a few. The cases piqued everyone's interest, compelling them to throw their two cents into the conversational pot.

Professor Joe Badaracco was the instructor for the Ducati and RU-486 cases. He recalls the SVMP class by the "energy and intensity of the classroom." The classroom had an air of excitement as we discussed the future direction of the Ducati Motor Company and the life style of its loyal followers. The RU-486 class sparked an instant debate about the moral and ethical dilemma facing a company that produces an "abortion pill."

I really enjoyed the Biogen case presented by Professor Juan Enriquez. He discussed the significance of learning DNA code (f-c-a-g), the language of the future, sighting the current need to learn Digital Code (0-1), the language of today. As a result of studying the Singapore case, I plan to study abroad next year in the country of Singapore. These cases had a profound effect on me.

Willie Hill, a senior at Morehouse College, remembers his favorite cases by stating, "My favorite cases were Ducati, which was taught by Professor Joe Badaracco, and Shouldice Hospital, taught by Professor Jim Cash. Ducati was a great case; I like to analyze cases dealing with improvement of marketing issues. I really enjoyed it because Professor Badaracco really got the class into the study. The Shouldice Hospital case was interesting because I like the ideas that my classmates had for improving of the hospital facilities."

Todd Nieto, a senior at University of Notre Dame, recalls his favorite cases by saying, "I enjoyed Jim Cash's EuroDisney case the most; the case was not only interesting by itself, but Professor Cash's engaging teaching style made the case study even more interesting. The Chiquita case study was also interesting because it complemented the research project that I completed while I worked in Parliament." During a semester of study abroad in London Todd worked in the British Parliament.

The week’s activities also included many panel discussions where the participants would speak directly to current MBA students as well as the program’s graduates. During these sessions, we were able to speak candidly to the panelists to ask them questions that would help us in the future. One of the main lessons I learned from these sessions was that full-time work experience is not a prerequisite for HBS admissions, yet it is an added plus.

In addition to the rigorous academic training received at The Harvard Business School, we had FUN! We were not only able to experience everything HBS had to offer, but the lifestyle culture of Boston. One of our first experiences was Boston’s own Duck Tour where we toured the streets of Boston in an amphibious bus quacking while learning about Boston’s rich history along the way. During our allotted free time, we would often venture into Harvard Square where we shopped and hung out while getting to know each other. On a few occasions, we tested the waters of Boston’s nightlife, making an appearance at a couple nightclubs.

Professor Juan Enriquez, who presented the Biogen case, provided advice to all interested in HBS, letting us know that Boston is not just a place of fun and excitement, it is a center for business and technology. He says, "HBS is not an easy place, but it is a place that can change your life. It gives you a window on to the world of business and, perhaps just as important, of Boston. Boston is rapidly becoming one of the key centers of gene and medical research. Perhaps nothing else will change the world as much over the next century. If you like working hard and want to build, this is a good base to start from."

All of the events occurring during the week of the Summer Venture in Management Program have personally broadened my thinking about not only business school but also life in general. Studying the cases provided me with knowledge about ideas that do not come across in my daily undergraduate courses.

Todd Nieto recalls his SVMP experience, "Not only was it a great experience, but it gave me an idea of what opportunities are available with an MBA. It allowed me to meet many highly intelligent and highly motivated students from many diverse schools. I hope that I will be able to see many of them in the future at HBS."

Willie Hill reflects on his SVMP experience by saying, "The most important thing that I took away from my SVMP experience is ‘expanding thoughts and possibilities’ in all situations. I am confident that those persons who attended SVMP each have the potential to do great things in this world. I learned how to break down complex cases to form a legitimate and feasible solution. Ultimately, I learned that situations are what you make of them and you decide their fate."

J’nelle Clements, a senior at Villanova University, expresses her feelings toward SVMP by saying, "Wow! I came out feeling that since I got through that program I could do anything that I put my mind to. I gained a lot of confidence in myself because that was the hardest, most educationally challenging experience in my life. I got through it because I wanted to and I pushed myself to limits that I didn't know I could. I left having felt proud to be a part of such a prestigious program. It was amazing to be around 85 other African American, Latino American and Native American students who were doing things and making moves at such a young age despite what society says."

Reflecting on my week at the Harvard Business School, I certainly can say that I received an extraordinary exposure to HBS’s MBA program. This was one of the most challenging academic experiences that I have encountered. Though it was challenging, I was able to have a great time seeing the sights of Boston and meeting the very interesting people in the program. These talented individuals will definitely be leaders of some kind in the future. I hope to return to Harvard Business School as a full time MBA student.

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