As the modern business landscape becomes more internationally interconnected each year, young professionals are increasingly looking for MBAs that give them access to a diverse, global network. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then that Toronto – one of the world’s most diverse and welcoming cities – and it’s most prestigious business school – Rotman School of Management – have moved to the top of many applicants’ wish lists.
That’s why I touched base with Richard Feliciano, Assistant Director of Recruitment & Admissions at the University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management to get an insider’s view into why Canadian MBAs should be at the top of your list.
(Richard Feliciano, Richard Feliciano, Assistant Director of Recruitment & Admissions at the University of Toronto – Rotman School of Business)
Ellin Lolis: Thank you for your time, Richard! To start things off, do you mind telling us a little bit about how long you’ve been with Rotman School of Management and your role there?
Richard Feliciano: My journey at the University of Toronto started about 10 years ago with my undergraduate degree (it was at this time I fell in love with the campus and UofT community) but I have been with Rotman close to 3 years now. I started at Rotman supporting the Full-Time MBA admissions team with front line inquiries and various administrative duties and took on the role of Latin America recruitment last year.
EL: We were excited to see Rotman ranking so well in the Financial Times 2018 rankings. Can you tell us a little bit more about what makes Rotman such a unique MBA program?
RF: There is so much that makes Rotman a unique. Aside from being located in the heart of downtown Toronto (North America’s 2nd largest financial centre and the fastest growing tech hub), we are one of the most diverse MBA programs in North America where typically 70% of our class is born outside of Canada and around 50 nationalities are represented each year in the program. Being able to access all these different cultural, academic and professional perspectives in our program is one that will greatly enrich your learning experience.
Rotman also takes a unique approach to develop your soft skills through our Self Development Lab (SDL). The SDL offers an extensive amount of workshops and modules, with many of the components done in an individualized format, it allows our professors to work directly on everything from your presentation skills to executive presence.
Integrative Thinking is the foundation of the Rotman School’s pedagogy. It is a discipline for defining and solving business problems through the use of explicit models, unlike the traditional case-based method you see at most b-schools. Rotman students learn how to build and use “live case” models to frame, structure, analyze and solve real-world business problems.
Read more about a Rotman student’s experience during his first semester in Toronto here.
EL: One of the elements of the Rotman program our clients have been very interested in is the Creative Destruction Lab. Can you please tell us more about that?
RF: The Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) was launched at Rotman back in 2012 and since then has only grown in popularity. The CDL acts as a seed-stage program for massively scalable, science-based companies. They have several streams from Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Outer Space, Quantum Computing, etc. Since its launch, it has raised close to $4 billion in equity and has plans to reach $100 billion in the next 10 years.
As a Rotman MBA student, you can partner up with one of the ventures in the lab and work directly alongside them. It is a very hands-on and dynamic 9-month experience, one week you may be working on developing a business plan and next week you might be working on a pitch to investors. This invaluable interaction allows students to reframe their perspective around a career defined by original thinking and innovation.
It is also an incredible networking opportunity as students and ventures are invited to join an intensive full-day session with the Fellows and Associates, an elite group of successful entrepreneurs, angel investors, and partners from leading venture capital firms, from Canada and internationally.
EL: Another area applicants have been increasingly interested in is Big Data and Advanced Analytics. Does Rotman have any plans to increase the number of courses in these areas?
RF: While already offering a major Management Analytics we have recently opened the TD Management Analytics Lab at Rotman.
The lab fosters analytics at Rotman as it hosts several data-thons, workshops, and seminars with industry leaders on big data, prediction, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Students have access to a variety of learning resources to learn Python, SAS, and receive support on their projects through the industry experts in the lab.
EL: Many of our clients have also used Rotman to transition to careers in Canada. Can you tell us a little bit more about the visa process after graduation?
RF: All international graduates of Rotman are automatically eligible for a 3-year work permit after the Full-Time MBA program. This does not depend on a job offer or employer sponsorship, so it gives international graduates the time to find the right opportunity for them or even potentially launch their own business.
(Rotman Full-Time MBA Dean Tiff Macklem helps kick off the academic year with a boat cruise of Toronto, photo courtesy of @rotmanschool on Instagram)
Canada is an extremely welcoming nation and nowhere is more welcoming than Toronto (the most multi-cultural city in the world). One thing I always tell prospective students, no matter where you come from, you can feel at home in Toronto pretty quickly.
EL: What types of career support does Rotman provide students?
RF: We have a very large Career Centre at Rotman that takes a high-touch approach with our students. All Rotman students are paired up with a dedicated Career Coach for the entire time they are at Rotman. This is someone they can come to at any point to receive support and feedback on an interview or application process with a particular company, help on negotiating a job offer, etc.
We also have a team of Industry Advisors that expand the range of job opportunities available to students by nurturing relationships with existing recruiters and seeking new partnerships at the school. They enhance your professional development by sharing the latest in industry knowledge and company intelligence through career education events and one to one meetings.
EL: What about support for students who bring partners?
RF: We know that the MBA decision is often a family decision so we try to help as much we can with that transition. For all students that come to Rotman with a partner or child, they are eligible to live at the University of Toronto Family Housing. This is an on-campus residence just a few minutes away from Rotman and it is very affordable as the rent is heavily subsidized by the University.
All partners of students have access to a dedicated Career Coach in Rotman’s Career Centre to help with their career development in Toronto. We also have a partners club that hosts social events monthly throughout the year to bring together all of our students and their partners so they can meet each other and start creating relationships and establishing their own network.
It is also important to note that all partners of students in the MBA program can work in Canada while they study and they are also eligible for the 3-year work permit after graduation.
EL: Can you tell us a little more about Rotman’s alumni network? How active is the network?
RF: Rotman has the largest alumni network in Canada with close to 16,000 alumni doing incredible things across 90 different countries, and the University of Toronto has close to 600,000 alumni worldwide. Our alumni are very engaged and come to the school often for various industry club events and networking receptions that happen regularly.
(Rotman alumni participate in the school’s ReuniteRotman event, photo courtesy of @rotmanschool on Instagram)
We also make it easy to connect with our alumni with an internal online platform that allows you to connect with our alumni directly to arrange a meeting or request a mentorship. Coming to Rotman is very much like joining one big extended family, our alumni are incredibly passionate about helping new members of our community excel and develop their careers.
EL: Do you have any tips on preparing a successful Rotman application?
RF: Start early and don’t be afraid to connect with our admissions team! I am always quite open to set up an in-person meeting when I am traveling or setting up a Skype call to talk about you individually and how you may fit within the MBA program at Rotman. You can contact me at richard.feliciano@rotman.utoronto.ca.
EL: And finally, what about the Toronto winter? Is it as bad as they say?
RF: Haha, it’s not too bad. It does certainly get cold and you need to invest in a good winter jacket, but the city is still very vibrant in the winter and there is always a lot of fun stuff going on. A great thing is that Toronto also gets a lot of sunlight in the winter, so that makes winter much more enjoyable.
EL: Thank you so much for your time, Richard. You’ve definitely helped us better understand all the advantages of the Rotman MBA!
My team and I pride ourselves on being with you at every stage of the process as you apply to an elite program, giving you the confidence that you are taking the right steps toward your future with the information you need to make the best decisions. That’s why I truly enjoyed talking with Richard and bringing this information to you.
That’s the approach we took with our client Carlos, who was admitted to Rotman as part of the CDL fellowship program.
In his words, “As a first-time MBA applicant from Colombia, Ellin’s support and thoughtful feedback was key for me to structure and better communicate all of the stories that I wanted to convey in my application process and ultimately being accepted with scholarship award at my top business school choice. Right from the start, Ellin and her team focused on fully understanding my profile and suggesting the best ways to help me highlight my best examples and stories using effective communication strategies. As a Round 2 applicant, Ellin’s flexibility and responsiveness were essential. She was available and ready to answer questions, even during the busy holiday season, so I always felt supported during my application process.
For anyone who’s applying to top business schools and want to create a brilliant MBA application, get thoughtful feedback and guidance during the application process, and work with a friendly team of MBA application experts, look no further: I’d highly recommend working with Ellin & her team, as they deliver an incredible value through their unique personalized service. I was blown away by the quality of the service in general and the amount of value that she added to my application with just a few 1:1 sessions and essays revisions. I can confidently say that working with Ellin was one the best choices I made during my application process and it made a huge difference to ultimately getting accepted at Rotman.”
If you need help writing winning admissions essays, preparing for your video essay, or even if you’re just starting the application process and aren’t sure exactly what to do next, my team and I can help! Schedule your free consultation with us today.
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
