PREPARATION INITIATIVE PREPARING TOMORROW’S BUSINESS LEADERS The Preparation Initiative at the University of Michigan Michigan Ross School of Business is a learning community for motivated students aspiring to build successful, socially responsible businesses and apply to the three-year BBA program. The Preparation Initiative (PI) helps students with limited prior exposure to high-quality quantitative courses prepare to excel academically and lead effectively. While participation in PI does not guarantee admission to the business school, it develops essential mathematics and economics skills, enhancing participants' competitiveness for the BBA program. PI encourages applications from students with a genuine interest in business, particularly those from underrepresented groups, including economically distressed backgrounds or racial and ethnic minorities.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE YEAR During the 2023-2024 academic year, the program facilitated a week-long trek to New York City for 20 students, funded by generous donors. During the trek, students visited nine different companies across various industries. The PI Trek is designed to expose students to different companies and industries, helping them envision themselves in various professional roles. It also allows them to experience life and work in NYC, fostering stronger connections with their cohort and fellow PI students. Additionally, the program celebrated the graduation of the “COVID Class” of students, who began the PI program when U-M was fully remote and started at Ross during the masking period. Despite these challenges, these students formed a tight-knit community and are now employed at prestigious firms such as Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, and Goldman Sachs.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS It was truly an honor to be a rising senior, mentor, and photographer for the senior spotlight. It was a very bittersweet feeling as I gave my goodbyes to some of the seniors I may not see for a while. But most importantly, there was this overwhelming feeling of joy and appreciation I had for all of the time and effort they put into the PI program over the years and I am honored to have served as a mentor alongside them. I hope that next year builds onto the momentum we created during the 2023-2024 academic year and I can't wait for the programming that the new team comes up with to help support the incoming firstyears in fresh and creative ways.
Brett Sherwood BBA ’25
2023–2024 IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS 39 students applied to the BBA program The program organized three treks to Detroit, Chicago, and New York City with more than 50 students who participated Graduates have secured positions at a diverse array of top-tier companies, such as: PepsiCo, L’Oreal, Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, McKinsey & Co, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan Chase. Our graduates also went on to pursue graduate studies in nationally ranked programs, including our Master of Supply Chain Management.