The Sloan School of Management at MIT aims “to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice.” Administrators seek to accomplish this by offering cutting-edge classes and services, recruiting acclaimed faculty and fostering collaborative and educational efforts that involve students, alumni and business partners.

Drawing from the MIT culture at large, Sloan is a highly academic school that prides itself on parlaying theory into practical application. Sloan is a school for those who enjoy strong academics integrated with a hands-on experience. Being among MIT’s world-renowned science and engineering programs helps to bolster the intellectual culture of the school.

The rigorous coursework depends largely on a case-method approach mixed with lectures and team projects. Many students find the first year’s “core” semester to be the most challenging. Despite (or because of) the intensity of the program, students find plenty of opportunities to socialize and bond outside of class. The school hosts weekly functions with various themes to encourage mixing and relationship building.

MIT’s hands-on approach is the perfect environment for creating revolutionary inventions, which is what the Entrepreneurship Center encourages. The Center helps students define and develop their ideas, and holds a $100K competition each year for the best new business plan.