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Oberlin Business Scholars

Making Connections

Oberlin's tradition and strength in cultivating mentoring relationships is vital to our continued success in preparing undergraduates for the next step in their academic and professional careers. Extending our campus-based model of mentoring to the highly demanding environment of today's workplace gives our students opportunities to engage in experiential learning with our dynamic body of Oberlin alumni, parents, and friends.

Oberlin Business Scholars

About the Program

The Oberlin Business Scholars program is an intensive Winter Term project that provides selected students from all majors with a foundation of skills, knowledge, and contacts to successfully compete for jobs and internships in the fields of finance, consulting, and advertising and PR. Through discussions, lectures, and on-site visits with Oberlin alumni in New York, Boston, and Cleveland, scholars learn to apply the analytical approaches they learn from their liberal arts education to real-world business situations.

As a result of the program, students are able to clarify their career focus to secure personally satisfying and meaningful internships and post-baccalaureate jobs; increase their marketability to employers; acquire essential practical skills through case analysis, workshops, project management and teamwork; gain familiarity with basic financial analysis; and utilize effective job search skills, including resume writing, networking, and interviewing skills.

With the support of faculty sponsors and alumni mentors, students will:

  • Interact directly with accomplished leaders through on-site visits and shadowing in the metropolitan areas of Cleveland, New York City, and Boston;
  • Clarify their own career focus to secure personally satisfying and meaningful internships and post-baccalaureate jobs;
  • Acquire essential practical skills through case analysis, workshops, project management, and teamwork.

Business Scholars have secured internships and offers of employment with Bank of America, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, The Riverside Company, Booz & Company, Morgan Stanley, and UBS. A hallmark of excellence at Oberlin, the Business Scholars Program continues to uphold its reputation for turning out highly successful graduates.

Sponsors

Primary funding for the Business Scholars program is provided by Stewart Kohl '77 and Béla Szigethy '77. Stewart and Béla work together as the co-CEOs of the Riverside Company, a private equity firm specializing in premier companies at the smaller end of the middle market across North America, Europe, and Asia. Additional funding is provided by Steven Roth '77 and Steven Shapiro '83.