Nick Glennon had always planned to be at Vanderbilt. It just happened later than he expected.University of Wisconsin-Madison

“I had my heart set on attending Vanderbilt as an undergraduate back in 2007,” Nick explains. But his early-decision application was unsuccessful. “I was just a decade too early in my pursuit,” he says now.

After graduating from college, Nick began a career in real estate, until he reached the point that he knew it was time to go back to school. I received an extraordinary, real-life education in commercial real estate,” he says, “but was eager to get back in the classroom for an academic perspective on the industry. I felt as though my long-term career prospects pre-MBA were oriented toward more analytical roles” — rather than the leadership role to which he aspired.

In addition to Vanderbilt’s reputation and ranking, Nick says he was attracted by Owen’s culture. “Coming out of a large state institution, I was seeking a program that was more intimate and would allow me to make a bigger impact.” He found the admissions staff warm and welcoming. “I left my interview feeling as though they were trying to impress me,” he says, “as opposed to asking me to impress them.”

Nick believes the reasons for his choice have been well validated. When he arrived, he says, “I hoped to become active in some kind of real estate group on campus. Fast-forward six months, and I was the incoming president of the Real Estate Club, which is growing rapidly. In only three mods I had the opportunity to take a variety of real estate coursework, taught by leaders from the Nashville commercial real estate market.

“I tell every prospective student I talk to, ‘Sure, you could go to a higher ranked school, but at so many of them you will be just a statistic. At Owen the staff and faculty ask you what yourinterests are and how youwant to make an impact. Students are not expected just to adhere to the curriculum but to challenge it, and to make the school evolve and improve. So if you are the type who wants to make an impact, or be a disrupter, there is no better culture than Vanderbilt, because we are empowered to shape our own academic experiences.

Fun Fact: Nick serves on the Junior Board of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Middle Tennessee. I was an extra in the movie "Nightmare on Elm Street" that came out in 2010.

“The staff and faculty ask you what your interests are and how you want to make an impact.”