Despite the Downturn, MBA Spring Break Lives

The economy may be on life support, the job market for MBAs anemic, and debt for many business school students in six-figure territory, but one time-honored tradition has not fallen victim to hard times: spring break.
For many MBAs, spring break is more than a chance to share a fleabag motel room with five friends in Daytona—it's an educational investment, an opportunity to visit another country and learn something about the global economy that can't be taught in a classroom. That's why, despite the economy's demise, many are jetting off to far-flung destinations from Shanghai to Dubai and are willing to pay up to $5,000 for the privilege. Since many of the trips can be paid for using financial aid, the trips don't have to add to their already considerable debt.
Ben Wightman, 31, a student at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management is getting ready for a two-week trip to the Middle East with 34 classmates, visiting Jordan and Qatar as well as the United Arab Emirates. After spending tens of thousands of dollars to get his degree, he figures another $5,000 or so isn't going to bankrupt him. "You've already made the investment in getting a top MBA, so this [trip] is really an investment I've seen most of my classmates are willing to make," says Wightman. Some participants who racked up thousands of frequent flier miles during the pre-MBA consulting careers are using them to defray costs.
These student-organized ventures are part of Kellogg's Global Initiatives in Management (GIM) program, which also includes a classroom component that takes place during the quarter before the trip. GIM attracts roughly half of Kellogg's full-time B-school students each year, despite the trips' hefty price tag.