Last week, incoming international students at the Kellogg School of Management took turns stepping up to the podium to practice mock business presentations. No, the academic year doesn’t begin at Kellogg until September. But the American Culture and English for International Business Students Program (ACE) was already well underway.
ACE, an immersive four-week experience, was designed in conjunction with Northwestern University’s School of Continuing Studies to help students with limited exposure to English as a primary language acclimate themselves to American culture before the rest of their classmates arrive.
This year’s ACE program, which took place from July 28th through August 22nd, featured workshops on business writing, cultural communications and classroom dynamics. Working together as teams, students presented projects to their fellow classmates, completed case studies, and attended lectures by Kellogg faculty.
But that’s not all. They also navigated Chicago’s public transit system, visited local parks and museums and made new friends, all while fine-tuning their English skills.
“ACE has been a wonderful addition to our pre-term programming,” said Fran Langewisch, the Kellogg School’s assistant dean for student affairs.
Kellogg is not the only business school to feature international student orientation and English-language programs, but Langewisch believes that ACE offers a unique blend of components from both types of programs. “And because ACE is just for Kellogg students, participants are able to get settled in Evanston, learn their way around campus and begin to build a friendship network before orientation officially begins,” she added.
To learn more about the ACE program at Kellogg, click here.
