Graduate Traditions from the Dance Floor to the Slopes
The F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business offers the best of both worlds: a diverse, welcoming community, and storied graduate traditions in one of the most historic cities in the U.S.
From professional development to pure fun, opportunities abound. Network across programs, meet and share ideas—and laughs—with upper-level administration, and dance (or ski!) your heart out.
The Babson community is diverse, smart, and entrepreneurial, for me the Babson Community is family. … Students from other programs, staff, alumni, and faculty are easy to approach and enthusiastic to connect you with someone that could potentially help you or bring your situation forward. In terms of networking opportunities … events like Babson's eTower, to meet undergrads, or Prom, to meet MBA students, or CCD Career events, to meet industry professionals, or the BEF, to meet like-minded Babson affiliates, have had a tremendous impact on building my network here in Boston.”
Traditions
Buffoonery
This annual, spring variety show is coordinated by Babson graduate students. Get ready for a night of fun celebrating the Babson experience with good-natured irreverence. Enjoy playful banter about peers, faculty, staff, and current events in a variety of mediums, including live skits, video, and even song.
Fancy Footwork
Put on your finest, and dance the night away during the Babson Graduate Fall Formal. Each formal is unique, offering students the opportunity to visit areas in Boston and surrounding regions.
Friendsgiving in Knight Auditorium
Friendsgiving with the Graduate Associate Deans is an annual event that allows students to gather with the associate deans to celebrate an American holiday in a new way—one that acknowledges the history of Thanksgiving and instead celebrates the diversity and social impact of the Babson community. Students bring guests, significant others, and family members to join us for this holiday meal.
Founder’s Day
A fall tradition since 1947, Founder’s Day honors Roger Babson, founder and first president of the College. Alongside music, lawn and carnival games, henna and tattoo art, giveaways, trivia, and more, you’ll find a variety of apple treats—a nod to Babson’s admiration for Sir Isaac Newton.
International Dinner
Celebrate the cultural diversity of Babson’s graduate community. Through this long-standing annual event, graduate students and partners come together through food, music, and dance from around the world. In years when we were unable to celebrate in person due to the pandemic, students created a Graduate International Dinner Cookbook to share virtually and tried the recipes from home.
Partner and Family Bonding
Your significant other and family play an important role in your life. The Babson Partners’ Club—run by current graduate partners—gives you and your family access to social, cultural, and educational activities to make the transition to Babson fun.
Weeklong Celebrating
A Babson tradition, a weeklong run of festivities celebrates graduating students. Past Grad Week events have included trips to Six Flags, paintball tournaments, and hiking both Mount Monadnock and Mount Washington, as well as overnight Cape Cod trips complete with beachside villas and lobster/clambakes.
Winter Shredding
Hit the slopes in the winter with the Graduate Student Council on the annual Ski Trip. Babson graduate students don their skis, boards, and beaver hats to travel to such places as Killington Ski Area, Stowe Mountain Resort, Sugarbush Resort, and Waterville Valley.
We all came from different walks of life, yet we managed to look past those differences and create a family. That family does not exclude our amazing professors, who have taught me so much more than I can ever thank them for. The lessons were not just for the classroom, but about providing us tools that we would be able to use in whatever context we would need moving forward. My professors are not just lecturers … they are coaches and academics mentoring a batch of students who they want to see succeed. I now consider all of these people a part of my growing network.”
Conferences and Competitions
Global Entrepreneurial Leadership Forum
The annual Global Entrepreneurial Leadership Forum at Babson is the largest graduate student-led event on campus. This forum attracts national and international entrepreneurial leaders and innovators together to examine and collaboratively address entrepreneurial challenges across various global contexts. As an attendee you will learn from and network with industry experts and change-makers from different areas of the world's economy.
TEDx Babson College
TEDx Babson College is an annual event showcasing “ideas worth spreading,” which began in 2017 with a group of MSEL students. Each year the event grows in size and scope and is always student-led with an annual theme. Check out the recording of last year’s event.
Babson Sustainability and Energy Club
For more than 15 years, graduate student Babson Sustainability and Energy Club members—passionate about environmental sustainability and making an impact within the community—have been organizing the annual Babson Energy Conference. The forum attracts attendees from the Boston area and around the world, providing a platform to discuss the important issues facing our planet and society.
Babson Hackathon
The Babson Hackathon is an annual event organized by the Babson Analytics Club in collaboration with Wayfair. During the Hackathon participants get to become data analysts for a month by solving a real business case from Wayfair. Teams use real business data and provide insights to a particular business problem. At the end of the Hackathon, teams submit their insights to a panel of judges and the finalists present to the Wayfair team.
Just a Taste of Tradition—and Innovation
There’s so much more to do at Babson than we could list here. With 25+ student-run clubs and organizations, signature events, nine centers and institutes, and more, you’ll never have a shortage of things to do. Pick the traditions you enjoy—and help us create new ones!
“Take advantage of the events, workshops, and networking opportunities. The knowledge you get outside of class and from different experiences and perspectives is as important as class.”