Current Kettering University juniors and seniors filled a classroom to hear Kelly Quinn speak about the Harvard Business School’s (HBS) unique “2+2” program for graduating students on March 11.

Quinn is the assistant director of Admissions and the manager of the 2+2 program at Harvard Business School. She’s been a member of the admissions board for the past 12 years and presented the unique opportunity to Kettering students interested in attending business school at Harvard. The University of Michigan and Kettering are the only two schools in Michigan that Quinn is visiting during her Midwest tour.

“I’ve seen a lot of Kettering students come through and it’s always a good fit for us, not only with 2+2 but through the regular application process as well,” Quinn said.

Kelly Quinn (left) of Harvard Business School visited campus March 11 to discuss the 2+2 program with students.

The “2+2” program accepts students two years in advance on the condition that they continue to explore their professional interests for two more years in their chosen field. The deadline for current seniors to apply is April 6th.

Bryan Coburn ‘12 is a recent Kettering graduate to apply and be accepted into the program. He spent the last two years working for American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma and will be transitioning to Harvard this Fall to complete his Masters in Business Administration.

“I applied and got in. It was the happiest day of my life,” Coburn said. “Harvard has a really good connection with Kettering. It’s a common route [for students].”

Quinn also noted that 2014 Kettering graduate Andrew Sierra is the most recent Kettering graduate to be accepted into Harvard’s “2+2” program. Sierra is currently working at Ford and will enroll at HBS in Fall 2016.

"It was clear in everyone my interviews they were excited about all my experience I had,” Sierra told Mlive in June 2014. “Two years of experience when you graduate really seemed to be valuable to all the employers I talked to,"

Quinn spoke highly of the work experience Kettering students are able to obtain while completing their undergraduate education through the co-op model. During her presentation she compared the co-op experience of Kettering students to the newly developed “Field Method” study that requires graduate students at HBS to engage and immerse themselves into emerging markets to solve business-related problems.

“I think it’s fabulous,” said Quinn about the co-op experience students at Kettering gain during their undergraduate education. “Having that co-op experience and getting in companies and understanding how they work and being so hands-on - it’s awesome.”

In a 2012 interview with Fortune Magazine, the Dean of Admissions at Harvard Business School, was quoted as saying “we love Kettering in Flint” because of the experiences that students gain in the co-op program.

Quinn agrees that Kettering students are prepared for HBS because of their thorough understanding of the business world. However, she also believes that Harvard complements what Kettering students experience in their undergraduate education in terms of scale of experience.

“I think they [Kettering students] are very prepared,” Quinn said. “I think the transition is to thinking about business issues so looking at companies more macro level. Who is making the decisions? Why are they making the decisions? That’s the transition for them versus the hands-on which Kettering students obviously have.”