Babson Pride: 10 Alumni Talk About Babson’s No. 10 Ranking

For the alumni and parents, students and staff, faculty and friends on campus this weekend, Back to Babson scored a perfect 10.

Despite gray skies and an occasional drop of rain, nothing could dampen the spirits of the Babson community during the College’s traditional alumni and parents weekend, which featured favorite gatherings and activities such as the Half-Century luncheon, induction ceremony, and campus trolley tour; the Cruickshank Race for Shelter 5K Run/Walk; the Babson Black Alumni Alliance Welcome Home Reception and family BBQ; the LGBTQ+ Gathering; milestone receptions for the Bertarelli Institute for Family Entrepreneurship, Babson College Fund, and O.N.E. Tower; and varsity volleyball, field hockey, and men’s and women’s soccer games; among many other celebrations.

The mood was particularly bright because of the College’s latest high-profile recognitions. The week began with Babson being named the No. 1 undergraduate school for entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report for the 27th consecutive time. Yet, all the talk at The Tent was about the number 10—as in Babson being ranked the 10th best college in America by The Wall Street Journal, which also ranked Babson as the No. 1 school in the nation for career preparation.

Here is what 10 alumni had to say about the No. 10 ranking:

Gerald Watson ’76

Founding chair, Babson Black Alumni Alliance

“Without a doubt, it speaks for itself. It further distinguishes Babson and our competitive position in the world, not just among business schools or entrepreneurial schools but colleges in general. It makes a very strong statement. When you combine that with us being the number one school in the world for entrepreneurship, no one can touch us.”

Daniele Fay ’03

“I was so excited when I saw that. I’m sure my parents who helped me through school were really psyched to see that, too.”

George Recck ’82, MBA’84

Associate Teaching Professor and the Paybotic Term Chair for Business Analytics Curriculum & Pedagogy

“The strength of Babson has always been the quality of the graduates we put out into the workforce. I’ve had a number of conversations, particularly in recent years, about how recent alumni jump into leadership positions because other hires of other schools aren’t prepared to step into that role. That will keep us ahead of the game for a long time.”

Megan Sudak ’99

“I couldn’t be prouder of what this place produces and what it’s given to me as a person. It’s a special place, and it’s about time it finally got recognized for that.”

Chris Bradley ’08

“It’s cool. It’s one of those things that just enhances the reputation for us (alumni), even though I don’t know how much credit we deserve for it, but we get the benefit from the work of everybody that came in after us, which is nice.”

Deb De Santis ’85, P’26

Board of Trustees

“It’s a great recognition of how much emphasis Babson puts on making sure that the student experience is a positive one while they’re at Babson and beyond. I think it’s also the recognition of the way Babson approaches entrepreneurship, so that anybody can be equipped to be an entrepreneur in their field. So, it feels like Babson is firing on all cylinders right now.”

Shiv Kariwala ’13

“It feels amazing. I always knew it was top 10 anyways. From my experience, it was fantastic. It’s gotten better, and I see the value that it’s brought to me and my career.”

Stephanie Hamel Gordon ’03, MBA’09

“The College as a whole has done a lot of work to expand the definition of entrepreneurship and show that the College does more than just help students start businesses and produces well-rounded students. I think it’s great that the world is recognizing that the education you get here is more than just how to start a business. It’s well rounded, and you can do anything you want to do.”

Will Huebner ’23

“Entrepreneurship makes the world go round, so I think it’s only fair that the top entrepreneurship school should be in the top 10 of overall schools. It only makes sense to me.”

Amanda Strong ’87

Board of Trustees

“It’s overdue, and I’m super excited and proud, and Babson has earned every bit of it. And now we’re in the top 10, period. It’s the best. … Entrepreneurial leadership is the difference, and I think Babson is leading the way on that. I’m so glad to be part of it.”

Posted in Community

Tagged Alumni, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Career, Faculty, Undergraduate, Graduate

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