On the last day of this year’s AIGAC MBA admissions conference, we visited UNC Kenan-Flagler in Chapel Hill. What a great way to end the week!

As part of this visit, we toured the new Bell Hall, met with Dean Mary Margaret Frank, learned about the evolving first-year MBA curriculum and its alignment with career development, and deepened our appreciation for the program and its strengths.

Here are a few of the things that stood out:

Bell Hall, home to the business school opened in January… and it’s a beauty! The building features 150,000 square feet, 16 modern classrooms, 39 study rooms, 27 interview suites, and lots of spaces for teams to collaborate. It was made possible by a $26 million gift from alum Steven Bell, owner of Bell Partners – one of the biggest apartment investment and management companies in the country. The space really breathes – with terraces, artwork, and even a reflection pond.

UNC’s facility upgrade is the latest in a long line of new b-school buildings. For MBA students, this really does make a difference. After all, students spend a lot of time in business school buildings – far beyond just class hours. When the space is purpose-built and inviting, it’s just a better experience overall. We can tell that Bell Hall will play a big role in attracting the next cohorts of UNC K-F MBAs.

Beyond Bell Hall, we liked what we saw of Chapel Hill. Yes, it’s a college town with a big sports culture…. but it’s also walkable and lively. There’s definitely more to do and explore in Chapel Hill besides attend school. For candidates who are looking for a big city experience, this isn’t it. However, for people who want to immerse themselves in a livable college environment, UNC could really fit the bill.

On our visit, we also learned quite a bit about Kenan-Flagler’s revised MBA curriculum – particularly its core curriculum. At most MBA programs, the core doesn’t have a ton of flexibility, and coursework often competes with recruiting activities.

UNC K-F recognizes this, and has developed a first-year experience – “Career Launchpad” – that more thoughtfully integrates the core curriculum with recruiting readiness. Specifically, students can take relevant courses at the same time they are preparing to recruit for their chosen career tracks. At Kenan-Flagler, these tracks include consulting, real estate, healthcare, energy, brand and product management, and more.

We were particularly pleased to hear that a casing class has been added into the curriculum and is open to all students who need case prep. This makes a ton of sense, as case prep is often driven by second-year within the consulting clubs at most MBA programs. It’s a huge time commitment for all students, and the quality of prep can vary.

Kenan-Flagler builds more structure into case prep and standardizes how students prepare for consulting and other career tracks requiring case interviews. The course runs through the same frameworks, and students get help from professors and industry speakers – not just their peers.

Additionally, a series of data, technology, and AI courses has been integrated into the core curriculum to help students gain tech and data fluency in preparation for their summer internships.

Over the years, we’ve worked with several candidates who have earned spots in the coveted Vetter Dean’s Fellows Program. This select program brings about 20 students together (or about 10% of the class) to develop their leadership capabilities through exec coaching, personalized career support, a capstone experience, and more. Fellows also gain access to scholarship funding.

We also heard from a diverse mix of students from the Vetter Dean’s Program – each of whom had something unique to share about their journey in the MBA program so far. If you’re applying to UNC Kenan-Flagler, we highly recommend applying to this program for a shot at scholarship funding and access to opportunities at UNC K-F – and beyond.

UNC’s MBA program is particularly known for career outcomes in financial services, consulting, and healthcare. However, several grads from the class of 2025 accepted roles in industries as diverse as energy, real estate, and retail, too. To learn more about career outcomes, check out the most recent employment report.

Finally, it’s important to note that Kenan-Flagler’s class is intentionally smaller (around 200 students). This ensures that members of the cohort can get to know one another and gain personalized access to the program’s resources. For the right candidates, that’s a real advantage.

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