Mitt Romney and Harvard Business School

The New York Times has a wonderful article on Mitt Romney's life in Cambridge and at Harvard's law and business schools.  The articles remind me of a series that the Boston Globe several years ago, which I post below as well.

I think Jodi Canton does a wonderful job of describing how hard working and dedicated to his career and studies Mitt Romney was during his three-year-long joint degree studies at Harvard.  But during the process, she makes the HBS appear much more rigorous and daunting that I have found it.  Perhaps in Romney's day, being grilled was a huge and scary deal.  But today it is stressful and uncomfortable only -- and by no means the frightening endeavor that Canton makes it seem.  The cold call, discussion-based classroom experience incentivizes student to prepare - lest they appear stupid.  But with 10% of the class receiving a "3," the lowest mark, and 20% receiving a "1," the highest mark, while the majority receive a "2," that incentive is weak and forces you to study only so much.  Driven people drive themselves to succeed regardless of environment, and I think Mitt Romney's driven nature (note that I do not endorse his candidacy or politics, but only admire his drive) speaks more of him than of HBS.

"The Making of Mitt Romney"
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/

"At Harvard, a master's in problem solving"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/us/politics/how-harvard-shaped-mitt-romney.html