Mastering the MBA provides readers with a wealth of information on how to make the most of business school. The book gives a holistic overview of a top MBA program from a student's viewpoint with a detailed perspective of career options, recruiting, classes, and social life. All three authors graduated from top 5 MBA programs. They share their experiences along with insights gained from interviews with executives of major financial firms, consultancies, corporations, and students from the top business schools. Readers are walked through all aspects of life in a top MBA program. They are introduced to the rigorous recruiting process and given the information needed to maximize recruiting efforts for career success. Common MBA career options are described in detail and interviews with alumni that have pursued investment banking, asset management, consulting, marketing, management and finance in a company provide insight to available career paths. The book provides a detailed walk-through of a summer internship at a bulge bracket investment bank, a must read for inspiring bankers. Readers peak into the classroom and learn what MBA life is like both academically and socially. The craziness of MBA social life may read like fiction, but knowing the norms before starting a program will allow readers to be prepared for success. Mastering the MBA was written during the deepest of modern recessions, and provides in-depth coverage of the financial crisis and its effect on the MBA labor market. Several students' experiences with a turbulent MBA job market are shared in explicit detail. Tips are provided for successfully pursuing a career in finance during times of both boom and bust. Getting into a top program is a great achievement, making the most of it is what counts. This book helps readers maximize their return on investment in a top MBA by helping them be prepared for recruiting, ready for the social scene, and engaged in the program of their choice.