Come May, Kyle Johnston will have an MBA from Rice University's Jones School. He'll also be waist-deep in his campaign for a seat in the U.S. Congress. Running in Louisiana's 6th District - which includes his hometown, Baton Rouge - the 25-year-old Democrat isn't merely the youngest contender; he's also facing off against an 18-year incumbent. So just how does the campaign trail compare to B- school? Here, a face-off between the MBA candidate and the political one.
ALL-NIGHTERS B-school: Watches C-SPAN ("I'm starting to kind of like it") to research a paper on the Medicare bill. Campaign: Tries to tame his website server and prepares with his staff for powwows with local movers and shakers.
ADVISORS B-school: Faculty members, who helped Johnston schedule his fall classes so he could devote spring semester to his campaign. Campaign: A media advisor and a political consultant (he has yet to hire a campaign manager), who strategize "every minute of the day," says Johnston. And who also coach him for interviews like this one.
ACCOMMODATIONS B-school: Swinging bachelor apartment (with three roommates). Campaign: Parents' house.
FOOD B-school: Quiznos for subs ("I go there every day") and Pei Wei for Chinese ("It's P.F. Chang's, but costs less"). Campaign: His stepmom's home cooking and dinners out with the family.
PARTIES B-school: "Partios," a weekly beer-and-pizza bacchanal sponsored by Houston-area companies. Campaign: Fund- raising events, where Johnston has to talk politics and beer comes from bottles, not kegs (there's also wine).
COST B-school: Roughly $50k per year: $23,250 for tuition; the rest for cost of living. (Johnston estimates he'll be $110,000 in debt by graduation.) Campaign: $500,000 to $800,000 - roughly $5,000 of which is his own money (all he can afford). The rest comes from fund-raising.
ATTIRE B-school: "I have a favorite pair of sweatpants I wear just about every day." Campaign: Suits from Joseph A. Bank. "I have to be the stud I think I am."
