Admissions Director Q&A Below are links to Clear Admit's exclusive interviews with MBA admissions directors at leading programs.
Application Deadlines Below are the upcoming deadlines for admission to the leading MBA programs.
Essay Topic Analysis Below are links to our comments on some of the leading programs' essay topics.
MBA Tipline We encourage admissions officers, students and applicants to alert us of interesting news and developments, please send an email to news@clearadmit.com so we can blog it.
MBA Programs: North America If an MBA Program is not listed, please e-mail and we will be happy to list it.
MBA Programs: The Rest of the World As there is some variety in the length of international MBA programs, we have denoted the length of the program next to its name (1 = one year; 2 = 2 years). If an MBA Program is not listed, please e-mail and we will be happy to list it.
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Posted by Clear Admit on August 31, 2006, at 2:06 pm
Though we’ve always said that traveling to a school’s campus is the ideal way to get a feel for the campus and culture of an MBA program, we do recognize that this might be a viable option for applicants who are located remotely or unsure of their level of interest in a given school. For those still on the fence and located near a major city, the good news is that the schools they’re considering might very well come to them. With September just around the corner, many b-schools are getting ready to hit the road and embark on worldwide tours to dispense information and recruit qualified applicants. Such events offer a great opportunity for applicants to meet with admissions staff . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 30, 2006, at 2:04 pm
Following up on our post announcing Kenan-Flagler’s essay topics for the coming admissions season, we wanted to offer our thoughts on each of the program’s inquiries for this year.
Rather than either extreme of reserving its optional essay for explanation of extenuating circumstances or inviting all applicants to include whatever additional information they choose, UNC includes two optional essays that might only be applicable to a portion of the applicant pool. Though the 2000 total words across the two required essays don’t put the school’s topics too far below the average in terms of total application length, most applicants will have to cover their entire candidacies in response to just two fairly narrow questions – a task that will require some . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 29, 2006, at 1:58 pm
Yale University’s School of Management recently released its deadlines and essay questions for this admissions season. The school’s essays are nearly identical to last year’s with just one interesting change that we’ll cover in our upcoming analysis of these topics (stay tuned). Looking at the deadlines, another important thing to consider is that R1 applicants won’t hear of the adcom’s decision until well after the R2 deadlines for most top schools. This means that even if the Yale SOM is an applicant’s first choice, he or she will need to prepare applications to a number of other schools to maximise his or her chances of admissions this year.
Deadlines
Round 1
Application Deadline: October 25, 2006
Decision Notification: January 19, 2007
Round 2
Application Deadline: . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 29, 2006, at 1:51 pm
The good folks over at MBA Podcaster have just released a new podcast titled “Your Application Essays: Strategic Recommendations for Writing Your Admission Essay.” The piece offers advice about how to approach one’s essays and some insight into what the schools are looking for – from multiple perspectives. In addition to interviews with Thomas Caleel, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School, and Brian Lohr, Director of MBA Admissions at Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business, the podcast also features input from the admissions consulting end of things – including Clear Admit’s Graham Richmond. Though they come to this discussion from different places, the admissions officers reinforce the advice of . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 28, 2006, at 1:50 pm
Last week’s edition of Fridays from the Frontline demonstrated that this year’s crop of applicants are busy thinking about GMAT prep, school selection and essay composition, but one thing that we haven’t heard many prospective students considering lately is the topic of financing their studies. While it’s reasonable that gaining admission is the primary focus and that many plan to cross the monetary bridge when they come to it, we wanted to remind readers of an ongoing London Times series that we mentioned last month about strategies for paying for an MBA.
Though geared toward British applicants, the general principles in these articles are applicable to anyone considering an MBA. In addition to considering the topic of . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 25, 2006, at 1:49 pm
Welcome to another edition of FFF, our weekly survey of the newest and most noteworthy happenings in the MBA blogging world. Let’s begin this week by checking in with our friends in the applicant crowd.
Juggler has returned from a trip and is already back in the midst of the application process, dealing with data forms and starting her Stanford essays. On the subject of writing, StressTensor is, well, stressed about MIT’s narrow word limits, but we’re glad to hear that Scarecrow feels good about his progress – which, with three schools’ essays finished, he certainly should – and that Brian is in good shape with his planned Thunderbird . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 24, 2006, at 1:45 pm
There have been two interesting and informative pieces in Business Week over the past few days, both dealing with the topics of what the leading business schools are – and aren’t – looking for in an application student, drawing upon input from the admissions officers themselves.
The first is the transcript from an online chat with Kellogg’s Beth Flye that took place a few weeks back. Over the course of the discussion, Flye fields questions from anxious applicants, assuring chat participants that while Kellogg does require some full-time work experience, the school is concerned with depth, breadth and quality over quantity, and naming intellectual ability and leadership potential as two of the things the program prizes in potential students. The subject . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 23, 2006, at 1:44 pm
Though we’ve begun to feature applicants applying this fall in our weekly Fridays from the Frontline column, we wanted to take a moment today to officially welcome the Class of 2009 to the blogging community! The list of bloggers who have announced their candidacy for this fall’s admissions season is already close to 40 strong, and likely to grow as the deadlines approach. It’s great to see that there are so many applicants in this group, as these individuals will serve as a great source of information and moral support for each other throughout the application season.
And now, without further ado, here are the Class of 2009 Bloggers (along with a brief summary regarding location and professional industry – when . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 22, 2006, at 1:42 pm
We realize that the questions of whether to answer an optional essay and, if so, what to say are ones that loom large for many applicants at this time of year. While we’ve offered a great deal of school-specific essay advice over the past few months, we wanted to take some time to suggest a few considerations that applicants might want to take into account when making this call.
Is it relevant?
Perhaps this goes without saying, but the only information worth sharing in an optional essay is that which will make a material difference in your candidacy. Whether you wish to comment on an exciting leadership role you’ve just taken on or explain that you were overextended extracurricularly during that one bad . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 22, 2006, at 1:41 pm
Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business’s deadlines and essays for the coming season are now available. One point to note is that this program’s first deadline falls several weeks after those of most top MBA programs, making a round one application to this school a very viable option. Stay tuned to this blog for some commentary on Tepper’s essay topics.
Deadlines
Round One
Application Deadline: November 6, 2006
Decision Notification mailed: December 22, 2006
Round Two
Application Deadline: January 8, 2007
Decision Notification mailed: March 12, 2007
Round Three (last deadline for international applicants)
Application Deadline: March 19, 2007
Decision Notification mailed: April 30, 2007
Round Four*
Application Deadline: April 30, 2007
Decision Notification mailed: June 4, 2007
*Unlike many leading MBA programs, CMU continues to accept applications after its fourth round . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 21, 2006, at 1:41 pm
As promised last week, we wanted to share some thoughts on how one might approach Michigan’s essay questions for this season. The theme of directed and deliberate action with an eye to some particular goal runs through each of Ross’s required essays this year, something that might be telling of the program’s focus and the sort of student it is seeking. Here is some more specific advice on navigating this particular application:
Essay 1: We believe one of the keys to effective leadership is the ability to transform ideas into action. Describe a time within the last three years in which you exercised such leadership. What did you learn about your leadership strengths and development needs? (500 words maximum)
This question is . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 18, 2006, at 1:39 pm
Another week has passed us by, but at least we have seven days of great blogging to show for it! Though the weather is starting to cool down (here in Pennsylvania at least), the latest installment of FFF will attest that things are slowly heating up for students and applicants alike.
On the applicant front, Kent has narrowed down his school selection and is mentally preparing himself to ask his boss for a recommendation, whereas Anand‘s major concern seems to be finding time to visit campuses and schedule interviews within a busy work schedule. Whereas GuyMBA isn’t yet feeling the heat and is at a bit of a standstill with his GMAT preparation, Juggler proved . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 18, 2006, at 1:38 pm
The Graduate Management Admissions Council has just released the latest installment of its newsletter, with this edition focusing solely on highlights from June’s GMAC conference, an industry event attended by admissions officers of the leading MBA programs. As we mentioned at the time, Clear Admit’s Graham Richmond was invited to participate in a panel on admissions consultants, and we’re thrilled to see that the presentation has been listed as one of the high points of this three-day event!Though both sessions of the panel were well attended at the event itself, we hope that GMAC’s comprehensive recap will help even more admissions officers understand how reputable consultants work and where they fit into the process. Here’s . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 17, 2006, at 1:38 pm
We posted this year’s deadlines for the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill a while ago, and the MBA program’s essay questions recently came out as well. Stay tuned for a few comments and and tips on these inquiries in the coming days.
Essays for Fall 2007 Entry
The admissions committee looks forward to getting to know your potential and your background through your responses to the application questions.
Questions 1 and 2 are required of all applicants. Questions 3 and 4 are optional.
Essay One (Required)
Describe your career progression to date, highlighting leadership and management positions and reasons for changing jobs or career paths, if applicable. Tell us how your experience, coupled with an MBA degree . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 16, 2006, at 1:36 pm
Thursday, August 17th. 6:30 – 8:30 PM [138 West 25th St., NYC]
GMAT Preview and MBA Admissions Strategy Workshop
Tomorrow night, our friends at Manhattan GMAT will be offering a free workshop in their New York office that will cover GMAT test basics and include a Q&A session with Clear Admit’s Brett Haber, who willaddress attendees’ questions about the MBA admissions process and the role of the GMAT. This is the perfect workshop for applicants who are just embarking on the application process.
Come out to the workshop and learn the answers to the following questions:
-Do the top MBA programs use GMAT cutoffs in the application process?
-What happens if I cancel my GMAT score?
-How is the GMAT result used in conjunction with . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 16, 2006, at 1:36 pm
Though not yet officially available on the program’s website, the deadlines for Cornell’s full-time, two-year MBA program are as follows:
Round One
Application Deadline: October 9, 2006
Decision Notification: November 7, 2006
Round Two
Application Deadline: November 9, 2006
Decision Notification: December 18, 2006
Round Three
Application Deadline: January 9, 2007
Decision Notification: March 23, 2007
Round Four
Application Deadline: March 9, 2007
Decision Notification: April 27, 2007
The admissions committee has scaled the process back from five deadlines to four this year, eliminating a round in December. Applicants should note that the January round three deadline is the last for scholarship and financial aid eligibility, and that international applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 15, 2006, at 1:35 pm
As promised when we posted Fuqua’s essay questions last week, here are some thoughts and pointers for applicants preparing to tackle this particular program’s application.
Duke’s questions this year are fairly straightforward, covering common topics such as ethics and a past failure. It’s also important to note, however, that each of the program’s inquiries contains two or more questions, and that it will be important to explicitly address each in order to tailor these essays to Fuqua’s questions.
Short Essays
Essay 1: Please discuss your career path, your short and long-term goals.
Essay 2: Why are you interested in The Duke MBA program and how will it help you achieve your goals? If you are interested in the Health Sector Management concentration or a . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 14, 2006, at 1:33 pm
This year’s essay questions for application to the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business were released last week. We’ll follow up a bit later with our customary analysis, but in the meantime, here are this season’s inquiries: Ross Essay QuestionsRespond to the three required essay questions, typed on separate sheets. Please limit yourself to the number of words noted, using a minimum of 11 point font with 1.5 line spacing. Required QuestionsYou must answer all parts of the three questions below. 1. We believe one of the keys to effective leadership is the ability to transform ideas into action. Describe a time within the last three years in which you exercised such leadership. What did you learn about your leadership . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 11, 2006, at 1:31 pm
Welcome to this week’s edition of FFF! While last week was an exceptionally sleepy one, we’re glad to see that our blogger friends are back in action and documenting their MBA-related endeavors.
One very popular topic among incoming students this week has been housing; Paxti arrived in London rather early for flat-hunting at LBS, and Angel Angie is about to join the apartment search fray after a minor travel debacle. Meanwhile, Marina is slowly getting settled in NYC, DomoDomo enjoyed his final farewell party and is on his way to INSEAD, and Brownoski is counting down to his arrival in New Haven. Axechick has just finished up her . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 10, 2006, at 1:30 pm
BusinessWeek Online has just published an article on the youth movement in MBA admissions, interviewing admissions directors from leading schools like Wharton and Stanford and highlighting what would appear to be the latest trend: younger b-school students. According to the article, top MBA programs are increasingly considering candidates who apply directly from college/university or with 1-3 years of experience.
Needless to say, this trend often inspires heated debate. Some argue that expanding the applicant pool to include young or ‘early career’ applicants allows the schools to build a more diverse class while snatching up the true superstars earlier in the process. At the same time, current MBA students and professors often complain that younger students with limited work experience have . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 9, 2006, at 1:29 pm
Duke has published their essay topics for the coming admissions cycle. While the school’s deadlines were made available last month, many eager R1 applicants will be pleased to see that the topics are now available too. We’ll be back with our analysis in the near future, so be sure to stay tuned!
Duke / Fuqua Essays for Fall 2007 Entry
Two short essay answer questions and two long essays must be completed before submitting your application. Prepare your essays carefully. The Admissions Committee considers your responses to the following questions important in the selection process. Please respond fully and concisely using 1.5 line spacing.
For the short answer questions, please restrict your response to a single page each. For the long essay . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on August 8, 2006, at 1:28 pm
Following up on the GMAT registration and testing volume reported a few months ago, GMAC has released the results of a survey of business schools yesterday showing that a majority of full-time, part-time and executive programs enjoyed increased in application volume this past year.
The main point we took away from the latest announcement on GMAT volume was that international applicants account for the vast majority of the reported rise in demand, and this is confirmed by the survey, which reports that 75% of U.S. MBA programs saw an increase in applications from abroad this past admissions season. While relaxed visa restrictions in the States and increasing recognition of the MBA overseas might account for this . . . → Continue Reading
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Clear Admit’s Most Recent Posts
MBA Admissions Wiki In the Clear Admit Wiki, you can share your experiences through the application process and learn from those of others. Below are the five most popular pages in the wiki:
BW Business SchoolsThe BusinessWeek Discussion Boards are another way to learn about the issues applicants face. Clear Admit hosts the Ask Clear Admit thread, which should help answer your questions. Here are the five most recent discussions taking place in the forum:
Beat the GMATClear Admit is a featured expert in the BeatTheGMAT forums, answering questions from applicants across the globe. Feel free to ask us your questions in this forum! Here are the most recent posts:
GMAT ClubGMAT Club
Below are the five most recent posts to the GMAT Club message boards.
Wharton Student2StudentStudent2Student
The student-2-student Discussion Boards are managed by Wharton. Here are the five most recent discussions.
Studylink ForumsClear Admit manages the Applying section of the StudyLink MBA discussion boards.
School-Hosted BlogsStraight from the source: aggregated posts from students and administration. Below are the seven most recent posts in school-hosted blogs.
Individuals’ BlogsA selection of the latest updates to MBA blogs compiled by Hella.
MBA Applicants
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