Round One Recap

Yale SOM, INSEAD, and UCLA Anderson released their Round One decisions today, following a busy week of decisions from Harvard, Stanford, and Ross. Now that these schools have officially wrapped up Round One admissions, only decisions from MIT Sloan and UC-Berkeley’s Haas School remain outstanding. In light of this, we’d like to offer our congratulations to everyone who received good news from their target schools in Round One, our condolences to applicants whose news was less than they’d hoped for, and our support to those now hanging out on the waitlist at a favorite school.

Regardless of the situation you find yourself in, be sure to make use of our resources by checking out our recent advice on navigating the waitlist, our upcoming post on how to choose between mulitple offers of admission, and the detailed, comparative information on the leading MBA programs available in the Clear Admit School Guides.

Congratulations to everyone for surviving Round One admissions and best of luck as the wait begins on Round Two!

Share

Fridays from the Frontline

Welcome back to another edition of FFF! Let’s see what our applicant and student bloggers have been up to this week.

It’s been a big week for our Round 1 applicants as both Harvard and Stanford released their decisions. (Necromonger’s cartoon probably summed up the feelings of many nervous applicants.) Although MBA babe was in shock on Wednesday after good news from Harvard, most of our applicant bloggers were dealing with less exciting news. Iday and Juggler wrote to report dings at Harvard and anticipated – though unconfirmed – dings from Stanford. Despite not receiving an interview invitation, Scarecrow still checked on the status of his HBS app at noon, and StressTensor reported a “resounding ding!” from Stanford. In happier news, rungee582 received a WL decision from Harvard, and is in with scholarship money at Michigan. In other applicant happenings, Wanna Be Dictator was waitlisted at Babson this week, while Itobean buckled down to study GMAT sentence corrections and JatWarrior toured the windy city of Chicago.

Our student bloggers are in various stages of their returns to campus – some are still wrapping up winter break fun while others are already in the thick of things back at school. In Barcelona, Jacek hosted a mixed IESE and ESADE shindig on the first weekend back and may get his first quote in a Polish publication after speaking with visiting reporters. To the north, AngelAngie kicked off the summer intern recruiting season with a lot of early morning breakfast meetings at LBS, while Karlitos tried to figure out whether he’ll be doing NPVs or two-by-two matrices next summer. The Divine Miss N is back in London after a semester in NYC and is busy and loving it at LBS as she juggles classes, a housing search, a part-time job and full-time recruiting. LL is in the thick of the summer internship recruitment process at Wharton, completing several rounds of interviews with her top choice company and waiting to hear back from others (by the way, happy belated birthday, LL!).

At INSEAD, Hallonman realized why his favorite INSEAD blogger suddenly disappeared at the start of last year’s P3 classes, and at McCombs, Tim K. can ‘see things coming hot and heavy’ in the spring semester. Meanwhile, Nagendra is back with a bang at Oxford, providing an update on the total Oxford experience so far. Rubeo Boy also had a lot to catch readers up on, including a career trek to LA with Stern’s media group and move-in day at his new apartment. Marina made a similar cross-country career trek and is now back in NYC after the 10th Annual Columbia Business School Silicon Valley Trip. Finally, second-year Yale SOM student Jerry Blank declared that this is the semester to reclaim a personal life, after a year and a half devoted to professional development. We wish you luck, Jerry!

That’s all the news for this week! Check back next week for more updates and information from the MBA blogosphere.

Share

Hear Clear Admit's Advice at Economist.com

We thought that readers targeting business schools’ later deadlines for Fall 2007 entrance, as well as those just beginning to think about programs and the admissions process, might be interested in an article recently posted on The Economist’s website featuring a collection of interviews from the site’s Online MBA Fair held this fall.

In addition to remarks on school selection from Bill Ridgers of the Economist Intelligence Unit and comments about getting into a top program from MIT Sloan Director of MBA Admissions Rod Garcia, listeners can hear advice on putting together an effective application from Clear Admit’s own Graham Richmond.

Happy listening!

Share

Admissions Tip: Understanding Background Checks

Now that several schools have issued R1 admissions decisions, many of our readers have been asking about the background checks conducted by leading programs. Here are some quick facts to help explain the process:

1) What are background checks? Background checks involve the verification of information that a candidate has provided in his or her MBA applications. Although the process varies from school to school, it usually includes checking that an applicant attended the school that he or she claims to have attended, received the grades indicated and earned the GMAT score reported. It also involves the verification of the candidate’s employment history, job titles, starting and ending dates and salary/bonus information. Finally, some background checks involve contacting recommenders to verify their support and confirming applicant involvement in community activities.

2) Do all schools conduct background checks? When do they do this? How do they have time? Many of leading MBA programs like to verify the information that has been provided by applicants. This is typically done only for those applicants who are admitted, since there is no sense in expending resources to verify information for applicants who do not make the cut. Most background checking occurs in the spring – after decisions for most rounds have been released and students begin sending in their deposits. In many cases, the schools outsource this function to a professional risk consulting firm like Kroll.

3) Why bother with background checks? Don’t the schools trust me? The purpose of background checking is to protect all stakeholders of the MBA program (students, faculty, staff, alumni) from those who would falsify their backgrounds to gain an unfair advantage in the admissions process. Some schools opt to investigate the backgrounds of a relatively small sample of randomly selected admits, hoping that the mere possibility of a check will give applicants incentive to be as honest as possible. In a way, this measure therefore serves to increase the adcom’s trust in its applicants.

4) What about very minor discrepancies? It’s natural for admitted applicants to get anxious at this point in the process, wondering whether their offer of admission might be rescinded if, for instance, the ’start date’ for an old job is one week earlier than the start date that HR reports during the background check. The good news is that most schools report any discrepancies back to the applicant and give them a chance to explain a plausible mistake. Having said that, it of course makes sense to do your best to verify all of your information before applying to school, so that you can be certain that the data you report is accurate. Should any potential issues come to mind after submitting, you might consider preemptively contacting the adcom if the error is serious enough.

5) Won’t the background checking process alert my employer to the fact that I am applying to b-school? Since the process typically takes place long after you’ve been admitted, this ideally won’t be an issue (as most applicants give their employers ample notice and take some time off before school). Having said that, the schools still try to conduct the checks in a discrete fashion, consulting with your HR department to verify your dates of employment and salary – but not necessarily revealing that you are heading to business school.

6) How can I ensure a smooth background check? While the obvious answer is to be honest in your applications, it’s also important that you don’t fudge anything out of laziness (a common occurrence). Dig up those old W-2 forms or check with former employers in order to present the committee with the most accurate information you can.

For a bit more information on the different ways that various schools collect and consider this information, readers might also want to check out “Background Checks are Front and Center,” the Business Week article that came out on the topic a few weeks ago.

Share

HBS and Stanford D-Days

Today has been hotly anticipated by many; as those candidates who applied to HBS in October know all too well, Harvard released its final decisions to round one applicants at noon. We’d like to offer our congratulations to those who were admitted, and extend our condolences to those whose news was not as positive as they’d hoped.  Hopefully the release of remaining round one decisions and recently submitted round two applications will provide some other options for school this fall.

Speaking of which, tomorrow is a big one as well, with Stanford releasing decisions to the first round of MBA aspirants (though the buzz on the BW forums is that Derrick Bolton has been busy making calls to GSB admits today).  Congrats to those who have already heard favorably, and best of luck to everyone eagerly awaiting the news!

Share

Wiki Wednesdays: The LBS Interview

Welcome to this week’s edition of Wiki Wednesdays, highlighting new and noteworthy contributions to the Clear Admit Wiki.  Having just received a great new addition to our London Business School interview page, we thought we’d discuss that program’s process this week.

Different elements of the LBS interview process bear resemblance to those of several U.S. programs.  As is the case with HBS, for instance, the interviewer will have read through the applicants’ data forms, essays and resume, and may ask pointed questions about certain stories or prompt the interviewee to share examples not already covered in his or her interview materials.  Meanwhile, the LBS process is similar to Stanford’s in that the school relies exclusively on alumni to conduct these discussions.  Finally, London shares with Wharton the practice of inviting a relatively high percentage of the applicant pool to interview – last admissions season, the school interviewed 65% of applicants to the full-time MBA program.  Though an important component of the admissions process, the interview tends to carry about as much weight as other elements of one’s application (work experience, academics, essays, recommendations, etc.).

Of course, there are also aspects of the interview that are unique to London Business School.  It’s common for London Business School interviews to last from 1-2 hours – significantly longer an average than most other MBA programs.  Another unusual component is that, at the discretion of the interviewer, applicants are generally asked to prepare and deliver an extemporaneous presentation of about five minutes on a specific prompt or topic.

As for the more standard questions applicants might expect, let’s take a look at the info from our firsthand account:
- He walked me through his own resume first,then said ,now it is you turn, tell me about yourself. After my answer came the following questions:
- Would you prefer your old job or current? Why? (one is very quant based, the other one a brand management position)
- Tell me your improvement areas.(as many as you like)
- Why LBS? ( I said, general management+international business focus of the programme, student diversity, London advantage and reputation of the school)
- What would you do with and without an MBA in 5 years? (2 different scenarios)
- Why do you wanna join firm X or Y( I had mentioned them in my goals essay as companies I would like to work in upon graduation; it was easy to answer because I had solid reasons)
- How did you gain the respect of your team?( I am 4-5 years younger than my reports)
- Which other schools have you applied to?
- Then he talked about pros and cons (mostly pros) of LBS.

Thanks to this LBS applicant for recounting his experience for others, and to everyone else who has contributed to the wiki to date!  To help build this great applicant-generated resource, we hope that our readers will continue to share their own experiences interviewing, visiting campus and completing the application process, either by creating an account themselves or sending their content to wiki@clearadmit.com.

Share

MBA News: Studying in China

Following its successful 2006 partnership with the Anderson School at UCLA, China’s first private business school, the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, has announced that it will offer study modules in China to students from other U.S. and European business schools. Cheung Kong GSB sees the new program as a way for MBA students to learn more about Chinese culture and business while interacting with their peers from other MBA programs. For more on the program, visit the Cheung Kong GSB website, check out the recent Financial Times article, or read Anderson’s press release about the original partnership.

Share

Trivia Tuesday: Wharton's Lauder Institute

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday, a weekly look at the programs and resources that differentiate the leading business schools. This week we will explore Wharton’s Lauder Program, examining what it is, what completion of the program entails, and what kind of student should consider applying.

Upon completion of 24 months of study, Wharton/Lauder students receive a joint MBA/MA in International Studies. Lauder participants begin classes three months earlier than students in the traditional MBA program, completing one month of intensive language study and a two-month study abroad/in-country immersion program before beginning Wharton classes in September. Once MBA classes begin, Wharton/Lauder students lead an especially busy life, since they must complete Wharton’s full core curriculum and course requirements alongside the Lauder M.A.’s language, elective and thesis requirements.

To apply to the program, prospective students must complete two additional essay questions and demonstrate near-fluent language proficiency in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Russian, Portuguese or Spanish. Because of the language proficiency requirement, the Lauder program is only appropriate for students who have already developed strong foreign language competencies (although in some cases – with the Arabic and Portuguese tracks - the program is more flexible in terms of offering spaces to more novice speakers). Once enrolled, the curriculum is tailored to MBA students who seek to develop the capacity to conduct high-level business in another language, whether in the U.S. or abroad.

Though demanding, the Wharton/Lauder joint degree program is an excellent way for students to prepare for global business leadership, integrating language and in-country immersion into the MBA experience. For more information on the Wharton/Lauder joint degree program, be sure to visit the Lauder Institute website, read our recent blog update on the program, or check out the detailed application information in the Clear Admit School Guide to Wharton!

Share

MBA News: New Dean for Fuqua, Kofi Annan Fellows program announced

Duke University recently announced that Blair E. Sheppard will take over as dean of the Fuqua School of Business on July 1st. Sheppard will succeed Douglas Breeden, dean since 2001, who will return to Fuqua’s full-time faculty. Sheppard is the founder and current CEO of Duke CE, named the number one customizable business education program by the Financial Times. Through his work with Duke CE, Sheppard has developed strong partnerships with the London School of Economics and the Indian Institute of Mangement in Ahmedabad and says as dean he plans to strengthen links between these schools and Fuqua. For more on Blair Sheppard, Fuqua’s announcement, or Sheppard’s plans for his tenure, check out the official press release and coverage in BusinessWeek and the Financial Times.

In other news, United Nation’s Secretary General Kofi Annan announced late last week that the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in Belgium will be the first management school to work with the Kofi Annan Business School Foundation. The school will host up to 40 Kofi Annan Fellows, who are promising students or young professionals from underdeveloped or isolated areas of the world. The foundation will cover all tuition and fees, but students will be required to return to work in their native regions following graduation. While in school, Fellows will complete projects in their home countries with the goal of stimulating local entrepreneurship. If the three-year pilot program is successul, the model may be extended to other business schools in the EU and US. To read more about the Kofi Annan Fellows, check out a recent FT article or the press release from one of the partner schools.

Share

Fridays from the Frontline

Welcome to another installment of FFF! With schools still wrapping up with round one decisions and applicants working toward round two deadlines, this week has seen the spectrum of the application experience. Some have just submitted their materials – inblue shares her relief after getting Wharton out of her hands while AsianGal, after finalizing her essays, comments that her recommenders found Columbia’s questions challenging and reflects on her application experience in general. B-School Diva joins the application celebration now that she’s finished up with UNC, Texas and Michigan, while Anand is looking to add more schools to his list!

A bit farther down the road, Rohit relates his ISB interview experience and has received an invitation from Simon as well. As for the fall applicants, many are updating readers as they learn of their decisions. Though set with Tuck, Jatwarrior was surprised to receive a ding from Yale, and Forrest puzzles over a second Kellogg WL decision. Less baffled but expecting the opposite, TJ was admitted to Kellogg but rejected by Chicago, while others like Suser McLoser and Iday were less lucky with Northwestern. Finally and on a happier note, Juggler has moved on to filling out paperwork, completing her scholarship applications and researching Philadelphia housing after her Wharton acceptance.

With the winter break drawing to a close on most b-school campuses our student bloggers are busy recapping their time away and considering what awaits them in the coming term – and many have included pictures! From Stanford GSB’s unofficial trip to China, Ash posted pictures this week with a promise of more to come, while Stanford classmate Mbwana is back from Tanzania and reflecting on new entrepreneurial plans. At INSEAD, Auris is sharing stories and pictures from a year of trips throughout South East Asia, and Hallonman is busy meeting the Fonty students who just arrived in Singapore for INSEAD’s P3 term.

The term is well under way on some campuses, with Fromcali already starting Winter A classes at Ross, Southpaw starting his internship search in earnest at McCombs, and MBAyisyen dusting off and trying again for a summer internship at IESE. Meanwhile, IESE classmate Gandaki is studying for the DIEN exam in the hopes of being able to enroll in Spanish language MBA classes in the coming term. Finally, LL is back at Wharton a week early to participate in the Wharton Follies Boot Camp. She warns us that with Follies about to take over her life we may see less frequent posts, but softens the news with pictures from the holidays.

That’s all for this week! Good luck to all the applicants waiting to hear from schools and to the students as they head back to campus.  Have a great weekend everyone! 

Share

Part-time and Executive MBA Programs

If time and tuition have deterred you from the commitment to a full-time MBA program, you may want to consider a part-time MBA program. Part-time MBA programs usually last two to three years and allow students to keep their jobs while attending classes in the evenings or on weekends. Through these programs, students can immediately apply classroom lessons to their own careers and minimize debt by maintaining their income and/or obtaining tuition reimbursements from their employer.

Applicants with extensive work experience (a minimum of five years) and company sponsorship may find an Executive MBA program to be the best fit for their situation. The programs provide a solid framework in general management and prepare candidates for long-term senior level growth. EMBA classes usually take place on weekends, though some programs may require students to take 1-2 weeks of time off from work each year to attend intensive class sessions.

If you feel you need more skills to progress in your career but aren’t able to attend a full-time MBA program, be sure take a look at the part-time and EMBA program deadlines below and to check out the schools’ websites for further details.

PART-TIME MBA PROGRAM DEADLINES:

Babson College / Olin
Evening Program: July 15, 2007
Fast Track: August 1, 2007

Berkeley / Haas
Evening & Weekend: March 1, 2007

UCLA Anderson
FEMBA: April 1, 2007 

Carnegie Melon University / Tepper
Flex-Time MBA: March 19, 2007, April 30, 2007, or rolling after April 30th
Flex-Mode MBA: March 19, 2007, April 30, 2007, or rolling after April 30th

Chicago GSB
Weekend Program: June 9, 2007
Evening Program: July 13, 2007

DePaul University / Kellstadt
Weekend MBA (September Entry): July 1, 2007
Evening MBA Program (Spring Entry): February 1, 2007
Evening MBA Program (Summer Entry): April 1, 2007
Evening MBA Program (Autumn Entry): July 1, 2007
Evening MBA Program (Winter Entry): October 1, 2007

NYU / Stern
Langone Part-Time: May 15, 2007

Northwestern / Kellogg
Part-Time MBA: April 20, 2007 (summer quarter), July 20, 2007 (fall quarter)

University of Minnesota / Carlson
Part-Time MBA: May 1, 2007 (fall semester)
Part-Time MBA: October 1, 2007 (spring semester)

University of Southern California / Marshall
MBA.PM: rolling until May 1, 2007

EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM DEADLINES:

Berkeley / Haas
Executive MBA (Berkeley-Columbia): February 6, 2007

UCLA Anderson
Executive MBA: April 1, 2007

Chicago GSB
Executive MBA: February 1, 2007 or April 1, 2007

Columbia Business School
NY-EMBA: June 1, 2007 (September entry)
NY-EMBA: October 1, 2007 (January 2008 entry)
EMBA-Global: February 12, 2007 (May 2007 entry)
Berkeley-Columbia: February 6, 2007 (May 2007 entry)

Duke / Fuqua
Global Executive: February 15, 2007 (May 2007 entry)
Cross Continent: March 15, 2007 (July 2007 entry)
Weekend Executive: deadline not yet announced (was May 15 last year)

University of Michigan / Ross
EMBA: February 1, 2007, March 15, 2007, or May 1, 2007 (August entry)
EMBA: June 1, 2007, July 15, 2007, Sept. 1, 2007, Oct. 1, 2007, or Nov. 1, 2007 (Jan. 2008 entry)

NYU / Stern
EMBA: Rolling admission until the program’s start in August 2007

UNC / Kenan-Flagler
EMBA Evening: Jan. 22, 2007, March 12, 2007, April 20, 2007 or April 30, 2007 (August entry)
EMBA Weekend: April 9, 2007, July 16, 2007, or Sept. 24, 2007 (Jan. 2008 entry)
OneMBA Program: January 29, 2007, April 2, 2007, or June 11, 2007 (Sept. entry)

Northwestern / Kellogg
Executive MBA: March 1, April 1, May 1, June 1 2007 (September start)

Wharton
WEMBA: February 1, 2007 (for Philadelphia or San Francisco location)

Share

Wiki Wednesdays: The Tuck Interview

Welcome to another addition of Wiki Wednesdays, where we highlight new and noteworthy contributions to the Clear Admit Wiki, an aggregation of applicant-generated content about and insight into the MBA admissions process. In light of Tuck’s recently extended January Round interview deadline, we expect that a number of applicants will be making the trip to Hanover in the coming weeks, and thought we would focus this week’s comments on that program’s interview process.

Tuck’s admissions office offers a holistic visit experience, offering applicants a chance to tour campus, sit in on a class, eat lunch with a student host and interview with an adcom member or second-year student. As readers will see when perusing the Tuck Interview Report page, enthusiasm and friendliness are two common themes; wiki contributors report feeling at ease with their interviewers and welcomed by the students. The school’s interviews are resume-based, so candidates can expect questions about their career choices and professional roles in addition to inquiries about their goals and interest in the school. Based on questions like “Go over your resume and talk about team experience you have,” “Did you have experience dealing with a tough/uncooperative team member?” and “How did you motivate people?,” one wiki contributor commented:

“I feel like Tuck emphasized a lot of team work but did not ask any leadership stories. So I told a team work story of my outdoor activity. Basically, I gave out four team work stories, cannot imagine I had that many in my mind. I think the interviewer did a good job relaxing me because I felt pretty good going over those stories.”

While it does feature a distinctively collaborative culture, one element that truly sets Tuck apart from other leading MBA programs is its remote New England setting. While students generally report that this is the perfect environment for outdoor recreation and focused academics, the rural location can pose a challenge to the significant others, spouses and families of students. One wiki contributor gathered this from a conversation with students:

“Talked with first year students during lunch … Seems the only issue is how to balance the lives of family members. Not many places to go and far from other cities. Especially the location in the mountains which makes it difficult to drive in the foggy winter season.”

The adcom is aware that this factor could have an impact on a student’s overall experience; our other wiki reporter shares this interview question:

“He asked me if I am okay with the cruel Tuck winter and the snow. He also asked me if the rural setting was okay for me and my wife?”

Though the element of setting is a particular concern at Tuck, these comments from applicants show the importance of speaking with students to get a feel for the program and campus culture, as well as the ability to speak to the most prominent aspects of a school during the interview. Preparation is important, and applicants with upcoming interviews are welcome to contact us at info@clearadmit.com for more information on our in-depth School Guides, general and school-specific interview guides, and mock interview services. Meanwhile, we hope that those who have already been through the process will share their experiences (by adding content themselves or emailing wiki@clearadmit.com) to build this valuable resource.

Share

Trivia Tuesday: MIT Sloan's Independent Activities Period

Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday, where we examine differences in the programs, resources, and opportunities offered by the leading business schools.

While other MBA students are home resting up for the second half of the school year, students at MIT Sloan are using the winter break to explore new topics and make new connections on campus.

Every winter break at MIT, students, faculty, staff and alumni across the Institute are able to use the special four-week January term to organize or participate in a wide range of activities. Included as part of tuition, the Independent Activities Period, or IAP, offerings typically include how-to sessions, lectures, tours, recitals, athletic events, forums and films. Since members of the MIT community are responsible for proposing and organizing IAP events, the available activities change depending on the interests of the MIT campus at large.

Because the IAP is open to all members of the MIT community, the month-long session gives Sloan students an opportunity to form connections with students and faculty outside of the business school. This kind of extended opportunity for campus-wide interaction is unique to MIT Sloan among the leading business schools. These connections may help create many of the business/science partnerships that underlie MIT Sloan’s reputation as a center for the commercialization of new technologies.

For more information on the options MBA students have during the January break, be sure to visit the schools’ websites or check out the special programs featured in the Clear Admit School Guides!

Share

MBA News: Roadtrips, Background Checks, Yale SOM and the MBA Value Proposition

Current students still on winter break and looking for something to do might enjoy BusinessWeek‘s recent article on road trips for business school students. In addition to the tips on planning a successful (and inexpensive) roadtrip, the magazine also offers a slideshow of twelve cool destinations that have some relationship to business, as well as a roadtrip playlist of songs about money. It’s a ready-made package to get you on the road and on your way!

However, since readers still finishing up round two applications probably won’t be able to take a roadtrip anytime soon, we also suggest BW‘s recent article on the use of background checks in MBA admissions. The story details the background check policies of several leading MBA programs, as well as the increasing use of outside companies to conduct these checks. The overriding lesson: tell the truth on your application or risk putting your admission in jeopardy (see our admissions tip on background checks for more on this subject). Applicants may also appreciate this week’s Q&A with Yale SOM Admissions Director Bruce DelMonico. Although a subscription is required to view the full article, all readers can view the beginning of DelMonico’s discussion, which includes his thoughts on application volume this year and the overall availability of seats in the class given the high number of deferrals last year.

Finally, anyone still debating the value of an MBA may want to check out the Forte Foundation‘s new podcast, Forte Forum: The MBA Value Proposition. Geared towards women considering an MBA, the podcast nonetheless provides good information for all potential applicants. The second podcast in the series was just released and features Jacquelyn Cuccaro, CEO of Vincent Longo Cosmetics and a Tepper MBA, plus several recent grads of Chicago GSB and HBS discussing how to prepare for an MBA program, how to make the most out of the experience, and the paths they took in their post-MBA careers.

Share