Posted by Clear Admit on March 16, 2007, at 3:32 pm
Posted in:  MBA News There was an interesting article on Bloomberg.com earlier this week about the companies recruiting on business school campuses and the prices they’re willing to pay to secure top talent. While the main point of the feature is that MBAs remain in demand, with the average starting package of graduates from the top programs hovering between $160,000 and $180,000, the article also offers a perspective on the sometimes overwhelming experience of being pursued by a potential employer:
“Wall Street recruiters can be as aggressive as professional football players, says Chris Eitzmann, who will receive his master of business administration degree in May from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business.
‘Once given the offer, you are getting anywhere from two or three to four phone calls a day,’ said Eitzmann, 29, who graduated in 2000 from Harvard College and spent three years in the National Football League. ‘They want to know if they can talk to your wife. Can they have their wife talk to your wife?’”
This is an interesting read for current students, who will likely enjoy the good news about their future prospects, as well as for applicants trying to understand this element of the business school experience. The full text is available here.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 16, 2007, at 8:57 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline Welcome back to Fridays From the Frontline, Clear Admit’s round-up of recent happenings in the MBA blogosphere! It’s been an exciting week out there for MBA bloggers: we see everything from good news to bad, true love to hard drive disasters. Let’s take a closer look!
Applicants’ emotions are running high as more and more of them are hearing back from schools. There are many congratulations to go around this week: Chicago admitted Iday, HairTwirler was accepted at Cambridge, and AGirlsMBA received good news from Fuqua, Ross and Stern! Equally impressive was Bschool Diva’s resolution to get herself off McCombs’ waitlist and into the Class of 2009, and we wish her the best of luck. Finally, RusGirl was pleased to find out she’s been assigned fellow blogger Genie as her LBS mentor for next year.
Applicants who are still waiting for results and need something to do in the meantime might check out TJ’s impressive to-do list for suggestions. Meanwhile, Stress Tensor is focusing on the other March Madness, and Reveur is contemplating the meaning of success and leadership. There was also plenty of talk about Georgetown’s erroneous waitlist email last week; MBA Salsera and Patxi both weighed in on it (as did we).
Student bloggers are having a productive spring, too, it seems. Zanat0s, blogging from INSEAD, celebrated his ten thousandth reader this week, while UCLADawg helped out at Anderson’s Admitted Students Weekend. The Divine Miss N checks in with some comments on the classes she’s enjoying this term at LBS. At IESE, Jacek is keeping very busy with academics, despite serious computer problems, while Ashwyn blogged about the busy social scene there. Applicants who are getting ready to make final school decisions might want to check in with Ed Starr, who is living it up in London, and Nate, who offers a cautionary note about the burrito situation in Ann Arbor.
Last but not least, a big “congrats” goes to MBA Cutie on her engagement! With warmer weather just around the corner, maybe love is in the air – not to mention internship offers and acceptance notices! Have a great weekend everyone, and we’ll see you back here next week for another Fridays From the Frontline.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 15, 2007, at 1:06 pm
Posted in: Essay Topic Analysis , School: INSEAD Continuing our series of essay analyses for European schools with upcoming deadlines, we wanted to feature our thoughts in INSEAD’s topics for this year. The approaching March 28th submission date is the last deadline for September 2007 intake, and the first for applicants hoping to start in January 2008.
The program’s essay questions cover a good deal of ground, giving candidates ample opportunity to discuss a range of topics related to their candidacies and highlight various elements of their interests and experiences. Though the first two “job essays” ask for a factual account of one’s current position and overall professional progression, the five other essays invite the sort of reflection and exposition to which MBA applicants are accustomed.
Of course, this poses a challenge as well. INSEAD’s total of seven essays puts it at the high end of the MBA application spectrum in terms of questions posed. As always, careful forethought and planning before beginning to write will be important in ensuring that one is using each essay to one’s best advantage and presenting a balanced picture of a well-rounded individual.
Job Essays
Essay 1: Please give a detailed description of your job, including nature of work, major responsibilities; and, where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, number of clients/products and results achieved. (250 words)
While the essays for most programs begin by addressing the overall progression of the applicant’s career up to this point, INSEAD’s first question requests a snapshot of one’s career at this moment. Even if you have held a number of positions within the same organization, it’s best to maintain focus on your current position and responsibilities. Keeping in mind that this will be the adcom’s introduction to your materials, you might also provide the context necessary for the reader to understand your place within the organizational structure and the work that occupies your days. While there is some room to talk about “results achieved,” there’s no need to get bogged down in the specifics of certain projects or engagements – a good essay will be composed of fairly general comments that are focused on the present. It is fine to incorporate some more specific information about your career’s “greatest hits” later in response to other questions.
Essay 2: Please give us a full description of your career since graduating from university. If you were to remain with your present employer, what would be your next step in terms of position? (250 words)
This is a tall order for a 250 word essay, so brevity and efficient use of language will be key here. The adcom is looking for an applicant who can present her career as a coherent whole, and demonstrate that she has been on an upward trajectory since the outset. While it would be ideal for you to include some comments on lessons learned and skills gained over the course of your career, the primary focus should be touching upon each full time post you’ve held, explaining the reasons behind each move you’ve made and commenting on increases and changes in responsibility.
General Essays
Essay 1: Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (400 words approx.)
When addressing this sort of essay, it’s important to address the question in full, but also in one’s interest to focus as much as possible on the positive. With this in mind, you might lead off with two or three positive qualites (grounded in specific illustrative examples) and then comment on one or two weaknesses – ideally ones that you’ve already taken steps to address. INSEAD’s framework gives applicants free reign to select personal, professional or extracurricular examples, so try to select your examples with an eye to presenting a balanced picture of your interests and experiences.
Essay 2: Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date, explaining why you view them as such. (400 words approx.)
This is another fairly straightforward question. Though it’s important to reflect and respond candidly with those achievements that have truly been the most meaningful to you, keep in mind that, given the interests and priorities of the adcom in evaluating one’s business school candidacy, it would be beneficial to feature at least one accomplishment from the professional realm. As always, it will be important to ground your comments in specific details and fully explain why these achievements were significant, both in terms of the results you produced and the lessons you learned.
Essay 3: Describe a situation taken from school, business, civil or military life, where you did not meet your personal objectives, and discuss briefly the effect. (250 words approx.)
This essay has a particularly restrictive word limit, making it all the more important for applicants to summarize and explain the failure as concisely as possible. Keep in mind that the reason a school asks this question is to discern whether a student is able to learn from experience and avoid repeating past mistakes. Ending the essay on a more positive note is always a good idea, but at the very least, a comment on what went wrong and how this might have been prevented is crucial.
Essay 4: Discuss your career goals. What skills do you expect to gain from studying at INSEAD and how will they contribute to your professional career. (500 words approx.)
This is the standard career goals essay, with an interesting focus on skills as they relate to INSEAD classes and future goals. The phrasing of this question might indicate that the school is looking for applicants who have really thought through the limitations they face given their current skill sets, and have a clear sense of what they need to learn (and how they will do so through an MBA) in order to be successful in a very specific career path. This just goes to underscore the fact that well-defined goals and school-specific detail are essential to a successful application.
Essay 5: Please choose one of the following two essay topics:
a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What did it mean to you? (250 words approx.)
b) What would you say to a foreigner moving to your home country? (250 words approx.)
This sort of question is designed to gauge applicant’s cultural sensitivity and ability to conduct business in an international setting. It will come as no surprise to applicants who are familiar with INSEAD’s reputation as a highly international program. The first option asks applicants to recount a trying experience in another country or environment, and to explain the resulting personal growth and process of adjustment. Meanwhile, the second asks candidates to reflect on the unique characteristics of his or her own culture and anticipate the issues that a visitor might encounter. In both responses, one has an opportunity to demonstrate cultural flexibility, offering evidence for his or her ability to operate as a global citizen and work in diverse teams. Of course, many of the best essays will manage to incorporate a healthy dose of lessons learned, indicating that cultural adjustment can be fraught with trial and error rather than sugar-coating a response and failing to outline the struggles or periods of adjustment.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 15, 2007, at 7:00 am
Posted in: General The signs of spring are about here in Philadelphia, a time of year for exciting things like mild weather, baseball season and, of course, our annual Best of Blogging Awards! For the uninitiated, each year we make an effort to identify exceptional blogs maintained by MBA applicants and students for two important purposes: to recognize the effort and output of the best applicant and student bloggers, and to identify valuable sources of information for the next round of applicants.
Here’s the timeline for this year’s awards, focusing on the 2006-07 admissions/academic cycle:
Nominees Announced – Friday, April 6th
We’ll begin by considering all blogs listed in the Clear Admit Wiki and featured in Fridays from the Frontline (bloggers are encouraged to email wiki@clearadmit.com about adding a link if their sites are not currently included). Using the criteria of relevance and frequency of posts, as well as overall quality of posting and contribution to the space, we’ll pare the list of nominees down to 25 applicants and 25 current students. Once we’ve determined the blogs for consideration, we’ll be sending out BoB ballots to each of the nominated bloggers.
Ballots Due – Friday, April 20th
Using the nominees’ input and that of a handful of celebrity judges, we’ll compile the list of this year’s very best applicant and student blogs, giving 50% weighting to bloggers’ votes, 25% to Clear Admit staff and 25% to our guest judges. In addition to an overall ranking, we’ll ask voters to share their thoughts on the funniest blog and best single post, and to point us to the blogs that they feel feature the best advice in categories such as GMAT preparation, school selection, application essays, admissions and recruiting interviews, as well as the best representation of academics and student life in business school.
Rankings Revealed – Tuesday, April 24th
Once the votes have been tallied, we’ll publish the category winners as well as the top ten listings in the applicant and student categories. As was the case last year, we’ll be handing out six prizes to reward the best of the best for their effort and contribution to the community. The second and third place bloggers in the student-blogger top 10 and applicant-blogger top 10 rankings will receive a one year subscription to Business Week or The Economist (their choice), and the two top-ranked bloggers (one student, one applicant) will be given the option of a 30GB Video iPod or a $250 Amazon.com gift certificate.
That’s all for now – check back on Friday, April 6th for an announcement about this year’s BoB nominees! In the meantime, happy blogging…
Posted by Clear Admit on March 14, 2007, at 2:00 am
Posted in: General , School: Harvard , School: MIT / Sloan , Wiki Wednesdays Welcome back to Wiki Wednesdays, where we feature some of the latest contributions to the Clear Admit Wiki! As we approach the end of interview season, we’re still receiving some great interview reports from applicants. In fact, over the last few days we’ve received submissions on interviews at no less than seven schools!
This week, we’d like to highlight a few “curveball” questions that applicants to HBS and Sloan reported this week, and that are actually quite common across the board. A curveball question is one that appears to be straightforward on the surface, but often becomes challenging when one attempts a response. The first is the much-dreaded question about the other schools the applicant is considering. One Sloan applicant reported an even more explicit version of this question:
“What other schools are you applying to, and how does MIT rank against those schools?”
While it’s best to avoid bringing up other schools during an admissions interview (to keep the focus on the merits of the school in question), when cornered into this position, it’s easiest to be candid. A safe approach is to name a few of your target schools, matching specific elements of one’s profile and goals with these other schools’ distinctive strengths to explain the reasoning behind your application.
Of course, the applicant should always conclude by discussing the school for which he or she is interviewing, offering a handful of compelling reasons why this program is best suited to their goals and criteria. Reasons like location, degree of curriculum flexibility, or style of teaching (i.e. case study method at HBS, hands-on approach at Ross, etc.) are all good options – depending the applicant’s stated strengths and goals. In addition to the academic and extracurricular fit, it’s also fine to introduce personal elements. For instance, an interviewer at Columbia would take note of an applicant whose spouse is already working in New York City, etc.
The second “curveball” this week came at the end of HBS and Sloan interviews:
“Are there any other questions you wish I had asked you?”
This question can be tough because, presumably, the interviewer has already collected the information in which he or she was most interested. That being said, applicants can think of this as an opportunity to assess what has been covered in the interview and work in any other key elements that he or she had hoped to promote to the admissions committee. This may involve some quick thinking, but many applicants are sucessfully able to describe a recent professional accomplishment (like taking on a new responsibility at work since submitting the application), or bring up a hobby or extracurricular interest that wasn’t covered in the interview – preferably one that ties in with opportunities on campus or in the community.
Lastly, in the face of a difficult question, it’s perfectly acceptable to take a moment or two to collect your thoughts and compose a thoughtful and concise answer. In fact, this is always more effective than blurting out the first thing that comes to mind or stumbling around with filler words like “uh”, “um”, “er”, etc.
That’s it for this week’s Wiki Wednesdays. Thanks again to all who contributed, and best of luck to those still preparing for upcoming MBA interviews!
Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday, our weekly examination of the offerings and opportunities at the leading business schools.
Today we turn our attention to options for studying health care in business school, with a particular emphasis on Wharton’s Health Care Systems Major, one of the oldest and strongest health care programs among U.S. business schools. Drawing its faculty from the business, medical and nursing schools, as well as from practicing health care professionals, the Health Care Systems major is an interdisciplinary approach to the issues in the field.
The Health Care Systems major differs from other majors at Wharton in that students must choose the major in their initial application to the school instead of in their second year. Health Care Systems further differs in that it aggressively integrates professional development and field work into the major.
For instance, all Health Care majors are required to complete a Field Application Project (FAP). In the FAP, teams of students spend a semester working with an industry partner to solve real world problems in the health care field. Given the amount of time these projects can take, students must work carefully to balance classes around the demands of their projects.
Despite the prominence of Wharton’s health care major, it is far from the only option for MBA applicants seeking a career in health care. For instance, Columbia recently unveiled a new Health Care and Pharmaceutical Management major, Kellogg offers a major in Health Industry Management, Duke offers a Health Sector Management program, and HBS hosts the Healthcare Initiative. Those business schools that do not offer formal health care concentrations tend to have a student club and/or a student-organized conference dedicated to supporting interest in the field, so regardless of the program, health care minded applicants should find plenty of resources.
For more on health care options, majors, student clubs or conferences, be sure to check out business schools’ websites and the Clear Admit School Guides!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 12, 2007, at 1:54 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Harvard , School: MIT / Sloan The winners of the first annual the New England Energy Innovation Collaborative (NEEIC) $150K Business Creation Competition were announced today at MIT’s Energy Conference. The competition challenged New England-based ventures to develop proprietary, innovative energy technology or an innovative services business model. An original field of 41 companies was narrowed down to four finalists, most of which drew on students and faculty of MIT Sloan and Harvard Business School.
The winning company, StarSolar, developed patented technology that significantly increases the efficiency of solar cells, thereby driving down the cost of these cells. Other finalists include an MIT/HBS collaboration called C3 BioEnergy, which processes sugar into propane; an MIT/MIT Sloan venture that produces organic light emitting devices; and a company run by MIT, MIT Sloan and HBS students that seeks to be the first true solar electric utility company.
For more information on the competition, prizes, and finalists’ innovations, be sure to read the full press release!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 12, 2007, at 3:14 am
Posted in: Campus Chronicles , School: Chicago , School: Harvard , School: NYU Stern With the mid-semester squarely upon us, some student newspapers keep chugging, while others seem to have run out of steam. It takes a dedicated staff of students to put out a newspaper and the work they do is read by students, professors and prospective students across campus and around the world. For applicants thinking about how they can contribute to their target schools, remember to consider clubs like the newspaper that go beyond single professional or social interests. Whether your interest is in photography, news reporting, editorials or humor pieces, the campus paper is a great way to make a visible impact on the MBA community.
With that said, let’s take a look at what’s being reported from campus this week!
At Chicago, the recent Chibus features a list of 10 Random Thoughts With Three Months to Go, a piece by turns cynical and optimistic by a soon-to-graduate second-year student. Further into the issue, another second-year student offers solid advice to students “stuck in ding central” and hoping to land a full-time consulting offer. Students with an interest in entrepreneurship should be sure to check out the article announcing the start of the New Venture Challenge competition, which also features a review of one of last year’s winning ventures, Grubhub.com. On a more artistic note, one student offers her commentary on some of the artwork currently on display around campus and wonders whether art has more to do with business than most people think.
At Stern this week, spring break is in the air and students are celebrating its arrival in the pages of the Stern Opportunity. One student offers advice to both first- and second-year MBAs on what to do over break – as well as what not to think about while off campus. Elsewhere in the paper, several students seems ready for a break, at least based on their (humorous) articles about a lack of study space and whether b-school or a light bulb will end earlier. In campus news, Stern teams have found success competing in both academic and athletic inter-school events. Stern took first place in the MBA Real Estate Development Case Competition hosted by UNC Kenan-Flagler, second in NYU’s All-University Games, and third place in the Venture Capital Investment Competition. Congratulations to all the teams!
Finally, at Harvard, the employment ads posted by the Harbus show just how much work goes into producing a high-quality student paper. In campus news, conference season continues unabated at Harvard, and the paper features reviews of the 9th Annual Africa Business Conference as well as the Annual African-American Students Union (AASU) Conference. For students who may be thinking more about spring break than about case-preparation, one Harbus writer offers a cut-and-paste guide to almost any cold-call situation (though does suggest that it might be easier to just read the cases).
That’s the campus news for this week. Check back in the coming weeks for more rants, reviews and recaps from MBA student papers!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 9, 2007, at 11:48 am
Posted in: MBA News , Rankings , School: Berkeley / Haas , School: Cornell / Johnson , School: Emory / Goizueta , School: Michigan / Ross , School: MIT / Sloan , School: NYU Stern , School: Penn / Wharton , School: UNC / Kenan Flagler , School: UT Austin / McCombs , School: Virginia / Darden BusinessWeek‘s second annual Undergraduate Business Programs Rankings came out last night and while many of the schools on the list are familiar names, there are several schools new to the top 50 and some significant shifts within the top 20.
Wharton and the University of Virginia’s McIntire School held on to the number one and two spots, respectively, but the number three spot saw some dramatic shifting – UC-Berkeley’s Haas School skyrocketed from number 12 to number 3 in just a year. BusinessWeek‘s article explaining the rankings says that the key to Berkeley’s rise was a significant increase in recruiter satisfaction – last year the school ranked 41st in this category and this year their rating jumped to number one.
BusinessWeek‘s top 20:
1 University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
2 University of Virginia (McIntire)
3 UC Berkeley (Haas)
4 Emory University (Goizueta)
5 University of Michigan (Ross)
6 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
7 Notre Dame (Mendoza)
8 Brigham Young University (Marriott)
9 New York University (Stern)
10 Cornell University
11 Georgetown University (McDonough)
12 Villanova University
13 University of Texas at Austin (McCombs)
14 Boston College (Carroll)
15 UNC at Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)
16 Washington University (Olin)
17 Wake Forest University (Calloway)
18 Indiana University (Kelley)
19 USC (Marshall)
20 Lehigh University
Since many business schools offer graduate or undergraduate programs, but not both, followers of the MBA rankings may not immediately recognize all of the schools in the top 20. However, with the nation’s top firms recruiting heavily from the leading schools, the bright young graduates of these programs are likely to be the future colleagues and team members of MBA grads.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 9, 2007, at 3:00 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline , School: Chicago , School: INSEAD , School: London Business School , School: Michigan / Ross , School: MIT / Sloan , School: Northwestern / Kellogg , School: Penn / Wharton , School: Stanford , School: UCLA / Anderson , School: Yale Welcome back to Fridays From the Frontline, where we take a look at recent additions to the MBA blogosphere. Let’s see what’s new with applicant and student bloggers this week.
Checking in with applicants, we find the majority are still playing the waiting game. Many readers can probably relate to Hairtwirler’s post about receiving unsolicited advice from friends and family. Others will connect with MBA_salsera, who achieved a calmer perspective after weeks of anxious waiting. Things are looking up for Juggler, too, who had some good news about Wharton financial aid this week. JatWarrior has only just submitted his financial aid applications, in the meantime doing some great work for a tax preparation non-profit.
Taking a look at current students’ blogs, we see the typical March mix of internship/job hunting jitters in combination with happier Spring Break getaways. First year student Ash talks about the madness of On Campus Recruiting at Stanford, and Zanat0s laments the lack of support provided by INSEAD and his former employer. On a more positive note, UCLADawg took advantage of Anderson’s resources and this week he secured a finance internship in New York!!
There are several more relaxed postings from bloggers on vacation this week. Nate Johnson posted en route from Hawaii to Ross, Hallonman checked in as he returned to INSEAD from China, and Karlitos reported a fun weekend in Barcelona with the LBS Spanish Club.
In addition to all the ‘real world’ distractions, a few bloggers actually posted about academics this week! FromCali began her MAP project at Ross last week, while Chicago student Rupin Thomas attended Kellogg’s Indian Business Conference. At LBS, the cultural differences in investor psychology are on first year student Angel Angie’s mind; meanwhile second year student DivineMissN offered some thoughtful discussion about creative marketing. Tom weighed in on two excellent lectures at Sloan, one from the CEO of Southwest Airlines, and the other from the Co-Founder of Visionary Vehicles. Last but not least, “senioritis” seems imminent for Jerry at Yale – as we proceed into the spring, expect to see a lot more second year students looking towards graduation and beyond!
That should do it for this week’s Fridays From the Frontline. Be sure to check back next week, when we’ll offer more notes on the trials and tribulations of MBA bloggers! Have a great weekend, and safe travels to all those taking off for Spring Break!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 8, 2007, at 3:48 pm
Posted in: MBA News It’s been a tough day for the admissions office at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. This morning, an email notification of a waitlist decision went out to the entire applicant database – including those candidates who already received final admit or deny decisions earlier in the year. The school quickly realized the error and is working to contact all of the applicants affected by the situation. Below is the text from a follow-up email sent to students whose final decisions are still pending:
“Due to a technical error in our Apply Yourself online application system, you may have erroneously received an e-mail waitlisting you for the program. This was an error, and we sincerely apologize. Your admission decision will be forthcoming shortly. We appreciate your understanding.”
Although the day’s events created a rollercoaster of emotion for some Georgetown R2 applicants, a few candidates praised the school’s handling of the error, saying that despite being inundated with calls and emails from frantic applicants, the admissions office is taking the time to respond individually to each contact and has been profusely apologetic for the confusion.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 8, 2007, at 2:30 am
Posted in: Admissions Tips , Interview Tips , Waitlist Advice We have previously posted some correspondence tips to those applicants who have been waitlisted by schools that welcome supplemental materials and communication. Today, we’d like to provide some advice to those who are in an arguably more difficult position: waitlisted by schools that discourage further contact with the adcom.
This may sound obvious, but if a school indicates that they do not want supplemental materials, then you should respect their guidelines. In other words, do not send along a new recommendation or an essay if the program has clearly indicated that you should not do so. There may be exceptions to this – for example, if a dramatic change has taken place in your candidacy – but in most cases, you should simply follow the rules.
While at first it seems as though this leaves little option for waitlisted applicants other than sitting and waiting for a more definitive decision, one of the best things an individual in this position can do is just the opposite – take action and visit the school. This makes particularly good sense for those who have never been to the campus of their target programs. Very many things can happen when spending time at the school:
1) You may interact with students or professors who can better inform you of opportunities at the school and give you a better sense of the campus culture. If you make a particularly strong impression, you might even inspire someone to intercede with the adcom on your behalf.
2) By visiting a school and gaining a feel for the community and setting, you may actually realize that a given program is really not for you. This will enable you to focus your energy and attention elsewhere, and give up your spot on the waitlist to someone who might be a better fit with the program.
3) A school may take note of your visit (if you sign in with the admissions office) and view it as a potential sign of your interest. All other things being equal, the adcom is generally more likely to admit an applicant if they believe him or her to be likely to accept an offer of admission.
4) You never know when you’ll have that chance meeting with an admissions officer who is willing to give you a little feedback (and who through the process of meeting you face to face might get a better sense of your candidacy). In fact, if planning a visit, there’s no harm in letting the admissions office know in advance – especially if you have a ‘waitlist manager’ or someone on the admissions team who you’ve corresponded with in the past. Just send them a polite email indicating that you will be on campus on date X and would love to stop in and introduce yourself, etc. You’d be surprised at how often an admissions officer ends up being available to speak with you for a few minutes. Having said that, it’s critical not to force such a meeting or make unreasonable demands on the adcom, so be sure to use your best judgment.
Best of luck to those of you playing the waiting game, and feel free to contact us at info@clearadmit.com to learn about our application feedback and waitlist counseling services. Hang in there!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 7, 2007, at 3:00 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Penn / Wharton Wharton students have a history of creating innovative businesses that fill a need among younger consumers. The school’s Venture Initiation Program alumni have founded a suit company targeting college students, a “Peel ‘N Taste” marketing system (featured on ABC News), and an all-natural foods cafe in University City and Center City Philadelphia.
A few weeks ago, a humor piece in the Wharton Journal suggested that a group of VIP participants received seed funding to develop NoText, a company created to tackle the problem of drunk text messaging by blocking texts to selected numbers during certain hours. On Monday of this week, Wharton’s adcom blog posted an entry on this supposed new company (and a few alert readers of our blog may have seen a mention of this entry on our site), but they soon took down the entry when it was revealed that the Wharton Journal article was in fact just a humor piece.
Although NoText may not be real, dozens of Wharton MBA students are still pursuing their (very real) entrepreneurial visions through the Venture Initiation Program. For more information on how Wharton students with innovative ideas can get access to seed funding, or to see the resources available for developing your own entrepreneurial vision, be sure to visit the Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs website!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 7, 2007, at 4:00 am
Posted in: Interview Tips , Wiki Wednesdays Welcome to another installment of Wiki Wednesdays, a summary of the latest additions to the Clear Admit Wiki. Thanks to all those who reported last week on their Chicago, Kellogg, HBS, and Wharton interviews! These postings are greatly appreciated, as firsthand accounts from this admissions season are a fantastic resource for all those still preparing for interviews in the next three weeks. Let’s take a look at what our Wiki contributors had to say….
Many of this week’s postings mentioned interview questions about the applicant’s potential to make unique contributions to the MBA community. Blogger Asiangal reported perhaps the most straightforward version of this question, posed to her at a Wharton interview:
“The best people from around the world apply to Wharton. What makes you stand out?”
It’s important that applicants give this type of question some forethought, reflecting on the most important elements they have to add to the program. Answers that focus on a strong work ethic, determination to overcome challenges, or the desire to realize one’s full potential are all too common. While these qualities may distinguish applicants from their peers at work, they unfortunately are not very unique among MBA applicants.
Whether an unusual hobby, an unconventional career goal or consistent volunteer work for a single cause, the best answers convey specific information about your activities and interests rather than focusing on abstract characteristics that many others are likely to share.
One Kellogg interviewer took the question to the logical next step in asking:
“How are you unique? What will you contribute to Kellogg?”
Again, focusing on specifics and pinpointing a few concrete contributions is the most effective approach. For instance, rather than naming a few clubs that one intends to join, describing a new idea to share with an existing club will leave a stronger impression.
Sometimes interviewers take a more creative approach to getting to know an applicant beyond his or her application file. The following questions from Chicago and Wharton, respectively, present more great opportunities to distinguish oneself from the applicant pool:
“If you could have any super-power, what would it be?”
“What excites you most in the morning?”
Lastly, these questions demonstrate the fact that it is not possible to prepare for every question one might be asked. The best approach is to arrive at the interview with a handful of concrete elements to draw on, and to use them in conjunction with a little creativity and humor!
Thanks again to all who contributed to Wiki Wednesdays this week. Clear Admit’s Wiki will address more than just interviews throughout the spring. In particular, we hope to see more activity on the School Choices category in the coming weeks, as applicants begin the difficult (but hopefully happy) process of weighing their options. As always, your contributions are much appreciated!
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