Posted by Clear Admit on July 31, 2007, at 2:01 pm
Posted in:  MBA News , School: Chicago , School: NYU Stern The Chicago GSB’s new creative expression PowerPoint question has been getting some coverage in the media this week. The Associated Press picked up the Chicago application story on Monday, with a brief write-up about the requirements and the admissions committees aims. While the Chronicle of Higher Education speculates that the GSB adcom’s grown a bit bored with written essays, here’s what the AP and Rose Martinelli have to say on the subject:
By adding PowerPoint to its application, Chicago thinks it might attract more students who have the kind of cleverness that can really pay off in business, and fewer of the technocrat types who sometimes give the program a bad name.
“We wanted to have a freeform space for students to be able to say what they think is important, not always having the school run that dialogue,” said Rose Martinelli, associate dean for student recruitment and admissions. “To me this is just four pieces of blank paper. You do what you want. It can be a presentation. It can be poetry. It can be anything.”
BusinessWeek online has also gotten on board with a more detailed story about creative freedom and b-school essays. While the piece focuses on personal expressions submitted by applicants to the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, both Chicago and NYU Stern are mentioned. Featuring a number of examples of candidates’ creative expressions, this article could be a great read for applicants who are looking to get their creative juices flowing and infuse their personalities into their admissions materials.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 31, 2007, at 3:09 am
Posted in: School Guides , Trivia Tuesday Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday, our regular examination of the distinguishing characteristics of the leading MBA programs. This week we are breaking with our usual format to offer a bit of a ‘triva challenge’ to our readers as we test everyone’s knowledge on a number of leading business schools. We’re doing this celebrate the fact that we’ll be launching eight exciting new publications in the next few weeks…
Without further ado, here is the Trivia Tuesday challenge: Some interesting trivia facts about eight U.S. business schools are below, but we haven’t named the programs. Test how well you know your business schools by seeing if you can identify which school each fact describes. The answers will be revealed in a future blog entry!
1) This west coast school was founded in 1935 and sends one of the highest percentages of graduates into the media and entertainment industry.
2) Students at this business school take classes on an “early week” or “late week” schedule, with “R-days” throughout the semester for recruiting, reading and rest.
3) Located in a small city in the southern U.S., this business schools enrolls one of the highest percentages of international students of any of the leading MBA programs and sends over 1 in 10 graduates to full-time positions overseas.
4) Just miles from the Silicon Valley region of California, this school offers five Certificate programs, including popular programs in Entrepreneurship and Management of Technology.
5) This northeastern MBA program makes its home in Sage Hall, a registered historic landmark that was completely gutted and refinished in 1998.
6) Students at this midwestern school spend one-quarter of their first year engaged in a formal consulting project.
7) Located in a global financial center, this school sends more graduates into investment banking than most business schools send into all financial services fields combined. After a complete overhaul of the first-year curriculum in 2006-2007, this school is one of the only leading MBA programs to require an international study experience for graduation.
These facts are all pulled from a set of soon-to-be-published Clear Admit School Guides, so if you don’t know the answers now, stay tuned to this blog for information on the upcoming release!
Posted by Clear Admit on July 30, 2007, at 4:23 pm
Posted in: Essay Topics , School: Michigan / Ross After a short game of musical PDFs (over the weekend the Ross site had a link that promised this year’s essay questions but actually linked to last year’s), the Ross admissions committee has released the essay questions for the 2007-2008 admissions cycle. Michigan’s deadlines for the 2007-2008 cycle were released earlier this summer.
Required questions
You must answer the following four questions:
Long Answers (500 word max)
Essay 1: Briefly describe your short-term and long-term career goals. Why is an MBA the best choice at this point in your career? What and/or who influenced your decision to apply to Ross?
Essay 2: Describe your most significant professional accomplishment. Elaborate on the leadership skills you displayed, the actions you took and the impact you had on your organization.
Short Answers (300 word max)
Essay 3: If you were not pursuing the career goals you described in Question 1, what profession would you pursue instead? (for example, teacher, musician, athlete, architect, etc.) How will this alternate interest contribute to your effectiveness in solving multi-disciplinary problems?
Essay 4: Describe your experience during a challenging time in your life. Explain how you grew personally, either despite this challenge or because of it.
Optional Question: Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you to evaluate your candidacy?
Posted by Clear Admit on July 30, 2007, at 12:15 pm
Posted in: Essay Topics , School: Georgetown While their online application will not be available until the end of August, applicants can now view the McDonough School of Business essays in PDF format.
Essay 1 (Required, 750 words) A) In one or two sentences, please state your short-term and long-term career objective(s). B) How have your prior professional, academic, and personal experiences influenced your career plans? C) Specifically, how will your participation in Georgetown’s MBA Full-Time Program contribute to your career objectives?
Essay 2 (Required, 750 words) In your own words, how do you define leadership? Please provide a specific example (professional or personal) of a time when you embodied the characteristics of a leader. Be sure to highlight the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What areas do you wish to develop in order to become a more effective leader?
Essay 3 (Required, 750 words) What is the most significant change you have made to any organization with which you have been recently affiliated? Please describe how you identified the need for change and how you managed the process of implementing change. What were the results?
Optional Essay (500 words) Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you have not addressed elsewhere. For example, you may comment on your academic record as an indication of your potential for graduate management education, or you may explain any gaps in your work history. If you are not submitting a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, use this space to explain why. Similarly, if you are not currently employed full-time, use this space to provide information about your current activities.
Re-Applicant Essay – To be completed by all re-applicants (500 words) How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? We are particularly interested in hearing about how you have grown professionally and personally. In addition, please update the Admissions Committee on your career goals and your reasons for wishing to pursue an MBA at Georgetown.
As a reminder, here are McDonough’s deadlines for the upcoming season!
Posted by Clear Admit on July 30, 2007, at 3:18 am
Posted in: Essay Topic Analysis , School: London Business School In light of last week’s announcement of London Business School’s MBA essay topics for this season, we wanted to offer our thoughts on each of the school’s inquiries.
As the adcom noted in their blog entry, the essay questions are unchanged from last year. This is a solid indication that the school’s emphasis on international experience, as well as its interest in a candidate’s past and proposed leadership experience, remains unchanged. More than most programs, LBS asks applicants to share specific details of their future involvement on campus and contribution to the community. From this, one can extrapolate and assume that they’re interested in candidates who’ve spoken to students and learned a good deal about the program to really understand how and where they might fit.
Question 1: In what role do you see yourself working immediately after graduation? Why? How will your past and present experiences help you achieve this? How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal? (500 words) Question 2: Where do you see your career progressing five years after graduation and what is your longer term career vision? (200 words) The “career goals” essay is broken down into two discrete inquiries. This format clearly underlines the importance of having both a short- and long-term career plan in the MBA admissions process. Though the compartmentalization of the short and long term discussions might make it a bit more difficult to adapt content written for applications to other schools, it does signal the extent to which the adcom wants to hear about each of the topics raised. Developing one’s long-term goal discussion over 200 words, with a stopping point at the five-year mark, could be a great opportunity for applicants who often cover this topic in a single sentence to meet the word limit in their essays for other schools.
Question 3: Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your study group, and how do you intend to contribute to it? (500 words) While this question seems to invite a broad commentary on the history of the applicant’s leadership and teamwork experiences at or outside of the workplace, keep in mind that the most effective essays are those that provide specific details and vivid anecdotes. A general comment about the various leadership roles you’ve held is certainly in order, but it would be wise to use this as an introduction to an example that exemplifies your leadership/teamwork skills and style. Note that the question about LBS study groups offers applicants a great chance to showcase their familiarity with the program and prove that they’ve done their homework, as well as demonstrate that they’ve thought through the contribution they would make and the strengths they could bring to the program.
Question 4: Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London MBA experience and this is . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on July 27, 2007, at 11:37 am
Posted in: Essay Topics , School: MIT / Sloan MIT Sloan has published their essays for the upcoming application cycle. The school has retained its usual format, asking applicants to submit a cover letter for their materials as though applying for a job, and following this with four required situational essays:
Cover Letter Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Please comment on your career goals and those factors which influenced you to pursue an MBA education at MIT Sloan. The cover letter provides a chance for you to discuss your passions, values, and interests. Through what you write we hope to discover whether you will thrive at MIT Sloan and how you will contribute to our diverse community. Address your cover letter to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.
Essay 1: Please tell us about a time when you had an impact on a group or organization. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.
Essay 2: Please tell us about a challenging interaction you had with a person or group. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.
Essay 3: Please tell us about a time when you defended your idea. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.
Essay 4: Please tell us about a time when you executed a plan. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.
While the word limits for this year’s application have not yet been confirmed by the adcom, MIT’s word limits have been 500 words per essay for several years running. This could serve as a guideline for eager applicants wanting to get a start on their materials. The word limits are expected to be included in the official application, which will be available online in early August.
Check here for deadlines, and stay tuned to the blog for some tips on tackling Sloan’s essays!
Posted by Clear Admit on July 27, 2007, at 2:41 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline Welcome back to another addition of FFF, keeping you up to date on the new and notable goings on in the MBA blogosphere. Future and current MBA students are really in the thick of things this time of year; let’s check in with each group:
This week, the applicant crowd really ran the spectrum of pre-submission considerations. Blue Tulip, for one, has resolved to buckle down on GMAT prep, after gleaning some wisdom from The Art of War and found inspiration at a farewell party for b-school bound friends. Also on the subject of the dreaded test, MBA or Bust reminisces about some unsuccessful studying strategies of days past, Achilles continues to practice and reports that he’s making progress with the verbal section, while Agent-C is running some numbers on the test itself while hoping to shore up his quant score. On the other side of the process, we were thrilled to hear that VectorSpace passed with flying colors – and celebrated in similar style.
In other elements of the admissions process, Chaos is carefully thinking through the issue of recommender selection, a subject that B-School Bound tackled just last week. With the “who” out of the way, he’s now preoccupied with the “what,” having hit a potential roadblock with Harvard and Stanford’s recommendation questions. Others, meanwhile, have been doing some writing of their own, or at least gearing up to do so: gltnforpnshmnt took some time off work to focus on his HBS essays and sounds happy with the results, MBA or Bust is hoping that Kellogg’s first essay will set a tone for her applications, Penguin is unsure how to proceed with her career goal essays (but is certain that she prefers Ross’s essays to Wharton’s), and Charu is trying to decide whether he would prefer to be a knight or a millionaire so he can move forward with ISB essay 3. Finally, Wannabe reflects on the finer points of Tuck’s Early Action policy and his school selection in general.
On the student front, the incoming Class of ’09 continues their preparation for the start of school. Asiangal is going to be brushing up on her calculus in advance of Wharton’s math assessment exam in mid-August, while Rusgirl shares some internet resources she discovered during a self-administered statistics refresher before her LBS exemption exam. Meanwhile, TheLC recognizes a need for a less quantitatively rigorous curriculum of cooking practice and laundry lessons before heading off to Kellogg, ipoel gets a crash course in the pet-unfriendliness of landlords during her Anderson housing search (while teaching readers what a pool full of balloons looks like), and Georgetown-bound HairTwirler looks back on last year’s admissions process and offers some application advice to the next incoming class. On a celebratory note, Iday recounts what sounds . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on July 26, 2007, at 12:59 pm
Posted in: Deadlines , School: UNC / Kenan Flagler UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School has published their deadlines for the upcoming application year with only a slight extension of the Round 2 deadline, as compared to last year’s dates. Their online application will be available in mid-August.
Round 1 (Early Action) Application Deadline: October 26th, 2007 Interview Completed by: October 19th, 2007 Decision Release Date: December 10th, 2007
Round 2 Application Deadline: December 7th, 2007 Interview Completed by: November 30th, 2007 Decision Release Date: February 4th, 2007
Round 3 Application DeadlineJanuary 4th, 2008 Interview Completed by: December 21st, 2007 Decision Release Date: March 17th, 2008
Round 4 Application Deadline: March 7th, 2008 Interview Completed by: February 29th, 2008 Decision Release Date: April 21st, 2008
The adcom states that UNC’s Early Action is for those who are certain they want to attend Kenan-Flagler; accepted applicants must secure their spot with an enrollment deposit by January 4th, 2008.
Application materials must be received by midnight EST. As UNC interviews all of its applicants to whom admission is offered, those who have submitted Part I of the application, which includes the personal data sheet, resume and application fee, should schedule an interview prior to the specific interview dates above. Mailed applications must arrive at UNC Kenan-Flagler by the application deadline. Decisions are also posted online by 5 p.m. on the decision mailing dates.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 26, 2007, at 11:13 am
Posted in: Admissions Tips , Events , School: London Business School As we mentioned yesterday, Business Week Online just hosted a live chat event with a current London Business School Student and the school’s acting Associate Dean of the full-time MBA program. Those prospective students who tuned in were treated to an hour and a half of discussion about London Business School’s academic programs and application process. While the transcript will be available on the BW website in the coming days, we wanted to highlight a few of the key takeaways from the event.
Many participants in the chat were concerned about potential weaknesses in their files and wondered how their materials might be perceived. Associate Dean David Simpson offered a good deal of information and advice that, while framed in terms of the LBS admissions process, is also in line with the perception of admissions officers at most leading MBA programs. For instance, he acknowledged that many applicants are unable to obtain a recommendation from their current supervisor and stated that the adcom is understanding about this; candidates need only explain this in the “Other Information” section of the LBS application (for other schools, the optional essay is often the most appropriate place). He also echoed a piece of age-old recommendation selection advice that we’ve been dispensing to applicants for years, asserting that the adcom will not be impressed by a recommendation from a company’s CEO if that person does not know the applicant well. While it might be obvious that it’s best to obtain a letter from someone who knows you well and can write about your work in detail, he added the insight that the adcom evaluates an applicants choice of recommender along with the content of their letters.
As for other admissions insights, chat participants were advised to present their personal and professional achievements in their essays, and to focus on telling their unique story as opposed to worrying about standing out from others in a certain demographic (this last comment was addressed to an Indian applicant with a background in IT, one of the most oversubscribed groups in the MBA applicant pool). Applicants with just a few years of work experience were cautioned that they will need to convince the adcom that they could contribute alongside more professionally seasoned classmates (current LBS students have between 2 and 13 years of work experience, 5 on average), and all prospective students were advised to be very clear about their interest in attending LBS and their reasons for pursing an MBA at this point in their careers.
The chat also yielded a number of insights about the program. While incoming students are able to specify how long they will spend in the program – the LBS MBA can be completed in as few as 15 months and as many as 21 – Simpson reported that the school is flexible and allows students to adjust their timelines once they become immersed in the MBA experience. Current student Manish Gajria added that because there is a tremendous amount to learn and so many opportunities available, . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on July 26, 2007, at 3:00 am
Posted in: Admissions Tips , General As many applicants are finding out at this time of year, conducting some thorough research on various MBA programs is an essential step in formulating a list of target schools and crafting convincing essays. Surfing the web and speaking with friends and mentors are great starting points in identifying programs of interest. However, in order to really get a feel for a school and determine whether it’s a good fit for one’s goals and personality, applicants need to dig deeper and gain some firsthand experience with the program and the people.Visiting the campus is a great avenue for gathering this kind of information, and it is also a step that can be advantageous in the application process. Although many applicants will not be visiting target programs until the fall (when classes are in session), we’d like to offer a few ‘headstart’ pointers for getting as much mileage as possible out of that trip to your target MBA program.
1) Make yourself known. Putting forth the effort to travel to a school is a signal of interest in the program that the adcom loves to see – it’s just a matter of letting them know that you’ve made the trip. It’s possible to communicate this in your essays and interview, but the simplest route is often to register for a visit through the admissions office if possible. Not only will most schools arrange for you to sit in on a class and have lunch with current students, but many will also make a note of your visit and include it in your file. Be sure to take advantage of all that the admissions office offers in this regard; even if you have friends on campus, it’s wise to speak to as many people as possible.
2) Think it through. Before arriving on campus, you should think carefully about the sort of information you hope to take away from your visit. Whether your inquiries cover something as broad as the night life or as narrow as the syllabus of a particular course, your trip will be much more informative if you come prepared with a sense of the details you hope to glean from information sessions and conversations. Further, it’s a great idea to reach out to members of the community before you arrive; if there’s a club about which you are particularly curious, for instance, you could contact one of its leaders and arrange a conversation over coffee on the day of your visit.
3) Put your best foot forward. Even though your conduct and interactions won’t be on the record in the way that they would be when on campus for a formal interview, it’s important that you be aware of the impression you’re making. Because spending time on campus is a great way to forge ongoing contacts with students who could become allies for you in the admissions process, you’ll naturally want to put your best foot forward.
We hope that these simple tips will set applicants on the path toward a . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on July 25, 2007, at 1:53 pm
Posted in: Events , General MBA Diversity, a non-profit organization promoting multiculturalism in business school, will be holding its third annual symposium in Philadelphia this year from August 17-18th. The event will feature application and academic advice for prospective students, networking opportunities for current MBA students and alumni, and recruitment and professional development workshops for schools and corporations.
For more information, potential participants can read the press release, or register here.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 25, 2007, at 10:43 am
Posted in: Events , School: London Business School BusinessWeek is hosting a live chat event with London Business School acting associate dean David Simpson and MBA student Manish Gajria beginning today at noon EDT. The pair will discuss the application process, campus culture, and other topics of interest to prospective students. The chat is free, though registration is required.
To join the discussion, visit http://www.businessweek.com/bschools.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 25, 2007, at 2:28 am
Posted in: Essay Topic Analysis , School: Columbia Following up on Monday’s announcement of Columbia’s essay questions for the 2007-2008 admissions season, we wanted to offer our thoughts on each of this year’s topics.
Columbia’s made a few interesting changes from last year’s set of questions. The school has retained its question about entrepreneurship – a telling signal of the program’s self-image and priorities – but it is no longer posed in the context of a quote from the dean. Instead, the school has swapped out last season’s question about a manager under whom the applicant has worked in favor of asking readers to respond to a speech Dean Hubbard recently delivered on the subject of the value of an MBA education in today’s business world. Meanwhile, Columbia has eliminated the “how would you spend a free day” question that it has posed as an option in Essay 4 for the past few years, leaving candidates with a required response about their primary passion.
Essay 1: What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals? (Recommended 750 word limit)
The general advice we’ve offered in the past on how to tackle this sort of question applies here. Because Columbia is very sensitive to the fact that it is often treated as a backup for Wharton and other leading programs, it’s especially important to convince the adcom of your interest in the program by packing your essay full of school-specific details about classes and clubs.
Essay 2: In a recent speech delivered to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, Dean Glenn Hubbard discussed the new, essential elements of the 21st century MBA. How will your MBA prepare you for a rapidly changing business environment? (Recommended 500 word limit)
In a way, this question is similar to last year’s Harvard question about the sorts of ethical dilemmas that the applicant would face in the future; both invite reflection on future considerations and challenges. Though not explicitly stated in Columbia’s question, it would make sense to personalize your response by touching upon some of the points raised in Dean Hubbard’s speech and commenting on how an MBA education would come to bear in one’s future career as set forth in the first essay. While you’ll want to show that you’ve read the dean’s comments (Columbia provides that URL for a reason), don’t be afraid to introduce some ideas of your own as well. This essay could also be a great place to name some courses or curricular features that apply to one’s goals and/or anticipated changes in the global business landscape. Essay 3: The entrepreneurial mindset is an integral component of the Columbia Business School MBA. Please discuss a time in your own life when you have identified and captured an opportunity (Recommended 500 word limit).
The adcom is obviously looking for a success story here, but this is a bit more nuanced – in responding to this question, it’s important that . . . → Continue Reading
Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday, our weekly look at the policies and programs that shape the student experience at the leading business schools. This week we turn our attention to an important yet often over-looked feature of MBA programs: the academic calendar. Though not a factor most applicants take into account, a school’s academic calendar can impact the number of classes students take, the timing of the recruiting season and when students need to begin and end their summer internships – not to mention how much down-time students have during the school year.
Most schools use a version of either the semester or quarter system to organize the academic year. For instance, Wharton’s academic calendar is based on the traditional semester system, with fall semester classes running from early September to mid-December and spring semester classes taking place from the second week of January through mid-May. In addition to the extended break between the fall and spring semesters, students also have off for several days in November and for a week in mid-March.
MIT Sloan’s academic calendar is also organized around a semester system, however the school tweaks several details of the traditional semester calendar. For instance, an optional four-week January term between the Fall and Spring semesters provides an opportunity for students to explore a variety of credit and non-credit activities. In addition, MIT Sloan breaks up each thirteen-week semester into six weeks of classes, a one week “innovation period” and then the remaining six weeks of classes.
Although the semester system is the norm at the majority of colleges and universities in the United States, many leading business schools have opted to use the quarter system instead. The quarter system is said to have been invented by William Rainey Harper, the first President of the University of Chicago, as a means of exposing students to more material than the traditional semester system allows. The quarter-based calendar is used by all schools at the University of Chicago, as well as business schools such as Kellogg, Stanford and Tuck.
Under a quarter system, the standard academic year takes place across the autumn, winter and spring terms; since most MBA students participate in an internship between their first and second years, enrollment in summer quarter courses is unusual.
As a result of the quarter system, the academic calendar at Chicago, Kellogg, Stanford and Tuck differs from those of other leading business schools’. Students in the quarter system tend to start classes later, often in mid-September, have more short breaks, and finish the academic year later than their peers in semester systems. Spring quarter exams typically conclude in early- or late-June under the quarter system, which is 2-4 weeks after the end of classes at schools such as Wharton or Harvard. The late end of the spring quarter can impact summer planning for first-year students, as many internships begin in mid-June.
Overall, the semester system allows for a slightly longer winter break and an earlier start to summer, while maximizing the . . . → Continue Reading
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