Admissions Director Q&A Below are links to Clear Admit's exclusive interviews with MBA admissions directors at leading programs.
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Essay Topic Analysis Below are links to our comments on some of the leading programs' essay topics.
MBA Tipline We encourage admissions officers, students and applicants to alert us of interesting news and developments, please send an email to news@clearadmit.com so we can blog it. MBA Programs: North America If an MBA Program is not listed, please e-mail and we will be happy to list it.
MBA Programs: The Rest of the World As there is some variety in the length of international MBA programs, we have denoted the length of the program next to its name (1 = one year; 2 = 2 years). If an MBA Program is not listed, please e-mail and we will be happy to list it.
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Posted by Clear Admit on January 30, 2009, at 4:46 pm
As football fans gear up to watch the Steelers battle the Cardinals on Super Bowl Sunday, Kellogg School of Management faculty and MBA students are turning their focus toward the day’s other big competition: the showdown between advertisers.
During the 2009 Super Bowl, Kellogg marketing faculty and students will participate in the fifth annual Kellogg Super Bowl Advertising Review, watching, analyzing and grading each ad that airs during the game.
As part of the review, each of the advertisements will be rated according to an innovative criteria developed by Kellogg School faculty, known as ADPLAN, which ranks each ad spot according to Attention, Distinction, Positioning, Linkage, Amplification and Net equity. Results from the review – including the best and worst ads of the . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 30, 2009, at 3:19 am
Welcome back to another edition of the ever evolving Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s continuing perusal of the thoughts and goings-on of MBA applicants and accepted students. The frantic pace of round one and two applications has abated, leaving aspirants with a little more time to reflect on their experiences. Just as things calmed down for hopefuls, current students returned from their breaks, ready for new classes, job/intern interviews and, in some cases, snow.
A bit of a lull was experienced this week for those trying to join the class of 2011. Most decisions left to be made were in the hands of the applicants, not the schools. Samantha wasn’t sweating her Stanford zap and was confident that she . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 29, 2009, at 2:00 pm
In an effort to ease current and prospective MBA students’ concerns and confusion regarding the uncertain recruiting environment, a career management dean at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business recently addressed many of the most commonly asked recruiting questions in a post to the Fuqua website.
“As Fuqua alumni around the world have already experienced, no company, industry or geography is immune to the effects of the current economic downturn,” wrote Sheryle Dirks, Fuqua associate dean for career management. “Yet the impact on MBA hiring is neither simple nor universal,” she continued, indicating that company responses vary widely as market conditions change daily.
In an effort to provide some clarity to prospective and current students, Dirks shared what she’s been seeing . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 29, 2009, at 10:25 am
During this cold time of the year, there is nothing better than bundling up under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and reading the MBA programs’ student newspapers to get the latest news. This week we return to Wharton, taking a close look at The Wharton Journal.
In this edition of The Wharton Journal, Akihisa Shiozaki recounts the adventures of the seven-day Antarctica Leadership Venture. This initiative originally developed when Professor Erik Orts, the director of the Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) program, offered to participate in this Leadership Venture and added an innovative eco-dimension to the program. In order to offset the carbon footprint of transportation to and from Antarctica, Orts ensured . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 28, 2009, at 5:00 pm
Dr. Andrew Pettigrew, one of the United Kingdom’s most revered management scholars, has joined the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford as professor of strategy and organization.
Pettigrew, formerly dean of the School of Management at the University of Bath, also has held appointments at Yale University, Harvard Business School, London Business School and Warwick Business School. A fellow of the British Academy, he was the first non-North American recipient of the Distinguished Scholar of the U.S. Academy of Management. He is still the only non-American to have received this honor.
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Pettigrew to this important position within the school,” Colin Mayer, dean of Saïd Business School, said in a statement announcing Pettigrew’s . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 28, 2009, at 12:30 pm
Welcome to another installment of Wiki Wednesdays, reporting the latest goings on with the Clear Admit Wiki, a repository of MBA applicants’ experiences and observations. We’d like to start this post with a hearty ‘thanks’ to all the applicants who’ve been submitting interview reports this season! As we’ve stressed in this blog, and as anyone who’s used the site to prepare for their interviews will attest, these firsthand accounts of the interview process at a given program can be invaluable in the admissions process. To build this resource and encourage applicants who’ve already interviewed this season to post their interview reports, campus visit accounts and school decisions, we’ll be offering an added incentive over the next few weeks.
Between now . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 28, 2009, at 8:30 am
Why Do You Most Often Visit The Clear Admit Blog?
To check application deadlines, it’s great how they’re all in one place!
For the essay analysis and tips, I’ve avoided a number of faux pas’ as a result of the essay-specific posts.
The interviews with admissions directors, I like reading some of their candid answers to questions I might ask.
Fridays From The Frontline, I find the applicants’ and admitted students’ b-school experiences fascinating.
The polls! I love getting to voice my opinion.
Trivia Tuesdays, I never know what will be covered but it has helped me add depth to my essays.
The MBA news stories, I like getting the up-to-date information on changes in leadership or . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 27, 2009, at 11:46 pm
In a hurried post on her blog yesterday, Harvard Business School (HBS) Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Dee Leopold informed expectant round two applicants what they should expect in terms of interview invitations.
Invitations will be sent out on February 9th, Leopold wrote. The invitations will be sent as an email from HBS MBA Admissions. They will contain detailed information about how to sign up for interviews, either on campus or in hub cities.
“Please be assured that if we see you haven’t signed up for an interview by the end of the week, we will contact you by phone…thus there’s no reason to be anxious about lost emails, etc,’ Leopold wrote.
After the initial interview invitations go out, Leopold will update applicants . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 27, 2009, at 8:00 am
In this week’s installment of Trivia Tuesday, we turn our focus to MIT Sloan and the structure of its first-year class, examining how the school creates first-year teams and how these teams impact students’ experiences.
Each class of first-year students is divided into six smaller groups, called cohorts or “oceans” (Atlantic, Baltic, Caribbean, Indian, Mediterranean and Pacific), which help to give shape to the core curriculum experience. Oceans, comprised of approximately 55-60 students each, take all seven of their core courses together, thereby getting to know each other quite well in the academic environment. As a result of their shared academic experience, students within each cohort tend to spend time together outside of the classroom as well, often forming close-knit social groups.
Within . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 26, 2009, at 11:31 pm
In the 2009 global MBA rankings released yesterday by the Financial Times, London Business School came in at number one for the first time ever, sharing the spot with the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Also of note, three Asian schools were among the top 20, including one, Ceibs in Shanghai, which was in the top 10.
This year the FT’s MBA rankings feature some new bells and whistles, including interactive tools that allow readers to chart and compare business schools to one another. Accompanying the rankings is an in-depth special report examining the changing MBA landscape. And a special “Ask the Experts” feature invites readers to pose questions to a panel of experts online, who will respond . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 26, 2009, at 1:36 pm
What should an applicant do when placed on the waitlist at his or her dream school? While most applicants regard the waitlist in a negative light (we’ve even heard it described as “a sort of purgatory prior to getting dinged”), the best approach is to view the glass as being half-full (especially for R1 waitlisters). In all cases, getting waitlisted is much better than getting denied.
Here are a few tips to help you navigate this often difficult and mysterious process:
1) Know your file. Before you can develop a waitlist strategy you need to understand where you may have fallen short in the application process. Read over your file with a critical eye and try to identify any weaknesses. Talk to anyone . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 23, 2009, at 3:03 am
Welcome back to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s weekly collection of MBA blogosphere news. This past week has been momentous for many applying to schools, or living, in the United States. Even more round one results have been released and 2011 hopefuls have a much better sense of their options. For the greater nation, a change of leadership took place on Tuesday, which, regardless of your politics, was quite historical and, for many, emotional. While round one decisions directly impacted the MBA blogosphere far more than a new U.S. president, these two events certainly led to an interesting week for all.
Ahembeea continued to struggle with his position on three separate waitlists and spoke briefly of his Tuck and . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 22, 2009, at 6:00 pm
Several top schools are taking steps to boost female enrollment in their Executive MBA programs, including creating personal networks to recruit women, offering additional scholarship money, and designing more family-friendly program formats, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal.
Currently, women represent less than 20 percent of most EMBA classes, and at a number of top programs that percentage is closer to 5 percent, the Journal reports. This is compared to 30 percent of the class at top full-time MBA programs and more than 40 percent in part-time programs.
According to the Journal report, obstacles preventing more women from pursuing an EMBA include formats that interfere with raising a family (many EMBA programs require two years of two long weekends . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 22, 2009, at 11:36 am
Since Thomas Caleel’s somewhat abrupt departure last June, the question of who would be come the new Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School has been the subject of some curiosity. About 10 days ago we blogged that the administration had made its decision, and today we received an official announcement of the appointment of J.J. Cutler, WG ’97, to the post.
With Cutler’s selection, the Wharton school continues its trend of putting its own MBA graduates at the helm of the admissions process. Cutler also earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and boasts an extensive resume of marketing and leadership experiences in the consumer goods industry. The text of the offical press . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 22, 2009, at 3:00 am
This week in our weekly edition of Campus Chronicles, we peruse Harvard’s MBA student newspaper, Harbus, to uncover the latest buzz on campus.
In this week’s Harbus, John Coleman shares tips on how to be effective at “BS” (business speaking) and wow one’s audience, drawing on his own expertise as the champion of the Public Speaking Club’s fall 2008 “BS Competition.” First of all, Coleman advises, a student must buy his own BS and believe in himself. Thus, once you’ve “started pontificating on the artistry of chocolate mixing, get passionate,” even if that entails pounding the desk with enthusiasm. Coleman’s second tip is to change the subject so as to never answer the question that someone . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 21, 2009, at 2:30 pm
As though you need any reminding, the admissions committees at Harvard Business School (HBS) and the Stanford Graduate School of Business this week will release their admissions decisions to hopeful round one applicants.
Last week, HBS Admissions Director Dee Leopold devoted a post on her blog to what applicants at that school should expect today as its admissions decisions go out. “Some time on Wednesday – most likely before noon – you will receive an email from HBS MBA Admissions indicating that your decision is available,” she wrote. For more on how the day will unfold for anxious HBS applicants, click here.
At Stanford GSB, round one notification day is tomorrow, January 22nd. As of the first week in January, Stanford . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 21, 2009, at 12:00 pm
Welcome to another round of Wiki Wednesdays, where we highlight new and informative reports in the Clear Admit Wiki, an online repository of information learned by applicants throughout the MBA admissions process. With a number of reports rolling in for MIT / Sloan, UNC / Kenan-Flagler and the Yale School of Management, those prepping for Round 2 interviews should have a hefty helping of questions to peruse now that applications have been submitted! Let’s take a closer look at the lists of candidates’ interview questions…
A Round 1 candidate for MIT / Sloan addressed the following queries from an adcom member:
Tell me about something at work you have been proud of in the last . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 21, 2009, at 3:02 am
Last week we asked you what you thought the strength of your b-school application was. This week we thought we’d ask you what you thought you had to overcome during your application process.
What Was Your Largest Obstacle in Your MBA Application?
My low GMAT. Though I am entirely capable of handling the rigorous reading, writing or quantitative MBA coursework, I am not an accomplished test-taker.
Unexpected gaps in employment. Things came up in life and I had to take a leave from the professional world to take care of them.
Interview nerves. I know I ‘look great on paper’, but I found myself struggling to represent myself in person.
My low undergraduate GPA. What can . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 20, 2009, at 1:09 pm
As the country looks on and history unfolds with today’s swearing in of the first-ever African-American president of the United States, several professors from the Kellogg School of Management have offered insights on what Barack Obama needs to do in order to deliver on his promises of “change you can believe in.”
The 44th president faces enormous challenges and will need to move quickly to reestablish trust, communicate his principles and priorities and connect and collaborate with countless groups and constituencies advancing different goals and dreams for the country. Kellogg’s professors consider the management lessons Obama will face and offer the following suggestions:
“A major goal on the foreign-policy side should be to restore trust in Brand USA,” said Daniel Diermeier, Kellogg professor . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 20, 2009, at 8:37 am
Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday, our regular column examining the programs, resources and opportunities that distinguish the leading MBA programs. Today we take a look at the academic specialization option at NYU Stern.
Though the Stern MBA is a general management degree, students may use their elective courses to complete up to three specializations of their choosing. Specializations are not required, but are often used to enhance personal knowledge in a specific field or to highlight an area of expertise on one’s résumé. Students declare their specializations through Stern’s Web Information System and may change their specializations at any point until they submit their application to graduate in the final semester of classes.
Stern offers more than 20 specializations in fields ranging from . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 19, 2009, at 5:41 pm
More than 150 MIT School of Management MBA students set off on their annual “Tech Treks” earlier this month, bound for Silicon Valley, Seattle and Boston to begin job searches, establish new contacts and network.
This year, some larger companies such as Google and Yahoo, which have typically participated in the Trek, are not hosting students. And so many students are trying to focus more on the new opportunities the economic climate may create instead.
“It has placed some budget constraints on many of the companies we originally intended to visit, but it has also allowed us to look at a different set of companies,” said Pedro Santos, a native of Santo Domingo. Santos was slated to join the San Francisco and Silicon . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on January 19, 2009, at 2:25 am
With the majority of schools having released their Round One decisions (and with HBS and Stanford to follow this week), many successful applicants will soon be facing the enviable – but often agonizing – decision of choosing between programs. Though we know that those of you in this position will already be juggling an overwhelming amount of information about the schools on your short lists, we wanted to offer a few pointers to consider as you identify and evaluate the most important facts and factors in making this decision.
1) Immerse yourself. If you have not yet visited campus, go to the school and see what you think of the environment. Be sure to attend classes, talk with students, tour the facilities, and so on. Even if . . . → Continue Reading
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Clear Admit’s Most Recent Posts
MBA Admissions Wiki In the Clear Admit Wiki, you can share your experiences through the application process and learn from those of others. Below are the five most popular pages in the wiki:
BW Business SchoolsThe BusinessWeek Discussion Boards are another way to learn about the issues applicants face. Clear Admit hosts the Ask Clear Admit thread, which should help answer your questions. Here are the five most recent discussions taking place in the forum:
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