Posted by Clear Admit on January 22, 2009, at 3:00 am
Posted in:  Campus Chronicles , General 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 asks. This means that, if asked about proper accounting for Chemailte R&D, you should respond about how the most pressing issue is that chemicals in Chemalite could cause global warning. Third tip: don’t answer – instead interpret. Coleman writes that a student can do this through answering any direct question by reinterpreting it, and metaphors always come in handy. Coleman’s fourth tip is to use a lot of generic terms and “leverage a common, best-practice vocabulary.” To do this, Coleman states that you can “facilitate a heightened dialogue with game-changing, best-of-breed communications that fast-track the conversation to out-of-the-box solutions while integrating a paradigm-shifting disintermediation of distracting, specific language.” The fifth and last tip is to tell a story, as your audience can get wrapped up in a sentimental anecdote and forget what the central issue or topic was in the first place. Sounds like we could all spruce up our BS skills.
The Harbus also explores a recent debate over flag raising at HBS. Though all students learn and grow from the cultural, ethnic, and national diversity that marks the various sections, this diversity can give rise to disagreements over values, perspectives, and opinions. Current disagreements surround whether the HBS administration should regulate flag displays in the classrooms – displays that administration in the past have encouraged in order to celebrate the diversity of the student body. These displays can give rise to political issues, as students marry the raising of their flags with political sentiments, and focus of recent attention is on the ROC flag. As students debate these issues, larger questions come to light, such as how students can manage as well as utilize diversity as leaders in a global marketplace through taking the lessons that they learn from MBA program with them.
Stay tuned next week for a new edition of Campus Chronicles!
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 had extended roughly 400 interview invitations to first round candidates and expected to invite an additional 150 to 200 applicants before notification day.
But even if you didn’t receive an invitation to interview, all hope is not lost. Stanford GSB Admissions Director Derrick Bolton says his office may also ask 50 to 100 applicants to join the waitlist tomorrow without having been interviewed and may interview those candidates later.
Elsewhere, things are heating up for round two applicants, as the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and others begin to extend invitations to interview.
Wharton’s initial round two invitations go out tomorrow, January 22nd. According to a post on the Wharton MBA Admissions blog, the admissions committee will continue to release invitations on a daily basis until 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 19th. “Due to the nature and complexity associated with the admissions process there is no particular order in which invitations are released,” the blog explained. February 19th will also be the day that applicants who have been denied admission will be notified.
According to a Ross R2 thread on the BusinessWeek forums, round two invitations began going out to applicants to Ross last week and continue. No official word from the Ross Admissions Office has been provided regarding round two. Round one applicants who were waitlisted will have an opportunity to chat online tomorrow, January 22nd, with Admissions Director Soojin Kwon Koh about the waitlist process.
Good luck to everyone in the days ahead! And remember to keep us posted on the Clear Admit Wiki. We’re rooting for you!
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 year.
- When were your expectations not met?
- What do you do outside work?
- Why do you want an MBA, why Sloan?
- What do you wish I’d asked?
- I’m meeting a lot of people today, what is going to make me remember you?
As for the UNC / Kenan-Flagler report, a Round 2 candidate noted that his interview was “blind” – meaning, the adcom interviewer only had his résumé, not his complete application – before sharing the following questions:
- [Tell me] about your current job and company.
- Why do you want an MBA and why Kenan-Flagler?
- What are you interested in focusing on while in b-school?
- What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?
A second-year student posed the following questions to a Round 1 Yale SOM candidate:
- Why did you pick your university and why your major?
- Walk me through your resume.
- What extracurricular [activities] at Yale are you interested in? Who have you spoken to?
- Give me an example of time when you led a group through a difficult period. How did you motivate the team?
That wraps up Wiki Wednesdays this week! As always, we extend our gratitude to those who have contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki this season. Also, with a number of Round 1 decisions rolling out, we’d like to remind candidates that comparative cases could help fellow applicants at this stage of the admissions cycle. If you would like to share your reasons behind your school choices or interview reports for the benefit of other applicants, simply create an account or send your reports to wiki@clearadmit.com. Congratulations to those who submitted in time for the Round 2 deadlines and best of luck to those waiting for final decisions!
Posted by Clear Admit on January 21, 2009, at 3:02 am
Posted in: Poll 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.
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Posted by Clear Admit on January 20, 2009, at 1:09 pm
Posted in: General , School: Northwestern / Kellogg 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 of regulation and competitive practice. Citing research on trust, Diermeier underscored the importance of transparency, sustained commitment, competence and a sense of empathy. “All these things are important factors that restore trust,” he said.
These same factors will be crucial to winning and maintaining trust domestically, Diermeir continued. But where domestic trust is concerned, Obama also faces the enormous challenge posed by the tremendous expectations that the electorate has for him.
“People have a lot of trust in him, but these trust accounts can be emptied very quickly with some ill-considered decisions,” he said. “But if this is carefully managed and there is the continued sense of transparency, accountability, and professionalism that has been displayed during the campaign, the Obama administration will have a lot of capital to work with.”
Adam Galinsky, Kellogg professor of ethics and decision in management, urges Obama to focus on articulating broad principles, principles that can then serve to guide specific policy recommendations. He must also set priorities in the first 100 days, Galinsky says. “He wants to make specific priorities when he has the highest political capital,” he continued. “He doesn’t want to squander this time and this opportunity.”
Citing Lincoln’s team of rivals, Galinsky advises Obama to staff his executive thoughtfully. “Reaching out across the partisan divide makes for better policy and commitments from more congresspersons,” he says. And Obama must listen as well as lead. “Studies show that when people feel listened to, even when they don’t get their ideal outcome, they are less resentful,” Galinsky said.
To learn more about Kellogg’s professors’ recommendations for U.S. President Barack Obama, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on January 20, 2009, at 8:37 am
Posted in: School: NYU Stern , Trivia Tuesday 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 Leadership & Change Management to Corporate Finance. In general, each specialization requires nine credits, or 3-5 courses, though some may impose additional course requirements. For instance, students planning to specialize in Entertainment, Media & Technology (EMT) should register for the 1.5 credit Entertainment & Media Industries course early in their Stern careers, since this course provides the foundation for later study in the field. Upon completing this first course, EMT students then take 7.5 additional credits from among the graduate-level courses offered in the specialization.
Meanwhile, the Financial Instruments & Markets specialization requires students to complete nine credits from selected Finance department courses, six of which must be upper-level MBA courses. The structure of Stern’s specializations is similar to that of Chicago’s concentrations. In both cases, students are able to choose whether to pursue an area of focus, and each concentration or specialization typically requires just three courses to complete. This is in contrast with Wharton, where all students are required to complete a major, which usually consists of five or more elective courses.
For the full list of available specializations and more information on Stern’s academic opportunities, be sure to check out the NYU Stern website or the Academics section of the Clear Admit School Guide to Stern!
Posted by Clear Admit on January 19, 2009, at 5:41 pm
Posted in: General , MBA News , School: MIT / Sloan 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 Valley Tech Trek, with visits planned to several companies ranging from Apple to small startups.
“I think that startups will be hiring a significant number of talented individuals who would have been taken by larger corporations, which means that the infusion of energy and talent from MBAs could really lead to a significant amount of value going into the startups,” Santos said.
In addition to company tours and visits, the treks also include opportunities for students to meet and socialize with members of MIT’s network of alumni, including several who hold top positions in sectors and companies they are targeting.
Another trekker, Amanda Symonds, who worked in investment banking before coming to MIT Sloan, reported being even more excited about the tour than she would have been if the economy were booming. “Given the current state of the economy, I believe it is even more important to focus on growing your professional network and to accept every opportunity to educate yourself about business.”
Ivy Sum Sum Cheung, another MIT Sloan student on the California trip, also stressed the importance of the treks and of tapping into the Sloan alumni network in tough economic times. “Given that the finance and banking industry is practically freezing its hiring quota and the general increase in unemployment, the job market this year will be very competitive,” she said. “I do feel that having a MBA from a well-known school such as MIT Sloan gives us a competitive advantage. This is the time when the alumni network really counts.”
To learn more about Tech Treks at MIT Sloan, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on January 19, 2009, at 2:25 am
Posted in: Admissions Tips , General 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 you have already made the trip, it’s a good idea to attend the school’s events for admitted students to meet your potential classmates. After all, these are the folks whose thoughts you will be hearing in class for two years and who will making up your future network.
2) Consider your immediate priorities. Think about the location, size, teaching method, etc. Are you looking for a close-knit, “we’re all in this together” sort of experience, or would you prefer to attend classes and then disappear into a large city with a few classmates or old friends? Do you need the benefits of a large university to pursue coursework in a specific field? Do you crave lengthy discussions with faculty? Do you have family or a significant other who might need to consider location? Are you strong in qualitative areas but looking to refine your skills in quantitative subjects? Is there a teaching method that might better address your weaknesses or best suit your learning style? Reflecting on the relative importance of each of these questions might help you to organize your thoughts about and the information on each program.
3) Look farther forward. In addition to the experience you would have as a student, try to get a sense for the school’s track record in your target field. For example, if you hope to become a strategy consultant after school, take a look at each program’s placement statistics with the firms that are of interest to you. Talk to the career management office and find out which firms came to campus and how many offers were made. You might also try to contact alumni who work in your target field and see what they have to say about their alma mater’s strength in that area. A final option is to approach the HR departments of the firm you are likely to target and ask for their opinion of the programs on your list. This is also a nice excuse to build rapport with a potential future employer.
4) Think big. Beyond the job you hope to secure immediately after school, consider the program’s regional and global brand. For example, if you are looking for work in London, you might investigate whether the school in question has an active alumni club in that city. Meanwhile, if you dream of working in Los Angeles but are debating between two programs on the East Coast, it might be important to determine which has the greater West Coast presence.
These are just a few general tips to get you thinking about how to make your b-school decision. It goes without saying that this is a once in a lifetime decision, so it certainly makes sense to do your homework and fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of each of your options. Rankings are a good starting point for a school search, but should not be the deciding factor. Another thing to remember that the shoe is finally on the other foot, and that the schools are now the ones marketing themselves to you. Be sure to take advantage of their offers to answer any questions you may have.
Posted by Clear Admit on January 16, 2009, at 12:27 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Harvard Harvard Business School (HBS) will release decisions to its first round applicants next Wednesday, January 21st. HBS Admissions Director Dee Leopold devoted a post on her blog yesterday to letting anxious applicants know what to expect that day.
“Some time on Wednesday – most likely before noon – you will receive an email from HBS MBA Admissions indicating that your decision is available. You then log in to your account and there it is,” she wrote.
No phone calls will precede the online notification, she continued. “Really. None,” she emphasized. Applicants who have been admitted can expect to receive calls of congratulations later in the day, but initial notification will always be provided online. “So if you’re waiting to hear from Harvard, no need to jump when the phone rings or worry when it doesn’t,” Leopold wrote.
Applicants who are instead invited to join the waitlist will receive a follow-up email later the same day from Eileen Chang, who manages the waitlist. The waitlist will include both candidates who have interviewed already and some who have not.
For those candidates who receive the dreaded application denial, HBS is unable to provide personal feedback, Leopold explained. “Even if we had the staff capacity to do this during the application season, it probably wouldn’t be as helpful as you wish,” she said. That’s because the vast majority of applicants HBS receives are certainly academically qualified and would bring something interesting to the classroom, she continued. “In our effort to bring together a diverse and textured class, we make many very tough calls,” she wrote.
Good luck to everyone! Remember to keep us posted on the Clear Admit Wiki.
Posted by Clear Admit on January 16, 2009, at 2:44 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline Hello, and welcome back to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s regular report on the goings-on in the MBA blogosphere. With almost all R2 deadlines complete, those aspiring to join the class of 2011 have a moment to catch their breath and reflect on the application process. While those hoping to attend b-school may have a moment to slow down, many currently enrolled students are preparing themselves for, or continuing to participate in, interview season for summer internships or full time positions.
Tensions were high within the applicant blog pool this week. With many round one decisions finally reaching the anxious ears, eyes and hearts of applicants everywhere. MBAlmighty faced a slightly different problem, he still hadn’t heard from Cornell, though his application was marked as ‘under review’ more than a month ago. Ahembeea struggled to control his frustrations over being put on the wait list at Kellogg, Tuck and Ross. Omne was equally flummoxed by his placement on McDonough’s wait list, though he was definitely getting proactive about how to get off that list. Zappped again, Maverick began to wonder whether an MBA was a necessary step in his life’s path — and decided that yes, it is. D.G. was surprised to find that his admission into Kellogg made him more motivated at work. MBAdreamer was happy to receive an acceptance from IIMB. MBAmission wrote about his ISB interview experience and provided a few tips. Chandara, halfway through her six applications, gave props to Clear Admit’s essay analysis and explained her process. Soni, also, gave a shout out to Clear Admit for our recent background check post.
First year MBA students had a wide variety of experiences to share this week. Darden ’10 Oren discussed his ‘non-vacation’ activities, and ruminated on interview season. LBS ’10 N.A.S. (also known as Tiny Tim) shared his self-written eulogy. Darden ’10 JulyDream was preparing herself for interviews by familiarizing herself with the latests developments in the biz world. Wharton ’10 TinyDancer‘s husband, Bad Dancer, guest blogged and shared the perspective of a Wharton spouse, specifically that he thought the school so great that he has submitted his application for admission (though he’s really only in it to get a penguin as a pet).
Last week we learned that Darden ’09 Mandy had gotten married, this week we learned her long-term life goal of becoming British and met her fat cat. Ross ’09 M@ reminded his readers that zaps can happen even after you get into the business school. INSEAD ’09 Marc Zornes was enjoying INSEAD’s Singapore campus and wearing flip flops in January. Darden ’09 Squaremethod shared his plans for seeing the bigger picture. Chicago Booth ’09 MaybeMBA had positive things to say about her schools’ career services.
Another week of suspense has passed and with that, this installment of Fridays From The Frontline concludes. As second round applicants settle in for the long wait, we hope those from the first round have gotten at least some news – be it positive or negative – in order to best plan their next move in the always competitive b-school arena. Have a great weekened everyone!
Posted by Clear Admit on January 15, 2009, at 12:00 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: London Business School London Business School (LBS) this week announced the most recent episode in its MBA TV series, a collection of video features that debuted in September 2008. The programs, aimed at prospective LBS applicants, give an inside look at the school through the experiences of students in the autumn 2008 term.
The first four episodes are now available for viewing as podcasts on the LBS MBA TV blog. Episodes range from four to seven minutes in duration.
The most recent episode takes viewers behind the scenes at the London Media Summit, an annual event organized by the London Business School Media Club, one of the most active student clubs on campus.
Each year the summit draws high-profile speakers from the media industry. This year’s special guests included Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC; Bill Roedy, chairman and CEO of MTV Networks International; and Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of the Guardian News & Media, among others. The MBA TV episode includes interviews with Thompson and Roedy as well as with students who organized and attended the event.
The first three episodes from the autumn 2008 term are also available. The first episode chronicles the arrival of the class of 2010, documenting students’ introductions to one another and the school at orientation. The second episode features Associate Director of Marketing and Admissions David Simpson talking about the application process and providing tips to applicants on how to make an application stand out. The third episode features MBA students involved in community services as part of Volunteer Day.
Additional episodes will be aired on the MBA TV blog and will cover more aspects of the school community, curriculum highlights, major campus events and club activities. Together, they provide an excellent opportunity for prospective applicants from near and far to gain access to staff, faculty, alumni and students.
Posted by Clear Admit on January 15, 2009, at 3:01 am
Posted in: Campus Chronicles , General , School: Michigan / Ross It’s time for another edition of Campus Chronicles! This week we take a look at Michigan’s MBA student newspaper, The Monroe Street Journal.
According to the The Monroe Street Journal, last week a group of first-year MBA students traveled to Beaverton, Oregon for the third-annual MBA Campus Trek to Nike Headquarters. During their stay, students gained an insider’s look into Nike’s culture, history, and future growth and were also exposed to upcoming internship opportunities, such as the Adrenaline Intern Program which hires for Brand Marketing, Strategic Planning, and Finance. The day included a video presentation illuminating the impact of the global brand, presentations by Nike executives from Human Resources, Finance, Corporate Education, and Retail & Digital Commerce, a Q&A panel with former Nike interns who became full-time employees, and then a session during which the trekkers could interact with Ross alums currently working at Nike. The day was a great success, and impressed by Nike’s headquarters, one of the trekkers stated that it was like a “mix between a college campus and a corporate country club.” To top things off, the Ross MBA trekkers had the opportunity to shop at the Nike Employee Store, excitedly adding much to their wardrobes.
On the social front, Ross MBA students are prepping for their Ross Winter Formal, which is promised to be “one for the ages.” Giving students a chance to dress up for reasons other to impress McKinsey or General Mills, the Winter Formal enables students to “relive the glory days of dancing and cavorting late into the night” at the Hyatt Regency Detroit – a hotel home to many RSB weddings. One thing is for sure: Ross students will have fun getting their groove on.
This week, The Monroe Street Journal also reflects on corporate sponsorship and lessons of humility, calling to mind a recent Wall Street Journal article that indicates that wealthy individuals and corporations will influence policy through their philanthropy. The MSJ argues that corporations’ marketing “combines the suggestion of transparency with positive feedback and corporate image in the community alongside hopes of increased profitability.” As we enter into a new era of philanthropy in corporate social responsibility, these issues require some thought.
Stay tuned next week for a new edition of Campus Chronicles!
Posted by Clear Admit on January 14, 2009, at 2:30 pm
Posted in: Events , MBA News , School: Virginia / Darden The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business this week unveiled the line-up for its spring Dean’s Leadership Speaker Series, with executives from Deloitte, Bank of America, the Economist and Microsoft all scheduled to address the Darden community.
The series kicks off on February 2nd with speaker Susan Clark, who is the Central Europe, Middle East and Africa managing director and group marketing director at the Economist.
Following Clark, Allen Thomas, Deloitte’s chief diversity officer and managing partner, will speak at the school on February 10th. Thomas’s presentation is co-sponsored by Darden’s Black Business Student Forum (BBSF).
The series continues on February 18th, when Barbara Desoer, Bank of America president of mortgage, home equity and insurance services, comes to Darden.
Finally, Microsoft will come to campus not once but twice. On February 23rd, Joseph Williams, Microsoft’s chief technology officer, will address the Darden community. Later, on March 17th, Scott Pitasky, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of human resources will visit the school.
All presentations will take place at the Darden School; exact rooms will be announced and listed on the Darden home page as each event gets closer.
For additional information, contact communication@darden.virginia.edu.
Posted by Clear Admit on January 14, 2009, at 11:30 am
Posted in: Interview Tips , School: Northwestern / Kellogg , School: Stanford , Wiki Wednesdays Welcome to this week’s installment of Wiki Wednesdays, in which we highlight the freshest contributions to the Clear Admit Wiki, an online repository of MBA applicants’ experiences with the admissions process! As the Round 2 rush has reached a crescendo, let’s take a closer look at the interview reports a few candidates for Stanford GSB and Northwestern / Kellogg posted in the midst of the deadline crunch.
Starting with Stanford, a Round 1 candidate noted receiving the following questions from an alumna:
- [Tell me a] time when a leader fell short and you had to step up and lead.
- [Describe a] time when you’ve been challenged as a leader and what you learned from it.
- Talk about a time when your values were challenged and you had to consult your moral compass.
- [Account for a] time when you wanted to give up and how you motivated yourself to keep going.
- [What is] a book you’d recommend that you’ve read recently?
A Kellogg candidate also answered queries from an alumnus, including the following:
- Share with me a team experience of yours.
- Share with me another team experience of yours.
- What will your contribution be to Kellogg?
- What clubs will you participate in?
That wraps up Wiki Wednesdays this week! As always, we’d like to thank everyone who has contributed content to the Clear Admit Wiki this New Year and last. Whilst waiting for the next phase of the admissions process – that is, interview invitations – Round 2 applicants should consider spending this down time perusing the preparatory guidelines found in Clear Admit’s Interview Guides. Of course, for those putting the finishing touches on their essays, the Clear Admit School Guides could help polish distinguishing details about a select MBA program. Finally, if you would like to share your interview reports or campus visit for the benefit of other applicants, simply create an account or send your reports to wiki@clearadmit.com. Thanks again and best of luck with the admissions process!
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