Posted by Clear Admit on March 31, 2009, at 5:33 pm
Posted in:  General , Interview Guides , School Guides , School: Duke / Fuqua , Strategy Series MBA applicant blogger ‘MissionMBA’ dedicated a recent post to reviewing the Clear Admit School Guide to Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Referring to the guide as “a virtual visit to the school,” MissionMBA praised the publication for its in-depth research and described it as “the closest that you can get to a school [if] you are unable to visit.”
In his review, MissionMBA points out that the guide “delves deep” in its explanation of the various aspects of Fuqua, providing information on such topics as the highlights, history, career placement statistics and curriculum of the program. He further explains that the guide also includes a “special focus on things that make [the] Fuqua MBA different from all others” and “covers life at and after Fuqua . . . quite well.” MissionMBA also recognizes the value of having highly objective information about Fuqua in one place: “Yes, most of the stuff . . . you can find if you go through the [Fuqua] site thoroughly, attend their admission-events and contact a number of students and alumni. But not all of us have the time and resources to do all this.” In other words, for the hectic life of an MBA applicant who works full-time, the Clear Admit School Guides do all the legwork.
MissionMBA wraps up his review of the Clear Admit School Guide to Fuqua by offering some final thoughts on the way in which the publication helped him, and he indicates that reading the Guide allowed him to understand the program and the school in important ways, without actually making the trek to the campus. In his opinion, his candidacy was enhanced as a result: “I am confident that knowing Fuqua in and out surely made some difference in my essays, which got me a call for the interview. Even in my interview . . . the alum interviewer looked quite impressed with my homework on the school.” With one last statement, MissionMBA summarizes his experience, saying “I’d recommend this guide to anybody.”
For more information, please visit the Clear Admit publications page. Our full range of publications, including 18 School Guides, 18 Interview Guides and two Strategy Series titles, are available for immediate purchase and download at the Clear Admit shop.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 31, 2009, at 11:20 am
Posted in: MBA News , School: Dartmouth / Tuck , School: Harvard , School: MIT / Sloan Dramatic shifts in the global economy have caused many MBAs to reassess their career options upon graduation, according to a recent article in the Boston Globe. MBAs who in the past would have given little thought to jobs anywhere but on Wall Street are now instead considering launching business of their own, shifting to consulting or exploring emerging industries once considered a gamble.
“Wall Street’s not going to be a great place to work for the next couple of years,” Chad Lovell, a second-year student at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, told the Globe. An intern at Barclays Capital in New York last summer, he turned down a full-time job offer there for a strategic planning position at industrial conglomerate Emerson Electric Co. in St. Louis after he graduates in June. He’s betting on the energy field to become a key driver of the U.S. economy.
Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business provides similar anecdotal evidence. “We’ve seen a massive shift in the focus of students,” Ted Wilson, a second-year student at Tuck who cofounded Dartmouth Energy Collaborative, told the Globe. Membership in the Energy Collaborative, which runs student projects in wind turbines and biofuels, has doubled since its founding last year, according to an earlier report in the Wall Street Journal.
Soon-to-be graduates are reassessing their options at Harvard Business School (HBS) as well, according to the Globe. Jana Kierstead, managing director for MBA career services at HBS, reports that job postings at the school are down 25 percent from a year ago – and 40 percent for financial positions. Students previously interested in careers in finance are reconsidering. “They’re looking at energy and clean tech, they’re looking at boutique investment banks, they’re looking at restructuring consulting,” Kierstead told the Globe. Entrepreneurship and nonprofit opportunities are also proving very popular, she added.
Career services offices at many top schools also are having to rethink how to best assist their students in changing times. Tune in tomorrow for a closer look at how the career services office at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business has retooled its offerings and remained nimble in order to give students an advantage in a shifting job marketplace.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 31, 2009, at 2:37 am
Posted in: School: London Business School , School: Michigan / Ross , Trivia Tuesday In today’s Trivia Tuesday we turn our attention to the signature experiential learning opportunities available at Michigan’s Ross School of Business and the London School of Business.
The Multidisciplinary Action Project at Ross is the centerpiece of the first-year curriculum. In the course, student teams are paired with companies in the U.S. and abroad to complete a significant consulting assignment. The teams work for Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs and non-profits on projects related to business plan development, human resource planning, marketing, process improvement, growth strategies and more. MAP is designed to provide a capstone experience to the first year, demanding that students draw on the lessons learned across the general management core classes. The faculty and administration believe that the process of working with a team and client to define a project, assemble and analyze needed information, and recommend an action plan is an important experience that builds the leadership skills necessary to identify and solve future problems.
Past MAP projects include creating a strategic plan for the Disaster Response Group of Thailand’s Habitat for Humanity, conducting an in-depth competitive analysis for JP Morgan Chase, launching a new product for a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, and developing an expansion and growth strategy for Infosys Technologies. Past locations have included local projects in Ann Arbor and Dearborn, Michigan, domestic projects in Denver, Phoenix and Connecticut, and international projects in Ireland, Mexico, Hong Kong and India.
At London Business School, second-year students undertake a paid consulting engagement to solve a company’s critical business problem. Teams of two or three students work with a company’s management to determine the project’s scope, deliverables and remuneration.
London students have worked with a wide range of companies on the second year project, including NGOs, charities, and the regional offices of multinational corporations like IBM and Nike. Projects have also been wide-ranging, although each involves research and analysis of a concrete business problem. Interim deliverables vary based on the arrangement with the company, but all teams are required to produce a final written report summarizing their findings and suggesting solutions. Students typically negotiate payment from £100 to £300 per workday, although those without relevant industry experience are often willing to accept lower compensation, as are students who work for startups or charities. Most projects extend from two to four months, with students devoting 25-30 working days to the undertaking – all while completing other coursework.
For more on the opportunities for hands-on learning at Ross or LBS, or to explore the experiential learning offerings at other leading business schools, be sure to check out the schools’ websites or Academics and Special Programs sections of the Clear Admit School Guides!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 30, 2009, at 4:30 pm
Posted in: Deadlines , MBA News , School: Stanford In an interesting post to its Admissions Blog last week, Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) implored prospective applicants to its third admissions round to get off the fence and go ahead and press submit.
Concerned that potential applicants could be dissuaded by misperceptions that their chance of being admitted is low in the final round, the Palo Alto school sought to correct the misperceptions. “Historically, we’ve found that applications follow demographic cycles more than economic cycles,” the post claimed, countering the often reported statistic that business school applications soar in times of economic hardship.
“We worry that some great people may delay applying because of these misperceptions,” the post read. Stanford GSB is particularly concerned that prospective applicants will think that there will be no spots left for those who apply in the third round. “This simply isn’t true,” the post stated.
Of course, the final round typically is smaller than the first two. But the school assures that it does admit excellent third round candidates, including its current director of MBA admissions, Derrick Bolton.
The real question to ask yourself is when you want to enroll, the school advised. If the answer is September 2009, then the time to apply is now. “If you’re admitted, great. If not, then you’re in a better position for September 2010 having already begun the self-reflection process for your first-round application,” read the post.
It does seem unlikely that Stanford GSB would devote a blog post to encouraging round three applicants if there weren’t slots to fill. As the post points out, the school can’t admit you if you don’t apply.
The deadline for third-round applications to Stanford GSB is April 8th. Good luck!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 30, 2009, at 11:30 am
Posted in: Events , Fridays from the Frontline , General March is a month that typically brings a good deal of clarity and news to the MBA applicant crowd: interview invitations, admissions decisions, and, of course, the announcement of our annual Best of Blogging Awards (also known as “the BoBs”)! For those unfamiliar with the awards, each year we make an effort to identify exceptional blogs maintained by MBA applicants and students. We do this for two reasons: to recognize the commitment and quality of the best applicant and student bloggers’ writing, and to identify valuable sources of information for the next round of applicants.
Here’s the timeline for this year’s awards, which will cover the 2008-09 admissions/academic cycle: Nominees Announced – Friday, April 10th 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). Keeping in mind the relevance and frequency of posts, as well as the overall quality of their contributions to the MBA blogosphere, we’ll pare the list of nominees down to 25 applicants and 25 current students. Once we’ve determined the blogs to be considered, we’ll be sending BoB ballots out to each of the nominated bloggers.
Ballots Due – Friday, April 24th Tallying the votes of nominees, Clear Admit staff and of our celebrity judges, we’ll compile the list of this year’s very best applicant and student blogs, giving 50% consideration 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 28th Once the votes are in, we’ll publish the category winners as well as the top ten listings in the applicant and student categories. Clear Admit will be presenting prizes to the a select few for their effort and contribution to the community. Second and third place bloggers in the student- and applicant-blogger top 10 rankings will each receive a six-month subscription to the Wall Street Journal or the Financial Times (their choice), and the top-ranked student and applicant blogger will each be given the option of an 16GB iPod Touch or a $300 Amazon.com gift certificate.
That’s all for now – check back on Friday, April 10th for an announcement about this year’s BoB nominees! In the meantime, happy blogging…
Posted by Clear Admit on March 30, 2009, at 3:00 am
Posted in: Admissions Tips , General , Reapplicants As many of our readers know, some leading MBA programs offer admissions feedback sessions to applicants who did not make the admissions cut in a given season. Though we’ve touched upon this subject before, we’d like to use today’s blog entry to underline the importance of these feedback sessions for those of you who are considering reapplication.
While not all schools offer feedback, a handful issue an open invitation to all unsuccessful applicants. Additionally, some programs occasionally offer feedback ‘by invitation’ to top candidates for whom they just didn’t have room that year. In all cases, if you are given the opportunity to get feedback, you should absolutely take advantage of it. There are several reasons for this:
1) Signal commitment to improvement. Signing up for a feedback session demonstrates that you are motivated to learn more about your application’s weaknesses and are seeking to improve going forward (with the intention of reapplication). Most schools make note of these sessions and keep these notes in your file in the event that you do reapply.
2) Get the inside line. A feedback session gives you a chance to learn something about your candidacy – from the source. Feedback sessions can draw your attention to a perceived weakness you were unaware of or confirm your own thoughts with regards to areas for improvement.
3) Telegraph your interest. In addition to demonstrating your passion to improve and your intent to learn more about your candidacy, signing up for a session suggests a dedication to the MBA program in question. Since not all reapplicants bother to get feedback, the fact that you take this aspect of the process seriously can work in your favor.
4) Make a connection. In many cases, a feedback session can be the beginning of a relationship that is forged with a member of the adcom. If the person gives you feedback, you should email them a ‘thank you’ letter and take advantage of the opportunity to develop an advocate for your candidacy on the committee.
Stay tuned to this blog for some tips on proper feedback session etiquette in the near future. In the meantime, be sure to sign up for feedback sessions if your target school offers them. If your target school does not offer this kind of service, you may want to take advantage of Clear Admit’s feedback service, which includes a strategic review of your prior application(s) and a written report highlighting your strengths and weaknesses as well as specific guidance for reapplication. Email info@clearadmit.com if you are interested in learning more about this service.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 27, 2009, at 11:47 am
Posted in: MBA News , School: Chicago In a post to her blog yesterday, Rose Martinelli, director of admissions and financial aid at Chicago Booth School of Business, shared some insight into her team’s round two decisions. She first expressed that overall application quality was very high. “It is obvious that many of you have spent a great deal of time researching, writing and preparing for this process, and it has been a privilege for me to read your stories,” she said.
Wishing a hearty congratulations to those who have been admitted to the Class of 2011, Martinelli went on to explain some of her team’s other decisions.
First she outlined the ways in which Chicago Booth uses its waitlist. Specifically, the waitlist serves as a means of gauging the flow of decisions, viewing the next round’s applicant pool and sizing the class appropriately. This year in particular, when the traditional patterns for students accepting offers of admissions may vary due to current economic challenges, Martinelli suggests that the waitlist may play an even greater role than usual.
“The waitlist is a very good place to be – and we believe you are a good fit/match for Booth,” Martinelli said. It is not about gauging an applicant’s interest in Chicago Booth, she continued.
For those who have been waitlisted, Martinelli encourages you to follow her office’s instructions. Feel free to send appropriate and relevant updates via email to the general admissions address, admissions@chicagobooth.edu. Please, no attachments, she continued. Send any updates in the body of an email and put “waitlist update, your name” in the subject line.
Martinelli explained that her office cannot offer feedback to waitlisted candidates. “We just don’t have the resources,” she said. So she recommended that candidates review their own application to look for areas they might like to supplement. You don’t have to send any additional materials, but if you do, be reasonable in terms of what and how much you send and how often you contact the admissions office, she advised. In terms of a timeline, her office will not begin reviewing the waitlist again until the end of April.
Of course, there’s not much Martinelli can say to ease the blow to applicants who are denied after the interview. Noting that they are some of the hardest decisions they make each year, she did stress that it’s a pure supply and demand problem. “Everyone we invite to interview is extremely talented – that’s a given,” she said. “However, each year we have more great applicants that apply than we have room to admit,” she continued.
She did mention that Chicago Booth will be hosting re-application chats over the summer months for those interested in reapplying. We’ll keep an eye out here at Clear Admit and be sure to notify our readers when those chats have been scheduled.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 27, 2009, at 3:33 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline Could it be that another seven days have gone by since we last checked in on the b-school blogosphere? The Fridays From The Frontline frontierspeople collectively have lived another week of their lives and so and we cannot (and will not) doubt the reality that time has quickly passed to bring us to another weekend. We welcome you back with open arms and open hearts, and hope that you enjoy the following updates in the lives, thoughts and philosophies of those in all stages of the MBA journey and experience.
There is nothing like the peace of mind that accompanies one’s first acceptance letter, as Helen learned after getting the good news from McDonough. Omne, having been waitlisted at UNC and McDonough in the first round, was disappointed to find himself remaining on both schools’ waitlists after round 2 and decided that feeling wanted by Wake Forest was better than being accepted by either of the other schools. Soni, after much established consideration, gave Chicago Booth his vote of confidence…and a sizeable deposit. The.Grey.One decided on Kellogg, and wondered whether changing his visa status was a good move. Kellogg-bound as well, D.G. gave aspirants five admissions tips to consider during their own application process and Alex Tzuckerman used a ven diagram to explain his philosophy on how to go about choosing which programs are worth an individual’s time. Meanwhile, Mike had financial aid packages on his mind. PaloAltoForAwhile encouraged those dealing with b-school application stress to write to release their anxiety, as well as to have something to look back on once all the craziness abates.
Most current MBA students were settling back into school after spring break. This was certainly true for Darden ’10 JulyDream, who began to think that maybe she should have taken at least one light-on-reading course in this quarter. While classes have begun at McCombs, ’09 Paragon2Pieces was still recounting her time in Beijing and how the city compared to Shanghai. Darden ’10 Mechanigal also had to get caught up with one last Brazil post before she could discuss the first week of her fourth quarter. Ross ’09 M@ won’t be going anywhere for MAP, but he linked to a blog written by five fellow Ross students all about their current adventures in Uganda. Darden ’09 Mandy focused not on where she had been during her break, but where she’s headed upon her graduation. Chicago Booth ’09 MaybeMBA had a number of new posts up this week, on subjects ranging from entrepreneurship to the concept of mother guilt. For those starting their school research, Chicago Booth ’09 Anand’s recent post on his school’s course bidding system might be of interest.
For those of you following . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on March 26, 2009, at 3:00 am
Posted in: Campus Chronicles , General This week in our edition of Campus Chronicles we return to MIT’s MBA student newspaper, Fifteen, to get a feel for the latest buzz on campus.
For the second year in a row, a courageous group of Sloanies tackled Mount Kilimanjaro as part of the MIT Sloan Leadership Club’s Kilimanjaro Trek. The group began the ascent at midnight, climbing in the dark for over six hours in order to ascend the 15,000 feet up to the high camp. Samantha Joseph (MBA ’09) raved that she went to Africa with the “best possible team [she] could have imagined,” and the experience was one not to be forgotten. Stating, “Not only did we all make it, we made it as a team,” Samantha indicated that this experience truly allowed the Sloanies to celebrate the power of teamwork, as “the fact that everyone put the success of the team at the forefront of their goals [made] the accomplishment and experience all the better.” The feeling of accomplishment was unmatched, and Samantha encouraged the next year’s class to make this part of their Sloan experience.
Fifteen also celebrates the success of the auctions organized by the MBA cohorts, named after oceans, for a number of charities. Charities included Susan G. Komen, Friday Night Supper, Community Servings, Accion, The Wellness Community of Greater Boston, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The auctions unfolded with many laughs and quite a few surprises. At the Mediterranean Ocean Auction, Paul Buckley, the Mediterranean SAO advisor, announced that he would shave his beard (which he had not shaved in over ten years) if the students raised over $500. As the bidding soon after hit $500, Paul had to make good on his promise. The items auctioned included a dinner with Professor Lo for six people and a bottle of red wine made from grapes grown in an MBA student’s parents’ backyard. While raising thousands of dollars for charity, Sloanies found no end to the entertainment.
Stay tuned next week for another edition of Campus Chronicles!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 25, 2009, at 3:00 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Harvard In a post to her blog yesterday, Harvard Business School (HBS) Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Deirdre Leopold shared that early April will hold something for applicants in each of the school’s three rounds.
Round one applicants who were waitlisted could finally get the news they have been hoping for, according to Leopold. “We will be extending offers of admission to about 40 round one waitlisters shortly after April 2nd,” she said. HBS will continue to maintain its waitlist, and those who remain on it should expect an update in early April from Eileen Chang.
Meanwhile, April 2nd is a big day for round two applicants as well. It’s when all the notifications for that round go out, Leopold continued. Decisions will be released online, and applicants will receive an email instructing them to check their status. Until then, there’s no need to sit anxiously by the phone, Leopold continued. “We won’t be making any congratulatory phone calls in advance of April 2nd!”
Not to leave anyone out, Leopold also shared some news for round three applicants. Many – but not all – interview invitations for this round will be extended on April 3rd.
Good luck everyone! And remember to keep us posted on the Clear Admit Wiki.
Welcome to another installment of Wiki Wednesdays, in which we take a closer look at some of the freshest material in the Clear Admit Wiki, an online repository for MBA applicants to share their experiences with the admissions process. This week, we’re setting the spotlight on Berkeley / Haas and NYU / Stern.
Before flipping the figurative light switch on, we’d like to remind applicants that, today through next Tuesday, March 31st, every fifth piece of content submitted for the Clear Admit Wiki will receive a $10 iTunes gift card. Plus, between now and next Tuesday, March 31st, the first 15 candidates that submit interview reports for Berkeley / Haas, Duke/Fuqua, INSEAD or London Business School will receive a $10 gift certificate to iTunes! (Please note, to be eligible for a prize, content must be e-mailed to wiki@clearadmit.com.)
Blogger RaghuForMBA recently shared his Haas interview with an alumnus:
Explain a time where you were a humble leader. Why Haas? [What are your] goals and how [will] Haas help [you] get there? What do [you] know about Strategy Consulting? How can [you] contribute to class and what [is] unique in [your] candidature?
Swinging over to Stern, a recent Round 2 candidate noted the following questions from an adcom member:
Tell me about doing [a specific extracurricular interest from undergrad]? Why’d you do it? Why MBA/Stern specifically? Where would I find you on the Stern campus? Tell me about a workplace conflict. How would the people who know you best describe you? Where are you on a scale of 1 to 10, if 1 is intelligent and 10 is hard-working?
That closes the curtain on Wiki Wednesdays this week! As always, we’d like to thank everyone who has contributed their experiences with the MBA admissions process. Check in next week for more highlights of the latest additions to the Clear Admit Wiki and, as mentioned above, keep those reports rolling in for a chance to win an iTunes gift card!
Posted by Clear Admit on March 25, 2009, at 3:30 am
Posted in: Poll
Now That You’re In (or Even If You’re Not) What Are You Most Looking Forward To?
Being overwhelmed by the amount of work I’m asked to do, and the talent of those around me. The socializing, traveling and new friends. The chance to be a resource for others, and to be equally educated by them. The opportunity to learn more about an area of business I’ve long been confused by. A break from the daily grind of a 9-to-5 (or 8-to-10) life.
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Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business will launch a new a Masters in Management Studies (MMS) degree program at the end of August, the Financial Times reported last week. Fuqua joins MIT Sloan School of Management and London Business School, which also both have announced that they plan to add MMS programs to their degree offerings.
According to the FT report, Fuqua Dean Blair Sheppard anticipates an initial class size of 90 students, though the school could accommodate up to 120. Tuition for the nine-month program will be $38,000, as compared to $90,000 for the two-year daytime MBA program.
An online application for the new MMS program will be available in April. Applicants are encouraged to apply by June 15th in order to be eligible for scholarship funding. Mandatory orientation for the program will begin on August 31, 2009, and the initial class will graduate in May 2010.
The FT reports that Sheppard believes the timing of the new program’s launch is perfect even amid the current economic crisis because it will offer liberal arts graduates an opportunity to acquire business skills that would widen their recruitment prospects. Sheppard also believes the addition of the program will draw more recruiters to Fuqua, which stands to benefit participants in the school’s traditional MBA program as well.
To learn more about the new MIM degree program at Fuqua, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on March 24, 2009, at 3:39 am
Posted in: School: Chicago , Trivia Tuesday Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday, our weekly look at the policies and programs that impact the student experience at the leading business schools. Today we turn our attention to Chicago Booth’s incoming class, taking a closer look at the smaller groups that help to structure that school’s first-year experience.
Chicago organizes its 550 first-year students into 10 cohorts, and within the cohorts, into 8-9 squads. New students learn their cohort and squad assignments on the first day of CORE, the two-week Chicago pre-term program. Later in the pre-term, the cohorts take a three day camping trip, during which they participate in teambuilding activities and get to know one another better before the beginning of the academic year in late September.
Cohorts Cohorts are purposefully assembled so that each represents the diversity of the class as a whole, with an eye to varying age, gender and professional and ethnic backgrounds within the group. Chicago’s cohorts maintain their names from year to year – Rockefeller, Nobels, Phoenix, Walker, Gargoyles, Bond, Maroons, Harper, Davis and Stuart – creating connections between the students and alumni from each cohort.
Students take the required LEAD class with their cohorts, and the cohort is also the base unit from which members of the Graduate Business Council, Chicago’s student government body, are elected (two per cohort per class). Inter-cohort competitions, such as a series of poker nights with a year-end tournament, take place throughout the first year at Chicago. Despite these activities, Chicago’s cohorts do not seem to foster the strong links created in cohort systems at other schools. This is likely due to the flexibility of Chicago’s core curriculum; at Wharton and Columbia, for instance, cohorts take almost all of their first-year courses together, while Chicago first-year students follow individualized schedules.
Squads Within each cohort, students are assigned to squads, also designed with diversity of members in mind. Squads generally consist of about 6-8 people, and serve as the primary study group during the required first-quarter LEAD class. Students work within their squad on role plays and team projects, and also compete against other squads throughout the course.
Upon completion of LEAD, however, the role of the squad dissipates as students pursue their own paths through Chicago’s core curriculum. Squad members sometimes find themselves in the same courses and reunite as study partners, but the official academic role of the squad ends with the LEAD program.
For more information on the first-year experience at Chicago or other leading business schools, be sure to talk to students or to check out the Clear Admit School Guides!
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