We’re pleased to announce the release of the 2009-2010 versions of the final six of our 18 Clear Admit School Guides, our line of informative and time-saving reports about the leading business schools. The Clear Admit School Guides provide detailed information on all aspects of the student experience at a leading MBA program, and compare the schools in such areas as student demographics, curricular structure and employment statistics. The School Guides present an objective view of what each school offers and what makes each unique. They are a must for serious applicants who are investigating target schools, looking for school-specific details for their essays or just getting up to speed on a program in advance of a campus visit or interview.
Available for immediate purchase and download are the 2009-2010 versions of Darden, INSEAD, Johnson, Tuck, UCLA Anderson and Yale. These titles include the most up-to-date information about the programs, including the latest admissions guidelines, class demographics and placement statistics, and insight into year-by-year trends.
Our entire line of MBA School Guides has now been updated for the 2009-10 admissions cycle, and all 18 are available for immediate download in the Clear Admit shop. More information on the Guides’ contents and the online ordering process is available in the School Guides section of our website.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 31, 2009, at 3:40 pm
Posted in:  Essay Topics , School: Cornell / Johnson Though Johnson has not yet released its 2009-2010 application or its application deadlines, the school’s admissions office has indicated that the essay topics will remain the same as last year’s set. The three required essays are below:
1. Describe your greatest professional achievement and how you were able to add value to your organization. [400 words]
2. What career do you plan to pursue upon completing the MBA and why? How will the Johnson School help you achieve this goal? [400 words]
3. You are the author for the book of Your Life Story. Please write the Table of Contents for the book. [400 words]
Posted by Clear Admit on July 31, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Yale Last month, the Yale School of Management (SOM) hosted 41 college students on its campus as part of an inaugural Pre-MBA Leadership Program designed to help underrepresented minority students gain a better understanding of the benefits of going to business school. For two weeks in June, the students took part in some of the same classes and activities that Yale SOM first-year students experience.
Arriving on campus on June 14th, the students dove into classes and leadership development activities while also learning how to impress prospective employers, meeting with SOM alumni and creating business plans for empty storefronts on New Haven’s Audubon Street.
“This was a real approximation of what it’s like for first-year students here,” said Heidi Brooks, a lecturer in organizational behavior and one of the program’s faculty directors. “We didn’t go easy on anyone,” she continued. “There was a ton of work, and students tackled it with enthusiasm and commitment.”
Top faculty took students through 10 SOM courses – including a three-hour version of State & Society, one of the school’s nine Organizational Perspectives for first-year students. The classes came complete with long reading lists, projects and cold-calling. But activities outside of class were also designed to showcase the vibrant student life and sense of community students can hope to find at Yale SOM, Brooks said.
Brooks developed the program with James Baron, the William S. Beinecke Professor of Management, and several SOM faculty, staff and second-year students. The idea behind the program is to give students who otherwise might not apply to SOM – or business schools in general – a chance to experience management education firsthand.
Program participants were recruited from a variety of colleges and universities around the country with particular emphasis on historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and tribal colleges.
“These were good students and I am sure that we would be happy to see some of them matriculate eventually, but their application to SOM was not the point,” Brooks said. “We don’t view this as a recruiting program, but as a broader public service,” she said, noting SOM’s mission to education leaders for business and society.
“Our plan is to identify potential leaders and help start them on their way,” Brooks said.” The program was a successful and enjoyable experience for the students, faculty and staff involved so we hope to continue to offer it,” she added.
For more about Yale SOM’s Pre-MBA Leadership Program, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 31, 2009, at 10:22 am
Posted in: Deadlines , School: UT Austin / McCombs The UT Austin / McCombs deadlines for the 2009-2010 admissions season have been announced. McCombs runs on a rolling admissions system, and candidates can expect a decision 10-13 weeks after submitting their applications (excluding two weeks around the Christmas holiday). The deadlines are below:
Early deadline for all applications: November 2, 2009
Final deadline for all international applications; second deadline for all domestic applications: January 15, 2010
Final deadline for all domestic applications: April 1, 2010
The McCombs online application for Fall 2010 enrollment is expected to be launched in mid-September.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 31, 2009, at 10:15 am
Posted in: Deadlines , School: UCLA / Anderson The UCLA / Anderson deadlines for the 2009-2010 admissions season have been announced. Anderson operates on three rounds of admissions, and all applications are due by 9:00 p.m. PST. The deadlines are below:
Round 1 Deadline: October 14, 2009 GMAT / TOEFL by: September 30, 2009 Decision: January 13, 2010
Round 2 Deadline: January 6, 2010 GMAT / TOEFL by: December 31, 2009 Decision: March 31, 2010
Round 3 Deadline: March 17, 2010 GMAT / TOEFL by: February 28, 2010 Decision: May 19, 2010
Posted by Clear Admit on July 31, 2009, at 3:07 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline Another week has flown by and it’s time again for another round of Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s weekly blog post dedicated to sharing the ups and downs of the MBA applicant and student blogosphere. Much has happened since we last checked in with bloggers, some aspirants have made serious progress in their application process while first-year students are beginning to arrive on their respective campuses. The ever-growing applicant blogger pool continued to have a wide variety of thoughts and experiences worth sharing with their readers. Steve found an article about MBA compensation that he thought would be interesting to share, and posted photographs of the crazy summer weather the Northeast has been having. XLick completed his Columbia application but planned to check and re-check it for a few weeks before finally submitting it to the adcom. Bizwiz continued to travel the roads of the west coast taking many great photographs of nature. Illuminati reviewed a book written by a Stanford graduate, and compared the Manhattan GMAT practice exams to those of Kaplan or GPrep. Aj explained why she wanted to work abroad at this juncture in her life while Procrastinator outlined the pros and cons, as he saw them, of MIT Sloan. And Rocky Balboa shared some of the information he received from helpful conversations with Fuqua and Wharton students.
Second year students were finishing up their internships and looking ahead to job searches. INSEAD ’09 MBAMRS was not in the best of spirits and gave a few reasons for this state of mind, including a high-pitched and pink-clad supervisor at her current internship. Darden ’10 Mechanigal was in the midst of completing the last week of her internship and was looking forward to some un-hurried time with her family before returning to Charlottesville. McCombs ’10 Metal, after considering the Mandarin symbol for risk, took on a new freelance project. Darden ’10 JulyDream pondered what questions she’d like to ask the CFO of the company for which she has been interning.
Kellogg ’12 Jeremy recounted his experience at a Bain recruiting event, and the importance the recruiter gave to those with strong finance skills. BU ’11 Felish summed up her summer in pictures. Kellogg ’11 Orlando looked back on his college years and his time at IBM as he prepared to write goodbye emails to many of his co-workers. Goizueta ’11 Ahembeea recounted his first few days of International Student Orientation. Fuqua ’11 Strange Consultant was also participating in orientation activities and commented on the significance of Facebook in getting to know his classmates. Kellogg ’11 D.G. identified a few characteristics anyone who wants to succeed in venture capital must posess, like business acumen and people . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on July 30, 2009, at 5:08 pm
Posted in: Events On Tuesday, August 4th, join Clear Admit as we host another of our popular and free webinars focused on business school application strategy. Attendees can join us online as we discuss key topics in business school admissions including what MBA programs look for in candidates, the relative importance of the application components and compensating for weaknesses in your application. Participants will also have the opportunity to have questions answered by Clear Admit’s knowledgeable admissions counselors.
The webinar has a limited number of spaces, so make sure to reserve your spot early!
If interested, please send an email to seminar@clearadmit.com. Space is limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first served-basis, so secure your spot early. The webinar will be held at 7 p.m. EST and will run until 8 p.m.
Email us now to participate in this valuable and informative webinar! We will notify you if you have successfully secured a spot.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 30, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: GMAT Test Prep Company Series ~ A CLEAR ADMIT EXCLUSIVE ~
Today we’ll conclude our series on GMAT test preparation companies with a look at Test Prep New York (TPNY), a unique firm founded by Bara Sapir, a pioneer in the test prep industry. TPNY is the first company to seriously address test anxiety, and Sapir’s tutoring integrates traditional, academic test prep with human potential techniques, such as relaxation, hypnosis and other holistic methods to help test-takers reduce stress and build confidence.
In the interview that follows, you’ll learn more from Sapir about the company she founded and what sets it apart from other test preparation offerings on the market.
Clear Admit: How many of your instructors work with students preparing for the GMAT exam? Who are they? What are their qualifications? What markets do they serve?
Bara Sapir: Our GMAT specialists are very accomplished; Some have PhDs in cognitive linguistics, English or math, and some have MBAs. They all have extensive training and experience tutoring the GMAT. I myself work with GMAT test-takers, and hold a masters degree in education and certification in hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming and Reiki.
While we feature top tutors with stellar educational backgrounds, what is most significant is their ability to communicate information and teach. Our tutors are able to impart information, inspire change and help students be their most high-performing selves. In terms of the markets we serve, we are based in New York City and have tutors in Washington, DC; Boston and Chicago and Los Angeles. We work in other markets, including internationally, through the use of technology that supports distance learning.
CA: Describe the type of candidate you feel would be best served by Test Prep New York’s approach to GMAT prep? What sets Test Prep New York apart from other test prep companies?
BS: Our personalized service, attention to detail and hybrid of human potential methods, along with content mastery, sets up apart. Often those who benefit most through one-on-one tutoring, are those who are serious about study and value their time, since individual tutoring is designed to provide streamlined customized and comprehensive attention as compared with one-size-fits-all classroom courses.
Getting the student into the optimal mindset for the exam definitely differentiates us from other educational companies. We help each student to learn the necessary skills to be their best test-taking self. For some students that’s getting them to relax. For others, it’s fully understanding the language, math and strategy sufficiently. For students who are hindered by anxiety, we might teach them guided visualization, EFT (an energetic system based on Chinese meridians, somewhat like acupuncture without the needles), use sound therapy and biofeedback. Basically, we employ a series of scientifically proven effective tools as needed to get a student fully ready for the exam.
While the test is standardized, each student is unique and needs to follow a different protocol – somewhat like going to a doctor. Some students understand the material but have trouble with performing consistently, so with them we would employ some of the . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on July 30, 2009, at 11:30 am
Posted in: Admissions Tips , Reapplicants , School: Chicago Taking advantage of a quiet day before her team returns from vacation next week, University of Chicago Booth School of Business Director of Admissions Rose Martinelli devoted a recent post on her blog to the reapplication process, noting that she’s received several requests for information about it from prospective re-applicants. First, Martinelli recommends carefully evaluating whether reapplying makes sense for you. For starters, she advises, take a look at your original application, including any additional information you may have submitted through the waitlist process. “The objective is to understand how well you presented yourself in your original application and identify if there are any areas that you can improve upon this year,” she writes. It’s not a bad idea to ask a friend or colleague for feedback as well, she adds. Second, think about what you learned as part of the initial application process. Have your goals changed or become clearer? Can you provide evidence of greater strengths or progress this year in key areas such as academics, career advancement or community involvement? “In summary, are there things that you would do differently now just because you know the process AND yourself better?” she asks. Finally, if based on the above considerations you do feel like you’ll make a strong re-applicant candidate, tackle the application itself. Think about the key messages you want to convey and how to do so most strategically through your essays and presentation. Though the Chicago Booth admissions team will include your prior application in your file, you should make sure that your new application presents a complete picture of you as an applicant.
And don’t take shortcuts, Martinelli advises. “My recommendation is that you take a fresh approach to crafting your application this year and avoid adapting old essays or presentations,” she suggests. Martinelli plans a subsequent post in the near future devoted to more practical reapplication questions, so keep an eye out for it on the Rose Report. Or, if you have specific questions, she invites you to email her directly.
Best of luck! And if you would like help evaluating whether or not you should reapply or preparing a second application, don’t hesitate to contact Clear Admit’s team of admissions consultants by calling (215) 568-2590 or emailing info@clearadmit.com.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 30, 2009, at 9:09 am
Posted in: Deadlines , School: IESE The IESE deadlines for the 2009-2010 admissions season are now online. The six deadlines are as follows:
Round 1 Deadline: October 26, 2009 Notification: December 4, 2009
Round 2 Deadline: November 30, 2009 Notification: January 29, 2010
Round 3 Deadline: January 18, 2010 Notification: March 19, 2010
Round 4 Deadline: February 22, 2010 Notification: April 16, 2010
Round 5 Deadline: April 19, 2010 Notification: May 21, 2010
Round 6 Deadline: June 7, 2010 Notification: July 2, 2010
Posted by Clear Admit on July 30, 2009, at 3:00 am
Posted in: Essay Topic Analysis , School: ISB Today we’ll be taking a look at this season’s essay questions for the Indian School of Business. The application requires that candidates respond to three questions about their backgrounds, prior experiences, and professional progress and goals. There’ s nothing out of the ordinary here when it comes to essay topics, though the narrow 300 word limit for each of these responses requires that applicants pack a good deal of information into a mere 900 words.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the school’s essays:
Essay 1: Give 3 reasons as to why you should be selected to the class of 2011. These reasons should ideally differentiate you from the applicant pool and should be backed with some data. (300 words) The ISB admissions committee is likely wondering two things in asking this one question. The first might relate to what an MBA from ISB would mean to the applicant, and to the industry or community that is the focus of his or her professional goals. Candidates with professional aspirations that are especially high-impact or unusual with respect to the applicant pool might choose to mention them in this essay. If an MBA would carry great personal significance – for example, if an applicant were the first in his or her family to complete an advanced degree – this could also be appropriate to mention briefly.
The above reading, though, will apply to a relatively small portion of the applicant pool. The second (and more obvious) interpretation of this prompt is: “What’s in it for us?” In responding to this question, candidates will want to highlight aspects of their candidacies that will set them apart from other applicants, and that also translate to some contribution they could make to the ISB community and the experience of their classmates. The door is wide open to all manner of qualities, interests and skills from the professional, academic, extracurricular and personal realms, so take some time to reflect on what truly makes you unique, and what impact that will enable you to have at ISB.
Essay 2: Describe a challenging assignment you have handled (at work or outside) to date. What were the challenges and how did you handle them? What were the personal lessons you derived from this assignment? (300 words) This prompt asks candidates to recount a time they rose to the occasion to take on a difficult task. There’s a good deal of ground to cover in this situational question, so economy of language will be important. Setting the scene up front and providing all of the context and challenges at the opening of the essay will enable you to take the reader through your actions in the situation and illustrate the lessons you learned.
As you think on examples you might cover in this essay, think about experiences that have led to significant growth or the learning of an especially important lesson. A range of situations could be appropriate, so . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on July 29, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: GMAT News , School: Penn / Wharton , School: Virginia / Darden The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School is the latest among top business schools that plan to allow prospective applicants to submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in lieu of the long-favored Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), according to a recent BusinessWeek article.
The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business made a similar announcement earlier this year, bringing the number of MBA programs accepting GRE scores to more than 250, BusinessWeek reports.
“We are trying to open up a little bit the different types of people that we want to apply to business school and we don’t want to create additional hurdles for them to do so,” Wharton Dean J.J. Cutler told BusinessWeek. By accepting GRE scores, schools are hoping to attract more dual-degree students, younger applicants and international applicants from countries without GMAT access.
Stanford Graduate School of Business and MIT’s Sloan School of Management began accepting the GRE several years ago. And earlier this spring, Harvard Business School announced that it, too, would allow applicants to submit GRE scores for admission to its regular MBA program as well as its 2+2 Program, which accepts students straight out of college who agree to complete two years of approved work experience before beginning their MBA.
“Now that Harvard has accepted it, I anticipate over the summer and into the fall we’re going to see a rapid increase of other business schools accepting it,” David Payne, head of the GRE program for Educational Testing Service (ETS), told BusinessWeek.
Behind the trend toward accepting GRE scores is a change in the relationship between ETS and the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), which owns and administers the GMAT. On Jan. 1, 2006, GMAC ended its contract with ETS, which had been its partner in developing and delivering the GMAT exam for decades. GMAC moved instead to a new testing administrator, Pearson VUE, which freed ETS from non-complete clauses with GMAC that had previously prohibited it from promoting the GRE to business schools as an alternative exam.
And since then, promoting the GRE is just what ETS has done . “Once they ended the contract with us, we were able to move into this market,” ETS’s Payne, told BusinessWeek.
As business schools move toward accepting the GRE, they are able to appeal to a broader audience of applicants who might otherwise have been dissuaded from applying by the prospect of having to study for and take more than one exam. ETS, which has been aggressively marketing the GRE to business school admissions officers in recent months, has also been promoting its $150 exam as a more affordable option for applicants than the $250 GMAT.
To read the complete BusinessWeek article, click here. For additional background on the growing competition between the GRE and GMAT competition, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on July 29, 2009, at 8:45 am
Posted in: Poll
How Many MBA Programs are you Targeting for Admission?
I will be applying to 8 or more programs. Some program is bound to love me! I will be applying to 7 or 8 programs. You can never be too careful in competitive times! I will be applying to 5 or 6 programs across a range of admissions difficulty. I will be applying to 2-4 programs – I’m a busy professional and don’t have time for more. I will apply to one school only – it’s a match made in heaven and I wouldn’t be happy anywhere else.
View Results
Loading …
Posted by Clear Admit on July 28, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Chicago The University of Chicago Booth School of Business announced earlier this month the addition of several new MBA courses that will be available to students when the 2009-10 academic year gets underway on September 24th.
The new courses come in addition to previously announced curriculum changes that took effect in the summer quarter for all new students, changes designed to provide even greater flexibility within an MBA program already considered one of the most flexible of top-tier schools.
New courses added for the fall include Analytics of Financial Crises, an advanced course that uses the tools of corporate finance to analyze financial crises; the Firm and the Non-Market Environment, which will examine business lobbying, regulation, environmental issues, corporate social responsibility and other topics; and Introductory Finance, a hybrid class that will cover both corporate finance and investments.
A fourth new course, Business, Politics and Ethics, will help students learn to better analyze business situations that raise moral dilemmas or appear to call for unpopular actions. Also new this fall will be Advanced Microeconomic Theory and Game Theory courses.
Meanwhile, the curriculum changes that took effect this summer at Chicago Booth give students even greater ability to design a curriculum to meet individual career goals. Graduation requirements for students in the full-time MBA program remain the same – nine required courses, 11 electives and a leadership course – but more approved substitute classes have been added to satisfy the nine required courses.
Finally, Chicago Booth also has added a new academic concentration in analytical management and will now require all students in the evening MBA program and weekend MBA program to take a leadership development course similar to the one required of full-time students.
For more on these additions and changes to the Chicago Booth curriculum, click here.
|
