MBA Planner 2.0
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Interview Reports

A selection of interview field reports from fellow applicants posted to the MBA Admissions Wiki. Add your reports when you are finished with your interviews.
Chicago
Columbia
Dartmouth / Tuck
Duke / Fuqua
Harvard
Kellogg
Michigan / Ross
MIT / Sloan
Stanford
UNC / Chapel Hill
Virginia / Darden
Wharton
London Business School

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.

Program Rankings

Rankings are a good way to start your research on various MBA Programs. Keep in mind each uses a different methodology.
Business Week
Economist
Financial Times
Forbes
USNews
Wall Street Journal

B-School Resources

The following are business resources offered by a variety of leading Business Schools. It's useful to subscribe to these resources, especially for the schools to which you are applying.
knowledge@wharton
INSEAD Knowledge
Harvard Working Knowledge
Knowledge @ Emory
Columbia Ideas @ Work
knowledge@ W. P. Carey
Stanford Knowledgebase
Ross Thought in Action

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.

Additional Resources

Archives

Head of Women’s Recruiting for Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business Looks Forward to Forte Foundation Fall Events

As students return to campus at Dartmouth University’s Tuck School of Business, the head of women’s recruiting for the school is gearing up to attend a range of fall events targeting prospective women MBAs throughout the country.

In a recent post to the Tuck Admissions Blog, Patricia Harrison, head of women’s recruiting at Tuck, outlined some of the fall events on tap planned by the Forte Foundation, a consortium of top business schools and major corporations focused on increasing the number of women business leaders. Tuck is one of Forte’s founding members.

Each fall, according to Harrison’s post, Forte hosts events in seven cities across the country called Forte Forums. “The Forums are a great networking opportunity to learn . . . → Continue Reading

My Top 5 Surprises in Applying to Business School, by Eric Bahn

We’re pleased to share a special guest article from Beat the GMAT Founder Eric Bahn.  As many of you know, beyond running a leading GMAT discussion forum, Eric has also been through the MBA admissions process.  He’s been kind enough to share some of his thoughts on applying to business school with our readers.  Without further ado, here’s Eric’s article.

My Top 5 Surprises in Applying to Business School

Having successfully gone through the business school admissions cycle last Fall, I wish to share a few surprises I encountered from the process.  As the founder of Beat The GMAT, you would think that I would have known a lot about business school admissions by the time I applied—yeah, I thought so too.  From my perspective, applying . . . → Continue Reading

Participate in Clear Admit’s Free MBA Admissions Strategy Webinar!

Tomorrow,  Tuesday, September 1, 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. . . . → Continue Reading

London Business School Deadlines and Essay Topics 2009-2010

The London Business School deadlines and essay topics for the 2009-2010 admissions season have been released. The deadlines are below:

Round 1
Deadline: October 7, 2009
Notification: December 16, 2009

Round 2
Deadline: January 6, 2010
Notification: March 25, 2010

Round 3
Deadline: March 3, 2010
Notification:  May 20, 2010

Round 4
Deadline: April 21, 2010
Notification: July 2, 2010

The 2009-2010 essay topics have also been published and are as follows:

Question 1 (600 words):
In what role do you see yourself working immediately after graduation?  Why?  How will your past and present experiences help you achieve this?  How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal? Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?

Question 2 (200 words):
Where do you see your career progressing five years . . . → Continue Reading

Admissions Tip: Off-Campus Information Sessions

For all those applicants who have recently opened a calendar to plot out the next few months only to realize they can’t possibly fit in campus visits on top of full time jobs and essay writing, never fear!  It’s true that traveling to a school’s campus is the ideal way to learn about their MBA program, but visiting is often not a viable option for applicants who are located remotely or unsure of their level of interest in a given school.  The good news is that business schools might very well come to them.  Many b-schools are getting ready to hit the road and embark on worldwide tours to dispense information and recruit qualified applicants.  Such events offer a great opportunity . . . → Continue Reading

CMU / Tepper Essay Topics 2009-2010

Though its application is not due to arrive online until early September, CMU / Tepper has posted its essay topics, which vary only slightly from last year’s admissions season.  The prompts (12-point font, double-spaced) are:

A. What are your short-term and long-term goals? How will a Tepper MBA help you to achieve these goals. (Please include any information regarding what steps you have taken to learn more about the Tepper School.)

B. The Tepper School’s culture relies on all members to be active contributors to our community. With your values, experiences, and interests, how will you make a unique contribution to the Tepper community? Your examples . . . → Continue Reading

UNC / Kenan-Flagler Essay Topics 2009-2010

Recently, UNC / Kenan-Flagler released its application for September 2010 intake and with it, this year’s essay topics.  Followers of MBA admissions will note that Kenan-Flagler has maintained the first three prompts from last admissions season, while including a new fourth question as well as two optional essays.  The topics are below:

1.  What are the 2 or 3 strengths or characteristics that have driven your career success thus far? Do you have other strengths that you would like to leverage in the future? (500 words maximum)

2.  Briefly describe the career path you intend to pursue immediately after b-school. Explain why this career option appeals to you and why . . . → Continue Reading

Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Appoints Five New Professors

The Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley this week announced the appointment of five scholars to join the school’s faculty as assistant professors this fall. The appointments come even amid California’s significant budget crisis.

The new appointments include Lucas Davis, who joins the economic analysis and public policy group; William Fuchs, the newest member of the Haas finance group; Ming Hsu, who will join the school’s marketing group; Atif Mian, who joins the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics; and Leif Nelson, who also joins the Haas marketing group.

Collectively, the academics have published nearly three dozen research papers and won numerous honors and awards. Davis brings expertise in the area of energy and environmental economics. . . . → Continue Reading

Fridays From The Frontline

Hi there, and welcome to Fridays From The Frontlines, Clear Admit’s continuing coverage of the copious bloggers of the MBA blogosphere. As August comes to a close, things are heating up in the applicant pool; more essays are  completed, school choices are honed and worries over recommenders grow. For those who have successfully gained entrance into b-schools, classes have either started or will be starting very soon. Summer’s relatively easy schedule is being replaced with 80 page readings and non-stop socializing. Just another week for b-school bloggers!

Steve shared an article about women in finance and explained how he defined ‘risky.’ Xlick extolled the virtues of Clear Admit’s wiki, especially in terms of interview preparation. AtypicalHBS was struggling . . . → Continue Reading

BusinessWeek Reports First Decline in International Admissions to U.S. Graduate Schools Since 2004

Citing a recent report by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), BusinessWeek this week reported that U.S. graduate schools’ admission offers to prospective international students fell sharply this year, the first decline in five years. On average, international admits declined by 3 percent, with several countries reporting double-digit declines, according to BW.

“The declines this year were steeper than I expected,” Nathan Bell, the author of the report and the council’s director of research and policy analysis, told BW. “It is very unlikely that we will see any increase at all in first-time enrollment of international students this fall, and that will be a shift from what we’ve seen.”

The declines came amid a 4 percent overall increase in international applications. . . . → Continue Reading

Participate in Clear Admit’s Free MBA Admissions Strategy Webinar!

Next  Tuesday, September 1, 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. . . . → Continue Reading

Reminder: MBA Tour (September 3rd – 27th)

This September, prospective b-school applicants in the United States will have the unique opportunity to participate in a series of MBA program information sessions hosted by The MBA Tour. These events give interested individuals the chance to meet with representatives from some of the leading MBA programs in order to learn more about all aspects of their target programs.

To help prospective students gain an insider’s look into their target schools, The MBA Tour events are broken into a series of MBA panel presentations, individual school presentations and networking opportunities.  Each event also includes an open fair during which attendees can mingle with and ask questions of school representatives. During these events, candidates can ask admissions officers, alumni and current students questions . . . → Continue Reading

Clear Admit Releases Free Strategy Series Guide to GMAT Test Preparation Companies

Is applying to business school in your near future? If so, you are probably also beginning to think about the entrance exams that are part of the application process. In that case, you won’t want to miss the latest release in Clear Admit’s extensive line of publications, which provides unbiased, in-depth profiles of all the major GMAT test-prep companies in the United States and abroad. Best of all, this valuable and informative guide is free.

Hot off the presses, the Clear Admit Guide to GMAT Test Preparation Companies builds on an earlier content series posted here on the Clear Admit blog, which featured interviews with the heads of each of the 10 top GMAT test-prep companies. The 38-page guide goes into even . . . → Continue Reading

What’s Your GMAT Prep Approach?

With yesterday’s release of Clear Admit’s free Guide to GMAT Test Preparation Companies, we thought a poll about prepping for the test was in order for today! 

How Do You Prepare for the GMAT Exam?

I’ve gotten old study guides and take a sample test maybe once a week, just to get used to the structure of the exam.
In addition to my independent study, I hired a tutor and enrolled in classes with a GMAT prep company.
I plan on waking up, getting out of bed, getting to the test site ten minutes before the exam starts, and winging it. It worked fine for my . . . → Continue Reading

GMAT Exam Test-Taking Volume Abroad Surpasses United States

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the entrance exam required of prospective applicants by the majority of MBA programs throughout the world, is now more popular among international applicants than it is among U.S. students, according to a recent report in the Financial Times.

Several countries have seen strong growth in terms of GMAT registration volume, including China, Germany, Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, according to the Graduate Management Admissions Council, which owns and administers the GMAT. “What we are seeing is incredible,” GMAC President Dave Wilson told the FT.

But Wilson also acknowledged that test-taking volume has dropped in some other markets.  In India, test-taking volume has fallen by 28 percent, and in South Korea, by 30 percent. Wilson . . . → Continue Reading

Trivia Tuesday: Health Sector Management at Fuqua

It’s time once again for Trivia Tuesday, our regular exploration of the special programs and opportunities that differentiate the leading business schools. This week we take a peek into the Clear Admit School Guide to Fuqua, and share an excerpt on Fuqua’s Health Sector Management program.

“Duke University began offering healthcare education in 1930 alongside the opening of the Duke Hospital. In the more than three-quarters of a century since then, the Health Sector Management program (HSM) has evolved into one of the preeminent healthcare management education programs in the nation, alongside Wharton’s Health Care Systems major.  After moving first-year HSM courses to the business school in 1986, the HSM program became fully integrated . . . → Continue Reading

BusinessWeek Taps Clear Admit Co-Founder to Advise International MBA Applicants

Citing tough times for international applicants to U.S. MBA programs – amid stricter loan requirements and reduced availability of student and post-MBA employment visas – BusinessWeek recently turned to Clear Admit co-founder Graham Richmond to sort out the situation and advise applicants on how best to navigate it.

BW hosted a live chat between Richmond and its business school reporter, Francesca Di Meglio, last week and subsequently published a transcript of the conversation. “The good news is that today’s news is much more positive than the headlines of this winter for loans, student visas and post-MBA employment visas,” Richmond offered as introduction.

He went on to field a range of questions from prospective applicants participating in the online chat as well as from . . . → Continue Reading

Cornell / Johnson Deadlines 2009-2010

The Cornell / Johnson deadlines have been released! The deadlines are as follows:

Round 1
Deadline: October 6, 2009
Notification: December 17, 2009

Round 2
Deadline: November 12, 2009
Notification: February 16, 2010

Round 3
Deadline: January 12, 2010
Notification: March 23, 2010

Round 4
Deadline: March 30, 2010
Notification: May 6, 2010

International applicants should note that they are encouraged to apply by the Round 3 deadline. To view the Cornell / Johnson essay topic analysis for this year’s essays, click . . . → Continue Reading

Admissions Tip: The Optional Essay

We realize that the questions of whether to answer an optional essay and, if so, what to say are ones that loom large for many b-school applicants at this time of year. While we’ve been offering a great deal of school-specific essay advice over the past few months, we wanted to take some time to suggest a few considerations that applicants might want to take into account when making this call.

Is it relevant?
Perhaps this goes without saying, but the only information worth sharing in an optional essay is that which will make a material difference in your candidacy. Whether you wish to comment on an exciting leadership role you’ve just taken on or explain that you were overextended extracurricularly during that . . . → Continue Reading

Google’s Head of People Operations Welcomes Yale SOM Class of 2011

The 223 new members of the Yale School of Management class of 2011 have arrived on campus, and alumnus Laszlo Bock (MBA ’99), the vice president of people operations for Google, helped welcome them by describing his own career path and what he looks for as part of evaluating up to 7,000 resumes a day for the Silicon Valley search-engine giant.

“Twelve years ago, I was in your seat,” he said as means of introduction. “Having checked this, on average you are more experienced, more accomplished, with better grades, and better tests scores, but in every other way we are exactly alike,” he continued, drawing a laugh from the crowd.

According to Bock, his first year at SOM was a humbling one that . . . → Continue Reading

Fridays From The Frontline

Hi there, and welcome to another edition of Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s faithful filing of the the goings-on of the MBA blogosphere. This week was a little on the quiet side for current students. We assume that they are either overwhelmed by orientation, or soaking up the last few days of relative calm before fall courses pick back up. The pool of aspirants, on the other hand, were typing up a storm on subjects ranging from their exam preparations  to their feelings about different essay prompts.

Steve took a practice test and rewound his weekend. Xlick found that he had an inaccurate ‘bloggleganger’ (that’s a made up word for a doppleganger found in the blogosphere). Bizwiz . . . → Continue Reading

London Business School President Steps Down

Not too many months ago we reported here that London Business School had appointed Robin Buchanan as its new president as part of a reshuffling of responsibilities at the school. Buchanan assumed the president’s role when Sir Andrew Likierman, professor of management practice in accounting, replaced him as the school’s dean. Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported that Buchanan has now stepped down as president, leaving the future of that role at the school unclear.

Before shifting to president in January of this year, Buchanan had served as dean at LBS for barely 16 months. Coming to LBS from management consulting firm Bain and Co., where he had worked for almost 25 years, he was only the second non-academic . . . → Continue Reading