2009 September » Clear Admit: MBA Admissions Consultants Blog

APPLICANT RESOURCES

Have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Research schools on the go and keep your applications organized with Clear Admit's new MBA Planner App! Now available in a free 'Lite' version too!

Admissions Director Q&A
Below are links to Clear Admit's exclusive interviews with MBA admissions directors at leading programs.
Dawna Clarke (Tuck)
Rose Martinelli (Chicago)
Judith Hodara (Wharton)
Sara Neher (Darden)
Soojin Kwon Koh (Michigan)
Randall Sawyer (Cornell)
Beth Flye (Kellogg)
David Simpson (LBS)
Liz Riley Hargrove (Duke)
Linda Meehan (Columbia)
Bruce DelMonico (Yale)
Peter Johnson (Berkeley)
Isser Gallogly (NYU)
Mae Jennifer Shores (UCLA)
J.J. Cutler (Wharton)
Jake Cohen (INSEAD)
Rod Garcia (MIT Sloan)
Mary Miller (Columbia)

Clear Admit School Guides
Become an expert on your target schools overnight! Get the program-specific details you need to craft essays that stand out. See how schools compare head-to-head in key areas like recruiting, curricular structure, elective offerings and more. Available for immediate download. As featured in the Economist.

Clear Admit Career Guides
Understand career-specific offerings at leading MBA programs and identify the schools that will best support your career goals with the Clear Admit Career Guides! Available for Consulting, Investment Banking, Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Healthcare.

Clear Admit Strategy Series
Craft a winning application with the Clear Admit Strategy Series! Step-by-Step guidance through the application process. Titles include a Resume Guide, Recommendations Guide, Waitlist Guide and more!

Clear Admit Interview Guides
Be as prepared as possible for your MBA interviews this season with the Clear Admit Interview Guides! School-specific sample questions and in-depth strategy, campus visit details and places to stay.

Application Deadlines
Below are the upcoming deadlines for admission to top-tier schools.
Feb 10: INSEAD R3
Mar 1: Michigan / Ross R3
Mar 3: CBS
Mar 3: LBS R3
Mar 4: Kellogg R3
Mar 8: Cambridge / Judge R4
Mar 8: CMU / Tepper R3
Mar 9: Duke / Fuqua R3
Mar 9: Penn / Wharton R3
Mar 10: Berkeley / Hass R4
Mar 10: Chicago Booth R3
Mar 10: Yale SOM R3
Mar 15: NYU / Stern R3
Mar 17: UCLA / Anderson R3
Mar 19: UNC / Kenan-Flagler R4
Mar 30: Cornell / Johnson R4
Mar 31: UVA / Darden R3
Mar 31: INSEAD R4
Apr 1: UT-Austin / McCombs
Apr 2: Dartmouth / Tuck R3
Apr 2: Oxford / Saїd R3
Apr 7: Stanford GSB R4
Apr 8: Harvard R3
Apr 14: CBS

Essay Topic Analysis
Below are links to our comments on some of the top programs' essay topics.
The Career Goals Essay
Berkeley / Haas*
Chicago Booth*
CMU / Tepper*
Columbia*
Cornell / Johnson*
Dartmouth / Tuck*
Duke / Fuqua*
Harvard*
Indian School of Business*
INSEAD*
London Business School*
MIT / Sloan*
Michigan / Ross*
Northwestern / Kellogg*
NYU / Stern*
Oxford / Said*
Penn / Wharton*
Stanford GSB*
UCLA / Anderson*
UNC / Kenan-Flagler*
USC / Marshall*
UT Austin / McCombs*
UVA / Darden*
Yale SOM*
* denotes '09-'10 commentary

Categories
Use categories to access all that has been written on each of the topics. We have categorized by school and by subject matter.

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

GMAT Resources
MBA.com
Manhattan GMAT
GMAT Club
Princeton Review
Test Prep New York
Kaplan
Beat The GMAT
Knewton

Writing Resources
Guide to Grammar and Writing
The Internet Grammar of English
English Usage, Style and Composition
The Economist Style Guide
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant

School 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

Career Guides
The following resources should be useful to those who want to research the careers open to them after (or before) earning an MBA.
Vault.com
Wetfeet

Business 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.

MBA Programs: North America
If an MBA Program is not listed, please e-mail and we will be happy to list it.
Berkeley / Haas
Boston College / Carroll
Carnegie Mellon / Tepper
Chicago
Columbia
Concordia
Cornell / Johnson
Dartmouth / Tuck
Duke / Fuqua
Emory / Goizueta
Harvard
HEC Montreal
Indiana / Kelley
Michigan
MIT / Sloan
Northwestern / Kellogg
New York / Stern
North Carolina / Kenan Flagler
Notre Dame / Mendoza
Pennsylvania / Wharton
Queens
Stanford
Syracuse / Whitman
Texas / McCombs
Thunderbird
Toronto
USC / Marshall
UCLA / Anderson
Vanderbilt / Owen
Virginia / Darden
Washington University in St. Louis / Olin
Western Ontario / Ivey
Yale

MBA Programs: 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.
AGSM (Australia) 2
Cambridge / Judge (UK) 1
CIEBS (China) 2
Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (China) 1
Cranfield School of Mgmt (UK) 1
ESADE (Spain) 1 or 2
HEC (France) 2
Hult (UK) 1
IESE (Spain) 2
IMD (Switzerland) 1
INCAE (Costa Rica) 2
INSEAD (France) 1
IPADE (Mexico)
ISB (India) 1
London Business School (UK) 2
Manchester Bus. School (UK) 2
Melbourne (Australia) 2
Oxford / Said (UK) 1
Rotterdam (Netherlands) 1
Tsinghua IMBA (China) 2
University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) 1

Additional Resources
Here we link a host of additional resources available across the web. E-mail info@clearadmit.com to have resources added to this list.
AACSB International
Association of MBAs
Beyond Grey Pinstripes
EFMD
gradschools.com (worldwide)
Infozee
International Student Loans
mba.com (GMAT Scores)
MBAInfo
mbaleague.blogspot.com
MBAzone
MBA Jungle
TOEFL
Top MBA

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.

Blog Archive

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ARCHIVE FOR SEPTEMBER 2009

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Clear Admit On Facebook!

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You already read our blog every day. Now you can visit the Clear Admit Facebook page to become a fan, interact with other MBA applicants, get school updates, take polls, win Clear Admit Guides, and find out about application deadlines and MBA events!

Visit our Facebook page to become a fan, or text “fan clearadmit” to FBOOK (32665) to instantly become a member!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 11:00 am in Events, Facebook

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:00 am in Poll

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

USC / Marshall Essay Topics 2009-2010

The USC/Marshall essay topics for the 2009-2010 admissions season are now available! The essay topics are as follows:

1. What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will USC Marshall help you achieve these goals? (750 words) If interested in a dual-degree program, please address in this essay.

2. How will other USC Marshall MBA students benefit from your background, experience, leadership and teamwork skills? (500 words)

3. Select three from the following and describe: (250 words each)

a) A challenging international experience
b) A personal or professional setback
c) An entrepreneur you admire
d) Your family, including any ties to USC
e) Your most significant accomplishment
f) A situation where your professional ethics were challenged

To access the online application, visit the USC/Marshall admissions site.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 12:42 pm in Essay Topics, School: USC / Marshall

Rising Numbers in Graduate Enrollment

The Council of Graduate Schools recently released official data about graduate school enrollment in Fall 2008. First-time enrollment in U.S. schools was up 4.5% from the previous year and applications were up 4.8%. Even more notable, for the first time since 2004, the domestic student enrollment increase (4.7%) was higher than international student enrollment increase (3.3%).

“The growth in graduate school education is being driven by increases for women and minorities,” explained Nathan E. Bell, director of research and policy analysis for the Council of Graduate Schools. Minority numbers were higher across the board, with enrollment for American Indian students up 8.8%, Asian students up 6.7%, Black students up 6.5%, and Latino students up 10.6%. In contrast, the number of white students only increased 3.5%. Across racial and ethnic categories the number of women enrolled in graduate school rose as well, with average annual increases of 3.8% compared to 2.3% for men.

The Council of Graduate Schools also reported that the most popular disciplines for graduate school applications in 2008 were business, engineering, and social and behavioral sciences. Education, business, and health sciences accounted for nearly half of first-time enrollment in Fall 2008, up 3.1%, 5.6% and 6.7% respectively.

The economic downturn may have been a contributing factor in rising enrollment numbers and changes in discipline popularity, but increased diversity within graduate school classes is an encouraging trend—even if according to Bell, “we have a long way to go.”

To read more about Fall 2008 graduate enrollment trends, click here.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 12:00 pm in General, MBA News

Trivia Tuesday: Leadership Development at Cornell’s Johnson School

In this week’s Trivia Tuesday column we turn our focus to the Johnson School at Cornell University and the program’s opportunities for leadership development.

The Johnson School’s leadership philosophy is founded on personal mastery through self-knowledge and self-development. As such, Johnson students begin their MBA experience with an intensive and interactive personal assessment and continue feedback and assessment sessions into the fall semester.

For students seeking to further develop their leadership abilities, Johnson offers a 10-credit Leadership Focus. The cornerstone of the Leadership Focus is the Goal Setting and Coaching for Leadership Success course, which is centered on the idea of “leader as coach.” The course trains students to effect personal behavior change, then to develop coaching strategies that enable them to help others. Throughout the semester-long course, students practice leadership by acting as a coach for a classmate. They also regularly update the personal learning plans they made during orientation so that the plans reflect their leadership progress.

Students may fulfill the remaining 8.5 credits of the Leadership Focus by choosing among fourteen 1.5- or 3-credit leadership course offerings. They can also contribute credit from day-long Leadership Skills workshops. These workshops are part of Johnson’s Leadership Skills Program, which supplements the traditional business school curriculum through one-day workshops exploring practical skills from etiquette to Excel. The workshops range from three to eight hours in duration and are worth 0.1 elective credits. While there is no limit to the number of workshops a student can participate in, only 1.5 workshop credits may be applied toward graduation. Past topics have ranged from “Building Rapport through Applied Listening” to “Wine Appreciation.”

For more information on the leadership development programs at Cornell or other leading business schools, be sure to check out the Academics and Special Programs sections of the Clear Admit School Guides!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 2:10 am in School Guides, School: Cornell / Johnson, Trivia Tuesday

Monday, September 28, 2009

Have You Ever Considered an Accelerated MBA Program?

In today’s challenging economic climate, some applicants are turning to accelerated programs that take only 10-15 months to complete and cost substantially less than a two-year program. These candidates argue that they don’t have the time or money to invest in a two-year program. In light of the growing popularity of one-year MBA programs, The Wall Street Journal surveyed 1,361 recent grads and 731 alumni and reported their findings in a recent article about the one-year MBA track.

The Wall Street Journal ranked fifteen one-year programs (comprised of nine European schools, five in the U.S., and one Latin American school) and European schools clearly led the pack. IE Business School in Madrid ranks #1, Switzerland’s IMD Business School is #2, and Cranfield School of Management in the U.K. is #3. Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and Babson’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business round out the top five, but according to students, international programs offer a strong curriculum and “a much stronger international exposure.” And for 86% of students surveyed, a program’s international focus was the deciding factor in choosing a school.

Only 90 accredited schools worldwide offer a fast-track MBA, and few are located in the United States. Alumni reported that those in the U.S. tend to focus the majority of their career services and recruitment efforts on two-year students. On a positive note, women make up 35% of accelerated MBA graduate classes in the U.S. compared to 23% in international programs; and according to The Wall Street Journal, “American schools tend to excel in softer skills, like teamwork, building relationships, and managing across functions.”

These programs won’t suit everyone. They are both rigorous and time-consuming, and almost two-thirds of students reported spending more than fifteen hours a week on schoolwork outside of the classroom, leaving little time for extracurricular activities. IMD Business School is known for having six-day, 100-hour weeks!

“These students want to be taught, and then they want to move on,” said Sean Rickard, director of Cranfield’s MBA program. A very true statement, indeed—the Wall Street Journal study reported that 82% of students pursued one-year programs so they could return to the work force faster. Fortunately, most alumni reported that recruiters and managers don’t view an MBA degree from a one-year program any differently than a two-year program, and many agreed that the quick degree made their jobs safer during the recent economic crisis.

For the complete Wall Street Journal article, click here.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 12:00 pm in MBA News, Rankings, School: Babson, School: IE, School: IMD, School: Northwestern / Kellogg

Admissions Tip: Word Limits

With applicants for the round one deadlines putting the finishing touches on their applications, the question of how strictly applicants need to adhere to word limits is perhaps more popular than ever. MBA candidates naturally have a good deal of information they want – and need – to convey in their materials, and getting the important ideas down under restrictive word counts is a difficult task. While it might be tempting to run a bit beyond the guidelines to slip in that one extra thought, it’s important to keep the reasons for word limits in mind.

In addition to being a forum for explaining your goals and sharing your story, the essays also serve as a test of the applicant’s ability to communicate clearly and concisely, not to mention follow directions and answer a question. Because business schools and post-MBA employers place a premium on all of these elements, adhering to word counts ultimately works to the candidate’s advantage.

The other consideration is the reader’s time. Because of high application volume and the need to give every applicant fair and thorough consideration, schools are forced to limit the amount of information in each file. If you consistently extend your answers beyond the suggested limits, you are essentially asking the reader to give you more time than they are devoting to the other applicants. In other words, if you were to ignore the word limits and overshoot by 30% throughout, this might imply that you consider yourself to be 20% more interesting than everyone else who applied.

That being said, there is some leeway. For the vast majority of programs, it’s generally acceptable to exceed the word limit by 10%. There are, of course, a few exceptions:

Caveat #1: If a school gives you a range (e.g. 250-750 words), you should ideally stay within that range.
Caveat #2: If a school gives you a page limit (e.g. 2 pages), you should stay within that limit – without excessive margin manipulation or font size reduction.

In terms of the other end of the length issue, it is likely unwise to consistently fall more than 10% below the word limits, as this is valuable room in which to share further information about your candidacy (and might signal a lack of effort, experience, or accomplishments).

Best of luck to all those working on their application essays!

3 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 2:29 am in Admissions Tips

Friday, September 25, 2009

Mary Miller Joins Columbia Business School as Assistant Dean of Admissions for EMBA and MBA Programs

In more Columbia Business School news, not only are eight new professors joining the School’s faculty, a new Assistant Dean of Admissions was officially appointed on Tuesday. Mary Miller will assume the new role, overseeing the recently consolidated MBA and Executive MBA admissions department.

Most recently, Ms. Miller was Associate Dean of the MBA program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she managed admissions, career services, and student affairs. She has also served as Associate Dean of MBA Admissions, Student Services, and Alumni Affairs at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Ms. Miller will be reporting to Ethan Hanabury, Senior Associate Dean, Degree Programs, who recently commented that, “Mary brings 28 years of experience in higher education and a commendable record of accomplishment to this new role that will build on the remarkable success of MBA and EMBA admissions at the School.”

For more Columbia Business School news, click here.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 1:00 pm in EMBA, MBA News, School: Columbia

Update: Yale SOM’s New Campus

On Friday, September 18th we incorrectly posted that the new Yale School of Management building project is on hold. Our reporting was based on a letter that the President of Yale sent to the University community on September 10th (see the full text of that letter below).

Although it is true that “no major construction will proceed until funding is available from donor support or financial markets recover” we were informed by a representative of the Yale SOM that the current phase of the business school project (construction plans and drawings for the building) is fully funded and still moving forward. We regret any confusion this may have caused.

——————————————————
To: The Faculty and Staff of Yale University

From: Richard Levin and Peter Salovey

We write to apprise you of the University’s financial condition as we
continue to work through the effects of the economic downturn. We
have been greatly impressed with the response of the Yale community.
Rather than wait to reduce expenditures until the current fiscal year
began on July 1, many units achieved significant savings in the first
half of this calendar year. Budget reductions were achieved with a
spirit of cooperation and common purpose.

We explained in our messages to the community last December and
February that we did not want to overreact to the downturn in
financial markets by making reductions that might later prove
unnecessary if markets recovered quickly. Thus, the budget reductions
we undertook eliminated most, but not all, of the deficits previously
forecast for the years ahead. These forecasts assumed that the June
30, 2009, value of our endowment would be $17 billion. Although the
publicly traded portion of our endowment declined no further in value
between December and June 30, we continued to incur losses in the
value of our illiquid investments in private equity and real estate.
The precise final results for the 2008-09 fiscal year are still being
compiled and will be announced later this month, but it is clear that
we will report a June 30 value of the endowment of approximately $16
billion. Only a small fraction of our endowment is invested in
publicly traded securities, so the recent stock market rebound has not
had a substantial effect on that number. The bulk of our endowment
remains invested in illiquid assets, which have not begun to recover
their value.

Because we did not make a full adjustment to the initial decline in
our endowment and because it has declined further since last December,
we are now projecting a general appropriations deficit in the range of
$150 million each year from 2010-11 through 2013-14. Thanks to the
work undertaken last year, these deficits are only half as large as
the projections we faced last December, but they are still substantial
and will require further budget adjustments.

Units of the University heavily dependent on endowment income will be
especially affected. Because our spending rule spreads the impact of
dramatic changes in the market value over time, the endowment payout
for the current academic year declined only 6.7% from last year’s
level. But the payout will decline by approximately an additional 13%
in 2010-11 and remain at that level for the next several years. This
estimate reflects our assumption that the endowment will remain flat
during the current year and begin to grow after June 30, 2010, at the
rate we have historically used in our budget modeling.

We will provide full details of the budget adjustments required for
2010-11 later in the year, but we want to alert you to the fact that
another round of reductions will be necessary. We also want to
describe some of the actions we are undertaking now; other measures,
still under consideration, will be outlined later. We will not
retreat from our important commitments to financial aid in Yale
College and the Graduate School. But with the exception of financial
aid, no area of expenditure will be immune from close scrutiny.

As you know, construction projects that were already underway last
December are being carried forward to completion. Apart from the
renovation of Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges, urgently needed
maintenance projects such as Harkness Tower, and essential cost-saving
utilities projects, no major construction will proceed until funding
is available from donor support or financial markets recover. We have
secured donor support to continue the design of the new residential
colleges and to undertake site clearance, the first phase of which
will occur this fall. We also have secured full funding from donors
for completing the renovation of the Yale University Art Gallery. All
other projects remain on hold.

Progress toward other important University priorities will be slowed
as well. We will continue to recruit faculty to develop exciting new
programs on the West Campus, because outstanding laboratory facilities
are in place. But we have set a pace that will trim our originally
planned expenditures by more than 25% in the years immediately ahead.
We are also curbing our expenditure on the redesign and implementation
of new administrative systems (the YaleNext project), by reducing the
use of outside consultants, narrowing the scope, and slowing the pace
of implementation.

Faculty recruitment will continue, but at a significantly reduced pace
in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, where more than 50 ladder faculty
have been added over the past four years (an 8% increase) and about
100 ladder faculty members have been added over the past decade (a 17%
increase). As we move forward, we believe it would be imprudent to
reduce the size of the faculty, only to increase it again to
accommodate increased undergraduate enrollment when the new colleges
open. Some authorized searches and all new requests for searches to
fill vacancies will be scrutinized carefully, however, and many will
be deferred for a year or two.

Last winter we asked units to reduce both their staff and non-salary
expenditures by 7.5% for the 2009-10 academic year, and we signaled
that a further 5% reduction in non-salary expenditures would be called
for in 2010-11. To accelerate our movement toward budget balance, we
are now asking units to achieve this additional 5% reduction in
non-salary expenses during the current year. We are counting on
faculty, department managers, and others who control resources to curb
nonessential expenditures on travel, entertainment, equipment, and
supplies to the extent needed to achieve this target.

We are truly grateful for the support and cooperation that we have
received in making these difficult adjustments. We know that we can
count on you in the year ahead to make tough choices among competing
priorities, to identify non-essential activities that can be
curtailed, and to seek ways to work across departmental lines to lower
costs. We are attempting to negotiate these trying times without
compromising the University’s commitment to maintaining the
extraordinary quality and reputation of our teaching and research.
Even as we defer some of our most important long-term investments, we
will keep in focus our goals of maintaining the strength of Yale’s
superb faculty, student body, and staff, and improving for everyone
the experience of working in a community that contributes so much to
the well-being of our city, the nation, and the world.

This letter also appears here: http://opa.yale.edu/president/message.aspx?id=88

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 12:30 pm in School: Yale

Fridays From The Frontline

Welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s ongoing look into the lives of bloggers hoping for, or living, the MBA lifestyle. As some deadlines for the first round start looming in an altogether new way (a week or less) the applicant pool was a bit more quiet, probably focusing on last minute edits and new topic approaches. Ah, the finishing touches. Current students were a bit more vocal, especially those first years finally hitting their stride in terms of social and academic commitments.

Steve felt that the GMAT, and many other things, were all about confidence. XLick attended a Columbia finance and economics panel. Bizwiz started his own biz-ness. Illuminati had a lot to report about sentence correction and studying for the GMAT verbal section. AJ’s conflicting desire to eradicate her current student debt while also preparing to apply to b-school was getting her a bit flummoxed. Rocky was committed to applying to Wharton in round 1.

McCombs ‘10 Paragon2Pieces attended two events specifically for MBA women. Darden ‘10 JulyDream also participated in a women-specific event, the NAWMBA dinner. McCombs ‘10 Metal celebrated his 100th post, and made his way to New Orleans. LBS ‘10 OutOnALimb was getting into watching True Blood. Darden ‘10 Mechanigal talked consumer packaging. Harvard ‘10 Harvard Bound was looking to be hired. Melbourne Ronjon shared some business-oriented news.

Wake Forest ‘11 Omne chimed in after a long silence with a post about just how busy he is in his first year. Stanford ‘11 PaloAltoForAwhile talked about how the campus changes with the addition of first years. Haas ‘11 SunnySideUp made a S’mores cheesecake. Fuqua ‘11 Choc Heaven chimed in with a overview of how her first month at Duke had gone. Kellogg ‘11 Windsor embraced his inner bucket, and shared a CIM video. Chicago Booth ‘11 GlobThink posted a long entry about international resumes and the different office cultures. Kellogg ‘11 Jeremy was on his way to an MBA conference. Following a classmate’s blogging lead, Kellogg ‘11 Orlando posted his class schedule for the fall term. Goizueta ‘11 Ahembeea continued to write about his love for his new surroundings. Kellogg ‘11 DG found rest to be elusive. Ross ‘11 Raghunathrao provided links to earlier posts about the application process for all those in the thick of it.

And that’s all the noteworthy news for this installment of Fridays From The Frontline. We’re so glad to see new students settling in, second year students navigating their myriad responsibilities with ease and aspirants keeping calm in the face of impending deadlines. Until next week, have a great weekend!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:00 am in Fridays from the Frontline

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Columbia Business School Appoints Eight New Faculty Members

Columbia Business School recently announced the addition of eight new professors for the 2009-10 school year. Specializing in a variety of academic divisions, each new faculty member will hold the title of assistant professor and has a wealth of knowledge and experience to contribute to the MBA program.

“We are very pleased to have such distinguished professors join Columbia Business School,” said Vice Dean and Samberg Faculty Director Amir Ziv. “Our ability to attract the most talented faculty is critical to our mission to educate and develop business leaders and to create the knowledge and tools that advance the practice of management.”

Two new faculty members will teach within the Management division; two will specialize in Decision, Risk, and Operations; two will join the Accounting program; and the final two will contribute their expertise to Finance and Economics. Here is a complete rundown of who has been hired:

-Modupe Akinola (Management division)
-Omar Besbes (Decision, Risk and Operations division)
-Edwige Cheynel (Accounting division)
-Moshe Cohen (Finance and Economics division)
-Marina Halac (Finance and Economics division)
-Urooj Khan (Accounting division)
-Ernesto Reuben (Management division)
-Carri Chan (Risk and Operations division)

For detailed bios of the new faculty, click here.

To find out everything you need to know about Columbia Business School, download the Clear Admit School Guide to Columbia Business School!

1 Comment »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 1:00 pm in MBA News, School: Columbia

Twitter Thursdays: News from MBA Programs

Welcome to another installment of Twitter Thursdays, a weekly column in which we highlight the latest updates from the top MBA programs on Twitter! For those who missed last week’s maiden post, think of Twitter Thursdays as a way to stay on top of what’s happening in the MBA admissions world – this time with a focus on words (or in this case ‘tweets’) from the schools themselves. Also, if you’re not following us already, be sure to check out Clear Admit on Twitter for updates, special prizes, admissions tips and breaking news.

The Haas School’s Dean mingled with their alumni in Los Angeles and revealed a “surprising” post-MBA statistic. Meanwhile, across the country, UCLA / Anderson’s Dean, Judy Olian, rubbed elbows with alums in Boston. Having hosted a few alumni events in Athens and Spain, Stanford GSB shared briefings from the events. Rose Martinelli, Chicago Booth’s Associate Dean of Admissions, also related some alumni news regarding three graduates’ start-up success.

The Johnson School celebrated its admission to the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an organization for promoting diversity and inclusion in American business. The Tuck School of Business is already knee-deep in the academic school year, sharing plenty of professors’ research. Meanwhile, the Kellogg School of Management continued its steady stream of insight and research, as conducted by their notable professors. The Wharton School is gearing up for the Joseph Wharton awards ceremony, which happens to take place on the day of their Round 1 deadline!

While these are just highlights of what the leading MBA programs have been “tweeting” over the past week, we certainly encourage our readers to fill their personal Twitter needs by finding out who to follow through our Twitter Index. The MBA Admissions Twitter Index is hosted within the Clear Admit Wiki (a free resource which many applicants have come to depend on for first-hand accounts of MBA interviews, and general admissions-related updates). For more fill of the top MBA programs, check out this list of admissions officers and schools’ news feeds. We’ve also compiled lists of current MBA students and alumni as well as current MBA applicants who are on Twitter.

If you’re on Twitter, let us know! E-mail wiki@clearadmit.com with your user name and status as an MBA applicant, student or admissions officer so we can add you to the appropriate Twitter Index. Happy “tweeting” and we’ll see you next week with some more Twitter updates!

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 10:00 am in Fridays from the Frontline, Twitter, Twitter Thursdays

London Business School 2009-2010 Essay Topic Analysis

London Business School’s are unchanged from last year. This is a solid indication that the school’s emphasis on international experience, as well as its interest in a candidate’s past and proposed leadership experience, remains unchanged. More than most programs, LBS asks applicants to share specific details of their future involvement on campus and contribution to the community. From this, one can extrapolate and assume that they’re interested in candidates who’ve spoken to students and learned a good deal about the program to really understand how and where they might fit.

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 after graduation and what is your longer term career vision?

Here, the typical career goals essay is broken down into two discrete inquiries. This format clearly underlines the importance of having both a short- and long-term career plan in the MBA admissions process. Though the compartmentalization of the short and long term discussions might make it a bit more difficult to adapt content written for applications to other schools, it does signal the extent to which the adcom wants to hear about each of the topics raised. Developing one’s long-term goal discussion over 200 words, with a stopping point at the five-year mark, could be a great opportunity for applicants who often cover this topic in a single sentence to meet the word limit in their essays for other schools. The question also incorporates a “why now?” query, prompting candidates to explicitly justify the timing of their applications given the current stage of their careers.

Question 3 (500 words):
Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Include any specific challenges you have faced. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your first year study group?
While this question seems to invite a broad commentary on the history of the applicant’s leadership and teamwork experiences at or outside of the workplace, keep in mind that the most effective essays are those that provide specific details and vivid anecdotes. A general comment about the various leadership roles you’ve held is certainly in order, but it would be wise to use this as an introduction to an example that exemplifies your leadership/teamwork skills and style. Because LBS specifically asks applicants to address specific challenges that they’ve faced in their interpersonal interactions, it would be beneficial for candidates to reflect on strategies they’ve developed to overcome and navigate any obstacles. You should also include information about how you can apply these processes to future work at LBS. Note that the question about LBS study groups offers applicants a great chance to showcase their familiarity with the program and prove that they’ve done their homework, as well as demonstrate that they’ve thought through the contribution they would make and the strengths they could bring to the program.

Question 4 (400 words):
Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community events will you be involved with and why? How will you contribute?
This question asks candidates to broadly discuss the clubs and events in which they would like to participate. Because it’s easier to be an active member in multiple clubs than it would be to lead more than one organization, this framing gives candidates a wide berth to discuss how their interests and experiences to date would translate to contributions on several fronts. As with any essay of this sort, it would be ideal to link the clubs and events you cite to established interests or elements of your career goals, as these will help the admissions committee readily see how you are poised to make a contribution. Taking the time to learn about the school’s special programs and extracurricular activities – whether through a visit to campus, conversation with alumni or reading the Clear Admit School Guide to London Business School – will pay dividends here.

Question 5 (150 words):
Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country. What did you gain from these?
This question allows applicants the opportunity to showcase their international experience, both professionally and personally, and is designed to gauge the applicant’s ability to navigate unfamiliar terrain and resolve cross-cultural issues. The word limit does not afford much room for detail, especially for applicants with extensive experiences abroad to recount, so a sound strategy might be to focus on providing detail about the lessons and skills gained from these situations.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 2:56 am in Essay Topic Analysis, School: London Business School

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

UT Austin / McCombs Essay Topics 2009-2010

The UT Austin/McCombs essay topics for the 2009-2010 admissions season are now available. The topics are as follows:

1. Describe how your experiences, both personal and professional, have led you to pursue an MBA at this time. What are your short- and long-term goals and how will a Texas MBA help you achieve them?
Limit: 900 words

2. Discuss a defining experience in your leadership development. What did you learn from this experience about your strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
Limit: 650 words

3. At the McCombs School of Business, you will be part of an active and diverse community. How will you use your personal strengths and unique experiences to enrich the McCombs community during your two years in the program?
Limit: 500 words

The UT Austin/McCombs deadlines were announced earlier this year.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 4:07 pm in Essay Topics, School: UT Austin / McCombs

Have A Question About Applying to Harvard Business School? Just Ask the Admissions Director!

In a recent post to her blog, Harvard Business School (HBS) Admissions Director Dee Leopold announced that she is trying something new on her blog: Answering your questions about admission to HBS!

“As the Round One deadline gets closer and closer, I want to be as helpful as possible here. Instead of me posting and answering imaginary questions, how about if you submit yours and I respond to two each day from now until October 1?” she wrote.

Although Leopold specifically states on her blog that she won’t address general inquiries like “How many students pursue careers in healthcare?” or the inevitable “What are my chances?” question, she has already provided answers for “What should I enter on the application for GPA if my university doesn’t use a 4.0 grading system?” and “Is it OK to write about accomplishments that are not recent?”.

The Round One deadline is just around the corner, so if you have a question to ask—now is your chance. Send an email to: admissions@hbs.edu and insert “Questions for the director” in the subject line.

To see what questions have already been answered, click here.

Want more info about HBS? Check out Clear Admit’s School Guide to Harvard Business School!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 12:00 pm in Admissions Tips, MBA News, School: Harvard

What Will You Do When You Have Time To Do Things?

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:00 am in Poll

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

London Business School Receives Two and Half Million Pound Donation to Support Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The London Business School will establish a faculty chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation after receiving a two and a half million pound contribution from Sir Donald Gordon, one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and businessmen.

“My gift will help the School encourage its aspiring leaders to better understand the nature and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation.” he commented. The founder of Liberty Life and Liberty International, and cofounder of Abbey Life, Sir Donald has developed several other prominent global businesses including Standard Bank and South African Breweries (now called SABMiller).

Entrepreneurship is already one of London Business School’s most distinguished programs, and ranks as one of the top three subjects in size. Now, thanks to Sir Donald’s generous donation, Associate Professor of Strategic and International Management Michael G. Jacobides will become the Sir Donald Gordon Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and chair the program. A faculty member since 2000, Professor Jacobides has completed award-winning research on how industries evolve and change over time. In response to his new role, he said, “I am honoured to serve as the Sir Donald Gordon Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. . . . Sir Donald’s generosity will help support research on innovation, change and entrepreneurship that can benefit not only entrepreneurs, but also society as a whole.”

To learn more about this story, click here.

Find out about Entrepreneurship programs at all of the top schools in Clear Admit’s Career Guide to Entrepreneurship!

Let us know what you think!
Would a donation to an MBA program in support of your future career influence your decision to apply?

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 12:00 pm in Career Guides, MBA News, School: London Business School

Trivia Tuesday: Chicago Booth’s International MBA

It’s time once again for Trivia Tuesday, our weekly examination of the programs, policies and possibilities at the leading business schools.

As business goes global, business leaders are increasingly expected to understand the nuances of doing business on the international stage. For prospective students interested in a career in international business, Chicago Booth’s IMBA offers an intriguing option. Chicago Booth is one of the few leading MBA programs to offer students an opportunity to pursue a specialized International MBA (IMBA) degree. To receive the IMBA, full-time MBA students must study abroad for one academic term, demonstrate proficiency in a non-native language and complete a concentration in international business.

The concentration in international business consists of at least five courses in international business, at least three of which must be from Chicago Booth. While students must demonstrate non-native language proficiency, they do not need to do so in the language spoken while studying abroad. For instance, international students may fulfill the program’s language requirement through demonstrating proficiency in English and their native language.

In keeping with Chicago Booth’s reputation for academic flexibility, students do not need to apply to the IMBA program until the first quarter of the MBA. In contrast, candidates for specialized degree and certificate programs at many other business schools must declare this during the general admissions process.

For more information on Chicago Booth’s International MBA option or the international offerings at other leading business schools, be sure to check out the International Programs/Special Programs sections of the Clear Admit School Guides!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 2:27 am in School Guides, School: Chicago, Trivia Tuesday

Monday, September 21, 2009

Kelley School of Business to Host 1st Annual Women’s Recruitment Weekend

Calling all prospective female MBA students!

On November 6-8, Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business will hold its first ever Women’s Weekend. Demonstrating the School’s support and commitment to women—who made up 34% of the previous incoming full-time MBA class—the event is a chance for female applicants to learn about the Kelley MBA program and the opportunities available specifically for them.

Throughout the weekend, prospective students will have the chance to get advice from successful alumnae; meet and network with faculty, administrators, and current students; and learn about the many career options available after graduation. The School has also organized a variety of information sessions, networking events, and social events, so women can get in-depth information about the Kelley program, explore the city of Bloomington, and get tips on preparing for business school.

To find out more about the weekend, click here.

Let us know what you think!
Do the schools you are applying to have programs for women, and if so, which are the best and why?

Should all schools have programs designed specifically for female MBA students?

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 12:00 pm in Events, General, School: Indiana / Kelley

Admissions Tip: MBA Application Data Forms

With MBA programs’ R1 deadlines just around the corner, we wanted to offer some words of advice about an often overlooked element of one’s file: the application data forms. All too often, we see candidates leave these online application forms for the last minute, even rushing to enter all the required information from work on ‘deadline day’. The truth is that a weak effort on these forms can do serious harm to one’s candidacy, as it might reflect poorly on the applicant’s professional polish or commitment to the application process. This being the case, here are a few tips for those who are in the midst of completing this component of the application:

1) Don’t be lazy. We know that many applicants feel ‘burned out’ from their essays, and that it’s tempting to zip through the application forms and provide a bare minimum of information. While it’s fine to use your resume as a starting point, make sure that you think beyond this ready-made content and consider other information that might be of interest. In many cases, the forms are a great opportunity for you to list outside activities in depth, offer a quick explanation of a bad semester, share the significance of some professional awards you’ve received, and so on. In fact, your application forms will often be the starting point for the admissions officer’s review of your file, so it’s important to put your best foot forward.

2) Follow instructions. If a school asks you to list activities in order of importance to you, then do not list them chronologically (as you may have done for another school). If the school asks for a contact person, title or the number of hours/week, do not leave these fields blank. As attention to detail is very important, spell checking another important step in this process. In fact, many admissions officers have stated that they use the application forms as a way to see whether or not candidates have the ability to follow instructions and show attention to detail.

3) Make everything clear. The last thing you want is for your reader to have to play detective in understanding your career progression, making sense of gaps in employment, or evaluating your undergraduate performance. If your listings are not clear, the reader may assume you are hiding something – a conclusion that could seriously damage your chances. By the same token, you should avoid using industry jargon and be sure that all of your statements will make sense to a reader who is not familiar with your industry or function. Given the level of competition in the applicant pool, the admissions office can afford to dismiss files that are confusing or difficult to follow.

4) Don’t go overboard. Admissions officers typically review several files in a sitting – devoting much less time than you might imagine to each file. With this in mind, avoid listing 18 activities, 22 awards and 17 publications – especially if some of those items date back to high school (or are more than 10 years old). Stay focused on the elements of your background that are most relevant, while following the instructions that have been outlined. Remember that the application process is an exercise in marketing, and that the schools appreciate applicants who are discerning about what details to share and know how to present themselves most effectively.

As always, best of luck to those of you who are applying!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:00 am in Admissions Tips

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