Posted by Clear Admit on September 23, 2009, at 12:00 pm
Posted in:  Admissions Tips , MBA News , School: Harvard 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!
Posted by Clear Admit on September 23, 2009, at 3:00 am
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Posted by Clear Admit on September 22, 2009, at 12:00 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School Selection Guides , School: London Business School 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?
Posted by Clear Admit on September 22, 2009, at 2:27 am
Posted in: School Guides , School: Chicago , Trivia Tuesday 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!
Posted by Clear Admit on September 21, 2009, at 12:00 pm
Posted in: Events , General , School: Indiana / Kelley 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?
Posted by Clear Admit on September 21, 2009, at 3:00 am
Posted in: Admissions Tips 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!
Posted by Clear Admit on September 18, 2009, at 3:02 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline Well, hello there and welcome back to the always edifying and often awe inspiring Fridays From The Frontlines! Another week has just flown by and things are definitely heating up in the applicant pool, as each passing day represents another opportunity for essay and application revision to be lost and gone forever. Current students are looking back at their first few weeks, while suddenly aware that presentations, exams and other academic requirements are looming.
Steve was officially not a fan of Gossip Girl and explained why he felt that a two year MBA program was best for him. XLick prepped for his Columbia interview by reviewing Clear Admit’s Columbia Interview Guide and shared the actual interview experience with his readers. Illuminati had a happening day of sports watching, from cricket to tennis. AJ considered how to develop her own personal brand. ArdentMeerkat spent a full day on her Wharton essays, and continued to struggle with the second prompt. Hari had a number of experiences to share with his readers, from a nice vacation in Vegas to an informative MBA Fair. Rocky outlined his strongly felt opinion about the GMAT.
INSEAD ’09 MBAMRS strongly vocalized her thoughts on drinking and driving. McCombs ’10 Paragon2Pieces recounted a funny class experience, and provided links to those thinking of grad school as a safe harbor from the tetchy economy. LBS ’10 OutOnALimb received a full-time job offer for next year! Darden ’10 Mechanigal participated in a conversation with a Darden Dean about the merits of the school putting more of its course materials online. HBS ’10 Rob enjoyed a lovely afternoon in Boston and noted a few differences between his first and second year classes’ dynamics. Darden ’10 JulyDream didn’t take kindly to the insincere faces she came across as a result of her being on crutches for a third time in one year. McCombs ’10 Metal was finally going to get to see one of his favorite musicians perform in concert. Melbourne ’10 RonJon maintained his second person narrative, sharing that ‘you’ recently looked at your old b-school essays.
BU ’11 Felish gave her first presentation, and felt it went well. Chicago Booth ’11 GlobThink transcribed a series of conversations he had with a baggage porter in Peru. The Kellogg contingent were vocal as always. Kellogg ’12 Jeremy talked MBA diversity and Hispanic Heritage Month. Kellogg ’11 Orlando found time was moving quite quickly and had quite a few projects in the pipeline. Kellogg ’11 D.G. gave his perspective on the CIM experience. Stanford ’11 PaloAltoForAwhile shared some figures about the most recent Stanford incoming class. Three weeks into her b-school experience and Haas ’11 SunnysideUp found herself preparing for midterms!
And that’s it for this installment of the consistently corroborative collection of student and aspirant blogs also known as Fridays From The Frontline. As deadlines loom larger on the horizon we hope that applicants are taking care of themselves and their applications however they can, and encourage them to share each and every detail in order to bolster the courage of their compatriots. Until next week, take heart and good luck!
Posted by Clear Admit on September 17, 2009, at 3:00 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Columbia For Columbia Business School, the current financial crisis is a valuable teaching opportunity to prepare students for any economic climate. Over the last few months, a faculty committee led by Professor Paul Glasserman, the Jack R. Anderson Professor of Business, Decision, Risk and Operations, created an array of recommendations to integrate the recent downturn into the school’s MBA curriculum.
“The committee’s ultimate goal was to use the financial crisis in order to advance students’ abilities for integrative thinking. The crisis is the result of the complex interaction of many factors, and we wanted to create more opportunities in the MBA curriculum to address these types of interactions that cut across traditional courses and disciplines,” said Professor Glasserman. The committee recommended that initial changes should include a team-taught course on The Future of Finance; an integrative case study on the collapse and the future of the auto industry; and a focus on promoting integration across disciplines—especially in core classes taken by first-year students.
Columbia Business School has already taken measures to respond to the financial crisis. Last fall, Dean Glen Hubbard established a series of forums focusing on the state of the economy. Additionally, this summer Thomas Russo, former vice-chairman of Lehman Brothers, Inc., taught a half-term course called “Credit Crisis: As Seen Through Different Lenses,” and the fall orientation speaker, Wei Jiang, Associate Professor of Finance and Economics, spoke to incoming students about how each of the school’s core courses relates to the economic downturn. Posing the question “How do we make decisions under uncertainty?” to frame her lecture about the financial crisis, Professor Jiang commented that making decisions under uncertainty is “the most important skill you can develop.”
To find out more about Columbia Business School’s response to the economic crisis, click here.
What do you think?
Is a timely curriculum a major factor in your business school decision?
What skills would you want to learn in business school to deal with an economic crisis?
Posted by Clear Admit on September 17, 2009, at 12:00 pm
Posted in: Essay Topic Analysis , School: CMU / Tepper The essay topics for the 2009-2010 CMU Tepper application are the same as last year’s prompts, except the second essay question which has changed slightly. Although there is no prescribed word limit, the school advises that applicants write approximately two double-spaced pages per essay.
Essay 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.)
Tepper has taken the fairly typical approach of leading off with a standard career goals essay, and at two double spaced pages they allot a reasonable amount of space to this subject. The key for Tepper applicants will be to formulate a directed discussion that speaks to the question, making judicious mention of one’s career to date where appropriate in explaining one’s motivation and preparedness for his or her goals.
One more thing to note is that by asking applicants to detail the steps that they’ve taken to learn more about Tepper, the adcom is signaling the high importance of researching the program and understanding why it would be uniquely appropriate for you. Discussing campus visits or exchanges with current students and alumni would be a great way to demonstrate your engagement with the community and emphasize that you are making an informed decision in applying.
Essay 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 may include: classroom interaction, student activities, career development, community service, etc.
This is another classic second question in terms of MBA essays; after learning about what you feel Tepper can do for you, the adcom turns its focus to what you might bring to the CMU community.
The prompt is fairly broad and invites the applicant to imagine how his or her unique characteristics might translate into participation in the Tepper community. Remember that you want to stand out from the rest of the applicant pool, and this essay will allow you to introduce information to that purpose.
This year’s version of the essay question provides specific examples and guidelines as to how applicants can respond to this question. Therefore in answering this prompt, it will be important for you to follow Tepper’s statement, specifically citing how your values, experiences, and interests will help you contribute to the Tepper community. In order to provide a focused and effective answer to this question, applicants should use one or two anecdotes from their professional, academic, or extracurricular experiences to demonstrate how they would contribute to these three areas at Tepper.
Essay C: Please answer two of the following three questions or statements. Please clearly specify which questions you are answering. Your two answers should equal a total of two pages or less.
1. Describe an obstacle you have faced in your professional or academic life. How did you overcome this obstacle and how did it foster your development?
Whether the story is from your professional or academic life, the major themes of growth and learning remain the same. After describing the initial obstacle in detail, applicants should comment on both their thoughts and actions in response. It’s very important to present both one’s internal and external reactions in creating a full picture for the adcom.
This essay is a good place to highlight instances of resourcefulness and persistence, and provide a comprehensive picture of personal and professional development over the course of the narrative. Applicants should keep in mind that the adcom will be using their account of their past thoughts and experiences as a barometer to measure their current attitudes and future approaches.
2. Describe a time in which your ethics were challenged. How did you deal with the situation and what did you learn from it?
Questions of this sort are designed to gauge an applicant’s ability to see two sides of a situation and appreciate the merits of both – and ultimately choose the best possible solution. The “challenged” detail in the question indicates that it’s not enough to simply discuss a situation where you chose to do the right thing; you need to be able to show that there was a compelling reason for you to have acted otherwise. The question lends itself to personal experiences as easily as professional ones, but it’s nice to give an example of how you view and handle ethical complexity in the workplace. For instance, there are often experiences of professional conflicts between people and profit that work well in this context.
After setting the scene in your essay, you should explore the dilemma in depth, analyzing each of your options and explaining the potential positive and negative consequences of each. Once you’ve acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, you should lead the reader through your decision-making process, explaining the reasons behind your ultimate decision. Ideally, your strong grasp of leadership and of problem-solving will be displayed by this analysis. Finally, you should present the results of your decision and the lessons you learned as a result.
3. One thing people would be surprised to know about me is…
This question provides candidates a chance to explore an important aspect of their candidacy not mentioned in their data forms, resume, or other responses. For applicants from oversubscribed groups in the applicant pool, this essay could offer a great opportunity to truly stand out from the crowd by sharing an interesting detail.
The element of “surprise” hints that the topic should not be one that the reader could readily discern from your essays, work history or major extracurricular involvements. Perhaps you played the flute for 15 years, are an expert in bicycle repair or once visited ten countries in as many days. Whatever topic you select, it would be ideal to link this surprise quality or fact to some element of your experience in the MBA program.
Posted by Clear Admit on September 17, 2009, at 4:26 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline , Twitter , Twitter Thursdays Welcome to our first edition of Twitter Thursdays, a weekly column in which we’ll be highlighting the latest updates from the top MBA programs on Twitter! For those of our readers well-versed in Clear Admit’s popular Fridays from the Frontline colum, think of Twitter Thursdays as just another way to put your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the MBA admissions world – this time with a focus on words from the schools themselves. Also, if you’re not following us already, be sure to check out Clear Admit on Twitter for updates, special contests, prizes, admissions tips and breaking news.
The Haas School posted the application for their Evening & Weekend MBA program online this week and announced that time is short to become a Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum Member. Rose Martinelli, Chicago Booth’s Associate Dean of Admissions, has been busy welcoming new students and shared where you can find Booth “on the road.” Amidst adjusting to the curriculum, second-year MBA students at the Johnson School enjoyed an informal dinner and conversation at the home of Dean Joe Thomas.
The Tuck School of Business welcomed first-years to campus this week as well as launched a new center for leadership. Meanwhile, the Kellogg School of Management offered a steady stream of insight and research, as conducted by their notable professors. The Wharton School turned visual in its offer of photos from the annual Wharton Graduate Association Club Expo. Things are turning around quickly at London Business School, which shared a video of the Class of 2009’s graduation and also announced applications are now open for the full-time 2010 MBA program.
While these are just highlights of what the leading MBA programs have been “tweeting” over the past week, we certainly encourage our readers to get their b-school news fix round the clock 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 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. Thanks for tuning in and happy “tweeting!”
See you all next week with another edition of Twitter Thursdays!
Posted by Clear Admit on September 16, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: General , MBA News The Graduate Management Admission Council, which owns and administers the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), has collaborated with leading education and business media company Pearson to develop the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), a new English-language test designed to measure the English-language skills of non-native speakers. The new test will debut on October 26, 20009.
GMAC and Pearson began working together in 2006 to come up with a test that could more accurately measure English-language skills than existing exams. The computer-based PTE Academic includes both speaking and voice recording capabilities, and score reports sent to schools will feature a 30-second audio clip of the test taker’s actual speech.
“We consistently hear from universities that no test today provides an accurate measure of a prospective student’s speaking ability,” David Wilson, president and CEO of GMAC, said in a statement announcing the collaboration. “Schools have a real need for a language assessment that measures the skills needed for successful class participation and group work, critical elements in graduate management education programs around the world.”
Beyond MBA programs, the test also will be used by other universities and higher education institutions as well as by government departments and other organizations requiring English proficiency. According to GMAC, more than 770 schools and programs worldwide have indicated interest in recognizing the new test.
To learn more about the new PTE Academic, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on September 16, 2009, at 3:00 am
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Posted by Clear Admit on September 15, 2009, at 4:00 pm
Posted in: Admissions Tips , School: Harvard In a recent post to her admissions blog, Harvard Business School (HBS) Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Dee Leopold provided advice to prospective applicants about whom to select to write letters of recommendation as part of their MBA applications. Though intended specifically for HBS applicants, several of Leopold’s suggestions may be useful for prospective applicants to a range of MBA programs.
“I stand by our general advice on recommendations: the most important thing is to choose people who know you well enough to answer the questions we are asking,” Leopold writes. “Many recommendations are well-written and enthusiastic in their praise but essentially full of adjectives and short on actual examples of how your wonderful qualities play out in real life,” she continued. What HBS is looking for – as, really, are most top programs – are for recommenders to show, not tell, what makes you great. “We are hoping for brief recounts of specific situations and how you performed,” Leopold says.
HBS asks for three letters of recommendation and is open to a number of combinations in terms of who provides them. All three can come from your current firm or organization, one can come from a former employer, one can even come from someone who has supervised you in a non-work situation, such as a community service or campus leadership role, Leopold writes.
Do note, though, that HBS is not seeking peer recommendations. “We find it most helpful if there is some developmental distance between you and the recommender,” Leopold writes. Exceptions to this policy will be made, however, if you have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture or project and the only person who can help explain your role is a partner or colleague.
Leopold advises against asking current HBS students to write to the admissions committee on a prospective applicant’s behalf outside of the formal recommendation process. “Candidates are not advantaged in the application process by either professional or personal associations with our students,” she says.
If you have any concerns about how HBS may interpret your choice of recommenders, feel free to provide a brief explanation in the “additional information” section of the application, Leopold suggests.
As parting advice, Leopold cautions prospective applicants to carefully consider how a current employer might respond to a request for a recommendation. “Especially in these unusual times, please don’t jeopardize your employment in order to secure a recommendation from a current employer,” she warns. “While we might wish that all bosses were enthusiastic and encouraging about business school for their emerging leaders, this is not a universal sentiment,” she adds. If, in fact, it doesn’t make sense to submit a recommendation from a current employer on these grounds, just explain your reasoning to HBS.
This fall, The MBA Tour will be hosting a series of information sessions in several international locations. The international MBA Tour events will be held in addition to the US events that are taking place throughout the month of September. All of 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.
Below is a list of the dates and locations of The MBA Tour international events:
Asia
• Bangkok: September 15
• Singapore: September 17
Europe
• Munich: September 17
• Paris: September 19
• London: September 20
India
• Bangalore: September 19 & 20
• New Delhi: September 22
• Mumbai: September 26
Latin America
• Buenos Aires: October 19
• Santiago: October 22
• São Paulo: October 24
• Lima: October 27
• Bogotá: October 29
• Mexico City: October 31
Canada
• Calgary: November 10
• Vancouver: November 12
• Toronto: November 14
• Montreal: November 16
To learn more about the event and to view the full event schedules, visit The MBA Tour’s website.
Interested individuals are encouraged to sign up online in order to receive half off the door price. MBA candidates are additionally encouraged to sign up ahead of time as space is limited.
The MBA Tour events are a great way for individuals either considering business school or currently in the process of preparing for the upcoming admissions season to research MBA programs and demonstrate an active interest in their target schools. The list of schools participating in the international events includes Berkeley Haas, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, UCLA Anderson, Cornell Johnson, ESADE, IE, HEC Paris and many others. To register early, click here.
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