Today’s GMAT practice problem comes from the test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. To help prepare for the exam, see if you can solve the problem first, then read on for the correct answer and explanation.
Problem
Machines A, B, and C can either load nails into a bin or unload nails from that bin. Each machine works at a constant rate that is the same for loading and for unloading, although the individual machines may have different rates. Working together to load at their respective constant rates, machines A and B can load the bin in 6 minutes. Likewise, working together to load at their respective constant rates, machines B and C can load the bin in 9 minutes. How long will it take machine A to load the bin if machine C is simultaneously unloading the bin?
(A) 12 minutes (B) 15 minutes (C) 18 minutes (D) 36 minutes (E) 54 minutes
Solution
Write each machine’s rate as a lowercase letter. We add the rates for each given situation in which machines are working together to load the bin:
a + b = 1/6 bin per minute b + c = 1/9 bin per minute
Notice that the rate should always be in “work per time” – in this case, “bins per minute,” not “minutes per bin.” If it takes machines A and B 6 minutes to load the bin, then they work at a rate of 1/6 of a bin per minute.
We are looking for an equation involving the difference of machine A’s rate and machine C’s rate. In other words, we are looking for a – c. The negative sign in front of the c indicates that machine C is unloading; in other words, it is working “against” machine A.
We can subtract the two given equations to get the following: a – c = 1/6 – 1/9 = 3/18 – 2/18 = 1/18 bin per minute
Thus, it will take 18 minutes for machine A to load the bin, if machine C is simultaneously unloading the bin.
The correct answer is (C).
Posted by Clear Admit on October 30, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in:  General , MBA News , School: NYU Stern , School: Virginia / Darden As the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, begins to make its rounds, business school officials are turning to technology to help keep their MBA programs on track in the event of an epidemic, the Financial Times reports.
According to the FT report, the business school population is particularly vulnerable to the swine flu, which infects young people more than it does older ones. Add to this the format of many MBA programs – which rely on face-to-face group discussions and lots of work in teams – and the potential of an epidemic to disrupt class continuity is acute.
Many schools are putting measures in place that would allow professors and teachers to take advantage of virtual teaching to help combat the spread of the flu. “We want students to stay away from classes if they are unwell but we don’t want them to think they are being penalized,” Robert Bruner, dean of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, told the FT.
At Darden, the school is making audio tapes of all the classes and making them available, along with images, photos and slides, on the web. Discussion groups, too, can be conducted virtually as necessary. “We have put in place for these students things that would not be possible a year ago,” Bruner told the FT.
Officials at New York University’s Stern School of Business are taking similar precautions. In addition to recording classes, Stern has assigned each faculty member a back-up professor who can step in and teach should a professor get sick. “We can’t reschedule classes. That’s not an option,” Kim Corfman, vice dean of MBA courses, told the FT. But with the steps her team has taken to prepare, she thinks Stern is ready. “I don’t think we’ll get to the point where we have no students and no faculty.”
Elsewhere, business school officials are also thinking ahead to the impact the flu could have on projects and field research that takes place off campus. “We are already in discussions with companies to deal with [this],” C. Michael Stepanek, MBA director at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, told the FT. “If there were an outbreak, we may have to change our approach,” he added.
Even as schools take these precautionary steps, it is unclear how severe the swine flu outbreak may prove, the FT article stresses. According to the American College Health Association, the nationwide rate of infection for swine flu as of last month was 20.1 cases for every 10,000 students, with the highest rates of flu activity in the northeast.
For the complete Financial Times article, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on October 30, 2009, at 3:00 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, the weekly blog post dedicated to looking inside the MBA applicant and student experience. The MBA blogosphere was hopping this week, with some applicants receiving interview invitations or preparing their second round essays, while students had a few thoughts about the recruiting process. A Beautiful Mind received an invite from ISB and was quite relieved (congratulations!). Steve went to his fiancee’s brother’s wedding and may have laid down some pretty cheesy dance moves and was looking for a few NYU details to spice up his essays. XLick completed his NYU essays and felt that they were quite strong, especially his creative essay. Atypical HBS was still waiting for an interview invite, but referenced the admissions update that a good number of invites were still left to go out. ArdentMeerkat found that there were a number of ways that she could improve her GMAT study prep from her previous attempt. Hari happily shared his ESADE invite, and praised the school’s student body attitude. Procrastinator felt that the essay writing and submission process was the smoothest yet. Rocky Balboa expected a decision from Rotman by the end of the week, and was preparing himself for news from Wharton in the coming weeks.
Ross ’10 M@ officially ended his recruiting season by signing his offer letter at a fancy restaurant with friends. McCombs ’10 Paragon2Pieces felt the pressure of the the strings attached to her job offer. Darden ’10 Sameer enjoyed his second International Food Festival, and was particularly taken with Brazil’s passionfruit mousse. LBS ’10 Out On A Limb shared the details of the school’s second annual Global Healthcare Conference. Darden ’10 Mechanigal braved an hour of rain in the hopes of getting Bryan Adams to sign her concert ticket, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Darden ’10 JulyDream felt the pain of a few recruiting zaps, but soldiered on. McCombs ’10 Metal posted a humorous outline of reasons why one might not have a career plan for after graduation.
Fuqua ’11 Randy found himself stuck in the Philadelphia airport and had a few observations to share with those who work at the airport. Chicago Booth ’11 GlobThink realized that he did not know quite as much about American culture as he originally assumed, but was a quick learner. Kellogg ’11 Orlando was near the end of the first part of the AT Kearney Case Competition, and found advantages to the mock interviews he hadn’t expected. Kellogg ’11 D.G. also participated in a case competition, the MIT MBA Sales Competition, and learned a lesson or two about preparedness. INSEAD ’11 My Name is Neo wrote about the role community can play in corporate corners. Harvard ’11 Military2Business wrote about the ways those . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on October 29, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: General , GMAT News , MBA News Especially in today’s tight job market, some employers are using Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores as part of the process of evaluating job candidates’ potential, according to reports last week in BusinessWeek and Inside Higher Education. And some business schools, according to both reports, have begun to advise some students to retake the exam in hopes of higher scores that might improve their prospects of being hired.
You thought once you got into business school you’d never have to think about the GMAT again, right? And with good reason. According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council, which owns and administers the exam, the test is intended to help predict a candidate’s first-year grades in an MBA program, not as a valid tool for employers. In fact, requesting GMAT scores as a requirement for employment appears on a list of “inappropriate uses” maintained by GMAC, Inside Higher Ed reports.
Nevertheless, according to both sources, the practice is taking place without vigorous objection by the council. According to BW, officials at both the University of Texas at Austin and of Virginia have gone on the record saying that they have advised students with lower scores to retake the exam. And according to the Inside Higher Ed report, GMAT test prep firm Veritas Prep has been approached by three business schools about group rates for students retaking the exam.
Scott Schrum, director of admission consulting research at Veritas Prep, told Inside Higher Ed that he thinks the issue may be of greater consequence to students at lower-ranked schools than at top programs, where companies will assume that everyone is strong and not care as much about their scores. But “where Goldman may only hand out a few job offers, they’ll look more carefully at everything in a student’s profile (including the GMAT) to determine who the lucky few will be,” Shrum speculated to Inside Higher Ed.
Judy Phair, vice president for communications of GMAC, told Inside Higher Ed that the council has reiterated multiple times that the GMAT is designed as an assessment tool in the admissions process and not for other purposes. But, she added, if business schools help companies use the test in other ways, GMAC can’t prevent them from doing so.
To read the BusinessWeek story on this trend, click here. For Inside Higher Education report, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on October 29, 2009, at 11:30 am
Posted in: Campus Chronicles , School: NYU Stern Welcome back to our weekly installment of Campus Chronicles. This week we’ll take a look at NYU’s student newspaper, the Stern Opportunity, to see what’s been happening on Stern’s campus.
Stern’s newest club, the Government and Business Association (GBA), hosted the school’s first event of the 2009-2010 academic year, a panel discussion entitled “Can Government Spending Replace the Consumer?” Over 125 Stern students and alumni came out to participate in panel discussions with Nouriel Roubini, a professor of Economics and International Business at Stern, and Maury Harris, UBS Chief US Economist. Roubini and Harris discussed topical subjects including the economic downturn, strategies for recovery, and long-term implications on the financial services sector. Students and alumni had a chance to discuss their views with both speakers regarding these topics after the event. GBA plans to host panel discussions later in the year regarding new healthcare legislation effects, technology’s influence on the political process, the interconnectedness of the global economy, and how Stern students can use their MBAs to gain a career in government and politics.
Stern students, alumni, and over one hundred prospective students taking part in the Discover Stern weekend for diversity students attended the 24th annual Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students (AHBBS) conference. This year’s conference theme was “Reflect, Rethink, Reshape: Exploring the New Normal” and was aimed at evaluating the past year’s changes in the business community. Panel discussions “Marketing Out-the-Box” and “Extending the Lines of Finance: Change and Emerging Opportunities in the Financial Sector” offered participants the opportunity to discuss social networking as a marketing tool as well as the changes in traditional finance functions in the past year with representatives from companies including American Express, HBO, Booz & Company, Citi, and GE Energy Financial Services. William Cruz, the President of TCB Consulting, presented an intercultural communications workshop entitled “Managing Across Cultures” and discussed how to promote awareness and accommodation of cultural difference in the workplace.
Posted by Clear Admit on October 29, 2009, at 8:45 am
Posted in: Twitter , Twitter Thursdays Welcome to this week’s serving of Twitter Thursdays, a weekly column in which we highlight the updates, also known as “tweets,” of the top MBA programs on Twitter! If you’re not following Clear Admit already, be sure to check us out on Twitter for updates, special prizes, admissions tips and breaking news. Now, as for the business schools…
The Haas School’s Dean reviewed the four critical traits of business leaders and stopped in Hong Kong to greet some alumni. A fellow California b-school dean, UCLA / Anderson’s Dean, Judy Olian, extended her reach to Japan to participate in a panel on innovation strategies. Columbia Business School’s Dean Hubbard also participated in a panel called, “Peace through Reconstruction.”
Jon Fuller, the Senior Associate Director of Admissions at the Ross School of Business, announced that the first of the Round 1 interview invitations should be released this week. MBA Admissions Coordinator at Judge Business School, James Barker has been busy reading and assessing Round 1 applications along with his admissions team. Meanwhile, the London Business School held information sessions in Washington, D.C., Toronto and London. The Haas School announced the New Venture Launchpad, which provides advanced services to support student entrepreneurs in new venture development. Both the Kellogg School of Management and Columbia Business School let loose a steady stream of insight and research, as conducted by their notable professors.
That wraps up Twitter Thursdays this week! Looking for daily updates? In our MBA Admissions Twitter Index, you can 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!
Posted by Clear Admit on October 28, 2009, at 8:00 pm
Posted in: General , GMAT - Verbal , GMAT News , GMAT Test Prep Company Series , GMAT Tips Today, our friends at Manhattan Review share their advice on critical reasoning questions in the GMAT:
Anyone could tell you that Critical Reasoning helps to measure your logical thinking skills. What you may or may not know is that the formal logic required to truly become a master of this question type originated in part with Aristotle and is highly mathematical in nature. This means that even when you’re working in the Verbal section of the GMAT, you are still applying mathematical concepts to the material.
The single idea that is the most useful in Critical Reasoning on the GMAT is the Contrapositive. Here’s how to form a contrapositive:
Step 1: Start out with a cause/effect statement. This is best done in the “if/then” format. Here’s our example: “If you are a fish, then you live in water.” This statement is arguably true (with the exception of mudskippers, but that’s debatable!).
Step 2: Now, reverse the elements of your statement: “If you live in water, then you are a fish.” This statement is not NECESSARILY true. Many other, non-fish organisms live in water as well, like whales, seaweed, crustaceans, and plankton.
Step 3: Negate both sides of the statement: “If you don’t live in water, then you are not a fish.” This statement is equally true as the original statement. It is the CONTRAPOSITIVE!
When you have complex statements, that involve “and” or “or,” you must switch them around. For example, the contrapositive of “If you are at least 18 years old and registered, then you can vote” is “If you can’t vote, then you are not at least 18 years old OR not registered.” If one of those two elements is missing, the person cannot vote. Simple, really!
Now, let’s apply our knowledge of the contrapositive to a Critical Reasoning question, and see why it’s so useful:
The interview is an essential part of a successful hiring program because, with it, job applicants who have personalities that are unsuited to the requirements of the job will be eliminated from consideration.
The argument above logically depends on which of the following assumptions?
(A) A hiring program will be successful if it includes interviews.
(B) The interview is a more important part of a successful hiring program than is the development of a job description.
(C) Interviewers can accurately identify applicants whose personalities are unsuited to the requirement of the job.
(D) The only purpose of an interview is to evaluate whether job applicants’ personalities are suited to the requirements of the job.
(E) The fit of job applicants’ personalities to the requirements of the job was once the most important factor in making hiring decisions.
When we look at the question stem, it’s clear that we’re looking for a necessary assumption, or an assumption upon which the success of the argument “depends.” Let’s break the argument down into a formal logic statement. Our keyword here is “because” – that means we need to switch the order . . . → Continue Reading
Posted by Clear Admit on October 28, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: Events , School: Yale Students in the Yale SOM Private Equity Club next week will host its ninth annual private equity conference, one of the largest student-run private equity conferences in the country. This year’s conference theme, “Expanding Horizons,” will include a focus on the ways in which the market conditions of the past year have created new trends and opportunities for private capital.
The conference, which will take place on November 6th in Greenwich, CT, will include keynote addresses by Yale SOM alumni who have gone on to lead successful private equity firms. Speakers include David Jackson ’93, CEO of Istithmar World Capital; John Howard ’80, CEO of Irving Place Capital; and Dan O’Connell ’80, founder and CEO of Vestar Capital Partners.
There will also be a range of panels addressing topics such as regulation in finance and private equity, opportunities in the renewable energy and infrastructure space, and the current climate for venture capital, among others. Panelists will include industry leaders from a range of firms including the Carlyle Group, Alvarez & Marsal, AEA Investors, Aetna, Blockbuster Inc., Ernst & Young Paul and several more.
To view the full conference agenda or to register, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on October 28, 2009, at 11:00 am
Posted in: Poll Last week we asked you how you would end your interview, this week we wonder how you would begin?
Interview Strategy: How do you Prepare for the Big Day?
I have a suit and I’m good with people, I’m not worried. I’ve availed myself of resources like the Clear Admit Wiki, Interview Guides and applicant bloggers. I have enlisted an admissions consultant to assist me through rigorous mock interviews. I rely on my friends to help me prepare and listen to my responses to key questions. I practice in front of my mirror, and have worked extensively to polish my resume.
View Results
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Posted by Clear Admit on October 28, 2009, at 3:00 am
Posted in: Interview Guides , Interview Tips , Wiki Wednesdays We’re pleased to announce the release of the 2009-2010 versions of our 18 Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants ace their admissions interviews. For those who are unfamiliar with these publications, the Interview Guides are based on our years of MBA admissions experience and our work with hundreds of applicants interviewing at leading programs. The Clear Admit Interview Guides contain the information candidates need for a successful interview, including:
School-specific strategy Analysis of how the adcom weighs the interview First-hand interview accounts Detailed information on planning a campus visit Dozens of sample questions consistently asked by that particular program
Each Clear Admit Interview Guide also includes our General Interview Guide, a rich source of advice on how to be successful in the MBA interview process. As with all of our publications, the Clear Admit Interview Guides are available for immediate download in our shop!
Posted by Clear Admit on October 27, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Northwestern / Kellogg A $3 million gift will establish a special law and business professorship shared between the Kellogg School of Management and the Northwestern University School of Law, the schools announced last week. Bernard Black, an expert in corporate law and finance and healthcare regulation, will be the first to fill the role.
The gift, from defense contractor General Dynamics Corporation, will establish the Nicholas D. Chabraja Professorship, named for the company’s retired chief executive officer and a Northwestern alumnus. The first of its type, the professorship will support both Kellogg and the School of Law, a symbol of the increasing integration of the two fields.
The donation also will provide support to Northwestern’s JD-MBA program, the largest joint law and business program in the world and the first to introduce a three-year, rather than four-year, course of study.
“Northwestern’s JD-MBA program truly is at the cutting edge,” Sunil Chopra, Kellogg interim dean, said in a statement. “Gifts of this nature allow us to continue on our innovative path, and we are very grateful for General Dynamics’ generosity.”
Chabraja, who retired in June, remains as non-executive chairman of the board of General Dynamics. Before his career at General Dynamics, which included several leadership roles and the longest tenure as chief executive among the nation’s top five defense contractors. Chabraja was a litigation partner at the law firm of Jenner & Block for 22 years. He graduated from Northwestern’s School of Law in 1967 and the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences in 1964 and is on Northwestern’s Board of Trustees.
Black will serve as the first Nicholas D. Chabraja Professor, with an appointment at the School of Law and in Kellogg’s finance department. He will join the university in September 2010 from the University of Texas (UT), where he currently holds the Hayden W. Head Regents Chair for Faculty Excellence at the School of Law and is a professor of finance at the McCombs School of Business. He also is co-director of UT’s Center of Law, Business and Economics.
To learn more, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on October 27, 2009, at 11:00 am
Posted in: School Guides , School: London Business School , Trivia Tuesday In this week’s Trivia Tuesday column we turn our attention to experiential education across the pond, examining the Shadowing Project at London Business School.
The shadowing project at LBS enables students to gain a firsthand perspective on the daily role of a high ranking manager by “shadowing” that person for up to a week as they perform their job. Students report that they benefit immensely from this exposure, which illuminates skills they need to develop to succeed as managers.
Before entering the workplace of their “shadowees,” as they are called, students examine key studies and concepts in managerial behavior, building a theoretical framework to help them assess the management situations they will witness during the project. After the shadowing period, students synthesize their observations in a graded report that objectively profiles the leadership style of their shadowee.
To set up the Shadowing Project, students are expected to initiate contact with a manager of their choosing, and to arrange mutually acceptable dates for the shadowing to take place. While the task of contacting a high-level manager and pitching the shadowing idea may seem daunting, LBS explains that learning to harness the LBS network and preexisting professional contacts is one of the project’s key takeaways for students. The shadowing project can be completed between January and May in either the first or second year. The actual shadowing need not occur over five consecutive days, so students and their shadowees may decide to schedule the shadowing dates around critical meetings or events that it would be most helpful to witness.
Of the managers LBS students have shadowed over the past few years, about 15% have been CEO’s, 25% Managing Directors, General Managers or Vice Presidents, and 10% have held the highest ranking finance post in their organizations. In addition to the more traditional shadowees at investment banks and pharmaceutical companies, students have shadowed prominent figures in politics, as well as the management of a symphony orchestra. More than one-third of students travel outside the UK for the project.
For more on the projects and experiential learning opportunities at London Business School or other leading MBA programs, be sure to check out the Academics and Special Projects sections of the Clear Admit School Guides!
Interested in a future career in healthcare? Choose the best MBA program for you with the help of Clear Admit’s Career Guide to Healthcare, a great resource from our brand new line of career-focused guides! This guide is directed toward prospective applicants hoping to work for companies like Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Medco Health Solutions or Pacific Healthcare; or who are thinking about healthcare-focused positions in industries like venture capital, consulting, or investment banking. Applicants looking to pursue careers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices will also benefit from this guide, as they typically participate in MBA healthcare programs as well.
With 44 pages of detailed information on the top MBA programs with a focus on healthcare, this guide makes it easy for prospective students to:
- Compare academic and extracurricular offerings at each school in order to narrow down where to apply - Write meaningful essays and prepare for interviews based on the guide’s specialized information about each program - Make an informed decision about which school to attend based on academics, career placement, and other deciding factors
Prospective students can also use the Clear Admit Guide to Healthcare to learn about student-run healthcare clubs at each school, recruiting for internships and jobs, and the academic offerings at the top MBA programs. Although many leading business schools do not offer a formal course of study in healthcare:
“Of those that do, Fuqua’s Certificate in Healthcare Management and Wharton’s Health Care Management Major are generally the best known. . . The Health Management Certificate at Haas and the Health Enterprise Management Major at Kellogg are two of the other formal academic healthcare programs with strong track records of helping students secure employment in the industry.”
The guide contains sixteen school profiles with exclusive insight into academics, extracurriculars, and career services. For example, several school profiles offer a “course spotlight” describing a highlighted class, like the Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology course at University of California Berkeley’s Haas Business School:
“Associated with the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, this course is designed for both future entrepreneurs and those students interested in working for a biotechnology or medical devices startup. The course explores the challenges in starting a life sciences company, provides an overview of the industry, and teaches students to recognize the opportunities for funding. Students gain insights into working with venture capitalists, bringing ideas to the clinic, and tackling business development and strategic partnering. Students have the opportunity to work on their own entrepreneurial endeavors and meet with life-science entrepreneurs during the course.”
To find out more about the top healthcare-focused MBA programs, get the Clear Admit Guide to Healthcare, available for immediate purchase and download from the Clear Admit shop!
Posted by Clear Admit on October 26, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: General , MBA News The vast majority of MBA programs has revised curricula in recent years or has plans to make curricular changes in the near future, according to a study conducted by the MBA Roundtable, a nonprofit organization that tracks MBA curricular design and innovation.
The study found that 69 percent of MBA programs have significantly revised their curricula in the past four years, and a full 89 percent are currently planning curricular changes. The most common revisions include adding project-based courses or other applied content. Many programs also have worked or are working to integrate content across topics and disciplines.
Other points of focus in curricular revision have included placing greater emphasis on leadership development and global perspectives, with about half of MBA programs reporting having added new options for students in these areas. One in four MBA programs, meanwhile, has added an industry specialization in the past three years, most commonly in healthcare/biotech/medicine and entrepreneurship.
The results of the MBA Roundtable study were first announced this summer at the annual meeting of the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC).
To visit the MBA Roundtable blog, click here.
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