Posted by Clear Admit on February 22, 2010, at 2:17 am
Posted in:  Admissions Tips , Deadlines After a relatively sleepy February, March will soon be upon us with its extensive list of application deadlines and decision notification dates. Let’s take a look at the long list of Round 3 (or 4 or 5) deadlines spread over the next two months:
March 1: Michigan/Ross R3
March 3: Columbia (int’l applicants)
March 4: Northwestern/Kellogg R3
March 8: CMU Tepper R3
March 9: Wharton R3, Duke/Fuqua R3
March 10: INSEAD R1 (Jan. intake), Chicago/Booth R3, Yale R3, Berkeley/Haas R4
March 15: NYU/Stern R3
March 17: UCLA/Anderson R3
March 19: UNC/Kenan-Flagler R3
March 30: Cornell R4
March 31: INSEAD R4 (Sept. intake), UVA/Darden R3
April 2: Dartmouth/Tuck R3
April 7: Stanford R3
April 8: HBS R3
April 14: Columbia (final)
April 26 CMU Tepper R4
While it’s always best to apply as early as possible, the difference between applying in Round 1 and applying in Round 2 is, for most applicants, a marginal one. However, the later rounds are a very different game. Because most of the seats in the incoming class will have been given away by the time round two decisions are released, the acceptance rate in the third round is dramatically lower than that for the first two deadlines of the season.
To maximize your chances of a later round acceptance, demonstrating your interest in the school and submitting thoughtful and error-free written materials will be crucial. Just as applying in Round 1 is generally taken as a sign of interest in a given program, applicants submitting their materials in a later round need to work extra hard to convince the adcom that they are genuinely interested in the school and are not simply applying as an afterthought because interview invitations didn’t come through in round two. Demonstrating that you would make a valuable contribution to the community and providing evidence that you have taken steps to engage current students and alumni will work to your advantage.
As always, we’d like to recommend the in-depth Clear Admit School Guides to those applicants who are targeting the later deadlines and just beginning to investigate certain programs, and to encourage those who’ve visited the campus and interviewed to share their experiences in the Clear Admit Wiki. Potential R3 or R4 applicants are also welcome to contact Clear Admit directly to discuss the strength of their later round candidacies and learn more about our one-on-one counseling services.
Are you planning on sending in a late round application in the next couple of months? Feel free to share your strategies, questions, and concerns below!
Posted by Clear Admit on February 21, 2010, at 8:00 pm
Posted in: GMAT - Quantitative , GMAT Tips Today’s GMAT tip comes from our friends at Veritas Prep. In today’s article, they present the eighth installment of their “Think Like the Testmaker Series”:
Brian Galvin is the Director of Academic Programs at Veritas Prep, where he oversees all of the company’s GMAT prep courses.
When you think about it, the authors of the GMAT are tasked with a pretty difficult initiative: using fairly common skills — algebra, grammar, arithmetic, logic — they need to write questions that will be difficult for large percentages of high-achieving examinees. Those taking the GMAT are already quite accomplished: college graduates, some already with graduate degrees, most with some quality post-college work experience, and all with a desire to pursue a higher level of education. Tricking this elite group of students is not easy!
The question writers do have a few built-in advantages that they’ll employ to trap you, though, and one of them is the combination of a significant time limit for the exam and the tendency of multi-taskers to make time-saving assumptions to combat that pressure.
Consider the data sufficiency question:
How many integers x exist such that y < x < z?
1) z – y = 5
2) z + y = 7
First, it is important to know what the somewhat-convoluted question is asking; essentially, it wants to know how many values of x are between y and z (if y and z were 1 and 3, only 2 would be an integer between them, so the only possible value of integer x would be 2, and the answer to the question would be 1, as there is only one possible value).
Statement 1 provides a range for the difference between y and z; the two values are 5 numbers apart. Knowing this, you might plug in numbers to determine how many values are between them. If you were to use 6 and 1 (two numbers that are 5 apart), you’d find that there are 4 numbers between them: 2, 3, 4, and 5. Say you tried again with 100 and 95, there would still be 4 numbers (96, 97, 98, 99), and even using a negative number for one of the values (3 and -2, for which the difference is also 5), you’d find 4 values of x (-1, 0, 1, and 2). Based on this trial-and-error, you might be confident that there will always be 4 values of x, and you’d determine that statement 1, alone, is sufficient to answer the question.
This is a common reaction to this question — but in your haste to select easy-to-calculate values of y and z, you may have forgotten that they do not need to be integers! Only x is specified in the question to be an integer, so you need to account for the fact that y and z could be nonintegers. If you do so, you could try 6.5 and 1.5, and you’d end up with 5 integers between them: 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
This assumption that a number must be an integer is common — ask any child his favorite number, and he’ll either respond with his favorite athlete’s jersey number, or the day of his birthday, or some other common integer. No child will ever claim that his favorite number is pi, or -6! But ask that same child the rules of one of the classic childhood games — Simon Says — and he’ll make sure that you understand that nothing is official unless Simon says it! Properties of numbers that we take for granted — positive, integer — are the GMAT version of Simon Says. You can’t assume anything about a number on the GMAT unless you’re explicitly told so.
To finish this question, statement 2 is not sufficient — it doesn’t even give a range for y and z. But taken together, the two statements allow us to solve for both y and z, giving us all the necessary information we would need (y is 6, z is 1, and therefore there are four possible values of x). C is the correct answer. More importantly, however, you should take note of the assumptions that you tend to make when working quickly — the authors of the GMAT will hold those over you if you’re not careful.
For more information on Veritas Prep, download Clear Admit’s independent guide to the leading test preparation companies here. This FREE guide includes coupons for discounts on test prep services at ten different firms!
Posted by Clear Admit on February 19, 2010, at 4:00 pm
Posted in: Events 
Starting this Sunday, February 21, the QS World MBA Tour is holding events in five North American cities. These events are designed to give MBA hopefuls a chance to meet with admissions officers and alumni representatives from business schools across the globe.
The QS World MBA Tour events provide an opportunity to begin or continue researching target schools, regardless of where you stand in the application process. If you haven’t received good news from R1 target programs or are still waiting to receive a response from R2 applications, the tour events can help you prepare to apply to additional programs in the spring. Additionally, if you are targeting international programs with a January start date or late deadlines for the September intake, the events will enable you to meet with representatives from those programs to learn more about the application process and the school itself. Finally, if you’re a conscientious applicant looking to get a jumpstart on your research and outreach for fall 2010 application deadlines, these events can serve as a starting point.
Aside from having the opportunity to meet face-to-face with admissions officers and school alumni, attendees at the QS World MBA Tour events will be able to:
• Take part in a sample MBA class
• Build and expand their network with other likeminded individuals
• Participate in a number of free seminars covering such topics as financing an MBA and preparing a winning application
Below is a list of the QS World MBA Tour North American dates and locations:
• Toronto: February 21
• Chicago: February 23
• Washington, DC: February 25
• New York: February 28
• Boston: March 2
As a special offer, Clear Admit has negotiated free event registration for all of our readers. Additionally, all Clear Admit readers who attend will be eligible to apply for over $1.6m in scholarships.
Register now, as these events are quickly approaching!
To learn more about the events to see a list of participating business schools, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on February 19, 2010, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Chicago , School: NYU Stern New York University’s Stern School of Business this week announced a multi-year academic partnership with Deutsche Bank to expand research and education related to risk management and financial regulation, according to a recent Financial Times report. Earlier this month, Deutsche Bank announced a similar partnership with the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
At Stern, the program will be coordinated by the school’s Volatility Institute, which is directed by Nobel Laureate Robert Engle. Deutsche Bank’s funding will support research at the Volatility Institute and the Salomon Center for the Study of Financial Institutions, as well as a series of conferences and other events.
At Chicago Booth, Deutsche Bank will underwrite a new speaker series for MBA students and a new summer conference for PhD students. The “Risk and Regulation in Financial Markets” speaker series for MBA students is already underway. Its inaugural event, which took place on February 9th, featured Douglas Diamond, the Merton H. Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance.
The new PhD program, meanwhile, will consist of a multi-day summer conference focused on the regulation of financial markets. Designed to complement Chicago Booth’s existing PhD curriculum, the conference will be open to PhD students as well as invited junior faculty from other top business schools.
Deutsche Bank’s decision to partner with leading business schools around risk management and regulation comes in response to the recent global financial crisis, which resulting in the collapse of major financial institutions, bail outs of other banks by national governments and downturns in stockmarkets around the world. ”The financial crisis has shown that risk management and a strong regulatory framework are critical to healthy markets and economies, so it is imperative we work together to educate tomorrow’s business leaders,” Hugo Banziger, Deutsche Bank’s chief risk officer, said in a statement announcing the Chicago Booth partnership.
Posted by Clear Admit on February 19, 2010, at 3:03 am
Posted in: Fridays from the Frontline Hi there, and welcome to Fridays From the Frontline, Clear Admit’s weekly blog post focused on the events of the MBA blogosphere. This week MBA hopefuls were sharing their good and bad news, from interview invites to admittances. Current students were deep in their current semester and enjoying a number of personal and professional development opportunities.
Dream Chaser enjoyed his day at Kellogg, happily announced his interview invite from Harvard, and managed to stay humble. While Rocky was disappointed with LBS’ general feedback to zapped candidates, he was happy to receive an interview invite from Anderson. Hari looked back on each stage of his MBA application process and thanked Clear Admit for providing helpful resources throughout. As a waitlisted round one applicant, MBA Hopeful took advantage of Haas’ opportunity to enhance his candidacy by visiting the school and being interviewed. Madalogue created an RSS feed for all Haas-related news that might be of use to other interested applicants. AJ continued to wait for application news, and considered taking the GMAT again. Nistha shared some of the details of his off-campus Kellogg interview. XLick prepared for his upcoming Cornell interview, and credited Clear Admit’s Wiki for helping him in this regard. A Beautiful Mind took a look at Clear Admit’s Consulting Career Guide, and received a wait-list notification from Cornell. Steve also received waitlist news from Cornell, and wasn’t looking forward to all the waiting.
Haas ’11 Sunnyside Up posted a link to the Haas Tech Club blog. Stanford ’11 Palo Alto For Awhile, inspired by the school’s recent tuition-hike announcement, talked about money, and how MBA students spend it. Harvard ’11 Military to Business immersed himself in the search for a summer job, and reflected on how none would replicate the experience of leading others in combat. Ross ’11 Raghunathrao shared his MAP placement with his readers. BU ’11 Felish couldn’t understand how people found the time to date during b-school, and received her first internship invite. Kellogg ’11 Windsor attended the Kellogg Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference and had a lot to say about it.
Darden ’10 Oren expected great things from a panel discussion during the school’s Women Leadership Week, but was disappointed. Fuqua ’10 Randy was surprised to find that India had a wine country. Darden ’10 Mechanigal enjoyed an evening of music, care of Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk. McCombs ’10 Metal also had music on his mind. Darden ’10 July Dream went to Paris, saw her family, ate great food, and walked a lot.
And that finalizes this week’s look-see into b-school bloggers’ latest news. We hope that everyone is surviving the ongoing winter months, and that more good news rolls in for applicants. Until next week, have yourselves and fantastic and fun weekend!
Posted by Clear Admit on February 18, 2010, at 3:32 pm
Posted in: Twitter Thursdays Welcome to another installment of Twitter Thursdays, a weekly column in which we highlight the updates 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. We’ve also created a list of MBA programs to ease your daily access to breaking news from the top MBA programs, as reported by admissions committee members themselves.
The Assistant Dean of UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions & Financial Aid, Mae Jennifer Shores, doled out some interview tips, noting that candidates should “dress up” even for a phone interview. Also in California, Rich Lyons, the Dean of the Haas School of Business, celebrated a gift from Nobel Prize winner, Olly Williamson. Across the pond, MBA Admissions Coordinator at Judge Business School, James Barker, broke down the upcoming Round 3 Interview Days and doles out heaps of application advice. Jon Fuller, the Senior Associate Director of Admissions at the Ross School of Business, shared his Round 2 updates and noted that interview invitations will be extended through next week.
Chicago Booth linked to this week’s Live Chat about pursuing careers in finance at Booth. Back in Boston, MIT Sloan will be hosting an information session this Friday. The Wharton School welcomed NFL players who are participating in the sport organization’s business management and entrepreneurial programs. The Kellogg School of Management announced that Soledad O’Brien will appear at the Black Management Association’s conference in March.
That concludes Twitter Thursdays this week! 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 list. Happy “tweeting” and we’ll see you next week with some more Twitter updates!
Posted by Clear Admit on February 18, 2010, at 1:21 pm
Posted in: MBA News , School: Penn / Wharton Next week, prospective applicants to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School will have an opportunity to experience a live lecture without setting foot on the Philadelphia campus.
Professor Kartik Hosanagar, who teaches “Enabling Technologies,” a class focused on technologies that help enable businesses in a networked economy, will deliver his first-ever live video-lecture, entitled “Innovation in Tech Firms: Analysis of Google, Apple, Pixar.”
The video-lecture will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 23rd. The lecture is free and open to prospective applicants, according to a recent post on the Wharton MBA Admissions blog.
Billed as the “first integrated social media blog/Twitter/Facebook course concept for a leading business school,” Wharton’s “Enabling Technologies” course calls on students to implement the very lessons they are learning in class regarding social media and new technologies through the class blog, Twitter feed and Facebook page.
To learn more, visit the EnableTech blog, EnableTech@Twitter or EnableTech@Facebook.
Posted by Clear Admit on February 18, 2010, at 2:11 am
Posted in: Campus Chronicles , School: Virginia / Darden In this week’s Campus Chronicles post, we’ll take a peek at Darden’s student newspaper, The Cold Call Chronicle, to see what exciting events have been happening on the UVA campus.
Motivated by the devastation following the earthquake in Haiti last month, Darden students made a pledge to raise as much money as possible by the end of January. From the 20th to the 30th of last month, an organizing committee and student groups, including the Finance Club, Consulting Club, Wine and Cuisine Club, and Darden Capital Management, worked to collect donations from the Darden community. Within those ten days Darden raised $17,570, which will go to the Red Cross and Food for the Poor.
Students recently had the chance to enjoy Darden’s fourth annual chili cook-off, in which competing teams of chef dress up and present their unique chili to students and student-judges alike. Some of the competing chili concoctions including Deer Chili, Stick to Your Shortribs, Deer Old UVA, and It’s Chili, Witches. The winning team was the Diablos, with team member Daryn Curry dressed up in full body red paint.
Finally, the Darden Chronicle also took the time to check in on some students who are currently studying abroad, allowing those students to highlight these senses of humor regarding the diversity they are experiencing in other countries. Bucky Shafer, who is currently at IESE, chronicled how the late nightlife in Spain has made attending his morning classes somewhat difficult. Meanwhile, Eric Varney ’10 and Woodson Whitehead ’10, who are currently studying at ISB in Hyderabad, India, lamented over the lack of laptop use in class and closed-book exams.
That’s the February round-up at Darden. We’ll leave you with this question: if you were to attend Darden, would you take time away from the campus to study abroad? Which of Darden’s Global Academic Opportunities programs would you do?
Posted by Clear Admit on February 17, 2010, at 8:00 pm
Posted in: GMAT Tips Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, ManhattanGMAT instructor Stacey Koprince offers advice on how to come up with a study plan:
Just starting out? Or maybe you’ve been studying for weeks already? Perhaps you’ve already taken the official test once but want another crack at it? Whatever stage you’re at, you need a plan, so that’s what we’re going to talk about this week: how to develop your own personalized study plan.
Get a notebook, open up a file on your computer, or start a blog. Record everything.
First, you need to know your current score and the score level that will make you competitive at the schools to which you plan to apply. This gives you an idea of how much improvement you will need and may affect your prep plans, including the length of time you plan to spend and whether you work on your own. (Generally speaking, the larger the desired improvement, the more likely it is that the student will need more time and / or more outside help.) Put this info in your journal.
If you haven’t already (recently), take a practice CAT in conditions that simulate the actual exam as much as possible. Do the essays (I know you don’t care about the essay score, but you do care about making sure your overall CAT score is representative, and the effort it takes to write the essays can make a difference). Take two 8-minute breaks, one after the essays and one after the quantitative section. Don’t answer the phone, don’t eat or drink except during the breaks, and so on – basically make it as close to the real test as you can.
Many prep companies and published books offer practice exams, so you have plenty of choices, but you do need to make sure that the exam does several things. First, it should be adaptive, just like the real test. Second, it should record the time you spend on each individual question – timing is a major factor on the GMAT. Third, it should offer score reports that give you tons of data on your strengths and weaknesses. GMATPrep exams (from the makers of the real test) are great in general but do not give you the 2nd and 3rd items on this list, so don’t use a GMATPrep exam for this exercise. Save GMATPrep for closer to the time you plan to take the real test.
What Are My Strengths and Weaknesses?
Now, use the test results to help you figure out your strengths and weaknesses in terms of both content and timing. Put all of this in your journal.
You also need to figure out your optimal learning style. Think back to undergrad. Did you do best when you had a small classroom of comrades with whom you shared the adventures of learning? Or did you excel when you worked on your own, or possibly met individually with your professor or TA? At work today, does it energize you to work with a group or do you focus better via one-on-one interactions? Do you prefer to do most of your work on your own or with others?
The answers to those questions will help you determine whether to study on your own, find other students with whom to study, take an organized class, or find a private tutor.
What’s My Schedule?
Now that you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can use that info to determine:
1. The total amount of time you’re likely going to need for primary studying (that is, the time you take to master the material, not including a comprehensive final review. For most people, this length of time will be 8 to 16 weeks, though it may be a bit shorter if you’ve taken the test before and you’re not aiming for a significant (> 50 points) improvement. If you take a class, your primary study will be at least the length of the class and possibly some additional time.
2. The amount of time to set aside for review, after you finish mastering the material and before you take the test. Most people spend 2 to 6 weeks on a comprehensive review after they finish their primary study.
You also need to factor in two other things that will affect your study timeframe:
3. The amount of buffer time you need to ensure that you can take the test a second time, if necessary. You are only allowed to take the GMAT once in a 31-day period (and 5 times a year).
4. The application deadlines of your preferred schools. You will, of course, have to work backward from these drop-dead dates. If you have the time, it’s preferable to get the test out of the way well before you have to start filling out the applications themselves. (Keep in mind that your GMAT score is valid for 5 years, so you can get started very early!)
Note: you may also want to add in a couple of extra weeks as an additional buffer, just in case. Work gets busy, people get sick, we procrastinate… things happen.
What Resources Do I Need?
There are tons of resources available to help you get ready for the GMAT. If you take a course or work with some structured program, the materials should already be determined for you. Otherwise, you’ll have to figure out what works best for you.
In general, there are three major categories of necessary resources:
1. Test content and methodology. These materials will teach you the what and the how: what’s on the test and how to take the test. These materials will come from a test prep company (this is what test prep companies do!).
2. Practice questions. As you’re learning the actual material tested on the exam and how to handle the different types of GMAT questions, you’ll also need to test yourself to see whether you’re getting better. The best practice questions are the officially released past test questions from GMAC (the makers of the GMAT). The latest three books are The Official Guide 12th Edition, the Verbal Review 2nd Edition and the Quantitative Review 2nd Edition. The most recent online release is GMAT Focus (for quant only).
3. Practice tests. You’ll want a mix of practice tests: GMATPrep (from the real makers of the test) and some tests from a test prep company. The GMATPrep test is the closest to the real thing, but doesn’t offer explanations or analysis of your results. A test prep company’s CAT will give you explanations and analysis.
The Plan
Okay, so you know your goal score, you know your strengths and weaknesses, and you’ve gathered your materials. It’s time to develop your specific plan. Pick a time frame (generally two to three weeks) and decide what weaknesses you want to improve in that timeframe. In general, start with your biggest weaknesses in areas that are frequently tested on the GMAT. If you’re not sure which areas are most frequently tested, ask the experts on the forums.
Get a calendar and block off two hours each day (okay, you can have one day off each week). In your journal, write down what your focus will be for each of the first six study sessions. (Note: day 6 is always a review day; you might do some random sets of problems, review what you did during the first 5 days, do a few problems from your stronger areas, et cetera.)
During a two-hour study session, if you are reading lessons and then doing non-official-GMAT practice problems in that same area, you should spend about half your time doing each of those two things. If you are doing and then reviewing sets of practice problems, then you should spend about 40% of your time doing a set of questions and 60% of your time reviewing those questions.
At the end of each study session, jot down what you did that day, what you think went well, and what you think needs more work. If something didn’t go as well as you’d hoped, then feel free to adjust your calendar. At the end of the six days, review your journal and set up your plan for the next six days. Repeat until you feel you’ve made good progress and are ready to test yourself on a CAT again. (This will typically take at least two to three weeks!)
When you take the next CAT, don’t worry about the overall score. Specifically check the areas on which you’d been concentrating for the previous several weeks. Did those areas get better? Can you move on to other topics or question types, or are there still things you need to improve? If you need advice about how to improve, log onto the forums again!
Then, do the overall test review again (the same thing you did on the first test). Figure out what your new priorities are, set up your 6-day plan, and repeat the whole process for several weeks until you feel ready for another test.
Good luck and happy studying!
For more information on ManhattanGMAT, download Clear Admit’s independent guide to the leading test preparation companies here. This FREE guide includes coupons for discounts on test prep services at ten different firms!
Welcome to Wiki Wednesdays, in which we set our sights on the latest submissions to the Clear Admit Wiki, an online repository for MBA applicants to share their experiences with admissions interviews. We’ve received a whopping 10 new interview reports this past week! If you’re knee-deep in interview season, be sure to check out the latest posts for: Berkeley / Haas, Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Chicago Booth, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, USC / Marshall, UT / McCombs and Yale School of Management. We’d like to thank everyone for continuing to build the Clear Admit Wiki!
Before getting into contest details, let’s take look at a couple of the latest contributions. A Round 2 candidate for Duke / Fuqua faced the following questions in a blind interview with an alumnus:
- Tell [me] something about your family background.
- How will you contribute at Fuqua?
- What does leadership mean to you?
- What is one thing you are proud of?
- What other schools have you applied to? Prioritize them, give reasons.
- How will you explain your job to a 6-year-old?
An accepted IESE applicant shared the following questions, as posed by an adcom member:
- Can you tell me about one memorable event from your childhood?
- Tell me about your parents – Where do they live and what do they do?
- Why did you quit your previous job?
- Tell me one instance when you disagreed with your boss and how did you handle the situation?
- Tell me once instance when you had to work with a team member with whom you could not get along. How did you handle this?
- What other schools have you applied to and why?
For more reports, be sure to check out the Clear Admit Wiki! Thank you to everyone who has shared their interview experiences this season and helped fellow applicants! If you’re eager to contribute, we’ll be awarding a $10 Amazon gift certificate to applicants that submit interview reports for Columbia Business School, Duke / Fuqua, London Business School or NYU / Stern through next Tuesday, February 23rd! In other words, all you have to do is send us your interview field report for the selected schools for inclusion in the Wiki and we’ll send you a $10 Amazon gift certificate. You must send your interview report to wiki@clearadmit.com to be eligible; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail (Limit: one iTunes or Amazon gift card per person).
Have you had to explain your school choice in your MBA admissions interviews? Leave a comment below to explain how you handled it!
Posted by Clear Admit on February 17, 2010, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: Events , MBA News , School: Northwestern / Kellogg Are you considering pursuing an MBA to further your career in the sports business industry? If so, you may want to make note of an upcoming conference at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. The 2010 Kellogg Sports Business Conference will take place this Saturday, February 20th, on Kellogg’s Evanston campus.
Entitled “Blazing New Trails: The Growing Need for MBAs in Sports,” this year’s conference will address the many challenges that face business leaders in the $213 billion sports industry. Key industry figures are scheduled to participate in a range of panels addressing such topics as the globalization of sports, entrepreneurship opportunities in sports, sports sponsorships and MBA careers in sports.
Chris Granger, a senior marketing executive at the National Basketball Association, and Kevin Plank, chairman and CEO of Under Armour, will deliver keynote addresses. Chief executives and directors of sponsorship and marketing from ESPN, the Cleveland Indians, the Chicago Bears, USA Triathlon, Bank of America, Wilson Sporting Goods and others will number among the many schedule panelists.
To learn more about the 2010 Kellogg Sports Business Conference, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on February 17, 2010, at 3:10 am
Posted in: Poll
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Posted by Clear Admit on February 16, 2010, at 1:00 pm
Posted in: EMBA The vast majority of executive MBA (EMBA) graduates report that the impact their programs had on both their careers and their organizations met or exceeded their expectations, the Financial Times reports.
Citing a recent survey from the California-based EMBA Council, the FT reported that an astounding 97 percent of EMBA graduates were satisfied or more than satisfied with the career impact of their degree programs. Indeed, almost a third of survey respondents (32 percent) were promoted and 44 percent received additional job responsibilities during the course of their programs.
The EMBA Council’s 2009 Student Exit Benchmarking Survey drew on the responses of almost 3,500 graduates from more than 100 EMBA programs. According to the survey results, average salaries for working managers grew 9 percent upon completion of an EMBA program, from $125,029 to $136,722.
These gains, however, were lower than figures reported in 2008, when graduating EMBA graduates said they saw a 17 percent salary increase, on average, upon completion of their degrees.
Still, this year’s gains are still very positive, according to Michael Desiderio, executive director of the EMBA Council. “Raises and payback periods fluctuate with the economy,” Desiderio told the FT. “The Executive MBA is a long-term investment, and our member programs are committed to providing an outstanding experience that will have long-term impact on students’ careers,” he added.
For more about the EMBA Council’s Student Exit Benchmark Study, click here.
Posted by Clear Admit on February 16, 2010, at 1:56 am
Posted in: School Guides , School: Chicago , School: Columbia , School: Dartmouth / Tuck , School: Harvard , School: Northwestern / Kellogg , School: Penn / Wharton , School: Stanford , Trivia Tuesday Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday! Today we’ll consider the options available to students interested in complementing their MBA studies with an advanced degree in another academic area. Often referred to as either joint or dual degrees, most business schools partner with other graduate programs at their home universities to offer one or more of these joint study options. Dual degree programs differ from other certificate programs in that students earn two degrees – often an MBA and a Master’s. Although studying for a dual degree typically takes 3-5 years instead of the normal two years of the MBA, it is almost always faster than completing the degrees separately.
Let’s take a look at a few of the options for students seeking a Master’s degree in conjunction with their MBA, as well as the admissions requirements governing these degrees.
Like most leading MBA programs, Columbia Business School offers dual degree programs through which students earn another degree concurrently with their MBA (e.g., Master’s in International and Public Affairs, Master’s in Social Services). Applicants are required to apply to and receive admission to both programs and may apply to both programs simultaneously or to the second program if they are less than halfway through their studies at the first school.
Students in a dual degree program at Columbia register at one school per term and may take courses in either program in each term, as long as they meet each school’s course, residence, and sequencing requirements. CBS recommends that candidates complete the first two terms of the MBA program consecutively to maintain the integrity and full benefits of the cluster system.
Similar systems are in place at Chicago, which offers two joint MBA/MA programs, at HBS, which offers concurrent degrees with the Kennedy School of Government, and at Stanford, where there are joint MBA/MA options. A few business schools offer slightly different options for students interested in joint degree study. For instance, Kellogg does not offer a set list of MBA/MA programs, instead opting to allow students to create their own joint program through application to their two programs of interest. Meanwhile, although Tuck and Wharton offer dual degrees on their own campuses, each also teams up with other universities (including Tufts, the Kennedy School, and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies) to offer a more extensive list of dual degree programs.
While dual degree students make up a relatively small percentage of the overall MBA population, some admissions officers report that combination degrees are becoming increasingly popular as students seek to customize their educations and take advantage of the opportunity to earn two degrees in less time, and for less money, than if they pursued separate programs. For MBA applicants interested in applying their business education to fields such as public policy, education, social work, the environment, public health, international policy or another specialized field, a joint degree program can offer both the area expertise and business knowledge needed for a successful career.
To learn more about MBA/MA dual degree options, be sure to check out the Dual Degrees section of the Clear Admit School Guides!
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