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CATEGORY - SCHOOL: DUKE / FUQUA

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Trivia Tuesday: Health Sector Management at Fuqua

It’s time once again for Trivia Tuesday, our regular exploration of the special programs and opportunities that differentiate the leading business schools. This week we take a look at Fuqua’s Health Sector Management program.

Duke University began offering healthcare education in 1930 alongside its opening of the Duke Hospital. In the more than three-quarters of a century since then, the Health Sector Management program (HSM) has evolved into one of the preeminent healthcare management education programs in the nation, alongside Wharton’s Health Care Systems major. Today, the HSM program enrolls over one-fifth of each Daytime MBA class, making it the largest healthcare program affiliated with a leading business school.

Fuqua’s affiliation with Duke University and location in the North Carolina Research Triangle area are major contributors to the strength of the HSM program. The Duke University Medical Center and Health System is a leader in biomedical research, education, and healthcare delivery, while the HSM program’s relationships with area biotech and pharmaceutical companies keep students and faculty connected to the rapidly changing healthcare industry.

Students enter the HSM program from a variety of backgrounds; though the program does not require prior health sector experience, it does look for a strong commitment to the healthcare field among all student participants. As with Wharton’s Health Care Systems major, application to Fuqua’s HSM program is through the MBA admissions process, with HSM applicants asked to indicate their interest in pursuing the HSM Certificate in a special section of the application.

Once enrolled, HSM students spend the first year completing the standard core curriculum before beginning the coursework that leads to the HSM Certificate. To earn the Certificate, HSM students complete three HSM core courses and three healthcare elective courses. All six HSM courses count as elective credit towards the MBA degree requirements. This is a slightly heavier course load than required by Wharton’s healthcare program, which asks students to complete two foundations courses and three healthcare electives.

In addition to providing students with the tools and skills to be successful in established health sector organizations, the HSM program also allows students to combine their health sector studies with the study of entrepreneurship and community involvement. For instance, HSM students may participate in the Engineering World Health program, using their skills to improve healthcare facilities in an impoverished community, or compete in the healthcare track of the Duke Start-Up Challenge.

For more information on Duke’s Health Sector Management program, be sure to visit the school’s website or check out the Health Sector Management section of the Clear Admit School Guide to Fuqua!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Trivia Tuesday: Pre-Term Programs at Duke’s Fuqua School

It’s time for another look at the programs, resources and opportunities that help differentiate the leading business schools. Today we will examine the options available to help incoming Fuqua students start the school year on the right foot.

All Fuqua first-year students participate in the recently-introduced, four-week Global Institute pre-term program. The Institute, held in August before the start of classes, consists of three core courses designed to help students gain a more nuanced understanding of the global business environment and enhance their collaborative leadership skills.

In addition to the mandatory Global Institute, Fuqua offers a Summer Math Review Course and a Language Institute in the weeks before New Student Orientation to help students build targeted skills before the start of classes. Although all students are generally invited to participate in these courses, the Admissions Office recommends or requires enrollment for particular students with weaker math or English skills. Because the programs meet during the same time period, it is impossible to complete both, but the administration reports that few, if any, entering students need extra preparation in both subjects.

The Language Institute, or LI, begins in mid-July and is designed to help international students build English speaking, writing and listening skills, orient to the academic environment at Fuqua, and begin creating friendships with other students. The LI, which costs $3,370 in the 2008-2009 academic year, is divided into four phases of teaching and support. In the optional first phase, students who would like to complete individual preparatory work with a tutor are encouraged to arrive in mid-July for tutorial sessions. The intensive two-week Language Institute makes up phase two of the program, and during this time students complete English diagnostic assessments, language tutorials, experiential learning projects and case study analyses. Classes during phase two meet from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day, with mandatory social events and team meetings often scheduled for the evenings. Phase three begins once LI participants start the Global Institute course. The LI faculty use the “live” academic setting of the Global Institute to give LI participants detailed feedback and suggestions for improvement before the first term of classes begins. Finally, entering students who participate in the LI are eligible to receive continued language support through individual counseling or small group work throughout their time at Fuqua.

For more information on pre-term and international orientation programs at Fuqua or other leading business schools, be sure to talk with current students or check out the Academics section of the Clear Admit School Guides!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Fuqua School of Business Establishes Global Campus Network

In a celebration featuring food, dancing and music from cultures around the globe, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business yesterday revealed an ambitious expansion plan aimed at establishing a global network of campuses to promote and expand its research and programming. 

Yesterday’s announcement heralded the school’s first regional partnership, with the Graduate School of Management in St. Petersburg, Russia. Fuqua will announce its plans for a location in New Delhi, India, in October, and also plans to extend its research and teaching to campuses in Dubai, UAE; London, UK; and Shanghai, China. Activities in each of these cultural and economic hubs will be linked with unfolding development on Duke’s campus in Durham.

“The Fuqua School of Business is rethinking the boundaries of business school,” Duke President Richard Brodhead said in a statement announcing the expansion. “What starts today with business education will continue as Duke extends its global reach and aspirations,” he added.  

But how to launch simultaneously in five disparate regions? Partnerships with individuals, municipalities and organizations will be key – and Fuqua also will call on other parts of Duke University to participate, including the Nicholas School of the Environment, the Duke Global Health Institute and the Sanford Institute for Public Policy.

 “Fuqua will be the first truly global business school, shaped and driven by the fundamental issues of our time,” Dean Blair Sheppard boasted. “By engaging with these regions through education and research, we will be able to examine the world’s opportunities and problems, explore interdependencies between regions, create solutions to address world issues, and prepare practitioners to be change agents and informed leaders,” he continued. 

The new plan represents much more than mere casual affiliations, Sheppard continued, referring to the international programs of some other U.S. business schools. Instead, each of Fuqua’s new regional campuses will provide the complete spectrum of the school’s MBA offerings, including executive MBA programs, a Duke Corporate Education site or partnership, at least two research centers and resident Fuqua faculty.

The Duke MBA - Cross Continent program, to begin in August 2009, will lead Fuqua’s expansion. The program – which will be held in each of the five regions and at the Duke campus in Durham – will feature a redesigned and expanded MBA curriculum combining unique residential sessions in Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North America with Internet-enabled distance learning, including weekly virtual classroom sessions.

To learn more about Fuqua’s new global initiative, click here.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Trivia Tuesday: International Orientation Programs at HBS, MIT Sloan and Tuck

Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday! Each week in this column we examine the programs, policies, resources and opportunities of the leading business schools with the goal of highlighting distinctive aspects of the student experience. Following up on our recent articles on pre-term and orientation programs, this week we turn our attention to programs for international students beginning their MBA studies in the United States, with a focus on the resources offered by Harvard, MIT Sloan and Tuck.

Most international orientation programs are held on campus in the week or two before all first-year students are required to arrive. In general, these programs offer an introduction to U.S. culture, an overview of the academic expectations of the MBA program, and workshops in written and oral English language skills.

For instance, in addition to the standard orientation for all students, Tuck offers a five-day International Orientation Program that is highly recommended for international students who have not previously lived or worked in the United States. Held the week before the school-wide Orientation, students in the program engage with Tuck faculty, staff and teaching assistants to become familiar with the case-study method, the standards expected in verbal and written communications, and how to work on teams with people from other backgrounds and cultures. The Career Development Office also leads workshops on resume writing, interviewing and networking. Likewise, for international students with little prior experience in the U.S., MIT Sloan’s two week Communication and Culture workshop in mid-August provides an introduction to Sloan’s classroom environment and to U.S. business and social norms.

Meanwhile, Harvard Business School offers one of the longest international orientations among its peers. The school’s Pre-MBA International Program is a five-week course during which students from abroad are introduced not only to life in Boston and at HBS, but also to the basics of the case method. Outside experts are brought to the campus to speak to international students about writing, business English, and publication skills, after which attendees participate in several mock-case discussions to prepare them for the pace and tenor of class sessions.

For international students concerned about making the transition to business school and to the U.S., these specialized orientations are a great resource. Participants at all schools report that in addition to learning about the academic environment and brushing up on language skills, the international orientations are also a wonderful way to meet fellow international students and to start building a network of business school friendships. For more information on orientations, pre-term programs, and resources for international students, be sure to talk with current students or to check out the Clear Admit School Guides!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Duke / Fuqua Essay Topic Analysis 2008-2009

A few significant changes have been made to the Duke/Fuqua essay topics since last season. This year, each applicant must respond to three short essays and only one long essay, whereas last year, Duke asked for two short and two long responses. Further, while candidates were able to choose one of three prompts for one of last year’s long essays, this season Duke is requiring that all applicants answer the same four questions. A final noteworthy change is that the long essay now includes a harder page and spacing limit; last year’s long essays had only a suggested word count range.

Aside from these logistical changes, the essay themes remain largely the same, with topics that range from career goals to leadership to what makes each applicant unique. The first two short essays remain the same as last year, and while Duke introduced a new short essay this year, it does not cover new material, as it derives from last year’s second long essay.

Remember, when preparing to answer the following questions, it is imperative you do careful research on Duke’s program and integrate your findings in each response.

Short Answers

Essay 1: What do you hope to gain from The Duke MBA? How does it fit into your short- and long- term goals? If you are interested in a joint degree or the Health Sector Management program, please address in this response. (required, single page limit, 1.5 line spacing)
This is your standard career goals essay, with a strict length limitation. By combining its questions about the applicant’s career goals and interest in its MBA program into a single prompt, Duke requests that candidates cover a good deal of ground in a single page. Since brevity will be of utmost importance, you will have to articulate clearly your career goals while also touching on how your work experience to date has informed those goals. Key to answering this question will be to address what skills or knowledge you currently lack that is preventing you from achieving your goals and to detail the ways a Duke MBA will prepare you for success.

As is the case with most schools, demonstrating an understanding of the unique merits of Duke’s program is crucial to an effective response to this question. Taking the time to learn about the school’s curriculum, special programs and extracurricular activities - whether through a visit to campus, conversation with alumni or reading the Clear Admit School Guide to the Fuqua School of Business - will pay dividends here.

Essay 2: How will you contribute to the overall experience of your peers at The Duke MBA? (required, single page limit, 1.5 line spacing)
The prompt is fairly broad, covering just about every dimension of one’s candidacy, experience and perspective, and inviting the applicant to imagine how his or her unique characteristics might translate into participation in Team Fuqua. This response is a great place to showcase extracurricular or community involvement, as well as to demonstrate specific knowledge of the culture at Duke. 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 end.

Essay 3: Discuss a person, event or experience that has significantly shaped your life and explain why. Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally. (required, single page limit, 1.5 line spacing)
This question is a more focused version of last year’s required long essay about one’s personal history; whereas the school previously asked for a broad picture, this year they are looking for a snapshot. The best approach is to this response will therefore be to share an anecdote; from there you should draw attention to the priorities and qualities at play in the story, commenting on how you derived these from your development over the years. Since the question about what the applicant would add to the Duke community has already been asked in Short Essay 2, this question will not require you to cover the same ground. As the prompt states, the adcom’s primary objective is simply to get to know the candidate a bit better through this response. That said, however, since Duke asks two short essays that center on the applicant’s individuality, it is clear that there is an avid interest in exactly what each candidate has to offer the school. The challenge will therefore be identifying the most important and interesting aspects of one’s personality to cover in this response, and to do so in a single page.

Long Essay: Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, and emotional intelligence as well as business acumen.

Upon graduation, a Duke MBA will be a leader of consequence - able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients, and community. What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence? (required, two page limit, 1.5 line spacing)

Since applicants will have already addressed their career goals and what they hope to gain from a Duke MBA, the tricky part of this essay will be avoiding repetition. Because the three short essays above don’t afford a clear opportunity to share a past experience in which you have held a leadership role, a good approach might be to spend roughly half of the Long Essay discussing your past experiences (in both the professional and the extracurricular realm). Use this time to briefly discuss what skills you have developed from past leadership experiences, show how you have, up to this point, been successful in dealing with complex matters and engaging colleagues, clients, and the community. With an eye to the forward-looking phrasing of the question, it would then make sense to go back to your career goals and explore their implications further, reflecting on how being a leader of consequence fits in with that path. Project the sort of impact you expect to have; discuss specific achievements and successes you will aim for, and the relationships you hope to form. Finally, it would certainly make sense to highlight once more how a Duke MBA would cultivate the skills you already possess to help you make the kind of impact you envision.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Duke / Fuqua Deadlines and Essay Topics 2008-2009

The Duke / Fuqua deadlines and essay topics for the 2008-2009 application season have been announced. Check them out below!

Early Action
Application Deadline: October 15, 2008
Decision Notification: November 14, 2008

Round One
Application Deadline: October 27, 2008
Decision Notification: December 19, 2008

Round Two
Application Deadline: January 7, 2009
Decision Notification: March 10, 2009

Round Three
Application Deadline: March 16, 2009
Decision Notification: April 23, 2009

Short Answer Essays
1. What do you hope to gain from The Duke MBA? How does it fit into your short- and long- term goals? If you are interested in a joint degree or the Health Sector Management program, please address in this response. (required, single page limit, 1.5 line spacing)

2. How will you contribute to the overall experience of your peers at The Duke MBA? (required, single page limit, 1.5 line spacing)

3. Discuss a person, event or experience that has significantly shaped your life and explain why. Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally. (required, single page limit, 1.5 line spacing)

Long Essay
1. Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, and emotional intelligence as well as business acumen.

Upon graduation, a Duke MBA will be a leader of consequence - able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients, and community. What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence? (required, two page limit, 1.5 line spacing)

Optional Essay
1. If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the admissions committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g. unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weakness in your application).

Reapplicant Essay
All reapplicants are also required to complete the Reapplicant Essay below. Essays should not exceed two pages.
1. Write an essay describing how you are a stronger candidate for admission compared to the previous year’s application.

Trivia Tuesday: Health Care Majors at Wharton, Duke/Fuqua, Columbia, Harvard and Kellogg

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday, our regular examination of the offerings and opportunities at the leading business schools.

Today we turn our attention to options for studying health care in business school, with a particular emphasis on Wharton’s Health Care Systems Major and Duke’s Health Sector Management Program, the two oldest and best known health care programs among U.S. business schools.

Wharton’s major draws its faculty from the business, medical and nursing schools, as well as from practicing health care professionals, ensuring an interdisciplinary approach to the issues in the field. The Health Care Systems major differs from other majors at Wharton in that students must choose the major in their initial application to the school instead of in their second year. Health Care Systems further differs in that it aggressively integrates professional development and field work into the major.

For instance, all Health Care majors are required to complete a Field Application Project (FAP). In the FAP, teams of students spend a semester working with an industry partner to solve real world problems in the health care field. Given the amount of time these projects can take, students must work carefully to balance classes around the demands of their projects.

At Fuqua, students enter the HSM program from a variety of backgrounds; though the program does not require prior health sector experience, it does look for a strong commitment to the healthcare field among all participants. As with Wharton’s Health Care Systems major, application to Fuqua’s HSM program is through the MBA admissions process, with HSM applicants asked to indicate their interest in pursuing the HSM Certificate in a special section of the application.

Once enrolled, Duke HSM students spend the first year completing the standard core curriculum before beginning the coursework that leads to the HSM Certificate. To earn the Certificate, HSM students take three HSM core courses and three healthcare electives (see Figure “Health Sector Management Courses”). All six HSM courses count as elective credits towards the MBA degree requirements. This is a slightly heavier courseload than required by Wharton’s healthcare program, which asks students to complete two foundations courses and three healthcare electives.

Despite the prominence of the Wharton and Duke programs, they are far from the only option for MBA applicants seeking a career in health care. For instance, Columbia now offers the Health Care and Pharmaceutical Management major, Kellogg offers a major in Health Industry Management, and HBS hosts the Healthcare Initiative. Those business schools that do not offer formal health care concentrations tend to have a student club and/or a student-organized conference dedicated to supporting interest in the field, so regardless of the program, health care minded applicants should find plenty of resources.

For more on health care options, majors, student clubs or conferences, be sure to check out business schools’ websites and the Clear Admit School Guides!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

It’s Summertime…and the Pre-Terms Are Starting

It may feel like summer has just begun, but some students are already hitting the books and heading to class. At Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, for example, this week marked the start of the Language Institute, a two-week pre-term program for international students who are non-native speakers of English.

Founded in 1991, the Language Institute is designed to prepare international students to succeed in the Duke MBA program by helping them improve their written and spoken English before regular MBA coursework begins.

The intensive ten-day pre-term program features lectures, case presentations, writing exercises and a variety of assignments, all with an emphasis on business. Once students begin school, the Language Institute continues to monitor their progress for the next five weeks, providing ongoing individualized support and instruction as needed.

In addition to its language program, Fuqua also offers an optional math review for students who don’t have a strong background in math or haven’t studied it in some time. This year’s optional math review will take place from July 21st through 25th.

Fuqua student Lovern Hayes-Brown (MBA ’08) took the pre-term math review, and she’s glad she did. A writer and journalist before business school, Hayes-Brown had never studied calculus, statistics, finance or accounting.

“I had never done it before, and I had been out of the classroom for eight years,” said Hayes-Brown. “The only advice I would give [to future first years] is if that’s not your area, you need to immerse yourself in it before you get to school,” she continued.

“Once I was able to get past them,” Hayes-Brown said, referring to the quantitative review courses, “everything was so much easier.”

Fuqua is certainly not the only school to offer pre-term courses. For more on other schools that invite – and in some cases, require – students to spend time reviewing core skills before classes begin, check this space next week.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

GMAT Scandal: The Saga Continues

We just wanted to provide our readers with a quick update on developments in the blogosphere since our post yesterday about the GMAT/Scoretop.com saga.

With the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) now in possession of the hard drive belonging to Scoretop’s founder, Lei Shi, test-takers revealed to have paid a subscription for access to actual GMAT test questions through Scoretop stand to have their test scores canceled and to be barred from taking the GMAT exam again.

Without a score to submit for the admissions exam favored by many of the top business schools in the world, the application process for these prospective applicants promises to be anything but easy. Scoretop customers who have yet to send scores to schools will have nothing to send. And for those whose scores have already been sent, GMAC says that it intends to notify schools of the cancellations.

But what about students who are already enrolled? Or who have already obtained their MBAs? As a BusinessWeek.com story on Monday pointed out, Scoretop has been operating since 2003. According to several schools contacted for comment, the fate of current or prospective students whose scores are canceled is still unknown. “It’s impossible to say at this point what that means,” Ed Anderson, Duke’s associate director of admissions, told BW.

According to Joe Fox, director of MBA programs at Washington University’s Olin Business School, a lot will have to do with how much information GMAC can provide about individual students – particularly about how frequently they used the Scoretop site. 

“We could do anything we wanted—from a slap on the wrist to expulsion from the program—and we’d be well within our rights,” Fox told BW. As a cautionary tale, Fox reminded readers that when a Chinese national was caught taking the GMAT for dozens of prospective students several years ago, one Olin student who had the test taken on his behalf was dismissed before he could complete his degree.

Which brings us to the point made by MBA blogger TinyDancer in a recent post. “It seems like every year there is a scandal in the MBA world,” the Wharton student writes. She goes on to remind us of a few from recent years, including the Harvard application decision “hacking” scandal, where students who followed the advice of a BW poster were able to modify the Apply Yourself website to see their decisions early, and last year’s Duke cheating scandal. 

Of course, we’ve covered each of these scandals over the years right here on the Clear Admit blog. So, while we can’t claim to be able to predict the exact flavor of next admission season’s scandal, we do promise to keep you informed.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Trivia Tuesday: Earning a JD/MBA or MD/MBA

Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday! Earlier in the year we looked at the options for students to earn Master’s degrees alongside their MBA studies through dual and joint degree arrangements. This week we’ll examine the opportunities for students interested in combining their business education with study in law or medicine. The growing demand for talented, knowledgeable managers in the health care industry makes the combination MD/MBA degree particularly valuable, and graduates who can analyze both the strategic and legal implications of a decision fill an important niche in the business world.

Wharton’s programs are typical of the JD/MBA and MD/MBA programs offered by leading business schools. As with most of the MBA/MA programs, candidates must apply to the two programs separately and admissions decisions are made independently. However, the longer length of JD and MD dual degree programs - typically four years for a JD/MBA and five years for an MD/MBA - mean that students have somewhat more leeway in deciding when to apply to the programs. For instance, students may apply to and begin both degree programs in the same year, or may choose to start the JD or MD first, applying to the MBA program in either their first or second year of study in the other program.

Kellogg’s MBA/JD program is differs slightly, in that the schools have managed to compact the three year law degree and two year MBA into just three years of on-campus study. The program also differs in that students apply through Kellogg only, though they spend their first year in full-time residency at the Law School.

Below is a summary of the JD and MD dual degree options offered by several of the leading MBA programs, along with links to sites offering more information about the dual degree or the law or medical school.

Chicago GSB:

JD with University of Chicago Law School
MD with Pritzker School of Medicine

Columbia Business School:

JD with Columbia Law School
MD with Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
DDS with Columbia University College of Dental Medicine

Cornell/Johnson:

JD with Cornell University Law School
MD with Weill Cornell Medical College

Duke/Fuqua:

JD with the Duke University School of Law
MD with the Duke University School of Medicine

Harvard Business School:

JD with Harvard Law School
MD with Harvard Medical School

Kellogg:

JD with Northwestern’s School of Law
MD with the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern

Michigan/Ross:

JD at the University of Michigan’s Law School
MD at the University of Michigan’s Medical School

MIT Sloan:

No JD or MD dual degree programs

NYU/Stern:

JD at NYU School of Law

Stanford:

JD with the Stanford School of Law
No formal MD dual degree, though students may pursue a medical degree separately from the MBA

Tuck:

No JD program; offers a Master’s of Science in Environmental Law through Vermont Law School
MD with Dartmouth Medical School

UC-Berkeley/Haas:

JD with either UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law or UC Hastings College of the Law

UCLA/Anderson:

JD with UCLA School of Law
MD with David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

UVA/Darden:

JD with the University of Virginia School of Law

Wharton:

JD with Penn Law School
MD with Penn Medicine, DMD with Penn Dental Medicine, VMD with Penn Veterinary Medicine

Yale SOM:

JD at Yale Law School
MD at the Yale School of Medicine

For more information on dual and joint degree options and on graduates’ career paths, be sure to check out the individual schools’ websites, as well as the Dual Degrees and Career Statistics sections of the Clear Admit School Guides!

Monday, June 09, 2008

Campus Chronicles: Summer Reading

With the end of the academic year, the student presses have fallen silent and it is time to put our weekly roundup of campus papers on hold until the start of the fall semester. However, for those applicants looking for some fun summer reading that has the added benefit of enhancing your MBA applications, the archives of student newspapers are a wonderful resource that is well worth exploring. As we’ve pointed out in past Campus Chronicles columns, student papers often offer excellent insight into the culture on campus and provide a great window on the events and controversies at each school, making them an important part of the MBA application research process.

Candidates beginning the application process might find it helpful to read through some of the back issues of a school’s paper. Information from the papers can become a valuable addition to MBA essays later this summer - perhaps you would like to help organize one of the conferences or speaker series profiled in the paper? Maybe the summaries of the multi-school case competitions or athletic matches stir your competitive spirit and inspire you to join one of these activities at business school? Alternatively, perhaps you’ve appreciated how helpful the student newspaper is to applicants and would like to contribute to its production as an MBA student? Each of these ideas for involvement can help you tailor your application essays to a school while adding flavor and interest. For applicants’ convenience, we’ve listed below the MBA programs whose student newspapers were regularly profiled in this year’s Campus Chronicles column.

Chicago: Chibus
Columbia: Columbia Bottomline
Duke Fuqua: Fuqua Times
Harvard: Harbus
Michigan Ross: Monroe Street Journal
MIT Sloan: Fifteen
NYU Stern: Stern Opportunity
Wharton: Wharton Journal

Happy Reading!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Which School Wednesdays: YouTube Offers New Perspective on MBA Programs

Welcome to this season’s first edition of Which School Wednesdays, a column meant to highlight online content that may help candidates weigh their tough decisions in selecting MBA programs. With looming deposit deadlines, MBA candidates admitted to more than one school are running out of time to settle on their premier program. While most applicants have already considered qualities such as size, location, teaching methods, etc., the Clear Admit team has decided to take an unconventional look at potentially overlooked characteristics of the leading programs via a selection of student-produced videos.  With the help of YouTube, applicants across the globe can peer into student life at any number of leading programs….

Our journey through “MBAs’ Funniest Home Videos” starts in Chicago.  When choosing between offers, it may help to understand the admissions process from the other side of the acceptance letters, e.g. the admissions committee. For insight into admissions decisions and financial aid, ‘Sandy G’ (who bears a striking resemblance to Ali G) sat down with Chicago GSB’s Associate Dean of Student Recruitment and Admissions, Rose Martinelli, and Financial Aid Director, Priscilla Parker.  Here is the resulting video.

Visiting a school may also help candidates to tip the scales. While admit weekends provide previews of business school life, however, many applicants may be left wondering about campus culture once the bridge from ‘prospect’ to ’student’ is finally crossed. For a better sense of campus life, be sure to check the following videos:

1. 1. CBS 911! - From Uris Hall to Watson Library, this video offers a ’secure’ tour of Columbia Business School.
2. 2. Vanday Partay - Covering fashion sense and family ties, Duke/Fuqua students sing their love of Tennessee rivals, Vanderbilt/Owen MBAs.
3. 3. Wharton First Year / Second Year Learning Team - For those wondering what a team setting has in store, a few Wharton students share their firsthand experiences.

Though spring offers warm weather, there may still be some ice to break over one’s admit weekends. For pointers on approaching your fellow admits, check out a few Stanford students’ take on these events. Although interview season is winding down, some tips offered in this mock interview can still apply when sharing one’s background with future classmates. When all else fails, the common MBA topic of career goals may save a stale conversation and prospects can take a crooning cue from Columbia Business School’s Dean Hubbard.

That wraps up this week’s installment of Which School Wednesdays! As always, we encourage those who have made up their mind to contribute to the School Choices section of the Wiki - simply create an account or send your thoughts to wiki@clearadmit.com. Best of luck and happy deliberating!

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Trivia Tuesday: Honor Codes at Tuck, Yale SOM and Duke/Fuqua

Business ethics have been front page news for much of this decade. One way that business schools build ethical standards into their programs is through adopting school-wide honor codes that provide guidelines for student behavior. Although many schools have such codes, today we’ll examine the approaches taken by Tuck, Yale SOM, and Duke/Fuqua.

At Tuck, all students agree to abide by an Academic Honor Principle that emphasizes honesty and integrity both inside and outside the classroom. Closed-book mid-term and final exams are often unproctored or given as take-home tests, and students are trusted to comply with any restrictions on time or resources. The honor code is governed by a student judicial board; faculty and administrators intervene only when students are unable to resolve a matter of academic integrity.

Meanwhile, the Yale SOM upholds a formal honor code that guides the conduct of students, faculty and staff. While its implications extend into the social realm, it is most explicit about students’ conduct in academics and recruiting. In the academic realm, professors are expected to provide clear guidelines regarding assignment requirements and appropriate collaboration, and in turn, students must work fairly within groups and seek clarification from their professor if in doubt about the instructions. With respect to recruiting, students must adhere to the Career Development Office’s standards when attending interviews and responding to offers, as well as uphold a high level of professional behavior in all recruiting activities.

Yale students report that the Honor Code is heavily emphasized during pre-term, and that it permeates campus life thereafter. In routine academic life, students check themselves, both when working individually and in groups, to ensure that they are following the Honor Code, and many report that they enjoy having a high community standard to live up to and uphold. The administration takes the rare occurrences of academic or professional violations very seriously; alleged offenders must answer to a faculty and student committee that decides whether to excuse the accused party or recommend probation, suspension or even expulsion.

At Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, students operate under both Duke University’s expectation of high standards of scholarship and conduct and the Honor Code of the Fuqua School of Business. Violations of the Honor Code include lying, cheating, stealing, or failing to report one of the previously mentioned offenses, and disciplinary action may include suspension or expulsion. The Fuqua Honor Code became front-page news at the end of the 2006-2007 academic year when over 30 first-year students were found guilty of violating the Honor Code by improperly collaborating on a take-home test and nine of these students were recommended for expulsion. Although the story generated a great deal of public commentary on the questionable ethics of business school students, Fuqua’s administration and many of its students see the case as a sign of the school’s commitment to upholding high ethical standards within the community, regardless of the publicity generated.

For more information on schools’ honor codes, be sure to speak with current students or check out the Academics section of the Clear Admit School Guides!

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Trivia Tuesday: Lifelong Learning at the Chicago GSB, Tuck, Duke/Fuqua and NYU Stern

It’s Tuesday, so that means it’s time for a look at the programs and policies that help to differentiate the leading business schools. Today we’ll examine the opportunities available for MBA graduates at Chicago, Dartmouth/Tuck, Duke/Fuqua and NYU Stern to continue their business training through alumni education programs.

For instance, the Chicago GSB permits alumni to enroll in up to three courses free of tuition at any time after they graduate. Most graduates use the courses to hone or sharpen their skills in a particular area, and the grades received in these courses become part of their official Chicago GSB transcript.

In contrast to Chicago’s formal alumni education program, Tuck offers a much more informal continuing education program. In addition to life-long access to the Career Development Office, Tuck alumni may enroll in programs through the Osman Tuck Alumni Lifelong Learning (TALL) Program. TALL’s classes are presented by Tuck faculty in the U.S. and abroad and help keep alumni up-to-date on the newest thinking and trends in business.

At Fuqua, alumni seeking formal continuing education are invited to enroll in the Health Sector Management Alumni Certificate program. Designed for alumni currently working in healthcare or seeking a career move into the field, the HSM Alumni Certificate program teaches students ways to approach the business of healthcare. Participants enroll in either Weekend or Global Executive MBA classes, in person or remotely.

Finally, all Stern alumni are eligible to continue their business education through Stern’s Alumni Students program. Although many leading business schools allow graduates to pursue additional coursework, Stern has one of the most flexible policies, allowing alumni to enroll in three credits per semester with no cap on the number of post-graduate credits they may earn. All Alumni Student participants must pay applicable tuition and fees, and all course grades are recorded on the participant’s official Stern transcript.

It’s important to remember that earning an MBA is about more than just the time spent on campus. Business schools want their graduates to do well not just in their first jobs, but throughout their professional lives, and the leading schools therefore devote significant resources to personal and professional support for alumni.

For more information on the career support, academic opportunities, mentoring programs and other resources available to MBA alumni, be sure to check out the Alumni Network sections of the Clear Admit School Guides or the alumni club websites at each school!

Friday, March 28, 2008

U.S. News Releases 2009 MBA Rankings, Harvard and Stanford Tie for First

U.S. News and World Report released its 2009 rankings of the best graduate schools at midnight, including a list of the top business schools in the nation. Harvard and Stanford tied for first place, each scoring a perfect 100 points. Wharton came in third with 95 points. And in another tie, with 93 points each, Sloan, Kellogg and the University of Chicago shared fourth place.