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CATEGORY - SCHOOL: NYU STERN

Monday, November 17, 2008

BusinessWeek 2008 Business School Rankings: A Closer Look

Today we’ll take a closer look at how the various top programs fared in BusinessWeek’s most recent business school rankings, released last week.

Chicago Booth held firmly to the number one spot it secured in the 2006 rankings, boasting high scores in both the corporate recruiter and graduate surveys. Harvard Business School (HBS) and Wharton traded places this year, with HBS climbing to number two and Wharton slipping to number four. BW’s Louis Lavelle attributed Wharton’s slide to a poorer showing in the intellectual capital category this year than in 2006. 

Columbia, meanwhile, advanced from the number 10 spot to number seven, but MIT Sloan and Berkeley’s Haas School of Business each slipped slightly. Also noteworthy was the fact that Southern Methodist University (18) and Brigham Young University (22) each cracked the top 25 this year for the first time ever. SMU, for its part, has been among the participating schools for years, but lacked sufficient response rates in the recruiter and student portions of the ranking to secure a top spot before now, according to BW’s Geoff Gloeckler.

There were also two newcomers to the Global MBA rankings, IE Business School (2) and Oxford’s Saïd Business School (10). Like SMU, IE has long been a participant but until this year had insufficient recruiter and student response rates, Gloeckler said.

Yale School of Management, meanwhile, seems to have fallen back slightly. It came in at 24 this year, down from 19 in 2006. Lavelle attributed its fall to low student survey scores.

In an article accompanying the rankings, BW takes a look at the current business school landscape, which it says is marked by surging application rates amid “wretched” recruiting prospects.

As has historically been the case in times of economic downturn, application rates to business schools are rising steadily. According to the BW report, schools are reporting double-digit increases in application volume. Chicago Booth, for example, has seen a 20 percent surge in attendance at information sessions around the globe.

But even as more students clamor to get in, job prospects upon graduation are uncertain, with some schools bracing for the toughest MBA job market since the dotcom bust. “I think next fall is going to be very, very difficult,” George Daly, dean of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, told BW.

The article went on to cite a survey by umbrella group MBA Career Services Council, in which 70 percent of 77 participating schools reported a downturn in full-time recruiting opportunities in financial services in October.

As a result, some students are shifting their focus from investment banking to consulting and other fields. Attendance at recruiting presentations by consulting firms is standing room only, New York University’s Stern School of Business Dean Gary Fraser told BW.

A shift is also taking place in the classroom, as professors are introducing new case studies and re-writing syllabi as part of an effort to make sense of the financial crisis and market upheaval.

Risk management, meanwhile, is expected to play a much more important role in business school curriculums over the next three to five years, according to the BW report, a trend that Robert Meyer, co-director of Wharton’s Risk Management & Decision Processes Center, calls “potentially transformational.”

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Trivia Tuesday: Starting off Strong at NYU Stern

It’s time again for Trivia Tuesday, our weekly examination of the offerings and opportunities that impact the student experience at the leading MBA programs. Although many business schools offer optional pre-term programs for enrolling students, NYU Stern goes a step further and invites selected applicants to a summer-long session of coursework prior to the start of the full-time MBA program. Let’s take a closer look at what Stern’s program entails and how it fits into the general campus orientation.

Stern’s Summer Start program allows a selected group of entering students to spend the summer on campus getting a head start on their MBA coursework. When considering students for Summer Start, the admissions committee looks for candidates who have strong communication and leadership skills, but could benefit from extra preparatory study before beginning the MBA. Some Summer Start students have been out of school longer than most of their new classmates, while others have worked in less traditional pre-MBA professions.

Admission to Summer Start is by invitation only; there is no way to apply directly to the program. Because the admissions office looks to fill the Summer Start program with candidates who are enthusiastic about Stern and the mission of the program, candidates invited to interview for Summer Start have an opportunity to decline the invitation. However, once a student has interviewed with Summer Start and received a formal offer of admission from the program, participation is mandatory.

The program begins in mid-July and runs for six weeks, earning participants six of the 60 credits needed for graduation. All enrollees take the core curriculum course Statistics & Data Analysis, and most also enroll in Management Communication & Collaboration as well as Conflict & Negotiation. Some students in the program also pursue coursework to boost quantitative knowledge and/or business writing skills, and the program organizes a variety of social and cultural events to introduce students to each other and to the city.

In late August, Stern brings all entering students to campus for their eight-day Pre-Term Orientation. During the Pre-Term Orientation, students begin making connections within the class, explore New York City, and participate in team building and case analysis exercises plus units on management communication and ethics. Other typical Orientation activities include career development programming, a barbecue and receptions, a harbor cruise and a trip to a Yankees baseball game.

For more information on NYU Stern, including campus life, the core curriculum, and the structure of each incoming class, be sure to check out the school’s website or the Clear Admit School Guide to Stern!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Business Schools Brace for Record Round One Application Volumes

As round one application deadlines approach, business schools both here and abroad are bracing for a surge in application volume. Recent reports in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Asia Inc reveal what we’ve long known to be true: When business goes south, business school looks like a better and better idea.

“It’s a very predictable and reliable pattern,” Stacey Kole, deputy dean for the full-time MBA program at the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business, told the Times. “When there’s a go-go economy, fewer people decide to go back to school. When things go south, the opportunity cost of leaving work is lower.” And for workers who find themselves laid off, the decision is made easier still.

Official application tallies aren’t yet available since deadlines for the first round of admissions still loom at many schools. But early reports indicate that final numbers will be high.

According to the Journal report, New York University’s Stern School of Business has seen a 20 percent increase in attendance at off-site information sessions this year, Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management is reporting a 22 percent increase in applications so far, and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business has seen campus visits by prospective students double.

As always, registration volume for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) provides an early indicator of application volume as well. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, which administers the test, registrations for the test through the end of September were 11.6 percent higher than in the comparable period of 2007.

In Europe, the same trends are playing out. “Actually, applications to MBA programmes at IE Business school this year have grown over 15 percent and diversity – the number of countries represented – has also increased,” Santiago Iniguez, dean of Instituto de Empresa Business School in Madrid, told Asia Inc last month. “In fact, the number of U.S. students expected for IE’s MBA programme starting this fall will increase over 20 percent,” he continued.

Still, not everyone sees a direct correlation between a sagging economy and a surge in application volume. Others rightly point out that uncertainty about what the job market will look like upon graduation could deter some from applying. And for some students, the credit crisis may make getting loans to cover the cost of business school more difficult.

Derrick Bolton, director of MBA admissions at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, told the Times that he sees very little correlation between a Wall Street bust and an application boom. According to Bolton, application numbers at his school remained “pretty standard” even after some of Wall Street’s greatest declines, such as the market crash of 1987.

For those in good jobs now, meanwhile, the risk of leaving to go to school may seem too great, according to Peter Johnson, executive director of admissions for the full-time MBA program at the University of California Berkeley’s Hass School of Business. “If you are in a good position and you are not confident of how the picture is going to look two years from now, you may stay in that position,” he told the Journal.

And then there’s the issue of student loans, which have become harder to get due to the widespread credit crunch. According to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org, 144 education lenders have suspended private and federal loans. But Kantrowitz says business school students should not be impacted as greatly.
“Graduate student loans are the most profitable [for lenders] because the loan balances are the highest,” he told the Journal.

Stefan Szymanski, associate dean of MBA programs at London’s Cass Business School said much the same thing in an article on topmba.com. “Banks are consistently willing to lend to MBAs because they know they’ll get their money back,” he writes. “And yes, even though the banks have stopped lending to almost everybody else, they seem happy to maintain their loan schemes right now – and they wouldn’t be doing that unless they saw an MBA as a sure-fire economic proposition.”

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Trivia Tuesday: International Study Trips at Chicago, Columbia, Harvard, NYU Stern and Wharton

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday, our weekly exploration of the details, distinctions and developments of the leading MBA programs.

Over the last decade, most business schools have sought ways to provide relevant, hands-on international business exposure within the confines of a two-year degree. The solution that many schools have arrived at is “study trips,” which allow students to spend 1-2 weeks exploring the business environment of another country over the summer or during a mid-semester break. Depending on the school, these trips may be organized through an elective course, by an administrative office, or through a campus student group.

For instance, the Chazen Institute at Columbia works with individual students and clubs to organize study trips to countries or regions of interest, while Chicago’s International Programs Office coordinates short-term summer exchanges to Austria, Brazil, France and Germany. Several other business schools offer students academic credit for their travel abroad. At HBS students are able to earn 1.5 credits for their work abroad over the summer between the first and second year, provided they keep a weekly journal and submit a final paper. At Wharton, however, study trips are often closely integrated into full-semester elective courses, with students participating in hands-on consulting projects with firms from outside the U.S.

At NYU Stern, the school’s two-week long Doing Business In… (DBI) programs offer an appealing short-term alternative to spending an entire semester abroad. The program is usually offered in three selected locations each year and takes place outside of the normal academic calendar, usually between semester breaks or during Spring Break, making it easy for students to fit the program in at some point during their MBA. Each DBI includes one pre-trip class session and 8-10 full days of scheduled activities in the host country. Admission is by lottery, and classes are taught by the faculty of the host university; these faculty members also award the final pass/fail project or paper grades for the course.

In addition to the two-week DBI programs, Stern also offers students the unusual opportunity to study abroad for 1-6 weeks with one of four partner universities in Argentina, Denmark, Germany, or South Korea. These courses usually take place in early- to mid-May, making it possible to arrange a summer internship start date around completion of the course. The one-, three- and six-week programs may earn students 1.5 to 6 credits toward graduation. Although many MBA programs allow students to study abroad for a full semester or to travel abroad as part of a course, few provide summer exchanges through which students can earn credit toward graduation.

As knowledge of other cultures and business practices becomes more important to the daily life of business, it will become ever more important for students to gain exposure to international business during the MBA program. Since study trips range from informal and self-directed to formal consulting engagements for academic credit, applicants may want to consider the type of study trip that would best complement their prior international experience and keep this in mind as they apply to MBA programs. For more information on the details of schools’ study trip offerings, be sure to check out the schools’ websites or consult the Clear Admit School Guides!

Thursday, October 02, 2008

NYU Stern Study Links Business Professors’ Academic Research to Higher Salaries for MBA Students

According to a study by NYU Stern Marketing Professor Peter Golder with Debanjan Mitra of the University of Florida, empirical evidence suggests that academic research positively impacts the perception of business schools by recruiters, applicants and other academics. The study was published in the September 2008 issue of the Journal of Marketing.

“We have found that when a business school generates more research, its graduating students’ salaries go up,” wrote Golder and Mitra in the “Soapbox” column of the Financial Times on  September 22nd. “In fact, an increase of three single authored articles per year across the school leads to a graduate’s starting salary going up by $750,” they continued. And at top business schools, this salary effect is about 25 percent greater, they added.

The study’s findings, based on data from 57 business schools over 18 years, challenge a 2005 Harvard Business Review article by Warren Bennis and O’Toole that criticicized business schools for becoming too focused on research at students’ expense.

According to Golder and Mitra’s evaluation, 90 percent of the positive effects of academic research are realized in just three to six years. In addition to average starting salary increases for graduates, business schools’ rankings by peer academics were shown to move up one spot and when the number of faculty research publications increases and students’ evaluations of professors improved.

Golder and Mitra cite two causes for their findings in their FT article. First, research professors can teach students state-of-the-art knowledge, including the latest models, findings and frameworks. Second, research professors “can conceptualise problems, generate logically valid hypotheses and then test them with relevant data and appropriate methods” – a knowledge-discovery process they can then teach to their students to ensure that “their education remains relevant in a fast-changing world.”

Benin and O’Toole’s 2005 article, in contrast, argued that a move toward more research among business school professors comes at the detriment of students. “The dirty little secret at most of today’s best business schools is that they chiefly serve the faculty’s research interests and career goals, with too little regard for the needs of other stakeholders,” they wrote.

Moreover, professors who lack managerial experience “don’t know how to analyse the indirect and long-term implications of complex business decisions,” Benin and O’Toole added.

Golder and Mitra contend that their research refutes the claims made by Benin and O’Toole. “Academic research builds reputation in tangible and intangible ways, and we now have the evidence to support the case,” they wrote.

To view Golder and Mitra’s paper in its entirety, click here.

For a look at a related MBA ranking that is 100% based on research productivity (or academic brand), click here.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Yale SOM Cosponsors Roundtable Discussion on Financial Crisis in New York

Partnering with the Wall Street Journal and CNBC, Yale School of Management (SOM) held a roundtable discussion Tuesday in New York on the current financial crisis, drawing together business leaders and scholars from Yale, Wharton, NYU, Columbia and Harvard to examine the state of the economy and the proposed Treasury Department bail-out plan.

“We were inspired by the outpouring of interest and the quick response to this event,” said its organizer, Yale SOM Senior Associate Dean Jeffrey Sonnenfeld. Planning began on Sunday night, and by Tuesday afternoon a staggering roster of economic thought leaders had assembled around the table to share their insights.

Among those in attendance were a former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the former executive chairman of the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, the president and CEO of Marsh & McLennan Companies, the president and CEO of Credit Suisse Investment Banking and managing directors and partners at several prominent boutique investment and private equity firms. A full list of roundtable participants is available here.

“That we could get everyone together so quickly is a signal of both their leadership and their concern in this growing crisis,” said Sonnenfeld. “Peer-driven learning is what is required, as there is no clear map to follow for navigating this worst financial crisis in 80 years,” he continued.

Yale SOM will post video of the full roundtable discussion as soon as it is available. In the meantime, you can view video from various roundtable participants:

• The Blackstone Group’s Stephen Schwarzman and W.L. Ross & Co. CEO Wilbur Ross
• Yale Economist Robert Shiller
• Yale SOM Senior Associate Dean Jeffrey Sonnenfeld
• Yale SOM Associate Professor Jonathan Koppell

Check back tomorrow when our continuing coverage of top business school’s responses to the current economic crisis will include outreach efforts by the Wharton School, MIT Sloan and Chicago GSB to recent alums, as well as Harvard Business School’s advice to prospect applicants on how the situation could impact future application cycles.

Monday, September 22, 2008

NYU Stern Launches Specialized MBA in Banking and Financial Institutions

As career services offices at business schools everywhere are scrambling to help current students and alums impacted by the recent crisis on Wall Street, schools are also rethinking the way they approach teaching about banking and finance.

In an announcement that preceded Monday’s meltdown by a couple of weeks, in fact, New York University’s Stern School of Business revealed that the wheels are already in motion there to create a new executive MBA program, in partnership with the Swiss Finance Institute, designed specifically to tackle future challenges presented by the global financial system.

“As researchers and educators, we must promote a greater understanding of the risks and opportunities confronting our financial institutions,” Thomas Cooley, dean of NYU Stern School of Business, said in a statement announcing the new program. .

The specialized Executive MBA in Banking and Financial Institutions Management will debut in August 2009. Organized into five intensive residential modules of two to three weeks each, the program is designed to be highly compatible with the busy work schedules of mid-career executives and will feature a faculty stacked with global expertise in banking and finance.

The program’s different modules will take place in New York, Zurich and Singapore and extend over 18 months. They will feature an integrated curriculum combining banking and finance expertise with the key components of a top-level MBA program.

“We are proud to partner with Stern in this ambitious and innovative new program,” said Swiss Finance Institute Managing Director Prof Jean-Pierre Danthine in a statement.

Supported by Swiss banks and universities and the Swiss Stock Exchange and Federal Government, the institute supports advanced research in banking and finance. It will host its annual meeting on November 18th in Geneva, where roundtable discussions will focus on finance in the wake of the credit crisis.

To learn more about NYU Stern’s new finance and banking executive MBA, click here. To learn more about the Swiss Finance Institute, click here.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Clear Admit in the Wall Street Journal!

The Wall Street Journal’s Work & Family columnist Sue Shellenbarger recently interviewed Clear Admit’s Graham Richmond to learn more about part-time management education offerings in the New York area.  Richmond is quoted in a response that Shellenbarger featured in her mailbag column this week:

“….almost every MBA program in the New York area offers a part-time on-campus option, says Graham Richmond, chief executive of Clear Admit, an MBA admissions counseling firm in Philadelphia.  New York University’s Stern School of Business has a top-tier part-time program that offers evening and weekend classes, on campuses in New York City and near Westchester, Mr. Richmond says.  Fordham University’s graduate business school offers a part-time MBA that can be completed on its campus near Westchester, also with evening and Saturday classes.  And Iona College’s Hagan School of Business in New Rochelle, N.Y., offers classes on weeknights and Saturdays.  All of these programs, Mr. Richmond adds, typically take about two to three years to complete.”

The full text of the article can be found in Wednewsday’s Wall Street Journal on page D10 or online here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122099952366916821.html?mod=Work-Family

Over the past seven years, Clear Admit has consistently been featured in the popular press.  To see other press excerpts, podcasts and chat transcripts from US News, BusinessWeek, the Economist and more, be sure to visit the Clear Admit press page: http://www.clearadmit.com/press

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Economic Uncertainty, Increased International Student Interest Keeps MBA Application Volume Soaring

Business schools are experiencing the second-largest surge in application volume since 2002, according to the most recent research out of the Granduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), which administers the GMAT exam.

GMAC’s 2008 Application Trends Survey reveals that 77 percent of business schools surveyed reported an increase in application volume this year, up from 64 percent in 2007. The jump represents the largest increase in five years.

The current economy only serves to make the value proposition of an MBA even stronger, according to GMAC President and CEO Dave Wilson. “Going to business school is one of the best ways to improve your marketability and expand your options anytime – but especially in this challenging economic climate,” he told the Financial Times.

According to a report in BusinessWeek citing the GMAC survey, the greatest surge has been among mid-tier business schools, such as Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, which have seen an increase of between 35 and 40 percent in applications received this year over last.

But the admissions offices at top-tier schools, too, have been flooded. MIT’s Sloan School of Management saw a 28 percent increase in application volume in 2008, and NYU’s Stern School of Business was up 20 percent, receiving its second-highest number of applications on record, according to BusinessWeek. 

Strong interest from international students – for whom a U.S. business school education presents even greater value thanks to the faltering dollar – also has helped fuel the application surge, GMAC reports. Last year, 54 percent of students applying to full-time MBA programs were students from outside the school’s home country.

Citing further projected economic changes and GMAT test-taking patterns, the survey results indicate that the coming year may hold even greater application volume before a slowdown begins.

So far, application volume to full-time MBA programs has been rising at the fastest clip, but GMAC’s Wilson predicts that part-time and executive MBA programs will be the next to see a significant jump. “As the slowdown in the economy continues, we’re going to see a shift to the part-time prrams because people aren’t going to want to leave work if they have a good job,” he told BusinessWeek.

GMAC has not yet released the full 2008 Application Trend Survey results to the public. To view the 2007 results, which help provide some context and a holistic view of major survey results, click here.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

NYU/Stern Essay Topic Analysis 2008-2009

NYU Stern’s 2008-09 essay topics have changed only slightly since the 2007-2008 season. Most of the prompts are the same as last year, with the exception of Essay 2b. Let’s take a closer look at this essay set:

Essay 1 - Professional Aspirations (750 word maximum):

Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?

This is your standard career goals/why MBA essay, with a few interesting quirks. First, note that the initial section requests that applicants reflect on and explain the choices they’ve made to date, placing a bit of extra emphasis on the presentation of one’s career as a coherent and directed whole. While it’s always important to explain the reasons you’ve moved from one company to the next, you’ll also want to think about the more subtle decisions you’ve made to further your professional development. Have you actively sought out more responsibility? Requested an assignment with an eye to gaining a certain skill?

This essay is a great place for you to highlight your initiative and foresight in the process of relating your career progression to the adcom. Within the same theme of deliberate decision-making, the second thing to keep in mind is the prominence of the ‘why now’ issue. A thorough and well reasoned answer to this question will be a must for a solid response. Beyond your career path to date and the ‘why now’ issue, Stern will be looking for a detailed explanation of your short and long-term career plans and interest in the MBA as a means to realize these goals.

This is a lot of information to pack into a 750 word essay, but introducing the central elements of one’s candidacy in such a brief essay is definitely achievable, provided that applicants take their time to compose well-crafted and concise responses.

Essay 2 - Fit with Stern (500 words maximum):

The NYU Stern community is one of our strongest assets. Please answer the following questions about community:

(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?

Sensitive to the fact that applicants targeting Stern may also be applying to other programs that are strong in finance – especially regional peer Columbia – NYU is essentially asking applicants exactly how much homework they’ve done on the school. Obviously, the more information you can provide about trips to campus, visits to classes and conversations with students and alums, the more sincere your interest in the program will seem. You might consider reading Clear Admit’s NYU/Stern School Guide to help you in this area of the essay.

While the first and second parts of question ‘b’ may seem disjointed, the goal of your response should be to illustrate how well you interact with others. You will want to outline the criticism you received and why it was particularly difficult but you will also, as in the case of a failure essay, want to spend more time discussing what you did as a result of the input.

Though this question will elicit a different sort of story from other schools’ prompts about a failure or setback, the major themes of growth and learning are similar. In addition to recounting the steps you took to address the issue that had been raised (and briefly explaining why it was an issue to begin with), commenting on the way you reacted to this difficult feedback could be a great way to demonstrate maturity and a sincere interest in improvement. That is, the element of communication implicit in “constructive criticism or feedback” provides applicants with an excellent opportunity to show themselves interacting with others, perhaps even under trying circumstances. Applicants should also make sure they are addressing every component of this question.

Not only should candidates provide a description of the feedback and their responses, but they should note that the latter portion of the question provides an opportunity to include examples of challenging projects or classes that candidates may participate in while at Stern and how being open and able to adapt will make them stronger overall team and community members.

Essay 3 - Personal Expression (500 words maximum, if written):

Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.

This essay gives applicants a chance to showcase their creative side by allowing them a broad range of (non-perishable) possible media in which to express themselves. Candidates with an artistic inclination, or those who harbor a passion that could be better conveyed through a method other than prose, might seriously consider submitting a poem, photograph or visual representation of their message.

Of course, it’s crucial to carefully consider just what needs to be communicated in this introduction to your future classmates. You’ll want to think reflectively about your values and personality - as well as strategically about what makes you unique with respect to other applicants. Naturally, you’ll also want to communicate your enthusiasm about meeting and working with your classmates, and perhaps include a comment about how you would engage them that does not cover the same ground as your first two essays. With these concerns in mind, it might not come as a surprise that, over the years, we’ve found that the written word tends to be the most effective format for a high percentage of applicants. There is still a great deal of room in which to be creative; for instance, your essay might be the opening to a chapter in an autobiography, or a snapshot of a typical day.

Chicago adopted a similarly creative ‘essay’ last year involving the use of PowerPoint; while this may help get the creative juices flowing, applicants would be ill advised to fully recycle material between the two essays (e.g. submitting a PowerPoint presentation to Stern), as this would likely be quite conspicuous.

Monday, August 18, 2008

NYU / Stern Essay Topics 2008-2009

Following the release of its deadlines late last week, NYU/Stern’s essay topics for the 2008-2009 application season have also been announced. This year’s questions are as follows:

Essay 1: Professional Aspirations (750 words, double-spaced)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:

(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?

Essay 2: Fit with Stern (500 words, double-spaced)
The NYU Stern collaborative community is one of our strongest assets. We seek individuals who are passionate about our community and committed to growing as leaders at Stern. Please answer the following questions:

(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?

Essay 3: Personal Expression (500 words, double-spaced, if written)
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.

If you submit Essay 3 with your supplementary materials, please include a brief description of it here. Please do not submit anything that must be viewed or played electronically (e.g. CDs, DVDs, mp3s, online links), that is perishable (e.g. food), or that has been worn (e.g. used clothing).

Essay 4: Additional Information (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL, or any other relevant information.

Interested applicants should note that NYU/Stern’s application has gone live, and can be viewed on the admissions site.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

NYU Stern Deadlines 2008-2009

Earlier in the summer Stern published their first round application deadlines. We are pleased to announce that they have now shared their full set of deadlines for the 2008-2009 application season.

Round One
Application Due: November 15, 2008
Initial Notification: February 15, 2009

Round Two
Application Due: January 15, 2009
Initial Notification: April 1, 2009

Round Three
Application Due: March 15, 2009
Initial Notification: June 1, 2009

All applications must be postmarked by 11:59 p.m. EST on or before the due date.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

NYU / Stern Announces Round One Deadline 2008-2009

For applicants considering applying to NYU / Stern during the upcoming application season, take note that the school has announced its round one deadline. The deadline for those interested in Stern’s Fall 2009 intake is November 15, 2008.

The completed Fall 2009 application will be available in late August. Applicants interested in knowing more about Stern’s application should visit the school’s application site.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Clear Admit School Guides 2008-2009: Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, NYU Stern, Stanford and Wharton

We’re pleased to announce the release of the 2008-2009 versions of six of our 17 Clear Admit School Guides, our line of informative reports about the top business schools. For those who might be unfamiliar, the School Guides offer in-depth information on all elements of the student experience at a leading MBA program, and compare the schools side-by-side in areas such as student demographics, curricular structure and employment statistics. In the Guides, we distill the MBA programs’ marketing messages and delve into the facts to deliver an objective and comprehensive overview of what each school offers and what makes each unique.

We’ve received a great deal of positive feedback from applicants about the usefulness of the School Guides. Here’s one bit of praise that illustrates the mileage one can get out of the information the School Guides provide:

The Clear Admit School Guides have been a great help throughout the application process. I first referred to them when selecting the schools to which I wanted to apply, and have kept referring back to them while writing my essays and preparing for interviews. They have helped make a sometimes overwhelming process easier with their clear and concise summaries and analysis on the top MBA programs.

The 2008-2009 versions of six of our School Guide titles - Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, NYU Stern, Stanford and Wharton - feature the most current information from the programs, and offer some insight into year-by-year trends. More information about the Guides’ contents and order information is available in the School Guides section of our website.

We plan to re-release the remaining 11 School Guides (Anderson, Chicago, Darden, Fuqua, Haas, Johnson, LBS, MIT Sloan, Ross, Tuck and Yale) over the course of this summer, so stay tuned to the blog for more details!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Forte Foundation New, Returning Board Members Include Administrators from NYU Stern, MIT Sloan, CMU Tepper, UT-Austin McCombs, Kellogg and UVA Darden

The Forté Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping women assume leadership roles in business and enabling corporations to more effectively reach and retain top female talent, announced the election of new and returning board members this month.

This year’s roster includes administrators from several of the nation’s top business schools, as well as representatives from some of the world’s leading multinational corporations.

Forté, a consortium of 27 leading multinational corporations, 37 top business schools in the U.S. and abroad and the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), provides a national infrastructure for women at all stages of their careers to access the  information, scholarship support and networking connections they need to succeed in business.

Joining Forte’s board this year from the academic side is Anika Davis-Pratt, assistant dean of MBA admissions and financial aid for New York University’ Stern School of Business. Davis-Pratt joins several representatives from other top-tier business schools who are returning this year as board officers. They include

• Cindy Benton, director of student services at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business;
• Colleen McMullen Smith, director of diversity strategies and programs atCarnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business;
• Julie Strong, senior associate director of MBA admissions at MIT’s Sloan School of Management;
• Roxanne Hori, assistant dean and director of career management, Kellogg School of Management;
• Stacy Poindexter Owen, director of admissions, Wake Forest University, and
• Wendy Huber, assistant director, admissions, University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.

From the corporate side, representatives from Deutsche Bank, Lehman Brothers and Avon joined the board as newly elected officers this year. Returning corporate officers this year include representatives from Deloitte and Touche, Citi, the Ernst & Young Foundation and Eli Lilly and Company.

To learn more about the Forté Foundation, visit www.fortefoundation.org. 

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