A new HBS-initiated course called Training the Valley, or TTV, is about the pass the beta stage and open for formal enrollment.  Conceived of during FIELD 3, TTV is a “day-long crash course” that shows MBA students how to most effectively work with web developers and includes a case question so to offer a more interactive learning experience.  The aim is to help both entrepreneurially minded students and those seeking work at technology firms such as Google to succeed in web- and technology-based firms.  The beta class was extended to 12 HBS students in April, and the first formal TTV will likely be open for students throughout the Boston area later this week.

LookMazing is one of the latest HBS fashion-focused start-ups to enter the scene, but with a twist on the standard selling model.  Doris Lin ’12 discussed her idea to combine passions for technology and fashion into LookMazing, the platform that lets users share they style and includes Facebook and Pintrest functionalities.  Lin recommended the courses Online Economy, Launching Tech Ventures and Competing with Social Networks to those interested in turning their own plans into start-ups.  LookMazing was an idea that Lin had toyed with prior to beginning her MBA, but the HBS Business Plan competition was a key factor in getting LookMazing up and running.

Finally, an incident of off-campus sexual assault incident earlier this year prompted lunch discussions for all RC sections.  Each of the 10 sections sat down to discuss issues of campus culture at HBS, and the co-president of the Student Association said that the talks were “a good start” though more followup will be needed.  Professor Frances Frei, as Chair of the MBA Required Curriculum, is heading the dialogue and worked with students and administrators to create open forums for bringing these issues to light.  Issues of harassment will now be discussed at the beginning, not end, of the required curriculum next year.

Like high school seniors across the country, we at Veritas Prep are already well within our countdown-to-June period as we anxiously await the unveiling of the GMAT’s new Integrated Reasoning (IR) section. If you are similarly-minded and thinking about the IR section already, the following should help you set your mathematical mind to the right frequency. Remember this: while the numbers in many IR problems might be large and specific, the math is all relative.

On the IR section, you will face 12 “problems”, each with more than one “question”, in 30 minutes. Using Relative Math, you can determine that you are looking at around a minute or so per question… which is not all that much time to interpret the question, perform lengthy calculations, and double-check your answer. Even with the use of the relatively-primitive IR calculator — one that does not recognize order-of-operations, so you will need to keep track of values by hand — these calculations will take time and leave potential for error. In most situations, you will want to avoid technical calculations unless they are absolutely necessary. Instead, you will want to employ Relative Math:

Determine which values are relevant to a correct answer

Estimate those values whenever possible

Calculate values only when the estimates are too close to call

Remember that the logical setup for the values is typically the crux of the question, not the calculation itself

As an example, consider the question:

The table above shows the 2010 annual budget for the Sanitation Departments of five cities, and the amount of money that each was able to save over that budget for the 2011 fiscal year. Which city had the lowest percentage savings on the basis of the previous year’s budget?

Anderson

Bronxtown

Chadwick

Dodgeville

Edgewater

Note that a calculator might be tempting in this case, but that each calculation requires you to key at least nine digits — a time-consuming process that raises your potential for typo-based error. An eye for both logical setup and Relative Math can guide you through this process efficiently. First, note the correct relationship — the lowest percentage savings, or the lowest savings-to-budget ratio. Your goal, then, is to test the ratios of left column to right, looking for the smallest ratio. Your “baseline” for Andersonville is approximately 8/48 or 1/6. And in relation to 1/6, you know that the numerator is a little over 8 and the denominator is a little less than 48, so the overall ratio is going to be slightly greater than 1/6. You can denote this quickly on your noteboard with a + sign or a > sign to help you recognize the direction of your estimates.

>8/48, so >1/6

<20/140, so <1/7 (the current “leader” in smallest ratio)

<4/20, so <1/5

>3/16, and since you’re comparing against 1/7 (or 3/21) you know that this is greater

>13/52, so >1/4

The answer must be B, and if you’ve employed the above estimates you won’t have had to perform any true calculations to get there. Bronxtown had the lowest percentage savings.

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!

Indeed, with support from its Social Enterprise Association MBA Club, NYU Stern aims to reduce the financial burden of repaying business school loans for graduates who pursue career paths in social enterprise.  Recognizing that careers in this field often don’t bring in the big bucks associated with tracks like financial services, consulting and marketing, this new initiative aims to help support leaders committed to creating value for business and society.

NYU Stern Dean Peter Henry praised the initiative. “Business has the power to improve the world,” he said. “We encourage students to consider the world’s most pressing issues as opportunities to raise their ambitions to create value for business and society.” The new Loan Assistance Program, he hopes, “will minimize the financial constraints that might otherwise dissuade students from exploring opportunities about which they are passionate.”

The program is open to MBA graduates who earn up to $100,000 within the first 10 years of graduation. Through the Loan Assistance Program, they stand to receive up to $15,000 a year, based on a sliding scale. The application deadline in November 1st. Current students graduating in May may pre-apply up until June 15th. Beginning in 2013, the pre-application deadline will be February 1st.

“This is a major step forward for our community, and solidly aligns our mission and values with the financial support that is necessary for students to pursue careers in social enterprise,” said Matt Edmundson and Daniel Saat, Social Enterprise Association MBA co-presidents, 2011-2012.  For his part, Edmunson, a May 2012 Stern graduate, will launch a company with classmate Jennifer Tsai to help combat maternal anemia in India. 

The Stern MBA class of 2010 already has raised more than $90,000 to support loan assistance, says Gianna Shepard, MBA ’10, legacy co-chair and former officer in the Social Enterprise Association. “As students we helped to create social enterprise initiatives within the school, and now as alumni, we can help members of our community pursue their passion and make a difference for society.”

The program’s five deadlines are as follows:

Round 1
Deadline: September 21, 2012
Interview Day: November 9, 2012
Decision Release Date: November 12, 2012

Round 2
Deadline: November 16, 2012
Interview Day: January 18, 2013
Decision Release Date: January 21, 2013

Round 3
Deadline: January 11, 2013
Interview Day: February 22, 2013
Decision Release Dates: February 25, 2013 and March 4, 2013

Round 4
Deadline: March 8, 2013
Interview Day: April 26, 2013
Decision Release Date: April 29, 2013

Round 5
Deadline: April 26, 2013
Interview Day: June 7, 2013
Decision Release Date: June 10, 2013

The Cambridge/Judge essay topics will be updated later this summer. For more information about Judge’s application process, visit the program’s admissions website.

“International Business Development (IBD) is one of the most popular electives at Haas. Limited to an enrollment of 120 students per year, the course sends small teams of students to consult at client sites around the world for three weeks each summer. The program is open only to rising second-year students, who must apply during Spring Semester of their first year.

“Students selected for participation in IBD are assigned to project teams in January of the first year and work with their teams in the spring semester to conduct background research and analysis. Following the end of first-year classes in mid-May, each team spends a dedicated three-week period on-site with the client, completing such projects as preparing business plans, conducting market analyses, developing marketing or entry strategies and recommending operational changes. The sponsor organizations are largely regional companies, government agencies and non-profits, including the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Rapa Nui Heritage Foundation, Andean Health and Development, the Government of Macedonia and Vietnam National University.

“Although each IBD project should ideally be completed and delivered to the clients by the end of the three weeks on-site, teams may in practice need to conduct follow-up work during Fall Semester. To provide students with an opportunity to share their findings and discuss their experiences, IBD participants convene at a dedicated conference held during the fall semester to present their projects to the full class in case format. Upon successful completion of the Spring Semester preparation sequence, the in-country project and the Fall Semester presentations, students receive three elective credits towards their Haas degrees.”

For more information on the international and study abroad programs at Haas, as well as in-depth curriculum information, be sure to check out the Clear Admit School Guide to Berkeley / Haas. All 27 Clear Admit School Guides are available for immediate purchase and download on the Clear Admit shop.

You could win a Clear Admit Guide!  Based on today’s post, we’ll be running a trivia contest on Twitter.  Be sure to follow us and play for your chance to win!

Basically, it’s important to understand the difference between an MBA student and an MMS student,  writes Lambert, and then apply the difference to your advantage. MMS students typically matriculate directly from undergraduate studies, compared to daytime MBA students, who usually have about five years of work experience when they apply, Lambert says.

Lambert, for her part, “encourage[s] incoming students to build their network as soon as they enter Fuqua. It’s a great gift for both Daytime and MMS students to leverage relationships across Fuqua,” she writes. At the same time as the daytime MBA Class of 2014 is coming straight from the working world, they will be able to share some of their experiences and professional contacts with MMS students. “Also, second-year Daytime students should remember that as they come back in the fall from their summer internships, they are an even greater career resource to the MMS students in terms of current job market knowledge and functional expertise.”

As Lambert points out, it is also important to remember that the relationship goes both ways. MMS students have recent, former classmates going into companies and focus areas of interest to daytime MBA students.

 Connect directly with Kim Lambert for more insights.

Round 1
Deadline: October 16, 2012
Notification: December 14, 2012

Round 2
Deadline: December 4, 2012
Notification: February 15, 2013

Round 3
Deadline: January 23, 2013
Notification: March 29, 2013

Round 4
Deadline: March 26, 2013
Notification: May 10, 2013

For more information, visit McCombs’s admissions website.

For Indian Passport Holders:

Cycle 1

Deadline: September 15, 2012

Notification on or before: November 15, 2012

Cycle 2

Deadline: November 30, 2012

Notification on or before: February 15, 2013

For International Applicants: International applicants are admitted based on a rolling deadline. The application is open until January 15, 2013. Applicants chosen for an interview will receive an admissions decision within three weeks of the interview date.

ISB’s essays are also now available, and can be found in ISB’s online application, which is now live. The 2012-2013 essays are as follows:

Essay 1: Please make a strong case to differentiate yourselves from an exceptional set of applicants applying for PGP 2013-14. You could cite personal/ professional achievements to present your case. (300 words max)

Essay 2: Where do you see yourself three years after you graduate from the ISB? (300 words max)

Essay 3: Please provide additional information, that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB. (300 words max)

Reapplicant Essay: Reapplicants need to submit an additional essay listing changes in their profile from the previous year/s. Your application is liable to rejection, if facts are not disclosed as part of your application. We look for sigificant improvement/s in the profile while screening re-applicants. You may always obtain a feedback on your previous application, to know areas that needs improvement.

For additional information, applicants should visit ISB’s admissions website.

These are the fundamental questions of the entire application process; identifying clear answers will help in everything from creating a list of target schools to communicating effectively with recommenders and interviewers down the line.  As such, it’s a great idea to begin drafting answers to the Career Goals essay early and often!  To help you get started, here are some general pointers:

Whether the essay is 1,000 or 500 words long, the adcom looks for applicants who offer fully defined long- and short-term career goals, sound reasons for pursuing an MBA at this point in their careers, well-informed interest in School X and specific plans to contribute to the campus community if they are admitted.

The key to successfully tackling each of these components is specificity.  In presenting future goals and explaining one’s motivation for seeking an MBA, it is crucial to present well-defined and feasible objectives.  Unlike the undergraduate experience at many American colleges and universities, MBA adcoms believe that students need a fair amount of direction at the time they enter the program in order to take the right classes, join the appropriate clubs and seek the best internship.  Everything is oriented towards preparing for the post-MBA job, so specifying a specific industry and function for the short-term is of the utmost importance.  In addition to identifying goals for the adcom, it is also important that applicants explain their interest in their particular plans.  Along the same lines, applicants should comment on what they hope to accomplish in their target positions.

Admissions officers understand that successful students are focused in their ambitions, and one of the best measures of this is what they have done so far.  Not every school asks for this explicitly, but in most situations a Career Goals essay is more compelling when it includes a brief but coherent career history summarizing the applicant’s work history to date.  This should reveal the continuity between one’s previous professional experiences and goals for the future.  A great essay manages to thoroughly and efficiently address each of these elements, with a nice balance between the “career progression” section, the “career goals/why MBA” section and the “why School X” section.

Another critical part of this essay is the explanation of one’s interest in a given program, as the adcom is sensitive to whether or not applicants are serious about attending if admitted.  Individuals who name specific classes that are relevant to their goals, recount their impressions of the campus culture based on a class visit, or share what they’ve learned from discussions with alumni and students will be in good shape.  The aim is to convey the fact that the applicant has conducted extensive research and is making an informed decision in applying.

Beyond convincing the adcom of their genuine interest in the program, it is also important for applicants to keep the following concept in mind: Any fair trade necessitates mutual benefit.  In other words, in addition to showing that School X is the best MBA program for one’s needs, the applicant should demonstrate to School X that he or she will enrich its community.  A strong candidate describes insights he or she could contribute in class, and offers detailed intentions for getting involved in campus activities.

These general pointers should set applicants on the path toward crafting a great Career Goals essay, the centerpiece of any compelling candidacy.  Happy writing!  For a free assessment of your candidacy, feel free to send us your CV or resume.