Tour your target MBA program from your iPad.
Business schools look to Cuba, HBS brings back its mandatory essay, and paid internships are on the upswing—let’s dig into the latest headlines pertaining to business schools and MBA news. Leave your comments below.
MBA mojitos?
When President Obama announced a thawing in relations with Cuba last December after more than 50 years of a U.S.-imposed embargo on the communist nation, leaders in the business world took note. Some business schools are taking note too. After all, this could mean tremendous opportunities to exploit a new market. Most notably, Cuba seems to be at the fore of MBA news for Wharton, CBS, and Berkeley Haas. Earlier this spring, UPenn’s Wharton School hosted a “Cuba Opportunity Summit” for American business leaders who wanted to make the most of the eased sanctions. Columbia MBA students recently visited the island to meet with political leaders and business owners—even visiting a restaurant to see how small businesses operate in the country. Some travel restrictions are still in place, of course, and the travel embargo can only be lifted by a vote in Congress. Despite Republican opposition, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce president says these restrictions will be lifted before the 2016 election. (Poets & Quants)
HBS restores its essay
In 2013, Harvard Business School decided to streamline their admissions process by not only dropping the word count from its admissions essay, but also making it entirely optional. The result: Every applicant submitted one anyway. The school probably should have known that this was going to happen, considering how HBS applicants tend to be classic overachievers—not that there’s anything wrong with that. Now HBS is making a course correction. The essay is back… and it’s mandatory. No word limit. (Quartz)
Campus tours from your tablet
It’s always best, when possible, to personally visit the MBA programs you plan on applying to. This will give you a sense of place; a chance to interact with current students, faculty members, and administrators; and the opportunity to check out the city or town that will potentially become your home for the next couple of years. Of course, that’s not always possible either for time and financial reasons. If you live in Paris, for instance, visiting business schools in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles can get really expensive. Luckily, technology has made this process a lot less time-consuming and costly. Most business schools now provide prospective students with virtual tours and webinars. (U.S. News & World Report)
Miami to offer online MBA program
The University of Miami School of Business Administration just announced that is joining a growing number of business schools that offer online MBA programs. The two-year degree is designed for working professionals, the school says, and will begin in January, May, and September each year, with the first cohort beginning this coming September. Officials say the online program will run parallel to its on-campus MBA experience and offer a rigorous, but flexible curriculum that focuses on global strategic thinking and analysis. (The University of Miami School of Business Administration)
Paid internships have a sizzling summer
In last week’s MBA news blog entry, we talked about the improving job market for business school graduates. The demand for quality business education also apparently extends to the MBA internship marketplace—and unlike with undergraduate internships, these are actually paid. In fact, some of these internships pay very well. Even more importantly, these paid internships often lead to full-time jobs after graduation. (Poets & Quants)
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The post MBA News: Business Schools Court Cuba, Internships Pay appeared first on Business School Insider.
