Wharton’s major draws its faculty from the business, medical and nursing schools, as well as from practicing healthcare professionals, ensuring an interdisciplinary approach to the issues in the field. The Health Care Management 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 Management 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 healthcare 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 Management 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. 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 healthcare. For instance, Columbia now offers the Health Care and Pharmaceutical Management program, Kellogg offers a major in Health Industry Management, and HBS hosts the Healthcare Initiative. Those business schools that do not offer formal healthcare 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, healthcare minded applicants should find plenty of resources.

For more on healthcare options, majors, student clubs or conferences, be sure to check out the Clear Admit School Guides.

For those who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare and want to learn more about the different programs and opportunities available at each school, check out the Clear Admit Career Guide: Healthcare.

Presenting: Kaplan Video Series: Kaplan and Business Schools

Video interview with Directors of Admissions at Fordham GSB, Rutgers Business Schools

This is the fifth video of a Kaplan series on Business School Admissions – brought to you by Kaplan’s Road to Business School.

Road to Business School – The premier forum for meeting business schools
Find the right MBA program for you with seminars, meet-and-greets, and admissions advice.

* Engage with schools one-on-one in an open networking session, over 20 top schools in each city
* Hear key application advice from panel of admissions officers
* Get an edge in your application in breakout sessions

This post is brought to you by Kaplan. Have a GMAT Question?

Here’s a talk with a student from Berkeley Haas, a top MBA program based in the Bay area, with close proximity to the e-industry and biotech clusters in Silicon Valley.

You’re in laid back Berkeley.  With the mountains, food, and ocean nearby how do you get anything done? What’s the best way to plan for your two years to get the most out of it?

Coming in, all of my colleagues and myself thought this would be our last time in school, so that naturally led us to try and get involved in all the activities.  But that’s a bad idea if you want to make the most out of your experience. You just end up being really busy, and not doing anything substantial. I suggest choosing one main actiivty where you have a leadership position, and then have one or two others where you’re casually involved. And at Haas, grades are not emphasized–meaning not given to on-campus recruiters–so do what you can in school and don’t overload yourself.

How close did you stick to your originally stated goals from your application?

I wanted to make a transition from health care consulting into industry in the short-term, and that has definitely worked out for me. I used to be a consultant in Tokyo, and now I’m working at Genentech in San Francisco. My long-term plans have changed though. Originally I thought I wanted to start my own company helping medical device companies bring products more quickly into Japan. But I think Haas’s proximity to Silicon Valley has made me become more e-tech savvy. So that’s why at Genentech, I’m in the biotech e-marketing group.

So you were pretty focused on health care.  That’s been a good match for you at Haas?

There may be a preconception that Haas is entrepreneur tech-focused MBA program and that’s because of the proximity to Silicon Valley. Lots of people do come with tech backgrounds. But the curriculum has a very strong general management focus, with lots of different courses for many types of industries. I had many health care oriented classes to choose from. And they have an MBA/MPH joint degree if you want to pursue that route.

Why did you choose Haas?

It was tough.  Bascially, it came down to the fact that I couldn’t cheer for any other football team in the country.  Berkeley’s my alma mater.  But also–there are so many good programs out there, so I really focused on my career path and where I could see myself living in the future. I’m a California native, so I couldn’t see myself putting up with the snow in Boston.  And I’m married, so I wanted to think about my family and where we would be most comfortable. My point is that reputation or ranking isn’t everything.  Once you get into the upper echelon of schools, rankings don’t matter–you have to go where you feel comfortable. Northern California was the choice for me.

What did you find out the school offers that you couldn’t find out from the website or an information session?

Haas has a unique and collaborative student culture. We really work in teams, where one minute we might look like we’re having fun, and then another minute fighting–which is actually constructive debate.  Your age and experience here don’t matter–people don’t judge you on that.  As long as you are making a commitment to engage you’ll be embraced and valued.

What about your favorite classes?

The classes I wouldn’t miss are 1) Core Marketing by Professor Rashi Glazer. It’s very interesting and very educational and that’s saying a lot because many of us already had some marketing background, but we all learned something. 2) Operations by Terry Taylor. Very good at explaining operations to beginners.

What kind of leadership training or mentoring do you receive at Haas?

Curriculum-wise, there were optional leadership seminars that people could sit in on.  Haas is also revamping its core curriculum next year, to focus on developing innovative leadership. Outside of class, the clubs definitely help you develop your leadership skills. If you get selected for a leadership position, you really get to be in the driver’s seat.

How much help has career services been to you?

Career services is excellent.  It’s unique in that our career advisors are allocated to an industry vertical. They have significant contacts, experience and credibility amongst recruiters.  That’s a real help to first years trying to secure an internship.

Can you tell me about your best day so far on campus?

When I helped plan for the annual healh care conference and all our planning, hard work and late nights came together. Our panelists struck up good discussions and debate, and people got really engaged, especially due to the health care reform passage that was going on at the time.

Worst day?

A bad interview, and then walking into a class unprepared because I had spent so much time preparing for the interview, and then getting cold called.

It’s the Bay Area, so we have to ask about the food. Best restaurant?

If you’re ready to ante up some cash, there’s Chez Panisse, the restaurant that invented California cuisine.  But there are also good eateries at a low cost all around campus, so just explore. My favorite that just opened is a Japanese place called Ippuku.

Last words of advice?

A lot of people coming into business school have high aspirations and want to pick the school they think will look the best on their resume. I would say, de-emphasis rankings and think ahead to what you want out of your career. Select a school that will help you meet those goals.

Interview conducted by Michelle Stockman, who worked in the Columbia Business School admissions office, has a Masters in Journalism from Columbia, and has assisted Accepted.com clients applying to top business schools since 2007. She is happy to help you with your application.

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Presenting: Kaplan Video Series: Key Takeaways for MBA Admissions

Video interview with Directors of Admissions at NYU (Stern), MIT (Sloan), Cornell (Johnson), Washington (Olin), Thunderbird, and Fordham GSB

This is the fourth video of a Kaplan series on Business School Admissions – brought to you by Kaplan’s Road to Business School.

Road to Business School – The premier forum for meeting business schools
Find the right MBA program for you with seminars, meet-and-greets, and admissions advice.

* Engage with schools one-on-one in an open networking session, over 20 top schools in each city
* Hear key application advice from panel of admissions officers
* Get an edge in your application in breakout sessions

This post is brought to you by Kaplan. Have a GMAT Question?

1) Make yourself known. Putting forth the effort to travel to a school is a signal of interest in the program that the adcom loves to see – but you need to let them know that you’ve made the trip. It is possible to communicate this in your essays and interview, but the simplest route is often to register for a visit through the admissions office. Not only will most schools arrange for you to sit in on a class and have lunch with current students, but many will also make a note of your visit and include it in your file. Be sure to take advantage of all that the admissions office offers in this regard; even if you have friends on campus, it’s wise to speak to as many people as possible.

2) Think it through. Before arriving on campus, you should think carefully about the sort of information you hope to take away from your visit. Whether your inquiries cover something as broad as the night life or as narrow as the syllabus of a particular course, your trip will be much more informative if you come prepared with a sense of the details you hope to glean from information sessions and conversations. Further, it’s a great idea to reach out to members of the community before you arrive; if there’s a club about which you are particularly curious, for instance, you could contact one of its leaders and arrange a conversation over coffee on the day of your visit.

3) Put your best foot forward. Even though your conduct and interactions won’t be on the record in the way that they would be when interviewing on campus, it’s important that you be aware of the impression you’re making. Because spending time on campus is a great way to forge ongoing contacts with students who could become allies for you in the admissions process, you’ll naturally want to put your best foot forward.

We hope that these simple tips will set applicants on the path toward a positive and productive stay on campus. For more tailored guidance on application strategy and school selection, feel free to contact us for a free initial consultation or check out the school-specific information in the Clear Admit School Guides.

Top Asian B-Schools Join Forces to Recruit North American High-Achievers for MBA Programs

July 19, 2010, Hong Kong — Four of the world’s most renowned business schools have joined forces for the first time to recruit top North Americans.

The China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai, HKUST Business School in Hong Kong, Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad, and Nanyang Business School in Singapore have traditionally competed with each other for North American applicants. But now, with growing demand for study in Asia, these schools are collaborating to promote themselves. They have formed a coalition for overseas recruiting and will attend several business school fairs here this fall. Dubbed, “Top Asia B-Schools,” the group will travel, present and speak together at QS MBA Fairs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto and New York.

Professor Leonard Cheng, Dean of HKUST Business School, said: “More business, and consequently more wealth, are moving from West to East each year. Some 139 of the Fortune Global 500 are now based in Asia, a 10 percent increase from 2008 to 2009. Despite the global financial crisis, Asia is growing at an astonishing rate.

“Tomorrow’s global business leaders see this. They are beginning to appreciate the value of understanding Asian culture in kick-starting their careers, something they can only achieve by living and working in some of the region’s most influential cities.”

Each of the four business schools already boasts world-class reputations (all were among the top 30 in a recent B-school ranking). All are located in key centers of commerce with significant economic growth potential.

Founded only 16 years ago, CEIBS was recognised as Asia’s best business school for six consecutive years. With a student population that is 60 percent Chinese, CEIBS offers a gateway to the largest network of graduates in China.

Financial Times ranked HKUST Business School as the ninth best in the world. Ninety-two percent of the students are from outside Hong Kong (from over 25 countries), which helps place HKUST among the top ten B-schools for international students.

The Indian School of Business, is the youngest of Financial Times’ 12 top B-schools. Some of the best in global faculty from its associate schools Wharton, Kellogg and London Business School teach on a state-of-the-art 260-acre campus in Hyderabad, India.

Nanyang Business School in Singapore, ranked by FT the best in Southeast Asia, offers the opportunity to study in what many believe is the world’s easiest city for business, and most open economy for international trade.

Professor Gillian Yeo, Nanyang Business School‘s Interim Dean, added: “While we compete with each other for students, we have joined together because we share a real passion for excellence in business education and for Asia. To sustain this region’s rapid growth, we need more global business leaders with a deep understanding of the region.”

“By presenting ourselves as a group, it is easier to showcase opportunities for North American students at each of our schools. We want to encourage their applications to increase the numbers of globally-minded students in our annual admissions.”

Those interested in studying at one of the four schools will be able to meet with school representatives at the following September events (from 2-6 pm on each date):

• Los Angeles: September 11th, Wilshire Grand Los Angeles
• San Francisco: September 12th, The Fairmont San Francisco
• Toronto: September 19th, Metro Toronto Convention Center
• New York: September 25th, Hilton New York

For more information about the business schools in the coalition, and to register for one of the fairs, visit www.topasiabschools.com.

This Dartmouth Tuck 2011 MBA Application tip post is one of a series of posts providing MBA application and essay advice for applicants to top MBA programs around the world. You can access the entire series at http://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/tag/2011-mba-application-tips. My tips for answering Tuck’s essay questions are in blue below.

Please respond fully but concisely to the following essay questions. Compose each of your answers offline in separate document files and upload them individually in the appropriate spaces below. Although there is no restriction on the length of your response, most applicants use, on average, 500 words for each essay. There are no right or wrong answers. Please double-space your responses.

1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)

Note that the MBA is a “step” towards a goal. That means you have to briefly discuss the path you have been on and then your reasons for wanting an MBA — and specifically a Tuck MBA–  to continue down that path. You have to know a lot about Tuck as well as your goals to respond effectively to this question.  Why do you want a program that stresses the integration of business functions? Why do you want a small, tight-knit program? Which of Tuck’s strengths appeal to you? How will they help you achieve your goals?

2. Discuss your most meaningful leadership experience. What did you learn about your own individual strengths and weaknesses through this experience?

This question reflects the importance Tuck, like many MBA programs, places on leadership.

Have you inspired a troubled teen to apply himself academically? Have you chaired  a fund raiser that raised a record amount of money? Have you captained a sports team that led your intra-mural or company league? Have you been a team lead on a project that came in early and under budget? Are you head of a sales team? These could all be examples of leadership. How did you inspire your teammates to achieve? What did you learn from the experience.

The question asks you to reveal strengths and weaknesses. The first is fun and should be relatively easy. However we all cringe at the idea of revealing weaknesses, especially in a situation where you want to impress — like an MBA application. Nonetheless, resist that nasty impulse. Don’t reveal a phony weakness. The adcom will see right through it. Reveal a weakness that hopefully you can show yourself addressing in this leadership experience or through another later experience. Don’t dwell on the weakness, but do include it.

3. What is the greatest challenge or hurdle you have overcome, either personally or professionally, and how did you manage to do so?

This question asks for one challenge or hurdle and how you have overcome it. Tuck doesn’t care if your challenge is personal or professional, but it is asking for your “greatest challenge.”  Show resilience, maturity, self-discipline and personal strength in revealing how you have overcome whatever you have faced.

4. Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can bring new perspectives to our community. How will your unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences contribute to the culture at Tuck?

Tuck may be small and rural, but it is no backwater. And it is fiercely proud of its diversity — in all senses of the word.  It also wants people who will contribute to the school. When I visited Tuck for the International Educational Consultants Conference, I was struck by the variety of events within Tuck and the larger Dartmouth community. Clearly, to answer this question well you must reflect on your background, but you also need to study the activities, clubs, and programs available at Tuck.  What are the distinctive elements of your background? How will it enable you to contribute at Tuck?

5. (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.

It is almost impossible for four 500-word essays plus a bunch of boxes, a transcript, and a GMAT score to represent fully the uniqueness and talents of a truly impressive candidate. That comment has nothing to do with writing style and everything to do with the complexity of accomplished human beings. In my opinion this “optional essay“  is optional in name only.

6. (To be completed by all reapplicants) How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally.

Straightforward. What has changed that would compel Tuck to admit you this year when it rejected you last year?

For information on how Accepted.com can help you with your Tuck application, please see the Tuck Editing and Advising Package or our MBA Admissions Editing and Consulting.

Dartmouth Tuck 2011 MBA Deadlines

Applications are due by 5:00 PM EST

* Confidential Statements of Qualifications

** Applicants who wish to be considered for scholarships must complete the Application for Tuck School of Business Scholarships by the above deadline

*** Free Application for Federal Student Aid

****Prospective students who are applying to Tuck through the Consortium will receive two decisions; one from Tuck regarding their admission decision and a second from the Consortium regarding their fellowship decision.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.

The following data was gathered from GMAC’s semi-annual Alumni Perspectives Survey:

• Of the 3,387 business graduates from the last decade who were surveyed, 96% were satisfied with their decision to pursue an MBA or other business degree.
• 94% of MBAs and other business degrees holders who graduated in the last decade are employed.
• 6% of those that are employed are self-employed. 53% of these business owners manage more than one employee, and 41% of those that are self-employed report at least $250,000 of total revenue per year.
• Of the remaining 6% who are currently unemployed, 48% plan on starting their own businesses.
• 94% of alumni felt that their business degrees provided them with a competitive edge over non-business graduates.
• 89% claim that the value of their degree is “outstanding to good.”
• More than half of 2000-2009 graduates report that they have “achieved, in part, their short-term and long-term career goals.”
• Some of the educational factors valued most by this cohort include classmates, committed faculty members, and a relevant curriculum.
• The median salary for the class of 2000 was $135,000. For the class of 2009, the median salary dropped to $82,000. The median salary for the 2000-2009 period is $94,829.

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