Students watched the event and rated the advertisers using a set of academic criteria known as ADPLAN to rank the most and least successful advertisers. ADPLAN is an acronym for Attention, Distinction, Positioning, Linkage, Amplification and Net equity.

First place went to the  Tide “Miracle Stain”  spot as the best ad during Sunday’s game, while BlackBerry ranked at the bottom of the always-anticipated Review due to weak branding and the lack of a compelling benefit.

“Tide really broke through the clutter with a very engaging spot,” said Clinical Professor of Marketing Tim Calkins, who leads the event along with Associate Professor of Marketing Derek D. Rucker. “At Kellogg, our Review evaluates the ads based on strategic execution and the potential to build brands. Tide, M&M’s and Best Buy all did a terrific job connecting engaging spots to product benefits.”

Students judged the advertisements based on their potential to drive sales, favorably impact companies’ bottom lines and improve brand awareness, as opposed to evaluating the commercials according to their popularity.

In a wrap-up posted on the Review’s blog, Professor Calkins noted two big trends this year: an increase in longer spots that develop a story, and a huge boost in social media tie-ins during the game. If you’d like to see which spots earned the top, middling, and lowest marks, and read commentary from the Review explaining their picks, check out Calkin’s post, which includes all of commercial spots in question.

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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

Guest: Kate Smith, Assistant Dean, Admissions and Financial Aid

Next Year at Northwestern Kellogg: MBA Admissions Q&A

Do you have questions about Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business? Get all the answers you need during our upcoming Q&A session with Kate Smith, Assistant Dean, Admissions and Financial Aid, on Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM GMT. During this discussion, you’ll learn critical info about Kellogg’s admissions practices, student life, and post-MBA career opportunities. You’ll also gain insight into the program’s goal of educating, equipping, and inspiring leaders with grounded wisdom, a courageous and collaborative spirit, and a pioneering vision. If you are thinking about applying to Kellogg, then you won’t want to miss this opportunity to get up close and personal with this top-ranked MBA program.

Register now to reserve your spot for the Kellogg Admissions Q&A!

What time is that for me? Click on the link to find out the exact time for your location.

For more information, please e-mail your questions to webinar@accepted.com.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Accepted.com’s experienced admissions consultants can help you create the most impressive application possible with comprehensive packages, or provide targeted assistance from picking perfect programs to designing a dazzling resume, constructing engaging essays, or preparing for intense interviews…and more! Accepted.com has guided thousands of applicants to acceptances at top MBA programs since 1994 – we know what works and what doesn’t, so contact us to get started now!

This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.

A quick glance at

Northwestern Kellogg Class of 2014 Stats

Some facts about Kellogg’s students:

• 5071 people applied to Kellogg in 2011-12; 477 students enrolled in the two-year MBA program. 100 enrolled in the one-year program.
• The mid-80% age range of incoming students in 2012 was 25-31.
• The mid 80% range of work experience was 3.2-7.25 years.
• The average GMAT score in 2012 was 708.

Kellogg Academics Related to Management

Students must complete a nine-course core in addition to the elective component. These courses cover all general management topics, including Leadership in Organizations, Business Strategy, Marketing Management, Statistical Methods for Management Decisions, and Operations Management.

Those interested in pursuing management at Kellogg will want to check out all of the links below. .

Academic Departments:

• Accounting Information and Management
• Managerial Economics and Decisions Sciences (MEDS)
• Management and Organizations (MORS)
• Management and Strategy

Professional Programs:

• Health Enterprise Management
• Media Management
• Technology Industry Management

Management Majors (students may choose more than one major):

• Accounting Information & Management
• Health Enterprise Management
• Human Resources Management
• Management & Organizations
• Management & Strategy
• Managerial Analytics
• Managerial Economics
• Marketing Management
• Media Management
• Operations Management
• Technology Industry Management

Managerial Research Centers at Kellogg:

• Center for Biotechnology Management
• Center for Family Enterprises
• Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science
• Center for Nonprofit Management
• Center for Operations & Supply Chain Management
• General Motors Research Center for Strategy in Management

International Opportunities for Management Students

• Global Initiatives in Management
• Student Exchange Program
• Global Speakers and Visitors

Kellogg Clubs for Management Students

• Investment Management Club
• General Management Club
• Distressed Management Club
• Media & Entertainment Club
• Operations Management Club
• Strategy & Business Development Club
• Turnaround Management Conference

Management Employment Stats at Kellogg

In 2011, 8% of Kellogg graduates accepted full-time jobs with a general management/leadership development function. The average salary for these positions in 2011 was $105,140. 3% reported jobs with business development functions and an average salary of $111.853.

A quick glance at

Northwestern Kellogg Class of 2014 Stats

Some facts about Kellogg’s students:

• 5071 people applied to Kellogg in 2011-12; 477 students enrolled in the two-year MBA program. 100 enrolled in the one-year program.
• The mid-80% age range of incoming students in 2012 was 25-31.
• The mid 80% range of work experience was 3.2-7.25 years.
• The average GMAT score in 2012 was 708.

Kellogg Academics Related to Finance

Students must complete a nine-course core in addition to the elective component. These courses cover all general management topics, including Finance I.

There are two finance majors available for those wishing to pursue careers in financial services – Finance and Analytical Finance.

To concentrate in either one of these majors, students must take two required courses – Finance I and Finance II (or Finance I/II). Finance I is part of the core, as mentioned above.

For the Finance major, students must also take three additional Finance credit units from the following:

For Analytic Finance major, students must also take the required course Derivative Markets 1 and four more Finance electives from the following:

Financial Research Centers at Kellogg

• Accounting Research Center
• Financial Institutions and Markets Research Center
• Heizer Center for Private Equity and Venture Capita

Kellogg Clubs and Conferences for Finance Students

• Corporate Finance Club
• Investment Banking Capital Markets Club
• Investment Management Club
• Private Equity & Venture Capital Club
• Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference

Finance Employment Stats at Kellogg

In 2011, 7% of Kellogg graduates accepted full-time jobs in investment banking, brokerage, and securities and 12% in other financial services, private equity, and venture capital.

Here’s a talk with

This interview is the latest in an Accepted.com blog series featuring interviews with current MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. We hope to offer you a candid picture of student life, and what you should consider as you prepare your MBA application.

Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? Where did you study as an undergrad? When did you graduate? And do you hold any prior degrees?

Teresa: I am originally from a suburb of Dallas, TX and studied at University of Texas at Austin for undergrad. (Hook em!) I graduated in 2006 with a triple major in Business Honors, Marketing, and Psychology. While in undergrad, I founded a chapter of a non-profit organization that sponsors Chinese orphans for necessary medical procedures (http://chinacare.org/). The chapter is still active on the UT campus and I still keep in touch with a few of the sponsored girls and they are such inspirations to me.

After graduating I moved to New York City to become a buyer at Macy’s, where I was exposed to brands such as Chanel, Nike, The North Face, and Ralph Lauren. I lived in NYC for 5 years before applying to graduate school. I am an avid photographer, world traveler, and love to cook and bake.

Accepted: I see on LinkedIn that you’ve attended three business schools — Kellogg (current), Texas McCombs (BA), and Copenhagen Business School. What would you say are the greatest differences between these schools in terms of teaching style and community?

Teresa: I did my undergrad at McCombs, studied abroad at CBS, and am currently an MBA candidate at Kellogg. All are different from each other, but I have loved all three experiences.

McCombs is quite large, but I was in the Business Honors Program (BHP), which teaches MBA level courses and is significantly smaller and easier to navigate. The school is ranked at the top of undergrad business school and has really modern facilities. The teaching method is a mix of lecture, case study, and group work. Even though the program was competitive, I was surrounded by amazing people who constantly challenged me. I made lifelong friends, many of whom have started successful companies, worked internationally, and/or have graduated from top graduate business schools.

Copenhagen is a small city and CBS is also very small, but it is one of the best schools in Northern Europe. They teach many classes in English and focus mostly on lecture and teamwork. The grading system was a unique 1-7 scale based on a curve, so it was extremely hard to get A’s. Danes are incredibly family-oriented people and the culture is very focused on building relationships. Even though I was only there for one semester, I had a great experience and recommend it to everyone!

Kellogg has been a similarly impactful experience for me. The first word that comes to mind is “intense.” Northwestern University goes off the quarter system so each term is only 10-weeks long and we cram a lot of information into each class. I chose to come to Kellogg because of its reputation for teamwork and collaboration and it has lived up to this reputation. My classmates are incredibility smart and talented…I have accepted that I am just average compared to them! Despite the pressures of school and recruiting, everyone is extremely willing to help each other out both professionally and personally. The teaching style here is similar to McCombs, which is a mix of lecture, case study, and group work. This is the style that suits me and how I learn the best.

Accepted: What do you plan on doing once you receive your MBA?

Teresa: Luckily I am not a career-switcher. I have always had a passion for retail and marketing and want to stay in the retail industry in any area of marketing ranging from digital to brand. If there is something I have learned from the last few years, it’s that you can’t “plan” everything and sometimes have to be open to opportunities you never knew existed. If you had asked me 6 years ago, I couldn’t have foreshadowed moving to New York or working for Sephora in SF!

Accepted: Can you tell us about your internship at Sephora? What role did Kellogg have in helping you secure that position?

Teresa: I was an MBA digital marketing intern at Sephora, based in SF this summer. It was a phenomenal experience and I got to sample so many new products! I focused primary on social media and mobile opportunities, which is a fast-growing area of marketing. I chose to work for Sephora because of its best-in-class status in digital marketing and its open-minded culture. Even though I was “only an intern,” my ideas were always welcome and wanted.

Although I did some on-campus recruiting with Kellogg, I found the Sephora opportunity off-campus. I utilized my previous network in NYC, visited companies, and talked to a lot of people. The “Kellogg” brand on my resume definitely helped open doors and give me some legitimacy with regards to my passion for marketing.

Accepted: How would describe your “fit” with Kellogg?

Teresa: I alluded to this earlier, but Kellogg is all about “fit.” The type of people who come here are not only bright, hard-working, and extremely talented, but also fun, creative, and supportive. We are unlike some other schools that focus only on leadership; Kellogg is all about teamwork and collaborating with people from diverse backgrounds. Even during the stressful recruiting season, my classmates were my biggest cheerleaders and supporters. Kellogg was the only school that I wanted to go to because I knew it was the right fit.

Accepted: Can you offer some advice to our Kellogg applicants?

Teresa: Be passionate. Kellogg accepts people who have a passion for something and are passionate about coming to Kellogg. A generic “this is why I am a smart and successful candidate” essay will not cut it. Show some personality, tell us why you are unique, and demonstrate what you will bring to the Kellogg community that is unlike anyone else.

For one-on-one guidance on the Kellogg application, please see our Kellogg Business School packages. For specific advice on how to create the best application for Kellogg see Linda’s Kellogg 2013 Essay Questions, Deadlines, and Tips.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Accepted.com’s experienced admissions consultants can help you create the most impressive application possible with comprehensive packages, or provide targeted assistance from picking perfect programs to designing a dazzling resume, constructing engaging essays, or preparing for intense interviews…and more! Accepted.com has guided thousands of applicants to acceptances at top MBA programs since 1994 – we know what works and what doesn’t, so contact us to get started now!

This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.

The Executive Career Acceleration Program (ECAP), launched with Korn/Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting and geared exclusively for Kellogg’s Executive MBA students, will provide a cutting-edge and unprecedented opportunity for executive grade leadership development, preparing them today for the roles they’ll hold tomorrow. Through ECAP, Kellogg students now have access to resources previously available only to senior leaders in major corporations.

The program lasts the course of a year and complements classroom learning with multiple, individual assessments and interactive, customized group learning sessions. Students will receive targeted feedback and coaching from a Korn/Ferry leadership consultant, and deepen their sense of self-awareness with a 360-degree survey to help participants understand how others perceive them.

In addition, students are able to leverage research Korn/Ferry has collected over the last 40 years on workplace competencies, gaining access to best-in-class tools and methodologies to address potential gaps and build targeted skills. For more on this new initiative designed to help EMBA students learn how to accelerate career success, visit the Kellogg website.

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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

The advice we give about every MBA application is also relevant to Kellogg: make sure to choose a range of experiences from your professional and community life for your essay topics. When approaching any MBA application essay, be as specific as possible in every example to authentically communicate your unique leadership and teamwork style.

1. Discuss moments or influences in your personal life that have defined who you are today. (500 word limit)

This essay gets more personal than the Kellogg application has asked for in the past. As the first essay of the set, it will also set the tone for the rest of your story. This question should definitely be personal, and ideally, focus on people and experiences that have influenced you rather than accomplishments or achievements.

To generate ideas, try brainstorming over a period of a few days. Ask friends and family what values they see you demonstrated in your life and choices. Keep a notebook by your bed so you can record your first thoughts upon waking up, and mine your personal history for ideas.

This essay will be most effective if you answer the question with vivid and specific examples that demonstrate who you are today and how your life choices have defined you.

2. What have been your most significant leadership experiences? What challenges did you face, and what impact did you have? This is your opportunity to explain how you Think Bravely (personally and/or professionally). (500 word limit)

The Kellogg MBA seeks to make “strong leaders stronger.” Therefore, you will want to demonstrate that you are a strong leader, and that a Kellogg MBA can make you stronger. This question focuses on leadership experiences you have had and seeks to understand how you think and behave in challenging situations that may have tested your ability to work with others.

This behavioral question requires a very specific example to work effectively. The intention for this question is to see an example of a past experience that indicates how you will behave in the future, potentially when you must lead at Kellogg and in your future career. Make sure you include details about exactly what you did and said in your leadership story.

3. Imagine yourself at your Kellogg graduation. What career will you be preparing to enter, and how have the MBA and Kellogg helped you get there? (Please answer in terms of your program choice: One-Year, Two-Year, MMM, JD-MBA) (500 word limit)

This question focuses mainly on your short-term goal- the career that you will pursue immediately after graduation from Kellogg. Doing your research on Kellogg MBA’s academics and resources will help you answer the question about how Kellogg helped you achieve your post-graduation career goal. Choose specific classes, professors and programs that fit into your career goals. Think about clubs and conferences that are unique to the Kellogg MBA and will advance your career. Your motivation to pursue an MBA at Kellogg should also show that you are interested in being an active part of the community if possible.

If you are applying to the MMM program, you’ll have to show how the MEM degree will prepare you more effectively for your career goals than the MBA alone. Be able to articulate what is different about the Kellogg MMM program as compared to the MBA and other joint degrees. Know the classes you want to take, the professors you hope to work for, and how the MMM experience will be an asset in your future career.

Similarly, the JD-MBA at Kellogg is a highly competitive admissions process and will require a very clear explanation of what you will do with both degrees after school. Consider the unique attributes of the Kellogg JD-MBA program as compared to others, and also why you specifically need both a JD and an MBA.

4. What one interesting or fun fact would you want your future Kellogg classmates to know about you? (25 words or less)

With just 25 words to work with, your fun fact needs to be concise and focused. At the same time, this is an opportunity to describe any differentiating factor. If you are a typical Indian IT applicant who actually grew up in France on a vineyard, this is the place to mention it! Think about what aspects of your background that might be interesting, unique, and surprising in the context of the information you have already shared in this set of essays. Whatever fun or interesting fact you choose, make it relevant to your story and don’t forget your overall application strategy.

If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

The Kellogg application essays have been released. And there are lots of changes. As with so many schools this season, Kellogg has reduced the total word count. In addition it has changed all its questions significantly, reflecting the leadership of Dean Blount.

Essay 1. Discuss moments or influences in your personal life that have defined who you are today. (500 word limit)

What have been the most significant influences or events in your life? What has molded and shaped you? Choose 1-3 such experiences and discuss here. Note the phrase “in your personal life.” Do not expound on professional experiences or influences. This question is not about work.

You can go many different ways with this essay. You first have to decide how many experiences to write about. Don’t discuss more than three influences or seminal moments; I can easily imagine many excellent answers that would be limited to only one influential person or event.

In terms of structure, you can start with the event and or an interaction with the influential individual that exemplifies your relationship or their impact. Then go back and analyze it. How has this experience, person, or event defined you? How has it changed you? Show how it has influenced your actions, not just your thoughts or perspective.

Essay 2. What have been your most significant leadership experiences? What challenges did you face, and what impact did you have? This is your opportunity to explain how you Think Bravely (personally and/or professionally). (500 word limit)

Here you can draw on professional or personal experiences, but make sure your answer shows you in a leadership role. Again you have the option of discussing more than one experience. Due to the word limit, I would bring up no more than three, and obviously choose the “most significant.” Answer the question as posed, but just as Kellogg suggests keep in mind its “Think Bravely” motto.

Because of that motto, focus on challenges that were not just technical or logistical; focus on leadership experiences where you were innovating or facing interpersonal issues or dealing with a serious risk of failure. Those are the situations where thinking bravely will almost automatically come into play.

Essay 3. Imagine yourself at your Kellogg graduation. What career will you be preparing to enter, and how have the MBA and Kellogg helped you get there? (Please answer in terms of your program choice: One-Year, Two-Year, MMM, JD-MBA) (500 word limit)

This is an MBA goals question in a somewhat creative format. Where would you like to be at your Kellogg graduation? What do you hope to have experienced (be specific) as you don your gradation gown and look back on your time at Kellogg? What do you intend to be looking forward to in terms of professional opportunity?

Realize that you will need to really know what you want to do post-MBA as well as how whichever Kellogg option you choose will help you reach your goals. Clarity about your desired destination and how you intend to get there via Kellogg are mandatory.

Essay 4. What one interesting or fun fact would you want your future Kellogg classmates to know about you? (25 words or less)

Yes. That word limit is really 25 words. In roughly one grammatical tweet with correct spelling, what one fun or interesting fact would you tell your classmates? Do you juggle? Play the saxophone and compose music? Have you climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro? Are you a foodie and master chef? Did you complete a marathon and vow never to do it again — only to have done it six more times? Do you love Hemingway? Gershwin?

Re-Applicants Only
Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (400 word limit)
Please note: re-applicants are required to answer this question in addition to #1-4.

No trick questions here. How are you a better candidate today than when Kellogg rejected you? Have you addressed weaknesses in your previous application? Check out MBA Reapplicant 101 — a lot of (free) resources.

Additional Information (Optional)
If needed, use this section to briefly describe any extenuating circumstances (e.g. unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, etc.) (No word limit)

This is a true optional question If necessary, use it to provide context for possible negatives. Take responsibility for mistakes if necessary.

Keep this section short and to-the-point. Don’t be fooled by “No word limit.”

If you’d like more help with your Kellogg MBA application, please consider Accepted’s MBA essay editing and MBA admissions consulting or our Kellogg MBA Packages.

Northwestern Kellogg 2013 MBA Essay Application (Part 2) Deadlines

Please note that Kellogg has a more complex deadline system than most schools. Please visit their web site for details.

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

Accepted.com’s experienced admissions consultants can help you create the most impressive application possible with comprehensive packages, or provide targeted assistance from picking perfect programs to designing a dazzling resume, constructing engaging essays, or preparing for intense interviews…and more! Accepted.com has guided thousands of applicants to acceptances at top MBA programs since 1994 – we know what works and what doesn’t, so contact us to get started now!

This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.

With this option, students who’ve completed requisite coursework as an undergraduate or graduate student can immediately dive into advanced studies and earn their degree in just over a year, depending on one’s individual pace. The requisite courses must include accounting, and at least five others in finance, organizational behavior, economics, marketing, operations and statistics.

Students following this strand can accommodate their work schedules by choosing the Saturday or evening program, and may take up to three courses per quarter. You can read more about this new flexible option at Kellogg School of Management here.

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Stacy Sukov Blackman launched her MBA admissions consulting company in 2001 and has since helped thousands of clients gain admission to the most selective business schools in the world, many with merit scholarships.   Blackman is the author of The MBA Application Roadmap: The Essential Guide to Getting Into a Business School, and has published a series of online guides which contain in depth guidance on how to develop essays for top business schools.  Blackman has degrees from both the Wharton School and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.   Read  Stacy Blackman reviews to see what previous clients have said about her consulting services.