Calling all Ross 2010 applicants!

While Rossers are socially conscious, Ross is a traditional b-school and the vast majority students are interested in pursuing careers in consulting, finance, marketing, brand management, general management, etc. I disagree that it's harder to get into Ross if you want to explore a traditional career path - that's why people go to business school. What's great is that Rossers are aware of sustainability and social impact issues and when they go out and pursue their traditional careers, they can incorporate this into core strategy, decision-making, and operations.

Sustainability really shouldn't be a separate course or track - it should be integrated into every class. But we're not there yet--no one's there yet. What's great is that because there's a good portion of the student body that cares about these issues, these topics come up in discussion, in conferences, clubs, etc. so students become more aware and gain a better understanding of these topics. The classes which focus on environmental issues are gaining in popularity because students recognize that environmental issues are not going away and will become an important part of running a business. It's true that students have pushed Ross to have a greater focus on sustainability. An example is the Sustainable Finance class that arose because students were interested in this topic and worked with a professor to get a curriculum developed. It's now one of the most popular finance classes. Ross though is a traditional b-school and while students here are not as heavily focused in IB or finance as other schools, we compete directly with the other top b-schools.

thanks peaceyall. I am interested in Ross precisely because I feel it will prepare me very well for a traditional GM career by ensuring I have an understanding of and exposure to issues such as sustainability, environmental impact etc as well.

Was just (naviely so ) concerned if it is a negative in the admission process to have a traiditonal goal.

Thanks for the detailed reply!

hey!
I'm working on my R2 app and am struggling with the first essay word limits as it is much shorter than that of most schools.
Are you explaining in at least a few lines why u have chosen certain goals? also on why mba is the best choice right now are you really listing your evaluations of different options? The reason i ask is because if I do that then I'm left with lil or no space to explain what convinced me to choose Ross.
any advise??

Hi Aditi
Just a R1 applicant here so take my advice for whatever it is worth. Even I was struggling with the first essay, but the way I handled it was....that I included very little career history. Earlier I was including too much career history and was left with very little space for other parts. And it would be better if you answer all the tails like why now and why MBA(if it is asked,I dont remember the question exactly)
Hope it helps

I have heard that Ross is one of the schools that does not release admissions decisions on a rolling basis (i.e., all applicants receive the admissions outcome on the same day - Jan 15 for Round 1). Anyone know if this is the case?

From my experience, decisions are released at the same time with admissions officers calling those admitted. It "rolls" during the day or maybe two if they can't reach you, but that's it.

no prob. good luck with the app!

Hi everybody,

I have an interview at Ross this coming Monday and am spending the earlier part of the day doing the standard 'visit' activities. What's the dress code in that case? Should I be suited up all day, or is it normal to change for the interview?

Thanks and good luck to all!

When I went last year, the people interviewing would be wearing suits, while people interviewing the next day were dress business casual.

starting to get nervous about not receiving an invite. I felt like I put forth a strong application.

Anyone in the same boat? or have any info about how admissions is coming along?

I was comparing to last year. Time and time again they said invites will go into the first week of December. Seems as though they had the same app dates and all that.

Maybe more applicants this year means more delays with invites?

here's hoping...
-house

The Ross admissions blog posted this the other day:

12/01/2009
Round 1 Update
We are in the process of wrapping up our Round 1 decisions. All interview invitations have been extended (except for Consortium interviews; I'll get to that later). If you didn't receive an invitation to interview, it doesn't necessarily mean you will not be admitted. For some, it may mean that we'll reconsider interviewing you in Round 2 or 3.

Our goal is to wrap up Round 1 interviews by December 11 and spend the following weeks reviewing interview reports in concert with the application evaluations. Our office will be closed between Christmas and New Year's.

thanks for the update. Goodluck to the round 2ers.

Dıng from CBS ED. Joinıng R2. Good luck to all.

Pretty much. Last year they called on Monday and Tuesday and released all decisions on Wednesday.

Just came back from the Saturday Interviews. Experience was great. Met about 70 prospective candidates, each one an expert in his/her field. Great interactions. Must say, the adcom was WONDERFUL.
Interview Ques were all std:
Resume run
Why MBA
Why Ross
One situation where things went awry
One instance where u helped someone without any own agenda
One person u r impressed by
Any ques u want to ask

Applied through the Consortium Round 1. Received interview invite last week and scheduled for 11/10. I'll update after the interview.

where would u highlight what you can contribute to ross? They dont specifically ask for it and essay 1 doesnt give one enough space.
and what is the general view on the optional essay for ross? as it is open ended are people using it for positive spins also?