Kellogg MBA Admissions & Related Blogs

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management is a close-knit community that values a diverse community and philanthropy. At the same time, diversity in experience, background and thought is important to the Kellogg admissions committee.

Do your research on the programs, activities, clubs, classes and professors at Kellogg as you approach your essays. While you are reading and conversing with students and alumni, envision how you will contribute to the community.

Kellogg has two mandatory video essays as part of the application process. After you submit your essays you will receive the questions, one of which will focus on Why Kellogg and another will be a general “getting to know you” question. The video essay is an opportunity for the admissions committee to see the person behind the accomplishments you will describe.

Prepare as if you would for an interview, drafting the topics you want to cover and practicing your presentation. The video should accurately portray your personality and demeanor, and extensive preparation will help you be comfortable and be yourself.

Video essays can be daunting, and Stacy Blackman Consulting has developed customized preparation to help you practice for this important component of the application and provide our expert feedback. Contact us to learn more about how we can prepare you for the entire Kellogg application.

REQUIRED ESSAYS

Essay 1: Leadership and teamwork are integral parts of the Kellogg experience. Describe a recent and meaningful time you were a leader. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)

This essay focuses on leadership and teamwork using a behavioral essay framework. By seeing the details about exactly what you did and said in your leadership story, Kellogg admissions will understand how you are likely to perform in the future.

When approaching this essay spend some time on set up to explain the background, and then use the majority of the space describing specifically what you did, thought, felt and how you behaved.

As the question specifically asks about challenges, it will be useful to show how you have overcome difficulty as a leader or learned from a tough situation. Don’t be nervous about showing weakness here. Every leader has to learn and develop, and willingness to be open to feedback and improve will be an asset to your profile.

Do not neglect mentioning teamwork, which is a core value of Kellogg’s culture. Your leadership experience is likely part of a team at work or in an extracurricular activity, and sensitivity to teamwork and collaboration in any leadership story demonstrates maturity and people skills.

Essay 2: Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)

This essay question is a hybrid of a classic career goals essay and a personal essay. Kellogg is interested in candidates who are able to integrate their personal and professional goals and show how a Kellogg MBA will serve both sides of life.

When you describe professional and personal growth in the past, make sure it is relevant to your plans to pursue an MBA at Kellogg. The story you tell in this essay should provide insight into your decision to pursue an MBA and allude to your future goals. Because this isn’t a question about your entire career thus far you can choose just one or two main experiences to share.

The topic of this essay should also be an experience that did show growth over time. Something like starting in an entry level position at work and progressing into a management role comes to mind easily, but also consider something like developing leadership skills over time and personal investment in your career.

You could also focus on a passion outside of work that has developed over time and led to personal growth.

Dual-degree applicants: For applicants to the MMM or JD-MBA dual degree programs, please explain why that program is right for you. (250 words)

Doing your research on Kellogg MBA’s academics and resources will help you answer the question about why you need a dual degree to achieve your goals. If you are applying to the MMM program, you’ll have to show how the 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 to achieve your career goals.

Re-Applicants Only: Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (250 word limit)

In answering this question make sure you provide tangible evidence that you have improved the overall package you are submitting this year. Some of the most tangible improvements are a stronger GMAT score or grades from new quantitative classes you attended since the last time you applied.

Other steps that you can describe include a promotion at work, new volunteer activities, or increased responsibility at work or in your activities. If you don’t have something tangible and external to report, it’s reasonable to discuss how your career goals have changed or your personal aspirations have been refined as you revamped your applications.

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 count)

If there are any areas of concern, this is the correct place to address them. Strike an upbeat tone here and avoid excuses. Explain your issue clearly and focus most of the essay on the correction for the issue. For example, if you had a disciplinary issue in college, spend most of the essay demonstrating that you learned from the experience and have been an ideal citizen ever since.

Low GPA issues should be explained here, and if there is a grade of C or below on your transcript the admissions committee will want to know why and feel comfortable it is an outlier in your overall academic record. For academic questions make sure you emphasize your improved performance either later in your college career or in subsequent work or classes since college.
Image credit: Mike Willis (CC BY-ND 2.0)

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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.

Photograph by Mike Crews

Nearly two years after breaking ground on its $220 million, state-of-the-art education center known as the Global Hub, Kellogg School of Management has confirmed that the 410,000 square-foot facility is inching toward completion and on track for an early 2017 inauguration.

The school also reported this week that a gift of $10 million by the Christopher B. Galvin Family Foundation has catapulted Kellogg School of Management’s Transforming Together campaign past $300 million, toward its $350 million goal.

The Galvin gift also pushed Northwestern University past the $3 billion mark in its “We Will” campaign. In honor of his notable contribution, the school will name the Global Hub’s new Design Wing along with a conference center within the wing after the Galvin Family.



Mary B. Galvin (foreground) with Cynthia B. Galvin, Dawn Galvin Meiners and Christopher Galvin (photo courtesy of Kellogg School)

“This is an opportunity to give back,” says Christopher B. Galvin ’77, former chairman and CEO of Motorola Inc. “Kellogg played an important role in my career, especially in my post-Motorola investing and business management.” Several members of the Galvin family have also received degrees from Northwestern.

“The Galvin family’s gift is testimony to their profound and lasting commitment to Kellogg ideals,” said Kellogg Dean Sally Blount when announcing the news. “It is an especially fitting tribute that the Design Wing will be named for them. The Galvins are a family of innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors, and the new space will invite tomorrow’s business leaders to work together to solve relevant, real-world issues in new ways. We are so grateful for their support.”

Special features of Kellogg’s new home include flexible classrooms and common spaces that can accommodate any teaching style or requirement. Office layout and locations will promote cross-functional connection and collaboration, and its emphasis on green technology and energy conservation ensures the building’s long-term sustainability and efficiency.

The Global Hub offers many capabilities and amenities, the most unique being the flexibility of its classrooms and communal spaces. Each classroom can become flat, tiered, divided or expanded to meet the varied goals of faculty year after year.

“We designed a building that’s adaptable so that as technology and programs change in the future, the building can adapt with those needs,” said Leann Paul, Kellogg’s lead project manager for the building.

As Dean Blount said at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Global Hub promises to “set a standard for how we teach at Kellogg.” I’m thrilled to see this transformation of the Kellogg campus and cannot wait to visit my alma mater again once the doors officially open.

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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.

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management has introduced eleven new courses, including several that have come out of the school’s efforts to promote cross-disciplinary learning.

Announcing the changes, Kellogg emphasized the importance of broad and modern coursework in preparing students for their roles as leaders.

As Therese McGuire, Senior Associate Dean of Curriculum and Teaching, put it:

With increasingly complex problems facing our rapidly changing business environment, curriculum innovation in the MBA program is key…..It’s critical to create new courses that foster innovation and take our students to the forefront of knowledge in their respective areas.

One such future-leaning course, Human and Machine Intelligence, explores recent research in artificial intelligence and possible implications for business leaders, looking at advanced AI like IBM’s chess-playing Deep Blue supercomputer.

Human and Machine Intelligence is a product of Kellogg’s Architectures of Collaboration, a cross-disciplinary initiative looking at the interaction between machine intelligence, big data and human behavior.

Another interdisciplinary course new in 2017 is Business of Social Change, created by Kellogg’s Public-Private Interface, which focuses on “the intersection of business and policy.”

The course will explore how business can affect social change. In addressing this question, coursework will concentrate on a specific social problem: youth unemployment in the United States.

Guest speakers in the course will include employers with many youth employees and policy experts. Meghan Kashner, who will teach the course, said that “Students will complete this course with the skills to determine the roots of a problem and the paths to large-scale and market-driven change.”

A third curriculum offering comes from Kellogg’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative. This new course, Launching and Leading Startups, covers exactly what the name suggests.

Launching and Leading Startups will be taught by Brad Morehead in Winter 2017 and Carter Cast in Spring 2017. Cast described the ideal student for the course:

This will be a good class for students who are curious about entrepreneurship and who think they may pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor in the near future, whether through starting their own business, acquiring a business or joining an early-stage startup.

Other courses introduced this year include Sustainability Across the Enterprise (another offering from the Kellogg Public-Private Interface), Digital Marketing Strategy and Thought Leadership Seminar: Issues in Developing Countries.

Taken together, the new courses show Kellogg’ commitment interdisciplinary learning. Kellogg emphasizes thinking across disciplines as part of their curriculum and has four strategic initiatives designed to foster cross-disciplinary work. For more information, see their website.

The post Kellogg Adds 11 New Courses appeared first on EXPARTUS.

Before I introduce today’s guest, I would like to invite you to a webinar I’m presenting on December 7. Whether you are planning to apply this application cycle or aiming for next year or later, this webinar, 5 Ways to Make B-schools Love You, will give you critical strategies to strengthen your profile and application. Reserve your spot today.

Today’s guest is Melissa Rapp, Director of Admissions - Full Time MBA & MSMS Programs at the Kellogg School of Management. Melissa has an extensive background in communications and admissions. She joined Kellogg in 2012 as Assistant Director of PT MBA admissions. She became the Director of Admissions for the PT MBA in 2015 and in January 2016 became the Director of Admissions for the FT MBA AND MSMS programs. Welcome!

Kellogg has two required essays, an optional information section, and now also requires a video. What do you learn from the video that you don’t learn from the written essays? [2:12]

We introduced the video about three years ago for a couple of reasons. The first was to introduce the adcom to all of our applicants from all over the world – it provides the opportunity for facetime, and is more unfiltered. We also wanted to expose our future students to new technologies. We’ve heard from our career management team that more companies are using videos in their recruitment process (Goldman Sachs is an example), so we wanted to expose our future students to the technology they can expect in that screening/interview process.

Increasingly, we’re also seeing videos used as a screening and application tool a lot in the tech industry – for example, LinkedIn, Amazon, Apple.

Do you have advice for applicants sitting down to work on their Kellogg applications? [3:55]

The most important thing is for students to be reflective about why they want an MBA, why it’s important for their career. Be genuine.

The first essay asks why they want an MBA, why now, and why Kellogg. The second surrounds leadership and teamwork – are they a good fit for the team-based environment at Kellogg? Think carefully about experiences that demonstrate those qualities.

Given that focus on post-MBA goals, is employ-ability part of the admissions assessment? [5:13]

It’s important that students can handle the rigor of Kellogg and are a fit for the culture here. Those things ladder up to people who have great outcomes when they leave.

Kellogg accepts roughly one out of five applicants. How do you winnow it down? [6:10]

We strive to interview all our applicants – we’re committed to a holistic review. We want to come out with a diverse class: gender, ethnicity, industry, function. We’re looking for high achieving, high impact, low ego leaders who are eager to be a part of our student driven culture.

What does “student driven” mean at Kellogg? [7:25]

There isn’t much that happens here that students aren’t involved in. One example is Day at Kellogg, a program for admitted students that provides an opportunity for our students to help impact the admissions process.

Students also bring speakers to campus, organize events, etc.

What is your advice for applicants planning ahead to apply next fall? [8:30]

I can’t speak to whether our essay questions will remain the same. But in general, it’s important to do research on schools and find the right fit – you’ll be most successful in the place you can thrive. Go to information sessions, talk to students and alumni. Think about why you need an MBA and what your goals are.

Can you give an overview of Kellogg’s degree offerings? [10:10]

Our portfolio is a reflection of our commitment to diversity. Our FT MBA is a traditional two-year program – immersive, flexible, broad-based. Students do a summer internship and have extensive opportunities for experiential learning. We also offer a one-year program, which gives students who already have prior knowledge the chance to go straight into the upper level and finish in one year. Our joint degree programs include: a three-year JD/MBA, and a MMM degree (joint program with the school of engineering). And we also offer part time and executive tracks.

Are you starting to see Masters in Management grads applying to the one-year MBA? [12:30]

Those programs do provide the base of business knowledge we’re looking for going into the program.

What are Kellogg’s Pathways? [13:20]

Pathways are a way to organize academic offerings in a way that’s not an academic department. So if you’re interested in entrepreneurship or data analytics, you can take courses across departments related to that pathway.

There’s no application to be on the pathway, and you can take as many (or as few) courses as you’re interested in. That flexibility is something we’re proud of.

Can you provide some examples of experiential learning at Kellogg? [15:30]

Experiential learning gives students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in a real world environment, but with less risk.

One example is NUvention, where our students work with other grad students from across Northwestern (law, medical school, engineering), on an entrepreneurial business concept. This leads to exciting things in social impact and medical innovation.

We also have a variety of lab courses. Sponsors include the Chicago Bears, United Airlines, and other major companies. In all, we have 1000 different experiential learning opportunities.

Kellogg is of course famous for its prowess in marketing and strategy. However, your recently released employment report shows that tech is increasingly popular, with 22% of recent grads going into tech careers. What opportunities at Kellogg prepare students for management and entrepreneurial careers in the technology industry? [17:30]

We’re always innovating our curriculum and providing cutting edge content to prepare them. One example is our Digital Marketing & Commerce class, which provides the opportunity for students to work directly with industry experts (including from places like Google) and real online customers.

What’s next at Kellogg? [18:41]

It’s an exciting time. We’re continuing to develop strong class profiles – over 40% women in the last two years, and 26% US minority diversity representation. I’m excited to think about these strong classes in our new Global Hub, which is a reflection of the values of Kellogg – a reflection of our collaborative, student-driven culture.

We’ll have our first classes in the new Global Hub building this spring, and the class entering next fall will have their full MBA experience there. So the new building is the most exciting thing.

What makes the new Global Hub special? [20:25]

It’s over 400,000 square feet of space, designed to encourage collaboration. There are varying room sizes, to encourage meetings and interaction. And there are some tech-free meeting zones, too.



Related Links:

• Kellogg MBA Admissions
• Kellogg MBA Application Essay Tips
• Northwestern Kellogg Zone Page
• Catching Up with Vandana About Kellogg, Apple & International Applicant Tips
• Putting Learning Above All: A Talk with Rohan from Kellogg

Related Shows:

• Get Into INSEAD, the International Business School
• Exploring the Haas MBA: An Interview with Peter Johnson
• Mission and Admissions at Yale School of Management
• The MBA Menu at Columbia Business School
• A 20-Year MBA Admissions Veteran Shares His Insights
• What You Need to Know About Finding a Job Post-MBA

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This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.

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So let's say you are staring at the Kellogg prompts right now and you are trying to decide what is the best example of your leadership and how you learned from the challenges you faced? Or How to best explain your previous growth and then your intended growth at Kellogg?

Here are the prompts right here:
1 Leadership and teamwork are integral parts of the Kellogg experience. Describe a recent and meaningful time you were a leader. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)

2) Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)

Rather than just wondering what example to use or if you have a compelling answer- why not get in touch with people who know how to help, who HAVE SUCCESSFULLY coached applicants in the Kellogg essay process.

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Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management launched 11 new courses for the 2016-17 academic year, with topics that range from the business of social impact to leading startups to the human-machine partnerships of the future.

“With increasingly complex problems facing our rapidly changing business environment, curriculum innovation in the MBA program is key,” says Therese McGuire, Senior Associate Dean of Curriculum and Teaching. “As we train the future business leaders of the world, it’s critical to create new courses that foster innovation and take our students to the forefront of knowledge in their respective areas.”

Here’s a glimpse of what the new course offerings, which incorporate applied learning applications and guest speakers, include:

Human and Machine Intelligence (Adam Pah, Spring 2017)
Human and Machine Intelligence delves into new research findings on artificial intelligence and the applications for modern business leaders. Using sophisticated AI programs like IBM’s Deep Blue and Google’s AlphaGo, this course will develop students’ data science skills and teach them to apply “human+machine thought partnerships” to grow businesses.

“While there are many examples of machines outperforming humans at some tasks, its less clear when machines can augment human decision-making and creativity,” says Adam Pah, Clinical Assistant Professor of Management & Organizations.

“We will focus on how students can leverage machine intelligence, while discussing the possibility and limitations of machine-learning to enhance their output and performance beyond a human or machine alone.”

Launching and Leading Startups (Brad Morehead, Winter 2017; Carter Cast, Spring 2017)
Launching and Leading Startups examines some of the most challenging and pervasive problems faced by entrepreneurial CEOs – including evaluating markets, developing products, mitigating risk, and creating effective go-to-market strategies while leading teams and managing boards from the CEO “hot seat.”

“Our Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative leadership team realized there was an opportunity to offer a broad survey course for innovative, entrepreneurially-minded students who want to gain exposure to entrepreneurship,” said Carter Cast, Clinical Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

“This will be a good class for students who are curious about entrepreneurship and who think they may pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor in the near future, whether through starting their own business, acquiring a business or joining an early-stage startup.”

Business of Social Change (Megan Kashner, Winter 2017) Business of Social Change studies a singular social issue to help students understand the causes, measurement, levers and outcomes inherent to the business of social change work. With this term’s focus on uneducated and unemployed American youths, students will hear from guest speakers including policy experts, large-scale employers of youth, impact measurement experts and experts on labor, detention and workforce development.

“We’ve added this new course to provide students with the foundational tools and approaches to follow a social or sustainability challenge from etiology to measurement to levers for change and impact,” says Megan Kashner, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Kellogg Public-Private Interface. “Students will complete this course with the skills to determine the roots of a problem and the paths to large-scale and market-driven change.”

Consumers, Culture and Leadership (Greg Carpenter, Fall 2016)
Consumers, Culture and Leadership explores how firms develop a deep understanding of customers, how leaders can create more agile, innovative organizations and how leaders can create new markets, redefine existing ones and deliver value to demanding buyers.

“Much of the thinking behind customer centricity was developed at Kellogg and remains central to our distinctive approach,” says Greg Carpenter, James Farley/Booz Allen Hamilton Professor of Marketing Strategy. “The timing seems right to offer a new course to more formally explore the rising influence of consumers, how organizations are transforming their culture to focus more on consumers, and successful leadership models for customer-centric firms.”

Other new courses for the 2016-2017 academic year include:

• Accounting: Global Financial Management and Reporting, Mark Finn, Spring 2017
• Finance: Capital Markets, Phillip Braun, Fall 2016; Ian Dew-Becker, Winter 2017
• Health Enterprise Management: Health Analytics, Eric Barrette, Spring 2017
• Kellogg Public-Private Interface: Sustainability Across The Enterprise, Klaus Weber, Spring 2017
• Managerial Economics: Thought Leadership Seminar: Issues in Developing Countries, Nancy Qian, Fall 2016
• Marketing: Mastering Marketing Technologies, Jonathan Copulsky, Winter 2017
• Marketing: Digital Marketing Strategy, Garrett Adam Johnson, Spring 2017

As the Kellogg School of Management continues to roll out new courses such as these, which emerged from cross-disciplinary strategic initiatives and academic departments, the school  appears to be making good on its intentions to educate brave leaders and prepare its students to meet the real-world business challenges of tomorrow.

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If you are looking for guidance on your Kellogg 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.

If you have an upcoming video interview for schools including INSEAD, Yale SOM, Michigan Ross or Wharton, PRACTICE is essential to success. This awkward format requires you to think on your feet and record your answer to a question (or questions) while speaking into your computer screen. It’s a new format for many and one that requires some rehearsal in order to become comfortable conversing with a computer screen!

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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.

From Dr. Shel (Shelly Watts), https://www.mbaadmit.com, email: info@mbaadmit.com

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Why is the Kellogg EMBA So Popular?

The Kellogg EMBA is one of the most in-demand top EMBA programs. What are the key aspects that account for this popularity?

First, Kellogg itself is a world-class business school. Remember, the EMBA program is only the route to the degree. Once you graduate, your degree will say “MBA” and you will inherit the alumni network of the broader business school and also gain access to continuing education at the school. This is an amazing value proposition for most rising executives.

Second, Kellogg does not require either the GMAT score or the Executive Assessment score. Many candidates simply cannot carve the time out, given their work and family demands, to study for either. Because Kellogg is such a great business school, many candidates reason that it is an excellent alternative and it is not worth their time and effort to take a standardized test in order to gain access to a different EMBA program.

Third, Kellogg offers a well-balanced general management curriculum and also enough electives to attract a diversity of candidates, including entrepreneurs.

Fourth, Kellogg offers great meeting times. Candidates can easily work the class times into their work schedules.

Finally, Kellogg’s Evanston program is considered the top EMBA program in the Midwest section of the United States, along with Chicago Booth. Similarly, Kellogg’s Miami program is considered one of the strongest EMBA programs in the South. Those campuses naturally attract a large number of candidates from the states surrounding those areas, for whom flying in for classes is an easy task.

From our many candidates who have attended and graduated from the Kellogg EMBA program, we at MBA Admit.com know that Kellogg EMBA’s strong reputation is well-deserved!


Need help in preparing your application? Don't hesitate to contact us at https://www.mbaadmit.com or info@mbaadmit.com!

We welcome you to sign up for our FREE informative Newsletter, which provides useful tips, insider information and guidance for applying to top MBA programs. Sign up on the right hand side of our homepage at https://www.mbaadmit.com.

Best wishes,
Dr. Shel (Shelly Watts)
President, MBA Admit.com
https://www.mbaadmit.com
Email: info@mbaadmit.com

Today's blog post is about negotiating your offer of admission ... except that it's not.  Because "negotiation" is not what you do when it comes to securing more financial aid from a business school.  The term of art for what you are going to be doing is "asking."  Let us explain.
Obviously, any discussion of an offer in this context automatically means we're dealing with some good news: you've been accepted.  So congrats on that!  However, with the news that a b-school wants you to enroll comes the sobering reality that they also want you to *pay* for that privilege.  Sure, offers often come with dollar signs attached, but the amount left in the "you" column is almost always going to be the bigger number.  And that fact tends to bring up the following question: "How can I negotiate my offer?"
Again, let's rephrase the question entirely.
Don't think of this as a negotiation, but rather a request: "How can I request more aid?"  That is a much better frame of reference, especially in light of the the advice that follows.  Here's how we typically approach this process:
1. Be respectful.
There are a lot of ways you might be able to get a little more scholarship money from a business school, but we know of one sure way that you WON'T get money and that's if you try to "hardball" them.  We have witnessed countless admits go from months of wishing and hoping to sudden arrogance and a "you better wine and dine me" attitude.  Ditch it.  Immediately.  If you call an admissions office and try to leverage another offer or you give them the "so what can you do to sweeten the deal?" treatment, you will inevitably find yourself on the line with a tired and supremely annoyed member of that school's staff.  Go in polite, grateful, and professional.  Always.  This is not an M&A deal and you are not "negotiating" with anyone.  You are "asking" a business school to grant you more free funding.  Big difference and on that is not lost on the schools themselves, we assure you.
2. Instead, go for the heartstrings.
Okay, you have your hat in hand and you are determined to avoid acting entitled.  Now what?  Not to be too blunt about it, but in our experience, a good old sob story seems to work best.  So if you have authentic hurdles - and most of us do - to paying over $100K for your MBA, share them.  You don't have to impress anyone at this point with your huge salary or countless offers from heavy hitters; they've already decided they want you to attend their school.  And they are far more likely to try to work something out if they find you nice, respectful, and, yes, a bit needy.  A long-term career goal that eschews riches is probably best, but there are a lot of ways you can be honest about your situation and paint a very realistic picture as to how an extra $20K could make all the difference for you.
3. Never lie! 
If you don't have the "heartstrings" story, then don't go there.  Of even greater importance is that you don't make up offers or dollar amounts from other programs.  It damages the integrity of the financial aid process (which is designed to get money to those who deserve it and who need it most) and the school may ask to see proof in making a decision on revising your award.
4. Wait a beat.
One of the keys to even getting yourself in the running for more aid is to wait a little bit so the dust can settle.  Sure, on the one hand, the money could be gone and the class full and the school might have no incentive to sweeten the offer.  I've heard people worry that if they wait, this scenario could result.  And they are right - it totally could.  But here's the dirty secret ... they always spend all the money!  When decisions go out, they throw out all the scholarship awards with them, hoping to entice and bring in the necessary yield.  It is only when people start turning down offers - and scholarship awards - that the directors and staff start to see where there might be A) enrollment needs and B) financial aid surplus.  In other words, if Booth gave you a $20K scholarship last week, don't call *this* week hoping for more.  They won't have any more - at least not on paper.  That spreadsheet is going to show every dollar spent.  Wait for people to turn them down and for some of that paper money to flow back into the Booth coffers.  Doing so will give you a better chance at there even being something to ask for, let alone get.  Plus, while this isn't necessarily likely, if you wait, you might also catch a school getting shorted a bit on enrollment, in which case they will be far more likely to help you meet your needs.  (Think of what is better for a program - going to the waitlist and thereby increasing their "admitted student" number in the process, or getting a 1-for-1 right off the existing list by spending a bit more money.  It's a no-brainer.)
5. Follow up.
If you talk to someone and they say they will get into it (most likely scenario other than "sorry" is "let me get back to you" ... "here's more money!" is a distant third), don't be afraid to follow up.  The squeaky wheel can get the grease given that an admissions office is like a battlefield this time of year - it's not crazy that your request might land on someone's desk for a full week.  In that time, hundreds of thousands of dollars might funnel back and forth on paper, leaving you in the cold.  So wait a day or two and then call back to ask - respectfully, of course - if there has been any progress and if there is anything else you can or should do.  As long as you are really nice and polite about it, no one is going to fault you for being angst-ridden about your financial future.  And we should add here - since people seem to worry about it - you are not going to lose your offer by calling about this stuff.
We hope that these hints help you navigate that latest stress in this process.  Remember that you catch more flies with honey, honesty in the best policy, and patience is a virtue.  Armed with a few cliches, you'll do great.
Whether you are in the midst of this process or just starting out on your admissions journey, email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com for a free consultation.

Source: https://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/blog/2015/11/24/5-tips-for-negotiating-your-mba-admissions-offer

Consider registering to apply to attend Kellogg's Women's Leadership workshop on May 19th and 20th in Evanston at the new beautiful Global Hub! Here is the link to find out more! Applications are being accepted until April 14th:
https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/new ... /2017.aspx

Current and former members of the armed forces possess numerous skills that admissions boards value in an MBA candidate. Real-world leadership experience, the ability to strategize and think on their feet, and being able to work well under high-pressure situations are just a few of the advantages a veteran brings to the table when applying for business school.

The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University has a long track record of support for students from the armed forces, and every year hosts a Military Preview Day to show what sets Kellogg apart from other elite MBA programs, and provide support and information to help applicants transition from the military to business school.

Military Preview Day, coming up on Friday, April 28, 2017 in Kellogg’s brand new Global Hub, is your opportunity to visit the school, meet current veteran students and learn why Kellogg is an unparalleled opportunity to advance your next career. Programming will include a mock class with Kellogg faculty, current student and alumni panels, an Admissions and Financial Aid session, and dinner with the Kellogg Veterans Association.

Northwestern participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides additional financial assistance for veterans beyond the educational benefits they receive through the federal government, which are capped at approximately $22,000 per year. Northwestern’s schools contribute additional financial aid funds, which are then matched by the Veterans Administration. As a result, veterans in some of the schools have all of their tuition expenses covered while in other schools, the cost is reduced significantly.

Even if you don’t plan to apply to Kellogg this year, you should still attend this event because information gathering is a critical part when you’re trying to decide which MBA programs are the best fit for you.

Attendees can combine this event with Kellogg’s campus visit program to attend additional events on Thursday, April 27th and the morning of Friday, April 28th. The event is free but space is limited, so reserve your spot today. More details can be found here.
Image credit: Mike Willis (CC BY-ND 2.0)

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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.

FROM Kellogg EMBA Students Blog: Finding the support to juggle motherhood, relocation and the Executive MBA Program

by Elsy Ocejo When I started the Executive MBA Program in my early thirties, I had no idea how much and how fast my life was going to change. During my first year of completing the program, I had changed jobs, moved from Knoxville to Chicago, adopted a new citizenship and found out I was pregnant – all within the span of two months. Looking back, the thought of being pregnant while juggling everything else that first year had never crossed my mind. I had talked to many prospective and current female students about their experiences getting pregnant before or after the program, but never about being pregnant during the program. Kellogg EMBA Event on 2.25.17 at the Allen Center. Photos by Nathan Mandell When I found out that my due date was almost three months before my graduation date, I began to doubt if I’d be capable of completing the program and graduate with my cohort. Some of my closest friends recommended that I postpone my MBA; there were too many changes going on in my life and I needed to “hit the brakes” before I burnt out. When I reached my breaking point, I realized exactly how determined I was to finish the program with my cohort, and knew it was possible with the help of a great support system. Having one study group for the entire two years of the Executive MBA Program meant I had a steady group of people I could rely on throughout all of these changes; it would have been very difficult to continue the program without them. Outside of the study group, my cohort was also a significant help. In this program, each of your classmates wants you to be happy and to succeed in life, and will lend their support whenever you need it. I also knew that I could work out my schedule with the administration to take as many classes as possible before my due date and graduate with my cohort. So, after speaking with my husband, my study group and the administration, I decided to continue with the program. I recognized that I should not be afraid to ask for help and support if I needed it and that I was not alone. The most important priority was to be healthy for my baby. Courtesy Elsy Ocejo These support systems helped me stay focused and organized in order to meet deadlines at work and at school. At home, being present with my family and friends provided balance to my busy schedule. I took six classes in two months, traveled to Dusseldorf, Germany during my pregnancy for two electives and also took Game Theory as an elective while pregnant. (No time for pregnancy brain!) It has been incredibly hard, but feasible and extremely rewarding. Going through so many changes in a short period of time has made me stronger. I have changed as I am more insightful when making decisions, I accept feedback more openly and I am more confident. I have embraced change and I have welcomed every bit of it. I couldn’t have continued without my husband, my study group, my cohort and the administration. The Kellogg EMBA Program accelerated my changes in life and also provided a support system to continue my journey.

FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: A New Essay Question on the Kellogg Full-Time MBA Application

June was a busy month for us at The Kellogg School of Management. We said goodbye to the  class of 2017, welcomed our latest one-year and MMM students to campus, and continue to work with our two-year and JD-MBA admitted students on their arrival in August. Now that our incoming students have started to arrive, we are getting ready to hit the road and meet the applicants all around the world. Our application for the Full-Time MBA program goes live in mid-July, kicking off our admissions season. We love seeing the unique and exciting ways our prospective students express themselves and demonstrate their amazing backgrounds throughout the application process. Every year, we review our application and look for ways to get to know our applicants even better. As the 2017 application is about to go live, we are excited to share an update to our essay questions and give you insight into how you can best showcase your accomplishments in your response. Changing Question #1 on the Kellogg Full-Time MBA Application The evolution of the new essay question We have long asked our applicants to reflect on their leadership experiences and impact on others, which are key aspects of the Kellogg experience. The latest version of this question takes this same focus on leadership and expands it to call out another longstanding Kellogg commitment: creating lasting value in organizations. We are looking forward to your response to the following: Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip and inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Tell us about a time you have demonstrated leadership and created lasting value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? The goal of creating lasting value in organizations is not something new to Kellogg. In fact, it’s an integral facet of our purpose statement. We are calling you to show us how you have spearheaded change, strived for excellence and created legacies in your organizations. This is an opportunity to dive deep into a strong example; we want to understand the challenges you faced and what you learned from that experience to develop you into the leader you are today. We want our students to be the kind of people who aim to leave a lasting mark wherever they go, both before Kellogg and throughout the rest of their careers. As you prepare your application, we recommend you visit the Full-Time MBA application page to find more information about all of our essay questions and start your Kellogg journey. We are so eager to meet you and learn more about your accomplishments. Filed under: Admissions https://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments ... .com/8494/ https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=kellogg ... ef=&feed=1

FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: So You Want to Be a Social Entrepreneur at Kellogg?

By Saumya I was a social entrepreneur in India for three years prior to attending the Kellogg School of Management. After graduating from Kellogg’s Two-Year MBA Program, I am moving back to India to continue my journey as a social entrepreneur. My friends and family are often baffled to hear this short summary of my past five years. Their biggest question is: If you already knew that this is what you wanted to do, why spend the time and money on an MBA? This is a question I have asked myself multiple times over the many quarters I have spent at Kellogg: Is a business school in the American Midwest the most conducive place to build a social enterprise that solves the problems of small-holder farmers halfway across the world in India? As I near the end of my two years at Kellogg, I can say without hesitation that the answer is yes. Social Entrepreneurship at Kellogg: An Inside Look To attend Kellogg, I had turned down an admission offer with scholarship from a competitive business school with a celebrated social-enterprise program. In my mind, running a social enterprise was no different than running any other mainstream for-profit business. A social enterprise needs to be sustainable and scalable in order to solve the deep-rooted challenges that exist in our world today. I wanted to acquire skills such as how to run a business, manage teams, liaise with different stakeholders, raise funding and so on. Joining a top-five business school made perfect sense from that perspective. My introduction to social enterprise at Kellogg started with the Social Impact Days, an intense two-day workshop where student teams come together to create a business to pitch to a panel of judges. A few months prior to joining Kellogg, my friends and I had come up with a business idea in the agriculture space focused on helping small farmers get out of poverty. I was very excited when I found out that one of the sectors highlighted during Social Impact Days was Food and Agriculture. I was looking forward to finding classmates that were as passionate about solving the food crisis and helping farmers as I was. Thankfully, I did find classmates interested in the sector, but “Food and Agriculture” meant something completely different to each one of them. At the end of two days, we ended up creating an app to help elderly people navigate through the millions of food choices in grocery stores in order to get the nutrition they need. We even won second prize for our idea! While I had a great time with my team (and I am still very close friends with some of them) it struck me that I was in a developed country now where people are struggling with a completely different set of problems. When you think entrepreneurship, you may think of other schools at first. While awareness for the entrepreneurship initiative at Kellogg has been growing, the number of entrepreneurs is still relatively small, especially right when you are entering school. This means that you have a lot more resources per entrepreneur and you get a lot of personal attention from the administration and faculty. Additionally, you can actually customize a lot of the resources according to your own needs. My biggest reason for getting over recruiting FOMO to focus on developing my idea (now known as Kheyti) was primarily due to Professor Mohanbir Sawhney. I met him in October 2015 after cold-emailing many professors at Kellogg who I thought could provide advice. I remember meeting Professor Sawhney at the Allen Center for about 15 minutes to introduce myself and share my idea. By the end of that meeting, he had offered to fund my summer internship with Kheyti through his Center for Research in Technology and Innovation! This was something I hadn’t even fathomed. He took me under his wing and pushed me to dive headfirst into building Kheyti at Kellogg. Since Kheyti was just an idea for my first few quarters at Kellogg, I started by pitching Kheyti in multiple forums such as Northwestern University’s Pitch Night, the Kellogg Business Plan Competition, NUVC and others. Linda Darragh and Sunny Russell of the Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative were very helpful in letting me know about opportunities inside and outside of Northwestern. Thankfully, we won a handful of these competitions and had a decent seed fund to start prototyping in December 2015. Around that same time, Megan Kashner, the current director of Social Impact, joined Kellogg. Megan has an outstanding background in the nonprofit space and is one of the most approachable people I have met at Kellogg. After she heard I wanted to pursue Kheyti over the summer, she connected connected with Jennifer Mayer, manager of the Project Impact program. I have worked with Jennifer over the past 1.5 years through Project Impact and then through Zell Fellows. She is the reason Kheyti became the inaugural recipient of the Resnick Family Social Impact Award given by ISEN. When Jennifer sent me the application for the award, and I saw it was focused on sustainability, my knee-jerk reaction was that Kheyti wouldn’t be eligible since we were an impact-focused company and sustainability was just a byproduct of our work. But Jennifer encouraged me to go for the first meeting, and, by the second meeting, ISEN decided to award us a $25,000 grant! Trina Ntamere, the current senior program administrator for the Kellogg Public-Private Interface, has also played a big part in allowing me to stay connected with my team back in India through Project Impact. Over the past 1.5 years, I have been to India four times, which includes a three-month summer stint with Kheyti. All of these trips have been almost entirely funded through Project Impact, which has enabled me to stay in touch with ground operations. In addition to KPPI, KIEI has provided support in applying for business-plan competitions and pitching Kheyti at various forums. The vote of confidence the administration has had in my passion is a huge deal for me. In my second year, I was selected as a Zell Fellow, which isn’t a “social impact” program per se, but has given me substantial funding for Kheyti and a set of excellent mentors such as David Schonthal and Gregg Latterman. Through Zell, I have met exceptionally inspiring entrepreneurs, including Sam Zell of EGII, Jai Shekhawat of SAP FieldGlass and Dhani Jones, a former NFL linebacker. I also met a cohort of fellow entrepreneurs at Kellogg who are daring to walk the path of entrepreneurship alongside me. The best part about my experience of building Kheyti at Kellogg has been seeing so many doors open. All I had to do was ask and people made sure I had it, whether it was funding for going to India or traveling to pitch competitions or trying to increase potential loan forgiveness assistance. I remember in one of our first meetings Megan told me she knew that the financial resources for social entrepreneurs at the time were limited, but she also promised that she would do whatever it takes to make it better. A year later, I learned that Kellogg had increased their cap for the loan forgiveness program to up to $15,000 per year. I never expected this change would happen so soon, especially with the number of stakeholders involved in a massive institution like Kellogg. The other thing that differentiates Kellogg from all other business schools is that they let students focus on their businesses while being at school. Most other programs believe that students are at school to study and not work. While ideation is welcomed, executing your idea during school is actually discouraged. At Kellogg, I have only felt supported from all sides, including professors who have gone out of their way to let me submit make-up assignments or even record classes when I was traveling to India. Kellogg also has a generous Social Entrepreneurship Award of $70,000 startup funding and a newly introduced scholarship of $60,000 for students joining their social enterprises full-time after Kellogg. What impressed me is that these awards were continuously updated after listening to the needs of student entrepreneurs. The $60,000 scholarship was introduced after entrepreneurs such as Tiffany Smith (of Tiltas) and I talked to the administration about how challenging it could be to launch a nonprofit with significant debt burden. I was lucky enough to get $110,000 from both the award and the scholarship right before graduating and joining my startup full-time. This is something I haven’t seen in any other school. Kellogg is still refining and improving its entrepreneurial offering but even in its early stages it has given me a wonderful experience. I would like to leave you with my advice, if you choose to take this route at Kellogg: Just ask. Anything is possible, so don’t assume things are set in stone. It is very important to work hard on your pitch and then make your needs known. Entrepreneurship is not about having things served on a platter. You need to open doors for yourself instead of waiting for others to do it for you. Know that you are your biggest strength. Investors and funders are looking to support you as an individual more than your idea. Make sure you show them your passion and enthusiasm to get them on board. Know the risks. Your startup, whether for- or nonprofit will require a lot of sacrifices, including family, relationships, social life, weekends, vacations and more. Evaluate the best and worst that could happen and see whether the small chance of success is worth risking all these things. Saumya is a second-year student in Kellogg’s Two-Year MBA Program. She is currently incubating her agri-tech social enterprise Kheyti and has been an entrepreneur in the Indian social enterprise space for the past four years. Prior to Kellogg, she was running her startup, YellowLeaf, which saved migrant blue-collar workers from exploitation. Filed under: Uncategorized https://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments ... .com/8497/ https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=kellogg ... ef=&feed=1

FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: Ten Ways to Help Strengthen Your Kellogg MBA Application

Choosing to apply to a full time MBA program is a significant moment in your professional (and personal) journey and a commitment. You will devote hours to test prep, drafting and redrafting essays, practicing for interviews, perusing websites and visiting campuses. During this process, we know you have questions on how to make your application stand out. To help demystify how our admissions team evaluates your Kellogg application, we’ve compiled a helpful “Top Ten” list of factors to keep in mind when preparing to submit your materials.  Doing so will help you identify key focus areas to strengthen your application and help you to formulate the story that will help the Admissions team learn more about you. ———————————————————- 10. Prepare a well-rounded application to convey intellectual ability and creativity. Our goal is to ensure that you can handle the rigor in the Kellogg classroom. Your undergraduate GPA, course selection and GMAT score help us assess your readiness. But we’re also invested in finding creative thinkers who can solve problems. Qualitative evidence of intellectual ability is going to come out in your essays, your interview and your recommendations. We truly take a holistic look at our applicants rather than only relying on a number. 9. Highlight the quality of your professional experience, regardless of where you are in your career, to distinguish your application. The Kellogg experience is enriched by the diversity of our student body, both personally and professionally. We admit applicants from a variety of fields, with varying years of experience. We also consider each applicant within the context of his or her own career path, rather than against each other. Be sure to include your resume and details to help us understand what the career advancement standards are within your industry and your particular company or organization. 8. Avoid jargon whenever you can. Jargon and acronyms often create confusion. Use your application as an opportunity to showcase your ability to clearly communicate with others, without relying on industry or organization ‘speak’ as a filler to convey your ideas. 7. Have a clear understanding of your reasons behind pursuing an MBA. Describing your goals is not an exercise in impressing the Admissions committee; it is an honest reflection of where you hope your life is heading. We want to see a clear narrative that explains why you want to pursue an MBA. No answer is wrong, so please speak freely and openly about how Kellogg and its community will help you achieve your professional goals. 6. Share how you have made an impact on the world around you. Passion and engagement are universal features within the Kellogg community, and there are a lot of ways to show us that you’re the type of person who makes a difference, whether inside your workplace or through activities outside of the office. 5. Display an openness to collaboration and teamwork. Our ideal applicant likes to hear different viewpoints, respects others, can challenge opinions and isn’t afraid to speak up, but can do so in a way that’s collaborative and would help further a group or classroom conversation. If you thrive in a team-based environment, or want to grow your interpersonal skills, Kellogg could be the right fit for you. 4. Provide context and background during your interview. The interview is your opportunity to highlight aspects of your story that you believe are most important and to let us know about anything you weren’t able to address in the application. Keep in mind that your interviewer will only see your resume – not your full application – so the additional detail is helpful to facilitate a great conversation that helps us to get to know you better. 3. Keep in mind the 7 categories admissions officers use to evaluate your application. When Kellogg admissions officers review an application, they evaluate potential students based on: intellectual ability, work experience, professional goals, leadership, impact and interpersonal skills. 2. Clearly communicate your leadership journey. The Kellogg Admissions team is looking for both demonstrated leadership in the past and an applicant’s leadership potential.  Although leadership may be defined differently among candidates based on their experiences, our Admissions team looks for individuals who have taken on new responsibilities and opportunities, in whichever ways they can. Your roles don’t have to be formal, just indicative of your drive. If you can help us see how these activities fit within your overall career narrative, we can more clearly identify how you might fit in the Kellogg community. And our final tip for applicants is… 1. Be authentic. When submitting your materials for consideration, ensure that your total application, including the interview, reflects your authentic story. Above all else, be thoughtful, be honest and be yourself. Click here to begin your application. We are very excited to get to know you!   Filed under: Admissions https://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments ... .com/8514/ https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=kellogg ... ef=&feed=1

FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: My Social Impact Internship: Community and Economic Development

Rachele Louis (2Y 2019) reflects on her summer internship with Enterprise Community Partners, working on projects at the intersection of equitable housing and transportation.