Wisconsin Madison 2012 - Calling All Applicants

"People seem genuinely happy at Wisconsin and after visiting it's not difficult to see why." - I agree. Even after a beer or two at the reception (November's Preview), all of the current MBA students I spoke with were 100% happy with their decision to attend.

hey guys, I received a PM to elaborate on my campus visit, in particular my interview, so here goes (i'll try to avoid listing an itinerary).

"prospective preview" days include a tour of the bschool (amazing facility), breakfast and lunch with current students and faculty, a class or two depending on which program you apply to, a Q&A forum with current students, and presentations from student services as well as admissions. needless to say, and I recommend this for any program you are applying to really, VISIT THE CAMPUS PRIOR TO APPLYING.

if you are reading this, then you are already somewhat familiar with wisconsin's program and how it is all about the specialization...this is not just a marketing tool by them, it 100% what they're all about. my interview some of the standard stuff (talk about work experience, why an mba now, etc) except they really took it to the next level. I applied to the ASAP program, and they asked not only about what precisely it was I wanted to do within the field of investment management but how I planned to market myself to potential employers during internship interviews. the ASAP program directors want to stress that this program isn't for everyone, and unless you have crystal clear direction in where you want to be post-grad then you might be better off in a general mba program. seriously...we talked about how we might turn any of my resume weaknesses into strengths when I am interviewing (keep in mind I had applied the previous week!!). also, I don't want this to sound like a negative, it was amazing to have the people who run this program really dig deep and think/talk about about where I could become a superstar down the road.

all of the students were great people and all of them were genuine when they said they loved it and they couldn't imagine themselves elsewhere.

hopefully this helps!

I just got my interview invite a couple of minutes ago ...I applied for the Real Estate program. My interviewer is going to be the Head of the program.

My impression of the admissions folks at Madison is that they are very concerned with a proper fit. They seem to bring in just over 100 students each year and highly stress that they are looking for a certain type of person, not just a GMAT score, GPA, nice resume, big title, etc. If you have been invited to interview I would encourage you to decide if Wisconsin is a good fit for you and why.

I'm very happy to report that I just got the call, I'm in!!! I feel very fortunate!

I got an admit yesterday too. R2 domestic applicant, interviewed on 2/23. Going to the Center of Brand and Product Management.

hi when were u interviewed how long was the interview

It lasted for about 55 minutes, it was very conversational but I guess that depends on which center you are applying to and the interviewer. I applied to the RE Center. Good luck to you!!

Any admits going to the "On Wisconsin" (New Admit) Weekend event in April?

so round 2 decisions were supposed to be released by today according to the wisconsin website...I still havent heard anything back. any other round 2 applicants in the same boat as I am?

also, I noticed that the adcom director erin nickelsburg is no longer on the website...is this just a coincidence?

I feel like I'm out of the loop here....can anyone fill me in??

I'm also a round 2 applicant. I have not received any info either. When I log on to my application it has a link that says decision available. However, when I click on it it takes me to a blank page and says internal system error. I have not received an e-mail notifying me of any status change either.

Hi,

This is Bharath here.

I got an admit to Wisconsin school of business. I havent heard anything from them WRT scholarship or TA.

I hope to hear from the school on that soon. I have followed up with them.

I visited UWM on 2/17 and spent a day at the school. I think it is a great program.

Bharath

Will they still care about the fit , if wisconsin is not able to place him in a job and it affects the statistics.

I am getting the "Internal System Error" message, as well. And yes, the previous Dir. of Admissions is no longer there. I emailed her a few weeks back and received an automated response saying to contact the assistant dir. with all questions. I have emailed tech support, the general mba info address, and the assistant director, but no response yet regarding the decision issue.

I know it differs from specialization. What specialization are those who are having these similar issues? I am an Arts Administration candidate. Crossing my fingers to find out soon! The anticipation is killing me! I suppose not knowing is better than a rejection, as long as not knowing doesn't mean a rejection!

good luck to all.

They are really bad with replying to their emails.
Probably they are swamped with emails from various applicants.

I emailed them last week and i have not heard any reply from them.

~Bharath

quick update: I called the mba admissions office and they said they are behind schedule "because of the high number of applications but the decisions should be out in a couple of days"

I would tend to believe that any candidate's marketability to potential employers is a significant part of "proper fit" (i.e. would this person be of interest to the employers that look to Wisc for MBA hires).