Calling all Vanderbilt Owen MBA Applicants: 2019 Intake; Class of 2021

DEADLINES FOR VENDERBILT, OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT:

ROUND 1: October 19, 2018
ROUND2: January 9, 2019
ROUND 3: March 11, 2019
ROUND 4: April 29, 2019


ESSAY QUESTIONS

Essay 1: While business school is a time for exploration, we do expect you to have a strong sense about why you want an MBA and what you hope to do once you graduate. Applying to business school is an introspective process, and we want to make sure you have a good sense for what you want from a program, where you hope it will lead you and why Owen is well suited to help you attain your goals. In addition, you should understand what skills you possess that will be transferrable to another job or industry.

Optional Essay: If necessary, you may provide an additional statement to explain poor academic performance, weak test scores, significant gaps in full-time employment, lack of recommendation from your current or most recent supervisor, academic misconduct or anything else that you think is important for the Admissions Committee to know about you that is not already addressed elsewhere in your application. Please use the Optional Essay space in the online application.

Video Essay:The video essay is a required component of the online application. Our goal in asking you for a short video essay is to be able to get a glimpse of the authentic you, speaking without a script. The video questions are easy to answer and you should not be nervous about this. You will have time to prepare and to record your answer. Just follow the instructions on the application.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
You must submit two recommendations from supervisors familiar with your work. If you are not at liberty to disclose your plans to a current supervisor, you should provide an explanation in the optional essay and request a former supervisor, client or vendor to complete a recommendation. If you have little or no full-time work experience, you should obtain recommendations from supervisors of part-time work and internships, or a professor with whom you have closely worked.

Vanderbilt follows GMAC's Common Letter of Recommendation

Questions are:
1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Up to 50 words)
2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Up to 500 words)
3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Up to 500 words)
4. Is there anything else we should know? (Optional)


Vanderbilt's Directions for Second MBA: Vanderbilt University does not admit applicants seeking a second MBA degree or a similar graduate management degree, regardless of where the first was obtained. Exempt from this policy are graduate management degrees that were earned at a college or university outside the U.S. in order to satisfy the four-year U.S. bachelor's degree equivalency requirement. Also exempt are master’s degrees that focus on a specific functional area of business (such as accounting, finance or management information systems), as long as it does not offer a broad general management curriculum typical of the MBA degree.


Vanderbilt's Directions for GMAT V/S GRE: The GMAT or GRE is required of all applicants, and the GMAT is preferred. The GMAT was developed as a test of the skills widely used in the first-year general core of MBA program work; therefore, your study of GMAT problems will help you build and refresh critical-thinking skills specific to your success in the program, well beyond the limits of the application requirement.

The GRE is considered on a personal case basis. For example, in cases where prior graduate study or a joint degree program requires the GRE, or where the GRE provides additional insight, we may accept or request a GRE in place of/or in addition to the GMAT.


Vanderbilt'sDirections for English Language Tests:
We will waive your TOEFL or IELTS report requirement if you have earned an undergraduate degree in a country where the official language is English (not just an English-speaking institution or country where English is spoken) or have lived and worked in an English-speaking country for the past two or more years. If you do not meet these requirements, theTOEFL or IELTS is required for admission. A TOEFL or IELTS waiver is automatically granted if a candidate scores 90 percent or higher on the verbal component of the GMAT or GRE.