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10 Oct 2017, 07:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Elite B-Schools Report Decade of Ever-Climbing GMAT Scores |
 US News & World Report recently shared interesting data revealing the rather dramatic increase in average GMAT scores reported at the top MBA programs over the past decade. According to data the schools submitted to U.S. News in an annual survey, average scores at the Top Ten business schools went from 707 in 2006, to 718 in 2011, and 725 in 2016. For instance, 707 was the average GMAT score for the 2006 entering class at Harvard Business School; it was 729 in 2016. Chicago Booth School of Business reported average GMAT score of 703 in 2006 and 726 in 2016. And at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, scores soared from 702 in 2006 to 728 last year. Notably, this significant increase is seen among the elite MBA programs only; outside the top ten b-schools GMAT scores have shown little fluctuation–hovering between 614-627. If these numbers have you feeling either worried or dejected, remember that top MBA admissions departments stress that GMAT scores are only part of the equation when making admit determinations. In fact, Yale School of Management‘s assistant dean of admissions Bruce DelMonico told US News he’s concerned about qualified applicants becoming discouraged by the ever higher test scores. “People see that number and they think if I’m not at that number I don’t have a chance, and that’s not at all the case,” he said. “As an applicant, you do want to take the standardized test seriously, you want to do a good job. But I think the one thing that applicants tend to overlook is that these averages are just that,” he added. “They mean that there are people above and below. And especially when we report median scores, there’s the same number of people above and below.” Click on over to the original article to learn more about how GPAs and test scores have steadily grown at elite schools over the past decade, and the greater implications for the MBA admissions landscape. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
11 Oct 2017, 11:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: 4 Fail-Safe Ways to Research MBA Programs |
 Before you start researching MBA programs, it’s crucial that you understand your own criteria and preferences to take your business school selection past the level of rankings. Do you want to be in the city or in a rural setting? What type of coursework are you most interested in? Do you prefer a close-knit class or a large network? Do you need to be near a particular location for personal or professional reasons? Start by figuring out what schools will be a good fit for your personal goals. And your first order of business is gaining a better understanding of the schools that might interest you, so that you can then filter those down to the select few you will actually apply to. Here are four areas to focus on as you begin researching potential MBA programs. Read, read, and read some more—Pore over the websites of all schools that interest you to learn about the curriculum, teaching methods, professional clubs, extra-curricular offerings, and student life. Sign up to receive email announcements with admissions updates and information. Many schools put out publications with their current research and events. These can help you see what is important on that campus right now. There may be specific research or programs that are of interest to you and could help further your career goals. A great way to get a sense of the community at different business schools is to read their blogs posted by MBA students. While it’s helpful to read about school clubs on the official school website, you can get a real feel for the students involved by reading their own experiences. School-hosted student blogs offer a treasure trove of information that should spark your enthusiasm and lead to more varied questions for admissions representatives. Attend MBA fairs—For many who are just embarking on their B-school journey, attending an MBA fair is a stellar way to meet admissions representatives from several programs. Applicants should approach an MBA fair with an open mind, ask good questions, and leave a positive impression on admissions officers. That means no flip-flops, please! The most egregious fair faux pas is asking for information that can be found after a cursory glance at the program’s website, such as class size, deadlines, or average test scores. Instead, consider focusing on areas that are specific to your application—your work experience and post-MBA goals, or any potential red flags such as a layoff or low GPA—in order to gauge how they might view your application package. Applicants tend to forget that schools cannot exist without great students, so these fairs are the schools’ opportunity to market themselves to applicants and get them interested enough so they apply to their schools. While candidates should act professional—since you never know whether you’ll forge an important connection at this type of event—applicants shouldn’t go overboard attempting to impress the schools. In fact, it’s the other way around. I say let the schools impress you. Coffee chats with students and other informal information sessions hosted by adcomm provide even more opportunities to get a feel for the program before committing to visit in person. You’ll have the chance to ask questions and also meet current students and/or alums—a wonderful way to learn more about a school. Watch, download, or tune in—Today’s current and future MBA students have grown up with social media, and many applicants use social media to connect with the schools. Visitors to school websites and social media channels want that insider glimpse of what life would be like for them as students. From YouTube channels to podcasts, live webinars to lectures online, today’s business schools provide ample opportunities to showcase different aspects of their program to prospective students. For example, applicants benefit greatly from those live interactions during admissions webinars, where they can ask questions and get immediate answers to any questions or concerns they might have about the admissions process. Plan your campus visit—With the average total cost of an MBA education at the most elite business schools creeping upwards of $300,000, it makes good sense to visit the campus to get to know a program beyond its ranking. During a visit, you’ll observe the general routine of students, get a feel for in-class dynamics, and be better able to imagine yourself as a part of the community where you will spend the next two years. Through the MBA admissions office, you can schedule a visit that typically includes an information session, the option of attending a class, and a chance to chat with a current student over coffee or a meal. As you sit in on a class, take note of the dynamic between the students and professor before and after class, as this can be an indicator of how close-knit and collaborative the community is. In some cases, the admissions office may be able to put you in contact with a student with similar career goals, which provides an ideal way to learn more specifics about the program as it relates to your professional needs. If you can stay for a few days, try to immerse yourself in the social scene and connect with students who are interested in the same activities you hope to become involved in. Often you’ll learn more about your fit with a particular school over these types of encounters than during an official admissions tour. The more you know about the elements you believe to be an important part of the b-school experience, the better chance you have of whittling down your list of programs to the ones that more closely match your personal career goals. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
13 Oct 2017, 10:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: New Joint MSDS-MBA Degree at UVA Darden |
 The UVA Darden School of Business has partnered with the UVA Data Science Institute to provide an opportunity for students to earn a Master of Science in Data Science and a Master of Business Administration in 24 months—rather than the 32 months that would be required if each degree were undertaken independently. Students who pursue the new joint degree program will become coveted hires and indispensable leaders in a variety of fields, including consulting, finance, and technology, according to the school. “This new dual degree represents an incredibly exciting development for the Darden School and prospective students,” said Raj Venkatesan, Darden professor and faculty lead for the dual degree. “There is a clear demand from students for this kind of analytics-driven curriculum and from organizations for employees who can harness the almost limitless power of Big Data to develop new business models. These graduates will be coveted hires and become indispensable leaders.” The new dual degree, which began enrolling a limited cohort of students this summer, with a fuller launch planned in 2018, will deliver both the Darden curriculum of core and elective courses and the 11-month MSDS curriculum offered by the Data Science Institute over a two-year span. Tuition fees for the new program will be the sum of the standalone MBA and MSDS programs. The Darden core curriculum provides students with an integrated perspective on general management in the first year, focusing on key themes such as finance, marketing, decision analytics, strategy, ethics, accounting and leadership. Beginning in the final term of the first year, students choose from a diverse selection of more than 100 electives and begin to tailor the Darden education that most closely meets their interests and professional aspirations. The MSDS curriculum, with core courses in computer science, statistics, and systems and information engineering, provides students of all backgrounds with a base in languages, computation and linear modeling before building on those skills to move to the practice and application of data science. The program also addresses the ethical implications of data and analytics and culminates in a capstone project focused on a real-world data science problem. The capstone project will address a business problem and how data science can be used to address those challenges. “This new program will change the way that top business leaders of tomorrow are thinking about data,” said Don Brown, director of the Data Science Institute. “This game-changing dual degree will give students a deep understanding of data science along with a top-ranked management program that will allow them to unlock new ways of questioning, answering and thinking about today’s top business challenges.” Students must apply for admission to Darden first and then submit a supplemental application to the DSI. To be eligible for the dual degree, you must receive admission from both programs. “Students from all backgrounds want to be equipped for jobs in technology and entrepreneurship,” said Sara Neher, former assistant dean for MBA admissions, now Darden’s assistant dean of Strategic Initiatives. “This new dual degree will be a way to differentiate yourself.” The DSI supplemental application will be available on October 15, 2017. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
16 Oct 2017, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: MBA Forums: Yay or Nay? |
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Is there anything more tempting to an MBA applicant than business-school-related message boards? We understand the allure — in fact, many of our consultants cop to obsessively scouring those sites and threads when they were pulling together their own applications. But here’s something we all agree on now: browsing message boards can serve as a way to distract yourself from the agony of waiting for interview invites, at best. At worst, participation in these online conversations can subconsciously influence your application strategy and send you off in the wrong direction. Who’s on these message boards? Mostly it’s other applicants, just like yourself. They are not adcom members and cannot judge your odds of being accepted somewhere, nor do they have any special insight into a certain school’s admissions process, as much as they might like to think they do. Here are just a few of the types of posts you’ll find on b-school message boards: “My father went to Wharton and talked with someone there who said…” “My old co-worker who’s got the exact same profile as me got into Stanford, so…” “I’ve crunched the numbers from this site and it looks like only people from Ivys with 730+ GMATs are getting HBS invites this year.” “I have a friend who got a 650 on the GMAT and was accepted at HBS two years ago, so that must mean…” “I have a friend at Kellogg, and she said…” Now, really. We challenge you to take a step back and ask yourself why you would ever let anything posted by a complete stranger worry you or stress you out about your own chances of being admitted to your dream school. We’ve been advising MBA applicants since 2001, and we can assure you that nothing good has ever come from listening to — or comparing yourself to — other business school hopefuls. Use that precious time to beef up your resume, work on your essays, or do something else productive. Remember:  Until next time, The team at Stacy Blackman Consulting ***Do you want to stay on top of the application process with timely tips like these? Please subscribe to our weekly newsletter and you’ll receive our expert advice straight in your mailbox before it appears on the blog, plus special offers, promotions, discounts, invitations to events, and more. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
17 Oct 2017, 04:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: The Bigger Picture: Expect to Fail |
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In a world where positive thinking and optimism rule, advising people to “expect to fail” seems doomed…to fail. Allow me to explain. A few years ago, my daughter was part of a Brownie Troop. Friends and family purchased cookies, but that was not enough. She wanted to walk through the neighborhood, knocking on strangers’ doors and offering them Thin Mints and Tagalongs. My heart melted; that was a such a sweet, almost old-fashioned idea. I reflected back on several poorly attended lemonade stands, when neighbor after neighbor zipped by without even a glance. I reminded her that our neighbors are not always the most friendly, “neighborly” people, and she should not be surprised when she gets turned down. My little eight-year old, oh so wise, scoffed that she did not expect EVERYONE to buy. But if she went down our entire block, surely SOMEONE would want to buy. So, she and my husband took off down the block and knocked on every door. The results surprised me. Most of our neighbors were kind and generous, and my daughter made a killing. Still, she took her failures in stride, and delighted in the successes. After every failure, she kept going until she hit the end of the block. She was prepared to fail, and being prepared and unafraid empowered her to cruise through those rejections instead of feeling crushed and embarrassed. When I launched my first company, WebWisher, my partners and I expected to fail. We realized that we were young, still in school and knew very little. But we were excited about starting a business, we were having a ton of fun and we truly believed in our concept. We failed over and over again. I lost track of the numbers of VCs that just stood up and walked out of the room mid-pitch. Trying to be kind, teachers, friends, parents and experts were blunt: they told us point blank that they did not believe in our idea and that it was not going to work. As three young women, we faced another level of skepticism; we didn’t look like sharks. We were introduced in a business plan competition as “The Spice Girls”. We were told to act demure in meetings. Yes, we were beaten down countless times, but we did not expect an immediate homerun. We expected the failures, and that removed a lot of the sting. I am not advising anyone to aimlessly chase ambitious goals without believing in them. Knowing that you will eventually succeed is what propels you out of bed and pushes you to keep chasing the dreams. In the big picture, you pursue your goals with determination because you know you can make them happen. But day to day, challenge to challenge you should expect to fail, and fail spectacularly, over and over and over again. Chances are, you are going to be rejected much more than you are accepted; you are going to fail much more than you succeed. Plan to succeed but expect to fail.  |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
18 Oct 2017, 10:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Interview Advice from MIT Sloan Admissions |
 It’s MBA interview season at MIT Sloan School of Management, and Dawna Levenson, Director of Admissions, has some tips to help nervous applicants prepare for the experience. In a recent post on the admissions blog, Levenson noted that the MIT Sloan adcomm plans to interview around 20–25% of the Round 1 applicant pool. As a reminder, those who receive an invitation will need to submit an additional 250-word essay about the school’s mission statement, asking applicants to share how your experience and your goals align with the mission of the MIT Sloan School. In this video, Levenson explains that she thinks of the interview as having three components. The first portion is dedicated to your interviewer clarifying any remaining questions about your application, whether that might be a gap in employment history, gaps in education, or anything else that needs further explanation. The next part of the interview will focus on behavioral questions, when you’re asked to reflect on how you handled particular situations in the past. For example, “Tell me about a time when you were part of a team working on a project and the project started to not do so well. How did you recognize that and how did you turn it around?” Finally—and Levenson called this perhaps the most important part of the interview—comes the opportunity for you to ask questions of your interviewer. These questions should be personal to you, the director stressed—not questions whose answers can easily be found on the school website. Unlike other business schools that have a blind interview process, MIT Sloan interviewers are all members of the admissions committee—not alumni or students—and therefore will have reviewed your application before meeting you. Levenson advises candidates to come armed with stories and experiences not already touched upon in the application or essays. Applicants should have a well-rounded suite of examples ready to deliver as answers, but also have a level of detail and depth for each of their examples that will satisfy a more inquisitive admissions interviewer. In addition to this focus on the quality of an applicant’s answers, the admissions committee is also probing deeply on your potential fit. Here, you need to combine your research and a clear understanding of your profile strengths to deliver answers that are nuanced and impactful. It should go without saying, but dress professionally, and be mindful of the fact that the adcomm pays attention to every interaction you have with the school, from your application to the day of your interview, to the thank-you note you send afterward, and all of it will help Sloan evaluate your fit with the school. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
19 Oct 2017, 11:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Early Career Applicants: Know the Right Time to Get an MBA |
 This post originally appeared on Stacy’s ‘Strictly Business’ MBA blog on U.S. News Prospective business school applicants always want to know when it’s best to pursue an MBA, but there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. In the past, business schools required applicants to have a standard four to six years of job experience prior to applying. Now, many programs welcome candidates straight out of college, and the trend is definitely moving toward the lower end of the work experience spectrum. If you have fewer than three years of work experience under your belt after college, you may find yourself questioning whether now is the right time to pursue an MBA. Early career prospective students should ask themselves these three questions before applying to business school. 1. Do I bring enough work and life experiences to the table? This is perhaps the most critical question from the admissions perspective when weighing admit decisions. Focus on the quality of your experiences, not quantity. There’s a reason why the class of 2018 profiles of many elite business schools include students who are skydivers, fashion bloggers, synchronized swimmers, volcano climbers and pie-eating contest winners. Can you imagine the classroom and group discussions among such a diverse and intriguing cohort? Complete an unflinching assessment of your professional and life experiences and ask yourself whether you bring enough to the table to actively contribute and enhance the learning environment that will include more experienced and accomplished peers. Can you step into the MBA classroom with a solid understanding of how businesses and organizations work? Has your professional experience been sufficient to help you crystalize your career goals and understand what you want to do with the rest of your life? If you can answer yes to all of the above, use your MBA application essays to demonstrate those key lessons you’ve learned and show how, despite the short time frame, you’ve progressed in both knowledge and management experience. 2. Will more time on the job benefit me or my MBA candidacy? To answer this question, you’ll need to decide first whether another year or more of work experience will significantly strengthen your profile and make you a more competitive candidate. Second, you will need to determine whether the costs associated with delaying a full-time MBA program create a larger opportunity cost, not only in foregone salary but also in lost career momentum, especially for those coming from fast-moving high-tech industries. Maybe you’ve maxed out at your current level and are ready for a career boost that only business school can facilitate. Or perhaps you could benefit from another year in the workforce, taking on more responsibilities, earning promotions and using the time to further bolster other aspects of your candidacy. When it comes to impressing MBA admissions committees, candidates need to show off their leadership abilities, exhibit their comfort in team-based environments and demonstrate career progression. Make sure you can compete on solid footing in each of these areas with the rest of the applicant pool. 3. Can I clearly demonstrate how an MBA will help me reach my career goals? As an early career candidate, you’ll need to convince the admissions committee on why the timing of entering the MBA program makes sense for your career and life plans. A desire to pivot to a new career is what sets many applicants on their MBA journey. However, younger applicants often haven’t yet landed on a firm path, so those with limited professional experience must clearly articulate their short- and long-term professional goals and convince the admissions committee that an MBA is critical to helping them reach those goals. Think about what you want to gain from an MBA program and also what you can contribute. You may be 23 years old but have highly focused career goals and ample insight to share, both of which would give you an advantage over an unfocused 28-year-old who is pursuing an MBA to pass the time. Though younger candidates may not have the years of formal work experience under their belts, many have gained valuable skills through internships, community service, entrepreneurial ventures or extracurricular activities. Early career candidates who are motivated, talented and have a proven track record of leadership have a great chance of admission into a top MBA program. The bottom line on timing your MBA plans is that you should only go for the degree when the timing feels right for you. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
20 Oct 2017, 12:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: HBX to Offer Separate Certificate Courses Previously in CORe Program |
 Harvard Business School’s digital learning initiative HBX has announced the launch of three new 8-week online certificate programs—Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting. The content in these programs has previously been available only as part of HBX’s three-course Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, but participants will now be able to enroll in each course individually. These three foundational courses are designed to give participants the skills and confidence they need to be successful in the business world, regardless of their industry or academic background.
The three individual courses will all begin on January 23, with subsequent cohorts starting in April and June. Applications for the January cohort will open on November 1. The courses will be delivered on the innovative HBX online platform, which puts participants at the center of the learning process through active, social, and case-based learning. Individual courses are priced at $1,500 and financial aid will be available for qualified applicants. Application deadlines for the 2018 cohorts are as follows: January (deadline January 10), April (deadline March 28), and June (deadline June 13). “We have been pleased by the wide range of participants—across geography, industry, age, and career stage—who have found great value in the Credential of Readiness program,” says Patrick Mullane, Executive Director of HBX. “By offering each of these courses individually, we are providing more flexibility and opening up new learning pathways for professionals who may be interested in only one or two of these topics.” Follow the link to learn more about digital learning re-imagined by Harvard Business School. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
23 Oct 2017, 07:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: How a School Visit Affects Your MBA Chances |
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You might have experienced a moment of panic as you began to work on your MBA applications for Round 2. It may have occurred after you took note of the January deadlines. And it could have gone something like this: “Wait a second — I won’t have time to visit any schools before my materials are due! Does that put me at a disadvantage?” The answer is no. If you weren’t able to sit in on a class or take a campus tour of a program you’re interested in before it’s time to submit your application, you’re not going to be dinged for it. International applicants definitely don’t have to fret over this; no admissions committee member is going to expect candidates to shell out thousands of dollars for a multi-day trip to their school before they’re even admitted. You’re going to be paying enough money for tuition as it is! The same logic applies for cross-country applicants in the United States. Adcoms understand that it may be impossible for you to take time off of work — much less afford — to visit a campus that’s hours and hours away. But what if you live in, say, Manhattan, and are applying to several programs within a fairly close radius? A campus visit would certainly help prove that you’re serious about the school and could help differentiate you from other similar applicants. However, it’s hard to believe that sitting in on a class could outweigh any red flags in your materials. The adcom is going to judge you on your years of accomplishments at school and at work — not whether you were able to visit them in person. That being said, if you live in or are otherwise going to be near a city that’s home to a program you’re interested in and you have time to spare, why not swing by? It’s even easier if the school comes to you in the form of a traveling road show. Many top programs hold informational events in cities across the world, and their web sites list these schedules. Even easier is dialing or logging in to an online admissions webinar hosted by your dream school. From diving into a program’s extensive web resources to talking to alums to experiencing a class firsthand, there are several ways to get to know a particular business school better. You certainly don’t have to stress out if you’re not able to make it to campus. That won’t be what’s going to ultimately determine whether you get in or not! Remember:  Until next time, The team at Stacy Blackman Consulting ***Do you want to stay on top of the application process with timely tips like these? Please subscribe to our weekly newsletter and you’ll receive our expert advice straight in your mailbox before it appears on the blog, plus special offers, promotions, discounts, invitations to events, and more. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
24 Oct 2017, 11:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuck School’s New Mini Course Mimics Real-World Decision Making |
 This fall, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth is bringing back an experiential learning exercise remembered by many alumni of yesteryear as their first chance to think like a senior-level business person. Launched in 1974 by Tuck professor James Brian Quinn as Tycoon: The Tuck Management Game, this week-long exercise had students work in teams to simulate the process of acquiring and running a business in the clock-making industry. At week’s end, teams were evaluated on metrics such as productivity, return on investment, and market penetration. The game was phased-out in the early 2000s, but a reincarnated version of the course returns in November as TuckINTEL, a customized experience delivered as a mini-course to second-year students. INTEL stands for Integrative Experiential Learning, and the idea behind it is as straightforward as Quinn’s idea in Tycoon: to offer an experience that helps students integrate the key insights from the first-year core curriculum. “TuckINTEL is Tycoon for the 21st century. In other words it is a souped-up version of Tycoon,” says Praveen Kopalle, associate dean of the MBA Program and Signal Companies’ Professor of Management and Professor of Marketing, in a university press release. “Tycoon was strategy-focused, while INTEL is much more directed, and a broader effort to integrate as much of our core curriculum as we can.” Kopalle developed the course with Richard Sansing, associate dean for faculty and the Noble Foundation Professor of Accounting, and their first step was to interview all the faculty who teach core courses. They compiled the most important lessons from the courses and then worked with Tuck alum John Thomas of the Regis Company to build a four-day, computer-aided exercise that incorporates key elements of finance, accounting, marketing, communications, statistics, economics, decision science, strategy and management, and operations. Eventually, they chose urban wind power generation as the business industry and created a realistic case study that requires students to run a company that’s competing to bring the fictional Twists & Undulates Currents Kinetically (TUCK) NextGen Turbine (TNT) to market. During the course, teams of four or five students run a company for an accelerated multi-year time frame. Each “year” constitutes a period of decision making about such areas as marketing and communication, strategic priorities, timely production, economic analysis, cash requirements and funding, presentations to the board, team excellence, and personal leadership impacts. Students evaluate relevant data and input their decisions into the Regis online platform by a given deadline. The algorithm then computes the impacts of the decisions of each team and delivers results in the form of performance metrics. At the same time, Kopalle and Sansing, along with a few other core faculty, are monitoring team dynamics and discussions, answering questions, and debriefing with students about their results. For student Ankitha Rajendra Kartha, who participated in the program’s May pilot, TuckINTEL provided a valuable reminder of what she had learned in her first year. It was also the first time she was asked to solve a complex business problem without a lot of specific guidance. “We’ve looked at a lot of cases and been given perfect data in the core,” she says. “In this, we had to evaluate for ourselves and say, OK, maybe we should do a net-present-value, or maybe we should suggest a capital expenditure for the next year. I needed to figure out what concept to use, and how to use it.” Like Tycoon, TuckINTEL is custom creation for Tuck students, and thus different from anything offered at other business schools. Kopalle explains why. “At Tuck, we have a unique combination of scale, focus, and community to pull this off,” he says. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
26 Oct 2017, 07:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Myth-Busting at Michigan Ross School |
 The University of Michigan Ross School of Business is an academic powerhouse no matter which way you slice it. However, the top-ranked school still faces misconceptions and stereotypes that might dissuade some MBA hopefuls from applying, and admissions director Soojin Kwon is on a myth-busting mission in her latest blog post. Here, in brief, are some of the common misconceptions Kwon would like applicants to get straight. Myth #1 If you go to Ross, you’ll be “stuck” in the Midwest. Truth: Not even close. Half of last year’s graduates headed for the coasts, and only about 20% remained in the South/Southwest and Midwest. Myth #2 Top companies don’t recruit at Ross. Truth: The impressive stats of Ross students draw the cream of the recruiting crop: Accenture, Apple Inc., Bain & Co, Deloitte, Ford Motor Company, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Tiffany & Co, and the list goes on and on….. Myth #3 Ross isn’t strong in any concentrations. Truth: “Ross is strong in many concentrations,” Kwon says, adding that, “In fact, Ross is second only to Stanford in terms of the number of academic specialties ranked in the top 10.” Myth #4 All business schools have experiential learning; Ross is no different. Truth: “I get really excited when I hear this one, because it couldn’t be further from the truth! Ross offers students the most expansive suite of hands-on learning experiences across MBA programs,” Kwon says. From student-run investment funds to starting or leading a real business, to advising an organization facing a real business challenge, Michigan Ross offers unparalleled hands-on opportunities for students. As you can see, the Michigan Ross School has much more to offer than you might have suspected at first glance. If Ross isn’t already on your MBA shortlist, maybe it’s time for a second look. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
27 Oct 2017, 10:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: The Economist Releases 2017 MBA Rankings |
 The Economist has released its annual ranking of the best full-time MBA programs in the world, and U.S. b-schools dominate the list, taking 16 of the top 20 spots. The Kellogg School of Management, which this year opened its $250 million state-of-the-art education center known as the Global Hub, has finally unseated local rival Chicago Booth School of Business, which held the top spot in The Economist’s rankings for five consecutive years. Kellogg has made incredible strides toward the top over these past five years; it placed 23rd in the 2013 ranking, jumped to 14th place in 2014, rocketed to seventh in 2016, and landed in second place last year. Average salaries of new MBA graduates at Kellogg were just under $124,000, a 72% increase over pre-MBA salaries, according to the ranking’s data. At Chicago Booth, meanwhile, new MBA grads had average salaries of $126,000 but a slightly lower salary increase at 71%. The Economist’s Top Ten Best Full-Time MBA Programs
Their responses on how well the program delivers the things students themselves cite as most important inform the criteria The Economist measures and the weightings they apply. Four factors have consistently emerged when students assess the quality of their MBA program:
Image credit: Mike Willis (CC BY-ND 2.0) |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
30 Oct 2017, 07:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Your Social Media Profile May Affect Admission Chances, Kaplan Survey Finds |
 Are you active on social media? That’s kind of a silly question in 2017, because, who isn’t these days? Increasingly, prospective employers, admissions committees and even future classmates search online and develop opinions before ever meeting you in person. Kaplan Test Prep’s recent survey of over 150 business schools across the United States confirms this, revealing that a growing number of them tap into social media to help them decide who gets in and who does not. Of the admissions officers surveyed, over a third (35 percent) say they have visited applicants’ social media profiles to learn more about them, a jump from less than a quarter (22 percent) in 2011. Additionally, many who check profiles do it frequently — of those business school admissions officers who’ve said they’ve visited applicants’ social media profiles, 33 percent say they do it “often.” Notably, social media both hurt and helped applicants in nearly equal proportion. Among admissions officers who visit applicants’ social media footprints, half say have they found something that negatively impacted an applicant’s admissions chances — more than triple the 14 percent who reported this in 2011. Among the online discoveries that have hurt students:
“Successful business school applicants are the ones who are prepared. They submit strong GMAT or GRE scores, high GPAs, compelling letters of recommendation, impressive essays, and wow at the interviews. In a sense, that makes it scripted and choreographed, though rigorous. Business school admissions may take to social media to look for the less polished version of the applicant, not necessarily to find their weak spots, but just to see how they are in everyday life,” says Brian Carlidge, executive director of pre-business and pre-graduates programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “What you post on social media is a wildcard in the MBA admissions process and not nearly as important as the traditional factors, but always be mindful of what you share. Your social media footprint can potentially give you an admissions boost, but in some cases it can and will be used against you,” Carlidge warns. Here at SBC, we reassure clients that being active on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms isn’t a complete no-no. In fact, savvy candidates use these venues to boost their credibility and solidify the good impressions made through their application materials. If you don’t consider social media to be another way to strengthen your candidacy, you may be missing out on a great opportunity that other MBA applicants will most certainly take advantage of. If you need help, Stacy Blackman Consulting offers a dedicated social media strategy service that provides direction for an overhaul of your online brand, allowing you to take charge of those first impressions. Whether you need to professionalize an existing profile or develop a presence on an entirely new platform, we provide informed direction on which steps to take. For a b-school applicant, proper management of social media channels can also help you expand the scope of your application without infringing on limited essay word counts. Reach out today and we’ll show you how to make the best impression possible with your online brand. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
31 Oct 2017, 04:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: The Bigger Picture: Hard Work – To Be Effective It Must Be Ugly |
Most of us know the feeling; it’s one I associate with new year’s resolutions. You’ve decided to begin drafting your HBS application or start a new diet, a new non-profit venture or a new exercise routine. You are finally going to begin writing your novel, recording your podcast or posting in your blog. Whatever your goal, you are filled with excitement, energy, passion and determination. You know that it is going to be a lot of hard work. But you want to work hard. You are ready. You can see it, taste it…bring it on! You read inspirational quotes and you feel so inspired and determined.  This is what I call “pretty” hard work. (I mean, aren’t those quotes pretty?) We all have good intentions because we understand that important goals take a lot of hard work. But what I have discovered is that while most people can tackle the pretty hard work, the going gets really tough when the work gets ugly. Envision an entrepreneur in the early days of business, armed with an idea about which they are passionate. They sit at their desk with a list of work to be done: come up with a name, design a logo, hire a web designer, open an AdWords account, purchase the QuickBooks software. They work long hours, focused and determined. Day after day, they show up, answering the phone, scheduling meetings and catching up on email. They are busy, They are working hard. It’s both challenging and exhilarating. Speaking from my personal experience, it’s never really happened quite like that. That’s a glamorized, pretty vision of hard work. In reality, it gets ugly and sometimes rather dark. Personally, I was filled with self-doubt, uncertainty and frustration. I worked hard to prep for a seminar that only one person showed up to. I had months when not one single person signed up for my services, the phone never rang and inquiries never came in. I was juggling several client deadlines and both my nanny and I got sick. I had to scramble for sub-optimal childcare so that I could sit at my desk all day with a big box of tissues, absolutely miserable but plowing through those client essays. After pouring my heart into one of my very early client’s applications, he posted a scathing online review that took me by surprise and rattled me to the point of tears. (I have since developed a thicker skin.) My right-hand woman left to go back to school. A former employee launched a competing venture, literally copying my website word for word. A vendor ran off with a big chunk of money, never to be heard from again. My challenges are tiny compared to ones faced by other much more well-known entrepreneurs who face daily lawsuits, receive very public criticism and make risky investments that have the potential to completely wipe out the company. It gets hard. But not the pretty, exciting kind of hard we dream of plowing through with enthusiasm. It gets hard where you really doubt what you are doing, are on the verge of giving up, where you are scared and stressed and up all night tossing and turning with anxiety. It gets ugly hard. In honor of Halloween, here is Freddy Kruger, the Ugly hard mascot:  I say this not to turn everyone away from pursuing big dreams. I say it so that you are prepared. When things get really scary and go terribly wrong and you are about to shut it all down, that’s when you need to roll up your sleeves and get to work. These are not unfortunate anomalies that only happen to you. This is the real hard work. This is the work that most people can’t make it through. If you can make it through the ugly, that’s when the magic can happen. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
01 Nov 2017, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Former AdCom Officers Have Some Advice for You |
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Did you know that Stacy Blackman Consulting has former admissions officers from all of the top MBA programs on our team? Well, we do! Our ex-adcom consultants help with Flight Test™ reviews for each of our All-In clients, contribute their inside knowledge of the admissions process to our internal message boards (so that our entire team can benefit from their experience), and can also weigh in on program-specific or client-specific questions when the need arises. We asked these valuable resources on our team to share their insights with those of you gearing up to submit your materials in Round 2. Here’s what they had to say. Stay tuned for more next week!
 Learn more about our consultants here! Until next time, The team at Stacy Blackman Consulting ***Do you want to stay on top of the application process with timely tips like these? Please subscribe to our weekly newsletter and you’ll receive our expert advice straight in your mailbox before it appears on the blog, plus special offers, promotions, discounts, invitations to events, and more. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
02 Nov 2017, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: 3 Reasons to Earn an MBA Outside the U.S. |
 This post originally appeared on Stacy’s ‘Strictly Business’ MBA blog on U.S. News It seems there’s never been a better time to consider pursuing an MBA abroad. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s recently released “Application Trends Survey Report,” in 2017 a majority of business school programs in Europe, Canada, both East and Southeast Asia and India reported growing application volumes. These days, a high-quality graduate business education can be found in almost every corner of the world. For years, Europe has rivaled the U.S. with top-notch programs. With several excellent one-year program options that carry a lower price tag than their American counterparts, Europe lures in many international professionals looking to enhance their careers without sacrificing two years of salary and opportunity costs. But the possibility of shorter, cheaper MBA programs isn’t the only appealing aspect of earning an MBA overseas. Consider these additional three reasons to expand your b-school search beyond U.S. borders. 1. You’ll build an international network. We’ve all heard the adage, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” Nowhere is that more true than in business school, where the potential to network is arguably the most valuable aspect of the MBA experience. Although American business schools offer powerful alumni networks, so do international MBA programs. For example, HEC Paris offers one of the largest alumni networks in Europe, with more than 50,000 individuals based in 130-plus countries. If your professional aspirations include globe-trotting and working in international locations, it makes sense to either study in the region where you hope to one day work or among an ultra-diverse cohort of students who can help you land that coveted position in Paris, Hong Kong or Dubai. 2. You’ll be more attractive to employers.Having international experience that goes beyond a two-week immersion project or even a semester abroad will get you noticed by CEOs, especially those whose organizations maintain offices or clients in multiple countries. Choosing one geographic area can limit your possibilities, because employers need people who have insider experience in foreign markets and industries, can lead a global team and have the cultural awareness that makes transitioning into new markets successful. Also, attending a program in a country where English isn’t the primary language allows you to use or strengthen a second language in a professional setting – a skill employers find extremely valuable. 3. Your age and GMAT scores may play better abroad. Competition is fierce at elite U.S. MBA programs, and older applicants or those with middling GMAT or GRE scores may find themselves out of the running when pitted against a pool of applicants averaging 720 on the GMAT. Students at business schools outside of the U.S. tend to be in their late 20s or early 30s. With this uptick in age usually comes more seasoned personal and professional development, which European MBA programs value. Lower average GMAT scores, likely due to the numerous applicants who are nonnative English speakers, can also make global MBA programs more accessible. At the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, for example, the average GMAT score for the Class of 2018 was 690, with an average of five years of work experience. Meanwhile, at IMD in Switzerland, admitted applicants had an average GMAT of 670, with seven years of work experience. And at HEC Paris, successful candidates of late have averaged a 690 GMAT and had an average of six years of work experience. If your personal and professional goal is to live and work abroad, considering schools outside the U.S. is a no-brainer. Not only will an overseas education likely cost less, yield attractive employment offers and provide you with an unparalleled network that spans the globe, it can also provide a rewarding personal experience you’ll treasure for a lifetime. Image credit: Flickr user ElitattCC by 2.0 |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
03 Nov 2017, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Chicago Booth Gets $5 Million Gift for Private Equity Education |
 Students and alumni at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business who are interested in private equity will now have an expanded suite of programming opportunities thanks to a $5 million gift from Chicago Booth alumnus Raymond Svider. Svider’s gift will establish the Svider Private Equity Program at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center currently runs a variety of programs in private equity, and has experienced an increased demand from students and alumni for both experiential and academic private equity learning opportunities. Each year, some 300 students compete for entry to the Private Equity and Venture Capital Lab, which combines an intensive internship at a private equity or venture capital firm with an academic course. The number of students who secure internships has more than doubled in the last five years—from 53 students in 2015 to 116 in 2017. The Svider Private Equity Program has three main goals: to increase the resources available to students and alumni pursuing private equity careers; to strengthen Booth’s private equity alumni community; and to build Booth’s national and global brand as a hub for private equity education. Programming enhancements include expanded opportunities for students to connect with private equity alumni and other experts in the field through additional Entrepreneur-in-Residence positions and programming; enhanced networking and educational opportunities for alumni; and broader distribution of Chicago Booth’s thought leadership in the industry. “Chicago Booth was an ideal complement – both academically and culturally – to my undergraduate engineering background,” the French-born financier said. “An MBA from one of the top programs in the U.S. helped me gain access to the most attractive private equity jobs after graduation – my Booth degree was an ideal stepping stone, an entry ticket to my ideal career,” Svider added. “I hope the gift will enable Booth to attract top students in this academic specialty, and make other Booth alumni consider doing the same.” |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
06 Nov 2017, 08:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Former AdCom Officers Have Some (More) Advice for You |
 Last week we talked about how Stacy Blackman Consulting has former admissions officers from all of the top MBA programs on our team, and how these ex-adcom consultants help with Flight Test™ reviews for each of our All-In clients, contribute their insiders’ knowledge to our internal message boards and assist with program-specific questions. We asked these valuable team members if they had any advice for our readers who are applying in Round 2. Here’s Part Two of what they had to say:
Until next time, The team at Stacy Blackman Consulting |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
07 Nov 2017, 12:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: Rejection, Reapplication, Resilience |
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It’s that time of year…business schools are making decisions and not all news is good news. In this video, I provide three basic tips to keep in mind if you are faced with rejection and contemplating next steps. I also talk about resilience, which is incredibly important if you need to reapply. However, it is also important in LIFE. If you are putting your best out there, you will fail (at least you should fail). And if you want to be successful you need to learn how to bounce back and try again. Check out this video for some instruction as well as some inspiration. Even if you are flying high with great MBA news, the second half of this video applies to anyone striving to get somewhere in life. This video is inspired by the world of magic and a talk that magician David Blaine once gave at the Ted Conference. Watch and enjoy! Interested in watching more? Click HERE to access the Stacy Blackman Youtube Channel. |
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
08 Nov 2017, 12:01
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Princeton Review’s 2018 MBA Rankings |
 The Princeton Review, known for its college rankings in dozens of categories based on how students rate their schools, is now expanding its coverage of business school programs. The company recently released its 2018 annual ranking lists of business schools. Available on the company’s website, The Princeton Review reports the top 10 ranking schools in 18 categories of interest to students applying to on-campus MBA programs. In addition, the company announced the result of its 3 rd annual ranking of the top 25 online MBA programs for 2018. “We want to offer students a truly robust resource to find information about business school programs,” said Robert Franek, Editor-in-Chief, The Princeton Review. “Students who came to us for help selecting their college can now find equally comprehensive information on our website about choosing a business school program. We want students to be aware that on-campus and online MBA programs have different strengths and they can use that information to find the best business school for their interests.” “Top business schools now offer online MBAs, and employers do see them as credible and valuable,” added Mr. Franek. “For working professionals unable to move to a ‘brick and mortar’ campus for an MBA, these schools offer an opportunity to learn from some of the world’s best business school professors and earn their degree from anywhere in the world.” How Do On-Campus MBA Students and Online MBA Students Differ?
“Our purpose is not to rank schools hierarchically or crown any school as ‘best’ overall. Our goal is to provide school profiles combined with multiple rating scores and ranking lists to help applicants choose the best business school for them,” added Franek. “Their program offerings vary considerably, and we salute and highlight those distinctions in our profiles.” Top On-Campus MBA Programs The Princeton Review tallied its lists based on its surveys of 23,000 students attending 267 business schools. In these categories, the following schools were ranked #1:
The Princeton Review surveyed more than 4,700 online MBA students at more than 75 business schools offering online MBAs to come up with this year’s list of top online MBA programs. The Top 10 are:
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Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.
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