closeEvents & Promotions
| Last visit was: 05 May 2024, 21:29 |
It is currently 05 May 2024, 21:29 |
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
08:30 AM PDT
-09:30 AM PDT
12:00 PM EDT
-11:59 PM EDT
08:30 AM PDT
-09:30 AM PDT
10:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
08:00 PM PDT
-09:00 PM PDT
12:00 PM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
05:00 PM PDT
-06:00 PM PDT
01 Dec 2014, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: New Look, Home for Chicago Booth Student Blog |
 The MBA student blog at Chicago Booth School of Business has a new look and a new home, Kurt Ahlm, Associate Dean of Student Recruitment and Admissions, recently shared. If you’re an applicant who’s interested in learning about the Chicago Booth community and student life, check out TheBoothExp.com. From academics to recruiting and career services, student clubs to summer internships, Ahlm promises “the Booth Experience will provide you with unique access and perspective on the daily lives of our students.” In a recent post, second-year Linda Yan writes about her experience applying to Booth, and it may put some of you at ease as you prepare your Round 2 applications this month. Yan says she was a traditional MBA candidate–no awesome stories about being a member of the Peace Corps, a globe trotter, or an Iraqi war veteran–and that that’s absolutely okay! Yan writes: “What’s completely overlooked is that by far and away, business schools are full of people like you and me: bright, ambitious young professionals in traditional fields that recruit talented undergrads and train them to be good at analysis and getting stuff done.” She goes on to explain in detail how she conveyed her story to the admissions committee, conventional goals and all. Doesn’t that just make you want to exhale a huge sigh of relief? If Chicago Booth is on your short list, becoming a regular visitor to the Booth Experience blog is a great way to get to know the school better and determine if it would be a good fit for you. Happy reading! *** Are you receiving the SBC weekly newsletter? Don’t miss out on exclusive offers, actionable tips and guidance, plus special discounts, giveaways and events sponsored by SBC and our partners. Sign up today! |
02 Dec 2014, 12:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: FT Crowns London Business School in 2014 European Ranking |
|
For the first time since 2005, London Business School has reclaimed the top spot in the Financial Times 2014 ranking of European business schools, knocking last year’s joint winners–HEC Paris and IE Business School–into second and third place, respectively. According to the FT, the methodology for creating this ranking is based on the combined performance of Europe’s leading schools across the main rankings published by the FT in 2014: MBA, executive MBA, masters in management and non-degree executive education programs. Both quality and quantity are required to reach the top. Schools must take part in all four rankings to be eligible for a full score, the media outlet explains, so a school that took part in only one ranking is eligible for one-quarter of the total score, and so on. London Business School rose from third last year by participating in all four rankings for the first time. FT’s Top 10 Business Schools in 2014
The FT also reported on average alumni salaries in Europe three years after graduation, and found that it ranges from $143,000 for EMBAs, $123,000 for MBAs, and $54,000 for MiM grads. French MBA graduates and Swiss EMBA graduates top their salary scale, FT notes, with average salaries of $137,000 and $166,000 respectively. The methodology used by the Financial Times is unique and rather complicated, so do study the ranking more closely if you’re interested in seeing how each school’s final score is generated. You may also be interested in: 4 Factors to Consider About European MBA Programs Getting a European MBA: A Unique Experience |
03 Dec 2014, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Is it Time to Hedge Your Round 1 Bets? |
|
If you applied to schools in Round 1 and are still waiting for final decisions to be released over the next few weeks, you have an important decision to make. Do you want to:
You know you did your best with your application materials, and if you received interview invitations from programs that don’t have a policy of meeting with all applicants, then you also know your chances of acceptance went up significantly. However, even if you were invited to interview at a very selective school, the odds are still only about 50-50 that you’ll be admitted, even if your AdCom or alumni chat went extremely well. Your interview is but one piece of a larger picture the AdCom is considering. Although it is hard to accept this fact, the reality is that luck plays a not-so-insignificant role in the admissions process. When thousands of highly qualified people are vying for a couple hundred spots at each school, that means that the majority of deserving applicants are not going to receive good news. Those who are admitted not only have excellent credentials, but also had luck on their side the day final decisions were made. So our advice for Round 1 applicants is to start putting significant effort into at least a few schools for Round 2—just in case. If you end up getting into your dream school, you’ll be so elated that you won’t mind having exerted effort on a Plan B. And if you are not accepted anywhere in Round 1, then you’ll have bought yourself more time to pull together outstanding applications by early January. Here’s another way to look at it:  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. |
04 Dec 2014, 12:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: How Does Kellogg Assess MBA Applicants? |
|
MBA hopefuls are always looking for clues as to how the admissions process works. With that in mind, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management has attempted to demystify the applicant assessment process with a series of blog posts this week. Beth Tidmarsh, director of admissions for full-time MBA programs at Kellogg, addresses three key areas in this series: intellectual ability, work experience, and professional goals. While this information is tailored for a specific group of applicants, we believe the guidance holds true no matter where you’re applying. Kellogg is looking for candidates who have demonstrated academic excellence. While your GMAT or GRE scores are key indicators that you can handle the work, the admissions team also wants to see what you’ve done to broaden your knowledge base and challenge yourself academically. “If your scores or grades seem a little lopsided, we dig deeper into your application to look for evidence that you’ve taken steps to develop those skills,” says Tidmarsh. “That tells us if you’ve taken charge of balancing out your skill set.” When in doubt, err on the side of explaining any dips or gaps in your academic record. You never want the admissions team speculating about your past performance. Tidmarsh’s comments about work experience are particularly enlightening, and perhaps reassuring as well for some candidates. The director explains that applicants are analyzed within the context of their own career paths—not compared against each other. Use your application to show how your work experience is noteworthy. If you’ve taken on more responsibilities, been promoted more quickly, and generally progressed faster than others at your same level, this is the kind of information the admissions officers want to hear, says Tidmarsh. We really like her tip to help applicants avoid the trap of using too much industry-specific jargon. “Think about how you would explain your job to a 10-year-old or your grandmother…This is a great place to show us how you can communicate ideas across fields and disciplines.” Because the admissions team already has a copy of your resume, use the opportunities within the application to further explain your responsibilities and provide rich detail about your career to date. Don’t just copy your resume into the input fields, Tidmarsh admonishes. Finally, it’s important to have a pretty clear picture of your career goals and how a Kellogg MBA will help you reach them. That’s not to say you can’t change your mind once you’re on campus. Students often explore new paths while in business school, and may decide to pursue a new direction after experiencing all that an MBA program has to offer. “Our Admissions officers are checking to make sure you’ve got a plan in mind. We understand the plan may change over time, but do think about what areas and opportunities you would focus on if you were starting our program today,” Tidmarsh advises. |
05 Dec 2014, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: UC Berkeley Haas to Build State-of-the-Art ‘Learning Laboratory’ |
UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business is constructing a six-story, 80,000 square-foot academic building devoted entirely to student learning and interaction, Haas School Dean Rich Lyons announced Thursday. Image courtesy of Berkeley-Haas. Illustration: Jeff Stikeman. The North Academic Building, as it will be known, will have state-of-the art technology and flexible spaces aimed at transforming the student experience. With group study rooms, flexible classrooms, an indoor/outdoor café, and a large event space with views of the San Francisco Bay, the building will be able to adapt to new forms of educational technology and learning. This addition provides an extra 858 classroom seats, and each classroom will have the infrastructure for video streaming and capture, as well as video teleconferencing. “The building also creates a place that will enhance our ability to teach innovative leadership concepts to our students, by providing abundant space for them to collaborate with one another as they learn in teams, and rooms for them to engage in applied innovation learning activities,” Lyons said. “This is at the core of what differentiates the Berkeley-Haas education.” The $60 million structure will be funded with private donations from alumni and friends of the school. Ned Spieker, BS 66, managing partner of the private real estate firm Spieker Partners, was the school’s lead partner for developing the vision for this building. The Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund; Robert G. O’Donnell, BS 65 and MBA 66, retired senior VP and director of Capital Research and Management Company; and the late Barclay Simpson, BS 43, who founded and chaired Simpson Manufacturing Co.; among others, also have contributed significant gifts to the campaign. Designed by the global architectural firm Perkins+Will, the project will achieve at least certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold status in recognition of its environmentally conscious design, construction, operation, and maintenance. Construction should conclude in fall 2016. “This new academic building will readily support and improve both on-campus and technology-enabled learning for our undergraduate and graduate students and enable the school to keep pace with rapid changes in the delivery of management education,” said Lyons. “The goal of the new facility is to create the best, most up to date learning experience for our students. It’s all about them.” |
05 Dec 2014, 13:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Round 3 Attracts Maverick MBA Applicants |
|
Round three is far and away the most competitive round in MBA admissions. Almost all of the seats have already been filled, and applications submitted this late in the game need to be absolutely amazing…and come with some sort of explanation as to why the candidate waited until the last minute to apply. One former admissions employee explains that people best suited for this round have a highly unique background that would truly add to the class. Such as, for example, the Olympic gold medalist from Cameroon. The directors of MBA admissions profiled in a recent Wall Street Journal piece on late-round applicants seem to agree. “We actually enjoy round three,” Dee Leopold, managing director of MBA admissions and financial aid at Harvard Business School, tells the WSJ. “It takes a certain amount of confidence to apply then. Those applicants march to their own drum, and we would never want to miss them.” In the past, applicants often applied in Round 3 as a last-ditch effort to get into business school after being dinged by their first-choice schools in Rounds 1 and 2. But Liz Riley Hargrove, associate dean for admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, believes times have changed. Fuqua admissions officers look for later-round candidates with backgrounds in Peace Corps service or nonprofit management, among others, she tells the WSJ. Waiting until the final round has significant drawbacks, including reduced access to merit-based aid, having no choice but to interview on-campus, and missing out on welcome weekends. But this round may be a great time for military veterans, entrepreneurs, and candidates from underrepresented geographic or ethnic group to apply, notes the WSJ. If you are considering submitting your MBA application in the final round, make sure it is strong on all fronts, and that your story is compelling with a capital C. You just might be that missing element the admissions committee is looking for to spice up the mix. You may also be interested in: Evaluate in Which Round to Submit Your B-School Application |
08 Dec 2014, 10:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Navigate a Job Change While Applying to Business Schools |
|
This post originally appeared on Stacy’s “Strictly Business” MBA Blog on U.S.News.com Think about what you would you do if you needed to move into a new job just a few months before submitting your MBA applications. Or, maybe there’s an intriguing career prospect on the horizon, but you’re not sure if changing companies now would help or hurt your chances of admission. These scenarios happen all the time, so I’d like to share some advice to help you weigh the pros and cons of starting a new position before applying to business school. [Get tips to overcome the fear of MBA admissions failure.] One client I worked with, Josh, was deep into his third draft of essays for round one applications when he landed a new job. The move happened just as his former company, a tech startup, had begun a round of layoffs that likely would have included him. While Josh felt excited about starting a new position, he also worried that switching jobs right before submitting his MBA applications could cause problems. Generally, I advise candidates who have held their position for less than a year to stay put. The admissions committee looks for consistency, and job-hopping could convey flakiness or a lack of clear career goals. However, if you’ve held the same position for a long time, a new career move might show initiative and bolster your candidacy. Some argue the admissions committee won’t value a horizontal job move but that a vertical move with greater responsibility and leadership opportunities would be viewed favorably. While this is often true, there are always exceptions. [Learn how to sell yourself in MBA admissions.] If you’re taking on a career change that’s in line with your long-term goals, you can move to a position with less or equal responsibility as long as you can explain through your essays that you’re trying out something new, but would still benefit from the MBA degree in terms of greater growth in the new field. Like many applicants in this situation, Josh wondered what to do about hisletters of recommendation, since most schools prefer insight about an applicant from current supervisors. Also, he wasn’t sure how to address his new work responsibilities in essays or the MBA resume while he was still getting up to speed with the practices of his new employer. Strong recommendations are critical, so ask yourself if your possible job move will burn bridges at your existing company with present or former supervisors. One option would be to share your MBA plans with a new employer and seek a reference from someone at that company. Because Josh didn’t want his new boss to know about his MBA plans just yet, he was advised to use the optional essay to explain that he had chosen to get a recommendation from his previous supervisors because they were in a better position to provide examples of his leadership traits and work responsibilities. [Get advice on convincing MBA programs you’re a good fit.] For the essays, he framed most of his career goals story in the context of the work he had done for the previous three years. Josh touched upon the reasons he joined the new company, but kept a tight focus on what skills he wanted to gain from his MBA and his future goal of starting his own company. We saved the resume revisions for the end, when Josh had been on the job for a couple of months and felt more confident in describing the responsibilities of his position. This three-pronged approach worked, and Josh was accepted to Michigan’s Ross School of Business. If there’s one cardinal rule about late-in-the-game job switching, it is to never change positions as a ploy to impress the admissions committee by shifting into a career path you think the school will find safe or compelling. As long as you can show how the recent job change is consistent with your mid- to long-term career goals, you should be fine. However, be sensitive to any concerns the admissions committee may have that your new job is so great that you won’t actually want to leave after eight months to go to business school. Whether you choose to stay on the existing job or try out a new one, be prepared to explain the whole story in your application. |
09 Dec 2014, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Round 1 Notification at Harvard Business School |
|
In an update to her blog, Dee Leopold, Harvard Business School‘s Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid, informed readers that interviewed Round 1 applicants will have a status update on Wednesday, December 10th. At approximately noon Boston time, you may log in to your application and one of three decisions will appear: denied, waitlisted, or admitted. Leopold explains that admitted candidates will have immediate access to the prematriculation website, while waitlisted candidates will learn more about timing, updates, etc., and denied applicants will learn about opportunities for “touchpoint” calls. Good luck to those of you anxiously awaiting Wednesday’s news! You may also be interested in: Harvard Business School MBA Application Essay Tips 2014 |
10 Dec 2014, 11:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Should You Change Your Application Strategy? |
|
If you applied to MBA programs in Round 1 and are continuing to submit materials to other schools in Round 2, you may be tempted to mix things up for a couple of applications—especially if you’ve already gotten a few dings. But before you position yourself in an entirely new way, scrap your essays and embark upon a drastically different strategic course, you need to take an objective view of the materials you already submitted. Or better yet, ask someone else who’s familiar with the process to do so. There are certain things that cannot be changed: where you went to college, what classes you took over those four years, what your GPA is, what your GMAT/GRE score is, where you’ve worked so far, what volunteer activities you’ve been involved with, and so on. If there are major red flags across those areas, you need to be honest with yourself that even the greatest essay set in the world may not be able to offset those issues. In that case, if you thoroughly planned how to best position yourself with your Round 1 materials but have received dings, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your strategy was faulty. It may just simply mean that you need to consider less competitive programs. Actually, the same thing goes even if there are zero red flags across your materials. As we’ve pointed out before, a rejection does not mean you are not accomplished or deserving of a spot in School X’s incoming MBA class. It only means there wasn’t enough room to accept everyone, so perhaps you need to widen your net a bit more. That’s why we recommend staying the course with your MBA application strategy between Round 1 and Round 2—unless you never actually created a strong plan in the first place. Then, by all means, reassess your efforts! Remember:  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. |
11 Dec 2014, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: HBS Students Fight Stereotypes with Food Bank Fundraiser |
|
The actions of Ben Edelman, the Harvard Business School professor who landed in the national news this week by quarreling with the manager of a Chinese restaurant about a $4 overcharge, have spurred HBS students to publicly denounce his behavior. HBS students often confront the negative stereotype that they are elitist and self-involved. One first-year student felt that Edelman’s behavior only furthered that perception, and he acted quickly to change the tide of public opinion. Jon Staff and other HBS students decided to launch a campaign asking members of the public to donate $4 – the amount of the Edelman overcharge – to the Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston.com reports. From the fundraiser homepage: Negative stereotypes of Harvard and HBS were reinforced by an article in Boston.com about a $4 dispute between an HBS professor and a small business owner. In accordance with our community values, we are calling on all Harvard students to flip the script by donating $4 to provide food for those in need. All donations will be given to The Greater Boston Food Bank, which will match all donations received before December 31. “It’s an upsetting article,” Staff told Boston.com. “People here are really amazing and smart and supportive and humble. What Edelman did makes it much harder to make the case that this is an institution full of good people. This one action doesn’t define who we are as a community. Or it shouldn’t.” Edelman has since apologized for his actions on his website. “I aspire to act with great respect and humility in dealing with others, no matter what the situation. Clearly I failed to do so. I am sorry, and I intend to do better in the future,” he wrote. As of Wednesday evening, the campaign had raised $4,370, with 275 contributors. |
12 Dec 2014, 12:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Stanford GSB Launches Certificate Program in London |
|
Stanford Graduate School of Business has announced it will launch its first Stanford Ignite certificate program in London in September 2015. The 10-week, part-time program will teach innovators how to formulate, develop, and commercialize their ideas. Designed to deliver the same kind of immersive, innovative, and hands-on instruction that working professionals and graduate students at Stanford experience, this program provides exposure to both the fundamentals of management and the practical aspects of identifying, evaluating, and moving business ideas forward. It is aimed at participants with strong scientific, medical, or technical backgrounds who do not have an advanced degree in business. Participants are taught by Stanford business faculty in London as well as as those beamed in from Silicon Valley through high-definition video technology. During the program, which runs September 21 to December 6, 2015, participants will engage with faculty and each other in interactive sessions and group projects. “This is a program for those who are planning to start a new venture, as well as for intrapreneurs —individuals who wish to bring innovation and entrepreneurial thinking to their current role within a company,” said Stanford Ignite faculty director Yossi Feinberg, John G. McCoy—Banc One Corporation Professor of Economics. “It provides graduate students, innovators, scientists, and engineers from leading companies the essential toolset for creating impactful ventures,” Feinberg said. The London program is one of seven Stanford Ignite programs available around the globe to enable audiences outside of Silicon Valley to tap into Stanford’s distinctive approach to teaching entrepreneurship and management. It is now offered in Bangalore, Beijing, Paris, New York, London, and Santiago (Chile), as well as at Stanford. The non-degree program in London, which costs US$10,000, will be held every other week on Friday evenings, Saturday and Sunday from September to December 2015. Lessons will include approximately 200 hours of training, including 100 hours spent on participants’ own venture projects. Participants will develop their projects by working closely with experienced mentors and panels of industry experts from both Silicon Valley and the New York area who will provide real-world feedback. The program draws on the same world-class business faculty who teach in Stanford’s MBA Program, which is infused with the culture and practice of innovation that pervades Stanford University and Silicon Valley. The London program will accept up to 50 participants. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a Stanford Ignite certificate. The deadline for applications is April 22, 2015. |
15 Dec 2014, 14:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Northwestern Kellogg Seeks Impactful Leaders |
 Leadership, impact, and interpersonal skills are the latest qualities explored in Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management‘s series of blog posts offering insight into how the MBA admissions committee assesses applicants. Beth Tidmarsh, director of admissions for Kellogg’s full-time MBA programs, notes that, while a candidate from the military will tap into different leadership experiences than say, a junior analyst, there are some common traits the admissions team is looking for. “We look for those who have taken up new responsibilities and opportunities in whatever way they can, however their career path has allowed,” Tidmarsh explains. “Your roles don’t have to be formal, just indicative of your drive.” Also keep in mind that a candidate with eight years of work experience will be expected to have a greater number of examples to support leadership skills than an applicant just two years out of undergrad. That’s perfectly fine, Tidmarsh says, since “Our admissions team is just as concerned with where our students are going as where they’ve already been.” Where impact is concerned, the admissions committee is more interested in quality than quantity. They know you’ve been busy climbing the ladder professionally, but they want to make sure they’re admitting well-rounded candidates who are interested in something other than their careers. “We like to see our applicants involved with something they’re passionate about. If it fits in with your personal career narrative — say you volunteer with a literacy organization, and you want to pursue education policy after Kellogg — that’s great,” says Tidmarsh, though she notes that, for many applicants, their passions aren’t connected to their career goals at all. Don’t fret if your all-consuming work hours have left little time for outside engagement, so long as you can draw on opportunities for impact within the workplace instead. “Having an impact on organizational culture or community is just as valid, important and interesting to us,” Tidmarsh assures. Lastly, the admissions director shares what her team is looking for where an applicant’s interpersonal skills are concerned. Kellogg is well-known for its collaborative spirit and team-based learning approach, so AdCom will be looking for candidates who fit well with that culture. Some applicants will have already had that type of work environment, so they will mesh immediately with that part of the Kellogg experience. But candidates coming from more independent work environments shouldn’t feel at a disadvantage. As long as you can demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, you should be fine. It doesn’t hurt to spell it out for the admissions team though. “Knowing that you want to grow in this area, explaining that you crave more teamwork and collaboration, expressing that you want to push yourself in that area — all of that is valuable information for our admissions team,” Tidmarsh says. You may also be interested in: How Does Kellogg Assess MBA Applicants? Northwestern Kellogg MBA Essay Tips |
17 Dec 2014, 09:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Take a Deep Breath… |
|
If you applied to MBA programs in Round 1, this is a really big week: several schools will be releasing their final decisions, and you’ll know the results of all of your hard work at last. We know “The Dreaded Wait” has been tough! If you receive good news – congratulations! What a wonderful way to close out 2014, huh? You’ll probably feel like you’re on cloud nine for quite a while after the reality of your achievement sinks in. Even though this is a really busy time of the year, please find a way to do something to celebrate. You deserve it! And don’t forget to share your happy update with everyone who helped you along the way. If you’re waitlisted, take heart. It’s not the news you wanted, but there’s reason to keep hope alive. You can plan a waitlist strategy dependent upon the school’s guidelines; if they are open to hearing from you over the coming weeks, you’ll want to do everything you can to ensure you have a significant update to send along with the time comes. If you are met with nothing but dings, we are truly sorry. It is frustrating to pour time and energy into perfecting your materials and then not be accepted in the end. Our advice would be to take a few hours of “me time” over the next week and consider whether there are other programs you’re interested in that you could pull together materials for by their Round 2 deadlines. It is most definitely worth a shot. Remember:  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. |
18 Dec 2014, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: HEC Paris Creates New Series of MOOCs for 2015 |
|
Capitalizing on the success of its first massive open online courses, HEC Paris has announced it will launch a series of new MOOCs in 2015. They begin with courses on understanding organizations, social entrepreneurship, technology-based start-ups, and corporate finance. The first four are already open for registration, and others will follow later in the year. Professor Rodolphe Durand teaches ‘Time to Reorganize’, an integrative approach to understanding organizations (termed ‘orgology’ by Durand). It explores how organizations can act strategically to protect or renew a sense of belonging in individuals. This course is offered on Coursera on January 13, 2015. The second Coursera-platform MOOC is dedicated to social entrepreneurship, and aims to inspire and help aspiring entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in society. It begins February 24, 2015. On April 1, 2015, a course co-developed by HEC Paris Affiliate Professor Etienne Krieger and Romain Beaume from École Polytechnique engineering school focuses on how to set up a technology-based start-up. This program will also be offered to Master’s students from HEC Paris and École polytechnique. Finally, HEC Paris will open the first online Executive Education Certificate program on Corporate Finance, in partnership with First Finance Institute. This certificate offers a comprehensive and practical curriculum in corporate finance targeted to a wide audience, including executives from different backgrounds and sectors. Two sessions, led by HEC Affiliate Professor Pascal Quiry, will be available: one in French, and another in Mandarin in partnership with Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management. One year ago, HEC Paris was the first business school in France to launch a massive open online course (MOOC) on Coursera. The success of the 2014 programs has affirmed HEC’s commitment to this innovative educational format. |
19 Dec 2014, 12:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: R1 Decisions from Michigan Ross |
|
Moved by the holiday spirit, Soojin Kwon, MBA admissions director at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, tapped into her inner poet for her latest blog post announcing the Round 1 admitted student calls she and her team completed Thursday. All decisions are now posted online. The Michigan Ross MBA admissions officers plan to issue Round 2 interview invitations on January 19th, with interviews taking place from January 22 to February 23, 2015. Kwon also notes team exercises will happen on campus during that period every Friday and Monday, and a few Saturdays, beginning on January 30th. For those who cannot make it to campus in Ann Arbor, the Ross School will hold team exercises in Sao Paulo and Delhi on February 7th; Seoul on February 8th; and Shanghai on February 10, 2015. For applicants planning on submitting in Round 2, the admissions director had some advice to share. The winter break is an ideal time to set up a Café Chat with a current Ross student near you, and Kwon says students are eager to share their experiences with prospective candidates. Also, she recommends applicants review the admissions webinar from earlier this week, which, in addition to talking about the program, included last-minute application tips and answers to burning questions. Finally, Kwon urges applicants to make time for doing things they enjoy with the people they care about in the coming weeks. “This will give you better perspective to review your app in early January (before the January 5 deadline) and see if it really reflects who you are and what’s important to you,” she says. |
19 Dec 2014, 13:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Stacy Blackman’s B-School Buzz |
 Welcome to the end-of-year edition of Stacy Blackman’s B-School Buzz, our periodic check-in with some of the MBA blogosphere’s applicant and student contributors. There was much to celebrate this week as multiple bloggers shared the great news of getting in to one or more of their Round 1 schools. Congratulations to all, and for those who are waitlisted, don’t lose hope! You’re still in the running, and there are definitely things you can do to manage the waitlist experience. Two down, one to go—Based in Madrid, Under Prescription was on pins and needles as the time zone difference caused considerable angst while decision calls and emails started coming down. The results so far: in at Tuck School of Business and with a scholarship to boot; and also admitted to MIT Sloan School of Management! A decision from Duke Fuqua is pending, but whatever the case, this is one applicant who feels great knowing he won’t have to worry about Round 2. Three for three—My Journey to Business School is about to have the best weekend ever as she celebrates admits to Tepper School of Business, Kellogg School of Management, and UCLA Anderson School of Management. Now it’s decision time, made more complicated by the fact that both Tepper and Anderson are offering scholarships. A yes and a maybe—If being waitlisted by University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School stung a little, that was surely mitigated by Top Dog MBA‘s acceptance offer at MIT Sloan School of Management. Since this is his second time at the rodeo—the first included five dings—we can only imagine how fantastic it feels to begin to close this chapter of the journey to b-school. Another Trifecta—Finance Furry is over the moon after receiving admissions offers at all three of the schools she applied to in Round 1: Wharton School, Kellogg, and Chicago Booth School of Business. She says she plans to spend the coming weeks making pros and cons lists, consulting alums and students, and praying for guidance. To stay waitlisted or no?—Naija MBA Gal is facing a tough decision as she contemplates whether to remain on the MIT Sloan waitlist or fully embrace the acceptance from Chicago Booth. Since she admits Booth is her “first love,” is it safe to call it for Chicago? By Monday all should be revealed. When nerves set in—Pulling that MBA Trigger is full of good cheer for her fellow MBA bloggers this week as many on the same journey have already received good news. It’s time to focus on that GMAT next week, and keep up the positive energy for the Round 2 deadlines coming up. Do you have an MBA-centric blog? Want it featured in an upcoming B-School Buzz post? If so, email me at buzz@StacyBlackman.com. |
22 Dec 2014, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Addressing Academic Strengths On MBA Applications |
|
This post originally appeared on Stacy’s “Strictly Business” MBA Blog on U.S.News.com Hard data points such as test scores and GPAs carry significant weight as business school admissions committees attempt to determine whether an applicant has the chops to handle the quantitative requirements of an MBA program. While you’ll often hear advice on how to mitigate poor academic performance when applying to business school, it’s also important to take a look at the academic strengths in your undergraduate record and how you might play up those qualities in your application. [Know how to convince MBA programs you’re a good fit.] If a candidate had a quantitative-heavy undergraduate course load, obviously he or she should throw the spotlight on that. But business schools don’t want to fill their classes solely with economics and business majors. Those applicants do fill a fair share of seats, but today the emphasis on diversity of thought means the schools are working hard to attract applicants from a wider variety of academic backgrounds. Often candidates coming from the humanities such as sociology, psychology or political science, are more attractive to the admissions committee than the typical business background peer. A good application strategy is to show the connections between seemingly unrelated college courses and note how those classes shaped your current career goals. [Check out three exercises to help MBA applicants develop a personal brand.] For example, perhaps a history class sparked an interest in a different part of the world, which led to international business pursuits. Or maybe your psychology major prepared you for working well in groups and managing the diverse personalities of a team, as it did for one client of mine who parlayed those characteristics into a strong MBA admissions essay for Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Perhaps all of those science courses fueled a desire to lead a start-up in health care. Dig a little and you may be surprised at how the connections fall into place. With business as globally focused as it is today, MBA admissions committees are on the lookout for candidates who are fluent in a second or third language, or who have had study-abroad experiences. We coached one applicant who had double-majored in Spanish so that she could finally have a conversation with her grandmother, who had emigrated to the U.S. from Chile as an adult and had never learned English. That’s something we knew admissions committees would like to hear more about. Business schools are very interested in these qualities, as they indicate a certain level of comfort working with an international cohort. [Avoid these surprising application mistakes of prospective MBAs.] Applicants who participated in several extracurricular activities while in college and still managed to maintain a high GPA exhibited excellent time management skills and a dedicated work ethic. And, if a candidate held a leadership position in any of those activities, that shows initiative with a long leadership track record. Admissions committees are impressed if you can commit to something over a long period of time, no matter if it’s a sport or hobby. MBA programs seek to attract applicants who show curiosity about the wider world, whether through academic, extracurricular or life experiences. As you start thinking about your MBA application strategy, take note of any compelling connections from your college days you can mine from. You never know if those years on the water polo team, the minor in game design or those articles you published in the school newspaper are just the ticket to creating a standout application. |
22 Dec 2014, 09:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Wharton’s Social Impact Initiative Welcomes New Senior Fellow |
|
Jonathan Greenblatt, founder of Ethos Water and currently Special Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, will serve as a Senior Fellow at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School starting in January, the school announced late last week. A serial social entrepreneur, Greenblatt is considered one of the leading experts in the country on social innovation and shared value. Ethos Water, the premium bottled water that helps children around the world get clean water, was acquired by Starbucks Coffee in 2005. While working with the Wharton Social Impact Initiative, Greenblatt is expected to lecture on a number of topics for the remainder of the 2014-2015 academic year, including impact investing, shared value, social entrepreneurship, cross-sector leadership, and nonprofit management and strategy. Last month, Greenblatt was named as the new national director of the Anti-Defamation League, where his service will begin in July 2015. “We are delighted to welcome Jonathan to Wharton,” says Geoffrey Garrett, Dean of the Wharton School. “He brings a unique perspective on innovation and leadership, enriched by a rare combination of experiences at the highest level of government, business and the nonprofit world. We are excited to have him on campus to work with our students and faculty.” Jonathon was a classmate and friend of mine at Kellogg School of Management, so I’d also like to extend my personal congratulations to him for this latest recognition his important work has received. |
23 Dec 2014, 12:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: First Year HBS Student Debunks 3 Common Preconceptions |
|
People have a lot of preconceived notions about what Harvard Business School is like, much of it good but some of it not so great. I came across an article written by MBA candidate Philip Blackett, which does a bit of HBS myth-busting that I think current and future applicants will appreciate reading. Myth #1 HBS is Cutthroat Blackett’s imagination ran wild before he came to Cambridge in August, imagining his future classmates would go out of their way to sabotage the success of their peers. “What I found was the exact opposite,” he writes. “I was most surprised by how tight my 93-person section became and how much we genuinely cared for one another after only a few months.” This sense of collaboration and closeness extends beyond the section to the whole study body, he adds, noting how touched he felt when fellow students reacted to the Mike Brown and Eric Garner incidents by holding a candlelight vigil. Attending Harvard doesn’t mean you can’t relate to life outside of campus, says Blackett. Myth #2 You Can’t Learn Finance from Case Studies He wasn’t the only incoming student feeling apprehensive about learning finance through reading cases. With textbooks and practice problems for reference, Blackett says he was able to learn NPV, dividend growth model and EV/EBITDA valuation multiples just fine. “These concepts that we learned in finance (and accounting) helped my classmates make better decisions when we put ourselves in the shoes of each case protagonist,” Blackett writes. “This simulation practice will help prepare us for similar decisions to be made once we’re back in the real world with real problems to solve.” Myth #3 The Only Thing You’ll Learn at Harvard is Leadership While Harvard Business School is nicknamed the “West Point of Capitalism,” Blackett writes that in addition to leadership skills, he was surprised to discover an unexpected lesson during his first semester. In these few short months, he has learned a great deal about both time and priority management at HBS. With something new and exciting to do every day of the week both on and off campus, many incoming students become overwhelmed by FOMO (fear of missing out). “Each day, I had to make tough decisions on which activities to participate in after school, while considering the tradeoffs of each decision,” he writes, knowing full well that managing his commitments will only become more challenging during the two-year program. Perhaps the best way to learn whether an MBA program is a good fit for you is by finding out how current students and alumni feel about their experience. To read more of Blackett’s thoughts on his HBS journey so far, please follow the link above for the full article. You may also be interested in: HBS Students Fight Stereotypes with Food Bank Fundraiser Harvard Business School 2014-2015 MBA Essay Tips |
24 Dec 2014, 07:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Use Time Off Wisely |
|
Next week, 2014 draws to a close. Less than two weeks from today marks the first Round 2 deadline. Are you ready? If you’re not a “list person,” it’s time to become one—at least until the rest of your applications are in. We’ll help by giving you this outline for your Round 2 To-Do list:
 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. |
|
|
||
