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GMAT Club Presents MBA Spotlight - a dedicated Business School event to bring MBA applicants and World’s Top 20 Business Schools together for a week-long experience of getting to know MBA programs and what it takes to get in. Space is Limited!
Due to logistical challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Accelerator® Business Immersions at Vanderbilt is making several adjustments to its programming for summer 2020.
Accelerator® Summer Business Immersion, Accelerator® Finance Bootcamp, and Accelerator® Business Fellowship for Student-Athletes will not be held this summer.
In their place, a new, fully remote program — Accelerator ® Virtual Business Immersion — has been created to provide college students and recent graduates with a real consulting and marketing experience to build their resume, along with self-paced business acumen.
The program offers two tracks — Leading Virtual Teams and Business Essentials — which can be completed separately or sequentially. Both tracks are open enrollment, with no application required, and participants earn a certificate upon completion of each.
Leading Virtual Teams is a one-week, project-based track with live instruction, group project work, and career development. Participants will learn to work with and lead teams in a virtual world; gain business knowledge to tackle today’s challenges; and develop higher-level skills to engage potential clients and customers online. They will also receive individual career coaching and professional development. The track is designed to equip students with a foundational understanding of consulting, marketing, and working in a virtual world.
Greg Harvey
“Accelerator is known for real-world and immersive programming,” said Greg Harvey, Director of Accelerator® Business Immersions at Vanderbilt. “Leading Virtual Teams will help students build their resumes and set them apart from their peers by adding this meaningful real project experience.”
Accelerator® Business Essentials is a three-day, online track offering foundational, self-paced online business classes prior to the start of Leading Virtual Teams. Over the course of three days, students will gain a broad understanding of the concepts and applications in the areas of Leadership, Operations, Innovation, and Personal Branding.
“In our new reality, the ability to effectively lead and contribute virtually will be an essential business skill,” said Jon Lehman, Faculty Director for Accelerator® Business Immersions at Vanderbilt. “This new program combines online content taught by some of Owen’s best faculty followed by a real world project tackled in a virtual team format. You solve a challenging business issue and interact with leading executives online while learning the nuances of virtual teaming. This kind of experience is highly sought after by the most selective employers.”
Leading Virtual Teams takes place June 7-13, 2020. Participants taking both tracks are encouraged to complete the Business Essentials track ahead of Leading Virtual Teams. Click here to learn more about the program and register.
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
Many social enterprises, non-profits, and minority-owned businesses can’t find the marketing budget to compete with their much larger counterparts. Meanwhile, marketing students struggle with the chicken and egg problem: They need experience to get a job, and a job to get experience.
Remora Strategy helps solve both these problems.
Remora Strategy is a new student-led agency at Vanderbilt Business School that helps social enterprises, non-profits, and minority-owned businesses improve their branding for pro bono or low bono rates. It’s run by Master of Marketing and MBA students, who have the opportunity to gain marketing experience and give back to the community.
“It’s great for the students to be able to get involved in hands-on experiential learning. It’s great for the clients to benefit from the students’ insights,” said Kelly Goldsmith, the faculty advisor for the agency. “And lastly, it’s great for Owen and Vanderbilt to have Remora as a student-run organization! It’s truly something we can be proud of.”
Symbiotic Relationship
Julia Bridgforth (MMark’20)
Julia Bridgforth (MMark’20), the founder of Remora Strategy, has always been passionate about storytelling and social justice. When she was accepted to the Vanderbilt Business Master of Marketing program, she looked for something that could combine her interests. She visited the Turner Family Center for Social Ventures, where Director Mario Avila helped her come up with the idea of creating an agency that created stories for small businesses while having a social impact.
Bridgforth founded Remora Strategy on the idea of a symbiotic relationship, and she took the name from a real-life animal: Remora fish help giant sea creatures by cleaning them, while the sea creatures provide the remora fish with food and protection, mutually benefiting each other through their symbiotic relationship.
“There’s such a need for students to get hands-on work with clients. And so this allowed students to continue having real client work experience while continuing their education… while also helping social enterprises and nonprofits and women or minority-owned businesses which… have the best stories to tell but lack the resources to skillfully craft stories and push them out to the correct people in the right way,” Bridgforth said.
Real-World Client Work
Lucas Hagerty (MBA’21)
Remora Strategy currently has two clients: Community Foundation’s Sports Fund and Patina Antiques and Interiors. For these clients, Remora provides a four-week long brand and marketing program that involves analyzing the existing brand, creating a clear mission, crafting the voice and message, and developing a logo that effectively represents the mission. “(Our clients) already had a great brand, but they just needed a little bit more crystallized, more focused mission (and) purpose,” said Lucas Hagerty (MBA’21), one of the founding members of Remora Strategy.
Because this is their first year, the agency has focused on creating best practices for future projects so that Remora Strategy will be sustainable. With these guidelines in place, Remora will be able to expand next year to accept more team members and clients. “Right now, what we’re really focusing on is setting up the agency that will allow it to live on forever,” Hagerty said. “I think this will be a great way… to do good on campus, and then also do good for yourself because you’re building up this vital career like real world consulting experience. I think (this) is a great combination for students that really sets them up to be the best applicants possible as they enter the workforce.”
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
“It’s 2020, and there’s almost no data on autistic people in the workplace,” said Tim Vogus, deputy director of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation.
The Brownlee O. Currey, Jr., Professor of Management at Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management, Vogus’ research on making health care delivery safer has gained national recognition. In his leadership role in the Frist Center, he’s hoping to shift his focus to improving the workplace for people on the autism spectrum.
The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation opened last fall as an interdisciplinary effort to understand and promote neurodiverse talent. The center brings together researchers and professionals in the fields of engineering, psychology, medicine, and astrophysics to hone in on the unique talents individuals on the autism spectrum can offer.
“Autism and innovation are not usually things that are put together. Autism is usually framed as a deficit instead of a difference,” Vogus said. “But companies committed to innovation need employees that think about the world in different ways. Neurodiverse people, people on the autism spectrum, offer that. They bring a difference in thinking and novel ways of seeing problems that are helpful.”
Right away, Vogus rattles off multiple success examples of people associated with the Frist Center, including Dan Burger, a researcher on the spectrum who developed an algorithm that processes data in a unique way which helps identify new planets. NASA has already started using Burger’s software.
While there have been significant gains in early education for children on the autism spectrum in the last 20 years, little to no support exists for facilitating neurodiverse individuals in the workplace. By some estimates, a whopping 80 percent of individuals on the spectrum are unemployed.
“The school systems have come a long way, but that support drops off a cliff when you enter adulthood,” Vogus said. “These are people with college degrees, with verifiable skills who should not be unemployed at upwards of 80 percent.”
The Frist Center ultimately aims to help reduce that percentage with a three-pronged approach: 1) help neurodiverse individuals understand and adapt for challenges, 2) identify unique skills neurodiverse individuals can offer and industries and roles where those skills make key impacts, and 3) inform employers about ways they can modify work systems and environments to even the playing field for people on the spectrum.
Vogus’s research focuses on this last facet: shifting perspectives within the workplace to create an environment which helps all employees — including neurodiverse employees — thrive. It dovetails neatly with his work in health organizations on shifting culture and practices to promote safety.
“There are really simple adaptations that research shows benefit autistic individuals, like making minor environmental accommodations in regard to sound by providing noise-cancelling headphones, or in lighting by eliminating florescent bulbs,” Vogus said. “Employers can also adapt basic processes like interviewing, by providing applicants with questions ahead of time or using other assessments or work sampling and portfolio approaches to assess skills. That can help make the workplace more inclusive and more productive.”
Interviews and performance evaluations in particular often disadvantage people on the spectrum, as they rely heavily on networking and complex social interactions. Vogus works with companies to try to identify the root skills necessary for job success and find new ways to measure those skills that cut out the bias to social adeptness. For vital skills that are inherently social, like teamwork and presentation techniques, Vogus suggests redesigning existing processes to make them clearer and more concrete and using technology to narrow the gap for the neurodiverse.
“Collaborating and communicating in a virtual environment is much easier for people on the spectrum, because it reduces some of the stresses and complexities of social interaction, and there are so many tools that facilitate that kind of teamwork in a virtual environment,” Vogus said. “Those technologies are changing the world, and companies using them more broadly would be a big benefit.”
The kind of tools Vogus references — project management and communication software like Basecamp, Trello, and Slack — have transformed the way that technology companies and some of the leading business innovators integrate their workplaces. Developed for overall productivity, these tools can help neurodiverse employees bring their talents to the forefront.
“Fifty thousand children with autism become adults with autism every year,” Vogus said. “And those are people just entering the workforce. What about all the people who are undiagnosed or undisclosed? We just don’t know the scope. The bottom line is that understanding how to make these adaptations is not just a way to bring a new diversity segment into the workplace. It’s a way to improve the workplace.”
The Frist Center helps demonstrate the strengths of autistic talent by employing several staff members on the spectrum and placing them at the forefront of research. In fact, every member of the center’s leadership team has a personal connection to someone with autism, including Vogus.
“My son Aidan was diagnosed when he was three,” Vogus said. “He’s now 17. Being his father has changed my life and informed my research in multiple different ways. It’s really kept front and center for me the importance of gaining perspective and capturing the voice of people in this community. My work leans heavily on interviewing, surveying, and even collaborating with people on the spectrum to understand their experiences in the workplace.”
Individuals can visit the Frist Center on the first floor of the Wond’ry of Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering to access assessment tools, light testing, and employment resources. Companies and non-profits looking to partner with the Frist Center should contact associate director Dave Caudel (david.d.caudel@vanderbilt.edu).
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
After graduating from Brown University in 2007, Keara Kelly worked for AmeriCorps and various other non-profits before shifting her career towards technology. She completed a stint with the English Language Services in Austria before deciding to return to graduate school.
While searching for an MBA program, Kelly was drawn to Vanderbilt’s culture, which was similar to the “collaborative learning environment” she appreciated in college. “Owen was such a good opportunity for me to experiment with things that I knew were not necessarily my natural strengths,” she said.
During her two years at Vanderbilt, Kelly attended leadership and recruitment conferences, became involved with campus organizations, and took classes for her concentrations in Operations, Strategy, and Marketing. She ultimately landed a full-time position with Kimberly Clark after interning with them in the summer of 2019.
Click through Kelly’s timeline to find out how she landed her offer.
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management has made adjustments to its testing requirements for prospective Executive MBA candidates.
”Given the everyday challenges we all face, we are reducing the friction some applicants face taking the traditional entrance exams, ” said Dean M. Eric Johnson.
GRE Acceptance
The Executive MBA program will now accept the GRE, along with the GMAT and Executive Assessment (EA).
Additionally, the Executive MBA program will now make admissions decisions for qualified candidates with strong quantitative backgrounds that have yet to take the GMAT, Executive Assessment, or GRE. Candidates who apply without an official test score will be moved through the admissions process, with interviews, admission committee review, and other standard procedures.
Qualified applicants will be offered conditional admission, pending the test score, enabling them to begin the onboarding process.
These adjustments reflect the ongoing challenges that prospective students face with taking entrance exams. The GRE introduced an online format in late March, and GMAC will be rolling out online versions of the GMAT and EA later this month.
Sarah Fairbank
“We want to remove as many barriers to the application process as possible, and believe that this approach will allow applicants to proceed with confidence in the academic quality of the cohort,” said Sarah Fairbank, Director of Recruiting and Admissions for the program. She will be hosting twice-weekly information sessions throughout the month of April the help candidates navigate the application process in these unprecedented times.
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
The spread of the coronavirus has led to university closures across the country and the world, Vanderbilt included. In mid-March, staff and faculty made a massive effort to move all coursework online for the remainder of the year and to help students as they follow self-isolation best practices.
”With classes already in session, we had very little time to transition. So the team built five pop-up studios in a day and immediately started training faculty and staff,” said Dean M. Eric Johnson.
Moving Classes Online
Professor David Owens teaches a virtual class in his home office
Faculty across the university, including Owen, had less than a week to fully move classes online. With staff support, the faculty learned virtual tools such as Zoom, Kaltura, and Brightspace to deliver lectures via video and host class content online. Most classes are being taught through a blend of synchronous and asynchronous content. Lectures are delivered in real time via Zoom at their originally scheduled times to avoid conflicts, and supplemental materials are also posted for students to read at their own pace.
Even with the situation rapidly changing, faculty remain focused on getting students the knowledge they need to graduate or advance to their second year of schooling. “We are committed to getting the classes delivered, getting our students the credits that they need, ensuring that our students can graduate with the courses and the knowledge that they need,” said Richard Willis, Senior Associate Dean for the Faculty and a member of the Owen COVID-19 Taskforce.
“Our first goal is to make sure that we are fulfilling the mission of delivering high quality world class education to our students… the staff recognize that and really almost dropped what they were doing so that we could support the faculty getting online,” added Lindsay Donald, Chief of Staff and also a member of the Owen COVID-19 Taskforce.
Students are making the transition alongside faculty, adjusting to a virtual version of the school’s trademark personal scale. “The faculty and staff have put in a lot of time and effort in making sure that we get as much of our Owen experience as possible despite the constantly changing circumstances,” said Neel Joshi (MSF’20). “The faculty have made it very clear to us that just because we are not meeting in person doesn’t mean we don’t have as much access to them as before.”
Experiencing Student Life, Virtually
A tiny TA helps Professor Kendall Park get ready to teach a class from home via Zoom
While students come to business school primarily to earn an advanced degree, the student experience extends far beyond the classroom. With the closure of campus, all social events were cancelled as well, so students have been experimenting with virtual solutions to stay connected during social isolation, supported by a dedicated Student Experience Taskforce. Some activities they have organized so far include virtual trivia nights and remote happy hours.
“While the students were devastated to have their in-person social events canceled, the Owen community is embracing our current scenario and moving all important and sentimental events online,” said Ellie McBrier (MBA’20). “’Create a Zoom for it and post it in Slack’ is the new “book a room and order food.’”
“As students, we check up on each other as frequently as possible to make sure we are all coping well with the situation,” added Joshi.
Part of this involves planning alternatives for Commencement 2020, which was officially postponed to 2021 by Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan Wente on March 25. Plans right now include remote events as well as a series of special events for the Class of 2020 in May 2021. “Virtual celebrations of students will be taking place, including the SP Awards, a Follies video, and some kind of virtual recognition event,” McBrier said. “The Owen community and the students are already brainstorming and planning future events to celebrate the Owen class of 2020.”
Looking Forward
Dean Johnson prepares to host a virtual town hall from home
With the coronavirus situation changing by the day, it’s impossible to predict exactly what the future holds for Owen. Willis anticipates that faculty will have learned many lessons from teaching virtually that could improve their delivery of in-person classes. “A lot of faculty who now teaching virtually, myself included, are thinking… ‘Even if we go back to the physical delivery, there’s a lot of things I’ve learned that I’ll be able to incorporate into my class next year that will actually enrich it for the students,’” he said.
Students are also getting a crash course in working with remote teams that will likely serve them well in the post COVID-19 work environment. “While we were not expecting it, the class of 2020 will graduate from Owen having completed an extra course in virtual communication and online learning, a skill that is likely to be useful in the world that awaits us on the other side of the coronavirus,” McBrier added.
Of course, all of this has only been possible because the entire Owen community — faculty, students, and staff — pulled together to make it happen, something that all the Taskforce members recognize. “This crisis has given Owen an opportunity to show what a special organization it is,” Donald said. “We give a huge thank you to everyone in the Owen community for stepping up and doing the work that needed to happen.”
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management has waived its standardized test requirement for MBA candidates applying in Round 4.
As prospective students, testing services, and business schools navigate the changes presented by COVID-19, the Vanderbilt MBA program determined that the lack of time for early-stage applicants to prepare for the GMAT or GRE would pose an unnecessary challenge.
“We want our transformative MBA program to be available to all especially during this trying time,” said Sue Oldham, Associate Dean, MBA Operations. “Removing barriers to be as responsive as possible to prospective students is yet another way that we can showcase the ‘personal scale’ that Vanderbilt Business is known for.”
Qualified candidates who are admitted to the program without a test score may be asked to complete additional pre-work before the start of the school year. Round 4 applicants with valid GMAT or GRE scores are encouraged to submit them.
In addition to the test waiver, Round 4 applicants with a completed application will also have their application fee waived. Round 4 applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning May 5, with applicants receiving an admissions decision within a week of application completion. The last deadline to apply for Fall 2020 entry is June 1, 2020.
Because Vanderbilt MBA cannot ensure that admitted international candidates will be able to secure their visas in time to start the program, we are no longer accepting applications from international candidates for Fall 2020.
To learn more about the Round 4 MBA application deadline, click here.
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
In February, three Owen MBA students and Dean Johnson were invited to attend the Toy Fair Association Conference in New York City. Held annually, the global conference is an opportunity for manufacturers to show off their latest toys and innovations to investors, media, and retailers. The students were asked to attend after creating a wide-ranging industry report that looked at current and future trends.
“Our students developed an insightful report that found its way into the boardrooms of many toy makers and the Toy Association itself,” said Dean M. Eric Johnson.
The report followed up on one published by Owen students five years ago, which looked at the state of the toy industry and made predictions for the future. Given how much the toy industry has changed within the past few years — especially in the wake of the Toys R’ Us shutdowns — Dean Johnson felt like it was time to produce an updated report. He extended the opportunity first to Dean’s Scholars and then opened it up to a select group of interested students.
Natasha Karimzadeh, Katie Smigelski, and Quinn Shue (all MBA’20) volunteered for the independent student project. They received course credit for their work, conducting an extensive set of interviews with top industry executives and industry analysts along with their own research during Mods I and II. For the interviews, Dean Johnson and the Toy Association introduced the team to industry experts, including many Owen alumni. Karimzadeh, who used to work at Mattel, also reconnected with her industry networks.
“All of us saw this as a kind of industry-broadening opportunity, especially for me and Katie — trying something new and researching a different topic than we’re used to,” Shue said.
Three main trends emerged from their research. First, they looked at retail consolidation in the wake of the Toys R’ Us closures. Big box stores and online retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart are capturing these extra toy sales, as are non-traditional retailers like Kohl’s and Best Buy. Second, they looked at changing behaviors: kids are playing differently. While the age range in which kids are playing with traditional toys has long been debated, 360-play patterns are creating new opportunities to combine toys and digital content. Finally, the team examined sustainability and related trends and how these are impacting the toy industry.
“I’m really interested in focusing on the retail industry — actually, in my internship this past summer, we did a turnaround case for a retailer — and so I definitely saw some similarities in terms of trying to understand the consolidation in this industry versus others, and how you compete against Amazon as well as the online players as a brick and mortar,” Smigelski said of their findings.
The group submitted the final report around Thanksgiving and received such a positive response that the Toy Association distributed it to its nearly 1,000 member firms. Soon after, the team was invited to Toy Fair conference in NYC. Of course, the group said yes.
“Between ourselves and the Dean, we were able to set up appointments with a lot of alumni (at the conference), which was really great,” Karimzadeh said. “They were kind enough to take us through and show us some of their products and also kind to talk through some of the trends and macro trends we’re seeing in the industry, which really aligned to some of the key highlights of the report we wrote.”
While the report hasn’t been available that long, the team has gotten positive feedback so far and says that some toy manufacturers have already circulated their findings. “One thing that was pretty neat was getting executives to listen to what we’re writing,” Shue said. “Natasha mentioned that our toy paper was being cycled around at Mattel, which is in and of itself kind of scary, but also interesting that a lot of us got introduced to the toy industry just five months ago, and people are taking our thoughts and potentially putting them into action.”
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
The Vanderbilt Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program partners with liberal arts colleges and universities to offer undergraduates interested in business an opportunity to launch a career in public accounting with only 12 additional months of education. Through the Alliance program, Vanderbilt offers several benefits to applicants from select partner schools, including a $10,000 base scholarship and junior year admission.
Furman University is one of the MAcc program’s partner schools, and several dozen Furman graduates have attended the program over the years. In this spotlight, we talk with Jackson Ferrell and Ben Kingsbury, who both graduated from Furman University in 2018 with majors in business, about how the MAcc contributed to their career goals.
The institution:Furman is a premier, private liberal arts college located near Greenville, South Carolina.
How they came to find Vanderbilt MAcc: Both Kingsbury and Ferrell started thinking about Vanderbilt’s MAcc program during Furman’s Business Block — a one-semester program that groups 30 students in full day classes, four days a week. Neither Kingsbury nor Ferrell studied accounting as undergraduates, but the Block showed them how important the discipline is to understanding what’s going on at a business.
“Having the technical skill to speak accounting and do the modelling helps me take macro-economic trends and narrow them down to a particular company,” said Ferrell, who double majored in business and economics. “That is an interesting gap that accounting lets me bridge.”
Kingsbury likewise saw accounting as a vital foundation for the business world. Both Furman graduates began considering the MAcc after Director of Admissions spoke to their Block class about the opportunities it affords.
“Accounting is the link to business,” Kingsbury said. “Going to Vanderbilt’s MAcc was a great way to see what companies are out there and understand how they function.”
The Furman + Vanderbilt experience: Both originally from Nashville, Ferrell and Kingsbury had easy transitions from Furman’s “bubble” to a larger, more metropolitan setting. They said that the broader opportunities at Vanderbilt offer Furman graduates options to retain the small school feel and branch out.
“No matter how you feel about the bubble, you can find a version of what you like at Vanderbilt,” Ferrell said. “You can break out into the larger city, the larger Vanderbilt, or get involved in the Owen Graduate School of Management clubs.”
Kingsbury adds that the MAcc program makes it easy to meet people and develop a close-knit community similar to that of Furman. “Meeting people is really the key to getting a little bit of what Furman is,” he said. “Nashville is a great, welcoming city and there are people from all over in the MAcc, so you can do it. You just have to get outside your comfort zone a little.”
The next chapter: Kingsbury and Ferrell see accounting and the MAcc program as the base to broader business careers. Both got positions at major accounting firms in Boston after graduating and credit Vanderbilt’s reputation as well as training within the MAcc for their recruiting success.
“I’ve always wanted to work abroad somewhere, and I’m really well set up for that with a big company like EY,” said Kingsbury, who double majored in business and Spanish. “Vanderbilt’s name helped open doors outside the Southeast, and the MAcc gave me the technical skills and practice in soft skills surrounding recruiting and networking to get my job and be good at it.”
Ferrell likewise says the MAcc program broadened his opportunities both now and in the future. “I definitely would not be working at KPMG without the MAcc. I didn’t have a good grasp of the job coming out of my undergraduate degree,” he said. “I’m in the weeds of company finances now, and I think these skills, paired with liberal arts thinking, are going to help me step back and think about the business world holistically later down the road.”
Advice for Furman students: Ferrell and Kingsbury had limited experience with accounting before coming to the MAcc, and they advise Furman students interested in business to gain exposure to the field.
“Take any sort of accounting course and get a better sense of what it is,” Kingsbury said. “There is a lot more to my job as an auditor than bookkeeping. And the ability to be current with what’s going on in the financial world is a great skill to have in your toolkit.”
Ferrell encourages even non-business majors to consider the MAcc program. “If you know you want to go into the accounting world, it sends you out so, so prepared to do the job,” he said. “You shouldn’t count it out if you don’t have accounting or business background. You learn so much in one year that you’ll get immersed and still do well.”
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
Librarians are available for consultation throughout your career. We’re a life-long benefit to all Vanderbilt alumni and delighted to meet you virtually or in person. We also offer library resources that we hope will be of value throughout your long and distinguished careers.
2020 graduates will maintain library access to all electronic resources until September 4th, 2020. Summer is a great time to take advantage of access to over 100 different business research databases.
Questions about job searching? Looking to learn a new skill like Tableau or Python? Ask us anything by emailing managementlibrary@vanderbilt.edu: we are happy to recommend resources to help you achieve your goals.
After September 4th, you will have remote access to the databases listed below. Questions about which database will be most valuable for your individual research needs? Please contact your library team- we are happy to help.
American Community Survey (ACS) – US Census exportable data on population, housing, age, race, income, commute time to work, home value, veteran status, and more.
First Research High-level Industry Profiles on major industries: overviews, challenges, trends, executive insight, call prep questions, forecasts, growth, industry drivers and more.
Hoovers Details on US and international companies (public & private), executives, market research reports. Includes financials, subsidiaries, and SEC filings. Includes some email addresses for contacts.
Mergent Online Corporate financial histories (including capital changes) and operational histories for US and international public companies. Customizable reports on companies.
RKMA Market Research Reports Market research reports with a focus on statistics and data. Current topics include B2B Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Marketing, Use of the Internet, International Consumer Market, Entertainment & Media, Healthcare Business, Leisure, Retail Business, Sports Marketing, and Travel & Tourism.
UniWorld finds companies with Headquarters & Operations in different countries; exportable / directory style information included. Includes some email addresses for contacts.
Vault Industry and career guides, including employer profiles; advice on consulting case interviews, financial interviews, and career trends. All alumni resources are accessible by using a VUNetID. To maintain a current VUNetID, it must be renewed every 365 days. To do so, submit a VUNetID request to Ask a Librarian with your full name at graduation, school name and year.
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
Most business schools did provide the option for a video interview in the past, but the spread of the coronavirus pandemic has now made video interviews a necessity. Students who have already applied may have planned to do their interview during a now-cancelled campus visit, while others are fast-tracking their applications due to the economic uncertainty. Whatever the reason, b-school candidates can now expect to conduct their interviews via video conference.
Bailey McChesney
While there are many similarities between video and in-person interviews, the technology adds another layer of complexity and potential for error. To help students make the best first impression possible, we talked to our admissions and recruiting teams to get their top tips for acing your b-school video interview.
“Other than the essays, the interview may be the only time you have a one-on-one personal interaction. It’s your chance to show the admissions counselor who you are as a person,” said Bailey McChesney, Senior Associate Director of Admissions for the MBA program.
Get familiar with the technology.
Test both your hardware and software beforehand to make sure everything is working, and check that your internet connection can handle a video call as well. The interviewer should send you a link or invite to the call ahead of time, so familiarize yourself with Skype, Zoom, Google meeting, or whatever platform they are using. If you have any connectivity or technical issues during your call, keep cool: the interviewer will be watching to see how you handle the frustration. If the video call cuts out, and you can’t get the connection to restore, give the interview a ring on their phone and offer to continue the interview or reschedule for another time.
Know who you’re talking with.
Cherrie Wilkerson
At some schools, admissions interviews are only conducted by the admissions counselors. Other schools enlist members of the admissions committee like faculty and career coaches. No matter who you talk to, you’ll usually know ahead of time who’s going to interview you, and the purpose of the interview will be the same: getting to know you and determining fit.
“The interview is our opportunity to get to know you on a personal level beyond the facts and figures in your application. We explore your story and how our program can help you achieve your career goals,” said Cherrie Wilkerson, Assistant Dean of the Young Professional Programs.
Be ready for typical interview questions.
Emily O’Dell
Specific questions vary from school to school and interviewer to interviewer. In general, you need to be ready to walk interviewers through your résumé and explain how your undergraduate experience and/or past work experience fits with your future aspirations. You don’t need to have an exact career plan mapped out, but you should be able to clarify why you want to go to business school and how your chosen degree will help you reach your professional goals.
“Be able to articulate why you want to pursue this path. What has led you to this point? Where do you want to go after your graduate career is over? Graduate school is an important stepping stone for your career and I want to make sure our program is the right fit!” said Emily O’Dell, Director of the Master of Accountancy program.
Practice by yourself or with a friend.
Suzanne Feinstein
It takes work to walk an interviewer through an example of your professional behavior in three to five minutes. Many candidates find it helpful to outline answers to common questions using the S.T.A.R. method (situation, task, action, result) and then practice until they can answer in just a couple of minutes. Many applicants also like doing mock interviews with other people — such as a fellow applicant, spouse, roommate, or friend — to get comfortable with using video software.
“When answering interview questions, be concise and authentic. Be ready to talk about your career goals, interest in the school, interpersonal skills, leadership experiences, challenges and personal interests,” said Suzanne Feinstein, Program Director of the Master of Marketing.
Prepare the room.
When the day of the call arrives, make sure the room you’re recording in is clean, with no distracting messes. Choose a space with a plain background and minimal ambient noise. Let any roommates or family members know you’re about to record a video essay so you won’t be interrupted, and if you have pets, make sure they’re contained and quiet. As for lighting, try to sit across from an open window to take advantage of natural light. If you don’t have a window, or it doesn’t provide enough light, grab some lamps, place them behind the computer, and point them towards you.
Dress appropriately.
When it comes to clothing, treat an admissions interview like a job interview and keep it professional: men usually wear a blazer and tie, while women wear a dress or a nice shirt with dress pants or a skirt. Avoid wearing bright white or solid black, as this can mess with the light balance of the camera. Neutrals like tan and grey are always good bets, are as rich jewel tones like royal blue or emerald green. While some people are tempted to only dress professionally from the waist up for video interviews, be sure to wear a full-body outfit in case you have to stand up in the middle of a call — basketball shorts or pajama bottoms do not pair well with a nice blazer.
Don’t stress out too much.
Maura Clark
It’s true that an interview counts for a lot, but don’t psych yourself out over it. Think of it as a conversation so the school can get to know you and you can learn more about the school. Attending b-school is a big decision, and you want to make sure you end up at the right place for you.
“You know yourself best and what you have accomplished, so relax and enjoy the interview conversation! It’s important for us to see your personality and make sure we are the right fit for you,” encouraged Maura Clark, Director of Admissions for the Master of Science in Finance program.
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
Nikila Ravi’s career experience was almost exclusively in operations before she joined Vanderbilt’s EMBA program. Her undergraduate degree in industrial and operations engineering led her through progressive positions at multiple healthcare companies until she joined Banner Health in Phoenix, Arizona, working on the operations side of their innovation team.
“My job used a design-thinking model to create innovative, new solutions, prototype them, test them, and prove them out across the organization,” Ravi says. “It focused on how to innovate from a people, process, and technology perspective.”
Ravi began considering getting her MBA when she realized how much her work would benefit from a broader strategic and financial background. She credits the company culture at Banner for encouraging her to attain her degree while working.
“I always wanted to get an MBA, and when I started working for a disrupter and innovator in the healthcare space — one that has immense leadership support for higher education — the time felt right,” Ravi says. “Vanderbilt appealed to me as not only a great school with great faculty in the finance and strategy realms, but being in Nashville, I knew the healthcare industry would be a strong part of the curriculum.”
The theoretical knowledge Ravi gained during her EMBA allowed her to step out of her career-long operations focus and into a role leveraging business strategy and partnerships to innovate. Click through Ravi’s timeline below to see how she gained the knowledge and the confidence to transition to a new role in her company even before graduating.
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors
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MS Finance Brochure 2020
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28 Apr 2020, 07:01
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