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Define Your MBA Goals Before Applying to Grad School
Tweet Share on Facebook May 18, 2012 CommentThe career goals essay is perhaps the most common of all topics posed in the MBA application, so it may surprise you to learn that many prospective students don't have clearly defined career goals. If that sounds like you, the first step to remedying this situation is taking a long look at what you think an MBA degree will do for you.
B-school offers clear skill-building in teamwork and leadership, as well as practical skills like accounting, marketing and finance. For many, the strong professional network you'll build with classmates and alumni is the most alluring aspect of the experience. If you want to advance in a career where an MBA is valued, it may be an important next step.
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How to Choose Among Accelerated, Executive, and Online M.B.A.’s
Tweet Share on Facebook May 4, 2012 CommentWith the first round of business school application deadlines looming in the fall, many prospective applicants are seriously considering whether this is the year to apply for an M.B.A.
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When Applying to Business School, Own Up to Past Mistakes
Tweet Share on Facebook April 20, 2012 CommentNobody likes drawing attention to their past mistakes, academic or otherwise, particularly when applying for a seat at an über-competitive business school. Failing to address obvious weaknesses, such as a low GPA or gaps in employment history, does more harm than good in the end.
Believe it or not, being up front about your foibles can go a long way toward minimizing the damage and can actually boost your chances for admissions. Below you'll find three so-called blemishes, which many M.B.A. applicants face and how to deal with them successfully.
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The Next Step for Accepted, Wait-listed, or Denied M.B.A. Applicants
Tweet Share on Facebook April 6, 2012 Comment (3)With round two notifications pouring in from many schools, M.B.A. hopefuls need to know what to do now, no matter which status group—admitted, waitlisted, denied—they fall into. After an appropriate amount of time spent doing the happy dance, posting the news to Facebook, and celebrating over dinners or drinks, admitted applicants should focus on two things: getting their finances in order, and tactfully informing supervisors of their impending departure, especially if the news will come as a surprise.
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How to Determine When the Time Is Right for an M.B.A.
Tweet Share on Facebook March 23, 2012 Comment (4)Is there such a thing as a right time to apply for an M.B.A.? Many prospective b-school applicants confront this question when they feel that their current career trajectory has stalled. For others, pursuing an M.B.A. straight out of undergrad is a no brainer, as they avoid putting their lives on hold for two years—and forgoing a potentially significant salary to do so.
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Reputation and Rankings Trump All in B-School Selection
Tweet Share on Facebook March 9, 2012 Comment (1)I must confess; I'm a sucker for surveys. Whether it's from a favorite website, magazine, or even my cable provider, I can usually be counted on to share my opinions, because I believe consumer feedback is one of the best tools companies have to improve their products and services. As an M.B.A. admissions consultant, I like to get feedback from my clients from time to time, so my company can better tailor its services to help them achieve their educational and professional goals. With that in mind, Stacy Blackman Consulting surveyed 652 business school applicants in February 2012 to find out what matters most to today's applicants and why.
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Business Schools Experience Technology Commercialization Boom
Tweet Share on Facebook February 24, 2012 CommentOnce upon a time, graduate students from the schools of business, law, medicine, and engineering rarely crossed paths on campus except in the cafeteria or gym. That silo mentality has all but vanished as universities—and companies—embrace the idea that a successful innovation economy now requires cross-disciplinary thinking. To really get ahead, entrepreneurs need more than strong business acumen; they also must be able to understand, develop, and promote new technologies. To that end, numerous top business schools have introduced courses and established centers focusing on technology commercialization in an effort to help students identify and develop the "Next Big Thing."
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At Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, New Era Awaits
Tweet Share on Facebook February 10, 2012 CommentNorthwestern University's Kellogg School of Management recently announced sweeping changes designed to transform business education and thought leadership in the 21st century. As a Kellogg alumna, I was immediately intrigued. This new framework, billed as Envision Kellogg, follows an intensive 18-month, 360-degree assessment that involved hundreds of alumni, faculty, administrators, students, corporate partners, and others.
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Business Schools Send Students Out of Classrooms
Tweet Share on Facebook January 27, 2012 Comment (1)Hypothetical question: Should you land in the hospital and find that your treatment will be managed by a medical student rather than an attending physician, would you feel a bit panicky, or proud to play a role in what is known as a "teachable moment"?
In the latest issue of Harvard Business Review, dean of Harvard Business School Nitin Nohria says that disconcerting or frightening though it may be, we have an obligation to help train the next generation of doctors—and business schools can learn a lot from the medical profession.
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No Seats for Cheats at Today's Business Schools
Tweet Share on Facebook January 13, 2012 Comment (1)Green M.B.A.'s may be all the rage, but business school admissions is one department where the "reuse, repurpose, recycle" philosophy isn't welcome. In fact, any applicant tempted to the dark side with the seductive ease of cut-and-paste should reconsider, as more and more schools attempt to suss out the copy cats this application season using the web-based tool Turnitin for Admissions.
