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Wharton / University of Pennsylvania Deadlines 2009-2010

The Wharton MBA admissions deadlines for the 2009-2010 application season are now online! The essay questions and official application are set to be released later in the summer. The deadlines are as follows:

Round 1
Application Deadline: October 1, 2009
Notification Date: December 18, 2009

Round 2
Application Deadline: January 5, 2010
Notification Date: March 26, 2010

Round 3
Application Deadline: March 9, 2010
Notification Date: May 14, 2010

Check the Clear Admit blog later in the summer for posts on the 2009-2010 Wharton essay topics!

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

Growing Emphasis on Ethics Emerges at Many Top Business Schools

Graduation this week at Harvard Business School (HBS) will include an “MBA Oath,” a new, voluntary student-led pledge stating that the goal of a business manager is to “serve the greater good,” according to a recent article in the New York Times. About 160 HBS students, or nearly 20 percent of the graduating class, have signed the MBA Oath, promising to act responsibly and ethically without advancing their “own narrow ambitions” at the expense of others, the Times report continued.

From oaths and honor codes to expanded ethics course offerings and student activities about personal and corporate responsibility, an increased focus on ethics is now more the norm than the exception at many top business schools.

And according to business school professors, it’s more than a passing fad. “I don’t see this as something that will fade away,” Diana Robertson, a professor of business ethics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, told the Times. “It’s coming from the students. I don’t know that we’ve seen such a surge in this activism since the 1960s. This activism is different, but, like that time, it is student-driven,” she continued.

To read more, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/grow ... s-schools/


Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

MIT / Sloan Deadlines and Essay Topics 2009-2010

The MIT/Sloan admissions deadlines and essay topics for the 2009-2010 application season are now online! The official application is set to be released in July. The deadlines are as follows:

Round One
Application Deadline: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Decisions Released: Monday, February 1, 2010

Rounds Two
Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 13, 2010
Decisions Released: Monday, April 5, 2010

All application are due by 12 p.m. PST. Reapplicants are required to apply in Round One.

The essay topics for the 2009-2010 season are as follows:

Cover Letter
Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.

Essays
We are interested in learning more about you and how you work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response. Please limit the experiences you discuss to those which have occurred in the past three years.

In each of the essays please describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.

To read all of the 2009-2010 MIT essay topics, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/mit- ... 2009-2010/

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

Wharton / University of Pennsylvania Essay Topics 2009-2010

The Wharton/University of Pennsylvania essay topics for the 2009-2010 admissions season have been announced! There is a specific set of essay topics for first time applicants, as well as a specific set for reapplicants. The essay topics are as follows:

2009-2010 Essay Questions – First Time Applicants

Essay 1 – (750-1000 words)
As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”. What goals are you committed to and why? How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals?

To read all the essay topics, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/whar ... 2009-2010/


Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

Participate in Clear Admit’s Free MBA Admissions Strategy Webinar!

On Tuesday, June 23rd, join Clear Admit as we host another of our popular and free webinars focused on business school application strategy. Attendees can join us online as we discuss key topics in business school admissions including what MBA programs look for in candidates, the relative importance of the application components and compensating for weaknesses in your application. Participants will also have the opportunity to have questions answered by Clear Admit’s knowledgeable admissions counselors.

The webinar has a limited number of spaces, so make sure to reserve your spot early!

If interested, please send an email to seminar@clearadmit.com. Space is limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first served-basis, so secure your spot early. The webinar will be held at 12 p.m. EST and will run until 1 p.m.

Email us now to participate in this valuable and informative webinar! We will notify you if you have successfully secured a spot.

The Clear Admit Team
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

[kchen95]

Admissions Tip: Crafting Your Resume for the MBA Application Process

We wanted to offer some general tips for the Class of 2012 applicants on getting the most mileage out of resumes in the admissions process. As many of our readers know, the resume is not only an important component of your application package, it’s also a great place to start when crafting your overall positioning strategy. This document forces one to distill a candidacy into a single page - focusing on key aspects and themes. With that in mind, here are a few simple tips to get you started:

1) First things first. Because you’re applying to graduate school, it makes sense to lead this document with a section detailing your academic history. This is also the format that many business schools’ career offices instruct students to use when applying for internships or full-time jobs post-graduation.

To read more tips, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/admi ... -advice-3/

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

Admissions Director Q&A: MIT Sloan’s Rod Garcia

As the conclusion to our Admissions Director Q&A Series, we recently spoke with Rod Garcia, director of admissions at the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). An MIT Sloan veteran, Garcia will celebrate his 21st year at the school this September. Garcia rose through the ranks since joining the MIT Sloan community in 1988, and he has served as admissions director for the past decade. Before that, he worked in admissions at the University of Chicago.

In the interview that follows, Garcia shares his thoughts on the role of MIT Sloan’s Dean David Schmittlein, who came from Wharton in 2007. He also offers advice to candidates regarding business school rankings and shares insight about what his team is looking for in response to MIT’s unique essay questions. If you’re considering applying to MIT Sloan, you won’t want to miss this.

Clear Admit: What’s the single most exciting recent development, change, or event happening at MIT Sloan?

Rod Garcia: To me, the most exciting change or development that has happened here recently is the new dean. Two years ago we brought a new dean on board – Dean David Schmittlein. As far as I know, he is the first dean who was not hired from inside. In the past they have always had a dean from within the school, and we never looked outside. But bringing someone new in brought a lot of new ideas and new energies to the school. That has really made this past year very exciting.

To read more of Garcia's interview, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/admi ... od-garcia/

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

Wharton Essay Topic Analysis 2009-2010

Following the release of Wharton’s 2009-2010 essay questions, we would like to offer some advice on how to choose compelling anecdotes and craft strong essays. Wharton’s essay prompts this year mark a change from those of previous years, as the prompts appear more pointed. This change suggests an explicit interest in the narrower topics of interpersonal skills and self-improvement. Candidates are encouraged to address how they will engage others, how they have learned from their own failures, how they have approached a certain problem and how they have sought to better themselves.

Essay 1 – (750-1000 words)
As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”. What goals are you committed to and why? How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals?
Wharton has made an interesting adjustment to its career goal prompt this year. The questions about a candidate’s goals and interest in the Wharton MBA plays remains the same, with a new twist focused on global perspective and engagement in the world. The introduction of the “engagement” element broadens the scope of the topic a bit, and suggests a curiosity about the potential impact of a candidate’s goals on the local community and perhaps global business. One might discuss how he or she intends to engage individuals or firms when doing business in the future, and how his or her stated goals might fit into the big picture of Wharton’s “truly global presence.”

To read more of Clear Admit's essay analysis, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/whar ... 2009-2010/

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com
Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

Next Generation GMAT Exam Now in Development

The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), which owns the GMAT entrance exam, is currently developing a Next Generation GMAT, slated for completion in 2013.

Through a three-phase development process, GMAC hopes to build on the strengths of the existing exam by incorporating advances in testing technology to better measure prospective applicants’ skills. It also hopes to expand the range of skills tested by the exam to include those applicable to both traditional MBA programs and newer business programs that have emerged in recent years.

As part of the first phase of development, now underway, an advisory group of faculty members from leading business schools is helping GMAC identify and review potential new skills the GMAT could measure. This advisory group met on February 11th to rate the importance of various skills and recommend changes to the GMAT.

To read more, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/next ... velopment/

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

AIGAC Presents Findings of MBA Applicant Survey at Annual GMAC Conference

The Association of International Graduate Admissions Counselors (AIGAC) was invited to present the findings of its 2009 MBA Prospect Survey to assembled representatives from many of the world’s top business schools as part of the annual Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) conference, which took place in Baltimore last week.

The presentation, delivered by AIGAC President and Clear Admit Co-founder Graham Richmond, outlined some of the major findings of the survey, which was designed to share with the schools AIGAC’s unique perspective on a specific segment of the overall MBA applicant pool, namely those who choose to work with graduate management admissions counselors.

This unique pool of applicants, most of whom are targeting highly competitive programs at business schools with extremely stringent admissions requirements, trends toward the top tier of business school candidates and represents a segment that leading business schools are very much interested in coming to better understand.

GMAC welcomed the opportunity to have AIGAC present at its annual conference, where representatives from more than 175 member schools gather each year to examine trends and developments in graduate management education. The schools paid close attention to the survey’s findings, which provided information about who AIGAC’s applicants are, how they make the decision to go to business school, what sources of information they use to gather facts about the schools they consider and what impact the current economy is having on their application process.

The AIGAC survey findings were presented for comparison alongside the findings of a broader GMAC survey of overall MBA prospects. The joint presentation helped showcase the particular attributes that distinguish AIGAC’s signature applicant pool.

To read more of the AIGAC survey findings, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/aiga ... onference/

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

Kellogg Essay Topic Analysis 2009-2010

We’d like to take some time today to offer some guidance on Kellogg’s essay prompts for the 2009-2010 admissions season. This year, Kellogg has traded its page limits in for traditional word limits – a change that actually translates to less space that applicants have to work with in addressing each prompt. With its collegial culture always at the fore, Kellogg continues to show an interest in an applicant’s potential contributions to the community, encouraging applicants to discuss what makes them unique and how they would be a valued and active member in the program.

Essay 1 – Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Kellogg. (600 word limit)
This is another fairly standard career goals/why MBA essay. As usual, it’s important to remember that specificity of goals is key, and keep in mind that the school prides itself on its collegial culture when addressing the ‘why Kellogg’ issue. One more thing to note is that the request that applicants “assess” their progress to date is unique to Kellogg’s version of this question. This would suggest that it might be appropriate to incorporate a few reflective or even evaluative comments into your discussion of your professional path in order to tailor your perspective to Kellogg’s question.

As is the case with most schools, demonstrating an understanding of the unique merits of Kellogg’s program is crucial to an effective response to this question (as well as the second essay about one’s potential contribution). Taking the time to learn about the school’s curriculum, special programs and extracurricular activities - whether through a visit to campus, conversation with alumni or reading the Clear Admit School Guide to Kellogg - will pay dividends.

To read more of our analysis, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/kell ... 0/#respond


Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

Clear Admit School Guides 2009-2010: Chicago Booth, Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, Stanford and Wharton

We’re pleased to announce the release of the 2009-2010 versions of six of our 18 Clear Admit School Guides, our line of informative reports about the leading business schools. For those who are unfamiliar with these publications, the School Guides offer in-depth information on all elements of the student experience at a leading MBA program, and compare the schools side-by-side in areas such as student demographics, curricular structure and employment statistics. In the School Guides, we distill the MBA programs’ marketing messages and delve into the facts to deliver an objective view of what each school offers and what makes each unique.

Available for immediate purchase and download are the 2009-2010 versions of Chicago Booth, Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, Stanford and Wharton. These School Guide titles feature the most current information from the programs, including the latest admissions guidelines, class demographics and placement statistics, and offer some insight into year-by-year trends. More information about the Guides’ contents and about how to order is available in the School Guides section of our website.

Updated versions of the remaining 12 School Guide titles (Anderson, Darden, Fuqua, Haas, INSEAD, Johnson, LBS, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Ross, Tuck and Yale) are slated for release later this summer, so stay tuned to this blog for more details!

To read more about, or purchase, one of our guides, click here: http://www.clearadmit.com/sg.html

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

NYU/Stern Essay Topic Analysis 2009-2010

NYU Stern’s 2009-2010 essay topics have changed only slightly since the 2008-2009 season, with only a few changes to Essay 2. While Essays 1 and 2 allow applicants to discuss standard career goals and their fit with Stern’s MBA program, Essay 3 encourages applicants to tap their creativity to showcase an element of their profile not covered in the rest of the application. Let’s take a closer look at this essay set:

Essay 1. Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
This is your standard career goals/why MBA essay, with a few interesting quirks. First, note that the initial section requests that applicants reflect on and explain the choices they’ve made to date, placing a bit of extra emphasis on the presentation of one’s career as a coherent and directed whole. While it’s always important to explain the reasons you’ve moved from one company to the next, you’ll also want to think about the more subtle decisions you’ve made to further your professional development. Have you actively sought out more responsibility? Requested an assignment with an eye to gaining a certain skill?

This essay is a great place for you to highlight your initiative and foresight in the process of relating your career progression to the adcom. Within the same theme of deliberate decision-making, the second thing to keep in mind is the prominence of the ‘why now’ issue. A thorough and well reasoned answer to this question will be a must for a solid response. Beyond your career path to date and the ‘why now’ issue, Stern will be looking for a detailed explanation of your short and long-term career plans and interest in the MBA as a means to realize these goals.

This is a lot of information to pack into a 750 word essay, but introducing the central elements of one’s candidacy in such a brief essay is definitely achievable, provided that applicants take their time to compose well-crafted and concise responses.

To read more of Clear Admit's analysis of the Stern essays, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/07/nyus ... 2009-2010/

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

Applied Management Research at UCLA Anderson

This week we turn our attention to UCLA Anderson and an unusual feature of their second-year academic program: the Applied Management Research Project.

As second-years, Anderson students test their business skills in a practical setting by partnering with organizations to address complex internal business problems or evaluate strategic opportunities. Some students opt to put their entrepreneurial abilities to the test, fulfilling the two-quarter Applied Management Research Project (AMR) requirement by establishing their own ventures. Many students cite the AMR as one of their most rewarding and confidence-building experiences at Anderson.

Click here to read more: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/07/triv ... nderson-3/

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

[kchen95]

UCLA Anderson Adds Marketing Guru Jim Stengel to Faculty

Jim Stengel, former global marketing officer of Proctor & Gamble and author of forthcoming book Packaged Goods will join the UCLA Anderson School of Management as an adjunct professor, Dean Judy Olian announced last month.

Stengel, a marketing guru who now serves as president of Jim Stengel, LLC, will teach a course in brand marketing beginning in the 2009-2010 academic year. The course will combine traditional brand management concepts with a new ideals-based marketing framework Stengel outlines in his forthcoming book, in which marketing inspires people’s likes and life inspires marketing.

“Jim Stengel’s appointment at UCLA Anderson is not just a win for the school; it’s a win for academia,” Olian said in a statement announcing his appointment. “Jim is one of the most innovative, thoughtful and visible marketing practitioners in the world,” she continued. “His deep knowledge and experiences will provide an exciting opportunity for our students to learn from a marketing leader who has transformed some of the world’s most visible brands, and his collaborative work with our faculty will enrich the field of marketing research.”

To read more, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/07/ucla ... o-faculty/

Kevin Chen
http://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
kevin@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to kevin@clearadmit.com or info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.