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Columbia Business School’s January-Start (J-Term) MBA Application Now Available Online

The deadlines have passed for round three applications at most top business schools. But there’s still plenty of time to get your application in for Columbia Business School (CBS)’s January Accelerated MBA Program. In fact, the application for January 2010 only became available yesterday.

What is the Accelerated MBA Program? As its name suggests, it’s a fast-track MBA program that allows eligible students to complete the full-time curriculum in four consecutive terms, forgoing a summer internship and returning to the workforce in just 16 months.

To get the full scoop on the CBS’s Accelerated MBA Program, we touched base with our own Deena Maerowitz, who worked as an associate admissions director at CBS prior to joining the Clear Admit team as a senior admissions counselor.

The “J-term,” as the accelerated program is sometimes referred to, begins in January and runs straight through for four consecutive terms, which means J-term students end up graduating in May of the following year, alongside regular full-time MBA students who entered CBS the fall before them.

To read more about the J-term program, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/04/colu ... le-online/

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

[kchen95]

Recent Feedback from Clear Admit’s Clients

Each year, we receive numerous emails from our clients to update us on their results and weigh in on their experience using Clear Admit’s admissions consulting services. Today, we thought we’d share a handful of those comments from clients who used our services this admissions cycle.

“Using Clear Admit had been one of the best decisions I’ve made in navigating the business school application process. I cannot say enough how valuable it is to receive honest and thoughtful feedback on my essays from my consultant. Not only did she detail the specific aspects that needed improvements, but she also asked unique questions and provided suggestions that helpd me improve my essays using own voice. I truly believe that no matter how outstanding and accomplished an applicant may be, it is crucial to be able to communicate that on paper. My consultant helped me strategically highlight the important points and minimize the trivial details, something I struggled with quite often. Clear Admit helped me prepare the strongest application I could possibly put together, and my consultant truly went over and beyond my expectations. I highly recommend Clear Admit to anyone who is serious about applying to business school.”

Click here to read more testimonials from Clear Admit clients: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/04/rece ... s-clients/

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

[kchen95]

Round Three Decisions to Go Out Next Week from UVA’s Darden School

Sara Neher, director of admissions at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, shared details this week in a video blog about upcoming round three decisions, a recent alumni reunion, the school’s annual Darden Days for admitted students and more.

“The round three decisions will be going out in the middle of next week – after we get the deposits from round two,” Neher said. She added that they were happy to have received deposits from many international students immediately after announcing a new international student loan program earlier this month.

Click here to read more: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/04/roun ... en-school/

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

[kchen95]

UCLA’s Anderson School of Business Asks Applicants to Submit Audio Essays

Applicants this year to the Anderson School of Business at the University of California at Los Angeles were invited to submit essays in audio format, the Financial Times reports.

Though the option was voluntary, 70 percent of applicants for the class of 2011 chose to record their essays, Mae Jennifer Shores, Anderson’s admissions director, told the FT. Furthermore, the submissions were “ethnic, gender and country neutral,” Shores says, with international applicants as eager to participate as U.S. students.

Applicants were given the same choice of questions to answer in both the audio and written formats. Applicants’ most popular essay choice was to describe what the term “entrepreneurial spirit” meant to them, followed by a question asking students to address what they consider to be the most troubling global issues, the FT reported.

Click here to learn more about Anderson's audio essay, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/04/ucla ... io-essays/

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

[kchen95]

Admissions Tip: Round 3 Results

With the MBA programs releasing their Round 3 notifications in the upcoming weeks, the 2008-2009 admissions season is coming to a close for the vast majority of MBA aspirants. We’d like to offer our congratulations to all those who have gained admission to one of more of their target schools, and wish good luck to waitlisted applicants whose fate is presently a bit less certain. For all those who submitted their applications in the final round and received an unfavorable decision, we’d like to share a few tips that we hope will make the process of facing rejection as productive as possible:

1) Understand the odds and consider reapplying in the early rounds next year. If you failed to gain admission to a school in its final application round, you should not give up hope or instantly assume that your profile contains some glaring weakness that will forever bar you from acceptance. Because relatively few spots in the incoming class are available by the time of the Round 3 deadlines, it is always most difficult to get into a school at this point in the year. In many cases, an earlier application is all that you need to find success in the process.

Click here to read more of Clear Admit's tips: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/admi ... results-4/

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

[kchen95]

The Entrepreneurship Initiative at Harvard Business School

Now we turn our attention to Harvard and examine that school’s Entrepreneurship Initiative.

Harvard offers students an array of opportunities to study entrepreneurship. In addition to analyzing cases on start-up enterprises across the RC (first year) curriculum, all RC students take an Entrepreneurial Management course. In their second year, students may choose any of the 20 full-semester and 2 half-semester classroom-based courses offered on the topic, as well as either of two field study opportunities.

Harvard launched the California Research Center in Menlo Park in 1997 to serve as a resource for faculty members investigating business issues in Silicon Valley. Research conducted from this base has resulted in the composition of over 150 cases on technology and the management of and investment in start-ups.

To read more, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/triv ... -school-2/

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

[kchen95]

Tuck School of Business Launches New Climate Change MBA Elective

According to a recent report in the Economist, Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business is launching what it believes is the world’s first MBA elective focusing on climate change. Entitled “Business and Climate Change,” the course will be taught by Tuck Professor Anant Sundaram, who has created a model that gauges firms’ vulnerability to fossil-fuel prices.

As Sundaram sees it, a warming planet presents a huge business opportunity to companies, and not just a constraint. “The implications are enormous,” he told the Economist. “Massive wealth will be created by companies that get in front of this issue and lost by those that do not,” he continued.

To read more about Tuck's new elective, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/tuck ... -elective/

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

[kchen95]

Admissions Tip: Approaching the Career Goals Essay

With essay questions for the coming year already starting to be released by some schools, there are applicants who are eager to get started on their written applications. Though essay questions tend to vary year to year, the two things that nearly every prospective student can count on being asked are “What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals?” and “How will Business School X help you achieve these goals?”

These are the fundamental questions of the entire application process; identifying clear answers will help in everything from creating a list of target schools to communicating effectively with recommenders and interviewers down the line. As such, it’s a great idea to begin drafting answers to the Career Goals essay early and often! To help you get started, here are some general pointers:

Whether the essay is 1,000 or 500 words long, the adcom looks for applicants who offer fully defined long- and short-term career goals, sound reasons for pursuing an MBA at this point in their careers, well-informed interest in School X and specific plans to contribute to the campus community if they are admitted.

To read more about approaching the career goals essay click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/admi ... s-essay-3/

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

[kchen95]

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

On Tuesday, May 19, join Clear Admit as we host a free webinar on business school application strategy. Attendees can join us online as we discuss key topics in businesss 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!

To learn how to sign up for Clear Admit's webinar, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/part ... y-webinar/

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

[kchen95]

Harvard Business School (HBS) 2009-2010 Essay Topics and Deadlines to be Released Week of May 18

In a post to her blog yesterday, Harvard Business School (HBS) Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Dee Leopold announced that the HBS essay questions and deadlines dates for the 2009-2010 application season will be released sometime next week. Make sure to check the Clear Admit blog starting May 18th for further updates and analysis of the 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]

School-by-School International Student Loan Scorecard

Last fall, due to shrinking credit markets resulting from the global economic crisis, banks were forced to cancel a range of existing loan programs with many top business schools. Domestic students pursuing an MBA were not impacted, but the cancellations brought to an abrupt end most loan programs for international students that didn’t require a U.S. cosigner.

The schools have been working hard ever since to find solutions for their international students, and in the course of the past month, several top MBA programs have announced new no-cosigner loan options.

Here at Clear Admit, we have worked to compile the following international student loan scorecard, intended to give prospective applicants a quick view of available no-cosigner loan options on a school-by-school basis. Where available, we also have listed specific loan terms and rates. For additional details about any of the loan programs listed, please follow the corresponding links. We will update this resource regularly as new loan programs are added and/or program terms are announced.

Schools with No-Cosigner Loan Programs in Place

• Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville: On April 14th, Darden Director of Admissions Sara Neher announced that her office has successfully negotiated a new no-cosigner loan program for international students. Details of the program, which have not been shared publicly, have been sent directly to admitted international students, Neher reported.

• Fuqua School of Business at Duke University: On May 11th, Fuqua announced on its website that international students will be able to secure loans for their studies at Fuqua without the need for a U.S. cosigner. “We have a solution in hand that will meet students’ needs, with terms similar to those offered for the current academic year,” according to the website. To date, details and terms of that program have not been shared publicly.

To see more schools' summaries, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/scho ... scorecard/

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]

Harvard Business School (HBS) Deadlines and Essays Topics 2009-2010

The HBS deadlines and essay questions have just been released for the 2009-2010 admissions cycle. Though much remains the same, there are several notable differences over last year’s deadlines and essay topics, which we’ve summarized below:

Round 1 Deadline Set for October 1st
The Round 1 deadline is almost two weeks earlier this year, taking place on October 1st instead of October 15th. This should give HBS a bit of distance from some of their peer schools that traditionally place their deadlines towards the middle of the month - good news for applicants targeting multiple schools.

Round 1 Decisions Delivered in December
For the first time ever, HBS will be delivering Round 1 decisions in December as opposed to late January (similar to Wharton and Chicago Booth’s approach). Clear Admit applauds this decision, as it not only gives HBS applicants a faster response, but it will also allow rejected or waitlisted candidates to quickly shift to a plan B by targeting R2 deadlines in early Janaury at other schools. In previous years, the HBS R1 decisions were not available until the bulk of R2 deadlines had passed.

To read more about Harvard's decision timeline, as well as it essay topics, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/harv ... 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]

Stanford GSB Deadlines and Essay Topics 2009-2010

Following Harvard Business School’s announcement last week, the Stanford Graduate School of Business has followed suit by publishing their deadlines and essay topics for the coming application cycle. The main areas to note with this year’s application are some changes to the options for essay 3 and a new R1 notification date (before Christmas instead of in January - a change that mirrors Harvard’s decision to notify applicants earlier this year as well).

Without further ado, let’s look at the details:

Application Deadlines
Round 1: October 7, 2009
Round 2: January 6, 2010
Round 3: April 7, 2010

Note: All deadlines are 5 p.m. (Pacific)

Notification Dates
Round 1: December 16, 2009
Round 2: March 31, 2010
Round 3: May 19, 2009

To see the 2009-2010 Stanford essay topics, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/stan ... 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]

New Building, New Faculty at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business

In the year ahead, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business will welcome 13 new full-time faculty members and open a much-anticipated new building for business school classes. The new professors will begin teaching at the school in August, and the new building will open officially later this summer.

“I am pleased we can add so many outstanding faculty to our roster,” Dean George Daly said in a statement on May 15th. “This is the largest influx of such scholars during my time at the school. These appointments also coincide with the opening of our new building this fall, which will enhance learning and interaction between our students and faculty,” he continued.

Two of the new hires come to McDonough from the private sector: Bill Novelli, former CEO of AARP and co-founder of the global public relations firm Porter Novelli, and Mary “Meg” VanDeWeghe, former senior vice president for finance at Lockheed Martin. Also among the new faculty hires are two current adjunct professors, Michael Fitzgerald and Charles Skuba.

To read more, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/new- ... -business/

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]

Garth Saloner Named Dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business

Earlier this week, Stanford GSB announced the hiring of Garth Saloner as their new dean. He will replace Robert Joss, who has served as dean for the past decade and was responsible for both the development of a new curriculum as well as the launch of construction of new state of the art facilities.

Saloner has been teaching at Stanford since 1990 is presently the Jeffrey S. Skoll Professor of Electronic Commerce, Strategic Management and Economics. He has also served as the director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Graduate School of Business and has been integral in the launch of the new curriculum. Saloner holds a PhD in Economics, Business and Public Policy from Stanford University and is one of only two faculty members to have been awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award at the GSB twice (1993 and 2008).

To read more, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/gart ... -business/

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.