The chat will take place in the Accepted chat room.

During our most recent MBA admissions chat, we hosted a busy event with the Consortium. Here are a few excerpts from the transcript.

Linda Abraham (Oct 20, 2009 7:05:14 PM)
To all the school reps, does the applicant ranking influence the evaluation of the application?

WendyHuberUVA (Oct 20, 2009 7:06:22 PM)
Linda, applicants should apply as if the schools do not see the ranking. Rankings are only looked at when we are deciding fellowships, they are not used in the admission decision.

JacquelynnDayROCHESTER (Oct 20, 2009 7:09:08 PM)
Linda: While we do consider an individual's rankings, we look at the application as a whole, therefore we encourage students to focus on submitting an overall competitive application

RTorres (Oct 20, 2009 7:05:50 PM)
What happens with applicants that apply to the Consortium and to the specific MBA programs at schools when they are not accepted into the fellowship? How are their MBA applications handled? Are they still considered by the schools?

ErinNicklesburgWISCONSIN (Oct 20, 2009 7:07:59 PM)
RTorres: Each applicant is evaluated independently by each school in terms of both admission and Fellowship decision. An offer of admission does not indicate a guaranteed Fellowship offer, as they are separate. The admission offer will stand regardless of the Fellowship offer. If a Fellowship offer is not given, the applicant will go into the general merit-based aid pool.

AmyPR (Oct 20, 2009 7:12:34 PM)
What is the difference between the November application date and the January application date? Do chances of acceptance increase one date vs. the other?

LaurieShunneyCORNELL (Oct 20, 2009 7:15:21 PM)
AmyPR- Competitiveness for admission and scholarship may increase in later rounds. In general, we recommend submitting the strongest application possible. If you are prepared to apply during the November round, it may help.

What is the role of GMAT scores in job recruiting. Recruiters at certain elite strategy consulting firms and investment banks use the GMAT as an early-stage screening tool. BW makes clear that a high GMAT will not land a job offer, but a low GMAT could prevent you from getting that first interview at the most competitive banks and consulting firms. The article hints that 700 is the cut-off.

Steve, author of The 2012 MBA  Applicant blog, shrewdly observes in  The GMAT is becoming more important "So this is a heads up to all those who plan on 'making it rain' for the rest of their lives…you better have the GMAT score necessary to get into the club!"

He's so right. Firm reliance on the GMAT score as a screening mechanism has another consequence, not discussed in the article. Because admissions offices in our tough economy are weighing post-MBA employability more heavily, they want to admit applicants with realistic goals. If you have a 680 GMAT and say you want to work for Goldman or McKinsey, then you may be perceived as unrealistic -- particularly at programs with average GMATs at matriculation of over 700.

I have spoken with many admissions directors who would reject otherwise admissible applicants whom they deemed unrealistic. Others view applicants with a mismatch between their GMAT score and their goals as candidates who hadn't done their homework and consequently are uninformed. In either case, the lack of information/realism seemed more damaging than the GMAT score itself. 

When presenting your goals, be informed. Be real.

• Tepper
• Darden
• Emory
• NYU Stern
• Wisconsin
• Yale SOM
• Washington
• Rochester
• Kelley
• Cornell
• Marshall

If you are interested in the Consortium, its missions, simplified application process, and fellowships, be sure to participate in the chat in Accepted's chat room.

I also want to let you know that we posted the transcript of last week's NYU Stern Admissions Director Chat with Anika Davis Pratt, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid; Isser Gallogly, Executive Director of MBA Admission; Paula Steisel Goldfarb, Senior Director of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid; and Emily Zwanziger, NYU Stern Class of 2010. Check it out in full, but for now, here are a few excerpts.:

naman (Oct 14, 2009 11:13:19 AM)
Isser: Stern MBA is traditionally renowned for finance, probably due to its location in NY. This is also supported in the recruitment profile for the last few years. How competitively are Stern MBAs (in other areas, specifically, consulting) viewed by the recruiters when compared with other top business schools?

IsserGalloglyNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:17:16 AM)
Naman - Stern is great across the board. In consulting, we had recruiters from Bain, McKinsey, BCG, Deloitte & Booz plus many others hire students. In fact, McKinsey and BCG were two of our top recruiters this year for the class as a whole.

IsserGalloglyNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:19:31 AM)
Naman- Another reason we do so well in Consulting is the students IQ+EQ. Not only are our students really smart, but they have superior interpersonal skills. Part of the reason we do the interview process the way we do is to get people with great EQ (emotional intelligence quotient). Recruiters really notice and appreciate that aspect of our students.

lcpink12 (Oct 14, 2009 11:18:58 AM)
Anika: What % of students does a term abroad on exchange? How much does this affect recruiting/interviewing on campus?

AnikaPrattNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:24:16 AM)
LcPink12: Over 300 full-time and part-time students participate in our international programs each year. This includes semester exchange, our popular Doing Business in (DBi) program, and short-term opportunities in the summer. About 60 participated in semester exchange, 250 participated in the DBi trips, and 9 participated in short-term study. Students typically choose their semester to go abroad based on the recruiting schedule for their career of interest. If you want to immerse yourself fully in NYC, the DBi program is ideal because it is a one to two week format.

Linda Abraham (Oct 14, 2009 11:20:04 AM)
Isser what is unique about NYU's interview process that hones in on EQ?

IsserGalloglyNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:29:04 AM)
Linda-There are a few things that are unique about our interview process. It is by invitation only - we only ask to meet you if we are very serious about you after reviewing the application. About 60% of those interviewed are admitted, about 30% of those who apply are selected to interview. The interviews are almost always here in NYC at Stern and conducted by a trained admissions professional. You have 30 minutes to make your case in person to the committee. The interview is not blind. The interviewer will have studied your application and ask you deeper and more specific questions. While you are at Stern, you may visit a class and have lunch with a student (depending on the time of year). If you apply to Stern, save some vacation days and money to fly here for your interview. We take the interview very seriously and it's a unique part of our process.

AnikaPrattNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:29:09 AM)
Naman: NYU Stern is a great place to be if you want a career change into Consulting. Typically, over half of our incoming class plans on making a career change. At Stern, programs like the Industry Mentoring Initiative (IMI) partner with lead consulting firms and senior executives to mentor students changing careers into consulting. In addition, our student club - the MCA - has a rigorous casing training and prep leading up to consulting interviews -- just to mention a couple of the great resources here at Stern.

If you are interested in NYU Stern, review the chat transcript. The Stern representatives provide meaty, specific answers to a broad range of applicant questions.

My comments are in red.

In separate documents, please address the following questions. On the top of each page, please indicate your full name as listed on your application and the question to which you are responding.

1. List one of your most significant professional or organizational accomplishments.
Describe your precise role in this event and how it has helped to shape your management skills. Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages. 

When have you really had impact on an organization? When have you contributed to an increase in membership or sales, a decrease in expenses or time to market, or a change of policy. Any of these outcomes could represent a significant professional or organizational accomplishment for you.

Make sure that the essay both defines your role and the impact of your achievement as well as the influence this experience has had on your views of management and your management skill set.

As you reflect on this last part of the question, also review Goizueta's core values. All your essays should demonstrate that you identify with these values.

2. Please complete/address two of the following statements.
Full-time candidates (Two-Year and One-Year Programs) must complete/address choice F as one of the two options. Please limit each response to one, double-spaced, typed page.

a.    I have always wanted to....
b.    My most memorable cross-cultural experience....
c.    My family background is unique because....
d.    The person who has had the greatest influence on my leadership style is... because...
e.    The greatest lesson I have ever learned....
f.    Of Goizueta’s core values (courage, integrity, accountability, rigor, diversity, team, community), which value resonates most with you and why?

Don't sit there and try to calculate which questions Emory really wants you to answer. It is giving you a choice so that you choose the two that allow you to best present yourself to the admissions committee. Choose topics that will complement the other elements of the application and perhaps address a possible short coming or even a stereo-type.

3. What do you expect to accomplish in the Goizueta Business School MBA program?
How will your participation in the MBA program fit in with your experiences and responsibilities as well as your short and long-term career goals? Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages.

This is a variation on the classic MBA goals question. Connect the dots between your past, present, and future. Use specifics to highlight your achievements and pivotal experiences without repeating essays 1 & 2.  Show that Goizueta will help you achieve your goals. Summary: How will the Emory MBA help you get from your current skill set and experiences to your short- and long-term goals?

To assist in the timely processing of your application, please convert your document into a PDF prior to uploading it to your application. Instructions and access to a software program that will convert your documents is available within the application.

If you would like help with your Emory MBA application, please consider Accepted's MBA essay editing and admissions consulting or an Emory MBA Premier Comprehensive Package, which includes essay editing, interview coaching, consultation, and a resume edit for the Goizueta MBA application.

Emory Goizueta 2010 MBA Deadlines

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications received after the final deadline will be reviewed on a space available basis. Applications will not be reviewed until they are complete with all required materials including official test scores, recommendation letters, official transcripts, essays, resume and interview (where applicable). We encourage candidates who have submitted their on-line application to log into OPUS to verify materials received and to check their application status.   The Admissions Office cannot accommodate requests to verify materials received over the phone.

Application Deadlines

• November 1, 2009 - Early Deadline
• December 1, 2009* - Recommended International Deadline
• February 1, 2010** - Scholarship and One-Year Program Deadline
• March 1, 2010 - Final Deadline

* International applicants are encouraged to apply by December 1, 2009. However, applications received by the final program deadline will still be given complete consideration.

** All One-Year Program applicants and all those who wish to be considered for scholarships must submit the application and all materials  by February 1, 2010 to be given complete consideration.

Although the entire post is worthwhile, I want to highlight Ahembeea's #1 lesson, "I want to do an MBA. Full stop." At the beginning of his MBA application process and school research he writes, "I had a burning desire for an MBA for years before I started looking at schools abroad last year. Like it usually happens, there was no structure to that desire. The motivation had always been extremely strong, but all I knew was that I HAD to do an MBA come what may. "  

Ahembeea's takeaway today: 

Lesson # 1 - A larger part of the time I spent researching B Schools after my GMAT should have been spent on first answering the basic questions. I should have been clearer from the beginning, and not now when the game is almost up.

The key basic question: "What do you want to do after your MBA?" As many of you know, I have responded to thousands of MBA admissions questions on the Internet -- going back to AOL and Compuserve in the 1990's. For years my practice has been not to recommend schools without knowing the applicant's post-MBA goal.

Like Ahembeea today, I don't see how you can intelligently choose your target programs without knowing your post-MBA goals. Choosing your target programs without knowing why you want an MBA, what you to extract from your the experience, or what you want to do after your MBA is akin to aiming darts at a US News or BusinessWeek list of business schools and applying to the ones pierced by the darts. The MBA experience is too expensive and has the potential to be such a growth experience that you should do your basic research ahead of time so that you can apply to and ultimately attend the schools that really are best for you.

Yes, your qualifications are a critical element in determining where to apply. However, frequently so much emphasis is placed on what you need to get into a top MBA program, that what you want to get out of the MBA is given short shrift. Spend time now clarifying your reasons for wanting to pursue an MBA. An incoherent, amorphous, burning desire to earn an MBA is insufficient. A honed, researched, thoughtful basis for you application decision will help you in admissions and also in your job search. (Please listen to MBA Podcaster's  "Landing Your Ideal Summer Internship: The First Step in a Successful Post-MBA Career," specifically Ross's Al Cotrone's comments for further thoughts on this point.)

I recommend "Lessons From My Journey."

You will find in the special report articles on:

• Applying while or after a layoff.
• The series "MBA in Finance: Forget It?"
• The disappearance and reappearance of financial aid options.
• The wisdom of applying during times of financial uncertainty.

Please feel free to download and share Applying to Business School in Times of Crisis.

Please also use the comments to share your thoughts on the topics discussed in this special report.

As a member of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC), we are conducting a survey to help us better understand MBA applicants’ goals and needs.  If you are or will be an MBA applicant, we invite you to share your priorities and views on the MBA application process. 

This online survey should take just 10 minutes to complete.  We would love to receive as many responses as possible before the closing date of Friday, March 20, 2009 - and AIGAC will be giving away an iPod Touch and two iPod Shuffles as a token of our gratitude! 

Thanks in advance for your participation!

Simply click here to begin. 

Emory Goizueta 2009 MBA Deadlines

Application Received By:	Decision No Later Than
November 1, 2008	January 1, 2009
December 8, 2008	March 1, 2009
February 1, 2009	April 1, 2009
March 1, 2009	May 1, 2009

* International applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by December 8, 2008. However, applications received by the final program deadline will still be given full consideration.

** All One-Year program applicants and those who wish to be considered for scholarships must apply by February 1, 2009.

Emory Goizueta 2009 MBA Essay Questions

My comments are in red.

In separate documents, please address the following questions. On the top of each page, please indicate your full name as listed on your application and the question to which you are responding.

1. List one of your most significant professional or organizational accomplishments.
Describe your precise role in this event and how it has helped to shape your management skills. Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages.

When have you really had impact on an organization? When have you contributed to an increase in membership or sales, a decrease in expenses or time to market, or a change of policy. Any of these outcomes could represent a significant professional or organizational accomplishment for you.

Make sure that the essay both defines your role and the impact of your achievement as well as the influence this experience has had on your views of management and your management skill set.

As you reflect on this last part of the question, also review Goizueta's core values.  All your essays should demonstrate that you identify with these values.

2. Please complete/address two of the following statements.
Full-time candidates (Two-Year and One-Year Programs) must complete/address choice F as one of the two options. Please limit each response to one, double-spaced, typed page.

1. I have always wanted to....
2. My most memorable cross-cultural experience....
3. My family background is unique because....
4. The person who has had the greatest influence on my leadership style is... because...
5. The greatest lesson I have ever learned....
6. Of Goizueta’s core values (courage, integrity, accountability, rigor, diversity, team, community), which value resonates most with you and why?

Don't sit there and try to calculate which questions Emory really wants you to answer. It is giving you a choice so that you choose the two that allow you to best present yourself to the admissions committee. Choose topics that will complement the other elements of the application and perhaps address a possible short coming or even a stereo-type.

3. What do you expect to accomplish in the Goizueta Business School MBA program?
How will your participation in the MBA program fit in with your experiences and responsibilities as well as your short and long-term career goals? Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages. 

This is a variation on the classic MBA goals question.  Connect the dots between your past, present, and future. Use specifics to highlight your achievements and pivotal experiences without repeating essays 1 & 2.  Show that Goizueta will help you achieve your goals. Summary: How will the Emory MBA help you get from your current skill set and experiences to your short- and long-term goals?

To assist in the timely processing of your application, please convert your document into a PDF prior to uploading it to your application. Instructions and access to a software program that will convert your documents is available within the application.

If you would like help with your Emory MBA application, please consider Accepted's MBA essay editing and admissions consulting or an Emory MBA Premier Comprehensive Package, which includes essay editing, interview coaching, consultation, and a resume edit for the Goizueta MBA application.

Looking ahead to 2009, we plan to make this web site and our services even better. We will roll out changes on the site throughout 2009.

We are currently wrestling with a question:  Whether or not to continue publishing recent posts from this blog on the Accepted.com home page.  What do you think?

We would really appreciate your taking a minute to answer a quick, 3-question survey and help us design this site in a way that suits you -- or at least a majority of you. Thank you very much for your time.

Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

Frankly, don't pay too much attention to the absolute ranking or even slight movement. Take advantage of BW's rich, informative database and fantastic resources for applicants. Then choose what's important to you and do your own ranking.

Top 30 U.S. Programs
1 University of Chicago
2 Harvard University
3 Northwestern University (Kellogg)
4 University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
5 University of Michigan (Ross)
6 Stanford University
7 Columbia University
8 Duke University (Fuqua)
9 MIT (Sloan)
10 UC Berkeley (Haas)
11 Cornell University (Johnson)
12 Dartmouth (Tuck)
13 NYU (Stern)
14 UCLA (Anderson)
15 Indiana University (Kelley)
16 University of Virginia (Darden)
17 UNC - Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)
18 Southern Methodist (Cox)
19 Carnegie Mellon (Tepper)
20 University of Notre Dame (Mendoza)
21 Texas - Austin
22 Brigham Young (Marriott)
23 Emory University (Goizueta)
24 Yale University
25 University of Southern California (Marshall)
26 University of Maryland (Smith)
27 University of Washington (Foster)
28 Washington University (Olin)
29 Georgia Tech
30 Vanderbilt University (Owen)

Top 10 Non-U.S. MBA Programs
1 Queens University
2 IE Business School
3 INSEAD
4 Western Ontario (Ivey)
5 London Business School
6 ESADE
7 IMD
8 Toronto (Rotman)
9 IESE
10 Oxford (Saîd)

BW bases its rankings on employer and student surveys as well as school research output or "intellectual capital."  This year for the first time, in a nod to the economic crisis, it is also including a ranking based on ROI and years to recoup the MBA investment. Not surprisingly, European schools, which tend to be one-year programs, are at the top of the chart. More surprising: HBS ranks 50 out of 50 in this chart. I guess assumptions matter.