Episode 4 in our Big Brand Theory Series for MBA applicants: Wharton’s motto. Does the oldest business school actually have a brand? Does the oldest business school actually need a brand? Ironically, Wharton is a more powerful global brand than the elite Ivy League university of which it resides. In fact, many people don’t know that the…
Do Stanford GSB Grads REALLY “Change Lives. Change Organizations. Change the World.”?
Episode 3 in our Big Brand Theory Series for MBA applicants: Stanford GSB’s motto. Who wouldn’t want to change lives, change organizations, and change the world? Right? For Episode 3 in our Big Brand Theory series, I set out to prove that Stanford GSB admits, transforms and graduates students who accomplish great feats. I wanted…
Books To Read Before You Begin Your MBA Application
I’m certain everyone knows that before you apply to business schools, it’s a good idea to read The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Economist and Bloomberg-BusinessWeek to familiarize yourself with the jargon and the stories you will be discussing while in school. I also believe its a good idea to read about MBA…
PhD Applicants: Show, Don’t Tell
When I was Admissions Director at Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, I asked my colleague and friend, Dr. Robert Bloomfield, who led our Ph.D. program, “What characteristics do you seek in the Ph.D. candidates you invite to interview?” Rob’s answer sounded oddly familiar. A few weeks earlier, I had asked my brother Mark, who…
What MBA Applicants Should Do After Submitting Their Application
Within twelve hours I heard the same question from three clients, so I suppose this question may be on the minds of more than three, “now that I’ve submitted my applications, what should I do?” The following are a list of suggestions: Continue to learn about each school by speaking with faculty, alumni and students….
Are You Growth Minded? Mastering Kellogg’s Changing Brand
Episode 2 in our Big Brand Theory Series for MBA applicants: Northwestern Kellogg. Two days before Kellogg’s Dean Sally Blount announced Kellogg’s motto change from “Think Bravely” to “Inspiring Growth,” I received an email and video link in my inbox from my education hero, Sal Khan about why he will never tell his son that…
Get a GRIP on Team Questions
I took away a lot of wonderful concepts, frameworks and strategies from my MBA education that led to a successful admission career. In fact, one of the most powerful lessons I learned at Michigan (now Ross) was how to lead and work effectively on teams. Professor Noel Tichy, one of the gurus of Organizational Behavior…
Goal Setting as an Entrepreneur
I always ask my clients to state their long and short-term goals for me on our first meeting. Eighty percent of the time I hear the response, “I want to be an entrepreneur.” So I begin to peel away at the onion. • What problem is your business going to solve? • Why is it different than…
Weakness, What Weakness?
I saw it. The question was looming in an essay and hiding behind a corner in the brain and/or instruction sheet of my interviewer. “So Natalie, tell me about your weaknesses and what you did to overcome them”? Gosh, there are so many, I don’t even know where to begin. Ding! What do you do…
Tips for Tackling Team Interviews
With the emerging trend of group interviews at schools like Wharton, applicants need to understand that team interviews require a different set of skills than individual interviews. I liken individual interviews to blind dating. With individual interviews and blind dating, both parties are trying to figure out if they want to spend more time together….
The Waiting Game: What MBA Applicants Should Do After Hitting SUBMIT
Within twelve hours I heard the same question from three clients, so I suppose this question may be on the minds of more than three, “now that I’ve submitted my applications, what should I do?” The following are a list of suggestions: 1. Continue to learn about each school by speaking with faculty, alumni and…
Athletic Appeal in Admissions
Long before Gabby Douglas flew through her floor exercise and Michael Phelps dominated the pool, admissions directors have been impressed by athletes. From stories about the perfect basket, goal, spike or serve, athletes have wonderful stories that display their endurance, strength, leadership and team skills. Fascinated by the applicant who used his marathon run as…
The Business of Medicine and the Supreme Court Decision on Healthcare
As I listen to the landmark Supreme Court decision on healthcare, I can’t help but think about the ramifications of healthcare reform and its impact on medical professionals. Personally, I’m elated because I know that my kids will be covered until age 26 and that my husband and I won’t lose our healthcare coverage due…
Preparing for IMD’s Interview
Without a doubt, IMD conducts the most thorough MBA interview. The interview day is divided into four evaluative sections. When you arrive on campus, you will be introduced to the adcom and faculty evaluators as well as a group of applicants who will partake in the same experience as you. Since the adcom will evaluate…
Disclosing a Learning Disability
Learning disabilities such as dyslexia or ADHD fall under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those laws assure you of your right to obtain reasonable accommodation for education. As such, admissions offices cannot discriminate against you because of your disability during the admissions process. However, the admissions officer is…
So many choices…so little time: making the full-time, part-time, EMBA decision
Dave M writes about his frustration in choosing between full-time and part-time MBA programs in his blog post http://thembapath.blogspot.com/2011/02/tepper-flex-time-mba-info-session-and.html. Dave, I contemplated part-time vs. full-time when I considered MBA programs, and one of my best friends, Colleen, made the same decision at the same time. Ultimately, I decided to attend the full-time program at the University of…
The Waiting Game: What MBA Applicants Should Do After Hitting SUBMIT
Within twelve hours I heard the same question from three clients, so I suppose this question may be on the minds of more than three, “now that I’ve submitted my applications, what should I do?” The following are a list of suggestions: 1. Continue to learn about each school by speaking with faculty, alumni and…
What’s the rush?: Round 1 v. Round 2 for MBA applicants
Right now, most of my clients are scurrying about trying to complete their round 1 applications. Many of them will be ready to submit for round 1, but there are a handful of clients I’ve suggested wait until round 2, and we’ve discussed whether or not there is a true advantage to round 1 vs….
Ranking the MBA Rankings
John Byrne, granddaddy of rankings, creator of the 1988 Businessweek ranking, which caused (to quote Ghostbusters) “Fire and Brimestone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!…dogs and cats living together…mass hysteria.” Schools reacted to that ranking with significant change and improvement to curriculum, faculty training, student selection and corporate education. Now Mr….
Sustainable MBAs
Thinking about a career in sustainable enterprise? Each year the Aspen Institute ranks MBA programs in their Beyond Grey Pinstripes edition on the schools’ ability to provide curriculum, research and careers while looking at the triple bottom line. This list continues to grow, but according to the 2010 rankings, candidates looking at MBA programs that…
