March 31, 2009

UCLA Anderson: Waitlist Guidelines for Round 2

Anderson School of Business(UCLA), on its blog, laid out the guidelines sent out to all waitlist candidates from Round 2 (including those who remain on the list from Round 1).

"
We will retain your name on the waitlist for consideration at the end of Round 3 unless you request your application be withdrawn. If you would like to withdraw, please e-mail wlmgr@anderson.ucla.edu, using the subject header: “Waitlist Remove.” If you would, please include your reasons for withdrawing in your message", informed Mae Jennifer Shores, the admissions director at Anderson School of Business(UCLA).

Stated UCLA Waitlist Guidelines are as below:
  • " * All waitlist candidates who do not ask to be removed from the list will be reconsidered for admission in Round 3 and notified of the Admissions Committee decision by 6pm Pacific Time of the Round 3 decision release date of June 4, 2009. Decisions include: admit, waitlist continue and deny.

  • * In the spirit of fairness and equity, we will not accept additional materials for inclusion in your application, except for new GMAT test scores or final grades for academic coursework completed since the time of application. (Please note: decisions are made across multiple criteria and submission of additional materials beyond test or academic scores would not alter the original admissions decision.)

  • * In the same spirit of fairness and equity, we are unable to offer applicants who have already had an interview another one. Waitlist candidates who have not already been interviewed may be invited for one at a future date.

  • * There is no individual person in the office assigned to manage the waitlist. All waitlist decisions are handled by the Admissions Committee.

  • * Feedback is not offered to waitlist candidates.

  • * There is no rank order to the waitlist.

  • * The chances of being admitted off the waitlist are difficult to predict since much depends on the strength of the pool in subsequent rounds. Historically, the admit rate varies from year to year and has little correlation with the number of candidates placed on the waitlist. "




March 27, 2009

Wharton: Waitlist Procedures for Round 2

Wharton MBA Admissions Committee in its blog post informed its waitlisted candidates about Wharton's waitlist procedures.


According to Wharton's MBA Admissions Office:

  • * "We will retain your name on the waitlist for consideration at the end of the next round unless you request your application be withdrawn. If you would like to withdraw, please e-mail mba.admissions@wharton.upenn.edu, using the subject header: "Waitlist Remove."
  • * All waitlist candidates who do not ask to be removed from the list will be reconsidered for admission on an ongoing basis with decisions being released every Monday beginning Monday 6 April, 2009 and ending no later than Monday 27 July, 2009. Decisions include: admit waitlist, and deny waitlist. No change in your letter means you are still on the waitlist.
  • * In the spirit of fairness and equity, we will not accept additional materials for inclusion in your application. In this same spirit, we do not offer another interview.
  • * There is no point person in the office for the waitlist. All waitlist decisions are handled by the Admissions Committee.
  • * Feedback to candidates is not offered to candidates while they are on the waitlist.
  • * There is no rank order to the waitlist.
  • * The chances of being admitted off the waitlist are hard to predict since much depends on the strength of the pool in subsequent rounds. Historically, the admit rate has varied from year to year and has very little correlation with the number of candidates placed on the waitlist."
Link: Advice for Waitlisted Candidates

March 26, 2009

Wharton: Round 2 Admit Decisions Released

Admission decisions for Round 2 Wharton MBA applicants who were interviewed have now been released!

You may check your decision status by logging on to your online application.

"Whether you were admitted, waitlisted or denied, please read your decision letter carefully, as there is important information included in each letter", advised the Wharton MBA Admissions & Financial Aid Team

All the best to everyone!

Chicago Booth MBA Waitlist

Rose Martinelli, director of admissions and financial aid at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, gave the impression of Chicago Booth waitlist, in the post on her blog. She said that Chicago Booth uses the waitlist to gauge the flow of decisions, view the next round's applicant pool and size the class appropriately.

"While we have a great deal of history in understanding patterns for students accepting our offers of admission, we feel that with the current economic challenges that those trends may not hold true this year. The waitlist is a very good place to be -- and we believe you are a good fit/match for Booth. So this process is not about gauging your interest in Chicago Booth. I would encourage each of you who have been waitlisted to follow our instructions. Feel free to send us updates as you deem appropriate and send them to our general admissions address: admissions@chicagobooth.edu. Remember to send these updates in the body of an e-mail (no attachments, please) and put "waitlist update, your name" in the subject line," said Rose.

She informed that the school will not begin reviewing the waitlist again until the end of April. "While we cannot offer feedback to waitlist candidates (we just don't have the resources), I would encourage you to review your own application to see if there are areas that you would like to supplement. The choice of sending materials is completely up to you, but do use your judgment as to amount, frequency of contact, etc," advised Rose

"Deny after Interview: These are some of the hardest decisions that we have to make each year. Everyone we invite to interview is extremely talented -- that's a given. However, each year we have more great applicants that apply than we have room to admit. It's a pure supply and demand problem. If any of you are interested in reapplying in the future, we will be hosting re-application chats over the summer months. Stay tuned for more information", she said.

Link: Round 2 -- Waiting on the waitist

UCLA Anderson: Final Round 2 Admit Decisions Released

"The UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions Committee has released its final set of Round 2 admissions decisions. Each new admit will be personally welcomed by a phone call and/or email from a member of the Admissions Committee", notified Mae Jennifer Shores, the admissions director at Anderson School of Business(UCLA)

Round 2 applicants may view their decision by logging on to their online application account.

She further informed that all waitlist candidates will be re-evaluated along with Round 3 applicants and receive one of three admissions decisions on the Round 3 decision release date of 4 June 09: admit, deny or continue waitlist.

All the best to everyone!

March 25, 2009

Wharton: Round 2 Admissions Decision

All Round 2 applicants who were invited for interviews will receive their admissions decision tomorrow i.e on 26 march 09

You can check your decision status through your online application. You can also contact all new admits via telephone or e-mail.

All the best to everyone!


March 24, 2009

Tuck School of Business at Darmouth: To Join or Not To Join

In a dilemma? Tuck alumnus Will, in his blog post helps you to find out: Whether TUCK School of Business is the right fit for you or not.

There are 7 important points he jotted down for you to know about TUCK while you make your decision. The same are stated below in his words:

1. CULTURE: Tuck's culture is unique among the top bschools: there is an incredible sense of collaboration amongst all the students. And it is contagious. When you visit other schools look around at the students and ask yourself: could I fit in here? That's the number one most important piece of advice I can give prospective students. Ultimately you can receive a good education at any top school. The question is: who do you want to spend your time with academically, socially, and professionally. Culture matters. When I came to Tuck the answer was a resounding YES.

This Tuck culture extends to students with partners--our TPs (Tuck Partners) as they're called. Tuck Partners can audit classes, attend events, and have at times an even more robust social schedule than Tuck students. I moved up here with my girlfriend (now fiancee) and I was concerned how she fare up in the woods. Tuck could not have been more welcoming: there is no distinction between Tuckies and TPs. There are jobs up here and if you're thinking of having kids one of the premier hospitals in the country is a few miles away. In fact, if you have a partner and you are going to bschool you'd be crazy not to attend Tuck. The first year is difficult for everyone, especially here at Tuck. Having a close community helps all involved--Tuckies and TPs--stay sane throughout.

2. ALUMNI: I've written at length about how extraordinary Tuck alums are. It is a byproduct of my first point. As a bschool student do not think that just because you are at a top school you will have offers thrown at you. Just like anything else in life it's all about the people: you have to network. At a small, close knit school like Tuck, alumni are powerful internal advocates for fellow Tuckies, year in and year out.

3. FACULTY: All faculty at Tuck have to teach. There are no research fellows here; no big minds who write books and sit in their office all day subsidized by your tuition but not giving back. At Tuck you have world class professors who love to teach. They will kick your butt in the classroom and then go out for beers with you afterwards.

4. SIZE: Tuck has only 240 students in each class. You WILL know everyone in your class. What is the point of going to a school with 1,000 people in each class if you do not recognize classmates walking down the hallways?

5. FOCUS: Tuck offers only one degree: the MBA. No PhD students to divert professors' attention. No Executive MBA degrees. The focus is 100% on the students.

6. ACCESS: Every top bschool has a regular stream of CEOs coming through the doors. At Tuck, because we're in Hanover, there are no distractions for our esteemed visitors. They speak in class; they give presentations, but it doesn't end there. Most will also sign-up to host lunch and/or dinner with students. Many agree to office hours: 1-on-1 20 minute meetings with students. And when I say CEOs, I mean CEOs. For example, Wednesday Jeff Immelt (a Dartmouth grad) is speaking on campus. Do not think that just because Hanover is in a beautiful part of the world we don't get top execs. We do, and when they're here you, as a student, have unparalleled access to them.

7. CAMPUS LIFE: Tuck is a residential campus. Over half of first year students live in the dorms. This is unlike any other top bschool. The other half of first years and all second years live within a few miles of campus. All the action happens on campus.

I guess by the time you end up reading, loads of concerns in your mind with respect to TUCK gets answered :)

Hope this helps...

Taken from: Why TUCK?

Harvard Business School: Updates on all 3 Application Rounds

"This is the time of year when we have all three rounds in play, so here is some news for everyone", said Dee Leopold, HBS Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, in her blog post today.

She provided updates on all 3 application rounds as quoted below:

" *
Round One Waitlist - We will be extending offers of admission to about 40 round one waitlisters shortly after April 2. We will continue to maintain a waitlist and Eileen Chang will send out an update in early April.

*Round Two Notification - April 2 is the notification date. All decisions will be released online - you will receive an email instructing you to check your status. We won't be making any congratulatory phone calls in advance of April 2!

*Round Three Interview Invitations - Many, but not all, will go out on April 3. "

Link: Something for Everyone!

March 23, 2009

Tuck releases its January Round Decisions

Karen Marks, Tuck associate director of admissions informed on Tuck admissions blog released its January Round decisions on Friday. Karen said that this was an apt time to discuss the decisions that applicants have to make at this point. Some of the applicants might been accepted at multiple schools and may be weighing their options. Others may be in at just one school and might be assessing whether or not that school is a fit. Every aspirant might be wondering whether to wait a year and reapply or defer, and finances are likely to be a factor for many.

Karen added that if one has been admitted to Tuck and is wondering if this is the right school/ right time, then they would be happy to talk to applicant about their situation. She said,"As you probably know, we believe in transparency here and we will not be at all offended if you explain areas of concern. It makes sense to think critically about what we have to offer and whether or not Tuck is the best match for your needs - we wouldn't have admitted you unless we trusted your ability to make good, thoughtful decisions! We understand that many factors influence these decisions, including partner and family input. Please know that we are here as a resource for you, happy to have an honest discussion."

Karen further tried to help by saying that they can also help aspirants to connect with current students and alums, who can share a different perspective. Admitted Students Weekend is a terrific time to meet one's cohort and learn more about life at Tuck.

Link: Decisions

March 19, 2009

UCLA Anderson: Early Batch of Round 2 Admits Released

Mae Jennifer Shores, the admissions director at Anderson School of Business(UCLA), informed on The MBA Insiders Blog that the UCLA MBA Admissions Committee has released a 2d small batch of admit decisions to Round 2 applicants this morning. According to the blog post
members of the Committee are emailing and calling each new admit to welcome him or her to our community. She also notified that this was their final release of early decisions prior to the final decision release date of Thursday, 26 March 09.

Shores added further,"I know from experience that a lot of speculation typically follows early decision releases or changes from officially posted deadlines. The Admissions Committee decided to surprise a 2d batch of applicants it has approved for admission. The early announcement will provide these newest admits additional time to plan and prepare for our admitted student weekend (Anderson Days II) on 4-5 April 09."

According to Shores, if you did not hear from the Admissions Committee today, you are still under consideration for admission. There is no order to the release of decisions.

Link: UCLA Anderson MBA Releases 2d Early Batch of Round 2 Admits

March 12, 2009

Upcoming Events at Stanford Graduate School of Business

According to a post on Stanford MBA Admission Blog, there are two upcoming events at GSB that you might be interested in.

The first one The xxFactor: Women Changing the World event will be held on 16 May. This event is hosted by the Women in Management club, the alumnae Women's Initiative Network, and the MBA Admission Office."This conference is geared toward women who are interested in applying to business school. This year's conference will focus on who attends business school and why, what kinds of opportunities are available for MBA graduates, and why experiential learning is transformational." informs the post.

Applications for the above event are due 10 April. You can find more information here

Another event Many Voices: Perspectives on Diversity is hosted jointly by the Asian Society, Black Business Students Association, Hispanic Business Students Association, and the MBA Admission Office. According to the post this event will provide the opportunity to future aspirants to meet GSB alumni, students, faculty, and staff, and to gain insight into GSB's admission process. The event will be held on 17 May.

Applications for the above event are due 10 April. More information is available here.

The school hopes that by seeing the range of ideas and talent within GSB community might just help aspirants envision how they could make a difference at the GSB.

Events Information:
http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission_events/women.html
http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission_events/us_minorities.html

Link: Diversity in Action


UCLA Anderson: Round 2 Admit Decisions

According to a post on UCLA's The MBA Insiders Blog," The UCLA MBA Admissions Committee released a small batch of admit decisions to Round 2 applicants this morning via email."
"
Members of the Committee are also calling each new admit to welcome him or her to our community. We will release all final decisions by Thurs, 26 March 09." informed Mae Jennifer Shores, the admissions director at Anderson School of Business(UCLA)

Shores said,"I know from experience that a lot of speculation typically follows early decision releases or changes from officially posted deadlines. The Admissions Committee decided to surprise the small batch of applicants it had already approved for admission. The early announcement will provide these individuals with additional time to plan and prepare for our admitted student weekend (Anderson Days II) in early April."

She further reported that there was no order to the release of decisions. She said,"If you did not hear from us today, it is only because we are still evaluating applications and you are still under consideration for admission."

All the best to all Round 2 Applicants


Link: Early Release of Admit Decisions for Select UCLA MBA Round 2 Applicants



March 11, 2009

The Wharton MBA Waitlist

Wharton MBA Admissions Committee in its blog post advised and informed its waitlisted candidates about Wharton's waitlist policies.

The committee said,"While we can appreciate how challenging it can be to be waitlisted, please keep in mind that being waitlisted should serve as an affirmation of your accomplishment and achievement in a competitive applicant pool! We thank you for your interest, and ask that you please adhere to our waitlist policies."

They informed," At Wharton, there is no need to:

  • * spend countless hours developing creative ways to keep in touch and “win us over.”
  • * expend additional time and resources submitting additional recommendations and other materials. These are unlikely to change your eventual decision, which is made across multiple criteria.
  • * or fear that those who lobby lavishly and loudest will receive preference.
All waitlist candidates are given equal consideration – equity and fairness rule the day."

Below is the copy of email sent to all Round 1 waitlist candidates.

______________________________________________________________________

Dear Waitlist Candidate:

As a waitlist candidate, you may have some questions about the admissions process going forward. Below is some information about waitlist procedures that will be helpful to you: We will retain your name on the waitlist for consideration at the end of the next round unless you request your application be withdrawn. If you would like to withdraw, please e-mail mba.admissions at wharton.upenn.edu, using the subject header: “Waitlist Remove.”

All waitlist candidates who do not ask to be removed from the list will be reconsidered for admission in Round 3 and notified of the Admissions Committee decision by 5pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) of the Round 3 decision release date of Thursday, May 14, 2009.

Decisions include: admit waitlist, waitlist continue, and deny waitlist. In the spirit of fairness and equity, we will not accept additional materials for inclusion in your application. In this same spirit, we do not offer another interview.

There is no point person in the office for the waitlist. All waitlist decisions are handled by the Admissions Committee.

Feedback to candidates is not offered to candidates while they are on the waitlist.

There is no rank order to the waitlist.

The chances of being admitted off the waitlist are not predictable since much depends on the strength of the pool in subsequent rounds. Historically, the admit rate has varied from year to year and has very little correlation with the number of candidates placed on the waitlist.

Thank you in advance for honoring these guidelines.

We sincerely appreciate your interest in the Wharton School.
______________________________________________________________________
According to the post the dates will change following School's Round 2 decision release

Link:
The Wharton MBA Waitlist: A Time for Inactivity & Repose

Chicago Booth assures its commitment to maintain an International Student Community

Rose Martinelli, director of admissions and financial aid at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, in her blog, acknowledged the concerns of international Student Community in light of current economic factors and the tightening of domestic resources for international students. She said," While there is no argument that there are greater challenges for international students, Chicago Booth’s commitment to maintain a diverse and global student population is unwavering."

She assured on her blog," our commitment to maintaining an international community is great but our resolve is even greater. We will do all we can to ensure a truly international community represents Chicago Booth in the class of 2011 and beyond"

Rose emphasized, "The University of Chicago was founded on the premise that innovative and world changing ideas are born in an environment rich in diversity and unique perspectives. This commitment has pushed us to found schools on multiple continents, originate an International MBA (IMBA) program, offer more study abroad opportunities than the majority of our peer schools and place more people in international jobs than any of our closest competitors."

She further added,"Chicago Booth recognizes the challenges that lay ahead for our international students and we are facing them head on. This is not just an issue that affects one population of our student body, but the very fabric of our value system. In the next few posts, I will be announcing new initiatives we will put in place to address some of the concerns our international students face in their quest for a Booth MBA, including the announcement of a new loan program currently in the final stage of negotiation."


Read in detail: here

March 9, 2009

Next Steps Outlined for Round 3 Wharton MBA Applicants

Wharton MBA Admissions Committee in its blog post outlined the next steps for Round 3 Wharton MBA Applicants.

The
deadline for Round 3 applications was last week, 5 March 09, at 5pm Eastern Standard Time (EST).

According to the blog post," If you submitted your application by the deadline, you should have received an email from our office outlining the next steps in your application process. If not (sadly, quite a few emails get firewalled), a copy of the letter follows."

Below is the copy of letter from Wharton outlining the next steps in the application process
______________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for submitting your application for Round Three.

The following will provide you with information concerning the processing of application materials, timeline for the release of interview invitations, and final decision releases. If your online account reads “Complete - Round Three,” your application has all the required materials, has been processed by the Operations Team, and has been forwarded to the Committee for review.

If your online account reads “Received,” then the Operations Team needs to process your online application submission and any materials submitted by hard copy. After your materials have been processed (assuming they arrived before the Round Three deadline), your online account will be changed to “Complete for Round Three” and your file will be forwarded to the Committee for review. Due to the high number of candidates who submitted their application during the past few days (more than 60% of candidates applying for Round Three submitted their application within 24 hours of the deadline), it will take the Operations Team approximately a week to complete the processing of all materials. Therefore, please allow the Operations Team until Thursday, March 12th before inquiring about the completeness of your application.

Candidates who applied by hard-copy will receive information by e-mail about how to access their online account when the processing of their application is complete. All applications submitted by hard-copy will be processed by Thursday, March 12th.

The Admissions Committee will begin to release interview invitations on Monday, March 30th and will continue to release invitations on a daily basis until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, April 9th. Due to the nature and complexity associated with the admissions process there is no particular order in which invitations are released. Also on April 9th, the Committee will release all final admissions decisions to candidates that are not being invited for an interview and therefore no longer being considered for admission.

If you are invited for an interview, you will need to complete your interview by Thursday, April 23rd. Interviews will be available on campus with second-year Wharton MBA Students who are full members of the Admissions Committee, and off campus with alumni. All interview options are equally considered within the admissions process. Candidates who are offered an interview will receive their final admissions decision by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, May 14th.

Thank you again for applying to Wharton. We look forward to reading your application.

Sincerely,

Wharton MBA Admissions Committee

______________________________________________________________________________

Source:
Next Steps for Round 3 Wharton MBA Applicants

Wharton Updates on Loans for International Students

Thomas S. Robertson, Dean, The Wharton School and Anjani Jain, Vice Dean, Director of Wharton Graduate Division in their blog post informed that they don’t yet have a final agreement on international student loan programs, but they've made good progress since January. "Though we may eventually end up with more than one program, we are currently in the final stages of discussions with a new lender and expect to announce this program in about a week. Once finalized, this program will allow us to start disbursing loans in time for the arrival of new Lauder students. We are encouraged by the terms of the loan program currently under discussion and believe that we will have a good option to offer to students who are not US citizens or permanent residents." they informed in their blog post.

They also reported that they expect to have more information in a couple of weeks about updated programs for US citizens/permanent residents (and those with US/PR co-signors) for the next academic year.

Link: Loans for International Students

March 6, 2009

UCLA Anderson MBA: Upcoming Information Sessions

UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions Team informed on its blog that it will be hosting two admission events in March on the Anderson campus:

* Tuesday, March 10th, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM Register here
* Thursday, March 19th, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM Register here

The Admissions Team asked the prospective students not to miss this great opportunity to visit the Anderson campus and meet with the representatives of the MBA Program.

During the Special Diversity Information Session future aspirants can
  • * Learn about what UCLA has to offer
  • * Review the application process
  • * Discuss career and financial opportunities
  • * Meet with members of our Latino and African American Student Management Associations
Blog Post Link: A Special Diversity Information Session

March 5, 2009

Tuck School of Business: Online Chats

Karen Marks, Tuck associate director of admissions announced on Tuck admissions blog that as admissions committee wraps up its review of the January round and look towards April, it will conduct three admissions chats this Friday, March 6th. The chats will be held at 9, 12 and 4pm EST.

He informed,"Unlike previous chats, you do not need an access code to join. Instead, simply click here up to 10-minutes prior the scheduled chat time. Once there, click on 'online chats' and follow the directions for joining the chat."

He further added that these chats are a great opportunity for aspirants to get immediate answers to their burning questions, be they about admissions, life at Tuck or business school in a general sense. He said,"Tuck participants will include several admissions officers, as well as students and partners. The chats are a good way to get a feel for what your peers are wondering, and also to learn more about Tuck."

Link: More Chats - Friday, March 6th
To participate: Tuck Online Chats

March 4, 2009

HBS Round 3 Deadlines: Queries answered

In her post on HBS Admissions Blog, HBS Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Dee Leopold answered the queries that has been enquired by many round 3 applicants

She said,"
The March 11 deadline is coming up soon and we've been getting inquiries from candidates trying hard to get applications ready for submission in this final round." Dee further informed, "In trying to balance fairness with flexibility, here's where we come out:
  • * No extensions on the GMAT - you need to be able to submit your score in order to submit the application. We don't need to receive the official score report by March 11. If you re-take the GMAT after the March 11 deadline, we cannot consider the new score.
  • * Written applications - must be submitted online by March 11 - maybe not 5pm Boston time on the dot, but certainly on that date.
  • * Recommendations - a little more flexibility here. We'll accept online recommendations through Monday, March 16."
She added,"we understand and appreciate the uncertainty in the world right now. We are trying to be responsive while making sure we have time to carefully consider all applications and get decisions out on time."

Blogpost Link: http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/blog.html

New Loan Program for Students Studying Overseas

The Financial Times today reported that at least $500m will be made available in student loans for MBA students studying overseas through an arrangement between GMAC and the financial community. The scheme will begin in the 2009/10 academic year.

This step will help alleviate the problem experienced by many students this year who were unable to get loans at competitive rates because of the credit crunch. The whole move will definitely help Non-US students applying to US business schools have been particularly hard hit because they are not eligible for federal loans.

The report said, "GMAC, the Graduate Management Admission Council, is working with Kevin Moehn of Moehn Management, which has been established to bring lending organisations together to facilitate student loans. Mr Moehn was executive vice president of Sallie Mae, which was responsible for developing student loan programmes in the US."

The report suggests that the pilot could provide at least $500 million in loans to students accepted at some 40 business schools in the US and Europe. Report also says."The lending scheme is not dependent on any particular bank or group of banks and students who borrow under the programme will not be required to secure co-signers. Business schools involved in the programme will not be liable for individual loan defaults."

“Our role has been to act as a ‘convening authority,’ bringing together business school administrators, lending organisations and other resources to help develop a solution to this challenge,” says David Wilson, president and chief executive of GMAC. He further added, “Schools greatly value the talent and diversity that international students add to the classroom and we all want to ensure that these students and future world leaders continue to have access to graduate business education.”

Source FT: International students get Loan Aid
Read in detail: GMAC Press Release

March 3, 2009

Wharton: Round 2 On-Campus Admissions Interview Openings

The post on Wharton's MBA Blog informed that Wharton recently had a few additional time slots open up in their on-campus interview schedule.

According to a post on Wharton’s MBA Blog,
If you are still interested in coming to Philadelphia for an interview, we have added times on 06 March 2009, 09 March 2009 and 11 March 2009."

Link: http://adcomblog.wharton.upenn.edu/

March 2, 2009

IIM-B extends placement for second week

The global financial slowdown, perhaps for the first time in recent years, has forced premier B-school IIM-B to extend the placement process for the second week, which otherwise would have been completed in the first week itself. Industry sources say this is the problem with most other IIMs as there is not much of demand for the elite management graduates this year.

The gravity of the problem can be understood from the fact that while earlier recruiting companies were in a hurry to come for the placement at the earliest to take away the best of the students, now the placement committee is preferring to wait for the ‘preferred’ companies (recruiters) till they come for the placement as they are showing no sign of hurry.

“I am glad they are coming to us even in such a bad time. This year, definitely, there is not much demand in the market. In the absence of clear visibility on when the placement process will get over, we are prepared for an open-ended placement till the entire batch gets placed,” Prof Sourav Mukherji, chairperson (placement), IIM-B told Business Standard.

He said everybody is trying in his own way in bringing the best companies for the placement. The final placement in IIM-B started on Friday last week. According to sources in the placement cell, so far about 60 companies (including about 15-20 companies that attended the lateral placement happened in January-February this year) have participated in the process. There was, however, no comment on the number of students who have got offers as of now.

Most recruiting companies are going for campus interviews to the IIMs as they don’t want their relationship with the premium B-schools to be affected. “We went there this year, as we don’t want to damage our relationship,” said Nandita Gurjar, Senior vice-president and group head of HR, at Infosys Technologies.

According to industry sources, there has been a very little or even no increase in salary offered to most of the IIM students this year. This has not, however, dampened the spirit of the students, as they understand this is a temporary phenomenon.

Source: Business Standard

UCLA Anderson: MBA Admissions Interview Tips

UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions Team provided on its blog MBA Admission Interview Tips that will help applicants who have been invited for UCLA MBA Admissions interview.

Quoting from the UCLA Anderson's The MBA Insider's blog:

" PURPOSE

Interviews are not the decisive factor in admission but serve as additional information that is included in the review of your application. In most cases, interviews are fairly consistent with the application.

STRUCTURE

Interviews are blind, which reduces bias so that your interviewer has no preconceived ideas of your ability or personality based on your written application.

Interviews are largely behavioral. Discussion may enter on specific examples or detailed descriptions of events, projects or experience that demonstrate how situations you’ve faced in the past have been handled and what you learned from them. Behavioral interviewing assumes that past performance predicts future behavior.

No advance preparation is required. Questions are straightforward and cover topics such as why you seek an MBA, why you feel you are a good fit for UCLA Anderson (vice versa), what your career goals are, how you spend your spare time, what you value, about what you are passionate, etc. You will not be asked analyze a case study or demonstrate your mastery of particular subjects.

All interviews carry equal weight. There is no advantage to interviewing on-campus or with an admissions staff member. Alumni are terrific interviewers and, like admissions staff, are interested in admitting the best applicants to the program. Arrange the type of interview that is most convenient for you.

GENERAL TIPS

Interviews are a dialogue or exchange between two people. Steer away from pre-rehearsed speech and over reliance on your résumé. We are interested in getting to know you as an individual, so follow the queues of the interviewer.

The exact length of the interview does not indicate how well the interview went. While we schedule 30 minute interviews, they may vary a bit.Deviations from the schedule are random and unrelated to an individual candidate.

Do not expect the interviewer to give you feedback – literally or figuratively. Be careful to avoid any interpretation of verbal or non-verbal communication, as both may mislead you.

Interviews are not a popularity contest.The interviewer is assessing your fit for the UCLA Anderson MBA program, not whether or not the two of you would make good or best friends."

To sum up, Applicants will be interviewed blind. The schools advises the applicants to be their true self and honest during the interview. One should focus on the best aspects of his or her personality than try to be someone else other than yourself in order to impress the interviewer.

Link: Tips on UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions Interview