It is worth noting that Tepper’s class composition is significantly different from that of many of its peer MBA programs and that Tepper has one of the smallest full-time student enrollments. Only 5% of Tepper’s incoming 2026 MBA class majored in arts/humanities as undergraduates. Does that mean that Tepper isn’t interested in candidates from humanities backgrounds? Not at all, but it does mean that any applicant from a humanities background needs to demonstrate their aptitude for complex, quantitative analyses to prove themselves capable of handling the challenging Tepper curriculum. If you aren’t able to do this otherwise through the application, you could consider using the optional essay to share additional relevant information with the adcom.

Ready to work on your Tepper application? Read on.

CMU Tepper application essay tips 

There is one required essay (maximum 500 words) for all Tepper MBA applicants (except college seniors). You are now able to choose which essay question resonates most with you and how you can present your best application. Please choose 1 of the following 2 questions. We do not have a preference on which question you answer. 

Being able to select the essay prompt that best fits your personal profile gives you the opportunity to draw the adcom’s attention to your strongest stories and traits. The first essay question concerns an experience you had navigating uncertainty, while the second asks you to look toward the future and envision your development while in the MBA program. The Tepper adcom doesn’t prefer one essay question over the other, so reflect on how you might answer each one, and then determine which prompt positions you most strongly.

Option #1

At Tepper, we value leaders who can make confident decisions when facing complexity and uncertainty. Tell us about a time when you had to take action without having all of the answers. How did you navigate the situation and what was the outcome?

This question asks for a specific example of a time when you needed to act in some way, even though you were working with incomplete information. Having the humility to discuss a situation in which you recognized your limitations and were nevertheless able to determine what you needed to do to move forward demonstrates your self-awareness and resourcefulness. Although sharing the outcome of the situation with the adcom is important, it isn’t necessary for things to have worked out perfectly in your story. You should consider such a situation from the standpoint of not only what you did but also what you learned as a result. 

When responding to this prompt, use the STAR method:

• S (situation) – Briefly describe the situation and explain the circumstances that you faced.
• T (task) – What was your role and what was expected of you?
• A (action) – Highlight the ambiguity. What didn’t you know? Then, what steps did you take to address the lack of information? Did you conduct research? Collaborate with another team or department? Seek mentorship?
• R (result) – What was the outcome? Share what went well as well as where you might have missed the mark. Next, and most importantly, demonstrate your growth mindset by sharing what you learned. Furthermore, how have you applied those lessons since that time?

Option #2

The Tepper School of Business is committed to helping students reach their full potential by supporting their professional and personal transformation. How do you hope to transform, both professionally and personally, during your time in the program? Please describe your development goals and steps you plan to achieve them.

By all accounts, the MBA experience is a transformative one, and this question gets at the heart of that idea. You will demonstrate your growth orientation by conveying your readiness for this life-changing opportunity. This question requires you to consider your motivation for pursuing an MBA at this stage of your career. What skills do you need to build or enhance as you navigate your next steps? What specific knowledge will you pursue that will prepare you for a new role, especially if you plan to make a career pivot? How will you build the skills and develop this knowledge? 

On the personal side, how do you want to grow as a person throughout this experience? Areas for growth might range from developing cultural fluency to enhancing empathy to becoming a stronger leader. How will the Tepper MBA environment facilitate this personal growth and development? 

Knowing the program’s offerings and experiential learning opportunities, and having insight into the Tepper student experience is necessary to respond to this prompt. You must not only demonstrate your clarity of purpose and desire for growth but also convey your fit with the program.

Optional Essay

There also is an optional essay for additional information about your candidacy that you may wish to share with the admissions committee. Use this essay to convey important information that you may not have otherwise been able to convey. This may include unexplained resume gaps, context for recommender selection, etc. However, do not feel obligated to complete the optional essay.

Are you a re-applicant? Use the optional essay to explain how your candidacy has strengthened since your last application.

In addition to filling in information gaps for the adcom, use this essay to mention connections you’ve made with members of the Tepper community that were enlightening or helpful in your understanding of how you will thrive at the school. Go beyond mere name-dropping, though, and be sure to share insights into the impact of your interaction.

Please note that candidates applying to the Deferred Admission for College Seniors program will respond to different essay questions.

CMU Tepper video essay: goals

We know this is an important component of your decision to attend business school. We take it seriously as well. Please describe your post-MBA career goals.

It would be helpful to consider the following information in your response:

• You have up to 2 minutes to respond to this question.
• Please be as specific as possible. If you have not yet identified specific companies, that is okay. Just tell us what interests you for your next role or company. What about the industry, company, or functional role is appealing to you?
• If you have any criteria you are using to evaluate career opportunities, please share those as well. We may have great opportunities to add to your list.
• How does this post-MBA career goal relate to your long-term career plan?

This essay is a typical goals essay, except that you will respond via video rather than writing it. You will have two opportunities to record your video essay, so preparation is vital. Before officially responding to this prompt, record yourself and review the recordings critically, focusing on your delivery and the content of your answer. Create a script or at least bullet points, and practice. Is English not your first language? Then practice enough to convey your answer without sounding too rehearsed. By all means, avoid reading your response.

As for the content of your essay, share what motivates and is important to you as you consider the next step in your career. Be as specific as you can regarding the industry and function for your post-MBA position. Consider the type of organization you are interested in joining, and feel free to list some companies (but indicate that the list is not necessarily comprehensive). You will be exposed to new organizations and opportunities early in the MBA program, and you want to convey your openness and flexibility to coaching when you begin working with your career counselor. Finally, paint a picture of your career for the longer term. How does your immediate post-MBA goal fit into the bigger picture for the next eight to ten years? Convey your objectives authentically, and demonstrate to the adcom that you have a plausible plan that builds on your existing skills and experience. Are you making a pivot to a new career? If so, think about transferable skills you can build on to make this move successfully.

CMU Tepper application deadlines

Source: CMU Tepper website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with CMU Tepper directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

CMU Tepper class profile

Here is a look at the CMU Tepper Class of 2026 (data taken from the CMU Tepper website):

Students: 156

Women: 31%

LGBTQIA+: 11%

International citizens: 39%

Minorities (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only): 52%

Underrepresented minorities (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only): 26%

Military and veterans (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only): 22%

Average age: 29

Middle 80% age range: 25-35

Average GPA: 3.26

Median GPA: 3.25

Middle 80% GPA range: 2.92-3.76

Undergraduate majors:

• Engineering: 32%
• Business/Commerce: 22%
• Economics: 9%
• Math/Physical Science: 9%
• Other: 7%
• Arts/Humanities: 5%
• Social Sciences: 5%

Average GMAT: 697

Median GMAT: 700

Middle 80% GMAT range: 640-740

Average GRE: 323

Median GRE: 324

Middle 80% GRE range: 314-332

Average years of work experience: 6.3

Median years of work experience: 5.7

Middle 80% range of years of work experience: 3.0-10.5

Industry background:

• Other: 15%
• Financial services: 14%
• Technology/New media: 14%
• Government: 12%
• Consulting: 10%
• Manufacturing: 9%
• Healthcare: 5%
• Consumer goods and retail: 4%
• Consumer products: 3%
• Energy and clean tech: 3%

Related Resources

• Crafting Compelling MBA Goals Essays, a free guide 
• How to Get a CMU Tepper MBA, podcast Episode 425
• From Example to Exceptional: Crafting Standout Application Essays, a free guide

The post CMU Tepper MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2025-2026], Class Profile appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Our consultants receive a lot of questions from clients about applying to MBA programs through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. I’ve heard myths that suggest that applying to one (or more) of the 22 Consortium schools through The Consortium’s application is disadvantageous. But as the former director at two Consortium schools, I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth — provided you meet The Consortium’s minimum qualifications.

Though the requirements, participating schools, and corporate partners have changed over The Consortium’s 57-year history, not only is the organization the best deal in town but it also gives its members an alumni network that extends throughout the 22 member schools.

The Consortium history and mission

Initially, The Consortium provided opportunities for young African-American men to have a fair chance at rising up the corporate ladder via the MBA. Later, The Consortium added Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and women to its mix. Membership came along with the fellowship.

However, after the Supreme Court decided the Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger cases, The Consortium opened its doors to offer membership to selected applicants that further The Consortium’s mission to promote the “inclusion in global business education and leadership . . . of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans.” Members do not need to belong to one of these groups but must demonstrate the mission through community and professional action and impact. Thus, membership is no longer race based but rather mission driven. Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to succeed in a Consortium member school’s MBA program.

Consortium member benefits

Like the undergraduate Common App, candidates can apply to up to six schools with only one application for a fraction of the cost that the candidate would incur by applying to each school separately. The Consortium membership grants the candidate access to the orientation and corporate partners. Many members receive internship offers before the start of school.

To summarize the benefits:

1. Applicants can use a single application for up to six schools at one low cost.
   
2. Members gain access to a vast alumni network of 22 schools, including mentorship from among the approximately 9,000 Consortium alumni (formal or informal).
   
3. Students gain access to corporate sponsors at orientation if selected as a member.
   
4. If selected as a fellow, students receive full tuition and a stipend.

READ: The Consortium Application: Tips for Your CGSM Essays >>

Consortium member schools

* School’s class profile presents a score/GPA range rather than an average.

To learn more about applying through The Consortium, please contact me for a consultation.

By Natalie Grinblatt, the former admissions dean/director at three top business schools. Natalie has reviewed more than 70,000 applications, interviewed more than 2,500 candidates, and trained nearly 700 admissions directors and alumni volunteers to select outstanding candidates for admission. Her clients gain admission to top programs, including those at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Berkeley, Chicago, Northwestern, and NYU. Natalie holds an MBA from Michigan Ross. Want Natalie to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Top MBA Application Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right
• The Consortium Application: Tips for Your CGSM Essays [2022 – 2023]
• What the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Can Do for MBA Applicants – podcast episode 395

Can the Consortium Help You Get Accepted and Fund Your MBA? [Episode 532]

[powerpress]

In this episode, the Director of Recruiting at CGSM details the benefits – and opportunities! – available to Consortium members, what it takes to become a member, and why applying in Round One may not always be an applicant’s best strategy.  [SHOW SUMMARY]

There’s an organization that can help U.S. citizens and permanent residents get accepted to top MBA programs, fund their MBA, and even provide career support post-MBA – provided the applicants support the organization’s mission. Let’s learn all about it from the Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management’s (CGSM) Director of Recruiting.

An interview with Bianca Keys, director of recruiting at the Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management. [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 532nd episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. 

Sometimes I’m asked, is the MBA worth it? And my answer is, it depends on your individual circumstances. But I’ve got good news. We’ve developed a tool that will help you evaluate whether an MBA is worth it for you and your individual circumstances and by how much. Just go to accepted.com/mbaroi and check how much you’re likely to benefit, or not, from earning an MBA. And using it won’t set you back even one cent, it’s free. 

I’m delighted for the first time on Admissions Straight Talk to talk with Bianca Keys, Director of Recruiting at the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Bianca earned her bachelor’s degree from Lindenwood University and her master’s in Business Management and Leadership from Webster University. She has worked in enrollment management, DEI training, and admissions in different capacities since 2008. She became CGSM’s Director of Recruiting in September 2022. 

Bianca, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:53]

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

I’m delighted to do so. Now let’s start with something really, really basic. What is the Consortium? [1:59]

All right. So, the Consortium, we are pretty much an alliance of top graduate business programs and also top corporate partners, and we’re supported by alumni and students. We were founded in 1966 by Washington University’s professor, Sterling Schoen. And his one driven mission was actually inspired by him noticing a lack of African American men in leadership in American corporations.

So, with the partnerships of some corporate partners and some founding schools, they were able to pretty much create this alliance to give African American men the business skills to be able to secure positions in American corporations. So, now we’ve grown.

And I assume it’s no longer limited to African American men. It’s now African American men and women, right? [2:59]

Yes, men and women. And our target pops are African American men, Native American and Hispanic American, but our applications are open to all.

How does one become a CGSM member? [3:16]

In order to become a member, you would have to, of course, apply. And three of our requirements are that you must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident of any race or ethnicity, you must demonstrate a commitment to our Consortium’s mission, and hold a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or equivalent. So, to be approved for Consortium membership, an applicant must demonstrate the commitment through their resume, our essay, and their letter of recommendation.

I have in front of me your mission, so I’m just going to read it off. “The mission of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an alliance of leading American business schools and some of our country’s top corporations, is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping to reduce the serious underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both the member schools’ enrollments and the ranks of management.” 

So, again, there’s no racial requirement in terms of membership as long as you support and identify with and support and have supported that mission in the past. [3:59]

Yeah.

All right. So, one of CGSM’S benefits is the ability to apply through CGSM and pay one application fee, and I think it goes to a maximum of six schools, correct? [4:33]

There’s no max anymore.

There’s no max anymore, ooh! [4:44]

So, two things, two updates. We’ve removed rankings. So, there are no rankings, and you can apply to as many member schools as you would like. So, from one to two schools is $150, up to six schools which is $300, but each additional program is $25. Yeah, so they can apply…

And so, in the past with our ranking system, the top ranking school, they were the only school that was able to offer a fellowship opportunity. And now if you applied to all six schools or more, they have the opportunity to offer you… they each have an opportunity to offer you a fellowship. And we empower the student to be able to make the better choice of what school best fits them.

Wow, that’s a big change. When did this change take place, like last year? [5:38]

This last application.

Last cycle. Should’ve interviewed you then. No, I’m teasing. That’s great news. I somehow missed that announcement. Okay, good to know. Good to know. So, there’s no more ranking and there’s no more maximum, and multiple schools could offer a fellowship. [5:43]

Yes.

Now you apply for membership at the same time that you submit your application, correct? [6:00]

Yes. It’s a one stop shop,

It’s a one-stop deal, one application. So, it is possible to use the CGSM application process and ultimately not be approved for CGSM membership, is that correct? [6:09]

Yes, that is possible. But the application is still considered an application, so you won’t get rejected from the member school just because you didn’t get membership. They still go through their standard process of admissions. And a lot of times they’ll offer you other fellowship opportunities or scholarship opportunities that they may have available at the schools.

And the schools don’t even see your decision in terms of CGSM membership. They don’t see the membership essay, correct, the membership application essay? [6:46]

They don’t see any of the membership application essays or letters of recommendation. All they see is the decision once we’ve made it.

Now I saw on your website that Stanford partnered with CGSM last year and became the 22nd school to become a partner school. Have any other schools partnered since then? [7:02]

Yes, I’m excited to say that…

Well, you got lots of news today. [7:17]

Yeah, I do. I do. Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, they are our newest, our 23rd school, which we are so excited to have them. They will begin July 1st, actually, and they will be on our application this upcoming cycle. And this upcoming cycle is for students fall 2024, that will begin fall 2024.

What is the benefit of applying through CGSM as opposed to just using the school’s portal? Portals, I should say. [7:45]

We, one, save you money. An average application for any grad program can be up to about $300 for one application, where six applications is $300 applying through us. So, it’s definitely a win for the students. Whether they get membership or not, it’s saving them money and they are allowed to go by our application deadlines as well. So, if maybe Columbia or one of the schools, maybe their application deadline may be September 15th, they still would recognize the application on our deadline, which our Round One is October 15th.

And I believe it’s also easier to apply. Aren’t there fewer essays required or is it pretty much the same at this point? [8:50]

Right, so it is the core essay which asks the applicants to discuss their MBA goals, and then there’s a second core essay that the applicants are able to detail any additional information that they may want to add that they weren’t able to explain in the application.

Right. And is there typically a supplemental per school essay, or do the schools ask for their own essays in addition to the Consortium essay? [9:20]

Sometimes they ask for their own supplementals that are added in addition. We are going through that process of application updates as we speak.

But it’s not all schools that do that? [9:38]

No, no. No, no.

Usually the student has the mission essay and then the two GMAC format essays.

Are you worried about CGSM’s applicants using ChatGPT and preparing their essays? [9:51]

Oh, the ChatGPT.

You got it. I’m asking everybody this question. [10:03]

And that’s a good question. So, with it being such a newer phenomenon right now, I just want applicants and students to be mindful that there are advantages and disadvantages to using ChatGPT, because what we’re looking for is consistency in their demonstrated commitment to the mission. And I doubt it if they’ll be able to convey that in an interview based off of a ChatGPT essay.

So, a lot of the admissions advisors and committees, they’re looking for authenticity. They’re looking for unique perspectives and their applicant’s ability to be able to express themselves. So, I don’t know if they can… It probably is a good tool to help guide them in forming their essay, but I don’t think it should be something that can express exactly your commitment.

I’ve played with it a little bit, and sometimes there are outright errors in it. It’s wrong. [11:09]

Right, right.

And other times it’s just very generic, and it has to be generic. You’re not going to get a lot of authenticity. But it does sometimes help. [11:17]

Yeah, yeah.

But to rely on it blindly I think is a big mistake. [11:28]

Yeah. Yeah. Especially if you don’t check.

Absolutely. Absolutely. [11:35]

Attention to detail.

Are there other elements to the CGSM application? We discussed you pay a fee. You have the core essays. You might have supplemental essays. Are there short answer essays or anything like that or is it pretty straightforward? [11:40]

Yeah, it’s pretty straightforward. If the school has any changes or supplements to each essay, that may be the different shift or change. But pretty much transcripts, resume. We always advise students to make sure that your experience, if you’re a part of organizations like Forte or MLT, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Teach for America, making sure that that’s actually on your resume. That definitely helps. Your test scores, GRE, GMAT or Executive assessment, letters of recommendation. One for the mission, and then there are two for the schools. Yes. And making sure you get the right recommender.

What makes a right recommender? [12:41]

Someone who can explicitly… Especially for the Consortium mission letter of recommendation, somebody who can explicitly pretty much show your demonstrated commitment to our mission and they know about that.

They’ve observed it. [13:01]

Yeah, they’ve observed it, and they can actually speak to it. And they’re not saying, “Well, I don’t know about their demonstrated commitment, but Jane is a great person and we love her personality. She’s very professional.” It’s like, what?

That’s not the question. [13:17]

So, definitely communicate with your recommender about expectations. And with us, it doesn’t have to be your supervisor with the Consortium mission letter of recommendation. It can be as long as it’s not a family member. It could be anyone who can speak to it.

That you’ve somehow supported that mission. Makes sense [13:40.

Yes.

What are the non-admissions benefits of being a CGSM member or fellow, and what is the difference between being a CGSM member and fellow? So, there’s really two questions there. Why don’t we start with the non-admissions benefits of membership, and then we’ll get to the difference between being a member and a fellow. [13:46]

So, the non-admission benefits are pretty much the early access to corporate partners. A lot of our students, we just had OP, our orientation program this past June, and it was amazing. It was amazing.

I know you’re working very hard on it. [14:20]

Yeah. Oh man, it was definitely a job, but it’s worth it. And just to see all of the students that we worked with from the beginning up until that point, from all their stress points, their pain points, to see them, they made it, and they’re at the orientation program. So, them having early access to our corporate partners.

They also have access to our system that is… We have a platform that is called Hello Fellow that allows them to join different groups that are industry groups. And our corporate partners have access to them as well, and they’re able to apply to positions that are open to those corporate partners.

Also, at our orientation program, we had a corporate open house that’s not like your traditional job fair. All of our corporate partners actually already had our students’ resumes, they already had a student look book, they’ve already seen the students and they already know the students prior to them even coming to the expo.

So, they definitely have a great advantage by being a Consortium fellow. And then the camaraderie, the support that they have with each other, there’s nothing like it. I love how each campus had… they call themselves CFAM.

Campus family, yeah. [15:53]

Yes. Each campus, each Consortium cohort on each campus, they’re so close. A lot of our alumni mention that the connection, that’s like a trending thing with us here at the Consortium is connection. Being able to connect students with not only each other, but also with our corporate partners and with our top MBA programs.

So, they have lifelong connections with all three of those different entities, and they enjoy being able to talk with someone who understands them, someone who may be going through the same even issues at their jobs or anything like that, and that connection. And if there’s a job loss or anything like that, we do provide the support to help those students to be able to reconnect with corporate partners and find another opportunity.

So, just to clarify, the orientation program is open to all Consortium members, not just fellows, correct? [16:54]

So, Consortium fellows, you’re applying for membership, but the membership allows you to become a Consortium fellow. So, whether you received a fellowship or not, you are considered a Consortium fellow.

So, you’re a Consortium fellow whether you get a scholarship or not? [17:16]

Right.

Got it. And all the fellows/members can go to the orientation program. How long is the orientation program? [17:26]

So, it’s a four-day conference, and it consists of a lot of hands-on career development. We have diversity theater, which is amazing. A lot of our corporate partners, they have private interviews with a lot of the students. So, a big portion of our students leave with internships or career opportunities.

For next year, for next summer, or for this summer? For next summer? [17:56]

Yes. For this upcoming year –

For summer 2024, let’s say? [18:03]

Yes.

And what is diversity theater? [18:06]

Oh my goodness, diversity theater. This was actually my first year to experience it. Hearing it from other coworkers and staff was not the same as experiencing and seeing those difficult conversations displayed on stage.

So, there’s actors that are on stage, and they may act out a scene where some coworkers that may deal with microaggressions or different challenges that you may face at work and how to address that, and just having those conversations amongst your peers. And it really was eye opening for not only the students, but for staff, for a lot of our corporate partners and admissions representatives as well. So, it was pretty amazing, and we have it annually as well.

And it seems like the orientation program is very much career oriented. Is there any prep for the actual study of the MBA, or is that assumed that the schools will handle that? [19:09]

So, the schools, the admissions representatives and career services representatives are present. So, they do have an advising session that they get to work with them and meet with them one-on-one for prep with the corporate partners, but also any questions that they have about the upcoming program that they’re about to start in the fall. They have all of that one-on-one time, a lot more one-on-one time than they would normally get during the school year.

Sounds like a very busy four days, very full. [19:54]

Yeah, it is very full.

Okay. How does CGSM help its fellows in career placement, both during and after the MBA? [20:00]

So, during the MBA, again, we have the Hello Fellow and our annual program, our annual orientation program and career forum. Like I mentioned before, they have the opportunity to interact with the corporate partners. The corporate partners get to review their resumes and their backgrounds early on before even meeting them face-to-face. Our alumni network, our Hello Fellow system, allows them to, again, engage with these corporate partners.

And then our student and alumni relations department, they are amazing with connecting with the students. They engage with student liaisons as well in providing that support that they may need throughout the year. And if there’s a student, like we just had tech layoffs recently. And our alumni development department, they were able to help and assist with reengaging with those students or those alumni to be able to help them to get placed in other career opportunities.

A few weeks ago you had the OP. It was mostly geared towards people starting the MBA in 2023, but it also had people who started the MBA in 2022. Is that correct? [21:18]

We had some second year. Like if something happened last year, I know dealing with the pandemic and other issues, some students were not able to attend last year, and so they were given the opportunity to attend this year.

But it’s usually just for the people about to start the MBA, the OP? [21:48]

Right, it’s usually first year students.

What do you see coming down the pike for the Consortium? [21:54]

Oh my goodness. Continued growth, continued engagement with a lot of the students. We’re working on increasing our exposure and engaging. This year we shared a lot of our OP activities on our social media and got a lot of good feedback and engagement. So, definitely I think we have a good momentum right now to be able to get all of the good things that we do at the Consortium out to the public and to the world.

What advice would you give to someone applying to apply via the Consortium in this, the 2023-2024 application cycle? [22:34]

Definitely begin your MBA journey. And beginning your MBA journey does not start with the application. It starts with the preparation.

Yes, that’s right. [23:13]

Definitely starts with the preparation. So, researching a lot of the schools that you’re interested in, finding out if you’re interested in the Consortium, finding out what that Consortium culture looks like on each campus to see what best fits you. Also, looking into preparation for GRE, GMAT, or the Executive Assessment and finding out what the class profiles are for each school that you’re interested in so you can have a good idea of where you stand. And don’t rush your application. Don’t rush it.

Yay! [23:54]

I always have some overzealous students that want to, “I’m getting it in for Round One.” Wait a minute. Make sure that you’re submitting the strongest application and that this is the right time for you to start a program. There’s no rush. There’s no rush. There’s no rush. Make sure you have the strongest application. Utilize all resources that you need to support you through your application process.

We always advise students to attend our events. We have member school webinars that are… We actually have one coming up on July 10th, which will have Washington University, University of Rochester Simon, and UCLA Anderson. And they will be talking about their MBA programs, but also talking about their Consortium cohorts on their campus as well.

And we also have our MBA application preparation seminars, which is MAPS, which will be in person this year. So, we will be in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and DC.

Wow. You’re getting around. [25:16]

Yes.

Not all Consortium schools require a test score. Does the Consortium require a test score even if the school does not? [25:21]

So, for membership we don’t require a test score. But if you are applying and they offer a test waiver, we would need to have that test waiver submitted, or you would need to submit that in the application. And then we just confirm it with the member school whether that test waiver was actually approved. Yeah. And then if it wasn’t approved, then they would have to submit a test score.

Are any of the programs or any of the partner schools entirely test optional? Do you know off the top of your head? I wasn’t sure as I was thinking about it. [26:03]

I don’t think so. Well, it depends on the school and what policies they have in place this upcoming school year.

I think most of them have a test waiver option, and I also would have to go through each one. [26:19]

Yeah. I always advise students to talk with them early about it, because last year I ran into the issue of students who just missed it. It was like they just missed the test waiver window. So, definitely talk with your school of interest to find out when that test waiver timeframe is and get that in if that’s an option for you.

Wonderful advice even if you’re not applying through CGSM, by the way. [26:51]

Right, absolutely.

What would you have liked me to ask you? [26:56]

These were all great questions.

What would you like to share that I haven’t asked? [27:02]

I would like to share just my… In my position as Director of Recruiting, what my passion and desire and vision is for the Consortium moving forward is to be able to expand our exposure to those who definitely need the opportunity, to be able to expand our exposure to those areas, because sometimes we are in this collegiate bubble.

Aacademia. [27:37]

Yeah, absolutely. And to be able to… We do so many great things.

You do. [27:45]

And just being able to see just the energy that I get from the students, just being around them, and just the positive nature of it all, being able to give that to others who don’t know about the Consortium. So, that’s my mission and goal is to increase exposure and to really share about the great things we’re doing here at the Consortium.

Well, today in this podcast, you did it. [28:14]

Thank you. Thank you, Linda.

You’re very welcome. Bianca, I want to thank you so much for joining me today. Where can listeners and potential applicants learn more about CGSM? [28:21]

They can check us online at www.cgsm.org or on our LinkedIn page and our Instagram page and on Twitter.

Relevant Links:

• The Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management
• Applying For Your MBA Through The Consortium: Best Deal In Town
• MBA ROI Calculator   

Relevant shows:

• How to Get an MBA at Columbia Business School – a podcast Episode 528
• How to Get Accepted to NYU Stern – a podcast Episode 525
• How to Get into Dartmouth Tuck – a podcast Episode 514
• How to Get Into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Program – a podcast Episode 512
• How to Get Accepted to UNC Kenan-Flagler Full-Time MBA Program – a podcast Episode 496

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The post Applying for Your MBA Through The Consortium [Episode 532] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

U.S. STEM MBA Programs: An Overview

STEM certification programs have proven application bonanzas for top business schools. STEM certification may have begun pre-pandemic as a way to alleviate uncertainty in the visa process, but the programs have proven to be a robust inducement for MBA applicants, particularly from foreign countries. According to Poets & Quants, “At Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, the move to designate its entire MBA program STEM in early 2021 paid dividends this year. . . Its applications rose by an incredible 21%, an increase of 450 to 2,555, even though Cornell presumably felt the same domestic squeeze as its peer schools.”

[List of top STEM OPT U.S. Business Schools >>]

Cornell’s new MBA class has students from 43 countries, a dramatic rise from 30 countries from 2021. Cornell is receiving roughly double the number of international applications as domestic applications. Poets & Quants also reported strong upticks in foreign student enrollment among 27 B-schools surveyed: “In the top 10, the average gain was 10.2 percentage points, or 36.6%, with Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business the biggest by points — 18, or 72%, to 43% — and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania the biggest by percentage: 84.2%, or 16 points, to 35%.

“Across all 27 schools, the average gain from 2020 to 2022 was 14.6 percentage points, or 69%. The biggest gain was at CMU Tepper, which doubled its total from 28% to 56%; notably, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School gained 23.5 points, or more than 200%, to 35%. Three other B-schools more than doubled their international ranks in two years.”

Are you an international MBA applicant? We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU GET ACCEPTED >>

The GMAC’s survey from 2019 was the first to inquire about a program’s STEM-certification, and found that these programs were more likely to report growth in international applicants. A total of 195 of the 804 U.S. programs responding reported that their programs were STEM-certified (24%). Among them, the most common program types were Master of Data Analytics (28%); Master of Finance (22%); and Master of Information Technology (14%). And while a majority of both STEM-certified (53%) and non-STEM (57%) programs reported declines in total applications during this period, STEM-certified programs fared better among international applicants. In the 2019-2020 academic year, 43% of STEM-certified programs grew their international applications, compared with 26% of non-STEM programs.

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Given ongoing concerns over visa status and one’s ability to work in the U.S. after business school, programs that are STEM-certified are sure to be more appealing to this applicant pool.

While some MBA programs – such as Chicago Booth, Wharton, Virginia Darden – now offer specific concentrations that qualify international students for STEM OPT, others – such as Berkeley Haas, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, and Rochester Simon – qualify MBA graduates of all majors in their MBA programs for this extension.

During 2021, MBA programs have seen a rebound in international applicants, and many schools (NYU Stern, Darden, and Yale) are touting this return. Still, they are maintaining their STEM certifications because it will pave the way for their graduates to get jobs and stay in the U.S. long enough to pay off or pay down their loans. Despite its cost, the MBA degree continues to pay robust dividends right off the bat. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article: “At about 98% of universities that offer master’s of business administration programs, graduates typically made more money two years out of school than they had borrowed, a Wall Street Journal analysis of federal student loan data for nearly 600 programs found.”

STEM MBA Programs

Name of MBA Program	Majors That Are STEM Designated	MBA Essay Tips
Arizona State Carey	All MBA Platforms	Tips
Babson MBA	1) Business Analytics and Machine Learning 2) Quantitative Finance	Tips
Berkeley Haas	All Majors	Tips
Brigham Young Marriott	Management Science and Quantitative Methods	Tips
Carnegie Mellon	All Majors	Tips
Chicago Booth	All MBA programs	Tips
Columbia Business School	MBA and EMBA programs	Tips
Cornell Johnson	1) Two-Year Management Science MBA 2) One-Year Management Science MBA 3) Tech MBA 4) MPS in Management 5) MPS in Management - Accounting Specialization	Tips
Dartmouth Tuck	STEM track	Tips
Duke Fuqua	Second Major in Management Science and Technology Management (MSTeM)	Tips
Georgetown McDonough	Management Science major	Tips
Harvard Business School	Management Science track	Tips
Indiana Kelley	Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing or Supply Chain and Operations	Tips
Lehigh University College of Business	Business Analytics (a concentration within 1-MBA)	Tips
Michigan Ross	STEM track	Tips
MIT Sloan	MBAn	Tips
New York University	Tech MBA Two-year full-time MBA	Tips
Northwestern Kellogg	Management Science MMM Program for Dual Engineering/MBA Degrees	Tips
Notre Dame Mendoza	MBA/Master of Science in Business Analytics Dual Degree	Tips
Pace University	MBA in Information Systems	Tips
Purdue Krannert	MBA-STEM	Tips
Rice Jones	All MBA Programs	Tips
Rochester Simon	All Specializations	Tips
Rutgers	STEM designation	Tips
Stanford GSB	1) All MBA majors 2) MSx	Tips
Syracuse	FT MBA, M.S. in Business Analytics, MS in Finance, MS in Marketing and MS in Supply Chain Management	Tips
Texas McCombs	14 of the 22 concentrations for the full-time MBA program	Tips
University of California, Davis	All Majors	Tips
University of California, Irvine	Analytics in Digital Leadership concentration	Tips
University of California, Los Angeles	All Specializations	Tips
University of California, Riverside	All MBA Programs	Tips
University of California, San Diego	1) Full-time MBA 2) FlexEvening 3) FlexWeekend	Tips
University of California San Francisco	1) Financial Analysis, MS 2) Information Systems, MS 3) Full-Time MBA 4) Marketing Intelligence, MS 5) Energy Systems Management & MBA 6) Environmental Management & MBA (4+1), BS/MBA 7) Financial Analysis & MBA (4+1), BSBA/MS	Tips
University of Connecticut	1) Business Analytics 2) Digital Marketing Strategy 3) Financial Analysis and Investments	Tips
University of Delaware Lerner	Major in Business Analytics	Tips
University of Georgia Terry	Only open to U. of Georgia undergraduates; includes 45 majors	Tips
University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler	All MBA Programs	Tips
University of North Texas Ryan	MBA in Business Analytics	Tips
University of Washington Foster	Management Science	Tips
University of Wisconsin - Madison	1) Specialization in Operations and Technology Management 2) Supply Chain Management	Tips
USC Marshall	Specialization in Management Science	Tips
Vanderbilt Owen	Finance Concentration	Tips
Wharton	1) Business Analytics 2) Business, Economics & Public Policy (BEPP) 3) Business, Energy, Environment & Sustainability (BEES) 4) Operations, Information & Decisions (OID) 5) Quantitative Finance 6) Statistics	Tips
Washington University in St. Louis (Olin)	Full-time MBA	Tips

We’re going to do our best to keep this table current. However, please do not rely on this table; confirm the STEM designation yourself to make sure that the MBA programs you apply to really have that designation. And if you find out a school has attained STEM certification and is not on the list, please let us know by emailing blog@accepted.com.

If you would like to learn how to get into top MBA programs that offer STEM OPT eligibility and are a good fit for you, register for a free consultation with me. 

At Accepted, we’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs and look forward to helping you too! CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED.

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By Jennifer Bloom, admissions consultant at Accepted for 20 years and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). She is an expert at guiding you to produce application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your application, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• STEM Applicants: Why Your Statement of Purpose is So Important
• Top MBA Application Essays: How to Answer Them Right (school-specific essay tips)
• The Questions You SHOULD Be Asking – ANSWERED!, a podcast episode

The post Top STEM MBA Programs: A Comprehensive STEM-OPT Eligible List appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

The Financial Times has released its global rankings of the best MBA programs and has considerably shuffled the deck. Several top-ranked programs fell several notches, while others rose considerably. For the first time since 2011, Wharton has returned to its status as #1 in FT’s list. 

Other programs that made giant strides in the rankings include Columbia Business School (ranked 8th in 2020), and Kellogg (Northwestern), now #5 (11th place in 2020). One reason for such huge fluctuations was that five of the top U.S. programs (Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, and Columbia) were not listed at all last year at all, skewing that year’s results. 

Other highly rated programs that suffered serious tumbles in the rankings include London Business School, Tuck (Dartmouth), and UVA Darden. In fact, 69 of the 91 schools ranked fell in the rankings, many of them by double digits.  

Compared with last year, many of these schools’ rankings looked like riders on a roller coaster, with some plunging far below and others rising by as much as 20 points to unprecedented heights. 

As we have cautioned before, it’s vital to keep these rankings in perspective. They are based on many variables that have little or nothing to do with the quality of the curricula per se.

Do you see yourself in one of these top programs? Find out how working one-on-one with one of our Admissions Consultants can help get you ACCEPTED!

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Related Resources:

• Top 10 or Bust: Dispelling 2 MBA Myths
• Top MBA Programs Get STEM-Certified to Attract Int’l Students
• B-School Selectivity Index: Discover the Schools Where You are a Competitive Applicant

The post Financial Times Ranks Wharton as #1 in 2022 Rankings appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Looking for the best possible admissions advice?

How about admissions advice from the admission committee members themselves?

Linda Abraham, founder of Accepted and host of the Admissions Straight Talk Podcast has a collection of highly enlightening interviews with directors of admissions and adcom members of top business schools!

Listen in as Linda asks her adcom guests pointed and to-the-point questions about the schools, the admissions process, how to get in, and…how to get rejected.

Listen, enjoy, and apply successfully!

For a varied menu of thought-provoking and informative conversations with business leaders, entrepreneurs, MBA students, and more, check out the Admissions Straight Talk Podcast:

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The post From the Mouths of MBA Adcom Members: How to Get Accepted appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

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Are you aiming for an MBA from CMU Tepper? Here’s how to make that dream a reality. [Show summary]

Kelly Wilson, Executive Director of Masters Admissions at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business discusses Tepper’s MBA programs, which are focused on analytics, leadership and technology advancement.  

With full-time, part-time and hybrid options, Tepper offers an MBA program to fit any schedule [Show notes]

Welcome to the 425th episode of Admissions Straight Talk Accepted Podcast. Thanks for tuning in.

Are you ready to apply to your dream business schools? Are you competitive at your target programs? Acceptance MBA admissions calculator can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/mbaquiz, complete the quiz, and you’ll not only get an assessment but tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it’s all free.

It gives me great pleasure to have on Admissions Straight Talk Kelly Wilson, who is the Executive Director of Masters Admissions at the Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business. Kelly earned her Bachelor’s at Grove City College and three Master’s degrees: an MBA from George Mason and a MS and MIS from the University of Pittsburgh Joseph Katz Graduate School of Business.

After working for several years in business, she began her career in admissions at Katz in 1999. In 2008, she became Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions at Georgetown’s McDonough School, where she served for four years and which is where I think I first had the pleasure of meeting Kelly. She then returned to Pittsburgh and became Executive Director of Masters Admissions at CMU Tepper, and has been working in that capacity for the last almost nine years. Kelly, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk.

How many master’s programs are you overseeing and what are they? [1:40]

We have our MBA program in three different formats: the Full-Time two-year program, our Part-Time Online Hybrid program, and our Part-Time Flex MBA. In addition, we have the MS in Product Management and then MS in Business Analytics. We will be launching a couple of master’s programs in the near future. So keep an eye out for that information.

What is the difference between the three MBA programs? [2:15]

So the Part-Time Online Hybrid is our online program; there is an in-person component to it which is why it’s hybrid. The way that it works is the part-time students will come to campus about every six and a half, seven weeks between mini semesters where they’ll do a weekend together on campus.

The Part-Time Flex was our traditional Pittsburgh-based, part-time program. The really cool thing now is that our part-time students in both programs will spend the first year together in that Part-Time Online Hybrid format, giving flexibility to both groups of students, and then the Part-Time Flex students from the Pittsburgh region can choose to take more traditional evening classes if they’d like, or they can continue on the Online Hybrid format.

Can you give an overview of the CMU Tepper full-time MBA programs, focusing on the more distinctive elements? [3:24]

Absolutely. It’s hard not to bring in the part-time options when we’re talking about the full-time program, because in fact they are the same MBA taught by the same faculty. And one of the few MBA programs that allow students to transfer between programs after year one.

For our MBAs, what really sets Tepper apart is the combination of leadership development and analytics skills that the students get in the program. If we first talk about analytics within the core of our program, which is a fairly robust core, you will see that in addition to the typical business classes, we’ve got three specific classes that focus on developing those analytical skills.

It’s a probability and statistics course and optimization course, and a statistical decision-making course where students will learn optimization, modeling skills, as well as the business fundamentals in the core. And then throughout the electives, they’ll apply those tools (both the business fundamentals and the analytical skills) throughout the rest of the curriculum.

And those three analytical courses that are part of the core are required for all students? [4:55]

They are. For both full-time and part-time. And then all of our students will work with our Accelerate Leadership Center. So we have a leadership development component that’s part of the core curriculum as well. Our executive coaches who previously worked in corporate roles are staff on the Accelerate Leadership Center team. They focus on development plans for each of our students, these plans are tailored for each individual, based on the experience and expertise of each student as they come in.

Whether a student is full-time or part-time, their work with Accelerate begins with an assessment tool that will give them a sense of the leadership skills that they may want to focus on during their time in the program and the leadership skills they may want to leverage while they’re in the program. This is on top of, of course, some courses that our faculty deliver within leadership as well.

I also noticed Tepper has a rather distinctive approach to concentrations and tracks in its curriculum. Can you go over that for our listeners? [6:04]

Students at Tepper are required to take at least one concentration. Many of our students will have multiple concentrations. So in an MBA program, it’s typical that three classes will give you a concentration. That’s true at Tepper as well, but often you’ll see Tepper students have two, three, and sometimes four concentrations.

It really depends on what skills they’re trying to develop while they’re in the program. The breadth of electives provides them an opportunity to gain different concentrations across the skills that they’re looking to develop. And then our tracks are a little bit of a deeper dive than a concentration. They are a pre-described set of courses that gives students a depth of study in a particular area, whether it’s Business Analytics, Technology Strategy and Product Management, Energy Business, Entrepreneurship, or Management of Innovation and Product Development.

Those are the tracks that we offer, and they’re usually eight to ten electives that make up the track, and it’s a much deeper dive into that area. Then they will have a capstone as part of their track as well, to fulfill the capstone requirement for the program.

Is everybody required to pursue a track? [7:37]

No, it’s absolutely up to the desire of the student. Everyone must do a concentration. The tracks are available and there are some tracks that students must apply to become part of them.

How many concentrations are there, and how many tracks are there? [7:54]

So there are 13 concentrations and 15 tracks at this point. You would see the functional areas on the concentrations and then the tracks may be broader than a functional area. So Energy Business for example will have broad courses in it, but will give the students a very specific skill set.

What are some of the tracks? [8:36]

They’re Business Analytics, Technology Strategy and Product Management, Energy Business, Entrepreneurship, or Management of Innovation and Product Development.

How have pandemic restrictions affected the MBA experience in program at CMU Tepper? And perhaps, since we’re all hopeful that the pandemic is more and more in the rear view mirror, what of the adaptations that CMU Tepper made due to the pandemic do you think it’s going to keep? [9:03]

I think it’s important for us as we’ve gone through this just unbelievable situation globally, that we do focus on the positives, which are the innovations, right? So whether it’s from an admissions standpoint or from an experience standpoint, our students had to think about how do we build community in a way that’s very different from what we’ve done before?

And they were very creative in that regard. One of the things that I liked best about it is, well, I guess there are two things. One, there was much more interaction between our full-time students and our part-time students because the activities were virtual. It really allowed for the students to participate in activities that they might not have been able to before, whether it was a corporate speaker or alumni coming in to talk with a club. And that’s the segue to the second favorite thing which is just access to alumni and corporate representatives. If you think about it, no longer did people have to come to campus instead they were a Zoom call away, and really made themselves available. Our alumni were fantastic making themselves available for different activities because frankly, it wasn’t as heavy a lift. They didn’t have to travel, and it really made for a robust experience for the group.

I think that engagement is one of the things that we’ll be able to hold on to.

What don’t people know about CMU Tepper that you would like them to know? What’s a common misconception that you would like to dispel? [11:30]

This is a question that I think is really interesting. As I think about it, there’s a misperception that a candidate must have a heavy tech or quant background to attend and do well at Tepper. The reality is candidates really only need to demonstrate the aptitude and we’ll teach them the rest.

I was thinking about some feedback we got from our diversity weekend. A student said that they were previously intimidated by Tepper’s reputation of being tech and quant heavy, and thought that the experience in connecting with the community would be a very rigid and dry experience. But the reality was, people were warm and reassuring and this person walked away understanding that there’s a place for students of all backgrounds. That to me is a testament of someone that came to visit and that saw that difference, which I think is really exciting.

Obviously students have to have the aptitude and a desire to learn. Are you looking for a high quant score on the GMAT and GRE? Are you looking for high grades in quant classes previously? How else can somebody demonstrate their aptitude? [12:42]

Through their work experience and work that they’re doing, I would encourage candidates to share that type of information. The application of those skills is something that we think about as well. It may also happen outside of work through an entrepreneurial endeavor, or just something they’re interested in outside of work. You’re right, it is important that there’s foundation, whether it’s through demonstrated coursework or a test score, but there is a broader way to share information about those skills as well.

Is Calc 1 required? [13:44]

We still have a calculus requirement. I think the change over the past couple of years is that if a candidate does not have a Calculus and it’s not necessarily Calc 1, it’s a Calculus course. So a Business Calculus class is a requirement as well. If a student does not have Calculus, per se, once they’re admitted, we’ve developed a Calculus Fundamentals course. Our faculty have developed it to allow for people that may not have taken it yet to fulfill their requirement that way before they matriculate.

Is CMU Tepper planning to continue offering test waivers? What percentage of applicants who applied for a waiver were granted a waiver last year? [14:19]

We do plan to continue to offer test waivers. It’s an interesting opportunity to consider candidates that may not otherwise have applied or that really lean into other parts of their application, specifically the academic work. For us, the percentage of applicants where test waivers were granted is about half of the students who applied for a test waiver.

If someone is not granted a waiver, we would encourage them to consider taking some time and if they still desire to take the test they can apply. So it’s not a denial of admission, it’s just a decision about the test waiver.

I assume you want the tests for them to show aptitude, whether it’s verbal skills or quantitative skills? [15:32]

That’s right. I think for different candidates, those two components of the test may come into play a little bit differently so it’s important for a candidate to reflect on their application. For someone that may not have as many quantitative courses, the test may help them in that regard. So to kind of step back and reflect might be helpful. Of course, we will offer application workshops where we’ll take a deep dive into that with candidates.

Now, Tepper, last year had one essay question which was:

“The Tepper community is dynamic and unique. Each community members’ individual journey has shaped them into classmates who are collaborative, supportive, and inclusive. Describe how you have overcome adversity during your journey. What did you learn about yourself and how has that shaped who you are?” 

Are you planning to ask the same question or are you planning any changes to the application? [16:36]

We are going to ask the same question. I was super excited and the admissions committee in general was excited about the types of essays that we were able to read and the information we were able to learn about candidates. For us, community is important. Being a contributing member of the community is important, and I think the things that we go through in life do shape us.

Grit is one of those words that is becoming a little bit cliché maybe, but the idea of being able to face something that’s really hard and could for some people stop them where they are, but being able to just face that and overcome it and then grow from it is something I think that contributes to who we are as contributors and to our communities and we think that’s important.

What are the most common mistakes that you see applicants make on their applications? [18:29]

In those I would include not proofreading or not using your search and replace when you’re using a core essay to then develop for another school. To get a different school’s name in the application that you’re reading for your school, that raises an eyebrow. 

I think another mistake that we see is for applicants who apply without really getting to know the community. The application is a chance, and again, I’m going back to community and how it’s important for us.

The application process is a chance for people to get to know the community and to engage with students, faculty staff, alumni, in a variety of different ways, and then demonstrate in the application convey, not just that they’ve done these things, but what they’ve learned from these things. We’re not just looking to understand that an applicant has spoken to three current students and two alumni, but what about those conversations resonated? What excites you about what that might mean for your future as a Tepper student, and how has that impacted your desire to attend Tepper? I think for someone to miss that opportunity to me is a mistake that’s avoidable, and one that I think is easily corrected.

In light of the pandemic, are you meeting applications with a slightly different perspective? I mean, you mentioned that grit and resilience are increasingly important. Are you weighing certain qualities more than you did before 2020? [20:15]

I suspect we all will to a certain extent. You mentioned grit and resilience and those are always characteristics that we’ve paid attention to and last year’s essay has really focused on that. I suspect for all of us, our empathy has grown given the challenging times that we’ve lived through. COVID didn’t happen in a place far away, it happened to all of us, it happened in our own communities and our own families.

I think our abilities to put ourselves in the position of others who have gone through challenging times is enhanced. And I suspect that may be the adjustment. I don’t know that there’s anything specific that we’ll be looking for that would be different. In the end, we want to make sure that we’re admitting candidates that we believe will be successful in the programs. But I suspect that we’re going to have a robust set of essays as we read through applications this year.

Can you touch on the deferred admissions for college seniors program? Is it only for college seniors or is it for people getting their master’s who haven’t worked full-time? How can one get in? [21:51]

Sure, absolutely. We will consider those who are completing a master’s degree so this has been a little bit of a soft launch given all that was happening with COVID. Our focus initially has been with outreach to undergrads. I think that will expand in terms of our outreach and the work we’re doing will be a bit more broad, but certainly, the focus really is on those who haven’t yet entered the workforce.

As we’re looking at those candidates, we have one of our staff members, Gina Cecchetti, who is the Admissions officer on our team, who’s really been the champion for this effort. We encourage anyone who’s interested to contact her. Anyone that’s interested and meets the requirements of attending a US program, she will help you navigate the admission process. For some people a guide would be helpful, and Gina is the perfect person to do that. 

We’re looking for candidates who in two to five years will come and be part of the full-time program. So the academic curriculum that these folks have undertaken is important. We’ll look at their internships, to what extent they have been engaged in their undergrad experience, and then they’ll interview as part of the admissions process now.

When they plan to matriculate, that’s the point that we will consider them for scholarship. And so, again, it’s a process that we will help candidates navigate.We’re looking forward to welcoming our first group in a couple of years since we just admitted the group this year.

What percentage of the class do you anticipate coming from the deferment program? [23:51]

We do have some room to expand the class, I’m not sure we’ve settled on exactly to what extent but this group will, at least at this point, augment the traditional size of the class. 

We’re a relatively small program. So given that we’ve moved into our new space, we no longer have the same constraints that we had a few years ago, and so we have a little bit of flexibility.

Some applicants have specific elements of their background that give them grave concern. How do you view applicants who had a dip in grades or perhaps a period of unemployment due to depression or emotional issues? [24:35]

Life happens, and I think we’re just now as a society becoming more open to what that might mean. I think context is key. Life is sometimes messy and the more that we can understand, not that a candidate should give all of the details about what has happened, but giving enough information using the optional essay to add some context for the admissions committee can be helpful.

I think now that we’ve made some advancements as a society, mental health issues are something that aren’t as protected in terms of just what we want to disclose to people. Again, not necessarily to share all the details, but context is super helpful.

I’m going to guess that if somebody is in the midst of a depressive episode that could give pause, but if somebody five years ago had a dip in grades because of a depressive episode, that’s not going to be an issue in and of itself, is that correct? [25:42]

Not necessarily, because we can see what they’ve done after that. I think what the context allows us to do is to understand that moment in time or that period of time. And then hopefully what we see is someone regaining their footing.

How about somebody who has an academic infraction as an undergrad or a misdemeanor like a DUI, for example, on their record? [26:29]

Our approach to those is that we would like to see the candidate owning the situation, whether it’s an infraction or a misdemeanor. Sometimes we talk about, did the person give a newspaper account, or did they kind of give us a little bit more, again, context in terms of what happened? What did you learn, and how have you moved on and done better? There are some parallels to the question we were answering before. We all understand not one of us is perfect and things happen in life. And we’re looking to really learn more about the impact that’s had and where people have grown.

What advice would you give someone planning to apply for the fall 2022 matriculating class? [27:58]

My advice would be to learn as much as you can. Different programs offer different things. There’s not one right program for an individual. There’s probably a group of programs where people would thrive. And so to do the work, to understand which schools could be a good fit for you, does take work. 

We’ve developed a tool called Chart Your Path, and it’s on the website, it’s a series of steps that candidates take. There’s a little bit of gamification because at the end if you complete the steps, you earn an application fee waiver. It allows us to offer candidates a way for them to understand, here’s the first group of activities that you should undertake and then once you’ve done that, the next step would be this group of activities. It really leaves you from the standpoint of making sure you have your hands on the view book or eyes on the view book and read through and understand down through the process of, now is the right time to reach out to current students and understand how their experience or what their experience has been through the process of applying.

The last process is preparing for the interview. We’re literally walking people through the steps that we believe will set them up for success in terms of being prepared for our admissions process.

What would you have liked me to ask you? [30:00]

I love this question because one could get pretty creative, but as I was thinking about just advice in general, the question would be, “In the summer months prior to joining an MBA program, what’s your advice to incoming students?” Understand that this is really for the next group of students, but very timely for anyone that might hear this advice now. To answer the question, my advice would be rest, enjoy yourself and take some time to take care of yourself because you’re making a shift from working to student life again.

I talk to student after student who says, “I’ve worked really hard for the three and a half, four years that I’ve been in the corporate world,” as an example, “And student life is going to be a breeze.” And in some ways, it’s going to be harder than you think. The pace of what you need to do is different, the skills and just when you need to do what is a bit different.

In some ways, it could be a bit harder, but it’s absolutely going to be one of the best and most rewarding experiences of their lives. So take some time before you’re jumping into all of that to really put yourself in a position where you’re ready for that.

Where can listeners learn more and listeners of potential applicants learn more about CMU Tepper’s MBA programs and the other master’s programs for that matter? [31:45]

The best place to start is on the website at tepper.cmu.edu.

Related links:

• CMU Tepper’s website
• Test-Optional MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know in 2021
• Leadership in Admissions, a free guide
• Accepted’s MBA Admissions Consulting Services

Related shows:

• What It’s Like to Apply for a Master’s in Finance or MBA in 2021
• All About Becoming a Georgetown McDonough MBA
• What’s New at MIT Sloan’s Competitive Full-Time MBA
• MBA Life at UC Berkeley Haas, From Its New Executive Director of Admissions
• All About the Kellogg MBAi, for Students Passionate About Business and Technology

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The post How to Get a CMU Tepper MBA [Episode 425] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

One of the key pieces of an MBA application is the letter of recommendation. This letter, usually written by managers, gives the admissions committee an insightful perspective on the MBA candidate. However, since each program has their own unique form, and candidates are often hesitant to ask managers to fill out multiple recommendations, applicants often limit the number of programs to which they apply. Recommenders frequently cannot dedicate enough time to such letters, resulting in less thorough and perceptive recommendations.  

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the Common Letter of Recommendation was born out of the need to save recommenders and alumni time by enabling them to complete one, common, set of questions. Since the questions stay embedded in each school’s existing application system, few major changes are necessary. The Common LOR was developed by a group of leading business schools in conjunction with GMAC. These programs are leading the way, with the support of GMAC, to collaborate, collect information from industry professionals, and collate information from candidates worldwide.   

Benefits of the Common LOR 

• Delivers deeper understanding of candidates by applying the best practices from top programs and using the most up-to-date science in executive assessment 

• Allows for a wider diversity of prospective students and a greater number of applicants by enabling them to ask for multiple LORs. 

• Reduces recommenders’ time demands so they can devote more consideration to crafting a thoughtful and attuned letter. 

Common LOR sections 

The Common LOR is comprised of the following four sections: 

1. Personal Information About the Recommender 

2. Leadership Assessment Grid: Made up of 12 competencies and character traits that lead to successful leadership. They are divided into these five groups: 

• Achievement 
  
  
• Influence 
  
  
• People 
  
  
• Personal Qualities 
  

• Cognitive Abilities 

3.  Recommendation Questions (Open-Ended Questions for Recommenders) 

• Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant, and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. 
  
  
• How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (e.g., what are the applicant’s principal strengths?). 
  

• Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. 
  
  
• Is there anything else we should know? (Optional) 

Schools currently using the Common LOR form 

The widespread uptake of the common LOR is due in part to the longstanding lobbying of admissions professionals. Anna Ivey, former president of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC), welcomed the development of more schools embracing the shared LOR model: “Applicants have for years found themselves in quite a pickle because they have had to dump so much work on their recommenders. In some cases, their recommenders have had to write more words than the applicants do in their essays. That has created all kinds of distortions, despite good intentions. 

“Any convergence around common recommendation questions not only makes the application process easier for applicants and their recommenders, but also helps preserve the integrity of those recommendations and the application process. Cutting down on the duplication and extra work for recommenders will make it more likely that recommenders write their letters themselves, and that’s a great outcome.” 

We can help you take advantage of the common LOR to get the most from your recommenders and supercharge your application. Our experienced consultants also work with recommenders to provide guidance in crafting compelling letters that will set you on the road to getting ACCEPTED! 

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Related Resources:

• Navigate the MBA Maze, a free guide
• MBA Recommendation Letters: 10 Tips for Writing them Right
• Ingredients of a Great MBA Letter of Recommendation

The post The MBA Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR): An Overview appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

With the unprecedented reality of a worldwide pandemic, it is reasonable to be concerned about the MBA admissions process. Universities have emptied out their campuses, and both students and teachers are rapidly trying to adjust to remote learning and a host of other modifications in traditional education. Additionally, job prospects are dwindling as the economy dips and layoffs begin. The lack of clarity around MBA programs with deadlines in summer 2020 or fall 2020 can be anxiety-provoking, so here at Accepted, we want to provide you with the best guidance possible as you consider your application options.

You’ll find below a roundup of MBA deadline extensions and changes. Check back soon for more advice and insight into pursuing an MBA during the current health crisis.

<< How Will COVID-19 Impact Your Admissions Journey? [Watch the Webinar] >>

Surveying the deadlines

Here’s what you need to know: [Please note that this list is not all-inclusive, and that the schools listed below may change their policy again in response to change circumstances; please check school websites for updates.]

Chicago Booth

The Chicago Booth Round 3 deadline remains April 2, 2020. However Booth will continue to accept applications through May 31, 2020 with decisions released on a rolling basis.

For all Round 3 applicants, test scores can be submitted as late as July 1, 2020. Admissions decisions will not be made until the score is received.

Check out Chicago Booth’s website for more information.

CMU Tepper

CMU Tepper is waiving application fees through July 31st and is accepting applications on a rolling basis from June 1 – July 31, 2020. They are also allowing applicants with “robust quantitative backgrounds” to apply without a GMAT or GRE. (They will need to meet other requirements to start and stay in the program.)

Check out CMU Tepper’s website for more information.

Columbia Business School

The deadline for August admission at CBS has been extended to June 1, 2020. The deadline for submitting test scores has been extended to July 1, 2020.

Check out Columbia Business School’s website for more information.

Cornell Johnson

Johnson is maintaining its application submission deadlines, but allowing applicants to submit test scores later.

• One Year MBA Applicants: Application deadline is April 15, 2020. Test scores must be submitted by April 30, 2020. If not, your application will be moved to the 2020-2021 application cycle.

• Two-Year MBA Applicants: The application deadline is April 8, 2020. You will have until June 1, 2020 to submit your test scores. If you are unable to do so, your application will be moved to the 2020-21 application cycle. 

Check out Cornell Johnson’s website for more information.

Dartmouth Tuck

Tuck is maintaining its Round 3 deadline and adding a Round 4 this year for applicants who need additional time. Round 4 will work on a rolling basis, and applicants can submit any time between April 1 – June 1, 2020.  The applications will be processed as they come in, and Tuck will provide decisions within “several weeks” from submission from May 11 – July 1, 2020.

Tuck’s criteria and required materials, including required test scores, are unchanged.

Check out Dartmouth Tuck’s admissions blog for more information.

Duke Fuqua

Duke Fuqua’s new Round 4 application deadline is May 19, 2020.

Duke has also postponed the orientation start-date for the Class of 2022 by approximately one month in response to the pandemic.

Check out Duke Fuqua’s website for more information.

Georgetown McDonough

Georgetown has relaxed its testing requirements and added a rolling admissions deadline of June 24 (following it’s Round 4 deadline of April 27th).

Check out Georgetown McDonough’s website for more information.

Harvard

The deadline for Harvard Business School’s 2 + 2 Round was postponed to June 1, 2020 in light of COVID.

Accepted Harvard Business School students have the option to request a deferral to start their full-time MBA studies later than this fall. Deferral requests must be made between May 15th and June 1st.

Check out Harvard Business School’s website for more information.

Indiana Kelley

Kelley will accept applications from domestic candidates on a rolling basis after its April 15th deadline.

Applicants who were unable to take the GMAT or GRE are welcome to submit their applications. Final admissions decisions will be made once test scores are received by the school.

Check out Indiana Kelley’s website for more information.

Kellogg

There are currently no delayed start dates for any of Kellogg’s programs. Decision release dates are similarly unchanged. Day at Kellogg for newly admitted students will take place virtually instead of in person.

While Kellogg’s Round 3 deadline of April 8, 2020 still stands, it will accept applications on a rolling basis through June 1st. (Applicants who submitted by the Round 3 deadline will receive admission and scholarship decisions on May 13th.)

Updated April 14: Kellogg is waiving the GMAT/GRE/TOEFL/IELTS requirement for those applying to Round 3.

Those who were either waitlisted or denied in Rounds 1 or 2 will be able to submit an appeal to have their application reconsidered.  Kellogg will provide instructions on how to file the appeal “in the coming days.”

Check out Kellogg’s website and admissions blog for more information.

Michigan Ross

Ross is extending its Round 3 deadline. Soojin Kwon wrote: 

“The priority deadline will remain March 30, but we will accept applications until May 29. Applications received after the priority deadline will be evaluated on a rolling basis. International applicants are highly encouraged to apply by the priority deadline.”

Applicants taking advantage of the extended deadline are reminded that scholarship funds are still available.

Ross is accepting applicants without test scores, though scores must be received by the program before a final admission decision can be made.

Check out Michigan Ross’s website for more information.

MIT Sloan

MIT Sloan has added an Extended Round 3 Deadline and will accept applications until June 15, 2020 on a rolling basis.

Check out MIT Sloan’s website for more information.

NYU Stern

The March 15 deadline has been pushed to May 1st, 2020. International applicants should strive to apply sooner to allow time for visa arrangements.

Check out NYU Stern’s website for more information.

SMU Cox

SMU Cox is waiving the GMAT/GRE requirement for all graduate programs beginning May 2020 and August 2020. It’s also extending its deadline to August 2, 2020 .

Check out SMU Cox’s admissions blog for more information.

UC Berkeley Haas

Haas is opening a new Extended Deadline of May 4, 2020. Applicants for this deadline will receive decisions on June 4. 

Haas has also announced the launch of The Cal Advantage Program, which will enable UC Berkeley seniors and alumni of all undergraduate and graduate programs to apply to Haas for fall 2020 entry. Cal Advantage applicants will enjoy a shortened application process, featuring one essay, one recommendation and optional test scores. Applicants to this program must apply in May or June of 2020 (click here for more info).

Check out UC Berkeley Haas’s admissions blog for more information.

UCLA Anderson

UCLA Anderson extended its application deadline to June 1, 2020.

Check out UCLA Anderson’s website for more information.

UNC Kenan-Flagler

UNC Kenan-Flagler will delay start of its full-time MBA program to August 31, 2020. It has also extended the Round 4 deadline through July 13th. Decision will be made on a rolling basis. 

Check out Kenan-Flagler’s website for more information.

UVA Darden

Darden is transitioning to rolling admissions for the 2019-20 application cycle with a final deadline of July 15, 2020. The sooner you apply, the sooner you will receive Darden’s decision.

UVA Darden already accepted any graduate admissions exam including the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT. In light of COVID19 and closed testing centers, it will evaluate your application with an ACT or SAT or country-specific university entrance exam.

It encourages you to apply even if you are missing one or two elements in your application. Darden will begin the evaluation process, but hold your application until all elements are submitted. 

Check out UVA Darden’s admissions blog for more information.

Wharton

Wharton extended the Round 3 and Advance Access application deadlines to:

– Round 3: April 15, 2020

– Advance Access: May 27, 2020

Round 3 and Advance Access applicants can submit applications without having sat for a standardized test. However, if you do have scores to report, please do so.

Check out Wharton’s website for more information.

Yale SOM

Giving Round 3 applicants an extra ten days to submit their test scores. So if you submit your application by SOM’s Round 3 April 14 deadline, you will have an additional 10 days to submit your GMAT/GRE scores (until April 24). You will receive an answer by May 19.

In addition, Yale SOM is adding a Round 3 Extended deadline of May 27, 2020. You will receive an answer in the second half of June.

Check out Yale SOM’s admissions blog for more information.

We’re going to do our best to keep the changing deadline information current. However, please do not rely on this post; confirm the deadlines yourself because the situation is so fluid.

In addition, if you find out a school has changed their deadlines and is not on the list, please let us know by emailing blog@accepted.com.

The consultants at Accepted are here and ready to help guide you! All of our experts are available to work remotely and business is in full swing in spite of the current global circumstances. Check out our services and let us help you get accepted!

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With 30 years of career/admissions experience at four universities, including Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Business and College of Engineering, Dr. Karin Ash has met with thousands of recruiters seeking to hire the best students from leading schools. She has served as a member of the admissions committee, ensuring that the applicants who ultimately enroll are a good fit for the program and prime candidates for employers. Karin has been a Consultant with Accepted for 8 years and has facilitated students’ entry into top engineering, data science, MBA, and other STEM graduate MEng, MS, and PhD programs. Her clients have been accepted into MIT, the University of Chicago, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, UPenn, and USC. Want Karin to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Get Your Game On: Prepping For Your Grad School ApplicationGet Your Game On: Prepping for Your Grad School Application, a free guide
• How to Write Your Master’s in Engineering Statement of Purpose
• How This Student Got Accepted to MIT’s Engineering Program and Landed a Job at Apple, podcast Episode 460

Related resources:

• School-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips
• How Will Coronavirus Impact Testing? [GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, ACT, SAT, TOEFL]
• 7 Steps to MBA Acceptance in 2021, free webinar

The post MBA Deadline Updates: How Will COVID-19 Affect the MBA Application Process? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

The U.S. News 2023 ranking is now live! Click here to check it out >>

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U.S. News just released its 2021 ranking of full-time and part-time MBA programs. The rankings are based on expert opinions about the quality of each program and statistical indicators that calculate the quality of a program’s faculty, research, and students. The reputation surveys were sent to academics and professionals in fall 2019 and early 2020. This year, for the first time, the specialties of business analytics, real estate, and project management are ranked.

In order to rank each school. U.S. News assessed the data for each quality indicator and then standardized the value of each indicator about its mean. Each indicator has a weight assigned to it, which indicates U.S. News’ judgment about their relative importance, after consulting with experts in the field. 

<< Are you competitive at your dream school?
Check out the Selectivity Index to find out! >>

These final scores were rescaled to give the highest-scoring school a score of 100, with the other schools’ scores recalculated as a percentage of the top score. A school with a score of 100 did not necessarily receive the highest score on every indicator, it merely accrued the highest composite score.

Highlights of the 2021 MBA Ranking

• The biggest news of all is that Harvard Business School slipped down to sixth place this year from third in the 2019 full-time rankings. 
  
  
• Stanford University gained a position this year to tie the University of Pennsylvania for the top slot for full-time MBA programs. 
  
  
• Northwestern University jumped from a three-way tie for 6th place last year to a two-way tie this year at #3 with the University of Chicago. 
  
  
• New York University broke into the Top 10 this year, jumping from a three-way tie for #12 to the #10 spot. 
  
  
• Further down in the rankings, North Carolina State University leapt more than 30 spots, from a tie at #85 to #52 this year.
  
  
• Chicago Booth maintained the top position among part-time MBA programs. 
  
  
• Also in the part-time rankings, the University of Washington joined the Top 10 this year, rising from a two-way tie at #12 to #10 this year.  

2021 Top 10 full-time MBA programs

Rank	School	Location
1	Stanford University	Stanford, CA
1	UPenn Wharton	Philadelphia, PA
3	Northwestern Kellogg	Evanston, IL
3	Chicago Booth	Chicago, IL
5	MIT Sloan	Cambridge, MA
6	Harvard Business School	Boston, MA
7	UC Berkeley-Haas	Berkeley, CA
8	Columbia Business School	New York, NY
9	Yale SOM	New Haven, CT
10	New York University Stern	New York, NY

2021 Top 10 part-time MBA programs

Rank	School	Location
1	Chicago Booth	Chicago, IL
2	UC Berkeley-Haas	Berkeley, CA
3	Northwestern Kellogg	Evanston, IL
4	NYU Stern	New York, NY
5	UCLA Anderson	Los Angeles, CA
6	Michigan Ross	Ann Arbor, MI
7	UT McCombs	Austin, TX
8	Carnegie Mellon University Tepper	Pittsburgh, PA
9	Indiana Kelley	Bloomington, IN
10	Emory Goizueta	Atlanta, GA

Would you like to be a member of the class of 2022 in one of these top programs? Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services and work one-on-one with an expert consultant to create an application that will get you ACCEPTED!

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Related Resources:

• The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Competitive MBA Applicant, a free guide
• Business School Selectivity Index [Can I Get Into My Dream School?]
• Do MBA Rankings Matter?

The post U.S. News Announces 2021 Ranking of Best MBA Programs appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Poets & Quants just released its 2019-2020 rankings of the top 100 U.S. MBA programs.

There were some minor changes in the top 10  – most prominently is Stanford GSB climbing two spots, passing Harvard Business School and UPenn Wharton, to claim the #1 position. It’s the second time in 10 years that Stanford has claimed the top slot.  

Other highlights include:

• Yale School of Management just barely broke into the top 10 by securing 10th place. 
• Purdue’s Krannert School of Management dropped 10 spots from last year, from 38th to 48th.
• Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business jumped 12 spots from 62nd place last year to 50th.
• UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management experienced a massive jump, from 94th to 71st place.

P&Q ranking methodology

P&Q’s rankings are based on the rankings of five highly-influential business publications, and are weighted based on P&Q’s assessment of each ranking’s methodology and credibility. The five included in P&Q’s ranking are U.S. News (weight of 35%), Forbes (25%), The Financial Times (15%), Businessweek (15%), and The Economist (10%). Combining the rankings in this way lessens the irregularities that are frequently seen in a given year. This allows applicants to get a better idea of a school’s overall reputation, which typically changes little from year to year.

Top 25 U.S. MBA Programs

2019 Rank	School Name	2018 Rank	Index
1	Stanford GSB	3	100.0
2	Chicago Booth	4	99.6
3	Harvard Business School	1	99.2
4	UPenn Wharton	1	98.8
5	Northwestern Kellogg	5	96.2
6	Dartmouth Tuck	9	96.1
7	MIT Sloan	6	96.0
8	Columbia Business School	7	94.8
9	UC-Berkeley Haas	8	94.4
10	Yale SOM	11	91.1
11	Virginia Darden	12	90.8
12	Michigan Ross	10	89.7
13	Cornell Johnson	13	89.6
14	Duke Fuqua	14	89.5
15	UCLA Anderson	15	88.1
16	New York Stern	16	87.6
17	Carnegie Mellon Tepper	17	84.5
18	Texas-Austin McCombs	18	82.8
19	Southern California Marshall	22	82.5
20	North Carolina Kenan-Flagler	19	82.5
21	Washington Foster	21	81.0
22	Emory Goizueta	20	80.6
23	Indiana Kelley	25	80.1
24	Georgetown McDonough	23	76.9
25	Rice Jones	24	74.6

Watch: Linda Abraham and Marco de Novellis discuss MBA rankings

Do you want to be a member of a top-tier MBA program? Explore our MBA Admissions Consulting Services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will help you GET ACCEPTED!

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Related Resources:

• The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Competitive MBA Applicant, a free guide
• Business School Selectivity Index [Can I Get Into My Dream School?]
• Highlights of Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2019 MBA Rankings

The post Poets & Quants Announces 2019-2020 MBA Rankings appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Rank	School	Final Score	Launched Business in 3 Months	% of Faculty who Teach Entrepreneurship	Award Money Available*
1	Washington University in St. Louis (Olin)	100	20.67%	27.00%	$987,500
2	Stanford Graduate School of Business	72.54	15.67%	16.39%	$100,000
3	Babson College	71.3	16.63%	20.00%	$132,500
4	University of Michigan (Ross)	70.21	17.33%	17.20%	$523,500
5	ESADE	60.14	4.61%	6.00%	$0
6	MIT (Sloan)	52.99	6.80%	15.66%	$270,000
7	CEIBS	51.08	4.93%	4.41%	$9,000
8	University of Minnesota (Carlson)	50.65	7.67%	6.40%	$500,000
9	University of California-Los Angeles (Anderson)	47.17	3.13%	7.74%	$41,000
10	University of California-Berkeley (Haas)	46.86	6.05%	13.56%	$100,000
11	Rice University (Jones)	46.52	6.00%	17.00%	$2,942,150
12	Harvard Business School	45.99	7.33%	12.70%	$700,000
13	University of Chicago (Booth)	45.76	3.13%	11.76%	$700,000
14	Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)	45.68	6.67%	1.00%	$60,000
15	INSEAD	43.62	4.33%	10.75%	$145,029
16	Indiana University (Kelley)	43.42	1.53%	19.23%	$20,000
17	Northwestern University (Kellogg)	42.6	1.90%	4.52%	$100,000
18	Yale School of Management	38.17	4.13%	12.08%	$100,000
19	University of Texas-Austin (McCombs)	34.02	2.73%	11.00%	$100,000
20	Columbia Business School	33.6	4.27%	21.93%	$250,000
21	University of Virginia (Darden)	28.47	4.53%	15.38%	$50,000
22	UNC-Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)	28.18	1.67%	20.00%	$49,500
23	University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)	28.01	4.97%	11.68%	$135,000
24	Georgetown University (McDonnough)	26.63	3.00%	7.81%	$189,500
25	New York University (Stern)	24.2	1.65%	14.00%	$275,000
26	University of Southern California (Marshall)	24.07	0.50%	6.05%	$300,000
27	Emory University (Goizueta)	20.31	1.07%	0.00%	$8,500

* Total award money available to full-time MBAs through new venture and startup competitions during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Are you a budding entrepreneur who needs to round out their skill set with an entrepreneurial-focused MBA? Let us at Accepted help you put together your strongest application to show these top programs what you’ve got. Contact us today for a free consultation on how we can work together to get you accepted to the perfect program for you!

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Related Resources:

• MBA Applicants: Make Your Work Experience Work for You, a free guide
• B-School Selectivity Index: Discover the Schools Where You Are Competitive
• A Bain Consultant-Turned Wharton MBA Starts Her Own Business, a podcast episode

The post Top MBA Programs for Entrepreneurs appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

AIGAC (the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants) recently released their 2019 MBA Applicant Survey, which substantiates the idea that today’s applicants continue to consider human interaction to be a competitive advantage. More and more, applicants see the importance of talking to current MBA students when selecting schools and making decisions. Current applicants continue to view growing in their careers as a priority, but not at the expense of making a positive impact on the world.

Additional survey findings include:

• Applicants applied to more schools this year: 4.5 schools this year compared to 3.8 last year.
• Due to the standardization of letters of recommendation, fewer candidates are being asked to write their own letters of recommendation.
• Working with an admissions consultant boosts self-awareness and improves communication skills prior to entering an MBA program.
• Selected social media outlets are being used more by applicants. More than 50% of applicants used LinkedIn as part of their school research this year. The use of Instagram increased from 19% last year to 25% this year.
• Female applicants expressed that schools got to know them less well than did males. With a score of 5 representing a school that got to know them best, females rated schools at 3.07 while males rated them at 3.20.
• The schools that ranked highest in getting to know applicants are:

1. 1. Vanderbilt University – Owen Graduate School of Management
   2. Cornell University – Johnson Graduate School of Management
   3. UVA – Darden School of Business
   4. Dartmouth College – Tuck School of Business
   5. UNC – Kenan-Flagler Business School
   6. Duke University – Fuqua School of Business
   7. Carnegie Mellon University – Tepper School of Business
   8. Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management
   9. UT Austin – McCombs School of Business
   10. Georgetown University – McDonough School of Business

The survey was completed by almost 1,000 applicants between March 16 and April 7, 2019. Of these, 778 applied to at least one school. Females made up 37% of the respondents. 58% of survey respondents reside outside the U.S.

Are you applying to a top MBA program? Not sure what your next step should be? Explore our MBA Admissions Consulting Services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will help you get ACCEPTED.

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Related Resources:

• Choosing an MBA Admissions Consultant, a free guide
• MBA Selectivity Index, discover the schools where you are competitive
• How Can an Accepted MBA Admissions Consultant Help You?

The post AIGAC 2019 MBA Applicant Survey Results Released appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Times Higher Education (THE) in partnership with the Wall Street Journal recently released its analyzed reams of data about graduate management education and produced a ranking of “high-achieving global MBA programs.”

The study ranked the programs in 20 separate performance indicators, leading to an aggregate score indicating the strength of each program and school. These scores were then combined into the following 4 scores, called pillars, shown below with their weights:

• Resources – Faculty per student: 11%; Teaching qualifications: 6%; Career support staff per student: 4%; Career support effectiveness: 4%
• Engagement – Learning engagement: 5%; Interaction with teachers and students: 5%; Student recommendation: 5%; Real-world relevance: 5%; Research in teaching: 5%
• Outcomes – Salary difference: 12%; Network: 12%; Social good: 5%; Entrepreneurship: 5%; Opportunities: 5%; Worth: 5%
• Environment – International students: 4%; Female students: 3%; International staff: 2%; Economic diversity: 2%

Top 10 Two-Year MBA Programs

Rank	University	Country	Resources	Engagement	Outcomes	Environment	Overall
1	Stanford Graduate School of Business	United States	79.1	94.1	91	40.4	82.7
2	Cornell University: Johnson	United States	85.6	92.1	83.3	39.8	80.9
3	Vanderbilt University: Owen	United States	85.4	93.1	89.1	18.6	80.7
4	University of Chicago: Booth	United States	74.4	94.2	86.9	37	79.6
5	Duke University: Fuqua	United States	71.5	92.7	85	34.1	77.5
6	University of Virginia: Darden	United States	67.1	93.5	88.6	28.7	77.3
6	Yale School of Management	United States	67.1	93	85.1	40.9	77.3
8	Carnegie Mellon: Tepper	United States	73.3	91.9	77.9	26.7	74.1
9	Purdue University: Krannert	United States	53.1	89.8	82.2	54.7	73.5
10	China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)	China	67.5	86.9	76.7	45.7	73.2

Analysis of the Rankings

You probably noticed that there are prominent names missing from the THE/WSJ top 20: Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT, INSEAD, LBS, and UCLA to name a few. These schools declined to participate. In fact, the global MBA rankings only include 54 schools, which reduces its value automatically.

In addition, the THE/WSJ ranking produces results that make me question their credibility. (The basic problem with rankings is that if they don’t match our preconceived notions, credibility is lacking. And if they are credible and congruent with common knowledge and opinion, what’s the value in the rankings? Strengthening confirmation bias?)

However, for a scathing and thorough critique of these rankings, I will point you to Poets and Quants’ John’s Byrne, who wrote “The Wall Street Journal’s ‘Where’s Waldo?’ MBA Ranking.”

Do you need help choosing the right MBA program? Work one-on-one with one of Accepted’s expert advisors to select the best programs for you, build a personalized MBA strategy, and create an application that will get you ACCEPTED. Learn more about our services here.

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Related Resources:

• Navigate the MBA Application Maze: 9 Tips to Acceptance, a free guide
• B-School Selectivity Index: Discover the Schools Where You are a Competitive Applicant
• 3 Ways to Determine Which B-Schools Are a Good Fit for You

The post Times Higher Education (THE) Unveils Its Long-Awaited Best Global MBA Programs appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

This interview is the latest in an Accepted blog series featuring interviews with business students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top programs. And now, introducing Andrea Caralis… 

Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad?

Andrea: I grew up in Detroit, Michigan and spent four amazing years at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where I studied Finance at the Farmer School of Business and ran the Club Field Hockey Team. I was raised in a Greek family and grew up performing on stage and playing sports. After undergrad, I moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where I began an amazing career at PNC Bank.

Accepted: Your work has been focused on FX. How will an MBA help you achieve your long-term career goals?

Andrea: “Growing up” on a trading floor gave me the opportunity to develop many transferable skills, all of which align with my future career goals in tech. The FX world is a fast-paced work environment where things change on a minute by minute basis, it is extremely cross-functional, and every day I was using data to drive custom revenue generating solutions for clients. My favorite part of the job was interacting with my corporate clients, nothing made me happier than to give them the best experience, and the most creative solutions to their problems. As my industry became more disrupted by technology, I realized I was passionate about embracing these changes and learned how to continue to drive revenue in a challenging and more digital world. I am now working toward my MBA to help dive deeper into the Tech industry and plan to leverage my blend of Finance, Sales & Marketing, and Strategic thinking skills within the Tech industry.

Accepted: You are currently attending Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon. What year are you?

Andrea: I am a first year MBA at Tepper, graduating May 2019.

Accepted: Why did you choose that program? How were you a good fit?

Andrea: The Tepper School of Business prides itself on Leadership & Analytics. I knew that those skillsets were something that I wanted to focus on for my next career step. As the world continues to be data-oriented, I knew the skills I would sharpen at Tepper would position me well for the future. I also felt a sense of community when I visited and talked to students. Tepper was an environment where I truly felt I could be myself, which I think is essential to finding the right program.

Accepted: What is your favorite thing about Tepper? Is there anything you’d change?

Andrea: Something I love about the Tepper program is the opportunity that I’ve had to dig deeper into the technology industry. Our Business & Technology club hosted the “Tech Innovation Challenge” for some of the top business schools in the country. My team and I were finalists and designed a business proposal for Autonomous Technology. Through case competitions, and joining a university-wide CMU Hyperloop team, I’ve had the opportunity to get hands-on experience.

If I could change anything, I’d like to change the perception that Tepper is a program only designed for “quant-wizards.” Our student body is comprised of a variety of people, coming from diverse backgrounds and industries, and I think the best part of my Tepper experience has been learning from everyone. Tepper embraces diversity in experience and although we are excited to have an analytical approach to the MBA, it should not deter anyone from joining our community.

Accepted: You are a Forté Foundation Fellow! How has this accomplishment helped launch your journey to business school?

Andrea: I am so proud to be a Forté Fellow. I was lucky to have worked for a company that supported the Forté Foundation prior to getting my MBA too, so I had already benefited from the knowledge and information that the organization shares. As an MBA Forté Fellow, I am passionate about promoting women in business and allied partnerships. As a woman who has always been in a male-dominated industry, I am excited to be a part of a community of trailblazers. The Forté Foundation’s career conference in June of this past summer was also an amazing gateway to some of the top employers, and I was lucky to build strong connections and internship potential opportunity prior to my MBA program starting.

Accepted: Looking back at the application process, did you experience any challenges? How did you overcome them?

Andrea: The application process challenged me in ways I hadn’t expected, it forced me to look at myself, my past accomplishments, and articulate why this next step was so important. If there is a word that describes me, it would be scrappy. I hustled by networking, taking the GMAT multiple times, and working to put my best application in front of the admissions teams. At the end, I was honored to have joined the Tepper community and have loved my experience thus far!

Accepted: Lastly, what are your top three tips for those who are going through the MBA application process right now? Is there anything you wish you would have known, that you know now?

Andrea:

1. Talk to many as many current students as possible and get a feel for how they interact with you. It will provide insight into their community.

2. Be yourself, and I truly mean this. If you remain genuine through the process, the right school will love you back!

3. Get the highest GMAT you possibly can and try to apply Round 1.

Want to learn more about Andrea? You can check out her LinkedIn profile here. Thank you Andrea, for sharing your story and advice – we wish you much success!

For one-on-one guidance on your b-school applications, check out our catalog of MBA admissions services.

Do you want to be featured in Accepted’s blog? If you want to share your b-school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com.

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Related Resources:

• MBA Admissions A-Z: 26 Great Tips, a free guide
• MBA Admissions Directors Speak About How to Get Accepted
• CMU Tepper MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

The post How This Forté Fellow is Blazing Her Trail in Tech appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

The William G. McGowan Charitable Fund recently announced its eighth class of McGowan Fellows. The Chicago-based family foundation recognizes students from top business schools across the U.S. who are dedicated to societal issues and ethical practices.

The McGowan Fellows Program, established in 2010, honors the legacy of William G. McGowan, the pioneering entrepreneur who embodied the ethical values business leadership. The Fund collaborates with its ten business school partners to choose ten second-year MBA students who demonstrate academic excellence as well as a commitment to ethical leadership. These students receive full tuition for their second year of business school.

Over the next year, the eighth class will work together on a social impact project taking on a challenge relating to insurance coverage for a preventive health program. Through this and other experiences, the Fellows Program intends to provide the resources and guidance to young professionals to become accountable, ethical leaders and role models for future generations.

The McGowan Fellows Class of 2018 includes students from the following business schools:

• CMU Tepper

• Columbia Business School

• Dartmouth Tuck

• Duke Fuqua

• Georgetown McDonough

• MIT Sloan

• Northwestern Kellogg

• Chicago Booth

• Michigan Ross

• UPenn Wharton

For more information on the McGowan Fellows Program, visit williamgmcgowanfund.org.

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Related Resources:

• School-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips
• Stand Out! A Critical Goal for Your Application, a podcast episode
• Proving Character Traits in Your Application Essays

The post William G. McGowan Charitable Fund Announces Fellows appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

This interview is the latest in an Accepted blog series featuring interviews with MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. And now for a chat with an MBA student at CMU Tepper, Daniel Espinoza…

Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad?

Daniel: I am from Peru. I am an Economist Engineer, and graduated from National University of Engineering. It is a career related to Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. Interestingly, my father had Peru’s first degree in that career, so I grew up among books of economics, finance and long discussion about economics issues with my father. Also, I obtained a Master of Sciences in Investments Projects in my alma mater, earning first place in my cohort. I developed my career in several industries and in several roles such as Civil and Urban Infrastructure, Consulting, Mining and Health Care. Since I am an entrepreneur and I like changes, I decided to pursue an MBA in a world class university like Carnegie Mellon to incorporate a fresh set of tools to my profession.

Accepted: Which business school did you attend? When did you graduate?

Daniel: I am going to Tepper Business School of Carnegie Mellon University. I will graduate in May 2017.

Accepted: What ultimately led to your decision to attend Tepper School of Business? What were some of your favorite aspects of their program?

Daniel: In a high level, I developed my career in Mining and Health Care, and Pittsburgh has been a mining and industrial city of coal and steel so it made sense to come here. Additionally, Pittsburgh is a big hub in Healthcare with big corporations such as UPMC and Highmark, so definitely I obtained the right mix that combined nicely with my background. Tepper is a business school that cultivates three important areas of knowledge related to Behavioral Economics, Mathematics and Decision Analysis which are intimately related to my two professional dissertations: Strategic Decision Making in Mining and Risk Analysis in Public Projects. So Tepper provided me the right match to my interests.

Accepted: What made you pursue an MBA program at this stage in your life? Did you consider EMBA programs?

Daniel: Since I developed my career in several Planning and Strategic Departments in Mining and Health Care, I was exposed to a variety of problems related to Finance, Operations, Commercialization, Supply Chain and Strategy. Moreover, I played an important role leading my company as Commercial Chief during the crisis of metal commodities. I not only accomplished my daily duties such as managing warehouse operations, identifying P&L drivers, forecasting metrics, doing market research, and tracking sales, but also collaborated in the due diligence that crystallized in the acquisition of my company by Nyrstar –in an operation of $ 23 M. Moreover, I took on new responsibilities during the M&A by leading the implementation of SAP to promote change management. All these experiences made me think that I was ready to play in the big leagues, so I decided to pursue my MBA in 2012 and I was accepted by Tepper in first round in December of 2014. I preferred a full-time MBA just to internalize and rewire my mindset to be prepared for future business challenges.

Accepted: Looking back, did you experience any challenges while applying as an international applicant? How did you overcome them?

Daniel: Applying as an international applicant involves many challenges and very detailed planning. In my case coming from Peru, with a different university system and language, was particularly challenging. I divided the work in three categories:

First, I began my preparation to take the TOEFL and GMAT, which are everyone a complete universe in themselves. The decision of what is first and what is second is always tricky. I began taking the GMAT and finished taking the TOEFL, defining a minimum desirable score for each one.

Second, I asked to my different schools the respective transcripts and additional documentation to support my level of education and accomplishments.

Third, I had to translate everything from Spanish to English. I employed an Official Translator.

I did all these things while I was working in one of the biggest hospitals in Peru as a Project Specialist moving forward several initiatives in Urology, Critical Care, Metabolic Support, Dentistry and IT. To sum it all up, it is required a lot of stamina and determination to overcome all these activities.

Accepted: How have your MBA studies at Tepper School of Business helped you achieve your long-term career goals?

Daniel: Since my MBA is still in progress, I am really excited to see the impact to achieve my long-term career goals. However, I’ve learned a lot of interesting approaches to solve problems, to lead teams, and to accomplish goals in a real job setting. One indicator, is my Internship in Hospital Corporation of America in Houston (Texas) during the summer 2016 as Performance Improvement Engineer. It is an internal consulting role that generates initiatives to improve several aspects in the Healthcare Value Chain such as Labor, Clinical Excellence, Operations Room, Emergency Department and Throughput. For example, I generated a positive impact in financial and operational reporting, and increased efficiencies in the Operations Room by reducing physicians’ overtime.

In another instance, I worked for 33 Birds –a non-profit organization that provides food and useful extracurricular activities to poor children in NYC, to which I elaborated its first Business Plan, first Brochures and first Databases of potential fund-providers. So, these experiences make me think the great opportunities that my MBA is opening for me which will fulfill my long-term career goals working in the intersection of Technology, Finance and Business Development in a variety of roles such as Project Management, Product Management, Business Improvement, or Supply Chain.

Accepted: Lastly, do you have any tips for those who are contemplating pursuing an MBA program later in their career?

Daniel: I am convinced that success is a natural result from hard work and dedication to meet unexpected and impressive opportunities that the market offers. I feel that building respect and trust are important for strong business and professional relationships. Today we have an extraordinary tool that can tremendously leverage our careers and prepare us to reach higher goals: the MBA. It is a decision that should be taken carefully and thoughtfully. Especially, I recommend it when you have great accomplishments and experiences that can be shared with your classmates. On the other hand, the courses that you will take can be contrasted with your experiences making the process of learning and personal transformation more fruitful. Another piece that I considered was to take the Leadership Certification that Tepper offers to enhance my leadership skills. It is never too late; on the contrary, it is a beautiful pause that can re-energize our careers. If you have these elements, it is the right time.

You can keep up with Daniel’s journey by checking out his blog The Economist Engineer or you can connect with him via LinkedIn. Thank you Daniel for sharing your story with us – we wish you continued success!

For one-on-one guidance with your b-school application, check out our MBA Application Packages.

Do you want to be featured in Accepted’s blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com.

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Related Resources:

• Leadership in Admissions
• The Importance of Extracurriculars and Community Service
• The MBA Family Tree: A Roundup & Overview of Different MBA/EMBA Options

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Courtney Keene at Tepper’s International Day celebration

Accepted.com is continuing a blog series featuring interviews with current MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. We hope to offer you a candid picture of student life, and what you should consider as you prepare your MBA application.

Here’s a talk with Courtney Keene, a student at CMU’s Tepper and Heinz who will be working at Deloitte Consulting next year. Thank you Courtney for sharing your thoughts with us!

Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself – where are you from? What and where did you study as an undergraduate and when did you graduate?

Courtney: I’m originally from Washington, D.C., but I can’t really claim it as my ‘hometown’ as I spent most of my childhood and teenage years overseas in West Africa and South East Asia due to my parents’ careers. If anywhere, I’d say my real hometown is Dakar, Senegal, where I’ve spent the most time in any single place and where my husband is from. Although I would go to D.C. and New York during summers to visit family and friends, moving to New York to attend Barnard College in 2003 was my first time actually living in the U.S. since the age of two. At Barnard, which is a small liberal arts college for women at Columbia University, I majored in Political Science and did a minor in Environmental Science. I graduated in 2007.

Accepted: Why did you decide to pursue a combined MBA/MPP? How will these degrees contribute to your career goals?

Courtney: I’m a bit of an atypical MBA candidate, although I think the path I’ve taken is becoming increasingly popular. Before coming back to school I worked in the non-profit world and focused on social innovation and international education. My overarching passion, in line with my upbringing, is the challenge of economic development in emerging markets. I decided to ‘switch sides’ so to speak to address this challenge from the private sector. I figured the best way to obtain the requisite analytical skills and experience would be to pursue an MBA while enriching my knowledge and policy skills with a Master in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM). The two programs complement each other very well and I expect the two perspectives to be useful, especially considering the growing prevalence of public and private sector collaboration in the overlapping fields of economic development and social innovation.

Accepted: Which other programs were you considering in addition to CMU? What tipped the scales to favor Tepper/Heinz?

Courtney: I applied to a short list of schools via the Consortium’s common application. My goal was to either find an MBA program that was very interdisciplinary with strong social entrepreneurship and international development programs and opportunities, or to find a university with a dual degree option with two highly ranked programs featuring these elements. Ultimately I decided on CMU’s Tepper and Heinz schools for several reasons: they are both highly ranked; Tepper has a small and quantitatively-rigorous program, which is what I was looking for; every interaction with admissions staff, students and alumni was positive; their financial aid support is outstanding; and culturally they were the best fit.

Accepted: What are some of your favorite things about living in Pittsburgh? Least favorite?

Courtney: Pittsburgh has a special energy and pride that has pleasantly surprised me since my arrival. It’s a town known for its great decline from the steel empire it once was, but it is in the process of remaking itself, which I’ve found fascinating to witness and be a part of. I’ve enjoyed learning about the economic development efforts here through my Heinz coursework as well as my volunteer internship with a local community development non-profit, GTECH. I’ve also really grown to enjoy the charm of Pittsburgh as an old post-industrial city, home of the Steelers, and a place where most people say hi on the street. Two things I won’t miss: the long waits for the bus and the unpredictable weather.

Accepted: What’s your favorite class so far?

Courtney: Last fall for my Tepper Capstone requirement I took a class called ‘Managing the Enterprises of the Future.’ The course consisted of a series of lectures by very distinguished C-Suite guest speakers and a real-life semester long consulting project with corporate clients. I had the opportunity to work with Walgreens on creating a spin-off non-profit web platform for helping corporate clients, like Walgreens, hire people with disabilities. It was an invaluable learning experience to have an actual client, a real project and an interdisciplinary team of eight to work with over a period of four months to deliver tangible results.

Accepted: Do you have a job lined up for next year? If so, what role did CMU play in helping you secure that position?

Courtney: Next fall I will start at Deloitte Consulting full-time in the Federal Practice in Washington, D.C. I had the great opportunity to intern there last summer, a position I got through CMU’s on-campus recruiting and networking. Both Tepper and Heinz were great resources in the internship search and preparation process.

Accepted: Do you have any advice for some of our applicants who will be applying to CMU’s MBA and/or MPP programs?

Courtney: I found that the application process for graduate school elicited a lot more authentic soul searching than what I remember from college application essays. This time I was sincerely asking myself ‘why do I want to do this?” and trying to answer as honestly as possible both to myself and to the schools to which I was applying. Looking back, I think this helped me a lot not only in terms of the quality of my applications, but also in the quality of my experience in both graduate programs. My words of advice: be flexible, but have some internal compass guiding your decisions.

Accepted: As someone who majored in Political Science and Environmental Studies, rather than something more “business-y” like Economics or Accounting, did you find it hard to adapt or keep up with the quant classes at first? And what about your GMAT — did you find the quant sections much more challenging than the verbal parts?

Courtney: One of the features that tipped the scales in favor of both Tepper and Heinz is their focus on quantitative analysis, a skill-set lacking from my political science liberal arts background. I found the verbal part of the GMAT pretty easy, but was intimidated by the quant section. So yes, the first semester of core classes at Tepper was pretty brutal, but it was a welcomed challenge that I sought out for myself. Fortunately, Tepper has a very supportive and collaborative culture and all of my more experienced peers were willing to help.

Accepted: What attracted you to the Consortium? How have you benefited from the program?

Courtney: I first heard about the Consortium from my aunt, who is a Consortium alumna. Once I knew about it, the value proposition was a no-brainer. It’s an organization with a mission to increase diversity in MBA programs and the business world in general, a mission that aligns well with my own values and goals. I’ve benefited from my affiliation with the Consortium in so many ways: I saved money applying to schools via the common application; I’ve saved a lot of money attending business school due to the Consortium’s financial support; I networked and interviewed with companies at the Consortium’s Orientation Program in June before even beginning my program; I bonded with a network of fellow Consortium students at school; I’ve taken advantage of the extensive alumni network; and I’ve gained on-campus leadership experience as a Tepper Consortium Liaison.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

For help with your Tepper and Consortium application, consider a Tepper School of Business Essay Package or a Consortium Essay Package.

For complete, soup-to-nuts guidance on the MBA admissions process, please purchase Linda Abraham’s new book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools – now available in paperback and Kindle editions!

The post CMU Tepper MBA Student Interview appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

New curriculum debuts at CMU Tepper

The business world is evolving, and in response, the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon has announced various changes to its MBA curriculum. These reforms reflect the increasing importance of integrated reasoning as evidenced by the new “integrated reasoning” section on the GMAT, as well as the earlier and earlier recruiting schedule for first-year MBAs.

The Tepper curriculum will now begin with BaseCamp, a four-week orientation program “during which students receive an integrated view of business, with an emphasis on how core disciplines and business functions work together.” Giving the students a solid introduction assists them when dealing with internship recruiters early in their first year, as does Tepper’s new class schedule. Students will focus on business fundamentals in the first year, moving on to electives and capstone courses in the second year. Tepper’s goal is to provide its students with a grasp of “key content” in time for internship interviews in December.

Another change to the curriculum will be four individual weeks, each mid-semester, which will be “designed and timed to address a specific need in the development of MBA students, such as leadership development, job searching, or experiential learning,” a.k.a “soft skills.” Plus, new students in the fall of 2012 will partake in a personalized assessment of their leadership skills. The assessment will be conducted by the school’s new co-curricular center for communication and leadership, which will help students “implement personalized plans for developing their oral and written communications and leadership skills throughout the program.”

That’s the news about CMU Tepper. Let’s put its new curriculum in context. Two trends seem to be at play as MBA curricula evolve and schools fall into two broad camps:

1. Start by providing a solid general management curriculum followed by electives. Clearly, this is the camp that CMU Tepper is joining. A few other examples are Harvard, Stanford, Darden, and Tuck.
2. The other camp allows for greater customization from the get-go. For example, with UCLA Anderson’s new curriculum, announced last summer, students can take the core classes when it best suits them. They are actually encouraged to dive immediately into the courses of most value to them given their internship goals. Wharton also recently introduced a similar approach. Chicago has few required courses and is very flexible in terms of when you take those required core courses.

All schools are working to improve their curricula in leadership, communications, and career management/job search skills. Changes in these areas appear to be a constant whether the curriculum goes from the general to the particular or the other way around.

Implications for Your MBA Application

Clearly, MBAs are not one-size-fits-all. And the options and choices mean you have to choose the program that fits you best. As usual, start with your goals. What do you want to get out of the MBA?

If you have a very specific career goal where you want to dive deep into a particular area of study and obtain an internship in that function/industry to facilitate a career change, then Approach #2 is probably superior. You will still get the general management education and learn about other areas of business, but you will be able to shape your studies to suit your needs. The more flexible programs will probably better prepare you for your internship, smoothing your way to an effective career change.

If, however, you come from a liberal arts background or, conversely, come from a highly technical background, and you want a strong foundation in business and general management to pursue a career in management, entrepreneurship, or strategy consulting that will complement your previous education, then a program emphasizing the connections between business functions and suffused with an integrated approach to management education is probably better for you.

As an MBA admissions consultant who has been living and breathing MBA admissions and advising applicants for 18 years, I can also think of exceptions to the general guidelines I just provided even as I type them, but two conclusions apply to all:

1. Let your MBA goals guide you. That means you need to have them.
2. In choosing schools, look at the curricula and understand the differences. The things they all have in common don’t really matter; it’s the differences that count.

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.  

Like Linda’s perspective? You can either search the 2000+ pages of Accepted.com for more, or check out her comprehensive guide to MBA admissions in a succinct, informative 191-page book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools, available in paperback and for Kindle. Download the free first chapter below! It’s an essential guide if you are applying to top MBA programs.

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The post New MBA Curriculum at Tepper School appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.