BizSchoolPrep Blog, MBA Admissions Consultant

Is that MBA worth it? Let's talk in ROI terms

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 23:08:00 +0000

Source: GMAC

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Need help to get the best application out there for your dream Business School? Come to BizSchoolPrep Consulting. Whether you are a domestic applicant or an international one, our process is uniquely designed to understand your background, and then create a strategy whose sole aim is to get you to the business school of your dream. Know what makes us different.

Evolution of the MBA

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 23:06:00 +0000

Via MBA@UNC Online MBA Program

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Know your post MBA career: Investment Banking (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 04:08:00 +0000

This is a three part series (courtsey: careers-in-finance.com) Part 1 covers Investment Banking in general, requirements and how to break into this field. Part 2 covers job options in this field, salaries and Part 3 covers Life as an associate (for MBA students) and life as an analyst (undergrads) in Investment Banking

By far the most common route into investment banking for someone just finishing an undergraduate degree is to be hired into a bank's analyst program (for more on life as an analyst, see our upcoming Part 3). MBAs are generally hired as associates. Analysts and associates work within specialized groups but they may not always have control over the group to which they get assigned (analysts especially). Some of the most common groups found within investment banks are described below, along with the work they do. If you're a new graduate interested in one of these areas specifically, learn as much as you can about the area that intrigues you so that you're best positioned to be assigned to that group, but understand that you'll most likely be looking for a job as an analyst or associate.

Industry Coverage

Most large investment banks have an area called investment banking, IBD, IBK, CIBD, "banking" or something that denotes industry-focused investment banking. These organizations are organized into product groups (e.g., private placements) and industry coverage groups (e.g., aerospace). See Credit Suisse's banking page for an example. The group will have a set of senior bankers (Managing Directors - usually called "MD's") who maintain relationships with client companies in the industry (e.g., Boeing, Aerospatiale). These bankers will be backed up by a group of Directors, VPs, Associates, Analysts and Administrative Assistants who help by attending client meetings, coming up with ideas for clients, preparing pitch books, executing transactions, writing commitment committee memo's etc. The two main types of business are M&A (see below) and financings which could be carried out separately by a corporate finance group (see below) or executed within the coverage group. Generally, there will be a client team that comes together for a specific client deal (e.g., issuance of a Boeing Bond). This will include the MD, a VP and an Associate, Analyst or two. This team would interface with the product specialist which might include someone from corporate finance if specialized know-how is needed and also someone from Debt Capital Markets (which manages issuance of bonds into the capital markets).

Stanford Debunks Interview Myths

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 06:54:00 +0000

Straight from horse's mouth (or lets say Stanford GSB's Admission Blog) -

The GSB's Knight Management Center (www.stanford.edu)

MYTH 1: The interview has a lot of weight so if I blow the interview, I have blown my chances of being admitted.
THE TRUTH: There is no specific weight assigned to the interview; the interview is one part of a comprehensive process. A positive interview does not guarantee admission, while a less than favorable interview does not, by itself, preclude admission. The written application, including the essays and letters of reference, is a critical part of the evaluation process. The interview is a key source of supplemental information.

MYTH 2: I received my interview invitation early in the round so it must mean I have a better chance of getting admitted.

Know your post MBA career: Investment Banking (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 03:48:00 +0000

image courtsey: thinkprogress.org

Investment Banks help companies and governments issue securities, help investors purchase securities, manage financial assets, trade securities and provide financial advice. The top investment banks including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley are said to be in the bulge bracket.
Other investment banks are regionally oriented or situated in the middle market (e.g. Piper Jaffray). Others are small, specialized firms called boutiques which might be oriented toward an industry vertical, bond-trading, M&A advisory, technical analysis or program trading. Firms have lots of different areas and groups within them. In most firms, there is sales and trading which works with owners of securities, investment banking which works with issuers of securities (firms and governments) and capital markets which goes in between the other two.

Skill and Talent Requirements

Making the most of a Business School visit

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 17:53:00 +0000

If you can visit the business school you are applying to, it is highly recommended to do so BEFORE submitting your applications. While school webpages, brochures and info sessions are good source for basic research, nothing can compare visiting and experiencing the business program in person. This visit can give you pointers that you can use in your essays and help craft authentic responses to interview questions. So how to make the most of your campus visit?

1. When you arrive, or later but before leaving the school, visit the admissions office and sign up. You'd like to be formally in the attendance roll sheet of the business school.

2. If you registered through adcom office, your name will already be there. If you are visiting on your own, make sure to show adcom officer that you really came.You may also be able to learn about the opportunities through the admissions office that are made specific for prospective students. Make sure your visit includes a stop here for this reason.

Columbia Business School's Fall 2012 Application Process - Deadlines and Essays

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 04:03:00 +0000

Here are Columbia Business School’s application deadlines and essays for the coming year:

Columbia Business School Admissions Deadlines

January 2013 Intake: October 3, 2012
Fall 2013 Intake (Early Decision): October 3, 2012
Fall 2013 Intake (Merit Fellowship Consideration): January 9, 2013
Fall 2013 Intake (Regular Decision): April 10, 2013

Do not forget that CBS works on a rolling admissions cycle and we recommend against applying at the last minute. Also “Early Decision” means that the applicant is committing to attend Columbia if he/she accepted.

Columbia Business School Admissions Essays

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (200 characters maximum)

NYU Stern Releases Fall 2012 MBA Admissions Essays

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:37:00 +0000

NYU Stern is introducing a new Essay 2 to its full-time MBA application for Fall 2013 applicants, the first major change in the essays in six years. The question will assess an applicant's fit with the Stern mission and mindset about creating value in an environment of increased ambiguity. The School believes these qualities are essential to lead in today's global business environment.

"The central issues of our time--from fiscal and environmental sustainability to the rise of emerging markets and the coming wave of urbanization--cry out for disruptive leaders who can think across traditional intellectual boundaries and work collaboratively to harness the power of markets for the good of the world," said Peter Henry, Dean of NYU Stern. "We want students of the highest caliber who are eager to broaden their minds, develop their own unique professional identity, and use the assets of our School and University to figure out how to create value in whatever career they choose to pursue."

US News' Top Online MBA Programs - 2011

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:13:00 +0000

Picture Courtsey: aceonlineschools.com

In its inaugural ranking of online MBA programs, U.S. News & World Report named 14 of 164 ranked programs, in alphabetical order. The schools include Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and George Washington University’s School of Business.

The schools that made theranking had to be ranked in the top third of three of the four categories which are:

Internationals can't work anymore in UK after studies!

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 03:24:00 +0000

Indians who go to the United Kingdom for higher studies will no longer be able to stay on to work after completing their education. This new regulation, announced earlier, comes into effect on Friday. The number of applications from India for university courses in the UK commencing in September 2012 have already dropped, and the move is likely to trigger a further fall.

The earlier regime permitted overseas students to apply for employment for at least two years on payment of a visa fee of £500.This is being discontinued to reduce foreign workers in a climate of high unemployment in Britain.

Entrepreneur graduates may still find work in UK

Honey I shrunk the school! Kellogg goes smaller

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:26:00 +0000

In Feb 2012, the Kellogg School of Management unveiled its new strategic vision for the coming decade, called Envision Kellogg. The plan, announced by Kellogg Dean Sally Blount, contains many moving pieces, including an expanding global footprint and a complete overhaul of the school’s MBA curriculum. Most notably, Kellogg plans to shrink its two-year MBA program class size by as much as 25%, and double or even triple the size of its one-year MBA program.

There are few, if any, American one-year MBA programs as prominent the one Kellogg offers. (Among top-ranked schools, Columbia’s accelerated January-intake class is the most similar.) Recognizing this unique asset and the apparent growing popularity of accelerated MBA programs around the world, Blount is doubling down on the one-year program in an effort to further stand out vs. its U.S. competition. Its two-year full-time enrollment, which currently stands at about 1,115, may drop as low as 850. Meanwhile, the school’s one-year program class size could grow from approximately 80 students to as many as 250.

MBA Admissions, Background Checks and You!

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:03:00 +0000

With a lot of schools releasing their R1 and R2 decisions during the last few weeks, many admitted candidates might be having some questions about the background checks that are often reported to be conducted by the top MBA programs.

To help explain the process, here are some quick facts :

1) What is a background check?

Background check involves checking out and verifying the information that an applicant (and now an admitted student) provides to the school during his or her MBA applications. The process may differ a litl bit for different schools, it usually includes verifying that the applicant attended the schools (undergrad/grad/community, etc) that he or she claimed in the application to have attended, received the grades that are indicated in the application and worked in the organizations that is reported on the application. It also involves the checking the candidate’s job history, titles, starting and ending dates and salary information. Finally, background checks may even involve contacting applicant's recommenders to check about their support and confirming applicant's involvement in the extracurricular or community activities as she or he may have earlier claimed.

US News Ranking for MBA Programs - 2012 ranked

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 05:50:00 +0000

Like all rankings of business schools, the U.S. News list often engenders much controversy and debate. But it is among the most influential and most followed of several prominent rankings. This year, U.S. News said it surveyed all 441 master’s programs in business accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Some 393 responded, with 136 respondents providing enough data needed by the magazine to calculate full-time M.B.A. rankings. U.S. News ultimately ranked 102 business schools this year, down from the 111 it gave numerical rankings to last year. At the bottom in a tie for a ranking of 101 were the business schools at Rollins College in Florida and Santa Clara University in California.

The magazine only ranks U.S.-based schools, unlike BusinessWeek, The Financial Times, or The Economist which publish global rankings, either combined or separate.

*To know how the rankings of different magazines and publications differ, and the methodology check out this post*

How to read the US News 2013 ranking table:

School: To fit all the data in the table above, we used the shortest possible name of the school. That’s why some schools are identified by their university names and others by the name of the business school.

Index: The total score that U.S. News assigns to a school. U.S. News says the “data were standardized about their means, and school scores were weighted, totalled, and rescaled so that the top school received 100; others received their percentage of the top score.”

Stanford R2 Interview Invite Call

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:23:00 +0000

Our client's privacy is our top most concern and hence, some pieces of information from the interview invite have been blanked out.

Please find attached the interview invites received by one of our client for Stanford GSB's full time MBA Program -

(Click to zoom)

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Chicago Booth R2 Interview Invite Call

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:18:00 +0000

Our client's privacy is our top most concern and hence, some pieces of information from the interview invite have been blanked out.

Please find attached the interview invites received by one of our client for Chicago Booth's full time MBA Program -

(Click to zoom)

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Kellogg Round 2 Interview Invite Call

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:10:00 +0000

(Click to zoom)

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Cornell Johnson Interview Invite

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:56:00 +0000

Our client's privacy is our top most concern and hence, some information from the interview invite has been blanked out. Also, the dates of the invite emails have intentionally been changed to reflect today's date.

Please find attached the interview invites received by one of our client for Cornell Johnson's full time MBA Program-

(Click to zoom)

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Need help to get the best application out there for your dream Business School? Come to BizSchoolPrep Consulting. Whether you are a domestic applicant or an international one, our process is uniquely designed to understand your background, and then create a strategy whose sole aim is to get you to the business school of your dream. Know what makes us different.

Duke Interview Invite Call

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:50:00 +0000

(Click to zoom)

Dartmouth Tuck Interview Invite Call

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:48:00 +0000

(Click to zoom)

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Harvard Business School (HBS) Interview Invite Call

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:44:00 +0000

Our client's privacy is our top most concern and hence, some information from the interview invite has been blanked out. Also, the dates of the invite emails have intentionally been changed to reflect today's date.

Please find attached the interview invite received by one of our clients from Harvard Business School's (HBS) full time MBA Program for the second round -

(Click to zoom)

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Wharton R2 Interview Call

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:42:00 +0000

Our client's privacy is our top most concern and hence, some information from the interview invite has been blanked out. Also, the dates of the invite emails have intentionally been changed to reflect today's date.

Please find attached the interview invite received by one of our clients from the Wharton School's full time MBA Program for the second round -

(Click to zoom)

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UCLA Anderson Catches Plagiarism...

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:17:00 +0000

We, at BizSchoolPrep, strongly support UCLA's initiative in not only catching plagiarism in MBA Admissions but also making these numbers public to warn many others who are toying with the idea of lifting essays from other sources.

A dozen MBA applicants at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management have been rejected after the school discovered plagiarism in their admissions essays—including a passage lifted from businessweek.com.

As the Los Angeles Times reported on Jan. 29, the applicants’ undoing was a service called Turnitin for Admissions. As we’ve reported, the service scans admissions essays and compares them to a huge database containing billions of pages of web content, books and journals, as well as student work previously submitted to Turnitin for a plagiarism check. Turnitin looks for instances of matching text, but leaves it to the individual schools to determine whether the similarity is plagiarism or an innocent mistake.

Top MBA Admissions To-Dos for applicants from Asian region

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:02:00 +0000

This post is specifically targeted towards international applicants, in particular the ones from Asian region such as China, Korea, etc and who have not worked in the business environment of western economies.

1. Show not only how comfortable but also how successful you are in western business enviroment.

Mention experiences about your overseas, cross country or multi cultural projects. Showcase how well you understand and appreciate the differences between these different work cultures (of your home country and outside economies) and practices and how adaptable you are to those. Moreover, stress on what you learned from these experiences and how it developed your perspectives in understanding the way of doing business in a particular economy. The exposure need not be only in the professional setting but could be through a study abroad semester, volunteering during school, or anything similar. Learned any language? Tell them.

Top Ranked Technology/IT Focused MBA Programs

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:44:00 +0000

A lot of applicants regularly enquires about what are the best business schools for an MBA in technology or MBA in information systems or just MBA with IT focused subjects, and the top technology MBA rankings. According to a recent article in CIO Magazine, the tech-centric MBA programs give students the option to combine business administration with information systems studies– essential for any Senior IT leadership position. The following rank as the U.S. News top 10 business schools for information systems:

1. MIT Sloan

MBA candidates attending MIT’s Sloan School of Management have a new facility to enjoy. Overlooking the Charles River, the new building, known as E62, is the “greenest” building at MIT with its light-sensitive window shades, green roof, and irrigation system designed to minimize water use.

IT-related courses: Fundamentals of Digital Business Strategy, Generating Business Value from IT, Information Technology as an Integrating Force in Manufacturing, Global Information Systems: Communications and Connectivity Among Information Systems, Integrating Information Systems: Technology, Strategies & Organizational Factors

QS World MBA Tour coming to US in Feb 2012

noreply@blogger.com (BizSchoolPrep) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:34:00 +0000

Picture Courtsey: QS World MBA Tour

The QS World MBA Tour, which gives prospective applicants to top business school programs an opportunity to meet with leading business school admissions directors and GMAT test prep firms, will be in several major North American cities next month.

The world’s largest MBA fair, the QS World MBA Tour will feature more than $1.2 million worth of available scholarships, panel discussions addressing hot MBA topics and trends, free GMAT information seminars and presentations from local and international school representatives. B-school alumni, entrepreneurial groups and career development organizations will also be in attendance, giving prospective applicants valuable networking opportunities. The fair also features a dedicated section for Executive MBAs as well as a special “Women in Leadership” forum.