BYU MBA Admissions & Beyond

Why BYU?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:31:00 +0000

It has been 5 years since I graduated from the B-School at BYU. Time flies! In these 5 years can’t imagine the personal and professional accomplishments that were only possible with an education from BYU. While a lot has changed since entering corporate America, there is one constant, a question that I will continue to answer in the years to come – Why BYU?

It is in fact an intriguing question, one that arises out of disbelief from some who are locked-in a preconceived notion that BYU supports only the LDS Community. For others, it is a question arising out of curiosity. Hence, most folks (including fellow BYU alumni) consider their right to ask a non-LDS student the question in some flavor. Of course, my response has been consistent all these years but it has certainly evolved from the time I was a student at BYU to a working professional. I want to take this opportunity to highlight the evolution of my answer and what makes BYU so precious to me.

As a student, my class mates and even professors asked me this question. At that time, I saw BYU as a place that is culturally very similar to India. People at BYU are family focused, have a fear of GOD, want to do the right thing, live a balanced life, bear children, respect the blessings of everyday life and those are some similar traits found in most Indians. Additionally, the fact that BYU’s policies and honor code strictly enforced the rejection of artificial stimulators like caffeine, tobacco and alcohol provided me with a perspective that was propagated by my parents while growing up in India. No doubt the school’s consistent reputation as an academic center of excellence with world renowned faculty was always a reason to choose BYU.

When I started my professional career in Corporate America, I was flooded with questions about BYU from my colleagues, seniors and recruiters. Sometimes I was amazed how much curiosity BYU draws. I highlighted the hard working nature of BYU students, the quality and clarity in their concepts, the focus on living a balanced life and of course the reputation that the school carries as a consistent performer in school rankings and ratings by independent agencies. The sheer number of students recruited by Big 4 accounting / consulting firms from BYU was a yard stick to measure the quality of the education.

Now after years of association with BYU, I am successfully working on living the mission of BYU "to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life". It has been a rewarding feeling to gain respect at the work place, live a good life and enjoy the learning from BYU.

14 MBA Students Awarded Eccles Scholarships

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:25:00 +0000

Back L to R: Sirish "Bob" Maddula, Aaron Burt, Clark Woolstenhulme, Erdenetsetseg "Segie" Tumurbaatar, Harsh Dhawan Grover, Yael Rodriguez Guinzberg and Taylor Fisher; Front L to R: Kihyuck "Kyle" Jeong, Alvaro Brisolla, Christian Hsieh, Michelle Quinn and Cesar Belmonte
Not pictured: Marc de Schweinitz and Aaron McKay

PROVO, Utah – Apr 28, 2008 – The Kay and Yvonne Whitmore Global Management Center at Brigham Young University presented 14 MBA candidates with Eccles Scholarships for outstanding achievement in international business. Each Eccles Scholar will receive $10,000 to defray the cost of tuition and international experiences during their enrollment.

“This year’s Eccles Scholars carry on the fine tradition of outstanding MBA students who are interested in careers in international business,” says Lee Radebaugh, director of the Whitmore Global Management Center. “The funding is instrumental in supporting their education at BYU and engaging in meaningful international activities to help them prepare to be successful in a global environment. It is an honor for the students to be selected as Eccles Scholars and a signal to employers that they are serious about international careers.”

The 2008 Eccles Scholars are Cesar Belmonte, from Sao Paulo, Brazil; Alvaro Brisolla, from Sao Paulo, Brazil; Aaron Burt, from Sandy, Utah; Marc de Schweinitz, from Palo Alto, Calif.; Taylor Fisher, from Everett, Wash.; Harsh Dhawan Grover, from Himachal Pradesh, India; Yael Rodriguez Guinzberg, from Mexico City; Christian Hsieh, from Taipei, Taiwan; Kihyuck “Kyle” Jeong, from Busan, Korea; Sirish “Bob” Maddula, from Andhra Pradesh, India; Aaron McKay, from Pleasant Grove, Utah; Michelle Quinn, from New Canaan, Conn.; Erdenetsetseg “Segie” Tumurbaatar, from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; and Clark Woolstenhulme, from Plano, Texas.

Marriott School students seeking the Global Management Certificate are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Selection is based on prior international work experience, second-language fluency and a strong desire to pursue a career in international business. The final selection is made by a committee of international business faculty and directors of the Whitmore Global Management Center.

The Eccles Scholarship is funded by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. To ensure that the Eccles’ philanthropic work continued beyond their lifetimes, the foundation was formed in 1960 and supports a variety of projects and programs throughout the state. The foundation is particularly committed to promoting quality education — it funds programs on nearly every college and university campus in Utah.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, entrepreneurship, public management and information systems. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.

Eccles Scholar Bios

Cesar Belmote, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a second-year MBA candidate with an emphasis in supply chain management. He earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Sao Paulo. Belmonte worked as an engineer in Brazil and Ohio and has accepted an offer from Cummins to be a supply chain specialist in Tennessee. “I have always been very interested in expanding my international experience and enhancing my language skills,” Belmonte says. “BYU has helped me improve my managerial skills and my competitiveness in the international market.”

Alvaro Brisolla, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a second-year MBA candidate with an emphasis in supply chain management. He earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Sao Paulo State University. Brisolla began his career working as a front line manufacturing manager for Johnson & Johnson and later worked for Alcan as the process engineer responsible for the United States, Latin America, and the Middle East. He has accepted a supply chain manager position with Johnson & Johnson in Brazil.

Aaron Burt, from Sandy, Utah, is a first-year MBA candidate with an emphasis in finance. He earned undergraduate degrees in computer engineering and Russian from BYU. Burt worked as a design engineer at Intel Corporation, where he led several engineering teams with members located in the United States, Malaysia and China. “The Eccles Scholar Award allows me to continue integrating international experience with my academic endeavors,” says Burt. “It validates my commitment to international business.”

Marc de Schweinitz, from Palo Alto, Calif., is a second-year MBA candidate. He earned an undergraduate degree in international business from BYU—Hawaii. De Schweinitz worked as a territory sales manager for Hardwoods Specialty Products in Salt Lake City. He currently serves as the vice president of communications for the MBA Marketing Association. After graduation he will work as a commercial assignments specialist for The Dow Chemical Company in Michigan.

Taylor Fisher, from Everett, Wash., is a first-year MBA candidate with an emphasis in marketing. He earned an undergraduate degree in information systems from BYU. While teaching mini-courses in basic computer skills and finance, Fisher began doing consulting work for small business ventures with operations in the United States and South America. He has helped companies embrace technology and automate their processes. He plans to pursue a career in international business and product strategy.

Harsh Dhawan Grover , from Himachal Pradesh, India, is a second-year MBA candidate with an emphasis in marketing. She earned an undergraduate degree in computer science from Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India and worked more than five years in project management at IBM Global Services in India and Ireland. Grover also completed an Executive Program in International Business at Symbiosis Institute of International Business, in Pune, India. She plans to start her career in finance with a hi-tech company in the San Francisco Bay area.

Yael Rodriguez Guinzberg, from Mexico City, is a first-year MBA candidate. She earned an undergraduate degree in business management from BYU—Idaho. Guinzberg worked with the vice president of marketing at the corporate offices of Eatza Pizza, Inc. in Arizona before returning to Mexico to become a teacher. “I have a passion for different cultures and languages,” Guinzberg says. “I’m determined to have a great impact in society and believe my personal goals along with my education will help me in my future.”

Christian Hsieh, from Taipei, Taiwan, is a first-year MBA candidate with an emphasis in finance. He earned an undergraduate degree in business from BYU─Hawaii. Hsieh worked in the consumer product development and manufacturing industry and traveled extensively between the United States and Asia. “The quality of education [at BYU] and the opportunities available for career advancement have greatly exceeded my expectations,” Hsieh says. “Most importantly, I developed a stronger desire to reach out and serve others.” He will be joining JPMorgan this summer for an internship in New York and Singapore.

Kihyuck “Kyle” Jeong, from Busan, Korea, is a first-year MBA candidate with an emphasis in finance. He earned an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering and business from Pusan National University in Korea. Jeong worked in international sales in the high-tech industry and initiated new markets in India, Russia and Venezuela. For Pantech, he worked as a project manager and quality engineer for cellular phone products in Seoul, Dubai and Mexico City. “I believe I will be an honorable business leader with all the principles and skills I have learned here at BYU,” Jeong says.

Sirish “Bob” Maddula, from Andhra Pradesh, India, is a second-year MBA candidate. He earned an undergraduate degree in computer science and engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in India. Maddula pursued a master’s degree in computer science at Kansas State University and worked for the National Academic Advising Association as a computer information systems manager. After graduation, he will work for Symantec Corporation in California as part of their Finance Leadership Program.

Aaron McKay, from Pleasant View, Utah, is a second-year MBA candidate with an emphasis in finance. He earned an undergraduate degree in business management from Weber State University. McKay worked for SkyWest Airlines, where he managed the training of employees and contractors, including all international training. “I never dreamed of having the experiences I had while in the program,” McKay says. “I truly feel indebted to BYU for the education I have received, and I pledge to honor my commitment to the university’s mission after graduation.” He plans to work for Cambridge Associates LLC, a global investment consulting firm.

Michelle Quinn, from New Canaan, Conn., is a first-year MBA candidate. She earned an undergraduate degree in political science from BYU. Quinn interned for the office of the chairman of the Government Reform Subcommittee on International Relations in Washington, D.C., where she developed a passion for studying cross-cultural communication and cooperation in both the public and private sectors. This summer Quinn will work for NBC in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics.

Erdenetsetseg “Segie” Tumurbaatar, from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is a second-year MBA candidate with an emphasis in finance. She earned undergraduate degrees in accounting from BYU—Hawaii and applied mathematics from Ulaanbaatar University in Mongolia. Tumurbaatar’s interest in international business grew as she worked at the Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship at BYU—Hawaii. “I came to the Marriott School to gain skills and experience that would enable me to achieve my goal of improving the livelihood of others through business development and entrepreneurship,” Tumurbaatar says. In June, she will start work as a senior financial analyst for the biotechnology firm Applera Corporation.

Clark Woolstenhulme, from Plano, Texas, is a second-year MBA candidate with emphases in marketing and strategy. He earned an undergraduate degree in computer science from BYU. He worked as a software engineer for Novell, Inc. and Rigaku Americas Corp., a Japanese company that develops X-ray and other instrumentation technology. Woolstenhulme has accepted a position as a technical product marketing specialist at Bose and will work on their global product strategy and marketing.

BYU Students Win Second Place at FedEx Supply Chain Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:09:00 +0000

PROVO, Utah – Mar 24, 2008 – Six students from Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management won second place and $2,000 at the 11th annual FedEx Freight International Graduate Logistics Case Competition in Fayetteville, Ark.

It was BYU’s first time at the invitational event, sponsored by FedEx Freight in alliance with the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas’s Sam M. Walton College of Business.

From l to r: Artie Gulden, Bradlee Watson, Harsh Dhawan Grover, Dave Minaker, Brian Fischer and Alvaro Brisolla.

“On a global stage, the supply-chain world is a close-knit community,” says Stan Fawcett, professor of global supply chain management at BYU and the team’s faculty adviser. “Being able to get the invitation to compete and then to perform well opens the door to this tight community. The team’s performance in Arkansas will significantly improve the visibility and recruiting opportunities for our students.”

The Feb. 28-March 1 event pitted 12 of the best supply chain programs in the world against each other, with each team playing the role of a consulting firm for a fictional start up company in the growing wind turbine industry. Contestants had 24 hours to review the case and prepare recommendations for a supply chain plan, which they presented before a panel of judges. The judges then challenged each team’s findings in a question-and-answer session.

Fawcett interviewed potential team members and selected students with a variety of backgrounds who exhibited the right combination of talent, decisiveness and humility. The BYU team consisted of first-year supply chain students: Bradlee Watson, from Provo, Utah; Brian Fischer, from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.; and Dave Minaker, from Pincher Creek, Alberta. Second-year supply chain students on the team were Alvaro Brisolla, from Sao Paulo, Brazil and Artie Gulden, from Lewisburg, Penn.; as well as second-year finance student Harsh Dhawan Grover, from Himachal Pradesh, India.

To prepare, the team spent four weeks analyzing case studies and delivering presentations to a panel of BYU professors, which helped the students improve their analytical skills, teamwork and confidence.

“My first practice presentation was terrible,” says Alvaro Brisolla. “But by the time I presented at the competition, I was not the same person. Not that my English improved that much, but our preparation gave me more confidence to speak English in front of people. Presentation skills are so important in business, so I think the competition was fantastic for me.”

The University of Maryland placed first and won $3,000, and Pennsylvania State University was awarded $1,000 for finishing third. The other participating universities included the University of Arkansas, the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin—Madison, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Iowa State University, Texas Christian University, Darmstadt University of Technology from Darmstadt, Germany, and Chalmers University of Technology from Gothenburg, Sweden.

Marriott School Rankings - Have a look

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:03:00 +0000

Here is a consolidated view on the rankings of Marriott School published by various independent agencies:

Undergraduate

R A N K

P R O G R A M

S O U R C E

2nd

Accounting

Public Accounting Report, 2007

3rd

Accounting

U.S. News & World Report, 2007

7th

Undergraduate Programs

BusinessWeek, 2008

38th

Business Management

U.S.News & World Report, 2007

19th

International Business

U.S. News & World Report, 2007

12th

Entrepreneurship Emphasis

Entrepreneur, 2006

Graduate

R A N K

P R O G R A M

S O U R C E

1st

MBA (regional schools)

The Wall Street Journal, 2007

1st

MBA (time to payback)

BusinessWeek, 2006

2nd

MBA (emphasis on ethics)

The Wall Street Journal, 2007

4th

MBA (accounting emphasis)

The Wall Street Journal, 2007

9th

MBA (corporate social responsibility)

The Wall Street Journal, 2007

18th

MBA

Forbes, 2007

41st

MBA

U.S.News & World Report, 2007

World 82nd

MBA

Financial Times, 2008

2nd

MBA (Most Family-Friendly)

The Princeton Review, 2008

2nd

MAcc

Public Accounting Report, 2007

65th

MPA

U.S.News & World Report, 2004

Source: Marriott School Website http://marriottschool.byu.edu/news/rankings.cfm

WSJ Ranks BYU MBA # 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:58:00 +0000

School Also Listed as Second Best Place to Find Ethical Graduates

The Wall Street Journal ranked Brigham Young University’s Master of Business Administration Program first in the nation among regional schools in the paper’s 2007 report of top business programs, up from third in 2006 and sixth in 2005. The Marriott School was also ranked No. 2 among the best schools for hiring graduates with strong ethical standards behind Dartmouth College.

“This is a tremendous honor to be at the top of such a distinguished list of schools,” says Ned C. Hill dean of BYU’s Marriott School of Management. “We are grateful to the companies that return again and again to recruit our students. We’re very proud of our graduates and the high professional and ethical standards they have become known for throughout the world.”

The journal categorized national and regional schools based on the type of recruiters they attract —regional school’s tended to attract more recruiters from a particular region whereas national schools attracted recruiters from a broader geographic area.

This year’s top regional schools are 1) BYU, 2) Wake Forest University, 3) Ohio State University, 4) University of Rochester and 5) Indiana University. The top national schools are 1) Dartmouth College, 2) University of California — Berkeley, 3) Columbia University, 4) Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 5) Carnegie Mellon University.

In addition to the top regional honor and strong showing in ethics, BYU placed fourth in the paper’s “accounting” honor roll and ranked ninth in “corporate social responsibility.”

“Year in and year out, recruiters rave about graduates’ maturity, competitive drive, integrity and international experience, especially from their missionary work for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” the paper reported about BYU. “Academically, the Marriott School receives high marks in the Journal survey for its accounting program. Some recruiters are also finding that more Brigham Young MBAs make a good fit for investment banking.”

BYU MBA Program Director James Engebretsen says, “Our focus on investment banking is fairly new and still relatively small. But, we’re finding it to be a good fit for an increasing number of our students. It’s rewarding to see Wall Street valuing our students in this area as well as recognizing their strong work ethic, integrity and the great professional training provided by our faculty.”

This is the seventh year The Wall Street Journal has evaluated MBA programs around the world. More than 4,400 recruiters who hire full-time business school graduates participated in the 2007 survey. Recruiters evaluated schools on three components. Equal weight was given to perceptions of the school and its students, the likelihood of recruiting and hiring at the school in the future, and mass appeal — the total number of participating recruiters who recruit at the school. Perceptions of the school and its students were based on 21 attributes such as analytical and problem solving skills, communication and interpersonal skills, faculty expertise, curriculum content, leadership potential, and career services at the school.

The list of schools eligible for the rankings came from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and discussions with experts in the field of MBA recruiting. Only 265 schools met the Journal’s rating requirements. Of those, 86 schools were ranked.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.

WSJ ranks BYU MBA third

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 04:32:00 +0000

School ranks second as place to hire ethical graduates

The Wall Street Journal ranked Brigham Young University's Master of Business Administration Program third among regional schools in the paper's 2006 report of top business programs, up from sixth in 2005. The Marriott School was listed second as the best place to hire MBAs with high ethical standards. Recruiters also said BYU was underrated, and they cited three disciplines where the school shines nationally and internationally.

"We are elated that recruiters think so highly of our students and MBA program," says Ned C. Hill, dean of the Marriott School. "There are hundreds of excellent business schools in the country, which makes this ranking particularly rewarding. We're also very pleased that our graduates continue to be known for their high ethical standards."

The Marriott School placed fourth best on the ranking's "accounting" honor roll, fifth in "consumer products," and seventh in "corporate responsibility," a category added this year. Additionally, recruiters placed the program sixth on the list of schools that are most often "underrated," and gave the Marriott School its top scores for students' teamwork skills, work ethic, and analytical and problem-solving abilities.

"Our professors are vigilant at developing and refreshing their respective areas of expertise," says Michael Thompson, associate dean. "This expertise is helping our students distinguish themselves in the organizations they enter after graduation."

This is the sixth year The Wall Street Journal has evaluated MBA programs around the world. More than 4,100 recruiters who hire full-time business school graduates participated in the 2006 survey. Recruiters evaluated schools on three components. Equal weight was given to perceptions of the school and its students, the likelihood of recruiting and hiring at the school in the future, and mass appeal — the total number of participating recruiters who recruit at the school.

The top-ten regional schools for 2006 are: Thunderbird, Ohio State University, BYU, Purdue University, Michigan State University, University of Rochester, Wake Forest University, University of Maryland, Louisiana State University and University at Buffalo/SUNY.

The top-ten national schools for 2006 are: University of Michigan, Dartmouth College, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, University of California – Berkeley, Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Yale and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The list of schools eligible for the rankings came from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and discussions with experts in the field of MBA recruiting. Only 264 schools met the Journal's rating requirements. Of those, 85 schools were ranked.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, organizational behavior and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.

Q&A: MBA Specialization

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:15:00 +0000

Another , most of the applications ask for what MBA major I would like to choose...for IIMs u can mostly get away with ' I haven't decided' but here ,'not decided' would be a bad impression? I can choose finance or something but I am actually not decided. I mean if I choose finance but then I wouldn't know why finance-corporate and not finance-investment or vice versa.This I asked in my previous email , just consolidating my questions.

You have to have some kind of plan to show what you want to do. Like your background and interests are in say IT and you want to do brand management just to sound kool, that would not be a good approach. The application asks for the details so that you do some research on the tracks that are available talk to various people what kind of job they do or the options available if they are an MBA in Finance or Marketing or IS . So there is a purpose to ask this question and that is for you to research and find out and be prepared.

The Indian counterparts a.k.a IIM's, IMT's , MDI's of the world do not ask for anything because of the difference in culture. With no malice towards India, people tend to be more of a herd mentality as I did Computer Science engineering because it will help me have better career options later. I did not know I like programming or not. Every one wants to get into IT because IT is hot. There are several examples and people do not research a whole lot as to what they are getting into while in the US they lay more emphasis on researching what they are getting into.

Most of the job interviews are also the same way. They are looking for more of a culture fit than the grades. I hope I was able to express myself on this one. Again, India is my home country too but I am trying to outline the difference in culture and that is true for a majority of population on both sides (exceptions are always there).

Q&A: Resume Contents

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:11:00 +0000

Also, I understand an MBA resume should be different from a job resume. How different, I am not sure. Is it ok to mention your appraisal ratings?

I had a quick glance at your resume and it is very very long. I think there is a lot of extra information which no one is interested in like your salary figures and stuff like that. There is no need to mention your appraisal ratings. Over the years whatever experience I have in reviewing resumes, I have realised that most of the Indian resumes are very long ( including mine when I did not know the correct approach).

We all tend to provide too much of information inthe resume as if there won't be any chance provided to talk in the interview. Also an ideal resume should contain :

1. Summary/Profile
2. Professional Experience
3. Education
4. Interests
5. Technical trainings or other details

The content should be so crisp that it should not take more than 2 pages at the max. although MBA resumes are just 1 page in length.

Q&A: Supporting documents for resume

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:08:00 +0000

Do we need to show all our certificates at the time of admission? I have joined an NGO since last year, but all I have with me is a membership card. What kind of proofs , if any, does one have to show for such activities?

There are no proofs that are required for any of the activities you have involved yourself in. A membership of an NGO is good but no one is going to ask you to provide a copy of the membership card along with the application. It is all based on the honor code. The university believes that you have completed the tasks and have actually gained experience from everything that you have written in your resume or mentioned during the application.

Although, every US university verifies your credentials like your degree and your work experience, the other aspects of your personality that you portray in your resume are hard to verify. So the short answer is that you do not need to include any proofs yourself but if the university asks for it, you will have to furnish.

Q&A: Ecclesiastical Endorsement

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 01:56:00 +0000

I had another BYU specific query. The honour code form mentions APPLICATION INTERVIEW:"If you are not a member of the Church, you may be interviewed by a local ecclesiastical leader from the LDS Church (bishop, branch president, stake president, or mission president) or by a local leader of your religious preference." How do i go about this?

The ecclesiastical endorsement can be had from a Hindu temple priest and he/she can even sign in Hindi. You just need to mention the name, address and telephone number of the priest you are taking an endorsement from.

Q&A: Improvements @ BYU

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 01:41:00 +0000

Is there anything at BYU that you would like to change?

First of all , BYU is run and operated by a lot of talented individuals and they have all done a pretty good job in organizing the university. In fact when I read this question, my mind just went boom , blank and honestly this is true. When I look back at the years I spent at BYU, I was unable to think of a single thing that I would want BYU to change. However, there is alwasy a room at the top and areas of improvements no matter if it is a university or an individual.

I would say that students at BYU should be more networking oriented. As majority of BYU students are married or looking to get married, there is very little quality time beyond a class room setting that they are able to spend with their fellow class mates. In light of this, a strong network and belongigness to one great university is lacking at times. After I moved to Southern California I realised that private schools or even public schools have a lot of belongingness and that makes them having a very strong network. Also the non-LDS folks in minority are not able to embed in the culture fully and hence the participation in events is sometimes restricted.

Additionally, BYU has an excellent brand name in the whole of US but due to lack of marketing and outreach, most of the people who study at BYU have been born and raised with in the state of Utah. Hardly, 20-30 % of the students would be from out of state and 10-20% of the students would be international. These figures are all guestimates and could be wrong. However, they still give you an idea about the proportion. Again, there is nothing that BYU as a university can do to change the attitude of students and make them more networking oriented during their tenure. It will eventually change with the recruitment of more diverse set of students who would bring a different perspective.

Q&A: Financial Responsibility

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 16:43:00 +0000

The applications asks for Certificate of Financial Responsibilty. What exactly are they looking for and in what form? Do they expect , lets say a bank statement which has enough funds for say the first yr's expenses? I could bloat my bank balance temporarily just for the sake of the statement , would that hold? Also, can i use someone not related to me , say an uncle 's bank statement who happens to be in US?

With the bank statements they do really mean statement from bank mentioning your current balance and how long the account has been opened duly signed by the bank branch manager. As far as bloating the statements is concerned, you can do that but the same amount will be shown on your I-20. At the time of Visa the visa officer may ask you to show the sources of funds as depicted on the I-20 (may or may not be the case , depends on the visa officer). At that time you should have similar balances in the bank account. Also, you can show a foreign sponsor in your case the uncle you mentioned. However, in all circumstances you have to show the first year tuition payment capability by means of liquid funds available in your bank account.

Q&A: Management Material

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 16:41:00 +0000

What does the admissions committee look for in a prospective candidate? How do they define 'management material ' ?

Admissions committee definitely gives a lot of emphasis on work experience not just the tenure but the quality of the experience you have had. Other important aspects they focus on are community service and how you would be able to contribute to the class and the group as a whole. What is your ultimate goal in life ? One of the most important thing is that do you know that BYU is a religious school and so it will be different than other schools .

Essentially your knowledge about BYU and the culture in the state will be helpful in gaining admission at this prestigious university. As for management material I dont think they have any specific list but they do look at your leadership record, ability to work in teams, academics, prior universities you attended, the role you played in your company and lot of other factors together define the management material you are refering.

Q&A: Financial Aid

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 06:31:00 +0000

Are there any possibilities of getting financial aid in any form? How should one approach the admissions committee in order to secure financial aid? What part of the expenses would I be able to cover through on-campus jobs and internships during the course of MBA program?

Financial aid is a definite possibility. The cost of tuition at BYU is already so low that the amount of financial aid would vary between 0-30%. During the MBA program you are not allowed to work in the 1st year and the admissions committee automatically considers prospective students for a department scholarship. Also there are specific scholarships for International students. I would say that about 60-80% of the cost of your education will still come from your personal funds for the 1st year.

There are chances that in the second year you might get additional funds. As I mentioned earlier the on-campus jobs are restricted for the first year but I am sure you can work in the second year of MBA. Overall MBA is a very rigorous program and an opportunity to learn as much as you can in the two years. So it is also in the best interest of the student to learn the subject well than to worry about working. On the internship front, you can make some really good money during your internship. It can range anywhere between $ 10000- $ 20000 depending on the length and quality of your internship. Do consider that this is the gross amount and you will also spend some money during the internship. So th enet amount will vary based on your lifestyle.

Q&A: Tuition Costs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 06:26:00 +0000

After studying the web-site for the total estimated expenses for 2 yrs at Marriott School, I could put total tution fees to around $54,000. Could you please elaborate if this is the correct figure ?

The total tuition what you are seeing on the web-site includes the living expenses as estimated considering the American standard of living. I believe this also includes the costs of books and insurance. The 54K figure is probably the sum total of all the expenses that you would be incurring considering you do not get any money from the school or through on-campus job or through internship and all the three worst case scenarios are highly unlikely. On another note, the tuition for non-LDS students for the MBA program is $ 8200 per semester. With those figures the total tuition comes to be around $ 32800 which is very cheap considering all the other B-schools.

Q&A: BYU Strengths

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 21:04:00 +0000

What did you most like about being at BYU?

I liked every bit of my stay at BYU. It was a great experience for me. The approachable professors and helpful class mates along with a very high quality education that is respected well in the market place are some of the things that I liked about BYU. BYU is a sober school with strict honor code and it made me more disciplined and strngthened my belief in being honest and standing for the right things. BYU graduates are well respected in Corporate America and are known for their hard work, work life balance, honesty, intelligence, knowledge and focus. If you would like to adapt and/or strengthen such traits you will have to come to BYU :-).

Q&A: Post MBA Employment

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:58:00 +0000

I read in some forum that getting employment after graduation is mostly through self networking and that not many employers visit the school. How good are the campus selections at BYU for international students?

Thats correct. Getting employement is more through networking than through the typical campus placement approach. While completing an MBA program from IMT,Ghaziabad in India we relied on the placement committee to find jobs for us and this option is still available at BYU in the form of a Career Center. However, it will depend on how you network and how you approach the recruiters and sell your skills to get the job you want.

Regarding the campus selections, again the statistics are available on the MBA website of Marriott School. Do a bit of research on the website and if you are unable to find the exact link I will help you out. Just one thought, in the US people decide where they want to go (companies, job profiles) and then approach appropriately. Apart from my experience as an international student, I know a couple of people who are working with Dell, IBM, KPMG and Ernst & Young. We can get into specific placement details later.

Q&A: Diversity

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:54:00 +0000

Since BYU is Church sponsored school, what is the diversity in the university? Is it that it is 99% LDS community?

Yes, BYU is a church sponsored school and is specifically run for and/or by the LDS community. However, there is sufficient diversity to have a correct mix of learnings from different cultures and thoughts along with a very high quality education. It is difficult to put it as a percentage as that would differ across the program. To give you an example, the MBA batch of 2008 has 21 international students from countries like South Korea, Japan, Bulgaria, India, Brazil, China, Kenya, Taiwan, Norway, Italy and Mongolia. So thats quite a lot of countries :-) .

To put it in percentage terms for the MBA program it would be close to 20%. Also, you should realise that most of the LDS members have served missions for 2 years (will specify the details about it later) in foreign countries and that makes them well versed with the culture and language. I call this intrinsic diversity, the same way we have in India. Although we belong to the same community, the so called Indian community we bring an intrinsic diversity in the form of our own cultures and traditions based on what part of India are we from.

Q&A: Religious inclinations and expectations

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:12:00 +0000

I am getting the impression that the school has religious inclinations. I was wondering if you could help me out . Are there any expectations from the students applying to the Marriott School with respect to religion?

Yes, BYU does have religious inclinations. In fact it's owned and run by the LDS church. But you don't have to be part of LDS church to study at BYU. It does have an honor code. That's the reason the diversity of the school is less compared to other schools. But it's a great institute of higher learning (and it's accounting program is one of the top five programs in the US) And the fee is much less compared to other top tier schools - so it's a big plus for international candidates. There are no religious expectations as such but you are required to follow the dress code while at school (which is not very conservative as per Indian standards).

As part of MBA, you are not required to take any religion class or something - so don't worry about that. There would be religious talks around but whether you would like to part of them would be up to you.

BYU MBA: Way to go !!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:38:00 +0000

Over the past 2 years, I have been overwhelmed with the number of questions I have received with regards to the BYU MBA program. The B-School at BYU (called the Marriott School of Management) is one of the schools that has been ranked as a hidden gem in WSJ rankings for the last couple of years. Recently, businessweek ranked the undergraduate business program at Marriott School as one of the Top 10 in the US. It has been ranked consistently by various independent agencies as amongst the top 30 B-Schools in the US.

With all the credentials, Marriott School of Management as well as BYU attract a lot of international students from all parts of the world. By means of this blog, I would attempt to combine the questions and/or concerns posed by prospective students from different countries. I am sure this will help potential candidates to make an informed decision.