"B-school News and Trends" via MBA in Google Reader

Thousands of Students From 125 Countries to Converge for Virtual MBA Recruitment Event

2010-11-17T02:20:00Z

GMATCH Virtual MBA Fair to Feature Dozens of Business Schools From Asia, Europe and North America

Employment Picture Brightens for MBA Graduates

2010-11-11T22:00:00Z

B-School Class of 2010 Getting Jobs at Higher Rate Than Last Year’s Graduates

GMAC Unveils Sample Questions For New GMAT

2010-11-03T20:07:29Z

Anybody who will be taking the GMAT in the near future might want to sit up and pay attention to this. As many of you already know, the Graduate Management Admission Council has announced plans to overhaul the GMAT, adding a new "integrated reasoning" section to the business school admissions test in 2012.

Test-takers who will be taking the GMAT from Nov. 19 to 24 will get a sneak peak at some of the new question formats that future generations of b-school wannabes will have to contend with. The new section, which will come at the end of the test, will not count toward your final score. It's for research purposes only. GMAC will be using the results of this trial run to develop actual questions for the new test.

You don't have to take the test to get an early look at the new question types. GMAT has posted ten sample questions online.

I have never taken the GMAT, so I'm in no position to say how the new question types compare with those already on the test, but let's just say they're no walk in the park. One question lays out an issue (the danger of driving while talking on a cell phone), proposes two solutions, and asks test takers to evaluate a series of statements to determine if they support the likely success of either solution. And that was the easy one. Others involve regression equations, scatter plots, pie charts, even a series of emails. All of them require the test taker to combine different types of data (hence the "integrated" in integrated reasoning).

If you're in no mood for a test, you can always watch the video, which walks you through the new question formats in a less headache-inducing way.

GMAC wants feedback on the new question formats. So go, take the new questions for a test drive, then let us know what you think.

China’s Alipay Payment System Now Accepted for Purchases at mba.com Store

2010-11-03T21:00:00Z

GMAT Mobile Test Center Embarks on Eight-Month Tour Across America

2010-11-04T22:30:00Z

Business School Entrance Exam to Travel to 28 Campuses in 20 States

Official GMAT Study Guide Series Now Accessible to the Visually Impaired

2010-10-28T23:00:00Z

Perfecting Your Business School Application

2010-01-22T21:18:47Z

For MBA applicants, every aspect of the b-school application—essays, recommendations, interviews—amounts to a high-stakes game. The prize? A berth in a top-tier program and a high-paying career. Everyone can use a little help putting their best foot forward

Business School Entrepreneurs

2012-01-18T17:11:27Z

Admission to Top B-Schools Gets Easier

2010-10-18T23:09:36Z

Due to a decline in the number of applications and in some cases an increasing number of places available in classes as well, many of the top business schools in the United States are becoming less selective,.

Demand for MBAs on the Rise

2010-10-18T23:03:27Z

According to a recent survey of corporate recruiters noted in the New York Times , MBA graduates are under greater demand these days, especially in emerging countries.

GMAC Hosts Virtual MBA Fair This Fall

2010-10-12T15:19:27Z

The online college fair trend has taken off in the last few years, with hundreds of schools sending their admissions officers to virtual career fairs. Now, business schools are joining in.

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) announced last week that they will be holding an online MBA Fair, the Global GMATCH Virtual MBA Fair, on Nov. 22nd and 23rd. It's the first time GMAC has organized such an event, which they've dubbed "the first truly global virtual fair bringing together business schools and potential students," according to a press release. More than forty schools have signed up to participate, including INSEAD (INSEAD Full-Time Profile), the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business (Darden Full-Time Profile), and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong Full-Time Profile). For the full list of participating schools, click here.

The fair will have virtual booths manned by admissions officer, who will use webcams to talk with prospective applicants. There also will be a "multimedia auditorium" where students can get brochures and information on the different schools, take part in interactive presentations, and meet other attendees, GMAC said in a release.

Accounting and Business Majors Score Jobs

2010-10-07T19:27:13Z

The days when your major had nothing to do with the job you got after graduation might be over. In fact, according to the 2010 Student Survey recently released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), academic major was the leading indicator of which undergraduates earned a job offer before graduation.

According to the study, students who majored in accounting, business, computer science, engineering, and social sciences fared best, with more than 40 percent receiving a job offer by the time they were awarded a degree. Of these, accounting majors topped the list with 47 percent of respondents securing a job offer by graduation, followed by business majors with 45 percent.

For the up-and-coming accountants, dreams and reality seem to be getting closer to one another. Undergraduates who responded to a recent survey conducted by Universum Group about the employers for whom they'd most like to work put Google (GOOG) at No. 1 with the Big Four accounting firms - KPMG, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Deloitte - rounding out the top five.

In addition to having jobs to offer undergraduates during the economic crisis, accounting firms offer undergraduates the promise of a thriving career, said Michal Kalinowski, CEO of Universum Group in Stockholm, in an interview. "The Big Four accounting firms are perceived as fantastic career launch vehicles," he said.

Liberal arts majors have not been as successful. Less than 30 percent of those with degrees in English, foreign language, and education, according to NACE, had job offers by graduation.

-by Francesca Di Meglio

GMAT Sponsor Organizes Online Fair to Connect Prospective MBA Students with Business Schools

2010-10-07T23:00:00Z

Global GMATCH Virtual MBA Fair Takes to the Internet November 22 and 23

E-books fail the classroom test

2010-06-20T23:22:12Z

Linda Anderson talks to the head of Haas School of Business about his radical plans

B-Schools Reward Referrals

2010-09-20T16:17:55Z

As more companies pull back on sponsoring employees in executive M.B.A. programs, schools are looking to beef up their referrals by offering more incentives to alumni.

Making the Most of the Campus Visit

2010-08-30T18:25:00Z

Visiting an MBA program is a surefire way to find out if it's right for you. Here are five items that should be at the top of your to-do list

M.B.A. Applications Muted

2010-08-26T14:17:46Z

Applications for full-time programs saw a 2% decline for the incoming class and part-time program applications fell 7%. But specialized and executive degree programs applications rose.

Stafford Loan Frequently Asked Questions

2010-08-17T04:05:00Z

New rules and rates took effect in 2010

MBA Application Numbers Reach "Turning Point"

2010-08-25T13:55:24Z

A study released today by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) confirms the MBA application "sputter" that was first reported by Bloomberg Businessweek on August 12. According to GMAC's annual Application Trends Survey's findings, only 44 percent of the 476 MBA programs that were surveyed reported gains in the number of applications they received for the entering full-time MBA class, compared with 66 percent last year and 70 percent in 2008. Of the respondents, 47 percent reported a decrease in applications, with a surprising 9 percent reporting drops of more than 20 percent over 2009.

According to the release, "The cyclical nature of application volume trends is not new to graduate management program admissions professionals. After several years of strong growth, the number of applications typically reaches a high point and trends down afterwards. We are witnessing slight decreases in most programs. It appears that full-time MBA programs have reached this turning point."

As was described in the earlier Businessweek story, the decline in MBA application numbers can be directly attributed to the economic woes the country has experienced over the past few years. "Last year, the financial crisis brought more people to seek further education. This year, as the economy picked up, the applications are more realistic," explained one survey participant in the GMAC report.

Interestingly, part-time and executive MBA programs are not experiencing the same drops. Part-time application numbers remained flat compared with 2009, while EMBA application numbers experienced a significant jump, with 59 percent of schools reporting an increase in application numbers, compared with 37 percent in 2009.

For B-schools, this is a good sign, as EMBA programs are traditionally big money makers. Also, it may be a good sign for the economy, in general, as the large rise in EMBA applications may indicate a willingness on the part of companies to begin sending employees to EMBA programs again, a practice that all but disappeared over the past few years due to the high program costs.

Funding for graduate programs still available for international students

2010-08-26T13:47:36Z

With talk of the global recession, mounting debts and bank collapses dominating the daily news, is there really a chance that you will find funding for a masters or PhD degree in the coming year?