Georgia MBA Programs

Internship Snapshots: Cody Hughes at Blackbaud

noreply@blogger.com (Terry MBA) — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 13:57:00 +0000

My Summer Internship with Blackbaud

This summer I had the unique opportunity to do a corporate real estate internship with Blackbaud. For those not familiar with Blackbaud, they are the world’s leading technology company in the nonprofit sector. Blackbaud offers a bevy of software, services, and expertise to nonprofits across the globe with the intention of empowering social good. The opportunity to work for a purpose-driven company while getting exposed to the different areas of real estate was too good to pass up. This summer I have been able to see the various pillars of real estate - property management, investments, and development - all the while getting to meet incredible people.

Property Management

At its core, Blackbaud is a tech company, which means that creating a modern, collaborative, and fun environment is crucial to the company’s success. Creating a “cool” environment is the goal of many companies today as they fight to attract the best talent. One way to achieve this is with furniture. My first project was to upgrade the offices in the building to new sit/stand desks because who wants to sit all day? As part of a “reshuffle” of over 500 employees, my task was to replace old office furniture with 100 new sit/stand desks. At first, I thought this would be a piece of cake, but I quickly learned that with so many moving parts (literally) and people, the devil really is in the details. I worked in tandem with our occupancy planner to see who was moving where, the furniture provider to coordinate the delivery/building of the desks, and with the mover to make sure the old furniture was removed and disposed of properly. In addition, I had to effectively communicate with the office occupants to make sure they were aware of the move and asked for their help in storing their personal items/ labeling the old furniture. All of this happened over a few short weeks, and to complicate matters further, the move itself was planned over a weekend to avoid business disruption. With a LOT of planning, trial and error, and communication, the office furniture upgrade was ultimately a success. For someone with a finance background, this project was new territory, but it made me step outside my comfort zone and gave me valuable project management experience.

Cody, how's your internship going?

Investments

After the big move that seemed to take up everyone’s time and energy, I got to work on a project that was more up my alley. My next project was to analyze Blackbaud’s global real estate portfolio to see how effectively it was being used and where the company could save money. The company had 17 properties across the globe, but not all of these locations seemed to make business sense. I started this project by analyzing the number of employees and the major business units represented at each site. Next, I crunched employee badge data to see how frequently each location was being utilized. Finally, I worked with the finance team to develop a long-range model that measured the company’s future real estate expenses. Using all of this data, we were able to build a framework to analyze the entire real estate portfolio and determine Blackbaud’s future real estate footprint. After working with the CFO, we decided to pursue an aggressive real estate portfolio consolidation that would save the company $17 million per year. This project was fascinating and provided invaluable insight into how a corporation like Blackbaud views real estate. I learned that companies - and more specifically their workforce - no longer desire traditional office spaces like in decades past. Instead, companies today like Blackbaud want to leverage work-from-home/mobility solutions and co-working environments like WeWork in order to keep employees happy and reduce their real estate expenses.

Development

One of the coolest things about this internship is that I got a firsthand look at the development side of real estate. Blackbaud is in the midst of building a new global headquarters in Charleston, and I feel fortunate to be involved with this process. Blackbaud’s goal is to create a modern, collaborative, and fun work environment for its employees. The fascinating thing with development is seeing how this workspace goal translates into the design and layout of the building. I got to see the extreme level of detail that goes into each decision, whether it is fabric design, color, material, etc. I was also amazed at the level of collaboration and communication necessary between all parties involved including the architects, builders, developers, and Blackbaud to get the headquarters built properly. While the new building won’t be completed until early 2018, it has been fun to see the progress made this summer, and I can’t wait to see the building once it’s done.

Volunteering

Volunteering with the Lowcountry Food Bank

One of the most unique parts of my internship has been the company’s emphasis on volunteering with local nonprofits and learning how Blackbaud is integral to their success. I volunteered with my fellow interns at local nonprofits including Water Mission, the Lowcountry Food Bank, and the Ronald McDonald House. It was extremely rewarding to make a difference in the Charleston community and I am so glad that Blackbaud encourages volunteering. I also learned a lot about Blackbaud’s various software and services through these volunteer outings because these nonprofits told us how vital Blackbaud’s products were to their operations.

I took a risk this summer by not doing a “traditional” real estate internship, and it continues to pay off. I got great exposure into the world of real estate, got to work for a purpose-driven company, and met a ton of fabulous people in the process. That’s a win in my book.

Go Dawgs!

By Cody Hughes, Georgia MBA Candidate Class of 2018 and Blackbaud Real Estate Intern

Internship Snapshots: Chelsea Ritter at AT&T

noreply@blogger.com (Terry MBA) — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 16:15:00 +0000

As a major recruiter of UGA MBA candidates, AT&T is a company students hear of early and often. We came to know the recruiter’s name before that of some professors and attended an AT&T networking event before classes even started. It was there that I learned about the Leadership Development Program (LDP) and the internship that allows rising second-years the opportunity to experience it for a summer. Despite the fact that I was a ball of nerves (networking being a new concept to me), learning about the careers of people who had been in my shoes only a few years before got me excited about the possibilities the company offered. I was immediately attracted to the rotational nature of the program and the company’s focus on development, dedication to their employees, and the diverse background of those that work there. As you may have guessed by now, I jumped at the opportunity.


Chelsea Ritter with the other Georgia MBA Summer 2017 AT&T intern, Safianu Baako (Financial Leadership Program Intern), at Atlanta Foundry, AT&T's innovation studio

This summer I am interning with AT&T’s Internet of Things (IoT) group in Atlanta - one of the fastest growing, most innovative groups in the company. I work with the contracting team to analyze their current process and identify gaps as well as opportunities for streamlining and automation (that’s a mouthful of an elevator speech, eh?). Throughout the project I have used many of the skills gained during the school year, both in and out of the classroom. I have gathered and analyzed information to make data-driven decisions, determined efficiency levels using equations I would have bet good money that I’d never actually use, and practiced Lean Six Sigma principles I always knew I’d need but never figured on it being quite so soon.

It hasn't been all work and no play, as with the team-building outing to a Braves-Cubs game


Opportunities to give back make for a particularly enriching workplace, here with teammates at the AT&T-sponsored Habitat for Humanity build

Using concepts from the classroom and applying them to a real project in a growing department of a Fortune 100 company has been an incredible experience that I am very grateful to have had. I have learned how to perform in a corporate environment, how to determine the greatest impact that can be made in a short period of time (and do it), and how to absorb large amounts of information and apply it to a project. I have met with innovation frontrunners, learned from industry leaders, and worked in an environment focused on development of not only the company, but its employees.

This summer has flown by. It has been one of the most intellectually challenging experiences of my life and by far the most exhausting summer I have ever spent. But in a few days when I present my accomplishments, findings, and recommendations, I will be able to say that this was the most educational ten-weeks I’ve ever spent.

- By Chelsea Ritter, Georgia MBA Candidate Class of 2018 and AT&T LDP Intern

Serving Those Who Served

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Thu, 25 May 2017 15:09:00 +0000

Pictured left to right: Dan Phillips, SVRC Director Ted Barco,
and Ryan Mohney

As the flagship school of the University system, the University of Georgia is proud to support its veteran students and our Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC) does a fantastic job of providing the supportive resources that students need. The MBA Programs enroll the largest percentage of veteran students at the University, and the Full-Time MBA program works closely with the SVRC. an MBA '17 grad, Dan Phillips, served as a Graduate Assistant for the SVRC, and he along with his predecessor, Adam Johnson, MBA '16, made valuable contributions to the campus in that role. Learn more about the contributions of our students and the work of the SVRC in this news story. Go Dawgs!

One Student's Pre-MBA Journey: Cycling for A Cause

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Thu, 11 May 2017 14:41:00 +0000

The summer before starting an MBA program is a time to prepare, refocus, regenerate, wrap up projects, pack boxes, revise resumes, and all the other activities related to starting a new life in a new place. For one of our incoming MBA students, David Paris, this summer is a time to give back. He is spending part of his summer cycling to raise money for Lost-n-Found, an Atlanta-based non-profit that provides services to homeless LGBT youth. More than 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBT. Organizations like Lost-n-Found survive on grants and private donations. David hopes to raise $4,000 on his ride and we wish him well for his journey and look forward to hearing about his trek at Orientation this fall!

Welcome Weekend 2017: Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Terry MBA) — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 16:25:00 +0000

Welcome Weekend is our annual kickoff for newly admitted students each spring. This allows them to get an early taste of student life and Athens, in addition to the resources they need to maximize the value of their pre-term summer to really hit the ground running when they get here in August. A record 31 of our incoming students attended Welcome Weekend last Friday and Saturday, coming from as far away as China!

Friday was a great introduction to city and student life, including a guided tour of Correll Hall and North Campus, a presentation by the Career Management Center, a reception downtown, and then dinner in small groups with faculty, staff, and current students.

Saturday morning began with a breakfast at Correll Hall. Even though there was a fairly late “Athens orientation session” at Little King’s Shuffle Club the night before, students were engaged throughout the morning sessions. A well-planned series of events, participation of university and Athens partners, and endless coffee surely helped.

Mary Charles Howard of Athensmade and Jordan Burke of Four Athens led introductions to the city’s small businesses and culture. Athensmade is a single point of contact for tapping into the local entrepreneurship community. Four Athens is the local incubator and accelerator for tech startups. Howard talked about promoting creative culture in Athens, and she showed a short video of Athens’culture – musically and beyond. Jordan talked about the explosive growth in local startups and he quickly disposed of startup cliches and myths that don't apply here.

Rick Watson, the J. Rex Fuqua Distinguished Chair for Internet Strategy in the Department of Management Information Systems, gave a mock lecture entitled “The Digitization of Capital.” Watson stressed the importance for MBAs to see the world as a system and to play a role in the creation of a more sustainable society. Among other topics, he discussed the role of the Internet of Things in allocation of capital. Watson teaches a couple of courses in the MBA curriculum, including Energy Informatics and Data Analytics.

Nathan Stuck, a Georgia MBA from the Class of 2017, gave a lengthy talk on experiential projects completed by him and other MBA students. Stuck successfully leveraged his experience on a B Corp certification project into a full-time opportunity at Ad Victoriam Solutions, and he emphasized the value of learning/working experience outside of the classroom. Thankfully, our program is increasing options for experiential learning as part of the University's experiential learning initiative.

Aditi Kardekar, Justin Nachsin, Carmen Sullivan, Malisha Mendis, and Ross Manfre led a panel of current Georgia MBAs discussing the student experience, life in Athens, navigating the internship/job search, and a variety of other topics, addressing students’ questions throughout.

The mix of student panelists, in terms of industry background, geographic representation, and year in the program, brought many perspectives to address the concerns of incoming students.
We closed the weekend with a reception at South Kitchen + Bar in downtown Athens. There, we were proud to announce breaking news: the University of Georgia team won the SEC MBA Case Competition! Our 31 incoming students, plus significant others, had a wonderful weekend. They are all a great bunch of people, and we’re excited to see everyone again with the full class at Orientation!

Spring Snapshots: Networking Events

noreply@blogger.com (Terry MBA) — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 20:54:00 +0000

While the Fall semester is the busier time for networking events, our students participate in several Spring networking events as well. The Spring Networking Night is the counterpart to our similar event each fall in Atlanta. At Spring Networking Night, over 60 professionals, mostly alums, represented more than 40 companies for a fun night at Atlanta's Parish: The Brasserie and Neighborhood Cafe. We also had an Employer Showcase in Atlanta at Terry's Buckhead campus, with Ashford Advisors, AT&T, LexisNexis, and Invista.

On the Charlotte Trek, students crossed state lines and had site visits at Bank of America, Regions Corporate Bank, Spectrum Properties, and Newell Brands. The Charlotte Trek included an alumni reception with Terry Dean Benjamin Ayers, where they heard more about Phase II of the Business Learning Community, need-based scholarships, and upcoming alumni events.

We are grateful to have such dedicated alumni and corporate partners and thought we would share a few photos from each of these events.

Clearly, Spring Networking Night was an engaging two hours!

Students, alums, and other industry partners sure can fill a room fast.

Students pose with recent alums at Spring Networking Night.

Ashford Advisors meets one of our students at the recent Employer Showcase.

AT&T is a reliable employer of UGA MBAs, and the Employer Showcase is
one of many touch points during a busy recruiting season.

A thorough tour of the new headquarters of Spectrum Properties in Charlotte.

UGA MBA Students Win Healthcare Case Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Terry MBA) — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 19:52:00 +0000

A team of UGA MBA students recently won a Healthcare Case Competition hosted by Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

First-year MBA students Colin Williams, Wei Shi, Dalton Corbin, David Russell, and Andrew Suddreth comprised the sole UGA entrant in the competition. Team members split the top prize of $5,000. They beat out ten other teams, including six from Emory and two from Georgia Tech.


Unlike a certain local team's recent Super Bowl performance, team Not the Falcons maintained early momentum throughout the case competition.

The case competition challenged students to make recommendations for Blue Shield of California given healthcare industry trends and changes due to the Affordable Care Act. The students received an overview of the case on Thursday and a case prompt on Friday morning. The team had four hours to prepare a ten minute presentation and five minutes of Q&A for Friday afternoon.

Team member Andrew Suddreth summarized the experience: “It was awesome to watch a team come together in a stressful environment with minimal information and perform. Everyone on the team was vital to its success and we were able to exploit each team member’s strengths. Hopefully a team from UGA can compete next year and help continue to grow [the program's] interest in the healthcare space."

Silicon Valley Trek 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 19:59:00 +0000

In December 2016, 15 of our students traveled to Silicon Valley to expand their professional networks. Over the course of three days, they visited several companies starting with eBay, Facebook, and HP on Day 1. Other company visits included EA, Grail, IBM, Bouxtie, PayPal, and NEXTracker. The trip also included networking events each night with our distinguished West Coast alumni (though we were having so much fun we neglected to document these occasions). This Silicon Valley Trek gave our MBAs an exciting start to their Winter Break.

Day 1 – 9 a.m. at eBay

The rain holds off as students begin their day looking
bright and cheery despite the gloomy weather.

eBay's interactive tech exhibit gives the students
plenty to think about before the panel presentation.

This handy kiosk gives us a chance to
purchase eBay swag for holiday gifts as we get
back in the vans to head to our next visit.

Day 1 – 11 a.m. at Facebook

The Facebook campus is enormous and beautiful.
What is NOT to like?

Safianu, MBA '18, borrows a bicycle to
get to lunch in Hacker Square.

Day 1 – 3 p.m. at HP

The group gets a look at the latest in
printer technology at HP.

After a lesson in 3D printing and a panel
with alumni who share their experiences working
in Silicon Valley, some members of the group
pose for a photo in the HP lobby before
heading to a reception at a local hotspot.

Day 2 – 9 a.m. at Electronic Arts (EA)

A waltz through the history and evolution of EA.

Sharad is doing it right. It’s ok to mix

business and pleasure on these trips!

Day 2 – Noon at Grail

Lunch and learn at GRAIL

Day 2 – 3 p.m. IBM Innovation Space Tour

Our students pose in the IBM Bluemix Garage, an intentional

space that fosters creativity and learning. Many of our students

are wearing matching shirts because we got drenched on the

way to IBM. They kindly gave our crew company t-shirts

because we showed up looking like drowned rats!

The Watson tutorial was the highlight for many.

Other visits that day included Bouxtie and Galvanize.

Day 3 – 9 a.m. at NEXTracker

As our employers know, UGA MBAs aren’t shy

about rolling up their sleeves and doing what it takes!

The crew checks out NEXTracker’s solar panels.

Day 3 – Noon at PayPal

A visit to PayPal’s San Jose headquarters wrapped up a busy but rewarding trip.

From the Director: Fall is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 16:18:00 +0000

MBA students at on the Challenge Course during Orientation

Although the temperatures are still in the 90's most days, it is officially fall in Athens. Our MBA students completed an intense 2+ weeks of Orientation on August 10th, and classes for all students started on August 15. The first football game of the season is next weekend. It’s great to be a UGA MBA Bulldawg in the fall. This season is one of the greatest times of the year to be in Athens. You can enjoy a southern breakfast at Mama’s Boy, take a stroll in the UGA Founder’s Garden, spend Saturday’s at Sanford Stadium cheering on the Dawgs, and then hit the downtown scene for the evening. There are endless opportunities to spread your social wings this fall in Athens.

Not only is it UGA football season, but we also have tons of events coming up for our MBAs. In September alone we have our Fall Recruiting Kickoff, the UGA Fall Career Fair, and the Prospanica Conference in Houston, just to name a few.

Also, autumn in Athens is a great time for prospective students to visit campus. If you are interested in learning more about the Full-Time MBA program a Campus Visit Day may be the best option for you! Coming to one of these events will give you the opportunity to tour our new building, Correll Hall, and meet with current MBA students and MBA staff. You can choose a date that works best for you. Feel free to reach out to our Full-Time Admissions Staff at ugamba@uga.edu if you would like further information about the program or Campus Visit Days. We look forward to seeing you this fall in Athens!

Round 2 Applications and Phase II of Construction!

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 20:42:00 +0000

Correll Hall

Hello and Happy Holidays! We are lucky to be having a very mild fall here in Athens, and our winter break is upon us. After a challenging first semester, our first year students are leaving for a well-deserved vacation, and our second year students are cruising into their last semester with us. The Full-Time MBA program has settled into the new building and as the Admissions staff reads and interviews Round II applicants, construction for Phase II of the Business Community has begun. We're excited about what the future holds for the program - our new concentrations, the Consulting emphasis, revised Leadership Fellows Program, additional experiential learning opportunities that will help our students succeed in the job search, and the reduction of the graduation requirements to 60 credits. We're excited for these changes and others to come. Campus Visit Days resume in January, and so if you are able to visit, please let us show you around!

The Fall 2016 Application is Live, Correll Hall is Open, and Other Full-Time Program News!

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 15:59:00 +0000

As happens every year, the summer goes by too fast. But with every ending, there is a new beginning, and here at Terry, we have a lot of news to be excited about. The Full-Time MBA Program moved into our new location, Correll Hall, at the end of June, and we are preparing for Orientation for the Class of 2017, which will be held in our new space! We are fortunate to be the first residents of the new Terry Learning Community and the move is a great opportunity to expand the Full-Time MBA program in its beautiful new space!

We are also getting ready for Orientation for the Class of 2017. The Full-Time MBA Program staff is gearing up to meet and work with a great class of incoming students who will arrive for August 3, 2015. For MBA Admissions, now is the time when we look forward to the next recruiting season which starts next week. We will be attending MBA Tour events in Houston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. All of our recruiting events are listed on our website, so please come visit us at an event or visit us on campus!

Another piece of exciting news is that the Fall 2016 application is live! We can’t wait to meet and learn more about the applicants who will become the Class of 2018! Our first deadline is October 14, 2015. We updated our essay questions, but the rest of our application requirements are the same from last year. The Admissions team is here to help you with any questions you have about the process, so please reach out to us if you need help: 705-542-5671 or ugamba@uga.edu.

And lastly, I am eager to talk to all of you about recent program changes that will enhance the MBA experience for our students. We have added two new market-driven concentrations, in Healthcare Management and Human Resource Management, and also an Emphasis in Consulting that can be combined with any concentration. We revised the Leadership Fellows Program with an enhanced focus on crisis management and community service. From an academic standpoint, we have lowered the credit hours for graduation to 60, enabling our students to increase their curricular flexibility and elective options. Our core courses are a hybrid of half-semester and full semester offerings. This was done to maximize the learning of critical skills and create space for more electives in the first year of the program. In response to recruiter feedback, we are placing more emphasis on developing programming and coding skills, so that our graduates will be better equipped to manage technical people and projects. More details about all of these changes are making their way to our website, so look there for updates as they are posted.

2015 will be a great year for everyone at Terry! We look forward to meeting you at our recruiting events and Campus Visit Days! The Admissions team is excited to show off our new building, Correll Hall, so please come visit!

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:38:00 +0000

Bruce Taylor, MBA '15

I can recall very clearly how anxious I was to get an internship last year. Spring break was approaching and I was one of the few in our MBA class still looking for one. Fortunately, with great preparation and a little luck, I was able to land a finance internship with The Coca-Cola Company.

Originally, at the beginning of business school, my goal was to transition from finance into marketing. I worked in finance for over 5 years before entering UGA’s MBA program and was looking for career shift. However, getting an opportunity at Coca-Cola was something I couldn’t turn down.

Looking back, taking that internship at Coke was a great decision! I developed new skills and truly enjoyed the culture there.

The thing I liked most about interning at Coca-Cola was the people. Not only were they extremely bright, but they were easy to work with as well. I have worked for plenty of companies with highly intelligent employees, but those same people are normally difficult to work with. They are so bright that they assume that they are never wrong. However, at Coca-Cola, my coworkers had plenty of bright ideas and were always willing to listen to someone else. This made for a great work environment and has to be one of the reasons Coca-Cola has been successful for so long.

Shorty after my internship concluded, I received a call from Coca-Cola offering me a full-time position! Needless to say, I was ecstatic. However, I needed time to consider whether I wanted to commit to a full-time position in finance, since I originally planned on transitioning into marketing.

After a few days, I decided to accept Coca-Cola’s full-time offer in their finance department. My thought was that I could continue with Coke in a finance role and hopefully use those skills in one of their marketing divisions.

Overall, I enjoyed my summer and learned two things. First, I learned that Coca-Cola was an ideal place to start my career. Secondly, I learned there is always more than one way to meet one’s goals in an MBA program. Originally, I wanted to transition into marketing. However, I found another way to do that is to be the “finance guy” in the marketing department.

Making the Transition from Military Service

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 15:57:00 +0000

Adam John, USMA '08, MBA '16

What did I do in the military?

After graduating from West Point, I served as an Infantry Officer and U.S. Army Ranger for about 6 years. During my service, I conducted five combat deployments to countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. I am extremely proud to be an American and to have had the opportunity to serve our Nation.

After transition from the military to B-School—what did I learn?

Gaining perspective and experience prior to attending b-school is extremely beneficial. Whether that means transitioning from the military early to conduct a spring internship or spending a few weeks at a company shadowing executives, gaining corporate exposure is a must. After transitioning from the military, I spent 5 months in Washington D.C. working for an organization that allowed me access to several corporations, NGOs, and non-profits. In doing so, I expanded my network and gained valuable industry exposure. Several companies (e.g., Goldman Sachs, PwC, Google) have phenomenal programs for either pre-MBA veterans or recently transitioned veterans. I encourage all veterans to take advantage of these opportunities.

What are my initial lessons learned from B-school?

1.) As in the military, teamwork is also essential in business school. From presentations to group case studies, working together as teams is vital for success in the classroom.

2.) Several attributes from the military directly transfer to b-school. Leadership and hard work directly transfer, while planning, strategy development, and operations management are only semantically different.

What is the SVRC and what does it do?

The SVRC is a center within the Student Affairs Division that connects the 240+ student veterans who are enrolled at the University of Georgia with an array of resources. The center advocates existing programs within UGA (e.g., Career Center, Academic Enhancement) and several organizations outside the university (e.g., VA, VFW) to our student veterans to ensure their continued success. More on the SVRC: http://dos.uga.edu/svrc/

What do I do at the SVRC?

Currently, I am one of two graduate assistants who serve in the SVRC. I work directly for the SVRC Director and am responsible for managing several center initiatives. For instance, part of the SVRC’s mission is to posture student veterans for challenging internships and career opportunities. I lead these efforts through our Corporate Outreach program that provides veterans’ access to prospective companies that are interested in hiring them. Basically, I connect veterans who are searching for employment or internships with companies that have human capital requirements.

For me, it's an awesome opportunity to continue to contribute and give back to fellow veterans.

What are my future plans?

While at business school, I have dedicated my job search to a career in management consulting. I found that my passions—leading teams and solving complex problems—are directly applicable to consulting, and I believe that I would best use my skill set here. This summer I will be working as a Summer Associate with Cognizant Business Consulting.

MBA Entrepreneurs Collaborating Across UGA

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 16:02:00 +0000

I entered the MBA program with one goal: start a business while I’m in school. I was looking

Kari Baker, MBA '15

for a program that would provide the support that I needed as an aspiring entrepreneur.

Upon entering the program, I became involved with the Entrepreneurship program within the Terry College of Business. With time, myself and other MBA entrepreneurship students started to hear whisperings of other exciting entrepreneurial things happening all over campus. We began exploring and talking with researchers, professors, and administrators in other colleges. What we found was a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that was unfortunately siloed within the different colleges on campus.

We began to dream of what it would look like if entrepreneurial computer science students communicated with business students, or family and consumer science students collaborated with art students, etc. In talking with entrepreneurial students from different disciplines, we found this theme echoed: Students do not know how to connect with entrepreneurial people outside of their “silos”. We also found that many students did not know how to take the next step with their business ideas.

This is what inspired us to create the Tree Fort, a business incubator created by students, for students. The Tree Fort was founded by Daniel McBrayer (MBA), Alex Edelstein (undergraduate MIS major), and myself to provide students with co-working space, interdisciplinary resources, and accountability in taking the next steps with their business ideas.

The Tree Fort is a place to put into practice the entrepreneurial/innovation skills that we’re learning in our classes. Though this incubator, we now have physical space to pursue our business ideas, not only with other business students, but along-side some of the brightest students from all over campus.

What I love about the Terry MBA program is the amount of support we receive from faculty and staff. Not only do they know our names, but they know what we are passionate about and are eager to support us as we pursue these passions. The Tree Fort would not be where it is if we did not have faculty and administrators like Dr. Sutherland, Chris Hanks, and Don Perry who believe in us and have helped us to find the resources that we needed to pursue this dream.

Knowledge Sharing in Action: Big Data Analytics Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 20:22:00 +0000

Mayank Tayal, MBA '15

I’m a 2^nd year MBA student at UGA with primary focus in the areas of Big Data Analytics, Business Intelligence and Statistical Modeling. During one of the fall 2014 networking events, I happened to talk about my career interests with Randy Groomes, Director for Diversity Relations at Terry College of Business. He mentioned that there was a Terry Marketing case competition coming up soon for Terry undergraduates and asked if I would be interested in conducting a workshop for anyone at Terry interested in Big Data and Analytics, especially for those undergraduates preparing for the case competition. I immediately agreed to the opportunity to share what I was learning in the program.

To prepare, I sought details about the attending students and their case competition from Randy and came up with the agenda that I discussed with Dr. Hugh Watson, Professor in the Management Information Systems department, to seek his feedback. Through this 2 hour workshop I intended to share my knowledge in Big Data, Analytics and Visualization as well as to provide the hands-on experience with MS Excel and Tableau to the attendees. I supported the workshop through presentations, demos and group exercises and I also tailored it to a wider audience should I be asked to present the material at a later date or share it online.

Overall, the workshop was a big success for everybody in terms of delivering so much content in 2 hours and equipping the audience with basic knowledge and information about how big data’s relationship to marketing. To me, it was a great learning experience, not only in thinking about how to present the technical knowledge but to train non-technical people in that area. I am thankful to Dr. Watson for being my mentor and providing his technical expertise in the workshop. I’m also thankful to Randy for organizing the workshop and providing me this valuable opportunity while I am a student.

A Valuable Experience at the 2014 NBMBAA Case Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 17:14:00 +0000

Jeremy Harp '15

Every year a sizeable cohort of students from the University of Georgia’s MBA program attends the National Black MBA Association’s (NBMBAA) career expo and job fair. In parallel with the job fair, the NBMBAA also hosts a case competition. Each year Chrysler Group LLC develops a business case and tasks MBA students with deriving a solution. With a 3^rd place price of $10,000, 2^nd place prize of $15,000, and a grand prize of $25,000 to the winning team, participation in the case competition is sizeable and competition is fierce.

This past year’s conference afforded me the opportunity to participate in the NBMBAA case competition with three other MBAs from the full-time program: LaDrica Derrico, Bruce Taylor, and Nathan Navarro. Fortunately, the business case this year involved developing a marketing strategy for the Jeep Renegade, and I had significant experience in consumer insights having worked with Procter & Gamble this past summer. The Jeep Renegade will début in early 2015 and we were tasked with developing how to both position the car based on Jeep’s current lineup, make the car more appealing to millennials, and increase traffic to the Jeep.com website.

Teams are given just over a month to analyze the case and finalize a presentation in time for the competition in mid-September. Keeping in mind the large grand prize, our team meetings began soon after we were all on campus. The most challenging part of the competition was the meetings about halfway through, where each member had conflicting ideas for how best to move forward. The strong personalities and the desire to do well made for some interesting meetings during that time. Fortunately, the team was able to work together in such a way that we could both express our ideas as well as have those ideas challenged in a respectful and positive manner. After coming to a consensus on direction, the development of the presentation was remarkably simple. The initial round of the competition went very well for us as we were selected as one of the top 6 teams to advance to the final round. LaDrica’s Best Presenter award and the team being close to the $25,000 grand prize spurred further preparation and practice with the group. The final round went equally as well as the first, but we ultimately did not place in the top three.

Though 1/4^th of $25,000 would have been a welcomed addition to my bank account, participating in the 2014 NBMBAA case competition was an amazing experience. The competition allowed me to be able to strategically apply the topics to which I had been introduced in my classes. Additionally, I learned more about teamwork and how working well with others is essential for success in business. Finally, I became closer with my teammates and understood that the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business was the best choice for my MBA. My experiences reminded me of just how smart, driven, and impressive all my classmates are. I am proud to be here and I am proud to have represented UGA well at the 2014 NBMBAA case competition.

What's Your Story? Applying to BSchool from a Career Management Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 16:41:00 +0000

Shannon Caldwell
Director, Career Management Center

MBA applications that stand out are ones that complete a good story. Everything in the application should provide a consistent story about – Why an MBA? Why now? And why specifically at the schools to which you are applying? My goal is to help you all begin to tell your story as part of the graduate school admissions process. This process is a very good groundwork for the storytelling that you will be doing when you are looking for a job.

The first step is for you to figure out where you want to go. If you don’t know exactly, imagine one or two of the careers you think you would most like and most excel in. Now choose one of those for the purpose of this exercise. You can go back and repeat this process again with another career option. Let us know if it would be useful to have a future blog post on the subject of a choosing a career path or how to talk about the paths you’re considering.

The second step is to look at what you’ve done already, what skills you’ve built, and begin to tell your story. The story includes who you are, what makes you unique in a business environment, what skills and experiences you have that will be a benefit in your future career, and which ones you need to build. That sounds onerous, and my goal in today’s post is to break it down a bit to make it a more doable exercise.

Building Bridges: Making Your Past Resonate

You’re always going to be competing against people who have been in the career path you want to go into since the start of their careers. Let’s say you want to go into investment banking. Some of the people you are competing with are former analysts at investment banks. Some of them have been working in finance with operating companies. Some of them have been consultants. Some have worked in private equity. Stiff competition, right? It is your work (and my work to help you) to translate your past experience for your future employer. We want your past experience to sound incredibly relevant for your future career.

An example:One of the best examples I have heard is that being a nuclear submarine officer is like being a Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS) caseworker is like being a brand manager. One of our professors helped one of our students make this connection recently. In each of these careers, to be effective requires getting a disproportionate share of resources, attention, and help for your ship, clients, or brand from many different shared service departments that do not report to you. This requires motivating others and making compelling cases to get their attention on your project. You can’t expect the brand management company to know what submarine operators or DFACS caseworkers do. The former submarine officer and DFACS caseworkers have to learn what brand managers do and be able to explain their past experience to the brand management company interviewers in brand management terms.

It’s time now to start thinking of how you are going to explain nuclear submarine operation to the brand management company, because that is exactly the same way that you are going to explain it to your prospective school. You are going to make your background as relevant as possible to what you’re going into. You’re going to show them that you’ve done your homework, and you’re also going to own up to what you do not know.

How You Make a Difference

Now it’s time to talk about how you’ve made a difference where you are. And of course, we want those accomplishments to be honest, based on who you are, or the story you’re telling is going to lead you to a path that doesn’t fit you.

You’ve come into a job with a job description, been given duties, and been expected to execute them as directed. So, not surprisingly, when we ask prospective students what they did in their past jobs, they tend to think about the job description. What was the scope of the responsibilities? This approach won’t get you far. It is a first step, sure. But, if you stop here, you really haven’t built a bridge to that next job, or to the school. Why?

It doesn’t tell us how you made a difference. I want to invite you to put aside a lot of things from your past job, including what your company wanted you to do, what your assigned duties were, and what your boss valued. Those things may or may not show up as you tell your story, but what we really want to know is going to be hard to find if we have to work around all those constraints.

How were you different from other people they could have hired? Because you were in this job, instead of someone else, you paid attention to certain things, asked certain questions, pursued certain issues, just as a result of who you are and what interested you. What are the things that interest you? What did you go after that other people they could have hired for the job might not have done? Maybe you were doing financial analysis, you really delved into some of the numbers, and you realized that the estimates could be better if you looked at them a different way. You shared that information, and maybe there’s a tradition now of doing things your way instead of the way most people did them beforehand. Moreover, because the estimates are better, something else happened. What was it? Why does it matter?

Maybe you built a partnership with another department, and that collaboration led to better information for both parties and a better outcome. What was the information, and how did it lead to a better outcome? What was it you paid attention to? How did that lead to good things for your company? How can it lead to good things for another company?

What Difference Did You Make?

Now, how can we tell people what the results of your efforts were? You don’t just want to say you built a relationship with the marketing department and that led to better collaboration. Remember, we really don’t know that much about your past work. And, though it’s interesting to hear a little about it, by the time you’re talking to the admissions officer or the interviewer, they only want to hear a little bit about the ins and outs of your past environment. When you spell out the result in big terms that apply to all business environments (new customers, more revenue per customer, time saved, costs cut, etc.), you take the work off of the essay or resume reader, and you build the bridge, helping people understand what was important.

Format: Context-Action-Result

The best bet is to tell the stories in a Context-Action-Result format. We need to know a little bit about the situation or context you were facing. We need to know what you did (the action). And we need to know the result that came from it.

Action & You:When it comes to action, it’s very common, because of course you are working on a team or with a group, to talk about what “we” did. You may be used to thinking this way because you care about the outcomes for the whole group, because you think of yourself as a team member. While this is an admirable quality, and it probably means you are someone we would rather work with, it doesn’t give the admissions director or recruiter much to go on. They know you were on a team. They also know other people were on the team. When you talk about what “we” did, they can’t tell what your contribution was – and you are the individual they are hoping to get to know. Put another way, we’ve all worked on teams where the team accomplished something great but one of the members was counterproductive. So, the team’s results alone aren’t enough. We need to know you helped bring them about.

But To Tell A Specific Story Means I Can Only Tell A Few: Telling things in the Context-Action-Result format means telling a few specific stories with their specific outcomes. Students are often reluctant to go this route, because it will reduce the breath of the responsibilities that they show. Embrace this approach! Those stories that you will tell are the stories in which you shone. They will tell us worlds more about who you are and what you can do than a list of responsibilities.

If you tell your stories this way, there are a three big benefits.

It’s going to be much easier for the admissions committee to get a sense of who you are and how you operate in a work environment.
You’re going to demonstrate that you are a lot more sophisticated than the average applicant. You’re going to show a great deal of maturity, self-knowledge, and willingness to make an impact. These are all qualities that the admissions committee is looking for.
You’re going to be well along in the career search, and chances are that’s why you’re coming to business school. You are already going to be good at talking about who you are and what you can do, and that will enable you to go ahead and start networking in your field. Start that now, and you will be one of the most dedicated and advanced people in your field when you get to campus. There are lots of benefits down the road, if you can do this work now.

An MBA Will Differentiate Me

One last word about how business school fits into your story. Most people come to business school because they believe it’s going to make them much better prospects for jobs. They think of the MBA as the destination. While that is a normal phase to go through, it is not a place to rest. As soon as you become eligible to apply for those jobs that require MBAs, you often find yourself competing in a field where an MBA is not a differentiator. Maybe every candidate has an MBA. Now, it’s about how do you stand out, what makes you different? Sound familiar?

A Summer Spent with Georgia-Pacific

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 20:19:00 +0000

Neda Zaman, MBA '15

I had the incredible opportunity of doing my summer internship with Georgia-Pacific, where I worked in the B2B or “Professional” division of the company. My project was a blend of what you would expect in a brand management position, as well as an innovation role. My task was to strategize the launch of a new product, and take into account both short-term and long-term possibilities.

This was my first role with a company in the CPG industry, as my experience thus far has been in automotive finance, renewable energy, and education industries. What attracted me to Georgia-Pacific specifically was their unique culture based on Market-Based Management®, and it was this culture that enabled me to thrive and to learn as much as I could about the paper industry and the company’s operations.

I spent the first few weeks of my 3 months' time getting acquainted with the company’s product line, which is expansive to say the least. Their business model is fascinating, and the culture there allowed me to schedule one-on-ones with almost anyone in the company in order to better acquaint myself with the various roles and functions. Once I began work on my project, I decided that I wanted to run a trial to gain directional learnings that would help me provide better recommendations. My supervisor loved the idea and gave me a lot of room to run the test, which gave us great results about both the product as well as the methodology. I took those results and fine tuned some of the estimates we had made for our target segments, tweaked our strategy for reaching them, and focused on researching the platform for the launch.

At this stage, I was invited to attend conferences with visitors from multi-billion dollar companies that frequently engage in business relations with Georgia-Pacific. Attending the presentations was an invaluable opportunity, as I gained critical information about the company we would be partnering with for the launch of the product, which allowed me to make better decisions about the pricing strategy. Every day of my internship was spent in a similar manner; from lunch-and-learns with the CEO and CMO, to deep dives into market research, to attending presentations by huge firms. Not only did I gain incredible experience and a glimpse into what my chosen career path was like, I also had the opportunity to do work of real value and significance to the company. I count this summer experience among one of the biggest impacts on my personal and professional development.

One MBA Student's Summer Vacation with CSX

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 15:48:00 +0000

Kevin Foster, MBA '15

This summer, I had the opportunity to intern in the Finance department of CSX, which is one of four major railroads in the United States. Truth be told, prior to starting the MBA program at Terry, I knew nothing about railroads other than from time to time I would get caught at a railroad crossing – always when I need to be somewhere. But my perception of the industry changed when CSX came to do an information session in late August. I walked away impressed by both the industry and CSX as a company. When you start to think of it, the railroad is the backbone of the U.S. economy – grain, lumber, chemicals, coal, vehicles, and millions of pounds of merchandise shipped via intermodal containers – and few things make it from point A to point B without going by rail for part of the journey.

I joined the program with my target set on getting into the airline industry, so the railroad wasn’t a big jump. I decided to pursue the opportunity and by mid-November had received an internship offer. It was an intriguing opportunity in a subject I was only starting to get comfortable with (finance) in a city that I had never lived (Jacksonville), but I was up for a challenge.

The summer proved to be an incredible adventure. Before the internship, I tried to learn about the industry so that day one I could hit the ground running. It helped to have at least a grasp on some of the major issues facing the company and a basic understanding of the language of railroading. CSX also worked to ensure that we were quickly brought up to speed. There were 8 interns total, with a wide variety of skill levels and background, and it was really enjoyable getting a chance to know them over the 10 weeks.

The project that I had was very much an MBA-level internship. There wasn’t a simple answer to the question that was posed – in fact, they really didn’t know where the project would lead. However, if there is one thing that MBAs should be good at, it’s dealing with ambiguity. I relied heavily on my background in project management and the skills that I picked up during my first year in the program – especially statistics – and was able to develop a number of well-received deliverables. The internship wrapped up with a final presentation to the 3 VPs that oversee the Finance department – aka one step below the executive team. The presentation went well and about a week later, CSX called to offer me a full time position in their leadership development program. It was the opportunity I came looking for when I came to Terry - just a different mode of transportation.
Perhaps my biggest takeaway from the summer, and really my biggest takeaway of the program so far, is that you have to keep your eyes wide open, because you never know where the opportunities are going to come from.

UGA Net Impact Club Partners with Terrapin Beer Company through Projects For Good Initiative

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 17:20:00 +0000

From L-R: Erin Geoffroy, MBA '15; Chris DeFago, MBA '15;
Bobby Callahan, MBA '15; CEO John Cochran;
Julia McDaris MBA, '15; and Christina Smith, MBA '14.

Today we welcome Erin Geoffroy, MBA '15 (pictured on left) as a guest contributor to provide an overview of a project completed this spring.

Last semester, I was pleased to participate in a national Net Impact initiative called Projects for Good, which creates opportunities for students to serve as sustainability consultants for companies and help their triple bottom line. Several students that are actively involved with the UGA Net Impact chapter partnered with Terrapin Beer Company to help them perform a B Impact assessment and help Terrapin become a more environmentally and socially responsible company. Our team included MBA students with a range of expertise in environmental and social issues: Bobby Callahan, Chris DeFago, Erin Geoffroy, Julia McDaris, and Christina Smith.

Over the course of several months, we met regularly with CEO John Cochran and HR Manager Jeremiah Shepherd to learn more about Terrapin’s current practices and growth strategy. The B Impact Assessment is a tool created by the non-profit B Lab to provide standards, benchmarks, and tools for a business to assess its overall impact, compare itself to other organizations in its industry, and provide practical solutions to improve impact over time.

Why should a company invest time in using such a tool to improve impact? It can help the company attract and engage employees, earn credibility and trust from peers, and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. In fact, I recently spoke to BBC Capital about how young people today, women especially, want to work for companies that prioritize social and environmental responsibility. When looking for internships and full-time positions, many of my classmates and I made working for a company that is committed to making a positive impact a top priority in our respective job searches.

In our early conversations with Terrapin, we were thrilled to learn that the organization is already making significant strides towards its goals. Terrapin donated $28,000 to local charities in the past year, has many great benefit programs in place such as a bike-to-work incentive, and has a goal to be listed as a “Great Place to Work” in the next few years. Additionally, Terrapin has several initiatives planned for the coming year such as time off for employees to volunteer and a new canning line that will make the beer Terrapin produces a more sustainable product (since aluminum is infinitely recyclable).

We worked with Terrapin to go through the B Impact Assessment and tried to simplify the process in light of their busy schedules. Our team then entered the information into the assessment tool to generate a raw score for the company. We presented to John and Jeremiah on ideas and best practices along with short-term and long-term recommendations for improving their impact in four areas: governance, environment, community, and workers. The team was incredibly receptive to our ideas and requested that we continue to serve as consultants as they work towards these goals. We are excited to continue this work in the fall and provide suggestions and innovative ideas.

CEO John Cochran said, “We have enjoyed working with the UGA Net Impact team; their guidance on environmentally and socially responsible best practices will help us better position Terrapin as a company that makes great sustainably-produced beer, has a strong presence in our local community, and operates in a way that makes everyone want to work for Terrapin.”

In addition to continuing our work with Terrapin, we are eager to find other local businesses in Athens that want to improve their triple bottom line and partner with UGA Net Impact. If you are a local business that is interested in improving your social and environmental practices, please contact us at uga@netimpact.org.

Net Impact Rebounds and Team Wins Leeds Case Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Kane) — Wed, 28 May 2014 16:23:00 +0000

Just a year and a half ago, a lack of interest had shrunk UGA’s chapter of Net Impact to only one active member. Luckily, a few interested students began to meet regularly to discuss trends in sustainability, nonprofits, and social enterprise. As we became good friends, the club took off. We attended the Net Impact conference in Baltimore, hosted several events, and were named a “gold” chapter by the end of the year. We also entered the Leeds Net Impact Case Competition, the first time a team from UGA had done so, and were thrilled to make it to the semi-final round. Our team competed again this year, and we were out to win!

The Leeds Net Impact Case Competition in Boulder, CO is focused on solving real world sustainability issues and, as fun as it is, it is also a ton of work. The first round gave us two weeks to examine how investing in different technologies would affect a company’s “triple bottom line,” people and planet along with profit. Working in a team of four, we split up research and worked whenever we could find time between classes and homework. After advancing, we were given another case before the final round in Colorado. The time required could have been overwhelming, but my teammates and I are all serious about Net Impact and competitions are an incredible learning experience. I was happy to give up my free time to research regulations on pollution and discover how acceptance of global warming will affect energy sector profits. It wasn’t hard to convince my teammates to give up nights and weekends to dig into natural gas pricing forecasts or how pollution affects worker safety. This was our chance to use what we’re learning in a scenario we care about.

Our team was made up of close friends. We didn’t waste time deciding who would be responsible for what research because we already know what everyone’s strengths are and what each is passionate about. We didn’t mind spending hours working together, because we’d be together anyway. And in Colorado as we answered questions from the judges, we supported each Net Impact each other and kept each other calm.

The first night in Boulder was stressful as people finalized their presentations, but it was also exciting and fun to meet people with similar interests. As someone who is usually wary of “networking,” I found it easy to connect with the other teams and we talked with people from all over the country. Funnily enough, we spent a lot of time with our neighbors from Georgia Tech, who also had a team make it to the semi-finals.

On the day of the competition, they paired each team up with a Colorado student. Our buddy, Reid, shuffled us to a classroom to present in the morning and ate lunch with us while we waited for the results. We all felt good about our presentation, but were happily shocked to hear we had advanced to the final round. Because of an unlucky draw we presented last in the finals, meaning we were quarantined with the other finalists and our CU buddies for the next 6 hours. Thankfully, Reid is one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met and he helped to ease our nervous energy. This was another time I was happy to be on a team with friends who could help pass time in an anxious situation!

The sponsoring company this year was Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway building supplies company headquartered in Denver. Our final presentation was to 10 judges, including their CEO and several executives. Presenting is obviously a big part of business school, and we’ve all had practice at it. But, presenting recommendations to such important people, along with other competitors, was justifiably nerve-wracking. I am incredibly proud of how confidently each of my team members presented their points. Kari Baker spoke passionately about improving worker safety and our economy, Betsy Curry easily explained energy use and cost in a way that everyone could understand, and Ariel Brassil answered the judges’ questions by referencing energy theorists and books she reads in her free time. The experience of successfully presenting to such an impressive group gives each of us a confidence boost. It is absolutely the best learning experience I have had in business school.

That night at dinner Mary Rhinehart, the CEO of Johns Manville, presented the awards. After hearing Purdue University place third and Notre Dame place second, we were tense. We spent the weekend struggling to not get our hopes up, so it was an enormous relief and incredibly exciting to hear University of Georgia announced as the winner! The judges later told us they appreciated how cohesive our presentation was and that we each referenced each other while we spoke. This came, I think, since we were among friends. We all worked hard because it was an enjoyable experience for us and we created a memorable, passionate presentation because no part of it was faked.

I am incredibly proud of how far our club has come; we now have 20 active members. I’m sad to graduate and not be a part of UGA Net Impact next year, but I’m excited to see all that my friends will accomplish. I, of course, expect UGA to uphold our title at the Net Impact Case Competition so I look forward to reading about that next spring!

Full-Time MBA Program Ranked #48 by U.S. News

noreply@blogger.com (UGA MBA Programs) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 13:53:00 +0000

The Full-Time MBA Program at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia has attained the #48 spot in the 2015 Best Business Schools ranking by U.S. News & World Report.

Correll Hall, the new home of the UGA MBA in Summer 2015, is currently under construction in Athens, Georgia.

Read more: UGA Graduate Programs Continue to Move Up in National Rankings

Who is a UGA MBA student?

noreply@blogger.com (UGA MBA Programs) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 17:36:00 +0000

Jenifer Curtis // Terry MBA '14 from Overture on Vimeo.

Meet Jenifer Curtis, JD/MBA '14. Jenifer will graduate from the University of Georgia in May 2014. She has already accepted an offer to work with Troutman Sanders.

Free GRE Practice Test in Athens

noreply@blogger.com (UGA MBA Programs) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 03:02:00 +0000

Planning to take the GRE for your UGA MBA application? Kaplan Test Prep is offering a free GRE practice exam on the University of Georgia campus in Athens this Saturday, February 22, 2014 at 11:00am in Room 214, Miller Learning Center. You must bring your own laptop. Register here.

Reminder: The final deadline for Fall 2014 entry for the Full-Time MBA is March 4, 2014.

Still have questions about applying? Attend a Full-Time MBA Admissions Application Q&A webinar or join us in person for an upcoming Campus Visit Day.

MBA.com: Preparing for the MBA Interview

noreply@blogger.com (UGA MBA Programs) — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 21:22:00 +0000

Deirdre Kane, Director of MBA Admissions, Full-Time Program is currently featured on the MBA.com Ask the School Experts blog. Read her advice on Preparing for the MBA Interview before you visit the University of Georgia for your UGA MBA interview.