Indian MBA colleges ranked in the top 50 global institutes - Jagran Josh

A major global ranking source has confirmed that 3 IIMs in India ranks in the top 50 global B-schools.

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Meet UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA Class Of 2019 - Poets&Quants

Some of the MBA students in the Class of 2019 at Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill

When ‘career changer’ comes to mind, most picture history majors inspecting balance sheets or engineers tapping into their softer side. It’s hard to imagine leaving investment management for teaching. Then again, Christine Hu isn’t like most MBA candidates.

The child of immigrants, Hu grew up speaking a mishmash of four languages in her blue collar home. It wasn’t always easy, especially when the financial crisis hit home as a high school senior. Her parent lost half of their savings – and anguished over what the future held. This event sparked Hu’s curiosity, inspiring her to study financial markets at Harvard and become a successful analyst. Eventually, she found a new calling after volunteering to tutor low income students. She had a knack for it. Even more, she found teaching to be the true extension of her purpose. “I had a unique opportunity to transform the financial trajectory of our nation’s poorest through teaching,” she writes.

CLASS RANGES FROM GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSPON TO EMMY WINNER

In 2015, Hu took a unique step. While many were leaving Teach For America to enter business, she left Pacific Investment Management Company to become a corps member. And she never looked back. After her two year commitment, she was nominated to be her district’s “Inspirational Leader” and was chosen to deliver remarks at Teach for America’s year-end celebration. In the process, she discovered how relevant her business background would be to her teaching passion. “After my first year of teaching, I recognized the amount of processes that could be improved through the incorporation of business principles.” This epiphany led her to the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School – and its mission, Hu says, of graduating “leaders invested in making a positive impact in the world through business.”

Kenan-Flagler MAC Students. Courtesy photo

Hu wasn’t the lone member of Kenan-Flagler’s Class of 2019 to make a major transition. After majoring in social anthropology at Harvard, Kathryn Hennigan became a marketing and partnerships manager at Houzz. Patrick Gomez Menzies collected a history degree at Harvard…before moving into biological sciences as a consultant and researcher. Patrick Kurunwune transitioned from eluding defenders as a Blue Devil running back to becoming a pharmacy student with their most hated rival. Jen Stutsman parlayed her summa cum laude credentials at Penn into gigs as a deputy press secretary for Obama for America 2008 and press secretary and speechwriter at the U.S. Department of Energy for three years after that. What did she do then? She headed off to Africa to become managing director of Maisha Meds, a global health supply chain startup. When Hu wasn’t buried in economics data, she was unraveling the meanings behind ancient folklore and mythology.

Impressed? Colleen Parra comes to Chapel Hill by way of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Her passions? “I’m an adrenaline junkie – sky diving, zip lining, bungee jumping. You name it.” Counting the days to the re-opening of the International Spy Museum in DC? Be sure to thank Alyssa Sheinbaum; she designed the building façade. Looking for excitement? Hennigan was part of a Peruvian archaeological dig that was featured in National Geographic. Not to be outdone, Stutsman has already visited all seven continents.

Then again, Mariana Thomas is more like the rest of us. “I know way too much about what is happening in Elmo’s life on Sesame Street thanks to my 2-year old daughter,” she jokes. Maybe Thomas could report on Elmo. A TV news reporter, she won an Emmy in 2013 – and was nominated for a second last year. Gomez Menzies also nabbed an award of his own. He received a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study, which is given to scholars based on their scientific leadership and potential.

APPLICATIONS SLIP AS GMATs AVERAGE RISES

It was a down year for applications in Chapel Hill. During the 2016-2017 cycle, the numbers slipped from 2,237 applications to 2,151. In turn, the acceptance rate dipped slightly to 37% as the school reeled in a 302 member class. Despite this setback, average GMAT rose a point to 701, just a point below in-state rival Duke Fuqua.

Demographically, the class’ percentage of women held steady at 30%, with the percentage of underrepresented minority students and international students skidding by two points and one point respectively. Financial services professionals again comprised the largest bloc of incoming first years at 21%. Technology and health care took up another quarter of the class. Manufacturing, consulting, and arts and government each represented a 7% share of the class.

The Class of 2019 can certainly look forward to a pretty bright future, after graduation. Among the 2015 and 2016 classes some of the bigger consumers of Kenan-Flagler talent have included Amazon, McKinsey, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Bain, and JP Morgan. Last year, graduates averaged $129,797 in starting pay. Over the past five years, Kenan-Flagler MBA alums have seen their pay surge $66,200 to $157,000 according to Forbes.

Sridhar Balasubramanian, senior associate dean at Kenan-Flagler

SCHOOL LOOKING TO ‘FLIP THE CLASSROOM’ MORE

That’s not the only positive happening at the school, says Sridhar Balasubramanian, the Senior Associate Dean for MBA Programs. For one, the school has placed its five American-based MBA programs (Full-time, Evening, Weekend, Global OneMBA and online MBA@UNC) under one leadership team. While the programs will each retain their unique character, they will also better share their resources. As a result, students will enjoy more classes, as well as tap into a larger pool of students, staff, and professional development opportunities.

While the program remains a leader in graduate management, marketing, and accounting programming, Balasubramanian adds that future students can expect technology to be better deployed to free up classroom time. “With our top-ranked online MBA@UNC program, we have led in implementing technology-intensive learning that is perfectly aligned with the natural learning styles of the millennial generation,” he explains. “Building on these competencies, we are now introducing technology-intensive learning across our different MBA formats. This often involves “flipping the classroom” where the conceptual material is covered online ahead of the class, and the in-class discussion is then focused on learning to apply the theories, frameworks and toolkits in managerially relevant contexts. We will be able to accelerate, expand and enrich learning using this approach.”’’

It doesn’t stop there, he adds. “We are also moving rapidly to introduce other technology-infused learning platforms too. For example, we expect to launch our first virtual-reality learning simulation within the next few months.”

Go to page 2 to see in-depth profiles of incoming Kenan-Flagler MBA students.

Kenan-Flagler at night.

REAL ESTATE AND HEALTHCARE AMONG KENAN-FLAGLER’S CALLING CARDS

If you ask the Class of 2019 what led them to Tobacco Road, you’re bound to hear about Kenan-Flagler’s world class concentrations. One that comes to mind is real estate. Led by the legendary David Hartzell, the curriculum is a mind-blowing mix of cases, legal briefs, hands-on deal-making, and global excursions, where students travel to destinations like Dubai and Panama. For Sheinbaum, who plans to continue working in real estate and construction after earning her MBA, Kenan-Flagler’s real estate program is the perfect path to take her skills to the next level.

“The Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies allows UNC Kenan-Flagler to stand out from other top business schools,” she notes. “The opportunities that the program provides to students, from the Real Estate Fund and the Real Estate Conference, to various real estate Global Immersion Electives are unparalleled.”

Kenan-Flagler’s healthcare concentration has also gained worldwide renown. The expansive curriculum covers areas like healthcare design and delivery, marketing, regulation, and analytics. The program also features job shadowing, offsite treks, career development, case competitions, and the school’s largest student-led conference. Even more, it boasts an array of partnerships with the UNC School of medicine. For Stutsman, who is still weighing whether to move into healthcare consulting, logistics, or product development, these offerings will enable her to test out each of these paths…and more.

“UNC Kenan-Flagler and UNC’s School of Public Health have worked together to create a strong dual-degree program that is greater than the sum of its parts,” she explains. “The synergy between the schools was the key factor that led me to select UNC Kenan-Flagler for my MBA.

There is incredible innovation occurring right now at the intersection of business and health care. Given its focus both on technical business skills and students’ leadership qualities, I believe an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler will allow me well to be a leader and innovation in the sector for many years to come.”

Deloitte visits a Kenan-Flagler MAC class. Courtesy photo

JUST 25 MINUTES FROM THE VAUNTED RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK

The healthcare concentration also played a key role in bringing Gomez Menzies to campus. “My goal coming to business school is to expand my skill set in order to provide greater value and have a greater impact in health care,” he shares. “The school is working on the cutting-edge of business curriculum in health care and encouraging greater interaction between UNC’s different elite professional schools including the business school, medical school and pharmacy school. In addition, this situates UNC Kenan-Flagler as a core school for recruitment for many top health care and pharmaceutical companies.”

These strengths are only amplified by Kenan-Flagler’s location in the research triangle, one of the best educated regions of the country. Here, over 50% of the talent pool holds bachelor’s degrees, not counting the 8,500 students who graduate from the University of North Carolina, Duke, and North Carolina State each year. The area is also celebrated for its deep roots in the aerospace, biotech, and information technology industries.

In fact, Research Triangle Park – the nation’s largest research and development center – is just a 25- minute drive from Kenan-Flagler. It is home to over 50,000 employees and 250 companies with marquee names including IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, Biogen, Cisco, and RTI International. With areas like virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and gamification receiving increasing investment in the park, Tar Heels will find some of the most cutting edge technologies and practices right in their own backyard.

A LEADERSHIP LABORATORY

In this environment, success demands more than scientific, engineering, and programming prowess. It also requires leadership. If there is one word associated with the Kenan-Flagler MBA program, it would be leadership. It starts with the school’s acclaimed STAR (Student Teams Achieving Results) program. Think of it as practice-makes-perfect, a constant feedback culture that is reminiscent of the top consulting firms. Make no mistake: STAR can go toe-to-toe with any business school leadership or corporate development program.

Call it a tough-love effort. The school trusts students enough to develop their own customized curriculum and leadership plan to address their shortcomings. However, there is a coach for every 10 students, meaning MBA candidates are receiving constant feedback during simulations and one-on-one coaching. In other words, they are held accountable for elevating their communication and motivational skills. While teamwork is stressed across the board, the STAR program has a clear goal: Fashioning students who aren’t afraid to lead from the front – leaders who don’t shy from conflict and know how to bring people together.

MBA students participating in Kenan-Flagler’s Business Cares initiative

You’ll find one of those students in Thomas. “Any top school will give you a world-class and rigorous education,” she concedes. “However, I wanted to be a part of a program with a smaller class size where there’s a huge emphasis on leadership skills and easier access to professors. Tar Heels also excel at being collaborative and supporting one another, so it’s a great environment to learn and to push yourself out of your comfort zone.”

COME FOR THE COUSEWORK, STAY FOR THE CULTURE

This sense of support is a cultural feature that students pass down from class-to-class. “One thing students see right away when they get to campus is that sense of community,” says Meena Dorr, executive director of MBA admissions at Kenan-Flagler Business School in a 2017 interview with Poets&Quants. “The staff from the dean to the faculty are really invested in the students. They want to see them succeed, so much so that the faculty invite them to their homes for some of their core classes. There is a sense of surrounding them and making sure they are successful.”

That means stepping outside themselves, taking risks, and building real relationships. Looking ahead, class members like Parra plan to do just that: build a “positive, collaborative community” and have a “positive impact on someone else’s experience” in her words. For that to happen, she notes, it means “being present” at all times.

“The goal is to cultivate who I want to be professionally and maybe discover new passions in life,” Parra says.

To read profiles of incoming Kenan-Flagler MBA students — along with their advice on tackling the GMAT, applications, and interviews — click on the links below.

DON’T MISS: MEET UNC KENAN-FLAGLER’S MBA CLASS OF 2018  OR THE PIONEERING MBAs OF THE CLASS OF 2019

Student	Hometown	Alma Mater	Employer
Patrick Gomez Menzies	Brooklyn, NY	Harvard University	University of California-San Diego
Kathryn Hennigan	Mooresville,  NC	Harvard College	Houzz
Christine Hu	Union City, CA	Harvard University	Teach For America
Patrick Kurunwune	Austin, TX	Duke University	UNC Memorial Hospital
Colleen Parra	Queens, NY	Baruch College	Goldman Sachs
Alyssa Sheinbaum	Marietta, GA	Georgia Tech University	Clark Construction
Jen Stutsman	Boulder, CO	University of Pennsylvania	Maisha Meds
Mariana Thomas	Abuja, Nigeria	George Mason University	KFSN-TV

Patrick Gomez Menzies 

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School  

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  Gregarious scholar-athlete, thinker and problem-solver looking to make an impact in life sciences and health care

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

Fun Fact About Yourself: Proud of two mottos:

SUB UMBRA FLOREO (Under the shade, I flourish) from my Belizean dual-citizenship

VIL GOD I ZAL (With God’s will, I shall) from my Scottish Clan, Menzies

Undergraduate School and Major: 

Harvard University, A.B. History and Science

City University of New York, York College, B.S. Biotechnology

University of California-San Diego, M.S. Biomedical Sciences

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

University of California-San Diego – Graduate Researcher

1798 Consultants Inc – Business Analyst Intern

Novoron Biosciences – Lead Project Consultant

LabKey Corporation – Science Marketing Intern

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment was receiving the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study. The fellowship identifies scholars who will assume leadership positions in science from diverse backgrounds and have a commitment to the advancement of diversity and inclusion in science. Selection is based on academic excellence, scientific potential, and efforts to advance diversity and inclusion. Throughout my career, I have had a passion for diversity and equity and believe it can be one of the greatest drivers of innovation and success. I have used my participation in the program to expand my professional network and support the growth of others through mentorship and collaboration.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? All business schools are not equivalent. Really do your due diligence. Understanding each school’s priorities, strengths, and outcomes will help you in multiple ways. First, you will be able to make a more informed decision on selecting target school and deciding where to apply. Second, this information is pivotal to writing a good, tailored essay and delivering a strong, thoughtful interview. Just as you are looking for the right school, schools are looking for the right students who contribute to their brand and fit their culture. Finally, if you have the privilege of choosing between admissions offers, you can make the decision of where you want to be for two years and be able to explain that decision to friends and employers throughout your career.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you?  UNC Kenan-Flagler’s focus on health care was the key factor for my decision. My goal coming to business school is to expand my skillset in order to provide greater value and have a greater impact in health care. The school is working on the cutting-edge of business curriculum in health care and encouraging greater interaction between UNC’s different elite professional schools including the business school, medical school and pharmacy school. In addition, this situates UNC Kenan-Flagler as a core school for recruitment for many top health care and pharmaceutical companies. I look forward to making connections across the health sciences and finding the right company to intern with.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Success for me means being able to get involved in student-run initiatives and learn to analyze the culture of different companies and firms. I believe there is so much to be learned from the diverse and accomplished peers who are attracted to UNC Kenan-Flagler. Success for me would be supporting the growth of that learning community by giving my time and effort for the success of others around me. In addition, I am excited about taking the time in business school to explore career options and the diversity of firms and functions available to MBA students. Part of my success would be choosing the right fit for my summer internship.

Kathryn Hennigan 

University of North Carolina, Kenan Flagler Business School 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Urban hiking enthusiast by way of Boston and San Francisco, currently back in North Carolina.

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fun Fact About Yourself: In college, I participated in a Peruvian archaeological dig featured in National Geographic.

Undergraduate School and Major: Harvard College, Social Anthropology

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Public Consulting Group, Business Analyst

Houzz, Industry Marketing Manager

Houzz, Partnerships Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:  Moving across the country to San Francisco without any job prospects and making the transition from consulting to marketing at a tech company is my biggest accomplishment so far. With a little bit of faith and determination, I landed at Houzz and worked on the industry marketing team there for the past three years. Being able to experience life in Silicon Valley and working at a start-up during a tremendous growth phase were invaluable experiences for me and taught me countless skills and lessons that will inform the rest of my career endeavors.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? For me, a huge part of applying for business school was trusting the process and being myself. Each school that you apply to will have different essay topics, and I found those to be a great way to express myself authentically and determine fit with different programs. Your responses to the essay prompts will click with some schools and won’t click with others, but knowing that you represented yourself honestly will help guide your process and match you to the best school for you.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? A key factor that led me to UNC Kenan-Flagler was the top-notch MBA real estate program. I was also very impressed with the collaborative nature and sense of community that I felt from everyone I encountered from the School throughout my application process. I used to think that business school would be very cutthroat and competitive (not my ideal learning environment), but at UNC Kenan-Flagler I found exactly the opposite. It’s a place that is a true community, where everyone is supportive and invested in each other’s successes. That aspect of a school was very important to me and one of the main reasons that drew me to UNC Kenan-Flagler.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  To me, a successful first year of business school would include forming high quality, meaningful relationships with all of my classmates; having a solid foundation in the core curriculum as well as starting to explore real estate classes; and securing a real estate development internship in a major city on the east coast.

Christine Hu 

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Intellectual curiosity for business transformations. Inspired by my parents’ immigrant spirit to succeed.

Hometown: Union City, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: Growing up, I communicated with my parents using four different languages (English, Mandarin, Taiwanese and Cantonese), often using English and the three dialects over the course of a “regular” five-minute conversation.

Undergraduate School and Major: 

• Harvard – Economics, Secondary in Folklore and Mythology
• East Carolina University – Professional Educator’s License

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

• Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO), Analyst (2013 – 2015)
• Teach for America, Corps Member (2015 – 2017)
• Duke University, Associate in Research (2016 – 2017)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment thus far has been “making the leap” from financial analyst to public school teacher for the purpose of serving my country.

During the financial crisis, I was a senior in high school when I witnessed my parents lose half of their life and retirement savings in the stock market crash. As blue-collar workers with little more than high-school educations, my parents were left wondering what to do next. I felt a sense of responsibility to understand the situation for myself and for my family’s financial well-being.

In college, I took every course I could to figure out how the economy functioned. Naturally, a degree in economics led me to my first job as a financial analyst, a role in which I learned about the inner workings of financial markets. The purpose for my learning was two-fold: I wanted to know what factors led to the financial crisis and think of ways to make the system better.

I shared my findings at monthly workshops for local, low-income youth, representing the PIMCO Foundation as a volunteer financial literacy instructor. During my second year at PIMCO, when the three-person team I directed was voted best teaching team by the students, I knew I had a unique opportunity to transform the financial trajectory of our nation’s poorest through teaching.

As a Teach for America corps member, I applied the skills I learned in business to: secure outside sponsorships for two fully funded educational field trips; create shared Excel templates to modernize the process of tracking and analyzing student achievement; and apply research-based interventions. At the end of my two-year corps commitment, I was really proud to have been nominated by my colleagues at school for the district’s inspirational leader award as well as selected by the Teach for America staff to give remarks on behalf of the 2015 corps at the year-end celebration.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? I confirmed my interest in attending business school after my first year of teaching, when I recognized the amount of processes that could be improved through the incorporation of business principles. If my goal was to enroll the following fall, that left just six months to get all of my application materials together in time for second round deadlines at my target schools. Therefore, my GMAT advice may be particularly relevant for those with the objective of completing the application process within a year, especially while working.

First, although many schools these days accept both the GMAT and GRE, if you are a career switcher and believe you can do well on the GMAT, take the GMAT. Some industries (such as investment banking or consulting) look at GMAT scores, so if you are interested in these areas, you are going to have to take the GMAT anyway. Another reason to take the GMAT is to show admissions committees that you are serious about business school in particular, and have the ability to handle the quantitative rigor in the classroom.

Secondly, study content in several different formats so you have the ability to answer GMAT-type questions in any context, not just in the way one publisher writes the question. My process started with the GMAT Prep by Kaplan because the book is broken down into subject areas (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, sentence correction, reading comprehension, etc.). I buckled down and read GMAT Prep by Kaplan like a college student absorbing information from a textbook. I then added a second layer to my studying, which was completing practice questions from The Official Guide for GMAT Review published by GMAC. The companion website for the book comes with practice questions online, which allows you to simulate testing conditions since the GMAT is computer-based. Finally, I used GMAT Flashcards by Magoosh in the App Store to round out my study plan. This app is a spaced repetition flashcard program, which was very useful because I could rate my knowledge of a question (“mastered,” “reviewing,” or “this content is new to me”) and then see the questions again at a frequency that would eventually help me master all of the questions.

Third, be resourceful about your time and find creative ways to study! While traveling, GMAT Flashcards proved to be incredibly valuable because all I needed was my phone to review questions mid-flight or when waiting in line. At home is where I could focus on building my stamina; I would block off hours at a time to complete a practice test from the GMAC website, mimicking test day as closely as possible (timing of breaks, no outside distractions, etc.).

After two months of preparation, including sitting for the test twice, I achieved my target score. When I took the GMAT, you could only take the exam once every 31 calendar days, so my final piece of advice would be to plan ahead and build in time to possibly re-test before the application deadline.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? As someone who is very intellectually curious and values diversity of thought, I knew UNC Kenan-Flagler was for me when I realized I could continue being that person both in choosing my academic plan of study as well as in interactions with classmates. At UNC Kenan-Flagler, students have six dedicated career and four enrichment concentrations to choose from, or a student can design their own course of general management study. Additionally, students who want to hold leadership positions in multiple clubs are highly supported by their classmates because there is a strong culture of paying it forward and paying it backward as success breeds success.

The UNC Kenan-Flagler factor – the mission to graduate leaders invested in making a positive impact in the world through business – is important to me because involvement and development have been common themes throughout my career. For instance, while at PIMCO, I was an active volunteer with the PIMCO Foundation, helping to achieve our company’s strategic goals through philanthropic efforts. While serving in the Teach for America corps, during school breaks, I conducted academic research (gathering and analyzing information, formulating and testing hypotheses) to develop solutions to improve the financial well-being of low-income households. These themes will continue in business school through my work as a Dean’s Fellow, Forté Fellow and Consortium Member and I am looking forward to whatever comes next!

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  Managing my multiple priorities well! On a day-to-day level, that means fitting in time to run outdoors no matter where I am working in the world. Running is one of my favorite ways to process my thoughts from the day, a time to listen to new podcasts, and my secret to staying high energy! A longer term goal is to continue spreading the mission of The Consortium and Forté Fellowship programs. I am where I am today, in part, because of these programs and I also want to help make organizations more successful through diversity and inclusion efforts.

Patrick Kurunwune 

University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I love spicy food so I’m hotter than a hot pocket filled with hot sauce.

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Fun Fact About Yourself: I played football at Duke University.

Undergraduate School and Major: 

• Duke University: Biological Anthropology & Anatomy; Psychology
• UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy: PharmD

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

• UNC Memorial Hospital: Pharmacy Administration Finance Consultant
• State Farm: Property & Casualty Senior Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment so far was getting into business school. I always knew I wanted to go to pharmacy school, but I only applied to UNC because I knew they offered a prestigious dual-degree program. I have never been more excited in my professional career the day I received my acceptance letter from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? The individuals who wrote my letters of recommendations really knew me and could speak to my character. I would advise you to take the time to ask individuals who have observed your work ethic and know the unique characteristics you can bring to the table.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I knew I wanted to pursue the dual-degree program that UNC offered (MBA/PharmD) because there was no other school in the country that has a top tier pharmacy school and business school. More specifically, UNC Kenan-Flagler has a strong reputation for collaboration and helping others. I noticed this as early as my first recruiting event I attended (Inside the MBA) where I observed how Stephanie Williams, senior associate director of admissions, was so intrigued in helping me with the MBA process even though she had just met me! The culture is contagious as many of the faculty I have interacted with have the same passion for wanting to support you.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Success for me would mean I am working in the healthcare sector. Within this domain, I want to focus on health outcomes that are aligned with patient preference. I want to assure that the most efficacious drugs are provided with the simplest ease of use to the necessary patient populations. My interest for this type of work sparked 11 years ago when my mother was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. This gave me a first-hand look at the struggles that many patients face with medication access and costs. This is what motivated me to pursue an industry that would allow me to affect patient populations on a macro scale.

Colleen Parra 

University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  A passionate, humble woman with an insatiable intellectual curiosity, kind heart and strong-willed spirit

Hometown: Queens, NY

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m an adrenaline junkie – sky diving, zip lining, bungee jumping. You name it.

Undergraduate School and Major: Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business, B.B.A in Finance

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

Goldman Sachs, Investment Management Division, PWM Associate

Morgan Stanley, Wealth Management, Senior Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Our team had been really focused on signing on a target client – one we had been in discussions for some time. The excitement around winning the business came with very challenging situations which we worked to complete successfully. Arriving at a consensus view was only possible through collaboration and proved particularly useful for our client making investment decisions with a long-term horizon. It was extremely important for me to understand the client’s investment style and apply it to the customized allocation plan. The rewarding part came from being able to implement the strategy and carry out the best execution possible for the client knowing I drove the process.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  The best piece of advice is to start early. The business school application process is meant to be an exploratory phase preparing you for a transformational (best!) chapter of your life and not meant to be rushed. Reflect on what is most important to you and what schools align best. My list of requirements ran the gamut, including the alumni network, class size, school location and strength in the programs offered. Speak to the admissions officers, attend the information sessions and connect with current students and alumni.

I also can’t stress enough to be yourself. Just imagine you are an admissions officer reading thousands of essays for applicants with similar credentials. It’s vital to being able to construct personal and genuine answers to the essay questions and demonstrate conviction during the interview process. This process helped me grow tremendously and gain introspection on how to differentiate myself. This also applies to choosing your recommenders. Use folks who can speak best on your work ethic, strengths and weaknesses, and career goals.

Lastly, don’t freak about the GMAT! Take the time you need to prepare for the exam as it’s meant to measure your ability to stay focused and think quickly. Set a schedule that works for you to accurately track your study progress and try to reduce distractions.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you?  The collaborative culture at UNC Kenan-Flagler, as well as its world-class leadership development program. Everyone that I connected with throughout the admissions process was so enthusiastic about the school and extremely welcoming. My decision came down to UNC Kenan-Flagler and another program, but it became very clear to me that every individual here was extremely invested in my success for the long haul. Specifically, my Consortium family has truly been paramount to my professional development and robust preparation for business school.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Success would be developing a positive, collaborative community with my classmates during the recruiting process. Ultimately, that will drive us far after graduation and only improve the value of my MBA, if I have a positive impact on someone else’s experience. Also, making as much of my time as a student as possible and not just “being present.” The goal is to cultivate who I want to be professionally and maybe discover new passions in life.

Alyssa Sheinbaum 

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Soccer player, documentary enthusiast, and world traveler passionate about the built environment.

Hometown: Marietta, Georgia

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was in a Hungarian reality TV show, but no, I do not know how to speak Hungarian.

Undergraduate School and Major: Georgia Tech – Civil Engineering

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Office Engineer, Project Engineer, and Project Manager at Clark Construction. Most recently, I was on site building the new International Spy Museum in downtown Washington, D.C.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The highlight of my career thus far was as a Project Manager working with the International Spy Museum project team to negotiate and procure the building façade under budget, and ultimately see it through the beginning of construction. I was brought on board in early 2015 to begin working with the project’s world-class architects and engineers to help budget, plan and procure the façade scope of the new museum.

After developing numerous financial updates, attending several meetings, and working with specialists from across the globe, we were able to contract the façade subcontractors under budget and within the project schedule. It was truly amazing to watch the project progress from schematic sketches to design and construction for over two years before leaving to pursue my MBA.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Give yourself plenty of time! Applications take a lot more time to complete than you would expect, and you can only apply once you have all prerequisites in order. I would advise all potential applicants to assume you will take the GMAT/GRE more than one time and potentially up to three times (like me!). It might sound crazy, but start planning out your exam and application schedule at least one year in advance to allow a little extra time for additional tests if needed.

Also, I highly recommend you reach out to professors and faculty of all schools you are applying to, especially if you do not have access to current or former students. This will help you get a feel for the academics and programs offered as well as help answer any questions about the program. Contact information for professors and faculty members are easy to find online and, in my experience, they are always willing to answer any questions you have.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I plan to continue my career in the real estate and construction industry after graduation so the Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies allowed UNC Kenan-Flagler to stand out from other top business schools. The opportunities that the program provides to students, from the Real Estate Fund and the Real Estate Conference, to various real estate Global Immersion Electives are unparalleled. Additionally, the fondness with which every student I met talked about the program, the incredible UNC campus atmosphere, and the passion of the faculty that I experienced firsthand when I visited the campus, made UNC Kenan-Flagler my number one choice for business school.

It didn’t hurt that our admitted students weekend occurred the same week that the UNC men’s basketball team won the 2017 NCAA championship!

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  Since I do not have a business background, success to me would mean having a thorough understanding of the core principles of business, finance and accounting as well as a fundamental understanding of basic real estate principles and concepts that I could apply toward my full-time summer internship in the real estate industry.

Jen Stutsman 

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A former political staffer turned global health manager; still a strategist and communicator

Hometown: Boulder, CO

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve traveled to all seven continents.

Undergraduate School and Major: 

University of Pennsylvania, B.A. in Communications and Political Science

UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, M.S.P.H. in Health Policy and Management

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Obama for America 2008 – National Advance Staff, Deputy Press Secretary

U.S. Department of Energy – Press Secretary

C3 Energy – Marketing Manager

MASS Design Group – Operations and Business Development Fellow

Maisha Meds – Managing Director

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Prior to returning to graduate school, I had the opportunity to lead Maisha Meds, a technology startup in Kenya focused on improving health care quality in private pharmacies. In two years, we grew a small pilot project into a successful market player by revising our business model, launching a new and better product, rebranding the company, and raising significant investor funding. By the time I left, my staff in Kenya had developed into a strong, locally-led team, giving me confidence I could return to the U.S. for school and the company would continue to grow and succeed.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Business school applications require you to deeply understand how getting your MBA fits into your larger professional trajectory. Because my career path has been non-linear, I often found it difficult to connect my prior experiences with a vision for what would follow business school. During that process, I found two resources were invaluable: former mentors and individuals working where I wanted to be – in global health program management.  Giving myself the time and space to explore those connections and better define my future goals enabled me to write strong, compelling essays for my MBA applications.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? UNC Kenan-Flagler and UNC’s School of Public Health have worked together to create a strong dual-degree program that is greater than the sum of its parts. The synergy between the schools was the key factor that led me to select UNC Kenan-Flagler for my MBA.

There is incredible innovation occurring right now at the intersection of business and health care. Given its focus both on technical business skills and students’ leadership qualities, I believe an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler will allow me well to be a leader and innovation in the sector for many years to come.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  Through business school, I hope to identify which functional area is the best fit with my long-term career goals and professional style. After one year of business school, would be working with a company where I have the opportunity to further develop those functional capabilities – whether in consulting, supply chain management, or pharmaceutical development – while seeing opportunities for growth within the organization.

Mariana Thomas 

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  Driven by my desire to see what I am capable of

Hometown: Abuja, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: I know way too much about what is happening in Elmo’s life on Sesame Street thanks to my 2-year old daughter!

Undergraduate School and Major:  George Mason University, Government and International Politics.

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

KFSN-TV (Disney Owned and Operated), TV News Reporter

KOLO-TV (ABC Affiliated), TV News Reporter

KPIX-TV (CBS Owned and Operated), News Writer

News 14 Carolina (Time Warner Owned), Video Journalist/Producer

WRAL-TV, Documentary Researcher

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I am an Emmy Award winner. I won the award for my on-air reporting of a breaking news event that impacted people in Central California.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Ask tough questions. Reach out to current students and alumni to find out as much as possible about various schools. Their input can give you a more realistic perspective about whether a certain program is the right fit for you.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Any top school will give you a world-class and rigorous education. However, I wanted to be a part of a program with a smaller class size where there’s a huge emphasis on leadership skills and easier access to professors. Tar Heels also excel at being collaborative and supporting one another, so it’s a great environment to learn and to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  I would love to master what we learn in the classroom in a way that I can easily apply those concepts to my summer internship and career moving forward.

Related Stories In Our Meet The Class of 2019 Series: 

The Pioneering MBAs In The Class of 2019

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business

Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business

Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management

London Business School

University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business

Notre Dame University Mendoza College of Business

UC-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

New York University Stern School of Business

University of Texas-Austin McCombs School of Business

University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business

MIT Sloan School of Management

University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business

University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Columbia Business School

INSEAD

Yale School of Management

University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management

UCLA Anderson School of Management

HEC Paris     

Emory University’s Goizueta Business School

Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business

Harvard Business School

Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business

University of Washington’s Foster School of Business

University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management

University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flager Business School

     

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HBS Dean Calls For Truce In Class Warfare - Poets&Quants

Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria

Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria is calling for a truce in class warfare. In an newly published essay in The Alantic, entitled “The Lines That Divide America,” Dean Nohria tackles such highly provocative issues of privilege, social mobility, and the American Dream to conclude that these issues are “tearing America apart.”

“Americans,” writes the India-borned dean of HBS, “must search for ways to restore a sense of fairness, reduce the time we spend gawking at those more fortunate than us or resenting those who are less fortunate—and prevent the divisions between these lines from hardening any further.”

The dean’s thoughts are based on a recently read book by UC-Berkeley sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right. Hochschild argues that, for many years, America’s economic and social class structure resembled an orderly queue. “The promise was that if you worked hard and honorably, you would make progress toward the American Dream,” writes Nohira. “This meant a settled life, grounded in a job that paid wages sufficient to own a nice home, raise a family, spend time with friends and family, find community in neighborhood and church, and live a life of dignity. For decades, America’s economy allowed people with a high school education and few specialized skills to take their place in a line that provided a steady pace of upward mobility.”

‘CLASS LINES IN AMERICAN LIFE HAVE BECOME FAR MORE DISTINCT & VISIBLE”

Access to the line that delivers the American Dream in exchange for hard work is now both limited and unevenly granted, argues Hochschild. “Worse yet,” believes Dean Norhia, “white working-class citizens perceive others—mainly minorities and immigrants—to be unfairly cutting ahead of them in line. And members of the white working class believe the government, rather than enforcing the fair process they had come to expect, is increasingly aiding and abetting these line-cutters.”

Norhia notes that class lines are nothing new. “But in many parts of American life, they have become far more distinct and visible in recent years. Not long ago, even though people grew up on different sides of the tracks and in different parts of town, they met at the grocery store, the bank, and the post office. This gave them an opportunity to develop at least a modicum of mutual understanding. Now there are fewer and fewer opportunities for people in different lines to ever encounter each other in person. They go to different schools, shop at different stores, and rarely interact. Yet they are hyper-aware of each other due in part to the ubiquity of social media and television. You can gawk at the lives of the privileged on Instagram, tap into the resentment of the white working class on Brietbart, and see the plight of the disenfranchised on Vice. This ready visibility has unleashed a range of emotions, including resentment, entitlement, envy, and despair—and it’s tearing America apart.

“These emotions have a pernicious and corrosive effect on American ideals. What makes America’s culture special is that it celebrates positive emotions—ambition, hope, doggedness—that have been sustained by a shared belief in the promise of social mobility, the opportunities people have for moving ahead in line or from one line to another. Over the last few years, research has pointed to the reduction of social mobility in America; increasingly, the line into which you are born seems to determine your life prospects. The key to reducing the divisiveness in America lies in restoring shared confidence that everyone who is willing to work toward upward mobility can still credibly aspire to it.”

HBS ENROLLED NEARLY 100 MBA CANDIDATES LAST YEAR WHO WERE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILY TO GO TO COLLEGE

Nohria says that almost 100 MBA candidates—out of a total of about 940—were first generation college students, what he calls an “imperfect” effort to help the issue. ”Americans,” he added, “need to understand and empathize with those who are in lines different from their own. For me, that responsibility starts close to home. Many regard Harvard Business School, where I serve as dean, as offering its students an all-but-guaranteed path into the lines for the privileged. That places a particular burden on us to ensure our students understand their responsibility to create value before they claim value, and their need to foster economic opportunities and a better life not just for themselves, but for others.

“We also try to make it easier to gain access to the line. Last year, for example, we matriculated almost a hundred students who were first in their family to go to college, and we actively recruit students from a range of employers, including social enterprises and the military. Once they’re here, we expose students to cases that describe the challenges of the working class and the impoverished. Through intensive, small-group, field immersion courses, our students pursue projects whose primary aim is to help them develop genuine empathy for and an understanding of those whose lives are different than their own. In our narcissistic age, this virtue doesn’t always come naturally, but we use various means to encourage them to understand that true leaders are not those who claim that title for themselves, but who are looked to for leadership by others.

“These efforts are imperfect, but Hochschild’s book makes clear how necessary they are—and how much more we all have to do to better understand those who may not be in the same line as us.”

DON’T MISS: MEET HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL’S CLASS OF 2018 or HBS APPS UP 6%, TOPPING THE 10,000 MARK

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Research MBA Programs :: RE: PhD Programs at the Naveen Jindal School of Management - Research MBA Programs

Author: JSOMPhD
Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 3:06 pm (GMT -8)

@JSOMPhD

We are hosting our third and last Q&A session on 12/06/2017.

Further details about the session are available here:
http://ift.tt/2nsLGoS.

This session presents yet another opportunity for interested candidates to seek help or more information about the PhD program at JSOM.

Wednesday, Dec 6
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
_________________
PhD Programs at the Naveen Jindal School of Management


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MBA Programs Edging Closer To Gender Parity - Kellogg News Feed

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Three Ways to Distinguish Yourself in Your MBA Essays - Poets&Quants

Linda Abraham, founder of Accepted

When working with our clients, we always point out the importance of using their essay to stand out in a crowded applicant pool. I want to give you some tips to enhance your essay writing and help you find a distinctive voice – so that you can distinguish yourself through your essays.

Here are three key writing strategies that will immediately improve your writing and help you highlight what is distinctive about you:

1.Be strong. Instead of relying on weak, empty verbs, use muscular, impactful language. Don’t say “I like to travel,” but “My passion for exploration landed me in 24 countries on five continents, in the span of four years.” Also, steer clear of “to be” verbs. “Is” often disguises a passive construction (“it is known!”) – and in any case, you can usually find a livelier active verb to use instead.

The same principle applies to adjectives, by the way. You may find a topic “interesting” – but it’s not a word that adds much color to your writing.

2.Be specific. Instead of presenting broad statements about your accomplishments that could apply to anyone’s work, be specific, using numbers to quantify and qualify the impact of your achievements whenever possible. The more detailed you are, the more your writing will stand out. Don’t write, “I led a team of interns last summer,” but, “Last summer, when I was just a Junior Accounts Manager, I led a team of 16 interns in a nationwide marketing competition. The publicity gained from our first-place win brought 24 new accounts to our young company.”

3.Be personable*. At Accepted, when guiding our clients through the MBA application process, we remind them that the adcom readers are people. That’s right – living, breathing human beings. Try and infuse your writing with your personality so that your essay is engaging to the reader. Too often, applicants with wonderful stories obscure that uniqueness in their essays – ultimately to their detriment.

Read your essay aloud. Does it sound like a robot reeling off data, or does it sound like YOU, speaking about those important things, large and small, that make you tick? Obviously the latter will gain the attention of the adcoms and will do a better job of introducing them to the person behind the essay. Strive for a professional, positive, engaging tone. If you’re not sure you’ve hit the mark, ask someone else to review your essay.

*This does not mean “be personal.” Provide enough personality to give a glimpse of the real you, but don’t treat the essay like a therapy appointment or confessional.

For more advice on submitting a compelling MBA application, including strategy, essays, and much more, download Accepted’s free guide – MBA Admissions A-Z: 26 Great Tips.

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Linda Abraham is the founder of Accepted, the premier admissions consultancy. She has coached MBA applicants to acceptance for over 20 years. The Wall Street Journal, US News, and Poets & Quants are among the media outlets that seek her admissions expertise.

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MBAs Increasingly Turning To Jobs In Tech - Poets&Quants

Tuck technology boot camp participants speak with Silicon Valley angel investor Steve Eskenazi at Facebook – Ethan Baron photo

MBAs Turn To Tech

As tech advances, MBA grads are increasingly competing to secure positions at tech companies. But the tech industry is continuously changing and that means MBA grads need to adapt their skills.

Seb Murray, a writer for Financial Times, recently discussed how business schools are preparing MBAs for a career in tech.

Tech MBAs

At New York University’s Stern School of Business, a new tech MBA will offer students a specialized one-year MBA that focuses on business and technology.

Peter Henry is the dean at NYU’s Stern. Henry tells Financial Times that the one-year format matches the employment model of tech employers since tech companies often hire on an ad-hoc basis due to the industry’s imminent pace of change.

At Cornell Tech, the Tech MBA focuses on experiential learning, where case discussion and lectures provide students opportunities to apply their knowledge.

Experiential learning

Doug Stayman is the associate dean at Cornell Tech. Stayman tells Financial Times that experiential learning can replicate a tech environment, where learning by doing is crucial.

“Some courses, such as business fundamentals, are better suited to lecturing because they are more individualistic,” Stayman says. “But when it comes to building technology products and services from scratch in groups, there is no better way to learn than by doing.”
In Cornell Tech’s Product Studio class, tech MBA students develop solutions to challenges posed by companies.

David Cheng is a previous student of the class. He worked on a project in response to a challenge posed by Google: user biased consumption of controversial news topics. Partnering with computer science and design students, he helped to develop WellRead—an app that “encourages unbiased consumption of news by using machine learning to build an ideological profile of readers, and recommending to them content from a wider range of sources.”

He says the project taught him the importance of working efficiently in a cross-disciplinary team.

“I don’t need to know how to code but, as a product manager, I will need to communicate with developers in order to accurately plan a project’s timing, budget and outcome,” Cheng tells Financial Times.

At MIT’s Sloan School of Management, students can pursue an entrepreneurship and innovation certificate. The program encourages students to launch and develop tech companies.

UC Berkeley’s Haas hosts an annual Haas Tech Challenge, a tech-focused case competition that brings MBAs together from some of the top programs across the country.

According to data by Financial Times, 36% of Stanford and MIT Class of 2013 MBA students founded a start-up during school.

Tech needs MBAs, but MBAs need tech skills

Tim Derdenger is an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Derdenger tells Financial Times that tech companies prefer MBAs who have technical backgrounds.

“These companies place a premium on technical expertise because, to be able to build the products which are the bedrock of their business, managers need a deep understanding [of] how technologies work,” Derdenger says.

Quartz recently reported that Amazon is the biggest employer of MBAs in the tech industry. The e-commerce company hires twice as many MBAs as Microsoft, according to US News & World Report rankings.

Yossi Feinberg is Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Feinberg tells Financial Times that MBAs are crucial to the growth and long-term sustainability of tech companies.

“As tech companies grow, there is increasingly a realization that they need managers who can think holistically about how to sustain success in the long run,” he says. “We need to train our students in the skills they will need to be technology leaders of the future.”

Sources: Financial Times, Haas Tech Challenge, Quartz, US News & World Report

What Areas Should You Focus On In An MBA Application?

When applying to an MBA program, many applicants fear their background or experience may not appear exceptional or unique to admissions committees. It’s more important, however, to focus on how you convey your story and what area you focus your application on.

Stacy Blackman is the founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting — an MBA Admissions Consulting firm. Blackman recently published a US News piece discussing four critical areas MBA applicants should focus on in their application.

1) Work Experience and goals

While admissions committees tend to prefer three or more years of work experience for applicants, Blackman says the quality of your work experience matters more than the length.

“Even if you’ve had the same title for years, you can differentiate yourself from other applicants by highlighting concrete professional growth, quantifiable achievements or examples of times when you embraced new challenges and took advantage of learning opportunities,” she says. “Whether your pre-MBA experience has been at Goldman Sachs or the family business, the admissions committee will look first and foremost for steady progression.”

For those applying straight from undergrad with limited work experience, competition is tough but it’s doable. Blackman says applicants with limited work experience should research business schools that are open to younger, less experienced candidates.
“Younger applicants must be able to point to a stellar academic record that includes an exceptional undergrad GPA and GMAT or GRE scores that are through the roof,” she says. “Any noteworthy scholarships or awards received in college should be included as well.​”

It’s important to convey to admissions committees what area of study you are interested in. Blackman says applicants should pinpoint their career goals and explain areas of interest in their essays.

“Successful essays don’t include the statement, ‘I look forward to figuring out my future career path in business school,’” she says. “Make sure you define the role you envision in the future and explain the effect you want to have in the business world and on society.”

Your application will be stronger if you can sell your employability to an admissions committee. It helps to put yourself in the school’s perspective: “MBA programs want to launch graduates who will go on to become successful professionals and serve as active alumni,” Blackman says.

2) Leadership

Similar to work experience, leadership is not so much the level of the position you held, but how you led and motivated others. While management positions show some validity, Blackman says leadership can also include personal achievements such as times you’ve led ideas, sports teams, or student groups.

“Successful leadership examples should show how you motivated other people, bringing out their passions, educating them and helping them see organizational priorities in new ways,” she says. “A leader’s work energizes or improves others’ work, so find anecdotes in your professional and extracurricular background that illustrate this kind of behavior.”

Furthermore, Blackman stresses that applicants should define leadership challenges they faced. How you were able to lead and overcome those challenges is more important than your actual position.

“Collecting impressive titles does not make someone a great leader – helping a team overcome great challenges does,” she says.

 3) Creativity and intellect

Creativity in your application is the ability to think outside the box. Some schools, according to Blackman, use creative essay prompts. At Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, the essay prompt asks applicants to do the following:

“Imagine that you meet up with a member of the admission committee at an airport while on a layover. You have an opportunity to make a memorable impression. Use this essay to introduce yourself. Include any information that you believe is important for the committee member to know about you, both professionally and personally.”
The evidence you provide to support your essay’s points are crucial. Blackman says admissions teams will look for evidence in your essay that demonstrates a unique or creative perspective.

“Think beyond your obvious achievements and differentiate yourself by highlighting your most compelling stories and experiences,” she says.

Creativity is something that can be conveyed in an essay, but intellectual aptitude for applications is often based on your academic ability. In the case of the MBA, that’s your GMAT or GRE scores, undergraduate GPA, and college major.

“Admissions committees actively seek a diverse class, and that’s where schools will factor in a strong GMAT score or additional college-level math courses that prove you can handle the program’s academic rigors,” Blackman says.

4) Interpersonal skills and fit

A number of business schools now require applicants submit video essays, participate in team-based discussion, and meet for group interviews. These new requirements are meant to gauge a candidates’ interpersonal skills and whether or not they will fit in with the school’s culture.

“They want to see that you can play nice with others,” Blackman says. “Your application and interview should support the individual attributes that make you a great candidate and person overall, convey your understanding of the school’s culture and reveal how you will be a terrific fit, if admitted.”

By focusing on these four areas, applicants can strengthen their application and boost their chances of acceptance. Most importantly, focus on how you convey your story and what areas you want to focus on in your application.

Sources: US News, US News,

Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business

MBAs With Environmental Specialties Will Become More In Demand

Some of America’s biggest corporations have collectively pledged to fight climate change as President Trump attempts to undo environmental regulations put in place by the Obama administration.

In March, Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft signed a joint statement supporting the fight against climate change, according to Bloomberg.

“We believe that strong clean energy and climate policies, like the Clean Power Plan, can make renewable energy supplies more robust and address the serious threat of climate change while also supporting American competitiveness, innovation, and job growth,” the statement reads.

For Mirabelle Muûls, lecturer at the Grantham Institute and assistant professor in economics at the Imperial College Business School, change starts at the educational level. Muûls recently published a Financial Times article arguing that graduates with a strategic understanding of climate change serve as an asset to businesses. Fighting climate change, Muûls says, isn’t an option. It’s necessary.

“For businesses, cutting carbon footprint is a headache, but the process presents opportunities,” he says. “Any business must be sustainable in the long term, otherwise it has no future.”

Lack of information

Yet, not every company knows how to cut its carbon footprint. Muûls says there is a lack of information. “Companies do not know what type of investments they could make to become more energy efficient,” he says. “They are not sure what areas they should be looking at: supply chain, products or operations? We do not yet know the policies governments might choose when implementing the Paris climate agreement. All this creates uncertainty.”

This is where an MBA student with environmental expertise comes in.

“An MBA student with a strategic understanding of this interdisciplinary area — the risks, the potential solutions, and importantly the opportunities around climate change — can be a big asset to a company,” Muûls says. “Undoubtedly the government will introduce legislation in the coming years, but the biggest opportunities for innovation will come from the private sector.”

Increased demand in environmental expertise

According to Muûls, the Imperial College Business School is seeing increased interest in its MBA students from the financial sector, specifically from companies that are linked to green and sustainable investment. “This includes the whole ecosystem of finance, from asset managers to private equity, pension and insurance companies through to impact investment,” he says. “Start-ups linked to green innovation and new technologies also welcome MBA students, whose expertise and broad perspective can be a huge bonus as new ventures are launched.”

Of course, change will also come from government regulation. But Muûls says it’s a combination of both regulation and commercial pressure.

“For a market-based solution to climate change to be possible, companies need first to measure and disclose their climate-related risks,” he says. “New policies must be introduced and managed subtly.”

For business students, environmental expertise is going to become even more in demand as companies continue to look for future sustainability.

“Any business student will need to know and understand these are issues if they want to drive the corporate world of the future,” Muûls says. “They need to ask what kind of company they want to work for and understand that the limits of our resources is at the core of our economy and society.”

Sources: Financial Times, Bloomberg
 

Alibaba Founder and Chairman Jack Ma

Alibaba Is Hiring MBA Graduates

Twenty years ago, Alibaba was established in Jack Ma’s Hangzhou apartment. Now, the e-commerce grown into a $158 billion dollar company with more than 365 million customers and 50,000 employees across 200 countries.

Now, it is looking to hire MBAs as senior executives as it continues to expand.

Jonathan Moules, a writer at Financial Times, recently wrote a piece on the various ways Alibaba is seeking MBA talent.

“Ma’s company is focusing on an elite group — those who have studied at the world’s top business schools,” Moules says. “Business development managers from Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou are touring campuses, meeting careers teams at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois, and the London School of Economics in the UK. The message is clear: Alibaba is eager to hire graduates from masters in management courses and MBA programs.”

Ma hasn’t always been fond of MBA grads and he’s been outspoken about his criticisms. But the shift in his attitudes may reflect Alibaba’s growth towards a global impact. In 2014, the company’s shares began trading on the NYSE.

Alibaba Global Leadership Academy

The Alibaba Global Leadership Academy is a talent development program focused on training the future international leaders of the company. Accepted participants live and work in China for 12 months as full-time Alibaba employees.

“Through job rotations at Alibaba core business units combined with classroom and experiential training, AGLA participants will graduate equipped to serve as Alibaba’s global business leaders and cultural ambassadors, linking international markets with what is soon to become the largest economy in the world – China,” according to Alibaba’s website. “AGLA graduates will comprise the foundation for Alibaba’s international business expansion.”

After the program, graduates are assigned to a role in one of Alibaba’s global offices based on their interests and career alignment.

According to Moules, the competition for AGLA is tough.

“More than 3,000 people applied for 30 places on the first program, which started in 2016,” he says. “This year applications doubled for the same number of places.”

What Alibaba seeks in its talent

Brian Wong is a Wharton MBA graduate and the creator of the AGLA program. Wong tells Financial Times that while a number of AGLA participants are MBA grads, the program seeks work experience in fields such as logistics, ecommerce, and finance.

“It’s important not to think that just because you have an MBA, you’re instantly valuable,” Wong says. “You have to think about how to adapt those skills.”

According to Wong, his plan in creating AGLA was to incorporate MBA skills to senior management at Alibaba.

“Jack [Ma] used to say the people he disliked most were professional managers and MBAs, because they are really good at doing what they are told, but rarely do they take chances,” Wong says. “But if you flip it, the great thing about MBAs is they have very structured thinking and they have got strong analytical skills.”

There’s a certain confidence in taking risks you know will pay off. And that confidence comes with experience. Wong says that Ma seek individuals who are confident in taking chances and don’t simply do as they are told. For Ma, he has his own special way of seeking that talent.

“Jack says the best way to identify a leader is to throw them in the battlefield and see who comes back alive,” Wong says.

Sources: Financial Times, Alibaba Group

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