Ask Clear Admit

[tuscanyprovence]

Hi Kevin,

Thank you for your thorough analysis! Also thanks for Mark's suggestion!

I'm still willing to know more about the UW MBA since only few people talk about this school.

I like seatle and hear about that there are many entrepreneurial activities in this area.
Do they offer good entrepreneurship or general management courses?

How will the new building make any difference for the program?

How is the school's reputation in Taiwan?

Looking forward to your analysis!


Cheers
Tusca

[kchen95]

Clear Admit is conducting a series of exclusive interviews with Admissions Directors at top business schools. Among the interviews we have completed are Wharton, University of Chicago, Kellogg, London Business School, and Cornell. From these interviews, we seek to gain new insights from the Directors on the admissions evaluation process at each school as well as on any new and exciting initiatives that are being launched at each school.

Please click the following link to view the interviews: http://blog.clearadmit.com/category/adm ... rector-qa/.

We hope you will find this information useful as you decide which schools to apply and how to tackle those tricky applications!

Thank you.




The Clear Admit Team
http://www.clearadmit.com
MBA Admissions Blog: http://blog.clearadmit.com (daily updates and admissions tips)
MBA Admissions Wiki: http://www.clearadmit.com/wiki (latest reports from the applicant community)
Clear Admit School Guides: http://www.clearadmit.com/guides.html (in-depth research reports on the leading schools)

[kchen95]

Hi Tusca, thanks for your post. Please see my comments below.

I'm still willing to know more about the UW MBA since only few people talk about this school.

I like seatle and hear about that there are many entrepreneurial activities in this area.
Do they offer good entrepreneurship or general management courses?

How will the new building make any difference for the program?

How is the school's reputation in Taiwan?



UW is strong in general management and high tech, and these are the most popular fields for the school's graduates. UW also has solid course offerings in entrepreneurship, mostly as second-year electives.

One thing to keep in mind is that the vast majority of UW graduates stay in the Washington area for work after they finish school, which is great if you want to stay in Seattle because the school's network there is extensive, but may be an issue if you want to work elsewhere. Only about 5% of the graduates go to Asia and only about 3% of the summer internships are based in Asia. This is certainly a subjective opinion, but I don't feel UW is especially well known in Taiwan because there are not many UW grads there. The UW website lists a contact person for UW's alumni in Taiwan, so you may want to contact that person to get his perspective:

http://foster.washington.edu/alumni/Taiwan.shtml

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Kevin


Kevin Chen
Clear Admit, LLC
info@clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com

[cburger]

Quick response regarding USC alumni network & entrepreneurship ：

These 2 are definitely the strongest selling points for USC. Taiwan office does a good job helping alumni connect. Entrepreneurship program is ranked #1 or #2 in US, depending on the publication. Being in LA also gives you a lot of different views on entrepreneurship because of its diverse industries.

Mark
USC Marshall Class of 2008

[kchen95]

Admissions Tip: The Comparison Trap

We wanted to take some time today to discuss a frequently-made mistake in the application process. In their desire to make their case to their target MBA programs, many applicants devote sentences and even paragraphs to explaining why the school in question is their “first choice” and arguing its superiority over other schools.

Though certainly understandable, this is actually not a very productive exercise. Let’s consider a few reasons why, from the schools’ point of view:

Tell me something I don’t know. A popular strategy - and not always bad one - for applicants seeking to demonstrate their fit with one school above any other is to study its website to understand the program’s self-determined selling points, and then profess an interest in those. The thing that essay writers don’t always consider is that while a school’s distinguishing characteristics might be the factors that set it apart from others, this is not necessarily what the admissions committee wants to read about in an applicant’s essays. The very admissions officer reading your file spends months every year pushing this marketing message out to prospective students. Members of Harvard’s and Darden’s admissions staff know all about the merits of the case method, Kellogg and Duke’s admissions committees are already up to their ears in team-orientation, and Stanford and Yale could not be more aware of the benefits of a small class size. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t touch briefly on these key points (the schools highlight these for a reason), only to suggest that to put together a really compelling application, it’s important to push beyond high-level differentiators and immediate association and demonstrate that you’ve learned about the program on a deeper level. In making room for this level of detail within a restrictive word limit, cutting other schools out of the picture is a great starting point.

To read more, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2008/11/admi ... on-trap-2/

Thanks!
The Clear Admit Team
http://blog.clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

[kchen95]

Health Sector Management at Fuqua

It’s time once again for Trivia Tuesday, our regular exploration of the special programs and opportunities that differentiate the leading business schools. This week we take a look at Fuqua’s Health Sector Management program.

Duke University began offering healthcare education in 1930 alongside its opening of the Duke Hospital. In the more than three-quarters of a century since then, the Health Sector Management program (HSM) has evolved into one of the preeminent healthcare management education programs in the nation, alongside Wharton’s Health Care Systems major. Today, the HSM program enrolls over one-fifth of each Daytime MBA class, making it the largest healthcare program affiliated with a leading business school.

Fuqua’s affiliation with Duke University and location in the North Carolina Research Triangle area are major contributors to the strength of the HSM program. The Duke University Medical Center and Health System is a leader in biomedical research, education, and healthcare delivery, while the HSM program’s relationships with area biotech and pharmaceutical companies keep students and faculty connected to the rapidly changing healthcare industry.

To read more, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2008/11/triv ... t-fuqua-2/


The Clear Admit Team
http://blog.clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

[tuscanyprovence]

Hi Kevin,

I want to know more about University of Toronto, University of Manchester, and RSM.

In terms of general management, entrepreneurship, and reputation in Greater China, which school will you suggest me to apply?

I'm also considering to apply for University of Washington. Do you think the entrepreneurial resources in US are better than that of others?

Regards,
Tusca

[kchen95]

Interview Insights from Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth Admissions Directors

In a post to the Stanford Graduate School of Business Admissions blog last week, Director of Admissions Derrick Bolton shed some light on the timing of interview invitations. “Please be assured that your likelihood of admission bears no relationship to when you receive your interview invitation,” he wrote. “The timing of your invitation simply depends on when we review your file.”

And as for the order in which Stanford GSB reviews applications, there is no pattern, Bolton said. Interviews for Round 1 applicants start as soon as possible after the application deadline, which is typically early November, and continue through mid-January.

“We expect to send Round 1 interview invitations pretty regularly, every business day or so, through mid December,” he said. During the school’s winter shutdown, December 22nd through January 5th, the admissions committee is still reading applications “feverishly,” but invites get bundled and go out every few days instead of every day.

To learn more, click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2008/11/inte ... directors/


The Clear Admit Team
http://blog.clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

[kchen95]

Hi Tusca, thanks for your post. Please see my comments below.

I want to know more about University of Toronto, University of Manchester, and RSM.

In terms of general management, entrepreneurship, and reputation in Greater China, which school will you suggest me to apply?

I'm also considering to apply for University of Washington. Do you think the entrepreneurial resources in US are better than that of others?

The rough consensus is that Toronto is slightly above Manchester and RSM in terms of the criteria you mentioned, but I caution that this is a very gross generalization. You should consider the specific industries in Greater China that you may join after business school and ask people in those industries what their perceptions are of the three schools. I also suggest taking some time to learn more about the specific programs of all the schools in which you're interested so you can decide which schools are best suited for your personality and needs.

As for US vs. Canadian/European schools, it's true that one of the reasons many European (and Asian) students choose to come to the US for b-school is because US schools tend to have better resources and more established reputations. But this again is a gross generalization; you should learn about the particulars of each school, no matter it's European or American, before making a decision.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Kevin

Kevin Chen
Clear Admit, LLC
info@clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com

[gfar]

Hi Kevin:
regarding alumni interview, do you think it's appropriate to let alumni knowing that i searched his details on the web and i knpow about his background? what should i prepare if he has the same background as mine? also,

- could you give more generic advices on alumni interviews and be specific to duke/kellogg and wharton?
- interview advice for non-traditional goals applicant?

i know my questions are broad but i appreciate so much your advice!

thanks!

[kchen95]

Hi gfar, thanks for your post. Please see my comments below.

regarding alumni interview, do you think it's appropriate to let alumni knowing that i searched his details on the web and i knpow about his background? what should i prepare if he has the same background as mine? also,

- could you give more generic advices on alumni interviews and be specific to duke/kellogg and wharton?
- interview advice for non-traditional goals applicant?

There is no need to volunteer the fact that you've researched the interviewer's background. It certainly isn't bad to do the research - and interviewers frankly half expect you to do so (this is true for job interviews as well as for school interviews). In fact you definitely should find out as much as you can about the interviewer before meeting him/her. But I would not tell the interviewer about this. There's just no need to do so - unless, of course, if for some reason the interviewer asks you directly about it, in which case you should be honest. Rather than volunteer this info, you should use your knowledge about the interviewer to your advantage. If you know about the interviewer's background, you should think about how to phrase your interview answers in a way that likely would resonate with the interviewer given his/her background. If the interviewer has the same background as you, you should be prepared to spend less time explaining the basics of your profession (because the interviewer already knows this) and more time discussing the details of your accomplishments. On the other hand, if you are a non-traditional applicant and/or the interviewer does not share your background, you should make sure that you explain your goals and skills in a simpler way so that someone not familiar with those goals and skills can easily understand what you're talking about. Make sure you do not use industry jargons that only an "insider" would understand, and make sure you don't assume that the interviewer possesses background knowledge about your industry that people inside your industry readily know.

Duke, Kellogg and Wharton all conduct "blind" interviews, meaning the interviewer will not have seen your application before conducting the interview. The only information the interviewer will have about you is your resume. Blind interviews are generally more relaxing than the non-blind interviews (e.g., Harvard), and the interviewer typically spends most of the interview asking you to walk through your resume and explain why you want to get an MBA now at this particular school. Wharton invites about half the applicants to interview, whereas anyone can sign up for an interview with Duke and Kellogg. This signals that Wharton weighs the interview more heavily than Kellogg and Duke. The smaller the number of applicants who are invited to interview, the more important the interview tends to be as a point of differentiation among the applicants.

Hope this helps. Congrats on the interviews and good luck!

Kevin


Kevin Chen
Clear Admit, LLC
info@clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com

[kchen95]

Darden, Kellogg, Kenan-Flagler All Encourage Entrepreneurship in the Face of Economic Crisis

When life deals you lemons, make lemonade. Or, more precisely, open your own lemonade stand. That’s the message several top business schools are projecting to students amid the current economic crisis.

In a blog post last week entitled “One answer to a recession: start a business,” Dean Robert Bruner of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business reminded students that “financial crises and recessions are as much about new beginnings as dreadful endings.”

Bruner cites the example of a Darden alum, J. Bryan Murphy (’86), whose aspirations as a real estate developer were dashed by the recession of 1991-2. But instead of hunkering down and settling for something safe, Murphy and his partner decided to head to Europe, where there was less competition in their specialty. The move paid off, Bruner continued.

Going on to quote playwright Tom Stoppard, who said, “Every exit is an entrance somewhere else,” Bruner challenged his students to “frame the ‘somewhere else’” using Murphy’s experience as an example.

Click here to learn more: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2008/11/dard ... ic-crisis/


The Clear Admit Team
http://blog.clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

[kchen95]

The following discussion about application volume took place on the Clear Admit thread in the Business Week MBA forum:

Hi mjjking, thanks for your post. Please see my comments below.

I have a question about applications volume. How much do you think it will increase this year? Any official data so far? Do you think that next year's numbers will be even greater?

Based on our recent conversations with admissions officers, we understand that application volumes at most top schools were up double digits in R1, but probably not as high as the 30% increase that some had been predicting. We'll have a better sense deeper into R2, which is usually more telling because it is typically the busiest round.

As for next year, the verdict is still out. While demograhics in the US and across the globe would suggest a high number of candidates entering the pool, the economy may put a damper on growth or keep things more steady than growing.

Hope this helps. Thanks very much.

Kevin

Kevin Chen
Clear Admit, LLC
info@clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com

[kchen95]

Admissions Director Q&A: Liz Riley Hargrove of Duke’s Fuqua School of Business

As part of our continuing series of discussions with admissions directors at top business schools around the world, we are pleased to offer this recent interview with Liz Riley Hargrove, Associate Dean of Admissions at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Hargrove has spent almost her entire professional career at Duke. After starting in undergraduate admissions at North Carolina State University, she joined the staff at Duke in 1993 and has been there ever since.

In the interview that follows, Hargrove shares her excitement about Fuqua’s plans for global expansion, describes the school’s philosophy of collaborative leadership and provides an important tip for applicants to help ensure that you’ve adequately answered your essay questions. So read on!

Clear Admit: What’s the single most exciting development, change or event happening at Fuqua this coming year?

Liz Riley Hargrove: Fuqua has just announced a plan to expand our campus to become the first globally embedded business school in five countries simultaneously. We will have a physical presence in India, Russia, China, the United Kingdom (probably London) and Dubai. We just announced it at the end of September.

For prospective applicants it means that Duke will be one of the first business schools to actually be on the ground in all of those locations. We have revamped one of our EMBA programs – our cross-continent program – and students in that program will be able to take classes in those regions of the world. We also will have career services and other resources on the ground in those regions. So it will definitely benefit our full-time MBA students in terms of curriculum, faculty and career services options.

To read more of Hargrove's interview, please click here: http://blog.clearadmit.com/2008/11/admi ... -business/


The Clear Admit Team
http://blog.clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

[kchen95]

Hi all,

Since I've been contacted offline by many applicants who asked if I speak Chinese, I would like to clarify that yes, I do speak and read Chinese, so please feel free to email your questions in Chinese. Thanks very much.

Kevin

Kevin Chen
Clear Admit, LLC
info@clearadmit.com
http://www.clearadmit.com