Mark your Calendar: 2013 Forté Forum Dates Announced

No matter what your current career or industry, nothing gives you the power to shape your own future like attaining an MBA.

• Have you ever considered getting an MBA?
• Do you want to take your career to the next level, start your own venture, or change careers?
• Do you want to design the career that is best for you?
• Have you ever considered studying abroad?
• Do you want to know all the ways you can finance your MBA?

Attend the Forté Forum in the city nearest you to:

• Hear advice and stories from MBA women across multiple industries and career stages
• Learn how an MBA can help you succeed in virtually any career or industry - even the non-profit sector
• Meet women like yourself who are also considering the MBA program
• Connect with admissions members from leading business schools in Europe and North America 
• Find the school that's right for you

Forté Forum Dates:

August 19 - Chicago

August 20 - Boston

August 21 – Washington D.C.

August 22 - Atlanta

August 26 - Houston 

August 28 - San Francisco 

August 29 - Los Angeles

September 3 & 4- New York

September 5 - Toronto 

October (TBA) - London 

Registration to open in early July.

Getting a European MBA: A Unique Experience

When choosing between business schools in Europe and the United States,  the  main  thing  to  keep  in  mind  is  that  the decision is very personal. Take a good look at the available options and do not let yourself be influenced by rankings. If your background fits in better with a school that may be a little outside the top 10, 20 or 30, don't let that worry you. Here are some of the advantages European business schools have over their overseas counterparts. 

Less Expensive. The two-year program is still considered to be the American standard for the full-time MBA. In Europe, the duration of an MBA program is one year or eighteen months, which becomes less expensive than a two-year program and entails lower overall living costs. Nevertheless the quality of the programs can be very high, which explains the growing number of triple-accredited business schools in Europe.

 

More Specialized MBA Programs. Europe boasts schools that are known for certain specific  core competencies. Ranked the best European business school by the Financial Times in 2012, IE Business School is, for example, the perfect place to develop your career with its focus on  innovation, diversity and  entrepreneurship.

A More International Network. Reports by GMAC state that 38% of participants in US business school are from foreign countries. The percentage of international  students in European  MBA programs is 83%. Due to this, the teaching language at most business schools in Europe is English. University alliances and exchange programs contribute to  highly diverse and international student bodies, and ultimately expand personal networks and ability to work on a global level. IESE Business School, which offers the fifth best worldwide MBA program according to The Economist in 2012, has between 26 and 28 exchange partners including 16 top US schools, such as Columbia and NYU-Stern. In 2010, IESE became the first European school to open its New York City campus. 

High  MBA Salaries. During times of economic growth or in times of crisis, it is important to have a diploma that employers favor. 87% of the European business school graduates of the class of 2012 was employed after graduation, according to a GMAC survey. Getting a European MBA is also a great opportunity to change careers or find a better job, as 43% of graduates found new employers after graduation. The median starting salary for all management program graduates in the Old Continent is higher by more than US$22,000. Last year, MBA employees in Europe were even better paid than in America – US$108,355 compared to US$100,000.

Better Return on Investment. The Financial Times value-for-money  rankings show that European schools are doing  better than  their  American counterparts. With  all due  critical attitudes towards such calculations and lists, the top 10 European and American  schools would be as follows: The  first  10 are  made  up  of  European institutions and the second 10 are American. The question of business  school quality is open  to debate, and  can  never  be fully resolved. Although, in terms of ROI,  the European MBA seems to be gaining the upper hand.

 

More Experienced Classmates. The  age  of  MBA students in  Europe is generally   higher   than that of American schools. This   may   give   experienced  professionals who  want  to  go back to school an argument in favour of  the  Old  Continent. On  the  other hand,  US  institutions accept more  a larger number of students in their  programs.

Smaller Classes,  More   Individual Attention. The size and culture of a school are often  overlooked when  considering business schools. In general, US business schools are larger, with  an average intake of 287 full-time MBA students, compared with  124  in Europe. Professors in the US may therefore have a limited amount of time for individual work  with each  student compared with professors in Europe.

Better  Career Mobility. Thanks to the Bologna higher education accord,  European degrees are  recognized in most  countries within the  Eurasian continent, giving unprecedented access to career opportunities worldwide. This  also  means that  MBA  graduates are  not  confined to  working in  the country they  graduated, but  can  benefit from  the pan-European job market.

Cultural Diversity. Cultural differences between European countries shouldn't   be underestimated   when  considering the added value of an MBA program. Historically-built   attitudes  and   social  order  vary greatly and create a secondary learning environment outside the classes.

Language Learning Options. It is a well  known fact  that  a new  language is most   efficiently learned when in the foreign country.  Even   though English is  the  teaching language of MBA programs, students have  the option to perfect their  language skills with native speakers outside of the classroom.

Thinking about a European MBA?  We invite you to learn more by attending the Access MBA One-to-One event on Wednesday, May 22^nd 2013 from 4pm to 9:30pm at the Warwick New York Hotel.  Learn more at www.accessmba.com

Deloitte Consulting Immersion Program

The following program is offered by Forté Sponsor Deloitte:

Learn more about Deloitte's innovative summer program designed for you!

It's your career. Are you ready to accelerate it? Prepared to work with mentors and coaches who know how to stay ahead of the latest trends in business? Looking to build high performance leadership skills? And capable of bringing new ideas and a unique perspective to every assignment? Then the Deloitte Consulting Immersion Program (DCIP) may be right for you. This could be your big break. How far will you take it?

 

Learn more about our exciting DCIP Summit designed for newly admitted MBA students by visiting our DCIP site. The application is now open for the Class of 2015. In addition, we invite you to join a virtual information session to answer all of your questions about the DCIP.

The details

Virtual Information Session	Friday, March 29, 2013, 3:00PM ET
RSVP	R.S.V.P. and complete a brief survey. We will respond with the call details including the dial-in number and participant code.

We hope you’re ready to explore the DCIP.

Admissions Interviews

You’ve worked tirelessly to research which schools and programs are a good fit, taken the GMAT, completed applications and written countless essays.   You finally get the news you’ve been waiting for…you got an interview!  Now what?

It’s important to remember that the interview is your time to shine and impress the admissions committee once again.  Follow my tips below in order to ace your admissions interviews!

·         Be confident – the admissions team already thinks you’re great and now is your chance to prove it to them in person

·         Talk to current students – reach out to current students or alumni to ask questions about their experience on campus and during their interview

·         Know your story – be able to answer the following questions:

o   Why an MBA?

o   Why is now the right time in your career to pursue an MBA?

o   Why our school?

·         Research the school and program and come up with a few questions to ask the admissions committee at the end of your interview

The most important tip is to be you!  Each MBA class is comprised of students with exceptional talents and unique backgrounds which enable learning and growth inside and outside of the classroom.  No one else in your class will have the same experiences that you’ve had so stay confident and ace those interviews!

Liz Schaab, Forté Fellow

MBA 2014, SMU Cox School of Business

What is a Forté Fellow?

Forté Foundation’s mission is to substantially increase the number of women business leaders by increasing the flow of women into key educational gateways and business networks. One of the ways we achieve this is by supporting women financially in their business education. As such, we offer fellowships to women who are pursuing a full-time, part-time, or executive MBA education at participating business schools. Forté Foundation Fellowships are intended to increase the number of women applying to and enrolling in MBA programs.

Each school chooses its own Fellows and has its own criteria for selecting Fellows - no application information is required by the Foundation. Students interested in becoming a Forté Fellow should contact the admissions or financial aid office at the sponsor school of their choice and express interest in being considered for the Forté Fellowship.

Ask each school about their specific selection guidelines. Forté advises schools to choose candidates that exhibit exemplary leadership in one or more ways: academic leadership, team leadership, community leadership, and creative leadership. Schools are encouraged to nominate women who represent diverse educational and work backgrounds, career goals, ethnicities, and citizenship.

Exceptional women candidates of all national origins who have been admitted to participating schools are eligible for consideration. In addition to the above, schools are encouraged to consider candidates who have already demonstrated a commitment to women and girls via personal mentorship or community involvement. Such commitment is in alignment with the mission of Forté Foundation.

Among other benefits, Fellows receive financial support provided through Forté member schools, and they also gain exposure to leading companies in the Forté network. Fellows also gain an immediate network of peers in your fellow fellows that extends beyond your business school. Look into the Fellows program at the schools you’re interested in – we would love to welcome you into this exclusive group of women!

Targeting a Spring Application Deadline – Tips for Success

From the Simon Admissions Blog.

by Rebekah Lewin, Executive Director of Admissions & Administration 

We get many questions from spring applicants wondering if it’s “too late” to apply or worrying about coming in after several rounds of applications are under review.  Many express concern that some of our spots are already reserved and wonder how competitive it will be for remaining spots.  Don’t worry – if you are a top candidate, you will be competitive, regardless of which application cycle you target.  Try not to over-think the situation as most top schools operate a waiting list to save some spaces for top candidates across each application round.  The Simon School also offers scholarship consideration across all of our application rounds, which is a huge benefit.  A few tips to keep in mind to help you put your best foot forward in the application process:

• Regardless of your reason(s) for applying in the spring, you should be confident and put your best foot forward in all of your application requirements – show how you expect to be an asset to your target school as a student and future alum.

• Be thorough in researching your target B-school and express clearly why you are a “good fit” for the program.  Typically the essay and interview components are good opportunities to express this to the Admissions committee.

• The Simon Admissions Committee will not ask you to address “why” you are applying during the spring.  It’s your decision on if/when to provide this information to us. • There will be little time to retake test scores or update items in your application after submission, so make sure you are really satisfied with your application items before submitting them for review.

• The interview timeline will likely be compressed given the time of year so be prepared to quickly respond if/when an offer is extended.

• Similarly, if admitted, the timeline for your response to our offer will likely be 3 weeks or possibly even less, depending on how late in the year you are admitted.  Make sure you ask critical questions up front, so that you are prepared to commit and enroll if you are admitted!

Each year, we admit some great students in the spring and we look forward to seeing you apply this year! Final application deadlines are as follows and rolling admission occurs in between the deadlines

March 15, 2013 – Final deadline for International candidates and 1-year MBA candidates

May 15, 2013 – Final deadline for Domestic 2-year MBA and MS candidates

To finalize your Simon School application: www.simon.rochester.edu/applynow

Texas Evening And Executive MBA Women Host Forum

From the Texas MBA Student Blog, Texas Talk.

By Amber Lyons, Texas Evening MBA Class of 2013
Saturday, January 26th marked the second annual Texas Evening (TEMBA) and Executive (EMBA) MBA Women’s Forum in Austin, Texas. The event was an all-day affair that drew some of the most talented business women in Austin together. The forum gave prospective students the opportunity to network with other prospects, current students and alumni. The day’s events included: a welcome by the program directors, a keynote from Laura Starks, a presentation by Professor John Daly, an MBA+ Leadership Program overview, an alumni and student panel, and a career management overview. We concluded the day with a networking reception that allowed everyone a relaxing atmosphere to interact. This year I had the pleasure of co-chairing the Women’s Forum with Jocelyn Sexton from the EMBA program.

To learn more visit: Evening And Executive MBA Women Forum