tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42429534625945664192024-03-13T04:16:32.343-07:00Forté Forum: Inspiration, Opportunity and the MBAJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16608113499765866660noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-50563759770567951472013-08-26T09:00:00.000-07:002013-08-26T09:00:05.216-07:00Accepted.com Interview with Georgetown MBA & Forté Fellow Teri Delgado<br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Forté Fellow Teri Delgado recently shared her first year
experiences at the Georgetown MBA with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://blog.accepted.com/" href="http://blog.accepted.com/"><span style="color: #478d97;">Accepted.com</span></a>.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://blog.accepted.com/2013/07/26/georgetown-mba-student-interview-teri-delgado/" href="http://blog.accepted.com/2013/07/26/georgetown-mba-student-interview-teri-delgado/"><span style="color: #478d97;">Take
a moment to read her interview.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 14.25pt; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Here’s an excerpt on her
experiences with Forté:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<strong><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Accepted:
Can you talk about your experience with the Forté Foundation? What are some of
the benefits of being involved with this organization?</span></i></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<strong><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Teri:</span></i></strong><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> As a
Forté Fellow, I have access to many great benefits, including networking
events, webinars, and the annual Forté Conference. Even before school started,
I was welcomed by my second-year Forté mentor from <a data-mce-href="http://www.accepted.com/mba/GeorgetownMcDonough.aspx" href="http://www.accepted.com/mba/GeorgetownMcDonough.aspx"><span style="color: #478d97;">Georgetown</span></a> who
helped me navigate the first weeks of school. Through my Forte participation, I
contribute to the Forté Fellow blog and have been empowered to lead the
first-year women’s mentoring program as the VP, Mentorship for the Georgetown
Women in Business club. Forté sponsored events helped me evaluate pursuing an
MBA early on and I am thrilled that I can share my experience and help other
women strategically consider this decision as well.</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 14.25pt; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">For the complete blog post visit:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="Georgetown%20MBA%20Interview%20with%20Teri%20Delgado" href="http://business360.fortefoundation.org/wp-admin/Georgetown%20MBA%20Interview%20with%20Teri%20Delgado"><span style="color: #478d97;">Georgetown
MBA Interview with Teri Delgado</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://blog.accepted.com/2013/07/26/georgetown-mba-student-interview-teri-delgado/" href="http://blog.accepted.com/2013/07/26/georgetown-mba-student-interview-teri-delgado/"><span style="color: #478d97;">Accepted.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-5439620779388996932013-08-21T09:00:00.000-07:002013-08-21T09:00:05.327-07:00Take Advantage of Forté Forums<br />
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Joanne
Legler, Associate Director of Admissions at the University of Chicago Booth
School of Business recently shared some additional advice about getting the
most out of Forté Forums on the <a href="http://blogs.chicagobooth.edu/n/blogs/blog.aspx?nav=main&webtag=boothinsider&entry=116"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue;">Booth
Insider Full-Time Admissions Blog</span></span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xnR72iymFgZ1mTAIZJjxYVhObATCRIs-5RHZqqWSNb1paE0nRqvOWrEhjuX0F-3bUaFHmAPRDidBt33okExgwSwZfsGLJtGARp9lgylmK4j87hMU_lbjbXCtbqj4PsG_7pBglw-S2B4/s1600/JoanneLegler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xnR72iymFgZ1mTAIZJjxYVhObATCRIs-5RHZqqWSNb1paE0nRqvOWrEhjuX0F-3bUaFHmAPRDidBt33okExgwSwZfsGLJtGARp9lgylmK4j87hMU_lbjbXCtbqj4PsG_7pBglw-S2B4/s1600/JoanneLegler.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joanne Legler<br />
University of Chicago <br />
Booth School of Business</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Besides
getting great advice and meeting with admissions staff, Forté Forums are also a
great way to network with other pre-MBA women; these strangers are friends you
haven’t yet met, and potential future classmates or business partners.
The Forum provides an excellent opportunity to network with other motivated and
talented women who are looking for what you are; a degree that will push,
challenge and inspire you all to reach your career and personal goals.
You’ll notice that you’ll start to run into one another and recognize these new
contacts at individual school events, both during the application process and
later when you’ve been admitted and start attending Admit Weekends—and beyond
that, when you’re registering for your first classes!</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;">Forté Forums are
some of my favorite events of the entire year; I am always inspired by the
soon-to-be MBA women I meet, who are themselves excited, maybe a little
nervous, but above all more than ready to take this next big step to gain the
knowledge and experience needed to make a change. I particularly love
meeting a woman at the Forums, and then reading her application and possibly
admitting her to join our class at Chicago Booth. Seeing this
relationship through to the end, from attending Admit Weekend to then seeing
her at Orientation—these are the moments an admissions director live for!
The opportunity to make an impact at the crucial stage of deciding to apply to
school is a major motivator for me.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;">The most important
advice I can give you for the Forté Forums is to GO; you will find that other
priorities, including work and friends, will try to prevent you from making the
trek to your nearest Forum. Put this in proverbial pen in your
appointment book—you’ll thank me later! Once you arrive, don’t
be shy! Come over, introduce yourself, leave your business card and
strike up a conversation with Booth alumnae and staff. Do the same with
the woman you sit next to at the Alumnae and Admissions panels and start your
MBA network now. I’ll see you myself at the two Forums in New York City
so if you’re a Big Apple dweller, I hope you’ll stop by the Chicago Booth table
to say hello.</span>”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">To
read the complete article visit <a href="http://blogs.chicagobooth.edu/n/blogs/blog.aspx?nav=main&webtag=boothinsider&entry=116"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue;">Women,
Booth, and the Forté Foundation</span></span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Learn
more about <a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_ue_mba&utm_source=forte&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=forums"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue;">Upcoming
Forté Forums</span></span></a>.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-68018186411567013672013-08-19T09:00:00.000-07:002013-08-19T09:00:05.484-07:00Preparing for the Forté Forums - Part 2
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The 2013 Forté
Forums get underway tonight in Chicago. Last week, I shared tips from our
webinar panelists on preparing for the forums. Don’t forget to spend a few
minutes listening to our webinar, <span style="color: #0070c0;"><a href="https://fortefoundation.webex.com/fortefoundation/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=61165822&rKey=5988c06fe2012b0f" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Preparing for the Forté Forums</span></a>.</span>
The panel featured Joanne Legler, Associate Director of Admissions at The
University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and five women who are
beginning their MBA programs in the next month. They shared their insights and
tips on navigating an MBA recruiting event.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Here are some
additional tips shared during the webinar:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">1.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Talk with other
attendees. Some of them may be your future classmates. If not, you’ll be
expanding your network. -- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tricia Felice,
MBA 2014, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Forté Fellow</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Have a clear understanding of what you hope to gain from the forum
or fair. -- </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Stephanie Cadieux, MBA 2014, The Kellogg
School of Management at Northwestern</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">3.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">After the fair, make a list of what you
learned from each school and rank them according to your preferences. --<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Joanne Legler, Associate Director of
Admissions,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>University of Chicago Booth
School of Business</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Arrion Rathsack, Manager of Sponsor Relations and Programs, Forté Foundation <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">** Please not this webinar was originally
recorded in August 2012, references to the upcoming forum and webinar schedule
is incorrect. Visit the following sites for the latest on these programs:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_ue_mba&utm_source=forte&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=forums"><span style="color: #478d97;">Forté
Forums 2013</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_online"><span style="color: #478d97;">Forté
Webinars 2013-2014</span></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-73201615436924004052013-08-14T12:36:00.002-07:002013-08-14T12:36:35.846-07:00Preparing for the Forté Forums
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The 2013 Forté
Forums begin next week. Within a supportive and collaborative environment, the
Forté Forums are great way to begin exploring the MBA program opportunities
available to you at Top-Tier programs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">You might be
thinking, <i>“What exactly happens at a Forté Forum and how should I prepare?”</i>
Take a listen to a <a href="https://fortefoundation.webex.com/fortefoundation/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=61165822&rKey=5988c06fe2012b0f"><span style="color: blue;">webinar
panel</span></a> moderated by Joanne Legler, Associate Director of Admissions at The
University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and five women who began their
MBA program last fall. They shared their insights and tips on navigating an MBA
recruiting event, whether it be a Forté Forum, The MBA Tour, QS Top MBA Tour,
or Kaplan’s Road to Business School (and I should add there are many other
regional and national fairs as well.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Here are some
tips shared during the webinar:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">1.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ask questions about information you
aren't able to easily find on the website, i.e. school’s culture. -- </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Shaw-chin
Chiu, MBA 2014, The Fuqua School of Business at Duke, Forté Fellow</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">2.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Dress appropriately. It
keeps you confident, no such thing as being over dressed. -- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adeola Taiwo, MBA 2014, McCombs School of
Business at Texas, Forté Fellow</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">3.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Don’t forget to smile and just be
yourself. The schools want good candidates as much as you want a good
school--so it is mutual. -- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sweeny
Chhabra, MBA 2013, INSEAD, Forté Fellow</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Later this week,
I’ll share some additional insights from our other panelists on questions to
ask, what to wear and bring to the forums, and some final tips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">In the meantime,
take some time to listen to the complete webinar online:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="https://fortefoundation.webex.com/fortefoundation/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=61165822&rKey=5988c06fe2012b0f" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Preparing for the Forté Forums</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Arrion Rathsack,
Manager of Sponsor Relations and Programs, Forté Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">** Please not this webinar was originally
recorded in August 2012, references to the upcoming forum and webinar schedule
is incorrect. Visit the following sites for the latest on these programs:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_ue_mba&utm_source=forte&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=forums"><span style="color: blue;">Forté
Forums 2013</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_online"><span style="color: blue;">Forté
Webinars 2013-2014</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-90471503360861158822013-08-12T12:00:00.000-07:002013-08-20T15:12:51.900-07:00Come the the Forté Forums!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">by Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of MBA
Admissions, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6hF2_Ohk8d-okOzHYjXAPdDcuyVK4Ty-u7zapXyASNCSZx6Nxm1ipwcWp-viaJOQ6KnmhACTc7mV8nmZ9zbLhObBKQUAhSAwztjglyol7JkE6A2rvZv1ppkJY7jQvZiC_piCcqhkU4U/s1600/Shari_Hubert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6hF2_Ohk8d-okOzHYjXAPdDcuyVK4Ty-u7zapXyASNCSZx6Nxm1ipwcWp-viaJOQ6KnmhACTc7mV8nmZ9zbLhObBKQUAhSAwztjglyol7JkE6A2rvZv1ppkJY7jQvZiC_piCcqhkU4U/s1600/Shari_Hubert.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shari Hubert<br />
Georgetown University<br />
McDonough School<br />
of Business</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As the Associate
Dean of MBA Admissions at <a href="http://msb.georgetown.edu/" target="_blank">Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business</a>,
I am proud that we are a Forte Sponsor School and welcome the newest
Class of 2015 Forte Fellows. They are strong women embarking on their MBA and pursuing
careers in business, non profit, and government. They are fortunate to
have an organization as committed to the advancement of women in business
as the Forte Foundation. From undergraduates and pre-MBAs, to MBAs
and women in diverse professional arenas, Forte has and continues to be a
thought leader in the space and provides women the tools, professional
development and strong networks to be successful in their
careers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">At Georgetown,
we have increased our number of Forte Fellows to 20 this year to demonstrate
our level of commitment to attracting and recruiting more women into MBA
programs. We look forward to partnering with Forte during the Forte Forums
taking place across the US and in London and Toronto. I encourage
you to <a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/forum"><span style="color: blue;">register</span></a>
to attend one of these events as well. The Forums provide an opportunity
for women thinking about business school to speak one-on-one with
representatives from all of the Forté member schools. There will also be a
panel of admissions officers providing helpful tips on creating the best
application possible, and a panel of business school alumnae to talk about the
value of an MBA education and their business school and career experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Forté’s website
also contains lots of useful information about business school, careers in
business, and shares the stories of women who have gone before you. It is a
great networking, mentoring and educational tool. For additional
information on how Forte can help you achieve your goals, visit <a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/"><span style="color: blue;">www.fortefoundation.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-59391765299731276072013-07-29T07:00:00.000-07:002013-07-29T07:00:05.957-07:00The MBA School Visit Part Three: What You Should Walk Away With<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Our guest blogger is Ashley Wells, a
member of Forte's MBA Launch program for MBA applicants.</em> <em>She is excited
to share her perspectives on the process of pursuing an MBA.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Your
impressions of the school:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> You should take the very first opportunity you can
to write down your impressions of the school. Preferably, your thoughts would
be captured throughout the day while still on campus. This is what a MBA friend
of mine called “time on a nice bench” to do some soul-searching during your
visit. This is critical not only to remember what your thoughts and impressions
were of the program, but also to reference experiences from classes,
professors, and interactions in your application to provide rich depth to your
essays and add specificity to your school interests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Connections:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> The best
thing you can do is to meet students when on an MBA visit. Meeting with people
from clubs you are interested in, former colleagues, friends, and so forth will
help provide you with real insight to the school’s pros and cons. While
admissions staffare great resources, meeting people in the MBA cafés and
classes can help provide a diverse perspective. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Make every effort to write down people’s names, contact information, and
a synopsis of your conversation to follow-up with them via email and connect on
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. I can’t tell you how many MBAs have offered to help me on my journey,
some of whom have set me up with their friends at other schools along my
MBA-visit journey. It is critical to follow-up with those you meet along the
way, as they could be great future resources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Fun side note:</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> A friend of
mine is now long-distance dating the student admissions volunteer he met on a
campus visit. You never know!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Gratitude:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Be thankful
to the many friends and contacts who have supported your school visit process.
Take time to send them a hand-written card in follow-up to the school visit
within 72 hours. MBA alums and students have a ton going on, and are taking
time out to help you get informed about what can be a daunting process. A
little note goes a long way to say thank you for their time and valuable
advice!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Conclude your visit with information, confidence,
and resources for the future!<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’d
love to hear your feedback and questions in the comments section below.</span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></i></b> </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ashley Wells is a
Strategy and Operations consultant at Deloitte. She is currently enrolled in
Forte’s inaugural MBA Launch program for women. She is an MBA 2014 candidate
hopeful and is excited to share her experiences and insights throughout the MBA
application process. She has a degree in Political Science from The George
Washington University.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-7357384023697823102013-07-26T07:00:00.000-07:002013-07-26T07:00:06.037-07:00The MBA School Visit Part Two: Questions You Should Ask
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Our guest blogger is Ashley Wells, a member of Forte's MBA Launch
program for MBA applicants.</span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <em><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">She is excited to share her perspectives on the
process of pursuing an MBA.</span></em><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">As
it turns out, the Internet can be fairly limited when it comes to providing
questions you should ask during the MBA campus visit process. There is a very
helpful Poets & Quants </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="http://poetsandquants.com/2011/01/20/10-essential-questions-to-ask-when-you-visit-a-b-school/"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">article</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> that does
provide some insight to this, but I wanted to bring some additional aid for my
MBA seeking ladies out there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Third Rail of Questions</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Whatever
you do, avoid asking questions which:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Can be easily found by searching on the Internet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Are extremely specific to your situation when you
are in a group setting <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Are “low hanging fruit” questions that could be
applied to any MBA program when you only have the opportunity to ask one-two
questions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Creative Ways to Stand Out:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Many MBA programs have </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/MBA-admissions-strictly-business/2012/11/30/how-reading-can-help-you-get-into-business-school?s_cid=related-links:TOP"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">summer reading lists</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> that offer
insight to what the school finds most compelling in recent thought leadership.
If you have the opportunity, browse through the list and maybe even pick up a
couple books to read from it to discuss while on campus.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Learn who some of their most famous or active
alumni are. Admissions love to talk about their famous alums, and this gives
you a great segue into questions on alumni involvement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Research eminent professors at the school who offer
courses that interest you, and specifically demonstrate your interest and prior
research while on your visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Questions for Students:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What clubs are you involved in?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How difficult is it to obtain leadership roles in
clubs as a first year? As a second year?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Have you participated in any study abroad
experiences? Is it common for students to study abroad via short emersions or
quarter/semester long programs?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What industry were you in prior to attending X school,
and where do you seek to end up in as a result of your MBA?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How has the financial crisis impacted the summer
internship offer process at X school? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How competitive do you feel the MBA environment is
here? How collaborative is it? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How flexible is your course curriculum? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What have been your favorite and least favorite
courses? Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Tell me what an average Thursday or Friday night
looks like for an MBA student here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">When you graduate, what is the one thing you will
miss the most about this school?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How accessible are alumni to you? Do you outreach
to them mainly through the Career Center, school events, informally, or
otherwise?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How does grade disclosure<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> or</i> grade non-disclosure affect the student environment here?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What is the best advice you can give me about
applying to this MBA program? Is there anything different you wish you would
have done for your MBA application?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What do you love about the city the school is?
What’s your least favorite aspect?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Questions for AdCom:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Always
remember, your questions for the AdCom during your campus visit should <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SPARK</b> their interest in you by being:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">S</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">pecific: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The question is specific to you, the school,
experience, coursework, etc. When you are meeting individually with the AdCom,
you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> ask questions about your
specific application. For example, “I don’t come from a quantitative
undergraduate background. Outside of the GMAT, how can I demonstrate
quantitative proficiency?”<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">P</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">oised: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You are inquiring in a poised and professional
manner that does not appear demanding, specifically comparative to other
schools you are looking at, or uninformed.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">ccurate: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You are asking questions about information that is
fact-based, not based on rumor. For example, “I hear grade disclosure makes
your students more competitive in nature with one another. Is that true?” is
not a good lead-in.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">R</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">easonable: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Do not demand to<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>meet with the AdCom and then have
nothing to ask, this can hurt your application! If you are able to schedule
time with them, have 3-5 prepared questions for as well as some solid
introductory conversation regarding your thoughts on the school.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">K</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">een: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Your questions are energetic, you appear eager, and
lively. AdComs meet with countless students daily—be the enthusiastic source
that they can draw energy from to remember you by. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Show your SPARK and get the information you need to
make informed decisions!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’d
love to hear your feedback and questions in the comments section below.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ashley Wells
is a Strategy and Operations consultant at Deloitte. She is currently enrolled
in Forte’s inaugural MBA Launch program for women. She is an MBA 2014 candidate
hopeful and is excited to share her experiences and insights throughout the MBA
application process. She has a degree in Political Science from The George
Washington University.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-46232777688527097022013-07-24T07:00:00.000-07:002013-07-24T07:00:06.821-07:00The MBA School Visit Part One: “The Checklist”
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Our guest blogger is Ashley Wells, a member of Forte's MBA Launch
program for MBA applicants.</span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <em><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">She is excited to share her perspectives on the
process of pursuing an MBA.</span></em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The MBA school
visit can certainly be a nerve-wracking experience. On my first school visit, I
felt both excited and terrified. I was effectively considering a completely new
life for myself at the schools I was visiting, and that in and of itself can be
overwhelming. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">For me, as I
imagine for many of you out there, preparation is the biggest key to reducing
my nerves and helping me to feel more in control of my experience. Here are
some thoughts for you to consider regarding your school visits:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><strong>How to Prepare:</strong> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Research
the school in depth in advance (1-2 months), and refresh your stats and
information about the school just before visiting to <strong>have the basics fresh</strong> in
your mind. Writing down this information in a notebook you keep with you can be
great for keeping all the facts straight, especially when visiting multiple
schools in the same city. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><strong>Have
an idea of your personal story</strong> and reasons for going to B school. Of course,
this doesn’t have to be incredibly crisp as it does in the interview phase, but
you should have the basics—what you’re doing, where you’re heading, why B
school, why now—ready to share, as you will be asked this by multiple
individuals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Schedule
class visits to the MBA courses you’d like to sit in on. Remember: most MBA
programs don’t have Friday classes, so <strong>don’t expect an easy Friday away from the
office</strong>. You will likely need to be there on Wednesday or Thursday to attend
classes and be on campus when students are present.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">…Which
brings me to my next point. <strong>Take off work—I mean really</strong>—in advance. Try your
best to stay totally plugged into the B school experience while visiting. I saw
many people responding to work emails during the class visit, and taking work
calls in the middle of information sessions, which made for a big distraction
to them and everyone else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">RSVP
to events and programming Admissions makes available, such as information
sessions, school tours, and office hours with the AdCom. Many insider tips into
the application process are dished out at these events. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><strong>RSVP
to B-school events that are open to recruits</strong>. Due to smart planning, in one
weekend, I was able to attend NYU Stern’s <a href="http://www.stern.nyu.edu/programs-admissions/full-time-mba/students/women-at-stern/index.htm"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Opening Doors for Women</span></a>
event, a Columbia Business School “Spotlight On” series event, and was invited
to several student-run happy hours and Halloween events. There’s no better way
to learn about the school first hand than attending these events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><strong>Look
up the clubs</strong> at the school that interest you, and email the student leads of
those clubs to meet up for coffee or a drink at their convenience to discuss
the program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Of
course, if you have friends at the school or in the community, make time to
treat them to a meal—trust me, they are temporarily poor and will appreciate
it—to also hear from them firsthand about their experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><strong>Get
your transportation logistics sorted out</strong>. Taking a red eye to San Fran to visit
Stanford in the morning when you get off the flight….not a great idea in the
slightest. Showing up to Chicago without a clue on how to ride the Metra out to
the school…no good. Download <a href="http://www.hopstop.com/search"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">HopStop</span></a> and plan
out your transport in advance if you are in a city, organize your car rental in
advance if you are driving, and give yourself plenty of time to account for
missed turns, traffic, train work, and all the terribly inconvenient hold-ups
that always seem to happen when you least expect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><strong>Research
the city.</strong> This place could very well be your home for the next two years, so
make sure you check out the city and not just the school itself to get a feel
for your potential new home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><strong>What to Wear:<o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I
couldn’t find this information anywhere and had to ask friends. Here is the
deal: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Dress
business casual to professional when meeting with the AdCom or going to any formal
recruiting events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Dress
smart casual in the more informal settings, such as going to a coffee chat or
meeting with students you’ve reached out to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Prepare
as you would for an interview: get a manicure, don’t dress too “flashy” or wear
anything too tight or low cut. Remember, you are here to get a feel for the
school and make a first impression and build relationships. Look your best to
feel your best. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Comfortable
shoes. You will likely be going across campus multiple times and doing lots of
walking, so now is not the time to be a martyr in 5 inch Louboutins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><strong>What to Bring:</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">A notebook
and pen to take notes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Business
cards to hand to people you meet to stay in contact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">A
portfolio or handbag big enough to carry all of the “take home” materials you
will inevitably receive as a part of your visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">A
list of questions that are tailored for each audience you will be interacting
with (student questions, AdCom questions, event questions, etc.). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The
addresses of where you’re going in your notebook or Smartphone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">A
water bottle, snacks, mints, and so forth. Between bouncing to and from campus
locations for several different events, not to mention the typically limited
on-campus options, it’s a good idea to have some basics with you to keep your
energy up throughout the day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">A
focused and energetic attitude that’s eager to fully soak in the school visit
experience!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Preparation, energy, and focus during the
school visit help get you to Business School…and beyond!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I’d love to hear your
feedback and questions in the comments section below.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ashley Wells
is a Strategy and Operations consultant at Deloitte. She is currently enrolled
in Forte’s inaugural MBA Launch program for women. She is an MBA 2014 candidate
hopeful and is excited to share her experiences and insights throughout the MBA
application process. She has a degree in Political Science from The George
Washington University.</span></i></div>
<br />
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-76920406137565534292013-07-15T07:00:00.000-07:002013-07-15T07:00:00.464-07:00How to Rock your next MBA Fair<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Our guest blogger is Ashley Wells, a member of Forte's MBA Launch program for MBA applicants.</em> <em>She is excited to share her perspectives on the process of pursuing an MBA.</em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">MBA fairs are intimidating, plain and simple. After all,
they are massive, overwhelming, and complete with seemingly endless superficial
conversations where you have to “sell yourself” over and over again. They
usually occur after your workday, when you are already tired and hungry as it
is, and you may have a coffee stain on your shirt from the morning but you
didn’t have time to change clothes. You might even be tempted to dismiss the
MBA fair entirely, opting for your long sought after post-work exercise class,
happy hour, or a Bravo TV marathon. My challenge is this, ladies: use the below
tips and tricks to walk into your next MBA fair with swag, make solid
impressions when you’re there, and walk out with results. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do Your Homework:</b>
Your first MBA fair may be an exploratory opportunity for you to see what the
MBA is all about, ask some very general questions to recruiters, and pick up
basic school promotional material to consider. This is highly encouraged and is
a great first start! Moving beyond your first fair, you should be well researched
on two key things to get the most impact for your time:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<ol><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Schools</i>—You should review the list of schools attending, and narrow down that list to top preference and secondary preference schools. There is typically only 1-2 hours for mingling amongst the school booths, and much of your time at the fair may be spent waiting in line to talk to recruiters. Therefore, you should have a strategy for approaching your top 3-5 schools first that you will definitely meet with before leaving, and approaching your secondary list of schools if there is time. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Specific Questions</i>—MBA fairs are nowhere near as formal as interviews, but similar to an interview, they are opportunities for you to ask some specific questions that you should have prepared in advance. I will never forget how mortified I was when I asked a school which semester MBA candidates typically study abroad, only to be corrected by the recruiter that the school is on the quarter system. Details like these are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">basic</i>! To be your most polished self, come armed with several questions you’d like to ask specifically in advance. </span></li>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></ol>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bring a Friend:</b> Showing
up to an MBA fair alone can feel like showing up to a party where you don’t
know anyone. Bringing a friend to your MBA fair can help quell any nerves you
may have, aid you in asking important follow-up questions if you approach
schools together, and provide you with someone to discuss school impressions at
the end. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Steal the Show,
Politely:</b> I really dislike when people are pushy with food, social media,
or invites to forced social interactions I’d rather not attend. A close top
contender for the coveted “top 3 pushiness hates” is the pushiness people seem
to exhibit at MBA fairs. When you are pressed for time and want to make an
impression, it can be tempting to slyly cut the line that forms when talking to
recruiters at the school table, or insert yourself into someone’s conversation
in a not-so-subtle manner. Just remember, recruiters are people who tend to be
socially intuitive, and they are appreciative of people who approach them
politely and are respectful of others’ time spent waiting. When you do get your
opportunity to meet the recruiter, distinguish yourself with a friendly smile,
firm handshake, and your 30-second introduction spoken in a clear and audible
voice (MBA fairs can be very loud). Your introduction should be thought-out in
advance but should not sound rehearsed or rushed. I have found that starting
out with “I am interested in X Business School because Y” goes a long way,
because it shows that you are interested in their school and are not wasting
either of your time. Give them time to respond, and then ask your 1-2
questions. Please remember: this is not your opportunity to take up 15 minutes
with individual questions! There are many people in line, and you can and
should email your follow-up questions to the recruiter afterwards in order to
be respectful of everyone’s time. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Leave with Something Tangible:</strong> I don’t mean the glossy
booklets the schools give out for you to take. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Personal side note:</i> I really think the MBA programs should ban
together and consider going paperless. They are a huge cost and usage of paper;
most of us toss them after reviewing once; and all of the information is
provided online). Aside from obtaining the answers to your questions from
recruiters at your top schools, there are three things you can walk away with:</span></div>
<ol><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Invites to Events in your Area</i>—If you live in a major city, chances are that your top schools may have receptions, panels, and information sessions with alumni and recruiters in your area. At many MBA fairs, there will be handouts with follow-on event information, or recruiters may provide you with an invitation to a future event. </span></li>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Invites to Events on Campus</i>—In addition to getting information about when the best time is to visit campus, you may receive invitations to specific events on campus. For example, while at the </span><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_ue_mba"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Forte Forum 2012</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> in the Washington, DC area, the Colombia Business School recruiter notified me about the </span><a href="http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/admissions/learnmore/spotlight"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Spotlight On”</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> series that the MBA program puts on. This series is open to recruits, and features high-profile business individuals who speak to students and the community on campus. I most likely wouldn’t have known about this opportunity without meeting the recruiter at the fair, which in turn provided me with a more targeted time to visit campus and attend a “Spotlight On” event which appeals to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Informational Interviews</i>—Some fairs, such as at the </span><a href="http://www.topmba.com/qs-world-mba-tour"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">QS MBA World Fair</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, offer you the opportunity to sign-up for informational interviews with school recruiters in a one-on-one setting during the week leading up to the MBA fair. While not all schools at the fair will participate in this aspect, this can still be a great opportunity to practice for your school interviews and ask broad questions that any MBA program can speak to. </span></li>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></ol>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Go out and rock your
next fair! </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’d love to hear your feedback and questions in the comments section
below.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ashley Wells is a
Strategy and Operations consultant at Deloitte. She is currently enrolled in
Forte’s inaugural MBA Launch program for women. She is an MBA 2014 candidate
hopeful and is excited to share her experiences and insights throughout the MBA
application process. She has a degree in Political Science from The George
Washington University.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-46601995328345054352013-07-08T07:05:00.000-07:002013-07-08T07:05:00.609-07:00You + the GMAT: How to Not Lose Your Sanity While Studying for the Test<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our
guest blogger is Ashley Wells, a member of Forte's MBA Launch program for MBA
applicants. She is excited to share her perspectives on the process of pursuing
an MBA.<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></span></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #002060; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Every person’s “GMAT story” is unique.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Taking a Class:</strong><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> I’ve read in storybooks that some people scored a
700 right off the bat on their diagnostic test without ever cracking a book.
I’ve heard of others who simply read GMAT books and prepared on their own and
got the score they desired. For the vast majority of us humans, a GMAT
preparation class is necessary for one simple reason: it helps you to structure
your studying and stick to a designated plan, complete with a weekly check-in
with a brilliant instructor to guide you and answer your study questions. Not
to mention, if you are in line with all the other competitive MBA candidate
hopefuls, you will be inspired to stay current on the homework assignments in
order to be relatively stable when called upon in class or showing your answers
on practice questions. Overall, the MBA class is a safe space to make mistakes,
practice mental math and re-learn 7<sup>th</sup> grade math concepts (remember
those isosceles triangles?), improve your grammar, and accomplish the core task
at hand: surviving the GMAT. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<strong>Timing:</strong> <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Taking the GMAT is kind of like having a child, there is no “perfect
time” to do it. There will always be a major project or proposal at work,
vacations you want to take, and unpredictable life events that steal our attention.
No matter what, if you are studying correctly for the GMAT, you will be setting
aside a significant amount of your time on a weekly basis to give all you have
to the GMAT. For me personally, I chose Saturday classes because my regular
work week was too unpredictable for me to commit to an evening class. My
Saturday class became my ritual every week, and as best as possible, I adhered
to the syllabus in order to tackle GMAT studying in chunks, rather than
cramming or dragging it out for longer than necessary. I devoted 15-20 hours
per week to study quant most mornings before work, and study verbal several
evenings during the week. I took the weekend to take practice tests or do long
problem sets, as well as sit in on my weekly class. If I had time during my
lunch break, I would even listen in to online study session webinars that my
test preparation company provided. All in all, breaking up my studying into
multiple times throughout the day helped me concentrate in smaller doses rather
than studying 4 or 6 hours straight and losing focus. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Controlling Your Emotions:</strong> <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The GMAT nearly “got to me” on several
occasions. Whether from exhaustion or frustration or sheer sadness at the
riddance of my normal social life, there were many times that I found myself in
tears after a bad practice test or studying a certain topic multiple times only
to find myself stillmissing questions on problem sets. As an A-student all of
my life who was used to studying hard before tests and performing well, the
GMAT really threw me a curve ball with its adaptive test methodology. There
were several practice tests, for example, where I was in the 75-80% percentile
range on quant through question 30, and then would miss 5 of the last 7
questions to end up in the 30% range. On my first official GMAT test, I scored
110 points lower than my last practice test—110 points. I quite literally
almost blacked out in the testing center when I saw my score. However, despite
these experiences, I had to force myself to get back on the horse, continue
studying, and achieve my goal which I knew was within reach. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Your Support Network: </strong><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The people you surround yourself with during GMAT studying are extremely
important to your overall sanity and long-term test success. There are three
types of support you need: <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">People who care about your GMAT success—These are your friends who understand your goals and level of commitment. They may be taking the test at the same time or have taken it before. Your parents most likely fall into this category. They want you to succeed, understand your frustrations, encourage you, and tell you to keep going when you want to quit.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">People who could care less about your GMAT success—These people are the ones who encourage you to go away for a beach trip in the middle of your study sprint and want you to go out on Saturday nights instead of staying in and studying. It is wise to politely decline their text message, email, and phone invitations about 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time, you should go out with them for your own personal wellbeing. Being around people whose face would not change if you told them you got a 300 or an 800 score can be liberating.</span></span></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">People who you do not know but commiserate with you and the GMAT—These individuals are strangers who you can find on the world wide web. I referenced many study support sites, mainly the blog on </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://gmatclub.com/"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GMATClub.com</span></a></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, to hear honest GMAT stories and struggles from people all over the world taking the test. There are inspiring stories with titles such as “From 450 to 780,” and ones less positive but that are real and let you know you are not alone in your frustrations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<strong>Take Time to Celebrate: </strong>Your GMAT studying
process is designed for you to reach your goal score. While you are on your way
to that ultimate success, you should reward yourself by celebrating the small
stuff. If you finally nail your timing on quant in a problem set, take an evening
off to get together with friends. When you first score in your goal range on a
practice test, treat yourself to a pedicure or great meal out. And finally,
have something really freaking fantastic lined up for you at the finish line.
My first test, which as mentioned did not go so well, at least resulted in a
big group dinner right afterwards so that I was with my support network. The
day after my second test, which was a personal success, I took off on a
vacation to Israel, Jordan, Greece, and Turkey. These were things I could look
forward to throughout my GMAT journey. Celebrating your short-term and
long-term achievements along your study route will definitely help keep your
mind in check.</span></span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"></span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>Good luck studying!<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’d love to hear your feedback and questions in the comments section
below.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1f497d;"><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ashley Wells is a Strategy and
Operations consultant at Deloitte. She is currently enrolled in Forte’s
inaugural MBA Launch program for women. She is an MBA 2014 candidate hopeful and
is excited to share her experiences and insights throughout the MBA application
process. She has a degree in Political Science from The George Washington
University.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></em></span></span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-2356225191698775722013-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:002013-07-01T07:00:03.819-07:00Considering an MBA? The 5 People You Need to Talk To
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Our guest blogger is Ashley Wells, a member of Forte's MBA Launch program for MBA applicants.</em> <em>She is excited to share her perspectives on the process of pursuing an MBA.</em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5zV-xHzRjNQMpOQjShgJwaUOaNnW9ZCu4rY7Eohp_pM0uEVljnAqVfS_lSPn0iWaRa1v7OfeM8f8DnI8zjJfKRChbePFxqX68Bm5BUFLCFjemhvN3vkmBphpVMrYDYLAPIlo5GnvpwM/s768/Wells,+Ashley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5zV-xHzRjNQMpOQjShgJwaUOaNnW9ZCu4rY7Eohp_pM0uEVljnAqVfS_lSPn0iWaRa1v7OfeM8f8DnI8zjJfKRChbePFxqX68Bm5BUFLCFjemhvN3vkmBphpVMrYDYLAPIlo5GnvpwM/s200/Wells,+Ashley.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Whether you were inspired to pursue an MBA from your college
accounting class, </span><a href="http://www.nbc.com/Lipstick_Jungle/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lipstick
Jungle</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> (but seriously, why was that show cancelled?), or your most
recent career inspirations, many of you out there are in the preliminary stages
of considering one basic question: Should I go through a grueling application
process, 2 more years of school, and $100,000+ in debt for the MBA? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
Every individual’s answer will inevitably differ, and diverse
career paths will offer contrasting recommendations or requirements to pursue
the degree. However, there are five people that each of us should speak to
while deciding if the MBA is right for us:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Leaders in your current field:</span></b><span style="color: #002060;"> </span>For those of us looking to stay in our current
industry (hand raise anyone?), you are likely in one of two positions:</span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It is required for you to pursue the MBA in order to move up—</i>It may seem like a no-brainer. Everyone at a certain level takes off for the MBA and you are expected to file suit. Before you start penning your applications, take a breath and think about who you look up to in the firm or organization. Regain the enthusiasm of your first year in the workforce and your energy for networking, and take time to meet with these individuals to ask them about: their MBA path, how expectations of you will be different post-MBA, and what skills you should be looking to gain through the MBA experience. This guidance can be helpful to you during the application process and will help you keep perspective throughout your MBA experience. </span></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It is not necessarily a requirement to move up—</i>This is a slightly tougher position to be in, as the path is less defined. In most cases, there will be executives and partners in your field who don’t have MBAs, and who pursued interesting life paths to get where they are today without the degree. There also may be an “unspoken” skew towards the MBA degree, where these “interesting” leaders are actually the exceptions to the rule and in fact most leaders in your field do have the degree and have found it useful. Talk to both those who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t</i> have the MBA under their belt to offer you contrasting perspectives on the necessity or advantage of the degree. </span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Leaders in the field you want to move into</span></b>: Approximately
</span><a href="http://www.topmba.com/articles/news-and-features/more-mba-applicants-look-change-careers"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">half</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
of those pursuing an MBA are looking to switch careers post-graduation. If you
are in the same “career switching boat” as many of your future classmates, it
is essential that you speak with people in your dream job field to understand:
how the MBA can be beneficial to that career track, if most leaders at the top
of the industry have MBAs, whether or not it is the “norm” for people in the
field to have MBAs or other degrees, and if the MBA is a prerequisite to
getting hired. You should also ask what other qualifications (different
degrees, </span><a href="http://www.pmi.org/Certification/Project-Management-Professional-PMP.aspx"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">PMP
certification</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, etc.) you can pursue in lieu of the MBA that are
recommended alternatives to a business degree. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">People who pursued other degrees you may be considering: </span></b>As
complex, multi-faceted citizens of the world, many of us have more than one
interest when it comes to pursuing a graduate degree. When weighing your
options, there is only so much reading you can do to help you decide what your
best graduate degree fit is. Your best bet is to actually track down people you
know (either personally or through alumni networks) to talk to them about their
degrees and use them as a sounding board for the options you are considering.
As a Political Science undergraduate, I was very interested in an MPP or MPA
degree because of the excitement I took in the coursework, but I also felt
strongly that the MBA would be the more “practical” option to enhance my
skillset and build my business network. To help me sort out my thoughts, I
spoke with several trusted mentors and recommended leaders in my firm with MPP,
MPA, and MBA degrees. These individuals offered me critical (and free!) advice
that ultimately helped steer me towards the MBA choice. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Women with MBAs: </span></b>I have spoken with many smart
females who possess MBAs on the topic of business school. Many women have the
perspective that in an increasingly competitive workforce and in a job
atmosphere where a male-female income disparity still exists, the MBA is
critical because it offers credibility. These female business leaders have
found their MBA to offer them authority in the board room, while speaking to
public audiences, and with clients. This is a subject up for debate, but I’d
encourage you to speak with some female MBAs you know on this topic to offer
you first-hand perspective on how this may apply to you. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Yourself: </span></b>Yes, it sounds cheesy. I hate that
this section has to be in here, but as many of us people-pleasing,
career-ladder-climbing, type-A, high-achieving women can be distracted from the
most important thing—what WE think—this section merits a few lines. Amidst all
of the conversations you are having, with the people above, and your friends,
family, and significant other, the most critical conversation you must have is the
one with yourself. Is this the right move for you? Are you willing to assume
risk and debt in light of a higher payoff in the end? Will the MBA help you
pursue the career path you really want to be in? Are you ready for a location
change and career move? These are questions you and you alone can answer. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Happy MBA Deciding, and may the odds
be ever in your favor!<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’d love to hear your feedback and questions in the comments section
below.</i></b></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em>Ashley Wells is a Strategy and
Operations consultant at Deloitte. She is currently enrolled in Forte’s
inaugural MBA Launch program for women. She is an MBA 2014 candidate hopeful and
is excited to share her experiences and insights throughout the MBA application
process. She has a degree in Political Science from The George Washington
University.<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></span></div>
<br /></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-92033481734252344932013-06-18T08:14:00.002-07:002013-06-18T08:14:59.891-07:00Forté for the Future
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As I listened to Elissa Ellis-Sangster (Executive Director
of the Forté Foundation) give the opening speech of the Forté MBA Women's Leadership Conference at
UCLA last summer, I was immediately inspired to do more. She mentioned that as a Forté
Foundation Fellow that each on</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">e of us has an opportunity
and an obligation to help other women succeed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
All my life I have
been fortunate to have mentors supporting me and encouraging me, and with
Elissa’s enthusiasm, I knew it was in the right time and place to give back.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
In my application to the Tepper School of Business, I wrote,
“As a leader in technology I will contribute my knowledge, experiences, and
energy to motivate women like myself to become leaders in the industry as
well.” I didn’t know that so soon after I started business school that I would
have an opportunity to start working on my goal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">During her speech, Elissa encouraged the Fellows to get out
and help other women, whether that was going to schools near our home city or
visiting our Alma Mater. She also mentioned Forté would help in any way they
could to spread the word about the Forté Foundation and the abundant amount of
resources the organization can provide to women. I immediately thought to
myself, “This is exactly what I needed when I was in undergrad.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBctNacaaPyHDjCpSGuyxon3LI1Sv349R8HV3LRsTNcMPR1nOzFNdEmYw1rcQcE6I0oms8VEb_0cqS9x1SBRRHW8hHLlPYxWZ0z2IwS8WHQmHV8wbnDFvWgaJ1bMDSayId5nv6ybQIBqY/s1600/Brigid_speech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBctNacaaPyHDjCpSGuyxon3LI1Sv349R8HV3LRsTNcMPR1nOzFNdEmYw1rcQcE6I0oms8VEb_0cqS9x1SBRRHW8hHLlPYxWZ0z2IwS8WHQmHV8wbnDFvWgaJ1bMDSayId5nv6ybQIBqY/s320/Brigid_speech.jpg" width="213" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">From that day on I had a plan, and, more importantly, I knew
that I had a whole organization that would support my plan. Empowering women in
technology and business was a goal not only I was passionate about. It was a
common goal with the Forté Foundation, and together we could meet it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This past winter I reached out to Women in Computer Science
(WCS) at University of Illinois and offered to give a workshop. The group was
extremely receptive and asked if I could give a workshop on how to give an
elevator pitch. Once I had solidified the presentation, I reached out to the Forté
Foundation to see if they could provide materials and souvenirs for event. They
were delighted to help!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
In March, I visited University of Illinois and presented a
successful workshop. It was amazing to watch freshmen through seniors get up
and practice their elevator pitches. I met a lot of fantastic women in computer
science who are definitely future leaders. I was fortunate to be able to help
these women gain skills to help them be more confident as they search for jobs
and internships.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The WCS organization enjoyed the talk so much that they
asked me to deliver their keynote address for their annual banquet later that
spring. I was ecstatic to get the opportunity to inspire and help celebrate a
year of accomplishments with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and corporate
representatives. Through the help of my classmates and professors at the Tepper
School of Business, I wrote and delivered a 45-minute inspirational speech
entitled, “Oh the places you’ll go and tips to help you along the way.” </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
After my speech many of the attendants came up to me to
mention how inspired they were. Three women said that I was their role model.
This event was life changing for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Being able to directly inspire other women who are going through the
same rigorous program I did was incredible. I was able to build many
connections with aspiring women through my talks with WCS. I helped individuals
with their resume and facilitated an internship decision. I can’t wait to see
their accomplishments as they grow throughout their careers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As I look onto my second year as a MBA student, I know I can
do more. I hope to return to the University of Illinois and WCS and give
additional workshops and also reach out to more schools. By becoming a Forté
Fellow, I have discovered a new appreciation for paying it forward and working
towards the mission that the foundation has laid out for all women in business.
I am truly grateful for this opportunity.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Brigid Johnson, Forté Fellow<br />
MBA 2014, Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon</span></em></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-64594796571623849232013-05-22T08:42:00.000-07:002013-05-22T08:42:08.147-07:00Mark your Calendar: 2013 Forté Forum Dates Announced<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">No
matter what your current career or industry,</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">nothing gives you the power to shape your own
future like attaining an MBA.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Have you ever considered getting an MBA?</span></strong></li>
<li><strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Do you want to take your career to the next
level, start your own venture, or change careers?</span></strong></li>
<li><strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Do you want to design the career that is best
for you?</span></strong></li>
<li><strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Have you ever considered studying abroad?</span></strong></li>
<li><strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Do you want to know all the ways you can
finance your MBA?</span></strong></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Attend the <a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_ue_mba">Forté Forum</a> in the city nearest
you to:</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Hear advice and stories from MBA women
across multiple industries and career stages</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Learn
how an MBA can help you succeed in virtually any career or industry - even the
non-profit sector</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Meet
women like yourself who are also considering the MBA program</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Connect
with admissions members from leading business schools in Europe and North
America </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Find the school
that's right for you</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_ue_mba">Forté Forum</a></span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b> Dates:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">August 19</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
- Chicago<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">August 20</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
- Boston<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">August 21</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
– Washington D.C.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">August 22</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
- Atlanta<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">August 26</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
- Houston <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">August 28</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
- San Francisco <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">August 29</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
- Los Angeles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">September 3</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
& 4- New York<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">September 5</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
- Toronto <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">October (TBA)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
- London <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_ue_mba">Registration
to open in early July.</a></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-19086474984293448792013-05-03T08:10:00.001-07:002013-05-03T08:10:32.932-07:00Getting a European MBA: A Unique Experience<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZAX5QdP6ij637AMUun1sTc8qGu5pFaWmHPJh-vCJsStDunNHZTvkDlvNdhZ00i2PoxLvF9HJIPzBUOA0-iftQkbwusA7vWGC7rwbnKNW5VbnSdK133oDLbMfLjKuKRCHaQ-r4rrw1Dw/s1600/paris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZAX5QdP6ij637AMUun1sTc8qGu5pFaWmHPJh-vCJsStDunNHZTvkDlvNdhZ00i2PoxLvF9HJIPzBUOA0-iftQkbwusA7vWGC7rwbnKNW5VbnSdK133oDLbMfLjKuKRCHaQ-r4rrw1Dw/s1600/paris.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="BG">When choosing between </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">business </span><span lang="BG">schools in Europe
and the</span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="BG">U</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">nited </span><span lang="BG">S</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">tates,</span><span lang="BG"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>main<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>thing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">keep</span><span lang="BG"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mind<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> that</span><span lang="BG"> may be a little
outside the top</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> 1</span><span lang="BG">0, 20 or 30, don't let that worry you. Here are some</span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="BG">of the advantages
European business schools have over their overseas counterparts.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG">Less
Expensive</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. </span></b><span lang="BG">The two-year program
is still considered to be the American standard for the full-time MBA. In
Europe</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,</span><span lang="BG"> the
duration of </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">an MBA program </span><span lang="BG">is one year or eighteen months</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, which becomes</span><span lang="BG"> less expensive </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">than a two-year program </span><span lang="BG">and
entails lower overall living costs. Nevertheless the quality of the programs </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">can be</span><span lang="BG"> very high, which
explains the growing number of triple</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">-</span><span lang="BG">accredited business schools in Europe</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG">More Specialized
MBA Programs. </span></b><span lang="BG">Europe boasts schools that are known for
certain specific<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>core competencies</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. </span><span lang="BG">Ranked the
best European business school by the <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Financial
Times in 2012</span>, IE Business School is</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, for example,</span><span lang="BG"> the perfect
place to develop your career </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">with</span><span lang="BG"> its focus on <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">innovation</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, diversity</span><span lang="BG"> and <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">entrepreneurship</span>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A M</span><span lang="BG">ore International</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
Network. </span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Reports by GMAC</span><span lang="BG"> state that 38% of participants </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">in US business school </span><span lang="BG">are from foreign countries</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. T</span><span lang="BG">he percentage of
international </span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="BG">students in European<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MBA programs is 83%.</span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="BG">Due to this, the teaching
language at most business schools in Europe is English. University</span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="BG">alliances and
exchange programs contribute to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>highly
diverse and international student bodies</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, and ultimately expand personal networks and ability to work on a
global level</span><span lang="BG">.</span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">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. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG">High<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MBA Salaries</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. </span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG">Better
Return on Investment</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. </span></b><span lang="BG">The Financial Times</span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="BG">value-for-money<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rankings show that European schools are doing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>better than<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>their<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American counterparts.
With<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>all due<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>critical attitudes towards such calculations
and lists, the top 10 European and American<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>schools would be as follows: The<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>first<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10 are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>made <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>up<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>European institutions</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> and the second 10 are </span><span lang="BG">American.
The question of business<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>school</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> quality</span><span lang="BG"> is open<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to debate, and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>can<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>never<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">fully</span><span lang="BG"> resolved. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Although</span><span lang="BG">, in terms of
ROI,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the European MBA seems to be
gaining the upper hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="BG"> </span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG">More Experienced
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Classmates. </span></b><span lang="BG">The<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>age<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">MBA
</span><span lang="BG">students in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Europ</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">e </span><span lang="BG">is generally<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>higher<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>than that of</span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span lang="BG">American schools. This<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>may<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>give<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>experienced<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>professionals
who<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>want<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>go back to </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">school</span><span lang="BG"> an argument in
favour of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Continent. On<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>other hand,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>US<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>institutions accept more<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">a
larger number of students</span><span lang="BG"> in their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>programs.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG">Smaller
Classes,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Individual</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="BG">Attention</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. </span></b><span lang="BG">The size and culture of a school are often<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>overlooked when<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>considering business schools. In general, </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">US business </span><span lang="BG">schools are
larger, with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an average intake of 287</span><span lang="BG" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="BG">full-ti</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">m</span><span lang="BG">e MBA students, compared
with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>124<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>in Europe. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">P</span><span lang="BG">rofessors </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">in the US </span><span lang="BG">may therefore </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">have</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">a</span><span lang="BG"> limited </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">amount of </span><span lang="BG">time for individual
work<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with each<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>student</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> compared with professors in Europe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG">Better<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Career Mobility</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. </span></b><span lang="BG">Thanks to the Bologna higher education accord,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>European degrees are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>recogni</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">z</span><span lang="BG">ed in most<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>countries within the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eurasian
continent, giving unprecedented access to career opportunities worldwide.
This<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>also<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>means that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>MBA<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>graduates are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>confined to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>working in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the country they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>graduated</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, </span><span lang="BG">but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>can<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>benefit from <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">pan-</span><span lang="BG">European job market.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG">Cultural
Diversity</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. </span></b><span lang="BG">Cultural differences
between European countries shouldn't<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be
underestimated<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>considering the added value of </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">an MBA</span> <span lang="BG">program.
Historically</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">-</span><span lang="BG">built<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>attitudes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>social<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>order<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">vary greatly </span><span lang="BG">and create a
secondary learning environment outside the classes</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="BG">Language
Learning Options</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. </span></b><span lang="BG">It is a well<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>known fact<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a new<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>language is most<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>efficiently</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> learned when in the foreign country</span><span lang="BG">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>though English is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">teaching
language</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">of</span><span lang="BG">
MBA programs, students have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the option
to perfect their<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>language skills with
native speakers</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> outside of the
classroom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Thinking about a European MBA?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We invite you to learn more by attending the Access MBA One-to-One event
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, May 22<sup>nd</sup>
2013 </b>from 4pm to 9:30pm at the Warwick New York Hotel.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn more at </b></span><span lang="BG"><a href="http://www.accessmba.com/mba-events/access-mba-events/2013/mba-event-new-york-may-22-2013/index.html?ui=9T5FTV1362130211"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">www.accessmba.com</span></i></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></b></div>
Forté Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632098788537844324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-66069804856941799622013-03-27T07:29:00.002-07:002013-03-27T07:30:52.107-07:00Deloitte Consulting Immersion Program <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The following program is offered by Forté
Sponsor Deloitte:</span> </i><br /><br />Learn more about Deloitte's innovative summer
program designed for you!</span></span></h3>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-7380830147089683715" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div class="Bodycopy">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">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 </span><span style="color: #5588aa; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://mycareer.deloitte.com/us/en/students/programsinternships/graduates/deloitte-consulting-immersion-program" target="_blank">Deloitte Consulting Immersion Program (DCIP)</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> may be right for you. This could be your big break. How far will you
take it?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="Bodycopy">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="Bodycopy">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Learn more about our exciting DCIP Summit designed for newly
admitted MBA students by visiting our </span><a href="https://mycareer.deloitte.com/us/en/students/programsinternships/graduates/deloitte-consulting-immersion-program" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5588aa; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">DCIP</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="Bodycopy">
<br /></div>
<div class="Bodycopy">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
details</b></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 29.6pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="background: rgb(0, 161, 222); border-bottom-color: white; border-bottom-width: 1pt; height: 29.6pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid white .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.8%;" width="30%">
<div class="Bodycopy">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;">Virtual Information Session</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 161, 222); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(0, 161, 222); border-top-width: 1pt; height: 29.6pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #00A1DE .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #00A1DE .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69.2%;" width="69%">
<div class="Bodycopy">
<span style="color: windowtext;">Friday, March 29, 2013,
3:00PM ET</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 27.4pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="background: rgb(0, 161, 222); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 161, 222); border-bottom-width: 1pt; height: 27.4pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #00A1DE .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid white .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.8%;" width="30%">
<div class="Bodycopy">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;">RSVP</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 161, 222); border-bottom-width: 1pt; height: 27.4pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #00A1DE .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #00A1DE .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69.2%;" width="69%">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://deloittesurvey.deloitte.com/Community/se.ashx?s=3FC11B26421F6FE7"><span style="color: #5588aa;">R.S.V.P.
and complete a brief survey</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will
respond with the call details including the dial-in number and participant
code.<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Bodycopy">
<br /></div>
<div class="Bodycopy">
We hope you’re ready to explore the DCIP.<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
</div>
</div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-48633703388330919172013-03-25T08:20:00.001-07:002013-03-25T08:20:55.404-07:00Admissions Interviews
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You’ve worked tirelessly to research which schools and
programs are a good fit, taken the GMAT, completed applications and written
countless essays. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You finally get the
news you’ve been waiting for…you got an interview!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now what?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It’s important to remember that the interview is your time
to shine and impress the admissions committee once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow my tips below in order to ace your
admissions interviews!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Be confident – the admissions team already
thinks you’re great and now is your chance to prove it to them in person</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Talk to current students – reach out to current
students or alumni to ask questions about their experience on campus and during
their interview</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Know your story – be able to answer the
following questions:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Why an MBA?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Why is now the right time in your career to
pursue an MBA?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Why our school?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Research the school and program and come up with
a few questions to ask the admissions committee at the end of your interview</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The most important tip is to be you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each MBA class is comprised of students with
exceptional talents and unique backgrounds which enable learning and growth inside
and outside of the classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one
else in your class will have the same experiences that you’ve had so stay
confident and ace those interviews!</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Liz Schaab, Forté Fellow</em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>MBA 2014, SMU Cox School of Business</em></span></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-27947853972630284262013-03-18T09:44:00.000-07:002013-03-18T09:44:10.405-07:00What is a Forté Fellow?
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Forté Foundation’s </span><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_forte"><span style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">mission </span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">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. </span><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=why_fellows"><span style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Forté Foundation
Fellowships </span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">are intended to increase the number of women applying to
and enrolling in MBA programs.<br />
<br />
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 </span><a href="http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sponsor_main"><span style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">sponsor school
of their choice </span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and express interest in being considered for the
Forté Fellowship.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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!</span> </span></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-24678924177732363622013-03-13T07:00:00.000-07:002013-03-13T07:00:04.526-07:00Targeting a Spring Application Deadline – Tips for Success<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From the Simon Admissions Blog.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rebekah Lewin, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Executive Director of Admissions & Administration</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">• 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.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">• 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.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">• 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.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">• The interview timeline will likely be compressed given the time of year so be prepared to quickly respond if/when an offer is extended.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">• 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!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong>March 15, 2013</strong> – Final deadline for International candidates and 1-year MBA candidates</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong>May 15, 2013</strong> – Final deadline for Domestic 2-year MBA and MS candidates</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To finalize your Simon School application: <a href="http://www.simon.rochester.edu/applynow" style="color: #0092cf; text-decoration: none;">www.simon.rochester.edu/applynow</a></span></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-74228722193308538062013-03-11T09:23:00.001-07:002013-03-11T09:24:21.602-07:00Texas Evening And Executive MBA Women Host Forum<span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From the Texas MBA Student Blog, <i>Texas Talk</i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By Amber Lyons</em><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, <a href="http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/MBA/TEMBA.aspx" style="border: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Texas Evening MBA</a> Class of 2013</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">Saturday, January 26th marked the second annual Texas Evening (TEMBA) and Executive (EMBA) MBA </span><a href="http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/MBA/TEMBA/Info-Sessions/Womens-Forum" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Women’s Forum</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"> 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 </span><a href="http://acsprod.mccombs.utexas.edu/facstaff/displayRecord.aspx?uid=192" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Laura Starks</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">, a presentation by Professor </span><a href="http://acsprod.mccombs.utexas.edu/facstaff/displayRecord.aspx?uid=94824" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">John Daly</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">, an </span><a href="http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/MBA/MBA-Plus.aspx" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">MBA+ Leadership Program</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"> 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.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">To learn more visit: </span><a href="http://blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/mba-students/2013/02/28/evening-and-executive-mba-womens-forum/#.UT4D350pblY.blogger" target="_blank">Evening And Executive MBA Women Forum</a></span>Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-35085842077619874432013-03-04T07:50:00.002-08:002013-03-04T07:51:28.843-08:00How to make the most of your time in Business School
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Everyone warned
me. I thought I was prepared. I thought I was ready. Turns out, I had no idea
what I was in for. Hundreds of emails every day. Student groups inviting me to
multiple events all on the same night. Co-chairs telling me I needed to join
their groups. I felt so overwhelmed. What groups should I join? What do I want
to get involved in? I only have two years to make the most out of my MBA
experience!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now, as I look to my graduation in June,
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the opportunities I have taken
advantage of. Learning how to prioritize time and involvement is key in making
sure you do not leave school with any regrets. My three pieces of advice are as
follows:</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">1. Stay focused but open-minded.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> You all wrote in your essays about why
you wanted to get your MBA. Remember that. Focus on what roles, industries and
companies interest you. Don’t get caught up in what your classmates are doing.
Stay your course. But at the same time, be open to hearing about what else is
out there. This is a unique time when employers literally come TO YOU to hire
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">2. Get involved.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> It’s like joining a sports team in high
school or pledging a sorority in college. Business school is a GREAT way to put
your leadership, organizational and teamwork skills to use. Join clubs that
interest you and take on leadership roles that you are truly passionate about.
I have prioritized my time by getting involved with admissions as well as
planning our school ski trips and Thursday night social events, and couldn’t be
happier with what I have accomplished in my time at Booth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">3. Have fun.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> This is a magical two years, and you
need to take a step back at times and make sure you are enjoying it. While
recruiting and studying for exams can get stressful at times, always be sure
that you are taking time to do things you enjoy. Is working out important to
you? Make time for it. Do you like trying new restaurants? Get a group of
friends together to check one out. Do you like to travel? Plan spring break or
long weekend trips with your classmates. Do you enjoy spending time with your
family and friends? Make sure you stay in touch and see them as often as you
can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Best of luck to
all of you and feel free to comment with any questions you may have! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Jaime Streem, Forté Fellow<br />
MBA 2013, University of Chicago Booth School of Business<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-46358569298400022792013-02-27T09:11:00.000-08:002013-02-27T09:11:47.300-08:00What's the Best Fit For You?
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It’s a busy time
here at Carlson. We’re just winding down our on-campus recruiting for summer
internships and already a good percentage of my classmates have positions
secured. It’s a great feeling, and such a relief! Now there’s more time to
focus on school work and of course spending time with our soon-to-be-departing
second year friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Of course, it’s
also a busy time for all of you! First and second round admissions decisions
are making their way out to prospective students, and now the tables have
turned. It’s your turn to judge each school to which you have been admitted,
and determine which might be the best fit for the next two years of your life.
Below I’ve compiled a checklist I found handy when weighing my options around
this time last year. By no means is the list exhaustive, but a lot of these
items can be easily assessed at upcoming admitted student weekends – which, if
you’re able, you should absolutely attend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Student
body: Do you like the students you meet while visiting the school, or the
people who call you to follow up on your offer of admission? Can you see
yourself spending upwards of 50-60 hours each week with them?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Curriculum:
Did you sit in on a class? Did the students seem engaged, or were they messing
around on their cell phones the entire time? Did you like the professor? Does
the school focus on one particular type of career development, and if so, is
that the career you’re 100 percent certain you want to pursue after graduation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Career
opportunities: What does recruiting look like at the school? Are there companies
that consider the school a “core” school for intern and full-time candidates?
Which companies are located near the school, with whom you can network and
interact with throughout the school year? What’s the job placement rate for
graduates?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Alumni:
How strong is the school’s alumni network? How does the school support your
interactions with their alums?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Extra-curricular:
Is the student body generally engaged? Are there active clubs? What types of
activities do they participate in outside of school? Can you see yourself
living in the city in which the school is located? Is that city easy to
navigate – and if not, will you have access to transportation? Are there fun
things to do in the city outside of school?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Enjoy the
process of exploring your potential new schools! There are so many great
schools to choose from – now it’s just about finding the one that fits you
best! <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sarah Riley, Forte Fellow<br />
MBA 2014, Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-57001321740768922072013-02-25T09:32:00.000-08:002013-02-25T09:32:25.100-08:00Tips for Telling Your Boss about Your BSchool Decision
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Hopefully
acceptance letters are rolling in and your mind has shifted to transitioning
from your full time job into Business School.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you are going into a full time program, this likely means leaving
your job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I experienced this last year
when I left a job I loved in Los Angeles to move to Chicago for Booth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Telling my boss about my decision was
difficult, but it helped to remain focused on the personal progress I knew I
would experience through my MBA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here
are some tips on how to handle the conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">TIMING</span></u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">: Your boss may already know you are
thinking about leaving for business school, especially if they wrote you a rec
letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is still important, however,
to keep them in the loop about your final decision and timeframes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Provide <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more
than</i> enough time for the company to make a transition with your role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally don’t think the standard 2 weeks
is enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The earlier the better,
really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">PREPARE</span></u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">: Plan how you will complete or
successfully hand off any open projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your intention should be to leave the company happy with you and your
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Present your plans to your boss
when you discuss your departure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if
your boss would like to alter the plans, it shows a level of respect that you
have thought this through beforehand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also
consider how you pass off clients to your successor or co-workers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can be vital in keeping not only the
company’s clie<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>nt relationships intact, but also a network
for you in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">KEEP IT
PROFESSIONAL:</span></u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> Craft a
professional letter of resignation to make your end date official.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will likely be an email and may even
cover the points you discussed in your meeting, but making it official is still
helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This letter is also a wonderful
time to recap your appreciation for the company and leave the door open for a
future relationship with the company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">PART TIME:</span></u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> If you will be working while you are in
school, you need to show your employer why your educational goals will benefit
the company as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get specific
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe there are certain areas your
company has wanted to expand into that you will get a better grasp of in business
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or show your boss some of the
course offerings you are planning to take that could be directly relevant to
your work experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frame this as a
win-win, because it definitely can be!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Good luck with
the conversations, and comment below if you have any other “best practices” to
share!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tricia Felice, Fort</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">é</span></em><em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Fellow<br />
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">MBA 2014, University of Chicago Booth
School of Business</span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-19254023012149081352013-02-20T07:00:00.000-08:002013-02-20T07:00:02.965-08:00Reflections of the Internship Recruiting Process
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">I
have survived recruiting season during my first year of business school and
have emerged with a summer internship offer in my industry of choice! However,
many of my classmates are still recruiting or just beginning the process as it
varies greatly by industry. While it is a relief to have a position secured for
the summer, it is by no means the norm and is only due to the fact that I was
mainly recruiting for consulting. But consulting is not for everyone.
Recruiting is a very personal journey and it’s best not to compare yourself to
any of your peers. Instead, focus on your own personal and professional goals
and measure your success that way. Here are some pieces of advice from the past
semester regarding recruiting in general, and I am happy to provide more
in-depth consulting advice for anyone who is interested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">A
few pearls of wisdom from the other side:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Have a clear idea of what you’re looking for out of a summer position (and note, this may be completely different than what you wrote in your admission essay - that’s ok).</span></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Know yourself inside and out: your story, your strengths, your weaknesses, your personal brand, what you bring to the table, and why you would be a good fit for a particular industry and company. </span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Practice out loud with a real person (not just in front of a mirror). It sounds silly but trust me, it helps.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Don’t get caught up in the recruiting ‘buzz’ or feel the need to participate in traditional on-campus recruiting in January/February just because ‘everyone else is doing it’. I assure, there are plenty of students who do not have internships at this point but definitely will.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Have the confidence to explore a new area or switch careers.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Keep your options open: attend corporation presentations or career fairs, and network with companies that sound interesting even if they weren’t initially on your radar.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Have a back-up plan. Unfortunately, recruiting for summer internships can be competitive as there are limited spots. Have a few industries in mind and keep expanding your network and talking to companies. You might even discover a company that is a better fit.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Remember, it’s just a 10-week internship, not a lifelong relationship. You can always leverage the experience to secure a fulltime job at another company or in another industry if the internship wasn’t what you wanted or not a good fit.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Stay positive and have fun! Make a note of the companies that treat you well throughout the process and are just as interested in you as you are in them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Best
of luck! It always works out in the end and if it doesn’t work out, it’s not
the end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Beth Lovisa, Forté
Fellow<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">MBA 2014, NYU Stern
School of Business<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-64179451266303625352013-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:002013-02-13T07:00:05.672-08:00Nailing the Interview: The 2 Most important questions
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Ding. An email
pops into your inbox and your heart flutters in anticipation when you see it’s
from first choice business school. Congratulations! We want you. Yes, you! All
you have to do is prove to us that you are who you say you are- a confident
leader, ready to advance your business career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The key to winning in the interview is preparation and confidence. Ultimately,
no one knows you and your experience better than you do. But what questions
should you expect?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Two important questions EVERY business
school will ask you are: “Tell me about yourself” and “Do you have any
questions for me?” Make sure you nail them.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The TMAY
question is essentially a 2-4 minute chronological career synopsis that you
design to surface information that is most relevant to your listener.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of the TMAY as a table of contents that
will announce the key themes of your candidacy and will open the way for deeper
discussion. Read over your personal statement and essays to pull out significant
learning or measurable accomplishments from your experience to serve as these
value themes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The TMAY is a
crucial question to nail. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is an
easy way to frame your answer:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Start with your introduction- where you
graduated college, other relevant degrees (Master’s etc.) and then tell them
where you want to take them, specifically through past work experience, community
involvement etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Summarize your career progression chronologically,
highlighting 3-5 relevant themes where you have quantifiable impact (ie.
leadership, analytical problem solving, passion for social impact, working across
cultural borders etc). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Closing Statement- reiterate your
interest in the particular school and stress the logical and convincing reasons
this schools is a good fit for you and you for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Let your
preparation take you the rest of the way and always have questions for the
interviewer ready to go. Remember it’s a two-way conversation and the right
questions from you <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>signal your thoughtful preparation and
interest. Good luck!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Teresa Delgado,
Forté Fellow<br />
MBA 2014, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="http://forum.fortefoundation.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">Sign up</span></span></a></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to receive updates to Forté’s blog by email or RSS feed!</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242953462594566419.post-87888880181963286262013-02-11T08:19:00.000-08:002013-02-11T08:19:23.048-08:00Navigating the Recruiting Process
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As this year’s
internship recruiting season winds to a close, the collective sense of
accomplishment and relief is palpable. While not everyone received an offer
from their first choice company, most students are excited about their plans
for the summer. When navigating the recruiting process, it’s important to keep
a few things in mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">First, decide
what really matters to you. Reread your admissions essays and talk to people
who know you well. Make a list of your priorities for an internship,
considering items such as industry, company structure (family owned vs.
publicly traded), location, program type (e.g., direct hire, rotational,
internal consulting), and prospects for a full-time offer. Then review the list
of companies coming to your campus to see which ones match your list. Keep in
mind that a great summer experience might merit accepting lower pay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Second, stay
active in the on-campus recruiting scene but don’t get sidetracked by companies
that don’t match your priorities. You’ll receive emails from companies and
might be enticed by the glitzy firms wining and dining your classmates, but
it’s important to stay focused and keep your attention on your top few choices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Third, don’t
assume that you’re restricted to companies recruiting on your campus. If you
don’t see what you want, ask your career office about access to other schools’
databases. Most companies select only a handful of “target” schools that most
closely match their company’s culture or requirements, and focus their
recruiting efforts there; however, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they
aren’t open to candidates from other schools. Many MBA programs share their
recruiting databases with other schools so, while you usually can’t apply
through another school, you might at least find a few companies you like. Once
you do, reach out to them directly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Fourth, don’t
disengage just because you’re recruiting off-campus. There are still a lot of
resources at your school that can add value to your internship search. Be sure<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> to reach out to alumni in your field of interest to get
advice and see if they know of any opportunities that fit your goals. Attend
presentations by your career office on networking, cover letters, resumes,
salary negotiations, and interviewing, as these will all be equally important
to an off-campus search. And set up time with your career office to ensure that
you stay on the right track.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Most
importantly, don’t get discouraged. Everyone receives offers at a different
pace, and each industry has its own recruiting cadence. Soon enough you’ll be
right there with everyone else, excitedly chatting away about your upcoming
internship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Cheers,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><em>Ellen Cory, Forté
Fellow<br />
MBA 2014, The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
Arrion Rathsackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299929445823222650noreply@blogger.com0