Kellogg Wants You to Be Yourself

The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., consistently gets praised by students for its rigor and level of responsiveness to student feedback. As a result, a seat at Kellogg is among the most coveted.

In 2005, 24% of applicants were admitted to the school. It may not be easy to get into Kellogg, but it's definitely possible, says Beth Flye, assistant dean and director of admissions and financial aid at Kellogg. Flye (BethFlye2005), joined by student Colby McGavin (Colby_McGavin), recently fielded questions about the B-school's admissions policy and culture from B-schools community manager and reporter Francesca Di Meglio (FrancescaBW) and audience members. Here is an edited transcript of the chat event:

FrancescaBW: This first question comes to us from someone who couldn't join us today: If you are not absolutely sure of what you want to study, should you steer clear of business school? Or, will B-school help to narrow down your focus within a general facet of business, say marketing?

BethFlye2005: We don't expect a person to be absolutely sure of his or her career goal post-MBA, but we are looking for candidates who have direction. At the same time, one of the great benefits of an MBA program such as Kellogg is students can come in and be exposed to many other career paths that they may not have previously been very informed about, thanks to courses, career management, presentations from recruiters, and learning about the backgrounds and career interests of their fellow classmates.

animesh: What is the percentage of admission offers given every year?

BethFlye2005: The selectivity varies. The most important thing to us is the quality of the applicant pool, so of course when the [overall] pool declines, the selectivity may be higher. But it's important to know the quality of the pool. The pool continues to be one of high quality and diversity, which is what we want.

clinton: I have never worked for anyone or any company, and I have been managing my own business for the past eight years. I'm wondering who I should ask to write my recommendations since I cannot ask a direct supervisor.

BethFlye2005: In such a case, my advice would be to perhaps consult a client or a supplier. What's important is that this is a work-related person and that this person knows the applicant well and can answer the questions that we have on our career progress survey...

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