Getting on the Team at Kellogg

Beth Flye, the assistant dean and director of admissions & financial aid at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, has been in the field for almost 10 years. She joined Kellogg in January, 2003, and was promoted to assistant dean in September, 2005. Before arriving at Kellogg, Flye was senior associate director of admissions at the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business and associate director of admissions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Flye says applicants looking to get into Kellogg this year must be able to demonstrate progression and leadership potential through their work experience. She recently spoke with BusinessWeek Online reporter Jeffrey Gangemi about what the school is looking for in potential students. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow:

Are application numbers up or down this year?
This is early in the season, but we're experiencing a slight uptick in the volume of applications right now, which is certainly a welcome trend after an industry decline over the past three years.

What makes Kellogg such a draw for applicants?
One of the best aspects of the Kellogg education is our holistic approach to general-management education. We have many different majors and areas of study that students can pursue, but the common foundation for each of the programs is that they all inspire a real foundation in general management. We want people to leave here as effective managers, but also well-groomed for leadership roles.

How much interest are you seeing in your one-year program?
We have seen a rebound in interest in the one-year program. It's great for someone who's after career enhancement, not necessarily a total change in direction, and who desires a swift return to the workforce. The opportunity cost is just so much lower than the two-year program.

The one-year program is no longer restricted to undergraduate business majors. Instead, we require heavy undergraduate coursework -- applicants must have taken six classes on a list of seven undergraduate courses.

What are this year's deadlines for applications?...

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