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July 09, 2009
 

MBA Express


NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY
B-SCHOOL LIFE
Summer Reading List: The B-School Edition
Looking for a little light reading to while away the hours? These books might be just the ticket


  MORE TOP STORIES
THE MBA LIFE
For Pro Athletes, Business School Is No Game
With so many pro ballplayers quickly losing their fortunes, attending B-school may offer more than a career boost: It can be a lifeline

VIEWPOINT
The Road from Business School, Less Traveled
A Harvard MBA who graduated without a job in 2006 finds it more a blessing than a curse

MBA JOURNAL: INTERNSHIP INTERVIEWS
Searching for an Internship in a Tough Job Market
"My search started during the first quarter when I (mistakenly) decided to become an investment banker. There was no logic to that decision, but most everyone said it could be done. So I listened"

MBA INSIDER: ADMISSIONS Q&A
Emory Admissions Tips
Julie Barefoot talks about the importance of an applicant's most significant achievement and why Goizueta values interviews


Space: The Next MBA Frontier
MBA programs are constantly looking for ways to stand out in the crowded B-school market

 B-SCHOOL FORUMS
Visit BW Online's interactive forums for wide-ranging discussions about management education. Search through over 1,359,000 posts for topics that interest you. Join in today! Here are a few samples of recent messages:

Getting into B-School - Leadership Activities - Improve App

From: blindtea To: All
I'm told that noteworthy leadership activities outside my career are essential to demonstrate my interests, talents and values. This is a major but addressable vulnerability in my current profile.

Does anyone have ideas how I can identify and present significant leadership roles that require minimal time and avoid the perception of expediency?

Any success stories?

Thanks...I'm applying this fall (Oct) to top 10.
From: acalbearcub To: blindtea
First find something you enjoy and want to keep as a lifelong ongoing activity. There are so many to choose from. In my town, there are open commission positions and not enough applications to volunteer. Town commissions and committees are a great way to learn about your community, and to develop leadership skills. Surprisingly, you have to utilize the same skill sets you need in a leadership environment in the corporate world.
Just my two cents....
From: goBgo To: blindtea
My 2 cents -
Its too late to get involved in any extra-curricular activity and present it as significant leadership experience. There is no way to avoid perception of expediency with just 3 months of involvement. Adcom will not see your efforts as genuine.

Focus and build on your current strengths and experience.
From: blindtea To: acalbearcub
Thanks for your feedback. I should have clarified; I have been involved in both youth leadership and work with the disabled for the past 10 years. I'm currently leading on a committee for a non-profit that helps teenagers with disabilities in northern Virginia. In addition I actively lead fundraising efforts to support the kids, their families, and the local community.

I think the town commissions is a great suggestion. Any other ideas out there on how applicants can add to their current leadership activities?
Thanks!
From: LINDAABRAHAM To: blindtea
Thanks for your feedback. I should have clarified; I have been involved in both youth leadership and work with the disabled for the past 10 years. I'm currently leading on a committee for a non-profit that helps teenagers with disabilities in northern Virginia. In addition I actively lead fundraising efforts to support the kids, their families, and the local community.

I think the town commissions is a great suggestion. Any other ideas out there on how applicants can add to their current leadership activities?

Thanks!

I don't think you have anything to worry about if you can discuss a commitment going back ten years and lead fundraising efforts and a committee as described above. I'm assuming of course that the fundraising has been successful and the committee has had impact.
Best,
Linda
From: UKMBA2010 To: blindtea
You can also do what most applicants do and pick something you have been involved in (like your helping disabled kids) and "get creative" with how you actually demonstrated leadership....
From: acalbearcub To: blindtea
I am not sure what more you can do to strengthen your volunteer work because you already do a lot. It's nice to hear how committed you are to serving your community. If you have decent scores and grades, you should find yourself in a top program soon enough. Going through the application experience, schools have their own formula and the end result sometimes is not what you expect.

Question: why are you going to business school? Career change? make more money? based on your background, you might be able to achieve all that and more without the degree. Good luck regardless and hope you find success in anything you do.
From: blindtea To: acalbearcub
Thank you for the feedback. I guess I'm in an uphill battle and hoping to find every way possible to improve my application.

My undergrad GPA was beyond horrible (2.53), a result of having to work full-time and choosing to volunteer.

I scored 740 on the GMAT, which will help, but the undergrad GPA is going to kill me. Business school is definitely the next step for me. It's now a process of getting into a top school.

I've heard of people making a turnaround from a poor undergrad to a top 10 school...but that's the exception and not the rule.

What else can I do to sell myself?
From: JPZ To: blindtea
dam that is a bad GPA for top 10, I hope it was at least a hard major. You probably need an alternative transcript to stand a decent chance. Sign up for a couple classes at your local college (accounting, stats, econ, etc) and make sure you get an A in them. Its probably too late to do it this summer, so do it in the fall and apply to schools in round 2. Or just lower your expectations to top 30 instead of top 10. Of course if you have started a multi-million dollar biz or work for Obama directly, you won't need to worry about the GPA. If not, take some classes...
From: blindtea To: All
Well, does everyone agree with JPZ? Does my undergraduate performance doom me? My major was not hard and it resulted in a BA.
From: cornellsunny To: blindtea
Def do something you're interested in and create leadership opps.

I'm a big brother with a nonprofit. There aren't any leadership opportunities available, so I took initiative and led a fundraising initiative where I ran a half-marathon and raised 1200 bucks for them.

And, I started a start-up. If there's nothing out there that interests you, then create something that does.


Getting into B-School – Best Healthcare Programs

From: readerregular To: All
Folks,
Can you mention the top 10 healthcare management programs in the US?
Regards
Vineesh
From: amd300 To: readerregular
You're looking specifically for MBA programs? If so, check out Wharton, Kellogg, and Duke.
From: PEguy84 To: amd300
I know this suggestion is not in the exactly the same league as Wharton or Duke but it is worth mentioning. Vanderbilt has a pretty strong Healthcare MBA program.
From: youFOOLS To: PEguy84
I will def say Harvard and Wharton. I dont know much at stanford.
From: texasex99 To: readerregular
I'd probably wait until the healthcare destruction - er, reform bill plays out before making any career decisions.

Washington University in St. Louis has a healthcare mgmt program that's well respected. One of my buddies went through the program and had some very good offers nationally at graduation.

 B-SCHOOL BLOGS
View over 4,500 blogs in our MBA Blogs community today! Share your journey, meet new friends, and expand your network. Connect with MBA students, applicants and alumni from Columbia, Kellogg, Notre Dame, and more! Become a blogger today! Here's an excerpt:

ThePerfectionist
Being a Married MBA…in the 21st Century


By Britt
For the most part being married in b-school is a huge asset, but I wouldn't have guess that it would become such a concern in the job search. I would have thought that being married communicated stability and a desire to establish roots in a company and community, but I wonder if employers really see it that way or if it is more of a liability. I know they are not supposed to ask about marital status in interviews, but let's face it the bling gives it away pretty quick. The question always comes, "what does your husband do?" I dread this question, although I am very proud of what he does. My husband has a fantastic job that is honorable and requires sacrifice on both our parts. It also offers more flexibility than most companies in where we can live, albeit not as flexible as an un/self-employed spouse or one who is willing to leave a company. On that note, let me qualify my question, "is being a married female MBA an advantage or disadvantage?"

Look, I knew what I signed up for when I married and that my employment choices were somewhat limited by location when I started school. I am just surprised that people think I would follow my husband around rather than we both work together to find a compromise that works for both of us, i.e. a longer commute or special living arrangements. I'm not sure my male colleague would get the same insinuations. I guess, I am also of the mindset that you can do most work with a laptop and phone from pretty much anywhere. I've worked in a few companies that embraced that philosophy. Following that, I would love to see more companies trust their employees to get their work done without physically occupying a cubical. Think about the environmental impact (positive) if we all worked from home one day a week! Productivity would probably also improve because there would be less water cooler conversations to distract us. I love face to face meetings and think they add a lot of value especially with complex or creative discussions, but couldn't we just have them all on one day or come into the office for them? Maybe we'll never get there entirely because the human factor is so important, but this married MBA would like to see a little more creativity in dealing with less conventional work/life situations.
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  B-School Insider
Dear Reader:


With the July 4 weekend fast approaching, and summer stretching out before us, last week seemed like the right time to publish a summer reading list. And so we did. It was an eclectic group this year, topped by Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers: The Story of Success." So if you're looking for a way to while away the hours, check it out.

If you don't have the time to devote to a whole book, consider Anne VanderMey's insightful look at professional athletes in business school. Many athletes are exceedingly well off after just a few years as pros; they're coming to b-school to, well, stay that way, and by and large succeeding.

Finally, check out the Viewpoint column by Philip Delves Broughton, the journalist who attended Harvard Business School and wrote Ahead of the Curve, a highly critical account of his time there. He writes about graduating without a job, an experience he shares with many of today's MBA grads. The surprise: it was probably the best thing that could have happened to him.

Until next week...

Louis Lavelle
Business Schools Editor
BusinessWeek

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