MBA Applications Surge Again

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September 03, 2008
MBA Express

NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY MBA Applications Surge Again A sagging economy and a weak job market are providing a boost to B-school programs   MORE TOP STORIES GETTING IN How B-Schools Catch Résumé Liars With résumé puffing almost a national sport, business schools keep a sharp eye for inventive applicants -Plus: How Much Resume Puffing Is Permissible? EDUCATION BUSINESS U.S. Colleges Stumped by Fraudulent Applications An ocean of paperwork and little incentive to prosecute make admissions officers quietly reject fakes when they detect them LIVE CHAT Live Chat: Application Tips Admissions consultant and author Paul Bodine will answer questions online on Sept. 11 at noon ET  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: Talk About Failed Business in Essay? From: laurjame To: ALL I tried to start up a small business a few years back. I loved the experience, though it ultimately was not profitable and we had to close shop. Is it worth discussing this failed venture in my MBA essays? ------------ From: ApplicationReady To: laurjame Laurjame, I would absolutely talk about your experience as an entrepreneur. Failed or not, I'm sure you learned several lessons about resource management, leadership and interpersonal relationships from this experience. It is most often our failed experiments that teach us about our core values and competencies, and the admissions committee will likely be reading your application with the same mindset. The key to your application will be framing this entrepreneurial experience in terms of your short-term and long-term goals. This is also a great way to make your application stand out. Not everyone you come across has the guts to become or can take the risk to become an entrepreneur. Take a positive spin on your ambition and let the story tell itself. Best of luck in this upcoming admissions cycle! ------------ From: LINDAABRAHAM To: laurjame I tried to start up a small business a few years back. I loved the experience, though it ultimately was not profitable and we had to close shop. Is it worth discussing this failed venture in my MBA essays? Probably, especially if a question asks about a failure or a challenge or at time that you took a risk. Your failed venture would allow you to show a different experience and also highlight what you have learned, a critical element in a failure or flaws question. Please see: . Personal Statement Tip: Failure Question . Personal Statement Tip: Our Response Defines Us . Personal Statement Tip: Pick Yourself Up and Applaud Best, Linda Abraham ---------------------------------------------------------- For International Students: VISA Sponsorship, What's the Real Deal? From: dolcevita01 To: All Hi all, I've been reading a lot about VISA and sponsorship. I have 3 offers right now from top 10 schools and soon I'll finalize my decision. I would like to go into MC or (preferably) strategic planning (in-house consulting - rotational programs). I know people who got their jobs in the US even though they were internationals... but I would like to have more consistent figures on the matter. Do you guys have any statistics about it? What is your personal experience or thoughts? Thanks ------------ From: mbapulse To: dolcevita01 You can check the placement statistics posted on the website of those schools... Top 10 schools usually have 90% of their students hired by graduation... So the job scenario for you wouldnt be that bad... I feel that by the time you graduate things would be much better in the US.. so nothing to worry... ------------ From: jinjja012 To: dolcevita01 The worst part of H-1 Visa is that it takes another 3-4 years to get your green card and another 5 years after that to get your US Citizenship. During those 3-4 years, you can't change jobs or it will go against you (you may need to wait extra 2 years). The employers know this and some of the unscrupulous ones don't pay fair market value salary for the H-1 Visa holders.  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: Chinese and Indians By nd Comments: 0 Stars: 0 All those dreaming about MBA at US Schools. Before you take up on your MBA at any of US schools and paying that huge pile of money think twice!! After you finish your MBA there is no OPT (even if it is there its for six months) so you cannot work like students from science subjects can. So you have to get your H1B. And any company ready to hire you must sponsor your H1B. But it is not easy.... H1B applications are once in a year on 1st April. There is a lottery system with 30% success rate on getting H1B. Even if it gets approved you can start working from Oct 30th. So if you are interviewed in Jan the company applies for H1B in April and if successful you can start working in November. So just imagine, who will give you a job with 30% hope and even after that they have to wait almost an year for you. Even I did an MBA from an IVY league school and now have to go back to my country. And just not that, I have a PhD in life sciences from a premier institute in the world (but not from US institution haha!!) with 10 years of experience. My 5 cents guys!! MBA Will Work for Money By businessweekstaff Comments: 0 Stars: 0 Recently, Robert Nims, an MBA graduate from Youngstown State University, reportedly put a sign around his neck stating he was an MBA looking for a job and hit the streets with his cover letter and resume in hand. The Boston Business Journal ran a story and video about him. Although he has a job at a financial services firm, he wants to find employment that is more in line with his training as an MBA. He says this is the toughest job market in 15 years, and he's trying to be innovative and show his willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job of his dreams. What do you think? Is this a creative way to find a job or just plain dumb? Let us know by leaving a comment below. FOR THE FULL VERSION  WORDS OF WISDOM Admissions Directors Answer: "What is the best piece of advice for students applying from outside of the country?" ------------------------------------------- Get an early start in the MBA application process by becoming familiar with Anderson via our Web site. The process for applying is straightforward and does not change that much from year to year. Try to get the testing aspects out of the way as soon as possible. Prepare and register for the GMAT and TOEFL giving yourself time for a retake if necessary. It's important not to do monthly retakes of the GMAT. Rather do a substantial preparation, and take the test with confidence. If the score or subscores are not competitive, then prep some more or possibly engage in coursework and then retake the GMAT. When possibly visit Anderson, however we realize not everyone can visit so check our calendar of events to see when we might be visiting your country. We offer a limited number of interviews conducted by our alumni and admissions staff throughout the world. While these are evaluative interviews, during the course of the interview there is ample opportunity to ask questions about The Anderson School. --Linda Baldwin, UCLA All candidates should try to apply as early as possible. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. That means when all the places are filled, the admission procedure will stop. By applying early, candidates also can show their strong interest in the school(s). This is especially the case for international applicants. If admitted, the process to obtain the necessary visa, finding an appropriate accommodation, and other matters in relation to relocation does take some time to arrange properly. --Connie Tai, RSM Most of our applicants are from outside France, and we do not differentiate between French and non-French residents. The main difference is in the logistics: Preparation with applicants from outside France is longer, more time is needed for mailing official documents, in certain countries the GMAT exam is not given frequently, and a study visa might be necessary. This process is long, so the best piece of advice is to apply early. When referencing coming to a B-school in another country, focus on the nature of the MBA. In our case, we are based in France, but we are not focused on the local market. Therefore, we advise not to emphasize the local country where the school is based, because if it's an international school, as is the case with Theseus, the focus is on global conditions for business management coupled with an international student body and faculty. --Admissions team, Theseus International Management Institute Understand the admissions criteria for the schools you are selecting. Refine your search and be sure the schools you select have programs that suit your individual interests. Research the resources available for international students at each school. For example, since USC is a large public university, we have rich and vast resources for [international students]. Try to get into contact with current students and/or alumni from your country who have attended the program which you are interested in. --Reena Lichtenfeld, University of South Carolina This newsletter is a FREE service provided by BusinessWeek.com. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or change your e-mail address, please go to our Newsletter Preferences page. If you need other assistance, please contact Customer Service or contact: Wanda Cooper BusinessWeek Customer Rights Communications Data Services 1995 G Avenue Red Oak, IA 51566 Phone: 1-800-635-1200 View our corporate privacy policy here. To learn more about how BusinessWeek.com applies this policy, you can contact our Marketing Department. Copyright 2008, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. 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B-School Insider Dear Reader: Summer has reached its unofficial end in the U.S., which means that application season for business schools are headed into high gear. If the trend noted in this week's top story ("MBA Applications Surge Again") continues, it's bound to be a very busy season in MBA application offices. Of course, it's not just the application surge that admissions offices have to worry about. In "How B-Schools Catch Resume Liars," BusinessWeek's Dan Macsai notes how "resume puffing" is presenting a serious problem for application vetters, and what they're doing about it. Lest you think that application cheats are just an MBA phenomenon, however, we also take a look this week at the problems undergrad programs are facing with fraudulent applications ("Colleges Stumped by Fradulent Applications"). As always, we invite your opinion on these and other stories. Until next week, Phil Mintz B-Schools Channel Editor E-MAIL A FRIEND  |  GET RSS  |  NEWSLETTERS B-SCHOOLS NEW ON MBA INSIDER >> How Minnesota B-School Handles Career Placement The interim director of the Carlson School of Management's career center talks about ways the university helps MBAs find jobs MBA Insider Subscribers Only Advertisement B-SCHOOLS MULTIMEDIA MBA >> Music Artists Go Entrepreneurial Quincy Jones III, CEO of QD3 Entertainment moderates an engaging and entertaining panel discussion on the future of the music industry. Captured during the AlwaysOn Stanford Summit, panelists include Chamillionaire, Grammy Award winning & platinum recording artist, MC Hammer, and Mistah FAB. What’s Your Problem? Trouble at the office? In surveys, blogs, polls, and social media, BusinessWeek collaborated with readers to identify problems at work. Together we found answers.  IN YOUR FACE: MBA MOMS WHO OPT OUT eader Ajj Writes: "I am an MBA mom and I have lots of friends in the same position. We spend our time fund-raising to improve schools, leading scout troops, volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, and driving 'working parent's' kids to after-school activities." Tell Us: Is an MBA Good Prep for Parenting?     Tools & Features MBA Insider Check out this feature-rich area for advice and tools that will help you choose the right B-school -- and develop a strategy for getting accepted Full-Time MBA Rankings & Profiles BusinessWeek's Top 30 U.S. programs and Top 10 international programs. Plus, scan in-depth profiles of more than 300 full-time programs around the world The Best Undergraduate B-Schools Undergrad business programs are getting MBA-like respect, and competition to get into them is hotter than ever. Here's how the top schools stack up B-School Calendar BusinessWeek.com's scheduling tool will give you an idea of upcoming events at B-schools in the U.S. and around the world. You'll find information on admissions receptions, application deadlines, networking events, alumni events, conferences, and much more. EMBA Rankings & Profiles BusinessWeek's biennial Executive MBA rankings grade 25 programs worldwide. Plus, you'll find profiles of nearly 200 programs Exec Ed Rankings & Profiles Here are BusinessWeek's top 20 Executive Education programs. Plus, profiles of more than 100 programs worldwide Advertisement   FEATURED SPECIAL REPORT >> Graduating into a Recession Slide Shows Survivors' Stories Commencement Speakers It's Looking Grim for New Grads Recession-time MBAs face tough choices—and more modest earnings over their lifetimes Scant Pay Growth for Business Grads Recession Grads' Survival Tips Job Searchers Face a New Reality Job Hunting Tips Graduation Talks Accentuate the Positive READER COMMENTS > MORE SPECIAL REPORTS >  BW MALL   SPONSORED LINKS Fear the GMAT? Veritas offers More of Everything  99th percentile GMAT instructors, 15 practice tests, and twice the hours of Kaplan: 42-hour evening and 36-hour weekend courses, private tutoring, free GMAT seminars, and customized MBA admissions help from HBS, Stanford, Wharton, and Kellogg grads. Boutique Admissions Consulting -- MBA Mission  Published Authors with Elite MBA Experience work closely with you on an unlimited basis (via the "Complete Start to Finish" Package) to create your compelling and distinct story. Manhattan Review -Worldwide Online/In-Person Class  Max your potential with a 770! Most effective GMAT & MBA prep. Unique interactive online GMAT courses & popular in-person crash/long courses. Members scored 99% with actual B-school teaching experience. Thousands of happy customers. Study accredited UK postgraduate degrees  Earn an industry focused accredited masters degree in 1 year full-time or 3 years online. Ranked 2nd in UK for employability by FT. Aberdeen Business School offers courses in business, information and law. We are based in the oil capital of Europe. Buy a link now!