Every Wednesday, we share a round-up of the latest news from admissions blogs at the top business schools. Congratulations to everyone receiving interview invitations and positive admissions decisions! (Needless to say, if you haven’t already done so, we urge you to head on over to MBA LiveWire to share the good news!) One way to ace your MBA admissions interview is to be able to show fit with the program, an in-depth knowledge of the curriculum, student clubs, in addition to the campus. This week, we’re featuring some admissions blogs that make the case for campus visits, how to manage the plethora of activities, in addition to new additions to some business schools’ curriculum. Oh, and we threw in an admissions tip for good measure!
Visiting campus is a clear signal to the admissions committee of your keen interest in that particular program. Not only does it provide you with conversational fodder for your MBA admissions interview, but it also shows that you’re willing to take the time (and even spend the money) to make the trek. And, if you’re considering a Round 3 application, fit should play a large role in where you apply. There’s no better way to ascertain fit than through a visit. In their admissions blog, the Dartmouth / Tuck adcom notes that “when you’re on campus and as you reflect, ask yourself: Do I see myself at the schools I am considering? Was the campus and community a place you could live for two years? Are the students and alumni people you could identify with? Are they people you feel compelled to get to know? Did they make you feel comfortable throughout your conversations with them? Was the overall vibe of the school in keeping with your core principles and values? As you ask yourself these questions, many others will come up that will be more specific to you. Again, don’t underestimate the importance of fit as you consider which schools to apply to.”
Harvard Business School second-year, Britt Williams, explains the concept of FOMO and how, now matter how many hours in the day, you’ll no doubt experience this “fear of missing out” at some point during your tenure at HBS. How should you deal with the abundance of opportunities (both social and academic, we might add)? “One of the biggest things you have to decide is what you want to take advantage of. One way to do this is to think about where you’ll get the most out of something. For instance, I know I learn way more during a one-on-one coffee chat with a classmate than I do from attending a panel on campus. But, everyone has their own priorities and it’s important to identify those as early as you can because there really is too much to choose from.”
This week, the UVA / Darden admissions blog announced (in a snazzy video) that they’ve launched a new required course for first-year MBAs called “Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship in Action” (IDEA). “As a part of this seven-week course, teams of Darden students are working with leading companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies in a variety of sectors to solve live field challenges of great importance.”
Yale SOM also announced a new addition to their curriculum: “”its inaugural Global Virtual Teams (GVT) course. GVT, which is a sequel of sorts to the Managing Groups and Teams course held in the fall, teaches SOM students how to work in teams across geographies, time zones, cultures, and languages.
And, now as R2 is (inevitably) wrapping up for some of you, we will begin to move our attention to R3 applicants…who may or may not be uneasy about a later round application. Should you apply? Check out our tip on this matter here. If you are a prospective R3 (or R4) applicant, Michigan / Ross Director of Admissions Soojin Kwon took to her blog to ease your anxiety: “For those of you planning to apply in Round 3 or are currently on the waitlist, don’t despair. We know from experience that many of our best students – from an academic, leadership, and contribution to the community and school perspective – have come from Round 3 and the waitlist.”
That’s all for this week! If you’ve received admissions decisions head on over to MBA LiveWire to report your status change! And, now since we’ve implemented comments on the popular feature, feel free to ask questions, congratulate other applicants, and give each other hope, etc. After all, we’re all in this together!
