Posts by Kelly Vo

About

Kelly Vo is a writer who specializes in covering MBA programs, digital marketing, and topics related to personal development. She has been working in the MBA space for the past four years in research, interview, and writing roles.

Published: August 1, 2017

Carnegie Mellon Offers New Master of Science in Product Management

In January 2018, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) will welcome the first class of a new master of science in product management program. The new program is a joint degree offered by the university’s School of Computer Science and its Tepper School of Business. It was designed to meet a need felt by technical organizations, which have found that employees with strong skill sets in engineering and computer science would also benefit from training in product management. “We heard repeatedly from employers how much difficulty they have recruiting good technical product managers,” explained Robert Monroe, co-director of the new degree program at Tepper. “The program fills a gap in the market and provides focused, relevant education to help software developers move into being an effective product manager, quickly.” Read more

Published: July 31, 2017

London Business School Reveals Newer, More Flexible MBA Curriculum

An MBA program needs to continuously evolve to stay relevant. That’s why most business schools reevaluate their curricula every few years to ensure that they’re on the cutting edge. The London Business School recently completed a top to bottom review of its MBA program to determine how it could improve. The school found that while it has a strong employment outlook, conversations with students, alumni and recruiters revealed than an overhaul of the program itself would help to better meet the needs of students and employers. Why the London Business School Updated Its Curriculum “There were two drivers,” Read more

Published: July 26, 2017

Inside the McCombs MBA Classroom: The Power of Information Technology

One of the best ways to get to know an MBA program is to sit in on a class. While the classroom is just one aspect of the business school experience, a class visit offers a valuable preview of the learning environment, instructor expertise, student interaction and quality of discussion. Unfortunately, not many MBA candidates have a chance to attend a course before landing on campus. That’s one reason that the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business began offering a detailed write-up describing one of their popular MBA classes. Strategies for a Networked Economy (MIS Read more

Published: July 25, 2017

The Cambridge Judge MBA Finance Approach

According to U.S. News & World Report, a career as a financial manager is the third hottest job for a graduating MBA student in 2017, while a career in accounting ranks number one. Indeed, finance careers pay well and they offer robust job growth, low unemployment rates, and the opportunity for MBAs to use both their quantitative and creative skills. According to Shawnice Meador, executive director of MBA career and leadership at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flager Business School, who spoke to U.S. News, "These sorts of roles are really critical for a company since they’re trying to make sure that they’re making strategic financial decisions." With respect to preparing students for careers in finance, the University of Cambridge Judge Business School takes a multifaceted approach. Read more

Published: July 16, 2017

Yale Faculty Discuss the Global Network for Advanced Management

What happens when leading business schools join forces to increase their resources for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and stakeholders? This is what the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM) set out to discover in 2012. Read more

Published: July 11, 2017

Forté Foundation Power Pitch Competition Gives Women the Floor

Women-led businesses were once relatively rare, but that is no longer the case. According to the 2016 Kauffman Index of Startup Activity, women make up 40 percent of new entrepreneurs in the United States: a nearly 30 percent increase from 2007. Read more

Published: July 9, 2017

Babson Expands Entrepreneurial Opportunities for Women MBAs

While more women than ever are earning MBAs, there’s still a lot to be done to advance the role of women in business. Though the average enrollment of women in full-time MBA programs at 36 top business schools climbed from 32 percent to 36 percent between 2011 and 2015, that growth hasn’t necessarily been reflected in the workforce yet. Women occupy only 22.9 percent of board positions for Fortune 500 companies and only 6.4 percent of CEO positions. The Women Innovating Now (WIN) Lab at Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business is part of that school’s effort to bridge this gap and increase the number of women leaders in business. Read more

Published: July 3, 2017

Rice Jones Graduate School Announces New Online MBA Program

Technology has transformed almost every aspect of our world, and that includes MBA programs. While just a few years ago, the only way to earn an MBA was to attend classes in person, that’s drastically changing, even at top-tier schools. For example, just last year five more schools were added to the annual Financial Times Online MBA Ranking. Even more telling, enrollment in online programs rose on average 7 percent for the 15 schools in the 2016 ranking. “Nearly everywhere you look, demand by students for online education has exceeded supply,” Matt Robb, managing director at Parthenon-EY—an education industry consultancy—told the Financial Times. “The question has never been whether there is a market but whether there is sufficient supply.” Now, the Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, in partnership with 2U Inc., is joining the online revolution. Starting in 2018, the school plans to launch a new online MBA program. Read more

Published: June 29, 2017

Fridays from the Frontline: Two UCLA Anderson MBA Alums Discuss Running a Company

Entrepreneurship is one of the fastest growing career choices; Forbes estimates that approximately 543,000 new businesses are started each month. That said, the truth is that 90 percent of startups eventually fail, which makes it vital for budding entrepreneurs to learn from their predecessors. Recently, Erik Basu, a UCLA Anderson School of Management MBA alum and founder/CEO of Sentek Global, and John Tabis, Anderson MBA ’06 and co-founder of the Bouqs Company, shared their advice about running a company. And while both company founders offered different perspectives, their advice is valuable for any potential entrepreneur. We thought it made perfect fodder for today's Friday from the Frontline. Read more

Published: June 28, 2017

New GMAC Report: Is the GMAT Getting Easier?

Is the GMAT getting easier? That’s the question that the Graduate Management Admission’s Council (GMAC), a non-profit organization of leading graduate management schools, set out to answer in their recent market intelligence report: The GMAT Exam Is Not Getting Easier: The Fallacy of Score Increases and the Impact of Score Preview. The 26-page white paper is the first in an annual series that will serve as a sort of quality assurance (QA) report for the GMAT. Read more

Published: June 27, 2017

2017 Forté Foundation MBA Women’s Leadership Conference

Every year, hundreds of women MBA candidates from around the United States gather before their first semester to attend the Forté Foundation MBA Women’s Leadership Conference. This year–the 10th anniversary of the event–the sold-out conference took place in Seattle, Washington on June 16th and 17th. Read more

Published: June 26, 2017

Oxford Saïd Offers Six New MBA Scholarships

Earning an MBA from a leading program typically isn’t cheap. In fact, the average cost of an MBA when you total tuition and living expenses is between $100,000 to $200,000 for two years. For that reason, MBA scholarships can be invaluable for many candidates, and now the University of Oxford Saïd Business School is offering six new scholarship opportunities for incoming MBA students. Read more

Published: June 21, 2017

Admissions Director Q&A: Alex Lawrence of the UCLA Anderson School of Management

Alex Lawrence, an alumnus of the UCLA Anderson School of Management (MBA ’99), took the helm as the school’s assistant dean of MBA admissions and financial aid in August 2012. Read more

Published: June 20, 2017

Interview with the Dean: SMU Cox School of Business

Since 1997, Albert W. Niemi, Jr. has served as the dean of the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University (SMU Cox) in Dallas. He is also currently the Cox School’s Tolleson Chair in Business Leadership, as well as the William J. O’Neil Chair in Global Markets and Freedom. During his tenure, the Cox School has undergone many changes. He has helped to expand the degree offerings at the business school—expanding the school’s offerings to include four specialized master’s programs as well as multiple interdisciplinary program opportunities and a new Fast-Track MBA—and has also grown the school’s endowment from $78 million to more than $200 million. This past August, Niemi announced his intention to step down as dean after serving the Cox School for more than 20 years. He will continue to remain in his faculty position but will pass on his administrative responsibilities to Matthew B. Myers, a global marketing and strategy expert with expertise in Latin America who currently serves as dean of the Farmer School of Business at Miami University, Ohio. To mark the occasion, we took the opportunity to interview Niemi about his tenure as dean and to gain his insight into what the future of the Cox School could look like. Read more

Published: June 18, 2017

One-on-One with New Georgetown McDonough Dean Paul Almeida

On August 1st, the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business will welcome a new dean, Paul Almeida. Almeida is the current deputy dean of executive education and innovation, as well as a professor of strategy and international studies. When he takes his place as dean, Almeida will also become the William R. Berkley Chair. In a press release, Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia spoke about the appointment: “Throughout his tenure at Georgetown, Paul has exemplified a commitment to principled leadership, instilling a global mindset focused on service to others into each program and project he oversees. I am deeply grateful for his willingness to serve our entire university community as dean of the McDonough School of Business." Read more

Published: June 4, 2017

Funds Help McCombs MBA Students Pursue Social Impact

With the rising emphasis on social impact in recent years, it has become fairly common for MBA programs to prepare their students not just to do well in business but to also do good in the world, and students are on board with this shift in focus. Based on Net Impact’s 2014 “Business as UNusual” guide to graduate programs, 88 percent of surveyed MBA students reported that learning about social and environmental business is a priority. At the UT Austin McCombs School of Business, peer-generated funds are supporting MBA students in exploring social impact as a Read more

Published: May 30, 2017

Rob Adams Announced as New UW Foster Entrepreneurship Center Director

For years the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship has integrated entrepreneurship into the very fabric of the University of Washington, particularly its Foster School of Business. Now, with Seattle angel investor, startup mentor, and former Cisco acquisitions manager Rob Adams as the next director, there are more great things to come. Adams succeeds Connie Bourassa-Shaw, who will be stepping down at the end of June to take her place as the part-time executive director of the Foster School’s new Master of Science in Entrepreneurship degree program. Read more

Published: May 24, 2017

Oxford Saïd Expands New Global Leadership Council & Responsible Business Forum

Like many leading MBA programs in the global arena, the University of Oxford Saïd Business School is continually working to enhance its opportunities for students, professors, and alumni. Most recently, the school expanded its global reach with the establishment of a new Global Leadership Council, which has the goal of advancing the school’s business education model. In addition, the second annual Responsible Business Forum provided a platform for the next generation of business leaders to address social and environmental issues. Both the council and the forum brought together global companies and educational stakeholders to support the development of mutually beneficial relationships. Read more

Published: May 17, 2017

McCombs Donations Create New Opportunities in Marketing, Real Estate

Two recent donations to UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business totaling $7 million promise to open up new opportunities for students and professors in marketing and real estate. In both cases, the gifts will be used to improve the school and advance its programming. Read more

Published: May 14, 2017

7 Continents, 7 Marathons, 1 Student at Georgetown McDonough

Finding balance in your life during an MBA program can be a challenge, which makes time management is one of the most important skills for MBA candidates and students to develop. It’s difficult enough to attend classes and complete assignments, and most students also juggle club involvement, competitions, family, and leisure activities. And then there are students like Nick Stukel, an MD/MBA ’18 student at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Nick Stukel Not only does Stukel manage his MBA program and personal life, he also balances medical school, running marathons, and heading his nonprofit Read more

Published: May 8, 2017

Smith School CLIC Lunch and Learn Series Promotes Experiential Learning

Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom, especially in MBA programs. In fact, it’s the outside learning experiences that can be most valuable for many MBA students and graduates. Most full-time MBA programs organize events, clubs, competitions and other activities to provide their students with an opportunity to apply and refine the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom. Business problems aren’t typically cookie-cutter, so it’s in students’ best interest to attend schools that foster creativity, flexibility, and teamwork. Krishna Erramilli, associate dean at Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business, had this to say to the Chicago Tribune. “Business problems have become a lot more unprecedented, a lot more complex. To train our students to be successful in the 21st century, they must be able to go into a company, look at that problem and analyze the problem from multiple functional perspectives.” That concept is just one of the reasons behind the Center for Leadership, Innovation and Change (CLIC) at the University of Maryland R.H. Smith School of Business. Read more

Published: May 7, 2017

Cambridge Judge MBAs Create New Energy Startups

The energy landscape is changing. Fossil fuels are on their way out as half of global R&D in the energy field is now devoted to developing low carbon alternatives such as solar and wind. The good news is that besides helping the environment, this changing landscape also opens up many unique business opportunities. That’s why schools such as the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School are helping students explore possible solutions with new energy startups. Read more

Published: May 2, 2017

Saïd Business School Hosts Global Challenge, Saïd Team Wins

On Monday, May 1st, Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford hosted the finale of the Global Challenge. Six finalist teams from around the globe competed to take home a prize of £3,000 cash as well as tickets and travel allowance to attend the Skoll World Forum 2018 and Emerge 2017. Read more

Published: April 25, 2017

Babson College Helping Empower Women in School and Beyond

Despite improvements in recent years, women remain underrepresented in MBA classrooms and don't participate in the global economy to the same extent as men. It’s a persistent issue, but one that many business schools and foundations are working to address by demonstrating successful female leadership and implementing programs to empower women in business. As a part of that effort, Babson College and the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business recently announced that Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf would address their undergraduate and graduate students during its commencement ceremonies. Read more

Published: April 12, 2017

The Media MBA: Advice from a Student in the Trenches

An MBA with an emphasis in entertainment and media isn’t something you hear about often. In fact, according to GMAC’s 2016 Prospective Students Survey, a career in media is barely a consideration for most MBA candidates. But that wasn’t the case for Kristina Partsinevelos, a 2017 MBA candidate from the Oxford Saïd Business School. Partsinevelos started her career as a journalist, producer and TV news anchor, and she plans to continue in media post-graduation. And for her, an MBA was a natural step to further her career. Read more

MBA Livewire

November 22, 2024 12:14pm ET

Accepted to NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via phone November 22, 2024

GPA: 3.91

GRE: 328

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: General Management

Application Location: NYC

Note:

Received the phone call this morning around 10 AM. Submitted app 9/3, interviewed 10/29. 11 years of experience.

November 22, 2024 11:27am ET

Accepted to Cornell / Johnson

Round: Round 1

Received via phone on November 20, 2024

GPA: 3.97

GRE: 324

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Healthcare

Application Location: United States

November 22, 2024 11:27am ET

Accepted to NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via phone November 22, 2024

GMAT: 655

Program Type: One Year Program

Target Career: Technology

Application Location: Brazil

Note:

Tech MBA, interviewed on 10/31

November 22, 2024 10:54am ET

Accepted to NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via phone November 22, 2024

GMAT: 675

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Application Location: Taiwan

Note:

Interviewed in late Oct, really excited to get the call!

November 22, 2024 8:08am ET

Accepted to Cambridge / Judge

Round: Round 2

Received via email November 22, 2024

GMAT: 695

Program Type: One Year Program

Application Location: Asia

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