Michigan / Ross MBA News

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Published: February 16, 2017

Michigan / Ross Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Off-campus

The following Michigan / Ross MBA interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 applicant. Good luck to them! It was a very conversational interview and the atmosphere was relaxed. It took place in a coffee shop. The interviewer was engaging and excited to share her positive experience at Ross. She had a copy of my resume and had reviewed it beforehand. She had no knowledge of my essays so it was blind, Standard questions: Walk me through your résumé? Clarification of goals Why Ross? Why MBA? How would you contribute to the community? Standard behavioral questions like tell Read more

Published: February 15, 2017

Major Companies Call Out Trump On Immigration Ban

Days after the Ninth Circuit Court of the United States halted President Donald Trump’s temporary ban of immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, the aftereffects are still echoing. The executive order, the legality of which could still be decided by the Supreme Court, created a wave of protests across the United States. Alongside several universities, many of the more prominent voices in the dissent came from the country’s largest major companies, including Apple and Google. Shortly after the order was initially announced Apple CEO Tim Cook said, ”Apple would not exist without immigration, Read more

Published: February 13, 2017

Michigan / Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-year student / On-Campus

The following Michigan / Ross MBA interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 applicant. Good luck to them! The individual interview was ~ 40 minutes, relaxed and conversational. Questions included the following: Tell me about yourself? Why do you want to get an MBA? What are your career goals? Describe a time when you led an organization Describe a time when you worked with a diverse team towards a common goal Describe a time when your team could not have succeeded without you Describe a time when you exceeded expectations Pretty standard behavioral stuff. There was also a Read more

Published: February 12, 2017

Michigan / Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Off-Campus

The following Michigan / Ross MBA interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! I did an off-campus interview with a 2016 Ross alum in SF. We met in a Starbucks on a Sunday morning, the vibe was very casual and friendly. I wore slacks and a sweater and he was in khakis and a button down. He had my résumé that he had gotten from the interview scheduler and I brought one with me. 1. Walk me through your résumé. Connect the dots for me 2. Why an MBA? Read more

Published: February 12, 2017

Ross R2 Applicants: Don’t Miss These Updates from Admissions Director Soojin Kwon

The snow storm that’s pummeling the Northeastern United States gave Michigan a pass, according to Ross School of Business Director of Admissions Soojin Kwon. That means interviewees flying to Ann Arbor this past weekend found lots of sunshine and clear roads, provided they weren’t stranded in their departure cities by cancelled flights. Ross Director of Admissions Soojin Kwon Those who did make it, Kwon wrote on her Admissions Blog, got to stay through the weekend if they wanted, attending the Alfred E Edwards Conference, hosted by the Ross Black Business Students Association. Long-time Essence Magazine Chief Editor Susan L. Taylor delivered the keynote address. Read more

Published: February 9, 2017

Anxiety Persists for International MBA Students Despite Appellate Court’s Rebuke of Immigration Ban

Last night, a three-member panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit refused the Trump administration’s call to reinstate a ban barring the entry of all refugees and visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries into the United States. Although the case could still advance to the Supreme Court, yesterday’s ruling means that, for now, the executive order signed by President Donald Trump two weeks ago remains unenforceable. That’s good news for international students from the affected countries, some of whom were detained at airports attempting to return to campus from overseas travel, others of whom were forced to cancel plans to leave the United States for fear they might not be allowed back in. Read more

Published: February 2, 2017

Fridays from the Frontline: A Ross Student on How to Act on Climate Change as Business Leaders

How can the business leaders of tomorrow act on climate change? Micaela Battiste, a dual-degree MBA/MS student at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and School Natural Resources and Environment, provides three concrete examples in a recent post on the school’s Student Voices blog. She traveled with a delegation of 10 other Michigan students and faculty to the 2016 United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) in Marrakesh, part of an effort to bring transparency to the COP process. Returning from that conference, Battiste shares that the number of companies committed to taking action against climate change has Read more

Published: January 31, 2017

Trump’s Immigrant Ban Creates Turmoil for MBA Students Across the Country

At least one was detained for hours at JFK Airport in New York before being released. Many have concerns about family members who may not be able to attend graduation ceremonies in the spring. Others must consider foregoing upcoming international school-related trips for fear they won’t be allowed back in. In these ways and many others, President Donald Trump’s initial days in office have left countless MBA students reeling. At issue is the hugely controversial executive order signed by Trump on Friday (Jan. 27) temporarily banning citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia from entering the country, suspending new refugee admissions for the next 120 days and indefinitely banning refugees from Syria. That all countries in question are predominantly Muslim and that the order additionally offers priority to Christian refugees has led many to view the action as a Muslim ban, though the Trump administration denies this. Read more

Published: January 25, 2017

Inside the Revamped Ross Admissions Process

As you navigate the MBA application process, do you ever feel like the websites, brochures and talking points for top MBA programs have blended together? Indeed, it has become more important than ever for schools to rely on innovative ways to differentiate themselves. At the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, the carefully curated process of admissions is ever evolving. Director of Admissions Soojin Kwon is known for putting a particularly personal fingerprint on the process, posting videos and written messages to a behind-the-scenes blog throughout the year. Read more

Published: December 22, 2016

Fridays from the Frontline: Navigating Complex MBA Decision-Making Process

Pierre Girard, a 2016 graduate of the Weekend MBA program at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, shares his tips for the complex decision-making process that can accompany choosing to pursue an MBA. For Girard, a father to two small children who planned to continue working while getting his MBA, a part-time MBA program was the best way to meet all of his goals. And some of his tips—such as hiring a maid if your budget allows it—seem perhaps less geared toward traditional full-time MBA students than others. But at its core, the bulk of Girard’s advice is applicable no matter what kind of MBA degree you’re planning to pursue. The support of your network, setting realistic expectations about your schedule, and knowing how to prioritize are just as critical for full-time, two-year MBA students as they are for full-time employees who are working toward their MBA in the evenings or on the weekends. Read more

Published: December 21, 2016

Parsing Round 1 MBA LiveWire Data Reveals Some Interesting Results

The last couple of weeks have been very busy indeed as the majority of schools we cover on Clear Admit released final decisions to their Round 1 applicants. MBA LiveWire saw record activity as the community chimed in to share their individual results with each other. We thought it would be interesting to do some data analysis on these results and are excited to share our findings. We should stress, though, that the data is very likely subject to response bias, by which we mean that candidates with positive results may be more inclined to share them, resulting Read more

Published: December 20, 2016

MBA Admissions Mashup: The Waitlist

Every Wednesday, we share a round-up of the latest news from MBA admissions blogs at the top business schools. Last week was decision week at the top business schools. If you’re one of the lucky ones to receive an admit from one of your target schools, congratulations! However, we know (from MBA LiveWire) that sveral of you received news of being placed on the waitlist. This is why we’re featuring some advice and news on being waitlisted at McCombs and Tuck, a first-hand perspective of the One-Year MBA at Emory / Goizueta, and insight into admits at Michigan Read more

Published: December 11, 2016

Michigan / Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumnus / Off-campus

The following Michigan / Ross MBA interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! I met the interviewer, an alumni of the school, at a restaurant. He barely smiled and had me uncomfortable throughout the conversation. I had uploaded my résumé on the portal but obviously the interviewer had not checked it out. I had a copy with me which I gave him and he spent about 2 mins reviewing it after which the interview started. After introducing himself, he asked me the following questions: Tell me about yourself Why MBA Why Ross Read more

Published: December 10, 2016

Michigan / Ross Interview Questions: Round 1 / Alumnus / Off-campus

The following Michigan / Ross MBA interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! I finished my interview last month. The interview was really long, which lasted 1.5 hour. I don’t know why the interviewer has so many behavior questions to ask. I suggest you pick on-campus interview or Skype because these two format are more standardized and within time frame. The cafe my interviewer chose to meet is quite quiet!!! Everyone there was reading books or doing homework, this particular cafe has background music in very low volume. It’s soooo weird for Read more

Published: December 6, 2016

Michigan / Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-year Student / On-Campus

The following Michigan / Ross MBA interview questions & report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! Interview was very conversational and my interviewer was really friendly. He started out the conversation by telling me a little about himself and told me we needed to get through 7 questions that he had to ask me. Most of it was what you would expect, what me through your resume, etc. There were a couple times where he wanted more information about a particular accomplishment or experience I had. I’m very involved with a non-profit organization that supports Read more

Published: December 6, 2016

Forté Foundation Launches New Men as Allies Initiative

Reaching gender equity on business school campuses is far from just a women’s issue, which is precisely why the Forté Foundation is calling on men to get involved. Drawing on successful programs already underway on campuses spanning from Harvard Business School (HBS) to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Forté today announced its new Men as Allies Initiative. It is designed to invite and encourage male students to get involved in a growing movement toward gender equity in business school classrooms and the broader business world. Read more

Published: November 14, 2016

MBA Students, Faculty, Administrators React to a Trump Presidency

In the wake of an American presidential election that has left a country divided and the rest of the world looking on with reactions ranging from surprise to disbelief, issues of racism, sexism, nativism and homophobia have erupted at the surface of national discourse. President-elect Donald Trump ran on a campaign that included promises to ban Muslims from entering the country, build a wall between the United States and Mexico and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Trump’s own comments, endorsements from outspoken individuals with ties to racist organizations and pledges to nullify executive orders issued by President Barack Obama have caused millions to question his commitment to protecting the rights of women, minorities and members of the LGBTQ community. Read more

Published: October 24, 2016

Impending MBA Interview? Latest Clear Admit Interview Guides Have All You Need to Prepare

The MBA interview—the nail-biting, stomach-churning, sleep-robbing, suit-demanding component of the MBA application process that ties some applicants up in knots—is upon us. But there’s no reason to fret: not with Clear Admit’s in-depth Interview Guide Series as part of your arsenal. Providing expert advice and insider tips on what to expect and how to prepare, these guides are ready and waiting to help you conquer your jitters and ace your interview. Maybe you’re among the lucky ones who has already received an interview invite from your top choice business school (Harvard Business School and U. Chicago Booth to name a couple)? We’ve also heard—via the MBA LiveWire—that invites are rolling out from places like Columbia Business School (CBS), Cambridge’s Judge School, Duke’s Fuqua School and INSEAD. Of course, with more candidates set to receive Round 1 decisions in the coming weeks, the interview invitation madness has just begun. Read more

Published: October 24, 2016

Ross Round 1 Interview Invites Coming Out Today

Round 1 applicants to the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business may very soon know whether or not they snagged an interview, according to a post this morning on Soojin Kwon’s Admissions Director Blog. “The target interview invitation date is Tuesday, October 25th,” read the post. Kwon noted that her team is spending more time than ever before reviewing applications in Round 1, the result of a third consecutive year of rising application volume. Round 1 apps were up 13 percent this year, she reports, even on top of upticks in both 2014 and 2015. Read more

Published: October 23, 2016

Ross Alums Named to Lead Wells Fargo, Repair Fallen Bank’s Reputation

Two prominent alumni of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business have been named to fill the leadership void created at Wells Fargo & Co. when former CEO and Chairman John Stumpf resigned earlier this month amid scandal. Timothy Sloan, who earned his MBA from Ross in 1984, has been named as the bank’s next CEO. Stephen Sanger, a 1970 alumnus of the Ross MBA program, has been named as its chairman. Sloan is a 29-year veteran of the San Francisco–based Wells Fargo, having served as president and chief operating officer since November 2015 and having worked in or run most of the bank’s departments at some earlier point in his tenure. Sanger has been on the Wells Fargo Board since 2003 and has served as its lead director since 2012. He served from 1995 to 2007 as CEO of General Mills, Inc. and until 2008 as its chairman. Read more

Published: October 11, 2016

MBA Admissions Mashup: Round 1 Next Steps

Every Wednesday, we share a round-up of the latest news from MBA admissions blogs at the top business schools. MBA applicants around the world have hit submit on their Round 1 applications or are planning ahead for Round 2. Several of you have already heard back from the likes of HBS, Chicago Booth, LBS, Yale, and more. This week we’re devoting the mashup to those of you that are anxiously waiting on some news — may it be good or bad (because closure). In a week and a half Read more

Published: September 27, 2016

Students, Faculty Stand in Unity at Ross Black Lives Matter Gathering

In silence, students, staff and faculty at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School Of Business spoke volumes. Standing together on the afternoon of Monday, September 26th, dressed in all black, the group unified behind signs of Black Lives Matter and #Ross4Change, sending a powerful, cohesive message. The moment was organized by the Black Business Student Association and the Student Government Association at Ross, which is also helping put together a Kickstarter campaign championing diversity. Perhaps most poignant were signs with hard, honest data about the number of Read more

Published: September 15, 2016

Chicago’s McGowan Charitable Fund Announces 7th Class of Fellows

Since 2010, the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund has been naming 10 outstanding second-year MBA students as members of its annual class of McGowan Fellows. The fund was created and named in honor of William G. McGowan, an American business leader and founder of MCI Communications, following his passing in 1992. The selected fellows join a prestigious group of alumni from some of the best business schools around the United States. One fellow is chosen annually from each of 10 partner business schools. Each receives full tuition for the second year of his or her MBA studies. Read more

Published: August 30, 2016

Leading Business Schools Pilot GMAC’s Common Letter of Recommendation

Asking your supervisor or former supervisor to take time out of his or her busy schedule to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf is one of the most challenging aspects of the MBA admissions process for many applicants. Now try asking that person to write five different letters, answering five different sets of questions, for the five different schools you’re applying to. Sounds insane, right? And yet it’s precisely the position many prospective MBA applicants find themselves in. Recognizing the burden that letters of recommendation place on applicants and recommenders alike, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) this year is piloting a common letter of recommendation (LOR). Read more

Published: August 21, 2016

Real Humans of MBA Admissions: Soojin Kwon of Michigan’s Ross School of Business

Moving right along with our fun and quirky series, we’ve continued talking admissions directors at leading MBA programs into answering our silly stream of personal questions. To our delight, we’ve had many tell us that they actually had fun in the process. Soojin Kwon has led MBA admissions at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business since 2006. She’s familiar with “non-traditional” MBA candidates, as she was one herself when she got her MBA at Ross. Prior to b-school, she used her MPP from the Kennedy School of Government to work as a budget and policy analyst on Capitol Hill and at the Department of Commerce. She’s also familiar with the private sector as she spent her post-MBA years as a consultant in Deloitte’s Strategy and Operations practice. An active, outdoor enthusiast, here's Soojin in the Rocky Mountains showing Michigan pride. Here, Soojin reveals her pet peeves, where she heads when she wants to get away, the power of her Korean mother’s home-cooked food and more. Read on to learn some little-known tidbits about Soojin. And if you want insider tips about Ross and its admissions process, check out Soojin’s blog and video blogs. Read more

Michigan / Ross

CLASS SIZE: 396

Women: 40%

MEAN GMAT: 728

% INTERNATIONAL: 44%

Livewire Decisionwire Interview Reports Essay Topic Analysis MBA Admissions Deadlines View Full Profile

MBA Applywire

November 20, 2024 9:42pm ET

Applying: Babson / Olin, , Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Emory / Goizueta, Rice / Jones, Rochester / Simon, SMU Cox, UCI Merage, Washington U. / Olin

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Technology - Entrepreneurship

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Entrepreneurship

GRE: 333

GPA: 2.56

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: Lagos

Notes:

I just got rejected for WashU Olin and I have an interview invitation with Questrom. GPA continues to bother me but I addressed it in my supporting essays.

November 19, 2024 12:51pm ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, INSEAD, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Tech in government

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Entrepreneurship Companies: Bain , McKinsey

GRE: 319

GPA: 2.9

Years of Work Experience: 7

Notes:

I got cancer when I was undergrad that's why my undergrad GPA is low. After MBA I want to work in consulting then make a social impact in Africa through entrepreneurship

November 19, 2024 12:06pm ET

Applying: Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, U. Washington / Foster, UNC Kenan-Flagler, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden

Pre-MBA Career: Wealth Management and Military

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Asset Management, inc. HF, Other Companies: Bain , BCG , Deloitte , McKinsey , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan Asset Management , State Street , Vanguard

GPA: 3.80

Years of Work Experience: 7

Location: San Diego

Post MBA Location: Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, Charlotte

Notes:

UG Degree: BBA Financial Markets at an Accredited Institution.

Civilian Work History: 3 years as Wealth Advisor under an RIA in Minneapolis and Denver. Total AUM of ~$350-400M, served as a salaried advisor in a primary and secondary capacity. Holistic services to include investment management, estate planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, tax planning, etc.

Military History: 4 years as a supply/logistics officer heading efforts for air/ground mobility, defense contracting, supply and procurement, and fiscal budget management while located at various bases within CONUS and multiple forward deployed locations.

Professional Certifications: Obtained Certified Financial Planner designation (2022) and Series 65 (2019).

November 18, 2024 12:50am ET

Applying: Columbia, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, NYU Stern, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Consulting

Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking Companies: Bank of America , Barclays , Citibank , Credit Suisse , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan Chase

GRE: 323

GPA: 3.32

Years of Work Experience: 7

Notes:

Education:
- Combined Major in Economics and Statistics
- CFA Charterholder (passed all three levels on the first attempt)

Professional Experience:
- Manager at a Big 4 firm Specializing in capital projects and infrastructure, with a role similar to investment banking
- Seven years of experience, mainly in financial services in Ghana

Extracurricular Activities:
- Pro bono capital-raising services for SMEs
- Aspiring to run a full advisory firm for SMEs in the future
- CFA exam coaching and tutorial classes for candidates
- Founder of a travel and tour club offering affordable trips to explore beautiful and historic scenes in Ghana

Will being 32 years old affect the attractiveness of my candidacy?

November 17, 2024 9:24am ET

Applying: Columbia, , Georgetown / McDonough, Harvard Business School, INSEAD, NYU Stern, Oxford / Saïd, Stanford GSB, UCLA Anderson, Yale SOM

Pre-MBA Career: Higher Education

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Media, Undecided Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey , JP Morgan , Morgan Stanley , JP Morgan Chase , Apple , Google , Microsoft , Andressen Horowitz , Charles River , Sequoia Capital , Blackstone , KKR , 21st Century Fox , Comcast , Walt Disney

GPA: 3.97

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: Denver, Colorado

Post MBA Location: New York City

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MBA LiveWire

November 21, 2024 5:41pm ET

Accepted to Rochester / Simon

Round: Round 1

Received via email November 21, 2024

GPA: 7.4/10

GRE: 321

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Healthcare

Application Location: India

November 21, 2024 4:42pm ET

Accepted to Cornell / Johnson

Round: Round 1

Received via phone November 21, 2024

GPA: 3.16

GMAT: 730

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Finance

November 21, 2024 4:08pm ET

Accepted to Rochester / Simon

Round: Round 1

Received via phone November 21, 2024

GMAT: 555

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

November 21, 2024 3:42pm ET

Interview Invite to NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via email on November 03, 2024

GPA: 3.2

GRE: 333

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Marketing

November 21, 2024 3:41pm ET

Waitlisted at Columbia

Round: Round 1

Received via email on November 14, 2024

GPA: 3.2

GRE: 333

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Marketing

Application Location: New York

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