Weekly Columns
Keep up with the latest school facts and news from your fellow MBA applicants.
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's ongoing blog feature taking a closer look at the lives of b-school bloggers. With summer in full swing, applicants were focused on a few different elements of the application process, while soon-to-be first years discussed how they were spending their time before orientation.
HammO complimented the way Clear Admit lays out information in its line of school guides and appreciated the added Q&A sections as well. Thanks for the kind words! Timbob referred to his engineering background as he explored the difference in definitions between "goal" and "aspiration" and expressed his own preference for discussing his aspirations instead of concrete objectives. Writing in Transit took the GMAT one last time and scored a 760, which he was (understandably) quite pleased about.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello there and welcome to Clear Admit's Fridays From The Frontlines, Clear Admit's ongoing blog post dedicated to seeking out the freshest news from the MBA blogosphere. This week applicants were checking in with progress updates and future plans while students provided advice to those soon to be coming to campus.
Writing in Transit logged back into the blogosphere with a post the covered what he had been up to over the past month and his effort to refocus and retake the GMAT tomorrow! MBA Reapplicant discovered the value of introspection and was ready to start their application process anew. HammO created a Twitter handle and reminded his fellow applicants that the adcoms were "not here to trick you."
Kenan-Flagler '15 Amanda described her summer prep routine and described Excel as her "new best friend." Anderson '15 Aimee had some tips and opinions for the best options for off-campus housing.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Welcome to Fridays From the Frontline. We hope this Friday finds you well and that everyone enjoyed their July 4th! In this week’s post, we peruse all the news in the b-school blogosphere from applicants and current students.
Hamm0 opened the newly posted Stanford application and was a bit discouraged to find it full of short, personal questions like “Your favorite thing to read?” Timbob posted his responses to questions about what it's like to be a Brit applying to MBA programs in the U.S.--his main concern? Brits can't sell their strengths as well as Americans. He also relayed a amusing anecdote about taking the adversity he faced changing a tire in the middle of traffic and putting that adversity into one of his Stanford essays. MBAgirljourney narrows down her top five MBA programs and the East Coast schools win the day.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello there and welcome to this week's Fridays From the Frontline. Each week Clear Admit peruses the b-school blogosphere in search of the freshest reports from current applicants and students. This week saw new applicant and student bloggers join the community while established bloggers shed a little light on at least one student's internship experience.
TimBob attempted to attend two schools' London information sessions in one evening, but only managed to attend the MIT Sloan event. Pru explained how she fell in love "strategically" with Tuck, but that with additional reflection decided to broaden her figurative dating pool. MBA Over 30 highlighted the rise of entrepreneurship within Wharton's program. Amit shared his intention to focus first on his GMAT before getting caught up in a discussion of schools or essays. Poetic Quant described how his internal MBA clock sped up once his target schools updated their essays for the 2013-2014 admissions cycle.
MBA Over 30 highlighted the rise of entrepreneurship within Wharton's program.Anderson '15 Aimee prepared for beginning the program by strengthening her quantitative abilities and volunteering at the LA film festival.
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Fridays From the Frontline
Hello and welcome back to Fridays From the Frontline, Clear Admit’s weekly perusal of all the news in the b-school blogosphere. This week was quiet on the student front, but crowded with posts from both bloggers who will be matriculating to b-school this year and MBA applicants.
Hamm0 explains his dread at having to attend his company's Diversity Day and talks b-school recommendations and essays. PPandey87 announces that he is moving to NYC. MBAgirljourney tries to develop a standardized scorecard for MBA admissions consulting firms.
MBA Over 30 discusses the importance of sincerity in the MBA application process. Pru documents all the little details that go into preparing to matriculate to Chicago Booth, including applying for loans, discussing co-signers, and finding a roommate.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello there an welcome to Fridays From the Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly perusal of all the news in the b-school blogosphere. This week found applicants in different stages of their application strategies while many students began their summer internships.
MBA Over 30 provided his readers with GMAT study problems though he can safely say the he won't be taking the GMAT again. Poetic Quant happily announced that the division head at his current place of employment agreed to write a recommendation on his behalf. Sanket reflected on his previous experience applying for Stanford's Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani Fellowship. Writing in Transit built on his last post by responding to a question about the motivations he had for leaving the work place and pursuing an MBA. Sassafrass found that some of his San Francisco friends and colleagues didn't quite understand why he would pursue an MBA.
Tepper '14 Ccatcher began her internship in Foster City and struggled with loud roommates while making friends with ducks. McCombs '14 Shelby spend some time in Ghana before beginning her summer internship.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to this week’s Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s weekly blog post featuring the latest news and events of the b-school blogosphere. This week applicants continued preparing for their applications or their upcoming orientations while students shared different facets of their lives on campus. HammO began revising his resume while he awaited more updates from his target schools. MBAOver30 described the values and impact of attending the DMAC Diversity Conference. MBAGirlJourney asked her readers what they thought of Harvard’s new approach to an application essay. Sassafrass celebrated his one year “GMAT Anniversary”
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From the Frontlines, Clear Admit's weekly perusal of all the goings-on in the b-school blogosphere. This week many second year students were either recounting their graduation stories or reflecting on their overall experiences as their respective commencement days beckoned. Applicants and first year students were also voluble, visiting campuses and preparing for summer internships.
Sassafrass saw his last month of work winding down and expressed optimism for the way his MBA education could help him make a difference in the future. The Poetic Quant visited the Kellogg campus, which included a tour, information session, "brilliant" class visit and lunch. Pru discussed the decision making process she went through when determining whether to attend Emory or Chicago Booth. HammO turned his attentions to drafting goals essays, though he knew that additional fine tuning would be in order once more schools updated their 2013-2014 essay questions.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s weekly roundup of business school bloggers. This week, while the blogosphere buzzed with excitement regarding our announcement of the 2012-2013 Best of Blogging nominees, we checked in on bloggers who are preparing to begin their business school careers in the Class of 2015 and gleaned inside perspectives from current students.
HammO chronicled what it took to withstand a 15 month war of attrition with the GMAT. Sassafras reflected on leaving San Francisco and savors being free of the anxiety of the application process. PPandey discussed a new project management tool he created in MS Excel after getting fed up with Microsoft Project, the industry standard project management software. MBAover30 reminds readers to vote for this season's BoB nominees.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly blog posting focused on the ups and downs of the b-school blogging world. While last week was rather quiet on the applicant front and far more busy as far as student postings, this week saw a resurgence of applicants checking in to share their campus visits or their preparations for transitioning to student status. On the heels of our recent BoB nominees announcement, we're glad to see a few of our nominees in the mix.
HammO expanded on his last post, which focused on financing the MBA. Sassafrass thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with future classmates and getting even more of a sense of what it means to be a Yale SOM student during a weekend visit to New Haven. The Poetic Quant outlined his plans to address concerns the adcom might have about his undergraduate GPA, which included enrolling in summer courses. Unclearadmit discussed the possibility of his MBA being sponsored, had his last day at work, improved his golf swing, and praised the Tuck approach to international loans. PPandey visited the HBS campus and sat in on a class, praised the student who led his campus tour, and valued certain insights he gained from attending an information session.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly dive into the highs and lows of the b-school applicant and student experience. With Round 3 deadlines in our rear view mirrors, the applicant blogger community was rather quiet while current students had more to day about everything from exciting trips to the financial realities of b-school.
HammO delved deep into the question of financing an MBA, which involved a fair amount of research and copious tabs on an Excel spreadsheet.
Tuck '14 The Senator was the first to admit that he'd been a bit MIA as far as his blog was concerned, but made up for it by sharing the experience of applying for a fellowship at his summer internship employer while also commenting on delays at the airport and the weight of taking on too many leadership positions on campus. MBA Manchester '14 happily announced that he secured a summer internship at Google's London and Manchester locations. LBS '14 Gayathrisai compared the weather of her hometown - Chennai - with London meteorology, with one prevailing lesson: check the weather hourly.
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Published: April 25, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's ongoing chronicle of the b-school blogosphere, from those just starting their application process on through second year students enjoying their last months or weeks of school. This week the applicants were a relatively quiet bunch while first and second year students had more to report and reflect upon as the days left of their school year began to dwindle.
HammO visited Ross campus and enjoyed walking around campus, getting a sense of the student body and sitting in on a class. Sanket once again turned his attentions to studying for the GMAT and was loving it.
Chicago Booth '14 Cheetarah took on a number of common assumptions about the program that she thought were more like myths, including the kind of community vibe the school provides, as well as where the majority of students lived. McCombs '14 Curtis returned from a week-long trip to Southeast Asia and described some of the career management tools available to students at the Dallas/Fort Worth campus. INSEAD '13D learned valuable lessons about how to juggle responsibilities and commitments as her second period at INSEAD drew to a close. McCombs '14 Shelby asked her friends for possible topics for her blog post, but decided that recounting the looming departure of the second years was too sad, choosing instead to elaborate on other more upbeat events and activities.
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Published: April 23, 2013
Campus Chronicles: The Monroe Street Journal
Welcome back to Campus Chronicles, Clear Admit’s weekly peek inside the news at top business programs. This week we bring you a hard-copy special feature highlighting the Monroe Street Journal, printed by students at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
Ross’s Black Business Students Association (BBSA) recently hosted the annual BBSA Alfred L. Edward Conference, focused on the theme “On the Shoulders of Giants: Leaving a Lasting and Impactful Legacy.” The keynote speaker for the event was distinguished Columbia University Professor Marc Lamont Hill, whose address focused on the responsibility MBA students have towards the less fortunate. This year’s conference also featured panels on the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in business, the impact of President Barack Obama on business leaders, and entrepreneurship. The conference’s namesake, Dr. Alfred Edwards, was a Professor at Ross for over 40 years and a champion of the school’s participation in the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, a nonprofit that aims to correct the underrepresentation of African American, Hispanic, and Native American students at business schools across the country.
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Published: April 18, 2013
Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly blog post that follows the frenzied lives of MBA applicants and student bloggers. This week newly admitted students and those targeting the 2013-2014 cycle elaborated on school choice and studied for the GMAT. Many current students wrote on the topics of travel and recruiting.
MBA Over 30 got a taste of the Wharton community's sense of humor when he was "roasted" for declaring the CBS Follies performance funnier than Wharton's own event by current Wharton students. Sassafrass thought it might be worthwhile to reiterate his reasons for choosing to pursue an MBA given his non-profit background. HammO continued to discuss additional schools he plans on targeting for the 2013-2014 application season. The Poetic Quant took advantage of free software and practice tests to begin his GMAT prep, which resulted in a base GMAT of 640 but confidence that with additional study that score would increase.
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Published: April 11, 2013
Fridays From The Frontlines
Welcome to Fridays From The Frontlines, Clear Admit's weekly blog feature focused on the b-school applicant and student experience. With the majority of this year's application deadlines behind us, a few new bloggers joined the applicant ranks targeting the 2013-2014 cycle while students continued to check in on their progress through the change from winter to spring.
Poetic Quant explained why he was glad he waited a year to start his application process and officially revealed his list of schools. HammO also elaborated on his list of business schools and the reasoning behind his choices. Sassafrass pondered whether having a work history that included both 'big name' and 'no name' nonprofits may have helped or hindered his application at different schools. Future Anderson '15 Dwight discussed how public transportation could work to the advantage of Anderson students while acknowledging that LA traffic can truly be awful.
INSEAD '13 Patrick explained how attending INSEAD opened his eyes to all the different ways the school's diverse student body would further prepare him for a range of cultural business contexts in the future. Said '14 Srinivas reflected on being halfway through his degree program and outlined the top five experiences that marked his first six months on campus.
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Fridays From The Frontline
Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly blog feature that peeks into the world of the b-school applicant and student. This week applicants were sharing their thoughts on how to determine a school list or blog handle while many students provided photographic evidence of international journeys.
HammO explained how he expanded and then pared down his list of schools from an initial four to a high of twelve before settling on a list of six. Sassafrass, safely accepted, turned his attentions to the topic of marriage equality in the U.S. Poetic Quant introduced himself and explained the origins of his choice of name as well as his b-school aspirations. After a significant absence Pyrapopat checked in to explain that after receiving a Kellogg acceptance he also was given the opportunity to grow at work ... but after having spent another year in the workforce he revealed his intention to attend Kellogg next fall.
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Published: August 19, 2012
Trivia Tuesday: Chicago Booth’s Academic Calendar
Welcome once again to Trivia Tuesday, our regular exploration of the special programs and opportunities that differentiate the leading business schools. Today we're featuring an excerpt from the Clear Admit School Guide to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business about the school's academic calendar.
"While many schools arrange their academic years into two semesters, Chicago divides the year into four quarters that correspond with the seasons. This quarter system was invented by William Rainey Harper, the first president of the University of Chicago, as a means of exposing students to more material than the traditional semester system allows. The quarter-based calendar is used by all schools at the University of Chicago, as well as at several other leading business schools, including Stanford, Tuck and Kellogg.
"The standard academic year spans Autumn, Winter and Spring Quarters, and MBA students occasionally take courses in Summer Quarter as well. However, since most Chicago Booth students choose to take an internship between their first and second years, enrollment in summer courses is not the norm.
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