Monthly Archives: October 2010

What to Know About the University of Michigan Ann Arbor Ross

Posted on by

The University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Ross School of Business is a top institution established in 1924. In 2001, Robert J. Dolan became the business school’s dean. As part of his school plans as the new dean, Dolan aims to make a mark among recruiters and MBA candidates.

The business school was renamed the Stephen M. Ross School of Business after Stephen M. Ross (alumnus) donated a total of $100 million. At that time, Ross’ donation was the biggest ever given to a business school.

Degrees offered

The degrees offered at this business school include BBA, full-time MBA, part-time MBA, executive MBA, global MBA, Master of Accounting, PhD programs, executive education, and Master of Supply Chain Management.

Alumni

Notable alumni from the Ross School of Business include blogger and documentary filmmaker Hao Wu, General Mills CEO Stephen Sanger, National Geographic Society CEO and President John M. Fahey, Jr., United States Olympic Committee President (emeritus) William C. Martin, Allstate CEO Thomas J. Wilson, and Freddie Mac Chief Financial Officer David Kellermann.

Rankings and reviews

The school’s MBA program was ranked by BusinessWeek as 5th in 2008, its BBA as 4th in 2009, and its EMBA as 4th in 2008. According to US News, the school’s MBA is 12th in 2010, and its BBA is ranked 4th in 2010. The Wall Street Journal ranks the school’s MBA program as 7th in 2008. Forbes ranks the school’s part-time MBA as 7th in 2009.

Admission tips

Hundreds or even thousands of applicants try their luck with the business school’s admissions process. The application to the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Ross School of Business is quite competitive. One must have an excellent high school record in order to get better chances in the admissions. Aside from this, the applicant must also pass the exams and the interviews conducted by the school with flying colors. Another equally important requirement in this school is the admissions essay. One must submit a notable personal statement in order to successfully make through the admissions process.

Admission facts

Number of students who are admitted each year:

MBA Program: 419
BBA program: 337

Contact info

For Part-time MBA, Full-time MBA, and BBA and MAcc Programs
Office of Admissions
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
University of Michigan
701 Tappan Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234
Phone: (734) 763-5796
Fax: (734) 763-7804
Email: MBA RossMBAAdmissions@umich.edu
PTMBA: rossptmba@umich.edu
MAcc: rossmacc@umich.edu
BBA: rossbba@umich.edu

For Executive MBA
Executive MBA Program
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
University of Michigan
701 Tappan Street
Suite 2540
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234
Phone: (734) 647-3400
Fax: (734) 763-7804
Email: rossemba@umich.edu

Alumni Created MBA Bond to Offer Loans to Students

Posted on by

Together with Prodigy Finance, INSEAD is set to launch a new international loan program for its MBA students. The program called The Prodigy MBA Bond for INSEAD is expected to be a sucessful project, which will help provide financial assistance to INSEAD’s MBA students while letting investors and some alumni gain profits from their investments. The partnership is expected to be a fruitful venture since INSEAD, an international business school with branches in Singapore, Dubai, and France, has already worked with the company, which offers international educational finance. INSEAD Dean J. Frank Brown has confirmed that the international business school has been working side by side with Prodigy Finance for the last four years.

The bond

Prodigy Finance founder, Ryan Steele, cited the value of a bond, which is greatly appreciated by family offices and alumni investors. The company, according to Steele, has more than 5.5 million euro in assets. It was able to give investors 5% returns per year since 2007, in spite of the economic meltdown. This project was actually started by three alumni of INSEAD to provide an alternative source of funding, other than banks, for students who want to pursue higher education. It started in 2007 and has now covered about 198 INSEAD MBAs from different countries. In December this year, the company is expected to provide loans to 160 students.

The program is made possible through the community education bond amounting to 50 million euro. The bond is actually linked to 200 students to ensure diversification. The investors can easily track online which students are given school funding, getting them more involved with the project.

Photo Credits: Allan Cleaver

Penn State College of Medicine to Hold a Primary Care Day

Posted on by

If graduate schools and business schools hold an open house, information sessions, or other networking get-togethers, medical schools also have their own way of welcoming and preparing their prospective students. For this purpose, The Penn State College of Medicine is hosting its Primary Care Day on October 23, 2010.

What exactly is Primary Care Day?

Primary Care Day is like an open house with a slight difference. Prospective students from University Park can come in for a day and get to know more about the medical program, including the admissions process. During Primary Care Day, the prospective students may get some tips about the application process, especially since they can actively interact with current students and faculty. Primary Care Day is held every fall at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

What are the event and contact details for the Primary Care Day?

Primary Care Day is to be held on October 23, 2010. It begins at 8:30 am. The event is free to prospective students and other guests alike. A free lunch is also served. Access to registration forms is available online. For those who have queries about the event, they can contact Diane Ferron at dferron@hmc.psu.edu or phone 717-531-1534.

Info about the University of Southern California Marshall School

Posted on by

The USC Marshall School of Business is a private research and academic institution at the University of Southern California. The Marshall School of Business is the largest among the 17 USC’s professional schools. The school was established as the College of Commerce and Business Administration in 1920. It was in 1960 that the Graduate School of Business Administration was established. The school only acquired its present name in 1997 after an alumnus, Gordon S. Marshall, donated $35 million.

Degrees offered

The school offers excellent degrees and programs. In fact, the school’s undergraduate MBA programs belong to the top ten and top 20 in the whole country. For the undergrad, the school offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. There is also the Global Leadership Program available. For the graduate degree, there is a full-time and a part-time MBA. There is also the Executive Education, Global Executive Education, and PhD. Most of the programs and courses that this school offers are highly ranked by reputable organizatons.

Alumni

The chairman and CEO of Traders Joe’s, Dan Bane is an alumnus of this school. Another alumnus of Marshall School is John Campbell, a US Comgressman. The co-founder and CEO of MySpace is also one of the notable alumnus of this school. The CEO of Glencore, Ivan Glasenberg also came from this school. There are more other notable alumni of this school in the world of business and even outside of the business world.

Rankings and reviews

The degrees and programs offered in the University of California Marshall School of Business are all excellent. The full-time Marshall MBA is ranked number 25 by the BusinessWeek in 2008, and number 20 by the US News and world Report in 2009. The part-time MBA is fifth in 2009 by the US News and World Report, and 3rd according to BusinessWeek in 2007.

Admission tips

The University of Southern California Marshall School of Business is highly competitive. This is why one must exceed the standard requirement upon application. One must have a good high school record, excellent entrance exam and interview result, and also an attention-grabbing personal statement. Take note of these 2011 application deadlines:

November 1, 2010
January 15, 2011
March 15, 2011

Admission facts

Average 2009 GMAT: 690
Average 2009 Acceptance Rate: 22%
Average 2009 GPA: 3.3
Class Size: 222

Contact info

One can find more information about the school at www.marshall.usc.edu. The site can give you the phone numbers of the different departments and admissions personnel.

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
BRI 105 (213) 740-8885
busadm@marshall.usc.edu

Office of the Associate Dean
BRI 103 (213) 740-9617

Kim D. West, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs
kwest@marshall.usc.edu

Cynthea Jackson,
Administrative Assistant
cyntheaj@marshall.usc.edu

Photo Credits: J Rosenfeld

UM School of Education to Hold an Open House

Posted on by

The University of Michigan’s School of Education is holding an open house for potential undergraduate and graduate students. During the event, faculty, admissions officers and even current education students will be there to answer questions and to welcome the guests.

Features of the open house

The open house aims to relay information about the School of Education to potential students. Admissions officers and even the current faculty and students will be talking about teacher education, certification, joint degree, higher degree programs, and the school’s partnership with Teach for America. Through the open house, the School of Education hopes to encourage more students to take up a career in education.

Details of the open house

The UM School of Education Open House will be held on October 21, 2010 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The event will be held at the School of Education building. This two-hour event will be packed with activities, with the first 15 minutes especially allocated to the Meet and Greet. There will be talks and even a writing workshop for the prospective education students. The organizers will be serving refreshments and hors d’oeuvres.

For those who are interested in the open house, it is best to register at http://sitemaker.umich.edu/education.osadata/open_house_2010_registration first.

Photo Credits: dbking

Preparing for the MCAT

Posted on by

The MCAT is crucial to landing that important medical school interview. A good one can eclipse the fact that the applicant does not have as much medical background as other applicants with lower MCAT scores. On the other hand, a bad one can weigh down an otherwise good set of credentials. The MCAT is not really the most accurate indicator of how a person will do in medical school but applicants still need to do well in this standardized test. Standardized tests, no matter what the field, become one of the best bases of admissions committee on how good an applicant is because these tests help gauge a student’s ability to analyze things.

Doing well on the MCAT

So, students who are planning to take the MCAT should not feel bad about shelling out $1,000 to $2,000 for a test prep course. The amount can turn out to be a great investment. Working under a prep course may help applicants to cover the large amount of material needed to be learned for the MCAT. Practice tests will also help applicants get a feel of the real MCAT.

Actual techniques

Those who are preparing for the MCAT should have a study plan or a schedule of topics to cover over a period of time. They must go through practice tests to develop proper test taking skills.

All About University of Texas Austin McCombs

Posted on by

McCombs is a business school located at the University of Texas at Austin. The school of business administration was established in 1922, decades after the University of Texas at Austin was founded. The school was named after the businessman Red McCombs after he donated $50 million to UT Austin in May 11, 2000.

Degrees offered

McCombs School of Business is ranked on top of the list of excellent schools for business in the US. Its programs are ranked high on many business school reviews. The school’s program include undergrad, graduate, and doctoral programs. Each program offers various courses.

Alumni

McCombs has produced many notable alumni, not just in the field of business but also in other areas. Among the famous graduates of the school is Gary C. Kelly, the CEO of Southwest Airlines, Thomas O. Hicks, the owner of the Texas Ranger, and Donald Evans, the former US Secretary of Commerce. ConocoPhillips CEO James Mulva ’68 & ’69 is also an alumnus of this business school. The co-founder of Clear Channel Communications and co-owner of San Antonio Spurs, and the name sake of the school, Red McCombs is also an alumnus.

Rankings and reviews

The programs at McCombs are among the top business programs in the country. The undergrad program for accounting and the graduate program for accounting are both on the top ranks according to the US News. Its Marketing and Management programs are also on the list of the best business programs in the whole of the United States. The University of Texas at Austin, in general is one of the high ranking academic institutions in the country.

Admission tips

Because McCombs is one of the most competitive business schools in the US, applicants should have an excellent school record in order to be considered for admissions. Aside from that, applicants should also ace the entrance exam and interview with flying colors. Because the business doesn’t accept summer or spring applications, applicants should only apply during fall.

For applicants who are postgraduates, the school prefers those who have a minimum of 2 years work experience (full time).

Admission facts

Admissions to this business school is highly competitive. As a matter of fact, only 1,375 applicants were admitted out of a total of 6,391 applicants in 2009.

Contact info

To learn more about the school, you can visit the official website at www.mccombs.utexas.edu. For the b-school admissions, you can contact the representative by calling (512) 471-5921. For sending mails, the mailing address is 1 University Station, B6000, Austin, TX.

Photo Credits: Daniel

University of Illinois Career Fair Held to Promote Graduate Schools and Programs

Posted on by

The University of Illinois had helped made the annual Graduate and Professional School Fair possible. The Career Fair was sponsored by the University of Illinois Career Center, which took place in Illini rooms A, B, and C. The career fair, held last October 6, 2010, featured not only graduate and professional programs from the University of Illinois but also those from other universities and colleges all over the country. Members of the Career Fair Outreach Team said that the fair was really designed to promote various schools that offer higher education. The fair is also offering upperclassmen a glimpse of the programs in the graduate and professional levels. Even sophomores managed to mingle during the fair to have an advanced look of what could be ahead academically.

The format of the event

Using the three Illini rooms, booths were set up to provide information about a wide variety of disciplines, from architecture, medicine, and psychology to education and journalism. There are many other graduate programs on exhibit to provide visiting students with a wide range of choices. They do not have to feel limited when it comes to their higher education choices. There were 125 booths all in all.

Relationship with visiting schools

There are some repeat visiting schools, such as the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism. The school is also offering a new program, the Integrated Marketing Communications, which is a more business-oriented version of journalism,. The school’s representative, William Kartsimas, said that though the school is not able to visit all career fairs all over the nation, it takes time to visit the University of Illinois’ career fair.

Clearing admissions process doubts

Some students say that the career fair helped them know more details about the admissions process in the graduate level. This gave them insights about graduate school admissions. They could even start early with the preparations, such as gathering requirements.

Photo Credits: Raymond Cunningham

Writing Personal Statements for Law School

Posted on by

Law school applicants must recognize the fact that the component of their law school applications that they can best control is the personal statement. This is because undergraduate transcripts can no longer be tweaked, letters of recommendation can only be requested from people who know them during their academic and professional journey, and work and leadership experiences may only be changed if they want to delay their law school application. That said, this leaves the law school personal statement to be the only thing under the applicant’s full control. The applicant should then focus much of his or her energy on writing an effective personal statement.

Writing with a purpose and for the readers

The law school applicant can use his or her motivations for pursuing such a degree to write his personal statement. Aside from the purpose, the applicant must focus on the readers as well. He or she must be able to gauge the impact of the personal statement on the admissions committee.

Anticipating the essay’s effect on interview questions

It is important to be honest and sincere when writing the law school personal statement. The applicant must also be able to anticipate the questions that the essay may generate. He or she must remember that the law school admission process usually culminates with an interview, and the interviewer will be referring to the essay when asking questions.

Promoting one’s self

A personal statement should be able to represent the law school applicant who is not there when the admissions committee members are reading the essay. The essay should then accurately represent who the applicant really is. The admissions committee must be convinced that the applicant is a perfect fit to the law school.

Excellent writing skills

Of course, everything would be for nothing if the applicant cannot express him or herself articulately. The personal statement must use correct English grammar, have a strong introduction, present a powerful conclusion, and create an overall persuasive argument. The law school applicant must already show that he or she has the powers of persuasion.

Photo Credits: tnarik

Los Angeles Valley College’s Lion’s Den Housing Applications

Posted on by

Los Angeles Valley College is relying on pure technology when it comes to its applications. The Lion’s Den, which is found on the Cafeteria Building, is now housing several computers that can be used by applicants to apply for admissions and for current students, to add and drop classes. The computers are available for the convenience of the applicants and the college students.

Schedule of the Lion’s Den

Admission applicants, however, have to know the schedule of operations of the Lion’s Den, if that is where they want to apply. They should note that the Lion’s Den is open from 9 am to 4 pm during Mondays to Thursdays and from 9 am to 2 pm only on Fridays.

Using the Lion’s Den computers

For applicants who do not have access to www.lavc.edu outside of campus, it is best to come early to use a computer in the Lion’s Den. Since no paper applications are accepted, so applicants must find a way to apply for admissions online. In which case, the Lion’s Den computers have been set up for the convenience of applicants with no computers of their own or Internet access. Even adding and dropping of subjects are done purely online. Students who are adding subjects, however, have to present an add permit granted by the instructor. ADA accommodations are also available to applicants and students with disabilities.

The use of computers to apply for admission at an academic institution can speed things up provided that the system has been checked for and relieved from bugs. The Los Angeles Valley College has prepared computers for the application process. This facility will specially cater tot hose who may not have an Internet access outside of campus. The school has prepared facilities that applicants and students with disabilities may be able to use to make the process more accessible.

Photo Credits: Collin Knopp-Schwyn