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D’Amore-McKim Associate Dean Named Board Member of GMAC

The Graduate Management Admissions Council has named D’Amore-McKim‘s Associate Dean of graduate programs Kate Klepper, as a new board member. Klepper joins the board at the same time as a new board chair and four other board members.

The Graduate Management Admissions Council was formed in 1970 as an education corporation under New York state law. The GMAC is responsible for the GMAT and follows the philosophy that business and management are critical to the economic and social well being of people worldwide. The council provides information and insights to improve decision-making about the discovery and evaluation of talent for MBA programs.

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Full-Time MBA

Kellogg Full-Time MBA Program Structure

The immersive two-year Northwestern University MBA at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management begins in September. Students attend classes for the fall, winter, and spring semesters for two consecutive academic years. During the summer between classes, they complete an internship.

To complete the two-year, Kellogg full-time MBA program, students must complete a minimum of 20.5 credit units over the six quarters they are enrolled. Before beginning the second year of the program, students must finish the core coursework requirements.

Curriculum

The core curriculum consists of nine courses in fundamental areas of Accounting for Decision Making, Business Strategy, Finance, Marketing Management, Business Analytics, Microeconomic Analysis, Operations Management, and Leadership in Organizations. These must be taken during the first year of the program to move on to year two. A Leadership and Crisis Management pre-term course is required prior to the fall quarter of year two at which point students complete their final three quarters by taking an array of elective courses based on their specific career interests. By focusing on eight available areas of study, including majors in Accounting, Operations, Managing Organizations, and many more, most Kellogg students pursue two or more specific majors based on this second-year work.

Kellogg Full-Time MBA Rankings

• U.S. News & World Report: 3
• Bloomberg: 10
• Forbes: 3
• Financial Times: 11
• The Economist: 4

Class Profile

The Kellogg Class of 2021 full-time MBA program is comprised of 559 students. Nearly 40 percent of the new class are female students, with 60 percent male students. About 26 percent of the class is made up of international students and 36 percent of the class are U.S. minority-status students.

The undergraduate GPA of the class is 3.6, the average GMAT is 727, and most students have around five years of work experience. Students in the class are, on average, 27-years old.

Careers Statistics

A total of 680 full-time One-Year and Two-Year Kellogg MBAs graduated in 2020, with the majority of grads joining the consulting industry (36 percent), tech industry (28 percent), and the finance industry (15 percent). The average annual salary for those in consulting was $153,577 and the median signing bonus was $30,000.

Tuition, Scholarships, and Financial Aid

The Two-Year Kellogg full-time MBA program tuition is $74,871 per year. The total program cost estimated at $107,197 is based on the following costs:

• Tuition – $73,404
• Room and Board – $17,100
• Books and Supplies – $1,647
• Travel – $1,329
• Personal – $3,150
• Health Insurance – $4,170
• Computer Equipment – $1,200
• Student Activity and Experience Fee – $1,400
• Student Association Fee – $330
• First Year Fee – $2,000

There are numerous scholarships available to Kellogg full-time MBA students.

F.C. Austin Scholarships are awarded to 20 students admitted to either the Two-Year MBA or MMM programs who plan on pursuing careers in management. The scholarships cover about half the tuition for each academic year.

David F. and Margaret T. Grohne Family Foundation Fellowship covers full tuition for an entering student in the Two-Year MBA of MMM Programs.

Donald P. Jacobs International Scholarships are available to provide selected international students.
The Forté Foundation and Kellogg offer scholarship opportunities to female students pursuing full-time MBA programs at Kellogg.

Diversity Scholarships are also available with sponsorship from Kellogg and corporate sponsors like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. The Toigo Foundation also grants diversity fellowships at Kellogg.

In order to be considered for the merit and need-based scholarships from the Office of Financial Aid, students must complete the Kellogg financial aid application and also submit a Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) upon receiving an offer of admission. Merit and need-based scholarships and grants are paired with low-interest education loans, which are awarded based on merit and assessed financial need on a first come first served basis. There are no teaching assistantships available.

For Post-9/11 GI Bill eligible students, Kellogg awards up to 50 students with up to $15,000 on a first come, first served basis. Through the Yellow Ribbon program, the VA may match this award for military veterans.

Admissions

Applicants to the Kellogg full-time MBA program must submit the following materials:

• Date form including biographical details, educational experiences, academic honors, activities, work experience, self-reported • GMAT/GRE, and TOEFL scores (as applicable).
• Interview request (on-campus or off).
• Resume
• $250 non-refundable application fee, by credit card.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• Scanned transcripts from undergraduate institution(s).
• Scanned GMAT/GRE/TOEFL scores.
• Updated test scores, if applicable.
• Three Essays (including a video essay).
• Kellogg Honor Code

2021-2022 Northwestern Kellogg Full-time MBA Deadlines

Northwestern Kellogg Full-Time MBA FAQs

How has the university coped with the pandemic?

Classes are being offered in a hybrid format to keep students and staff safe.

What graduate programs are offered at Kellogg?

Kellogg offers full-time, part-time, and executive MBA options as well as an MS in Management Studies.

What are the most common undergraduate majors for entering students?

Fifty-two percent of the most recent class achieved an engineering degree while 29% had a science degree and 28% had a degree in the humanities.

Working on your Northwestern Kellogg full-time MBA application? Check out the Clear Admit Kellogg Essay Topic Analysis for advice on how to approach your essays.

Get an MBA Admissions Edge with the LiveWire Data Dashboard

Curious about your chances of gaining admission to top business schools?  Now you can see how hundreds of previous applicants fared at Kellogg in just a few clicks.  The LiveWire Data Dashboard’s interactive data visualization tools allow you to spot trends, compare MBA programs, and benchmark your stats against successful applicants at your target schools. Learn more here!  Ready to explore the data? Purchase a 30-Day or 365-Day subscription in our shop for immediate access!

The Online MBA: Which Programs Matter?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to earn your MBA online? We wanted to take an in-depth look at the advantages of an Online MBA program and what it looks like to complete your graduate business education online—how long it will take, what activities will be available to you, and how it will enhance your career.

To that effect, we interviewed the admissions staff at some of the top brick and mortar business schools with leading Online MBA programs: CMU Tepper, Indiana Kelley, Michigan Ross, UNC Kenan-Flagler, and USC Marshall. Here’s what we learned:

CMU Tepper School of Business Online MBA

The CMU Tepper School of Business Online MBA program is a hybrid program, meaning students attend live, interactive online classes two evenings a week (for 70 minutes each) and then work the rest of the time offline, at their own pace. Students take the same rigorous curriculum as full-time students and are taught by the same faculty and staff.

• Duration: Flexible program duration
• Travel: Six times a year, students meet in-person for Access Weekends in Pittsburgh, Silicon Valley, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
• Workload: You’ll attend two, 70-minute live class sessions every week with an additional 3-5 hours of offline assignments.

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of extracurricular activities (e.g., can they join a finance club, organize a tech conference, what are the similarities for an online program with the full-time program)?

“The Tepper School part-time Online Hybrid MBA is structured to provide maximum flexibility without sacrificing the extra-curricular experience, which is an essential component of an MBA program. Our online students have access to various campus activities, including student clubs, speaker events, and career treks that enrich the academic experience and provide opportunities to connect with colleagues, alumni, and potential employers. We also have a TepperBot (picture attached), which  is a great way for students to actively join campus activities remotely. They can control the TepperBot’s movements from their phones, adjust the height, roll through spaces. It’s an excellent way for online students to be part of the on-campus experience.

Throughout their Tepper experience, online MBA students actively participate in student club activities; leadership coaching and workshops; corporate presentations and recruiting; and all that business school has to offer. Our online students have an active student leadership organization, and even started a virtual Friday afternoon happy hour!

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of career resources. Do you offer the full-time MBA equivalent of on-campus recruiting?

“Our part-time Online Hybrid MBAs have access to the same career resources as our full-time students, including on-campus recruiting, corporate presentations, career treks to visit employers around the country, and connections to jobs at premier companies. Our top-ranked Masters Career Center provides career coaching from seasoned professionals to help them successfully manage career opportunities.”

IU Kelley School of Business Online MBA

The IU Kelley Direct Online MBA is delivered completely online. Students must complete 54 units to graduate—27 credits of core courses and 27 credits of electives. Courses are taught by the same faculty that teach the full-time MBA, but students have the flexibility to fit the coursework into their busy schedule.  You can either participate in live lectures with your classmates or watch recorded lectures on your own schedule.

• Duration: Two to four years
• Travel: Students attend two Kelley Connect Weeks, which are intensive seven-day, in-person experiences on IU’s Bloomington campus.
• Workload: Live weekly classes are around 75 minutes in length in addition to prep work and additional study.

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of co-curricular activities (e.g., can they join a finance club, organize a tech conference, what are the similarities for an online program with the full-time program)?

“Effective November 1, we have re-branded student services to the Office of Student Services and Advising. That unit is now responsible for co-curricular and experiential activities. What is true about an online MBA student is that they want to build a set of experiences that complement what they do in the classroom, but there is a lot of variability in terms of what they want to build.

Our co-curricular experiences have been divided into various buckets.

• There are four-credit experiential learning opportunities. Specifically, there are global learning courses that offer two types of experiential learning. There is a consulting course where they work on a live project, and then there’s an exploratory course where students spend a few weeks in a different country working with and learning from high-performing corporations outside the U.S.
• We also offer a robust suite of affinity groups—both identity-oriented groups and functional groups. As an example, there are several events for online MBA students, including virtual happy hours and excursions to visit Warren Buffet in Nebraska.
• Third, twice a year, we have a Global Connect Night where students get together and have refreshments with each other all across the world. Students entirely coordinate these events.
• Finally, we have a high-impact suite of offerings from our Career Management Center and one-on-one career coaching.”

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of career resources. Do you offer the full-time MBA equivalent of on-campus recruiting?

“We have a five-phase career development model for our online MBA students that begins before a student’s very first Kelley Connect Week. They are sent access to a website that allows them to begin pre-work on their career goals and what they’re hoping to get out of their online MBA.

We recognize that most students in our program are primarily seekers looking to change their function, industry, or location, or they are career navigators looking to move up in their organization. So, as a first-year student, we ask them to complete career work early and then come to campus for a two-hour content session led by the Career Center to gain more insight into their options.

Then, our online MBA students have touch-points with their career coaches throughout their time in the program. Not only do they have access to the Career Center online, but they can check-in with their coach in person as well; it’s up to the individual. Our career office also sends out regular communications with career tips, job offers, and more. Students can also participate in several 1.5-credit hour courses offered by our career office for job seekers, career navigators, consultants, and more.”

Michigan Ross School of Business Online MBA

The Michigan Ross Online MBA (OMBA) is a flexible format that includes live class sessions, self-guided study, and leadership development training on the Ross campus. To graduate, students must complete 57 credit hours including 27 credits of core curriculum, 18 credits of electives, nine credits of in-person residencies, and three credits for an action-based learning project (MAP). It’s a highly flexible, self-paced program.

• Duration: Two or more years
• Travel: Students must attend three in-person residencies on the Ross campus that take place Thursday through mid-Sunday.
• Workload: Each 2.25-credit course requires students to participate in four live classes via the online platform.

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of extracurricular activities (e.g., can they join a finance club, organize a tech conference, what are the similarities for an online program with the full-time program)?

“We will work with club leadership to devise ways to accommodate these students, knowing that this will be an enriching experience for both the online students and the clubs.  We are planning on using technology for students to participate remotely in events.”

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of career resources. Do you offer the full-time MBA equivalent of on-campus recruiting?

“Online students will be able to take part in the formal recruiting process if they wish.  We have a career professional dedicated to our PT students, who is familiar with their specific needs and common career paths. OMBA students will have access to comprehensive career development services to prepare them for recruiting. These include resume reviews, networking guidance, interview practice, and negotiation advice.”

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School MBA@UNC

The UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School MBA@UNC is an online MBA program where the teaching and coursework are delivered online. Students must complete a total of 62 credits, including a broad business foundation and an emphasis on strategic leadership. Weekly, students meet face-to-face online for collaborative sessions that build on coursework and foster stronger connections. However, using the mobile learning platform, students can complete coursework 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

• Duration: Anytime between 18 to 36 months, as it fits their work/personal commitments.
• Travel: Optional three-day intensive Global Summits are available every quarter, and students must attend two prior to graduation. Summits are held around the world and students can choose the location and term that best fits their schedule.
• Workload: Throughout each week, students complete interactive assignments on their own time comprised of case studies, video simulations, group projects, and reading materials. Students then meet each week in a webcam-based online classroom of no more than 15 students to discuss the week’s material with classmates and professors.

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of extracurricular activities (e.g., can they join a finance club, organize a tech conference, what are the similarities for an online program with the full-time program)?

“Yes! Online MBA students at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School students engage in our many and very active student-led MBA clubs. Some use online social media channels for communication and promotion, while others hold virtual meetings and webinars. In some cities, they have regularly scheduled in-person social outings.

They also participate in events on campus–in-person or via live-stream–including speakers and conferences. Conferences include Carolina Women in Business, Careers with Impact Forum, Real Estate Conference, and Healthcare Club Conference.

For those students who join our in-person orientation, their networking/relationships begin before classes start. Then it occurs organically through group projects in courses, but they also use “cyber-rooms” (where they study with classmates and work on group projects) to run happy hours.

At our in-person summits (four per year – two in the U.S. and two in other countries), students spend a great deal of time creating and strengthening their networks and relationships. Many plan personal trips together before or after the summits.”

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of career resources. Do you offer the full-time MBA equivalent of on-campus recruiting?

“Our students take advantage of the school’s many career resources, including:

• Every student participates in a 360 Multirater process at the beginning of the program and conducts a one-hour debrief with an Executive Coach to help understand their strengths and areas for improvement as a leader.
• Our Career & Leadership team conducts over 400 additional (optional) individual, one-hour personalized coaching sessions annually for our online students on a variety of topics, including developing a personalized action plan, assistance with job search, working through leadership challenges with their team, onboarding into a new role, etc.
• We conduct nearly 100 Career & Leadership programs (in-person events, webinars, networking forums, etc.) annually on topics ranging from leadership development to industry education and preparation sessions, to tactical career search elements. We deliver many of these ourselves; well also offer them in collaboration with national experts when appropriate.
• We offer a complementary suite of recruiting activities for our working professional students. These include virtual career fairs, networking events with employers, student, and alumni panels, and two in-person career fairs per year, in addition to the MBA National Conferences, which provide company networking and interview opportunities as well.
• We participate in a wide variety of national MBA career fairs (Forte, Prospanica, MBA Veterans Conference, ROMBA, National Black, etc.) where we provide on-site support.
• The long history of the MBA@UNC program and UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School has helped us grow a strong student and alumni base at top companies. Students have exposure to this network through industry/functional panels; our 17-city alumni networking summer series; and ongoing, informal events throughout the year at our various alumni chapters both nationally and internationally. We have about 37,000 alumni living and working in 86 countries.”

USC Marshall School of Business Online MBA

The USC Marshall Online MBA offers a unique, integrated curriculum designed for the online platform. Each class is taught weekly via live, interactive class discussions and asynchronous coursework. To graduate, students must complete 51 credits to graduate or six courses: Role of the Manager; Fundamentals of Business; Opportunity Recognition and Implementation; Managing Inside the Firm; Managing Outside Firm; and Business Environment & Leadership.

• Duration: 21 months
• Travel: Students must participate in a one-week, on-campus residency
• Workload: Every course requires two meetings per week for about one to two hours for each live class meeting—typically, Monday through Thursday from 5 pm to 10 pm. On average, students are expected to spend between 20-30 hours per week on coursework.

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of extracurricular activities (e.g., can they join a finance club, organize a tech conference, what are the similarities for an online program with the full-time program)?

“The Marshall online MBA students may join the student organizations, attend all campus events, and participate in USC and Marshall alumni events. They are fully USC Marshall students. Some have attended alumni events in their region. Similar to the residential program, students may serve as cohort ambassadors, graduate with all of the residential MBA students and with the same diploma. Some have engaged in entrepreneurship competitions. Many attend the monthly virtual conversations with executives.”

CA: How do your Online MBA students take advantage of career resources. Do you offer the full-time MBA equivalent of on-campus recruiting?

“Because 100 percent of the students are fully employed–meaning they also cannot pursue internships–and nearly 40 percent are financially supported by their employers, and because the average work experience is 10+ years, OMBA students have a different set of career resource needs than our residential MBAs. When the Marshall admissions committee interviews final candidates, we explain the career options to avoid any later disappointments. Our Online MBA students consistently make appointments with the Online MBA career coaches for individual career counseling, most use the Marshall alumni network, and some attend on-campus job fairs. A few have even hired cohort-mates, and four OMBAs started a new company together.”

This article has been edited and republished from its original source, Clear Admit.

Full-Time MBA

University of Indiana Kelley School of Business Full-Time MBA Program Structure

Before beginning the first year of the two-year, full-time MBA program at the AASCB-accredited Kelley School of Business, students participate in the two-week intensive Me Inc. program, which fosters team-building elements and career development. Those without an undergraduate business degree can also participate in the Jump Start week, helping those get up to speed alongside their peers.

Alongside the academic regiment, students in the Kelly full-time program participate in coinciding leadership and career development from the very beginning until the very end of the program, with rigorous career coaching, networking assistance, a summer internship, and much more.

Curriculum

The full-time MBA at Kelley takes two years to complete. The first semester consists of integrated core courses, which help students understand business fundamentals over the course of 15 weeks. Courses cover topics such as economic foundations and quantitative analysis.

First-year MBA students choose an Academy to gain additional access to specific activities, consulting projects, career coaches, and mentorship opportunities related to their chosen field. First-year MBA students may choose from the following academies: Business Marketing, Capital Markets, Consulting, Consumer Marketing, Strategic Finance, or Supply Chain. A specialized Academy called PLUS Life Sciences offers students additional training in the health care and pharmaceuticals fields. Optional second-year Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership Academies are also offered.

In addition, students choose one of seven majors, or they can design a specialized one. The standard majors include business analytics, entrepreneurship and corporate innovation, finance, management, marketing, strategic analysis of accounting, and supply chain and operations. Majors require 15 credit hours. Minors, which require six additional credit hours, are also offered.

Kelley MBA students may also earn a certificate in social entrepreneurship or global business achievement. The social entrepreneurship program consists of 18 credit hours, and it works in conjunction with the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Meanwhile, the global business achievement certificate requires three hours of specialized coursework, a global experience component (e.g., a study abroad program), and a language and culture opportunity (e.g., a foreign language course).

Lastly, leadership components are built into the program with Me, Inc., which helps students develop a deeper understanding of their personal brand and how to parlay that knowledge into career opportunities.

Full-Time MBA Rankings

• U.S. News & World Report: 23
• Bloomberg: 25
• Forbes: 19
• Financial Times: 38
• The Economist: 36

Class Profile

The 92 members of the Class of 2022 have an average age of 29 and an average of 5.5 years of work experience. Women comprise 35% of the class and 23% are international students. Twenty-nine percent identify as minorities. During their undergraduate years, the group averaged a 3.32 GPA. Thirty-seven percent had earned undergraduate degrees in business administration. Thirty percent majored in social sciences and humanities, while another 28% pursued science and engineering. When it came time to take the GMAT, the new Kelley MBA students averaged a score of 652.

Career Statistics

The Class of 2019 started their post-MBA careers with a median base salary of $115,000. Consulting was the most popular industry, as 21% of graduates selected it. Technology followed closely at 19%. Fifteen percent of the class pursued positions in the consumer goods industry, while 12% selected healthcare. Financial services saw 11% of new Kelley graduates and manufacturing took in 10%.

Nearly half of the Class of 2019 settled in the Midwest at 47%. The next most popular destination was the Western U.S., which claimed 15% of graduates. Fourteen percent settled in the Southwest, 11% in the Northeast, 8% in the South and 4% abroad.

Tuition, Scholarships, and Financial Aid

For 2021-2022, the Kelley full-time MBA tuition is $28,143 for Indiana residents and $52,483 for nonresidents or international students. With total fees, including room and board, the cost of attendance comes to $32,379 for residents and $56,718 for nonresidents per year.

Merit-based aids are awarded automatically as part of the admissions process and do not require any extra application processes. More than half of enrolled students earn some form of scholarship assistance, which can range from $10,000 to the entire cost of tuition. Additional fellowships are also available, including Forté Fellowships and Kelley School of Business Merit Fellowship, among others.

U.S. students are eligible for both public and private loans, while international students are generally offered private loans.

Admissions

Applicants for the Indiana Kelley full-time MBA program must provide the following:

• Create an eApp account to complete online application process
• Submit GMAT/GRE Scores
• One recommendation
• Complete essay questions
• Transcripts
• Resume
• $75 application fee

Interviews are not required but are encouraged as part of the admissions process.

2021-2022 Indiana Kelley Full-Time MBA Deadlines

Get an MBA Admissions Edge with the LiveWire Data Dashboard

Curious about your chances of gaining admission to top business schools?  Now you can see how hundreds of previous applicants fared at Kelley in just a few clicks.  The LiveWire Data Dashboard’s interactive data visualization tools allow you to spot trends, compare MBA programs, and benchmark your stats against successful applicants at your target schools. Learn more here!  Ready to explore the data? Purchase a 30-Day or 365-Day subscription in our shop for immediate access!

5 Questions with the Director of Admissions at Illinois Gies College of Business

In our latest installment of the MetroMBA “5 Questions” series, we speak with Jennifer Larson, the University of Illinois Director of Recruiting and Admissions of Graduate Programs at the Gies College of Business. Larson talks about the future career of a Gies MBA grad, the hands-on nature of the MBA program, and the many financial aid opportunities for students.

1. What are Gies’ strongest industries and how does the school support students in those industries?

“Our recent graduates have worked for major corporations like Amazon, AT&T, Google, and Bank of America in a number of functional areas, including Consulting, Finance/Accounting, General Management, Information Technology, and Marketing.

Gies Business Career Services boasts a diverse employer base of Fortune 500 companies and other regional organizations across multiple industry sectors including, but not limited to, manufacturing, financial services, consumer products, and consulting. Almost 25 percent of the F500 and more than 40 percent of the F100 recruit from Gies College of Business.

Our students actively engage with global, national and regional employers on-campus and at major MBA consortium events. Illinois founded and participates with nine other Top 50 MBA programs in the Midwest MBA Career Fair, one of the largest regional MBA career fairs.

We offer alumni connections built through the Illinois Business Mentor Program and the Illinois MBA Alumni Association, bringing students and alumni together for an exchange of information on education, professionalism, aspirations, and ideas.

Our MBA students network and engage with alumni and employers for information sessions, workshops, networking events, career connections, and interview preparation. Illinois MBA alumni are counted among those who hold C-suite roles in manufacturing, consulting, financial services, and healthcare in both the public and private sectors.

We hear four predominant reasons why students pursue an MBA:

1. to build and expand their professional network,
2. to increase salary/earnings potential,
3. to create greater future job optionality,
4. to accelerate or change career paths.

Whatever the reason, Gies Business Career Services is an invaluable resource for our students from day one.

Career Services provides an integrated suite of career development, coaching, and alumni and employer resources that enable us to assist MBA students in achieving career success. This starts with pre-program groundwork.

Career Management Foundations is the eLearning portal to MBA Career Management in Gies College of Business. This launches your job search the summer before the MBA program commences. You will have the chance to engage in five distinctive career modules that expose you to career planning and active career management processes. These help our students define their goals and develop tools that will enable their professional advancement. Each module contains topic related information, videos, articles, assessments, and key deliverables.

We also provide customized career coaching and consultation for MBA students so they are fully prepared for the job search with a focus on building life-long job seeking skills that will help the student through each career transition. Combine that with being ranked #3 in ROI (BusinessWeek) and being a Top 25 U.S. Business School (Financial Times), there is no question that an MBA from Gies College of Business at Illinois delivers max value during and after your time in the MBA program.”

2. Can you identify the ideal Gies candidate? Characteristics you look for?

“At Illinois, we don’t look for students who want to sit in a classroom for two years. We admit students who are passionate about applying the concepts learned in the classroom, actively participate in and outside of the classroom, and are team oriented. We look beyond test scores. We value candidates who bring a strong sense of community, possess a good understanding of the importance of career outcomes, and can demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills. We appreciate and welcome diverse personal and professional backgrounds beyond business.”

“, “At Illinois, we don’t look for students who want to sit in a classroom for two years. We admit students who are passionate about applying the concepts learned in the classroom, actively participate in and outside of the classroom, and are team oriented,” Larson says.

3. If there was one feature of the MBA program you could highlight, what would it be?

“The MBA program at Gies College of Business is one of the most hands-on MBA programs in the country.

Action Learning at Gies is more than a course or a program; it’s ingrained in our culture. Action Learning is integrated throughout our undergraduate and graduate programs. Because our students get hands-on experience during school, they graduate more prepared for the real-world, to add value from day one, and to succeed in their careers.

Action Learning projects are a critical part of the students’ education. We work with clients who invest in developing our students. When a client is engaged and committed, students reciprocate with enthusiasm and dedication to the project. Through our Action Learning programs, students have a better story to tell recruiters, improve their ability to work as a team, and enhance their ability to solve complex problems.”

4. What kinds of financial aid are available to MBA students?

“All candidates admitted to the MBA program in Gies College of Business at Illinois are automatically considered for our merit-based Dean’s Scholarships with no separate scholarship application necessary. 85 percent of students admitted to the MBA program receive a scholarship offer from our diverse portfolio of awards. We also want our students back! The Illinois x 2 Scholarship offers a 50 percent tuition reduction for full-time MBA students who are University of Illinois alumni and meet the eligibility requirements. Find all the scholarships here.

The MBA program at Gies is dedicated to training an inclusive cohort of future leaders in a diverse, global setting. In addition to our traditional merit-based scholarships, we allocate eight full-tuition scholarships annually, for graduates of historically black colleges and universities.  Along with submitting a standard MBA application, applicants for these eight scholarships must have a competitive GMAT score (or equivalent GRE), at least two years of work experience, and a minimum GPA of 3.5.

Gies College of Business is committed to educating and directing talented women toward leadership roles in business. Gies College of Business is a Forté sponsor school dedicated to having a diverse group of Forté MBA Fellows, which is an honor given to select female MBA students at participating business schools. Both domestic and international women may be nominated as Fellows; each receives a generous scholarship from the MBA program at Gies College of Business.”

5. What underrated area/activity in Champaign – Urbana should every student do?

“Champaign-Urbana has a robust arts, culture, and music scene. Here, urban engages rural for an unparalleled ‘college-town’ experience that offers access to several renowned museums, and a thriving arts and culture community. In large part because of the University of Illinois’ diverse population, C-U has a strong foodie scene with a wide variety of restaurants and cuisines from all over the world. According to readers of Midwest Living magazine, the metro area of Champaign-Urbana is the best midwest food town.

For those interested in learning more about the full-time MBA program at Illinois Gies College of Business, head over to the school’s official website.

Full-Time MBA

Fisher College of Business Full-Time MBA Program Structure

The Ohio State full-time MBA program is an in-person, two-year program that includes 25.5 credit hours of integrated core coursework, 7.5 credit hours of experiential learning (Business Lab Project, Social Impact Challenge, Optional Global Applied Project), and 27 credit hours of elective coursework. The program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours to graduate.

Curriculum at The Ohio State Full-Time MBA

In addition to a theoretical base in business administration, Fisher prides itself in its action-based learning opportunities, such as field-based courses and business plan competitions, among other offerings. The full-time MBA program begins with a required three-week Take-Off, during which new students are introduced to the college and MBA core and participate in coaching and career development, among other forms of development. Core courses and experiential learning make up the entire first year to establish a foundation for electives and major courses in the second year. Each academic year is broken down into two semesters, and there are two seven-week sessions per semester. Some courses will span the entire semester, while others will be either the first or last seven-week session of the semester. The summer between the first and second years may be spent in an internship or on a Global Applied Project (GAP), a three-credit consulting project for an institution outside of the United States.

Full-time MBA students need 60 credits to graduate; 25.5 of these credits come from core courses, while 7.5 hours come from experiential learning and 27 are dedicated to electives, which allow students to focus their MBA. Instead of majors, Fisher MBA students may pursue optional pathways, such as asset management, brand management, entrepreneurship, and others, to support their career interests.

The Ohio State Full-Time MBA Rankings

• U.S. News & World Report: 37
• Bloomberg: 41
• Financial Times: 72
• Forbes: 41
• The Economist: 50

Class Profile

Fifty-nine new MBA students joined Fisher in the Fall of 2020. Forty-one percent of them pursued undergraduate degrees in business. Another 26% had studied social sciences and 25% the arts and sciences. Eight percent had majored in engineering. The average GPA was 3.45.

Upon matriculation at Ohio State Fisher, students averaged roughly four years of full-time work experience. The average GMAT score of incoming students clocked in at 666 while the average GRE composite score was 312. In total, 12% of students in the Class of 2022 are international, 36% are women and 15% identify as a member of a domestic minority group.

Career Statistics

Within three months of graduation, 90% of the Class of 2020 had job offers. Their average starting salary landed at $137,851. Financial services topped the list of industry choices at 32%. Tech followed at 17% and consulting at 16%. Nine percent chose the healthcare industry and 7% entered manufacturing. Another 4% joined consumer products and 3% went into retail.

Most of the Class of 2020 settled in the Midwest (65%). The next most popular destination was the Western U.S., which took in just 10% of graduates. The South, Southwest, and Northeast each saw 6% of MBA graduates, and the Mid-Atlantic region had 7%.

Tuition, Scholarships, and Financial Aid

Tuition and fees for the Ohio State Full-Time MBA for the 2021-22 school year is $31,139 per year for Ohio residents, with an estimated total cost of $53,605 with other expenses. Non-residents and international students can expect to pay $55,855 in tuition and fees, with a total cost of $78,321 per year.

Some examples of Fisher scholarship offerings include:

• Up to five scholarships for our MBA Specialization in Technology Entrepreneurship
• Diversity scholarships (ROMBA, Prospanica, NBMBAA, Forté Fellow)
• National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Scholarships
• International scholarships (Africa, South America, Europe, etc.)
• Active military and veteran scholarships
• Dean’s scholarships for Fisher/Ohio State alumnus

Admissions

Applicants must include the following:

• Academic Transcripts (official not required at time of application)
• Test Scores: GMAT or GRE (waiver available for military candidates that meet the qualifications)
• Resume
• Written Essays
• Optional: Letters of recommendation
• Video Interview
• Live Interview (invite only)
• $60 fee ($70 for international applicants)

The Ohio State Full-Time MBA Deadlines

Learn More About the OSU Deadlines here

How Philadelphia MBA Programs Help Lower-Income Applicants

Compared to Philly’s east coast metropolitan peers, its cost of living is laughably low. Additionally, Philly has all of the advantages of being located smack dab between DC and NYC. Although Wall Street has long since displaced Philly as the American center for banking, much of that infrastructure and tradition remain, which helps Philly maintain its status as a major economic powerhouse in the 21st century.

Since, according to Philly Mag, Philadelphia has one of the fastest growing millennial populations in the country, the city has creativity and energy that permeates every sector. All of these factors make Philly the perfect place to launch a career.

For low-income students looking to pursue an MBA in Philly, we’ve compiled a list of what some of Philly metro’s top schools are doing to help students fund their higher education.

Fox School of Business — Temple University

The Fox School of Business at Temple University has a variety of options for students looking to finance their MBA. In fact, according to the school’s website, 60 percent of first-year Temple students receive need-based aid each year. On average, first year students receiving need-based aid are awarded $15,000 toward tuition. Fox carefully assesses the applications of all incoming students, and the school distributes merit-based scholarships for those who demonstrate particular promise. There are also specific financial perks for Temple alumni coming into the MBA program. These students are not required to pay an application fee and receive a five percent tuition scholarship.

JUST FOR YOU: Fox Temple EMBA Jumps in New Financial Times Ranking

Lehigh University College of Business and Economics

The Lehigh University College of Business and Economics provides a some merit-based scholarships to helps students fund their education. Awards are determined by the Committee on Financial aid. The committee considers an applicant’s undergraduate record, test scores, and work experience. Scholarships include the Dean’s Scholar, which offers extremely promising students a full ride plus a $10,000 living stipend.

Lehigh also has a number of Director’s Scholars, who may receive awards anywhere from $5,00 to full tuition. Lehigh offers many other scholarships in addition to need-based financial aid specific that varies depending on the MBA track.

LeBow College of Business — Drexel University

When considering Philly Metro MBA programs that provide resources for low-income applicants, it would be remiss not to mention Drexel’s LeBow College of Business. At LeBow, an impressive 82 percent of full-time MBAs get aid that amounts to 62 percent of tuition. Additionally, nearly 70 percent of full-time students benefit from grants that covered about one fifth their tuition. Drexel also offers merit-based scholarships. Additionally, the school offers the URM Scholarship, which offers supplemental fiscal gifts to underrepresented minority students.

Smeal College of Business — Penn State University

Penn State’s Smeal College of Business has a large number of MBA alumni-funded scholarships that are awarded based on academic achievement, work history, and how well students fit into the Smeal program. Around 20 percent of incoming students receive $5-10,000 awards. There are fellowships for specific groups of students, including the Powerful Women Paving the Way Fellowship which is awarded to promising women, and the Maimuna Mijindadi Anyone Memorial Fellowship, for students of Nigerian descent.

The Wharton School — University of Pennsylvania

Students who apply to Wharton are automatically considered for fellowships that offer some level of financial support. Students also have the option of applying to any of over 700 external fellowship programs. Wharton students can also apply for private or federal loans.

The Ivy League business school offers a litany of scholarship opportunities for incoming and current students, from the American Association of University Women, to the Instituto Ling Scholarship Program for international applicants, among others.

Additionally, Wharton hosts a positively booming array of fellowship opportunities, including some of MetroMBA’s favorites, like the Forte Fellowships program and the Reaching Out LGBT MBA Fellowship.

For more information on Wharton’s many financial assistance opportunities, click here.

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.

Babson’s Women Innovating Now (WIN) Lab is part of that school’s effort to bridge this gap and increase the number of women leaders in business. Continue reading…

What Bain & Company Looks for in MBA Hires

Bain & Company—widely considered one of the most elite consulting firms in the world—is a coveted post-MBA destination for students at top business schools in every part of the globe. Headquartered in Boston with 53 offices in 34 countries around the world, Bain employs more than 7,000 people and counts as its clients leading Fortune 500 companies, as well as nonprofit and government organizations. And business is booming.

According to Keith Bevans, Global Head of Consultant Recruiting, the company has grown at a rate of 15 percent a year for the past 20 years, with no slowdown in sight. “We hire a little over 400 consultants a year—and that growth comes from the top business schools in the world,” he says. While the company primarily targets top-20 schools for MBA recruiting, it hires from more than 60 schools around the world and is committed to finding the best talent wherever it can.

Bevans is a Bain-lifer. He started as an associate consultant out of MIT, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering. He left Bain to get his MBA at Harvard Business School but returned upon graduation and has been there ever since. For much of his career, he was a client-facing partner in the firm’s Performance Improvement practice, with a focus on processes to improve effectiveness and efficiencies. Now he’s putting that expertise to work for his own company, and he couldn’t be happier.

His allegiance to the firm is clear, and it’s based in great part on his intimate understanding of its culture, which he describes as steadfastly collaborative and supportive. And he’s not alone. Bain frequently tops the “Best Places to Work” lists for Glassdoor, Vault and Consulting magazine, with employees praising its “great people and culture” and calling it “an incredible place to learn” and “the best place to start your career.”

It’s people, too, set Bain apart, Bevans agrees. “They are very smart, very passionate, maniacally focused on making a difference in whatever they are doing—and they wrap all of that in a layer of humility, which I think is very rare to find.”

Bain Partner Keith Bevans, Global Head of Consultant Recruiting

But interns alone are not enough to keep up with Bain’s growth. “It varies from year to year in terms of how many of our full-time hires are former summer interns, new full-time hires or former consultants. But the internship program never fills up the whole group.”MBA graduates are a big and important part of the company’s hiring, and many start out as interns in the 10-week summer associate program between their first and second years of business school. “It’s definitely an important on-ramp,” he says of the internship program, adding that it’s also a valuable opportunity for both Bain and its interns to determine fit. Notably, 90 percent of interns return to work for Bain full-time, Bevans adds. And there’s not a maximum cap on intern hires. “Our summer program is limited only by how many great students we can find,” he says. “We don’t have a target—rather I like to think of it as a minimum. If we find more great people, we will always go over whatever we set out for.” Which means there are opportunities for second-year students who may not have targeted Bain or consulting in their first year.

But interns alone are not enough to keep up with Bain’s growth. “It varies from year to year in terms of how many of our full-time hires are former summer interns, new full-time hires or former consultants. But the internship program never fills up the whole group.”

Don’t miss Clear Admit’s exclusive interview with Bevans, in which he talks about the firm’s commitment to employee training and support, goes into detail about Bain’s MBA recruiting process, shares where he looks and what he looks for in MBA hires and more. Our thanks to Bevans for making the time to share more about Bain with the Clear Admit audience.

Corporate Recruiter Q&A: Bain & Company’s Keith Bevans

Clear Admit: What sets Bain apart—not only among other consulting firms but also as an employer or company overall?

Keith Bevans: There are a couple of things about Bain people that set us apart. In my role, I have had the opportunity to travel to offices around the world hiring people, and what I have found is that Bain people are passionate about both the work they are doing and the things they are doing outside of work. They really jump right in with both feet. When you align that around our goal of having our clients be successful, you can really see the passion Bainies have for their clients—it just oozes out of them. We are having a big impact on our clients, and we are hiring people who are really energized by that.

With that as our starting point, we put them in an environment where we really do act like one team and do everything we can to support them in their professional life. From our global training programs to our onboarding program to the career counseling we provide—it’s all aligned around helping them be successful and be the best they can be. Bain people are people who want to have an impact.

Relative to other firms I think we are different in the sense that we have a very collaborative culture. We also have tremendously deep expertise in every major sector of the economy, and we bring that to our clients. “We’ve studied this and analyzed this, but why don’t we marry that with your expertise?” we’ll say to clients. We are not trying to prove that we are smarter than our clients but to work collaboratively with them to position them to succeed.

CA: How important are MBAs in your overall hiring? How many MBAs do you hire each year, both interns and full-­time? Are you continuing to grow at the 15 percent rate you’ve enjoyed for so many years?

KB: MBA talent is a big and really important source of talent for us. For the last 20 years, we have been growing on average at a rate of 15 percent per year. That makes for a phenomenal slide when I put it in front of recruits. We hire a little over 400 consultants a year, and that growth comes from the top business schools in the world. The bulk of our targeted efforts focus on top 20 programs, but we have hired from almost 60 different MBA programs around the world.

With our growth, our primary focus is to make sure we are finding the most talented people out there. The breadth of schools from which we’ve hired shows that we are continuing to do innovative things through the Bain Passport and Webinar series to connect with students wherever they are. Our intern program this summer is once again—for the third or fourth year in a row—the largest we have run as a firm. It is definitely an important on-ramp, if you will. And 90 percent of the MBA interns who come for the summer return to Bain afterwards. We find the best, bring them in for the summer and very often they start their careers with us.

As for the 10 percent who don’t return—most of the time it’s actually more of a mutual thing. Maybe they tried consulting and decided it’s not a fit for them. And here’s another example of the supportive part about Bain: Even the interns who don’t come back often get support from the people who worked with them at Bain. They help them identify what parts of the internship were the right fit, and what roles might be a better match and then they help connect them with people who can help. After all, they are still Bain alums and still part of the Bain family.

Best Boston MBA Programs For Your Buck

It would be a gross understatement to characterize earning a business school degree as a major investment of time and resources. For the vast majority of applicants, choosing the right school is often a matter of choosing the one they can afford. But if there’s any city in the North America that offers a veritable gallery of business schools for any budget, it’s Boston. We surveyed the Boston scholarship landscape so you don’t have to, and here are the best Boston MBA programs for your buck:
Continue reading…

A Closer Look at Regional Financial Aid Packages for MBA Programs

Financial aid packages for MBA programs can vary depending on a school’s location, endowment and even prestige. In general, competitive MBA programs may use generous financial aid packages to help recruit top candidates. While most schools offer the option of federal direct Stafford loans or federal direct Graduate PLUS loans to MBA students seeking aid, other universities may use merit-based awards to bring in exceptional applicants. This is how the financial aid process plays out in certain regional MBA programs, and the generosity of some universities may surprise you.

Continue reading…

Full-Time MBA