5 Questions with MBA Admissions: Kellogg School of Management Evening & Weekend MBA Program
In our latest installment of the MetroMBA “5 Questions” series, we speak with Emily Haydon, the Senior Director of Admissions, Executive and Evening & Weekend MBA at Northwestern University-Kellogg School of Management. Haydon discusses the flexibility and fast-track options for their Evening & Weekend program, how they are adapting to the Coronavirus outbreak and how their Career Center helps their students with experienced advisers.
How does this program differentiate from other offerings at your school and other programs in the graduate management education space?
Kellogg’s Evening & Weekend program is a top-ranked part-time MBA program that offers flexible options to working professionals. Kellogg Evening & Weekend MBAs simultaneously take a core curriculum that focuses on foundational management skills along with optional majors and pathways that fit with their interests and career goals.
Emily Haydon, Sr. Director of Admissions, Executive and Evening & Weekend MBA at Northwestern University-Kellogg School of Management
We’ve launched an Accelerated Option to allow E&W students to complete an MBA in as quickly as one year (this option also provides tremendous cost savings), and made it possible for all students to enroll at any quarter throughout the year.
What is the typical profile of a student who would benefit most from this program and what characteristics are your admissions team looking for?
Kellogg’s Evening & Weekend program attracts the same ambitious leaders that apply to our full-time and executive MBA programs. Our students are high impact, low ego who want an MBA experience where they can collaborate, get involved and learn from each other. E&W students want to propel their professional development and leadership capabilities without putting their careers on hold.
We describe our students as working professionals who want to apply what they learn in the classroom in their work real-time and are seeking flexibility in a part-time MBA program. We work with students to customize and tailor their experience to meet their goals and pre-existing commitments.
What types of financial aid is available to students?
We strongly encourage all Evening & Weekend MBA students to apply for financial aid. The process is simple, and all students — regardless of need — are eligible to apply for assistance.
How does your school assist in finding job opportunities and how does your program enhance a student’s profile as a job applicant?
Within the Career Management Center (CMC), Evening &Weekend students have a team of career coaches specifically dedicated to their program. There are six coaches with an average of 20-25 years of experiences in industries including technology, finance, consulting, marketing and CPG. The coaching team is uniquely equipped to support students who might want to shift careers, amplify their current paths or launch a new venture. Within one year of graduating 77% of alumni changed industry/ function 78% were promoted, 9% joined or founded a startup and the average compensation increase was 43%(based on classes 2014-2016).
For recruiting, top employers from across industries and geographies regularly visit Kellogg to meet with and recruit students from the Evening & Weekend MBA Program. E&W students may participate in the on-campus recruiting process with Full-Time student participants as well as access resources like self-assessment tools and career development workshops. Recruiters also frequently host events at the Chicago campus to hire E&W students throughout the year, not just during Fall on campus recruiting.
Additionally, many students prefer to pursue a more customized and targeted approach, working closely with their Kellogg career coach to identify opportunities better suited to their individual needs and aspirations.
Students can always turn to their network of fellow students who are currently employed across a variety of fields and prominent companies.
What is one insider tip you can provide prospective applicants about applying to this program?
We are in unprecedented times with the impact of COVID-19. It is at times like this that we need brave leaders. Kellogg thrives in times that demand innovation. We are working hard at new and inventive ways to continue to deliver the Kellogg best-in-class experience.
While we can’t meet in person, Kellogg has created several virtual and on-demand virtual events to introduce prospective students to Kellogg and answer any application questions.
News Roundup – Pepperdine Professor Talks Nostalgia TV Trends on NPR, and More
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from this week, including a Pepperdine professor discussing the allure of nostalgia TV, and more.
NPR Podcast Invites Cristel Antonia Russell to Discuss Nostalgia TV – Pepperdine Graziadio Newsroom
Dr. Cristel Antonia Russell, Professor of Marketing at Pepperdine Graziadio School of Management recently spoke on the power of nostalgia TV on the NPR podcast On Point.
Along with Eric Deggans, NPR’s television critic, Dr. Russell discussed the phenomenon of the wide popularity of all things 1990s in current culture. A major topic of Russell’s research is the reasons behind why people tend to consume and re-consume certain pieces of pop culture. Take Friends, for instance, the rights of which was recently purchased by TimeWarner Media for $125 million. There has been a massive resurgence in the last five years or so of Ross, Rachel and the gang’s popularity.
Russell says, “Twenty-five years is a huge chunk of time to anyone. Nostalgia is a double-edged sword where a part of you wants to go back to these earlier times but a part of you is glad you are no longer an 18-year-old watching Friends. It allows people to reflect and realize how they have grown.”
For more on Dr. Russell, read here, and to download the On Point podcast about the nostalgia TV revival, visit NPR or listen below.
Dean Amy Hillman Drives an Unprecedented Year of Giving – ASU Carey News
Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business, led by Dean Amy Hillman, reached an unprecedented fundraising goal this year.
A $25 million donation from the W. P. Carey Foundation kicked off the $50 million campaign, and overall the school raised $43.7 million in fiscal year 2018-19. Alumni and current students helped to round out the gifts, with 615 individual donations from them and other private supporters. In all, alumni gave an impressive $11.7 million.
Hillman says of the campaign, “Of course what we do at W. P. Carey is business, but I always practice that ‘business is personal … What donors share with us, no matter the gift is about the people who are impacted through a scholarship, research, or career opportunity.”
The gifts came at a welcome time, as the state of Arizona has reduced funding for higher education in recent years. The money from the campaign will help to improve student resources, enhance research, and fund scholarships. For more on Dean Hillman and the fundraising campaign, read here.
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Writer’s Dilemma Illustrates How Hollywood Pay Gap is Alive and Well – Kellogg in the News
Nancy Qian, Professor of Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management recently weighed in for an article in the Chicago Tribune on the massive pay gap in Hollywood for non-white writers and actors.
The most recent event that prompted this discussion was the departure of Adele Lim, one of the screenwriters for ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ from the film’s sequel. Her white male counterpart was offered considerably more for his contribution to the sequel’s script—nearly a million dollars, compared to Lim’s offer of $110,000.
While a comment in The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Lim’s offer was based solely upon her experience and past accomplishments, her supporters believe otherwise. Professor Qian says:
“The Warner Bros. response that they have a formula for determining pay seems like an excuse, since they can always build in more components to the formula to give it more flexibility, such as take into account expertise on the subject, the number of other people with similar expertise, the success of the last project, and the evaluation from co-workers.”
“Every situation is different,” she adds. “But it wouldn’t be crazy to see this as Lim getting hit by two forces—on average, for the same level education and work experience, 1) women get paid less than men and 2) Asians in the U.S. get paid less than Caucasians. The question of why is subject to debate.”
Read here for the full Chicago Tribune article.
NYU Stern Receives $5 Million Gift from Alumna Entrepreneur Elizabeth Elting (MBA ’92) to Support the Advancement of Women in Business – NYU Stern News & Events
NYU Stern alum Elizabeth Elting, founder of translation firm Transperfect, recently donated $5 million to the school with the goal of nurturing Stern’s female entrepreneurs.
The gift, which is the largest ever from a woman entrepreneur in the school’s history, will fund Elizabeth Elting Women’s Leadership Fellowships for a total of forty female MBA students. Students who demonstrate both academic merit and the desire to build their own businesses will benefit from the fellowship.
“Starting my own business is the best and most rewarding decision I ever made for my life,” Elting says. “It gave me the resources I needed to provide for my family and influence the world for the better. That’s why I’m so excited to provide this gift to NYU Stern. This money will not only make Stern accessible to a greater number of ambitious young women eager to create their own futures, but will also help the best and brightest launch new enterprises and carry out visions that could transform the world.”
You can read more on Elting and the fellowship here.
Avolio Ranked #2 Most Influential Researcher in Leadership, #3 in Organizational Behavior – Foster School of Business News & Events
Bruce Avolio, Professor of Management at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, was recently named one of the globe’s foremost thinkers on leadership and organizational development by The Leadership Quarterly.
The publication named Avolio the number one scholar in the world at forming networks in the field of leadership research, and second best in productivity and influence of his leadership studies.
Another industry publication, the Academy of Management Learning and Education, lists Avolio the third most influential author since its inception. Avolio’s wide list of accomplishments include the 2013 Eminent Leadership Scholar Award from the Network of Leadership Scholars in the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Society, the American Psychological Association, and fellowships in the Academy of Management, and the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology.
Read more on Avolio and his research here.
