Cambridge 2011 MBA Deadlines

Round 1- October 4, 2010
round 2- December 6, 2010
Round 3- January 10, 2011
Round 4- March 14, 2011
Round 5- May 16, 2011

Some tips from Kellogg Director of Admissions

In their conversation with Beth Flye, Director of Admissions at Kellogg, our Vocaz consultants learned some valuable tips for the admissions process:

Kellogg seeks interesting, multi-faceted candidates, who will present themselves in an honest and interesting manner. They should be able to clearly explain their goals and why they seek an MBA. The candidates should be confident without arrogance, authentic, reflecting not only their heads, but also their hearts.

Flye emphasizes that there is no ideal candidate profile, and the school does not alter student body composition based on post-MBA marketplace trends.

In terms of recommendations, one should choose quality recommenders who can give an overall perspective of the candidate and go beyond general statements to give specific examples.

For interviews, Flye advises applicants to know themselves well and communicate their goals very clearly. They should show that they have done their research and ask questions.

Put Me in Business (applying in less than a year)
Put Me in Business (applying in more than a year)

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Oxford publishes 2011 MBA deadlines

Round 1- October 8, 2010
round 2- January 14, 2011
Round 3- April 1, 2011

Kellogg 2011 essay questions

Kellogg published the essay questions for its 2011 MBA program:

2011 Application Essay Questions - 1Y, 2Y & MMM questions

Essay #1
a) MBA Program applicants - Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing an MBA. (600 word limit)

b) MMM Program applicants – Briefly assess your career progress to date. How does the MMM Program meet your educational needs and career goals? (600 word limit).

Essay #2
Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experiences (600 word limit).

Essay #3
Assume you are evaluating your application from the perspective of a student member of the Kellogg Admissions Committee. Why would you and your peers select you for admission, and what impact would you make as a member of the Kellogg community? (600 word limit).

Essay #4
Complete one of the following three questions or statements. (400 word limit)
Re-applicants have the option to answer a question from this grouping, but this is not required.

a) Describe an instance where you encountered resistance in a professional team setting. How did you address the situation?
b) People may be surprised to learn that I…..
c) The best mistake I ever made was…….

Required essay for re-applicants only – Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (400 word limit)

Put Me in Business (applying in less than a year)
Put Me in Business (applying in more than a year)

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MIT releases its 2011 MBA deadlines

Round 1- October 26, 2010
round 2- January 4, 2011

LBS 2011 essay questions

LBS has released the essay questions for its 2011 MBA program:

Question 1 (750 words)

Give us a brief assessment of your career progress to date.
In what role do you see yourself working in immediately after graduation and what is your longer term career vision?
How will your past and present experiences help you to achieve this?
How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal?
Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?

Question 2 (300 words)

Give a specific example of when you have had to test your leadership and team working skills. Given this experience what role will you play in a first year study group?

Question 3 (300 words)

Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London Business School MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. Please describe how you will contribute to student clubs and the community and why?

Question 4 (300 words)

London Business School offers a truly global and diverse experience. Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country or culture. What did you gain and how will your experience contribute to London Business School?

Please choose ONE of the following options.

Question 5a (150 words)

You have decided to stand for the role of Student Association President. Announcing your campaign to the London Business School community for the first time, please describe your manifesto.

OR

Question 5b (150 words)

What is your most substantial achievement to date and why?

Question 6 (300 words)
(This question is optional)

Is there any other information that you believe would help the MBA Admissions Committee when considering your application?

Question 7 (300 words)
(This question is for re-applicants only)

How has your candidacy for the London Business School MBA improved since your last application? Have your views of London Business School or the MBA programme changed since you last applied?

Question 8

Please provide a CV/Resume. This CV must only be one page in length. If you have any significant gaps in your employment history, please tell us why on a separate sheet.


Put Me in Business (applying in less than a year)
Put Me in Business (applying in more than a year)

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Berkeley releases deadlines for 2011

Round 1- October 13, 2010
round 2- December 2, 2010
Round 3- January 20, 2011
Round 4- March 16, 2011

Chicago publishes 2011 deadlines

Round 1- October 13, 2010
round 2- January 5, 2011
Round 3- April 13, 2011

Stanford releases its 2011 essay questions

Essay 1: What matters most to you, and why?

Essay 2: What are your career aspirations? What do you need to learn at Stanford to achieve them?

Essay 3: Answer two of the four questions below. Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it. What was the outcome? How did people respond? Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years.

* Option A: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.
* Option B: Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.
* Option C: Tell us about a time when you generated support from others for an idea or initiative.
* Option D: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected

Additional Information

If there is any other information that is critical for us to know and is not captured elsewhere, please include it. Examples of pertinent additional information include:

* Extenuating circumstances affecting academic or work performance
* Explanation of why you do not have a Letter of Reference from your current direct supervisor or peer
* Explanation of criminal conviction, criminal charges sustained against you in a juvenile proceeding, and/or court-supervised probation
* Explanation of academic suspension or expulsion
* Any other information that you did not have sufficient space to complete in another section of the application (please begin the information in the appropriate section)
* Additional work experience that cannot fit into the space provided
* Additional information about your academic experience (e.g., independent research) not noted elsewhere

Essay Length

Your answers for all of the essay questions cannot exceed 1,800 words.
You have your own story to tell, so please allocate the 1,800 words among all of the essays in the way that is most effective for you. We provide some guidelines below as a starting point, but you should feel comfortable to write as much or as little as you like on any essay question, as long as you do not exceed 1,800 words total.

* Essay 1: 750 words
* Essay 2: 450 words
* Essay 3: 300 words each

Formatting

* Use a 12-point font, double spaced
* Recommended fonts are Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman
* Indicate which essay question you are answering at the beginning of each essay
* Number all pages
* Upload all four essays as one document
* Preview the uploaded document to ensure that the formatting is true to the original
* Save a copy of your essays

Put Me in Business (applying in less than a year)
Put Me in Business (applying in more than a year)

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New online seminar by Vocaz CEO

Gil Levi, CEO of Vocaz, recently lectured at the Annual Summit of the Association of Graduate Admission Consultants. Watch his seminar titled "Engineer>>> Top MBA: Challenges and Opportunities."

UCLA's 2011 Essay Questions

UCLA has published its essay questions for 2011:

FIRST-TIME APPLICANT ESSAY QUESTIONS

REQUIRED ESSAYS
Please be introspective and authentic in your responses. Content is more important than style of delivery. We value the opportunity to learn about your life experiences, aspirations, and goals.
1. What event or life experience has had the greatest influence in shaping your character and why? (750 words)
2. Describe your short-term and long-term career goals. What is your motivation for pursuing an MBA now and how will UCLA Anderson help you to achieve your goals? (750 words)

OPTIONAL ESSAYS
The following essays are strictly optional. These essays are for individuals who would like to provide additional information. No preference is given in the evaluation process to applicants who submit optional essays.
1. You may respond to the following question via written essay, audio or video clip: What is something people will find surprising about you?
2. Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words)


REAPPLICANT ESSAY QUESTIONS

REQUIRED ESSAY
Reapplicants who applied for the entering Fall 2009 or 2010 class are required to complete the following essay. Please be introspective and authentic in your response. Content is more important than style of delivery. We value the opportunity to learn more about your aspirations and goals.
1. Please describe your career progress since you last applied and ways in which you have enhanced your candidacy. Include updates on short-term and long-term career goals, as well as your continued interest in UCLA Anderson. (750 words)

OPTIONAL ESSAYS
The following essays are strictly optional. These essays are for individuals who would like to provide additional information. No preference is given in the evaluation process to applicants who submit optional essays.
1. You may respond to the following question via written essay, audio or video clip: What is something people will find surprising about you?
2. Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words)

Put Me in Business (applying in less than a year)
Put Me in Business (applying in more than a year)

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Top Business Schools Headed to India?

According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, a new bill under review by the Indian Parliament would allow foreign education institutions to open new Indian campuses. India has over 14 million students enrolled in colleges and universities; the demand for strong business education greatly overwhelms the limited spots available in the country’s top management programs. A few North American universities have already taken steps toward building new campuses in India, including Duke, York, Geogia Tech, and Virginia Polytechnic.

Put Me in Business (applying in less than a year)
Put Me in Business (applying in more than a year)

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What's new in the MBA job market?

As the school year wraps up, The Economist has surveyed the job market for new MBA graduates. Though the situation has improved since last year, it is not as bright as it had been a few years ago and companies have overhauled their recruitment policies. While in the past it was common practice for companies to grab up many talented business school graduates, even for as yet undefined positions, today’s firms hire MBAs only when specific positions are open.

For graduates this means that excelling among one’s classmates no longer guarantees work. Companies are increasingly interested in a candidates' particular offerings and past experience. Job applicants are not only competing with fellow MBAs but with skilled non-MBAs as well. Another consequence is increased difficulty for MBAs seeking a career change.

In addition, the type of companies that are recruiting has changed as well. In the past, most of the hiring was done by consulting and finance firms, but these were hit hardest by the recession. MBA graduates are therefore looking for employment in other places, lesser known and exciting, and even pursuing the independent direction of entrepreneurship.

The conclusion is clear: this year’s MBA graduates will need to maintain greater patience and flexibility in their job searches.

Put Me in Business (applying in less than a year)
Put Me in Business (applying in more than a year)

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