Archive for May, 2011

New MBA Role

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

The funny thing about admissions is that I get to know our students very well before they arrive, but after they arrive I’m on to bringing in the next class. Sometimes I miss seeing the fantastic people that our students become during their 21 months with us. What concentrations did you choose? Where was your internship? What was your favorite class? Who are your closest friends? Where are you going? And most of all, how can I help you get there?

I have been fortunate to serve the Penn State Smeal MBA by bringing great students to the program. They have gone on to be fantastic alumni. This summer, I am pleased to be moving from the Admissions Director to the new role of Managing Director for the program. While I’ve primarily worked with students at the entry to their MBA, now I have the privilege of working with them throughout their MBA career. I am excited about the possibilities, the relationships, and the outlook this will offer. And I look forward to leading the Penn State Smeal MBA with the energy, enthusiasm and expertise of our staff and faculty.

~Carrie Marcinkevage

Tags: leadership, MBA, structure
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Summer at the Penn State Smeal MBA Program

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Most of our current students are gone now, either off to new jobs or internships.  Many of our faculty and staff are awayon vacations, or preparing to do so.  Campus is quiet and peaceful. Even the building is strangely deserted, with only a few summer students, PhD candidates and others lingering around in the Atrium.

While we in Admissions look forward to summer, we also miss the hustle and bustle of the past few months.  This is the season when we re-group, re-evaluate and try to get ahead.  We wrap up the last admissions season, help transition incoming students to our Student Services team, and plan for the upcoming year.  It is actually a busy time, but not as deadline driven as most of the rest of the year.  Oh, and we do in fact, with the exception of a vacation here and there, work all summer.  

So as we head into and through the summer, we want you to know that we are still here.  We are available and excited to answer your questions.  We are excitedly planning the next academic/admissions year, and we look forward to sharing it will all of you!

Happy Summer!

-Ann Mallison

Tags: admissions, MBA, MBA search, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Smeal, Smeal MBA, Summer
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Recipe for an MBA

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Recipe for an MBA:
1 cup of Academic Integrity
2 cups of Principled Leadership (no substitutions)
3-4 cups of Communication Skills (evenly divide into written and oral)
Mix thoroughly and sprinkle in patience, understanding, management skills, and teamwork as needed to taste. Bake for 21 months and check in the middle to see if internship is done.

If only it were that simple! As admissions officers, we know that people can take the same recipe and mix it many different ways and still have a great end product. We know our MBAs are driven, work hard, hold themselves and others to the highest standards and rabidly pursue their future with honor and integrity. This serves them quite well throughout their time in the program—and well beyond. And all find their own path to success by mixing these basic ingredients and tailoring their skill set to the goals they wish to reach.  The “ingredients” that make a successful MBA also serve students well in “real life”. Beyond graduation, and beyond the culmination of 2 years of hard work that result in a full-time job, the skills Smeal MBAs acquire during their time at Penn State serve them in all aspects of their lives both professionally AND personally.

Courses such as Managing People, Team Processes and Performance, Leadership Communications and Risk and Decisions teach fundamentals of not only being a successful business professional—but also lay the fundamental groundwork for being a good global citizen, an upstanding family member, a reliable teammate, and a friend and mentor.

If you have ever had even one family member, one co-worker, or one friend, you know that negotiation and being able to navigate tricky situations to gain a desired outcome is a fundamental skill. What are the benefits of your actions and decisions? What are the risks? Who wins? Will it be worth it? How do families navigate events like weddings, birthdays, and major holidays? How is it possible that more marriages don’t end in divorce over which set of parents see them for Christmas or Thanksgiving? How is it possible that more children don’t wind up duct taped to their chairs by frustrated elementary (or high school!) teachers? Why is it people still adopt a 2nd puppy (or kitten) after the first one has eaten or clawed the entire living room set? A useful and wise application of the skills above is at play—and serving the bearer of these skills well outside of the boardroom as well as inside of it!

So, when you begin looking at how a Smeal MBA can serve you, think beyond learning corporate finance and B2B marketing (those are a given). Think beyond having a Fortune 500 company on your resume, and remember Smeal for Life—and know that we really mean it!

–Stacey Dorang

Tags: Integrity, MBA, Principled Leadership, Smeal
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