Archive for September, 2012
Pride & Stress
Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
There is a general feeling of stress amongst our students at the moment. Career fairs have started. Recruiters are in the building. Midterms just finished for Mod 1, and the end of the Mod is creeping closer. Projects, presentation, papers and quizzes are occurring each day. As one 2nd year told me this morning, “ I have 4 classes, 4 teams, 2 first-year teams to facilitate, a job search, a GA, a wife and 2 kids. There just isn’t enough time in the day right now.” I think everyone can relate to the “not enough time” problem, but until you are in an MBA program you can’t really understand.
The good news is that our students will get through it all, and do it well. How do I know? Well, I’m sure because it has all been done before. All of the hard work pays off and at the end of the day our students can be proud of all they have accomplished. As the Penn State Smeal MBA Program and the Smeal College of Business, we have lots to be proud of as well. Just a few of these things are mentioned on signs hanging in the Atrium. The #1 ranking by corporate recruiters, top 10 in public business schools (undergraduate and MBA), and our loyalty to our honor code are all indicators of how hard our students work, and the success that brings to them.
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, business school, Community, job search, MBA, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Principled Leadership, Smeal, Smeal MBA
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments
On the Road and Penn State Proud!
Friday, September 14th, 2012
Reunited with alumni in Pittsburgh, PA
It’s been a whirlwind of a first month in the “official” MBA recruiting season for the Fall 2013 incoming class! Our events have taken us all over the country so far, from Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, to NYC and Miami. In October, our alumni will host events in China and Beijing as well. Hopefully, you’ve had the chance to meet us in one of the cities we’ve recently been to. If not, there are still many upcoming opportunities to connect with us either live or virtually. One of the best parts of our jobs is getting out on the road and meeting so many diverse and fascinating people. In addition to meeting new faces, we also have the privilege of connecting with familiar faces as well, as our alumni often help us out at fairs and other events in the cities in which they currently live and work. Penn Staters aren’t kidding when they say alumni have a ravenous passion for their alma mater. Our alums are usually just as excited as we are to get involved with the recruitment of the new class and are more than happy to represent Smeal behind our table or at our meet and greet receptions to share their personal experiences. From an admissions perspective, it’s very fulfilling to see how far these individuals have come since the time we first met them when they were going through the application process. We hope that you will consider coming to Penn State, and in a few years, be just as excited to be on the road with us looking for the next great Smeal MBA!
–Stacey Dorang Peeler
Tags: alumni, Event, Fair, MBA Fair, network, Penn State, Smeal
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments
Answers to your questions and how to find answers to others
Wednesday, September 12th, 2012
Here in admissions we get many great questions asked to us every week, some are completely unique, but many are asked several times because most potential applicants have many of the same concerns. Some examples are:
What are you looking for in an MBA applicant?
There is no one magic thing we are looking for specifically, but have instead come up with four key criteria. They are academic ability, work experience, leadership skills, and fit. We do our best to assess these criteria though evaluating all parts of your application including the GMAT exam, work experience (both amount and quality), letters of recommendations, essays, undergraduate education, and admissions interview should you be granted one are all important to the admissions process.
What GMAT Score will get me into your program?
Although the GMAT is an important part of an application package, it is just 1 part. The admissions committee looks at all pieces of your application as well as that year’s applicant pool to determine admission.
Which round should I apply in to have the best chance at Admission?
We have three application deadlines. The early deadline of November 9th, the January 11th deadline which is the final deadline for all international applicants and those applicants who want to be considered for financial awards, and our April 515 deadline for domestic candidates who are not interested in financial awards.
Our general rule of thumb is to apply as early as you can, with the best application you can. Therefore if you feel your application is as strong as it is going to get go ahead and apply today, but it is much better to apply for the January deadline with a strong well put together application than it is to apply in November having to rush to get everything together.
For more information on our program please visit our website and see our FAQ page for answers to some of the more common questions we receive. If you cannot find your answer there please email us anytime at smealmba@psu or join us for our weekly skype hours on most Wednesdays from 9:00am-11:00 ET and 1:00pm-3:00pm ET (see our visits and events page for specific dates), you can find us @ pennstatesmealmba. We look forward to your questions.
-Scott R. Sylves
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments
Don’t Put It Off
Friday, September 7th, 2012
It seems like the MBA Admissions deadlines are so far away, but preparing properly now can prevent you from feeling rushed later on. You’ll be surprised how quickly those dates can sneak up on you.
Scheduling your GMAT and TOEFL (for international applicants) exams now can not only take the burden off your plate, but can also allow you time for a retake should you not meet your expected scores on your first attempt.
Even if you aren’t ready to start your official application to our program you can still send off our recommendation form to your perspective recommenders. This could be a key so you can avoid sweating at the last minute something that is out of your control. Even if your recommenders complete the form today and you don’t apply until the final deadline, we will hold the form and make sure it gets into your file.
Another pitfall applicants often fall into is getting their Undergraduate Institution to send official copies of their transcripts in a timely manner. Why not contact them and order your copies now? This way you can have them on hand and forward to us when you apply or like the letters, send them now and we will hold them until your full application comes in.
Taking these steps now could save you the headache of having to rush later, time which can be better spent on things like interview preparation.
-Scott R. Sylves
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments