Posts Tagged ‘experience’
I’ve Enrolled, Now What?
Monday, April 9th, 2012
For many of you, that is what you will be asking yourselves in the next few weeks. The pressure is off. You’ve enrolled in the Smeal MBA Program, or a program at another institution. You can take a deep breath and begin to plan your next few months. From the Smeal perspective, I can share what you can expect in the upcoming weeks and months.
First, be prepared for e-mails filled with important information. These messages will include dates, requirements, housing information and deliverables. Yes, I said deliverables. These will range from surveys collecting important information (Bringing a spouse? Special diet? T-shirt size???), to career services document that will begin the journey to your internship. It is worth the time and energy it will take to read all of these emails, and complete all of the deliverables.
Second, if you haven’t already done so, PLEASE find housing. It goes quickly around here, and the longer you wait, the fewer options you will have. Do you have a pet? Do you want to walk to campus? Look NOW!
Third, take advantage of opportunities to get to know your fellow classmates before you arrive. The transition back to school will be much easier if you come to orientation knowing a few people, even if you only know them via e-mail! Our Facebook App for admitted students and our discussion boards on the MBA Exchange are great places to start connecting.
Finally, give yourself some time to breathe, relax and get excited. Arrive early if you can to get to know the area. Enjoy the time before Orientation, because it is busier than you think. The first day of class will be here before you know it and the next two years will be a whirlwind!
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, business school, Community, experience, housing, MBA, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Smeal, Smeal MBA
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Our Community – THON
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Today at the Smeal MBA coffee BUZZ, the philanthropy committee kicked off another THON fundraiser. Once again this year, students, faculty and staff will be participating in JAR WARS. The rules are easy. Drop your spare change into your jar (there is one for 1st years, one for 2nd years and a third for faculty & staff). Each cent is worth a point. The jar with the most points at the end wins. However, the catch is that paper money is worth negative points. Thus if you have a dollar, you put it in someone else’s jar and it deducts 100 points from their total. JAR WARS have been a traditional fundraiser in the SMEAL MBA program, and is always lots of fun! Winning gives one of the groups bragging rights for the year, but of course the real winners are the kids.
THON began in 1973 and raised $2,000 that year. Last year THON raised over $9 million to aid in the fight against pediatric cancer. This year, the two day dance marathon will be held February 17th-19th at the Bryce Jordan Center on campus. For more information click here: http://www.thon.org/home. We wish our dancers and the philanthropy committee the best of luck with their fundraising efforts; and we are thankful for the opportunity to participate in such an incredible, community event! – Ann Mallison
Tags: business school, Community, experience, faculty, MBA, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Principled Leadership, Smeal, Smeal MBA, THON
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Small Class Size
Friday, December 9th, 2011
Often, when we speak of the Penn State Smeal MBA Program, we talk about our small class sizes. We usually brush over the fact and move on to the next great way to describe our program. However, it was brought up in a meeting this week by our Managing Director, Carrie Marcinkevage, that our small size really distinguishes us from other programs.
Each year, our new class typically numbers between 80-100 students. That number can vary on any given year. For example, we have had graduating classes of 107 and currently have a class of 79. However, on average the 80-100 number holds true. We divide our 1st year MBA class into two sections. This means that you will never had a first year class with more than 55 students. Also, as students choose their elective and concentrations in the second year, the class sizes actually become even smaller.
But what is the true benefit of these small class sizes? There are several. The first is that you will never be invisible here at the Penn State Smeal MBA Program. The faculty who teach our classes like to get to know all of their students, by name in the least. You have the opportunity to engage with the faculty, and learn about their research and their interests. Second, you have the opportunity to get to know ALL of your classmates well, and grow your own network as you learn. A lot of the learning that takes place here happens in study teams, where students share their experiences, culture and knowledge. Finally, the size of our classes is what fosters our sense of community. Because students know everyone in the program, the faculty and the staff, the MBA Program feels like an extended family.
So, if you are looking for an MBA program where you are more than just a number, and if you want to get to know your professors, classmates and the program staff personally then I invite you to explore more about the Penn State Smeal MBA Program and all that we have to offer.
-Ann Mallison, MBA ’02
Tags: admissions, application, business school, Community, experience, faculty, MBA, MBA search, network, networking, Penn State, Penn State MBA, program, Smeal MBA
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Don’t Follow the Trend
Friday, April 22nd, 2011
Our admissions team has been together for a few years now, and we have observed many different trends. Some of these trends are good, such as more letter of recommendations from current or past supervisors and peers. However some of these trends are bad, such as an increase in plagiarism. You can look to some of our other blogs for more about plagiarism and what we are doing to prevent it.
Today I’d like to write about another disappointing trend we are seeing: people quitting work for six months to a year before coming to an MBA program. Some people say they need to do this in order to study for the GMAT, or to research and apply to programs. Others take the time off because they have been let go from their last position. Still others take the time off to travel or explore other adventures.
Our advice is simple…Don’t Do It! Unless it is completely unavoidable, you should continue to work while you are researching, testing and applying to MBA programs. The undesired outcomes of this time off include:
– Admissions wondering if you can’t multi-task. If you can’t work and apply at the same time, how will you handle the rigors of an MBA program?
– A gap on your resume, which will be difficult to explain to recruiters when you are looking for an internship/job both during and after your MBA.
– Missed opportunity for promotion, learning, and leadership in your current job.
- Losing valuable “months of work,” which is a metric many MBA programs use in determining who to admit.
There may be some value to the time off, both personally and professionally. However we urge you to realistically weigh the costs versus the benefits before deciding to take time off during the year leading up to your MBA experience. The time you lose could be a negative down the road of your career.
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, experience, GMAT, job search, MBA, MBA search, Penn State, Penn State MBA, plagiarism, Smeal, Smeal MBA, time management, transformation
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