Posts Tagged ‘MBA search’
MBAA Elections
Friday, December 7th, 2012
Last evening the MBA Association held elections to name the officers for 2013. It was a great night of speeches, questions and celebrations. The MBAA is the governing body for MBA students, and works closely with the administration to enhance our Smeal MBA Program.
A big thank you to the 2012 officers for their hard work and dedication to the program.
MBAA 2012
- Stephen Dil, President
- Shivani Agarwal, VP of Communications
- Mark Bushey, VP Recruitment
- Joey Ly, VP Corporate Relations
- Meagan Gallagher, VP Finance
- Saloni Asthana, VP International Affairs
- Pat Mazur, VP Marketing
- Stuart Shapiro, VP of Philanthropy
- Peter Wolkowski, VP of Academic Affairs
Congratulations to our new officers!
MBAA 2013
- Matthew Marshall, President
- Mayur Aras, VP of Communications
- Nate Brodman, VP Recruitment
- Mike Bassani, VP Corporate Relations
- Joshua Mathis, VP Finance
- Ipsa Mohanty, VP International Affairs
- Elizabeth Combs, VP Marketing
- Mallory Meehan, VP of Philanthropy
- Dave Kubiak, VP of Academic Affairs
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, business school, Community, elections, MBA, MBA search, organization, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Smeal, Smeal MBA
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Meet the Penn State Smeal MBA Admissions Team &/or Our Alumni
Monday, August 13th, 2012
We have officially entered into event season here at the Penn State Smeal MBA Admissions office. Fairs, Tours, Visits and MBA for a Day Events have either started or are just around the corner. Would you like to meet with us in person? There are several ways to make that happen. First, you can attend one of our MBA for a Day sessions. One Monday a month, we host prospective candidates for the day, allowing them to meet the program staff and faculty. During the day you will sit in on a class and eat lunch with our students. Another way to meet with us is to schedule a visit. Our office is happy to coordinate a personal visit for you, during which you may be able to sit in on a class, meet with Admissions and have coffee or lunch with a student. Finally, you can meet with us at one of the many events we are travelling to this season:
8/13 Road to Business School in Boston, MA
8/15 Road to Business School in New York, NY
8/16 Road to Business School in Washington, DC
8/28 MBA Admissions Meet and Greet Dinner in Salt Lake City, UT
8/29 Forte Forum in San Francisco, CA
8/30 Forte Forum in Los Angeles, CA
9/4 Forte Forum in New York, NY
9/4 Admissions Director and Alumni Meet and Greet in Miami, FL
9/5 QS World MBA Tour in Miami, FL
10/10-10/11 GMATCH Virtual MBA Fair
11/10 Inside the MBA Diversity Event in New York, NY
11/12 Inside the MBA in Philadelphia, PA
11/13 Inside the MBA in Pittsburgh, PA
11/15 Inside the MBA in Washington, DC
To learn more about these events and visits, or to register please visit our website: http://www.smeal.psu.edu/mba/related-links/admission/visits.html
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, business school, Community, MBA, MBA search, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Smeal, Smeal MBA, visit
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Return on Investment & Financial Considerations
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012
When applying to business schools, there are many things to consider. One important area of concern is financial. Taking two years out of your working career to return to graduate school is a huge financial commitment. Not only will you be giving up 20 months of salary, you must also consider tuition, books, housing, food and other expenses. Applicants should consider how quickly the cost of earning an MBA can be recouped.
According to Forbes’ 2011 rankings, a Penn State Smeal MBA will pay for itself within 3.2 years. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/95/best-business-schools-11_rank.html
Investopedia lists the Penn State Smeal MBA Program as one of the top schools for MBA ROI. http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0911/Which-MBAs-Offer-A-Good-Return-On-Investment.aspx#axzz1xhLBPmHp
Another part of the financial consideration should be financial aid. The Penn State Smeal MBA Program offers two forms of merit based financial aid awards. Graduate Assistantships are given to 20-30% on an incoming class, and include a full tuition waiver, subsidized health insurance and a monthly stipend. In return, the student works for the Smeal College 10 hours a week, with the possibility of increasing to 20 hours per week in the second year. Scholarships are given to approximately 20% of an incoming class, and are one time monetary awards which are applied to first year tuition. All in all, well over 40% of each incoming class at Smeal receives some sort of financial award.
If you have any questions about financial considerations, please reach out to us at smealmba@psu.edu.
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, application, business school, MBA, MBA search, Penn State, Penn State MBA, ROI, Smeal, Smeal MBA
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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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The Optional Video
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
Any MBA application is your chance to introduce yourself to the Admissions Team. If they haven’t met you already, the application is their first look into your history, experience, goals and dreams. In order to enrich this process and allow you to tell us a little more about yourself, we decided last year to introduce and optional video essay as part of our application package. The video is in no way required, but it does provide another platform for you to tell us something about yourself. We ask that you tell us your name, location and the date. Then we ask that you describe why you should be a member of the next Smeal MBA class. This is your opportunity to introduce yourself in person, and to sell yourself to the program.
There are a few things to keep in mind:
~Keep to the two minute time limit. We want to meet you, but have limited time during admissions season.
~Make sure we can see you and hear you in your video submission.
~Be aware of your surroundings. Believe it or not, we learn a lot from where you choose to film your video.
~The video does not need to be professionally done, but make it your best effort.
~Tell us something we don’t know about you from your application. Share something new!
~Sell yourself! What are your best qualities? Why will you be the best Smeal MBA we’ve ever had?
~SMILE! Dress appropriately. This is the 1st visual impression we have of you.
We look forward to seeing your application and your video (if you so choose) very soon! Remember, our first application deadline is November 11th this year!
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, application, application video, business school, MBA, MBA application, MBA application video, MBA search, MBA video, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Smeal, Smeal MBA
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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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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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Using Social Media in your MBA Search and your Job Search
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
As our lives become more digital and connected, the way we find information is changing as well. While social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were once thought of as strictly social, we are watching as more and more business is being done on these platforms. Companies are advertising products, creating customer platforms and applications, and in general shifting from pure “selling” to more “relationship building.”
In light of this change, MBA programs and companies hiring MBAs are slowly shifting the ways they are reaching out to students. Very few brochures are mailed anymore, and instead an instant e-mail is sent. Cold-calling has gone by the wayside, and has been replaced with e-mails and social networking groups. Communities are being created for prospective students and admitted ones.
Taking all of this into account, I’d like to share my tips for using social media in your MBA search, as well as in your internship/job search.
Tip 1: Do your research early, and do a lot of it. You will be wading through a lot of information.
-Google searches, industry articles, published rankings
Tip 2: Know yourself and what you are looking for. This will help you narrow down your searches.
-Read through school and company web-sites. See what questions you have.
Tip 3: Start building networks at the schools and the industries that interest you.
-Facebook pages/groups, blogs, LinkedIn groups, Twitter
~Make friends/follow/connections with people at your schools and industries of choice
~Get to know the community to help determine fit
~Give, Give, Give before you ASK for anything in the social media space – it build your credibility
~Become an industry expert by reading other peoples’ blogs and sharing them (with credit given – of course) in your networks
Tip 4: Don’t wait. This process takes time and commitment. If you are looking at MBA programs, start building your internship/job network now. The stronger those relationships are, the more beneficial they will be when you really need them!
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, job search, MBA, MBA search, networking, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Smeal, Smeal MBA, social media
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