Posts Tagged ‘Smeal’

A Note from Robin Brouse to the Class of 2013 & 2014

Monday, May 20th, 2013

Dear MBAs – Class of 2013 and Class of 2014 ~

It is with deepest and sincere thanks that I express my appreciation to you for honoring me in my retirement by making a contribution to the Michael Ryan Phillips Scholarship.    I am humbled by your kindness and thoughtfulness – it means so very much to me – you truly rendered me speechless and that is something that does not happen very often.   I am so proud to be a part of such a caring community, lucky to have had my life so immensely enriched by the many students that have crossed the threshold of the MBA Program, and gratified to have had such a purposeful career.

Thank you on so many levels.  I wish you all the best in life ~~ may you always find joy and happiness and that silver lining.  Take Care and Stay in Touch!

Fondly ~ Robin

 

(A note from Admissions:  Anyone who would like to honor Robin as she retires on June 30 is welcome to make a contribution to the Michael Ryan Phillips Scholarship. Go to www.givenow.psu.edu and check the box to view giving opportunities.  Select Other and type “Michael Ryan Phillips Memorial Scholarship/allocation SCBPH” in the description box. This scholarship is awarded each year to a member of the 1st year MBA Class who is making a difference in our community.)

 

 

Tags: business school, Community, MBA, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Smeal, Smeal MBA
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State College – A Great Place to Live!

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

The American Institute for Economic Research released their 2012-2013 rankings of best College Towns & Cities recently.  (https://www.aier.org/article/7841-aier-names-75-best-college-towns-and-cities-2012-2013)  We are excited that State College is again considered one of the best College Towns (under 2500,000 residents).  Ranked #3 behind Ithaca, NY and Ames, IA exemplifies what those of us who live here already know:  State College is a great place to live!

The AIER ranking is based on a 12 area index, which evaluates things such as Student Diversity, Cost of Living, Arts & Leisure, Earning Potential, Entrepreneurial Activity, etc.  We think State College does well with those, and so much more.  Nestled in a valley (Happy Valley) surrounded by beautiful mountains, there are plenty of outdoor activities for those who enjoy an active life, and many groups who actively participate in those activities.  For those looking for music, theater, movies or more State College offers a wide variety of productions, artists and movie theatres.  As for sporting events, because of Penn State University Park, there is always a sporting event happening near by, wherever you live.

Somethings you have to see to believe, so we invite you to come visit us soon!

-Ann Mallison

 

Tags: Community, MBA, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Smeal, Smeal MBA, State College
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Webcam Interview Success Strategies

Friday, February 1st, 2013

Today we welcome guest blogger Michael Brown, who is the Director of our Penn State Smeal MBA Career Services team.  Mike has allowed us to share with you his suggestions for successful Skype (and other webcam) interviews.  This messages was sent to our current students this week, but anyone can apply these suggestions to any upcoming interview they may have in the future.

 

Greetings—

We are full swing into the spring recruiting season and many companies are conducting first and second round interviews using the virtual power of Skype. While the technology allows you to interview from the comfort of home, it also presents some challenges that, if overlooked, or not anticipated, could adversely affect the positive impression that you want to make. Take a look at these strategies for successfully utilizing Skype video conference technology.

Ensure proper lighting

Lighting is very critical. Be sure lighting is positioned in front of you to illuminate your face rather than cast a shadow. We’ve all seen photographs where the subjects’ faces are dark due to back-lighting conditions. Be careful of overhead lights that are very bright or fluorescent lighting that tends to wash out your face.

Test audio and video settings

If you haven’t used Skype before, take a “test drive” well before the interview. Pre-test your computer’s audio and video settings to make sure they work. Use Skype’s testing wizard to pre-record and playback your audio. Position your camera so it looks down on you and slightly above your hairline. This will help you maintain good posture while giving you a complimentary camera angle. Pre-position the camera and your chair so it frames you from mid-chest level up.

 Attire

Business professional will still be the order of the day for most interviews. Solid, dark colors are best. Whites and light colors tend to wash out your face. Avoid busy stripes and patterns, since they tend to look wavy on video.

 Posture

Although you might be in the comfort of your home, the interviewer can see you in his or her office. Maintain a confident posture with shoulders square, head erect and chin up. On video, avoid hand gestures, as they can be distracting.

 Eye contact

Direct your eye contact to the camera not the image of the interviewer on the screen. Just as we make direct eye contact in person, it is just as important for the interviewer to see that you are looking at him or her rather than your screen.

 Manage your background

I once conducted a Skype interview with a candidate who had a very ornate wall hanging directly behind her head. It was very distracting and it made her look like she was wearing a headdress. Control the image that the employer sees. Position the camera toward a simple wall background with warm or neutral colors and frame yourself in the shot. You should be the focus of the image, not bookshelves or wall ornamentation.

 Set-up a quiet zone

If you are conducting the interview from home, take precautions to ensure that potential noise such as TVs, loud stereos, barking dogs, ringing telephones or outside construction noises are eliminated.

 Turn off email and pop-up applications

Additional applications, when running, tend to slow down your computer and could be distracting, especially if you receive an incoming email. Make sure that your video conferencing software is the only application running.

 Prepare for contingencies

Skype is not foolproof and audio and video connections on either end of the connection can fail. Be sure to have the interviewer’s telephone number and email address handy. Having a Plan B demonstrates that you are proactive and can save an otherwise disastrous interview.

Delay responding by one-one thousand

The most common Skype or video conferencing pitfall is talking over the interviewer by starting a response before they are finished. It leads to the interviewer repeating his or her question or clumsy apologies. Develop a habit of delaying your response by a count of “one-one thousand.” It might feel funny at first but once you develop the timing, it will seem natural in “Skype space.”

 

In reading these 10 strategies, there is nothing complex about any of them but failure to prepare for just one of them could dash a promising job or internship possibility. Be prepared!

Best regards,

Mike

Michael J. Brown

Director, MBA Career Services

Tags: admissions, business school, Career Services, Community, Interviews, job search, MBA, MBA application, MBA Interview, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Smeal, Smeal MBA
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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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Happy Holidays!

Friday, December 7th, 2012

While the MBA students are winding down for the semester, taking finals, and making plans to leave campus for holiday break, the admissions team is in full speed ahead mode for the next two weeks! With our January 11th deadline just around the corner, we are finishing interviews and are in the process of making decisions from the first round. While classes end next week for students, someone in the admissions office will be available until December 21st to respond to your phone calls or e-mails. We will then return to the office on January 2nd ready to begin reviewing the applications that have come in over the holiday break and start the next round of interviews and evaluations. If you have questions during the campus closure from December 22nd to January 1st , please e-mail smealmba@psu.edu, and we will do our best to respond to you as soon as we possibly can. We appreciate your patience with any delay in response during this time. We hope that no matter what part of the world you are in this December holiday season that you find a moment to embrace family and friends, and experience joy in a way that is meaningful for you.

–Stacey Dorang Peeler

Tags: break, December, finals, holidays, MBA, Smeal
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Did You Know…

Monday, November 19th, 2012

So, you’re researching MBA programs and you’ve got the basics down. You’ve mastered your target schools’ profiles, you know who some of the faculty are, you’ve met a few students, and you visited campus. What else is there to know? How about some fun facts? While it’s not necessary to know some of the historical anecdotes and interesting tidbits about the schools you are applying to, it just might make the process more fun! For those trivia gurus out there, here are a couple of “fun facts” about Smeal and Penn State:

-Penn State is known for its school colors—Blue and White. Did you know that the ORIGINAL colors were Pink and Black?

-The Smeal College of Business was founded in 1953. Did you know that its previous home was in the Business Administration Building (now Ford Building) at the corner of Park Avenue and North Allen Road?

-Prior names of The Pennsylvania State University were The Pennsylvania State College, The Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, and The Farmers’ High School

- Milton S. Eisenhower, President of PSU in 1950 was the brother of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

-Did you know that Gene Kelly, actor and dancer best known for his performances in Singin’ in the Rain, Anchors Aweigh, and An American in Paris, was a 1933 PSU alum? (for other Famous Alumni, see: http://www.alumni.psu.edu/about_us/famous/famousd)

-Did you know the atom was first “seen” at Penn State? (http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/markers/atomfirstseen.html)

-One of the most enduring Smeal alumni connections was forged in 1990 with the naming of the college for Mary Jean and Frank P. Smeal ’42/’42, two of Penn State’s most generous benefactors. Their contributions created five endowed chairs within the college as well as a separate endowment for program excellence. Today, Smeal counts more than 65,000 alumni around the globe. (http://www.smeal.psu.edu/about/history/)

I hope this gave you just a little glimpse into Penn State and Smeal history and a few “fun facts” to share with your family and friends. Penn State is a truly fascinating place, and we hope you will consider being a part of it!

–Stacey Dorang Peeler

Tags: MBA, Penn State, PSU history, Smeal
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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
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On the Road and Penn State Proud!

Friday, September 14th, 2012

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
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Let Us Entertain You!

Monday, August 20th, 2012

Let Us Entertain You!

Wondering what an MBA can do for fun outside of class (other than the myriad of activities hosted by the MBAA)? You’re probably already well aware there are many sporting events to take advantage of at PSU, but you may not know how many other types of events take place in the various theatres and venues around town and campus.

The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State has programming such as a Woody Guthrie tribute, The Merchant of Venice, The Addams Family and Hair (Broadway productions) as well as various other national and international performances.

The Bryce Jordan Center has recently hosted acts such as Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi and Elton John. This fall, both Bruce Springsteen and Carrie Underwood will visit campus to perform. Several different versions of Cirque du Soleil have also made University Park a stop on their tour.

If you venture just off campus, you can also find more theatrical and musical offerings, as well as vintage and art film showings, at The State Theatre. Or you may visit one of the School of Theatre’s venues to experience productions like Beehive, Neil Simon’s “The Good Doctor”, and later this fall, Sweeney Todd.

While State College and PSU may be far from the lights of Broadway, there are many options to experience theatre, music and dance within minutes of where you will live and study as a Smeal MBA. You’ll work harder than you ever dreamed while you are with us, but we want you to play hard too!

–Stacey Dorang Peeler

Tags: art, culture, dance, MBA, Penn State, performance, Smeal, theatre
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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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