MBA admissions consultants

In a recent blog post, Chicago Booth’s Rose Martinelli opened the door to third round applicants. While Ms. Martinelli conceded that the third round is more challenging than the first two rounds, (“The truth is that R3 can be a bit more competitive simply because the majority of applications and acceptances will occur in Rounds One and Two.”) she logically explained that the school has a third round for a reason and emphasized that “a good portion of our class will be admitted from R3 as well as a good number being placed on (the) summer waitlist.”  

Providing some clues with respect to competing in the third round, Ms. Martinelli suggested that you might explain why you are applying a bit later and not be afraid to be honest. She allayed the concerns of internationals, explaining that visas can still be processed in time and cautioned against rushing and throwing in a haphazard “last ditch” application.

If you are contemplating an application, you have nothing to lose… (but your time and application fee).

This past December, more than 500 Stern alumni gathered for the Ninth Annual Stern Alumni Ball with something special to commemorate – the Concourse Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony – celebrating the newly renovated Concourse levels of Tisch Hall.  The renovation project began in 2008, when Stern embarked on a multi-year, $35 million transformation of the school’s physical space.  Coined the “Concourse Project,” it is the most significant renovation of the school’s facilities since uniting the graduate and undergraduate programs at Washington Square. Funded by alumni such as John Paulson, BS ‘78 and Stewart A. Satter, MBA ‘82, as well as corporate partners and other benefactors, the project not only physically connects school’s three buildings – Tisch Hall, Henry Kaufman Management Center and Shimkin, but also improves aesthetics and experience for both graduate and undergraduate students by introducing natural light through a central stairway which creates a three story atrium, new floor to ceiling windows and more public gathering space. Also part of the project – an improved, upgraded MBA student lounge, expanded club space and new state of the art classrooms. Gone are the dark, cinder block lined hallways of old  – in are new, modern open spaces allowing students to congregate, share ideas and connect!

Yesterday, Manhattan GMAT posted a GMAT question on our blog. Today, they have followed up with the answer:

First, we set up two RT = D equations, one for the downhill run and one for the ride back up the mountain.

Downhill run: (x + 10)t = 300

Ride back up: (x – 8)(t + 135) = 300

Technically, we just have to do some algebra & arithmetic from here on out. However, these equations are very difficult to solve in their current state. The tip off for you is that the variable x does not represent, on its own, either the downhill or the uphill speed. Thus, the equations wind up being thorny (although still solvable).

However, we can reduce the complexity by creating a new variable, say r, that represents the speed on the ride back up. In other words, r = x – 8. We can rewrite this equation as r + 8 = x, and thus the downhill speed, x + 10, can be re-expressed as r + 18. As you’ll see, this simplifies the algebra. In this sort of situation, when a variable such as x does not represent any real speed in the scenario, our instinct should be to replace x with another variable that does represent a real speed.

Downhill run: (r + 18)t = 300

Ride back up: r(t + 135) = 300

Now we can set the expressions on the left side equal to each other, since they both equal 300:

(r + 18)t = r(t + 135)

rt + 18t = rt + 135r

18t = 135r

2t = 15r

t = (15/2)r

Finally, we substitute back into either equation (we’ll just pick the first). Since the numbers get large and we can see we’re going to get a quadratic, we might want to leave certain numbers factored as we go.

(r + 18)(15/2)r = 300

(15/2)r² + 135r = 300

(15/2)r² + 135r – 300 = 0

Now divide by 15 and multiply throughout by 2.

r² + 18r – 40 = 0

(r + 20)(r – 2) = 0

Since r must be positive (it represents a speed), r must be 2. Thus, Lindsey’s downhill speed, in meters per second, is r + 18 = 20.

The correct answer is (C).

Each week Manhattan GMAT posts a GMAT question on our blog and follows up with the answer the next day. Are you up for the challenge?

Skier Lindsey Vonn completes a straight 300-meter downhill run in t seconds and at an average speed of (x + 10) meters per second. She then rides a chairlift back up the mountain the same distance at an average speed of (x – meters per second. If the ride up the mountain took 135 seconds longer than her run down the mountain, what was her average speed, in meters per second, during her downhill run?

(A) 10

(B) 15

(C) 20

(D) 25

(E) 30

The bad news is that interview slots on MBA campuses are down by 20%. The good news is that career services office are, according to the Wall Street Journal, getting creative in order to ensure that their students are meeting with recruiters – via videoconferencing (UVA-Darden, Cornell-Johnson, Chicago-Booth) and  road trips to interview forums in target cities, paid for by the MBA program (Dartmouth-Tuck, UVA-Darden, Cornell-Johnson, Washington University). In tough times, it pays to have a resourceful career services office…

A few weeks ago, we posted Wharton Vice-Dean Jain’s response to a student who protested the Dean’s letter suggesting that students consider academics ahead of a ski trip (see: “Misguided Students Takes on Dean Jain.”) Well, it seems that a Stern student has bitten off more than he can chew as well. See the sequence below…

Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 7:15:11 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Brand Strategy Feedback

Prof. Galloway,

I would like to discuss a matter with you that bothered me. Yesterday evening I entered your 6pm Brand Strategy class approximately 1 hour late. As I entered the room, you quickly dismissed me, saying that I would need to leave and come back to the next class. After speaking with several students who are taking your class, they explained that you have a policy stating that students who arrive more than 15 minutes late will not be admitted to class.

As of yesterday evening, I was interested in three different Monday night classes that all occurred simultaneously. In order to decide which class to select, my plan for the evening was to sample all three and see which one I like most. Since I had never taken your class, I was unaware of your class policy. I was disappointed that you dismissed me from class considering (1) there is no way I could have been aware of your policy and (2) considering that it was the first day of evening classes and I arrived 1 hour late (not a few minutes), it was more probable that my tardiness was due to my desire to sample different classes rather than sheer complacency.

I have already registered for another class but I just wanted to be open and provide my opinion on the matter.

Regards,
xxxx

-
xxxx
MBA 2010 Candidate
NYU Stern School of Business
xxxx.nyu.edu
xxx-xxx-xxxx

The Reply:

Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 9:34:02 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: Brand Strategy Feedback

xxxx:

Thanks for the feedback. I, too, would like to offer some feedback.

Just so I’ve got this straight…you started in one class, left 15-20 minutes into it (stood up, walked out mid-lecture), went to another class (walked in 20 minutes late), left that class (again, presumably, in the middle of the lecture), and then came to my class. At that point (walking in an hour late) I asked you to come to the next class which “bothered” you.

Correct?

You state that, having not taken my class, it would be impossible to know our policy of not allowing people to walk in an hour late. Most risk analysis offers that in the face of substantial uncertainty, you opt for the more conservative path or hedge your bet (e.g., do not show up an hour late until you know the professor has an explicit policy for tolerating disrespectful behavior, check with the TA before class, etc.). I hope the lottery winner that is your recently crowned Monday evening Professor is teaching Judgement and Decision Making or Critical Thinking.

In addition, your logic effectively means you cannot be held accountable for any code of conduct before taking a class. For the record, we also have no stated policy against bursting into show tunes in the middle of class, urinating on desks or taking that revolutionary hair removal system for a spin. However, xxxx, there is a baseline level of decorum (i.e., manners) that we expect of grown men and women who the admissions department have deemed tomorrow’s business leaders.

xxxx, let me be more serious for a moment. I do not know you, will not know you and have no real affinity or animosity for you. You are an anonymous student who is now regretting the send button on his laptop. It’s with this context I hope you register pause…REAL pause xxxx and take to heart what I am about to tell you:

xxxx, get your shit together.

Getting a good job, working long hours, keeping your skills relevant, navigating the politics of an organization, finding a live/work balance…these are all really hard, xxxx. In contrast, respecting institutions, having manners, demonstrating a level of humility…these are all (relatively) easy. Get the easy stuff right xxxx. In and of themselves they will not make you successful. However, not possessing them will hold you back and you will not achieve your potential which, by virtue of you being admitted to Stern, you must have in spades. It’s not too late xxxx…

Again, thanks for the feedback.

Professor Galloway

Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday.

For many candidates, the third round is a time to sit back, relax and wait for the MBA Admissions Committees to make their decisions. However, for others, the third round is a time to be conservative and apply to a safety school. But, what constitutes a safety school?

While it is difficult to determine exactly what a safety school is (as there are many variables and the definition can shift depending on each candidate) a good place to start is with scores. If a candidate’s GMAT and GPA are significantly higher than the target school’s average, then the school is, at first glance, safe. So, if you have a 720 GMAT and a 3.8 GPA and you are applying to Emory’s Goizueta School, (average GMAT 676 and GPA 3.3) you are off to a promising start.

Then, you might consider your work experience relative to the target program. For example, many Goldman Sachs investment banking “alums” apply to and are admitted to the so called M7 schools (Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, Chicago, Columbia and MIT). So, if you happen to be such a candidate, choosing a school outside of this tier would certainly make you more competitive (keeping in mind scores, community service and recommendations as well).

Finally, you might consider the general selectivity of the program. If you consider yourself to be competitive at Columbia Business School, where they accept 16% of applicants, applying to Texas, where 34% are accepted may be a safe option.

Before you start applying to your safety schools, the most important question to ask yourself is actually quite simple: “Would I go?” There is, of course, no point in spending time applying to an MBA program that you would not attend. If you choose to apply to such a school (as some do), rather ironically, you will have no safety net at all.

What have you been told about applying to Business School? With the advent of chat rooms and blogs, armchair “experts” often unintentionally propagate MBA admissions myths, which can linger and undermine your confidence as an applicant. Some applicants are led to believe that schools want specific “types” of candidates and expect certain GMAT scores and GPAs, for example. Others are led to believe that they need to know alumni from their target schools and/or get letters of reference from the CEO of their firm in order to get in. Join an mbaMission consultant at a Manhattan GMAT center in New York, Chicago or LA, as we debunk these and other myths, strive to take the anxiety out of the admissions process and refocus you on your applications.

All attendees of this exclusive event will receive:

• $100 off any 9-session ManhattanGMAT course
• Free access to a ManhattanGMAT computer adaptive practice exam
• Free half hour consultation with an mbaMission consultant

Sign up today!

What have you been told about applying to Business School? With the advent of chat rooms and blogs, armchair “experts” often unintentionally propagate MBA admissions myths, which can linger and undermine your confidence as an applicant. Some applicants are led to believe that schools want specific “types” of candidates and expect certain GMAT scores and GPAs, for example. Others are led to believe that they need to know alumni from their target schools and/or get letters of reference from the CEO of their firm in order to get in. Join an mbaMission consultant at a Manhattan GMAT center in New York, Chicago or LA, as we debunk these and other myths, strive to take the anxiety out of the admissions process and refocus you on your applications.

All attendees of this exclusive event will receive:

• $100 off any 9-session ManhattanGMAT course
• Free access to a ManhattanGMAT computer adaptive practice exam
• Free half hour consultation with an mbaMission consultant

Sign up today!