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The business school world is constantly buzzing with change and innovation. Each week, in addition to our regular news posts, we briefly touch on a few notable stories from this dynamic field in one roundup. Here is what caught our eye this week:

• The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania will offer a new online specialization, titled “Business Analytics,” the school announced recently. The specialization, which will begin its first course on September 15, is part of the Business Foundation series that is currently available to students through the Coursera online learning platform. The school will offer four courses in the Business Analytics specialization: “People Analytics,” “Accounting Analytics,” “Customer Analytics,” and “Operations Analytics.”

• Harvard Business School (HBS) is well known for its extensive and largely successful alumni pool, but one field filled with HBS grads could be a surprise: fashion. Such fashion entrepreneurs as Gilt cofounder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson and Rent the Runway bosses Jennifer Fleiss and Jennifer Hyman graduated from HBS, Boston.com reports. “Having access to genius [HBS] professors who had run retail businesses or large logistics-intensive operations was invaluable,” Fleiss commented in the article.

• Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is a polarizing figure, but his alma mater is undoubtedly prestigious—the real estate mogul graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. “I’m going to be the king of New York real estate,” he announced to one of his classes in true Trump style, the Boston Globe reports. Trump, whose former classmates describe him as “different” and “a little into himself,” would flip houses in Philadelphia throughout his time at Wharton.

• MBA hopefuls tend to use persistent stereotypes of business schools to help them decide where to apply. “If I want to work in marketing, I’ll go to Kellogg,” one might think. If that is the case, those hoping to work at Facebook should pay attention: Business Insider took a closer look at the company’s staff and compiled its findings into a list of the 20 most widely represented schools. Perhaps surprisingly, only two were business schools: the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business at number 16 and the Stanford Graduate School of Business at number 18.

With regard to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this blog series, Manhattan Prep’s Stacey Koprince teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense.

Ironically, to do a great job on Reading Comprehension (RC) on the GMAT, we actually have to learn what NOT to read. So many people struggle with what and how to read, but a big part of the battle is knowing what you can skim or skip!

I am going to give you a quick overview of what I mean by “what NOT to read,” and then I am going to point you to some resources containing full examples of the technique.

Learn the Process

First, read the introduction entitled How To Read A Reading Comp Passage. (Hint: Take some notes! You are going to be trying this out on a real passage in a few minutes.)

Next, you are going to try a couple of examples; one contains a Manhattan GMAT passage and one contains an Official Guide (OG) passage.

When you do the exercises, keep a few things in mind:

(1) Look for language clues that help distinguish between “high level” and “detail.” You want to read the “high level” information and skim or skip the “detail.” The “detail” clues tend to be more obvious: for example, for instance, one type of something, and so on.

(2) The bigger the words get, the more likely we will want to skim. They are going to use technical language, but that language will almost certainly be described in easier words at some other point—ignore the technical stuff and go look for that easier description.

(3) Despite #2, we are still expected to have a decent vocabulary. If you run across an unknown-to-you word that is not otherwise defined, then you are forewarned: Learn this vocabulary word before you take the GMAT.

Test It Out!

All right, let us try some examples. I am going to have you do the Manhattan GMAT example first. Once you think you have mastered that, then try the OG example.

Also, if you have access to Manhattan GMAT’s OG Archer study tool, I have also posted a video discussion of the passage used in the article to which I linked. Try it yourself first (using the article), but you then might want to reinforce the lesson by watching the video.

*Please note: You are viewing an essay analysis from the 2015-2016 admissions cycle. Click here to view our collection of essay analyses for the current admissions season. 

Sideshow Bob: Madam, your children are no more . . . than a pair of ill-bred troublemakers.

Homer: Lisa too?

Sideshow Bob: Especially Lisa . . . but especially Bart.

–The Simpsons, Season 8, Episode 169

We want to thank the UCLA Anderson School of Management for giving us the rare opportunity to quote from an episode of The Simpsons. Sideshow Bob’s amusing misuse of “especially” is somehow applicable to Anderson’s paltry essay question offerings this season. Because the school requires only one essay, you will need to be especially careful to pay attention to all the other parts of your application as well—though you should always be especially attentive to them anyway. With just the one essay, which is largely professional, you will need to make the most of your interview, short-answer responses, recommendations, and resume to ensure that the Anderson admissions committee gets a full and well-rounded picture of you as a candidate.

Read the rest of this entry  

With regard to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this blog series, Manhattan Prep’s Stacey Koprince teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense.

Have you been studying for the GMAT for a while now but find yourself struggling to lift your score? Perhaps you have some problems of which you are unaware, or you are studying in an inefficient or ineffective way.

This article includes links to a number of additional articles. If you see something that applies to your situation, follow the link!

First, read this short article: In It to Win It.

Time Management

Almost everyone has timing problems; many people think they do not, but they are wrong. If you have been studying for a while but your score does not seem to be changing much, then one of the culprits is probably timing. Another common sign: your practice test scores fluctuate up and down.

Next, analyze your most recent practice test to see whether you have any timing problems and, if so, what they are. Then read this time management article and start doing what it says.

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Harvard Business School (HBS) is well known for using the case method, through which virtually all the school’s classes are taught. Rather than resting on their laurels with regard to teaching the case method, however, HBS faculty members work hard to stay at the top of their game. Complementing the school’s tradition of faculty-to-faculty mentoring, HBS established the C. Roland Christensen Center for Teaching and Learning (named for the late HBS professor) in 2004 to promote and support teaching excellence and innovation. The center conducts research on pedagogical innovation and teaching effectiveness related to gender and diversity issues and helps faculty members refine their teaching styles and techniques. The center also offers professors classroom observations and the opportunity to do pre-class planning, receive within-term troubleshooting/post-term feedback, and conduct case and course development.

For more information on HBS or 15 other leading MBA programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.