Chicago Booth Dean's Student Admissions Committee

Booth Connect!

2009-10-27T10:10:00.006-05:00

New for the 2009-2010, the Admissions Office at Chicago Booth has launched Booth Connect, an online portal designed to provide you with a customized look into everything Chicago Booth.

Our aim for the site is to provide you with a deeper, more individualized look into the Chicago Booth experience. By registering for the site and sharing your interests, we'll be able to tailor content toward your MBA aspirations. The sections of "Mind", "Life", "Leadership", and "Impact" reflect some of the core components of the Booth experience, and within those sections you'll be able to experience things like faculty discussions and debate, student profiles, entrepreneurial success stories, alumni profiles and more!

We encourage anyone interested in applying to Chicago Booth to check out Booth Connect! Click here to register your profile now.

As always, should you have any questions (or even suggestions) about Booth Connect, don't hesitate to email us!

DSAC: 2009-2010

2009-08-09T23:21:00.002-05:00

Hi there!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 version of the Chicago Booth DSAC blog. With the end of Summer approaching, we second years are gearing up for our return to classes, and we’re sure you applicants for the Class of 2011 are gearing up for the application season ahead of you.

For those just coming here for the first time, this blog is for the Dean’s Student Admissions Committee to document some of the aspects of student life here at Booth, and provide some (hopefully helpful) insight into the application process at Booth. We’ll talk about anything from classes to clubs and everything in between. Please let us know if there’s anything you’d like us to address.

For now we’ll open things up with links to some of the most important resources you’ll need as a Booth applicant...

The first, and most obvious, are the main website to Chicago Booth, and more specifically the Full-Time MBA program. Use this to learn more about our program – academics, faculty, students, clubs, career resources...the list goes on.

Second, check out the details of the admissions process. This will provide you with more details about the steps required for applying to the Class of 2011. Take special note of the application deadlines – October 14 (Round 1), January 6 (Round 2), and March 10 (Round 3).

Finally, the link to the application itself. You’ll use this to actually submit your application.

We’re looking forward to being a part of the application process with you, and wish you all the best this year.

- The Chicago Booth Dean’s Student Admissions Committee (2009-2010)

Ciao, Adios, G'bye - from the graduating DSAC co-chairs!

2009-04-29T22:13:00.006-05:00

The DSAC passes into new hands and us, old co-chairs with only a few weeks left before we graduate, we’d like to say a few words before we pass on the reins…

JSV | “What can I say?? Two years goes by fast! I’ve recently been asked several times how I feel about graduating and whether I am happy I got my MBA. Graduating is bittersweet. I certainly have no desire to look at yet another HBS case and who really uses the CAPM anyway, but I also don’t want to leave my friends and all the opportunities that are so easy to take advantage of here. B-School also has this sort of safe haven feel that I will miss dearly where I can be on my own schedule, ask any questions, and use “networking” as an excuse for going out any night of the week.

I never thought I would be having a conversation with the CEO of Whirlpool, hearing the Vice President of Colombia speak, or take a class with the author of Freakonomics. But here at Chicago Booth, that all happened in just one week!! The experiences are real and have given me such perspective not only on business but life in general. Of course I am glad I got my MBA! I love being a Boothie and always will.”

NJSS | In an ideal world, the MBA would be a 3 year course without any opportunity costs and at the end of it, a 6 figure job and world-changing opportunities would await us all… But hey, this is 2009, the year of the deficits, crunches and rescinded bonuses… and so, here we are at the end of 21 months with our promised jobs yet intact and our MBA almost over. Personally, I would LOVE a 3 year program – there’s tons of rock-star professors and fantastic courses that I would love to try (not to mention the TNDCs I missed out) and of course, we want it all!

But that’s the way it is… classes apart, I’ll also miss the other stuff that’s kept me on my mental and physical toes. Be it writing for Chibus or managing the DSAC blog, I have enjoyed flexing my limited non-academic muscles at Booth and I wonder how I’m going to fill up the free time until work kicks in. Blogging, sourcing blog content, launching Twitter, manning discussion boards, hosting breakfasts, calling new Admits… me and Jen have been at the centre of a very interesting intersection where the school, students and applicants meet and interact and I am sure we will thoroughly miss all the action.

Working with Rose, Andrea and the rest of the admissions team as a DSAC co-chair has been amazing! We not only got a peek at the other side of the Admissions window but also have started to appreciate how the different aspects like culture, academic performance, background, work experiences come together to shape applicants and the school’s personality. It’s a small consolation that as alumni, we may get to evaluate future Booth MBAs (some DSAC habits die hard!) and I look forward to that… although I doubt if the trauma of not attending another TNDC or Admit Weekend will ever really wear off! ;-)

So here’s to the best B-school in the galaxy – with its brilliant professors, startling theories, weird Noble prize jokes, super-smart students, friendly staff… and it's awesome new DSAC co-chairs - we’ll miss it all!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

No cosignor loan for international students @ Chicago Booth

2009-04-23T13:53:00.005-05:00

Great news for international applicants - Chicago Booth has signed up for a new loan program in coordination with GMAC's ISLP program ; international applicants can apply for a loan without a co-signor for an amount that covers their MBA expenses.

The official press release is available on our website and FT in this article believes that this is a sign of the credit crunch easing at Chicago!

That should ease some of the stress in the admissions process - good luck everyone!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

2009-04-22T15:49:00.005-05:00

The Prep & The Story (Part 3 of 3) - EARLY ENTRANTS

In the final concluding section of this series, we bring to you two students who were "early-entrants" - students who were way younger than the average B-school student.

Carmen Magar from Germany, worked across the world with SAP while Nidhi Patel worked as a agricultural consultant before school.

Brief Profile/ Background
Carmen: I worked at SAP in a rotational general management program, completing my undergrad degree at the same time. I am German, but lived in Saudi-Arabia, UAE, China, and well, here of course. This summer I interned in consulting.
Nidhi: I spent 2 years working in agricultural consulting and education programming before my MBA.

What motivated you to pursue an MBA?
Carmen: In that program at SAP, my favorite department was the internal strategy group. There I got to meet some wonderful people, and what they had in common was an MBA. Plus, I didn't feel like I was done learning yet.
Nidhi: To bring to the public/development sector the know-how of the private sector.

How did you prepare for the admissions process?
Carmen: I was terrible at school research, my interviewer told me about the reputation of the schools. I knew what to classes to take though ;) I put a lot of emphasis on the GMAT in my preparation because I'm calculator addicted,. I really enjoyed the essays and encourage you to be yourself in them. The process of writing them was self-exploratory, so either way its not a waste. If you know what your motivation for going to school is, it's not hard to decide on a school. Being German (and naive, I guess) I didn't know that B-School is a lot about recruiting and networking, not only academics. Hence the one factor for me that helped me decide were the classes/ academic quality - really superior at Booth.
Nidhi: I tried simply to state exactly what it was I wanted to get out of the program. I had to develop and really understand my own reason for applying and once I could get that in story-form, it was just transferring that message to the interviewers and the application. I took the GMAT, no classes, just used the Kaplan book for studying about 2 months prior to the exam. Luckily for me, I was only 2 years out of college and therefore studying was still easy for me. This is an advantage because I know many smart people who felt they needed classes even if to simply structure their studying.

How has your school experience been so far?
Carmen: Having come here expecting "only" a great academic environment, I have been wowed and blown away by 1) my classmates 2) the service orientation of the school 3) the doors that have opened to me.
Nidhi: Coming in with a different career goal than most of my peers, it has been difficult to gain a support system and be able to utilize the career help of the students/faculty. That being said, the classes have significantly shaped the way I approach strategy issues and has increased my financial analysis capabilities. Great academics but can be challenging if you are not going into one of 4 major career buckets.

What has surprised you the most about B-school till now?
Carmen: Same as my previous answer... and how beautiful the winter garden is in reality!
Nidhi: How nurturing the professors are - not all of them of course, but you will find world-renowned professors take the time to answer rudimentary questions and even engage in helping students with their inidivudal career/academic goals. They show a sincere interest in student development if you are willing to take the opportunity to engage with them.

What kind of activities are you involved in outside of classes?
Carmen: Co-Chair of the Leadership and Influence Group, co-directed the cohort movie, organizing the fashion show, just got done with case preparation help for first years numbering 587!
Nidhi: Last year I participated in 3 consulting projects through the student groups - that kept me plenty busy. I also became a LEAD facil - that experience was a great way of connecting with the larger Booth student body.

How was the transition from work back to school?
Carmen: Easy for me because I came straight from undergrad.
Nidhi: Again, I was only out for 2 years and quite frankly, I was very happy to be back in a classroom. The transition seemed almost seamless though it was rather difficult leaving a job I enjoyed having only worked there for a short time.

Any advice that you might have for other early-entry applicants?
Carmen: If you're like me, you really really want to get your MBA, and decided to try despite lower chances as an early applicant, show that passion. You know you're ready, help them understand. Explain how you'll be able to create value for your later entry classmates, what you can contribute to their experience.
Nidhi: Job-wise, you are at a disadvantage with only 2 years of experience behind you. The class generally has around 4-5 which seems to be the average without having looked at the stats. I focused on getting some extra interview prep and help so that I could be a stronger candidate despite not having the same amount of experience as other applicants. You can leverage your limited experience by showing greater motivation to excel and move forward. It depends on the case, but there is always a way to spin a weakness into a strength :)

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

Follies Time @ Chicago Booth!

2009-02-16T11:15:00.002-06:00

Its Follies Time @ Chicago Booth and everybody gets into the mood... As you can see below, even Ted pretty much got into the act last year!

PS: Julie (Morton) is the head of Career Services @ the school and Sean Singleton was from the Class of 2008.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

This is just to say...

2009-01-30T21:28:00.005-06:00

This is just to say
That we are now on Twitter.

Follow us from here
To wherever a Chicago MBA
Can take you.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

Striking the balance - The MBA Spouse

2009-01-30T15:18:00.003-06:00

In this post, Huma talks about life as an MBA spouse. Huma’s husband, Dilshad is a student in the Class of 2010 at Chicago Booth.

Name: Huma Shabbir
Nationality: Pakistani
Country of residence before Chicago: United Kingdom

Life before Chicago Booth | I did my undergrad from the UK, while studying I met my husband, Dilshad and we got married. I was working for SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy) for their Major Businesses Sales & Marketing division as a manager before moving to Chicago in August '08.

Are you considering any career options while at Chicago? | Given my work experience and background, I had expected some promising options here, but but because I am on F1 (dependant of student) visa there is a restriction on obtaining any work unless a company sponsors me for a work permit (H1-B) which is generally difficult, and has proven to be even more so in this economic environment.

How did both of you decide on Booth? | We decided on Booth mainly because it suited my husband's criteria, as he was after a finance driven program and Booth is well known as a top finance school with very strong academic rigor and flexible curriculum and secondly because of it's location, as we are "big city people" and Chicago met our requirements well.

How do you like Chicago? | Chicago was a pleasant surprise. It was our first visit to the US so we were excited and didn't know what to expect. The whole process from the first entry to settling in to our accommodation downtown was very smooth. We felt at home instantly as Chicago gives you the privileges of city living yet it has quieter parts like the lake-side and its beautiful parks. So while my student is away on campus there are plenty of things to keep me busy in the city. I found the public transport to be reasonably convenient too as we don't have a car.

How are facilities at Chicago Booth for partners? | The Harper center is very accessible to partners; you can sit there to do your work and there are plenty of weekly events like the LPF on Fridays (which is an evening gathering that gives you a chance to meet other students and partners over food and drinks). There is also a Partners Club, which I joined as soon as we arrived. They have various events such as parties, dinners, day-outs for kids and their mums etc. They have been fairly active so far and the events give you an opportunity to meet partners in similar situations and make friends!

What other activities are you involved in? | On top of Partners Club activities and LPFs, the main activities you would engage in are the Thursday Night Drinking Club (TNDC) - a fun Thursday evening outing to a bar/pub. There are also other social clubs like the Epicurean club (which organizes dinners, potlucks, farmers markets), Rhythmix (teaching salsa, tango etc and have dancing events) which partners can join in. There are also volunteering opportunities (tutoring, animal shelter etc) in the city as well as the university which you can participate in. I guess in the end it is a personal choice as to how busy and engaged you want to be.

What do you like and dislike about the city/experience? | So far I like the city, the diversity of the student body and campus facilities for us which makes our life very convenient. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the weather! :) No amount of warning prepares you for 0F! However, you'd be surprised at how quickly one learns to acclimatize and carry on with life.

Any advice for partners in choosing a school/ pursuing life with an MBA spouse? | Think about all aspects before you choose a school: location, facilities, social clubs etc, and balance these with your “student's” academic requirements; it’s very important that you both are happy with this crucial change in your lives. I think Chicago Booth was the right choice for us and so far we have enjoyed the experience.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

More on the elusive "fit" question - Visit,Visit,Visit!

2008-12-18T00:19:00.005-06:00

In an earlier post, I had spoken about some ways of finding if you and your dream B-school make for a right "fit". In this recent post from a BW MBA Journal, Erin Rupprecht from Stern talks about how "fit" is not made up and how it links up with your school experience. She also strongly advises domestic applicants (and internationals, if possible,I guess!) to "visit,visit,visit" schools.

In fact, we have two members in the DSAC totally dedicated to organizing visits that include hosted lunches, class sit-in sessions and building tours from September to May. We also host "Chicago Booth Live" - full day events that allow you to spend a day in various activities on campus, culminating in an LPF (Liquidity Preference Function) where you can down a couple of beers as you chat with current students. If you are interested, feel free to sign-up for the program here - we would love to host you and share our MBA experience with you!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

The Military MBA – The Prep & The Story (Part 2 of 3)

2008-12-17T12:45:00.004-06:00

Applicants with a military background bring unique and practical leadership experiences to an MBA program. At Chicago Booth, we have quite a few classmates with extensive military experiences.

Frank Hauben was in the US Army for six years. His specialty was in communications and he spent three years in Germany as a platoon leader and operations officer, a year at Fort Hood, Texas, leading a communications team for an air cavalry squadron, and 15 months in Baghdad as a strategic planner. Jean Park was a U.S. Army officer in the Signal Corps (communications). She worked in various roles throughout her service – Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, Assistant S-3, and a brief stint as a Liaison Officer to the Korean Army in Iraq. In this post, Frank and Jean share their experiences before and after admissions at Chicago Booth.

What motivated you to pursue an MBA?

FRANK: While I had fun during my Army time, I wanted to shift to a career in the private sector. An MBA provides the perfect opportunity to transition to the business world. A large percentage of people who go through business school are career switchers, and the career services office has the whole process down to a T. There are inexhaustible opportunities to learn about new industries, companies, functions, and to prepare students for the application and interview process.

JEAN: I realized that I needed to learn a lot of the business fundamentals that I did not have exposure to. I had a lot of operational experience before business school from my experience in the Army and at GE. However, I wanted to expand my business knowledge foundation and explore more opportunities that could put me on fast-track to senior management.

How did you prepare for the admissions process?

FRANK:

GMAT - I used the Official Guide for GMAT, The Princeton Review, and the Kaplan guide. I found the Princeton Review the most helpful as far as test-taking strategies, and Kaplan had the hardest questions. The Official Guide had actual previous tests, so I found it to be the best assessment tool. I studied an hour every other night after I was finished with work. Since I was deployed to Iraq at the time, I never had a 3 hour block of free time for the practice tests. So I took the practice tests in 30-45 minute blocks and then put it on pause for the next day (which I would not recommend). I took the test during my two week R&R in Europe, which is also something I would not recommend. Luckily I did well, but this strategy leaves no time for a re-test.

ESSAYS - I highly recommend the book How to Get Into the Top MBA Programs. A friend at another top business school recommended it, and it proved invaluable. This book helped me frame my experiences to best answer the essay questions. I also had friends in grad school (both business and law) critique my essays.

SCHOOL RESEARCH - I emailed alums and current students through the Armed Forces Group. I also spent time reading MBA journals on the Business Week website, and looking through student comments on Vault.com.

JEAN:

I had to do a lot of soul-searching to find out the true reasons why I wanted to go to school. This was extremely beneficial in crafting my essay themes and ‘why business school’ questions. I realized how passionate I was to go to a great program and become a part of a solid alumni community.
GMAT - I think the most important thing is to do full-length practice tests. I wish I had done more of these, because it was a little difficult to sit through the entire exam on GMAT day. I wish I had done more full-length practice exams to simulate the actual test taking experience.
ESSAYS - I found it difficult to find examples from applications with similar experiences to mine. This was mainly because I had military experience in addition to business experience. Instead of looking at other example essays, I thought of my strengths and weaknesses and how a business school experience would give me the tools to have a successful career. Veterans have extraordinary leadership experiences that should definitely be highlighted in essays.

What were the top 1 or 2 factors that helped you decide on the choice of school?

FRANK: What impressed me most about Chicago was how polished everything was, from the smooth application process and proactive admissions reps, to how welcome everyone made me feel as an admitted student. Chicago Booth students and administration go that extra mile, and were the biggest factors in choosing this school.

JEAN: Career Services was a huge factor for me, because I wanted to have an extremely solid support staff who had built long-lasting relationships with outstanding companies. The alumni community also played a large role because I wanted to be part of a community which had strong ties to the school and was still a part of the overall community once school got officially over.

How has your school experience been so far?

FRANK: The social atmosphere has been great and there is a real sense of community at the school. I love how many students live within a few blocks downtown, so there is always someone to work out with, study with, or go out with for some drinks. School has just been a lot of fun!

JEAN: It’s been amazing to be surrounded by a group of peers that’s so diverse in their experiences, knowledge, and backgrounds. It’s also very humbling to experience my business school career with such a phenomenal group of people. Much like the military, there is a certain sense of camaraderie with your classmates and it’s been an awesome experience to be a part of.

What has surprised you the most about B-school till now?

FRANK: I’m surprised at how much I learn outside of the class, just from talking with other students. I have learned so much about business functions, industries, and companies that I had no idea even existed.

JEAN: The amount of time I actually spend with “school.” Before I came to school, I almost had a sense of relief once I got into school because I thought that it would be less stressful than the work grind. However, I soon realized that times flies and that I had to prioritize my academic, career, and social interests. Business school is all about juggling your priorities and I never thought I would be this busy!

What kind of activities are you involved in outside of classes?

FRANK: I am most actively involved in the Armed Forces Group, which is a networking group that also helps military applicants navigate the admissions process, and Give Something Back where I am a tutor for children at Ray Elementary School at Hyde Park. I am also a member of the MCG, CMSG, and DSAC groups.

JEAN: I am a Class Agent, an elected Alumni Relations representative of my cohort. It’s been a great experience to get involved in alumni events, especially since I have a strong interest in building a strong alumni community. I am also involved with the Armed Forces Group, DSAC, Management Consulting Group, and CWiB.

How was the transition from work back to school?

FRANK: I found the process to be very smooth. Grade non-disclosure certainly helps keep the stress off of things, and if you can apply that military work ethic to academics, you’ll be just fine.

JEAN: I think I’m still transitioning....there’s something new every day! Just be prepared for things to start running at 100 mph once you hit ground at school. The best thing I ever did was to ensure that I was moved in and settled before school and orientation ever began. There is definitely little time to unpack things and explore your neighborhood once school starts!

Any advice that you might have for applicants with a military background?

FRANK:

Contact the Armed Forces Group and talk to other MBA veterans – their experiences and advice are invaluable.
Be aware of positive and negative military stereotypes. Certain stereotypes will work to our favor: leadership, work ethic. Others will not: uptight, not creative, relies too much on rank.
Be aware of these and actively work to combat these with prepared stories about how you needed to come up with a creative solution or how you got a senior officer (someone who you didn’t have any rank authority over) to do what you needed. Finally, even if you’re deployed during the application window, you should still apply.

JEAN:

Each school definitely has its own vibe and feel.
Get a good sense of what this is like and see if you can see yourself as being a part of that community for the rest of your career.
Reach out to current students and alumni...you’d be surprised how open people are to speaking about their experiences and helping out!
As a veteran, use your leadership and team building experiences to your advantage. You’ve been in stressful situations where you’ve had to deliver results with very little resources...be sure to highlight your strengths!

B-school students with a military background are known for their analytical abilities, no-nonsense approach and people management skills - traits that make them prized picks for consulting firms and industry leadership positions. If you are a military applicant and would like to know more about the Chicago Booth MBA, feel free to reach out to the Armed Forces Group or DSAC.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

Business Week - The 5 year MBA prep plan.

2008-12-14T13:08:00.004-06:00

BusinessWeek has a useful article here for undergrads about using the years before business school to position themselves for B-School admission. Given that the average MBA has about 5 years of work-experience before they join school, this article (first of a series) shares a year by year plan for prospective students.

Even for people who plan to do their MBA sooner, this is a great start-point which promises to touch on key prep issues like the GMAT, networking etc. Hope you find it useful!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

The Prep and The Story - Part 1

2008-12-11T09:50:00.004-06:00

Starting this week, we bring you a series of profiles of 1st year students with an unconventional background who discuss their experiences before and after admission at Chicago Booth...

This week we have an international student - Shriya Lall. Before Chicago, Shriya was an entrepreneur in India, running her own fashion accessories firm and exporting across the world. Besides business interests, she was also instrumental in founding Aastha, an organization that promotes welfare of street children and is also an exponent of an Indian classical dance, Kathak.

What was your background before business school?

Before Booth, I was an exporter of fashion accessories in New Delhi, India. I started my own firm that manufactured bags and belts and exported them to fashion houses in Europe. I started the business right after undergrad and have been running it for the last 5 years.

What motivated you to pursue an MBA?

While my business was challenging and exciting, I felt that my management exposure was getting limited. I’d been working in the same job/ industry for over 5 years and was getting a sense of stagnation. I wanted to explore further opportunities as well as interact with people from diverse backgrounds to find my niche. Being an entrepreneur was great, but the exposure that I’ve received in just my first quarter at Booth has been phenomenal, to say the least.

How did you prepare for the admissions process?

GMAT - I used The Official Guide for GMAT and The Princeton Review. I took a lot of tests, as many as I could find, including the Kaplan tests. I would recommend doing a few tests, finding out weaknesses and specifically focusing on them. I also read the explanations of the test answers to understand my mistakes. I studied for an average of 4 hours a day for 2 months before my exam.

Essays - I took advice from a lot of friends who had already applied. I asked them to review my essays and share their feedback. I also looked at quite a few websites that explained the questions and the logic behind them.

School research - I found alums and 2nd year students to be the best resources. I spent a lot of time researching the websites of the schools to get in-depth information about them. I researched courses, professors as well as student groups and other extracurricular activities offered. Some of the websites that helped me were www.clearadmit.com and www.accepted.com

How has your school experience been so far?

The experience has been awesome – I’ve had the opportunity to meet with people from 6 different continents and over 30 different countries and have attended the lectures of some of the finest professors in the country. I also think that I was fortunate to be here at such a defining time in both American history as well as the school’s history. I feel that I have experienced more in the last 3 months than I had in the last 10 years.

What has surprised you the most about B-school till now?
The pace of life - everything happens super-fast and before you know it, one quarter is over and you are heading into the new year!

What kind of activities are you involved in outside of classes?

I am involved in a number of student groups. I am a member of the South Asia Business Group and organized the entertainment for the annual Diwali party. I am also on the committee for the India Leadership Summit that will be held in May next year. I am involved with the Business Solutions Group and currently working on a customer perception project for a client. This nonprofit consulting experience gives me a chance to experience consulting before deciding about choosing it as a full-time career choice. I am also a part of the DSAC through which I help answer questions that prospective students might have about the application process and the school in general. I even set up my own student group called the Family Business Group for students who come from family businesses. Outside of these, I am also a participatory member in EVP, MCG and the CWIB Groups.

How was the transition from work back to school?

After working for 5 years, it takes some time to get back to studying. I think Chicago Booth makes this transition very easy by providing a lot of support. We have great Academic Services and Career Services teams who are always open to answering your questions and helping you adjust. I think it takes a few months to get used to the transition but sometimes you are just too busy to even think about it!

How was relocating to a new country?

Moving to a new country is always hard. You have to adjust to a number of things as well as get used to living without your family. You had to get used to fending for yourself, find accommodations, open bank accounts and pay bills. You have to make new friends and learn how to balance you school work with your social life. Coming from a relatively protected life, it was a huge adjustment. I think what helped me was the fact that there are so many other Indian students who are going through the same set of issues – that’s a great support system! We all figured out how to do these things together and helped others whenever one had a problem.

What advice would you have for applicants with a similar background?

Try to bring out your unique skills in the application. Research the school well and be ready to answer all school specific questions. If possible, visit the school or speak to students and try to get a feel for the school.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

School Culture & Fit in the application process

2008-12-04T12:51:00.006-06:00

“Culture isn’t just one aspect of the game - it is the game”

- Lou Gerstner

As a DSAC co-chair and an international student, I get many opportunities to interact with applicants across the world. Some of the most common questions are about the “culture” at Chicago Booth:

· How would you define the culture at the University and the business school?

· How does the AdCom determine fit with the school culture?

· Could you give me some examples or incidents that exemplify the Chicago (Booth) culture?

· And the more blatant “How did you show the AdCom that you were a good fit for the school?”

As a former applicant, I understand where these questions are coming from, but obviously there are no fixed answers – trying to define culture based on my worldview or experience here, is likely to be irrelevant to someone who ‘sees’ through very different eyes. This question is also fascinating because Chicago Booth has its cultural roots in the University (of Chicago) with its own spirit of inquiry and famous intellectual traditions.

Based on my discussions with other students, here are some sources that have helped us understand what the Chicago (Booth) culture is about:

1. Economics as a contact sport: George Papajohn’s famous article from the Chicago Tribune is one of the first prescribed readings for Bob Topel’s Microecon class and what an article it is – it nails down the rush and thrill of the Chicago economics right on – available from The Chicago Tribune archives (Paid link)

2. University of Chicago Record – This is the official record of the speeches that accompany the graduation ceremony at Chicago Booth; as someone who wandered in my 1^st year all over the campus and read about five different University related publications, I found this 2007 issue inspiring for the following reasons:

a. In Page 9, Prof. James Schrager underlines the importance of strategy and Chicago’s perspective on it… Starting with Ed Wrapp’s take on the subject, he goes on to describe how to use all that we learn in a world filled with “mystery and intrigue”!

b. Roger Altman (MBA ’69, Chairman, Evercore Partners) talks about how life’s defeats rather than successes have taught him a lot and therefore mean the most to him. Starting with his first sales experience that literally sank to his being fired by the Clinton administration, Altman makes his point with brevity and wit.

c. And finally in Page 10, Drew Tyler Dir, an undergrad student presents Anne Bogart’s argument that “the act of creation is inherently an act of resistance against our own death. To fight entropy, then, is to have the audacity to introduce something new into a universe that resists our very existence… and the single most important thing we can do as human beings is to confront the great heat death of the universe and to defy it. For four years, you’ve been doing just that - talking, writing, collaborating, creating - fighting entropy ten weeks at a time. Today begins the fight of your lives. Life naturally pulls us down toward death, but today you graduate; and today, entropy meets the University of Chicago. This is your graduation. This is your fight.”

3. The Chicago Approach: There have been quite a few distinguished professors who have laid out the Chicago approach to management education. Allen Wallis and James Lorie developed a 10 year plan called the “Chicago Approach to Business Education”. Later, Harry Davis and Robin Hogarth’s “Rethinking Management Education: A view from Chicago” built on the topic – these papers exemplify the school’s approach and are likely to provide useful insights.

4. Student blogs: Quite a few students and professors write blogs; known student/ alumni blogs are available as links on the DSAC site and can yield detailed information not only about classes and professors but can act as a window into the thoughts of the student body here. Professor’s blogs are usually independent and googling any famous professor will usually yield enough links/ information to form an opinion of his or her research and academic beliefs.

5. Chicago Booth Magazine and journals: Researching Chicago Booth journals, magazines and alumni award winners can be particularly helpful - what does the research say: Does it validate current beliefs? Challenge? Confront? Which parts of their Chicago experience do alumni enjoy the most? And what do they say about these experiences?

6. Chicago Alumni And Students: Nothing ever compares to hearing it from the Maroons' mouth... both alumni and students who have been through the Chicago Booth experience could be the best possible sources of finding out about the school and its culture. Many students, self included, were convinced about their choice of school after hearing either alumni or current year students hold forth about their experiences. We would strongly encourage you to reach out to alumni or students through the many available forums - the Admissions staff, the discussion boards, interviewers etc.

So with all this research done, what do you think we are like? Intense? Intellectual? Interesting? Whatever you decide, you may find it useful to form a clear idea of what a school stands for – not only will this bolster your application and your interview interaction, but will also help you decide on the critical “fit” between you and the schools you apply to.

We hope you found this post useful – in case you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us at dsac.chicagogsb@gmail.com

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

Golden Gargoyles - The Chicago Booth Filmfest!

2008-12-01T22:35:00.002-06:00

Golden Gargoyles is the student film fest at Chicago Booth which also marks the culmination and celebratory end of the LEAD module. As part of LEAD, the 1st year class is split up into 10 cohorts - over the course of the quarter, each cohort makes a short film about life at Chicago Booth with the help of fellow students, faculty... and even Dean Snyder!

These films are then evaluated by 2nd year LEAD facilitators and in a ceremony grander than the Oscars, the Golden Gargoyle awards for different categories are presented to winning cohorts. My favorite film is the one below - to catch the best scenes, fast forward to 2:16 in the video:

When the markets are down, well... humor helps! To check out other Golden Gargoyle videos, just search "Golden Gargoyles" on YouTube!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

An exciting rerun - BW 2008 MBA rankings!

2008-11-24T15:57:00.006-06:00

Last week, the excitement about the BusinessWeek rankings peaked as we watched the live release of the results in the student lounge at the Harper Center – of course, the room erupted in cheers when the verdict was out! After the David Booth gift, it was a nice "one-two" end to our week.

Dean Snyder in his classic understated style sent out this email to the student body:

Chicago Booth has been ranked as No.1 in Businessweek’s biennial ranking of full-time MBA programs. In the previous BusinessWeek ranking also, Chicago Booth ranked first.
Since 2001 our policy has been to report MBA rankings from six media: BusinessWeek, the Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report, the Economist, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. Of the 69 rankings reported since then, 67 are in the top 10.

He also mentioned in this Chicago Maroon article about how its business as usual after the rankings: “Having noted these positives, we strenuously avoid confusing our identity with rankings. So, it’s back to work.”

Although quite a few of us follow the rankings closely, it’s great to see the pragmatic tone that the Chicago Booth management assumes, which keeps us grounded and focuses on what needs to be done. I personally remain convinced that the student and applicant community ultimately benefits from the B-School rankings by different publications, despite the various biases and controversies that plague each release of ranks and I suspect you would agree with me. There is an interesting take on this subject by Business Today (Student Magazine published out of Princeton) in their latest issue.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

Going global over the winter!

2008-11-24T15:29:00.003-06:00

Over winter, different teams of Chicago GSB students head out to various destinations across the world to explore career opportunities, establish contact and sometimes, for more worldly reasons (like the powdery snow at Whistler!).

Dubai, LA, Whistler, Hong Kong, London, NYC are just some of the places that we will be heading out over the next 2 months – for more details, you could check out the attached handout (picture files).

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

Chicago GSB is now Chicago Booth!

2008-11-18T14:22:00.003-06:00

On Nov 6th, all members of the GSB community were invited to the Winter Garden for a historic announcement – we’d become Chicago Booth! In honor of the largest gift to any business school, Chicago GSB has been renamed after a business leader who (literally!) used his Chicago experience and connections to build and grow his firm. According to Dean Snyder’s e-mail to students, this gift is “unconditional” – it allows itself to be deployed in whatever way that the school might deem proper to aggressively move forward and capitalize on our current momentum.

There are obvious gains because of this change for us:
1. Higher endowment and financial resources for deployment that will allow us to focus on:

- Building on our strengths of world class faculty

- Additional resources available to build a diverse and accomplished student body

- And anything else to keep the Chicago Booth flag flying high (this is where the “unconditional” clause kicks in!)

2. Stronger brand identity

- From a generic “Graduate School of Business” to “Chicago Booth”

- To make a stronger impact as we kick off our global marketing campaign

All jazz apart, from a personal perspective, it’s an exciting change for all of us studying here – after the event, a small group of us were discussing that this couldn’t have come from a better alumnus: David Booth leveraged Fama’s “Efficient Market Hypotheses” to build his firm, Dimensional Fund Advisors. Over the last 27 years, he has built his firm with the guidance and ideas of various Chicago professors like Merton Miller, Myron Scholes, Abbie Smith, George Constantinides, Jack Gould, Jim Lorie and Marvin Zonis. And of course the fact that his gift comes at a time when the financial markets are at all-time lows, makes it even better.... some of us will miss the good old “GSB” label, but with the school and alumni extending their reach across the world, Chicago Booth looks like a strong and enduring identity that we can build upon.
Needless to say, we are also excited about the new T-shirts going around, new jokes popping up, and of course, new ideas about what this change holds for our future. If you have any questions about this change, please feel free to reach out to us.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago Booth Discussion Forums

Rosespeak: Chicago GSB committed to financial aid

2008-10-22T11:21:00.002-05:00

Rose(maria Martinelli, Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions at Chicago GSB)has been globetrotting quite a bit and actually has found the time to blog too - in her latest post here, she talks about the impact of the credit-crunch on the loan programs of top schools and the commitment/effort from the schools' side to address this issue.

As a current year student, I had a few anxious moments during summer when the IDAPP loan program was closed by the lender because of the credit crisis; but Priscilla Parker and her team at the Financial Aid office managed to arrange an alternative financing option and rolled it out even before we got back to school - so both the 1st year class and continuing students in the second year have been covered fully for the year to come.

Some recent posts in other blogs/ websites talk about the same issue:

The Clearadmit blog quotes the same post by Rose with comments from other top schools also and speaks about how different schools are working out ways to arrange aid for students.
This post by an current applicant refers to a recent CNN article and talks about the options available for US residents and the dependency of international students on school-endorsed programs.

I personally remain confident that if anyone can sort this issue out, it would be the best B-schools in the world - once the new loan program falls in place, current applicants (domestic and international) would not only avail of low interest rates but also ride what will hopefully be a resurgent economy, when they graduate 2 year from now!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

New courses for a new era!

2008-10-20T12:43:00.007-05:00

Soaking the sun, riding the wind

With gas prices around the $100 mark and both Presidential candidates talking about the urgent need to reduce oil imports, the renewable energy industry has attracted inordinate attention of late. At Chicago GSB, we have introduced a new course “Innovation in Energy Markets and Opportunities in Renewable Energy”. Taught by Travis Bradford this quarter, the course will orient students to the dynamic opportunities that exist in the ongoing transformation of the global energy industry. As the course description says, “existing energy sources and the infrastructures that deliver them to users around the world are undergoing a period of rapid change. Limits to growth, rapidly fluctuating raw material prices, and the emergence of new technology options all contribute to heightened risk and opportunity in the energy sector. Using both theoretical and practical insights about the process by which energy technologies are developed, financed, and deployed, this course seeks to highlight the root drivers for change in the energy industry, the technologies that are emerging, and the factors that will determine success in their commercialization”.

The Art & Science of Innovation
With many a product category becoming commoditized, academics and executives both agree on the imperative for companies to innovate and differentiate themselves in a cluttered world. Building on her experience at Whirlpool, Nancy Tennant teaches “Building Innovation Strategy and Capability” at the GSB in Spring/ Winter 2009. Having visited the Whirlpool world HQ in Michigan, I can personally attest to the amazing culture of innovation that permeates the company; over the years, the company has consciously built processes, structures and delivery mechanisms with the objective of fostering innovation – a smart strategy that’s helped them build a ‘innovation pipeline’ of over $3 billion!

It's great to see how fast the GSB responds with changes in the curriculum design to align course inputs with market requirements - my favorite story is about how the "Real Estate" students group built up momentum and consensus that resulted in the introduction of a "Real Estate Markets" specialization sometime back. Vita Excolatur, indeed!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

The View from Chicago GSB- At BusinessWeek

2008-10-14T16:01:00.004-05:00

Dean Snyder talks to BusinessWeek about the markets, the recruiting outlook and the start of yet another academic season at the GSB. Check out the vid below:

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

From Olympic sponsorships to Obamanomics...

2008-10-09T12:43:00.008-05:00

Chicago GSB was in the news last week for some very interesting reasons:

Obamanomics: CBS carried news about Prof. Goolsbee’s work with the Obama team to formulate much needed economic prescriptions for the American economy. It talks about Goolsbee standing out from the ‘Chicago’ school of thought, which in my opinion, is an integral part of the ‘Chicago’ school of thought (questioning everything). Some of us who had chosen Goolsbee’s course “Economics and Policy in Media, Technology and Telecom” had the highest expectations from this course and most of them were fulfilled. Not only did the class help us understand why the telecom industry is shaped the way it is, but also made a strong case for the role of government policy in shaping the structure of an industry – quite fascinating and incredibly insightful. The prof’s dedication to teaching is legendary; his web-page has a photo of him in his wedding tux, in the classroom… as is obvious, he has an amazing sense of humor and this takes the edge off the heated debates that usually happen in class. Check out his obit for Milton Friedman in the NY times – very much Chicago, of course.
PS: The best part about this class is that Goolsbee allows auditors – so if you’re interested in his class and can make a meaningful contribution, you are allowed to get his permission and sit in class – without enrolling for the course! Some professors allow this if they see evidence that you can contribute (prior industry experience, future career interest etc) whereas others just allow you to join in the fun…isn’t that awesome?

WINning at the Olympics: Mark Konjevod, a GSB alum, never could get the odor out of his shirts after his marathon training runs. Instead of changing his detergent time and again, he set out to create a new product and ultimately ended up as the official detergent for the US Olympic team! You can check out his fascinating story at this WSJ link. This quarter, I have a course “Building the New Venture” by Waverly Deutsch – an amazing professor who teaches the everyday dynamics of entrepreneurship. Chicago GSB’s entrepreneurship faculty lineup is full of rock stars:
• Steve Kaplan who focuses on private equity and entrepreneurial finance.
• Scott Meadow who teaches “Commercializing Innovation”
• James Schrager and Susan Hapak who teach “New Venture Strategy”

Along with Waverly Deutsch and the Polsky Centre, these professors offer a great start to would-be entrepreneurs, covering the entire spectrum of conceptual and operation skills required to kickstart a new venture… no surprises when they go for the highest points in the course bidding process!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Do you know what we did last summer?

2008-10-08T10:43:00.010-05:00

Summer is an incredible time for most MBA students – at the GSB, full time MBA students use the summer to get hands-on work experience through internships at reputed companies, start-ups and non-profit organizations. Starting from mid-June to August, GSB grads stream out into the gritty, real world and attempt to apply what they have learnt in classrooms to real-time work environments.

The internships also help students experiment with new career options and try their hand at new functional areas and/ or new industries. This way, by end of summer, one forms a far clearer idea of what the industry/function to recruit for post-GSB. Quite a few firms also end up extending offers to their interns to come back and work full-time in their organizations.

Some examples of summer internships…

I did my summer internship in Europe at a large telecommunications firm on a segmentation strategy for their online business networking portal. It was incredible fun! The team was almost like a start-up… which of course meant that they needed everything yesterday! In the end, although it wasn’t exactly the “strategic planning” work that I originally wanted to do, many of my recommendations were implemented immediately and it was amazing to make an impact in just 2 months. More importantly, it was also an experience that gave me a great perspective of the organizational culture and the people at the company.

A friend of mine worked in London for a non-profit initiative that analyzed the causes of knife crime among juveniles in London, attempted to pin down causes and proposed solutions to the issue. This was, to say the least, thrilling and sometimes dangerous work – she had to travel to some not-so-safe neighborhoods and sometimes, meet with criminals… but she also adds that it was very fulfilling and the impact of such a project could actually mean more lives saved on the streets. What better application, I thought, of management skills could one imagine!

Another classmate landed an internship in Chile through the Polsky Centre. He helped an entre preneur decipher the legal environment in Chile and it's impact on the growth of the business. Not only was it an out-of-the world experience, but also a window into a different country, culture and language – this proud GSBer now knows a smattering of Spanish, can ‘almost’ change a flat tire even if stuck on the Andes, has frequented the best pubs and restaurants in Chile and most importantly, carries into his future a set of personal and business relationships forged over the last 2 months.

I hope this gives prospective students an idea of the work we do over the summer and the impact it has on the organization and on our career plans. With school starting off, we are all set to share our war stories with one another – if you’re at GSB Live, maybe you’ll hear a couple of them too!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

A New Year at Chicago GSB

2008-10-07T14:13:00.003-05:00

With Fall quarter starting off, The Winter Garden has its familiar buzz of activity again! Most second year students strolled back into campus just a few days before classes kicked off; these veterans came back with many war-stories from summer internships, travels abroad and even weddings and new babies! Full-time recruiting is on and you can figure out the different ways in which different students handle it:Those with signed-off offers are chilling out and taking intense courses with ‘rock-star’ professors like Steve Kaplan and Scott Meadow; others have deep-dived into the recruiting pool, charging themselves up for networking and interviews… and then there are others with an offer from their internship trying hard to decide on whether to sign it off or not. But no matter what, the general feeling among second years is that it’s nice to be back!

GSB also welcomed the Class of 2010 to campus a few weeks ago. First year students come to campus about two weeks prior to the start of class for C.O.R.E. – a preparatory module that includes orientation and part of L.E.A.D. It’s always fun to see a group of energetic new faces meeting each other, starting classes, seeking career advice and in general, go through the GSB experience. They are getting used to both the intensity and fun of b-school and if you were to ask them how they felt, the answer would probably be "Great, but busy!" Amidst all this, we also have student groups trying to recruit new members for club activities, career services hosting career panels where second year students and alumni share their perspective on potential career paths and of course the omnipresent homework/ groupwork and class assignments. In Fall, there never is really a dull moment at the GSB!

There’s also the buzz throughout campus about the recent events on Wall Street. These are interesting times in finance and economics, both strongholds areas of Chicago GSB and it is not uncommon to find quite a few articles by our professors in major publications like the WSJ and NY Times. Prof. Goolsbee’s position as Obama’s economic advisor also adds an element of drama to those following the election trail at GSB. This is also the time of the year when the famous economic truth: TANFL(There Ain’t No Free Lunch) is regularly proven wrong – there are tons of events like LnLs(Lunch N Learns), Brown Bag lunches, the Distinguished Speaker Series where business and though leaders present their perspective eon diverse issues ranging from health policy to politics to emerging markets… food for thought, literally!

An interesting start to what promises to be an interesting year… watch this space – there’s lots more to come!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

International students, keep walking!

2008-08-13T18:34:00.008-05:00

One of the toughest challenges that many international MBA applicants face is arranging financial aid for their education and living expenses. And this is where the top schools prove their worth, extending exceptional support to admitted students by offering scholarships and loans with trusted vendors. Chicago GSB was no exception; through an arrangement with IDAPP (Illinois Designated Account Purchase Program), all GSB students could avail of different loans, with or without co-signors...till now. With the credit crunch taking its toll, IDAPP will no longer be able to continue this arrangement into the future.

But hey, thanks to some fast and intrepid work by Priscilla Parker and team at the Financial Aid Office, we have a new lender on board with a faster online application process, to boot. Check out a recent ClearAdmit post that details the issue.

So if you are an international student and had concerns about the student loan program at GSB, no worries… its business as usual! With that off your mind, we hope that you can fully focus on the application process, especially with R1 deadlines around the corner – keep walking and good luck!

Making the most of a global summer!

2008-07-24T04:58:00.004-05:00

Summer is a busy time for everyone at the GSB - the admissions team is busy planning for next year's process, the academic services team is planning course schedules and 1st year students disperse across the world to intern with different companies, applying a year's worth of management theories and models to the real world.

To make sure prospective applicants do not miss out on the fun, we have tons of admissions events over the summer. Ranging from education fairs to school-sponsored events to informal student receptions, the events bring GSB admissions staff and students to a city near you and help applicants get a personal perspective on the GSB experience. The details of the events and links for signup are at:

http://www.chicagogsb.edu/fulltime/admissions/events.

We hope these events will help you prepare for the application season and get you set for the exciting journey ahead! We look forward to meeting you at an event and will be excited to share our perspective on the b-school experience and everything else…under the summer sun!

The Armed Forces Group at Chicago GSB

2008-05-26T22:09:00.008-05:00

The GSB Armed Forces Group is committed to easing the transition to business school for recently separated military service members. If you have any questions about moving to Chicago, getting acclimatized to GSB life, preparing for the summer internship recruiting process, or anything else, please feel free to contact one of the AFG co-chairs:

Scott Elliot- selliot1@chicagogsb.edu

Steve Gould- sgould1@chicagogsb.edu

Brian Bartlett- bbartlet@chicagogsb.edu

We’re working to set up a couple events next fall, so stay tuned and make sure you reach out to us so we can get you on the email distribution list.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

The New New Team

2008-05-09T11:56:00.003-05:00

The new DSAC co-chairs for 2008-09 are:

Lindsay Brehm
Rebecca Libby
Samuel Rozas
Nelson Santhosh
Jennifer Varela
Fiteh Zegeye

We are in the middle of transitioning responsibilities and are really excited to be taking over from what was a diverse and incredibly dynamic team.

Here’s to a fantastic new year and building on all the good work done in 2007-08!

The Indian Tiger Roars Again... At Chicago GSB!

2008-05-09T09:05:00.008-05:00

The South Asia Business Group at Chicago GSB is organizing The 4th annual Tata India Business Conference on May 17th. This year’s conference with the theme “India – A Winning Contender” promises a star-studded lineup of speakers, with panels headed by Dr.Arun Shourie (former Disinvestment Minister in the Union Cabinet), Mr.Luis Miranda (President & CEO, IDFC Private Equity), Mr.O.P. Bhatt (Chairman, The State Bank of India), Dr. Sam Pitroda (Chairman, Knowledge Commission of India) and Mr.Muthuraman (CEO, Tata Steel).

The time and venue of The Tata IBC 2008:

Date
8:30 am - 6:00 pm on May 17th, 2008
(Registration begins at 7:30 am)

Venue
Charles M. Harper Centre, Chicago GSB,
5807, S. Woodlawn Avenue,
Chicago 60637.

The conference website is at http://www.chicagogsb-ibc.com/ and the blog is http://chicagogsb-ibc.blogspot.com/.

If you are in Chicagoland in mid-May, we look forward to seeing you there!

GSB newswire

2008-02-27T22:49:00.002-06:00

Here's a look at what's been happening at the GSB over the past few weeks:

Bill Gates, founder and chairman of Microsoft, visited campus on February 20 and gave a speech to students at the Harper Center. Gates talked about investing dollars where they are most needed, and how the Gates Foundation is trying to help. He pointed out that "less than 10 percent as much is spent on malaria as is spent on baldness. Malaria kills a million people a year." Gates emphasized that the current focus of businesses to innovate should incorporate innovations that will help the world's poorest citizens: "With all these rapid innovations - material science and cultural science, medical science, entertainment, the quality of video games, enhanced commercialism - we should really not just focus on what these breakthroughs mean for the richest two billion of the six billion on the planet." Gates also talked about some of his biggest challenges in managing people at Microsoft. “My mistakes were picking engineers and saying, well, if you’re a high IQ engineer, then you can manage people, basically on the belief that IQ is fungible,” he said, “because I don’t understand why it’s not. But it turns out, it’s not.” Over two hundred students packed into Room 104 of the Harper Center in an event that was so highly demanded that a lottery had to be conducted for tickets.

The webcast of this speech can be seen here.

In a recent New York Times article, Professor Austan Goolsbee said tax proposals by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama “would be fully paid for by closing business tax loopholes, cracking down on international tax evasion schemes” and restoring higher tax rates on some capital gains earned by the wealthiest taxpayers, according to an article published January 23. Professor Goolsbee is Obama’s senior economic adviser.

Clinical Professor Scott Meadow and Adjunct Associate Professor Linda Darragh were quoted in a Chicago Tribune article about entrepreneurs considering starting two businesses at the same time. “Look for a strategic link and a reason they fit together,” Professor Darragh said. “Unless I had Steve Jobs for both companies, I doubt I would consider backing someone who was working on two different deals,” Professor Meadow said in the February 11 article.

Gerald Beeson, MBA ’99 was promoted to COO of Citadel Investment Group LLC, a large hedge fund. Previously he was CFO of the fund which is based in Chicago. The announcement appeared in the February 7 edition of the Wall Street Journal.

Finally, over 300 students and their partners congregated at the River East Arts Center on February 23 for the 2008 Intrigue and Mystery Winter Formal. There were performances of old classics and modern hits by a live cover band, and this year's theme was a masquerade ball, so many students decided to get creative with their facewear. The setting was the dance hall of a modern art gallery overlooking the beautiful - and frozen - Chicago River. This event was put on by the Graduate Business Council. Thanks you guys for a great event!

Upcoming Admit Weekend

2008-02-22T13:56:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to all our admits from Round I!

You have really impressed us with your experiences and qualifications, and we welcome you to the GSB community! We would like to take this opportunity to remind you about the upcoming Admit Weekend (March 7th). The Admit Weekend is a great way to get to know the school, the community and your fellow admits. We've got an exciting, informative and fun schedule lined up for you.

Here is what Becky - a 1st year student - has to say about it:

Hearing all the talk about Admit Weekend preparations here on campus reminds me of how I was feeling at this time last year. I was so excited to receive my acceptance from the GSB, but was a little nervous, kind of like a kid going off the summer camp. Would I know anyone? I had only communicated on the Admit Discussion Forum with a few other admits from the Washington, DC area. Would it be hard to make new friends? Was I going to freeze?

I can say now that my anxiety was unwarranted. I had a fantastic time at Admit Weekend, met some amazing people (who are some of my best friends today!), had a great time exploring the Harper Center here on campus and sitting in on a model class with the famous Kevin Murphy (and for those Freakonomics fans, Steve Leavitt sitting in the corner) and getting excited about taking microeconomics, hanging out downtown at Lucky Strike watching Rose try to bowl, and hearing about how much the current students loved the GSB. The weekend was a great start to my GSB career. Everyone I met was so excited to see me there, which eased any fears I had about not finding people to hang out with.

So, let me ease your anxieties, encourage you to make your plans for Admit Weekend and come have a fantastic time with us. Here are some logistical details to help you get started:

· Chicago has two airports: O’Hare and Midway. Midway is on the Orange “el” line that will take you into the downtown loop. O’Hare is much bigger and is served by all major airlines. It’s on the Blue “el” line which will also get you to the downtown loop. Information on public transportation can be found at http://tripsweb.rtachicago.com/.

· Hotel rooms certainly aren’t lacking in Chicago. Most people stay in downtown (GSB will run a shuttle from the downtown Gleacher Center to Hyde Park). The Admitted Student Website does have some suggested hotels here. Remember, weekends are a popular time to visit, so make your reservations early!

· Pack a coat. We’re realistic, Chicago can be chilly, and you’ll have much more fun if you are not cold. But take heart, the average temperature in March is in the 40’s.

· Get ready to have fun. If you talk to any first-year student who attended Admit Weekend last year, you’ll hear over and over again that Admit Weekend cemented the decision to attend GSB.

For more information, please visit this link on the admit website (requires login and password).
http://www.chicagogsb.edu/fulltime/admits/weekend/index.aspx

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Fall CWiB Conference

2007-11-07T11:13:00.000-06:00

With the number of women at the GSB at an all time high of 35%, it is not surprising that the Chicago Women in Business (CWiB) student group was able to put on a successful Annual Fall Conference on October 25, 2007 at Chicago’s Intercontinental Hotel.

As a first year student the prospect of figuring our which career path you want to take is daunting. Just when you feel as though you are settling into life in a new city with new friends and figuring out what it’s like to be a student again, you are quickly reminded that you have a future career to think about. We looked to Dr. Seuss to shed some very valuable insight:

You have brains in your head
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose

As such, we decided to make this year’s theme for the conference - “Forging and Managing Your Career Path.” The CWIB Annual Fall Conference provides a safe environment for our women students to ask many corporate women candid questions about their experiences.

The Conference was well attended by over 175 members and 100 sponsors representing 26 firms across various industries.

We kicked off the event with two panel discussions – Managing and Navigating Your Career Path and Off the Beaten Path. The first panel is pretty self explanatory. We brought in many successful women across a broad range of industries to give their advice on how they had “figured it out.” The second panel was geared towards those interested in pursuing a non-traditional career path such as entrepreneurship, non-profit and corporate social responsibility. Panelists included:

Toby Alfred – Customer Acquisition Leader, Progressive
Katie Cusack – Director, Credit Suisse
Teri Hill – Senior Executive, Organization Strategy Practice, Accenture
Spring Hollis – Director, Deutsche Bank
Kristen Rossi – Executive Director, Investment Banking, Morgan Stanley
Julie Coffman – Partner, North American Recruiting, Bain & Company
Patrice P. DeCorrevont – Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
Marissa Haas – Senior Product Manager, Marketing, Abbott Pain Care
Anne Hamilton –Vice President, Lehman Brothers
Ingrid Tierens – Managing Director, Equity Strategies, Goldman Sachs
Susan Alnaqib – Co-President, Chicago Community Ventures
Margaret Annett – Assistant Treasurer, The Art Institute of Chicago
Chandra Greer – Founder, Greer
Maria Kim – The Cara Program

Following the panel discussions, we opened the floor up to a networking event where students were given the opportunity to float across the room and speak to representatives from all 26 firms. With over 100 corporate representatives present at the networking portion, students were given an amazing opportunity to ask candid questions about specific industries, jobs and firms.

The Conference closed with a formal sit down dinner in the Grand Ballroom where we graced with the presence of a truly inspirational female leader, Shellye Archambeau, CEO of MetricStream, who was the keynote speaker for the evening. The theme to Shellye’s speech was naturally about career planning. According to Shellye, a plan, much like a map, will help you navigate the potholed and congested road. It will also help you get back on track when you get lost. Funnily enough, Shellye had a plan to be CEO of a company at the age of 14! She is a true testament to the whole idea of having a plan. Her belief in having a plan is best encapsulated by the following story she shared. When Shellye was in college, she needed a winter coat (an expensive purchase for a student living on a budget). Knowing that a coat is meant to last approximately 5 years, Shellye took her plan into account. Shellye had a plan to be pregnant in 5 years. She took this into account when making her decision to buy a winter coat and opted for the one that she could wear while pregnant over the trendiest coat at the time. Although she was kindly reminded by her roommate that she didn’t have a boyfriend at the time, Shellye was indeed pregnant five years later and had a coat that she could wear.

Year after year, we hear great feedback about how valuable the opportunity to spend quality time with firm representatives is to students. CWiB is one of the largest student groups at the GSB. Our mission is to aid our members in developing professional and personal skills and building relationships with corporate recruiters, faculty, alumni, and other female students. With over 200 members, the group hosts career development, community service, and social events. The women of CWiB are pleased to speak with prospective and admitted students and always welcome new members!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

GSB newswire...

2007-10-12T22:56:00.000-05:00

Overview of current events from the past week @ GSB:

In a speech to GSB students at the Gleacher Center, Motorola CEO Ed Zander said his company looked into the possibility of buying Navteq Corp before rival Nokia struck a deal but rejected an acquisition because it wasn’t a good strategic fit. “We looked at it and went on our way,” Zander said. He called the $8.1 billion price tag for Navteq “stunning.”

University professor Steve Levitt, author of the best-seller Freakonomics, was this week's guest at the Harper Center for the Becker Brown Bag Series. He discussed the benefits of running experiments in real businesses, even if many short-sighted CEOs have historically refused to participate in what they perceive to be risky undertakings. He also shared with students his most recent study, which analyzes the economics of prostitution in the United States.

Professor Steven Kaplan was quoted in a Bloomberg article about the slowdown in buyouts. Many private equity firms are now unable or willing to leverage up as they did before, Professor Kaplan said. “Those multiples are dead … The amount of leverage they can get has gone down and will stay down,” he said in the October 1 article.

Professor Raghuram Rajan appeared on The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams October 10 in a story about foreign investment in U.S. companies. Although some Americans may be leery of such purchases, Professor Rajan says it often makes good business sense. “People don’t spend $10 billion or $20 billion on a company just to run it into the ground or for some nefarious purpose,” he said.

Professor Rajan was also quoted in an October 6 article by The Economist about whether there needs to be more regulation of banks’ liquidity. Professor Rajan said what is needed is consistent monitoring of banks’ liquidity positions over the economic cycle. One benefit of the recent crisis, he said, is that it will provide a benchmark for assessing whether banks have enough liquidity in the future. More scrutiny may be the only way to ensure less reliance on the state.

Timothy Chen, MBA ’91, was named CEO of NBA China, a subsidiary of the National Basketball Association, according to a September 21 Forbes article. There are an estimated 300 million basketball fans in China, the article said. Previously Chen was CEO of Microsoft China.

James Kilts, MBA ’74, was elected to the board of Pfizer Inc., according to an announcement September 27. He is a founding partner of Centerview Partners, a private equity and financial advisory firm and was CEO of The Gillette Company prior to its merger with Procter and Gamble. Kilts is also chairman of Council on the Graduate School of Business, a group of executives that advise Dean Snyder on program issues and serve as a link to the business community.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Chicago... my future home--but where?

2007-10-06T23:16:00.000-05:00

Where to live? It’s a question that many applicants think about in deciding where to apply for business school. Whether you’re very familiar with Chicago or have never visited, housing is always a hot topic among applicants and incoming students.

At first, many incoming GSB students are under the impression that housing is simply a choice between Hyde Park and the north side (usually either downtown or Lincoln Park). While a good portion of students do choose to live either very close to campus or in the popular north side locations, some decide to tap into one of Chicago’s many other interesting neighborhoods. After all, Chicago is known as a city of diverse, rich neighborhoods, so it makes sense that the student body has equally varied tastes when it comes to housing.

Here are a few “other” neighborhoods in which GSBers live that you may not have initially thought of:

South Loop: Want proximity to school outside of Hyde Park? How about closeness to both downtown and the exciting nightlife of Gold Coast? If so, then the South Loop may be a great option for you. Not many years ago, this neighborhood just south of Grant Park was an abandoned area of railroad tracks and warehouses. Since then, it has been revitalized by a frenzy of construction: mainly high-rise and mid-rise condominium buildings with all of the amenities. Many GSB students with families have chosen to invest in buying condos in this neighborhood, while others who prefer to lease have settled in rental buildings or sublet from condo owners.

Student Ade Ifelayo said of his neighborhood: “It’s a central, or ‘compromise’ location between Hyde Park, Downtown and the Northside areas. It has easy access to public transportation—on both El and Metra lines. Driving is even better, as it’s against the flow of traffic both commutes.”

Although it still has the feel of a young, new neighborhood, the South Loop is full of everything you’d want in everyday life—from grocery stores and a huge Target, to bars and restaurants, including Ade’s favorite brunch spot, Yolk. (“It’s the best!”)

Wicker Park / Bucktown: These neighborhoods are just west of the Loop, are more affordable than some of the more central locations in the city, and offer a delightful combination of charming shops, restaurants and cafes. This area is also much more parking friendly than the rest of the city can be, which is important because public transportation to the Harper Center can be time-consuming from here. In other words, you’ll probably want a car if you make this your home.

According to second year student Christen Cuculich:

“The people in Bucktown are a little less homogenous than other areas of the city, partially due to the big arts scene in the area. There are no high-rise buildings, few chain restaurants, and you can easily walk to tons of great restaurants, coffee shops, bars, grocery stores, boutiques, music venues, the blue line, dry cleaners, and just about everything you could imagine. Beyond being home to some of the best restaurants and shopping in Chicago, Bucktown is also an ideal area for animal lovers. There are a lot of pet-friendly apartments and condos and there are multiple dog parks.”

Lakeview: This neighborhood is adjacent to the northeast part of Lincoln Park and can best be described as a comfortable, moderately-priced and easily-navigable option for your time in b-school. Families and young folks alike choose to make this their home, resulting in an interesting mix of parks, gyms, pubs and Lake Michigan.

Dru Rossbacher chose Lakeview “for its proximity to the lake, to public transportation and to a myriad of good restaurants and bars” and accessibility to everything from supermarkets to various good places to do yoga. There’s always a lot going on at night, from local bars to trendier clubs—and the chance to attend a Cubs game in nearby Wrigleyville. Dru notes that “it is considered to be one of the safest neighborhoods in the city, so I have never felt unsafe returning home from a night out.” Parking can be a problem, however, since rented spaces tend to be quite expensive and street parking is limited and can take a while, especially in the bad weeks of winter.

Hopefully, you’re beginning to realize that Chicago is a great city offering its residents a variety of living choices depending on what matters to you most. If you come to the GSB, everyone will have an opinion on where is the best place to live—just remember that, whatever it is that you want, Chicago has it.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Q&A with Rose Martinelli

2007-08-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

Greetings from all of us at the Dean’s Student Admissions Committee! A very warm welcome to the class of 2009 – congratulations on your success, and best wishes for a wonderful and exciting time at the GSB! We hope to see you soon on the campus.

Our warm wishes also go out to all the prospective students out there, gearing up for this year’s admissions cycle. As you navigate through the exciting, challenging – and often times exhausting – process of b-school applications, we will try our best to assist you in all ways we can. This particular blog entry is another step in that direction. Rose Martinelli (RM), the Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions, answered some of the most important admissions related questions posed by 2nd year student and DSAC co-chair Saurabh Sharma (SS). We hope that the conversation below will help clarify the admissions process to all prospective students out there.

SS: Good morning Rose, and thanks for taking the time out for this chat.

RM: Good morning. It’s my pleasure.

SS: Let me start by asking some specific, application-related questions. I'll begin with a question that is probably on everyone’s mind. The Adcom recently came up with the application questions for the Class of 2010, and there has been one significant change – the PowerPoint slides. Can you talk a little bit about the motivation behind adopting such a non-traditional format?

RM: Well, as you know, the Chicago GSB has a reputation for challenging norms. In some respects that is what the PowerPoint is doing. Traditional essays, although helpful in the application process, tend to be confining. Essay questions do not allow applicants to fully stretch beyond the question and communicate their strengths, weaknesses, passions etc. The PowerPoint slide is our way of giving applicants a blank slate on which to communicate with us. There aren't many restrictions for an applicant, and they have free reign to communicate to the committee whatever they feel is valuable for us to know. An applicant can expand upon their application or they can go beyond it and reveal something completely new. This is their opportunity to express themselves without guidance or restriction.

SS: Compared to the usual essay questions, how differently should an applicant think about the slides? What is similar, and what is not – in terms of how the AdCom will be looking at the responses?

RM: In many respects we are looking for similar things in the slides as we would in the essays. We are looking for organized thoughts, strong communication skills, and the ability to convey ideas clearly. We will also be looking at an applicant's ability to be insightful and their willingness to express themselves in a new medium. In some respects, this question adds an element of risk to the application that has not been there before. There is no question to guide you, or any history to use as an example. Therefore, an applicant's success will largely depend on his/her ability to think and reflect on those things that capture who they are as a person and a potentially successful member of the GSB community.

SS: It appears that there is an option to attach a word document to provide an "explanation" of the slides. In what cases do you think this option might be used? Is there a restriction/suggestion on the length of this document?

RM: The word document is there as a safety net. We recognize that interpretation of material is not always consistent across languages, cultures, socio-economic differences, etc. The intent is that the slides will communicate the messages without explanatory notes. However, we want to ensure that the meaning conveyed in these slides is clearly understood in the evaluation process. If a notes document is included, it should not exceed one paragraph per slide.

SS: While reviewing applications, how would you weigh the actual content vs. the presentation style? Obviously, different applicants will have had different levels of experience creating slides and presenting ideas in that format?

RM: This question is not designed to evaluate the applicants’ PowerPoint expertise, but rather to reveal how people think and communicate their ideas. This question, like the rest of the essay questions, is designed to provoke critical thought and self-reflection, not just their creativity. It is the message within the slides that is important, not the presentation.

SS: Thanks for these responses. Let me now switch gears, and talk about the application process and GSB in general.
Hopefully by now, prospective students would have started thinking about their applications in detail. As they make up their mind regarding this significant change in their lives and decide upon their target school(s), what, in your opinion, should be the key aspects they consider?

RM: For applicants to be successful in this process, they must be effective at doing two things:
1) Self-reflection – Know why you are applying for an MBA. Know your strengths, weaknesses, and why you think an MBA will prepare you for the future. Know your goals and be able to communicate how you think you can achieve them.
2) Understand fit – Every school is different in terms of culture, courses and extra-curricular offerings, so make sure you know what makes an MBA from a specific school so important for you to achieve your goals. If you know yourself and you know how each school can help address your needs, you can make a compelling case in the application. If you do not fully understand or reflect on either of these points and rely solely on your credentials to carry you, chances are you will fall short in a very competitive application process.

SS: Wise words!
As you wrap up the admissions process for the class of 2009, what is your view of the applicants and the incoming class? How was this year?

RM: We had a great year, and are very excited to welcome the Class of 2009 to the GSB. This class is not only bright, but incredibly diverse in terms of background and future goals. We are eager to have them start the program and have high hopes that they will add tremendous value to the GSB community as students and beyond.

SS: I personally have been super-impressed by the knowledge and the helpful attitude of the Class of 2007. What is the buzz in the market, and among recruiters? What are the most common strengths of GSB grads?

RM: Recruiters are big on GSB students for two reasons: 1) Our students leave here with incredible critical thinking skills. They understand the fundamentals of business, are well-equipped to break down complicated problems to the bare essentials, and make smart, well-informed decisions. Which leads me to my second point: 2) Our students leave the GSB with tremendous confidence. They thrive in challenging environments and are not afraid to ask questions. Our entire community is about challenging one another, and companies appreciate people within their organizations who think differently and push for the best answers, not just the expedient ones.

SS: My final question for you – as they go through the application process, what are some of the avenues that prospective students can use to get to learn more about the GSB?

RM: All prospective students should visit our website. There you can learn about our people, our programs and our culture. Through our website they should check out our discussion boards, chats and this blog. All these things give a prospective student an in-depth and revealing look at the GSB through the eyes of our students and staff. I would also encourage students to visit the school. You can sign up for a daily visit or a GSB Live event starting in October. If you can not visit campus, then try to visit us at one of our information sessions being held all over the world. The more you interact with us, the more prepared you will be to write a compelling application. We are a school that is all about transparency, so take the time to explore and ask questions. We want you to be successful, so take the time to engage and get to know us better.

SS: Rose, once again, thanks for taking the time out to answer these questions. I am sure applicants will find your insights quite useful.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Admit Weekend II Recap

2007-05-03T21:14:00.000-05:00

"You Are Here."

Over 400 admitted students and their partners invaded the Hyde Park Center from April 20-22 for Admit Weekend II. Students experienced a variety of events, ranging from information sessions on career services and financial aid, to student panels on housing and Random Walks, to hands-on LEAD activities. Saturday evening was capped off by a send-off dinner at Union Station, followed by an informal night out at a local club where admits and current students celebrated admission or the impending end of the academic year.

Admitted students trickled in throughout Friday, joining their current student hosts for breakfast and then heading off to a day packed with activities. Spouses and significant others had their own events to attend but linked up with their partners for meals and the day-ending LPF with Mexican food and all kinds of beverages, as well as student groups that had set up tables across the Rothman Winter Garden.

Other activities on Saturday and Sunday included model classes and a tour of Chicago on bus, which took students around the city's monuments and residential neighborhoods. Deans Ted Snyder and Rose Martinelli were on hand to welcome students on Friday and Mandel Hall and at the Saturday night reception.

For everyone who attended Admit Weekend, thanks for coming! We hope you learned about what makes Chicago GSB such a spcecial place and, most importantly, that you had a great time. See you in the fall!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Student Perspective: Long Distance Relationships

2007-04-16T18:10:00.000-05:00

Hello to all, congrats to the newly admitted students, and good luck to those who applied in round three!

Today, we’d like to talk to you about something – or better said, someone, who is often overlooked in the whole MBA process: the significant other. In particular, we’d like to focus on the long-distance relationship. Lo and behold, our target is not to give you some couple counseling – we are not qualified for that. But we would like you to profit from the experience of some students who are going through this.

To frame the problem and assure you that I know what I’m talking about, here is a brief portrait: I am French, and I worked in Germany and China before school. Now I am a second year student at the GSB. My better half is Swedish, and she currently works in Stockholm.

The first thing that we long distance people all see is that you need to count on each other. It sounds like a huge tautology but let me be more precise: she/he will support you. Make sure that this project is as much hers/his as it is yours, if you do not want to wake up one day with a break up email or phone call. Be sure that you let him/her know about the upsides of this program for both of you (a hopefully higher future income, Career chances etc.) and the downsides (distance).

Most of the people who choose the long distance relationship do it because of job constraints. In my case, my girlfriend loved her job. She was torn between her will to be with me and her job. As a foreigner, what would she do in the US? She did not want to quit (it is her first job, so quitting after 3 months might have had some resume repercussions), yet she wanted to be with me. Here is the first tip: talk about that together and be open. If you are the one leaving for the MBA, do not forget that by following you, your significant other might jeopardize his/her career too. Given that at the time you come into school you generally do not know where you are going to end up, this represents significant risk added to you, your life, and your relationship. Ponder also that you as an MBA student will be awfully busy. Our partners club here is doing an incredible job, but many wives/husbands recognize that they do not see their partner so much, while they spend some time with other partners of MBA students within the club activities. The reason is that the whole socializing, events, recruiting, etc. is as much part of the MBA education as sitting in class is. In my case, distance allowed me to focus a lot on school, job, etc. Some of my friends who live with a partner tell me about their constant time struggle. My girlfriend and I decided that she would keep her job and that after the MBA we would go to the same place together, our decision driven by the best of both job opportunities.

That being settled, the hard part starts – separation. Here are a few tips that many saw as critical:

By the time you part, always make sure that you know already the precise date when you will see each other again – ideally you will already have the plane ticket. This is critical because it transforms an otherwise empty horizon into a countdown to seeing each other again. It builds up the expectation and shifts the wait from an interrogation (when do we see each other) to an excitement (2 weeks to go!). To help you with this, the academic calendar is published on the school’s webpage and has a very substantial horizon – check it out.

Nowadays, communication systems make it really easy to talk together and even see each other. My girlfriend and I are avid Skype users. The network at the GSB is so good that we can also use our webcams with the wireless system. It works very well, and we talk once or twice a day. You will have to get used to the time difference. In general, your schedule as an MBA student will offer sufficient flexibility and breaks so that you can adapt to his/her working schedule – it does take a bit of planning and effort.

For you Gentlemen: Valentine’s Day IS important. Roses, sent by any delivery company are best. It will cost you 90-150 USD but hey, that’s no money compared to the 80 grand you are paying in tuition.

Look at job options early. Where do you want to go? Where could you go? Keep your significant other informed on a regular basis and take their input into consideration. It will help you to converge towards a mutually agreeable place more easily. Be creative in generating options – use the Career Services Office for help. In my case I discovered with amazement that my target company (Bain & Co) had an office in Stockholm… Maybe I could spend the summer there. If you are interested in the country where your significant other lives, ask him/her for advice. Brainstorm together: what companies are there in his/her place (and that works also if you are from the same country). My girlfriend sent me a list of 60 companies based in Stockholm. Then I cross checked with the list in our career services office – we had data for ALL of them. I ended up at Bain Stockholm for the summer, and when I got an offer, both Anna and I were thrilled to accept!

All in all, try to involve your partner as much as you can in your everyday life. If he/she stayed in a country for work, chances are that you will have a somewhat more exciting life than him/her. You will meet people from everywhere, go to receptions, cocktails, diners, parties, etc. Get her/him involved in the experience. Talk about what you do, whom you meet. Ask for his/her advice when confronted with some local problems. Basically, when he/she comes to visit you, he/she should be able to know a lot about all the people he/she will meet. Not only their names, but also if you like the guy, if you’ve worked with him, etc.

Of course this is not a simple recipe for success. Just a few things that people with long distance relationships keep on repeating between each other. Good luck to all!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Campus Visit Logistics

2007-04-10T16:46:00.000-05:00

Special note for Admitted Students: Contact your AdCom if you would like to visit campus outside of Admit Weekend. They can help us arrange your visit so that we can best meet your needs as you decide which MBA program is best for you.

Step 1: Plan your visit to Chicago GSB
Figure out the best time for you to visit the GSB. Although info sessions and tours are conducted almost every day, we highly recommend that you come when school is in session and when current students are participating in campus visit activities. This way, you can get a student’s perspective on everything from classes to student groups to where we hang out at night. Current students will have a limited role in campus visits during schools breaks (Winter, Spring and Summer) as well as during the first and last weeks of each quarter.

Check out this site for campus visit exclusion dates (no visit activities offered on these days) as well as a general schedule of events for future date ranges. For those of you that want a little more than a regular visit, be sure to check out our “GSB Live” expanded campus visit offering on the same webpage.

Step 2: Register online for your visit
When you determine the date of your visit, please inform the admissions office so we can be ready to welcome you. To do this, you can register online here. This will help us ensure that we correctly match our volunteer resources with the volume of visitors coming in each day.

Step 3: Book reservations for travel and lodging
If you an out-of-towner, you’ll probably need to fly into Chicago and stay at least one night. Visitors often ask, “Which airport should I fly into?” Chicago has two airports: O’Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW). You can use either airport for your campus visit and both have public transportation to and from the center of the city. However, Midway is much closer to Hyde Park and that can be advantageous. For example, if you won’t have much time to make it to the airport after your visit, you should choose Midway if possible. Depending on traffic and your mode of transportation, travel times to O’Hare from Hyde Park can range from 45 minutes to 2 hours during “rush hour”. On the other hand, you can typically make it from Hyde Park to Midway in less than 45 minutes.

As for lodging, the GSB does not have any preferred hotels. However, you can find a list of frequently used hotels here. In addition, you can choose to stay at the International House on campus, which is just three blocks away from the Hyde Park Center. You can learn more about the “I-House” here.

Step 4: Getting to Hyde Park Center
There are many ways to get to campus if you’re coming from Downtown Chicago. The fastest way is to take a taxi, which you can find easily at any hotel. Just tell the cab driver that you’re headed to 5807 S. Woodlawn in Hyde Park.

Public transportation is also a great option. You can take the Metra train to within a few blocks of the HPC. You can find the Metra schedule for the train to Hyde Park here. Note: if coming from Downtown, you can board the Metra at Millennium Station, Van Buren or Roosevelt Road. You will want to exit the train at 59th Street. If you plan take the Metra, call the admissions office for walking directions from the train station.

In addition to the Metra, you can take the CTA’s #2 bus from multiple stops Downtown to 60th & Woodlawn. The HPC is only a two-block walk to the north. You can find the schedule for the #2 bus here.

If you intend to drive, you can find directions here. You will need about 20 minutes to drive from Downtown, and longer if you’re staying further north. Also, give yourself ample time to find a parking spot since parking can be difficult around the HPC. If all else fails, park in the UofC visitors pay lot on 55th St. and Ellis Ave and then walk to the HPC (it will take about 10 minutes).

Step 5: Enjoy your visit!
Ask lots of questions and take in the entire GSB experience! Be sure to sign in at the Admissions Office when you arrive.

Step 6: Getting back to the airport or your hotel
If you’re low on time and need to go to either airport right after your visit, your best bet is to take a cab. You can call ahead and reserve a taxi through most taxi services. While we don’t endorse any cab company, the easiest number for me to remember is Yellow Taxi: (312) T-A-X-I-C-A-B. You can also ask the admissions receptionists to help you contact a cab company. Cab rides to the airport will be expensive, but they are usually the quickest, most direct mode of transportation. See the travel times in Step 3 for estimates on when you should have your taxi pick you up.

If you have time, feel free to explore Hyde Park on foot or head back up to Hyde Park via any of the previously mentioned public transportation options.

Step 7: Give us feedback
We rely on feedback from our campus visitors to help us continually improve the program. You can post suggestions on our web forum (http://www.chicagogsb.edu/fulltime/forums), e-mail the admissions team (admissions@chicagogsb.edu) or contact any of the student volunteers you meet during your visit.

Best of luck to all of you!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

New DSAC Co-Chairs

2007-03-17T19:57:00.000-05:00

Our blog has been quiet as we have been busy finishing up with Round 2 applications and winter quarter finals. Before we head out for spring break (with destinations like Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Florida, etc.), we want to announce the people who will be taking over for us soon. Congratulations to the new DSAC Co-Chairs:

Victor Burga
Martina Dimova
Teresa Erickson
Denise Jaeschke
Natalie Nussenbaum
Saurabh Sharma
Sabrina Thong

We'll begin transitioning our jobs shortly after spring break. Stay tuned for new voices here at the DSAC blog!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Student Perspective: Motherhood & the MBA

2007-02-20T22:14:00.000-06:00

Here are the perspectives of a couple of MBA super-moms at Chicago GSB...

Preeti, Class of 2007, says:

"Admit it, many of you have written about having a balance in life in your application essay and there are a few of us here living that dream. I am talking about those of us who trot about with books in one hand and candy eating toddlers in the other! I know many of you will be making professional and personal decisions soon and family (especially kids) may be one critical part of the decision making process. As a mom who came to the GSB with a 2+ year old, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you how the night long group meetings work with nap times.

"To give you a background on myself, I am a second year student and my daughter is 4 years old now. When I came to school, my daughter was 2 ½ years old, my husband was going to continue working back in California and I was looking at 2 years of single parenthood at Business School with no idea of how to make it work in Chicago. I have had a ton of information, support and advice from friends, administration and even random strangers that have helped me make it work. I had an excellent summer internship and have a fabulous full time job offer. Today, my daughter considers the GSB more her school rather than mine (she claims it is prettier than her own school too!); she definitely has more friends here than I do and she also has a tentative scholarship offer from the friendly Financial-Aid lady, should she choose to pursue an MBA in the future!

"In my mind the challenges that you are likely to face at the GSB will depend primarily on the level of back up support you may have for your parental responsibilities. So if you have a spouse or partner who can share your load, loving grandparents only too willing to take care of the little angel or even a very good nanny (assuming you can afford one on the tight student budget☺) then let me assure you, you are in good shape. Most of us of course, will not have these blessed advantages and things like how do I manage childcare to how will I manage classes, recruiting or student groups will be high on your list of issues. Let me try and answer these questions to the best of my ability:

What are the options available in terms of childcare?

"Well, depending on where you choose to live these options will vary. Since most first year students prefer to stay in Hyde Park to be near school let me highlight the options here.
Schools and Day cares: Most day cares are willing to accept a child above the age of 2 years although there are a couple that accept younger children too. Some of the day cares and pre school in the area include Ray school, Little People Learning Center, Akiba Jewish Day school, Parents Co-op Day care, Lab school and of course all the public schools in the neighborhood. The University of Chicago website has a link to many of these and Google is always a useful ally when searching for the school that best fits your needs. Be warned that getting your child in any good school can require a lot of advanced planning and you may have to lay the groundwork now.
Baby sitters and nanny services: Hyde Park is good place to be if you are looking for baby sitters; students at the university generally can be reliable sitters and once you have built some trust in the relationship they can be good resources for those last minute recruiting dinners. Do not ever underestimate the student body within the GSB as well! My daughter has been baby sat by future bankers, consultants, corporate stars and VCs many times (in the spirit of the GSB’s affinity for numbers, let me also clarify that the ratio of men to women baby sitters has always been in proportion to their total presence in the class). Nannies are also available and I was put in touch with a couple of agencies through the administration here at the GSB.
Final word: Start researching early, develop childcare backups and form friendships with others in similar situations.

How will I manage parenthood with a full course load and with recruiting thrown in?

"Let’s be honest and accept that it will not be easy. Again, a lot will depend on the support system that you will have, but I truly believe that being at the GSB will give you a clear edge as compared to other schools. I am sooo thankful for the flexible curriculum and the ability to pick and choose classes that let me plan my time with my daughter. Besides being able to choose the level of the class that allows you to better manage your time, you also have class timing flexibility. I once scheduled an entire quarter of classes such that I could take my daughter to ballet and swimming classes. Since many classes are offered simultaneously in the full time, evening and weekend program, you can afford to stay at home to comfort your fevered child and yet not miss the valuable class discussion. The same holds for recruiting interviews and networking sessions. Most professors are very understanding and allow you to attend other sections to resolve personal conflicts. That being said, it can be tough that many recruiting events are held in the evening (or on the weekend) and you may be forced to miss out if you do not have a backup care provider available. With a little bit of help and a lot of organization, you will be fine even if you are like me and really do not have a steady support network.
Final Word: Schedule your classes such that there are makeup sessions to fall back upon, consider retaining a nanny for the recruiting season, ask friends to help you out with evening networking events.

How about managing study groups, extra curricular involvements and other student activities?

"If you have managed to read up to this point you may have seen a theme emerging! Yes, as always, it is up to you to make it work. It will help to have study groups that are understanding of your scheduling needs or are game for the occasional group meet with a curious child around. My approach has been to schedule my classes and group meets while my daughter is at school and then schedule net meetings and chats when required.
As far as student group involvement is concerned there are some activities that require more time commitment than others and you will have to pick and choose what you want to be involved with. My advice would be to go for quality and choose an activity or role that is manageable (both in terms of your and your family’s requirements) and something you really believe in. This will ensure that you do not feel stressed about the demands on your time and can continue to contribute effectively throughout your GSB stay. There are plenty of opportunities at the GSB that will give you a very good networking platform with your peers and with alumni while not requiring an extended time commitment. Besides, having a child puts you in a different league and I will bet that you will end up meeting and becoming friends with a set of people that you may never have known if it was not for your child. Of course there will be times when others may feel that you are overloaded and preempt your choice with their decision of not letting you take on a role but that just gives you more time than what you budgeted for with your family!
Finally, on the social scene, yes, you will miss out on the TNDC, the international exchange program, and a couple of formal events that are “Adults only,” but when you have a unique, direct-to-home entertainment package waiting for you at home who is really glad to see you every time, you can live without being the life of the party at other events!
Final word: Choose your battles; be prepared to miss out on some opportunities and try to pair up with adjusting or like minded people for course work.

Finally, the biggest of all worries….Am I doing the right thing for my child and for me by choosing to return to school?

"I will admit that I had many concerns that were very personal like what if my daughter was uncomfortable and unhappy and grew up ill adjusted? Was I being selfish putting her and my professional life on equal footing, asking her to adjust maybe too early in life? I was concerned that it would be a stress on our family with my husband half way across the country and my child would feel the change. We have had to take a hard look at what we want as a family and all three of us have made adjustments but overall the process has worked out well for me. My daughter is a very outgoing and friendly who has been thoroughly spoiled by my colleagues at the GSB and I believe the kind of exposure she has received as a 4 year old is not very common. Obviously, a major portion of the credit for my success goes to my husband and daughter both of who have adjusted exceptionally well. But I feel that another major component of my success has been the GSB itself with its flexible curriculum, very understanding administration (I have had staff help me out when I have been in a real bind) and the faculty who extend the flexibility even further. I don’t think I could have done this at any other school. Finally, I am fortunate to have some very, very good friends and colleagues who have been crucial in helping me make this work. They are closer to us than even family and I feel that the network that I have formed with this group will stand the test of time. All in all, it has been a fun ride and with some great moments thrown in.
Final Word: Was it worth it then? Definitely! Would I recommend it? Surely! "

Maria, Class of 2007, has similar sentiments:

"I am a second year at the GSB. When I started the MBA program, my baby was 4 months old. My husband works in consulting and travels frequently, so, we built the structure (daycares, nannies…) as if I were working.

"I was also a consultant in the past and I do not think that managing an MBA with motherhood is much different than being a consultant and having a baby. The only difference is that when you work, you earn money to maintain the infrastructure. You need to keep in mind that when you study and have a baby you will require the infrastructure, but you will not be earning money. It is something to consider in your budget.

"I have been able to manage doing two internships, getting offers from the companies that I am interested in, getting good grades and being involved in the community (e.g. helping first years with recruiting). Most importantly, I have enjoyed a lot of time with my baby. The benefit of the GSB is that you decide your schedule; the courses, professors…you have flexibility so you can adapt your schedule to the baby’s. You just need to be very organized and plan ahead as if you were working. Obviously it is challenging, but it is a lot of fun! And just one last advice: do outsourcing of all the work of the house!!!! The time that you spend with your baby has to be “quality” time. Have somebody to do the laundry and clean the oven…and you play with your baby when you are at home!"

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Friday FAQ: What if I get a ding?

2007-02-15T23:31:00.000-06:00

While the Round 2 interview invite deadline is rapidly approaching (February 21), the Adcom team is still working on their application reading and sending out invitations. So for those of you who are still waiting for that invite--don't give up hope!!

However, for a percentage of Round 2 applicants, next Wednesday will bring sad news, and more sad news will be delivered on March 28 to another group of applicants. We are of course speaking of the dreaded "Ding" (and no, we are not referring to deals given by Southwest Airlines). After spending countless hours researching and visiting schools, writing and editing essays, studying for the GMAT, and organizing everything from transcripts to recommendation letters, the receipt of a denial of admission can be very painful.

The goal of this post isn't to necessarily cheer you up (but you should take heart in the fact that the writer speaks from experience with the ding). The goal is to help you put things in perspective and hopefully to give some guidance regarding next steps.

"What do I do if I get a ding?"

The first thing to consider is deny feedback. Chicago GSB admissions has changed their approach to deny feedback this year. It will be offered during the summer months, but the sessions will be by invitation only.

If you get invited for feedback- SCHEDULE A SESSION!!! There's no reason not to take advantage of the offered slot to get advice on how to improve your application. If an Adcom tells you that you need to address a certain area, then be sure to point this out if/when you reapply, and of course don't forget to actually address the issue in your reapp! If you do reapply, make sure you continue to network with any current GSB students you've met during the process. Keeping a pulse on the GSB will help you craft compelling reapplicant essays.

If you're not invited for feedback- DON'T DESPAIR!!! Feedback is invite only due to time constraints. Lack of an invitation does NOT mean that your application was hopeless. There is simply no way that the Adcoms could give a sufficient amount of time to each and every denied applicant to address issues with their application. If you fall in this category, your best bet is to reach out to people in your network with business school experience who would be willing to critique your application and provide their own feedback. It's quite possible that he or she might see something in the application that you hadn't noticed before and will be able to provide direction in how to improve it if you decide to reapply.

You may also have to consider some tougher questions. If you have been admitted elsewhere, do you want to accept the offer, or do you want to decline the admit offer to take another shot at the GSB? Do you want to postpone your MBA plans and focus on your career?

The MBA application process involves a lot of self-assessment and reflection, and a ding usually prompts re-assessment. It is most important to keep things in perspective and stay positive.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Student Perspective: Being an early bird at Chicago GSB

2007-02-15T14:26:00.000-06:00

by Eva Karagianni, Class of 2007

For those of you thinking of applying to Chicago GSB without having completed the typical 4-5 years average of work experience, I would like to share my story of coming to the GSB straight after I completed my undergraduate degree in my home country, Greece.

To put things into perspective, “straight from undergrad” in my case didn’t mean “zero work experience”. I was actually working while studying for my degree for a maritime company in their operations department and I had therefore gained exposure to the “real business world” before I arrived in Chicago. Of course, this is not to say that people with even less work experience should be discouraged from applying if they believe that this is the right time for them. In fact, if I wanted to summarize my experience, it’s simply been amazing, highly rewarding, and despite some initial worries about the timing, I never looked back.

I am currently in the second year of the program and after spending my summer in consulting with McKinsey, I accepted an offer in marketing from D&B, which I am joining after my graduation in June 2007. But enough about me. I would now like to attempt to answer some questions that may be in your mind if you are in the same shoes I was in a couple of years ago.

How will less work experience affect me during my GSB MBA program?

In academics: Depending on your academic background, namely whether you have studied in a business related or quantitative academic field before, you may find it easier to adjust and perform in business school classes. Of course, this applies to other students as well, but traditionally early applicants have done exceptionally well in academics.
+ You still remember what it is like to be a student so getting used to it won’t be as much of an issue to you.
- Your contribution in the class may be initially limited since discussions often revolve around “real world” issues and people draw examples from their experience. However, keeping up with your newspaper readings and a good business sense can compensate for that in most cases.

In recruiting: This, at least for me, was a major concern. Will companies treat you like any other MBA student? Will you be able to go after MBA level jobs? The answer highly depends on how you present yourself, how convincing you are in conveying a mature image and eventually how successfully you manage your expectations and target list. Apparently, someone with less work experience will target positions that highly accentuate learning. On the other hand, someone who is well above the average will target positions where extended work experience can be leveraged.
+ You will belong in a minority which is generally perceived to be comprised of exceptional people. Others, including recruiters, will always admire and respect the fact that you had the determination and ability to come to Business School earlier.
- Some recruiters may simply reject you on the premises of less work experience. Yes, it did happen to me. No, it doesn’t feel nice. However, it is absolutely expected. In fact, it’s fine. It simply means that this is not the right working environment for you. So move on.

In social life: Come on now… of course you can hang out with everybody. Don’t be a baby ☺
+ You will probably get a lot of “wow” reactions for your age
- Your classmates will insist asking you if you are allowed to drink every time there is an event involving alcohol. Get ready to be teased a lot.

How do I know if I am ready?

That’s a hard one. It’s different for everyone but here are my basic statements:

I am excited about going back to school. Self explanatory. If you feel you’ve had enough with school for the time being, then no career justification can do it for you.
I feel comfortable in my current position; I feel I’ve completed my cycle here (for those working). I have a strong business sense that is gratified by my academic achievements; I’ve done a lot of volunteer or extracurricular work that can compensate (at least partly) for lack of work experience (for those studying).
I have a plan. I know, I know. We are all told we need a plan for applying to business school. But I cannot stress enough how significant this is for the early birds. If you find yourselves struggling with putting it into words then maybe you should consider delaying this application for a couple of years or more.

How will my application to Chicago GSB be perceived?

It will be evaluated like any other application: spherically. My case, as well as others, proves that there is no prejudice against “early bird” applications on behalf of the school.
+ This is a school where academic achievement is highly appreciated. Therefore don’t underestimate its power on your resume.
- You will certainly have to work hard to show maturity and to compensate for the “gaps” in your resume. Go back to the points made above to see how this can be achieved.

That’s it from me. And please feel free to contact me with any questions at ekaragia at chicagogsb dot edu

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Admit Weekend I (Feb 23-24)

2007-02-11T19:34:00.000-06:00

Admit Weekend is less than two weeks away, and we can't wait to welcome over 100 Round 1 admits to the GSB for the weekend. We've been planning for Admit Weekend since last fall, and we're excited that it's almost here. We have great schedule of events for the weekend that include a headline model class, social events in the city, a student-led city tour, and endless opportunities to meet current students and fellow admits...your future classmates!

Some of the events that we're most excited for include:

Model Economics Class with Kevin Murphy
Kevin Murphy teaches some of the more exciting and dynamic economics courses at the GSB, and we're lucky to have him join us to teach a model class during Admit Weekend. Kevin was named a MacArthur Fellow for 2005 and was selected for the "genius grant" for his work in revealing economic forces shaping vital social phenomena. This is a great opportunity to see what it's like to participate in a class at the GSB and maybe learn a few things while you're at it.

Bowling, Food, & Drinks at Lucky Strike on Friday Night
After a full day of programming on Friday, we've rented out Lucky Strike Bowling downtown. Kick back, relax, and enjoy food and drinks with fellow admits and current students. And don't be afraid to show off those bowling skills.

Chicago City Tour
For those people who are visiting Chicago for the first time or want to get a tour of the city from current students' perspectives, join us on the city tour. This is a great way to see the highlights of the city, get a feel for the different neighborhoods and potential places to live, and hear from current students how they city will be a big part of your GSB experience.

Closing Dinner & Celebration at Gleacher Center on Saturday Night
To end the weekend, let's celebrate! Join us at the Midway Club at the Gleacher Center, our downtown campus building, for a dinner celebration.

Lastly, be on the lookout for an e-mail or call from a first-year the week prior to Admit Weekend. Each Admit will be paired up with a current first-year student "Host." Your Host will arrange to meet you when you arrive on campus on Friday and will be your personal resource starting at Admit Weekend.

We look forward to seeing everyone on the 23rd!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Decisions, decisions

2007-02-05T13:13:00.000-06:00

We all get questions on why we chose Chicago GSB over other programs, and we all have our own answers to that question. When the time comes for you to decide which MBA program to join, the best thing you can do is talk to as many current students as possible and really take a close look at what the different programs offer. Attend Admit Weekend if possible. Choose a program that is the best fit for you, based on the aspects that matter the most to you.

One applicant for the Class of 2009 recently made an entry to his blog describing his decision between LBS and Chicago GSB. His decision process may help you through your your decision process.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Friday FAQ: Interviews

2007-02-02T11:23:00.000-06:00

Now that invitations to interview have started to be released for Round 2 applicants, it's appropriate to address the following frequently asked question:

"What can I expect in my interview?"

Interviews for admission to Chicago GSB are conducted by invitation-only and are 'blind'. This means that the interviewer has not read your application; he or she simply has your resume. A GSB interview isn't dramatically different than a first round job interview. You'll probably be asked:

where you've been (i.e. "walk me through your resume" or some variation)
where you'd like to go and how you plan to get there (i.e. goals and the usual why MBA and why Chicago)
some behavioral-style interview questions (each interviewer has their own favorites to get to know you better)

It is not a stress or confrontational-style interview and you will not be asked technical questions. We'd just like to know a little more about you and get a sense of how you might fit in at the GSB.

A follow-up frequently asked question is:

"Should I do my interview on-campus or off-campus? Are the interviews different? Will they be evaluated differently?"

Interviews will vary a bit because each interviewer has their own style, but all Chicago GSB interviewers (Adcom professionals, 2nd year Graduate Assistants, and Alumni) have the same training and guidelines, so there will be an element of consistency. Interviews are evaluated the same and with equal weight within the context of your total application, no matter where the interview took place. So where you interview is all a matter of your preferences and what is within your time and resource constraints. If you haven't had a chance to visit campus previously, the interview is a great opportunity to come and see the GSB in person.

There is one potential area of difference. On-campus interviews are conducted by either an Adcom professional or a 2nd year Graduate Assistant. Your interviewer will likely be scheduled to conduct multiple interviews that day and will have to stick to the 30 minute time limit. 30 minutes is fairly short to cover all of the things I mentioned above, but your interviewer will do his or her best to keep things on schedule and allow time for your questions at the end. In comparison, an alumnus will probably have only one interview scheduled that day and may or may not be on a tight schedule. When time is not an issue, there may be more small talk, more time to dig deeper into the questions I mentioned above, more time for questions and conversation at the end. That being said, the differences will be pretty minor and shouldn't really influence your decision.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Addendum to International Student Financial Aid

2007-01-30T15:09:00.000-06:00

Following on the last blog post.....

Just for frame of reference, here is the current interest rate information from the financial aid office. Please note this applies to international students and is for informational purposes only. It is not a guarantee that the rates will be the same in the future because the rates are reviewed and adjusted on a quarterly basis.

The interest rate on the International Student Loan without a cosigner is variable and is adjusted quarterly and is based on the 3 month LIBOR plus 3.5%. The current in school rate is 8.61% and 8.76% in repayment. This rate is good until 3/31/2007. There is a 5% insurance fee that is deducted from each disbursement.

The interest rate on the UC Alternative loan with a cosigner is also a variable rate and is also adjusted quarterly. This interest rate is based on the 91 day T-Bill plus 3.25% in school and 91 day T-Bill plus 3.40% in repayment. The current interest rate is 8.254% in school 8.404% in repayment. This rate is good until 3/31/2007. There is no insurance fee on this loan.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Demystifying Financial Aid for International Students

2007-01-30T08:32:00.000-06:00

So, you are considering coming to the GSB for your MBA. Maybe you have already been admitted. And suddenly you realize that it will cost you a lot of money, and you worry worry worry. Money, Visa, moving, …

Keep cool, this is totally doable, and we all overcame it so why can’t you? Here's a bit of advice and a few ideas.

First things first: MONEY.

For international students, it is indeed the primary concern. The reason is that in order to get a visa, you have to bring proof of sufficient funding to your local US Embassy or consulate. That means securing some money up front, or having the awkward discussion: “Dad, could you write a letter stating that you will give me $100,000 if the bank does not fund me?” Yikes! Well my dear friends, the GSB is always willing to help you and make your experience more enjoyable. If you are admitted, you will receive a loan guarantee from our financial services office. That’s right, you get a paper saying that the school will lend you the money without cosigner should you come to us. This is not free money, God forbid! It is just a guarantee that someone will lend you some money to pursue your MBA. What does that mean for the immediate future? You can breathe easy and actually carry forward your research for financing AND your Visa in parallel. The Chicago GSB does its best to make sure this is a hassle-free experience for you.

So back to the money part. You are sure to get a loan, but you still need to plan ahead. This means developing a budget. You can go to our webpage to see a typical budget of a student at Chicago GSB, and make your own based on this data. Careful, these are costs for one school year (Sept-June), and you have to plan for two! Then, conduct a market survey. Go and visit a few banks, and ask them the following question: "Ahem (clearing throat)… I’ve just been admitted to a top business school in the US that might guarantee me a comfortable income in the future. Would you be willing to lend me (insert your budget figure here)? If so, at what terms and conditions?" You might be incredibly surprised at how banks are receptive to this idea. They know what an MBA is, and the prospect of future regular cash flows is good for them. Next, compare the terms they offer with what the Chicago GSB can offer.

Let me state it loud and clear: the GSB does an awesome job at finding good terms for its students. However, some local specifics in your country might make it better to borrow there. For example, I borrowed in Euros at 4.5% fixed rate. It is tax free because of a French law. Finally, it was in Euros at a time where 1 Euro was 1.15 USD. Now it is about 1.3 USD, so actually the MBA will cost me less than planned, especially due to the fact that I am going back to Europe after I graduate. Get it? Think about looking close to you. The terms may be better or worse, and it's up to you to choose the best option for you.

Second obstacle: VISA.

There’s no way to escape it: if you are a foreigner, you’ve gotta get one!

For your visa application, accurately follow the GSB’s instructions. They are real pros. Follow the links they provide in your admission letter, fill in the information they need for your papers accurately and completely. Be sure to read the page they give on the difference between F-1, J-1, etc. And if you have ANY doubt, CALL THEM. They will answer your questions and help you with a diligence you have rarely seen anywhere else.

Take a diligent look at all the documents for the consulate. For that, follow the instructions on the website of your local consulate or embassy. It is long and boring, but it is necessary. Be sure to go to the embassy with ALL of your papers, having done all of the necessary online payments, with the vouchers for all of these payments. You will be fine, MBA students always are. Nobody has ever been stranded, and the Chicago GSB certainly will not allow anyone to be stranded.

Finally: CELEBRATE!!!

That’s right! For crying out loud, you made it! So go downtown and indulge yourself somewhere, you deserve it.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Friday FAQ: What happens after I hit submit?

2007-01-26T16:58:00.000-06:00

A question recently posted by "whatalife" at the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums:

"I would like to request the admissions committee to kindly explain the application reading process on the Chicago DSAC blog. There is some speculation and rumors flying around the various forums and it is unneccassarily increasing applicant anxiety.

It would be great if you could explain the process in as much detail as possible. For example, are the applications read in order or in a random fashion, how many people read an application before a decision is made etc."

All of us on DSAC remember feeling this way with our business school applications. You pour your heart and soul into your applications, you finally hit submit, and then it's just a black box until you get an email or phone call with good news or bad news. We understand your frustration, so we'd be happy to shed a little light on the process.

The first people who handle your application are the application processing staff members. They print out all of the parts of your application, create a file folder for it, and batch it up with other complete applications randomly. If anything is missing from your file, these are the folks that will email you or call you to resolve the problem. Applicants usually have a lot of questions about this stage: In what order are the processed (FIFO, LIFO, etc)? How are they batched? We assure you that this is done randomly. The completed applications are batched in groups (quantity depends on number of applications in a given round) and distributed randomly to the first readers.

The first read is usually done by a second year GSB student who has been selected and trained as an admissions Graduate Assistant. The application then goes on to the admissions committee (adcom) professionals where it gets read by 1 or 2 adcom professionals. The decision that comes out of these first 2-3 reads is "invite to interview" or "deny." Invitations to interview are released on a rolling basis. Decision input into the system takes awhile, and again, the process is random (no FIFO or LIFO order). For Round 2, this started on January 24th and will continue through February 21st. If you have not received an invitation to interview by February 21st, you will receive email notification that your status has been updated in the online application system, which will show the denial decision.

If you've been invited to interview, you will have your interview either on campus or with an alumnus in your area. Your interviewer will submit a report that is added to your file. Your complete file is then read by several additional adcom professionals before a final decision is reached. Admits will begin receiving calls a day or two before the decision deadline (March 28th for Round 2, May 16th for Round 3). Denials will be notified on the decision deadline via a status update in the online application system.

We hope this clears up the confusion, puts the rumors to rest, and alleviates some of the anxiety. Best of luck with your applications!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Friday FAQ: Flexible Curriculum & Networking

2007-01-12T19:08:00.000-06:00

The Chicago GSB has an approach to curriculum that is different from other MBA programs. There is only one truly required class, LEAD, the leadership class for first year students. In addition, LEAD is the only class with a structured cohort and learning team system. Other than that, the Chicago GSB curriculum is very flexible and highly customizable. There are many benefits to this system, but people often wonder about the trade-off. A question that comes up frequently is,

"If the cohorts exist for only one class and for only one quarter, are you still able to create a diverse network of friends at the GSB?"

The answer is yes. In fact, many of us feel that the flexibility of the curriculum actually enables us to interact and form friendships with even more people than we would under a more extensive and structured cohort system. Rather than taking core classes with the same group of first years, you may end up in an elective class with a mix of first and second years as early as your very first quarter on campus. Each class is a different set of people, and you can form study groups with different people. In fact, over the course of your 20 classes at the GSB, you could theoretically have 20 unique study groups with no repeats.

Beyond classes, there are many ways to meet people. Connections can start before classes do via Random Walks. Other connections are made through student groups, social events like LPF and TNDC, the GBC mentor program, ski trip, spring break trips, and job treks (Bank Week, Brand Week, and West Quest). Or just spend the lunch hour in the Winter Garden at HPC (pictured at right), which is the social hub of the GSB.

And of course, there are always the friends you make in your LEAD cohort and learning team.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Countdown to Round 2 Deadline

2007-01-09T20:43:00.000-06:00

Hope those of you who are applying to the Chicago GSB in Round 2 are having a relaxing evening. You probably are if you've already submitted. But if you've been procrastinating and are making 11th hour edits to your essays before tomorrow's 5 pm CST deadline...well, chug a Red Bull and keep on plugging away.

Don't forget to proofread your essays before you hit submit...look out for typos, spelling & grammatical errors, and the dreaded NAME OF ANOTHER SCHOOL! And try not to put off pulling the trigger to 4:59...you never know what may happen with the system, especially with the heavy load that comes with an impending deadline.

Once you've hit submit, it's out of your hands, so it's time to kick back and relax. Best of luck to all Round 2 applicants! And if you aren't able to make the deadline, you should give it a go for Round 3.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Friday FAQ: GMAT & GPA

2007-01-05T16:43:00.000-06:00

This is the first installment of a recurring blog post we'll be doing weekly...Friday FAQ. Each week we will take a question that comes up often on the discussion forums and in information sessions. Topics will vary based on what's hot, but expect us to cover admissions, career services, curriculum, student life, the City of Chicago, etc.

By far, the most frequently asked question is....

"Is my GMAT or GPA good enough to get in to Chicago GSB?"

So it is the first one we'll tackle here. The short answer is: we don't know. And while this may seem like we're dodging the question or trying to hide something, it's the truth and there are many good reasons for it. Your stats are only one aspect of your application. Decisions are not made based on stats alone and there is no magic formula used by the admissions office, so the notion of offsetting a below average GMAT or GPA with something else is a little misguided. The admissions office isn't in the business of admitting stats. They want to admit well rounded applicants and those decisions are made based on essays, recommendations, extracurricular involvement, GMAT, GPA, interview performance (if invited) and overall fit with the GSB. Decisions are made based on a holistic assessment of all components of your application.

At the end of the day, a 'good' GMAT and/or GPA won't get you into Chicago GSB, nor will a 'bad' GMAT and/or GPA keep you out. In fact, what makes a GMAT/GPA good or bad anyway? It's hard to say. If you must measure your stats against some sort of yardstick, the best you can do is the stats of the latest entering class. The Class of 2008 had an average GMAT of 703, with 80% of the class scoring between 640 and 760. They also had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5, with 80% of the class between 3.0 and 3.9. What does that tell you? That 10% of first years scored lower than 640 on the GMAT and 10% of first years had an undergrad GPA less than 3.0. However, it doesn't tell you what the lowest GMAT or GPA is (which for privacy concerns is not publicly available)....it could be anything because Chicago GSB has no minimum requirements for GMAT/GPA.

A typical follow up question is... "Should I retake the GMAT or take some classes to create an alternate transcript?" And the answer is always personal and entirely up to you. If you feel like you can significantly improve your score or grades, and have the time and the resources to do so, then by all means give it a shot. But don't forget to consider the tradeoff: your time and energy might be better spent doing research on the GSB and writing your essays.

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

wInterview

2007-01-03T18:49:00.000-06:00

Throughout the 2 year MBA program at Chicago GSB, the folks in the Office of Career Services provide programming and advising to support us in our quest to find the perfect job+career. Some of those activities are driven by the staff, others are driven by second year students. This weekend will be one of the major programming events of the year. wInterview is a one day off-site event jointly run by Career Services staff and second years to prepare first years for their internship interviews (which start later this month). This is not a required event, but it is a "must attend" event because the experience is invaluable as you start the recruiting process.

Highlights of the sessions include:

Second year panel discussions with insider tips to navigate the process
Function-specific interview demonstrations (an actual recruiter interviews a brave first year and gives live feedback for everyone's benefit)
First year mock interviews, conducted by second years and recorded to DVD for posterity (to make fun of yourself later, and hopefully break your bad habits of saying "you know" and playing with your hair before your first real interview)
Review of the on campus recruiting process and website...the nuts and bolts of how to accept close list interview invitations and bid your way onto open lists

wInterview is one of the most helpful events offered by Career Services. Hope the first years are read for interview boot camp this weekend!

Want to discuss this topic some more? Head on over to the Chicago GSB Discussion Forums

Congrats to Round One Admits!

2006-12-20T17:02:00.000-06:00

The Chicago GSB Admissions Committee released Round One decisions today via the online application system. DSAC would like to congratulate those applicants admitted to the Class of 2009. You'll be getting your admit packet soon via Fed Ex and we encourage you to explore the website for admitted students over the next few weeks. And don't forget to sign up for Admit Weekend!

For those who were waitlisted, don't lose hope. Many people are admitted off the waitlist. Keep an eye out for an email from the Admissions Committee that will tell you more about how the waitlist is managed and how you can update your application file.

For those who were denied, we want to wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors, whatever they may be...applications to other MBA programs, a reapplication to the GSB in 2007, and/or pursuing your current career or a new career.

For those who haven't yet applied, the Round Two deadline is rapidly approaching. Be sure to submit your application by 5:00 pm CST on January 10th. Good luck with any last minute essay editing over the holidays!

Winter Receptions

2006-12-20T16:54:00.000-06:00

Student-sponsored winter receptions are happening around the world this week and next. There is still time to sign up and attend some of the events. The best way to learn about life is to talk to current students and this is a great opportunity to do it in a city near you.

For event information, click the links below: