Fixes For A Low GMAT Score
“I scored a what? On my third try! What do I need to do to pass this stupid test? They’ll never let me in!”
Well, not so fast according to Stacey Blackman, an MBA admissions consultant who writes a regular column for US News and World Report. This week, Blackman shared some advice for those candidates who excel in the real world but flop on their GMATs.
First, Blackman counsels students to shoot for the 80 percent score range, not the average score accepted by their school. For example, she notes that students entering the Columbia Business School in 2012 had GMAT scores between 680-760, with the average being 715. As a result, prospective students shouldn’t fret if they land at the lower end.
Similarly, there is an alternative to the GMAT: The GRE. For example, Blackman had one client take the GRE after her GMAT scores lagged behind other candidates. Although this client scored lowered on the GRE, her GRE quant score was actually higher. As a result, they submitted her GRE score to Harvard, where her client was eventually accepted.
Finally, Blackman explains that a GMAT score is just one factor in an application. In her view, an applicant can “offset a low GMAT score with a proven track record in a quantitative job, a high GPA from a respected undergraduate school and compelling extracurricular or leadership activities.” If a GMAT score is still low – and the applicant has already tried a tutor or class – she should instead focus on her “essays, extracurriculars and, to some extent, the recommendation letters, where [her] recommenders can highlight [her] quantitative skills.”
One more piece of advice from Blackman: Don’t worry about re-taking the GMAT. In Blackman’s experience, “this dedication to improving your score is often interpreted by the admissions committee as a sign that you’ll do whatever it takes to prove you’re ready for business school.”
Source: US News and World Report
B-School Traditions: Fall Football Frenzy
Can you name a sure way to bring MBA students, faculty, alumni, and administrators together?
Free food and drinks, you say? OK…what about a second way? Football? Now, you’re talking!
That’s right: College football is here! That means every Saturday – from College Park to Berkeley – students can network with potential employers, investors, and mentors. Win or lose and rain or shine, football is that unifying centerpiece that draws people back to campus. And it provides the perfect vehicle to drink, talk shop, and bond.
Thankfully, top schools like Stanford, Notre Dame, Texas, Michigan, and UCLA field Top 25 teams. After first week wins, even Virginia and Duke fans have hope. And that buzz translates into two things: Interest and dollars.
B-schools get pulled into the hoopla too. And why not? Instead of awkward interviews and mandatory cocktails, students can drop their prepared points and get to know people, including their own classmates. So how do leading business schools capitalize on these weekend invasions? Here are some examples from Bloomberg Businessweek:
- Texas (McCombs): Holds tailgating parties at the business school before each home game.
- Notre Dame (Mendoza): Sponsors executive speakers and career panels on Fridays before games.
- Michigan (Ross): Hosts a reunion party during homecoming weekend, including a “speed dating” session where alumni can meet with students to get updates on various clubs and activities.
- California-Berkeley (Haas): Throws a Mexican fiesta for alumni over homecoming weekend. Haas also leads a walk of shame after each Pac-12 game (Just kidding Golden Bear fans).
Breaking the Ice: A B-School Primer On Making Faculty Friends
That anxious third grader inside us never really dies. You can score million dollar deals and develop groundbreaking products to hide it. Once you head to business school, that youthful insecurity comes out in full force. Like any nine year old, you’ll eventually ask yourself, “Does my teacher really like me?”
Maybe it doesn’t matter to you. But teachers can open doors for you. They can connect you with potential employers, serve as references…or help you better understand a concept. And they’ll go above-and-beyond for those who are friendly, sincere, and appreciative. Let’s face it: Teachers want to be liked too. And many crave a personal connection to their students too. So how do you build authentic relationships with your professors?
Sridhar Balasubramanian, a marketing professor at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, encourages students to learn about their professors through outlets like Linkedin. He also counsels students to be strategic when approaching him, to have “something memorable to say or demonstrate what is memorable about you.” That will distinguish you from the hundreds of other students he encounters.
According to Jeffrey H. Bergstrand, a finance professor at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, professors take interest in students who enrich classroom discussions with relevant questions and real life experience. Balasubramanian notes that he appreciates students who contact him when they’re struggling instead of languishing through the semester.
Of course, these strategies pale next to the oldest way to build a relationship. And it’s something you probably learned in the third grade: Show interest in the other person. Bidhan Parmar, an assistant professor at Virginia Darden, counsels students to ask about a professor’s research, which is often their passion. Parmar also notes that Darden provides volunteer activities, such as Habitat For Humanity, where faculty and students can interact outside the classroom. Paul Whitmire, a second year student at Vanderbilt Owen, adds that learning about your mutual interests can often break the ice.
Looking for extra credit? Send a handwritten note to your favorite professors after graduation. For most business school professors, teaching is a calling, not a paycheck. They want to know that they made an difference too.
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek
Recruiters Push Early Access To New MBA Students
Remember the days when schools would chase off sports agents prowling around the athletic complex? Well, administrators now have a new menace to worry about: MBA recruiters.
Yes, the competition is heating up on campuses – and recruiters aren’t waiting for permission to meet with the new crop of students. They’re holding off-site events – and offering internships before first years even set foot on campus.
For example, Deloitte Consulting LLP hosts a summer conference, where first years can interview early for coveted associate positions for the following summer. Similarly, the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management conducts a summer event so first years can interview with companies such as Eli Lilly and Company and the Kraft Foods Group. In fact, some recruiters followed up with Consortium attendees from Cornell by holding “coffee chats” before their orientation.
So what’s the harm, you say? According to Regina Regazzi, executive director of corporate relations at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, students may make internship commitments before pinpointing exactly where they want to go with their careers. She adds that students could hurt their hiring chances by interviewing with companies before undertaking resume critiques and mock interviews.
However, there are advantages to early recruiting. Keith Bevans, who heads Bain & Company’s global consultant recruiting efforts, believes that it takes time to build relationships with potential hires. Meeting with first years over the summer gives them more time to identify and evaluate prospects. Pulin Sanghvi, assistant director of Stanford’s career management center, also notes that the ‘mad rush’ to recruit students in later fall can overwhelm students.
And what are administrators doing to curb these early contacts? Well, there isn’t much they can do. In fact, they are catering to the recruiters. According to The Wall Street Journal, business schools are “pushing forward the dates they allow firms to begin corporate presentations, cocktail receptions and other recruiting activities.” For example, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School moved up this year’s company networking event from October to August 23.
Fact is, business schools need recruiters just as much as companies covet their students. Wendy Tsung, associate dean of MBA career services at Emory, observes that “companies are either going to go around us or they’re going to work with us. We’d much rather that they work with us.” Even students agree. Tom Tait, president of Michigan Ross’ student finance club, adds that schools are “not going to stop any company from engaging with the students. It’s in their best interest to have us at as many companies as possible.”
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Blast from the Past:
The Best 40 B-School Profs Under The Age of 40
What makes a great teacher?
Do they inspire? Challenge? Entertain? Clarify? Care? What makes these teachers so memorable? And why are they sometimes able to change the lives of their students?
One answer comes from Justine Lelchuk, a Harvard MBA and former co-president of the business school’s Student Association. She described a great business school professor as
“someone who is a dynamic facilitator, clear communicator, active listener, passionate expert, provocative motivator, bridge between theory and practice, and just plain human.”
Poets&Quants took this definition to heart in 2011, when we polled students, alumni and officials to find those rising stars at American business schools. Their backgrounds are colorful and their methods are unique. Some come from the ranks of casino dealers and circus stuntmen. And their classrooms integrate everything from rapping to Apprentice-style projects. But one thread unites these 40 professors: A love of teaching. Check out our profiles of these 40 amazing educators, including their backgrounds, academic interests, and personal lives.
Source: Poets and Quants
