University of Chicago's Booth EMBA Program was ranked #1 in 2011

With the economy in stasis, an increasing number of professionals looking to return to school to get advanced business degrees are unwilling to give up their current positions when finding a new job after their graduation is no longer assured.

Executive MBA programs, offer an excellent alternative to traditional full time MBA educations- where they would be expected to leave their current roles, and then hope that they will be able to find better positions after completing their post graduate education.

Part time programs take about 1-2  additional years to complete versus full-time two year MBA’s. Many believe that the job security they are afforded and ability continue earning an income during the degree, is well worth it.

The diversity of programs offered for EMBA students is growing as well, since an increasing number of applicants for EMBA programs are no longer having their education paid for by their employers. Now they are free to make the decision of where to attend themselves. This means finding new and innovative ways to attract students, like increased offerings of electives in growth areas like entrepreneurship and leadership workshops.

EMBA programs will no doubt continue to gain in popularity as more and more working professionals will be expected to have advanced post graduate degrees to remain competitive in their chosen career fields.

http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20111108/top-part-time-mba-programs-of-2011/

Nohira earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay and received his Ph.D. in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1988.  Part of his appeal is his global perspective and experience, which he will certainly bring to the table as the school’s new Dean.

At a time where business schools are emphasizing a stricter ethics curriculum, Nohira was one of the first to recommend students take a professional oath of conduct in 1996 when he was teaching at the London Business School. 

John Lauerman quotes Nohira as stating: “Throughout history, there has been this notion of the honorable business person.  Business people have taken pride that they can do business on a handshake.  I don’t know where we lost that, and I don’t see why it isn’t recoverable.  I still think business can be done with honor.” 

In terms of the changes on the school’s curriculum, Nohira is looking to experiment with immersion programs and small learning teams, in addition to adding more instruction initiatives. 

Yale University has also chosen a new dean for its School of Management.  According to an article from the Wall Street Journal, Edward Snyder will be coming on as Dean of the school next July. 

Snyder was the former Dean at two notable schools – University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.  He is known for his fundraising capabilities, with soliciting $60 million from a single donor at Virginia and an astounding $300 million for the Booth School from financier David Booth.

At Yale, his challenges will be trying to attract higher caliber recruiters, in addition to raising money for an ambitious $150-million building project. Synder will also focus on catering to the nonprofit sector, as well as soft skills. 

In regards to raising money, The Wall Street Journal quotes Synder with: “There are not many alumni with deep pockets; I’d say there are very few.  But, on the other hand, a lot of Yale alums outside of the business school are very successful. “

In spring 2010, GMAC piloted the new section with current MBA students and plans to pilot it again with thousands of students this fall.

GMAC states: “The new section will replace one of the two writing sections currently on the exam.  It will be scored separately and have a new audio component for some questions.  The test’s current verbal and math sections will remain unchanged.”  The new changes in the exam are the following:

• Test takers will need to interpret charts, graphs, and spreadsheets, and answer interactive questions that will test their analytical skills.
• Test takers will be asked to analyze information, draw out conclusions and determine relationships between data points.
• Test takers will wear headphones while taking this portion of the test.  The use of headphones is a new feature that will help schools assess students’ auditory learning style.
• Rather than just multiple-choice questions, test takers will drag-and-drop data points, as well, as write mini-essays.

GMAC has released a sample question similar to questions that will appear on the new test. Students are asked to look at a table that sorts like a spreadsheet and detail the number of passengers and airline movements at 21 airports around the world. They are then presented with a list of statements about the information in the table and asked to determine which of the statements are true based on the data in the spreadsheet. Other exercises include using the same table to evaluate the reason for or likelihood of certain outcomes, or to use the table to determine where other airports rank.  Some other possible questions may be to determine a country’s plans for a road.  This would include looking at maps and government data.

Below is a sample question with the data tables and charts test takers will see in the new version of the GMAT. To view the data table and graph click on the link below!

Sample Question Data Table/Graph

1. Of the models with Gasoline Engine Type, the model with the greatest ratio of City MPG to Highway MPG is also the model with the greatest difference between Highway MPG and City MPG.


2. The minimum City MPG for a Toyota make is less than the maximum City MPG for a Volkswagen make.


3. A model chosen at random from those models with a Highway MPG greater than 30 miles per gallon has a 50% chance of being a Toyota.


4. The median carbon footprint for all models is greater than the mode carbon footprint for all models.


5. The standard deviation of the Highway MPG values for all BMW models is lower than the standard deviation of the Highway MPG values for all Toyota models.

Integrated Reasoning Answers: Statements 1 and 4 are FALSE; Statements 2, 3, and 5 are TRUE.

Why the new changes?  These changes are due to the evolving trends seen in business school classrooms.  This is a way to distinguish between those students who will adapt well in the classroom rather than just score a high score on the GMAT, making it easier for business schools to select who to be admitted. This new change is welcomed with great enthusiasm by business schools. GMAC created the section after b-school faculty members expressed a preference for proof that students could read, synthesize and reason well from a set of data within a limited amount of time without relevant in-depth knowledge and any memorization.

The addition of 30-minute Integrated Reasoning in replacement of one of the Analytical Writing Assessment sections is the biggest change to GMAT since it became a computer-adaptive test in the late 1990s. Other recent year changes occurred in 2006 after the switch over of the test administration from the ETS to Pearson. However those changes are more in rules and format, less in content.

Some students may fear that with this new section added to the GMAT, their score may not be as high than with the old exam.  Fear not.  GMAC is planning outreach and educational programs for business school faculty and students.  These programs will include information sessions and details on the new tests.

To get a better sense on the new integrated reasoning section click on the title below:

 Next Generation GMAT Question Demonstration

We at Manhattan Review wholeheartedly support such a constructive change on the GMAT and are prepared to incorporate the teaching of the new section into our curriculum. We strongly feel that without changing the existing verbal and math questions and one of the writing sections, the new Integrated Reasoning section will make the test much improved and effective while minimizing implementation costs. A win-win solution for all parties involved! However, this new section does seem to put more emphasis on extensive data analysis, which might be a challenge for students who are not used to seeing a large amount of data in a spreadsheet format. 

He draws on his years of experience as a tenured professor teaching in the MBA Program at Lancaster University Management School in the UK .

In particular, he recommends students to retake the test if a substantial score increase can be achieved and if they are looking to apply for competitive positions including those in investment banking or management consulting while their GMAT score is below 700 points.

You can find the full article titled “Why the GMAT still matters when you already are at B-School” on his academic website.

In particular, he discusses which characteristics a successful MBA student needs to have. He argues that good quantitative skills are essential for a manager, but alone are not enough. Social skills and teamwork are mandatory supplements for long-term success and have often been neglected in business school education. He proceeds then to discuss Lancaster University Management School’s leadership role in integrating these aspects into the current curriculum.

Dr. Meissner also mentions well-known academic Henry Mintzberg who is famous for his criticism of current MBA Programs. One of his arguments is that while case studies are in theory useful to get a feel for the daily life of a manager, they also undermine the importance of real-life work experience. The fact is that co-workers and subordinates aren’t just a set of data, but complex individuals who require more than analysis and strategies to be led effectively.

The founder of Manhattan Review already stressed the importance of a strong and impressive personality in addition to academic achievements in his previous FAZ Article from 2007. In his current article, he shows how this translates into the requirements for success in the business world. Quantitative skills are merely half the bet and social competence is a must for aspiring top managers.

An English translation, titled “It’s in the Mix: The Career Success Factors of MBA Graduates” is available in his blog.

Why Should You Attend?

• No Entrance Fee to A Popular Event with Nearly 10-Year History
• Career Building Skills Crash Course at a Central Location (Typical Topics – Interview Skills, Presentation Skills, Business Writing, Resume Building, Negotiation Skills, Cultural Sensitivity, etc)
• Face-To-Face Interaction and in-depth Discussion with key recruiters from top schools around the world
• Short-Listed for a dedicated Q&A with admissions officers (Invite Only)
• Learn From Experts And Successful Professionals

When:

• New York (Wednesday, September 9, 09: 6pm-10pm)
• Chicago (Saturday, September 12, 09: 1pm-5pm)
• Boston (Wednesday, September 16, 09: 6pm-10pm)
• Washington DC (Saturday, September 19, 09: 1pm-5pm)

Who Should Attend:

• College Grads (up to 5 years of work experience)
• Young Professionals interested in honing in career building skills
• Anyone interested in MBA (Full- or Part-Time or Executive) program
• Anyone interested in Continuing Education Programs

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Register here or call (212) 375-9600 directly

For more information about our GMAT preparation courses and MBA Admissions Consulting services, please feel free to email us directly. Thanks!

Hi Henry,

I did a weekend crash course with Manhattan Review in London, and found the rigorous practice we did in class very helpful in exposing each of our weaker points. Our tutor gave us lots of useful advice about techniques for tackling specific question types and noting common cognitive errors which would have been much more difficult to gather from studying alone. I also took some private tuition with the crash course tutor, who helped me with areas that I particularly needed to focus on. The tutor gave frank feedback about my weak areas whilst at the same time offering encouragement and showing a good sense of humour. The Manhattan team were also willing to accommodate my availability and quick to respond to requests. I got 720 in the GMAT – many thanks to Manhattan for all their support!

All the best,

Diana Carter

Hello Henry, or as people say around these parts, ‘Howdy’!,

I am e-mailing you in between marketing and accounting classes at the McCombs Business School (University of Texas at Austin), so you could definitely say that I have progressed in terms of my MBA plans!
I took the MR crash course with David Chambers as my instructor. I found David’s tuition to be first-class; and this definitely helped me get a good score first time (710, 5.5AWA) in the GMAT exam that I took about a month after the course.
I was accepted into the University of Texas on a Nippon Foundation Scholarship. I resigned from my job and I haven’t looked back since!

Regards,

Daniel Harrison

Students are required by the US government to obtain a student visa prior to their arrival in the US. The waiting period for a visa interview at US embassies varies greatly according to country, but generally will take between 2 and 8 weeks. This requires advanced preparation on the part of the student. It is also important to keep in mind that students obtain a visa to attend a particular program at a particular school.  Consequently, when you do go to the embassy to apply for a visa you should have already made your study decision. Changing your decision later, for example, switching from Wharton to Harvard, requires another visa.

After attaining your visa, the US government permits international students to move to the country a month before their program begins. This is advantageous for international students because they are likely to need more time to get their bearings, make housing arrangements, and also take care of additional bureaucratic formalities.

Inquiring About H-1B Work Visas

Working in the US after completing an MBA requires attaining a work visa.  The most common of these for skilled workers is the H-1B visa. A limited number of these visas are awarded each year, and most international students find the process easiest with large corporations accustomed to bringing in non-Americans. This basically means that for those seeking to work in the US post-graduation, they need to begin their job search prior to graduating, keeping in mind that they should target companies that are willing to sponsor international students. Business school career centers will assist in this process by helping students determine which corporations are willing to take on responsibility to hire them.

Important Considerations

• Consider your fit with the school in terms of teaching and learning style, the school’s location within the US, and whether you’ll be happy there.
• Be aware of your post MBA goals, including the industry you prefer and the role you envision for yourself.
• Research the costs and economic feasibility of your plans.

For non-native English speakers, prepare for education in English.

Though business schools in the United States traditionally offer 2-year full-time MBA programs, encouraging an internship between the first and second years, MBA programs in the US have expanded in recent years to include 1-year programs, distance learning programs and online, part-time MBA programs. In addition, some programs offer students the exciting opportunity to study in Asia, Europe and the United States. Plentiful options also exist for the experienced professional seeking Executive MBA training.

That said, international applicants sometimes find attending US schools to be tricky, requiring a lot of advanced preparation— especially in the post-September 11^th and post-financial crisis environment.

Researching Schools

A great method to find out detailed information about American and European business schools is to attend different MBA tours, which hold forums all over the world to connect interested applicants with business school admissions staff.

Assessing Language Challenges

Some students may find that getting used to life in the US is challenging. Academic, language, or personal adjustments can be difficult, so be sure to give yourself a chance to adjust—for most of us, these things just take time.

Classroom time, for example, is packed with discussion, debate, projects, and student presentations.  International students will want to familiarize themselves with teaching styles prevalent in the US and be sure that they are comfortable with them, or at the least open to them before school begins.

In addition, for non-native English speakers who lack experience in English-speaking classrooms and professional environments, language difficulties may be an obstacle. As part of your b-school application, non-native English speakers will be required to take the TOEFL exam, an English proficiency test. This test requires study and rigorous preparation for many applicants. Score requirements vary according to school, but most schools do provide clear guidelines on what score is acceptable. After completing the TOEFL, the best way to meet the challenge of entering a program in English is to practice and prepare.

Take English as a Second Language classes, sometimes offered during the summer at particular business schools, or a Business English course, if a student’s vocabulary and business language is more problematic. However, keep in mind that with foreign languages improvement does not happen overnight. It requires time, hard work, and patience.

It’s also important to note that one of the primary factors in obtaining internships and full-time jobs in the US is extremely strong spoken English language skills. For those students whose English language skills aren’t strong, they often don’t fare well in the interview process. So, they find themselves without the types of opportunities that they’re really seeking.

Hi Arthur,

Thank You for an outstanding GMAT prep course (I took the course in Frankfurt in November). Last Saturday I had my GMAT appointment and scored an unbelievable (at least for me) 760! Although it was a lot of work after the course (as you said) I’m pretty sure I could not have done this without your recommendations and hints.

Thanks again!

Regards,

Torsten Wolter

Hello Arthur,

I was in your GMAT prep course in Frankfurt on 08./09.11. and I wanted to thank you very much for your help in the preparation to the GMAT! I had my test this Monday and scored 740 / 97 perc. (Quant 47 / 79, Verbal 44 / 97). I definately learned a lot from the course and especially from your personal advices and tips.

Thanks,

Ravi Nath

Dear Manhattan Review,

I attended your GMAT weekend crash course in Frankfurt (2nd/3rd june). I am happy to report that I aced the GMAT with a scaled score of 760. The methodology you provided me with was essential to achieving my GMAT aim.

As you can easily imagine, I am now trying to figure out which business school I should apply to and how to write a good application for a top school. Maybe you could also give me some advice on application strategy, essay-writing and letters of recommendation.

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Mona Schommer