Thinking of applying to NYU Stern’s Online MSQM program? [Show summary]

Launched right before the pandemic, NYU Stern’s online MSQM program offers a unique blend of business management foundations, leadership and analytics to (mostly) young professionals. NYU Stern’s Vice Dean for online learning, Dr. Kim Corfman, joins us to share details about the program.

Interview with NYU Stern's Vice Dean for Online Learning Dr. Kim Corfman [Show notes]

Welcome to the 447th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, thanks for joining me. Before we dive into today's interview, I want to mention an Accepted resource that can help you prepare your statement of purpose to the MSQM, to a data analytics program, or a master's in management, as well as to other graduate programs. Download Five Fatal Flaws To Avoid In Your Grad School Statement of Purpose to learn how to avoid the five most common mistakes we see in grad school statements of purpose. You'll also learn how to write an SOP that makes your story memorable and highlights your qualifications for your target program. Download this valuable, free resource at accepted.com/447download. 

Our guest today is Dr. Kim Corfman. She is a professor of Marketing at NYU Stern and Vice Dean for online learning. She has served as Vice Dean for MBA programs, Academic Director of the Langone Part-time MBA program, and Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Marketing. Needless to say, she knows a ton about management education and NYU Stern specifically. As I mentioned today, we're going to talk about Stern’s fairly new MS in Quantitative Management program. 

What is the Master's in Quantitative Management at NYU Stern? Can you provide an overview? [2:22]

The MSQM provides business basics, essentially, the MBA core plus analytics courses. The combination is designed to help students become data-literate managers and leaders. That's the really short headline about it. 

It's 20 months from start to finish and it's lock-step, so there are no electives. Students take one course at a time for three to three and a half weeks per course. They come one right on top of the next and are pretty intense, but we've calibrated them so they are manageable for motivated students.

What kind of academic background are you looking for? [3:16]

We welcome applicants with any undergraduate major and we have a wide variety. We do have some undergraduate business students. We even have some people who got MBAs already. Lawyers. A couple of doctors. It's quite diverse, which is really fun. 

The other part of that is submitting a standardized test score is optional. Something we want to make very sure applicants understand that if they choose not to send us a test score, we do need to see strong evidence of the quantitative, verbal, and reasoning abilities that are necessary to be successful in this kind of program. They do need some math and reasoning ability. They need to be able to write and we need to be able to see that.

What would be the minimum level of math that you would like to see? [4:12]

Some calculus and a lot of the basic maths that leads up to that. On our website, we very clearly lay out exactly what prerequisites they should have.

Are less-than-stellar language skills preventing you from reaching your professional or academic or personal goals? [Show summary]

Christina Ball, Fulbright scholar and founder of Speak! Language Center and B-Speak! brings her love of cultures and languages to this episode. She describes the approach her programs take to making language learning enjoyable and effective for those looking to improve their English or learn a new language. 

Language issues don't need to keep you from reaching your dreams [Show notes]

Welcome to the 446th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted's podcast. Thanks for joining me today. Before we dive into today's interview, I want to share a free resource at Accepted that can benefit you if you are applying to graduate school. The challenge at the heart of admissions is showing that you both fit in at your target schools and stand out in the applicant pool. Accepted's free download, Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions will show you how to do both. Master this paradox and you are well on your way to acceptance. Download your free guide at accepted.com/fiso. 

It gives me great pleasure to have on Admissions Straight Talk for the first time, Dr. Christina Ball. A Fulbright scholar, Dr. Ball earned her PhD in Italian language and Literature. In 2004, she founded Speak! Language Center to help people learn other languages. In 2012, she co-created B-Speak! English, a one-on-one coaching and educational service designed to help international graduate students, especially those applying to business school, and working professionals strengthen their speaking and writing skills in the English language. She's also a writer and actress. Let's hear her story and then cover how she can help you.

How did you get into the business of language instruction, both for Speak! and B-Speak!? [2:13]

It all started with my own passion for language and my interest in languages and cultures. Both sets of my grandparents were immigrants from Poland and Italy, so I grew up hearing lots of Italian and Polish in the household of my grandparents. I think it all started there. Then, in my own travels and studies, I just fell in love with Italian, French, Spanish, all of the literature, and meeting people and hearing their stories and learning about culture, so real love of culture. Speak! started in 2004. I have an academic background, so I was a college professor before starting my business. Many people in my family have businesses, so I think I definitely have the entrepreneurial gene. 

I was teaching at Yale, Wake Forest and here where I live at University of Virginia, and I just started to notice not only my own desire to have a language center, but also people kept asking me, "I'm not a student at UVA.  I'm an adult, and I'm going to Italy. How can I learn Italian?" I just saw there was a real need for a language center like you have all over Europe. You'll find private businesses, which are language centers, teaching people all of the languages of the world, but it's less common here in the US where we tend to rely on universities to teach us. 

So in 2004,

What to do if you have no interviews [Show summary]

What do you do if you still haven’t heard back from medical schools by Thanksgiving? In this episode, podcast host Linda Abraham shares how students can pursue parallel tracks to expand their opportunities.

Linda Abraham's advice for med school applicants who still haven't received interview invitations [Show notes]

Welcome to the 445th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted's podcast. Thanks for tuning in. 

I decided to do a solo show today. This is my second in a row, but don't worry we're going to go back to normal interview programming next week. This show is aimed at our premed listeners, but I think there is value to other applicant groups as well in listening in. But the focus today will be on medical school this time. 

As I mentioned, this is Thanksgiving week, a short week, and I have something timely to discuss, so I'm going to share it. I'm also going to keep this podcast a little shorter than usual in honor of the short week and also because I think I can cover the topic in less time and I'm not going to keep you on the podcast for no good reason. I'm going to dive into our timely topic in just a second. 

The freebie we're offering with today's show couldn't be more relevant to today's topic. One common reason for no interviews or ultimately rejection for medical school applicants is that they simply aimed too high. And you have to ask yourself, were you really competitive at your target programs? If you're aiming ahead, are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's Med School Admissions Calculator can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/medquiz, complete the quiz, and you not only get an assessment, but tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it's all free.

Recent admission stats [2:38]

Now, let's face it. It's hard to get into medical school. The process is long, difficult and grueling. In my opinion, of all the graduate and professional programs, it has the most demanding process. One of the difficult parts of it, by the way, is the utter silence at this stage of the game. But leaving that aside for the moment, acceptance rates support my contention. The AAMC reports applicants aiming for the class that entered in 2020, where I strongly suspect acceptance rates were higher than this past cycle that entered in 2021, enjoyed a 41.9% acceptance rate overall. That means that most applicants were rejected. And the news from AACOMAS is even worse. The most recent data, which is only for 2018, shows that of 20,981 applicants to 20 DO programs, 7,415 were accepted. That’s a 35.34% acceptance rate. In other words, almost two thirds were rejected. Now, this data is all for the classes that applied before COVID. It is not for the class that applied through the pandemic when the so-called Fauci effect is believed to have contributed to a surge in medical school applications, the recession probably also had some role to play.

What medical schools are looking for beyond grades [3:57]

Most admissions directors whom I have spoken with are still seeing a high level of applications this year, but AMC data is not yet available for last year's cycle or for this one. Of course,

What are the M7 business schools?

* Harvard Business School* Stanford Graduate School of Business* MIT Sloan School of Management* Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management* University of Chicago's Booth School of Business* Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania* Columbia Business School

Talk about diversity! Seven distinct, vivid cultures – each with its own history, values, characteristics, opportunities, and challenges. Sure, there are many commonalities among the M7 schools: all are highly competitive, all feature deep academic resources, all are supported by committed and involved alumni, all attract top-tier recruiters (even in down business cycles). Yet the most important commonality is their individual uniqueness! Their strong and determined “individualism” literally reflects their leadership in the MBA realm. They rise to their prominent position because they are the leaders in their domain, graduate business education. So, they reasonably expect you – their students and prospective students – to have correspondingly high ambitions, whether your domain be finance, healthcare, energy, social entrepreneurship, or something else. 

While these M7 programs all value diversity, together they also represent diversity.

What makes the M7s so magnificent?

Of course, there are other elite MBA programs. These 7 have a history together that continues –their deans connected with each other years ago and formed a group to regularly meet and share information. Eventually these meetings grew beyond just the deans to include others within their admissions offices, creating a consistent flow of information. Meetings and discussions address a range of issues, including best practices for components of the admissions process and responses to current events that directly impact MBA admissions.

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A deeper look at the M7s

Harvard Business School

There is not a day I regret going to HBS. The classes I am taking this year have been incredibly valuable, being taught by practitioners who have been incredibly successful in their careers. The case method is also incredibly unique. You are learning from peers who have collective experiences no individual could have themselves – from the military, Tesla, big corporations with different missions and visions, and all are invaluable to my learning experience.Tess Michaels, then a second-year student at Harvard Business School; today Founder & CEO of Stride Funding, on Admissions Straight Talk

Immersion could be the keyword for the Harvard Business School experience. The cornerstone of the program is the case-study academic approach: students read the case and then intensively analyze it both before and in class. The aim is to train students in real-world, complex decision-making. By continuously engaging with classmates from different functions and industries/sectors in these case discussions,

The best way to approach your MBA application [Show summary]

You have your GPA and test score but how should you approach the actual application? In this episode Linda Abraham, Admissions Straight Talk host, shares Accepted’s DARE framework to help you confidently apply to your dream schools. 

The essential ingredients that adcoms look for in an application [Show notes]

Welcome to the 444th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted's podcast. Thanks for tuning in. 

I decided to do a solo show today, just me and you. Because this is a particularly packed episode, we also have a worksheet for you. You can use it to take notes or use it later independent of the podcast to perhaps jot things down that you remember from the podcast and add to it. You can download your worksheet at accepted.com/444download. 

Before we explore today's topic, I want to invite all Admissions Straight Talk listeners to take advantage of a fantastic special that Accepted is offering this week: up to $1,000 off our services purchased by November 19th, which is Friday. The coupon code is SAVENOW. Whatever graduate program you're considering, the time to buy and save is really right now. Go to accepted.com/services to find the right service for you. Get details about the special, and then use the coupon code saved now on this investment in your future.

This, our last special of 2021, also relates directly to the topic of today's show, Creating Compelling Round 2 MBA Applications. Now, dear listener, if you're not an MBA applicant, you may still find relevant nuggets in this show, which really is focusing on strategy and maximizing your application. All the examples will be related to MBA applications. I recently delivered a webinar on this topic, and frankly, it was very well received - so well received that I decided to provide much of the content from the webinar here. If you attended the webinar, you're certainly welcome to stay for a review and also for a few tidbits that weren't in the original. 

Now, let's start with some basic assumptions: you're dreaming of a career that excites you, you're aspiring to MBA programs that will launch you towards that career, but you face obstacles. You have a problem. 

How do you build an application that portrays you at your best and is a perfect match for the schools you're aiming for? How do you move your application reader from your stats to your story? [2:51]

I'll tell you, you use a framework that allows you to use your application strategically making the most of every inch of application real estate available to you. That part of the strategy that I'm going to outline is something that is true of every single applicant to any graduate school. Whatever program you are applying to, you want to make the most of every inch of application real estate available to you. So, part of implementing this strategy is going to start right now.

You can download the worksheet, if you haven't already,

Are you thinking about taking a standardized test for undergraduate or graduate admissions? Read on for must-know test-prep information! [Show summary]

We’re calling in test prep leaders and co-hosts of the Tests and the Rest podcast, Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley to discuss tips and strategies for choosing the right test prep for you as well as the best approach to test taking all the way from SATs and ACTs to GMATs and LSATs.

Test-prep pros Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley share their expertise and advise [Show notes]

Welcome to the 443rd episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. 

Today's show is all about test prep, and I'd like to start with a one question quiz for you. What is the paradox at the heart of graduate school admissions? You have five seconds, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I'll tell you. You have to show that you belong at your target programs and that you stand out in this applicant pool. Doing so is a paradox, and it's a challenge. Accepted’s free download, Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox At The Heart of Admissions will show you how to do both simultaneously. Master this paradox and you are well on your way to acceptance. Download your guide at accepted.com/fiso as in fitting in, standing out. 

I want to thank Alex Levenger for leaving a review on our July 20th episode. I'm going to quote excerpts from it. He wrote, "I gained some excellent bits from the July 20th episode. Number one, there really are two disparate attitudes that can make the GMAT tough: thinking you're better than the exam and freezing into paralysis." And his second point was, "The GMAT is a metaphor for a study or general work tasks. My main quibble is with the initial assessment test. I think it's faulty to gain any useful granular info into a student by using this test." Lots of people agree with you, Alex. 

Our guests today are test prep experts and fellow podcasters, Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley. A word about each of them. 

With over 27 years of intensive experience in every aspect of standardized test preparation, Mike Bergin knows what works in test prep and what doesn't. A nationally recognized leader in test prep, Mike founded Chariot Learning in 2009 to deliver on the promise of what truly transformative individualized education can and should be. Mike is also the founding president of the board of directors of the National Test Prep Association, a non-profit dedicated to promoting the highest ethical standards and best practices in the test prep industry, while advocating for the appropriate administration and use of standardized tests for admissions and assessment purposes. Lastly, Mike is also the co-host of Tests and the Rest, the college admissions industry podcast and creator of the Facebook industry group for test prep professionals, Test Prep Tribe. He and his podcast co-host Amy Seeley even run the nation's leading test prep conferences and online summits. 

Turning to Amy. Amy Seeley began her career in test preparation over 28 years ago, working for Princeton Review after gaining valuable knowledge and experience as a part-time tutor, she turned that passion into a career with Townsend Learning Centers. She quickly assumed the role of director of test preparation services, creating, managing, and administering all aspects of Townsend's test preparation programs. After leaving Townsend in 2006, Amy began Seeley Test Preparation services, meeting the test preparation needs of several hundred student...

Get to know Rush Medical College [Show summary]

Built on the tenets of community service and community engagement, Rush Medical College strives to graduate empathetic physicians. In this episode, Dr. Cynthia Boyd, Associate Dean for Admissions offers a closer look into the program. 

What makes Rush Medical College unique? A flipped-classroom model of learning and an unwavering dedication to community service [Show notes]

Thanks for joining me for the 441st episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Will you be ready, next spring, to apply to your dream medical schools? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's med school admissions quiz can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/medquiz, complete the quiz, and you'll not only get an assessment, but also tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it's all free.

Now, let's move to today's interview. I'm delighted to have on Admissions Straight Talk, Dr. Cynthia Boyd of Rush Medical College. Dr. Boyd earned her MD at George Washington, where she also did her residency in internal medicine, and later an MBA from Chicago Booth. She joined Rush Medical Center in 1998, and has served in a variety of roles, including Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs, Director of Medical Staff Operations, and Chief Compliance Officer. She moved over to Rush Medical College, full-time, in 2019, and is now the Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, as well as Associate Dean for Admissions and Recruitment. Dr. Boyd, thank you so much for joining me on Admissions Straight Talk.

Can you give us an overview of the Rush Medical College program, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [2:07]

Sure, I'll be speaking primarily about the medical school. At Rush University Medical Center, we have four colleges dedicated to the health sciences: the College of Nursing, Health Sciences, Graduate College, and the Medical College. It has been in existence since about 1837. It was the first medical school established, actually, in Chicago. It is very focused on clinical care, outstanding clinical care, integrating that with education, research, and community partnerships.

We are located on the west side of Chicago, about five miles from the downtown area, the Chicago Loop, as it is called. Our community is a very diverse community, ranging from very wealthy, to the very poor. More recently, our curriculum was changed to become what is described as a flipped classroom, where the students do the learning. The teacher is not in front of them doing didactics, students do the learning, and then they come to class in a group of their peers to share what they've learned, to ask questions. It puts the focus on them as their learners, versus the faculty putting out all of the information. That's changed within the last five years. Probably, one of the newest innovations has been our curriculum.

What does the faculty do in a flipped classroom context? [3:45]

There are specific courses, so to speak, that the students will learn and focus on for anywhere from four to six weeks like gases, nutrition, etc. But they are given readings and articles and videos, and a variety of ways to learn on that topic.

What makes Wharton's MBA program unique, and how to demonstrate to the adcom that YOU belong there [Show summary]

Blair Mannix, Wharton’s Director of Admissions, shares the ways the admissions committee aims to reduce stress in the application process and offer a positive experience. She dispels myths about the Wharton admissions process and offers advice for students seeking acceptance to the MBA program.

From the structure of a TBD to why standardized testing is here to stay: Your guide to the Wharton admissions process [Show notes]

Welcome to the 440th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for tuning in. Are you ready to apply for your dream business schools? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's MBA Admissions Calculator can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/mbaquiz. Complete the quiz, and you'll not only get an assessment but tips on how to improve your qualifications and your chances of acceptance. Plus, it's all free. 

It gives me great pleasure to have back on Admissions Straight Talk Blair Mannix, Director of Admissions at Wharton. Blair first came to Penn as a graduate student where she earned her Masters in Higher Education Management in 2010. She joined Penn's undergraduate admissions staff in 2008. She's been at Wharton's since 2012 and became Director of Admissions in 2017. She was last on Admissions Straight Talk just under two years ago. And what a two years it's been. Let's catch up on life and admissions at Wharton. 

Blair, welcome back to Admissions Straight Talk.

Can you just start by providing a basic overview of the Wharton MBA program for listeners who may not be that familiar with it, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [1:56]

Absolutely. It's difficult to put Wharton into five to seven sentences, but I will try. So, Wharton was the first business school in the United States, established in 1881. Wharton's first MBA class was in 1921 so this year it was actually the 100th class that Dean Erika James welcomed in August, which was really, really exciting. It is a perfect bookend in terms of 100 years of classes for me that this year's class is more than 50% women, which I'm sure we'll talk about. But it just feels like this beautiful bow. One hundred years, 50% women. That's great.

What I think makes the Wharton education distinct is that it's very hands-on. It's very practical. It's very tactile. You're never going to look at a problem from 30-feet away. You're going to get right into the guts of it and try to figure it out. And that's what we teach because that's what we believe that businesses need.

We're known for innovation across many disciplines. We are certainly known for finance, and we're really proud of that reputation. 100 years of the best finance education you can get, but we are many other things, and I think that's important for people to understand.

There are two distinguishing centers that I really want to mention: The Stevens Center for Innovation i...

Get to know UVA Darden's thoughtful application process [Show summary]

Dawna Clarke, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at Darden School of Business explores the program’s unique case method and recounts how the school proactively adapted during COVID-19. 

What makes UVA Darden unique? A choice-rich MBA experience and a close-knit student community [Show notes]

Welcome to the 439th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, thanks for tuning in. Are you ready to apply to your dream business schools? Are you competitive at your target program? Accepted’s MBA Admissions Calculator can give you a quick reality check, just go to accepted.com/mbaquiz, complete the quiz and you not only get an assessment, but also tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus it's all free.

It gives me great pleasure to have on Admissions Straight Talk Dawna Clarke, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at UVA Darden. Dawna is one of the most experienced and respected MBA admission directors I've had the privilege of knowing. She started her career in MBA admissions at UNC Kenan-Flagler, then moved to Darden (which is where we first met) and served for 15 years as director of admissions, and then served in the same role at Tuck and even spent a short period as an MBA admissions consultant. She returned to Darden in 2017. In all her positions and roles in MBA admissions, Dawna is known for running an applicant-friendly admissions process while attracting great candidates to the schools that she has been associated with. Dawna, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk and congratulations again on your new title.

Can we start with a basic overview of the Darden MBA program for listeners who are not that familiar with it, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [2:18]

Sure, absolutely. I'm happy to give an overview of Darden. Darden is a two-year, full-time, general management program. Assuming we're primarily talking about the full-time format, we do offer other formats as well, but I will focus on the full-time format. I will say one of the most distinctive elements of Darden is that it is primarily a case method school. Over the years, our faculty has revisited the curriculum and asked whether a case method is the most relevant teaching method. To date, since the school was founded in the 1950s, they continue to commit to the case method. 

The philosophy is that the best way to learn how to make business decisions is to start making them. At Darden, we're trying to cultivate a variety of skills, leadership skills, team skills -- it's a general management program. So people are going to get accounting skills, financial skills, global skills, but one of the most relevant skills that we're trying to cultivate are strong business decision-making skills. The philosophy is that the best way to start to cultivate those skills is to practice. Students do over 500 cases while they're at Darden. So there's a lot of practice. It's very practical and relevant. One of the benefits of the case method that a lot of people don't know about is that it exposes you to a lot of industries. So for students who are coming to Darden, a lot of people know that they want to transition into a business career,

What can you do before starting business school to set yourself up for a valuable MBA experience? [Show summary]

Bob Manfreda discusses his experience in the Stanford GSB program and shares wisdom from his co-authored blog, MBA Coffee Chats, and book, Coffee Chats: Thoughtful advice on how to get the most out of your MBA.

How coffee chats can help you clarify your career goals, prioritize activities and more [Show notes]

Welcome to the 437th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for tuning in. Before I introduce our guest, I have a question for you: are you ready to apply to your dream MBA programs? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's MBA Admissions Quiz can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/mba-quiz, complete the quiz and you'll not only get an assessment but tips on how to improve your qualifications. Plus it's all free!

I'd like to welcome to Admission Straight Talk Bob Manfreda, Stanford MBA and co-author of Coffee Chats: Thoughtful advice on how to get the most out of your MBA. Bob earned his Bachelor’s in Applied Physics and Chinese at Notre Dame, worked at Deloitte as a consultant, earned his MBA at Stanford as an Arjay Miller Scholar and is now a manager at Deloitte. He is also the Chief Booth Officer for PhotoFox Photo Booth. 

My first burning question is, do you like coffee? [1:53]

I do. I made myself an iced coffee for the occasion.

You were at Deloitte before you went to Stanford GSB and you're now again at Deloitte. Did you intend to return to Deloitte after your MBA as you've done? [2:04]

“Intend” might be too strong of a word. I knew it was a strong option, and it was one that I was excited to have. I was sponsored to go to school. I cared to come back, but I also wanted to explore some other careers just because I'd been at Deloitte for four years already. And there was a lot out there. I think I had a little bit of a wanderlust career-wise. So I did some poking around in venture capital, in mid-stage startup and then entrepreneurialism which was a list of three things that I came up with that I thought would allow me to maybe be financially equivalent but still explore something new.

I started working my way through that list. For whatever reason, I never really got a lot of momentum on starting my own thing. I realized after a couple of coffee chats actually that venture capital probably wouldn't be something for me. And I interned at a mid-stage, tech startup and had a great time, but it didn't really work out for my career perspective. There wasn't necessarily a path there. When I got to my second year, Deloitte made the official offer to return, and it felt like the best thing at the time for me.

Has it worked out for you? [3:20]

It has. Deloitte is a good company. They've got great benefits. I'm currently actually on paternity leave. We had our first son, Jackson, who is six months old. My wife works for a company called Snowflake, and they updated their policy to six months so she had a bunch of time off. Anyways, long story short, now I get months 6-10 off with Jackson which I'm really excited about.