It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on AST, Danni Young, Director of Recruiting at The Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management. Danni earned her bachelors degree from Lincoln University in Missouri and her MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. FYI she loves cats. Welcome!

Let’s start with the basics. What is the Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management? [1:17]

We’re a stellar organization that’s been around since 1966. Our mission is to increase the representation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans in business schools and corporate management.

We serve as a connector between students and schools, and with our corporate partners.

Today our network is made up of 19 partner schools across the US. We have 900 current students, 9000 alumni (in the US and abroad), and 78 corporate partners. And we’ve awarded $390 million in fellowship support over the last 51 years.

What role does the Consortium play at the application stage? [4:40]

We have a common application, so for prospective students, they have the ability to apply to up to six schools with one application. They submit everything to the Consortium and we forward the materials to the member schools.

Can anyone use the Consortium application? [3:30]

There are eligibility requirements.: Any US citizen who can demonstrate commitment to our mission – but you must have a four-year bachelors degree, and you must be applying to one of the member schools.

How do applicants show a commitment to the Consortium mission? [4:15]

We require a membership essay. They can talk about their experience as champions for diversity. There’s also a mission recommendation, where the recommender attests to their commitment to our mission.

Which schools are member schools? [5:00]

We have 19 member schools currently. The full list is on our site, but just to name a few: UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC, Cornell, Yale, Dartmouth, UNC, Michigan. Recently, Rice joined as our latest member.

Do you have to be a member to apply via CGSM? [6:10]

When you apply via CGSM, you’re applying for admission, Consortium membership, and fellowship opportunities as well.

Is membership automatic? [7:05]

No. It’s not automatic. We determine that based on the mission essay.

The admission application will still be considered, but you may not get the benefits of Consortium membership.

How much does it cost to apply through CGSM? [7:50]

We have a tiered application fee structure. The minimum is $150 for two schools. And the maximum you would pay is $300 for six schools. So you can save money and time.

Are this year’s essay questions available yet? [9:05]

The general essay questions are the same as last year’s. The member schools’ essays have now been updated. Our core questions are the same as last year.

What are the other elements of the application? [9:55]

Beyond essays – we ask applicants to provide their transcripts (from all schools). There are recommendations – three total (two professional and one mission recommendation). The applicant inputs the letter writer’s information and the writer gets an invitation to upload the letter.

We ask for your most recent GMAT or GRE score.

And finally, there’s the application fee.

The recommender only fills out one form,