David A. Hofmann has been selected to become the next associate dean for the top-ranked MBA Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He will succeed Valarie Zeithaml effective July 1, 2007.

Hofmann is a professor of organizational behavior/strategy.

“I am delighted that Dave Hofmann has agreed to succeed Valarie Zeithaml,” said Dean Steve Jones. “His experience teaching in the MBA core curriculum and serving as faculty director of our Leadership Development Initiative make him the ideal person to lead the MBA Program going forward.”

Zeithaml has served as the MBA dean for four years, applying her pioneering work in services marketing to the benefit of the MBA Program, said Jones. “Her dedication to students, staff and faculty leave us stronger than ever and ready to build on the innovations and improvements that she led in the curriculum, admissions and career services.” Hofmann’s research examines organizational climate, leadership, organizational change and modeling the influence of organizational factors on individual behavior and performance. He teaches courses in organizational behavior and leadership.

Hoffman has consulted, conducted applied research projects and led executive development workshops. He received his PhD from Pennsylvania State University, his MS from the University of Central Florida and his BA from Furman University.

New leadership can mean upcoming changes in the program. We shall have to wait and see what’s in store for UNC.

I am very excited to announce Stacy Blackman Consulting’s sponsorship of the 2007 Beat The GMAT Scholarship. I have mentioned Beat The GMAT before in this blog, because I think it is a fantastic resource. I have enjoyed working with Eric, the Founder, and am thrilled to particpate in this year’s scholarship program.

Here are some details from Eric:
Beat The GMAT is a community service 2.0 project with a mission to help people achieve their full potential on the GMAT® and business school admissions by connecting them to the best resources available. In this spirit, one of the ways the organization assists people is through the annual Beat The GMAT Scholarship competition, co-sponsored by Manhattan GMAT and Stacy Blackman Consulting. Thanks to generous donations made this year by Manhattan GMAT and Stacy Blackman Consulting, we will be distributing five scholarship packages valued at nearly $9000!

People who apply for the 2007 Beat The GMAT Scholarship must meet the following requirements:

- Finished college, or in final year of college
- Plans to apply to business school within two years
- Has a PayPal account to receive cash prizes
- This competition is open to international candidates.

Submit your application by May 7, 2007.

If you are interested, in submitting an application, visit the information page. I am personally very excited to review the applications and to work with the winners!

Good Luck!

On March 14 The Economic Times, reported that banks are offering upwards of $180,000 to graduating MBAs. One Tuck student, a former NFL player, likened the aggressive behavior of recruiters to football players saying, “Once given the offer, you are getting anywhere from two to three to four phone calls a day.”

This competition between firms and rising starting pay is actually prompting schools like HBS, Kellogg, Wharton and Stanford to adjust the timing and amount of recruitment events. There were simply too many events for students. “‘We wanted to reduce the frenzied perceptions by some students [that] they had to attend all 15 events to show they were really interested in a company,’” according to a Wharton career services director. Companies are also getting creative about how they interacted with students — setting up chats at Starbucks, hosting events with student clubs or creating educational social events.

Firms are also going beyond the traditional perks of a signing bonus to offer stock-purchase plans. “‘It is a really good time to be an MBA,’ said Andy Chan, assistant dean and director of the MBA Career Management Center at Stanford.” The Dean at MIT’s Sloan attributes the boost in starting salaries and recruitment activities to basic supply and demand. The Dean of Dartmouth’s Tuck seconds that by saying, “‘I see the demand just going through the roof for this kind of talent.”‘

Read the entire article here.

Interviews for round 2 are coming to a close. Wharton will post its Round 2 decisions later this week. HBS and Stanford will follow on March 28 and April 5 respectively. But a few applicants are still wrapping up interviews. For example, Chris Kerns reports that he just had an interview at Cornell. Often applicants who receive interview invitations later in the game are extremely nervous. Even though a late interview invitation does not signify anything about your chances, applicants tend to feel heightened anxiety around proving their candidacy to interviewers. However being aggressive about showing that you are perfect for business school can sometimes hurt you when it comes at the expense of showing that you are a well-rounded person.

In addition to the common questions around your past achievements, future career goals, and reasons for wanting an MBA (all covered in previous posts), interviewers will usually ask questions about your hobbies, recent experiences, books of interest, and even current events. HBS in particular is known for asking about a candidate’s opinion on world news. Because applicants are anxious to show their fit in the business world, they tend to offer up “business” types of answers to these questions — discussing their involvement with a networking group or their enjoyment of reading Good to Great. Unfortunately, this is not what interviewers want to hear about.

Schools are trying to create a well-rounded class of individuals. They want to know that you are bringing personal interests to their campus that you will share with other classmates. So you should tell them about your recent trip to go scuba diving in Belize, your role as the food and wine connoisseur among friends, your love for historical fiction, your favorite college class in evolutionary biology, and your opinions on globalization.  Plus let them know how you intend to bring these interests to your new friends at school and pick up new hobbies from them. Interviewers should be able to imagine you as the classmate who will organize trips, plan dinners, start a book club, etc.  They don’t want to think that you are just about business and academics all of the time.  Remember fun is an important part of business school and interviewers want to know what you have to contribute to this aspect of life at school.