Wharton interview invites are officially starting to go out. Your best source of information is the Wharton MBA Admissions Blog.

Here are the key dates they have posted for Round 1:

Interview Invites Mid-Release*
October 18, 20007 to November 15, 2007
*all applicants will receive an invitation to interview or a deny without an interview decision by this date.

Final Decision Release Date
December 20, 2007
All decisions (interview invitations, mid and final release) will be posted online and may be checked via the apply/check status link on the home page of our website.

As MBA or Bust points out, it is hard for Wharton applicants not to get nervous now that the waiting game has begun.

Remember this important information from the Wharton Blog:
There is no particular order in which interview invitations are released. Release dates depend upon multiple factors, including our recruiting schedule. Instructions on how to arrange an interview are provided at the time of invitation. Options include on-campus, hub or alumni locations. All interviews carry equal weight.

Short Essay 1: Why are you interested in The Duke MBA and how will it help you achieve your goals? Please also discuss your career path, including your short and long-term professional goals.
This question is similar to career goals/why MBA question for many schools. As with Stanford, Chicago, and UCLA, you must be specific about why Duke – which academic programs, classes, clubs, etc are related to your career goals. Because this essay is short, be efficient in your wording when discussing your path and future goals. However, it is worth it to spend some words on why your goals are meaningful to you.

Short Essay 2: How will your background, values, and non-work related activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to the diverse culture we strive for at Fuqua?
This is your opportunity to show them who you will be on their campus – how you will stand out from your classmates and impact their school. Get creative and show them your personality, unique aspects of your background (experiences from childhood or your culture), things you like to do outside of work (they do not have to be organized activities), and then explain how these things will play out on their campus. You can suggest clubs you’ll be a part of (or start) or just what you are like as a friend. Show them who you are and what that means for your future classmates. Try to be as specific as possible.

Long Essay 1: Please respond fully and concisely to one of the following essay topics. Clearly identify which question you have selected.
a. To be a good team player, one needs to be an effective individual leader and vice-versa. Describe an example of where you were challenged to become a leader in a team-oriented context. What was the challenge you faced, how did you address it, and what did you take away from the experience for your future development as a leader?
There are a few specifics in this question to note – they want an example from when you were leading a team and a challenge. Set up the experience quickly and focus your actions and reflection. Spell out what you did to address the challenge, but be sure to dedicate a lot of space for your reflection on lessons learned and how you have applied those lessons and what more you have to work on.

b. Describe a situation in which your ability to perform ethically was challenged. What was the issue, how did you handle it, and what did you learn from it?
In describing the situation, try not to disparage any other people. This essay is a good opportunity to demonstrate your values, just be sure to focus on yourself without making assumptions about other people involved. State what was challenging for you. Spend the majority of your words on your actions in handling the situation and, of course, your reflection and how you’ve applied lessons learned.

c. Describe a significant leadership failure in your life. What did you learn from this failure? How has it impacted who you are today and the kind of leader you would like to be?
This is a wonderful opportunity to show self-awareness. Again, be brief in describing the incident. Focus on the positive by giving thoughtful reflection and a description of how you’ve changed since then. Revealing weaknesses and how you’ve overcome them shows maturity. Show them your theory on leadership and the kind of leader you intend to be in the future.

Long Essay 2: How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.
Follow the instructions to focus on who you are instead of what you have done professionally. In discussing your family and background, you can tell stories about your childhood, cultural experiences, travel, etc. Don’t be afraid to get personal and emotional about the important people and events in your life and how they have shaped you. However, you don’t have enough space to tell your whole life story. So try to think back to what’s important and find themes that you can cleanly present with vivid examples.

Another GMAT data sufficiency challenge question from PrepForTests is a math data sufficiency question.

If xy not equal to zero, what is the value of 1/x + 1/y?

1. xy = 2(x + y)
2. x + y = 8

1. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient
2. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient
3. BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient
4. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient
5. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient

Once you have tried this question check your answer.

A recent email to Kellogg alumni announced that Professor Roger Myerson (along with Leonard Hurwicz and Eric Maskin) won the Nobel Prize in Economics. Professor Myerson is currently at the University of Chicago and he taught at Kellogg for 25 years from 1976-2001. This is very exciting news for both schools, particularly Kellogg where he apparently did virtually all of his nobel winning work.

Now why should this matter to applicants? As everyone is caught up in writing essays about why each school is the perfect fit for them there are many references to courses, concentrations, special programs, international opportunities, clubs of interest, etc. Don’t forget the professors! One of the most exciting aspects of business school is your relationship with professors. Typically the professors are extremely accessible and eager to get to know students. Also their research will impact what you are learning in the classroom. Take a look at the websites of your schools of interest and see what the professors are working on. Note in your essays particular professors who could help you explore particular areas of interest and help you reach your career goals. You’ll take your essays to the next level and, more importantly, you’ll be ready to seek out those professors when you arrive at school in the fall.

This week’s GMAT challenge question from PrepForTests is a sentence correction question so you need to pick the best form of the sentence below.

Check your answer.

Essay 1. Professional Aspirations:
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
Instead of simply asking for your career history as many schools do, NYU asks for the “why” behind your career history. NYU is trying to help you avoid the pitfall of just listing out your resume bullets in essay form. Follow their instructions and explain the motivation behind each career move. Emphasize the positive from each experience and demonstrate that you apply lessons learned in the choices you make. If you have had a few random twists and turns, this is a great opportunity to explain your reasoning for making changes.

(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
This is similar to Wharton‘s “why now” in their career question. Explain what is motivating you to apply to school – move up in current career, change careers, etc. Feel free to expand beyond the professional and cite personal or extra-curricular experiences that are inspiring you to change courses in your career. Just be sure to articulate your reasoning and give the why behind your actions.

(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
Most schools ask for your short and long term career goals (Wharton, Stanford, Chicago) As we have said with those schools, take this essay a step further than simply laying out your short and long term goals. Articulate why those goals are meangingful to you. Your career goals should in some way reflect what is important to you (this does not mean they are one and the same, but that there is some correlation). Articulate a concrete plan to create a career that reflects your values.

Essay 2. Fit with Stern:
The NYU Stern community is one of our strongest assets. Please answer the following questions about our community:

(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
Haas has a similar question. If you don’t have time to visit NYU, then try to find ways to speak with students or alums. Maybe there’s an information session in your area. You can search your undergraduate school database for Stern alums and contact them via email to hear about their experiences. Be sure to go beyond the actions you have taken to learn more to articulate how you were affected by what students or alums said or what you read. Relate your own value system to what NYU values in explaining your personal experience with the Stern community.

(b) How would you contribute to our community as a student?
Be specific. Research Stern’s classes and clubs and articulate how you will add to them. Show how you will make a difference. Take note of what’s unique about NYU such as its size, culture, and NYC location and how those factors will inform you contributions.

(c) How will you benefit personally and professionally from the Stern community?
Similar to the prior portion of this question, be specific. Discuss which classes and clubs will help you grow. You can mention classes and clubs that build on expertise or interests you already have as well as classes and clubs that will push you in new ways. Also what about the community or location will help you develop. Spend time on their website and talk to students and alums if possible to show that you are ready to hit the ground running and take advantage of Stern.

Essay 3. Personal Expression:
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.

All submissions become part of NYU Stern’s permanent records and cannot be returned for any reason. Please do not submit anything that must be viewed or played electronically (e.g. CDs, DVDs, MP3s, online links), that is perishable (e.g. food) or that has been worn (e.g. used clothing). If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font.
Obviously this is an opportunity to get creative. Though many applicants submit written work. Others may submit artwork, graphic presentations, or some other object that represents who they will be to their MBA classmates. Consider your background broadly (times, events, travel, experiences, and people who have been important to you) and see if you can find a theme. Don’t be afraid to show your feelings, creativity, and humor. They want to see who you will be in their class and how you will stand out.

Essay 4. Additional Information: (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.
Be concise. In addition to the situations described in the question, NYU indicates that this essay can be used to explain:
*why you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor
*if you are a re-applicant from last year, how your candidacy has improved
*if you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree