Today’s global economy has two faces: one of exponential growth in developing countries, and the flip side—a voracious ravaging of resources by developed nations. While some business leaders continue to march in step to the “more is better” mantra, others are realizing that business as usual is not sustainable for our planet. Hence, the emergence of the Green MBA.

A sustainable, or “Green”, MBA program includes the typical financial and management coursework of a traditional business school, as well as the study of managing for environmental and social sustainability. According to an article this week in the Seattle Times, these days, business schools across the country are incorporating the environmental and social costs of doing business into their curricula, and a few, such as Dominican University of California, aim for an all-green program. The Dominican program is one of a handful of such degrees; others include MBAs offered at Antioch University New England, the Presidio School of Management in San Francisco and the Bainbridge Graduate Institute in Washington.

The move to balance economy and ecology is showing up all over, says Rich Leimsider, director of the Center for Business Education at The Aspen Institute, a leadership think tank which reports on how Master of Business Administration programs are adding social and environmental issues to their courses in its biennial “Beyond Grey Pinstripes” report.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business, ranked No. 1 in the 2005 Aspen report, introduced a joint-degree program for MBA students in environment and resources in April. On the East Coast, officials at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business plan to launch an initiative with Duke’s environmental school that will study the emerging field of doing business in a sustainable context and the advantages to the business community of coming up with innovative practices.

Read the full article here.

Essay 1: Describe your greatest professional achievement and how you were able to add value to your organization (400 words).
When choosing what achievement to describe, be aware that you are conveying your values in your choice. You want to show Cornell that you have made a measurable impact, but consider how you define what is impact or “value add” to your organization. There are certainly non-traditional ways to add value to your organization. Think honestly about what you are proud enough to label as your greatest professional achievement. Then, be sure to write about the details of the experience succinctly and focus on WHY you view this as an accomplishment and HOW you made things happen. Show them your priorities, and leadership style by describing what you thought and did and the resulting impact.

Essay 2: What career do you plan to pursue upon completing the MBA and why? How will the Johnson School help you achieve this goal? (400 words)
Note that this essay is forward looking. They have not asked for your past career experiences. Resist the urge to get into your resume. Only mention your past experiences to show inspiration regarding your future goals, but be brief in doing so. As with the all essays of this nature, you should connect your career goals to what is important to you (this does not mean they are one and the same, but that there is some correlation). Also articulate concrete ideas, that could include both short and long term goals. Similar to Stanford, Chicago, and Wharton’s career essays, you must be specific about how Cornell will help you achieve your goals – offer up classes, clubs, etc that will help you. They want to see that you are ready to hit the ground running, that you will take advantage of Cornell and make a difference in their community.

Optional Essay: Complete this essay if there is other information you would like to add regarding your candidacy. For instance, if you believe one or more aspects of your application (e.g., undergraduate GPA or test scores) do(es) not accurately reflect your potential for success at the Johnson School (400 words).
This is only for situations like those they describe in the question — GPA, test scores, recommender choices (started a new job recently so you needed to ask a former supervisor for a rec). Explain the situation succinctly.

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.