Each week, we bring you news from the front lines with business school bloggers sounding off on life in the trenches.

Inside HBS faced down the ugly monster of accountability and performance evaluation last week in the form of midterm exams. Fortunately, in a grading structure where it only really matters if you’re in the top 15% of the class (for “Honors” awards), all grades have zero impact on 85% of the students.

Professor feedback on class participation continues for Sync, who says trying to figure out how to juggle a case method discussion with 90 classmates is a bit of a ballet.

Fellow students call Stephanie Storie of the Ivey MBA Student Blog the Elle Woods of B-School. This chartered accountant says you might think business school and the movies don’t have much in common, but we can take away a valuable lesson from the movie “Legally Blonde”… that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Paragon 2 Pieces knows that the good ol’ boy mentality is still alive and kicking among some people at today’s business schools. Case in point: another student asked whose wife she was during a McCombs Orientation event to which spouses were not invited. The other student–male, international–reacted with surprise when she explained that she too was in the MBA program.

Last week the Berkeley MBA Student Blog showcased an entry from Haas students who actually got to work on a real strategic problem for Facebook. The social networking site is looking for a partner for its “Facebook connect” application, and invited Haas students to submit their ideas for partnerships.

Siddhartha fought off post-exam gloom and the siren call of her mattress last week by preparing to attend the National Association of Women MBAs’ conference and career fair in Stamford, Connecticut.

N.A.S. took a break from classes at LBS and soaked up some culture at the annual Frieze Art Fair held at London’s Regent’s Park. Here, he offers a rant on the sub-genre of “found art,” which really chaps his hide.

The Rose Report on the Chicago GSB Admissions Blog addresses concerns about what financing options will be out there should you apply to b-school this year. Rose Martinelli says the school remains committed to providing access to loans for all of their students regardless of citizenship.

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Stacy Blackman’s Weekly Roundup of B-School Intelligence

We’ve got a lot of news from Yale School of Management (SOM) to share this week. Open Yale courses, offered to the public free of charge via the Internet, are a great way to keep tabs on what’s brewing at B-schools today. “Financial Markets” with professor Robert J. Shiller strives to illuminate the theory of finance and its relation to the history, strengths and imperfections of such institutions as banking, insurance, securities, futures, and other derivatives markets, and the future of these institutions over the next century. 

Also, Yale SOM has announced a new offering, the Pre-MBA Leadership Program for promising college undergraduates, as well as recent college graduates already in the workforce, who are interested in developing their leadership skills and exploring careers in business.

Meanwhile,  Joel M. Podolny made a surprise announcement this week that he will be stepping down as dean of Yale SOM on November 1 to join Apple as vice president and dean of Apple University. Sharon Oster, Yale SOM professor of management and entrepreneurship, will serve as interim dean while the school conducts a search for Podolny’s replacement.

John Hanke of Google Earth has been named Haas School executive fellow, Dean Rich Lyons announced. Hanke is the second business leader to serve in this position as an advisor to the dean, faculty, and staff. Students also gain exposure to these top thinkers and their trailblazing ideas as they participate in events and programs throughout the school year.

Business@Cornell launches with “Market Crisis Unraveled, From Wall Street to Main Street.” Watch a recording of the live webcast, held at 3:00 pm on October 23, to gain perspective from three faculty experts as they weigh in on issues of real estate finance, the market’s reactions to the bailout, and the effect on our economy.

UCLA Anderson School of Management announced that it will be offering the Business Technical Assistance Program (BTAP), an initiative designed to provide minority entrepreneurs with basic business training with an emphasis on new technology. Approximately 35 candidates will participate in the four-day program, to be held at UCLA Anderson School of Management on November 13-16.

To raise its international profile and help fulfill its ambition of becoming one of the top 10 ranked business schools in the world, HEC School of Management in Paris has launched a €100m ($134m) fund-raising campaign. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris – HEC’s parent company – is also investing a further €100m in the school’s infrastructure.

As an investment in the power and promise of human capital and the ideas that flow from bright and talented individuals, the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester is offering graduate business degrees with special scholarship support for U.S. citizens and permanent residents adversely affected by the current economic downturn. 

In other Simon GSB news, the school has teamed up with Deloitte to offer a new Business to Business (B2B) Pricing course. Starting in April 2009, the course will be offered to all Simon full-time, part-time and executive MBA students, alumni and outside pricing professionals through the newly created Center for Pricing at Simon.

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We are now on Facebook – please join the Stacy Blackman Consulting group, or become a friend of Stacy Blackman. I am posting news about MBA related events, job listings, and of course MBA news.

I am on Twitter too…click to follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/stacyblackman

For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.

Recruiting “celebrity” professors has become de rigueur at top business schools, and Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management continues the trend with the addition of former United States Senate Majority Leader and transplant surgeon Bill Frist, M.D.

Slated to begin next semester, Frist’s class will combine business students with fourth-year medical students to scrutinize the financing, delivery and quality of health care. He hopes the class will inspire students to work with each other to create innovative ways to improve the public and private sectors of the health care system.

“Current and future challenges in cost, access and quality of health care demand a synergy between the business and medical sides of the industry,” says Frist. “I am excited to use my medical, business and policy expertise to ignite and challenge this unique group of future health care leaders.”

Prior to his election to the Senate in 1994, Frist spent almost a decade as a transplant surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and also founded and directed the Vanderbilt Transplant Center. He also leads yearly medical mission trips to Africa.

“By sharing the knowledge and expertise Senator Frist has gathered through 20 years as a practicing physician coupled with 12 years of public policy experience at the highest legislative levels, he will be able to challenge these young people to think beyond their comfort zones and hopefully make a real difference in the quality and delivery of health care,” says Owen dean Jim Bradford.

Connecting participants from these two disciplines may make Frist’s students amongst the few who will actually understand the complexities of health care reform.

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We are now on Facebook – please join the Stacy Blackman Consulting group, or become a friend of Stacy Blackman. I am posting news about MBA related events, job listings, and of course MBA news.

I am on Twitter too…click to follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/stacyblackman

For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.

The Purdue Krannert School of Management is a program that offers a global focus and flexible programs. Krannert offers several specialty opportunities for study, including a new Master of Science in Finance program. In addition, being part of the Purdue community offers the opportunity for joint studies in areas from Mechanical Engineering to Doctor of Pharmacy.

Learn more about Krannert at the many off campus admissions events the school is attending.

Essay 1: Discuss your long- and short-term goals, how these goals developed, and what you hope to gain from graduate study at Krannert. Limit your responses to no more than 500 words.

While this essay is similar to a classic career goals essay, there is a strong focus on understanding your past and the thought process that lead you to develop your goals. In addition, you will want to spend a fair amount of time in the essay in describing what is unique about the Krannert program and why it is the ideal next step in your career trajectory.

Essay 2: The Krannert community is comprised of a diverse student body. Describe an aspect of your personality, things you have learned, skills you have acquired, or life experiences you’ve had that could benefit potential classmates and will help you contribute to Krannert’s diversity. Limit your response to no more than 500 words.

Tuck and Kellogg have similar diversity essays, and the Krannert essay offers the same opportunity to differentiate yourself if you are not a classically diverse candidate. Think about the family background you come from, the experiences you have had that may be unique or that may be beneficial to others.

In this essay, try to focus on more than just your professional experiences. Delve into your personal background, your hobbies and your community involvement to present a well-rounded view of yourself and how you will contribute to your classmates at Krannert.

Essay 3: In 250 words or less, describe a character-building event or situation in which your involvement made a significant difference.

This essay is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate key leadership or teamwork experiences. It may be the ideal place to discuss an important accomplishment in your life, or even a mistake or ethical challenge. Think about an example that is clear and concise enough to explain in this brief space, and then reflect upon your example in way that showcases your personal qualities, leadership potential, and ability to work with others.

Additional Information (Optional) Please provide any additional information that was not captured within your application. If you feel you’ve already provided us with sufficient information about yourself, you need not add anything here. (250 words or less)

Optional essays are an ideal opportunity to communicate anything additional that hasn’t been expressed in your other essays. If you have an area of concern such as a low GPA or academic probation, this is an opportunity to explain. Stay away from excuses and focus on explanations and evidence of change.

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We are now on Facebook – please join the Stacy Blackman Consulting group, or become a friend of Stacy Blackman. I am posting news about MBA related events, job listings, and of course MBA news.

I am on Twitter too…click to follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/stacyblackman

For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.