A group of 41 college students experienced a slice of the MBA student life when they recently participated in Yale School of Management‘s inaugural Pre-MBA Leadership Program, an initiative aimed at developing the leadership potential of underrepresented minority students and helping them gain a better understanding of the benefits of a management education.

Arriving on campus on June 14, the students immediately launched into the heart of the Yale integrated MBA curriculum, an SOM news feature explains. Professor Connie Bagley taught a three-hour version of State & Society, one of the school’s nine Organizational Perspectives for first-year students, which examines the intersection of business, government, and society. In the following days, top faculty took students through ten SOM courses, complete with long reading lists, projects, and the familiar MBA fear of cold-calling.

“This was a real approximation of what it’s like for first-year students here. In addition to the academic rigor, we sought to offer them the kind of warm and diverse community experience that defines our culture at SOM,” said Heidi Brooks, a lecturer in organizational behavior and one of the program’s faculty directors.

“We didn’t go easy on anyone. There was a ton of work, and students tackled it with enthusiasm and commitment.”

The central thrust of the program is to provide students who otherwise might not apply to SOM — or business schools in general — an opportunity to judge the benefits of management education firsthand. Program participants were recruited from a variety of colleges and universities around the country with particular emphasis on historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions and tribal colleges.

“These were good students and I am sure that we would be happy to see some of them matriculate eventually, but their application to SOM was not the point. We don’t view this as a recruiting program, but as a broader public service,” Brooks said.

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If you’d like to get an insider glimpse of the MBA experience, here’s a terrific new product many of you can benefit from. MBA Day Camp is a one-day DVD seminar that offers a primer on core B-school topics such as Strategy, Marketing, Accounting and Finance.  Well-presented, engaging and easy to follow, MBA Day Camp is a great way for people to “test drive” what they would learn in business school or prepare themselves for the classroom experience. Check it out at mbadaycamp.com.

The McCombs School of Business has announced the application deadlines for the 2009-2010 admissions season.   McCombs employs a rolling admissions process – meaning all applications are generally reviewed in chronological order according to the date they were completed, and are not grouped into periods or “rounds.”

Key dates are:

Early deadline for all applications:
November 2, 2009

Final deadline for all international applications; second deadline for all domestic applications:
January 15, 2010

Final deadline for all domestic applications:
April 1, 2010

The online application for Fall 2010 enrollment is expected to launch in mid-to-late September.

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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 UCLA Anderson School of Management has announced the deadlines for the 2009-2010 application season. UCLA Anderson has three admission rounds. In order to apply for a given round, you must submit your application by 9pm Pacific Time on the day of the deadline. All supporting materials that are not submitted online must arrive in our office by 5pm PT of the deadline. Any applications that are incomplete on the deadline (i.e., missing information) will be moved to the following round.

Rounds 1 and 2 are comparable in terms of your chances of admission, the school explains, adding that Round 3 is slightly more competitive, although there will be sufficient room for strong candidates. Apply at the time that is best for you.

Round 1
Deadline: October 14, 2009
Decision: January 13, 2010

Round 2
Deadline: January 6, 2010
Decision: March 31, 2010

Round 3
Deadline: March 17, 2010
Decision: May 19, 2010

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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.

On Monday, we highlighted Rose Martinelli‘s entry on the importance of self-reflection in the admissions process. As associate dean for student recruitment and admissions at Chicago Booth School of Business, Martinelli’s great blog, The Rose Report, offers tons of useful nuggets for applicants.

In the latest post, she answers some questions that have come in related to the reapplication process. If you’re serious about reapplying, Martinelli suggests that you analyze how well you presented yourself in your original application to identify if there are any areas that you can improve upon this year.

The entire application process can be a huge learning experience in and of itself; Martinelli recommends applicants ponder whether there are things they would do differently now based on knowing the process and themselves better this time around. For instance, can you strengthen any aspects of your academic foundation, career trajectory or community involvement?

Finally, Martinelli warns against recycling old essays or presentations. Chicago Booth does include your previous application in your file, so whatever you submit should demonstrate a fresh approach and show how you’ve grown academically and/or professionally.

For more on reapplying to B-school, be sure to check out our recent tips entry highlighting Stacy Blackman‘s comments in Forbes.com.

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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 IESE Business School has posted its deadlines for  the 2009-2010 admissions season. IESE recommends that all non-EU citizens apply by the April 20th deadline in order to assure time for visa procedure.

The six deadlines are as follows:

Round 1
Deadline: October 26, 2009
Notification: December 4, 2009

Round 2
Deadline: November 30, 2009
Notification: January 29, 2010

Round 3
Deadline: January 18, 2010
Notification: March 19, 2010

Round 4
Deadline: February 22, 2010
Notification: April 16, 2010

Round 5
Deadline: April 19, 2010
Notification: May 21, 2010

Round 6
Deadline: June 7, 2010
Notification: July 2, 2010

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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 admissions office of the Kellogg School of Management recently announced several upcoming preview events that provide an opportunity to visit campus and learn about the MBA Programs. During these events, associate director of admissions Deena Williams writes, participants can visit classes, meet students, faculty and alumni and attend an information session led by an admissions officer.

Kellogg has two events for applicants who are interested in the One-Year and MMM Programs.  Each event will allow participants to meet faculty, students and alumni from the program and visit the respective classes.

One-Year (1Y) Prospective Day – August 7, 2009

The 1Y Program is an accelerated MBA program that enables applicants with clear, consistent career goals to return to the work force quickly. 1Y classes are currently in session so this a great time to visit.  Registration is live so register today.

MMM Day – October 30, 2009

The MMM Program is a dual-degree program (MBA+MEM) that integrates management, operations and design, from concept to execution. MMM Day is co-hosted with the McCormick School of Engineering and coordinated by current MMM students.  Registration will go live in September.

Kellogg Preview Weekend and LGBT Preview Day are coordinated by students from several Kellogg affinity clubs.  Although these events target specific audiences, they are open to all prospective students. The Kellogg School values diversity in its many forms and has created these events to answer questions and provide information for special audiences. Of equal importance to Kellogg is our welcoming, inclusive culture.  Registration will go live for these events in September.

LBGT Preview Day – November 6, 2009

The admissions office and Gay and Lesbian Management Association (GLMA) invite you to attend the first LGBT Preview Day. This is a unique opportunity for LGBT prospective students to meet the students and alumni of the GLMA and experience the diverse and inclusive Kellogg community.

Kellogg Preview: Minority Prospective Student Weekend – November 13-14, 2009

The admissions office along with the Africa Business Club (ABC), Black Management Association (BMA) and Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA) are excited to once again host this annual event. Over this two day event, participants will enjoy mock classes with Professor Harry Kraemer and Professor Steve Rogers and connect with an assigned KPW Buddy while interacting with students from the larger Kellogg community.

To register for these and other off-campus events, visit the Kellogg website.

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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.