Are you applying to the full-time MBA program at Tuck School of Business and in need of a little guidance so you can stop sweating the small details? (Who doesn’t, right?) Then check out some of these Q&As recently provided by Tuck admissions coordinator Cameron Steese.

An array of questions comes her way during the busy recruiting season, and below you’ll find a sampling of the most common queries about interviews, visiting campus, etc.

“How long is the Q&A?”
The Q&A session usually takes about 45 minutes but that depends on the number of questions asked during the session. However, you can leave the optional sessions at anytime (i.e. Q&A, Tour, and Lunch). The class visit is also optional but once you are in class you are required to stay for the duration.

“Who will be conducting my interview?”
A majority of our interviews are conducted by our Second Year Tuck Admissions Associates. These student interviewers go through a rigorous hiring and training process and afford us the opportunity to offer our prospective students the self-initiated interview option. All interviews are weighted equally.

“What does the interviewer have access to prior to the interview?”
Your interviewer will only have access to the resume you send in ahead of time. They will not have access to your application or test scores.

“When does the self-initiated interview have to be completed by?”
The self-initiated interview must be completed on or before the application due date. If you are applying during the Early Action Round (10/13/10) then your interview must be completed by that date.

“What events can my partner attend during the visit?”
When accompanying you to campus, your partner may attend everything except the class visit and the interview. I recommend that you contact the Tuck Partner’s Club about arranging a meeting for your partner.

“What should I wear for my interview and class visit?”
We recommend wearing a suit when interviewing on campus. If you find wearing a suit all day to be cumbersome you may certainly bring a business casual outfit alternative.

Want more guidance? Read this application advice from Patricia Harrison, associate director of admissions. And if you’re getting started on your application and are ready to tackle those essays, take a look at our Tuck MBA essay tips.

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Katie Malachuk’s back and she has some wisdom to share on the frequently asked question: “Is it better to apply in Round 1 or Round 2?” 

If you missed her video last week, you can check it out here.

Katie will also be discussing MBA essay tips at our webinar with Test Prep NY on September 5.  Click here to learn more and register.

When high-profile companies like Toyota or BP exhibit questionable leadership in the face of crisis, many people are left scratching their heads as they wonder where our business leaders come from and how they are trained.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has decided to tackle this question head-on by requiring all first-year students to enroll in the largest experiential learning exercise in the school’s history, which will transform their understanding of what it means to be an effective leader.

Incoming students will be put on the “hot seat” to teach them both theoretical and practical aspects of leadership and teamwork through a business simulation titled “Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership”.

All 817 Wharton first-years will be grouped into teams, which will take on the role of senior management of a hypothetical company. They will guide the company through a series of real-time scenarios designed to teach them how to negotiate both internally and externally; make team-based decisions; face challenges; and deal with group dynamics and organizational change.

All aspects of this progressive teaching practice, developed over three years by Wharton management professors Nancy Rothbard and Sigal Barsade, will reflect real or potentially real scenarios that future MBAs will deal with in leadership and teamwork roles they are being groomed to fill.

Next week, as students select their roles, begin to work as a team and embark on the obstacle-ridden path set before them, Wharton is banking on this unique leadership learning program to educate the next generation of business leaders. May they better handle the curve balls that come their way.

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Introducing MBA TV! Check out this video to learn about our upcoming class.

I am super excited to be launching a new GMAT/MBA course with Grockit TV!   Here is the scoop, straight from Grockit:

FREE GMAT Course Taught by National GMAT Teacher of the Year, Including MBA Admissions Consulting from Nation’s Leading Expert

Grockit has teamed up with Stacy Blackman, one of the leading MBA Admissions consultants in the country, to offer a one-of-a kind comprehensive Business School test prep and admissions program.

Details of the program include:

• 16 hours of comprehensive online GMAT instruction. The course will cover both Verbal and Quantitative sections of the GMAT.
• The course is streamed live over the internet in Grockit’s interactive online classroom.
• The GMAT test prep portion of the course is taught by Farb Nivi, Founder of Grockit and former GMAT Test Prep Teacher of the Year.
• Stacy Blackman will provide 4 hours of MBA admissions consulting covering what to do and not to do while navigating the MBA admissions process and how to use the application to effectively market yourself to your desired programs. 
• The live interactive course meets twice each week for 8 weeks – Saturdays at 10 am PST and Wednesdays at 6 pm PST. Saturday sessions will be comprised of 1 hour of GMAT test prep, and ½ hour of Admissions Consulting. Wednesday sessions will meet for 1 hour and focus exclusively on GMAT test prep. 
• The course begins Saturday, August 28th at 10 am PST.

This incredible course would usually cost over $1,000 but Grockit is offering it for free. Registration is required at Grockit. We’ll send you an email reminder with the course schedule. It will always be free to watch the classes live on Saturdays and Wednesdays. If you can’t make those times the entire course of 16 lessons is available to download to watch whenever you want for just $99.99.

Register Now.

A news update on the Yale School of Management website yesterday highlighted the arrival on campus of the Yale MBA Class of 2012. One of the students’ first tasks was the Audubon Street Project, an intense exercise in which groups of students work together to create a business plan for an empty storefront near the SOM campus.

The business idea is expected to be both financially viable and consistent with SOM’s mission of educating leaders for business and society. According to the school, this exercise serves as an introduction to both the broad approach of the SOM curriculum and the collaborative nature of the community.

Anyone interested in learning about Yale SOM‘s integrated MBA curriculum should check out this series of videos about SOM classes and cases.

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