Earlier this week, MIT Sloan School of Management announced two changes to its Master of Finance (M.Fin) program: an additional round of admissions with an application deadline of March 15, and the availability of partial tuition fellowships for a select group of highly qualified candidates. The moves are in response to growing student and industry demand for the specialized degree.

Launched in 2008, the intensive one-year program prepares students for entry-level positions in corporate finance, capital markets, asset management, research, government, and financial engineering. In its first two years, the size of the program more than doubled from 26 to 59 students. The Class of 2013 will have about 120 students. The first two round application dates were November 1 and January 4.

“In this tight employment market, recruiters are looking for job candidates with technical training and state-of-the-art analytical skills,” says Heidi Pickett, the Program Director, in a press release. “MIT Sloan’s M.Fin program provides a competitive advantage for young people—particularly high-potential college seniors–to deepen their financial expertise and sharpen their professional skills before they enter the job market.”

In last year’s class, 92% of students had job offers within three months of graduation. Most took positions in sales and trading, risk management, hedge funds, financial consulting, and the public sector.

The school has also established the Dean’s M.Fin Fellowships for a select group of admitted students who demonstrate exceptional academic records, outstanding personal achievements, and high professional promise.

The M.Fin. program primarily targets students with 0-2 years of work experience. Students in the M.Fin Program take 10-12 specialized courses, which differs from the typical MIT Sloan MBA course of study where students have the option to take up to eight finance courses. Through a curriculum that combines theory and action learning, M.Fin candidates study the current and future best practices in using finance models, including a deep understanding of their limits.

“Building on the strength of our MBA program and record of successful finance graduates, our goal is be a magnet for the next generation of global financial leaders who can help lead the way in confronting the great global challenges we face,” says Pickett. “We want to cultivate innovative, principled leaders who have an appreciation of the ethical implications of finance, including the profession’s responsibility to society.

“Expanding our class size, launching an additional round of admissions, and offering fellowships to reduce the cost of an MIT Sloan education, we ensure that we will continue to attract the best and brightest students who go on to advance financial management practice and improve the world.”

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

This time of year there are only a few weeks until many top MBA’s Round 2 deadline. Is it worth putting together a last minute application?

Vipul came to us last year with this very question. He had originally planned to apply earlier, but he had to re-take the GMAT after a disappointing 660 on his first attempt. He improved his score significantly, and with a 700 GMAT score, 3.6 GPA and career progression on his resume he felt ready to try for admission to McCombs (UT Austin), CMU Tepper and Ross.

In our first conversation with Vipul we gave him the honest feedback that three weeks to complete three entire MBA applications would be unlikely to result in the best outcome. Typically we work with clients for several months honing essays and ensuring recommenders are engaged in the process. Vipul was confident that the timing was right for him, and he had already done the necessary soul searching on his future career goals, school selection, and recommenders. Most importantly, Vipul was willing to re-apply the next year if necessary because he enjoyed his job and knew he could continue his career there.

We decided that the hourly service would be the best option to assist Vipul with his limited time. With limited time to devote to his essays and recommendations, Vipul first contacted all of his recommenders and asked them if they were able to submit by his deadline. After a quick brainstorming session to determine his essay topics, Vipul got to work on his essay drafts. We focused on the key content Vipul needed to make his case for submission and he was able to quickly turnaround his drafts of the essays. Three iterations of his essays later we felt good about his final product and he was ready to submit after only three weeks of work.

Vipul’s dedication paid off and he was admitted to McCombs.

Rushing to make a deadline isn’t always the right course of action. For example, our client Michael made the decision to postpone to the next round in order to strengthen his application.

USC’s MBA program at the Marshall School of Business has announced the deadlines for the 2011-2012 admissions cycle.

Round 1
Application Deadline: November 1, 2011
Notification Begins: February 1, 2012

Round 2
Application Deadline: January 15, 2012
Notification Begins: April 1, 2012

Round 3
Application Deadline: March 15, 2012
Notification Begins: May 15, 2012

All applications materials, including official transcripts and test scores, must be received by 11:59p.m. PST on the deadline to be considered complete. January 15, 2012 is the recommended deadline for international students as well as for applicants who wasn’t to be considered for fellowships. For more information, visit the USC/Marshall admissions website.

NYU’s Stern School of Business has posted the deadlines and essay topics for the 2011-2012 MBA application season.

Round 1
Deadline: November 15, 2011
Notification: February 15, 2012

Round 2
Deadline: January 15, 2012
Notification: April 1, 2012

Round 3
Deadline: March 15, 2012
Notification: June 1, 2012

International applicants are encouraged, though not required, to apply by the November 15 Round 1 deadline to facilitate visa arrangements and to have priority consideration for off-site interviews, if desired.

Essay 1. Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

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?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?

Essay 2. Your Stern Experience
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

We take great care to shape the Stern community with individuals who possess both intellectual and interpersonal strengths. We seek individuals who are highly intelligent, collaborative and committed to flourishing as Stern leaders. Please answer the following questions:

(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? Tell us what actions you have taken to learn about us.
(b) Describe what most excites you about Stern from both an academic and extracurricular perspective.
(c) How do you anticipate making your mark on the Stern community? Be specific about the roles you will take on and the impact you hope to achieve.

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.

If you submit a non-written piece for Essay 3 (i.e., artwork or multimedia) or if you submit Essay 3 via mail, please upload a brief description of your submission with your online application.

Please note the following guidelines and restrictions:

• Your submission becomes the property of NYU Stern and cannot be returned for any reason.
• If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font. If you submit a video or audio file, it should be five minutes maximum.
• If you prepare a multimedia submission, you may mail a CD, DVD or USB flash drive to the Admissions Office. These are the only acceptable methods of submission. Please do not submit an internet link to any websites or to a video hosting service such as YouTube.
• The Admissions Committee reserves the right to request an alternate Essay 3 if we are unable to view your submission
• Do not submit anything perishable (e.g. food) or any item that has been worn (e.g. clothing).
• Mailed materials must be postmarked by the deadline date. To submit Essay 3 by mail, please follow the mail and labeling instructions.

For more information, visit the admissions website at NYU Stern.

Georgetown’s MBA program at the McDonough School of Business has announced the deadlines and essay questions for the 2011-2012 application cycle.

Deadlines

Round 1
Deadline: October 15, 2011
Notification: December 15, 2011

Round 2
Deadline: January 5, 2012
Notification: March 15, 2012

Round 3
Deadline: April 1, 2012
Notification: May 15, 2012

Essay Questions

Essay One:   Limit  – 1 page, double spaced, 12 pt font
State your short-term career goal immediately following graduation from the Georgetown MBA program.  What skills have you developed on which you will build?  What skills will you need to develop?

Essay Two:   Limit  – 1/2 page, double spaced, 12 pt font
State your long-term career goal.  How does the position you describe in Essay One serve as a building block for your long-term career goal?

Essay Three:   Limit  – 1  1/2 pages, double spaced, 12 pt font
Describe the essence of who you are both personally and professionally.

Essay Four:   Limit  – 1/2 page, double spaced, 12 pt font
Service and community engagement are a way of life at Georgetown, following the University’s tradition of women and men for others. How have you demonstrated service to others?

Optional Essay One:   Limit  – 1/2 page, double spaced, 12 pt font
If you are not currently employed full-time, use this space to provide information about your current activities.

Optional Essay Two:   Limit  – 1 page, double spaced, 12 pt font
Please provide any information you would like to add to your application that you have not otherwise included.

Optional Essay Three:  Professional Achievement Essay,  Limit  – 1/2 page, double spaced, 12 pt font
If you would like to be considered for a Georgetown MBA Professional Achievement Scholarship, address your greatest accomplishment(s) in your chosen field and explain why you should be selected for this scholarship. Include any relevant professional awards/recognition received by your employer or industry.

RE-APPLICANT ESSAY (REQUIRED FOR REAPPLICANTS ONLY) – Limit  – 1page, double spaced, 12 pt font
How have you strengthened your candidacy since your last application? We are particularly interested in hearing about how you have grown professionally and personally. In addition, please update the Admissions Committee on your short-term career goals following graduation from the Georgetown MBA program.

For more information, visit the admissions website at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.

Essay topics are now available for the 2011-2012 MBA application season at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Applicants should note that the questions remain unchanged from the previous two application cycles.

Essay A
What are your short-term and long-term goals? How will a Tepper MBA help you achieve these goals? (Please include any information regarding what steps you have taken to learn more about the Tepper School.)

Essay B
The Tepper School’s culture relies on all members to be active contributors to our community. With your values, experiences, and interests, how will you make a unique contribution to the Tepper community? Your examples may include: classroom interaction, student activities, career development, community service, etc.

Essay C
Please answer two of the following three questions or statements. Please clearly specify which questions you are answering. Your two answers should equal a total of two pages or less.
1. Describe an obstacle you have faced in your professional or academic life. How did you overcome this obstacle and how did it foster your development?
2. Describe a time in which your ethics were challenged. How did you deal with the situation and what did you learn from it?
3. One thing people would be surprised to know about me is…

Essay D
Is there anything additional that you think we should know as we evaluate your application?
Note: If you believe your credentials and essays represent you fairly, you should not feel obligated to answer this question. This essay is intended to provide a place for you to add information that you think is important but is not covered elsewhere in the application.

Visit the Tepper School’s website for more information and the online application.