Stacy Blackman’s B-School Buzz
Each week, we bring you news from the front lines with business school bloggers sounding off on life in the trenches.
In a recent post, Anand (Darden) wonders how some of the strategies discussed in last term’s course “Bargaining and Negotiations” might apply to the current crisis between Israel and Palestine. In many cases, we choose to walk away from a deal without having thought about alternatives, he says. It’s good to be passionate and emotional about your stand and fight hard for a fair deal, but its equally important for it not to cloud your judgment.
Inside HBS shares some pet peeves related to class participation at Harvard Business School but fesses up to some less-than-desirable behavior on his part as well. After talking with someone about how things work at MIT Sloan, where it sounds like they have to hammer out problem set after problem set, he definitely prefers the HBS method.
The Ruminator (LBS) explains the process known as milkround–the British term for recruiting time at university. On the whole, he says, the predictable message is – numbers are down, competition is tougher and CVs and cover letters better be spot on or you’re on a one-way trip to the shredder–err, sorry, recycling bin.
Will V. (Tuck) lays out the academic, career and social juggling MBA students must perform. “Although at times many of us Tuck students wish our lives could be more straightforward, the reality is that the business world and especially the lives of general managers are a case study in balancing different priorities. At the end of the day, you can only do so much.”
With interviews starting today, July Dream (Darden) spent some time catching up on the world over the last week to get her thoughts and opinions in order. What stories have intrigued her the most? The email updates that get sent to her phone throughout the day for real-time updates on breaking news. Oh, and the BusinessWeek subscription she received at some point last semester has finally seen some use.
Perpetual Motion (MBA-Wharton) acknowledges that, yes, we are in a once in a lifetime economic downturn and yes, financing for new ventures is anemic, and yes, your prospective customer’s budgets (or the advertising budgets you hope to subsist on) will be tighter than ever”¦but, all that withstanding, there has never been a better time to quite your job and start a company.
The Berkeley MBA Student Blogs featured a tribute to popular Haas professor Bill Sonnenschein, who passed away two weeks ago in Madagascar while at work as a communications consultant for their government. A Haas community memorial blog has been created in his honor at http://haasforbill.blogspot.com.
*
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.
