AND NOW FOR THIS IMPORTANT BUSINESS NEWS FROM HUFFINGTON POST -Who is hotter Fox vs. CNBC???-allow me to say, speaking as someone not averse to the who is hotter  genre (since a variant is on my blog http://www.hbsguru.com/blog/  where you can vote for me versus Her Majesty vs Bo Derick (Stan adcom Derrick Bolton  nom de’ hot) and others, that the gals on both stations are fine looking and impressive blah, blah, but I find the tension between the fact that they are there to be good looking  and the often silly, cheerleading journalism to be not a turn on, but a turn off.  I’m all for the added frisson of some powerful/great looking  babe or dude in a biz situation and official clothing, but only if he or she is doing core job w. conviction and super smarts.  We have accounts of HRH and Bo Derick doing just that at b school presentations!!!!!!!!!!!! OK< a smaller world to be sure, but you get the point.  As to those songbirds of the opening and closing bell, Madames Maria  Bottled Aroma and Erin Burnrate –look fellas, I’m as big a sucker as they next guy, but something about their lack of edge as journos ruins it for me, call me a pervert. 

FOX Business Vs. CNBC: Who’s Hotter? (SLIDESHOW)

NEW WHARTON QUESTIONS, NOMINALLY DIFFERENT, AND PRETTY DARN STUPID, IMHO.

WHARTON SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN THIS GLOBAL MELTDOWN AND ETHICS OATH TAKING TO HEART IN FORMULATING ITS NEW QUESTIONS. SOMEONE SAID, ‘HEY GUYS, WE CANNOT DO THE SAME OLD SAME OLD SINCE THE WHOLE WORLD HAS CHANGED” AND BELOW IS THE BILGE THEY CAME UP.

THESE TWO, BOTH 750-1000 WDS, ARE CLASSIC P.C. PANTYWAIST  QUESTIONS AND PRETTY MUCH AN INVITATION TO CREATE GIBBERISH. 

Essay  1 – (750-1000 words)

As a leader in global business, [HUH, GLOBAL BUSINESS WHAT???? EDUCATION? OR DOES SCHOOL NOW THINK OF ITSELF AS A BUSINESS]  Wharton is committed to sustaining [BUZZ WORD ALERT] “a truly [GET THAT, TRULY, THEY ARE NOT KIDDING, NOT UNTRULY] global[SAY, THAT IS TWO “GLOBALS” IN THE FIRST 14 FREAKIN’ WORDS–GET THE HINT, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THINGS GLOBAL ] presence through its engagement in the world”. [EXPOS NOTE, IN USA USGAE,  QUOTE MARKS OUTSIDE PERIOD, BUT MAYBE YOU ARE BEING GLOBAL, OR PRETENTIOUS, OR JUST IGNORANT BY USING UK RULES ]  What goals are you committed to and why?  How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals?

WHAT A CROCK OF ****, REALLY UP THERE IN TERMS OF BAD WRITING, SILLY THINKING, AND LACK OF GUIDANCE.  WHAT HAPPENS W. THESE DUMB AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS, A LA STANFORD, IS IT JUST DIMINISHES THE IMPORTANCE OF ESSAYS [OK, NOT GOOD FOR ME IN SOME WAYS, BUT CONFUSION IS GOOD FOR ME] SO SCHOOLS REVERT TO OLD STANDBYS, E.G. PEDIGREE, SCORES, ETC. ETC. HOW IS SOME POOR JOKER IN INDIA OR CHINA OR ANY OTHER GLOBAL PLACE SUPPOSED TO TRULY ANSWER THIS WITH ANY INTELLIGENCE OR SENSE OF WHAT THEY WANT? 

Essay 2 – (750-1000 words)Tell us about a time when you had to adapt by accepting/understanding the perspective of people different from yourself.

SAY THERE, WOULD THAT BE SOMETIME GLOBAL??? WHAT ABOUT REALLY SMART GUYS FROM PRINCETON EATING CLUBS W. HIGH GPA’S WHO DONT TRAVEL, DONT HAVE ANY EXPOSURE TO FOLKS TOO DIFFERENT FROM THEMSELVES, DONT GET INTO HBS,AND USED TO MAKE UP 60 PERCENT OF YOUR CLASS???? WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO? DONT WORRY, THEY WILL STILL GET IN. 

OK, JUST GETTING THIS OFF MY CHEST, WILL ACTUALLY GIVE SOME TIPS ABOUT HOW TO ANSWER THIS GAR-BAGE LATER.

FULL QUESTIONS BELOW

Wharton MBA Admissions Committee Announces 2009-10 Application Essay Questions

Below are the essay questions for the Wharton MBA Class of 2012.  We post the essay questions now to allow you to plan your application preparation this year.  The full application, which will include questions for recommenders and other application requirements, will be available on our website in August.  As you begin to think about your responses to these essay questions, remember that the Admissions Committee is interested in getting to know you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage you to be introspective, candid, and succinct. Most importantly, we suggest that you be yourself. 

2009-10 WHARTON MBA APPLICANT ESSAY QUESTIONS

2009-2010 Questions – First-Time Applicants

Essay  1 – (750-1000 words)

As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”.  What goals are you committed to and why?  How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals?

Essay 2 – (750-1000 words)

Tell us about a time when you had to adapt by accepting/understanding the perspective of people different from yourself.

Essay 3 – (500 words)

Describe a failure that you have experienced.  What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself?

Essay 4 – (500 words) Choose one of the following:

a.       Give us a specific example of a time when you solved a complex problem.

b.      Tell us about something significant that you have done to improve yourself, in either your professional and/or personal endeavors.

Essay 5 (Optional) – (250 words)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).

2009-2010 Questions – Re-Applicants

(Please note: re-applicant essays are for those who applied during the application cycle in 2007-08 or 2008-09 only. Reapplicants from 2006-07 or earlier are to complete the first-time applicant essays).

Re-Applicant Essay  1 – (1000 words)

As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”.  What goals are you committed to and why?  How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals?  How has your candidacy improved since the last time you applied?

Re-Applicant Essay 2 – (500 words)

Describe a failure that you have experienced.  What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself?

Re-Applicant Essay 3 – (500 words) Choose one of the following:

a.       Give us a specific example of a time when you solved a complex problem.

b.      Tell us about something significant that you have done to improve yourself, in either your professional and/or personal endeavors.

Re-Applicant Essay 4 (Optional) – (250 words)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).

Stanford WL News–no news but they may take one or two people this month, and how many are still on this WL, my guess, based on nothing whatsoever, hmmmmmmmmmmm ~50–

Dear WLer :

Thank you for your patience and consideration in remaining on the Stanford MBA Program waitlist this spring. We continue to believe that you would make a wonderful addition to the MBA Class of 2011. As of today, however, we cannot offer you a place in the class.

We would like you to remain a candidate for admission. We will provide you with an update on 26 June 2009.

We hope to offer admission to two or three candidates this month. If there is an opening in the Class of 2011, we will offer it to the candidate who best complements the existing class profile. If you have already provided us with a status update, please do not send additional materials.

We understand how difficult the “waiting” part of being on a waitlist can be. If you need to move forward with your plans before we can make a final decision, please email us at mba_admin@gsb.stanford.edu to withdraw from the waitlist.

We appreciate your continued interest in the Stanford MBA Program. Thank you again for your patience.

Best regards,

Derrick Bolton
Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions

Harvard Business School Students Prepare
to Enter the Job Market

HBS Leadership Fellows Program Announces 2009-10 Recipients

BOSTON, June 4, 2009 - This year’s Harvard Business School graduates will step into a job market they did not anticipate two years ago when submitting their application to the MBA program. Because of the economic crisis, the landscape for MBAs has changed significantly and with that, so have employment opportunities.

“Given the economic climate, we’re very happy with the employment status of our current second-year students,” said Jana Kierstead, Managing Director of Harvard Business School’s MBA Career Services. “Career Services works with MBAs from the moment they step on campus to help them pursue a vision for a unique and meaningful career path. Although opportunities for immediate employment may have changed in the past year, our students’ five- to seven-year vision generally has not. So, we’ve been helping them explore alternative paths to reach their goal. For some that means starting in a different kind of job or even a different field from the one they originally expected, while others have chosen to continue their education or start their own company.”

Of the 889 students graduating with a Harvard MBA this June and actively seeking employment, 83 percent have a job offer on the table - compared to last year’s 95 percent. Twenty percent of the Class of 2009 are not seeking employment, having chosen to return to work with their former employer, embark on an entrepreneurial endeavor (27 of this year’s graduates are starting their own business), or continue their education.

As part of its list of recommendations, Career Services enlarged the scope of its programs, providing more assistance with the self-assessment process, industry introductions, peer Career Teams, and individual career coaching. Career Services added 10 new coaches, several with direct experience in the financial services sector, bringing the total number of coaches to 43.

“We also decided to continue to provide career services to the Class of 2008,” said Kierstead. “As these recent graduates proceed with their job search, or their employment situation changes because of the economy, HBS is there to support them.”

As an indicator of how some sectors may benefit from the recession, specialized career support programs focused on social enterprise and entrepreneurship saw an uptick in activity from this year’s graduates. Twenty-one of this year’s HBS graduates will join the School’s Leadership Fellows program, which gives a select group of graduates the chance to make a significant contribution in nonprofit and public-sector organizations through a one-year fellowship. Participating organizations pay Fellows $45,000, and HBS supplements this with a one-year grant of an equal amount. Fellows are supported throughout the year with access to HBS resources and periodic returns to campus for organized networking and professional development events with other Fellows.

This year, the number of Fellows increased by more than 100 percent. Since its inception in 2001, 78 MBAs and 39 organizations participated in the program. They will work in the following organizations:

• Mark Angelo, Hospital for Special Surgery
• Stephen Chan, City of Boston, Office of the Mayor
• Brian Elliot, Endeavor
• Andrew Feinberg, City of Boston, Office of the Mayor
• Alla Jezmir, Calvert Foundation
• Benjamin Kennedy, Kresge Foundation
• Shilla Kim-Parker, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
• Nicki Leahy, Initiative for Competitive Inner City
• Alice Lin, The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
• Aarti Maheshwari, New Profit
• Betsy Mallow, Ford Foundation
• Rosita Najmi, Mercy Corps
• Kaveesh Nath, World Wildlife Fund
• Marlène Ngoyi, Grassroots Business Fund
• Karibu Nyaggah, Dillard University
• Carter Romansky, Citizen Schools
• Aaron Rudenstine, Civic Builders
• Jessica Schmidt, Right To Play International
• Tiffany D. Singleton, United Negro College Fund
• Jessica Stannard-Friel, WGBH Educational Foundation
• Drew Van Pelt, Teach for America

“What this diverse group of Leadership Fellows shares is a common commitment to apply their skills and to have an impact within organizations that are tackling some of society’s most challenging issues,” said Professor Joseph L. Badaracco, Chair of the Harvard MBA Program. “Nonprofit and public-sector organizations can leverage the experience, enthusiasm, and analytical skills of our MBAs, who in turn are given the opportunity to take part in significant managerial positions that provide unique leadership development opportunities immediately upon graduation.”

Since the start of the program, more than 90 percent of Fellows have received an offer to stay at the organization that initially employed them. Approximately one-third of the program’s alumni are still at that organization, while one-third have moved on to a similar operation, and one-third have joined the for-profit sector. For more information, click here.

First year MBAs are also finding unique opportunities for summer internships with support from the HBS Social Enterprise Summer Fellowships program and the Rock/Lebor Entrepreneurial Summer Fellowships program. Funded by the School and alumni donors, these programs support students pursuing social impact and entrepreneurial positions during the summer. This year, 127 HBS MBAs are taking part in the Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship program - double the number that participated in the program last year - working with 87 organizations in 22 countries, including the Acumen Fund, the Boston Ballet, District of Columbia Public Schools, Jumpstart, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Partners in Health, the Sacramento Mayor’s Office, TechnoServe, the U.S. Department of Energy. Thirty-seven MBAs will be participating in the Rock/Lebor Entrepreneurial Summer Fellowships program this year, which enables students to take a job at a smaller entrepreneurial venture or work on their own start-up.

About Harvard Business School:
Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 200 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and doctoral degrees, as well as more than 140 open enrollment and custom Executive Education programs. For a century, HBS faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching to educate leaders who have shaped the practice of business around the globe.