Emory Goizueta MBA Admissions | @GBSadmissions

A firsthand look at the MBA Admissions team at Emory University, the MBA application process, and how Goizueta's intimate learning community comes together... Visit Goizueta's other blogs: |  Life at Goizueta - Take a look into the day to day lives of Goizueta MBA Students | Emory Business - Insights from Goizueta Business School 

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Top 5: Ways to stand out in an MBA Admissions Interview

One of our favorite parts of being a member of the admissions team is the application interview. This is a unique window in which we get to know the real YOU, in a one-on-one setting.

More specifically, the admissions interview offers you the opportunity to explain more in depth your educational and career experiences to date, and to elaborate on your post-MBA career plans. We are interested in your professional accomplishments, but also your leadership and community achievements. 

Because we love interviews so much, we thought we would take a moment to share with you some top tips on how to stand out during your interview:

1. Be yourself.

We know we say this a lot, but we mean it. We can tell when you’re being genuine. Relax, although this is a professional interview, we also want to get to know you as a candidate.

2. Practice. But don’t be too rehearsed. 

It’s good to take the time to think strategically through your answers and experiences. Practice with a friend or a coach. However, don’t forget we’re a real person, and we know when you’re reciting from a memorized script.

3. Prepare like a job interview. 

The interview is similar to a professional job interview, and as such you should dress in business attire and bring an updated copy of your résumé. And don’t forget to practice “walking me through your resume”.

4. Be timely. 

We have multiple back to back interviews, and if you’re late it effects other candidates. Please be respectful of everyone’s time and give yourself enough time to arrive early. Whether you’re coming to campus, or meeting us on the road, sometimes finding the interview location can be challenging. Research ahead!

5. Ask questions not found on the website. 

We want to know that you have a genuine interest in joining the Goizueta community. Take the time to form strong questions, and do a little research beforehand. (And when you’re asking questions, please don’t ask how you did at the end of the interview.)

We hope these tips help you put your best foot forward in your MBA interview. For more details on the interview stage of your application, please check our website. 

*Please note that after the Round 1 Deadline, interviews for the Full-Time MBA application are by invitation only. 

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A little team building with the MBA admissions team...

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Admissions Director Q&A: Julie Barefoot of Emory’s Goizueta Business School - Clear Admit Blog

Associate Dean of Admissions Julie Barefoot made time to discuss all things Goizueta with Clear Admit--a must read!

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Tips for Goizueta Business School 2015-2016 Essay Questions

Your Emory MBA essays represent a true opportunity to share your story with the MBA Admissions team. Our intent is to be able to clearly understand your goals and how Emory Goizueta can help you reach those. The best overall advice we can offer is to be straightforward and to ensure that you’re not overlooking any parts of the question. However, we’d like to offer these essay tips on the specific questions and how to tackle them effectively in your MBA application:

1.        Define your short-term, post MBA career goals.  How are your professional strengths, past experience and personal attributes aligned with these goals? (300 word limit)

You should answer this question directly and with as much focus and clarity as you can provide. An MBA is a big investment in time and money and we want to see that you have “thought through” your reasons to pursue an MBA. We also want to know: ·         Why is now a good time for you to pursue this degree? ·         What type of post-MBA position you will seek immediately after graduation? ·         When combined with the skills you will gain at Goizueta, why is your desired post-MBA job a realistic possibility for you?

We also recommend that you share specifics about the functional role you are seeking (ex:  brand management role) as well as any industry preferences (ex:  CPG firm). Be sure to explain how your prior work and/or life experiences will assist you in making the transition to this post MBA job. If a summer internship is part of your MBA experience, then denote what type of summer internship you would seek which would best position you for your desired post MBA job.

2.        Roberto C. Goizueta question. Provide an example of your leadership—professional or personal—and explain what you learned about yourself through the experience. 

Mr. Goizueta was a remarkable individual and a highly successful leader of The Coca-Cola Company. With his legacy in mind, our goal is to enroll and educate principled leaders for global enterprise. Therefore, we are very interested in how you have demonstrated leadership, either in a work or community setting. Please be specific about the situation, the manner in which you assumed or required to take on a leadership role and how your role made a difference in this situation and to your organization. It is also helpful if you add what you learned from this leadership experience and how it has influenced your actions going forward.

3.        Sentence Completion Options: (Complete one of the following statements - 250 word limit) a. I am passionate about.....

This question gives us insight into your personality and outside interests.  What activity really excites you?  What do you feel strongly about?   Goizueta’s MBA programs are small by design and we care a great deal about what each candidate will add to our community as a student and once you become an alumnus. Let us know get to know you better by learning about your passion.

b. The piece of advice I’ve received is.....

This question enables us to learn who has been a mentor to you and/or whose advice you have sought.  It would be appropriate to include how that advice influenced the decisions you have made in your life, school work and/or career.

c. The best day of my life was.....

This question enables us to learn more about your personality.  Don’t answer what you think we want to read and please don’t say that that “your best day will be when you graduate from Goizueta,” instead, if you chose this sentence completion, share what truly has been the best day of your life, so far.

d. A personal goal I want to accomplish..... 

This question gives us insight into what drives you—the goal can be related to business school (although it should certainly not be about simply completing the MBA) but the goal can be about personal fitness, learning a new skill or travel destinations.  

4.       Share with the committee and your future classmates a fun or noteworthy fact about you. (25 word limit).  

We’ve heard from applicants that answering this question can take more take than expected. But, rest assured, we read this question and in fact, it has become an Admissions Committee favorite.  Often the responses are heart-warming, funny or fascinating. We want to learn a fun or interesting fact about your background that you were unable to share elsewhere in your application.  

We hope you find these tips useful! For more information on essays and your MBA application to Goizueta Business School, please visit our website. 

--Emory Goizueta MBA Admissions Team

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The Full-Time MBA 2015-2016 Application Season is Here!

We’re pleased to announce that we have officially kicked off our 2015-2015 application recruiting cycle for our Two-Year and One-Year MBA Program. There are a few key things we thought you might want to know if you’re looking to apply this year:

1. New Application Deadlines

2. Fall Open House and Super Saturday Event

In addition to our Insight Days, we host an annual Super Saturday Open House that highlights everything you need to know about Emory Goizueta. We suggest you mark October 3, 2015 on your calendar!

3. New Essay Questions

Every year we listen to feedback from applicants like you to make edits to our application essays. Here are the 2015-2016 Essay Questions. And be sure to keep an eye out for a blog post next month with tips on how to conquer those essay questions!

4. Interviews after Round 1 are by invite only

If we’re in a city near you, get your interview checked off early! Want to be notified of when we’ll be in town? Sign up to learn more from us. We look forward to continuing the conversation. 

We’re really excited about the new “year” and we hope you are too! We look forward to meeting you, and do let us know if you have any questions!

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How long are my test scores valid? #GMAT #GRE

If I took the GRE: Your scores are valid for five years after the testing year in which you tested (July 1 – June 30). Currently, scores earned from July 1, 2009, to the present are available.

If I took the GMAT: GMAC’s position is different.  GMAT scores are valid five years from the date of the test. For instance, if you sat for the GMAT exam on March 24, 2010, they would no longer be valid on March 24, 2015.

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Top 5: Reasons to love our Leader Development offerings at Goizueta

The ability to lead with confidence duringvolatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous times has never been more criticalthan today. Whether captains of business and industry or champions of the public sector, leading during challenging times requires the inculcation of a mind-set change – a turning point for honing critical thinking skills to drive and deliver success.

Here are the Top 5 reasons you should get excited about our leader development offerings:

1.     Students are buzzing about it. 

We often hear from candidates how excited they are for the opportunity to enroll in our exciting leadership initiatives. They understand how important it is to seize opportunity!

2.     Our 360 approach. 

At Goizueta, leadership programming doesn’t mean just boring classroom lectures. Our programs include a myriad of opportunities to grow and develop your leadership skills, from speakers and panels to boot camps and trainings, and even moments for self-reflection. With dozens of clubs and organizations to get involved with on campus, our MBA students hone their inner leader early, and often!

3.     Two Words: Leadership. Challenge. 

The Two-day Leadership Challenge at Fort Benning is where students complete training usually reserved for military officers. On the field students put their leadership abilities to the test as they solve problems from a team oriented perspective, and then finish by  evaluating their success and failures.

4.     We have a GALA, well sort of - (Goizueta Advanced Leadership Academy).

GALA pushes its participants to their limits in order to develop them into excellent leaders. Applications to become a GALA fellow start for Two-Year students in their second year, and One-Year students in their second semester. This leadership development program ends with a Capstone Challenge, exclusive for GALA participants. The 2015 Capstone Challenge was a five-day sailing adventure in the Caribbean Islands – that could be you!

5. Travel back in time with the Gettysburg Leadership Experience. 

Using the battlefield as a learning laboratory, military historians and leadership specialists make the human dimensions come alive. This 2 day seminar and trip to Gettysburg is just what you need to build leadership and teamwork. By recognizing the strategic dilemmas facing you as a future leader in business, Gettysburg National Military Park becomes a tool for learning how to identify and address leadership challenges.

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#MBA students travel the world for mid-semester modules

In the middle of the spring semester, students can step out of the classroom and join in faculty-led travel modules that explore a current topic within the context of an international setting.

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Nonprofit Management - There's a concentration for you!

We're pleased to announce the launch of our Nonprofit Management Concentration for our Evening MBA students. And even better? If you work at a nonprofit in the Atlanta area you may be eligible for our Nonprofit Management scholarship! Learn more about the concentration and the scholarship here: emory.biz/evnonprofit 

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Miss our web chat for veterans? Learn more about what Goizueta's Full-Time MBA has to offer our military friends.

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About the CMCWP at Goizueta

Did you know that as a Working Professional MBA student, which includes both our Evening MBA students and our Executive MBA students, that you have exclusive access to your own Career Management team? Learn more:

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Admissions Web Chat: Applying to an MBA Program as a Diverse Candidate

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Ask the General - Why Service Members and Veterans Need an MBA

Lieutenant General, USA (retired), Ken Keen is no stranger to taking charge. Serving 38 years in the Army, his extensive leadership experience includes commanding Joint Task Force-Haiti — the largest targeted military-based relief effort in US history. Now, as Associate Dean of Leadership Development for Emory University's Goizueta Business School, he serves as an adviser to service members pursuing an MBA.

Deciding on your next step? Ask the General the top five questions:

Q: I know how to give commands in a military situation. How does that translate to a boardroom?

“Leader” isn’t a title you’re given. It’s a mindset you must develop. Earning an MBA helps you solve global-scale problems from new perspectives, elevating those skills you developed in the military. Learning when to be an equal partner and when to take charge, or how to communicate an ambiguous idea — these are concrete ways an MBA will enhance your intellectual agility and acquired skills.

Q: What’s the career path for an MBA grad with military experience?

Your options are limitless. Global enterprises continually seek new talent from the military to ensure their companies stay nimble in an unstable marketplace. For those on a military career track, learning to apply best business practices to a complex organization, and honing your skills as an influencer, positions you to impact the future of your branch and your team.

Q: Does the value of an MBA truly outweigh the opportunity costs?

Business success relies on being more efficient with fewer resources. Combining your military perspective with an MBA allows you to see complex problems from all angles. Logistics, market analysis, mass-scale acquisitions — all of these are things you’ve experienced first-hand, and are challenges that global transport companies, retail corporations, and relief organizations face daily. Earning your MBA allows you to command a higher salary immediately after graduation and over time. It prepares you to solidify the future for yourself as well as those who depend on you.  

Q: How do I choose the right B-school?

Figure out which one fits who you are now AND who you want to become. If you just want to check a box there are plenty of options. But if you want to transform as a leader and gain the tools to influence an organization from the inside, you need a program focused on developing the entire person. The right business school can build on your professional and personal skills to elevate you above the competition. 

Q: How does your business school stand out among other top 20 programs?

Emory University’s Goizueta Business School is committed to developing principled leaders. We believe transformation can only happen when your perspective is challenged, which we do through one-on-one access to a high‑caliber cohort, world‑class faculty, and Atlanta’s Fortune 500 executives. The school is dedicated to preparing leaders for the future of business — the next step is letting us know you’re ready for the challenge.

Interested in taking the next step? Learn more about what Military students can expect from a Goizueta MBA at goizueta.emory.edu/military

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Top 5: Tips to Make the Most Out of an On-Campus Visit

So you're finally coming to campus. Whether it be for a large formal event, or for a smaller more one-on-one visit, here are some tips to make the most of your time on any campus:

1. Your Network Starts Now

Get to know as many people as possible. Faculty, staff, current students, alumni and other prospective students - this is a great opportunity to start building your Goizueta network.

2. Think Ahead

Write down your questions ahead of time and don't be afraid to ask them - this is your best opportunity to ask questions and get candid and immediate responses.

3. Take Advantage of Opportunity

You may only be on campus for an info session, but you might be missing other opportunities for tours or class visits. Make sure to fit in as much as possible to get the best gauge for the school.

4. Stay in Touch

You may meet various student ambassadors throughout your visit. They're here to be a resource for you and answer any questions you may have while you're on campus, but they're also more than happy to stay in touch and keep answering questions that you think of later down the road. 

5. Take it All in

Coming to campus is the most often cited reason for why MBAs choose their school. Make sure you take in all that Goizueta Business School has to offer while you're here!

We can't wait to see you - to register for upcoming events please visit our website. 

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Get Started Early on Applying to our Evening MBA

We know it's a lot of work to gather up your application materials, and even more so to study and take that pesky GMAT exam. However, there are several incentives to getting it out of the way early:

Waived Application Fee: If you apply to our Evening MBA during Rounds 1 and 2 - applications received between September 1, 2014 and February 20, 2015 - we'll waive your application fee. Simple as that! Just skip the application fee step and you've saved yourself a few dollars*

Sharpen and Improve your application - This could be good for several reasons. If you are wait listed, you have the opportunity and time to invest in improving your application. If you are admitted without scholarship, candidates also have time to submit updates to their file later in the application cycle to be re-reviewed for merit scholarships.

Applying in an earlier round allows more time after admission to prep for the start of classes, but there is no advantage or disadvantage between rounds in terms of admission. Choose the round in which you feel you can submit your strongest possible application and test score, but start early!

*The fee waiver will be posted automatically after the application is received. Reimbursement for fees already paid is not possible.

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"So you want to get an MBA..." and other Pre-MBA advice

1. Take pre-program Foundational courses seriously:

Most MBA programs will require or encourage candidates to complete online preparatory classes and/or require the completion of an in person Boot Camp program prior to the start of MBA Orientation. Goizueta offers these Foundational experiences in Math/Statistics, Economics and Financial Accounting. Prospective MBA students should take these courses seriously as they are good ways to re-fresh your skills and they also help you transition back into the academic learning environment. 2. Read the WSJ:

Especially if you have not worked in a business setting (such as in a non-profit or the military). Reading the Wall Street Journal on a regular basis is helpful to begin understanding business lingo as well as current issues that corporations are facing. 3. Save money:

You will always need more money than you expect when you are enrolled in an MBA program. And, you will want to take full advantage of all the MBA study opportunities, such as semester-long study abroad, shorter international study trips during program breaks or case competitions, all which require additional travel funds. 4. Know your best learning style and stress behaviors:

Reflect on your prior academic experiences and consider your best learning style. As you start an MBA program, develop tactics or learning tools that will enable you to keep track of all of your assignments and help you best function on a team. You should also know your stress behaviors and consider ways to avoid situations that add to your stress levels.

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Reasons to Call #Atlanta Home - A look at our vibrant city

We wanted to stop and take a minute to share with you all of the reasons that we love Atlanta—and why you should too!

Thriving and vibrant, the city of Atlanta is a hard-driving business hub. It’s #3 in the nation for Fortune 500 headquarters and some of industry’s biggest influencers are homegrown —The Coca‑Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Equifax, The Home Depot, and Southern Company to name a few. And, as the #1 city for young entrepreneurs, we’re a great place for startups. 

As one the Top 10 largest cities in the nation, we also offer what you need to work and play. Our globally‑acclaimed arts and culture scene is guaranteed to inspire. And, thanks to our many trend‑setting restaurants, you’ll find delicious dishes around every corner.

Did you know that Atlanta is:

The #2 Most Tech-Friendly City in America (PCWorld)

A Top 25 city for Millennials (Forbes)

The #3 Major American City of the Future for Business Friendliness (FDI magazine)

A Top 5 best city for female founders (Forbes)

The #1 City for Young Entrepreneurs (Under 30 CEO)

The cost of living here is low but the benefits are many. Whether you stay just for your MBA or choose to make Atlanta home base for the rest of your career — this city provides everything you need to have a memorable MBA experience. We hope you will join us!