• General MBA Application Essay Tips
  A few rules to keep in mind while writing your essays.
• How to Write an “Accomplishment Essay”
  The goal in answering this kind of question is to analyze, rather than summarize, an achievement. This advice is particularly true if you’re discussing an accomplishment that is listed elsewhere on the application. Your readers want to gain insight into your character, not read a factual summary of what occurred.
• How to Write Career Goal Essay
  Almost all top MBA programs ask applicants to write an essay about there short term and long term goal and how this MBA program will help the applicant reach the goal.
• A Few Things to Consider When Writing Aaccomplishments Essay
  Typically, you will be asked to list one or several of your greatest accomplishments. A few things to consider when writing this essay…
• Sample MBA Achivements Essay and Comments
  A sampel MBA achivement essay along with comments by profesionals.

This is a repost from Free Essay Writing Topics, Templates, Tips and Examples.

Federal student loans are an even better deal than before. Rates are fixed now, rather than variable, and students with the most need will see rates as low as 3.4% in the future. Limits on how much you can borrow have been raised a bit, and parents who take out parental student loans now can defer payments while their kids are still in school. Although some lenders have exited the federal student loan market, the U.S. government has stepped in to make sure the remaining lenders had access to cash to make loans.

Don’t ask your lender for a consolidation loan. Consolidation allows you to make one payment instead of many, and you may be able to lower your payments by stretching out the repayment term from the usual 10 years to as many as 30. You still can consolidate your federal student loans, but you’ll need to do so through the federal government. Lenders that used to make these loans have fled the market, saying they aren’t profitable anymore. Visit the U.S. Department of Education’s loan consolidation site to get started.

Private student loans are harder to get. If you want to borrow more than the federal student loan limits (which range from $5,500 to $7,500 a year for college students, depending on their year and type of loan), you typically would turn to private student loans. These come with variable rates that currently average 11% to 12%. But lenders are demanding higher credit scores plus a co-signer these days.

Even if you qualify, you need to be extremely cautious about how much private student loan money you borrow. Here’s why:

Those variable rates are only going to shoot higher when the economy recovers and interest rates rise, Kantrowitz cautioned. Typically, private student loan rates aren’t capped, so the sky’s the limit.

Private loans don’t come with the forgiveness and income-based repayment options now available for federal loans. Private lenders will still loan you far more money than you can comfortably repay. They know you can’t escape this debt, so they’re comfortable piling it on. Student loan debt typically can’t be erased in bankruptcy court, and there is no limit on how long private lenders can pursue you for collection. So it’s up to you to set limits on how much you’ll borrow and search for the best possible deals.

This year we started with 139 programs that were eligible for ranking, including virtually all of the schools from our 2009 ranking plus six new schools that met our eligibility requirements. In November, with the help of Cambria Consulting in Boston, we asked nearly 88,000 graduating seniors at those schools to complete a 50-question survey on everything from the quality of teaching to recreational facilities. Overall, 27,317 students responded to the survey, a response rate of 31%.

The results of the 2010 student survey are then combined with the results of two previous student surveys, from 2009 and 2008, to arrive at a student survey score for each school. The 2010 survey supplies 50% of the score; the two previous surveys supply 25% each.

In addition to surveying students, Bloomberg BusinessWeek polled 718 corporate recruiters for companies that hire thousands of business majors each year. We asked them to tell us which programs turn out the best graduates, and which schools have the most innovative curricula and most effective career services. In the end, 236 recruiters responded, a response rate of about 33%.

The results of the 2010 recruiter survey are then combined with the results of two previous recruiter surveys, from 2009 and 2008, to calculate a recruiter survey score for each school. The 2010 survey supplies 50% of the score; the two previous surveys supply 25% each.

ACADEMIC QUALITY GAUGE

To learn which schools’ students land the best-paying jobs, we asked each institution to tell us the median starting salary for their most recent graduating class. In addition, we drew on our 2004, 2006, and 2008 MBA surveys to create a “feeder school” measure showing which schools send the most grads to the 35 top MBA programs identified in previous Bloomberg BusinessWeek rankings.

Finally, we created an academic quality gauge of five equally weighted measures. From the schools themselves, we obtained average SAT scores, the ratio of full-time faculty to students, and average class size. The student survey supplied the percentage of business majors with internships and the hours students spend every week on schoolwork.

Before determining the final ranking, we first had to review each school’s response rates on the 2010 student and recruiter surveys. Of the 139 programs that were eligible for ranking, a total of 28 were eliminated. Thirteen were eliminated for low response rates in the student survey: Auburn University, East Tennessee State University, Fairfield University, Georgia State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, University of Alabama, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of Vermont, Washington State University, West Virginia University, and York College of Pennsylvania.

A further 10 were cut for low response rates in the recruiter survey: American University, Belmont University, Chapman University, Duquesne University, Elon University, Samford University, St. Louis University, State University of New York at Geneseo, University of California-Riverside, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. An additional five schools were eliminated because of low response rates on both surveys: Creighton University, Iona College, University of Massachusetts-Boston, University of the Pacific, and the University of Tulsa.

For the 111 schools remaining, the student survey score counts for 30% of the final ranking, with the recruiter survey score contributing 20%. Starting salaries and the MBA feeder school measure contribute 10% each. The academic quality measure supplies the remaining 30%.

If you are planning to get an MBA degree and deciding whether to enroll in a traditional, campus-based or an online MBA program, it is important to know the similarities and differences, and more importantly, the advantages and disadvantages of both.

Similarities and Differences

Online and Traditional MBA programs share the same goal of training and preparing the students in the field of business management. Both traditional and online MBA programs have similar curriculum and level of difficulty. With a traditional MBA program, you will have to adjust your schedule so you can find time to attend your MBA classes. For work-at-home moms, this could mean attending evening or after-work classes.

Enrolling in a campus-based program also means commuting to and from school. This could present some difficulties for work-at-home moms who have their hands full most of the time. In this regard, online MBA programs present a more convenient and flexible alternative. With distance learning, you can attend classes from any location as long as you are connected to the Internet.

Benefits of Traditional and Online MBA Programs

Attending a traditional MBA program has its benefits. Traditional MBA programs require you to attend lectures on site and collaborate with your peers on group assignments. The physical interaction with other students helps foster a fruitful exchange of ideas and information. The interactive classroom environment where students work in groups on assignments closely simulates real world situations. This trains traditional MBA graduates for a productive career in the business world.

On the other hand, an online MBA programs curriculum usually consist of lectures, reading materials, and assignments available for download as electronic form as text, multimedia and audio files. Interaction is achieved through online channels such as discussion boards, chat, email and sometimes telephone calls. It is worth noting that modern businesses increasingly rely on online communication such as email, online chat and message boards. Thus, graduates of online MBA programs also enjoy the advantage of being prepared for the technological aspects.

The best benefit that traditional MBA programs offer is reputation. MBA graduates from renowned universities are viewed with high regard in the business world. But online MBA programs are fast catching up as more and more universities start to offer distance-learning opportunities.

Meanwhile, enrolling in online MBA programs has its unique benefits too. Aside from allowing you to work at your own pace, enrolling in an online MBA program requires you to be more disciplined compared to being in a classroom setting. With numerous distractions especially for work-at-home moms, online MBA students need to be focused so that the tasks will be accomplished successfully. Thus, online MBA students also get to hone their time management skills.

Both traditional and online MBA programs have their own advantages and disadvantages. For work-at-home moms, an online MBA program is an attractive choice for obvious reasons especially with graduates of online MBA programs now increasingly held in the same high regard as those of traditional MBA programs.

Online Education Advantages:

• Convenience – Students can take online courses whenever. Students are not limited by a school’s annual/semester/quarter system.
• Cost – Pricing for online degree programs is usually cheaper than traditional school programs.
• Classroom Time – Some distance learning programs have a classroom component, however most do not require attending a physical school. You can learn, study, and graduate from the comfort of any computer location.
• Flexibility – Class times are not set, and the pacing of assignments and readings occurs at your own discretion. You can proceed through your degree program at your own speed.
• Availability – Accredited, reputable, and educationally vigorous distance learning programs have increased in recent years.
• Self-Direction – Students are able to control their learning environment, moving through courses at their own pace.
• Accessibility – Attending class can occur from any computer with network/Internet access.
• Learning System – Distance learners tend to be people who learn visually and experientially, and also students who require more time to study, have language-issues, or are introverted.
• Zero Travel Expenses – With online degree programs, there is no need to commute to school, all learning can take place from home.
• No Interruptions – Since distance learning programs are based on the Internet, and accessed at the user’s discretion, learning takes place whenever you want it to. There is no need to take a leave of absence, stop working, etc.

Online Education Disadvantages:

• Instructor Face-Time – Distance learners typically don’t have the face-to-face interaction that is important to some students.
• Reputation and Perception – As distance learning becomes more widespread, more businesses and organizations are starting to recognize the value of an online degree or distance degree. However, there is still a social stigma attached to non-physical educational institutions.
• Technology Requirements – Distance learning program requirements are usually modest: computer and an Internet connection. However, students must have some proficiency in using computers.
• Social Interaction – Though online learning environments often have chat rooms and message boards they lack physical classroom interactions.
• Limited Support – Students are required to take their own initiative in completing assignments, reports, and exams.
• Campus Atmosphere – Distance education programs lack the physical value and attractiveness of attending a campus location.

How Important Is an Applicant’s GMAT Score?

“NYU Stern’s admissions process is holistic, so we are evaluating every aspect of an applicant to assess potential for success. We look for three major criteria: 1) academic ability 2) professional potential and 3) personal characteristics, as well as “fit” with our program. The GMAT is just one component that we evaluate to assess academic potential.” – Isser Gallogly, the Executive Director of MBA Admissions at NYU Stern School of Business
“The GMAT provides an indicator of potential for academic success. The GMAT is one of many factors — including recommendations, essays, undergraduate GPA, etc. —that we will consider when reviewing an application.” – Christina Mabley, the Director of MBA Admissions at McCombs School of Business

“It is one of the predictors for how well a student will do in studies at the GSB. The 80th percentile range of scores for the entering class is 640-760 (a broad range). A high score will not guarantee admissions; likewise, a low score will not preclude admission. It’s just one piece of a complex puzzle.” – Rosemaria Martinelli, the Associate Dean of Student Recruitment & Admissions at the Chicago Graduate School of Business

“This is just one piece of the puzzle. We have validated the GMAT as a predictor of first year success. In addition to the GMAT we will also be looking at an applicant’s undergraduate transcript as well as any post graduate work they may have completed. The GMAT and academic work provide us with some evidence that an applicant can handle the quantitative nature of an MBA program. The last thing the Admissions Committee wants to do is put someone in academic jeopardy.” – Wendy Huber, the Associate Director of Admissions at the Darden School of Business

What Do These Comments Mean?

Though each of the comments shown above varies in context, they all say one thing. Your GMAT score is important, but it is only one part of the business school admissions process. To get into a top program, you will need a well-rounded application. Keep that in mind the next time you start agonizing over your GMAT score.

The slides that follow list the median cash compensation—base salary and bonus—for MBA graduates of each school who have less than two years’ experience, 10 years’ experience, and 20 years’ experience, as well as an estimate of total earnings over a career spanning two decades.

The upshot? According to data compiled for Bloomberg BusinessWeek by PayScale, a Wharton MBA has 90 percent of the value of a Harvard MBA. University of Chicago, 76 percent. University of Iowa? Forty-eight percent.

On average, graduates from top MBA programs—Bloomberg Businessweek’s Top 30 U.S. full-time programs and 15 second-tier B-schools—on average earned about $2.6 million each over the past 20 years, or $128,267 a year. But as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Graduates of the top 10 programs earned an average of $3.1 million apiece, or $157,397 a year, compared with $2.4 million, or $119,944 a year, for the remaining 35 schools—a pay premium of more than 30 percent.

Methodology Note: The salary data in this slide show were supplied by PayScale, which collects them from individuals through online pay comparison tools. For each school, PayScale tallied the median cash compensation—including base pay and bonuses but excluding stock and options—for MBA graduates at five points in their careers, three of which are shown here. Years of experience includes pre-MBA experience, and individual categories include MBAs with more or less experience. Most individuals with less than two years’ experience are career switchers. The data are based on a sample of 23,000 MBA graduates from the 45 top schools; most of the medians shown represent approximately 100 to 300 actual salaries per school. Using the median salaries and average annual growth rates for each school, Bloomberg Businessweek calculated a very rough estimate of earnings over the entire 20-year period. Notable alumni include graduates with MBAs and other advanced management degrees.

Not surprisingly, the top-ranked schools in the overall ranking, published in March, have the most top-10 specialty rankings, as well. Notre Dame leads the way, appearing on eight top-10 lists, followed by Cornell University and Babson College —Nos.5 and 15 in the overall ranking, respectively—with six top-10 specialty ranks apiece.Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business (Goizueta Undergraduate Business Profile), the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (Wharton Undergraduate Business Profile), and the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill each ranked near the top of five specialty lists.

Racking Up Top Awards

Among them, the top three programs in the overall ranking took eight of the No. 1 specialty ranks. No. 1 Notre Dame is tops in accounting and ethics, No. 2 University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce (McIntire Undergraduate Business Profile) takes the top spot in both macroeconomics and business law, and No.3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management (Sloan Undergraduate Business Profile) is best in quantitative methods, operations management, calculus, and marketing. “Sloan requires a great deal of its students,” says an MIT senior business student responding to the Bloomberg Businessweek survey. “It’s exceedingly challenging, but that’s a good thing.”

What is surprising is how many different universities can boast of a top-10 finish. In all, 48 schools appear on at least one top-10 list, and the programs that excel in the various specialty areas are, in some cases, not be the ones you might expect. For instance, the best program for corporate strategy is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lally School of Management & Technology, which ranked 34th overall. Lally also ranks sixth in quantitative methods, an area that students feel sets their program apart. “It’s the emphasis on quantitative coursework combined with the incorporation of technology into each course that make the Lally experience unique,” wrote one senior business student at RPI in the Bloomberg Businessweek survey.

The University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business Administration ranked No. 55 overall but earned top-10 finishes in both macroeconomics (No. 8 ) and microeconomics (No. 2), while the University at Buffalo (Buffalo Undergraduate Business Profile), ranked 97th overall, secured a No. 7 rank in operations management, an area that is included in the school’s list of prerequisite courses for business majors.

In the financial management specialty area, Case Western Reserve’s Weatherhead School of Management, ranked 38th overall, takes the top spot, followed by Babson and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. At Weatherhead, students laud the experiential learning options available in finance courses, as well as the opportunity to enroll in MBA-level classes as undergrads.

Emphasizing Green

One specialty area that continues to gain popularity among undergraduate business students is sustainability, and schools are responding by ramping up their offerings. At the top of the sustainability ranks is Babson, where students applaud the school’s green business efforts throughout the program, both in the classroom and out. One example: the Green Rocket Pitch, which gives entrepreneurial-minded business students the chance to present environmentally responsible business ideas to potential investors. Also, students can choose to live in the Green Tower, a residence hall dedicated to sustainable living and business.

At the College of William and Mary’s Mason School of Business , ranked second in sustainability, students have urged the school to go green, and it’s paying off. In the past two years, the school has launched Virginia’s first undergraduate chapter of Net Impact (a group dedicated to social and environmental sustainability), has opened a new LEED Gold Certified business building, and has introduced electives that include Environmental Consulting and Sustainability and the Seas.

Along with sustainability, students in the Class of 2010 are more concerned about ethics than grads in years past, undoubtedly due to the recent financial crisis. Most of the programs thriving in this category have a religious affiliation, including Loyola University-Chicago , Xavier University’s Williams College of Business , and Brigham Young University’s.

At Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business , a heavy premium is placed on the teaching of ethics, and the focus has earned the school a No. 5 ranking in that specialty area. Business students at the Christian-affiliated university are quick to mention the fact that ethics is intertwined throughout the program, from such courses as Ethics in Sports and Professional Selling and Ethics to case competitions and forums focused specifically on the discipline. “There is an emphasis on ethics in every class; it’s interwoven in everything we learn,” one Baylor senior explains in the Bloomberg Businessweek survey. “We are expected to make ethical decisions over profit-based ones.”

For the complete ranking for an individual specialty, click on the link below:

Top Schools for Accounting

Top Schools for Business Law

Top Schools for Calculus

Top Schools for Ethics

Top Schools for Financial Management

Top Schools for Macroeconomics

Top Schools for Marketing

Top Schools for Microeconomics

Top Schools for Operations Management

Top Schools for Quantitative Methods

Top Schools for Strategy

Top Schools for Sustainability