Fridays from the Frontline
Keep abreast of the latest happenings in the business school blogosphere! This weekly column summarizes recent posts from MBA student and applicant blogs.
Published: April 25, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: The Hardest Thing of the MBA So Far: Learning to Unlearn to Understand the Impact Investing Space
No doubt spurred by the growing conversation about climate change and corporate social responsibility (or lack thereof), one industry that has many in the MBA community buzzing is impact investing.
Current Oxford Saïd MBA student Alma C. Gutierrez Toledano recently took to the Saïd blog to discuss how she has explored impact investing so she can produce positive impact while doing business. Read on to learn more about impact investing and the plethora of related opportunities at Saïd—and how interest in impact investing spans the b-school network with related competitions.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Saïd Business School Blog.
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Published: April 18, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Starting up at Booth
The MBA is a framework to explore what matters most to you. Much of the value of business school is in helping students define and refine their professional goals, and then equip them with the tools to excel in their desired field.
As you might imagine, the sheer number of opportunities associated with elite programs like Chicago Booth can be overwhelming. Many first-year MBA students find themselves paralyzed by the options at their fingertips. In light of this challenge, Booth’s Nakul Gupta took to the Booth Experience Blog to unpack how to navigate the plethora of choices at your disposal when you first arrive at business school.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Booth Experience Blog.
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Published: April 11, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Cornell Johnson Park Perspectives, From Internship to Mentorship
There has been much digital ink spilled on these pages about the value of MBA networks, post-graduation. However, one of the most crucial aspects of the business school experience has to do with peer networks that emerge during MBA programs.
Peer mentorship relationships between first- and second-year students can make the first year of business school slightly less of a shock to the system for new MBA candidates. They can also help first-years lay the groundwork to get the most out of their business school experience.
Second-year MBA student and Park Leadership Fellow Bryan Tannenbaum, who prior to business school served as Citi Community Capital’s Assistant VP, took to the Cornell / Johnson blog to discuss his experiences as both a mentor and mentee.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Cornell Johnson Business Feed.
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Fridays from the Frontline: Interview Prep at UCLA Anderson
One crucial part of any MBA curriculum is to teach students how to put their best foot forward in the job market, whether that means helping them write better resumes or shine in the interview process.
In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, we bring you a firsthand perspective of career prep taking place at b-school. Current UCLA Anderson MBA student Ben Nichols took to the school's MBA Insider's Blog to offer his experience preparing for job interviews.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the UCLA Anderson MBA Insider's Blog.
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Published: March 28, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: 4 Lessons from My Microsoft Internship
Internships are where MBAs-to-be can apply the theoretical skills they’ve cultivated in the classroom, and also places where connections and careers are made. Make an impression at your dream company as an MBA and who knows? You might find yourself being invited to working closely with the C-Suite after graduation.
Second-year Tiffany Ellis took to the Duke / Fuqua blog to share four crucial lessons she learned from her recent internship at Microsoft.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Fuqua Blog.
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Published: March 21, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: WBA Presidents Reflect on Gender Equity and Alliance at Kellogg
At many elite MBA programs, like Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, the conversation around gender has seeped into how the curriculum is being designed so MBA graduates from across the entire gender spectrum are better equipped to do business. Student organizations play a pronounced role, rallying to support female-identified MBAs and give them a louder voice on campus. In light of this, Ginny Lee and Noelle Bloomfield recently took to the Kellogg Blog to unpack their experiences with gender equity, allyship, and more as part of the Women’s Business Association.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Kellogg Blog.
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Published: March 14, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: What is it like to be a woman in one of today’s top global business schools?
In light of International Women's Day last week and the ongoing Women's History Month, this edition of Fridays from the Frontline features two Forté Foundation scholars from Cambridge / Judge.
Forté Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to empowering women in business, offers a Fellows Program, which provides fellowships to “women pursuing a full-time, part-time or executive MBA education at our sponsor business schools.” According to Forté, sponsor schools have given more than $142 million to more than 6,300 Forté Fellows to date.
Read on to hear from members of the Judge MBA Class of 2018, Natalia Dziergwa and Rebecca Kilbane, about why women would do well to consider Cambridge Judge.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, Cambridge Judge Insight.
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Fridays from the Frontline: Tuck’s OnSite Global Consulting Takes a Closer Look at China’s Running Culture
As we enter the third decade of the Asian Century, Stateside MBA programs are taking strides to find ways to embed themselves and their students in Asian markets. One clear method to gain a foothold in any market—or at the very least get a lay of the land—is through cultural immersion.
Second-year Tuck student Maria Milleville, who will join the Danaher Corporation’s General Management Development Program after graduation, documented her experience with Chinese running culture as part of her OnSite assignment.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Tuck 360 Blog.
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Published: February 28, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Helping Vets Make the Transition to Business
Business school has become an increasingly popular bastion for military veterans looking to pivot to a less death-defying career path. Veterans make natural MBAs—they are known for devising and executing detailed plans, alternately leading and following orders, and working collaboratively.
More and more ex-military have begun to pursue MBAs and business schools are working to make the transition as smooth as possible. Current UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA student and U.S. Navy vet Michael Burris took to the school blog to discuss how Kenan-Flagler helps veterans transition from tours of duty to careers in consulting, finance, real estate, entrepreneurship, and beyond.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the UNC Kenan-Flagler Blog.
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Published: February 21, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: 25 Random Things About My Section at Duke / Fuqua
As many b-schoolers we’ve profiled in our Real Humans series will attest, the essay is often the most nerve-wracking part of the entire admissions process; not only is your individuality on full display, but it’s poked, prodded, and vetted for how well it might fit into your desired school’s community vision.
Duke Fuqua’s “25 Random Things” admissions prompt takes a fun approach to the traditional essay, offering prospective students an opportunity to share just about anything and everything they see fit with the admissions team.
Current Duke Fuqua MBA student John MacDonald took to the Daytime MBA Student Blog to compile the “25 Random Things” about all the students in his section.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog.
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Published: February 14, 2019
Fridays From The Frontline: Park Perspectives: 3 Tips for Maintaining Long-distance Relationships during Business School
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, this week's Fridays from the Frontline highlights advice on relationships during b-school. While candy hearts and teddy bears are sweet signs of love, it takes more than tokens to maintain a long-distance relationship—particularly with the added stress and time consumption of a full-time MBA. Fear not, lovers! Cornell Johnson MBA Taylor Fox ’19 took to the Johnson Experience Blog to offer some tips for prospective b-schoolers on how to make long-distance partnerships work.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Johnson Experience Blog.
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Published: February 7, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: UCLA Anderson Student Perspectives
There’s no way to sugarcoat the fact that the first year of any MBA program is overwhelming. Even for the brave souls who can hit the ground running no matter how new or strange the situation, there is the simple transition from a full-time work schedule into a full-time student role—likely for the first time in many moons—to contend with.
Prospective b-schoolers sweating as they imagine their return to student life would do well to take a few notes from UCLA Anderson’s Jessica Cheng before kicking off their first year. Cheng recently took to the school blog to break down a typical day in the life of a first-year MBA student.
The following piece has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the "UCLA Anderson Blog."
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Published: January 31, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: NYU Stern Fashion & Luxury MBA International Immersion in Milan
NYU / Stern has had its finger on the pulse of fashion and luxury for quite some time. The Luxury & Retail Club has been available to Stern MBAs since 2004 and the school launched a Luxury Marketing specialization in 2009. As the industry space keeps evolving while growing, NYU / Stern has met demand with a new one-year Fashion & Luxury MBA program. In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, we hear from a candidate about one of the major components of the program: an international industry immersion.
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Published: January 24, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Reflections from Round 1 Interviews at Chicago Booth
We here at Clear Admit pride ourselves on the clarity we give prospective b-schoolers on elite MBA programs. But we also know that there’s only so much you can glean about an MBA program from the outside, which is why we often encourage MBA hopefuls to arrange campus visits, talk to current students, and meet with alumni.
Chicago Booth has traditionally recruited second-year MBA students to share their experiences with prospective b-schoolers as part of the Round 1 interview process. Booth Admissions Fellow Monisha Shivakumar recently took to the Booth Experience Blog to share the most interesting questions prospects have asked her during these interviews.
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Published: January 17, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: RE:creation triumph at C4Bi competition
Fridays from the Frontline
Case competitions, those hubs of innovation for student entrepreneurs, are unsung components of the MBA experience. They are opportunities for novices to explore the depths of their imaginations, experiment with new methodologies, and see if their discoveries resonate with a panel of experts. Case competitions are also serious business for MBA programs. Many ideas that were incubated in competitions go on to have lives beyond the incubator.
Current Oxford Saïd Business School student Katherine Abbott took to the Oxford Saïd blog to talk about her experience at the recent C4Bi competition.
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Published: January 10, 2019
Fridays from the Frontline: Microsoft Women in Tech Challenge 2018
Fridays from the Frontline
Last year’s cryptocurrency explosion brought to the forefront a fact that can no longer be negotiated in the business school community: the divide between tech and business has all but been erased. Prospective business school students now demand programs that equip them with the hard skills necessary to deal with cutting-edge biztech issues and firmly embed them in the tech community. So, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect that business schools will adapt their curricula to ensure that MBAs can bridge the gap once they enter the job market.
Cambridge’s Judge Business School recently hosted the Microsoft-sponsored Women in Tech Challenge, which brought together Management, MBA, and math students to address real-world issues. Cambridge’s Maria Zarate reports.
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Published: January 3, 2019
Published: December 27, 2018
Fridays from the Frontline: 6 Reflections on My First Year
First-year MBA students often get so wrapped up in the hoopla of class and campus life that they neglect to see the big picture—including the fact that they’re in the frame. There’s been a lot of digital ink spilled on these pages about the assorted networking and internship opportunities embedded in the business school experience, but one aspect that goes overlooked is self-care.
Swati Tiwari MBA '19 took to the Fuqua blog to touch upon these issues and more, sharing six major takeaways from her first year of business school.
The following post has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Duke Fuqua Blog.
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Published: December 20, 2018
Fridays from the Frontline: This Time for Africa: LBS Students in Johannesburg
The week-long Global Business Experience (GBE) is one of London Business School’s major selling points, offering MBA students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the business cultures of Israel, India, China, Peru, Myanmar, South Africa, or Brazil.
According to LBS, GBEs consist of “faculty briefings, guest speakers, site visits, workshops, panels, company visits and opportunities to engage with local LBS alumni in the region.”
The South African GBE is centered around the role that entrepreneurial micro-businesses play in economic growth. LBS students “work with a micro-entrepreneur on a challenge facing their business in an important emerging market. Develop an understanding of the process of growth and transformation, as well as the constraints and opportunities that surround them.”
Current MBA student Amy Dobbin '19 took to the LBS blog to unpack her recent GBE in Johannesburg.
The following post has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the LBS Student and Admissions Blog.
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Published: December 13, 2018
Fridays from the Frontline: Olin Alum Roams into Global Scavenger Hunt Success
While working as a Quantitative Associate Analyst at Allstate in the greater Chicago area, Harding was also putting 50 hours per week into a scavenger hunt app.
Let’s Roam co-founder Mike Harding took to the Olin Blog to discuss the origin of his scavenger hunt tour company, which re-imagines “the way people explore and connect, at home and abroad” through custom hunts that foster team-building.
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Published: December 6, 2018
Fridays from the Frontline: To Do Or Not To Do: The Intensive Language Program – That Is The Question
One of INSEAD’s major selling points is its language policy, which requires that students speak English fluently and moderately well in a second language. By the time the program wraps, INSEAD MBAs must be able to speak a “third, commercially useful, language at A2 'Basic' level in order to graduate.”
Since languages play such an integral role in an INSEAD education, it may come as no surprise that the school offers intensive language courses in both Spanish and French. Current MBA student Rada Keratirags ‘19J took to the INSEAD MBA Experience blog to review the intensive French course offered by INSEAD training partner FL&C in Fontainebleau.
The following post has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the INSEAD MBA Experience Blog.
To Do Or Not To Do: The Intensive Language Program – That Is The Question
Rada Keratirags, MBA’19J
A 26-year-old auditor-turned-consultant from Bangkok, Thailand. Travelling has always been my passion, and documenting it—both by photography and keeping a diary—comes naturally to me. And here I'd like to share my INSEAD journey with you.
I believe a lot of people wonder about this. In fact, I owe a 19D a thorough review of the intensive language program.
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Published: November 29, 2018
Fridays from the Frontline: Top 5 Spots for Chicago Booth Coffee Chats
Peer-to-peer mentorship is an integral part of the MBA experience that often gets overlooked in favor of other kinds of networking. Chicago Booth understands that the connections its students make among peers will serve them well during their MBA stint, their careers, and beyond.
This is why Chicago Booth facilitates “Coffee Chats,” or informal hangs for first-years to pick the brains of second-years about recruiting, internships, and their Booth experiences. Current Booth student Aliy Markowski MBA ’19 offers her personal recommendations for the best coffee spots in Hyde Park that cater especially well to these unique meet-ups.
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Published: November 22, 2018
Fridays from the Frontline: A business school internship with the National Park Service?
Internships are arguably the second major step in the MBA process; choosing where to intern has the potential to shape your career just as much as the business school you end up attending.
When it comes to internships, many b-schoolers opt for one of the usual suspects—Fortune 500 corporations, consulting firms, ecommerce giants—but fewer stop to consider the wealth of opportunities in the public sector, particularly organizations that address the relevant intersection between business and environmental issues.
Current UNC / Kenan-Flagler Business School student Bailey Whitaker took to the K-F blog to talk about his experience interning with the National Park Service.
The following post has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Kenan-Flagler Blog.
Bailey Whitaker (MBA ’19)
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Published: November 15, 2018
Fridays from the Frontline: Advice from Yale SOM Student Admissions Ambassadors
The b-school application is just as much of an opportunity for adcom members to get an overview of who you are as it is a crash course in “knowing thyself.” Applications ask would-be students to not just tell a story, but to do so within the context of their educational and professional goals.
Five current Yale School of Management MBA students took to the Yale SOM blog to discuss how applicants can contextualize the micro within the macro—and vice versa.
The following post has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the Yale SOM Blog.
Advice from Student Admissions Ambassadors
Students weigh in on how to select the best school for you and position yourself in your business school application.
Whether you’re currently working on your Yale SOM application for Round 2 or you’re still gathering information on individual schools, students’ experiences offer lessons on refining “the list,” identifying what is important to you in an MBA program, and positioning yourself in your business school application. We asked admissions ambassadors for their advice.
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Published: October 18, 2018
Fridays from the Frontline: 10 Things I Learned During My First Month in the MS/MBA Program
Fridays from the Frontline Dual-degree master’s programs are incredibly enticing to students looking to distinguish themselves in their career pursuits. The combination of an MBA and a specialize master’s degree in engineering is proving particularly hot right now. Harvard Business School (HBS) welcomed its inaugural MS/MBA class to campus this fall as part of a program designed for future tech venture leaders who want to gain foundational business skills alongside design skills and deeper engineering knowledge. As Managing Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Chad Losee shared in a recent podcast with
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