Assessing What a JD/MBA Degree Can Mean For You Career

With more students than ever considering the joint JD/MBA degree, MBA Podcaster and Law School Podcaster take you behind-the-scenes at some of the top schools offering these dual degree programs, for our upcoming show, “Deciding Whether To Pursue a JD/MBA: When It Makes Sense To Go ‘Two-for-One.’” In our previous post, we looked at some of the details for gaining admission to different JD/MBA programs and then featured some perspective on these programs from the deans and faculty members responsible for building and establishing the JD/MBA program at Penn Law/Wharton and Northwestern Law /Kellogg.

The upcoming show will also help you evaluate the impact a joint degree might have on your career goals. While there’s no doubt that a student pursuing the joint degree will have less opportunity to go in depth academically on either side of the JD/MBA degree, our experts advise to look carefully at your career goals to determine whether the long-term investment makes sense.

For that perspective, Host Althea Legaspi spoke with Pamela Mittman, Assistant Dean of Career Services and Student Activities, New York University Stern School of Business. Dean Mittman says that holders of the joint degree “are viewed by employers as ‘extremely bright,’ [they]‘have a unique background’ with an ‘enhanced network,’ and that the joint degree can afford more flexibility in securing employment during a down business cycle.” Mittman explains that “those [from a recent graduating class] that might not have pursued business opportunities, were able to continue with their legal focus.”

Wendy Siegel, Director of Recruitment and Marketing, New York University School of Law, Office of Career Services confirmed that JD/MBA graduates have wide-ranging career opportunities for legal employment as well. Siegel notes that joint degree holders pursue careers in real estate, hedge funds, entertainment, and some go straight through to law firms, and consulting firms.” And while she says they don’t necessarily need to do a JD/MBA to pursue these opportunities, ‘[w]e consider them a ‘double threat.’”

John Amer, Client Partner at Korn Ferry International confirms that that those holding a joint JD/MBA are very marketable, especially during economic downturns, where “it's about increasing one’s options, flexibility, and marketability.”

Finally, we hear from two JD/MBA graduates, Blair Ciesel, Recruiter at International Consulting Firm; JD/MBA Graduate from Northwestern University Law School/Kellogg School of Management and Rob Neal, Executive Director of Tournament Golf Foundation; JD/MBA Graduate from Emory University to hear how their joint degree impacted their careers.

Stay tuned for the full show, coming next week!

(Updated: Listen to the completed show here: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/JD-MBA.asp?iEpisode=86)

From the Trenches: Dealing with Your Low GMAT

For my podcast on how to respond to your low GMAT score, I had a fascinating interview with a first-year student at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, Ronald Rolph. Days before entering business school, Rolph officially became a civilian after a decade serving in the U.S. military. Rolph knew he had what it took to pursue a career in business, but because of his military deployment schedule, didn't have much time to prepare to clear the first hurdle, the GMAT. He did the studying he could, took the GMAT, and didn't get the score he felt he needed to apply to the programs of his choice. Rolph, being used to adversity and dealing with tough situations, didn't miss a beat. He signed himself up for a crash GMAT prep course -- he didn't have time for anything else -- and spent a week in New York in intensive tutoring sessions on all sections of the GMAT. He also learned techniques to combat anxiety and keep himself focused - things like breathing, understanding the structure and methodology of the computer-adaptive test, and practicing enough so taking the timed test became routine. He was then able to re-take the GMAT in the same test center he'd had the first time around - and achieved the score he needed to gain acceptance to the Booth School.

An inspiring story from an inspiring guy. You can hear Rolph's story towards the end of the podcast, "Dealing with a Low GMAT."

President & Founder of mbaMission Talks About Getting Into HBS

I met Jeremy Shinewald one cold and brisk September afternoon in New York. Jeremy is the Founder and President of www.MBAMission.com. His consulting services helps potential MBA candidates with their application, essays, interviews, and overall MBA program assessment. Jeremy is very plugged-in to the MBA world—he graduated from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, where he was an admissions interviewer, wrote a Business Ethics case and a Small Business Acquisitions case. Jeremy and I talked about a variety of topics—the role of hiring a consultant in the MBA admissions process (he was very unbiased and gave me objective responses!), tips for cracking the GMAT, and the considerations international applicants need to keep in mind when applying to U.S. business schools. It was a treat to interview Jeremy because I also spent a lot of time talking to him about a school that many of his potential candidates apply—Harvard Business School! Jeremy was very versed on all things HBS. To see my interview with Jeremy, tune in to our first MBA PodTV show which shares with YOU everything you need to know about applying to Harvard Business School.

Get excited for the launch of MBA PodTV on 10/27/09!

Take care,
Mia Saini-Host of MBA PodTV

(Updated! View the completed show, Conquering the GMAT here: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/video-podcasts.asp)

JD/MBA Degree: Wharton & Kellogg Tell Us What This Dual Degree Option Means For Students

MBA Podcaster and Law School Podcaster are teaming up to showcase one of the most popular joint degree programs: The JD/MBA Degree

With rising graduate school tuition costs, and an uncertain job market, there’s a lot of interest in joint JD/MBA programs. More schools each year offer more options for pursuing the dual degree. So, MBA Podcaster and Law School Podcaster are bringing you an entire show devoted to the JD/MBA – “Deciding Whether To Pursue a JD and an MBA: When It Makes Sense To Go ‘Two-for-One.’” In this segment, we take a close look at everything from the different types of programs, to the appeal of such programs, to what types of career opportunities are out there for those holding the joint degree.

Host Althea Legaspi gets things started by looking at how different schools might handle the application and admission process. She spoke with David E. Van Zandt, Dean of Northwestern University School of Law, who created the first three-year joint J.D./M.B.A. program in the nation. He outlined the application process at Northwestern Law and The Kellogg School of Management. “Ours is unique in that it’s a ‘fully integrated 3 year program,’ in which the student gets both the JD degree, which qualifies them to sit for the bar in any state in the country and an M.B.A. from Kellogg. It’s integrated in the sense there is a single application separate from either the MBA or JD application, and you don’t have to get accepted by both schools, you just have to get accepted into the program. We accept the GMAT, and you are required to give us the GMAT score; you are not required to give us the LSAT. We also do financial aid on a ‘fully integrated’ basis, which means that ‘if you get a financial aid award, it is from the program itself.’”

The University of Pennsylvania Law School and The Wharton School also launched a 3 year condensed JD/MBA program in the Fall of 2009, in addition to the 4 year joint program previously offered. The new accelerated JD/MBA program is seven semesters squeezed into three years, including one summer semester between the first two years. Edward B. Rock, of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, The Saul A. Fox Distinguished Professor of Business Law and Co-Director of Institute for Law and Economics at Wharton, is the architect of the new 3 year program and he explains that applicants to the joint degree program at Penn have to satisfy admission requirements at both the law school and the business school. “In our program, you have to be admitted separately to the law school and to the Wharton School, so the law school requires the LSAT, and Wharton requires the GMAT or the GRE.” No easy feat to accomplish both, but Rock points out that if you can, you graduate holding a joint degree with “valuable advantages in the marketplace.”

Van Zandt and Rock highlighted some of the advantages and the limitations of the JD/MBA programs, and it’s clear that these programs are not for the faint-hearted. Dean Van Zandt acknowledges the Northwestern/Kellogg program is “pretty intense, you’re in school for 22 straight months.” The joint program at Penn Law and Wharton is also “very concentrated” and “tightly focused.” Rock explains that while the 3 year route has its advantages, there are ‘clearly limits’ and a ‘cost in that sense in the focus.’”

We’ll have another post about some of the ways a JD/MBA can impact your career goals, featuring some highlights from our conversation with the Directors/Deans of Career Services at NYU Law School and Stern School of Business, a client partner at Korn Ferry International and some words of wisdom from two recent graduates from JD/MBA program on how the dual degree helped shape their careers.

Stay tuned to hear the full show, launching next week on MBA Podcaster!

(Updated! Listen to the complete JD/MBA show here: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/JD-MBA.asp?iEpisode=86)

Low GMAT Score? UC Berkeley Haas' Perspective

Let's say UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business is at the top of your list of schools. Let's say your GMAT score is not within Haas' middle 80 percent range of 680 to 760. Do you still have a chance?

"We're not looking to admit numbers, we're looking to admit people," said Corrine Kang, Associate Director of Admissions for the fulltime MBA Program at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Kang said Haas provides the middle 80% score range to give applicants a sense of how competitive admission to Haas is, but has no minimum score cutoff.

Kang said Haas reviews every complete application it receives, regardless of the GMAT score. At Haas, like many other MBA programs, the GMAT is one of the indicators used to predict the probability of a student's success in the first semester, especially in core quantitative courses - with ONE being the operative word. Other factors schools consider in assessing your academic preparation is your undergraduate record - especially in quantitative subjects - and work experience - especially demonstrating quantitative proficiency.

Kang said applicants with GMAT scores lower than they like can do several things before their application is final. Beyond the most obvious remedy, retaking the test, Kang recommends enrolling in a statistics or calculus course, as performance in a class can predict your probablility for success in the core curriculum.

For those who get into Haas, but still feel shaky on the quantative side, Haas offers an optional quantative workshop two weeks before classes start, to bone up on core subjects like statistics and accounting. Although this course is post-admission, it can still help jump-start your preparation for the academic onslaught of the first semester, and be a big help to those who may have been accepted on qualities other than their strong quantatative background.

Listen to our show: Dealing with a Low GMAT.

Master Admissions Consultation Giveaway

If you are in the process of applying to business school, you may be getting nervous about those upcoming round 1 and round 2 deadlines. At this point in the game, what could be better than having an admissions expert review your application?

Betsy Massar is the founder and CEO of Master Admissions, Business School Admissions Consulting. She is a Harvard MBA graduate who has been helping candidates with their applications to business school since she was in her second year at Harvard. Betsy has helped applicants get into schools like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Univ. of Chicago, Northwestern, U.C. Berkeley and others. In addition, Betsy has over 20 years' experience helping speakers communicate in written and spoken English. She has worked with native speakers of a variety of languages. Certainly the applicant pool is competitive, but Betsy will help you map out your strategy so that your application essay stands out.

Want to win a free one hour consultation with Besty? All you have to do is write a review for MBA Podcaster on Facebook (under the reviews tab) by Oct. 30, and you'll be put into a raffle for a chance to win. Make sure you are also a fan of MBA Podcaster on Facebook to be eligible.

Good luck!

MBA PodTV is About YOU!

Hello MBAPodcaster.com community!
Like you I have been asking, where has the month of September gone? It feels as if I just set foot on HBS's campus to start my second year as an MBA student yesterday! So what has been consuming most of my time?

HBS cases?
Nope.

HBS parties?
Sadly, no. But I did get to sneak a weekend trip to Munich for Oktoberfest!

HBS recruiting?
Nope.

MBA PodTV!
Yes, you got it!

I, along with the fabulous MBA PodTV team, have been working tirelessly to provide YOU exceptional video content in light of our online TV debut in a few weeks. Every weekend I have been in NYC filming and interviewing deans, MBA admissions directors, students, MBA alumni, and corporate recruiters. I pepper them with questions about their programs, their admission requirements, their ideal candidate with the goal of providing you exclusive information about your ideal MBA school.

So stay tuned for the best videos featuring topics YOU care about including tips for how to secure your admission into your dream business school, tips to consider if you are an international applicant, thoughts to consider as a female applicant, and a detailed series on some of the top 20 business programs in the country, including HBS. Remember MBA PodTV is here for YOU, and is your one stop information center for everything MBA related.

Look out for my blogs detailing my day-to-day interactions with some of the smartest people in the MBA world.

Take care!
Mia Saini-Video Host MBA PodTV

Low GMAT Scores: NYU Stern's Perspective

In my research into low GMAT scores and how MBA applicants should respond to them, I spoke with a couple of schools, NYU's Stern School of Business and the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. Today's post gives you a taste of NYU Stern's perspective.

Isser Gallogly, Executive Director of MBA Admissions at NYU's Stern School of Business, said NYU looks at everything in the application holistically. Gallogly calls the GMAT, "just one measure of the candidate's academic potential." As an admissions director, Gallogly said he'd prefer to be able to look at a proven track record over a one-time test. The logical next step for you, the candidate, given his statement, is to emphasize your academic record and/or professional experience, if it outshines your GMAT score.

What should you do if you think the GMAT doesn't fully represent your potential? Gallogly of NYU Stern said the first thing to do is retake the test. He actually recommends scheduling two test dates. Stern takes the highest test score if the test is taken more than once. Hand-in-hand with that advice is the reminder to prepare early and thoroughly for the GMAT. Don't leave it until the last minute; get it done before your essays and the rest of the application.

What shouldn't you say on the MBA application regarding a low GMAT score? Gallogly suggests you should not talk about being a "poor test-taker" on the application, as that's not making the best case that you can succeed academically.

As far as the nitty-gritty scoring of the GMAT as it relates to an application to Stern, Gallogly said people focus way too much on the average and not enough at the 80% range. Being a little bit below average is not a deal-breaker, Gallogly said. NYU's average for Fall 2009 was a 717, and the 80% range was 680 to 760.

Next post: UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business on the GMAT.
Tune in to MBA Podcaster for the audio podcast later this month.

(Updated: Listen to the completed show here: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/low-gmat-score.asp?iEpisode=85)

Take the GMAT on Wheels with the GMAT Bus!

If you need to take the GMAT but don't live near a testing center, you don't have an excuse to put it off any longer. GMAC announced today that the mobile GMAT, aka the GMAT Bus is launching its 5th US tour starting October 21. The 8-month tour will kick off at Humphreys College in Stockton, CA and will be heading through 14 states and 32 colleges across the country until May 7, 2010. This year, the bus will be targeting historically black colleges and Hispanic communities, but anyone can make an appointment on the GMAT bus.

The GMAT bus is equipped with six testing stations and the same ID verification security system as regular testing centers. To make a test day appointment on the GMAT bus, visit http://www.mba.com/gmatbus.

We at MBA Podcaster want to make sure you are fully prepared on test day. That's why we have produced many shows on GMAT prep and have a ton of blog posts about test taking tips. Test prep courses are also an excellent way to get practice, and we've got discount codes from the top test prep centers just for you. Browse our web site and you'll find it all free!

Good luck!