Study Abroad at the Illinois MBA!

Students interested in learning about business in Berlin, Germany and Mexico City, Mexico will be leaving on Jan.11 for a weeklong study abroad trip. Every year students have the opportunity to travel with their classmates and learn from professors in a different country. The course includes guest speakers, trips, and experiencing the local culture. Our students will be blogging about their experience through the Illinois MBA Student Life Blog. ILLINOIS ranks in the top ten in study abraod opportunities for students.



The Illinois MBA staff will be out of the office until January 4th. We wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday season!

BIF is Platinum!

The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded the Business Instructional Facility (BIF) at platinum LEED rating. This is the highest rating that can be achieved, and is a recognition of our commitment to sustainability and the environment. BIF opened in August 2008, and is the first college of business at any public university to achieve this rating. BIF is among only a dozen platinum certified projects at any university in the world.

"The College will work with architects, developers, campus, and groups like the Student Sustainability Commitee to ensure that reach our true potential as a leader no only in sustable design, but in sustainable practice," said Larry DeBrock, Dean, College of Business.

First Deadline Approaching- December 1

The first deadline for Fall 2010 admission is on December 1. If you meet this deadline you'll receive a decision sooner. But, if you do not think you are going to meet the deadline don't worry there is still plenty of time. Scholarships are awarded throughout. Our international student deadline (for students requiring a visa) is January 15. The deadline final deadline is March 1, and after that we are on rolling admissions.
Please let us know if you have any questions while completing your application at 217-244-7602 or mba@illinois.edu. We are looking foward to receiving your application!

Illinois MBA Exclusive

We were excited to host prospective MBA students on campus on Friday, October 9. Unfortunately, the dreary weather that day seemed to keep some people from traveling to campus, and we ended up with approximately ten people attending our event. Before the event, we checked our numbers from last year, and about 40% of the people who attended this special event last year ended up gaining admission and joined our MBA program this year. We had some strong individuals attend the event this year, and we are hopeful that we will see them as Illinois MBA students next year.

The highlight of the day seemed to be the mini-lecture given by marketing professor Hayden Noel. Professor Noel presented on the marketing/advertising communication cycle, and he had an activity that got everyone involved, including me. Half the group had to draw a picture without using letters or numbers that communicated four special features of an automobile as the other half of the group left the room. When the outside group came back in, they had to look at the drawings and try to conclude what those special features were. I ended up getting pulled in to be a "drawer," but despite having a family full of artists, I seemed to have missed out on that creativity gene, and my drawing definitely brought about the greatest amount of confusion. Fortunately for Professor Noel, he was able to use my Rembrandt-like skills as an example of the struggle that takes place between the encoding and decoding of a message. In the end, the prospective students received a free lesson and seemed excited about the prospect of studying under Professor Noel in his first-year marketing class.

In addition to the class lecture, the attendees also got to hear from Dean Larry DeBrock and Associate Dean Stig Lanesskog about their vision for the future of the Illinois MBA. Our admissions director, Jackie Wilson, gave an overview of the application process, along with some tips for submitting a strong application. I provided a tour of the Business Instructional Facility (BIF), highlighting the buildings environmentally- and student-friendly features. The attendees enjoyed a lunch in the BIF atrium as they spoke with current students, faculty, and staff. And then later, second-year MBA students served on a panel to answer questions and to share their experience as students in the Illinois MBA. Ron Watkins, Associate Director of Illinois Business Consulting, also talked about the opportunities available to MBA students through this student-led consulting organization.

Personally, I feel that attending one of these special events is the perfect way for prospective MBA students to get to the heart of what makes the Illinois MBA unique. There is the further benefit that these individuals establish relationships with a number of people involved with the MBA program. By forming these relationships, these individuals often stand out through the application process, as many people involved in the decision now know the candidate personally. I am confident that those who did attend enjoyed themselves and found the event valuable as they look to apply to MBA programs.

We are having one more on-campus event this fall. The next Illinois MBA Exclusive will be held on Friday, November 13. The complete details, including registration information, can be found at www.mba.illinois.edu/M/Admissions/Admissions+Events/#campus. This event has been planned the day before an Illinois vs. Northwestern football game, and those who attend the Friday event may want to look into spending the weekend around campus so that they can see what student life is like both inside and outside of the classroom at the University of Illinois. Also, Professor Madhu Viswanathan is currently scheduled to give the mini-lecture. Professor Viswanathan's research focuses a great deal on sustainable market practices and is highly committed to social enterprise. He teaches a full-year class to MBA and engineering students titled, "Sustainable Product and Market Development for Subsistence Marketplaces," that sends students to India over winter break to conduct market research that will help develop product ideas that will be of benefit to low-literate, low-income areas of India. We are excited to have him present during this event.

MBA Joint Degree Programs...

We recently held a Joint Degree Information Session on campus for anyone interested in combining an MBA with any masters or PhD program on the ILLINOIS campus. We had over 70 in attendance. Joint degrees allow students to earn two graduate degrees simultaneously. Typically, the period of study is shorter than if each degree was pursued independently. The MBA portion can be completed in three semesters opposed to four, since we'll share credits with the other program.

Popular joint degree programs include Law, Engineering, Labor and Employment Relations, Architecture, and Computer Science. For more information please visit Joint Degree Programs.

Joint degree programs are a great way to differentiate yourself, and allow you to really specialize in a specific field. If you are interested in a joint degree at ILLINOIS please contact our admissions office at 217-244-7602 or mba@illinois.edu and the graduate program of study you want to combine with an MBA.

On the road with admissions...

Yesterday I particpated in the MBA Tour in downtown Chicago for the Illinois MBA. Tour events are geared towards prospective MBA candidates, where they are able to hear from admissions officers from different b-schools. We started out the event with an admissions panel titled "How Admissions Decisions are Made." Then I gave my presentation about the Illinois MBA, prospective students were able to choose what b-school presentations they wanted to hear. The evening wrapped up with school fair, where many alumni from the different schools were present to speak with prospective students.

The Illinois MBA is on the road a lot this fall, check out our events page for a complete listing of everywhere we are traveling this year and for more details. Here's a peak at the next few events in September:

• Saturday, Sept. 12- Manhattan Review- Chicago
• Monday, Sept. 14- Forte Forum- Washington D.C.
• Tuesday, Sept. 15- Forte Forum- Atlanta
• Tuesday, Sept. 15- World MBA Tour- Chicago
• Thursday, Sept. 17- Joint Degree Information Session- Champaign
• Monday, Sept. 21- Forte Forum- San Francisco
• Wednesday, Sept. 23- Forte Forum- Chicago
• Saturday, Sept. 26- World MBA Tour- New York City
• Tuesday, Sept. 29- Forte Forum- New York City
• Wednesday, Sept. 30- Forte Forum- New York City

We hope to see you!

Ready to apply...

The application for Fall 2010 is now available! You can start your application at https://www3.business.uiuc.edu/MBA_Application/index.asp. Please take a look at the checklist to see what additional materials are required to apply.

Important Dates
December 1, 2009: Application deadline for early admission decision
January 15, 2010: International application deadline*
March 1, 2010: Deadline for full consideration
After March 1, we will continue to accept applications until all seats are filled.
*We require the January 15 deadline for international applicants who will need a student visa.

We hope that you are able to attend one of our events this year, to check out our events page for more information.

PreTerm Times...

Last week we wrapped up PreTerm, which is our orientation for the new MBA class. It was so exciting to welcome the new students. Some second-year students, faculty, and staff all participated in the activities. Here are some photos of the highlights from the week.

August 17: The first day of PreTerm (and my favorite day). It's the day the whole class meets each other. Students heard from the Dean of the College of Business and many members of the faculty. In addition they participated in a "Find Your Color" activity (below). The day was wrapped up with a Happy Hour in Downtown Champaign.

August 18: The students participated in a case analysis and presentations activity. That evening, there was a reception with local alumni.

August 19: A career services day, where students prepared their "30 second pitch" for networking.

August 20: The students headed up to Chicago for a mock career fair and a networking reception with many of our Chicago alumni. They also enjoyed a little free time in the city.

August 21: The students experienced the Activities Recreation Center on campus. Some students even tried out the rock climbing wall (below). Take a tour of the ARC.

August 23: The students gave a helping hand to Special Olympic athletes through a fun bowling event (below).


August 24: The students participated in Excel Business Computing workshops, which is a very important part of the MBA!

August 25: A beautiful day on campus filled with team building challenge courses (below)!

August 26: Students attended the MBA club fair & the first day of class. Everyone signed up for the clubs they want to get involved in while in the MBA, such as Women in Business (below). Many of our students also attended the registered student organizations fair at Illinois, since Illinois has over 800 organizations, there is something for everyone.

August 27: To celebrate all the MBA students coming back to campus, everyone enjoyed a "Welcome Back Picnic" in the park. Complete with a band, great food, a bouncy house, and a tug war competition between first-year women vs. second-year women (below) & first-year men vs. second-year men.

August 28: One more day of Excel, and the last group lunch!

Overall, PreTerm was a great time where the students learned a lot, but most importantly they got a chance to get to know each other very well.

Second Tuesdays...

On the second tuesday of every month the College of Business alumni get-together for a happy hour in Chicago. This event is sponsored by the College of Business Alumni Association and the MBA Alumni Committee. Last night we went up to the Market Bar in the West Loop of Chicago for the Second Tuesday. A few of our incoming students were able to join us, along with some current students interning in Chicago this summer, and a lot of alumni. Each month the Second Tuesday is in a different location in Chicago and gives those attending a great opportunity to network and stay connected to the university.

It was a beautiful evening in Chicago on the Market Bar's rooftop deck, and the food was great. Here are a few photos from the Second Tuesday:

Thinking about taking the GMAT...

This week we attended the Business School Insider in Chicago and a GMAT Strategy Session by in Champaign, both by Kaplan Test Prep. Here's a little about the GMAT. Most applicants begin studying for the GMAT 2-3 months before they take the exam. Preparation is key, so do not let the GMAT be the hurdle that stops you from applying to b-school. The scores range from 200-800 and the analytical writing is a separate score. The GMAT is given on the computer, so no two tests are alike. It's also important to remember that the test is adaptive, so it's important to get the question right, which may give you a tougher question, which will make your score higher. It's also important not to skip any questions because it may hurt your overall score. You can't go back and answer a question so take time to get it right.

Take time to familiarize yourself with the test and to speak with people who have already taken the GMAT. I’m sure they’ll be more than willing to share their insight. After you have familiarized yourself, it’s best to stick to a study schedule that fits your schedule. Both Kaplan and Princeton Review offer review courses, which many students find helpful. Whether you should enroll in a GMAT prep course depends on what type of learner you are. If you benefit from the classroom environment, this is a great option. GMAT preparatory books and online resources are a great way to prepare for the exam. There are also practice exams available at http://www.mba.com/, and it’s a good idea to practice the exams online before going into the test. This will give you a more realistic feel for the test as compared with the paper-based practice exams. The GMAT does not allow a calculator so you may need to brush up on some of that high school math. While you are practicing, really dive into why the answer is correct. If you take time studying the theory behind the answers it will pay off when you take the exam.

Most importantly, remember to go into your GMAT preparation with a positive attitude. Make studying fun. Good luck!

First year in the Business Instructional Facility

In the fall of 2008 we moved into the Business Instructional Facility from David Kinley Hall. The Illinois MBA turned 50 years old last year so it was the perfect time for a new building. The Business Instructional Facility is the first "green" educational building in the state of Illinois. The 160,000-square-foot building saves approximately $300,000 a year in energy costs because it has solar panels, a green roof, natural ventilation, and other features. Here are some photos we took of the building!

The building was designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, an Illinois alum.

The atrium provides a great study space for students.

The MBA classrooms feature the lastest in classroom technology.

MBA students enjoy hanging out in their own lounge.

Students are able to work on group projects in break-out or study rooms.

MBA student lockers provide a place for students to store their suit if they are interviewing or their gym clothes while they are on campus.

The Market Information Laboratory features a Wall Street stock ticker and touch screens give students up-to-date information about what is going on in the College of Business.

This building is so "green" there is even a changing room for those who ride bikes.

We hope you are able to make to Urbana-Champaign to visit us in our new building soon!

Kicking off the blog...

On this very sunny day in Urbana-Champaign we are kicking off our Illinois MBA Admissions blog! The goal of this blog is to give readers an inside look at the Illinois MBA and the admissions process through the eyes of the admissions team. We will also try to tackle popular questions we receive through this blog and share our thoughts about the MBA decision.

Go Illini!