Ivey MBA Admissions questions

Email exchange between George Kesselman and Scott Walker (Director, MBA Recruiting & Admissions for Ivey MBA)

GK: I want to pursue a career in Management Consulting. If I chose to go for the May07 intake, does that mean I have a lower chance to find a job after I finish in the spring '08?

SW: Actually, the May cohort is perfectly aligned for the consulting industry and you would be able to maximize your consulting opportunities in the May cohort.
[also true for the financial sector jobs]

GK: I'm applying to number of MBA programs and was wondering how long does the decision process take after the completed application is submitted to Ivey? Do you have any suggestions as far as coordinating the application process for multiple schools?

SW: Once we receive a competed application, your file is reviewed and a decision to move to the interview stage is made. Once the two admissions interviews are complete we are trying to get back to applicants within 3 to 4 weeks. So depending on your availability for the interviews, the entire process could take as little as 5 weeks although it could be as much as 8 weeks. Let us know if you have a specific time frame and we will do our best to work with you.

As far as coordinating your applications, I would only suggest that you keep them straight. We read every file and more than you would expect declare that some other school is the right one for them in our application. Don't try to copy the answers, even if the questions are similar between schools. It shows when someone has not taken the time to really think about their answers to the essay questions on the application.

I hope this was helpful. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions about the Ivey MBA program or the admissions process.

Warm regards,
Scott Walker
Director, MBA Recruiting & Admissions
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MBA '07 Curriculum

Module1:
Developing Leadership Competencies (8 weeks)
Focus on the development of personal leadership competencies.

Module2:
Developing business skills and executing strategies (16 wks)
Examine an organization’s key structures and processes, and how they are aligned with strategy.

Module3:
Competing Successfully in a Global Environment (8 weeks)
Analyse how an enterprise can compete successfully in a global environment.

Module4:
Excelling Through Cross-Enterprise Leadership (12 weeks)
Electives in key sectors such as, investment banking, consulting, entrepreneurship, marketing, operations and the health sector.

Key Dates May 2007 Cohort

DATE	EVENT
Week of April 30th	Pre-Ivey Program
Week of May 14th	Orientation Week
Monday, May 21st	Victoria Day Holiday (Observed)
Week of May 21st	- Leading People and Organizations - Making Decisions under Uncertainty - Managing Your Career - Communicating Effectively
Monday, June 25th	LPO Report
Tuesday, June 26th	- Managing Financial Resources - Accounting and Control for Managers - Designing and Executing Strategy
Monday, July 2nd	CANADA day (Observed)
Week of July 3rd	Career Management Industry Week (Toronto)
Monday September 3rd	Labour Day Holiday (Observed)
Tuesday, September 4th	Report
September 5th - 7th	Recruiting Trip Week (Optional)
Week of September 10th	Electives Period
Week of September 17th	Electives Period
Week of September 24th	Recruiting Prep Week (No Classes)
Week of October 1st	Global Environment of Business
Monday, October 8th	Thanksgiving Holiday (Observed)
Week of November 26th	Electives Period
Week of December 3rd	Electives Period
Week of December 10th	Electives Period
Week of December 17	International Trip (Optional)
Week of December 24th	UWO and Spencer Closed
December 31st – January 1st	UWO and Spencer Closed
January 2 - January4th	UWO and Spencer Reopen
Monday, January 7th, 2008	- Marketing Products and Services - Managing Operations - Leveraging Information Technology - Ivey Consulting Project
Week of February 18th	Ivey Consulting Project Week
Week of March 10th	SABRE Marketing Simulation
February 5, 2007	Elective Period
February 28, 2007	Good Friday Holiday (Observed)
February 12 – April 3, 2007	Program Culmination
April 6, 2007	Convocation
April 18 – 20, 2007	China Teaching Project and LEADER Project

An Inside Look at Ivey :

Ivey B-school Acting Admissions Director Scott Walker looks for enthusiastic applicants who will "contribute meaningfully to the class"

Scott Walker is the new acting director of MBA admissions at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario (No.2 in BusinessWeek's 2006 ranking of full-time MBA programs outside the U.S.). Walker joined the Ivey school in the spring of 2002 as manager of marketing and recruiting. But he's no stranger to the London, Ontario B-school, having completed his MBA there in 2001.

Prior to getting his MBA, Walker worked for high-end pen retailer Mont Blanc in marketing and sales. He recently spoke with BusinessWeek Online reporter Mica Schneider. Here's an edited transcript of their discussion:

Q: Applications to Ivey dipped about 20% in 2004. How did the smaller applicant pool affect your selection of new MBAs?
A: It didn't...though we did interview 100% of our admitted applicants this year [up from 85% in 2003.] We've been pleased with the quality of the applications.

Q: Is the class that's arriving in September already full?
A: Pretty much. [But] if we get a good applicant this summer, we'll be able to find a place for them.

Q: Ivey has seven admissions rounds. When is it too late to apply?
A: It's never too late. Next year, we'll probably move toward a rolling [admissions] process.

Q: Which part of the application do you tend to review first?
A: Ultimately, we look at the whole application. But we tend to look at the essay questions first because that gives us the most insight into an individual. The essays are an applicant's way to tell us what they'll provide to the class and what their expectations are for the MBA.

Those things are further explored in a personal interview. The GMAT score and work experience are quick reference points, so [even] if you've got a 760 GMAT and four years of work experience, you won't automatically get in.

Q: Which attributes are important to show in an Ivey application?
A: One is interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate clearly and effectively. Another is a demonstrated potential for leadership...at work or in extracurricular activities.

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jul2004/bs20040726_1537_bs037.htm