By: George Kesselman
Ivey MBA - May 2007 Cohort
The best way to look for an apartment in London is to try to get in touch with current MBA students that are going to be graduating at the same time as you are starting your MBA. Talking to current students doesn't hurt neither, as almost everybody knows where the good places to live are. London is not a large city by any stretch so I was a bit surprised to see the prices for some apartments on par with cities like Calgary. The average price for one bdr is $800/month + 20/month parking.
I found my apartment by joining Ivey MBA MSN Community http://groups.msn.com/IveyMBA. (NOTE: You have to be accepted into the Ivey MBA for the administrator to approve your request to join) Generally, students post apartment, furniture, and book sales on the board. Keep in mind that apartments do go fast. If you are lucky enough you might even get an apartment with a furniture passed on to you (for a bit extra).
About the third of the class lives in the Windermere Rd apartments which are very close to the new Ivey MBA campus (Spencer Leadership centre). NOTE: the new MBA Campus is separate from the main Ivey campus. A free shuttle bus runs between main campus and Spencer.
It might be also worth looking at different locations in the city, in case you are bringing a car: http://www.has.uwo.ca/housing/offcampus/index.htm apparently downtown might not be a bad option.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Ivey MBA Information Session
by: George Kesselman
Ivey MBA - May 2007 Cohort
Both Ivey and Queens MBA offices started doing another smart thing this year. As we all know, big components of an MBA program are the quality of its content, the way that content is delivered to students, and the atmosphere of growth and innovation, nurtured by the school. At the same time, the academic content is one of the most tangible parts an MBA program, as the result it can be easily replicated. By simply using the same books, the same cases, and the same study materials, content becomes common between any two MBA programs. The real trick then becomes to figure out the best content delivery system and at the same time build a collaborative environment on campus. So what was it that Ivey and Queens MBA programs do differently?
Both schools started offering travel awards to potential students to come and visit them, sit in one of the classes, and talk to current students. Travel awards at Ivey for 2007 are 600$ for North American travel and $1,200 for those traveling from outside North America. It’s not much, but should at least provide an incentive to come and visit the school in person if it’s on your list of potential schools. The smart part about getting a potential student to come and visit an MBA program is the opportunity to let them experience the program first hand and at least get a snapshot view of a typical day at that school.
I would recommend visiting at least top three schools that you are considering. As I wrote in one of my previous postings, during a school visit to my number one choice at the time, it just didn’t feel right. I have also visited couple of schools in UK which helped me better understand the true value and advantages of one year MBA program. At the end, choosing an MBA is not that different from the game of dating: you have to find the right fit, but it also goes the other way around too in that you have to also be the right fit for your partner.
I really enjoyed my Ivey MBA Info session experience. It fully confirmed the preliminary research about the program. It was interesting to hear that both students and alumni were excited about Ivey MBA. I also had a chance to talk to couple of students in both the new one year MBA program and the last class of the two year MBA. It sounds like the job prospects for the new one year MBA program are turning out to be better than those for the last class graduating from the two year MBA. (Students in the one year MBA program are getting offers earlier in the year).
The day before the information session, we were sent a case study that outlined challenges that a company was facing through its growth period. The information session day started at 10:15am at Spencer Leadership Centre. We were greeted by the MBA program director. He talked about the exciting changes that the MBA program is undergoing and then opened the floor to questions. I would say there were about 35 potential students at the info session. After the program director, we had a chance to get our questions answered by two Profs: Strategy and Leadership. They gave up a quick summary of the case based teaching style and the types of material presented in class. After the session with professors we were given the tour of the building and then came lunch. Following lunch we had a Q&A session with current students that covered everything from how the like the program to how do you do your MBA if you have a husband and kids at home? It was a very positive session with students sharing their thoughts about the Ivey MBA program. Following the session with current students we invited for the highlight of our visit: an actual Ivey MBA class. We came into class, mixed with current students and sat down in anticipation.
The first couple of minutes were taken by one of the students talking about his 3x3 session with investment bankers the week before (three students and three investment bankers talking about their experience during specially arranged dinner meeting). After the student’s quick presentation we jumped into the case and started discussing the details with professor shooting questions at the class trying to lead the learning process towards the answer. It was really interesting to see how the discussion started to unravel. All of the students had their financial analysis results based on the metric analysis of the company from the financial data that was included in the case. The whole class was very interactive with very little lecturing from professor. It looked as if the professor was playing a role of a facilitator instead, helping students to come to the decision themselves rather then telling them the solution.
The information day concluded with the career services session. We’ve talked about career prospective and the strengths of Ivey career management team.
Ivey MBA - May 2007 Cohort
Both Ivey and Queens MBA offices started doing another smart thing this year. As we all know, big components of an MBA program are the quality of its content, the way that content is delivered to students, and the atmosphere of growth and innovation, nurtured by the school. At the same time, the academic content is one of the most tangible parts an MBA program, as the result it can be easily replicated. By simply using the same books, the same cases, and the same study materials, content becomes common between any two MBA programs. The real trick then becomes to figure out the best content delivery system and at the same time build a collaborative environment on campus. So what was it that Ivey and Queens MBA programs do differently?
Both schools started offering travel awards to potential students to come and visit them, sit in one of the classes, and talk to current students. Travel awards at Ivey for 2007 are 600$ for North American travel and $1,200 for those traveling from outside North America. It’s not much, but should at least provide an incentive to come and visit the school in person if it’s on your list of potential schools. The smart part about getting a potential student to come and visit an MBA program is the opportunity to let them experience the program first hand and at least get a snapshot view of a typical day at that school.
I would recommend visiting at least top three schools that you are considering. As I wrote in one of my previous postings, during a school visit to my number one choice at the time, it just didn’t feel right. I have also visited couple of schools in UK which helped me better understand the true value and advantages of one year MBA program. At the end, choosing an MBA is not that different from the game of dating: you have to find the right fit, but it also goes the other way around too in that you have to also be the right fit for your partner.
I really enjoyed my Ivey MBA Info session experience. It fully confirmed the preliminary research about the program. It was interesting to hear that both students and alumni were excited about Ivey MBA. I also had a chance to talk to couple of students in both the new one year MBA program and the last class of the two year MBA. It sounds like the job prospects for the new one year MBA program are turning out to be better than those for the last class graduating from the two year MBA. (Students in the one year MBA program are getting offers earlier in the year).
The day before the information session, we were sent a case study that outlined challenges that a company was facing through its growth period. The information session day started at 10:15am at Spencer Leadership Centre. We were greeted by the MBA program director. He talked about the exciting changes that the MBA program is undergoing and then opened the floor to questions. I would say there were about 35 potential students at the info session. After the program director, we had a chance to get our questions answered by two Profs: Strategy and Leadership. They gave up a quick summary of the case based teaching style and the types of material presented in class. After the session with professors we were given the tour of the building and then came lunch. Following lunch we had a Q&A session with current students that covered everything from how the like the program to how do you do your MBA if you have a husband and kids at home? It was a very positive session with students sharing their thoughts about the Ivey MBA program. Following the session with current students we invited for the highlight of our visit: an actual Ivey MBA class. We came into class, mixed with current students and sat down in anticipation.
The first couple of minutes were taken by one of the students talking about his 3x3 session with investment bankers the week before (three students and three investment bankers talking about their experience during specially arranged dinner meeting). After the student’s quick presentation we jumped into the case and started discussing the details with professor shooting questions at the class trying to lead the learning process towards the answer. It was really interesting to see how the discussion started to unravel. All of the students had their financial analysis results based on the metric analysis of the company from the financial data that was included in the case. The whole class was very interactive with very little lecturing from professor. It looked as if the professor was playing a role of a facilitator instead, helping students to come to the decision themselves rather then telling them the solution.
The information day concluded with the career services session. We’ve talked about career prospective and the strengths of Ivey career management team.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
How to Succeed and Fail at Ivey...
Anonymous Alumni recollection:
Ivey taught me:
- stop being a passive observer
- become a creative active/action person
- stop blindly following others, letting others make the decisions
- actively design my own career and my career moves
How to FAIL:
- Listen much, speak little
- Let others do the talking in the learning team
- Socialize with friends not classmates
- Rely on Career Services alone to find you a job
- Do not take risks; speak only if you are absolutely sure
- Don't contact a professor if you do not understand the subject
- There is nothing to talk about in Accounting class; it is all #s
- Relax on Fridays; 15 cases a week is too many
How to SUCCEED AT IVEY:
- Participate in class
- Participate in class
- Participate in class
- Make a decision on the case issue
- Be prepared for each class
- Attend each class
- Participate in each class discussion
Ivey taught me:
- stop being a passive observer
- become a creative active/action person
- stop blindly following others, letting others make the decisions
- actively design my own career and my career moves
How to FAIL:
- Listen much, speak little
- Let others do the talking in the learning team
- Socialize with friends not classmates
- Rely on Career Services alone to find you a job
- Do not take risks; speak only if you are absolutely sure
- Don't contact a professor if you do not understand the subject
- There is nothing to talk about in Accounting class; it is all #s
- Relax on Fridays; 15 cases a week is too many
How to SUCCEED AT IVEY:
- Participate in class
- Participate in class
- Participate in class
- Make a decision on the case issue
- Be prepared for each class
- Attend each class
- Participate in each class discussion
Thursday, March 22, 2007
MBA book list
The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade by Pietra Rivoli. By tracing the whereabouts of her $6 T-shirt from a West Texas cotton field to a Chinese factory to trade negotiations in Washington, D.C., to a used clothing market in Africa, Rivoli helps unravel the politics and human side of the globalization debate, say critics.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini's debut novel is billed as both political chronicle and deeply personal tale. It's the story of Amir, an Afghan immigrant to the U.S. who is plagued by guilt for betraying his best friend back home. When his friend is killed by the Taliban, Amir returns to his homeland, a country now in turmoil, to search for his friend's surviving son and make up for his past mistakes.
Tempered Radicals: How People Use Difference to Inspire Change at Work by Debra E. Meyerson. Meyerson reveals how "everyday leaders," not necessarily those at the top of an organization, help create family-friendly and socially responsible workplaces. She offers innovative examples that should help students get a bird's-eye view of leadership.
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs. By providing horrifying portraits of what life is like in the Third World, including one sketch of a Malawi village whose young people of working age have been completely wiped out by AIDS, Sachs calls readers to action. He presents his plan, which is based on 25 years of advising world leaders and international institutions, for eliminating poverty.
The Innovator's Dilemma by Clay Christensen. Provides an insightful analysis of the impact of technology on industries and organizations, and a convincing argument for why thinking outside the box is so critical.
When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long Term Capital Management by Roger Lowenstein. What appears to be a decisive error managing volatility of a portfolio of financial assets is reveled to be human factors in causing a breakdown of a management system under pressure. It could happen anywhere?
Industrial Organization: A Strategic Approach by Jeffrey Church and Roger Ware. In the past two decades there has been an explosion of high quality analysis of the organization of industries - the number and size of firms, rate of growth of firms, chronological change and the resulting competitiveness of markets. Find out what the experts know by reading this book. (For example, Chapter 16, Strategic Behavior: switching costs, vertical separation, tying, managerial incentives).
Modern Competitive Analysis by Sharon Oster. The application of strategy to obtain competitive advantage is carried to the higher level of sophistication in this Third Edition of a book widely used in strategy courses in the top twenty business schools. There is much subtlety in the understatement of winning strategies so that this book has to be read very closely.
Endurance by Alfred Lansing. An amazing but true action-adventure story, with powerful, often subtle lessons about leadership.
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela. An inspiring story about leadership in the most difficult of circumstances. Nelson Mandela led the struggle against apartheid in South Africa from a prison cell. He had a long-term view, persisted against all odds, had a support system of colleagues and knew how to build coalitions, negotiated a settlement, and then, when he won and became President of South Africa, he forgave his enemies.
The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli. An interesting insight into the dynamics of power. In addition to the technical side of business and the financial fundamentals taught in MBA programs, it is important to understand the forces that drive people in organizations. Decision-making is not always rational; it is sometimes, maybe even often, affected by executive egos and power struggles. Its enduring insights are relevant to the crisis in modern corporations today, because of the Enron collapse and subsequent revelations about financial missteps in other companies.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini's debut novel is billed as both political chronicle and deeply personal tale. It's the story of Amir, an Afghan immigrant to the U.S. who is plagued by guilt for betraying his best friend back home. When his friend is killed by the Taliban, Amir returns to his homeland, a country now in turmoil, to search for his friend's surviving son and make up for his past mistakes.
Tempered Radicals: How People Use Difference to Inspire Change at Work by Debra E. Meyerson. Meyerson reveals how "everyday leaders," not necessarily those at the top of an organization, help create family-friendly and socially responsible workplaces. She offers innovative examples that should help students get a bird's-eye view of leadership.
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs. By providing horrifying portraits of what life is like in the Third World, including one sketch of a Malawi village whose young people of working age have been completely wiped out by AIDS, Sachs calls readers to action. He presents his plan, which is based on 25 years of advising world leaders and international institutions, for eliminating poverty.
The Innovator's Dilemma by Clay Christensen. Provides an insightful analysis of the impact of technology on industries and organizations, and a convincing argument for why thinking outside the box is so critical.
When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long Term Capital Management by Roger Lowenstein. What appears to be a decisive error managing volatility of a portfolio of financial assets is reveled to be human factors in causing a breakdown of a management system under pressure. It could happen anywhere?
Industrial Organization: A Strategic Approach by Jeffrey Church and Roger Ware. In the past two decades there has been an explosion of high quality analysis of the organization of industries - the number and size of firms, rate of growth of firms, chronological change and the resulting competitiveness of markets. Find out what the experts know by reading this book. (For example, Chapter 16, Strategic Behavior: switching costs, vertical separation, tying, managerial incentives).
Modern Competitive Analysis by Sharon Oster. The application of strategy to obtain competitive advantage is carried to the higher level of sophistication in this Third Edition of a book widely used in strategy courses in the top twenty business schools. There is much subtlety in the understatement of winning strategies so that this book has to be read very closely.
Endurance by Alfred Lansing. An amazing but true action-adventure story, with powerful, often subtle lessons about leadership.
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela. An inspiring story about leadership in the most difficult of circumstances. Nelson Mandela led the struggle against apartheid in South Africa from a prison cell. He had a long-term view, persisted against all odds, had a support system of colleagues and knew how to build coalitions, negotiated a settlement, and then, when he won and became President of South Africa, he forgave his enemies.
The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli. An interesting insight into the dynamics of power. In addition to the technical side of business and the financial fundamentals taught in MBA programs, it is important to understand the forces that drive people in organizations. Decision-making is not always rational; it is sometimes, maybe even often, affected by executive egos and power struggles. Its enduring insights are relevant to the crisis in modern corporations today, because of the Enron collapse and subsequent revelations about financial missteps in other companies.
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