Archive | February, 2010

Question about career prospects at the intersection of IT Strategy and Finance

Categories: Bschool admissions, consulting, Finance, IT consulting, mba, software engineer, Technology-related

The email below is from a Software Engineer who currently works in the Telecom and Finance space and is planning to apply to business school soon. His goal is to move into IT Strategy consulting with a focus on the Finance vertical and he’s wondering whether there will be any jobs in that area once he finishes his MBA. I’m far from an expert at the intersection between IT Strategy and Finance, but I tried my best to give him a good response.

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AM wrote wrote:

Hi Marquis,


I’ am a software engineer with over 4 years work ex

… Read the rest

Opportunity to win a free Kaplan GMAT or GRE test prep course from TeachStreet

Categories: application process, application resources, Bschool admissions

Hey, everyone. This is a quick entry to let you all know about a contest being run by the folks over at TeachStreet with the grand prize being a free Kaplan GMAT or GRE test prep course. Check out the text below for a link and more information on the contest.

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For more information, click this link: Information about contest at TeachStreet to win a free GMAT or GRE course

Intro text about the opportunity:

Thinking about going back to school? Ready to start the next step in your journey to a graduate degree? We’re here to help! In
… Read the rest

MBA aspirant from Spain seeking advice about GPA

Categories: application process, Bschool admissions, international applicants, mba

The message below is from one of my Platinum members from Spain who has some con cerns about how his GPA will affect his applications to U.S. business schools. Apparently, the grading system at Spanish universities doesn’t translate well to the traditional 4.0-scale used by most U.S. universities. The reader is asking for my perspective on his situation and is wondering if I have any specific advice for him on how to approach his issue. Let’s hope that my response gives him something to work off of in his applications.

By the way, I recently learned about a Twitter-related phenomenon … Read the rest

100 Best Twitter Feeds to Follow for International Business

Categories: global impact, guest bloggers, interesting articles, international business, other blogs

What’s going on, folk. By now, I’m sure all of you have heard of Twitter and have been using it to follow different topics and random thoughts from people all over the Web. Well, I must admit that I’m WAAAAAAAY behind in my use of Twitter as a tool and as a way to learn about business from all angles. This realization became solidified when I was made aware of the following blog entry from OnlineDegree.net a few days ago.

The blog entry below was written by Anna Miller, the founder of OnlineDegree.net and lists the 100 best Twitter feeds … Read the rest

The Difference Between a Traditional MBA and an EMBA

Categories: Business School, guest bloggers, mba

Over the years, I’ve received several emails from aspiring MBAs who have asked me for information on the differences between a traditional MBA and an Executive MBA and for my advice on the path they should choose. I’ve tried to answer those questions on a case-by-case basis, but I never put together a comprehensive list of what distinguishes the degrees from each other. This guest-written entry does just that.

Today’s entry was written by Brenda Harris, a business writer who maintains a site with tons of information about Executive MBA programs. When Brenda and I first connected and I found … Read the rest

Stanford GSB Admissions Interview Tips

Categories: admissions interview, application process, Bschool admissions, mba, Stanford GSB

What’s good, folk. On Friday, I found out from one of my admissions clients that Stanford GSB started has started sending out Round 2 admissions interview invitations because she was one of the lucky applicants to receive an invite. CONGRATULATIONS to her and anyone else who has moved to that next step in the application process at the GSB. The key to a successful admissions interview is preparation, so I thought I’d post some tips for the Stanford GSB admissions interview that I put together a while back. I’m hoping that those of you interested in the GSB find these… Read the rest

Looks like the job market for MBAs may be improving

Categories: Business School, career, interesting articles, mba, recruiting, U.S. economic crisis

We all know that it has been an incredibly tough year or two on the job front for MBA students in terms of both summer internship and full-time recruiting. I’ve posted a few entries with some tips and techniques for winning in the job search game in the past few months and it’s an issue that I’ve been keeping my eye on lately. Now, according to the team at BusinessWeek.com, the outlook for MBA students and graduates seeking jobs is starting to get a little brighter. Check out the article below for more information…

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“MBA Job Outlook Improving”
Author: … Read the rest

Follow-up to recent entry about MS&E programs

Categories: Business School, career, mba, pre-MBA grad degrees, software engineer

Hi, everyone. I hope you’re all getting ready to check out what should be a great Superbowl. I’m posting a quick entry to give follow-up on the recent entry from a Software Engineer who was asking about graduate degrees that combine Engineering and Business, such as Stanford’s Management Science and Engineering program and UVA’s Management of Information Technology program. You can find the original reader email and my response at http://www.marquisparker.com/2010/02/question-about-stanfords-mse-program-as-prep-for-management-consulting/.

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HL wrote:

Hi Marquis,


Thanks for the reply. It was very insightful.


I have been thinking a lot more since the last time I sent the question

… Read the rest

Mentioning one’s religious faith in an MBA application

Categories: application process, Bschool admissions, Business School, mba

What’s happening, y’all. The message below came in a couple of days ago from one of my Platinum registered members and, by virtue of his membership level, I moved him to the front of my email queue. The reader is an aspiring MBA student who plans to apply in next year’s MBA cycle and he’s wondering whether mentioning his strong religious faith will affect him negatively in the application process. His question is one that especially caught my attention given my upbringing and it is one that I can safely say that I’ve never been asked before. I really enjoyed… Read the rest

Info about U.S. tax deductions for MBA costs

Categories: Business School, Financing the MBA, interesting articles, mba

Hey, everyone. A few days ago, I was sent a couple of articles about the U.S. tax rules for deducting MBA costs and I realize that some of you may be concerned about MBA-related costs, so I thought you might find these articles to be informative. Most MBA students won’t be able to deduct the costs of an MBA when completing their tax returns, but, for those that can, it can result in huge financial benefits. I’d highly recommend figuring out where you stand on this prior to matriculating at your program.

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“When You Can Deduct the Cost of … Read the rest

Question about Stanford’s MS&E program as prep for management consulting

Categories: career, consulting, Education, pre-MBA grad degrees, software engineer, transition

The message below is from a reader whose story mirrors my own very closely…He was a Computer Science undergrad who moved on to a career as a Software Engineer, which he has been doing for five years. And, like me, he has lost his passion for that line of work and sees a transition to business as the way to achieve his goals. Unlike me, he seems reluctant to pursue an MBA and, instead, he is looking at Stanford’s Master’s program in Management Science and Engineering. In his message, he asks some questions about the program and, although I am… Read the rest
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