2002 Indiana University Kelley MBA Admissions Chat with Jim Holmen

Please feel free to let us know if you would like to be informed of future chats by sending e-mail to chat@accepted.com. We would also be interested in knowing if you would prefer a different format or different topics.

Chat Transcript:

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:00:09 PM)
First I want to welcome you to Accepted.com's Indiana Kelley School of Business Admissions Chat.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:00:21 PM)
I also want to welcome Jim Holmen, Director of Admissions; Kate Coffman, Associate Director of Admissions; and Jill Dugan, a second year MBA student. Jill is a student member of the admissions committee, and served this past year as President of GWIB (Graduate Women in Business). And last but not least, I want to welcome Paul Bodine, an Accepted.com editor.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:00:29 PM)
I guess Jill will be here momentarily. As will Paul.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:00:49 PM)
Thanks to everyone for joining.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:00:59 PM)
I encourage dialogue and discussion, but I would like to suggest a structure to make it easier to follow the threads of conversation. So here is the protocol: We will post material to the chat. If you have a question on that material, please type a '?' and then your question. The other participants or I will reply. If one of you wants to comment on the current topic, please jump right in. If you want to start a different topic, please type '?'.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:01:15 PM)
Final request: We would like to avoid the brief summary of qualifications (and especially the long laundry list) followed by the question, "Can I qualify?" Or "What are my chances?" This isn't the forum for that kind of question.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:01:23 PM)
Other than that limitation, this is your chance to ask questions about Indiana's program, admissions policies, and career services. But I would like to take advantage of my position as host and ask the first questions.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:01:37 PM)
When you look at a file, what do you look at first? Last? How do you review a file?

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:01:44 PM)
Please feel free to post questions.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:02:03 PM)
We obviously look at a great many things in the review of a file. We want to make sure that each candidate has the potential to be academically successful, so we will look carefully at a candidate's academic record and GMAT score. We also seek students who will be successful managers and leaders, and so we consider a candidate's work experience, leadership experiences, and so on.

Matteo (Dec 16, 2002 9:03:12 PM)
Ok, I've the first question: does the admission committee give the same weight to quantitative and verbal sections on the GMAT?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:03:59 PM)
Matteo--We are looking for a balance between the quant and verbal sections as well as a history of strong quant in your school work. If you don't have a quant history then we may put more weight on the quant section. For an international candidate--the verbal and TOEFL are also very important.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:04:34 PM)
To what do you attribute Indiana's good showing in the top ten of three of BW's specialty rankings? Can you reconcile that with its #20 overall?

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:05:15 PM)
Kate, do you pay more attention to the verbal on the GMAT or the TOEFL if there is a discrepancy between the two scores?

Matteo (Dec 16, 2002 9:05:49 PM)
Ok, but what do you mean by a balance? Especially for an international student.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:05:51 PM)
We have great faculty and a tremendous curriculum which has led to lots of positive reviews from recruiters. I, however, have never quite understood how they come up with some of the overall rankings!

Sara (Dec 16, 2002 9:06:02 PM)
? How are you helping your graduates in this tough job market?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:06:12 PM)
Linda--answering your 2nd question, I think we look at them both equally, as well as the strength of the English in the essays and in an interview.

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:06:37 PM)
What is the range of GMAT score for candidates from China?

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:06:42 PM)
Jim, I guess that's almost as much of a mystery as how schools decide whom to admit!

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:06:55 PM)
Sarah--our graduates are faring pretty well, especially in marketing and finance. 91% of our students who sought an internship had one.

Peter (Dec 16, 2002 9:07:11 PM)
Do you expect to see more applications than last year?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:07:11 PM)
Sara, our career services staff is working hard to establish new relationships and maintain existing relationships. Also, our alumni network has been important for our students in the job search.

Sara (Dec 16, 2002 9:07:15 PM)
Thank you.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:07:59 PM)
Peter--it is a little early to tell. The economy hasn't picked up much, so I imagine a lot of people will still be applying to school, but some might stay in secure jobs they already have.

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 9:08:08 PM)
Are you finding that companies are relying more on the summer internships to determine who they ultimately extend offers to, or about the same as always?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:08:10 PM)
Peter, it's still too early to tell. Our domestic apps were up a bit for our first deadline, but our international apps were down a bit.

Sara (Dec 16, 2002 9:08:24 PM)
How has the alumni network helped?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:08:57 PM)
Paul, we have seen some companies rely more on their summer internship pools to make full time offers. But certainly not all are doing this.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:08:59 PM)
Jim you mentioned a very extensive review process for each file. Do you review each file so thoroughly, or is there some criteria to scrutinize and filter?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:09:02 PM)
Paul--yes companies are using internships more, making their second year offers from their internship pool.

Peter (Dec 16, 2002 9:09:36 PM)
Adding on to Sara's question, do you have an extensive alumni network in New England?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:09:52 PM)
Sara, our students have access to an on-line network of over 13,000 Kelley MBA grads!

Sara (Dec 16, 2002 9:10:11 PM)
Impressive!

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:10:18 PM)
Deeps--we do an extensive review of every file. It gets read by a committee member and then by the director.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:10:30 PM)
Deeps--we read them all! Candidates spend a lot of time with applications, and so do we.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:10:38 PM)
Is there an advantage to applying in different rounds? Do you accept more people first round than second, second than third?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:10:55 PM)
Linda--that's a hard question I get asked a lot.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:10:56 PM)
We don't have quotas by round.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:11:03 PM)
That's great !!..thanks Jim and Kate

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:11:03 PM)
What about the employment opportunities for international graduates?

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:11:11 PM)
How much weight do you give to the work experience and the essays?

Edward Lau (Dec 16, 2002 9:11:35 PM)
Hi Jim, how many people are involved in the review process of a single application? (I'm joining late, so I hope you didn't go over that already).

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:11:43 PM)
I was going to say what Jim said, but add that we give priority for financial aid to applicants who meet the priority deadlines.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:12:16 PM)
A candidate should apply when their application is at its best. I'd rather see a candidate apply for a later deadline with a strong app than rush an app to an early deadline.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:12:22 PM)
Given that you don't have [quotas for] rounds, is there a pattern to acceptance percentages at Kelley, or is it usually spread evenly throughout the year?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:12:51 PM)
yun--It has been harder for international students because of some of the US immigration laws. International candidates with strong English skills, previous work experience in the US, or different skills like a tech background have fared a little better. It also depends on industry.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:12:58 PM)
Edward--one or two committee members do the first read before the app comes to me for the final review.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:13:48 PM)
Linda, we do have four deadlines, so we do kind of have rounds. But admits are spread through the process.

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:14:03 PM)
Thanks a lot.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:14:07 PM)
What are the three qualities you like to see the most in applicants?

Matteo (Dec 16, 2002 9:14:21 PM)
I have heard about the "Academy" at Kelley. Could you tell me something about that?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:14:40 PM)
Strong academic background, focus (why an MBA and why Kelley), and teamwork/leadership skills (that was four, sorry).

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:15:05 PM)
Matteo--An Academy is a hybrid between an academic experience and a club. We currently have eight of them in different functional areas. They each have a board of directors made of industry executives that you network with through trips, guest speakers, consulting projects, etc. Then there is usually some kind of course or project for credit but each functions a little differently.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:15:05 PM)
The "/" made it work. :-)

Sara (Dec 16, 2002 9:15:05 PM)
What do you think is your biggest strength, and what are you working on to improve?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:15:46 PM)
Sara--our faculty is great, and our core curriculum is especially strong. The curriculum has lots of flexibility after the core to allow people to focus their studies to meet their goals.

Matteo (Dec 16, 2002 9:15:53 PM)
I know. What about the academy for investment banking?

YNMIN (Dec 16, 2002 9:16:10 PM)
I am a first round applicant. I am wondering if you plan to inform admits/dings as decisions are made or "by the flip of a switch" at the deadline.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:16:12 PM)
Yes, there is an I-banking academy.

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 9:16:23 PM)
What would say is the biggest misconception people have about Kelley?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:16:48 PM)
YNMIN-first round decisions will likely go out in February.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:16:50 PM)
We send decisions out on a rolling basis but closer to the guaranteed response date published in our application.

Sara (Dec 16, 2002 9:17:12 PM)
What are you working to improve?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:17:38 PM)
Paul--people assume that being in a college town in Southern Indiana is a liability. But we have no trouble attracting guest speakers, recruiters, and the like.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:17:47 PM)
Paul--I think people worry that our location will limit recruiting, but it doesn't; we get companies from all over the US.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:18:03 PM)
Jim and I have the same thought pattern sometimes.

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 9:18:20 PM)
Thanks :)

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:18:23 PM)
Sara-We have a faculty committee looking at all aspects of the program (as they often do) to determine where we need to improve to stay innovative and current.

Peter (Dec 16, 2002 9:19:20 PM)
How important do you consider the campus visit/interview in the whole package of an application?

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:19:51 PM)
You have an excellent campus and a lot of extra curriculars, but does the workload permit the MBA students to actively participate in plenty of them?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:20:15 PM)
Peter--a visit is very helpful to you to assess whether you like the school, people, etc. It's also helpful to us because it shows your interest. We don't require interviews but we strongly recommend them. They too are very helpful to the admission committee to learn more about you.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:20:38 PM)
Deeps, while I don't think MBAs sleep much (!) they take full advantage of opportunities in the program and on campus.

Matteo (Dec 16, 2002 9:20:53 PM)
I have a question that probably you have heard already many times, but I' d like to get an honest answer. Does the admission committee have a bottom line for the score on the GMAT, especially for the separate sections?

Peter (Dec 16, 2002 9:20:59 PM)
Thanks, Kate.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:21:04 PM)
Thanks, Jim.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:21:04 PM)
Matteo-We like to see quant and verbal scores at least at the 50th percentile. Lower scores make us nervous... we don't want to set anyone up for failure.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:21:12 PM)
Deeps--Our students are incredibly active. They take on a lot of leadership in the clubs, academies, etc. I think the small town lends itself to a lot of community and leadership. I am often impressed at how involved our students are. They tend to be a group who works very hard but also enjoys extracurriculars and social activities with each other.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:21:49 PM)
Could you tell me more about the Kelley's International Perspectives program?

Matteo (Dec 16, 2002 9:21:55 PM)
Thank you.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:22:15 PM)
Deeps--KIPS is a program where you study a country for eight weeks. It culminates with a trip to that country over spring break. On the trip you meet with companies in that country. This year the trips are to either Ireland, Australia or China. It changes each year based on student interest.

Edward Lau (Dec 16, 2002 9:22:28 PM)
Since the dot.com bubble burst, how has the E-business major at Kelley changed?

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:22:33 PM)
It's great to know that. Thanks, Kate.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:22:55 PM)
In dispersing the applications among readers, do you distribute them randomly, by country, industry, function or other?

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:23:19 PM)
Do you get to choose which country and what concentration for KIP?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:23:31 PM)
Edward-the major itself hasn't changed much, but our information systems department changes/updates their courses more than any other department to stay current!

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:23:41 PM)
Linda-Files are dispersed somewhat randomly, but we do try to concentrate international applicants from particular countries with certain committee members.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:23:57 PM)
Edward--I can't answer your question that well, but I'm happy to put you in touch with our e-business faculty. You can email me at kacoffma@indiana.edu and I will arrange that.

mlb (Dec 16, 2002 9:24:23 PM)
Does Kelly have any classes in human resource management?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:24:33 PM)
Deeps--you get to choose the country based on what is offered that year. At the end of the year we do a survey to find out where students want to go the following year and work with the faculty to arrange the classes. Last year they went to Prague and Brazil.

Edward Lau (Dec 16, 2002 9:24:41 PM)
Thanks Kate, I'll take you up on that!

mlb (Dec 16, 2002 9:25:09 PM)
What do most of the students do for housing?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:25:15 PM)
mlb, we do have HR courses, org development courses and all related. We don't, however, offer a formal major in HR.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:25:50 PM)
mlb, most live off campus. The Bloomington community revolves around the University, and there are lots of affordable housing options.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:25:57 PM)
Do you provide financial aid to international students? Does your financial aid program require a co-signer?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:00 PM)
mlb--most students choose to live off campus. Housing in Bloomington is very nice and affordable. There are a lot of apartments that are easily accessible to campus (usually by bus, but our buses are free to students).

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:02 PM)
You have a fairly large percentage of MBAs (11%) entering the Health Care Products & Services sector. Is that because of your academy in that area or are there other reasons?

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:06 PM)
What's the rank of your finance major?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:08 PM)
MBAs are highly sought after tenants.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:20 PM)
yun--It was ranked 10th by business week.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:33 PM)
Kate does the GEA (Global Experience Academy) handle the KIP or is it a separate body?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:36 PM)
Paul--we have good relationships with a lot of healthcare companies like Pfizer and Lilly. I think the Academy helps as well.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:48 PM)
Linda, we do have merit aid for international students. We do not have loans without co-signers.

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:53 PM)
Thanks.

Peter (Dec 16, 2002 9:26:53 PM)
Do many of the students have children? Are there spouse groups?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:27:05 PM)
Peter--About 30% of our students are married.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:27:38 PM)
Peter--we also have a very active Partner's group that organizes play groups for kids, activities for the partners and even provides new partners a mentor to help them adjust to Bloomington and the program.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:27:57 PM)
What is the role of the students in the admissions process?

Peter (Dec 16, 2002 9:28:14 PM)
Excellent, that is certainly a factor for me. If I would get in, moving 1,000 miles requires that sort of community. Thanks.

Edward Lau (Dec 16, 2002 9:28:15 PM)
My wife may be interested in taking courses at the university. Does Indiana University offer evening courses to the public?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:28:17 PM)
We have six second-year students who are full members of the admissions committee. They applied last year, and also serve as admission counselors and help us facilitate interviews.

mlb (Dec 16, 2002 9:28:29 PM)
Who typically conducts the interviews?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:28:43 PM)
Edward--IU does have some evening courses. You could visit the university website at www.iub.edu to get a sense of what is offered.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:28:54 PM)
What is a common mistake applicants make in their applications?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:29:11 PM)
mlb--interviews are conducted by admission committee members only (admissions staff and our student admission counselors).

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:29:22 PM)
mlb--Interviews are conducted by a member of the admission committee based on who is available that day. It may be me, Jim, or a student, or one of our other staff members (Tim and Shaun).

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:29:49 PM)
Linda--not following directions! It is usually the simple things that trip people up.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:30:00 PM)
Linda--Sometimes they don't spell check or have the right school in an essay. But a big one is not answering the essay question. Make sure you address what the question is asking and give specific examples.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:30:27 PM)
Thanks.

mlb (Dec 16, 2002 9:30:30 PM)
So do alumni do interviews?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:30:39 PM)
mlb--we don't offer alumni interviews.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:30:52 PM)
How about writing what they think you want to hear?

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:31:03 PM)
But you do offer telephonic interviews?

mlb (Dec 16, 2002 9:31:13 PM)
What do you do then if you are abroad?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:31:19 PM)
Linda--that happens a lot as well. Don't worry about what you think we want to hear. Tell us what you want us to know about you.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:31:33 PM)
Great way to put it.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:31:38 PM)
Linda--the question I ask myself after reading a candidate's essays, do I know anything more about the candidate than before I started reading. In many cases, the answer is no.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:32:15 PM)
Deeps and mlb--We often travel abroad to conduct interviews, although we didn't do that as much this year due to budget. Interviews are not required for admission, so if you are unable to visit campus then we won't be able to interview you. It will not be held against you.

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 9:33:03 PM)
Kelley is one of the few schools that can claim Cisco as one of its top 10 recruiters. How much of that is because of John Chambers? :)

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:33:15 PM)
Are you visiting India for any of the MBA forums?

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:33:26 PM)
What is the bottom line of GMAT score for Asian candidates?

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:33:27 PM)
Deeps, are you now in India?

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:33:36 PM)
Yes, Linda.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:33:41 PM)
Paul--I'm sure it helps that he is one of our alums, but it also has to do with the strength of our IS major and the technology integrated into our program.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:34:07 PM)
John Chambers is loyal to the Kelley School. He just gave us a personal gift of one million dollars to start the Chambers internship program.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:34:24 PM)
Deeps-We will not be visiting India this year.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:34:31 PM)
What do you differently when evaluating re-applicants? When you review the new application, do you have the evaluation from the previous year's app?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:35:07 PM)
Linda- we look to see how the candidate has improved, and what they have accomplished since their last application.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:35:07 PM)
Jim, could you please tell about the GBIN and its consulting arm?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:35:11 PM)
Linda--we do have the evaluation from the previous year. We look to see if they requested feedback and if they did anything to improve based on the feedback provided.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:35:26 PM)
So you do provide feedback?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:35:39 PM)
We will provide a critique for anyone who asks.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:36:04 PM)
yun--There isn't a bottom line on the GMAT for Asians. We look at the complete app. Strong English skills are important though.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:36:20 PM)
Deeps, I'm not as well informed about GBIN as I should be. If you e-mail me later, I can get you information.

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:36:39 PM)
What are the top three majors in Kelley? Do Kelley graduates have many opportunities to be recruited by investment banking?

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:36:58 PM)
Thanks, Kate.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:37:02 PM)
If someone wants to send in an extra letter of recommendation, do you encourage or discourage them from doing so?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:37:26 PM)
Yun--We are seeing our investment banking program grow especially as a result of the academy, although corporate finance is still the larger concentration area in finance.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:37:26 PM)
yun-about 40% of our students are Marketing, about 40% Finance, and the rest spread between other majors.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:37:34 PM)
Do you prefer that recommenders use your specific form or can they just write a letter?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:37:59 PM)
Linda--we provide a form, but they don't have to use it. They can write a letter on their letterhead. We prefer they send just two, but we will read what they send. They might consider saving the third letter to send if they are waitlisted.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:38:31 PM)
They may send an additional letter if they think it provides a different perspective than the other two, but a third recommendation is really not necessary.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:38:33 PM)
Thanks Jim, I'll do that :)

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:38:34 PM)
Thanks, Jim.

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:38:42 PM)
Thanks, Kate.

Edward Lau (Dec 16, 2002 9:39:07 PM)
I have studied placement data of past graduates and also have done some research on companies who recruit at Kelley. However, is there any information that you publish which shows what positions each company recruited for through the placement office?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:40:05 PM)
Edward, I don't think we publish that specific data but if you email our graduate career services office, they could probably tell you the position a specific company hired for last year. It might get a little detailed to publish all of them.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:40:07 PM)
Edward--I don't believe our career services staff publishes that specific information on their web site, but if you contact them, I'm sure they can provide some details.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:41:04 PM)
Is Kelley doing anything differently as a result of the recent scandals?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:41:18 PM)
Do you mean the Enron type scandals?

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:41:23 PM)
Yep. Enron, Worldcom, Tyco, etc.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:41:46 PM)
We talk about Business Ethics in our core and have had some recent guest speakers who have addressed the topic.  I don't see our curriculum changing dramatically because of it, though.

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 9:42:11 PM)
If an applicant's essay spills over onto a third page (Kelley's limit is 2 pages), how much over can it go before you start to get peeved. :)

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:42:16 PM)
We have always considered ethics in our curriculum. Currently, the focus is on critical thinking--the thinking necessary to make ethical decisions.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:42:31 PM)
What is the minimum work experience that you consider for the admissions? Does that include internships?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:42:36 PM)
Paul- when it goes beyond the third. I'm not any happier, however, when they make it fit in two pages by using a very small font and no margins!

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:43:03 PM)
Deeps--we don't have a minimum, but on average our students have five years of full-time experience.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:43:06 PM)
Do you consider applicants who have already earned an MBA?

angela (Dec 16, 2002 9:43:13 PM)
Jim, I love Kelley. Well, could you please tell us which one adcom weighs most: GMAT, GPA, essays, w/e or recommendations?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:43:15 PM)
Linda-Not if it was earned in the U.S. If it was earned outside of the U.S. and they can make a compelling case for why they need a U.S. MBA, we will consider them.

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 9:43:21 PM)
Thanks :)

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:43:43 PM)
Deeps--we do look at your internships, but are more concerned about the quality of your post undergrad work experience--leadership, progression, teamwork, etc.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:43:53 PM)
Jim, I just got my first pair of reading glasses. I hear you!

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:44:20 PM)
Does writing beyond two pages (but making it legible and clear) play against the candidate?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:44:49 PM)
Deeps--not if it is relevant. But keep in mind we have 100s of essays to read, so being concise is important.

Peter (Dec 16, 2002 9:44:55 PM)
Can someone be too old, or have too much experience, to be a good fit? Mid -30's, for example.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:45:00 PM)
angela--we don't consider any one factor any more or any less important than another. They all provide different bits of information about a candidate's potential.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:45:21 PM)
Kate, If someone has had a leadership experience since the academic year, is it advantageous?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:45:31 PM)
Peter--Recruiters are looking for students to fill certain positions. If you are overqualified, it can often be difficult to find employment. Focus, past experience, and why you want an MBA will be important. What do you want to do when you finish?

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:45:41 PM)
Every school talks about leadership; how does Kelley differentiate itself in instilling this quality?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:45:50 PM)
Peter--it's not about age, it's about the appropriateness of the degree in relation to the candidate's goals.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:46:34 PM)
Linda--We have a program called the Leadership Development Institute. It is designed to help students further their leadership skills in an effort to make them stronger business leaders. It starts during orientation.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:47:08 PM)
LDI provides opportunities for all our students to get a complete leadership assessment as part of our orientation program.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:47:58 PM)
And then?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:47:58 PM)
And then, students are provided feedback, and information about opportunities to take advantage of through the MBA program to build their leadership skills.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:48:05 PM)
Deeps-leadership during your academic year through clubs, extra-curriculars or community service is helpful. It is also good to have it currently.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:48:23 PM)
Jim, what are some of those opportunities?

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:49:11 PM)
Yes, certainly. I was just wondering if one could mention that in conjugation with the current leadership roles ...Thanks, Kate.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:49:40 PM)
Linda--Not sure if we lost Jim, but it is workshops, toastmasters

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:49:48 PM)
LDI focuses on all aspects of leadership skills, from communication and presentation to the ability to think on your feet. There are targeted workshops offered through the year.

angela (Dec 16, 2002 9:49:50 PM)
Jim, how about percentage of the applicants with technical backgrounds except IT admitted? how about the percentage of students with tech-backgrounds except IT?

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:50:23 PM)
Thanks. This is a little early, but do you have any advice for wait-listed applicants?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:50:24 PM)
We actually don't have admit rates broken down by functional or academic background.

Sara (Dec 16, 2002 9:50:29 PM)
Do the interviewers review the application before they interview, or is it blind?

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:50:38 PM)
How actively do the student clubs like the consulting and entrepreneurship clubs function at Kelley?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:50:45 PM)
Linda--they are welcome to request feedback and then try to address any concerns we might have had, but sometimes even good candidates are waitlisted due to limited space.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:51:01 PM)
Linda-waitlisted candidates should make sure we know they are still interested!

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 9:51:16 PM)
How many Starbucks in Bloomington?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:51:31 PM)
Deeps-the consulting academy is very active, especially in case competitions. We also have an entrepreneurship club and academy that work closely with the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. They have tons of guest speakers and activities. They also have an internship program.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:51:32 PM)
Sara--we encourage applicants to interview before they apply--we have only a resume.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:51:45 PM)
At last count, three Starbucks.

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 9:51:55 PM)
That's plenty, thanks.

Sara (Dec 16, 2002 9:51:59 PM)
thanks :<)

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:52:41 PM)
Is there much entrepreneurial activity in the Bloomington area?

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:52:45 PM)
Thanks, Kate.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:53:08 PM)
Linda, actually yes. Bloomington has a lot of independently owned restaurants, stores, and small companies. The Johnson Center on campus also works with companies throughout the state, midwest and some national companies. Therefore, students have a lot of interaction with entrepreneurial companies if they want it.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:54:39 PM)
What about the large management consulting companies? Are they continuing to recruit on campus? I know they have cut back, of course.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:55:14 PM)
Linda--consulting recruiting is down on most campuses. We have some coming, but not as many as in '99 and 2000.

Sara (Dec 16, 2002 9:55:17 PM)
Thank you! Have a good night!

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:55:29 PM)
Thanks for joining us, Sara.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 9:55:32 PM)
Kate, what are some of the MC firms recruiting on campus?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:56:16 PM)
I believe that AT Kearney is coming this year. Other then that I would need to check with our career services because I haven't seen a current list. Jim might have more info, but we can always get it if someone emails us.

Edward Lau (Dec 16, 2002 9:56:37 PM)
Last question: Is being a Hoosier basketball fan a pre-requisite for admissions? : - )

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:56:55 PM)
I have worked in a securities company in China for six years. I want to enter into US investment banking after graduation. Is Kelley a good choice for me?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:56:56 PM)
Edward--if you aren't one when you enroll, you'll be one before you leave.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:56:59 PM)
Edward--No, but it will make me like you a lot more--just kidding.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:57:23 PM)
Let's hope our football team does better next year!

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 9:57:57 PM)
Any advice for international students, Kate and Jim?

angela (Dec 16, 2002 9:58:09 PM)
Jim, are there many students concentrating on international business in Kelley?

Edward Lau (Dec 16, 2002 9:58:29 PM)
Thanks, Jim and Kate for answering our questions tonight!

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:58:42 PM)
yun--we have a great Finance department and an investment banking academy. We are a good choice for anyone interested in investment banking. It is difficult to predict, however, what the job market will look like in a few years.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:58:56 PM)
angela-We have lots of students interested in international business. More will pick it up as a minor than as a major.

yun (Dec 16, 2002 9:59:17 PM)
Thanks a lot, Jim.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 9:59:36 PM)
Deeps--I would encourage you to start pursuing your visa early. Once you have made a decision on a school because the US is implementing some new databases that may delay the visa process. We don't have much info yet but when we do we will share it with our candidates. Strong communications skills are also important.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 10:00:58 PM)
Jim and Kate have graciously agreed to stay for an addition 5-10 minutes if you still have questions. So please post your questions.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:01:27 PM)
Did we answer them all?!

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 10:01:30 PM)
When did John Chambers last pay a visit to Kelley? Does he present in a class?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:01:34 PM)
Also, please feel free to email me at kacoffma@indiana.edu with any questions you have anytime.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:02:15 PM)
Paul--I don't know the answer to that. I know that students have contacted him recently about coming and he is trying to find a date that works for his calendar. He travels a lot. He was excited to come, though...I'm looking forward to it.

yun (Dec 16, 2002 10:02:33 PM)
How does the investment banking academy help students strengthen their advantages?

YNMIN (Dec 16, 2002 10:02:35 PM)
How are Indiana residents treated in the application process compared to non-residents?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:02:45 PM)
Paul--I should know when he was last here, but unfortunately I don't know! He did host members of one of our Academies at Cisco last year.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:03:18 PM)
YNMIN--there is really no advantage or disadvantage to being an IN resident. The difference is just in tuition rates you pay.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:03:20 PM)
YNMIN--Indiana residents and non-residents are treated the same through the admissions process.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 10:03:39 PM)
Jim, what % of students is from abroad?

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:03:51 PM)
We are at about 30% international.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:04:03 PM)
yun--Networking mostly. They meet a lot of the top firms, take trips to NY and network. They also have guest speakers, special classes and access to our trading room.

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 10:04:13 PM)
Thanks Kate for the email. Jim and Jill, can we write to you also with our queries? If yes, then what are your email addresses?

yun (Dec 16, 2002 10:04:24 PM)
Thanks, Kate.

angela (Dec 16, 2002 10:04:25 PM)
Jim, I'm interested in international business (want to pick it up as a major rather than as a minor); would you recommend Kelley?

Peter (Dec 16, 2002 10:04:26 PM)
Are recruiters from primarily Midwest-based companies?

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:04:43 PM)
Peter--we get recruiters from all over the US, but we have a strong marketing and corporate finance program, so many of those graduates go to consumer good companies. Many CGP's are based in the Midwest.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:05:02 PM)
You are welcome to contact me (jholmen@indiana.edu). Jill didn't make it, but I know she would be happy to respond to your questions by e-mail (dodugan@indiana.edu).

Deeps (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:05 PM)
Thanks, Jim.

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:15 PM)
Angela, we do have strong international mgmt major and academy. The academy also helps students find international internships. Dr. Garcia runs it and if you email me I can get you his email.

Peter (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:20 PM)
Thank you.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:25 PM)
Thank you again all for participating this evening. Special thanks to Jim and Kate for joining us this evening and to Paul Bodine for his assistance.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:36 PM)
We look forward to seeing you at future chats. Here is a list of currently scheduled chats:

KateCoffmanIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:38 PM)
Thanks for having us. This was fun.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:41 PM)
angela-yes, I would recommend Kelley. More choose it as a minor because they realize that companies typically don't recruit for "international management" majors. They are usually looking for candidates with an international perspective, and a functional expertise (like marketing, finance, etc.).

Paul_Bodine (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:46 PM)
Thanks, Kelley! Very informative.

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:52 PM)
Jan. 13 - INSEAD; Jan 20 - USC.

mlb (Dec 16, 2002 10:06:56 PM)
Thanks!!

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 10:07:00 PM)
Please check http://www.accepted.com/chat/schedule.aspx#mba for exact times and details.

JimHolmenIndiana (Dec 16, 2002 10:07:11 PM)
Thanks everyone! Contact me by e-mail with other questions. jholmen@indiana.edu

Linda Abraham (Dec 16, 2002 10:07:11 PM)
Have a very good evening! Good luck with your applications!

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