2005 UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Admissions Chat with Sherry Wallace
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 (Jan 10, 2005 10:10:34 AM)
First I want to welcome you all to Accepted.com's UNC MBA Admissions Chat.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:10:45 AM)
I also want to welcome Sherry Wallace, Director of Admissions.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:10:58 AM)
Thanks to everyone for joining.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:11:01 AM)
Thank you for hosting the chat, Linda.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:12:24 AM)
Sherry, if you are looking at an application and the numbers and basic profile is in the ballpark for a UNC student, what distinguishes an application that is accepted from one that is rejected?
ramkaluri (Jan 10, 2005 10:12:31 AM)
Sherry- Did you happen to come to the World MBA Tour at Bangalore in
November/December?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:13:03 AM)
Evidence of leadership and a successful career track record always separates admits from denies.
Regardless of the stats like GMAT, GPA, we don't skimp on leadership, career potential, and proven results.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:13:19 AM)
What constitutes good evidence of leadership?
Or a successful track record?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:14:08 AM)
I have been to India two times since May. Most recently, I was there for the World MBA Tour fairs in Nov.
Glavine (Jan 10, 2005 10:14:53 AM)
How are admissions for the incoming class look and approximately what percentage would you estimate has been filled?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:15:21 AM)
Leadership is best demonstrated when candidates show us they had followship! We want more than just your title or position -- we want to see evidence of how you rallied others to act.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:15:39 AM)
I always tell applicants that leadership requires followers.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:15:43 AM)
Glavine, we have only issued one round of admission offers to date. We are now
in process of evaluating applicants who applied to our Dec. 2nd deadline round, and they will get decisions from us Feb 7.
I know we have not made more than 25% of the offers we expect to make.
ramkaluri (Jan 10, 2005 10:15:52 AM)
Does UNC have a rolling admissions process?
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:16:23 AM)
How is recruiting going this year? Are there more companies recruiting on campus this year? More interviews scheduled?
KanILive (Jan 10, 2005 10:16:51 AM)
For applicants that submit to this Wednesday's deadline, when should we anticipate a response?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:17:30 AM)
Linda, the news we are hearing on the job front is good. It seems that the number of companies recruiting on campus and those posting job openings is up.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:17:54 AM)
Great! Are any sectors particularly active?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:19:05 AM)
We have seen strong job acceptances from our students in finance. It's probably leading the way. Consulting and marketing continue to be strong options for MBA students. Real estate
finance positions are also popular these days.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:19:42 AM)
We do not have rolling admissions. Instead, we issue decisions in batches, according to
the deadline you applied by.
Those that are in the Jan 13th deadline will get their admission decision on March 23.
Alan_Tsai(Taipei) (Jan 10, 2005 10:19:59 AM)
Sherry, regarding the self evaluation in the third essay, do I need to submit extra letters from these two people?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:20:26 AM)
Hi, Alan. No, you do not need to provide supporting items for the third. We take your word for it!
venksune (Jan 10, 2005 10:20:34 AM)
Has the number of applicants increased this year?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:21:20 AM)
Also regarding Essay 3, please realize that you can pick any two people with whom you have ever interacted on a team.
The person does not have to be a work teammate. Could be a sports team, a committee in a social/civic setting,
etc.
ramkaluri (Jan 10, 2005 10:21:21 AM)
What percentage of seats do you expect to have left in the final round?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:21:47 AM)
We have not seen an increase in applicants this year. Seems that we will be similar to last year's volume, perhaps a little lower.
ramkaluri (Jan 10, 2005 10:21:59 AM)
Sherry- I have a specific query about my GMAT scores and time frame left over. Can
I write to you about this?
Aniqa_luvsUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:22:12 AM)
In terms of the entrepreneurship concentration, how would you say UNC
distinguishes it's program from other MBA programs with the same concentration? Do they focus more on theory, experiential learning, or a mix?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:22:26 AM)
Ramkaluri: I expect to see our offers of admission spread nicely over the remaining deadlines. We have four deadlines for a reason -- we really want and expect to make offers in each of the four rounds.
We get the largest number of applicants in our January deadline.
Still, we expect to see many more talented candidates after the Jan 13th deadline.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:22:38 AM)
Sherry, what percentage of accepted students were accepted each round? Is there an advantage to applying in different rounds?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:23:25 AM)
Linda, the breakout of admission offers by rounds has varied each year I have been here. I've been here in this role for six seasons.
I am very excited about the pool of applicants we have received thus far.
This promises to be another very strong UNC MBA class.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:24:23 AM)
I do not have job accept/job offer data for current international students. I do know statistics on those that graduated in 2004.
You can find detailed placement data on our web site:
www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu .
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:26:07 AM)
I am happy to communicate with each of you personally after the chat. Email me at:
sherry_wallace@unc.edu .
oop98 (Jan 10, 2005 10:27:15 AM)
Sherry, do you expect the average work experience to stay the same as last year?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:28:30 AM)
oop98, I believe we will continue to enroll a class with an average work experience of 5 years. We expect entering students to have
a minimum of 2 years. I'd say that about 99% of our entering students have that minimum, but we certainly will consider every applicant for what he/she brings to the class.
KanILive (Jan 10, 2005 10:28:33 AM)
What are some of the changes or new exciting things that prospective students can expect if they are selected to be among UNC's pool of students? i.e.. what's cooking in the kitchen?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:29:19 AM)
KanlLive: this program amazes me. I am an MBA grad (class of 87), and each year I see something new and better than what was here before.
ramkaluri (Jan 10, 2005 10:30:24 AM)
How would you view more than the average work experience, accompanied with excellent achievements?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:30:28 AM)
A few things that excite me include: more opportunity for students to get practical experience via consulting projects and practica;
more leadership classes and exercises; and continued integration of the core
curriculum that ensures you get well-rounded business skills.
We have added more staff to provide student support.
We also have recently added a dedicated person to work with international
students here within the business school. Prior to this, the university
International Center provided those services.
Aniqa_luvsUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:32:50 AM)
Out of curiosity, what are the top three concentrations that students are applying to these days?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:32:59 AM)
This is a program that takes a lot of input from current students. If you see something you think should be added or could be improved, suggest it. The dean, the program staff, very often incorporate this into new
initiatives.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:34:00 AM)
Aniqa, this is pretty close. I think it's accurate to say that the largest number of students choose to concentrate in: marketing (aka customer and product management), entrepreneurship, management consulting and corporate finance.
Keep in mind that you do not necessarily have to concentrate in an area to land a job in that area.
Students choose concentrations based on what gaps they are seeking to fill with their MBA studies.
Alan_Tsai(Taipei) (Jan 10, 2005 10:34:29 AM)
Regarding working experience, because military service is mandatory in Taiwan, will you count this period
as work experience?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:35:26 AM)
Alan, we value military experience greatly. It is a tremendous opportunity to gain leadership, organizational skills, communication, and many other abilities.
Glavine (Jan 10, 2005 10:35:34 AM)
Do you believe that there is adequate opportunities available to domestic MBA grads to work internationally upon graduation? Also, are these opportunities available as internships after the first year?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:35:56 AM)
Reminder: my personal email is: sherry_wallace@unc.edu if you need to send me
inquires after the chat.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 10:36:36 AM)
Hi - How does UNC place its graduates in the Asian Pacific?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:36:46 AM)
Glavine, each year I see more US domestic students interested in working outside the U.S. In fact, we enroll many students that are US citizens already working outside the US. We have several resources to help students find jobs outside the U.S. Our Kenan Institute for Private Enterprise is a fantastic resource for both internationally located internships and full time jobs. Also, we do a joint career fair with
Darden and Duke for international jobs.
KanILive (Jan 10, 2005 10:38:08 AM)
Regarding GMAT scores, if your quant score is low, and yet you present a strong application with transcripts and work experience to support your contention that you can handle the
course load, does this automatically negate the low quant score on GMAT?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:38:26 AM)
makarand- I don't have specifics with me on jobs our students have accepted in
the Asian Pacific. Shoot me an email, and I'll direct you to that info on our web site.
KanILive (Jan 10, 2005 10:39:00 AM)
I had a question about the urban planning focus. How is this accomplished given that UNC is in a rural setting?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:39:03 AM)
Kanl, we enroll students each year with GMAT scores ranging from low 500"s to perfect. Same is true for the quant section scores.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:39:55 AM)
Kanl, we have a top notch school of regional planning. Several students take courses in that school, and their students also take some MBA courses. We also have students that do
a dual MBA/MRP.
Dharmin (India) (Jan 10, 2005 10:39:58 AM)
Sherry, what excites you the most about an applicant - best fit to UNC or high undergraduate grades
or related work experience or GMAT/TOEFL scores?
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 10:40:59 AM)
Dharmin talks of best fit. Sherry, can you define a typical "Best fit" for UNC?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:41:04 AM)
Dharmin: most compelling is a candidate that articulates clearly and enthusiastically: why an
MBA, what it is about UNC's MBA program that fits them, and how they are going to be successful here as a student and in their career beyond school.
Alan_Tsai(Taipei) (Jan 10, 2005 10:41:25 AM)
What is the average oldest age that you accept? Do you consider an older age a disadvantage when
candidates apply to UNC?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:41:57 AM)
Makarand, there is no typical UNC student. I hope we never get that uniformed! The diversity of backgrounds, interests is what makes this culture so vibrant.
There are some things that all UNC MBAs should value: working together as a team; holding themselves to high achievement standards, high ethical standards, and sincere interests in learning from the people around them
by2008mba (Jan 10, 2005 10:42:54 AM)
Sherry, assuming someone has a short term goal of working in a marketing area, even though he has no experience in the marketing,
what do you look for in the application of such applicant?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:44:01 AM)
Alan, we do not consider age in the admissions process. We look at experience, however. Sometimes, we evaluate the level of accomplishment and responsibility achieved at the experience level. I think we have at least a couple of current full-time MBA students in their upper 50's.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:44:09 AM)
Alan, although this information is not specific to UNC, you might find the article at
http://www.accepted.com/mba/older.aspx helpful.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 10:44:56 AM)
Sherry - how do you view PhD drop outs?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:45:04 AM)
by2008mba, we look at how your intended career fits connects with what you've
done to date. Most MBA applicants are looking to make either a career function
change or an industry change, so change is welcomed. We want to see that you know the requisite skills and traits that the marketing hiring organizations will expect. You, then, need to demonstrate how what you've done to date has prepared you with those skills/traits and how the MBA at UNC will continue to complement you in those areas.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:46:51 AM)
PhD dropouts would be evaluated based on their goals and how they describe the path they've taken. It is not unusual for us to see candidates who at one time thought the PhD was their track but later realized it was not their best fit.
Dharmin (India) (Jan 10, 2005 10:46:55 AM)
Sherry, may i please know some statistics related to Indian applicants? Could
you tell me how many Indian applications you get and their matriculation per year?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:48:36 AM)
Dharmin, our enrollment of Indian foreign nationals has varied: 11 in Class of 2006; 8 in class of 2005. Prior classes have had: 13, 12, 7 and 8 students. We don't really have a set number, but it seems that around a dozen makes sense. Our typical class
has between 265-275 students.
In past years the number of completed applications from India has varied from low 100's to mid 300's. Many more people begin the application but do not complete it to the point where we provide an admissions decision.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 10:49:17 AM)
Does UNC place a lot of graduates in Private Equity? How is the presence of UNC on
Wall Street?
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:49:25 AM)
by2008MBA, although this article again is not UNC specific, it does provide advice for career changers:
http://www.accepted.com/mba/careerchanger.aspx .
Dharmin (India) (Jan 10, 2005 10:49:54 AM)
Thanks very much for the meticulous reply.
Alan_Tsai(Taipei) (Jan 10, 2005 10:50:07 AM)
I heard that the education budget was cut in resent years. Does that influence the budget of UNC? Or influence the teaching quality of UNC?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:50:19 AM)
Makarand: we do exceptionally well on Wall Street. Email me and I will send
you a detailed email. Most people are surprised by the UNC alumni network on
Wall Street.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:51:24 AM)
Sherry, would you like applicants who have already submitted applications to let you know of significant promotions or raises?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:51:27 AM)
Alan, the Kenan-Flagler MBA Program budgets have increased each year (6) that I've been here. Please realize that thought we are a State institution (we're very proud to be), we also have a very healthy private donor base.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:52:28 AM)
Linda, thanks for the good question: If you have already applied and have new info that you think the admissions committee would value, please send it to us via email to mba_info@unc.edu. This could be new jobs, promotions, improved scores, classes you are taking to prepare you, etc.
Glavine (Jan 10, 2005 10:53:13 AM)
Sherry, just to expand upon your Private Equity ties; I am in Private Equity in Charlotte and a large number of my co-workers have completed their MBAs at UNC. Just some additional info that there are some options on where to work in P.E. besides
Wall Street.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:53:13 AM)
Several people have expressed concern about their chances of admission if they do not make our Jan 13th deadline. Please, do not be discouraged if you cannot make the Jan 13th deadline.
I assure you that we do admit candidates that apply after the Jan 13th deadline. Sometimes, if you get your items in to us within the month of
January (say up to 2 weeks after Jan 13), we are still able to process you within that third deadline.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 10:53:22 AM)
I am attracted to the small class size at UNC. I wanted to know the industry presence in and around UNC and do students get to interact a lot with the local businesses as a part
of various courses?
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:54:23 AM)
That's good to know!
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:55:10 AM)
Makarand- many people praise our class size. It's large enough to have critical economy of scale for recruiting organizations. They can find enough talent here! Yet, not so large that you don't get to know each of the students in your year's class.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:55:59 AM)
Our students get a lot of interaction with industry -- not just those close by. We have a corporate advisory board for EACH of our career and enrichment concentrations. We also have industry panels and alumni coming in regularly to classes and to do workshops.
We are located in North Carolina in the Research Triangle Park area, but our
reach is far beyond this local area. In fact, only a small percentage of our
students will accept jobs in NC.
SKY (Jan 10, 2005 10:56:35 AM)
Hi Sherry, is the admissions at UNC rolling?
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:57:25 AM)
Just to supplement Sky's question: Is it rolling admissions within a particular round? Are applications reviewed in order of receipt or do you wait for the submission date and then begin reviewing without respect to when the application was received?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:57:28 AM)
SKY, our admission process is in batches, rather than rolling. We do, however, sometimes roll out decisions for those that apply after our third (Jan 13th deadline). If you applied in the Jan deadline, you will get decision from us on March 23.
If you apply later than the Jan deadline but before March 6th, then you will get a decision no later than May 16th. It is very possible that we might notify you sooner than May 16th, if we have made the decision sooner.
The Dec. 2 deadline applicants will get a decision on Feb. 7.
venksune (Jan 10, 2005 10:58:39 AM)
Because of the tsunami tragedy, did UNC evaluate to have the Jan 13 deadline postponed for those in Indonesia, Sri
Lanka and South India?
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 10:59:03 AM)
venksume, I have collected the response of a number of schools to that question at
http://accepted.typepad.com/admissions_almanac/2005/01/mba_application.html .
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 10:59:26 AM)
We did not officially delay the deadline in light of the disaster, but we will work with anyone affected if they let us know they need more time.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:00:33 AM)
UNC realizes that some applicants may discover us later in the process. We want to admit the best applicants out there so we make sure that we have room in the latter half of the season for those excellent candidates that find us after December!
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:01:46 AM)
Sherry you mentioned earlier in the chat that UNC has continued to integrate its core curriculum. What does that mean practically to students attending Kenan-Flagler?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:02:22 AM)
I'm also excited that we have a fellowship budget this year that should allow us to make merit fellowship awards to 25-30% of our enrolling students.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:03:51 AM)
Linda, currently, all the professors that teach the core courses (typically
taken in the first half of the first year), meet weekly to synchronize and
discuss what each is covering. It's important that our students learn the
different skills, not just as silos, but how they interact and affect each
other.
We are working to make these interconnections even stronger. We want the courses to build on each other and to reinforce what each other is teaching -- without being needlessly repetitive. Building in exercises that allow students to apply lessons learned from more than one class is one example.
Alan_Tsai(Taipei) (Jan 10, 2005 11:04:10 AM)
That's good to hear!
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:04:18 AM)
Typically what is the fellowship that is awarded? Does one also manage to get a Research Assistantship
as well?
ramkaluri (Jan 10, 2005 11:06:21 AM)
What are the main attributes you look for when awarding aid/fellowship?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:06:36 AM)
We do not offer teaching or research assistantships as part of our financial aid. Some students do work with professors and some work in various offices, but that's not
something we "award." Our fellowships are all on the basis of merit -- not need. Highest awards cover tuition and provide up to
a $5,000 per year stipend. Smaller awards: $5000 per year, $7500 per year, $10,000 per year, and higher,
all US dollars.
by2008mba (Jan 10, 2005 11:06:58 AM)
Will there be any change in the application content (essays, etc.) next year?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:07:05 AM)
No separate application required for fellowship consideration. We look at those who have been admitted, and then we attempt to take the best of that
lot.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:07:30 AM)
What constitutes "the best of the that lot"?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:07:41 AM)
Our application changes each year so expect a new Essay #3. Usually the first essay stays pretty similar
but Essay A could change. No plans for the new application just yet.
Alan_Tsai(Taipei) (Jan 10, 2005 11:08:29 AM)
Sherry, about the interview, I had applied after I submitted Part I. However, the reply from admission office said they couldn't arrange such an interview in Taipei. Is it possible to conduct by alumni?
Do you have any other suggestions?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:08:36 AM)
Linda: think of best of show! Fellowship awards generally go to those who are at high levels in all the categories we evaluate: prior academic performance; leadership evidence; recommendations, interviews,
GMAT, etc.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:09:55 AM)
How does UNC regard reapplicants?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:09:56 AM)
Alan, we offer both telephone interviews and local alumni interviews. Local alumni interviews are obviously
contingent upon the presence and availability of alumni in the area. More than
fifty percent of the students that enroll from outside the U.S. interview by telephone
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:10:19 AM)
We like reapplicants, and we have found that we admit them at a slightly higher rate than average
applicants.
Re-applicants tend to do better because they have benefited from an additional year of work experience and they have learned better how to present themselves. Also, most have taken advantage of the feedback we provide in the summer to denied applicants.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:10:37 AM)
Sherry, how are the interviews used in the evaluation process? Are they simple an additional data point or are they a make-or-break step in admissions?
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:11:34 AM)
Also - can you throw some light on the interview itself? Are you looking for communication skills? Is the interview a pressure interview?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:12:00 AM)
Interviews are an important piece because we value the skills that can best be assessed in a one on one interchange. Whether the interview is done by me, my staff,
or alumni interviewers, it makes no difference. A phone interview has the same weight as
a person-to-person interview.
I encourage anyone who wants to interview with us to do it now during our Open Interview Season. If you submit part one of our application, we guarantee you an interview. This season will end Jan 28th. After the Open Season ends, we will interview only those candidates whom we have invited to interview.
navs (Jan 10, 2005 11:14:31 AM)
I would have 2 years of experience by the time I matriculate into UNC in the class of 2008.
Would the 2 years count towards the minimum requirement?
Alan_Tsai(Taipei) (Jan 10, 2005 11:14:38 AM)
I have tried to schedule on interview by that system, but couldn't get one.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:14:59 AM)
If one can't get an interview scheduled like Alan - what are the alternatives? How does one get a phone interview scheduled?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:15:13 AM)
The interview takes about 30 minutes. We will talk to you about your goals, your accomplishments, your reasons for considering UNC. We assess how well you are able to make your points of view and how skilled you are at establishing rapport. We understand that a phone rapport will be different from face to face, and you won't lose any points for doing phone interview
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:16:06 AM)
Navs, yes, we expect you to have two years as of the date you start the program. Also, if you are a few months shy of that, we will still consider your application. Every now and then, we find a star who does not quite have the 24 months of work
experience, who we accept anyway.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:17:41 AM)
Alan, the slots are filling up quickly but we are adding inventory every day. Please be assured that we will accommodate everyone who completes their part one prior to the end of Open Season (Jan 28th). Ashlei Folsom is our interview coordinator, and she will manually schedule you, if necessary.
If you want a guaranteed interview, try not to wait until Jan 27th to submit
part one!
It's perfectly okay for you to wait until you are invited to interview. We do not invite everyone, but we certainly invite all those who look to be
amongst the most competitive for admission.
Aniqa_luvsUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:17:54 AM)
Sherry, in terms of the entrepreneurship program - is it heavily focused on theory, experiential learning, or both? How do you feel graduates of the program rate it?
Alan_Tsai(Taipei) (Jan 10, 2005 11:18:17 AM)
Thank you, Sherry.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:20:11 AM)
Aniqa, people absolutely love the entrepreneurship offerings here. We were recently named the number one b-school for entrepreneurship. It's both theory and practice. We realize that some students will go directly into an entrepreneurship job, and others will go that route later in their careers.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:21:32 AM)
One thing that is a hallmark of UNC Kenan-Flagler is our Venture Capital Investment Competition. We host this event that invites teams from all top b-schools to participate. The UNC teams compete internally, and then go on to compete against the other schools.
The competition allows you to be a venture capitalist and to sit while others
present their real business plans to you. You then decide in whom you would invest. You get to discuss your recommendations with real venture
capitalists.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:21:33 AM)
How available are professors to meet with students outside of class?
by2008mba (Jan 10, 2005 11:21:55 AM)
Sherry, what does UNC offer for marketing and entrepreneurship programs? How
does it stands out for these trades?
KanILive (Jan 10, 2005 11:22:18 AM)
Sherry, if we have already had an interview during open interview season, will we need to do another interview after our application has been reviewed, in order to gain acceptance into Kenan?
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:23:10 AM)
Wow! That's great!
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:23:14 AM)
Professors are immensely accessible. They have office hours, of course, but most are available anytime for drop ins. They also lead review sessions prior to exams and often host students for happy hours at their homes.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:23:26 AM)
Kanl, only one interview is required.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:23:35 AM)
I wanted to know about accommodations in North Carolina? How is the social life and how does UNC support partners?
Dharmin (India) (Jan 10, 2005 11:23:47 AM)
Sherry, would you please elaborate more on the third essay? The question asks about one's response on feedback received from one's peers.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:24:52 AM)
UNC Kenan-Flagler has a Partners Association for those partners that come to school with our students. They have a tremendous program and are very active. Also, there is a Students with Families organization that also sponsors lots of events for students and their partners/kids to interact with each other, staff and faculty. Chapel Hill is a college town so there's always stuff to do.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:26:21 AM)
Essay 3 is a question we created to help shed light on the importance of teamwork at UNC. We ask you to pick
two people with whom you have interacted in a team setting. It can be a co-worker (former or current),
a sports teammate or someone with whom you served on a committee or other
project team. Doesn't matter what type of team. We realize that you may not want
to alert a coworker that you are applying to b-school. To answer the essay, you
must first "interview" those two people and ask them to give you feedback on how
they experienced you as a teammate. We give you some areas that you might find
helpful to explore -- these are lifted directly from the survey tool that our
students have to do at the end of their first year on their study group members.
The essay asks you to tell us what you learned from this experience. You don't have to quote what they told you, that's not so
important to us. We want to know what you learned and what you plan to do now that you have this
enlightenment.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:26:59 AM)
Do you have any suggestions for students about to start at UNC?
Dharmin (India) (Jan 10, 2005 11:28:04 AM)
Thanks Sherry.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:28:23 AM)
Adding to my question, how are the students graded? Do the prospective employers get the grades of students and are the second year grades counted as well?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:29:33 AM)
UNC will not release your grades to anyone unless you give permission to do so. Some employers will ask you to report your grades to them. This is true more of consulting firms and
I-banks.
UNC does not report class rank.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:30:43 AM)
Not releasing the class ranking doesn't make the first year very competitive.
Didn't you say that approximately half the class would be competing for
I-banking and consulting positions?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:30:56 AM)
Linda, to prepare to join UNC, you should definitely be familiar with financial accounting, microeconomics and
probability/statistics. If you've never had calculus, you probably would find it beneficial. We offer the first three in our summer
workshop.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:31:38 AM)
Does UNC allow transfer of credits?
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:32:17 AM)
Makarand, of course it's competitive. But each of our students is up to the task.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:32:41 AM)
UNC does not accept any transfer credits earned before you were enrolled at UNC MBA program.
Once you have enrolled at UNC in the MBA Program, you will have opportunity to
take some elective course hours outside the b-school and have them count toward
your MBA degree.
mbanow (Jan 10, 2005 11:32:47 AM)
If I have not started my application, do I really have a good shot?
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:34:04 AM)
mbanow, this will depend on the quality of the application you ultimately submit, not when you start it. It is definite true that a certain amount of time improves the quality of an application.
My rule, apply in the earliest round possible PROVIDED you don't compromise the
quality of your application.
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:34:30 AM)
Good question, mbanow. Yes, as I mentioned earlier, we are still in the business of recruiting highly talented candidates. We have only admitted one round of students as of today. We expect to make offers of admission well into the spring. If you wait until April to apply, that might be a problem. I fully expect to admit candidates who apply in Feb. and March.
It is much better to be in a later round with a strong application, than to be in an early round with a weak application.
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:34:40 AM)
If I submit my application by January 13th, does UNC accept my self-reported
GMAT scores. ETS usually takes about two weeks to dispatch the score.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:35:45 AM)
Thank you again all for participating today. Special thanks to Sherry.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:35:57 AM)
We look forward to seeing you at future chats, and here is a list of the upcoming scheduled chats:
LBS February 3
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:36:06 AM)
Makarand, you are like many others. Yes, we expect to receive many official ETS score reports weeks after the deadline. Same is true for letters of recommendation. Just get your essays and the things you control in by the deadline, and you will most likely have no problem.
We will do our best to process as many of you as possible in the deadline you seek.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:36:24 AM)
Please check the Web site (
http://www.accepted.com/chat/schedule.aspx#mba ) for details and exact time, because we are varying our chat times this year to facilitate attendance from applicants in different time zones.
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:36:33 AM)
Good luck with your applications!
Aniqa_luvsUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:36:49 AM)
Thanks so much Linda!
makarand (Jan 10, 2005 11:36:52 AM)
Thanks sherry....thanks you Linda and all my fellow participants.
Dharmin (India) (Jan 10, 2005 11:36:56 AM)
Thanks very much Linda for such a nice opportunity
SherryWallaceUNC (Jan 10, 2005 11:37:01 AM)
Ditto on the thanks. I'll reply to your emails if you send to:
sherry_wallace@unc.edu .
Linda Abraham (Jan 10, 2005 11:37:15 AM)
You're all most welcome. Thanks for your great questions.
Information about
Accepted.com's consulting and Editing Services
MBA Chat Transcript Index ||
Chat Room
|