Program Philosophy
• There are two schools of thought about the content an EMBA program should provide. One says that people with substantial experience don’t need the same things from a program that less experienced people doing a full-time MBA need. The other, to which we subscribe at Wharton, is that even experienced managers do need to learn the same skills with the same academic rigor. HOWARD S. KAUFOLD, WHARTON
• The average age of students entering our program is 39. We therefore think that our curriculum should be substantially different than that of the full-time program, which is designed for students 27 years old (on average). We aim to teach some of the accounting basics, for example, but more to help senior executives spot red flags in the annual report than to be accountants.
Similarly, we teach upper-level skills such as how to work with the media or corporate analysts as part of our professional development program. DAVID ARDIS, MICHIGAN
• Our philosophy is no matter where you are in your career, no matter where you are in the world, Duke has an MBA program for you. With the Global Executive and Cross Continent programs in particular, there’s an emphasis on teaching people about international business. Modular programs like these (unlike our weekend program) are not regionally sourced. We’ve got people coming from every continent, 25-30 countries, so students learn about international business from their fellow students. We also teach more than 60 percent of the program outside of the United States. The school as a whole has staked out five regions of the world in which we are becoming embedded with staff and facilities on the ground as well as forming relationships with governmental and business organizations in the regions—and connecting people across the regions. We’re becoming a sort of
convening power. DAN MCCLEARY, FUQUA (DUKE)
• The ten core courses you take in the full-time MBA program you also take in the Executive MBA program. That’s similar. On the other hand, you have more emphasis on strategy, leadership, management communications, and ethics in the EMBA program. It is the same high engagement, case method classroom as well, but in the EMBA program students bring to class the “case” they are living every day in their professional settings. Case discussions in the EMBA classroom take more of an enterprise perspective. We believe seasoned managers need to develop this type of broad thinking as they move up in their organizations.
BARBARA MILLAR, DARDEN
• Our typical student is currently managing a region for a multinational, who realizes his technical expertise (in engineering or marketing, for instance) is not going to be enough for him to manage the challenges now facing him—or an entrepreneur who looks to take his business global. Our program is designed—and we look—for people who need to understand global strategy, which is our greatest strength. ERIN O’BRIEN, TRIUM (HEC/PARIS, LSE, STERN/NYU)
• Our overarching philosophy is about total diversity. We’re targeting the international expatriate community (for our EMBA), which is a very large one here, to add to the diversity of our student body. Most of our students have had a host of international experiences, and they speak multiple languages. Another essential part of our program is awareness of societal issues, particularly sustainable development. KIRT WOOD, ROTTERDAM
The Admissions Process
• The admissions process for the EMBA program is similar to that for the full-time program. We require essays, recommendation letters, transcripts, an interview—just like in the full-time program. The EMBA application volume is less. This allows our admissions process to be very personal. PATTY KEEGAN, CHICAGO
• The full-time program has to process thousands of applications, being sure to keep applications high and acceptances low for the sake of the rankings. Our EMBA programs have a very different model. Because candidates have to take the risk of revealing their interest in doing a degree early in the process (by requesting a letter of support from the company and a recommendation from a supervisor), we encourage them to participate in a prequalification process. Before they need to approach their company, they can discuss the strength of their application with us. We’ll look at their credentials (résumé, transcript, perhaps their GMAT score) and give them a sense of the likelihood that they’ll be accepted. In this way we encourage those likely to be admitted to apply—and indirectly discourage those unlikely to be admitted. This intensive, relationship management model of recruiting is possible only because the numbers involved are in the hundreds rather than the thousands. DAN MCCLEARY, FUQUA (DUKE)
• We recognize these are busy people, with demanding jobs, on an accelerated path within their organizations. They may have full home lives as well. So we try to make it easy for them to apply. Before they submit a formal application we encourage them to come in to interview with us, to meet with one of our admissions directors, to probe the fit of the program. We also encourage them to come to an information session as well as to visit a day of classes, where they are hosted by a current student. We encourage them to experience the program rather than just hearing about it. JAKI SITTERLE, STERN (NYU)
• We offer a preadmissions process where you can submit a résumé to an admissions officer for review before asking your company for recommendations or sponsorship. We want to make sure there’s a good match with your professional, academic, and personal goals and what Darden offers. BARBARA MILLAR, DARDEN
• We use the same sort of process and criteria as the full-time program. We require applicants to write serious essays, score well on the GMAT, and so on. The major difference concerns the interview. We expect everybody who is short-listed for our executive MBA program to be interviewed here in London. Bringing them to the school means that they get a clear sense of us and we get a very clear sense of them, including what contribution they’ll make to everyone else’s learning. We go through an interview process with two alumni and very often a member of the admissions team or admissions committee as well. The full-time program also interviews short-listed candidates, but it does so all around the world because it’s not easy for people living far afield to get to London. LYN HOFFMAN, LONDON
• The process is largely the same as for the full-time program. One difference, however, is that we ask candidates more about their past experience and less about their future plans because our candidates have so much more experience than those applying to the full-time program. We also ask about their current job, as they will keep working while doing their MBA. GAMALIEL MARTINEZ, INSTITUTO DE EMPRESA (SPAIN)
• The Sạd Business School accepts applications on a rolling admissions basis. Selected applicants will then be invited to interview. Interviews can be conducted either in Oxford, or we can conduct telephone interviews, although our strong preference is for face-to-face interviews. All interviews are conducted by faculty who will be teaching the course, or senior administrative personnel. ANNA FARRÚS, SẠD (OXFORD)
• We interview all of our EMBA candidates. The interview is particularly important for this program. . . . We need to ensure that the student will fit in with our cosmopolitan ethos and international approach and that we will meet the learning needs of the student.
KIRT WOOD, ROTTERDAM
• The EMBA admissions process is much more individualized. We deal with many fewer candidates, so we don’t need to be process-driven. This allows us (unlike the full-time program) to work one-on-one with a candidate starting even before he or she submits an application. We get into detailed conversations with them from the beginning to help them determine whether this is the right program for them and to help them submit the most persuasive application. . . . We are more willing to accept GMAT waivers. You can’t force someone with a CFA or working as a CFO to prove his analytical abilities with a GMAT score. LING TEE, IESE (SPAIN)
• Our admissions process is similar to that of the full-time program. The one difference is that interviews are conducted by a faculty member rather than an MBA student (or admissions officer). JANINE SERIEYS, INSEAD
Admissions Criteria
• We have four different MBA programs here, the full-time program and three executive programs. We’re strict in our guidelines regarding who qualifies for each. We’re reluctant to admit someone who’s outside the experience norms for a given program, whether it’s substantially more or substantially less than other participants have. Someone with fifteen years of experience, for example, is likely to be bored in the Cross Continent program, where the average amount of experience is just six years. DAN MCCLEARY, FUQUA (DUKE)
• We evaluate candidates based on their professional accomplishments, academic abilities, and personal qualities. Given this is
an EMBA program, where the candidates come with an average of 12 years of work experience, we put emphasis on what a person has accomplished in their career. We appreciate and value all kinds of work experience—it doesn’t have to be traditional.
We’ve had doctors, lawyers, and even rock band managers in our program. We review GMAT and academic transcripts to feel comfortable that a candidate can handle the academic rigors of the program. And we interview all of our admitted students as we feel that a personal fit is very important in a relatively small class. MARJORIE DEGRACA, HAAS
• We don’t require the GMAT. Instead, we focus on management and supervisory experience. We look at candidates’ track records, career progression as well as their current level of responsibility, and their future growth potential within their organization. We have an official minimum of ten years of work experience, but that is really meant more to indicate the sort of person we want than to be a strict cutoff. Our average experience is fourteen to fifteen years. DAVID ARDIS, MICHIGAN
• EMBA applicants are older and more seasoned than the applicants to the full-time program. As a result, we have more information about their careers available to us. Therefore, we pay more attention to their career success and less to the criteria that matter so much to the full-time program: GMAT scores, undergraduate GPA, and so on. We don’t require the GMAT, nor do we necessarily require an undergraduate degree although it is strongly preferred. We do like to see at least some college coursework, however, and we may ask someone without a degree to take the GMAT or CLEP exam.
We look for significant management experience, whether that means managing people or projects. We expect to see a steady progression in the amount of responsibility assumed. We also look for the potential for substantial future growth. To assess the quality of work experience, we look at the career path to date, including salary and title progression, which are helpful indicators of career progress. We examine the candidate’s recommendations, of course, and also discuss the issue with the candidate.
PATTY KEEGAN, CHICAGO
• The GMAT is required, although in exceptional cases we will grant a waiver. The people who have qualified for this waiver in the past have tended to have very substantial experience and to be highly educated in their fields, such as having a doctorate in biomedical engineering science. . . . The average age is 35, but we look not only for number of years of experience and age but also number of years of management experience. Those with substantial breadth and depth are often the most valuable contributors to the classroom conversation and to the study group dialogue. We look for those with international experience as well, because they bring that added dimension. And it’s not just considering each individual; it’s considering the composite of the class, which is just as important. We wouldn’t want everyone to be from the same industry or background. JAKI SITTERLE, STERN (NYU)
• We require an evaluative admissions interview and (either) the GMAT or the GRE. BARBARA MILLAR, DARDEN
• Our bare minimum of experience required is ten years, at least five of which must have been spent in a managerial role. Our recent class has ranged in age from 31 to 55, with most students being between 35 and 45 (and an average of 40). We had fifty- seven students from twenty-nine countries in the 2008 class, based across the globe. In fact, most of our students have worked overseas and currently have global responsibilities. ERIN O’BRIEN, TRIUM (HEC/PARIS, LSE, STERN/NYU)
• A good undergraduate degree or equivalent professional qualification. Applicants who do not hold such qualifications may be considered if they have a very strong fast-track employment history, demonstrating their ability as a high achiever. Significant work experience, including at least five years’ managerial experience. GMAT score. All candidates with less than ten years’
management experience are required to take the GMAT. Candidates who have at least ten years’ management experience may be granted exemption from the GMAT requirement. However, submitting a GMAT score is still highly recommended. ANNA FARRÚS, SẠD (OXFORD)
• There is no age limit for the program, but we require three years in a management position. This usually translates into eight or nine years of professional experience after university. . . . We don’t see many people with prior MBAs, but we do have a number of people who already have specialized master’s degrees, such as in finance or economics, or even PhDs. GAMALIEL MARTINEZ, INSTITUTO DE EMPRESA (SPAIN)
• Our minimum number of years of work experience is seven, but the average here is fifteen. The range is seven to thirty years.
There is no age limit per se, but we look at the whole package. Good work experience is very important, yet we find that in some countries people start serious work very young. In Russia, for instance, it’s common for 28- or 29-year-olds to have been working for ten years. Because of the growing economy, such candidates may be given substantial responsibility early on and now be leading a team of more than twenty. LING TEE, IESE (SPAIN)
• The vast majority of our interest is in their professional and life experience. We’re looking less at their ability to function in a corporate finance class than in their ability to leverage their vast experience, their skills, and their networks. KIRT WOOD, ROTTERDAM
• Work experience counts for a lot more than GMAT scores. With the average applicant having more than ten years of experience, their work history provides more information than it does for much younger candidates. . . . It’s not very common, but about two out of our class of forty are likely to have done an MBA previously, usually right after their undergraduate studies. They probably approached it from a very academic perspective. The pace and focus are very different in this program. The peers and class exchanges are very different when the average participant has ten to fifteen years of experience instead of zero or one. LING TEE, IESE (SPAIN)
Evaluation of Younger Applicants
• For younger applicants, we like to see that they belong in the program because they’ve accomplished more than others their age.
This is most often seen in entrepreneurs or people in family businesses, whose responsibilities often exceed those in Fortune 100 companies with comparable years of work experience. DAVID ARDIS, MICHIGAN
• We will consider younger applicants if they have at least five years of work experience upon entering the program. Yet, given that the majority of our students have 10-15 years of work experience we more critically evaluate younger candidates. We look at what they have accomplished in their career so far. Some have accomplished quite a bit and sometimes even more than their 10-year counterparts. We put a lot of weight in what the recommenders say to get a sense for how this person stands out and how credible he/she will be amongst experienced classmates. The interview helps us assess a person’s maturity and fit, too.
Lastly, we will consider the industry and function in which the candidate works to see if they will bring a unique perspective to the class. MARJORIE DEGRACA, HAAS
• We consider their ability to contribute substantively not only to study groups but also to the classroom discussion. Do they show
sophistication beyond their years? This will tend to show up in both their interviews and their essays. Have they had formative experiences that will give them deep insights? We want to make sure the level of the dialogue is consistent with that of their older, more experienced classmates. So we look at younger candidates in part from the perspective of the older candidates and the professors. JAKI SITTERLE, STERN (NYU)
• We are looking for high-potential leaders when we are reviewing less seasoned applicants. We believe we can spot leadership potential based on a combination of your career progression, what you tell us in the interview, what your recommenders say about you, and your overall application. BARBARA MILLAR, DARDEN
• We look for a clear fast-track background, so we consider the kind of organization they’re in and the way they’ve progressed within that organization—albeit in a short period of time. The other thing we test very rigorously is the question of contribution. In other words, what is this person going to bring that is going to add value to the 40-year-old, if you like. The third thing we examine is interpersonal skills: Will this person be able to work well in a very bright, highly motivated, nonhierarchical study group, for instance? Do they have the right kind of approach, self-knowledge and awareness, sensing of other people, and cultural sensitivity—given the diversity of our student body—to be able to work effectively in their study group? LYN HOFFMAN, LONDON
• First, we want to see that they have a good position in their company. Second, we want them to have a variety of experience in the company. Someone who has just done finance, for instance, will have too narrow a perspective on their company. Unless he or she has also had another role, whether in operations, marketing, or something else, we won’t accept him or her. Third, we want to be sure they have sufficient motivation to do the program because it will be harder for them than it is for more experienced candidates. GAMALIEL MARTINEZ, INSTITUTO DE EMPRESA (SPAIN)
• Age is not a factor that we consider when evaluating a candidate. We take into account the experience and progression that the candidate has had. ANNA FARRÚS, SẠD (OXFORD)
• We look particularly hard at their maturity level. We also study their career progression. We want people who have been highly successful, with clear progression to their careers. Part of this is that we want to identify those with sufficient ambition and drive to complete the program (while working full-time). LING TEE, IESE (SPAIN)
Sponsorship
• Usually about 10-15 percent of our students are fully sponsored. MARJORIE DEGRACA, HAAS
• As budgets become tight, training and development is a discretionary budget item that can be cut. More and more of our students are coming in as self-sponsored or partially sponsored. BARBARA MILLAR, DARDEN
• Some students aren’t interested in being financially sponsored by their companies because of the additional strings companies attach. These students want the format and flexibility our EMBA offers, which allows them to keep working, so they are willing to pay their own way. KELLI KILPATRICK, FUQUA (DUKE)
• The trend is certainly moving away from full financial sponsorship. JAKI SITTERLE, STERN (NYU)
• Two-thirds of our students are self-sponsored, which is more than at most programs. One of the reasons is that we have a substantial number of entrepreneurs in the program. Another is that many students don’t even ask their companies for funding, figuring the money would simply be taken out of their bonuses anyway. ERIN O’BRIEN, TRIUM (HEC/PARIS, LSE, STERN/NYU)
• As having the support of one’s firm is critical to our students’ success, all TRIUM students must have sponsorship for time.
Approximately half of TRIUM students have full or partial financial sponsorship, and half are self-sponsored. ERIN O’BRIEN, TRIUM
• Nearly 85 percent of our students are financially sponsored by their companies; most are fully sponsored. KIRT WOOD, ROTTERDAM
• One-third of our students are fully sponsored, one-third are partially sponsored, and one-third are self-financed. LING TEE, IESE (SPAIN)
• Many of our students are not financially sponsored by their employers. However, all employers must be prepared to support the candidates with time off. ANNA FARRÚS, SẠD (OXFORD)
Individuals Rather Than Companies Seek Out Programs
• These days it’s rare that a company makes a decision to send someone to the program. It’s usually the individual who comes up with the idea of attending the program and then sells it to the company to get its support. PATTY KEEGAN, CHICAGO
• It all starts with the individual, who is considering an MBA for professional advancement and is ready to make the necessary commitment. If it were the company pushing it, I’d be concerned about the student’s level of commitment. I don’t think many corporations are identifying an individual and saying, “OK, go get an MBA.” BARBARA MILLAR, DARDEN
• In my experience, the vast majority of the decision-makers are the students themselves. They go back to their organizations and say, “This is what I want to do. Will you sponsor me? And this is why you should.” It’s only rarely that the organization comes to us, although people do sometimes say, “My boss suggested this.” LYN HOFFMAN, LONDON
• Over 90 percent of our candidates have initiated the idea of an executive MBA themselves. It is very uncommon for a company to do so. Once candidates contact us, we work with them to convince their companies to provide financial support. LING TEE, IESE (SPAIN)
Impact of Sponsorship on Admissions Decisions
• Some programs require full financial support for admission. At Wharton, the percentage of support generally doesn’t affect a student’s chances. If someone works for a company that normally sponsors people but the company is not sponsoring him (or her), we consider what this says about the applicant’s importance to the employer. HOWARD S. KAUFOLD, WHARTON
• Most of our students are not sponsored financially. Therefore, we do not consider it in our admissions criteria. That being said, for those who are sponsored, we take it as a sign that he or she is highly valued at the company—much the same way as a strong letter of recommendation can indicate. MARJORIE DEGRACA, HAAS
• We see fewer and fewer people who receive full financial sponsorship. We consider such sponsorship an additional endorsement from an organization, but do not hold it against those who are not sponsored. DAN MCCLEARY, FUQUA (DUKE)
• Whether a student gets full sponsorship, partial sponsorship, or is paying on her own, this is not taken into consideration during