Round 2 Admission Decisions

Posted on February 21, 2018 by jamieyoung

Round 2 is always our biggest application round and this year has been no different. In fact, this has been the highest volume application round we’ve had to date. So, the team has been very busy getting to know the round 2 applicants. There will be 1 final wave of interview invitations sent out to Round 2 applicants and some waitlisted applicants from Round 1 today and tomorrow.

All applications, including those of candidates not invited to interview, go through an additional review by the Admissions Committee before a final decision is made. Those decisions will be communicated on or before the March 2nd decision deadline next week.

Rd 1 Updates and Getting Ready for Rotman Rd 2

Posted on December 7, 2017 by jamieyoung

Round 1 Decisions

Application volume is way up (again) at Rotman, and we’re as committed as ever to getting to know our applicants well. At Rotman, we take the whole package approach to the application process, and that process takes time. So, if you are waiting for a decision on your round 1 application, sit tight as all round 1 decisions will be communicated on or before next week’s December 15 decision deadline.

This year we received competitive round 1 applications from all over the world including Antigua & Barbuda, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Congo, Georgia, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam. We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing many of you over the past 2 months in your own home cities (places that are near like D.C, NYC, Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal, and places that are far like London, Singapore, Manila, Istanbul, Mumbai, Shanghai, São Paulo, Lima and Mexico City – just to name a few) and it’s been wonderful to host so many of you on campus as well.

We’ve definitely taken notice of the spike in technology as a post MBA industry of interest from this group. Toronto is the third-largest tech hub in North America and was recently named the world’s fastest growing tech market. It’s great to see applicants broadening their horizons and considering their post-MBA goals when choosing where to apply!

Getting Ready for Rotman Round 2

For those of you targeting this deadline, you’ve got until Monday, January 8 at 12 midnight (eastern standard time). That gives you just over a month before hitting submit so here are our top 2 pieces of advice for round 2.

Use our Resume Template: Our resume template shows you how you can best showcase your experience. using the template as a reference is a great way to ensure your own resume includes all of the information we’re looking for. It’s also worth mentioning that our MBA candidates use this template and our director of careers is on our admissions committee – so following this advice is certainly a good way to show that you’re coachable and makes a great first impression!
Use Your Essay to ‘Connect the Dots’: This year’s application essay is the perfect place for you to bring it all together and create a cohesive narrative for your overall application. We ask you to ‘Please describe why you are pursuing an MBA? Why Rotman? Why now?’. Focus on being authentic and stay away from using this space to tell us all the things about our school you might think we’d like you to say.

Finally, the recruitment & admissions office will be closed for the holidays from Thursday, December 21, 2017, to Tuesday, January 2, 2018, inclusive. Join us for an admissions webinar before the break where we share our best advice for putting the final touches on your application.

RSVP for our Dec 14 admissions webinar.

Rolling Vs. Rounds: Timing Your MBA Application

Posted on October 3, 2017 by jamieyoung

The timing of MBA applications is something that almost every MBA candidate thinks about. At Rotman, we operate with both rolling, and rounds of admission. This post will explain each and share a bit more insight into the question of when to apply.

Rolling admissions means that completed applications are evaluated on an ongoing basis in the order that they are received. So essentially, the sooner you apply the sooner you will have a decision. On average, rolling applications receive a decision within 6-8 weeks.

Admission rounds operate much the same way in that we begin reviewing completed applications as soon as they are submitted. However, because most of us are at least somewhat deadline driven, application rounds can help motivate you to complete your application and also give you a set date by which you can expect a decision.

Round 1: October 16, 2017 (Decision by December 15, 2017)
Round 2: January 8, 2018 (Decision by March 2, 2018)
Round 3: February 26, 2018 (Decision by April 20, 2018)
Round 4: April 16, 2018 (Decision by May 25, 2018)
Round 5: May 21, 2018 (Decision by June 22, 2018)

Usually, when someone asks about the timing of applications they are also interested in the relationship between application date and scholarships. Because our scholarships are entirely merit-based, your best opportunity to earn a scholarship is by submitting your strongest possible application. Of course, it can also be noted that scholarships are finite and competitive in nature, so you don’t want to wait and to submit at 12 midnight on the final deadline.

There are other advantages to applying early that many candidates do not consider. For international students, in particular, we encourage applications before the Round 3 deadline because study permit applications take time and planning for a significant life move does too. And, for everyone considering applying it’s important to know that we begin connecting the admitted class right away. So, there are lots of networking opportunities and social events leading up to the start of the program. One specific example at Rotman is our annual Rotman Problem Solving Challenge (RPSC) that takes place in the month of May. RPSC is an exclusive opportunity for admitted students to experience Rotman’s approach to problem-solving through a live decision-making challenge. We also award over $300,000 in scholarship awards over the course of the challenge.

So, when is the best time to apply? It depends. Focus on submitting your strongest application and as soon as you feel prepared to do just that – go ahead and submit right away because there are some advantages to applying early!

The New Rotman Application: What You Need To Know

Posted on September 22, 2017 by jamieyoung

We’ve had some pretty serious positive trajectory over the last number of years here at Rotman. So much so that our application volume for the FT MBA Program has doubled in the last 5 years. With that, we’re really excited about continuing to improve how we spot talent and introducing authentic pieces of who you are as a person into the application and admissions process. Here’s what you need to know about the new Rotman application for the Class of 2020 (2018 intake).

Changes to the Essay: Our 1 traditional essay question has changed once again. This year we think we’ve simplified our essay question. Here it is:

“Our Full-Time MBA Program at the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management is best defined as a transformational experience. We believe that your journey begins with ‘why’. Please describe why you are pursuing an MBA? Why Rotman? Why now? (500 words)”

This change is designed in part to enhance the interview. Because we now get to know your ‘why’ right up front, the interview can focus on getting to know you in more depth and detail than ever before.

Carrying Forward from Last Year: We are always looking to improve in everything we do, so the other application components have shifted slightly year-over-year, but there are no major changes to report. We’re really proud to continue including Kira video responses as a staple in the admissions process at Rotman because we think it’s a fantastic opportunity for you as a candidate to really showcase your personality early on in the admissions process. Video responses allow you to virtually put yourself in right in front of the admissions committee even before your interview. These questions are focused on your interests, experiences and values and don’t require you to prepare in advance. We’re also continuing with the timed written response on Kira as well. Our goals when we introduced the timed written response were to understand more about how you communicate, both in terms of ability and style. We also wanted to simulate a realistic writing environment and use this to see how you would write an email in 10 minutes or less.

Early applications have been coming in over the last month and we have been really impressed so far. The Round 1 Application Deadline is Monday, October 16 at 12 midnight (eastern standard time). We look forward to reviewing your application!

Class of 2019 – Profile

Posted on September 6, 2017 by jamieyoung

Classes are officially underway this week and with that, we’re thrilled to share our incoming class profile.

This year’s class is among the most diverse classes ever at Rotman. 70% of incoming MBA candidates were born outside of Canada representing 51 countries. We are also incredibly proud to report 40% female students in the program for the first time ever at Rotman! As the saying goes, you learn as much from your peers in b-school as anything else. And via program kick off last week and the pre-program courses, it’s already very clear that this group is really going to complement one another well.

With applications rising nearly 30% this year, getting into Rotman is more competitive than ever and this group is impressive by any measure. What’s always hard to capture are the stories behind each of these 350 incredible people. The academic backgrounds range from aeronautical engineering to orthopedic surgery and corporate law. Some have already been published, and others hold patents. Many have already started companies, served on boards, and founded social ventures. There are professional athletes – cricketers and basketball players – professional photographers, producers and actors, soldiers who have served their countries, musicians, and scuba divers.

By the Numbers

Our GMAT average climbed slightly to 665 (+3), while the GRE average remained steady at 313. The GPA average also increased from 3.4 to 3.5 and years of work experience rose marginally by .2.

● GMAT Average = 665; GMAT Median = 680
● GRE Average = 313; GRE Median = 316
● GPA Average = 3.5; GPA Median = 3.5
● Average Years Work Experience: 4.3

Because class profiles are often viewed through the prospective student lens as a proxy for what admissions committees look for, we always encourage everyone to review the full ranges for GMAT, GPA, work experience, etc. This framing more accurately captures our holistic focus in admissions and hopefully serves as a helpful reminder (especially to anyone thinking of applying) that nobody is the average.

Despite the beautiful end of summer weather here in Toronto, our team is already traveling the world to meet with top talent for our next class. Have a look at our schedule of events here to see when we will be in your area!

These Colombians chose Rotman for their MBA: Find out why

Posted on January 12, 2017 by leighgauthier

There are many reasons why students choose Rotman for their MBA. In this post, we’d like to focus on our dynamic group of Colombians in the Class of 2018. Here’s what they’re saying:

“I think Rotman really sets itself apart with its integrated approach to teaching and its concentration on design thinking. Plus, half the students are international students, and the program is located in a mega-diverse city with lots of opportunities to network and experience cultural diversity. All of this makes for a very compelling and interesting program.” ~ Andres Afanador

“Debido que mi objetivo post-MBA es Mercados Capitales, escogí Rotman porque estoy seguro que es la mejor escuela de negocios que me puede preparar y guiar en este proceso, como también su gran reputación con todas las instituciones financieras en Canadá. A sí mismo, Rotman está localizada en el centro de Toronto, una de las mejores ciudades para vivir en el mundo, ofreciendo diversidad cultural, restaurantes, vida nocturna, y el tercer centro financiero de Norte América.” ~ Alejandro Fuentes Tapias

“One of Rotman’s main objectives is to have women comprise 40% of the student body by the year 2020. In addition to attracting more women to the MBA, the Rotman has created an atmosphere that allows us to take advantage of available opportunities and be more ambitious in our career objectives. It has opened a Men’s Business Chapter within the Women’s Business Club to discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and to develop strategies for increasing work equality.”~ Juliana Luque

“Escogí el MBA de Rotman por su fuerte enfoque en finanzas y gerencia, los programas de autodesarrollo y la estrecha relación con las empresas más prestigiosas del país. Estas características ofrecen una oportunidad integrada para crecer profesional y personalmente. Rotman está situado en la ciudad más multicultural y diversa del mundo y al mismo tiempo el lugar más incluyente en el que he estado. Lo que proporciona un escenario internacional perfecto donde el poder de unir conocimiento de todo el mundo y diferentes formas de pensar permiten desarrollar una visión empresarial global.” ~ Jorge Pyco

Get to know the calibre of the Class of 2018 Colombians by checking out their profiles below:

Alejandro Fuentes Tapias

Montserrat Zarama Gonzalez

Silene Patricia Gomez Angulo

Andres Afanador

Jorge Pyco

Let us know if you see yourself in the Class of 2019 and request a pre-application meeting to find out more!

Tips to “unlock” the admissions essay

Posted on October 7, 2016 by jamieyoung

Each year, we post a few tips to “unlock” the admissions essay. Many of you have reached about this year’s essay and asked for advice on how to approach our new question. So, here it is …

Essay Question: When you reflect 10 years from now, how will you measure your MBA experience? (500 words)

Completing the MBA is a big decision. At this stage in the application process, you should be thinking about how your dream school and MBA Program fits within the larger picture of your life. This year’s essay question is about your values – how are you going to measure your MBA? Broadening the scope of the question to consider your perspective 10 years from now is important because it prompts a meaningful reflection where you will dive deep, beyond your immediate professional goals. So, in many ways, this is actually an evolution of last year’s essay where we asked applicants to state your professional goals and how you plan to achieve them. Our hope with this essay question is that you will not only be able to share a thoughtful response with us but, you will also develop a greater understanding of yourself in the process. And, of course, you already know this but there is no right or wrong answer. We’d rather see a thoughtful response that is authentic.

We look forward to reading your essay.

Class of 2019 application is live

Posted on September 22, 2016 by jamieyoung

What’s changed? Our essay question – this year we are asking you to reflect back 10 years after completing your MBA and share with us how you will measure your MBA experience at that point in time. We also increased the word limit from 250 to 500. Our hope in extending the word limit is that you will have even more freedom to express yourself in an authentic way. Tips to "unlock" the admissions essay coming soon …

What’s new? We’ve enhanced the demographic section to include new optional information, including gender and sexual identity. For all of these new optional demographic questions on the admissions application, providing responses will be voluntary, optional, and will not impact admission decisions. Providing the LGBTQ+ community with the option to self-identify supports the University’s priorities of creating an inclusive and welcoming campus environment and this was an important area for improvement. We’ve also included opportunities to share your relationship to Toronto, and if you are applying with your life partner/spouse.

The rest is carried forward from last year. What we are looking for has not changed. Intellectual horsepower, experience and impact, communications and presence, and what we call ‘spike’ factor. The video response is still a trademark of the Rotman application and last year’s application innovation – the timed written response – was an effective assessment tool that we are excited to continue with.

Although we had an incredible summer in Toronto and the weather continues to be kind to us, our team has already been out traveling the globe spreading the word about Rotman. Be sure to check out our events page to see when we are visiting a region near you.

Class of 2018 – Profile

Posted on August 29, 2016 by jamieyoung

They’re here! The class of 2018 is officially 4 days into orientation at Rotman and the energy at 105 St. George is incredible.

More of a ‘deep dive’ on this class profile in coming weeks. Here are just a couple of highlights:

This is the most internationally diverse cohort to date. 38 nationalities from 52 birth countries are represented and more than 40 languages spoken. Together, this class has a wonderful opportunity to learn from one another and develop a global mindset – even more so when you consider the collective penchant for travel that this group shares!

We are also exceptionally proud to welcome 118 women into the program, this is the highest number of incoming women in any Rotman class to date. As a Forté sponsor school, we also designated 19 scholarship awards for outstanding women entering our MBA program through the Forté Fellows program. The narrative here – we are attracting more top women talent to our MBA program (29% in the class of 2015, 32% in the class of 2016, 32% in the class of 2017 and now 34% in the class of 2018). This positive trajectory is a sign of real progress. Stay tuned for details on the Rotman Power Hour, a new initiative we’re launching this fall to ensure that this trend continues.

Finally, at Rotman, we screen for something that we call ‘Spike Factor’. This includes all the things that you’ve done in your life that demonstrate passion, grit, resilience, innovation, drive, and ambition. So, while the age, years of work experience, GMAT and GPA all remain about the same in the class profile year-over-year, there are so many amazing stories behind the numbers. A sample of ‘Spike Factors’ from this year’s class includes a ranch owner who managed over 5,700 acres, a Professional Poker Player who competed in the World Series of Poker and on the World Poker Tour, a 4-time world champion in equestrian, a serial entrepreneur who founded not one but two successful mining/prospecting companies in Brazil, a policy advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, a professional golfer, and published authors!

This class is poised to achieve remarkable things.

– Jamie

Hi, I’m Jamie Young.

Posted on March 2, 2016 by jamieyoung

I am the new Director of Recruitment & Admissions for the Full-Time MBA Program at the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto – and I couldn’t be happier to be here. In fact, I chose to move across Canada to be here. One of the biggest reasons why I decided to join Rotman was because of its reputation as one of the most innovative b-schools in the MBA space and I am thrilled to use my first blog post not only to introduce myself but also to share a Program innovation that has just been confirmed.

Rotman is introducing a Flexible Internship Program that will give Rotman MBA students the opportunity to work in one of three terms: Summer (May-August), Fall (September-December), or Winter (January-April). Traditionally internships have only been available in the summer term. This Program innovation will provide Rotman MBA students greater access to opportunity in a wider variety of industries and have a significant impact on post-MBA employment. The Flexible Internship Program builds on the experiential learning component of the internship – a core part of the Rotman experience – and integrates this with three critical pillars of our program: Rotman’s intensive focus on self-development, our globally recognized faculty, and one of the largest Career Centres in North America with a dedicated team of career coaches assigned to individual students. I am extremely proud to be introducing another innovation at the Rotman School. The Flexible Internship Program is a game-changer!

I look forward to sharing many more updates with you and am very excited to work together on your MBA Journey!

Rotman Admissions Blog

Tips and Advice from Full-Time MBA Admissions Team