Rd 1 Updates and Getting Ready for Rotman Rd 2

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.

  1. 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!
  2. 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

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

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!

 

Tips to “unlock” the admissions essay

JamieEach 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

Jamie
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.

Rotman’s 2016 Intake – Application is Open!

Niki da SilvaWe are officially live with all components of the 2016 application for Rotman’s full-time MBA Program!  Our team is already out travelling the world to meet prospective applicants for our next class (Fall 2016 intake) and with the Round 1 deadline next month so it seemed like the right time to share some background on what you can expect from the Rotman application this year.  We have five official deadline dates as follows:

  • Round 1: October 19, 2015 (Decision by December 18, 2015)
  • Round 2: January 11, 2016 (Decision by February 26, 2016)
  • Round 3: February 29, 2016 (Decision by April 15, 2016)
  • Round 4: April 18, 2016 (Decision by May 20, 2016)
  • Round 5: May 30, 2106 (Decision by June 24, 2016)

We are excited to introduce an innovation in our process this year with a timed written response question alongside our two video questions.  We identified a need to find a tool to better assess the regular business-communication skills and ‘voice’ of our applicants.  We find a great deal of value in essays – which are reflective writing pieces, and also in the GMAT AWA – a component that showcases a candidate’s ability to dissect and discuss a topic.  These tools reflect some of the communication skills required for success in our Program, and in the business world broadly but we were missing an opportunity to see the more casual and real-time style our students use most frequently to write emails communicating with team members, professors, etc. and a style that they will carry forward in their careers.  There is no “right” answer to this component – our team is simply interested in better understanding this element of our applicant’s communication abilities.

So after sharing this rationale what is most pressing of course is how it actually works!  After completing their video questions, our candidates will receive one written response question (delivered via our video provider – Kira Talent).  The question will begin by providing some context to help explain why it is relevant for a Rotman student, and our applicants will have a total of 10 minutes to read and reply to the question.  This is not videotaped but is delivered ‘live’ with one opportunity to write/edit/submit.  Here’s an example of the type of question we are asking (obviously not one from our actual bank :))

  • Often prospective MBA candidates build strong relationships, primarily online, with the admissions office.  We encourage candidates to follow-up with the admissions team members they meet representing Rotman around the world.
    • Craft an email to the Rotman representative that you met at a recent MBA Fair reiterating your interest in the School and desire to stay connected.

As you can see – these are situational questions and there is no word limit.  As an applicant it will be your call to edit to the length that seems most appropriate.  We wanted to showcase the types of situations students encounter and prompt for the communication that would suit these interactions while being realistic about the amount of time a student would spend drafting something like this (again-a 10 minute maximum).

We are excited about this new component of the process and proud to be introducing an innovation to admissions this year.  We will be monitoring the results and feedback to see if this provides the added value we hope!

The admissions process is important as it is an opportunity to showcase your skills, background, goals and talents and we hope our applicants feel that this new component provides one more opportunity to display all of that.

Good luck and have fun!

 

Impact and Intiative at Rotman

Leigh Gauthier Director of Recruitment & Admissions for the Rotman Full-Time MBA programOn Monday February 2nd  the Women in Management Association (WIMA) student club at Rotman launched the annual WIMA Top 10. Along with our Dean and several other Canadian executives we gathered to celebrate the achievements of Rotman female alumni.

In the following categories we recognized 10 women who have made outstanding contributions in their field:

              • Business Industry
              • Entrepreneurship
              • Professional Services
              • Public Services
              • Social Impact

How did this all come about? Fourteen years ago, two women saw a gap in women in leadership at the school and decided to do something about it and founded WIMA. Fast forward to today, the WIMA executive saw a gap in recognizing and celebrating the many achievements of our female alumni and WIMA Top10 was born.

This type of leadership is natural for Rotman students; see a ‘problem’, take initiative, and solve it. When we review future applicants to the program we look for the same things. Where in your life have you seen a gap, an issue, or a problem and done something about it? A work example, an extracurricular example, even a personal one all count. The theory goes, if you’re wired this way to have an impact in one area in your life, the likelihood is that you will do it again and again.

WIMA Top 10 Award Winners with Dean Tiff Macklem

WIMA Top 10 Award Winners with Dean Tiff Macklem

Impact is an emerging theme at Rotman. Our Dean Tiff Macklem recently wrote that his vision for the next 5 years is focusing on this very thing. We’ve spent the last number of years with a phenomenal growth story, now we’re turning that into a growth and impact story. Our impact story is the impact of Rotman graduates around the world measured by their success in leading companies, starting companies, the value and jobs they create, the businesses they reinvent and the leadership they provide in society. Additionally, we mean the impact of Rotman thinking and scholarship at management and board tables around the world.

Start thinking about your impact story. Your resume, references, essays are all great ways to signal ways you’ve taken initiative and had an impact. Round 3 closes on March 02, 2015 and we’d love to see in your application what impact you’ve been having thus far in your life.

Leigh

Acting Director, Recruitment and Admissions

 

There is Still Time to Join Rotman THIS Fall!

Afro CruzIf you are anything like me, you sometimes (read as “often”) like to put things off until the last minute. Fortunately, this time it will be okay.

Each year, we continue to review applications after each of our deadlines pass.  As you can imagine, documents, essays and references trickle in and few are the people who finish applications in one shot. Our final application deadline this year will be June 2nd which means that you can apply right up until that deadline if you are a Permanent Resident or Canadian Citizen. Students requiring study visas should check with their visa office to see how long Canadian study permit processing may take.

If you have yet to write the GMAT and TOEFL tests, you can book a test for up to a week or two after our deadline and send us an unofficial test so after this deadline as we will still count them as on time.

Although our class is on the way to being filled, we still have some spots left and we also have scholarship money available for strong candidates.  In reviewing applications we will continue to look at things holistically and we will be granting entrance awards to stand out applicants.

If you are a late applicant or are still deciding of Rotman is right for you, please feel free to contact me and we can have a chat.  I am happy to help you put the finishing touches on an application that needs that push to the finish line!

Good luck!

Afrodite

acruz@rotman.utoronto.ca

416.978.8190

Round 3 Deadline and the Three Biggest Application Round “Myths”

Niki da SilvaToday is our official Round 3 application deadline! Submissions have been coming in all weekend and throughout the day, and we are looking forward to reviewing the latest wave of applications and are excited to see the incoming class coming together!

The “official” nature of deadlines should provide a target date to submit applications, but unfortunately also creates a number of myths and subsequent theoretical application strategies – so I wanted to take a moment to address some of the common questions we get surrounding deadlines and do a little “myth busting” 🙂 .

Myth #1 – There is an optimal deadline to “maximize your odds” of getting in.  NOT true! We do not have quotas, or targets, where we admit a certain percentage of the class at each Round.  Quite simply, we admit great talent when we see it, regardless of application deadline so there is significant variation in the number of offers made in each Round year-over-year.  The only exception to the general belief would be candidates with a very typical MBA profile.  If this statement is relevant to your case, applying early does give you a slight advantage as we do keep a close eye on class diversity for core criteria like nationality, industry, and undergraduate background. But ultimately, we have a number of different Round deadlines running as late as June precisely because we know we will have capacity, make offers, and continue to see great candidates throughout the year!

Myth #2 – I have to apply by Round 2 to get a scholarship.  FALSE! Although applying in early Rounds gives you a slighly greater opportunity at all awards (because the entire scholarship budget will still be open) but just as we continue to make offers throughout the cycle, and we do continue to make offers with scholarships as well.  The other thing to remember about overthinking the timing of your application for scholarship purposes is that the scholarship process is quite fluid – we extend offers throughout the year but if (for some strange reason :)) a candidate declined our offer we would extend that funding to a candidate that is equally competitive at the time the funding becomes available again.  So to be very clear – we absolutely make offers in Rounds 3, 4 and usually even our final Round with funding.

Myth #3 – I must apply on a Deadline date for my application to be processed.  NOT true!  Despite operating on a Rounds basis, we do process applications as they are received here at Rotman.  So we do receive the vast majority of applications surrounding deadline dates, and the benefit of submitting during this pre-determined timing is the corresponding guaranteed decision date.  However, when an application arrives between deadlines we begin assessing it within days, and a decision is typically reached in 6-8 weeks as an absolute maximum. So there is no real downside of submitting between deadlines, and a nice option for candidates who had an unexpected delay impact their ability to exactly meet a deadline, and hopefully some encouragement to hit submit as soon as your application is ready.

I hope this post is helpful in debunking some of the more common, and all incorrect “myths” surrounding the application process. I firmly believe anything we can do to increase the transparency of the admissions experience is a positive step in encouraging the right candidates to apply, and ultimately to submit the very best application possible!  On that note, we will look forward to seeing your application on, before, or after, the R4 deadline!

 

Missed the Open House in October? No problem!

Michael Moses - Assistant Director, Recruitment & AdmissionsThis past October we invited prospective students to come to Rotman for a serious of sample lectures and information sessions on doing an MBA and doing so at Rotman.

We realize that many people who might be interested in Rotman weren’t able to attend while others who did attend may wish to review the lectures they sat in on during the open house. So we now offer lectures from the day (along with the slides from the lectures) to you for free online!

 

To view any session, click on each of the links below. The sessions are as follows

Self-Development Lab

-Dr. Maja Djikic, the director of the Self-Development Lab, speaks on what it is and the services it offers students (for free!). Click here to learn more about the lab as well.

The Value of the MBA

-Niki da Silva, Rotman’s Director of Recruitment & Admissions talks to the benefits of doing an MBA generally, and the benefits of doing an MBA at Rotman, specifically.

DesignWorks

-Mark Leung, Director of Rotman DesignWorks, explains how business design works and how it can be leveraged to solve real-world business problems. Click here to learn more about DesignWorks and here for more on business design in the Rotman curriculum.

The Capstone

-This is the final term of the first year of the Rotman MBA curriculum where students participate in “live cases.” Professor Mara Lederman explains how these cases work and how they are integrated into the Rotman curriculum.

MBA Current Students Panel

-Students in their first and second years of study talk to their experience at Rotman and answer questions. This session was moderated by Claire Gumus, one of Rotman’s Assistant Directors of Recruitment & Admissions.

So if you are doing your MBA school research over the holiday season, take a look at any of the above sample classes- they will be sure to help in your decision making process

As Niki noted in her blog post last week, we are closed until Jan 5 2014, reopening on Jan 6 2014 at 9am. Have a wonderful and safe holiday season and see you in 2014!