This past weekend we welcomed 88 prospective and incoming students to campus for the Rotman Problem Solving Challenge. Competitors traveled from far and wide to solve an unstructured, real-world business problem on wearable technology in the realm of education.  After releasing the challenge question in January, we asked participants to submit a written essay.  The top scorers were shortlisted and asked to present their ideas via skype, were graded on that as well, and then invited to attend the two-day intensive teamwork portion of the competition. Here is a recap of the Problem Solving Challenge weekend.

The ambitious cohort arrived from 13 different countries bright and early on Friday morning. Having flown from as far as India, Vietnam, and Ukraine, everyone had a lot on the line. Mihnea Moldoveanu, Vice Dean, Full-Time MBA kicked off the competition with an insightful keynote on wearables, and so began the team-based portion of the challenge, to create a new wearable technology for the education sector. Participants had six and a half hours to work with a team of fellow Problem Solving Challenge participants (who they had just met earlier that day!) on the team component of the Challenge. At 5:00pm, it was a race against the clock to submit their hard work (with the admissions team cheering them on to the “Rocky” theme song, of course). With their presentations submitted it was time to unwind with a cocktail in the accompaniment of faculty, staff, and potential future classmates. But it wasn’t over yet. The following day, each team would present in front of a grueling panel of industry expert judges from firms including KPMG, Bain and Co., McKinsey and Co., Deloitte, BCG, Accenture, AT Kearney, and RBC.

The hopefuls suited up and came to impress on Saturday morning. You could cut the tension with a knife as the teams prepared to present their ideas and used every last second to review their slides and the key points they would highlight. Of 19 teams, only four would move on to the finals. When competitors weren’t presenting, there were a number of different activities happening on campus to get to know Rotman a bit better. We offered student-led tours of campus, a Q and A with our Managing Director, an introduction to Rotman’s Self Development Lab, a Career Centre drop-in hour, and “Get Your Quant On!”- a session designed to debunk the myth that b-school math is inaccessible to those without a quant background-  led by Kaptone Admissions Consulting. Two of our previous challenge winners also offered insight into Rotman and the MBA program. Following this discussion, it was time for the finals.

Ali Nawab, Founder and CEO of Kiwi Wearable Technologies, and Matthew Bailey, Co-Founder of Thalmic Labs, joined our Managing Director, Kevin Frey on the final judging panel. The top four teams had 30 minutes each to present their wearable ideas to fellow competitors and the judging panel featuring the best in the biz. Their innovative business ideas impressed our judges and they were all able to answer challenging questions backed by detailed research and statistics.

The awards ceremony and networking reception followed a long and trying two days and everyone seemed incredibly pleased with the experience, regardless of outcome. Awards included the grand prize of a full tuition scholarship ($90,000), a second place prize of $60,000, third $40,000, fourth $30,000, fifth $20,000. Prizes were also awarded for best written submission, best individual presentation, and the top four teams.

Saturday ended with a night out on the town with some of Rotman’s current students (no staff allowed!). On Sunday, for those who still had some energy, we arranged brunch with some of our alumni followed by a trip to Ripley’s Aquarium.

The Rotman Problem Solving Challenge was a huge success and we can’t wait for next year! We talked to some of our competitors about their thoughts on the weekend. Here’s what they told us:

Q: “What did you learn about Rotman this weekend?”
A: “I learned a lot about team work, diversity, and solving large complex problems. This gave us a taste of what it will be like in the MBA program.”

Q: “How does it feel to have won a prize in the Rotman Problem Solving Challenge”
A: “It feels incredible! It was amazing to have gone from an idea to a fully-formed product and proposal in six hours”

Q: “What was your favourite part of the weekend?”
A: “Meeting really unique individuals and finding some commonalities and working together to create an amazing product and to be able to be confident about that product and present together as a team”
A: “Getting to know my future classmates on a personal level and working on a fun problem!”

If you are a prospective student considering Rotman for the Sep 2016 intake, stay tuned next January for the opportunity to participate in the next edition of the Rotman Problem Solving Challenge!

It is almost a rule of thumb for vast majority of MBA candidates to pursue a career in “Consulting” and/or “Investment Banking” after the MBA.  These careers are amazing, hands down! However given the competitive nature of these industries and the number of jobs available out there, it may not be the ideal to limit your future career to these industries. The MBA is pursued by more and more diverse group of individuals and the diverse experience being brought to the table makes the post-MBA job market quite interesting.

I am sure 5 years ago, if I asked a candidate to consider a career in sales, they would think I was joking. However today, there are amazing career paths within global organizations for those who pursue a career in business development and sales. Some of the companies that recruit for sales roles at Rotman are Salesforce, GlaxoSmithKline, Microsoft, Procter and Gamble and Infosys. When you look at the industries these companies represent, it is obvious that “sales” is a hot career in every industry.

As a candidate you might be wondering how you can assess your skills and decide if you are a good fit to pursue a career in business development and sales.    

Let’s start with these quick questions:

• Do you have a strong internal drive and enjoy high levels of autonomy?
• Are you results oriented?
• Do you have a proven track record?
• Do you enjoy taking ownership of projects and tasks?
• Do you consider yourself a good conflict manager who finds solutions to complex problems or cross-functional team conflicts?
• Do you have excellent people skills?
• Can you show empathy? Are you able to put yourself in others’ shoes?
• Do you have a positive attitude?
• Do you work well under pressure?
• Are you confident enough to prepare and pitch strategic business ideas?Do you have strong presentation skills? Can you influence others?
• Are you motivated by exceeding expectations?
• Do you have a sales mind?Are you good at business development?
• Are you social media savvy?

If  you have answered most of these questions YES, then you might have a very good career in business development and sales-according to our career coaches. 🙂 As you can see from this mini questionnaire, a career in sales requires great soft skills, and these soft skills become more crucial as you climb up the leadership leader. You can start out as an inside/outside sales professional and make yourself up to the CEO level.

How can we help those who are interested in a career in business development and sales? At Rotman we have many resources at your disposal. Soft skills while crucial in any role; when it comes to sales, you have to go above and beyond and have top notch people skills. Our Self-Development Lab (SDL) is probably one of the best resources to develop/hone soft skills along with the SDL, electives in marketing such as Sales Management and Marketing will help you improve your technical skills. The Capstone Project at the end of the first year will allow you to practice a wide range of soft and technical skills including your pitching skills to a suite of top level executives at well-known organizations.

Another amazing resource our students take advantage of is our incredible alumni in the field. They are always happy to share their insight and help out.

Last but not least, if you are interested in a career in business development and sales, I’d highly recommend Daniel Pink’s “To Sell is Human”, great book to explore further the world of a sales.

As always, please let us know if we can assist you with anything, looking forward to meeting you at a future event!

The Rotman Problem Solving Challenge (RPSC) provides you with another opportunity to demonstrate your talent beyond the traditional admission criteria.  I judged individual presentations in 2013 and can say that your performance at the RPSC could improve your chances of admission.  Your impression at the RPSC also shapes your Rotman reputation.  So, how do you make the most of this opportunity?  And how do you impress the judges?

In true Rotman fashion the Rotman network is here for you. In this blog post I am happy to share advice from two past participants and two judges.  Jonathan Weir and Michael McVety both competed in the 2013 RPSC, now serve as executives on the student-run Rotman Management Consulting Association industry club and will be judges at this year’s RPSC.

Round 1 Essay Submission:  Last year, we found that average submissions remained general, stated the obvious and lacked clear structure.  While, better papers provided specifics, insight and structure.

As Jonathan reflected on his experience at the RPSC before he joined Rotman he realized “the challenge is that you’re not used to applying a structured approach to thinking about problems where you create models with assumptions and test them.”  He says “it’s like exercising a muscle that you’ve never used before.”

For the submission, he suggests to “go with what you know” because “insightfulness comes from authenticity.”  It is best to leverage your personal/professional experience and contacts to generate ideas and resources instead of researching everything online.  This makes for a more authentic paper.

Michael’s pointers on the submission include:

• Check your work for spelling and grammar errors to ensure a professional first impression
• Take a stance, let your opinion stand out and build a case/logic for it
• Don’t be afraid to allow your submission to show your personal flavor/brand – This could be from the boldness of your claim or references to your own experiences, for example

Round 2 Individual Presentations:  If you make it to round 2, we will ask you to present highlights of your paper over Skype.  Michael advises:

• You want to be well prepared but not rehearsed so that you are flexible enough to handle questions during your presentation
• Remember to be aware of associated risks and alternatives to your position and able to address them while focusing on your opinion

Final Round Team Presentation:  At the RPSC weekend, Rotman will place you in a team to compete in the final round.  First year student, Nicole Dong, who competed in last year’s RPSC suggests that you manage your group time well and allocate time to understand strengths, brainstorm ideas, choose a direction, execute a plan – and stick to it.  When interacting with people and group members Jonathan takes responsibility and says that “the onus is on you to find out what other people’s strengths are.”  He tries not to make assumptions and is always pleasantly surprised when he pushes himself to learn about others.

You will have to present as a group and answer the presentation judges’ questions which requires cohesiveness.  Michael reminds you that “You will be judged as a group and during Q&A; it’s best if you can have one member of your team answer a question versus multiple people on the team trying to offer thoughts.”

To get the most out of the experience, Michael suggests that you “think of RPSC less as a competition and more as an opportunity to begin to develop yourself, to see who you’ll be working with at Rotman and to get inspired about the MBA environment.”

Vanessa Valenzuela competed last year and was one of the prize winners.  She echoes Michael’s comment:  “While the prizes are appealing and definitely something to strive for, the important take away from the weekend should be to meet your future potential classmates, network with other professionals and really learn as much as you can about the Rotman experience and way of thinking.  Challenge yourself to meet as many people as possible and remember that it’s all about having a great time and learning a new way to think!”

I hope that this insight helps as you work on your paper.  For even more support, Rotman Coaches will host two more learning labs.  These live webinars provide a great forum to have your questions answered.

I wish you luck with your submission and hope you make it to the final round!

Happy new year! As many of you finalize your applications in time for the round 2 admission deadline you might be thinking, “is there anything else I can do to improve my chances of getting in?” Or perhaps you were already admitted and are eager to get a head-start on the Rotman experience. To cater to those interests and give prospective and incoming students the opportunity to experience Rotman’s unique model-based problem solving approach in action, we are excited to announce for the third year, the Rotman Problem Solving Challenge! Here is a clip of some current Rotman students talking about their experience participating in the Rotman Problem Solving Challenge:

Beyond the great opportunities and benefits that Michael, Viral, Jonathan and Alex mentioned, some other things you can expect during this year’s Rotman Problem Solving Challenge Weekend:

• Networking opportunities with current Rotman students, industry professionals and Rotman alumni
• The opportunity to win a scholarship such as full tuition to the Rotman Full-Time MBA program
• Experience Toronto with your future classmates

Stay tuned to the Rotman Problem Solving Challenge website in the next few weeks for complete details on:

• The big, messy, unstructured problem that prospective and incoming students will be tackling
• Judging Panel
• Key dates and deadlines
• When registration is open (while you can see the registration button the page now, it is not live yet. Not to worry; we will announce when we will begin accepting entries!)

Good luck with your submissions and looking forward to seeing you on campus!

One of the most frequently asked questions we get from our international applicants is around language proficiency tests. Here are some general guidelines to follow about our requirements and what you may need to submit as part of your supplementary documentation:

1) If you have studied at a University in a country where English is not the primary language of the country (so not the US, UK, etc) but where English is the primarily language of instruction at the University and your exams and textbooks were in English, then you can request a letter from your University to be sent to our office indicating as such. Once we receive that letter from your school, we may waive the language requirement for you.

2) If you have not studied at a University where English is the primary language of instruction then you need to submit proof of language as outlined below. We will accept any one of the following tests/certificates:
TOEFL: Rotman’s minimum score is 100 on the iBT with a minimum of 22 in speaking and writing.  Your TOEFL score must not be older than 2 years. Our TOEFL code is: 0982.
IELTS: Please ensure that you are taking the Academic version of the IELTS test, as this is the only one we are able to accept. Rotman’s minimum requirement is an overall score of 7 or higher with no component below a 6.5. Like the TOEFL, your IELTS score must not be older than 2 years. Please note that you will need to contact IELTS directly and have them mail a hard copy of your official test scores to the Admissions Office.
School of Continuing Studies (at the University of Toronto): The English Language Program (ELP) at the School of Continuing Studies offers at 12 week course which must be completed in full. Students must achieve a final grade of B in Level 60. Once the course has been completed, a certificate of completion will need to be submitted to our office.

As always, if you have any questions about language proficiency, you can always get in touch with us and we’d be happy to help you out!

Please note: The University of Toronto will be closed for the holiday break beginning on December 22, 2014 and will re-open on January 5, 2015.

Rotman has always had a strong presence in the non-profit sector but this year we’ve taken things up to an exciting new level with the introduction of the “Rotman Onboard” Fellows Program.

This program is offered to our second-year students and matches them with a Toronto-based non-profit (or charity) board for a six month fellowship. In this capacity, our students act as non-voting members of the organizations’ boards, serve on advisory committees and complete a strategic governance project based on each organizations’ needs. Each student also gets paired with a board mentor and faculty advisor to help them along in their fellowship.

This year, our students will be joining the following organizations:

• Schools Without Borders
• The Sick Kids Foundation
• The Greater Toronto Civic Action Alliance
• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Evergreen
• Ladies Learning Code
• AIESEC
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto
• The National Ballet of Canada

How exciting is this, eh?

In addition to Rotman Onboard, our students have a variety of other ways they are getting involved in the non-profit sector as well:

• Net Impact– Rotman student club focused on using business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.
• Rotman Outreach– Rotman student club focused on volunteerism and philanthropy in the community.
• Rotman Nexus– A consulting firm locating in the Rotman building, run by our students and alumni and overseen by executives in the Toronto business community, which specializes in consulting engagements for the non-profit sector.

We are very proud of the impact our students and alumni have had on their communities and can’t wait to see how the non-profit sector continues to evolve in Toronto through our students’ contributions!

It seems like we just started our recruitment season for the fall 2015 intake but our Round 1 deadline crept up on us last week.  If you are among the many strong students who applied for this Round, congratulations!  You will have your decision from our Admissions Committee before the end of this year.  However, if you are one of the students who could not get their applications pulled together for Round 1, here are three tips to get your organized (and submitted!) for Round 2.

1. Order your transcripts from any university level studies you have completed up to now.  This is probably the easiest thing you can do and it often takes the longest, especially for international students.  A reminder that your university must send us your transcripts directly in a sealed envelope in order for transcripts to be considered official.

2. Talk to your references.  If they are dragging their feet on submitting your reference letters, you can let them know that this application process is time sensitive.  Reminding them that the forms are completed on line and done so very quickly may also help to get them moving.  Lastly, don’t forget to remind them that your application to Rotman is important and you will need a strong reference from them to help your candidacy.

3. Write your essays one at a time.  Have them proof read by someone you trust once all of them are complete.  Coming up with 250 words is not a problem but getting your thoughts organized and fitting everything you want to say into 250 words can be challenging.  Take the essay portion of the application one essay at a time so that it is less daunting. Get your ideas into point form and then fill in the blanks.  Once you have written something you are happy with, share the essays with a friend, colleague or partner.  Feedback is important and it will help you with the finishing touches.

Our Round 2 deadline will be January 12, 2015.

Don’t let this deadline creep up on you like Round 1 did!  As you work on your applications, do not hesitate to reach out to our Admissions Team.  We are here to help!  Remember that we review applications on a rolling basis so the sooner you apply the better your chances of getting in – and getting an entrance award – will be!

Good luck and we look forward to reviewing your applications soon!

I love the fall for a number of reasons – cooler temperatures, the leaves changing colours, hot chocolate – but the most important reason is because I get to travel around the world, attend some pretty amazing events (QS and The MBA Tour host lots of fairs, panels, and presentations), and meet incredibly talented candidates, like yourself, who are looking for more information about our MBA program.

Today we thought to share how to make the most of your time at the MBA fairs/events you’ll be attending. Here are a few pieces of advice:

1. Spend some time introducing yourself.  When attending these events, take a few moments to introduce yourself to us. We’d love to know more about your background and how you’ll be able to contribute to your future class at Rotman, and once we know more about you, we can better answer your questions too!

2. Ask the right questions. After taking a few moments to introduce yourself, start delving into questions about how Rotman can help your further your career and achieve your goals. Here are some examples of questions: What role does the Career Centre play in helping students find jobs? How would you describe the social aspect of student life at Rotman? What sort of leadership development programs are available to students? What resources are available to students interested in entrepreneurship? Can prospective candidates set up a class visit?

3. Make an impression! In addition to an engaging in a meaningful conversation, you’ll want to make an impression. I’ve seen students do this in a number of ways, like establishing great eye contact, having a strong handshake, telling a memorable story, bringing a hard copy of their resume, or exchanging business cards.

4. Do your homework. Showing that you know a bit, or a lot, about Rotman indicates that you’re serious about doing your MBA and are ready to take the next step in your research.

5. Dress to impress. There’s no need to buy a new suit for an event, but make sure you put your best foot forward by wearing appropriate clothing so that you appear poised and professional. Track pants are great for the gym but not for an MBA fair.

6. Most importantly, be yourself! We are excited to hear your story and your goals. Letting the real “you” shine through means we can best help you achieve your goals through the MBA- And we will eagerly share more information with you about how Rotman can help you advance your career.

I hope this advice is helpful in preparing for our upcoming events, both on campus and off. For more tips, you may also want to check out the official blog of The MBA Tour. Also, don’t forget about our Open House on Saturday, October 18, 2014. To register for the event, click here.

It’s that time of year! The leaves are turning, the mercury is dropping, and the U of T campus is buzzing once again.  It’s fall, which means our annual Rotman Open House is just around the corner!

On Saturday, October 18^th, Rotman opens its doors for the biggest and most exciting school-wide event of the year. A captivating exhibit of all Rotman programs, the Open House provides prospective students with the opportunity to meet staff, students, alumni, and faculty in an interactive showcase of everything Rotman. Featured this year will be welcoming remarks by our new Dean, Tiff Macklem, a keynote address by Associate Dean Mihnea Moldoveanu, and a jam-packed agenda of sample classes, panel discussions, and info sessions. Current students will be available to answer your questions and provide insight into life at Rotman, a panel of Alumni will fill you in on their MBA experiences, and the Career Centre invites you to drop by to meet coaches and advisors. Kevin Frey, Managing Director of the Full-Time MBA is hosting a coffee chat and we’ll have trading simulations running all day in the BMO Trading Lab. If that’s not enough to get you to Rotman on a crisp fall day, wait ‘til you hear this: you’ll have a chance to take a class- a real, live, Rotman class with real, live, Rotman instructors! Maja Djikic, Director of the Self Development Lab will give you a 45-minute intro to the Self-Management module that will leave you wanting more. You’ll have a blast with Mark Leung, Director, DesignWorks at his interactive class on Business Design, and Associate Prof. Walid Hejazi will blow your mind when he tells you about the ROI on your MBA. Associate Prof. Bernardo Blum will give you a sneak peek into Rotman’s unique approach to model-based decision making. Prof. Alexander Dyck will teach a finance class entitled “Does Private Equity Create Value?”, and Associate Prof. Tiziana Casciaro will deliver “Competent Jerks, Lovable Fools and Social Networks in the Workplace”. Intrigued? That’s not all, but I won’t give away the farm. Stay tuned for our full agenda.

The Admissions team will be in attendance and available to answer any questions about the program, the school, and the application process. Drop by our table outside Desautels Hall to speak to one of them. Our joint programs will also have an information table, and Quantum Test Prep, The Princeton Review, and U of T’s School of Continuing Studies will have advice for those who haven’t written their GMAT yet. If you have questions about financial aid or our loan programs, that’ll be available too.

The Open House is a must-attend for anyone considering Rotman. Don’t miss out on the chance to experience the School first-hand. Whether you stop by for an hour or the whole day, it will be worth your while.

Register now and we’ll see you on October 18^th!