Tag Archives: Admissions

Rolling Vs. Rounds: Timing Your MBA Application

Posted on by
Reply

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!

Tips to “unlock” the admissions essay

Posted on by
1

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

Posted on by
1

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.

Missed the Open House in October? No problem!

Posted on by
2

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!

Is 2014 the ideal year to pursue your MBA? Time to start your research!

Posted on by
Reply

DSC_9140If you’d like to start your MBA in 2014, this time around is the right time to start your research. Think it’s too early? Not really! All of the top tier business schools have already released their round deadlines and published their revised application processes. For Rotman, we have already announced our new essay questions.

Of course, targeting the right business schools is not limited to just the application process and rankings. There are many factors you should consider. Ask yourself: Why do I want to do an MBA at this point in my life? As an admissions professional, I can assure you figuring out the reason will help you with at least one of the essay questions to any business school.

When you ponder your reasons, you should think about your career. The MBA is a professional degree and will significantly improve your employment prospects. Think about what you have learned so far in your roles to date and determine if there is a gap — will your current role take you where you want to go? If the answer is no, I’d say it’s time to pursue an MBA to enhance your technical knowledge, improve your leadership capacity, and demonstrate you have the hard and soft skills necessary for senior level positions.

You can initiate your research online, but by no means should you limit yourself to only the websites of your target business schools. Always keep in mind: the most effective networks are developed in-person! All good business schools are quite active on campus and around the world. Even if you are not located in the same city where your dream business school is located, you can still meet with someone from the admissions team. At the Rotman School, we make sure all of our events around the world are published well before the actual date. Please take a minute to browse our events page to see if we will be in your neighborhood. If you see an attractive event, go ahead and register!

For those of you who are located in the GTA, or will be visiting us in the near future, I cannot emphasize the importance of booking a pre-application meeting enough. A one-hour meeting can help you get to know the school, understand the program you are considering better, and build your relationship with the person who might be reviewing your application — attending an information session is a great way to leave the admissions team with a positive impression! Furthermore, these meetings are the best venues to discuss your candidacy and identify potential growth areas to strengthen your application. This way, you can clarify all the admissions related concerns so that you can have more time for more in-depth questions during the admissions interview.

We also conduct meetings via Skype so that our candidates living outside of the GTA, or who don’t have the opportunity to visit us in person, can still take advantage of this great opportunity.

Last but not least, you should seek our students’ insight to complement your research! Take a look at this great article on Financial Times by one of our incoming students Alexandra Fitzgerald. She has some great advice for you.