Smith
Smith has made a name for itself among business schools for its emphasis on technology. The school's core curriculum works information technology lessons into nearly every one of its classes, and students can tailor their general management education to concentrate in topics including electronic commerce, e-service, information systems, and supply chain management.
One tangible example of the school's technology focus is its Netcentricity Laboratory, or "Net Lab," which Smith has built as a proving ground and learning environment for functions including e-commerce and supply chain management. Students use models and simulations to learn the nuances of these systems in a series of e-business lab courses. The lab is sponsored by industry heavyweights including Oracle, Sun, and Reuters, and features their technologies prominently. The Net Lab also contains a Financial Markets Lab—modeled after a Wall Street trading floor—which gives students a chance to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-time financial decisions. Naturally, the more you can speak with passion about the importance of technology in your career path, the better fit you will demonstrate in your Smith application.
Speaking of Wall Street, the school also has a real-money portfolio called the Mayer Fund, which is run by 10-12 second-year Smith students. Founded in 1993, the fund gives students a chance to manage a portfolio worth more than $1 million. The fund is a great chance for aspiring money managers to get their feet wet and gain exposure to the top executives who make up the fund’s external board of directors. If you are interested in finance, consider discussing your interest in the Financial Markets Lab or the Mayer Fund in your application.
Another example of hands-on learning at Smith is its MBA Consulting Project, a required course for all second-year students. Teams of students work to earn credit toward their MBA while consulting for major corporations and government agencies. This is a unique feature of the Smith MBA and one that the school feels sets it apart. Even if you're not interested in consulting, make sure that you demonstrate enthusiasm for the real-world lessons that this program provides. In fact, if you're not a consultant, emphasizing the appeal of this program may help your application stand out even more, as long as it's consistent with the rest of your story.
Smith students and grads describe the school's culture as being very cooperative. Teamwork figures into a lot of what students do, both in traditional classes and the school's Experiential Learning Modules that augment students' skills in areas such as communications and strategic business analysis. Accordingly, be sure to frame your past successes as instances of team success wherever possible in order to demonstrate fit with the program. And while leadership isn't talked about as much at Smith as at other schools, any examples you can provide to bolster your leadership dimension will help you stand out from the pack.
Like other schools with lower yield percentages, Smith is careful about selecting candidates who are truly interested in its program. Demonstrating your knowledge of the school, and especially your enthusiasm for its focus on technology and entrepreneurship, will help you make your case that Smith is where you want to be.
Smith is very committed to entrepreneurship, and its Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship is a major hub for start-up activity in the Washington, D.C., region, giving entrepreneurs access to experienced mentors and potential investors. If you are serious about entrepreneurship, look closely at the school's Dingman and Lamone Scholarships. Students are selected based on their entrepreneurship experience, desire to start a business after business school, and their start-up ideas. They receive personal mentoring and business plan advice from experienced entrepreneurs in the Dingman Center. In exchange, Dingman and Lamone Scholars volunteer at the center, offering their own advice to others and running educational seminars in entrepreneurship and networking. Think about this program if you plan on starting your own business, especially on the East Coast, where Dingman's reputation is strongest. |