It is not too late to apply for MBA to begin in January 2009

We are still accepting applications for the Walton MBA program to begin in January 2009. We will accept late applications through the end of November. Classes will begin January 12 and Orientation is January 5-9 and is MANDATORY. Application materials must be complete before an applicant can be considered. Complete packets include:

application
application fee
official transcripts
resume
essays (2)
letters of recommendation (3)
GMAT or GRE test score

If you are interested in beginning the MBA in January, you do still have time to apply. Please contact me immediately to indicate your interest. Limited funding is still available. The graduate assistantships that are available at this time will waive out-of-state tuition, provide a stipend of $2500 each semester, plus an additional scholarship of $2500. These opportunities are limited so do not hesitate - apply today.

Online Application is up and running

For quite some time, our online application did not work effectively. We have implemented a new online application and it is up and running. To access the new online application, go to: http://gsb.uark.edu/application.asp. I have had a few questions pertaining to application requirements. To see these, go to: http://gsb.uark.edu/admission.asp. The application process is the same for master's and PhD with one exception. For PhD applicants, two essays are not required. Instead, you need to write a Personal Statement of Objectives.

If you would like to email your essays/statement of objectives and resumes, send them to rcsmith@walton.uark.edu. To summarize, for master's programs a completed application packet will include:

application form
application fee ($40 for domestic students and $50 for international students)
resume
transcripts
essays (2)
letters of recommendation (3)
GMAT/GRE

For PhD applicants, you must submit:

application form
application fee (same as above)
resume
transcripts
personal statement of objectives
letters of recommendation (3)
GMAT/GRE

All international applicants must also submit:

financial form
educational form
TOEFL

FORMS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM HERE: http://gsb.uark.edu/forms/default.asp.

New instructions have been recently posted and they can be found on the above site.

Walton PhD Funding

I have had some questions regarding the funding for our PhD students so I thought I had better clarify. All tuition is waived for Walton PhD students and a graduate assistantship (GA) is awarded of $17,000. In exchange, students work 20 hours a week teaching and conducting research.

To be eligible for the Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship (DDF), and additional $20,000, applicants must have a GMAT of at least 650 and a master's GPA of 3.75. The departments select their admits, they will then nominate them for the DDF. The University's Graduate School selects the DDF recipients. Any student eligible for the DDF who is denied this fellowship will automatically receive the DAF.

To be eligible for the Doctoral Academy Fellowship (DAF), students need a minimum GMAT of 600 and a master's GPA of 3.5. This award is an additional $10,000. The process is the same as for DDF. The acedemic department makes nominations and the selections are made by the University's Graduate School.

This funding is quite generous. I encourage all those interested to contact me.

PhD application deadline is January 15.

Walton College PhD Programs

There is never a dull moment in the Graduate School of Business. With seven master's degree programs and six PhD programs, there is always a deadline approaching. The next deadline is for our PhD programs. This deadline is January 15. We have PhD programs in: ACCOUNTING, ECONOMICS, FINANCE, INFORMATION SYSTEMS, MANAGEMENT, and MARKETING. For an application to be complete, we need:

application form
application fee ($40 for domestic students and $50 for international students)
resume
all academic transcripts
letters of recommendation (3)
statement of purpose
GMAT/GRE (Economics requires GRE and Management will accept either test)

Each academic department reviews its own applications. Some departments do like to get started before the deadline. Applicants to the Walton College PhD programs should submit all materials as early as possible. Once the departments have reviewed their applications, they decide whom to bring to campus for an interview. Once the interview is completed, the department makes their admissions decisions.

All PhD students are fully funded. Tuition is waived and a stipend is also awarded in the amount of $17,000; $27,000; or $37,000. The stipend amount depends on your test score.

Each of our programs is highly competitive and selective. They take a minimum of four years, full-time to complete. Our PhD students receive a great deal of individual contact with our faculty. They leave here well versed in research and teaching. Be sure to check these programs out on our website.

Princeton Review ranks Walton MBA students #10 among "Most Competitive Students"

Hooray for us. Princeton Review has ranked Walton MBA students #10 on their "Most Competitive Students" list. We are in excellent company.

1. Wharton
2. Vanderbilt
3. UT-Austin
4. BYU
5. Texas Southern
6. Rutgers
7. Clemson
8. SMU
9. Howard University
10. WALTON

To learn more about Princeton Review's 296 Best Business Schools, visit their website: http://www.princetonreview.com/business-school-rankings.aspx.

And another week begins

It is Monday once again. Tomorrow I am going to Philander Smith in Little Rock and then on Tuesday, I will be in Joplin, Missouri at Missouri Southern State University. Five campus visits down and eight more to go. For me, September and October are very busy months. I made it through September and I am well into October. As November approaches, the Walton College's Graduate School of Business slows back down to a normal pace. This lasts for a few weeks and then it is time for MBA Orientation in January. Once the spring semester begins, the cycle starts all over again.

I have reached that point in my life where I ask myself often, "where did the time go?" It feels as though entire semesters are going by in the blink of an eye. I remember feeling that way as a student. There was always so much to do within the time span of a semester. Now that I am in the world of graduate school recruiting, it feels as though I am back there again. For students, mid-terms are in October and Thanksgiving break is looked forward to with great longing. Once Thanksgiving is over, Christmas break is right around the corner. I find myself falling back into this way of thinking. I also have children in school and this is their schedule too. Well, Thanksgiving break is just a few weeks away and there is so much to do between now and then that it'll be here before I know it (I hope).

MBA Admissions

The MBA admissions committee met this Tuesday. The class to begin in January now has 25 admits. Their average GMAT is 632, average GPA is 3.4, and the average work experience is 4.3 years. We will continue to accept applications through the end of November. We hope to admit 5-10 more students before classes begin in January. Orientation will be January 5-9 and classes begin January 12.

It is hard to believe that it is already October. Recruiting is in full swing. I am currently recruiting for fall 2009 as well as spring 2010 (MBA). The cycles flow from one right into the other. Just when admissions have been decided, recruiting begins again for the next year. This is comforting for me.

The next application deadline is for PhDs. This is January 15. I will talk more about them next post.