Let me tell you how excited I was that there was a special on last night - the best dances from the five seasons of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). I am convinced that the network that broacasts SYTYCD and my satellite company (both will remain nameless but they know who they are) are conspiring against me. I curled up on my couch greatly anticipating getting to watch my favorite dancers again from all five seasons and guess, just guess, what happened. The sound and the video were slightly off and the video was very jerky. Then, with ten minutes left in the show, the station goes out completely. Now, if this had been the only time something like this had happened to me while I was watching this show, I would not think anything about it. But, and I am not exaggerating, although my husband does say that I do occasionally, I know of at least three other times that I experienced video difficulty during SYTYCD. On my frustration monitor this ranks right up there with when American Idol ran over announcing its season winner (between the two Davids) and the DVR recording ended before David Cook's last name was announced. Okay, even I have to admit that was pretty funny. Everyone who DVRed the season finale heard that the winner was......David, and that was it. End of recording.
Back to SYTYCD. The next season starts next week. Woohoo. I have watched this show since season two and I have noticed that the talent gets better each year. I am very excited about season 6. But you didn't know that, did you? I also DVRed Glee last night and am looking forward to watching it. I hope it is as hysterical as the advertisements have led me to believe it will be.
Not only is tomorrow Friday, but it is the Friday of a three day weekend. Labor Day is Monday, September 7th. The University of Arkansas will be closed that day. I am looking forward to doing as little as possible while still keeping my kids entertained. Busy kids make for a happy mom. Bored kids make for a grumpy, fussy mom. Also, tomorrow is a big football night for me and the kids. As long as the weather holds, we'll go watch the Greenland Pirates whup up on the West Fork Tigers in their season opener. Gotta love high school football. Then on Saturday, the Hogs play. Big weekend for football.
Okay, I suppose I'll get back to business now. There is less than two weeks to go for the early decision deadline for the Master of Accountancy and the final application deadline for the MBA. Be sure all admissions documents are submitted by September 15th. Students will receive decisions by October 15th.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Time Flies When You're Having Fun
The last time I wrote, it was still August. Now here it is already September 2. Where does the time go? I can't believe I am using phrases that I used to hear my grandmother say when I was a kid. I do try to post every day but yesterday just got away from me. I spent the entire day finalizing my numbers for fall 2009. What does that mean? It is big fun, let me tell you. Yesterday was my day for scrutinizing excel spreadsheets, running numbers, and updating reports. For each of our master's degree programs (Master of Accountancy-MAcc, Master of Arts in Economics-MAEcon, Master of Business Administration-MBA-full and part-time-MMBA, Master of Information Systems-MIS-full and part-time) I tally all applications received, of those how many were complete, how many were offered admission, how many accepted our offer, and then how many actually enrolled.
These numbers are then compared with last year's results. In a good year, I see increases in all areas. Since it seldom happens this way, I hope for an overall upward trend. Happily, this is exactly what I found. The Walton GSB saw an increase of 15% in inquiries, an increase of 36% in total applications, an increase of 15% in completed applications, an increase of 17% in admitted students, and an increase of 11% in enrolled students. The biggest increase was in PhD applications. Compared to last year, this year we received 46% more. I did find declines in a couple of areas but overall, we saw an increase across the board.
I can now put fall 2009 behind me and concentrate all of my efforts in finishing the MBA class that will begin in January. It is also time to get to work on next fall. No rest for the wicked.
These numbers are then compared with last year's results. In a good year, I see increases in all areas. Since it seldom happens this way, I hope for an overall upward trend. Happily, this is exactly what I found. The Walton GSB saw an increase of 15% in inquiries, an increase of 36% in total applications, an increase of 15% in completed applications, an increase of 17% in admitted students, and an increase of 11% in enrolled students. The biggest increase was in PhD applications. Compared to last year, this year we received 46% more. I did find declines in a couple of areas but overall, we saw an increase across the board.
I can now put fall 2009 behind me and concentrate all of my efforts in finishing the MBA class that will begin in January. It is also time to get to work on next fall. No rest for the wicked.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Let's Talk MBA
Today is the last day of August. Despite the fact that it is currently 58 degrees in Fayetteville, it really is still August. But not for much longer. Tomorrow is the first day of September. To me, September means that summer is coming to an end and that fall is on it's way. The last holiday of the summer, Labor Day is in early September. Football season also gets kicked off this month. I LOVE football! I am sure I have mentioned that before. I grew up in small town Oklahoma. Football is huge! The first game of the season for the Razorbacks is this Saturday against Missouri State. GO HOGS! Friday night is high school football and I'll be taking my kids to watch their Greenland Pirates play their rival, West Fork. I really enjoy small town high school football. It doesn't get any better than that. I just noticed all the exclamation points in this paragraph. Guess what? I get really excited about football.
Okay, back to business. September, for me, also means MBA application deadline. Final application deadline for the Walton MBA is September 15th. We will accept late applications as space is available. We currently have 28 students in the class that will begin in January. Our goal is 42-45. All tier one graduate assistantships (GA) have been awarded. These waive tuition. We do have a small number (5-7) of tier two GAs remaining. Students who are awarded this level of funding pay in-state tuition and receive $10,000 from us over the 3 semester program. All students on GA work 15 hours each week. Previous GA sites have included: Dial, Dannon, Hershey, Walmart, Tyson, P&G, Kellogg, Sunbeam, Land O'Lakes, Mars, and many more. This is a unique and valuable opportunity that Walton MBA students have to gain valuable work experience.
It is a very competitive year for MBA applicants. Our 28 students have an average GMAT of 640, they have an average GPA of 3.4, they average over 4 years of work experience, and their average age is 27. They are a very impressive group. If you wish to join this class, be sure that you submit all application materials by September 15th. The admissions committee will meet on the 23rd. If you have applied and would like to know the committee's decision, you can email me at gsb@walton.uark.edu the afternoon of the 23rd and I will be happy to give you the result of the meeting.
Okay, back to business. September, for me, also means MBA application deadline. Final application deadline for the Walton MBA is September 15th. We will accept late applications as space is available. We currently have 28 students in the class that will begin in January. Our goal is 42-45. All tier one graduate assistantships (GA) have been awarded. These waive tuition. We do have a small number (5-7) of tier two GAs remaining. Students who are awarded this level of funding pay in-state tuition and receive $10,000 from us over the 3 semester program. All students on GA work 15 hours each week. Previous GA sites have included: Dial, Dannon, Hershey, Walmart, Tyson, P&G, Kellogg, Sunbeam, Land O'Lakes, Mars, and many more. This is a unique and valuable opportunity that Walton MBA students have to gain valuable work experience.
It is a very competitive year for MBA applicants. Our 28 students have an average GMAT of 640, they have an average GPA of 3.4, they average over 4 years of work experience, and their average age is 27. They are a very impressive group. If you wish to join this class, be sure that you submit all application materials by September 15th. The admissions committee will meet on the 23rd. If you have applied and would like to know the committee's decision, you can email me at gsb@walton.uark.edu the afternoon of the 23rd and I will be happy to give you the result of the meeting.
Friday, August 28, 2009
We are now on YouTube!
Yes, we finally have video on YouTube. Thanks to our Technology Center and Jim Goodlander for taping our last Open House and editing the content to make it appropriate. Our videos are:
Why Choose the Walton MBA? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5aK3qn1mVE
MBA Application Process - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9DZiCpcy9g
Walton MBA - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7HX2sZacgg
Walton MMBA - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlylM4gHh0I
Walton MBA FAQs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYiJSwCXRfU
These can all be found by searching for Walton MBA on YouTube.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter - @WaltonMBA.
Why Choose the Walton MBA? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5aK3qn1mVE
MBA Application Process - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9DZiCpcy9g
Walton MBA - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7HX2sZacgg
Walton MMBA - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlylM4gHh0I
Walton MBA FAQs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYiJSwCXRfU
These can all be found by searching for Walton MBA on YouTube.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter - @WaltonMBA.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Annual Walton College Block Party
Every year on Wednesday of the first week of class, the Walton College hosts a Block Party to welcome students back to campus. This is a very well attended event. The College provides grilled hot dogs, cookies, drinks and there are several organizations set up to give away goodies.
The Block Party is held on the Shollmier Plaza, the courtyard between the Willard J. Walker Hall and the Sam M. Walton College of Business Building.
Two MBA students, Chris Jaber and Brant Simpkins take time between classes to grab a bite to eat.
Javier Reyes and Cary Deck (Director of the PhD and MAEcon), Economics faculty, grill hot dogs for the hungry hoard.
MBA students Alisha Staggs and Stacy Carty (MBA blogger) just got out of their Ethics class and are on their way to enjoy the festivities.
A great time was had by all. We'll do it again next year.
The Block Party is held on the Shollmier Plaza, the courtyard between the Willard J. Walker Hall and the Sam M. Walton College of Business Building.
Two MBA students, Chris Jaber and Brant Simpkins take time between classes to grab a bite to eat.
Javier Reyes and Cary Deck (Director of the PhD and MAEcon), Economics faculty, grill hot dogs for the hungry hoard.
MBA students Alisha Staggs and Stacy Carty (MBA blogger) just got out of their Ethics class and are on their way to enjoy the festivities.
A great time was had by all. We'll do it again next year.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
New Blogger - Jessica Maland
We have a new student blogger. Jessica Maland will be sharing her MBA experiences. Be sure to keep up with her at http://jessicasmbaexperience.blogspot.com/. Jessica studied abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this summer and she will be writing about that very soon.
Other Walton MBA bloggers are Trip Jones - http://razorbackmba.blogspot.com/, Stacy Carty - http://stacycarty.blogspot.com/, and Wenqi Clark - http://mybusiness-wenqi.blogspot.com/. These students were selected to be MBA Ambassadors for several reasons: they have a love for this program and they expressed a desire to assist in the recruitment process. These students also represent many different backgrounds and experiences.
Here is a little about each one. Stacy completed her bachelor's degree in History from the University of Virginia and she is a married student. Trip completed his degree from the UofA in psychology and is also married. Jessica's background is in business and she was a student athlete. Wenqi is from China and is married. Brant Simpkins is our fifth Ambassador and he is responsible for our Facebook page and our twitter account. Brant is from Missouri and he has a physics degree from Ouachita Baptist. These students represent our MBA class very well. Some are married and some are not, some have degrees in business and some do not, some have many years of work experience while others are recent graduates.
With each new class, five new MBA Ambassadors are selected. Along with their online responsibilities, they also help with visiting students and Open House events. Having students involved in this process is extremely important. Each of these students will answer questions honestly and assist prospective students to the best of their abilities. It is very helpful for interested students to be able to be in contact with current students. There are questions that only current Walton MBA students are able to answer. These Ambassadors provide a valuable service and they make my job much easier.
Other Walton MBA bloggers are Trip Jones - http://razorbackmba.blogspot.com/, Stacy Carty - http://stacycarty.blogspot.com/, and Wenqi Clark - http://mybusiness-wenqi.blogspot.com/. These students were selected to be MBA Ambassadors for several reasons: they have a love for this program and they expressed a desire to assist in the recruitment process. These students also represent many different backgrounds and experiences.
Here is a little about each one. Stacy completed her bachelor's degree in History from the University of Virginia and she is a married student. Trip completed his degree from the UofA in psychology and is also married. Jessica's background is in business and she was a student athlete. Wenqi is from China and is married. Brant Simpkins is our fifth Ambassador and he is responsible for our Facebook page and our twitter account. Brant is from Missouri and he has a physics degree from Ouachita Baptist. These students represent our MBA class very well. Some are married and some are not, some have degrees in business and some do not, some have many years of work experience while others are recent graduates.
With each new class, five new MBA Ambassadors are selected. Along with their online responsibilities, they also help with visiting students and Open House events. Having students involved in this process is extremely important. Each of these students will answer questions honestly and assist prospective students to the best of their abilities. It is very helpful for interested students to be able to be in contact with current students. There are questions that only current Walton MBA students are able to answer. These Ambassadors provide a valuable service and they make my job much easier.
Monday, August 24, 2009
First Day of Class
It is now 3:45. I have been trying to write something all day. I do love the first day of class. It's a little chaotic and there's never anywhere to park but the energy is contagious. Traffic in town is also a little more congested.
I enjoyed this last weekend of peace. My son starts soccer practice next Saturday so the freedom and flexibility of the summer has come to an end. I do believe my husband and I have lost our minds because we have also signed Jack up for flag football and basketball. He has basketball tryouts (so they can evaluate skill level and divide into teams) in a couple of weeks. I haven't heard from the football coach yet but I am sure that will start soon too. Our daughter, Zoey, will have basketball games on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons beginning in November. By then, Jack's sporting events should be finished. So, we'll go from shuttling him from practice to games to doing the same for her. Life sure can be complicated.
Today in the GSB, at least in the recruiting world, the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) seemed to be the program of the day. I met with several students regarding this degree program. I figured this would be a good time to stress a few key points regarding the MAcc. Early decision deadline is September 15 and the final application deadline is March 1. In the world of accounting, recruiting occurs in the fall. So that students can determine if they are going to graduate school or if they need to be finding a job, the early decision deadline has been implemented. If you apply by September 15, you will know by October 15 if you will be starting the MAcc next August. To learn more about this program, visit gsb.uark.edu/macc.asp and to learn more about our admissions requirements, visit gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp.
September 15th is the next deadline for us and it is the early decision deadline for the Master of Accountancy and the final application deadline for the MBA. If you are considering either program, be sure all materials reach us by that date. Our mailing address is: 310 Willard J. Walker Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701.
I enjoyed this last weekend of peace. My son starts soccer practice next Saturday so the freedom and flexibility of the summer has come to an end. I do believe my husband and I have lost our minds because we have also signed Jack up for flag football and basketball. He has basketball tryouts (so they can evaluate skill level and divide into teams) in a couple of weeks. I haven't heard from the football coach yet but I am sure that will start soon too. Our daughter, Zoey, will have basketball games on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons beginning in November. By then, Jack's sporting events should be finished. So, we'll go from shuttling him from practice to games to doing the same for her. Life sure can be complicated.
Today in the GSB, at least in the recruiting world, the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) seemed to be the program of the day. I met with several students regarding this degree program. I figured this would be a good time to stress a few key points regarding the MAcc. Early decision deadline is September 15 and the final application deadline is March 1. In the world of accounting, recruiting occurs in the fall. So that students can determine if they are going to graduate school or if they need to be finding a job, the early decision deadline has been implemented. If you apply by September 15, you will know by October 15 if you will be starting the MAcc next August. To learn more about this program, visit gsb.uark.edu/macc.asp and to learn more about our admissions requirements, visit gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp.
September 15th is the next deadline for us and it is the early decision deadline for the Master of Accountancy and the final application deadline for the MBA. If you are considering either program, be sure all materials reach us by that date. Our mailing address is: 310 Willard J. Walker Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701.
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