Anyone know of which schools do not have letter grades, such as HBS' deal of top 10%, middle 80%, or bottom 10%?

I'm a very competitive person, so would rather have grades like this to actually learn the material, rather than studying very hard to get a better letter grade and increase my GPA.

Thanks

Michigan does not have letter grades...excellent, good, pass, low pass, fail. Although there are no letters or GPAs calculated for you, you may do it yourself (excellent = A, good = B, and so on) to see if you qualify for distinction or high distinction.

While I admire your competitive spirit to get good grades, it is not necessary in B-school (which may be why many schools have grade non-disclosure policies). I know many students at Michigan who were great in the classroom (all excellent), but did not perform the requisite networking (presumably because they were studying) to obtain a good internship. Many didn't get one until after classes ended and I know of at least 2 who still don't have one. Do as well as you can in the classroom without sacrificing the softer and very important aspects of B-school (i.e. networking, improving teamwork skills, etc.).

The earlier you embrace the idea that B-School is not about grades the better. Better to channel your competitive personality at other things like case competitions.

That's what I want to do, but I feel that if I don't get good grades, it would come back to bit me later on. I don't want to sacrifice the network and teambuilding for grades, but it will be hard for me given my competitive nature.

That's why I would prefer schools without grades. Do you know which school have non-grade disclosure policies? I thought most did away with this.

I didn't look at the grade policies much when I was applying. It's one of those selling points I picked up from visiting some schools. Apart from I-Banks and Consulting firms, most recruiters will not ask for your grade. As long as the schools do not have letter grades/GPA, I think you'll be fine even if they don't have a non-disclosure policy. There are many more important things to worry about once you are in school.

Hello everyone,

I'm sure this topic has been discussed before, but it's not coming up in search for some reason - so I figure I'll ask.

I'm starting to prep for GMAT; I decided to go with self-prep. I have engineering background, and am shooting for 700+. Which self-study books would you suggest?

Thanks,
Alex

I also went the self-study route and went through several books by different publishers.

I recommend the Manhattan GMAT series, especially for verbal. There are 7 books in their series (5 quant, 2 verbal) and they each run about $16 on amazon.com.

You will need to purchase the Official Guide to GMAT book (also available on amazon.com) for practice questions.

With studying and practice, I was able to pull off a 760. I was scoring in the mid 600's on practice exams before i started studying. hope this helps.

I have heard good things about the Manhattan series, as well. Pedalmods, how much time did you devote to studying to get a 760?

Congratulations on that.

I devoted approx 10-15 hours a week for about 2.5 months (this included studying and taking practice exams). I did not do any practice essays for the AWA. You can use a simple essay template for that get a good score.

At the end of the day, it's all about repetition and knowing how the exam is structured, what types of questions there are, what "tricks" to look out for, etc... which goes to show how I was able to improve so much by putting in the many hours of studying.

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Mountain climbing in Africa, or how about an improvisation lesson from a theatre troupe? These are just some of the ways business schools are teaching 'soft skills' to MBA students. The idea is to create unique and challenging experiences to teach skills such as team building, effective communication, listening, and thinking â?~on the flyâ?T. Programs like Wharton Leadership Ventures and Goizueta Leadership Academy offer outdoor adventures, workshops, and competitions to foster the skills that recruiters are looking for.

According to The Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive survey, recruiters said that communication, interpersonal skills, leadership potential, and the ability to work well in teams were among the most important traits they look for when hiring candidates.

Meanwhile, more business schools are adding leadership development programs to their curriculum. But can you really teach someone emotional intelligence â?" to be empathetic, an active listener, and ultimately a leader?

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Tonight a friend asked me to let him know at the end of my MBA studies (next summer) what percentage of my class cheated. Confused, I asked him to explain. He described the rampant cheating that occurred in his class and how he was not so popular when he 'called' it. As someone who really values personal effort & rewards, I wasn't so delighted to hear about this. Being tragically in love with the Internet, I was disappointed to see this article on DealBreaker.com. Hm...

Yes, I score mega-Champion Idealist on the Myers-Briggs. Don't faint from non-surprise. That's part of why this course and no other and I'm hoping we're the exception to the rule on this little gem of news.