2008 Yale SOM MBA Admissions Chat with Bruce Delmonico

Please feel free to let us know if you would like to be informed of future chats by sending an e-mail to chat@accepted.com. We would also be interested in knowing if you would prefer a different format or different topics.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 12:58:19 PM)
Hello. My name is Linda Abraham. I am the founder of Accepted.com and the moderator of today’s chat. First I want to welcome all applicants to the Yale School of Management chat today, and I want to congratulate you for taking the time to learn more about Yale . To make a sound decision and to get accepted you should know as much as you can about the schools you are applying to. Being here today allows you to ask the experts about this outstanding business school.  I also want to welcome our special guests Bruce Delmonico, Director of Admissions, and Michelle Vitali, Associate Director of Admissions, and Sucheng Chang, Yale SOM Class of 2009.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 12:58:36 PM)
Sucheng, I am going to provided some chat logistics information. As I am doing so, can you provide a brief bio telling us where you are from, what you did before coming to Yale, what you are involved in at Yale, and what you want to do after earning your MBA?

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 12:58:44 PM)
Thanks to everyone for joining.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 12:58:47 PM)
Thanks for having us, Linda.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 12:58:57 PM)
You're welcome.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:00:08 PM)
What do you want to do post-MBA?

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:00:35 PM)
In the long run I want to work in China, either by starting my own business or running the business of a multinational corporation.In the short run, I'm looking at internships with multinationals in China and also doing investment banking recruiting to get myself more exposure in Finance.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:01:11 PM)
Bruce and Michelle: Yale’s R1 deadline is around the corner (Oct. 24). Any advice for Yale applicants planning to apply on or before your first deadline?

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:01:32 PM)
Sucheng, why did you choose Yale ? Did it meet your expectations?

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:01:47 PM)
I chose Yale for a number of reasons:
1) The quality of the people I met, both on my admissions tour (I am a tour leader this year so please come to the tours) and through other Yalies I met at events. 2) The size of the school - 180 class size means everyone knows each other extremely well. 3) The collaborative environment - people here really help each other out and it shows.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:02:12 PM)
Linda, I would encourage applicants to be sure to leave your recommenders enough time to write their letters. The last thing you want is for them to rush.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:02:45 PM)
Linda, I would make sure that applicants pay close attention to their essays and have people look them over to ensure they are well-written, clear, and coherent. That's always a great way to differentiate yourself.

John W (Oct 10, 2007 1:03:06 PM)
Bruce and Michelle: Hello. I am curious of course about the new curriculum. Do you find it drawing more students interested in certain industries? And how do you think it fits with someone interested in investment banking?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:03:58 PM)
Here's a link to more information about our integrated curriculum.

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:04:06 PM)
I'm interested in banking this summer and although I haven't gone through the whole process, the feedback I've gotten from 2nd years doing banking is that the curriculum prepared them well.  Before banking's superweek in January, we'll have had Investor and Sourcing and Managing Funds, meaning we'll have the fundamentals to really excel at interviews

Rogan (Oct 10, 2007 1:04:24 PM)
I love the curriculum approach and think it's the right way to go. I work for a small business and interact with several departments all the time. I am curious though to hear what recruiters are saying about the new curriculum? Do they see a marked difference in Yale students?

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:04:47 PM)
John, that's a great question. I don't know that the industries represented in either the class itself or the applicant pool have changed greatly, but there does appear to be a much more entrepreneurial bend to many of the applicants we see.  I think, too, that the new curriculum does fit in quite well with people interested in IBanking. About half of our graduates go into finance after they graduate, and the largest portion of them go into IBanking, so I think Yale is strong in that area generally, and the new curriculum has only strengthened that. This past summer, we had 18 students intern in IBanking for the summer, and all of them got full-time offers, which was great.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:07:21 PM)
Very impressive.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:05:32 PM)
Hi Rogan, we've heard lots of positive feedback from recruiters about the new curriculum. In fact, many companies were consulted before the change was made to get their thoughts on what they're looking for in a successful post-MBA candidate.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:06:00 PM)
The Wall St. Journal survey actually mentioned that recruiters are very impressed with the new curriculum.

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:06:26 PM)
Also, the new curriculum in of itself is a great conversation starter at recruiting events - a lot of recruiters have asked my opinion of it.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:07:31 PM)
Bruce and Michelle: If you are looking at an application and the numbers and basic profile is in the ballpark for a Yale student, what distinguishes an application that is accepted from one that is rejected?

John W (Oct 10, 2007 1:07:43 PM)
Great, thank you.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:08:16 PM)
Sucheng: What aspect of the Yale program do you like best? Least?

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:09:04 PM)
Thanks, Linda. Also, in terms of the WSJ, we're pleased to have been ranked so high and to have so many recruiters say so many positive things about the curriculum. It has really resonated well with them.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:09:13 PM)
I think it's a student's ability to stand out from the crowd. It's so much more than hitting our average statistics. We're looking for passionate people who want to make a difference in the world and who embody the mission of the school, which is to educate leaders for business and society.

John W (Oct 10, 2007 1:09:40 PM)
Which section of the application do you feel Yale weighs the heaviest? (i.e., GMAT, work experience, community involvement, etc.)

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:09:41 PM)
I'll start with the hard one first.  In terms of what I like "least", it's probably the building.  We are building a new campus, but it won't be done until 2010, so we're getting by with an older building.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:09:57 PM)
OK. But what do you like least about the educational program?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:10:05 PM)
Hi John - we review applications holistically, so we really take everything into account before making a final decision.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:10:43 PM)
And as Michelle notes, the ways applicants can distinguish themselves are by being passionate about what they do and showing their leadership potential. Those are the main things we're looking for.

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:11:01 PM)
In terms of education, I don't have too many complaints - one thing that struck me initially is that we have many classes at once in the first semester - the workload is extremely demanding.  It's almost hard to participate in too many extracurriculars because of the amount of schoolwork - however, it does get better in the 2nd semester.  As for what I like most, I've been blown away by the quality of instruction and the faculty.  It seem like every other class is taught by a person who wrote the book in his/her field.  Dean Podolny came in and taught a Career class which was a highlight of our year so far

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:11:06 PM)
Is there any difference in acceptance rates for the different rounds at Yale?

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:12:42 PM)
Thats an interesting question, Linda. The chances of being admitted are really equal in the first two rounds, but we do advise applicants to avoid the third round, where the chances of being admitted can be lower. So we tell people to apply in either round 1 or round 2.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:12:44 PM)
Can you talk for a minute or provide a link to information about the required international component in Yale's program?

Rogan (Oct 10, 2007 1:13:04 PM)
Thanks Michelle. I have read the Wall Street Journal article and was impressed with the positive feedback. Do you see any changes happening to the curriculum in the next year or two?

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:13:33 PM)
The curriculum is being tweaked every year - a lot was learned in the first year and that feedback was incorporated into the curriculum this year.  
The great thing is that the students are very proactive in providing feedback to help professors tweak the curriculum and make it better.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:13:48 PM)
Hi Linda, there are breaks during the year in addition to the International Experience which takes place in January. It's 10 days and you go to a country you're not already familiar with. Students meet with civic and business leaders in the area to see how they do business in that part of the world.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:14:00 PM)
Hi Rogan, we've changed some logistical things - like the order in which classes are taught.  We've also tweaked some components - like the Leadership Development Program.

John W (Oct 10, 2007 1:14:08 PM)
Bruce: Is there a disadvantage to submitting an application at the end of a round when your target number of acceptances may have already been reached, as opposed to being the first application you see in the second round?

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:14:41 PM)
What are some of the feedback motivated changes that you are seeing Sucheng?

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:15:12 PM)
For example - the International Experience is becoming more fully integrated with the State and Society core class so we can talk about what we learned on the international experience and incorporate our learnings into the class in the 2nd semester.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:16:16 PM)
Bruce: Is Yale reaching out to Early Career Applicants or planning any programs that will appeal to college students?

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:16:27 PM)
John, there really is no difference there. If you do not submit by one round's deadline, we will hold your application and consider it in the next round, so it doesn't make a difference when you apply after the previous deadline; we consider all the applications in each round together, regardless of when they were submitted. I hope that answers your question. Let me know if not.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:16:58 PM)
Michelle, Is Yale recruiting feeling any fallout from the credit crunch and the turmoil in the financial markets?

John W (Oct 10, 2007 1:17:06 PM)
Yes, that was it. Thank you.

janine (Oct 10, 2007 1:17:10 PM)
Sucheng, what is the culture like amongst students? Is it a highly competitive environment?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:17:14 PM)
We actually do have a program in place for a few exceptional students per year to enter the MBA program directly from their undergrad studies. 

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:17:30 PM)
Thanks Michelle.

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:17:41 PM)
Janine - Yale is the completely opposite feel - we are extremely collaborative.  Because we're so small in terms of class size, everyone knows everyone else
and everyone is trying to help each other. For example, I will often be doing my work in the hall of mirrors (major nexus of student activities) and when I get stuck I'll just turn around and ask someone about it. Even if it's someone I don't know (pretty rare) they will go out of their way to help me. Also keep in mind that Yale has a non-grade disclosure policy so recruiters do not ask you about your grades - therefore we don't compete with one another to get a "better" grade.

Rogan (Oct 10, 2007 1:17:57 PM)
Thanks Michelle, Sucheng.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:18:11 PM)
Bruce: Why did you add Question #2 this year? What do you hope to learn from it?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:19:15 PM)
Linda, in terms of applications, we have seen an increase over the last few years, which can partly be attributed to the job market but we also like to think the new integrated curriculum brought more people to Yale.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:19:18 PM)
Also, Linda, to add a little about the tweaks in the curriculum, one of the great things about the curriculum is that the classes actually "speak" to each other -- the same concepts are taught in different classes so that students can understand them in context and how they apply in different contexts. From last year to this one, we have found more such connections, and will continue to tighten the curriculum in this way to make the learning richer and more integrated on many levels.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:19:30 PM)
Michelle, actually in terms of hiring for jobs after graduation.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:20:07 PM)
Bruce, are the faculty communicating about courses to coordinate as they go?

ninjadile (Oct 10, 2007 1:20:25 PM)
What's the percentage of applicants who are invited to an interview?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:20:59 PM)
We don't have our final stats for the Class of 2008 yet, but 97% of the Class of 2007 had jobs three months out from graduation. This year seems very encouraging from the conversations I've had with recent alumni, partly due to the fact that our students feel as though they have a lot of options with the skills they've learned here.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:21:16 PM)
Linda, we added the second essay topic because we felt that it would help us in our evaluation of the candidates. The mission of the school is to educate leaders for business and society, so we want to make sure that leadership is something that is central to every student here on campus. We felt that adding this question was a good way to get at that quality.

Rogan (Oct 10, 2007 1:21:17 PM)
How are connections in the curriculum made during the second year...if it's all elective?

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:21:20 PM)
I can speak to the credit crunch effect on recruiting as well. In terms of I-Banking recruiting, every recruiter that has come to Yale (nearly every bank) has made a point of saying that they love Yale students and will continue to have strong hiring at Yale.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:21:25 PM)
We also have a very strong alumni network for our students to draw upon.

Danteshek (Oct 10, 2007 1:22:14 PM)
Michelle: Is it typical for students to study languages at Yale SOM?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:22:21 PM)
Hi Linda, The interview is an important part of the process, but not always the deciding factor. Being invited to interview is positive, but not the final "stamp" before a decision is made.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:22:27 PM)
Ninjadile, about 35-40% of students are invited to interview.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:23:21 PM)
Hi Dantechek - We actually have quite a few students who take advantage of the language offerings through Yale College.  As a Yale SOM student, you can take classes at any grad and professional school at Yale, as well as language classes at Yale College.

dew (Oct 10, 2007 1:23:42 PM)
Michelle: Yale's curriculum and Program for Social Enterprise put a lot of emphasis on CSR education, but the debate remains on whether the private sector actually wants to embrace CSR or just use it for quick PR kicks. Can you talk about the job prospects for Yale students interested in private sector CSR work?

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:24:42 PM)
Sucheng, I realized you recently started, but are there any classes or professors that simply should not to be missed?

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:25:08 PM)
Linda, it's hard to say- keep in mind that so far every class is required and not to be missed in the core curriculum.  On the other hand, I've loved Sharon Oster's Economics class.  She is one of the best profs here and even though I've take lots of Econ in the past her class has been an incredible experience - I feel I'm learning a lot of Econ material that I may have missed in the past.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:25:29 PM)
Hi dew - CSR is still a relatively new field so our students have had to do a little more leg work in terms of finding positions, but it's certainly possible if you can make the right connections. We have a relationship manager in our Career Development Office who focuses on this field and can point students in the right direction in terms of companies and alumni.  In terms of your job search, I think you need to know what you want but also be flexible if you're trying to break into a field like CSR where there might not be a lot of positions.

ninjadile (Oct 10, 2007 1:25:35 PM)
Thanks Bruce. How many electives can a student take at other Yale schools?

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:25:40 PM)
Rogan, the faculty actually spent this past year trying to integrate the electives more fully into the curriculum. They are working on cases that can be used in the electives that mirror the pedagogy of the core, and they have also implemented what we call "Disciplinary Platform Electives," which are essentially "bridge" courses between the core and electives and allow students with an interest in a certain functional area (such as finance or marketing) to jump into the electives in that area. The faculty also suggests course progressions for students interested in certain areas so that their elective selections can be focused and integrated as well.

Danteshek (Oct 10, 2007 1:26:51 PM)
Michelle: How has placement to London been in the past couple of years?

Rogan (Oct 10, 2007 1:27:51 PM)
I see, thank you Bruce.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:27:51 PM)
Hi Danteshek - We have quite a few alumni in London, mostly in banking and energy fields. My colleague is actually in London right now on a recruiting trip.

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:28:06 PM)
The European club also is doing a London job trek over Thanksgiving.

Danteshek (Oct 10, 2007 1:28:08 PM)
Michelle: Does Yale have a student investment fund?

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:28:19 PM)
Ninjadile, one of the great things about SOM is that students can take all of their electives anywhere at Yale that they want. Law School, Med School, Architecture, Foresty, etc. So it's really possible to tailor your education to exactly what you want. This can make some of the "connections" Rogan asked about a little more difficult to establish, but it really gives students a lot of control over their education, which I think is great.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:28:26 PM)
Hi Danteshek -We actually had one for a few years called Sachem Ventures, which recently ended. There are discussions now to start a new one soon because it was such a great educational experience for our students. You may want to contact one of our admissions ambassadors in our Investment Management Club.

John W (Oct 10, 2007 1:29:25 PM)
I am expecting my first child soon, so the partners/families group is important to me. Can anyone give me their impression of the area, as far as safety and general living environment?

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:29:43 PM)
I am actually a first year student with a wife and daughter.  When I was choosing schools, Yale appealed to me a lot because it was a great family environment. 
1) Great family places to in New Haven - I live In East Rock, a very nice suburban area less than 1 mile from school with lots of parks and playgrounds.  
2) You get more for your money in terms of housing - I came from Boston, and I got a lot more for my money (about 100% more) in New Haven, which really helps when you need space. 3) Great family atmosphere among students - we get together with other SOM families literally every week - I just had a BBQ with a number of other families this weekend.

prasmba (Oct 10, 2007 1:30:35 PM)
Michelle: Can you tell me about the entrepreneur focus in the curriculum/clubs or otherwise?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:31:42 PM)
Hi prasmba, We have a very active club on campus and also have strong ties to the Yale Entrepreneur Society.  There's a business plan competition and class at SOM that helps support students who want to start their own venture after their MBA.

dew (Oct 10, 2007 1:33:23 PM)
Bruce: Due to the nature of my job, I will not be getting my current supervisor to write a recommendation. Is there somewhere on the application for me to provide a brief explanation of this to the adcom? I have planned on using the optional essay to address a central aspect of my application, so I would prefer not to waste that opportunity with a brief comment on the rec's.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:34:38 PM)
Ninjadile, a little less than 20% of students receive a merit scholarship -- so it's a significant number, although most students do not receive one. They range from $5000 on the low end to full tuition on the high end, although most are in the half-tuition range.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:35:01 PM)
Michelle: Are there any special considerations for re-applicants? Do your reviewers also look at least year's application when reviewing the application of a reapplicant? Do they just look at the reviewers' notes? Or do they ignore last year's application?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:35:59 PM)
Hi Linda, we include last year's application with the new one, so there's no need to resend transcripts or test scores if nothing has changed. We do like to see candidate's write new essays and talk about what has changed for them since their last application.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:36:35 PM)
Michelle, should the reapplicant assume that the reviewer will also look at the old application or not?

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:36:39 PM)
Dew, the optional essay is where we would normally suggest you mention this fact. I would just write an additional few sentences after your planned optional essay that discusses why you did not get a rec from your supervisor. It's something we definitely want to know about and will wonder about if you don't address it.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:37:02 PM)
We read over all info submitted in both applications, but if there's something that the candidate wants to highlight that they mentioned in their previous application, they should talk about it again in their new essays.  I tend to focus more on the new information.

ninjadile (Oct 10, 2007 1:37:19 PM)
Does Yale SOM offer the opportunity to its students to spend a semester (or less) abroad at other international business schools (in China, Europe...)?

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:38:11 PM)
Sucheng, do you have any advice for new students in adjusting and going from the working world to academia?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:38:17 PM)
Hi ninjadile, we don't currently have an exchange program but our Dean says we will have something in place for the Class of 2010.

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:38:44 PM)
Yeah - my advice is to take a vacation!  My family and I went on a 2 month trip to Asia before coming to Yale.  It was nice to unwind on the beach and forget about work.  I read a lot of books during the 2 months and got to really immerse myself in other countries.  At the same time - plenty of my classmates took online modules to get them up to speed on subjects like accounting, stats, etc

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:40:10 PM)
Michelle: Overall, how is job recruiting going this year? How are international students doing in the job market?

Rogan (Oct 10, 2007 1:40:49 PM)
I don't have a lot of international experience, which is one of the reasons I'm drawn to Yale's program - to strengthen me globally. I view this as part of why I need a Yale MBA. However, would Yale view my modest international experience as a negative?

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:41:29 PM)
Rogan, we would not view modest international experience as a negative.  We look at the quality of the experience, regardless of where it is received.
although we have plenty of people with significant international experience, not having it is not something we would look down on. And I think that coming to Yale to get that experience, as you suggest, is a good idea.

ninjadile (Oct 10, 2007 1:43:05 PM)
According to the stats published on your website, only 2% of students of the '09 class are from Europe, whereas 11% are from Asia. Any idea why so few Europeans are admitted to Yale SOM? (As I am French this is of particular interest for me.)

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:43:58 PM)
Linda, it's still pretty early in the process, but so far our second year students seem very encouraged by their job searches. Our international students have done pretty well in terms of banking and financial services positions over the past few years. It really depends on what they want to do post-MBA.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:44:20 PM)
Michelle, any hot fields?

Rachel (Oct 10, 2007 1:44:45 PM)
Bruce: What 3 qualities are you looking for in an applicant?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:45:07 PM)
Private equity, venture capital, energy....all hot fields.

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:45:57 PM)
Especially renewable energy - we've had a number of companies doing wind/solar on campus lately.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:46:07 PM)
Ninjadile, I think one of the reasons is that there are many options in Western Europe for students interested in business school. We also quite frankly have not focused as much on Europe in the past as we should have. I am trying to change that, and we actually have an admissions committee member there now for recruiting, so we are hoping to see the numbers of students from Europe increase in the next few years.

dew (Oct 10, 2007 1:46:18 PM)
Michelle: I'm currently taking an online quant course that should be done mid-December. Would I be able to make mention of this course in the Academic Record section of the application and follow up later when my grade comes in?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:46:21 PM)
We have a very strong joint degree program with the Environment School at Yale.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:46:56 PM)
Hi Dew, you should definitely mention it in your application and include your registration information (like the email or slip you got from the registrar). Then you can follow-up once you receive your final grade. If your applying in Round 1, I would make sure you get your grade to us ASAP because we'll be in the midst of reviewing first round applications.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:47:12 PM)
Rachel, we look for a lot of things in our applicants, but if I were to list three things, I think they would be passion, intelligence, and leadership.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:48:05 PM)
Michelle, if an applicant is planning to take some classes and has choices between a university extension course, an online course, and a community college course, which do you recommend?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:48:52 PM)
It really depends on the applicants skill level, but an in-person class is always better. Of course if for some reason that's not possible, online is fine as well.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:50:18 PM)
How do you view applications from applicants who had previously declined an offer of admission from you?

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:51:04 PM)
We look at the circumstances and make decisions on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes candidates have personal or health reasons that prevented them from coming, so we take that into account.

bsa2008 (Oct 10, 2007 1:51:27 PM)
Bruce, did you get any feedback from the students on the new curriculum?

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:51:34 PM)
bsa2008, we have gotten feedback from the students, and it has been almost universally positive. They love the classes and the integrated nature of the curriculum. They also loved the international experience, which they (and recruiters) said were real differentiators during interviews. The one thing we got some negative feedback on was the LDP, which is our mentoring program, and the school worked hard to revamp that extensively for this year based on the feedback, so hopefully it is now up to the level of the rest of the curriculum.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:51:53 PM)
Here's some feedback from our students regarding the new curriculum.

ninjadile (Oct 10, 2007 1:52:09 PM)
What advice could you give to applicants who are getting ready to apply to Round 1?

Rachel (Oct 10, 2007 1:53:07 PM)
Sucheng, what does your spouse do? Did your wife find work in the area?

janine (Oct 10, 2007 1:53:11 PM)
Could you speak about diversity on campus?

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:53:37 PM)
Interesting question Rachel - my wife actually works with Bruce and Michelle in admissions.

Rachel (Oct 10, 2007 1:54:01 PM)
Ooh, that's how you got in ;)

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:54:19 PM)
To be fair, they let me in first and then took her.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:54:23 PM)
Hi janine, one of the the things we focus on in the admissions process is bringing together a diverse group of students so they can learn from each other. We also have a diversity weekend coming up on campus in November.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:54:55 PM)
Ninjadile, if you haven't asked your recommenders yet to write recs for you, I would suggest doing that ASAP. You should give them as much time as possible to write them for you. I would also suggest that you really pay close attention to your essays -- that's one place you can really differentiate yourself. So make them clear, concise, well-written, and to-the-point.

Rachel (Oct 10, 2007 1:55:21 PM)
Yeah sure. On a more serious note, does the career services office help spouses find jobs while living in New Haven?

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:55:38 PM)
Yes - I contacted everyone I knew at Yale when I knew I was coming here and eventually that paid off for my wife.  There's nothing formal - it's a matter of putting legwork into it.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:56:29 PM)
Rachel, SAS (our Student Affairs Office) works with spouses, and there are resources through the University generally in terms of job searching and job opportunities.

Rachel (Oct 10, 2007 1:56:31 PM)
Do you anticipate increased application this year? Specifically, an increase in the first round?

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:57:41 PM)
Thank you again all for participating. Special thanks to Bruce and Michelle for joining us today.

MichelleVitaliYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:57:51 PM)
Thanks everyone for participating. If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to email me.

BruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:57:51 PM)
Rachel, the marketplace does look to be strong again this year. Right now, we're looking at a double-digit increase in applications compared to last year, although the deadline is still a few weeks away, so we'll see how things turn out on October 24.

BruceDelMonicoYaleBruceDelMonicoYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:58:40 PM)
Thanks, Linda, and thanks to everyone for participating. If you have any questions, you can email Michelle -- just kidding, email me.

Linda Abraham (Oct 10, 2007 1:58:44 PM)
Have a very good day! Good luck with your applications!

SuchengChangYale (Oct 10, 2007 1:59:16 PM)
Same here; feel free to email me. 

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