Kellogg Admissions Deadlines for 2009-2010

Recently Kellogg released its admissions essays for the coming year. Now, the admissions office has published its application deadlines for the 2009-2010 season.

The Kellogg deadlines work a little differently than those of most other schools, and it can be a little confusing for an applicant. For each round, the first deadline is the date by which you should contact the admissions office to set up an interview. At Kellogg, the applicant initiates the interview process, rather than the school inviting candidates to interview.

For the coming year, the off-campus interview request deadline is October 2, while the on-campus interview request deadline is October 15. This is known as "Part 1" of Round 1, and it is critical that you meet this deadline in order to get things rolling for Round 1. Then, the next deadline to note is for "Part 2," which is your actual application, including your essays and recommendations.

Kellogg Application Deadlines for Part 1
Round 1: October 2, 2009 (Oct. 15 for on-campus interviews)
Round 2: December 18, 2009 (Jan. 14 for on-campus interviews)
Round 3: February 19, 2010 (Mar. 4 for on-campus interviews)

Kellogg Application Deadlines for Part 2
Round 1: October 15, 2009
Round 2: January 14, 2010
Round 3: March 4, 2010

Note that you get a couple of extra weeks for Part 1 of your application if you request an on-campus interview (no doubt because of the logistics the admissions office has to go through with off-campus interviews to match so many applicants with alumni interviewers around the world).

For more advice on applying to Kellogg, visit the Veritas Prep Kellogg School of Management information page, and be sure to follow us on Twitter.

Kellogg Releases Admissions Essays for 2009-2010

Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management has released its application essays for the coming year. While the school has not yet released its application deadlines, Kellogg applicants can start working on their essays now. As usual, our comments follow in italics.

Note that there are some changes to Kellogg's essays this year, although the application still features three required essays and two shorter "Choose your own question" short answers.

Kellogg Admissions Essays

1. a) MBA Program applicants - Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Kellogg. (600 words)
   
   b) MMM Program applicants - Briefly assess your career progress to date. How does the MMM Program meet your educational needs and career goals? (600 words)

(These questions are the same as last year's, and are the standard "Why and MBA? Why now?" questions that you will see on many MBA applications. One challenge that applicants face is BRIEFLY describing their career progress until now, and then devoting enough space to why an MBA is right for them, why now is the right time, and why specifically Kellogg is the right MBA program for them.)


2. Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experiences (600 words)

(This question remains from last year. Be as specific as possible here, rather than discussing leadership in broad terms or with vague generalities. When discussing what areas you want to develop, be realistic about what you will learn in the classroom -- Kellogg knows that you won't emerge from a classroom lecture as a completely finished leader. Discuss what you want to learn at Kellogg, but also tie it back to the "real world" and your post-MBA career.)


3. Assume you are evaluating your application from the perspective of a student member of the Kellogg Admissions Committee. Why would your peers select you to become a member of the Kellogg community? (600 words)

(This question is new since last year, although it's similar to a question that Kellogg used to use, which encouraged applicants to evaluate their applications as if they were admissions officers. This is a terrific opportunity to highlight the two or three core themes that you want to make sure jump out from your application. And, while Kellogg looks for some humility in every one of its students, it's also a chance to brag about yourself a little!)


4. Complete one of the following three questions or statements. Re-applicants have the option to answer a question from this grouping, but this is not required. (400 words)
   
   a) Describe a time when you had to make an unpopular decision.
   
   b) People may be surprised to learn that I...
   
   c) I wish the admissions committee had asked me...

(Questions A and B are new since last year, although A is a slightly different take on a previous question that asked about motivating a reluctant individual or group. This gives you a chance to discuss an experience that shows off leadership abilities, ethics, and/or analytical abilities. Question B gives you a chance to have some fun and discuss some less obviously MBA-related interests or experiences. Don't underestimate how important these traits are to admissions officers. Question C can be used in much the same way.)


5. Required essay for re-applicants only: Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (400 words)
   
   (This last question says it all when it comes to describing what every top MBA program looks for in reapplicants. Ideally you will have at least one or two significant achievements or experiences that will bolster a weakness that may have kept you out of Kellogg last year. The most obvious example is a promotion at work or a vastly improved GMAT score, but any type of experience that demonstrates leadership, teamwork, maturity, or innovation -- if one of these was a weakness in admissions officers' eyes last year -- can help your candidacy.)
   

For advice on getting into Kellogg, please visit Veritas Prep's Kellogg information page.

Kellogg Dean Dipak Jain to Step Down

After serving as the Kellogg School of Management's dean for the past eight years, Dipak Jain will step down from his post on September 1, and will return to the Kellogg faculty following a year’s leave of absence. The school will soon appoint an interim dean, and Northwestern University will begin a national search for Jain's replacement.

"I have been both honored and fortunate to have been able to serve as dean of this wonderful school," Jain said in an announcement to the Kellogg community. "Over the past eight years as dean, it has been my pleasure to work alongside wonderful colleagues whose dedication to Kellogg has made my job a joy. I truly appreciate the support, guidance and assistance that I have received from Kellogg faculty, staff, students and alumni during my tenure as dean."

Jain, 51, first came to Kellogg in 1986 as an assistant professor. Since 1994 he has been the Sandy and Morton Goldman Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies and professor of marketing. This move will allow him to return to what he loves most -- conducting research and teaching Kellogg's students.

For more information on Kellogg and advice for getting in, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

Kellogg Mistakenly Sends Acceptance Letters to 50 Rejected Applicants

We wouldn't wish this twist of fortune on anyone: This week about 50 applicants to the Kellogg School of Management received an acceptance letter from the school, only to find out later that it was the result of a computer glitch, and that they in fact had been rejected.

The applicants each received an email message with an attached acceptance letter. Kellogg official blamed the mistake on a "technical glitch" that occurred in an automated mail-merge process. The Kellogg web site always had the correct information, which applicants could see when they logged onto the site to check their status.

Understandably, some applicants prematurely started to celebrate. The Chicago Tribune quoted one applicant who excitedly called his parents and enjoyed a celebratory dinner before learning the bad news on the web site. Kellogg is going to refund his and everyone else's $235 application fee, but of course that's small consolation.

Something tells us that Kellogg won't be doing any more mail merges any time soon...

For more information on applying to Kellogg, read about the 2008-2009 Kellogg admissions essays and application deadlines.

Kellogg Application Deadlines for 2008-2009

While Kellogg released its application essays back in June, the admissions office has put out its application deadlines for the 2008-2009 season.

If you look at the Kellogg page, you'll notice that it's fairly confusing. For each round, what you should pay attention to most is the date by which you need to contact the office for your interveiw and submit Part 1 of your application.

Also, note that (as of today) the Kellogg page still has a comment stating that the 2008-2009 deadlines have not yet been determined, but these dates below should prove to be a very accurate guide.

Kellogg Application Deadlines for Part 1
Round 1: October 3, 2008 (Oct. 17 if requesting an on-campus interview)
Round 2: December 22, 2008 (Jan. 12 for an on-campus interview)
Round 3: February 23, 2009 (Mar. 9 for an on-campus interview)

Kellogg Application Deadlines for Part 2
Round 1: October 17, 2008
Round 2: January 12, 2009
Round 3: March 9, 2009

Note that you get a couple of extra weeks for Part 1 of your application if you request an on-campus interview (no doubt because of the logistics the admissions office has to go through with off-campus interviews to match so many applicants with alumni interviewers around the world).

For more advice on applying to Kellogg, visit the Veritas Prep Kellogg School of Management information page. For more information on business school application deadlines, visit our MBA admissions deadlines page.

Kellogg Application Essays for 2008-2009

Kellogg applicants, look alive! The Kellogg School of Management has just released its admissions essays for the 2008-2009 application season. The questions are as follows, lifted directly from the Kellogg web site:

All applicants are required to answer questions 1, 2 and 3 in addition to 2 of the essays in question 4. For questions 1-3, please limit responses to 2 pages.

1: Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Kellogg.

2: Describe how your background, values, academics, activities and/or leadership skills will enhance the experience of other Kellogg students.

3: Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experience.

Choose two of the following three essays…

4: Applicants must answer 2 of the below essays. (Re-applicants must answer question 4D and 1 other essay). Please keep responses to two paragraphs.
- 4A - Describe a time when you had to motivate a reluctant individual or group.
- 4B - I wish the Admissions Committee had asked me…..
- 4C - What do others admire about you?
- 4D - For re-applicants only: Since your previous application, what are the steps you’ve taken
to strengthen your candidacy?

As Beth Flye told us at last week's AIGAC conference, there are no really significant changes from last year. Questions 2 and 3 have been reworded, but are substantially the same as last year's questions. Question 4A may appear to be new, but is similar to last year's "Describe the most challenging professional relationship you have faced" question.

What stands out the most to me is 4C -- "What do other admire about you?" I miss their old question that had applicants play the role of admissions officers and evaluate their own applications. While this isn't quite the same, and is much shorter, I'm glad to see this sort of "toot your own horn" question back on the Kellogg application.

For more advice about your Kellogg application, visit our Kellogg School of Management information page.