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beatthegmat: Site Admin; Posts: 6778; Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:30 amFollowed by: 994 members; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Thanked: 1249 times

by beatthegmat » Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:41 pm

Want to talk to a Tepper student about the Tepper student experience? Ask here!

We're lucky to have a CMU Tepper representative to field your questions:

Jana Cain, 2nd Year

Please note that this isn't a discussion thread (or forum) for application advice. It's meant for talking about life inside the Tepper program.

A big thanks to Jana!

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Source: Beat The GMAT — MBA Student Life | Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:41 pm

GMAT/MBA Expert

beatthegmat: Site Admin; Posts: 6778; Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:30 amFollowed by: 994 members; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Thanked: 1249 times

by beatthegmat » Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:43 pm

Just to seed the discussion around Tepper:

First question to Jana, what has been the highlight of your Tepper MBA experience so far?

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dmateer25: Community Manager; Posts: 1049; Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:15 pmFollowed by: 27 members; Location: Pittsburgh, PA; Thanked: 113 times; GMAT Score:710

by dmateer25 » Tue Nov 24, 2009 6:21 pm

Hi Jana,

It is great to have you answering questions!

I am actually from Pittsburgh, so I plan to visit CMU very soon. I assume the students' schedules are pretty hectic right now. Would you recommend waiting until after the holidays to schedule a visit to the campus? I don't want to bother students while they are in the middle of finals!

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jqcain: MBA Student; Posts: 4; Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:52 pm; Location: Pittsburgh, PA; Thanked: 1 times; GMAT Score:620

by jqcain » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:36 am

Hello everyone!

I will start by answering Eric's question: What has been the highlight of my Tepper experience?

What I have enjoyed the most about being here is the access to my professors. I never gave that aspect much consideration when my first year began, but there's something to be said for being greeted by name in the hallway, or having a professor email you personally to give feedback from class discussions, homework assignments, etc. I think it's great that you can build a rapport with your professors right there in class.

Jana
MBA Student, CMU Tepper

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jqcain: MBA Student; Posts: 4; Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:52 pm; Location: Pittsburgh, PA; Thanked: 1 times; GMAT Score:620

by jqcain » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:42 am

dmateer25 wrote:Hi Jana,

It is great to have you answering questions!

I am actually from Pittsburgh, so I plan to visit CMU very soon. I assume the students' schedules are pretty hectic right now. Would you recommend waiting until after the holidays to schedule a visit to the campus? I don't want to bother students while they are in the middle of finals!

I definitely recommend waiting until after the holidays. Not only are we busy preparing for final tests/projects/papers/presentations, we're also trying to finalize our travel plans! Mid-to-late January should be a good time to visit, as no one should be too stressed with school work at that time. The admissions office will pair you up with a current student who can show you around, take you to a class, etc.

Jana
MBA Student, CMU Tepper

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stayingcalm: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 11; Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:38 pmFollowed by: 1 member

by stayingcalm » Sat Nov 28, 2009 11:26 pm

Hi Jana,

I'm thinking of applying to Tepper for 2010 R2. If you dont mind, I have a few questions.

1. My general impression of Tepper is that it's very technical. Majority of the MBA students are engineers. What are your thoughts on the diversity of the student class?

2. I come from a financial service accounting background but i want to go into finance. What are your thoughts on Tepper's finance department and the strength of it's career services?

3. What portion do you think go into banking/ trading/consulting after graduation?

Thank Jana

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jqcain: MBA Student; Posts: 4; Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:52 pm; Location: Pittsburgh, PA; Thanked: 1 times; GMAT Score:620

by jqcain » Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:30 am

Here are my thoughts on the most recent set of questions:

1. My general impression of Tepper is that it's very technical. Majority of the MBA students are engineers. What are your thoughts on the diversity of the student class?

Tepper prides itself on enhancing the quantitative/analytical skillset of its students. And yes, a significant portion of the class has prior experience and/or education in a technical field (engineering, computer science, etc). That being said, there are plenty of us that do not have this same level or depth of exposure, and we don't have trouble keeping up. At the end of the day, everyone will graduate with a fundamental core quant skillset that will make you competitive in the marketplace immediately.

2. I come from a financial service accounting background but i want to go into finance. What are your thoughts on Tepper's finance department and the strength of it's career services?

Tepper features a sizeable finance department that caters to those wanting to go into finance quite well. Since Tepper also offers a degree in computational finance (called the MSCF), there are plenty of "hardcore" finance classes if you really want to dig deeper into things like financial engineering or financial derivatives. There is also a good mix of straightforward technical courses and case-based courses (which give you the opportunity to experiment with various applications described in the lecture). Tepper is a target school for many banks and corporations looking for strong finance students.

3. What portion do you think go into banking/ trading/consulting after graduation?

Based on club size, Finance (IB, Trading, Corp Finance) is the most popular, followed by Consulting. The majority of each class go into one of these two functions, with Marketing and Operations close behind. Entrepreneurship has been gaining in interest as well. Within Finance, I would guess that more students go into Corporate Finance versus Investment Banking or Trading (mainly a function of the roles--there are more corporate finance opportunities than ib/trading). Tepper has many strong ties to prominent finance and consulting firms; the MBA here definitely prepares you well for the rigors of those positions.

I hope this helps!

Jana
MBA Student, CMU Tepper

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mbadreams: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 34; Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 8:58 am; Thanked: 1 times

by mbadreams » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:10 am

Hi Jana,

I am applying to Tepper R2 and have a few questions. Appreciate your time and effort in answering them.

1. Can you give me a brief insight into the management science approach followed in the Tepper curriculum.
2. How do you find the summer internships?Are there clubs and school departments that organise events to help you find internships or you find it through your own contacts?
3. What is the one best thing you like about Tepper?

Thanks so much.
Urmila

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jqcain: MBA Student; Posts: 4; Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:52 pm; Location: Pittsburgh, PA; Thanked: 1 times; GMAT Score:620

by jqcain » Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:06 pm

mbadreams wrote:Hi Jana,

I am applying to Tepper R2 and have a few questions. Appreciate your time and effort in answering them.

1. Can you give me a brief insight into the management science approach followed in the Tepper curriculum.
2. How do you find the summer internships?Are there clubs and school departments that organise events to help you find internships or you find it through your own contacts?
3. What is the one best thing you like about Tepper?

Thanks so much.
Urmila

Hi Urmila,

The management science approach is very comprehensive and analytical, which is nice step up from "regular" case study. The core classes give you a strong foundation that you come to rely on heavily as you progress through your electives. In short, everything you learn early on has a place in every class you take later. You definitely feel well-equipped to handle (and model!) any problem-solving challenge.

We secured our summer internships through a variety of processes. Fall career fairs are quite productive (National Black MBA and National Hispanic MBA), as well as the career center's on-campus recruiting efforts. The clubs put a lot of effort into organizing networking events, and increasing student exposure to companies (and the leaders within). Many students engaged in self-directed searches, which the career center is very supportive of (such as assisting with company contacts, etc).

It's very cliche to say, but the one thing I like best about Tepper is the small class size, which really gives the school a community feel. You know all of your classmates and your professors (and your professors know you, as well!). Faculty and staff (including the Deans) are very accessible. You really feel like you are part of something valuable here because of how much influence you can have on that community.

Hope this helps!

Jana
MBA Student, CMU Tepper

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mbadreams: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 34; Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 8:58 am; Thanked: 1 times

by mbadreams » Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:55 pm

Thanks so much Jana.That was very helpful. I too feel that a small class size and access to faculty would be an advantage when it comes to an MBA and the challenges in the curriculum . So hoping to join you in Tepper.

Thanks,
Urmila

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deep_1234: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 2; Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:32 am

by deep_1234 » Tue Dec 01, 2009 1:14 pm

Hi Jana,

I wish to know the average gmat score at which Tepper accepts students into the MIS program. I took gmat yesterday and scored a 620. I plan to retake gmat so that my chances of getting admitted into the course are better.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Deep

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stayingcalm: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 11; Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:38 pmFollowed by: 1 member

by stayingcalm » Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:22 pm

Thanks Jana for your time and your really detailed answers!

Do you mind if i squeeze in two more questions?

1. There are so many great mba schools clustered in PA, NY, and MA. What qualities do you think distinguishes Tepper the most from the other schools such as Wharton, Stern, Columbia, Sloan?

2. Where do graduates generally go after graduation? ie. stay in PA? move to west coast or NY? Or go to europe?

Thanks again Jana!

Johnny

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dmateer25: Community Manager; Posts: 1049; Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:15 pmFollowed by: 27 members; Location: Pittsburgh, PA; Thanked: 113 times; GMAT Score:710

by dmateer25 » Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:39 am

Hi Jana,

I will be visiting Tepper on Feb 17th. Is there anything you recommend I check out on campus?

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worldisflat84: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 1; Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:40 pm

by worldisflat84 » Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:45 pm

Hi Jana,
Can you provide more insight into the Management Science (with a breid example if possible). How is it really different from the case study method?

Regards,
Ankur.

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mirantdon: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 135; Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 9:00 amFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 4 times; GMAT Score:700

by mirantdon » Tue Nov 01, 2011 11:02 pm

I am Indian applicant for Fall 2012.
My profile
Gmat : 700 / 5
Average Acads
Decent ECs
3 years work Ex ( Shipbuilding - Design : manufacturing sector)

Future Goals : Operations and Strategy

Please evaluate whether Tepper is the right fit for me and what are my chances?

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