Ross School of Business

AnnualReport 2010

The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

About the Ross School of Business

Ross may have the most momentum of any top business school in the United States. It boasts a brand new, state-of-the-art facility, offers all the advantages of being part of a premier research university, and comes in at a price tag that is often lower than that of comparable schools (even for students coming from outside of Michigan). Furthermore, in a business school environment that sees top schools scrambling to showcase unique offerings, Ross is ahead of the game with truly customized approaches to both experiential learning (the most prominent example being the Multi-Disciplinary Action Projects program, born out of the schools action-based learning philosophy) and leadership training (as evidenced by the Ross Leadership Initiative).

A complete list of the University of Michigan Schools includes:

Ross School of Business Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning School of Art & Design School of Dentistry School of Education College of Engineering Rackham School of Graduate Studies School of Information School of Kinesiology Michigan Law School College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) Michigan Medical School School of Music, Theatre & Dance School of Natural Resources and Environment School of Nursing College of Pharmacy School of Public Health Ford School of Public Policy School of Social Work

University of Michigan Programs

The Ross School of Business is one of many prestigious programs at Michigan. The schools rigorous undergraduate program was one of the eight original Public Ivies and is consistently ranked in the top 20 of Americas universities according to U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, the university is noted for its tradition of athletic excellence and its massive alumni network (the largest in the world, at over 450,000). Graduate program highlights include engineering, clinical medicine, education, and a top-10 law school.

The Ross School of Business

Established in 1924, Michigans school of business was renamed the Ross School of Business in 2004 on the heels of a then-record $100 million naming gift by Stephen M. Ross (founder of The Related Companies and majority owner of the Miami Dolphins). Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the universitys largest campus, Ross is one of the leading proponents of a teaching method known as Action-Based Learning, which is similar to experiential learning in that it fuses traditional classroom instructional models with myriad real-world scenarios and opportunities for hands-on learning. This, along with a renowned multidisciplinary projects approach, has given Ross a reputation for being a cutting-edge business school. The schools profile has been on the rise under Dean Robert J. Dolan, consistently ranking among the top business schools in the world according to virtually all ranking services and being named as the top business school in America in 2006 by the Wall Street Journal.

The schools profile has been on the rise under Dean Robert J. Dolan.

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The Ross Approach

The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Ross takes great pains to distinguish itself from other top business schools. The following are key elements of the Ross approach: Action-Based Learning. Although this is an increasingly popular catch phrase among business schools, Michigan goes beyond fancy language and showcases an urgent belief in this educational approach. In fact, one could argue that Ross coined the term and even made it the anchor of the MBA program at Michigan. The school defines action-based learning as an approach to business education that requires us to continuously create relevant, challenging ways to connect our students with the world of practice. Certainly, the idea of action-based learning is more of a governing philosophy than a tangible program element, but at Michigan it gives rise to several unique offerings, such as Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAP). Multidisciplinary Action Projects. Every spring, Ross MBA students break from traditional coursework and focus entirely on the MAP program, which is a required component of the Michigan curriculum. The school takes ownership over the projects and fields opportunities from a variety of sectors, including corporate America, nonprofit organizations, and start-ups. MAP teams are composed of between four and six Ross students who are tasked with solving a very real, very current organizational problem. Faculty advisors guide the way, but the MAP program is said to require a great deal of by your bootstraps fortitude on the part of the student teams. Projects end with both a formal written report as well as an oral presentation. Ross Leadership Initiative. It is difficult for an elite business school to distinguish itself with regard to leadership training, but Ross attempts to do just that via the Ross Leadership Initiative (RLI). A program that lasts for 20 months (basically the entire MBA experience) and is required of each MBA student, the RLI attempts to put students into situations where leadership strengths are fostered and weaknesses are exposed (and addressed). If the description or mission of the program sounds vague, know that Ross has a very detailed roadmap for how RLI develops students. It begins with what is called a foundation session, which is a six-day orientation process (mandatory for all students) that starts with theory, ideas, and self-analysis. From there, students are exposed to a variety of leadership opportunities (variously known as challenges, odysseys, exploratories, workshops, and programs), highlighted by the Leadership Odyssey, which is an outdoor training program held at a new location each year (2009 was at the Utah Canyonlands). All of these activities are buttressed by a student advisory board and an ongoing peer feedback program. Again, leadership is a buzzword at all top schools, but Ross really does take it to another level.

The school defines action-based learning as an approach to business education that requires us to continuously create relevant, challenging ways to connect our students with the world of practice.

Faculty advisors guide the way, but the MAP program is said to require a great deal of by your bootstraps fortitude on the part of the student teams.

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Admissions at Ross
Application Essay Topics
Ross typically requires two long essays (500 words each) and two short essays (300 words each), while including a standard optional essay question. The essay questions at Ross have been the same for the past few years. For 2009-2010, the essays on the Ross application are as follows: Long

Deadlines
Ross features the standard three-round admission cycle and the deadlines have remained unchanged for the last several years.

Round 1 Application Deadline October 10, 2009 Decision Release Date January 15, 2010 Round 2 Application Deadline January 2, 2010 Decision Release Date March 15, 2010 Round 3 Application Deadline March 1, 2010 Decision Release Date May 15, 2010

1 2 1 2 1

Briefly describe your short-term and long-term career goals. Why is an MBA the best choice at this point in your career? What and/or who influenced your decision to apply to Ross? (500 words) Describe your most significant professional accomplishment. Elaborate on the leadership skills you displayed, the actions you took and the impact you had on your organization. (500 words)

Short If you were not pursuing the career goals you described in Question 1, what profession would you pursue instead? (For example, teacher, musician, athlete, architect, etc.) How will this alternate interest contribute to your effectiveness in solving multidisciplinary problems? (300 words) Describe your experience during a challenging time in your life. Explain how you grew personally, either despite this challenge or because of it. (300 words)

Optional Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you to evaluate your candidacy?

Veritas Prep clients working on their Ross applications will receive expert guidance on each of these essay questions. Head Consultants help clients understand how to highlight strengths and weaknesses as well as unique elements within the confines of the question, while also addressing each of the key business school admissions themes. Furthermore, Ross Specialists help clients decide whether to make use of the optional essay and will ensure that all essay responses are in keeping with what Michigan is looking for in its applicants and that the program highlights included in this guide are used as appropriate reference points and examples.

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Admissions Criteria

The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Admissions Statistics
Among top business schools, Ross actually features the lowest average GPA, which is a strong indication that the program prizes real world accomplishments over pure classroom success. For applicants who went to challenging programs and engaged in difficult coursework, Ross may be a slightly more forgiving program when it comes to a lower GPA. The other admissions statistics paint the usual picture of a highly competitive and selective business school that looks for high GMAT scores and can be very picky in building a class. One of the most striking statistics below is that Ross yields 71% of its applicants a ratio that rates ahead of Wharton and just behind Stanford. This indicates that either the admissions committee has become very adept at spotting a good fit or that students fall in love with the place when it comes time to make a decision.

The admissions criteria used at Ross is fairly straightforward and the school makes note of the following items: Key Characteristics:

Intellectual ability Leadership Teamwork Goals Fit with Ross Transcripts GMAT score Resum Essays (see above) Letters of Recommendation (2) TOEFL (for international students) Interview (by invitation)

Application Components:

Like many top business schools, Ross reviews applications in a holistic manner, evaluating each candidate within the context of the larger applicant pool. Ross does not use GPA or GMAT cutoffs, prerequisites (other than to stress an expectation that students possess a working knowledge of college-level math), or formulas to reach admissions decisions. Interviews are by invitation only, conducted by members of the admissions office, Ross alumni, and members of the Admissions Student Committee, and the school typically interviews around 40 percent of the applicant pool.

Total Applicants .................................. 3026 Percent Admitted ................................20% Percent Yield ...........................................71% Average GMAT ........................................706 20th/80th Percentile GMAT Range....................................650-760 Average GPA ...........................................3.32

One of the most striking statistics below is that Ross yields 71% of its applicants a ratio that rates ahead of Wharton and just behind Stanford.

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Visiting Ross

The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Contact Information
The Ross School of Business The University of Michigan 701 Tappan Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234 Director of Admissions: James P. Hayes Phone: (734) 763 - 5796 Email: Rossmba@umich.edu

One of the best ways for candidates to truly understand if Ross is a proper fit is to visit the campus and get a feel for the academic environment, student life, and overall campus culture. Additionally, visiting the school offers the opportunity for faceto-face contact with current students, professors, and admission representatives. Ross offers a variety of ways for candidates to come and experience the school for themselves. Campus Visit. As is becoming increasingly popular at top business schools, Ross packages its many visitation options into an entire day of activities, which are available from September to March, on Mondays through Thursdays (an abbreviated schedule is available on Fridays). The typical visitation day at Ross looks like this: 8:30-9:20 An introduction and question-answer session with a current Ross student (referred to as a Ross Ambassador). 9:30-10:15 Tour of the business school, led by a Ross Ambassador.

10:20-11:50 Class visit (from a list of available classes). 12:00 12:45 Lunch with current students. 12:40-2:10 Class visit.

The school also allows prospective students to mingle with current Ross MBAs on Thursdays by attending Happy Hour at 5:30. Interested female applicants can also attend the Michigan Business Women (MBW) luncheon which is held on the second Monday of every month. Campus Events. In addition to the typical day visitation, Ross also holds specific events on campus designed to showcase the programs and experience to interested candidates. Ross Preview Day is the most popular, as it showcases the schools various programs and involves the entire admissions office and campus. The school also offers visitation experiences for more focused audiences, whether based on demographics (e.g., UpClose, which is for minority students, and Discover Ross, which is for female students) or focused interests (such as Operations, Business & Society, Sustainable Business, or Entrepreneurship). Caf Chats. For those candidates who cant make the trip to Ann Arbor, Ross also offers student interaction through a series of events called Caf Chats, which are held around the world in locations that correspond with the summer internships of current students. For the summer of 2009, Ross held Caf Chats in 10 different states and five countries. Information Sessions. Like many top business schools, Ross holds information sessions about the MBA program in a variety of cities worldwide.

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Financial Assistance at Ross

Financial Assistance Options
Ross presents the following options for exploring financial assistance: Ross Merit-Based Scholarships. All admitted students are considered for merit-based scholarships, which are awarded in amounts ranging from $5,000 all the way up to the cost of full tuition. According to the school, such awards are based on academic ability, professional and personal achievements, and potential to contribute to the Ross community. In other words, the school is using the same criteria it uses when making admissions decisions. Therefore, candidates can safely assume that merit awards go to the upper echelon in each admitted class. Ross also awards a variety of specific scholarships, including a few highlighted programs: Tauber Institute Scholarships Members of the Tauber Institute for Global Operations are eligible for specific scholarships. Erb Institute Scholarships For Ross students involved in the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise.

Tuition and Cost

The following annual costs are based on information released by Ross for the 2009-2010 academic year:

Michigan Residents Tuition and Fees.........$40,439 per year Books and Supplies.....$4,160 per year Housing.........................$11,320 per year* Miscellaneous............$4,142 per year** TOTAL................................$60,061 Non-Residents Tuition and Fees.........$45,439 per year Books and Supplies.....$4,160 per year Housing.........................$11,320 per year* Miscellaneous............$4,142 per year** TOTAL................................$65,061
*Includes food **Includes health care costs

Need-Based Scholarships and Grants. In addition to merit-based awards, Ross also provides need-based scholarships which are based on information from the FAFSA. Loans for International Students. Given the global economic climate, loan availability for international students is constantly changing. Ross currently offers a loan package through the University of Michigan Credit Union that covers the cost of tuition and is approved as a source of funding on the all-important I-20 paperwork.

Federal Loans
As with most graduate programs, Ross makes available a series of loan programs that comprise the bulk of each students financial assistance: Federal Stafford Loan Available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The maximum dollar amount is $20,500 and the subsidized amount can be up to $8,500, depending on financial need. Federal Perkins Loan An interest-free loan while in school, it is a smaller loan program available to qualified students who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Federal Graduate PLUS Loans This loan can cover cost of attendance after other assistance has been calculated, provided the student qualifies and is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Ross Students
Ross is a mid-sized business school, with a class size of approximately 450 students and a very diverse population. A robust 34% of the class is made up of underrepresented demographic groups, which is a remarkable total given the schools Midwest location (although Ross is quick to point out that it is not as landlocked as it seems as it is under an hour from an international airport). The international population is not as large, clocking in at just 27%, perhaps due to fears that the career pipeline does not extend back into foreign markets or even into New York. Given the companies that recruit at Ross, these fears are likely unfounded, but it does have a slight impact on the makeup of the class.

Student Stats
Total Enrollment.................................. 1,728 Full-Time Enrollment............................898 Percent Male ...........................................66% Percent Female . ....................................34% Percent Minority.....................................35% Percent International .........................27%
Region of Origin

Student Organizations
Ross boasts over 70 clubs on campus, spearheaded by the Student Government Association (SGA), which serves as a liaison between the student body of the business school and the administration. The schools website includes a complete list of clubs and student organizations. However, some of the most popular and important clubs, organizations, and activities at Ross include:

United States............................................69% Midwest.................................34% West. .........................................25% Northeast..............................21% Mid-Atlantic.........................11% South..........................................5% Southwest...............................3% Other. ..........................................1% Asia.................................................................15% Latin America............................................. 7% Middle East.................................................. 4% Europe............................................................ 3% Africa. ............................................................... 1% Other............................................................... 1% Average Age . ..............................................29 Average Work Experience..... 57 months Percent Married ....................................16%

The Community Consulting Club (CCC) Michigan Business Women Ross Student Association Golf Club Net Impact Club MBA Finance Club Marketing Club Consulting Club Luxury Goods & Retail Club Wolverine Wine Club

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Ross Academics
As discussed in the Ross Approach section, Michigan takes a very hands-on approach to the educational process. Built around the philosophical idea of actionbased learning, Ross is truly unique in the way their Multidisciplinary Action Projects shape the student experience. The foundation of the experience is still built upon general management principles, but Ross students will encounter a different spin to the first year of their MBA program than most of their peers at other top schools.

Teaching Philosophy
While Ross does not provide percentage breakdowns of their various teaching methods, students can expect to encounter three basic styles of instruction:

Traditional course work Group (or entire class) projects Experiential Learning

Outside the box thinking, so clichd in the business world, is actually something that happens at Ross, as students are often exposed to Hollywood screenwriters and creative authors for their first lectures.

Given the emphasis on action-based learning and the MAP program, Ross students are likely to encounter more of the third option experiential learning than at most elite MBA programs. Furthermore, outside the box thinking, so clichd in the business world, is actually something that happens at Ross, as students are often exposed to Hollywood screenwriters and creative authors for their first lectures during the foundation sessions of RLI that serve as orientation to the Ross School of Business.

Each incoming class is divided into six sections of approximately 70 students per section.

Class Organization
Each incoming class is divided into six sections of approximately 70 students per section, which are referred to simply by their numbers. While every top business school uses some sort of section or cohort approach, Ross is one that keeps students in their sections for the entire first year. This has a tendency to build a strong-knit community among section members and small study groups, although some students feel ready to move beyond the constraints of the section before the end of the year.

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Core Classes

The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Ross organizes its academic calendar into two semesters: Fall and Winter. For firstyear MBA students, each semester is further divided into terms A and B, creating, in effect, a quarter system within a semester system. The MAP program takes place during Winter B, which is the final seven weeks of the academic year. In the previous three quarters, students take the following core classes:

Principles of Financial Accounting Applied Microeconomics Applied Business Statistics Corporate Strategy Financial Management Marketing Management Human Behavior & Organization Managerial Accounting Operations Management MAP Ross uses the increasingly-common bidding system to manage course enrollment for popular elective classes.

First-year students also take two optional courses, one each during Fall B and Winter A. During the second year, students enjoy the flexibility common among top MBA program as they take at least 25 elective units on the way to accruing the 57 total units required for graduation. Additionally, students complete final degree requirements at this time, including a World Economy strategy course, a Law /Ethics course (one of 14 choices), and a so-called communication requirement, which consists of completing a course or passing an exam that calls for certain communication skills.

Course Enrollment
Ross uses the increasingly-common bidding system to manage course enrollment for popular elective classes. Students are automatically enrolled in core courses based on their sections, but are able to push for desired professors and classes through the bidding process. Each student receives 1,000 bid points for each term, and can bid as many of those points as they desire for any particular class or for multiple classes. Spaces in the class go to those students whose bid achieves market clear status, which simply means the equilibrium between supply and demand (a look at past results suggest that the most popular courses have a market clear price of approximately 250-300 bid points). In the event that there are more students above market clear than can be accommodated, the school uses an algorithm to randomly assign seats to a subset of the winning bidders. A bid that does not achieve market clear status lands a student on the waitlist for that class. While there is no limit to the number of courses that a student can bid on (only capped by the points), there is a credit limit to how many courses a student can actually win a space in. After the dust settles on the bidding process, students can register for any available class space on a first-come, first-serve basis via a period called Wolverine Access Registration.

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Ross Institutes, Research Centers, Joint Degree Program, and Study Abroad Options
Institutes Michigan features a handful of renowned institutes that often serve as lynchpins of interdisciplinary programs and research efforts. These notable institutes include:

Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise (run jointly between Ross and the Natural Resources division) Institute of Labor & Industrial Relations (run jointly between Ross and the school of Social Work) Zell and Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies Tauber Institute for Global Operations (run jointly between Ross and the school of Engineering) William Davidson Institute American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Center for Global Resource Leverage: India Center for International Business Education (CIBE) Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance Collaboratory for Research on Electronic Work (CREW) East Asia Management Development Center Mitsui Life Financial Research Center National Quality Research Center (NQRC) Nonprofit and Public Management Center Paton Center for Research in Accounting Tax Policy Research, Office of Tozzi Finance Center The Yaffe Center for Persuasive Communication

Joint Degree Programs Perhaps no elite MBA program offers more joint degree programs than Ross, as the school features more than 20 such options in a range of subjects and specialties. Every joint program involving Ross and other University of Michigan schools requires separate applications to each admissions office. Ross features joint programs with the following programs:

Law Medicine Public Policy Public Health Social Work Architecture Fine Arts Information Nursing Music Natural Resources and Environment Urban Planning Educational Studies Higher Education Construction Engineering & Management Industrial and Operations Engineering Manufacturing Engineering Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Asian Studies Modern Middle Eastern & North African Studies Russian & East European Studies

Research Centers

International MBA Exchange Ross offers students the chance to spend a semester abroad, studying through an MBA exchange program that partners with foreign business schools. Students take elective courses at the host school and choices of exchange programs include the London Business School, the Rotterdam School of Management, University of St. Gallen, IESE Business School, Hong Kong University, ESADE Business School, China Europe International Business School, Copenhagen Business School, and the Australian Graduate School of Management.

The MBA portion of each program requires that a student earn at least 45 MBA credits, including the core classes and the communication requirement.

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Ross Faculty

The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

The Ross faculty is populated with many prominent business leaders, researchers, and teachers. Among Ross students, there are a handful of professors who are considered a must to have for a class, due to their reputation both as educators and as experts. This list isnt merely a collection of famous names, but rather the instructors that Ross students deem to be essential for the full experience. These notable professors include: Aneel Karnani Associate Professor and Chair of Strategy Known among Ross students as a tell it like it is straight shooter, Professor Karnani is most notorious for his ongoing academic battle with fellow Ross faculty member C.K. Prahalad. The two have been going back and forth about a concept known as bottom of the pyramid (exploring the market potential of the worlds poorest people) for years. What students appreciate most is how candid Professor Karnani is about his work and his viewpoints and how willing he is to discuss somewhat controversial positions in class. All of this takes place as part of his interest in global competition one of his two chief areas of research and instruction, with the other being basic strategic management. M.P. Narayanan Professor and Chair of Finance Professor Narayanan teaches in both the full-time MBA and EMBA programs at Ross and specializes in capital management and strategic growth. Known to pick up a racket and swing it with some of his students, Professor Narayanan is known and loved for making finance as simple and easy to understand as possible. His stated goal is to help students connect the dots between simple concepts and complex outcomes and he often does that through clever and entertaining metaphors. Christie Nordhielm Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing Recruited away from Kellogg in 2004 after being one of students favorites there year after year, Professor Nordhielm is well known for her Big Picture method for strategically breaking down marketing problems. In fact, she was one of the first pieces in Dean Dolans vision for the school, which was to teach students how to be thought and action leaders in every segment of business. Having known about Professor Nordhielms revolutionary framework (formally known as The Big Picture: Integrating Marketing Strategy and Execution), he made it his first order of business to nab Kelloggs 2003 Professor of the Year. At Ross, Professor Nordhielm is teaching her marketing framework to not only individual classes and sections (as she did at Kellogg), but also to the entire faculty. With a style suggestive of her early career in advertising (at Leo Burnett), Professor Nordhielm is a engaging speaker who also presents seminars to top companies as well as to the Ross Executive Program (run through the Marketing Center for Excellence, which she also heads up). Finally, she is also a singer and songwriter who often has friends over to her house for an evening of singing. While she is extremely available to students, she draws the line at the singing parties.

The Ross faculty is divided into 9 academic areas:

1. Accounting 2. Business Economics & Public Policy 3. Business Information Technology 4. Finance 5. Law, History, & Communications 6. Management & Organizations 7. Marketing 8. Operations & Management Science 9. Strategy

What students appreciate most is how candid Professor Karnani is about his work and his viewpoints and how willing he is to discuss somewhat controversial positions in class.

At Ross, Professor Nordhielm is teaching her marketing framework to not only individual classes and sections (as she did at Kellogg), but also to the entire faculty.

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Andrew Hoffman Holcim Professor of Sustainable Enterprise Professor Hoffman teaches at both Ross as well as the School of Natural Resources & Environment, and also serves as the Associate Director of the Erb Institute. He has published seven books and over 70 articles on sustainability and is a thought leader in every conceivable area of environmental impact on business. That said, Professor Hoffmans actually most popular for his Bargaining Behavior and Influence Skills course which almost always has the highest market clear price under the Ross bidding system. In some years, it will take more than half of a students bid points to land a spot in Professor Hoffmans class. Gautam Ahuja Professor of Strategy A much decorated professor at the University of Texas, Ahuja has continued to rack up awards since coming to Michigan in 2003, where he was named the best professor in the entire PhD program in 2004. He is often cited by Ross students as a favorite professor despite his broad involvement in multiple programs and his research on innovation and technology as it relates to strategy has been groundbreaking. Linda Lim Professor of Strategy Often described as plugged in, Professor Lim is a foremost expert on Southeast Asia and aims most of her research at that area of the world. Known for bringing her research to the classroom, Professor Lims students enjoy looking at multinational problems from multiple angles, and often find themselves discussing her op-ed pieces or interviews from major publications. Her World Economy course is a very popular option for those students seeking to complete one of Ross unique strategy requirements for graduation.

Professor Hoffmans actually most popular for his Bargaining Behavior and Influence Skills course which almost always has the highest market clear price under the Ross bidding system.

Grading Policies
As with several other top schools, the grading policy at Ross fosters collaboration and teamwork by moving from a traditional letter grade approach and instead using soft terms. A strict curve is enforced for all required courses and in most elective courses as well, although the curve is a bit more top heavy for electives. The so-called five-level grading system consists of the following marks:

Excellent ........................................................EX Good................................................................GD Pass.....................................................................PS Low Pass..........................................................LP Fail..........................................................................F

Students believe that what could be construed as a semantic change really does have an impact. Many feel that switching from letter grades to the five-level system removes the interpersonal grade competition that makes academic life awkward and distrustful in some other schools.

Ross Business Plan Competitions

Michigan Business Challenge. This university-wide event is one of the primary business plan competitions in which Ross is involved annually. It is fairly unique in the way it draws the competition out over a prolonged period usually at least four months. This process allows for viable changes in response to feedback that arises at various checkpoints during the four rounds of competition. The top prize the Pryor-Hale Award is good for $15,000. DTE Clean Energy Prize. A greater cash amount is available to the winners of the Clean Energy Prize where first place comes with an award of $65,000. Sponsored by DTE Energy, the competition is run by the Zell Lurie Institute and borrows closely from the structure of the Michigan Business Challenge. There are fairly strict eligibility requirements, but the payoff is substantial.

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

The Ross Campus

The Ross School of Business can boast of one of the truly great business school campuses in the nation, as students enjoy both a brand new, state-of-the-art building (opened in January of 2009) as well as placement within the fabulous University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. Students have the best of both worlds, learning and working in a contained facility that is part of not only one of the largest university populations in the world, but also conveniently located just blocks from dining, shopping, and entertainment options. The new business school facility is what really takes the Ross campus experience to the next level. A 270,000-square-foot building with a highly modern design and wide open feel, the new Ross building provides some of the most appealing work spaces of any business school campus: designers put a premium on creating dynamic breakout rooms as well as inviting meeting spaces such as the Davidson Winter Garden (a glass-enclosed area at the center of the facility). As with most new business school campuses, Ross features top flight classrooms and all of the most recent learning technologies (wireless Internet, seat-specific data feeds, three digital video cameras in each classroom, multi-media lecture devices, plasma screens in nearly every study room, and over 25 high-speed printers with virtual queuing). One truly distinguishing factor is that Ross new building features its own fitness center, complete with a gym and a locker room. In addition to creating a campus that backs the schools action-based learning philosophy, Ross also made a strong push to incorporate sustainable energy into the design of the new building. From the use of dimming and high-efficiency lighting options to the placement of green roofs, the new campus is designed to place the minimum possible burden on the environment. This aspect of the campus is probably of greater appeal to potential donors and prospective applicants than it is to current Ross students, as things like low flush toilets may not be seen as much of a step forward. Still, it is another sign of the schools dedication to innovation.

Students have the best of both worlds, learning and working in a contained facility that is part of not only one of the largest university populations in the world, but also conveniently located just blocks from dining, shopping, and entertainment options.

Ross new building features its own fitness center, complete with a gym and a locker room.

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Professional Recruitment at Ross Career Development Resources

Ross divides its career services office (Office of Career Development) into two specific areas: career counseling and recruiter relations. This approach allows for singular focus on counseling the individual before turning the attention to the recruiting frenzy that is common at top business schools. The following are the primary career development resources at Ross: On-Campus Interviewing. The lifeblood of any MBA recruiting process, Ross hosts on-campus interviewing through the recruiting relations staff. This group of professionals works with students on the submission of resums, the interview bidding process (similar to course bidding, Ross students use points to bid on the interviews they most desire), and managing interview schedules. Individual Counseling. While the recruiting relations staff works with students on the interview process, the career counseling professionals work with Ross MBAs on an individual level to narrow career options, perform self assessment, hone job searches, and build strong resums.

Resources
As with most top MBA programs, the Ross Office of Career Development provides students with a variety of resources to help them manage the recruiting process and job search: Workshops Hosted by the career counseling staff on a variety of topics (assessment, resums, networking, interviewing, bidding, and negotiation, among others). Recruiting Events Held both on campus and off, Ross pairs top employers with students through corporate presentations, career fairs, and dinners. Job Boards Ross features the usual collection of company databases, research tools, and links to current positions. Alumni Career Services Complete with unique job postings and an alumni resum database, Ross offers services specific to alumni and has even created a free one-year membership opportunity for any unemployed alumni.

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Employment Statistics
Ross has arguably the most balanced graduating class each year, with regard to employment functions. The percentage of students the school puts into consulting, finance, and marketing is almost dead even a total anomaly among elite business schools, where one of two of those paths inevitably gain more traction. Additionally, Ross puts a fair number of people into general management jobs and has a higherthan-normal percentage of graduates go to work in the technology sector. Function
Finance/Accounting 27% Marketing & Sales 25%

Salaries
Median Base Salary....................$100,000 Median Signing Bonus...............$20,000 Median Other Guaranteed Compensation....$15,000

Major Employers
Major companies across the globe recruit Ross graduates and many of the most common employers are similar to those that recruit at other top business schools. The following were among the 10 most common employers for graduates from the class of 2008:

General Management 10%

Consulting/ Strategy 29%

Other 8%

McKinsey & Company (16) Boston Consulting Group (12) Deloitte (11) Citigroup (9) Bank of America (9) Booz Allen Hamilton (7) JP Morgan (7) Deutsche Bank (7) Intel (6) Credit Suisse (5)

Operations 1%

Industry

Technology 15% Other 13%

Financial Services 25% Consulting 25%

Consumer Products 9%

Health Care/Pharmaceuticals /Biotechnology 6% Manufacturing 4% Energy 3%

Source of Job Offers

School Facilitated..................................72% Graduate Facilitated.............................28%

North American Location

Northeast 27% West 22%

Midwest 35%

Southwest 7% Mid-Atlantic 5% South 4%

Global Location
North America 89%

Asia 8% Europe 2% Other 1%

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Ross and Veritas Prep

Veritas Prep has a distinguished track record helping our clients gain acceptance to one of the worlds truly elite business schools. The secret to our success, as always, is in first ensuring that Ross is a proper fit for the client, and then assisting the client in expressing that unique fit in the most articulate and impactful way possible.

Our Team
Our team of Ross consultants includes former admission representatives, alumni interviewers, members of influential student groups, and, of course, accomplished professionals in a variety of fields. With multiple Ross consultants on our admission consulting team, we are able to provide customized service to clients based on background, timing, and logistics. Our Ross consultants have career experience in a variety of industries and functions. Each client who works with Veritas Prep on a Ross comprehensive package will receive a customized team of consultants: a Head Consultant and a Ross Specialist. Head Consultant. All of our Head Consultants have experiences as admissions representatives that afford each of them a unique perspective on the applicant pool and how candidates must position themselves to express proper fit and to stand out in an increasingly competitive process. The Head Consultant will guide the client through every step of the process: from the initial Diagnostic Session to submission of the application. Ross Specialist. Every comprehensive package client who chooses Michigan will also receive a Ross Specialist who is either a current student or recent graduate of the school. This individual will ensure that essay responses are both topical and aligned thematically with the things that matter to Ross. In addition to helping clients find specific courses, programs, clubs, and professors that match their interests, the Ross Specialist will also comb through each question and answer to ensure that the response is properly aligned with the qualities that Michigan seeks in a candidate. For more on Veritas Preps incredible team and the individuals who serve as our Ross consultants, please visit the Consultant Profiles page of our website.

The Veritas Prep approach is built upon identifying the right fit for each client, regardless of the generic qualities of the business school.

Our Ross Services

The Ross School of Business is always one of the most popular school selections among our clients due to its reputation as a strong general management program with an emphasis in true action-based, hands-on learning. However, the Veritas Prep approach is built upon identifying the right fit for each client, regardless of the generic qualities of the business school. Only once we have verified a proper match do we begin to build the candidates personal marketing platform and piece together the perfect Ross application. Diagnostic Session. Our Diagnostic Session the first step in our comprehensive packages as well as a stand-alone service assures that each clients goals and prospects are properly aligned. Once we have helped ensure that the client is making sound choices with regard to each business school application, we start building a timeline and a strategy specifically tailored for a Ross engagement.

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Personalized MBA Game Plan. Each clients Head Consultant will create a Personalized MBA Game Plan, a strategic approach based on the clients professional, academic, and personal history. Those elements will become the foundation of the Ross application story, allowing the client to demonstrate leadership, innovation, maturity, teamwork skills, analytical ability, and potential for academic excellence. A major component of the Game Plan is the identification of each candidates strengths and weaknesses as well as truly unique qualities relative to the Ross applicant pool (this applies to nearly all of the elite business schools). This will create an application platform from which to work and will help mold and shape the strategy of how to address application components such as the resum, essays, and letters of recommendations. Involvement. Ross is not a business school for shrinking violets or tentative students. With a bedrock of true action-based learning, Michigan is looking for students who want to dive in, get involved, and use their previous work experience to drive the learning process. Applicants to Ross need to showcase a track record of being highly involved in the workplace and in extracurricular activities and express shortterm and long-term goals that start with day one of the business school experience. More specifically, candidates must understand how the MAP program impacts the student experience. Leadership. Always an important business school topic, leadership is a theme that takes on added importance in a Ross application, given the relevance and of the Ross Leadership Initiative (RLI) that starts with the first day of orientation. Given that RLI spans for all 20 months of the MBA experience, students would be wise to include the program as part of their motivation for an MBA, as well as a key element of reaching short-term and long-term goals. Note that Ross believes that leaders are made and not just born, so a willingness to learn and develop leadership skills is often just as important as advertising the skills that a candidate already possesses. Balance and Perfection. Once the themes of involvement and leadership have been installed as the backbone of the Ross application, the Veritas Prep Head Consultant and Ross Specialist will team up to ensure that all of the questions have been properly answered, that the resum and essay questions have been crafted with style and efficiency, and that all of the key business school themes have been addressed in a balanced way throughout the application. Its not easy applying to one of the most popular schools in the country, but our consulting team will ensure that Veritas Prep clients give themselves the best chance of admissions success through the most accurate, engaging, and persuasive portrayal of their candidacy that they can possibly create. This is true of our approach to all schools, but particularly at Ross, where two critical themes involvement and leadership must resonate so strongly and consistently throughout the application.

Each clients Head Consultant will create a Personalized MBA Game Plan, a strategic approach based on the clients professional, academic, and personal history.

Ross is not a business school for shrinking violets or tentative students.

Given that RLI spans for all 20 months of the MBA experience, students would be wise to include the program as part of their motivation for an MBA, as well as a key element of reaching short-term and long-term goals.

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About Veritas Prep

Founded in 2002, Veritas Prep has emerged as a global leader in GMAT education and MBA admissions consulting. The companys business school team includes more than 300 graduates of the worlds elite MBA programs, managed from its headquarters in Malibu, California. The Veritas Prep consulting model is built on adding value to a students application process by providing both mentorship and expertise. The business school admissions process has become increasingly competitive and applicants must do everything possible to showcase their value. Our consultants assist applicants in presenting their unique stories in the most professional and meaningful way possible. In a sense, our consultants are translators helping an applicant discover raw materials and information and then helping that candidate articulate a unique story in a language that admissions committees understand. More than anything, Veritas Prep gives candidates a sense of ownership and control over the process. Quality of work, attention to detail, care for the student, and integrity are the lynchpins of a successful consultation. In addition to elite MBA admissions consulting services, Veritas Prep also offers the finest GMAT preparation available in the industry, as well as admissions consulting for law school, medical school, and graduate school services. For comprehensive information on all of Veritas Preps many services, please visit our website.

Success Favors the Prepared

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