#79 University of Washington Foster MBA Admissions Interview with Erin Town – “Take the Reins”
“Seattle is a really exciting place to be right now. There are a ton of opportunities here… there are so many different industries and companies. Business leaders here are super approachable and down to earth. They welcome questions and enjoy learning from our students. We have an exceptional mentorship program here.”
About Our Guest
Erin Town is Director of MBA Admissions, Foster School of Business, University of Washington. Erin has been doing MBA admissions for Foster for over 11 years.
What is relatively unique about the Foster MBA? What are its key advantages?
- Well positioned and well connected to business community in Seattle and Northwest US, with very high employment rates (96%) within 3 months
- Smaller, more experienced class with 100-120 students averaging 6 years of work experience; smaller class allows more personal contact with professors, careers services and mentors in business commmunity
- Lots of flexibility in fulfilling experiential learning, international experience, leadership and elective requirements
- Admissions staff takes a counseling approach to admissions, encourages applicants to get in touch before and during their applications
- Generous scholarship policy with 40-50% of students receiving aid
Listen on for the insider’s scoop…
Touch MBA’s University of Washington Foster MBA Fast Facts
Program Highlights (3:40)
- Michael G. Foster School of Business founded in 1917
- 1 intake / year in Sep
- Length: 20 months
- Campus in Seattle, Washington, home to companies like Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, Costco and Nordstroms
- 105 participants/intake
- ~15 nationalities/intake, class is 31% international
- Students ranked Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Corporate Strategy highest
- 5 Certificate Options: Entrepreneurship, Global Business, Environmental Management, Nonprofit Management, Real Estate, International Development Policy & Management
- Partnership with 17 exchange partners in 12 countries
- Students must complete 5 core course, 11 elective courses, 1 leadership development course, 2 international perspective activities, and 3 practical experiences
- Rankings: #51 Financial Times 2015, #30 Economist 2014, #23 US News & World Report 2016, #37 Bloomberg Businessweek 2014
- Accredited by AACSB
- 7 Double Degree / Dual Degrees: MBA/JD, MBA/MHA, MBA/MPacc, MBA/MAIS (International/Japan/Korea)
Admissions (17:49)
- 4 deadlines from Oct – Mar, get a decision within 2-3 months, international applicants must apply by January deadline
- 1025 applications received, 235 admitted, 105 enrolled, 23% acceptance rate
- Avg GMAT: 682 (80% range 630 – 720), Avg GPA: 3.43 (90% range 3 – 3.83)
- Avg age: 30, Avg work experience: 6.3, work experience preferred
- Min TOEFL: 100 iBT, 250 CBT, 600 PBT, IELTS: 7
- Interviews done by Foster Admissions Staff
Financing (33:58)
- Full-time MBA Tuition: $62,400 USD for Washington Residents, $90,900 for non-residents
- Recommended budget: $24,000 per year, so roughly $48,000 USD
- 40-50% of class awarded scholarships, average amount is $36,000
- Scholarship amounts range from $20,000 to $70,000
- Merit-based scholarships are awarded with offer and second-year merit scholarships are awarded based on GPA and 1st year contribution, need-based scholarships also available
- Int’l students don’t need cosigner for loans (Prodigy finance)
Career (36:56)
- Foster MBA – Full-time placement report for Class of 2014 (yes)
- 96% of graduates were offered jobs within 3 months of graduation
- 100% of international graduates had jobs within 3 months of graduation
- Average Salary (bonus): $102,722 ($26,890)
- Graduates in 2011 experienced 93% increase in salary 3 years later
- Top 5 regions graduates worked in: 89% Northwest US
- Top 5 industries: 41% Technology, 21% Consulting, 18% Consumer Products/Services, 7% Financial Services, 7% Pharma/Biotech/Healthcare
- Top 5 functions: 27% Consulting, 14% Finance/Accounting, 9% Operations/Logistics, 5% General Management
- 9,300 MBA alumni worldwide (47,000 Foster alumni)
Get In Touch
Subscribe
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
One thought on “#79 University of Washington Foster MBA Admissions Interview with Erin Town – “Take the Reins””
Pingback: 6 MBA Programs to Launch Your Career in the High Tech Industry - » Touch MBA