#60 Rochester Simon MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Rebekah Lewin – “Rigorous Training”
“There is a framework of economics that permeates all our curriculum. We believe that economics drives business decisions regardless of the industry you’re working in. This equips our graduates not just their first job after business school but as their career evolves.”
About Our Guest
Rebekah Lewin is Assistant Dean of Admissions & Student Engagement at Simon Business School, University of Rochester. Rebekah got her MBA from Simon in 2002, and has worked for the University of Rochester in admissions since 1998.
What is relatively unique about the Simon MBA? What are its key advantages?
- Simon’s teaching pedagogy is slanted towards analytics and economics; Simon is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the world for finance and economics by Financial Times of London
- Simon’s MBA Class of 2018 is 34% female, 20% minority students, and represents 17 countries of origin
- 80% of students are awarded merit scholarships ranging from $5,000 to full tuition with a $10,000 stipend; average scholarship amounts are roughly $20,000 USD
- Simon is well-known for Finance, Economics and Accounting
- More than 80% of graduates go on to work in finance, marketing, or consulting, and 95% of the Class of 2016 accepted employment three months post graduation
Potentially a good fit if:
- You want rigorous analytical business training in finance, accounting, economics and marketing
- You want a smaller, more intimate MBA experience with a diverse mix of student backgrounds
- You’re targeting jobs in the Northeast US; nearly 50% of graduates end up working there
Listen on for the insider’s scoop…
Touch MBA’s Rochester Simon MBA Fast Facts
Program Highlights (2:16)
- The University of Rochester awarded its first MBA degree in 1962
- 2 intake / year in August (2-year program) and January (18-month program)
- Length: 2 year OR accelerated 18-month program
- Campus in Rochester, New York, the 3rd largest city in New York
- ~100 participants/intake for 2-year MBA, ~50 participants/intake for accelerated MBA
- ~20 nationalities/intake, class is ~50% international
- Structure: 9 core, 11 electives, 15 areas of concentration plus 2 tracks, most popular are Finance, Corporate Accounting, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Strategy
- Students rank Finance, Statistics/Quant Methods and Economics highest
- Over 30 student clubs
- 2-year students with a 3.0 GPA or higher can exchange with 10 schools in 10 countries
- ~90 faculty
- Rankings: #55 Financial Times 2014, #37 US News 2014, #78 Economist 2013
- #3 for Economics & #4 for Finance worldwide by Financial Times 2014
- Accredited by AACSB
Admissions (20:00)
- 5 deadlines Oct – May (for Aug intake)
- 3 deadlines Jun – Oct (for Jan intake)
- 674 applications received, 219 Accepted, 65 Enrolled, 33% acceptance rate
- Avg GMAT: 680 (80% range 610 – 730), Avg GPA: 3.46 (80% range 3.18 – 3.95)
- GRE accepted
- Avg age: 27, Avg work experience: 4.6 (80% 0.9 – 9.4), no minimum work experience
- Min TOEFL: NA (mean for Internet test is 107), IELTS: NA
- Interviews done by (blind – just resume) – full-time admissions staff and alumni
- Admissions Criteria: personal qualities and leadership potential, work experience & goals, academics
- Admissions tips: show Simon that you’re someone who takes the initiative, and help lead student clubs and school intiaitves
Financing (38:08)
- Full-time MBA Tuition: $49,930/year, so $99,860 for 2-year program
- Recommended budget: $22,500/year, so $45,000 for 2-year program
- 5 million USD of scholarships available for Simon Business School students
- 80% of participants awarded scholarships; average amount ~$20,000
- Apply by Jan 5 to maximize chances of scholarship
- Scholarship amounts range from $10,000 to full-tuition
- Scholarships are merit-based and awarded with offer; Simon also has a “scholarship weekend” for admitted candidates including a case-competition and on-campus discussions
Career (44:50)
- Simon MBA – Full-time placement report (Class of 2013)
- 93% of graduates had jobs within 3 months of graduation
- Average Salary (Bonus): $82,700 USD ($16,400)
- Graduates in 2011 experienced 115% increase in salary after 3 years
- Top 5 functions: Finance 36%, Marketing 30%, Consulting 21%, General Management 8%, Operations 5%
- Top 5 industries: Financial Services 25%, Consulting 16%, Technology 14%, Consumer Products 12%, Manufacturing 8%, Pharma/Biotech/Health Care 8%
- Top 5 regions graduates worked in: Northeast US 51%, Asia 10%, Midwest US 9%, South US 8%, Midatlantic US 6%, West US 6%
- Top 5 recruiters for 2011-13: Constellation Brands Inc. (14), Deloitte (13), Univ. of Rochester (13), Cognizant (10), M&T Bank (9)
- 14,000 Simon Business School alumni worldwide in 85+ countries
