Olin School MBA Program is offered by the Washington University in St. Louis. Founded in 1917, it is one of the most prestigious & oldest business schools in the United States. The Olin School MBA Program has been ranked #44 by the Financial Times in its Global MBA Ranking 2020. It has also been ranked #29 by Forbes in US MBA. The school boasts of more than 20,000 alumni across the world. Some of the notable alumni include Charles Nagel (Founder, US Chamber of Commerce), Edward Mueller (President & CEO, Qwest Communication), David Peacock (President of Anheuser-Busch), William Shaw (President & COO, Marriott International), & Jun Weddle (Managing Partner, Edward Jones Investment). A total of 98 students enrolled for the Olin School MBA Program in 2019. The class includes 49% women candidates & 43% International students. In this article, we shall let you know more about the Olin School MBA Program.
Curriculum
The curriculum for the Olin School MBA Program prepares you to lead. It makes you drive towards deliberate and principled decision-making. In the first year, you will be studying various core courses. Some of them include Managerial Economics, Financial Accounting, Business Models in a Global Context, Marketing Management, Financial Management, Strategic Cost Analysis, & Operations Management. The school also offers several electives. It begins in the second semester and continues through the rest of the program. These electives cater to your individual interests and requirements and expose you to a variety of topics. In the second year, you will study the remaining two core courses.
After this, you can customize the entire year according to your interests & career goals by talking electives, global immersion project, exchange programs, dual degree, etc. The school offers exchange programs in many countries including, Argentina, China, England, India, France, & Germany, lasting from two weeks to one semester. Some of Olin’s partner institutions for the Exchange program include HKUST Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, S.P Jain Institute of Management and Research, WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management, etc.
Eligibility
Academic Requirement:
Interested applicants are required to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university from the United States or its international equivalent.
The school accepts most international three years degree.
Professional Requirement:
The school does not state a minimum work experience required to apply for the Olin School MBA Program. However, the average work experience of the class is generally 4-5 years.
Standardized Tests:
Students must submit a valid GMAT or GRE score to successfully complete the application process. Although the school does not mention any minimum requirement, the average GMAT score of the current class is 695. Also, students coming from non-native English speaking countries are required to take English proficiency tests like TOEFL or IELTS. This requirement may be waived for those who have completed their last education entirely in English. The minimum score requirement for TOEFL & IELTS is 90 and 6.5, respectively.
Course Fee
The full-time tuition cost for the Olin School MBA Program is $132,355. There is also an activity fee of $2,000 for four semesters. Additionally, students are required to pay a health & wellness fee of $1,048 & a student government fee of $520. Other than the above fees, the estimated living expenses for a single person at St. Louis for one month are $1,863.
Scholarships
The Olin School offers some merit-based scholarships to exceptional students based on an applicant’s personal integrity, commitment to community, academic excellence, & demonstrated leadership. The award amount range from partial to full tuition fees and is notified at the time of admission offer. All the applicants are considered for scholarships. There is no additional application required for the same.
Following are some of the financial aid provided by the school:
Consortium for Graduates Study in Management:
This award promotes diversity in graduate management programs and the US business world. Full tuition fellowship is offered to exceptional students who have a proven record of promoting inclusion in school, in the workplace, or their personal lives.
Forte Fellowship: This fellowship is awarded to exceptional female candidates with outstanding academics, career progression, & demonstrated leadership skills. The scholarship committee looks for women who can make an impact in the world through her vision & innovation.
Reaching Out MBA Fellowship:
It is awarded to students from LGBTQ backgrounds to empower them to lead a way to equality in business education, in the workplace, & throughout society. The fellows also receive access to various Reaching Out programs, mentoring, & LGBTQ leadership opportunities.
Students can also fund their MBA journey through various private student loans. The school does not recommend any private financial institution. However, Students can search for the best option by themselves.
Placements
For the placement session 2018-19, the median base salary received by the class was $118,000, with a range of $50,000-$180,000. Additionally, the median signing bonus received was $25,000. Students placed in the consulting industry packed the highest median salary of $136,000, followed by those employed in the technology sector at $128,000. Reportedly, 96% of the students accepted the job offer within the United States. Check here for more details.
The top four industries where the majority of the students went to work were
Technology 21%
Pharma/Biotechnology/Healthcare 20%
Financial Services 16%
Consulting 16%
The top three functions preferred by the students were
Marketing 27%
Consulting 25%
General Management 16%
Some of the top employers included
Accenture
Amazon
Bain & Company
The Boston Consulting Group
Citigroup
Cognizant
Dell Inc.
EY
IBM
Microsoft
Application Process
Online Application checklist-
- Academic Transcripts
- Resume
- 3 require essays
- GMAT/GRE score
- English Language Test (if applicable)
- One professional recommendation
Please note that there is no application fee for the full-time Olin School MBA Program. The goal of the school is to consider every candidate who has a serious interest in the school & the program regardless of the ability to pay an application fee.
Interview:
After the initial review of the application, you may be invited for the interview. The interview is by invitation only and cannot be requested. You can interview either on-campus, off-campus, or through Skype. The interview is generally conducted by a member of the admissions team, recent graduates, or alumni. The interviewer has already read your resume & essay before the interview begins. It lasts for 30 minutes and consists of standard MBA interview questions. Previously, the school has also conducted off-campus interviews in Ahmedabad, India.
Essay Details & Tips
To successfully complete your application for the Olin School MBA Program, you will have to submit the response of the following essays. Three of them are mandatory to answer, while the last one is optional.
- To move past the impossibilities and create the next breakthrough we must first understand where we started. Reflect on your story and experiences. Help us understand who you are. What is important to you, and what drives you to do more? (350-word maximum)
- In the space that lies between statistical evidence and carefully honed ethics—in a place where numbers and people intersect—we find incredible opportunity and untapped potential. Share with us your untapped potential and help us understand how Olin can help you achieve your post-MBA goals. (500-word maximum)
- At Olin, we build conscientious leaders who take extreme care to create a community of inclusion, respect, and collaboration so that each person’s value can be fully recognized and realized. Please share your passions, hobbies, interests, greatest accomplishments, and/or achievements. (100-word maximum)
- Optional: Is there anything else you would like to share? If so, please provide any additional information not previously addressed in the application that would help the admissions committee assess your candidacy. (250-word maximum)
Through these essays, the admissions committee looks forward to knowing more about you, your hobbies, interests, accomplishments, potential, who you are, & what drives you to do more. Be very clear & concise throughout your composition. Given the word limit, try to sum up your answer in brief but be comprehensive. Check here for essay tips – Application essays, Structured Thinking, Visualization, Story Telling
Olin School MBA Program is one of the most sought out business programs around the world. With one of the smallest class sizes of around 100 students, it is the most competitive & selective MBA program. However, if you think you have what it takes to get into this school, go for it.
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