Smeal College MBA program is offered by the graduate business school of the Pennsylvania State University. The school has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Established in 1953, Smeal College of Business is a public school that offers undergraduate, graduate, & executive education programs to more than 6,000 students. The Smeal College MBA program has been ranked #50 by the Economist in its worldwide full-time MBA ranking 2019. It has also been ranked #29 by Forbes in the U.S. MBA. The Smeal College of Business has more than 85,000 alumni around the world. Some of the prominent alumni of the school include William Schreyer (Former Chairman & CEO, Merrill Lynch & Co.), Mitch Cohen (Vice Chairman, PwC), Lou Grabowsky (Managing Partner, Grant Thornton), Albert Lord (CEO, Sallie Mae), Karen Quintos (Chief Marketing Officer, Dell Inc.), & John Surma (Former CEO, U.S. Steels).
For the class of 2020, 58 students enrolled for the Smeal College MBA program. Out of this, 34% are women candidates, while 30% of the students are international. In this article, we shall cover everything you need to know before applying for the Smeal College MBA Program.
Curriculum:
The first year of the Smeal College MBA Program will begin with an intensive one-week orientation that is designed to help new Smeal MBA candidates prepare for the future in the program by introducing them to their classmates and the MBA experience. Immediately after the orientation, students complete a week-long Concentration Intensive that helps the students with an early opportunity to identify the concentration of their interests.
Students are required to study a set of core subjects to gain an in-depth knowledge of the business fundamentals. Some of the core subjects include Business statistics, Financial accounting, Marketing management, strategic management, Supply chain operations, Finance, Managerial Accounting, etc. In the second year, students can take elective coursework within concentration that aligns with their unique interests & career goals. The school offers concentrations in Finance, Management Consulting, Marketing, & Supply Chain Management.
Please note that selecting one concentration is required to complete the Smeal College MBA program. However, you are free to complete two or more concentration. The school also offers several independent electives. Some of the elective subjects include Negotiation, Global Finance, Portfolio Management, Entrepreneurial Finance, Strategic Procurement, Real Estate Financial Analysis, Manufacturing Strategy, etc.
Eligibility:
Academic Requirement:
Candidates applying for the Smeal College MBA Program must have a 4-year US bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent. While there is no minimum graduate GPA required to apply for the program, the typical average GPA of the class is 3.3-3.5.
Professional Requirement:
Candidates can apply for the Smeal College MBA Program immediately after completing the bachelor’s degree. There is no minimum work experience required to apply for the Smeal College MBA Program. However, the average work experience of the class is 4-5 years. Hence, it is very much evident that applicants with work experience are given priority over the freshers.
Standardized Tests:
Applicants are required to have a valid GMAT or GRE score to apply for the Smeal College MBA Program. There is no minimum cutoff required, but the average GMAT score of the class is generally 660.
International students are also required to submit evidence of English proficiency. The school recommends applicants to submit TOEFL. The minimum score requirement for TOEFL is 80, with a minimum of 19 in the speaking section. However, you can also submit the IELTS score (minimum 6.5).
Course Fees:
According to the Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2020, the Smeal College MBA Program ranks #2 in the value of money category. The program also earned #4 spot overall in Percentage Salary increase from the Economist. The tuition fees for the academic year 2020-21 for international students are $43,800. There are also mandatory fees & orientation fees of $1,034 & $170, respectively.
Along with the tuition fees, the average yearly living expenses for an individual student come at $23,600. It includes housing, meals, books & supplies, & other personal expenses. Students are also required to have health insurance that generally costs $659 for MBA Fellows & $3,296 for Non-MBA Fellows.
Scholarships & Fellowships:
The Smeal College MBA Program offers several scholarship & fellowship options to the admitted candidates. Nearly 75% of the students receive some type of awards. The scholarships are merit-based, and the decision is based on your academic ability, work experience, & leadership skills.
All the applicants are automatically considered for these awards. There is no additional application required for the same. The school recommends applying by the February application deadline for full consideration.
Some of the fellowships provided by the school are as follows:
Penn State Smeal MBA Fellowship:
It is awarded to outstanding international as well as domestic candidates. The awards are merit-based and include your two-year full tuition fees, subsidized health insurance, & a monthly stipend.
Approximately 40 students are awarded this scholarship every year.
Powerful Women Paving the Way Fellowship:
As the name suggests, this is awarded to outstanding female candidates who are dedicated to enhancing the personal, professional, & economic development of graduate businesswomen. Approximately 3 female students are awarded this fellowship each year. It includes the full tuition fees, subsidized health insurance, travel reimbursement (up to $300), & a monthly stipend.
Diversity Enhancement: Bunton-Waller Fellowship:
It is a merit-based fellowship that is awarded to individuals from various ethnic & cultural backgrounds with strong academic & professional potential. Just like the above two fellowships, it includes two-year full tuition fees, subsidized health insurance, & a monthly stipend.
The school also provides several scholarship awards ranging from $7,500 to $20,000 to outstanding students with academic excellence, leadership potential, & unique work experience.
Students can also fund their MBA journey with need-based financial aid, including student loans.
Employment Statistics:
For the class of 2019, 89% of the students received one or more job offers within 3 months of graduation. The median base salary received was $112,500, along with the median signing bonus of $18,000. Reportedly, 97% of the students were placed in the United States, while the rest 3% accepted positions outside of the United States.
The top three industries where the majority of the students accepted the offer were
Technology 33%
Manufacturing 18%
Consulting 10%
The top three functions were
Operations/Logistics 28%
Marketing/Sales 23%
General Management 18%
Top recruiters
Amazon
Dell Technologies Inc.
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Intel Corporation
Honeywell International Inc.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Kennametal Inc.
Micron Technology Inc.
Novartis
The Thornhill Companies
Check here for more details.
Application Process:
Online Application checklist:
Academic Transcripts
Resume
GMAT/GRE score
English Language Test Score
Two letters of recommendation
Response to Video Application Question
Application fee of $65
Interview:
Once your application is reviewed by the admissions committee, you may be invited for the interview. The interview for the Smeal College MBA Program is by invitation only. The school prefers an in-person interview. However, it also offers webcam interviews with candidates who are unable to travel to the United States.
The purpose of the interview is to better understand the applicants as an MBA candidate for the Smeal College MBA Program. There is no trick question. The interview is very standard & general.
Essay Details & Tips:
To successfully complete your application for the Smeal College MBA Program, you will be required to submit an essay. The school requires applicants to write one essay only. The question for the same is given below:
“What are your short-term and long-term career goals? What is your plan for achieving these goals? Please be as specific as possible, including industry and function. How do you see your experience at Smeal fitting into this plan?”
The word limit for the above essay should be 600 words. It is imperative to stick to the word limit. Your composition should be clear & articulated well. Your essay helps the admissions committee to learn about your values, passions, interests, & beliefs. So make sure your essay reflects all of these.
Check here for essay tips – Application essays, Structured Thinking, Visualization, Story Telling
Be very genuine, specific, & concise in your response.
With a class size of roughly 60 students per year, Smeal College MBA Program is one of the most selective MBA programs in the world. Globally ranked #7 in overall faculty quality by the Economist in 2018, the program is known for its unique curriculum & quality of education.
If you are planning to enroll in the Smeal College MBA Program, we wish you all the best.
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