Director's Message Archives
November/December 2007
This summer when I assumed the role of dean of the Johnson School, I committed to keep you updated on our activities and progress. I will be using this periodic column in Sage Connection as part of that effort. Please also look for my "From the Dean" column in Cornell Enterprise magazine, which will be in your mailboxes in mid-December.
I would like to focus this note on the current status of recruiting and admissions, both for new students in our residential programs (two-year MBA and our one-year or Accelerated MBA) and on career planning for the resident Class of 2008. Having just completed Round Two (with two more application deadlines to go), overall applications for resident programs are 48 percent higher than this time last year, following last year's increase of 30 percent. I am very pleased with this success. For our two Executive MBA programs it is too early in the cycle to see new figures, but we hope to build on the growth that we saw last year. All in all, interest in our programs is growing rapidly. On the career placement side, close to half of our 2008 graduates have already reported job offers. The number of companies signed up for internship interviews for the class of 2009 is up about 10 percent over the same date last fall. In spite of these numbers, we are all watching for signs of weakness in the hiring market, and we are prepared to react quickly. For now, things look good. If you know of job opportunities, please let me know.
These are only two important areas for our success, but the larger implication is we are not standing still. We are aggressively positioning ourselves with our peer schools and within the marketplace to recruit the best students, attract the best hiring companies, and ultimately, develop the best graduates.
And therein lies a great source of our strength of the Johnson School. As our alumni, you are the best manifestation of what an MBA from Cornell can offer. Your success is our success. As I have traveled domestically and internationally the last few months, that notion has been affirmed time and again in each city I have visited, and with the many alumni I have met. I look forward to seeing and interacting with more of you throughout the year.
