Yale’s New EQ Test For MBA Applicants

Will You Need to Pass an EQ Test to Get into Yale?

 

As if it isn’t hard enough to get into a good school…

The Yale School of Management is launching an online assessment to measure the emotional intelligence of applicants. The test is designed to predict future success based on candidates’ abilities in areas like self-control, adaptability, and empathy.

Unlike similar tests given at Dartmouth and Notre Dame, Yale’s 141 question test was developed by their own researchers. Currently, the results aren’t being factored into admissions decisions. However, Yale is collecting the data to determine if scores foreshadow exceptional or poor performance among students. The researchers also plan to use the results to better tailor curriculum to address soft skills.

Students shouldn’t fret if they score low. The test is voluntary. According to David Caruso, co-creator of the test, most leaders who have taken the test have scored low. Somewhere, Dilbert is smiling and nodding his head.

Source: Business Insider

 

Microsoft Names Harvard MBA as CFO

 

This week, Microsoft named Amy Hood, a Harvard MBA, as its first female Chief Financial Officer.

Hood joined Microsoft in 2002 after working in investment banking and capital markets for Goldman Sachs. Most recently, Hood has managed the Business division of Microsoft, their most profitable arm.  She helped transition Microsoft to cloud-based services and subscription-driven pricing. Hood was also involved in Microsoft’s acquisitions of Skype and Yammer.

Hood joins other high ranking MBAs at Microsoft, including Kurt DelBene (University of Chicago), President of Microsoft Office;  Sayta Nadella (University of Chicago), President of Servers and Tools; Lisa Brummel (UCLA), head of human resources; Kirill Tatarinov (Houston Baptist University), President of Microsoft Business Solutions; and Tami Reller (St. Mary’s College of California), chief marketing and financial officer for Windows.

Source: Seattle Times

Nearly Two-Thirds of Midas List Venture Capitalists Own an MBA

Forbes calls it the Midas List for a reason: Everything these venture capitalists touch seemingly turns to gold. Sure, some venture capitalists dismiss b-school programs as out of touch. But you might be surprised to learn that 63% of Midas List investors earned an MBA (with Stanford and Harvard leading the way). More strikingly, only a quarter of Midas List investors hold just a Bachelor’s Degree.

Click on the link below to learn where these Midas Listers earned their undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Source: Forbes

Are America’s MBA Programs Irrelevant?

The sky is falling. America is in decline. An MBA is a waste of time and money. Yes, you can hear the critics all the time. They claim MBAs don’t prepare students to launch ventures, work digitally, customize offerings, and compete globally. Sure, they’re pointing out some painful truths. But are they ignoring the benefits of an MBA degree? The Atlantic recently provided a more nuanced take on the shortcomings of stodgy b-school models…along with the flaws inherent to the cult of entrepreneurship.

Most advocates concede that b-schools have been slow to adapt to the helter skelter pace of a volatile marketplace. But companies can only innovate and pivot for so long. At some point, organizations must deliberately nurture cultures, establish structures, implementing models, and build brands. That’s where b-schools excel. They deliver tools like critical thinking skills, finance acumen, and leadership development to manage complex organizations.  This piece’s e final paragraph is among the best arguments for a b-school education:

“Speed, agility and adaptability have become requirements for businesses of all sizes. No matter how lean or innovative they are, though, most entrepreneurs still fail, most small businesses never get big and most big companies have a hard time sustaining growth. So business education can’t disappear. In fact, it’s now more important than ever.”

Source: The Atlantic