Mimi Musumeci
Coordinator, Admissions and Financial Aid
Kellie Sauls
Associate Director, Admissions & Financial Aid
and first year full-time students and
members of the
"Babcock Women in Business":
| mimi.musumeci | Welcome to the November Online Chat Session at Wake Forest University. Kellie Sauls and I are members of the Full-time MBA Admissions Team and will be answering your questions about the application procedures to apply to our program. Tonight, we also have members from our Women in Business Organization (BWIB) who will be happy to answer questions about their organization or about being a student at the Babcock Graduate School of Management. |
| jorge | <Q>Is there anywhere I can go to get prep software for the GMAT? |
| mimi.musumeci | <A>Yes, go to the GMAT home page and you will find links to practice for the test. |
| mimi.musumeci | Welcome Eleanor, Kay and Shraddha! Do you have questions for the Admissions Team or members of BWIB? |
| Shraddha | <Q>I am sorry. First of all, hi everyone. |
| cheryl.zukowski | <A>Hi, Shraddha! Welcome to the chat. What can I tell you about my first year here at Babcock or about BWIB? I'm happy to answer any question you might have. |
| Shraddha | <Q>I am sorry. First of all, hi everyone. |
| Kellie.Sauls | <A>hello Shraddha |
| mimi.musumeci | Babcock Women in Business (BWIB) is organized to promote and encourage the development of women as leaders and professionals. BWIB sponsors various activities throughout the school year to help facilitate interaction between students, increase visibility of members to faculty, provide opportunities to network with alumnae and working professionals, and to encourage an environment of support and camaraderie among the women at Babcock. Membership in BWIB also brings you membership in the Graduate Women in Business organization (GWIB). This affiliation links our club members to other women at other business schools and women professionals across the country through a symposium and other networking events. |
| Shraddha | <Q>Many B-schools today are making efforts to encourage women in business. Babcock has such organization too. In what ways does this organization promote women? |
| camille.chapman | <A>Hi, Shraddha, thanks for joining us tonight. BWIB has a number of activities throughout the year to encourage networking among the women students and faculty. So far this year we have already collected donations of professional clothing to a local organization that helps women who are trying to get back into the workforce. We had a cookout to welcome the second-years back to school and introduce the incoming women students. We have also conducted a resume swap and review session with one of our faculty members. There will also be a get-together with women alumni in the next couple of months. You can find more details at the web site, http://clubs.mba.wfu.edu/bwib/; all of the officers' e-mails a |
| Eleanor | <Q>I was curious about the previous work experience for the members of BWIB, and what they are doing now. Thanks! |
| camille.chapman | <A>Hi, Eleanor, thank you for joining us tonight. I am a first-year, and have interacted mostly with other first-years, so I'll try to speak from what I know of our class. I was managing technology projects at a credit card company for several years; before that I was a web solutions project manager at a small civil engineering firm. I know that Cheryl Zukowski (also with us tonight) was involved in marketing technology products for a firm in California. Ruwani (who will join us later) was an English teacher in Japan before coming here. Many of us come here wanting a broader perspective for the business environment, beyond the tactical positions we've had previously. I hope that I have answered you |
| KayS | <Q>What is the most challenging aspect of B-school you are experiencing? |
| camille.chapman | <A>Prioritizing, most definitely. My previous work experience has had me juggling competing responsibilities and hectic schedules, so I felt that I had the skills necessary to tackle the workload. It has been difficult for me though, I think, because I want to do everything. I want to read and internalize every assignment, go to every company presentation that's made available, join every club and go to every event. So the workload challenges me to constantly revisit what it is I want to get out of my experience in business school, and make choices based on those priorities. |
| KayS | <Q>What is the most challenging aspect of B-school you are experiencing? |
| cheryl.zukowski | <A>Hi Kay, I'm glad you've joined us this evening. So far, I would say that the biggest challenge for me is finding a good work-life balance. The program here is very rigorous. I've learned more in the past few months than I thought possible! The case method that we use is very interactive and interesting, so I could spend all of my time reading and researching cases...but I also have a 6-month old daughter at home. It's definitely possible to balance home and school. |
| KayS | <Q>I have a background similar to Ruwani's. Good to know that background will not be discounted because it is perhaps "atypical" |
| camille.chapman | <A>Actually, I have found that those backgrounds are not really atypical. We have other students who come from non-traditional backgrounds (high school educators, graphic designers), and without a doubt they are among the strongest contributors in our environment. One of the reasons I chose Babcock was because I knew that I would have a peer group with numerous, different strengths and perspectives, and I considered that to be one of the most important selection criteria for me when choosing a business school. |
| KayS | <Q>Are you concerned at all about the recruiting drawbacks that may be presented because Babcock is a small school? |
| cheryl.zukowski | <A>The school is small, but our Career Management Center (CMC) is fantastic. They know every student well and help each of us individually meet our career goals. Additionally, our size doesn't hurt the quality of companies who come to campus. We have company presentations here several times a week. Recruiters from Bank of America, Sara Lee, Wachovia, and many other large companies have presented here this fall. |
| KayS | <Q>Wow Cheryl. Congrats on balancing parenthood with everything else as well! Thank you. |
| cheryl.zukowski | <A>It can be done! The school has a very strong spirit of camaraderie and teamwork. We all help one another. It's a very intense yet supportive environment. |
| Eleanor | <Q>Do you anticipate returning to similar fields of work after school, or exploring new opportunities? |
| cheryl.zukowski | <A>I am planning to return to Marketing when I graduate, but there are many, many career changers here. Our integrated curriculum gives us exposure to many different functional areas and helps ground our thinking in strong business fundamentals. If I decide over the next year and a half to go into Operations or Finance I'm confident that my education here would prepare me to do that. Are you interested in changing careers? |
| Shraddha | <Q>that's an impressive list of things. Congratulations for the splendid job |
| cheryl.zukowski | <A>Thank you. |
| Eleanor | <Q>Do you anticipate returning to similar fields of work after school, or exploring new opportunities? |
| camille.chapman | <A>I feel that I have been very lucky to have had the work experiences I have had so far. I feel comfortable with work opportunities in technology, project management, and banking. But I see this experience as being a time of transition for me, to explore other possibilities to which I just had not been exposed. That is one of the reasons why I try to take part in so many different company visits, because that allows me to evaluate different industries, different company philosophies and demographics, different disciplines. So at this point, I would say that I will be seeking a new, different opportunity to expand my business perspective. |
| Eleanor | <Q>Unfortunately I have to run to a late meeting, but thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions. I will return to read the archive from your conversation. Have a nice evening! |
| Mimi.Musumeci | <A>Thank you for joining us! |
| KayS | <Q>I recently met a Babcock Alumna who is doing very well in her chosen field who told me the same thing about the supportive environment there. I wonder what other elements are in place to give you that competitive edge? |
| camille.chapman | <A>I think the strength of our alumni comes back to the format of the program, which is rigorous, but not impersonal. I think with such a focused program, you have the ~115 (first-year) students, faculty and staff all pointing in the same direction, toward the same goal. You'll hear/see in many of Babcock's recruiting materials and events that the program is integrated, and I can't tell you how true that is. Our professors know exactly what is being taught in our other classes and how it's timed, so that they build on these integrated concepts layer by layer. And it all is aligned to build that foundation for the first-years of the core business concepts. With that frame of mind, the professors are |
| Sousa | <Q>Hello everyone |
| Mimi.Musumeci | <A>Hello Sousa! Welcome to the online chat. Do you have a question for the admissions team or members of BWIB? |
| Eleanor | <Q>I currently am involved in L&D, but am open to trying something new. I wanted to be sure you aren't "pigeon-holed" to return to the same field and that your scope of expertise truly is broadened. |
| camille.chapman | <A>Oh, absolutely not. And that's where the Career Management Center comes in. If you have a targeted discipline, they assign you to a counselor based on that choice. I came in without one in mind, and so I am working with my CMC counselor to determine what opportunities might interest me. There is the realization that if you're seeking entry into a new field, that you will have to be especially sensitive to how your past experience can be applied to the new opportunity, at least in the eyes of your future employer (for the summer internship or full-time after graduation). But there is also a mentor program that can help you get some exposure to your targeted field, and in the second year there is a |
| Sousa | <Q>Yes, I do thank you. I am currently working in the Banking industry and want to change to Manufacturing. How difficult of a transition might that be for me and is anyone else experiencing the same? |
| Kellie.Sauls | <A>Sousa, you are not alone. As Camille just stated in response to Eleanor's question, the CMC is here to help you make that transition and help you identify skills that are transferable to a position you may choose in your new career field. It is a challenge but not an insurmountable one. You will have to put in the time and utilize your available resources. |
| Sousa | <Q>Thank you Kellie |
| Kellie.Sauls | <A>You are welcome. |
| Sousa | <Q>Yes, I do thank you. I am currently working in the Banking industry and want to change to Manufacturing. How difficult of a transition might that be for me and is anyone else experiencing the same? |
| camille.chapman | <A>Actually, I don't know how difficult it will be, only because I haven't been here long enough to have seen us go through the post-graduation employment cycle. But, a few things are coming to mind. First, I'm involved with the Ops club, and they're wonderful. They are officially a student chapter of APICS, which is a manufacturing-based organization. I have gone to a couple of their functions already, and that's a wonderful networking opportunity with local businesses. Also, the Ops club is planning a trip during the first few days of our winter break that will have us going to 2 companies in South Carolina and 4-5 companies in Atlanta, some of them manufacturing. So again, that's another chance |
| Kellie.Sauls | Stephanie Eckerd, First-Year student, has also joined the chat. Welcome Stephanie! |
| KayS | <Q>I have been living in a foreign country for the past three years. I am curious what tips you might have for me to prepare for Fall '05? |
| cheryl.zukowski | <A>What specifically would you like advice on? I can give you tips on locations to live here in Winston-Salem, the climate? Ruwani Opatha is about to log onto the chat, and she just started the program in Fall '04 after living in Japan for 2 years... She has some great ideas for you. |
| KayS | <Q>I have been living in a foreign country for the past three years. I am curious what tips you might have for me to prepare for Fall '05? |
| camille.chapman | <A>I can't think of anything in particular that would be difficult in making the transition. I think Ruwani might have a better perspective, since she was living in Japan right before coming back to the US for school, and she should be joining us any minute. If we're not able to get you an answer tonight, feel free to e-mail me at camille.chapman@mba.wfu.edu and I'll make sure to get some insight for you from my classmates who have recently made the transition. |
| Kellie.Sauls | Welcome Ruwani! |
| ruwani.opatha | Hi Kellie! |
| Mimi.Musumeci | Ruwani Opatha, first-year student has just joined the chat session. |
| Kellie.Sauls | Hello jca. Welcome to the BWIB chat. Please feel free to post a question and get involved in the discussion. We have four 1st year students here to answer your questions. |
| Sousa | <Q>Does the Ops Club also participate in the APICS conference each year? |
| camille.chapman | <A>I am not sure. I do know that they recently participated in the regional conference; they assisted with some of the logistics, and some of our members took part in a tour of the Robert Yates Racing engine manufacturing facility in Charlotte. We are represented on the board of the local chapter, so our officers share the responsibilities for that assignment. We seem to have a strong relationship with them. Their web site is at http://clubs.mba.wfu.edu/operations/ ; feel free to contact any of the officers whose e-mails are posted there. |
| Sousa | <Q>Thanks Camille |
| camille.chapman | <A>You're welcome. |
| ruwani.opatha | Hi Kay S. Cheryl tells me that you have a question about coming to Babcock after having lived abroad. I spent two years in Japan before I moved back to North Carolina. I have a few tips: Make sure that you move to the area about 2-3 weeks prior to the start of orientation. You'll need at least that much time to move in, especially if you don't know North Carolina very well. If you're a foreign student, make sure that you feel comfortable communicating in English. You'll be in a group with 3-4 other students, and it's important that you have a strong connections with those group members. |
| Kellie.Sauls | Kay S - There also will be a website and message board available for admitted students so that you will have a chance to "virtually" interact with your future classmates. That may help ease some anxiety as well. |
| Mimi.Musumeci | Babcock Women in Business Who we are and what we do... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babcock Women in Business (BWIB) is organized to promote and encourage the development of women as leaders and professionals. BWIB sponsors various activities throughout the school year to help facilitate interaction between students, increase visibility of members to faculty, provide opportunities to network with alumnae and working professionals, and to encourage an environment of support and camaraderie among the women at Babcock. Membership in BWIB also brings you membership in the Graduate Women in Business organization (GWIB). |
| Mimi.Musumeci | Does anyone have questions for the admissions team or members of BWIB? |
| Kellie.Sauls | I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the Babcock Women in Business Reception scheduled January 14, 2005. It is the evening before Babcock's Open House. It is a great chance to meet faculty and current students in an informal environment. It really is fun. |
| Sousa | <Q>I'm married. Are there any supportive resources for my husband? |
| stephanie.eckerd | <A>Sousa, I am married, too. The transition has been very smooth for my husband. Career Services is available to assist spouses of admitted students if they need help finding a job. Also, we have a terrific Partners group here, as well. They are in regular contact with one another, have plenty of social outings and have a regular game of Bunco (although I am not sure what that is...). The program all in all is very supportive to spouses and partners, they are always invited to events and happy hours. |
| ruwani.opatha | Sorry for the delay, Kay. In one way, it was really easy for me to adjust, because I skipped a step. Normally, I would have had to adjust to American culture first. After you start b-school, you have to adjust to life at Babcock. But returning home is easy because you tend to just adjust from life in Ghana to life in business school. While you're adjusting, all of your classmates will be adjusting as well |
| jca | <Q>can you tell us about some of the BWIB activities? |
| stephanie.eckerd | <A>So far this year, we have had a resume swap, hosted a happy hour, and one of our second year members attended the GWIB conference at UVA. She provided those of us who could not attend a full report. It offered so many networking opportunities, we are going to push for stronger attendance next year. We organize charitable events, such as our recent clothing drive. Things will begin to heat up in the spring when recruiting is in full swing. I am looking forward to the BWIB reception Kellie mentioned. It was a lot of fun last year. |
| ruwani.opatha | One thing that you may have trouble adjusting to, however, is some of the more recent events in America. I sometimes have trouble in class when we're discussing some companies that have been in the news in the US (such as Oracle), but which I did not hear about while I was in Japan. That was the only trouble I had with reverse culture shock, as it pertained to the b-school. As for other aspects of my life, I was lucky in that I didn't have a lot to worry about. At the time when I started to really feel some culture shock, I had school to distract me. Overall, the culture shock was not that bad. |
| KayS | <Q>Great! I think you may be right. Do you have a roommate? If so, was it hard finding one while abroad or once you got there? |
| ruwani.opatha | <A>After you're admitted to Babcock, you'll have access to our Intranet. Via the Intranet, you can access the Roommate Database. Any student who is looking for a roommate can post their own information there. Then it's just a matter of emailing people and hoping to find a match. I ended up emailing about 4-5 people before I found a roommate via the database, and I must say that I have no complaints! |
| Sousa | <Q>I'd like to know more about the conference...Is it like a typical conference just geared to women or something more? |
| stephanie.eckerd | <A>GWIB has been hosting conferences for I believe about 20 years. It is a forum for women to meet and discuss business and career topics. There are numerous businesses in attendance holding interviews for internships, presentations from top executives, and lots and lots of networking. It is a privilege to belong to this group. You can learn much more from their website www.gwib.org |
| Sousa | <Q>I learned that Babcock is a Forte School. How many students were involved in Forte this year? |
| Mimi.Musumeci | <A>We have three Forte Scholars and all three are first-year students. |
| Kellie.Sauls | We are very excited to be associated with Forte. We are quite active with them and look forward to doing more things to encourage women to get involved in business, enter business careers, and progress in their chosen careers. |
| KayS | <Q>Well I appreciate everyone's time but I must log off. Thank you. |
| Mimi.Musumeci | <A>Thank you for joining us! |
| Mimi.Musumeci | Sousa: Do you have any more questions for the admissions team or members of the Babcock Women in Business Organization? |
| Mimi.Musumeci | Thank you for participating in the November Online Chat Session at Wake Forest University. Our next chat will be on Wednesday, December 15 and will feature our Career Management Center. Please visit our web site to learn more about the December Chat. Have a wonderful evening! |