Application and events update

The second half of August was an incredibly busy time here at SOM. On August 22, a team of four rising second-years defeated a team from the University of Texas to win the inaugural CNBC Fast Money MBA Challenge. SOM defeated Tuck and UCLA-Anderson to reach the finals; the other schools in the competition were from Chicago, MIT, NYU, and Columbia. The winning SOM team celebrated by ringing the closing NASDAQ bell. The next day, Dean Podolny rang the opening NYSE bell to kick off the first-year class's day in New York, which was part of their orientation. The first year class is an exceptional collection of individuals. They come from banking, consulting, marketing, media, non-profit, healthcare, the environment, and many other areas. They are athletes and musicians, artists and scientists, authors and linguists. They include valedictorians, class presidents, Fulbright Scholars, Phi Beta Kappas, and others with equally impressive credentials. They are future leaders of business and society, and we are all thrilled to have them here on campus. The second half of August has been equally busy in the Admissions Office. Our online application went live, and applicants spent little time getting started on it. We also announced our fall recruiting schedule, which will take us around the globe to meet potential members of the Class of 2010. I myself will be leaving for Asia tomorrow morning to attend events in Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and Hong Kong. The trip will consist of a combination of MBA fairs and SOM receptions set up by alumni at organizations such as Goldman Sachs and BP. We will be hosting similar events in Europe and North and South America throughout the fall, so check our recruiting schedule to find when we will be near you. I have to finish packing now for my trip, but hope to post an update soon about my Asia trip.