But I am glad it's over...at least she won't bother me every 10 minutes asking the same question over and over again.."Does he like me?" "Do you really think he likes me?" Frankly speaking, I don't even think her 'secret admirer' (if our guess is correct) was worth it..Who would want to hang out with a guy who is secretly admiring another guy right???

May be we should have asked that elevator-guy...There was this guy who bumped into me twice in the elevator inside our building. The first time he told me (a complete stranger mind you!!) that I shall get a boyfriend soon. Imagine an old fat man meeting you in an escalator (all huffy and puffy!!) and telling you that "you shall have a boyfriend soon"!! out of the blue..and I did have a boyfriend soon (just a couple of weeks after that incident).And the second time he only had this much to tell me--"You are fast, but you are good!" I still don't know what it means but at that time the vulnerable me really really liked the comment(compliment??)..even if it didn't make any sense....

At first, I was outraged when I read this story. There are people that scored a few points lower than these alleged “cheaters” and are being kept out of the top schools because of their lower GMAT scores. Meanwhile, their impeccable letters of recommendation, sparkling previous academic and work records, and impressive list of extra curricular activities don’t’ seem to merit a second look. Some schools see a high GMAT score, and automatically assume that this person is better qualified over a candidate with a lower score, but might have all of the above qualifications.

So, my question is this – how can schools place so much of an emphasis on a one-time test score that it drives people to become so anxious that they resort to the ultimate low - cheating?! There are better indicators that can complement GMAT scores that should be weighed equally when deciding whether or not to admit the prospective student. Just because an applicant has a 750 on their score, doesn’t mean they are well suited for the program, or for business school. It just means they are quite adept at logical test problems – or at the guessing game! This 750-phenom, might not have any work experience, have no desire or drive to make a positive difference in the world using their business skills, might have mediocre letters of recommendation and average grades in their undergraduate studies.

So, the choice is ultimately up to the university. What caliber of students are they attracting? Ones that stop at nothing (including cheating) to earn a higher score on a multiple choice exam, or one that has a well-rounded and proven successful track record of both academic, professional and extra-curricular achievements? Which student will better represent their school post graduation? One slimy businessperson that makes a lot of money engaging in dubious practices stemming from a long background of cheating to get ahead, yet might be able to contribute substantially to the alumni foundation, or one that is truly using their business acumen to help make a positive impact in the world, yet might not have a blockbuster GMAT score…

So it's an exciting time to be a business school boss. Yet, Linda Livingstone, dean of Pepperdine's Graziadio School of Business and Management since 2002, tells me that this is her most challenging time ever.

One challenge is meeting students' ever-rising demands for coursework related to social responsibility. Graziadio is responding - with social enterprise programs, a value-centered leadership lab, and case competitions to deem which students generate the most value (social, not monetary!) most efficiently. "They still need to be concerned about profits," says Livingstone, sounding a bit frustrated and wary too. Most companies, she says, aren't recognizing how demanding their future recruits will be in terms of social do-gooding.

Another challenge, Livingstone says, is foreign competition. It used to be that students around the world, seeking a global business education, studied in the U.S. or Europe. Today, they sign up for MBA programs in China or India—or Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Qatar. "Hong Kong and Singapore are putting tremendous effort into their MBA programs," Livingstone adds, "and hiring business faculty has become very competitive." One professor she knows got an offer from a business school in Singapore for three times his U.S. salary.

P.S. I asked Livingstone for her best advice to students. She says, "Be clear on what your values are so that when you face really difficult circumstances - which you will - you'll have a grounding in who you are."

The draw is more than the Malibu surf. (Pepperdine's campus, in the Malibu hills, overlooks the Pacific.) Interest in MBA programs typically goes up during recessions. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) reports that applications to MBA programs nationwide are rising (applications for full-time MBA programs were up 36% this year from last year) as applicants look to enhance their resumes or pursue career changes—at least until companies start hiring again.

I also checked in with Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach for America, whom I profiled last year. Kopp says that applications to TFA have increased 36% this year. If anything, the downturn is showing today's young talent that the best route to success may be the patient one.

P.S. Last week, I wrote about Starbucks (SBUX) hitting the wall on growth. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart (WMT) is reviving. It's the best-performing stock in the Dow 30 in the past year. So who else is doing well these days? Dollar Tree (DLTR), the deep-discount retailer, is thriving on penny-pinchers; the shares have risen 43.9% this year.

Less is written on those that create change within organizations. Their stories are more nuanced, intricate, and often less grandiose. Yet, it is these small actions by vendors, suppliers, and other stakeholders that often create the environment in which an entrepreneur can flourish.

I first met Jon when I was 19. I am not sure that he or his colleagues in the admission staff at a “top five” MBA program knew my age, otherwise I think our bar bills would have been smaller. I often kid him that he should have just given me a scholarship for my second year at b-school seeing as my first year scholarship was expensed.

Jon was a maverick, someone who had spent his life in a variety of industries. He was picked up by the Director of MBA Admissions at this school after the two became friends through sport. He is quite possibly one of the easiest people to talk to, for both conservatives and liberals. It is clear that alliances to established parties or philosophies bore him; he is more a man of ideas.

In 2003, StartingBloc, the organization I worked on before JustMeans, was just getting going. We had a vague sense of what we wanted to accomplish, to create a unique leadership development program for tomorrow’s aspiring leaders. Our goal: Have today’s leaders (from business, government, and the social sector) demonstrate organizational models (both for-profit and non-profit) that create both social and economic value to tomorrow’s leaders. In other words, teach young leaders that business can create profit and positive social change. We would partner with universities to hold the events and they could lend their brand names to attract students and young professionals to apply.

Jon sat on the admissions committee for the program, along with some of his business and graduate school colleagues. In the first year of the program we accepted just over 100 young leaders from 16 colleges and universities out of a pool of 250 applicants. That first year, supported by four universities in the Boston area, was somewhat of a success. At a minimum, it was something to build on.

The following summer, Jon approached me with an idea. In exchange for the title of founding partner, his business school would agree to accept up to six graduates of StartingBloc (called Fellows) into the two year full time MBA program. This was a first for any non-profit in the world. Anyone who applies to a top business school knows how competitive it is. While the #1 business schools vary whether you read the Economist, FT, or Business Week, there are consistently five exchange the title of top dog. Jon represented one of these five.

In creating that one decision, Jon created a market for education on social responsibility. In a sense, what he and his colleagues were saying is a top young leader with a background in social responsibility is more competitive than one without that education. He gave us the artillery to go to every other top business school and convince them to support the program (which they all did, except Stanford).
The point of this story is not that individuals should go out and take wild risks that could cost them their jobs. Jon negotiated his work environment, steadily convincing his colleagues on the worth of StartingBloc. He took a risk on a group of young entrepreneurs that ended up performing.

Research shows that entrepreneurs take outsized risks compared to the population. However, the entrepreneurs taking these risks actually believe their risks to be calculated. They see beyond the way the world is to imagine how it might be and they trace the steps to create that reality. Individuals within organizations can do the same thing, calculating risks and finding points of leverage to create the environment in which an entrepreneur can perform.

Read more posts on All Things Reconsidered at JustMeans.com

If this was to be a start of the months ahead, what a delightful start it is! Our new PHD students are arriving and our orientation program with them will begin on 7 July. They will start their preparatory classes soon. We are again privileged to be invited to welcome them to our library and to introduce them to our many resources and services.

I get all warm and fuzzy when it comes to the PHDs. They are a nice, small, cozy group. When I arrive for their welcome lunch, I see bright, eager faces mingling with the seniors and lecturers. They ask lots of questions and are a friendly lot. When I start my orientation talk with them, all eyes would be focused on what I have to say and what appears on the screen. Even after a sumptuous lunch, they do not nod off. Don't you just love them?

But still, the proof of the pudding is when we start connecting when we meet up to discuss how to effectively do literature searches. As we continue with follow-up sessions, we start getting to know each other better. I find myself learning a whole lot from them. You can’t beat a one-to-one when it comes to learning.

Welcome, PHDs. And thanks!

In the effort I've begun to sharpen my resume, passing it off to some friends, and started research into the consulting firms that I'll be aiming at for post-graduations. That said, I'm given some comfort - INSEAD's most recent career report shows 106 hires by McKinsey in the past 12 months with Bain, BCG, and Booz in the running with 40, 30, and 21 hires respectively.

I'll be competing with well over 300 other individuals for those jobs but those are some impressive hiring numbers nonetheless.

What’s the benefit of putting off graduate school for the daily grind?

Entering the workforce may not sound appealing, but many recent graduates leave college burnt out and disillusioned with academic coursework. After four years of tests and essays, few people are excited about devoting even more time to academics. Graduate school can be a lot of work – if you’re not mentally committed to it, you should give yourself a break before starting.

College can be expensive and student loans have a way of piling up. If you’re swimming in debt you may want to take some time to pay off your loans before you continue your education. On the other hand, students can defer many loans while in graduate school, so if money’s the only issue holding you back there may be a way around it.

Some graduate programs may specifically ask you to have work experience before applying. If this is the case, there’s little option, so pick up your briefcase and get to work!

What’s the benefit of starting grad school immediately?

What kind of job do you expect to get after graduating? If the job you line up after graduation helps you build your resume and makes you a more competitive applicant to graduate school, you should probably take the job. On the other hand, if your job has nothing to do with your eventual career, is it really worth putting off grad school?

After leaving college, every day you spend working may put you a little farther from the writing/language/math/research skills you developed in undergrad. Is working helping you hone these skills or will you forget half the information you learned in undergrad by the time you return to grad school?

Gathering letters of recommendation, transcripts and writing samples is easier while you’re in school. If you do wait a few years before applying to a grad program, make sure you save your papers and contacts!

Why put off a career you really want? If you know you need a JD, MBA, MA or PhD to get your dream job, why wait to get it? Start now!

But until you get talking about the personal stuff, you don't realize how these top-tier women made it big by breaking out of their comfort zones. Early in her career, when Allen was managing Deloitte's Boise office, she was an able manager. But her crucible came, she says, when she moved away from Boise to Portland and then to Los Angeles to run bigger offices. "One of my managers told me, ‘You’re so much better outside of Boise. When you’re in Boise, you’re a manager; outside of Boise, you’re a leader, because you have to rely on other people.’”

Weber tells a similar story. She spent most of her career in HR -- typically not the route to the corner office. When Rob Henrikson, MetLife's CEO, asked her to take the big operating role, she practically said no. "I didn’t know if I would be successful," Weber says, "since I didn’t have a sales background. But later I realized that what I was being asked to do was not about sales, but leadership." Out of her comfort zone, she learned to rely on people to help her -- which really is the essence of leadership, isn't it?

Weber, 45, drives herself hard. A Manhattan mother of two kids, she rises each morning at 3:45 a.m. -- no, not to work. To run eight to 10 miles. That's the shot of energy she needs to get through her day. Weber has completed eight marathons already. Now she's training for another.

Weber and Allen were on a panel I led for the Forte Foundation, a consortium of corporations and business schools that aims to get more women to the top -- largely by encouraging young women to go to business school. Fascinating coincidence that neither Weber nor Allen have MBAs. Both talked about the value of business degrees. But you have to wonder, would MBAs have helped them move any faster?

Years later I found myself sitting alone in my cubicle staring at neatly formatted code starving for something different. But what? Where do I go from here? I've always been taught to take hold of my own destiny and make my own future, but where do I start. I'm a software engineer who doesn't want to program and doesn't want to manage, which left me one place to go.

Business school! I'll get my MBA! I began researching the places an MBA could take me and quickly became excited about the idea. I put aside all my stereotypes that b-school was for managers and corporate types and dove in with an open mind to the possibilities. There were students founding companies and competing for REAL funding. There were students running investment funds and students meeting with CEOs. The possibilities seemed endless and in business school I could truly remake my career and launch into something completely different.

Do Your Homework:

If you're considering an MBA to reshape your career I highly suggest you do your homework. I was surprised to find the amount of specializations in today's MBA marketplace and choosing the RIGHT school is the most important decision you could make. The single most valuable resource I discovered in my months of business school research is mbapodcaster.com. Here you will find all kinds of subjects discussed by experts in the field. Some of the decisions it helped me with included:

- How to choose a school that's right for me
- Full-Time or Part-Time; what's best for me?
- GMAT, how important is it really?
- How to create the best application possible.

I have my heart set on obtaining my MBA.  It's been a goal of mine for quite a while.  With this comes the long and hard process of choosing a program.  Full-time?  Part-time?  The school I would love to go to, out in the middle of a midwestern cornfield, or the local university that offers a decent program?  What can I afford? 

At the same time, I've been searching for a full-time job.  I'm employed, but drastically underpaid for the level of work I do.  I'm sick of scraping by and would love to get a nicer paycheck. 

I think most employers look at top ranked b-schools for people in their mid-twenties that don't have much experience.  I'm in the conundrum of having a lot of great experience without ANY degree (although, I'm graduating with my BA this fall).  If I'm wrong about this, someone please correct me, but statistics say that if I were to graduate with my MBA tomorrow, without a corporate internship, I'm less likely to get a $90,000 salary than the 25 year old that just finished his full-time MBA program at a top 50 b-school. Sad but true.  Depressing, I know.

All-in-all, being a nontraditional undergrad, it comes down to doing whatever I want.  I have the world at my fingertips and can apply anywhere I choose.  Paying the tuition is a whole other story....