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Application Instructions

Apply now for Fall 2013

View a printable copy of the application instructions.

Check the status of your application

All parts of the application, including recommendation letters and essays, must be received by the applicable deadline to consider the application complete.

Part 1: The Application

  • Please use the following Portal to access the Penn State Graduate School Application. You can return to this portal anytime during the process to access your application.

    http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/portal/
  • After you begin your application, you will be asked to select the desired program. Your selections for the full-time residential Smeal MBA program at Penn State should be:

Application Screen Shot

  • Complete application including program specific questions and upload resume and essays as prompted. Pay our application fee of $65 unless you have a fee waiver code.

Part 2: Essays

  • Format: Please complete the following two essays and upload them to the application in .pdf or .rtf format. Please include both in one document.
  • Length: Please limit your essays to the word limit provided.
  • Academic Integrity: Please follow academic integrity guidelines regarding plagiarism - "using someone else's words or ideas without properly giving credit." To ensure academic integrity, all essays will be confirmed through Turnitin for Admissions authenticity software.
  • Essay Questions

  1. What are your short-term and long-term career goals?  What is your plan for achieving these goals?  Please be as specific as possible, including industry and function.  How do you see your experience at Smeal fitting into this plan? (600 words)

  2. What characteristic, quality or experience makes you stand out as the ideal Smeal MBA candidate?  How has this impacted your personal or professional choices? How will you use it to contribute to the Smeal Community? (600 words)

Part 3: Letters of Recommendation

  • Two letters of recommendation are required.
  • The online application "References" section may be left blank and Saved, as the site below will register your two references.
  • Use the following link to register yourself. After creating your account in the recommendation system, login and submit your two recommenders. Upon submission, they will be sent access to a webform to complete their recommendations. You may go back to the registration page to change recommenders.

    http://php.smeal.psu.edu/mba/recommendation/index.php
  • If your recommenders are unable to use the electronic form above, please have them fill out and mail the following form.
    Recommendation Form
  • Additional recommendation letters may be submitted as supplements, however, we prefer that only the form is used. This allows us to most equitable compare candidates, and ensures that candidates' assessments rely on specific ratings rather than their references' varied language and writing styles.

Part 4: Video (Optional)

We encourage applicants to submit a brief video (2 minutes or less). While this is not a mandatory part of the application, a video will help allow the admissions committee experience your presentation capabilities. In your video, please do the following:

  • State your name, where you are from (city and country), and the date you are recording the video.
  • In two minutes, present something unique about yourself to help the Admissions Team and your future classmates get to know you better.

 

LikeLive

Technical Requirements: http://college.likelive.com/UnAuth/Pages/FAQs.aspx

To upload your video, click here: http://college.likelive.com/UnAuth/Pages/LoginInv.aspx?CollegeID=29baefcb-5050-4977-91f4-a413b10daf48&PennStateSmealMBAProgram

Additional Information

Materials Mailing Address:
Penn State Smeal MBA Program
Admissions Office
220 Business Building
University Park, PA 16802
USA

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