What general tips do you offer to J&W wannabes?
Johnson & Wales, America's Career University®, is a unique educational institution in the way it combines traditional academia with what's going on in the real world. Our promise of Best Fit Employment(tm) matches our graduates to the right career field that best fits their skills and goals matched with employers who value the career-oriented attitude J&W graduates bring to the table. I encourage all students to learn more about what J&W has to offer. I recommend students to submit complete application files proving their academic qualifications and their skills in leadership, critical thinking, and social responsibility.
When is the best time to apply?
J&W has rolling admissions, but the earlier is better, especially for those students who want to start in September; that's when we receive most of our applications for. International students need to apply earlier to allow enough time for the visa process and travel arrangements.
What kind of applicants (what sort of profiles) have you seen this year?
I see more and more engineering degree holders applying for our MBA programs, especially Mechanical Engineers. Each year, more and more competitive students enter J&W and we are very proud of that.
How competitive will MBA admissions be this year?
Each year, our application pool grows and J&W becomes more competitive. Overall, for the graduate programs we are looking at a B+ student with the right skills to be successful in our graduate programs and in the professional world.
What factors do you weigh most in admitting a potential candidate: college GPA, GMAT, professional experience, or personal essays?
The Admissions Committee evaluates the files based on all those factors listed above. Competitiveness of the university student has graduated from, gpa, past internship and work experience, references are all important. Essay is a great opportunity for students to talk about themselves and explain what their future professional goals are. So, everything counts but I would say GPA and the competitiveness of previous institution are the most important criteria.
How will your student recruiting efforts change in this coming year?
It won't be much different from last year's. But I have to admit each year there is slightly less traveling and more e-recruiting.
Are there countries from which you would like to see more applications?
We have a good mixture of international students representing more than 90 countries on campus and we would like to maintain that.
Do most applicants get financial assistance?
Our tuition is already reasonably priced; changing from $7,560 to $10,000 depending on how many courses students take per year. We do offer $1,000 one time scholarship to those students who have good GMAT scores. Some on campus part time positions offer $3,000 scholarship per year.
Do you offer a new graduate program next year?
J&W recently started offering Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (C.A.G.S) in Finance, Human Resources Management and Hospitality which allows students to advance and broaden their knowledge in specific subject areas that are important to their job performance and career development. Candidates must hold a master's degree in Business Administration.
How is the placement going for the class that is graduating this year? Have the recruiters been active on campus?
Our Career Development Office has one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive career development programs. Our mission is to assist students at every stage of career development and provide employers with the right programs to meet their hiring needs.
Every year, J&W holds a career conference on campus where 250+ companies come to our campus to interview our graduating students. This year it was held on November 9th and 10th. Our students' relationship in the J&W family does not end upon graduation. It is the Career Development & Alumni Relations Office programs and services which will benefit them throughout their professional life. Upon graduation, they become a part of a network of 59,000 J&W graduates; an alliance of professionals with a lot to share with its members.
What is your response to current applicants who ask you what their job opportunities will be like in 2007-8 when they graduate?
We are proud of our 28 consecutive year employment record and I don't think next year will be any different. Experiential education is a key component of the Johnson & Wales University brand. To that end, the University has a great number of programs designed to give you the opportunity to develop skills and competencies in the workplace to augment the content knowledge of your profession gained in the classrooms and laboratories of the school.
What do you tell candidates who ask how J&W is different from other schools?
Career Education Faculty with real life experience Strong relationships with the Industry Career Development Services Hands on Training (Co-op) Location International Student Services
What perks do graduate students enjoy?
J&W is located in Providence, RI which is an hour to Boston by car and 3 and a half hours to NYC. As a small city so close to big cities, Providence offers the advantages of both living in a big city (various co-op and externship opportunities, cultural & sports activities) and in a small city (safe environment and reasonable cost of living) Named the number one place to live on the East Coast, Rhode Island has the largest number of college students per capita, making it a vibrant place in which to live.
Throughout the year, there are valuable M.B.A. career forums at J&W to introduce our students to leading employers and provide career building contacts and ideas. One of the most anticipated career forums is the Distinguished Visiting Professor (DVP) series; at which prominent professionals speak to the M.B.A. students about their rise to career success.
For Detailed Information:
icagdas@admissions.jwu.edu
Irmak Cagdas (Ms)
International Relations
Europe, Middle East
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