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Applying to Ross through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management

Since 1983, the Stephen M. Ross School of Business is a member of The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an alliance of 17 leading American business schools and some of our country's top corporations.  The mission of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping to reduce the serious underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both our member schools' enrollments and the ranks of management.  All applicants to the Consortium, regardless of race or ethnicity, must be able to demonstrate commitment to this mission.

  • The Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan strongly encourages eligible prospective candidates to apply to the Ross MBA Program using the Consortium application.
  • Please review the Consortium application instructions and visit www.cgsm.org for more information.
  • If you apply as a Consortium candidate, you are not required to complete the Ross MBA application.
  • Admissions contact:  Jon Fuller, Senior Associate Director of Admissions
  • Ross student Consortium Liaisons:  A.J. Watson, Daniel Reyes

The Consortium Application Deadlines

  • Early deadline November 15, 2011
  • Final deadline January 5, 2012

Consortium Applicant FAQs 

Is it better to apply for the early deadline or for the final deadline?

  • It does not matter to Ross which deadline you choose.  You should plan to apply when you are confident that your application is at its strongest.
     
  • Given the timing of the early deadline relative to our first standard application deadline, applications submitted for the November 15th early deadline are consolidated with the January 5th final deadline.
     
  • This consolidation makes no difference in how we evaluate your application and does not impact your opportunity for admission to Ross, Consortium membership, Consortium fellowship, or general Ross scholarship.

When will I be notified of my admissions/membership/fellowship decisions?

  • All Ross Consortium admissions decisions will be released in concert with our Round 2 decisions on March 15, 2012.  At that same time, admitted candidates will be notified of their membership and Ross Consortium fellowship decisions.

May I apply through the Consortium application as a joint degree candidate in conjunction with one of Michigan's other graduate/professional schools?

  • Yes. The Consortium application meets the application requirement for the Ross MBA program, but applicants still need to adhere to all of the application requirements for the other graduate/professional school to which you are applying.

May I apply to one of Ross' other MBA programs through the Consortium application, such as the Evening, Weekend, or Executive MBA programs?

  • No. Candidates may only use the Consortium application to apply to Ross' full-time MBA program. In addition, only full-time MBA applicants may be considered for Consortium membership and fellowship opportunities.

What is the Ross School of Business interview policy for Consortium applicants?

  • New for the 2011-2012 application cycle, a Consortium-specific interview is no longer a part of the Consortium application process.
     
  • Ross-specific Interviews will be conducted by invitation only.  If the Admissions Committee invites you to interview, you will receive the invitation and scheduling information via email.

The interview provides the Admissions Committee with more information about you.  It is not an indication of the outcome of your application.  Interviews are typically conducted by members of the Alumni Admissions Committee or members of our Admissions Student Committee.  Interviews may be conducted in person on- or off-campus, by Skype, or, in exceptional circumstances, by telephone.

When are invitations for Ross Admissions interviews extended?

  • After reviewing applications, the Admissions Committee extends interview invitations at its discretion. Interview invitations and interview periods will be conducted in two main waves during the application round.  The timing of the invitation is strictly based on when your application is initially evaluated.

Do I have to complete my Ross Admissions interview on campus?

  • We highly encourage all applicants to visit campus for their interviews, but candidates may also interview off-campus in cities around the United States and internationally.  If you are visiting campus, you may also utilize that time to schedule a formal visit.

What are the school specific essays I will be required to write if I apply to Ross through the Consortium?

  • In addition to the essays required by the Consortium for all candidates, there are required school specific questions for each member school to which you apply through the Consortium.  The Ross-specific questions are:
  1. Introduce yourself to your future Ross classmates in 100 words or less.  (Maximum 100 words)
  2. In your first core Consortium essay, you describe your short and long term goals post-MBA.  How will an MBA from Ross help you achieve those goals? What is your vision for how you can make a unique contribution to the Ross community? (Maximum 300 words)
  3. Describe a time in your career when you were frustrated or disappointed.  What did you learn from that experience?  (Maximum 500 words)
  4. Select one of the following questions (Maximum 300 words)
  • What are you most passionate about?  or
  • Describe a personal challenge or obstacle and why you view it as such. How have you dealt with it?  What have you learned from it?

How are the Consortium rankings used by Ross?

  • The admissions process is blind to the rankings, and admissions committee members do not see the rankings while reading your application or conducting interviews.  After admissions decisions have been made for Rounds One and Two, the committee uses the rankings in the Consortium fellowship award process.

How does the fellowship award process work?

  • The ranking process is intended to allow you to determine which schools will be the first to have the opportunity to offer you a Consortium fellowship.  To be considered for a fellowship, you first must be approved for membership to the Consortium by the Consortium. You can only be considered for fellowship by schools that admit you.
     
  • If you are admitted at your first choice school, that program will have the first opportunity to offer you a fellowship.  If your highest-ranked school does not admit you or opts not to offer you a fellowship, the school you ranked next highest who has admitted you gets the next opportunity to offer the fellowship, and so on.  Admission to a program by no means guarantees a fellowship offer, and it is wise to plan your finances in a manner which allows you to pursue your MBA either way.
     
  • Ross applicants who are not offered a Consortium fellowship are still considered for other scholarship awards at Ross.
     
  • Please note that the Consortium policy is that you cannot change your ranking after you have submitted your application.  As this can have major implications for your fellowship options and eventual selection of an MBA program, you are encouraged to visit schools, speak with students and alumni, and overall assess the fit of each program for your personal needs prior to applying to and ranking schools.