Enrollment: 677
Average GMAT: 675.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 640-710
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.50
Rolling Admission: No
School Type: Private
Average Age: 26.00
Average Work Experience (months): 59
Student Faculty Ratio: 10:1

Part Time Program: Yes
Evening Program: Yes
Executive MBA Program Offered: Yes
Total Faculty: 64

Average Starting Salary: $83,484.00
Hired Consulting: 16.7%
Hired Finance: 44.4%
Hired Operations: 5.6%
Hired Marketing: 18.9%

Out-of-State Tuition: $40,980.00
In-State Tuition: $40,980.00
Financial Aid Deadline: 02/01

School Says - General Information
The William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York offers an integrated, cross-functional approach to management, which uses economics as both the framework and common language of business, and the skills to become an effective leader. Programs offered are full-time MBA and MS programs, Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA and MS programs.

The school is accredited by the AACSB---The International Association for Management Education since 1966. Simon: where thinkers become leaders.

School Says - Student Body
Each September approximately 160 students enter the Simon community. Another 60 students join their classmates in January. September entrants complete the first-year core courses during the fall, winter, and spring quarters; the majority of January entrants complete core courses during the winter, spring, and summer quarters. Within each cohort, students are assigned to a study team of 4 or 5 members. Each team always includes representatives from at least three countries.

In the class of 2010, 23 countries are represented. Prior full-time work experience averages 4.9 years, and the average age is 26. Women comprise 33 percent of the class. Twenty-six percent of Simon students are members of American minority groups.

School Says - Academics
The Simon School's MBA programs are designed to train individuals to solve management problems as team members in a study-team structure. It is a place where thinkers become leaders. The curriculum emphasizes learning the principles of economics and effective decision making through a mix of lecture, case study, and project courses. Nine core courses are required. A three-credit course over two quarters in business communications is required of all full-time students. Eleven elective courses are required.

School Says - Admissions
A Simon School Admissions Committee reads each application individually and evaluates recommendations, teamwork and communication skills, the nature and scope of prior work experience, the undergraduate academic record, GMAT scores. All undergraduate majors are represented in the program.

School Says - Campus Life
The following is a description of Simon School facilities:

Schlegel Hall is a four-story classroom and student-services building. The building contains nine case-style classrooms, which seat 35 to 100 students, and 21 rooms for group study. Classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art audio and visual technology.

Carol G. Simon Hall houses the schoolÂ's administration, faculty and PhD students. Carol G. Simon Hall is linked to Schlegel and Gleason Halls by the Florescue-von Manstein Plaza and is also connected to it by a tunnel. The building contains more than 75 offices, several conference rooms, and a variety of lounge spaces for faculty and staff.

James S. Gleason Hall is the 38,000-square-foot classroom building linked to Schlegel Hall. Gleason Hall houses five new classrooms, up to 16 study rooms, and a significantly expanded Career Management Center suite, including eight dedicated interview rooms.

Students Say - Academics
One student sums it up perfectly: Simon is "definitely a school on the rise." Though founded in the 1960s under an already well-established parent institution, it's only been in recent years that the school has started to make the strides necessary to become a world-class institution. Students here say the "rigorous" academic workload is as heavy as you make it out to be, though "If you don't stay on top of your work, you will get lost very quickly." It's this flexibility and trust on the part of the school of which students speak most highly: "You have the unique ability to [tailor] your education to whatever way you see fit by utilizing all of the resources and opportunities available," one student said. The "top-notch" faculty at Simon is a high point for students, and "To be able to speak directly with some of the leaders in their various fields is really impressive." Another student adds: "The small class size, combined with professor quality/availability, is an unbelievably strong combination." However, a few others caution that accessibility doesn't always translate into helpfulness when it comes to making students understand material they might have trouble understanding. And some professors aren't as successful as others when it comes to venturing or teaching outside of their field.
Students enjoy their classes and find them "challenging," but one notes that "there is not a wide variety offered after the core is complete." A robust program in finance and accounting is highly regarded, and the school's "economics-based approach to analyzing all business problems" is an invaluable tool for students as they prepare to enter the workforce.
At this up-and-coming school, the administration has the difficult task of increasing the breadth of the program and generating buzz, while simultaneously acting to keep things running smoothly, a job they have more than proven themselves up to. Those who attend Simon rave about its administration, which is "quick to fix any problem." Also praised is the "awesome" Dean ("an invaluable resource for networking and personal guidance"), who holds several town hall-style meetings per quarter "to find out what the students want."

Students Say - Admissions
As a general rule, students with the best combination of GPA, applicable test scores, and relevant team/leadership experience (either through internships, post-baccalaureate work, or extracurricular activities) will have the first opportunity to enter the programs, according to the school's website. Applicants to the school's MBA program must submit the following materials: an online application, including three required essays; an official copy of undergraduate transcripts from all institutions where course work was completed; two letters of recommendation; a current resume; an official GMAT score report; and an interview (if requested by the Admissions Committee). In addition to the above documents, international students whose primary language is not English must also provide an official score report for the TOEFL, unless they have studied for at least one full academic year in a college or university where English is the language of instruction.

Students Say - Campus Life
It's an "academically competitive" crowd here; "intelligent," "friendly," and "helpful to a point, but it is business school, so when crunch time hits, if you're all in the same class and they're not your immediate friends, you might have to search harder for help." Simon is home to a very large number of international students, many of whose language and writing skills leave something to be desired in team projects, where they can be a "burden," according to one student.
However, since it's a small school, the overall crowd tends to be very "close-knit" and familiar with each other, students say. Although some are wholly focused on school and their career search, many are very social outside of classroom, either in the bar/club atmosphere" or at school-sponsored events. As a younger crowd, "There are very few people at the school who are married or have a significant other," and many people socialize with students from neighboring grad schools and universities. Rochester "could never be called a charming town," and the cold weather and heavy snow can be an unpleasant surprise for many non-Northeasterners, but the city does have an ample night life and great cultural activities, including fairs, festivals, theater, films, music, and art galleries.

Students Say - Careers
On the whole, Career Services at Simon generally is well received for what the office provides students, but there's no question that more diversity in recruiting (in terms of both the number of companies interviewing on campus and the number of cities in which programs are available) would be welcome. International and more experienced students also feel that more could be done to aid them in their search for employment. Boston and New York are heavily favored areas for recruitment, but the school's biggest asset tends to be the alumni: "In recent years, alumni have been responsible for opening up big hiring pipelines with major firms such as Citibank and J&J. This trend is continuing with openings to major players such as McKinsey."
Other companies that typically hire Simon grads include M&T Bank, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, and Xerox.

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