Enrollment: 175
Average GMAT: 530.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 450-590
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.27
Rolling Admission: Yes
School Type: Private
Average Age: 30.00
Average Work Experience (months): 72
Student Faculty Ratio: 9:1

Part Time Program: Yes
Evening Program: Yes
Executive MBA Program Offered: No
Total Faculty: 23

Average Starting Salary: $81,000.00
Hired Finance: 16%
Hired Operations: 7%
Hired Marketing: 9%

Greatest Opportunity for Women
2010 Entrepreneurial Programs: Business Schools

School Says - Student Body
The School at a Glance

"A quarter of a century ago, the Simmons School of Management (SOM) was among the first to educate women for positions of power and leadership. Today, we remain the only business school in the world designed exclusively for women. Our challenge is the same: to help women succeed in business and to move from middle management into the most senior positions in organizations of every kind. Wherever senior managers meet, Simmons is determined to position skilled and confident women among them, competing equally, with insight and a real understanding of the business environment."
--Dr. Patricia O'Brien, Dean

Students

With work experience averaging eight to ten years, students come to Simmons knowing a great deal about themselves and what they want from their education. They include women in the process of a career change, women who have reached a career plateau and women with substantial management experience who want to move ahead in their careers. In the current class, minority enrollment is 10 percent and international enrollment is 30 percent, with representation this year from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Forty-six percent of the students majored in the humanities or social sciences, while 54 precent majored in math, economics, or the sciences. Study groups and structured group projects encourage team development as leaders and as followers.

School Says - Admissions
Admission is competitive. The Admissions Committee measures potential for both academic success in the program and professional success thereafter. The committee looks closely at the candidate's preparation for a highly quantitative course of study. It does not follow a formula in making its decisions; rather it evaluates the candidate's ability, aptitude, and promise by examining the whole as revealed in the application materials. An applicant must have at least two years of full-time work experience.

The following materials are needed to fulfill application requirements: a completed application form, an application fee, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts of all academic study beyond high school, and an official score report from the GMAT. International students whose native language is not English must submit a TOEFL score. Interviews are strongly encouraged.
The School has a rolling admission policy designed to let students choose their admission decision date. Students may enroll in September or January. For more information on applying and deadline dates, students should contact:
Admission Office
Simmons School of Management
409 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Telephone: 617-521-3840
800-597-1622 (toll-free)
Fax: 617-521-3880
E-mail: somadm@simmons.edu
World Wide Web: www.simmons.edu/som/index.html

Students Say - Academics
Simmons College Graduate School of Management offers a unique, forward thinking, rigorous, and intimate MBA program, conceived and designed especially for women. Balancing business theory and practice, the Simmons curriculum employs the case-based learning style developed at Harvard Business School. At the same time, the program is intended to provide "an alternative to the traditional B-school culture, while maintaining the academic intensity." The school distinguishes itself in many ways, such as its "unique reputation for principled leadership," which attracts a student body that is "interested in sustainability, ethics, and other social aspects of management." In addition, as an all-women's program, "Simmons gives us unique insight into gender issues and leadership." Professors are "well versed in gender dynamics," and a majority of the case studies involve women leaders. On the whole, "The curriculum is rigorous and current," keeping up with contemporary business trends. In fact, students boast that, "The school is way ahead of a lot of the "trends"-principled leadership is part of the mission and has incorporated areas like CSR, sustainability, and ethics, long before it was trendy."
The Simmons MBA begins with a weeklong symposium entitled Foundations of Business, after which students begin core courses in decision-making, marketing, accounting, leadership, and other business fundamentals. Curriculum has a strong qualitative component, fostering leadership skills, collaboration, and innovative thinking. While some women would like "more quantitative material" and more elective offerings, they agree that the program is "rigorous" and "truly transformational." A current student attests, "my first semester in graduate school has been one of great adjustments but also one that has inspired me to think outside of the box." With a relatively small student body and an excellent teacher-student ratio, the "intimate class setting" is another major benefit of a Simmons education. The "stupendous" professors "really challenge us, but pair the challenges with support and encouragement." A current student attests, "I have had email discussions with professors at midnight and phone conversations on Sunday mornings; I've never been made to feel like I was intruding. The professors seem invested in our ability to really understand the coursework and they make it a point to leave no-one behind."
Although Simmons offers a full-time MBA option, the majority of students complete their degree on a part-time basis. Most Simmons professors understand the challenges of multitasking, and "respect the fact that you work full-time during the day and have family at home." In addition to the faculty, "The deans of this school are amazing and very involved in our education," and the staff is "very flexible in working with us when our work schedules wreak havoc with our course schedules." Overall, the administration runs a tight ship, and "the communications to students are always timely and informative."

Students Say - Admissions
Candidates are evaluated individually and are selected for admission based on both their aptitude and promise. To apply, students must submit an application and essays, two letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all post-secondary education, a current resume, and official GMAT scores. International applicants must submit TEFL scores.

Students Say - Campus Life
Attracting a bright, lively, and diverse group of scholars, students say they are "constantly amazed by the level of intellect in conversation inside and outside the classroom. There are amazing women at Simmons." Drawing students from diverse personal and professional backgrounds, you'll meet students who are "conservative, liberal, local, from other countries, straight, gay, in the public or not-for-profit sector, [and] in the private sector." Despite diversity, the school is small; "everyone knows each other, which fosters a very strong feeling of community and belonging."
In line with the school's forward-thinking agenda, "Simmons SOM opened a brand new "green" building on the Simmons main campus in the Fenway neighborhood. We now have a home that reflects the community-based and socially responsible concerns of the SOM community." Students absolutely love the new building, which is equipped with "excellent" technology and "great informal meeting places and areas to work that at the same time provides opportunities to connect with colleagues." Located in the Boston, the Simmons campus is "accessible via public transportation and for students on campus it is very easy to 'get around' the city."
A largely part-time program, "Fellow students are busy with the challenges of balancing home, work, and school, and yet focused and committed to completing their degree." While part-time students don't have much time for campus activities, "the administration go out of their way to have activities both during the day and during the evening to ensure evening students who work full-time have opportunities to be involved." Among other programs, "There is a fabulous speaker series of effective women leaders and academicians."

Students Say - Careers
"The quality of the network of current and former students," is among the best aspects of a Simmons education. Currently, Simmons graduates are employed at range of companies, including American Express, Bank of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Deloitte, Digitas, Four Seasons Resort, The Gap, Genzyme, Harvard University, Hewlett Packard, JP Morgan, Kraft Food, Monster Worldwide, MOMA, Partners Healthcare, Pfizer, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sun Microsystems, Time Warner, Turner Construction and Unisys.
The Career Services Office provides a variety of services including career symposiums, employer luncheons, industry panels, and company presentations. They also offer highly individualized career counseling and networking services, often employing the support of Simmons faculty, alumni, and the dean. While they appreciate these services, students would like to see Simmons "promote the school's reputation on a national level. Simmons is well known in Boston and New England, but rarely recognized elsewhere."

Boston University
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