Everyone is Business...A review of Why Business program.

Panelists also discussed that most business program curriculums will require students to take courses early in their program that introduce students to several business disciplines so students don’t necessarily need to know exactly what they want to study as a high school senior.  Michael Gaynor, Director of Admission at Villanova University, also explained that Villanova business students choose their major in the second semester of their sophomore year. 

 

“We aren’t looking for applicants with resumes that are a mile long and an inch deep,” Gaynor said when asked what makes a strong applicant to Villanova.  He also shared that this year’s business school application season was the most competitive ever (see NCAA national basketball championship).  The overall acceptance rate was around 15% with accepted students having GPAs ranging from 4.0 – 4.43 (weighted GPA) and SAT scores ranging from 1440 – 1540.  Mr. Gaynor and Dr. Porth expressed the importance of math courses and acumen as good preparation, Villanova faculty specifically liking to see at least AP Calculus for admission. 

 

“Employers are looking for soft skills when hiring, with applicants with a mindset for change and grit,” stated Jill Gugino Pante, director of University of Delaware’s Lerner Schools of Business’ Career Service Center (for fun you can calculate your grit score at - https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/).  Other panelists chimed in that communications skills, experience and an a strength of working in a team atmosphere, creativity, and a strategic thought process are also important skills for potential employees in a business field. 

 

Patrick Dentinger, past Archmere parent, and CEO of Absorption Systems said that when hiring he contacts past employers and asks if they would hire an applicant back, “so whatever job you have, do it really well, no matter how much you like it.”  He also looks for previous work or intern experience, energy, and determination.  Mr. Merkel shared that his co-op experience while at SJU gave him a leg up on other applicants when it came to applying for his first job, and helped him realize that, “my responsibilities were not just for a grade, I was responsible for someone’s career.”   “The speed of the work (for interns and new employees) catches them off guard,” Mr. Dentinger expressed, adding, “business is always going on.”

 

Closing thoughts included recommendations to take a programming class in college in order to be able to adapt to changing job requirements and jobs that don’t even exist.  Another recommendation was to consider taking or majoring in Data Analytics and Entrepreneurship.  Bid data experience is highly sought after, and a self-starter, whether applying for a job or interested in starting their own business is a positive quality.  And finally, Mr. Boehm shared an interesting blog post by Andy Chan, director of career services at Wake Forest University: http://andychan.opcd.wfu.edu/2010/06/learning-business-outside-of-b-school/.  The advice is for students interested in learning more about business despite not studying it.  However, all the panelists agreed that many of the recommendations were applicable to a high school student interested in applying to business school.

 

Please contact the College Counseling Office if you have any questions about this program or any other of our programs.