The Top Business Schools in the US for Chinese Students

After two year of interviews and research we have compiled our lists of top business schools and Executive MBA (E-MBA) programs for Chinese students looking for study opportunities in America, Australia, Canada, UK, Singapore and New Zealand.

We will be listing the top five schools in each country in no particular order. The criteria used to evaluate schools differs greatly from that used by US News and World Report and others. We queried parents and prospective students during our travels about those issues that most concerned them and most affected their choices before and after admission. The rankings displayed are unbiased and were not affected by our affinity for any program despite one of the schools being a strong supporter of the Blog of Dreams.

Criteria:

• Openness Toward Foreign Students/Ethnic Diversity
• Financial Assistance
• Post Graduation Placement Assistance
• Faculty to Student Ratio
• Overall Reputation of Graduate School
• Campus Safety
• Ease of Application/Admission Office Attitude
• Affordability: Living Costs, Tuition
• Curriculum
• Student Life
• Internship Options
• Salary After Graduation
• Alumni Network

Top Five Business Schools in no particular order for the second year in a row:

• Purdue: Scored highest in Ethic diversity (Chinese students make up 2nd largest population), Alumni Network, Graduate School Reputation, and Curriculum. Downside: “Too many foreign students”

• Ohio State: Scored highest in Student Life, Ease of Application and Financial Assistance. Downside:”Community off-campus lacks resources”

• Cal Poly: Scored highest in Affordability, Campus Safety, Faculty to Student Ratio, Graduate School Reputation (Top Overall Masters Degree Granting Institution in the West) and Post Graduate Placement and salary (for state run schools). Downside: “Application procedure daunting and deadlines are not in line with desirable schools”

• Harvard: Scored Highest in Reputation, Alumni Network, Salary After Graduation, Faculty to Student Ratio, Ethnic Diversity, and Internship Options. Downside: “Impersonal admissions personnel and application procedures”

• University of Minnesota: Scored highest in Ethnic Diversity, Curriculum, Campus Safety, Ease of Application. Downside: “Off-campus life lacks diversity and weather is difficult for some”

Other schools close to making the cut: University of Arizona, Columbia University, UCLA, University of California at Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania and the University of Iowa…

Welcome to any first time Travvie (Travel Blog Award) visitors. I thought it might be good to share with you the brief history of the Dreamblogue and how it came to be.

The Blog of Dreams began innocently and with a very small scope: Yanzhi and I were teaching in Macau, and as part of a class project in Global Internet Marketing we organized a blog project. Both of us and our students were frustrated by the stereotypically negative and uninformed commentary found on so many blogs about China–no this week is not new in perceptions if western media coverage. In the spirit of creating a positive voice for China and raising some money to help with charitable causes, we created The China Dreamblogue,. It was to be a site that focused on creating 100% positive China content and a mission to create educational opportunities for Chinese students and a chance for an international audience to find out more about what is right with China.

Soon the “Dream Team” team exploded with ideas for promotions and getting people around the country involved. We worked on a Technorati campaign to get favorited, participated in contests, and held our own photo contests to get people involved. Everyone was excited and happy that we were brainstorming creative ways to engage, not isolate China and its people.

During this same time in China, Yanzhi had become connected to a group of women he began to call, The League of Extraordinary Chinese Women, cancer survivors who had banded together to provide each other with strength, support, and encouragement during a times of deep t crisis. Yanzhi also introduced me to his former student, Coffee, who I later taught. She was and is a remarkable woman who has overcome bone cancer and a leg amputation to train for a professional UN translator certification program in French and has been an intern with the blog for over a year.

Entranced and empowered by the positive force of these women living their lives with freedom and courage, Yanzhi and I decided to take inspiration from these women and other people who were willing to live out their dream. As a part of our pro-China campaign, the two of us had a mission: we as two American teachers would travel around the country for a year on sponsorship from ethically responsible businesses and institutions. Our plan was to visit every province an interview someone from each province and at least one person from each of the fifty-six ethnic minorities in China.

As we began our travels, we also planned to use the Dreamblogue to do good in China. Knowing about the remarkable number of students and new graduates in China who struggle to find jobs, we agreed that we would begin an internship program that would teach students about online marketing, digital media, and professional/corporate blogging, all skills which are extremely important in China’s growing Internet environment and a skill set which few people in China have. So far, we have trained a number of interns and worked with them to develop their skills and knowledge in regards to digital media. We have focused on finding and working with students of remarkable ability who have little chance to take part in the remarkable changes and opportunities available in China.

As an additional part of helping people to achieve their dreams, we have continued to seek out schools and regularly post information on the blog about top schools around the world that are well-equipped and suited for Chinese students, such as the Cal Poly Orfalea School of Business. To this day we have had a number of students who were part of the Dreamblogue get in to top schools around the world, including the University of Michigan, UCLA, Columbia University, Ohio State, Purdue, and others.

To this day, Yanzhi and I have completed about a third of our journey, taking time to continue to accumulate material on the Dreamblogue about different aspects of China, running our photo contest here, and continuing to work with our interns to help them find schools and develop skills in digital media.

China MBA: Cal Poly State University

MBA留学：Cal Poly

中文:

China MBA Admission Info, Cost Info, and Deadlines

Cal Poly Masters in Industrial Technology

Masters in Industrial Technology Admission Info, Cost Info, and Deadlines

Pound-for-pound we think the Cal Poly MBA is the best in the world….

Created by The Greatest Living American

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Recently, I was able to complete an interview with Thomas Stader, founder of a Chinese charity organization that helps to build libraries. Here are his words about some of the latest work the Library Project has been working on.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Library Project?

The Library Project provides books and libraries to under-financed countryside elementary schools in China.

I founded The Library Project because I found that most countryside elementary schools in China were lacking books that the children could physically read. What I mean by that is, most books in a countryside elementary school were written for university and high school students. They also lack any kind of reading area for the children to curl up with a book. What we do is very simple, we donate colorful, relevant, hi-quallity books to countryside elementary schools, while also ensuring that they have a safe and fun area to read the books in.

I understand that often children’s libraries in China aren’t often stocked with good children’s books and are often cramped or uncomfortable. Can you tell us more about that?

In general, we have found a complete lack of children’s books with PinYin for young learners. A child absolutely needs PinYin to read during grades 1 – 3. So that is our first obstacle that we must overcome. Our second is a complete lack of a comfortable library for the children to gather as a class and read a book. Most schools have a room set aside for a library, but they don’t have the funding to fill the room with furniture.

What we have found is, once we bring books that the children can read, along with tables and chairs for a library, the children love it.

Cool. I understand you’ve made a lot of big developments in the past year, right?

Yes we have. We have provided our first ten libraries, with plans of reaching a goal of over 80 by the end of 2008.

That sounds like a big commitment. Isn’t it costly to build a library?

The cost is quite low. Most libraries will cost between 4,000 and 8,000 RMB. This includes hi-quality Chinese language children’s books, colorful chairs, sturdy tables, globes, plants, posters, and all logistic costs such as trucks.

What all goes into the building of a library? What kind of cost is there in terms of money, time, and other resources?

From beginning to end, it takes about one month. That includes our Pre-Assessment, purchasing of books and furniture, and final delivery of the library. We usually have a group of about 5 – 15 volunteers helping with the final delivery. Once we set up the library, we introduce the children to their new library and play games. It’s a lot of fun for both the children and the volunteers.

I also understand that you cooperate with local charities to create community support and interest for your project. Have you found that local communities and organizations are helpful and willing to be involved?

That is true. We have partnered with the Xi’an Charity Association to provide libraries to the regions of the ShaanXi Province that they are working in. They are a huge help. We also run community based book collections through Aston English of China. They are one of the largest private English language schools in China, with schools in over 40 cities. We hope to hold book drives in each of those cities annually, and then take those Chinese language children’s books and get them into countryside elementary schools. Aston English has made a major commitment to giving back in China.

I understand you recently made a trip to Shanghai and had some exciting opportunities crop up for you there. How exactly did all of that come about?

That is true. The University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business in Shanghai has been absolutely amazing. On November 24th, the Smith School of Business hosted a charity fundraiser in Shanghai that raised enough funds to provide twelve schools with full libraries. They got Black and Decker, Microsoft, Storm Case, Grainger, Grace, Under Armour, The Children’s Place, Jaguar, Avon, and Land Rover, among many others, involved.

The University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business in Shanghai and their China EMBA program have really made a difference in the lives of thousands of children living in the countryside of China.

Where will the funds you raised in Shanghai go and how will they be used?

The funds raised in Shanghai will go toward providing libraries to the Ba Qiao School District in the ShaanXi Province. Each school will receive 500 Chinese language children’s books, and a comfortable child-safe library for the children to use.

To date, what do you think has been your biggest success?

That’s a tough question to answer. There have been so many successes to date. But if I were to pick on success, it would be the creation of our School District Program. This program makes the kind of impact that we all like to see. True impact is hard to make, and I’m confident that providing every countryside elementary school in a single school districts improves the level of education that each and every child receives.

What are the next big plans for the Library Project? How do you see the project growing? How can people in China and abroad help you and support you?

The Library Project has a very clear plan for our future. We will have over 80 libraries provided to countryside elementary schools by the end of 2008. We’ll have over 200 by the end of 2009. We’ll continue that aggressive growth plan until every elementary school in China has children’s books for every child to read.

We have a ton of volunteer opportunities, both in China and abroad. The best place to begin is to check out our website at The Library Project.

All donations are greatly appreciated. Small and large donations really do make a difference. Each book that we provide to schools only cost $1 USD, or 8 Yuan. Adopting a school costs only $1,000 USD. Both of these really do make a huge impact on the lives of literally thousands of children.

The Library Project is the easiest charity on the planet to support: They have a clear purpose, a verifiable track-record, a vision for the future and they ask so little with which they accomplish so much.

Make some space on your blog or website and show that you care by placing a visual link to our friends by going here: LIBRARY PROJECT

Their mission is clear, their dedication extraordinary and their cause a most important one. To support the Library Project is one of the most cost-effective ways you will ever have to make a real difference in a lot of young lives….

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中文

This past weekend I traveled to Shanghai in order to attend the 2007 China Education Expo, an annual traveling expo showcasing international study abroad opportunities for Chinese students. While there, I also had the chance to catch up with several bloggers, speak with Steve Feld, the Executive Director the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, and spend some time with Christine Lu of the China Business Network. I have to admit that serendipity seemed to follow me as I met up with a number of people, from a helpful and friendly group of Casablancan businessmen on the plane to the Chinese watch salesman that helped me find an Internet Bar when I needed it most.

This week I’ll be writing stories about my adventures and some of the fantastic dreamers I met in my few short days in Shanghai. Photos and maps will follow. Unfortunately, my camera battery died a quick, painless death on this trip, but others have been generous enough to donate their own photos.

Photo courtesy of Ken Yip.

PS–My regrets to missing Chris Carr of Cal Poly MBA Trip‘s latest visit. He was in Beijing and I was not able to meet up with him to hear about the latest on his MBA program in California.

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Here is the list of four job opportunities. Choose one job description and prepare for it in the interview next week.

Final Exam Job Descriptions

Here are some examples of resumes:

Click on the images to enlarge. Remember to bring a 1-page typed resume to class printed on A4 standard paper. I will not grade any other kind of resume.

And here is a list of interview questions that will help you prepare for the interview:

Sample Interview Questions and Answers

Remember, you will have about one and a half minutes of interview time, so you will likely only answer two or three questions.

DD

中文

A few months ago, Yanzhi and I met Thomas Stader, the man who created The Library Project. His project donates books and libraries to underprivileged schools and orphanages in the developing world. Stader created this project because he believes education is the key motivator to breaking the cycle of poverty that exists in the developing world. For him, education is change. The Library Project accomplishes its work by getting the local community involved through book drives and awareness raising, establishing bi-lingual libraries, and partnering with local orphanages and schools.

I recently received a note from Thomas that he has built a new library, and I’d like to share what he sent to us.

“Everyone at The Library Project are very excited to announce that we have provided our first library to a countryside elementary school in China.

“There are over 500 students, grades 1-6 that attend the Xin Xing Elementary School. One third of the students that attend Xin Xing Elementary School are worker children. Worker people are people that do manual labor in China. Their jobs can be anything from building highways to building apartment blocks. They tend to be migratory, going where the work is, and once the work is finished they pick their family up and go again where the work is. Because the area around the Xin Xing Elementary School was declared a Special Development Zone by the Central Government, there has been an influx of Worker Families and their children. As you can imagine, this puts an added strain on the school budget that the administration must balance at the Xin Xing Elementary School.

“Even with this added strain, the Xin Xing Elementary School has an incredible school administration with the Vice Principle named Mr. Zhong being a key player. We met Mr. Zhong one day during the Summer Break when we showed up unannounced and he welcomed us at the gate. He was alone, cleaning the school in preparation for the approaching Fall Semester.

“During our Pre Assessment we found the school library located in a dirty room on the fourth floor of the school. Even though it was dirty, the books were all very well kept, in new book shelves the Central Government had just provided. Their collection of books numbered 3,000. This sounds like a very impressive number, but the books they had in the library were almost completely inappropriate for the children attending the elementary school. Most books were written for High School or University students, or were published in the 1970s and were showing their age. There were no more than 50 children’s books for grades 1-3. The library room also lacked any comfortable furniture for the children sit on.

“On September 25, 2007, The Library Project provided 500 children’s books for grades 1-3, and also a child safe reading area with comfortable and colorful furniture for the children to be able to sit down and read a book. We also provided a full set of children’s encyclopedias for the older learners. After the furniture and books were setup, we held a party to celebrate the children’s new library. Twenty “star” students were chosen to participate in arts, crafts and games. Everyone had a great time.

“Most importantly, the administration really saw how much the children enjoyed their new library. The Xin Xing Elementary School administration made a plan to make sure every class has an opportunity to use the library once a week.

“Without a doubt The Library Project has improved the level of education that the school provides to its students.”

If you have any questions, please contact Thomas Stader at: .

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欲览中文，请点击这里

One of the most useful pieces of advice I ever received from a professor was during my sophomore year, in a class called Abstract Algebra. The math was so abstract, in fact, that it is still hard for me to imagine how I made it through that class in one piece. This Professor, however, was able to inspire me, no matter how difficult the assignment, to continue solving problems deep into the night. And his main advice was always this: “Mathematicians spend most of their time being wrong.” And what he meant was that anyone involved in taking risks–mathematicians trying to solve mathematical problems, writers crafting stories, and anyone trying to make their dreams come true–is going to spend much of their time banging their head against a wall, struggling with problems that seem beyond one’s ability to handle. And what I find I need, as I bang my own head against writing this blog, are stories and thoughts from people who have the courage to take risks and dream.

Meet Randy Pausch. I’m not sure exactly how he found his way into my electronic stumbling, but once Yanzhi and I found him, we were hooked. I watched diligently for the first two minutes, but when he said, “The inspiration and permission to dream is huge,” I knew I had found something real. As I watched his story, I knew that his message was something that needed to be on this blog.

Though there were many different and valuable parts to his lesson a lot of different parts to his message, a few pieces really stood out for me. In particular, Professor Pausch struck a cord when he spoke about walls. In China, I find so often that my students, my colleagues, and everyone here eventually comes up against the Great Walls of China. They are walls of silence, walls of insecurity and distrust, or walls of insurmountable difficulty, but they exist for each of us, in real, personal ways. I have watched Coffee, Ms. Yue, Yanzhi, our interns, and myself struggle against these different walls, and each day I am impressed with the courage of other people to stand against walls so much deeper, higher, and more entrenched than my own. Despite all this, standing against walls is only standing, and for me, we need ways around the wall–this is where Randy Pausch came in.

What I found in Professor Pausch’s lecture is not a way around the wall: I do think that only individuals can walk around or break through their own walls, though they can certainly receive help from others. And that offer to help is what people need most. What Professor Pausch’s lecture offers is an invitation to transform these walls into bridges. As he says, “The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t it badly enough.” I hope that each of our readers can watch these videos and find in his story, like I did, an imaginative and lively story about finding your dreams and making them come true.

We’ll continue to post these lectures as a feature on our blog. Professor, thank you for telling stories about people striving and achieving their dreams.

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