RANKING NEWS

U.S.News & World Report names the Graziadio School of Business and Management the second most popular business school in the country. The publication looks at yield, the percentage of full-time applicants accepted to institutions last year who decided to enroll, and the Pepperdine MBA follows close behind Harvard Business School in the latest ranking.

“The Graziadio School unseated Stanford Graduate School of Business this year. While Stanford had a yield of 85.2 percent, according to U.S.News, Pepperdine offered admission at 89.1 percent,” said Dr. Michael Williams, Associate Dean of Full-time Programs. “It is a testament to the quality of the Pepperdine MBA and the high degree of personal attention that students receive during the admissions process. The hard work and dedication of our recruiters and Admission Office contributes to the fact that a high percentage of students who are accepted into the Full-time program do decide to enroll.”

Dean Linda Livingstone concurs. “We are honored to see a difference of mere fractions in the yield between Harvard and Graziadio, with Harvard’s yield at 89.3 percent and the Pepperdine MBA at 89.1 percent. Like Harvard, the Graziadio School is deeply committed to attracting and accepting high caliber students.”

Of the 132 ranked business schools that submitted acceptance and enrollment data to U.S.News in a fall 2011 survey, publication wrote, the average yield of full-time applicants was 55.4 percent. The top 10 most popular business schools enjoy average yield 20 percentage points higher—75.6 percent.

In order, the U.S.News 10 most popular business schools are Harvard University, Pepperdine’s Graziadio School, Stanford, University of Alabama, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Brigham Young University, Columbia, The Wharton School, MIT and University of Utah.

Learn more about the Full-time MBA Program. Attend the Open House on Saturday, April 14, 2012.

FEATURES

Six student and alumni entrepreneurs share their story in the latest edition of Graziadio School’s entrepreneur PDF magazine LAUNCH! The feature article asks, “Are you ready to go from employee to full-time entrepreneur?” Grab issue #5 now.

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Pepperdine MBA students Sean Gray, Jay Kline, Clayton Wyatt, and Justin Griffin won the Southern California ACG Cup Final Round at the Skirball Center, competing against MBA teams from San Diego State and Chapman University for the prized title.

Accounting professor and Executive Education director Rachel Williams said the students “clearly stood out as the best prepared and having the best presentation style.”

Held annually by the Association for Corporate Growth, the ACG Cup is a case study competition between top business schools, first regionally and then nationally, that tests students’ judgment and knowledge about mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, and private equity. Teams take on the role of financial consultants, perform a valuation for a hypothetical company, evaluate an offer to purchase stock, and provide strategic alternatives to the owners. Local finance professionals in investment banking, private equity and debt judge the presentations. Southern California MBA programs compete for a purse worth over $20,000.

In the semi-final round and now final round, the Pepperdine team of Sean Gray, Jay Kline, Clayton Wyatt, and Justin Griffin beat out their counterparts from California State Fullerton, Mihaylo College of Business and Economics; Chapman University, The George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics; Loyola Marymount University, College of Business Administration; San Diego State University; University of California, Irvine – Paul Merage School of Business; University of California, San Diego – The Rady School of Management; University of San Diego; and University of Southern California – Marshall School of Business.

At this year’s Southern California ACG Cup Semi-Final Round, Pepperdine MBA students Sean Gray, Jay Kline, Clayton Wyatt, and Justin Griffin (pictured), Team GGKW, won the night against nine other MBA programs competing at Chapman University.

Held annually by the Association for Corporate Growth, the ACG Cup is the premier MBA case-based merger and acquisition contest carried out through a series of intra-school and regional competitions, with regional winners awarded the prestigious ACG Cup title and cash awards. In Southern California, where the competition originated, seven area MBA programs competing each year for a purse worth over $20,000.

Advancing to the final round on March 7 at the Skirball Center, Pepperdine’s Team GGKW will face off against San Diego State and Chapman for the prized title. continue

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS | PANEL DISCUSSIONS | FAST PITCH COMPETITION | PHOTO GALLERY

A collaboration between the Graziadio School of Business and Management and the School of Law at Pepperdine University, this year’s Third Annual Pepperdine Entrepreneur’s Journey packed a full day with an illustrious lineup of dynamic speakers and two educational panels on alternative financing and key legal mistakes that may impact your entrepreneurial venture. A rousing Fast Pitch Competition completed the experience. continue