MEDIA RESOURCES
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DATE: January 14, 2005
INTERNET OFFERS LONG DISTANCE VIRTUAL "CAMPUS TOUR" TO PROSPECTIVE SMU COX MBA STUDENTS WORLDWIDE
MBA programs are becoming increasingly global in focus, and nowhere is this more obviously reflected than in the geographical diversity of MBA students. But how do prospective international MBA students get a glimpse of U.S. programs without actually travelling abroad? SMU’s Cox School offers prospects something no other business school has ever offered: an interactive, virtual tour directed by students, staff, and alumni.
On Wednesday, April 21st, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., the Cox School in Dallas, Texas will offer prospective MBA s from around the world an extensive interactive tour of the school and its environs and an opportunity to meet and converse with current students and recent alumni via a "virtual tour" on the internet. MBA@COX, as the presentation is called, will offer pre-registered individuals an overview of the school via audio as well as visual presentations by the Cox School Admissions staff and "chat" segments during which participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and join in discussion of the school’s offerings. Travelocity, an affiliate of The SABRE Group, Inc., is underwriting the production of this virtual tour.
The software employed for this tour will allow the school to "poll" participants during the session and post the results graphically. For example, the school could ask how many participants had already taken the GMAT (the business school entrance exam) or had already completed an admissions application. In a similar two-way situation, participants can ask questions orally or via the keyboard and may direct them to an individual or the entire group. Answers can be delivered in the same fashion.
Over fifty percent of registrants are from outside of the United States including the Peoples Republic of China, Korea, Ukraine, Venezuela, Romania, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, India, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Brazil, and Singapore. For many students, this will be the closest they come to actually visiting the campus before matriculating. Prospective students may register to participate in the tour by going to the school’s web site at www.cox.smu.edu . Participation is limited to 100 prospective students during this tour. One previous tour was successfully held on March 7, 1999.
The Cox School of Business recently ranked #30 in the world among the top 50 MBA programs in a survey by the Financial Times of London and ranked #36 in U.S. News & World Report.
