ESL Podcast 864 - Going to Business School
leave of absence - a long period of time when one has permission to not go to work but can return to one's job afterwards, perhaps to write a book, to conduct research, or to take care of oneself or a family member with medical problems
Hal wants to take a one-year leave of absence to bike across the country.
to take the plunge - to decide to do something that is risky or scary
You've been writing short stories for years. Now it's time to take the plunge and send them to a publisher.
MBA - Master of Business Administration; an advanced degree that provides a broad education on functions used in the business world, such as management, finance, marketing, operations, and human resources
Jawad earned an MBA degree with a focus on financial analysis.
Ivy League - a group of eight private universities that are considered some of the best universities in the United States: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University
They were thrilled when their daughter was accepted to an Ivy League school, but then they started to worry about how they would pay for it.
graduate school - advanced educational programs in which people try to earn degrees after they have already earned an undergraduate/bachelor's degree
Meghan needs to go to graduate school to earn her Master in Teaching degree before she can apply for a job with the public schools.
to save up - to save a lot of money for some particular purpose; to reduce expenses and put the extra money into an account so that it can be used for a specific purpose in the future
It took them years to save up enough money for a down payment on a new house.
undergraduate degree - bachelor's degree; a degree normally earned after four years of study at a university
In the past, people could get a good job with a high school diploma, but nowadays, you really need at least an undergraduate degree.
accounting - the study of recording financial transactions in a systematic, responsible way
Does your company use the accrual method or the cash method of accounting?
finance - the management of large amounts of money for an organization, making sure that enough cash is available and that excess funds are invested
Anyone who wants to work in finance needs to be comfortable using spreadsheets.
upper echelons - the top executives and decision-makers in an organization; top management; the people who hold power in an organization
Ingrid plans to become a state senator by the time she's 30, and she plans to be in the upper echelons of the federal government within another 15 years.
marketing - the business function related to promoting and selling products and services, demonstrating how they meet customers' needs
Our new marketing campaign is targeted at college-age women.
information systems - computer technology, especially networks, that controls how information is stored and shared within an organization
The information systems department requires that we all change our password at least once every six weeks.
test prep - test preparation; the process of studying for an exam, focusing on the type of material covered and the format of the test, in order to get the highest score possible
The test prep course really helped me master the math questions.
GMAT - the Graduate Management Admission Test; a standardized test required for admission to most business schools in the United States
The GMAT is a 3.5-hour exam that covers quantitative skills, verbal skills, integrated reasoning, and analytical writing.
deal breaker - something that makes it impossible for one to do something, because it is unacceptable and cannot be negotiated
Jenna has many friends, but smoking is a deal breaker for her. She will never spend time socially with anyone who smokes.
kick upside the head - an expression used when someone has done something foolish or stupid
Is Yuki really considering plastic surgery? If so, she needs a kick upside the head. She's beautiful just the way she is!