The National Law Journal reports that donations to top law schools have surged over the last five years. Since 2003, these elite law schools have raised in millions of dollars in donations:

• Harvard              $214.9
  
• NYU Law            $169.7
• Yale Law             $111.7
• Columbia Law   $ 98.2
• Penn Law            $ 63.4
• Michigan Law     $ 52.8

What are the schools doing with these enormous sums? According to the article, "In general, those schools and others have increased the numbers of specialized faculty, especially scholars with an international focus, and have boosted the number of scholarships available. They also have established legal clinics to provide students with practical experience and to help poor people in their communities who need legal help.

"In addition, more money has sparked a talent war among elite schools, with renowned professors hopscotching from Columbia to New York University to Harvard to Yale and back again, sometimes with attractive relocation packages."

The National Science Foundation released the results of its survey of graduate enrollment in science and engineering. In 2006 total enrollment of first-time, full-time science and engineering (S&E) graduate students rose 6% over the 2005 level. That moderate rate of increase was fueled by a striking increase in enrollment by first-time, full-time enrollment of foreign students in S&E, which grew 16%. First-time, full-time enrollment of S&E graduate students with U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status rose by slightly more than 1%.

A certain theme in MBA admissions started as a whisper and over the years has increased in volume to a roar: Sustainable development and corporate social responsibility are becoming more and more important in business school and on the professional scene.

Since 2001 the Aspen Institute's "Beyond Grey Pinstripes" alternative ranking of MBA programs has ranked MBA programs for their commitment to integrating issues of social and environmental stewardship into their curricula and research.  But it is no longer just BGP.

The MBA Tour announced recently that most top universities are incorporating corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, demand for these topics is not just driven by idealistic students; hard-nosed businesspeople are demanding managers knowledgeable in these areas. "At no other time in history has the recognition of the critical importance of global responsibility to society and the planet been as great a focus with executives.   Corporations no longer have profit as their sole bottom line.  Human capital and natural capital now join monetary gain as indicators of success."

I admit I was (and probably still am) skeptical of the idea that corporations are not using profit as their primary bottom line. Return on investment is a tried and true measure of executive success and responsibility. I also can't help but remember that in the days of the dot-com insanity, I read articles and press releases about eyeballs and clicks replacing revenue and profit as measures of business success. They did, and the aftermath wasn't pretty.

Consequently, I was pleasantly surprised to read that Renault's Carl Ghosn has teamed up with Israel's Shai Agassi to mass produce electric cars in 2011 for the Israeli market. Both these men are savvy enough to keep their eye on the bottom line and concerned enough to care about the greater good. Perhaps that duality is the key to corporate responsibility.

For an interesting take on corporate responsibility, please see the video at the Forte Foundation called "Women in Business." 

To meet with schools and discuss the elements of their program that incorporate CSR and sustainability, check out the MBA Tour in:

• Washington, D.C. Feb. 7
• New York City       Feb. 9
• San Francisco      Feb. 12

A couple of important product announcements:

The Nine Mistakes You Don't want to Make on an MBA Waitlist, our most popular ebook ever, is on special this month -- 20% off. If you are waitlisted, this is the ebook for you. Short, concise, and to-the-point.

All ebooks are going up in price on February 1.

General Admissions

• Submit a Stellar Application: 42 Terrific Tips to Help You Get Accepted
  

College:

• How to Write Great College Application Essays and Stay Sane

MBA Ebooks:

• Best Practices for MBA Admissions
• MBA BlastOff: 45 Terrific Tips to Launch Your MBA Application to Acceptance
• MBA I.V. - Mainline to Top MBA Programs: MBA Interview Questions & Tips
• The Nine Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on an MBA Waitlist
  
• The Consultant’s Guide to MBA Admission
• The Finance Professional’s Guide to MBA Admissions Success
• The Techie’s Guide to MBA Admissions
• Create a Better Sequel: How to Reapply Right to Business School

Medical School, Residency & Fellowship Ebooks:

• The Nine Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on a Med School Waitlist
• Write Your Way to a Residency Match
• Write Your Way to a Fellowship Match

Law School Ebooks:

• The Nine Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on a Law School Waitlist

Click on the links to gain access to this library of admissions info. Then beat the price increase. Buy the ebooks of your choice by January 31. That's this Thursday.

I am pleased to invite you to a chat tomorrow at Accepted with UNC Kenan Flagler's Director of MBA Admissions, Sherry Wallace will answer your questions about UNC's program, admissions policies, and student life. Joining her are:

• Julie Wiley, Assistant Director of Admissions
• Matt Kippeny, UNC MBA Student

Sherry and her team can answer any questions about UNC admissions from domestic or international applicants. This is an outstanding opportunity for you to get solid, reliable answers to your important queries. 

The chat will take place on Wednesday Jan. 30 at 1:00 PM PT/4:00 PM ET/9:00 PM GMT. Please note that there has been some confusion about the time and it is different from most of our chats. So mark your calendars. Set your reminders and join us in the Accepted chat room.