Few miseries compare to landing in a city at 6 a.m. only to while away the morning in traveler's purgatory awaiting an "early" 1 p.m. check-in that you had to grovel to get.

CNN: 10 ways to improve the travel industry right now

Branded badges as virtual symbols of conspicuous consumption can be a strong check-in incentive in the short term among the early adopters, but they will probably have about the same shelf life and the breadth of appeal as a corporate island in Second Life.

FORBES: Deals, Not Badges Will Attract Mainstream Check-Ins

While the newly integrated admissions approach is mainly aimed at finding employable prospects, career-services officers also provide a key reality check for applicants early in the game, says Graham Richmond, a former admissions officer at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and founder of admissions consulting firm Clear Admit.

WSJ: B-Schools Want to Know: Are You Employable?

In order to check the audio-visual equipment I arrived an hour early, only to see a line of people already standing outside the auditorium.

FORBES: Body Language for Global Business