Because getting an invitation to interview is NOT the same as getting an invitation to attend. Sure, it’s getting you one step closer to your ultimate goal, but an admissions interview is just another very important step in the admissions process. And it’s one that should NOT be taken lightly.

The interview is your chance to show the admissions committee who you are… OFF the page. Sure, you’ve got the GMAT score and the extra-curriculars, but who are you as a living, breathing human being? Are you professional? Smooth? Well-spoken? Are you someone they can see on their campus? In their classes? At their alumni events?

The interview is more than just a time for you to run through your resume and talk about that one time you led a team of 50 people in the most successful project your company has ever seen. The best interviews are conversations. They feel natural and comfortable.

And they require quite a bit of prep work to get that way. [Seems strange, I know, but trust us.]

We’re here to help you get there. Join us Wednesday, February 8th at 8pm EST for our LIVE Mock Interview with Jon Frank. This one-hour webinar will cover the most common interview questions and advice for answering ‘em (or any questions that come your way) while Jon interviews one applicant LIVE.

If you’ve got an interview coming up, you WON’T want to miss this event.

Click here to register. We’ll see you on Wednesday!

This is part 2 of a 3-part series. Make sure to read Part 1 to understand the context.

Content
Do be sure to include content broken down into the following categories:

Education: Be sure to list any relevant education to the opportunity in which you are applying. For instance, if you attended a trade school and it is relevant to the position, it is appropriate to list it. Otherwise, be sure to list any institutes of higher education and degrees earned. Majors and minors are generally good to list, while GPAs are unnecessary in most cases but highly recommended if higher than a 3.5 in a 4.0 scale. The same also goes for standardized exams. If you’re in the top 10%, show it. Otherwise, leave it out.

Professional Experience: Professional experience is typically best when detailed chronologically. This will make following your career trajectory easy for the reviewer and will ensure they have a good understanding of your work experience and what you have achieved over time.

Activities: The purpose of a resume is to provide a reviewer with a snapshot of yourself. Be sure to list any activities you were involved with throughout your professional career. Volunteering, leadership in civic organizations, and other relevant activities are a great way to present a full picture of a well-rounded self.

Honors & Awards: Honors and awards allow an employer to see your accomplishments, and often demonstrate that you are a results-oriented individual, which is crucial to virtually every environment. Be sure to list only those honors or awards that are truly noteworthy.

Other nice to have details include:

Visa Status: If you’re applying to a summer internship or a full-time opportunity, do include this information on resumes for potential employers, but this detail is unnecessary for grad school applications.

NEVER include the following information on your professional resume:

Photo: Including your photo is a sure fire way to land your resume in the trash can. U.S. employers are not allowed to screen candidates based on age, sex, nationality, or looks. So increase your chances by leaving the photo out.

Nationality/Marital & Family Status: Including information such as your nationality, marital, or family status provides information that can be used in a discriminatory fashion by U.S. reviewers. Again these details are another big no, no! This information should be left out. While natives in countries such as China or Korea may be required to include these details, they should be omitted on the U.S version of your resume.

Check back for Part 3 of this series which deals with some more tips and tricks regarding content.

Have you converted your CV into a resume before? What other tips would you share?

Mona Abdel-Halim is the co-founder of Resunate.com, the world’s only resume builder for MBA candidates. You can find Mona and Resunate on Facebook and Twitter.

~Article provided by the courtesy of Kaplan GMAT

Accepted: What is unique about Which MBA? fair?

Isaac: The Which MBA? Online Fair is a truly global event that allows visitors from over 130 countries to interact with business schools from around the world all in one place, at one time. These visitors can meet admissions staff face-to-face in video chat, in a group chat environment, or in a one-one-one instant message. In addition, visitors also have the opportunity to join over a dozen interactive webinars with business schools, for free. There’s nowhere else on the internet that brings together this much MBA expertise in an interactive environment.

Accepted: How should applicants prepare for your fair?

Isaac: A list of participating schools is sent to registrants in advance of the Which MBA? Online Fair. Participants should spend some time familiarizing themselves with the list and coming up with any questions they may want to ask. Visitors should also prepare their resumes since they can upload them at the fair. Once uploaded, these resumes will be visible to every business school at the fair.

Accepted: What should applicants do to make the most of the event while they are there?

Isaac: After logging in, visitors should check out the fair schedule, which lists all of the webinars and chat sessions taking place throughout the two-day fair. We recommend that students join chat sessions where they can speak with admissions officers both in a group and one-on-one environment. In addition, visitors should consider completing a simple compatibility profile in order to find business schools that best match their preferences

Accepted: How can applicants make up for the lack of personal connection in a virtual event?

Isaac: No matter what stage in their MBA journey, a prospective candidate can make connections with the right people at the Which MBA? Online Fair. It could open the door for interviews and the important “next steps” in the process. Most importantly, the fair helps visitors find schools that best suit their needs and expectations, saving much time during their MBA search.

Accepted: Is there any follow-up you would recommend?

Isaac: Absolutely — visitors can gather key contact information from the representatives they speak to and follow up with them once the fair has ended.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.

1. Stanford (3 year average: #3; last year tied for #4)
2. Harvard (3 year average: #3; last year’s #3)
3. Wharton (3 year average: #2; last year tied for #1)
4. London Business School (3 year average: #2; last year tied for #1)
5. Columbia (3 year average: #6; last year’s #7)
6. INSEAD (3 year average: #5; last year tied for #4)
7. MIT Sloan (3 year average: #8; last year’s #tied for #9)
8. IE (3 year average: #7; last year’s #8)
9. IESE (3 year average #10: last year’s #9 )
10. HKUST (3 year average: #8; last year’s #6)

The Financial Times rankings is based on two surveys: one of business schools and one of alumni who graduated in 2008. This ranking weighs salary growth for these alumni and attempts to adjust for purchasing power differences and even possible distortions caused by the size of the school. FT describes its methodology, and anyone who gives these numbers any credibility needs to understand what is being ranked and measured here.

One of the valuable aspects of this ranking is its global nature. US News and Businessweek do not rank U.S. schools with non-U.S. schools. The FT ranking compares both U.S. and international programs on several criteria, including increase in salary three years after graduation, the relative number of articles published by faculty at different institutions, diversity of teaching staff, and more. Again, for details, please see FT’s methodology.

How much should you pay attention to this ranking? Should you be combing it for schools that have gone up and abandon schools that have declined? If your criteria for a graduate MBA education match the survey elements exactly, pay a lot of attention to it. However, for most of you, while increase in salary is certainly important, it also has to be considered in the context of cost — something FT doesn’t consider. And FT uses salary across the board, not for the field you want to go into. That’s the figure that should matter to you. Then there are criteria that may or may not translate into a better educational experience for you — number of articles published by full-time faculty, for example. Is that really an important reflection of a quality educational experience? Or simply institutional bragging rights. Or could practitioner teachers also bring valuable insight and experience to the classroom without publishing a page, anywhere?

Use the results for the data, not for the ranking. If the data are important to you, then go into them more thoroughly, but don’t obsess about the ranking and changes in ranking, especially small ones. The Financial Times ranking is particularly known for its volatility. You don’t see it in the top 10, but fluctuations become more pronounced outside the top 10.

To learn more about the different MBA rankings, please see “MBA Rankings: Which Business Schools are the Best?”

For additional perspective and insight into this ranking, please see:

• “That Time of the Year Again,” by Conrad Chua, Head MBA Admissions and Recruitment at Judge Business School
• “MBA Rankings” by mba50
• “Stanford Rises to Top of New FT Ranking.”

By Linda Abraham, founder of Accepted.com and co-author of MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.

The school used software developed by the company Turnitin, which, per their website, compares admissions essays against 200+ million archived student papers, 900,000+ journals, periodicals and books and 17+ billion web pages. According to the Turnitin website:

“Turnitin for Admissions compares submitted documents to a massive database of Internet content, subscription content, and previously submitted documents to create a comprehensive Similarity Report. This multi-layered report highlights matching text in a side-by-side report and provides links to any significant matches found within the document. This report includes the ability to identify and view up to 100 obscured (overlapped) matches.”

Turnitin also provides screening software called “Writecheck” for students/applicants that “was developed for students who want to be able to independently check their work for unoriginal material and proper citations.”

School officials cite the increase of admissions consultants as being one of the catalysts for beginning the tests. Stanford in addition to numerous other schools are implementing the same screening procedures as UCLA Anderson for their freshman year this year.

Yeah, it's gonna look somethin' like this...

Everyone knows one MBA student or grad to turn to when they’ve got an admissions question, want to know about life on campus, or need advice for getting ahead post-MBA. But how often do you have the chance to sit down with 3 MBAs, all from top 5 programs, and all experienced in MBA admissions and life after an MBA?

Uh… never?
Well, now you’ll have that chance.

Presenting: PE’s MBA Round Table. Join Precision Essay’s founder Jon Frank (HBS), and MBA Consultants Damon Chua (Stanford) and Alex Jarzebinski (Wharton) for a two-hour online chat, exclusive to GMAT Club Members, that will cover… well, whatever YOU want it to. You ask the questions and the panelists will provide you with a broad perspective of advice based on their unique experiences.

Learn from the experts and learn from your peers… all from the comfort of your couch. Doesn’t get much better than that.

The Round Table will be held Sunday, February 12^th, 2012 at 5PM EST. There are only 25 spaces available, so sign up early.

Register right here.
(Click MBA, then click Webinar, and then select the Round Table.)

Oh, and did we mention that GMAT Club members will get 50% off? No? Well you will. Just enter “ GCRT 1” at checkout.

See you at the Round Table, friends!

—–

Can’t make it on February 12^th? Need some expert advice? Have no fear; there’s plenty more webinar goodness where that came from, including a LIVE Mock Interview with Jon Frank, Intro to European MBA programs, and a one-hour webinar on handling a ding.

Check out our schedule of upcoming webinars here.

Register now to reserve your spot for the USC Marshall MBA Q&A.

What time is that for me? Click on the link to find out the exact time for your location.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.

Here’s a talk with Elisa Dobbins, a Cornell Johnson student who is passionate about marketing, brand management, and naturally curly hair. Thank you Elisa for sharing your thoughts with us!

Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself – where are you from? What and where did you study as an undergraduate and when did you graduate?

Elisa: I am originally from Northern Virginia. I received my B.A. in Sociology from the University of Virginia and I have a M.A. in Communications, Culture, and Technology from Georgetown University. I have over 7 years of work experience, but most recently before business school I worked in business and finance operations at Ernst & Young and Blackboard, both in the DC area.

Accepted: Why did you decide to attend Johnson? Is the program meeting your expectations?

Elisa: There are a few reasons why I chose to attend Johnson: the familial, tight-knit community; the Strategic Marketing Immersion, The Roy H. Park Fellowship program, and the program’s commitment to diversity. Before I had even applied to Johnson, faculty, students and alumni, bent over backwards to answer my questions about the program. When I came to visit Ithaca (several times), students opened their homes to my fiancé and I. I felt incredibly welcomed and a part of the community before I was even accepted.

The Strategic Marketing Immersion gave me the opportunity to work on a project for a company, prior to my internship. So in essence, I had an internship before my summer internship. The rigor of course work plus the real-time project proved to be extremely beneficial in securing an offer this summer.

The Roy H. Park Leadership program is one of a kind and something that truly distinguishes Johnson. I was blessed by being selected for this program and I have truly grown personally and as a leader. This program again proves that Johnson values traits such as humility and integrity and values leaders all of types. I have become so confident in my leadership style and know my strengths and weaknesses, and for that I thank Clint Sidle, the Roy J. Park Leadership program director. And finally, attending a school that truly valued diversity was very important to me. I was a part of the first Consortium class at Johnson. While many top programs lack a significant number of women and minorities, Johnson is truly trying to change this and it has been great to be a part of this effort.

Accepted: Ithaca is a far cry from big city business centers. Are there any advantages to attending a b-school in a city that’s virtually off-the-map, business-wise? What steps does Cornell take to compensate for its location?

Elisa: The short answer is “YES”! At Johnson the first semester or the Core is extremely intense. You complete 95% of all the core classes: Marketing, Economics, Accounting, Strategy, Finance, and Statistics at one time. I couldn’t imagine dealing with the distractions associated with being in a big city while recruiting (securing an internship) and successfully completing the Core. Secondly, by being in a small town, you are surrounded by people who genuinely came to Ithaca to be a member of the Johnson community – people are there to learn first and foremost. In terms of recruiting, Johnson has great relationships with companies in a variety of industries and sectors that have been coming to campus for years. Also, many of our students take full advantage of the diversity conferences. Career Services and students provide prep sessions for those who are interested in attending, so all students are prepared. And in all honesty, Ithaca is only 3.5 hours from NYC. Cornell has a bus service called Campus-to-Campus that runs from Ithaca to NYC 7 days a week.

Accepted: What’s your favorite class so far?

Elisa: My favorite class so far has been Management Cases taught by Nate Peck. Each week we were given a case. We were expected to thoroughly analyze it, come up with a recommendation, and create a PowerPoint deck to convey our recommendation. You never knew when you were going to be called on to present, so it really forced me to put my best foot forward every week. This class truly prepared me for my internship. I was able to interpret my project brief and create a deck that concisely and effectively communicated my recommendation.

Accepted: Your LinkedIn profile indicates that you’ve got quite a passion for curly hair (from your numerous curly hair blogs and your position as a Suave Hair Brand Building Brand Management Intern). Then again, you also worked for Ernst and Young. So, do you see a future for yourself in the hair industry or in financial services — which will it be?

Elisa: Yes, I truly have a passion for naturally curly hair! I definitely see myself venturing in to the hair industry at some point in my career. I had a blast this summer at Unilever working on the Suave Hair brand. One thing I have realized is that my passion for hair isn’t going anywhere and there are many ways for me to explore that passion. Right now, I am most interested in getting great marketing training and becoming an excellent brand manager who can effectively market anything. My experience in different industries and functions has really made me well rounded and appreciative of all of these disciplines. As a brand manager, this will truly come in handy!

Accepted: Do you have a job lined up for next year? If so, what role did Johnson play in helping you secure that position?

Elisa: Yes, I do have a job lined up for next year at a company that currently doesn’t recruit at Cornell. I was able to make the initial contact with this company through one of my classmates and then from there the MLT (Management Leadership for Tomorrow) network played a major role in me securing an offer. In my case, the Johnson network played a major role in helping me secure my job. I cannot say this enough, the Johnson network is phenomenal and I experienced firsthand how great it truly is.

Accepted: What attracted you to the Consortium program? Can you tell us a bit about the role diversity has played in your life?

Elisa: The Consortium is a great organization that values leadership, community service, and diversity. The mission of the organization is to “enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping to reduce the serious underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both our member schools’ enrollments and the ranks of management.” So not only did the mission attract me, but the top MBA program members did as well. I wanted to be at a program that valued diversity. Not just diversity in terms of race and gender, but in terms of thought, experience, career goals, etc. This goal has been mine for a long time. The other schools I have attended valued diversity. My past employers valued diversity. And my future employer values diversity as well. It is important for me to be accepted but most importantly, I want to continue broadening my horizons and learning from people who are different from me in every way.

Accepted: Can you share some application tips for other students applying to business school through the Consortium?

Elisa: Be yourself and be confident! I can’t say this enough. Do not write what you think the Admissions Staff wants to read. Put your best foot forward and don’t doubt yourself about your past. You can’t change the grades in college, but you can change your GMAT score and your essays. Focus on the things that you can really change and make an impact on your application package. Also, the GMAT is just one part of your application. Do your best, but do not waste precious time stressing over your score.

Accepted: Do you have any advice for some of our applicants who will be applying to Cornell Johnson?

Elisa: Johnson truly looks at every facet of an applicant. Our community is unique, close, and different than other programs. If you have the opportunity, please visit campus or take the time to talk to some of the students and alumni. Johnson offers many opportunities to connect with the school, so take advantage.

Please visit our Cornell Johnson B-School Zone and Consortium Zone for more Johnson- and Consortium-specific advice. Still haven’t decided which b-school are best for you? Download our FREE special report, Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Choosing the Right One for You, to help you narrow down your choices and begin your application efforts out on the right foot.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Blog, official blog of Accepted.com.

Accepted: What is unique about The MBA Tour’s fair?

Peter: The MBA Tour’s events offer valuable information about graduate business school. While information about admissions criteria and applications is largely the focus, our events do offer opportunities on:

1. How to choose a business school
2. Tips on how to take the GMAT
3. Information on financing your MBA
4. School specific presentations

All of this information is presented from experts who are directly engaged in these topics for a living.

Accepted: How should applicants prepare for your fair?

Peter: The best thing applicants can do is learn about the schools that are participating and their admission statistics. I would also recommend coming with a resume and sharing your resume with an admission representative during the fair. Ask pertinent information about the school as it relates to your post MBA goals. Be sure to articulate your goals clearly. Finally, I suggest attending in business attire.

Accepted: What should applicants do to make the most of the event while they are there?

Peter: Prior to each of the three events we are offering a short workshop on “Choosing the Best MBA Program for You” by Dr. Don Martin, former Dean of Admissions at Chicago Booth. During this workshop Don will present a framework for students on how to choose a business school. I recommend this workshop for anyone who has not done much research on schools. Afterwards I recommend that applicants meet with as many schools as they can during the conference

Accepted: Is there any follow-up you would recommend?

Peter: Yes, absolutely! If there are any programs in which you have a particularly strong interest, I suggest an email follow up with them about your meeting them at the event. It does not hurt to enclose your resume either. Make sure to make yourself known to any program in which you would consider enrolling.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.

Curriculum Vitaes and resumes are often referred to interchangeably, but to the professional world, these documents are very different. Resumes are the accepted norm in the United States, while CVs are the accepted norm in European and Asian countries — different in title, but very similar in content.

Conversely, CVs in the United States are expanded documents focusing on research, teaching, coursework, and publications. These are typically only used in the academic environment, while some components are the same as resumes you’ll need to apply to business school, the format is noticeably different.

If you already have a CV, you are halfway there…just follow these simple guidelines to help you turn it into a winning resume.

Aesthetics

Length: U.S. resumes are typically no longer than one or two pages long. Resumes are not intended to be laundry lists or detail everything you have ever done. Keep them short and sweet, ensuring only the most important details relevant to the position or program are provided.

Format: There are a variety of formats you may use for a resume. Choose your format based on the following tips:

• Chronological — Chronological resumes are typically the simplest formats providing your work history with your most recent employer listed first. This is the format typically preferred by employers, and it works well when you have a lot of prior work experience.
• Functional — Functional resumes are good for hiding gaps in work history and typically highlight your skills and experience. But, this is precisely why most employers don’t like functional resumes.
• Combination — Combination resumes highlight skills and experience followed by work history. These resumes allow you to provide your professional education, but work well if you are trying to change careers or are applying for a program that doesn’t align perfectly with your qualifications.

No matter what format you choose, make sure your resume is targeted. This means making your resumes very position-specific which requires more work than a traditional one-size-fits-all resume. Targeted resumes can be very effective in capturing a reviewers attention and are almost always worth the extra time spent making them.

Check back for Part 2 and 3 dealing with the content of your resume.

Have you converted your CV into a resume before? What other tips would you share?

Mona Abdel-Halim is the co-founder of Resunate.com, the world’s only resume builder for MBA candidates. You can find Mona and Resunate on Facebook and Twitter.

~Article provided by the courtesy of Kaplan GMAT