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31 Jul 2014, 10:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Career Direction: It’s Ok to Love Your Job! |
 Don’t want to wake up at age 45 wondering why you’ve wasted your life pursuing an uninspiring and meaningless career? Listen to the recording of our conversation with expert career coach, Akiba Smith-Francis, for essential advice on choosing a career path and laying the foundations for long-term fulfillment and success at work. 00:02:27 – Akiba’s journey from brand management to career coaching. 00:04:34 – The anatomy of bad advice (and some good advice to counter it). 00:16:53 – Tips for finding meaningful and enjoyable work. 00:22:57 – I want to follow my passion… but it has no market value. What should I do? 00:25:45 – How to get off the treadmill – even if you’ve been running since pre-school. 00:30:49 – Good networking: what it is and how to do it. 00:36:02 – Are all graduate school leadership development programs created equal? 00:39:51 – Advice for a young person figuring out a career path.  *Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com. Related Links: • Services Section • Akiba Smith-Francis on LinkedIn • Stepping Off the Path Related Shows: • The Consortium: Diversifying B-School and Corporate Management • Forte Helps Women in Business Thrive: Interview with Elissa Sangster • Interview with Anna Runyan of Classy Career Girl • Goal Setting, Job Searching, and Sweet Careers • From Luxury Marketing to Entrepreneurship: A Talk with Daria Burke • Non-Academic Careers for PhDs: A Talk with Dr. Paula Chambers Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk:    Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, career changers, career goals, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions, podcast 
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01 Aug 2014, 13:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: An Artist at B-School: Interview with an NYU Stern Langone Student |
 This interview is the latest in an Accepted.com blog series featuring interviews with current MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. And now for a chat with Chris Alexander, a student at NYU Stern’s Langone Part-Time MBA program. Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Do you hold any other degrees? Chris: There’s a growing subset of the New York population who become affected, deeply and emotionally, when they hear the words “In-N-Out Burger.” They’re called Californians, and I’m one of them. I grew up in Camarillo, a city in Southern California known for its legendary outlet mall. I got my Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz where I studied Studio Art with an emphasis on metal sculpture. Many nights I would work late in the metal studio and emerge when the sun came up, exhausted and dreary-eyed with dozens of burns from running a MIG welder all night. You’re supposed to suffer for your art, right? Bronze and steel were my favorite mediums, and were a huge source of inspiration for me because I knew that the result of my work would be a piece of art that could last thousands of years. I moved to New York City in 2008 for graduate school and got my Master of Arts in Graphic Communications Management and Technology from the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies. It was great to be surrounded by other craftspeople (designers, illustrators and photographers) that were all in the program for the same reason: to develop the vital skills needed to translate your art into real-world value with a dollar amount behind it. After graduating with my M.A., I partnered with a current MBA student to enter the New Venture Competition at the NYU Stern School of Business. We had an idea to create a location-based craft beer bar discovery app (Think: Yelp + Pandora for craft beer enthusiasts). The competition itself was an intense experience and much more than just a pitch-off. It was months of marketing, finance and legal workshops, and exclusive unfiltered advice from some heavy-hitter VCs. We got eliminated about halfway into the competition, but in the end it was a truly priceless experience. As I was not an MBA student at the time, this was a key moment that taught me two things: 1) My understanding of accounting, data analysis and start-up law was embarrassing, and 2) I absolutely needed to acquire those skills in order to be content with my professional self. So I applied to the NYU Stern Langone Part-Time MBA and began in Fall 2012. Accepted: What is your favorite non-school book? Chris: I’ve grown the most from books that teeter on the edge between biography and business – the stories of people who have taken strategic risks, overcome adversity and held tightly – sometimes stubbornly – to the chance of seeing their dreams manifest in a very real way. Some of my favorites are Nothing is Impossible by Christopher Reeves, Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson, Onward by Howard Schultz and Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh. They’re all very inspiring stories with awesome life and business lessons. Accepted: Where year are you in at NYU Stern’s Langone Part-Time MBA program? Chris: I’ll be heading into my third year in the program starting Fall 2014. Accepted: Why did you decide to go part-time at Stern? What are the advantages and disadvantages of going this route? Chris: The main reason I chose the part-time program was that, as an employee of New York University, I get a very generous tuition remission benefit. So from a financial and strategic perspective, this was simply the choice that made sense for me. The biggest advantage of a part-time program is the opportunity to develop your academic knowledge in parallel with your professional skills. I know it sounds like a cliché sound byte from a recruitment video (I know because I worked in college admissions for seven years!) but I would actually learn new techniques in a Monday night class that I could pitch to my boss and begin implementing at work later that same week. This not only equipped me with fresh ideas at work, but it also helped me develop a keen sense of which lessons would be professionally applicable in the immediate term and which lessons were more suited for my long term development. The very real disadvantage is that part-time programs simply take longer to complete. (I suppose there’s a hidden silver lining because one has more time to absorb the b-school experience.) But part-time programs require a real commitment to stay motivated for 3 or 4 years, despite all of the curveballs that work and personal life throws at you. Accepted: What’s your favorite class so far? Chris: Digital Marketing with Professor Scott Galloway (@profgalloway) was the most professionally applicable class for me thus far. Galloway leads the business intelligence agency L2 Think Tank, and brought a wealth of cutting edge industry insights and fantastic guest speakers to the class. Accepted: Why did you choose Stern? What’s your favorite thing about the program? Least favorite thing? Chris: The primary reason I chose NYU Stern was because it’s very highly ranked among part-time MBA programs (#4 according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2014 ranking, surpassed only by Haas, Booth and Kellogg). My favorite aspect of the program is having a community of smart, driven working professionals as classmates. There’s a shared understanding of how much everyone is sacrificing to be in this program, and a real respect for each other’s time. We don’t have the luxury of spending excess time on non-critical activities. People really cut the fluff and get down to business, and I like that. My least favorite aspect of the program is that I wish there was a bit more representation from folks who are laser-focused on digital marketing and entrepreneurship. Finance is just such a dominant force at NYU Stern – as it should be given the location – but at times I struggled to fit in with a classroom full of investment bankers and stock traders. Though once I start taking more higher-level electives I’m sure that dynamic will change. Accepted: Can you share some advice to incoming first year students, to help make their adjustment to b-school easier? What do you wish you would’ve known just before entering? Chris: Definitely! Here are three nuggets of wisdom I wish I had known before starting the program: 1. Get to know what campus resources are available to you before getting swamped by readings, case studies and group projects. Once the semester starts, the pace and workload ramps up and doesn’t slow down. Even basic things were super helpful to know such as the location of printers, how to reserve study rooms or where to find coffee at odd hours. 2. Research professors ahead of time. Your class experience can range from mediocre to life-changing depending on the professor’s passion, background and teaching style. I constantly ask other students about their favorite professors, and keep a Google Doc with a running list for future reference. 3. Know what YOU want to get out of the MBA experience. In a part-time program, time is definitely your most limited resource, so have a real strategy going in. Academically, what do you want your skill-set to look like upon graduating? Personally, what kinds of relationships do you want to make and what types of people do you need in your network? Accepted: Looking back, what was the most challenging aspect of the MBA admissions process? How did you approach that challenge and overcome it? Chris: The most challenging part of the NYU Stern admissions process was the “personal expression” essay that prompts you to “describe yourself to your MBA classmates.” There are virtually zero constraints on the actual medium of the essay. Some applicants submit audio recordings, paintings, digital creations and everything in between. But every challenge is an opportunity in disguise, or at least that’s how I approached it. This was my chance to differentiate myself and show them something unique. I consider myself to be a talented visual communicator, so I designed a huge infographic poster displaying key moments of my personal and professional development. Each moment became a node in a web of experiences that were color-coded, categorized and charted across the years of my life. Accepted; Can you tell us about your resume writing email course? Chris: As a personal project, I’ve been working on designing an online resource to help college students and recent grads beef up their resumes in preparation for finding a job. It’s called the Kickass Resume Course and it’s a free self-guided email course that walks students through a range of lessons from basic visual design principles to crafting a narrative around your work experience to quantifying your achievements. In my eight years of working in higher education I’ve reviewed hundreds of student resumes and have interviewed many students for various jobs. I’ve met some super-sharp, ambitious students who didn’t get hired because they came in with lackluster resumes and zero interviewing skills. So I’ve packaged everything I’ve learned and observed over the years into this email course. It’s a way for me to give back and help other students get a boost during their first job interviews. Students can sign up at www.kickassresumecourse.com. It’s always free and (hopefully) always awesome! For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages. For specific advice on how to create the best application for NYU Stern, check out our NYU Stern 2015 MBA Essay Tips. Thank you Chris for sharing your story with us!   Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA Student Interviews, NYU Stern, NYU Stern Langone, Part time MBA 
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01 Aug 2014, 13:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Snag Your Harvard Business School Class of 2017 Seat |
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If you’re aiming to attend Harvard Business School or another top 10 MBA program in 2015, then you’ll want to view our most recent webinar, Get Accepted to Harvard Business School. In her presentation, Linda Abraham, CEO & Founder of Accepted.com, offers loads of advice on how to gain a competitive edge to a top b-school in general, and Harvard Business School in particular.  View Get Accepted to Harvard Business School on-demand now!  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: Harvard Business School, MBA Admissions, webinar 
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03 Aug 2014, 09:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Which Business School Will Get Me to Wall Street? |
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I want to go into financial services. Which is the best MBA program for me? Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: finance, MBA Admissions, video 
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04 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 3 Mistakes Successful MBA Applicants Don’t Make |
 Save yourself the heartbreak of rejection. Don’t make these mistakes when applying to b-school: 1. Applying without a clear idea of what you want to do after you earn the degree. Having clear career goals is a MUST for successful MBA applicants. You may think you can cover up this lack of direction in your application, but the adcom are trained to see who has focused goals and who does not. Business schools are looking for applicants who will both succeed as students and as businesspeople in the post-MBA career world. If you don’t show direction early on, then there’s a chance you’ll flounder through b-school and won’t smoothly transition back into the workforce. YOU won’t get the most out of your MBA experience, and nor will the school. It’s a lose-lose for everyone. Instead, solidify (with some degree of flexibility) what you want to do post-degree so that you present yourself as a strong, focused candidate in your applications. Remember, you’ll personally benefit from this research and direction, in addition to it boosting your chances of admission. 2. Writing what you think the admissions committee wants to know as opposed to what you want them to know. You THINK that by writing what the adcom wants to hear, that your essay will be creative – ingenious even. But what ends up happening, is that everyone thinks the committee wants to hear the same thing and they end up writing something UN-original in order to fit those imagined specifications. Instead, look deep into yourself and think about what you truly would like to share with them – that’s the ONLY way that your final product will be authentically original, and the only way that you’ll really impress the adcom. 3. Applying exclusively to schools based on the rankings and without any sense of your own competitiveness. If all applicants made this mistake, then Harvard, Stanford, and other top five programs would be even more selective than they are and VERY few people would ever gain admission. Yes, HBS is good for some people, and Stanford is good for others, but they’re certainly not the best schools for everyone. If there’s no possible chance that you’ll get accepted to a top five, top ten, or top fifty program, then start your quest by crossing those off your list. Save yourself the heartbreak of rejection and the costs and setback of reapplication by choosing reasonable programs to apply to. That being said, so long as you apply to at least one safety and a few on-pars that you’d be thrilled to attend, then it certainly can’t hurt to try for a few reasonable reaches.  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: MBA Admissions 
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06 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Chicago Booth 2015 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines |
 Chicago Booth has always prided itself on valuing applicants who can handle ambiguity and lack of structure. And it’s application reflects that principle. In spades. This year’s Booth also application mirrors the “streamlining” that has taken place throughout the b-school world as well as Chicago’s distinctive culture and love of ambiguity. This essay/presentation question, which is new for this year, is about as open-ended as it gets. My tips are in blue below. Presentation/Essay: Chicago Booth values adventurous inquiry, diverse perspectives, and a collaborative exchange of ideas. This is us. Who are you? This is a really difficult question. What do you want to tell Booth that reflects your adventurous and curious nature, your distinctive perspective and experience, which will contribute to the class’ diversity, and your ability to contribute to a vigorous but still collaborative exchange of ideas? And yes it should be genuinely you. To start make a list of the experiences and achievements that you are most proud of and that best reflect who you are. Then review the presentation/essay guidelines below as well as the Booth admissions criteria. Next to each item on your list, add the qualities from Booth’s criteria that this experience or achievement reveals. Also look at the other information you are providing in the application including your resume and those boxes. What about you is absent from these other parts of the application? Write those experiences and attributes down too in a separate list. Which items on your “absentee” list introduce the qualities Booth seeks? Are any of them on your first list of achievements? Focus on the items that are on both lists and that are most important to you and distinctive about you. As Booth itself instructs “We’ve learned a lot about you throughout the application, but what more should we know?” The answer to that question is a critical part of a effective response to Booth’s essay question. Presentation/Essay Guidelines • Be reflective. We’ve learned a lot about you throughout the application, but what more should we know? • Interpret broadly. “Who are you?” can be interpreted in many different ways. We encourage you to think critically and broadly about who you are, and how your values, passions and experiences have influenced you. • Determine your own length. There is no prescribed minimum or maximum length. We trust that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think strategically about how to best allocate the space. Don’t give in to temptation. Lack of a word limit or guideline is not a license for verbosity or permission to write the great American novel (or autobiography). Concision is valued in the business world. Show good judgment and consideration for the reader’s time. Keep it short, but tell your story. • Choose the format that works for you. You can design your presentation or compose your essay in the format that you feel best captures your response. However, please consider the specific technical restrictions noted below. • Think about you, not us. Rather than focusing on what you think we want to hear, focus on what is essential for us to know about you. Simply put, be genuine. Technical Guidelines [b]• File Size:[/b] Maximum file size is 16 MB. [b]• Accepted Upload Formats:[/b] Acceptable formats are PDF, Word and Powerpoint. [b]• Multimedia Restrictions:[/b] We will be viewing your submission electronically and in full color, but all submissions will be converted to PDF files, so animation, video, music, etc. will not translate over. [b]• Preserve Your Formatting:[/b] We strongly recommend converting your piece to a PDF file prior to submitting to ensure that everything you see matches what we see. A few thoughts: Should you write an essay or use a visual presentation? That depends on you. If you are talented visually and love graphics and powerpoint, use a visual medium as long as it will translate to PDF. If you are a “words person” comfortable expressing your thoughts in writing, write the essay. Do what will make it easiest for you to express your essence. Optional Essay: If there is any important information that you were unable to address elsewhere in the application, please share that information here. (300 word maximum) The instructions are pretty clear. Is there something you want the admissions committee to know about that is not included elsewhere, here’s the spot for it. A gap in employment? A dip in grades caused by illness or family problems? This is the spot. Reapplicant Essay: Upon reflection, how has your perspective regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (300 words maximum) This is a critical essay for MBA reapplicants. Remember, Chicago (and any school you are reapplying to) wants to see growth. Same ol’, same ‘ol got you a ding last time and probably will again this time. Let this brief essay show a maturation and evolution of your goals and reasons for wanting to attend Chicago Booth. Chicago loves to see critical thinking. If you would like professional guidance with your Chicago Booth MBA application, please consider Accepted’s MBA essay editing and MBA admissions consulting or our MBA Application Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the Booth application. Chicago Booth 2015 MBA Application Deadlines: Submission Deadline Final Decision Notification Round 1 September 25, 2014 December 18, 2014 Round 2 January 6, 2015 March 26, 2015 Round 3 April 7, 2015 May 21, 2015   By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business SchoolsSchool-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips • Chicago Booth B-School Zone • Audio & Video in Admissions, a free guide Tags: 2015 MBA Application, Chicago Booth, MBA Admissions 
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07 Aug 2014, 12:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: A Transformational Year: The MIT Sloan Fellows Program |
 What is the solution for a seasoned manager who is too experienced for an MBA, but not so enthusiastic about the idea of a part-time EMBA? Listen to the recording of our conversation with Stephen Sacca for the low down on an 84 year-old secret that just might change your life: The MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership. 00:02:44 – What is the MIT Sloan Fellows program? 00:04:32 – Experienced candidates only. 00:05:22 – Overview of an intensive year. 00:07:48 – A great idea: The April orientation. 00:11:10 –The MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership: What is in a name? 00:15:56 – Integration with the various MIT Sloan programs. 00:17:59 – The common denominator among Sloan fellows. 00:19:52 – Trips: not just for fun. 00:25:41 – Why career changers need not apply. 00:28:55 – The most common feedback from graduates. 00:32:39 – Advice for applicants. *Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com. Related Links: • MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership • MIT Sloan School of Management • Ace the EMBA • Top Executive MBA Program Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right! Related Shows: • The Stanford MSx Program for Experienced Leaders • Business, Law and Beyond: An Interview with John Engelman • Dr. Douglas Stayman Shares the Scoop on Cornell Tech NYC Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk:  Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, EMBA, MBA Admissions, MIT Sloan, MIT Sloan Fellows, podcast 
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08 Aug 2014, 12:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Interview with 22 Year Old B-School Applicant, “Pulling That MBA Trigger” |
 This interview is the latest in an Accepted.com blog series featuring interviews with MBA applicant bloggers, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at the MBA application process. And now…introducing our anonymous blogger, “Pulling That MBA Trigger.” Accepted: Can you tell us a little about yourself – where are you from, where did you go to school, and what is your current job? Pulling That MBA Trigger: Ah, I never really know how to answer this question. An entire lifetime in a few sentences? I’m way too chatty for that. Anyway, I’m 22 years old, female and fresh out of the college boat. Well, it’s been a year anyway, so I’m still not a jaded adult which is probably why I’m so gung-ho about this whole admissions thing. I’m from India and I went to a school that is probably not known to the rest of the world, although a recently appointed CEO did go here. It’s doing a lot for our street cred. I graduated as an electronics engineer and I’m working for a tech startup that develops web and mobile applications when we’re not busy working with big data analytics and all that jazz. I also founded my own startup in the education space, so yeah pretty exciting stuff! Accepted: Which schools do you plan on applying to? PTMT: I’m glaringly honest with myself and I know that my chances of getting into the top 5 schools are astronomically low. With that said, I’m targeting the lower 10’s and pretty much any school in the 10-20 range. I haven’t narrowed down the names yet, but I’m angling towards MIT Sloan simply because of their focus on entrepreneurship and the fact that they happen to like engineers from the technology space. I’m also considering Yale (Ivy League, ’nuff said) and Booth (quant focused with a soft spot for younger applicants, or so I hear). I’m applying to a maximum of four schools and this is more strategic than anything else simply because if I get dinged from all four of them, I can reapply next year with plenty of options still left open. Accepted: What would you say is your greatest profile strength? Weakness? How do you plan on overcoming that weakness? PTMT: I guess my greatest strength lies in the fact that I am an entrepreneur and a leader at heart, and this kind of spills over everywhere in my application. I have only ever worked for startups and I have founded a startup. I never felt the need for an MBA to take that plunge and I guess I would say that I’m ballsy. Not sure how I would put that on my application, but eh. Weakness is pretty obvious. I am very, very impatient. I can’t wait any longer to get that MBA and so I’m quite stupidly applying after having worked for only a year (or two at the time of matriculation). It’s going to be quite a challenge convincing schools that I’m emotionally and professionally ready to get an MBA. Accepted: So…how are you going to convince the adcom that you’re a candidate worth paying attention to with only one year of work experience? PTMT: Honestly, I’m not even sure I’m convinced just yet! I’m just faking it as I go, maybe eventually I’ll actually believe that I’m someone worth paying attention to. But with that said, my plan is to focus on all that I have managed to achieve in such a short period of time, possibly as much as other people achieved in two years. Impatience has its own rewards, which is why I jam-packed my years in college and post-college with every activity imaginable and that is now paying off. I am mainly going to emphasize the success of my own startup (albeit on a modest scale) and my stint as the secretary of the student body in college. Accepted: Why do you want an MBA? What are some of your goals and how will an MBA help you achieve them? PTMT: In my current role as a software engineer, I’m limited to my work as a code monkey and I have no exposure to how the company gets its clients, or how they measure the bottom line and success/failure. I guess this kind of points to a role in consulting post an MBA, simply because it would allow me to look at how different companies across different industries function, without slotting me into a role that is limiting in terms of what I’m able to learn (i.e. software engineer, product manager, marketing manager and so on). Long term though, I’d like to use all the consulting knowledge from watching other companies’ mistakes to set up my own company in the tech space. Accepted: What has the b-school application process so far taught you about yourself? PTMT: The b-school process has forced me to thoroughly excavate my head. I had to visit corners I never wanted to revisit. It has been torturous at times and merely annoying at others. It’s taught me that I have a high tolerance for pain and that I should really get a commemorative tattoo when I’m done. Okay, okay. It’s also shown me that I have vast reserves of strength, resolve and motivation. I know I can pull through and even if I don’t, I know I’ll have the energy to do it again next year. I also think I’m a lot more interesting than I thought I was. I actually have interesting stories to write down in my essays. Who knew?! Accepted: Can you tell us about your blog? Who is your target audience? What do you hope to gain from the blogging experience? PTMT: My blog is called Pulling That MBA Trigger and it’s no coincidence that I want to shoot myself in the head about once a day during this whole process. It’s basically a place for me to vent and document my thoughts before I go crazy. I hope it provides slight comedic relief to others going through the same thing and perhaps makes them feel better about their own chances of getting in. At the end of it, I want to be able to look back and think, “Ah, I’ve made it so far,” unless of course I get dinged everywhere in which case I’m going to nuke the blog off cyberspace and pretend it never existed. For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages. You can read more about PTMT’s b-school journey by checking out her blog, Pulling That MBA Trigger. Thank you PTMT for sharing your story with us – we wish you loads of luck!  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA applicant bloggers 
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08 Aug 2014, 16:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: What You Need to Know to Get Accepted to Wharton |
 We invite all Wharton MBA applicants to attend our upcoming webinar, Get Accepted to the Wharton School, in which Accepted.com CEO and b-school admissions expert, Linda Abraham, will teach you how to create a standout application for this world-class, highly competitive business school. During the webinar, Linda will discuss: • The 4 key strategy steps you need to get accepted to Wharton. • How to ace Wharton’s team-based discussion/interview. …and more! The webinar will take place on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST/5:00 PM GMT.  Spaces are limited! Reserve your spot for Get Accepted to the Wharton School now! Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: MBA Admissions, webinar, Wharton 
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10 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 6 Tips for Getting Started on Your Application Essays |
 Sit down, think, and start writing! Sometimes the hardest part of writing a personal statement or application essay for college or grad school is finding the discipline to sit down and focus. Often, once you accomplish that, the ideas begin to form and the words begin to flow. The following 6 tips will help motivate you to start writing, and then to continue writing until you’ve got some solid material for a compelling essay. 1. Words beget more words. Here’s an important concept to think about when it comes to getting started – one word leads to another. Once you BEGIN writing, your brain will begin to generate ideas that will inspire you to CONTINUE writing. So even if you don’t think you have anything to say, just sit down and write whatever comes to mind. Set a timer for 10 minutes and don’t stop writing until the timer dings. I guarantee that when the buzzer goes off, SOME idea will have surfaced. 2. Write now, edit later. Do NOT get bogged down in the editorial details of your essay during the early writing stages. Now is the time to simply get your ideas out on paper (or computer screen). Write as you think – in fragments, in run-on sentences, or in vivid descriptions of images as they pass before your mind’s eye. Work on making them sound good later on. 3. Use details. During the brainstorming phase of your writing, as well as later on when you’re clarifying your work, you’re going to want to include details that will engage your reader. Think about what attracts someone to a good book – is it boring summaries and abstractions, or a few descriptions of people and places or specific dialog? 4. Include meaning. Description is key, but if you don’t internalize (and then show that you’ve internalized) the MEANING of the scene you’ve described, then the adcoms won’t care much about it. What do your experiences say about YOU? 5. Prove impact. Now that you’ve expressed what your experiences say about your qualifications or characteristics, it’s time to explain how those traits and strengths will contribute to your class. You’ve proven that you are a leader; how do you plan on using those skills? 6. Have faith. Maybe you’ve hit a wall and feel like you’ll never spin your ideas into a coherent essay. Have faith – the writing process takes time. Take a break and then return to your computer with a clear mind and a positive attitude to begin the brainstorming process from scratch. Now, sit down, think, and start writing! Good luck!  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: Admissions Consulting, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions, personal statement 
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10 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: How to Fund Your MBA: On-Demand Webinar Available for Viewing |
Missed last week’s webinar, How to Pay for Your MBA? Still worried those b-school price tags will get the best of you? No problem. Get the facts you need to finance your business degree when you view How to Pay for Your MBA online now. The webinar, which was hosted by guest Matt Levin from CommonBond, was a huge success – loads of tips and suggestions on how YOU can secure the funds needed to pay for b-school. Don’t let tuition bills stand in your way. Get the MBA you need and deserve and learn how to pay for it with How to Pay for Your MBA. And as always, please be in touch if you have any questions – about paying for your MBA or about any other stage of the admissions process!  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: MBA Admissions, webinar 
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12 Aug 2014, 12:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Tips for Video MBA Essay Questions |
 The Kellogg School of Management Rotman led the charge with a video essay question and last year Yale and Kellogg followed. Worried about being literally on stage? Here are my tips if you need to respond to a question in a short 1-2-minute video. First, realize that these video essays, like the written ones, are attempts to get to know you. Unlike the written word, however, the schools are seeking to see how you present yourself visually and with little time to prepare or polish answers. They are testing articulation and presence in a way that essays can’t and at much less expense than interviews. In that sense, these videos are a pre-interview screening device in addition to a way to learn more about your likes and dislikes, achievements, dreams, goals, and challenges. And while you may not be able to prepare for a specific question, you definitely can and should prepare.  You need to practice for the experience of talking to a video camera with no responses from another human being. No body language. No facial expressions. No audience energy. Zero feedback. It’s just a dumb machine. Having created videos for Accepted, I found the experience very unnatural, but I think/hope I’ve gotten better with practice. You can too. Until the questions become known, practice answering different essay questions in the announced time limit and then view the video. Here are a few sample questions to get you started, but I may update this list as we get more information from the schools: • What do you do for fun? • What are your passions, interests, and hobbies? • If you could travel across the United States in a car with anyone, whom would you choose to travel with and why? • What would you do on a rainy Sunday afternoon? • How have you handled a difficult interaction? What did you learn from it? • Describe a difficult professional decision you had to make. What were the consequences, and what, if anything, did you learn? If you are really nervous about the video exercise or about speaking in public, consider joining Toastmasters and forcing yourself to speak publicly. You will improve your “presence” and gain confidence. Both will help you with your video interview, any admissions interview, job interviews, and required public speaking. So beyond preparing and simply getting comfortable with the format or anticipated questions, when it comes time for the real thing, do the following: 1. Dress neatly. Follow any dress guidelines the school provides. Women, put on make-up and jewelry lightly. If you wonder if your attire is too revealing, it is. Men, have a hair-cut and shave. Make sure beard or mustache, if you have, are trimmed and neat. 2. It should go without saying, but keep your language clean — no profanity. 3. Think for a few seconds before you reply and then minimize pauses that we tend to fill with “ums” and “uhs.” They don’t contribute to “presence.” 4. If you tend to perspire, put on the air conditioning so the room is cool. 5. Sit up straight and lean a little bit forward. 6. Remember to smile. I put a smiley face next to the camera. And two final points: 1. Schools want to accept students who reflect well on them. 2. You’ll do great! If you would like help with your video essay, Accepted’s experienced MBA admissions experts, who have been prepping and critiquing MBA applicants for almost twenty years, are more than happy to help you. By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business SchoolsAudio and Video in Admissions, a free guide • Yale SOM 2105 MBA Essay Tips • MBA Video Essay Essays: How They Work and How to Ace Them Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA Video Essays, Northwestern Kellogg, Rotman, Yale SOM 
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14 Aug 2014, 02:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Seats Running Out for Our Wharton Webinar… |
 If you are applying to Wharton – then you’ll want to tune in on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET for our webinar, Get Accepted to the Wharton School. Access winning tips that put you ahead of your competition including the 4 key strategies you need to get accepted and advice for your team-based discussion. Don’t get left behind – reserve your spot for Get Accepted to the Wharton School now!  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: MBA Admissions, webinar, Wharton 
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15 Aug 2014, 10:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Interview with a Future NYU Stern MBA and Forte Fellow |
 This interview is the latest in an Accepted.com blog series featuring interviews with current MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. And now for an interview with Lourdes, a Forte Fellow who was recently accepted to NYU Stern. Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? What’s your favorite non-school book Lourdes: I was born in Lima, Peru, and my family moved to Charlotte when I was very young. I grew up there and attended North Carolina State University, where I obtained degrees in Political Science and Spanish with a minor in Business Management. My favorite non-school book is “It Happened on the Way to War” by Rye Barcott. Accepted: Why did you choose NYU Stern? Lourdes: I decided to go to business school to fine tune my analytical and economic skills and sought a program that offered practical knowledge applied in real-world settings. I also wanted to be in a location that could offer a business playground as a complement to my education. NYU Stern offers the opportunity to learn in NY, which is at the vortex of the business world. I also appreciated the dynamic leadership of the administration, faculty and students. NYU Stern was a curriculum that not only had a legacy of excellence but also a commitment to innovation. Being able to build on the history of the program, as well as implement visionary thinking, was a key factor for me. Accepted: How would you say you’re a perfect fit with the program? (Unless you believe you’re not a good fit, in which case, please talk about that!) Lourdes: Throughout the admissions process, the more I learned about NYU Stern, the more I found I had in common with the program. From speaking with students about their goals, with Admissions representatives about international treks to reading articles in the school newspaper about student life, it became clear that NYU Stern was the right fit for me. The students I met were impressive, fun-loving and helpful. They were willing to share insight about their experiences and also be real with me. At Diversity Weekend, Dean Peter Henry asked us to think about how we would use our MBA degree to make a difference. That resonated profoundly with me in my decision to attend NYU Stern. Accepted: What clubs or extracurricular activities are planning on being involved in with? Lourdes: I plan on being involved with Stern Women in Business, the Association of Hispanic & Black Business Students and the Social Enterprise Association. Accepted: What have you been doing professionally since college? Lourdes: My family has a business in the construction and design/build industry. Upon graduating, I worked for the firm in a marketing capacity. I created a separate division of the company dedicated to the real estate investments and property management. I wanted to get my feet wet in the corporate world and was able to gain a position on the sales and trading floor at Sanford C. Bernstein in NY. I was on the sell-side research team dedicated to hedge fund clients. I learned from leaders in the field and wanted to amplify my client-facing skills in a setting more directly tied to the business community. I came across a role in which I could apply my marketing and relationship building skills as the director of public policy at the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. I monitored issues that affect the cost of doing business in Charlotte and actively engaged chamber members to learn about pro-business public policies. It was necessary to collaborate with stakeholders from the private, public and social sectors to gain their buy-in for issues. Accepted: Do you plan on staying in that same industry post-MBA, or switching to something new? Lourdes: My experience in different industries has driven me to learn a holistic approach to business. For that reason, I am looking forward to specializing in Management, Strategy and Social Innovation and Impact to learn the best tools for achieving profit by means of impactful initiatives. I am considering different industries and am seeking a career that will allow me to help a company reach fiscal goals while maintaining a social-conscious approach. [b][b]Accepted: [/b]What has your experience with the Forte Foundation been like? How has Forte helped you?[/b] Lourdes: I became aware of the Forte Foundation while I was working on my school applications. I was thankful that there was an organization dedicated to promoting women in business. So you can imagine how excited I was to be named a Forte fellow! I was able to attend the Forte Conference in Los Angeles in June. I benefited from networking with the companies and panelists offering advice based on their experiences both in business school and their careers. I was offered an internship at the conference, which I am considering, for next summer. Forte helped make those connections. [b][b]Accepted: [/b]As someone who’s successfully applied to business school, you must have some good advice! Can you share your top 3 admissions tips with our readers?[/b] Lourdes: I found the most important part of the admissions process to be self-discovery in terms of why I was pursuing an MBA, how I hoped to use my degree and what school was the best fit. Although the applications ask these questions, it’s important you ask yourself them as well. My top three tips would be: 1. Know your strengths and weaknesses. 2. Attend every MBA event (that your schedule allows) to learn the most about each program’s offerings. 3. Speak with at least two current students from each program you are considering. For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages. For specific advice on how to create the best application for NYU Stern, check out our NYU Stern 2015 MBA Essay Tips. Thank you Lourdes for sharing your story with us!  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: Forte, MBA Admissions, MBA Student Interviews, NYU Stern 
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17 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Future Whartonites…Tune On Tuesday! |
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The webinar you’ve all been waiting for, Get Accepted to the Wharton School, will take place on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET. Reserve your spot now and tune in on Tuesday to hear important Wharton application tips that could transform your Wharton dream into reality! Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: MBA Admissions, webinar, Wharton 
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18 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBA Admission: The Great Round 1/Round 2 Fight |
 “On my right, now entering the ring is Round 1. A perennial favorite with those who have stratospheric GMATs, patents, Noble Prizes, and the like. And on my left, waving to the crowd is Round 2. He is favored by those with more average, but still respectable scores, grades, and experience.” So goes the fight about when to submit an application. I am not impressed by attempts to win the admissions game through timing, at least using these arguments, which are specious and weigh less significant or non-existent factors as opposed to those that really count. What counts above all else is the quality of your application. You want to submit when it is at its best. The argument that Round 1 is for superstars simply isn’t true. Many superstars apply round 2 (and even later, but I am going to limit this discussion to Rounds 1 and 2). But when you wait to apply Round 2, many seats have already been given to round 1 applicants. At the same time, some applicants are absolutely determined to submit Round 1 because they want the “early advantage.” They will even foolishly rush their applications, submit something less than their best in this mad dash to a R1 deadline. Let’s call this match a draw. The boxers can take off their gloves and pull up a chair. Listen to Linda’s rule: “Apply as early as possible PROVIDED you don’t compromise the quality of your application.” Just today I received an email from an applicant who has been struggling with her GMAT and wants to attend a top 15 program. She is unlikely to be admitted with her current score and she wants to apply Round 1. She is better off raising her GMAT and postponing her application to Round 2. Someone else writes to a mailing list that he has good scores, grades, and work experience, but is in a common applicant sub-group and wants to apply round 2 because he believes competition will be less intense. Big mistake. Competition is intense both rounds. Instead of focusing on this timing question, he should be working to improve his profile, differentiate himself, learn about the schools, and start on his essays so that he can submit round 1 when there are more spots available. Is there an advantage to applying early in a round, especially round 1? I don’t think so. More importantly, there is an advantage to holding onto a completed first application and submitting it closer to the deadline (Any school, CBS for example, on rolling admissions could be exceptions to this part of this post.) As you work on subsequent applications, you will improve your essays and see (and relate) experiences and goals with greater clarity. If you just put that first completed application away while you work on applications 2, 3, & N, then you can go back to Application 1 before that school’s R1 deadline and tweak it before you submit. That first application will then benefit from your recent writing experience and greater clarity. Don’t, however, wait until the 11th hour to upload your app and press SUBMIT. Many times servers are overloaded on deadline day. You don’t want to miss a deadline on an application that was completed weeks earlier because you waited too long. By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business SchoolsHow Many B-Schools Should You Apply To? • How to Write and Edit MBA Essays • Top MBA Program Zones Tags: MBA Admissions 
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18 Aug 2014, 13:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Wharton Class of 2015 Profile |
Let’s take a look at Wharton’s class of 2015 profile (from Wharton’s website): • Total applicants: 6,036 • Women: 42% • Enrolled class: 837 • International students: 35% • U.S. minorities: 30% • Range of years of work experience: 0-13 • Mean years of work experience: 5 • Mean overall GMAT: 725 • Middle 80% GMAT range: 690-760 • Undergraduate majors: - STEM (25%) - Business (28%) - Humanities/social sciences/economics (44%) - Other (3%) • Industry experience:  Are you looking to join the next Wharton class? Join us for our upcoming webinar, Get Accepted to the Wharton School, to learn key strategies to help you get accepted to Wharton and other top business schools! Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2014 Time: 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET Register now: Get Accepted to the Wharton School Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: MBA Admissions, Wharton 
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19 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: UCLA Anderson 2015 Essay Tips & Deadlines |
 UCLA Anderson The advice that UCLA Anderson provides below is excellent, not just for Anderson’s essays, but for most MBA essays. Read it carefully. My tips are in blue below. Your essays are the primary way for you to share your perspectives and plans with the admissions committee. The best essays are introspective, genuine and succinct in directly answering our questions and responding to our topics. • Essay questions are listed below for both first-time applicants and re-applicants. • You should try to distinguish yourself by showing what makes you different from others who share similar profiles. • Personal expression is what we are looking for, not platitudes. • Making a strong case for your future plans requires you to first do research on career paths and find one that resonates. Even if this target will change during business school, your application essays should lay out a clear trajectory for short-term and long-term goals. Do this by demonstrating how you expect to build on skills from your past, and those you expect to gain from the MBA. • Essays are more compelling if they include specific courses, programs, groups, opportunities, activities, etc. from which you would benefit, if admitted to UCLA Anderson. These references are best found through website research, personal discussions and a campus visit (if possible). • Content and clarity are key elements, as we seek superior communication skills. • Style is a consideration too, although we understand that those who speak other languages may have different manners of expression in English. • We do check your essays for plagiarism, so make sure you always submit your own work. • Length does not equal strength. A well-written short essay can have even more impact than a longer essay. Please try to respect the word limits indicated below. • All responses to essays must be on double-spaced pages that are uploaded as a document. We do not accept essays in any other media but written form. Essay: UCLA Anderson is distinguished by three defining principles: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, Drive Change. What principles have defined your life and pre-MBA career? How do you believe that UCLA Anderson’s principles, and the environment they create, will help you attain your post-MBA career goals? (750 words maximum) Anderson has simplified it’s essay requirements but gives you enough room to write a revealing response. Make sure that essay shows that can answer the question articulately and belong at Anderson. First think about what’s important to you. What guides and drives your behavior? If you can summarize those principles in two words as Anderson does, that’s great. If not, don’t sweat it, but do be succinct. If you come up with more than three principles, choose the three that are most important to you, but I advise against going with more than three. If you want to use fewer than three, that’s OK too. And, for Heaven’s sake don’t be tempted to say that your guiding principles are verbatim identical to Anderson’s. A great way to approach this essay would be to discuss an experience or anecdote that represents your guiding principles and then connect that story and your values to UCLA’s critical principles and the Anderson culture. Then conclude by addressing the last part of the question: How Anderson’s principles and “environment” will help you realize yourpost-MBA career goals. Optional Essay: Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words maximum) If there are extenuating circumstances that would add perspective on or “explain” a weakness, you can discuss them here. A few years ago, UCLA added the following: “Please do not submit redundant information in the Optional Essay.” Good advice for all optional questions. For more suggestions, please see The Optional Question: To Be or not To Be. Required Re-applicant Essay: Reapplicants who applied for the class entering Fall 2013 or 2014 are required to complete the following essay. Please be introspective and authentic in your response. We value the opportunity to learn about your aspirations and goals. Please describe your career progress since you last applied and ways in which you have enhanced your candidacy. Include updates on short-term and long-term career goals, as well as your continued interest in UCLA Anderson. (750 words maximum) This the key question in every MBA reapplication: How have you enhanced your candidacy? Career progress is an obvious place to start and something you must address, but if academics were a weakness, then what have you done since you last applied to show you can excel at Anderson? If you would like professional guidance with your UCLA Anderson application, please consider Accepted’s MBA essay editing and MBA admissions consulting or our MBA Application Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the UCLA application.  UCLA 2015 Application Deadlines:  By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business SchoolsUCLA Anderson B-School Zone • Student Body, Recruitment, Location: Future UCLA Anderson MBA Interview • Hard Work and Humility: Reflections of a UCLA Anderson Student Tags: 2015 MBA Applications, MBA Admissions, UCLA Anderson 
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20 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: What is the Value of an MBA? [Infographic] |
We just had to share this excellent infographic about the ROI of an MBA from MBA@UNC: Brought to you by MBA@UNC: an online mba program Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA ROI 
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21 Aug 2014, 14:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: A B-School Professor on Main Street, USA |
 Dr. Scott Schaefer escaped an economics conference and ended up in a fortuitous encounter that changed his life. Listen to the recording of our conversation with Dr. Shaefer, Kendall D. Garff Chair in Business Administration and Professor of Finance at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, for some great insights into small business, business school, and the place where the two meet. 00:02:03 – How a trip to the shoe store inspired Roadside MBA. 00:06:35 – The Roadside MBA Manifesto. 00:12:54 – Want to hear some great stories? 00:17:43 – The story Scott wishes he had included in the book (and so does Linda). 00:24:57 – Surprising takeaways from Roadside MBA project. 00:28:53 – How the Roadside MBA changed the way Scott teaches. 00:33:45 – If only MBA students came to campus knowing… *Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com. Related Links: • Roadside MBA: Backroad Wisdom for Entrepreneurs, Executives and Small Business Owners  (Linda highly recommends it.) • Roadside MBA • Roadside MBA on Twitter • Entrepreneurship & the MBA Related Shows: • MBAs Across America: Entrepreneurs with a Heart • MBAs Across America: The Coolest HBS Internship (original interview) • Dr. Douglas Stayman Shares the Scoop on Cornell Tech NYC • Introducing the Master in Entrepreneurship Program at the Univ. of Michigan Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk: Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, MBA Admissions, podcast 
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