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22 Aug 2014, 10:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Follow Up MBA Interview with Johnson Student Debra Yoo |
 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 follow up interview with Debra Yoo, who was recently accepted to Cornell Johnson. (We first met Debra last year – you can read our first interview with her here.) Accepted: Welcome back! Can you just remind our readers — where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Do you hold any other degrees? Debra: I grew up in the Chicagoland area and attended Columbia University for undergrad where I majored in English and Asian American Studies along with completing Columbia’s Creative Writing Program (as you can see, I did not have a very business-oriented background!). After spending a few more years in NYC, I moved to Los Angeles with my husband. We were there for about four years before we relocated to Ithaca last month. Accepted: Congrats on gaining accepted to Johnson! What are the 3 main traits of the Johnson school that attracted you to it? Debra: 1) The people. Of all the students and alumni that I contacted at the various schools I applied to, those who attended Johnson had the highest response rate–by far. And not only did they respond promptly, they answered my questions very thoroughly and honestly. I was so impressed. It really speaks to the quality of Johnson’s smaller, tight-knit community. 2) The location. I know, I know–many folks out there don’t apply to Johnson because of its location, but Ithaca really appealed to me. Aside from its natural beauty, I wanted to be in a small town where I could get to know my fellow students without the distractions of a big city. I’m finding that many others here also had the same mindset when they chose Johnson, which once again shows that community is a high priority for most everyone here. 3) Johnson’s immersion program. I didn’t want my schooling to be completely academic and theoretical–I wanted as much hands-on experience as I could possibly get. At Johnson, most of the core coursework (accounting, finance, marketing, etc.) is completed during the first semester of the first year, leaving time during the second semester to complete an in-depth consulting project for a real-life company. For the marketing immersion, students in the past have completed projects for companies including Microsoft, Bayer and HP. Accepted: How did you go about researching schools? Did you participate in any MBA fairs or events? Debra: I attended a Forte Forum in Los Angeles in August 2013, which was unbelievably helpful. The Forum really helped me finalize my choices of schools; at that point, I had pored over a ton of websites but hadn’t made any connections with the schools in person. I looked into other MBA fairs, but none of them had all the schools I wanted to apply to–maybe two or three at most. The Forte Forum was the only event that had almost all the top schools present. If you are a woman planning on applying to top 20 b-schools, the forum is a great way to speak to recruiters from them in one room. And you get to do it in a smaller, female crowd. It’s wonderful all around. Aside from the forum, I also emailed/spoke with ambassadors and alumni at all the schools I was interested in. I was originally planning on staying in the nonprofit space after graduating, so I had many questions about nontraditional paths that I wanted answers to. Speaking with the right alumni whose careers post-b-school resonated with me played a lot into my final decision making. I was told that it was really important to visit campuses in person before applying, but I did not have the resources or time to do so. For a long time I agonized over whether I was decreasing my chances of admission by not doing campus visits, but I believe the impact was minimal (if it impacted me at all). But if you’re able to visit campuses, you really should! They can give you great fodder for your essays and help you make sure that the school is the right place for you. Accepted: Can you talk about your experience with the Forte Foundation? What do they do and how have they helped you? Debra: I love the Forte Foundation, and I owe much of my success so far to their support! The Forte Foundation is a consortium of top b-schools and leading companies who support women in business. Women still have a ways to go when it comes to equal representation in business, especially in senior management. It’s an issue we all need to remain aware of and take thoughtful and deliberate actions to address. I first discovered Forte when I started my MBA application process, and I’m so glad I did. I never thought that I would one day attend business school, so I was really starting my learning from scratch. I listened to several of Forte’s free webinars about the application process and read through their entire website for guidance. I am also very thankful to have been selected a Forte Fellow by the Johnson admissions team. In addition to receiving a scholarship (that I am very, very grateful to have!), being a Fellow comes with many other benefits including networking opportunities and support for your job search. I also attended the 2014 Forte MBA Women’s Leadership Conference that was held in Los Angeles earlier this year. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by hundreds of other talented, ambitious women who were all about to begin their MBA journeys. And it was also a great way to kick off our new lives as students and remind us that we are all working together toward closing the gender gap in business. Accepted: Have you taken any classes or prepared in any other way to your smooth transition to business school? Debra: I have never taken a single economics or statistics course in my entire life, much less accounting or finance. I was really concerned about my lack of experience in the area, so I completed an online pre-MBA mathematics course at a nearby university earlier this year. It exposed me to some of the common terms and calculations I’ll come across in school. Johnson also provided us access to mbamath.com (I believe several other business schools do this, also) over the summer. I’ve been working my way through the units on finance, economics and statistics to prepare myself. In addition to all the math, I switched my leisure reading time to business-related books, including authors like Malcolm Gladwell, Dale Carnegie and Sheryl Sandberg. Accepted: What sort of career do you plan on pursuing post-MBA? Debra: My background so far is in marketing/communications in the nonprofit sector. After school, I plan on doing marketing in the corporate world in the consumer packaged goods industry. I am hoping to return to the nonprofit sector later on down the line at a senior management level. Accepted: B-school’s not cheap! Do you have tips for financing an MBA? Debra: It’s tough; really, really tough. The (very) few third-party scholarships I’ve found out there are for very specific populations and are for smaller amounts. All I can say is to really take your future career path into account when considering the cost of your program. If you are planning on entering the nonprofit space, look for schools with loan forgiveness programs like Yale or Stanford. And if you get scholarship offers, try negotiating the amount. When budgeting, keep a large buffer for travel expenses. Also check out loan alternatives like Common Bond. There’s some interesting stuff out there if you look for it! Accepted: Do you have any advice for applicants about the start the MBA admissions journey? Debra: Go beyond rankings, career placement stats and average starting salaries when narrowing down your options. Try to get as good a feel as you can for the community and the types of people at the schools you’re interested in. I think a good way to measure this is whether you feel a desire to contribute to and help develop and grow that community. You’ll be spending the next two years with those people and they will be your professional network for the rest of your life, so find a good match! For one-on-one guidance on your b-school applications, please see our MBA Application Packages. Thank you Debra for sharing your story with us!   Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: Cornell Johnson, Forte, MBA Admissions, MBA Student Interviews 
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26 Aug 2014, 03:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Why Johnson? An Admitted Student Shares her Journey |
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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 follow up interview with Debra Yoo, who was recently accepted to Johnson at Cornell University. (We first met Debra last year – you can read our first interview with her here.) Accepted: Welcome back! Can you just remind our readers — where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Do you hold any other degrees? Debra: I grew up in the Chicagoland area and attended Columbia University for undergrad where I majored in English and Asian American Studies along with completing Columbia’s Creative Writing Program (as you can see, I did not have a very business-oriented background!). After spending a few more years in NYC, I moved to Los Angeles with my husband. We were there for about four years before we relocated to Ithaca last month. Accepted: Congrats on gaining accepted to Johnson! What are the 3 main traits of the Johnson school that attracted you to it? Debra: 1) The people. Of all the students and alumni that I contacted at the various schools I applied to, those who attended Johnson had the highest response rate–by far. And not only did they respond promptly, they answered my questions very thoroughly and honestly. I was so impressed. It really speaks to the quality of Johnson’s smaller, tight-knit community. 2) The location. I know, I know–many folks out there don’t apply to Johnson because of its location, but Ithaca really appealed to me. Aside from its natural beauty, I wanted to be in a small town where I could get to know my fellow students without the distractions of a big city. I’m finding that many others here also had the same mindset when they chose Johnson, which once again shows that community is a high priority for most everyone here. 3) Johnson’s immersion program. I didn’t want my schooling to be completely academic and theoretical–I wanted as much hands-on experience as I could possibly get. At Johnson, most of the core coursework (accounting, finance, marketing, etc.) is completed during the first semester of the first year, leaving time during the second semester to complete an in-depth consulting project for a real-life company. For the marketing immersion, students in the past have completed projects for companies including Microsoft, Bayer and HP. Accepted: How did you go about researching schools? Did you participate in any MBA fairs or events? Debra: I attended a Forte Forum in Los Angeles in August 2013, which was unbelievably helpful. The Forum really helped me finalize my choices of schools; at that point, I had pored over a ton of websites but hadn’t made any connections with the schools in person. I looked into other MBA fairs, but none of them had all the schools I wanted to apply to–maybe two or three at most. The Forte Forum was the only event that had almost all the top schools present. If you are a woman planning on applying to top 20 b-schools, the forum is a great way to speak to recruiters from them in one room. And you get to do it in a smaller, female crowd. It’s wonderful all around. Aside from the forum, I also emailed/spoke with ambassadors and alumni at all the schools I was interested in. I was originally planning on staying in the nonprofit space after graduating, so I had many questions about nontraditional paths that I wanted answers to. Speaking with the right alumni whose careers post-b-school resonated with me played a lot into my final decision making. I was told that it was really important to visit campuses in person before applying, but I did not have the resources or time to do so. For a long time I agonized over whether I was decreasing my chances of admission by not doing campus visits, but I believe the impact was minimal (if it impacted me at all). But if you’re able to visit campuses, you really should! They can give you great fodder for your essays and help you make sure that the school is the right place for you. Accepted: Can you talk about your experience with the Forte Foundation? What do they do and how have they helped you? Debra: I love the Forte Foundation, and I owe much of my success so far to their support! The Forte Foundation is a consortium of top b-schools and leading companies who support women in business. Women still have a ways to go when it comes to equal representation in business, especially in senior management. It’s an issue we all need to remain aware of and take thoughtful and deliberate actions to address. I first discovered Forte when I started my MBA application process, and I’m so glad I did. I never thought that I would one day attend business school, so I was really starting my learning from scratch. I listened to several of Forte’s free webinars about the application process and read through their entire website for guidance. I am also very thankful to have been selected a Forte Fellow by the Johnson admissions team. In addition to receiving a scholarship (that I am very, very grateful to have!), being a Fellow comes with many other benefits including networking opportunities and support for your job search. I also attended the 2014 Forte MBA Women’s Leadership Conference that was held in Los Angeles earlier this year. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by hundreds of other talented, ambitious women who were all about to begin their MBA journeys. And it was also a great way to kick off our new lives as students and remind us that we are all working together toward closing the gender gap in business. Accepted: Have you taken any classes or prepared in any other way to your smooth transition to business school? Debra: I have never taken a single economics or statistics course in my entire life, much less accounting or finance. I was really concerned about my lack of experience in the area, so I completed an online pre-MBA mathematics course at a nearby university earlier this year. It exposed me to some of the common terms and calculations I’ll come across in school. Johnson also provided us access to mbamath.com (I believe several other business schools do this, also) over the summer. I’ve been working my way through the units on finance, economics and statistics to prepare myself. In addition to all the math, I switched my leisure reading time to business-related books, including authors like Malcolm Gladwell, Dale Carnegie and Sheryl Sandberg. Accepted: What sort of career do you plan on pursuing post-MBA? Debra: My background so far is in marketing/communications in the nonprofit sector. After school, I plan on doing marketing in the corporate world in the consumer packaged goods industry. I am hoping to return to the nonprofit sector later on down the line at a senior management level. Accepted: B-school’s not cheap! Do you have tips for financing an MBA? Debra: It’s tough; really, really tough. The (very) few third-party scholarships I’ve found out there are for very specific populations and are for smaller amounts. All I can say is to really take your future career path into account when considering the cost of your program. If you are planning on entering the nonprofit space, look for schools with loan forgiveness programs like Yale or Stanford. And if you get scholarship offers, try negotiating the amount. When budgeting, keep a large buffer for travel expenses. Also check out loan alternatives like Common Bond. There’s some interesting stuff out there if you look for it! Accepted: Do you have any advice for applicants about the start the MBA admissions journey? Debra: Go beyond rankings, career placement stats and average starting salaries when narrowing down your options. Try to get as good a feel as you can for the community and the types of people at the schools you’re interested in. I think a good way to measure this is whether you feel a desire to contribute to and help develop and grow that community. You’ll be spending the next two years with those people and they will be your professional network for the rest of your life, so find a good match! For one-on-one guidance on your b-school applications, please see our MBA Application Packages. Thank you Debra for sharing your story with us! Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: Cornell Johnson, Forte, MBA Admissions, MBA Student Interviews
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26 Aug 2014, 15:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Heads Up: Price Increase Ahead |
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We just wanted to give you a head’s up that we’ll be increasing our prices September 1. So what does this mean for you? It means that you’ve got until August 31, 2014 to lock in a service at the current, low rate. Browse our catalog of services today to get an early start on your applications and to take advantage of our pre-increase rates!  When you sign up for an Accepted service, you’ll receive the following advantages: • Move forward with your applications. Starting ASAP on your grad school or college applications means less stress, less rushing, and fewer careless mistakes. The early bird gets the worm! • Work with an eagle-eyed essay critic and mentor. Accepted consultants are experienced wordsmiths with a passion for the art of writing. They won’t write your essays for you, but with their guidance you will present yourself at your best. • Access years of professional experience. Our admissions consultants have years of admissions consulting experience that will give you wide-ranging perspective and new insights into the application process – from choosing where to apply to building a strong application strategy to advising you on scholarships and how to pay for school. And your consultant will apply that knowledge and insight to your specific situation. • Get convenience, confidence, and peace of mind. Our editors work extra hard to accommodate your busy schedule. Your essay drafts will be returned to you within two business-days of submission, and your calls and emails will be answered as soon as possible. By taking the proactive step of engaging Accepted to help make your b-school dreams a reality, you’ll receive a healthy boost of confidence and the peace of mind that you are putting your best face forward. It always helps to have a pro on your side – purchase an Accepted.com service on or before August 31, 2014 at 11:59 PM PT, get the help you need on your applications, and take advantage of our pre-increase prices!  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: Admissions Consulting, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions 
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28 Aug 2014, 11:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Financial Aid and Health Insurance for International Students |
 If you are one of the adventurous souls planning on leaving your comfort zone to study abroad, we’d like to introduce you to a treasure trove of invaluable resources. Listen to the recording of our conversation with Ross Mason, VP of Envisage International for important tips and information about international student loans, health insurance, and other topics that matter to you. 00:03:31 – Envisage: Helping international students. 00:06:02 – How Ross got involved and what’s changed in past decade plus. 00:10:08 – Advice for a US resident applying to school abroad. 00:14:00 – Advice for a non-US resident applying to school in the United States. 00:19:42 – Health insurance for a US student accepted to an international school. 00:22:48 – What a non-US resident accepted to an US school needs to know about health insurance. 00:24:43 – Finding insurance: where to turn. 00:25:51 – What else is out there for students going abroad? 00:28:00 – Top advice for an international student preparing to go to school out of the country.  *Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com. Related Links: • International Student Loan • Financial Aid for International Students in the USA • International Financial Aid Resources • IEFA: International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search • International Student Insurance Plans (Country pages on the bottom right) • US School Insurance Requirements • International Student Insurance Explained • International Student & Study Abroad Resource Center • International Students and the Individual Mandate Under PPACA • The Affordable Care Act and J1 Participants in Non-Student Categories Related Shows: • Global Business Leadership at Wharton’s Lauder Institute • Non-Academic Careers for PhDs: A Talk with Dr. Paula Chambers • CommonBond’s Story: A Revolution in Student Loans • Is a PhD a Good Idea? • An Inside Look at INSEAD • Leadership is King: Interview with IMD’s Lisa Piguet • Interview with SoFi Co-Founder, Daniel Macklin Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk:   Tags: Admissions Consulting, Admissions Straight Talk, College Admissions, Financial Aid, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions, podcast 
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29 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Interview with MBA Reapplicant, “Top Dog” |
 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, Top Dog. Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? What is your current job? Top Dog: Hello, and thanks for the opportunity to talk about myself! I was born and went to school in the UK, studying for my Bachelor of Science at the University of London. I’m currently working in southern Europe as a global relationship manager for the largest corporate and investment bank in the energy and commodities sector. Accepted: When did you first apply to b-school? Top Dog: I applied to five top 10 U.S. business schools in 2013/14 (Rounds 1 and 2). I got two interviews (at MIT Sloan and Wharton) but unfortunately failed to get an offer. Accepted: What do you think went wrong and what are you doing this time to improve your candidacy? Top Dog: I don’t think there were any obvious issues – aside from my 12 years WE and relatively low GPA – but my applications were maybe a bit bland and failed to fully explain what I have actually achieved so far and my detailed reasons for wanting an MBA. This year I got the chance to lead an international team after my boss resigned – that’s definitely an experience I’ll be writing about in my applications that I didn’t have last time. Accepted: Where do you plan on applying this time? Top Dog: I’m going to be focused and reapply to MIT Sloan and Wharton, plus INSEAD for the first time. I’ve done a lot of research and love the location, culture, collaborative spirit and emphasis on entrepreneurship and social enterprise at these b-schools. I’m toying with reapplying to Stanford too – the lure of the West Coast is difficult to resist! Accepted: Can you talk about your decision to apply to/attend a European program versus a U.S. program? What are the pros and cons on either side? Top Dog: I have tried to balance my target b-schools this time and, while most top b-schools will give you a great education, there are differences. In Europe, I really like the international classes (INSEAD’s incoming class has 90 nationalities with c. 60% from outside Europe), but 10 months is short to fully experience the teaching, culture and career prospects on offer. In the U.S., b-schools simply rock the MBA – this is where the MBA was born and it’s still the best place to study it – plus it broadens my otherwise European profile, while the con would definitely be the cost – ouch! Accepted: What stage of the application process are you up to so far? What has been the most challenging step and how did you work to overcome it? Top Dog: I’m in a good position as I have my experience from last season so I’m all done with research, profile building and I’m about to start my essays. I’ve blogged about my mistakes from last time and I’m already falling into the first trap – leaving it too late to start writing my essays (where did July go!?). Another challenge was not keeping on top of my recommenders, and I’m definitely going to be focused on this this time around. Accepted: Do you plan on staying in your current industry post-MBA, or changing to a new field/career? Top Dog: A big motivation for the full time (rather than exec) MBA is the ability to transition into a new field. Post-MBA I’ll go back into banking with a focus on business development and corporate social responsibility – ideally in the emerging markets – where innovation and entrepreneurship are rewarded skills. Longer term I want to combine my finance experience in a start-up, potentially a social entrepreneur focused micro-finance venture in an emerging economy. Accepted: Why did you decide to blog about your experience? What have you gained from the experience? What do you hope others will learn? Top Dog: I got a lot of knowledge and comfort from other bloggers last season and I’d like to give something back to the MBA applicant community. My blog encourages me to keep on top of my applications while testing ideas with others in the same position (and some helpful consultants too!). In exchange, I hope I’m giving some useful insight, sparking a bit of debate and creating a sense of companionship among fellow and future applicants. For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages. You can read more about Top Dog’sb-school journey by checking out his blog, TopDogMBA, and Twitter, @topdogmba. Thank you Top Dog for sharing your story with us – we wish you loads of luck!  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Related Resources: • MBA Applicant Interviews • Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One • 2015 MBA Application Essay Tips Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA applicant bloggers 
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31 Aug 2014, 13:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Duke Fuqua 2015 MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines |
 Leadership, teamwork, ethics, and a global approach to business are essential elements of the Duke Fuqua MBA, which is why you’ll need to make sure you express your passion for these ideals in your application essays. Impress the Fuqua adcom by positioning yourself as an innovative leader and team player, as someone who can see the big picture, work collaboratively, and shape global business. My tips are in blue below. Three short answer questions and 2 essays are required from all applicants. • Responses should use 1.5 line spacing and a font size no smaller than 10-point. • Respond fully and concisely. • Responses must be completed before submitting your application. • Prepare your responses carefully. The Admissions Committee considers your answers important in the selection process. • All essays are scanned using plagiarism detection software. Plagiarism is considered a cheating violation within the Honor Code and will not be tolerated in the admissions process. Application Tip: Check outFuqua’s section criteria. Short Answers: Answer all 3 of the following questions. For each short answer question, respond in 250 characters only (the equivalent of about 50 words). 1. What are your short term goals, post-MBA? State what you see yourself doing in terms of function and industry. If location or geography are important to your goal, include them. If you know the type of companies you would like to work for, you can include that information too, but don’t say you want to work for Company X, unless Company X is sponsoring you. That’s probably too narrow. 2. What are your long term goals? Your long term goals should flow logically from your short-term goals. They can be fuzzier and both in terms of direction and timing. But you should have them. They can, but don’t have to, include larger aspirations and present a broader perspective on where you are headed. But please don’t go so general and say something like “I aspire to be a good person” or “I strive to leave a lasting impact on my community.” Nice sentiments, but way to general. 3. Life is full of uncertainties, and plans and circumstances can change. As a result, navigating a career requires you to be adaptable. Should the short term goals that you provided above not materialize, what alternative directions have you considered? What’s your Plan B? If you can’t get a job at a leading strategy consulting firm, what do you want to do? If Plan A is investment banking, what’s Plan B? Essays: 1. Answer the following question — present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be only a few words, while others may be longer. Your complete list should not exceed 2 pages. The “Team Fuqua” spirit and community is one of the things that sets The Duke MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. When a new person joins the Admissions team, we ask that person to share with everyone in the office a list of “25 Random Things About Yourself.” As an Admissions team, we already know the new hire’s professional and academic background, so learning these “25 Random Things” helps us get to know someone’s personality, background, special talents, and more. In this spirit, the Admissions Committee also wants to get to know you–beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. You can share with us important life experiences, your likes/dislikes, hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are. Share with us your list of “25 Random Things” about YOU. Have some fun with this list. It certainly allows a more creative approach than permitted by most essay prompts. Note that the questions asks you to go “beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript.” So you can list your Pez collection or perhaps your brief membership in a rock band or the fact that you took violin from age 6-18 or your membership in a gospel choir or your volunteer work in a hospital, your needlepoint, your favorite recipe or photo. Gosh the list is endless. Just let it reflect you. Think of this list as an introduction to potential friends. For more insight into this question and the motivation behind, please read Megan Overbay’s, the former Director of Admissions’, advice. I believe you will find it helpful. And very friendly. 2. Choose only 1 of the following 2 essay questions to answer. Your response should be no more than 2 pages in length. Choose to the prompt that will let you reveal something important to you and impressive about you. Write the essay that you will be able to draft most enthusiastically and easily. 1. When asked by your family, friends, and colleagues why you want to go to Duke, what do you tell them? Share the reasons that are most meaningful to you Why Duke? But you’re not talking to the admissions committee, whom you just may be a tad less than candid with. You are talking to your family, friends, and colleagues, people you know and like (at least the friends). The Fuqua admissions staff really wants to get to know you. Authenticity is the goal. The admissions readers want to be able to imagine you as a part of Team Fuqua — their family — as a friend or colleague. Will you be real stiff and formal? Of course not. You will be friendly in a professional way. Don’t take this as an invitation to be inappropriate, coarse, or rude. Just friendly. What appeals to you at Duke? What about its program, culture, and professional opportunities propels you to apply and would compel you to accept an offer of admission? Maybe address a letter to a close friend and tell her why you want to go to Duke. That letter may morph into this essay. 2. The Team Fuqua community is as unique as the individuals who comprise it. Underlying our individuality are a number of shared ideas and principles that we live out in our own ways. Our students have identified and defined 6 “Team Fuqua Principles” that we feel are the guiding philosophies that make our community special. At the end of your 2 years at Fuqua, if you were to receive an award for exemplifying one of the 6 Principles listed below, which one would it be and why? Your response should reflect the research you have done, your knowledge of Fuqua and the Daytime MBA program and experience, and the types of activities and leadership you would engage in as a Fuqua student. 1. Authentic Engagement: We care and we take action. We each make a difference to Team Fuqua by being ourselves and engaging in and supporting activities about which we are passionate. 2. Supportive Ambition: We support each other to achieve great things, because your success is my success. The success of each individual member of Team Fuqua makes the whole of Team Fuqua better. 3. Collective Diversity: We embrace all of our classmates because our individuality is better and stronger together. 4. Impactful Stewardship: We are leaders who focus on solutions to improve our communities both now and in the future. We aren’t satisfied with just maintaining the status quo. 5. Loyal Community: We are a family who looks out for each other. Team Fuqua supports you when you need it the most. 6. Uncompromising Integrity: We internalize and live the honor code in the classroom and beyond. We conduct ourselves with integrity within Fuqua, within Duke, and within all communities of which we are a part. Do your homework about Fuqua (and yourself) before responding to this question. What activities and groups appeal to you? How do you see yourself participating? Making a difference? Then look at the list of six principles above. Which do you most identify with? Imagine how you would exemplify that principle in your activities. The story of that role and how would see yourself earning an award is your essay. While you can reference similar activities in the past, keep the focus of this essay on what you would do at Fuqua and why you would earn recognition for exemplifying one of these six principles. Optional Essay Question: If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them in an optional essay (e.g. unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, or any significant weakness in your application). • Do NOT upload additional essays nor additional recommendations in this area of the application. • The Optional Essay is intended to provide the Admissions Committee with insight into your extenuating circumstances only. • Limit your response to two pages. Why isn’t your current supervisor writing your rec? Why is there a six-month gap on your resume? Why did your grades dip during the first semester of your senior year? What are your responsibilities while working for a family business after having left a prestigious investment bank, and why did you make the change? Answering any of those questions (but not all) could be the topic of your optional essay. If you would like professional guidance with your Duke Fuqua 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 Duke application. Duke Fuqua 2015 MBA Application Deadlines: Application Deadline Decision Notification Early Action Sept. 17, 2014 Oct. 29, 2014 Round 1 Oct. 20, 2014 Dec. 19, 2014 Round 2 Jan. 5, 2015 Mar. 13, 2015 Round 3 Mar. 19, 2015 May 6, 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 SchoolsWhat I Wish I Knew Before Entering the Duke MBA • Culture, Location, and Support: A Duke MBA Speaks • 2015 MBA Application Essay Tips Tags: 2015 MBA Application, Duke Fuqua, MBA Admissions 
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31 Aug 2014, 13:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Last Day to Beat Accepted’s Price Increase! |
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REMINDER: Today is your last chance to take advantage of Accepted.com’s current prices before we raise our prices tomorrow. Effective at 12:00 AM PT on September 1, 2014, we will increase our prices on our editing and consulting services. Accepted.com editors have helped literally thousands of MBA, law, med, grad, and college applicants reach their higher education dreams. Purchase Accepted’s essay editing or admissions consulting TODAY and take advantage of our current prices…before it’s too late! Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: Admissions Consulting, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions 
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02 Sep 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Admissions Offers to International Grad Students Increase 9% Since 2013 |
 9% increase in grad school offers to international students For the fourth year in a row, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reported a 9% increase in graduate school offers to international students. Here are some highlights from the recent report (Findings from the 2014 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission): • There were fewer applications submitted by Chinese applicants in 2014 than in 2013, and no increase in acceptances, ending an eight-year streak of growth. Even with this decrease, Chinese students still make up the largest group of international representatives at U.S. graduate schools, at 37%. • In India, there was an increase in the number of applications sent to U.S. graduate schools, and a 25% increase in initial admission offers. This follows a 27% increase the year before (2013). • There was also an increase in offers to prospective students in Brazil (a 98% increase this year, after a 46% increase in 2013). Brazilian students still only make up 1% of the total number of offers to international students, even with this huge increase. • Other regions with growth in offers of graduate school admission over the last year include Europe (2%), Africa (3%), Canada (4%), and the Middle East (9). • Regions that experienced declines in offers include Mexico (-1%), Taiwan (-6%), and South Korea (-9%). • The fields of study that saw the largest increase in initial offers of admission in 2014 were physical/earth sciences (13%), engineering (11%), “other” (7%), business (6%), social sciences/psychology (6%), life sciences (6%), arts/humanities (5%), and education (1%). • Prospective international students received an increase in offers of admission in the following regions of the U.S. (from 2013-2014): the Midwest (12%), the West (9%), the South (9%), and the Northeast (8%). According to Suzanne Ortega, CGS President, “American graduate schools continue to attract students from around the world. We should be excited about the fact that new growth is emerging from a host of different regions and nations. International students are important to the U.S. economy because our workforce will continue to face shortages of graduate-level talent over the next decade. To support our economic competitiveness, we should make it easier – for international graduates who wish to do so – to remain and work in the U.S. after completing their degrees.”  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Related Resources: • Delivering STAR in an American Context • Get Your Game On, Prepping for Your Grad School Application • Grad School Admissions 101 Tags: Grad School Admissions, international student, MBA Admissions 
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02 Sep 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Top 10 Most Expensive Private Business Schools in the U.S. |
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In 2013-2014, b-school prices at private, elite business schools in the U.S. increased about $3,000 since the previous academic year. The average tuition for these 10 costly programs is almost $13,000 more than the average tuition of all ranked programs. By contrast, one of the least expensive schools (not listed below) is Brigham Young’s Marriott School of Management with tuition and fees at $22,560 (and only $11,280 for students of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints faith).  Source: U.S. News “The Short List”  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Related Resources: • Which B-Schools Offer the Most Scholarships? • CommonBond’s Story: A Revolution in Student Loans • MBA Scholarships: How Do I Apply and What Should I Emphasize? Tags: Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, Dartmouth Tuck, Harvard Business School, MBA Admissions, Northwestern Kellogg, NYU Stern, Stanford GSB, Wharton, Yale SOM 
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06 Sep 2014, 08:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: See Jane Get into B-School with Low Stats |
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See Jane. See Jane Study. See Jane sit for GMAT. See Jane sad with low score. See Jane attend Accepted.com webinar. See Jane jump. See Jane go to dream b-school! We want to see you go to your dream school too.  Join us live on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 at 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST for How to Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats – a webinar that will help you, like Jane, learn how to overcome a low GMAT/GPA and apply successfully to b-school. Registration is required (and free). Reserve your spot for How to Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats now!  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Tags: GMAT, MBA Admissions, weakness, webinar 
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06 Sep 2014, 08:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: TexasWannaBeCali: 24 Year Old MBA Applicant Dreaming of the Beach |
 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, TexasWannaBeCali. Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? What is your current job? TexasWannaBeCali: I am from the great state of Texas. Dallas to be exact (Go Cowboys!). I went to college out of state to a nearby SEC school and graduated with a BS in Finance in 2012. After graduation, I joined a corporate tax advisory firm that was headquartered back in Dallas, and have been there ever since, working as a tax consultant on a team that specializes in the healthcare industry with a client base that includes most Fortune 500 healthcare services companies/hospitals and medical device vendors. Accepted: Do you plan on staying in your current industry post-MBA, or changing to a new field/career? TexasWannaBeCali: Post MBA, I would like to move into a corporate finance role at a big pharma/biotech company. I want to use my knowledge of the healthcare industry that I have gained from tax consulting on the provider side to be a valuable asset on the industry side of things. Accepted: What stage of the application process are you up to so far? What has been the most challenging step and how did you work to overcome it? TexasWannaBeCali: Right now, I am entering my last month of GMAT studying as well as drafting outlines to start essay writing. I would honestly say the most challenging part of the application process is not necessarily completing a certain requirement, they all take a little blood, sweat and tears, but more so being able to balance everything while still working 45+ hours a week. I’ve found that determination, organization, and not being afraid to ask questions can alleviate a lot of the struggles. Accepted: Where do you plan on applying to b-school? Will you be applying to any safety schools? Why or why not? TexasWannaBeCali: I am applying to Anderson, Haas, Fuqua and McCombs. After alot of thought, I decided not to apply to any safety schools this time around. I am only 24 years old, if I don’t get into one of my top schools, I’d rather take time to reflect on what I could’ve done better and try ten times harder the next time around than go somewhere just to go. Accepted: So…why California? What’s the draw to California in general and to UCLA and Haas in particular? TexasWannaBeCali: Yes I have been kind of obsessed with idea of living in California lately. I’ve lived in the South my whole life, and would love the opportunity to explore a new place…and be close to the beach. I love the culture, weather, lifestyle, and just the abundance of things to do there. The fact that California is home to some of the top companies in the rapidly growing biotech and life sciences industry has made UCLA and Haas front runners in my school wish list. Both programs offer substantial post-MBA opportunities in healthcare because of brand name, proximity and an outstanding curriculum targeted at excelling in the industry and I would love to be a part of either one. Accepted: As someone on the younger side of the applicant age spectrum, how do you plan on making up for what you lack in years of work experience? TexasWannaBeCali: The age aspect has been one of my biggest internal struggles. I know adcoms will want to know more than usual why an MBA is necessary for me right now, and not 1 or 2 years down the road and then if I am admitted, what knowledge I can bring. I think that emphasizing that not only is the quality of my work experience high despite the quantity, but also the fact that at matriculation I will have 3+ years of consistent on the job learning from the same firm. My job has enabled me to take on a lot of responsibility and leadership roles at such a young stage of my career and I have learned so much from being able to build upon my knowledge with every new project and/or client I take on. Accepted: Why did you decide to blog about your experience? What have you gained from the experience? What do you hope others will learn? TexasWannaBeCali: I initially started blogging to organize my thoughts and ideas as I made my way through the b-school application process. I can get overwhelmed rather easily so being able to track my progress in one place would keep me somewhat sane. Blogging has been a great outlet for giving and receiving feedback whether it’s from other first time applicants, re-applicants, or students that have successfully been accepted into their dream schools. At first I was honestly shocked people even took the time to read what I had to say, but I’m glad they did because I love reading their stories too. It’s like a little network of people wholeheartedly supporting each other and I am so happy I made the decision to start blogging. I would recommend it to anyone making the lofty decision to go back to school, you won’t regret it. For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages. You can read more about TexasWannaBeCali’sb-school journey by checking out her blog, TexasWannaBeCali. Thank you TexasWannaBeCali for sharing your story with us – we wish you loads of luck!   Related Resources: • School Specific 2015 MBA Application Essay Tips • IV with a Duke MBA Pursuing a Career in Healthcare • MBA Applicant Interviews Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA applicant bloggers 
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07 Sep 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Get Accepted to the Wharton School Webinar Recording Available! |
Wharton hopefuls – this one’s for you! Our recent webinar, Get Accepted to the Wharton School, is now available on our website for instant downloading or on-demand viewing. Who is the webinar for? Get Accepted to the Wharton School is geared towards all Wharton applicants – U.S. applicants, international applicants, reapplicants, young applicants, older applicants…anyone with their eye on the Wharton prize. The webinar is loaded with specific, concrete tips that will guide applicants through the Wharton admissions process, from creating a stand-out application to acing the Wharton group interview…and everything in between!  View Get Accepted to the Wharton School now! Tags: MBA Admissions, webinar, Wharton 
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08 Sep 2014, 11:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Hey You – Yeah, You With the Not Quite 780 GMAT Score… |
 What?! You have a low GMAT/GPA score and still haven’t signed up for our upcoming webinar, How to Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats? Well consider this post your personal reminder to reserve an hour of your time and attend THE webinar that will help you overcome your less-than-desirable GPA or GMAT score and apply successfully to your top choice MBA programs! The details: Date: September 17, 2014 Time: 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET Registration link: How to Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats (Registration is free, but required.) Tags: MBA Admissions, weakness, webinar 
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09 Sep 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Vault’s 2015 Banking Rankings |
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The following banks were rated based on the issues that matter to bankers: prestige, hours, compensation, work-life balance, firm culture, overall satisfaction, business outlook, and other “quality of life” categories. For each of these parameters, other than prestige, the banking professionals rated their own place of work. They rated other intuitions and not their own for prestige. And here are the rankings!  Vault Bank Rankings 2015 (See the full rankings here.) Here are some highlights from the rankings: • Goldman Sachs ranks in 1st place for prestige, but for quality of life issues, specifically hours and work-life balance, it ranks in 15th place. Blackstone, on the other hand, ranked in the top 5 for each of the quality of life categories. • Overall, work-life balance ratings are on the rise within these top companies, as are diversity ratings. • Two years ago, J.P. Morgan ranked in 1st place; this year they’ve dropped to 4th place. • Big jumpers include Moelis & Company (23rd last year to 12th this year) and UBS AG (26th last year to 19th this year), as well as Canaccord Genuity and Guggenheim Securities, LLC which both made it to top 25 (17th and 24th place respectively) this year and were not ranked at all last year. • For more analysis, please see “Vault’s 2015 Banking Rankings are Live.” Source: Vault Banking Rankings  Related Resources: • Which Business School Will Get Me to Wall Street? • The Facts About Financial Services • Where Does Wall St. Hire: U.S. B-Schools Sending Grads into Financial Services Tags: finance, Grad School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Rankings 
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10 Sep 2014, 14:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBA Essays That Earn an Automatic Rejection |
 Don’t make these 3 mistakes! You could have a perfect GMAT score, a 4.0 from Yale, and a list of extracurriculars as long as your leg, and still end up in the reject pile for transgressing any one of the following three MBA application sins: [b]1. Lying or lacking credibility[/b] Lying on your application is literally one of the dumbest things you can do – it’s up there with shooting yourself in the foot. And when I say lying, I mean large scale hoaxes all the way down to the smallest, whitest lie, or even an exaggeration. Stick to the facts. Play it safe. If you worked at a job for six months, don’t say you were there for nine. If your job was assistant manager, don’t say you were manager. If you raised $5000 for a fundraiser, don’t make it $10K. If you have a criminal record – no matter how big or small – own up to it; not mentioning it, won’t make it disappear from your record. I’m not sure why people think they can get away with lying – it frequently comes back to haunt them. [b]2. Revealing arrogance[/b] Nobody likes a showoff, so when you’re applying to b-school, I suggest you ditch your know-it-all, arrogant attitude at the door. Saying things like “I’m the only one who…” when you couldn’t possibly know if you are the only one, or “Thanks to my efforts, my team succeeded…” when more likely your team succeeded due to team collaboration, show that you think you deserve all the credit. That’s not a very nice attitude, and while schools do want high achievers, movers and shakers, they also want nice, and modest, people. If your essays reflect an attitude of “You’ll be lucky to have me because I’m just so great” or “I deserve to be accepted,” you’re dinged. [b]3. Sloppiness[/b] A single typo won’t look good, but it won’t give you the automatic axe. When I say sloppiness, I’m talking about serious, messy writing, like writing Harvard when you mean Booth, or just littering your essay with grammatical errors, extra words that don’t belong, and misspellings. Forgetting to submit a section of the application is an obvious no-no, as is just writing very generically or superficially – clearly without much thought or attention. This latter type of carelessness reveals sloppy thinking more than sloppy writing; it is equally damaging. Rule of thumb: Be honest, be modest, be neat! And of course, a perfect GMAT score won’t hurt. For more sure-fire ways to get rejected, please see “The MBA Admissions Directors’ Recipe for Rejection.”  Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Related Resources: • Can You Get Accepted After Doing Something Stupid? • Important Admissions Tip: Be Yourself! • How to Edit Your MBA Application Essays Tags: MBA Admissions, rejection 
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11 Sep 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: The Tuck School of Business and the Global Insight Requirement |
 On September 3, 2014, the Tuck School of Business introduced the new and exciting Global Insight Requirement. Listen to the recording of our conversation with Dr. Phillip Stocken, the Associate Dean for the MBA Program at Tuck, for the scoop on the new requirement and more info about the b-school. 00:02:33 – The structure of the Tuck MBA Program. 00:05:15 – What is the Tuck Global Insight Requirement? 00:13:32 – About the first year project and where it meets the new program. 00:17:26 – What will define the Global Insight requirement as a success. 00:19:38 – Tuck alum are by far the most loyal MBA grads: What is the secret? 00:24:14 – The faculty cooperation that makes Tuck unique. 00:28:06 – What do Tuck students have in common? 00:30:10 – What Dr. Stocken wishes MBA students would know before starting b-school. 00:34:07 – Important advice for MBA applicants. *Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com. Related Links: • Tuck Announces New Global Insight Requirement • Tuck School of Business • How to Get Accepted to Top B-Schools with Low Stats Related Shows: • A B-School Professor on Main Street, USA • A Transformational Year: The MIT Sloan Fellows Program • Global Business Leadership at Wharton’s Lauder Institute Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk:  Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Dartmouth Tuck, MBA Admissions, podcast 
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11 Sep 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Princeton University Master in Finance: Is It Right for You, and Are You Right for Princeton? |
 So what’s the ticket to heaven? Being amazing is just a qualification for the Princeton University Master in Finance program. But if you qualify, get admitted (about 30 out of 600 applicants do), and choose to attend (about 25 out of that 30), I believe you enter heaven. • All your classmates are not just extremely bright and passionate about finance; they also represent experience from across the industry – and they are chosen in part because they can communicate their insights from that experience. • There is 100% recruitment for summer internships at the most desirable institutions, and almost 100% post-graduation employment (2014). These internships/jobs span the globe—Mexico City, Singapore, Hong Kong, London, and various cities in the US as well as NYC. • A curriculum that is intensive and deep; following the core you can either develop your own study program or pursue 1of 3 course tracks: Financial Engineering and Risk Management, Quantitative Asset Management and Macroeconomic Forecasting, and Financial Technologies. • Career “boot camps” where alumni, industry experts, and academics help you formulate a career path that is meaningful to you and productively employs your skills, talents, interests. • World-renowned faculty (think Alan Blinder, Paul Krugman) from multiple disciplines who don’t just teach sophisticated skills but who engage passionately in ideas, thereby helping you become a thought leader in the field. So what’s the ticket to heaven? Academics – A high GPA and a transcript that reflects a strong quantitative component – many applicants have degrees in subjects such as mathematics, economics, and engineering, but it is not required and they have admitted people from a range of disciplines (though there are certain math requirements). A grad degree is “a plus but not required.” Standardized tests – Both GMAT and GRE are accepted; the median quant GRE score is 167 and the average quant GMAT score is 49.5. That said, a high quant score doesn’t make up for weak quant coursework. If your undergrad school was not taught in English (or if it was taught in English in a non-English speaking country), either the TOEFL or IELTS is also required. Interviews are by invitation only, and selected applicants will be notified. Others are discouraged from seeking interviews. Experience – Professional experience is not required; however the adcom wants to see some practical industry exposure via internships at least – they note that potential employers look for this experience. So the program is open to new graduates who have had an internship or two – but make sure you have something substantive to say based on your experience; your competition will. Qualitative factors – You may be surprised that in the adcom’s eyes it is the qualitative factors that “set applicants apart”! The adcom specifically looks for strong communication ability, expecting its students to contribute within a highly intelligent cohort and to become leaders in the industry. More than anything, it seeks passion for finance. Even if you’re a quant geek, don’t think there’s a formula for this passion – it must be expressed through application contents holistically. The adcom members will know it when they see it. Finally, be sure this is the right degree for you. As the website states, it’s not the right program for people pursuing corporate finance or investment bank M&A; but the MiF “is becoming the preferred degree in the trading and asset management areas of the I-bank.”   By Cindy Tokumitsu, author and co-author of numerous ebooks, articles, and special reports, including Why MBA and Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One. Cindy has advised hundreds of successful applicants in her fifteen years with Accepted.com. Related Resources: • The Facts About Financial Services • Where Does Wall St. Hire: U.S. B-Schools Sending Grads into Financial Services • What is Passion in Admissions? Tags: Grad School Admissions, Masters in Finance, MBA Admissions, MiF-Program-Overviews, Princeton 
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12 Sep 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBA Admissions Tip: Dealing with a Low GPA |
 Prove that today you have the ability to excel. Explaining a low GPA can be difficult and it requires you to examine your GPA’s trend. Consider the following scenarios: • Scenario A – 3.0 GPA, upward trend – You goofed off for your first few semesters and didn’t weigh the consequences. You failed some classes and started out with an embarrassingly low GPA not because of lack of ability, but because of immaturity. Mid-sophomore year you wised up and continuously hit above the 3.8 mark for the rest of your undergraduate career. • Scenario B – 3.0 GPA, downward trend – Your college experience started out with a motivated streak of genius—three solid 4.0 semesters in a row. But then…things took a turn towards apathy and laziness and your grades began to suffer significantly. • Scenario C – 3.0 GPA, static – You work hard, but not too hard. You take some classes seriously, and some not so much. You never really cared about school or grades to really put the effort in. A few years out of school and a life-changing career move have motivated you to new heights and you want to apply to b-school. But now you need to deal with a less-than-impressive record. Let’s interpret each of these scenarios: • The student in Scenario A doesn’t really have too much to worry about (unless he’s applying to a top MBA program for which a 3.0 GPA is a significant hurdle). Many students early in their college careers have a couple of bad semesters because of immaturity. Your grades went up, proving your capabilities and your increased maturity. • Scenario B’s student is in a bit more of a bind. She’s proved her abilities by acing those first few semesters, but why the dramatic downturn? Did things get too difficult for her? Does she have trouble performing under pressure? Or does she just not care about improving and perfecting her academic capabilities? • The problem of mediocrity looms over Scenario C’s student. This student will need to prove his skill level if he wants to be considered for a spot in the next MBA class. Let’s analyze a recovery plan for each of our students: • Student A doesn’t need to prove ability as much as motivation and seriousness, which he may have already proven with his last few years of work. He may want to ask one of his recommenders to vouch for his maturity and steadfastness. A high GMAT/GRE score will help. • Student B will need to enroll in some college courses to prove her verbal and/or quantitative abilities (especially if her test scores weren’t so great). She’ll want to make sure her essays express her newfound motivation as well as her keen writing abilities. Her essays should include clear anecdotes that illustrate how she’s matured since her last few semesters and how her skills should be judged based on recent work experience, rather than past college experience. • Student C is in a similar boat as Student B. He’ll want to retake some of his math and English courses and he’ll want to get solid A’s this time. B’s and C’s just won’t cut it if he wants to prove he’s b-school material. Strong essays and letters of recommendation will also boost Student C’s chances of acceptance. Of course many of you will not be like Students A, B, or C. Your grade dive may have resulted from illness or family crisis or circumstances beyond your control. Or perhaps steady, mediocre grades resulted from your working 20-30 hours per week to support yourself through school. There are many other scenarios too. The key is to prove that today you have the ability to excel in your target MBA programs and that the circumstances that contributed to the poor marks in college no longer affect you. Moral of the story: A single low number can be explained or put in a less damaging context with hard work and a solid application strategy.  Related Resources: • Low GMAT Score Advice • How to Handle a Low GMAT Quant Score • How to Handle a Low GMAT Verbal Score Tags: MBA Admissions, weakness 
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12 Sep 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Defining Her Strengths, Researching Schools and Choosing NYU Stern |
 Be reflective. Make friends. Take full advantage of the opportunity. 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 Lenore, a student at 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 is your favorite ice cream flavor? Lenore: I was born in Philadelphia and raised there and in the suburbs of the city. DC was one of my favorite places to visit growing up. Since it was just a short trip from home and my younger siblings, I was really excited to enroll at American University for my undergrad. I went in thinking I’d study international service, but switched to finance and marketing specializations after my first class in the business school. Ice cream? Probably Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked or S’mores. But sometimes Turkey Hill Chocolate Peanut Butter. I guess it depends on the day.  Accepted: What did you do after finishing college? Lenore: By the time I finished college I had worked in business communications, marketing for a start-up, and nonprofit business development. I didn’t yet understand how I could bring together what I thought were disparate interests in leadership, social impact, and business, so I would take a job and then keep freelancing or consulting or volunteering on the side, always trying to weave together those passions. I would throw myself into projects or jobs, but had a hard time feeling totally satisfied by any one of them. For example: a friend and I were hired to overhaul a local restaurant’s operations; then I was assistant director of an education nonprofit during a strategic redirection. In 2010 I moved to Haiti and worked as a project manager on a program for small businesses and social enterprises. Each of those experiences was enriching and educational for me, and helped me define my strengths and interests. Accepted: What made you decide to pursue an MBA? Lenore: Even though I went back and forth on how I would use it, I was always sure I would pursue an MBA. I love solving business problems, and believe that business plays an integral role, potentially a hugely positive one, in our communities and society. My MBA application journey was an opportunity to identify patterns and common successes in the pieces of my professional background. Specifically, I started to recognize that the moments I was most proud of were those when I partnered with leaders to help shape their work and achieve success in their organizations. Through the admissions process and my own self-discovery, I recognized that working as a business and executive coach would allow me to combine each of the things I was passionate about. Accepted: How will your MBA help you pursue your entrepreneur goals? Lenore: An MBA deepens my business acumen, allowing me to support leaders more effectively. It also allows me the time to focus solely on my own professional development, which will make me a much better coach. Accepted: How did you go about researching schools? Did you participate in any MBA fairs or events? Lenore: I was first drawn to Stern when, during undergrad, I was looking for MBA programs with real-world opportunities to work in social enterprise. But I kept an open mind, and went to Forte Forums in Washington DC, listened to Forte webinars featuring admissions professionals from several schools, and visited as many of my target programs as I could. I also made a complicated spreadsheet and rating system to track the merits of each school! It was a long process, but I had a great roadmap as a member of the Forte Foundation and the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Accepted: I’m sure MBA applicants reading your interview would be interested in seeing your spreadsheet. Could you share it with us? Lenore: Unfortunately I no longer have the computer on which I created the spreadsheets, but here’s my suggestion if someone were to want to create one: Create a spreadsheet to keep track of important details on each program. My rows were school names, and columns were titled with the features I valued most. I was looking for a program with robust social enterprise and entrepreneurship programs, an urban location, opportunities to travel, and flexibility in the curriculum (but of course these will be different for each applicant). I also took business school rankings into account, and I made a column for notes as well. In as many cases as possible, I went to the school and visited the campus. In some cases, I resorted to reading everything I could find online, and then supplemented that with conversations with current students and alum. Each time I learned more about a program, I tracked the information in my spreadsheet–I probably added to it over the course of two years and looked at 12 schools in total. The final addition to my spreadsheet was a column for my own personal rating of each school based all that I had learned. My personal ratings were also reflective of the intangibles, such as how well I connected with students during campus visits, as I think those are just as important. All things considered, NYU Stern came out on top, validating the assumption I had made even before doing any research. Despite that I came up with the same result, the spreadsheet process was helpful in that I kept an open mind and it supported me in making an informed decision. Accepted: Can you talk about your experience with the Forte Foundation? How have they helped you in your MBA admissions journey? Lenore: I visited the Forte Foundation website quite regularly throughout my admissions process. The practical resources and webinars were especially helpful. I also valued the offline community that Forte creates; I met a GMAT study buddy and many friends at Forte events. Maybe most importantly, I draw inspiration from the Forte community, which is comprised of so many women living such full lives, pursuing and accomplishing their dreams. Accepted: Which other schools did you apply to? Why did you choose NYU Stern? Lenore: I ultimately applied to only two schools: NYU Stern and Georgetown, and was accepted to both. As I mentioned, I was interested in NYU even during undergrad, as the program offered an ideal match for my values and goals. NYU Stern provides an “education in possible,” and encourages broad and disruptive thinking. That is just the type of approach I planned to take with my degree and in my work. Accepted: What are your 3 top tips for MBA applicants? Lenore: 1. Be reflective. Your essays and interviews will be stronger if you know yourself and your goals. This process will give you the opportunity to tell your story often, so take the time reflect on what you would like to say. 2. Make friends. There are SO many resources out there for aspiring MBAs that you won’t be able to keep up with all of them yourself. Find buddies (through Forte and other networks) who are going through the process as well and can encourage and support you. 3. Take full advantage of the opportunity. You are making a significant investment, so get all that you can out of the process and the experience. Ask questions, make connections, visit schools, attend webinars: whatever you need to do to be informed and excited about pursuing your degree. For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages. Thank you Lenore for sharing your story with us! Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best Related Resources: • NYU Stern 2015 MBA Questions, Tips, and Deadlines • Forte Helps Women in Business Thrive: Interview with Elissa Sangster • Interviews with current MBA students Tags: Forte, MBA Admissions, MBA Student Interviews, NYU Stern 
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14 Sep 2014, 11:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: How to Deal with Deadlines |
 You don’t want to feel rushed and you don’t want to miss your deadline. You don’t want to feel rushed (stress can lead to mistakes) and you don’t want to miss your deadline. So what can you do to stay on top of your game and submit your applications before the buzzer? 1. Set yourself a schedule and work backwards from your deadlines. Allow time for holidays, sleep, exercise, and of course work. 2. Focus first on the applications with the earliest deadlines. It wouldn’t make sense to work on the application with the further deadline first when you have a looming deadline for another application right around the corner! 3. Work on applications one at a time. Adapt essays from your first application, when possible, to later applications. However never merely paste in an essay because the question is similar. Customize it for this application and this program. Trying to write more than one application at once will only lead to confusion, not to mention unintentional overlapping of material – forgetting to change just one Harvard to Stanford shows a level of sloppiness that Stanford just won’t stand for! [b]4. If you fall behind, consider dropping/postponing an application to maintain quality overall. [/b]Pushing off an application to a subsequent round or the following year is better than submitting a subpar application. Good luck! Related Resources: • 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Application Essay & Personal Statements • Resourceful Essay Recycling • The Biggest Application Essay Mistake [Video] Tags: Admissions Consulting, College Admissions, deadlines, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions 
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