LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL<\/strong><\/h3>\nFortuna Director Emma Bond is former London Business School Senior Manager of MBA Admissions. \u00a0Emma\u2019s top five tips on positioning your successful application to LBS, include:<\/p>\n
1. Convey your passion for LBS.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cIn this competitive environment, the admissions office is constantly looking for evidence of your commitment to the school.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Remember that \u2018global\u2019 is not just a word, it\u2019s a culture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s no longer enough just to state confidently that you\u2019ve backpacked across Europe \u2013 the admissions committee will be closely scrutinizing your application to see exactly what global flavor you\u2019ll bring to the new class.\u201d<\/p>\n
3. Contribution to the program and alumni network<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cAdmissions will want to understand how you will play a role on-campus and how you envision contributing.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. It\u2019s not just a finance school.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cLBS has a strong tradition in finance, but ongoing rankings success has ensured that the admissions pipeline \u2013 and consequently graduate career choice \u2013 is becoming increasingly diverse.\u201d<\/p>\n
5. Demonstrating collegiality.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cTeamwork is key and students actively work to support each other in weaker coursework elements.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma also offers her insights on LBS\u2019s two required essays from three angles:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n- What is LBS looking for? What key points must I include?<\/li>\n
- How can I stand out from other applicants?<\/li>\n
- What pitfalls should I avoid?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
INSEAD
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\nFortuna Director Caroline Diarte Edwards, former INSEAD director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid is joined by expert coach Nonie Mackie, former INSEAD assistant director. Caroline and Nonie\u2019s top five tips for a standout INSEAD application:<\/p>\n
1. Demonstrate interest beyond your own borders.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cNot everyone at INSEAD has a lot of international experience. But you must be able to<\/p>\n
demonstrate your ability to fit in well in an incredibly diverse environment, with qualities such as openness, flexibility, curiosity about other cultures, interpersonal skills, maturity \u2013 all these elements help.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Differentiate a common profile.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cIf you have a common profile, then you need to be strong across all elements of the application, including your academic profile, professional track record, international experience, and activities and achievements outside of work or study. Try to find some element to your profile that can differentiate you.\u201d<\/p>\n
3. Career-changers need to hit the ground running.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cMost INSEAD students are making some significant change in their career\u2026 but the 10-month program does not give you a lot of time for mulling over infinite options. Be ready to make decisions about your future direction fairly quickly, and to juggle an intensive academic schedule with an ongoing and regular investment of time in your job search.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. Showcase your international experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cInternational experience is an advantage, but you need to do more than just enumerate your trips or stays abroad. INSEAD wants to see that you have learned from these experiences, that you have gained cultural sensitivity and interesting insights.\u201d<\/p>\n
5. Have a credible career vision.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cThere are always several students with non-business backgrounds, but you need to demonstrate that you have a clear rationale for taking the\u2026 The school has to be convinced that you have the skills and drive to make a big career change work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline and Nonie also discusses their insights on INSEAD\u2019s four career questions and three motivation essays, along with tangible tips for how to tackle them.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n