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May 0408:30 AM PDT
-09:30 AM PDT
A low GMAT score does not automatically end your MBA admission chances. Every year, top business schools admit candidates whose GMAT scores fall below the class average — not because the score doesn’t matter, but because the rest of the application....
May 0507:00 PM EDT
-08:00 PM EDT
In this live 60-minute masterclass, How to Get Ahead of MBA Recruiting Now, we’ll walk through the four biggest mistakes incoming MBAs make and how to avoid them so you’re not scrambling to catch up once recruiting begins.
May 0710:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Sia Admissions Founder Susan Berishaj is covering this live on YouTube, May 7: how admissions committees actually evaluate goals statements, who is in the room, and why the goals statement most applicants submit wouldn't survive that conversation.- May 07
11:30 AM PDT
-12:30 PM PDT
Most MBA resumes fail not because of weak experience — but because of how that experience is presented. In this episode, we break down what makes an MBA resume effective, and how to shift from listing responsibilities to demonstrating impact... - May 08
08:00 AM PDT
-08:30 AM PDT
Join the special YouTube live-stream for selecting the winners of GMAT Club MBA Scholarships sponsored by Juno live. Watch who gets these coveted MBA scholarships offered by GMAT Club and Juno.
11 Nov 2019, 09:24
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This week we have a tough one for you! Meet Harry, shooting for INSEAD despite a 660 GMAT (the school's average is 711) and borderline English test scores.
The Challenge
For Harry, it was INSEAD or bust. And on paper, he had done everything “right.” He had gone to a big name school, done well, moved on to a finance multinational, done well, and was now applying to business school at the appropriate stage in his career. Harry’s problem? The inbox at INSEAD is full of applications other Vietnamese finance dudes who have done exactly the same things.
Possible Approaches
Harry was a genuinely impressive guy, and it was tempting to take a “brute force” approach. Basically “yeah, there are a lot of applicants like Harry, but so what? Harry’s the best of them—look at all the things he’s done!” Given the huge impact Harry had on his company, there’s a chance this would have worked. But this sort of strategy is always risky, because we just don’t know enough about the other Vietnamese finance professionals in the applicant pool. For a school as competitive as INSEAD, it’s always dangerous to assume that any individual aspect of an application is rare or unique.
The Admissionado Approach
Harry’s desire to join an MBB consulting firm post-MBA did nothing to differentiate him. His extracurricular activities were much more interesting, however. In his first drafts, Harry made a passing mention of his position as a lay leader in his church, and we pressed him for more. It turned out that Harry was actually a deeply religious man and a key figure in his local community of Christian Vietnamese expats. He had organized several impressive mission trips in this role. We put more emphasis on these stories, and showed how Harry’s religious foundation made him a more moral and diligent leader at work. Religiosity is not part of the traditional “finance dude” stereotype, helping Harry’s application stand out.
The Result
It was INSEAD or bust, and Harry got the admit.
Personal Shoutout
Harry, sometimes the “good guy” makes good! MBA students from big finance firms have a reputation for being a little too type-A, but you proved that stereotype wrong. In the MBA admissions game, standing out often makes all the difference!
The Challenge
For Harry, it was INSEAD or bust. And on paper, he had done everything “right.” He had gone to a big name school, done well, moved on to a finance multinational, done well, and was now applying to business school at the appropriate stage in his career. Harry’s problem? The inbox at INSEAD is full of applications other Vietnamese finance dudes who have done exactly the same things.
Possible Approaches
Harry was a genuinely impressive guy, and it was tempting to take a “brute force” approach. Basically “yeah, there are a lot of applicants like Harry, but so what? Harry’s the best of them—look at all the things he’s done!” Given the huge impact Harry had on his company, there’s a chance this would have worked. But this sort of strategy is always risky, because we just don’t know enough about the other Vietnamese finance professionals in the applicant pool. For a school as competitive as INSEAD, it’s always dangerous to assume that any individual aspect of an application is rare or unique.
The Admissionado Approach
Harry’s desire to join an MBB consulting firm post-MBA did nothing to differentiate him. His extracurricular activities were much more interesting, however. In his first drafts, Harry made a passing mention of his position as a lay leader in his church, and we pressed him for more. It turned out that Harry was actually a deeply religious man and a key figure in his local community of Christian Vietnamese expats. He had organized several impressive mission trips in this role. We put more emphasis on these stories, and showed how Harry’s religious foundation made him a more moral and diligent leader at work. Religiosity is not part of the traditional “finance dude” stereotype, helping Harry’s application stand out.
The Result
It was INSEAD or bust, and Harry got the admit.
Personal Shoutout
Harry, sometimes the “good guy” makes good! MBA students from big finance firms have a reputation for being a little too type-A, but you proved that stereotype wrong. In the MBA admissions game, standing out often makes all the difference!
