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12 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 4 Tips for Applying to Part-Time MBA Programs |
  The extensive available advice about applying to MBA programs was largely created with applicants to full-time MBA programs in mind. If you are applying to part-time MBA programs, most of this advice will be pertinent for you as well. But there are some nuances to applying to part-time programs that warrant attention. Here are a few things that set the part-timer apart from the crowd: 1. You have unique work/study balance issues The fact that you’ll be working while you are studying is one of the major differences between full-time and part-time programs, and this fact significantly affects the application. The nitty-gritty of your daily work is a resource you will bring directly to class discussions and group projects. You can share the reality of your work world in real time with your classmates. The adcoms view this factor as a core benefit of part-time programs and integral to their unique learning process. Hence, in your resume, essays, and the application form, put thought into how you present your current work scenario; look at it from the eyes of prospective classmates. 2. Recruitment policies vary for part-timers Moreover, since you are continuing to work, your goals won’t necessarily start at the magic moment you graduate. So, in a goals essay (depending on how the question is worded) discuss specific goals that you want to achieve in your current role, while you’re in the program – doing so allows you to further illuminate your work. Part-time MBA programs are usually not for career-changers, at least in the short-term, and they may not open recruiting to them. Review the program’s policies about recruiting for part-time students before you say that you’ll be using it for post-MBA employment. 3. Showing your preparedness is a challenge Attending grad school while working is grueling, period. Hence, adcoms look for evidence that you are prepared for it. The last thing they want is students dropping out. Sometimes an essay question directly addresses this issue. If not, it can never hurt to briefly convey awareness of the challenge and mention plans for handling it. If you’ve previously successfully studied while working full-time, note that fact. 4. Part-timers have local concerns Finally, for the bulk of part-time programs that target local applicants, their applicant pool may contain high concentrations from strong local industries, such as pharma and finance in New York. Consider and address this factor in differentiating yourself. Good luck with your applications! Our experienced admissions consultants can help you prepare a strong and compelling part-time or full-time MBA application. Check out our MBA Admissions Services, get matched with the best advisor for you, and work together to create an application that will get you ACCEPTED!   Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 15+ years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Navigate the MBA Maze: 9 Tips to Acceptance, a free guide • The MBA Family Tree: A Roundup & Overview of Different MBA/EMBA Options • MBA Admissions Decisions: Should You Go Full-Time Or Part-Time? Tags: MBA Admissions The post 4 Tips for Applying to Part-Time MBA Programs appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
13 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Early Career Management and European MBA Programs with Jamie Wright |
  Our guest today is Jamie Wright. She grew up in California, started her career in PR in Chicago, and then crossed the pond in 2009 to become the Client Services Manager at London Business School’s then brand-new Masters in Management (MIM) program. Jamie rose to become the admissions director for all early career programs at LBS by 2017. In 2018, she joined Accepted and has become an admissions consultant on our staff. Let’s learn from her if there is a magic sauce to acceptance. Before we get to the early career stuff, how does a California girl end up as Client Services Manager and then the first Admissions Director of London Business School’s Early Career Programs? [2:11] By chance, actually. When I initially moved to London I wasn’t able to work due to visa restrictions so I had time to explore other career options. I had been working in PR before moving to London, and considered staying in that field, but I used that opportunity of time to explore other roles in publishing, sports business, and came across an ad for a client services role for the MIM at LBS. The program had just launched and was recruiting for its first class. I figured this was a great opportunity to be part of something from the beginning. It was quite entrepreneurial, almost like a start-up even though the program was part of a large school like LBS. It was the first pre-experience program and it was exciting to be a part of. I stayed there for the next nine years. What are early career programs in management in general? [3:20] They are general management programs for the most part, though there are some programs that offer specializations. These programs are designed for those just entering their career, with less than 1-2 years of experience looking to go into entry-level positions. In addition to traditional consulting and finance roles, more students are going into entrepreneurship, which is a specialization some programs offer. How do the masters in management programs differ from the MBA in terms of structure, content, length, goals and placement? [4:30] In terms of similarities they are both general management programs. An MBA is really for those looking to accelerate or develop their careers, whereas a Masters in Management is for those looking to gain the knowledge and skills to break into a business career. MBA students have on average 5-8 years of work experience and learn a lot from peer practical experience, whereas MIM students might have some internship experience but are really learning more from the classroom environment. MIMs are applying for entry level positions, and MBAs are looking for more senior positions. From a content perspective, from the outside an MBA looks more practical than a MIM – there are more theory-based MIMs, though there is definitely no shortage of early-career programs offering practical and applied learning as well, with internships and study abroad opportunities. MIMs can be one or two years long, depending on the program. Do you have any idea how many MiM graduates go back and ultimately get an MBA or for most is it a terminal degree? [6:44] I’d say a MIM is definitely not a terminal degree, just as pursuing business at an undergrad level is not. If you are an early career candidate, it’s difficult to say if you’ll need an MBA further down the line. You might need it at your company to advance, or to switch careers. If you are an early career candidate in the job you want, and can see yourself growing in that role or company over the next several years, think about the value you get from an early career degree as opposed to waiting for an MBA. If you feel you are lacking the knowledge to break into business, early career programs are very beneficial. Are most MIM students coming from non-business undergrad backgrounds? [8:22] It depends on the program. There are some that require students come from non-traditional backgrounds, whereas others look for some business curriculum – like poets and quants, as it were. It totally depends on the program. Any applicant should take a very close look at the student profiles at the programs you are considering. Make sure you are a good fit and will be learning alongside people you will benefit most from. MBA programs tend to look for individuals who have fairly well-defined career goals. Is that true in the MIM level also? [9:22] From a career perspective you do want to go into the program with some type of focus. The programs go by quickly and you need to have some sense of what you want to do to take advantage of all the resources. In London, finance and consulting recruiting starts early on- applications open in August, so you might not even have started the program yet. You need to be focused but flexible- have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. Let’s change the focus a bit. How do European MBA programs as a group differ from U.S. MBA programs, and I realize we’re talking in generalities, but I’d like an overview? [10:59] European MBA programs tend to be a little bit shorter (12-18 months), as opposed to the more traditional two year format in the US. Obviously that makes a difference in price tag and living costs, but one is not better or worse, or right or wrong – it’s just what is best for you. In terms of work experience you see slightly more experienced students in European MBA programs, so a wider range of experience in your peer group. As I mentioned, make sure you are in a classroom learning from the types of individuals you feel you need to learn from, as you will learn just as much from students as faculty. In terms of class composition, European business schools have a more international cohort, with students looking to work in more broad-based locations. What if I’d really love to spend a year or two in Europe either at an early-career program, a traditional full-time MBA, or even an EMBA or LBS’s Sloan Fellows program. But, I know I want to work in my home country. Will it be hard for me to come home and find a job? [13:23] It depends on the amount of work you are willing to put into you career search. It’s important to think about your network. Most students look to grow their networks, so if you want to strengthen your network in Europe, look at European programs. The network at the school can also ultimately help you return home. Looking at the distribution of the alumni network and post-grad employment destinations is helpful. In terms of conducting due diligence before you leave and study abroad, work on strengthening your network at home. Build and maintain relationships so that when it’s time to return home you haven’t been forgotten. Similarly, is it worth it if I want to live and work in my home country to have an international experience for my MiM or MBA? [15:54] Having international experience is not a prerequisite. What is most important is that you demonstrate you have the interest in international experience and why you have that interest. That should be highlighted in your application and essays – how this international experience fits into your professional and personal journey. You’ve convinced me! I’m applying to an MBA or MiM program, but plane flights from my continent to Europe or whatever continent I want to study on make school visits very expensive – and time consuming. How can I learn about programs and engage with the school if thousands of miles or kilometers separate us? Or do I just have to bite the bullet and fly? [18:25] If you have the opportunity to visit campuses, I certainly encourage you to do so. You will be spending a lot of money on a program so you want to make sure it is a place you feel comfortable. That said, there are plenty of ways to get the experience of what it is like without having to buy a plane ticket. Attend MBA or Masters fairs that may come locally to you, where you can meet with admin reps, alums, or students on exchange in your home country. There are webinars, virtual campus tours, and I always recommend talking with student ambassadors or alumni, though be mindful of the communication. You don’t want to bombard people, and you need to personalize the communications. When you were reviewing applications for London’s EC programs, what was the one (or two) things that you wished they really understood about the admissions process or the program that most just didn’t get? [20:31] I was always disappointed with applicants who looked great with experience and goals but didn’t put any effort into the application. We understand people are applying to multiple schools, but we want to see genuine interest, and submitting generic short answers, or essays with the wrong school in them, or no school-specific content is really disappointing. On the flip side it is equally important to be mindful of the admissions team’s time, so writing pages and pages on an essay with no word limit demonstrates a lack of awareness. It’s all about finding balance – demonstrating your sincere interest in a program and presenting it in a concise way. What advice do you have for applicants in the midst of applying to early career management programs or to European MBA programs? [22:21] It’s not too late to do the due diligence we spoke about earlier – reach out to admissions teams, students, or alums. For anyone looking to apply for the August 2018 intake look at scholarship deadlines since you might see deadlines passing. For international students who might need a visa, look at the visa timeline as well, since you want to have idea of what to expect if accepted. What about those planning ahead for a 2018-19, 2019-20, or later application? [23:35] Definitely use time to your advantage. Take time to prepare for the GMAT or GRE – make a study plan. Do in-depth research on the programs – visit campus or check when the fairs come around. Have a look at the current application form and essays so you have some idea of what it will be like. Some schools change questions slightly year to year, but you will get a feel for the type of individual and values they want to see. Application deadlines also vary slightly year to year along with the calendar change, so build a timeline and work backwards.  Related Links: • About Jamie Wright • Contact Jamie Wright • MiM Application Packages • MBA Admissions Consulting Services Related Shows: • Jamie’s Podcast from Last November • MIT Sloan Master in Finance: How to Get In! • UCLA’s MS in Business Analytics: Prep for the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century • Contemplating a Career in Data Science/Business Analytics? Subscribe:   Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Grad School Admissions, MBA Admissions The post Early Career Management and European MBA Programs with Jamie Wright [Episode 249] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
13 Mar 2018, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: EMBA Employment and Career Services |
  This is the fourth post in our Ace the EMBA series on how to apply successfully to a top executive MBA program. Given today’s volatile business climate, almost everyone in the business world must continuously evaluate and recalibrate their career path, whether they are planning an imminent change or not. It’s an ongoing part of being a business professional. EMBA applicants who aren’t planning a career change still know that their well-laid plans can erupt in an instant. And, increasingly, applicants are pursuing an EMBA specifically to facilitate a career transition. At University of Michigan’s Ross EMBA program, Lisa Morgan, a Ross EMBA career coach, states that “80-90 percent of the clients I work with come to me looking to conduct an external search and change employers.” To address this trend, EMBA programs have beefed up their EMBA career services. The Executive MBA Council’s 2014 report shows that now almost all member programs offer career counseling – 92% as of that year. This jumped from 74% in 2006 and 67% in 2004 (per the 2006 report). “Career services” include various types of career coaching, self-assessments, alumni networking and events, etc. While career services are common among EMBA programs, the line is usually drawn at regular recruiting (a major draw of regular MBA programs). There are notable exceptions – for example, UCLA Anderson states that “on-campus recruiting is open to EMBA students in their second year for full-time positions, and in the beginning of their first year for summer internship positions.” Wharton also offers recruiting access. Mixing sponsorship with career services, however, may present an ethical dilemma for the EMBA program. Wharton divides its EMBA students into “job search eligible” and those who are not eligible: “To be eligible to access the Job Search Resources listed above, a student must provide the required documentation to indicate that s/he is self-sponsored or has permission from her/his sponsoring company.” Further details explain that some forms and levels of financial sponsorship may be permissible for job-search eligibility. Wharton’s career services are similarly divided into those all students can access, such as career planning and resume review, and those only open to job search eligible students, such as recruiting and participation in Job Search Action groups. It will take some work to sift through the various EMBA programs to identify those that offer the level and type of career service options you particularly require. The upside is that, while recruiting is still rare, those options are increasingly deep and broad. A representative example of a relatively rich offering is Columbia University’s. In the next post, we’ll turn to the qualifying factors adcoms look for in EMBA applicants. Do you need help applying to your target EMBA programs, efficiently and successfully? Work one-on-one with an EMBA admissions expert for comprehensive application assistance. It’s time to get you ACCEPTED! View our EMBA services here.  Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 15+ years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Top Executive MBA Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right, a guide • Excellent Executive MBA Admissions Advice • What Does Your Work Experience Reveal About You in Your MBA Application Tags: MBA Admissions The post EMBA Employment and Career Services appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
14 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 6 Fatal Resume Flaws to Avoid |
  The MBA resume. Done right, this one-to-two-page list of accomplishments can woo the adcoms towards acceptance; done wrong, a resume could be your ticket to ding-hood. Here are 6 fatal mistakes to avoid when creating this important first-impression-making document: Fatal Resume Flaw #1: Viewing your resume as an afterthought Your resume should not be your last priority. It provides an amazing opportunity to share a snapshot of your candidacy with the admissions committee. This is your chance to introduce yourself and leave a positive first impression. Fatal Resume Flaw #2: Providing basic job descriptions When top b-school adcoms quickly scan a resume (which is what they do at first), they’re looking for career progression. Even a list of the most impressive jobs won’t mean nearly as much to an adcom as a list of impressive jobs that show that a candidate has achieved goals, been promoted, and has generally made an impact on their surroundings. In short, basic descriptions just won’t cut it. Fatal Resume Flaw #3: Submitting a job resume as part of your MBA application Your MBA resume should not include industry-specific or technical lingo that you might include on a resume for, say, an IT position. The details on your resume should be as accessible as possible to the widest circle of readers. Fatal Resume Flaw #4: Formatting your resume creatively When formatting your resume, standards always trump creativity! Review the resume standards for your target school. Check out resources at the school’s career services department to find out how you should standardize your tenses, punctuation, and formatting. Don’t bold headings if your school-specific format doesn’t bold headings, for example. Fatal Resume Flaw #5: Offering information overload That means no SAT or GMAT scores, no high school education, and no references. The school will have all of that information from other parts of your application. Needless to say, date of birth, marital status, height, and weight should be excluded. Fatal Resume Flaw #6: Forgetting to edit A resume that hasn’t been spell-checked, grammar-checked, and reviewed by an extra set (or more) of eyes, will probably have errors, and therefore won’t make a very good first impression. Need help perfecting your MBA admissions resume? Check out Accepted’s Resume Services and work one-on-one with an admissions expert to create a coherent, compelling admissions resume that will convince your target school’s adcom that they should keep reading.   Related Resources: • Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions, a free guide • Aligning Your Resume With Your Application Essays • Write a Resume that is Readable, Impactful, and Unique Tags: MBA Admissions The post 6 Fatal Resume Flaws to Avoid appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
15 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Top 6 Tips for Visiting Business Schools |
  Now is a great time for business school applicants to visit their top choice programs – classes are in session, students and professors aren’t yet stressed by exams, recruiting may be in action, and the weather is warming up (well, in some places). While it’s a good idea to visit your target b-schools, only do so if it makes logistical and financial sense. MBA programs understand that geography and financial resources can prevent a visit, but if it is possible to visit the business schools on your list, then you certainly should – not because of imaginary “brownie points” that the school may or may not award you, but because you will be a better informed applicant after you visit than before. You will know more about the school and its culture. You will know more about why it appeals to you, what about its style matches yours, and how it supports your goals. You will also, most likely, prepare a better application for admission after you’ve learned more about the school. How to Ensure a Valuable School Visit Once you’ve made the decision to visit, we recommend that you follow this advice: 1. Visit when class is in session. You want to get a feel for what life on campus is like, and you won’t get much of an idea of student life if everyone’s on break. Likewise, if classes are done for the term and everyone is cramming for exams and taking tests, you won’t get the full day-to-day campus experience (though you will get to see what b-school students are like under pressure!). Another good reason to go while class is in session is so that you can sit in on classes – definitely take advantage of this if your target program offers this option. (Note: Like we said above, this is why now is a great time to visit.) 2. Take the tour and attend the info sessions. Again, your goal is to learn as much as possible about the program. Don’t brush off the official tours because you’d rather explore on your own; instead, take the tour, sit through the info sessions, and explore on your own. 3. Talk to everyone! Business school students and adcoms are generally more than happy to talk with prospective students, so don’t miss out on the valuable opportunity to chat with anyone and everyone about their b-school experience. 4. Prepare your questions in advance. You’ll have the most productive conversations if you go in with some direction. Obviously questions will differ depending on what’s important to you and where you’re visiting, but here are some basic questions: • What is a typical day like for a first or second year student? • How do professors view their teaching – as an integrated approach to business, as part of the interconnection of business functions (and if interconnected, how do they collaborate with other professors), or simply as a job? How do they balance teaching and research? • How are interview slots assigned? Is there a bidding process? What is it? 5. Review the school’s website before you go. Asking questions is good; asking questions that are answered on the homepage of your target school’s website…not so good. Do your research ahead of time so that you can ask specific, unique questions that show you’ve done your homework as well as some good quality thinking. 6. If you can’t visit a school, attend info sessions closer to home. While an info session won’t simulate life on campus, you will still get to make an appearance before the adcom and speak with students/alumni/faculty – whoever is leading the event. You can also do some quality research by emailing current students and reading student blogs. Bottom Line Visiting a school is highly recommended, and if you go, you should take advantage of all of the school’s people and resources so you can learn as much as possible about whether you’re the right fit for the program. If, however, you’re unable to visit, then you should still do all you can to learn firsthand about your target schools to determine how you’d fit in and optimize your applications to reflect that! Visiting schools is only part of the planning and strategizing that you’ll need to do when applying to business school. Check out Accepted’s MBA Admissions Consulting Services for individual guidance through the entire application process. Visit schools. Create a winning application. Get ACCEPTED!  Related Resources: • Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One, a free guide • Choosing And Visiting Business Schools • 3 Ways to Determine Which B-Schools are a Good Fit for You Tags: MBA Admissions The post Top 6 Tips for Visiting Business Schools appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
18 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 3 Ways to Prepare for Your 2018 MBA Application |
  You can feel it in the air: the excitement of the just-published U.S. News and other business-school rankings, the proud chatter of accepted candidates on MBA forums worldwide, the articles speculating on just how many more people will apply to business school this year and how acceptance rates seem to be getting lower and lower. Whether you’re a first-time MBA applicant, a reapplicant (or re-reapplicant), or even if you haven’t yet decided if you’ll be applying this year, it’s time to start doing some deep thinking about your candidacy. The sooner you start your MBA engines, the more successful your ride will be. Head to the starting line and with the following tips get ready…get set…and go! 1. Build your experience – now. Yes, the GMAT is important. And yes, where you went to college is (somewhat less) important. But what truly distinguishes successful applicants from unsuccessful ones is this: their professional and extracurricular experience. B-schools love to admit proactive candidates, and it’s never too late to volunteer for new experiences at work and in other roles. Is there a cool new initiative that requires as many hands as possible? Sign up for it. Are there opportunities to reach across functional lines, maybe to find new customers or reposition products and services? Go for it. It doesn’t even have to be within your current workplace. Especially for applicants without formal business experience, having something to say in this domain can go a long way to setting you apart. For example, maybe you have an IT/engineering background and have been involved in friends’ startups, advising them on tech strategy, operations, and other key components. Be creative – it’s a key skill for any aspiring MBA. And this doesn’t just apply to experiences in the workplace. It’s never too late to add to your outside-of-work experience too. You may not have time to establish a new non-profit, but you can certainly contribute your time to existing service efforts (they don’t seem to have quotas on volunteers!). 2. Clarify your goals. If you’re applying to business school, then you need to have goals. Ideally you’ll be able to lay out what you’d like to do immediately post-MBA and in the longer-term, and why. Don’t be lazy on this point – “I’d like to be a management consultant and eventually an entrepreneur” is simply not specific enough. Why are you interested in consulting? Maybe you’re already a tech consultant or love problem-solving in multiple domains. What firms would you like to work with? McKinsey, BCG, and Bain are the usual suspects, but think more broadly too. Are you big on operations? Then Booz Allen or A.T. Kearney may be great fits. Do you come from a healthcare background? Then ZS Associates may be worth mentioning. You’ll want to mention firms that recruit at the school in question. For the long-term goal, you may not have to be quite as specific, but you should still try to paint a clear picture. If it’s entrepreneurship, why? Ideally you have some entrepreneurial experience already or can demonstrate your passion for the field in some other way. What type of business would you like to establish? Why? What trends suggest this is a “hot” area? Ask yourself these questions and work on developing concise, detailed answers. 3. Start thinking in stories. Story is a highly powerful tool that’s too often overlooked in the business world and elsewhere. If the schools weren’t interested in your stories, then they would only look at your grades, GMAT, and resume. But they want to know why you’re interested in an MBA and how you achieved what’s on your resume. They want to know what obstacles you faced at work and, sometimes, in your personal life. They want to know what lessons you learned. Frankly, they want to know if you can tell a good (true) story; holding your audience’s attention is a critical skill, whether that audience is made up of classmates, professors, future colleagues, shareholders, boards, or Congress. So think about what went into that great project management experience or consulting engagement or fundraising effort. What would be a good way to open the story? What were the obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them? What was the ending? Great stories aren’t just for novels or movies. Do you need more help starting your MBA engine? Check out our 1-on-1 consulting & editing services to learn more about how we can help you get accepted.  Related Resources: • MBA Action Plan: 6 Steps for the 6 Months Before You Apply, a free guide • MBA Admissions: Does Extracurricular Equal Extra Credit? • 4 Things To Do If You Can’t Define Your MBA Goals Tags: MBA Admissions The post 3 Ways to Prepare for Your 2018 MBA Application appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
19 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 5 Key Qualifying Factors the EMBA Adcoms Look For |
  This is the fifth post in our Ace the EMBA series on how to apply successfully to a top executive MBA program. After you decide which programs you’ll apply to, you’re ready to start the hands-on application work. As you update your resume, plan your essays and choose recommenders, keep in mind several “qualifying” factors that EMBA admissions committees want to see in applicants they consider for acceptance. These factors will put you in the running for consideration; they’ll make you a viable candidate. Throughout the application, but primarily through the essay(s), address these key questions: 1. Are your goals credible, and do they contain the right blend of feasibility and ambition? Appropriate goals will place you within senior management, since presumably you are already at mid-management level or higher (or a comparable position) if you work for a company. If you are a business owner, your goals should clarify not only your plans for the business, but also the specific role(s) you intend to undertake – i.e., your own professional growth path. In addition, the adcoms want to be assured that the graduates will be a credit to the program! All EMBA applications require a goals essay or a similar Statement of Purpose/Intent. Be prepared to discuss your immediate/short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals. Not all goals essays ask for this breakdown, but many do – and even if a question doesn’t ask for it, it will hardly hurt to present such a progression, for context. 2. Do you have the knowledge and skills to succeed in the EMBA academic program? Even if your goals are credible and appropriate, you will need a fundamental familiarity with business operations plus quantitative skills to handle the coursework. Undergrad and/or grad transcripts will cover the quant aspect. But EMBA applicants who come from non-business sectors – education, government, clinical medicine, and nonprofit are not uncommon – you have a higher burden to (a) show that you need business training, specifically, to address your goals and (b) that you understand the core purpose and content of graduate level business education. You can ask your recommenders to address this point and you can work it into your essays. For those lacking quant coursework, you can take a reputable online or community college course and/or take the GMAT and score 80% or above in the quant portion. 3. Will you contribute to the program (professionally and/or personally, during and after)? This is a three-pronged point: (A) Does the quality of your experience make it a potentially rich and valuable resource to draw from? (B) Do you have something to say – do you draw insight and meaning from that experience? (C) Do you share – are you a team player/collaborator? EMBA programs are learning communities, and thus require willing contribution from all parties. While your recommendations can and should shed light on this point, your essays will be the primary vehicle to communicate your prospective contributions both as a student and as an alumnus/a. 4. Do you have the right level and amount of experience to fit the program (both its student body and its coursework)? As we indicated in earlier posts, EMBA programs and their various sub-programs/options are looking for specific amounts and levels of experience. And these two items – amount and level – are inter-related. In the “classic” EMBA candidate, the “level” will be achieved in a certain amount of years, during which the candidate progresses at a quick if not necessarily breakneck pace. You may have achieved the desired level with fewer years of experience, or you may have taken longer to achieve the desired level. Of these two deviations, the former is preferable to adcoms generally, because it indicates a high achiever. However, someone in the latter situation may well have good reasons for the slower pace – family matters, previous career transition, industry volatility, etc. Again, the burden is on the applicant to clarify such situations, and not to give the impression that you’re less than a high achiever. Often, entrepreneurs seek the EMBA education when their business is poised for a growth spurt that will involve greater organizational and financial complexity than they’re prepared to handle with ingenuity alone. 5. Do you understand the demands of studying while working, and do you have a workable plan for fitting the EMBA studies into your life? Some EMBA applications have an essay question specifically on this point. The last thing the adcoms want is for someone to leave the program before completion, or to get by academically without being a full participant in the learning community. And it’s very easy to underestimate the demands of studying and contributing while maintaining one’s professional and personal responsibilities. Whether in an essay or during the interview, demonstrate your time management skills and show that you have juggled multiple responsibilities effectively. With these qualifying factors covered, the next post will explore how to go from “qualified” to “accepted” by differentiating and distinguishing yourself as an applicant. Do you need help applying to your target EMBA programs efficiently and successfully? Work one-on-one with an EMBA admissions expert for comprehensive application assistance. It’s time to get you ACCEPTED! View our EMBA services here. Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 15+ years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Top Executive MBA Program Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right, a free guide • School-Specific EMBA Application Essay Tips • Executive MBA Essays: How to Make an Impact Tags: MBA Admissions The post 5 Key Qualifying Factors the EMBA Adcoms Look For appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
20 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Bain & Company’s Keith Bevans Talks About Careers, Life at Bain |
  One of the biggest motivations, if not the biggest motivation, for applying to graduate school is career enhancement and achievement of professional goals. For many MBAs and some other graduate students, consulting has irresistible appeal. Today it is my distinct pleasure to have on Admissions Straight TalkKeith Bevans, Partner and Global Head of Consulting Recruitment at Bain & Company. Keith earned his BS and MS in engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard. Except for his two years at HBS, Keith has been with Bain since 1996 both as a client-facing consultant and most recently as head of global recruiting. Can you briefly outline the hiring process at Bain for consultant positions if one is coming from a graduate business school? [1:52] We first engage with students as part of our Experience Bain programming which is a series of live and virtual events over the summer, before students even arrive on campus, to give them a sense of what we are about, what consulting is about, and what consultants actually do. In the first year of business school, we are not typically allowed to talk to students in the first 4-6 weeks. So in Sept./Oct. we have a large kick-off event, introducing students to Bain, to some of our consultants, summer associates, and our projects, and they meet a lot of us during that same time. We go through the recruiting process in Oct./Nov. and then interviews are in January. That is how first-year recruiting works. The same thing happens for second-year students but most of them opt out of summer events since they know us already. For second years, right at the beginning of the semester in September we start recruiting, with October interviews, and offers given out by Thanksgiving. If someone gets in touch with you the summer before starting business school, are they aiming for an internship that summer or thinking about fulltime employment at the end of that two years? [3:45] Sometimes both. A lot of times what we find is that summer events aren’t recruiting events, but education events. We want people to learn as much as they can about us early on, so if we are not aligned with their career goals, then they can focus on things that are a better fit once they get to campus. Most are looking for that summer internship, and about 90% of the people who work for us in the summer get an offer and return. So the summer program is a very important onramp. It gets your foot in the door and sets up the strong possibility of an offer. In an excellent interview on your bio page on the Bain website, you outlined the four qualities Bain looks for in recruits: Problem solving ability, client-facing skills, teamwork, and certain personal characteristics including humility and leadership. Can you unwrap those requirements a bit? Why are they important and where do you find them in the recruiting process? [5:18] The answer starts with what we are about at Bain. We are about creating client success stories and people success stories. Problem solving ability is about the ability to break down a problem into discreet parts to prove or disprove a hypothesis on each part to come up with an overall answer for what to do next. It’s not enough to be smarter or more credentialed, or just more self-confident than the people you’re working with. To be effective as a Bain consultant you need to have people skills to inspire clients and be able to present your analysis in a compelling way. Those are the client skills. Bain consultants work alongside our clients – we don’t do it “to” our clients, we do it “with” our clients. We are looking for people who demonstrate the inclination to work with people that way. We can see that in interviews. With teamwork, we really do work in teams at Bain. The most successful partners are the ones that team the best. If I’m working with a CEO and an acquisition is a goal at the conclusion, it behooves me to find someone at Bain who is an expert in M&A. Teaming is absolutely a necessary component of being successful at Bain. With humility and leadership, we are not looking for people to pound their chest and say, “I’m the smartest person in the room you should all listen to me!” We are looking for people who understand they have a lot experience and the weight of Bain expertise behind them, and that combination can get us places we can’t get on our own. How does the recruiting process differ for MBAs and other graduate recruits whether they be earning Masters of Management, JDs, PhDs, or holders of masters in engineering like yourself or other masters degrees? [9:19] The process is quite similar, especially with advanced degrees the process is almost identical, with us looking to bring them in at the same level as an MBA hire. We do run specific events for PhDs, which are one-day or one-week programs to expose the candidate pool to consulting at Bain. For some we can just talk about how Bain is different from other consulting firms. For PhD candidates who are not as familiar with consulting, we talk about the industry, but the process itself is quite similar. We do look at each individual application on the overall merits. If we think someone is a good fit for Bain, we encourage them to go ahead and apply and we’ll figure out the right entry point. There is an assumption that consultants have a business background, but what matters most to us is problem solving skills, and the fundamental skills to be successful as a consultant. It’s ok if you don’t know how to read a balance sheet or an income statement, because everyone has a week of training in the office to learn the basic tool kit, so everyone has the same baseline understanding. Then we have global training programs for undergrads or MBAs. Over the course of a week you will work through how we think about analytics, clients, teams, and this happens +/- every 18 months in your career, so you’re getting trained just in time in addition to all of the online tools. Bottom line, we are looking for the raw materials, and we can turn them into something great. Is there a way for a young professional or graduate student to prepare themselves for a career in consulting? [15:09] It is important to focus on experience, and have a vision for your career. Think about what you want to be doing 10-15 years down the line. Get a sense of what you like doing, and what you don’t like doing. That helps you understand where Bain might fit in. With students on campus, it is not helpful to take particular classes for consulting – we will teach you what you need to know. For people working, focus on doing jobs that have impact. We are all about client success stories, and we want to see that you are results oriented. We encourage people to think about the types of experiences and exposure they want and how they will grow as business leaders at Bain and beyond Bain. Tactically, get to know all the consulting firms. We are a corporate strategy consulting firm, and we are across all sectors and industries – it’s whatever clients are worried about, and our clients are leaders of their companies. There are other consulting firms that focus on specific parts of the value chain – for example, salesforce effectiveness, IT, or manufacturing. If you are super passionate about a specific thing you might want someplace else. What is not helpful is to say, “I get bored with my internships and I like mixing up my projects every few weeks so I can see a lot of stuff. I don’t know what I want to do so I’ll be with you guys.” What is the internship experience like at Bain? Is it open to non-MBA grad students? [19:26] We have two summer internship programs – an associate consultant program essentially for college juniors, and a summer associate program for MBAs in their summer between first and second year. For the MBAs it is a 10-week program. Typically what you see is in the October timeframe a kick-off event, with an application due in the December timeframe, interviews in January, and everything wrapped up by February. The 10-week program starts with one week of training, a few days in the office, then global training in Cape Cod. The next nine weeks are on a real project. I have more work than I have people, and when I have the opportunity to have talented MBAs come in and join the team for nine weeks of work, I plug them right in. I put them in front of real clients and expect them to have real impact. In the final week they do a presentation to the leadership team and I sit in on the ones in Chicago and am blown away by the impact interns have on clients in nine short weeks of work, one year into their MBA program. Our goal is to be very selective on the front end, and to give offers to every one of our summer associates. We do make offers to about 90% of our interns, and the overwhelming majority accept them. Internships are a great way for students to get to know us, and for us to see what they can do. Every summer associate is one less person I need to hire for a full time job, but we end up doing a lot of second year recruiting as well. We consistently grow 14-15% a year, so I can hire as many summer associates as I can find, and yet we are still always looking for more people in the second year. Is the GMAT or GRE or LSAT or any other aptitude test used as a screening tool before inviting to interview? How about GPA? [23:06] We do look at the GMAT score. There is no minimum, but we do have a sense of what a strong score is. The truth is, most students in MBA programs often have the GMAT on their resume. We do have a fair amount of applicants with a GRE or LSAT and we can convert that to an equivalent GMAT score, so by no means is a GMAT required to apply to Bain. With regard to GPA, most schools don’t let us ask about grades, and most business schools don’t encourage students to put it on their resume. At the undergrad level we do ask to see it for associate consultant positions, but for MBAs we are not asking for it – we figure if you are good enough to get into a top business school, that is good enough for us as well. If invited to interview at Bain, how should Bain wannabes prepare? [25:00] First know that it is a process, and it takes time. You need to understand what consulting is, how firms are different, and why you want to do it. It is really difficult to fake it, since it is such a demanding process. Prepare for case interviews. Now, there are many students who try to cram, like doing 10-15 cases per week. That’s way too much. You are in school, you are a student. Take time to reflect. Don’t blow through as many cases as possible. Think of it as a slow and steady process. Do a case, think about it, be a student, relax mentally, do it again. Be familiar with the frameworks and how to apply them, but don’t make it a pattern matching game, of “I’m going to ask you a question, you are going to tell me Porter’s Five Forces, and I’m going to say, ‘Wow, he should be a consultant!’” That’s not how it works. Nerves play a factor, and sometimes people want to say it before they forget it. Prepare by knowing your stuff, be confident, relaxed, and well rested so we can talk as two business people. Business Insider recently named Bain as the best place to work in 2017, and Glassdoor as the second best place to work. And those aren’t Bain’s only honors as an employer. What is Bain doing right that makes it such a great place to work? [29:16] I’m biased due to my role, but it starts with hiring really smart, passionate people who want to make a difference, positively impacting all the communities they are a part of. The second thing is our leadership is committed to making Bain a great place to work. Leadership creates the atmosphere so that great ideas have the opportunity to be heard, implemented, and thrive. That is a big part of how we approach things, so a lot of the innovations we are doing, like office social events or different training or experience sharing sessions, our leadership has set up a culture where someone can say, “Hey, I’d like to do a brown bag lunch on this,” and they can go ahead and do it. Leadership is vocally supportive of those types of innovations coming from people. Lastly, we do really great work. People want to be part of an organization really making a difference, and we are. What does work-life balance mean at Bain? [31:55] What most people are asking with this question is, “How can I do job in a sustainable way, thriving both personally and professionally while working in such a demanding job? How can I do more stuff I like doing and less that I don’t like over time?” I think you can blend the two, try to find the job and company that allows them to be a whole person. At the end of the day you have to make some trade-offs, but early on in your career, aim high and look for a job that allows you to do both, that values having a family-friendly work place. At Bain we tend to promote from within, and if we burn people out that is a business problem. We help people do their work in a sustainable way. We have Take Two (a two month sabbatical), case team surveys, and flexible work options, so we do offer a lot of things to give people the chance to recharge. If I’m not a U.S. citizen, can I be a consultant for Bain in the U.S., or do you only place international students in their home countries? [39:45] If you are a top student, we are looking for talent everywhere in the world for all 55 of our offices. We are growing and looking for the best people wherever we can find them. In almost every case, recruiting is immigration blind until the end of the process. Let’s assume Keith is not American but wants to work here. When we are at our best, I would want to give Keith an offer – “Here’s your offer to work in Chicago. We know you need to get a visa, and if you don’t get through the visa lottery you will start work in the office where you are authorized to work.” We know it is a very anxiety-ridden process and if I can take some anxiety out of it with, “Here’s Plan A, but we’ve thought about Plan B,” that is what we are trying to do. We also don’t want an office with a disproportionate risk related to the number of people we hire. If I hire 10 people for an office and seven people need visas, I can’t afford to have just three people show up to work, so we do monitor for that, but we are not screening at the application stage or even round one interview stage for immigration status. We want the best and brightest, and if they can’t work in the U.S., we do everything we can to support their transition into the work force with us. Students should apply, go through the process, and we’ll figure things out at the end. What do you see going forward in the future in consulting? How do you see consultants’ roles, needed characteristics/skills, etc. changing in the next 5-10 years? [43:02] When I started there was a premium on finding the information – if you had the information, you were the only one. Now, everyone has information at their fingertips. What makes you special now is the discernment when looking at that information – which of the 25,000 results Google returns in under a second has the right info, and how can you reconcile the top three sources that say something slightly different? So I think the discernment skill is going to get more important for consulting over time. The tools consultants use are also evolving very rapidly. When I started it was a lot of Excel and PowerPoint, and now that’s what it takes to just be in the room. There are a lot more sophisticated data analytics tools, and availability of data. I think the biggest change we’ll see is the multi-disciplinary nature of the expertise in the room. When I think of the work in digital, analytics, there are experts in the room today in areas that didn’t exist a couple years ago, and that will only proliferate. I think with design thinking and machine learning, for example, there will be people on case teams and out of MBA programs that have a wider range of expertise than we’ve seen in the past. If you are a manager 5-10 years from now, you will be managing teams that look very different than the teams you were on coming out of business school. There will be a couple MBAs, a couple undergrads, but also maybe someone with a master of science in analytics, or an app developer, or a digital designer on their team, adding value in different ways, and trained differently. I think that will be really exciting to watch as it unfolds. A question more about your personal background, you got your BS and MS in engineering from MIT and then went to work at Bain. You also decided to earn an MBA from HBS. How have you benefited from your HBS experience given the outstanding education, credentials and work experience you had when you arrived at HBS? Was the MBA a requirement for advancement? [47:25] The way it works at Bain is you don’t have to go back and get your MBA. I worked for four years at Bain before going back to business school – I was an associate consultant for two years, a senior associate consultant for a year, and then was promoted to consultant before going to business school. So I was already past the threshold without getting an MBA. We have several managers and partners that don’t have their MBA. Firm-wide that is fairly common. In my case, it was a personal goal, and what I took away from it was a much broader perspective on business. Subject matter-wise, after four years at Bain I’d seen a lot of industries and functions, worked with many senior leadership teams, and there weren’t a lot of things I saw at business school that were brand new to me, but there were several areas where I was not as deep – like a classmate who’d been in retail, or a banker, or an entrepreneur. I would say I was proficient in pretty much everything we worked on, especially supply chain where I had spent a lot of time, but I was not an expert. The value I got was the personal growth from being there, and really getting to know my section mates. Hearing someone who had been a Navy Seal talk about leadership was a very different perspective and one I hadn’t had prior to that. Talking about what it’s like to grow a company and prepare it for sale, I had some experience with through my work, but hearing from someone who had built and sold three companies before coming to HBS was a very different perspective. Learning about how they thought about solving problems was great personal growth, as opposed to working on it one client at a time. Being immersed in it every day was tremendously important to me. It was also important for me with b-school to spend more time as a husband. My wife has a master’s degree in engineering, so it was nice to have some time as a couple. We started our family at HBS, and my son was born in Boston. The entire experience was a great chance for me to reflect on what I wanted to get out of my career and what success would look like more holistically, and I wouldn’t have traded that for anything. Related Links: • Bain Interview with Keith Bevans • Preparing for Bain’s Hiring Process • Fitting In and Standing Out, your free guide to the paradox at the heart of admissions • Meet David, Cornell Johnson MBA Student Headed to Bain • Accepted MBA Admissions Consulting Services Related Shows: • Haas, McCombs, and Case Interviews • Case Interview Secrets and More with Victor Cheng • How to Become a Management Consultant • Building Your Consulting Career, and a Look Back at a Tuck MBA Subscribe:  Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions The post Bain & Company’s Keith Bevans Talks About Careers, Life at Bain [Episode 251] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
21 Mar 2018, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Yale SOM Dean Ted Snyder to Step Down in 2019 |
  Edward (“Ted”) A. Snyder will step down at the end of the 2019 academic year as the Indra K. Nooyi Dean of the Yale School of Management. Snyder, currently on sabbatical, will return to his position on July 1, 2018, and will complete his term on June 30, 2019. Snyder’s retirement as Yale’s dean will end an almost 20-year career as a business school dean. Prior to starting his position at Yale in July 2011, Snyder served as dean of the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business from 2001-2011. Before that he served as dean of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business from 1998-2001. The search for Snyder’s replacement has not yet begun. However, there are two people currently at Yale who could possibly be tapped for the position. Anjani Jain is a former Wharton professor and administrator and currently acting dean. David Back is a former IE Business School professor and administrator and is now serving as deputy dean. Snyder Realized a Global Vision for Yale SOM Whether Jain, Back, or an outsider take over the deanship in 2019, they will have big shoes to fill. Snyder improved the influence, visibility, and recognition of Yale SOM, and was named Poets & Quants 2015 Dean of the Year, a reflection of his accomplishments. One of Snyder’s main accomplishments was bringing Yale SOM into the global arena. According to Yale University President Peter Salovey, “Because of Ted’s vision and initiative, SOM is the most international of all American business schools, preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities of a complex global world.” In order to realize this vision, Snyder founded a Global Network for Advanced Management. This network of 32 schools on six continents co-create and share teaching resources, online classes, research, world-wide management case studies and staff, as well as week-long immersion excursions. In addition, he introduced a one-year, post-MBA Master of Advanced Management. Under his leadership, all MBAs now have a global studies requirement. Other Snyder Achievements • Snyder has brought students, faculty, and staff together in the new Edward P. Evans Hall, the new $243 million state-of-the-art home for SOM. • The Yale Center Beijing opened in 2014. Snyder has managed the center for the university since its inception. • He was appointed first director of entrepreneurship programs at Yale SOM. • He was appointed SOM’s first director of community and inclusion. Snyder will return full-time to teaching and research after he steps down as dean. Check out Accepted’s MBA Admissions Consulting Services to work one-on-one with your own dedicated advisor. Get the expert advice you need to create an admissions strategy and application that will get you ACCEPTED! Related Resources: • Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One, a free guide • A Lot About Yale SOM’s EMBA Program – And a Little About One Year MBAs, a podcast episode • An Electrical Engineer from Ghana Makes His Way to Yale SOM Tags: MBA Admissions The post Yale SOM Dean Ted Snyder to Step Down in 2019 appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
22 Mar 2018, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: A Roadmap for Future Application Success |
  7 Steps to MBA Acceptance in 2019 was a great success! Attendees learned what they can do right now (and over the next few months) to ensure that their b-school applications next year are as strong as they can possibly be. If you missed it, or if you’d like to view it again, it’s now available free on-demand for any time viewing. Watch it now!  Tags: MBA Admissions The post A Roadmap for Future Application Success appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
23 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Business Schools/MBA Rankings |
  The big winners in this year’s U.S. News derby… uh, I mean rankings: • Chicago Booth tied with Harvard and leapfrogged Wharton to snag the top spot for the first time ever. • Michigan Ross jumped 4 places into the top 10. There were also a few “losers” although the losses, much like the wins, are more symbolic than substantive. • Wharton, which last year had tied with HBS for #1, got knocked down to #3. • Yale which had been #9, went down two places to tie for #11, but that small change also knocked it out of the over-rated “Top 10.” • Kellogg went down from #4 to #6 and Tuck went from #8 to #10. • MIT stepped down a notch from tied for #4 to #5. As usual there are bigger gyrations lower down the rankings. Top 10 2019 Best Business Schools:  I know that some of you live, breathe, and dream these rankings. Know what they are before you rely on them blindly. We summarize the methodology below. U.S. News & World Report surveyed all 480 MBA programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business international in fall 2017 and early 2018. Of these, 387 responded and 127 of those were ranked. These 127 schools provided enough of the needed data on their full-time MBA programs necessary to calculate the full-time MBA rankings, based on the following weighted average of the indicators listed below (more on methodology here). • Quality assessment score (weighted by 0.40) • Peer assessment score (0.40) • Recruiter assessment score (0.15) • Placement success score (0.35) • Mean starting salary and bonus score (0.14) • Employment rates for full-time MBA program graduates score (at graduation – 0.07; three months after graduation – 0.14) • Student selectivity score (0.25) • Mean GMAT and GRE scores score (0.1625) • Mean undergraduate GPA score (0.075) • Acceptance rate score (0.0125) Is your heart set on attending a top business schools? Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting Services to get the one-on-one guidance you need to get ACCEPTED. Related Resources: • Top MBA Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right, a free guide • Harvard, Stanford, Wharton: What’s the Difference?, a short video • Business School Selectivity Index [Can I Get Into My Dream School?] Tags: MBA Admissions The post U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Business Schools/MBA Rankings appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
23 Mar 2018, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Is Drop in Foreign Student Visas Due to Trump’s Immigration Policy? |
  According to State Department data, the number of visas given to foreign students was noticeably lower last year after stricter immigration policies were implemented. This has added to the financial challenges that some US colleges and universities are experiencing. Foreign schools have increased their competition with their American counterparts, and some foreign governments have decreased the amount of financial aid they give to their students studying abroad. However, immigration lawyers and school administrators state that President Trump’s immigration policies are making it more difficult for foreigners who want to go to school here. Those who do apply face tougher scrutiny than ever before. The State Department issued 393,573 student (F-1) visas during the year that ended September 30, 2017. This was down 17% from the prior year, and almost 40% from 2015, which was the year with the highest number of F-1 visas issued. This decrease was seen most clearly among Indian students, with a 28% drop from last year. Indian students represent the second largest population of foreign students at US colleges. China, which sends the largest number of its students to US colleges, experienced a 24% drop in visas. However, much of this decrease goes back to a 2014 change in visa terms for Chinese students. Rather than issuing 1-year visas, Chinese students now get 5-year visas. This means that although there are fewer students renewing their visas, there may not be fewer students. If the decrease in Chinese student visas is not included in the calculation, the total drop in visas from 2016 to 2017 was 13%. Colleges and universities like having foreign students on their campuses. They say that these students help make the college experience more culturally diverse for all of their students. Foreign students also assist the schools’ bottom lines. Nonresident students can pay three times as much as local students at public universities. However, some American students complain that non-US students not only take their places at colleges, but also later take their jobs. One of President Trump’s campaign promises was to protect American workers. His administration is looking more closely at employment visas and has promised to curtail a program that allows non-US students to work here right after graduation. The State Department has a “renewed emphasis” on being sure that students plan to return to their home country after graduating from US institutions. This change can be seen in the Foreign Affairs Manual, which advises consular officials who are evaluating visa applications. More lenient language for dealing with student applications was taken out last year. According to State Department spokeswoman Ashley Garrius, “The president’s mandate requires us to rigorously enforce all existing grounds of inadmissibility and to ensure subsequent compliance with related laws after admission.” Although the “fundamental policy has not changed,” schools state that they are seeing a difference. Indian matriculation at Kent State University this term is 265, down from 1,017 in spring 2016. University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Indian enrollment fell from 1,494 in 2015 to 894 this year. The loss of these full-tuition paying students is causing many schools to reexamine their budgets and their international strategies. They are looking to recruit in more places, rather than depending on India and China to fill their spots. US schools are also facing increased competition in other countries. China has put a lot of money into its own schools recently, trying to keep their students at home. Canadian schools are successfully recruiting foreign students – the University of Toronto’s foreign enrollment is up almost 14% from last year. According to Jake Elsen of Navitas, which helps foreign students matriculate to US schools, “There’s greater competition from other countries,” and that this is “compounded by the perception that the US does not value diversity.” Check out Accepted’s Admissions Consulting Services to work one-on-one with your own dedicated advisor. Get the expert advice you need to create an admissions strategy and application that will get you ACCEPTED – no matter where you are and no matter where you’re going!   Related Resources: • Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions, a free guide • English Language Skills & Your MBA Admissions Profile • 10 Tips and Tricks for Acing the IELTS Tags: College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions The post Is Drop in Foreign Student Visas Due to Trump’s Immigration Policy? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
25 Mar 2018, 09:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBA Admissions Advice for Career Changers |
  As an IT consultant, how do you know equity research is the right career for you? How do you know you can handle the hours, the more Darwinian industry and company culture, the stress of having a pivotal impact on huge investment decisions? If you are an MBA applicant pursuing a career change, then you will have an extra challenge: you will need to demonstrate that you understand the new industry and/or function in practical terms. After all, you may genuinely be fascinated by equity research and even have much to contribute to the field but still not fit in with that industry’s culture. You must go beyond expressing sincere interest, and make a logical case for your career goals. You must show that you understand your chosen industry or function “from the inside.” Failure to do so will undermine the credibility of your goals. The goals essay (or in some applications, a shorter goals statement in the online form) is the heart of that effort. You’ll need to explain how you plan to achieve your goals – the actual steps you will take. Here are seven pointers for using your goals essay or statement to show that you know exactly what you are doing in making the decision to change career direction. Note that all applications differ, and may offer more or less opportunity to implement these tips. 1. Show the natural progression and evolution of your change in career. To make the change seem as natural as the sunrise, tell the “story” of your motivation and evolving understanding of the field or function. For example, if you are an IT consultant seeking to become an investment research analyst, then you can talk about how interacting with people in different functions at client companies helped you discover how intrigued you were by the financial factors shaping not just IT decisions but overall strategy development. Describe your developing awareness and interest, detailing some of the more illuminating interactions. 2. Show that you understand the day-to-day reality of your desired industry or function. Interactions with people such as those noted above are one way. You may also do informational interviews, audit courses, and read industry publications. Clarify in your essay your proactive efforts to understand the field and the insights you gain from these efforts. 3. Openly address challenges and obstacles you expect to face as a newcomer to the field, and how you plan to handle them. This further demonstrates knowledge of the field or function and also your maturity and objectivity. It also enhances the adcom’s confidence that you can indeed make this change. 4. Demonstrate that you have the skills to make this change. No doubt your current work has honed skills and provided knowledge that will be beneficial in your future career. For example, as an IT consultant, you may have developed communication skills in obtaining information from the client, which will help you draw information from company management as an equity analyst. In addition, your quantitative skills from engineering will apply. Presenting concrete examples of your skills and knowledge applicable to your chosen field underscores both your preparation for the role and understanding of its demands. 5. Highlight how your background is an asset. You can likely argue that your “different” background will enable you to make a greater contribution in your new role. The IT consultant brings a deep understanding of real-world technology deployment that will facilitate analysis of a company’s true value and potential for continued success. Delineate such benefits, ideally supported by a concrete example or two. 6. Get the adcom “fired up” about your plans by articulating a vision for your goal. This means clarifying something you want to accomplish or contribute during your career, and the impact you hope to have. For the IT consultant, it could be, “integrating deep technology know-how into the evaluation of all companies.” 7. Solidify your message by effectively using the “why this school” part of the essay question. Ideally, your MBA studies will serve as a bridge to take you from where you are to where you want to be. Identify key learning needs for your new career, which will further strengthen the impression that you understand its realities and demands. Describe through specific details how the program under discussion will become that bridge. As a career changer, you face certain obstacles in your MBA strategy and application. On the other hand, you likely have an interesting story to tell about your goals. Use that story to make your plans seem like the most inevitable, natural thing in the world. View our MBA Admissions Services to learn how we can help you reflect on your experiences, select the anecdotes that best portray your singular self, and weave them into compelling essays that grab admissions committees’ attention, ultimately helping you gain admission to the best MBA program for you and making that career change.  Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 15+ years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • From Example to Exemplary, a free guide to writing excellent admissions essays • From Wall St to Wharton, While Starting Wall Street Oasis, a podcast episode • 3 Tips for Highlighting Your Strengths in Your Application Essays Tags: MBA Admissions The post MBA Admissions Advice for Career Changers appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
26 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 3 Key Ways to Stand Out Through Your EMBA Essays |
  This is the sixth post in our Ace the EMBA series on how to apply successfully to a top executive MBA program. After demonstrating that you’re a well qualified applicant comes the biggest challenge: differentiating yourself. You must show your uniqueness and value as an individual and as an applicant in a way that is relevant to the EMBA program. Essentially, you’re giving the adcom the reason to select you out of other highly qualified, accomplished peers in similar industry, functional, and demographic groups. While some differentiating factors might be apparent from your resume, e.g., if you work in an industry or function that is relatively underrepresented, the essays are where you can most vividly portray your distinctiveness. There are three key avenues for differentiating yourself: 1. Distinctive Factual Points These are the unique facts of your experience, such as industry niche, pertinent experience like managing through a global merger, special challenges like dealing with heavily regulated industries or an unusual organizational structure. How to determine whether an aspect of your experience is a differentiating factor? Dig past the top soil. For example, say you are in consulting. It’s likely in any top EMBA program that a good percentage of students will come from that industry, and so it may not seem like much of a differentiator. But going deeper into your consulting experience for the specifics – e.g., you consult on IT strategy for the defense sector – you’ll likely find details that are differentiating, whereas general management consulting would not be. To get the most mileage out of a differentiating factor, don’t just state the fact in your essays, but also provide illustrative detail and anecdote to truly show what is special and different about it (let the reader really see it). 2. Your Individual Perspective Individual perspective is a way that everyone can differentiate himself. In most essays you will have to reflect on your experiences to some extent. When doing so, don’t just highlight the facts and accomplishments – identify the key learning, growth, and/or insight you gained from each change or important event; clarify your decision process when taking career steps. This individual view is inherently unique, even if the experience you are describing may seem commonplace. Do keep such perspective relevant; for maximum impact, it should align with your decision making vis-à-vis your career path and/or goals. So be selective in adding insights, learning, etc. according to that criterion. In the essays, you can either weave this individual perspective and insight into the narrative, or present the narrative and then add a paragraph focusing on your reflection. 3. Your Goals The goals essay will be the backbone of your application. (Rather than a specific goals essay, some EMBA applications feature a Statement of Purpose or Statement of Intent, which typically will also include some goals discussion.) For each phase of your goals, in the essay you should discuss: a. What you expect to do at that level b. How you hope to grow c. Most important – what you hope to accomplish (for the company and/or industry and/or market and/or consumers and/or community, etc. – this is about external, real-world impact) Of course, the points above are not completely separated in reality; but they all should be addressed. The last point is most important because it’s what will get the adcom rooting for you. Provide specifics: titles or positions, specific markets, likely number of people to manage, budget size or P&L responsibility, etc. Also describe how this particular step builds on your previous experience. How do you make your goals do “extra duty” by differentiating you? Through the vision for what you want to achieve, what impact you want to have – it goes back to that last point c above. While other candidates will likely present similar goals, only you will present this specific vision. For example, if your goal is to become a senior manager at a major pharmaceutical firm, don’t just explain why this a logical and likely step. Get the reader excited about the prospect of your taking this role. Perhaps you perceive certain trends in the regulatory systems or certain production opportunities in developing regions… Being a decision-maker addressing such issues will allow you to maximize chances for your company to continue innovating and marketing new drugs. In summary, for effective goals essays, keep three short words in mind: what, how, and why. Do you need help applying to your target EMBA programs, efficiently and successfully? Work one-on-one with an EMBA admissions expert for comprehensive application assistance. It’s time to get you ACCEPTED! View our EMBA services here. Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 15+ years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Fitting in & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions, a free guide • Make Your Work Experience Work For You, a free guide • Excellent Executive MBA Admissions Advice, a podcast episode Tags: MBA Admissions The post 3 Key Ways to Stand Out Through Your EMBA Essays appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
27 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: An Interview with Dartmouth Tuck's Admissions Director, Luke Pena |
  It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on AST, Luke Pena, Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Luke earned his bachelors in PR and business at USC in 2006 and cut his admissions teeth at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication. He subsequently earned a joint MBA/MA in Education at Stanford GSB and joined the GSB’s admissions staff in July 2012 as an Associate Director of MBA Admissions. He rose to Director of MBA Admissions in October 2015 and moved to Hanover, New Hampshire to become Tuck’s Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid in July 2017. For those listeners who aren’t that familiar with Tuck’s program, can you give an overview of it, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [1:36] I’d love to start with the mission of the school, which is to educate wise leaders who better the world of business. This emphasis on wisdom is integral to the fabric of Tuck. Wisdom encompasses essential aptitudes of confident humility, empathy, and judgment. These aptitudes align with our core values of being personal, connected, and transformative. Confident humility requires students to bring their full sense of self to the community, empathy requires sharing your breadth and depth with other practitioners of leadership and embracing their perspective, and good judgment is fundamental to transformation. On a practical level, Tuck builds a distinctly immersive learning community with our scale, focus, and place. Our scale is deliberate, with 285 classmates, all of whom know you, challenge you, and support you. Our focus is the fulltime MBA program – we don’t have other masters or PhD programs. The two-year, fulltime program is it, so the focus is on you, from faculty, alums, and visiting execs. Hanover is the place, which offers the opportunity to wholeheartedly immersion, away from the distractions of a major market, which we think is integral to successful transformation into a wise leader. Tuck’s mission is to “educate wise leaders to better the world of business.” What are “wise leaders,” what does Tuck mean by “bettering the world of business,” and why limit it to business? [4:32] “Better” is deliberate and intentional, and it means achieving superior outcomes by practicing the aptitudes of wise leadership. It encompasses not only the what, but the how, leading with an orientation towards both results and values. Within the community here, the “better the world” piece means doing well by doing good. We believe that as our global economy continues to become more dynamic and more diverse, the call for wise, values-driven leaders, the kind Tuck creates, will continue to grow louder. With your specific question about “business,” we are a business school, a management program, and while we believe the business sector is increasingly being called upon to exert leadership in all different kinds of industries and career paths, at the core of what we do is train leaders and managers who impact the world through business. Any advice for Tuck’s essay questions, specifically #2 about wise leadership? [6:11] There is a belief that essays all by themselves will swing the admissions decision, and I just don’t find that. What really makes a good essay to me is one that provides more value to you than it does to us, allowing you to reflect deeply on the direction of your life, and how a Tuck MBA helps you get there. I see it as a tremendous opportunity to state your case to the school and to make sense of what the common thread in your past, present, and future is, which better prepares you to benefit from business school. What you share in the essays helps us assess how you will contribute to the community. On the margin we will always lean in the direction of the candidate who shows the greatest alignment with our mission and values. With that context said, the first essay question asks about your short and long term goals and why Tuck, and I’m interested in your response, but also believe it’s table stakes in the application process, and I hope all of you who apply to Tuck find the ability to articulate that without much difficulty. I am much more interested in the second essay you mentioned, the wise leadership one. This essay asks you to draw a connection between your experience and the Tuck mission, which is very powerful to me. My advice for this essay is to focus on confident humility, which requires awareness and acknowledgment of what you know and what you don’t know and where you have room to grow. The best ones also show personal learning — where you turned the corner not just on what to do next time, but also learned about yourself in the process. What are some of the most exciting developments at Tuck that have occurred since you arrived last summer? [10:59] The resonance of the mission is exciting and invigorating, not just for those of us here every day, but also for our global alumni, who are giving voice to our mission. The most impactful manifestation of this alumni support is the very generous $15M gift from one of our most active and distinguished alums, Paul Raether. For someone like Paul, who is very discerning, to choose to entrust the school with a gift of this magnitude reaffirms we are taking the right steps to cultivate a world of wise business leaders, and reflects how strongly this orientation is resonating with our community across the world. In practical terms, what does this gift mean for students and applicants to Tuck? Do you see the money being used for larger scholarships or smaller scholarships for more students? [12:55] Paul’s gift goes directly to the scholarship budget. Scholarships are key to our ability to attract and enroll students from diverse backgrounds who without funding would not be able to attend Tuck. So we see gifts such as Paul’s helping to make a Tuck education more accessible to more students, and gives us more flexibility to welcome into the community those who possess the greatest potential to lead. In terms of practical impact, our school budget will materially increase in the coming years, so we will have greater resources to minimize financial barriers. No one who wants to be at the Tuck School and aligns with our mission of wise leadership should ever have to decline an offer of admission due to financial constraints. Paul’s gift brings us closer to that day when everyone who wants to attend Tuck can afford to come here. What distinguishes applicants who get interview invitations from those who don’t, other than stats? [15:39] You don’t have to be invited to interview with us – you can do so before you even apply. We offer applicant-initiated interviews, which gives you the control of the schedule. That happens largely throughout the year, with the heaviest periods leading up to admissions deadlines, in September/October, December/January and March/April. They are available all year except in the summer. The overwhelming majority of interviews are done by our students, and over the summer they are out completing internships. Applicant-initiated interviews are a reflection of our commitment to being as applicant-friendly as we can, and we like to get you here onto Tuck campus because we see our campus and location as core strengths. We also are realistic, knowing that the likelihood of just passing through Hanover is not exceptionally high, so we like to use the interview as a way to get you here on campus before you apply. We understand that depending on your circumstances you might find it difficult to travel based on your location, cost, or schedule. We acknowledge that and don’t penalize you for it – we welcome you initiating an interview, but please don’t feel pressured to do so. If you don’t do that, we may elect to offer you an interview. Each individual evaluator is empowered to invite applicants to interview at the time of reading the application. The interview invitation is highly subjective, and is a positive sign – it means your candidacy is competitive and we want to learn more about you in hopes of admitting you. If invited by us, the options are to come to campus or complete an interview via Skype or other technology that is convenient for you. Everyone admitted to the Tuck School is interviewed, but not everyone interviewed is admitted, of course. For those concerned about Tuck’s location in terms of recruiting, can you address that concern? [20:59] Recruiting is a core part of the experience here and I understand concerns that people have. We have over 1,000 active recruiting relationships, and our Career Development Office (CDO) has built a team dedicated to sourcing jobs and working with students one on one. Another advantage of the scale of the school with 285 students is the level of attention you get, which I believe is unparalleled. Our career advisors help you choose which firms to look for jobs and put you in touch with recruiters at those firms. We have career coaches, and a robust alumni network, where the default assumed role for alums is to support recruiting efforts. Our CDO also takes students to opportunities. There is a career insights expedition to the west coast before first year classes start, and organized career treks across the US, with students going to Chicago, Boston, and New York for interview forums. We are taking you to where recruiters are located, and students are supporting one another, with over 80 second-year mentors supporting first-year job search. Some see our location as a challenge, others see it as a strength. Some recruiters come here just because they want Tuck students. Because of the nature of our location, they can’t come in for an hour or two and take off to go to another school across town, they are here immersing themselves in the community, hosting dinners with students and job seekers. The level of depth related to the job search with the career office and recruiters is a direct function of being in this immersive community. What have you observed that applicants just don’t get about Tuck? [24:50] We really strive to help applicants see the benefits of our location. Of course I am biased, but I truly believe that Tuck is the best business school located outside of a major metropolitan area, which means it is the best business school for an immersive experience. I believe it is very difficult to be transformed if not fully immersed. So if your goal for business school is to spend time in the city outside of school, I would challenge you on whether you really need business school at all. Our location allows students to deeply and meaningfully engage without the distractions and disruptions of a large city. What can those invited to interview expect during their day at Tuck? [29:16] Most interviews are conducted by second-year students. Our students are asking behavioral questions, and are looking for answers that are conversational and thoughtful. Students will be assessing how you will contribute to and thrive at Tuck, and we hope to see both in the conversation. My best piece of advice is to have lots and lots of normal human interaction. Our least favorite interviews are when applicants are over-prepared and stiffly recite talking points. Of course it is prudent to have Tuck MBA rationale handy, and professional examples, but it’s so much better to just have a natural conversation. While here you will sit in on a live class, and faculty will call on you to participate, so be prepared! You can attend a Q&A session with an admissions officer, and will have lunch with students. We also hope you will set aside free time to check out the Dartmouth campus and the upper valley surrounding Hanover. What advice do you have for applicants planning to submit an application for Tuck’s April 4 deadline? [32:33] It’s similar to my advice for any round – be human in every sense of the word. The students, faculty, and staff that thrive here are the ones that bring their full sense of self to the community – the strengths and deficiencies, highest ideals and aspirations, and our inadequacies and insecurities. If the successful student brings her full self to Tuck, it follows the successful applicant will bring her full self to the application. The application process is stressful, which is especially true in April when schools are constrained. If you are feeling stress and anxiety, accept it, embrace it. We strive to be accessible and transparent and innovate in ways that eliminate stress. When you do feel stress and anxiety in the process, try to reframe it, in that it reflects your investment in the process which will make you a better applicant. I would also say, relieve yourself of the pressure to stand out, which flies in the face of most of what you hear, but the applicant who stands out to me the most is the one who tries to stand out the least. I acknowledge it is natural to want to highlight all of your strengths and downplay the growth areas, but remember if you do, you are only revealing a portion of what will show up here, and we want to see it all. If you only show off your good side, our colleagues will wonder who the rest of you is. It comes back to confident humility. What advice would you give to someone thinking ahead to a Fall 2018 application? [36:41] Prepare. That sounds incredibly obvious and basic and simple, and yet it is incredible how easy it is to push off the prep for this process in light of everything else going on in your life. This application when done well takes time and effort, which we acknowledge and appreciate. It wasn’t all that many years ago I was going through this process myself, and I would like to think I still maintain empathy for the process. To the extent you feel comfortable planning backwards, build a plan that makes sense for you so you don’t add to the anxiety that already comes in this process. The other thing is take care of yourself. It is an anxiety and stress-filled process, so make sure you are approaching this with a healthy mentality, and stay connected with friends/family/loved ones – don’t let it block out everything else, approach it with a sense of balance. Also, do the work of how you are aligned up front. Understand how b-school communities are different and how they will position you to acquire different skills and networks. It saddens me a great deal when people apply to multiple schools and it’s obvious there was no thought put into why this school is the right one. It behooves you to get a sense of the value proposition. If you do that upfront you can save a lot of undue work by eliminating some schools that might not be a good fit for you. Can you touch on Tuck’s Early Decision program? [43:01] Our first round as it currently exists is really an early action program. Ours isn’t binding, and candidates are not required to accept our admission offer. This year the likelihood of admission was higher than in our other rounds. That fact gives me some pause – your admission to the Tuck School should depend on your ability to contribute and thrive at Tuck, and not be unduly impacted by the date which you happen to submit your application. I expect our admissions committee will actively strive to reduce the disparity across the admission rounds. Why would we do this? There are two arguments for the disparity which I don’t agree with. The first argument is that applicants have a stronger desire to attend Tuck in an early round. As I’ve already mentioned, we go beyond that in our evaluation of candidates. The second argument states that applicants who apply earlier are better qualified, and I don’t find that, either. I am stating here that I expect the disparity between the rounds will be reduced in the coming years. What’s an example of something entrepreneurial and really cool that a Tuck student or alum is doing? [46:32] Zippity Cars provides a subscription car care service, and was founded when two of our 2017 alums realized they had the exact same idea. A couple 2014 alums started a food truck called The Box modeled off of the student-run retail store, which means management for the food truck is handed down from class to class. The third one is Poshmark, founded by a 2005 graduate, and is the largest social marketplace for fashion, where anyone can buy or sell their wares via social application. The company was among the first to go mobile, so a true trailblazer. The founder credits Tuck for developing a healthy dose of delusion and reason which I think all entrepreneurs listening would agree is necessary. Immersion is a great setting for entrepreneurship. Prospective students often ask how it works at a place like Tuck, and I believe there is no better setting because the full immersion in the community and direct access to resources gives you an opportunity to refine your business model before getting ahead of yourself with fundraising. What are your plans for Tuck admissions going forward? Do you know if you are planning to change the essay questions for 2018-19? [50:21] Just eight months in, my current priority is still listening and more listening. I am still in the midst of my first evaluation cycle, so part of my journey is practicing confident humility, and acknowledging I bring great talents to the team but there’s a lot I don’t know yet. The Tuck School has existed for 118 years, so I must be confident enough to introduce my energy and spirit, and humble enough to know this place is bigger than me and anyone who sits in this chair. I will continue to listen to stakeholders and hear more and more about how this place is personal, connected, and transformative. That said, my vision is clear – it’s scale. What do I mean by that? We are not changing the size – 285 stays – but scaling the opportunity to share the personal, connected, and transformative experience all over the earth, and doing so without compromising the high touch applicant-friendly experience that defines our team and the Tuck School by extension. There are two strategic initiatives I’m focusing on: • Animate and empower our alumni and student ambassadors in new and exciting ways, so expect the Tuck School to offer more opportunities to directly engage with alums and students in major markets all over the world. • Innovate on the experience of applying to Tuck itself. I want applicants to receive their admission decision, and regardless of the outcome, I want them to say the Tuck application was the most enjoyable, most transparent, and least stressful b-school application around. Some of that has to do with what materials are being collected, and some with how and when we collect it. I think it is crazy that the b-school application process really hasn’t changed a whole lot in decades – we’ve just gone from paper to computer. You still are sending a fairly large portfolio of materials and then waiting and waiting, so I want us to think about how we can modernize and act as the rest of the world treats decision-making. We are in the early stages of exploration, but I am invigorated by the opportunity. We haven’t determined if essays will change, but if they do, I am certain they will continue assessing how applicants align with the mission and how they will contribute to and thrive at Tuck – these elements will increasingly be part of our assessment profile. Related Links: • Tuck MBA Admissions • Dartmouth Tuck MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines • Raether family donates $15 million to Tuck • Accepted MBA Admissions Services Related Shows: • Meet Duke Fuqua’s New MBA Admissions Director, Shari Hubert • Do You Fit With Cornell Johnson? • Building Your Consulting Career, and a Look Subscribe: Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, MBA Admissions The post An Interview with Dartmouth Tuck’s Admissions Director, Luke Pena [Episode 252] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
29 Mar 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Low GMAT Score? Don’t Panic…Yet. |
  Look at your scores in the context of a bigger picture. A low GMAT score or a low GPA is not necessarily an MBA deal breaker. No adcom is going to admit or dismiss a candidate based solely on one semester’s poor GPA or a low verbal GMAT score without also reflecting on other numbers as well as the rest of the non-quantitative parts of the applicant’s profile. Average numbers vary according to school, as well as numbers within your demographic group. You should examine each of these aspects and weigh the strengths and weaknesses in your application before you really start to worry. And if your stats are worth worrying about, then it’s time we get to work and address your concerns! How Low Can You Go? It Depends Certain numbers will be significant hurdles. Say, for instance, you have a GPA of 2.9 and your top choice MBA program’s GPA average is 3.5. In this case, your chances of acceptance have just taken a major hit. If, on the other hand, that same applicant applies to a b-school with a GPA average of 3.2, then he or she may have a chance of acceptance, provided the rest of the application is solid, or better yet, above average. Here’s another “it depends” situation: Overrepresented demographics – Indian engineers or investment bankers from overrepresented ethnicities – will have a harder time getting into a top MBA program than a corporate finance executive from an underrepresented background with the same stats. In such a case, a GMAT score in the lower part of the school’s 80% range and a GPA of 3.3 may be just too low for one person and just high enough for another. Your Score + Yourself = A Balancing Act You need to examine the details of your scores and reflect on them in the context of a bigger picture. Ask yourself these questions: • Is one score low, but balanced out by other higher numbers? Can you provide other evidence of academic ability? • Did your overall GPA improve as you matured through the college experience? • Do you have flawlessly-written, compelling essays that prove your strong writing and communication skills despite a somewhat lower-than-average GMAT verbal score? • Do you offer specific examples and anecdotes in your essays that highlight your quantitative skills, even though your GMAT quant scores weren’t as high as you’d like? • Do your recommenders vouch for your abilities—especially ones that the numbers don’t reveal? • Have you chosen schools that will view your scores as competitive? • Have you taken additional college courses in an attempt to boost your quant or verbal capabilities? • Have you written the optional essay to further boost your competitive edge? You need to assess and interpret how you’ll be perceived with such scores and numbers, and then develop an application strategy to address those issues. We have a wealth of experience working with our clients in choosing the right schools and putting together the best possible applications no matter the circumstances. Check out our admissions consulting services, and let us help you get Accepted!  Related Resources: • Applying to Business School With Low Stats: What You Need to Know, a free guide • Do Low Stats Sink Your App? • How Does Your GMAT Score Fit into the Holistic MBA Application Puzzle? Tags: MBA Admissions The post Low GMAT Score? Don’t Panic…Yet. appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
02 Apr 2018, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: You CAN Get into B-School with Low Stats! |
 Every year, MBA applicants call us to ask whether their profile is competitive at the schools they’re targeting. It’s a question we take seriously and address individually, because there are so many factors that impact competitiveness. We understand that deciding where to apply is crucial, and you have a lot riding on that decision: if you target the wrong schools, you could end up not getting in – and who wants to delay/deny that b-school dream? That’s why we’ve drawn on our experience of coaching thousands of applicants to b-school success in creating our info-packed webinar, Get Accepted to Top MBA Programs with Low Stats. Accepted’s founder, Linda Abraham, will show you how to evaluate your profile; how to understand the role of stats like your GPA and GMAT (and if they’re low for your target schools); how to mitigate low stats; and how to craft a successful application strategy based upon your unique profile. Don’t do it alone. Let us walk you through the process during our webinar, Get Accepted to Top MBA Programs with Low Stats. The webinar is free, but you must reserve your space – do it today! Register Now: Tags: MBA Admissions The post You CAN Get into B-School with Low Stats! appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
03 Apr 2018, 08:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 3 Tips for Handling a Low GMAT Quant Score |
  A low quant score on the GMAT (at the lower end of the school’s 80% range) is never good news, but it doesn’t equal immediate rejection. As I’ve mentioned in the past, no single score is scrutinized independently, but rather your entire profile is examined as a unified package. WWAS (What Would Adcom Say)? Interpret your scores as an adcom member would and ask yourself these questions: • Is the rest of your profile stellar? • Do you have solid grades in quant-related courses? • Is it possible that you’re just not great at standardized tests? • Is your score perhaps not so low for people in your demographic group? • Are you applying to schools where the average GMAT score is not far off from your lower-than-you-would’ve-wished score? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then you have a chance! 3 Steps to Despite-Low-Quant-GMAT Success The following 3 tips will help you overcome the odds and present a strong case of acceptance to a top b-school, despite your lower-than-desired quant stats. 1. Do more. Do better. You MUST improve your quantitative abilities or demonstrate that you have them in some other way. In b-school and in the business world at large, knowing how to crunch numbers is essential. You’ll need to act quickly to show you are equipped for a spot in their next b-school class. Enroll in a calculus, statistics, and/or accounting class at your local community college ASAP. Make sure you have the prerequisite skills; you will need to earn an A! If you have time, also take additional quant-oriented courses, like finance or economics. 2. Highlight your quant abilities In your admissions resume and essays, highlight quantitative aspects of your work to further demonstrate your quant proficiency. Use vivid details, examples, and anecdotes that will prove to the adcoms that your low quant score was a fluke, and that it’s clear to you and those who work with you that there are no quant problems here. 3. Let your recommenders get the job done Ask your recommenders to highlight your quantitative achievements as well. Having a respected third-party vouch for your skill will help you immensely. Remember, your scores don’t exist in a vacuum. With the right moves, you can overcome this weakness and still present a super strong MBA application. Speaking of right moves, working with our expert admissions consultants will guarantee you put your best foot forward. Be in touch today to learn more about our services. Related Resources: • Applying to Business School With Low Stats: What You Need to Know, a free guide • Applying to Business School With a Low GPA, a short video • Low GMAT Score? Don’t Panic…Yet. Tags: MBA Admissions The post 3 Tips for Handling a Low GMAT Quant Score appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
03 Apr 2018, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Encore - Everything You Need to Know About Your Grad School Application |
  This week we are airing an encore of one of our more popular podcasts this year, which is “Optimize Your Grad School Application.” It’s an excellent time to air this podcast, because many of you are looking ahead to apply this summer or fall. Reviewing the different moving parts of the grad school application, their purpose, and the tactics you can use to optimize each one will contribute to your success in the fall. I also want to take the time to invite you to a couple webinars we will be hosting in the coming weeks. 1. The first is for med school applicants, on April 10th at 4pm PST/7pm EST – “Create a Winning AMCAS Application,” presented by Accepted’s consultant Alicia McNease Nimonkar. It’s free, but you do need to register. 2. For MBA applicants, you are invited to, “Get Accepted to Top MBA Programs with Low Stats,” which I will present twice, on April 18th at 10am PST/1pm CST and at 5pm PST/8pm EST. Register for the webinar here. Click here for the full show notes. I assume many of you are taking spring break right now, and hope you are having a wonderful time and thank you as always for listening! Related Links: • Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions, a free guide • Round 3 vs Next Year: When should You Apply?, a recorded webinar • 10 Tips for Writing Letters of Recommendation • What if the President of the United States Wrote Your Letter of Recommendation? • Create a Winning AMCAS Application , a recorded webinar Related Shows: • Your Past Doesn’t Define You • 5 A’s for Your Low GPA • Focus on Fit • Stand Out! A Critical Goal for Your Application Subscribe:  Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions The post Encore – Everything You Need to Know About Your Grad School Application [Episode 253] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
08 Apr 2018, 09:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 3 Tips for Handling a Low GMAT Verbal Score |
  Recently, I talked about overcoming the challenge of a low GMAT quant score. Today we’ll discuss how to handle a less-than-perfect verbal GMAT score (in the bottom of the 80% range or lower for your target programs). With such a strong emphasis on teamwork and communication in business school (and for the rest of your life as a successful businessperson), it’s no wonder that stellar written and spoken verbal skills are essential for MBA students. Here are 3 things you can do if you’re worried that your low verbal score may interfere with your chances of acceptance: 1. Demonstrate the power of the written word You must construct expressive, flawlessly written essays. Maybe you couldn’t prove your verbal abilities with your test performance, but now’s your final opportunity to put your best verbal foot forward. Be sure to include examples and anecdotes that highlight your solid communication skills, so that you don’t just have well-written MBA application essays, but content that speaks to your verbal strengths as well. 2. Boost your verbal skills resume You can enroll in additional writing and/or communications courses at a local college (and earn A’s). This option is particularly important if you’ve received low grades in your college English courses in addition to scoring poorly on the GMAT. Public speaking clubs, debate teams, and other activities, roles, or events for which you’ve stepped up and proven your strong communication skills are all noteworthy items worth focusing on. 3. Reason with your recommenders You can ask your recommenders to comment positively on your written and verbal communication skills. While it might be a bit embarrassing to admit to your low score, you need to be honest with your recommenders if you want them to go to bat for you in this area. Since it is not necessarily the most natural topic to discuss in a recommendation, you need to give them the context for why you are asking them to focus on this particular aspect of you. No example is too small to use – emails, for example. Don’t run for the hills just yet! A low verbal GMAT score won’t banish you from b-school if you take strategic steps to build a rock-solid application, despite those pesky low numbers. And we can help. Check out our MBA admissions consulting services and work one-on-one with an advisor who will help you identify your verbal strengths and show you how to communicate them effectively in your applications.  Related Resources: • The GMAT: Low Scores, Retaking & Strategies for Success, a free webinar • Do Low Stats Sink Your App? • Low GMAT Score? Don’t Panic…Yet. Tags: MBA Admissions The post 3 Tips for Handling a Low GMAT Verbal Score appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
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