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26 Mar 2019, 09:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: E-GMAT: A New and Better Approach to GMAT Prep |
 Interview with Rajat Sadana & Payal Tandon, Co-Founders of e-GMAT [Show Summary] Do you need to prep for the GMAT? Dreading having to go to class? Unsure about online test prep? Our guests today are GMAT online test prep experts. We’ll be speaking with the co-founders and CEO and COO of e-GMAT, the GMAT prep company that has 1,818 reviews on GMAT Club and a 4.7/5 rating. An inside look at e-GMAT: The innovative test prep company that MBA applicants are raving about [Show Notes] Our guests, Rajat Sadana and Payal Tandon are the co-founders of e-GMAT, which they started in 2010. Today they are also CEO and COO respectively of e-GMAT, which has 1,818 reviews on GMAT Club as of 2/19 when I prepared for the podcast, and most are 5 stars. Rajat and Payal, how did you get involved with GMAT test prep? [2:10] We were very fortunate as kids to have had great educations. We both had personalized attention and were provided the opportunity to learn anything we wanted to learn. We are technologists at heart and realized that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a private tutor, so we wondered if we could provide instruction similar to a private tutor but at the price of a book. The idea was to build a learning platform to provide this private-tutor-like instruction, and we had to start with something. With the GMAT there was clear demand, and we felt we could carve a niche. Our engineering background was key. We came at it from an ed-tech perspective as opposed to a GMAT perspective. There are lots of test prep companies out there? What does e-GMAT bring to the marketplace that it previously lacked? [6:25] The existing learning architectures were book-based or private tutor-based. For online courses, you learn a bunch of concepts, but there is no feedback on how well you’ve learned. A few people can excel in this type of format and are able to build on the foundational work. Others continue to try and learn a few more times and many give up. What we wanted to do was provide immediate feedback when you are learning a concept. So, you learn a concept with a 10-15 minute video, and then take an embedded quiz. If you haven’t learned any aspect of the concept well enough, you get that feedback and try again. It is very structured. With each concept there are typically three different objectives to fulfill, and the quiz will test whether you know them all. If not, you go back and learn again and take the quiz again. An example of a concept to learn about is modifiers. The three objectives are to learn what a modifier is, whether it is serving the intent of modifying a noun or clause, and placement of the modifier. At the end of the concept you take a 5-7 question quiz. When you work with a private tutor they are able to tell you how to attack a problem step by step. When you make a mistake, they help you explicitly on where you made the mistake. With the other learning architectures you don’t learn where in the thought process you diverged from the correct answer. The goal of e-GMAT is to provide a private tutor experience at a more effective cost. How is e-GMAT structured in terms of its products? [13:30] We have two kinds of products that serve slightly different needs. We have an on-demand product for someone who needs a private tutor-like set up, but has enough discipline not to need to interact with another person. They want to be on their own to have flexibility to set their own study schedule and don’t want to be tied to a weekend schedule, which our live sessions are. 70% of our students do this. Then we have an instructor-led course, which provides accountability and live sessions to refine applications. Students have to study the material first and in the session the instructor reinforces the concepts. What happens when a student gets stuck, particularly in the online course? [17:30] We have a dedicated forum for every concept, which every student has access to. While watching the video, you can pause, post your situation/doubt and we will respond within one business day, but typically within about eight hours. When you are taking quizzes, our forums are even more modular, and you can look up posts related to each question by answer choices. You can filter forum choices and see what other students had doubts about. Can you discuss your guarantee? [20:39] We guarantee a 4-point improvement in verbal score, and 3-point improvement in quant score. We are very comfortable with this because the average improvement on verbal is typically 9 points, on quant is 7 points, and our refund rate is just 1%. What are your top GMAT prep tips? [23:48] The first thing is to create a milestone-driven study plan. There are so many students who just hope that they will put in effort and get the score they want, but you need to think of it as a project and make sure you have well-defined milestones. So if you want to get to a 730, evaluate where to aim. Spend time figuring out how you will get to the score, and set milestones for each aspect – algebra, geometry, reading comprehension, etc. The GMAT is a very logical test, so when you think of a 720 score you could get it with a Q50 and V38, and another combination is Q48 and V40. Question which one is right for you. If you choose the Q48, how will you get there? Evaluate your starting and ending abilities. Make sure you allocate enough time to achieve your milestones. For every 10-point improvement on the test, we recommend 8-10 hours of study. So if you are starting with a 600 and want a 700, you will need to put in about 80-100 hours of study. Question where you need to spend it, and decide that based on your starting and ending scores. How do you split your time in verbal? You don’t have to get to the same level of expertise in each section, it depends on your innate capabilities and milestone goals. At the end of the day treat GMAT study as a project, prioritize, and spend time to get those returns. The latest thing we have created is an online milestone-driven study plan that will calculate milestones to go for, and will be available to anyone. You spend five minutes, input the number of hours you will spend studying on a daily basis and when you plan to take the exam, and it will show how your score will improve. It gives you a neat calendar view. What do you see in your crystal ball for e-GMAT? [32:40] The principle for us of course is to provide private-tutor based instruction. Going forward we have made drastic changes to the architecture which will get to 80-90% of what private tutors can provide. Logical verticals for us to go into are the GRE, LSAT, etc., but we want to make sure our product is perfect before we take the technology and replicate it with other tests. Soon we will provide our own mock quizzes. We don’t currently offer our own mock tests, but we will, and reporting and insights you get will be beyond what you get for other forms of GMAT prep. What would you have liked me to ask that I didn’t ask? [36:07] When we started this business, we started with a focus on internationals and English as a Second Language applicants, and serving that niche. Since then we have invested and expanded product offerings and 30% of our customers are native-born English speakers, as opposed to the international population. Remember that balancing GMAT study with a professional career gives you a glimpse of what your life will be like in business school, so it’s the opportunity to work on time management, managing relationships, etc.  Related Links: • e-GMAT • Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats • GMAT Prep Tips • GMAT Prep Planner • MBA Admissions Consulting Services Related Shows: • HEC Paris MBA: Excellence, Diversity, and Community • Exploring London Business School’s Master’s in Analytics and Management • What’s New at INSEAD? • Innovative Education in NYC: All About Cornell Tech • The Interviewer Becomes the Interviewee Subscribe:   Podcast Feed  Tags: MBA Admissions The post E-GMAT: A New and Better Approach to GMAT Prep [Episode 304] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
28 Mar 2019, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Share Your Experience. Take This Survey |
 Have you been accepted to b-school? Do you want to win $500? Help others get to where you’ve gotten by sharing your experiences in the 2019 AIGAC survey. This survey is for applicants who have been admitted to one or more business schools that start Aug./Sept. 2019. Your survey results will help everyone involved in the admissions process – from the business schools themselves to consultants like us to applicants like you. You can read more about AIGAC (Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants) and this survey here. Do your part to help out those around you by taking this survey by March 31st – plus, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win $500!   Tags: MBA Admissions The post Share Your Experience. Take This Survey appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
29 Mar 2019, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: How to Apply to B-School with a Low GPA |
 Not proud of your undergraduate GPA? Concerned it may ruin your chances of getting into a top MBA program? It’s time to tackle this issue head-on and create a plan for successfully applying to business school with a low GPA. What defines a low GPA? Maybe you’re a perfectionist and you’re bummed about your 3.9 GPA, so let’s be clear about what “low” really means. First, please – if your GPA is more than 3.7, you’re FINE (in this area at least). Save your worry-energy for something else. For our purposes, a low GPA is:
Both of these definitions require you to look at your numbers relative to those of the schools that you are targeting. So if you have a 3.2, and the average GPA of the entering class is a 3.2, then you do not have a low GPA. However, if you have a 3.2 and the school you are aiming for has an average GPA for accepted students of 3.6, then all of a sudden your average 3.2 GPA transforms into a low 3.2 GPA. Analyze your GPA: 5 questions to ask yourself Put your GPA into perspective by asking yourself these questions:
Addressing your low GPA: Let’s get to work Your goal will be to convince the adcom that your GPA isn’t an accurate reflection of your abilities and that you’re capable of much, much more. Here’s what you need to do.
How to Provide Context for Your Low GPA in Your Optional Essay Use the optional essay to provide context to your GPA, showing that whatever contributed to your poor performance is either not a factor in your life anymore or is something that you’ve learned how to deal with so that it doesn’t affect your performance any longer. Whatever your reasons may be (extenuating circumstances or circumstances totally beyond your control), explain the situation in a straightforward, honest manner. For real mistakes that you’ve made, fess up, take responsibility for your actions, and indicate that you are a changed person who has learned lots and moved forward. But no whining please! Keep in mind: B-school admissions is a holistic process MBA admissions is about much more than your GPA. You cannot look at any single number and focus exclusively on it, especially once you weigh in the circumstances that led to your low GPA and the trending direction of your GPA. Your GPA also doesn’t at all reflect the impact of your diversity and non-academic experiences – important factors taken into consideration by adcom members. When you are admitted to b-school (or rejected, for that matter), it is due to the complete package, the holistic sum of all your parts. Yes, your GPA is extremely important, and you’d be unwise to think otherwise – but it’s not the be-all and end-all of your admissions profile. Work hard, demonstrate your academic abilities in other ways, and prove to the adcom that you’re ready to hit the books and ace the heck out of b-school. Do you need help evaluating your profile, deciphering your stats, and creating a strong MBA application strategy? Our admissions advisors have worked with thousands of applicants and know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to every aspect of the admissions process. Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services and work one-on-one with your personal advisor who will help you get ACCEPTED. Related Resources: • Applying to Business School With Low Stats: What You Need to Know, a free guide • Applying to Top MBA Programs with a Low GPA, a short video • Top 10 or Bust: Dispelling 2 MBA Myths Tags: MBA Admissions The post How to Apply to B-School with a Low GPA appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
01 Apr 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Do MBA Rankings Matter? |
 You’ve defined your goals and assessed your qualifications. Now it’s time to move on to the program research stage of the MBA admissions process. There is a sea of information out there: rankings, books, MBA program websites, MBA fairs, Poets & Quants, student and adcom blogs, school open houses, your neighbor’s sister’s boyfriend’s dad – the list goes on and on. Where do the rankings fit in? If you’ve read our blog, attended our webinars, read our admissions guides, etc., you know we caution against relying exclusively and uncritically on rankings to decide where to apply (so that means no “I’m just going to apply to the top 5”). Well, here we’re going to suggest the opposite: use the rankings…at the beginning of this research phase, because they are helpful at the start. But don’t stop with the rankings. 6 steps to using the rankings to your advantage Below you’ll find 6 key steps for doing MBA program research in a way that a) yields meaningful info for decision-making and list-making, and b) is efficient and focused – conserving and respecting your precious time. Step 1: Look at rankings With your competitive profile in mind, look at several broad MBA rankings. Determine what levels/ranges of programs for which you’re competitive generally (taking into account reasonable reaches, on-pars, and maybe safeties). Note the plural – rankings – as each has its idiosyncrasies (U.S. News,Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, etc.). Sometimes a program will be below or above your target competitive range, but it still might make sense to apply for some reason (in the following steps you’ll gain the additional info needed to make this decision). Step 2: Talk to people At this point it’s good to start talking to people with MBA experience – colleagues, friends, mentors, etc. – and add a qualitative dimension to the above step. Ask about their impressions and experiences, and assess how their views align (or not) with what you gleaned from the rankings vis-à-vis competitive fit.  Step 3: Search industry/function-specific rankings Research industry- and/or function-specific rankings in your area(s) of interest. Identify programs from these rankings that overlap with those from Step 1 (and factoring in any learning from Step 2). There may be programs in your competitive range that do meet your academic needs but don’t show up on specialization rankings (e.g., Kellogg isn’t known as a finance school but offers much in this area and might be great for someone in PE who will be doing a lot of managing; Columbia doesn’t often appear on entrepreneurship rankings but is quite strong in it). So indulge in some unstructured exploring, to “see what you might see.” Step 4: Start digging deeper Go to the source – the websites of programs that interest you. Look for specifics that you care about (structure of curriculum, flexibility, appealing concentrations, students from a given industry or geographic region, placement strengths, etc.). Listen to your gut as well as your objective response; does it feel like a good fit? Remember, you can keep the rankings info in mind as you look deeper into your target programs. For example, check the schools’ average GMAT and GRE scores – are your scores within range? Step 5: Go to MBA fairs and visit schools What better way to understand your fit with a school than to see the students, professors, and administrators in action? You will get the most out of MBA fairs and school information sessions at this point in your research, after you already have a good idea of what each program offers and how you’d fit in competitively. If you can swing it, a school visit will really help you get the vibe of the schools you’re considering. A school may seem perfect to you on paper, but if you step on campus and feel like a fish out of water, you may disqualify the program (though, be sure you’re giving it a fair chance). On the other hand, if you visit a school that you were iffy about and immediately “click” with the school, that’s a great sign that a program that may not have seemed like “the one” should become a top contender. Step 6 – Put the puzzle pieces together You’re narrowing and refining a list. Now it’s time to focus more on adcom and student blog posts, searching the web for articles and information, and attending school information sessions, and of course, continuing to talk to people with MBA program experience and insight. You should now have a finalized or near-finalized list of programs to apply to. You can continue refining the list and deciding on other programs to add later. NOTE: This is a guideline, not a rigid process. Always stay open to discovery – maybe you’ll come across a school in a blog or a respected colleague suggests a program you hadn’t considered. Maybe you thought you wanted to stay in the U.S. but were seduced by INSEAD… Who doesn’t love a pleasant surprise? 4 ways you should NOT use the MBA rankings The most important thing you need to remember is that while the rankings are useful, they do not offer you a complete picture. So now I’d like to present you with the other side of the story – the rankings’ limitations. Blinding yourself to the rankings’ flaws could lead to an expensive, time-consuming mistake: choosing the wrong MBA program for you.
Do you need help discovering the MBA programs that are the best fit for you, or assistance on any other element of the application process? Review our MBA Admissions Services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will help you get ACCEPTED.  Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 20 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: • Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One, a free guide • Are You a Competitive Applicant at Your Dream School?, check out Accepted’s MBA Selectivity Index • 3 Ways to Determine Which B-Schools Are a Good Fit for You Tags: MBA Admissions The post Do MBA Rankings Matter? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
03 Apr 2019, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBA Admissions Tip: Dealing with a Low GPA |
 You want to apply to business school but are worried about your lower-than-ideal GPA. Don’t worry – it’s NOT the end of the world! Explaining a low GPA can be difficult, but it can be done. The first thing you need to do is examine your GPA’s trend. Once you understand this, you’ll have an easier time explaining to the MBA admissions committee what happened. 3 GPA trend scenarios
If you’re like the student in Scenario A, then you don’t really have too much to worry about (unless you’re applying to a top MBA program for which a 3.0 GPA is a significant hurdle). Many students early in their college careers have a couple of bad semesters because of immaturity. Your grades went up, proving your capabilities and your increased maturity. If you’re more like Scenario B’s student, then you may be in more of a bind. You’ve proved your abilities by acing those first few semesters, but why the dramatic downturn? Did things get too difficult for you? Do you have trouble performing under pressure? Or do you just not care about improving and perfecting your academic capabilities? The problem of mediocrity looms over you if you’re like our Scenario C student. You will need to prove your skill level if you want to be considered for a spot in the next MBA class. Recovery plans for each scenario
Of course many of you will not be like Students A, B, or C. Your grade-dive may have resulted from illness or family crisis or circumstances beyond your control. Or perhaps steady, mediocre grades resulted from your working 20-30 hours per week to support yourself through school. There are many other scenarios too. The key is to prove that today you have the ability to excel in your target MBA programs and that the circumstances that contributed to the poor marks in college no longer affect you. Moral of the story: A single low number can be explained or put in a less damaging context with hard work and a solid application strategy. And the consultants at Accepted CAN HELP. Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting Services to learn more about how we can guide you to acceptance at your target b-school, even with that imperfect GAP! Related Resources: • Navigate the MBA Maze, a free guide • 5 A’s for Your Low GPA, a podcast episode • How to Apply to B-School with a Low GPA Tags: MBA Admissions The post MBA Admissions Tip: Dealing with a Low GPA appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
05 Apr 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Can You Improve Your B-School Stats In 1 Hour? |
 Well, maybe you can’t literally change your numbers – but here’s what an hour of your time can do: You can learn how to understand your stats and their significance for your application, and also (most importantly!) learn how to mitigate low stats in your MBA applications. It’s understandable that your GPA and GMAT score could induce anxiety – we get that. We know that the application process is hard as it is, especially if you’re dealing with low stats. That’s why we’ve created How to Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats, a webinar that addresses precisely these concerns. Accepted’s founder, Linda Abraham, will show you how to decipher your profile strategically so that you can mitigate weaknesses, emphasize strengths, and get accepted. There’s still time to register for How to Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats – reserve your spot now! Reserve Your Spot: Tags: MBA Admissions The post Can You Improve Your B-School Stats In 1 Hour? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
08 Apr 2019, 08:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: How MBA Adcoms Evaluate Your GPA |
 “But my undergrad school was highly competitive…” “But I worked 20 hours a week during college…” “But I was a varsity athlete at a Division I school…” “But even though it took me a couple of years, once I got it together I made dean’s list every semester…” “But my PhD GPA was 3.9…” These are the fretful “buts…” of MBA applicants who fear their applications will be doomed by a poor undergraduate GPA. Behind every GPA is a story. Often it’s a story that arouses frustration, confusion, uncertainty, and even anguish on the part of applicants. Your undergraduate GPA is important – this is true – but adcoms view your GPA (like the rest of the application) holistically. And this isn’t just how they view low GPAs, but how they view all GPAs. How your GPA fits into the MBA application puzzle First, no matter how well or how poorly your GPA represents your actual ability, the adcom will consider it and take note of it when reviewing your application. You cannot, by convincing explanations or subsequent courses, erase a low undergrad GPA from adcom consideration, but you can work to mitigate it, sometimes substantially. Second, the adcom will examine the context of your GPA. They can see some aspects of that context automatically when they look at your transcript (like rigor of courses and school), but for other contextual hints (like pneumonia during your sophomore year), you will need to state them directly, usually in an optional essay. They will see whether your GPA trends up (good) or down (a problem that might need explaining), and they will see from other areas of your application whether you were working during school and/or participated in a lot of activities, etc. Why the context of your GPA matters The admissions committee will draw some conclusions from this contextual review. Here are a few scenarios that could account for a low GPA and that you may want to draw attention to in an optional essay:
Part of your job in writing your application is to anticipate and envision the context the adcom sees for your GPA and fill in the gaps. For example, if an overabundance of activities undermined your grades, you can show in your essays how you subsequently learned to better manage your time while maintaining your vibrant community involvement. Moreover, good GPAs are not just given an “OK” from the adcom. They actually review your transcript. An otherwise strong GPA that has one C in your only quant course could raise an eyebrow. So could a GPA that starts very strong and trends down – even if it’s solid in aggregate. “Fixing” your undergraduate GPA through post-undergrad actions Post-undergrad efforts also shape the context of your undergrad GPA. A strong GMAT, demanding professional certifications, an “alternate transcript” of courses to demonstrate academic capability and counter a low undergrad GPA, and/or a strong grad school GPA all will help to mitigate a low GMAT – but again, they will not erase it from your profile. They will have other positive impacts though, such as showing commitment and maturity. Self-evaluating your GPA through the eyes of the adcom The adcoms’ use of context in evaluating GPA means ultimately there is no one formula applied. It’s nuanced, unique to the candidate, and qualitative. Try to see your GPA in their eyes to determine (a) if you need to provide context for your performance, (b) if you should take steps to mitigate your low GPA like additional courses, and (c) whether your GPA in its holistic context enhances your candidacy at a given school. Need help evaluating your admissions profile to determine what actions you need to take to boost your competitiveness? Need assistance creating an application that highlights your strengths and mitigates your weaknesses? Check out Accepted’s MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services to learn more about how our expert advisors can help you get ACCEPTED. Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 20 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: • MBA Action Plan: 6 Steps for the 6 Months Before You Apply, a free guide • Applying to Top MBA Programs with a Low GPA, a short video • How to Apply to B-School with a Low GPA Tags: MBA Admissions The post How MBA Adcoms Evaluate Your GPA appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
08 Apr 2019, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: NYU Stern’s New Online Masters in Quantitative Management |
 Merging two hot new programs — analytics and management — as well as online delivery so that you don’t need to leave the workforce, NYU Stern has created a new exciting entry in the master’s in management and data analytics space. Let’s learn about it from the Vice-Dean for Online Education at NYU Stern. Interview with Kim Corfman, vice dean for MBA programs and online learning at NYU Stern [Show Summary] In this interview with Dr. Kim Corman, Vice Dean of Online Learning at NYU Stern, she discusses Stern’s brand-new online option in graduate management education. Aimed at early-career applicants, the program merges two degrees in demand: data analytics and a master’s in management. NYU Stern’s new online master’s in quantitative management [Show Notes] Our guest today is Dr. Kim Corfman. She is a Professor of Marketing, NYU Stern’s Vice Dean for Online Learning, and Academic Director of Stern’s MBA in Fashion & Luxury. She has served previously as Vice Dean for MBA Programs, Academic Director of the Langone Part-Time MBA Program, and coordinator of the doctoral program in marketing. Needless to say she knows a ton about management education and NYU Stern, and as I mentioned, today we’re going to talk about Stern’s brand new MS in Quantitative Management. What is the Master’s in Quantitative Management at NYU Stern? Can you provide an overview? [2:10] The program is a combination of things we’ve never done before and is designed for a market need we didn’t feel was being met. It is for people without business degrees, and combines the business essentials (essentially MBA core courses) with an emphasis on analytics. It is designed to help professionals become more able to use data, which is very important to their professional success – how to ask for data, analyze it, and make decisions from it. It is online and you can attend from anywhere, with two short residential immersions each August, offering the chance to meet the cohort and do interactive face-to-face work. The program is lockstep and fits well with working professionals’ schedules, and can reach people all over the world. Business Analytics master’s programs have been mushrooming and the number of master’s in management programs have also increased. How did NYU Stern decide to combine analytics, management, and online in one distinctive program that a student can complete in 20 months. [4:11] We could have developed an online master’s in management, but are sensitive to the fact that most of our MBA students find the most benefit to their careers from more analytics than they thought they needed. It is critical everywhere and the new business essential. Any working professional has greater demands on their time, but our format makes it much easier to do. In a given week it is self-paced, with optional synchronous Q&A sessions with faculty, and various deliverables each week. I realize that an undergraduate degree in business is not a requirement for this program, but what kind of coursework are you looking for on applicant transcripts? [5:42] We are looking for people who know how to do well in whatever they have done in the past. They have taken courses that challenged them and have succeeded in them, and who know why they are taking this program. We take people with backgrounds in social science, liberal arts, natural science, engineering, everything. We don’t require quantitative coursework per se, but applicants do have to take the GMAT, so a quantitative assessment is part of the process. What else are you looking for in the admissions process? [6:45] Applicants who know why they are doing this, and that it fits with their objectives. We also want good community members. While this program is online it has the same needs – students are working in virtual teams throughout the program. On the Stern website, the MSQM is listed as an “early career program.” Can you define that? Is relevant work experience optional? What is the maximum amount of work experience that you would consider? [8:16] We don’t require any work experience. We are open to applicants who have just graduated from college and even with no internships. No academic or professional background is required, but a plan is important. It may be someone who wants a business career but doesn’t have one yet, or someone in an entry-level job that needs the business basics and has an appreciation for the importance of using data. There is no maximum amount of experience but the program is definitely not for mid-career or more senior professionals. Can you describe the application process for the MSQM? [10:18] It is much like the application process for the MBA. We ask about academic background and professional background. There is one essay where we ask about the applicant’s career plan and how the program fits into that. We have an optional essay for anything additional the applicant feels is important to tell us, and a recommendation. Some applicants are invited to interview if we are not 100% sure if they would be a good fit, but most are admitted without an interview. Interviews can be done online or in person. How does the MSQM differ from an MBA with a focus on analytics or NYU Stern’s MS in Business Analytics for Experienced professionals? [11:57] Our MBA students all have work experience, take the same core, essentially, with a few additional courses that are electives. The MSQM is lockstep so has no electives, which is a big difference. If someone wants to explore additional functional areas like finance or marketing they will not have the opportunity to do that beyond the core course. The MSQM is also half the number of credits. What if an MSQM student or graduate decides they want an MBA? Will Stern give them credit for their MSQM coursework? [13:00] They can’t get credit if they have already been granted the degree, which is a rule we are stuck with. However, if they want to make the transition to the part-time MBA program before the MSQM is granted we will transfer all of their credits. This is why we made the application process so similar – we don’t want to admit people to the MSQM program whom we would not admit to the MBA program. What size do you anticipate for the inaugural class of 2020? What do you see going forward? [14:12] We are capping the first class at 50 to remain nimble. A smaller group means we can adjust on the fly if necessary. Ultimately we won’t have cohorts larger than 50 but may have multiple cohorts. Any discussion at NYU Stern about additional online degree programs? [14:40] We have five online certificate programs already and will develop more in the next year or so. In terms of an online MBA, it seems unlikely. We do have online content for pre-MBA content and online primers. At the time the show airs, the next and last application deadline will be May 15 for the inaugural class starting in August 2019. Any advice for those interested in the MSQM and starting in August? [15:53] Finish your application and get it in! What about those planning ahead to apply next year? How can they prepare? [16:51] Take the GMAT or GRE, and if you don’t like your score, take it again. We only take the highest score. Be thoughtful about your reasons for wanting to attend, and take time with your essay. If you don’t have a math background, taking some time to brush up would be helpful as it will really benefit you while in the program. What is the most exciting part of launching this program to you? [17:43] It is exciting to combine business, analytics, and online. It is also exciting that we have signed up faculty who are among the best at Stern, who are excited to go through the process of developing online courses. We have an in-house learning science lab with experts in edtech and an in-house studio, and we are producing all of these ourselves. It takes about three months to produce a course from start to finish, and it is interesting taking a learning objective and exploring the tools available to achieve them in an online setting. What is a frequently asked question about the program that surprised you since announcing the MSQM? [22:14] “Will it say online on my diploma and transcript?” It won’t, and the program will be just as good, and in some ways better, than a traditional program. Someday I hope “online” won’t imply “inferior.” Related Links: • NYU Stern MS in Quantitative Management • NYU Stern MBA Application Essay tips • Accepted’s Admissions Consulting Services Related Shows: • Exploring London Business School’s Master’s in Analytics and Management • Early Career Management and European MBA Programs with Jamie Wright • The Berkeley MFE: One Tough Program with Amazing Opportunities for Grads • UCLA’s MS in Business Analytics: Prep for the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century • MIT Sloan Master’s in Finance: How to Get In! Subscribe: Podcast Feed  Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Grad School Admissions, MBA Admissions The post NYU Stern’s New Online Masters in Quantitative Management [Episode 306] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
09 Apr 2019, 08:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: The Most Important Thing You Can Do This Week If You’re Worried About Your GMAT/GRE |
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Applying to b-school is a challenging process – all the more so if you have weaknesses in your profile, such as a low GPA or GMAT score. It’s important to have a strong application strategy and an understanding of the role that low stats play in the admissions process. There’s still time to sign up for this week’s webinar, How to Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats. Guided by Accepted’s founder, Linda Abraham, you’ll learn how to evaluate your profile from an admissions perspective; how to mitigate low grades and/or test scores; and how to adapt your application strategy to account for weak points in your profile. In just an hour, you’ll learn how to craft a successful application strategy! Sign up now. Reserve Your Spot: Tags: MBA Admissions The post The Most Important Thing You Can Do This Week If You’re Worried About Your GMAT/GRE appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
16 Apr 2019, 18:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Stanford MBA Class of 2020 Profile |
 Who makes up Stanford MBA Program’s entering 2018 class? Here’s a look at the class profile.
Breakdown of Undergraduate Majors: FIELD PERCENT Business 18% Engineering / Mathematics / Natural Sciences 34% Humanities/Social Sciences 48% Previous Industry Experience (306 Organizations Represented): FIELD PERCENT Investment Management/Private Equity/Venture Capital 27% Consulting 19% Technology 17% Government/Education/Nonprofit 10% Consumer Products & Services 7% Financial Services 6% Arts/Media/Entertainment 4% Healthcare 4% Manufacturing 3% Other 5% Clean Tech/Energy/Environmental 3% Military 2% Real Estate 1% Schools and Countries: U.S. Institutions 81 Non-U.S. Institutions 91 Countries (Including U.S.) 63 Are you aiming to submit your R3 Stanford MBA application this spring? Or are you going to apply next fall? Either way – we can help! Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will help you create an application that will get you to the top of the Stanford GSB admit pile. Learn more here.  Related Resources: • Stanford GSB MBA Application Tips & Deadlines • Show Intellectual Vitality to Get into Stanford GSB, a short video • Understanding Stanford GSB’s Interest in Personal Qualities and Contributions Last updated on April 16, 2019. Tags: MBA Admissions The post Stanford MBA Class of 2020 Profile appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
25 Apr 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Journey to Duke Fuqua: Marine-Turned-MBA, Entrepreneur, and Dad |
 Learn how real students navigate their way through the business school admissions process and b-school itself with our What is Business School Really Like? series. Meet Andrew, a Marine veteran, entrepreneur, new father, and first-year MBA student at Duke Fuqua. Andrew, thank you for sharing your story with us! What made you decide to go to business school? Andrew: Leaving the Marines I knew that in order to be hired into mid-level management positions, an MBA would be a good route for me to take. How did you decide which programs to apply to? Were you willing to relocate to attend school? Andrew: I only applied to Fuqua. I loved my experience so much that I put everything I had into being accepted. In theory, I would have relocated but I am local to Raleigh so relocating wasn’t my first choice. Applying to only a single business school shows real dedication. What was your level of familiarity with Fuqua prior to applying? How did you know it would be a good fit? Andrew: I visited Fuqua several times before applying, and I found everyone to be very open and welcoming. I was especially drawn to its veteran community. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Fuqua was where I wanted to be, and I decided that making a full commitment to Duke gave me the best chance to have success with its rigorous and competitive application process. My family and some of my friends thought I was a little crazy for applying only to Duke, but it was a risk I was willing to take, and I’m gratified it’s worked out so well. Did you experience any bumps along the road to business school admission? How did you identify and deal with the issues? Andrew: The experience in general is extremely stressful. I reached out to current students and alumni in order to get insight and help. What about extracurriculars? What extracurricular activities did you participate in either in the military or your civilian life? Andrew: I worked with a nonprofit organization called Warrior Wellness Solutions from 2013-2018. WWS is based in Durham and offers holistic health solutions to American military veterans who are wounded, ill, or injured. I’ve worked as a peer mentor and in event planning and fundraising. Working with the veteran community has been and continues to be a tremendously rewarding experience. Duke is known to have some creative (and tricky!) application essay questions. How did you approach your essays? How, specifically, did you approach the 25 Random Things About You question? Andrew: With my essays, I tried to caveat my experiences as an entrepreneur and Marine into a relatable experience with the culture at Fuqua. I took specific experiences I had and explained the lessons learned and how I would translate those lessons to better the Fuqua community I wanted to belong to. The essays are your chance to show a side of yourself outside of your resume. My 25 things essays highlighted highs, lows, growth, and experiences. I really tried to show the admissions team my true self outside of my resume. Once business school began, what surprised you most about the experience? Andrew: How thoughtful and friendly my classmates are. I wasn’t able to attend many social events because my wife was 8½ months pregnant. My section mates understood this and surprised me with signed books and baby gifts for my daughter. It was very touching and a huge surprise. Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! How do you manage to juggle your roles as student, husband, and father? Andrew: It was hard, especially at first, but I learned that Team Fuqua is for real. My classmates and first-year team really kept me afloat for the first few months after my daughter was born. They actually stopped class to surprise me with baby gifts. They bought us a mamaRoo bassinet and onesie pajamas, and my entire 76 student section signed books and left notes for my daughter. When I was struggling to keep up from lack of sleep, some of them took the time to help me in subjects within their areas of expertise, and they made sure I grasped the material well enough to pass my classes. It reminded me a lot of the Marines – the fact that it takes a team effort to achieve objectives. As for outside of the classroom, I put my duties as a father and a husband first. Things have gotten a little easier now that our daughter is older, and my wife and I have even found time to go out socially every once in a while. How have your experiences and duties in the Marines prepared you for business school and for the world of business? Andrew: Serving as a sergeant in the Marines taught me several things, including the value of teamwork and the importance of leadership skills. It also helped me develop the kind of work ethic that kept me going while attending school fulltime and working in my family’s entrepreneurial startup. Marines are taught to accomplish their mission no matter what roadblocks they may encounter, and even to make something out of nothing if that’s what it takes. I’m learning to apply those lessons in the business world and to share them with friends and classmates whenever it seems appropriate. What is Juicekeys and what role have you played in the company? Andrew: Juicekeys is an entrepreneurial startup created by my wife Kelly and her brother Chris. Kelly became interested in the power of healthy foods when she was transitioning from a career-ending gymnastics injury years ago. Like me, Chris is a former Marine, and he was exposed to many different juice bars when he was stationed in California. After he left active duty, he completed his MBA at USC Marshall and brought the vision of Juicekeys to Raleigh. It had very humble beginnings, with an original staff of only Kelly, Chris, and their parents. In three years, we have grown from one to three locations and we now have more than 45 employees. I started at Juicekeys in a managerial position and later became the director of operations. It’s pretty much a jack-of-all-trades job that includes leadership development, supply chain, customer relations, and whatever else might be needed at a particular moment. How did your civilian experiences in entrepreneurship make you a stronger MBA applicant? Andrew: This is a great question! When people tell me they want to be an entrepreneur, I usually give them the Southern response of “Bless your heart.” Being part of a startup isn’t for everyone. I know what it’s like working 20-hour days and taking no pay in the hope of growing a business into a successful venture. And we’ve been able to create what I and others think is the best juice bar in North Carolina. I’m confident that the things I’ve learned at Juicekeys, and also in the Marines, will help me as a mid-level or senior executive in a company that values people with a Fuqua MBA. What do you think your classmates would be surprised to know about you? Andrew: I am a complete teddy bear. The Notebook is one of my favorite movies. I told my wife on our second date I was going to marry her. She told me I was “crazy.” I laughed and said “You’re probably right, but I am going to marry you.” When I proposed to my wife I got in touch with Nicholas Sparks and had him sign her favorite book with the inscription “Kelly will you marry Andrew, with love Nicholas Sparks.” This December will be five years that we have been together. Did you grow up in the South, and if not, how do you have ties to the area? How has Duke’s location affected your business school experience? Andrew: I grew up in Chicago and Southern California. My wife’s family is from Raleigh. I love the area and think Durham is a great place to live. Was it difficult to become a student again after years spent away from the classroom? Andrew: I’m actually in my fifth year of school at this point. I started my undergraduate degree in 2014 while I was transitioning out of the Marines. It was discouraging at first because after taking placement exams at the local community college I had to start with developmental courses. My math score, for example, was around the eighth-grade level. I graduated from Campbell University with a 3.92 GPA in 2018 and started at Fuqua last August. It was definitely hard at times, but I had an amazing support system to give me a reality check when I needed it. Fuqua has definitely been the most difficult coursework I have personally experienced. The great thing is you’re always around amazing people who are extremely talented. So it is easy to push yourself in order to match the output of your peers. Working in teams has also been a huge help because more often than not one of us has experience in the subjects we may be covering and can help the group to understand better. Have you participated in a student internship? Andrew: I will be starting an internship in project management at Cisco this summer. I will be working on global strategy, planning, and operations. Cisco is a great company and it’s high on my list of places I’d like to work within the tech industry. I’m grateful for the opportunity and can’t wait to get started. Why did you decide to pursue an MBA as opposed to one of the many related graduate degrees that seem to be gaining popularity in recent years (Master’s in Finance, Master’s in Management, Master’s in Data Analytics, etc.)? Andrew: An MBA from Fuqua holds a lot of weight. We have world-class professors that teach every one of these subjects. For example, I could choose to major in Finance and Decision Sciences. In my opinion, not all MBAs are created equal. In my opinion, Fuqua is the best MBA program in the United States. We are truly a community that looks after one another. What are your plans, post-MBA? Andrew: I’d like to work in the technology industry in project or product management, with a backup plan of doing tech sales. The decision sciences, marketing, and strategy classes I’ve attended at Fuqua have been priceless in helping me prepare to accomplish that goal. What advice do you have for students beginning their MBA journey? Andrew: I would say be genuine, be intentional, be yourself, ask for help, and build relationships. I would not be at Fuqua if I didn’t have advocates in the form of admissions staff, current students, the Duke Armed Forces Association, and alumnus. I wanted to be at Fuqua more than any other school, so I really put myself out there with admissions. I sent updates on my progress and stayed in touch with staff. When the time came to choose candidates for acceptance there was no doubt how committed I was to coming to Fuqua. Do you have questions for Andrew? Questions for us? Do you want to be featured in our next What is Business School Really Like? post? Know someone else who you’d love to see featured? Are there questions you’d like us to ask our students in this series? LET US KNOW! You can learn more about Andrew by connecting with him on LinkedIn. To learn more about Juicekeys, click here. Are you setting out on your own b-school journey? We can help you reach the finish line! Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting Services to team up with an admissions expert who will help you join the ranks of thousands of Accepted clients who get accepted to their dream schools.  Related Resources: • Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One • Meet Duke Fuqua’s New MBA Admissions Director, Shari Hubert, a podcast episode • Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines Tags: MBA Admissions The post Journey to Duke Fuqua: Marine-Turned-MBA, Entrepreneur, and Dad appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
30 Apr 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Michigan Ross’ Brand-New Online, Part-Time MBA |
 Interview with Michigan Ross’ Dr. Wally Hopp, Associate Dean for Part-Time MBA, and Anne Schoen, Associate Admissions Director for Part-Time MBA Programs [Show Summary] Michigan Ross has a brand new MBA program – an online option to add to its menu of part-time programs as well as its flagship, highly ranked full-time program. We’re going to learn about this great new option among online MBAs in an interview with Michigan Ross’ Dr. Wally Hopp, Associate Dean for Part-Time MBA, and Anne Schoen, Associate Admissions Director, Part-Time MBA Programs. All About the Michigan Ross Online, Part-Time MBA [Show Notes] Our guests today are Dr. Wally Hopp, Associate Dean for Part-Time MBA, and Anne Schoen, Associate Admissions Director, Part-time MBA Programs at Michigan Ross. I’m going to omit my usual bios because they have long ones and because there’s a lot to talk about with the brand new online MBA program that Ross is offering. Can you provide an overview of Ross’ new online MBA? [1:57] The core curriculum is the same as our existing programs, with electives overlapping with other programs and other characteristics of our programs – the action-based learning component and MAP programs, for example, just like any other program. The requirements and rigor are the same, as well as the focus on group work. The real difference is the medium used to conduct the courses. The program is at a distance, of course, but we also provide career support, networking, and events that can be tapped into remotely, so we hope that the answer is it isn’t all that different from any other program. What made Ross decide to add an online option to its menu of MBA programs? [3:32] We are delivering to the niche of the market that wants more flexibility to pursue their MBA while working. They care a lot about being able to continue their careers, so value staying where they are and going at the pace they can go at. It became clear we could meet those needs more effectively by leveraging technology than we could by insisting on the traditional residential education. We got here in more than one step. Our weekend program is already 1/3 digital, so this was the next step in evolution, offering a bigger portion online and smaller residential format for people who need more flexibility. The website touts the program’s flexibility. Is there a recommended time to complete the program? Or course load per semester? What is the shortest amount of time? Longest amount of time that you anticipate? [5:05] The shortest time is probably two years, and that would be with a pretty hefty workload – four courses per semester. We expect there will be some students who opt for that, but the more typical pace is about 3.5 years, and there will be some who will go longer. 3.5 years is two courses per semester. Our courses are offered in half semesters, so it essentially involves taking one course at a time continually through the whole 3.5 years, which is about a 10-15 hour/week workload. That is manageable in our evening students and think it will be with online students as well. Can you describe the residential component of the program? [6:31] We want to make sure we provide the experiences that students can’t get through the online channel during the residential session. The focus will be on intensive action-based role playing on campus mixed with other blocks of Ross students. It is important that participative learning happens for online students and they feel like they are truly part of the Michigan Ross community. Each session will center around some kind of activity. The first will be on business leadership, participating in the Ross Crisis Challenge, which is a simulated challenge that is essentially a 24-hour experience where groups of students try to manage through a crisis, going in front of a board, and doing a press conference with real reporters. We will wrap the course around the experience, so they will be with other online MBA students taking a course about business leadership around the crisis challenge. So hackathons, simulations, and role-playing experiences will be the foundation of courses that integrate the curriculum, each about 3.5 days long. How will MAP work for the online program? [9:53] Hooking them up with industry sponsors works the same – you bid on projects, and work in teams, but unlike where teams travel to the client with their advisor in the traditional program, we will conduct the business of the project via teleconferencing. The sponsors have no problem with this since they do this all the time. In terms of learning objectives, rubrics, and 360 feedback, all of that will be based on the Ross model. Students will just get that experience over the web as opposed to via travel. What are you looking for in the admissions process? [14:33] The process is essentially the same as our other programs – GRE/GMAT, essays, letters of recommendation, resume, and interview are all required, with the interviews via invitation only. We are looking for intellectual acumen so we know they can do well in the program and handle the rigor. We are also looking for folks who are collaborative – teamwork is so important. Communication skills are also critical, and through the essays we hope to get a sense of the type of person they are, impact they’ve had on their organization, and hopefully see they have a sophisticated view of the world, offer diverse perspectives, and will be able to educate classmates about what they are a subject matter expert in. What are the essay questions? [16:50] They are the same for all of our programs. We have a series of short answer prompts that are 100 words each. There are three groups of questions, and you have to answer one from each group: Group 1 I want people to know that I: I made a difference when I: Group 2 I was humbled when: I am out of my comfort zone when: Group 3 I was aware that I was different when: I find it challenging when people: These questions let us understand the why behind what they are answering and how they adapt to each situation. It also forces them to be succinct. Ross lays out its criteria for acceptance very clearly on the site. One of them is “Fit with the Ross approach to management education as demonstrated through essays.” What is Ross’ approach to management education? [18:40] Action-based and collaborative. The good old Midwestern work ethic is alive and well in Ann Arbor. Your educational experience depends on your classmates to some extent, so we are looking for people who have good people skills, are responsible, etc. There are things that help us filter out people who would be damaging to the action-based learning. Is experiential learning a big component of the program? [19:50] Yes. I teach the core operations class, and we do some simulations, so after they learn some basic skills we give them a learn-by-doing experience that can be done virtually. It is not a matter of here is a formula and figure out where to apply it. Instead it is, “Here is a problem, solve it, and see if you can take this learning and generalize it to something universal. People learn a lot better from inductive learning – seeing the world and figuring out patterns. Is the interview virtual? [22:45] Yes. We figured that made the most sense. It is more behaviorally based. A lot of emphasis is based on work history. The resume is the only thing the interviewer will have, so make sure anything relevant or important is listed on that resume. Other than the residential vs online component, what is different about the Ross online MBA than a traditional PT MBA. [23:47] As little as possible. We have the same learning objectives across all the MBAs – subject matter, assessment, all very similar across programs. Since we have the residencies, we are turning some things that are co-curricular in the residential program into a foundation for a course. We wanted to give students the experience of being in role plays at the same time as fulfilling requirements. We are not sure if this will change how we do things in the residential program yet. Can someone start in the online program and switch to the on campus program? Either fulltime or part-time? [25:19] The online and evening programs are the two most flexible programs so within those programs one could change, or they could still come to Ann Arbor for a particular course they want to take live, but the traditional, weekend and exec programs wouldn’t work due to them being cohort based. Is there a work experience requirement for online MBA applicants? [26:49] Yes. It is the same for other part-time programs, with at least 12 months of fulltime work experience. Average experience range is 5-7 years. For the pool so far, it’s tending to skew higher, with 7-8 years of experience. At the time the show airs, the next and last application deadline for the inaugural class starting in Fall 2019 will be May 20. Any advice for those interested in being a part of the inaugural class and starting their online MBA this fall? [27:43] Study for the GMAT or GRE and get that taken, as that is usually the hardest part of the application. Use your study time for test prep as a dry run for time management. It’s a good time to carve out hours of your day to study. Take time to talk with your employer about work flexibility, and with your friends and family so they know that you may not see them as often as you usually do, as it does take a village to complete the program. What about those planning ahead to apply next year? How can they prepare? And will you have more than one intake? [28:55] We are just planning for a fall intake initially and see what demand is like. We have the ability for a winter or spring intake but it all depends on how fast faculty can get courses up, as well as demand. As for preparing, study for the GMAT, call us – we do phone consultations weekly. Visit campus to see our culture, and talk to student ambassadors in the part-time program. We believe their experiences will be very similar and they will have great tips to share with prospective students. What is a frequently asked question about the program that surprised you since announcing the online option is coming to Ross? [31:49] We built this program with flexibility in mind, so were surprised that students were always asking, “When can I come to campus?” and, “How often can I come to campus?” because I thought the reason students wanted online was because they didn’t want to come to campus. Once people are in the community they want to be here, we just didn’t want to make it burdensome to require that kind of travel. Flexibility means more than distance-based, and not needing the ability to regularly come to campus, but no one had thought about. It did make us happy to integrate the online students into the Ross community because it is obvious they want to be part of it. Will students have access to all of the career services components? [35:25] Yes they will, which includes individualized career development planning – whatever that looks like for them. We have all of our traditional workshops, mock interviewing, resume help and all that, like leveraging negotiation strategies. They also can participate in on-campus recruiting. What question would you like to answer that I didn’t ask? [36:31] What has the impact been to business education overall from going down this online channel? Once you dig into the details of how you do it, you deconstruct business education and wind up finding ways of making the education better across the board. Within evening and weekend programs we have better assurance of learning models in place as a result of all the work we are doing for the online program. Ross now has better programs across the board. It has been a great experience for us as a school. One thing we didn’t talk about is class size – we are thinking small, maybe 40-50 in the inaugural class. As we progress through, we think steady state will get a bit larger. We want exceptional quality, and size is dependent on the market size. We are hoping that the number of people interested in our program is up into the low hundreds in steady state.  Related Links: • Michigan Ross Part-Time Online MBA • Accepted’s Michigan Ross MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines • Accepted MBA Admissions Services Related Shows: • Michigan Ross MBAs, Entrepreneurs, and Founders of Bschool Travel • Michigan Ross MBA: It’s About REAL, Clear, and Teamwork • Sustainability, Ross MBA, And The Erb Institute: Business As A Force For Good • NYU Stern’s New Online Masters in Quantitative Management Subscribe: Podcast Feed  Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, MBA Admissions The post Michigan Ross’ Brand-New Online, Part-Time MBA [Episode 309] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
03 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: The Essays That Got Me Accepted to Kellogg’s MBA Program |
 All business school adcom members want to read essays that discuss the time you saved the day at work, right? That is what I thought when I first sat down to write my Kellogg business school essays. I racked my brain to think of heroic stories where my decisions and leadership saved my company lots of time and money. It led me down a long path describing a sales deal I closed worth millions in revenue. After I finished my first draft, I realized that my story expertly touted my professional accomplishments but did not scratch the surface explaining how I thought, planned, led, or made decisions. I opened a new Microsoft Word document and started over. Business schools do not just want to read about the time you save the day at work. What do business schools REALLY want to read about? Business schools want to read about what you are going to do to become a transformative business leader; one that is going to enact change and influence people. One of the best ways to show these qualities and potential is to write an essay that demonstrates how you have acted intentionally in your career and personal life, and how you will continue to act intentionally once you earn your MBA. 3 steps to demonstrating your intentionality When I applied to Kellogg, the school’s essay prompts focused on leadership and growth. To distinguish myself, I made sure that the theme of intentionality shined through in my final essay submissions. First, I highlighted that I had a track record of laying out and purposefully acting on plans to accomplish my career goals. This meant outlining the steps I took to achieve the most prestigious company-wide sales title at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts during my first job and explaining how I helped hotel clients achieve their revenue goals through strategic consulting at my second job with TravelClick. Second, I emphasized that I had thoughtfully set future professional goals that required an MBA. My essays explained that my short- and long-term career goals centered around entering the real estate industry. Given that I had spent six years in hotel operations out of college, this was a logical transition. However, as an undergrad history major and career salesperson, I had minimal finance training which would be required to evaluate developments and investments. I needed an MBA program to fill in the gaps and teach me finance and accounting skills for my first real estate position out of Kellogg. Last and most importantly, I underscored the intentionality behind my decision to apply to Kellogg. I demonstrated that I had thoroughly researched the program’s offerings and determined that it was the best program to support my goals. I cited the specific real estate classes, clubs, and conferences that I would become involved in while enrolled. I even cited specific MBA summer internships that I wanted, and how the Kellogg ecosystem provided me access to alums who worked at those companies, as well as on-campus recruitment opportunities. Bottom line During my two years as a Kellogg Student Admissions Reader, I found that I was always most impressed by students who described the intentionality behind their past achievements, future goals, and application to Kellogg. After all, endless opportunities in business school will require you be intentional with your time from day one. So why not start your application the same way? Do you want help writing the essay that will get YOU into your top-choice MBA program? Explore our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services and work one-on-one with an MBA application consultant who will help you get ACCEPTED.   Libby Angst is a Kellogg MBA who co-chaired Kellogg’s Student Admissions Committee and evaluated applications for two application cycles. Before Kellogg, she coached successful applicants to HBS, Stanford, Kellogg, Booth, Wharton, Anderson, Columbia, Stern, and Ross. Want Libby to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your MBA Application Essays, a free guide • From Hospitality to Kellogg MBA to Accepted MBA Admissions Consultant, a podcast episode • Kellogg MBA Application Essay Tips & Deadlines Tags: MBA Admissions The post The Essays That Got Me Accepted to Kellogg’s MBA Program appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
05 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: How Does Your GMAT Score Fit into the Holistic MBA Application Puzzle? |
 There’s a lot of talk about the holistic approach admission directors take to evaluate applications. How much weight is really put on different aspects of the application during evaluation? If the approach is so holistic, then why do so many applicants with low GMAT scores get rejected compared to applicants with high GMAT scores? Here’s how it works: Admissions committees do review entire applications in order to admit the best candidates and create classes that are diverse. So while an admissions committee’s approach is holistic, the process is still highly competitive. Applicants are still competing with each other and the numbers count. How GMAT scores fit in the picture The GMAT is one indicator that helps an admissions committee determine if the candidate will succeed in the program academically. It is also an indicator that they must report to the media for rankings. And the higher the ranking, the more candidates want to attend that specific program, which means that adcoms like admitting students with high stats. If you’re looking at schools with an average GMAT of 650, then you’ll probably see more diversity of GMAT scores in the acceptance pool (i.e. lots of applicants with lower GMAT scores will still get accepted). But if you’re looking at programs with an average GMAT over 700, then it’s true – you’ll see fewer applicants getting accepted with low scores, even though the applications are looked at holistically. [If you want to figure out which programs you have the best chance of getting into, check out the Business School Selectivity Index.] Why an impressive application matters What are these schools’ incentives to admit candidates with a 650 or lower? Perhaps, the adcom is certain the candidate can succeed in the program academically, but more importantly the candidate offers something else in his or her background that is so amazing that they are willing to overlook a GMAT score well below their average. If, however, the candidate looks like thousands of other candidates, the adcom will accept the candidates with the highest GMAT. The consumers (students) demand it, the suppliers (faculty) demand it, and the ultimate customers (hiring companies) demand it. So while you can’t guarantee admission to your dream school regardless of GMAT score, just as you can’t guarantee anything in life, you can and should position yourself strategically to stand out in the applicant pool. Do you need help creating an application that highlights your most impressive strengths, despite lower-than-desired stats? Explore our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services and work one-on-one with an experienced advisor who has helped thousands of applicants shine in the competitive application pool and who is ready to help you too.   By Natalie Grinblatt Epstein, former admissions dean/director at three top business schools. Natalie has reviewed over 70,000 applications, interviewed over 2,500 candidates, and has trained nearly 700 admissions directors and alumni volunteers to select outstanding candidates for admission. Her clients gain admission to top programs including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Berkeley, and NYU. Natalie holds an MBA from Michigan Ross. Want Natalie to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Applying to Business School with Low Stats: What You Need to Know, a free guide • Should You Retake the GMAT? • Low GMAT Score? Don’t Panic… Yet. Last updated on May 5, 2019. Tags: MBA Admissions The post How Does Your GMAT Score Fit into the Holistic MBA Application Puzzle? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
09 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: A Wharton-Lauder Student Chats About Management Leaders of Tomorrow and the Value of Time |
 Learn how real students navigate their way through the business school admissions process and b-school itself with our What is Business School Really Like? Series. Meet Sergio, a student at the Wharton-Lauder joint degree program in international management. Thank you Sergio for sharing your story with us! What made you decide to go to business school? Was this a second career for you? Sergio: Easy answer! I was working as an auditor at Deloitte, but I never saw myself as an accountant. I, like most MBAs, was a high performer; however, I could not help but imagine that I could be even more successful in a career that was more aligned with my strengths and interests. I have always been interested in real estate. Growing up in Houston, TX, I witnessed firsthand how economic development can be driven by well thought-out real estate developments. Fortunately, I now find myself pursuing an MBA from an institution that is not only known for finance, but also has a strong reputation in real estate. How did you decide which programs to apply to? Were you willing to relocate to attend school? Sergio: I was fortunate enough to be a part of MLT, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, MBA Prep Program, which helped me navigate the application process including deciding which programs I would ultimately apply to. As a part of this process, we had to carefully prioritize what we were looking for in a program. For me, I wanted a program with a strong reputation, extensive alumni network, and geographically located outside the great state of Texas. I lived in Texas all my life and really wanted to take advantage of the MBA experience to live somewhere else. Wharton met these criteria, and through the Lauder Institute I was able to even further diversify by geographic experience. What is the MLT MBA Prep Program? Who is eligible to participate and what resources are provided to fellows? Sergio: The MLT or Management Leadership for Tomorrow is an organization dedicated to empowering underrepresented minorities by transforming their career trajectories. MLT’s MBA Prep Program provides African American, Latino, and Native American professionals with personalized guidance and tools to successfully navigate the business school application process. The tools and resources provided include one-on-one coaching, GMAT assistance, access to top MBA program admissions offices, and an extensive network of peers within the MLT community. Why Wharton Lauder? How will the program’s international focus enhance your career? Sergio: The Lauder/Wharton program preaches the importance of preparing its leaders to be globally fluent, which is in part one of the reasons why I wanted to apply. For me, Lauder hit my heart strings. As a Venezuelan-American, I have always struggled with the idea of retaining my Latin American culture. I believed that in order to do so I would not only need to learn more about the region, but also prepare myself for a career focused in Latin America. Lauder provided all the tools necessary for me to accomplish my personal and professional goals. That being said, what drew me to Lauder was the program’s focus on family and building incredibly strong bonds with like-minded global individuals. The concept of “Lauder Love” really drives the culture on campus and makes you feel like you have a family to rely on while you navigate through the greater Wharton community. What is unique about Wharton Lauder? What degree are you working towards in addition to the MBA? Sergio: The Lauder Institute in conjunction with the Wharton School of Business prepares its students for the increasingly specialized and global workforce by providing an academic environment where they can achieve linguistic, cultural, and political fluency. Students enrolled in the program will receive a master’s in international studies with a concentration in a specific region of the world. The list of regions of concentration is extensive, including Europe, Latin America, Global, Asia, Africa, and South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa (SAMENA). Within these regions, students will also focus on developing language fluency and intercultural competencies relevant to their program concentration. Did you participate in a team-based discussion as part of your interview process? What was that like? Sergio: The team-based discussion is the interview method that Wharton’s admissions office uses to assess prospective student’s ability to work in a group and come up with a solution. Once an interview invitation is extended, an applicant is provided a prompt challenging the applicant to come up with an idea to pitch. During the TBD, the applicants (typically six) will have 30 minutes to pitch their ideas, decide on one, and then present to the observers. I loved my experience during the TBD. Although everyone will attempt to be their best selves, it’s amazing how real people get when the stakes are high. I was lucky to have a great team during my team-based discussion, but I have definitely heard horror stories. These stories should not scare prospective students. Part of working in a team is dealing with difficult people. Be yourself, be self-aware, and manage any conflict that may arise calmly and respectfully. What are intercultural venture trips? Have you participated in one? What was your experience? Sergio: The Lauder Intercultural Ventures (LIV) are mini-immersive trips during spring-break or winter-break that take students to different countries to study a specific theme relevant to that country. For example, this year I participated in the Mongolia LIV focused on social impact of a changing environment. I had the opportunity to meet with political leaders, cultural experts, and representatives from state-owned and privately-owned mining companies to better understand how Mongolia has transitioned politically, culturally, and economically after 70 years of communism. Furthermore, we focused on the impact that environment changes related to the country’s mining practices has had on the country’s pastoral nomads. This was one of my favorite experiences this year and I am struggling to decide which LIV I want to participate in next year. I am stuck between “country in transition” – Cuba and “learning from Easter Island’s collapse” – Rapa Nui. Do Lauder students take the same MBA courses as other Wharton students? Sergio: Yes. The program is a joint degree, so while there are courses that are available only to Lauder students, such as the language and international politics course, the majority of a student’s credit requirements are fulfilled through Wharton. In other words, Lauder Students are MBA students at Wharton who take additional courses related to international politics, culture, and language to prepare themselves for global careers. Sounds like a lot of juggling! How do you make time to pursue two degrees at once? Sergio: It is a lot of juggling indeed! To be honest – there are two messages I try to convey to prospective students who ask me this question: (1) Lauder will undoubtedly limit your ability to participate in everything that Wharton has to offer, and it is really important when organizing one’s academic plan to take the additional course work seriously. However, (2) understanding that trade-offs are not unique to Lauder students is very important; it is impossible for any Wharton student to take advantage of everything on campus, so the extra demand related to the Lauder experience is a blessing in disguise. Students are forced to be way more intentional in planning their academic and student life involvement in order to manage the extra academic workload. Once business school began, what surprised you most about the experience? Sergio: Pace, pace, pace!!! This experience is non-stop. I think most students get really excited about being a student again, so once school begins they sign up for literally anything that hits their inbox. The resulting outcome of this type of life planning is a Google calendar that is multi-colored, over-committed, and daunting. However, this is a good problem to have. Although I find myself busier than I have ever been, I am having a blast juggling the academic, social, and career demands. It is hard to explain, but what I think surprised me the most about the MBA experience is that you really learn the value of your time. My goal for next year is to really hone in on certain areas of involvement that are important to me; I do not think I would have been able to identify these opportunities if I did not overextend myself in my first year. What do you think your classmates would be surprised to know about you? Sergio: I guess I have a reputation on campus as being extremely extroverted, which I am. I have involved myself in many public facing roles: Cluster Council, Student Life Fellow, and the Chief Financial Officer of the Wharton Graduate Association (I had to do the quick plug). What is funny is that I really do enjoy the occasional moment to myself. If any of my classmates are up around 9am on a Sunday (highly unlikely), they would likely run into me strolling around Rittenhouse by myself listening to music before the 10am mass at St. Patrick’s. Sunday mornings for me are precious and it is about the only time throughout the week where I can unplug. What does recruitment look like on campus? Does the recruitment experience match your expectations? Sergio: Recruitment on campus is split into two categories: mature and enterprise recruiting. Mature recruiting refers to a recruiting process that is very structured: recruiters come on campus, schedule coffee chat slots, and set dates for interview invitations and offer deadlines. The enterprise recruiting route is considerably more ambiguous. Students have to be entrepreneurial in order to seek out a summer internship; think cold calls, emails, random flights to meet people for coffee. For enterprise recruiting, Wharton gives you the value of the brand name, but it is the student’s responsibility to leverage it. I think Wharton’s career management professionals are second to none and they have been incredibly useful in helping students navigate both the mature and enterprise recruiting processes. What advice do you have for students beginning their MBA journey? Sergio: Be intentional. The main indicator of a strong applicant is whether they know why they need an MBA and why they want to go to a particular program. The MBA process is very long, but if you can practice being intentional throughout the application process you will be better prepared to face the trade-off situations that you will encounter once on campus. Your most valuable resource at business school is time and knowing where to allocate your time, and why. This is the best way to maximize your business school experience…It is hard for me not to smirk a bit while saying this because not only is this advice super valuable, it is also given every year and ultimately ignored  . My last piece of advice is to be selfless. You are going to be surrounded by students who are maximizers and want to dedicate these two years to themselves; however, I challenge this way of thinking for two reasons: (1) there are a lot of people, specifically faculty and administration, that invest a considerable amount of time to ensuring that your student experience is incredible. It is a really hard job and listening to constant complaints by students makes it harder. Be conscious of the problems, then be part of the solution. (2) Community is the most important theme that you will hear on campus, and for good reason. Schools like Wharton are dedicated to preparing leaders to build communities, both professionally and personally, that are diverse and inclusive. It is literally impossible to learn these vital leadership skills without being involved in your school’s community and being self-aware of your own biases. Do you have questions for Sergio? Questions for us? Do you want to be featured in our next What is Business School Really Like? post? Know someone else who you’d love to see featured? Are there questions you’d like us to ask our students in this series? LET US KNOW! You can learn more about Sergio by connecting with him on LinkedIn. Are you setting out on your own b-school journey? We can help you reach the finish line! Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting Services to team up with an admissions expert who will help you join the ranks of thousands of Accepted clients who get accepted to their dream schools.  Related Resources: • Leadership in Admissions, a free guide • Wharton Lauder: An MBA/MA that Prepares You for Global Business, a podcast episode • Wharton MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines Tags: MBA Admissions The post A Wharton-Lauder Student Chats About Management Leaders of Tomorrow and the Value of Time appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
12 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Harvard Business School MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 – 2020] |
  What’s New at HBS for the 2019-20 MBA Application Cycle? Not much. Last year HBS dropped its third round and get an April deadline only for its deferred admission 2+2 program. It says the 2+2 deadline will be in early April 2020, but is not at this time giving a firm date. Harvard Business School, tied for #3 by US News, is, according to Accepted’s B-School Selectivity Index, the second hardest MBA program to get into, following Stanford GSB. That status reflects HBS’ second lowest acceptance rate (10.4%), the sixth highest average GMAT for accepted students (731 and tied with Chicago Booth), and second highest GPA for accepted students (3.71). However, that second-place selectivity status is misleading. The Harvard brand is matched perhaps only by Stanford, and the second-place standing is probably accounted for by class size more than anything else. Harvard’s class is more than double Stanford’s, and Harvard simply accepts more people so its acceptance rate is higher (Data is from the US News 2020 Rankings for the class that entered in 2018). On to the Harvard MBA application and essay question itself: HBS clearly likes the responses it has received to the last three years’ excellent essay question because this year’s question is identical. The essay is again required, and there is NO word limit. The round 1 and round 2 deadlines are only slightly different from last year. The Round 1 deadline is Sept. 4, 2019, one day earlier than last year. The round 2 deadline is January 6, 2020, two days later than last year. (Can you believe we’re talking about 2020?!?!) Harvard Business School MBA Essay Tips There is one question for the Class of 2022: As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program? There is no word limit for this question. We think you know what guidance we’re going to give here. Don’t overthink, overcraft and overwrite. Just answer the question in clear language that those of us who don’t know your world can understand. Before you begin to write I have two suggestions for you: 1. Review Harvard’s criteria for admission. 2. Watch the embedded video on the case method at HBS. [youtube2]p> For expert guidance on your Harvard Business School application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the HBS application. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to the Harvard MBA program and look forward to helping you too! Harvard Business School 2019-20 Application Deadlineshttps://blog.accepted.com/resources/mba-admissions/mba-essay-tip-posts/ Application Deadline Decisions Released Round 1 September 4, 2019 December 10, 2019 Round 2 January 6, 2020 March 31, 2020 ***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***  By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted. Linda earned her bachelors and MBA at UCLA, and has been advising applicants since 1994 when she founded Accepted. Linda is the co-founder and first president of AIGAC. She has written or co-authored 13 books on the admissions process, and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News, Poets & Quants, Bloomberg Businessweek, CBS News, and others. Linda is the host of Admissions Straight Talk, a podcast for graduate school applicants. Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • What Is Harvard Business School Looking For? • Harvard MBA Class Profile [Class of 2020] • What is HBS Looking For? Last updated on May 12, 2019. Tags: MBA Admissions The post Harvard Business School MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 – 2020] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
13 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Wondering Whether to Retake the GMAT? |
 There’s still time to register for The GMAT: Low Scores, Retaking & Strategies for Success and learn how to view your scores from the adcom’s perspective and to answer that painful, nagging question: Should you retake the GMAT? But time is running out – register now. Reserve Your Spot: Last updated on May 13, 2019. Tags: MBA Admissions The post Wondering Whether to Retake the GMAT? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
14 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Ida Valentine: Investment Banker, Inspirational Speaker, HBS 2021 |
 Interview with Ida Valentine, Associate at Barclays Investment Bank and Member of the HBS MBA Class of 2021 [Show Summary] Our guest today is Ida Valentine. She earned her BA from UNC-Chapel Hill IN 2014, majoring in business administration and minoring in Spanish for the Professions. She joined Barclays Investment Bank upon graduation and today is an Investment Banking Associate in Barclay’s Technology Group. Her “side career” is speaking to children and adults about her experiences overcoming sexual abuse and the traumatic loss of her parents at a young age. Final piece of important information: Ida is about to join Harvard Business School’s MBA Class of 2021. Let’s hear her story. Ida Valentine: Investment Banker, Inspirational Speaker, HBS 2021 [Show Notes] Can you tell us a little about your background? Where you grew up? What you like to do for fun? [2:00] I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. I’ve been dancing my whole life, starting at age three through college, competing nationally. I am a Tar Heel – I majored in business with a minor in Spanish and have been in California since graduating. I love doing yoga and love to give back – I am a member of the leadership community of SEO (Seizing Every Opportunity) and volunteer with rape trauma victims. For the last four years you’ve worked in investment banking in Silicon Valley and focused on technology. What have you enjoyed most about your work? [3:41] Every day is something new. I knew that I wanted to do something that wouldn’t have me bored within the first year and you will never be bored in investment banking. I work on M&A deals, IPOs, with all kinds of different companies, and I am doing so at a young age. It is really cool to do something meaningful. I remember my first deal when I was 21 – all the late nights and secrecy and then the deal was finally announced and there were articles about it and it was a great feeling. I just love the work flow, deal flow, and learning about different products. How have you handled the hours while also maintaining your speaker career? [5:04] It is not easy! I started doing more formal speaking engagements after a year or two in banking. I was able to communicate with my team well in advance of an engagement, and it’s not always the easiest conversation depending on the deal I’m on, but people were very supportive. Now that I am an associate I have more flexibility. I have an analyst that can cover for me when I am gone. If it’s important enough you can find the right balance. In banking there are a lot of junior banker initiatives. It’s easier to be a banker now than maybe 10 years ago. Saturdays are “Protected Saturdays” and you have to have permission to work then. Saturdays are my days for yoga and to be with friends. There are also lulls in deal flow and I do stuff then. You can find the balance – it’s tough with the first year, but once you get the hang of what you’re doing it gets a little better. You have an undergrad degree in business from UNC, and you’ve been an Investment Banking Analyst for the Technology Group at Barclay’s since 2015 dealing with M&A. Given your extensive business background, why do you believe you need an MBA? [8:23] If I were going to stay in IB long term or go the traditional finance route I don’t think I would need an MBA. I am an Associate now which is where an MBA would start, but for what I want to do I need an MBA. My goal after business school is to be an entrepreneur and start something from the ground up. I have a lot of technical experience from banking but need a lot more than that to be a successful entrepreneur, so the network is big for me. What better place to bring people together with diverse backgrounds than an MBA program? I’ve also never run a company and I get to be a CEO everyday with the case method, which will be amazing. What was hardest part for the MBA application process for you? Why was it so difficult? [11:17] Figuring out how to fit my personal story into an essay that would make sense to an admissions officer. You can find yourself down a rabbit hole, feeling the need to share every detail of the story, but then asking yourself why would an admissions officer care? That was the struggle I found myself in. I had a three page autobiography and seemingly nothing that could be taken from that. When applying to multiple schools you can’t copy and paste and that can be a challenge in and of itself to write so many different essays. My story is also so emotional – talking about sexual abuse and losing both of my parents in college – and it’s hard to put it in a business perspective. Natalie from Accepted was an awesome coach and was able to give me an outside perspective – “I don’t know if this part of your story is necessary, maybe expand here” type things. How did you approach the HBS essay? “As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?” [15:06] My first approach (maybe not the best) was I knew I wanted to tell my personal story so I wrote that. It wasn’t necessarily the best approach since I didn’t have in mind the perspective of business school admissions when I wrote it. It was almost a bare confession with no real goals in it. The approach that worked better for me was to have a brainstorm about what I wanted an admissions reader to get out of it. First, I want you to know my story because you don’t know me if you don’t know that. Second, I want you to know what I gained from those hardships I went through – resiliency and the ability to share my story with children and others to find their own success. Third, what my future goal is and how things in my past have helped me and how the MBA degree will help in the future. That structure was so important. Putting together an outline first before writing something down is so important especially for Harvard. How did you prepare for your HBS interview? [19:47] I first printed out my entire application and read it inside and out so I could talk about any experience I had written about in an intelligent way. Sometimes people don’t focus on those small questions. I also did mock interviews with anyone and everyone. One was Natalie, my Accepted coach, but also coworkers who had gone to business school. I also interviewed myself, recording my responses. I tried to relax (I don’t think I managed that very well!), but had to trust the preparation I did to coach me through some of the things they might ask. I am glad I focused on small parts of the application because they did ask questions very specific to my application. What was the most difficult or memorable question you were asked at your HBS interview? [21:54] I have two. One was not hard but caught me off guard. The very first question was, “Tell me about what you did today before this interview?” It was such a softball question I wasn’t prepared for it. It took me aback, so my advice is to be prepared for softball questions at the beginning. The other question was about one sentence I had written in an essay – I mentioned a case study in undergrad that I was excited about because I was able to embody the business woman and CEO. The key there is to remember every little thing you put in your application is fair game – they asked me about something I mentioned in just one sentence! They will really know your application so be prepared for that. How did you come to choose HBS? Was it Harvard’s brand? Was it something about their program? Location? [24:58] Definitely not location – I am from the south and we don’t get really cold winters and I have never owned a true winter coat. It definitely was the brand for me and their entrepreneurship program. I want to go to a school that people know, so when I am trying to make connections it adds credibility – so whether you open your mouth or not they know you are smart. I felt that was important for an entrepreneur trying to make a name for herself. I went to the women’s open house event before I applied and while there heard three female panelists talk about their own experience with entrepreneurship. They talked about how the Rock Center helped them with their business idea and that meant so much to me. It was obvious Harvard would be a great place to foster entrepreneurship. Also, the case study method is powerful, you feel invested in the stories and want to make the right decision. Can you talk about your other career – quite different from spreadsheets and financial models – as an inspirational speaker? How did you get into that? [28:41] I did it very informally at first, and didn’t have the goal to be a speaker. To give some context, I was sexually abused by my father growing up. When I was a sophomore in college I finally worked up the courage to report the abuse, and as a result of these actions my father killed my mother and then killed himself. This happened when I was 18. My first speaking “engagement” was going back to my dance studio where I danced from age three through high school. I wanted to have a talk with the girls there about unhealthy relationships to save them going through the same things my mom and I had gone through and to save people from going through what I was going through at that moment. I figured I could use this tragedy to help someone else avoid tragedy. It felt good to talk about, and I realized I really wanted to do this in a more focused away. I wanted to help other people. I joined Rape Trauma Services and go to different schools in the Bay Area to talk about how to deal with complex emotions – loving and hating the same person. I want people to know if they are going through something that they can find success and happiness. Look where I am now, you can get there, too. We should talk about these things more because we can help other people going through the same heartache and trauma. I was focusing on high schoolers and then started my website to reach more people. My focus is, there is life out there waiting, and it doesn’t have to be all about being a victim or survivor. Some people are crushed and broken by trauma; Some are made stronger. To what do you attribute your ability to pick up the pieces of your life after sexual abuse and the early loss of your parents? [32:55] I did have a support system around me. I had three older brothers, and when I first came out about the abuse my brothers were very supportive of me. That helped a ton. I also had to go to therapy to deal with the sexual abuse and loss of both of my parents, the notion that this was my fault, and if I hadn’t said anything they would still be here. I also relied on my inner resilience. I didn’t want my dad to win. I had to show my mom and dad that I am bigger than this. I was determined to graduate from college on time, and I was going to keep dancing. I had to find things that continued to make me happy even in the darkness. As I continued to tell my story I healed a little bit each time as well. Once I was able to start embracing that I got a little bit stronger. I miss my parents all the time, but speaking about my situation helps me feel free from the weight of abuse and grief. Plans for the future both at HBS and beyond? [36:40] I definitely want to join the entrepreneurship club, participate in startup boot camp, venture competitions, and for the summer head down to innovation lab with team members fulltime during the first year and get fellowship funding to focus on that. In the second year I will continue to focus on school and whatever entrepreneurial idea I have to hit the ground running when I graduate. The travel piece of the program will be useful as well – being in diverse environments can help with innovative ideas. My plan is to go all in, hunker down on whatever good idea I have and focus on that for the first few years after graduation. What would you have liked me to ask you? [38:35] The process of business school once accepted. Getting the acceptance letter is so exciting and you can’t think about work anymore, but then you need to think about what it means. You go to an admitted students welcome, go to class, meet professors, learn about venture competitions, figure out where you want to live, and just think about what school will be like after so many years of working. Harvard has you take three online placement tests, so you need to think about how you get back to study mode again, how you turn the school switch on. I have no doubt HBS will provide everything I need, but now doing the Harvard online classes I realize I need some practice getting back into school mode, but am so excited about the opportunity. Related Links: • Ida Valentine’s site • Get Accepted to Harvard Business School, a free webinar • Harvard Business School MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines • Accepted MBA Admissions Services Related Shows: • Michigan Ross MBAs, Entrepreneurs, and Founders of Bschool Travel • HBS 2016 Grad Reflects on Her Experience as a Harvard MBA • From Hospitality to Kellogg MBA to Accepted MBA Admissions Consultant • The Journey From India to Harvard MBA • MBA, Private Equity, Cop: Meet Nik Kumar, Columbia MBA 2019 Subscribe: Podcast Feed Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, MBA Admissions The post Ida Valentine: Investment Banker, Inspirational Speaker, HBS 2021 [Episode 311] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
15 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: “I Wish the Admissions Committee Had Asked Me…” |
 A number of schools have variations on this question, and clients regularly ask what they are supposed to do with a topic like this. The answer: It depends. The role of the optional essay Ask yourself: Does the application offer an optional essay space as well as asking this question, or is this the only place where you will get to write about a topic of your choice? If a school offers you a space to explain any academic or career “glitches,” use that space to do so, not this one. Remember, this question almost always comes right at the end of the essay portion of the application — it will probably be the last thing the adcom reads, so if at all possible, use it to give them something positive to remember you by. If that’s not possible – if this really is the ONLY place where you can deal with the negative aspects of your application, you must discuss them here (there are ways to do so effectively). Please bear in mind that you don’t have to explain away a single C+ grade from your freshman year. You don’t have to justify the fact that you hadn’t started your own nonprofit organization by the age of 19. You don’t have to apologize for the fact that you didn’t spend your undergrad years at an Ivy League school. But there are things that you might have to address somehow, such as a major GPA crash in your junior or senior year, a GMAT score leaning towards (or falling below) the lowest score that the program generally accepts, a major gap in work experience, and so on. With some creativity (and hopefully enough word count left over), you can also highlight some positive aspects of your candidacy in this space as well. The importance of highlighting your well-roundedness Now ask yourself this: Have you used the other essay topics effectively to illustrate your personal background and community involvement as well as your academic and professional history? Is there anything you really wanted to write about but couldn’t fit in, for whatever reason? Sometimes essay questions simply don’t give you the opportunity to give a 360-degree view of yourself, since the questions may focus exclusively on work examples, your career goals, and/or why you are interested in attending a particular school. This essay provides you with the space to add dimensions and give that well-rounded sense of you. It can really personalize your application. You may drift out of the adcom’s minds pretty quickly if you simply come across as “the project manager with the 740 GMAT,” but with this essay you have the chance to make yourself stick with them as “the project manager who used skydiving as a team-building exercise,” “the investment banker who teaches salsa dancing to senior citizens,” or “the marketing manager who taught herself five languages in her spare time.” A positive and distinctive use of this essay will be much more effective than telling them about your second most important leadership experience (since you’ve probably already had a chance to write about the most important one). And it would be a very good idea to stay away from bland “catch-all” topics like “I wish the admissions committee had asked me how I achieve excellence in everything I do.” Those types of essays usually end up being a) far too much to handle in the space provided, and b) way too generic, and don’t tend to offer the adcom anything much that they can’t learn from other areas of your application. Open-ended MBA essay questions (like Harvard’s) In recent years, some business schools (Harvard most notably) have switched to entirely open-ended questions. Harvard’s is: “As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?” While we work with clients all the time who are very intimidated by this question, by the end of the process we have convinced them that Harvard has actually provided a gift with this question – though, a gift one must use wisely! By providing unlimited space to answer this question, Harvard is hoping for a few things from successful admits:
Assuming that you’ve dealt with the really important professional/leadership experiences before you hit this point in your application (and most applications give you ample opportunity to do so), you can definitely take a more lighthearted (though not frivolous) approach here. You don’t have to write about anything huge, heavy, or mind-blowingly important — rather, choose a topic that adds to the adcom’s perception of your well-roundedness, your “human interest” factor, and your potential to contribute something to the incoming class and the teams you will work with beyond your work experience and academic abilities. A lot of times this question is worded in an open-ended way (like Harvard’s), but if the question really does request what you wish they had asked, you need to develop the question that allows you to reveal what you want them to know. It could be, “What do I do for fun?” It could be, “How did I come to develop the goal that I have?” It could be, “What do you want us to know that we don’t yet know about you?” First and foremost, though, don’t forget to ask yourself — and answer yourself honestly: what DO you wish they had asked you? Do you need help answering these questions or any other MBA application questions? Check out Accepted’s MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services and work one-on-one with admissions pro who will answer your questions and help you get ACCEPTED. Related Resources: • Applying to Business School with Low Stats: What You Need to Know, a free guide • Optional Essays: When and How to Write Them, a short video • How Much Should You Share in Your Personal Statement? Last updated on May 15, 2019. Tags: MBA Admissions The post “I Wish the Admissions Committee Had Asked Me…” appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
19 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: How I Helped My Clients Get Accepted to HBS This Year |
 It is not easy waiting those 12 weeks to hear back from Harvard Business School after hitting the application’s “Submit” button. Luckily, it was worth the wait for three of the four clients I worked with this year who ultimately received a call with the news they had been admitted to the class of 2021. After reflecting on the process and the ways we worked together, I compiled the top three items I felt made the strongest impact on their application:
Do you need help creating an application that will get you noticed – and accepted! – by the adcom at Harvard Business School? Learn more about how we can help you get accepted to HBS when you explore our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services. Libby Angst holds an MBA from Kellogg where she co-chaired the Student Admissions Committee under the guidance of the Admissions Office and evaluated applications for two admissions cycles. Before Kellogg, Libby coached successful applicants to acceptance at HBS, Stanford, Kellogg, Booth, Wharton, Anderson, Columbia, Stern, and Ross. Want Libby to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Harvard Business School Application Essay Tips & Deadlines • What HBS is Looking For, a blog series • Harvard MBA Class Profile [Class of 2020] Tags: MBA Admissions The post How I Helped My Clients Get Accepted to HBS This Year appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
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