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20 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 5 Things Engineers Have to Do to Get Accepted to B-School |
 You are a highly skilled technical expert in your engineering field, and in recent years you have been asked to (or anticipate being asked to) take on a leadership role, which has required you to evaluate your skillset. You are no longer just writing code or working on the development of a new jet engine, you are managing people, dealing with budgets, operations, perhaps even a marketing campaign. The only problem? You have no formal training in any of these areas. The solution? An MBA. MBA facts engineers need to know Now that you have figured out what you require to be successful in your evolving career, you need to take stock of a few facts to be successful in your quest to earn an MBA.
Last but not least, in all elements of your application, make your personality shine whenever possible. Always work to defy that non-collaborative, head-in-the-book (or screen) engineer stereotype – what can you do to show that you will succeed in the social, collaborative, outside-the-box world of business? Think about how your unique strengths will contribute to your b-school class, and highlight them throughout your application. [b]Want to make sure you are standing out among all of the other engineers applying to business school? Contact us at Accepted [/b]and we will keep you focused on your goal while helping you bring out all of your unique characteristics in every aspect of the application.   Jen Weld is a former Assistant Director of Admissions at Cornell’s EMBA program. She has an additional 10 years of experience in higher ed and corporate marketing. Want Jen to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Fitting In and Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions, a free guide • What Should You Do If You Belong to an Overrepresented MBA Applicant Group? • Different Dimensions of Diversity, a podcast episode Tags: MBA Admissions The post 5 Things Engineers Have to Do to Get Accepted to B-School appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
22 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: From Rio to Georgetown: Trekking through the MBA Experience |
 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 Fernando, an entrepreneur and international student at Georgetown. Fernando, thank you for sharing your story with us! I understand you are an unusual entrepreneur in that you founded a business… for your parents. Can you share a bit about how and why you undertook this project? How have things been going? Fernando: As self-employed professionals, my parents had no social security or financial cushion to count on in hard times. Even in our toughest moments, my education was their highest priority. I felt I must give back. After I graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio, I accepted an offer to work in the financial market in São Paulo. Going there was not an easy decision, as I had to forgo the Master in Economics. Furthermore, I had no place to live; I asked for assistance from a priest, and he allowed me to live at the church in a room behind the altar for a semester. In 2013, while working at Itaú Bank, I withdrew my savings and started a fashion business to support my family. My mother is an embroiderer, so I ordered a machine from China to replicate her work and gain scale. I managed strategy, financing, and procurement so my parents could focus on their skills. In the second year of the business, I found myself at a crossroads because the machine was sometimes out-of-service due to maintenance, which impacted our deliverables. I took a risk and invested in a second machine, and this paid off. Five years later, BordaDora reached revenues of over $150K per year. How has managing BordaDora helped to prepare you for business school and your future career? Fernando: More than what I learned, I got what I must learn to be a leader for business and society. BordaDora unfolds a world I haven’t seen working for big companies. Now I can identify much clearer how the Georgetown MBA will fill in my gaps in knowledge and behavior in many ways. If you know how important each class is and connect it with your past experiences, the course becomes much more attractive. To give you an example, at Georgetown we have classes to practice negotiation in quite realistic environments. I learned that negotiation is essential the hard way when I faced conflicts with a partner company: Once I partnered with a sewing company to produce dresses, and we delivered one order below the required quantity due to technical problems from my side. The partner wanted us to pay for them an amount representing 20% of my annual revenue. It would have meant the end of BordaDora. I asked multiple times for the data backing the cost, discussed by phone and email and then visited the CEO of the partnership. We negotiated the terms of the solution based on the information we both prepared. Through this process, I learned, however, that logic and data were not enough in business. You need a ton of soft skills to discuss and solve conflicts. By the way, the company had overpriced their costs to get more from us. What made you decide to pursue an MBA, and why did you go abroad to do it? Fernando: Since 2015, I have been redirecting my career to increase my impact, strengthen my management skills, and look beyond Brazil. Without this change, I saw a plateau in my career when I looked forward. I also wanted to develop my English, since serving international clients was an issue for me. Then I welcomed the challenge of doing a master’s in a new language. Being surrounded by English-speaking leaders is making me improve much faster and become aware of business trends. The Georgetown MBA is a high brand that will help me to follow my passion and pave my career path. It gives me access to top-notch professors and a diverse student body in a city that puts together influential business leaders and policymakers from all around the globe. An application consultant showed me I was a good fit for Georgetown University. She was vital in my process from the selection of universities to my final choice among programs I was accepted to. I can’t be grateful enough. Did you experience any bumps along the road to business school acceptance? If so, how did you identify and address the issues? Fernando: Yes, bumps always happen. In my case, I had planned to get into the MBA in 2017; then I delayed my goal by one year for personal reasons. If you think the perfect timing is tomorrow, try it today. Therefore, I applied for one university in 2017 even knowing I wouldn’t have a strong candidacy. It was like the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) of my application. The following year, it was much easier to apply for the universities I planned: I knew the caveats, my weakness, the material to study, and the documents needed. Did you participate in any extracurricular activities prior to applying to business school? How do you think these experiences contributed to the strength of your candidacy? Fernando: I mentored high-potential high school students. I organized tours to exciting places and held meetings with inspiring professionals, expanding the students’ world view. However, supporting NGOs is not the only path to build a stronger candidacy. I also took more risks at my job and asked for managerial and strategical projects. Since the English language was an issue for me, I took online classes in English such as “Introduction to Mathematical Thinking” (Stanford University) and “Learning How to Learn” (UC San Diego) with high performance, and I wrote about it in my optional letter. It’s hard to say what was most important. I believe every decision was relevant to create an overview of myself for the admissions teams. How did you prepare for the GMAT? Fernando: First, I read many sites about the test, particularly GMAT Club. I tested multiple online courses, the best and most convenient way to study for me. I made the mistake of paying for a local class in Brazil. It’s important to remember you can take it from anywhere; the competition is global. For example, the best content for the verbal section for me was from an Indian company. I created a comfortable place to study at home every night. Sometimes I studied early morning or at lunch near work as well. But consistency is more important than intensity. I tried not to blame myself when I missed a day and keep going. Did you take the TOEFL, and if so how did you prepare? Fernando: I studied first for the GMAT, and I put the TOEFL aside until getting a good grade. I believe that was more efficient since the long prep for GMAT helped me on the TOEFL. Besides that, TOEFL is not classificatory; you are fine if you reach the required grade. When I was done with the GMAT, I studied for a few weeks with a private teacher and did an online course. Georgetown’s application includes a video component. How did you approach it? Fernando: I enjoyed it much more than I had imagined. Creating a video was a new experience for me. First, I imagined my whole life as a trek, and the MBA as a critical step. Next, I wrote the script and chose the trail of the Sugar Loaf Mountain – one of the most beautiful places in Rio de Janeiro – to walk narrating my story. My wife was patient enough to record many takes, and the editor of my wedding video helped me edit this one too. I managed it like any other project at work. Before starting, I put everyone on the same page: the reviewer of the script, the video editor, me and my wife. It allowed me to get the job done in two days. The final message: don’t underestimate how hard it is to compress your story into a one-minute video! Have you become involved in any clubs on campus? Fernando: I’m on the board of the FinTech club. Last year, I co-organized the first Georgetown FinTech trek to visit companies in NY. This year, I helped in running our first FinTech career day, when FinTech companies joined us to talk and recruit on campus. It has been a wonderful experience. What do you think your classmates would be surprised to know about you? Fernando: I rappelled down a flooded cave in Bonito, Brazil, 72 meters deep up to the water line. I dived in this lake of unknown depth. This sensation became my concept of infinity, it was like floating in space. What field do you hope to work in after graduation? Fernando: My purpose is to make finance a means for creating more equal opportunities. I can reach it either working for mission-driven companies or institutions financing them. With my background in economics, finance, and technology, I believe that financial innovation can increasingly play a role in creating more inclusive economies. I look forward to being part of that evolution. Do you have any advice for international students who plan to pursue an MBA in the U.S.? Fernando: Take care of yourself, trim off the edges on your life and visualize your long-term plan. Studying for the GMAT is demanding, then you must be prepared to run the marathon and to make hard choices. After you are accepted, be open to new experiences and engage with professors and other students. It’s unbelievable how fast you can learn from this diverse environment. Do you have questions for Fernando? 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 Fernando 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.   For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions, a free guide • How to Get a Georgetown MBA, a podcast episode • Journey to Duke Fuqua: Marine-Turned-MBA, Entrepreneur, and Dad Tags: MBA Admissions The post From Rio to Georgetown: Trekking through the MBA Experience appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
24 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: AIGAC 2019 MBA Applicant Survey Results Released |
 AIGAC (the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants) recently released their 2019 MBA Applicant Survey, which substantiates the idea that today’s applicants continue to consider human interaction to be a competitive advantage. More and more, applicants see the importance of talking to current MBA students when selecting schools and making decisions. Current applicants continue to view growing in their careers as a priority, but not at the expense of making a positive impact on the world. Additional survey findings include:
Are you applying to a top MBA program? Not sure what your next step should be? Explore our MBA Admissions Consulting Services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will help you get ACCEPTED.  For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Choosing an MBA Admissions Consultant, a free guide • MBA Selectivity Index, discover the schools where you are competitive • How Can an Accepted MBA Admissions Consultant Help You? Tags: MBA Admissions The post AIGAC 2019 MBA Applicant Survey Results Released appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
27 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: What Harvard Business School Is Looking For: The Habit Of Leadership |
  Thank you, Harvard Business School. That’s what applicants should think when they visit the program’s website and find “habit of leadership” on its “Who are we looking for?” admissions page. It’s common knowledge that HBS values leadership, but with this phrase, the adcom succinctly expresses how they view leadership – dynamic, deep, intrinsic, long-term. It’s something you possess and bring to your experiences, not something that describes your involvement in isolated situations (i.e., the proverbial “leadership experience”). Not just HBS applicants, but all b-school applicants can benefit from reflecting on the phrase – and then determining how they embody it in their actions. What is habit? There are a gazillion excellent articles and treatises on the meaning of leadership. Many if not most of them are valid – it’s a concept that’s inherently contextual. I’m focusing on the other word. The key to this message is habit. Habit is…
How to demonstrate your habit of leadership Having the habit of leadership is great, but it’s only helpful to in your Harvard MBA application if you express it effectively. That means – you’ve heard it from us ad infinitum – use examples and anecdotes. Look for opportunities to portray your habit of leadership, even in essays on other topics. Also, try to bring it out in your resume and your interviews. Ask your recommenders to highlight it. It can only enhance your application and your candidacy. Work with an experienced admissions consultant who will guide you as you mine your experiences and then craft an application that demonstrates the habit of leadership that HBS is seeking.  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: • Leadership in Admissions, a free guide • What Does Harvard Business School Want?, a short video • Harvard Business School MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines Last updated on May 27, 2019. Tags: MBA Admissions The post What Harvard Business School Is Looking For: The Habit Of Leadership appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
28 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: How to Leverage an HBS Education: The Story of LeverEdge |
 How to leverage an HBS education: The story of LeverEdge [Show Summary] Do you want to save money on your student loans? Interested in earning an MBA with entrepreneurship as your goal? Considering Harvard Business School as the place to earn that degree? Pull up a chair, or at least plug in your ear buds. Learn how two current Harvard Business School MBA students got into HBS and founded a company that can save you money on your student loans. HBS students talk about business school and their exciting new company, LeverEdge [Show Notes] We have two guests today and a lot of ground to cover. So I’m going to give them very brief intros and leave more time for the interview. My guests today are Chris Abkarians and Nikhil Agarwal, both members of the Harvard Business School Class of 2020 and co-founders of LeverEdge, which can help you reduce your student borrowing costs. And that’s true whether you are applying to law, medical, or business schools. Nikhil earned his Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012 and worked for Boeing for six years before making the move to Boston in 2018. Chris earned his BA in Political Science and Public Policy from Duke in 2012 and then started his career at L.E.K. Consulting, where he worked for approximately three years before joining Netflix. He then worked for Netflix in Content Strategy & Analysis for another three years. Then he too made the move to Boston to begin his studies at HBS. With that as background, let’s hear about their MBA experience at Harvard, the founding of LeverEdge, and the savings it can provide you. Can you tell us a little about your background? Where you grew up? [2:55] Chris: I was born and raised in Los Angeles in a large family. I am the biggest Lakers fan you could meet. I followed my love of basketball to Duke where there was no chance I could ever play for the team, but whenever I am not working I am always trying to catch a game or play if I have the chance. Nikhil: I grew up and lived in India for my first 18 years. Then I moved to Urbana-Champaign where I was expecting skyscrapers but instead found cornfields. After graduation I went to work at Boeing in product development (and am particularly excited about the 777X coming out next year that I worked on), and then made my way to HBS. What was hardest part for you in the MBA application process? How did you handle that element? [4:43] Nikhil: For me it was wondering if I was even good enough to apply to HBS or the kind of person that could get in. It took a number of discussions with friends telling me that I was living in this bubble where I was surrounded by people like me doing cool things. The reality is there are very few people in the world who get to make airplanes, which gave me some confidence to get the ball rolling. Chris: Figuring out how to weave a narrative that made sense, through all sections of the application. I went to Duke, I worked on political campaigns, then did consulting, then had a media career at Netflix. Sometimes you sit back and realize how difficult it can be to explain why you did what you did, and why the MBA is the next logical step in the process. When you get it, there is a level of personal clarity which is amazing. What do you like most about Harvard? [7:39] Chris: It’s hard to put a value on the incredible people you are surrounded by on a daily basis. I thought I had that as a consultant and also at a growing media tech company, but here you meet people with backgrounds you didn’t even know existed, and you end up being interested in things you didn’t even know you could be interested in. Hearing the perspectives of others is amazing. One piece of advice is to take advantage of everything you can outside of class to get to know people better. Nikhil: I used to think of myself as very rational, and I would take all available input and make a sensible decision. I realized either I was dealing with the simplest problems in the world, or I was really bad at what I thought I was good at. I also second what Chris said – it’s all about the people. The best part has been helping me pop out of the bubble I was in. What would you like to see improved? [10:29] Nikhil: I don’t think the time allocation has been appropriate in some of the subjects. The case method is great, but some topics we could learn without cases more efficiently and with less amount of our time, to free up more time either socially or for our start up. Chris: I agree. For finance and accounting it would have been great to have technical reviews to get a baseline level of understanding before diving into cases, as it is more challenging to do cases in subjects like that. A little more flexibility for one’s own time in the first year would be nice as well. You can get overwhelmed with calendar invites and trying to figure out what is and isn’t required. How did you meet each other? [13:14] Nikhil: We were put in this group chat of all admitted students organized by the school. In the chat people were discussing loans, and I pitched the basic business model of LeverEdge. Subsequently Chris and I spent many hours on the phone, on google chat, and got to know each other quite well before seeing each other in person. Did you arrive at HBS knowing you wanted to start a business? [14:28] Chris: It was one of the reasons I wanted to come to business school. I wanted to do my own thing, but thought that if I didn’t step out from my existing career and do it, I wouldn’t do it. The great thing at HBS is you can take up to five years off after your first year to try something and then come back and finish. That is the ultimate insurance policy if you try something risky. If you fail, you can come back. Nikhil: I was looking for the next thing, but wasn’t set on anything and was just exploring, but one month in I knew this is what I wanted to do. Tell me about LeverEdge? What is it? [16:07] Chris: LeverEdge is an attempt to use group buying power to reduce student loan rates. We collected interest from several hundred MBA students who needed student loans just like us. We pooled them together and then pitched the portfolio of loans to banks with the idea to guide the entire group to the “winner” offering that bids the lowest rate for the group overall and that the winner will make up in volume what they lose in margin. Nikhil: We started with 70 classmates. Most banks were not interested in talking to us. The few that were said 70 is too small. If you have 500, we can think about it. We went to all our friends at the other b-schools and within 10 days we had 700 people signed up, and then the lenders got quite excited and actually negotiating substantial discounts. The deal we closed was pretty awesome, and we’ve gotten strong positive feedback. Going to the other schools was the critical thing. The median rate before we got involved was 6.3% and then ultimately 90% of students landed at 5.25%. The average student saved about $8,000 each per year. Chris: Bringing simplicity to the process is another benefit. It is hard to compare everything that is out there, so we spent a few days putting together a model of all the deals. How did you think of this idea? [19:36] Nikhil: We were inspired by 30 students in Israel. All 30 went to a bank and said they would take the loan if you give us the best interest rate. We learned about it on the first group chat where we met. We thought let’s try it here, and we wanted this benefit to be available to every generation of students who come after. Neither of you have a formal finance or financial services background. Has that been a problem? [21:07] Chris: It really hasn’t, and in some ways it’s been an advantage. We had to understand all the terms, and we are both highly analytical, so one of the great things to come out of this is we have been questioning every assumption, and every term that exists. Sometimes lenders have to go back and check things for us since even they don’t know. How does LeverEdge make money? [22:34] Nikhil: We have thought hard about this, and our whole philosophy in everything is student first. We structure it so that students can join, but have no obligation to take the loan we negotiate. If there is a better deal they can get, we encourage them to go there. Banks are the ones paying us – we discuss our fee upfront, which is a fee per loan that is non-negotiable. You are now helping students with refinancing as well as originating their loans and have also branched out from MBAs and added JD and MD students. How much is LeverEdge saving its clients? [24:15] Chris: For med it is quite a bit larger because of the length of the program. The average savings per year in the program is that $8,000 so it does scale up. How have the Harvard Incubator Lab and HBS’ other entrepreneurial resources played a role in the founding and success of LeverEdge? Getting funding? [24:49] Chris: The innovation lab I didn’t anticipate being as helpful as it actually is. It is so great to have other people around working on things and not doing the formal recruitment process, which is a bit of a challenge to avoid. There is a lot of pull to go toward what other people are doing. It is helpful to have the community there to see there is another way and to ask about their experience. There is also an amazing set of advisors who have become friends. It’s great to sit down with entrepreneurs and talk about what kind of lifestyle we want and what are our actual goals. Nikhil: The Harvard Law School transactional law group has also been helping us through every legal question that comes up. On the tactical side you need great advice. For example, we are raising funds, and there is so much paperwork that goes along with it. We sent it over to our friends at the law school and asked them to explain it to us in plain English so then we can negotiate it. The quality of their work is phenomenal. Chris: The faculty have also been amazing, sharing their expertise and helping us get in touch with people. Just two weeks ago when we were thinking about negotiating a new pool, we sat down with one of the foremost negotiation experts in the world and he walked us through how he would set it up. How do you manage the demands of b-school and running a business? [28:32] Chris: It is quite physical, and you have to choose between what you really care about – business, academics, social life, sleep, but you can’t lose sight of what the true value of HBS is. We also want to make sure we get to know our classmates and have a good balance. Nikhil: Chris is being humble, he makes it look very easy – he is our section social chair! He is a great example of how you can effectively manage time across different things. For me I also balance between my wife and HBS, and she has made some sacrifices regarding time with me and also has taken some things off my plate. That is an amazing support structure to have. What are you doing over the summer? [30:40] Chris: LeverEdge. Plans for the future? Could you see this model working with credit card debt or mortgages? [31:19] Nikhil: We do think this model is scalable. One that naturally has a lot of group buying power and already fits with the model is the graduate student loan pool, because the start date is all the same. We need to move quickly to capture that. The second part will require modification to the base model. We are not fully certain of how that model will work yet, but we are thinking of things like auto loans and mortgages. Those are not on a nice schedule, but we are thinking about how to structure, and both are on the horizon. What would you have liked me to ask you? [32:28] Chris: Why we are doing this. We didn’t plan to be doing this, but to some extent we fell into it because we needed to use the product itself and saw so much value in it ourselves. Then we were helping friends and then helping their friends, and the amount of validation makes this an extremely fun and rewarding experience. We are able to run every idea we have past our classmates. There are some businesses that if we were starting might detract from our relationship with our classmates, but in fact in this case we are helping them and they are helping us. Nikhil: My mind went to the metric we track closely – the percent of people who join us and where they come from. 90% of people come from referral. We are so thankful to our member base because this doesn’t work unless we have a member base that is active and spreading the word from a grassroots perspective.  Related Links: • LeverEdge • Get Accepted to Harvard Business School, a free webinar • Harvard Business School MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines • Accepted MBA Admissions Services Related Shows: • Ida Valentine: Investment Banker, Inspirational Speaker, HBS 2021 • Michigan Ross MBAs, Entrepreneurs, and Founders of Bschool Travel • MBA, Private Equity, Cop: Meet Nik Kumar, Columbia MBA 2019 • From Hospitality to Kellogg MBA to Accepted MBA Admissions Consultant • Meet Dr. Akshat Kumar, Wharton MBA ‘19 Subscribe:   Podcast Feed Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions The post How to Leverage an HBS Education: The Story of LeverEdge [Episode 313] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
29 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Six Advantages of Starting Your MBA Application Early |
 How much time is too much time to prepare your MBA application? The answer: there is never too much time! To apply successfully to business school, you can’t be hasty. You need to clarify your goals, take the GMAT or GRE, research schools, prepare your essays, fill out the online application, gather your transcripts, and select your recommenders, and these things can’t happen overnight! Starting the process early, and with an MBA admissions consultant to guide you, can significantly reduce stress and greatly benefit your application package, which in turn increases your chance of acceptance. Specifically, working with a consultant early in the process will help you:
 Jen Weld is a former Assistant Director of Admissions at Cornell’s EMBA program. She has an additional 10 years of experience in higher ed and corporate marketing. Want Jen to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Competitive MBA Applicant, a free guide • Is 10 Days Per Business School Application Enough? • How Can an Accepted MBA Admissions Consultant Help You? Tags: MBA Admissions The post Six Advantages of Starting Your MBA Application Early appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
30 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Application Essay Tips [2019 – 2020] |
 Paul Soros was often overshadowed by his younger brother, financial wizard George Soros, but he was a millionaire in his own right. In contrast to George Soros’s success in the financial industry, Paul Soros made his mark on the world by innovating in the shipping industry, filing patents, winning several engineering awards, and innovating in everything from loading methods to shipping routes. Complementing Paul’s background, his wife Daisy Soros studied interior design and has been a lifelong supporter of the arts. Paul and Daisy Soros both immigrated from Hungary in the wake of World War II, so it is only fitting that the fellowship for graduate education that they founded supports young, first-generation Americans. The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships provide half of the annual tuition (up to $20,000) plus a stipend of up to $25,000 to each of 30 Fellows each year. In addition to age and immigration status requirements, the criteria for the Soros Fellowship are threefold: 1. Creativity and initiative 2. Proven drive and sustained effort 3. A demonstrated commitment to the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Some examples of how this year’s Fellows exemplified these values include developing a product to keep musical instruments clean, founding a science education outreach program for underserved populations, publishing 10 mathematics research papers, and analyzing the human genome for genetic factors in cardiovascular disease. The Fellowship aims to support students whose graduate study will propel them to even greater contributions to society. The PD Soros Fellowship application allows uploading of a resume, 2 essays, and optional exhibits – copies of your artwork or articles written about your work, for example. In addition, the application requires 3 letters of recommendation, with the option to submit up to 5 recommendations. The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans is open now and due by November 1, 2019. Applicants may apply for the Fellowship as they work on their graduate school applications; there is no need to wait until you are accepted for graduate study. Here are the PD Soros Fellowship application essay questions, with my guidance in blue. PD Soros Fellowship application essay tips PD Soros Fellowship essay #1 Tell us about your experiences as a New American. Whether as an immigrant yourself, or as a child of immigrants, how have your experiences as a New American informed and shaped who you are and your accomplishments? Feel free to discuss how individual people (such as family or teachers), institutions, aspects of law, culture, society or American governance made an impact on your life as an immigrant or child of immigrants. The program is especially interested in understanding the context of your personal, professional, and academic accomplishments. (Maximum length: 1000 words) In guidance from the Fellowship committee, applicants are advised to use this space to share stories that provide a window into their world as a new American, and many Fellows find that talking with their parents about their childhood challenges and triumphs helped them illuminate the most salient lessons and experiences for this essay. As immigrants and the children of immigrants, what opportunities and rights did you gain in the U.S. that you would not have enjoyed in your parents’ native country? How did that insight influence you? Alternatively, were you challenged by those differences and how did that challenge influence your direction, perspective, and actions? Essays that share the depth of your feelings and not just your actions will resonate most intensely with the Fellowship committee. PD Soros Fellowship essay #2 Tell us about your current and near-term career-related activities and goals, as well as why you decided to pursue the specific graduate program(s) and school(s) that you have. How do you see your current work and study informing your early career goals? If you have not been accepted into a program yet, please tell us about why you selected the programs to which you are applying. (Maximum length: 1000 words) This essay will be much less personal and possibly unrelated to your new American experience as you discuss your academic interests and ambitions. The thinking that you do for this essay will be helpful in writing your statement of purpose or goals essay for the master’s programs and vice versa. Often, it helps for applicants to write about the questions for which they are seeking answers, the tasks they would like to do well, and the missions they would like to contribute to. This discussion then provides an easy segue into how graduate study will prepare them for those roles. With 1000 words, you will also have plenty of room to add details about how you have pursued those answers thus far, providing an additional opportunity to demonstrate that you are a good fit with the PD Soros Fellowship’s search for creative, driven, persistent, and committed new Americans. The PD Soros Fellowship also offers an Optional Exhibits section, allowing you to upload additional material for further insight into your background or potential – for example, links to videos or performances, pieces from your portfolio, or published or submitted written works. While there is space to upload up to 5 optional Exhibits, these are considered supplementary to the application, and the admissions committee is not required to review all of them. Therefore, place the most compelling evidence of your talent and fit with the Fellowship first to capture their interest and, hopefully, encourage them to continue perusing that opus. For expert guidance on your Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans application, check out Accepted’s Application Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the PD Soros Fellowship application. ***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***   By Jennifer Bloom, admissions consultant at Accepted for 20 years and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). She is an expert at guiding you to produce application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your application, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans: Funding, Community for Immigrants, a podcast interview • Three Community-Based Scholarships That Will Change How You Search for Scholarships • How to Perform an Effective Scholarship Search Last updated on May 30, 2019. Tags: Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions The post The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Application Essay Tips [2019 – 2020] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
31 May 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: What Harvard Business School Is Looking For: Analytical Aptitude and Appetite |
  This is the second post in our series, What HBS is Looking For. So, HBS wants “analytical aptitude and appetite.” Hardly a surprise. You might be tempted to simply skim that section of the website message without giving it much thought. Maybe it’s not as obvious as it sounds. Let’s break it down. Understanding the terms So what does “analytical aptitude and appetite” mean?
• Do you respect results and outcomes determined by objective analysis even when they don’t jive with your preconceptions, ideologies, or preferences? • Does your analytic mindset allow you to be comfortable with – even relish – ambiguity and uncertainty? • Do you help your teammates understand and use analytic approaches and thinking? • Do you use language effectively as an analytic tool, e.g., when the team is facing a muddle, are you the one who can verbally separate the threads, clarify them, and guide the team to understand their relative weight and importance? How to demonstrate analytical aptitude As the HBS website indicates, for HBS, analytical aptitude is not a solitary feast (regardless of how hearty the analytic appetite). You’ve got to bring your analytical chops to the table, i.e., to classroom debates and case studies, projects, etc. Therefore, to use a music analogy, you must be able not only to read and play the analytic score, but also to improvise, on the spot and with other virtuosos. The adcom will grasp your analytical aptitude from your transcript(s), test score(s), and resume. But if you feel these elements don’t adequately show this dimension, use other parts of the application (essay, short answers, additional info, recommendations) to amplify it. How to show your analytical appetite As for showing analytical appetite:
Work with an experienced admissions consultant who will guide you as you mine your experiences and then craft an application that demonstrates the analytical aptitude and appetite that HBS is seeking. 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: • 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid: Eliminate the 5 Most Common Flaws in Your MBA Application, a free guide • What Does Harvard Business School Want?, a short video • Sample Essay from Admitted HBS Student: The Mechanical Engineer Last updated on May 31, 2019. Tags: MBA Admissions The post What Harvard Business School Is Looking For: Analytical Aptitude and Appetite appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
02 Jun 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: UVA Darden Receives Historic $68 Million Gift |
 Last week, UVA Darden announced Sands Capital Management Founder Frank M. Sands Sr.’s new gift of $68 million – the largest gift in the business school’s 64-year history. Sands, a Darden MBA-holder (class of 1963), says: “The Darden School was a transformational experience for me, and I am an ardent supporter of its mission and values. I am a big believer in lifelong learning, and that learning is enabled by great faculty. I hope this gift will inspire others to give and hope that the school will continue to be a true force for good in the free markets and broader world.” The impact of the gift In addition to Sands’ historic gift, the university also issued a $14 million matching fund, delivering total monetary impact of $82 million. The combined efforts will be used towards:
Are you applying to UVA Darden or any other top MBA program? Check out our catalog of MBA services to learn more about how we can help you GET ACCEPTED.  For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • UVA Darden MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines • What’s Life Like as a Darden MBA and Entrepreneur?, a podcast episode • Darden MBA with Media Aspirations, a student interview Tags: MBA Admissions The post UVA Darden Receives Historic $68 Million Gift appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
02 Jun 2019, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: INSEAD Announces New 10-Month Master’s in Management (MiM) Program |
 INSEAD has announced an innovative 10-month, full-time MiM program, designed to develop the next generation of leaders in business to be able to successfully navigate the rapidly evolving business environment. According to Urs Peyer, Dean of Degree Programmes at INSEAD, “By engaging talented young people, the MiM will contribute to the INSEAD mission to develop responsible business leaders who transform business and society. Our current master’s programmes are designed for experienced global professionals – from MBAs and participants in our Executive Master’s in Finance to senior executives in our Executive MBA and Executive Master’s in Change. The MiM will make the INSEAD educational offering complete by equipping a new group of post-graduate, pre-experience learners with the most relevant knowledge and skills to succeed in today’s complex world and move it in new and exciting directions.” Jamie Wright, Accepted consultant and former Admissions Director for Early Career Programmes at London Business School, agrees and looks at the development from the vantage point of a former competitor. “The launch of the MiM at INSEAD is yet another signal of the important role pre-experience programmes play in graduate management education today. Top business schools such as INSEAD see the value of the degree both to employers, who are courting these candidates, and to their communities, who are keen to bring to campus the ideas and enthusiasm of this next generation of business leaders.” INSEAD MiM program features Advantages of the INSEAD MiM program include:
The first cohort will begin the INSEAD MiM program in September 2020. The GMAT/GRE is a required part of the application process, which also includes:
Check out our treasure trove of INSEAD resources for more information about INSEAD and tips for gaining admissions to this top international business school. For one-on-one advising, explore our Catalog of Admissions Services.  For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Leadership in Admissions, a free guide • What INSEAD is Looking For, a blog series • Early Career Management and European MBA Programs, a podcast episode Tags: Grad School Admissions, MBA Admissions The post INSEAD Announces New 10-Month Master’s in Management (MiM) Program appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
04 Jun 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Applying to HBS? Here’s What You Need to Know! |
 If you’re preparing to apply to Harvard Business School, you already know how competitive the application process is. You also know that your application needs to be as close to perfect as possible. But what, exactly, is Harvard seeking in its applicants? How can you approach your application thoughtfully and ensure that it stands out? And amid the static and noise of often-conflicting advice, whose advice can you trust? For answers to these questions, we’ve created our free webinar, Get Accepted to Harvard Business School. In just one hour, Accepted’s founder, Linda Abraham, will guide you through a proven strategic framework for application success. Linda, who has been guiding HBS applicants to acceptance for over 20 years, will present the webinar twice on Wednesday, June 12th – at 10am PST/1pm EST and again at 5pm PST/8pm EST. Now is a great time to prepare for your Round 1 HBS application. This webinar is timed to help you do just that. Don’t miss it! Reserve your spot: For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Tags: MBA Admissions The post Applying to HBS? Here’s What You Need to Know! appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
04 Jun 2019, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Kellogg MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 – 2020] |
 I’d like to highlight one of my takeaways from our sessions with the Kellogg admissions team at a recent AIGAC conference and also a recent online webinar for admissions consultants. If there is one theme I heard over and over from them, it’s “intentionality.” They want to see it in you. They really want to understand why you’re making the choices that you are making. Keep that theme in mind as you respond to Kellogg’s questions. What has motivated you in the past and what is motivating you today? I believe those questions form the underlying foundation of the Kellogg MBA application and should be front of mind as you answer the questions posed. Kellogg completely changed its essay 2 and edited essay 1 slightly. Your response to the first essay question is now limited to a “recent example.” My tips are in blue below. Kellogg MBA application Each Kellogg essay lets you explain in your own words, why you think Kellogg is right for you. Take some time to think through the experiences that led you here and how they have shaped where you want to go. Kellogg MBA essay #1: Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip & inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words) First things first: Kellogg is asking for ONE recent experience. Not more. Unlike many similar essay questions, Kellogg is not limiting you to professional settings. You do have the option to use a non-professional leadership experience. I’d try to keep your example within the last two years. Presumably, you are going to choose something your proud of, and if it’s from longer ago in the past, a reader may wonder “What have you been doing lately?” You can use a CAR (Challenge, Action, Results) framework for this response. Start with the challenge or challenges that you faced by simply describing the situation and obstacles. Then relate your actions. How did you motivate others to move in one direction? How did you influence and persuade? Keep in mind that the word “brave.” It implies there were risks (absent risk, bravery isn’t necessary). Finally, what were the results? How did you create value, not just for yourself but for your team, group, department, company, club, or whatever entity you were contributing to? And what did you learn about leadership, collaboration, and influence? While it isn’t a requirement, and I can imagine instances where this may not be true, examples where you led by virtue of your stature and others’ respect for you will be more compelling than those where you led by virtue of station and title. Kellogg MBA essay #2: Values are what guide you in your life and work. What values are important to you and how have they influenced you? (450 words) This is a real stop-and-think question. (Actually, aren’t they all? Yes, but this one probably will require a little more thought.) What values are important to you and how have they influenced your behavior, your life, and dreams for the future? The value(s) you focus on could be a particular religious or philosophical approach to life. It could be something political or something more personal like mindfulness, healthy living, service to others, helping the less fortunate, or any number of values. There really are a lot of possibilities. However, the tough part of the question isn’t listing values; it is discussing how they have influenced you. How are you a different person because of them? How do those values guide your behavior guided? Since Kellogg provides a 450-word limit, you don’t have a lot of room to discuss many values. I’d focus on one or two and discuss their impact on your daily or weekly life. If the impact of your value has led you to have an impact on others, include the ripple effect too. Certain Kellogg applicants will respond to additional questions 1Y applicants: Please discuss your post-MBA career goal, the current experience you will leverage to support the transition, and the Kellogg 1Y opportunities that will help you reach this goal. (250 words) Again “intentionality is the name of the game at Kellogg. Why do you want a Kellogg MBA and how has your past experience and education prepared you to pursue the abbreviated, intense 1Y program to achieve those goals. JD-MBA applicants: Please discuss your post-JD-MBA career goals and why the JD-MBA Program is the right program to help you reach those goals. (250 words) This is a succinct goals question for the Kellogg’s JD-MBA applicants. What do you want to do that will benefit from both degrees and why is Kellogg’s intense 3-year JD/MBA program the right place for you to achieve those goals? You can start with a vision of the future and then circle back to how the Kellogg JD/MBA will help you realize it. MMM applicants: The five core values of the MMM Program are curiosity, creativity, empathy, open-mindedness and a learning mindset. Describe a situation in which you demonstrated one of these values. Why is this value an important part of the MMM experience for you? (250 words) Kellogg’s MMM program is looking for fit with this question. It wants to see in this essay that at least one of its core values is something that resonates and motivates you. Describe the situation, ideally an experience in which you exhibit more than one of the core values, and then focus on the one that you want to highlight. And of course, don’t forget to answer the “Why is this value important” part of the question. Kellogg MBA reapplicant essay: Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (250 word limit) No trick questions here. How are you a better candidate today than when Kellogg rejected you? How have you addressed weaknesses in your previous application? Kellogg MBA optional essay: All applicants have the opportunity to provide explanations or clarification in Additional Information. Use this section if you think the person reviewing your application might have a few questions about one or more of your responses. This could include:
Keep this section short and to-the-point. Kellogg MBA video essay: The video essay provides you with an additional opportunity to demonstrate what you will bring to our vibrant Kellogg community – in an interactive way. You will respond to several short video essay questions. The questions are designed to bring to life the person we have learned about on paper.
Also since at least the first essay question is going to be fairly open-ended and give you the opportunity to introduce whatever aspect of your life you want, prepare what you want them to know that isn’t discussed elsewhere in your application. It could be a challenge you’ve overcome. It could be a hobby or non-professional interest. It could be an experience or achievement not mentioned elsewhere. Remember they are viewing this video with a desire to understand what you’re going to add to the Kellogg community. For expert guidance with your Kellogg MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages, which include comprehensive guidance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to Kellogg’s MBA program and look forward to helping you too! Kellogg 2019-20 MBA application deadlines: Application Deadline Decisions Released Round 1 September 18, 2019 December 11, 2019 Round 2 January 8, 2020 March 25, 2020 Round 3 April 8, 2020 May 13, 2020 *Your application must be received by Kellogg no later than 5 p.m. CT on the deadline for the round in which you are applying. ***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify Kellogg’s 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 e-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: • 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your MBA Application Essays, a free guide • Want a Kellogg MBA?, a podcast episode • The Essays That Got Me Accepted to Kellogg’s MBA Program Tags: MBA Admissions The post Kellogg MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 – 2020] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
05 Jun 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: What Harvard Business School Is Looking For: Engaged Community Citizenship |
  This is the third post in our series, What HBS is Looking For. This is not about “community service” — it’s not about doing halo-worthy things in your free time. (Though neither Harvard Business School nor I will discourage that, and “engaged community citizenship” and “community service” certainly can overlap.) Community service is an activity that you do; engaged community citizenship is a quality that you embody. Doing community service does not automatically mean you possess the quality of engaged community citizenship. Harvard Business School explicitly seeks this quality in its applicants – announced in bold letters on its “Who are we looking for?” page. Understanding the terms Plaudits to HBS for the directness and clarity. Yet it’s a complex idea. Let’s see exactly what “engaged community service” means by examining each element.
Actually, the quality of engaged community citizenship is something that any b-school adcom will value. So how do you express it effectively in your application? Use example and anecdote. For HBS, reflect it in your essay, even if indirectly. Also, try to bring it out in your resume and your interviews. Ask your recommenders to highlight it. If you have it – let it enhance your candidacy. Work one-on-one with an experienced admissions expert on your Harvard MBA application when you purchase a Comprehensive MBA Application Package. We look forward to helping you get accepted to your dream school! 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: • Leadership in Admissions, a free guide • Harvard Business School MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines • What Does Harvard Business School Want? [Short Video] Tags: MBA Admissions The post What Harvard Business School Is Looking For: Engaged Community Citizenship appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
06 Jun 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: A One-Year Kellogg MBA Student’s Experience into Healthcare, Business, and Lots of Languages |
 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 Megha, a student at Northwestern Kellogg’s one-year MBA program. Megha, thank you for sharing your story with us! What made you decide to pursue an MBA? Megha: I had worked exclusively in the healthcare industry and only studied business through the lens of healthcare as an undergrad. As I saw healthcare companies facing increasingly complex organizational, motivational, and financial issues, I realized I needed to have a broader business perspective to be able to tackle this market. I knew I wanted to stay in the industry long-term, but I felt that the MBA would unlock a different viewpoint and better leadership skills to accelerate my career. << Check out our Northwestern Kellogg MBA application essay tips!>> Can you describe your healthcare background? Megha: I studied Health & Societies as an undergrad at the University of Pennsylvania. As my interest in the business of healthcare piqued, I concentrated in Health Care Markets & Finance. After undergrad, I worked in pricing consulting for pharmaceutical and medical device companies for three years before moving to a startup called Lumere. Lumere uses data analytics to help hospitals make more evidence-based decisions all the way from medical device & drug purchases through to doctors’ selection of devices for a surgical procedure. Did you experience any bumps along the road to business school acceptance? If so, how did you identify and address the issues? Megha: Waiting after submitting applications was the hardest part! While this wasn’t necessarily a major issue, leaning into my personal network of friends and family – some of whom were going through the same experience – was a great way to ease the tension and let the process take its course. How did you prepare for the GMAT? Megha: I took the GMAT shortly after undergrad and a few years before I was ready to apply to school. In some ways, this helped me separate the stress of taking the GMAT from the process of writing essays and submitting applications. Once I felt ready to apply to school, I knew I had the GMAT taken care of. To prepare, I found a mix of full tests and individual practice problems to be most beneficial. The individual questions helped me identify specific areas I needed to work on, and the full tests helped me put those skills into practice before going into the real exam. Did you participate in any extracurricular activities prior to applying to business school? How do you think these experiences contributed to the strength of your candidacy? Megha: I did some pro-bono consulting for nonprofit healthcare organizations before applying to school. I think this experience helped show the depth of my interest in healthcare and also gave me more examples to articulate the way I envisioned my future impact in the industry. Did you visit the Northwestern campus, either while researching schools or to interview? If so, what impressed you? Megha: Luckily, I was in the Chicago area while applying to business school so I got a chance to visit Kellogg during one of the Preview Days in the fall. It was a great way to get a feel for the school in a way that second-hand materials can’t communicate. I was impressed of course by Kellogg’s brand new Global Hub building, but mostly by admissions officers’ and students’ willingness to help and provide insight on the Kellogg experience. I was also impressed by professors who took time out of their day to conduct a special class for us and give us a preview of the Kellogg classroom experience. What has surprised you most about Kellogg so far? Megha: One of the things I didn’t fully see until I was part of the Kellogg community was how highly Kellogg students speak of each other. It’s one thing to be impressed by the student body from the outside, but another to see how my classmates impress each other. I’ve been so pleasantly surprised by the initiative students take to learn from each other’s experiences. What do you think your classmates would be surprised to know about you? Megha: Most of my classmates probably don’t know that I was on a competitive dance team throughout college! Do you have any study tips that sound crazy, but really work? Megha: One of my classmates always encourages me to go for a walk or a workout when I have a lot to do. Although it seems counterintuitive to step away from my work, she is always right to suggest it – I’m much more productive after being active for a little while. Have you become involved in any clubs on campus? Megha: I’ve been on the leadership team for Personal Development & Wellness as part of the Kellogg Student Association. It has been an incredible way to get to know Kellogg students across the full-time programs (1Y, 2Y, MMM) who want to be actively involved in students’ wellbeing during their MBA experience. I also serve as a 1Y program liaison for the Admissions team. That role has been a fun way to give back to prospective students and help them in their decision-making the same way that past students helped me. What does recruitment look like on your campus? Megha: As a 1-Year MBA student, I can really only speak to full-time recruitment. A number of companies come to campus in the Fall from a large variety of industries. I personally found a great variety of healthcare companies and received my offer for Medtronic’s Leadership Development Program through on-campus recruiting. A lot of students also participate in off-campus recruiting, which tends to happen in the Spring. This type of recruitment is largely student-led and can be a great opportunity to tap into the Kellogg alumni and peer network. MBA students have a reputation for loving travel! Have you participated in any school or peer-organized trips during business school? Megha: That reputation is pretty accurate! The two organized trips I’ve been on were my KWEST trip to Finland and Estonia and my Spring Break trip to Kenya for our Med Tech in Developing Countries class. The first was a great way to get to know a small group of people right at the beginning of my Kellogg experience and get to explore countries and do activities (like motor paintball!) that I otherwise may have never done. The second was much more oriented towards our specific goal of learning about neonatal wards and medical devices in Africa. It was an incredible opportunity to preview some of the work I will be doing full-time and also get to know a group of Kellogg students passionate about understanding healthcare delivery around the world. If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it? Megha: I’ve been trying to use Duolingo to learn a new language – if I had an extra hour I would do those lessons more regularly! What language are you trying to learn and how do you hope to use it? Megha: I’m learning both Hindi and a bit of Swahili. Hindi is more for personal use, since I can understand it well now but want to also be able to speak it. I started trying Swahili after coming back from a class trip to Kenya over Spring Break. I will likely be going to East Africa more for my new role at Medtronic and always like to be able to speak at least a little bit of the local language when I’m traveling! How do you hope to combine healthcare and business in your future career? Megha: After Kellogg, I’ll be taking all that knowledge of the device purchasing landscape and applying it in emerging markets as a Leadership Development Rotational Program member at Medtronic Labs. My time at Kellogg has helped me understand healthcare in a new light – particularly as I think about structuring new businesses in emerging markets. My Healthcare Strategy and Strategic Challenges in Emerging Markets classes have both helped me think about solving fundamental health issues through sustainable businesses that account for the varied incentives of physicians, government entities, and inconsistent local infrastructure. Do you have questions for Megha? 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 Megha by connecting with her 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.  For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One • The Essays That Got Me Accepted to Kellogg’s MBA Program • Kellogg MBA Application Essay Tips & Deadlines Tags: MBA Admissions The post A One-Year Kellogg MBA Student’s Experience into Healthcare, Business, and Lots of Languages appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
06 Jun 2019, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: UCLA Anderson School of Management Names Antonio Bernardo as Dean |
 UCLA Newsroom has reported that Antonio Bernardo will be the new dean of the UCLA Anderson School of Management beginning July 1, 2019, succeeding Al Osborne who has held the position of interim dean this past year. Dr. Bernardo has taught at UCLA for 25 years and is an award-winning teacher and distinguished author. He currently holds the Joel Fried Chair in Applied Finance and previously held the Robert D. Beyer Term Chair in Management. Bernardo served as department chair and senior associate dean for academic affairs from 2006-2009, and as finance area chair from 2013-2015 as well as in 2019. Bernardo stated, “I began my academic career at Anderson 25 years ago, and my children have grown up on this campus. I am honored to now have this opportunity to give back to the institution that has allowed me to make the most of my potential, and been such an important community of support for me and my family.” Bernardo’s educational and professional achievements Bernardo received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Ontario in economics and went on to Stanford University where he received his PhD in economics. Throughout his career he has published numerous articles in top finance, economics, and law journals, and served as associate editor of several publications. Bernardo is also the recipient of many leadership and teaching awards, including the Citibank Award for Teaching Excellence and six Anderson class teaching awards. Bernardo’s teaching career has also included positions at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. He also had a visiting appointment at the University of Chicago. Bernardo has served on many committees at UCLA Anderson including the Anderson 2016 strategic planning committee and the gender equality committee. While serving as senior associate dean, he helped spearhead significant strategic projects including one that led to improving the strength and diversity of their faculty, and its pay equality. He was also involved in the inauguration of the school’s Master of Financial Engineering program in 2018. “I believe deeply in our research and teaching mission and I am extremely proud to be a part of one of the world’s great public universities, tackling society’s most-vexing problems,” stated Bernardo, who is looking forward to “leading the Anderson community as we engage that mission with a spirit of collaboration, innovation and purpose.” Are you aiming to gain acceptance at UCLA Anderson or any other top b-school? Explore our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will help you get ACCEPTED! For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Competitive MBA Applicant, a free guide • UCLA Anderson MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines • How Can an Accepted MBA Admissions Consultant Help You? Tags: MBA Admissions The post UCLA Anderson School of Management Names Antonio Bernardo as Dean appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
07 Jun 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: 7 Action Items for MBA Round 1 Applicants |
 It’s June, and your plan is to apply for Round 1 deadlines. That’s three months away. What should you be doing now?
The coming months will be very stressful for you, no doubt. So start working on these things now to allow time to dig deeper on the essays and the rest of your application materials later. You will find that ninety days go by very quickly, so make sure every day counts. Now is also a great time to start working one-on-one with your personal Accepted advisor. Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services – we look forward to helping you GET ACCEPTED.   Esmeralda Cardenal is a Former Associate Director of Admissions at Yale SOM, Director of MBA Admissions at MSU Broad, and consultant at Cardiff Business School in the UK. Since 2014, she has guided Accepted clients to acceptance in various graduate programs including MBA and master's in finance, business analytics, data science, sustainability, and public policy. Want Esmeralda to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • School-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips • 4 Essentials for Your MBA Application • Why Extracurricular Activities Make a Difference in Your MBA Application Tags: MBA Admissions The post 7 Action Items for MBA Round 1 Applicants appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
07 Jun 2019, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Wharton MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 – 2020] |
 https://reports.accepted.com/mba/whartonThe big change in Wharton’s admissions last year occurred at the top. Frank DeVechhis left his position as Director of Admissions. Blair Mannix, Director of Operations and Evaluations since 2015, initially assumed the role of Interim Director of Admissions. She became the Director of Admissions for Wharton MBA in October 2018. In terms of the application, Wharton introduced a new question for its second essay last year. It reduced its length limit for the second question by 100 words for this cycle. The tips for approaching the questions are below. Two years ago Wharton introduced a new format for its recommendations and is continuing to use it. Wharton asks recommenders to choose from two lists of positive adjectives the three that best describe the applicant. In addition, the Wharton MBA application asks recommenders for two examples – one demonstrating fit with Wharton and one showing the candidate’s career potential. The intention of this approach is to see if the recommendations can be more predictive both of success in the Wharton program and in one’s career. In discussion at an AIGAC conference a few years ago, then admissions director Frank DeVecchis acknowledged that on some level the words “recommendation” or “evaluation” are misnomers for what Wharton is looking for from the people asked to provide “a recommendation.” They are looking for insight into your character. Not a recommendation or an evaluation. Wharton MBA Application Essay Questions Wharton MBA Essay #1: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (500 words) This question is future-focused and exclusively professional. What do you want to do professionally that you can’t do now and that a Wharton MBA will help you do? What “soft” and “hard” skills do you hope to acquire at Wharton? How will a Wharton MBA – the education, the credential, and the experience – help you achieve your dreams? As with most MBA goals questions, Wharton wants to see how you plan to connect your Wharton education to your future. Keep in mind that Wharton has an incredibly rich curriculum. How will you take advantage of its premier offerings to prepare yourself to realize your vision? To answer this question well, you need to have professional direction and you need to know which of Wharton’s myriad resources make it perfect as the next stop on your professional journey. Wharton MBA Essay #2: Describe an impactful experience or accomplishment that is not reflected elsewhere in your application. How will you use what you learned through that experience to contribute to the Wharton community? (400 words) Start with the end in mind: How do you intend to contribute to the Wharton community? To answer that question, research the co-curricular opportunities and pedagogical approach at Wharton. How will you contribute? Based on past experience and accomplishments, what difference do you intend to make? How will you participate, and yes, contribute? Now decide on your achievement that prepared you to have your intended impact. Make sure it is one where you made a difference. And now you’re ready to write. I would start this essay with the impactful experience from your past and then analyze the lesson you learned from that accomplishment. Then bring it forward and apply it to your intended role at Wharton. You could, however, start with your intended impact at Wharton and then go back to your past experience. Please note: To answer this question well, you need to know a lot about Wharton’s program and opportunities. Wharton MBA Additional Essay Question: (Required for all reapplicants) Explain how you have reflected on the previous decision about your application, and discuss any updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, extracurricular/volunteer engagements). (250 words)* The name of the MBA reapplicant game is Growth and Improvement. Wharton is asking for reflection, and you need to provide it, but also show how that reflection led to action and improvement. Show Wharton that you are a better candidate this time than last. *First-time applicants may also use this section to address any extenuating circumstances. (250 words) “Addressing extenuating circumstances” means that you should describe those circumstances in a straight-forward way. Give the admissions committee context. Avoid excuses and whining. If possible provide evidence that those circumstance either no longer exist and no longer effect your performance. For expert guidance with your Wharton MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages, which include comprehensive guidance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to Wharton’s MBA program and look forward to helping you too! Wharton 2019-20 Application Deadlines: Application Deadline Decision Notification Round 1 September 17, 2019 December 18, 2019 Round 2 January 7, 2020 March 26, 2020 Round 3 April 1, 2020 May 8, 2020 *To be considered for a round, you must submit a complete application by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the day of the deadline. ***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 e-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: • Meet Dr. Akshat Kumar, Wharton MBA ‘19, a podcast episode • Harvard, Stanford, Wharton: What’s the Difference? • A Wharton-Lauder Student Chats About Management Leaders of Tomorrow and the Value of Time Tags: MBA Admissions The post Wharton MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 – 2020] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
11 Jun 2019, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: All About the Grenoble DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) |
 Exploring the DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) program at Grenoble Ecole de Management [Show Summary] Would you like to be the kind of business leader who wants to define problems and design solution based on rigorous research? Are you seeking a global, part-time program that goes beyond the masters? Do you like the idea of being a chef as opposed to a cook? Dr. Michelle Mielly, Academic Director of the DBA U.S. for GEM, gives us the scoop on Grenoble Ecole de Management DBA, a program that helps it students define problems and design solutions based on rigorous research. Interview with Dr. Michelle Mielly, Academic Director of DBA U.S. at GEM [Show Notes] Our guest today, Dr. Michelle Mielly, does a lot of different things as Associate Professor at the Grenoble Ecole de Management, AKA GEM, where she’s been since 2010. I’m not going to list them all, but the most relevant role for us today is as Academic Director of the DBA U.S. for GEM. Originally from the U.S., Dr. Mielly earned her bachelors at Southwestern University in Texas, a masters from Penn State and Harvard, and her PhD, in Anthropology and Francophone Civilization, is also from Harvard. She has worked in France, the U.S., the Ivory Coast, and Central America. Dr. Mielly, I want to start with two really basic questions, but I think they are ones that a segment of listeners may have: a. What’s the difference between a PhD and a DBA, or are they synonymous? [2:31] They are very similar, and are both doctoral qualifications as well as terminal degrees. The DBA designates a traditionally part-time program that is in business administration as opposed to an academic qualification. DBA students are practitioners of management or do applied management, and are often linked to part-time and professional status. The DBA is a little less academic than a PhD. There are still a lot of PhD ingredients, but the level of contribution in terms of a thesis will be more practitioner-based than theoretical. b. What can someone with a DBA do professionally outside of academia that someone with an MBA can’t do? [4:51] When you get an MBA it’s very rigorous but you are often working on the case method learning how to establish and replicate good recipes. You have the ingredients and the recipes and you are cooking up great solutions. When you go for a doctorate you are writing the recipes. The MBA helps you become solutions-oriented. In the DBA you become the chef, creating recipes, testing them, and looking for different outcomes. There is a lot less certitude, and much of it is a period where you are exploring and changing your mindset. In terms of careers, we have a lot of different outcomes. We have one graduate who worked to develop his own algorithm for a hedge fund for socially responsible investing, honing in on very specific skills. He is now applying that in New York. Often we have folks who were CMOs or CFOs and become attracted to consulting firms. They become managerial thought leaders because they can translate research to people who don’t do research, but also are the people in the room who know more about a particular subject. What’s distinctive about the GEM DBA program? [10:16] We have been around since 1993 and have learned how to work well with students who are part time and remotely located. We are very good at transitioning students to academia, and we encourage people to pick up a class and teach. We help consultants become better because our methods make them much more scientifically-oriented and research-based. We also have students on every continent, impacting students at schools or in the world of management everywhere imaginable. We have especially large constituencies in China and the Middle East. In preparing for the call I noticed that there is an emphasis on integrating practical and theoretical, what Valérie Sabatier, Director of the GEM Doctoral School, calls “relevant research.” Can you delve into that a little deeper? [14:09] By taking on people who are part-time we know it is a tough road, and they have to do something that matters because their organizations are expecting them to. At the end of the day, our students are not just having a conversation amongst people in an ivory tower. They are talking to industry watchdogs, trade journalists, everyday people in their organization who are figuring out trends, or economic cycles, so even if it’s a narrow subject there is something they can measure after having done it. The DBA draws students from around the world to its part-time program, but it has four physical locations in Grenoble, France, Los Angeles, CA, New York City NY, and Istanbul, Turkey. Do the cohorts meet all together at specific points in time? Is it a lock-step program? Are there online components? [16:28] People typically gather in their closest geographical locations, but some of these global managers travel so much they can go to other sites. Americans prefer to be able to take classes on American campuses. For our non-U.S. locations, we do one full week of coursework (5-6 days minimum) and they come back together every six months. In the U.S. we do it on a weekend, so every three months over a weekend they gather, after doing the initial first week in Grenoble. That works out quite well. The minimum a student can complete the program in is three years, with maximum of five years. We thought about a global DBA format but we found that people like to have a connection to a community going through it together. With a global format – a week in China, a week in Colombia, say, they didn’t like the idea of the irregularity of place and group. How does the GEM DBA program compare in cost to similar U.S. programs? [23:05] In Europe it is not socially acceptable to put people in debt so much like it is in the U.S. Our program cost for four years is $69,000. That compares to $150,000 for a three year program in the U.S. We just celebrated our 400th graduate, and people in the U.S. are looking at that. We are fully accredited, and European schools and those outside the U.S. really are responding to the issue of affordable education. You’ve convinced me. I want to join the program. How do I get in? [29:06] We do not require research experience. We do favor applicants who have done a masters thesis, however, writing experience is really helpful. We do require a research proposal with the application. We encourage applicants to talk to former professors to craft something original which is not easy – they often do not like to be put in the position of beginner. They are brilliant people who haven’t done research in this way, and have to put themselves in position to learn. We sometimes ask applicants to go back and do work on their research proposal that is a great sign right there if they are willing to do it. If we didn’t have the proposal we wouldn’t know about resiliency in the academic process. If they can bend themselves to be learners again they are the perfect candidates for us. I saw that at least five years of work experience is required. What kind of work experience are you looking for? [34:55] We encourage five years of managing people. The youngest students are 30 or so and we have no age limit. We’ve had people in their 70s defend their thesis. Those that come in at 30 do so because they are so right for this and have the full capacity to do a PhD but couldn’t quit their job. We can help push them in a more academic direction. Critical experience is managing people in some form or significant project management. It is an impressive group of people, and we want everyone to feel comfortable. Experience doesn’t have to specifically be from business – we have people in non-profits, government, military, anything to do with organizations and managing organizational questions. GMAT or GRE? Academic background in business? Or specific other fields? [37:19] The PhD program does require the GMAT or GRE, but we do not, as we are assuming people have already taken it prior to doing an advanced degree. The majority already have an MBA or masters in a discipline such as finance or marketing. We also have people with a masters in engineering or education. We even have had someone with an MFA or medical doctors or people with PhDs in other subjects who went into the business side. What gets you excited (in a positive way) about an applicant? [38:57] Where I see the potential to address questions that are complex and grand challenges. We all know we have problems with migration, and one student is working on the diaspora impacting a lot of countries and the need to find ways to pull people back. In other words, how can you motivate people to repatriate? We have people looking at sustainability, migrant identity, environmental impact problems, and social responsibility. Do you have any advice for people considering the GEM DBA? What should they be thinking about? [42:00] The application aspect is easy. What is more challenging is the research proposal – we look at academic qualifications, managerial experience, and most important is the research potential. If you can give yourself six months to formulate your idea that is great. You will need to think about what you want to do in a doctoral program that you don’t have time to do in your everyday life. You need to think about what is interesting to you, what you are drawn to read, and if you see a pattern. Engage with people who know about the subject you are interested in, and look at existing research. Really take your time to put together that proposal. What would you have liked me to ask you? [46:21] How we can involve more minorities or underrepresented groups in doctoral research. This is important for us to broaden the perspective diversity in the academy. Different people have different ways of looking at things. For example, we are very polarized on politics in the U.S., but people coming together in an academic setting allows people to engage in touchy discussions. We need more women, more people of color, more socio-economic backgrounds coming into programs like this. We need more richness and perspective to question assumptions. Related Links: • Grenoble Ecole de Management DBA • How to Perform an Effective Scholarship Search • Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions, a free guide • Choosing the Best PhD Programs, a free guide • Accepted’s Admissions Consulting Services Related Shows: • Exploring London Business School’s Master’s in Analytics and Management • An Inside Look at the World of Admissions with Linda Abraham • How to Get Into Grad School, and Get Jobs After Grad School Subscribe: Podcast Feed  Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Grad School Admissions, MBA Admissions The post All About the Grenoble DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) [Episode 315] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
13 Jun 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBA Applicants: There’s No Time Like the Present! |
 You’ve been putting a plan together for a while now – researching business schools, taking the GMAT, reviewing your transcript, thinking about recommenders – and now is the time to put that plan into action. Top business schools are extremely competitive, with acceptance rates ranging from 5%-20%. Since you are probably already familiar with how statistics work (and if you’re not, you will be your first semester of business school!), then you probably already know this: the earlier in the admissions cycle you apply, the greater your chance of admission. Business schools are now releasing their applications for the 2019-2020 season, so there is no time like the present to begin the process of applying. By starting early, and working with an Accepted consultant, you’ll be giving yourself the gift of time and expertise we bring to the table, so to help you get started, from June 13-20 we’re offering a 10% discount on all our non-rush MBA Admissions Consulting Services when you use the code GETSTARTED at checkout. Get started on your MBA application with us today and increase your chances of acceptance!  Note: The coupon can’t be combined with another offer, is for non-rush orders only, and can be used one time only. For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Tags: MBA Admissions The post MBA Applicants: There’s No Time Like the Present! appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
14 Jun 2019, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: The Reality of Unrealistic MBA Goals |
 Business school candidates (depending on career stage) will often look to advanced graduate degrees for one of three reasons: (a) to accelerate in their current career, (b) to make a career switch, or (c) to start a business. Whatever the reason, it’s important that the adcom know exactly what it is that you want to do post-programme so they can understand whether their school can support those aims. After all, they want to see students who will achieve both academic and professional success, and ultimately become successful alumni. So it’s crucial that, as an applicant, you’re providing a clear understanding of your career goals, and how the programme will help you achieve them. Failure to do so, regardless of your stats or profile, could lead to an unfavourable application outcome. During my time as Admissions Director for Early Career Programmes at London Business School, I saw this regularly, and I recall one particular case where vague or nonexistent goals led straight to rejection. Case study: Matthew and his unconvincing post-MBA goal Matthew looked good on paper – above average GMAT, good undergraduate marks in a liberal arts degree from one of the top universities in his home country, and experience at his family’s logistics company. Matthew stated in his application that he was interested in pursuing consulting, with a focus on the top tier strategy consultancies for the fairly standard reasons of wanting a role with a steep learning curve and the opportunity to gain exposure to a variety of sectors. While his rationale didn’t seem particularly developed nor his motivation clear, he was invited to interview to probe this reasoning in more detail. The interview is a chance to convince – to convince of your calibre, to convince of your fit, to convince of your drive, and to convince you have what it takes to succeed. Matthew failed to convince on these latter two points. During the interview, Matthew was unable to demonstrate any real understanding of his intended goal of consulting. When probed, he could not articulate why he felt this was a realistic path taking into consideration his experience, skills, and longer-term aims, nor could he accurately discuss the role of a consultant. While his lack of consulting knowledge was a concern, it didn’t necessarily mean the end of the road for Matthew; he would have learned about the industry during his time in the programme, both through career support and through networking with students and alumni with relevant experience. What was a concern was the fact that he did not seem motivated to conduct any research to help him understand what would be an important next step in his career journey. Through further probing at the interview it became clear that, in addition to a lack of drive, he didn’t appear to have any plan B or C. It was MBB or nothing. The interviewer tried to impart advice that could help in his situation – alternate short-term goals that could lead to consulting in the future, other companies, different roles that would give him the work diversity and challenge he was seeking. This advice fell on deaf ears, much to the interviewer’s disappointment. By the end of the interview, it became clear that Matthew’s career goals were not steeped in reality. At the same time, being grounded should not preclude aspiration or dreams. Your goals should be ambitious. They should allow you to stretch yourself, and hopefully provide you with a (positive) professional challenge. Given your mature, demonstrated understanding of your existing skills, educations, strengths, weaknesses, and experience, business studies can help you attain the skills, knowledge, network, and support to make your ambitions a reality. Reality, being the key word here. Unfortunately, this now was the end of the road for Matthew. The concern for myself and the rest of the adcom at this point became the candidate’s apparent lack of self-awareness and ability to listen, behaviours that would be concerning should he become a student. 4 factors in realistic b-school goals So, what can you do to avoid Mathew’s fate?
Commitment is an important qualification to the adcom – they want to see you’re committed to your studies, committed to your community, and committed to achieving your goals. The application process gives you a chance to demonstrate these attributes, so make the most of your opportunity to show you’ve got the interest and drive to achieve your realistic and still ambitious goals. Do you need help demonstrating your post-MBA goal in your b-school application? Work with an experienced advisor who will guide you through the process of identifying, defining, and outlining your goal and then successfully convincing the adcom that you have the drive and commitment to make it happen. Explore our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services for more information.   Jamie Wright has more than eight years of recruitment and admissions experience at London Business School, and is the former Admissions Director for Early Career Programmes at LBS. Originally from the U.S., Jamie is now based in London. Want Jamie to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch with Jamie Wright. Related Resources: • Best MBA Programs, a free guide to selecting the right one for you • The Importance of Defining Your MBA Goal • Why Do You Need an MBA? [MBA Interview Questions Series] Tags: MBA Admissions The post The Reality of Unrealistic MBA Goals appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
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