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12 Feb 2023, 05:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: How to Start Your First Draft of an Application Essay |
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[img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Blog-Graphic-Recipe-for-Writing-an-Accomplishment-Essay-10-e1675973919966.png[/img] [img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Blog-Graphic-Recipe-for-Writing-an-Accomplishment-Essay-10-1024x576.png[/img] Check out all of the blog posts in this series: [list] [*][url=https://blog.accepted.com/identifying-the-ingredients-of-a-winning-essay/]Identifying the Ingredients of a Winning Essay[/url][/*] [*][url=https://blog.accepted.com/from-example-to-exemplary-2-a-theme-for-your-statement-of-purpose/]Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose[/url][/*] [*][url=https://blog.accepted.com/writing-career-goals-essay/]Writing Your Career Goals Essay[/url][/*] [*][url=http://how-to-create-the-first-draft-of-your-application-essay]How to Start Your First Draft of an Application Essay[/url][/*] [*] [url=https://blog.accepted.com/from-example-to-exemplary-5-revise-and-polish-your-essays/]Revise and Polish Your Application Essays[/url][/*] [/list] Now that you have [url=https://blog.accepted.com/from-example-to-exemplary-2-a-theme-for-your-statement-of-purpose/]reflected on the questions that helped you identify and develop your theme[/url], you have a clear sense of what will make your essay effective. Time to start writing! [b]First, make an outline.[/b] An outline can be formal, with clearly delineated categories and subcategories, but it can also be just a very informal list of the main points you want to cover. Based on the answers you jotted down to the questions from [url=https://blog.accepted.com/from-example-to-exemplary-2-a-theme-for-your-statement-of-purpose/]the second blog post in this series[/url], you should already have a robust list of experiences, anecdotes, and ideas for possible inclusion in your essay. Do you have more examples and ideas than you can use in a single essay? So much the better! You can “spread the wealth” of these anecdotes among different essay questions and different schools. Another bonus to this system: the task of writing will be a fresher experience for you. [b]Next, structure the essay for introduction, main content, and conclusion.[/b] Now let’s break the job down further to keep the task manageable. First, how long is your essay? Grad school application essays can range from as short as 250 words to more than 700. Ironically, writing a very short, very good essay is much harder than writing a very good, longer one. Writing a super-short essay is like being six feet tall and stuck in a coach airline seat – you’re going to feel cramped even when writing as economically as possible. You have little room to add the colorful context and details that can be so helpful. On the other hand, you must pare your story down to its essence, and there is strength in that. Assuming you have more legroom, so to speak, and are allowed to write up to 700 words, you still have to divide that real estate among your essay’s introduction, main body, and conclusion. Dividing your essay like this will help you gauge how much you can afford to write in each section. However, while keeping that in mind, do not worry too much about overwriting at first. Your first drafts can have a “relaxed” length, because it’s important for you to write what you feel you want and need to say. As you edit, you will trim and pare down to the most essential material that fits, including only the most salient, compelling experiences, insights, and anecdotes. It is difficult to edit yourself, however. [url=https://www.accepted.com/grad/services?utm_campaign=Blog&utm_medium=ex2ex_lets_get_drafted&utm_source=article]Having an expert editor on hand to help you with the trimming can be a huge asset[/url], saving you time while helping you make final content decisions that will work in your best interest. [b]Feeling stuck? Start from the middle, or even the end, of your essay.[/b] In [url=https://blog.accepted.com/identifying-the-ingredients-of-a-winning-essay/]post #1[/url] and [url=https://blog.accepted.com/writing-career-goals-essay/]post #3[/url], we admired some strong introductions. But don’t get hung up on crafting the perfect introduction before moving on to the rest of your essay. Many people freeze up if they don’t know how to start their essay. Guess what happens then? Nothing. Days go by, and they still haven’t begun. Here’s a writing secret: you don’t have to start at the beginning. Start with any section of the essay where you feel confident – start in the middle where you know a story you want to tell. Or start with a conclusion you have in mind. Often, the perfect introduction will come to you when you are well into writing the rest of the essay. Finally, keep in mind the picture you want to paint of yourself for the admissions committee. [url=https://blog.accepted.com/proving-character-traits-in-your-application-essays/]What three adjectives do you want them to connect with you after they have read your application?[/url] As you read your draft, are those three adjectives (e.g., determined, focused, empathetic) shouting out at you? Stay focused on how best to craft the image of that talented, purpose-driven individual through lively, meaningful examples. And of course, never, ever simply claim to be something without backing it up with evidence. [b]Summary Tips:[/b] [list] [*]Make an outline, even if it’s informal. [/*] [*][url=https://blog.accepted.com/first-drafts-of-personal-statements-let-yourself-go/]Feel free to overwrite your first drafts[/url] – within reason. Capture on paper all the important experiences, ideas, and insights you want to share. As you edit, you will get to the essence of your message. Engaging a skilled editor to support you can be a wise investment. [/*] [*]If you are stuck on the opening of the essay, skip it. Start wherever you feel confident about what you want to write. The introduction does not actually have to come first! [/*] [*]Keep in mind the impression you want the adcom to have of you when they finish reading your essay. Does your narrative suggest that image to you?[/*] [/list] [url=https://blog.accepted.com/from-example-to-exemplary-5-revise-and-polish-your-essays/]In the next and final post in this series[/url], you’ll learn how to revise and polish your exemplary essays. [b]Our incredible experts will walk you through the process of creating a slam-dunk application. They have read literally thousands of essays and know the exact ingredients of an outstanding essay. Need help figuring out which service is best for you? [url=https://www.accepted.com/free-admissions-consultation-all]Click here for more guidance.[/url][/b] [url=https://www.accepted.com/grad/services?utm_campaign=Blog&utm_medium=ex2ex_lets_get_drafted&utm_source=blog][img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/VTTNZ-3y3w8S3zdPVEDDeaCLpesKXkEL-EoVUhjNq9OqO77nWLavftGH8BVyZmukp5lptSP1oo72a0IH_dc0ay7go1XvTvNtmO0pR99DpOnbPOIlvY1XQOAQIorWbVCvvso3LtUH[/img][/url] By Judy Gruen, former Accepted admissions consultant. Judy holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University and is the co-author of Accepted’s first full-length book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools. [b][url=https://www.accepted.com/free-admissions-consultation-all]Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch![/url][/b] [b]Related resources:[/b] [list] [*][url=https://reports.accepted.com/guide/five-fatal-flaws-grad-school-statement-of-purpose]5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose[/url], a free guide[/*] [*][url=https://blog.accepted.com/first-drafts-of-personal-statements-let-yourself-go/]First Drafts of Personal Statements: Let Yourself Go[/url][/*] [*][url=https://blog.accepted.com/proving-character-traits-in-your-application-essays/]Proving Character Traits in Your Essays[/url][/*] [/list] The post [url=https://blog.accepted.com/how-to-create-the-first-draft-of-your-application-essay/]<strong>How to Start Your First Draft of an Application Essay</strong>[/url] appeared first on [url=https://blog.accepted.com]Accepted Admissions Blog[/url]. |
19 Feb 2023, 05:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Resilience: How Flaws and Failures Can Strengthen Your Application |
  A speaker recently told a story about traveling in Asia, where he saw a stunning emerald. Enchanted by the stone’s beauty, he decided to buy it – on the spot. He returned home and took the emerald to a jeweler for appraisal. The jeweler began examining the stone through his magnifier, and as he did so, his face went pale. “What’s the matter?” asked the proud owner of the emerald. “I can’t find a flaw,” said the jeweler. “Wonderful!” said the stone’s owner. “No, it’s not. If it’s flawless, it’s a fake. A phony. Nothing in the natural world is flawless,” replied the jeweler. “Then find a flaw!!!” After a few more tense moments, the jeweler found a small flaw, and the owner of the stone stopped worrying that he had been taken in by a piece of plastic masquerading as a gem. What does this have to do with admissions? Just this: When the adcoms ask you about a flaw or weaknessin your essays, and you fail to offer any, you will also seem like a fake in their eyes. Everything in nature has an imperfection or two (or three), including human beings. Now, we don’t suggest that you cop to every weakness you know that you have and say, “This is me. Take it or leave it.” You can turn weaknesses into strengths in your essays, if you have worked to learn and grow from them. This growth in turn builds your resilience, which is a quality adcoms want to see. If you have overcome obstacles, developed other talents to compensate for weaknesses, or worked to minimize imperfections, you will demonstrate maturity, self-awareness, and growth. Here’s how failures and flaws can build resilience. Recently, we worked with a client applying to MBA programs who had made the type of mistake that could have not only gotten him fired but also destroyed a lucrative business relationship between his employer and a major customer. Here’s the story: “Sami” once worked in an analytics department and played a role in the incorrect interpretation of some key data. This incorrect reading led his employer to recommend a business strategy to the firm’s customer that was the exact opposite of what it should have been. What a disaster! Sami didn’t discover this catastrophic error until after the new strategy had been implemented. He could have then watched from afar as the strategy failed. Instead, he came clean, told the truth, and waited for the blowback, expecting the worst. Instead, he was rewarded for his integrity, despite the risk to his reputation. As a result, not only did he keep his job but also, the relationship between his employer and the firm’s customer flourished. This experience clearly positioned Sami to write about a “failure” example from his past and what he learned from it. “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” Essay questions that ask you to discuss failure, risk, mistakes, difficult interactions, or conflict often make applicants cringe. After all, you are eager to show the admissions committee through that you are on top of your game and ready to conquer the world. The last thing you want to do is wave a flag that attracts attention to the gory details of when and where you’ve fallen short. However, as Sami’s experience proves, questions about failure provide a window into your character. How resilient are you in the face of a setback or failure? What did you learn from the experience, about yourself, about the world of business, about relationships, about communication? What wisdom have you gained? Are you able to convincingly show that you view your stumble as an inevitable, even essential step on the road to achievement? Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” So take heart: writing about your flaws and setbacks is an opportunity for you to shine by showing your humility, commitment to growth, and determination to apply lessons learned. Reading about your setbacks allows the admissions committee to understand what you’re really made of. Follow these four steps to transform setbacks into achievements.
Our advice on writing a college essay that reveals resilience echoes the advice we’ve given on writing personal failure essays. State the initial situation in which you needed resilience, and then show – specifically and using personal anecdotes – how you flexed your resilience muscles, growing stronger as a result. What did you do to pick yourself up, improve, acknowledge effort, persist, and ultimately succeed? By portraying these qualities in your essay, you will convince the adcom that you have the self-awareness, maturity, and dedication to thrive, despite an occasional stumble or any obstacles you will inevitably face. Consider experiences that helped you grow the most, made you a better or stronger person, or better prepared you to face adversity in the future. Again, show how you are different now as a result of confronting a negative situation. Make sure to offer specific examples that reveal how you have turned failure into success. Remember that a weakness can be the flip side of a strength. For example, perhaps your tendency to be “too detail oriented” resulted in your discovering a critical error before it triggered a larger problem. Identifying your weakness and giving it careful thought might have prompted you to take steps to correct or minimize it. Be thoughtful in your responses to questions about weakness or failure. Successful leaders must have honesty and integrity as part of their DNA and be able to identify and admit to failures and weaknesses. As motivational speaker Zig Ziglar pointed out, “It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.” Nobody’s perfect, but a “perfect” answer to these questions just might get you admitted! To make sure your essays reflect you at your best, work with us. Every consultant at Accepted has years of experience in college admissions and helping applicants gain coveted acceptances at top schools worldwide. Let them do the same for you!  By Judy Gruen, former Accepted admissions consultant. Judy holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University and is the co-author of Accepted’s first full-length book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools. Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • From Example to Exemplary, a free guide to writing winning application essays • Writing About Overcoming Obstacles in Your Application Essays, a short video • Showing Resilience in the Face of Failure The post Resilience: How Flaws and Failures Can Strengthen Your Application appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
20 Feb 2023, 05:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Proving Character Traits in Your Essays |
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[img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Proving-Character-Traits-in-Your-Essays.jpg[/img] [img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Proving-Character-Traits-in-Your-Essays.jpg[/img] When you [url=https://reports.accepted.com/guide/from-example-to-exemplary-guide]write an application essay or statement of purpose[/url], you’re trying to accomplish two equally vital goals at once. First, you need to prove your worthiness for acceptance at your target school. Second, you need to show the adcom that you have the desirable character traits that their program values. But how do you prove to people you have never met that you really are a person of good character, as well as smart, determined, focused, capable, and creative – [url=https://blog.accepted.com/how-to-project-professionalism-positivity-and-confidence-in-your-statement-of-purpose/]without bragging[/url]? What’s the secret sauce? Show, don’t tell. The cardinal rule for achieving this goal is this: “Show, don’t tell.” “Telling” involves making boastful claims, such as “I was considered among the smartest in my department” or “I’m a team player” or “I have the maturity of someone much older.” Whenever candidates make these statements without backing them up with real examples, they sound hollow. “Showing,” on the other hand, involves illustrating the personal characteristics that you want to convey in a compelling way. When you highlight selected experiences to underscore your fantastic character and professional qualities, you’ll make a far more convincing case. Tell stories to make your point. Let’s look at an essay example from a law school applicant and see how the narrative he tells reveals his character: Driving home from a busy day at work as general manager of our family’s signage and graphics company, I received a text message from the director of a local, small, post-collegiate Talmudic academy. The director was going out of town in a few days and asked me if I would give his daily morning class on the Talmud in his absence. The class is given every day at 6 a.m., before prayer, to a group of men dedicated to studying this body of Jewish civil and criminal law. I felt honored to be asked to stand in for a man of his stature. Studying and teaching the Talmud is one of my favorite activities, and I gladly accepted. Now, in less than 12 hours, I must be ready to teach the next day’s topic. I’d be up late preparing. Right out of the gate, we learn that this candidate [url=https://blog.accepted.com/7-tips-for-mba-applicants-from-family-businesses/]manages a family business[/url] and was tapped to substitute teach a high-level class in the Talmud. These simple facts, with no embellishment, establish that his character traits include responsibility, reliability, and the ability to teach sophisticated legal concepts. In the next paragraph, he explains the relevance of this subject matter, suggesting a link between the study of ancient Jewish law and modern-day law: I spent many years poring over the Talmud. Though codified in the 7th century, its exacting, sometimes tedious arguments, legal theory, and decisions apply even in modern life. Jewish law applies to most facets and situations of our everyday living. For example, there are laws, and nuances within laws, governing proper speech and the types of permissible foods, and about honoring parents, teachers, and elders. In the next paragraph, he connects the dots between his work in the family business and his aspirations in law. The attention to detail required in his job also feels relevant to the practice of law and its endless details: I’ve learned many invaluable skills: project and time management, creative thinking, customer service, and leadership. I have had to develop extra attention to detail, particularly because of the customized nature of nearly all our jobs and because one of my duties is to make sure we are in compliance with the very strict signage codes in Santa Monica as well as the City of Los Angeles. Additionally, I review the signage criteria and create a “permit package” for the city, after which we hope to obtain the permit without too much bureaucratic aggravation. He also discusses a part-time job at an employment law firm, which illustrates his commitment to readying himself for law school. This section builds from a strong foundation that convincingly revealed the candidate’s broad-based personal character traits, becoming tightly focused on how he has gained a basic orientation into the workings of a law practice: Because it is a small practice, I was able to speak directly with clients, send out personnel requests, and draft[b] [/b]documents required before, during, and after litigation. Although I enjoyed learning about the various stages of the civil litigation process and had an excellent[b] [/b]experience, I also learned that I don’t foresee myself practicing civil litigation.[b] [/b]Instead, I hope to work as a regulatory and corporate compliance specialist in the context of commercial real estate and mergers and acquisitions. The applicant concludes by explaining his interest in this law school, pointing to its outstanding reputation, large local alumni base, employment rate of more than 80% for the most recent graduating class, and emphasis on practical legal theory: One civil litigation attorney I met — at a World Series party — told me (during a commercial break) that Loyola’s hands-on training and practical approach prepared him for his career better than he could have imagined, and he found a job within a week of graduating. This essay models the “show, don’t tell” advice we give here. By the end of the essay, the reader cannot help but be impressed with the applicant’s personal character traits, which he has illustrated by providing examples, not simply making claims. Now let’s look at an equally strong essay in which the candidate is asked to discuss a time when she was [url=https://blog.accepted.com/display-teamwork-in-application-essays/]a team player[/url]. This is a valuable trait for just about any career, and especially important for aspiring MBAs. Good examples could include the following: a time you came up with a creative compromise to a problem over which your coworkers/teammates were deadlocked, offered to take on additional responsibilities at work or on a school or club project when everyone else was overloaded, or asked your supervisor what you could do to add more value to your department. For this applicant, the challenge was even bigger, as we see at the opening (Note: This essay appears in [url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1466294981/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl]MBA Admission for Smarties[/url], by Linda Abraham and Judy Gruen, pages 93-94.): I arrived in Chicago in the summer of 20__ as tech lead to revamp the website of a large chain of hotels. My company, Bright Zone (a pseudonym), was in an uncommon position as subcontractor to a management consultancy. I discovered that my coworkers’ morale had been falling for the past four months, a casualty of negative attitudes and the widely perceived incompetence of the previous firm that had been hired for the website overhaul, which had ended in disaster. I had been hired to direct development, but that was like putting out small brush fires when the whole forest was burning. I pursued team unification. Right off the bat, we learn that this candidate has formidable tech abilities, having been asked to revamp a failed website overhaul. Second, her observations about low morale among her coworkers reveal her emotional intelligence and sensitivity. I don’t know about you, but I’m impressed. In the next paragraph, she starts proving her commitment to her team and to the success of this huge engagement. Notice the thought process that sparked her idea to invite the team out for social dinners after hours: I theorized that if people enjoyed being with each other socially, it would be harder to vilify each other at work. Over many dinners, the other techs under my supervision, as well as the consultants, seemed to begin to actually like each other and began trusting my recommendations. Moving her story forward, she pinpoints the main perpetrator of the negativity. Barry is not only very senior to her but also her friend. Yet his severe antagonism toward the client forces her to overstep her normal boundaries, and she convinces her firm’s vice president and company chairman to take action: My friendship with Barry complicated this dynamic, but I believed for my team to succeed, we had to purge toxicity. After two weeks of meetings and interventions, he was fired. With Barry’s negativity removed, my social activities began to have a dramatic impact. We became a true team as the other consulting company now trusted us and gave us broad influence to the client. In moving beyond a tech lead’s responsibilities, I helped build a multimillion-dollar, strategic account. Let’s recap the specifics the writer offers here: inviting team members for meals, talking privately with key players, and pushing to remove a toxic team member from the mix. These actions all illustrate her mature ability to assess the situation, take risks for the sake of the team, and earn her success on the other side. Actions matter! Whether you want to reveal creativity, intelligence, dedication, commitment to social action, or anything else, make sure that you include specific examples of times when you actively displayed those traits. Telling these stories will save you from awkwardly claiming a certain quality in a vague and unconvincing manner. Your proven actions will make the case for you. [b]Our consultants have 20+ years of experience guiding applicants to admission with compelling, detailed, and story-filled essays. Are you ready to join the ranks of Accepted’s accepted clients? Explore our [/b][url=https://www.accepted.com/grad/services?utm_campaign=Blog&utm_medium=proving_character_traits&utm_source=blog][b]Admissions Consulting & Editing Services[/b][/url][b] for more information on how we can help you create a winning application essay that highlights your greatest character traits, one that will get you noticed and accepted at your top-choice program. [/b] By Judy Gruen, former Accepted admissions consultant. Judy holds a Master’s in Journalism from Northwestern University. She is the co-author of Accepted’s first full-length book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools. [b][url=https://www.accepted.com/services?utm_campaign=Blog&utm_medium=blog_bio_Judy&utm_source=blog]Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch![/url][/b] [url=http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/58291/4751002f-5aa9-40d8-bb71-6d43a4318bd2][img]https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/58291/4751002f-5aa9-40d8-bb71-6d43a4318bd2.png[/img][/url] [b]Related Resources:[/b] [list] [*][url=https://blog.accepted.com/essay-tip-the-importance-of-details/]Application Essay Tip: The Devil Is in the Details[/url][/*] [*][url=https://blog.accepted.com/5-elements-telling-attention-grabbing-story/]9 Secrets to Telling an Attention-Grabbing Story[/url][/*] [*][url=https://blog.accepted.com/how-to-project-professionalism-positivity-and-confidence-in-your-statement-of-purpose/]How to Project Professionalism, Positivity, and Confidence in Your Statement of Purpose[/url][/*] [/list] The post [url=https://blog.accepted.com/proving-character-traits-in-your-application-essays/]<strong>Proving Character Traits in Your Essays</strong>[/url] appeared first on [url=https://blog.accepted.com]Accepted Admissions Blog[/url]. |
25 Feb 2023, 04:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Welcoming Kelly Wilson |
  Accepted warmly welcomes consultant Kelly Wilson to our A-Team! Kelley has worked with b-school applicants for 23 years, having led business school recruitment and admissions for the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, and the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business. In her role as executive director and assistant dean of admissions at CMU Tepper, she oversaw admissions committees for the MBA and master’s programs in Management of Information Systems, Computational Finance, Business Analytics, and Product Management. Kelly has traveled to 43 countries in the course of her work and estimates that she has reviewed more than 38,000 applications. Wow! “Earning an MBA is a game changer with respect to the trajectory of your career,” Kelly says. “You want to embark upon this journey with an understanding of the resources available to you to support your success. I have worked closely with organizations including Forté, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, the Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management, https://gmatclub.com/chat, Access, Reaching Out, and Military MBA, which can support your goals. As a first-generation college student, I find intrinsic value in helping prospective students discover possibilities for their future.” Kelly worked in the corporate world before shifting to higher education. “Many people played a key role in my path along the way, and I look forward to playing that role for you. Using the insights I have gained in the corporate and admissions world, I will help you craft an application that will get the attention of the admissions teams where you apply. Nothing gives me more pleasure than contributing to the success of prospective students.” One of Kelly’s favorite activities when traveling to other countries is sampling local cuisine and stopping at local grocery stores to get a sense of what everyday life would be like there. “Of course, I always look for the local interpretation of my favorite ice cream flavor – chocolate with chocolate and more chocolate!”   By Linda Abraham, 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 to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch! The post <strong>Welcoming Kelly Wilson</strong> appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
28 Feb 2023, 04:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Welcoming Sadie Polen |
  The Accepted consultant team is thrilled to welcome Sadie Polen, who previously ran highly selective summer programs at Harvard University, where she reviewed more than 1,000 applications a year. Through these programs, Sadie worked with partner individuals and organizations across the public service and political spectrum, including economic development, journalism, elected officials, law, civic tech, and NGOs, and with students who went on to graduate from master’s and PhD programs in law, business, health, government, and education. Sadie’s undergraduate work at UC Davis was in the field of community development, and her graduate work at the Harvard Graduate School of Education centered on the intersection of community and education and how the two forces interact to make each other stronger. In addition, she earned a diversity, equity, and inclusion certificate from Cornell University. With a collaborative, strategic, and process-oriented coaching style, Sadie focuses on understanding her clients, helping them determine where they want to apply and why, and with brainstorming, outlining, drafting, redrafting, and editing essays so that they convey their stories with impact. Sadie understands that writing and editing are iterative processes. “I want my clients to feel comfortable trying new things and making ‘mistakes’ along the way,” she says. “The best results often come from unexpected places. The process of applying to graduate school is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on who you are, what makes you a unique applicant, and what your goals are. The experience of working together through the application process can continue to benefit you in – and beyond – graduate school. I’m excited to be part of that process with you!” By Linda Abraham, 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 to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch! The post Welcoming Sadie Polen appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
05 Mar 2023, 05:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Four Tips for Highlighting Your Strengths in Your Application Essays |
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[img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/4-Tips-for-Showing-Your-Strenghts-in-Your-Application-Essays.jpg[/img] [img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/4-Tips-for-Showing-Your-Strenghts-in-Your-Application-Essays.jpg[/img] One of the most important pieces of advice you can receive regarding your personal statements and application essays is this: Show, don’t tell. But you might have been given this advice before and are wondering how to go about it. Let’s dive into how to show effectively. Here are four tips to help you achieve this essential writing goal: [list] [*][b]Show the steps you’ve taken.[/b] If you are writing about a goal you achieved or a project you completed, spelling out the process you followed will add depth and validity to your claims. “Within six months, I was promoted to Junior Account Manager” is not nearly as compelling as “After completing my training in record time and then doubling sales in my territory, I was promoted to Junior Account Manager after only six months on the job.” Explaining the specific measures you took to obtain the recognition that landed you your fast-tracked promotion adds so much to your essay.. Similarly, if asked about a weakness, [url=https://blog.accepted.com/16-grad-school-application-mistakes-you-dont-want-to-make-episode-237/]don’t just tell the adcom[/url] that you have overcome your weakness of procrastination; instead, show them by giving concrete examples of specific steps you’ve taken to become a more efficient person. For example, do you now plan your projects when you get them and stick to the schedule you set for yourself? Do you check your calendar at least twice daily to ensure you don’t miss a task, call, or appointment? Then show the results you’ve achieved: You haven’t pulled an all-nighter since you implemented these changes. [/*] [*][b]Provide examples of strengths and skills.[/b] You say that you are creative, mature, and [url=https://reports.accepted.com/leadership-in-admissions-2]an excellent leader[/url]. But how? What have you done specifically, and what impact have you made on your teammates/coworkers/company/community/the world at large? Saying that you’re creative won’t cut it; instead, share a story or paint a picture (with words) that truly depicts the creative workings of your mind. And if you claim to be a leader, a quality highly valued by most graduate schools, provide an example of your leadership and impact. [/*] [*][b]Offer relevant, compelling details whenever possible.[/b] Your story of success will be more believable and more memorable if you provide supporting details. Remember, when you are showing your achievements rather than just telling about them, your readers are going to want to see a picture of who you are and what you’ve done. Add vibrant details – talk about the number of people on your team; the amount of money you raised; the butterflies you felt while launching your new product; the fear you experienced when you botched a project, followed by extreme remorse, and then the resolve to do better. All these details will add color and vitality to the picture you’re painting for the adcom. [/*] [*][b]Tell a story that reveals your strengths.[/b] Admissions committee readers are human beings. Like all human beings, they love a good story. One of the best ways to make a point is with a story that illustrates it. A good story has a problem with some emotion or tension, a main character who addresses and sometimes struggles with the problem, and a resolution. For application essays, that resolution usually shows how the main character, typically the applicant, solved the problem, benefited others, and restored emotional equilibrium. [/*] [/list] If you can tell a story that includes the steps you took, reveals your strengths, keeps the reader engaged with a juicy detail or two, and maintains a certain level of tension up to the point that the resolution is revealed, your essay is well on its way to enhancing your admissions chances. What’s ineffective “telling”? Boastful claims such as “I am a wonderful team leader” or “I have excellent communication skills” will fail to convince the adcom of your strengths if they’re not backed up with evidence. Claims without a reinforcing story, example, or detail are “telling” and perilously bland and unpersuasive. Now that you know how to do it, remember: When [url=https://www.accepted.com/grad/services/essay-editing?utm_campaign=Blog&utm_medium=showing_strengths_in_application_essays&utm_source=blog]writing your essays[/url], show, don’t tell.Do you need help showing the adcom what you’re all about? Our experienced consultants can show you the way! Explore our [url=https://www.accepted.com/services?utm_campaign=Blog&utm_medium=showing_strengths_in_application_essays&utm_source=blog]Admissions Consulting & Editing Services[/url] and work one-on-one with your personal advisor to create the application that will get you ACCEPTED! [url=https://www.accepted.com/free-admissions-consultation-all][img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/free-consultation-2.png[/img][/url] [url=https://www.accepted.com/aboutus/LindaAbraham][img]https://blog.accepted.com/linda-abraham-accepted-founder/[/img][/url] 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. [b][url=https://www.accepted.com/services?utm_campaign=Blog&utm_medium=blog_bio_linda&utm_source=blog]Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch![/url][/b] [b]Related Resources:[/b] [list] [*] [url=https://reports.accepted.com/five-fatal-flaws-grad-school-statement-of-purpose]5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Personal Statement[/url], a free guide [/*] [*] [url=https://blog.accepted.com/essential-components-of-mba-personal-statement/]3 Essential Components of a Personal Statement[/url] [/*] [*] [url=https://blog.accepted.com/5-elements-telling-attention-grabbing-story/]How to Tell an Attention-Grabbing Story[/url] [/*] [/list] The post [url=https://blog.accepted.com/showing-strengths-in-application-essays/]Four Tips for Highlighting Your Strengths in Your Application Essays[/url] appeared first on [url=https://blog.accepted.com]Accepted Admissions Blog[/url]. |
07 Mar 2023, 06:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: How to Get Into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Program |
 Shortcuts to Key Insights from this Episode
Shelly Heinrich, Associate Dean for MBA and MS-ESM admissions, and Director of Marketing at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, discusses everything applicants need to know about getting into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA program. [Show Summary] Are you interested in sustainability? Also considering an MBA? Well Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business offers and outstanding MBA program AND an MS in Environmental and Sustainability Management. And today’s interview is with the associate dean of admissions for both programs. Pull up a chair. Interview with Shelly Heinrich, Associate Dean for MBA and MS-ESM admissions, and Director of Marketing at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. [Show Notes] Are you interested in sustainability? Are you also considering an MBA? Well, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business offers an outstanding MBA program and an MS in Environmental and Sustainable Management. And today’s interview is with the Associate Dean of Admissions for both programs. Pull up a chair. Welcome to the 512th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. Before we dive into today’s interview, I want to give you a gift, Accepted’s free download, Fitting In & Standing Out. This guide will help you navigate the paradox at the heart of admissions. Realize that you need to show in your application simultaneously that you fit in at your target schools, and that you stand out in the applicant pool. It gives me great pleasure to have back on Admissions Straight Talk Shelly Heinrich, Associate Dean for MBA and MS-ESM admissions, and Director of Marketing at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. Shelly has been leading Georgetown’s admissions efforts since 2014 and became Associate Dean in 2017. She earned her BBA from Texas Christian University, her Master’s in Educational Administration from UT Austin, and her Executive MBA from Georgetown.  Shelly, welcome back to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:52] It’s wonderful to be back. Thanks, Linda, for having me. Can you provide an overview of both Georgetown’s MBA programs and the MS in Environment and Sustainability Management or the ESM? [2:01] Yeah. Absolutely. I’ll start it with the MBA. The good news is our three MBAs are the same in that we have a full-time, a flex in-person for working professionals, and a flex online for working professionals. They are all 54 credits. You get the same degree, and you have access to the same experience at Georgetown McDonough, so it makes it very easy to talk about. Full-time is 20 months, like a normal full-time two-year program would be, and then the two flex programs are anywhere between two-and-a-half years to five years. But you’re taking the same classes. You have the same core for the first half of the program, and then you get to choose from electives in the second half of the program. At Georgetown, we don’t require you to choose a concentration. We really feel that you should customize based on what is of interest to you and/or really, what your skill gaps are. There are so many hats that we wear in our jobs today that may be strategy or marketing, or finance or budgeting. We want you to fill those skill gaps in the electives of your choosing. Very briefly, that is the nuts and bolts of the MBA programs. I should say that the flex online is newly launched, so we will be enrolling our first cohort this coming fall. And we’re really excited. Moving now to the Master of Science and Environment and Sustainability Management. It is a lot of syllables, so we do shorten it to ESM, but we welcomed our first cohort this past fall. We launched it a year-and-a-half ago, and our first cohort of 45 students started in August. It is an 11-month program, 30 credits, and it’s an interdisciplinary academic program at the intersection of business and science. It’s very unique for Georgetown McDonough. We’re actually partnering with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in this interdisciplinary format, which, for a university, is pretty unique. We’re really excited at the innovation in launching this degree. That’s very basic about the two programs. One question we get a lot from applicants to part-time programs or to online programs, is the degree any different? Is there an asterisk after the MBA for the flex time or the part-time programs? Or is it just, you have a Master’s in Business Administration from Georgetown McDonough, whatever option you choose? [4:17] Yep, that is what your degree says, is MBA. Even if you did our Executive MBA, it just says MBA. Students can be assured that they’re getting the same rigorous coursework, classes, and professors. It’s not a diluted version of any of the MBAs that you do with us. If someone is interested in a sustainability and management business degree, who should go for the MBA and just customize the program so that it’s focused on sustainability, and who should go for the MS-ESM? [5:00] This is one of the questions applicants really have to answer for themselves nowadays. You look back 20 years ago, it just used to be a degree. You went to business school, you got an MBA degree. Now, you have MBAs in all different flavors, and then you also have specialized master’s. The way to think about these two degrees is, specialized master’s are really good if you want to specialize in a certain topic. If it’s a certain function or industry area, you know for the short term or maybe even for the long term, that is what you want to do. In a specialized ESM master’s, you know that you want to go into sustainability. You’ve decided upon that for your career, which is fantastic. I feel like sometimes some of us are still learning what we want to do even when we’re adults, but the classes are all going to center around that topic. The case studies that you would do, the group projects are going to be around that specialized topic. And you can guarantee that all the students in your class will all be interested in that same topic as well in a specialized master’s. They’re typically shorter, so most specialized master’s degrees are a year or less. And therefore the cost, it reflects the shorter nature of the program. With an MBA degree, in most traditional two-year MBAs, you do a year of core courses, which are a breadth of topics. You do get exposed to a lot of different topic areas. And then typically, at least with Georgetown, in the last half of your program, you choose your electives. Someone at Georgetown could choose to do an MBA focusing on courses in sustainability. They can even actually get a certificate in sustainability at Georgetown through the MBA, and then participate in the various clubs related to sustainability. This could be good for someone who thinks they maybe want to do sustainability, but maybe they’re not sure. And/or they want to leave the door open maybe three, five, seven years from now when they might want to pivot to something else. Because an MBA is that degree that can allow you to pivot long into the future, into another type of industry. It’s a little bit longer. Also, the cost reflects that, but it is a broader degree in scope. What distinguishes Georgetown’s program in Environment and Sustainability Management from other similar programs? [7:41] When we were doing the research, I was on the taskforce to launch this program. When we were doing research of what other schools were out there that combined science knowledge plus business knowledge, we noticed that there were degree programs that were either housed only in an environment school, so they were in a school of environment, the school of science, or we noticed what we just talked about. They were in a business school where it was a business degree with a little bit of a flavor of environmental sustainability. What we saw lacking was a university saying, “No, we want it to be almost equal.” We want to have half professors from the environment and science classes in their pedagogy and half professors from business coming together for this interdisciplinary approach. I think someone outside of the academic world may say, “Well, that’s a no-brainer to merge.” But in the university world, merging schools at an institution like Georgetown, it’s pretty innovative. And so that’s what we did. We said we’re going to take experts in the field of business, experts in the field of science and environment, and put it together into a degree. You can look at the curriculum chart and see half classes in each discipline, and then some classes that were what we call interdisciplinary, where the topics are being combined. What that also does is it gives students the best of both worlds. In many cases, they get access to different events and clubs at the McDonough School of Business. They get access to different clubs at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. They also get access to the Earth Commons. We’re providing them more resources in many ways than had that degree only been housed in one school. It was a really exciting initiative. We didn’t know what to expect when we launched the degree, but in our first application round three months after launching, we had 100 applications and we had a total of four application rounds. It was really exciting to be a part of this growth at Georgetown. [youtube2]figure> [/youtube2] You have to prepare for the test. [18:57] Yeah. Exactly. And to write the essays and get the recommendations. We want to tell people right away, are you going to be eligible without a test or not? Because we don’t want to take your application fee, go through the whole process and then say, “You know what? You’re not eligible without a test, so you wasted your time.” We’d rather let them know upfront, save their time, save our time, and then move forward. If they’re admissible without the test or you don’t need the test, why put them through the test prep and the test? [19:21] Right. Exactly. Exactly. We want to be cognizant of their time and do that in the beginning of the process. With our flex program, if you meet the criteria we’ve listed on our website, you can submit without a test. It’s a lower volume of applications. Any part-time program in any MBA in the US is a lower volume than their full-time for attracting local audiences, not global audiences. What we look for in a flex part-time applicant is a little bit different. We’re emphasizing more of their work experience in terms of what they bring to the class. Yes, academics are important, but we’re looking at different contributions in the admissions process. Both offer test waivers. At the end of the day, we want to know if an MBA student is going to be successful in the quantitative classes of the curriculum, finance, stats, accounting. People can show that through their standardized tests. They can show it through quant classes that they took in undergrad. Perhaps they have a CPA or CFA. Perhaps they do quantitative. We just want all of our students set up for success when they start the program, and that’s why, perhaps, there’s a difference between MBA and ESM. Because MBA is a more highly quantitative degree. The essay questions for the two programs are really quite different, but you’re the one managing both of the processes, right? [10:44] Yes. The video essay for the MS-ESM is about long-term career goals. The video essay for the MBA asked for a hobby, passion, or what you want to do for fun in your free time, and why. Are you doing an experiment on the two programs, trying to see what kind of responses you get? What is the reason for the different questions? [21:06] Yeah. No, great question. For ESM, we’ll start with ESM. Just like it’s an interdisciplinary academic degree, we have an interdisciplinary admissions committee, so it’s a different process. We have people from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, we have faculty on the admissions committee, and then we have admissions professionals. So different structure entirely. But also, if you look at the questions we’re asking, we want to get to know this audience. It is a new program and we want to know, why are they interested in environmental sustainability? We know at the school why it’s important and we know where these students are going, but we want to hear from them why they’re interested in this kind of new degree. And why are they choosing Georgetown versus some of the other programs out there? Because if we’re going to be spending 11 months talking about environmental sustainability, someone needs to be able to write an essay that says why they’re passionate about it. Because it’s a highly concentrated topic of interest and focus in the program. That’s why it’s a little bit of a different question, because it’s new and we want to get to know the audience. And then we want to know how they’re planning to use this in the future in environmental sustainability. With an MBA, as we’ve talked about, it’s a totally diverse audience. People are going to all different types of jobs, industry, skills, they’re starting their own companies. An MBA is a well-established kind of degree. People know what they’re getting into and know why they’re doing it. We really want to get to know the diverse complexity of the student audiences, and we get to know that through the three prompts that we’ve provided. What I love about how we do this at Georgetown is, we don’t force people into one essay. We give them three, allow them to think about what sells their value proposition the best, and then answer that, the best one. They also focus on our values. If you think of principled leadership, helping the common good, diversity in the Georgetown community, these are very strong values of Georgetown. And admitting people that are going to be a part of that thread of our community and value fabric is really important. In both programs though, we have video essays, and I love video essays because it allows us to get to know the candidate in a hopefully non-stressful environment. Sometimes the applicants get very stressed out by the interview experience. They shouldn’t. We try not to make it stressful, but they do. The video essay allows them to re record and record that video essay as much as they want until they feel like it represents them. And then it allows us to see them in a very normal, non-stressed environment. And we get to know them a little bit outside of paper as well. That’s why we do the video essay. It’s helpful in the MBA because of the volume of applications and the volume of people in the admissions committee. In the ESM program, we don’t have an evaluative interview components, so this video essay is in substitution of it. Any plans to introduce an interview to the ESM admissions process? [24:26] Not at this time. But as with any new program, we, every year, evaluate and optimize and get feedback. Because it’s a smaller program, we’re already getting to know the candidates a lot in the pre-application process. Our admissions recruiter can almost go down the line of the applications and say, “Yep, I’ve met with that person, met with that person.” We just get to know them a little bit more. At this point, no evaluated interview, but we’ll see. We’ll see how that might change. What can an interviewee to the MBA program expect that they’re lucky enough to be invited to interview? Is it all virtual now, or are you starting to do in-person? [25:01] We are completely back in business, as I say. Yes, we are offering virtual. Certainly, it’s more conducive to people’s schedules and the travel cost, but we want people to come to campus. I think when you step onto Georgetown’s campus, and especially the Hariri Rebuilding, it’s a magnificent campus. You really feel the weight of the history and the prestige, and so we want people to come to campus to get to know our community. But obviously, if it works better to do virtual, they can do that. What can you expect? It’s 20 to 25 minutes. We give candidates a few minutes to ask some questions of us. It could be from a member of the admissions team or an alumni, or a student interviewer. We have a large team. We do that so we can reduce biases, by having multiple opinions and perspectives. We have a series of questions or topics we will ask students, but we also like to have the conversation flow. If you say something that’s of, really, interest to us, we may ask you to expand on that. The goal is for us to picture how you’ll fit within the cohort from an academic perspective, from a giving-back-to-the-student experience perspective, from an alumni perspective. We’re trying to see how you really fit with the culture and community at Georgetown. But don’t be nervous. Just have a conversation with us. Get to know us as we’re getting to know you. It’s a two-way street, really. They should also prepare questions for you, shouldn’t they? [26:41] Absolutely. Absolutely. That is one of the, I would say, biggest mistakes that I’ve seen applicants make is I’ll say, “Do you have any questions that I can answer for you?” Some people will say, “Well, I’ve had all my questions answered from all of the students and admission staff that I’ve previously spoken with.” That may be the case, but still, ask a question anyways. Because even if you already know the answer, think you know the answer, ask it anyway. Because it does show a level of interest in the school, and we are gauging the level of interest you have in us when we interview you. Again, just repeat something even if you feel like you know the answer. Now, just to clarify, you said that you have a large team of interviewers, but the applicant is interviewed by one person, correct? [27:25] Correct. Yeah, that’s absolutely correct. It’s one interview with one person, so it’s one-on-one? [27:34] Yes. The deadlines are March 30th and May 2nd for the MBA program, and April 3rd and May 15th for the MS-ESM. Is an applicant at a disadvantage if they apply in these later rounds? Are they better off waiting until next year? [27:44] No, you’re not at a disadvantage. There is always room for good applicants. I would say, in particular, this year, we are very empathetic to these tech layoffs. I almost feel like in some ways, it’s mirroring the layoffs of 2020 and 2008. People from fantastic companies that are now saying, “Let me reevaluate. Am I in the right industry? Am I in the right function?” If the answer is, “I don’t know,” or, “No,” come to an MBA and reset and figure it out. Or come and do a specialized master’s to make yourself that more marketable to guard against potential layoffs maybe in the future. Investing in yourself with a graduate degree will only help you in the future, but it can also give you some mental space to really think through, introspect in, what’s happening in your personal and professional life, and figuring out what’s right for you. And then you also gain a great network of colleagues as well. It’s not too late to apply. If you are ready, submit an application. In a worst case scenario, let’s say we don’t have room for you, we love re-applicants. Re-applicants have a high percentage of admit rate. When we pull the numbers and we see re-applicants that have come back and maybe improve their application a little bit from the previous year based on feedback we give them, their admit rate is higher than just applicants in their first try. Have a conversation with us, we want to get to know you. And definitely apply. Has Georgetown made any accommodations for the laid off workers, or are you just planning to, I guess, reserve more seats for the third and fourth round, given what’s been going on the last couple of months? [29:33] Yeah. We did make accommodations in that we were going to only leave our full-time test waiver open in the fall. We decided to extend the test waiver into the spring because studying for a test can take three, four, five months. We know that this is affecting candidates right now. They may not have that time, so we just extended what we had already done in the fall. If you look at our application fees, we have different criteria that we introduced about a year ago based on your income level. If you are under certain income levels, therefore if you were just laid off, you can qualify for different waivers or reductions. That’s something we’ve always been proud to do, to recognize people from different socioeconomic statuses. Georgetown has always had four rounds, so I know I see a lot of other MBA programs adding a fourth round or adding a third round. We’ve always had four rounds, so for us, we will keep that, and then may extend some rolling flexibility right after the fourth round. We will just see how everything goes. Let’s just focus on MBA and the ESM. What should they be doing? What should they be examining in their background to see if they need to improve something and be ready for the fall? [31:04] Yeah. I can tell an applicant that has gotten to know us really well, because they have come to various events, even if they’re virtual. They have talked with some current students and they’ve maybe talked with some alumni. By doing all those conversations, by the time they get to the application process and the interview process, they can talk very naturally and very authentically about why they’re interested in Georgetown. And it comes through. It’s not like they’re memorizing facts from our resume. They just speak about it because they came to campus or they had lunch with this alum. We can tell that authenticity, and that weighs in pretty heavily to the admissions and interview process. Because any school wants candidates that want to be at their school. I’m sure I could speak for any of my colleagues that would say that. So use this next six months to do that. Get to know the schools. Get to know Georgetown, because it will then further convict you if we’re the right school for you as well. It helps you and it helps us, so do that. Come visit us. We have different in-person or virtual sessions. And we are back traveling throughout the world, so check out our website. We’ll be at, hopefully, a city or a country near you in the next six to eight months, and we’d love to meet you. There were some really interesting projects that the ESM students were doing. Could you dive into that for a moment? [32:39] Yes, definitely. This is the Capstone Project. In any of our graduate programs, there’s always a very hands-on Capstone experience. We just announced or about to announce the Capstone Projects for the ESM students. We have companies like Amazon, Department of Energy, Starbucks, that are going to be participating in this Capstone Project. Students will be in small teams, they will solve a problem for these companies and then present their recommendations to the company. Really excited about those for the ESM program, all very environment and sustainability focused. And it mirrors the Global Business Experience that our MBA students do, which also tackles and solves a problem for a current company. In terms of other projects, just to add on for ESM, we have, even in this first year, students who have already published articles in the Supply Chain Management Review. The topic of this article was palm oil supply chain, and it’s just so impressive to say four months in, we have students publishing in a top journal. Lots of things that are hands-on in both programs. You mentioned not asking questions in interviews. What else do you see as a common mistake that applicants make? [34:07] A common mistake is underselling their accomplishments on their resume. There’s a lot of times where I see a student’s resume and I then speak with them, whether it’s an informational interview or if it’s an in evaluative interview, and they start talking about some of their experiences in their job. I’m looking at their resume and they’ve undersold themselves. For example, I was interviewing a candidate one time and they talked about how they got promoted at this top consulting firm. I’m looking at their resume and their promotion is not on their resume, and they were at a top consulting firm. The person said, “Well, I just ran out of room.” And I said, “You never run out of room to say you’ve been promoted.” Thinking through how to show those accomplishments, how to write a resume that is not bullets of responsibilities. Instead, bullets of accomplishments. Quantify your accomplishments. What did you do to improve the process, the function, the department? That’s a big mistake that I see a lot of people making, to be very honest. One way to guard against that is, go to the website. Go to your company’s website, or go to your competitor’s website and look at a similar job description to the one that you have, and think through. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah. This is what I’m doing. This is the way I can position my responsibilities. Because sometimes, from a bird’s eye perspective, what you’ve written on your resume doesn’t really reflect the value and truly immense work that you’re doing for a company. Because when you see that, then it tells us at the school that you’re going to go above and beyond in the program. You’re going to go above and beyond when you get a job as an alum. It builds a profile of who you are. You’re in Washington DC. What does that add to the programs? [36:45] Yeah. Washington DC is the nexus of everything in many ways. Fortune 100 companies, nonprofits, NGOs, government. There’s actually a statistic out there from the Chamber that says there’s the largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies is represented in DC. It may not be their headquarters, but there is a representation of companies that are out here. What that means for applicants is, when you’re networking, you don’t necessarily have to go to New York or Boston or Silicon Valley. There is going to be someone from an office that’s here in DC that can get you your foot in the door, that you can network with here, having coffee, versus having to necessarily take the train or take a plane somewhere. I will also say that we have tons of large speakers and world leaders that are in and out of DC all the time to do whatever they do. But while they’re here, they often want to speak with students because it’s fulfilling for them as a leader. They often will come to Georgetown and they’ll speak to students. And so our students get exposure to literally world and corporate leaders. I think every sitting president has spoken at Georgetown. Whether it’s the President of the Peace Corps or a chief in the military, or CEOs of a bank, or CEOs of consumer products, good companies come to Georgetown. That exposure from a learning perspective. Also, alumni are constantly in and out of DC. And so being able to network and build your network is helpful. From a very work-life balance perspective, and I say this with a perspective, I’m from Texas, so I’ve lived in DC for a little bit of time now, but I’m originally from Texas, DC has a great work-life balance. There’s the Potomac River. You can go kayaking. You can go two hours west of here and be in the mountains and ski. You can go three hours east of here and go be on the beach. Short ride to New York. We’re just in a great large city with a small town feel. What question would you have liked me to ask that I didn’t ask? [39:05] Why Georgetown, maybe? Why Georgetown? I love this question because I can talk about it with just authenticity, that I believe in it. What makes Georgetown unique, I guess, is how I maybe would even word it. We have a global focus. Because of our location in Washington DC, which is a very global city, and because of the students that we attract, we typically have over 40 countries in the MBA program. Even in the ESM program this year, we had over 20 countries, with 45 students. Wow. [39:48] You’re getting to be exposed to this global environment in a very short amount of time, the global nature of our professors. A third of them hold international passports. We’re talking about global companies and global organizations. Second is our Jesuit background. I didn’t know what a Jesuit school meant or what it was before I came to work at Georgetown. To be very honest, I am not Catholic, but I’ve learned to appreciate what being a Jesuit means. There’s a real focus on taking care of the whole person and teaching in the classroom. We hire professors that actually want to teach and are motivated by teaching, not just researching. As an executive MBA student, I saw the stark difference going into the MBA classroom. These professors were almost like putting on a show. They were invested in this experience of the MBA, which was phenomenal. I would also say we teach at the intersection of business and society and politics and environment, looking at a more bird’s eye view of what’s happening in the world. And then yes, being in DC, it is a part of your experience. Maybe in undergrad, I would’ve wanted to go to a more rural location. But if I’m in a professional degree program where my goal is to get a job coming out, I want to be where the employers are, where the alumni are, where the networking is happening. I want to be in a city, and so you obviously get that at Georgetown. Shelly, thank you so much for joining me today. I really enjoyed learning about Georgetown’s MBA program a little bit more again, and the MS-ESM program. Thank you, again. [41:16] Thank you. Thanks for having me. It’s always great to be on, Linda.  Relevant Links: Related shows:
Subscribe:   Podcast Feed The post How to Get Into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Program [Episode 512] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
10 Mar 2023, 15:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Admissions Tip: Be Yourself! |
 Would you like to know one thing that admissions committee members really want from applicants? Here it is: they wish – really, truly wish – that applicants would not try to write what they imagine the adcom wants to hear but instead just be themselves. Time and time again, admissions committee members tell us they want applicants to answer the essay questions directly, and in all cases, reveal what they really want adcom readers to know about them. Maybe it sounds simple to say, “Be yourself.” “Be authentic.” “Stand out.” But when you’re facing a blank screen. . . well, not so easy, right? Don’t worry, it’s not you – a personal statement is challenging to write! Three ways to stand out by being yourself How can you let your authentic voice shine through so that the person reading your essay feels they’ve met you – and wants to get to know you better?
Does your essay effectively introduce YOU? Your unique experiences, perspective, and goals will help you stand out in a crowded field, as long as you convey what is special about you. And then you will be YOU. Here’s a surefire way to get a sense of how effectively your essay introduces you: ask someone else to read it. We’ve read thousands of application essays and successfully coached people like you to success. We have extensive admissions experience and know which parts of your profile make you stand out for all the right reasons, and how you can present yourself as an authentic and desirable candidate. We will provide a professional evaluation of your essay and specific advice on how to strengthen it before you apply. Why not to learn more about how we can help you find your unique voice and apply successfully to your top choice program? By Judy Gruen, former Accepted admissions consultant. Judy holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University and is the co-author of Accepted’s first full-length book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools. Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!  Related Resources:
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12 Mar 2023, 04:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Seven Ways to Make the Most of B-School Visits, Fairs, and Receptions |
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[img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/7-ways-to-make-the-most-of-business-school-visits-fairs-and-receptions.jpg[/img] [img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/7-ways-to-make-the-most-of-business-school-visits-fairs-and-receptions.jpg[/img] Applying to MBA programs in the fall? If so, then you’re probably planning to meet with MBA admissions committee members at various types of events – school visits, MBA fairs, school receptions, and so one – as part of that process. Adcom members are preparing for you as well. Before they meet with you, they will have already done a little research, getting an early read of your “social intelligence.” Here are seven tips to make a positive first impression on the admissions representatives you meet while also getting the most out of the visits for your own informational and decision-making needs. [b] [url=https://blog.accepted.com/cant-visit-b-schools-person/]<< READ: What Should You Do If You Can’t Visit B-Schools in Person? [A COVID-19 Special] >>[/url][/b] [b]1. [url=https://reports.accepted.com/resume_guide]Polish up your resume[/url] and bring it with you.[/b] Sometimes you might have a chance to show your resume to an adcom member or a student willing to give feedback on your competitiveness for the program. Don’t worry if it’s not in what you consider final or perfect form; you will certainly revise it later. [b]2. Have your overall “goals story” on the tip of your tongue.[/b] Most applicants will have a simple sentence prepared, such as “My goal is to become an IT manager in finance and eventually CIO,” but ideally, you’d have something more specific and substantial to share. should include another sentence that shows why you have these goals (your motivation) and your vision for what you want to achieve (these two elements are often interrelated). Being confident about your goals story will smooth your path to engaging more meaningfully with adcom members and students. People will care about your goals when they know why you want to achieve them! [b]3. Research, research, research.[/b] [url=https://blog.accepted.com/focus-fit-episode-162/]Research the programs[/url] that you’re interested in learning more about at the event. Don’t simply browse the readily available material, but investigate what they can offer you based on your specific post-MBA career goals. When you’re at the event, asking basic questions whose answers can easily be found on the program’s website can make you look foolish. [b]4. Have thoughtful questions ready about the program.[/b] For each school you visit, prepare questions related to your learning and career needs. Moreover, your ability and willingness to identify your specific educational needs reflects maturity. [b]5. Dress and act professionally.[/b] Dressing too casually or coming across with a casual attitude won’t be a good look for you. School representatives could assume that you’re not serious about your future business education and career. The schools are looking for sincere, thoughtful candidates. Also, keep in mind that people generally act differently depending on what they’re wearing – dress casually, and you’ll act casually; dress professionally, and most likely, it’ll professionalize your attitude and demeanor. [b]6. Get contact info for follow-ups when meeting students from your target schools.[/b] There are all kinds of opportunities to [url=https://www.accepted.com/mba/what-is-business-school-like]learn more about the program from students[/url] (for example, one student might connect you to a classmate who leads a club of interest to you), gaining unique and fresh insights that can greatly enhance your essays. [b]7. Learn how to create an elevator pitch, and then prepare one.[/b] Having an effective “elevator pitch” will enable you to attend school visits without anxiety, show that you are socially adept, and free you to focus on listening and responding rather than thinking about what to say in those initial moments. Aim to present a thoughtful, meaningful nugget of information to make a positive first impression and facilitate conversation. You can use your pitch with adcom members, MBA students, and fellow applicants. With the latter two groups, you can also follow up with “What is your industry background?” or “What are your post-MBA goals?” Your elevator pitch should be just one or two sentences. Its content should usually focus on the present and future. The key is to convey core information in a way that is engaging. Here are two examples: [list] [*]Hi, I’m Mary Liu, a consultant in McKinsey’s supply chain practice. I hope to develop and lead the next generation of supply chain innovations in emerging markets.[/*] [/list] [list] [*]Hello, Manish Das here. I’ve been troubleshooting Bank Paribas’s risk management applications in Eastern Europe during the global financial crisis. Post-MBA, I want to focus on developing new risk management strategies to avert such crises.[/*] [/list] If there is something important in your past to add for a clearer picture, mention it. For example, a listener would probably assume that Manish Das grew up in India. But what if Manish grew up in Kenya? That’d be an interesting tidbit: “Hello, Manish Das here. I grew up in Kenya. I’ve been troubleshooting…” Finally, practicing your pitch will let you get comfortable with it while also giving you a chance to refine it. By the time you’re “on,” it will flow effortlessly and naturally. Don’t underestimate the power of a good impression There’s an old saying: “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” It’s true. Preparing with these tips will yield rich rewards, including making a good impression on adcoms, establishing fruitful contacts with students, and developing deeper knowledge of the programs to fuel your decision-making and spark ideas for writing your essays. [b]You need to choose and apply to the MBA programs that will best support your individual goals and preferences. Not only will selecting the right programs increase your chances of acceptance but it will also ensure that you make the most of your time spent pursuing your degree. Our expert consultants can help you strategize, choose, and then apply to the best programs for you. [/b] [url=https://www.accepted.com/free-admissions-consultation-all][img]https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/free-consultation-2-300x94.png[/img][/url] [b]Related Resources:[/b] • [url=https://reports.accepted.com/resume_guide]The Quick Guide to Admissions Resumes[/url], a free guide • [url=https://blog.accepted.com/top-6-tips-for-visiting-business-schools/]Top 6 Tips for Visiting Business Schools[/url] • [url=https://blog.accepted.com/connections-count-in-admissions-and-you-can-create-them/]Connections Count. And You Can Create Them.[/url] The post [url=https://blog.accepted.com/mba-program-visits-fairs-receptions-success/]<strong>Seven Ways to Make the Most of B-School Visits, Fairs, and Receptions</strong>[/url] appeared first on [url=https://blog.accepted.com]Accepted Admissions Blog[/url]. |
14 Mar 2023, 07:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Making Friends with the GRE: How To Overcome Test Anxiety and Perform at Your Best |
 “I can’t stop trembling. I can’t eat. I cry for little or no reason. I am just so nervous.” All of this from Janelle, a prospective graduate student, in response to scheduling a GRE test date. I was not surprised that Janelle was nervous, given that almost all prospective graduate students are a bit anxious about admission tests. However, Janelle took “anxious” to a whole new level. It was clear to me that I would need to develop a somewhat different plan of action to successfully help Janelle perform at her very best on this exam. My first step was to listen carefully as Janelle shared all her feelings and fears. She said that she already felt better just by having someone listen without judgment. I told her that I would brainstorm some options, and we scheduled a follow-up meeting. I decided to “borrow” some of the techniques I use to deal with speaker anxiety in the public speaking classes that I teach. I was planning to use cognitive restructuring – changing the way we think about something. A three-stage strategy for GRE success During our next conversation, I told Janelle that I had developed a three-stage strategy to position her for success. I asked her to think about the GRE process like the development of a relationship – in other words, going from the acquaintance level to friend level to intimate level. We were going to “Make Friends with the GRE.” Here’s how we did it: STAGE 1: Acquaintance level This is the “getting to know you” stage of the process. Here’s what you need to accomplish during this stage:
Watch the webinar,Your 3-Part Plan to Dominate the GRE! STAGE 2: Friendship level This is the “let’s become friends” stage of the process. It includes the following:
(On a side note, I made sure that I was always available for confidence boosting and positive feedback) STAGE 3: Intimate level This is the commitment stage of the process, which requires you to do the following:
At this point, I am sure you are wondering whether Janelle was successful. Yes, she was! She handled the stress very well and was accepted to her top-choice schools. I was certainly proud to have helped her achieve her goal. And we can help you, too – with testing strategies and any other element of the graduate school admissions process. to learn more about how we can guide you to acceptance at your top-choice graduate program!   As a dean of graduate admissions for more than ten years, Carol Drummer signed off on more than 4,500 graduate applications annually. She is a communication professor and author of College Is Not 13th Grade: An Easy-to-Read Guide for Parents of College-Bound Students. Carol has helped clients get accepted to a wide variety of programs at all levels, including PhD PsyD, DOT, DPT, PA, MHA, MSW, and master’s degrees in speech language pathology, business analytics, accounting, global affairs, counseling, architecture, design engineering, nutrition, and exercise physiology. Want Carol to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources:
The post Making Friends with the GRE: How To Overcome Test Anxiety and Perform at Your Best appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog. |
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