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09 Nov 2014, 21:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: HKUST 2015 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines |
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HKUST aims to educate global leaders with cultural insight and strong Chinese business understanding. HKUST prides itself on the large percentage of career function and industry changes that its graduates are able to make: 77% of grads switch job functions and 67% change industries from their pre-MBA role after HKUST. Its essay questions aim to understand your goals and what you can contribute to the class. My tips are in blue below: Essay Questions: 1. Tell us about your short-term and long-term career goals after the MBA, and why you think HKUST MBA would be a good fit for you. (max 7500 characters, ~500 words) To answer this question well, you need to know what direction you want to take your career in after the MBA. While a career change is likely, applicants need to convey how their career and experiences until now have prepared them for these ambitions. They must also explain how the HKUST MBA will complement those experiences to enable them to succeed in reaching and performing well in their target roles. To explain why HKUST’s curriculum is a good fit for you will require an understanding of HKUST’s three-tiered core curriculum and insight into some of the areas you will want to explore in the 40+% of the HKUST MBA that are electives. And it will almost certainly require some discussion of why the Chinese context, global perspectives, and management insight that HKUST offers will be critical to your advancement. 2. Our mission is to inspire and transform individuals to be future business leaders for Asia and the world. We embrace diversity, and are looking for ambitious and open-minded candidates with a passion to contribute. With your background and professional experience, what unique values can you bring in to enrich the learning experience at HKUST MBA? (max 7500 characters, ~500 words) With just 100-120 students each year, HKUST aims to include a diverse range of backgrounds and industries in the class. You don’t want to be pigeon-holed as a generic consultant or financier: you need to demonstrate in this essay that you are a worldly candidate with experiences that your classmates will be eager to hear about and learn from – and that you have the personal qualities that will allow you to share those experiences. The best essays will include two or three examples of values adhered to, experiences gained, and/or achievements accomplished that demonstrate that you are ambitious, possess a wealth of experience, and are personable. Application form: Keep in mind that HKUST does not have a place to upload your current CV/resume. The only area of the application where you may describe your work experience is in the Work Experience section of the application, which requests data about dates of employment and salary and allows 1000 characters to describe each position (that’s approximately 150 words to describe each role). This is actually a fine amount of space; just be sure to use it to describe your work and impact. Don’t make the mistake of simply filling in some general responsibilities and losing the opportunity to share details about your initiatives and impacts. If you would like professional guidance with your HKUST MBA application, please consider Accepted’s MBA essay editing and MBA admissions consulting or our MBA Application Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the HKUST application. The HKUST MBA program intake 2015 will start in August 2015. Below is the admissions timetable: Application Deadline Decision Notification Round 1 November 13, 2014 January 9, 2015 Round 2 January 13, 2015 March 13, 2015 Round 3 March 13, 2015 May 8, 2015 *International students requiring student visa to study in Hong Kong are strongly recommended to apply for the first or second round to allow sufficient time for visa application once they are admitted.   By Jennifer Bloom who has been helping applicants to the top MBA programs draft their resumes, application forms, letters of recommendation, and essays for 15 years. She is happy to serve as your personal coach and hand-holder throughout the entire process. There’s no time like the present to begin! Related Resources: • Why MBA? • 2015 MBA Application Essay Tips • 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your MBA Application Essays Tags: 2015 MBA Application, HKUST, MBA Admissions 
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10 Nov 2014, 10:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Are You Ready for Your Team-Based Interview/Discussion? |
 Round 1 team-based interviews will be taking place SOON and we’d love to help you prep! Prep with the best by joining one of two of our upcoming Mock Wharton Team-Based Discussions, on either Tuesday, November 11th at 4:00 PM PT/7:00 PM ET or on Monday, November 17th 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET. You can purchase this service by clicking here now. This is your last reminder before the event – time is ticking and spots are running out. Grab one of the remaining seats today!   Tags: MBA Admissions, Team Interview, Wharton 
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10 Nov 2014, 17:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Thou Shalt Not Forget Thursday’s Webinar! |
Spaces for our upcoming webinar, The 10 Commandments of MBA Interviews, are filling up! The webinar will take place on Thursday Nov. 13th at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET. Learn how to ace your MBA webinar – sign up for The 10 Commandments of MBA Interviews now!  GIVEAWAY ALERT: One lucky webinar participant will win a mini mock interview with Natalie Grinblatt Epstein. Make sure you’re there for a chance to win! Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA Interview, webinar 
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11 Nov 2014, 14:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Seven Tips for MBA Interview Prep |
 Prepare teamwork-based stories. 1. If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. While you may not have control over the questions you’re asked, you can prepare a set of flexible responses. You should be able to discuss the following: 1. A walk through your resume (Focus on what you accomplished and learned at each job, and then why you transitioned to the next position) 2. Why you chose your undergraduate college 3. A story when you accomplished something extraordinary in the context of your job 4. A story when you influenced stakeholders to help you make an idea become a reality 5. A story when you led a team to produce quantifiable results 6. A story when you failed 7. Your career goals 8. Why you want an MBA (make it school specific) 2. How to tell your stories I suggest loosely following the S-O-A-R framework: Situation-Objective-Action-Result. (I also suggest adding one more letter to the acronym: L for “Learned”.) Situation: Give background and context to the situation such as where you were working, what your role was, and who were the stakeholders involved. Be succinct, yet specific. Objective: Describe what your goal was, and any obstacles that complicated the situation. Action: Discuss how you proceeded toward your goal, and how you overcame your obstacles. Result: Quantify the impact that you had on the situation. Learned: Tell the interviewer what you learned about yourself from the experience. Your response should take no more than about 2-3 minutes. You don’t want to bore the interviewer with a lot of theory and tangents. Once you’ve got your top stories down, you have a reservoir from which to pull when you’re on the spot that will be easily adaptable to the interviewer’s questions. 3. Practice with someone who is not your significant other/family member. Then practice with a significant other. A friend may notice something that a family member, who is closest to you, may not. A family member might be more willing to be frank with you than a friend. A family member might be willing to put in the time with you. An objective party can give you feedback about your first impression and body language. In any case, you want to practice, a lot. Use 2-4 people. (Of course, you are also welcome to do a mock interview or get interview coaching from an Accepted professional, including me.) 4. What’s your latest? Let’s say they ask you what accomplishment you are most proud of. In your heart of hearts, it might have been working two jobs to put yourself through university. Now that is quite an accomplishment. But if it was more than say, 3 years ago, you need to pull from something more recent. The interviewer might think, ‘Why is he or she not talking about something that you’re doing right now?’ If it truly was a significant achievement from your past, you can use it. But bring that accomplishment into the present, say, by how it influences your values or interests right now. 5. Watch your tone. Focus on teamwork accomplishments, rather than academic results. Business schools are looking to weed out arrogant, insecure and emotionally immature candidates. During your conversation, don’t pepper your responses with achievements such as high test scores, a high GPA, or a plethora of individual publications. The ad comm can look at your transcript to find out your grades. Alumni really don’t care. Also, don’t argue with them over a question they might have asked you. These types of responses are culturally off putting to US-based interviewers. You want to come across as friendly, at ease, communicative. Again, by preparing teamwork-based stories, you’re going to add to this perception. 6. Non-blind interviews Schools like MIT and Harvard grant non-blind interviews. That means they’ve taken the time to review your resume and your essays. Most other schools rely on alumni and current students who generally serve as marketing tools for the school, comment on your English speaking skills, and indicate whether or not they would have liked you as a classmate. In non-blind school interviews, they want to know the details behind the accomplishments you’ve mentioned. They also want to get a sense of the sort of person you are. They may throw some oddball questions your way, just to see how you handle pressure. They are particularly interested in decision and turning points in your life. Take the time to have an objective person look over your resume to see if they can identify any holes or questions, or lack of link between your past and your future goals. Work on explaining these connections and transitions. Write down SOAR-L’s for all the pertinent bullet points on your resume so that you’re ready to discuss them. Don’t fudge over holes or “bad periods” from your past. Be honest! Say ‘Yes, that was a tough period, but this is what I learned from it. This is what it motivated me to do.’ 7. Group interviews Wharton and Ross now require group interviews. If you can, sign up for a group interview prep service. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the time flies, and how you react in a group setting. This experience can prepare you to provide the group with a session framework, without sounding arrogant or pushy. Business schools want to see how you interact with others under pressure. You don’t want to steamroll the other applicants or turn into a shrinking violet. Strive to have your voice heard, but also to be inclusive.   Michelle Stockman is a professional journalist, former Columbia Business School admissions insider, and experienced MBA admissions consultant. Related Resources: • How to Ace Your MBA Interviews • MBA Interview Format Series • The 10 Commandments of MBA Interviews Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA Interview, Ross, Team Interview, Wharton 
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12 Nov 2014, 12:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBA Interview Must-Know #3: The School |
 “Convince your interviewer that that school is a good bridge between your past & your future plans.” “MBA Interview Must-Know #3: The School” is excerpted from the Accepted.com special report, How to Ace Your MBA Interviews To download the entire free special report, click here. The School. What does the school value and emphasize? Innovation? Leadership? Teamwork? Yes, I know all schools value all these qualities, but some emphasize one more than another. You need to understand those differences. How do they define the qualities they value? Note the effort that Haas devotes to clarifying what it values when it says “Leading through Innovation” or when it discusses its defining principles. At its presentations and on its web site, Leading through Innovation and these principles have become a major focus. First understand what the school values and then prepare to explain why and how you share those values. How does the program work? Cohorts? Learning teams? Projects, lectures, cases? Plan to answer questions in a way that demonstrates your knowledge of the program and prepare a few questions that show you have done your homework. Let your questions and answers reveal that you have thought deeply about the program and how it meets your educational needs and will help you achieve your professional goals, while also recognizing opportunities for you to contribute and pursue your nonprofessional interests. Again, drawing on BW’s interview with Dawna Clarke, Tuck’s Admissions Director, who advises: “Another piece of advice is to do research on the school. A lot of schools will talk about the fact that they’re looking for fit, and basically what that means is that they’re looking for people who’ve done their research and are going about this decision using some insight and good judgment about what it is that they’re looking for and what that school has to offer. There are so many good schools out there, and what you want to do is convince your interviewer or your admissions committee that that school is a good bridge between your past and your future plans. “The best way to make a compelling case is to really show that you’ve done your research and that you know what the school has to offer and what you have to offer the school.” MBA Interview Tip #3: Know what the school values and be ready to show that you share those values.  Related Resources: • Leadership in Admissions • B-School Zones for Top MBA Programs • Tips for Researching MBA Programs Tags: Ace Your MBA Interviews Series, MBA Admissions, MBA Interview, special report 
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12 Nov 2014, 14:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: LIVE TOMORROW: 10 Commandments of MBA Interviews Webinar |
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Last call! Our newest webinar, The 10 Commandments of MBA Interviews, will be airing live tomorrow, at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET. Thou shalt not be late to this important engagement! Reserve thy spot for The 10 Commandments of MBA Interviews now! See you tomorrow! Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA Interview, webinar 
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12 Nov 2014, 15:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Businessweek Rankings 2014 |
Let’s see how full-time MBA programs in the U.S. fared this year on the BW rankings… There were some huge changes this year! Let’s take a look at some of the highlights: • Newcomers to the top 20 this year are Yale SOM, which made a huge jump from 21st place to 10th place; Maryland Smith which went from 24th to 17th place; and Emory Goizueta which jumped from 22nd place to 18th place this year. • There are three new schools in the top 10 this year – Yale SOM, as mentioned above; Columbia Business School (13th in 2012 and 5th this year); and CMU Tepper (which moved just one place from 11th place to 10th place). • Beyond that, there was some major shifting in the rankings. The top 3 schools were all different this year (Wharton and Booth still there, but rearranged), with Harvard Business School falling from 2nd place to 8th place. • UVA Darden also fell significantly this year, from 10th place to 20th. • Big jumpers further down the rankings include Rice University Jones (from 34th to 25th); UC Irvine Merage (43rd to 31st); and Rochester Simon (50th to 38th). • The schools that fell the most in the rankings include Texas A&M Mays (26th to 42nd); University of Wisconsin-Madison (33rd to 44th); Boston University (39th to 57th); Babson Olin (from 42nd to 58th); Thunderbird (45th to 62nd); and Arizona Carey (49th to 67th). And here’s the scoop on the best U.S. undergraduate business schoolsin 2014…  Some highlights include: • Newcomers to the top 20 are Northeastern (from 25th last year to 19th this year) and CMU Tepper (from 24th last year to 17th this year). • The only new school in the top 10 this year is Indiana Kelley, which jumped from 13th place last year to 8th place this year. • Michigan Ross fell from the top 10, from 8th place to 12th place. • Big jumpers include Southern Methodist Cox, which jumped from 30th to 21st place; Babson, which jumped from 36th place to 26th place; UM Amherst Isenberg, which jumped from 45th to 36th; Bryant, which jumped from 63rd to 49th; and Case Western Reserve Weatherhead which jumped from 69th to 50th. • Big falls include Villanova, which fell from 15th place to 24th; U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign which fell from 21st to 34th; and James Madison University which fell from 29th to 40th place. For details on how ranking methodology see: • Best Business Schools 2014: How They Were Ranked • Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2014: How We Ranked Them Analysis of the 2014 Businessweek Rankings Businessweek made changes to its methodology (presented here and analyzed here by John Byrne, the founder of the BW rankings) this year. The Basics of BW’s Rankings Remain Unchanged This year, as in the past, BW surveyed recruiters and students. The recruiter satisfaction results comprise 45% of the ranking. The student satisfaction survey results comprise another 45% and the remaining 10% is determined by “expertise of each school’s faculty” as evidenced by faculty research published in prominent academic journals AKA intellectual capital. What’s New in BW’s Rankings Methodology? • The employer ranking reflects this year’s data only. Previous rankings used data from the last three surveys or six years of biannual rankings data while weighting the most recent year most heavily. [b]• BW surveyed fifteen times the recruiters this year than it did in previous years. [/b]Previously, BW surveyed major recruiters who tended to recruit at multiple business schools. This year, BW attempted to survey as many MBA recruiters as possible, including “recruiters” who recruit primarily if not exclusively at their alma mater. The increased survey size is a major methodology change. The alumni recruiters may have a certain bias towards the school they attended. BW attempted statistically to reduce the impact of that bias, but it probably helped smaller schools like Duke, Tepper, and Yale, and hurt the traditional leaders, like Harvard, Wharton, and Chicago. Impact of the Methodology Changes [b]• Surprise! [/b]The results will shock many applicants. Seven programs, including Duke and Yale, rank above HBS and MIT. Indiana Kelley and Maryland Smith rank above Haas, NYU Stern, and Darden. These are unexpected results. • Reemphasizes the importance of understanding methodology. The changes highlight the need for anyone using the rankings as indications of “quality” or even reputation and brand value (a bad idea in my book) to look at the underlying data. Smith is ranked overall at 17. It was ranked #1 for student satisfaction and #51 in the employer survey ranking. Applicants to Smith should inquire about what is changing in its career management center. Clearly there is a satisfaction gap that has to be addressed. • Increased volatility. Since BW has removed older rankings data from the ranking and has dramatically widened the survey pool while incorporating alumni recruiters, you are guaranteed to see more changes and more radical changes than with the previous methodology. • Cognitive Dissonance. Either BW rankings will lose credibility because they don’t conform to expectations and will be more volatile, or people’s perception of the programs will change because of the BW rankings. My money is on the former: loss of credibility. If BW’s results become less stable and predictable (like The Economist’s), they are more likely to lose credibility than to contribute to changes in school reputation. As always my best advice to applicants reviewing the rankings is to: • Use specialty rankings to get a sense of what schools excel in your areas of interest. • Use the data that the ranking databases provide. • If you have any thought of actually using the overall rankings, understand what they measure, and ask yourself if those qualities are of paramount importance to you. BW has been wonderfully transparent and even shared the questions actually asked in the survey. • Layer in reputation and brand, i.e. ranking, after determining what schools best support your goals and are most likely to accept you.   By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools2014 Economist MBA Rankings • MBA Rankings: Why Should I Care? • U.S. News 2015 Best Colleges Tags: Chicago Booth, CMU Tepper, College Admissions, Cornell Johnson, Dartmouth Tuck, Duke Fuqua, Emory Goizueta, Georgetown McDonough, Harvard Business School, Indiana Kelley, MBA Admissions, Michigan Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern Kellogg, Notre Dame Mendoza, NYU Stern, Rankings, Stanford GSB, UC Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, UNC Kenan Flagler, UT McCombs, UVA Darden, Washington Olin, Wharton, Yale SOM 
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13 Nov 2014, 13:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: An NYU Stern Grad and Strat Consultant Helping Vets Get Into School |
 West Point grad. Iraq war vet. NYU Stern MBA. Engagement Manager and Senior Associate at Strategy&. Co-founder of Service to School. Gus Giacoman, our guest this week, is a fascinating individual, dedicated to helping vets get into school of all kinds – everything from community colleges to law school, business school and diverse graduate programs. Tune in to our conversation with the highly accomplished and tireless Gus for the low-down on how he helps vets get into school, advice for vets and other MBA applicants, as well as tips for future management consultants. Oh, and he tells some great stories. 00:02:38 – Service to School: Networking and guidance for veterans headed to college and grad school. 00:05:55 – The revenue model (you can’t charge family, right?). 00:06:55 – A breakdown of where Service to School applicants are applying. 00:10:28 – What success looks like (How about 3 Wharton/HBS admits!). 00:12:29 – Business school as the path returning vets to civilian life. 00:17:33 – The advantages and challenges of being a veteran in b-school and consulting. 00:21:41 – Why NYU Stern? And why consulting? 00:25:49 – The best skills for a future consultant to cultivate. 00:27:30 – 3 things Gus looks for in choosing a consultant for his team. 00:28:57 – What a college grad should do pre-MBA to prepare for a career in consulting. 00:33:01 – A great piece of advice for b-school applicants.  *Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com. Related Links: • Service to School • Service to School on Twitter • Service To School: Helping Veterans Get Into Top Schools Related Shows: • Breaking Some HBS Stereotypes: An Interview with Ben Faw • How to Become a Management Consultant • Case Interview Secrets and More with Victor Cheng Leave a Review for Admissions Straight Talk:    Tags: Admissions Consulting, Admissions Straight Talk, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, Management Consulting, MBA Admissions, military applicants, NYU Stern, podcast 
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13 Nov 2014, 13:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Analyzing Your GMAT Score: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself |
 Will your GMAT score destroy your admissions chances? Do you need a perfect score on your GMAT to gain acceptance to a top-tier business school? No. But you definitely need your score to be high enough so that your application is seriously considered, so that the rest of your application isn’t fighting an uphill battle to overcome a sub-par GMAT score. So, is your GMAT score good enough? To figure this out, you’ll need to ask yourself the following questions: [b]1. Who am I?[/b] Who you are matters because admissions decisions don’t follow a strict formula or algorithm based entirely on numbers. You need to evaluate your score in the context of your demographic profile. For example, if you’re a guy from India in the IT field who just spent the last five years sitting at a desk coding and crunching numbers, then you’re going to need a more competitive GMAT score than if you’re a gal from Chile who spent the last five years working for a energy-related non-profit that shuttled back and forth between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica. Again, even our Chilean social enterprising world explorer will need a score high enough to get her application looked at, but once she makes it past that point, she’ll have no trouble keeping their attention. [b]2. What does the rest of my application look like?[/b] It is possible to recover from a not-so-ideal GMAT score, but that is if and only if the rest of your application is flawless (or nearly so). If you have an almost perfect GPA, stunning application essays, amazing letters of recommendation, and a resume that shows that you’ve worked hard and succeeded, then you’ll be in a position to prove to the adcom that you’re a fantastic candidate and that the GMAT is just not your thing (again, it still needs to be good enough to get your app looked at). [b]3. Which b-schools am I applying to?[/b] It goes without saying that some GMAT scores will be highly competitive at some programs and not even close to competitive at others. To see if your score is “good enough,” you need to visit your target schools’ websites and see what their GMAT range is. Don’t just look at the average; the range will give you a better idea of how low they’ll go before weeding out an application based on GMAT score alone. [b]4. What is my score?[/b] If you scored above the 80th percentile on both the verbal and quant sections of the GMAT then you should consider yourself in the clear and good to go to apply to highly ranked MBA programs (assuming that the rest of your application is top-notch as well). If you received lower than that, that doesn’t mean that you need to retake the GMAT (necessarily), but does mean that you need to look at your GMAT in the larger scheme of things and consider retaking the GMAT if you feel your profile needs it and you are aiming for those top programs. Once you’ve asked yourself these questions and done some serious soul-searching, you’ll have a much better idea of what your next steps should be – going ahead and applying to your target b-schools this year, waiting and applying to your top choices next year (or even the following year) while you work on improving your profile, applying this year, but to lower ranked programs, etc. Last but not least, please be in touch if you need help analyzing your stats and determining where and when you should apply to b-school. We’re here to help!  Related Resources: • That GMAT Score: Implications for Your MBA Application • Low GMAT Score? Don’t Panic…Yet. • GRE vs. GMAT: Trends Tags: GMAT, MBA Admissions 
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14 Nov 2014, 12:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Interview with MBA On My Mind: An Applicant Aiming for Kellogg |
 This interview is the latest in an Accepted.com blog series featuring interviews with MBA applicant bloggers, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at the MBA application process. And now…introducing our anonymous blogger, “MBA On My Mind”… Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Do you hold any other degrees? What is your current job? MBA On My Mind: I am a 24 year old female from India. I was born in a quaint little town in Kerala and moved around a lot for most of my childhood (Delhi, Goa, Bangalore, some nondescript town in Karnataka, etc.). I’ve had an unconventional childhood but an immensely fun one. I went to a reputed, 100 year old school in Chennai and graduated with a B.A in Economics. I also have a Post Graduate diploma in Marketing Management, that I pursued part time to feed my burgeoning passion for marketing. After school, I had a two year stint as Marketing Manager at a start-up that marketed teas (it was at this point that my fascination with tea blossomed and I enrolled to become a professional tea taster). Tea tasting to this day remains an elixir guaranteed to bust stress! In 2013, I co-founded a social enterprise business, in the Skill Development arena and have been absorbed in it ever since! Accepted: What stage of the application process are you? MBA On My Mind: I am wedged somewhere in between insanity and a frenzied need to get stuff done… It’s been a harried 6 months, but I am loving every moment. At this point, I am prepping for my GMAT exam, while working on second drafts of essays for round 2. My days are full! Accepted: Where are you applying to b-school? Do you have a top choice? Safety school? MBA On My Mind: I plan to apply to 6-7 schools in round 2. (Yes, I am crazy.) My school list looks something like this 1. Kellogg 2. Ross 3. Stanford 4. Yale 5. Haas. (I will be adding 2 or 3 schools to this mix provided they fit into my tally board.) Kellogg is my top school! I really really want to go there. The school just sings to me. I don’t have any safe schools so to speak, I understand that ‘safety schools’ are categorized based on higher acceptance levels (ergo, these schools are more open to candidates whose GMAT scores that aren’t particularly in the 99th percentile, <4.0 GPAs and folks who aren’t ridiculous overachievers), so although it makes sense to cover all your bases, for me the paramount deciding factor is fit and whether the school can offer what I want. There is not a single school on my tally board that I would not love to go to. I love all of them equally….okay, I lie. I love Kellogg a smidgen more than the rest.  Accepted: Can you tell us about your Business School Tally Board? MBA On My Mind: I am someone who likes to do things in a systematic and cogent fashion. So, when the application season rolled around and the time came for me to stop being vague about the schools I wanted to go to. I sat down and listed out my short term and long term goals. A word of advice for anyone who is on the brink of plunging into the MBA applicant pool, you will be doing yourself a HUGE favor if you introspect and freeze in on your long term and short term goals. Your school selection will be so much easier, you just have to figure out which school will provide the best and most enriching route to achieving your goals. The Business School Tally Board is more of a qualitative take on the entire school selection process, and it is inspired by this blog post I read and fell in love with, on the Kellogg MBA Students Blog. It still isn’t complete, though. I am still researching schools, there are 2 more schools I want to add to the tally! Accepted: What has been the most challenging aspect of the admissions process so far? What steps have you taken to overcome that challenge? How would you advise others in a similar situation? MBA On My Mind: Start early! Stay positive! Get the GMAT out of the way! THE biggest challenge is time, initially I wanted to get two apps in by round 1, but I was unable to because I was not satisfied with my GMAT score. So I will be working overtime to get 6-7 applications ready for round 2. Luckily for me, I produce my best work under pressure. Accepted: Do you plan on staying in your current industry post-MBA, or changing to a new field/career? MBA On My Mind: My immediate post MBA goal is to work with a for-profit social enterprise, particularly in marketing, while my mid-long term goal is to come back to India and expand my social enterprise’s operations. Expansion requires aggressive/out of the box marketing, market research, liaising with government officials and seamless dissemination of our vision to the end customer. I hope to pick up these skills up at my immediate post-MBA job. So, to answer your question, yes I intend to stay in my current industry. Accepted: Why did you decide to blog about your experience? What have you gained from the experience? What do you hope others will learn? MBA On My Mind: I remember stumbling upon a few MBA applicant bloggers in 2013, and reading their posts, more importantly the comment sections, there seemed to be a genuine camaraderie between fellow MBA applicant bloggers and the support that went around was amazing. I knew I had to start a blog of my own to be a part of that world, besides I do love to write. Today, I can say with absolute certainty that I’ve forged close friendships with some wonderful people, through my blogging. (You know who you are!) I can only hope that my readers find my posts helpful. For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages. You can read more about MBA On My Mind’s b-school journey by checking out her blog, MBA On My Mind. Thank you for sharing your story with us – we wish you loads of luck!  Related Resources: • MBA Applicant Blogger Interviews • Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One • School Specific MBA Application Essay Tips Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA applicant bloggers 
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14 Nov 2014, 12:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: What is a Good GRE Score? [Infographic] |
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Heading to grad school in the near future? Then you’ll need to take the GRE! But that leads to the million dollar question: What is a good GRE score? The short answer: it depends. Check out this wonderful infographic from our friends at Magoosh to find out what the answer to that question is for YOU!  Tags: Grad School Admissions, GRE, Magoosh, MBA Admissions 
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16 Nov 2014, 14:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Team-Based Discussion Interviews |
 Make your goal the team’s success, not its adoption of your idea. Wharton and Ross initiated a new MBA interview format, the team-based discussion (TBD). This type of interview brings a group of applicants together in person to work through a problem together as an organizational team does. This team activity is followed by a short one-to-one talk with an adcom representative (either a second-year student or an adcom member). It is now part of Wharton’s regular mode for interviews. At Ross, it’s not required, and they use traditional methods for their evaluative interviews. Why adcoms use this method: • Some adcoms have found traditional interview modes increasingly ineffective as they feel that candidates over-prepare and over-strategize for interviews, thus undercutting authenticity. • The adcoms want to see the candidates in team action, since students’ success in the program (and in their future career) will rest in part on their teamwork and interpersonal skills. • This approach gives the adcom insight into the applicants that no other application component provides – how they actually respond to people and situations in real time. • The post-activity discussion shows your ability to self-reflect and analyze your own role and performance – qualities the adcom values. Process: Wharton – When you receive an invitation to interview, you’ll go online and select a time and date to attend a 5- or 6-member, approximately 45-minute TBD. Wharton will send you a prompt, which is the topic for the team activity; Wharton advises spending about an hour preparing with this prompt. In the TBD, each person will have a minute to articulate his own idea on the topic, and then the team will work together toward a group decision. After the TBD, you will meet individually with one of the two evaluators for 10-15 minutes to discuss your thoughts on how it went. You and the evaluator may discuss other topics as well. Ross – Ross sends no prompt. Rather, it’s more like a team-building activity. You’ll receive the invitation to participate when you receive your regular interview invite, and can accept or decline. If you accept, you’ll meet in a group of 4-6. The team is given 2 words, and they first prepare individual presentations connecting these words (10 minutes for this portion). Then the group receives additional random words, and they have 20 minutes to prepare a team presentation that uses the words to address a problem and articulate a solution. The individuals in the team, not the team as a whole, are evaluated either by second-year students or adcom members, who also interview them separately afterward. Benefits and pitfalls for applicants: • Benefit: You can showcase your interpersonal, team, and leadership skills more vividly than any essay or individual interview could portray. • Benefit: You can get a real flavor of the programs’ teamwork dynamic. • Benefit: You can enjoy meeting peers and potential classmates. • Drawback: You have less control, as you have to assess and respond to the group dynamics instantly; there is no margin for error. • Drawback: Logistically it’s complex – always harder to get a group together. • Drawback: While the adcoms think it gives them a lens on you as a team player, in “real life” you usually have some time to adapt to a new team, and your true teamwork abilities will come out over time as you respond, whereas here there’s no time to grow and adapt with the team, so it’s a somewhat artificial setup. How to make this type of interview work for you (this is in addition to all the common sense advice for good MBA interviews): • Review Accepted.com’s tips for this interview format. • For Wharton, prepare and practice your one-minute presentation. • For Ross, do the word activity with yourself or a friend, to get used to it. • Think about your inclinations, behaviors, feelings, and approaches when working in a team or group setting, and also ask a colleague or two for some objective feedback. You shouldn’t change your natural approach, but you can certainly play to your strengths and minimize negative tendencies. • Read online about other applicants’ experiences with the group interview. •Make your goal the team’s success and ability to complete the assigned task, not its adoption of your idea. [NOTE: This post is part of a series about MBA interview formats, click here to check out the rest of the posts]  By Cindy Tokumitsu, author and co-author of numerous ebooks, articles, and special reports, including Why MBA and Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One. Cindy has advised hundreds of successful applicants in her fifteen years with Accepted.com. Related Resources: • MBA Interview Formats Series • Seven Tips for MBA Interview Prep • How to Prep for Your MBA Interviews Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA Interview, Michigan Ross, Team Interview, Wharton 
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16 Nov 2014, 14:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Can You Get Into B-School with Low Stats? |
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Yes! Not everyone who goes to Harvard scores a perfect 800 and has a GPA of 4.0 (in fact, very few actually hit those perfect scores). If you’re stats are less than ideal, that doesn’t (always) mean that you need to cross your top schools off your list!  Now’s your chance to catch up on valuable information you may have missed during our webinar, How to Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats. B-school applicants with low GPA and/or GMAT scores – you don’t want to miss this! View How to Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats for free now!  Tags: GMAT, MBA Admissions, weakness, webinar 
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17 Nov 2014, 15:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: What Are My Chances? Energy Sector Veteran With an Entrepreneurial Spark |
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This blog post is part of a series of MBA profile evaluations called “What are My Chances?” by Michelle Stockman. Michelle, who started consulting for Accepted in 2007 and worked previously in the Columbia Business School admissions office, will provide selected applicants with school recommendations as well as an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. If you would like Michelle to evaluate your profile at no charge and as part of this series, please provide the information requested at https://reports.accepted.com/what_are_my_chances. PROFILE #8: Sachin, energy sector veteran with an entrepreneurial spark  Stop right there. Retake your GMAT! Note: This profile request arrived with very little information. Give me more details folks! -BACKGROUND: 30+ Indian male who graduated in 2001 from Nagpur University in India. Chemical engineer with 12 years managerial experience in the natural gas industry. Sachin, why now? That would be my question for you. You’re on the older end of the scale when it comes to MBA candidates. You’ve got to explain why you’re ready to interrupt your career for two years, lose income, and perhaps give up your current management position to pursue an MBA. It’s not enough to be in a mid-career funk. At first glance, if you want to advance your career within the industry, you might fit better into an EMBA program. Have you considered that? -GOALS: Progress career within the energy industry, pursue entrepreneurship allied to the energy sector, and contribute towards India’s social development. These goals definitely make sense with what you’ve shared about your background. When writing your essays, you should share specific, personal examples from your work experience that show past leadership successes. Then state what skills you are missing that an MBA will address. As an older candidate, you also need to show you have the industry network and connections to move into your next position. Don’t think you can rely only on career services to make this transition. -GMAT: 580 Verbal-37 Quant-77 Halt. Hit the breaks. Stop right there. This is not a competitive GMAT score. Other aspects of your profile are really going to have to stand out for you to be accepted to any school. Right now they do not. Retake your GMAT. -GPA: 73.5% Very good GPA from a strong, though relatively lesser known Indian university in terms of international renown. It’s not so important though, as you graduated more than a decade ago. Your GMAT is a better indicator, at this point, of your ability to keep up in an MBA classroom. -EXTRACURRICULAR: Teamwork in social activities. This is very vague. What kinds of activities? What did you accomplish? -SCHOOLS: Sorry. I’m not going to recommend any schools for you. Believe it or not, I’ve read applications with about this level of information from the candidate. They don’t get past a first read. Sachin, you’ve got to go on some long walks and think about why you really want an MBA. What do you hope to achieve? What stories from your past indicate your leadership potential? Don’t approach your MBA from a mental space of feeling stuck or wanting out of your current situation. Research, have conversations throughout the energy sector, then connect the dots from your past to your future. Make your ability to do something extraordinary within your industry sound plausible.  Michelle Stockman is a professional journalist, former Columbia Business School admissions insider, and experienced MBA admissions consultant. Related Resources: • What are My Chances?: Rahul, the Indian Male IT Guy • Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One • Leadership in Admissions Tags: MBA Admissions, weakness, What Are My Chances 
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18 Nov 2014, 14:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBA Interview Must-Know #4: The Interview Type |
 Be prepared to address your weaknesses. “MBA Interview Must-Know #4: The Interview Type” is excerpted from the Accepted.com special report, How to Ace Your MBA Interviews To download the entire free special report, click here. The Interview Type. Is it blind (where the interviewer knows only what’s on your resume and what you tell him or her)? Or is it informed with an interviewer who has gone thoroughly through your file. Is it a case presentation? If blind, then you can use material from your application because that material presents your most impressive experiences, and it will be new to your interviewer, but don’t limit yourself to that material. If you are interviewed by someone who has gone through your file, prepare to address weaknesses and gaps and also be ready to bring something new to the interviewer’s understanding of you. Know how to go deeper into the stories you have told and prepare to tell additional anecdotes. Whether blind or informed, make sure to tell your interviewer of important developments that have occurred since you submitted your application – a better GMAT score, an A in a business-related course, a promotion, leadership of a community service initiative… This last step is particularly important if you are interviewing at schools like Harvard and Wharton, which in the past have discouraged or not accepted new information from applicants after the application submission date — even if the information is highly relevant and/or the applicant has sat on the waitlist for months. MBA Interview Tip #4: Know the type of interview you will have and prepare accordingly. Related Resources: • Tips for Your In-Person Interview with an MBA Student or Alumnus • Tips for Your In-Person Interview with an Adcom Member • Seven Tips for MBA Interview Prep Tags: Ace Your MBA Interviews Series, MBA Admissions, MBA Interview, special report 
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18 Nov 2014, 14:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MIT Sloan 2015 Executive MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines |
 This set of essay questions shows that MIT seeks applicants who have a vision for the career they are building, who understand the impacts of their actions, and who have the judgment and practical skills to effectively handle the challenges that will come at them like fastballs in a World Series. The essays are your main means to show that you possess, as MIT’s website states, “strong leadership performance, global perspective, functional expertise, and innovation.” While the statement of purpose challenges you to succinctly create your portrait as an applicant, the three essay questions, each in its own way, probe how you create value while responding to various types of challenges. In an overall plan for the essays, the statement of purpose works as a context, a positioner, an opening pitch, a frame. You will describe specific experiences in each of the three essays, so strategically try to select experiences that are different, to give a comprehensive view. Also, usually it’s advisable to discuss recent experiences, to allow the adcom to see you working at a high level and showing what you’ll bring to the table. Statement of purpose: Please provide a statement indicating your qualifications, why you are pursuing the MIT Executive MBA Program, and what you will contribute to the program. (500 words or less, limited to one page) This is your portrait – your candidacy at a glance. It should convey a vivid, immediate sense of you as a person and as a candidate. It should go beyond just facts to present a point of view and a message. Decide your message first, before drafting the essay, and let it guide you in selecting and elaborating the content details. Beware of a potential pitfall: in discussing qualifications, do not repeat your resume in prose format. Also, don’t present all your qualifications. Select carefully, focusing on those that (a) are really distinctive and relevant to the MBA and/or (b) support your goals directly or indirectly and also (c) reflect your message. Make a short, meaningful point about each qualification, such as the insight it lends or its influence on you, supported by a fact or example. For why you are pursuing the MBA, of course you’ll discuss your professional goals and objectives. Focus not only on what you want to do, but also on what you want to accomplish for the organization and/or its customers/market. The contributions you mention should reference your own experience from work or outside work; think of what about you would be most meaningful and interesting to prospective classmates. This element of your response is an opportunity to show that you understand the program. Essays: 1. The educational mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to “develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world.” Please discuss how you will contribute toward advancing this mission based on examples of past work and activities. (500 words or less, limited to one page) In answering this question, clarify what “principled, innovative leader” and “improving the world” mean to you. These points represent your point of view, your “vision” – they should be short, but without them this essay lacks focus. The bulk of the essay will focus on action – your examples of past work and activities that make the case for how you have been and will continue to be a principled, innovative leader who improves the world. They key to making this a gripping, memorable essay is strong experiences and examples combined with your reflection on them pertaining to the essay’s theme. End by briefly discussing how you will build on these experiences to be such a leader in the future. 2. During your career, what is the hardest challenge that you have had to solve? Consider examples when more than one viable solution was present. (500 words or less, limited to one page) There are really two points this question asks about: how you define and respond to a major challenge, and your decision-making process in selecting the solution. Choose your topic accordingly. With just 500 words, structure the essay simply: narrate the challenge as a brief story, portraying your thought process as you encounter it. As you approach the solution part of the story, describe the solution options and your determination of which to take. In writing the essay, clarify why you consider it the “hardest challenge” – is it one that was extraordinarily complex, one that had no desirable solution, one that had huge stakes, etc.? 3. Tell us about a time within the past three years when you had to give difficult feedback to a peer. (500 words or less, limited to one page) This question is a straightforward inquiry into your interpersonal skills, judgment, leadership, and (again) decision making. It’s one thing to give difficult feedback to a subordinate – something you probably do as part of your supervisory role. It’s another thing altogether to give such feedback to a peer – someone you don’t manage and whose performance you aren’t accountable for. If possible, make the essay do “double duty” by selecting a story that also portrays you performing at a high level in a significant role. Think about the topic and how your actions align with and complement the other essays. Optional Essay. As part of the MIT Executive MBA curriculum, you will participate in Organizations Lab (O-Lab). This Action Learning course focuses on making a substantive improvement in the performance of your organization, usually by fixing one of its processes. Identify something, within your organization, upon which to improve. (This does not have to be a large change initiative, small improvements to a process can have a big impact). Please describe the change and why you might choose it? This can be something you have tried to improve in the past and has yet to be realized (whether based on lack of expertise or tools). Should you do this optional essay? I believe yes. It’s an opportunity to further demonstrate your organizational awareness, possibly highlight important elements of your role, and show your perceptiveness. A key element here will be your perspective on change and its potential impact(s). Select an issue that has an interesting, challenging dimension. Consider the experiences you describe in the other essays and make sure this one isn’t redundant – it should reflect a new facet of your experience. Keep it short – certainly under 500 words. And keep it simple: describe the issue you’d like to improve (and why), and then very briefly reflect on why it’s challenging. You may suggest a possible solution or approaches to solutions, but you don’t have to “solve” it. MIT is interested in your thought process here. Deadlines: Application Opens: November 14, 2014 Round 1 Deadline: February 17, 2015 (11:59pm EST) Round 2 Deadline: June 1, 2015 (11:59pm EDT) If you would like help with MIT Sloan’s executive MBA essays, please consider Accepted.com’s Executive MBA packages or our hourly consulting/editing services.  By Cindy Tokumitsu, co-author of The EMBA Edge, and author of the free special report, Ace the EMBA. Cindy has helped MBA applicants get accepted to top EMBA programs around the world. She is delighted to help you too! Related Resources: • School-Specific Executive MBA Essay Tips • Tips for Executive MBA Reapplicants • The GMAT and EMBA Programs Tags: 2015 EMBA Application, EMBA, MBA Admissions, MIT Sloan, MIT Sloan EMBA 
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19 Nov 2014, 12:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Meet Ashley: A Wharton MBA Student Making an Impact |
 Wharton student Ashley Wells This interview is the latest in an Accepted.com blog series featuring interviews with current MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. And now for a chat with Ashley Wells, a first-year student at Wharton. Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? What was your most recent pre-MBA job? Ashley: I have spent the last eight years living in Washington, DC, first to pursue my undergraduate degree in Political Science at The George Washington University and staying after undergrad to work in Deloitte Consulting’s Federal Practice. Although I grew up in Tampa, Florida and live for sunshine and the beach, I had an inherent love of government and politics which brought me to DC. Ultimately, this passion has transitioned into a broader realization that I love making an impact on people and communities around me, and I find that business can present profound solutions to social problems in addition to government. In my career, I had some really interesting experiences learning about and trying to solve some of our country’s challenges alongside my clients. Working on issues such as reducing military suicides, tracking and protecting Department of Homeland Security personnel in the Middle East, and providing nutritious food to the one in five children who suffer from hunger in the United States were just a few of the challenges that brought me to work every day. I also had the opportunity to work in Deloitte’s Hong Kong practice, which is a very new joint venture between Deloitte US and Hong Kong. This “start-up” environment within the framework of a massive company enabled me to see the excitements and challenges that are innate to forming a company’s market presence from the ground-up. Accepted: Can you tell us about Forte’s MBALaunch program? How did you decide to join the program and what did you gain for the experience? Ashley: I was lucky to be an inaugural member of Forte’s MBALaunch program in Washington, DC in 2013! Forte has an incredible reputation within the business and MBA communities as a solid support network for women. Until this point, Forte focused on women currently pursuing MBAs and post-MBA women. I was really thrilled to see them offer a program for pre-MBA women to bring their programming full loop. Like anything, the Forte MBALaunch program is what you make of it. I had an excellent relationship with my assigned Forte advisor who reviewed my essays, met with me monthly, and offered me encouragement throughout the process. I met with my assigned Forte small group over brunches and essay review sessions to offer one another feedback and support. At the end of our journey, many of us had gotten into top schools and we were beside one another (over mimosas!) to celebrate what we’d been through together. I took advantage of the Forte sessions on topics such as resume and interview preparation, which I believe gave me valuable insights that are not available from open-source information. Finally, I got a great network of friends from this and my investment in the program has already paid for itself in leaps and bounds. Two friends from the program actually connected the nonprofit I was on the board of to their companies, who then sponsored multiple major events for the nonprofit. All of the above benefits from the program far surpassed what I anticipated, and I look forward to my network continuing to grow from it moving forward. Accepted: What are some of your most rewarding extracurricular activities (both before entering Wharton and current activities)? How have those activities helped shape your career? Ashley: Two activities were core to my development and truly my identity prior to coming to Wharton. First was joining the board as a Vice President of United Women in Business (UWIB), a start-up nonprofit that provides professional development, networking, and community service opportunities to young female professionals. As a nonprofit entrepreneur, I teamed with fellow 20-something women to build UWIB, drive its overall programming strategy in three cities, and planned and executed all professional development events for DC women. This experience was aligned to my passion of impacting my community and taught me how much I enjoy building an organization, giving me an interest in start-ups that I am exploring in Business School. Furthermore, this experience positioned me well for my Wharton extracurricular activity leadership roles in Wharton Women in Business, and in Ashoka’s Catapult program where I advise six high school entrepreneurs starting a business. Second, I actively challenged myself to broaden my horizons through travel. I traveled to 37 countries over six years, including studying in Madrid, Spain, backpacking Latin America for two months, working in Hong Kong this past summer, and religiously taking off work for 2-3 weeks each May to travel to a new region. These experiences reinforced my desire to live and work abroad throughout my career, and gave me a deeper sense of empathy, wonder, cultural differences, and appreciation for kindness that I believe will forever shape my career and my life. Accepted: What is your favorite thing about Wharton so far? Is there anything you’d change about the program? Ashley: My favorite thing about Wharton thus far is the energy. Walking into Huntsman Hall each day is just a beautiful commotion of ideas, priorities, learning, and conversations. People are eager to connect and support one another, hungry to learn and push their expectations of themselves, and excited to carve their niche in the world. The people here inspire me each day to be better and think bigger, and the environment is molding me to see the world more analytically and creatively. You just can’t get this experience taking business classes on Coursera. One thing I would change is just making some of the “summer prep” content available earlier. Many schools have “math camp” style tutorials, accounting prep sessions, etc. during the summer, but it’s honestly never too early to start learning some of that content! Had I had a bit more time to prepare in advance, I think I might have felt a bit better about the extremely quant heavy curriculum. So, for those of you out there without calculus experience like me, I highly recommend learning from my mistakes and prepping for that now! Accepted: How is Wharton helping you to secure your future internship? Ashley: Wharton is extremely hands-on with the recruiting process. I usually don’t like having my hand held as a highly independent person, but with Career Services, you are paying for these services and you should absolutely take advantage of them. Career Services preps you for everything from going from “good to great” on behavioral interviews, to how to nail a case, to industry-specific career overviews, to in-depth resume reviews, to individual sessions one-on-one to help you plot your path to getting your dream job. What I really like about Wharton Career Services and Wharton overall is that there is an enhanced focus on evaluating your interests holistically. Important parts of your personality and life are analyzed in addition to your career goals. There is an emphasis on thinking critically about careers where you can thrive in multiple dimensions of your life. They are also just an awesome reassuring presence to ascertain that every first year’s worst nightmare – not getting an internship or job! – is unrealistic because, as they always say, “Everyone gets a job. Everyone!” Accepted: Can you share your top 3 MBA admissions tips with our readers? Ashley: • Submit your applications when you’re ready. I submitted my applications saying to myself “They may not like me, but I gave 100%. There isn’t a single word I would change.” You should feel like you did absolutely everything you could on your application, and then you can mentally move on from it to more important things like interview prep and evaluating school choices. • But if possible, apply round one. Everyone has a different strategy for this, but from my perspective, it was so much easier to find out in December, make a decision by January, and then start planning an exciting and fulfilling summer pre-MBA. I don’t think I could have handled the prolonged anxiety of applying from August-March, but if you do go through multiple rounds of applications, just give yourself iterative breaks and rewards to sustain your energy. • Only apply to schools you really want to go to. I look back on one school specifically that I applied to, and it was truly a waste of my time. Had I been honest with myself, I would have realized that I would have been miserable there. No matter what school ratings say or how good the school’s reputation is, if you don’t get an inspiring vibe when you’re visiting and engaging with students there, it’s just not worth it. Instead, focus more attention on the schools you can envision being elated by when you hear the news that you got in. For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages. Thank you Ashley for sharing your story with us – we wish you loads of luck!  Related Resources: • Wharton Executive MBA 2014 Essay Tips • Get into the Wharton School, a free webinar • Four Tips for the Wharton Interview Tags: Forte, MBA Admissions, MBA Student Interviews, Wharton 
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19 Nov 2014, 16:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Oxford Said 2015 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines |
 This program packs a lot into its one year, including a lot of team and group work. Therefore, it needs students who can quickly connect and form working relationships (and hopefully personal relationships). Also, its short duration means there is not time for creative soul searching and for exploring this and that industry or function – to get the most out of it and to gain desirable employment upon completion, you need to have self-awareness and focused goals. These essays will elicit those qualities. Essays: 1. What should Oxford expect from you? (500 words) Interesting question. Can they expect you to get involved in specific activities? Which ones? How would you like to contribute to the school? Any activities you would like to initiate? Do you have a business idea you want to develop as part of Oxford’s entrepreneurship project? Are you also thinking of participating in the strategic consulting project? Any places you would like to go on an optional student trek? Oxford is giving you 500 words here. You have the room to show how you have contributed in the past and how you intend to contribute at Oxford. If you are getting the idea that you need to know something about the program before you respond to the question, you’re getting the right idea. If you have specific ideas (along with relevant past experience), you can also mention how you will represent the school after you graduate. 2. How do you hope to see your career developing over the next five years? How will the MBA and Oxford assist you in the development of these ambitions? (500 words) This essay focuses on shorter-term goals – the one MBA year and the four years following. Describe your target post-MBA position, give an example or two of preferred organizations, and describe what you expect to do in that role. Also, explain briefly why you are choosing this path, what motivates you. Then sketch how you will likely advance over the four years – this time frame may include one company move or new position, but probably not more than that. Finally, identify aspects of the program most important to you – those that will yield skills and knowledge relevant to your goals, and/or are meaningful to you for personal reasons. 3. Plus your preferred essay from the options below: Sport is pure competition. What does it teach us about companies, individuals, and markets? (500 words) OR The business of business is business. Is this true? (500 words) Both of these options challenge you to express your thoughts about concepts related to business. Therefore, they both present the danger of luring you to expound for 500 words in abstract terms about competition, the nature of business, etc. Please do the opposite. Whichever question you choose to answer, and whatever point you posit, ground your essay and your argument in specific examples, details, and/or experience. That will make it both interesting and credible. As for which to answer, which one elicits your interest and ideas? Don’t hold back and be bland and mild in your opinions. The adcom is looking for people who have something to say and can make a case for their ideas. Reapplicant Essay What improvements have you made in your candidacy since you last applied to the Oxford MBA programme? (Maximum 250 words) This is they key question for all MBA reapplicants. What has changed that will make you a more compelling applicant this year than you were last time you applied? If you would like professional guidance with your Oxford Said MBA application, please consider Accepted’s MBA essay editing and MBA admissions consulting or our MBA Application Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the Oxford application. Deadlines: Application Deadline Decision Notification Round 3 January 9, 2015 February 27, 2015 Round 4 March 13, 2015 April 24, 2015 Round 5 April 24, 2015 May 29, 2015 Round 6 May 29, 2015 June 26, 2015 By Cindy Tokumitsu, author and co-author of numerous ebooks, articles, and special reports, including Why MBA and Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One. Cindy has advised hundreds of successful applicants in her fifteen years with Accepted.com. Related Resources: • School-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips • Leadership in Admissions • 7 Signs an Experience Belongs in Your Application Essays Tags: 2015 MBA Application, MBA Admissions, Oxford Said 
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20 Nov 2014, 12:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Everything You Wanted to Know About MD/MBA Programs |
 Intrigued by business and medicine? Not sure whether you want to be the next Steve Jobs or Jonas Salk? AST’s guest this week is the person who can show you how to combine these two complementary, but in some ways disparate interests, with an MD/MBA. Meet Dr. Maria Chandler, founder of the Association of MD MBA Programs and the UC Irvine MD/MBA program, MD/MBA Faculty advisor at UC Irvine, Assoc Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Assoc Professor at the Paul Merage School of Business, and practicing pediatrician. Tune in to our conversation for fascinating insight about the place where medicine meets management. 00:01:11 – Featured Applicant Question: Should I apply in Round 2 with my good essays, or apply Round 3 with excellent essays? 00:04:10 – Why Dr. Chandler decided to pursue an MBA. 00:06:30 – The story behind the founding of the UC Irvine MD/MBA Program. 00:08:08 – Inviting the east-coasters to Irvine in February: The founding of the Association of MD MBA Programs. 00:10:42 – Curriculum at the typical MD/MBA Program. 00:13:04 – Culture gap alert! What it’s like to go to b-school after med school. 00:17:51 – MD/MBA career paths. 00:20:15 – Do most MD/MBAs leave clinical medicine eventually? 00:22:14 – How and why this new degree became so popular so fast. 00:27:01 – The dual-degree application requirements. 00:31:35 – Maria’s dream for the future of medicine. 00:36:35 – Advice for applicants considering an MD/MBA. *Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com. Related Links: • The Rise of the M.D./M.B.A. Degree • MD/MBAs: Fixing Hearts & Healthcare • UC Irvine M.D./M.B.A. Program • Contact Maria: mchandle@uci.edu Related Shows: • Getting Into Medical School: Advice from a Pro • MCAT Mania: How to Prepare • Healthcare Management at Wharton and at Large • Med School Application Process: From AMCAS to Decisions Leave a Review for Admissions Straight Talk:  Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, MBA Admissions, MBA healthcare, MD/MBA, Medical School Admissions, podcast 
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20 Nov 2014, 16:00
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: International GMAT Test Takers Score Higher than Americans |
 U.S. GMAT-takers performing poorly compared to test-takers from Asia-Pacific U.S. GMAT test-takers are performing poorly compared to test-takers from Asia-Pacific reports a recent Wall Street Journal article. In response to this growing performance gap, adcom at U.S. schools are seeking to implement new evaluation metrics to make domestic students appear better. Here’s an example of how things have changed: For the quant section, in 2004, a raw score of 48 would put the student in the 86th percentile; today, that same score would yield a ranking in the 74th percentile. More students (outside the U.S.) are scoring higher – especially in the quant section – making it a lot harder for U.S. test takers (whose raw scores have remained relatively flat) to hit those higher percentages. That is, their test scores haven’t changed, but their percentile rankings are falling. Here are some additional stats from the WSJ article: • Currently, Asia-Pacific citizens make up 44% of GMAT test- takers, compared to 22% a decade ago. U.S. students comprise only 36% of all test-takers. • Asians averaged a mean raw score of 45 on the quant section, compared to a raw mean for U.S. students of 33. The global mean was 38. • 10 years ago, the Asian students’ raw score was at 42; for U.S. students it was still 33. To address concerns about the shifting global rankings of the test, this past September GMAC introduced a bench-marking tool that “allows admissions officers to compare applicants against their own cohort, filtering scores and percentile rankings by world region, country, gender and college grade-point average.” Adcom explain that they need a way to measure applicants against other test takers in an applicant’s region. They explain that they don’t just want to “become factories for high-scoring test-takers from abroad.” Others respond by suggesting that American students need to receive a more intense math education, similar to the emphasis put on mathematics in Asia. But is lack of math education the problem or is it the amount of time Americans invest in test prep? GMAC reports that U.S. students only spend an average 64 hours prepping for the GMAT, compared to the 151 hours put in by Asian students. Students concerned about their GMAT percentile may want to consider taking the GRE which is now accepted at 85% of b-schools. Related Resources: • MBA Admissions Tip: Dealing with a Low GPA • Low GMAT Score? Don’t Panic…Yet. • Admissions Offers to International Grad Students Increase 9% Since 2013 Tags: GMAT, MBA Admissions, Wall St. Journal 
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