closeEvents & Promotions
| Last visit was: 10 May 2024, 13:49 |
It is currently 10 May 2024, 13:49 |
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
12:00 PM PDT
-01:00 PM PDT
01:00 PM PDT
-02:00 PM PDT
10:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
10:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
12:00 PM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
10:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
11:00 AM IST
-12:00 PM IST
11:00 AM IST
-12:00 PM IST
08:00 PM PDT
-09:00 PM PDT
05:00 PM PDT
-06:00 PM PDT
29 Apr 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: An Interview with Our Own: Robbie Walker |
 Curious about the life and times of our spectacular admissions consultants? Please enjoy our newest blog series in which we interview the fabulous people who make up the Accepted.com staff. Next up is…Robbie Walker. Accepted: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Do you hold any graduate degrees? Robbie: I grew up in northern Illinois in an area that my mother’s family homesteaded when they immigrated to America back in the early 1800s. We were a multi-generational household, and my six siblings and I shared many childhood adventures. For college, I chose to attend Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) and studied Political Science. After earning my degree, I joined Real Estate Research Corporation (RERC), a consulting firm which, at the time, specialized in urban economics. I primarily advised governments at all levels (local, state, national) on how to develop and implement projects that would serve as a catalyst for implementing broader objectives. For instance, I led a groundbreaking project for a Chicago suburb that wanted to identify how to equitably assess fees on residential land use developers for the necessary schools, parks, water and sewage use that additional residents would require. I also helped lead a national study to assess the cost-benefit implications of active solar energy usage in residential developments across the United States for the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. While working as a consultant, I found I needed a more structured approach to solve related business and financial issues, so I decided to get an MBA. My choice of an MBA program was predicated on a quite specific and individual calculation. First, since I would continue working full-time, my job tied me to a Chicago area school, which limited my choices. Second, I had already earned one degree at Northwestern and wanted to experience a different academic environment. Result: Chicago Booth was my best option. This is not a decision making process I necessarily recommend to my clients! Nonetheless, after several years of hard work and study, I earned my MBA. While working at RERC, I met my future husband, a Japanese citizen who also earned his MBA at Chicago Booth and who subsequently moved his career into a different industry. We married, and when his new company asked him to move back to Japan to direct their Tokyo operations, we decided to accept the offer and moved our growing family to Japan. We lived in Tokyo for about 15 years. During this time, I had to switch my career focus away from consulting, primarily due to language issues but also because I wanted to concentrate on the needs of our young children. I chose to teach English to adults (my clients were primarily career diplomats in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and C-level executives of major Japanese corporations) and freelance writing (for whichever publication that accepted my work!). Eventually, my freelance writing expanded to include editing the work of others, with a focus on business and scientific papers. To this day, I continue to write and edit on a freelance basis. I currently write a regular column for two publications, one in Japan and one in Mexico, and contribute to several blogs and news sources. Accepted: What’s your favorite non-school/non-work book? Robbie: It’s impossible to identify my favorite book in any context! Since I’ve always loved reading, I am fairly well read, so all I can say is that in the past few years, I’ve preferred non-fiction to fiction, tend to focus my reading on history and science, and have a particular love of biographies. I do have several favorite fiction authors and, if they’re alive, will read anything new that they publish, and I will also typically take a chance with a new author, especially women, whose book descriptions intrigue me. Accepted: Can you walk us through your journey to becoming an admissions consultant for Accepted? Robbie: My freelance editing work led me to becoming an Admissions Consultant. It started with a friend who handled applications for Japanese applicants to graduate school. She needed help handling her work load during a family crisis and asked if I’d be willing to assist her. Once I said yes, that was it – I was hooked! I loved how admissions consulting combined my knowledge of graduate programs with my ability to advise individuals regarding their particular needs. Most especially, I loved how I can help clients zero in on telling their story in a way that made them unique. (In my opinion, that is the key to the success of my clients.) When my friend decided to leave the business, I explored my options at other firms and was fortunate to be “accepted by Accepted.com.” In the past 8 years with Accepted.com, I’ve developed my expertise in business, law (including LLM), public policy and PhD programs at universities in North/South America, Europe and Asia, as well as expanding my network among AdCom Directors and fellow consultants throughout the world. A consultant’s value is measured in part by providing the most informative, comprehensive and detailed information needed by a client. I work hard to offer my clients all the necessary information and insights necessary to their individual needs. Accepted: What’s your favorite thing about consulting? Robbie: My clients! (That’s an easy question!) Each is unique, each makes me optimistic about the future of business, and each teaches me something, however small. Accepted: Do you miss teaching ESL? How do you think your teaching skills contribute to your work as a consultant? Robbie: When we returned to the US (we naturally returned to the Chicago area, given my close family ties to the area), I taught ESL to adults as an adjunct Professor at a local college. My students came from everywhere in the world; in one class, 16 countries were represented among my 17 students, including the Republic of the Congo, Chile and Bulgaria, to name only three. We moved to Baja, Mexico, when our youngest entered college, but I still teach ESL, although my teaching is now limited to children who are part of the Baja Scholarship Foundation (BSF). I’ve always believed strongly in giving back to my community, wherever I live, and this volunteer work is part of “acting on my word.” The children I teach weekly are quite poor but academically gifted; the mission of BSF is to help them become active participants in their community through funding of their education costs, and my English language instruction is provided as part of that mission. It’s a joy to teach bright, motivated children. And that’s where I see one connection with my clients, who are also bright and motivated, albeit older. I would say that both groups (BSF students and Accepted clients) are among the smartest, most motivated people I’ve ever encountered in my life. It’s a real pleasure to work with them. One major part of teaching is knowing how to draw people out, to get them to experiment with a new idea or concept or way of expressing themselves, so whether it’s with learning a different language or helping people uncover something in their background that is pertinent to a goal they want to achieve, my teaching experience contributes greatly to my work as a consultant (and vice versa). Accepted: What are some of your favorite business school memories? Robbie: My favorite business school memories include the day a professor won the Nobel Prize in Economics, a few life-long friends I met in the process of earning my degree, and my satisfaction at earning decent grades in quant-heavy courses given my decidedly non-quant background. I learned that Chicago Booth is truly oriented to the individual and open to giving a chance to those of us who don’t fit their typical profile. Accepted: What are your top 3 admissions tips? Robbie: I’m going to sound like an AdCom interview here, but learning the answers to these questions is, to me, key to helping my clients gain admission. Number 1: I’m a big believer in goals and demonstrating how an MBA suits a career vision. ‘Why do you really need an MBA’ is almost always my first question for prospective clients. Number 2: Why this school? All of the top schools know what they can do for you, the question is, what can you do for them? Show your fit. Number 3: Why you? What makes you unique? Everyone has a story, and how you tell that story matters a lot. This is where I think I, as an admissions consultant, can make the biggest difference. Learn more about Robbie and how she can help you get accepted!   Related Resources: • MBA Admissions Consulting and Editing Services • Law School Admissions Consulting and Editing Services • Why MBA? Tags: Accepted Admissions Consultant Interview, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions The post An Interview with Our Own: Robbie Walker appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
02 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Jon Medved And OurCrowd: The Remarkable Story Of An Entrepreneur |
 Time flies. The Admissions Straight Talk podcast has hit the 100-episode mark! And in honor of our big milestone we invited a most exciting guest yet. Want to know what one of the most prominent entrepreneurs of our times has to say about leadership, graduate education, and bodysurfing? For all this and more, listen to the recording of our interview with Jon Medved – CEO and founder of Our Crowd, venture capitalist, and serial entrepreneur. 00:03:43 – Jon’s solution to having too many shoeboxes: The world’s largest equity crowdfunding platform. 00:08:14 – What really matters to a VC when choosing a company to invest in. 00:10:17 – How a history major made it to the top of the business world with no formal business education. 00:14:09 – Qualities that young professionals need to cultivate. (Is luck quality?) 00:21:08 – Graduate education vs. common sense. 00:22:33 – Exciting new partnership between Wharton’s Social Impact Initiative and OurCrowd. 00:24:02 – A preview of the future of business and the world. 00:27:11 – Why Jon loves his job. (Who helps more people, Jon or Linda? Linda says “Jon.”) 00:28:28 – Entrepreneurs: Here is the best piece of advice you are going to get! Want to leave us a Happy 100th message? We’d love to hear from you!  *Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com Related Links: • Our Crowd•OurCrowd Partners with Wharton Students to Launch Impact Investing Platform• Wharton Essay Tips• Jon Medved, OurCrowd CEO, Interviewed (Video) Relevant shows: • The Stanford MSx Program for Experienced Leaders • Which Schools are Good for PE/VC and VC-Backed Entrepreneurship • Entrepreneurship at UCLA Anderson • Jeff Reid on Entrepreneurship • Business, Law and Beyond: An Interview with John Engelman  Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, College Admissions, entrepreneurship, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions, podcast, Wharton The post Jon Medved And OurCrowd: The Remarkable Story Of An Entrepreneur appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
02 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Applying To Business School Next Year? |
|
Then you’ll want to check out the recording of our recent webinar, Get Accepted in 2016: 7 Steps to a Strong MBA Application. In the webinar, Linda Abraham paves the way to acceptance to b-school by exploring the things you can do NOW to increase your chances of acceptance later on. When those applications are released, you’ll be ready to tackle them head-on and complete them efficiently and successfully.  You’re just 7 steps away from creating your super-strong application (and getting accepted!). Get started now!  Tags: MBA Admissions, webinar The post Applying To Business School Next Year? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
05 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Columbia Business School 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines |
 Columbia tweaked last year’s questions for this year. Relatively minor changes. Specifically: • Its short-answer question about your immediate post-MBA goal has gone from 75 to 50 characters. Yes, that was characters, not words. Two years ago it was a generous 100 characters. And those applicants thought they had it tough. • There are wording changes to all the questions. The central focus is the same as in previous years; but nuances have changes. Other than cutting 25 characters from the goals question, CBS has not cut essays or essay length. Still, you will need to make every word, indeed every character, count to really allow your essays to effectively and compellingly present your qualifications. My tips are in blue below. Applicants must complete one short answer question and three essays. Short Answer Question: What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum) Note the character limit. Your response must be less than a tweet. Actually it must be just about one third of a tweet. What do you want to do professionally and in which industry immediately after earning your MBA? Here are CBS’ examples of possible responses: “Work in business development for a media company.” “Join a strategy consulting firm.” “Launch a data-management start-up.” Warning: This question is not asking about intended area of study while in business school or a non-professional goal or even a long-term goal. And the subject is assumed to be you. No need to waste characters by including “I.” Essays: Essay 1. Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals going forward, and how will the Columbia MBA help you achieve them? (Maximum 500 words) They already know what’s in your resume. Don’t repeat “your career path to date” here. That’s a waste of essay real estate and means you’re not telling them anything new or answering their question. Do tell them what you want to do after your MBA and what aspects of the Columbia MBA experience will prepare you to do it. Keep in mind that the MBA is a bridge between your past and desired future. Show Columbia why its program is the right bridge for you and now is the right time for you to be traverse this bridge. To answer this question well, you will need to really know the Columbia program thoroughly along with why you want a CBS MBA at this point in your career. The essay that shines will do a great job of showing both fit and self-awareness. Essay 2. Columbia Business School’s location enables us to bridge theory and practice in multiple ways: through Master Classes, internships, the New York Immersion Seminars, and, most importantly, through a combination of distinguished research faculty and accomplished practitioners. How will you take advantage of being “at the very center of business”? (Maximum 250 words) Please watch this video before attempting to answer the question and then keep it in mind as you write. [youtube2]p> Make sure you understand Columbia’s Cluster System. And if you have any lingering doubts whether this question is about professional achievement, watch the video again. It’s not. You can use this essay to bring out something fun that you like to do. Would you try to get your cluster to train for a marathon? Set up a karaoke night? Plan a ski trip? Explore New York’s museums? Or you can reveal something non-professional that is important to you. How have you contributed to social groups or causes in the past? Relate you plans to a past successful initiative, and you will enhance your answer to this question. Or you could take a more serious approach to this question and discuss a challenge overcome. Show that you are a survivor, not a victim and far stronger as a result of this experience. If you take this approach, be careful to avoid TMI (too much information). You will have barely met these people. Optional Essay. An optional fourth essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays. Clearly you can use this optional essay question to address a weakness in your profile or qualifications, but in my mind, this question is also open-ended enough to allow you to discuss a diversity element in your personal background or simply some unique area of interest. Also, tucking a weakness explanation somewhere else would allow you to end the application with a strength and not a flaw. Don’t use this essay as a grand finale or wrap up. And definitely don’t use it to rehash your reasons for wanting to attend Columbia; those reasons should be perfectly clear from the required essays. If you decide to respond to this essay, use it to educate the reader about another talent, interest, or commitment of yours. As always try to show leadership and impact. In short, give them more reasons to admit you. If you would like professional guidance with your Columbia Business School 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 CBS MBA application. Columbia Business School 2015 Application Deadlines: January 2015 Entry: October 7, 2015 Early Decision: October 7, 2014 Merit Fellowship Consideration: January 6, 2016 Regular Decision: April 13, 2016 *All deadlines are 11:59 p.m. New York Time on the date listed.   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 SchoolsPodcast Interview With the Columbia Business School Admissions Team • Columbia Business School Zone • Experiences & Advice from Columbia MBA Student Kendall Miller Tags: 2016 MBA Application, Columbia Business School, MBA Admissions The post Columbia Business School 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
05 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Learn The Ins And Outs Of B-School Funding |
 Whether you’re just starting the process or have already received your acceptance, you know one thing for sure about b-school: it ain’t cheap! Join us for our free webinar on How to Pay for Your MBA, when guest presenter Julianna Young, VP of Operations at CommonBond, will show you: • How to understand the full cost of attendance • How to identify sources of support—scholarships, loans, and more • The mechanics of lending – the terms and calculations you need to know • And much more! The webinar will air LIVE on May 19th at 4pm PT/7pm ET. Register now to learn How to Pay For Your MBA! B-school may be expensive, but the webinar is FREE!  Tags: Financial Aid, MBA Admissions, webinar The post Learn The Ins And Outs Of B-School Funding appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
08 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Know Before You Go: Paying for a Columbia MBA |
 How will you pay for your MBA? Financing a degree that costs around $200,000 is a daunting task, and personal finance can be a challenging topic to discuss among young professionals. We know how hard it is to start this conversation, so before we show you how to pay for your MBA in our upcoming webinar, we’d like to share the perspective of Sonya*, a Columbia Class of 2015 MBA. Here’s how she’s thought about financing her MBA since the time she was first admitted and how she’d revisit her strategy with a second chance. First, here’s more on Sonya’s background: She came to business school with an audit background from a New York City firm and “felt fine about [her] finances, comfortable enough” when she decided to apply for her MBA. She knew she’d be paying her own way through school. She chose her schools based on location, opting for East Coast programs in order to have better access to New York’s tech startup scene. Sonya submitted her three applications in Round 2 and ultimately received her acceptance to Columbia Business School in February. By April, she decided to attend and put down an approximately $2,500 deposit for tuition. “For two months, I was basking in the glow of ‘hey, I’m going to business school,’” Sonya said. “Then the financial aid office rained on my parade.” Columbia’s financial aid office reached out in June to remind Sonya of loan application deadlines and upcoming payment due dates, and that’s when the cost finally clicked. “I hadn’t really thought of financing until then,” said Sonya. “It certainly wasn’t a factor in my school selection at all,” though she did make sure she applied before Round 3 in order to be eligible for scholarships at her target schools. Sonya quickly crunched the numbers and reviewed her existing savings, including brokerage accounts and retirement savings. She decided to use student loans to cover all of her tuition costs and her savings to pay for her living expenses, keeping some retirement and brokerage accounts intact to provide a cushion post-MBA. After one year as an active MBA student at Columbia – “I loved it!” – Sonya sat down to review her finances again, this time with a crystallized career objective: join one of a handful of NYC fintech startups after graduation. After both summer and in-school internships, Sonya had a realistic idea of what her salary would be on this career track, and salary, she advised, is a number that all prospective MBAs should start with when planning to finance their degrees. “I can still join a startup despite my loan burden, but everyone’s situation is different of course,” Sonya said. The savings she hadn’t touched as an MBA would become a big asset in transitioning to her full-time role. Now that Sonya is just weeks away from graduating Columbia, what’s her advice for new MBAs? “Think about the costs much earlier than I did, perhaps before even applying for school or taking your GMAT. Think, ‘What’s the financial cost involved, and am I pursing a field that will be able to sustain this debt? Is it worth it to get an MBA?’” Sonya has realized that while she’ll be able to pursue her target salary within her preferred startups, there’s a wide, wide range of startup salaries out there for MBAs, and she’s encountered peers who will need to make tough decisions about their chosen paths come graduation given their student loan costs. Also, Sonya advises new admits to think about financing earlier in order to leave time for a scholarship hunt. In her own experience, starting this search during the June before matriculation eliminated the majority of her potential outside scholarship options. “For me, it was an amazing two years, and I wouldn’t have changed my decision at all,” she said. “But while I’m okay financially, I should have been more proactive and really looked at my salary after graduation when deciding to get my MBA.” *Name changed at interviewee’s request. Kaitlin Butler is Content Manager at CommonBond, a student lending platform that provides a better student loan experience through lower rates, superior service, a simple application process and a strong commitment to community. CommonBond is also the first company to bring the 1-for-1 model to education and finance. Related Resources: • Is it Worth it to Get an MBA? • How Much Will a Top MBA Earn You • CommonBond’s Story: A Revolution in Student Loans Tags: Financial Aid, MBA Admissions The post Know Before You Go: Paying for a Columbia MBA appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
08 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Show Me The Money |
 I’ll give you a little advice…everything is negotiable. On a day like today, I’m doing my happy dance. My MBA clients have been contacting me with good news from the schools to which they applied. Several of them have multiple offers with scholarships attached, which immediately present the question: Can they negotiate their scholarship offers? Since most of you have yet to take your MBA negotiations class, I’ll give you a little advice…everything is negotiable. You have an offer of admission and unless you did something egregious that the schools discover in their background research, the school will not take that offer away from you. In fact, the schools want you to come to their programs so much that they’ve offered you scholarships, tuition discounts, or graduate assistantships to entice you away from other schools. You are in the power position, but you have limited time to act. If you have multiple scholarship offers, you have even more power. So play the schools off each other. You will need to provide proof of funding and develop a clear statement of what it would take to have you deposit and attend that school. If school A matches school B’s offer, go back to school B and ask for more. Many schools have some wiggle room with scholarship offers. And the worst-case scenario is that school A will say “no” to your request and then there is no harm and no foul. Caution: While you may be in the power position, remain likeable, respectful and courteous. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by coming off as arrogant. And if you have deposited at a school, you have diminished your position of power. If you need additional consultation on this matter, we are available to help you construct the communication that in the words of one of my former clients made his “investment in Accepted.com a very positive ROI.”  By Natalie Grinblatt Epstein, an accomplished Accepted.com consultant/editor (since 2008) and entrepreneur. Natalie is a former MBA Admissions Dean and Director at Ross, Johnson, and Carey. Related Resources: • How to Pay For Your MBA Webinar • Alumni Funded Student Loans: An Interview with Daniel Macklin of SoFi • MBA Choices: Dream School vs. Scholarship School? Tags: Financial Aid, MBA Admissions The post Show Me The Money appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
11 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Magoosh Guide To The TOEFL eBook |
 Feeling overwhelmed by the TOEFL test? Don’t know where to start? Or have you taken the test 5 times before and just need a quick refresher before you take it for (hopefully!) the last time? Either way, it can be tough to find quality resources that provide everything you need to know for the test while also being easy to understand. But that’s where our friends at Magoosh TOEFL come in! They’ve put together this new (and free!) TOEFL iBT eBook to help you prepare for and succeed on your TOEFL test! So no need to spend hours browsing the web for TOEFL practice questions, test strategies or problem explanations–you can find all these resources and lots more in the Magoosh TOEFL eBook. Go ahead and get to studying–and of course, good luck on your test! Click here to download your TOEFL iBT eBook! Tags: College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, Magoosh, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions, TOEFL The post Magoosh Guide To The TOEFL eBook appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
11 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBA Admissions A-Z: E Is For Essay |
 4 Common MBA Application Essay Mistakes Here we are going to focus on 4 critical MBA admission essay mistakes. Make sure that your essays DON’T include any of these: 1. Buzzwords Try this on for size: “I plan on penetrating the B2C e-commerce bubble by starting my own synergistic company. Additionally, I want to lead empowering seminars about diversity awareness in the workplace for the human resources space.” Unfortunately, creating an MBA application essay isn’t as simple as piecing together a string of keywords. Many applicants think that if they include industry buzzwords in their essays, then they’ll come off sounding like experts in the field. Recipe for success? More like recipe for disaster. Buzzwords don’t make you look smart; they make you look unoriginal. (Of course, you can use a few buzzwords when absolutely necessary. Just make sure they clarify and inform as opposed to confuse and obscure.) 2. Grandiose Statements Don’t merely discuss a value or belief; illustrate it. “I want to give back to my community.” Okay, thanks for the info…now tell me something else: HOW? Or WHY? When have you lived this value in the past? How do you plan on focusing your energy on helping your community in the future? Furthermore, why do you feel a calling to contribute to your community? Give me some details here! Maybe this is what you meant: “When I was suddenly orphaned at 16 years old, my local church bent over backwards to help revive me and my twin brother after the paralyzing tragedy. The community members went beyond simply feeding and clothing us, by caring for us and loving us in the absence of our parents. Their boundless kindness inspired me to found my not-for-profit organization; it helps teenage orphans keep their heads above water after tragedy strikes by supplying material as well as emotional support.” 3. Whining Complaining about your application blemishes only draws attention to them. If you aren’t happy with your GPA, then take responsibility for your low grades, and if relevant, provide context that explains why you did poorly…and then move on. If possible, portray your liabilities as assets by discussing the ways in which you’ve grown from your experiences, or point to times when you excelled in similar circumstances. But please, keep the tone mature. Nobody likes a crybaby. 4. Typos This is one of the most common MBA essay mistakes, and yet is also one of the easiest errors to fix. Rule of thumb: Don’t hit “Submit” until you’ve edited and proofread your application essays. For the best results, read your essay aloud so you can identify errors with your eyes, as well as your ears. And remember, the only thing better than one set of eyes and ears, are multiple sets. Have your mom, best friend, neighbor, co-worker, or Accepted.com editor help you identify and then fix all spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and stylistic blunders. Related Resources: • 5 Fatal Flaws: Eliminate the 5 Most Common Flaws in Your MBA Application • What Should I Write About? Making a Difference • 4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA Admissions A-Z, MBA essay The post MBA Admissions A-Z: E Is For Essay appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
14 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Columbia Entering Class Profile |
 This year’s entering class at CBS reflects the school’s interest in building a class composed of “intellectually driven people from diverse educational, economic, social, cultural, and geographic backgrounds.” According to the class profile, 41% of the class are international students, 36% are women, and 32% are minorities. They come from a range of previous industries (Financial Services 28%; Consulting 25%; Marketing/Media 10%; Private Equity 8%; Technology 7%; Non-profit 5%; and smaller numbers from other fields), and studied a range of fields in college, from Social Sciences, to Business, to the Humanities. They share a strong record of achievement and leadership, whatever field they are coming from. They are also strong academically: applicants’ average undergraduate GPA was 3.5 (middle 80%: 3.1-3.8) and their average GMAT was 716 (middle 80%: 680-760). Of 5799 applications received, 1056 were admitted, for an ultimate entering class of 743. Are you planning to apply to CBS? Register for our FREE WEBINARfor vital guidance on the application process! Related Resources: • Columbia Business School 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines • Podcast Interview With the Columbia Business School Admissions Team • Columbia Business School Zone Tags: Columbia Business School, MBA Admissions The post Columbia Entering Class Profile appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
14 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: To GRE Or Not To GRE? That Is The Question |
 Before your dream of getting accepted to graduate school comes true, you’ll have to face – and conquer – the GRE. Listen in on our conversation with Dr. Lydia Liu, Managing Senior Research Scientist at the ETS and Tom Ewing, Director of External and Media Relations, for GRE advice, their perspective on the GRE vs GMAT debate, and more. 00:03:22 – An overview of the GRE. 00:05:18 – Don’t stick with your first instinct: The GRE’s changing score feature and how it helps you snag a higher score. 00:09:13 – Paid and free GRE study tools. 00:12:16 – The GRE as a predictor of success in b-school. 00:13:18 – Why MBA applicants should take the GRE and not the GMAT. 00:17:24 – GRE prep strategies. 00:19:57 – Ongoing research studies at ETS. 00:21:09 – The latest news from ETS (and it doesn’t reflect well on US grad students). 00:25:58 – Tips for graduate school applicants. Related links: • ets.org• takethegre.com•Should You Take the GMAT or GRE?• GRE vs. GMAT: Trends• GMAT vs. GRE: Harvard Business School Weighs In Related Shows: • The GMAC, the GMAT, and the MBA Degree• The GMAT, the GRE, and the Guy Who Knows them Well• GMAT, GRE, SAT, and All Things Test Prep• Interview with Chris Ryan of Manhattan GMAT Leave a Review for Admissions Straight Talk:    Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Admissions Straight Talk, GMAT, Grad School Admissions, GRE, MBA Admissions, podcast The post To GRE Or Not To GRE? That Is The Question appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
17 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Can You Get Into B-School With Low Stats? |
 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, Get Accepted to Top B-Schools with Low Stats. B-school applicants with low GPA and/or GMAT scores – you don’t want to miss this! View Get Accepted to Top B-Schools with Low Stats for free now!  Tags: low stats, MBA Admissions, webinar The post Can You Get Into B-School With Low Stats? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
17 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Harvard MBA Essay Question: Now Required and New |
 Harvard Business School And the Harvard MBA essay question is… It’s the first day of class at HBS. You are in Aldrich Hall meeting your “section.” This is the group of 90 classmates who will become your close companions in the first-year MBA classroom. Our signature case method participant-based learning model ensures that you will get to know each other very well. The bonds you collectively create throughout this shared experience will be lasting. Introduce yourself. Note: Should you enroll at HBS, there will be an opportunity for you to share this with them. We suggest you view this video before beginning to write. You can read Dee Leopold’s full thoughts on this question at on her blog, Direct from the Director, as well as her reasons for making this required as opposed to optional, as its been for the last 2 years. Dee also reviews the purpose of the essay. On one had its a chance for you the applicant to reflect, organize your thoughts, and relate them as you embark on the adventure of business school. In addition and something that is critical for you to realize as you start that reflection process and choose what to write: The essay is “a chance to get to know you beyond the elements of the application that feel fixed and stationary. Can also be a starting point for interview conversations.”   By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools Tags: Harvard Business School, MBA Admissions The post Harvard MBA Essay Question: Now Required and New appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
18 May 2015, 03:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Should I Reapply To B-School? And To Which Programs? |
 This time of year, we gets lots of reapplication queries. Should I reapply? To which programs should I reapply? Let me give you a few tips on successful MBA reapplication: 1. Coldly and objectively analyze your profile. Do you have competitive qualifications for the schools you applied to? I just yesterday spoke to a former admissions committee member at a top school, and she emphasized how talented the applicant pool is. “It’s so hard to choose!” she said. 2. With the same cool objectivity evaluate your application: Did you present your qualifications well? This step is more difficult than #1, because you rarely have the perspective necessary to evaluate your presentation via your application. And it’s even harder to be objective about something inherently subjective. 3. Did you apply to the right schools given your goals and interests? Or did you just look at rankings and brand? (The latter is the wrong way to choose schools.) 4. Did you apply early in your target schools’ application process? For most programs “early” translates into an application submitted during or prior to January the January deadlines. Once you have evaluated your qualifications, your presentation of those qualifications, and your school choices, you should also have the direction necessary to go forward. You may need to improve your profile, polish your presentation, adjust your school choice, and apply earlier. Or you may need to work on one of the above areas. But there is one approach you should not take: The same one you took last year. If you aren’t confident of your objectivity or your ability to take the above steps, then consider an MBA Application Review. It will cost you a lot less money (and time) than another bunch of rejected applications.  By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business SchoolsCreate a Better Sequel: How to Reapply Right to Business School, • MBA Admissions: Reapplication Advice for MBA Applicants” • 6 Steps to a Remarkable Reapplication Tags: MBA Admissions, reapplication The post Should I Reapply To B-School? And To Which Programs? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
18 May 2015, 03:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Indian School Of Business 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines |
 The Indian School of Business is an excellent program for those interested in advancing to management roles in a broad spectrum of industries and those seeking positions in the consulting industry (20% of graduates earn consulting placements) and technology field (28% of graduates choose this industry upon graduation). Interestingly, while median salaries for graduates of a top US program like Stanford and Harvard only exceed the US national average by 240%, graduates of ISB can expect to earn 522% of the Indian national average wage upon graduation*. ISB has overhauled its essay questions this year, only maintaining their standard of 3 required essays and one optional while changing the phrasing of all of the essay prompts and increasing the total word limit by 200 words (ISB is one of the few schools that actually require the strict adherence to its word limits). My comments are in blue. Essay 1 (400 words maximum) If we were to admit just one more student, make a compelling argument as to why that student should be you by describing an (only one) achievement in your personal / professional life that you are most proud of. What did you do that sets you apart from others? What did you learn? This is a great question because it allows you to shine the spotlight on whatever aspect of your candidacy you feel makes you exceptional. Look at your career and extracurricular activities and identify the area in which you have achieved the greatest impact, ideally reaching a level that few other applicants can match. This is not just about a title or award you earned; the essay needs to highlight the obstacles you navigated and the challenges you overcame to reach that pinnacle. Don’t forget to discuss some of what you learned about yourself, leadership, and management. Essay 2 (300 words maximum). Choose one of the following 2 options: Describe a (only one) defining moment in your personal / professional life when you had to make a risky decision, and explain what you did, why and the outcome. A risky decision means there was a lot to lose and there was no clear path forward. This essay offers applicants an opportunity to demonstrate their appetite for risk and their decision making process – was it based on data, market research, networking with experienced mentors in the field, gut instinct, or some other technique? A good essay will be able to point to significant results and impact from the risk. or Describe a (only one) situation in your personal / professional life when you had to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. How did it affect you and what did you learn? Similar to option 1 above, this potential topic includes an element of the unknown: when faced with a diverse team, a leader must analyze how the cultural and/or professional backgrounds of the people involved may affect the project and take action to smooth the interactions. This is a great opportunity for applicants with international work experience to share the cultural insight they have gained. Essay 3 (300 words maximum) What are your post ISB career plans and how will your past experiences and the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) contribute to taking you there? This question is similar to last year’s essay prompt about career goals but is much more focused on what you have done (compared with last year’s emphasis on why you chose those paths). This essay demands a clear definition of what field and role you hope to enter upon graduation, the business skills and insight you have gained that will be essential to succeeding in that role, and how ISB will complement that knowledge. Essay 4 (Optional) (200 words maximum) Please use this space to explain any career breaks / provide any other information not covered elsewhere in the application that could significantly impact your candidature at ISB. Note: It is not necessary to write this essay. Please use this space only if there is something really significant that you would like us to know. Use this space to explain any gaps in your career but also take advantage of this opportunity to grant deeper insight into any leadership role or impact you have gained, emphasizing how this experience has prepared you for ISB and your future career. ISB Application Deadlines: Round 1: October 15, 2015 (11:59 pm India Standard time) Round 2: January 5, 2016 (11:59 pm India Standard time)   As a consultant with Accepted for nearly 17 years and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), Jennifer Bloom has gained great experience in crafting application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your ISB application, there are a variety of options for working with her on any budget. Related Resources: • Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One • Writing About Overcoming Obstacles in Your Application Essays • 4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future Tags: 2016 MBA Application, Indian School of Business, MBA Admissions The post Indian School Of Business 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
20 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Business School Gender Balance Improving |
 UC Berkeley Haas takes the lead with a 43% female student body. Women now make up 60% of university graduates, but most business schools have lagged behind when it comes to gender balance—impacting not just women’s experience of b-school, but the composition of the workforce afterward. A new report from gender consulting firm 20-first looks at the numbers of women MBA students and faculty at top programs, and finds that while there has been some improvement in the last few years, we still have a ways to go before achieving gender balance. Lesley Symons, one of the authors of the report, points out that this “balance” is not merely an issue of numbers—currently, the curriculum at most b-schools is defined and driven by male faculty, male-dominated case studies, etc. She suggests that a deeper issue of cultural change is at stake, in order to make business education “gender bilingual” and effectively train the next generation of business leaders. The report found that gender balance among students at top programs is improving (with several top US programs near or over 40% representation for women), while faculty numbers are slower to budge. Here are some of the report’s findings regarding female MBA students and faculty:   Related Resources: • Best MBA Programs and How to Choose the Right One • Leaning in While Pursuing Your MBA: The MBA Mama Story • Forte Helps Women In Business Thrive: Interview with Elissa Sangster Tags: MBA Admissions, UC Berkeley Haas The post Business School Gender Balance Improving appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
23 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Indian In IT Finds Her Fit At Anderson |
 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. We hope to offer you a candid picture of student life, and what you should consider as you prepare your MBA application. And now for an interview with Rohini Vaze… Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Can you share 3 fun facts about yourself? Rohini: Sure! I am from Mumbai in India. I did my undergrad in electrical engineering from Pune and then worked at Tata Motors for three years. It was an amazing job where I got a 360 degree view of the business by working in sales, manufacturing and customer support and could take many initiatives and see them implemented. However, I always felt that I needed to learn frameworks that I could apply in my career, and so I came to business school to gain those skills. I also funded my friend’s startup during my time at Tata Motors and that got me interested in this space. So I am using these two years at business school to gain exposure to start-ups in California. 3 fun facts about me are: 1. I have travelled to 10 countries outside my country of birth. 2. I am a trustee at a non-profit organization in India to help underprivileged children learn English and computers. 3. I have been dancing since the age of five. Accepted: Where are you in business school? What year? Rohini: I am in my first year of Business School at UCLA Anderson School of Management. Accepted: What is your favorite thing about Anderson so far? And if you could change one thing about the program, what would it be? Rohini: My favorite thing about Anderson has been the people and the exposure that it has given to me. Many schools are good at a single discipline but not so great at other industries, but Anderson is great for a variety of careers. This gives a lot of exposure to people who have very diverse backgrounds and I am sure it will be very helpful in the future. If I could change one thing, I would change the time at which the school starts. The quarter system makes recruiting harder since all other schools tend to have an advantage of starting a month earlier than Anderson, and thus those students have more time to gain valuable skills that will help them in seeking internships and full time positions. Accepted: Can you tell us about your current internship? What role did UCLA play in helping you secure that position? Rohini: I am currently pursuing a part-time internship at a Venture Capital Firm in Santa Monica and the opportunity came to me through UCLA itself. We have a website through our career center where companies that are in need of interns post about their opportunities. I applied to this internship after seeing the posting on the website and went through a company analysis and interview process before being offered this position. The part-time internship involves doing market research for companies that are being considered for funding through the Venture Capital Firm. What I really like about the internship is that the firm has good deal flow and provides real support to the entrepreneurs that they fund. For the summer, I will be going to Amazon, and the Anderson career center was very helpful in giving me tips for preparation for the same. Moreover, my classmates as well as 2nd year students helped a lot with the preparation for the interviews! Accepted: Which other business schools had you considered attending? How was UCLA the best fit for you? Rohini: I always wanted a business school on the West Coast. I have a heard a lot about the cultural difference between the West and the East Coast schools and knew that I am a West Coast person. The other two criteria I had in mind were that I wanted a school in a city so that I could pursue part-time internships in parallel to school, as well as I wanted a school where there was a high concentration of people going into Hi-Tech. Thus, I had only considered attending UCLA, Berkeley and Stanford. I believe Anderson is a great fit for me since along with the above factors, Anderson has a very diverse crowd. The business school is really good for Finance and Consulting too, and I am confident that this exposure by being in an ‘all-rounder’ school will be very helpful in my career in the future. Accepted: I see that you did fantastic on your GMAT – can you share a few tips with our readers? Rohini: Thanks. There are a few things that I think helped me a lot with my GMAT score: • Start with the simplest books and then move on to the harder ones. The simpler books help to re-learn the concepts from high school that most of us have forgotten. I started preparing with Princeton books and then went on to Manhattan and Kaplan. I also advise my friends to study from the official GMAT book the last. The official book tends to have the simpler questions in the 400-600 range and are not the best questions to practice when you are aiming for a great GMAT score. However, being able to easily solve these questions in the last couple of days when you need something to reduce your anxiousness is the best way to use the Official GMAT book. • Check your mistakes to find patterns that will help you to focus your further preparation on a particular topic that is common for GMAT exams. • Spend adequate time on the first 10 questions. I took the older format GMAT where the first 10 questions can really make or break your final score. Thus checking for silly mistakes in reading the question or a calculation error in not calculating answers till the end helps in getting a good score. • Most importantly, practice a LOT! This is probably the most important tip since one of my biggest hurdles with GMAT was managing to concentrate for the whole 4 hours. During practice exams, I observed that I would make a lot of silly mistakes in the last hour and get lower scores. Thus, I made it a point to get used to the long hours and took one practice exam every three days. I believe this can really make the difference between a 700 and a 750 score. Accepted: Do you have any other advice for our b-school applicants? Rohini: Start the application early and enjoy the process! Hopefully, there will be many things that you will learn about yourself through the application process. Also, focus on a few schools that you really want to get into and gather as much information about the school from as many sources as possible – you might have the best application but you won’t get any admit unless you can articulate “why this school” well. For one-on-one guidance on your b-school applications, please see our MBA Application Packages. To read more a bout Rohini, you can check out her blog at Rohini’s Blog. Thank you Rohini for sharing your story with us – we wish you much success!  Related Resources: • UCLA Anderson Zone Page • MBA Admissions for Indian Applicants • Podcast: UCLA Anderson and Entrepreneurship Tags: MBA Admissions, MBA Student Interviews, UCLA Anderson The post Indian In IT Finds Her Fit At Anderson appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
23 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Are MBA Rankings REALLY Important? |
|
What do the MBA rankings mean to you? What will they teach you? Should you trust them? Are MBA rankings REALLY important? In our guide, MBA Rankings: What You Need to Know, newly updated and expanded for 2015, Linda Abraham will walk you through the process of locating the rankings, sifting through them for the important information, analyzing the relevant data, and then finally, USING that information to help you choose the best MBA program for YOU.  The rankings ARE an important tool, but they’re also a tool that can easily be abused. Learn how to use the rankings properly when you download MBA Rankings: What You Need to Know today! Tags: MBA Admissions, Rankings The post Are MBA Rankings REALLY Important? appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
26 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Last Call For Columbia Business School Admissions Webinar! |
|
Wednesday is the day we share our application-changing tips on how to apply successfully to Columbia Business School! Do you have questions on optimizing your CBS application for admission? Do you need concrete tips on how to answer the essay questions? Do you need help evaluating your profile to determine if CBS is the school for you? Time’s running out. Reserve your spot for Get Accepted to Columbia Business School before it’s too late. The webinar will air live,on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST.  Tags: Columbia Business School, MBA Admissions, webinar The post Last Call For Columbia Business School Admissions Webinar! appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
26 May 2015, 09:01
| FROM Accepted.com Blog: Harvard Business School 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines |
 Make Every Word Count. Change has once again come to the Harvard Business School MBA application. For the upcoming 2015-26 application cycle, there is now one required essay. For the last two years, it has been optional. Also the prompt has changed. As it did last year, Harvard does not suggest a word limit. It leaves it to your judgment. The operative word is judgement. Harvard has in the past requested a significant amount of information in the boxes on its application and last year (this year’s app isn’t live yet.) there were significant word and character limits. Also, HBS has virtually the same deadlines this year as last. Its round 1 deadline is so far the earliest at September 9, 2015. There is one question for the Harvard MBA Class of 2018. Here it is: It’s the first day of class at HBS. You are in Aldrich Hall meeting your “section.” This is the group of 90 classmates who will become your close companions in the first-year MBA classroom. Our signature case method participant-based learning model ensures that you will get to know each other very well. The bonds you collectively create throughout this shared experience will be lasting. Introduce yourself. Note: Should you enroll at HBS, there will be an opportunity for you to share this with them. We suggest you view this video before beginning to write. [youtube2]p> 2016 Application Deadlines: Application Due Decisions Released Round 1 09 Sept 2015 Dec 2015 Round 2 06 Jan 2016 Mar 2016 Round 3 04 Apr 2016 May 2016  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 SchoolsWhat Does Harvard Business School Want? • Harvard Business School: The Habit of Leadership • Some HBS Stereotypes: An Interview with Ben Faw Tags: 2016 MBA Application, Harvard Business School, MBA Admissions The post Harvard Business School 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines appeared first on Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog. 
|
|
|
||
