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Accepted MBA Updates

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GMAC Prospective Students Report Highlights [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   20 May 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: GMAC Prospective Students Report Highlights


Applicants are more focused on a specific postgrad career path

GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) recently released its 2016 mba.com Prospective Students Survey Report. The survey, conducted throughout 2015, analyzes the motivations, planned career paths, and program choices of more than 10,000 business school candidates worldwide.

Here are some highlights of the report.

• Applicants are becoming more purposeful and directed. Yay! On average, potential students considered 2.8 programs in 2015, down from 3.1 in 2014. 71% of those surveyed named a single industry of interest for post-graduation employment, as compared to 58% in 2014. Furthermore, 61% of prospective students mentioned a single job function, up from 46% in 2014.

• Worldwide, 50% of prospective students are considering only MBA programs, with 28% considering both MBA and specialized master’s programs. 23% are contemplating only specialized business master’s programs, such as Master of Accounting or Master of Finance. This is an increase from 2009, when merely 15% were considering only specialized master’s programs. There has been a shift in Western Europe toward specialized business master’s programs. In 2009, 49% of probable students were considering only an MBA program with 22% thinking about only specialized business master’s programs. These numbers changed in 2015, with 36% considering only an MBA program and 46% considering only specialized master’s programs. This change probably reflects the greater clarity of purpose that applicants are bringing to their application effort.

• Most potential students looking at graduate management education are pursuing a combination of classroom and online learning. Even those who prefer to enroll in an online MBA program still anticipate spending 10% of their time in the classroom to enable opportunities for networking and experiential learning. Those considering a full-time MBA program expect to have 86% of their coursework in a classroom and desire 14% of their courses to be given online.

• On average, prospective students begin formulating their short list of schools one year before submitting their applications. Often a specific event or situation triggers a student’s interest in getting a graduate management degree. Possible triggers are looking for a new job but lacking competitive skills (27%), reaching a work plateau (17%), and lacking knowledge to do a job (17%).

• Nearly all (96%) prospective students use social media. Of these, 67% use it to research topics related to their graduate management degree education. Facebook and LinkedIn are the most popular sites globally except in China, where Tencent QQ (an instant messaging platform) is most popular.

The study reveals that business school applicants are now contemplating applying to fewer types of programs and are more focused on a specific postgrad career path. They are interested in combining online and experiential learning. Prospective students often experience a trigger to propel them towards higher education and are starting to put together their short lists of schools approximately a year before application submission. Social media plays a huge role in these students’ lives, and assists in the research for grad school programs.





Related Resources:

• Why MBA?

• Should You Apply to Grad School?

• Linda Abraham’s Admissions Assortment

Tags: Grad School Admissions, MBA Admissions

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How LinkedIn Can Help You Get Accepted [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   22 May 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: How LinkedIn Can Help You Get Accepted


Does LinkedIn hold the key to your acceptance?

The Cornell Tech MBA made waves when it offered applicants to its unique program in New York City the opportunity to apply with their LinkedIn profiles instead of filling in the tedious employment history section of the application. Other MBA programs like MIT Sloan and UT Austin McCombs are following that trend by inviting applicants to share their LinkedIn profile URLs in their applications. While I don’t believe that every applicant’s LinkedIn profile is going to be fully studied, we at Accepted view any additional space to share more about your background with the admissions committees as an opportunity to make your case of admission even stronger. We highly recommend that you update your LinkedIn profile and share the link in the application when offered the chance to do so. Not only may the admissions office glance at your profile while reviewing your application, but your interviewer may check you out before meeting you in person. This is your opportunity to make a great first impression.

There are four essential areas in the LinkedIn profile that constitute the bare minimum that you need to complete well as an MBA candidate: the headline, summary, experience, and education sections. In this post, I will explain a bit about what to focus on in the Headline and Summary, and in the next posts I will explain the Experience and Education sections and share some useful additional tools that LinkedIn offers.

The Headline

The headline is the description that is displayed under your name when you appear as a candidate in someone’s search. You have 120 characters to summarize who you are here, and if you don’t do so, the space will be automatically populated by your current professional title and company. If you are active in fields outside of your professional role, it makes sense to use this space to present a fuller picture. For example, if you’re an Analyst at an investment bank but founded and lead a non-profit organization in addition to that full-time role, then it makes sense to try to include both elements in the headline: “Analyst at Morgan Stanley and Founder of not-for-profit Social Innovation Corps.” This will immediately help you stand out from all the other IB analysts applying alongside you.

The Summary

The summary offers you 2000 characters to present a full picture of who you are: personality, interests, achievements, passions, and even ambitions. I recommend opening with your current work and most recent impacts in the first paragraph, then share details of your character, outside interests, and other significant accomplishments in the subsequent paragraphs. Similar to a traditional resume’s Qualifications Summary, this section allows you to bring the most unique elements of your background right to the top for the reader.

Stay tuned for guidance on using LinkedIn’s Experience and Education sections to their fullest.

If you would like professional guidance with your LinkedIn profile, please consider Accepted’s MBA resume and LinkedIn editing services.





Jennifer Bloom has been a consultant with Accepted for 17 years and a Certified Professional Resume Writer since 2005. She is an expert at crafting application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your applications, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget.

Related Resources:

 •The Quick Guide to Admissions Resumes

• 5 Ways to Optimize Your Online Presence Before Submitting Applications

• Why Extracurricular Activities Make a Difference

Tags: MBA Admissions

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Last Call for Columbia Business School Admissions Webinar! [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   23 May 2016, 10:01
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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 about optimizing your CBS application? 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 25th at 10am PT/1pm ET.





Tags: MBA Admissions

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GMAT & MBA Admissions: True or False? [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   24 May 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: GMAT & MBA Admissions: True or False?


How well do you know GMAT facts?

It’s time to test your GMAT knowledge. How much do you know about this important b-school entrance exam?

1. The GMAT is one of the first elements in your application the adcoms will look at.

True!

While the GMAT is not always the determining factor for admission, it can be used as a tool to weed out applicants and it can influence a busy reader to read an application a little more quickly and critically. It is also sometimes used as a screening tool by elite investment banking and management consulting firms. For them, 700 is the magic number.

2. There is no way to recover from a low GMAT score.

False!

It’s not easy to grab the attention of the adcom once you’ve lost it with a low GMAT, but it is possible. To do so, you’re going to need to truly blow the adcom readers away with an otherwise impeccable application. This includes writing out-of-this-world essays, creating an impressive MBA resume, presenting a flawless transcript, providing outstanding LORs, and – like it or not – having a less-than-ordinary background.

3. An above average GMAT score can win you an automatic acceptance at some business schools.

False!

No business school, even those that are lower ranked programs, will look at your GMAT score at the exclusion of everything else. If you earn a perfect GMAT score, but have no work experience, were kicked out of college due to cheating, and have six DUIs, then your score alone won’t be enough to gain you a seat in any MBA program. An impressive GMAT score must always be accompanied by an impressive application. However, some schools do treat a high score more favorably than others. A school working to boost its MBA rankings may be more inclined to accept students based on their high stats than others and may also be quicker to offer merit-based financial aid.

4. Schools care about both the verbal and quant scores.

True!

People tend to think that top b-schools care only about the quant score of the GMAT, but this isn’t true at all. Yes, being able to compute is important, but so is being able to communicate. Your verbal score indicates your ability to read and write – you can’t really go to business school where the language of instruction is English (or at least not successfully) if you don’t have some mastery over the English language.

5. You should retake the GMAT as many times as you need until you hit your target score.

False!

You SHOULD retake the GMAT two or three times, but retaking it more than five times may begin to negatively impact your application. Think of it as the law of diminishing returns for the GMAT: Putting forth effort to reach excellence is positive, until you’ve put forth so much effort that it begins to make you look bad – like a serial test-taker…or a person who keeps trying but who still can’t cut it. If after three re-tests you still don’t have the score you desire and there are no extenuating circumstances that are likely to change on the next retake, then you need to cast your school net wider to include programs that better meet your qualifications.

Continue to boost your GMAT IQ when you visit GMAT & MBA Admissions 101.





Related Resources:

• GMAT & MBA Admissions Resource Page

• 3 Tips for Handling a Low GMAT Verbal Score

• Low GMAT Score? Don’t Panic…Yet.

Tags: MBA Admissions

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LinkedIn and Your Application, Part 2 [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   25 May 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: LinkedIn and Your Application, Part 2


Something that LinkedIn has that some MBA apps don’t: A volunteer section.

Earlier this week, I talked about the importance of updating your LinkedIn profile and shared tips for a strong Headline and Summary. Today, I’m going to address the Experience and Education sections of a powerful LinkedIn profile.

Experience

LinkedIn allows you to list every position you’ve held within a company separately but in my opinion you need to assume that readers will not get far in perusing your full profile if you do, so I recommend only listing your most recent role in each company and then using the 2000-character position summary to highlight the promotions you earned and the impacts you made throughout the company.

The Experience section is where LinkedIn parts ways with a traditional resume: instead of using traditional impact bullet points as you would for a resume, LinkedIn works best in paragraph form, telling your story: what was happening in the business environment at the time, what challenges was the company or your unit facing, and what actions did you take? Sharing the context surrounding your accomplishments will make those accomplishments even more impressive for the reader. Then, you can share your impact either continuing in paragraph form or in bullet points.

There is one caveat here: LinkedIn is public; don’t share any information that is not already public or anything that would upset a colleague.

Education

Since you are applying to graduate school, your involvement in your previous campus experience(s) is very relevant: if you were actively involved on campus and earned exemplary grades in the past, you are likely to do so again in your next university. Therefore, I highly recommend making full use of the space in LinkedIn’s education section to include the activities and leadership roles you held on campus and any excellent academic performance as well as the recognition you may have earned.

Volunteer Experience

Finally, LinkedIn offers a Volunteer Experience section. For an application like MIT Sloan – which allows no space in its online form to detail extracurricular activities, the opportunity to highlight these non-professional roles and impacts here is extremely useful. If you are currently involved in a volunteer activity or social venture, you may wish to bring the experience to the top of your LinkedIn profile by including it in the Experience section itself; however, even if you do choose to keep the description to the separate Volunteer Experiences section – LinkedIn assuages some of the disappointment at the lack of space allowed for these experiences in the application.

If you would like professional guidance with your LinkedIn profile, please consider Accepted’s MBA resume and LinkedIn editing services.




 Jennifer Bloom has been a consultant with Accepted for 17 years and is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). She is an expert at crafting application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your application, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget.

Related Resources:

• How LinkedIn Can Help You Get Accepted

• MBA Admissions: Is Community Service Important?

• What Your Work Experience Reveals About You in Your MBA Application

Tags: MBA Admissions

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Stanford GSB Names Jonathan Levin New Dean [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   26 May 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Stanford GSB Names Jonathan Levin New Dean

A Stanford GSB news article
states that Jonathan Levin, former chair of the Stanford Department of Economics, will replace the top business school’s current dean, Garth Saloner, as of September 1, 2016. Saloner resigned after serving as dean for the last seven years.

Levin, a renowned expert in the field of industrial organization, joined the Stanford faculty in 2000, and currently serves as the Holbrook Working Professor in Price Theory. He served as the chair of the Department of Economics from 2011 to 2014. Levin is also director of the Industrial Organization Program at the National Bureau for Economic Research and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He was won numerous awards and honors, including the American Economic Association’s John Bates Clark Medal.

In 1994 Levin earned his BS in Math and BA in English from Stanford, and then an MPhil in Economics in 1996 from Oxford and a PhD in Economics in 1999 from MIT.

He joined the Stanford faculty in 2000, becoming a full professor in 2008.

On his appointment to dean, Levin says: “The GSB is devoted to transforming lives by preparing future leaders to change organizations and change the world. It will be an honor to join such a committed, dedicated faculty and to support their mission of applying both academic rigor and real-world relevance to their research. Deepening our understanding of management and bringing that knowledge into the classroom couldn’t be more exciting.”

And according to Provost John Etchemendy, “Jonathan is an outstanding teacher, a skilled and innovative administrator and a brilliant scholar who has deep understanding of both the academic enterprise and the workings of industry and government. Importantly, he brings a vision for the future of management education that is rooted in his extensive scholarship on the evolving needs of a global business community. I have every confidence he will continue the school’s strong trajectory.”

You can read more about Levin’s appointment to dean, as well as how he “clearly will have his work cut out for him” in the Poets & Quants article here.



Related Resources:

•  Stanford GSB 2017 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

• What Stanford is Looking for: Personal Qualities and Contributions

• What Stanford is Looking for: Demonstrated Leadership Potential

Tags: MBA Admissions

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Catching Up with Vandana About Kellogg, Apple & International Applican [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   27 May 2016, 09:38
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Catching Up with Vandana About Kellogg, Apple & International Applicant Tips


This interview is the latest in an Accepted blog series featuring interviews with MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. And now for a chat with Vandana Sathpathy, a student at Northwestern Kellogg. (We first met Vandana last year – you can read our first interview with her here.)

Accepted: Last we spoke, you had just been accepted to multiple b-schools. Where did you end up going? What year are you?

Vandana: It was a tough decision, but finally I chose to go to Kellogg. I’m finishing up my last few weeks as a first year, after which I’ll be off for my internship from June-August.

Accepted: Why did you choose Kellogg? How was it the best fit for you?

Vandana: It was a tough decision to make, but I chose Kellogg predominantly because of the MMM Program. I loved the idea of being able to graduate with a Masters in Design Innovation in addition to my MBA, I thought the skills I would develop through this program would be very relevant to the career I want to build in the tech industry, and we definitely have had some cool courses!

Accepted: Are you involved in any clubs on campus? How central to student life is club involvement?

Vandana: I’m the VP of Leadership Recognition in the Business Leadership Club at Kellogg and the role has a focus on ensuring that the small, but significant acts of leadership Kellogg students and staff demonstrate every day do not go unnoticed, and I’m very excited about the role! I also volunteer for admissions events and prospective student outreach and am on the Food Committee for the new Kellogg building that’s being developed, and I am passionate about all these things.

I think at the overall Kellogg experience is very student-driven, and clubs and club events enhance that experience to a large extent, whether it is interest based clubs (Kellogg Eats, Arts&Culture Club, etc.), social clubs (India Business Club, South East Asia Club, BMA, etc.), skills professional clubs (High Tech Club, Consulting Club, etc.). Students are involved with planning and organizing almost every event on campus, and I definitely think club involvement is extremely central to student life, leadership position or not. Almost every student at Kellogg wants to ensure that their expertise/research benefits the larger Kellogg community, and clubs are a great way to contribute to the Kellogg community and pay it forward.

Accepted: Do you have an internship lined up for the summer? What role did Kellogg play in helping you secure that position?

Vandana: Yes I do! I’ll be heading to Apple this summer, and I’m so excited to be in Cupertino. I interviewed with multiple companies on campus and was fortunate to have the opportunity to choose between a few internship offers.

Kellogg has always been known for its collaborative culture and outstandingly supportive people, and this is what stood out for me while I was recruiting for internships. I had a lot of help, from a lot of people.

My career coach from Kellogg’s Career Management Center spent many hours reviewing my resume with me, giving me feedback on my cover letters and elevator pitch and just helping me figure out which role was right for me. And one of the best resources at Kellogg is our peers. I received invaluable advice from so many second years at Kellogg who were willing to talk to me about their internship experiences and recruiting process – they volunteered their time to help many first years like myself navigate the recruiting process (despite being busy recruiting for their own full-time jobs) and their stories and insights were critical for my applications and interview prep. The High Tech Club at Kellogg is really top notch and the resources they painstakingly put together to guide us were incredible.

Accepted: Can you tell us about Kellogg’s to-do list for new students? How did that help you prepare for life as a student and life at Kellogg?

Vandana: Kellogg had a very handy checklist to help us prepare for the move to Evanston and everything we needed to do before our first day on campus. I love lists, so it was especially helpful for me since I would have made one anyway. But it had everything from what documents we needed to send to Kellogg, health insurance information, visa related information and checklists with timelines, financial aid information and to-do items, housing options and guidance, certain coursework that needed to be completed before arriving on campus and some (optional) links to primers on basic business school fundamentals (excel basics, accounting basics etc). It was an A-Z list of everything that we needed to do with timelines, and in retrospect, I can’t imagine not having such a list! It removed a lot of the stress and guesswork from if and when something needed to be done, and brought structure to what could have been a messy and stressful affair.

Accepted: Can you talk about your experience as an international applicant and student? What are your top 3 tips for international applicants?

Vandana: As an international applicant, it was hard to stay confident and not second-guess what I put in my applications.

As an international student, there are additional hassles when it comes to moving, getting a student visa, etc. It is also harder while recruiting because a significant percentage of companies do not hire international students or sponsor work visas, so it’s good to know which these are earlier on. I found it helpful to talk to current students to get help with moving to US and my career coach and fellow students to navigate the tricky world of recruiting as an international student. It’s great to have a supportive network.

Top 3 tips for applicants:

1. Tell a story in your essays. I know a lot of international applicants that have outstanding work experience and achievements, but they just weren’t able to bring their stories to life in their applications. Admissions Officers read hundreds of essays each day, and they don’t just want to know what you achieved at work. I’ve read more than a few that were just really boring.

Whatever the essay prompt is, it’s important to let your personality shine through and be able to get the reader to visualize your story and empathize with you. Context setting is important, and so is using the right language, which brings me to….

2. Check your language and grammar. Spell check. Use the right school name (!!) in your essays. Get your essays read by a Grammar Nazi friend. Don’t use jargon that is specific to your country. Be mindful of the way you enunciate and speak during interviews; be clear and concise. Vocabulary doesn’t matter as much as delivery and clarity of thought.

3. Understand your audience. Get a feel for the school. Visit if you can. If not, talk to a whole bunch of current students to really understand what makes them tick. What do they love about the school? What would they change? Are they in any of the clubs you’re interested in – talk to them to find out the types of events those clubs do and how you can get involved. Maybe talk to an alumnus, to understand how graduating from a particular school changed their career trajectory, the support they receive from the school and what the network is like. Ask for specific examples of scenarios that stand out for students and alumni from their time at business school, and this will give a deeper insight into what makes the school tick.

You can read more about Vandana’s b-school journey by checking out her blog, My Journey to Business School. Thank you Vandana for sharing your story with us!

For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages.





Related Resources:

• Leadership in Admissions

• Are You Growth Minded? Mastering Kellogg’s Changing Brand

• An Indian MBA Applicant Story: Accepted to Top 3 Choices with $$$

Tags: MBA Admissions

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LinkedIn Your Application, Part 3 [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   29 May 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: LinkedIn Your Application, Part 3


Go ahead and post that picture on your profile – you know you want to!

Sue saw on LinkedIn that Nicole is a current student at her target MBA program and from a similar background to her own. Sue had a lot of questions about the program, so she sent Nicole a LinkedIn inMail message to see if she was open to speaking with her. Nicole is very busy in the program but with one click she went ahead and scanned Sue’s LinkedIn profile to get a sense of where she was coming from. Very impressive! Of course Nicole found the time to speak with Sue: having such impressive fellow alumni was in her best interests!

In our previous posts about LinkedIn, we explained the four basic sections for any MBA applicant’s profile on LinkedIn. In this post, I’d like to share a bit more detail about some of the additional features that are available from this vast tool and why it makes sense to put together your LinkedIn profile before you even begin your applications.

First, LinkedIn offers space for a lot of additions to your profile beyond a traditional resume: you can upload your CV (though I recommend uploading a version without your home address), reports or presentations you have created (though none that are proprietary to your employer), videos (of you presenting at a TEDx conference or of a news story covering a volunteer program you lead, for example), and even photographs within the summary, individual work experience positions, or education (being presented the Medal of Honor by the President or crossing the finish line of your first marathon, for instance). Of the many additional sections that can be added to a LinkedIn profile, the ones that make the most sense for students and graduate school applicants are Test Scores, Honors & Awards, Volunteering Experience, Patents, Projects, and Publications. While many of these will be revealed in the application, the students to whom you will be reaching out to find out about the program may be more forthcoming about their school based on how impressive they find your candidacy.

Second, LinkedIn offers insight into the backgrounds of current students and recent alumni of programs that you are interested in to help you determine your own fit with the program and possible ideas of interests and activities you can pursue now to illustrate that fit. Use the University Finder tool to see alumni of each program, the positions they’ve held, the impacts they’ve had professionally and in the community. And of course, University Finder is an excellent resource to find current students and alumni of your target programs to connect with and gain unique insights into their programs!



Jennifer Bloom has been a consultant with Accepted for 17 years and a Certified Professional Resume Writer since 2005. She is an expert at crafting application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your applications, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget.

Related Resources:

• LinkedIn in Admissions

• What Your Work Experience Reveals About You in Your MBA Application

• “I’m Smart, Really I Am!” Proving Character Traits in your Essays

Tags: MBA Admissions

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Michigan Ross 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   30 May 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Michigan Ross 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines


Michigan Ross changed slightly its first question this year and reduced the number of words available to you for the second essay question. It also allows you to write an Optional Statement. I’m not sure if that was available last year.

Before you sit down to write the essays, review Ross’ Evaluation Criteria and Admissions Director Soojin Kwon’s excellent blog post on last year’s questions,  which are similar but not identical to this year’s prompts. Most importantly remember: your essays should reveal the qualities Ross seeks — not just mouth them. Show that you walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

My comments are in blue below.

Essays:

Essay 1:

What are you most proud of outside of your professional life? How does it shape who you are today? (400-word max)

The first part of the question is fairly straightforward. What are you truly proud of? This experience’s influence on you — the second part of the prompt — require thought and soul-searching. And of course, you only have 400 words.

Ross added to this question the phrase “outside of your professional life.” They can assess your achievements from your resume and job history. This question is about non-professional interests, contribution and achievement.

Possible examples: Contributed significantly to your sports team, church, or club. Raised money for a favorite charity. Organized a political event. Engaged in interfaith dialogue that broke down communications barriers. Led a sports team to victory. Or perhaps, overcame a significant personal challenge.

When appropriate, quantify the impact or provide context. Numbers are a great way to show both contribution and impact.  However, if your #1 achievement is qualitative or difficult to quantify, don’t let lack of numbers stop you from using it.

The question doesn’t ask why you are proud of your achievement, but I believe the question is implied as indicated in Soojin Kwon’s post about this year’s questions. She wrote on her blog “We want to understand what makes something important to you. It gives us a glimpse into how you think about and process things, and what your priorities and values are.” Briefly discuss reasons that genuinely reflect who you are and also show fit with Ross and its values.

For the last part of the question (how did it shape who you are today?), think and then focus. Choose one or two lessons from this accomplishment that changed how you think or behave and describe those changes.  You don’t have room for many lessons learned, so select the most important. Please don’t write that you learned you can do anything you put your mind to. That response is cliched and not really true. There are limits to what you can do. An effective response will show how this crucial experience has molded you.

Essay 2:

What is your desired career path and why? (250 word max)

This question has 150 fewer words than it did last year when Ross had a 400-word max.

What do you want to do after you earn your MBA? This question doesn’t limit itself to your first job. It asks for the “path,”  how would you like to see your career progress.  Why is this path appealing to you? You can point to an experiences (don’t focus on the same one used in your response to #1) that convinced you that the desired path is right for you. That experience preferably will show you in a team setting, demonstrating leadership, and showing aptitude for Ross’ MAP.  Analyze the impact of this event. Highlight 1-3 aspects of this experience that you enjoyed and that will also be part of your desired future direction.

Write genuinely about your future career, but realize as Soojin Kwon says that Ross uses the answers to see if business school makes sense. Ross doesn’t want to admit you if its MBA won’t help you go where you want to go professionally.  Show that a Ross MBA is the missing link between what you have done in the past and what you want to do in the future.

Optional Statement:

This section should only be used to convey information not addressed elsewhere in your application, for example, completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.

Use this statement if necessary to provide context surrounding circumstances that affected your performance or that may lead admissions readers to the wrong conclusion about your abilities.

Ross doesn’t provide a word limit, but keep it short.

If you would like professional guidance with your Michigan Ross 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 Michigan Ross application. 

Michigan Ross 2016-17 MBA Application Deadlines:



* All applications are due by 11:59 PM




By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business SchoolsSchool-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips

• Michigan Ross Business School Zone

• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your MBA Application Essays

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Disclosing a Learning Disability [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   31 May 2016, 09:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Disclosing a Learning Disability


The center’s director will often determine the accommodation that’s best for you.

Learning disabilities such as dyslexia or ADHD fall under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those laws assure you of your right to obtain reasonable accommodation for education. As such, admissions offices cannot discriminate against you because of your disability during the admissions process. However, the admissions officer is also prohibited from asking you about disabilities. So, if an admissions officer does not know why you struggled in high school or in college due to your disability, your application may be discounted.

I recommend you disclose your disability in an optional essay or statement of purpose. Your learning disability must be professionally tested, diagnosed and documented, and upon disclosure, an admissions officer will understand the full scope of your issues and make an appropriate decision on your application. Once admitted, the admissions officer will direct you to the school’s center for disabilities that helps learning disabled students navigate their way through the school with proven methods of alternative learning.

The center’s director will often determine the accommodation that’s best for you and communicate your personal needs to your program director or dean. It is your school’s obligation to communicate the accommodation to your faculty based on the documentation you provided and any additional testing the school requires. Always explain to your program director the kind of learning processes that have helped you in the past.

If while in school you feel you are being unfairly treated, file a formal complaint with the office for disabilities and with your program director. They will act as your liaison between you and the faculty. Many successful CEOs have dyslexia or ADD, and their disabilities became an asset in school and at work.

For further assistance on your applications, contact a consultant at Accepted.




By Natalie Grinblatt Epstein, an accomplished Accepted consultant/editor (since 2008) and entrepreneur. Natalie is a former MBA Admissions Dean and Director at Ross, Johnson, and Carey.The Quick Guide to Admissions Resumes, free guide

• Writing About Overcoming Obstacles in Your Application Essays, short video

• How To Write The Statement Of Disadvantage

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Analyzing Your GMAT Score: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   31 May 2016, 10:01
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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:

• GMAT & MBA Admissions Resource Page

• GMAT & MBA Admissions: True or False?

• Low GMAT Score? Don’t Panic…Yet.

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Individual Mobile Test Prep and the MIT Sloan MBA Who Created It [Epis [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   01 Jun 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Individual Mobile Test Prep and the MIT Sloan MBA Who Created It [Episode 156]


Would you like to combine a slick, personalized mobile test prep app with access to individual tutoring?  Stick around!

Meet Elad Shoushan, a former pro-basketball player in Israel who attended the Technion, Israel’s MIT, got into coding big time, and worked for GE Healthcare. Just before starting at MIT Sloan he founded a little start-up that this year raised over $5 million in Series A funding and whose apps have been downloaded over half a million times. That’s what he’s here to talk about today. Welcome, Elad!

How did he get into test prep? [1:55]

He’d always wanted to study in the US – even during his basketball career, he dreamed of coming to the US to study and play division I ball. When he was working at GE Healthcare, pursuing his MBA seemed like a natural next step.

He struggled with the GMAT, and took it a few times. While he was studying, he thought that the process didn’t make a lot of sense – and he wanted a convenient way to study on the go. He thought an app would be helpful, and so he set out to create one.

Going through the test prep process helped him learn a lot about how the brain learns and how standardized tests work. [4:25]

As the company has developed, they’ve worked on studying learning methodologies. And they’re getting great feedback from users.

What was his career plan when he applied to MIT? [6:10]

He wanted to be an entrepreneur. In fact, he’d already spent a couple of months developing/coding the first version of the app (for GMAT prep), and had already left his job at GE. So he’d already launched the business by the time he started at Sloan. His courses at Sloan helped him develop the start-up.

He pursued the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Certificate at MIT Sloan [9:25]

What distinguishes his apps from other test prep options? [10:30]

The goal is to provide a full educational experience all the way to school, with the focus on being a great mobile learning experience. Other test prep companies basically plug in existing content into an app. His company focuses on the user experience – developing the experience and the content specifically for mobile. They consider what the user needs to learn, where s/he is, when s/he is using the app, to maximize learning in small bites.

Is the focus on content or strategy? [13:55]

Both. The goal is to identify what the applicant needs to focus on. It’s a comprehensive course: each app has over 1000 questions. For the MCAT course, they’ve partnered with the Princeton Review for content; for the other apps, they’ve developed their own content.

The original name is LTG (Label the GMAT)—what does that refer to? [15:40]

This goes back to the beginnings of the company, and the idea that solving questions requires two steps – identifying the type of question and knowing the content. The app parses the text so the learner can easily identify the concepts being tested. Now this feature is called “x-ray”—it allows the applicant to see the keywords in the question and quickly understand how the question is structured. It’s a way to grasp the underlying logic of the exam questions.

Where does tutoring fit in? [18:35]

Tech can help a lot, but it can’t solve everything. Some people will benefit from an explanation from a human being. A tutor can help take you to the next level if you need it, and can enhance your experience from the app.

They provide introductions to a curated network of tutors. It is up to the user to decide if tutoring is necessary.

How does someone become a tutor? [21:00]

MCAT tutors come via the Princeton Review. For the other exams, the tutors must have at least 3-4 years of experience and a test score above the 96th percentile. They also interview prospective tutors.

Given that the apps are free, how do they plan to monetize the company? [22:00]

They have supportive investors. They’re also looking to develop their brand name, and generate income by making referrals to universities. (They are building a database algorithm that will provide students with school information and match students with universities.)

What exams do they provide apps for? [24:00]

There are apps for the GMAT, GRE, MCAT, SAT, ACT, and PSAT. No LSAT yet, but it’s coming.

They’re all available in both the iOS and Android app stores. Search the name of the app or the name of the exam.

What was the most challenging part of the MBA application process for him? [26:00]

The research. It’ s so important to know what you want and why the school is best for you.

It’s a serious process, and it’s so important to take it seriously.

Speaking with alumni was helpful. Visiting and talking to people also helped. It’s a time consuming process, but important.

Is he happy he did the MBA? [30:40]

Yes! He gained the business skills he needed. Coming from tech, he’s heard the arguments about how “only coders count,” etc. But today he understands that business skills are crucial for the success of a company. Technology is nothing if you can’t make a business out of it: you need to solve a problem.

Now he feels he has a business mindset. The skills he gained in b-school are helpful for team management and working with investors and customers.

The MIT brand is a door opener, and the network is definitely helpful. But you have to work hard. It’s what you make out of it. [36:30]

What does he miss about b-school? [38:30]

The people: both friends and classmates. You learn a lot from classmates who have different backgrounds.

Advice for test takers and applicants [42:35]

The average number of times people are taking the GMAT is going up. Retaking can show perseverance.

For applicants: schools can see who’s serious about the school and who’s not, so put in the time to make a serious application. Listen carefully to what the adcom is looking for. Read between the lines to see what the school is looking for – make sure you want to go there, and show you’re a good fit.



Related resources:

• Prep4GMAT• Prep4GRE• Prep4MCAT• Our GMAT advice page

• That GMAT Score: Implications for Your MBA Application, an on-demand webinar

Related shows:

• Insights into MIT Sloan MBA Admissions with Dawna Levenson

• MCAT Expertise + Harvard MBA Experience• Learning By Osmosis: Premeds, Med Students Take It All In!• How to Upload Medical Terminology To Your Permanent Memory• Train The Brain, Nail The GMAT [Or GRE]• The GMAC, the GMAT, and the MBA Degree

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Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Grad School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions

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Indiana Kelley 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   02 Jun 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Indiana Kelley 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines


These questions are a straightforward mix of professional and personal.  The adcom wants assurance that you have a clear professional focus and a solid plan for using the Kelley MBA resources.  Beyond that, they’re looking for engaging applicants who are willing to share their life experiences and understand what they have to contribute.  Strive for balance and coherence among the essays overall: use them to show different facets of your character, while avoiding contradictory qualities (i.e., you can be a vigorous risk-taker in one and a tender-hearted soul in another, but not a vigorous risk-taker in one and tentative or overly cautious person in another).

Essays:

Your essays will give us an idea of your personality, perspectives, and opinions and will let us know how closely your professional objectives match the objectives of the MBA program. We encourage you to be honest, informative, creative, and concise.

Essay 1:

Please discuss your immediate post-MBA professional goals. How will your professional experience, when combined with a Kelley MBA degree, allow you to achieve these goals? Should the short-term goals you have identified not materialize, what alternate career paths might you consider? (500 words max)

This question encourages you to present your goals in the context of your experience and to integrate your MBA plans with both.  With only 500 words, be selective and thoughtful about what points from your career to use to contextualize your goals.  Also, the question specifies short-term goals.  While it would be fine to add a sentence or a phrase about longer- term goals or overall career vision, keep your goals discussion focused on the same time frame the question focuses on: immediately post-MBA.  This question is asking for linkages among your experience, your short-term goals, and your anticipated MBA experience, so think about how you will form an integrated message out of these elements.

In answering the last point, continue the linkage approach: the alternatives you identify should build on your experience in some way and be consistent with your expressed career interests.  Show that you are adaptable and strategic, informed about the options, and resourceful in your thinking.

Essay 2:

Please respond to one of the following short essay prompts. (300 words max)

a. My greatest memory is…

b.  I’m most afraid of…

c.  My greatest challenge has been…

d.  I’m most proud of…

Consider which question will give you the best avenue to both (a) round out your profile and (b) showcase an interesting and relevant aspect of your life and/or experience.

Once you decide on a topic and question, write this short essay in mini-story format.  Sometimes the story itself will convey the message and/or insight, sometimes you may want to add a concluding sentence with this information.  And be sensitive to the tone and presentation of the question – it really is asking for something engaging, meaningful, and lively.

Essay 3:

Please share with the admissions committee an interesting or surprising fact about you. (25 words max)

Your topic selection here should balance the topic in essay 2 and reflect another aspect of you.  Also, if you choose an older story above, make this one more recent.  (It’s fine to have them both be recent, but not so great to have them both be far in the past.)

Optional Essay:

Is there anything else that you think we should know as we evaluate your application? If you believe your credentials and essays represent you fairly, you shouldn’t feel obligated to answer this question. (300 words max)

This question first and foremost invites you to explain anything that needs explaining (e.g., gap in employment, choice of recommender if not using a direct supervisor, etc.). As far as unnecessary points, that last phrase is a polite warning that anything extra must be pretty darn important.

Deadlines:






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.

Related Resources:

• Why Do You Need an MBA?, free guide

• Your MBA Goals Essay: Get Ready, Get Set, THINK!

• 5 Elements to Telling An Attention-Grabbing Story

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Life After INSEAD: Catching Up with Hasmita [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   03 Jun 2016, 09:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Life After INSEAD: Catching Up with Hasmita


This interview is the latest in an Accepted blog series featuring interviews with MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. And now for a chat with Hasmita Nair, who was a student at INSEAD. (We first met Hasmita two years ago – you can read our first interview with her here.)

Accepted: It’s been nearly two years since we last spoke – can you bring us up to speed? What have you been up to?

Hasmita: I’ve been up to a lot! The MBA was exhilarating and incredible, and life has moved on very quickly since then. I found a job in brand strategy consulting in London at a company called Kantar Vermeer. I’m loving working in Marketing instead of Finance, and London is treating me very well.

Accepted: Tell us about INSEAD! How was it? What was your favorite thing about the program? What was your least favorite thing?

Hasmita: INSEAD was the best experience of my life. It’s hard to explain the magnitude of the experience to anyone who wasn’t there. It was completely life-changing, from a self-development perspective more than anything else. My favorite thing was the fact that it allowed me to feel like and become a true global citizen, and with that, I feel like there are no limits as to what I’m able to achieve. Least favorite thing would be the job hunting. It was incredibly stressful, especially as a South African trying to get work sponsorship.

Accepted: At the time, cash was tight – how did you go about surviving the year on a tight budget? Can you share some tips with our readers about paying for and budgeting for b-school?

Hasmita: It was tough – especially because I wanted to travel a lot. I had a student loan from Prodigy Finance that was very helpful, and I also got a partial scholarship. I sold everything I owned, cashed out all my investments and savings and also part of my pension. It was a very expensive year. I think one needs the equivalent of tuition costs for living expenses. At the outset, the money seems overwhelming, but somehow when you’re there, it all works out. Your lifestyle adjusts – I went from weekly manicures and dinners at fancy restaurants to DIY nails and mostly cooking at home.

Accepted: What’s 10 Minutes With? What role did INSEAD play in helping you secure your internship?

Hasmita: 10 Minutes With is a platform that connects students with employers. While I was at INSEAD, I did some freelance writing for them covering details of the MBA experience.

Accepted: What’s your current job? Again, how instrumental was INSEAD in this process?

Hasmita: My current job is an Associate Director at Kantar Vermeer. I help clients realize brand led business growth through a variety of different strategic lenses. I’m having a lot of fun and learning a lot too. I was approached by the company through INSEAD – the school was definitely a key reason I got the job.

Accepted: One year MBA vs. two years – which do you think is better?

Hasmita: I have no idea how anyone affords a two year MBA. I think just the one year was very rushed content wise, and I don’t feel like I learnt that much academically. The bulk of my learning was on the softer skills – project management, relationship building, self-awareness etc. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing about my decision to do a one year MBA at INSEAD – it was everything I imagined it to be and more!

Accepted: Were you involved in any clubs on campus? How central to student life is club/extracurricular involvement?

Hasmita: I was involved in VINSEAD – the food and wine club, and we hosted monthly supper clubs. I was also part of Women in Business, but quite honestly, the course and social aspects are so jam-packed that there’s little space left to do much else.

You can follow Hasmita’s story by checking out her blog at www.joziliciousblog.co.za. Thank you again Hasmita for sharing your story with us – we wish you loads of luck!

For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages.





Related Resources:

• Paying for Your MBA: Before, During & After, on-demand webinar

• The MBA Family: A Roundup and Overview

• An Inside Look at INSEAD, podcast

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Is Columbia Business School Calling Your Name? [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   03 Jun 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Is Columbia Business School Calling Your Name?



Learn how to get Columbia’s attention by following the tips in Get Accepted to Columbia Business School, a webinar available for anytime viewing.

The webinar aired live last week and was a huge success, so if you missed it or if you attended and would like to review, then you’ll want to tune in to the online recording for important advice on how to snag that Columbia acceptance.

Don’t you want to make sure you’re approaching Columbia’s application properly? View Get Accepted to Columbia Business School for free now!





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Busting Two MBA Myths [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   05 Jun 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Busting Two MBA Myths


Don’t rely on fable and fantasy to make a major life decision.

Here are two comments that I get all the time from applicants – two related MBA myths that absolutely require busting:

Myth #1: Once you attend an MBA program outside the Top 10, it doesn’t matter which school you attend, so you may as well go to the cheapest one you get into.

Myth #2: It doesn’t pay to get an MBA outside the M7/Top 10.

When asked my opinion of these MBA memes, I politely explained why I think they are utter nonsense, the product of lazy minds. Nothing more. The reality is much more complex.

Applying to Schools Outside the Top 10

Schools inside and outside the Top 10 vary in terms of their approach to management education and their strengths. Some schools outside the Top 10 may be excellent for a given specialty. For example, Smeal and Broad are generally not in any overall Top 10 ranking. However, both programs are in the U.S. News top five for supply chain management and logistics. They may be excellent choices if that’s your interest. Babson is renowned for teaching entrepreneurship; it is usually in the bottom half of the top 50 overall. For those specialties, these schools may be better programs than programs ranked overall in the Top 10.

Obviously there are a lot more schools outside the Top 10 than in it, and the differences among all the schools are many. Applicants need to understand those differences and seek schools with the curricular, extracurricular, and career management strengths to help them achieve their goals. Then applicants can compare costs and anticipated return. If applicants choose a school based on Myth #1 and without the analysis I suggest, applicants are simply basing a major investment in time and money on folklore.

Determining ROI & Career Satisfaction

Whether it pays to get an MBA at School X, regardless of that school being in the Top 10, Top 20, or Top 50, depends on both the school and on you. Here are a few questions that you need to answer:

1. How much are you making currently? (That will determine your opportunity cost if you are considering a full-time program.)

2. What is the typical salary of MBA grads from your target program who found a job in your area of interest? (School averages are much less worthwhile.)

3. Is there a non-financial benefit that you seek in addition to classic financial ROI? (Moving into a job you will enjoy, for example.)

While it is true that average salaries at different schools tend to decline as you go down the rankings, for the overwhelming majority of MBAs, ROI is positive and MBA alumni satisfaction per GMAC surveys is overwhelmingly high despite two recessions in the last 15 years. And that data includes survey responses from non-Top 10 schools.

Bottom Line

Don’t trust myths about rankings to determine where you invest your time and money. Don’t rely on fable and fantasy to make a major life decision. Do your homework, learn about the schools, and don’t focus on their rankings.

Assess your needs. Determine your investment including opportunity cost. Evaluate probable return – both financial and non-financial – at schools that meet your needs.

Then, and only then, decide whether your MBA is worth the cost and which ones are right for you.




By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted and co-author of the definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business SchoolsMBA Rankings: Why Should I Care?, short video

• How to Pay for Your MBA, a webinar

• U.S. News Ranks Best Business Schools in 2016

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UNC Kenan-Flagler 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   06 Jun 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: UNC Kenan-Flagler 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines


Are you a team leader? Are you committed to sustainable enterprise? Are you seeking resources and intellectual capital needed to shape both business and government? Are you a motivated, goal-oriented, innovative individual? UNC Kenan-Flagler adcoms are interested in seeing your multi-dimensional personality and capabilities. Your challenge: Prove that your goals mesh with the school’s goals and that your talents will contribute to the program’s collaborative nature.

My tips are in blue below.

The Kenan-Flagler Business School at University of North Carolina has one required essay and three optional essays. The essays for the 2016-2017 application season are:

Essays:

Essay 1. (Required)

Please describe your short and long term goals post-MBA. Explain how your professional experience has shaped these goals, why this career option appeals to you, and how you arrived at the decision that now is the time and the MBA is the appropriate degree. (500 words maximum)

What do you see yourself doing immediately upon graduation and what would you like to do ten years from now? Describe why this path attracts you. What experiences have convinced you to pursue it? Why do you need an MBA, especially one with UNC’s approach to business education, to proceed down your chosen path. For more tips on writing about post-MBA goals, please see MBA Goals 101.

Essay 2. (Optional)

What personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? How do these qualities or experiences equip you to contribute to UNC Kenan-Flagler? (300 words maximum)

Everyone has a story. What’s yours? What makes you tick? What would you like the admissions committee to know about you — you the human being, the individual? What hobbies and experiences will differentiate you from the IT guy, consultant, real estate developer, or banker that the adcom just read about? How will your perspective contribute to the classroom and community at Kenan-Flagler?

Essay 3. (Optional)

If your standardized test scores are low, or if you have not had coursework in core business subjects (calculus, microeconomics, statistics, financial accounting), please tell us how you plan to prepare yourself for the quantitative rigor of the MBA curriculum. (300 words maximum)

This is pretty straightforward. Just answer it. You may also want to highlight professional preparation that you have already had in quantitative areas.

Kenan Flagler explicitly says that it’s important for its students to have a “working knowledge” of financial accounting, statistics, microeconomics, and calculus.  If you don’t have it, get it.

Essay 4. (Optional)

Is there any other information you would like to share that is not presented elsewhere in the application? (300 words maximum)

My favorite: The optional essay. A gift allowing you to give the adcom one more reason to admit you.

If you would like professional guidance with your UNC Kenan Flagler 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 UNC Kenan Flagler application.

UNC Kenan-Flagler 2017 Application Deadlines:






By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted and co-author of the definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business SchoolsWhy Do You Need an MBA?, free guide

• Get Accepted to B-School with Low Stats, on-demand webinar

• 5 Elements to Telling an Attention-Grabbing Story

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How to Apply Successfully to Harvard Business School [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   07 Jun 2016, 11:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: How to Apply Successfully to Harvard Business School



If you’re applying to HBS, then you’ll want to attend Accepted’s upcoming webinar, Get Accepted to Harvard Business School.

During the webinar, Linda Abraham, Accepted’s CEO and founder, will discuss important application tips that apply specifically to Harvard’s application, including 4 key steps for HBS acceptance and how to answer that lone (and high stakes!) question on their application.

Mark your calendars! The webinar will air live on Wednesday, June 22nd at 10am PT/1pm ET and at 5pm PT/8pm ET.

Reserve your spot forGet Accepted to Harvard Business School today and get one step closer to securing your seat in the Harvard B-School class of 2019!





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Emory’s Juris Master Program: Law for Non-Lawyers [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   08 Jun 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Emory’s Juris Master Program: Law for Non-Lawyers


A one-year law school for non-lawyers: join us for a conversation about Emory’s Juris Master.

Meet Dr. Lynn Labuda, the director of Emory’s Juris Master program. After years of working in business, she earned her EMBA from Emory’s Goizueta School of Business in 2007, and her PhD in Education in 2015. She’s led the Juris Master program since 2012. Welcome!

What is the Juris Master program? [1:30]

It’s a 30-credit program for people who don’t want to be practicing lawyers, but who want to understand the law as it relates to what they do. About 80% of the students are working professionals and are enrolled part time, taking 2-2.5 years to complete the program. The remaining students are full-time—recent graduates (from college or grad school) who want to use the program to supplement their educational background as they launch their careers. Taking courses full time, it’s a 1-year program.

For example, some of the full-time students are pre-med students taking the course during a gap year before med school.

How the program came into being [5:15]

Emory’s law school wanted to reach a broader audience — not only people who planned to practice law, but also people who wanted to learn about the law, particularly in their own professional fields. (For example, physicians who want to move into healthcare administration and want a deep understanding of health law.)

Curriculum overview [7:22]

Incoming students take two required courses:

1. Introduction to the American Legal System (which gives them an introduction to contracts, torts, criminal law, property law, etc)

2. Analysis, Research, and Communication for Non-Lawyers (which trains them in foundational skills for law school)

Then they can select among many concentrations (for example: employment, health, IP, etc), and tailor their courses to their interests. They can also customize their concentration.

Most classes are taken alongside Emory’s JD students. The mandatory first year courses are JM specific. [9:19]

This is a benefit to the whole law school program: since so many of the JM students are mid-career professionals from diverse backgrounds, their experience adds to the JD classes.

The size of the program [10:50]

At any given time, there are about 70-80 students in the program (full and part-time combined). They’ve graduated about 80 so far.

The application process [11:12]

It’s a straightforward online application. They want to know about your educational and professional background; they require letters of rec; undergrad and graduate transcripts; and a personal statement. The personal statement is very important for showing your motivation for pursuing the degree.

What is Emory looking for in a successful applicant? [12:20]

Someone who is a good fit and will benefit from the program. They want people whose goals align with what the program is doing. It’s not for people who want to be professional lawyers – it’s important to understand what the program is and what it’s not.

They want students who can handle the academic rigor of the program – it’s a law school program that requires strong critical thinking skills.

And they’re looking for students who will make a contribution to the Emory community.

What role does work experience play? [15:10]

They’re not looking for a certain level of experience. Some candidates are mid-career, and others are recent grads who are looking to build on their academic foundation. Diverse student perspectives are valuable too.

Given that they accept test scores from multiple exams (GRE, GMAT, MCAT, etc), is there a certain score range they’re looking for? [16:45]

They consider applications holistically. If you have a master’s degree, you don’t need standardized test scores. If you only have an undergrad degree, you need to submit scores.

In general, the qualitative verbal reasoning side of the exam is important to show your aptitude for the law school environment. (The quantitative score is less important.)

How are grads using the degree? [18:30]

One recent grad, who created a course of study focused on compliance and business law, is now the managing director of Deutsche Bank in London.

The knowledge you gain in the program is immediately applicable in your career.

Another student did the JM in Health Law between med school and residency, and it was an important distinguishing point in her residency applications and interviews.

The media and marketing specialization [22:15]

A student came in as a marketing manager, took classes focused around contracts, media, sports & entertainment law, and is now a PR manager at a major corporation.

Are MBAs choosing this program (over a joint MBA-JD)? [23:50]

They see more students right out of undergrad, pairing the JM with an undergrad business degree.

Are there other JM programs? [25:00]

There are about a half dozen in the country, but most are much more specific in what they offer. Emory offers the broadest range of concentrations and courses.

Premeds doing the JM during a gap year before med school [27:50]

They have two students who just graduated from the program who will begin med school in August. The JM can be a great differentiator for people applying to med school.

Advice for applicants still in college [29:15]

Understand where you want to be in your career, and how/whether the JM can help you. It provides a really solid foundation in the law, which can be a benefit in a lot of fields.

Looking ahead [30:45]

In 2017, they’re looking at launching a low-residency or online option – possibly focused around the healthcare law or business compliance concentrations.



Related Links:

• The Juris Master Degree Program for Non-Lawyers• Law School Admissions 101

• UPenn JD/MBA Interview with Craig Carter• Meet David, Cornell Johnson MBA Student Headed to Bain

Related Shows:

• Business, Law and Beyond: An Interview with John Engelman• Law School Applicants: Things to Think About When You Apply• LSAT, Debt, and Bar Passage with Law School Transparency• At the Nexus of Business & Law: Penn/Wharton’s JD/MBA• UVA MS in Global Commerce: 3 Continents, 2 Masters, 1 Amazing Year

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Labels & Groups in Admissions [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   09 Jun 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Labels & Groups in Admissions


It’s your job to create a group of one: You.

Nobody wants to be stripped of their individuality and clumped together with others, viewed as just another member of a group that happens to be overrepresented in a particular applicant pool, like the Indian IT males applying to business school, the Poli Sci and English majors applying to law school, or the Bio majors applying to med school. In a process that values diversity, it’s natural for these applicants to worry about their label, their blandness, their sheer numbers.

Moving Away from Labels

While many schools will “group” applicants for administrative purposes, ultimately the admissions process is about getting to know you as an individual. It’s your job to create a group of one: You. Not Indian, not American, not IT, not Indian American or American Indian, but You.

In other words, don’t get hung up on the label or group you fall into. Instead, focus on bringing out your individuality in your essays and interviews.

Yes, I know that I have frequently said Indian males in IT are a dime-a-dozen in the MBA applicant pool. Frankly, US males in IT aren’t much less common, whether they are of Indian origin or their ancestors came over on the Mayflower. The task of individuating is probably more difficult for those in a common applicant group, but it is possible. And again, I urge you to focus on you and not your group.

Don’t Stress It!

So don’t stress about how you are similar to others; think about how you differ. In your essays, show how your unique qualities and attributes – not someone else’s and not your group’s – will add to the program you are applying to and ultimately contribute to your chosen profession.





Related Resources:

• Against the Odds: MBA Admissions for Indian Applicants

• 4 Application Strategy Tip: Stand Out AND Fit In

• What to Do if You Belong to an Overrepresented Applicant Group

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