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Accepted MBA Updates

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Connections Count. And You Can Create Them. [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   27 Oct 2016, 09:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Connections Count. And You Can Create Them.



When working with clients who are applying to graduate programs, I often observe that they focus 100% of their energy on perfecting their resume and essays. Written documents are critical components of a successful application, as are standardized test scores and college grades.

What can differentiate an applicant is evidence that the candidate reached out to current students or alumni of the program to learn first hand about the school’s culture, academic programs, student clubs, internship opportunities and more. Most graduate programs are described on their websites and applicants are apt to quote from this information to persuade an admissions committee (adcom) that this is a top choice school. The applicants who make the effort to reach out to those who experienced the program are more likely to uncover details that relate to their personal and professional goals, and be that much more convincing to the adcom. In the process of connecting with others, applicants can gain valuable insights and even good leads that can jump-start their success upon arrival to campus.

For example, you are working as a technology consultant in India. You do not personally know anyone at the U.S. schools to which you are applying. On the school’s website you can usually find a list of student clubs, and oftentimes, the club officer and contact information are also listed. You can send an email to this individual asking if he or she would be willing to speak to you about the club activities and other questions you have about the school. If this person is too busy to speak with you, ask to be referred to another club member. There may be a university alumni club in your country. You can also reach out to that person who may know of recent graduates with whom you can speak. If these efforts fail, ask the admissions office to assist you with student or alumni referrals.

Many international students cannot afford the time or investment it takes to visit U.S. or European campuses. Therefore, it is even more important to make that extra effort to connect with campus officials, students and alumni. In doing so, you are also gaining good practice that will propel your eventual job searches when personal and professional connections and outreach are critical to obtaining the offer.

Connections count – start making yours now.




With 30 years of career/admissions experience at four universities, including Cornell’s Johnson School, Karin Ash facilitated students’ entry into the world’s best companies. As a member of the adcom, she also evaluated applications. She knows what schools and employers seek. Want Karin to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Focus on Fit [Episode 162]

• How LinkedIn Can Help You Get Accepted

• Analyzing Your Skills Before Applying to Graduate School

Tags: College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions

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The Economist 2016 Full-Time MBA Rankings [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   27 Oct 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: The Economist 2016 Full-Time MBA Rankings



The Economist has released its annual international ranking of full-time MBA programs. Data was collected during spring 2016. Two surveys were used: 1) The first was completed by schools with eligible programs which covered quantitative subjects and accounted for 80% of the ranking. 2) Current MBA students and a school’s most recent graduating MBA class completed a second qualitative survey which accounted for the remaining 20% of the rank.

The factors included:

• Percentage of graduates receiving a job offer within three months of graduation

• Student assessment of their program’s career services

• Quality of faculty

• Diversity of students

• Overall educational experience

• Post-MBA salary

• Percentage increase between pre- and post-MBA salary

• Breadth of alumni network

A total of 100 schools were ranked by The Economist. Seven of the top 10 (ranked 1-7) were schools in the United States. Here are the top 10 ranked schools:


My Thoughts:

I find The Economist ranking to be useful in so far as it highlights the flaws in rankings better than most. The rankings as indications of educational quality – their supposed purpose – are really only useful if your criteria for choosing programs match exactly the criteria of the particular medium presenting the rankings. Since published rankings almost never match an individual applicant’s criteria, or at least a thoughtful applicant’s criteria, their value is questionable. Their popularity and ability to attract eyeballs, online and off, is undeniable.

Regarding the specific failings of The Economist rankings, John Byrne of Poets and Quants wrote an in-depth critique. I’m not going to repeat it, but here are a few of the more significant points, some from me and some from P&Q.

1. The criteria are a potpourri of 21 metrics including the student satisfaction survey (20%). Again unless your criteria match The Economist’s methodology and weighting of those factors, it doesn’t do you a lot of good. And of course surveys are intrinsically subjective and prone to gaming.

2. The Economist doesn’t let you see the differences among the school or the breakdown of the different criteria. The lack of transparency contributes to the lack of usefulness. You can’t even select your own criteria and you can’t see whether two schools are smidgens or galaxies apart.

3. The volatility of the index calls into question its validity and indicates a certain arbitrariness in the criteria. Schools change slowly, but there were several roller-coaster-like changes in rankings, for example ESADE dropped 33 places, Florida Hough climbed 21 places, and SMU Cox climbed 16. Stanford is up by 8 to #5, which means that last year it was 13. Huh?

4. Some of the better and worse schools don’t make a lot of sense. For example, the University of Queensland in Australia is #10, ahead of Columbia (#11), Wharton (#12), INSEAD (#13), Yale (#15), MIT Sloan (#17), and London Business School (#25). While such people may exist, in my 20+ years as an MBA admissions consultant I have never had a client prefer Queensland over the other programs that it allegedly bests.

To The Economist’s credit, its methodology includes the following warning:

Results of rankings can be volatile, so they should be treated with caution. The various media rankings of MBA programmes all employ a different methodology. None are definitive, so our advice to prospective students is to understand the ethos behind each one before deciding whether what it is measuring is important for you.

I couldn’t agree more.

Are you using the rankings correctly? Click here to find out.




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 SchoolsGMAC Releases Tool That Organizes, Compares & Explains Major Rankings

• Busting Two MBA Myths

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

Tags: MBA Admissions

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London Business School MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   28 Oct 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: London Business School MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines



London Business School boasts one of the most diverse student bodies, with 92% of its 400+ students hailing from a total of 69 countries outside of England. If you are looking for a globally focused MBA program in a city bursting with culture, finance, and industry, then LBS is certainly a program to consider. My tips are below in blue.

Essays:

Essay 1.

What are your post-MBA plans and how will your past experience and the London Business School programme contribute? (500 words)

This is the same question as last year, a straightforward career goals question. You need to demonstrate in the first paragraph that you know what you would like to be doing after the MBA, and it had better excite LBS. They are looking for applicants with a global outlook and commitment to challenging the status quo and making an impact on business.

In general, I find that this essay needs to apply one-third of the word limit to defining your goal, one-third to summarizing what you have gained from your career and how it has prepared you for your goals, and one-third to how the London Business School education will complement that experience to propel you to your goals. Please note:  1/3, 1/3, 1/3 are guidelines, not rigid rules.

Essay 2. (Optional)

Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (300 words)

I always advocate writing the optional essay. In particular, examples of your leadership, changing the status quo, making an impact, or navigating cultural differences would make great use of this space if you didn’t have room for them in the required essay.

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

London Business School 2017 MBA Application Deadlines:



All application deadlines are 17:00 UK time. All Admissions Committee decisions are communicated via email and will be sent on the deadline day at approximately 10pm UK time.

If you would like professional guidance with your London Business School MBA application, please consider Accepted’s MBA Application Packages or MBA essay editing and consulting, which can be used for advising, editing, interview coaching, and resume editing for the entire LBS application. 




Jennifer Bloom has been a consultant with Accepted for 17 years and a Certified Professional Resume Writer since 2005. She is an expert at helping you craft 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. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here!

Related Resources:

• Why MBA? [free guide]

• London Business School September 2016 Executive MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

• Optional Essays: When and How to Write Them

Tags: MBA Admissions

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7 Tips for Writing Harvard Business School’s Post-Interview Reflection [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   30 Oct 2016, 10:00
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: 7 Tips for Writing Harvard Business School’s Post-Interview Reflection



Congratulations! You’ve just completed another step on the road to acceptance to Harvard’s MBA program – your interview. Now you have 24 hours to send HBS your Post-Interview Reflections…so let’s get started!

As soon as possible after your interview, sit down and think about the interview. Try and complete tips 1-3 immediately after the interview. You can complete 4-7 after you get home or at least back to where you’re staying in Boston.

1. Think about your responses that weren’t as clear as you wanted them to be.

Make a note of any answers where you didn’t hit the nail right on the head, or where you feel that your logic or story was a little fuzzy. How could you clarify?

 2. Analyze the responses that were incomplete.

Jot down answers that you wanted to add something to later, but didn’t think of during the interview. What should you have included?

 3. Take note of the responses when you did a great job.

Don’t ignore the answers that were on-point, where your thought process was organized, you were articulate, and got your point across. Give yourself a pat on the back! And also make a note.

4. Choose which elements you want to focus on in your Reflections.

Most of your Reflections should be from 1 and 2 above. Choose the points that you feel are most important for HBS to know about you. Since you don’t want your Reflections to only be about clarifications and adding things you forgot in the interview, weave in and attempt to close with a point related to the answer that you believe you aced.

5. Think of your Reflections as a one-on-one conversation with another person, or as HBS advises, “Think of it…as an email you might write to a colleague or supervisor after a meeting. “

Write to that person as you would in a business email: you can use the second person and the first person in your writing. Keep it cordial, and be sure that it is well-written, grammatically correct, and professional.

6. Write succinctly.

Don’t repeat information from your application or interview. They already have it on file. And don’t just repeat what you said in the interview. They heard it already.

7. Be sure to thank them for their time and continued consideration.

Remember, they are people, and like all people, they appreciate appreciation for the time that they’ve put into meeting with you.

Taking the time to consider your HBS interview will make writing your Post-Interview Reflection a much easier and meaningful experience. The result: a more effective, articulate piece of writing. Learn more about the HBS Interview Reflections here.





Related Resources:

• Harvard Business School 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

• 2018 Harvard Business School Class Profile

• Business School Interview Resource Page

Tags: MBA Admissions

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MIT Sloan Executive MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   31 Oct 2016, 10:00
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: MIT Sloan Executive MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines



These essay questions show that MIT seeks applicants who have the judgment and practical skills to take on the challenges that will fly at them as they re-define industries and functions. It admits applicants who push the boundary of what’s possible and exercise “principled leadership” in a torrent of change.

The essays (including Statement of Purpose) are your main means to show that you possess, as MIT’s website states, “strong leadership performance, global perspective, functional expertise, and innovation.” While the statement of purpose challenges you to succinctly create your portrait as an applicant, the three essay questions, each in its own way, probe how your perception and thinking lead to specific impacts and outcomes.

In an overall plan for the essays, the statement of purpose works as a context, a positioner, an opening pitch, a frame. You will describe specific experiences in each of the three essays, so strategically try to select experiences that show different aspects of you and your background to give a comprehensive view. Also, it’s advisable to discuss recent experiences in at least 1-2 of the essays, to allow the adcom to see you working at a high level and to show what you’ll bring to the table.

Statement of Purpose

Please provide a statement indicating your qualifications, why you are pursuing the MIT Executive MBA Program, and what you will contribute to the program. For reapplicants: please highlight developments since your last submission. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

This is your portrait – your candidacy at a glance. It should convey a vivid, immediate sense of you as a person and as a candidate for this program. It should go beyond just facts to present a point of view and a message. Determine your message first, before drafting the essay, and let it guide you in selecting and elaborating the content details.

Beware of a potential pitfall: in discussing qualifications, do not repeat your resume in prose format. Also, don’t present all your qualifications. Select thoughtfully, focusing on those that (a) are really distinctive and relevant to the EMBA and/or (b) support your goals directly or indirectly and also (c) reflect your message. Make a short, meaningful point about each qualification, such as the insight it lends or its influence on you, supported by a fact or example.

For why you are pursuing the MBA, of course you’ll discuss your professional goals and objectives. Focus not only on what you want to do, but also why — what you want to accomplish for the organization and/or its customers/market (your “vision”).

The contributions should reference your experience from work or outside work; think of what about you would be most meaningful and interesting to prospective classmates. This element of your response is an opportunity to show that you understand the program.

Essays:

Question 1: The educational mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is “to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world.” Please discuss how you will contribute toward advancing this mission based on examples of past work and activities. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

In answering this question, clarify what “principled, innovative leader” and “improving the world” mean to you. These points represent your point of view, your perspective – they should be short (sometimes even a phrase suffices), but without them this essay lacks focus. The bulk of the essay will focus on action – your examples of past work and activities that make the case for how you have been and will continue to be a principled, innovative leader who improves the world. They key to making this a gripping, memorable essay is strong experiences and examples combined with your reflection on them pertaining to the essay’s theme. End by briefly discussing how you will build on these experiences to be such a leader in the future.

Question 2: Tell us about a time when you introduced an idea that changed the way in which your organization functioned or approached a business challenge. Comment on the factors that you considered and the barriers/obstacles that you faced. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

This question requires you to combine two realms: thought (idea) and action (you introduced…). MIT Sloan seeks people who have strength in both areas – who have vision and can execute that vision.

With only 500 words, draft it straightforwardly, as a story: start with your idea and what prompted it, and then narrate your action – how you introduced the idea. Conclude with the results, clarifying the change in function or approach.

Option A: As you narrate, include and “zoom in” on factors you considered and the barriers you encountered in the process; make them part of the story. Option B: narrate the story, and then in a concluding paragraph discuss the factors you considered and the barriers/obstacles faced.

Question 3: Tell us about a time when you took a risk in your professional life. How did you make the decision and from whom did you seek advice? (500 words or less, limited to one page)

MIT always wants to know about decision making and your decision making – the thought process, not just the situation and results. Given MIT’s interest, if possible select a story that involves decision-making that is not just difficult but that includes some uncertainty or ambiguity – and also some significant stakes. MIT also values resourcefulness, which means finding out or knowing where to go to get needed input – so don’t hesitate to show that you need or want help with this decision.

Here too, structure the essay simply, just walking through the story – with focus on your thought process of making the decision. Start with the situation (the setting) that requires the decision making. When you discuss whose advise you’re seeking, note why that person.

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Deadlines:






Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 15+ years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Too Old for an MBA? Check Out 3 Outstanding MBA and EMBA Alternatives

• 5 Key Qualifying Factors the EMBA Adcoms Look For

• MIT Sloan Fellows 2017 Essay Tips

Tags: MBA Admissions

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IE MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   01 Nov 2016, 09:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: IE MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines



IE is a top-ranked international MBA program in Madrid, Spain. The Financial Times ranks the program 12th in the world and Bloomberg Business Week ranks it 4th among non-US programs. Graduates enjoy job placement around the world – with the help of IE’s 50,000 global alumni and 27 representative offices building relationships with companies on every continent: 35% of the class accepted positions in Europe, 28% in Latin America, 12% in Asia, 12% in North America, and 8% in the Middle East and North Africa after graduation. Graduates enter diverse industries as well: the largest fields are consulting (24% of graduates), financial services (17% of graduates) and general management (21% of graduates).

IE has three intakes (start dates) each year, so it truly has a rolling application review calendar. At any time of year, you can apply to IE! When applying, applicants must choose which session they are applying to (April, September, or January) and are accepted for the program date they chose AND the one thereafter, a big advantage in case of an unexpected hurdle in the way of attendance. (I’ve had many clients who have had to reapply after receiving acceptances to other programs when unexpected professional or personal changes have occurred because in most cases, top MBA programs will not offer deferred admissions.)

IE’s application offers a lot of choice, allowing applicants to shine the spotlight on what makes them special in truly unique ways. For example, there are 12 prompts, and applicants must respond to any three of them; however, only one of the applicant’s three responses must be answered with an essay of 400-600 words. The other two responses may be either essays OR photographs, drawings, videos, animations, or presentations a la Prezi or Slideshare hosted online.

Here are the 12 prompts to choose from, with my guidance in blue beneath each:

1. If you had the opportunity, what actions would you demand of the United Nations Secretary General and why?

IE’s International MBA program aims to develop leaders who understand other perspectives and challenge the status quo. This is a great question to answer if you have been politically active or involved in a global issue that is important to you since it will provide you a platform to discuss the issue, the efforts that you have made to shape it, and how the UN could play a role in addressing it further.

2. Describe the situation with the greatest ethical complexity that you have faced in your professional or academic life, and how your input helped resolve it.

I like the phrasing of this question because it is clear where other programs sometimes obfuscate: ethical complexity means that it was not simple to determine the right thing to do; there was no one ideal path to follow. This is your chance to demonstrate the level of decision-making you have enjoyed in your career and how you have creatively navigated complicated ethical waters.

3. Describe a time when you took a great risk. What was the outcome?

IE places a great emphasis on entrepreneurship and is seeking risk takers who think unconventionally: people who are willing to leave a steady, low return behind to instead pursue an uncertain but potentially high reward. A good essay or presentation here will show the admissions office your analysis of the potential gain and what actions you took to improve your chances of success.

4. Cite at least one example of when your leadership had an impact on or changed a certain situation, and justify how an IE Master’s Degree program would help you to strengthen or improve this competence.

Leadership can turn situations around. A good answer to this question will explain or show what the situation was and why you felt it needed to be changed. Then, it will demonstrate your leadership – how you wooed, cajoled, and earned the support of others above, parallel, and below you in the organization to accept your ideas and how those ideas improved the situation. Strong essays will end with insight into IE’s Behavioral Fitness leadership training program and the areas in which IE will help you further improve your leadership skills.

5. Describe the most outstanding leader you have worked with. Indicate some aspects of the way you work that are similar to the way this leader works and others that are different.

A description of a role model’s leadership requires some insight into how he or she leads, makes use of his/her talents to gather internal and external support to make an impact. If you have enjoyed a front row seat to excellent management, then this essay will allow you to highlight what you’ve learned and how you’ve borrowed from that example in your own leadership experiences.

6. You have just participated in an important meeting with your superior. How will you ensure that every part of the instructions you received will properly reach all subordinates, suppliers and clients, located in different parts of the world?

IE’s International MBA program is comprised of students from 70 countries and myriad industries. The answer to this question is not just about an email that you cc to everyone, but rather must demonstrate that you understand the challenge and opportunity of connecting with global teams. Good answers to this prompt will not remain in the theoretical but will instead draw upon similar global experiences from the applicant’s past to prove their international leadership ability and cultural understanding.

7. Do you think that the lifestyle of the inhabitants of your town or city reflects behavior that is in line with the concept of sustainable development? In your opinion, what should be improved?

If you have been involved in municipal or local community service, this is the ideal essay to shine the spotlight on the issues in its sustainable development that matter to you most. IE seeks strong critical thinking skills in its students: the ability to assess strengths and weaknesses in the status quo, so good responses to this prompt will make use of that ability to discuss the ways in which denizens are living sustainably (ethically, responsibly, amid diversity, and with consideration to the environment) and could improve in doing so.

8. What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing the sector or industry you would like to specialize in at IE? What role do you hope to be able to play in this sector or industry in the medium term?

This essay or presentation offers you the opportunity to discuss the exciting advancements and challenging obstacles that lie on the horizon for your target industry. Good answers to this question will show your excitement for your chosen industry and your readiness for it.

9. Show us an activity you enjoy doing. Tell us how you think it contributes to your personal and professional development.

Oh well, they couldn’t all be phrased in interesting ways to make the applicant think, could they? This is an opportunity to share some of your experiences from outside of work and how they have helped you grow in the qualities and skills that IE is seeking: risk taking, innovation, cultural awareness, and leadership are among the most important.

10. How do you imagine social interaction within 10 years, taking into consideration the impact of technology on human relations?

Here’s an opportunity to think creatively and use a bit of a crystal ball to predict how communication and interaction will change by the year 2025. If you consider yourself particularly creative or prescient, this essay will offer you a perfect canvas to paint your prediction for the not-so-distant future.

11. If all of the world’s cultural heritage (sports, music, fashion, architecture, literature, painting, etc..) was contained in a time capsule, what would you include to demonstrate the legacy of your country?

IE’s student body is diverse for a reason: IE aims to expose its students to the sundry cultural mindsets around the world. This prompt offers you the opportunity to demonstrate how you will contribute to that discussion. What unique elements of your country’s culture do you feel embody its nature and uniqueness? Personal essays that inspire an emotional or visceral connection to that culture in the reader will be the most memorable.

12. How do you envision the city of the future?

Like option 10 above, this question allows you to share your vision of the future, albeit not limited to just a small 10-year jump through time. What changes do you anticipate in transportation, energy, industry, safety needs, education, population and/or family structure and how will they affect the structure and motion of future cities?

If you would like professional guidance with your IE IMBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA essay editing and consulting or our application package which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the IE MBA application.




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. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here!

Related Resources:

• Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One

• An IE Grad Reflects on Spain, School, and Career Searching

• School-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips

Tags: MBA Admissions

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Get Into INSEAD, the International Business School [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   02 Nov 2016, 09:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Get Into INSEAD, the International Business School



Globalization is a force to be reckoned with in business, and is having a significant impact on graduate management education, with most b-schools developing their international offerings. But only INSEAD considers itself the business school for the world. Today’s guest is Virginie Fougea, Director of Admissions at INSEAD. She’s worked there since 1996, and became Associate Director of Admissions in 2012. She just became Director. Welcome!

Can you give us an overview of INSEAD’s full-time MBA program? [2:05]

INSEAD was founded in 1957, with the first class starting in 1959, in Fontainbleau. They wanted to offer an MBA program in Europe – it was very forward looking. From the beginning, the founders wanted it to be international, independent, diverse, entrepreneurial, and close to business. It started as a 1-year program.

In 2000, we opened our Asia campus in Singapore. And in 2010, we opened a campus in Abu Dhabi. We were ranked #1 in the FT this year.

INSEAD considers itself a “business school for the world” – what does that mean for students? [4:05]

There are about 80 nationalities represented in the classroom. We provide a rich learning experience from the entire world.

There are 500 students in the starting class: 300 students in Fontainbleau and 200 in Singapore.

We have over 24,000 alumni in 174 countries – most countries in the world. And in 47 countries, we have over 100 alumni.

Can you study at multiple campuses during your 1 year program? [6:05]

Yes!

We also have partnerships with Wharton in the US and Tsinghua in China.

Do you have tips for applicants considering this global program? [7:00]

Think about where they want to go – where do they want to work 5, 10, 20 years after INSEAD? We offer a lot of options to match people’s interests/profiles.

Should applicants show international experience? [8:20]

They should show open-mindedness and an interest in other cultures. There will be many cultures in the classroom.

We believe that global leaders need multicultural, international exposure.

Applicants don’t need to have traveled the world already – but they should at least have international interest.

How can you fit the full MBA curriculum into a 1-year intensive program? [9:40]

A 1½- or 2-year program usually includes an internship. Our students gain a lot of problem solving skills fast – we want to instill skills in our students.

Students collaborate with each other to get the most out of opportunities.

The pace of the program is similar to the pace of the professional world. You have to set priorities, just like in your professional/personal life.

43% of the class of 2015 was placed in consulting jobs. To what do you attribute this success in placing consultants? [12:09]

We talk to consulting firms about what they’re looking for – adaptability (skills, geography, language), people who have an idea of finance and strategy, etc – and our grads are really a perfect fit. About 29% of our applicants come from consulting pre-MBA, and we send 43% of our grads to consulting positions. We send about another 40% to the corporate sector, and about 15% to finance positions.

At some point, over half of INSEAD grads will start their own company. What does INSEAD offer aspiring entrepreneurs? [13:55]

Entrepreneurship is our biggest area of elective offerings. Our Center for Entrepreneurship is very active and seeks to empower entrepreneurs, offering support and mentoring. We have a student club, venture competition, boot-camp, family enterprise. And the career team works with students to help with networking opportunities, including making connections with successful ventures launched by INSEAD grads.

What do you wish applicants knew about the INSEAD application process? [16:40]

Be yourself. We often mention this – but give a holistic answer about who you are in the essays. We often get essays from people who are trying to be somebody else, or are trying to be what they think we want them to look like. When I meet applicants, I hear interesting personal stories, but sometimes their essays seem flat.

Has the GMAC’s score cancel policy changed how you see GMAT scores? Do you only care about the highest score, or is it helpful to see improvement? [19:08]

We consider all scores – you get information from the progression.

The GMAT is a good measure. We look especially at the quant and the verbal. The 70th percentile is a fair target, but there’s some flexibility. The score cancellation policy hasn’t changed that approach.

GMAT or GRE? [20:40]

We have a long understanding of the GMAT, and we have studies to understand its relation to academic performance. We know how to assess abilities based on the GMAT.

There’s a new video requirement on the application this year. Why? [21:25]

It’s an opportunity to see applicants come to life. The admissions team does not interview applicants. So this is a more interactive aspect to the admissions process.

In terms of what we were saying about being yourself, in a video, it’s easier to be genuine about you as a person. So that was the aim.

People should see it as an opportunity to convey their motivation and show their communication skills. Rather than a test, it’s another opportunity.

What’s the process for the video essay? [23:20]

Once the application has been submitted, applicants will receive a link to record a video. You can test your video and mic first – practice using your webcam. There are no right or wrong answers. We just want to learn about applicants.

The video is required for all applicants and must be done within a week after the application deadline.

The questions are standard introductory interview-type questions: “tell us about a time when…” “Why INSEAD?” etc.

Have you reviewed some videos already? [25:25]

Yes, and we love them! People are really getting it right.

We’re looking to find elements to invite people for interviews, not elements to disqualify people.

What is the interview process? [26:40]

Interviews are conducted by alumni. One benefit of that is that applicants can ask alumni interviewers questions about the program. The interviewer considers the applicant’s communication skills, motivation, etc.

And how can you prepare for the video question? [28:27]

Apart from being in a quiet space, the main thing is to practice using your webcam and get used to talking to a computer.

We’re also hearing of more companies recruiting through this sort of exercise, so that’s another reason for adding the video component.

Is the alumni interview traditional or behavioral? [31:00]

It’s a combination of both, along with being an informal conversation. It’s good to prepare questions to ask.

Any advice for reapplicants? [32:35]

Really see if your profile has changed since the first decision – something that might catch the committee’s eye and change the decision. We have a very thorough process, so a deny is the result of a thoughtful decision. So if the profile hasn’t changed, the decision is often the same. But if your profile really is stronger, it can be worth reapplying.

What is the worst advice you’ve ever heard given to MBA applicants? [34:55]

Someone telling an applicant with a 700 to retake the GMAT. The GMAT is only one element – experience, soft skills, etc, are very important.

Any advice for applicants planning for a 2018 application? [37:00]

We’re currently studying the IR section of the GMAT, and considering making it a required section with a target score.

What’s coming in the future at INSEAD? [39:10]

We have some changes to the curriculum ahead. One exciting project is the Personal Leadership Development Program – an opportunity for students to understand how they communicate, and help them develop as leaders.



Related Links:

• INSEAD MBA Admissions

• INSEAD MBA Application Essay Tips

• INSEAD B-School Zone

• Life After INSEAD: Catching Up with Hasmita

• Financing Your INSEAD MBA

Related Shows:

• Exploring the Haas MBA: An Interview with Peter Johnson

• Mission and Admissions at Yale School of Management

• The MBA Menu at Columbia Business School

• The CEMS MIM: A Truly International Masters in Management

• UVA MS in Global Commerce: 3 Continents, 2 Masters, 1 Amazing Year

• HEC Paris: Why to Go and How to Get In

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Booth Applicants: Boost Your Admissions Chances! [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   03 Nov 2016, 10:00
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Booth Applicants: Boost Your Admissions Chances!



If you’re aiming for a Chicago Booth acceptance, then don’t miss Get Accepted to Chicago Booth, our upcoming webinar that will walk you through the steps of a successful Booth application.

The webinar is free but you must reserve your spot in advance! Click here to register for Get Accepted to Chicago Booth!

The webinar will air live on Wednesday, November 16th at 10am PT/1pm ET and at 5pm PT/8pm ET, and will be presented by Accepted’s CEO and founder, Linda Abraham.





Tags: MBA Admissions

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Mock Wharton Team-Based Discussion Anyone? [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   03 Nov 2016, 11:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Mock Wharton Team-Based Discussion Anyone?



“Chance favors the prepared mind” said Louis Pasteur, and I agree.

Don’t leave your Wharton Team-Based Discussion to fickle chance.  Prepare for it with Accepted’s Mock Wharton Team-Based Discussion. This is a prime-time rehearsal.  Details and prices are here.

A participant in one of our past mock TBD wrote us after the real Wharton TBD, “The practice session was a huge help!”

Be ready. Be poised. Be confident. Join the next mock TBD ASAP.




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 Admissions

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HKUST MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   04 Nov 2016, 09:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: HKUST MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines



Applicants seeking an MBA with high placement rates throughout Asia may find HKUST the perfect fit for their needs. The Financial Times ranks HKUST #14 in the world, and 58% of the class successfully changes functions and/or industries following the program. A full 45% of the class enters the Finance/Banking industry upon graduation, with respectable numbers also entering Consulting (11%), the Energy/Engineering industry (11%), and IT/Technology (14%). In terms of job functions, HKUST graduates thrive in finance roles (43%), consulting/strategy (18%), sales and marketing (15%), and general management (12%).

The HKUST application has made few changes in the past few years, slightly modifying the phrasing of their two required essays of 500 words each. My tips are below in blue.

Essays:

Essay 1. 

The HKUST MBA mission is to inspire and transform individuals to be future business leaders for Asia and the world. We embrace diversity, and are looking for ambitious and open-minded candidates with a passion to contribute. It is the first day of orientation. Please introduce yourself to your classmates, highlighting what drives you in your personal and professional life. (500 words maximum)

Each graduating class is comprised of 120 students from 28 countries. Since HKUST strives for diversity throughout this small group, each applicant must demonstrate a unique perspective and experiences. If your professional background is in a heavily represented group – IT or finance for example, then I highly recommend highlighting not only your most exceptional professional experience in this essay but also the personal qualities, extracurricular involvement and values that differentiate you. When in your professional or personal life have you demonstrated an open-mind and made a difference? These activities will prove your potential at HKUST.

Essay 2.

Tell us about your post-MBA goals and based on that, why is the HKUST MBA the ideal program for you and how do you plan to engage and enrich our community? (500 words)

This is a traditional goals essay with only slightly modified phrasing from previous years. The new element lies in the second part of the question’s engagement and enrichment of the HKUST community. While in previous years applicants could spend all 500 words talking about how they will benefit from the HKUST education to reach their goals, the admissions office is making it clear that they expect to hear how you will enhance the education of your peers as well. What aspects of the program will you be able to contribute to most and how will your fellow classmates benefit?

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

The HKUST Timeline:



*Ideally, international students should send through their applications by the first or second deadline to allow sufficient time to process their visas and for making other travel arrangements to Hong Kong. Late applications may be considered subject to place availability.

If you would like professional guidance with your HKUST MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA essay editing and MBA admissions consulting or our MBA Application Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the HKUST application.




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. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here!

Related Resources:

• The Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One

• How to Fund your MBA Abroad [On-Demand webinar]

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

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NYU Stern Langone MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   06 Nov 2016, 11:00
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: NYU Stern Langone MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines



The two Stern Langone part-time MBA essays, together, cover “the whole you” – your professional side and your non-work side. And they require you to address both highly structured, specific questions (essay 1) and very open, “free form” questions (essay 2). The applicants who can best handle this duality are confident, mature applicants; they know what their goals are, have an intellectual appetite for the NYU experience, and are able to portray their distinct individuality.

Essays:

1. Professional Aspirations and Fit with Stern. (500 word maximum)

a) What are your short and long-term career goals?

b) Why have you chosen to pursue your MBA on a part-time basis?

c) Earlier in your application, you indicated your Langone Part-time MBA program preferences in rank order from the choices below. Please explain your preferences.

• Manhattan – Weeknight

• Manhattan – Saturday

• Manhattan – Accelerated Two-Year

• Westchester – Weeknight

The bulk of this essay will address parts A and B obviously. Part C can be covered in a couple of sentences simply explaining in concrete, practical terms why you are choosing the particular program.

For part A, include key details of your short- and long-term goals: positions and titles, company, industry, a sample of likely responsibilities you’ll hold. Beyond that, to make the essay compelling, also convey your vision foryour goals (the broader impact you’ll have) and your motivation for your goals – these elements are often intertwined. Since you will be attending school while working, you can start the goals discussion with what you want to achieve in the next few years, while you’re in the program. Doing this allows you to fit in pertinent career information as well; i.e. start the essay with your current position and weave it into your short-term goals. 

Part B probes your decision-making regarding the part-time option. The adcom wants to know that the reasons are affirmative and that the part-time program is your program of choice. This section also gives you a chance to further elaborate on your current work and its distinguishing aspects – presumably one reason you are pursuing the part-time program is because you are engaged in an interesting and rewarding job. Focus on the key 2-3 reasons for a part-time MBA and discuss each briefly but thoughtfully. Don’t worry about having “unique” reasons – it’s your specific work and the insights you’ll bring from it that are unique. Caution: state positive, affirmative reasons; avoid negative reasons like can’t afford a full-time MBA, afraid to leave job, can’t get into a top-tier full-time program, etc. Positive reasons include wanting to stay in desirable job/industry, excitement about applying learning in real-time, valuing studying alongside peers who are immersed in diverse industries and functions, etc.

2. Personal Expression. Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative. If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font. If you submit a video or audio file, it should be five minutes maximum. If you submit a non-written piece (i.e., artwork or multimedia), please provide a brief written description of your submission and its relevance to your MBA application.

First, a comment about “feel free to be creative”: don’t strain to do something you think represents “creative” if it doesn’t flow naturally. Plenty, perhaps most, admitted applicants write an essay. If you are inspired and have a great idea for a non-essay approach, fine, go with it. If not, write the absolutely best essay you can. The key here is to help the adcom get to know you in ways that:

• are relevant to Langone

• distinguish you

• reflect your life beyond your job in some way.

Langone, and more broadly NYU, relish involvement with the community, intellectual and/or artistic engagement, a sharp ability to self-reflect on one’s life and circumstances, a willingness to assert and/or question one’s values, a willingness and ability to ask questions that you don’t have answers to… There are many inviting avenues to consider in selecting a topic for this essay – and that selection is the key to hitting a home run with it. There really isn’t a formula. I have seen successful essays that focus solely on the applicant’s passionate hobby, that discuss aspect of one’s family life, one’s regional culture, one’s religious or political evolution… And I’ve also seen successful essays that discuss a few different things. With the 500-word limit, you can’t really do justice to more than two or three points though.

Don’t worry about discussing things that are “impressive” or about finding things that are unusual – this essay’s effectiveness rests on how vividly you present your topic(s), how you personalize it with anecdote and detail. A discussion about something as common as cooking or learning a language or playing basketball can become a memorable statement if done vividly with stories and experiences.

3. Additional Information (optional). Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT, GRE and/or TOEFL, or any other relevant information. If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in this essay, even if you are a re-applicant. If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.

These instructions don’t explicitly limit the essay to extenuating circumstances or application-specific issues, but the topics it suggests are such issues. Moreover the phrase “bring to the attention of” doesn’t really invite you to continue marketing yourself. I therefore suggest addressing the types of issues the question presents, or other information that has a direct bearing on the adcom’s ability to understand your candidacy. There is no word limit, but keeping it short will align with the other essays.

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Application Deadlines:




Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 15+ years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Exploring the Part-Time MBA Options at NYU Stern

• NYU Stern 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

• MBA Admissions Decisions: Should You Go Full-Time Or Part-Time?

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MBALaunch Prep Program for Women Still Accepting Applications! [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   06 Nov 2016, 11:00
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: MBALaunch Prep Program for Women Still Accepting Applications!



The Forté Foundation has extended the application deadline for MBALaunch 2017 through Nov 11!

MBALaunch is an intensive business school prep program designed to help women apply successfully to business school by providing a strong support network and a structured roadmap of the application process. GMAT exam prep is also a focus, as well as interview skill building. MBALaunch is for women applying to b-school in Fall 2017 for the 2018 school year.

Linda Abraham, Accepted’s founder and president, has advised MBALaunch members as part of its office hours and has presented to its members several times. She highly recommends the program and has been a proud participant in it.

The program will launch in the following eight cities:

Boston:   Feb. 10, 2017

Chicago:   TBD Jan/Feb 2017

Houston:   Feb. 17, 2017

Los Angeles:   Feb. 10, 2017

London:   TBD Jan/Feb 2017

San Francisco:   TBD Jan/Feb 2017

New York:   Jan. 26 & 27, 2017

Toronto:   TBD Jan/Feb 2017

Washington, D.C.:   Jan. 21, 2017

The fee for the MBALaunch program is $500.

You can find more info and apply to MBALaunch here.





Related Resources:

• Navigate the MBA Maze, a free guide

• MBA Selectivity Index, discover the schools where you are competitive

• Interview with Wharton Student, Single Mom, MBALaunch Participant & Entrepreneur

Tags: MBA Admissions

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2017 Chicago Booth Class Profile [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   07 Nov 2016, 11:00
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: 2017 Chicago Booth Class Profile



Who’s at Booth right now? Let’s check out the profile of the Booth class of 2017 (from the Booth website)…

• U.S. minorities: 23%

• International students: 34%

• Average GMAT score: 726

• GMAT range: 570-780

• Average undergraduate GPA: 3.6

• Average work experience: 5 years

• Countries Represented: 54

Breakdown of Undergraduate Majors:



Are you vying for a spot in Booth’s next class? Learn what it takes to get into Booth and what you can do to increase your chances of acceptance by viewing our webinar, Get Accepted to Booth Business School!





Related Resources: 

• The MBA Career Search and Life as a Chicago Booth MBA [Episode 158]

• Chicago Booth 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

• Chicago Booth Student on Finding the Right Fit, Achieving His Goals

Tags: MBA Admissions

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4 Steps to Preparing for MBA Interviews [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   07 Nov 2016, 11:00
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: 4 Steps to Preparing for MBA Interviews



There are four things you need to know when prepping for your MBA interview:

1. Yourself

2. Your interview goal

3. Your school

4. The type of interview

In this post I’m going to walk you through each of these items. When you’re finished reading this post, you will have a much better idea of how to approach, prep, and then ace the MBA interview.

STEP 1: Know yourself.

This interview is about you, so if you can’t answer some simple questions about who you are and what you want, then you’re in big trouble. Ask yourself, and make sure you can answer, the following questions:

• Why do you want to attend this program?

• What do you plan on doing post-MBA?

• Do you possess the qualities that this school values?

• When have you demonstrated those qualities?

You’ve probably addressed these topics in your essays, which means hopefully you’ve already given them some thought. Go back and read your essays, review your notes (if you still have them), and then think, think, and then think some more about who you are and why this school should value who you are.

So what happens if you complete your introspection session successfully and end up with a billion impressive stories and qualities that you think are share-worthy? How do you narrow down your talking points to a reasonable five or six?

Dawna Clark, Director of Admissions at Tuck, offers the following advice in an old Business week article:

“I would recommend that [applicants] spend some time thinking about five of the top skills, experiences, or accomplishments that they most want to emphasize. I would literally write a list of everything that you’re proud of before your interview and then cut it in half, and cut it in half again and cut it in half again, until you say, ‘You know what? If I have limited time, here are the five points I’m really hoping to get across in this interview.’ With each of those five bullet points come up with some examples and substantiate them.”

STEP 2: Know your interview goal.

Your interview goal is three-fold: You need to show fit; demonstrate your communications and interpersonal skills; and inform the school about recent achievements. Let’s look more closely at each one.

1. Show fit. During your interview, your interview will be assessing your fit for the program. To demonstrate this elusive fit factor, you’ll need to think about how your educational and professional background, as well as your post-MBA career goals, mesh with the school’s mission, strengths, methodology, and career opportunities. And remember, fit is not simply calculated as an algorithmic formula; you need to demonstrate how your personality and passions as an individual will be compatible with the program.

2. Demonstrate your communication skills. If you want to survive in the business world, you’re going to need to know how to convey your thoughts and ideas coherently. If you want to survive in business school, you’ll need that same skill. While proving you can talk the talk and carry on a friendly conversation is important for all applicants, it’s particularly important if English is not your first language or if your test scores/transcript indicate a less-than-stellar communication skills.

3. Inform the interviewer about recent achievements. For example, did you get a promotion at work? Earn an A in Micro-econ? Did you retake the GMAT? Immerse yourself in a new community service project? Take on a new leadership role? Updating your interviewer of these new developments will demonstrate your commitment to strengthening your profile and your ambitions to grow and learn as an individual.

STEP 3: Know the school.

You can’t very well demonstrate your fit with your target program if you don’t know what your target program stands for – what it values, what its strengths are, its teaching method, etc.

Regarding values: All programs are going to emphasize values like leadership, innovation, and teamwork, but some programs will emphasize certain values more than others, or in specific nuanced ways. So what you need to do is first understand those nuanced values and then explain how you share those same values.

Regarding teaching methods: You should prepare to explain how your learning style matches the program’s teaching style. To do this, you’ll need to understand how the program works. Are there learning teams? Cohorts? Lectures? Cases? Projects? The better you understand these methodological elements, the better you’ll be able to demonstrate how the program seems especially designed for you – for your educational needs, for your professional goals, and for your non-professional interests.

It’s during this step that you should think about how you will contribute to the school. Knowing what the school offers and what they are looking for will help you explore the ways in which you can contribute.

STEP 4: Know the type of interview.

Hopefully you’ll have access to this information – either from the school itself or from your fellow applicants who have already completed their interviews.

These are your options:

1. Blind: The interviewer has seen your resume, but nothing else. For these interviews, you can draw from material in your essays and other components of your application since this will all be new information to the interviewer. Don’t feel limited to application-only stories; feel free to share new stories!

2. Informed: The interviewer has thoroughly gone through your file. You’ll need to think of skills, experiences, and achievements that you haven’t discussed in your application. You don’t want to bore them with info they already know. Also, be prepared to address weaknesses in your application. You may also be asked to elaborate or further explain stories in your application.

3. Case presentation: You’ll be asked to analyze a business case usually in a group setting. Your personal background and goals are not a part of this kind of interview. A personal interview may occur separately.

4. Team interviews: An interview consisting of you and other interviewees, designed as a conversation or discussion. See our post, “Tips for Team Interviews,” for more information and advice on this one.





Related Resources:

• Perfect Answers to MBA Interview Questions [Free Guide]

• 6 Steps to Follow After You Receive Your MBA Interview Invite

• 3 Day-Of Tips for a Successful MBA Interview

Tags: MBA Admissions

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5 GRE Myths and Misconceptions [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   08 Nov 2016, 11:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: 5 GRE Myths and Misconceptions


How well do you know the GRE? Have you really looked into this exam and sorted out the misinformation from the facts? Here are 5 GRE myths and misconceptions you should be aware of as you prep for the GRE.

Myth # 1: To pass GRE Verbal, you need to memorize every word in the English language.

To be fair, there was some truth to this myth before August 2011. On the older version of the GRE, before the newly-revised GRE was released, vocabulary was tested out of context. Back then, you had to simply know a lot of really tricky vocabulary words in order to pass the Verbal section. Not so anymore!

The new GRE focuses on the skill of understanding vocabulary in-context. All of the important vocabulary appears in the context of long sentences, paragraphs, or full-length passages. The skill of inferring word meanings from context is now more important than memorizing a word’s dictionary definition. Memorizing a list of common GRE vocabulary words will still help you to some degree. But the list doesn’t have to be too long, and the advanced, highly uncommon words of the pre-2011 GRE are now less likely to appear on the test.

Myth #2: GRE Quant is dominated by complex, multi-step problems requiring a calculator.

A lot of people assume that you should use a calculator on GRE Quant, just because you can. On most GRE Quant problems, this simply isn’t true. A surprising number of GRE math problems can be solved in just a step or two, using estimation and mental math. Even more complex problems can usually be solved with mental math and light use of scratch paper. Only a handful of unusually advanced math problems on the test will actually require a calculator. And in fact, using a calculator on simpler Quant questions can hurt you. The more often you reach for the calculator, the more chances you have to accidentally key in the wrong number, arriving at an answer that’s way off.

Myth # 3: You need to be a great writer to get a top score on GRE AWA.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from students is that it’s just not possible for them to write a top scoring essay. Some GRE test-takers who feel this way are worried that they simply aren’t “good” writers. Other test-takers do feel that they are good writers, but worry that only a truly genius writer could create a perfect-scoring essay within the GRE’s 30 minute time limit.

The good news is that the GRE AWA isn’t asking for brilliant writing. It’s simply asking for competent writing that satisfies all of the basic AWA Essay requirements. As long as your writing is reasonably competent, and as long as you address the essay question fully, you’ll be fine.

Myth # 4: It takes a really long time to prepare for the GRE.

As the best-known graduate school entrance exam, the GRE has almost mythical status among grad school hopefuls. Professors and advisers start talking to students about their GRE as early as their junior or even sophomore year in college, and grad programs prominently display their GRE stats on their websites.

Because of this, it’s easy to imagine that passing the GRE is a long-term, Herculean endeavor. In fact, passing the GRE takes relatively little time in the grand scheme of things. Many successful grad school applicants finish their GRE prep in 3 months or less. To get a good grip on what your study schedule should look like, check out a tried and true GRE Study Guide.

Myth # 5: You need a top score in each section of the GRE to get into a good grad school.

This is one of the most common myths I hear. A lot of test-takers worry that a low score in one-section of the GRE will be a deal-breaker for any grad school. Not so—grad programs will have separate score requirements for Verbal, Quant and AWA. This is why the GRE doesn’t offer a whole-test score. Your score report only shows the individual Verbal, Quant, and AWA scores, knowing schools like to pick and choose their requirements section-by-section.

Grad programs can have very different requirements for each section, depending on the nature of the degree. A master’s or doctorate in mathematics or engineering, for example, will have very high Quant score requirements. But Verbal requirements for such programs will be comparatively low, and your AWA score may not even matter to the program. Similarly, a grad degree in something like philosophy or English literature will have low math standards but stringent requirements for Verbal and AWA. And of course, some grad programs simply place little or no importance on GRE scores in any section. Never assume a less-than-perfect GRE score will keep you out of grad school.




David Recine is a test prep expert at Magoosh. He has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He has been teaching K-12, University, and adult education classes since 2007 and has worked with students from every continent.

Related Resources:

• Get Your Game On: Prepping For Your Grad School Application, a free guide

• Making Friends with the GRE: How To Overcome Test Anxiety and Perform at Your Best

• Where to Find Good GRE Practice Questions

Tags: Grad School Admissions, MBA Admissions

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Is There a Chicago Booth MBA in Your Future? [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   09 Nov 2016, 11:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Is There a Chicago Booth MBA in Your Future?



If you want to answer that question with a resounding “yes,” then you’ll want to join us for Get Accepted to Chicago Booth, a webinar that airs live on Wednesday, November 16th at 10am PT/1pm ET and at 5pm PT/8pm ET.

Reserve your spot for Get Accepted to Chicago Booth and learn how to successfully take on that Chicago challenge!



See you soon.



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UVA Darden Executive MBA Application Tips and Deadlines [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   10 Nov 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: UVA Darden Executive MBA Application Tips and Deadlines



Given that the Darden EMBA application presents only one essay question to answer, the balance of your application – the online form, the resume, the recommendations, the interview – all carry more weight than they do in most EMBA applications that contain several questions (usually including one pertaining to your goals). The Darden EMBA application, as a whole, must show that you are at the appropriate level organizationally and have sufficient quantity and quality of experience to both benefit from the Darden EMBA and contribute substantially as a student and classmate. Moreover, to be competitive you should also show that you are a high performer relative to peers. This essay is a precious opportunity to give the adcom insight into you as an individual that will complement, enhance, and illuminate the other information in the application – while also underscoring your fit with the program.  

Describe the most important professional feedback you have received and how you responded to this feedback. (500 words maximum)

Your response to this question can enhance your application in several ways:

• Spotlight distinguishing, differentiating, and/or impressive aspects of your professional life (in your topic selection)

• Show that you are mature, resourceful, and insightful

• Clarify your fit with the Darden EMBA program.

Those last two bullet points are interconnected: close, intensive interaction between students and between students and faculty is a key feature of the program, so showing your ability to benefit from this feature is important. I suggest using a relatively recent situation if possible, to allow the adcom to see you performing at a high level and (ideally) with high stakes.

There are different ways you can approach this essay to find the right example. One is to refer to your performance reviews or conversations you had with a professional mentor or manager to remember feedback you received. Another is to think about some of the greatest stretch roles you have pursued and whether a mentor or manager nudged or encouraged you to pursue them. You can find more guidance on demonstrating the ability to accept feedback here.

In terms of essay structure, with only 500 words, keep it simple. A user-friendly, effective approach is to narrate the story, starting with the situation that prompted the feedback or with the feedback itself.  Include not just what happened and what you did, but what you felt and thought at key moments. IMPORTANT: in discussing how you responded, do NOT just say you DID respond and the situation improved; DO present actions you took in response and the outcome. If your story is from further back in your career, also you might include a phrase or sentence (with example) about how it has resonated since and remained vital to your perspective/approach.

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

UVA Darden EMBA Application Deadlines:



If you would like professional guidance with your Darden EMBA application, check out 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 Darden EMBA application.




By Cindy Tokumitsu, has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA, master, law, PhD and medical programs,with special emphasis on MBA and EMBA and other business programs in her 15+ years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• School Specific EMBA Application Essay Tips

• 5 Key Qualifying Factors the EMBA Adcoms Look For

• UVA Darden Expands EMBA & GEMBA Programs to D.C.

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University of Washington Foster School of Business Essay Tips and Dead [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   11 Nov 2016, 10:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: University of Washington Foster School of Business Essay Tips and Deadlines



Are you seeking an MBA program with a strong record of job placement in the technology industry, consulting, or consumer products? Then the University of Washington Foster School of Business may make an excellent choice for you. One of the rare programs with 4 application rounds, Foster’s upcoming deadline is November 15th.

Foster has a vast alumni network from its graduate and undergraduate business programs – 50,000 alumni in total. Many of those alumni are immersed in Seattle, Washington’s startup and technology ecosystem – with companies like Amazon.com, EMC, and Microsoft. A full 43% of the class joins the technology industry after graduating.

Foster has two required and one optional essay. My tips are below in blue.

Essays:

Essay 1: Post-MBA Plans

Tell us your ideas about what lies ahead for you in your career. What are the gaps or deficiencies currently preventing you from pursuing these potential career paths? How do you plan to use your time in the Foster MBA program to fill these gaps and advance your career? (750 words maximum)

This is a nice amount of space to explain what you’ve gained so far in your career and what you need to learn to reach your career goals. As with any goalsessay, make sure to show the connection between your future goals and the career you have established thus far. At least half of this essay should discuss the gaps/deficiencies in your knowledge and skills and how Foster’s curriculum and activities will fill them.

Essay 2:

Inspiring Experience Essay Please tell us about an experience that inspired or confirmed your decision to pursue the MBA. (500 words maximum)

The experience that you share in this essay not only has to have inspired you to pursue the MBA, it needs to inspire the admissions committee to want to meet you! Experiences in which you have stepped out of your comfort zone to lead new initiatives and make exciting impacts will demonstrate that you have the potential to thrive at Foster and in your future career.

Essay 3: Optional essay

Please include this essay if you have additional information that you believe would be helpful to the admissions committee in considering your application. (500 words maximum) –

Most people cannot be summarized in two essays. If that is the case for you, then you should consider submitting this additional, optionalessay. Obviously, you can use this space to explain a gap or GMAT/GPA weakness, but if you do so, I recommend sharing some additional information to assuage any admissions concerns. For example, if your Verbal GMAT score is lower than you would have liked, you might consider sharing an example of your strong communication and presentation skills to counterbalance that weakness.

Resume:

Outline your work experience in reverse chronological order. Be sure to include company name, a brief description of the organization (or a web address), your job title, and detailed information about your responsibilities and achievements.

Feel free to use up to three pages for your resume, and include all significant work experience since graduating from high school. Include educational background as well as your activities and community involvement.

This is one of my favorite things about the Foster application: you cannot fit all of your achievements into your application essays or the little text boxes in the application, so go ahead and share details of your accomplishments in your resume. The three-page limit allows you to describe the challenges you overcame and impacts you made in each professional role and in the community.

Video Interview:

You may be invited to complete a short video interview while your application is under review. Video interviews are conducted by Foster MBA Admissions staff and are by invitation only. Once invited, you will have approximately one week to complete the video interview. The video interview allows us to get to know you better, assess your communication skills, and assess your ability to think on your feet. If you are a competitive candidate, you will also be invited to complete an admission interview (details below). If invited to complete both, you must do so in order to remain under consideration for admission to the program.

Many applicants will receive video interview invitations shortly after submitting their applications. A growing trend in MBA admissions is this addition of online automated video interviews to complement the picture an applicant presents of himself in his written application. As with Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Yale School of Management, Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, and INSEAD, Foster is using the company Kira Talent to implement this element of its application.

Questions are randomly generated by Kira’s software from hundreds in its database and are not in any way linked to the content of your application. You may be asked to describe your strengths and weaknesses, for example, or tell about a recent project you initiated at work or even what you do in your free time. You will have 90 seconds to respond and can even press the space bar to stop recording if you finish your response in advance of that limit.

The nature of the questions indicates that it is not the responses that matter as much as your delivery. The admissions office will be judging your ease of speech and personality more than they will be seeking signs of your drive or measuring your ambitions.

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

University of Washington Foster School of Business 2017 MBA Application Deadlines:



If you would like professional guidance with your Foster School of Business MBA application, check out 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 FSOB MBA application. 




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 Foster application, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here!

Related Resources:

• Why do You Need an MBA? 

• 9 Do’s And Don’ts For Your Application Resume

• 7 Signs An Experience Belongs In Your Application Essay

Tags: MBA Admissions

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Writing About Your Experiences Abroad [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   11 Nov 2016, 11:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: Writing About Your Experiences Abroad



You’ve done it – you studied, worked, or volunteered abroad and now you want to include part of this in your personal statement. Maybe you want to show that you’ve experienced a different culture or that you’ve managed to go outside of your comfort zone. Maybe you’ve had interesting experiences – met people, climbed mountains, or lived without air-conditioning. Or maybe you had the opportunity to help people who genuinely needed it.

But, at this point, you’ve also realized that many other applicants have similar experiences, and you are right. While the experience may have been transformative for you, requiring you to learn how to operate without your usual safety net in a foreign environment, you need to ensure that your study abroad experience serves a role in your essay as something other than window-dressing.

There’s an old Onion article which jokes that someone’s short work experience in Africa allowed her to post a better Facebook photo, and, without the proper analysis, descriptions of abroad experiences can feel the same way in an admissions essay. Often, I read essays with lush descriptions of exotic scenery and people who speak different languages, yet you the writer – the most important person – stays the same. Without showing admissions committees why a study abroad experience was transformative, these types of stories simply blend together and give the impression that you were there simply to add another notch to your resume.

So, what should you do? Studying abroad can be a pivotal moment in your personal journey, but a personal statement needs to explain exactly why. If, indeed, gaining experience with other cultures was important to you at that stage, what exactly did you learn? It can’t be enough to just give a story about someone you met while traveling, you have to explain why that person changed you. An admissions committee member once told me that it mattered less what an applicant’s experience was, what mattered was how she talked about it. Even the most seemingly dull experience can be transformative to someone who is really paying attention.




Jessica Pishko graduated with a J.D. from Harvard Law School and received an M.F.A. from Columbia University. She spent two years guiding students through the medical school application process at Columbia’s Postbac Program and teaches writing at all levels. Want Jessica to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Leadership in Admissions, a free guide

• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast

• Tone Up Your Writing: Confidence vs Arrogance

Tags: Admissions Consulting, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions

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A Former Officer in the Military Takes His Experience to Chicago Booth [#permalink] Accepted MBA Updates   11 Nov 2016, 11:01
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FROM Accepted.com Blog: A Former Officer in the Military Takes His Experience to Chicago Booth



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 Aviv Shalgi…..

Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad?

Aviv: My name is Aviv Shalgi. I spent the last few years in Tel Aviv, but am originally from Givataim – a small suburb of Tel Aviv in the center of Israel. Before my undergraduate studies, I was a Captain in Israeli Intelligence, operating satellites. Afterwards, I studied Electrical Engineering and Electronics at Tel Aviv University, only to understand in my 3rd year that Engineering is not my real passion (after working part time as a Hardware Design Engineer at Intel)– which is business and innovation.

.Accepted: What’s your favorite non-school book?

Aviv: Wow, that’s a tough one. I’ll probably go with “Predictably Irrational” by Dan Arieli. It’s a pretty short book, goes straight to the point, and tries to explain through numerous examples of research and experiments that Prof. Arieli performed during his time in the MIT Media Lab and Duke Fuqua School of Business – what we as people do totally irrationally, but keep doing persistently over and over again.

Accepted: If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be?

Aviv: Innovator, ambitious and team-player.

Accepted: Where are you currently in b-school? What year?

Aviv: I’m currently a first-year student at the full-time program at University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Accepted: Why did you choose that program? How were you a good fit?

Aviv: I had a few reasons for choosing Booth over other schools, but the leading one was definitely the people. Before applying, I spoke with a dozen of Booth alumni and more than that with current students and was astonished by the cooperation and responsiveness that they all had. Everybody I reached to replied within a few days and suggested to schedule a call with me and help me figure out if Booth was the right place for me – this sense of collaboration and helping out each other, isn’t something you see every day with such busy people.

On top of that, Booth is one of the only schools where Tech recruiting has surpassed the recruiting for Consulting and Banking. The faculty are putting a huge emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation, with many labs and competitions (especially the New Venture Challenge that is celebrating its 20th year this year). Even though many schools are trying to pursue this route as well, I was impressed by the fact that the faculty at Booth were able to bring in many practitioners to teach, rather than researchers and scientists. When trying to build creative, innovative and critical thinking, an experienced entrepreneur would outperform everybody else. It’s one thing to talk about entrepreneurship, it’s totally different to practice it with entrepreneurs who had actually done it successfully (and many of them were successful several times).

Accepted: You previously were an officer in Israel’s Defense Forces. How did your work in that sector prepare you for your past work in Business, and now with your MBA program?

Aviv: I believe that military service can first and foremost build your leadership skills at a very young age. As a 20-year-old officer, I was already commanding over 100 soldiers in my unit, acting not only as a commander and instructor, but also as a mentor, a psychologist and somewhat of a mom and dad for them. That’s an incredible experience that only military personnel have at such a young age.

In addition, in my second role in the military, I was able to build an innovation team (some sort of a startup incubator) within my unit – something that rarely happens in the military environment. It wasn’t an easy road, especially in a very strict and hierarchical environment, but it taught me a lot about negotiation, persuasion and how to take one thing and turn it around to create a new product. All of these skills were extremely important for me both during my transition to Business from Engineering (4 years ago) and especially now that I’ve started my MBA.

Accepted: Looking back at the application process, what would you say was your greatest challenge? How would you advise other international applicants who may be experiencing similar challenges?

Aviv: I had 3 main challenges during the application process.

1. Choosing which schools to apply to

2. Understanding how my background fits each of them

3. Communicating myself clearly in the application process

On point #1 and #2 I will elaborate in the next question, so to summarize – speak with lots of current students and recent graduates (from the last 10 years or so). After speaking with over 20 people, you’ll be able to instantly tell if you feel that you’ll fit in the school or not and what culture each school is nurturing.

Once you’ve identified the schools that you want to apply to and learned about the fit, there comes the biggest challenge of them all for an international applicant – figuring out how to translate your background to words on paper that would make you stand out in general, and more specifically stand out from your international peers.

I personally found that my way of answering this is similar to the question that is sometimes asked in recruiting (especially for Product Management roles) – “Think of me as your grandfather, explain to me how…” Using this method, I was able to articulate clearly to myself  and then on paper what I had done in my background (especially with how tough it is to explain to non-veterans what you did in your day-to-day military service) and how my experiences have built me into the person I am today.

Remember that not all of the roles are the same in your target school and that titles change between geographies, industries and even functions. A Product Manager in Amazon isn’t the same role as it is at Google, let alone if you have a broader title like Business Analyst (which was my title when I worked at Consulting). So instead of assuming that the reader will know what you’re talking about – explain it in simple words! (And please, have your recommenders do the same – don’t over-complicate things – keep it short and simple to understand.)

Accepted: Lastly, do you have any pieces of advice for those looking at applying to MBA programs?

Aviv: As I mentioned before, speak with as many students and alumni as you can from every school. You’re more than welcome to reach out to me at my email aviv@chicagobooth.edu or on my Linkedin profile and I’ll do my best to respond quickly. Moreover, try to speak with both people from your own country, but also other internationals and locals to hear different perspectives on the school. Remember, not everybody thinks the same way. I’m sure all top schools are amazing, but at the end of the day, it’s all a matter of fit – which school would be amazing for YOU and you alone (not for other people).

If you can, try to visit the school to see it for yourself. I was unable to visit the schools that I’ve applied to before my application, so don’t stress over it if you can’t, but at least visit the schools after you’ve been admitted and understand where would be the best place for you, who would you connect best with and which school would help build the career you want for yourself (or better yet – you think you want).

Lastly, as anything in life, manage your risks. Pick a few MBA programs you think you want to apply to and that you find interesting and research all of them. If you find some that weren’t what you thought they were or don’t feel like you would fit in, put them aside, broaden your search and add a couple of other programs to your research.

Remember that even though we are all incredible people, the schools will get to know the real you just in the interview, and there is a big cut during the application process (through the essays, recommendations, etc.) – so keep an open mind and apply to several programs that you liked (don’t get locked up on just 1 or 2 programs, remember you don’t have all the details).

Good luck!

You can connect with Aviv via his LinkedIn page or by emailing him at aviv@chicagobooth.edu. Thank you Aviv for sharing your story with us, we wish you continued success!

For one-on-one guidance with your b-school application, check out our MBA Application Packages.





Related Resources:

• The MBA Career Search and Life as a Chicago Booth MBA [Episode 158]

• Chicago Booth 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

• Connections Count. And You Can Create Them.

Tags: MBA Admissions

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