Application Strategy Books

Question

Has anyone read  this book , if so is it worth getting?

The Best Business Schools' Admissions Secrets: A Former Harvard Business School Admissions Board Member Reveals the Insider Keys to Getting In (Paperback) by Chioma Isiadinso

Any other books you thought were helpful in creating a brand and weaving it through your application? Does this book contain any school-specific insight that you thought was useful?

Steel · Answer

Haven't read the book - but looking at the able of contents and it seems like the author has a good layout and touches the right things.

I only read one book while preparing for the MBA: Your MBA Game Plan. It was fantastic and definitely helped me structure my process.

GoBruin · Answer

I used the same book as Steel.

ariel · Answer

Thanks guys :-D

Skye10 · Answer

how serendipitous...I actually just finished reading this book last weekend! I've also read the gold-standard: How to Get Into the Top MBA Programs (Richard Montauk), along with PDB's Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at HBS.

The good and the bad of The Best Business Schools' Admissions Secrets according to me:
Good:
1. Focused and insightful discussion of the importance of "personal branding" and some guidance on ways to get that process started.
2. Emphasis on the need for introspection to not only craft differentiating and personal essays, but also to figure out what you want beyond the MBA. 
3. Nice, succinct description of the 3 most important admissions criteria and the most common mistakes to avoid during the application process.

Bad:
1. Most effective as a supplement to a more comprehensive book like Montauk's. 
2. If you're looking for any particularly insightful strategies or tips from the author regarding Harvard admissions (as her whole marketing gimmick is that she is a former Harvard adcom board member) or any other b-school for that matter, forget about it.
3. It takes the author 274 pages to communicate about 75 pages worth of useful information; things can get a little repetitive, and I didn't find the prose all that impressive or stimulating...

bsd_lover · Answer

Try MBA application strategy by Avi Gordon. I found it to be one of the more useful books in terms of preparing an application package.

javaexe · Answer

Hi 
I got the book couple of days before and have gone through the book. As Skye10 mentioned this is a bit long for the material presented. It is good additional material if you have time. 
Shiva

refurb · Answer

I thought Paul Bodine's book was one of the best when it came to the actual writing of essays.

RF

eresh · Answer

I have the book, but its too long and I did not had the patience to go through the whole book, specially as I am preparing for GMAT. However, I screened through the book. It has a 3/5 page description of the top 25/30 schools which seemed useful.

EyeOfTheTiger · Answer

Has anyone tried "mbaMission's Insider Guides" (availabe for the top schools) . They were advertised at the ManhattanGMAT site and are $25 each.Just want to get some feedback from people before I buy it

photoguy · Answer

I own the Isiadinso book and personally I found it very helpful for developing my message. In the end you're trying to present a unique profile and you have a very finite amount of space to do it. I think the process in her book is helpful as you try and develop a well-rounded brand image.

The Montauk book is great as a reference, but I've found MBA Game Plan and Isiadinso's more helpful from a global perspective. Montauk does have a very helpful list of typical applicant profiles and the weaknesses you will need to overcome.

Application Strategy Books

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards