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29 May 2022, 04:02
| FROM MBA and Beyond: How to bring 'IMPACT' into your MBA applications? |
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We all are aware of the role played by your academic stats in front of the Business school admissions committees. However, we speak to the admissions directors of top B-schools every year, and the one thing that is common across all of them is they care much more about who you are and how you fit into their community than just your GPAs and GMAT scores. The B-school essays are your best chance to showcase a strong personality and sell the person behind the résumé. Your essays should be able to connect each dot of your application to build a coherent narrative and create an overall comprehensive picture of who you are, what you've achieved, and what unique experiences you will bring to the table. Our consultants talk, in length, about how you can build unique applications. Listen to them talking here! One of the most generic but equally important questions that you would come across while drafting your B-school essays is what are your plans for making an impact on your class and in the school’s community or How would you drive an impact in class to enrich the school community (well it won’t be an exact replica, but the essence would be similar). This article will help you understand what ‘Impact’ is and how you can build applications that showcase an Impactful leader. Now one might ask why is this important? Well, business schools look for great leaders who can provide befitting solutions to real-world problems and create a huge impact in their communities. This is why it’s so crucial for you to exemplify both past and future impact in your B-School essays – you want the adcom to have a clear idea of what changes you are capable of making and are passionate about and how the MBA from their school will specifically empower you to make even greater changes. What is ‘Impact’?Now that you are clear about its importance let us get down to business. First and foremost, it’s important to understand how we define impact. Most candidates often feel that impact and achievements are synonymous; however, that’s not how b-schools perceive its definition. Instead, we consider the impact a broader aspect with achievements playing an important role. Confused? Let us clarify. Driving an impact means telling a coherent story where your experiences and achievements have influenced others to cause a change in the project/system/organization/society/friends & family. As for achievements, you can be an excellent sportsperson, swimmer, poet, or writer and have won several accolades and honors, but all of these are individual milestones that you have achieved and showcases your personality and leadership more than driving an impact on any change. However, this is not to say that achievement are not meant to showcase impact. They very much are. But you need to know what achievements are showcasing what aspect of you. For example, some can exhibit your personality, leadership potential, and impact. And you also need to know which ones to highlight, when, and how. For example, suppose you don’t have a bunch of personal accolades and certificates. However, you were the first person to represent your club at nationals, which changed people's outlook towards the sports and attracted more and more candidates to be engaged in the activity, creating a ground for future achievers. That’s pure gold!! It’s ten times more important to create a winning environment than to win individually! How to effectively illustrate impact in application essays?First and foremost, you need to communicate to the adcom that you are a vibrant personality with strong leadership potential as business schools are interested in leaders and not applicants content with obeying the herd. Next on, try and fill your essays with plenty of real-life examples. May it be volunteering & community service, critical projects, extracurriculars, and others. Detailed anecdotes and vivid attributes make a much greater impact than general claims and broad summaries. You must follow an in-depth approach to answer such effect prompts. We would suggest candidates use the well-renowned STAR approach as it’s by far one of the best ways of illustrating impact in these situations as it shouldn’t just highlight the success gained through your actions, but also the entire scenario as a whole along with what more you did beyond your occasional role. But here is a catch! When we talk about strengths, we follow a STAR approach. However, we should follow the STAR approach with ‘i’ referring to impact when discussing achievements. Not familiar with the approach? Here’s a short piece that might help you familiarize yourself with the STAR approach One of the biggest mistakes applicants make while talking about their achievements is they keep rambling about how they moved a KPI from one point to another. Still, by doing so, they are making themselves more and more comparable with no personality. Instead, you need to introspect and think about how your actions brought a huge long-term impact (think qualitatively) on the working of the organization/system/community. This is why we follow a very unique and extensive framework in our process to help applicants introspect deeply about their personalities and life experiences before they start working on their applications. You can learn more about our methodology here. The next crucial point is to avoid any unwanted generalizations. A B-school essay full of generalizations and common examples shows that you don't have anything unique. Hence, try to be unique and specific with your criteria; there is no need to ramble upon your junior high and high school glory days. Adcoms don't care about you as a house captain or chief editor of the yearbook (these are important but not unique). The adcom expects its candidates to have practical work experience and more current examples. Additionally, try to highlight professional and extracurricular examples that relate to the future impact you want to make as a part of the school community. The adcoms favor such applicants with well-defined plans for future impact. Hence, you must demonstrate that you have a plan. Lastly, keep in mind that your aim is not to prove that you are the best and number one candidate for the program; it is to demonstrate how you will be an asset to the business school. So, stress on presenting your fit to the school’s community. And this brings us to our next part.! Specify how the school’s MBA program will help you make an impact in the communityImpact essays are nothing but all about individual aspirations. No adcom is foolish enough to believe that you can accomplish everything you lay out in your B-school essays. Instead, they’re looking for people with aspirational & innovative ideas for making positive changes in the world. Furthermore, they are interested in knowing how well you would thrive in their environment and help them grow simultaneously. Hence, before attempting such impact prompts, make sure you do your research on each school you are planning to apply to so that you are well aware of the communities, clubs, courses, faculty, and other opportunities that are made available to MBA candidates. You can learn everything you need to know for your target schools here. Then, take some time to think about which of these appear most relevant to you and where you can drive future impact. For this, it’s critical to be specific about how the upcoming opportunities relate to you and how they will influence your future. Finally, prove to the adcom that you have done your research and planning and their b-school, and you are a perfect fit for each other to contribute to each other’s goals! Demonstrate vulnerability and a sense of humor. It’s fine! You're a real person, not programmed robots, and it's okay to show it! We ensure that our applicants bring 100% unique personalities to their essays. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a profile evaluation call with you and help you understand your strengths and weaknesses and the schools that best fit your profile! SUBMIT A PROFILE EVALUATION REQUEST |
29 May 2022, 07:01
| FROM MBA and Beyond: Significance of Extracurriculars for MBA Application |
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When it comes to the MBA admission process at top B-Schools, the role your extracurricular activities for mba play in the process for your application is multifaceted. It can give a good idea about your out-of-resume skills (did we just invent a phrase!?), leadership abilities, and the inner qualities you possess apart from work acumen. Now you may ask why so many top B-schools ask about extracurricular activities for MBA application? Or, Do I have to write it? Or (more pressing), What do I write if I have none? To answer your question in one sentence- Yes, you MUST write them, and you don’t know this, but you have a lot of ECs (more on this later!). To explain more, extracurricular activities for MBA help bring an alternative form of your heterogeneity (simply said, diversity) to Adcoms attention. In addition, they present a great way to learn more about your new skills /values, personality, and experiences and add additional points to your profile by providing strong reasons for them to consider your application positively. We talk to adcoms every year, and the one thing that is common across all B-schools is that they want to know who you are (without self-biases) and how you fit into the community. And your ECs are the strongest evidence for this. Read how we help applicants showcase a 100% unique personality through our extensive application process. This article will deal with one of the most critical aspects of an MBA profile: how to highlight Extracurriculars in your applications. Then, we’ll discuss different kinds of ECAs, how to categorize them, how to use them in your B-School essays, and finally, how one can stand out in their Extracurricular Essays. At last, we will also share some practical tips for the whole extracurricular essays framework and how you can capitalize on it for maximum benefit (along with sharing the essay of a successful applicant!). But first, let us look at some common attributes showcased by your ECAs. Here is a snapshot of the article: [*]Role of Extracurriculars activities for MBA in the Admissions Process [/*][*]Importance of Ecs in your application [/*][*]What Extracurricular activities for MBA to include? [/*][*]Different types of categorizations [/*][*]Where to use your Extracurricular activities for MBA? [/*][*]How to stand out in your Extracurricular Essays? [/*][*]How should you position yourself if you don’t have any ECs outside work? [/*][*]Sample of Extracurricular essays of a successful applicant to INSEAD [/*][*]Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) [/*][/list] Role of Extracurriculars activities for MBA in the Admissions ProcessWe all are well aware of the role different aspects of a candidate’s profile, such as academic profile, work experience, standardized tests (GRE/GMAT, TOEFL & IELTS), LORs, and B-school essays, play in the MBA admissions process. Apart from all this, Extracurriculars activities for MBA form another very critical aspect which, among the six elements of your profile mentioned above, present an excellent opportunity for you to add diversity of ideas and personality and provide a chance to showcase your impact on the community, all of which would be essential for you to stand out from your peers. Importance of Extracurriculars for MBA resume in your application What attributes do Extracurricular Activities for MBA underline in front of Adcoms? Suggested Reading: How to build your MBA application 101? Ability to multitaskToday’s rapidly changing business world generates a huge demand for people who can multitask at higher levels. Whether you are enrolled in a UG program or working full time, if you can excel in your extracurriculars, it is an indicator that you can multitask well, which forms a crucial attribute for any top candidate. Leadership/teamworkThe primary goal of an MBA program is to prepare students for leadership roles in the business world. Hence any notable example of leadership at any level, whether leading potential recruits through the club at school, handling logistics for the college fest committee, organizing a summit, representing your sports club at different levels/ alma mater in national-level sports competitions, etc., the skill-set developed in management, leadership and the ability to work well in a team setting are highlighted via your participation in ECA. Hence, these become an excellent indicator of your potential future leadership. Suggested reading: How to exhibit different forms of leadership in your MBA application? Initiatives taken An entrepreneur's biggest characteristic is to take initiatives that most are afraid to because of the risk involved. And trust us, adcoms love entrepreneurs! Be it as small as taking the initiative to start any activity Club in college or strategizing/conceptualizing to launch an initiative to address social challenges or any pressing social issue, or as big as launching your successful startup, your ability to take the initiative (with the risk involved) and to work independently in a project are important characteristics every entrepreneur must-have. Via an ECA, you can highlight all these qualities needed to earn you that coveted spot in an MBA program. If you don’t have any particular ECs to show, you can and must talk about anything that interests you (it can be as simple as cooking or dancing). Just bring out your personality and make your applications interesting. If you’d like to know how you can bring out your personality in your applications, we are happy to hear your story and help you create your unique MBA pitch. What Extracurricular activities for MBA to include? Categorizing your extracurricularsExtracurricular activities for MBA would include any activity/hobbies, school clubs, group participation, volunteering, community work, and startups. Concisely, an Extracurricular Activity for MBA could be defined as doing something productive “outside one’s regular duties or routine” and “not in the scope of a regular school curriculum.” Hence, following the definition, it leaves an almost endless list of possible Extracurricular activities for MBA. All you need to do is to Think outside the box! Think outside the resume (remember this phrase we invented at the beginning of the article?)! Even if you have little to no participation in schoolwork or college fests, don’t be disheartened. You probably do have a great hobby that you have been consistently involved with, and that’s unique in its way. All you need now is to find a way to present it. Moreover, while selecting your Extracurricular activities for MBA, do not rush to add everything you have ever done. Instead, be selective, pick what would reflect your most impactful and authentic self, and always remember to add a tinge of diversity. Diversity is important, fellas! Try to create a list to organize your extracurriculars for MBA and keep from being repetitive. Different types of categorizations [*]Time of Extracurricular Activities [/*][/list]Your Extracurricular activities for MBA can be divided based on the period when you were involved in them. For example, it could be your senior secondary, college, or workplace. Furthermore, for the added advantage, you could include some Extracurricular activities for MBA at each time frame, giving a sense of overall holistic development and how you have grown over time into who you are today. Moreover, you could further categorize whether they were individual tasks or team-related work. Also, you can add any hobby or ECAs that you have been part of since grade school time and are still actively involved in it; this would give a sense of endurance, passion, and loyalty. [*]Type of Extracurricular activities for MBA [/*][/list]Extracurricular activities for MBA can fall under several categorizations according to your need. However, we would divide it into frequent, new, and innovative ECAs for everyone’s understanding. For example, a hobby/activity that you regularly perform, such as orchestrating a set monthly event for a club you have been a member of for a long, would highlight the history and come under frequent Extracurricular activities for MBA. By doing so, you would be able to combine each diverse contribution you have made under a single entry, saving space on your resume. Furthermore, it halts you from repeating yourself and establishing a stable history of what you have accomplished. Suppose you have been part of something occasionally or infrequently, such as community service or volunteering work for social purposes. In that case, those will help showcase your depth of character, along with your sense of justice and ability to lead and work as a unit, among other qualities. Moreover, if you had launched a start-up or taken the initiative to drive a change in the traditional business world, it would show that you are willing to take necessary risks to bring about a shift in the well-established norms of the business world. [*]Where to use your Extracurricular activities for MBA? [/*][/list]Up till now, you would have understood the value ECAs add to your profile. However, having good ECAs, won’t do much good; it's vital how you incorporate them in your profile and B-school essays and use examples in your interviews. Moreover, you could also go for non-traditional methods such as video blogs, YouTube channels, websites, and any other digital format to make them more fascinating and diverse aside from the more traditional ways of adding details to your CV and LORs.These minor additions can transform your ECAs from “one of many” to one that “stands out” from the crowd and give you an upper hand on another potential student sharing the same hobby with the university. We are happy to brainstorm you on a 1:1 - 45 min free session with you to help you understand how and where you should highlight your ECs in your application. How to stand out in your Extracurricular Essays?Having a handful of Extracurricular activities for MBA won’t do much good if you cannot use them properly in your B-School essays. So, how to begin? First, let us follow a stepwise approach to draw a rough outline of the whole framework. First, you need to decide which extracurricular activities for MBA resume to write about, and the answer is quite simple. Something that gained you recognition, where you demonstrated your leadership potential, and where you were required to shoulder some real responsibilities. Moreover, it should be something you are passionate about and believe it helped develop the most relevant skill-set, which aligns with the school values (very important, mate!). It would help structure your essay if you followed the much-famed STAR approach to writing. The STAR is an acronym for Situation-Task-Action-Result process usually followed while tackling such essay questions to bring about a pinch of uniqueness and a strong impact into your essays. Not familiar with the term? You could read our article on the STAR approach to essay writing for your reference. It would help you gain a better understanding of the term. Remember to mention the crucial steps taken, clarify your role, impact, lessons learned, and values you gained. Provide specific pieces of evidence that gives a sense that your work mattered. How should you position yourself if you don’t have any ECs outside work?There is no need to be disheartened for potential MBA aspirants who do not have many or even any ECA. It is never too late to begin! You don’t necessarily need to have long-term ECAs; one can still have fruitful results, even if you do not start until your application preparations. All you need to do is avoid being too cavalier towards your extracurricular activities for your MBA resume and try to share anything, no matter how minute, then sharing absolutely nothing will give a poor impression of yourself. If you have a few extracurriculars for MBA, work to improve them rather than starting from the beginning. Or, just talk about your hobbies and interests. We have so many super successful applicants who did not have ECs but brought a strong and interesting personality! Refrain from exaggerating and making up, as it never bodes well for your reputation. Extracurriculars for MBA are a way to demonstrate critical traits and skills that could be shown through work-related responsibilities. Eventually, you will be interviewed before the adcom, and your Extracurricular activities will be discussed. Dishonesty in any form would lead to rejection of your candidature. If you want to learn more about how you can portray a strong personality in your applications, join our consultants in our upcoming session (hold your coffee!). Sample of Extracurricular essays of a successful applicant to INSEAD Hope it helped you gain some confidence in bringing a strong, vibrant personality of yours through your ECs (even if you don't have the traditional NGO or volunteering experience). We believe each applicant is unique (yes, we truly believe it. Ask any of our successful applicants) and with the right strategy and people, you can bring a 100% unique application and make a mark on adcoms. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you and evaluate your profile with a 360-degree analysis of your strengths, weaknesses, goals, and ECs. SUCCESS STORIES SUBMIT A PROFILE EVALUATION REQUEST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) [*] Do extracurriculars matter for MBA? Extracurricular activities for MBA play a multifaceted role in your admission process. First, it can give a good idea about your skills, leadership abilities, and the inner qualities you possess apart from work understanding and help bring an alternative form of your heterogeneity to Adcoms attention. [/*] [*] What are some good extracurricular activities to put on a resume? There is an endless list of possible Extracurricular activities for MBA resume. However, while selecting your extracurriculars for MBA, you need to think outside the box to be diverse, Something that gained you recognition, where you demonstrated your leadership potential, and where you were required to shoulder some real responsibilities. Moreover, it should be something you are compassionate about and believe that it helped develop the most relevant skill-set, which aligns with the school values. [/*] [/list] |
29 May 2022, 09:01
| FROM MBA and Beyond: How to build a strong profile if you are more than 12 months away from your MBA deadlines? |
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Building a strong MBA profile is the most crucial and initial step in the MBA application process. Some parts of an MBA candidate's profile, such as academic performance, professional accomplishments, leadership experience, and community service commitments, cannot be built overnight. There are the following two aspects of the whole MBA admissions process, and both of them play an important role in determining your chances of selection. [*]MBA Profile- involves all the different components of your MBA application profile, i.e., academic strength, work experience, and extracurriculars. You need to have strong achievements in all these aspects to stand a good chance at the world's top B-schools. [/*][/list][*]MBA Application- Having a good MBA profile is one thing, and portraying and selling it to b-schools is another. Each of the various components of an MBA application, from the essay to the reference letters to the CV, is important and helps showcase your personality and how you are a good fit for these top B-schools. [/*][/list]Hence, applying to b-schools is not just a 1-2 month process. You need to get started at least 12-15 months before your MBA deadlines to evaluate and start building a strong MBA profile and application. If you’d like, you can hop on a free Profile evaluation call with our experts, and we’ll give you a 360-degree analysis of your profile and help you build a strong action plan for your applications. This article will help you understand the whole MBA application process and provide you with some super relevant insights into how you can increase your chances of selection at top B-schools. Here's a snapshot of the article: [*]Why Should You Begin the MBA Application Process Early? [/*][*]MBA Application Process: When and How to Apply for an MBA [/*][/list] Why Should You Begin the MBA Applications Process Early?It’s a no-brainer that starting preparing for something early helps you provide a competitive edge and more so for MBA applications as the process is exhaustive. Moreover, it includes building a strong MBA profile, and you can only build a strong MBA profile when you know where you stand right now for your target b-schools and what you need to do to improve and strengthen your MBA profile to showcase a good fit to the schools. We mentor applicants to build a strong MBA profile if they are more than 12 months away from their MBA application deadlines. You can check out our profile building services here. Along with building a strong MBA profile, creating strong MBA applications to portray it plays a very important role (as already highlighted), and mark our words, you can only build strong MBA applications when you have enough time to introspect on questions like why do you need an MBA? How is an MBA going to help you achieve your goals? What are your short-term and long-term goals? When you figure out these most important questions, you can deeply understand your MBA profile and personality better and portray it in your MBA applications. And our dear friend, this introspection process takes good time. You can read how we help MBA applicants introspect and strongly portray their unique selling points. MBA Application Process: When and How to Apply for an MBA Suggested Reading: Strategies to maximize your chances for Round 1 MBA, How to build your MBA Application 101? , Top MBA Programs starting in January 2023 Having 12 months on your side provides you with several advantages. If we talk about points, these are the areas you may cover in entrepreneurial develop an excellent MBA profile. If you don't have a strong MBA profile based on the abovementioned factors, 12 months will give you enough time to cover all of the components and strengthen your MBA profile. You may learn some good tips to work on your MBA profile and application here- How to build your MBA Application 101? Aside from academics, ECs, and work experience, the GMAT/GRE should be one key consideration. GMAT- You must take the GMAT, the most difficult obstacle in your MBA application process. The GMAT is one of the most important factors to consider when creating a list of target B-schools and one of the most exhaustive parts of the whole MBA application process. The best time to get done with the GMAT is at least six months before your MBA deadlines to plan your MBA application strategy (as the GMAT will influence your list of schools to a good extent). And in case you do not score the desired score., you will have time to retake it before focusing on other aspects of the MBA application (school selection, résumé, essays, and recommendation letters). You can read about how your GMAT and application strategy are strongly interconnected and why you should start working on them as soon as you can. Admission to an MBA school is a difficult process. Some individuals can accomplish it in 3-4 months, but most MBA applicants need 9-12 months to prepare (and almost all our successful MBA applicants are a testimony to why you should start early). The key to success here is to outline all critical stages, schedule them, and ensure that you follow through on your strategy. Spend 3-4 hours a day studying for the GMAT, spend your weekends talking to b-schools and current MBA candidates and alumni, think about your personal story, etc. There will also come when you may get stuck and feel clueless about the process. But, in any case, MBA and Beyond are here for you through thick and thin. We make sure that our MBA applicants can build 100% unique applications, and we are happy to evaluate your profile and help you create a strong action plan for your applications! If you’d like, you can jump on a free Profile evaluation call with our experts here, SUBMIT A PROFILE EVALUATION REQUEST OUR PROCESS |
04 Jun 2022, 23:01
| FROM MBA and Beyond: Consider the ‘Four C’s’ while choosing a Business School |
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With just a few months away from the 1st round of September intake 2023, many candidates may be anxious about deciding B-school that aligns with their profile requirements and career goals. However, with the pace at which the MBA deadlines are approaching, it's time that you take some important considerations when making the big decision about your target B-school. The concept of the four C's.'Apart from satisfying the basic benchmarks for GMAT/GRE, work experience, and GPA for an MBA program, one must consider the following factors - cost, Curriculum, Career, Culture & Community, namely the four C's. 1) CONSIDERING COST/FINANCESAn MBA isn't cheap. A full-time two-year MBA costs $200,000 at every B-school ranked in the top 25 in the US. Moreover, it includes the opportunity cost paid by the aspirant for staying out of the job market for her MBA; hence, an aspiring candidate needs to consider finances when deciding. While considering finances, the duration of an MBA program plays a critical role in determining ROI. Learn to calculate your ROI for your target schools here. Moreover, it's critical to compare B-schools' financial aid offers, especially those that aren't ranked in the top 20. Also, having an offer in hand from one business school could be used as leverage for an aid package, and could ask another B-school to match it or even get a better financial aid package! 2) CAREEREveryone has unique post-MBA goals with consulting, product management, investment banking, and other conventional and non-conventional careers. Moreover, everyone applying belongs to a different industry and has a diverse academic background. Hence, you must choose a B-school that has a high acceptance rate for your current background and, at the same time, would help you succeed in your post-MBA goals. Therefore, choosing a business school must be uniquely aligned to your career goals, and to do this research, you will have to go through the employment reports of your target B-schools and do a lot of networking with alumni, current students, and experts to understand how a school can uniquely contribute to your short term goals. If you’d like, you can hop on a 1:1 call with our experts to get a 360-degree evaluation of your profile and the school recommendation that best fits your profile. Important Reads for choosing the right B-schools that fit your career- [*]MBA in Product Management [/*][*]MBA in Consulting [/*][*]MBA in Oil & Gas Management [/*][*]MBA in Healthcare Management [/*][/list] 3) CURRICULUMIt's deemed necessary for an applicant to go through the entire MBA curriculum to understand how the curriculum (with major and elective subjects) will equip you with the right skills and knowledge that you are looking to gain from an MBA. This requires a very deep introspection into oneself to understand why you need an MBA and what skills and characteristics you need to develop from it. You can read more about how to introspect for your ‘Why MBA’ here. Apart from cost, rank, ROI, and curriculum, an MBA is an investment in you. It shapes your personality and helps you achieve your short-term goals, and nurtures you for your long-term goals. And a school’s culture and community play a huge role in shaping your personality and building long-term networks and relationships. So you need to research a lot deep into your target school’s culture and community through their events, networking with alums and current students and experts who have a brilliant understanding of a school’s values, culture, and society. Also, read about the clubs and events a school has, as it will help you understand how different clubs can nurture you and how you can contribute to the school’s community. You can read about different schools in detail here. For example, programs in urban centers, such as Wharton, Chicago Booth, and Harvard, may feel more competitive and intense. On the other hand, smaller B-schools usually foster a close-knit community, especially in rural settings. Many students live on campus and interact with fellow students and faculty regularly, thus developing a collaborative culture for the MBA programs. HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT MBA PROGRAM?There could be numerous factors to be considered; however, at the end of the day, the School decision is a personal choice that would ultimately affect your life the most. Therefore, while you can consider numerous factors, it's important to look at the big picture. Rank, ROI, community, and network all are worth considering, but the most important thing to consider is that no matter what B-school you decide on, make sure it feels right to you. As it may feel logical, choosing the right fit for yourself is more of a personal, self-reflective process! And hence before you go on to researching schools, make sure you introspect deep enough to understand your career goals and aspirants and how an MBA will lead you to your goals. We follow a unique application process with our applicants to make sure they dig deep into them all the important aspects of their application (why MBA, goals and aspirations, strengths, weaknesses, etc.) before they can shortlist schools. You can read more about it here. If you need opinions from experts and alums of different business schools on your profile, please schedule a call with us. We are here with a vision to help candidates get clarity around their life, vision, and goals and would be happy to add as much value as we can to your application journey. SCHEDULE A FREE PROFILE EVALUATION SESSION |
06 Jun 2022, 01:02
| FROM MBA and Beyond: Average GRE Scores for Top MBA Programs |
 Average GRE scores by business school can provide applicants with a sense of the rigor of the MBA program, expectations of the adcom and general competitiveness of the applicant pool. While the GMAT used to be the only accepted admissions exam at leading MBA programs, many have opened up to other options, including the GRE. The GRE consists of a 60-minute Analytical Writing section, which includes two essays that applicants have 30 minutes each to complete. An additional Verbal Reasoning section also features two 30-minute sections of 20 questions each. Another two sections are devoted to Quantitative Reasoning, each with a 35-minute time allotment for completion. Finally, there is a 30- to 35-minute experimental section that can be either math or verbal. In general, MBA candidates from nontraditional backgrounds or lacking in a history of quantitative work tend to favor the GRE over the GMAT. To see where you stack up against other MBA applicants, see the average GRE scores by business school in the chart below. Please note, business schools may accept the GRE, but not report scores in their class profiles. The chart below includes the average GRE scores by business schools that report them. Check your target school’s requirements before ruling out the GRE as a test option. LIST OF AVERAGE GRE SCORES FOR TOP MBA PROGRAMS (TOP 20 BUSINESS SCHOOLS)Based on the profile of the class of 2022, this information was obtained from school websites. *If there is a blank in the columns, the information is not available on any public platform.* Rank Business School Average GRE score Verbal Quant AWA 1 Stanford University 329 165 164 5 2 Wharton University 322 161 161 - 3 Chicago Booth 324 163 161 - 4 Kellogg 326 163 163 - 5 Harvard University 326 163 163 - 6 INSEAD 325-329 - - - 7 London School of Business 320+ - - - 8 University of California – Berkeley ( Hass) 322 161 161 4.5 9 Yale University 328 164 164 4.6 10 Dartmouth College (Tuck) 320 161 159 - 11 New York University ( Stern) 324 163 161 4.7 12 Duke University Fuqua 314 157 157 4.3 13 University of Michigan- Ross 317 159 159 4.1 14 University of Virginia Darden 319 160 159 5 15 Cornell University(Johnson) 321 160 161 4.2 16 Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) 321 160 161 4.2 17 University of California-LA (Anderson) 325 162 163 4.6 18 University of Texas (McCombs) 318 159 159 4.3 19 Kenan-Flager 319 159 160 4.4 20 Arizona State University W.P. School of Business 314 - - - 21 Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business 312 - - - Visit this page to learn everything there is to know about the GRE and GMAT tests, as well as which one you should take.  Feel free to hop on a Free profile evaluation call with our experts and get a 360-degree analysis of your profile and best-fit school suggestions. bOOK pROFILE EVALUATION CALL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1) Who accepts the GRE? Thousands of graduate institutions and business schools accept GRE scores. You should look into the requirements for specific graduate programs to see what examinations they require. 2) What is the GRE’s scoring system? Answer - Both the Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning portions of the GRE are graded on a scale of 130-170, with 1 point increments. On a scale of 0-6, with 0.5-point increments, the Analytical Writing component is graded. To know more about the scoring system, read the GRE grading scale 3) What is the average GRE score for MBA Programs? The GRE is approved by the majority of the world’s leading business schools. Most international business schools consider a score of 325 or above to be competitive enough to get into your dream school. 4) Do all MBAs accept GRE? GRE scores are accepted by business institutions providing MBA programs all around the world. Students who want to study MBA in any nation can take the GRE and apply for some of the top B-schools around the globe. But Students should constantly check the specific prerequisites and eligibility criteria of the college/university/program they wish to enroll in according to the courses. 5) Do top MBA programs accept GRE? Yes, GRE scores are accepted by over 1200 MBA programs worldwide, including some of the best B-schools such as Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, INSEAD, Kellogg, and many others. |
12 Jun 2022, 01:01
| FROM MBA and Beyond: Why Self-Bias in MBA application is A Major Problem And How To Avoid It? |
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With the MBA round 1 deadlines right around the corner, it’s time you take a deep dive into building strong MBA applications for your target schools. We have discussed a lot about how a candidate can strengthen his MBA profile, how to present ECAs in your B-school MBA application essays, and how one can pitch for his unique character and personality aligning it with the school values. However, this time, we would deal with something very important yet invisible in most MBA applications- “self-bias.” We speak to admissions directors every year, and one common thing across all b-schools is THEY CAN IDENTIFY SELF-BIASES in your MBA applications. But unfortunately, this implies most MBA applicants fail to bring an authentic personality of their own in their MBA applications and hence lose the game. Therefore, this article will discuss how you can present 100% unique applications by avoiding self-biases in your MBA applications. Hey, don’t get overwhelmed! Let’s slowly understand this new phrase. Now, one no-brainer thing is that we are all biased towards many things that are dear to us, but mostly towards ourselves. We tend to over-estimate or under-estimate ourselves in different situations, at other times.! However, when you are stacked against thousands of MBA applicants who have very similar backgrounds to yours, you need to be biased free in your school application to make an MBA application come across as neutral and authentic as possible and at the same time, it showcases the adcom the ability to self-introspect at a deeper level and adds additional points for cognizance and consciousness. Therefore, now that you have a brief idea about the concept and how it affects your chances, first and foremost, let’s address the elephant in the room; how the heck are we supposed to know? Well, the answer is quite simple. The truth is it’s quite difficult for human beings to identify their own biases and filter them out all by themselves (it doesn’t mean it can’t be done). So how are we supposed to deal with it? “A different perspective.” Yep, you heard that right! The best way to remove bias in your MBA application is for someone to go through your profile and provide a fresher perspective about the different elements of your profile. It’s common practice for MBA aspirants to connect with school alumni, seniors, and peers to discuss their profiles to identify any flaws and scope of improvement. However, that’s not half the fun; what’s more interesting is that any person close enough to you (even not a subject expert) can determine the biases in your MBA profile (and they’ll be much better at it than alumni or experts). Intriguing? Well, think of it like this. Suppose you have a great hobby: gardening, singing, poetry, or anything else you do in your free time. However, you strongly feel that it’s irrelevant to your academic and professional background and doesn’t bring out the best in you. But, conversely, your friends believe that it makes your personality vibrant. It’ll help you showcase yourself as a person with a diverse skill set, one who wants to achieve something in a world beyond academics, and truly represents you as someone who motivated many more to dare and follow the same path. That’s how you remove self-bias! Removing self-bias in your MBA applicationNow that you got a fair idea about biases let’s try to identify some common ones. First, you should review your resume once and identify areas where you might have gone overboard regarding a single experience, project, or group work. It might help to include family and friends as they are a great source of information on your personality and can provide a very good perspective on your profile. How our process worksNow that you understand the importance of making your MBA application bias-free let us briefly walk through our content-gathering process to show you how we at MBA and Beyond make your MBA application bias-free. We call it - THE ‘TESSERACT.’ As consultants, we have spent a significant amount of time speaking to a lot of admissions directors and admissions committees (AdComs) of business schools every year, just to understand how they are analyzing MBA applications and what they are seeking in applicants that particular year so that we are on top of our game. However, throughout all these years of conversing with multiple schools, we’ve learned that one thing has stayed constant across MBA applications of all the business schools: that adcoms can identify self-biases in your MBA application, and the presence of self-biases leaves a sour taste across AdComs. This is where our process comes into place. To address and undo self-biases and make your MBA application come across as neutral and connected as possible, we seek to holistically understand the MBA applicants’ personalities from a third-person perspective. The ‘Tesseract’ is a set of questions we crafted to collect additional information about the applicant and their personality. We believe that friends and family are a great source of information on an MBA applicant’s personality and can provide a good perspective on their profile. Therefore, as part of the process, we ask MBA applicants to choose three really important people in their life, one person, one professional, and the third one could be either. All this information will come in handy when we build your unique MBA pitch and when you struggle with finding inspiring examples from your life's perspective. Moreover, it would also contribute to a major part of your recommendation (if it is from a third-person eligible to be a recommender). You can read in detail about our process here. 〰️ You can read in detail about our process here. 〰️ https://www.mbaandbeyond.com/how-we-work You can read in detail about our process here. 〰️ Also, join us for the upcoming coffee and hear our consultants (who have been part of adcoms and hail from b-schools like Harvard, Wharton, INSEAD, and many others) talking about how you can strengthen your applications and bag huge scholarships. SUBMIT A PROFILE EVALUATION REQUEST |
12 Jun 2022, 10:01
| FROM MBA and Beyond: Twelve practical ways to improve your GMAT score! |
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The GMAT test is a reliable and strong predictor of academic achievement in MBA and other master's degree programs in business. Furthermore, it gives a consistent assessment of intellectual ability for admissions officers who must choose candidates from diverse educational programs and undergraduate majors worldwide and varied levels of professional experience. GMAT preparation is a marathon, not a sprint; it takes time to get a hold of it. Remember that no secret test-taking approach can guarantee you a perfect score in a couple of weeks (not, at least, if your starting score is far below that level). This article will help you get some secret tips to improve your score and understand how you can strengthen your application strategy alongside GMAT preparation and improve your chances of selection by 2x. Here's a snapshot of the article; [*]GMAT sections [*]How to improve your overall GMAT score? [/*][*]GMAT Quantitative Improvement. [/*][*]The verbal section of the GMAT. [/*][*]GMAT IR section. [/*][/list][/*][/list][*]How to strengthen your application alongside GMAT? [/*][/list] The sections of GMAT; A BriefGMAT is no joke, and it's challenging for exam takers. Non-native English speakers may struggle with the Verbal and Analytical Writing Assessment sections. Students who have not reviewed basic arithmetic subjects in a long time may work with the Quantitative section. Knowledge of the GMAT sections is crucial. The GMAT online exam evaluates the following skills for graduate business education: This part is broken into four sections, which are as follows: [*]Analytical Writing Evaluation (AWA) [/*][*]Verbal Reasoning [/*][*]Integrated Reasoning, [/*][*]Quantitative Reasoning [/*][/list]A thorough examination of the GMAT; [*]Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) – assesses your critical thinking and communication abilities. [/*][*]Verbal Reasoning – assesses your ability to read and understand written information, analyze arguments, and modify written content to conform to standard written English. [/*][*]Quantitative Reasoning assesses your ability to apply reasoning skills to investigate facts and draw conclusions. [/*][*]Integrated Reasoning assesses your ability to examine data and interpret knowledge in various ways. [/*][/list] How to improve your OVERALL GMAT score?1) Get rid of flaws- GMAT is a game of analyzing. You need to analyze where you are consistently mistaken and work on it patiently. Create milestones for yourself after analyzing every mock for the next one. Analyze and Correct Specific Flaws : 2) Analytical Writing Evaluation (AWA) - Paragraph one is about the introduction; in this section, try to identify the argument, mention the author's point to support or dispute the statement, and indicate if you agree or disagree with the author's point with reason. Explain your perspective in paragraph two, and if you disagree with the argument, give two strong reasons why and how you disagree. Be brief and precise. Don't veer too far from the subject. What can be the resolution to the points you mentioned in the last paragraph to make the author's argument more valid and logical? 3) Verbal Reasoning - Reading comprehension is more than merely reading them; to ace this portion, you must understand the actual words used to answer the questions and read and process the information more effectively. The same can be said about Sentence Correction and Critical Thinking. Verbal does not imply subjectively.' Every question has a clear, conclusive answer, and the proper response has a logical rationale. "You must know the solution to justify it." If you don't already know the solution, more than one appears probable, and there's no way to know which one is correct." this is a poor excuse rather than an explanation; this may sound pretentious, but it is the truth of this section. You do not need to be a native English speaker to do well. A good reading habit is beneficial; nonetheless, the GMAT verbal is not so difficult that you cannot perform well if you are a non-native speaker with a very limited reading habit. Begin reading right away. 4) Integrated Reasoning – Data reading and analysis; Don't rush to respond to a question. Instead, go slowly and grasp the question, even if you have to re-read it. Check to check whether you comprehend what the question is asking. It is challenging yet includes all the knowledge needed to answer the questions. Analyze each data source thoroughly because the questions require a complete understanding of the information. Suggested Reading; Will a low GMAT IR score affect my chances if my GMAT is competitive? 5) Don't make assumptions- Don't let prior knowledge of the question influence your response. If the information is not included in the question, consider it null and void. Otherwise, you'll have to figure out how one piece of data affects another. Many queries will ask you to use facts to build a response. 6) Go over all possible answers- Reading your response possibilities may also help you determine your solution because it may eliminate an answer alternative. Sort through the unnecessary material to find the important information. The amount of information offered by the GMAC with each question might quickly become overwhelming. On all requests, you will always receive irrelevant information. That is part of the test–you must figure out which elements of the charts/tables/graphs are relevant to the question. 7) Quantitative Reasoning - Improving your GMAT quant score is a difficult endeavor; nevertheless, if you can apply yourself and study smartly, you can see significant increases in your GMAT score; GMAT quant is more than just math; To improve your score, you must use reasoning skills as well as basic arithmetic concepts such as square difference, triangle properties, patterns in-unit digits, patterns in remainders, divisibility, algebraic translations, Venn diagrams, and permutations and combinations. Enhancing your GMAT quant score will be tough unless you thoroughly understand the underlying math. Now, will knowing math be enough to get you a high GMAT quant score? Most likely not. The key is understanding how the GMAT employs basic mathematics to generate logic-based questions. To increase your GMAT quant score, you'll need math knowledge and analytical thinking skills. 8) Take the following exams every two weeks: Take a quiz. Examine your areas of weakness (topic-wise or section-wise). Choose the first two or three weak subjects. Within two weeks, improve using guidelines, notes, and online discussions. Take another exam. Repeat as necessary. And make sure to have sufficient gaps between your mocks to give yourself time to work on your identified weaknesses. 9) The GMAT is different from other tests- It is not just about getting things right. It’s about getting the most things right in a limited time. Thus, to win the GMAT, you need to practice sticking to your timing, making educated guesses, and moving on from a tough question in case you cannot figure out the right approach within your Takt-Time. 10) Exposure Therapy: To learn to stay cool while taking the GMAT, you can imagine taking the GMAT in practice tests and feel and learn to manage any anxious responses that arise. If, when you think of the test, career-related pressure triggers anxious feelings, you could visualize yourself taking the test and feeling that pressure and practicing acknowledging that feeling without becoming anxious. You could imagine yourself getting an easy question and wondering whether that is a sign that you didn’t get the previous question correct. How do you respond to that situation? How do you want to respond? Consider each practice test as your D-Day, and you will learn to recognize and manage your anxiety. 11) Refer to the following official resources: Individual test maker manuals are unrivaled. Take as many official GMAT mock examinations as you can. However, keep in mind that taking the mock test, again and again will give you better results because when you try mock tests, several questions are repeated again and again. A good score will boost your morale, but consider this: if you already know the answers to a few questions, what's the point of retaking the test? The best you can do is take the mock test twice and then focus on the areas you believe you need to improve to ace the GMAT sections. 12) Improve your test-taking and rest-taking abilities: Test-taking tactics must be included in test preparation. Timing techniques(how to manage to answer the question to save time for other sections). Strategies for rest. Strategies for avoiding ( avoiding the questions that are time-consuming). Strategies for guessing Alternative approaches (in quant). One must consider all of these factors to improve test-taking and test-taking abilities. Read how you can build strong applications even with a low GMAT/GPA. Business schools don't care if you can calculate the area of a triangle. Instead, they are concerned with how well you assess data, prioritize, handle high-pressure circumstances, and make sound judgments – and this is where the GMAT comes in to analyze your thinking skills, analyzing skills, and the skills that a candidate should have while entering the B-school, and acing the GMAT at this level becomes critical. How to strengthen your applications alongside your GMAT?Most applicants tend to focus only on one aspect of their application, i.e., GMAT score, and give much less priority to the other elements of their apps (rookie mistake, especially if you are just 4-5 months away from your deadlines!). However, to break this myth for you, this is exactly the opposite of what adcoms are looking for! We talk to adcoms every year, and the one thing that is common across all B-schools is that they want to know who you are (without self-biases) and how you fit into the community, and GMAT is nothing but just a small aspect of the whole application. If your story does not make sense, no matter if you have an 800, you are very much out of the race! And almost all our successful applicants have started their journey at least 4-5 months before their deadline and with their GMAT. Starting early helps you strategize beforehand if you don't score as expected and makes your application independent of the GMAT. You can start introspecting on bigger questions like why you want to do an MBA? How will MBA help you achieve your goals? What are your short-term and long-term goals? Is there any other way to achieve them in almost the same timeline as yours? We help applicants deeply examine their goals, aspirations, personality, and profile to ensure your MBA pitch is 100% unique. Your application strategy is strong so that your score does not impact your chances in your target schools. Read here to know how our unique process helped applicants with as low as 640 GMAT scores to bag as high as 100% scholarships to top B-schools. Once your higher-level questions are sorted, you must introspect other application aspects. For example, you need to consider your biggest achievements, strengths, failures, weaknesses, impact, and learnings from them. This may not look very important to you now but will play a very, very important role in defining your applications' higher-level narrative, storyline, theme, and direction. Suggested Readings- [*]How to bring impact to your applications? [/*][*]STAR approach to introspect your biggest strengths and achievements [/*][*]How to bring collinearity to your post-MBA goals? [/*][*]How to introspect your ‘Why MBA.’ [/*][/list] As soon as you have thoroughly explored your goals and personality, you can start defining your MBA pitch, like what your USP is and how your narrative will look. And, you can begin researching on selecting the right schools for yourself. Again, this may look like something too much for you right now and not very important, but this will ensure that your applications are very strong, even if you don’t score as high as you expected. And if you think you can do this even after your GMAT, ding ding ding! Yes, this is what you may hear from schools. But unfortunately, this is one of the biggest reasons why 90% of applicants get dinged- they don’t give enough time to their application strategy. Suggested Reading; Consider the ‘Four C’s’ while choosing a Business School Our consultants have discussed how you can improve your scores and strengthen your applications in our sessions. Register for the upcoming coffee session to speak to our consultants and address any of your concerns. Preparation for the GMAT cannot be done in a week and nor can be your applications; you need the right time, strategy, and people to ace this process, and we are here with you to help you get a 360-degree evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses and help you build a unique MBA pitch. Schedule a one-on-one Profile evaluation call with our experts if you'd like. We are super duper excited to hear your stories, matey! SUBMIT A PROFILE EVALUATION REQUEST OUR PROCESS |
19 Jun 2022, 03:01
| FROM MBA and Beyond: How to demonstrate your fit to your target business school? |
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Demonstrating your fit is nothing but selling yourself to the school you’re targeting. And to be able to sell your story, you’ll need to chart a long journey of Introspection. You need to understand how you would stand out in front of a slew of admissions officers tasked with sorting through a two million-strong applicant pool. This article will provide some insider tips on how you can demonstrate your fit for your target B-school and increase your chances of selection. [*]What B-schools look for in an applicant. [/*][*]Research about the school [/*][*]Self-evaluation and Introspection [/*][*]Express your fit to your target schools. [/*][/list] What do B-schools look for in an applicant?No matter which B-school you apply to, there are a few things that top B-schools look for in a profile, and these elements help them understand how well you fit their program. Your profile should stand out if you apply to one of the world’s top 25 business schools. What distinguishes your profile as a good fit for a leading global business school? And to answer this question, you must keep these factors in mind: Research about the schoolHow will you communicate your fit if you don’t know the school? From basic awareness to know intricate details about the school, you’ll have to be a know-it-all! We see no one loves a ‘know-it-all,’ but to our surprise (hardly!), b-schools are the biggest nerds, and they love know-it-alls! Yes, you will need to know their career stats for the industry you are targeting, what they value the most in their community, and what they seek from a student. To demonstrate that you are the best fit for that school, try to align your application with their school, which can only be done through research. Meeting people from the business school is the best way to learn about the school, talk to staff, soak up the atmosphere, and get a sense of how the school evaluates applicants. You can also join virtual events, network with people, and talk to experts who understand your target schools well. Self-Evaluation and Introspection-Devote significant time to self-reflection. Take a moment to reflect on your goals, strengths, passions, and personal values. The time you spend reflecting will directly impact your ability to be discerning throughout the research process. This self-awareness step will help youshortlist the right schools and affects how you write your application, as it will be more efficient. Your story will be more compelling to the admission committee, demonstrating that you are a good fit for the school. We use a deep introspection framework that helps our applicants present 100% unique applications and a strong fit to their target b-schools. Learn more about it. Express your fit for the schoolDemonstrate how the school can assist you in reaching your goal- It is important that you demonstrate how your targeted MBA program will assist you in achieving your post-MBA goals. Business school is not a place where you can figure out what you want to do with your life. What if you discover that you don’t need an MBA to accomplish your goal? The MBA program will have a dissatisfied applicant (and probably an unemployed one!), and you will have wasted time and money on something you do not require. The goal is to give the target B-school a clear picture of who you are; as one longtime admissions officer puts it, the essay is “the peek behind the curtain.” Applicants frequently believe that the peek should reveal a dramatic perspective rather than a subtle landscape. Students think, ‘I need to find that exotic thing that sells.’ But that’s not the case; they want to know about you in the essay, not a fairytale. [*]Understand the mission, values, and criteria of your target schools. [/*][*]Demonstrate your ability to complete the work required for your desired program. [/*][*]Demonstrate that you share the school’s values and believe in its mission. [/*][*]Demonstrate how the program can assist you in achieving your goals. [/*][/list] You want to achieve and get through your target school; demonstrating your right fit for the school is no easy task. However, if you sit down and spend a good time in deep introspection about yourself, researching the right schools, and determining where you best fit, you can figure out how to get through the process. Best wishes to you! If you require assistance in your journey to admission to your desired school, we are here to help. Schedule a Profile evaluation call with one of our professionals and ask any questions you may have about your profile/goals/application. We’ll give you a deep analysis of your strengths, weaknesses, and goals and help you build a strong roadmap to your target b-schools. You can read what people say about our profile evaluation sessions here! |
19 Jun 2022, 06:01
| FROM MBA and Beyond: How to choose a Business school that best fits you? |
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Choosing the right MBA program is one of the most important decisions a B-school student will make. Who doesn't need assistance when hundreds of b-school members claim to be the best? But how do you choose the best business school that helps you achieve your career goals? Business schools are the best place to learn about different aspects of business, make the best connections, and strengthen your network when entering the real world. Making an informed decision about which b-school to attend can help you bring the closest to your goals and get the maximum ROI for the huge investment. Learn how you can calculate the ROI of your target school. Why is it critical to choose the best-fit B-school?Choosing the right business school for yourself may make or break your career. It doesn't matter if it's one of the greatest schools in the world; if it doesn't meet the requirements for your post-MBA ambitions, then it's a waste of time. Because your business school will act as a bridge to take you from your current position to the career growth you’re aspiring for. Hence, it's critical to determine how well it aligns with your post-MBA professional objectives. If you want to work for a certain firm, you should see if the company hires from the B-schools you've chosen. Check the B-employment school's placement and statistics report if you want to enter another profession like finance or consulting. Considering this, several factors must be considered when selecting the best B-school. How to choose the right B-school?Self-reflection is the first step in selecting a business school. While characteristics such as ranking and popularity might help you, the best fit is determined by your requirements and aspirations. Therefore, you should ask questions about your ambitions and the ‘why’ behind them. Only then can you develop criteria for comparing different b-schools and choose the one that aligns with your goals. Determine your post-MBA job objectives.As noted above, without understanding (in-depth) your goals, you can’t choose the right b-school. Now, an important thing to note here is that you should not think about your short-term and long-term goals in terms of the professional position you aspire to but also how you want to grow as a person, what you want to achieve in your life and how a b-school can contribute to these qualitative goals of yours. Suggested posts- How can you introspect your post-MBA goals and the ‘why’ behind them? How do you build strong post-MBA goals essays? Post-MBA goals Essays samples of a successful applicant Self-evaluation.While introspecting, there are two more things you need to focus on- [*]Is there any other way for you to achieve your goals without doing an MBA degree? [/*][*]Nuances of your profile and values [/*][/list]Let’s understand them in-depth- 1. Is there any other way for you to achieve your goals without doing an MBA degree? You will stay out of the job market for a considerable period. However, you will put a lot of money into your MBA and probably repay loans for the next few years of your life. An MBA is a huge investment to make. And before you do that, you need to understand if there is any other way you can achieve your goals? 2. Nuances of your profile and values You need to be self-aware of your profile and values. When we say choosing the ‘best-fit’ schools, it does not mean just selecting the one that has good career stats for your post-MBA goals but also that can help you build a network and connections in the industry you aspire to go and nurture your personality and interests to shape you into the ideal person to go in the said industry. And for that, you need to evaluate yourself and figure out- [*]The strength of your profile (GPA in college, GMAT score, career progression) [/*][*]Your Values (through your ECS, interests, and passion) [/*][/list]Comparing B-schools on different parametersChoosing a business school is challenging, and making a selection without conducting research and comparisons is a risk that no one wants to take with their future and career. Questions on academics to determine business school choices – [*]What kind of classes, extracurricular activities, and learning opportunities pique your interest? [/*][/list][*]Do the school's strongest areas of study correspond to your goals? What are the program's admittance requirements, and do you (or can you) meet them? [/*][*]What kind of learning environment do you prefer? [/*][*]Do you like huge lectures with more solo study, or do you prefer small group discussions and discussions? [/*][/list]ProgramsMany students apply to universities based on the programs they offer. The programs available are divided into two categories: [*]General Management Program- General Management Program allows students to work in any industry, providing maximum diversity and placement prospects. [/*][*]Specialization-based Program- A specialization is a particular field of study linked to a certain major and includes coursework separate from the major requirements. [/*][/list]LocationThe geographical location of the B-School is referred to as location. The best schools do not care about location; only the lower-tier institutions do. Therefore, the influence of location on a school is minimal for the top-tier schools, but it gets increasingly significant as you progress down the rankings list. What role does location play in B-school? - The importance of geography depends on your target companies/industries. For example, if you want to work in banking, you should reside close to New York City. Baruch sends a lot of graduates to Wall Street. For IT on the West Coast, oil and gas in Houston, etc. ROI The return on investment is the most significant factor to consider while choosing a B-school. We must assess how much money (in terms of pay) we anticipate making after earning an MBA from a certain school and how much money will be spent obtaining the degree. It's important to remember the following. Business school rankings:When comparing different B-schools, orders are significant, but they should be used with discretion because they are based on other techniques and may assess different characteristics. As a result, paying attention to the ranking procedure and criteria utilized to construct the rankings is crucial. Choosing a business school is a personal decision that should be taken after considerable reflection, self-evaluation, and consideration of your priorities and objectives. Identifying the "must-have" attributes may save you time, energy, and effort during the application process. I hope this post has given you a better understanding of how to go about selecting the right b-school. Choosing a business school may be both complicated and stressful. However, with the right people and approach, you can ace this process; if you'd like, we can set up a one-on-one Profile review call to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses and build a strong roadmap to tackle each aspect of your applications. |
26 Jun 2022, 04:01
| FROM MBA and Beyond: GRE over GMAT- Which one should you pick? |
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The GMAT or the GRE? When applying to business school, thousands of prospective MBA applicants take one of the two leading admission tests. GRE scores for MBA admissions have recently grown in popularity among test takers and admissions officers at B-schools worldwide. Business schools have begun to treat the GRE and GMAT tests equally in their admissions decisions, with no preference given to one over the other. 1,200+ MBA programs accept GRE scores for MBA admissions, giving you more options and not perceiving much difference between them. However, due to a lot of factors, applicants are always in confusion over which one to take; that is why before deciding which test to take, one should look into the business schools that interest you and see if they accept GRE scores for MBA instead of GMAT scores and the acceptance rate of both the results of the test. We covered essential aspects of the topic in this article to provide better insights that will aid your decision-making regarding GRE vs. GMAT. Here is a snapshot of the article: [*]Why GRE over GMAT? [/*][*]GRE vs. GMAT for MBA? [*]Test Focus. [/*][*]Career Goals. [/*][*]Anxiety Regarding Exams [/*][/list][/*][/list]Why GRE over GMAT?While the GMAT is designed specifically for applicants who apply to business schools, the GRE, on the other hand, is a test for applicants who wants to apply for graduate programs in almost any subject, like a master's degree, specialized master's course, MS, MEM, or doctoral degree, and the MBA. The GRE scores for MBA are accepted at over 1200 business schools worldwide. Its Special Quantitative Question focuses on quantitative comparisons, whereas the GRE's Special Verbal Question focuses on Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion. This test is more appropriate for creative/flexible thinkers. Although the GRE is not the typical Business School entrance exam for many, there are some incredible advantages to taking the GRE. The GRE testing design and schedule differ from the GMAT, and many students believe that a couple of topics on the GMAT are significantly more difficult than on the GRE. GMAT is a test for those who want to go to business school, whereas GRE is a test that opens doors to multiple fields. GRE also allows you to take the test more frequently than GMAT. GRE is undoubtedly a viable option, but the key to determining whether to take the GMAT or GRE for MBA admission is first to determine which of your preferred schools requires which test. If you believe a school might accept both but prefers one over the other, contact them via email, phone, or online chat to find out. However, as most top b-schools have stated, they do not favor one test over another. However, there are factors that admission committees consider when deciding whether or not to accept a candidate. You can find more information can be found in our GMAT vs. GRE article Do business schools prefer GMAT over GRE?[*]Test Focus. - When comparing the GRE vs. GMAT, one important distinction is that the GMAT is designed to "assess exactly the skills that matter in business school, " In contrast, the GRE is a general exam designed for admission to graduate programs ranging from a MEM to a Ph.D. in astrophysics. [/*][*]Anxiety Regarding Exams - Unlike the GMAT, the GRE allows test takers to save and return to questions during each section, reducing test stress.. Because the GRE will enable test-takers to skip difficult questions, whereas the GMAT does not, MBA applicants who panic when faced with difficult standardized test questions often perform better on the GRE. [/*][*]Know your strength and the target school requirement- The most effective method for determining whether the GMAT or GRE is to test your abilities and get to know which exam you can score better to gain an advantage. And before taking the real test, there are several practice sets that one can go for to test their abilities of themselves (maybe giving yourself a few weeks to understand your strength). It’s important to know where your strength lies and choose the appropriate test (as well as knowing that your target school does accept GRE and does not favor one over the other) before you take a deep dive and end up getting a bad score after a lot of efforts. [/*][/list]We hope that by the end of this article, you have gained some valuable insight into how do go about choosing the right exam for you. Selecting a business school can be a difficult and stressful process. You can, however, ace this process with the right people and approach; if you'd like, we can hop on a one-on-one Profile evaluation call where we’d be happy to help you understand which test will be better after analyzing your profile; come on board, and let's tackle all of the potential hurdles together to get you to your desired school. SCHEDULE A PROFILE EVALUATION SESSION |
29 Jun 2022, 08:02
| FROM MBA and Beyond: How to network with people to build strong MBA applications? |
 With the round one deadlines of the top MBA programs just months away, the MBA recruiting events are in full swing, and the runway is getting shorter, with the candidates' engagement continuing to be very high, indicating another very competitive MBA application cycle. In such a scenario, apart from a stellar MBA profile and mesmerizing MBA essays, what could boost your B-school chances is some “insider information”(ironically, also to make the MBA essays ‘mesmerizing’!). School engagement is an important element of the MBA admission process as it demonstrates school interest in the MBA adcom. In addition, it could be a game-changer for your application as speaking with the MBA adcom members and interacting with current MBA students and school alumni with a career trajectory you hope to emulate is a great way of gaining important insights that will help you make a stronger MBA candidate and exhibits a strong interest... You can join us for the upcoming coffee sessions with current students and the best mba alumni network of M7 MBA and many other top-notch schools and even ask your questions in the live session! Now that you understand the importance of networking for MBA application let us know how you can approach the different stakeholders and MBA alumni network and what are the right questions to ask to reap maximum benefits from the time and effort you invest in it. Aspiring candidates need to understand that the goal of attending MBA events is to learn. To learn about the target schools. Hence, try to keep notes of the key learnings from each interaction. These fragments will be decisive when making a case for your MBA application. In a line, we could say that the major goal is to understand, derive and deliver value. Confused? Let’s take this slowly. Here is a snapshot of the article: [*]The Do’s and Don’ts [/*][*]How to reach out to different key stakeholders? [/*][*]Different Questions to Ask while Interacting [/*][*]If you have an already strong network, do you need MBA consultants? [/*][/list] The Do’s and Don’ts (during an interaction or connecting with MBA alumni network  Let’s help you make the most of your interactions, whether you are attending a virtual event, a chat with current students, or having a call with an alum you reached out to, while also leaving a kind of favorable impression that can tip the scale in your favor when decision time comes around (you never know how an action may impact your decision!). As an MBA hopeful, you must research the target programs comprehensively and carefully consider how you introduce yourself during these touch points to leave a favorable impression. [*]Be professional – Treating an interaction with the MBA alumni network, even when it’s just a coffee discussion with a very friendly person with the highest level of professionalism, speaks a lot about your character. Whereas being too casual, not being on time, or even worse - NOT SHOWING UP, all of this can reflect poorly on your candidacy. [/*][/list][*]Ask the right questions – Don’t go for very basic questions or questions that have been answered on the school/community website or are easily available on the internet. Another extreme to avoid is- while we do prefer candidates to go deeper and ask more complex questions but make sure you aren’t doing that just to impress the other party but are asking something that sincerely interests you and you believe will genuinely contribute to your understanding of the school community and the curriculum. [/*][/list]Also, it’s crucial to understand whether you are even asking the right question to the right person. So consider whom you are asking the question, do they have the required knowledge to help you with that particular aspect? [*]You must follow up – This is a common ethic and should go without saying, but it happens way too regularly. An email to express your gratitude/a thoughtful thank you email to everyone who spends their valuable time helping you along your MBA admission process is a must. [/*][/list]Although it’s common decency, it does have its own merits! A well-written email that emphasizes how your interaction has enriched your knowledge and helped to upgrade your MBA profile can play in your favor as they might end up being the one helpful information about any new development giving you the edge when it would matter the most! How to reach out to different key stakeholders?  As we discussed prior, the goal is to learn. Hence, It’s helpful to be strategic and decide about the people who would be the key constituents you can learn from during the MBA admissions process. Below, we have mentioned several groups candidates generally interact with during their school engagement; however, if you get any other source group, it’s always better to pile up knowledge! Now, what’s more, important is how to get in touch with different key stakeholders. For example, you could approach campus ambassadors and start attending webinars hosted by the school; also, you could grab hold of them through social sites such as Facebook or via Mail. Furthermore, sites like Linkedin are crucial in connecting you with different stakeholders. While generally, on LinkedIn, we often hear that it’s hard to connect, and candidates often don’t get a proper response. However, we have a template that applicants use under “Add note” while sending connection requests to respective stakeholders. Applicants have connected with multiple alums and current students in the past. Once you have successfully engaged in a conversation, you could invite them for informal coffee chats, pay a visit to the campus with them or to meet them, establish virtual interaction, and even ask them for casual restaurant visits. Remember you must be humble and polite but at the same time, try to extract as much information as possible to help you cut! Now quickly, let us take a look at the different stakeholders! [*]MBA Alumni network – one of the best sources of information. “They have been there, nailed the process, and graduated with excellence.” Moreover, it also helps you build an MBA alumni network that would allow for a longer-term perspective over your career. They are the best source of knowledge for how the school helped them in their target industry and goals. This will also enrich your understanding of how the school can help you achieve your goals in the targeted industry. [/*][/list] [*]Students – while things may have changed a bit from when the school alumni went for their interview, the perspective and advice of currently enrolled students are invaluable in understanding the MBA admission process, culture, curriculum, and community. [/*][/list] [*]Faculty – the school faculties are rich in industry knowledge and can be the key factor in shaping your profile. Moreover, at any time in their career, they must have sat on the admission committee; hence if you can impress them, congrats! You are halfway through it. Some of them might sit on admissions committees this year. [/*][/list] [*]Career services – we all are aware of the role that career services play in pursuit of your higher career goals; well, they could too be resourceful as understanding the career resources and their approach for your target MBA programs is critical in deciding whether your post-MBA goals align with that of the school. Furthermore, in several instances, a representative from the career services (mostly the head of career services) might also be part of the MBA adcom. [/*][/list] [*]Recruiting staff are fellow school representatives whose job is to meet with prospective students, advise them, and encourage them to apply to the school. Also, in many instances, the recruiting and MBA admissions staff can be the same and immensely helpful for candidates, but something like that doesn't always happen. [/*][/list] [*]MBA Admissions staff – the final piece of the puzzle! This team works with the aspiring applicants regarding sources who are better than those recruiting future MBA prospects. Therefore, the insights provided by them can directly affect your selection. Moreover, as some of them will also be part of the decision-making team on your admissions outcome, you must be at your best while meeting them for even a casual interaction! [/*][/list] Great! Now that we are done with the source groups, let us help you with some common questions you can ask while interacting with the MBA alumni network and current students. For more details on questions to be asked to an adcom or recruiting staff, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss all the relevant questions to be asked per your profile. Moreover, you can also hop on a quick 1:1 free Profile evaluation call with our team of experts to further help you with your networking strategy. Different Questions to Ask When Interacting with current students & MBA Alumni networks.It’s crucial to plan and think about all the relevant information you require to collect and what could be some questions that would help gain some intangible knowledge, something you can’t possibly find on a website. We recommend candidates not to bomb the person with an array of complex questions, just keep it a bit casual at first, like - [*]Why did you think it was a good time to return to school? [/*][/list][*]What made you choose this particular B-school and why? [/*][/list][*]What is the MBA culture here like? [/*][/list][*]How accessible are the faculty here? [/*][/list][*]How is the MBA alumni network here? Have you been able to utilize the alumni network both as a student / as an alumnus? [/*][/list]These are some common questions you could ask the MBA alumni network and current students. Now, let’s focus on some more complex questions an alumnus can help you with. [*]How much has your current role translated after learning new skills inside and outside the classroom? [/*][/list][*]What was the most beneficial thing you got to learn /or an experience you had while in business school? How do you use this aspect in your current role? [/*][/list][*]How good is the career management center here, and how did they work with you to achieve your professional goals? [/*][/list][*]How has an MBA from this top Business school set you apart from your colleagues and peers? [/*][/list]To end the interaction, you could use some light personal questions like- what was your favorite memory from your time in business school? And even ask how they think you would fare in the school curriculum and community. If you have an already strong network, do you need MBA consultants?This question is quite personal, depending on how strong a relationship one shares with different key stakeholders. Also, the need for an MBA consultant will depend on what help you need in your applications. You may need an MBA consultant if you don’t understand what a top-notch school may look for and how to align your narrative with the school’s expectations and sell your profile. Because no matter how strong your network is, no one will help you as a mentor to write the applications and spend countless hours on unlimited drafts with you to ensure your MBA application expresses your fit to the school in the best possible manner. This is generally the case for international applicants as they are not well-versed in what a global b-school may expect. On the contrary, you may not need a consultant if you do not need extensive help, understand what your target school looks for, and have a good network to help you. In this article, you can know better about your needs and if you need a consultant or not here.  I hope this article has provided you with some clarity on how you can network extensively. If you’d like, you can hop on a 1:1 profile evaluation call with our experts to better understand a consultant's needs and where you stand against your dream schools. SCHEDULE A PROFILE EVALUATION SESSION |
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