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Participate in Clear Admit’s Free MBA Admissions Strategy Webinar!

On Tuesday, June 23rd, join Clear Admit as we host another of our popular and free webinars focused on business school application strategy. Attendees can join us online as we discuss key topics in business school admissions including what MBA programs look for in candidates, the relative importance of the application components and compensating for weaknesses in your application. Participants will also have the opportunity to have questions answered by Clear Admit’s knowledgeable admissions counselors.

The webinar has a limited number of spaces, so make sure to reserve your spot early!

If interested, please send an email to seminar@clearadmit.com. Space is limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first served-basis, so secure your spot early. The webinar will be held at 12 p.m. EST and will run until 1 p.m.

Email us now to participate in this valuable and informative webinar! We will notify you if you have successfully secured a spot.

The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

Admissions Tip: Crafting Your Resume for the MBA Application Process

We wanted to offer some general tips for the Class of 2012 applicants on getting the most mileage out of resumes in the admissions process. As many of our readers know, the resume is not only an important component of your application package, it’s also a great place to start when crafting your overall positioning strategy. This document forces one to distill a candidacy into a single page - focusing on key aspects and themes. With that in mind, here are a few simple tips to get you started:

1) First things first. Because you’re applying to graduate school, it makes sense to lead this document with a section detailing your academic history. This is also the format that many business schools’ career offices instruct students to use when applying for internships or full-time jobs post-graduation.

To read more tips, click here: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/admi ... -advice-3/

The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

Hi Kevin,
Thanks a lot for a wonderful & realistic evaluation of my profile.I ll keep in mind the points you have mentioned.
And am glad that you liked my profile

Hi Target2010, you're very welcome. Good luck!

Best,
Kevin


Kevin Chen
Clear Admit LLC
info@clearadmit.com

Admissions Director Q&A: MIT Sloan’s Rod Garcia

As the conclusion to our Admissions Director Q&A Series, we recently spoke with Rod Garcia, director of admissions at the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). An MIT Sloan veteran, Garcia will celebrate his 21st year at the school this September. Garcia rose through the ranks since joining the MIT Sloan community in 1988, and he has served as admissions director for the past decade. Before that, he worked in admissions at the University of Chicago.

In the interview that follows, Garcia shares his thoughts on the role of MIT Sloan’s Dean David Schmittlein, who came from Wharton in 2007. He also offers advice to candidates regarding business school rankings and shares insight about what his team is looking for in response to MIT’s unique essay questions. If you’re considering applying to MIT Sloan, you won’t want to miss this.

Clear Admit: What’s the single most exciting recent development, change, or event happening at MIT Sloan?

Rod Garcia: To me, the most exciting change or development that has happened here recently is the new dean. Two years ago we brought a new dean on board – Dean David Schmittlein. As far as I know, he is the first dean who was not hired from inside. In the past they have always had a dean from within the school, and we never looked outside. But bringing someone new in brought a lot of new ideas and new energies to the school. That has really made this past year very exciting.

To read more of Garcia's interview, click here: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/admi ... od-garcia/

The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

Support for Non-Profit and Public Sector Management at the Yale SOM

Today we’re taking a look at the ways students are involved in the non-profit management programs at the Yale SOM.

According to the biennial survey of MBA programs published by Beyond Grey Pinstripes, Yale is among the top 25 full-time programs for incorporating environmental and social issues into their curricula and research. Yale’s high level of attention to these issues is made possible by a number of school-sponsored programs, and borne out in Yale students’ participation in events promoting social entrepreneurship and sustainable business.

Yale’s reputation in non-profit and public sector management attracts a high number of students interested in entering these fields, and the campus Net Impact chapter is one of the most active student-run organizations at the school. In addition to sending delegates to the national conference each year, Net Impact works with other campus organizations to present events for the benefit of the student body. These include an annual case competition, the Future of Philanthropy Conference, an internship forum in conjunction with the Career Development Office, and a series of panels on corporate and social responsibility.

To read more about Yale's non-profit management programs, click here: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/triv ... ale-som-3/


The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

UCLA Anderson School of Business Conference Explores Entrepreneurship in Today’s Unstable Business Climate

Today’s unstable business climate presents an unparalleled opportunity for brave entrepreneurs, according to speakers at last month’s Entrepreneurs Conference at UCLA’s Anderson School of Business. This year’s conference, entitled “The Entrepreneurial Road Less Traveled, took place on May 8th, drawing together students, alumni, faculty and business leaders for a day of speakers, panel discussions and networking.

“This is the best time to be an entrepreneur,” Richard Rosenblatt, co-founder, chairman and CEO of social media company Demand Media, said in his keynote address. “Because everyone else is afraid, everybody else is shrinking their budgets. Everyone else is going back to their day jobs. I think if you’re optimistic, this is the time when great companies are going to be built because there are not as many companies being funded, there are not as many companies doing it.”

To read more, click here: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/ucla ... s-climate/

The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

AIGAC Presents Findings of MBA Applicant Survey at Annual GMAC Conference

The Association of International Graduate Admissions Counselors (AIGAC) was invited to present the findings of its 2009 MBA Prospect Survey to assembled representatives from many of the world’s top business schools as part of the annual Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) conference, which took place in Baltimore last week.

The presentation, delivered by AIGAC President and Clear Admit Co-founder Graham Richmond, outlined some of the major findings of the survey, which was designed to share with the schools AIGAC’s unique perspective on a specific segment of the overall MBA applicant pool, namely those who choose to work with graduate management admissions counselors.

This unique pool of applicants, most of whom are targeting highly competitive programs at business schools with extremely stringent admissions requirements, trends toward the top tier of business school candidates and represents a segment that leading business schools are very much interested in coming to better understand.

GMAC welcomed the opportunity to have AIGAC present at its annual conference, where representatives from more than 175 member schools gather each year to examine trends and developments in graduate management education. The schools paid close attention to the survey’s findings, which provided information about who AIGAC’s applicants are, how they make the decision to go to business school, what sources of information they use to gather facts about the schools they consider and what impact the current economy is having on their application process.

The AIGAC survey findings were presented for comparison alongside the findings of a broader GMAC survey of overall MBA prospects. The joint presentation helped showcase the particular attributes that distinguish AIGAC’s signature applicant pool.

To read more of the AIGAC survey findings, click here: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/06/aiga ... onference/

The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

Clear Admit School Guides 2009-2010: Chicago Booth, Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, Stanford and Wharton

We’re pleased to announce the release of the 2009-2010 versions of six of our 18 Clear Admit School Guides, our line of informative reports about the leading business schools. For those who are unfamiliar with these publications, the School Guides offer in-depth information on all elements of the student experience at a leading MBA program, and compare the schools side-by-side in areas such as student demographics, curricular structure and employment statistics. In the School Guides, we distill the MBA programs’ marketing messages and delve into the facts to deliver an objective view of what each school offers and what makes each unique.

Available for immediate purchase and download are the 2009-2010 versions of Chicago Booth, Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, Stanford and Wharton. These School Guide titles feature the most current information from the programs, including the latest admissions guidelines, class demographics and placement statistics, and offer some insight into year-by-year trends. More information about the Guides’ contents and about how to order is available in the School Guides section of our website.

Updated versions of the remaining 12 School Guide titles (Anderson, Darden, Fuqua, Haas, INSEAD, Johnson, LBS, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Ross, Tuck and Yale) are slated for release later this summer, so stay tuned to this blog for more details!

To read more about, or purchase, one of our guides, click here: https://www.clearadmit.com/sg.html

Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to info@clearadmit.com for a free initial assessment of your MBA candidacy.

NYU/Stern Essay Topic Analysis 2009-2010

NYU Stern’s 2009-2010 essay topics have changed only slightly since the 2008-2009 season, with only a few changes to Essay 2. While Essays 1 and 2 allow applicants to discuss standard career goals and their fit with Stern’s MBA program, Essay 3 encourages applicants to tap their creativity to showcase an element of their profile not covered in the rest of the application. Let’s take a closer look at this essay set:

Essay 1. Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
This is your standard career goals/why MBA essay, with a few interesting quirks. First, note that the initial section requests that applicants reflect on and explain the choices they’ve made to date, placing a bit of extra emphasis on the presentation of one’s career as a coherent and directed whole. While it’s always important to explain the reasons you’ve moved from one company to the next, you’ll also want to think about the more subtle decisions you’ve made to further your professional development. Have you actively sought out more responsibility? Requested an assignment with an eye to gaining a certain skill?

This essay is a great place for you to highlight your initiative and foresight in the process of relating your career progression to the adcom. Within the same theme of deliberate decision-making, the second thing to keep in mind is the prominence of the ‘why now’ issue. A thorough and well reasoned answer to this question will be a must for a solid response. Beyond your career path to date and the ‘why now’ issue, Stern will be looking for a detailed explanation of your short and long-term career plans and interest in the MBA as a means to realize these goals.

This is a lot of information to pack into a 750 word essay, but introducing the central elements of one’s candidacy in such a brief essay is definitely achievable, provided that applicants take their time to compose well-crafted and concise responses.

To read more of Clear Admit's analysis of the Stern essays, click here: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/07/nyus ... 2009-2010/

The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

UCLA Anderson Adds Marketing Guru Jim Stengel to Faculty

Jim Stengel, former global marketing officer of Proctor & Gamble and author of forthcoming book Packaged Goods will join the UCLA Anderson School of Management as an adjunct professor, Dean Judy Olian announced last month.

Stengel, a marketing guru who now serves as president of Jim Stengel, LLC, will teach a course in brand marketing beginning in the 2009-2010 academic year. The course will combine traditional brand management concepts with a new ideals-based marketing framework Stengel outlines in his forthcoming book, in which marketing inspires people’s likes and life inspires marketing.

“Jim Stengel’s appointment at UCLA Anderson is not just a win for the school; it’s a win for academia,” Olian said in a statement announcing his appointment. “Jim is one of the most innovative, thoughtful and visible marketing practitioners in the world,” she continued. “His deep knowledge and experiences will provide an exciting opportunity for our students to learn from a marketing leader who has transformed some of the world’s most visible brands, and his collaborative work with our faculty will enrich the field of marketing research.”

To read more, click here: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/07/ucla ... o-faculty/

Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

Send your resume to info@clearadmit.com for a free assessment of your profile.

INSEAD Essay Topic Analysis 2009-2010

Unchanged over the past several years, INSEAD’s essay questions cover a good deal of ground, giving candidates ample opportunity to discuss a range of topics related to their candidacies and highlight various elements of their interests and experiences. The first two “job essays” ask for a factual account of one’s current position and overall professional progression, while the rest of the set invite short reflections and exposition of the type MBA applicants are accustomed.

INSEAD’s total of seven essays puts the school at the high end of the MBA application spectrum in terms of questions posed. As always, careful forethought and planning before beginning to write will be important in ensuring that one is using each essay to one’s best advantage and presenting a balanced picture of a well-rounded individual.

Personal Essays

1. Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (400 words approx.)

It’s important to address the question in full when responding to this sort of essay, but it’s also in one’s best interest to focus as much as possible on the positive. With this in mind, you might lead off with two or three positive qualities and then comment on one or two weaknesses - ideally ones that you’ve already taken steps to address. Whether discussing a strength or a weakness, though, it’s ideal to back up every statement about your character with a brief example as “proof” of the statement. INSEAD’s framework gives applicants free reign to select personal, professional or extracurricular subjects, so try to select your examples with an eye to presenting a balanced picture of your interests and experiences.

2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date, explaining why you view them as such. (400 words approx.)

This is another fairly straightforward question. Though it’s important to reflect and respond candidly with those achievements that have truly been the most meaningful to you, keep in mind that, given the interests and priorities of the adcom in evaluating one’s business school candidacy, it would be beneficial to feature at least one accomplishment from the professional realm. As always, it will be important to ground your comments in specific details and fully explain why these achievements were significant, both in terms of the results you produced and the lessons you learned.

To read more of our INSEAD essay topic analysis, click here: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/07/inse ... 2009-2010/

Sincerely,
The Clear Admit Team

MBA Admissions Blog: https://blog.clearadmit.com (daily updates and admissions tips)
MBA Admissions Wiki: www.clearadmit.com/wiki (latest reports from the applicant community)
Clear Admit School Guides: www.clearadmit.com/guides (in-depth research reports on the leading schools)

UCLA / Anderson Essay Topic Analysis 2009-2010

UCLA Anderson’s MBA application essay topics are largely similar to last year’s in terms of length and format. The school requires that candidates respond to four essay prompts, three in writing and one, preferably, in an audio recording, and covers topics ranging from one’s upbringing to professional goals. The school has replaced a question on an influential experience with an inquiry about a significant risk, suggesting a more active interest in applicants’ hands in shaping their own lives and futures this season.

Let’s consider each of the school’s prompts and how one might approach them.

Essay 1: Describe the ways in which your family and/or community have helped shape your development. (750 words)
Anderson has opened its application with a question about candidate’s family backgrounds for many years running now. While we generally caution applicants against writing at length about their families and upbringing when they could cover other topics in their essays (lest they sound immature or create the impression that they haven’t done anything of note more recently), Anderson makes the unusual move of explicitly requesting information on this subject. The school is likely asking this to get at information that might not otherwise come up in an applicant’s file - such as a childhood spent abroad or difficult socio-economic circumstances overcome - to get a more complete sense of the person as a whole and what an applicant might bring to the community in terms of background and perspective. Another possible motivation might be to identify reflective and self-aware applicants who are able to identify the ways their early experiences have influenced who they are today. No matter what approach you choose to take in framing your comments, remember that in spite of the somewhat unconventional subject, it’s important to speak directly to the question and explore the subject in-depth.

To read more of Clear Admit's analysis, click here: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/07/ucla ... 2009-2010/

The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

Pre-Term Programs at Duke’s Fuqua School

It’s time for another look at the programs, resources and opportunities that help differentiate the leading business schools. Today we will examine the options available to help incoming Fuqua students start the school year on the right foot.

All Fuqua first-year students participate in the recently-introduced, four-week Global Institute pre-term program. The Institute, held in August before the start of classes, consists of two core courses designed to help students gain a more nuanced understanding of the global business environment and enhance their collaborative leadership skills.

In addition to the mandatory Global Institute, Fuqua offers a Summer Math Review Course and a Language Institute in the weeks before New Student Orientation to help students build targeted skills before the start of classes. Although all students are generally invited to participate in these courses, the Admissions Office recommends or requires enrollment for particular students with weaker math or English skills. Because the programs meet during the same time period, it is impossible to complete both, but the administration reports that few, if any, entering students need extra preparation in both subjects.

The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com

Hi clearadmit,

I requested a profile eval from other consultants as well, but I think 2nd/3rd/4th opinions can't hurt.

Here's my background:

GMAT: 710 (92%), Q44 (69%), V44 (97%), AWA 6.0 (90%).

27 y/o male Asian American; enlisted in the US Army for 4 years, had 2 jobs in the army - supply chain management & human resources administration (in civilian terms); promoted to Sergeant; had managerial experience.

Enrolled in college after the army, double majored in international affairs and foreign languages (Russian primary, Chinese secondary), GPA 3.5; participated in student government, model UN, language clubs/tutoring, etc.

After graduation, I worked at a small financial consulting firm in Moscow as a business development manager; supervised 2 employees. I left less than a year into the job, because my company failed to get me a work permit, and the econ crisis made it less profitable to continue working there anyway.

My (general) career goals: helping to finance and increasing the profitability of renewable energy enterprises; promoting renewable energy cooperation/trade between the US and China; or as a backup, become a financial analyst.

Academic pursuit: I want a joint degree in MBA and international relations/studies, I've shortlisted a few schools offering desirable dual degree programs (Fall 2010 enrollment):
1. Wharton/Lauder (dream program)
2. Yale SOM
3. Chicago Booth
4. Ann Arbor Ross
5. Foster - U. of Washington (backup school)

6. Monterey Institute of International Studies (practically guaranteed backup school)

I have acceptable GMAT scores & GPA (according to the student body profiles of the above schools), but my #1 fear is that business schools will disregard my army experience simply because it was work experience PRIOR TO undergrad. How likely is this to happen?

Also, I've seen quite a few members with impressive/intimidating profiles who are aiming at slightly lower ranked schools (i.e. UCLA, Darden, etc), by aiming at Wharton/Lauder & Yale, have I set my expectations too high (please do not worry about my feelings when answering)?

Thanks in advance for your insight.

Hi GMATaddict,

Thanks for your note. Please see my comments below.

I have acceptable GMAT scores & GPA (according to the student body profiles of the above schools), but my #1 fear is that business schools will disregard my army experience simply because it was work experience PRIOR TO undergrad. How likely is this to happen?

The adcoms will not disregard your military service as long as you are able to demonstrate the skills you learned while in the military.

Another key issue is your post-college professional record. Have you continued to work after you left your job in Moscow? If not, it would be important for you to demonstrate in your applications that you have kept yourself busy in other ways, preferably in ways that can help advance in your future careers. Make sure you explain your professional and personal stories in a way that makes the adcoms see that there's consistency and coherence behind the choices you've made as well as the choices you will make in the future. For example, what took you to Moscow? How was that experience valuable to you despite the economic turn for the worse? How did you become interested in renewable energy? Where did the interest in US/China cooperation come from?

You're correct that your GMAT and GPA should not keep you out of the running for any of the schools on your list. The most important thing in the applications would be for you to leverage your distinctive personal, professional and military experiences so that they provide strong support for your future career goals.

Hope this helps, and good luck! Feel free to contact us at info@clearadmit.com for a more detailed assessment of your profile.

Best,
Kevin

Kevin Chen
Clear Admit LLC
info@clearadmit.com

UC Berkeley / Haas Essay Topic Analysis 2009-2010

Haas is sticking with its tried-and-true formula for its essays this admissions season, requiring applicants to respond to a series of prompts in just 250 words before exploring two further topics in more depth. The first of these short answer topics is a new addition for this year, focusing on the candidate’s greatest passion and replacing last year’s focus on a regret. The rest of the questions remain the same. Let’s take a closer look at each:

Short Answer 1: What are you most passionate about? Why? (250 word maximum)
A candidate’s foremost passion is a popular essay topic among business school admissions committees, and understandably so; it gives a reader a sense of an applicant’s values, priorities and interests, and has implications for an applicant’s future plans and potential involvements while in school. As you reflect on potential topics for this essay, remember that the adcom will be expecting your response to line up with your stated professional goals to some extent, and that professing a deep dedication to family or an obscure hobby isn’t going to do much for your candidacy. Think broadly about themes in your background and the forces behind your decisions and involvements, and arrive at a topic that is true to your passions, allows you show the adcom a side of yourself not covered in your essays, and ties your goals and previous experiences together to some extent.

Click here to read more of Clear Admit's Haas essay analysis: https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/07/uc-b ... 2009-2010/

The Clear Admit Team
https://blog.clearadmit.com
www.clearadmit.com
info@clearadmit.com