Personal MBA Coach Updates

FROM Personal MBA Coach: 2019 - 2020 NYU Stern MBA Essay Analysis

For those candidates who have their hearts set on relocating to (or remaining in) New York City, NYU Stern might be a great option. NYU Stern is the #12 full-time MBA program and #4 part-time MBA program according to US News & World Reports. Unlike many other top programs, NYU Stern has a round 2 application deadline in November (11/15/2019) which is great if you did not make round 1 but prefer not to wait until January to submit everything. There is also a round 3 deadline on January 15, 2020 and a round 4 deadline on March 15, 2020. Please see below for Personal MBA Coach’s tips on how to answer this year’s essay questions. Essay 1: Professional Aspirations (500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font): What are your short- and long-term career goals? How will the MBA help you achieve them? This first essay should be very straightforward. As with any other goal-oriented essay, you want to be specific. Include both the role you hope to have and a discussion of what you wish to accomplish in this role. Your short-term goal and your long-term goal should flow naturally (be prepared to explain if they do not). While I would not repeat your resume in this essay, some brief context behind these goals would be appropriate. Include just enough detail to let the reader know where you are today so that these goals make sense. Finally, devote a good chunk of the essay to explaining how an MBA (and specifically Stern) will help. Think about your skill gaps and how an MBA will close these gaps. It is important that you allow adequate time to research all that Stern has to offer. I suggest being very specific in detailing the opportunities you plan to take advantage of on campus. Think about classes you are particularly interested in or perhaps professors you are looking to study with, etc. Do not include a laundry list. Instead, carefully think through how each offering will allow you to fill in your skill and/or experience gaps. Essay 2: Personal Expression (a.k.a. “Pick Six”): Describe yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. Your uploaded PDF should contain all of the following elements: • A brief introduction or overview of your “Pick Six” (no more than 3 sentences). • Six images that help illustrate who you are. • A one-sentence caption for each of the six images that helps explain why they were selected and are significant to you. There are no wrong answers here as this is your chance to let the reader into your world. You do want to include a well-rounded mix of photos that tell the reader more about you. While a mix of personal and professional photos can work well, some candidates will only include personal details. Think about what makes you unique and what values drive you as you select these images. Finally, follow the directions. One sentence is ONE sentence. Have fun with this one and feel free to be creative. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: M7 Essay Analysis Acing The MBA Interview

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: From Berkeley Haas to Yale SOM: MBA Essay Analysis Beyond the M7

While the M7 business schools (Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Kellogg, Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth and Wharton) get a lot of attention, there are numerous compelling MBA program options beyond the M7 schools. In fact, the average Personal MBA Coach client applies to five business schools, some of which will fall beyond the M7. This is why we have put together our latest eBook: MBA Essay Analysis: Beyond the M7. In this book we include our tips on how to tackle the 2019-2020 MBA application essays for seven top business schools outside of the M7, including: Berkeley Haas: #6 (2019 US News & World Reports),Duke Fuqua: #10 (2019 US News & World Reports)Michigan Ross: #10 (2019 US News & World Reports)NYU Stern: #12 (2019 US News & World Reports)UCLA Anderson: #16 (2019 US News & World Reports)UVA Darden: #12 (2019 US News & World Reports)Yale SOM: #9 (2019 US News & World Reports) Whether round 1 did not go as planned or you are just now developing your round 2 strategy, one or more of these programs may be great options for you to consider. This eBook is offered to all Personal MBA Coach newsletter subscribers! Sign up today. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: M7 Essay Analysis Acing The MBA Interview

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Wharton and Michigan Ross: Tackling the MBA Group Interview

The group interview is something that causes anxiety for many MBA applicants. This topic is particularly top of mind now as Michigan Ross just released round 1 interview invites and Wharton round 1 interview invitations are expected on October 29th. Each school approaches the group interview slightly differently. For Michigan Ross, this 30-minute team-based activity is optional but with preparation, participating can work in your favor. We always encourage applicants to participate in the interview if possible. The Wharton TBD (Team Based Discussion), on the other hand, is required for all candidates invited to interview and includes the following three components: 1. Each candidate gives a one-minute introduction to the group, providing an opportunity to get to know one another (this is the first 5 minutes). 2. This is followed by a 35-minute team discussion, during which you should present the results of your discussion to the interviewers. Part of this is delivering your “pitch” and part is the broader team chat. 3. Once the group exercise is done, you will have a brief individual 1:1 interview to discuss a couple aspects of your profile and your interest in Wharton. This year, Personal MBA Coach will be offering à la carte group interview sessions for both Michigan Ross and Wharton (see below for details), giving candidates a unique opportunity to practice this difficult interview. We have former Wharton TBD interviewers to conduct these sessions! You can practice with an interviewer who evaluated over 70 applicants last year in person at Wharton and knows exactly how to help you ace the TBD. Group interviews are a bit more complicated to prepare for, but once you learn how to address them, they can actually be easier than a regular interview. As you prepare, read these five tips for candidates on how to effectively tackle the group interview. 1. Do not be the loudest one in the room. In an effort to stand out, it can be tempting to dominate the conversation. We do not advise this approach. The group interview is a great way to assess how a candidate is likely to act in classroom discussions and during group meetings. Admissions committee members are looking for leaders who are able to actively contribute, but they are not interested in someone who will talk over their peers and force their opinions on others. 2. You also do not want to be the quietest one in the room. While you do not want to dominate, you also should not be a wallflower. It is important to stand out in the crowd (to some extent) and ensure that your opinions and voice are heard. This means that you need to strike a delicate (but difficult) balance here. 3. Be respectful. This should be obvious but is important enough to mention. Bringing in new points of view does not mean debunking what others have to say. If you disagree with someone in the group, be respectful and politely add another perspective with being critical or rude. 4. Think about opportunities to build on an existing point of view. You might believe that in order to stand out, you have to be the one to come up with a unique idea or a differing opinion. This is not necessarily the case. Collaboration is key during business school and in the broader business world and looking for ways to build off another idea or suggestion can be extremely beneficial. Think about where you can add the “and” instead of the “but” or the “or” here. 5. Do your research and plan ahead. As with any other interview, it is important to adequately prepare for a group interview. Wharton will release the topic in advance, giving candidates the opportunity to come prepared. Heed this advice and arrive with specific and well researched talking points. However, be flexible and be prepared to pivot as needed. As a Wharton alum, I conduct a limited number of unique TBD practice sessions with my team of former M7 interviewers to help candidates. These sessions, which will begin in early November, will mirror the actual Wharton interview, providing candidates an opportunity to work together with other applicants during a group session. They will then be followed by one-on-one interviews with former M7 MBA interviewers. Each participant will receive our proprietary interview preparation guide and a personal feedback session. We are also planning similar sessions for the first time this year for the Michigan Ross group interview. See here for details. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: M7 Essay Analysis Acing The MBA Interview

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Fine-tuning Your MBA Application Plan After an Early Rejection

Yesterday, Wharton joined the growing list of schools to roll out the first round of rejections, releasing those not offered an interview. As round 1 decisions begin to roll in, many candidates are not receiving the news they had hoped for. While this is no doubt disappointing, do not give up hope. Personal MBA Coach would like to help you develop a strategy to realize your MBA and career dreams. Candidates rejected from their target schools during round 1 have two options for continuing to pursue their MBA dreams. Option 1: Apply to additional schools during round 2. If now is really the ideal time for you to get an MBA (see our advice on this here), or if you were shooting for the stars with your round 1 list, you should consider altering your strategy and submitting additional applications during round 2. Round 2 is a very viable option! In fact last year, it was easier to get into some schools in round 2 than round 1. Follow these 3 key pieces of advice: 1) Broaden Your School List. Unfortunately, not everyone can earn an MBA from HBS. In some cases, it comes down to a numbers game: your profile is great but there were simply too many qualified former consultants from your native country in this year’s pool, making it even harder to stand out. This is why my average candidate applies to 5 schools. For some, this means having schools from a range of tiers. For others, this means spreading your eggs across multiple top-tier school baskets. Of course, for all candidates, your target list must match your candidate profile. Be sure that you not only have a wide enough list, but one that is reasonable based on your GPA, GMAT/GRE and professional experience. Personal MBA Coach prides itself on offering open and honest feedback on your chances of success at any given school. We want our candidates to reach high, but we also will not sugarcoat your chances for you. 2) Retake the GMAT/GRE. Even though time is limited for January deadlines, you may want to consider retaking the GMAT/GRE or switching from one exam to the other. Remember, depending on your profile and background, you might need a score above the average to be competitive. This is particularly true if you had a lower GPA or are from an overrepresented applicant pool. As you plan to re-take the exam, consider your previous preparation. Did you get help last time around? If not, consider hiring a personal tutor who can give you targeted advice on how to improve your score. 3) Improve Your Application Development and Interview Preparation. Finally, reapplicants should focus on improving all aspects of the application itself. As you develop a new plan, take an honest look at your application (or we offer a ding report service to do this for you) and think about whether your story clearly and consistently came across. Some questions you should consider include: Have you shown your unique value add? Did you share what truly makes you shine? Were your career goals clear? Did you actually answer the questions? Did you show passion? If you received an interview invite: How did the conversation go? Were you adequately prepared? Option 2: Strengthen your profile and apply again next year. For those of you willing to wait another year to give your dream school a shot, consider these 3 pieces of advice in addition to the suggestions above: 1) Improve Your Extracurricular Activities. Step up your involvement outside of work. Seek leadership positions within your existing organizations or consider joining a new activity or group. For more details, read our blog: Improving Your Extracurricular Profile. 2) Look for Leadership Opportunities at Work. In any way you can, take on more at the office. A promotion is of course ideal, but even if that is not possible, look for ways to stretch yourself within your existing role. Or consider volunteering for internal committees or projects to help strengthen your company and culture. Review these tips on how to make your career work harder for you for more specific suggestions. 3) Address Your Skill Gaps. Think about where you are weakest and see what you can do now to close these gaps. Is there a course you could take to improve your analytical skills? Perhaps you got an interview but did not get accepted? If so, consider options for improving your presentation and interview skills. Everyone has weaknesses; take the time now to address yours. By starting early for next year, you can take the time to fine-tune your story, rethink your LOR strategy and ensure all aspects of your application work together cohesively. Every year we successfully advise reapplicants on what to change (and what not to) to increase their chances of success. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: M7 Essay Analysis Essay Analysis Beyond The M7

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Bloomberg Businessweek 2019 MBA Rankings

Bloomberg Businessweek released the 2019-2020 Best Business School Rankings earlier this week. Personal MBA Coach would like to share our thoughts on the latest rankings and business school rankings in general. According to Bloomberg, “The Bloomberg Businessweek 2019-20 Best B-Schools ranking is based on 26,804 survey responses from MBA students, alumni, and recruiters in 2019 about their goals and experiences, as well as compensation and job placement data from each school.” For the second year in a row, Stanford GSB claimed the first place spot. However, the most surprising news from this year’s rankings is Tuck’s rise to the #2 position, up from #19 last year. This is a nice recovery for Tuck, which took an unusually large decline in 2018. Harvard Business School secured the #3 position, matching its previous year performance. Chicago Booth placed 4th (up one slot from last year), while UVA Darden jumped four spaces to #5. Wharton fell four spaces to the #6 spot, yet was ranked #1 in terms of compensation. MIT Sloan fell three places to #7 and Berkeley Haas dropped two spots to #8. Columbia Business School and Kellogg rounded out this year’s top 10. GMAT scores overall fell slightly at some schools last year, yet remain high with most top 10 schools reporting scores in the 720-732 range. In addition to the overall ranking discussed above, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked schools across additional categories including Compensation, Networking and Entrepreneurship. As mentioned above, Wharton placed #1 in Compensation, Dartmouth Tuck took the #1 Networking spot and Stanford GSB also claimed the #1 ranking for Entrepreneurship. Also notable are the schools that rounded out the top 20, which include (in order of ranking): Cornell Johnson, UCLA Anderson, NYU Stern, Yale SOM, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, Washington Foster, Michigan Ross, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Georgetown McDonough and Duke Fuqua (which fell five spaces from last year). I would like to remind everyone of the most important things to keep in mind when evaluating rankings: Average ranking over time is much more important than year to year fluctuation and rankings vary considerably across sources. This year’s surprises and shifts are additional reminders of the value (for some applicants) of broadening your school list beyond the M7 schools. In addition, beyond rankings, it is important to look at job placement. You can often land your dream job after graduating from a number of similar schools. Depending on your post-MBA goals, you may also want to pay more attention to some of the specialized rankings that exist. Just because a school is higher ranked overall does not mean that it will do a better job at preparing you for your next job, especially if you are not going for a more standard goal like consulting or banking. Finally, with the lines blurring between top schools, available financing should be a key consideration. You may be able to secure more substantial funding from one school vs. another: last year, my clients earned over $4.5M in scholarships. Often you will be better served selecting a school with a slightly lower ranking but a more favorable financial package. Some M7 schools are very generous with scholarships and others are not. As a reminder, do not overreact to these new rankings but do keep an open mind to expanding your MBA list. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: 2020 US News & World Reports Rankings Essay Analysis Beyond The M7

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Personal MBA Coach’s Accelerated 7-Week MBA Application Plan

Fall is flying by and the winter holidays are just around the corner. While many of us are looking forward to the upcoming holiday season, it is also a reminder that round 2 MBA application deadlines will be here before we know it. To keep you on track, Personal MBA Coach has included a roundup of application deadlines below along with our advice on how to best use the next ~two months. While many of our clients are well into the editing phase, with finalized school lists and GMAT/GRE under their belts, if you are just getting started, we can help you get back on track. Here is our accelerated 7-week MBA Application Plan: Week 1: Finalize your school list and testing plans If you have not yet taken the GMAT/GRE or have yet to achieve your target score, you should schedule your test and begin your test preparation ASAP. While you can take the test at any time during this 7-week window (be mindful of some “test deadlines” based on the school), be sure to develop a concrete plan today. Similarly, if you have not finalized your school lists, that should be priority number 1. Do online research, speak to current students or alumni within your networks and attend any school events or tours near you. There may not be adequate time to plan a campus visit before you apply, but do not let this deter you from applying this year if the time is right for you. Week 2: Select and prepare your recommenders and develop your MBA resume Next, you should be selecting your recommenders. I have written extensively on selecting and preparing your recommenders in case you need help deciding who you should ask to write on your behalf or determining what information to provide them with. Remember, well-thought-out letters take time and your recommenders are busy; do not wait any longer to ask them, especially with the holidays just around the corner. In addition, all applicants will need an MBA resume - more on this here. As an added benefit, developing this resume will force you to take stock of your accomplishments, helping you to determine what to include throughout your applications. Weeks 3, 4 and 5: Write, Write, Write Ideally, we want to have at least one month for this process. However, if you are diligent (we suggest our clients send a new draft every 2 days and return edits within 2 days), this timeline is possible (depending on the # of schools you apply to). First, get your thoughts on paper. Think through your career goals, why you want an MBA, what you hope to learn from the program and what makes you unique. Most accomplishments from your resume will not fit into your essays and this is to be expected. Then begin drafting one question at a time. I advise you to begin with the easiest schools or questions as your writing will improve throughout the process. However, if your timing is very tight, start with the application due first. Week 6: Short Answer Questions Do not forget to leave plenty of time to answer the short answer questions. Read each requirement carefully (often candidates get thrown off by questions with character limits vs word limits) and minimize repetition. Week 7: Proofread!!! Be sure to leave PLENTY of time to proofread. Whenever possible, avoid writing during the last week or two and get someone unfamiliar with your work to proof your application. Our clients’ applications are proofread by an expert proofreader who was not involved during the application development process. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: Businessweek 2019 MBA Rankings Essay Analysis Beyond The M7

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Personal MBA Coach’s Five MBA Essay Writing Guiding Principles

This is the time of year when essay writing is top of mind for most MBA round 2 hopefuls. While Personal MBA Coach has published detailed tips on how to handle most of the top MBA application questions, there are a few key pieces of advice that hold true regardless of the question, and these bear repeating. As you write your essays, keep these five guiding principles in mind. 1) Answer the question ASKED It is surprising how often candidates write beautiful essays but do not answer the question. Instead of writing what you want to show off, answer the question. While thinking a bit outside of the box and considering the why behind an essay prompt is advised, first and foremost you must answer the question. 2) Write authentically Do not write what you think admissions committee members want to read. There is no one perfect candidate profile. Instead, your uniqueness will be one of your greatest selling points. Your essays should paint a clear picture of who you are, what motivates you, and what you are passionate about. Do not feel compelled to show how you fit the mold that seemingly makes up the “ideal” candidate. If you have no desire to run a non-profit, that is ok. If you are not motivated by improving the environment, do not pretend you are. Readers will see right through this and you could end up doing more harm than good. 3) Be succinct and avoid repetition Keep in mind that the essays are just one part of the application. In addition to submitting an MBA resume (Unsure how to write an MBA resume? Check out these tips), most schools will have you fill out a detailed application. This means admissions committee members will read about everything you have accomplished, all roles you have held, and the awards that you have won. There is no need to try to fit this all into your essays. So instead of squeezing in as much as you can, focus on sharing a few key highlights and adding the details as well as your voice. This is your chance to explain your choices, show your accomplishments, and share your passions. The fewer things you try to cover in your essays, the more you will be able to achieve this objective. 4) Keep your language approachable The terms you regularly discuss at the office may be foreign to others, including admissions committee members. When in doubt, do not assume the reader is familiar with everything about your job. Focus on language that is more general and easier to use to compare you with other applicants. Admissions committee members do not need or want all of the technical details anyway. 5) Limit flowery prose Similarly, I often read complex flowery prose. You are not submitting your essays for a Pulitzer Prize or applying to become a professional writer. Instead, you are telling your story. While of course you want your essays to be well written and free from grammatical mistakes and typos, you also want them to be relatable and easy to follow. Everyone, from your grandmother to a professor of microfinance, should be able to understand your essays. They should also convey why you are someone others would want to study with, learn from, and eventually be inspired by. That type of person is human and down to earth. Your essays should show this. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: Accelerate MBA Application Plan Businessweek 2019 MBA Rankings

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Do’s and Don’ts for Involving Your Family and Friends in Your MBA Applications

Those of us in the United States are busy planning for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and will be sharing time with our family and closest friends later this week. For those outside of the US, in spirit you may be doing the same! Naturally, your MBA applications are likely to become a topic of conversation. Far too often, I have seen clients derailed by well-meaning but ill-informed parents or colleagues. Whether or not you are celebrating this week, determining when and how to involve your friends and family in your MBA application is always a challenge. To help you wrestle with this, I have put together some do’s and don’ts for involving others in your MBA pursuits. Family Involvement Do’s: Your friends, family and colleagues can have very beneficial roles, if they limit their involvement. Seek out your family and friends for moral support: There is no doubt that applying to business school is draining and time-consuming, particularly on top of working full time. Do not be afraid to ask for support. Moral support can help you manage the inevitable ups and downs of the process. In addition, you will likely have less time for other obligations during this busy time. Take up the offer for dinner, do not be afraid to do a bit less cooking this holiday season and understand you may have to say no sometimes. Your family will forgive you! Ask your family and friends to access their networks: Naturally, networking is key throughout the MBA application process. Your friends and family can be great sources to find alums from your target schools (or in your future target industries). In some cases, such alums can even write effective character reference letters. In other cases, alums and current students are good avenues for conducting research on schools and including such insider information in your applications. Use these networks wherever possible! Use those closest to you for an authenticity test: While I advise treading carefully when sharing your essays with your family (more on this later), family members can provide a great authenticity check. As I have written many times, being authentic is crucial during the application process. Ask your mom or brother to read your essays and see if your voice is clear. You want to ensure that your essays sound like you! This is particularly helpful in early drafts when there is time to incorporate their feedback. Let your family tell you if your essays are too technical or difficult to follow: Your family can also be a great reality check source to ensure your essays are easy to understand. Ask your family members if they can follow what you are talking about. Far too often, essays become too technical or convoluted. In most cases, your family and friends do not work in the same industry and can offer a true independent comprehensive test. Ask your family to help you brainstorm potential topics: The people who know you best can also be excellent resources when you are stumped for topics or stories. Brainstorming together is a great way to solicit feedback in a low risk environment. When you are collecting a long list of ideas, you do not have to worry as much about insulting someone by not following their feedback. Family Involvement Don’ts While there are countless ways your family can be helpful in the application process, they can also easily derail you. Generally, your family members are not experts in the MBA application process. Even if you are speaking to another business school graduate, things may have changed considerably since she applied to school. In addition, best practices vary broadly by school and circumstance. So, as you ask for help, be careful! Do not have your friends or family re-write essays that are nearly finished: Far too often, I have seen family or friends Monday morning quarterback strong MBA application essays. Most often, they do not have the whole picture of your application, do not know what the school is truly looking for or simply feel the need to critique. Last minute changes are rarely for the better and there will always be countless opinions. Do not scrap an essay you have been working on for months just weeks before submission because Uncle Joe who went to HBS 30 years ago does not agree with your essays. Unless your essays are difficult to follow or sound inauthentic, take others’ opinions with a grain of salt. Do not let your family or friends question your school list: This same advice goes for school lists. I have had prospective clients tell me that they should be a shoe-in at Columbia even with a 660 GMAT because their brother/sister/father got accepted with that score. Everyone’s circumstances are unique and Personal MBA Coach specializes in helping clients find the right school list for them. Unfortunately, anecdotal evidence is not going to be helpful here. Personal bias can always weigh in heavily. Just because a school was right for your mother or your cousin does not mean it is the right choice for you. Besides, application numbers and acceptance rates can vary drastically year to year. Take the time to determine the right school list for you and do not let your family question this. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: Accelerate MBA Application Plan Businessweek 2019 MBA Rankings

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Can I Really Finish My Applications in Time?

It is hard to believe that December is upon us and the first round 2 application deadline is just over four weeks away (see deadline summary below). The holiday season is hectic for everyone, but for those of you working on your MBA applications, this can be a particularly challenging time of year. You may be doubting whether you can get everything done in time. Personal MBA Coach prides itself on offering honest feedback, so here is the good, the bad and the ugly! The Good News: Many of you can still meet early January deadlines! Wondering if you can really work your magic and finish in time? Ask yourself these 4 questions: 1) Have you already narrowed down your school list? 2) Have you taken (or are prepared to take) the GMAT/GRE? 3) Have you already selected and prepared your recommenders? 4) Do you have a large portion of your holiday vacation set aside to work on your applications? If you have answered yes to most or all of these questions, do not despair! Even if you have not put pencil to paper (so to speak) for your essays, resume and short answer questions, you can still finish on time with the proper dedication. We have successfully guided candidates with a shortened timeline for a limited number of schools (and adding additional schools in future rounds or years as needed). But do not wait much longer! The Bad News: If you answered no to a few of these questions, you have your work cut out for you; honestly, you may not be ready this year. In this case, particularly if you have not finished your testing and do not have recommenders nailed down or schools identified, ask yourself how crucial it is that you apply THIS year. If now is really your time (perhaps you have 4+ years of experience and have plateaued at work or 2019 is an ideal year, personally, for you to start school), you may be able to meet the challenge. However, if you do not feel this level of urgency, I generally advise candidates to apply when they can submit the strongest applications, which might not be now. While you can successfully reapply, each application will remain on record; therefore, we do not advise submitting applications to which you have not given at least 100%. The Ugly News: If you have answered no to all of the questions above, January 6 may not be realistic for you (though some schools offer mid/late January deadlines that could still be feasible). This is particularly true if holiday obligations will prevent you from dedicating the majority of your time to your applications. Regardless of which boat you are in this year, there is still plenty that you can do now. Even if you do not end up hitting submit in January, early planning can always work in your favor. Still not sure which bucket you fall into or need additional help? E-mail me today! Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: Accelerated MBA Application Plan Businessweek 2019 MBA Rankings

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Personal MBA Coach's MBA Application Checklist

With less than four weeks left until MBA application deadlines, it is time to make your list and check it twice. While most checklists will merely cover the basics, Personal MBA Coach challenges you to ask these 9 questions to assess whether your applications are REALLY ready! 1) Is your story clear? Does the reader walk away knowing who you are and what matters to you? 2) Have you thought out and articulated why you want an MBA? To get promoted or to gain “business skills” are NOT good enough reasons. 3) Are you consistent throughout all of the application components? Your resume, essays, short answer questions and letters of recommendation should all include the same general message. Any inconsistencies are an instant red flag. 4) Does your application include specific information about the target school? Admissions committee members read thousands of essays every year and it is very easy for them to determine who is genuinely interested in the school and knows a lot about the program. 5) Are your letters of recommendation strong enough? Did you advise your recommenders to use specific examples and compare you to other candidates? 6) Are your essays easy to read? Or do you find yourself re-reading paragraphs because you do not see how they fit into the essay? 7) Did you have someone else read your essays? This will give you an outsider’s objective opinion of your accomplishments and help to ensure you are talking about your experiences with the right level of detail for someone outside of your industry. 8) Do you have an MBA specific resume? For an MBA resume, you want to show how you have been successful and demonstrated leadership. You are selling your future potential. Make sure not to get too detailed here, though. 9) Have you actually answered every question? It can be tempting to go off-book or include additional information but adcom members ask each question for a specific reason. Ensure you are answering the question asked and not offering what you think they want to hear. If after answering these questions you have doubts about whether your applications are strong enough, Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: Accelerated MBA Application Plan Businessweek 2019 MBA Rankings

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Last Minute Letters of Recommendation Tips

Whether you dragged your feet in asking for your letter of recommendation or your recommender has had too many other things on her plate, you might find yourself in a crunch to get your letters submitted in time. Do not panic. Even with limited time, there are some clear steps you can take to ensure that your recommendations shine. Remember, letters of recommendation are an integral part of your MBA application and may require more work than you might think. Often, we see candidates ask someone to write a letter, ensure it gets submitted, and call it a day. This can be a big mistake. Your role in the LOR process should be more involved than this. We advise taking some key steps now. 1)Arm your recommender with key information. The more your recommenders know about your short-term and long-term goals, the more they can highlight examples and skill sets that would best demonstrate your ability to succeed in these endeavors. 2)Remind your recommenders of your key accomplishments and provide them with some thoughts on areas you would love to see covered. Do not be shy about selling yourself; this will not only make their lives easier, but it will ensure they share the best stories. Your recommenders are busy (especially during the holidays!) and it is easy for them to forget details. Take the time to think of the top stories you would like them to recount and remind them of these. 3)If possible, set up an in-person meeting or a conference call. Bring a written document to this meeting (or send it ahead of time) that includes the items discussed above. In this meeting you can briefly go over the information you have gathered. 4)Remind your recommenders to compare you to other candidates. Just as we advise that your resume and essays go beyond listing tasks, your recommendations should go beyond recounting what you have done. Successful MBA students are leaders who have differentiated themselves from their peers, going above and beyond what would be expected in the role. One of the best ways to show this is to compare you to your peers and others who have had the job previously. 5)Thank your recommender in advance and let them know how grateful you are. Do not forget your recommenders as you finalize your holiday gifting. Nothing extravagant is needed or recommended, but a thoughtful thank you gift can go a long way. 6) Finally, ask each recommender if you can do anything to help them or provide them with any additional information. Remember, be appreciative and not demanding. This is a favor and while you may have many needs, approach them graciously. Unsure of what to hand over to the recommender or how to start the conversation? Personal MBA Coach is here to help with all aspects of the application process! Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach regularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year and is the #4 ranked admissions consultant on Poets & Quants. Personal MBA Coach's comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99th percentile. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality! You may also like these other blog articles: Accelerated MBA Application Plan Businessweek 2019 MBA Rankings

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Stanford GSB, as expected, did not change the essay questions this year. However, Stanford lowered the combined word limit from 1150 to 1050 words, suggesting clients allocate up to 650 words on Essay A and up to 400 words on Essay B. This will encourage applicants to remain focused and concise in their answers.

Below, please find this year’s deadlines along with Personal MBA Coach’s advice on how to approach the two essay questions.

Round 1: September 15, 2020

Round 2: January 6, 2021

Round 3: April 6, 2021

Essay A: “What matters most to you, and why? (650 words suggested)”

This is arguably one of the hardest MBA application questions across all schools. This challenging first question requires candidates to speak from the heart. As Stanford advises, think more about your values here and WHY you made the choices you have made than WHAT you have done.

I recommend you do some serious soul searching before starting. Think about what you are most passionate about. What drives you to get out of bed each morning? If you could spend your time as you wish, what would you do? Ideally, you have acted on this passion and it extends throughout multiple aspects of your life. Then, think carefully about why this matters to you. Did you have an experience as a child? Are you following a passion held by others in your family?

Finally, once you have established the way, you should include some WHAT here. After all, a passion or cause that you have done nothing with will not be very believable. Remember though, this is only PART of this personal essay.

Essay B: “Why Stanford? (400 words suggested )”

In this short essay, candidates have a lot to cover. First, you should set up why you want an MBA. Naturally, this would include what your goals are and what skills you need to develop to achieve these goals.

Then, establish how Stanford will help you to fill these skill gaps. Once again, be specific! Name classes, clubs, programs, etc. and how they will help. Finally, be sure to articulate what attracts you to Stanford’s culture. We realize this is a tall order with a suggested word count of only 400 words so be succinct.

Unlike other schools, Stanford gives the candidate discretion on how to divide the 1150 words (1200 for dual degree candidates) across the two essays. The breakdown above is a suggestion and in general, this is an ideal breakdown for most candidates.

Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team.

Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!
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Duke Fuqua has shortened its MBA application essays for 2020-2021 MBA hopefuls. Previously, Duke had one of the longest MBA applications so this should come as a welcome and arguably necessary change for MBA hopefuls, putting Duke more in line with other competitive schools.

This year's deadlines are as follows:

Early Action: September 23, 2020

Round 1: October 2, 2020

Round 2: January 7, 2021

Round 3: March 25, 2021

Personal MBA Coach would like to share what has changed and provide our tips for tackling the Duke Fuqua MBA application.

In addition to a required short answer question: What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first choice career plan and your alternate plan, Duke asks applicants to answer two essay questions.

Essay 1: 25 random things about yourself

Instructions: Present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be only a few words, while others may be longer. Your complete list should not exceed two pages.

For context: Fuqua believes different types of people, points of view, and experiences bring out the best in everyone. And above all, we place a premium on succeeding while making a positive impact on businesses, organizations, and the world. These ways of thinking set the Duke MBA experience apart, and this concept extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. When a new person joins the Admissions team, we ask that person to share with everyone in the office a list of "25 Random Things About Yourself." As an Admissions team, we already know the new hire's professional and academic background, so learning these "25 Random Things" helps us get to know someone's personality, background, special talents, and more.

In this spirit, the admissions committee also wants to get to know you–beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. You can share with us important life experiences, your likes/dislikes, hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are. Share with us your list of "25 Random Things" about YOU.

With this MBA application essay, be yourself and have fun. The majority of this essay should be personal in nature, including both hobbies, passions and interesting facts. These facts do not need to be formal. This is your chance to show how you are unique. There are no real wrong answers
here but I advise that clients limit repetition and do not include a lot of professional details.

Check out these examples from Duke to get some additional inspiration!

Essay 2: The Fuqua community and you

Instructions: Your response should be no more than 300 words.

Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and are vital to providing you with a range of experiential learning and individual development experiences.

Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are the three most meaningful ways you expect to engage and contribute to our community outside of the classroom?

For this shortened version of what used to be a longer two page essay, follow Duke’s advice here and pick THREE things only.

An ideal answer for this MBA application essay will show that you are a well-rounded and engaged citizen and will act this way as well once you get on campus. They want to see that you did your research and really know why you want to go to Duke and how you will improve the community. You should include a mix of what you have done in the past AND specifically how you will be active on campus. In addition to discussing the Fuqua culture, you should specifically mention how you will be involved on campus.

Name specific clubs you might join, programs you hope to establish and/or ways you would
like to become involved in the broader community. Despite the fact that Duke Fuqua shortened this essay, it is particularly important to Fuqua that candidates have clearly thought through their unique roles on campus so be sure to devote plenty of time to research here!

Optional Essays

Duke Fuqua also has an optional essay. However, DO NOT feel compelled to answer this application essay. In most instances, I only advise candidates with extenuating circumstances (i.e. low GPAs or gaps in employment) to provide additional information here.

Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team.

Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!
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MBA letters of recommendation are an integral part of your application that require more work than you might think. As you begin to narrow down your school lists, study for the GMAT/GRE and draft your essays, LORs should also be top of mind. Not only must you select the ideal recommenders, but you must also prepare them adequately!

Personal MBA Coach is here to guide you through this process!

Selecting Your Recommenders

As you make this crucial decision it can be tempting to select the person with the most prestigious resume or the person with whom it is easiest to discuss your business school plans. Instead, I encourage you to carefully weigh your options, keeping these tips in mind.

Do not just look for impressive titles: This is not to say that impressive titles are a bad thing, but title should not be the primary criteria for selecting your recommenders. Admissions committee members will see right through a strategy to have the CEO of your company, with whom you sat in on one meeting, write a letter for you. Not only will he not be able to explain the most important aspects of your candidacy, but the letter will also not be as credible if it is clear that you do not have a strong relationship with the recommender.

Look for someone who will take the time to write a great MBA letter of recommendation: This tip addresses two very important criteria. It is best to select someone who is not only a good writer, but who will take the necessary time to write a great letter. Not everyone is great at writing and similarly, not everyone realistically has time to draft a carefully thought out letter. The quality of the writing is important in demonstrating your candidacy. That said, do not worry about English proficiency. Letters are not evaluated based on grammar alone.

Select someone who knows you well: This is one of the most important pieces of advice I can provide. It is crucial that your recommender be familiar with your work, your character, your strengths, your weaknesses and your career aspirations. The best MBA letters of recommendation show intimate familiarity with the candidate. The recommender should also be familiar with your peers and be able to talk about how you compare. The use of specific examples will be important and the better the recommender knows you, the easier and more genuine these will be.

Consider non-professional references based on your personal circumstances: While the general advice is to select professional supervisors to write your letters of recommendation, there are some exceptions to this rule. If you have taken a considerable role in an activity outside of work, such as a leadership role in a sizable charitable organization, you might consider asking a colleague/supervisor in this organization to write on your behalf. If you devote a considerable amount of time to this activity, particularly if it requires strong leadership, this person should know you well and be positioned to write a strong MBA letter of recommendation. Further, they will be able to provide a different perspective on your candidacy.

Similarly, if you do not have a suitable professional reference option, perhaps because you absolutely cannot tell your supervisor you are applying to business school or because your company is structured such that you do not work closely with one particular person, you may be best suited selecting a non-professional reference.

Preparing Your Recommenders

Share your career aspirations: The more your recommenders know about your short-term and long-term goals, the more they can highlight examples and skill sets that would best demonstrate your ability to succeed in these endeavors.

Tell your recommenders what you plan to discuss in your essays: If you have taken our advice and started early, you may be preparing your recommenders before you have finalized your essays. However, share highlights from what you plan to discuss. Beyond your goals, let them know the traits you are highlighting and the success stories you are telling. The idea is for the letter to complement the rest of your application. This means you do not want them to repeat exactly what you are already saying, yet at the same time, you want to make sure there is no conflicting information. If they have a sense of your stories, they will be better equipped to share examples of accomplishments that demonstrate a complementary skill set or touch on an area you were not able to cover in your essays.

Remind your recommenders of your key accomplishments: Do not be shy about reminding them of your successes. This will not only make their lives easier but it will ensure they share the best stories. Your recommenders are busy and it is easy for them to forget details. Take the time to think of the top stories you would like them to recount and remind them of your role in certain projects or assignments.

Model the behavior now that you want them to write about later: If you have a skill set your future recommender has not seen yet (especially one that fits with your story), now is the time to let it shine! Take on an extra project, sign up to volunteer within the organization or mentor a junior colleague. Whatever you can do to show your strengths will help ensure they have enough examples to write a glowing MBA letter of recommendation. Keep this in mind when you are at the office or client site at 8PM and debating whether to leave or burn the midnight oil.

Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team.

Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!

You may also like these other blog articles:

Columbia Business School Class of 2023 - Updated Essay Question & Analysis - Fall 2020 - Spring 2021

Wharton 2020-2021 Essay Analysis

#LettersofRecommendation
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Yale School of Management has released deadlines and the essay for the 2020-2021 application season, leaving the question unchanged for the fifth year in a row.

This year’s deadlines are as follows:

Round 1: September 15, 2020
Round 2: January 7, 2021
Round 3: April 13, 2021

Yale asks students to:

Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made (500 words)

Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean for Admissions gave this advice to candidates in a blog post:

We have one essay question: “Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made.” We developed this question in collaboration with Amy Wrzesniewski, a professor of organizational behavior at Yale SOM. Your time in business school, and the choices you make thereafter, represent significant commitments. In asking this question, the Admissions Committee is seeking to learn about how you have approached a commitment of importance in your life.

When it comes to choosing a topic, be genuine. We want to hear about something that is meaningful and distinctive to you, in your own voice. Your commitment can be personal, specific or expansive. We receive outstanding, insightful essays covering a wide range of topics.

The content of your essay is every bit as important as the topic. Regardless of the commitment that you choose, the most effective essays do a great job of describing your approach to commitment. Point to the specific actions that you have taken, over time, to bolster your commitment. This is especially important if you have chosen a broad topic, such as an ideal or a belief. Don’t just explain why a commitment is important to you; we want to understand how your behaviors have demonstrated and supported your commitment.

Below is Personal MBA Coach’s guidance on how to address the Yale MBA essay question:

As you craft your essay, keep in mind that Yale strives to “educate leaders for business and society.” With a passionate and committed student body, Yale takes pride in the small group learning teams and close-knit community. This question gives candidates a chance to provide admissions committee members with a glimpse of who they are and what matters to them, confirming they can and will live up to the school’s lofty mission.

The commitment can be personal or professional, though I prefer to see candidates share personal experiences in their Yale MBA essays. Whatever you choose, be sure that you focus on ONE thing; do not include multiple commitments here. Past examples have included causes, personal development areas, athletic achievements and professional pursuits. The commitment can be something completed in the past or on-going. However, if you select something that is on-going, be sure that you have already made significant steps to deliver against your commitment. A commitment you just recently made and your forward-looking plans will not cut it here.

Yale SOM wants to see passion, dedication and follow-through. They want to assess how you think and how you plan effectively. Your commitment should be something that genuinely matters to you. Remember, think leader for business AND society here. The most successful answers will show how you have delivered against this mission in the past. However, the commitment does not have to be focused on volunteer work. There are countless ways to make an impact on society.

500 words is fairly short and this is your main shot to show who you are and why you will fit in on campus. Be focused and be genuine!

Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team.

Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!
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This week Chicago Booth confirmed the MBA application essay questions for 2020-2021 applicants. Once again, Booth will require two essays, each with no strict word limit.

The first question remained unchanged once again, while Chicago Booth altered the second essay question this year.

Essay 1: “How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals?”

For this question, you will want to discuss your specific short-term and long-term goals. Be sure to explain a bit of your thinking behind these goals, allowing the reader to understand both how you developed them and what your higher-level aspirations are.

As with other “goals” essays, you are also expected to touch upon your past successes, explaining how they are relevant to your future objectives. This question does not require you to walk through your entire resume, and candidates are advised not to do so. Instead, focus only on your past to establish your key skills as well as how and why you will succeed in the future.

Next, think about your skills gaps and how a Booth MBA will help you to close these gaps. Be specific here and take the time to do your research. Detail the classes, programs, or clubs you hope to take advantage of on campus and how they will help you to achieve your post-MBA career goals. Again, do not include a laundry list. Instead carefully think through how each area will help you fill in the necessary pieces of the puzzle. Finally, be sure to show an understanding of Booth’s culture.

Essay 2: “An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are...” (250-word minimum)

Chicago Booth is pivoting from its previous focus on choices, which included a combination of personal and professional context. This year, the second Chicago Booth essay challenges applicants to think about personal aspects of their profile.

At Personal MBA Coach we specialize in helping our clients develop their personal stories. This essay is an opportunity to tell more about yours. As you brainstorm topics for this MBA application essay, remember that admissions committees (including Chicago Booth) are looking to create a well-rounded class. Think about how you are unique. This is your chance to think about what sets you apart from other applicants.

Potential topics to explore here include passions, values (but be careful not to copy your Kellogg essay if you are applying to both schools), hobbies, and extracurricular activities.

While there is no stated maximum for the Chicago Booth essay questions, we advise our clients to be focused and succinct. This is not the time to write a 1000-word essay.

In fact, many schools this year are lowering their word limits or the number of essays required. Stanford GSB reduced its combined word count by 100 words this year, a major change given how long the essays had previously remained unchanged. Michigan Ross, UCLA, and Duke Fuqua are also among the schools that reduced the required writing. While in many ways this may seem like welcome news, it highlights the importance of choosing your words carefully and editing. Writing less is actually harder than writing more. (Be on the lookout for a future blog on how to say more with fewer words.)

Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team.

Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!
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Nearly all MBA programs have confirmed their MBA application essays for 2020-2021 hopefuls. While some top programs including Harvard Business School, Kellogg, Dartmouth Tuck, Yale SOM and NYU Stern left their MBA application essays unchanged this year, many programs changed their essay prompts. Personal MBA Coach devotes considerable time to tracking all MBA essay questions and looking for trends and themes.

This year, shortening essays was a common trend!

A number of top schools including Michigan Ross, Stanford GSB, UCLA Anderson, and Duke Fuqua are asking candidates to write LESS! UCLA Anderson now has only one 250-word required essay (along with a few short answer questions which will be another ~200-250 words). Michigan Ross now requires only 400 words across all essays. Duke Fuqua reduced its 2-page essay to 300 words.

While many applicants may be excited by these reduced word counts, writing less is actually HARDER than writing more. It can be a challenge to summarize your life’s accomplishments into one or two short essays.

Personal MBA Coach spends the greatest amount of time with our clients on the actual editing process, helping clients maximize each available word. Even with MBA essays that have no word limits, it is crucial to be succinct.

Here are our top four tips for writing more with fewer words.

1) Resist the urge to include unrelated details

Business applicants are accomplished. Naturally, it can be tempting to try to include as many of these accomplishments as possible in your application essays. However, it is crucial that you avoid this urge.

For each application essay, think about what the question asks and why the admissions committee is asking this question. Do not include any detail that does not cover this what or why. For example, a question asking how an MBA will help does not require hundreds of words on your past professional success, however impressive it may be. Similarly, a question on career goals does not require you to explain the industry dynamics in detail or the reasons behind your perspective on the industry. With each sentence you add to your essays, consider the question you are actually answering. If it is not related to the question asked, cut it!

2) Avoid repetition

With limited words available to sell yourself, there is rarely a need to say anything twice. Regardless of how successful you might have been in your role, admissions committee members do not need to read about it multiple times. Whether you founded a non-profit, were the first in your class to be promoted, or were a Division I athlete, tell each story one time. While naturally you can (and should) touch on a broad theme or aspect of your personal story from multiple angles, this is not the same as repeating the same story.

3) Leverage all aspects of the application

As a natural extension of point 3, use all aspects of your application to your advantage. Even for schools requiring very short essays, there are countless other aspects of the application to pay attention to. Ensure every piece counts! Take the time to carefully craft answers to your short-answer questions. Prepare your recommenders to ensure their stories complement (but do not reiterate) yours. Use every line in your resume as efficiently as possible to show your leadership and success. In addition, video essays and pre/post interview essays provide other ways to sell yourself.

Leave plenty of time for these application extras.

In fact, Personal MBA Coach advises our round 1 clients to finish their essays by the end of July (and round 2 clients to finish by late November) whenever possible to allocate adequate time to other crucial MBA application components.

4) Look for every opportunity to trim words

As we have said countless times, edit, edit, edit. Ensure every word counts. If there is a way to say it more succinctly, do! Cutting excess words will lead to stronger writing while giving you extra space to cover details that really set you apart. You’d be surprised how a trained eye can cut 50-100+ words from a 400-word essay without deleting a single piece of true content.

Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team.

Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!
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Hi Personal MA Coach,

I'm finding it really difficult to figure out where I stand when it comes to applying to B-Schools for my MBA and since I do not have too many people around me for advice I'm really hoping that you would help me out by evaluating my profile details:

My MBA interest: Fulltime program in Marketing and IT operations in USA.

GMAT 1 550 (Q42, V23)
GMAT 2 630 (Q46, V31)
GMAT 3 660 (Q49, V31) (IR 6 AWA 5.5)


Total Work Exp: 5.5yrs (IT)
US based, leading IT MNC - Technical Consulting Engineer (Sept 2018-Present)
US based, leading IT MNC - Technical Support Engineer (Aug 2014-Dec 2017)


Gender – Female
Age – 28 yrs
Nationality - Indian

Current Responsibilities:
-Perform complex and in depth networking problems requiring strong analytical, problem solving, engineering, and communication skills and provide successful resolution of technical issues reported by customers and thinking on innovative ways to avoid issues in the future.
-This process involves in-depth research on technical topics, reproduction of customer's environments and issues using lab equipment, technical exchange and discussions with product development and engineering teams, interaction with Technical Leaders.
-Provide training to near hires and other team members


Education:
B. Tech (Computers) from Punjab Technical Univ, 2014 passout, 82% marks
XII – 72%, CBSE board
X – 92%, CBSE board

Achievements:
1. Received Student of The Year Award in North region by ISTE
2. Performed in Theatre Group at National level for 3 years
3. Received Tesla Award at Services Kick Off amongst various nominations globally (including Escalation Team and Support Team), awarded for my contribution to Service Assurance
4. Highest NPS as 90% with maximum customer satisfaction for the services delivered
5. Performance Award: A nationwide recognition for performance

I am interested in Interior Designing and would like to have my business in the same. I have done certification courses from Udemy. However I dont have any experience in Entrepreneurship and Marketing.

My questions :

1. An honest opinion about where I stand
2. What could I do to improve my case ?
3. As per my case, which are the US business schools that I should be looking at ?
4. Should I show my interest in Entrepreneurship without having any experience or will it have any negative impression?

I would like to hear your views upon the fruitfulness of an MBA for a profile like me.

Last week, Personal MBA Coach founder, Scott Edinburgh, sat down virtually with Diana Economy, Director of Full-Time MBA Admissions at University of Michigan Ross, to discuss the Michigan Ross experience and application process for prospective students.

As expected, the upcoming application cycle and academic year will introduce some changes, such as shortened MBA application essay requirements and a hybrid learning plan. Get Diana’s insight on Ross’s response to COVID-19, advice for applicants, and predictions for the future of the Michigan Ross MBA program.

Watch here to learn how to position yourself for success at Michigan Ross!

Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team.

Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!
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Over the past 13 years, Personal MBA Coach has heard countless “myths” from MBA hopefuls. While there are many misconceptions about the MBA application process (do not miss our upcoming webinar “Behind the MBA Admissions Curtain”), certain ones frequently rise to the top of the list. Personal MBA Coach would like to bust these myths and help candidates focus on what really matters in the MBA application process.


1. You should apply to only a few schools

Years ago, applicants may have targeted only a few business schools. However, today my average applicant applies to 5+ schools. The number of strong MBA programs is increasing. As more and more universities are investing in their business schools, candidates have numerous good options to consider. Simultaneously (and not surprisingly), the applicant pool is becoming even more competitive, meaning that countless extremely qualified candidates are rejected each year. While it is true that MBA applications are time-consuming and each application is unique, successful applicants make the investment by applying to additional schools. This strategy ensures they are ultimately successful getting into the best possible school and when working with us, the highest amount of scholarship dollars.


2. Schools want you to tell them how wonderful they are

Far too often, I read about how an applicant will leverage Wharton’s “unmatched” alumni network or grow through Booth’s “renowned” curriculum. While all business schools want to know that you are truly interested in their programs, using over-the-top praise is not an effective way to articulate this message. Instead, do your research and thoughtfully share elements of their programs that you are looking to take advantage of. Ensure that these elements are specific to you and make sense relative to your background and goals.


3. Business schools want candidates only with a certain career background

While it is true that there are certain career paths for which an MBA is common (e.g. Consulting and Investment Banking), there is no one ideal pre-MBA career. In fact, a unique career background can actually work in your favor. Business schools desire well-rounded classmates and appreciate the unique perspective that candidates with nontraditional backgrounds can bring to class conversations. What’s key is to show how your past experience and perspective can be leveraged during your future career path.


4. There is a “correct” career goal

You may be tempted to mention a career goal you think admissions committee members want to hear. Just because it is common for applicants to pursue consulting or investment banking does not mean this is the career path you should aspire to. Admissions committee members want passionate students and well-rounded classes. So write about what you really want to do, provided it is logical and attainable, and articulate it well. (Check out our blog on articulating your career goals here.)


5. You need to fit in everything you have accomplished

Many candidates are tempted to throw everything but the kitchen sink into their essays. They are concerned that they will hurt their chances of success if they do not tell admissions committee members everything they have done. However, this is not the case. A few well-told stories that clearly demonstrate what makes you unique will be far more compelling. Show your passions and leadership by sharing how you did a few things exceptionally well.

Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team.

Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!
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