Personal MBA Coach Updates

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: What's New For Tuck Class of 2020 Hopefuls

Tuck has changed things up a bit for 2017-2018 MBA applicants. Once again, there are 2 required essays. Below are this year’s questions and Personal MBA Coach’s thoughts on how to tackle them. From Tuck: We encourage applicants to limit the length of their responses to a word count of 500. (Required) What are your short and long-term goals? Why is an MBA a critical next step toward achieving those goals? Why are you interested in Tuck?(Required) Tuck’s mission is to educate wise leaders to better the world of business. Wisdom encompasses the essential aptitudes of confident humility, about what one does and does not know; empathy, towards the diverse ideas and experiences of others; and judgment, about when and how to take risks for the better. With Tuck’s mission in mind, and with a focus on confident humility, tell us about a time you:received tough feedback,experienced failure, ordisappointed yourself or others. How did you respond, and what did you learn about yourself as a result? Personal MBA Coach’s Take: Essay 1 begins as a straightforward career goals essays. Check out my blog on refining and articulating your career goals for some more specific thoughts on this crucial step. After clearly stating their goals, candidates should explicitly discuss why they want an MBA. While this question does not ask about your past, a mention of your career to-date is appropriate for context and to establish the skills you have already amassed. From there, discuss what skills you plan to acquire through the MBA program and why you need these skills to accomplish your goals. As always, I urge candidates to avoid vague or general terms in favor of specifics. Equally as important as the above is the final section on why you are interested in Tuck. As I have advised in the past, do your research on the classes, activities, professors, cultural aspects etc. that attract you to Tuck. Specifically discuss the items that you are most interested in and what value you will provide and get from these activities, relationships or classes. This is a lot to cover in only 500 words so choose wisely; don’t waste words with vague language or flattery. Tuck has a unique culture that goes beyond simply being close knit. Take time to understand that culture before you apply. For essay 2, I advise you to start by reading Tuck’s stated mission carefully and considering your own personal qualities that align with this mission. Your response to the situation is naturally much more important than the situation itself, so make sure to tell a story that demonstrates these qualities. Equally as crucial as your response is what you learned about yourself in the process. Don’t short change this piece by glancing over it in a few words; instead, really think through how your leadership style changed as a result of this experience. The goal here is not to tout your strengths, but to focus on the type of leader you are, how you demonstrate humility and how you respond to tough situations. Pick a story that is fairly straight-forward to tell so that you do not have to devote too much of the essay to setting up the situation. If you are writing about feedback, try to think about the type of feedback that may be included in your letter of recommendation. It is ok to show adcom that you did something poorly, as long as you learned from it and as long as it isn’t something they would assume that you should have been good at from day 1. Finally, Tuck has the following optional question: Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application. As with many optional questions, don’t feel compelled to answer this one. Do so only if your situation warrants it. Personal MBA Coach is here to help with all aspects of the application process! If you would like individual and personal support, please find information about Personal MBA Coach’s comprehensive packages or contact me to learn how I can help! As an MIT Sloan BS graduate and Wharton MBA grad, I have been helping candidates get into the schools of their dreams with a 96% success rate for over 10 years. Email me today at: scott@personalmbacoach.com

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: 5 Tips for Preparing Your Recommenders

Letters of recommendation are an integral part of your MBA application that require more work than you might think. We often hear of candidates who ask someone to write the letter, ensure it gets submitted and call it a day. This can be a big mistake! Your role in the LOR process should be much more involved than this. See our tips on arming your recommenders to write the best letters possible. If you haven’t already selected your recommenders, check out our blog on this as well! 1.       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. 2.       Tell your recommenders what you have discussed/plan to discuss in your essays Offer them a copy of your essays or at least share the highlights from what you wrote. 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. The more they know about what you are already writing about, the more successful this will be. 3.       Remind your recommenders of your key accomplishments Don’t 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. 4.       Model the behavior now that you want them to write about later If you have a skill set your future recommender hasn’t 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 (particularly if you are starting early!) will help ensure they have enough examples to write a glowing 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. 5.       Remind them to compare you to other candidates Just as we advise that your resume and essays should 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. Personal MBA Coach is here to help with all aspects of the application process! If you would like individual and personal support, please find information about Personal MBA Coach’s comprehensive packages or contact me to learn how I can help! As an MIT Sloan BS graduate and Wharton MBA grad, I have been helping candidates get into the schools of their dreams with a 96% success rate for over 10 years. Email me today at: scott@personalmbacoach.com

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Rejected last year? How much should your profile and application change before re-applying?

I am commonly asked by new clients re-applying to business school: How much does my profile and application need to change this year if I got rejected last year? Here is my general advice on how to change each aspect of the application: Your story: Unless it did not make sense or had large holes, I would not recommend changing your overall story. If it seemed weak in some areas (i.e. you are making a dramatic career switch without a lot of evidence of your ability to accomplish this), make sure to highlight the changes you have made to get you closer to your new career. If you haven’t made a major professional change, this could be a side project, research or volunteer work. However, be sure to highlight anything you have done personally to improve your candidacy since your last application. Add any new volunteer work or extracurricular leadership experience that has fueled your growth. Your LORs: Are you confident you had the best letters? If you are not sure, have a conversation with your recommenders from last year and get a sense of their interest and excitement. If your LOR isn't perfect, find someone new to write it this year. You may be required to get at least one new LOR anyway depending on the school. Work: While it is generally not advised to make late job changes just prior to submitting an application, you can certainly try to do different things at work such as get on a new project or take on a new responsibility if you are applying for Round 2. Evaluate your experience and see where you might be lacking relative to peers. Regardless of whether you changed jobs or roles, be sure to highlight the major projects you have tackled over the last year, calling attention to any new skills they provided. Think about where your application was weak, and be sure to mention accomplishments that allowed you to strengthen these areas. Goals: In nearly all cases, it’s best not to change your goals, especially if you are re-applying the very next year. Instead, add a bit more detail to your vision, showing how your recent experience has fine-tuned your direction or the skills you will need to achieve these goals. In some cases, the role you have taken on since your last application has changed your goals. If this is the case, be sure to carefully explain it, showing your path and evolution so you do not seem simply indecisive. Extracurriculars: While you probably had some, were they strong enough? Did they make sense with your overall profile? If you are long-term planning, think about which activities you can add now. If you are applying this year, make sure that you call attention to anything you have done outside of work, or even internal initiatives at work or on-campus leadership, to call attention to your strengths. Remember, quality over quantity here. Interview: If you got a lot of interviews but didn't get in, it’s time to hone your interview skills. Whether it is with my team of former interviewers, myself or someone else, you should ensure you have the proper training and practice to ace the interviews once you get the invites. If you got an interview or better yet were wait-listed, it may mean that you can make specific and targeted improvements to your profile in order to be successful, focusing on highlighting your growth. Personal MBA Coach is here to help with all aspects of the application process! If you would like individual and personal support, please find information about Personal MBA Coach’s comprehensive packages or contact me to learn how I can help! As an MIT Sloan BS graduate and Wharton MBA grad, I have been helping candidates get into the schools of their dreams with a 96% success rate for over 10 years. Email me today at: scott@personalmbacoach.com

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Are your applications really ready to go?

Round one deadlines are approaching! As many of you know, the HBS application is due in just under 3 weeks, with Duke Fuqua and Yale SOM due the following week. Wharton, Stanford, Kellogg, Hass and Booth are not far behind. Nearly all schools will have a round one deadline by early October. As you put the finishing touches on your applications, make sure they are solid! For some schools there is an advantage to applying round one; for others, your chances are not that different round two. However, for all schools, your best shot is if you apply when you are ready. A strong application in round two will beat one that needs fine tuning in round one nearly every time! Here are a few things to keep in mind before you hit the submit button. Story How many stories are you telling in your application? Many successful applications focus on one main story that paints a clear picture of who you are as an applicant. You can write about two different stories, one being personal or what you enjoy doing outside of work, but try to stay focused and allow the admissions committee to walk away from reading your app with a clear sense of who you are.Are the stories consistent throughout all of the application components? Your resume, essays, short answer questions and letters of recommendation should all provide the same message. Any inconsistencies are an instant red flag! Why MBA? Have you clearly thought out and articulated why you want an MBA? To get promoted or To gain business skills are not good reasons. While not all schools ask this question, all candidates should be able to clearly explain (either in the essay or in the interview – if given the chance) what skills and experiences they hope you gain from an MBA and how it will help to attain their career goals. School Specifics Some of the essays are similar across schools and you may start with material from one school and try to morph it into essay content for another school. Whether you morph material or not, make sure that you are being specific enough about each school in your application.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 and who crafted a generic essay. Short Answer Questions Short answers are very important! Don’t let the fact that the questions are brief and only part of the online application fool you into thinking they aren’t necessary to focus on.Ensure the same voice is carried throughout your application, which includes your resume, essays and short answer questions.These questions may only ask for 250 characters, but optimizing those characters to tell the strongest story you can will take some time. Recommenders One of the most overlooked areas of the application is the recommendation section.Ensure your recommenders know your complete story and can write letters that help to corroborate that story.To the extent that your thinking has developed as you went through the application phase, make sure to update your recommenders. Essay Quality Are your essays really strong enough?Do you find yourself re-reading paragraphs because you don’t see how they exactly fit into the essay? It is a good idea to have someone else read over your essays, and ask someone who isn’t extremely familiar with what you do on a daily basis. 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.Is your essay telling the reader something about you? While a story can often add to or even make a great essay, the goal for every essay is to convince the admissions committee that you will add value on campus (and beyond). Make sure your essay sends a message about what you have to add. Remember, if you have any doubts reading these tips, waiting until round two might be ok. The best time to apply is always when your application is the strongest! Personal MBA Coach is here to help with all aspects of the application process! If you would like individual and personal support, please find information about Personal MBA Coach’s comprehensive packages or contact me to learn how I can help! As an MIT Sloan BS graduate and Wharton MBA grad, I have been helping candidates get into the schools of their dreams with a 96% success rate for over 10 years. Email me today at: scott@personalmbacoach.com

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As August comes to a close and we get closer to round one deadlines, here are few very quick reminders! Then stay tuned for more...

1) Recommendations - Ensure these are submitted by the deadline. While it is possible that some schools give an extension, do not assume this. Even if it can be done, you are always better off getting things in by the deadline. Give your recommenders fake deadlines to avoid any risk of being late.

2) Resume - Have you updated your resume? Yes the essays will take the most time but don't forget about the resume. If you plan to use the latest version you submitted for a job, think again! The MBA application resume should be different from the professional resume. Click below to learn more
https://www.personalmbacoach.com/single ... nal-Resume

3) Short answers - Don't forget about these short answers. For some schools they are quite comprehensive and will take time to write and edit. For others they may be brief but still important.

More round one planning: https://www.personalmbacoach.com/single ... eady-to-go

Good luck everyone!

Best,
Scott
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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Top 5 Pieces of Advice for Round 2 MBA Applicants!

With summer just coming to an end and round two deadlines for most schools that fall in January, it is easy to put your MBA applications on the back burner. Don’t make this mistake! Whether you aren’t quite ready for round one (unsure if your applications are ready to go? Check out my recent blog) or have always been in the round two camp, it is time to get started NOW! Here are 5 steps you should be taking today! 1) Think about your personal story My candidates often need the most help with crafting a winning personal story. This is the most important part of the application and it can also be the hardest. I advise my candidates to start this process months, if not years, in advance! The good news? Everyone has a personal story. So, what should you include in your personal story? This will differ for every candidate but across the board I can tell you, not everything! No one wants to read 1,000+ words with a chronological flow of your life. Instead, you must be focused, logical and unique. This is also not the time to tell the admissions committee what you think they want to hear. Instead, think about what is most important to you, what drove your career and personal decisions and what single idea connects these all together. This is the hard part, so give it time. No candidate is ever perfect, instead, we chart the best course we can with the hand we were dealt and the best essays show this. 2) Fine tune and articulate your career goals Most business school applications will ask you to think about your career goals. This is a very important question. Admissions directors want to know how you will make the business world better when you leave their campuses and they want to know what your unique mark will be. The best career essay will do two things: Connect your past career to your future goals. Whether you plan to take your career in a completely different direction, make a small career pivot or return to the same company post-MBA in a higher role, it is important to connect your past to your future. Include career goals that are focused and attainable. Your career essay should generally include both a short-term and long-term goal, though of course pay attention to the specific question wording. These goals should be specific. No one is going to hold you to what you put in your essay, but it is important to think through and convey your plan. For more on drafting your career goals essay, read our blog. 3) Finalize your school choice and schedule campus visits, if you haven’t already Research the programs that best fit with your long-term goals and ideal learning environments. Pay careful attention to each school’s culture and the industries where its graduates are most often placed. Make sure that you have some “reach” schools, some “more likely” schools and some “safer” schools, especially if you want to ensure you get in this time around. Next, schedule campus visits! If it is realistic based on your location and work schedule, you should try to visit the campus before applying. There is no better way to get to know a school and the admissions committee wants to see you are truly interested. Whether you visit or not, look for current students or alumni in your immediate or extended networks and take the time to talk to them now! Learn about their experiences, what sets their programs apart, etc. 4) Select and prepare your recommenders Who you select to write your letters of recommendation is a key decision in the application process. It can be tempting to select the person with the most prestigious resume or the person easiest to discuss your business school plans with. I encourage you instead to carefully weigh your options and choose recommenders who know you best, can write great letters and can compare you to other applicants. For more on this, read our top 5 tips for selecting your recommenders. Once you have selected the right person, you also have to prepare them carefully. We often hear of candidates who ask someone to write the letter, ensure it gets submitted and call it a day. This can be a big mistake! Your role in the LOR process should be much more involved than this. See our tips on arming your recommenders to write the best letters possible. 5) START YOUR ESSAYS Once you have finalized your school list, done some soul searching on your personal story and fine-tuned your career goals. START DRAFTING. All of the essay questions are out and the best essays take time so why wait? Better, by getting your essays done now you will be free to enjoy the holiday season and new year! Personal MBA Coach is here to help! We are a boutique admissions consulting firm helping clients since 2008 with a 96% success rate! Whether it is GMAT/GRE tutoring, school selection, letters of recommendation planning or essay development, we can help you achieve your career goals! Call today: +1 617-645-2424 or email for a consultation with founder

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: How to Use MBA Rankings

As you narrow down your round 2 school lists, you might be wondering how much emphasis you should place on business school rankings. These rankings are often a subject of much debate, especially since there are many and they differ widely. US News and World Reports andBloomberg Business Week are just two available. More than just big business for the publishers, rankings are an important tool for business school applicants. However, please keep in mind they are just one of many tools and not the be all end all! Below is Personal MBA Coach’s view on these guides: why they matter, how to use them and some important things to keep in mind! Remember, these guides are only the beginning. Personal MBA Coach is a full-service admissions consulting firm that can help you design your overall strategy. School selection is a crucial part of the process and we are here to help! Why They Matter: Your education is a critical component of your resume and naturally most prospective employers and investors look closely at where you went to school. Right or wrong, many will use the quality of your education as a signal of your potential value and these ratings most often shape this perceived education quality. How To Use Them: Use them to get the lay of the land. MBA ratings provide a great overview of the business school landscape: what schools exist, where they are located and how they generally stack up.Statistics such as average GPA, average GMAT, years of experience, acceptance rate and starting salary provide good benchmarking data. Use the ratings to get a high level of idea of which schools could be potential options for you.Keep in mind these are averages across all candidates. The whole package matters so use these numbers as an initial guide only. Based on your unique background and experience, lower scores or grades might be perfectly reasonable. And vice versa, for a less unique profile, you might need higher than average scores/grades to truly stand out. Keep in Mind: Average rating over time is much more important than year to year fluctuation. When you are courting that investor 10 years from now, she won’t pay attention to what the rating was when you applied - so, pay closer attention to general trends.Nearly every ratings scale will give different results. Of course, certain schools will be in the top 10 in nearly every rating, but the lists vary considerably from source to source. As with historical data, the general trend is most important.Ratings vary by industry! While all business schools focus to some extent on providing strong general management education, each school has a specific area of expertise. Pay attention to how the schools stack up in the industry specific ratings as well. Look at which schools your target companies recruit at. Companies recruit at many schools, not just the top ten. Location matters. Sure, you can live anywhere after you graduate from business school and companies will often travel to recruit. But for obvious reasons, it is much easier to recruit and network close to campus. If you have a few schools in mind with the same general rating (even if one is slightly better than the other), there can sometimes be an advantage to studying closer to where you want to settle. Personal MBA Coach is here to help! We are a boutique admissions consulting firm helping clients since 2008 with a 96% success rate! Whether it is GMAT/GRE tutoring, school selection, letters of recommendation planning or essay development, we can help you achieve your career goals! Call today: +1 617-645-2424 or email for a consultation with founder

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: What to do if you have too many recommenders to choose from?

Round 2 applicants! If you haven’t already, now is the time to begin selecting your recommenders! But what if you have too many to choose from? I recently had a discussion with one of my clients about his recommendation strategy because he faced some tough decisions. Like many of you, he had multiple people he could ask for a recommendation and did not know who to choose. Summarizing our conversation, here are a few things to consider when deciding who to ask. 1. It is often simplest to ask the same people for all schools: While this may seem obvious, you can ask the same people to write all of your letters. If you have a specific instance where someone is closely connected to a school or an alum, it may be worth changing recommenders for a particular school but these decisions should be made carefully. The process of managing recommenders can be challenging and the best thing to do is to select the same recommender for all schools. After all, most people are loved the most by a couple bosses so you may as well pick the best.2. Don't ask the highest person in your company: You are much better off asking a mid-level executive for a rec if s/he will write an amazing, kick-ass letter instead of the president who may not know you as well and thus may be less confident writing something so great. That said if the president works closely with you, it is great to ask him/her.3. Ask your recommender how strong of a letter they feel they could write: This may seem weird, but hearing the response will tell you something. If s/he thinks you are foolish for asking since s/he would blow people away with the letter, that tells you something different than if you get a lukewarm response.4. Make sure they know how to write!! Writing these letters is tough, especially for people who are used to writing business proposals all day. Don't be afraid to coach them if you feel necessary. Coaching is different from writing the letter though. Be sure not to write your letter, rather advise your recommender on what the schools are looking for. 5. Consider adding a non-professional references in some instances: 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. Note: This is not very common and most applicants use professional references. 6. Use additional influential / alumni letters in some cases: While I said title should not be the main factor in selecting your recommenders, some candidates might be lucky enough to have a close relationship - even a personal one - with someone who has strong ties to the school of their dreams. In this case (and you never know what connections you might actually have until you inquire), it is worth taking the time consider them as an additional recommender. Again, this is a case by case basis and I am happy to advise clients on this specific situation. This would not be a standard letter, but rather a separate email or form submitted to the school as more of a character reference. Regardless of who you choose, make sure you prepare them adequately! I always tell my clients to prepare a packet for their recommenders to remind them of your accomplishments, the reasons you are pursuing an MBA, and a theme for the recommendation. Ideally each letter focuses on something slightly different about your candidacy so the school sees a complete picture after reading all of them. For more on this, check out our blog: Preparing Your Recommenders. Remember, early notice is key. Don’t wait too long to make these requests. Need help with your LOR strategy or any part of the MBA application process? Personal MBA Coach is here to help! We are a boutique admissions consulting firm helping clients since 2008 with a 96% success rate! Whether it is GMAT/GRE tutoring, school selection, letters of recommendation planning or essay development, we can help you achieve your career goals! Call today: +1 617-645-2424 or email for a consultation with founder

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: 7 Steps to Nail the MBA Interview!

Interview Invites Are Rapidly Rolling Out – Get Our Advice on How to Prepare Effectively! First, if you received an interview invitation, congrats! But remember, this is only the beginning. All of your hard work on the applications, essays and GMAT may have gotten you this far, but don’t rest on your laurels! The interview is one of the most important parts of the process and one that I have seen far too many under estimate and under prepare for. Don’t make this same mistake. Read our tips and set up a mock interview with us for help! Here are a few general things to keep in mind: 1. Know the school and the culture. Fit is extremely important in the interview process! This is why Personal MBA Coach hires former interviewers from top schools to conduct mock sessions. Be sure that you pay careful attention to each school’s culture, do online research and talk to former students. Showing how you will thrive and add value on campus is key! 2. Be sure you can clearly articulate your goals. Make sure you can carefully and succinctly explain what you want to accomplish in your career (and of course this should tie with your essays), why this path is exciting to you and how you will succeed. Be prepared to share how you plan to make your mark!  3. Prepare stories. We find bullets work best. Research the most common questions and prepare stories in advance. Focus on you! Don’t focus too much on setting up the situation. Instead, outline the key steps you took and how you excelled! Always keep in mind the skills you want to highlight and tailor the story accordingly. Generally, 4-5 stories can be easily tailored to cover all of the top questions. Assign each story to the potential question in advance. Remember: Situation, Action, Result! 4.Show enthusiasm. This does not need much clarification but be excited and smile! Particularly for the ever more popular video interviews, this enthusiasm is key. 5.Bring questions! And keep them positive. For many schools, you will get a chance to ask questions and having well thought out questions (beyond what you could have found looking online) shows genuine interest. 6. Practice, Practice, Practice!! 7. Relax! Be yourself. Your background got you this far so be yourself and enjoy the process. Personal MBA Coach has former MBA interviewers lined up to do mock interviews with you! Our clients have told us this is one of the most valuable steps they have taken to prepare. Email: scott@personalmbacoach.com or click here to set up a mock interview today!

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: 5 Tips for Selecting Your Target Business Schools

This time of the year, I am repeatedly asked, “Which schools should I apply to?” Picking the right business school is a complicated and personal process and a key component of our comprehensive packages. However, here are my top 5 tips: 1. Begin with the statistics: Statistics such as average GPA, average GMAT, years of experience, acceptance rate and starting salary will give you some good benchmarking data and a better idea of which schools could be potential options for you. Of course, these statistics aren’t the whole picture. Plenty of applicants with a higher than average GPA or GMAT won’t get in each year and vice versa. The whole package matters, so use these numbers as an initial guide only. However, if the average GMAT for a school is 730 and you have scored a 650, your odds of being successful are somewhat limited. 2. Go broad: My average candidate applies to at least 5 schools. Make sure that you have some “reach” schools, some “more likely” schools and some “safer” schools, especially if you want to ensure an acceptance this year. There is always going to be some element of a numbers game in the application process because schools all look to fill their classes with diverse candidates. You cannot always predict which school might need someone who fits your profile; therefore, I suggest adding a broad range of schools. 3. Look carefully at the curriculum and offerings: Think about your post-MBA goals carefully and pay attention to whose offerings are the best fit. It is no longer as simple as, “Wharton is great for Finance and Kellogg is great for Marketing.” Business schools all work hard to differentiate themselves from their peers by adding unique programs, opportunities and curriculum elements. So do your research, talk to alums and visit campuses. Not only will this help you determine which programs will be the best fit, but this research will be critical as you work on your application essays. 4. Pay attention to culture: Culture really is more than a buzzword and it will be key to having a fulfilling MBA experience and developing lasting long-term relationships. Do you want a small close-knit campus where everyone lives and studies nearby? Do you consider the entire city as your campus? These are just some of the many questions you should ask yourself as you select your school list. 5. Consider location: Sure, you can live anywhere after you graduate from business school and companies from all over the world will travel to recruit. But for obvious reasons, it is much easier to recruit at schools closer to your office. This does not mean you should only consider city schools! Look at which schools your target companies visit for recruitment, what local opportunities are available to candidates and which speakers come to campus. Need help? We know it’s a daunting process and Personal MBA Coach is here to help! Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 10 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at 617-645-2424 or email at scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your career dreams a reality!

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Round 2 Status Check

It is hard to believe, but there are only 6 weeks left in 2017! With most round 2 MBA application deadlines falling just after the new year, this means it is time to get to work! Personal MBA Coach is here to help guide you through this crucial and time-consuming process. Get started today! Here are my tips to keep on track and avoid a last-minute crunch. I advise my candidates not to do any heavy editing in the week before the deadline as my experience has shown me that changes made in the final hour often detract from the essay quality. 1. Start with your resume. Your professional resume needs to be converted into an MBA resume for your business school applications. This resume should focus more on your accomplishments and limit the use of industry jargon (check out this blog for more details). I advise you to start here, as this is a great way to take inventory of your career and think through your key strengths and accomplishments. 2. Prepare your recommenders. Your recommenders need time and details to write a strong recommendation. If you have not asked them yet, what are you waiting for? The holidays are creeping up and with them, many people will be on extended vacation, so get this process started today! If you aren’t sure on how to prepare them, check out my detailed tips here. 3. Articulate your career goals and why you want an MBA. Outline this before you start writing! If you don’t know exactly what you want to do (or at least what you are going to say you want to do in your essays), you are not going to get very far on your applications. Get organized, outline both your short-term and long-term goals, and take note of your key strengths and development areas. Then, think through how the MBA will help. Preparing this information in advance will greatly ease the writing process. Not sure how to think about your career goals? Read more here. 4. Start with the easiest school first (unless one is rolling or has a much earlier deadline than the others). There is a steep learning curve to the process and by starting with the easiest school, your final application is likely to be your best. While many of my clients will work on multiple school applications simultaneously, be sure to divide the work into manageable chunks. 5. Look for synergies across essays. Once you have perfected certain sections, including goals, context about your experiences, and key strengths, see if there are any sentences that can be re-used. Although each essay should be customized and you should keep copy and pasting to a minimum, there are a few sentences you should really take the time to perfect that can be leveraged across more than one essay. Of course, this is not always the case! 6. Leave plenty of time for editing! For my clients, the average essay will go through many drafts before it reaches perfection. This editing process is crucial and takes time. If you are unable to work through a comprehensive package, Personal MBA Coach will offer a limited number of gut-check packages each year. However, they sell out fast and must be booked in advance, so don’t wait until the week before! Need help? We know it’s a daunting process and Personal MBA Coach is here to help! Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 10 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at 617-645-2424 or email at scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your career dreams a reality!

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: 5 Ways to Maximize Time This Thanksgiving Break

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving this week, turkey, football and Black Friday specials are probably consuming your thoughts! As tempting as it may be to put your applications on the back burner for the long weekend, I encourage you to use this extra time wisely. The New Year is fast approaching and with it come round 2 deadlines. Here are a few tips from Personal MBA Coach on using this family time to your advantage and getting a jump start on your applications. With smart time management, you will still have plenty of time to enjoy the festivities. 1) Crowdsource essay ideas from your family: Your family knows you best and the most compelling essays include personal details. Share the most challenging essay topics with your loved ones and get their advice. Ask for their favorite anecdotes and their honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. Brainstorming can be the hardest part, so let your family do some heavy lifting over holiday cocktails. 2) Skip the Black Friday shopping: Don’t waste time braving the crowds this year. Instead, set aside Friday to work on your essays. Cyber Monday deals are likely just as good for those of you taking public transportation, you can shop on your iPhone on your way to work. For this one year, re-purpose the infamous Black Friday and get work done. 3) Try to score a Thanksgiving invite: Take the easy road this year and don’t host the holidays. Your essays are likely taking up all of your free time, so don’t hesitate to ask for help and bow out of cooking. Think about how great it will feel if you can have everything done in time to host gatherings for the holidays in December.4) Project plan, setting aside a few specific hours each day: This is an important step for many of my clients. The weeks are flying by, so lay out everything you need to work on and set deadlines for yourself. Schedule the necessary number of hours for each day and be sure to schedule extra time during this long weekend. Smaller concrete tasks are much easier to accomplish and with hard deadlines, it is harder to get lazy.5) Bring your recommenders an early holiday gift: Who says holiday gifts have to be given in December? Give them a gift now, and use the encounter to check in on your recommendations, answer any open questions and give your recommenders a gentle push. They are also coming into a very busy time of year, so take any excuse you can to make sure your LORs are a priority. Need help? We know it’s a daunting process and Personal MBA Coach is here to help! Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 10 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at 617-645-2424 or email at scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your career dreams a reality! We have a limited number of slots available for round 2 clients so don’t wait too long! Personal MBA Coach wishes you and your loved ones a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: 4 “Seemingly Obvious” Application Mistakes

Over the past 10 years, I have seen some mistakes time and time again. While they may seem obvious, they are also extremely common. Find out if you are one of the many applicants making these errors in their MBA essays. 1.Using over-the-top language: There is no need to add multiple flowery adjectives to your essay. This is particularly true if you are using them to describe your accomplishments or praise the school. You do not need to tell the schools that you developed a fabulously unique program or that the school has incredibly famous and talented staff. Instead, describe the program that you created and show them what makes it unique and fabulous. Similarly, discuss particular staff or organizations on campus you are most interested in and how you will take advantage of them. Your word count is limited in nearly all essays so choose them wisely. 2. Being “cocky”: There is a fine line between being proud of your accomplishments and being conceited. Business schools are looking for accomplished professionals, but they are also looking for compassionate students who will make thoughtful peers and colleagues. They want candidates that one would want to live, study and work with. There is a well-known airport test in the consulting industry when an interviewer considers whether she would want to be stuck in an airport for hours with a prospective candidate. If the answer is no, that candidate has a slim chance of receiving an offer. Think about this as you read through your essays and be sure to remain proud yet humble. 3. Pointing out a mistake that wasn’t asked for: Not being cocky does not necessarily mean you need to volunteer your flaws, however. There are some questions that specifically ask for an example of a failure or a weakness. Unless this is the case, there is no need to point out your mistakes or volunteer negative information about yourself. Your essays provide a very limited opportunity to sell yourself so focus on your strengths and your specific accomplishments. 4. Not answering the question: This is the most obvious flaw that I see time and time again. While you often need to read between the lines and dig a bit below the surface of the question, you still need to answer the question. If a question asked for implications and learnings, include them. If a question asks for personal and professional goals, include both! Adding a bit about the situation for context is ok, but in an essay that should be focused on goals, do not recount your entire resume. These are just three of many examples we see every day from candidates who are not answering the question asked! Need help? We know it is a daunting process and Personal MBA Coach is here to help! Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 10 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at 617-645-2424 or email at scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your career dreams a reality! We have a limited number of slots available for Round 2 comprehensive clients and gut check reports so don’t wait too long!

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Last Minute Tips On Preparing Your Recommenders

Whether you dragged your feet in asking for an LOR or your recommender has had too many other things on his/her plate, you might find yourself in a crunch to get your letters submitted in time. But don’t 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 that require more work than you might think. Often, we see candidates ask someone to write the letter, ensure it gets submitted, and call it a day. This can be a big mistake. Your role in the LOR process should be much more involved than this. See our tips on arming your recommenders to write the best letters possible. We advise taking some key steps now. First, arm your recommender with key pieces of 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. Remind your recommenders of your key accomplishments and provide them with some thoughts on areas you would love to see covered. Don’t 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 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. Share your application by offering them a copy of your essays or sharing a summary. 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 have already said. At the same time, you want to make sure there is no conflicting information. Perhaps they can share another example that demonstrates a complementary skill set or touches on an area you were not able to cover in your essays. The more they know about what you are already saying, the more successful this will be. Finally, set up an in-person meeting – now! Bring a written document to this meeting that includes the items discussed above. In this meeting you can briefly go over the information you have gathered. You can also use this as an opportunity to remind them 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. This meeting will also be a crucial way to thank your recommender in advance and let them know how grateful you are. Ask them 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! If you would like individual and personal support, please find information about Personal MBA Coach’s comprehensive packages or contact me to learn how I can help! As an MIT Sloan BS graduate and Wharton MBA grad, I have been helping candidates get into the schools of their dreams with a 96% success rate for over 10 years. Email me today at: scott@personalmbacoach.com

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Is Now the Time to Apply to Business School?

With the year rapidly coming to a close and round 2 application deadlines just around the corner, many of you may be contemplating an MBA but have not yet pulled the trigger. You may be asking yourself if you are ready to apply this year. Here are some key indicators that you may not want to wait. If you have taken the GMAT/GRE (or think you could do so in time) and some or all of the following ring true, consider kicking your application process into high gear, today! 1. You already have 4-5 years of post-MBA experience: The average applicant for most schools has approximately 5 years of pre-MBA experience. Once you have 6+ years, your chances begin to decrease, ever so slightly each year. Similarly, your odds of acceptance do not increase considerably between 4 and 5 years unless your role significantly changes. You should also consider the possibility that you may not be accepted the first time you apply if you reach too high. The longer you wait now, the more likely it is that you will run out of time to give your dream school one more shot by re-applying. At this stage in your career, there are few compelling reasons to wait. So, consider shooting for the stars now and applying to your first-choice schools for round 2. 2. You have reached a plateau at work: Have you stretched yourself as much as possible in your current role? Do you need an MBA or advanced degree to reach the next level? If you are bored at work and feel that you have learned all you can in your current role, don’t wait! Not only will another year of experience be less likely to help you, but waiting means you will be at your current job for almost two more years. So if you feel you are close to plateauing, now might be the time to apply. 3. You are ready to switch careers: Switching careers while writing your business school applications can be tricky. While it works for some to change industries or functions pre-MBA, post-MBA is a great time to switch careers for most. If you know you want to move from banking to consulting or consulting to product management, why wait? In many ways the MBA is the great equalizer and post-MBA students often start at a similar level to each other. If this is you, think about applying today. 4. Your personal situation means now is a good time to become a student. Did you just cash out $1M in bitcoin and want a break from work? Is your partner going back to school and it will be easier to study together? Going back to school full-time is a major lifestyle change and your personal circumstance should be a key factor in your decision on when to apply. If late 2018 is shaping up to be a good time for you to become a student, it’s time to get your applications started. While round 3 is an option, for many schools it can be quite a challenge. So, if some or all of the above situations apply to you, I urge you to consider applying this year. If you work fast and dedicate your holiday break to applications (this is what we do), there is still time. Need help? We know it’s a daunting process and Personal MBA Coach is here to help! Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 10 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at 617-645-2424 or email at scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your career dreams a reality!

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Are your MBA applications ready?

With the first of the round 2 deadlines in 2 weeks, it is time to do a status check on your progress and make sure your applications are solid. For some of you, waiting until next year (or for a select few considering round 3) may be the way to go. Unsure if your applications are ready? Here are a few things to look out for. Story Is your story clear? Does the reader walk away knowing who you are and what matters to you? Are the stories 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! Why MBA? Have you clearly thought out and articulated why you want an MBA? To get promoted or to gain business skills are not good reasons. While not all schools ask this question, all candidates should be able to clearly explain (either in the essay or in the interview – if given the chance) the skills and experiences they hope to gain from an MBA and how it will help them attain their career goals. School Specifics Make sure that your essays include school specifics where appropriate.Admissions committee members read thousands of essays every year and it is easy for them to determine who is genuinely interested in a school and who crafted a generic essay. Recommenders One of the most overlooked areas of the application is the recommendation section.Ensure your recommenders know your complete story and can write letters that help to corroborate that story.If your goals or story changed as you went through the application phase, make sure to update your recommenders. Essay Quality Are your essays really strong enough?Do you find yourself re-reading paragraphs because you don’t see how they fit into the essay?It is a good idea to have someone else read your essays. Ask someone who isn’t extremely familiar with what you do on a daily basis. This will help to ensure you are talking about your experiences with the right level of detail for someone outside of your industry.Is your essay telling the reader something about you? While a story can often add to or even make a great essay, the goal of every essay is to convince the admissions committee that you will add value on campus (and beyond). Make sure every essay sends a message about what you have to add. Remember, if you have any doubts reading these tips, Personal MBA Coach is here to help with all aspects of the application process! If you would like individual and personal support, please find information about Personal MBA Coach’s comprehensive packages or to learn how I can help! As an MIT Sloan BS graduate and Wharton MBA grad, I have been helping candidates get into the schools of their dreams with a 96% success rate for over 10 years. Email me today at: scott@personalmbacoach.com

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: New Year's Resolutions

It’s time for those New Year’s Resolutions! Eat healthier. Exercise more. Spend more time with your family. These may be the resolutions you had in mind. But for those of you hoping that 2018 is the year you apply to business school, add business school planning to the list! To give you a head start and keep you on track in the New Year, Personal MBA Coach is launching a 4-part series this January: Kick-Start Your MBA Planning! Here is the first: Make Your Career Work For You! Without changing jobs, there are some steps you can and should be taking now to ensure that when you sit down to draft those essays, you have plenty to talk about. · Be honest about your desires: It may seem simple, but many of us are afraid to be straightforward about our ambitions at work. While in some cases, you can be transparent now about your future MBA aspirations, in others you will likely keep it a secret a while longer. Either way, let your manager in on your long-term goals. Tell her what skills you hope to master. If there is an experience at work you want to have, ask for it. Many managers will be more than happy to find projects to help you close these gaps. · Along the same lines, take on extra work. Yes, I really said this. Now is the time to ask for extra projects. Look specifically for the ones that can give you missing experiences. Even if you have already let your manager know about the skills you are looking to perfect, don’t rely on her to find tasks that fit your needs. In an ideal world, you would just work on your dream projects, but we know that isn’t possible. By doing extra work you will get more changes to build the skills you desire. And what better time of year to put in some extra hours than during these cold, dark, snowy months? · Get involved at the office! Internal projects are a great way to beef up your leadership experience! Almost every company has an internal initiative that requires help. So plan that next office off-site, set up a training or speaker series, or get involved in recruiting. If nothing exists, create it yourself. Starting a new program at work will score you bonus points at application time. · Look for mentoring opportunities. If you have not had the chance to manage your own team, you can still begin to perfect this skill. Take a new hire or even an intern under your wings and show him the ropes. If you can be a formal mentor, great! But if such an opportunity does not exist, even an informal mentor relationship will supplement your leadership experience. · Finally, get your own mentor! Find someone that you connect with at work or someone you admire and invite her for coffee or a drink. Ask about her career. See if she is willing to give you general career guidance. At this stage, you don’t want to ask for anything specific, just start to build the relationship. Over time, you might be lucky enough to develop a champion in the office or a future recommender. Regardless, getting advice from someone more senior can always help. Need help? We know it’s a daunting process and Personal MBA Coach is here to help with everything from early planning to comprehensive packages! Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 10 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at 617-645-2424 or email at scott@personalmbacoach.comfor a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your career dreams a reality! Sign up now and lock in 2017 rates!

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Building And Improving Your Extracurricular Profile

To give you a head start and keep you on track in the New Year, Personal MBA Coach has launched a 4-part series this January: Kick-Start Your MBA Planning! Here is the second part of the series: Building And Improving Your Extracurricular Profile (In case you missed it, check out part 1: Make Your Career Work For You) Strengthening extracurricular profiles is one of the key areas I am working on with round 1 candidates this January. Now is the time to build or strengthen your extracurricular profile. By putting in the extra effort now, there is time to add real value before deadlines this fall. Avoid being penalized for not having a track record of involvement by the time summer comes. There are three key guiding principles to keep in mind when developing your own extracurricular strategy. 1) Quality over quantity: No one has the time to work with 10 different organizations. Having a laundry list of activities is not going to appeal to the admissions committee members. Instead, focus your efforts on organizations or areas where you can have a real impact and add value. There isn’t a “right” number of activities; this will vary from client to client and depend on the depth of your work. However, more often than not, less is more, particularly if you are just getting started now. 2) Focus on leadership: You have probably heard this time and time again, but it is important enough to repeat. Business schools want leaders. This is true for all schools, not just HBS. While there are countless ways that you can (and should) display leadership throughout your profile, extracurricular activities are a great way to do so. Look for an organization where you can step up or explore options to expand your role at an existing organization. Take the time now to do this so that you have clear results to share come essay time. 3) Activities should fit with your profile: Successful applications share a consistent and impactful story. The reader should instantly see who you are, what has defined you and why. Your activities are no different. Choose areas that you are passionate about and that fit with your story. If you want a career as an educational consultant, volunteer in the education industry. If your passion is tennis, teach tennis lessons to underprivileged kids in your neighborhood. You don’t need to overthink it or pick the most unique charity. Instead, do what you love! At application time, you will find many strategic ways to use your activities to fill in gaps in your profile. Do not underestimate their importance. Get started today. Unsure about what your gaps are? Need advice on where to begin or how to step up? We can help! This is the perfect time to get started and have our personal one-on-one support through the entire process, including crafting your extracurricular strategy! Personal MBA Coach is here to help with everything from early planning, to GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring to comprehensive packages! We have been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 10 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at 617-645-2424 or email at scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your career dreams a reality! Sign up now and lock in rates before they increase this spring!

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FROM Personal MBA Coach: Planning Ahead For The GMAT

To give you a head start and keep you on track in the New Year, Personal MBA Coach has launched a 4-part series this January: Kick-Start Your MBA Planning! Here is part 3 in the series: Planning Ahead For The GMAT (In case you missed it, check out part 1: Make Your Career Work For You and part 2: Building And Improving Your Extracurricular Profile) If you have not researched standardized tests since you took the SAT or ACT many years ago, a lot has changed. GMAT scores are valid for 5 years AND you can take the exam up to 5 times during a 12-month period. There is also a lifetime max of 8 tests and you can only take the test once every 16 calendar days. Further, you can cancel your score and the report does not go to the school if you are not happy with the result. This change has led to candidates taking the exam multiple times. Our average candidate now sits for the exam 2 - 4 times (with some giving the test as many as 6 or 7 shots.) While this policy may seem great, it has caused average GMAT scores to rise, as more and more candidates cancel low attempts. What does all this mean for MBA hopefuls? The pressure to perform is high and doing so takes advance planning! Personal MBA Coach has 5 tips to ensure you maximize your score. 1) Start earlier than you think! This may seem obvious, but with scores valid for up to 5 years and the ability to re-take the test, there is no reason to wait. In fact, the earlier in your career you take the test, the better. Most of the skills tested in the GMAT you mastered in undergrad (if not before) so the longer you wait, the less you will remember about reading comprehension and math fundamentals. 2) Take a practice test now to see your baseline. Even if you don’t intend to go full force on your studying just yet, take a practice test and see how you stack up. Check this score against your target schools to get a real sense of what it means. Getting a true feel for how much work you have ahead of you will allow you to be more honest with yourself when putting together a study plan. 3) Set a schedule for yourself. Be realistic in terms of how many weeks you will set aside for studying and how many hours in each week you can carve out. Putting pencil to paper on a study plan will make it easier to stick to and less likely that you will need to cram last minute or short change your prep time. 4) Think about how you learn best and use this to inform your study plan. You know how you learn best. Is it from a book? Is it online? Do you thrive with personal one-on-one support? There are countless support options available for the GMAT so think about what would be best for you and plan accordingly! 5) Read short articles in The Economist or Science every week. This is a great way to sharpen your reading comprehension skills and expand your vocabulary. Pick a few short articles every week and make your life easier come test time with very limited effort. Need help?Personal MBA Coach offers one-on-one tutoring with experienced and accomplished tutors, including an MIT graduate with a 4.0 GPA. Our sessions are also conducted virtually so we can help clients all around the world. Our customized plans are designed to help you in the areas you need most. Tutoring does book up so don’t wait too long to reach out! Wherever you are in the process, Personal MBA Coach is here to help. We cover everything from early planning, to GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring to comprehensive packages! We have been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 10 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at 617-645-2424 or email at scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your career dreams a reality!

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