Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog : Ask Admissions Consultants

StacyBlackman · 2013-12-11T12:44:33-08:00

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UC Berkeley Haas Fall 2018 MBA Essays [#permalink]

02 Jun 2017, 13:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: UC Berkeley Haas Fall 2018 MBA Essays

The Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley has announced an updated set of essay questions for the 2017-18 admissions season.

Essay #1
Tell us a six-word story that reflects a memorable experience in your life-to-date. Elaborate on why it is meaningful to you. (250 words maximum)

Tip: A successful six-word story will pique the reader’s interest in the forthcoming explanation. Together, the story and explanation will share a specific and personal experience that helps the reader get to know you better, giving insight into your character, values, or how you would uniquely contribute to the Berkeley-Haas community. View sample six-word stories and video tips from the admissions committee.

Essay #2
Respond to one of the following prompts: (250 words maximum)

Describe a significant obstacle you have encountered and how it has impacted you.
Describe how you have cultivated a diverse and inclusive culture.
Describe a leadership experience and how you made a positive and lasting impact.

Tip: Responses can draw from professional or personal experiences. Through your response, the admissions committee hopes to gain insight into your achievements, involvement, and leadership footprint.

Essay #3

Briefly describe your immediate post-MBA career goals. (50 words maximum)
How have prior experiences motivated and prepared you to pursue these goals? (250 words maximum)

Tip: You are encouraged to reflect on both what you want to do professionally after business school and why this path interests you.

Optional Essay
Use this essay to share information that is not presented elsewhere in the application, for example:

Explanation of employment gaps or academic aberrations
Quantitative abilities
For re-applicants, improvements to your candidacy

Supplemental Information

If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, please explain. If not applicable, enter N/A.
List, in order of importance, significant community and professional organizations and extracurricular activities in which you have been involved during or after university studies. Include the following information for each using the format below:
- Name of organization or activity
- Nature of organization or activity
- Size of organization
- Dates of involvement
- Offices held
- Average number of hours spent per month
List full-time and part-time jobs held during undergraduate or graduate studies indicating the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position held prior to the completion of your degree.
If you have ever been subject to academic discipline, placed on probation, suspended, or required to withdraw from any college or university, please explain. If not, please enter N/A (An affirmative response to this question does not automatically disqualify you from admission).

****
For more information, please visit the Berkeley MBA admissions website.

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HBS to Offer Fee Waiver to Active Duty Military [#permalink]

02 Jun 2017, 14:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: HBS to Offer Fee Waiver to Active Duty Military

Harvard Business School has announced that it will waive the $250 application fee for its MBA program for all active duty military applicants starting in June 2017.

HBS students transitioning from active military service compose an important part of each MBA class. The application fee waiver is designed to reflect the value HBS places on having military voices in the classroom and in the community, given the significant leadership skills and experiences they bring from their time in service.

“Our military students bring a unique set of experiences to the class discussions at Harvard Business School,” said Chad Losee, the Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid. “Leadership is at the core of what we teach and these students almost always have faced real life situations where leadership and judgment have been of paramount importance. This waiver helps to ensure their presence in the classroom is stronger than ever going forward.”

“I saw an MBA as a bridge between being a leader in the military to being a leader in the business world,” said Rebecca Greenbaum (MBA 2017). “After coming to HBS I now have the confidence to transfer my skills to the private sector. What’s at stake may be different, but I hope the impact will be just as great.”

Application fees are used to help cover the administrative costs associated with processing applications to the MBA program the school receives each year. This waiver is made possible by a generous commitment from Michael J. Zak (MBA 1981). Mike served on active duty in the US Marine Corps from 1975-1979 before enrolling at HBS.

For more information on attending the MBA program as a member of the armed services, including annual events, the military open house and webinars, and the Armed Forces Alumni Association, please visit the HBS website.

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Sorry Military MBA Applicants, There’s No Manual for B-School Research [#permalink]

05 Jun 2017, 11:01

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Sorry Military MBA Applicants, There’s No Manual for B-School Research

In this guest post directed at military applicants, army veteran and Cornell MBA Peter Sukits shares candid, actionable advice for military veterans considering a transition to a full-time MBA program.
Pete is an aspiring career coach, author and finance professional living in Cincinnati, Ohio. He served for five years as a commissioned officer in the United States Army, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. After separating from active duty, he earned an MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Through the process of transitioning, he learned many valuable lessons in the areas of expectations, mindset and preparation when undertaking the shift from military to academic and civilian life. We’re happy to share his advice with you here.
One of the defining characteristics of military veterans is their independence. This is taught and reinforced by the continual expectation that you will figure things out for yourself…and the military enables that. How?

It’s all written down. Let’s look at a few examples:

Putting together your dress uniform for the first time? Army Regulation 670-1 and your unit SOP.
Unsure about how to operate your new unit’s new radio? Just grab the -10 manual (said “Dash 10”)
Preparing for a ceremony you’ve never done before? There’s a DA pamphlet for that!

Now, I’m transitioning out of the military to business school…where’s the manual?

Nothing?

Well, not exactly. It’s not as if there are no resources out there. To the contrary, there are ample sources of knowledge, especially for veterans. It’s just a lot less clear as to where to find these resources and which ones apply to you. After all, no two applicant situations are the same, and many people have different opinions on the matter. You’re reading one of them, after all!

This uncertainty and plethora of resources is only one part of the switch from a very structured military environment to the more ambiguous nature of business school and the business world in general.

Fortunately for us, another skill we have learned to develop is the art of backwards planning. Recall that two posts ago I spoke about the importance of having your end goal and your motivation for going to business school in mind. Once you have your end goal, you can begin to backwards plan and map out the steps you need to take in order to achieve that goal.

This is the point where our independence gets the better of us, and where we need to turn to new skills that will serve us well in our business career: building relationships and asking for help. After all, it can be tough to backwards plan for this, especially if you do not know your end goal. And if you don’t know your end goal…please see my previous article called Push or Pull?!

Figuring things out is now going to become a matter of collaboration, to a much greater extent. This is just as, if not more important, than actually solving the problem itself. You want people to know that you work well with them, that you can ask insightful questions, and that they can rely on you in the future. This will form the basis of your network and future opportunities.

Asking questions is going to become more important than ever. Continuing with the backwards planning theme – know exactly what kind of information you are after, or what questions you want to have answered. This will enable quicker, more accurate information-gathering, as well as a chance to prove your critical thinking skills to your colleagues.

By being able to plan out your end goals, seek out new perspectives and thoughtfully ask the questions you need to ask, you’ll be able to piece together some great reference material. The information is out there somewhere. The methods of obtaining it have just become a bit different.

Next Steps
Getting a head-start with MBA veterans associations is a crucial course of action in building your knowledge base for business school. They will not only point you to the most beneficial resources , but you will be able to learn through their experiences as well. Reach out to them. Ask the questions that come to your mind about what they did, and better yet, how they did it. This will give you more vital tools that you can add to your kit bag.

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Georgetown McDonough Welcomes New Dean [#permalink]

06 Jun 2017, 09:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Georgetown McDonough Welcomes New Dean

Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business has announced that Paul Almeida, deputy dean of executive education and innovation, will become the school’s new dean effective Aug. 1st.

Currently a professor of strategy and international studies at McDonough, Almeida served as senior associate dean for executive programs between 2010 and 2016 and first came to Georgetown in 1995. The author of numerous scholarly articles, he also will become the William R. Berkley Chair at the school in August.

“Throughout his tenure at Georgetown, Paul has exemplified a commitment to principled leadership, instilling a global mindset focused on service to others into each program and project he oversees,” says Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia. “I am deeply grateful for his willingness to serve our entire university community as dean of the McDonough School of Business.”

As deputy dean, Almeida oversees the school’s new Innovation Initiative, which seeks to more deeply integrate Georgetown’s Catholic and Jesuit values into the school; expand technology-enhanced learning; leverage the school’s location in Washington, D.C.; and increase organizational excellence.

“I was educated in Jesuit schools as a child, and I carry the lessons I learned in my youth with me every day, often drawing upon them in my own classroom,” Almeida says. “It is an honor to now have the opportunity to lead a school that is rooted in both excellence and educating students to be successful in the world and for the world.”

Throughout his career Almeida has received numerous awards for teaching, service and research, including recognition as Georgetown’s “Outstanding Professor, Executive MBA Award” seven times.

Almeida holds a Ph.D. in international business and strategy and a masters in applied economics and managerial science from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; a PGDM (MBA) from the Indian Institute of Management; and a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Poona in India.

Rohan Williamson, professor of finance, will continue to serve as interim dean through the end of July.

Photo credit: Georgetown McDonough School of Business

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Tuesday Tips: Michigan Ross Fall 2018 MBA Essay Tips [#permalink]

06 Jun 2017, 10:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: Michigan Ross Fall 2018 MBA Essay Tips

The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business is a program that emphasizes learning both inside and outside the classroom, and is seeking candidates that are intellectually curious and able to accomplish their goals.

Ross is also a close-knit community and fit with the program is important to demonstrate in the application process. Visiting Ross or learning about the program through current students, alumni or faculty would be helpful before starting this set of essays.

Michigan is introducing a new format for the first essay question, a series of short answer questions that you can respond to in 100 words or less. Read more about Admissions Director Soojin Kwon’s thinking at the invaluable Admissions Blog, and stay tuned for her video tips on this new format.

PART 1: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Select one prompt from each group. Respond to your selected prompts using 100 words or fewer (<100 words each; 300 words total).

Group 1

• I want people to know that I:

• I turned an idea into action when I:

• I made a difference when I:

Group 2

• I showed my resilience when I:

• I was humbled when:

• I am out of my comfort zone when:

Group 3

• I was aware that I am different when:

• I find it challenging when people:

• A valuable thing I have taught someone is:

Take note that these short answers are about getting to know you as a person, not as a collection of accomplishments. Your values and personal life will ideally shine through.

Some of the personal attributes most valued at Ross include community engagement and interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills. When you think about your short answers you may want to write about an important extracurricular moment, a challenge you overcame, or an event in your life that highlights something unique about your background.

Looking at each group in turn, Group 1 might be an opportunity to talk about impact and action. It reads as a place to highlight accomplishments. The first prompt is entirely open ended and allows you to talk about something you are proud of, a personal quality, or an experience. For the next two prompts, you could describe when you made a difference to an organization or person, turned an idea into action (e.g., an accomplishment).

Group 2 is more about your reaction to events in your life and your character. How do you interpret what happens to you and how do you handle adversity and discomfort? This is certainly a place to talk about some of the unique experiences in your life, like living outside your home country, working with people different from yourself, or facing a challenge at work or in your personal life.

Group 3 is an opportunity to highlight how you are unique as compared to other people you know. These questions ask for some self-awareness as you describe who you are and how others may view you. What makes you different from your peers? What is a particular challenge to you that may not be to other people? And what did you teach someone (implying that you had knowledge or insight different from theirs)?

PART 2: ESSAY
Please share your short-term and long-term career goals. What skills/strengths do you have that will be relevant to your career goals? How will Ross prepare you for your goals? (300 words)

Admissions Director Kwon updated this question after last year’s more open-ended career goals essay resulted in some candidates writing about short-term goals and others writing about long-term goals. This year they are asking for both.

This essay is straightforward and Ross is not looking for extra explanation. Ideally you can describe your career path in a sentence or two and use the remainder of the space to elaborate.

Answering “why” you chose your career path is crucial. As you describe your career path make sure you explain what has led you to pursue it, and why it resonates with you. The answer doesn’t need to be elaborate or dramatic, but it should be convincing and real. Kwon adds that the admissions committee does not expect you to have all the experience needed for your career goals right now, but “We want to know that you understand the skills that are important for your desired career.

Recruiters assess whether you’re able to bring relevant skills/strengths to the table, so we do the same. Some of the skills and knowledge you’ll need will be developed during your time in the MBA program, but students are more successful in their career search if they understand the skills required to succeed in their chosen field.”

Finally, a successful essay will explain why Ross is the right program for you. Thorough school research will help you compose the best answer. Make sure you connect with current and former students personally if possible.

If you cannot find people to speak to through your network of friends, family and colleagues, most MBA students are open and willing to speak to interested prospective students. To find current Michigan Ross students you can reach out through student clubs or the admissions office.

Optional Statement:
This section should only be used to convey information not addressed elsewhere in your application, for example, completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.

Take it directly from the Ross admissions director: “The optional essay should only be used if there’s something in your background that requires a brief explanation. It’s not the place to submit an essay you wrote for another school, or to tell us how much you love Ross.”

Think about anything that may raise questions while reviewing a resume, transcript or recommendations. Typically the kinds of gaps that raise questions are significant gaps in employment (more than a few months), anything below a C on your college transcript (particularly in quantitative coursework) and low test scores.

Stacy Blackman Consulting has worked with successful candidates to Michigan Ross for over a decade and can offer comprehensive strategic advice every step of the way. Contact us to learn more.

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Tuesday Tips: Yale School of Management Fall 2018 MBA Essay Tips [#permalink]

06 Jun 2017, 11:01

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: Yale School of Management Fall 2018 MBA Essay Tips

The Yale School of Management has left the one required essay unchanged this year. “In asking this question, the Admissions Committee is interested not just in the commitment itself but also in how you approach the commitment and the behaviors that support it,” Assistant Dean Bruce DelMonico writes in the Yale Admissions Blog announcement.

Keep in mind the Yale community values: “The [Yale SOM] community is united by the belief that acting on our mission requires us to address the biggest and most pressing challenges in the world today. Such problems can’t be solved through solitary gestures—it takes teamwork, an ability to leverage human capital, and the building of active connections between people, ideas, and resources.”

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

This is an open-ended question which is often intimidating to begin. As you approach this essay remember the type of MBA student Yale is most interested in admitting. Ideally you are coming across as an intellectually curious student with a diverse background deeply interested in the integrated curriculum.

Yale prioritizes diversity of background so highly that the tuition for the MBA program is on a sliding scalebased on your pre-MBA salary. This helps Yale attract people from non-traditional backgrounds and geographies, which leads to a true diversity of experiences in your class. How will you bring your own values and unique background to the community and classroom?

Behavioral questions like this one (the tip off is “describe”) seek to understand how you actually operate in various situations. Think about what a commitment is to you. Was it a job or an organization that you were involved in? Maybe your commitment was to a value or a person. Try to be as specific as possible your commitment and why it qualifies as the biggest commitment you have made. What did you think or say when you were determining what to do? What did you actually do? How did you feel about the result?

You may decide to focus on a solo commitment, and that may be entirely appropriate since most MBA applicants are individual contributors. However, ideally you can demonstrate how you work with others as a leader. Regardless of whether you choose an individual or team commitment, try to show how you have made a significant positive impact on an organization or people within the organization.

If appropriate to the commitment, you may want to highlight specific projects at work or in community service that have most excited you and shaped your future goals. This could align with your resume and projects that recommenders comment upon. Strategically designing all of the application components to showcase your best qualities will enhance your candidacy.

Because this is the only essay question available to highlight your personal qualities and leadership ability, make sure your resume and recommendations can answer any questions about your career and accomplishments.

The 500-word limit may be daunting. Instead of censoring yourself on the first draft and limiting what you write, start by describing each step in of your accomplishment in detail in terms of what you did, the reaction of others and your own reaction.

From there you can cut out anything that is too detailed or too superfluous to the story to maintain the 500-word maximum. Using an outside reader to help you determine what is most important to the story may help you streamline your essay.

Contact us to learn more about designing the best Yale application possible with Stacy Blackman Consulting.

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Share Your Thoughts on the MBA Application Process for a Shot at $100 [#permalink]

07 Jun 2017, 09:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Share Your Thoughts on the MBA Application Process for a Shot at $100

2017 could be a life-changing year for you. You may already know that you’ll be headed to business school in the fall, or you might be planning to start your MBA journey in the coming months. Either way, exciting things lie ahead.

All of us at Stacy Blackman Consulting want to help make your dream of attending a top business school come true by advising you on how to put together the strongest application possible. Along the way, we’d also like to put a $100 Amazon gift card in your pocket!

So, here’s the deal: we’re asking for a favor. Please fill out our one-minute survey. We know how precious your time is—you’ll only have to “check the box” in response to a few simple MBA-related questions. Then keep an eye here on the blog for the survey results, which will give you insight into how other prospective students are thinking about the application process.

Click now to fill it out for a shot at a $100 Amazon gift card. The survey will close at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 15th.

Thanks so much for your participation,

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Emory Goizueta Fall 2018 MBA Essay Questions [#permalink]

07 Jun 2017, 13:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Emory Goizueta Fall 2018 MBA Essay Questions

The Goizueta Business School at Emory University has posted the four required essays for the 2017-18 admissions season.

Essay One
Define your short-term post-MBA career goals. How are your professional strengths, past experience and personal attributes aligned with these goals? (300 word limit)

Essay Two
The business school is named for Roberto C. Goizueta, former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, who led the organization for 16 years, extending its global reach, quadrupling consumption, building brand responsibility, and creating unprecedented shareholder wealth. Mr. Goizueta’s core values guide us in educating Principled Leaders for Global Enterprise.

Provide an example of your leadership – professional or personal – and explain what you learned about yourself through the experience. (300 word limit)

Essay Three
Complete one of the following statements. (250 word limit)

I am passionate about…

The best piece of advice I’ve received is…

The best day of my life was…

A personal goal I want to accomplish is…

Essay Four
Share with the committee and your future classmates a fun or noteworthy fact about you. (25 word limit)

Optional Essay
If you have additional information or feel there are extenuating circumstances which you would like to share with the MBA Admissions Committee (i.e. unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, academic performance issues or areas of weakness in application). Please limit your response to 250 words.

For additional information on applying, please visit the Emory/Goizueta admissions website.

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Chicago Booth Fall 2018 MBA Application Deadlines [#permalink]

07 Jun 2017, 13:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Chicago Booth Fall 2018 MBA Application Deadlines

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business has posted the following MBA application deadlines for the 2017-18 admissions season.

Round 1
Application due: September 21, 2017

Decision released: December 7, 2017

Round 2
Application due: January 3, 2018

Decision released: March 15, 2018

Round 3
Application due: April 3, 2018

Decision released: May 17, 2018

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Central Time. For more information about applying to Chicago Booth, please visit the Booth admissions website.

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Comment on Push or Pull? The Decision to Leave the Military and Pursue [#permalink]

11 Jun 2017, 19:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Comment on Push or Pull? The Decision to Leave the Military and Pursue an MBA by Sorry Military MBA Applicants, There’s No Manual for B-School Research | Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting

[…] for us, another skill we have learned to develop is the art of backwards planning. Recall that two posts ago I spoke about the importance of having your end goal and your motivation for going to business […]

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Comment on Push or Pull? The Decision to Leave the Military and Pursue [#permalink]

11 Jun 2017, 19:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Comment on Push or Pull? The Decision to Leave the Military and Pursue an MBA by Sorry Military MBA Applicants, There’s No Manual for B-School Research | The GMAT Club

[…] for us, another skill we have learned to develop is the art of backwards planning. Recall that two posts ago I spoke about the importance of having your end goal and your motivation for going to business […]

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Tuesday Tips: UCLA Anderson Fall 2018 MBA Essay Tips [#permalink]

13 Jun 2017, 20:01

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: UCLA Anderson Fall 2018 MBA Essay Tips

UCLA Anderson School of Management is located in a desirable location in Los Angeles with alumni highly represented in the region. While entertainment and real estate are still dominant industries in Los Angeles, technology and entrepreneurship have become more and more important to the region. Anderson’s faulty, alumni and students are thought leaders in business and promoting collaboration and innovation.

We have helped countless applicants achieve their UCLA Anderson dreams. Contact us to learn how Stacy Blackman Consulting can help you.

FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS (REQUIRED ESSAY):

We believe that the best results are achieved when you share success, think fearlessly and drive change. With this in mind, what are your goals at UCLA Anderson and in your short-term and long-term career? (750 words maximum)

The UCLA Anderson MBA required essay remains unchanged this year. Last year the Admissions Committee provided an excellent guide on the UCLA Anderson admissions blog, which is worth reviewing.

One important note is that “At UCLA Anderson, we are a community defined by three core qualities — we share success, think fearlessly and drive change — so the Admissions Committee is looking for these same qualities in prospective applicants. While there may be evidence of these qualities throughout your application, this essay question is an excellent opportunity to communicate how you fit into our Anderson community.”

To learn how you fit into Anderson, the school recommends connecting with current students and visiting campus. UCLA suggests citing specific classes, professors and programs in this essay. On your personal engagement with Anderson, it will be helpful to include the social and extracurricular aspects that attract you to the close-knit experience. Be specific as you discuss the clubs and conferences that are unique to the UCLA MBA.

As you evaluate your career goals, consider your career thus far and how you would like to develop it. When you think about any long-term goals you have for your career, why is an MBA the right next step? And why would Anderson be the right place to gain the education and network you need? Your career goals should be examined through the filter of Anderson’s values and how you plan to use those values in your post-Anderson life.

When structuring this essay consider telling one or two pivotal stories to illuminate who you are. UCLA is looking for personal expression in this essay, and to understand how you are different from other applicants. Consider the turning points or moments that triggered reflection for you.

Have you experienced a significant personal setback? What is your family background? Have you lived outside your home country? When did you face a turning point or make a big decision about your career? What were some of your proudest accomplishments? What moments have called upon your need to collaborate, lead or innovate?

For the second part of the essay briefly explain what you plan to do immediately after graduation, and then what you want to accomplish over the long-term with your career. A career path that focuses on demonstrated passions and interests throughout your life is going to be most compelling as you write this essay and each section should bridge seamlessly into the next.

OPTIONAL ESSAY:

The following essay is optional. No preference is given in the evaluation process to applicants who submit an optional essay. Please note that we only accept written essays.

Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? Please use your best judgment. (250 words maximum)

Note that Anderson specifically asks you not to write this essay unless you need it. Do not use it as a place to continue making the case from the required essay. If you do need to use this essay to explain gaps in work experience, a low grade, or lack of a current recommender, focus on explanations rather than excuses.

Clearly explain the situation, and if it is a situation from the past, explain why you have changed. Providing evidence that you will not repeat the actions in question will help to solidify your answer.

RE-APPLICANT ESSAY:

Re-applicants who applied for the MBA program starting in 2016 or 2017 are required to complete the following essay:

Please describe your career progress since you last applied and ways in which you have enhanced your candidacy. Include updates on short-term and long-term career goals, as well as your continued interest in UCLA Anderson. (750 words maximum)

If you are a recent re-applicant to Anderson this essay gives you the opportunity to highlight improvements since your last application. This essay focuses on updates to your career progress and any updates to your career goals since your last application, but you have room to add other “ways in which you have improved your candidacy.” If you have an improved GMAT score, academic updates or extracurricular activities since your last application it would be useful to update the admissions committee.

What if you didn’t start a new job, earn a promotion, or advance in a linear way along your career path since your last application? If your resume remains basically the same, consider any new projects or accomplishments at work you can highlight. Demonstrating significant thought about your career path and increased introspection can also be progress, so updating your career goals thoughtfully is equally important to this application.

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Tuesday Tips: Berkeley Haas Fall 2018 MBA Essay Tips [#permalink]

13 Jun 2017, 20:01

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: Berkeley Haas Fall 2018 MBA Essay Tips

Haas School of Business at University of California Berkeley is both highly selective and a small class. With a much larger admissions pool than the school can admit, it’s important to stand out from the crowd and demonstrate fit with the culture and program. This year the essays have significantly changed, but continue to ask for creativity from applicants.

The Haas admissions committee has a series of videos and podcasts posted on the website that are worth reviewing for their key insights and tips.

Stacy Blackman Consulting has successfully coached applicants to the Haas MBA each admissions year. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you set a winning application strategy.

ESSAY #1

Tell us a six-word story that reflects a memorable experience in your life-to-date. Elaborate on why it is meaningful to you. (250 words maximum)

The Haas admissions committee has their own six word stories in each profile, check them out for great examples.

Think of your six-word story as a compelling headline for the memorable experience you will describe. Just as journalists write the headline after the story, it will be easier to start with the elaboration and then encapsulate it in a pithy and captivating six-word story.

Haas has asked creative and open-ended questions for many years, and this is another version of that kind of essay. Brainstorm the most compelling story you can, preferably one that shows your diversity of experience. Ideally your experience also reveals something about you.

For example, we worked with a client who had a dramatic story about surviving a plane crash. The first time we read the draft it was highly exciting, but missed any description of his actions and what it meant to him. We worked on the meaning of the story and ended up with both a compelling and memorable narrative, and a story about leading through uncertainty, as he worked to help his fellow passengers through language barriers and lack of medical training.

Once you have written your own story, think about that six-word headline. You should reveal some of the plot while leaving enough to the imagination to grab your readers interest.

ESSAY #2

Respond to one of the following prompts: (250 words maximum)

• Describe a significant obstacle you have encountered and how it has impacted you.

• Describe how you have cultivated a diverse and inclusive culture.

• Describe a leadership experience and how you made a positive and lasting impact.

The admissions committee is open to either professional or personal experiences in this essay. Think about what you have described in the prior essay and the stories you may use in the next one. What aspects of your background, experiences, and values have yet to be highlighted? This may be the right place to explore those elements.

This essay asks a behavioral question (“Describe” is the operative word) and you will want to briefly explain the situation, then explain in depth how you thought, felt and acted in the situation. If you choose the middle option and describe how you have cultivated a diverse and inclusive culture, make sure you have specific examples of what you did and how you did it.

Perhaps you first recognized that a diverse culture was needed in your workplace or extracurricular activity, then you researched how you could improve the situation, finally you took action and followed through to a result. If you faced challenges and stumbling blocks it will be interesting to read how you overcame them. It will be tough to provide detail in 250 words, so be selective and specific as you tell your story.

ESSAY #3

1. Briefly describe your immediate post-MBA career goals. (50 words maximum)

2. How have prior experiences motivated and prepared you to pursue these goals? (250 words maximum)

This is a short career goals essay and asks you to describe your immediate goals succinctly and then how your past experiences have led you to those goals. path to business school along with your future goals. You should not focus on reciting your entire resume here – rather highlight the key experiences that will be relevant in your future career. Think about the experiences you would describe in a cover letter for your post-MBA job application, and tailor your approach accordingly.

Be specific about why the Haas School of Business is the right program to pursue your goals as well. As you consider past experiences and your future goals you will be able to see what you want to gain from the Haas experience to fill any gaps.

For example, If you have an advertising background and want to become a brand manager you’ll likely need classes in operations and finance to understand the analytical side of brand management. Other goals will require specific skills gained from an MBA and your own unique background will inform how you take advantage of the Haas experience.

OPTIONAL ESSAY

Use this essay to share information that is not presented elsewhere in the application, for example:

• Explanation of employment gaps or academic aberrations

• Quantitative abilities

• For re-applicants, improvements to your candidacy

Note that there is a specific place to indicate that you won’t have a recommendation from your current supervisor in the supplemental information section, so you do not need to explain that here in the optional essay.

Haas recommends using this space to address any information that was not adequately covered elsewhere, specifically suggesting that any employment gaps or lack of apparent quantitative skills be covered.

If you have a strong quantitative background like an engineering or hard sciences degree, or you work in a quantitative field like finance, it is likely unnecessary to further explain your quantitative skills.Otherwise, you may want to take one or two examples to demonstrate that you have an analytical mind and can take a quantitative approach to problem solving and evaluating data.

As the question specifically asks you not to focus on the grades on your transcript, use this space to describe projects at work, additional post-graduate coursework, or your plans to strengthen your quant skills before you enroll at Haas.

A short gap between school and a secured job is not necessary to explain, but an unexplained gap of several months between two jobs should be addressed. If your resume has significant employment gaps you should describe what you did between jobs in this space. Ideally you can point to additional education, training, volunteering or traveling that you engaged in while unemployed.

Reapplicants can describe hard improvements to your candidacy such as an improved GMAT score, new grades from quantitative classes, or a promotion. Other improvements might include refined career goals and additional leadership responsibilities at work or within a volunteer activity.

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Harvard Debuts New Joint MBA/MS in Engineering Degree [#permalink]

14 Jun 2017, 09:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Harvard Debuts New Joint MBA/MS in Engineering Degree

Harvard Business School and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have announced a new joint master’s degree program this week. Designed to train future leaders of technology ventures, the program will provide a strong foundation in general management, build design skills, and extend students’ understanding of engineering. The two-year, full-time program will confer both a Master of Science in Engineering Sciences and a Master of Business Administration (MS/MBA) and begins in August 2018.

“Finding effective solutions to the most daunting challenges calls for thinking across the boundaries of disciplines,” said HBS Dean Nitin Nohria in a statement. “The faculty who created this program designed it specifically to bridge the divide between engineering and business for aspiring leaders in the tech sector who want to drive and manage innovation throughout their organizations.”

Prospective students must have an undergraduate degree in engineering, computer science or a related technical field and at least two years of full-time work experience. The program will leverage existing HBS and SEAS curricula, as well as several new courses designed and taught jointly by faculty from both schools.

“This is a truly collaborative endeavor between HBS and SEAS,” said Frank Doyle, dean of SEAS and the John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “The expansion of SEAS to a state-of-the-art science and engineering complex across the street from HBS presents a compelling opportunity to leverage the resources of our schools. This collaborative program will meet the needs of an increasingly technology-driven world, in which breakthrough solutions to societal problems require deep knowledge of both engineering and business.”

The program spans four semesters, augmented by additional summer and January term coursework. In the first year of the program, students will take a System Engineering course that emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to analyzing complex systems, as well as the HBS MBA Required Curriculum, which conveys concepts and builds skills across disciplines relevant to general management, including marketing, organizational behavior and finance.

In the second year, students will take electives at each school. The program also features three new design courses that emphasize learning-by-doing and build students’ skills with human-centered design and lean experimentation methods.

As graduate students in SEAS, students will be formally enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and enjoy the benefits of affiliation with this vibrant academic community. Harvard master’s students join a cohort of innovative thinkers who seek to answer fundamental questions, advance new knowledge, and develop creative modes of inquiry in an interdisciplinary environment.

To gain admission to the MS/MBA program, students must:
HOLD an engineering, computer science, or related undergraduate degree, with a record of outstanding academic achievement;

HAVE at least two years of full-time work experience, ideally in designing and/or developing technology-intensive products;

MEET the criteria for admission to both the HBS MBA program and the SEAS MS program.

“We are looking for individuals who want to balance their passion for engineering and innovation with a deep understanding of management and leadership,” said Chad Losee, Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at HBS. “The students we are seeking have already distinguished themselves technically; this program will help propel them into leadership roles.”

Candidates for the MS/MBA can apply by submitting an application to the HBS MBA program in either Round 1 (September 6, 2017 application submission deadline) or Round 2 (January 3, 2018 deadline) to matriculate with the first cohort in August 2018. The deadline for “2+2” candidates is April 10, 2018. More details about the program and the application process can be found here.

The inaugural MS/MBA cohort will matriculate in August 2018.

Interested students can receive updates on the program by indicating their interest in the MS/MBA here. If you have questions, please email: msmba@hbs.edu.

Image credit: Michael A. Herzog (CC BY-ND 2.0)

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Georgetown McDonough Fall 2018 Application Deadlines [#permalink]

14 Jun 2017, 12:01

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Georgetown McDonough Fall 2018 Application Deadlines

The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University has posted the following MBA application deadlines for the 2017-18 admissions season.

Round 1
Application due: October 10, 2017

Decision released: December 20, 2017

Round 2*
Application due: January 5, 2018

Decision released: March 25, 2018

Round 3
Application due: April 2, 2018

Decision released: May 15, 2018

Round 4
Application due: May 1, 2018

Decision released: June 1, 2018

All applications are due by 5 p.m. ET on the deadline day.

*Round 2 is the priority consideration deadline for all applicants. International students are also encouraged to apply by this round to allow sufficient time to secure a student visa.

For more information, please visit the Georgetown MBA admissions website.

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GMAT Test Takers Can Now Choose Subject Order Preference [#permalink]

16 Jun 2017, 10:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: GMAT Test Takers Can Now Choose Subject Order Preference

Earlier this week, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) announced that as of July 11, test takers worldwide will have the flexibility to customize their GMAT experience by choosing the section order in which they feel most comfortable taking the exam.

The GMAT has four sections. Once Select Section Order is implemented, test takers will select their desired section order at the test center on the exam date, immediately prior to the start of the exam. Test takers will be able to choose from three options:

Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal (original order);
Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment; or
Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment.

This new option is just the latest in a continuation of the steps GMAC has implemented in recent years to enhance the test takers’ GMAT experience, including:

the ability to cancel scores online after leaving the test center and the enhanced score reinstatement policies (March 2016)
removing cancelled scores from school score reports; allowing candidates to retake the GMAT exam after a 16-day time period rather than the previous 31-day retake period; and enabling test takers to access their Official Score Report online using their date of birth instead of an authentication code (July 2015)
introduction of the GMAT Enhanced Score Report, which provides test takers access to an in-depth analysis of their overall GMAT performance (January 2015)
introduction of GMAT Score Preview, enabling test takers to preview their unofficial scores before deciding whether to report or cancel them (July 2014).

“The idea of being allowed to choose the section order had been commonly requested by test takers,” said Ashok Sarathy, GMAC’s vice president of product management. “We conducted a pilot in 2016 to test this feature and received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 85 percent of participants surveyed expressing that this new feature boosted their confidence prior to even taking the exam. Our pilot findings also concluded that taking the exam in different section orders continues to maintain the quality and integrity of the GMAT scores.”

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Will Your Social Media Profile Support or Derail Your MBA Efforts? [#permalink]

19 Jun 2017, 10:00

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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Will Your Social Media Profile Support or Derail Your MBA Efforts?

Do you have a profile on any of the major social media platforms? Do you frequently tweet, upload pictures to Instagram or Flickr, or post updates on Facebook? If so, you might want to make sure your online presence won’t derail your MBA application efforts.

If an admissions team is leaning toward admitting you to their program, it’s possible that they could do a quick Google search on your name before making their final decision. If you’ve demonstrated bad judgment by posting pictures of yourself doing not-so-upstanding things or making crude or otherwise politically incorrect comments, you’ve given them a reason to move your application to the ding pile.

You may have heard that earlier this month, Harvard College rescinded admissions offers to ten students who had posted offensive memes in a private Facebook group. A few years ago, The New York Times reported on a high school senior who caused a stir at Bowdoin College after posting disparaging tweets about other attendees at the school’s information session. If some undergraduate admissions committees are using teenagers’ social media behavior against them, it’s possible that business schools won’t be any more forgiving with adults who should know better.

It doesn’t end with the admissions committee, either. Let’s say you are invited to interview with a local alum; that person might try to find out as much information about you as possible before your chat. Once you’re at school, potential internship and full-time employers could perform an even more extensive online background check. Your fellow classmates might do some digging, too!

So while you may believe it’s funny and harmless to post that selfie after you’ve tipped back one too many, think again. There’s a chance you could compromise your MBA candidacy because of a fleeting moment of indiscretion. If an admissions committee member comes across something that raises a red flag, they’ll likely move on to the next candidate.

Remember:

Concerned about your online brand? Work with Stacy Blackman Consulting on your social media strategy.

Until next time,

The team at Stacy Blackman Consulting

***Do you want to stay on top of the application process with timely tips like these? Please subscribe to our weekly newsletter and you’ll receive our expert advice straight in your mailbox before it appears on the blog, plus special offers, promotions, discounts, invitations to events, and more.

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Will Your Social Media Profile Support or Derail Your MBA Efforts? [#permalink]

19 Jun 2017, 10:00

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