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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 17 Jun 2014, 12:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: Tuck at Dartmouth MBA Essay Tips
The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth has a small student body and a rural location, combined with world-class faculty and academic focus. As you approach your Dartmouth Tuck MBA application it will be important to consistently show how you will fit into the school values of leadership, teamwork and collaboration and bring your own unique qualities and experiences to the community.

Before you begin the essays think about the areas you want to communicate to the Tuck Business School admissions committee. As you consider each topic be sure to provide specific examples to illustrate your unique qualities. Real life experiences are your best evidence of leadership qualities, teamwork skills and management potential.

Stacy Blackman Consulting has worked with successful Tuck applicants for over a decade, contact us to learn more about the customized assistance we can provide for your application.

Essay 1
Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA fit for you and your goals and why are you the best fit for Tuck?

This standard career goals question requires you to clearly outline your short- and long-term career goals. Your short-term goals are the aspirations you have for your job immediately after graduation, while your long-term goals may be 10 or 20 years after you complete your MBA. In this relatively short essay you will need to explain what you have been pursuing in your career thus far, and why you need an MBA at this point in your life, along with your career goals.

“Why Tuck Business School” is an important aspect to this essay, and your opportunity to demonstrate fit. Make sure you have researched the school’s programs and determined your education will suit your plans. By reaching out to current students and alumni you will gain crucial insights that will provide a personal perspective on the culture of the school.

Essay 2
Tell us about your most meaningful leadership experience and what role you played. What did you learn about your own individual strengths and weaknesses through this experience?

As you consider topics for this essay consider the situations that may have revealed your own strengths and weaknesses with clarity. Think back to Tuck Business School’s criteria, and consider using this essay to either demonstrate your interpersonal leadership skills or to show something from your background or experience that is unique. Think about the leadership opportunities that led to a deeper understanding of yourself and others, and may have resulted in definition of your strengths or an improvement in your weaknesses. The example you choose can be from work or community involvement, as “great leadership can be accomplished in the pursuit or business and societal goals.”

One aspect to consider as you draft this essay is that the Tuck School of Business definition of leadership is inherently collaborative. Team based experiences may be preferable, and as you describe your leadership experience, make sure you explain how you were able to inspire and enable others to accomplish as well.

Essay 3

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.

This is your opportunity to discuss any perceived weaknesses in your application such as low GPA or gaps in your work experience. When approaching a question of this nature, focus on explanations rather than excuses and explain what you have done since the event you are explaining to demonstrate your academic ability or management potential.

You could potentially use this space to add something new that was not covered in the previous essays or in the application, resume or recommendations, however use your judgment about the topics as Tuck asks that you only complete this question if you “feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.”
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 17 Jun 2014, 12:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: UNC Kenan-Flagler 2014-2015 Deadlines
The University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School has posted the MBA application deadlines for the upcoming admissions season.

Early Action Round
Deadline: October 17, 2014
Notification: December 15, 2014

Round 2
Deadline: December 12, 2014
Notification: February 2, 2015

Round 3
Deadline: January 16, 2015
Notification: March 16, 2015

Round 4
Deadline: March 13, 2015
Notification: April 27, 2015

Because of heavy demand and Kenan-Flagler’s small class size, early application is strongly recommended. All applications must be received by 5 p.m. EST on the day of the deadline. For more information, please visit Kenan-Flagler’s admissions website.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 18 Jun 2014, 10:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Duke Fuqua 2014-2015 Application Deadlines


Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business has announced the application deadlines for the upcoming MBA admissions cycle.

Early Action
Deadline: September 17, 2014

Notification: October 29, 2014

Round 1
Deadline: October 20, 2014

Notification: December 19, 2014

Round 2
Deadline: January 5, 2015

Notification: March 13, 2015

Round 3
Deadline: March 19, 2015

Notification: May 6, 2015

For more information, please visit the Duke/Fuqua admissions website.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 19 Jun 2014, 10:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Leopold Gives Insight Into HBS Admissions Process
Any applicant looking for insight into the admissions process at Harvard Business School must read Poets & Quants in-depth interview with admissions director Dee Leopold. The world of MBA admissions has changed dramatically in the 35 years she’s been at it, and applicants will appreciate the history and perspective Leopold brings to her position.

For the second year, HBS is asking just one essay question—still optional—and Leopold explains the reasons behind the decision to cut the number of essays, and reveals just how many applicants submitted an application without an accompanying essay.

If you’re curious about how the admissions committee makes their decisions, what types of candidates have stood out in the newest class, whether there’s a GMAT or GRE preference, and more, click on over to P&Q for the whole scoop!

You may also be interested in:

Harvard Business School 2014-2015 MBA Essay Tips

What My MBA at Harvard Did NOT Teach Me

 
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 19 Jun 2014, 22:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Darden School of Business 2014-2015 Deadlines
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business has announced the application deadlines for the 2014-2015 MBA admissions season.

Round One
Deadline: October 10, 2014

Decision: December 17, 2014

Round 2
Deadline: January 7, 2015

Decision: March 25, 2015

Round 3
Deadline: April 1, 2015

Decision: May 6, 2015

The MBA application will be available in mid-August. For more information, please visit the Darden School of Business admissions website.

You may also be interested in:

Darden School of Business 2014-2015 Essay Prompt
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 23 Jun 2014, 11:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Duke Fuqua 2014-2015 Essay Topics
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business has announced the essay questions for the 2014-2015 MBA admissions cycle.

Required Short Answer Questions
Instructions: Answer all 3 of the following questions. For each short answer question, respond in 250 characters only (the equivalent of about 50 words).

  • What are your short-term goals, post-MBA?

  • What are your long-term goals?

  • Life is full of uncertainties, and plans and circumstances can change. As a result, navigating a career requires you to be adaptable. Should the short-term goals that you provided above not materialize what alternative directions have you considered?

First Required Essay
Instructions: Answer the following question — present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be only a few words, while others may be longer. Your complete list should not exceed 2 pages.


  • The “Team Fuqua” spirit and community is one of the things that sets The Duke MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. When a new person joins the Admissions team, we ask that person to share with everyone in the office a list of “25 Random Things About Yourself.” As an Admissions team, we already know the new hire’s professional and academic background, so learning these “25 Random Things” helps us get to know someone’s personality, background, special talents, and more.

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

Second Required Essay (choose 1 of 2)
Instructions: Choose only 1 of the following 2 essay questions to answer. Your response should be no more than 2 pages in length.


  • When asked by your family, friends, and colleagues why you want to go to Duke, what do you tell them? Share the reasons that are most meaningful to you.


  • The Team Fuqua community is as unique as the individuals who comprise it. Underlying our individuality are a number of shared ideas and principles that we live out in our own ways. Our students have identified and defined 6 “Team Fuqua Principles” that we feel are the guiding philosophies that make our community special. At the end of your 2 years at Fuqua, if you were to receive an award for exemplifying one of the 6 Principles listed below, which one would it be and why? Your response should reflect the research you have done, your knowledge of Fuqua and the Daytime MBA program and experience, and the types of activities and leadership you would engage in as a Fuqua student.

    • Authentic Engagement: We care and we take action. We each make a difference to Team Fuqua by being ourselves and engaging in and supporting activities about which we are passionate.

    • Supportive Ambition: We support each other to achieve great things, because your success is my success. The success of each individual member of Team Fuqua makes the whole of Team Fuqua better.

    • Collective Diversity:  We embrace all of our classmates because our individuality is better and stronger together.

    • Impactful Stewardship: We are leaders who focus on solutions to improve our communities both now and in the future. We aren’t satisfied with just maintaining the status quo.

    • Loyal Community: We are a family who looks out for each other. Team Fuqua supports you when you need it the most.

    • Uncompromising Integrity: We internalize and live the honor code in the classroom and beyond. We conduct ourselves with integrity within Fuqua, within Duke, and within all communities of which we are a part.

Optional Essay
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them in an optional essay (e.g. unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, or any significant weakness in your application).

  • Do NOT upload additional essays nor additional recommendations in this area of the application.

  • The Optional Essay is intended to provide the Admissions Committee with insight into your extenuating circumstances only.

  • Limit your response to two pages.

The new application, for the class starting in 2015, will be available in mid-July.

You may also be interested in:
Duke Fuqua 2014-2015 Application Deadlines
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 24 Jun 2014, 11:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: Columbia Business School MBA Essay Tips
Columbia’supdated essay questions are consistent with last year, with a new video about Columbia and New York City as a defining feature. As usual, Columbia is highly concerned about fit and your knowledge of the program. Before you get started with this set of essays it will be helpful to brainstorm your career objectives, strengths and weaknesses, and to make sure you have done as much school research as possible.

Short Answer Question: What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (75 characters maximum)

This is a simple question, but may require you to condense your career goals into one clear career vision statement. Columbia presents several examples on their website, all of which have some unique aspect. Rather than a generic statement like: “I plan to work in finance after Columbia” the goal is to infuse some individuality. Something like: “After my MBA I plan to pursue a career in real estate finance within a private equity firm” tells the admissions committee far more about your interests and goals.

Essay 1: Given your individual background and goals, why are you pursuing a Columbia MBA at this time? (Maximum 500 words)

Remember that this essay has two purposes: demonstrate that you know why you are interested in Columbia, and showcase why you are an excellent fit for the program. Both goals should be kept in mind as you answer the question.

Columbia has traditionally asked a similar question to determine why you are pursuing an MBA and why Columbia is the right program for you. It is likely that part of your answer to this question deals with your future career goals. When you think about your future plans it will add credibility to describe how you tend to approach goals in general. Are you determined despite obstacles? How have you demonstrated your persistence in your career thus far? This essay is not a recitation of your resume and should focus only on relevant examples from your career, but often the best indicator of future performance is the past, and therefore examples can support your position that your goals are achievable with a Columbia MBA.

The question is open ended enough to allow you to describe other details about your background. If you have a unique path to the MBA this is the place to describe it. If your cultural or family background is interesting and relevant to your application examples featuring details about your experiences could also be appropriate in response to this question.

Essay 2: Please view the video below: The Center

How will you take advantage of being “at the very center of business”? (Maximum 250 words)

The video Columbia asks applicants to watch can give you a few clues about the selling points that Columbia Business School sees in their New York City location. Leading edge research, access to heads of companies, and the major industries of New York City are all mentioned in the video. Watch carefully and determine what resonates most for you.

As you decide how to approach this question make sure that your individual goals for learning and career are impacting how you answer. You should consider the industry you plan to enter, and either the key adjunct professors from that industry at Columbia or the access to major companies from that industry in New York City. Consider your personal interests and how you might pursue them in the diversity of such an international city, and also the ways that Columbia’s alumni network can provide opportunities within the metropolitan area.

A mix of personal and professional interests may be covered in this topic, and you may want to emphasize either one of those angles depending on the answers you present to the other core questions.

Essay 3: What will the people in your Cluster be pleasantly surprised to learn about you? (Maximum 250 words)

If you did not cover anything personal in the prior two essays this is your opportunity to stand out from the pack of other applicants. If you are stumped by this essay prompt you may want to ask friends, family members or colleagues what they view as an interesting and unique fact about you.

Once you have ideas about how to approach this question make sure that you are describing something about yourself that will be interesting both to your peers and to the admissions committee. Facts about your prior work experience, any international experiences or travel, or extracurriculars that are a strong passion for you are all both potentially interesting to the people in your Cluster and the Columbia Business School admissions committee.

[b]Optional Essay: An optional fourth essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays.[/b]

If there are any areas of concern, this is the correct place to address them. Strike an upbeat tone here and avoid excuses. Explain your issue clearly and focus most of the essay on the correction for the issue. For example, if you had a disciplinary issue in college, spend most of the essay demonstrating that you learned from the experience and have been an ideal citizen ever since.

If you do not have a weakness to address here, it’s an ideal opportunity to provide any information that you were unable to work into the other three essays. If you have an unusual background, hobby or extracurricular experience, this may be an opportunity to showcase your unique profile.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 24 Jun 2014, 11:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: UNC Kenan-Flagler 2014-2015 Essay Topics


The University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School has announced the two required essays and two optional essay questions for the 2014-2015 MBA admissions cycle.

  • Essay One (Required)
    Please describe your short and long term goals post-MBA. Explain how: your professional experience has shaped these goals; why this career option appeals to you; and how you arrived at the decision that now is the time and the MBA is the appropriate degree. (500 words maximum)
  • Essay Two (Required)
    What personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? How do these qualities or experiences equip you to contribute to UNC Kenan-Flagler? (300 words maximum)
  • Essay Three (Optional)
    If your standardized test scores are low, or if you have not had coursework in core business subjects (calculus, microeconomics, statistics, financial accounting), please tell us how you plan to prepare yourself for the quantitative rigor of the MBA curriculum. (300 words maximum)
  • Essay Four (Optional)
    Is there any other information you would like to share that is not presented elsewhere in the application? (300 words maximum)
The application for August 2015 entry will be available soon. For more information, please visit the UNC Kenan-Flagler admissions website.

You may also be interested in:
UNC Kenan-Flagler 2014-2015 Deadlines
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 25 Jun 2014, 15:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Score Preview Added to GMAT
Prospective business students taking the GMAT exam will now be able to preview their unofficial scores before deciding whether to report or cancel them, the Graduate Management Admission Council has announced.

The score reporting feature is available to all test takers and will take effect at all 600 test centers around the world that administer the GMAT exam beginning on Friday, June 27, 2014.

“We are pleased to offer this feature as part of our efforts to make preparing for and taking the GMAT exam easier,” says Ashok Sarathy, GMAC’s vice president of product management. “The new score reporting feature gives test takers more certainty and control in the testing process and in how their scores are reported to schools.”

Test takers are given the option of reporting or canceling their scores immediately after taking the test and before leaving the test center.

Under the new process, test takers will see their unofficial scores — Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal, and Total — and will be given two minutes to decide whether to accept them. If they do not make a choice, their scores will be canceled.

In addition, test takers who decide to cancel their scores at the test center will be able to reinstate them within 60 days of the test date for a $100 fee. After that, scores will not be retrievable.

If there were two things I would recommend to test takers to get the most out of this new feature, says Sarathy, they would be:

  • Know what score you’re willing to accept so that when asked whether your wish to send your scores or cancel them, you have already considered your answer.
  • Understand that you have 60 days to reinstate a score you might have canceled but decide later that you want to send.
Analytical Writing Assessment scores are unaffected by the change. They are not included on unofficial score reports available immediately but are reported on official score reports delivered within 20 days.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 26 Jun 2014, 13:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Who Thinks Up Those MBA Essay Questions?
With so many elite schools either reducing the number of required essays in recent years, or getting really creative with their prompts—anyone remember Berkeley Haas‘s “If you could choose one song that expresses who you are, what is it and why?”—many applicants probably wonder just how the admissions team comes up with its MBA essay prompts each year.

BusinessWeek attempts to quench the curiosity of inquiring minds with its story on how MBA essay questions get written.

For example, the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University asks applicants to share a list of “25 Random Things” about themselves,  so that candidates get away from the tendency to overly manufacture what they think AdCom wants to hear, says Liz Riley Hargrove, associate dean for admissions at the Duke MBA program.

Coming up with 25 random things to list in this essay may seem daunting at first, but this creative exercise is certainly an opportunity to follow the admissions committee’s advice to share what makes you a dynamic, multi-dimensional person.

MIT Sloan School of Management meanwhile is throwing applicants for a loop this year by asking candidates to write an essay in the form of a professional letter of recommendation on behalf of themselves. While this is something applicants are often tempted to do, Rod Garcia, senior director of admissions at Sloan, says the idea clicked when admissions staff members had to write their own annual reviews.

For the second year, Kellogg School of Management asks applicants to record a video essay, where applicants get two questions that they may take 20 seconds to think over and one minute to answer. Kate Smith, assistant dean of Kellogg’s admissions and financial aid office, tells BusinessWeek that although participants are often nervous on video, this is “a skill that students are going to need to have in the globally complex landscape of business.”

You can learn more about where business schools find the inspiration to generate ever more interesting, illuminating glimpses into the real lives of MBA applicants by following the link above back to the original article.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 30 Jun 2014, 06:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Stacy Blackman’s B-School Buzz

Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of Stacy Blackman’s B-School Buzz, our periodic check-in with some of the MBA blogosphere’s applicant and student contributors. In this edition, Buzz bloggers share their school selection criteria, essay issues, and a sample daily work schedule that may inspire others to get their application strategy organized.

An applicant’s daily schedule—Grant Me Admission lays out his inspirational (and grueling) daily schedule and shows how he works on various elements of the MBA application throughout the day in order to stay focused. Also, check out his post on how advice from others will shape his MBA application strategy.

Why Anderson?—In this latest installment, MBA Reapplicant shares more reasons why UCLA Anderson School of Management is the right place to begin the next phase of one’s career. Geographic location is a primary reason, but the diversity of backgrounds represented at Anderson is another strong pull.

 Decisions, decisions—Today we welcome a new (re-) applicant blogger, Top Dog MBA, who shares some of his options depending on which schools offer him a place, and during which round. His conclusion? Reapply to INSEAD, MIT Sloan and Wharton in Round 1 and let the momentum and results of those decisions inform his R2 strategy.

Nailing the essays—We’re featuring another new applicant blogger this week: a Nigerian woman interested in pursuing an MBA in the United States. Naija applied to Chicago Booth last year and believes some errors in her submission thwarted her efforts. This year, she plans to strategize better and seek feedback from additional readers to ensure a flawless application this time around.

A little inspiration—If you’ve got a spare 17 minutes, Ellipser suggests you spend them watching this b-school graduation speech from Harvard Business School that has gone viral.

Do you have an MBA-centric blog? Want it featured in an upcoming B-School Buzz post? If so, email me at buzz@StacyBlackman.com.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 30 Jun 2014, 06:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: The Most LGBT Friendly B-Schools
Friendfactor, the LGBT rights organization for straight friends founded in 2009, has announced the results of its second MBA Ally Challenge, a friendly competition among business schools to build as many impactful ally initiatives as they can over the course of the school year.

The MBA Ally Challenge ranks schools’ efforts on three criteria: the number of students who participate, the number of activities with an ally-specific component they execute, and their results on a survey that measures LGBT awareness and the inclusiveness of campus culture.

Columbia Business School took first place; Kellogg School of Management came in second; and Michigan Ross School of Business ranked third. The Darden School of Business received the Most Improved Award.

The 12 participating schools engaged over 4,300 students through more than 100 ally-focused activities throughout the school year. All schools appear among Businessweek’s top 20 U.S. MBA programs, and include—in order of final ranking—MIT Sloan, UCLA Anderson, Duke Fuqua, Chicago Booth, UVA Darden, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, Harvard Business School, UNC Kenan-Flagler, and Dartmouth Tuck.

Friendfactor reports that the schools improved the LGBT-friendliness of campus culture such that nearly 50% more LGBT students felt comfortable being out to everyone on campus by the end of the school year – an increase from 42% to 62%.

As of June 2014, 23 business schools are pre-registered to compete in the 2014-2015 MBA Ally Challenge, which will kick off in August 2014. The participants and winners of this year’s MBA Ally Challenge will be honored, alongside the winners of Friendfactor’s new Workplace Ally Challenge, at the first annual Ally Challenge Awards Dinner on July 26th in San Francisco.

You may also be interested in:
Embrace LGBT Identity in Business School Applications
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 30 Jun 2014, 07:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: How B-School Students Can Choose an MBA Concentration
This post originally appeared on Stacy’s “Strictly Business” MBA Blog on U.S.News.com
The MBA degree is general by nature, as it’s designed to train students for careers managing any area of business. Students typically spend the first year of business school studying a core set of courses that provide a strong foundation in accounting, finance, statistics, marketing, management, leadership and more. This ensures all graduates walk away with the same comprehensive knowledge.

Offering concentrations where students can hone their skills according to their career interests is a relatively new and popular concept at many business schools. The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, a top-ranked MBA program in general management, introduced optional concentrations to the curriculum for the first time in 2010.

Adding a concentration to an MBA is a good move for people who know exactly what they want to do with their career and who want to build a stronger skill base in that area.

You don’t have to specialize your MBA degree, but it is highly recommended for those looking to land a job or internship in a specific industry, as recruiters want to see demonstrated focus on a particular field or functional area. In today’s competitive job market, listing a concentration on your resume helps you stand out from the crowd and shows a keen interest in that specialization, which you’ll ideally also bolster through your internship or other extracurricular activities.

The only case where a concentration may not be necessary is if you already have extensive work experience or another degree in the area you plan to pursue after graduating business school.

While it sounds like selecting a concentration is like having a major, it differs in that students typically choose more than one area in which to focus. In fact, Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business notes that most of its students pursue three or four concentrations as part of the Tepper MBA program.

To determine which areas you’ll want to concentrate on, first do a bit of self-reflection to help you understand your interests and skills. Think about what aspects you enjoyed or disliked most in your previous jobs or internships; what kind of work environment you’ll thrive in; how your career will fit in with other aspects of your personal life; and be honest about how important salary is in your decision-making process.

Once you’ve settled on a few areas of interest, align your school selections with those post-MBA goals. There are so many unique concentrations these days that go beyond the traditional accounting, finance, management and marketing tracks.

If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, look at programs offered at Stanford GSB, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Babson College or MIT Sloan School of Management’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Track, which is unique because its classes commingle scientists and engineers to maximize the intellectual experience.

If finance is your thing, you probably already know that the Chicago Booth School of Business, NYU Stern School of Business and Wharton are powerhouses in this area.

Students planning to pursue a career in information technology should take a look at the concentrations available at Tepper, MIT Sloan and Cornell University’s Johnson School.

Professionals interested in the energy sector can check out the energy and environment concentration at Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and the energy finance concentration at the University of Texas—Austin’s McCombs School of Business. In short, there’s a specialization for everyone.

Even if you’re not completely certain of your post-MBA career plans, you’re bound to find multiple areas of interest that will round out your general management education. However, if you travel down one path during your first year but your summer internship experience convinces you that you need to change course and focus on another function or industry altogether, don’t fret. You still have a whole second year to redirect your energies and find the right concentration for you.
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: 2014-2015 Deadlines at Cornell’s Johnson School


Cornell University’s Johnson School has announced the application deadlines for the 2014-2015 MBA admissions season.

Round 1
Deadline: October 1, 2014
Notification: December 17, 2014

Round 2
Deadline: January 7, 2015
Notification: March 25, 2015

Round 3
Deadline: March 11, 2015
Notification: May 13, 2015

Applications need to be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the day of the deadline. For more information, please visit the Johnson School’s admissions website.
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: UCLA Anderson School Goes Private

Following years of debate, the full-time MBA program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management will transition from state-supported to self-supporting status, Inside Higher Ed has reported. This change means the MBA program will forgo state subsidies in exchange for less regulation from the top and the ability to set its own tuition rates.

The shift may not be as dramatic as it sounds, given the fact that the state only funded about 18 percent of the business school’s operations. Going forward, the Anderson School will now have to pay UCLA for maintenance and overhead expenses.

Long-term trends in the California budget forecast a high likelihood of decline in state support for higher education. Jami Jesek, the senior associate dean of finance and operations at the Anderson School, told Inside Higher Ed, “UCLA Anderson proposed this plan to avoid any additional cuts in state funding while increasing predictability in setting fee levels and flexibility to faculty assignments.”

UCLA Anderson will now have greater control in hiring faculty and determining salary levels. Fees for the full-time MBA program will inevitably increase with this change, but a memorandum of understanding signed by UCLA Anderson dean Judy Olian asserts that the program will ensure that financial aid offerings remain at levels “at least commensurate with current levels.”

Jesek, meanwhile, told Inside Higher Ed, “We intend to increase, not decrease, financial aid in the coming years and are, in fact, making it a primary goal of our five-year Centennial [fund-raising] Campaign.”

Chicago Booth School of Business dean Sunil Kumar, an outside reviewer of the transition, predicted that an increase in private donations would allow UCLA to provide even more merit and need-based scholarships. “In my assessment there is very little doubt that on both quality and on access the Anderson School will be significantly better off under self-supporting status than it has been under state funding.”
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA Essay Tips
The set of essays for admission to UC Berkeley Haas School of Business covers a variety of topics – from the personal to professional. In approaching these varied questions it will be important to remain focused on what you want to communicate to the admissions committee.

A clear understanding of your application strategy, particularly your career goals and strengths/weaknesses, is the key to putting together a cohesive application. While challenging, this is also an opportunity to demonstrate several different aspects of your personality to the admissions committee.

Stacy Blackman Consulting has successfully coached applicants to the Haas MBA program for over a decade, contact us to learn more about how we can help you set a winning application strategy.

Essay 1
Describe an experience that has fundamentally changed the way you see the world. How did this transform you? (400-500 word maximum)

Berkeley Haas leads this set of essay questions with a highly personal topic. It also sounds incredibly lofty, and may be intimidating if you wonder whether you have had a transformative experience in your life. One way to approach this is to think through transitions. Perhaps the transition from high school to college was meaningful for you. Traveling for the first time outside your home country may have been another transition. Transitioning from University to the work place could have exposed you to new people and a new lifestyle. If none of those transitions lead to a topic for this essay you can delve into the smaller incidents in your life. A friendship, family experience or trip could have opened your eyes to something new and changed your approach.

Once you have selected a topic for this essay you will need to explain how you were transformed. What was your attitude like before the experience and what are you like now? Was the transformation internal or did you change how you approached other people? It’s likely you learned something from this transformation and explaining your lessons learned is always a strong finish to an MBA essay.

Essay 2
What is your most significant professional accomplishment? (200-300 word maximum)

This year Berkeley Haas asks for a professional accomplishment specifically. Though no timeframe is specified most similar MBA essays like to see an experience from your fairly recent professional past.
Your accomplishment can be big or small, but it should be significant to you. Explain what the accomplishment meant from a big picture perspective. Was it the first time you demonstrated a valued skill? Did you learn a key lesson about your industry or work? How have you used what you learned since?

While you have limited space, this is an opportunity to demonstrate what matters to you and to showcase one of your proudest moments. While you are asked only about the accomplishment, the best essays will use this limited space to demonstrate clearly what the accomplishment was (be specific!) as well as commenting upon the significance of the accomplishment.

Essay 3
What is your desired post-MBA role and at what company or organization? In your response, please specifically address sub-questions a., b., and c.
a. How is your background compelling to this company?
b. What is something you would do better for this company than any other employee?
c. Why is an MBA necessary and how will Haas specifically help you succeed at this company?
(500-600 word maximum for 3a, 3b, and 3c combined)

This is a fairly typical career goals essay that asks for both short- and long-term goals and the background that led you to this juncture in your career. The unique aspect of this question is the request for a specific company or organization you would prefer to work for. Thinking of a specific company or organization helps you to focus this essay. As the follow up questions request, you will need to tailor everything you discuss to this specific opportunity.
Researching your target company or organization will help you craft the strongest essay. Think of it like a job application and interview and take the time to discuss your desired role with friends and contacts who may have advice.

For the question about your background you don’t need to recite your resume here – rather highlight the key experiences that will be relevant in your future career. Think about the cover letter you would write to obtain your desired position at this company and tailor your approach accordingly.
Your company research will pay off in the second part of the question, “what is something you would do better for this company than any other employee?” This question really is aimed towards your future career identity, which will combine your current experience with your MBA. What will be unique about you after you graduate from Haas? For example, perhaps you have a creative marketing job now and will add the quantitative rigor of an MBA program to your skillset making you the perfect combination of creative and analytical for your future position.

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. 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. Make sure you have determined exactly what courses make sense for your career goals and the programs and clubs that you will participate in to reach your personal and professional goals. Thorough school research will be invaluable in approaching this question.

Optional Essays
Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you haven’t addressed elsewhere. (500 word maximum)

This question is entirely open ended, so you can either use it to explain anything you need to in your application, or add another aspect to your overall profile. If you need to explain something in your application like a low GPA or a recommender that is not your current supervisor, keep the explanation brief and factual. Focus on explanations, not excuses. If you felt that there are stories in your work, extracurricular, or personal profile that you did not have the opportunity to express in the prior essays, this is an opportunity to add that information.

If not clearly evident, please discuss ways in which you have demonstrated strong quantitative abilities, or plan to strengthen quantitative abilities. You do not need to list courses that appear on your transcript. (250 word maximum)

If you have a strong quantitative background like an engineering or hard sciences degree, or you work in a quantitative field like finance, this may not be a necessary essay. 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.
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Oxford MBA 2014-2015 Deadlines, Essays


University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School has announced the deadlines and essay questions for the MBA class entering in Fall 2015.

Stage 1
Deadline: September 15, 2014
Decision: October 17, 2014

Stage 2
Deadline: October 31, 2014
Decision: December 5, 2014

Stage 3
Deadline: January 9, 2015
Decision: February 27, 2015

Stage 4
Deadline: March 13, 2015
Decision: April 24, 2015

Stage 5
Deadline: April 24, 2015
Decision: May 29, 2015

Stage 6
Deadline: May 29, 2015
Decision: June 26, 2015

Applicants should note that Saïd reserves the right to close admissions to the MBA program after Stage 4 should all the places in the program be filled before that time. If you plan to apply after the March deadline, be sure to check the Oxford MBA website regularly to ensure the program is still open for admission.

Essay Questions

  • What should Oxford expect from you? (Maximum 500 words)
  • How do you hope to see your career developing over the next five years? How will the MBA and Oxford assist you in the development of these ambitions? (Maximum 500 words)
  • Plus your preferred essay from the options below:
  • Sport is pure competition. What does it teach us about companies, individuals, and markets? (Maximum 500 words) OR
  • The business of business is business. Is this true? (Maximum 500 words)
If you are applying under the 1+1 scheme you also need to submit the following essay:

  •  Explain why you see this as particularly beneficial for you and how it fits with your careers and personal development aims (Maximum 250 words)
Re-applicants will need to complete the essays mentioned above and another essay on the topic:

  • What improvements have you made in your candidacy since you last applied to the Oxford MBA? (Maximum 250 words)
***
For more information on applying for the Oxford MBA, please visit the Saïd Business School’s admissions website.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 03 Jul 2014, 06:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: MBA Trends at Harvard Business School and Beyond
The shift to fewer and shorter MBA essays has taken hold across the elite business schools of the United States, and the Wall Street Journal published two interesting articles yesterday exploring the changes afoot at MBA programs this season.

In Adam Rubenfire‘s article, Want to Get Into Business School? Write Less, Talk More, the author shares a table showing how the Harvard Business School application has changed since the 2004-2005 season.

Ten years ago, HBS required six essays for a combined word total of 2,600 words. Applicants for the Class of 2012 had to write four essays totaling 2,000 words. And last year’s applicants, as many know, faced just one essay—optional at that—with no word limit. Ditto for the Class of 2017 applicants.

Admissions officers at schools that have scaled down the essays say they’ve done so to avoid the cookie-cutter approach adopted by so many applicants each year. At Michigan Ross School of Business, admissions director Soojin Kwon tells the WSJ that “applicants increasingly tell us what they think we want to hear,” so now they need to write just two short essays totaling 800 words.

Sara Neher, assistant dean for MBA admissions at UV Darden School of Business, explains the move to a single essay three years ago came about after she discovered “applicants were writing one essay specifically for Darden and then recycling essays from their applications to other schools.”

Moving away from the topic of essays for a moment,  Melissa Korn offers a preview of Harvard Business School’s “sassy” new tone in this season’s application, where a laid-back, conversational approach is designed to retain the attention of Millennial applicants whose eyes glaze over while reading instructions from so many programs.

Director of admissions and financial aid Dee Leopold tells the WSJ her office receives lots of questions that are already answered in the application, so “this new, friendlier wording is also intended to engage applicants so that they actually read, and follow, directions.”

Korn points out that Harvard Business School recently came in second-to-last among elite schools in an applicant  survey questioning how well each institution got to know them through the admissions process. Perhaps this new, chattier HBS admissions will leave b-school hopefuls feeling warm and fuzzy…and remind them they’re dealing with actual human beings behind the AdCom desk.

“Why be stuffy and formal if we don’t have to?” says Leopold. Why indeed!
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 07 Jul 2014, 13:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: MBA Tour Kicks Off Soon
If you’re considering pursuing an MBA degree, attending an MBA fair is a great place to start. The MBA Tour is hosting 9 events across the US this July, starting in Chicago on July 16.

Collect Information and Easily Compare Programs
MBA Panel Presentations cover valuable business school admissions topics and answer a wide range of MBA applicant questions. The panels are hosted by professionals with expertise spanning several topics, including: Preparing Your MBA Application, Financing Your MBA, and GMAT Strategy.

School Presentations highlight unique program features in a 30-minute session given by admission representatives. These presentations are ideal for candidates to learn detailed information, compare different programs, and prepare for speaking with representatives during the MeetUp Sessions or MBA Fair.

1:1 Interaction with Admissions Representatives
MeetUp Sessions provide an opportunity for candidates to meet one on one and in small groups with admission directors and alumni from various programs. Meeting in-person allows candidates to make a personal connection with their top-choice schools and enhances the overall MBA application process by keeping lines of communication open with admission representatives.

MBA Fair The fair is an open floor forum to facilitate interaction between students and representatives, where personal and specific questions are encouraged and answered. Candidates can make a great impression on school reps and learn more about how a program appeals to individual needs.

What are the benefits of attending an MBA Tour conference? Hear from students who have attended:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Coming to a city near you in July 2014:
Chicago July 16, 2014

Washington DC July 21, 2014

Boston July 22, 2014

Atlanta July 24, 2014

San Francisco July 26, 2014

Los Angeles July 27, 2014

Houston July 29, 2014

Some of the participating business schools include:

Babson College, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Emory University, Georgetown University, IE Business School, IESE Business School, Indian School of Business, Indiana University, INSEAD, MIT Sloan, Northwestern University – Kellogg, The University of Texas at Austin, University of California Los Angeles, University of Chicago – Booth School of Business, University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University, and many more.

Attendees should note that not all business schools listed participate in every event. Check website for full school lists.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog 08 Jul 2014, 12:00
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: 2014 University of Virginia Darden School of Business MBA essay tips
While writing only 500 words for your University of Virginia Darden School of Business application essay may seem simple, it requires discipline to highlight all of the important parts of your profile for the admissions committee in less space. Writing a compelling essay with such limited space is actually quite challenging and requires you to focus only on the most important aspects you need to communicate.

Leadership is a crucial attribute for successful Darden MBA applicants. Personal qualities are also particularly important for a close knit community like Darden School of Business. Darden, similar to HBS, is devoted to the case method of teaching business subjects. Learn more about the school by visiting the Darden website, attending events and speaking with current students and alumni.

MBA Application Essay Question:
Describe the most courageous professional decision you have made or action you have taken. What did you learn from that experience? (500 words maximum)

In this question Darden is seeking to understand how you view courageous decisions and to demonstrate lessons learned from a specific action or decision. The best use of this essay space will use specific examples to illustrate the courageous decision and the action you took.

Lessons learned are crucial as well, and it will be helpful to be introspective about how you have changed as a result of this situation, and to consider why you viewed it as the most courageous action or decision in your professional life.

Before you start answering the question it may help to brainstorm some of your best professional accomplishment stories. As you think about the areas where you have excelled you may find that many of your accomplishments required courageous decisions or actions. Work backgrounds from the accomplishment to see where the moment arose and what the learning experience was.

Once you have a list of all of the potential experiences to discuss, choose the examples that will also demonstrate some of your personal qualities to the admissions committee. You have your career history submitted in your resume. Your GPA, transcript and GMAT will demonstrate academic ability.

This essay is one of your few opportunities to show how you think, what your leadership approach is, and how you handle teamwork and conflict. Think about the situations that showcased your best performance at work, or that taught you something about your interests or future career goals.

Because you have only one essay question to present yourself, make sure you have a trusted reader to tell you if you are effectively communicating why you are going to be a strong leader who deserves a spot in the UVA Darden MBA class.

Looking for perspective in your approach to your Darden MBA application? Contact us to discuss how Stacy Blackman Consulting can help.
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