Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Holiday Time Management Tips for B-School Applicants

In 11 days, 2018 draws to a close. And just two weeks from today, the first Round 2 MBA deadlines hit. Are you ready for some last-minute time management tips? Even if you’re not a “list person,” it’s time to become one — at least until the rest of your applications are in. Round 2 Still-to-Do List Check in with recommenders Assuming your recommenders have not yet submitted their letters, touch base with them again if it’s been more than two weeks since you last checked in. Remind them that it would be great if they could upload their responses a few days before the deadlines to avoid any last-minute system-crash drama. And thank them again for their time! Ensuring your recommenders are on track is your top priority because this is a tough time of the year for people to be pulled away from family obligations. You know you’ll get everything in, but this isn’t consuming their lives like it is yours. Do a document check Make sure you have all of the documentation each school requires — things like test-score reports and undergraduate or exchange-program transcripts. If you’re missing something at this point, you’ll probably have to hustle to secure what you need. Resume review Finalize your resume. Many schools have cut down on essay requirements, so resumes are playing a larger role in deciding prospective students’ fates. It’s critical that your resume tells the full story of your professional, educational and extracurricular achievements. Fill out those data forms with care and accuracy Complete the applications/data forms for each school. Why do this before putting the finishing touches on your essays? Because when left to the ultimate last minute, applications fields are extremely easy to screw up. There’s no spellcheck available on these forms, and if you’re rushing through them you are likely to make a mistake. Don’t risk having the very first thing the adcom sees be riddled with typos! Polish those MBA essays And now . . . the essays. We’ll be honest: we hope you aren’t just starting your essays this late in the game. But it certainly is possible to pull together quality responses within two weeks if you buckle down right this second. You can have a few friends or family members on standby to help you firm up your themes and cut down extra words, but if you’re working with an admissions consultant, don’t let advice from others derail the strategy and positioning your consultant has helped you set. Finally, take a little time off to enjoy the holidays. And if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, take a moment to read Stacy’s article for the Wharton Blog Network for tips on how to manage the stress of b-school applications. Good luck! Until next time, The team at Stacy Blackman Consulting Need a second set of eyes on your Round 2 applications? Work with a Stacy Blackman consultant on an hourly basis. ***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. The post Holiday Time Management Tips for B-School Applicants appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Parents’ Role in MBA Admissions

Are Mom and Dad actively involved in your b-school application process?  It might be time to rethink your parents’ role in MBA admissions. The admissions committee wants to see applicants with demonstrated leadership and maturity. That’s hard to convey with parents chiming in at every step along the way. No doubt, so-called “helicopter parents” have the best intentions. Yet, their interference could torpedo their child’s chance of getting into a top business school.  This holds true even if parents are helping to foot the bill, which is more and more often the case. Business schools welcome parents when they come to visit their enrolled students.  And they tolerate those who join their children on a general admissions tour. Universities expect heavy parental involvement in the undergraduate admissions process. Not for the MBA. The admissions team expects to see independent, fully formed professionals. Excessive parental involvement raises a red flag about the candidate’s potential for success in the program. What’s the right level of parental involvement? So, what level of parental involvement is appropriate? It’s fine for parents to get in touch with SBC for information about how admissions consulting works. They can also chip in or cover the costs of consulting. If requested, parents can also provide insight or act as a sounding board for their children’s essays. When parents’ role in MBA admissions goes awry. Parents should not attempt to guide the process themselves, however. We’ve had parents ask for conference calls to discuss their child’s issues—without the applicant on the phone. We’ve also known cases of parents impersonating their child when contacting the school admissions office with questions about financial aid, application status and more. If discovered, this deception will cause irreparable damage to the applicant’s candidacy. The truth is, parents may know their children very well in a certain light. But they might not know how to reveal the aspects of their child that will  appeal to business schools. Many parents have almost derailed the process by tearing apart MBA essays that we’ve already determined are good to go. When that happens, we wonder why they paid for expert consulting in the first place. Parents just want to help. We get it. Of course parents want to protect their children from failure or disappointment. They can serve their children’s needs better by cheering from the sidelines. Or offering moral support if a setback or ding does occur. Even if they still rely on Mom and Dad for advice and financial support, graduate-level students are adults. They are expected to be capable of making independent, adult decisions. If you’re the student in this scenario, make sure you set limits with your parents’ involvement. You don’t want to create a poor impression of your decision-making capacities. And parents: Trust that your child is responsible enough to make the right decisions for his or her future. A version of this post originally appeared on Stacy’s MBA admissions blog for US News and World Report. The post Parents’ Role in MBA Admissions appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Seasons Greetings!

Seasons greetings from all of us here at Stacy Blackman Consulting! At this time, we want to send our best wishes to you and your families for a wonderful holiday season. Looking forward to a phenomenal 2019 filled with happiness, good health and the promise of new opportunities! Warmest regards,     P.S: Round 2 deadlines are right around the corner…if you’re applying to Harvard Business School on January 4th but feeling a bit intimidated, don’t miss this terrific post published last month on the MBA Voices Blog on finding the confidence to apply. The advice is spot-on, and really, it holds true for any elite business school that you may be considering. The post Seasons Greetings! appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Decide Whether to Alter Your MBA Application Strategy in Round 2

If you applied in Round 1 and plan to submit materials to other business schools in Round 2, you may feel tempted to mix up your MBA application strategy for a couple of submissions—especially if you’ve already gotten a few dings. We know how frustrated you feel if you’ve poured a ton of time and energy into perfecting your application materials and then hearing only crickets at the end. But before you decide to position yourself in an entirely new way, scrap your essays and embark upon a drastically different strategic course, you need to take an objective view of the materials you already submitted. Or better yet, ask someone else who’s familiar with the process to do so. Is it time for a new MBA application strategy in round 2? Unfortunately, you can’t change any of these hard data points: Your undergraduate institution The classes you took Your GPA Your employment history Plus, there’s not enough time before round 2 to do anything about these two areas either: GMAT/GRE score Volunteer activities Do you detect any major red flags across those areas? If so, you need to be honest with yourself. Even the greatest essay set in the world may not be able to offset those issues. In that case, if you thoroughly planned how to best position yourself with your Round 1 materials but have received dings, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your strategy was faulty. It may just simply mean that you need to consider less competitive programs. Actually, the same thing goes even if there are zero red flags across your materials. A rejection doesn’t mean you are not accomplished or deserving of a spot in School X’s incoming MBA class. It only means there wasn’t enough room to accept everyone. Perhaps you need to widen your net a bit more? That’s why we recommend staying the course with your MBA application strategy between Round 1 and Round 2—unless you never actually created a strong plan in the first place. Then, by all means, reassess your efforts! **** 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. The post Decide Whether to Alter Your MBA Application Strategy in Round 2 appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: So Long, 2018! Time to Reflect and Look Forward

As we prepare to welcome 2019 next week, it’s a time for reflection and anticipation. But odds are if you’ve been working on MBA applications, you’ve already been doing a lot of both over the past several months. Updating your resume—check. Brainstorming intriguing stories for your essays—check.  Reminding your recommendersof everything you worked on together—check. All that’s about as intense a walk down memory lane as it gets. You’ve spent weeks upon weeks reviewing your life’s accomplishments and navel-gazing in order to ensure your materials will show admissions committees who you really are. Take a break–even for a day–to reflect and look forward If you already know where you’ll be heading in the fall—or are in the envious position of deciding between programs—then there’s no doubt 2019 is going to be a banner year. You have much to be excited about! But what if you’ve been waitlisted? Or need to put the finishing touches on your Round 2 applications. Maybe you are just beginning the application process for Round 3. Whatever the case, it’s stressful to have a good chunk of 2019 up in the air. But your future plans will all fall into place in due time. And once your materials are in, there’s no harm in testing out the power of positive thinking, right? You could also make it a New Year’s resolution to look forward to bigger and better things in 2019—no matter what ends up happening with business school. The post So Long, 2018! Time to Reflect and Look Forward appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Stacy Blackman’s 2018 Year in Review

How is it possible that we’re already at the final days of 2018? Once again, the time is upon us to make new resolutions, push ourselves to learn and grow, and rededicate ourselves to our personal and professional goals. With that in mind, we’d like to share the blog posts that really resonated with readers in our 2018 year in review. We selected each to help you better prepare as you journey along the road to business school. Exercises to Help MBA Applicants Develop Their Personal Brand Some b-school applicants balk at thinking of themselves as a product or brand. However, by taking the time to really examine your personal qualities, values and aspirations, you’ll ultimately be able to find out which MBA programs provide the best match for your unique profile. Tackling Background Blemishes for the MBA Application When you apply to an MBA program, particularly at a prestigious business school, the admissions committee will scrutinize every element of your background. They want to determine how well-rounded you are. Also, whether you’re up to the program’s academic rigors. Of course, not every applicant has a sterling backstory. You may find yourself concerned that something in your past will hurt your chances at your dream school. Round 3 Insight from MBA Admissions Officers Round 3 deadlines are nearly upon us, and while the final round is the biggest gamble of the application cycle, schools have that round for a reason and use it to admit those stellar students that add something really special to their classes. Here’s a sampling of reactions from the admissions teams at well-ranked MBA programs on whether Round 3 really is a viable option for applicants. Do These 7 Things Now if B-School is in Your Future You may still be in college, but it’s never too early to begin investing your time and energy into areas that will pay off big time down the line. Take a look at seven things you can do right now as an undergrad to strengthen your MBA candidacy. B-School Research Advice for International MBA Applicants For many MBA hopefuls, particularly those targeting multiple programs and coming from abroad, a campus visit can be a real challenge during the application phase. Whether the problem is the prohibitive expense of air travel and lodging or the time off from work required, these candidates must turn to other sources to fill in the blanks as they decide on which programs to target. How to Pay for Your MBA  Congratulations! You got into business school. Before you start packing, though, you’ll need a game plan for funding your MBA journey. CommonBond was started by MBAs, so we’ve been there before. Below are some tips to help you figure out how to pay for business school and everything it entails. Should Your MBA Application Strategy Include ‘Safety’ Schools? When coming up with a list of business schools, you must feel genuine enthusiasm about attending. This holds true regardless of whether they are dream schools, or programs you might consider a safer bet. If you would feel disappointed rather than ecstatic about advancing your career by attending a school, then do not apply. That’s a waste of everyone’s time and your money. MBA Success Story: From 24 Apps, 19 Dings to 1st in Class at Emory When Ed Luggen signed up with Stacy Blackman Consulting in 2015, he had received more rejections than almost anyone we had ever worked with. The fact that he wanted to persevere was a true testament to his character, his resilience, drive and problem-solving abilities. 4 Cases Where MBA Applicants Should Write an Optional Essay To write or not to write an optional business school application essay…that is a question that concerns many MBA candidates each season. The following advice should be considered within the context of your overall strategy and target business school(s), but these areas are prime material for the optional essay. MBA Essay Advice for Entrepreneurs Business schools have always prepared students to launch and manage their own businesses. But over the last decade, the number of courses, centers and contests dedicated exclusively to entrepreneurship has mushroomed. Many entrepreneurs feel unsure of the best way to convey their unconventional background in an MBA application. What Makes a Great MBA Recommendation Letter The recommendation letter forms an integral part of your MBA application package and can make—or break—your chances of admission. Often, applicants unwittingly sabotage their efforts when they select bigwig recommenders with impressive titles, hoping to impress the adcomm. This tactic almost always backfires. Waitlisted MBA Applicants are Still in the Game While few candidates celebrate landing on the waitlist, don’t give up hope. First of all, waitlist status by your target school is definitely a good sign. You’re someone they would like to have in the class, but something is holding up a final decision. Perhaps your profile is near-identical to someone who they did admit. In this case, the admissions team wants to carefully balance the class and needs to see other candidates in subsequent rounds. Or, your application might have a weakness that’s giving the admissions committee pause.  If the latter is true, there may be steps you can take to increase your chances of admission. *** My goal with this blog has always been to bring b-school applicants the latest news from the schools, insightful application and essay tips, and to explore major trends affecting the future of management education. Thank you for joining us on this 2018 year in review, and for making us a top destination for your b-school research. We hope this resource continues to serve you well as you embark on what is definitely a life-changing, career-boosting journey. Have a wonderful holiday, and see you back here in 2019!   The post Stacy Blackman’s 2018 Year in Review appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Are You Ready for Round 2 at HBS?

The second round deadline is coming up at Harvard Business School on January 4th, and there’s no time like the present to review some of the key elements your MBA application should highlight if you’re targeting round 2 at HBS. It may not surprise you to learn that high-impact leadership is the “Big Kahuna” at HBS. The admissions committee will look for evidence that you’ve made a positive impact on the communities of which you’ve been a part, both personally and professionally. Are you a leader? Your past leadership achievements are the best gauge of your potential for realizing your future ambitions. Make sure to highlight instances that support your case in this area. The admissions committee understands you may not have several years of work experience from which to draw. Take comfort in knowing that it’s not about the scale of your achievements. The goal is showing that you left indelible footprints. How have you made the world a better place? Be sure also to focus on service to others in your application. As with leadership, the committee is concerned with the connection between your achievements and how they reflect who you are. Community service is important because a.) it provides insights into your deeper interests and the causes that you care about; and b.) the admissions officers want to see evidence that you’re the type of person who devotes energy to making a community stronger because they may be inviting you into their community. What are you passionate about? The school has a mission to “educate leaders to make a difference in the world.”  HBS isn’t looking for candidates who simply want a résumé boost. If you’re applying in round 2 at HBS, you have to have passion and vision—think big. Passion is a useful tool for staying motivated and productive, whether it’s in school or business. But it goes much deeper than simply being passionate about what you’re doing. You need to express your passion in a way that inspires and projects energy onto those you work with. It’s not just your footprints that interest HBS admissions; they also want to see the footprints of those who follow you as you blaze a new trail in an area of passion. If you need further proof that pursuing an MBA is the right path for you, check out this recent post from the HBS MBA Voices Blog. The post Are You Ready for Round 2 at HBS? appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Focus on Fit When Choosing Which MBA Programs to Target

If you seek a business school environment where you’ll truly thrive, focus on fit over ranking and brand. While the latter two are important, if you don’t feel at home from the moment you set foot on campus, you won’t get the most out of the MBA experience. For applicants who must choose between two or more admissions offers—lucky you!—this post should help clarify matters. For those just beginning the research phase, keeping these qualities in mind will serve you well as you narrow down your list. When you focus on fit, you should consider the three C’s – curriculum, culture, and communication. Is the Curriculum a Good Fit? B-schools regularly revamp their courses to keep up with trends in leadership and innovations in the world at large. Common changes include more required and elective experiential courses, plus new opportunities for students to customize their learning experience. All general management MBA programs will provide you with the fundamentals of core management skills. The next step to determining fit requires you to find out just how well the programs align with your post-MBA career goals. Top business schools are known for their strengths in specific fields—finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, health care, real estate development, etc. So start by narrowing your list based on how well the program can prepare you for that industry. If you have laser-focused career goals,  consider business schools that offer a concentration in your area of interest. Also, you might prefer a school with a more versatile curriculum from the beginning that you can really tailor to your needs. Choose a program with a curriculum that suits you and your learning style best. Is the Culture a Good Fit? Understanding the prevailing culture at a school will help you decide whether the program is a good fit for your personality. You can begin your assessment by determining whether the culture is predominantly competitive or collaborative. Size and location often play an important role in this regard. Larger programs in urban centers, such as Harvard, Wharton, and Chicago Booth typically feel much more competitive and intense. Smaller business schools and those located in rural settings usually foster a close-knit community feeling. Here, many students live on campus and socialize with fellow students and faculty on a regular basis. MBA programs with smaller cohorts take pride in their down-to-earth, collaborative cultures. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to a school’s culture. It’s simply a matter of choosing the environment where you think you’ll thrive. How Good Is the Communication? You may also want to consider whether the admissions team seems genuinely interested in getting to know applicants, too. A great way to gauge this is by seeing how often and how much engagement the admissions committee offers you. Take, for example, the Michigan Ross School of Business, where the director of MBA admissions and financial aid Soojin Kwon updates her blog every few weeks. On it, she offers application tips, deadline and interview news, school events and other thoughts. She or someone in her department also answer each post’s comments. It may just be that famous Midwestern hospitality, but Ross candidates seem to feel a genuine connection that starts during their admissions experience. Another excellent source of communication comes from the school-sponsored student blogs. These blogs a great way to connect with current students and learn more about the daily experience at your target schools. Choosing where to pursue an MBA is a huge decision. A focus on fit will help you narrow down the options. Do your homework and understand the strengths and potential drawbacks of each option. Knowing yourself and how a particular school suits your professional goals and needs is the essence of making the right choice. For more on the topic of school selection, check out my US News & World Report blog post, Reach, Target, Safety: How to Choose MBA Programs Strategically. The post Focus on Fit When Choosing Which MBA Programs to Target appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Background Checks in MBA Admissions

Background checks in MBA admissions are more common for some schools than others, but their overall use is growing. Some programs vet every admitted applicant, while others randomly select a percentage of candidates. Still others delve further only when something seems to raise a red flag. The process usually takes place in the spring, after all application rounds have passed and candidates begin sending in their deposits. The vast majority of people shouldn’t stress over this verification process. Business schools aren’t on a mission to grill candidates about every last detail of their applications. They simply want to ensure that applicants have honestly represented themselves, their experience and their accomplishments. Why do schools need to check your background? Sometimes applicants are screened because their profile is unusual or difficult to verify. If their work experience included time in a startup or at a failed startup, in a small family firm or at a company abroad, and the admissions office simply needs to clarify and confirm the details. Typical reasons for rejecting a candidate include: ethical lapses questionable behavior not disclosing a layoff or firing evidence of plagiarism not disclosing a criminal conviction Willful deception or lying by omission will jeopardize your admission. Minor discrepancies such as being off by a month when listing your employment dates likely won’t. Most schools give applicants a chance to explain any plausible mistakes. Though we can’t share specific examples due to confidentiality issues, we have had clients failwho have had problems with background checks. In some cases, an offer of admission was revoked following the background check. In one situation, the student had already started school and was escorted out due to an omission on the application. It wasn’t because of a lie. Rather, this person failed to  include information the program would have wanted to know about during the application process. What are they looking for in background checks? Business schools can investigate application details that include everything from recommenders, employment and education history, extracurricular and professional involvements, leadership roles and even authenticate anecdotes from application essays. If you’re on the fence about whether to include or explain something in your application, chances are you probably should mention it. When the issue is something like poor academic performance or a gap in employment history, it’s always best to come completely clean. The admissions team isn’t looking for perfection in applicants. Major failures can translate into a story about lessons learned and self-improvement. These can actually help your candidacy if you show how you’ve become a wiser, more humble person because of them. However, if the incident you’re wondering about including is personal in nature and does not appear anywhere on your official record, you may decide not to draw unnecessary attention to it. Just stay calm If you learn that your admission is conditional pending corroboration of your professional, academic or personal background, your best option is to cooperate quickly and completely to facilitate the verification process. The schools just want to make sure all applicants are who they say they are. Make sure you’re meticulous about presenting the facts, haven’t exaggerated or lied, and have explained any lapses in judgment that could come back to haunt you,  and you’ll have nothing to worry about. For more on this topic, read Pro Tip: Don’t Lie on Your MBA Application in The Wall Street Journal. The post Background Checks in MBA Admissions appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Simon Business School’s New STEM Focus Makes it MBA Program of the Year

Business school news website Poets & Quants has crowned the Simon Business School, with its revamped STEM focus, “MBA Program of the Year” for 2018. It is only the second program in the US to receive that honor, after Cornell University. Last year, Cornell’s Johnson School won MBA program of the year for its highly innovative Cornell Tech MBA in New York City. The Simon School received the distinction due to its newly enhanced MBA curriculum. The program is the first in the country to offer a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) designation. In fact, the designation covers every area of specialization, from banking and corporate finance to brand management and operations. STEM Focus Designation—A Boon for International MBA Students A STEM designation makes the program especially attractive to international MBA applicants. Federal government programs allow graduates of STEM-designated degrees to stay in the United States for three years of work experience. The standard is one year. “Along with benefiting our students, these moves will give Simon a real competitive advantage, because we are the only true STEM business school,” says Simon Dean Andrew Ainslie in a statement announcing the news. Simon uses an analytical lens to research and teach finance, accounting, operations, marketing, and other facets of business education. The school’s leaders say this designation seemed a perfect fit. As Gregory Bauer, dean of full-time programs at Simon, puts it: “We were analytical before analytical was cool.” “The school leveraged its quant-heavy curriculum with a strong focus on analytics and economics to gain STEM designation,” wrote Poets & Quants in their review of the MBA program. “Simon was in a unique position to take advantage of the opportunity.” The post Simon Business School’s New STEM Focus Makes it MBA Program of the Year appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Have You Hit Submit? Here are 5 Tips to Pass the Time While Waiting for News from the Schools

You spent months planning your application strategy, studying for the admissions exam, writing essays, and wrangling recommenders. Then you hit the submit button for your business school applications in round two. Now what? You’re probably wondering what to do with yourself during what we call the MBA waiting game. Here are five tips to pass the time while waiting for news from the schools. Come up with your Plan B. It’s tempting to start planning out your first few weeks on campus—the clubs you plan to join and the apartment you will hunt for—but reminding yourself that you have alternatives is healthy. You’re young, intelligent, and accomplished. If you didn’t go to business school in the fall, what career shift or huge dream might you fulfill? Maybe you would flee to Paris and take art lessons. Learn Mandarin (in China). Perhaps you would hike the Appalachian Trail. Fantasizing about plan B is more practical than you think. When you start receiving those acceptance letters, you’ll have a head start on your summer plans! Avoid discussion boards. Commiserating with strangers over the Internet may seem like an attractive outlet for your anxiety. But focusing on an outcome you can no longer control will only add to stress in your life. While it’s certainly positive to network with your potential future classmates, make sure you approach any rumors or myths with a balanced perspective. It is natural to search for certainty in an uncertain process. With admission rates hovering at 10 percent for the most competitive programs, many candidates feel anxiety about the final decisions. However, if you have put together the strongest possible application you can and worked to impact every factor under your control, it’s time to relax and wait for the results. Prep for interviews. If you absolutely must remain focused on your MBA plans, starting your interview prep is a good outlet for your energy while you’re waiting for news from the schools. Working on your communication and presentation skills can be an ongoing challenge. Practicing common interview questions with friends and family will both make you more prepared when the interview invitation arrives and minimize your anxiety. Stay in touch with the schools. Demonstrating continued and genuine interest in your MBA program of choice is one of the best ways to show the admissions committee that you are strongly committed to attending their program. How to do this? Reach out to alumni for an insider view of the program, and perhaps some interview pointers as well. If the school plans to hold an information session online or in a city nearby, sign up or show up. You can never have too much information about your target school. The more opportunities you create to connect with the program, the better you can judge its culture and community to determine if it’s the right fit for you. Be happy. Waiting for news from the schools can feel excruciating. Distract yourself things you enjoyed before essays and GMAT scores became the focal point of your life. Take this opportunity to relax a bit, read a book, or go for a run. It’s likely your social life has languished on the back burner for the past few months.  Spend some time reconnecting with your family and friends before every waking minute is spent job hunting and networking with your fellow MBA classmates. Although accomplishing a huge goal such as gaining admission to an MBA program will feel good, friends, exercise, and relationships are the path to longer-lasting happiness. And finally, if you do receive news that you’ve been placed on the waitlist at your dream business school, take a look at this blog post on how to handle MBA waitlist purgatory. The post Have You Hit Submit? Here are 5 Tips to Pass the Time While Waiting for News from the Schools appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: The Most Important Part of the MBA Application is…

Every day, we receive e-mails and phone calls from potential new clients. They often go something like this: “I have a 2.9 GPA, 680 GMAT, and four years of work experience in consulting. I’ve been promoted twice; I have good extracurriculars. What are my chances?” B-school hopefuls then want to find out what is the most important part of the MBA application. Is it the GMAT score, undergraduate transcript, essays, interview, letters of recommendation, or something else entirely? What part of the MBA application is *most* important? Everyone wants to know what to focus on in their application, and how their personal circumstances rate. Top business schools don’t admit you based purely on your statistics, though they do count quite a bit. While a 550 GMAT or a 2.5 GPA will raise a red flag at an MBA program like the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, a 700 GMAT and a 3.6 GPA make you a solid candidate. But even an 800 GMAT score and a perfect GPA can be rejected at an elite MBA program. Ask most admissions committee members and they will tell you that it’s the sum of many pieces—there is no one “most important” part of the MBA application. The top schools want to know who you are, and statistics and a résumé don’t tell them that. It’s the essays, interviews, and recommendations that ultimately reveal the person beyond the paper. Compelling essays, recommendations, and interviews can provide context for a low GMAT score or GPA. But the reverse is not true. Strong numbers will never make up for weak essays or a disorganized, negative recommendation. Time to reevaluate your shortcomings Some say the most important part of the application is your so-called “weakest” part. One weakness could completely change how admissions committee members perceive your application. In fact, many admissions officers urge applicants to be up front about their shortcomings. Everyone has weaknesses. You’re better off acknowledging and incorporating them into your application than hoping the person reading your application will miss them. While we doubt that many business school admissions committee would formally support this statement, we would cast our vote for essays as the most important part of your application. Why MBA essays carry so much weight The essays allow the admissions committee to truly discover who you are. It’s where you write why an MBA makes sense as the next step of your career path. Also, it’s how you differentiate yourself from everyone else who scored in the 700s on their GMAT. The essays are your opportunity to present your strengths and explain your weaknesses. They also go along way toward convincing the adcomm that you have a lot to offer the program and that you belong in their class. The essays are also consistent among all applicants. In that way, they are less difficult to evaluate and compare. All candidates receive the same set of questions. The same group of admissions members reviews those answers. This creates a level playing field that can simplify the review process. Interviews are very different. Some are conducted over the phone, some at the business school, and all are handled by different types of individuals with different approaches. Recommendations vary as well. While all applicants do their best to find great recommenders, some individuals work with MBAs who understand the process. Others work with people who have no idea what to write. You should know that most applicants to the top schools are qualified, in the sense that they would be able to handle the curriculum and benefit from the program. The essays are each individual’s opportunity to talk about their true self. The most important part of the MBA application is…You Finally, to be admitted, you need to demonstrate that you are more than merely qualified. It’s the story that you put together about your goals, passions, and prior experience—and how business school fits into the mix—that will make the difference for you. Once that story is assembled, we can better answer the question: “What are my chances?” *** Wondering what’s the best way to address weaknesses and strengths in the MBA app? Take a look at Stacy’s post in US News & World Report for pro tips. The post The Most Important Part of the MBA Application is… appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: If Rejected, Take Advantage of Application Feedback Sessions

All MBA hopefuls fear rejection. Fortunately, many business schools now offer application feedback sessions to help unsuccessful candidates figure out where they might have gone wrong. This availability of application feedback confirms that the schools really do welcome and encourage re-applicants. In fact, the Wharton School has shared with us anecdotally in the past that applicants who reapplied often have a slight edge in the applicant pool. Schedule Application Feedback Sessions ASAP Find out the feedback policy of your school of choice and get in touch with the admissions office right away. For instance, Harvard Business School and Kellogg School do not provide application feedback. But UV Darden School, Dartmouth Tuck and others do. Make it clear that you will use the feedback to reapply next year, if that’s the case. These meetings usually take place on a first-come, first-served basis in the spring, at the end of the admissions season. Due to the brevity of these sessions, it’s important to prepare in advance. Write down a few pointed questions that will help you make the most of your meeting. If you questioned anything during the application process, you now have the opportunity to clear things up. In order to gather actionable information, your questions should sound something like this: • Was there any concern about my quantitative abilities? If so, what can I do to demonstrate my capabilities? • Were my career goals clear? • Are my reasons for wanting an MBA sound? • What were some of the biggest weaknesses in my application? Do you have any suggestions for how I can ease your concerns in those areas? Have a plan to make sure the session stays on pace, because you’ll usually have a maximum of 15 minutes. Keep track of the time and strive to end the conversation gracefully. Don’t Expect Application Feedback Sessions to Reveal All the Answers It’s unlikely that members of the admissions committee will tell you flat out that you don’t have the stats, background or qualifications to attend their MBA program, even if that is the case. Nor will they tell you to change your life plans just for the sake of the application. There’s an art to extracting information, but don’t expect to receive the secret key to success during this brief conversation. Take what you can get. Ultimately, the feedback session may or may not provide helpful insight. You might receive a very actionable comment, such as “you need more work experience” or “you should raise your GMAT score at least 30 points.” But with more qualified applicants than available seats in the program, the advice is often quite general and you’ll have to work hard to pin down specific takeaways. Make a Positive Impression During Your Application Feedback Sessions Think of this as one additional opportunity to build upon your relationship with the school. Maintain a pleasant, engaging and polite tone. The admissions committee also takes notes during the exchange that will go into your file and form a part of the evaluation you when you reapply next year. Make sure you don’t get defensive about their feedback. Treat this as an extension of your interview: Jot down the name and email address of the person you speak with, and remember to follow up with a thank-you note. Finally, don’t spend a lot of time or energy fretting about elements of your application that you cannot change in less than 12 months. Instead, use the feedback from the admissions committee and your own honest self-analysis to determine where you can improve in order to better position your application for the next admissions cycle. The post If Rejected, Take Advantage of Application Feedback Sessions appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Ross School Team Wins Deloitte National Case Competition

A team of Ross School MBA students has won the Deloitte Foundation’s ninth annual MBA National Case Competition.  The competition took place January 3rd-5th at Deloitte’s leadership center near Dallas, Texas. Initially, more than 1,000 students from leading MBA programs across the country entered regional competitions. In the end, 64 students advanced to the national finals. Case Competition Leads to Innovative Solutions At the national finals, 16 student teams developed a strategic proposal and presentation to define a growth strategy for a healthy, fast-casual dining chain that operates almost 100 stores across the US. The company focuses on the nutritional value of its menu offerings, and sustainable positive impact of its business. Students recommended helping the organization achieve growth through several strategies. First, by developing an expansion of current product offerings in innovative formats for target consumers. Next, by leveraging digital opportunities. Finally, by identifying the capabilities and requirements needed to execute the strategy. Leaders from the company attended the competition and served as judges along with industry and Deloitte leaders.  Nine years in, the motivation and strategic thinking shown by the students competing continues to amaze us, notes Bill Lam, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “This year, we challenged the teams with a case focused on creating a growth strategy for a startup health-conscious restaurant chain,” Lam explained in a statement. “The participants approached the case with passion and determination for helping guide a socially conscious, purpose-driven brand. The competition provided the MBA students great exposure to the realities of working in a dynamic, ever-changing business world.” In the end, Ross team members Thomas Corness, Jessica McClain, Jason Rock and Andrea Schiff earned a combined scholarship of $20,000 for their well thought out analysis and innovative solution. Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business took second place. The Darden School of Business and NYU Stern School of Business followed in third and fourth place, respectively. Other Finalist Schools in the MBA National Case Competition Berkeley Haas School of Business Columbia Business School Cornell Johnson College of Business Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Duke Fuqua School of Business Emory Goizueta Business School MIT Sloan Northwestern Kellogg School of Management UCLA Anderson School of Management University of Chicago Booth School of Business University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler University of Texas McCombs School of Business “The Deloitte Foundation is committed to providing the emerging workforce with challenging, innovative, experiential learning opportunities,” said Seán Morris, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and member of the Deloitte Foundation board of directors. Founded in 1928, Deloitte Foundation supports a variety of initiatives that help develop the talent of the future and their influencers. Above all, the foundation promotes excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. “The MBA National Case Competition, as well as our other education programs, are designed to be a real-world extension of the classroom setting, allowing students to apply their knowledge, and ultimately growing the pipeline of future talent. We continue to be impressed with the exceptional talent showcased during this annual competition.” The post Ross School Team Wins Deloitte National Case Competition appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

Hey,

I am having a hard time to decide on the Universities best suited for my profile.
I would really appreciate your inputs. I am posting my details below:

Nationality: Indian
Age: 24
Qualification: B.com Honours, University of Delhi and Cleared CFA Level II, Cfa Institute USA
GMAT Score: 660 (Q48 V34), IR 7, AWA (not released-waiting for the result)
Undergrad Score: 78.63% (Considered First division)
Academic Scholarship:
1. Received one for my undergraduate studies.
2. Twice from the CFA Institute - Access Scholarship
High school score: 94.4%
Internship:
1. PepsiCo, India - Finance Department
2. Sabio Capital, an Investment management startup in India
Work Experience:
1. A fin-tech startup in Equity Research - 1 year 4 months - Held positions of responsibility (training of new employees)
2. A Knowledge Process Outsourcing company- 10 months - Corporate FInance - M&A Advisory services - worked on multiple deals

Extracurricular activities:
1. Represented state at the national level in declamation (oration basically, similar to debates) contest
2. Affiliation with Red Cross Society (NGO)
3. Organized various inter-college events as a part of the Debating Society and the Fine Arts Club in college

I intend to apply to European Universities. GMAT:660 - this bothers me but I chose to move on with this. Stockholm School of Economics is my first preference. Other universities that I will be applying to are - NHH Norway, BI Norwegian School of Economics, Lund University (School of Economics and Management), Rotterdam School of Management. Considering my profile and the low GMAT score, I have a few questions:
1. What are my chances of converting the above mentioned schools (esp. Stockholm School and NHH Norway)? Do I stand a chance to win a scholarship in any of these listed schools?
2. What other schools should I send an application to? Does it make sense for me to apply to St Gallen (Switzerland), Bocconi University (Italy), IE Spain, Frankfurt School (Germany), EADA Spain, Esade Spain or Essec (France)?
3. Do you think that my low GMAT score can be compensated with my academics? Do I still have a chance to fetch scholarship?

Posted from my mobile device

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: GMAC Acquires The MBA Tour

Last week, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) announced it has acquired The MBA Tour. As a prospective MBA applicant, you’ve likely seen b-school recruiting events sponsored by The MBA Tour all around the world. GMAC plans to grow The MBA Tour’s core offering and expand into additional markets. Going forward, GMAC will align its data, reach and presence along multiple candidate touch points.  It will also explore ways to deepen the interaction between business schools and prospective students. Expansion planned into under-served markets In addition, GMAC will expand The MBA Tour events into currently under-served markets. This will bring easier recruiting access to a new pool of prospective students. With more information available, prospective students can make better decisions from the moment they consider an MBA to the time they enter the application phase. “The acquisition of The MBA Tour is part of an ongoing effort to develop smarter, more innovative ways to help business schools grow their candidate pipeline while providing programs with more intuitive, data-driven solutions to meet their recruiting needs,” said Sangeet Chowfla, president and CEO of GMAC, in a statement. The MBA Tour began operation in 1993.  It hosts over 60 business education events each year across six continents. These events connect candidates with business schools from North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. “The MBA Tour has always been committed to providing the best opportunities for schools to meet qualified candidates,” said Peter von Loesecke, CEO and Managing Director of The MBA Tour. Von Loesecke says going forward, GMAC will use their data and scale to make these events even more compelling for schools and candidates. The acquisition finalized on January 10, 2019. The post GMAC Acquires The MBA Tour appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Hit the Pause Button on Applying in Round 3

Everyone has an opinion about submitting an MBA application in ultra-competitive round 3. Did you try your best, but you just couldn’t pull together all of your application materials before R2 deadlines hit? If so, you might wonder whether round three is the answer. By the time the final admission round starts, admissions committees have seen thousands of qualified applicants. They have a fairly good idea of what the incoming class will look like. Plus, they have also compiled a waitlist of additional qualified candidates. Before round 3 closes out, a certain percentage of people admitted in the first two rounds will have already committed to a program. In short, precious few spots remain when the admissions committees finally turn their attention to final-round applications. As such, deciding whether to apply in the final round requires serious reflection and sound reasoning. Consider these three signs that you should not apply to business school in round 3. You had no luck with earlier round applications. This is a guaranteed red flag that your MBA application needs more work, and applying in the final round will likely yield the same results. It’s a huge mistake to think that fewer applicants in round three means less competition and better chances of admission. As we’ve mentioned before, successful round three applications offer the schools something that has truly not appeared in applicants from the previous rounds. The admissions committees know what they need to round out the class. They have become good at estimating numbers and evaluating and accepting applicants who fit their criteria. Only the strongest, most compelling candidates make the cut, so if your applications didn’t generate sufficient interest in earlier rounds, they certainly won’t amid the exceptional candidates at the end of the season. Instead, you should regroup, restrategize and apply again next year. Your test scores are middling and you’ve only tested once. Most applicants plan to retake the GMAT or GRE if their initial test scores aren’t in the 80-percent range for their target MBA programs. Like it or not, test scores greatly influence admissions decisions. As we’ve discussed in prior posts, preparing early and adequately for the entrance exam is critical. Each year, we hear of that miracle case where someone gets into Harvard Business School with a 650 on the GMAT. However, it’s likely that the person’s profile was so extraordinary in every other way that it offset the low score. (It’s worth noting that for the 2018-19 application season, HBS eliminated the third round.) Devote ample time to test prep this spring and bring that crucial application component in line with what the admissions committee expects to see from successful candidates. You’re rushing to get all of your materials together for round 3. The golden rule in MBA admissions is apply only when your application is as strong as possible – and not a moment before. Maybe projects at work have kept you ultra-busy these past few months. Perhaps one of your recommenders seems less enthusiastic about your b-school plans and you need to find a new one. Or maybe you just haven’t devoted as much time as you’d like to those important extracurricular interests that the admissions committee loves to see. Think of every part of the MBA application as precious real estate. If you’re rushing any one component just to get everything submitted on deadline, the quality will suffer. Take a breather, get your materials together in a thoughtful manner and wait for round one deadlines. This extra time will allow you to approach the application more strategically. And it will certainly yield a more positive outcome than a sloppy last-round application will. Finally, if you do decide to throw your hat in the ring, be sure to have a Plan B in case things don’t go your way. Developing resilience is incredibly important if you need to reapply, but it’s also essential in life. Even when you put your best out there, you might still fail. However, to be successful, you need to learn how to bounce back and try again. The post Hit the Pause Button on Applying in Round 3 appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.