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24 Jul 2014, 06:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: B-School Researchers Find Link Between Reflection and Learning |
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Researchers from Harvard Business School, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and HEC Paris have found that developing a daily writing habit of just 15 minutes a day could pay off in spades when it comes to improving job performance and advancing your career. The study’s authors hypothesized that when individuals reflect on their task performance and share their insights with others, they perform better on subsequent tasks as compared to individuals who do not reflect, even when they have had more time to practice on the first task. Participants who were tasked with doing a daily written reflection did 22.8 percent better on an assessment than the control group. The physical act of writing things down is more beneficial than simply reflecting on the day’s events, says paper co-author Bradley Staats, an associate professor of operations at Kenan-Flagler, because the act of writing imposes a discipline to stay focused. These findings are a departure from previous work, which equates direct learning with learning-by-doing. Researchers found that “learning-by-thinking” makes experiences more productive. Interestingly, researchers did not find an additional boost in performance when individuals shared the insights from their reflection efforts with others. “I thought reflection might help a bit, but I didn’t expect it to make such a meaningful impact on performance,” Staats says. “These people weren’t spending extra time at work — they were spending 15 minutes less on training each day so they could reflect, however by reallocating their time in such a small way we see a significant, positive impact on performance.” Reflection is a powerful mechanism behind learning, and these researchers believe their findings give further weight to the statement made by American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer John Dewey: “We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” The hurdle for many, though, will be summoning the discipline to maintain this daily writing habit—no small task in our hectic, over-crammed lives. For more details about this study, read [url=https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2414478##]Learning by Thinking: How Reflection Aids Performance[/url]. |
25 Jul 2014, 11:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Stacy Blackman’s B-School Buzz |
 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. This week, MBA bloggers share their school selection criteria, reasons for applying, and tips for keep your recommenders on task. Advice for international students—Recent Tepper MBA grad CCatcher shares important advice for other international students considering an MBA in the United States. Some industries are more prone than others to facilitate work authorization after graduation, so she urges candidates to thoroughly research job placement before embarking on the arduous b-school journey. Funemployment, not all it’s cracked up to be—The summer before an MBA program is a hectic one, even if you’re not still slogging away at the office ’til August to save every last penny to finance the endeavor. Hamm0 points out that the long academic to-do list from Cornell’s Johnson School and myriad other pre-MBA tasks have encroached on his “funemployment.” Exploring the “Why’s”—TexasWannaBeCali shares a random list of reasons why she wants to pursue an MBA that goes beyond the customary goals of making more money or transitioning to another industry. Her personal story is compelling, and if she can firmly connect those dots with her future career goals, the admissions committee is sure to be wowed. Recommender reminders—MBA applicant Scott Duncan offers five reminders that prospective b-school candidates should keep in mind since the letters of recommendation are an aspect of the application over which you have so little control. The science of school selection—Seeing the data for each program on an Excel spreadsheet helps inform Pulling that MBA Trigger‘s school selection process, putting Yale SOM at the very top due to its brand prestige in India and what she calls a beautiful mix of the old and the new. 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. |
30 Jul 2014, 11:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: Northwestern Kellogg MBA Essay Tips |
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Kellogg’sclose-knit community values leadership and teamwork. At the same time, diversity in experience, background and thought is important to the Kellogg admissions committee. Do your research on the programs, activities, clubs, classes and professors at Kellogg as you approach your essays. While you are reading and conversing with students and alumni, keep in mind how you envision your own background adding to the community. Kellogg added a mandatory video essay to the application process last year and is continuing the practice this year. While it won’t replace the in-person interview for Kellogg, it is an opportunity for the admissions committee to see the person behind the accomplishments you will describe. Video interviews can be daunting, and Stacy Blackman Consulting has developed customized preparation to help you practice for this important component of the application and provide our expert feedback. Contact us to learn more about how we can prepare you for the entire Kellogg application. Essay 1 Resilience. Perseverance. Grit. Call it what you will…. Challenges can build character. Describe a challenging experience you’ve had. How were you tested? What did you learn? (450 words) This essay question is designed to evaluate your character and how you handle a challenge. The obstacle is not as important as the lesson, so consider moments in your life when you changed perspective or learned how to solve problems as a result of a difficult situation. A challenge does not need to be a dramatic difficulty. No one has a completely smooth road to success, and it is often the obstacles that clarify your true passions and lead to growth. Leaders are not always perfect when difficulties arise, so even if you made mistakes along the way it is likely you learned from them. The bulk of this short essay should focus on how you overcame the obstacle and what you learned that has prepared you to solve problems or handle challenges. To get to the heart of what you learned consider how you would approach a similar difficulty now and what you might advise a friend going through the same thing. Essay 2 Leadership requires an ability to collaborate with and motivate others. Describe a professional experience that required you to influence people. What did this experience teach you about working with others, and how will it make you a better leader? (450 words) This behavioral question requires a very specific example to work effectively. The intention for this question is to see an example of a past experience that indicates how you will behave in the future, potentially when you must lead at Kellogg and in your future career. Make sure you include details about exactly what you did and said in your leadership story. Collaborative leadership is an important value to the Kellogg MBA program and the situation you describe should demonstrate what people skills you bring to a team. When Kellogg asks about influencing others the question gets at whether you have the empathetic skills to understand other people, or if you believe you can persuade others through debate or force. Leaders have many differing styles and this question is meant to unearth yours. Showing the ability to persuade and influence in an honest and collaborative way will be a winning approach to this essay. Dual-degree applicants For applicants to the MMM or JD-MBA dual degree programs, please explain why that program is right for you. (250 words) Doing your research on Kellogg MBA’s academics and resources will help you answer the question about why you need a dual degree to achieve your goals. If you are applying to the MMM program, you’ll have to show how the MEM degree will prepare you more effectively for your career goals than the MBA alone. Be able to articulate what is different about the Kellogg MMM program as compared to the MBA and other joint degrees. Know the classes you want to take, the professors you hope to work for, and how the MMM experience will be an asset in your future career. Similarly, the JD-MBA at Kellogg is a highly competitive admissions process and will require a very clear explanation of what you will do with both degrees after school. Consider the unique attributes of the Kellogg JD-MBA program as compared to others, and also why you specifically need both a JD and an MBA. Re-Applicants Only Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (250 word limit) In answering this question make sure you provide tangible evidence that you have improved the overall package you are submitting this year. Improvements like GMAT score or new quantitative classes are especially tangible, but a promotion, increase in responsibility at work, a job change or even a change of goals and mission can apply. Additional Information (Optional) If needed, use this section to briefly describe any extenuating circumstances (e.g. unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, etc.) (no word count) 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. Low GPA issues should be explained here, and if there is a grade of C or below on your transcript the admissions committee will want to know why and feel comfortable it is an outlier in your overall academic record. For academic questions make sure you emphasize your improved performance either later in your college career or in subsequent work or classes since college. |
30 Jul 2014, 11:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: CMU Tepper 2014-2015 Deadlines, Essays |
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Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business has posted the following deadlines and essay questions for the upcoming MBA admissions season. Round 1 Deadline: October 5, 2014 Decision: December 15, 2014 Round 2 Deadline: January 4, 2015 Decision: March 25, 2015 Round 3 Deadline: March 15, 2015 Decision: May 15, 2015 Note to Full-Time Applicants: Following Round 3, Tepper will continue to accept applications on a rolling base. International students are encouraged to apply no later than Round 2 to ensure adequate time for the student visa process. Essay Questions Essay 1 (Maximum 300 words): Describe a defining moment in your life, and explain how it shaped you as a person. Essay 2 (Maximum 300 words): Based on your research and interactions with the Tepper community, please share why you are a good fit with the Tepper MBA program. *** You may also be interested in: Tepper School to Expand FlexMBA Carnegie Mellon Receives $67M Gift from David Tepper |
31 Jul 2014, 10:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Exam Lifehacks for a Higher Test Score |
 You can’t avoid it. Every exam prep checklist has it, and every experienced tutor will advise you to do it: STUDY! Yes, we all hate to have to do it, but it really is the key to your success on every exam you’ll have to take. But, the fact is, even after you’ve studied all you can for whatever test you have coming up, you’re not guaranteed success. You might have heard stories of a classmate who crumbled under the pressure of studying for a test, or who slept right through his alarm on the morning of the test, or who ran out of energy and collapsed right on top of her desk during the exam. It really could happen to anyone. Before you panic about the chances of this happening to you, we’ve got good news! Our friends at Magoosh put together an Exam lifehack infographic to make sure you safely avoid any test-day nightmares. The infographic includes study tools and tips you probably didn’t consider before but that are crucial to keeping you sane all the way up to your test date. So, take some time to browse their list of exam lifehacks and master the 18 unexpected tips you’ll need for a higher test score. |
31 Jul 2014, 10:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: HBS Names New Director of Social Enterprise Initiative |
 Matthew M. Segneri, who earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 2010, will become the new director of its Social Enterprise Initiative (SEI), the school recently announced. Launched in 1993, the SEI pioneered the concept of “social enterprise” by adopting a problem-focused approach toward understanding the management and leadership challenges facing organizations involved in creating social value, regardless of their structure or funding source. Segneri, working with the Initiative’s faculty co-chairs Herman B. “Dutch” Leonard and V. Kasturi “Kash” Rangan, will manage a range of programs and activities, including those that support research and teaching, educational programs within the MBA and Executive Education curricula, MBA field-based learning and career support programs, and alumni outreach and engagement. While an MBA student at Harvard Business School, Segneri was co-president of the Social Enterprise Club and a team leader for the New Orleans Service and Leadership Immersion Program, which brought HBS students to New Orleans to work on various projects after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. Segneri comes to the position with a broad range of leadership experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, most recently at Bloomberg Philanthropies in New York City, where he was a senior leader on the Government Innovation team. “From his days as a Harvard MBA student to his work at the highest levels of big city governments, he has made a lasting impact through his vision, strategic and operational skills, and energy and hard work,” says Professor Rangan. Segneri succeeds Laura Moon, who has become Managing Director of the School’s wide array of Initiatives, which focus on research and course development in specific topics such as leadership, health care, and digital technology. “I am excited and honored to return to HBS and the Social Enterprise Initiative, both of which have been so influential in my personal and professional life,” Segneri says. “This is an incredible opportunity to give back to the School and inspire, educate, and support leaders committed to solving our most intractable social and economic problems.” |
05 Aug 2014, 06:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: MBA Essay Tips from Johnson’s Admissions Director |
 Following recent application and essay innovations at Cornell’s Johnson School, interim MBA admissions director Ann W. Richards shared tips on how to approach the new, streamlined essay section. This year, applicants for both the one-year and two-year Ithaca based MBA programs are asked to write “Your Life Story” in 1,000 characters or less, as though it were the table of contents for the book of Your Life. Cornell’s Johnson School values creativity and authenticity, and Richards suggests applicants use this format to convey something unique about themselves so that the admissions committee can better understand who you are and what motivates you. Obviously, this prompt differs from a traditional MBA essay, and Richards stresses that it doesn’t need to be a chronological list of your life. Approach it creatively! Two-year applicants must then share—in 1,000 characters or less—what job they would like to have immediately upon graduating with an MBA. Richards urges honesty in this essay as it will help AdCom determine if Johnson is the right place to move you toward your future goals. One-year applicants need to explain how their pre-MBA experience prepared them for the job they envision post-MBA—also in 1,000 characters or less. The admissions director explains the reasoning for this question is, “To determine if you can transition into your next job at an accelerated pace.” Strong candidates will show they’ve done their homework on the career field they want to move into, says Richards, and can demonstrate they’ve got the skills and experience to bring their career up to the next level. The optional essay is the place to address any aspects of your application you feel need further explanation, but Richards says applicants could also use the space to drive home all of their strengths. Either approach is welcome, though the director warns against recycling an optional essay written for another program! The admissions team at Cornell’s Johnson School will be traveling across the globe in August, with events scheduled in Shanghai and Beijing next week, Forté Forum events on the East Coast mid-month, and MBA fairs in various South American cities at the end of August. You may also be interested in: New Application at Cornell’s Johnson School Adds LinkedIn Feature Big Curriculum Changes at Cornell’s Johnson School |
05 Aug 2014, 06:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Forbes Names America’s Top Start-Up Universities |
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Forbes magazine recently announced its latest ranking of U.S. universities which produce the greatest number of entrepreneurs. Its methodology involved tallying the universities’ entrepreneurial ratio: the number of alumni and students who identify themselves as founders and business owners on LinkedIn, compared to the school’s total student body—undergraduate and graduate combined. Top Ten Entrepreneurial Universities
The MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition helped land that school in the spotlight, having led to the creation of more than 130 companies and 2,500 jobs, according to Forbes. The article hits newsstands on August 18th. Meanwhile, see the complete list of the top 50 start-up schools by following the link above. You may also be interested in: B-school opens doors to entrepreneurship, new survey shows |
05 Aug 2014, 19:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: MIT Sloan School of Management MBA Essay Tips |
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On its website, MIT Sloan highlights programs from Entrepreneurship to the Digital Economy. Innovation is key for MIT Sloan and the program seeks interesting students to build a class that can learn from each other and continue the tradition of innovation. When approaching this set of essays, your task is to remain focused on your overall application strategy and choose the key stories that can showcase your achievements at school, work and extracurricular activities while demonstrating that you will contribute to MIT Sloan’s mission. Essay 1 The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and generate ideas that advance management practice. Discuss how you will contribute toward advancing the mission based on examples of past work and activities. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page) The MIT Sloan application relied heavily on “behavioral essays” in the past. This year there is only one essay of this style, that requires you to describe your past accomplishments and experience on a specific level. These questions have typically focused on understanding how you work, think and act in a variety of situations. As you provide examples of past work and activities ideally you are highly specific about your thoughts and actions in the situation. This question is seeking to understand how you develop and execute on ideas. A work or extracurricular example where you demonstrated the ability to generate strategy and execute upon it would be ideal here. How did you identify your idea? What did you do to develop it? What did you ultimately accomplish? This essay will demonstrate your intellectual capacity and curiosity, which are crucial attributes MIT Sloan is looking for in MBA admits. Essay 2 Write a professional letter of recommendation on behalf of yourself. Answer the following questions as if you were your most recent supervisor recommending yourself for admission to the MIT Sloan MBA Program: (750 words or fewer) • How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant? • How does the applicant stand out from others in a similar capacity? • Please give an example of the applicant’s impact on a person, group, or organization. • Please give a representative example of how the applicant interacts with other people. • Which of the applicant’s personal or professional characteristics would you change? • Please tell us anything else you think we should know about this applicant. MIT Sloan asked candidates to submit a cover letter for their MBA application for several years. This iconic essay challenged candidates every year to encompass career goals, reasons for an MBA and interest in MIT Sloan in a short professional style cover letter. This year MIT Sloan returns to a typically professional format with a requirement to draft a letter of recommendation for yourself. You are placed in the role of your most recent supervisor and asked a series of questions that MBA programs typically ask of your professional recommenders. The wrinkle to this question is that your most recent supervisor may also be writing an actual letter of recommendation for you. MIT Sloan is one of the few MBA programs without a preference for your current supervisor as a primary recommender, so you could also avoid that scenario. Regardless, this “recommendation letter” should both reflect similar feedback as your actual recommendation letters and provide new information. The key challenge in answering this question is the tone to take. Ideally you are measured about both your strengths and weaknesses, while showing confidence that you are accomplished and also that you are able to improve when you need to. The ideal tone is mature and logical, without overt bragging. Your actual supervisor may get away with more glowing terms when describing your work, but you will want to keep in mind that self-awareness and interest in improvement are assets to an MBA applicant. Take note that several elements of this question focus on interpersonal skills. This is your opportunity to showcase leadership and teamwork. Self-awareness about your impact on others will come through here and demonstrates you know yourself and how you come across to your team, managers and peers. The Admissions Committee invites you to share anything else you would like us to know about you, in any format. If you choose to use a multimedia format, please host the information on a website and provide us the URL. MIT Sloan’s entirely open-ended optional essay invites applicants to respond to the essay in any format desired. This allows you to do anything you need to with this space, including clarifying any concerns or highlighting interesting aspects of your background or profile. This essay is an ideal opportunity to provide any information that you were unable to work into the other two essays and provide a new angle on your candidacy. If you have an unusual background, hobby or extracurricular experience, this may be an opportunity to provide that information to the admissions committee. With similar questions asked by other MBA programs in the past Stacy Blackman Consulting has advised candidates on everything from photo journalism projects to customized multimedia presentations. The format is far less important than the content, but it’s also true that images or presentations can provide a new perspective on your application. Stumped by your MIT Sloan MBA application? Contact Stacy Blackman Consulting to learn how we can help. |
06 Aug 2014, 06:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: UT McCombs Offers MBA Essay Advice |
 Like many schools, UT McCombs School of Business has updated and streamlined the MBA application essays for the upcoming admissions season. Associate director of admissions Brodie Reynolds took to the Texas MBA Insider blog this week with a few tips for approaching this year’s prompts so that you can convince the admissions team that McCombs is the right program for you. The first required essay question asks applicants to imagine they are introducing themselves to their new classmates at the Texas MBA Orientation for the Class of 2017. Personal and professional aspects can be shared through an essay, a video introduction, or your https://gmatclub.com/chat profile. The operative word here is “imagine”, and Reynolds notes that many previous candidates have missed the mark by a mile with this one by submitting a generic paragraph about themselves, or by recycling an essay from another school. Use some creativity with this prompt, and stick to the concept of providing an introduction to people who know nothing about you. Make sure to include both professional and personal information so AdCom gets a better feel for your candidacy beyond just one facet of your life, says Reynolds. The format is up to you, but chose the platform where you’ll shine. Strong writers would do well to focus on the essay, while candidates with a flare for design might feel https://gmatclub.com/chat best conveys their personality and accomplishments, the associate director notes. If you’re confident of your editing skills and think a video is the way to go, McCombs is excited to meet you that way as well, Reynolds says. The second required essay question focuses on why McCombs is the right program for you and how you’ll contribute to your classmates’ experiences. With only 500 words for this prompt, you need to get down to brass tacks immediately. We here at Stacy Blackman Consulting advise clients applying to McCombs to clearly answer the question, “Why Texas?” Specific understanding of what clubs and activities you will be involved at when attending McCombs will be useful here, and provide an opportunity to show your overall fit with the program. “If you can’t outline in easy terms why you are interested in our program in particular, then you will not be competitive,” Reynolds warns. The associate director goes further, suggesting applicants create a five and 10 year career plan and then see which classes, organizations and opportunities at McCombs specifically speak to that career plan. “We should not be left wondering why you, with your specific career goals, would want to come to McCombs. This is your opportunity to convey in no complex language why we are right for your career growth,” Reynolds advises. If you can speak succinctly to why McCombs, what your professional goals are, and how the Texas MBA will get you there, you should do fine. “Get started early and edit, edit, edit!,” Reynolds writes. “Your essays can really send a strong application into orbit, so good luck, and happy applying!” You may also be interested in: UT McCombs 2014-2015 Application Deadlines, Essay Questions UT McCombs Offers MBA Admissions Interview Tips |
06 Aug 2014, 12:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Economist Launches MBA Scholarship Contest |
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Earlier this week, Which MBA?, the business education group of The Economist Group, announced the launch of its second ever Brightest Minds MBA Scholarship Contest. The first Brightest Minds MBA scholarship ran earlier this year and drew over 4,500 entrants. The winner of the $25,000 MBA scholarship, Rishabh P. from India, is currently applying to several of the business schools that sponsored the first contest and plans to begin his studies in Fall of 2015. “The Brightest Minds Scholarship connects prospective MBA students with leading business schools that can help them achieve their career goals. We are thrilled to provide our large audience of MBA seeking students an opportunity to win substantial financial support towards his or her MBA program of choice,” says Adam Ingberman, Head of Which MBA?. The contest is open to all prospective MBA or EMBA students worldwide. The winner will be the student who scores the highest on The EconomistGMAT Tutor simulation test. The simulated GMAT exam utilizes adaptive technology similar to that of the real GMAT, so the difficulty level adjusts according to the test-taker’s ability. The winning student will be awarded a $25,000 scholarship towards tuition to one of the business school sponsors: [*]Yale School of Management[/*] [*]Warwick Business School[/*] [*]UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School[/*] [*]University of Virginia, Darden School of Business[/*] [*]University of Florida MBA Programs[/*] [*]University of Exeter Business School[/*] [*]University of Edinburgh Business School[/*] [*]Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University[/*] [*]Pace University[/*] [*]Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University[/*] [*]International University of Monaco[/*] [*]HEC Paris MBA[/*] [*]Florida International University College of Business[/*] [*]Aston Business School[/*] [/list] The contest officially opened on August 4, 2014 and will close at 11:59pm ET on October 31, 2014. The winner will be announced on November 17th. Five randomly selected runners-up will receive a free iPad mini. |
06 Aug 2014, 22:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: UCLA Anderson Fall 2015 Essay Questions |
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UCLA Anderson School of Management has announced the essay questions for the 2014-2015 MBA admissions season. They are: First-Time Applicants: One Required Essay
The following essay is optional. No preference is given in the evaluation process to applicants who submit an optional essay. Please note that we only accept written essays.
Reapplicants who applied for the class entering in fall 2013 or 2014 are required to complete the following essay:
UCLA Anderson 2014-2015 MBA Application Deadlines UCLA Anderson Goes Private |
08 Aug 2014, 09:26
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Emory Goitzueta 2014-2015 Essay Questions |
 Emory University’s Goitzueta Business School has announced the essay questions for the Fall 2015 MBA application. Required Essay Questions
Reapplicants Applicants who have applied to Goizueta Business School in the past are required to answer the following questions:
You may also be interested in: Emory MBA 2014-2015 MBA Application Deadlines |
11 Aug 2014, 10:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: USC Marshall 2014-2015 MBA Application Deadlines |
 The University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business has announced the Fall 2015 MBA application deadlines. Round 1 Deadline: October 15, 2014 Notification Begins: December 15, 2014 Round 2 Deadline: January 15, 2015 Notification Begins: March 15, 2015 Round 3 Deadline: April 15, 2015 Notification Begins: June 1, 2015 Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PST on the day of the deadline to be considered in that round. For more information, please visit the USC Marshall admissions website. |
12 Aug 2014, 05:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tuesday Tips: 2014 UCLA Anderson Essay Tips |
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Last year UCLA Anderson reduced the required essays to only one, following the trend started by Harvard. UCLA’s essays were previously focused on career goals and last year’s single essay only asked about short- and long-term goals. This year the one required question adds an additional element to the question by asking a more open-ended question to get at applicants’ personal lives and values. With over a decade of experience helping applicants just like you, contact us to learn how Stacy Blackman Consulting can help you define your best essay content. Required Essay UCLA Anderson is distinguished by three defining principles: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, Drive Change. What principles have defined your life and pre-MBA career? How do you believe that UCLA Anderson’s principles, and the environment they create, will help you attain your post-MBA career goals? (750 words maximum) This single required essay is actually three essays in one. First you will need to think about the principles, or values, that have influenced your life and career. Second your post MBA career goals need to be defined to answer the final part of the question. Third, you will need to explain why an MBA, specifically an Anderson MBA, will help you achieve your goals. When you reflect upon the principles that have defined your life consider telling one or two key stories to illuminate who you are. UCLA is looking for personal expression in this essay, and to understand how you are different from other applicants. Consider the turning points or moments that triggered reflection for you. Have you experienced a significant personal setback? What is your family background? Have you lived outside your home country? When did you face a turning point or make a big decision about your career? What were some of your proudest accomplishments? What moments have called upon your need to collaborate, lead or innovate? For the second part of the essay briefly explain what you plan to do immediately after graduation, and then what you want to accomplish over the long-term with your career. A career path that focuses on demonstrated passions and interests throughout your life is going to be most compelling as you write this essay and each section should bridge seamlessly into the next. For the part of the essay focusing on UCLA Anderson’s part in your plans, UCLA specifically requests citing specific classes, professors and programs. To express a bit more on the personal side it will be helpful to include the social and extracurricular aspects that attract you to the small and close-knit experience at Anderson. Be specific as you discuss the clubs and conferences that are unique to the UCLA MBA. Optional Essay Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words maximum) It is important to focus on explanations rather than excuses in this essay. Potential extenuating circumstances may be a very low GPA, academic probation or using a recommender other than your current supervisor. Clearly explain the situation, and if it is a situation from the past, explain why you have changed. Providing evidence that you will not repeat the actions in question will be very important. |
13 Aug 2014, 09:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: 5 Ways to Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market |
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Distinguishing yourself from other applicants is crucial in a competitive, post-MBA job market. Accenture recruiter Katherine LaVelle recently shared with Bloomberg Businessweek some of the characteristics she’s looking for in new hires. It doesn’t matter where you plan on working after b-school; if you’re not already cultivating these aspects of your personal and professional profile, now’s the time to begin. 1. Take advantage of change. LaVelle notes that today’s companies need business school graduates who can help them adapt in this age of digital and market transformation. IT is now essential to every role, she says. 2. Think globally. Cross-cultural awareness is mandatory these days, and all of the elite business schools include opportunities to participate in projects abroad. LaVelle looks for such experience in applicants, and says, “If they can’t complete a global assignment, they must at least show an interest in—and knowledge of—the global landscape.” 3. Never stop learning. The business landscape has undergone dramatic changes in the last decade, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Staying abreast of the latest developments in your field is critical for success, so take advantage of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) at the top business schools, as well as any training opportunities your employer may offer. “I value intellectual curiosity,” says LaVelle. “Applicants who pursue training programs or other education opportunities show that they’re committed to learning new skills and growing as professionals.” 4. Grow your network. Making meaningful professional connections can create as much value for you as your MBA degree. Many new businesses start as a result of a current professional connection, so seek out mentors, groom your relationships, and become a resources for others as well. “I found it helpful to join a broad range of organizations at first–including groups that focused on capital markets, women in business, and everything in between–before narrowing my involvement, once I had a better sense of where I wanted to specialize, ” LaVelle explains. 5. Know what you want. While an MBA program will expand your horizons and open doors you never considered, having a clearly formulated goal is integral to success. Some flexibility is fine, as long as there’s a common thread linking what you’ve done so far with what you plan to do post-MBA. Life may throw you several curve balls along the way, but a clearly thought-out career map will get you to your goals despite any roadblocks that crop up. As LaVelle notes, your career should tell a complete story and lead you to a clear destination–one that you have aspired to and believe is the best fit for your professional and personal life. |
14 Aug 2014, 06:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: MOOCs and the Future of Management Education |
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The growing number of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered at the top business schools is something of a hot button topic these days. Harvard Business School entered the foray this past spring, but rather than using an existing platform such as Coursera to launch its courses, HBS elected instead to create its own proprietary digital platform, HBX. In a new Harvard Business Review blog post, HBS graduate and former faculty member Pankaj Ghemawat takes a look at what business schools don’t get about MOOCs, which, he argues, is basically that the future of management education will be a combination of these new and traditional teaching methods, not a battle for superiority between them. As an example, Ghemawat points out the difference in approach between HBS and the Wharton School, which last year announced it would offer a Wharton MBA Foundation Series that would allow students all over the world to learn the same material a first-year Wharton MBA student would. Harvard Business School, meanwhile, is using its MOOCs to target pre-MBAs. Professor Ghemawat, who has also taught a MOOC for IESE Business School on the Coursera platform, sees the strengths of each of these approaches but calls them seriously incomplete. “Both schools treat MOOCs as complements to their existing offerings, rather than as substitutes—complements that are disconnected from what goes on in their traditional classrooms,” says Ghemawat, who suggests a recombining of efforts would be more beneficial. His post covers arguments from the traditional-minded elite business schools’ position, and offers thought-provoking counterpoints to each assertion. As we move further into the digital age of management education, a deeper understanding of the power and possibilities that MOOCs can provide is in order. I invite you to follow the link above to learn more of Ghemawat’s thoughts on the issue. You may also be interested in: Harvard Business School Offers its First MOOC Harvard Business School Enters Online Learning Weigh Trying a MOOC Before Your MBA |
14 Aug 2014, 10:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: London Business School Deadlines, Essays for August 2015 Intake |
 London Business School has posted the four application stages and essay prompts for the upcoming MBA admissions season. Deadlines Stage 1 Deadline: October 3, 2014 Decision Notification: December 11, 2014 Stage 2 Deadline: January 5, 2015 Decision Notification: March 26, 2015 Stage 3 Deadline: February 27, 2015 Decision Notification: May 14, 2015 Stage 4 Deadline: April 17, 2015 Decision Notification: June 25, 2015 Essays The essay questions for the MBA class of 2017 are:
Admissions for the August 2015 intake will open in late August. All applications are due by 17:00 GMT on the day of the deadline. If you require a visa to study in the UK, LBS encourages you to apply in Stages 1 – 3. For more information, please visit the London Business School admissions website. |
15 Aug 2014, 09:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Indian School of Business 2014-2015 Deadlines, Essay Topics |
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The Indian School of Business has announced the following deadlines and essay questions (found within the online application) as part of the 2014-2015 admissions season. Cycle 1 Deadline: September 15, 2014 Notification: November 15, 2014 Cycle 2 Deadline: November 30, 2014 Notification: February 15, 2015 Essay Questions Essay 1: Innovation or doing things differently it is said is a key to future success. Could you substantiate or negate this idea based on your experience. Please provide examples from your own experience – either examples of your own innovation or examples of others whom you have worked with. (300 words max) Essay 2: Applying to and enrolling in a Business School is an important career decision. Critically look at your career to date, the choices you have made, the key influences behind those choices, your goals for the future and how you expect to benefit from the ISB experience in achieving your goals. (300 words max) Essay 3: One of the following (200 words max): A) This experience completely changed my way of thinking. Or B) An instance when you went out of the ordinary to achieve something significant, but in hind sight feel you could have done better. Or C) Tell us about your role in a team that made a significant contribution to the organization Or D) Contribution to peer learning and engagement with the ISB student body are important aspects of the ISB experience. What contribution do you expect to make in this direction during the one year at ISB. Optional Essay: Please provide additional information, if any, that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB. (200 words max) For more information, please visit the ISB’s admissions website. |
15 Aug 2014, 09:00
| FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Indian School of Business Announces New Scholarships |
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The Indian School of Business has introduced 10 merit-based full tuition fee waiversapplicable to candidates applying this year to the Post Graduate Program in Management. According to the school, the PGP admissions committee will make the selection of candidates, looking at a combination of academic brilliance, leadership potential, work experience, and other attributes. There is no separate application for this waiver. Applicants simply submit their PGP application before these deadlines: Cycle 1: September 15, 2014 Cycle 2: November 30, 2014 The ISB follows a rolling admissions process for international applicants. The deadline is January 15, 2015. You may also be interested in: Indian School of Business 2014-2015 Application Deadlines, Essays |
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