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Stacy Blackman Consulting Representative
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SBC Admit Results: Checking in with Consultant Dawn [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: SBC Admit Results: Checking in with Consultant Dawn


[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/light-sky-night-star-flower-recreation-1071682-pxhere.com_-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

Once again, we’re back to celebrate the impact and SBC admit results shared by another amazing consultant on the SBC team. [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/dawn/]Dawn[/url] is a full-time advisor and senior consultant with SBC who has 18+ years of experience getting clients from around the world admitted into full-time, deferred, and executive MBA programs.

She has a high success rate having clients admitted every year—99% of clients who work with her on four or more schools have gained admission. She has also had several [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/harvard-hbs-stanford-gsb-mba-dual-admit-success-lessons/]double admits[/url] to Harvard and Stanford and was a double admit herself back in the day.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/SBC-Dawn-Screenshot-2023-04-28-120550.png[/img]

Dawn has assisted clients from a variety of backgrounds to attain their dreams. This includes applicants from management consulting, finance, private equity, consumer products, entertainment, technology, engineering, the military, and entrepreneurship.

Outside of her work in admissions consulting, Dawn has experience at companies such as Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Pepsi, the Carlyle Group, and Warner Bros.

Dawn loves coaching, and her style is caring, dedicated, strategic, straightforward, creative, results-oriented, and smiley!

Highlights of Dawn’s impressive SBC admit results over the past three years
[list]
[*]Client 1: HBS and Stanford GSB[/*]
[*]Client 2: Stanford GSB, Wharton ($100K fellowship), Sloan, Chicago Booth and Yale SOM[/*]
[*]Client 3: HBS and Stanford GSB, double reapplicant[/*]
[*]Client 4: Stanford reapplicant[/*]
[*]Client 5: HBS and Wharton (100K fellowship)[/*]
[*]Client 6: HBS and Stanford GSB[/*]
[*]Client 7: Columbia[/*]
[*]Client 8: Booth, Columbia, MIT Sloan and Wharton[/*]
[*]Client 9: HBS, Wharton, and Columbia[/*]
[*]Client 10: Columbia and Johnson School[/*]
[*]Client 11: HBS and Wharton (100K fellowship)[/*]
[*]Client 12: Wharton[/*]
[*]Client 13: Tuck and Wharton[/*]
[*]Client 14: Kellogg (70K fellowship)[/*]
[*]Client 15: Wharton and UCLA (80K fellowship)[/*]
[*]Client 16: Insead, London Business School[/*]
[*]Client 17: MIT Sloan[/*]
[*]Client 18: Booth and Wharton[/*]
[*]Client 19: Duke Fuqua and Michigan Ross[/*]
[*]Client 20: Booth and Wharton[/*]
[*]Client 21: HBS and Stanford[/*]
[*]Client 22: HBS, Wharton and Kellogg[/*]
[*]Client 23: Stanford GSB[/*]
[*]Client 24: HBS and Wharton[/*]
[*]Client 25: Booth and Wharton[/*]
[*]Client 26: Kellogg and Wharton[/*]
[*]Client 27: UVA Darden, Insead and London Business School[/*]
[/list]

Whew! That’s quite a list of success stories. If you’re curious about working with an MBA admissions consultant, check out [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/sbc-consultants]these testimonials[/url] from recent clients. Read about their experiences, and if they inspire you to take that next step, reach out for a free advising session today!

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

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The post [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/sbc-admit-results-checking-in-with-consultant-dawn/]SBC Admit Results: Checking in with Consultant Dawn[/url] appeared first on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com]Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting[/url].
This Blog post was imported into the forum automatically. We hope you found it helpful. Please use the Kudos button if you did, or please PM/DM me if you found it disruptive and I will take care of it. -BB
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The Rundown on the Ross MBA Experience [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: The Rundown on the Ross MBA Experience
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/15533784828_7b3e8b696e_b-734x551.jpg[/img]

The University of Michigan’s [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-application-advice/michigan-ross-school-of-business/]Ross School of Business[/url] is a top-choice program for many MBA applicants. Today, we’ll “Go Blue” and spill all the deets on the Ross School’s curriculum, culture, and admissions practices that SBC consultant and Ross MBA alum Laura shared previously on the [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-156-spotlight-on-michigan-ross/]B-Schooled podcast[/url].

Ross is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which, according to Money magazine, [url=https://money.com/best-places-to-live/ann-arbor-michigan/]often ranks[/url] as one of the best places to live in the U.S. thanks to its “flourishing arts scene, a growing number of breweries and wineries, a year-round farmers market and an active downtown full of locally-owned shops and restaurants.”

Laura served on the admissions committee as a second-year student, and during that time, she evaluated applications and interviewed prospective applicants. Laura’s been an admissions consultant for the past 14 years and has helped many candidates gain admission to Michigan Ross, among many other top programs.

Let’s dive into why Laura—and B-Schooled’s host Erika (a Ross BBA alum)—can’t get enough of this Midwestern academic powerhouse.

Are you curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]Contact us[/url] to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.

What’s unique about the Ross School of Business?
The number one thing that people notice about the Ross MBA is its action-based learning focus, specifically the MAP program. That’s the Multidisciplinary Action Program. Additionally, Ross has well-rounded academic offerings across all the core business functions. There’s also a strong culture of collaboration.

As a student there and since, I have found that the cohort is intelligent but humble and hardworking. Additionally, and importantly, the program has a robust alum network across the business school and the university at large. And a lot of grads find that advantageous.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/brad-switzer-0G3Kj9L2JH0-unsplash-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

And finally, Ann Arbor and the university are a real draw. Ann Arbor is a great place to live, and students love taking advantage of all the program offers.

Tell us more about MAP and some of the Ross MBA program’s newer aspects.
Ross has done a fantastic job building on this promise of action-based or practical learning. This is all under the umbrella of what they call “real business experiences,” and they break it down into four areas.

First, they have “Real Advice.” That’s the core pillar of the [url=https://michiganross.umich.edu/graduate/full-time-mba/curriculum/map]MAP program[/url], where students consult with organizations on real business problems. This happens in the second half of the second semester, during the first year of the full-time program. Another aspect is “Real Start,” where students develop, launch, and scale a business idea. “Real Invest” is where students manage an investment fund. And then finally, “Real Lead” is where students help operate an ongoing business unit with a corporate partner.

Ross also [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/stem-track-ross-school/]achieved STEM designation[/url] in recent years. That’s important to some candidates, particularly international students who need sponsorship with a STEM program. The program has also added some concentrations recently, including design thinking and innovation.

What misconceptions do some MBA applicants have about Ross?
There’s some natural hesitation among some candidates about spending two years in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It’s not New York, San Francisco, or L.A., and that sometimes gives prospective students pause. It’s also not the warmest climate and sometimes feels remote.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-pixabay-46148-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

However, Ann Arbor is a short flight away from New York. And while it’s a longer flight to the Bay area, where the alum network is extensive, it’s only a four-hour drive to Chicago, which is easy.

It’s true Ross isn’t an M7 school, and some students feel it doesn’t have the same level of prestige. But I think that actually helps set Ross students and alums apart. There’s not a lot of hubris among the cohort, and companies love hiring Ross MBA interns and alums. I hear that all the time. So, if you’re on the fence about the program, I recommend talking with current students and alumni to see if it’s the right fit for you.

How do Ross MBA students have fun outside of class?
Like most MBA programs, the extracurricular offerings run the gamut from professional clubs across the core business functions like consulting club, marketing club, etc., to some of the more interest-based clubs like the cycling club or volunteer organizations.

Then there are the variety shows that feature skits and music, like Rock and Roll B-School and Follies, which are a lot of fun to attend. Obviously, football is a huge draw for sports enthusiasts. But you don’t have to be a football fan to enjoy it. The business school hosts a tailgate every Saturday near Michigan Stadium, AKA [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Stadium]The Big House[/url], which is one of those places you must experience at least once.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/alex-mertz-tDSmhEFfasI-unsplash-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

If you’re into other sports, the school has excellent teams in other areas, like basketball, baseball, gymnastics, you name it. There are also additional opportunities to enjoy your time within the greater university: art shows, musical performances, and many other things. Ann Arbor’s just a great place to live, and there’s always something to do and somewhere to eat year-round.

Turning to admissions now, what is Ross looking for overall?
Here are the key points the admissions committee is homing in on when evaluating prospective students. First, leadership, next, professional achievement, and then they’re looking for a clear story and goals for the MBA program and beyond.

They’re also looking for a track record of community involvement and want to understand that the candidate has a life outside of work. Finally, they like to see if candidates understand the Ross culture and how they will contribute to that culture and enhance student life.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Michigan-Ross-interior-734x491.jpg[/img]

What does the AdCom look for in the MBA essays?
The [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/university-michigan-ross-mba-essays/]Ross essay questions[/url] are notoriously short. Sometimes, that gives applicants the impression that the application is easy, but it demands that the candidate be strategic and make the most of every opportunity with the short answer questions.

The admissions committee has developed these questions to learn more about the candidates’ perspectives, personal experiences, professional strengths, and more.

Applicants often ask me which prompts are “better” choices than others. The best applications take a holistic view of the candidates’ backgrounds and stories and map them to the most appropriate questions or prompts. So, candidates should take a strategic view of all the questions ahead of time rather than try to answer them individually.

Read more of [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/university-michigan-ross-mba-essay-tips/]SBC’s expert advice[/url] for the 2023-2024 Ross MBA Essays

Candidates should first brainstorm the most important experiences to highlight and determine which prompts most closely match them. I’ve noticed that some stories can work just as well for one prompt as another.

In my experience as a consultant helping others with these Ross MBA questions, the best responses for the short answer essays draw from personal experiences. However, I’m okay with one of the responses reflecting on a professional experience. I would generally not recommend that candidates use professional experiences exclusively to answer these questions.

The career essay really dials into the short-term career goal and the candidate’s suitability for it. What are the applicant’s transferable skills, and how does this fit into their overall career arc? Note that it’s not a “Why Ross” question. Mentions of the program should be minimal when responding to this question.

Without a Why Ross? question, how can candidates show they have researched the program thoroughly?
Ross, like other top programs, tracks student interactions with the program. So, attendance at info sessions and interactions with admissions committee members and ambassadors—that all matters. You should mention these interactions on the data form, but the most fruitful conversations about “Why Ross” tend to take place during the interview, where a candidate can make their case for the program.

What is the Ross School looking for during the interview?
Ross interviews candidates by invitation only. The admissions committee wants to ensure that candidates communicate verbally the same way as they do through their application materials. In other words, applicants need to relay a level of consistency across how they present themselves on paper and how they present themselves in an interview conversation.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-tima-miroshnichenko-5439428-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

During the interview, candidates should emphasize the same essential elements as in the application. They need to talk about leadership achievement and extracurricular involvement. Applicants should relay an understanding of the program offerings and culture and, of course, bring a few ideas on how they’ll contribute to the experience of others in the cohort.

So much of one’s success in the business world is based on how they communicate. The interview is crucial to demonstrate that candidates have what it takes to succeed. Remember, internship recruiting starts almost immediately after people land on campus. First-year students come to campus and are already [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/the-scoop-on-the-mba-elevator-pitch/]telling their elevator pitch[/url] repeatedly. The interview is an excellent opportunity to prove that the candidate is ready for that experience and to make a connection with Ross.

Can you share the “secret sauce” for how the Ross admissions committee ultimately puts its class together?
Like most top programs, Ross wants to attract the brightest, most diverse, and interesting class possible. The people are the most defining aspect of the MBA experience for most students. So, the admissions committee ensures that everyone has something unique to bring and to add to the experience for others.

The admissions committee invests in several ways to market the program and attract top candidates. They travel across the globe and host events both virtually and in person. They’re bringing prospective students on campus, and the student ambassadors and alums network are also great extensions of this marketing plan.

Listen to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-156-spotlight-on-michigan-ross/]B-Schooled Podcast Episode #156: Spotlight on Michigan Ross[/url]

Finally, what advice would you give those applying to the Ross School soon?
I recommend anyone considering the program do their homework. Talk to students and alumni and visit campus if you can. Definitely attend info sessions. Virtually all these opportunities are essential touch points to understand what Ross has to offer, how the program can help your career, and whether it fits you culturally and for your career goals. That homework will pay off in spades when it’s time to complete your application and interview.

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/meghan/]Learn More[/url]

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/amy-3/]Learn More[/url]

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ally/]Learn More[/url]

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/erin-b/]Learn More[/url]

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/emma/]Learn More[/url]

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The post [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/ross-mba-experience/]The Rundown on the Ross MBA Experience[/url] appeared first on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com]Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting[/url].
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B-Schooled Podcast Episode #196: Deciding Between MBA Programs [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: B-Schooled Podcast Episode #196: Deciding Between MBA Programs


Are you in the extraordinarily enviable position of having to decide between two or more MBA programs? If so, congrats! That’s HUGE! Now that you’ve pulled off such a miraculous feat, are you nervous about your choice or unsure how to make such a huge commitment?

Well never fear, for this B-Schooled episode pulls together advice from the entire Stacy Blackman Consulting staff on how to approach this decision and what factors to consider (both short-term and long-term).

Listen to B-Schooled episode #196 here or on any of the podcast apps listed below.

B-Schooled is available on most major podcast apps, including:
Apple Podcasts

Spotify

TuneIn

Please be sure to subscribe to B-Schooled so that you don’t miss a thing. Also, if there’s something you’d like for us to cover in a future episode, please email podcast@stacyblackman.com. We’d love to hear from you!

The post B-Schooled Podcast Episode #196: Deciding Between MBA Programs appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.
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How Should You Use MBA Rankings? [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: How Should You Use MBA Rankings?
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/man-5723449-734x514.jpg[/img]

[list]
[*]
[b]Use MBA rankings as a broad way of viewing which programs are ranked high, medium, and low.[/b]
[/*]
[*]
[b]Do your own research on each program’s culture, size, location, and career recruiting patterns. Also, consider the strength of its alumni network.[/b]
[/*]
[*]
[b]Weigh each of those attributes according to your own personal and professional profile to define a list of reach and reasonable MBA programs for you.[/b]
[/*]
[/list]
The new year brings with it a fresh crop of MBA hopefuls ready to map out their MBA application journey. School selection is an important part of that process. Naturally, most applicants look to MBA rankings [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/us-news-mba-rankings-full-time-and-part-time-programs/]to help winnow their target list[/url].

Yet, we encourage clients not to focus heavily on rankings when making their MBA program selections. In fact, placing an outsized emphasis on rankings often becomes a distraction for some applicants.

Sarah on the SBC team shared insights as a longtime SBC consultant and daughter of a top MBA program Dean. She shared:

“Rankings are all very complex algorithms that assign weightings based upon different things—quality of faculty, ROI, average salary upon graduation, % of graduates with employment, etc.  ‘Rank’ versus ‘value’ is a subjective view. A ‘top’ school is different to every person.  Yale was top 30 when I went to school, but is top 10 now.  Ross was a Top 5 for many years and now it hasn’t made the Top 10.”

[b]Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]Contact us[/url] to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.[/b]

MBA Rankings Often Go Up and Down
We advise our clients to pick MBA programs based on what will add value to their careers and life. We encourage our clients to research each MBA program to derive a strong belief in why that brand is meaningful to them. Prospective students would do well to focus more on each program’s [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/school-culture/]culture[/url], size, or the strength of its [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/applicants-should-connect-with-alumni-says-ucla-anderson-dean/]alumni network[/url].

If you’re thinking about business school, you should decide the factors that will play a role in where you apply. Consider cost, location, program specialties, faculty’s areas of expertise, and so on. Keep these factors in mind as you research specific programs. This will help you home in on the [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/school-selection-mba-program/]ones that fit you best[/url].

“Applicants see an MBA as a long-term investment in their future,” says Beth, the former director of Kellogg full-time admissions and now on the [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]Stacy Blackman Consulting team[/url].

Most likely, your list will contain a few [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/look-beyond-the-top-business-schools-for-your-mba/]under-the-radar programs[/url] that aren’t at the top of the rankings. This is especially true if [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/b-schools-networking-and-brand-value/]reputation[/url] isn’t the only factor that matters to you. Look at data points important to your career path when determining the value of a particular ranking.

However, know that if you aspire to a highly competitive position in [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/the-lure-is-more-than-salary-for-investment-banking/]banking[/url] or [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/mba-consulting-careers-benefits/]consulting[/url], a potential employer will likely give an advantage to an applicant from one of the elite schools. Like it or not, that’s the reality in those industries.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/roberto-junior-270326-unsplash-734x489.jpg[/img]

That said, we think the ranking methodology would be improved by including measures that encompass diversity dimensions such as non-traditional industry students (or career goals) and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/career-goals-social-impact-mba/]social impact-oriented students/career goals[/url].

[b]Listen to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-90-do-mba-rankings-matter-part-1-of-2/]B-Schooled Podcast Episode #90[/url]: Do MBA Rankings Matter? [/b]

[b]Going Beyond MBA Rankings[/b]
As [url=https://findmbaonline.com/articles/online-mba-rankings-an-overview]Find MBA[/url] once noted, business school rankings provide only a limited snapshot of a much larger picture. “Many students have jobs working for social good, which do not always have high salaries but are rewarding in other ways,” said Caryn Beck-Dudley, former president and CEO of AACSB International. “The geographic location and cost of living can distort salary reports as well.”

“Too narrowly defined methodologies don’t allow for the intricacies of each program to truly shine, and thus can’t give an accurate representation of what the program can do for the learners.” —Caryn Beck-Dudley

Ultimately, you should choose a program you genuinely connect with. Don’t worry about whether you’ll get into “the best MBA program of all.” Figure out which business school is the best one for you.

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ashley/]Learn More[/url]

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/pauline/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/geri/]Learn More[/url]

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/laura-h/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/andrea/]Learn More[/url]

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/jennifer/]Learn More[/url]

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/erin-k/]Learn More[/url]

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/susie/]Learn More[/url]

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/dione/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/anthony/]Learn More[/url]

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/meghan/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/amy-3/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ally/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/erin-b/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/emma/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

The post [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/mba-rankings-how-to-use/]How Should You Use MBA Rankings?[/url] appeared first on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com]Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting[/url].
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Is School Culture Important for MBA Applicants?
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/business-school-culture-734x615.png[/img]

Now is the time when many potential MBA applicants are neck-deep in the school research phase of the admissions process. What matters most when choosing which business schools make your Top Five list? Do you prioritize [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/mba-rankings-how-to-use/]rankings[/url] and reputation or the institution’s culture and values? Defining a school’s culture is a smart strategic move that many applicants overlook.

Getting a feel for the prevailing culture will help you decide whether the program fits well with your personality. Sure, you might be tempted to focus solely on the program’s prestige, the faculty credentials, or the cutting-edge curriculum. While these elements are undoubtedly crucial, you shouldn’t leave the business school’s culture out of the equation. Here’s why.

Curious about your chances of getting into a top MBA program? [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]Contact us[/url] to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.

Is the school culture predominantly competitive or collaborative?

The collaborative nature of business demands effective teamwork, and school culture plays a pivotal role in fostering this environment. Imagine spending two intense years with like-minded individuals who share your values, work ethic, and aspirations. A positive and supportive culture can turn this potentially stressful period into a transformative experience, creating lasting professional connections and friendships.

Listen to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-186-communicating-mba-program-knowledge-fit/]B-Schooled Podcast #186[/url]: Communicating MBA Program Knowledge and Fit

Size and location often play an essential role. Larger programs in urban centers like Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, 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. Many students live on campus and regularly socialize with fellow students and faculty. Likewise, MBA programs with smaller cohorts, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-application-advice/mit-sloan/]Sloan School of Management[/url], Dartmouth College’s [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-application-advice/dartmouth-tuck/]Tuck School of Business[/url], [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-application-advice/stanford-graduate-school-of-business/]Stanford Graduate School of Business[/url], and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-application-advice/yale-school-of-management/]Yale School of Management[/url], take pride in their down-to-earth, collaborative cultures.

Other Cultural Aspects to Consider

Beyond the classroom, a vibrant school culture can set the stage for a rich extracurricular life. From networking events and guest lectures to business competitions and alums meetups, the opportunities to broaden your horizons are limitless.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-keira-burton-6147161-2-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

A strong school culture encourages engagement, inspiring students to actively participate in clubs, organizations, and events that align with their interests. These experiences can be just as valuable as the formal education you receive.

Remember, your relationships with the school and your classmates last a lifetime. A comfortable and engaged student will have a more enjoyable and rewarding business school experience.

Knowing whether you’d thrive in a collegial, teamwork-driven environment or a more intense and competitive program is just one question you can ask yourself [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/focus-fit-business-school/]when gauging “fit”[/url] with a particular school. When assessing how well a program meshes not just with your professional goals but also with your learning style, work-life schedule, and values, [url=https://www.topmba.com/blog/7-ways-determine-business-school-culture]there’s a lot to think about[/url].

Choosing a school with a culture that resonates with your values ensures you’ll be better equipped to navigate the intricate nuances of the modern business landscape. A little research and a hefty dose of self-reflection will help you find which MBA program fits you best. Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to evaluating school culture. It’s simply a matter of choosing the best environment for you.

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ashley/]Learn More[/url]

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/kerry/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/pauline/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/geri/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/laura-h/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/andrea/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/jennifer/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/erin-k/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/susie/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/dione/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/anthony/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/meghan/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/amy-3/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ally/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/erin-b/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/emma/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

The post [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/school-culture/]Is School Culture Important for MBA Applicants?[/url] appeared first on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com]Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting[/url].
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Write a Strong MBA Career Interests Essay [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Write a Strong MBA Career Interests Essay
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-samson-katt-5256140-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

One piece of the MBA application puzzle that candidates often overlook but that holds a lot of weight is the MBA “Career Interests” essay. This isn’t just another checkbox to tick. Think of it as an opportunity to showcase your professional dreams, career journey thus far, and strategic approach to success.

First, think carefully about [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/defining-mba-career-goals/]your post-MBA goals[/url]. Your gut reaction to this question might be, “I want to be a successful entrepreneur” or “I want to leapfrog up the corporate ladder.” Sadly, that won’t cut it with the admissions committee. These folks read thousands of applications each season. They’re most interested in candidates who embody [url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/word-of-the-year]Merriam-Webster’s “Word of the Year”: Authenticity[/url].

And that starts with an [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/essential-steps-to-improve-mba-application-success/]extended self-reflection session[/url]. Where did your career ambitions begin? Did a childhood experience or role model set you on a particular path? You may have had an aha moment in college or on the job. Whatever that career origin story is, the next step is to illustrate how you nurtured and developed those ambitions over time.

Common examples include pursuing internships or volunteer work that supported those interests. You may have found mentors to guide you or took courses or certification programs to bolster your skill set. No matter what happened, describe your journey in a clear, detailed way. Talk about the difficulties you faced, what you learned from them, and the essential goals you reached.

Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]Contact us[/url] to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.

But don’t limit yourself to the highlight reel of past experiences. The AdCom team wants to know how you plan to leverage those experiences to propel yourself forward. To succeed, research industry trends. Connect with relevant professionals. Identify the knowledge gaps you need to fill.

“We don’t need a detailed roadmap of your future professional life,” notes [url=https://som.yale.edu/story/2023/assistant-dean-admissions-insights-applicants]Yale SOM’s assistant dean of admissions, Bruce DelMonico[/url]. “But we do hope that you’ve thought directionally about how your graduate management studies will launch you into your desired post-MBA career.”

The Golden Rule of the MBA Career Interests Essay
Above all, you want your MBA career interests essay to have concrete and tailored goals. Specificity is your friend when the task at hand is to create a convincing narrative. Remember that you also want to highlight what you bring to the table that [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/differentiate-yourself-mba-admissions/]differentiates you from the competition[/url].

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/gummibarchen-fruit-gums-bear-sweetness-54633-734x487.jpeg[/img]

Every one of us has unique strengths, experiences, and values. Whether it’s your knack for problem-solving, your leadership potential, or [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-social-impact-accelerator-package/]your passion for social impact[/url], weave these elements into your essay to showcase why you would make an excellent addition to the class.

Rest assured, you don’t need to present yourself as a “perfect” MBA candidate. The roadblocks and detours on your journey forced you to become resilient and adaptable when facing challenges. Admissions committees seek applicants with these qualities. Whether you had to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/explaining-frequent-job-changes/]navigate a career transition[/url], overcome setbacks, or embrace ambiguity, taking ownership of your vulnerabilities is a testament to your character.

Listen to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-161-write-the-essay-that-scares-you/]B-Schooled Podcast #161[/url]: Write the Essay that Scares You

Finally, wrap up your MBA career interests essay with optimism and passion. Your enthusiasm for your chosen career path will leave a lasting impression on admissions officers. After all, they’re not just looking for qualified candidates but future leaders who can’t wait to make a meaningful impact on the world.

And remember, “Your career interests will likely come up again in your interview,” says Yale SOM’s DelMonico. “Your interviewer will ask you more about your interests in an MBA and what you hope to accomplish post-MBA, so you will have another chance to expand on some details that you might not have been able to include in the written parts of the application.”

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/mukuko-studio-tPKQwYHy8q4-unsplash-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

In the end, it’s not just about what you want to achieve; it’s about the journey that brought you here, the strategies you’ve employed to get there, and the unique value you bring. So, [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/how-to-structure-your-mba-essays/]unleash your inner storyteller[/url] and craft a narrative that leaves admissions committees clamoring for more.

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

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The post [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/mba-career-interests-essay/]Write a Strong MBA Career Interests Essay[/url] appeared first on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com]Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting[/url].
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MBA Essay Advice for IT Applicants [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: MBA Essay Advice for IT Applicants
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/thisisengineering-raeng-8hgmG03spF4-unsplash-734x490.jpg[/img]

We often field questions from IT applicants about how to frame their work experiences within a 500-word MBA application essay. That’s because tech industry folks usually believe providing meaningful context when describing the “What I did” aspect of the essay question is necessary.

But business schools don’t care whether you can code in Java or possess multiple certifications in Oracle, AWS, or C++. The admissions committee doesn’t even need to know about those attributes when reading about your technical projects. Getting bogged down in such details is the number one mistake that engineers applying to business school typically make.

Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]Contact us[/url] to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.

When describing a technical project, try to sum up its essence in a non-technical way in one to two sentences. Share your essays with a friend outside of your industry to see if it makes sense to the layperson. Then, shift gears to devote the majority of the essay toward demonstrating the qualities that MBA programs do care about:

[list]
[*][url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/showing-leadership-in-your-b-school-application/]Leadership[/url][/*]
[*][url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/highlight-teamwork-in-mba-applications/]Teamwork[/url][/*]
[*]Problem-Solving[/*]
[*][url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/international-experience-requirement/]International Experience[/url][/*]
[/list]
Focus Areas for IT Applicants
Tech workers have a range of desirable transferable skills they can highlight when applying to business school. IT applicants typically have a lot of experience working in teams, so play up your interpersonal skills and describe how adept you are at collaborating well with others to meet goals. As we’ve noted, leadership potential is huge at the top business schools. So, talk about how you have shown leadership thus far, or discuss any cross-functional leadership experience you have had.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/leadership-1959544_1920-734x489.jpg[/img]

With business becoming ever more globally connected, the ability to work well with colleagues abroad will become critical to success. If one of your projects crossed international lines, you can talk about how you managed working with different cultures across time zones and what you learned from the experience.

Show examples of when you solved a problem or overcame a challenge through a unique or innovative solution. Did you resolve a conflict, demonstrate teamwork, or act with integrity? The thesis of the essay should be based on one of these qualities that an MBA admissions committee would value—not technical details.

The top three reasons tech recruiters have confidence in business school graduates are their strong communication skills (84%), their versatile skill sets (74%), and the fact that they are strategic thinkers (74%). —[url=https://www.mba.com/business-school-and-careers/career-possibilities/what-tech-companies-think-of-mbas]MBA.com[/url]

Another place to differentiate yourself from other IT applicants is when describing your professional goals. Where do you envision yourself in five to ten years? Go beyond a generic goal such as “transitioning into strategy consulting.” Think about whether you ultimately see yourself owning your own business, creating innovative ways to improve cybersecurity, or becoming the CTO of an environmental non-profit.

Information technologists often fret about competing against a sizeable pool of similar applicants. That’s why your MBA essays provide the ideal platform to show you are more than your job. Use the essays to focus on the aspects of your personal life that make you unique. Think of the hobbies, community service activities, passions, and interests that make you stand out.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-markus-spiske-1679618-1-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

[b]Listen to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-146-standing-out-from-your-competition/]B-Schooled Podcast Episode #146[/url]: Standing Out From Your Competition[/b]

Differentiation is the Goal
When we began working with Abhi, an Indian engineer with his heart set on attending [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-application-advice/upenn-wharton/]the Wharton School[/url], his biggest roadblock was pertaining to an [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/mba-applicants-overrepresented-demographic/]overrepresented demographic[/url] that would be competing with literally thousands of other MBA applicants.

Fortunately, Abhi had an admirable record of community involvement. But to make his candidacy stand out from the masses, we decided to focus on a unique event in which he coordinated a sizeable group to train for a marathon to raise funds to help a six-year-old girl with leukemia.

In his essays, Abhi focused on the leadership aspects of the experience. He discussed how he recruited participants, organized several fundraising events, and dealt with the inevitable obstacles that arose during the planning phase.

By allowing the MBA admissions committee to better understand who Abhi was as a person, and what motivated him and ignited his personal and professional passions, he became much more than just another male IT candidate from India in the pile… and Wharton ultimately did extend an offer of admission to him.

No matter your professional background, the MBA essays are the place to show off your individuality, leadership potential, and exactly why you are b-school material. So don’t let industry jargon or the nitty gritty of your job description get in the way of creating memorable essays that capture the interest of the school of your dreams.

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ashley/]Learn More[/url]

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/laura-h/]Learn More[/url]

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/andrea/]Learn More[/url]

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/anthony/]Learn More[/url]

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/meghan/]Learn More[/url]

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/amy-3/]Learn More[/url]

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ally/]Learn More[/url]

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/erin-b/]Learn More[/url]

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/emma/]Learn More[/url]

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CMU Tepper Launches Accelerated MBA Program [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: CMU Tepper Launches Accelerated MBA Program
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/CMU-Tepper-tepper-quad-exterior-07-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

Do you have an undergraduate business degree or some business courses in your background? If so, the new full-time accelerated MBA program at [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-application-advice/carnegie-mellon-tepper/]Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business[/url] may be for you. Participating students complete the on-campus program in three semesters instead of four to earn an MBA degree.

Accelerated program students will be in the same cohort as traditional full-time MBA students. They can expect a curriculum similar to the full-time MBA program, but those eligible for the accelerated program can waive introductory classes based on previous coursework.

[b]The Tepper Accelerated MBA Program may be for you if:[/b]
[list]
You have 3-7 years of work experience.[/*]
In the last ten years, you have taken accounting, finance, marketing, microeconomics, and operations courses from an accredited undergraduate institution.[/*]
[/list]
The Full-Time Accelerated MBA begins with a refresher course in the first semester to ensure a comprehensive foundation in business functions. Students in the program will also tap into their years of work experience to shape their MBA education.

The program will start in the fall, and students can choose a 12-month program or 16-month program if they opt for a summer internship. Furthermore, the same faculty who teach the Tepper School’s Full-Time MBA program will teach the Accelerated program.

Tepper’s Accelerated MBA Program streamlines redundant coursework and as a result, reduces tuition costs for the program. Additionally, all Tepper Accelerated MBA program candidates are eligible for the same merit scholarships as their regular program format candidates.

Kate Barraclough, Associate Dean of Masters Programs at the Tepper School, says, “This Full-Time Accelerated MBA allows students to work through a world-class curriculum and receive personalized leadership coaching while learning how to lead businesses in a global economy—in only three semesters.”

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/tepper-quad-exterior-012-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

The program also features one-on-one leadership coaching designed to foster critical leadership skills such as empathy, awareness, and self-reflection. This shapes each student’s leadership potential, preparing them to manage people, build influential networks, inspire collaborative efforts, and execute goals.

Graduates of the MBA program enter the workforce with strong career outcomes, securing positions in consulting, technology, financial services, health care, consumer goods, manufacturing, and beyond.

[b]Upcoming Deadlines[/b]
[list]
[*]March 4, 2024[/*]
[*]May 6, 2024[/*]
[/list]
If this new program format option sounds intriguing, [url=https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/programs/mba/program-options/accelerated-mba/index.html]visit the Tepper School[/url] for more information. You can also review [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/carnegie-mellon-cmu-tepper-mba-essays-advice/]SBC’s expert MBA essay tips[/url] for the 2023-2024 Tepper MBA application.

To talk to Stacy Blackman Consulting about your MBA plans, don’t hesitate to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact]contact us![/url]  We offer multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] to hourly help reviewing your MBA resume.  Contact SBC today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ashley/]Learn More[/url]

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/andrea/]Learn More[/url]

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/dione/]Learn More[/url]

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/anthony/]Learn More[/url]

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/meghan/]Learn More[/url]

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/amy-3/]Learn More[/url]

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ally/]Learn More[/url]

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/erin-b/]Learn More[/url]

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

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B-Schooled Podcast Episode #197: Be Authentic, Be Bold, and Have a Sol [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: B-Schooled Podcast Episode #197: Be Authentic, Be Bold, and Have a Solid Plan (Part 1 of 3)


For the past two years, our B-Schooled co-host Chandler has ended each of his podcasts with the same nine words: Be authentic, be brave, and have a solid plan.

In many ways, these words summarize so much of Chandler’s entire MBA application philosophy. In this three-part series, he will dive deep into authenticity, boldness, and career planning—and how each of these relates to MBA applications.

Today, Chandler talks extensively about authenticity and aggregates a great deal of free resources related to this critically important topic. Among other things, Chandler talks about how to:

• Channel your most authentic self when writing your MBA essays

• Highlight what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown

• Deal with self-doubt while on your MBA journey

Chandler concludes by challenging listeners to use authenticity as a way to reframe doubts into boldness. By turning your deepest fears on their heads, you might just discover the fuel you need to take your application to the next level.

This B-Schooled episode can be found here, or take a listen on any of the major podcast platforms below.

B-Schooled is available on most major podcast apps, including:
Apple Podcasts

Spotify

TuneIn

Please be sure to subscribe to B-Schooled so that you don’t miss a thing. Also, if there’s something you’d like for us to cover in a future episode, please email podcast@stacyblackman.com. We’d love to hear from you!

The post B-Schooled Podcast Episode #197: Be Authentic, Be Bold, and Have a Solid Plan (Part 1 of 3) appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.
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What Goes on at an HBS Reunion? [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: What Goes on at an HBS Reunion?
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/HBS-Harvard-Business-School-Baker_library-cropped-734x430.jpg[/img]

Most people applying to business school naturally develop some tunnel vision. You’re focused on crafting the perfect career essay, thinking about what classes to take, and on what job you hope to land right after graduation. While that laser focus is totally normal, we want to help broaden your perspective. Because your life as a business school alum goes far beyond those two years on campus. And that’s [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-180-reflections-from-my-20-year-hbs-mba-reunion/]a central theme[/url] of SBC consultant and B-Schooled host Erika’s 20-year HBS reunion recap.

“No matter where you’re applying, it’s good to take a step back and get yourself out of that near term mindset,” Erika explains. “It’s important to have some perspective when everything seems like the biggest deal about where you might get in and where you’re going to spend these next two years.”

Are you curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school such as HBS? Contact us to talk strategy with a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] with an SBC Principal Consultant.

Whether you’re contemplating your fit with a particular program or brainstorming essays, pulling back for a birds-eye view of life after B-school is invaluable.  Even if you’re not applying to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-application-advice/harvard-business-school/]Harvard Business School[/url], many features of an HBS reunion likely echo how other schools run their reunion programs. So, it’s both relevant and fascinating to hear how Harvard does it. Not to mention fun!

HBS reunions take place on campus over a weekend and have so many interesting lectures and activities it’s impossible to take it all in. FOMO will happen, no matter how someone chooses to spend their time.

“Leading up to the reunion, there’s an app that everybody downloads,” Erika notes. Alums can see the whole schedule and decide which sessions they want to go to throughout the weekend. “I’ve done this for all our reunions. There’s one at the one-year mark and then five, 10, and 15. And they’ve always been a completely wonderful, invigorating, inspiring experience. I would never miss one.”

What Happens at an HBS Reunion?
A hallmark of the HBS reunion is that it’s never just one class back on campus. When Erika attended last June, hers mixed with alums at their 50-year reunion and even a 75th reunion! “I love that aspect because to get to hear from alumni that are decades older than you, and then some that are now decades younger than you, it just makes for fascinating class discussions,” she shares.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/ErikaOlson__AuthorPhoto_Square-734x734.jpg[/img]
SBC Consultant and B-Schooled Host Erika
“You had some people that were in their seventies, eighties who had seen a lot of change in the workplace in their career.  One of my favorite parts is just to see and hear through people’s stories how much the working world has changed,” says Erika.

But even though multiple reunions are going out simultaneously, she notes that your class will be all together in one spot.

There’s an opening reception on Thursday, where people usually meet with their best friends or study group. Typically, people will arrange small group dinners with friends they were especially close to. “And then you’ve got to buckle in because there is not a dang spare second after that Friday morning,” Erika laughs.

First up is the dean’s address, and then participants adjourn for classes during the day. It’s like being back in school all day Friday and Saturday. Classes are all day from morning until late afternoon or early evening. Some of the classes have homework beforehand, and some run like case studies from back in the day.

Learn about all of the compelling class sessions Erika attended in [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-181-reflections-from-my-20-year-hbs-mba-reunion-part-2/]B-Schooled Podcast #181[/url]: Reflections From My 20-Year HBS MBA Reunion

[b]And then, it’s time to party.[/b]
HBS divides its classes into sections of 80-90 students, so on Friday nights during an HBS reunion, you’ll have the section parties. These could be at a restaurant, bar, or in Erika’s case, at the home of a section mate who lives in Boston. “Then you stay up too late and get ready to do it all over again the next day,” she shares.

There are career services and one-on-one appointments with the career center throughout the weekend. The reunion experience also includes tours of new buildings, a sustainability tour, and a tour of the campus’s wonderful collection of contemporary art. Erika saw demonstrations of the live online classroom that really got put to use during COVID-19. A breakfast on Sunday and a few final networking sessions wrap up the HBS reunion weekend.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Aerial_of_the_Harvard_Business_School_campus-1-734x487.jpeg[/img]

“By the time you get to your 20-year reunion, life has happened to people,” Erika says. “It was great to be back in that environment and be surrounded by amazing people and hear how their lives have gone.”

So, no matter where you end up, remember to consider the bigger picture when you’re applying. As Erika reminds us, “This isn’t just the next two years of your life. This is the rest of your life. You can be engaged; you can still be learning. You have this sort of type of alumni weekend and many, many other types of alumni events to look forward to no matter where you earn your MBA.”

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

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The post [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/what-goes-on-at-an-hbs-reunion/]What Goes on at an HBS Reunion?[/url] appeared first on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com]Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting[/url].
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Clients are Raving About Their Experiences with SBC Consultants [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Clients are Raving About Their Experiences with SBC Consultants
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/sbc-meetstacy-1500x646.jpg[/img]

We know MBA aspirants have an array of options to choose from when it comes to selecting an admissions consulting firm. But we also firmly believe Stacy Blackman Consulting stands head and shoulders above the rest thanks to our amazing SBC consultants.

Stacy Blackman is the only MBA admissions firm with a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]complete panel of former Admissions Officers[/url] from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. And that insider expertise pays off in spades when it comes to helping our clients get into the B-school of their dreams.

Today, we’re sharing more feedback we’ve recently received from clients who applied in Round 1 of this admissions season.  See what others in your shoes have to say about the experience of working with SBC consultants.

Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]Contact us[/url] to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.

A Partner by Your Side
I’m so thankful that I chose to work with the SBC team, and particularly [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/amy-3/]Amy H.[/url], my consultant. The SBC team works together to create a holistic experience. Bill took the time to understand my goals before pairing me with a consultant. Amy spent countless hours with me understanding what made me tick and helping me translate that into an application. Beth flight-tested my application and made sure that there weren’t any glaring holes, and Anthony helped me prep for my Wharton Team-Based Discussion.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img]
By far the most valuable part of this process was having Amy by my side. No question was too trivial for her, and she had limitless patience with me as I obsessed over every detail of my application. Amy’s most valuable contribution, however, was her ability to help me focus on the RIGHT details.

It is easy to lose sight of what you are building as you write the applications from the ground up, and it can be particularly challenging not to write applications based on what you THINK the AdComms WANT to hear.

Amy encouraged me to embrace my authentic voice, and ensured that I was telling a story that highlighted who I am as a human.

Thanks to Amy and the SBC team I was admitted to FIVE MBA programs: GSB, Wharton, Booth, Columbia, and Stern (with a full ride)

Amy & the SBC team are incredible!
I decided in June to apply to Wharton in round 1 and couldn’t start prep until July because of a family wedding. I found SBC online because I knew there was no way I could get everything done myself in that amount of time while still working full-time.

I worked with [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/amy-3/]Amy[/url] to apply to the Wharton/Lauder dual degree program and she was fantastic. She was so responsive and very quick to turn around feedback and she was candid with her suggestions. I graduated college only 2 years ago, so I knew that my short time in the workforce was going to be a major weakness in my application. Amy helped me craft my story to spin that to my advantage, which gained me admission to the program.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2023-01-10-at-8.02.33-AM.png[/img]
SBC also works with a FANTASTIC GMAT tutor ([url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/anthony-test-prep/]Anthony[/url]) and he was worth every cent. I was going to take the GRE because I had already done some prep earlier in the year, but was struggling with the vocab section. I’m stronger in math so I decided to pivot to the gmat 2 weeks before I had to take the test.cl

Anthony is seriously the best tutor/teacher I have ever worked with. I did a few hours with him and got a 760 on my gmat with 2 weeks of total prep. He gives you so many tricks to get faster and generously shares his extensive guides to continue studying on your own more efficiently with targeted practice.

What’s better is that SBC services don’t stop there. Amy helped with the essays and application strategy and Anthony helped with the test prep, but after your application is done, another consultant from SBC does a comprehensive review of your entire application package to give you feedback with fresh eyes from someone who is unfamiliar with all the details.

Then if you get invited to an interview, SBC provides mock sessions to practice since it’s such a unique interview experience. You get to go through a practice interview with other SBC clients and it’s moderated by an SBC consultant who gives each participant personalized feedback when it’s over.

I can’t thank SBC enough for all the help they provided! It was SO worth it.

An Angel on My MBA Journey
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony-1-300x300.jpeg[/img]
There is not enough appreciation, thankfulness and words to describe how I feel after working with [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/anthony/]Anthony[/url]. I keep saying he was an angel that joined me in my application journey. Even though I only purchased the 5 hours package, he made it work! He understood what I wanted to portray on my application and made sure I was doing it correctly.

At the same time, he made sure we were using the hours efficiently to achieve all I needed in those 5 hours. Anthony is super responsive and communicative. I highly recommend Anthony. He will keep you one track not only in the applications but also mentally (as this process is full of opinions). I applied to 4 universities and got into 3/4 with a scholarship in one of them.

Helpful Consultant & Amazing Person!
I was a bit skeptical about using an MBA consultant, but [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/geri/]Geri[/url] made every meeting and minute worth it. In addition to knowing the ins and outs of the HBS admissions process (and applying that to other schools), she is an amazing listener and word-smither when it comes to essays. She has a great eye for detail and caught little typos and mistakes that I had missed in my apps. She made herself flexible to my calendar and was always available when I needed her.

In addition to a close review of my applications to multiple schools, she also helped me understand my business school story more broadly so that I would be best prepared for coffee chats, visit weekends, and interviews.

To anyone considering hiring a consultant, definitely have a conversation with SBC and Geri and see if it would be a right fit for you! I would highly recommend it!

Geri Is Fantastic!
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/69308-e1704770417705.jpg[/img][url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/geri/]Geri[/url] was my primary consultant, and she was absolutely lovely! She was always extremely quick to respond while still showing me that my application mattered to her. Using her experience as a former Admissions Officer at HBS, she gave me excellent advice and was instrumental in curating my applications, leading to admission to Chicago Booth, Northwestern Kellogg, Wharton (with scholarship), MIT Sloan (with scholarship), and Dartmouth Tuck (with substantial scholarship).

Geri went above and beyond by not only reviewing my general application, but also setting up regular calls for us, workshopping my resume and essays, participating in a mock interview with me, and acting as an amazing sounding board.

My experience with Stacy Blackman went beyond Geri, though, and the team-based influence and support was clear from the start! Esther acted quickly and kindly to match me with Geri, Geri did a stellar job addressing my questions and application needs, Beth (former Admissions Officer) provided great insight during my Flight Test, and Anthony (former Wharton Admissions Officer) ensured I was prepared during my Wharton mock Team Based Discussion.

I also had access to resources like the Vault database, which allowed me to read advice and information about many schools from different perspectives.

When I was initially choosing a consulting firm, I was overwhelmed with options and not sure where to turn. Stacy Blackman came to me by a personal referral who gained admission to Wharton after working with SBC, and I am so glad I took his advice!

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

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Smart Tactics for the Single-Employer MBA Applicant [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Smart Tactics for the Single-Employer MBA Applicant
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/wes-hicks-4-EeTnaC1S4-unsplash-1-1-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

Are you an MBA applicant who has worked for the same company since college? That isn’t unheard of—especially for candidates in a rotational program such as consulting or investment banking, where folks typically seek an MBA after working for a few years. But others might be struggling with how to tell their career story or wondering who to ask for recommendations. The best advice for the single-employer MBA applicant aiming for competitive business schools is to show progression.

Whether you’ve been at the same firm for two or five years, you’ve likely had different roles over this time period. Therefore, your job is to paint a picture of [url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/articles/how-much-work-experience-do-i-need-for-mba-programs]how you’ve moved your career forward[/url]. Share how your responsibilities have increased and that you’ve handled more significant projects, deals, or other high-profile work. You may even be doing work usually reserved for a more senior position at your company.

Try this exercise to get started. Write down each position you’ve had and then list bullet points of what you learned in each role. What skills did you use, what were two or three of your biggest accomplishments in that role, and why did you leave it? You don’t want to simply state that you left because you got promoted. Instead, focus on something like, “I wanted to grow this skill or gain exposure to X.”

 Are you curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? Contact us to talk strategy with a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] with an SBC Principal Consultant.

This activity is more than just philosophical musing. It’s information and positioning that you can hone and reuse, if not in your data form, then in other parts of your materials.

What if You Weren’t Strategic About Your Moves?
Some candidates have long been clear-eyed about how their time at one company would ultimately support their career vision. But if you’re like many other applicants, you might not have thought out your moves beforehand. Basically, someone offered you a position on another team, and you took it. While that may be the case, you still need to craft a narrative that sounds better than just flying by the seat of your pants and making career decisions on a whim.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/jeshoots-com-fzOITuS1DIQ-unsplash-1-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

If you’re struggling to find a relevant thread or story across your roles, ask a friend for help. Tell them your future goal post-MBA, and see if they can discover skills or responsibilities from each role that helped you build the skillset you’ll need going forward.

Or maybe it’s the opposite situation. You may have moved within your company to learn a different function, experience a new team, or gain exposure to a different geographic region. But then, when you got into that position, you realized it wasn’t for you. That’s okay, too. Knowing what you don’t want is excellent information to have as you’re narrowing down options to find your unique passion.

Resume Advice for the Single-Employer MBA Applicant
Your [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/sell-yourself-with-an-mba-resume/]MBA resume[/url] is the place to clearly show the promotions and different positions you’ve had at one company. Avoid bunching all the various roles and titles together one after the other under the company name. Instead, list your most recent position and then put three or four bullets under it. Then, list the previous role and do the same so that it’s crystal clear what you did in each position.

The application reader will often scan from the bottom up when they read your resume so they can understand your career trajectory in chronological order. With this organizational tactic, there’s no doubt about your progression.

Did you know? Stacy Blackman Consulting provides a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]resume review service[/url] on an hourly basis to help clients maximize this all-important application component.

Make sure you blow out each role and show what you did for your MBA essays where possible. If your internal career path wasn’t just growing within one team or function, you should devote some essay space to justifying your moves. For example, if you made lateral moves at your firm or did a complete 180 in your function and went from accounting to marketing, the career essay might be the perfect place to touch on what you’ve already done.

On the other hand, if your career has grown within the same team or function, gaining ever more responsibility over time, then you want to make sure that a career-focused essay covers not only your achievements, trajectory, and goals but also why you care about that path that you’ve been on.

It’s tough because only so much space and word count are available. Ultimately, you need to fill the gaps for the admissions committee and head off any questions they might have about your candidacy.

What about recommendation letters?
Business schools like to hear from a current supervisor when they read your [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/mba-recommendation-letter/]recommendation letter(s)[/url] unless that puts your employment at risk. Ideally, you would want your other recommender to be someone who has observed your work in more than one role. This could be somebody who worked directly with or managed you in one role but with whom you still interacted after you moved on. That’s because if your recommenders back up how you communicate your career progression in their own words, that makes for a much stronger impression on the admissions committee.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Highly_Recommended-2-734x309.jpg[/img]

If the person you’re considering isn’t with your company anymore, that’s okay. They will still have some great stories from earlier in your career. Let your recommenders know that, for the single-employer MBA applicant, showing growth over time and backing it up with specific examples is essential to the admissions committee.

You are more than your career
There is more to your MBA candidacy than what you do at work. So, remember to think about what you do in your free time. We’ve worked with several clients who didn’t have a compelling professional story. Or they had been at the same company for three or four years. But they do have substantial charity work experience or an unusual hobby or something else about them that would add to the classroom discussion and that other students could learn from.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-cottonbro-studio-6832241-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

Every single person applying to MBA programs needs to bring their whole self to the task. Your work life and career are just one part of you. Don’t obsess over this part of your candidacy because admissions committees really do look at each person holistically.

When it comes to time for interviews, be prepared to explain why you stayed at your company for years. The question is going to come up, but don’t take it as a negative. They’ll likely ask other applicants why they made their own company switches and various career decisions. There are no right or wrong answers. The interviewer is trying to ensure you thought through all your career decisions rather than floating through life directionless with no plan.

[b]Take Advantage of the Additional Information Field [/b]
Finally, some applicants won’t be able to spin any forward progression in or outside of work due to something personal. Perhaps it started during the Covid years, and you or a loved one was sick. The reason doesn’t really matter. But if you know there’s a glaring gap in progress in your resume, it’s best to proactively explain it in [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/4-reasons-to-write-an-optional-business-school-application-essay/]the optional essay[/url] or additional information field on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/mba-data-form-tips/]the data form[/url].

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/alex-radelich-2gYsZUmockw-unsplash-1-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

Use that space to reassure the admissions committee that you’d be an asset to the program. If something was going on in your life where you had to take a back seat or where you needed the stability of your role, explain the relevant circumstances. The AdCom members are still humans, after all. They will appreciate that you preemptively answered any questions they had.

In fact, it might be the difference between them giving you a chance at an interview and throwing your application into the ding pile because you failed to anticipate their question.

Listen to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-128-advice-for-single-employer-mba-applicants/]B-Schooled Podcast Episode #128[/url]: Advice for Single-Employer MBA Applicants

The single-employer MBA applicant has their work cut out for them, but the challenges are manageable. The critical step is showing progression in your career journey in your resume and MBA essays. Also, choose recommenders who have witnessed your work in multiple roles and candidly address any gaps or lack of progression. 

Remember, you are so much more than your career story. Bring your whole self to this process and try not to get stressed out over justifying your single-company experience. 

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

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The post [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/single-employer-mba-applicant/]Smart Tactics for the Single-Employer MBA Applicant[/url] appeared first on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com]Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting[/url].
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B-Schooled Podcast #198: Be Authentic, Be Bold and Have a Solid Plan ( [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: B-Schooled Podcast #198: Be Authentic, Be Bold and Have a Solid Plan (Part 2 of 3)


For the past two years, our B-Schooled co-host Chandler has ended each of his podcasts with the same nine words: “Be authentic, be brave, and have a solid plan.”

In many ways, these words summarize so much of Chandler’s entire MBA application philosophy. In this three-part series, he will dive deep into authenticity, boldness, and career planning—and how each of these relates to MBA applications.

During this episode, Chandler talks extensively about how to be bold in your MBA applications. Among other things, Chandler talks about why top business schools are looking for bold applicants and how to:

• Be bold by centering your passion and being specific

• Incorporate bold elements into your career goals

• Think about what you want to do with your life

• Talk about your accomplishments without sounding like you are bragging

• Talk about the elements of your application you are the most nervous about (and why this is a very good thing)

• Write the essay that scares you, and

• Decide how personal is “too personal” for MBA essays and interviews.

This B-Schooled episode can be found here, or take a listen on any of the major podcast platforms below.

B-Schooled is available on most major podcast apps, including:
Apple Podcasts

Spotify

TuneIn

Please be sure to subscribe to B-Schooled so that you don’t miss a thing. Also, if there’s something you’d like for us to cover in a future episode, please email podcast@stacyblackman.com. We’d love to hear from you!

The post B-Schooled Podcast #198: Be Authentic, Be Bold and Have a Solid Plan (Part 2 of 3) appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.
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Create Your Winning Stanford GSB Application [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Create Your Winning Stanford GSB Application
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Stanford-GSB-Stanford_University_from_Hoover_Tower_January_2013_002-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

So many MBA applicants dream of attending the Stanford Graduate School of Business. And who can blame them? Whether it’s the balmy California weather, exciting Silicon Valley startups, or the university’s prestige, the list of reasons why B-school aspirants have the GSB in their sights is long indeed. But what does it take to get in? Today, we’re exploring the Stanford MBA experience and how to create a winning Stanford GSB application through a Q&A with [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/alex/]SBC consultant/GSB alum Alex[/url].

In addition to his MBA, Alex also earned an international global management certificate at the GSB. Over the years, he has remained involved with the GSB through several executive education classes. Additionally, Alex has volunteered to do undergraduate admissions interviews with Stanford for the last five-plus years.

Outside of his admissions consulting work, Alex has had a distinguished international career in the high-tech industry, focusing on product management, marketing, business development, and alliance management. If the GSB is on your radar, you won’t want to miss this insider perspective Alex originally shared on the [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-152-spotlight-on-stanford-gsb/]B-Schooled[/url] podcast!

Questions and answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

What is unique about the Stanford GSB?
[b][img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/alex.png[/img]
Alex:[/b] There are several exceptional aspects of the program. First, due to its proximity to Silicon Valley, the school provides unique perspectives on entrepreneurship and fantastic connections to VCs in the area. It also attracts influential speakers from some of the world’s leading companies.

Second, unprecedented access to the other world-class schools at Stanford, such as the School of Design, is so critical to creating a well-rounded entrepreneur. And the new [url=https://sustainability.stanford.edu/]Doerr School of Sustainability[/url] will also provide a big draw. 

And third are the classes, like the famous “touchy-feely,” also known as [url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/learning/leadership/interpersonal-dynamics]Interpersonal Dynamics[/url]. It’s one of the most popular Stanford GSB courses that helps students connect with their inner selves and become more effective and empathetic leaders.

Lead Labs is a relatively new offer. It compliments “touchy-feely” well in that it helps students develop themselves as better leaders by being part of a group that helps them meet their objectives, such as, for example, developing better communication skills or other soft skills. It pushes students to get out of their comfort zone, which is essential to develop themselves better.

And finally, Talk is a weekly event at GSB where two students are chosen out of many weekly applicants. It’s prestigious to speak to a large auditorium filled with their peers and share something typically personal about themselves, the hardships they overcame, the challenges they faced, and so on. Like the other two offerings I mentioned, it pushes students out of their comfort zone, helping them grow and develop as better leaders, better colleagues, and, ultimately, better citizens of the world.

Finally, the small class size (431 in the class of 2025) is unique among top-tier schools. Students can indeed bond and establish solid partnerships and connections.

[b]Are you curious about your chances of getting into Stanford GSB? Contact us to talk strategy with a [/b][url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/][b]free 15-minute advising session[/b][/url][b] with an SBC Principal Consultant.[/b]

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/https://gmatclub.com/chat-Image-2024-02-14-at-1.44.56-PM-1-1500x1000.jpeg[/img]

What are some cool newer aspects of the program?
[b]Alex: [/b]The school is evolving all the time! GSB has introduced Lean Launchpads in the famous startup garage. Students must apply to get in, and like everything else at GSB, it’s competitive. If you get accepted, you get to work on your product. GSB also now offers internships where you receive something like $5,000 to launch your startup versus going to a formal internship over the summer.

GSB has added a lot more quant classes. They’re also heavy on ethics requirements and continue to work in that area. On the academic side, there’s a big push for strong Excel skills, and now, a Python class is offered. Many quant methods are taught; some are very sophisticated and technical stuff that has intensified over the years.

Listen to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-178-lessons-learned-from-sbc-alums-after-their-first-year-part-two/]B-Schooled Podcast #178[/url]: Lessons Learned…with Stanford MBA Student/Former SBC Client Whitney

Many people do joint degrees, such as the very popular education degree with an MBA. Climate tech and energy have also been hot lately because of the new Doerr School of Sustainability. A joint Masters in Climate adds a quarter or two to the length of your studies so students can take two internships. They’re there over the second summer, and many people find that helpful as well.

What do students do for fun outside of class?
[b]Alex: [/b]Every week, they have the beer-drinking club FOAM, which stands for Friends of Arjay Miller ([url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/news-history/history/arjay]a famous former GSB dean[/url]). The top 10% of the students are named Arjay Miller Scholars at the end of two years. So, FOAM is a play on that very great humor where friends of Arjay Miller are people who “party more,” meaning they are not Arjay Miller Scholars—they’re out having fun and enjoying themselves. Then you have the weekly Beer Pong for Leaders event, or BPL. Many folks go to the weekly Talk series, which I mentioned earlier.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/helena-lopes-UZe35tk5UoA-unsplash-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

We also have a popular event called Section Olympics right after the last midterm for the first quarter, where different athletic activities take place. People also do a lot of coffee chats. And some do as many as two or three a day where you put half an hour on somebody’s calendar and go and grab a coffee with them. So, lots of networking takes place. It’s a great way to meet people and get to know them better in an informal atmosphere.

Some people go to the city on weekends as San Francisco is nearby. But Palo Alto does offer a lively scene. It has a terrific golf course where Tiger Woods used to play, which is a big draw for many people.

 Small group dinners are extremely popular, with five or six people getting together to get to know each other better. Also, many students come to GSB with significant others. And so, weekends are often spent catching up with them and getting caught up on rigorous classwork. Most activities center around Palo Alto, as students are quite busy.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/mac-gaither-RtSXyVCgL0o-unsplash-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

What about student clubs?
Clubs are not the primary focus of GSB. There’s FinTech and crypto, of course. Venture capital clubs are popular, especially in the last few years. Those have been the hot topics, and the people who run those clubs bring in terrific speakers. But there’s not a whole lot more behind the club scene.

There’s also the [url=https://gsbimpactfund.stanford.edu/]Stanford Impact Fund[/url], which is quite prestigious. A lot of people apply, and many get rejected. So again, it’s pretty competitive. There’s a VC fund that does a lot of impact investing. Students run it, and people from the class can contribute capital to support founders from GSB via some of these funds. So, it’s competitive and fun, and it helps you grow. And it adds to the overall fabric of the school.

What is the Stanford GSB AdCom looking for in applicants?
[b]Alex: [/b]Without a doubt, outstanding academic and professional experience are critical to the Stanford GSB application. But they are looking for big thinkers and dreamers with a proven record of accomplishment. That means people who want to impact society, not just achieve some narrow personal success. These are people looking to change the world for the better, society, their environment, etc.

Diversity is also very much appreciated, as is uniqueness. This ability to stand out from the crowd is critical. A powerful personal story, especially if it’s unique and has an interesting background, really stands out and helps add to the class diversity. That can be effective in increasing your chances of getting in.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-zen-chung-5538592-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

People think if their GMAT or GPA stats are below average, they have no chance—and that’s not true. Stanford GSB looks at applications holistically, and other vital factors come into play. They’re looking for individuals who will add to class diversity and strength. Unique, powerful stories that are well-written and well-put together can significantly impact admissions.

Let’s talk about the two main Stanford GSB essays. The first—What matters most to you and why—causes applicants much anxiety.
[b]Alex: [/b]In the first essay, really dive into the why, not the what. Many people tend to retell their resume and retell the application, and that’s the wrong approach. Stanford wants to understand what drives and motivates you, what makes you tick, and what the inflection points in your life have been. Why did you do what you did that you’ve shown on the resume? That’s critical. The other vital point is to connect the first essay to the second one in a way that flows well together and tells a comprehensive story.

Make sure your story is believable, credible, and consistent. Does AdCom believe this person can do this? Whatever the goals they’ve set, are they credible based on their background? Is it consistent with what they’ve said in their Stanford GSB application and the resume, as well as what they’ve done in their life? Those are essential factors.

Go in-depth with [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/stanford-mba-essay-tips/]SBC’s expert tips[/url] for the Stanford MBA Essays

As for essay two—Why Stanford—really study the program and go into the specifics of why GSB. Don’t give generic answers where if you substituted Harvard or Wharton or Columbia in there, someone could say, well, that could apply to any of those schools. Talk to the alums. Take the time to understand the courses that GSB offers, the professors who teach there, and the unique aspects of the program. And finally, strong, outstanding, unusual writing helps to catch the reader’s attention and truly stand out.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/https://gmatclub.com/chat-Image-2024-02-14-at-6.57.48-PM-1500x1000.jpeg[/img]

How does Stanford GSB handle interviews? What are they looking for during those interviews?
[b]Alex:[/b] If you’re lucky enough to get an interview, congratulations—that’s a great accomplishment! Alums conduct the interviews at Stanford, which are cordial, polite, and conversational. They’re not out to get you. They’re looking for another data point to help the outcome and make that ultimate decision. And remember, it’s just one data point in the overall Stanford GSB application, which the AdCom evaluates holistically. So, it’s not a make or break; it’s just another data point.

It’s essential to connect with the interviewer on a personal level to establish that report. Make sure to have good questions for the interviewer. Get familiar with their background, as it will help establish a personal connection. It’s essential to present yourself well and provide specific examples based on specific behavioral questions that you’re likely to be asked.

And, of course, be quite familiar with GSB and everything it offers and tie it in well to your MBA goals.

Are you doomed if you have an off day and feel like you didn’t present your best self in the interview?
[b]Alex[/b]: The interview is important, but it’s one of many criteria. A bad day doesn’t help, but it doesn’t necessarily disqualify someone. So, you want to be prepared and do well. But again, it’s one of many different criteria. Many people don’t realize that once you’ve gotten to an interview, the AdCom thinks you belong. You can handle the program’s rigor and are an interesting candidate, so you’re almost there. Be confident and don’t be too anxious about it because they already think you could belong.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/You-Belong-tim-mossholder-ZFXZ_xMYTZs-unsplash.jpg[/img]

What Stanford GSB application advice do you have for future applicants?
[b]Alex:[/b] First, talk to as many alums as you can get your hands on. Pick their brain in terms of what they like, what got them in, their experiences, and any advice they have. Also, research the school to find out what makes it unique and if it’s the right choice for you. Evaluate your profile realistically to understand if GSB is the right fit and how you stack up compared to the typical applicant at GSB.

Don’t miss: [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/stanford-mba-acceptance-rate-deconstructed/]Stanford MBA Acceptance Rate, Deconstructed[/url]

Stats are not everything. Do you have a uniquely powerful story to share? Is there a lot of diversity in your background? Think about all those factors: family, your friends, etc. Ensure you have enough bandwidth to apply to GSB, as it’s the hardest of all the programs.

Unless you can put in the required effort, it’ll be tough to create a GSB-caliber application that will increase your chances of getting in. I see many candidates who think they can slap something together and expect to get into GSB. That never works because the AdCom can see right through it. So, you must be able to devote sufficient bandwidth to do it right. Otherwise, your chances of admission decrease significantly.

Thank you, Alex, for sharing your tips for the Stanford GSB application and your thoughts on what makes this coveted program so special!

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/andrea/]Learn More[/url]

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/emma/]Learn More[/url]

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Three Signs You Shouldnt Submit an MBA Application in Round Three [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Three Signs You Shouldn’t Submit an MBA Application in Round Three
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-franco-atkins-2058271-734x489.jpg[/img]

Everyone has an opinion about submitting an MBA application in round three. Without fail, a lot of the conversation circles around [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/round-3-insight-from-mba-admissions/]how competitive it is[/url]. If you tried your best but couldn’t pull together all of your materials before round two deadlines hit, you might wonder whether round three is the answer.

By the time the final admission round starts, admissions committees will have seen thousands of qualified applicants. Therefore, they have a pretty good idea of what the incoming class will look like. Plus, they have also compiled a waitlist of additional qualified candidates.

Before round three 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 submit an MBA application in round three [url=https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/news/blog/2020/03/18/applying-in-round-3/]requires serious reflection[/url] and sound reasoning. Weigh these three crucial considerations before you take the plunge.

Reasons Not to Submit an MBA Application in Round Three

[b]1. You had no luck with earlier-round applications.[/b]
This is a guaranteed red flag that your MBA application needs more work. Applying in the final round will likely yield the same results.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/red-flag-3132583_1920-734x486.jpg[/img]

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 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.

“You are usually being considered along with the waitlisted applicants and need a compelling reason as to why you waited so long,” says SBC consultant Sarah. “If you are in a traditional industry, it’s a steep climb.”

As SBC consultant Margaret notes, “Several of my Round 3s were military people on deployment, and this was the earliest they were able to pull together applications.”

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.

Contact us today to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]request tailored advice[/url] to determine whether round 3 is viable for your profile.

[b]2. Your test scores are mediocre, and you’ve only tested once.[/b]
Applicants need to consider retaking 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 discussed in [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/gmat-test-expert-tips-tricks-and-advice/]prior posts[/url], preparing early and adequately for the entrance exam is critical.

“Most students take the GRE or GMAT test two or three times—and that’s fine,” says [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/anthony-test-prep/]Anthony Ritz[/url], SBC’s Director of Test Prep. “Schools will take your highest score, and you can even [url=https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat-exam/scores#:~:text=After%20the%20exam%2C%20you'll,the%20completion%20of%20your%20exam.]cancel a bad GMAT score[/url] without a trace if you want total reassurance that it won’t count against you.”

Each year, we hear of that miracle case where someone gets into HBS with a 650 on the GMAT. Keep in mind that that person’s profile was likely so extraordinary in every other way that it offset the low score.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/studying-hard.jpg[/img]

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.

[b]3. You’re rushing to get all of your materials together.[/b]
The golden rule in MBA admissions is to 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 vital extracurricular interests that the admissions committee loves to see.

[b]Listen to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-104-the-importance-of-extracurriculars-and-community-service/]B-Schooled Podcast Episode #104[/url]: The Importance of Extracurriculars and Community Service[/b]

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.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-kelvin-valerio-810775-734x489.jpg[/img]

Take a breather, get your materials together thoughtfully, and wait for round one deadlines. This extra time will allow you to approach the application more strategically and undoubtedly yield a more positive outcome than a sloppy last-round application.

Finally, if you decide to submit an MBA application in round three, be sure to have a Plan B if 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.

***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/ashley/]Learn More[/url]

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/pauline/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/geri/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/laura-h/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/andrea/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/jennifer/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/erin-k/]Learn More[/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#our-team]×[/url]

Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

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The post [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/3-signs-you-shouldnt-apply-to-business-school-in-round-3/]Three Signs You Shouldn’t Submit an MBA Application in Round Three[/url] appeared first on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com]Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting[/url].
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B-Schooled Podcast Episode #199: Be Authentic, Be Bold and Have a Soli [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: B-Schooled Podcast Episode #199: Be Authentic, Be Bold and Have a Solid Plan (Part 3 of 3)


For the past two years, our B-Schooled co-host Chandler has ended each of his podcasts with the same nine words: “Be authentic, be brave, and have a solid plan.”

In the first segment of this series, Chandler talked about WHERE YOU ARE NOW as an applicant and what you have learned thus far in life. The second segment then covered how to articulate bold goals for where you ultimately WANT TO BE.

In this critical third segment, we connect the dots by discussing how to GET FROM HERE TO THERE in ways that are specific, tangible, and—perhaps most importantly—realistic.

In this episode, Chandler discusses how to:

• Articulate what you want to get out of your MBA experience,

• Describe your short and long-term career goals,

• Detail the career stepping stones connecting your MBA experience to your ultimate career objective,

• Identify and describe your own “career exemplar,” and

• Pressure test your career plan with an industry expert.

Chandler closes the episode by pointing listeners to a range of other free SBC resources for those interested in additional career planning support.

This B-Schooled episode can be found here, or take a listen on any of the major podcast platforms below.

B-Schooled is available on most major podcast apps, including:
Apple Podcasts

Spotify

TuneIn

Please be sure to subscribe to B-Schooled so that you don’t miss a thing. Also, if there’s something you’d like for us to cover in a future episode, please email podcast@stacyblackman.com. We’d love to hear from you!

The post B-Schooled Podcast Episode #199: Be Authentic, Be Bold and Have a Solid Plan (Part 3 of 3) appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.
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Sage Advice for Darden MBA Applicants [#permalink]
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FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Sage Advice for Darden MBA Applicants
[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/UVA-Darden-School-of-Business-734x475.jpg[/img]

Is the highly ranked UVA Darden School of Business on your MBA shortlist? Then don’t sleep on today’s post with advice for Darden MBA applicants. As regular readers know, Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former AdCom officers from all the top programs—including Darden. So, we’re tapping [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/marc-paulo-mpg/]SBC consultant Marc Paulo[/url]—aka MPG—for insights gleaned during his three-year stint as Darden’s Associate Director of Admissions focused on diversity recruitment. 

MPG evaluated applications from domestic and international candidates in the full-time MBA and deferred admissions programs. He also conducted interviews and coached waitlisted applicants on maximizing their admission chances or navigating the re-application process.

At Darden, MPG oversaw diversity recruitment efforts of underrepresented racial and ethnic communities, LGBTQ, and applicants based out of Africa. He was Darden’s liaison to the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM), Reaching Out for MBA (ROMBA) LGBTQ program, and other diversity pipeline programs focused on Black, Hispanic, and Native/Indigenous communities.

Future Darden MBA applicants, read on for this insider perspective MPG originally shared on the [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/b-schooled-podcast-episode-115-spotlight-on-darden/]B-Schooled[/url] podcast!

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/1280px-Darden_School_courtyard_UVa-734x489.jpg[/img]

Questions and answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

What makes UVA Darden unique?
[b]MPG:[/b] It’s the amazing combination of several things, particularly the distinct way of learning via the case method from our top-ranked faculty and our ideal location within the beautiful UVA campus in Central Virginia. Then there’s our strong career development resources and the impressive placement in starting salary statistics. Combining all these things makes it a great choice to spend two years.

One cool thing that happened in 2017 is that a generous donor established the [url=https://www.darden.virginia.edu/mba/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships/darden-worldwide-scholarship-program]Batten Worldwide Scholarship[/url]. It gives all students the financial ability to take one global course for almost free or fully paid. The courses range from typical immersion courses, which are nine-to-10-day international experiences led by a faculty member around a topic or a set of industries for which the location is known.

Other eligible experiences include exchange programs where you can go to another global business school for two to three months and global consulting and client-based programs.

Are you curious about your chances of getting into a top MBA program? Contact us to talk strategy with a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] with an SBC Principal Consultant.

Are there any misconceptions about Darden that MBA applicants should know about?
[b]MPG:[/b] Because Darden is in a smaller-sized city in the heart of Central Virginia, applicants might assume that we don’t send our students to bigger cities—or even certain industries or companies. Over 30% of our students are placed in the Northeast in cities like New York and Boston, and many want to stay in the Mid-Atlantic area. About a fifth of our students end up moving just two hours north to the DC metro area. However, more and more students go west each year to the Bay Area, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

Another misconception is that due to our case method learning style, people think our students only do well in consulting. Our case method prepares all the students in any industry. While a majority of our students do place well in consulting firms, a quarter go to top banks and financial service companies, and more than a fifth land in top tech firms.

Additionally, many students take advantage of the resources from our Batten Institute, which focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation, regardless of their career pursuits and specialties. Many of them pursue their entrepreneurial endeavors as either their primary focus or in addition to their other passions.

And then lastly, in terms of salary, Darden is often in the top five for starting salaries and bonuses. The school reported a record-breaking $167,899 [url=https://www.darden.virginia.edu/mba/career-support/employment-report]starting salary for the class of 2023[/url]. And then that’s before bonuses, which were over $37,000.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Darden_School-from-Wikimedia-Commons-1-734x489.jpg[/img]

What do Darden students do outside of class?
[b]MPG: [/b]Our students are part of a very tight-knit community that revolves around the case method and our student life experiences. The class week goes from Monday through Thursday, so students typically spend Monday through Wednesday nights prepping for their cases within their case teams. In between those classes and case prep, students participate in more than 50 clubs and organizations ranging from cultural organizations, career, volunteer, and social justice work, pro bono consulting, and sports entertainment.

Every Thursday night, student organizations take turns hosting a happy hour. These are colloquially termed “cold calls,” which is a play on something we both love and despise—the dreaded cold call—typical in our case discussions.

 Also, on any given week, there is a theme or cultural celebration. For example, our Pride at Darden club hosted the annual drag show for our Love is Love pride celebration. The whole Darden community celebrates the LGBTQ community.

One of our most significant customs is the community created within your class section and the competition among them. Each student is placed in a section, much like a house at Hogwarts, of which there are five. You experience all your core classes in this section and get to know your section mates exceptionally well. Many section pride events and competitions, including sports, talent shows, and other festivities, make up what we call the Darden Cup. To this day, alumni will rep their section many years later.

[youtube2]p>

Is someone doomed if they had an off day and feel like they bombed their interview?
[b]MPG:[/b] This is a tough question because we rely on the interview to bring your personality, goals, and passions to life. The admissions officers and students will do their absolute best to bring the best out of you through the interview, even at what you might think is your worst. They can sense genuine interest in your answers and true potential from what you share and don’t share.

Then, separately, the interview is just one of many interactions the team gauges from. Other interactions from which the AdCom and the students may draw observations include when you visit campus, some coffee chats within your hometown, having one-on-one conversations on the phone or Zoom, email communications, and other connection points to paint a larger and more accurate picture of who you are and what you can bring to the community.

How does the Darden admissions committee ultimately pull together its class?
[b]MPG:[/b] At Darden, each application gets a human read. Usually, more than one person reads it before it moves to the no pile or interview pile. Then, after the interview, your application gets one to two more reads before it gets to the admissions committee, where they make a group decision and where the admissions executive director oversees a process to make final decisions.

They want to ensure they have read each nook and cranny of the application, interview writeup, and all the notes from all interactions they’ve had with you. At the admissions committee meetings, the AdCom weighs every piece of information they have and every point of contact. These decisions are hard as they ensure the class is diverse and well-rounded.

While I was at admissions, we said no to perfect test scores and perfect grades but an average interview in favor of someone with slightly below average test scores and grades but a stellar storyteller who we thought would work hard to succeed since we know that we have the support systems and the resources to help them succeed at Darden. We define merit not only by how you perform in school and at work but also by how you perform in the interview and your interactions throughout the process.

[img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/nils-huenerfuerst-5AzkQNzwm_g-unsplash-1500x1000.jpg[/img]

Finally, what advice would you give to Darden MBA applicants applying this year?
[b]MPG: [/b]Don’t have the application submission as your first contact point with Darden! Start joining their coffee chats or virtual and in-person events. The more you engage, the more you learn about the program, and the better you can talk about how you add to it in your interactions and your interview. And simultaneously, the more the admissions community learns about you.

Also, connect with student ambassadors, faculty, and staff, and take stock of how you present your academic and work information. The AdCom is trying to gauge whether you are academically and intellectually prepared for the program from you, your test scores and grades, and your jobs and internships. If you believe you have below-average scores or grades, take steps to provide alternative information points to showcase your strengths.

Did you know that SBC offers best-in-class test prep? [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/testprep/]Learn more about our Test Prep Services[/url]

If you took the GMAT and got a low score, retake it. Consider taking the GRE as well to see how you would do there. If you have minimal quantitative coursework or a lower GPA, consider supplementing it with a quantitative class online or an accounting course from your local community college.

You don’t have to have already completed these courses when you apply. It’s great to know that you’re on your way to completing them as you navigate the application process. So, keep in touch with the AdCom when you complete it, especially to show your progress or even your final grade.

Thank you, MPG, for sharing these tips for Darden MBA applicants and your thoughts on what makes this coveted program so special! For more information on applying, please visit the [url=https://www.darden.virginia.edu/mba/admissions]Darden School of Business online[/url].
***

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/comprehensive-services/]All-In Partnership[/url] and [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/mba-interview-prep-coaching/]Interview Prep[/url] to [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/hourly/]hourly help[/url] with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/]free 15-minute advising session[/url] to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/about/mba-admissions-consulting-team/]SBC team[/url].

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41509] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-08-23-at-10.02.38-AM.png[/img] Ashley HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37267] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-04-at-7.30.19-AM.png[/img] Kerry HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolKellogg MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41714] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-11-12-at-7.14.19-AM.png[/img] Pauline Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolMBA, the Wharton School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41781] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Geri-pic.jpeg[/img] Geri HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business School [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36146] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/laura.jpeg[/img] Laura HBS Admissions Boardat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33615] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/andrea_k.jpg[/img] Andrea Director HBS Admissionsat Harvard Business SchoolHBS MBA [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36122] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Jennifer-Foster.jpeg[/img] Jennifer Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33613] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin-k.jpg[/img] Erin K. Asst Director MBA Admissionsat Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Director MBA Admissionsat Berkeley’s Haas School of Business [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-42822] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Susie-Burrus-photo.jpeg[/img] Susie Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-35390] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-02-08-at-9.08.05-AM.png[/img] Dione MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)Minority Admissions, the GSBDiversity Programs, the GSB [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-34284] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/anthony.jpeg[/img] Anthony Associate Director MBA Admissionsat the Wharton Schoolat the University of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33611] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/meghan_e.jpg[/img] Meghan Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketingat the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-36612] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Amy-Hazen.jpeg[/img] Amy Director, the Wharton Schoolat the University of PennsylvaniaProfessional Writer [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-37475] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-09-at-1.53.23-PM.png[/img] Ally Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)NYU Admissions [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-33607] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/erin_B-v2.jpg[/img] Erin B. Assistant Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS)M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania [/url]

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/#consultant-41568] [img]https://www.stacyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2022-09-14-at-12.38.38-PM.png[/img] Emma Associate Director MBA Admissionsat Columbia Business School (CBS) [/url]

Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.

During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

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Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.

Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

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Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.

Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

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Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).

In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

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Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.

Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

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Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.

In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

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Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

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Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

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Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.

Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

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Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. 

Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

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Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.  Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

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Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.

In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

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Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.

During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

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Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).

During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

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Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.

At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

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Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.

Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

[url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/consultant/emma/]Learn More[/url]

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The post [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com/blog/advice-for-darden-mba-applicants/]Sage Advice for Darden MBA Applicants[/url] appeared first on [url=https://www.stacyblackman.com]Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting[/url].
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Sage Advice for Darden MBA Applicants [#permalink]
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