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

How is it possible that we’re already at the final days of 2016? Once again, the time is upon us to make new resolutions, push ourselves to learn and grow, and rededicate ourselves to our personal and professional goals. With that in mind, we’d like to share some of our most popular blog posts from the past year, each selected to help you better prepare as you journey along the road to business school. Considering a second MBA degree?—The idea of pursuing a second MBA degree may sound strange, but it happens with a small number of applicants during every admissions season and can make sense under the right, very specific, circumstances. Avoid These 10 Pitfalls in MBA Application Essays—There are many ways to craft a stellar essay that will give the reader a better sense of who you are, but there are also several mistakes to avoid as you’re answering these required prompts. Make sure you sidestep the following pitfalls at all costs. Weigh if an MBA Makes Financial Sense—An MBA is a long-term financial investment, so here are three questions to ask when trying to decide whether going to business school makes financial sense. Choosing Among Multiple Offers of Admission—Despite the adage, “You can never have too much of a good thing,” in reality, multiple b-school acceptances can produce a lot of anxiety in candidates. Push or Pull? The Decision to Leave the Military and Pursue an MBA—There comes a time in many military lives where those that wear the uniform wonder what it’s like on the other side – the civilian side to be exact.  One of the most common routes to find out is through the pursuit of an MBA at a top-ranked graduate school of business. Turn Failure Into a Great B-School Essay—MBA applicants often freak out when faced with this common admissions essay question because they fear that showing any weakness will torpedo their admissions chances. However, at one point or another, everyone faces adversity, failure or setbacks, whether at work or in life. 3 Ways to Offset a Low GPA When Applying to Business School—Your GPA matters because it tracks your performance over four or more years and demonstrates your ability to execute in an academic environment. If you have your heart set on attending one of the best business schools in the world but worry your undergraduate GPA could harm your chances, know that you generally still have a chance. 5 Ways to Prepare for the 1st Year of Business School—Whether you’re just starting to complete applications or you are about to embark on your first days as an MBA student, here are five ways to successfully prepare for your first year of business school. 4 Bad Reasons to Skip Applying for B-School—If you really believe that going to business school is the key to unlocking a more fulfilling and lucrative professional life, then don’t sabotage that goal by letting yourself get swayed by these four bad reasons for not pursuing an MBA degree. How Important is a Campus Visit in MBA Admissions?—You might have experienced a moment of panic as you began to work on your MBA applications for Round 2. And it could have gone something like this: “Wait a second—I won’t have time to visit any schools before my materials are due! Does that put me at a disadvantage?” The answer is no. Tips to Help You Ace Every B-School Interview Format—Whether you’ve already received an interview invitation or are hoping to get an invite over the next few weeks, you want to make sure you’re prepared to do your best when the big day arrives. Making the Most of Each MBA Application Component—Certain aspects of your package, such as your GMAT/GRE score and your undergraduate GPA, are truly data points in the most literal sense of the word. But everything else should be viewed as complementary chapters of an interesting story—a story about you. *** My goal with this blog has always been to bring b-school applicants the latest news from the schools, insightful application and essay tips, and to explore major trends affecting the future of management education. Thank you so much for making us a top destination for your b-school research. I hope this resource continues to serve you well as you embark on what is definitely a life-changing, career-boosting journey. Have a wonderful holiday, and I’ll see you back here in 2017!

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Last-minute Round 2 MBA Application Tips

Over the next week, more than a dozen top MBA programs will close out their Round 2 application periods. If you are targeting one of those schools and haven’t hit “Submit” yet, here are some last-minute tips for you: Ensure your recommendation letters are in. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: you know you’ll get your materials uploaded in time, but you simply can’t be as confident about your recommenders. If you haven’t received confirmation that they’ve submitted their letters, stop everything and do what you can to help them finish this critical task. Seriously. Right now. Go call them. (Don’t email or text them—call) Give both your resume and your essays to a family member or friend to review for typos. And just typos or other errors! At this point, it’s not wise to change much about the content itself, so be clear that you are not looking for their thoughts on whether there’s a better story to use or example to discuss. Their concern should be your spelling and grammar; this isn’t the time to second-guess your overall strategy. The application itself—or, the “data form”—also needs a careful review. Here are specific things to look for before you hand it over to someone else with fresh eyes: Spelling errors, missing letters/words, stray punctuation, inconsistent or incorrect punctuation. There’s no spell-check feature in most applications, and if you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to make a mistake. Consistency. Ensure you’ve remained consistent in everything from titles to organization names to date ranges across the data form, your resume and your essays. If something doesn’t match up across your materials, it may raise a red flag to the adcom. Redundancy. While you want to present your background consistently across each piece of your MBA application, if you simply copy and paste your resume bullets into data-form fields such as “Most significant accomplishment,” you’re wasting an opportunity to tell the adcom something new. Even if time is tight, you should be able to describe an achievement in a fresh way or give additional details that didn’t fit on your resume. Correct program name. The “optional essay” or “additional information” field in particular can be a dangerous one if you re-use the same content across applications—ensure you don’t have School X’s name in School Y’s materials. Best of luck getting everything in! Think of it this way:               Happy New Year! Don’t miss Stacy’s 2016 year in review! ***Do you want to stay on top of the application process with timely tips like these? Please subscribe to our weekly newsletter and you’ll receive our expert advice straight in your mailbox before it appears on the blog, plus special offers, promotions, discounts, invitations to events, and more.

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Ask the AdCom: Who are Some Famous Graduates of Your Program?

Hey everybody! We’re back with another installment of “Ask the AdCom,” where we share a wide range of tips, trivia, and advice from admissions team members from a dozen top business schools. Since AdCom members are human, too, we know our readers will enjoy seeing  a different side of what makes these guys tick. This fun space is not really about the application process but more about real-life topics, like what’s a good book to read, best place to study, where you can find a killer meal near campus, and all the fun stuff happening at b-school that creates those lifelong, cherished memories for MBA students. We hope you become inspired, too! Blake Mycoskie, founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes Today’s question is: Who are your famous alums? John Roeder, Assistant Dean of Graduate Admissions at SMU Cox School of Business:  Lamar Hunt, founder of the American Football League and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs Gerald J. Ford, Dallas-based billionaire Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes Ray Hunt, founder and CEO of Hunt Oil Company Thomas Horton, Chairman of AMR and American Airlines Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of MBA Admissions at Georgetown McDonough School of Business: Guy Adami (B ’86), original member of CNBC’s “Fast Money” team Michael Chasen (MBA ’95), president and CEO of Social Radar, cofounder and former CEO of Blackboard (and a member of Georgetown’s Board of Directors) Jim Gaffigan (B ’88), stand-up comedian and actor Ted Leonsis (C ’77), chairman and CEO of Monumental Sports and Entertainment (owner of the Washington Wizards, Capitals, Mystics and the Verizon Center) and vice chairman emeritus of AOL (and chair of the board for Georgetown’s Entrepreneurship Initiative) Ann Sarnoff (B ’83), president of BBC Worldwide North America (and vice chair of the McDonough School of Business Board of Advisors). Maria Shriver (C ’77), NBC News anchor, former first lady of California. Lawrence Tosi (B ’90, L/MBA ’94), CFO of Airbnb, former CFO of The Blackstone Group (and a member of Georgetown’s Board of Directors)  Kelly R. Wilson, Executive Director of Admissions at CMU Tepper School of Business: David Tepper, Appaloosa Management James Swartz, Accel Partners Eric Butler, Union Pacific David Coulter, Warburg Pincus Brian Olsavsky, Amazon Cindy Padnos, Illuminate Ventures Keith Law, ESPN … and don’t forget famous Carnegie Mellon University alums such as artist Andy Warhol, actor Holly Hunter, “Last Lecture” author Randy Pausch, the late astronaut Judith Resnik and director George Romero. Morgan Bernstein, Executive Director of Full-Time MBA Admissions at UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business: Paul Otellini, MBA 84, former CEO of Intel Shantanu Narayen, MBA 93, CEO of Adobe Barbara Desoer, MBA 77, CEO of Citibank Don Fisher, BS 51, founder of The Gap Alex Lawrence, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions at UCLA Anderson School of Management: Susan Wojcicki, MBA 98, CEO of YouTube Larry Fink, MBA 74, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Blackrock Bill Gross MBA 71, co-founder PIMCO Judi Byers, Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management: Ken Derr MBA ’60, retired Chairman and CEO, Chevron Corporation Michael Chen, MBA ’85, CEO, Chen & Associates. Former President, Strategic Initiatives Group, NBC Daniel Hesse, MBA ’77, former President & CEO, Sprint Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54, United States Supreme Court Justice Abby Joseph Cohen ’73, President of the Global Markets Institute, Goldman Sachs & Co. Virginie Fougea, Associate Director of Admissions  at INSEAD:  Tidjane Thiam, MBA ’88J, CEO Credit Suisse Barbara Kux, MBA ’84J, Board member of Total and Henkel and one of Fortune’s “most powerful women in business” Henry Engelhardt, MBA ’88J Admiral Insurance co-founder Grita Loebsack, MBA ’95D,  CEO of Kering Luxury – Couture & Leather Goods Carole Ramella, MBA ’06D, Founder & Managing Director, GFA Consulting Ltd, a company based in Ghana that helps African businesses raise funds. Philippe Houzé, MBA ’74, President of Galeries Lafayette Look out for the #AskAdCom in our social media channels, and we’ll keep you posted when we check in again to Ask the AdCom about even more interesting, unusual and inspiring happenings at their MBA programs. **** Make 2017 the year you achieve your most ambitious professional goals! Take the first step by signing up for a completely free consultation with one of our all-star advisors. We can answer questions, provide advice and help set you up to make your MBA dreams come true in 2017. Sign up today at: www.stacyblackman.com/contact Image via Flickr user Andy Sternberg, (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: CBS Professor Offers 5 Tips to Boost Your Confidence

Multiple times every day, people in homes and offices across the country are faced with a daunting decision: do I speak up and risk being penalized by or embarrassed in front of my friends, family, colleagues, or superiors; or do I remain silent, refrain from influencing a conversation or decision, and go unnoticed? In a new TED Talk titled “How to Speak up for Yourself,” Columbia Business School professor and negotiations expert Adam Galinsky offers viewers an answer to this time-weathered dilemma. Through vivid and real-world examples, Galinsky offers viewers five steps to follow to increase their power, overcome insecurity, and boost their assertiveness in public settings. “Each of us has something called a range of acceptable behavior. When we stay within this range we are rewarded; when we step outside of this range we are punished by being dismissed, demeaned, or ostracized,” says Galinsky, the Vikram S. Pandit Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. “To speak up, we need to both understand our range and also learn how and when to expand it. The key thing that determines that range more than anything else: your power.” Galinsky provides a series of five tools that can be used to help increase power and improve assertiveness. Advocate for others (aka, the “Mama Bear Effect”). Advocating for others is easier than advocating for oneself. Thus, people can speak up and use behaviors that traditionally fall outside their range of acceptable behavior. Doing so helps people not only begin to understand their own ranges but also know how to expand them. Perspective-Taking.  Although this may sound easy, Galinsky calls perspective-taking one of the hardest – but most important – tools people have for better understanding and expanding their ranges of acceptable behavior. Research by Galinsky and others show that by better understanding what someone else really wants, that person is more likely to give you what you really want.Signal flexibility.  The most effective way to signal flexibility is by giving people a choice.  Providing people with a range of options and/or alternatives lowers their defenses and makes them more receptive to your point of view. Galinsky notes that this tool can work in a variety of situations, from selling a product to parenting a child.Gain allies.  People feel most comfortable when they have social support in an audience.  Galinsky advises that two easy ways a person can build allies are to be an advocate for others (see number one) and to ask people for their advice.Display expertise and show passion.  Displaying expertise garners confidence from others, which in turn increases one’s power and expands one’s range of acceptable behavior. Audiences grant greater permission for people to speak up when they display passion for a topic. “Speaking up can be risky, but these tools will help lower your risk,” says Galinsky. “Whether you’re offering advice to a family member or friend, or deciding whether to confront your employer about a pertinent issue at work, these steps will help increase your confidence, elevate your power, and improve your assertiveness by expanding your range of acceptable behavior.” Image credit: Flickr user Equipe Integrada (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Show Me the Money: Highest Paying Consulting Firms for New MBAs

As you know, consulting is a top industry of interest at business schools around the globe. Few career paths can match consulting when it comes to providing exposure to a wide variety of projects, geographical areas, company cultures…and then there’s the handsome compensation package to boot. How handsome, you might ask? A recent article in BusinessInsider lists the highest paying consulting firms for newly minted MBA graduates using data supplied by Management Consulted, a company that helps candidates land consulting jobs. To determine the top salaries earned by graduates in their first year out of b-school, Management Consulted pored over data from clients, spoke with industry insiders, and reviewed real offer letters from readers. The Top Ten Highest Paying Consulting Firms 10. Strategy& Total compensation: up to $204,900 Signing bonus:$25,000 Base: $152,000 Relocation:up to $3,000 Performance bonus: up to $24,900 9. KPMG Total compensation: up to $205,000 Signing bonus: $35,000 Base: $140,000 Relocation: up to $5,000 Performance bonus: up to $25,000 8. EY Total compensation: up to $206,700 Signing bonus: $25,000 Base: $145,000 Relocation: up to $5,000 Performance bonus: up to $31,700 7. Bain & Company Total compensation: up to $215,000 Signing bonus:25,000 Base: $148,000 Relocation: up to $5,000 Performance bonus: up to $37,000 6. Parthenon-EY Total compensation: up to $216,000 Signing bonus: $35,000 Base: $170,000 Relocation: up to $2,000 Performance bonus: up to $9,000 5. Deloitte Total compensation: up to $221,250 Signing bonus:$25,000 Base: $149,000 Relocation: up to $2,500 if local; $10,000 otherwise Performance bonus: up to $37,250 4. McKinsey & Company Total compensation: up to $221,500 Signing bonus: $25,000 Base: $152,500 Relocation: $2,000 to $9,000 Performance bonus: up to $35,000 3. Accenture Strategy Total compensation: up to $224,900 Signing bonus: $25,000 Base: $147,500 Relocation: up to $8,000 Performance bonus: up to $44,400 2. A.T. Kearney Total compensation: up to $226,100 Signing bonus: $25,000 Base: $147,000 Relocation: up to $10,000 Performance bonus: up to $44,100 1. Boston Consulting Group Total compensation: up to $229,100 Signing bonus: $30,000 Base: $147,000 Relocation: $2,000 to $8,000 Performance bonus: up to $44,100 According to Management Consulted, after working in the firm for over a year, one can typically expect a 12-20% increase in total cash (base + performance bonus). After working 2-3 years in a consulting firm, one either leaves the consulting firm or is promoted. “Consulting salaries have been bullish for the past several years and the trend has continued into 2017,” Management Consulted concludes.

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Words Can Change the World

If you have an upcoming interview, take YOUR first step in interview prep with one of SBC’s interview packages. Purchase today, January 16th, and receive two free interview guides of your choice. Simply forward purchase receipt to MLK@StacyBlackman.com and specify your two guides. www.StacyBlackman.com/interview-prep.

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Upcoming Video Interview? Add Lots of Practice to Your “To Do” List

If you have an upcoming video interview for schools including INSEAD, Yale SOM, Michigan Ross or Wharton, PRACTICE is essential to success. This awkward format requires you to think on your feet and record your answer to a question (or questions) while speaking into your computer screen. It’s a new format for many and one that requires some rehearsal in order to become comfortable conversing with a computer screen! Stacy Blackman Consulting has an online video platform that grants you unlimited practice doing exactly this. You can answer from a wide menu of questions, record yourself, watch and assess, tweak and try again. Invest 30 minutes a night and reap the benefits of increased comfort level and more articulate answers when you have your live interview. You can even choose an interview to submit to the SBC team for review and professional written feedback. Set yourself up for success with this small investment and rock your video interviews! Purchase your package here today.

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: 11 New Courses at Kellogg School Address Global Business Issues

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management launched 11 new courses for the 2016-17 academic year, with topics that range from the business of social impact to leading startups to the human-machine partnerships of the future. “With increasingly complex problems facing our rapidly changing business environment, curriculum innovation in the MBA program is key,” says Therese McGuire, Senior Associate Dean of Curriculum and Teaching. “As we train the future business leaders of the world, it’s critical to create new courses that foster innovation and take our students to the forefront of knowledge in their respective areas.” Here’s a glimpse of what the new course offerings, which incorporate applied learning applications and guest speakers, include: Human and Machine Intelligence (Adam Pah, Spring 2017) Human and Machine Intelligence delves into new research findings on artificial intelligence and the applications for modern business leaders. Using sophisticated AI programs like IBM’s Deep Blue and Google’s AlphaGo, this course will develop students’ data science skills and teach them to apply “human+machine thought partnerships” to grow businesses. “While there are many examples of machines outperforming humans at some tasks, its less clear when machines can augment human decision-making and creativity,” says Adam Pah, Clinical Assistant Professor of Management & Organizations. “We will focus on how students can leverage machine intelligence, while discussing the possibility and limitations of machine-learning to enhance their output and performance beyond a human or machine alone.” Launching and Leading Startups (Brad Morehead, Winter 2017; Carter Cast, Spring 2017) Launching and Leading Startups examines some of the most challenging and pervasive problems faced by entrepreneurial CEOs – including evaluating markets, developing products, mitigating risk, and creating effective go-to-market strategies while leading teams and managing boards from the CEO “hot seat.” “Our Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative leadership team realized there was an opportunity to offer a broad survey course for innovative, entrepreneurially-minded students who want to gain exposure to entrepreneurship,” said Carter Cast, Clinical Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. “This will be a good class for students who are curious about entrepreneurship and who think they may pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor in the near future, whether through starting their own business, acquiring a business or joining an early-stage startup.” Business of Social Change (Megan Kashner, Winter 2017) Business of Social Change studies a singular social issue to help students understand the causes, measurement, levers and outcomes inherent to the business of social change work. With this term’s focus on uneducated and unemployed American youths, students will hear from guest speakers including policy experts, large-scale employers of youth, impact measurement experts and experts on labor, detention and workforce development. “We’ve added this new course to provide students with the foundational tools and approaches to follow a social or sustainability challenge from etiology to measurement to levers for change and impact,” says Megan Kashner, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Kellogg Public-Private Interface. “Students will complete this course with the skills to determine the roots of a problem and the paths to large-scale and market-driven change.” Consumers, Culture and Leadership (Greg Carpenter, Fall 2016) Consumers, Culture and Leadership explores how firms develop a deep understanding of customers, how leaders can create more agile, innovative organizations and how leaders can create new markets, redefine existing ones and deliver value to demanding buyers. “Much of the thinking behind customer centricity was developed at Kellogg and remains central to our distinctive approach,” says Greg Carpenter, James Farley/Booz Allen Hamilton Professor of Marketing Strategy. “The timing seems right to offer a new course to more formally explore the rising influence of consumers, how organizations are transforming their culture to focus more on consumers, and successful leadership models for customer-centric firms.” Other new courses for the 2016-2017 academic year include: Accounting: Global Financial Management and Reporting, Mark Finn, Spring 2017 Finance: Capital Markets, Phillip Braun, Fall 2016; Ian Dew-Becker, Winter 2017 Health Enterprise Management: Health Analytics, Eric Barrette, Spring 2017 Kellogg Public-Private Interface: Sustainability Across The Enterprise, Klaus Weber, Spring 2017 Managerial Economics: Thought Leadership Seminar: Issues in Developing Countries, Nancy Qian, Fall 2016 Marketing: Mastering Marketing Technologies, Jonathan Copulsky, Winter 2017 Marketing: Digital Marketing Strategy, Garrett Adam Johnson, Spring 2017 As the Kellogg School of Management continues to roll out new courses such as these, which emerged from cross-disciplinary strategic initiatives and academic departments, the school  appears to be making good on its intentions to educate brave leaders and prepare its students to meet the real-world business challenges of tomorrow.

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: 5 Times it Makes Sense to Apply to Only One MBA Program

This post originally appeared on Stacy’s “Strictly Business” MBA Blog on U.S.News. While the majority of applicants target four to six MBA programs, deciding how many business schools to apply to is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Some candidates decide to focus all of their energies on a single business school. The reasons range from the personal to the professional to the financial, and believe or not, this single-minded approach can pay off and actually increase your chances of getting in. Here you’ll find five scenarios where putting all of your eggs in one basket is a perfectly valid decision. Location-specific requirements: Most applicants take location into consideration when coming up with their school list. Sometimes candidates prefer an urban environment over rural or warm climate versus cold. Often the location preference is industry-specific, such as applicants keen on finance who look exclusively at schools in or near New York City. If you need to remain in your current region, or want to live in a specific city, you may have only one desirable MBA option available. Or, if you have the needs of a spouse or children to consider, you’ll likely search for a way to attend business school without uprooting the lives of your loved ones. The location requirement holds especially true for applicants considering part-time or evening MBA programs who plan to continue working while they earn their degree. When we first met Olivia, she was living in Los Angeles and married with a small baby. She could not entertain the possibility of moving her family or planning extended time away for two years, and the only local school she wanted was UCLA Anderson School of Management. Olivia poured her heart into the Anderson application and once admitted, managed to juggle the demands of home and school like a champ. It was chaotic, but by staying local she minimized the upheaval and had the support of her family during this hectic and rewarding time. Company sponsorship: If you are one of the lucky ones who will attend business school on your company’s dime, you may have to contend with the caveat that they will only sponsor a particular MBA program, or only a part-time program. If you plan to stay at the organization long-term, you might view the limitation on where you can earn that MBA degree educational subsidy is probably worth. Highly specific career goals: The one-application approach can make sense for a person who has a very particular career path–say, healthcare, technology, real estate, etc. You might be very interested in a specific program offered by one school, or a teaching method, or a set of professors. If you can determine which MBA program will likely connect you with the company you want to work for, and if that company only recruits at one program, then there’s probably only one place you really want to earn the degree. One former client, Jeremy, had a good job at a tech startup in Menlo Park. He only wanted to remain in that world – exploring other startups, networking with tech entrepreneurs and executives, and remaining looped into that scene. He also wanted to keep working a few hours a week during school. Stanford Graduate School of Business was an ambitious choice, but the only school that his heart was really in. Fortunately, the gamble paid off and he received an admission offer from this prestigious program. Joint application with partner: While this demographic makes up a small percentage of applicants, it’s a significant one. You’ll need to explicitly convey to the admissions committee that you and your partner are both applying to their program, as many schools consider couples applying together as a special case. Schools generally don’t want to break up families or relationships, so if both candidates meet admission requirements, you may have an easier shot at entry. As you try to determine which school to target, research clubs and support available to married students and find out how other applicants presented their case to the admission committee. Intuition: Some applicants have had their heart set on a single school ever since the idea of pursuing an MBA first started percolating. If you fall into this camp, you’ll have an easier time than many other applicants explaining to the admissions committee why X program truly is the only place for you. Showing how you are a good fit for the program, and proving your utter commitment to attending that school, reassures the admissions committee that you will accept an offer of admission if given the chance. The admissions committee always had yield in the back of their minds when making admissions offers, and no school likes it when accepted candidates turn them down for a competing program. As an added bonus, it’s much easier to research and prepare for a single MBA application and completely tailor it to one school, as opposed to creating several unique applications at the same time. Whatever your reasons for having a single b-school on your mind, make sure that your academic and professional profile is in line with the requirements and expectations at that particular school. This approach requires pragmatism and optimism in equal measure. Image credit: Flickr user Stefan(CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap

FROM Stacy Blackman Consulting Blog: Tips for Waitlisted MBA Applicants

If you were a Round 1 or Round 2 applicant this season, over the last several weeks you may have received great news, upsetting news or a mix of both—otherwise known as placement on the wait list. First of all, the wait list is great feedback. It means that you are qualified to attend the program, and that the school was interested in your application and your profile. Unfortunately, it was a competitive year and they couldn’t offer you a solid place in the class. For most applicants, the wait list is a tough place to be. Will I get in? There is almost no way to know if you will be admitted off the wait list. It certainly does happen, often, yet you have little information about the ranking of the wait list, how many people are on the wait list, or whether the school will reach the yield they are looking for with regular applicants. Therefore, being on the wait list means a certain comfort with ambiguity. Hopefully you were admitted to another school and can decide whether to remain in limbo or not. Should I stay on the wait list? The decision to stay on the wait list depends on your interest level in the MBA program you have been waitlisted for. If it is your top choice, you may be willing to remain on the list until school begins, especially if you are willing to move quickly and give up a deposit on a school that has offered you firm admission. If the wait-listing program is not your first choice, or you would like to settle your MBA plans before school starts, you may choose to remove your name from the list. It is a great service to another applicant if you do so promptly, allowing someone else a chance at their MBA dream. Can I improve my chances of admission from the wait list? You may be able to improve your chances. The number one rule of wait lists is to follow directions. The school provided you with instructions about how to handle the wait list process, and you must follow these directions to avoid having a negative impact on your standing with the admissions committee. If the school tells you that no additional materials are required, no additional materials are required, and you should not submit any under any circumstances. If the MBA program does provide the option of submitting additional materials, apply consistent application strategy to the task. The AdCom may welcome letters of recommendation, improved GMAT scores or additional essays/letters from you. Carefully consider your strengths and weaknesses and what may be most beneficial in your situation. When should I submit an additional letter? If you have recently been promoted at work, have accomplished a personal goal, or have completed an academic class with a strong grade, it may be worth writing a letter to update the admissions committee with your news. Keep your  letter factual, and do not repeat information that was already included in your original application. Can I submit supplemental recommendations? A supplemental recommendation may add information about you to strengthen your position on the wait list. If you have been involved in an extracurricular activity, know someone associated with the school, or can use a letter to strengthen a part of your application, the letter may be the right direction to proceed in. Make sure your additional recommendation is brief, focused and adds significant additional information to your overall profile. What about updated GMAT scores/transcripts? Factual information like improved GMAT scores or transcripts from successful business related classes could go a long way towards bolstering your chances. While the wait list may be frustrating, it’s a positive indication for your application and you may be fortunate enough to receive final admission from your chosen program. Good luck!

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Stacy Blackman | Stacy Blackman Consulting Inc | http://www.StacyBlackman.com | +1 323.934.3936
MBA blogger, US News and Author, The MBA Application Roadmap