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12 Jul 2015, 08:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: GMAT Impact: Getting the 80/80 |
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With regard to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this blog series, Manhattan Prep’s Stacey Koprince teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense. What is “the 80/80”? All schools look at your overall three-digit GMAT score (the one given on the 200–800 scale). In addition, a few of the very top business schools, such as Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton, look for the 80/80: an 80th percentile score or higher on the individual quant and verbal subsections. Essentially, if someone hits a 700 but does so by scoring 99th percentile in one subsection and only 60-something in the other, the schools might be concerned about the lower-scoring area. From their point of view, an “80/80” minimum ensures that you have got a solid base in both quant and verbal.  What if I score in the 75th percentile? The 80/80 guidelines are just that—guidelines. The schools do not use these parameters as a hard cutoff. In other words, a score in the 70s is generally fine, as long as the overall score is also within a school’s desired target range. If, on the other hand, the overall score is a bit low, the GPA is a bit low and one or both of the GMAT subscores are low … well, you still might get in, but your job just became a lot harder. What if I score in the 60s? Unless there is something else that is stellar in your profile and can therefore offset this lower score, the 80/80 schools will likely be concerned about a quant or verbal percentile in the 60s—particularly so for quant. For verbal, they have a whole host of other tools with which to assess your communication skills, starting with your essays. A 60s (or lower) quant score, though, could indicate that you will have trouble handling the quantitative portions of the MBA curriculum. You might be able to offset this concern if you can demonstrate that your current job involves significant quantitative components; make sure that your recommendations highlight your quant skills. Alternatively, perhaps you excelled in quant-focused classes in school (calculus, accounting, physics, statistics) and your transcripts show A grades. If not, then something needs to be done. Two paths are possible here, and you can follow just one or both. First, the no-brainer: take the GMAT again and get a score in the 70s (or higher!). I call that a “no-brainer” in the sense that there is no question that you should try to do this. You might not succeed, though. An alternative, then, is to take a calculus or accounting class at a local university. If you do this, you must get an A; getting a B at this stage will not inspire confidence in the admissions staff. In addition, taking such a class will involve a decent amount of lead time; these classes often run over a period of two to four months, so this is not a last-minute solution. The big picture? Ideally, get the GMAT done well in advance of admissions season so that you have ample time to address unexpected or unwelcome surprises during the process. The post GMAT Impact: Getting the 80/80 appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
13 Jul 2015, 08:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Monday Morning Essay Tip: Use Parallel Construction |
Longer and more complex sentences often require parallel construction. Simply put, parallel construction ensures that any given longer sentence has a standard rhythm or construction. With parallel construction, each pronoun corresponds with another pronoun, each verb corresponds with another verb, each adjective matches with a corresponding adjective, and so on. Parallel construction can certainly be found in shorter sentences as well, and to great effect. Consider the example of Hamlet’s words “To be or not to be”—some of the most famous in the English language. Shakespeare wrote this short sentence in perfect parallel form; “to be” is matched perfectly with its corresponding negative “not to be” and is separated only by the necessary word “or.” Another short example of parallel construction from history is “I came, I saw, I conquered.” With these words, Julius Caesar spoke in perfect parallel construction—the grammatical form is a pronoun (the word “I”) followed by a verb in the past tense (“came,” “saw,” “conquered”). If we were to change that second famous phrase just a touch, the amazing quality it now has would be lost, and the phrase would become unremarkable. For example, if Caesar had said, “I came, I saw, and I became the conqueror,” he would likely not be quoted today because the rhythm would be destroyed. Keep this rule in mind for everything that you write, especially for longer sentences. More examples follow: Bad: We are successful for three key reasons: understanding our client, trying harder than our competition, and teamwork. Good: We are successful for three key reasons: understanding our client, trying harder than our competition, and working as a team. (In this example, gerunds [the words ending in “ing”] parallel each other, unlike in the previous, “bad” example.) Bad: We are in the forestry business. We sell wood to hardware stores and paper to stationery stores. Good: We are in the forestry business. We sell wood and paper. The post Monday Morning Essay Tip: Use Parallel Construction appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
14 Jul 2015, 07:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA Career Advice: Before You Leave That Job Part 2 |
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In this weekly series, “MBA Career Advice,” our friends at MBA Career Coaches will be dispensing invaluable advice to help you actively manage your career. Topics include building your network, learning from mistakes and setbacks, perfecting your written communication, and mastering even the toughest interviews. For more information or to sign up for a free career consultation, visit www.mbacareercoaches.com. Once you have culled your most important contacts and scheduled meetings with them, there are a few important things you will want to accomplish in your final conversation. Say Thank You Thank them for whatever they have done for you; Dig deep and be honest and specific. “Thanks for all your help this year,” is vague. “Of all the things you’ve done for me, you might be surprised to learn that the constructive feedback you gave me on my presentation style has had the greatest impact on me,” is vivid and real. Specific and honest acknowledgement is a great gift to the receiver. Tell Them Your Plans Let them know what you have planned for your future: Tell them what you are excited or nervous about as you look forward to Bschool. Let them know what you plan to do for your internship. Even if you are considering a few different options, talk it through with them. They will appreciate you sharing your plans with them in a frank and open way. Give the Connection a Future The easiest way to give the connection a future is to ask them for something. When you give someone the chance to contribute to you, it deepens the relationship. It’s important not to force this, but try for example:
One final tip: As we have discussed in several other posts, the more interconnected your network is, the more useful it will be for you. Give your colleagues a chance to connect you with their colleagues. Ask: “Is there anyone else you think I should meet or talk to before I go to business school?” Ask this question in the context of your future career plans – even if your plans are still undefined and you want to do more research. In our next post, we will talk about how to make use of these second degree connections before your MBA. The post MBA Career Advice: Before You Leave That Job Part 2 appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
14 Jul 2015, 11:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Mission Admission: Using Judgment on Details |
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Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday. “Should I use Calibri or Times New Roman font for my essays?” “Should I list my GPA to the third or fourth decimal place?” “I don’t have enough space to enter my full title, so should I write Vice President or VP Sales?” As candidates approach their first application deadline, small questions start to arise—questions that often require using judgment to answer. We can safely say that no one was ever kept out of Harvard Business School for listing his/her GPA to the third decimal point or for abbreviating a title. Remember, the admissions officers are not punitive. They are not mean-spirited people, reading your application and searching for reasons to reject you. So, if you have a small lingering question about your application, you can connect with the admissions office and ask someone there. Most often, they will ask you to use your judgment. As long as your broad story is compelling, the smallest details should take care of themselves. The post Mission Admission: Using Judgment on Details appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
15 Jul 2015, 08:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA News: Business Schools Hope to Recruit in Cuba |
Cuba is a buzzing topic—as relations between the United States and the Caribbean nation are normalizing, the countries’ resources are finally available to one another. One possibly surprising sector looking to take advantage of this development is business schools. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), such schools as Stanford and Wharton are throwing their nets in international waters in hopes of finding some local talent. “Wharton would be very interested in recruiting in Cuba,” Mauro Guillen, director of the Lauder Institute for Management and International Studies, told the WSJ, and he expressed hope that such a move would be feasible in a year. Despite the schools’ eagerness for Cuban MBA candidates, some obstacles remain in place. Standardized testing—such as the GMAT—is currently unavailable in the country, but exam officials are hopeful: “We’ve been looking at what it would take to deliver a test [to Cuba],” Sangeet Chowfla, president and chief executive officer of the Graduate Management Admission Council, told the WSJ. Perhaps the MBA Class of 2018 will include the first born-and-raised Cuban graduates? What do you think? Leave your comment on Business Schools Hope to Recruit in Cuba below. The post MBA News: Business Schools Hope to Recruit in Cuba appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
15 Jul 2015, 12:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Professor Profiles: Katherine Schipper, Duke University Fuqua School of Business |
Many MBA applicants feel that they are purchasing a brand when they choose an MBA program, but the educational experience you will have is what is crucial to your future, and no one will affect your education more than your professors. Each Wednesday, we profile a standout professor as identified by students. Today, we focus on Katherine Schipper from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business. Katherine Schipper is the Thomas F. Keller Professor of Business Administration at Fuqua and usually teaches the MBA program’s core accounting course, “Financial Accounting.” Schipper was editor of the Journal of Accounting Research for many years and was a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board from 2001 to 2006, before joining Fuqua. In 2007, Schipper was the first woman inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame. A second-year student we interviewed who had taken the course “Global Institutions and Environment” with Schipper (co-taught with a fellow professor) said, “She was outstanding. It was amazing to have professors of their caliber teaching the first class we experienced at Fuqua.” Another second year told us, “I was really nervous about accounting, but she made it very accessible, and even occasionally fun.” When asked which professor impressed her most, a second year we interviewed named Schipper, praising her rigor in the classroom: “She held every single person to an impeccably high standard and set the tone for graduate level expectations.” For more information about the Duke University Fuqua School of Business and 15 other top-ranked business schools, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides. The post Professor Profiles: Katherine Schipper, Duke University Fuqua School of Business appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
16 Jul 2015, 08:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Diamonds in the Rough: Ivy League Experience for a Public School Price at Rutgers |
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MBA applicants can get carried away with rankings. In this series, we profile amazing programs at business schools that are typically ranked outside the top 15. Benefiting from the prestige of its parent university, the eighth oldest university in the United States, Rutgers Business School (RBS) hosts a suite of flexible curricular options and formal concentrations that are rooted in its multidisciplinary strength. The program boasts the “same education as an Ivy League School, at a fraction of the price” on its Web site, a claim that seems substantiated by robust industry connections across several disciplines, a network of more than 33,000 alumni, and a high employment rate (93.5% employed 90 days after graduation for the Class of 2014). For those aspiring to work on Wall Street, the school offers a Master of Quantitative Finance degree that earned it a place among the “Top 10 Quant Schools in 2012,” as ranked by Advanced Trading. The post Diamonds in the Rough: Ivy League Experience for a Public School Price at Rutgers appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
16 Jul 2015, 09:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: University of Chicago Booth Essay Analysis, 2015–2016 |
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Clearly, the admissions committee at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business marches to its own beat, and this year, it has released an “essay” question like no other. We expect that the school’s “essay” prompt will flummox a lot of people (and because applicants can choose from multiple format options for their submission, we are putting the word “essay” in quotation marks). The question is an unorthodox one, but do not let this intimidate you. We will get on with our Chicago Booth essay analysis now, in hopes of ending the bewilderment… Essay 1: Chicago Booth values individuality because of what we can learn from the diverse experiences and perspectives of others. This mutual respect creates an open-minded community that supports curiosity, inspires us to think more broadly, take risks, and challenge assumptions. At Booth, community is about collaborative thinking and tapping into each other’s different viewpoints to cultivate new ideas and realize breakthrough moments every day. Using one of the photos provided, tell us how it resonates with your own viewpoint on why the Booth community is the right fit for you. Essay Guidelines
Instead, start by thinking about what you know and truly appreciate about the Chicago Booth community. If you are not profoundly aware of what the community is like, do whatever is necessary to learn about it: visit the campus, network with students and alumni, and check out the Considering Booth channel on YouTube. By deepening your understanding of the school’s community, you will naturally become much better prepared to respond meaningfully to the essay question. If you have little to no knowledge of the Chicago Booth community or understand it only in clichéd terms, whatever you write or submit will ring hollow. In discussing why the Chicago Booth community is the right one for you, you can take a very broad perspective on the concept of community—it can include class experiences, social experiences, alumni interactions, and much more. And as you share which aspects of the community resonate with you, you can (and should) by extension discuss… you! For example, if you identify “audacity” as an attribute displayed in one of the school’s provided photos and then note that audacity is a quality of the Chicago Booth community that you find appealing, you would then be wise to reference your own audaciousness. Do not merely identify an attribute in a photo and riff on your accomplishments for a thousand words; instead, really get to the heart of how you exhibit a specific characteristic, and reveal how it would manifest in experiences you anticipate having as a Chicago Booth student. In crafting this “essay” submission (whatever format you choose), be sure to simultaneously show a very deep awareness and understanding of both yourself and the institution. Do not worry that your themes might seem clichéd; if you truly own your experiences and provide sufficient detail in showcasing them, your central messages will come across as genuine. For instance, “thinking globally” might be a challenging concept to “own,” but if you truly exhibit this perspective in a way that defines who you are, then as long as you can demonstrate and authenticate that mind-set, any semblance of cliché should slip away. We offer no recommendation with respect to whether a written essay, a PowerPoint presentation, or any other format is “best” in this case. Opportunities are certainly available in both traditional and creative approaches, depending on where your strengths lie. We do, however, recommend that if you choose to write an essay, you limit yourself to no more than a thousand words. Reapplicant Essay: Upon reflection, how has your perspective regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (300 words maximum) With this essay question, Chicago Booth is testing your resolve and your reasoning. We surmise that the school wants to be certain you are not just stubbornly following a path and trying to “finish what you started,” so to speak, but that you have truly reassessed your needs in the aftermath of your unfortunate rejection. We recommend that you discuss your subsequent growth and development as they pertain to additional personal and professional discovery, which validates your need for an MBA. In the interim, some of your interests or goals may have changed—that is not a bad thing, and the admissions committee will not automatically assume that you are “wishy-washy,” unless you give them good reason to do so. Just be sure that any of your goals that have changed still logically connect to your overall story and desire for an MBA. Your aspirations—new or original—need to represent a compelling progression of the growth you have achieved in the past year. The post University of Chicago Booth Essay Analysis, 2015–2016 appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
16 Jul 2015, 12:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Beyond the MBA Classroom: Perform at a UCLA Anderson Lit Club |
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When you select an MBA program, you are not just choosing your learning environment but are also committing to becoming part of a community. Each Thursday, we offer a window into life “beyond the MBA classroom” at a top business school. This week, we introduce you the UCLA Anderson Lit Club. Each Wednesday night, students from the UCLA Anderson School of Management get together at a different bar near campus for drinks and student performances as part of “Lit Club,” short for “Literary Club.” The name is ironic, because the student performances are not actually literary but rather are short, tongue-in-cheek readings. According to an Anderson alumnus, the readings—written and delivered by students known as “librarians”—usually cover funny events that took place at Anderson during the week and are sometimes accompanied by a slide show. For in-depth descriptions of social and community activities at UCLA Anderson and 15 other top MBA programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides. The post Beyond the MBA Classroom: Perform at a UCLA Anderson Lit Club appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
17 Jul 2015, 07:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Duke University Fuqua School of Business Essay Analysis, 2015–2016 |
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Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business essay questions are the same as last year, but in many ways, the kinds of essays the school is requesting of its applicants hearken back to years ago, when candidates were given the opportunity to provide a broad picture of themselves. Fuqua starts by posing a few traditional goals questions, finishes by offering applicants a choice of two questions about their personal connection to the school, and in the middle, presents its rather unique “25 Random Things” question—which is, in our opinion, one of the most generous opportunities offered by any admissions committee to well-rounded and qualified applicants. After submitting a Fuqua application, no one should feel as though he/she did not have sufficient occasion to provide a comprehensive overview of his/her values, experiences, and accomplishments. Our full analysis of Fuqua’s essay questions follows… Required Short Answer Questions: Answer all 3 of the following questions. For each short answer question, respond in 500 characters only (the equivalent of about 100 words).
Because personal statements are similar from one application to the next, we have produced the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide, which helps applicants write this style of essay for any school. We offer this guide to candidates free of charge. Please feel free to download your copy today. Essay 1 (required): 25 Random Things About Yourself Answer the following question—present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be only a few words, while others may be longer. Your complete list should not exceed 2 pages.
Be prepared to have fun creating this list for your Fuqua application, but before you start scribbling down your 25 random things, take some time to brainstorm. You cannot simply draft a list of “typical” accomplishments—remember, the school is asking for a random list, and keep in mind that your reader should learn more about you as an individual through this list. Make sure that each piece of information you provide gives the admissions committee a new window into your personality, into what really makes you tick and makes you you. Most important, make sure that you own all the points on your list—that your list is truly yours. For example, a statement such as “I love Goodfellas and have watched it eight times” could easily apply to many applicants—therefore, it would not be truly yours. However, if you were to instead write, “At least once a year, my friends and I put on dark suits and don’t so much watch Goodfellas as recite it together line-for-line,” you would present an experience that is undoubtedly yours, because few other candidates would be likely to say this same thing about themselves. Although the admissions committee does not want you to rehash your professional and academic accomplishments in this list, and you should certainly avoid listing anything that already appears elsewhere in your application, you can of course still include moments that occurred in these spheres. Use detail and a narrative style (but keep things brief!) to give these elements life and ensure that they are personal. For example, rather than saying that you “won a creative thinking award for implementing an innovative training solution,” you might write that you “once won an award for instructing trainees to flip their desks upside down and face what was previously the back of the room—thereby creating an exercise to introduce new hires to the concept and value of new perspectives.” Essay 2 (required; choose 1 of 2): Choose only 1 of the following 2 essay questions to answer. Your response should be no more than 2 pages in length and should reflect your knowledge of the Fuqua program and experience, and the types of activities and leadership you would engage in as a Fuqua student.
Note: Beware of offering a “fill in the blank” essay. If, once you have drafted your essay, you can replace the name “Fuqua” with another school’s name and your essay still makes sense, you have a problem on your hands and will need to go back and offer more Fuqua-specific detail and depth. [*]Team Fuqua Principles: The Team Fuqua community is as unique as the individuals who comprise it. Underlying our individuality are a number of shared ideas and principles that we live out in our own ways. Our students have identified and defined 6 “Team Fuqua Principles” that we feel are the guiding philosophies that make our community special. At the end of your 2 years at Fuqua, if you were to receive an award for exemplifying one of the 6 Principles listed below, which one would it be and why? Your response should reflect your knowledge of Fuqua and the Daytime MBA program and experience, and the types of activities and leadership you would engage in as a Fuqua student.
As you contemplate a response to this essay question, think carefully about which of these principles you have already upheld. Fuqua does not necessarily expect that you will start your essay by relating your pre-MBA experiences to its MBA program, but in many instances, doing so will help give context and credibility to the path you imagine for yourself at the school. In this essay, work to show that you really (really!) know the school well, because if you hypothesize incorrectly about the award-winning contribution you will make—meaning that the contribution you are proposing is just not possible at the school—you will definitely not get in. As we noted earlier, you must do your homework and show that you are an informed consumer, already aware of the workings of Fuqua’s academic and social community. The question specifically asks that you consider “activities and leadership”; you would be wise to pick a principle that corresponds with your values, briefly support the choice through evidence of existing experience upholding that value and then connect your theme to your informed contribution at Fuqua. If you can achieve all this, you will fulfill the essay’s intent and make an impression on the Fuqua admissions committee. Your admissions reader will understand that you truly want to be at Fuqua, because if you did not, why would you have taken all that time to learn about it? Optional Essay: If you feel there are circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them in an optional essay (such as unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance).
The post Duke University Fuqua School of Business Essay Analysis, 2015–2016 appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
17 Jul 2015, 12:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Friday Factoid: Preparing for Cold Calls at Darden |
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MBA students at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business are known to work quite hard amid the rigors of the case method. Each day, they are expected to read and complete their own analysis of a case and then compare and reason through their analysis with a small, diverse learning team of fellow students. Often, students can spend two to four hours prepping on their own and then two to three more with their teammates to arrive at an answer (as opposed to the answer). And, what can be the reward for all of this? They may just be selected for a “cold call” to start off the class. At Darden, most first-year classes and some second-year classes begin with a professor randomly selecting a student to lead the day’s discussion with his/her case analysis. This student can be subjected to anywhere from five to 20 minutes of questioning, as the professor teases out key points of discussion for the broader class to explore. Many a student has sweated through a cold call, only to gain the applause of his/her peers at the end. (Others, of course, may not do as well.) The cold calls can be daunting, but it forces students to prepare thoroughly and think on their feet—a key feature of the Darden learning experience. For more information on Darden and any of 15 other leading MBA programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides. The post Friday Factoid: Preparing for Cold Calls at Darden appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
18 Jul 2015, 07:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Northwestern University Kellogg Essay Analysis, 2015–2016 |
The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University has two brand spanking new essay questions this admissions season. They are a fairly straightforward pair: a leadership essay query and a small twist on a goal statement prompt. Kellogg’s somewhat unique application component is its video essay—we would call it truly unique, but the Yale School of Management also requires candidates to submit a video essay. Unfortunately for applicants, Kellogg has repeatedly decreased the word limit for its essays in recent years, and it has not given candidates the same opportunities to roam as Harvard Business School, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and its crosstown rival Chicago Booth all do. Kellogg’s essays are not very open-ended, meaning that the school’s applicants may worry that they can present only a narrow slice of their best to the admissions committee. Be sure to make especially good use of your recommendations, resume, interview, and short-answer responses, so that Kellogg gets to know the full you. For 2015–2016, the following two essays are required of all applicants. Essay 1: Leadership and teamwork are integral parts of the Kellogg experience. Describe a recent and meaningful time you were a leader. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words) This is a fairly straightforward essay prompt. You should launch directly into your narrative and detail the specific actions you took in leading your team. Although we imagine most candidates will write about a success, some applicants may choose to recount a leadership experience that was particularly meaningful, even if the intended goals were not achieved. Indeed, the key here is not necessarily to show that you were a rousing leader who carried your team on your back, all the way to victory, but rather that you shared a valuable experience with others and extracted the most from your team members, regardless of the outcome. The school makes a point of acknowledging within this essay prompt that “leadership and teamwork are integral parts of Kellogg,” seeming to highlight the collaboration and cooperation ideally involved in such arrangements—and thereby implying that the spirit of teamwork should be somehow implicit in your essay. A mistake applicants often make in writing this kind of essay is presenting a strong narrative wherein they are incredible leaders, and then near the end, making a brief (and typically disjointed) reference to a hardship or conflict encountered along the way, meant to fulfill the “challenges” element of the essay prompt. To be effective and believable, your ups and downs must be woven intrinsically into your narrative, rather than simply being acknowledged at the end. Do not forget or neglect to explain what you learned from the experience—Kellogg specifically asks you to do so! And keep in mind that for your takeaways to be “meaningful,” they have to be profoundly connected to your narrative. The admissions reader should be able to easily understand how your situation and actions led to your subsequent learnings. Essay 2: Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words) How have you grown in the past? The best way to answer this question is to really take the question at face value and think about… how you have grown in the past! Kellogg has no preconceived notions of what applicants should offer in response to this query; it simply wants to learn more about who you are now and how you came to be this person. Rather than pandering to what you think Kellogg wants to hear or trying to conceive of a storyline that seems like it would sound good, truly reflect on your growth to date and focus on analyzing one or two recent experiences that effectively reveal how you have developed and matured. You might use the first 200–250 words of your essay to share a brief anecdote or two illustrating your growth. These anecdotes can be thematically connected, or they can present two separate circumstances in which you grew in different ways. This portion of your essay will show that you possess the capacity to grow, so in the rest of your submission, you can outline your agenda for growth at Kellogg. You can home in on academic and/or professional needs or on broader personal needs (such as intellectual growth or global exposure)—either option is fine. What is important is that you clearly show a genuine understanding of how Kellogg is the right catalyst for your anticipated development. If your connection to Kellogg is merely superficial, you will reveal only that you do not truly grasp the potential inherent in your time at the school. So do your homework to learn about Kellogg in depth, and then present clear links between the program and your developmental needs. Because personal statements are generally similar from one application to the next, we have produced the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide, which helps applicants write this style of essay for any school. We offer this guide to candidates free of charge. Please feel free to download your copy today. And for a thorough exploration of Kellogg’s academic program/merits, defining characteristics, crucial statistics, social life, academic environment, and more, please check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the Kellogg School of Management. Certain applicants will respond to additional questions: Dual-degree applicants: For applicants to the MMM or JD-MBA dual degree programs, please explain why that program is right for you. (250 words) If you are applying to one of Kellogg’s dual degree programs, you should be ready to demonstrate a great deal of intentionality. After all, you are committing to a specialized path that requires additional time and cost. With a limit of just 250 words, you have no choice but to cut to the chase and specify how a dual degree is necessary for you to achieve your particular desired outcomes. After presenting your goals, you will need to tie these goals specifically to the Kellogg programs you are targeting and to their associated resources. This essay is essentially another opportunity (after Essay 2) to explain your distinct need to attend Kellogg, only here, you can focus on showcasing the non-MBA portion of your intended degree. Re-applicants: Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (250 word limit) Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement, or taken on some sort of personal challenge, the key to success with this essay is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. Kellogg wants to know that you have been actively striving to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the previous year to do so, because a Kellogg MBA is vital to you. The responses to this essay question will vary greatly from one candidate to the next, because each person’s needs and experiences differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that your efforts over the past year are presented in the best light possible. All applicants have the opportunity to provide explanations or clarification in Additional Information: If needed, use this section to briefly describe any extenuating circumstances (e.g. unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, etc.) (no word count) However tempted you might be, this is not the place to paste in a strong essay you wrote for another school or to offer a few anecdotes that you were unable to incorporate into any of your other essays. Instead, this is your opportunity, if needed, to address any lingering questions that an admissions officer may have about your candidacy, such as a poor grade or overall GPA, a low GMAT score, a gap in your work experience, etc. In our mbaMission Optional Statement Guide, we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay, with multiple examples, to help you mitigate any problem areas in your profile. Video Essays (required): The Video Essays provide applicants with an additional opportunity to demonstrate what they will bring to our vibrant Kellogg community – in an interactive way. Each applicant will complete two short video essay questions. The questions are designed to bring to life the person we have learned about on paper. After submitting a completed application, each applicant will be asked to complete two Video Essay Questions. One will be about the candidate’s interest in Kellogg and the other will be a “getting to know you” type of question. There are 10 practice questions which candidates can complete as many times as they like to get comfortable with the format and technology. The practice questions and experience will simulate the actual video essay experience, so this is meant to be a useful tool and help applicants feel prepared. There is not an opportunity to re-do the answer to the official video essay questions. We encourage applicants to practice so they are comfortable with the format once it is time to complete the official questions. Candidates will have 20 seconds to think about their question and up to 1 minute to give their response. We estimate the Video Essays will take 15–20 minutes to complete—which includes time for set-up and answering all the practice questions. So, for its video essays, Kellogg has two questions for you: one about Kellogg and one about you. How do you prepare? With respect to your interest in Kellogg, you need to truly understand why you are choosing this specific program for your MBA. By that, we do not mean that you should create and memorize a laundry list of reasons. Instead, you must have a comprehensive understanding of the resources the school offers and be able to clearly and concisely express which ones are of particular importance and significance to you—and why. Then, when you are recording your video response, you will need to convey this information in a way that is sincere and compelling. That will not happen if you are listing a few facts you have simply committed to memory! Kellogg’s “get to know you” question will be about a topic you know very well—you! So, as we often advise candidates, do not try to anticipate what the school will ask or guess what it wants to hear and skew your response to match. Be sure to answer the question honestly and authentically, and use this “live” opportunity to show the admissions committee your personality and character. Given that one minute is not very long, you should definitely run through several mock interviews—even if they are just in front of a mirror—to get a sense of how quickly those 60 seconds will pass when you are later in front of the camera. Marshall McLuhan famously stated, “The medium is the message.” We can skip the philosophical debate about the validity of “McLuhanism” here, but in our opinion, being calm, confident, and sincere is a very important part of this battle. Whether you are answering the school-specific question or the “get to know you” query, simply relax and strive to share your thoughts in a way that does not seem rehearsed—absolutely do not try to use notes that you have hidden somewhere. Be yourself, and if you need help reaching that comfort zone, we can provide assistance with mock interviews. The post Northwestern University Kellogg Essay Analysis, 2015–2016 appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
18 Jul 2015, 12:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: They Just Don’t Take the GRE Seriously! |
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One of the main themes throughout our admissions myths series has been that applicants should not assume that admissions officers are trying to trick them. Many applicants worry that admissions officers say one thing but really mean another. As a result, many candidates assume that their interviews are worthless—that they essentially “don’t count”—unless they are conducted by someone from the admissions office, or that they need to know a highly placed alumnus/alumna from their target school to be admitted, or that they need to pander to a school’s stereotypes to get in. These days, an emerging myth, which assumes that admissions officers are up to their old (and candidates’ entirely imagined) tricks, asserts that the GMAT is taken far more seriously than the GRE, and thus that the GRE is of dubious value to applicants. We think that we can destroy this myth with a few simple rhetorical/logical questions: Why would an admissions office encourage you to take a test that it would not value? Why would an admissions committee disenfranchise applicants who take the GRE, when one of the main purposes of permitting the GRE is to expand the applicant pool? Why would admissions officers waste precious time devising such a devious scheme in the first place? “The exam itself is less important than your performance on that exam relative to your peers,” says Dan Gonzalez, president of Manhattan Prep. “Think less about which exam schools want you to take and more about which exam will give you the best shot at showing off your skills. The GMAT and the GRE are quite different—take some time to learn about these differences before making your decision.” So if you are considering taking the GRE—because you want to keep your options open for grad school or just because you think the test plays to your strengths—then you should first check to see if your target schools accept the test. Next, if they do, you should study hard and… take the GRE! The post MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: They Just Don’t Take the GRE Seriously! appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
19 Jul 2015, 08:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: GMAT Impact: How to Minimize Careless Errors |
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With regard to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this blog series, Manhattan Prep’s Stacey Koprince teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense. Today, she focuses on how to minimize careless errors on the GMAT exam. Remember those times when you were sure you got the answer right, only to find out that you got it wrong? For a moment, you even think that the answer key must have a mistake in it. Then, you take another look at the problem, check your work, and say, “I can’t believe I did that!” By definition, a careless mistake occurs when we did actually know all of the necessary info and we did actually possess all of the necessary skills, but we committed an error anyway. We all make careless mistakes; our goal is to learn how to minimize these mistakes as much as possible. A lot of times, careless errors are due to one of two things: (1) some bad habit that actually increases the chances that we will make a mistake or (2) our own natural weaknesses. Here is an example of the former: They ask me to find how long Car B takes to go a certain distance, and I do everything perfectly, but I solve for Car A instead.  So, what is my bad habit here? Often, I did not write down “Car B = ?” I also noticed that I was more likely to make this mistake when I set up the problem such that I was solving for Car A first; sometimes, I would forget to finish the problem and just pick Car A’s time. So I developed several different good habits to put in the place of my various bad habits. First, I set up a reminder for myself: I skipped several blank lines on my scrap paper and then wrote “B time = ______?” I also built the habit of solving directly for what I wanted. Now, while I am setting up the problem, I always look first to see whether I can set it up to solve directly for Car B, not Car A. So, what did I do here? First, I figured out what specific mistake I was making and why I was making it. Then, I instituted three new habits that would minimize my chances of making the same mistake in the future. Incidentally, one of those habits (solving directly for what is asked) also saves me time! Happy studying, and go start figuring out how to minimize those careless mistakes! The post GMAT Impact: How to Minimize Careless Errors appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
20 Jul 2015, 08:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA News: Evaluating the Status of Gender Equality at Business Schools |
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The topic of gender equality at business schools has been widely discussed for years. Recent mbaMission news stories have highlighted Harvard Business School’s (HBS’s) efforts to recruit more women and the Financial Times’ examination of the gender divide in salary among MBA graduates. One of the latest developments on the subject comes from a self-described “gender diversity consultancy” called 20-first. The company recently released a Global Gender Balance Scorecard that examines the top 100 business schools as ranked by the Financial Times in 2015. HBS came in first on the scorecard, which ranked programs by the gender divide among both MBA students and the faculty—at HBS, 41% of students and 25% of the faculty were women. Of the top 12 ranked schools, no program had more than 43% female students, and all but three had fewer than 25% female faculty members. Although gender inequality might still be rampant, things seem to be moving in the right direction: according the scorecard, most business schools have shown improvement in their statistics since 2010. The post MBA News: Evaluating the Status of Gender Equality at Business Schools appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
20 Jul 2015, 08:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Monday Morning Essay Tip: Do Your B-School Research |
Many top business schools explicitly ask candidates about the steps they have taken to learn about their MBA program. The schools use such questions because they want to know that you have a sincere desire to gain a place in their next entering class specifically, and they want to be sure that you have made a concerted and genuine effort to learn about their program. So, when answering such questions, you absolutely must demonstrate your profound interest in and knowledge of the school. Explaining that you have fully read the business school’s website will not suffice, considering that this resource is available to anyone—and frankly, the admissions committee expects you to do this anyway. Although you could mention your web research as a starting point if something very particular or unusual caught your attention, you are better off sharing your other—and ideally firsthand/in-person—experiences with the school instead. By discussing the details of your class visit(s) and particularly of your interactions with admissions officers, students, professors, and/or alumni, you will “prove” to the admissions committee that you have truly been striving to learn more and understand your fit with the school. In essence, if you are showing the committee that you have extended yourself to learn, you have surpassed a minimum requirement. A great starting point for learning whether a particular business school is right for you is our mbaMission Insider’s Guides. The post Monday Morning Essay Tip: Do Your B-School Research appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
20 Jul 2015, 11:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA News: Harvard MBA Willing to Shell Out $10K to Find a Girlfriend |
One of the well-known downsides of pursuing an MBA is the dent it puts in one’s social life. During the program, students are often too absorbed in case studies and clubs to date, and after graduation begins either a hectic career or a frantic job hunt. Although business schools are not exactly bustling with romantic opportunities, it seems as though love is lost in post-graduate life as well: a recent Harvard MBA graduate is offering a $10K reward for the lucky individual who introduces him to his next girlfriend. Ren You, who graduated from Harvard Business School (HBS) last year, has set up a Web site for his quest—aptly titled “Date Ren.” On his site, You says he moved to Birmingham, Alabama, after graduating from HBS and notes that while some might see his quest as odd, “if you work 12 hours/day, how would you want to spend the few waking hours you have left? Probably not standing around in a bar with your fingers crossed. This is way more fun for me.” Of course, in true MBA fashion, the deal has its conditions: the girlfriend must date You for more than six months before the cupid sees any cash. The post MBA News: Harvard MBA Willing to Shell Out $10K to Find a Girlfriend appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
21 Jul 2015, 07:01
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Mission Admission: Will I Get In? |
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Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday. Not surprisingly, one of the most common questions MBA candidates ask is “Will I get in?” Of course, this is an important question to consider before applying, and we suggest that you honestly assess and understand your candidacy and risk profile within the context of your target school’s typical student body before completing or submitting an application to that school. However, once you have determined that you will in fact apply to a particular school, you should not let this question haunt you or halt your progress. Many applicants spend too much time worrying and not enough time working. Your admissions decision is ultimately out of your control, so just focus on submitting the best application you possibly can. Of course, you can get our expert advice by signing up for a free, 30-minute, one-on-one consultation at www.mbamission.com/consult.php. The post Mission Admission: Will I Get In? appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
21 Jul 2015, 11:01
| FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA Career Advice: Before You Leave That Job Part 3 |
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In this weekly series, “MBA Career Advice,” our friends at MBA Career Coaches will be dispensing invaluable advice to help you actively manage your career. Topics include building your network, learning from mistakes and setbacks, perfecting your written communication, and mastering even the toughest interviews. For more information or to sign up for a free career consultation, visit www.mbacareercoaches.com. Before you leave your job, be sure to establish a personal connection with each person who has been important to you. But don’t stop there. If you are changing careers, as most MBAs are, you will want to begin building a network beyond your current firm and industry. In all probability some of the most valuable relationships to your future are only one degree away. You can help make this process efficient, if you have narrowed the field and thus chosen one or two industries and a few target firms you are considering for your internship. However, even if you are still in the process of evaluating your options, using these new connections to do more research can also work. Ask your colleagues to introduce you to the people they know. Don’t just get an email address and follow up yourself, ask your friend to introduce you directly via email. Connections facilitated by the “connector” will be much more warmly received. Think about the difference between “Hi, I’m Joe.” And “Vanessa, have you met my friend, Joe?” Vanessa is going to be much more likely to be interested in Joe when he is introduced via a mutual friend. Follow up with these new connections right away. When you get time on their calendar, use the time for an informational interview and be prepared to ask thoughtful, interesting questions about their work and their industry. Do some research in advance, such as reading our Consulting Career Primer beforehand, so that your questions can go well beneath the surface and make the most use of this primary research. Then, be sure to give the connection a future. At least ask them if it would be alright for you to follow up with them again at a later date once you get into the recruiting process. You could also ask them if there is anything you, as a future Awesome U MBA student can do for them or their firm once you get to campus. It is great to use these conversations to inform your job search, but it is even better to make these connections a meaningful part of your network. The post MBA Career Advice: Before You Leave That Job Part 3 appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
22 Jul 2015, 08:00
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Professor Profiles: John Morgan, University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business |
Many MBA applicants feel that they are purchasing a brand when they choose an MBA program, but the educational experience you will haveis what is crucial to your future, and no one will affect your education more than your professors. Each Wednesday, we profile a standout professor as identified by students. Today, we focus on John Morgan from the University of California (UC), Berkeley, Haas School of Business. John Morgan has been at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business since 2002 and won the Earl F. Cheit Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2006. In an admissions podcast (“Game Theory and Strategy”), Morgan discusses how he has grown his “Game Theory” course, which studies how nations and industries interact strategically with each other. Morgan recommends that all Haas MBA students take the course, which is designed to cover all functions and industries, in their last semester at the school so that they apply the “mind-set to think strategically” to what they have learned in the program. Morgan expects the teams in his class to be ready to defend their strategies, but plenty of laughter is part of the course as well—as it reportedly is in all Morgan’s courses. An alumna even commented via Twitter in April 2012, “Loving John Morgan’s Disruptive Technologies seminar. Great comedic timing.” On Morgan’s personal Haas Web page, he includes a list of vocabulary words he calls “New Words for the New Millennium.” The post Professor Profiles: John Morgan, University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting. |
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Hi Generic [Bot],
Here are updates for you:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 11:30am NY / 3:30pm London / 9pm Mumbai Watch earlier episodes of DI series below EP1: 6 Hardest Two-Part Analysis Questions EP2: 5 Hardest Graphical Interpretation Questions
Tuck at Dartmouth
AGSM at UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE
 GMAT Club REWARDS
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