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mbaMissionJenK · 2013-12-12T09:30:37-08:00

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Friday Factoid: Wharton for Consulting [#permalink]

02 Oct 2015, 08:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: Friday Factoid: Wharton for Consulting

Perennially ranked among the top business schools in the world, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania—as its original name, the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, indicates—is best known for its reputation in finance, which is still the school’s largest department. However, if you are interested in a career in consulting but believe that Wharton is the program of choice for future investment bankers only… well, think again!

Check out these five facts about consulting at Wharton:

Every year since 2005, more Wharton graduates have accepted positions in consulting than in investment banking.
Wharton’s Consulting Club is one of its largest student organizations.
One of Wharton’s most popular electives is “Strategy and Competitive Advantage.” Professor Nicolaj Siggelkow, a protégé of strategy guru Michael Porter, is notorious for pushing his students to clarify their answers. But if they use trite buzzwords such as “adding value” and “frameworks,” they may find themselves in the hot seat for 30 minutes of additional questioning!
In recent years, Wharton’s Consulting Club has hosted an annual case competition for first-year students; winners have been offered summer internships with Boston Consulting Group.

For more information on UPenn Wharton or 15 other leading MBA programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.

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MBA News: Michigan Ross the Only Business School to Receive Prestigiou [#permalink]

02 Oct 2015, 12:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA News: Michigan Ross the Only Business School to Receive Prestigious Diversity Award

The University of Michigan Ross School of Business is a recipient of the 2015 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, the school announced last week. The honor, bestowed by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, was awarded to 92 schools in total this year—with Michigan Ross the sole business school recipient. The magazine noted the school’s continuous push for diversity through such efforts as its newly launched Office for Diversity and Inclusion as well as its diversity-focused, student-led conferences and groups.

Michigan Ross Dean Alison Blake-Davis is undoubtedly pleased with the recognition: “As a business school, it is our responsibility to educate future leaders to recognize the value of diversity for its powerful impact on the bottom line as well as on creating a positive work culture,” she commented in the announcement. For a complete list of award recipients, visit the INSIGHT Into Diversity Web site.

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MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: You Need a 750 to Get In! [#permalink]

03 Oct 2015, 07:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: You Need a 750 to Get In!

We often hear MBA applicants ask some form of the following question: “Do I need a 750 to get into a top MBA program?” Although a 750 on the GMAT can only help, it is definitely not a prerequisite. We wanted to dispel this myth and put some who believe it at ease. Here are a few simple reasons why this is just not the case:

The Average Is Lower. Average GMAT scores at the top 15 MBA programs range from approximately 700 to 730. Clearly, if the high end of the GMAT average range is 730, the schools cannot expect applicants to have a 750. That would mean that every applicant would be above average, which is not possible. Still, if a candidate’s score falls below the average, this generally places a greater burden on the other components of the individual’s application—so, for example, maybe his/her work experience would need to be stronger than that of other applicants, or maybe his/her extracurriculars would need to stand out even more. Or maybe we are straying from our main point! The bottom line is that mathematically speaking, many people have a GMAT score below 750.

[*] Dee Leopold Says So. Dee Leopold, the managing director of MBA admissions and financial aid at Harvard Business School, told mbaMission’s Jeremy Shinewald point blank that she assesses each individual differently and neither expects nor demands a target GMAT score. The school just happens to have a high number of great applicants with high scores to choose from, and thus its average remains high. Leopold said that she would closely examine a journalist’s Quant score and pay particular attention to an engineer’s Verbal score, for example. She is concerned that people obsess over target GMAT scores and specifically said that she will not provide candidates with GRE guidance because she does not want to trigger similar anxieties with regard to that exam as well. She grudgingly acknowledged that no matter how many public declarations she makes to the contrary, applicants simply refuse to believe that she does not have a target—and then insisted again that she does not![/list]

[*] Too Few Applicants Have a 750 or Higher. The top 15 MBA programs accept around 7,000 applicants each application season. Only approximately 3,700–4,600 GMAT test takers earn scores of 750 or higher each year (depending on whether GMAC counts the number of tests taken or individual test takers), and some are earned by people who do not ultimately apply to business school at all, do not apply to any of the leading schools, take the test only to become GMAT instructors, pursue an EMBA or part-time MBA instead, are rejected because other aspects of their profile render them uncompetitive… and the list goes on. Basically, the top 15 MBA programs do not receive applications from enough applicants with 750s to entirely populate their incoming class, as evidenced by the schools’ mid-80% GMAT ranges, which are typically 660–760.[/list]

[*] All Schools Accept the GRE. Applicants do not really even need to take the GMAT anymore. Of course, if you do take the GMAT, you should strive to achieve the highest score possible. However, if the GMAT is not even required, you obviously would not need to score a 750 to be accepted. (Note: the GMAT is “preferred” at some schools, but the GRE is still accepted).[/list]
We want to be unequivocal: 750 is a great GMAT score, and anyone who earns that score should be delighted. However, if you do not fare as well on the exam, you should still be quite hopeful and keep a positive mind-set because the admissions process is holistic.

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Creators of Unique Start-Up Accelerator Grand Central Tech Share Their [#permalink]

03 Oct 2015, 12:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: Creators of Unique Start-Up Accelerator Grand Central Tech Share Their Story

Today, many aspiring MBAs and MBA graduates want to join start-ups or launch such companies themselves. Is entrepreneurship as exciting as it seems? Is it really for you? mbaMission Founder Jeremy Shinewald has teamed up with Venture for America and CBS Interactive to launch Smart People Should Build Things: The Venture for America Podcast. Each week, Shinewald interviews another entrepreneur so you can hear the gritty stories of their ups and downs on the road to success.

The fifteenth podcast episode introduces not just one entrepreneur, but two: Charlie Bonello and Matt Harrigan, cofounders of unique start-up accelerator Grand Central Tech. Bonello and Harrigan, who became fast friends after meeting in high school, came up with the idea for the company while brainstorming over a few beers. Tune in to the podcast to hear their whole story, including these details:

How their high school inspired the idea for Grand Central Tech
The reason they can charge absolutely no rent and take no equity from start-ups
“Cutting bone, not fat” when choosing from an incredible start-up applicant pool to fill the limited number of seats

Subscribe to the podcast series to be among the first listeners when episodes are released!

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GMAT Impact: Lifting Your GMAT Score [#permalink]

04 Oct 2015, 08:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: GMAT Impact: Lifting Your GMAT Score

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.

How do you maximize your score on the GMAT? Sure, you have to learn to answer harder questions correctly—but that is not actually enough.

Let us stipulate a couple of things. First, whenever I say “easier” or “harder” in this post, I am referring to easier or harder for you, the reader; everything here is relative to your current scoring level and your desire to lift that level to whatever your goal score is. In other words, this works at every level and for every goal.

Second, as a general rule, you take (on average) more time to answer harder questions than you take to answer easier ones.

Okay, so what does that mean? Most people do not spend much time studying the things that they generally already know how to do; they do not analyze questions that they answered correctly unless there was some other issue (such as spending too much time).

That is a mistake—and not just because we can still learn things from questions that we answer correctly. More importantly, if you want to lift your score, then the questions that you find of medium difficulty today need to turn into questions that you find easier in the future.

Think about how the test works: if you are scoring in the 80th percentile, then 65th percentile questions are generally fairly easy for you, the 75th to 85th range is medium and 90th percentile questions are too hard. If you want to lift your score to 90th percentile, sure, you have to learn how to tackle those harder questions. At the same time, the 75th to 80th percentile questions have to become your “easier” question pool—“medium” level will no longer be good enough!

Remember when I said that we generally take more time to answer the harder questions? That is okay, within reason (say, up to 30 seconds beyond the average for that question type). To have that extra time, though, you have got to be saving time on the easier questions. Those questions that are medium for you right now—you have actually got to be able to do them more quickly for them to turn into easier questions in the future.

Beyond all of that, there is yet another benefit. Shortcuts or alternate solution methods that you figure out for those easier and medium questions can often be used on harder questions as well. You will actually learn how to tackle some of the harder stuff by getting even better at the easier and medium stuff.

If you are going for a really high score (720+), then I will leave you with a couple of “challenge” exercises. Answer this math question and this Critical Reasoning question in one minute (or less). Good luck!

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Monday Morning Essay Tip: Take Ownership of Your Goals [#permalink]

05 Oct 2015, 10:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: Monday Morning Essay Tip: Take Ownership of Your Goals

When admissions officers read your MBA application, they want to feel inspired by your personal statement; they want to know that you have a strong sense of purpose and will work energetically to attain your objectives. Thus, you must ensure that you are not presenting generic or shallow goals. Although this problem is not industry specific, it occurs most often with candidates who propose careers in investment banking or consulting but do not have a true understanding of what these positions entail.

For example, a candidate cannot merely state the following goal:

“In the short term, when I graduate from Wharton, I want to become an investment banking associate. After three years, I will be promoted to vice president, and then in the long term, I will become a managing director.”

This hypothetical candidate does not express any passion for his/her proposed course, does not show any understanding of the demands of the positions, and does not explain the value he/she could bring to the firm. To avoid these kinds of shortcomings, conduct this simple test when writing your personal statement: if you can easily substitute another job title into your career goals and the sentence still makes perfect sense (“In the short term, when I graduate from Wharton, I want to become a consultant. After three years, I will be promoted to vice president, and then in the long term, I will become a managing director.”), you know you have a serious problem on your hands and need to put more work into your essay.

To effectively convey your goals, you need to truly own them. This means personalizing them, determining and presenting why you expect to be a success in the proposed position, and explaining why an opportunity exists for you to contribute. For example, a former forestry engineer could make a strong argument for joining an environmental impact consulting firm. (Note: This candidate would still need to explain why he/she would want to join one.) Similarly, a financial analyst in the corporate finance department at Yahoo! could connect his/her goals to tech investment banking. Although the connection need not be so direct (especially for candidates seeking to change careers), relating your past experiences and/or your skills to your future path is still extremely important. This approach will add depth to your essay and ensure that the admissions committee takes you seriously.

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B-School Chart of the Week: The Largest Business School Donations of t [#permalink]

05 Oct 2015, 12:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: B-School Chart of the Week: The Largest Business School Donations of the Year Thus Far

Although quantifying a school’s profile certainly does not tell you everything, it can sometimes be helpful in simplifying the many differences between the various MBA programs. Each week, we bring you a chart to help you decide which of the schools’ strengths speak to you.

Having generous friends in high places pays off—especially for business schools. Successful alumni often return to their alma maters with notable gifts, and investors see growing opportunities in education. Whatever the case may be, 2015 has been an exceptional year so far in terms of sizable business school donations. In fact, three different business schools have received impressive $100M donations this year.

In April, the Rady Family Foundation donated $100M to the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego, to help recruit and retain faculty and students, among other initiatives. Soon after, the UCLA Anderson School of Management received a $100M gift from longtime supporter Marion Anderson, widow of the school’s namesake, in May, which will be split between an endowment for financial aid, faculty stipends, and research and the construction of a new building on campus. Then in June, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg generously gifted $100M to the new Cornell Tech, home of the one-year tech MBA program, to construct the first academic building on campus. The university subsequently announced that the building will be named The Bloomberg Center.

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Mission Admission: Wait Patiently for Interview Invitations [#permalink]

06 Oct 2015, 08:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: Mission Admission: Wait Patiently for Interview Invitations

Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday.

As business school interview invitations begin to roll out, do your best to remain calm and let the admissions committees do their work. Although becoming a little apprehensive is natural if you have not yet received an invitation, you will certainly not increase your chances of receiving one by calling the admissions office and asking if the school does indeed have all your files or if an interview decision has been made. In fact, such calls can actually have a negative effect on your candidacy, inadvertently making you seem pushy or even belligerent.

Admissions offices are increasingly transparent and should be taken at their word. If they say they are still releasing decisions, then they are in fact still doing so. If they say that the timing of your interview decision does not signify an order of preference, then it does not. Unless something has changed materially in your candidacy, all you can really do—as painful as it may be—is wait patiently and try not to think about the decision or second-guess your status.

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MBA Career Advice: The Informal Email [#permalink]

06 Oct 2015, 11:01

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FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA Career Advice: The Informal Email

In this weekly series, 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.

You meet a recruiter or a contact at an event and think to follow-up quickly. You send him/her an email and want to keep your exchange casual. So, you throw in a smiley face and an LOL. And… you just took a huge risk in getting the job that you so desperately wanted!

Communication may be informal these days and the business world in general may be as well. Gone are the days where professionals call each other “Mr.” or “Mrs.” and many work environments are business casual (many are not!). Still, none of that necessarily means that you are buddies with your senior professional contacts. Remember, these contacts are professional. They are interested in your discretion and judgment. They want to know that you are client ready – that you will represent them in a mature and reliable manner.

So, for all professional communication, exercise mindfulness and discretion. Don’t remove your personality from your correspondence, but do display the appropriate level of respect for others who are by definition, senior to you. If you are questioning any communication as too “jokey” or informal, the odds are it is. So, take a minute, go back and rewrite it using a professional tone. You won’t regret earning a contact’s respect.

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Professor Profiles: Jeremy Siegel, the Wharton School of the Universit [#permalink]

07 Oct 2015, 07:01

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FROM mbaMission Blog: Professor Profiles: Jeremy Siegel, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

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 profile Jeremy Siegel from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Jeremy Siegel is arguably one of the most recognizable and renowned professors at Wharton, and not just because he regularly appears on CNN, CNBC, and NPR to weigh in on the financial markets. One first-year student we interviewed referred to Siegel as “THE professor at Wharton.” Siegel, who has taught at the school since 1976, combines his expertise with a passion for teaching. On the long list of teaching awards he has received is Bloomberg Businessweek’s Best Business School Professor (worldwide) accolade in 1994. What is more, Siegel’s expertise gives him almost unparalleled street cred in the eyes of Wharton students—not an easy lot to win over on the topic of the stock market. At the beginning of each class session for his macroeconomics course, Siegel pulls up live market data and quickly interprets what is going on in the markets that day. Interestingly, even students who are not enrolled in this course commonly stand at the back of the room to watch this summary.

Siegel has been recognized often for his writings, having won numerous best article awards, and is a bestselling author. The Washington Post named his book Stocks for the Long Run: The Definitive Guide to Financial Market Returns and Long-Term Investment Strategies “one of the ten-best investment books of all time.” And in 2005, Bloomberg Businessweek named another of Siegel’s works, The Future for Investors: Why the Tried and the True Triumph Over the Bold and the New, one of the best business books of the year. Also in 2005, Siegel received the prestigious Nicholas Molodovsky Award from CFA Institute, awarded to “those individuals who have made outstanding contributions of such significance as to change the direction of the profession and to raise it to higher standards of accomplishment.”

For information on other defining characteristics of the MBA program at Wharton or any of 15 other top business schools, please check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.

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Plated.com Cofounder Nick Taranto Delivers Details on His Entrepreneur [#permalink]

07 Oct 2015, 11:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: Plated.com Cofounder Nick Taranto Delivers Details on His Entrepreneurial Journey

Today, many aspiring MBAs and MBA graduates want to join start-ups or launch such companies themselves. Is entrepreneurship as exciting as it seems? Is it really for you? mbaMission Founder Jeremy Shinewald has teamed up with Venture for America and CBS Interactive to launch Smart People Should Build Things: The Venture for America Podcast. Each week, Shinewald interviews another entrepreneur so you can hear the gritty stories of their ups and downs on the road to success.

In the sixteenth episode of the podcast series, Shinewald welcomes guest Nick Taranto, cofounder of meal delivery business Plated.com. Taranto’s company delivers a weekly box of fresh ingredients and recipes to customers, aiming to help make cooking easier, healthier, and more fun. Like many entrepreneurs, Taranto has traveled a rocky—but in the end, fulfilling—path to business success. Tune in to hear him discuss these stories and more:

His journey from Wall Street—which he “absolutely hated”—to the Marine Corps and Harvard Business School
How eating greasy takeout food inspired him and his cofounders to develop Plated.com
How an article published in the Wall Street Journal early in the company’s history described it as having thousands of customers, while Plated.com’s customer base consisted of basically just one guy—Taranto’s father

Subscribe to the podcast series to hear Taranto’s story and nearly 20 more!

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Beyond the MBA Classroom: Formal Balls at Kellogg [#permalink]

08 Oct 2015, 07:01

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FROM mbaMission Blog: Beyond the MBA Classroom: Formal Balls at Kellogg

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.

Kellogg students certainly have no shortage of events on their social calendars. A series of student-run formal balls peppers the first-year calendar, starting with the CIM Ball (Complete Immersion in Management—the two-week orientation students complete just before the full-time curriculum begins) at the beginning of the academic year and continuing with the Fall Ball, the Charity Auction Ball, and the Casino Ball. When mbaMission interviewed students about their social calendar, many had trouble placing the names and themes of the balls, as they had been to all of them, and the different events had seemingly fused into a single memory. In short, once the school year begins, the average Kellogg student can expect to wear a tuxedo or ball gown more frequently than he/she might typically be accustomed to.

For more information on Northwestern Kellogg or 15 other leading MBA programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.

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Diamonds in the Rough: Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Bus [#permalink]

08 Oct 2015, 12:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: Diamonds in the Rough: Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business

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.

Students aspiring to sharpen their analytic and quantitative skills are well served at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Boasting a faculty that includes multiple Nobel Prize winners, Tepper has pioneered “management science,” a supplement to traditional case studies that draws on more scientific—rather than historical—strategies for complex business decision making. Management science depends on tools such as computer modeling, organizational behavior, and economic theory.

In addition to this overall “quant” emphasis in its curriculum, Tepper offers a unique joint MBA/MS degree in computational finance for students who are deeply driven by quantitative analysis. The Master of Science in Computational Finance program curriculum was created specifically for candidates who have strong quantitative backgrounds and hope to ultimately pursue a leadership position in financial services. Students are immersed in highly focused computational analysis, examining different theories of finance, stochastic calculus modeling, and statistical methodologies, in addition to the managerial skills they learn in the MBA program’s marketing, strategy, communications, and operations courses. While schools such as Wharton, Chicago Booth, and Columbia may garner a higher rank for careers in finance, few programs offer such uniquely intensive academic resources for a specialization in quantitative analysis.

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Friday Factoid: See the World on an M-Trek at Michigan Ross [#permalink]

09 Oct 2015, 07:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: Friday Factoid: See the World on an M-Trek at Michigan Ross

For incoming first-year students at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business who want to get a head start on building friendships within their class or make use of some time off before school begins, the M-Trek program may be just the answer. M-Treks, which were first offered in 1999, are small-group, multiday, outdoor adventure trips that take place before the academic year begins. Organized in locations around the world, the trips are entirely student led (by second-year MBA students) and are designed to provide a team-based environment similar to that found at Ross and to promote leadership in a team setting. M-Treks look to be as inclusive as possible—trips are available to suit a wide variety of interests and thus range from hard-core adventure to relaxing sightseeing excursions.

2015 treks included “Edward Fjord-y-Hands,” which featured hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking in Sweden and Norway, and “Best Friends Pho Ever,” where participants boarded a train and explored local food and culture in Vietnam. Among the treks taken in 2014 were “Bal-Kan You Handle This!?” (during which students hiked peaks in Montenegro and biked through the Lustica peninsula) and “Czech Yoself Before You Wreck Yoself” (an exploration of Vienna and Prague). Trips in 2013 featured “A Taste of Turkey,” “Alaskan (Mis)Adventures,” and “One in Brazillion.” During 2012’s “Hold Me Closer Thai-ny Dancer,” students visited Bangkok’s Floating Market, the rainforest in Krabi, and the beaches in Phuket.

So, whether you are interested in hiking and rafting in Iceland or beaching and snorkeling in Mexico, M-Treks provide a chance to build friendships and develop leadership skills while having a great time.

For more information on other defining characteristics of the MBA program at Michigan Ross or one of 15 other top business schools, please check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.

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mbaMission Consultant Spotlight: Krista Nannery [#permalink]

09 Oct 2015, 12:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: mbaMission Consultant Spotlight: Krista Nannery

Krista Nannery spent 18 years in the financial services industry at Morningstar, the investment data provider, mostly in Chicago and London, but also in Munich, Stockholm, São Paulo, and the Middle East. In addition to leading the development of Morningstar’s portfolio management and research products for international investors, she also spent time in human resources (HR), redesigning the company’s leadership development program and managing executive succession planning. Her HR experience led her to Accenture, where she helped companies make their HR processes more efficient. At Accenture, she was also responsible for candidate interviews for her practice.

Krista earned her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in finance and marketing, and she holds a BA in English and German from the University of Notre Dame. At Chicago Booth, she was a member of the admissions committee and read hundreds of applications from prospective candidates. She also served as an admissions interviewer.

A keen writer and editor, Krista has held leadership roles at The Observer and Chicago Business newspapers. She has also had her work published in the New York Times, Saveur magazine, and other media outlets. In her spare time, Krista runs a popular Web site about traveling and dining out.

Quick Facts:
Received MBA from: University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Undergraduate field of study: English and German

Fields worked in before mbaMission: Financial Services, Human Resources, Consulting

Working style: Efficient, Creative, Fun

Hometown: Long Island, NY/Fort Lauderdale, FL

Five things you want your clients to know about you:

1. “I read so many applications at Chicago Booth that when I took a few days off to work on a class project, the AdCom office called me, worried that I hadn’t been in in a few days. They had a bit of a backlog without me.”

2. “I’ve reviewed thousands of resumes over the years and I have interviewed and hired people at all levels all over the world.”

3. “I diagram sentences in my head and love grammar and punctuation. I can seriously recite the prepositions by heart.”

4. “I love getting to know my clients. I am so inspired by their goals and dreams!”

5. “I aim to make the process enjoyable for my clients and reduce stress and anxiety.”

What Past Clients are Saying:
“Krista’s consulting session was one of the most time effective preparation sessions I’ve had during my application process. Her approach is friendly and very focused. Within just a few minutes of reviewing my CV she was able to give me guidance on the best way to quantify my achievements and present them in the most compelling and relevant way for my MBA application. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Krista during my MBA application process and still call on her for career advice.” — Chicago Booth EMBA Admit

Want a free consultation with Krista? Sign up here.

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MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: I Am a Simple Product! [#permalink]

10 Oct 2015, 07:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: I Am a Simple Product!

Many candidates who approach us are concerned that they cannot get their stories out in a single sentence or worried that their personal branding is too muddled. Some candidates feel that they must have a single narrative and continuously speak to it in order to make an impression on the admissions committees. But, of course, you are not a simple product with one or two attributes—a Budweiser beer, for example, which can be represented with a straightforward slogan, “The Great American Lager.” MBA candidates are far more complex than consumer products. So, presenting yourself as one-dimensional (“I am an entrepreneur in everything I do,” “I am a finance guy”) is indeed a mistake that prevents you from revealing your depth of character and experience.

Let us consider a basic example: Jon built a lawn care business from a single truck into ten trucks, and he also coached Little League baseball, becoming a de facto “big brother” to one of the kids on the team. Why should Jon only show his entrepreneurial side and ignore his empathetic and altruistic treatment of this young baseball player? Why would not Jon instead reveal his depth and versatility, telling each story and revealing distinct but complementary strengths?

At mbaMission, we encourage candidates to brainstorm thoroughly and consider each of their stories from as many different perspectives as possible. There is no simple formula for presenting yourself to the admissions committee. In fact, it is quite important for you to show that you are a multi-talented and sophisticated person. After all, admissions committees are on the hunt for the next great business leaders, and the true legends of international business cannot be summed up in three or four words.

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GMAT Impact: Number Properties on the GMAT [#permalink]

11 Oct 2015, 08:00

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FROM mbaMission Blog: GMAT Impact: Number Properties on the GMAT

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.

Is the GMAT topic of number properties driving you crazy? This concept covers things that we often call “basic”—topics that we learned in middle school (or earlier), such as divisibility, factors and multiples, odds and evens, positives and negatives, and so on. I assure you, though, that number properties questions on the GMAT are anything but basic.

I strongly urge you to develop a solid grounding in this topic, particularly because the test writers are so good at disguising what these problems are really testing.

You will need some kind of book or e-book that covers this topic thoroughly, but I have some resources to help you get started.

Start with this article, “Disguising—and Decoding—Quant Problems.” We talk about how the test writers disguise material that you probably do already know, and how we can learn to “decode” the problem or strip away the camouflage.

If you feel good about the concepts discussed in that article, and you are at a higher math level, try out this challenging problem next.

In the article “Patterns in Divisibility Problems,” we examine two GMATPrep problems that share some interesting characteristics. In this article, we discuss some interesting topics related to prime numbers.

Many questions address basic characteristics of numbers, such as whether they are positive or negative, odd or even, integer or fraction/decimal. These can be disguised in various ways; two of the most common are inequalities and absolute values (which we normally associate more with algebra).

Here are two that use inequalities as a disguise for number properties concepts, one in this article from 2010 and another from this 2012 article, as well as a third one that plays around with absolute value. All three of these are generally hiding issues that deal with positive and negative properties of numbers.

And finally here are two more: a number line problem and one dealing with consecutive integers. The former tests positive and negative properties, as well as some others, and the latter covers a less-commonly-tested but still important number properties category.

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