How to Get Accepted in 2016: FREE WEBINAR!
That’s right – we’re already talking about 2016 MBA applications! You may feel like you’ve got loads of time, but believe me…you’ve got loads to do!
We’d like to help you start out on the right foot by inviting you to our upcoming live webinar, Get Accepted in 2016: 7 Steps to a Strong MBA Application, in which Linda Abraham, Accepetd.com CEO & Founder, will outline the steps you can take NOW to increase your chances of a successful application next year.
Let me repeat this point: It’s NOT TOO EARLY to get started!
Remember, the early bird gets the worm – those who are prepared to hit the ground running once those apps are released are the ones who will stand a better shot at getting accepted.
WEBINAR DETAILS:
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Time: 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET
(Spaces tend to fill up quickly, so grab your spot now!)
Moving Forward After Medical School Rejection
Don’t let that rejection letter crumple your dreams of becoming a doctor!
It is devastating to receive a rejection. We actually experience physical pain. The same parts of the brain that are activated when we are kicked or punched light up when we experience rejection. Given the very real physical and emotional pain of rejection, as anyone who has been through it before can attest, there are some steps that you can take to come out of the experience with greater insight and a stronger strategy:
1. Recognize that everyone experiences rejection in the same way. You are not alone. Thousands of people are rejected from medical school every year. We all experience rejection the same way. What differentiates us is how each person reacts to it. Repressing your feelings or avoiding addressing the impact can have the most negative consequences. Using the experience to observe your emotions and learn from them can be powerful and constructive. You can gain valuable insight on what you need to do to process the feelings in actively deciding to move forward, when you are ready.
2. Take some time to grieve. Be gentle with yourself. Take some personal time by taking a break or participating in the activities that will allow you to engage in some self reflection. By learning what works for you, in the future, you can more quickly recover from similar set-backs because they are inevitable in life. For some people, a meditation retreat will allow them to recharge and for others a mission trip to another country will help them refocus. For some, maybe all you’ll need is a good walk followed by a cup of tea.
Consider all the options and the level of introspection that will suit your preferences. Try one and then another, until you find what works best for you. Essentially, you are grieving the loss of an opportunity. You may experience the full spectrum of emotions that are associated with the grieving process. It can be useful to ask for help or even consider professional counseling if you are getting stuck in any one particular stage.
3. Decide what is important to you. After you’ve had time to grieve—the amount of time required will vary from person to person—you can sit down and journal or make a list of your goals. After reassessing what is important to you, you can let go of any of the negative emotions attached to the experience of rejection and actively decide to move on—taking with you any useful information that you learned about yourself and the process of applying. Enormous wisdom can be gained from these kinds of destabilizing events. You get the chance to consciously rebuild by integrating the experience into your identity and deciding the best way to move forward.
4. Select a strategy in moving forward. You have lots and lots of options, if you allow yourself to be open to the myriad of possibilities that exist. Be strategic and thorough in your examination of the pathways open to you. Talk to other people about your experience and ask about theirs. Do not leave any stone unturned. If the experience only makes you more determined to go into medicine, get feedback on your application. Talk to pre-health advisors. Contact professional admissions consultants; we here at Accepted are available to help you. Critically evaluate your application and how to improve as much as you can before reapplying. Or if you are not ready to reapply, begin exploring the multitude of careers in healthcare that do not require a medical degree or take a gap year or two. You have the power to mediate your experience and to make it as exciting as you want it to be!
Alicia McNease Nimonkar is an Accepted.com advisor and editor specializing in healthcare admissions. Prior to joining Accepted, Alicia worked for five years as Student Advisor at UC Davis’ postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and related programs.
Related Resources:
• Medical School Reapplicant Advice: 6 Tips for Success
• Help, I Was Rejected by All the Medical Schools I Applied To!
• The Dreaded Med School Rejection: What now?
4 Qualities Top MBA Programs Seek
Does your application highlight the qualities that top b-schools are looking for?
There are four main qualities that top b-schools look for when reviewing MBA applications. If you’re aiming for the top 10, then you’ll want to make sure not only that you possess these qualities, but that you’ve highlighted them in your application.
• Problem Solving Skills – This is probably the most important quality, at least initially. Schools want the types of students that exclusive consulting firms like McKinsey would take interest in, and that type of student is an expert problem solver. Everyone working in firms like McKinsey needs to be adept at solving a range of “problems” – top schools recognize this and seek out students who would eventually be an excellent fit at these top firms.
• Drive/Ambition – Applicants must show evidence of longstanding drive for success in their applications, resumes, and interviews. Did you push yourself to succeed inside and outside the classroom in college? Do you have an ambitious vision for your career path? B-schools want students who will succeed in the business world once they graduate – if you prove that you have drive/ambition, then you’ll stand out as someone who they want in their classrooms, and beyond.
• Interpersonal Impact – “Brains on a stick” just won’t cut it at business school and then later on in the business world. You also need to be dynamic and likable. You need to be able to work well on a team and gain the respect of your teammates, not to mention later on, your employers and employees. You can show the adcoms your interpersonal impact by highlighting your involvement in teams at work as well as in clubs, sports, or other socially driven activities. Additionally, choose recommenders who know you well and who will attest to this attribute.
• Leadership/Management Capabilities – Demonstrating general interpersonal impact isn’t enough: top candidates need to show strong evidence of leadership experience and potential. Did you take on leadership positions in clubs, sports teams, and service organizations? You need to express that you are the type of person who will earn the respect of those around you so that they’ll be eager to follow your lead. In your application, resume, and interview, come up with concrete examples that show how you wielded authority with skill and integrity.
Do you need help highlighting these essential qualities in your MBA application? We’re here to help! Contact us so we can provide the one-on-one counseling you need to put together the highest-impact b-school application.
Related Resources:
• 5 Ways to Make B-Schools love you – free webinar
• Leadership in Admissions
• How to Prove Character Traits in Essays
An HBS Entrepreneur Promoting Career Flexibility
People looking for traditional 9 to 5 desk jobs almost seem to be the exception in 2015. HBS grad and entrepreneur Allison O’Kelly is all for the change.
Want to know more? Listen to the full recording of our talk with Allison, Founder/CEO of Mom Corps and champion of the Flexibility Movement.
00:01:31 – Introducing Allison O’Kelly and Mom Corps.
00:04:13 – The value of the “traditional route” of spending a few years in the workforce before launching a startup.
00:05:41 – How an I-don’t-know-what-I-want-to-do-with-my-life moment shaped Allison’s future.
00:07:27 – Pros and cons of “staffing up” your small business.
00:10:37 – How helpful is b-school for an entrepreneur?
00:16:10 – What people simply get wrong about Harvard Business School.
00:17:46 –The “flexibility movement” – beneficial for employers and employees.
00:20:52 – Want to join the flex movement? Here’s what you need to do.
00:24:23 – Thoughts on enhancing your profile for HBS admissions.
00:26:56 – Advice for future entrepreneurs. (And a word to those who “don’t have it in their blood.”)
00:29:14 – What the future holds for Mom Corps.
*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.
Related Links:
Relevant Shows:
• Entrepreneurship at Stanford GSB: Carlypso Drives Down the Startup Street
• Making International Student Loans a Prime Investment
• Entrepreneurship at UCLA Anderson
• Valentine’s Day, Economics, and Stanford GSB
• MBAs Across America: Entrepreneurs with a Heart
• Life as an HBS MBA Student
• MBA Search: Matchmaking for MBAs and Businesses
Leave a Review for Admissions Straight Talk:
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4 Things Your Medical School Application Needs to Reveal
Will your application grab the adcom’s attention?
Your med school application is your sales pitch. If after reading your app, the adcom isn’t interested in hearing more from you, then you haven’t done an adequate job selling yourself.
There are FOUR things you need to reveal in your application if you want to convince the admissions committee that you’re worth investing in.
Your medical school application MUST:
1. Show you can do the work: High test scores, a solid transcript, and a good sampling of clinical work/research will prove to the adcom that you’ve got the brains and the know-how to succeed.
2. Share mission of the school: You must show your commitment to diversity, to working in undeserved communities, to holistic healing, to osteopathy, etc. – if your target school focuses on any of the above (or other areas), then it would do your application good to indicate that those factors are important to you as well.
3. Will make a good physician: Your letters of recommendation will come into play here. You need strong voices to vouch for your abilities and passion to become a physician. The more experience you have in the field here, the better.
4. Will contribute to your school community and medical profession: A foundation of admissions is the belief that “Past behavior predicts future behavior.” Schools want to admit students who will be active participants in their community, and alumni who will make them proud. Show that you have been active in the past and that you have revealed the qualities medical schools value to persuade them you have what they seek.
If you’ve been involved in extracurriculars, contributed to your school or local community, and/or volunteered, then you’ll want to include this information in your application. Similarly, if you’ve participated in important medical research and can show that you’re passionate about continuing to contribute to medical advancements, then this should be explained in your app as well.
If your pitch is weak in even ONE of the above four areas, then it’s likely that the adcom readers will turn you down and move on to the next applicant on their list.
Do you need help strengthening your pitch? Check out our medical school admissions services here.
Related Resources:
• Med School Rankings & Numbers: What You Must Know
• 5 Reasons Why Med Applicants Should Volunteer
• Med School Student Interviews
