I would like to invite all 2009 MBA applicants to sign up for the second 2009 MBA Admissions Telethon on Tuesday, May 13th between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM PT (1:30 PM ET - 3:30 PM ET; 6:00 PM GMT - 8:00 PM GMT). What is the MBA Admissions Telethon?

Two hours when 6 MBA admissions experts will be available to answer your individual questions via telephone. Prior to calling in, you will receive a brief, 6-question questionnaire and submit it along with your resume to a designated email address. (No essays, please.) When you call in, your consultant will review the information you provide, and you will have 15 minutes to discuss with him or her your most pressing MBA admissions questions.

Oh, by the way, the 2009 MBA Admission Telethon is free.

You can learn more details and sign up at 2009 MBA Admissions Telethon.

Yesterday I met with a LAMP client who is shrewdly starting now to prepare for his fall application. We went over his profile, and I made several suggestions as to what he can do between now and this fall to improve his chances of acceptance next year. He found the session very valuable. And again, I commend him for starting early to work on his application. I want to be able to commend and mentor and help prepare more of you.

For years I have encouraged MBA applicants to lay the foundation for their MBA application in the months before applications come out. That's why I wrote Best Practices for MBA Admissions, a featured ebook this month. That's why Accepted has hosted MBA Admissions Telethons and teleseminars. And that's why Accepted is introducing a new subscription form of MBA Admissions Consulting: Start Smart ™.

With Start Smart, you can meet up to one hour per month with your adviser, an experienced Accepted consultant and editor who for years has seen what works and what doesn't. Our experienced staff shares my frustration when talented but flawed clients come to us in September wanting to apply in Round 1 and hoping that a magic wand will make them competitive. We don't have that wand. We do have decades of collective experience that we would like to share with you on an individual basis through Start Smart.

With Start Smart, you can have a mentor guide you in:

• Identifying the core stories for your application.
• Focusing on specific schools.
  
• Strengthening your application and ameliorating weaknesses.
• Choosing recommenders.

We can even help you work out an application time table.

In addition, Start Smart is something that rewards your early-bird-gets-the-worm approach to your applications:

• You will pay less per month when you sign up for more months.
• Your credit card is billed on a monthly basis for the exact number of months you want. You do not pay for the entire service up front so it is more affordable.
  

Accepted is hosting two exciting events this week.

• The first,  a chat with Consortium students, will take place on Tuesday February 5 at  5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET in the Accepted chat room when Consortium students from Tepper, Emory, Indiana, NYU Stern, Darden, Marshall, Ross and McCombs will answer your questions about the Consortium -- from the student's perspective -- and life at these fine MBA programs.
  
• The second is for 2009 MBA applicants. Accepted is hosting its first MBA Admissions Telethon for 2009 applicants this Wednesday February 6 between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM PT (1:00 PM ET - 3:00 PM ET; 5:00 PM GMT - 7:00 PM GMT). During the 2009 MBA Admissions Telethon, Accepted.com consultants will be available to review your resume, take your 15-minute call, and answer your questions. Free. For more information and to register, please visit the MBA Admissions Telethon page.

I also want to let you know that we posted the recent UCLA Anderson MBA admissions chat with  Lydia Heyman, UCLA Anderson's Interim Director of Admissions;  Craig Hubbell, Associate Director of Admissions; and Jessica Chung, Associate Director of Admissions.  An excerpt from this excellent transcript:

Please join us tomorrow Thursday January 24, 2008 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET/6:00 PM GMT for an online chat devoted to UCLA's Anderson School of Business (my alma mater).  UCLA has lined up a wonderful panel of guests to answer your questions about Anderson's MBA program, admissions policies, and student life.  Panelists include:

• Lydia Heyman, UCLA Anderson's Interim Director of Admissions
  
• Craig Hubbell, Associate Director of Admissions
• Jessica Luchenta 
• Jessica Chung
  

Whether you planning to apply prior to UCLA's next (Feb. 20) deadline, are currently waitlisted, or are thinking ahead to next year, please feel free to join us and voice your outstanding questions and nagging worries. This chat is an outstanding opportunity for you to obtain reliable answers.  Remember: Thursday January 24  10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET/6:00 PM GMT in Accepted's Chat Room.

UCLA Anderson 2008 MBA Deadlines

Round    Application Deadline    Decision Mailed By
1                    Oct. 24, 2007                  Jan. 18, 2008
2                    Jan. 2, 2008                  Mar. 28, 2008
3                   Feb. 20, 2008                 May 16, 2008
4                   Apr. 23, 2008                  Jun. 6, 2008

UCLA's questions are virtually the same as last year. My comments (in red) are largely unchanged, but I am posting them here for your convenience.

UCLA Anderson 2008 MBA Essays 

Personal essays are one of the best ways to distinguish yourself by showing how you can contribute to and benefit from the UCLA Anderson MBA program.  Successful essays show strong clarity of expression and focus, and make a good case for doing an MBA now specifically at UCLA.  They should be in the applicant's own style, and directly answer the following questions:

1.  Please provide us with a summary of your personal and family background.  Include information about your parents and siblings, where you grew up, and perhaps a special memory of your youth.  (Please limit to 2 pages, double-spaced)

For years this question has been UCLA's first and one of its longer essays. That status reveals the importance UCLA places on getting to know you as a human being and individual. 

Choose 1-3 important elements of your background and youth to discuss in this essay. You can focus on your family life, vacations, mealtime, seminal experiences or events that were formative. The key is to highlight particular topics and not write the sweeping (and superficial) bio.   Avoid "I was born in Timbuktu and when I was 4 we moved to Outer Mongolia and then when I was ..." or the equivalent.

2. Discuss a situation, preferably work related, where you have taken a significant leadership role.  How does this event demonstrate your managerial potential?  (Please limit to 1 page, double-spaced)

The situation is important but more important is how you answer the second part of the question. How does the event you describe "demonstrate managerial potential." Think about  Anderson's collegial atmosphere and emphasis on teamwork.

3. Discuss your career goals. Why are you are seeking an MBA degree at this particular point in your career? Specifically, why are you applying to UCLA Anderson? (Please limit to 2 pages, double-spaced)

UCLA's is a pretty straightforward goals question. What are you goals? Why now? How will UCLA Anderson help you achieve your goals. As always be specific and make sure you answer all elements of the question.

4. Optional: Is there any other information that you believe would be helpful to the Admissions Committee in considering your application?

Please do not submit redundant information in the Optional Essay; instead use it to explain topics that are not addressed anywhere else in the application such as gaps in your job history or your choice of recommenders.

Please see The Optional Question: To Be or not To Be.

If you would like help with UCLA's essays as you prepare for its next January 3 deadline, please consider Accepted.com's UCLA Anderson Comprehensive Packages or our other MBA admissions consulting and editing services.