• UCLA Anderson. Tomorrow, Monday, November 16, 2009 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET/6:00 PM GMT, Mae Jennifer Shores, Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid, as well as other members of the UCLA Anderson community will participate in an Anderson admissions chat at Accepted.com. Bring your questions and get answers.
• Consortium. On Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 11:00 AM PT/2:00 PM ET/7:00 PM GMT, Accepted.com will host an online chat for those interested in applying through the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Rebecca Dockery, the Consortium's Recruiting Manager, and current members of the Consortium will be available to answer your questions

Please set your alarms and join us in the Accepted chat room.

The chat will take place in the Accepted chat room.

During our most recent MBA admissions chat, we hosted a busy event with the Consortium. Here are a few excerpts from the transcript.

Linda Abraham (Oct 20, 2009 7:05:14 PM)
To all the school reps, does the applicant ranking influence the evaluation of the application?

WendyHuberUVA (Oct 20, 2009 7:06:22 PM)
Linda, applicants should apply as if the schools do not see the ranking. Rankings are only looked at when we are deciding fellowships, they are not used in the admission decision.

JacquelynnDayROCHESTER (Oct 20, 2009 7:09:08 PM)
Linda: While we do consider an individual's rankings, we look at the application as a whole, therefore we encourage students to focus on submitting an overall competitive application

RTorres (Oct 20, 2009 7:05:50 PM)
What happens with applicants that apply to the Consortium and to the specific MBA programs at schools when they are not accepted into the fellowship? How are their MBA applications handled? Are they still considered by the schools?

ErinNicklesburgWISCONSIN (Oct 20, 2009 7:07:59 PM)
RTorres: Each applicant is evaluated independently by each school in terms of both admission and Fellowship decision. An offer of admission does not indicate a guaranteed Fellowship offer, as they are separate. The admission offer will stand regardless of the Fellowship offer. If a Fellowship offer is not given, the applicant will go into the general merit-based aid pool.

AmyPR (Oct 20, 2009 7:12:34 PM)
What is the difference between the November application date and the January application date? Do chances of acceptance increase one date vs. the other?

LaurieShunneyCORNELL (Oct 20, 2009 7:15:21 PM)
AmyPR- Competitiveness for admission and scholarship may increase in later rounds. In general, we recommend submitting the strongest application possible. If you are prepared to apply during the November round, it may help.

• Tepper
• Darden
• Emory
• NYU Stern
• Wisconsin
• Yale SOM
• Washington
• Rochester
• Kelley
• Cornell
• Marshall

If you are interested in the Consortium, its missions, simplified application process, and fellowships, be sure to participate in the chat in Accepted's chat room.

I also want to let you know that we posted the transcript of last week's NYU Stern Admissions Director Chat with Anika Davis Pratt, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid; Isser Gallogly, Executive Director of MBA Admission; Paula Steisel Goldfarb, Senior Director of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid; and Emily Zwanziger, NYU Stern Class of 2010. Check it out in full, but for now, here are a few excerpts.:

naman (Oct 14, 2009 11:13:19 AM)
Isser: Stern MBA is traditionally renowned for finance, probably due to its location in NY. This is also supported in the recruitment profile for the last few years. How competitively are Stern MBAs (in other areas, specifically, consulting) viewed by the recruiters when compared with other top business schools?

IsserGalloglyNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:17:16 AM)
Naman - Stern is great across the board. In consulting, we had recruiters from Bain, McKinsey, BCG, Deloitte & Booz plus many others hire students. In fact, McKinsey and BCG were two of our top recruiters this year for the class as a whole.

IsserGalloglyNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:19:31 AM)
Naman- Another reason we do so well in Consulting is the students IQ+EQ. Not only are our students really smart, but they have superior interpersonal skills. Part of the reason we do the interview process the way we do is to get people with great EQ (emotional intelligence quotient). Recruiters really notice and appreciate that aspect of our students.

lcpink12 (Oct 14, 2009 11:18:58 AM)
Anika: What % of students does a term abroad on exchange? How much does this affect recruiting/interviewing on campus?

AnikaPrattNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:24:16 AM)
LcPink12: Over 300 full-time and part-time students participate in our international programs each year. This includes semester exchange, our popular Doing Business in (DBi) program, and short-term opportunities in the summer. About 60 participated in semester exchange, 250 participated in the DBi trips, and 9 participated in short-term study. Students typically choose their semester to go abroad based on the recruiting schedule for their career of interest. If you want to immerse yourself fully in NYC, the DBi program is ideal because it is a one to two week format.

Linda Abraham (Oct 14, 2009 11:20:04 AM)
Isser what is unique about NYU's interview process that hones in on EQ?

IsserGalloglyNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:29:04 AM)
Linda-There are a few things that are unique about our interview process. It is by invitation only - we only ask to meet you if we are very serious about you after reviewing the application. About 60% of those interviewed are admitted, about 30% of those who apply are selected to interview. The interviews are almost always here in NYC at Stern and conducted by a trained admissions professional. You have 30 minutes to make your case in person to the committee. The interview is not blind. The interviewer will have studied your application and ask you deeper and more specific questions. While you are at Stern, you may visit a class and have lunch with a student (depending on the time of year). If you apply to Stern, save some vacation days and money to fly here for your interview. We take the interview very seriously and it's a unique part of our process.

AnikaPrattNYU (Oct 14, 2009 11:29:09 AM)
Naman: NYU Stern is a great place to be if you want a career change into Consulting. Typically, over half of our incoming class plans on making a career change. At Stern, programs like the Industry Mentoring Initiative (IMI) partner with lead consulting firms and senior executives to mentor students changing careers into consulting. In addition, our student club - the MCA - has a rigorous casing training and prep leading up to consulting interviews -- just to mention a couple of the great resources here at Stern.

If you are interested in NYU Stern, review the chat transcript. The Stern representatives provide meaty, specific answers to a broad range of applicant questions.

My comments are in red. This year's core application questions are  identical to last year's and I've posted their guidelines from 2009 as well below:*

The following essay questions provide us with an opportunity to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, experiences, and any other traits and abilities that are considered relevant to your educational goals and long-term career objectives. Please include your full name and essay number or subject on each page. Type your essays in a standard size 8 1/2" x 11" MS Word document. Please limit each essay to no more than two double -spaced pages.

Core Essay #1 (Required)
Please describe your short and long term goals post-MBA. How has your professional experience shaped these goals and influenced your decision to pursue an MBA degree?

This is a straightforward goals question. You need to connect the dots between your past and desired future with an MBA in the middle.

In discussing your professional experience, don't regurgitate your resume. Highlight specific influential and impressive events or projects in your career to bring out both what you like and are good at.

Core Essay #2 (Required)
The mission of The Consortium is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping to reduce the serious underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both our member schools' enrollments and the ranks of management. What have you done in your business, academic or personal life to demonstrate commitment to this mission? Please provide specific example of your involvement, actions and results.

When have you led a project, team, or community service event dedicated to improving the representation of under-represented minorities in business school and management? This is not a place for an ode to equality. The Consortium wants to see action and commitment to its mission.

Core Essay #3
Is there any other information you would like to share that is not presented elsewhere in the application? (Optional)

Please see the instructions below from last year's application.* On one hand, this is an open-ended question. On the other hand, the Consortium makes it quite clear that this is the place to explain anything that might need explaining. Use it for that purpose. If you are one of the lucky ones who doesn't need to explain, then you can use this optional essay to provide the admission committee with a different perspective on your candidacy by revealing something not brought out in the required questions.

If you would like help with your Consortium application, please consider our essay reviewing and editing services.

Consortium 2010 MBA Application Deadlines

Regardless, you should follow a simple piece of advice: use rich specifics to bring your social enterprise goals to life. I can’t tell you how many essay drafts I’ve seen with something like “. . . and I look forward to giving back by helping those in need in my community and addressing major global issues like poverty and global warming.” You may as well write, “I’m a good person, I swear.” It would have about as much impact.

Instead, use powerful details to paint the picture of your goals. For those of you whose careers will focus on social enterprise, this is especially important. If your future path is related to microfinance (i.e., managing micro-loans to entrepreneurs in emerging economies), on top of the places where you would seek employment talk about the specific countries on which you would like to focus (e.g., India, Mexico, African regions), the target segments and types of entrepreneurship you would seek to fund (e.g., women selling handiwork), and the partnerships you would try to forge (e.g., with banks and NGOs).

Okay, you may say, but my social enterprise goals are harder to define because they’re not in a well-established field like microfinance. For example, you may be an IT engineer who wants to use technology to improve the lives of those in underserved rural regions of a country like India. In that case, do your best to specify how you’d like to do this, including by using statistics on relevant trends. You may point out that though Internet use is still minimal in rural India, the mobile phone subscriber base has grown by 70% a year (made-up stat; you should use a real one), representing a great opportunity to . . . whatever it is you’d like to do.

Hold on, you may say, what if I don’t know exactly what I want to do within social enterprise? Well, you should probably have some idea, but it needn’t be highly specific. This is where you can rely on existing examples to lend richness to your essays. Remember, the majority of successful people didn’t reinvent the proverbial wheel; they just figured out new and better uses for it. So find examples of people doing the kinds of things you’d like to do, and (briefly) tell their story to support yours. For example, the December 2008 issue of Esquire Magazine profiles Tapan Parikh, a UC Berkeley computer scientist who has designed cell phone applications to help manage microfinance-related paperwork in India using a simple barcode-reader and voice prompts for illiterate users. His technology has improved record-keeping, transparency, and loan success rates. That example covers both scenarios I’ve mentioned: microfinance and using IT for social enterprise in rural areas. Another example is the One Acre Fund, non-profit organization started by Kellogg MBA alumnus Andrew Youn that is attacking Africa’s hunger problem by providing individuals seed and fertilizer on credit, weekly on-site agricultural training, and improved market access, with all operations and results assessed with quantitative measures.

It’s ideal to paint your own vision of your career path, but it’s wise to use such examples when you’re venturing into new territory or truly don’t know exactly what you want to do. Many of my clients have used this approach successfully at top programs.

And remember: those of you for whom social enterprise will be a sideline or something you do primarily while in the program (e.g., all top business schools have multiple community service clubs and activities), you’re still not exempt from using specifics. Point out how you’ll build on past community service activities with specific efforts at the school and beyond: “At Kellogg I’ll build on my hospital volunteer work with Lion’s Club by driving healthcare initiatives for the Social Impact Club. Post-MBA I look forward to joining NGO X to drive AIDS awareness efforts in rural India.” You get the idea.

So while community service goals are admirable, they won’t have much impact unless you use strong specifics to paint their picture. My fellow editors and I would be happy to help you do that.

By Dr. Sachin Waikar, Accepted.com editor.

The transcripts from this weeks events are already up!

• 2009 MIT Sloan MBA Application Tips with Jennifer Burke Barba. A few excerpts:

torruda(Jan 5, 2009 12:16:04 PM)
Jen: How does the importance of the cover letter compare to that of the essays for the admission decision?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT(Jan 5, 2009 12:16:28 PM)
Torruda, we consider the cover letter to be another essay. It's equally important to essays.

londaizy(Jan 5, 2009 12:16:32 PM)
Jen: What are the top qualities you look for in the admission essays? Is it personality, work experience, or a combination? Any tips on how to make our essays more powerful?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT(Jan 5, 2009 12:17:33 PM)
Londaizy, there are no specific top qualities we look for. Each applicant is different and hopefully their different personalities, work experiences and academic background will come through. The best thing to do is answer the questions we are specifically asking. We use a method of evaluation that looks at past performance as an indicator of future success. So in the essays, it is best to stay away from hypothetical responses, and talk about the actual events.

ALIGHT(Jan 5, 2009 12:27:03 PM)
Jen, can you share an anecdote about a memorable essay or cover letter from years past? Is there something that you have read which sticks out in your mind as an effective way an applicant told his or her story?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT(Jan 5, 2009 12:28:09 PM)
Alight - the best essays /cover letters are those that tell the story of what happened, including information about how the decisions made impacted both the applicant and other people involved, and end with the end result, not lessons learned.

JonasDivine(Jan 5, 2009 12:38:38 PM)
Jen: In Essay 4, is the admissions committee looking for something specific such as clubs, honors etc. or is this meant to be totally open-ended?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT(Jan 5, 2009 12:39:38 PM)
Jonas - E4 is meant to be totally open-ended. Use your best judgment, this is a chance to share with the Adcom something about you that you could not share in the other

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT(Jan 5, 2009 1:04:03 PM)

I'd like to offer some overall advice. Your essays are the piece of the application that you have the most control over at this point -- focus your time on making them great. You want to come alive on paper, and have members of the admissions committee dying to meet you in person!

myildirim(Jan 5, 2009 1:04:41 PM)
Easier said than done Jen :-)

• 2009 USC Marshall MBA Admissions Chat with Kellee Scott

Linda Abraham(Jan 7, 2009 12:02:07 PM)
Janice, How much is the financial crisis affecting full time hiring this year?

JaniceNishiyamaUSC(Jan 7, 2009 12:04:39 PM)
Linda, we are slightly below our percentage from last year for "employed" second year students. We are finding that companies are generally decreasing the number of full-time hires for this year, but are still actively recruiting interns.

vmuth(Jan 7, 2009 12:05:03 PM)
Hi Veronica, with the increase in applicants and as we are entering later rounds, have you noticed any significant difference in the class profiles thus far compared to previous years?

VeronicaHoUSC(Jan 7, 2009 12:06:33 PM)
Vmuth: Well, our largest round is usually Jan. 15 (Round 2) which has not yet ended, so we are still yet to see the majority of our apps. However, so far, the apps are on par with previous years with a slight increase, and they are competitive

Neda(Jan 7, 2009 12:12:34 PM)
Kellee: How open is USC to admitting students who very recently graduated from undergrad?

KelleeScottUSC(Jan 7, 2009 12:13:39 PM)
Neda, we prefer that candidates have at least two years of full-time post undergraduate work experience before they start. Our average is 5 years. However, candidates who demonstrate a strong case for doing the MBA earlier have a chance.

Next week Accepted is hosting its last Consortium chat for this application cycle. During the "Ask Consortium Alumni Q&A" alumni members of the Consortium will be available to answer your questions about researching schools, the advantages of the Consortium’s extensive network, and perpetuating the Consortium’s mission of enhancing diversity in business education and leadership. Don’t miss this great opportunity to obtain tips from those who have experienced first-hand the many benefits of and MBA degree and Consortium membership.The chat will take place in the Accepted chat room on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET/1:00 AM GMT. Please feel free to join us.

Tell Your Twitter followers about this post: http://is.gd/f4gF

Source: USC Marschall MBA Admissions Chat Transcript (http://accepted.squarespace.com/chat/Transcripts/2009/mba01072009_usc.aspx)
Source: MIT Sloan MBA Admissions Chat Transcript (http://accepted.squarespace.com/chat/Transcripts/2009/mba01052009_mit.aspx)

Looking ahead to 2009, we plan to make this web site and our services even better. We will roll out changes on the site throughout 2009.

We are currently wrestling with a question:  Whether or not to continue publishing recent posts from this blog on the Accepted.com home page.  What do you think?

We would really appreciate your taking a minute to answer a quick, 3-question survey and help us design this site in a way that suits you -- or at least a majority of you. Thank you very much for your time.

Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

Coming up next Monday: London Business School Chat on Dec. 8, 2008 at 10:00 AM PT/ 1:00 PM ET/6:00 PM GMT.

We also have posted in the last several days three transcripts from recent chats.

• 2009 Consortium MBA Career Chat with Jackie Olden
• 2009 MIT Sloan MBA LGBT with Deirdre Kane
• 2009 MIT Sloan MBA Military with Barry Reckley

A few other items I want to note: Anderson's MBA Insider's Blog has a succinct, informative post "Tips for Early Career (EC) MBA Applicants," by Admissions Director Mae Shores. Although the advice is intended specifically for Anderson, it really applies to most applicants with less than three years of experience to top programs that encourage EC's to apply. Chicago Booth also provides guidance specifically geared to early career applicants.

Finally, I feel remiss if I don't even mention the Mumbai massacre considering its cruel brutality and devastating impact.  Our sympathy goes out to all victims of this barbarism and our best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery to those injured by the terrorists. Clear Admit provides a round-up of the cancelled MBA admissions events in India as a result of the attack.

I am sure that some of our readers are personally affected or know someone who is. And of course there are people around the world who have lost loved ones. Terrorism is an international plague knowing no boundaries, using murder and mayhem as an obscene form of political expression.

I don't know anyone personally hurt in or affected by the attacks. My family and I do have a couple of good friends who knew the Holzbergs, the young rabbinic couple butchered by the terrorists. One friend was travelling in India and spent the Sabbath before the attack at the Chabad Center (formerly known as the Nariman House), in which several people perished. Another friend, who had lived in Mumbai for a year, found herself last Thursday helping her sister on her wedding day  -- and worrying about Rabbi and Mrs. Holzberg, who ran the Chabad Center and with whom she had enjoyed many a meal and chat.

At the end of a moving and terribly sad email, she writes "And to all of you reading this email, I ask that you do something good—something so kind, so good, and so loving, that it can in some way make the world hurt less. Because, little Moishe (the Holzberg's two-year-old son rescued by his nanny)  should not know the hate-filled world that his parents were murdered in."

• MBA Admissions Telethon for Round 2 and 3 applicants on Wednesday Nov. 19. During the 2009 MBA Admissions Telethon, Accepted.com admissions consultants will be available to review your resume, take your call, and answer your questions. Free.
• Consortium Chat on Nov. 19, 2008 at 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET with Jackie Olden, the Consortium's Director of Recruiting, and representatives from NYU Stern, CMU Tepper, USC Marshall, and UNC Kenan Flagler.
• In honor of National MBA Interview Month, Accepted is offering 20% off MBA I.V.: Mainline to Top MBA Programs. And don't neglect the free MBA Interview Feedback Database when preparing for your interview.
• Manhattan GMAT is hosting a mixer on Thursday November 20 for young professionals in Silicon Valley. Here's the scoop:

"Learn the ins and outs of the GMAT, while mingling with fellow young professionals working at top companies in and around Silicon Valley. Enjoy drinks and appetizers as one of our expert Instructors helps clarify the myths that have surfaced about this challenging exam. We'll separate fact from fiction – you'll walk out knowing how the GMAT works, what it tests, how business schools interpret scores, and why short-cuts and tricks will only get you so far."

• The Toigo Foundation launched a new Facebook page for "young professionals of color who share a common interest in pursuing an MBA and a career in finance."

• Accepted will host the UC Berkeley Haas chat tomorrow Wednesday October 29 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET/5:00 PM GMT. Peter Johnson, Haas' Director of Admissions, will be the special guest, joined by one or two current Haas students. The chat will take place in Accepted's chat room. Please feel free to join us.
• We just posted the transcript from last week's two chats. First the MIT Sloan chat with Angel Navedo and Barry Reckley, both Assistant Directors of MBA Admissions at Sloan. An excerpt:

DAV (Oct 23, 2008 12:13:28 PM)
Barry: How stringently do you hold to the criteria that experiences discussed in essays need to fit within the last three years (for example, a 4-year project that only has its last year fit within the 3-year window)?

BarryReckleyMIT (Oct 23, 2008 12:15:27 PM)
Dav: we're flexible, your situation sound reasonable within the time limits.

Sean Mahoney (Oct 23, 2008 12:13:39 PM)
Hi, Angel. We met at an information session MIT had last month. Thank you for that. I was hoping to get some more information about the guaranteed loan Citi gives all students. How much is the loan for (tuition only/ board/food/mortgage etc.)?  Also, do these loans get used for the trips MIT alumni have told us they took during the program?

AngelNavedoMIT (Oct 23, 2008 12:16:03 PM)
Hello Sean. I hope the presentation was helpful. Regarding the Citibank loan, we will no longer be offering that loan next year. As I wrote earlier, US students have plenty of excellent options and we are working hard to find suitable options for our international students.

Linda Abraham (Oct 23, 2008 12:17:20 PM)
Angel, is MIT Sloan able to expand its number of grants for students having trouble obtaining loans?

AngelNavedoMIT (Oct 23, 2008 12:19:18 PM)
Hi Linda! This past year we doubled the number of fellowships available to incoming students, so there will definitely be more money available in terms of fellowships than in the past.

• We have also posted the recent October 23 Consortium chat with Jackie Olden of the Consortium and representatives from Marshall, CMU Tepper, U of Wisconsin at Madison, Emory, Simon, McCombs, Darden, Yale SOM, and NYU Ster.  An excerpt:

Linda Abraham (Oct 23, 2008 7:06:26 PM)
Is the absence of the CitiAssist program and the overall tightening of credit affecting your schools and applicants? What should applicants be doing now to prepare themselves to apply this year?

LinwoodHarrisCMU (Oct 23, 2008 7:07:51 PM)
No! Several are concerned, but I don't think it is affecting us.

ErinNickelsburgWISCONSIN (Oct 23, 2008 7:07:59 PM)
In regards to tightening of credit - it is not affecting our applicants and we don't anticipate that it will.

JosuePortilloNYU (Oct 23, 2008 7:08:18 PM)
Linda, CitiAssist loans are still coming in with no problems at NYU.

KelleeScottUSC (Oct 23, 2008 7:09:59 PM)
Linda, no loan issues at USC.

RodrigoMaltaTEXAS (Oct 23, 2008 7:10:16 PM)
Linda, no loan issues at Texas either, so far so good.

• The Consultant's Guide to MBA Admission -- updated for the 2009 application season and with a complete set of sample HBS essays for this year's application -- is now 20% off. But just until Friday Oct. 31.
• Now is the perfect time to start your Round 2 applications. Now,  when those deadlines are two months -- not two weeks -- away you have the time to work methodically through several applications and improve them as you go. And we are going to help you get started. Save $100 off any MBA admissions order of US$2000 or more. Enter "SAVE100" at checkout to receive the discount. 
• This year's MBA interview feedback is starting to come in. We already have 2009 responses for Kellogg and Duke. Please check out the MBA Admissions Interview Feedback Database for recent feedback from all schools and share your interview experience after you interview. 

Source: 2009 MIT Sloan MBA Application Questions Chat with Angel Navedo (http://www.accepted.com/chat/Transcripts/2008/mba10232008_mit.aspx)
Source: 2009 Consortium Chat Transcript (http://www.accepted.com/chat/Transcripts/2008/mba10232008_consortium.aspx)
Source: The Consultant's Guide to MBA Admission (http://www.accepted.com/Ecommerce/ConsultantsGuide/ConsultantsGuide.aspx)
Source: MBA Interview Feedback (http://www.accepted.com/mba/InterviewFeedback.aspx)
Source: MBA Admissions Consulting and Essay Editing (http://www.accepted.com/services/mbaservices.aspx)