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Application Essay Questions: 2 Must-Know Tips on Answering them Right

December 26, 2010 By

The best way to ace your application essays or personal statements is to ANSWER THE ESSAY QUESTIONS. This may sound like an easy feat, yet so often applicants go into the essay writing process with ulterior motives: to write their preconceived essays based only loosely on the given essay topics.

Newsflash: No matter how compelling and well-written your essays are, if they don’t answer the questions as they are presented to you on the application, they will not impress the admissions committee—or at least not in the way you want them to.

Your challenge is two-fold: to understand exactly what each essay question is asking, and to answer the question in the most compelling and impressive fashion.

To meet the challenge, I recommend that you keep the following in mind:

  • Each school asks different questions; therefore, each essay you draft should be unique to each essay question and to each program. While you may be able to adapt essays from one school to another, keep in mind that adaptation is not the same as recycling (i.e. DO NOT copy and paste). Adcoms can usually tell the difference between a recycled essay and an essay answers their question—and they certainly prefer the latter.
  • Whether you’re applying to business school, grad school, law school, med school, or college, you will need to prove that you are an ideal match, or “fit,” with your chosen school. Be sure to research each program you apply to and to envision yourself at that particular school—on its campus, in its classrooms, interacting with its professors, etc.—while drafting your essay. If you want the adcoms to believe you will be an irreplaceable fixture in their next class, then you’ll have to convince them that your ideals and goals are one with theirs.

Finally, if you are looking for more personalized assistance in composing your application essays or personal statements, please feel free to contact us. Our experienced editors  are ready to be of service to you, but please contact us ASAP. Those deadlines are looming large and fast. Don’t wait until we either lack the availability or the time to help you.

Good luck with your applications…and answer those questions directly. Effectively.

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Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, College Admissions, EMBA, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions Tagged With:

London Business School Q&A: Updated Answers from the Chat

December 23, 2010 By

There were so many excellent questions for the London Business School MBA and MiF admissions directors, Peter Johnson and Karen Benge, and for the three part-time MiF students, that we didn’t have time during the Q&A to get to them all.

The representatives were kind enough to respond to the following admissions questions and more in a post-Q&A interview, and we’ve added their answers to the transcript as well:

Q: I hear so much about students entering the job force post-graduating LBS, how about entrepreneurship? How does the school help address starting or continuing a business post-MBA?

Q: How would you describe the type of student LBS is looking for? What’s one word to describe an LBS graduate?

Q: Does LBS have any specific courses or programs that focus on management in the non-profit or public sector?

Q: The length of the program is 15-21 months. How would a student finish the program in 15 months? Would this impact the possibility of benefiting from an internship or exchange? Are there more course options offered in the 21 month program? Is there a difference in program cost?

Q: Can any of the current MBA students discuss how participating in the Global Leadership Development Programme has helped developed their leadership abilities?

Additionally, here’s a sneak peek into the scintillating transcript:

Linda Abraham: Ira asks, “With regard to the various essays in the application, would you recommend a more formal professional tone, or a lighter tone that reveals some of the applicant’s personality?”

Karen Benge: I think that is a personal decision, but the importance of the essays is that we can get a sense of the individual who has applied. While I don’t recommend being very informal, I would let some personality come through so that we can get a real sense of that. There are points in the application essays where it is more appropriate to do that. For example, there is the question about involvement in the student community. Another question is not as directly related to the course and your career goals.

Peter Johnson: I 100% agree with Karen, and I’m sure it’s something that you will back up Linda, from your years of experience. It’s remarkable sometimes how little effort people put into their essays, and the essays are the most critical part of the application. It’s the short opportunity people have to sell themselves. And sometimes people actually treat it so superficially despite the fact that the rest of their application may be very strong.….. What is critical is that your real personality shines through and that we can really get a sense of who you are and what you would add to the program. So Linda, I’m sure you tell people this all the time: however much time you were planning to spend on the essays, spend twice as much.

View the full London Business School Q&A transcript (which includes the post-Q&A interview at the end) to get the answers to the above questions or to review the Q&A from the beginning. You can also download an mp3 version of the conversation and listen to the Q&A on the go!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, International, Interview, London Business School, MBA Admissions Tagged With: , , , ,

Connect with Accepted.com on LinkedIn

December 20, 2010 By

Want to get in touch with us? There’s always the good ol’ telephone and email, but perhaps you prefer other means. Something more Web 2.0. We provide them:  Accepted’s Forums, Facebook, Twitter, our blog, and now…drumroll…the Accepted LinkedIn Group.

Accepted.com editors and consultants will now answer your admissions and application questions on LinkedIn! Ask us about anything from school selection to choosing essay topics to interviewing to dealing with waitlist woes to choosing the right school when you have the delightful dilemma of multiple acceptances. We’ll respond ASAP.

In addition, we plan to invite other professionals (like GMAT prep experts and career counselors) to join in this group. It’s in its infancy now, but with your participation it will become a resource that will serve you for years to come.

Join our LinkedIn Group today!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, College Admissions, EMBA, GMAT, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions Tagged With: ,

Save 20% on MBA Waitlist Ebook

December 15, 2010 By

Attention all MBA waitlistees—this month’s featured ebook is for you!

For the next TWO WEEKS ONLY, you can buy The Nine Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on an MBA Waitlist at 20% off the cover price. This ebook is perfect for anyone on an MBA waitlist who isn’t sure what step to take next.

You’ll get access to professional advice about how to tip the waitlist scales in your favor, transforming that waitlist status into the full acceptance you know you deserve. You’ll learn the few steps you may be able to take for schools that discourage contact, how to highlight recent achievements, and how to ameliorate weaknesses in your profile. You’ll also learn the mistakes you should avoid at all costs—those blunders that end up dooming so many applicants to ding-dom.

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

Mistake #2: Be modest about recent achievements.

This is not the time for false modesty, real modesty, or anything in between. Put humility on hold—temporarily. (But remember: arrogance is always out of place.)

Right Move: Convince the schools you are a new and improved applicant.

Show them you are even better than you were when you applied. Remember: you have to convince them to accept you off the waitlist and not the person whose name is above or below yours on that list. Give them more reasons to select you by informing them of recent achievements, initiatives, and success stories.

Learn how to convince the adcom members that you’re better than ever…and perfect for their school, when you buy The Nine Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on an MBA Waitlist today. Enter coupon code MBAWL at checkout to get your 20% discount through December 31, 2010!

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Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, MBA Admissions, MBA Waitlist Tagged With: ,

The Ethics of Writing Application Essays

December 10, 2010 By


Businessweek recently published an exposé on the unethical practices of certain MBA essay writing services. These companies are not—to be clear—the reputable admissions consultancies that help applicants brainstorm and then work with them to edit and polish their essays, but are the companies that admit to actually sitting down and writing the application essays themselves.

According to the article, the spokesmen for the companies defend their ghostwriting businesses, claiming that they help their clients express themselves, and that there is nothing unethical about that. In fact, explains David Burton of Essaywriter, most clients who use the services are international candidates and need help putting their thoughts into words in English. There is no plagiarism, he insists, and “once the essays are in the hands of clients, they use them as they see fit.”

“I can’t tell you that every student who uses our services does not use the work as his own …It would be fraudulent to pass the work of someone else off as your own,” he says. “It’s not fraudulent to give an example of your work to someone, who you think is honest.”

Business schools administrators all agree that submitting ghostwritten essays is unethical, the essays comprise a significant portion of the admissions decision, and by turning in an essay written by someone else, applicants are being deceptive.

The BW article then shifts to an explanation of how legitimate consultancies differ from the essay writing firms: “Unlike essay writers, admissions consultants provide a broad range of services, from advising on GMAT preparation and choosing programs to preparing for interviews and providing feedback on essays.” To ensure that applicants choose a legitimate firm, the article continues, they should check that their consultancy in question is a member of the professional alliance, the Association of International graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC).

It’s satisfying to see both the press and the schools distinguishing between consultants who guide and edit and the essay writing services that think and write for applicants.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, MBA Admissions Tagged With: ,

Four Key MBA Interview Resources

December 8, 2010 By

To prepare for your MBA interviews you need to study the interviewing school’s program, go through your applications with a fine-tooth comb, and reflect again on critical decision points in your life and the experiences that best portray you. And then, you want to review MBA interview resources below that will help you ace that 30 minute exchange:

  1. MBA Interview Feedback Database – You’ll understand why our interview database is so popular once you check out the pages and pages of interview feedback left by your fellow applicants after their interviews.
  2. MBA Interview Prep Course – A FREE 5-day email course that provides key tactics to help you prep for your interview.
  3. MBA I.V.: MBA Interview Questions & Tips – Save 20% on this best-selling ebook that reveals insider interview tips and advice. Through TODAY, December 8, 2010, use coupon code MBAIV to receive your discount.
  4. Mock MBA Interviews and MBA Interview Coaching – Practice makes perfect and when you work one-on-one with an Accepted.com interviewer, you’ll be prepared and confident when shaking your interviewer’s hand!

Good luck and don’t forget to let us know how your interviews go!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, EMBA, Interview, MBA Admissions, MBA Interview Tagged With: ,

CMU Tepper Admissions Director Interview Posted Online

December 6, 2010 By

Our CMU Tepper Q&A proved to be yet another admissions interview success. If you made it to the event we hope you enjoyed it. If you were unable to attend the live webinar, you can review the Q&A transcript or listen to the audio on our website.

We ran out of time at the end of the Q&A and were left with a few unanswered questions. Below you will find the answers to those questions that James Frick was kind enough to answer for us via email.

Q: Do you view being unemployed and applying detrimental?

Not at all. We all understand it has been a difficult economy, and many exceptional candidates have faced similar challenging circumstances in recent years.  In talking to students in years past who were laid off prior to applying for business school, it often turned out to be a blessing in disguise in that it put a plan into motion for them to ultimately better equip and prepare themselves for their career path by allowing them to refocus and add additional training and networking opportunities that an MBA program provides.

If you are facing a similar situation, we would recommend that you be proactive in speaking to it in your application materials (most likely, the essays and interview).  You also want to demonstrate the positive steps you have taken in the time since you have been unemployed (i.e. researching post-MBA career paths, becoming more involved with a non-profit or community organization). 

Q: In my opinion, one of Tepper’s key strengths is in combining technology and management. Does this reflect in its preference for candidates?

There are many students who come from a technical background and are drawn to our program because they want to be a leader or a strategist in that space.  However, there are many others who choose the Tepper School because they have not yet had this experience or training and feel it will be a powerful addition to their skillset.  In a typical year, we see nearly a 50/50 split between students who come from a technical background with their undergraduate studies and those who come from a more non-technical background. 

There are indeed numerous opportunities in the curriculum for students to focus their studies in technology, including the general MBA with concentrations in information systems and strategy, and our track in Technology Leadership, which combines courses from the Tepper School with graduate courses in the School of Computer Science.  However, students who choose to focus in other areas will still leave the program adept at utilizing technology in strategic decision making through their exposure to it in our required course sequence. 

Q: What opportunities do families of students have to be involved with the Tepper community?

Our close-knit community extends well beyond current students to include partners, children and pets!  We have a terrific partner group which does a great job in building your network and scheduling all sorts of social and cultural activities.  You can visit them online at:  http://www.tepper.cmu.edu/current-students/current-graduate-students/student-clubs/tepper-partners-club/index.aspx.  Most activities outside of the classroom, such as our weekly social, B**rs, as well as larger events such as casino night are open to all students and partners.  In times past, partners of current students have taken courses at the larger university as a non-degree seeking student, or audited courses from the Tepper School (on occasion, the partner has also opted to pursue her/his MBA from the Tepper School as well J).  The university also offers a partner ID for a nominal fee, which grants partners access to university resources such as libraries, computer labs, and athletic facilities. 

View the full Q&A transcript or listen to the mp3 recording of the event now!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, CMU Tepper, MBA Admissions Tagged With: , ,

Wharton Interview Questions Leaked

December 2, 2010 By

A 25-minute slideshow coaching Wharton alum on this year’s new interview questions was leaked. According to John Byrne of Poets & Quants, these slides were also accessed by top admissions consultants whose clients then had an advantage in their interview preparation. According to Byrne, applicants who were informed of the new “behavioral” questions in advance were able to prepare thoughtful answers and thus score better than were their peers who had not been privy to the information in advance.  

The slideshow contains all six interview questions (of which three are chosen), as well as suggestions and instructions on how to evaluable applicant responses.

Bryne suggests that about half of applicants to top b-schools like Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton use consultants.

But, as Linda Abraham, Accepted.com’s founder and CEO, points out, “The questions typically asked at MBA interviews are not exactly state secrets. The actual questions are posted on applicant blogs and forums and shared in our database and in Clear Admit’s wiki. We definitely use publicly available information in coaching our clients.” (Abraham knew nothing of the slide presentation before Byrne contacted her.)

Byrne then continues to list the six questions—one from each of the following categories is chosen at the interview: team building, facilitative leadership, and persuasive communication. He writes:

The questions on “team building” are:

“Describe a time when you have been working toward the completion of an important task, when it has been necessary to consider the opinions and feelings of others.”

“Describe a time when you have worked as part of a team working towards an important goal, when you have addressed conflict between two or more team members.”

The questions on “facilitative leadership” are:

“Describe a time when you have worked with others to complete an important task, when there was no formally appointed group leader.”

“Describe a time when you have ensured an important task has been completed, when you felt others were less focused than you on completing the important task.”

The questions on “persuasive communication” are:

“Describe a time when you have had to persuade others to your way of thinking, when at first they did not buy into your idea.”

“Describe a time when your ideas have been challenged by others, requiring you to defend your opinions.”

Bryne also lists a number of the follow-up questions for each category and an expose on how applicants are graded on their answers.

At least now everyone’s on the same page.

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Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, Interview, MBA Admissions, MBA Interview, Wharton Tagged With: ,

FREE Advice: How the Common App Can Help You Get Into the Ivy League!

December 2, 2010 By

“Common” and “Ivy League” sound incongruous, but they fit together better that you realize. In fact, if you nail that Common App, it could be your ticket to the Ivy League. But you need to know how to do it right.

In Accepted.com’s newest special report, Ivy League and Common Application Tips: How to Get Accepted, Whitney Bruce, college admissions expert, teaches you how to use the Common Application to achieve an uncommon goal—gaining admission to your top choice Ivy League school.

Download Ivy League and Common Application Tips: How to Get Accepted now to learn school-specific tips and techniques to get you accepted!

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Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, College Admissions Tagged With: ,

Thanksgiving Thoughts and Thanks

November 24, 2010 By

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and indeed, one of my favorite posts on this blog is a post I wrote several years ago for Thanksgiving. It is a favorite because I like the topic/story and because it illustrates many of the techniques I teach and preach. I have linked to it several times on Thanksgiving and will do so again here, but I have additional thoughts to share too.

I savor the “count your blessings” theme of this holiday. The past year has been a wonderful one for my husband and me. Our eldest son got married in March, and we were blessed with three beautiful, new grandchildren. It is easy to count one’s blessings under such circumstances.

Sometimes, however, it is not so easy. My cousin, whom I just visited in London, unintentionally set an example of thankfulness in the face of adversity. A stroke victim, he has very limited use of his right side and walks with a pronounced limp. I am sure that many others, less determined than he is and with a similar disability, wouldn’t walk at all. 

A very active man and one who always moved quickly before his stroke, he expressed frustration with his limp and limitations at one point during our visit.  Not surprising at all.

More noteworthy was the comment he made a few minutes later. “At the same time, my stroke has made me happier.”

“How so?” I asked.

“Every morning I am thankful when I wake up. I enjoy life more. I really appreciate the fact that I can simply get out of bed. I am thankful my speech wasn’t affected. I am thankful I have the mobility that I do have.”

Whether you are an American well-versed with Thanksgiving or someone who knows nothing about this American  holiday, his attitude of appreciation is something to think about and cultivate – before facing difficulty. I hope to remember it when I face the adversity that is an inevitable part of life.

In the meantime, however, I would like to use this Thanksgiving post to thank you on behalf of the Accepted.com staff for your patronage of our blog, resources, webinars, Q&As, ebooks, and of course our services. It is a privilege to serve you. Thank you for the opportunity.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.

Filed Under: Admissions Consulting, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions, Residency
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