Take Advantage of the Early Bird Special!

Need an incentive to jump-start your b-schoool, graduate school, or law school apps? No problem. We’re offering 10% off all non-rush application services as part of our Early Bird Special.

Our editors are standing by, waiting to help you with any and all aspects of the law, grad, and MBA admissions process!

Use promo code EB10 at checkout by Monday, July 15th to save big and get one step closer to your top graduate school program!

BONUS TIP: Here’s something you can do right now that will aid your cause: Go through each of your social media accounts and CLEAN THEM UP. Delete anything that makes you look bad, untag yourself in your friends’ photos and videos if you need to, and last but not least, check that your privacy settings are set at the highest possible standards. Make sure that only those people whom you WANT to see your activity are the ones who have access to it.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

This deferral program is similar to Harvard Business School’s 2+2 Program. Clearly the latter is a success.

Pursuing rich work and life experiences and building wide networks is encouraged (actually, required) over the two-year deferral period. There is an option to expand this period.

Applicants to the program must submit an academic transcript, LSAT scores, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. In-person interviews on the Harvard Law campus will be conducted.

Resources:

• “Law School To Launch New Deferred Admission Program for College Juniors” – The Harvard Crimson
• “Harvard Law School Agrees To Start Accepting Harvard Students Early IF They Promise To Go Get A Life First” – Above The Law

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Victor Cheng, is now a strategic adviser and consultant to owners of mid-size business with $1M – $25M in sales and a speaker and expert on business issues. That’s his day job.

When he’s not working at his day job, he advises applicants to McKinsey & Company and other elite strategy consulting firms how to join those firms. And it’s in this capacity that Linda invited him to Admissions Straight Talk. Listen to the full recording to hear Victor’s insider advice and insights.

00:02:01 – Why is a podcast about admissions worrying about post-graduation careers?

00:02:30 – Meet Victor Cheng, Author of Case Interview Secrets, and former McKinsey consultant, resume screener, and interviewer.

00:03:33 – Caseinterview.com beta: Victor’s senior year of college. What a story!

00:06:06 – Linda shares a bit of her own story. ☺

00:07:04 –3 changes in how McKinsey selects candidates.

00:09:56 – If you don’t like case interviews, you probably won’t like consulting. Really.

00:12:55 – The qualities and/or skills that make for a good consultant. (What qualifies you at age 25 to advise a Fortune500 CEO at a cost of a quarter of a million dollars a year!?)

00:16:56 – IQ and EQ. Equal factors?

00:18:47 – Victor’s advice for liberal arts graduates who’d like to break into management consulting. Poets, this discussion is for you.

00:21:32 – The best of the best: Consulting firms are less focused on an applicant’s academic preparation and more concerned about a mindset and “mental horsepower.”

00:23:20 – What is the difference between the skill sets that the top consulting firms are looking for. Or is there a difference?

00:24:22 – How to project confidence without arrogance, and other great advice on self-confidence in a case interview.

00:29:46 – Check out Case Interview Secrets. Learn what to do and why to do it.

 Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes to keep up with the latest in admissions news and trends! You know you want to give us a 5-star rating!

Stitcher fans, we’ve got good news! Admissions Straight Talk is now available on Stitcher! Check it our here. 

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Show Note Links:

• MBA In Sight: Focus on Management Consulting, Accepted’s free guide to b-schools for management consultant wannabes.
• Recent articles related to management consulting
• Case Interview Secrets by Victor Cheng
• Case Interview.com

Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk:

• Admissions Straight Talk on iTunes
• Admissions Straight Talk on Stitcher

Coming next: A conversation with the director of the Entrepreneurship Initiative at Georgetown University

So all you Stitcher people: run, don’t walk, to your nearest iPhone, Androiod, iPad, or PC and join Linda for a bi-weekly discussion of what’s new, thought-provoking, and useful in the world of graduate admissions.

• Former McKinsey consultant, resume screener, and case interviewer.
• Passed 60 out of 61 case interviews and landed 7 consulting job offers.
• Author of Case Interview Secrets, an extremely clear and well-written book on excelling in case interviews.
• Since 2003, strategic adviser and consultant to owners of mid-size business in service or web- based industries with $1M – $25M in sales.
• Speaker and expert on business issues turned to by media outlets including TIME, The Wall Street Journal, Inc, Fortune, and others.

I plan to focus this segment of Admissions Straight Talk on preparation for a career in management consulting.  I have a bunch of questions I know I want answers to, but I am also wondering:

What would you like me to ask Victor? What would you ask him if you could?

Please put those suggestions, requests, and questions in comments below. Don’t be shy. I am asking this same question in various social media too.

I’ll take the ones I’m dying to ask along with the best ones you send me, and they will be the building blocks of the next Admissions Straight Talk podcast.

We’ll post the segment here on Thursday May 23. To make sure you don’t miss it or any other segments of Admissions Straight Talk, the podcast for graduate school applicants, please subscribe:

• iTunes
• Stitcher
• Accepted’s blog

It can’t be easier, just put your questions in a comment below.

Never post any comments or pictures that you wouldn’t want everyone in the world to see.

When Kaplan Test Prep released the results of its survey of business school admissions officers, revealing that 32% of business school admissions officers performed internet searches on applicants, 27% visited an applicant’s social media (Facebook, Myspace, etc.) page, and 10% had found something online that negatively impacted an applicant’s admission chances, applicants around the world collectively shuddered. Not only do we have to consider every comma and turn of phrase in the applications themselves, now we have to worry about what we may have posted online in the past as well?! YES! Here are a few tips to consider when using Facebook given these stark statistics.

1. Make sure that your Facebook profile is for Friends only (and not open to Friends of Friends or Everyone), and also remember to check that you’ve selected this option for every picture that you post.

2. As a general rule, never post any comments or pictures that you wouldn’t want everyone in the world to see. That way no one of your closest 1300 friends who is offended by your post can simply take a screenshot of it for global dissemination. Think very hard before using Facebook as a forum to comment on a political matter, your satisfaction with your job, your affinity for a particular teacher or supervisor, etc. Go through now and delete any questionable posts.

3. Even if your Facebook profile is private and viewable only to Friends, you need to keep in mind that some things are viewable by anyone on Facebook: all of the data you’ve entered in Basic Information, the names of Groups you’re a member of, the pages you’ve Liked, all of the pictures you’ve saved as Profile or Cover Photos, and any pictures or comments you’ve posted to an open group. Be conservative in your Group memberships and contributions to open groups, and delete any cover or profile photos that you don’t want in your application file.

 Jennifer Bloom has been successfully helping applicants demonstrate their readiness for the top MBA programs around the world for 14 years. 

You have 2 more days (TODAY and TOMORROW) to celebrate Linda’s birthday and save 50% on all Accepted.com books! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to stock up on the books that will help you get accepted to b-school, law school, med school, grad school, or college! (P.S. Linda’s book, MBA Admission for Smarties, is included in the sale!) To receive your discount, just enter SAVE50 at checkout through Saturaday, May 11th, 2013.

Happy shopping!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Hi everyone! It’s me, Linda Abraham, CEO and founder of Accepted.com, and today is my birthday.

For me, birthdays are a time to appreciate life and the people around me who have contributed to making my life special. It’s also a time to celebrate, and I’d like to do that with you by offering you 50% off Accepted.com’s entire stock of books and ebooks!

For 5 days only (Monday, May 6 – Saturday, May 11), you can use coupon code SAVE50 at checkout to save big on all our admissions books.

Visit our bookstore now!

Happy birthday to me and happy shopping to you!

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

It’s been an interesting few weeks.

Starting with the day of the Boston Marathon a little over two weeks ago, I have seen and heard amazing stories of resilience and fortitude. And no, I was not in or even near Boston. As a city, it has demonstrated those qualities, and those injured in the bombing and grieving for lost loved ones will need even more strength in the weeks, months, and years to come.

Coincidentally that night I went to see the movie, No Place on Earth. It is a documentary narrated by the people who lived it: six elderly Holocaust survivors who hid in a cave for over a year and a half. Actors act out the scenes. The elderly people, who have since lived seemingly normal lives, raised children, and enjoyed the privilege of seeing grandchildren and in some cases great–grandchildren, relate an amazing story of fortitude and resilience brilliantly presented in this outstanding movie.

Then two weeks later, I traveled with my 83-year-old mother, herself a Holocaust survivor, and attended the 20th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Here we again heard stories of courage and heroism as the conference honored survivors, veterans who liberated Europe, and rescuers who saved the persecuted. We heard from Nobel laureate, Elie Wiesel, President Bill Clinton, aged veterans, survivors, and rescuers. Most of the honorees are in their 80’s and 90’s. Almost all were accompanied by their children and grandchildren. The younger generations’ attendance evidenced their elders’ resilience – their ability to move forward and rebuild their lives.

Former Buchenwald prisoner, Elie Wiesel, represented the survivors and spoke movingly of how he and 400+ orphans freed from that hell on earth and sent to a children’s home in France after World War II, should have been emotional cripples. All 400+ became doctors, lawyers, teachers, tradespeople, rabbis, leaders, businesspeople, and writers. Despite the scars, they moved on. Despite the pain, they picked up the pieces of their lives. Refusing to be victims, they became survivors.

Similarly the Stermer family from No Place on Earth emerged from their cave, literally dusted themselves off (layers of dirt), and began their lives anew. They moved to the U.S. and Canada, built businesses, and had families. They moved on.

On some level the people of Boston demonstrated that same strength after their week of horror as they resumed their lives.

From the depths of my heart I hope that none of you have been tested in the way that those whose lives were torn apart by World War II were tested, but I know that’s not true. Some of you have been persecuted. Some of you are vets. Some are heroes. Your ability to recover despite the pain or the scars defines the difference between a tragic victim and a resilient survivor.

For the rest of you — the lucky ones who haven’t endured the horrors of war or genocide, lived in a cave for a year and a half, or been under lock-down in a city in the grip of a murderous terror attack – you too can demonstrate that endurance.

What does resilience mean for applicants leading blessed lives with more pedestrian challenges, frustrations, and aggravations and having to answer questions either in an essay or interview about failure, setbacks, or mistakes? It means showing through examples that you have the ability to come back, learn, and move forward. It means that after your leg, broken in a skiing accident, heals, you return to the slopes. It means that after your first “patient” dies, you continue with your plans to be a doctor. It means that after your start-up fails, you resolve to get an MBA so that you can successfully manage your next business.

When asked about failures, setbacks, and mistakes, you just have to show that you have the strength and courage to deal with events within and beyond your control, to recover from disappointment and failure, and to pick yourself up, hopefully learn from the experience, and yes, move on. That’s resilience.








By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

The playlist was created based on a Stanford study that shows that certain types of music engage different areas of the brain and can improve skills such as paying attention, making predictions, and memory.

Check out Wash U’s blog post on Spotify Playlist here.

An Attention Enhancing Study Playlist provided by @WashULaw, an online LL.M Degree

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

As dismal as this number may seem (59.8%), it is actually higher than the national rate of 56.2%

A New York Law Journal article talks about the bleak future of 2012 New York State law school graduates. According to the article, only six in ten of the 4,967 graduates (coming for 15 New York law schools) landed full-time, permanent employment.

As dismal as this number may seem (59.8%), it is actually higher than the national rate of 56.2%, and an improvement over the previous year’s rate of 57.2%.

Here are some highlights from the NY Law Journal article:

•      Only six U.S. schools placed more than 90% of their last graduating class in full-time positions.

•      Of these six schools, two were in New York: Columbia Law School at 93.4% and NYU School of Law at 91.1%.

•      Cornell Law School missed the 90% mark at 85.8%.

•      Some schools experienced significant jumps from the previous year, including the City University of New York School of Law (a 17.7 point increase to 54.6%), Pace Law School (a 12.3 point increase to 48%), and Hofstra’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law (a 10.5 point increase to 51.2%).

•      11% of 2012 law school grads (nationwide) were unemployed in February (a 1% increase over the previous year).

•      Since 2010, the U.S. law school application rate has decreased 35%. In 2010 there were 87,000 applicants. This coming year there is an expected 57,000 applicants.

For more details, check out the New York Law Journal article.










Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

To ease the reader’s eye strain, the font should not be smaller than 10 pt.

I suggest that applicants for Fall 2014 entry begin assembling materials for their applications now –  five months in advance of the first fall deadlines. One of the ideal documents to begin now is a resume, something that any professional should always have updated and at the ready. Here are some tips on starting the ideal admissions-worthy resume.

First, you need to know how far back in time to detail in this document. As a general rule, if you are applying to graduate school and have at least two years of work experience, your high school activities should not be included in your resume. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, if you won a prestigious national award in high school, you may certainly consider including this important recognition.

Other general rules for the resume:

• There should be no more than four bullet points beneath each position.
• Each bullet point should ideally be no more than two lines long.
• To ease the reader’s eye strain, the font should not be smaller than 10 pt.
• Margins should be as close to one inch all around as possible – I, personally, will not reduce them lower than 0.7 inches.

With these rules in mind, how should applicants to the top international programs focus the resume on their most relevant and compelling experiences? Limit the number of bullet points describing your early entry-level roles and instead expand the space dedicated to those in which you made the most impact.

For instance, if you were promoted from an entry-level programming position with your company, then you don’t even need to dedicate a separate line to describe that first role. Instead, you can simply impress the reader by describing the fast pace of promotion in a line of the job description, like this:

Team Lead, IT Consulting Company                    2010-Present

Twice promoted from Analyst (2010-2011) to Senior Analyst (2011) and then Team Lead in record 12 months, a full 4 times faster than the average rate of promotion.

What if one position has allowed you significant leadership opportunities and impact? Or what if you have been in your current role for several years? How can you detail all that you have accomplished in just four bullet points? The trick is to break that down into sections, like this for example:

Private Equity Associate, PE Firm                         2011-Present

Lines of job description here…

Leadership Accomplishments Include:

• First point
• Second point
• Third point
• Fourth point

Financial Impacts Include:

• First point
• Second point
• Third point
• Fourth point

Keep in mind that the majority – if not all – of those bullet points should include quantifiable impact that you had on the organization. Breaking up a bulk of text with numbers and section headings makes the entire document more compelling.

Finally, to ensure that your document is easy to read and keeps the admissions officer’s attention, you need to include ample white space. To add some white space above each position in Microsoft Word, highlight the title line of each row (hold the Ctrl button down as you click to keep them all highlighted), then click on Format, Paragraph, then in the Spacing Before box try at least 4 pt. (if you have more space left on the page at the end you can go to 6 pt.). Do the same Ctrl highlighting for the bullet points throughout the document and try 2 pt. or 3 pt. spacing before each of those lines.

Check out this pdf file (viewable in Adobe Reader) to see the difference this little formatting trick can make.

Jennifer Bloom is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and is available now to create an easy-to-read document that highlights your exceptionality. Creating this document now will help you see where you need to generate more content – i.e., take more action – before the fall deadlines .

Here’s a talk with Craig Carter, JD/MBA candidate at UPenn’s Law School and Wharton Business School, who plans on using his dual degree to create change in the public education system. Thank you Craig for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us!

This interview is the latest in an Accepted.com blog series featuring interviews with current MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. We hope to offer you a candid picture of student life, and what you should consider as you prepare your MBA application.

Accepted: First, can you please tell us a little about yourself: Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? 

Craig: I was born in Brooklyn, NY, but I grew up in Baltimore, MD. I studied Industrial Engineering at Northwestern University.

Accepted: Penn’s combined JD/MBA degree program is a three-year program. Can you break it down for us? When do you do what? 

Craig: Sure, the University of Pennsylvania has developed the premier accelerated JD/MBA program, providing a comprehensive education from two leading schools: Penn Law School and the Wharton School.

In your first year, you go through the complete first-year law curriculum. During the summer between year one and year two, you have a mini-semester of law school, inclusive of three classes, and a mini-semester of business school, inclusive of two classes. In year two, you go through the complete first-year business school curriculum and take one additional law school class each semester. The second summer is reserved for an internship. In the third year, JD/MBA students split the year between the law and business schools. Typically, students take three classes at Wharton and two classes at the Law School first semester, then do the reverse second semester.

Accepted: So how’s the law school component going so far? Is it as you had imagined it? Any surprises?

Craig: Law school is going surprisingly well! I expected to not enjoy it and just survive until the business school component of the program. However, the material is very interesting, the challenge is exciting, and the people are wonderful! I was surprised by the level of collegiality and cooperation among the students. Penn Law is known to be the most collegial Law School of the top tier institutions, but that reputation is an understatement. As a Penn Law student, you do not feel the high-level of competition that you experience at other institutions. Instead, you are overwhelmed by the family atmosphere that pervades the students, staff, and faculty.

Accepted: What past experiences (work or otherwise) have you had that motivated you go head back to school and pursue this rigorous dual degree?

Craig: Prior to returning to school, I worked two years as a management consultant for Oliver Wyman, and then served for three years as Chief Financial Officer for Urban Prep Academies, a non-profit that operates three Charter Schools for Boys in Chicago.

My experience at Oliver Wyman helped develop my business acumen and desire to hone my “CEO’s toolkit” through a comprehensive management education. My experience at Urban Prep helped give me a profound understanding of the structural inequities in public education. My passion for education and the African American community has led me to obtain legal training in hopes of leading our country’s overhaul of urban education.

Accepted: What do you plan on doing once you receive your JD and MBA?

Craig: In the short-term, I would like to pursue a career in Investment Banking or Private Equity. Long-term, my desire is to leverage the resources, relationships, and experiences acquired at Penn and during a successful professional career to become a public servant who leads legislative initiatives to structurally change public education.

Accepted: Did you consider any other programs? Which ones? 

Craig: I considered the accelerated programs at Northwestern and Yale, and the four-year programs at Harvard and Stanford.

Accepted: Why was Wharton’s program the best place for you?

Craig: Penn’s interdisciplinary curricular focus with an emphasis on experiential learning and leadership development was the best opportunity for me to develop in professional school. Wharton’s preeminent finance education and Penn Law’s cross-disciplinary approach to legal education created an unmatched combination of business and law school. I feel that my peers and I will be invaluably prepared to impact this world and attack some of our country’s most perplexing problems.

Accepted: Can you offer some advice to our applicants who are considering applying to a JD/MBA program?

Craig: All the typical advice applies – do well on standardized tests, write good essays, and get quality recommendations from people who know you well. Some more nuanced advice is create and develop a brand early. Decide who you are/want to be and pursue experiences that will enhance or augment that brand. These experiences will not always be a higher rung on the ladder, but in the end will help create a unique value proposition for professional schools and future employers.

For one-on-one guidance on the UPenn application, please see our Wharton School of Business School Packages. For specific advice on how to create the best application for UPenn, see Wharton 2013 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Show the adcoms that you’ve got the skills and the tools needed to give back.

Schools want to see that the applicants will actively participate in and contribute to their student bodies and alumni communities, not to mention the greater community and society. Yet grandiose, declarative statements and promises to be a superlative do-gooder are unpersuasive.

So how is an applicant to show what he or she will do in the future? Point to the past. Most admission committees are firm believers that past behavior reveals abilities and interests and is a good predictor of the future.

Here are four tips to help you relay the message that you plan on achieving greatness by contributing to your school/community/world-at-large, by highlighting your impressive past.

1. Share the story of past achievements and quantify if possible the impact you had.

By showing how you’ve already contributed, you demonstrate that you have the initiative, people skills, and organizational talent to make an impact in the future.

2. Discuss skills you’ve developed that will aid to future contributions.

You can show the adcoms that you’re prepared to give back by proving that you’ve got the skills and the tools needed. Use evidence to support your skill development by talking about how you’ve worked to build your skill set, i.e. by taking a course or through work experience, etc. Analyze your success and failures (when asked for the latter) to reveal that you are a thinking, growing, dynamic individual. And when asked about failures or setbacks, discuss what you learned from the tough times. Demonstrate a growth mindset.

3. Show how your skills are transferable.

To contribute to your classmates or school, you’ll need to show how your unique talents or experiences can be shared with your classmates, professors, or work colleagues. Talk about how your skills, understanding, and ethics can impact those around you.

4. Mention how your target school will help.

Now the adcom readers know that you’ve got skills and that you’re ready to share them. Next, you need to reinforce the idea that their school is THE PLACE to accelerate your upward trajectory.

A good essay on your contributions will cover each of the above topics – what you’ve done in the past, how you’ve developed your skills, how you plan on sharing that knowledge, and how your target school will help you effect change. Remember, the past reveals much about the future, so share the story of what you’ve done and how you’ve reached this point and you’ll be well on your way to proving that you’ve got what it takes to contribute in the future.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

• Talking about who you WISH you were.
• Exaggerating your volunteer achievements.
• Making up job titles to boost your employment profile.
• Cracking jokes when you’re really not such a funny person.
• Using big words that you found in a thesaurus when you have no idea what they mean.

Instead, when introducing yourself to the adcom, follow these simple tips:

• Use your own, authentic voice in your writing.
• Talk about what’s important to YOU instead of what you think the adcom want to hear.
• Tell things as they are – you don’t want to get the boot because a fact checker shows that you were really an “Office Assistant” instead of an “Office Manager.”
• Use a dictionary/thesaurus to ensure you use words correctly, not to engage in communicative creativity…

In short, if you want to stand out among the throngs of applicants in your field, your goal shouldn’t be to introduce yourself as a superhuman, god-like overachiever; instead introduce yourself as you actually are, with your unique interests, passions, accomplishments, and voice. This will be the most extraordinary, stand-out, note-worthy introduction. Not the introduction that makes the adcom members roll their eyes and say “yeah right.”


Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Top 10 Full-Time Law Schools in 2014

1. Yale University
2. Harvard University
3. Stanford University
4. Columbia University
5. University of Chicago
6. New York University
7. University of Pennsylvania
8. University of Virginia
9. University of California – Berkeley
10. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Top 10 Part-Time Law Schools in 2014

1. Georgetown University
2. George Washington University
3. Fordham University
4. George Mason University
5. University of Connecticut
6. Loyola Marymount University
7. Loyola University Chicago
8. University of Maryland – Carey
9. Lewis & Clark College – Northwestern
10. American University – Washington
11. University of San Diego

Links for more info:

- About the Rankings Methodologies (U.S. News)
- In Photos: Law Schools (U.S. News)
- Law School Rankings & Their Repercussions (Accepted.com)
- Law School Rankings: What Do They Mean to You? (Accepted.com)

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Dr. Drew Appleby

For this week’s episode of Accepted Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted’s biweekly podcast, we interviewed Drew Appleby, Professor Emeritus at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, who identified five types of applicant errors. These mistakes decrease candidates’ chances of acceptance to graduate school – even if the applicants have stellar stats.

Check out the full recording to learn more about these “Kisses of Death.”

01:58:00 – Introducing Dr. Drew Appleby in Admissions Straight Talk.

02:40:00 – How Dr. Appleby discovered the Kisses of Death.

05:20:00 – Why letters of recommendations are so important.

07:52:00 – The difference between good grades and motivation.

14:18:00 – How personal is too personal?

15:50:00 – Choosing relevant letters of recommendation.

18: 54:00 – Lack of information about the program to which you are applying AKA when you just go by the rankings.

20:00:00 – Importance of good writing skills.

21: 00:00 – Misfired attempts to impress the adcom.

24:15:00 – Help your professors write the best letters of recommendation.

28:40:00 – How undergrads should determine professional goals.

33:51:00 – Dr. Appleby’s sound bites to live by: 1. Know Thyself 2. To Thine Own Self be True, and 3. Just Do It.

37:49:00 – What should an applicant focus on when drafting a statement of purpose?

41:20:00 – 3 most memorable “words of wisdom” at the psychology orientation panel.

42:36:00 – Learn more about Dr. Drew Appleby.

Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Shownote Links:

• Summary: How to Avoid the Grad School Application Kisses of Death
• Full report: Kisses of Death in the Graduate School Application Process
• Download special report: Get Your Game On
• O’Net http://www.onetonline.org/
• Form: Request a Strong Letter of Recommendation
• Dr. Drew Appleby’s page

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“Passion” has a sexy ring to it. An emotional, visceral appeal. It evokes images of glamorous actors and actresses in hot and heavy romances. The good guy in a Frank Capra film changing history. Generals exhorting the troops before sending them into battle.

Forget the steamy romances. Forget the hero delivering a stirring speech. Forget the generals addressing their troops.

That’s not what we’re talking about in admissions.

“Passion” in admissions — be it college, MBA, law school, medical school, or grad school — means dedication. It means commitment. It requires action over time. It can be very calculated and goal oriented, and not at all glamorous. It may lead to a feverish culmination, an earth-shattering moment, and it may not. It can be any one of the following and an infinite number of other activities:

• Spending hours practicing the cello day-in and day out, year after year.
• Assuming responsibility for an annual silent auction that raises thousands of dollars for your favorite cause during the five years that you have chaired it.
• Training and training and training so that you beat your personal best in the race of your choice.
• Volunteering at a medical or legal clinic twice a week since your sophomore year in college.

Next time you see the word “passion” in an admissions context, look between the lines. Read “dedication.” And those calculating, number-crunching, spreadsheet addicts among you, remember this equation: Passion = Action + Dedication.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Welcome Back!

We’d like to welcome back one of our favorite consultants, Cydney Foote, back after a temporary retirement. After dabbling in Hollywood screen writing and some admissions consulting on her own, Cydney decided that she just missed Accepted.com too much!

Cydney specializes in med school admissions, as well as residency and fellowship admissions. She is also a skilled and experienced MBA admissions advisor and editor. She looks forward to working with you on your winning applications!

Welcome home Cyd!

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“Avoid these Kisses of Death in the graduate admissions process.”

Guest post by Dr. Drew Appleby, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and Dr. Karen Appleby, Idaho State University. Dr. Appleby and Dr.  Appleby surveyed psychology graduate admissions committee chairs and discovered 5 types of errors that applicants make and that decrease their chances of acceptance to graduate psychology programs. The authors labeled these mistakes Kisses of Death (KODs).

When we shared the study with Accepted’s staff, all felt that it reflected realty far beyond the confine of psychology. We sought permission from the authors to share their summary of KODs, and they graciously gave it. The following are Kisses of Death in the graduate psychology admissions process, and probably in all other graduate admissions processes too.

Numerous authors offer advice to undergraduate psychology majors about what they should do to gain admission to graduate programs. However, few authors advise students about what they should not do when applying to graduate school and, when they do, few support their advice with data. We surveyed the chairs of graduate school admissions committees in psychology about the contents of graduate school applications that decreased chances for acceptance (i.e., kisses of death or KODs). A qualitative analysis of these surveys yielded the following six categories of KODs.

Although the KODs identified in this study reflect unwise choices on the part of applicants, we believe many of them resulted more from a lack of appropriate advising and mentoring than from a lack of applicants’ intelligence. Unless undergraduate psychology programs provide appropriate advising and mentoring concerning graduate school culture and the requirements of the graduate school application process, their majors are likely to commit these KODs. For example, an unmentored psychology major may interpret a personal statement at face value by perceiving it as an opportunity to share personal (i.e., private) information with the members of a graduate admissions committee.

Unless applicants know that a personal statement should address issues such as research interests and perceived fit with a program, they may misinterpret its purpose and write personal statements that inadvertently doom their applications. Similarly, an unmentored student may interpret a letter of recommendation as a request for information from a person who knows her/him well and can vouch for her/his admirable traits and strong values (e.g., a family member or a member of the clergy). The purpose of our study was to remedy these unfortunate situations by providing undergraduate psychology majors with advice that will enable them to avoid the KODs in the graduate school application process.

Damaging Personal Statements

• Avoid excessively altruistic statements (e.g., “I just want to help people.”). Graduate faculty could interpret these statements to mean you believe a strong need to help others is more important to your success in graduate school than a desire to perform research and engage in other academic and professional activities.
• Avoid providing excessively self-revealing information. Faculty may interpret such information as a sign you are unaware of the value of interpersonal or professional boundaries in sensitive areas.
• Avoid inappropriate humor, attempts to appear cute or clever, and references to God or religious issues when these issues are unrelated to the program to which you are applying. Admissions committee members may interpret this type of information to mean you lack awareness of the formal nature of the application process or the culture of graduate school.

Flawed Letters of Recommendation

• Avoid letters of recommendation from people who do not know you well, whose portrayals of your characteristics may not be objective (e.g., a relative), or who are unable to base their descriptions in an academic context (e.g., your minister). Letters from these authors can give the impression you are unable or unwilling to solicit letters from individuals whose depictions are accurate, objective, or professionally relevant.
• Avoid letter of recommendation authors who will provide unflattering descriptions of your personal or academic characteristics. These descriptions provide a clear warning that you are not suited for graduate study.
• Choose your letter of recommendation authors carefully. Do not simply ask potential authors if they are willing to write you a letter of recommendation; ask them if they are able to write you a strong letter of recommendation. This question will allow them to decline your request diplomatically if they believe their letter may be more harmful than helpful.
• Avoid statements that reflect a generic approach to the application process or an unfamiliarity with the program to which you are applying. These statements signal you have not made an honest effort to learn about the program from which you are saying you want to earn your graduate degree.
• Avoid statements that indicate you and the target program are a perfect fit if these statements are not corroborated with specific evidence that supports your assertion (e.g., your research interests are similar to those of the program’s faculty). Graduate faculty can interpret a lack of this evidence as a sign that you and the program to which you are applying are not a good match.

Lack of Information About the Program to Which You Are Applying 

• Avoid statements that reflect a generic approach to the application process or an unfamiliarity with the program to which you are applying. These statements signal you have not made an honest effort to learn about the program from which you are saying you want to earn your graduate degree.
• Avoid statements that indicate you and the target program are a perfect fit if these statements are not corroborated with specific evidence that supports your assertion (e.g., your research interests are similar to those of the program’s faculty). Graduate faculty can interpret a lack of this evidence as a sign that you and the program to which you are applying are not a good match.

Poor Writing Skills

• Avoid spelling or grammatical errors in your application. These errors are an unmistakable warning of substandard writing skills, a refusal to proofread your work, or your willingness to submit careless written work.
• Avoid writing in an unclear, disorganized, or unconvincing manner that does not provide your readers with a coherent picture of your research, educational, and professional goals. A crucial part of your graduate training will be writing; do not communicate your inability to write to those you hope will be evaluating your writing in the future.

Misfired Attempts to Impress

• Avoid attempts to impress the members of a graduate admissions committee with information they may interpret as insincere flattery (e.g., referring to the target program in an excessively complimentary manner) or inappropriate (e.g., namedropping or blaming others for poor academic performance). Graduate admissions committees are composed of intelligent people; do not use your application as an opportunity to insult their intelligence.

Thank you to Dr. Drew Appleby and Dr. Karen Appleby for sharing this report with Accepted.com.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

01:09:00 – Introducing Mark to Admissions Straight Talk.

02:24:00 – YouTern’s background.  How did Mark come to found YouTern?

03:37:00 – The value of internships.  How do they help grads enter the workforce?

07:27:00 – Comparison of different types of internships: summer, part-time, and virtual Internships.

09:17:00 – What makes YouTern different from other job boards? Mentorship!

11:40:00 – Do unpaid internships make sense?

18:16:00 – Internships can help clarify goals and answer the big question, “What to you want to be when you grow up?”

25:03:00 – Differences in the internship process for undergrad and graduate students.

33:55:00 – Learn more about YouTern.

Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

00:47:00 – Introducing Daniel, Co-founder and VP of Business Development at SoFi.

02:25:00 – SoFi’s background. How did Daniel come to co-found Sofi?

05:02:00 – SoFi’s plans for future expansion beyond the 78 currently eligible schools including Stanford, Harvard, MIT, NYU, and UC Berkeley.

06:07:00 – More than just financial loans!  Find out about the wonderful networking opportunities available to you through SoFi’s alumni community.

11:15:00 – Find out how SoFi works together with universities’ financial aid offices.

13:58:00 – Do you qualify?

15:25:00 – Daniel’s financial advice for current students and applicants: Do your research and don’t take the first loan that is put into your hands!

18:02:00 – Insights into Daniel’s experience as a Stanford Sloan Fellow.

20:31:00 – Learn more about SoFi.

Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“A great funding opportunity for members of the military.”

This is a great funding opportunity for members of the military.

The Tillman Military Scholar program was founded to honor the legacy of Pat Tillman, who” proudly put his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals on hold to serve his country” and  died while serving with the U.S. army in Afghanistan in 2004. The scholarship is open to US service members and veterans (and their spouses) who are full-time students at accredited 4-year institutions in the US. You can use the funding for both undergraduate and graduate degrees in any field. The scholarship application will be available starting Jan 14 (the deadline is Feb 15).

Scholarship winners are selected based on their record of accomplishment, leadership skills, and commitment to service. The committee carefully considers your responses to the required essay questions, as well as your educational and career goals. You’ll also need to submit a FAFSA to show your financial need.

To apply, check the eligibility and application requirements at http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/tillman-military-scholars/apply/. The amount of the scholarship awards varies depending on students’ financial need, but averages around $10,000. The program also includes access to conferences and other programming.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Kids Kicking Cancer

We are THREE DAYS away from the end of Accepted’s Kids Kicking Cancer New Year’s campaign. (Accepted will donate $1 to Kids Kicking Cancer for every “Like” we get on our Facebook page through Sunday, January 6th.)

This wonderful organization helps empower sick kids to build their inner and outer strength with martial arts to fight cancer, and holds a special place for me and my family. My youngest son developed leukemia when he was six. I’m sure you realize that a diagnosis like that is devastating, and the treatment incredibly harsh, especially if the disease progresses. However, few can fathom the psychological and emotional impact on a child.

Tragically, I know what it is, and I know how hard it is to handle that stress and to empower a sick child in a healthy way. Kids Kicking Cancer addresses those issues. The organization helps children manage the stress and pain of cancer through personalized coaching instructed by black belt martial artists.

Please lend a hand by:

1. Liking Accepted on Facebook.
2. Emailing your friends or using your social media platform of choice and asking those you know to “Like” Accepted’s Facebook page.
3. Encouraging your friends to spread the word.

There are only three days left. This is the easiest uplifting thing you can do to welcome in the New Year!

Happy 2013!

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Trends for 2013

2012 has been an exciting year. Experimentation in applications including interviews and essays has marked the most recent admissions cycle. In addition, the recession, growing concern about rising tuition and student debt, and the promise of MOOCs is shaking the world of higher education.  But let’s leave the 35,000 foot view of last year and gaze into the crystal ball for next year.

Trends for 2013

1. Increased use of MMI in medical school admissions will continue.
2. For law school, an increasingly practical approach to legal education with more opportunities for externships, internships, and coursework related to legal practice.
3. More new one-year specialized masters programs like UM’s Masters in Entrepreneurship or Rochester Simon’s menu of one-year specialized masters programs as well more accelerated MBA programs or expansion of existing ones, like those at Kellogg, Columbia, and Cornell. These shorter programs, as well as part-time programs and one-year programs abroad, will present increasing competition to the traditional full-time, two-year U.S. MBA programs.
4. More experimentation with the MBA interview.  I predict more group interviews, as was introduced by INSEAD and Wharton in the last two years. I also predict continued experimentation with essays and attempts to find alternatives to essays, probably using media other than the written word.
5. Continued growth of Asian MBA programs as continuing economic contraction in Europe, increasingly restrictive visa policies there, and the relatively strong Asian economy encourage Asian business schools’ growth and competitiveness.

How did I do in 2012?

So that’s what I foresee for this year, but how did last year’s predictions stack up?  How cloudy was my crystal ball. Well I predicted:

1. Interview experimentation, specifically more use of team interviews for business school. On the money! 
2. “The trend towards more openness with data (in law school admissions) will spill over to MBA programs.” Not sure here. I think so, but can’t point to anything specific.
3. “Expect more focus on realistic, well-reasoned goals in all areas of graduate admissions.” Again, I think this is true, but I can’t point to any specific evidence. Jan. 3 2013 News Flash (Edit): I now have some evidence. Today’s Wall Street Journal article M.B.A. Pop Quiz: Are You Employable? reports on increasing number of business schools that are have career services weigh in on admissions decisions.
4. “Increased Flexibility in B-School Curricula.” I expected more schools to move toward the Chicago Booth, UCLA and Wharton models where general requirements can be taken later in one’s b-school career.  Frankly, I haven’t seen this development.

And what did I miss entirely? The shrinking of the MBA application. There have been fewer essays almost across the board.

So my crystal ball definitely had some inaccurate refraction last year. Let’s see how I do in 2013.

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

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 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Thanks for a wonderful 2012!

For this last post of 2012, I thought you might be interested in what you — our readers, visitors, clients, and friends — visited, read, and watched the most in 2012.

Top Ten Most Visited Accepted Admissions Blog Posts of 2012:

1. Harvard Business School 2013 Essay Tips
2. INSEAD 2013 MBA Essay Tips
3. Tips for Completing Your Princeton Supplement to the Common Application
4. 2013 Common Application Essay Tips
5. Tips for Completing Your Columbia Supplement to the Common Application
6. Tips for Completing Your Brown Supplement to the Common Application
7. Kellogg 2013 MBA Essay Tips
8. Duke Fuqua 2013 MBA Essay Tips
9. Indian School of Business 2013 Essay Tips
10. MIT Sloan 2013 MBA Essay Tips

5 Most Popular Articles

1. Writing Your Grad School Personal Statement
2. Go for the Goals in Your Statement of Purpose
3. Tips for Writing Letters of Recommendation
4. MBA Admissions: Low GMAT or GPA
5. 4 Must-Haves in Residency Personal Statements

And what’s the absolute best at Accepted.com? What do I like the best? YOU!  The wonderful people who are our readers, followers, circlers, fans, friends, participants, and most of all, our clients.

Thanks for a wonderful 2012. Bring on 2013!

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 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

WAIT! Don’t hit “submit!”

You’re eager to click “Submit” after spending so much time working on your college application…but WAIT! Don’t hit “submit” before going over your application one last time and making sure each of the following six items are checked off your to-do list:

1. Your application presents an accurate, holistic picture of you.

Check (and then double check) that each section of your college application presents you at your very best. The adcoms want to gain a clear picture of who you are as an individual and future student at their school. Make sure that all information is accurate and that each section complements the others, similar to how a single puzzle piece can be combined with others to create a cohesive, complete picture.

2. You’ve shown the adcoms why you should attend your target college.

Admissions readers want to get to know you for the sole purpose of determining whether or not you’d be a good fit for their school. Show how you’re a perfect fit by expressing (if not explicitly, then implicitly) why School X is perfect for you – what you will gain from the program, as well as how you will contribute to it.

3. Your recommenders got the job done.

Two things here: You want to make sure that your recommenders filled out the paperwork and sent it in on time, and that they did a good job. Your role in all this is to choose the best recommenders – that is, people who know you well and who will provide specific examples of those characteristics that they claim you have.

4. Someone has looked over your essays.

Your college essays aren’t complete until you’ve had a second set of eyes (or third or fourth) review them. Recruit a family member, friend, or an Accepted.com editor to read your essays and provide constructive criticism. Don’t be shy or defensive; you want to be made aware of every error so that you can fix it before the buzzer.

5. You’ve proofread your entire application.

Your essays aren’t the only application elements that need editing (though they may require the most attention). You should proofread your entire application for spelling, grammar, and stylistic errors. Everything should look neat and clean and should read clearly and smoothly, and most of all, error-free. You’ll have an easier time catching errors if you read your personal statement out loud during this final proofreading stage.

6. You still have some time.

Rushing your application may force you to conduct a less thorough final edit, or to skip filling out a section entirely. The last thing you want is to spend so much time on an application, only to submit something sloppy because you lost track of time. Submitting a day or two early will ensure that you’re submitting your application because you’re truly ready to do so, and not because you have 6 minutes before it’s too late, so you’d better send it in before you miss your chance. Additionally, servers are often overloaded due to heavy last-minute volume. Play it safe.

Have you completed your checklist? Are you sure? If so, then you should confidently hit “Submit” and heave a sigh of relief. We’re all rooting for you!









Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“Set yourself a schedule.”

Dealing with Application Deadlines:

1. Set yourself a schedule and work backwards from your deadlines. Allow time for the holidays, sleep, exercise, and of course work.
2. Focus first on the applications with the earliest deadlines.
3. Work on applications one at a time. Adapt essays from your first application, when possible, to later applications. However never merely paste in an essay because the question is similar. Customize it for this application and this program.
4. If you fall behind, consider dropping/postponing an application to maintain quality overall.

Dealing with Word Limits:

1. Before you start writing, spend a few minutes to determine the theme and structure for the essay. I personally like a traditional outline, but others may prefer cluster outlines or index cards. Use the method that works best for you.
2. Just write for 15 minutes. Don’t stop writing until the timer you set for 15 minutes goes off. (useful tool: http://e.ggtimer.com)
3. Keep writing in 15 minute spurts separated by short breaks until you feel you are in your groove. Then write as long as you want.
4. Edit your drafts using the editing funnel.

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

Kids Kicking Cancer

For the next 10 days (through Jan. 6th), we’ll be donating $1 to Kids Kicking Cancer for every new “Like” that we receive on the Accepted.com Facebook page. So if you want to help kids kick their cancer to the curb as they welcome the New Year, simply click “Like” – and of course, tell your friends to “Like” us too!

Visit our Facebook page NOW and “Like” us now! Help us reach our $1,000 goal!

There – that was easy, and you’ve just done your part to help kids utilize their inner powers and outer strengths to manage the stress and pain of their disease…and kick cancer! What a great way to start 2013!

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Happy Holidays!

We here at Accepted want to extend warm Holiday Greetings to the entire extended Accepted family – clients, readers, visitors, and partners. May this holiday season be a happy one leading to a wonderful 2013!

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Lower Bar Pass Rates in NY

In 2011, eight of New York’s 15 law schools posted improved bar pass rates compared with the year before. According to a New York Law Journal article, this year, eight of these 15 schools reported lower rates.

The most dramatic plunge was reported by New York Law School which experienced a 70% pass rate in July. Last year the school’s pass rate was 80%. This drop pushed New York Law to last place ranking among NY’s law schools, following Touro Law Center (#14 this year and #9 last year) by a full percentage point. This year, Touro experienced the second largest percentage decline, from 83% last year to 74% this year.

New York Law has established a “task force” called “Foundations for Success,” an 11-member committee that will prepare students better for the bar exam (including individualized coaching), as well as provide counseling support.

City University of New York School of Law increased its pass rate from 67% to 83.5%, bringing its ranking up to 7^th place. Last year the school ranked last of the 15 schools.

Other New York law schools that experienced pass rate increases include Fordham University School of Law, Albany Law School, the Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University, and Pace Law School. Columbia and Cornell Law Schools remained the same from last year.

Click on the chart below for more info.

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 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“149 law schools decreased in enrollment.”

The American Bar Association reported that law school enrollment has dropped 9% from 2011 and 15% from 2010.

According to a National Jurist article, some law schools had planned to reduce enrollment, but the ABA report confirms that even those that expected a drop, experienced a more severe drop than planned or expected, some by more than 10%.

Final findings show 149 law schools decreased in enrollment and 48 increased. Four schools increased enrollment by more than 10%.

A more extensive report is expected in the spring.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

For this week’s episode of Accepted Admissions Straight Talk, we interviewed Jon Hodge of Strictly English. Check out the full recording to hear our great conversation about test prep, the latest technology in test-taking and more!

00:29:00 – Introducing  Jon Hodge, founder and owner of Strictly English.

01:26:00 – The origins of Strictly English and its focus on the TOEFL.

03:16:00 – Find out how the TOEFL changed since its start in 1969 and added a speaking component to the exam.

06:29:00 – Overview of the 3 different English exams: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE.

08:58:00 – Is there really a difference in the speaking sections of these three exams?

15:13:00 – Do students of certain native backgrounds have greater difficulties with certain parts of the TOEFL?

17:30:00 – Impact of cultural background on communication skills.

18:57:00 – Newest exam, the PTE – uses the latest technology to provide test-takers with results within 48 hours.

21:22:00 – Heads up: TOEFL allows universities to hear a selection of your speaking!

25:22:00 – Learn about this essential communication skill: paraphrasing.

29:40:00 – Reading improves all language skills: speaking, writing, and listening.  So, read, read, read!!

33:35:00 – The unique approach at Strictly English not only prepares you for the TEOFL, but also teaches essential skills for graduate school.

39:23:00 – Learn more about Strictly English and TOEFL prep.

Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“As a new company in a new space, we need to exceed client expectations, so first and foremost I drive client projects in the health-care and telecom verticals. But my job requires an internal focus as well, and I spend a ton of time both building and updating scalable systems, from knowledge management to invoicing and payroll.”

Ouch!!! I suppose this fellow is highly intelligent, and I hope he is good at what he does, but don’t write as he talks. Write directly and clearly so people can understand you. Can the buzz! Perhaps a translation would be:

“As a new company entering a new market, we need to impress our clients with outstanding performance. I personally manage projects for clients in the health-care and telecom industries. But in addition to serving our clients, I am striving to build our business by ensuring that all our systems from personnel to invoicing support our growth.”

For more on what real writers (and readers) think of the latest in vapid jargon, please see:

• Rid the World of Solutions
• Attack of the Zombie Copy
• Personal Statement Clichés of the Year

Avoid Fatal Flaw #3: Write pointed and direct answers to the questions.

“Fatal Flaw #3: Cliched Writing” is excerpted from the Accepted.com special report, 5 Fatal Flaws: Eliminate the 5 Most Common Flaws in Your Law School Personal Statement.  To download the entire free special report, click here.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“More cuts may be on the way…”

According to a Kaplan Test Prep press release last week, more than half of the 123 law schools that responded to a recent Kaplan survey cut the size of their 2012 entering classes. The press release reports:

51% of law schools have cut the size of the entering class; 63% said the reason was the contraction of the job market in the legal industry. And more cuts may be on the way; of the law schools that have not cut the size of their entering classes, 28% say they will likely do so for the current application cycle.

The survey also addressed changes in law school curricula. On this, the press release notes:

68% of law schools have already revamped their curriculum to make their students more “practice ready”; 5% say they’ve decided to so, but haven’t implemented the changes yet; 9% say they are considering making curriculum changes; and 18% say they have no plans to make curriculum changes.

And one more important point: 47% of law schools increased their financial aid packages.

For more information, please see the Kaplan press release and the Wall Street Journal article, “More Law Schools Cut Class Sizes.”

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the spirit of this American holiday, one of my favorites, I would like to share a few things with you:

1. One of my favorite posts on this blog is a post I wrote for Thanksgiving several years ago. I like the story, and it also manages to convey a few important techniques that you can use in your personal statements and application essay.
2. I received a lovely thank you note from a client’s mother. The client is doing exceptionally well in her medical school application process and in the spirit of the day, the mom wrote to thank us.

In that same spirit, I would like to thank you for your readership, your participation in the Accepted.com community, and of course your patronage.

On behalf of the entire Accepted.com staff, thanks for choosing Accepted!

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

Save $100 NOW!

Just a reminder about our Get Moving Special which ends on Thursday, November 15th at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Purchase any non-rush law school, grad school, or MBA service totaling $1000 or more and save $100! What are you waiting for?

Hurry up and get the one-on-one guidance you need to ace your application…and put $100 back in your pockets!

Use promo code R2START to save!





Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Paper application? That’s like, so yesterday. Now you Gen X, Y and Millennial candidates get a chance

Imagine you’re a pro rock-climber, contemplating the 300-foot granite face looming above. To succeed, you need to visualize how you’ll make it to the top. It’s the same with video. Envision what you want to see on the screen, then plan, plan, plan ahead!

Storyboarding
Just like you would do for an essay or an audio clip, first write an outline and script. With video, you will also create a pictorial guide called a storyboard.

Print out several copies of a template. Draw out each shot. It doesn’t have to be complicated at all. Use stick figures. Just make a quick sketch to envision what you’ll see through the camera.

Each shot should last between three and five seconds. Under three seconds, people might have a har time grasping what is going on, and over five seconds, people generally become bored. When you’re speaking to the camera, however, you can hold the shot for a little longer, like seven to eight seconds. So for a one minute clip, you’ll need about 12-15 different shots.

Under the picture, write the portion of the script that you plan to say.

Variation of shots: Sequence and Distance
As you tell your story, make sure to show a sequence at various distances from the camera. For
example, when filming the DJ sequence, you could start like this:

• Shot 1: Establishing shot of room with DJ equipment. The viewer can see your entire body, standing near the DJ equipment, facing a crowd.
• Shot 2: Medium shot. Closer to the DJ booth, midriff to just above your head with your hands visible on the turntable.
• Shot 3: Close-up shot. Your fingers on the turntable.
• Shot 4: Establishing shot again. This time with the camera behind your head capturing the silhouette of your back and the crowd dancing below you.

“Video: Let’s Get Technical” was excerpted from Audio & Video in Admissions: Get Ready for Prime Time. To view the entire free special report, please click here.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“Remember to Vote!”

I’ll admit that no matter how cynical I’m feeling about our political process by the time Election Day rolls around (so many negative ads!), I always get a buzz when I actually go to the polls and vote. There’s something about this moment of actual, physical engagement with our democracy—it excited me when I was 18, and it still does.

Of course, citizenship and public service aren’t just something you think of (or do!) every four years. All of us participate in the life of our communities in some way, and some pursue careers dedicated to public service. Whether that means working in government, the military, the law, non-profits, policy, public health, journalism, or any number of other fields, you can use your strengths to serve the public good.

As you plan your education and career, keep in mind that there are often scholarships and fellowships available to support students who plan public service careers.

A good example is the prestigious Truman Scholarship [Truman.gov]. Students apply during their junior year of college and must be nominated by their universities; applicants must plan a career in public service (defined as government, the non-profit sector, or education). The award provides $30,000.

For students who plan a career in the Foreign Service, the Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship provides a combination of funding (up to $40,000/year), internships and mentoring. The undergraduate fellowship provides funding for the senior year of college and first year of a grad program, and the graduate fellowship covers two years of a master’s program.

If you’re planning to earn a law degree and intend to pursue public interest law, there are frequently scholarships to support your studies. Research scholarship opportunities at each law school you’re considering to see whether you’ll need to submit any additional application materials. The American Bar Association also provides a listing of public interest funding.

Opportunities that combine service, education, and work can often come with benefits for your future education and career. AmeriCorps participants earn education awards and can defer student loan payments (americorps.gov). And programs like Teach For America combine regular salaries and benefits with AmeriCorps awards and other benefits (teachforamerica.org).

Wherever your future goals take you, remember to vote Tuesday! (I’ll be proudly wearing my “I voted” sticker!)

By Dr. Rebecca Blustein, author of  Financing Your Future: Winning Fellowships, Scholarships and Awards for Grad School. Rebecca will be happy to assist you with your grad school applications.

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 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

$100 Back in Your Pocket!

We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again – the earlier you start work on your applications, the better chance you’ll have of doing an outstanding job and getting accepted. A last-minute application that’s just slapped together will not go unnoticed by the adcom…and not in a good way. A sloppy application will only convince the adcom of your sloppiness, lack of attention to detail, and minimal commitment to your higher education goals. Not a great first impression, huh?

Instead, get an early start on those applications and prove to the adcom that you are an exceptional, committed, and timely person. This is the sort of applicant the admissions members are seeking.

And now, we’ve made getting started easier than ever by offering you $100 off your order of $1000 or more. With our Get Moving Special, you’ll have no trouble hitting those December/January deadlines…and you’ll get to put $100 back into your pocket! Talk about a win-win situation!

Offer valid on non-rush MBA, law school, and grad school service orders of $1000 or more purchased between now and November 15, 2012. Use coupon code R2START at checkout to save big!

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

A point to consider: When adcoms receive thousands of essays, each one enumerating the A-Z of what applicants think their readers want to hear, it can get boring, not to mention annoying. The person who writes, “I am a 24-year old Indian male Engineering major who graduated Summa Cum
Laude, participates in quizzes, and plays cricket,” is impressive, but needs to pep it up a bit. Even someone who doesn’t possess a heavily-represented profile can’t simply rely on the facts. “I am a goat shepherding woman from the Chilean coast,” sure is unusual, but unless you continue and express HOW that strengthens your candidacy as a student at a top graduate program, then it’ll sound just a drab as the first example to the exhausted person reading your essay.

You want to write what adcoms want to hear? Fine. Answer their questions keeping in mind that they want to hear about YOU, about your individual experiences, about what makes you tick. This is not the place to reel off your accomplishments (they belong in your resume) or to discuss your professional or ethnic profile. Your essay is where you transform from being the straight-A, leadership-driven analytical graduate school applicant number 658, to a person, a human being. With a voice. With a passion. And with something important to say.

Much of making a compelling case depends on making connections. A connection between your past and your present. Or your present and your future. Your interests and your activities. Your passions and your commitments. Those connections reflect clear thinking and propel persuasive writing. An inability to connect the dots of your life creates doubts and questions in the reader’s mind. And when in doubt, the easiest step for a harried reader at a school receiving five or more applications for every seat in a class is to DENY.

Before you put pen to paper or finger to keyboard, think about what you want to say clearly and critically. Your dreams are important. As I said in “Lack of Substance,” examine your head and your heart. Just make sure your head is in good working order when it listens to your heart.

Avoid Fatal Flaw #5: Think clearly and honestly before beginning to write.

“Fatal Flaw #5: Muddled Thinking” was excerpted from 5 Fatal Flaws: Eliminate the 5 Most Common Flaws. To view the entire free special report, please click here

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1. Phone interviews will now take the format of Skype interviews. Reason: It’s easier to get to know someone through face-to-face interaction.
2. Instead of 5-10 minute interviews, the Skype calls will last closer to 15 minutes.
3. Moving forward, more students will participate in this interview process than in the past. (Though interviews are still by invitation only.)
4. More interviews means more interviewers. The Director of Admissions, Karen Buttenbaum, will also conduct the interviews.
5. What you wear matters! Don’t’ forget that with this new video format, you can’t just roll out of bed and SOUND professional. You’ll need to LOOK professional as well.

Want to make sure you make it to HLS’s interview list? Create the best application possible when you use Accepted’s law school editing and consulting services!
 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Prizes:

• 1st Prize (1 winner): 1 free hour of any non-rush service on our site.
• 2nd Prize (4 winners): 1/3 off of any one order of non-rush services bought by Nov. 13th.
• 3rd Prize (13 winners): Free copy of Linda’s new book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.
• 4th Prize (15 winners): Free ebook of the winner’s choice.

Plus we’ll be offering an exclusive prize for ALL of our fans – make sure you’re a part of the action when we hit our goal!

Like Accepted.com on Facebook now!

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If you haven’t already done so, “Like” Accepted.com on Facebook. If you have already done so, then enter our contest and tell your friends about our fantastic page filled with helpful and fun admissions info. You will be entered in a drawing to win one of 33 awesome prizes once we hit 3.3K Likes:

• 1st Prize (1 winner): 1 free hour of any service on our site (excluding rush services).
• 2nd Prize (4 winners): 1/3 off of any one order of non-rush services through Nov. 13th.
• 3rd Prize (13 winners): Free copy of Linda’s new book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.
• 4th Prize (15 winners): Free ebook of the winner’s choice.

There will also be something special for everyone who likes our page…TBA when we hit our goal!

What are you waiting for? Like Accepted.com on Facebook now, and tell your friends too, and become eligible to win great prizes. Oh yes, and you’ll join a warm and informative online community!

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In a NationalJurist.com article, James Leipold, NALP executive director says:

The legal industry is going through exactly what so many other industries have gone through. Globalization and advances in technology are eroding jobs. Some jobs have gone over seas; some are better done by software and computers. Even if the market picks up, that’s still not necessarily going to increase head count [at law firms].

Here are some more noteworthy stats from the article:

• In 2009, 65% of law firms with 700+ attorneys reported [starting] salaries of $160,000. This year, that number is down to 46%.
• In 2009, 90% of LA and Washington, D.C. law firms with 700+ attorneys reported $160,000 salaries. This year, only two-thirds of that same population reported as such.
• In 2007, 4,745 associates were hired at law firms with 500+ attorneys. In 2011, that number dropped by 40% to 2,856 associates.

But there’s also good news! The median entry-level salary jumped up $10,000 from $115,000 to $125,000 this year. The NALP attributes that increase to an increase in average starting salaries from $125,000 to $145,000 at law firms with 251-700 attorneys.





 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Learn insider tips on securing the best law school LORs now!

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Obtaining ideal letters of recommendation is crucial to law school acceptance, yet so many applicants tend to ignore the weight these letters carry. Applicants push their letters off to the last minute, ask the wrong people to draft them, and don’t provide their recommenders with adequate information.

If you want to secure a spot in a top law school, then you’re going to need to follow the best LOR process possible…from start to finish. That means starting early, choosing top-notch recommenders, and providing those recommenders with the information they will need to fill your letters of rec with impressive content.

Buy Law School Letters of Recommendation that Rock to get the help you need to land winning letters of recommendation that will bring you one step closer to acceptance at your dream law school. Buy it through September 30, 2012 and save 20% when you use coupon code LAWLOR20 at checkout!

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Saying That You’re Creative Won’t Cut It

One of most important pieces of advice I can give you regarding your personal statements and application essays is this: Show, don’t tell.

Here are three tips to help you achieve this must-have writing goal:

1. Show the steps you’ve taken. If you are writing about a goal you achieved or a project you completed, providing the step-by-step process you followed will add depth and validity to your claims. “Within six months I was promoted to Junior Account Manager” is not nearly as compelling as spelling out the specific measures you took to obtain the recognition that landed you your fast-tracked promotion. Similarly, don’t just tell the adcom that you have overcome your weakness of procrastination; instead, show them by giving concrete examples of specific things you’ve done to become a more efficient person.
2. Provide examples of strengths and skills. You say that you are creative, mature, and an excellent leader. But how? What have you done specifically and what impact have you made on your teammates/co-workers/company/community/world-at-large? Saying that you’re creative won’t cut it; instead share a story or paint a picture (with words) that truly depicts the creative workings of your mind.
3. Offer details whenever possible. Your story of success will be more believable and more memorable if you provide a few details. Remember, when showing instead of just telling about your achievements, your readers are going to want to see a picture of who you are and what you’ve done. Add vibrant details – talk about the number of people on your team; the amount of money you raised; the eager and nervous feelings you experienced while launching your new product; the fear you felt, followed by the extreme remorse, and then the resolve to do better that you experienced when you botched a project – all these details will add color and life to the picture you’re painting for the adcom.

Boastful claims like, “I am a team leader” or “I have excellent communication skills” won’t do much to convince the adcom of your strengths if they’re not backed up with evidence. Remember when writing your essays: show, don’t tell.

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“…surprising, shocking, or suspenseful.”

…by giving my essay a catchy opening line that doesn’t turn you away or bore you to tears.
See, I could have started this tip post with “Today I am going to tell you how to create a compelling essay opening,” but you probably would have skipped over something as drab as that. How about these?

It is the art of philosophical car washing that got me thinking about pursuing an MBA.

or

There are numerous ways to make a banana split cry.

…now THOSE are essays or personal statements I’d like to read!

Yes, you want an engaging opening for your admissions essay or personal statement, but you also want to make sure to avoid anything obvious or chock full of clichés.

A good essay opening is one that:

• …sets the tone. A serious essay should be introduced by a serious opening line. If an intro sentence makes you chuckle, on the other hand, then you can assume the essay itself it humorous as well.
• …raises intrigue. Your essay’s opening line should encourage questioning or engender curiosity. Like for our first example above, “What is philosophical car washing?” or “What is the art form of this activity like?” or, as per our second example above, “Huh?” And that’s okay too!
• …surprising, shocking, or suspenseful. Causing your reader to flinch, raise an eyebrow in surprise, jump with shock, or furrow her forehead from suspense is a good thing. That reader will want to read on.

Grab your readers’ attention so they will read your essay because they want to and not because they have to.

NOTE: If you can’t think of a catchy opening, but know what you plan on writing, feel free to write your essay first and add a catchy hook at the beginning of the essay once you’re done, or sometime along the way.

This essay tip originally appeared in our monthly newsletter Odds ‘N Ends. To ensure you don’t miss out on our valuable newsletter, sign-up today!

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