You work for the family business and are applying for an MBA. Will this background be a net plus for you, or a minus? How can you make the most of this experience? Whether you work for your family’s tiny startup with headquarters in your home’s basement, at one of the local grocery stores your…
The Importance of Researching Your MBA Goals and Being Authentic
Too many times, as an admissions officer, I read applications from candidates who shared career goals that didn’t quite make sense. Whether there was no connection between their target position and what they had been doing or no explanation of how they would successfully pivot to their desired role, I was left wondering how much…
When the MBA Optional Essay Is No Longer Optional
You’ve already written the required essays that your target business schools have asked for. Do you really need to write the optional essay, too? If you’re a strong applicant who has no weaknesses, low stats, or application inconsistencies to explain, then you might be able to skip the optional essay. But the optional essay is…
Emory Goizueta MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023-2024], Class Profile
Emory Goizueta wants to learn about your professional plans, alignment with the school’s core values, and ability to concisely convey this information through written essays. Additionally, the school’s video essay allows you to present yourself authentically. Don’t be fooled by the short length of the required essays. The brevity requires tough decisions about what key…
Four Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future
Schools are looking for and will actively contribute not only to their student/alumni communities but also to the greater community and society. Many applications include an essay question with some variation of “What would you contribute to your future campus community?” or “How will you contribute to our program?” If you are invited to interview, you’ll…
Five Tips for Creating a Standout MBA Resume
Your MBA resume essentially serves as a way of accentuating your career’s “greatest hits” for the adcom. On one to two pages, you have the opportunity to highlight your most impressive academic and professional experiences. For overrepresented applicants, older applicants, and applicants with other challenging circumstances (such as a criminal record), this is their first…
13 MBA Resume Tips to Help You Get Accepted
“13 MBA Resume Tips to Help You Get Accepted” was originally excerpted from MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools, by Linda Abraham and Judy Gruen, and has since been updated by Kelly Wilson to reflect recent trends and information. Want to get accepted to a top business school?…
You’ve Attended an MBA Fair – Now What? A Guide to Engaging with B-Schools
As an MBA hopeful, you will likely attend an MBA fair, which is an event that allows representatives from various business schools to meet prospective students. Entering the fair room can be a bit overwhelming, given the number of schools represented. As you make your way around the room, you introduce yourself to school reps…
Georgetown McDonough MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023 – 2024]
This year, Georgetown requires two essays from all its applicants. Sharing the same structure as last year, the first required essay allows you to choose to answer one of three prompts. The prompts have changed from last year’s, however. The program’s second required essay is again a video essay, with a different prompt this year….
MIT Sloan MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023-2024], Class Profile
According to its website, MIT Sloan is looking for individuals from all around the world who demonstrate the following: To uncover these attributes, the MIT Sloan MBA application continues to include its signature cover letter and resume requirements. It also retains the video component and organizational chart. Ready to get to work on your MIT…
UVA Darden MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023-2024], Class Profile
The University of Virginia’s Darden MBA program boasts the case-based method of learning to put students in the role of business leaders faced with challenging situations. Through this discussion-based approach, students are active participants as they learn to make decisions in real-world scenarios. Darden is one of the largest case publishers in North America, and…
Harvard Business School MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023 – 2024]
The Admissions Office at Harvard Business School (HBS) has announced updates for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle. The most important update is that if you plan to apply to HBS and have yet to take an entrance exam, you should take the traditional GMAT test (including the AWA) or the GRE. HBS will not accept the…
CMU Tepper MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022-2023]
You know how you’re always reading that “all MBA programs are different” but after you’ve spent weeks and even months reading all of their websites, do they start to seem pretty much the same? Well, not Carnegie Mellon Tepper. Tepper continues to march to the beat of its own drum. CMU is committed to the…
Test Waivers at Top 25 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know
For most applicants, taking a standardized test is likely the least appealing part of applying to business school. At the onset of COVID in the spring of 2020, many Full-Time MBA programs created great flexibility with their GMAT or GRE requirement. In some cases, the test was waived altogether; in other cases, either the online…