To: All 2018 MBA Applicants From: Linda Abraham It’s time for my annual memo/harangue/plea/rant. If you are planning to apply Round 1 in the fall, but have not yet thought about why you want an MBA, taken the GMAT/GRE, researched schools, or evaluated your qualifications, please please please keep reading. And then get started! I…
My Reflections of 2016
I just want to take this time to wish you a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year. I think that as the year draws to a close, it’s important to reflect on the good that has come one’s way in the preceding year and to be appreciative of the many blessings we have…
Bloomberg Businessweek’s Best Business Schools of 2016
There are more graduate degrees awarded in business annually than in any other field in the US. Dozens of new business schools are accredited every year. Finding the right program for you can be an overwhelming task. Bloomberg’s annual ranking, or more specifically the data collected to create those rankings, may help you wade through…
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, a national holiday during which we give pause – at least for a brief moment – to count our blessings. Wherever you are, that is a good exercise. An attitude of gratitude is worth cultivating throughout the year. I firmly believe it provides benefits from an interpersonal, professional,…
Mock Wharton Team-Based Discussion Anyone?
“Chance favors the prepared mind” said Louis Pasteur, and I agree. Don’t leave your Wharton Team-Based Discussion to fickle chance. Prepare for it with Accepted’s Mock Wharton Team-Based Discussion. This is a prime-time rehearsal. Details and prices are here. A participant in one of our past mock TBD wrote us after the real Wharton TBD, “The practice session was a huge…
The Economist 2016 Full-Time MBA Rankings
The Economist has released its annual international ranking of full-time MBA programs. Data was collected during spring 2016. Two surveys were used: 1) The first was completed by schools with eligible programs which covered quantitative subjects and accounted for 80% of the ranking. 2) Current MBA students and a school’s most recent graduating MBA class…
Why Some High-Scorers Still Retake the GMAT
This may seem hard for some test-takers to believe, but sometimes even the high-scorers contemplate retaking the exam. It’s not unheard of for someone with a score of 700 – or even higher – to retake the GMAT to see if they can hit a higher number. But should they? As is usually the case…
Two-Year MBA Programs Report Drop in Application Volume
GMAC (Graduate Management Admissions Council) has released its 2016 Application Trends Survey. This is the 17th survey since 2000 and includes analysis of information submitted by 872 graduate management programs. These programs represent 335 business schools and faculties in 49 countries worldwide, including 42 U.S. States and Washington, D.C. Survey findings are related to applications…
What Adcoms and Admissions Consultants Share
While going through security at the airport recently, I had a TSA agent examining my ID suddenly… said, “I know you. You’re Linda Abraham from Accepted!” Surprised, I replied, “You’re right. How did you know?” Accepted is not on my ID. “I’ve attended your webinars.” Why should I have cared, or actually been pleased, that…
UCLA 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
The advice that UCLA Anderson provides below is excellent, not just for Anderson’s essays, but for most MBA essays. Read it carefully. My tips are in blue below. Your essays are the primary way for you to share your perspectives and plans with the admissions committee. The best essays are introspective, genuine and succinct in directly…
Do You Know the 4 Factors You Need to Assess in Your MBA Profile?
One of the first things you’ll do when choosing where to apply to business schools is assess your profile. Otherwise, how will you know which programs will be appropriate for you? It’s best to evaluate the following four elements of your profile ASAP; the sooner you know how qualified you are, the sooner you’ll be…
Generic-itis Prevention [Warning: If Untreated, Can Cause Rejection]
![Generic-itis Prevention [Warning: If Untreated, Can Cause Rejection]](https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Generic-itis.png)
Each year, Accepted consultants are witnessing a recurring epidemic. And it’s worse than you can imagine: Generic–itis. The symptoms: • Mind-blowing, meaningless, and grand generic declarative statements, related to why an applicant wants to attend a certain program. • Irritation to admissions readers, causing them to believe that you know nothing about their school and don’t…
Writing Techniques From a Pro
I like to read biographies and personal profiles (that’s one of the reasons I like my work so much). I recommend that you check out Tom Brokaw’s The Greatest Generation, in which he clearly demonstrates the journalist’s ability to engage — you can learn from these techniques when you sit down to write your personal statement. Here…
Yale SOM 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
Yale has a brand new question this year. And one that is fairly distinctive among bschools. As you did last year, you need to make the most of that single essay, but you also need to take the time to make every box in the application a home run. They are not after-thoughts. Your job…
Duke Fuqua 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
Leadership, teamwork, ethics, and a global approach to business are essential elements of the Duke Fuqua MBA, which is why you’ll need to make sure you express your passion for these ideals in your application essays. Impress the Fuqua adcom by positioning yourself as an innovative leader and team player, as someone who can see the big picture, work…
Georgetown McDonough 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
Two major changes to Georgetown McDonough’s application this year 1. A new essay prompt: A little more focus and 250 words shorter than last year’s question. 2. A one-minute video. I recently interviewed Georgetown McDonough’s Dean of Admissions, Shari Hubert for our Admission Straight Talk podcast. While the main topic of the podcast is the evolving…
Introducing the Common Letter of Recommendation
In an effort to streamline and simplify the letter of recommendation writing process, a few top business schools with the cooperation of GMAC have released the new Common Letter of Recommendation. This is an initiative, according to the GMAC website, to “help reduce the burden of asking for – and submitting – letters of recommendation.”…
Dartmouth Tuck 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
The Dartmouth Tuck adcom is interested in learning about what you as an individual, a businessperson, and a leader can contribute to Tuck’s small, close-knit program. Use your essays as a platform for expressing your earnest desire to enter the world of management and to make a difference. I strongly recommend Tuck applicants listen to “Tuck…
MIT Sloan 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
This year’s MIT Sloan MBA application is significantly different from last year’s and has restored MIT Sloan’s signature cover letter and resume. In fact that’s all that’s required. The cover letter was required for years and either last year or the year before MIT Sloan experimented with a letter of recommendation from you and for…
Kellogg 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
In September 2014, Kellogg adopted the mission statement: “Inspiring growth.” While the current site does not emphasize that mission, Kellogg’s questions still reflect it. The video below explores and clarifies this mission as well as the values Kellogg holds dear. I highly recommend that you watch it to grasp Kellogg’s fundamental beliefs as well as what it seeks from…
