In this post, we provide guidance and information to support you in creating and submitting your application to the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB): Stanford GSB application essay tips Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once…
Nine MBA Resume Mistakes to Avoid
What are the most important things you want the business schools you’re targeting to know about you? Applying to an MBA program is a competitive process, and your resume is one of the most essential pieces of your application. A well-written resume can help you stand out and increase your chances of acceptance. However, I often see candidates make avoidable mistakes that can hurt their chances for admission. In this post, we look at nine common MBA resume missteps to avoid.
Six Tips for MBA Applicants with a Criminal Record
Your MBA profile is nearly perfect. You’ve got great stats and an impressive resume. You’re friendly, personable, and a fantastic leader. There’s just one little glitch: your criminal record. Although a criminal record is a strike against you, it’s not necessarily an insurmountable problem. Whether you have a DUI or committed insider trading, having a…
Six Ways to Mitigate Low Stats in Your MBA Application
Your GMAT score and undergraduate GPA are crucial components of your application when applying to an MBA program. These numbers often indicate your academic ability and potential for success in graduate business studies. The introduction of the GMAT Focus Edition, with its new scoring mechanism, presents a fresh perspective for admissions committees as they evaluate…
Which MBA Option Is Best for You: Full-Time, Part-Time, EMBA, or Online?
At its core, the MBA is a business administration graduate program for professionals seeking knowledge, skills, a credential, and a network to help them advance in business and maximize their career performance. Although the term “MBA” makes many people automatically think of a two-year, full-time program, in recent years, the variations on the MBA theme…
MBA Round 3: Should I Apply Now or Wait until Next Year?
If you’ve found yourself in Round 3 of the MBA admissions season and haven’t yet submitted your application(s), you might be wondering whether or not you should postpone your MBA dreams until next year. As is often the case in MBA admissions, the answer is – it depends. (You didn’t think there was a clear-cut…
Michigan Ross MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023 – 2024]
The Michigan Ross MBA program is thriving. Its graduates get jobs throughout the United States and around the world. Here are a few key stats, drawn from the school’s 2023 Employment Report: As for the school’s incoming students in 2023, the latest Michigan Ross class profile offers the following data: There’s opportunity in these numbers….
4 Tips for Demonstrating Professional Growth in a Flat Organization
How do you demonstrate advancement and growth if you work in a flat organization? After all, your career progress will be compared to that of other candidates who have received traditional promotions with clearly delineated, expanded responsibilities. In a flat organization, you might hold the same title – possibly vague or unimpressive – for years,…
What Is the Difference Between Round 1 and Round 2?
You might wonder whether there’s a difference in acceptance rates between Round 1 and Round 2. The short answer is no. Here’s why Round 1 and Round 2 acceptance rates are usually very similar. One of my jobs as a former admissions dean and director was to estimate the number of offers I could make given the…
How the Team Approach to Admissions Consulting at Accepted Benefits You
If you are a current Accepted client, you’re likely familiar with our firm’s practice of conducting peer reviews as part of our service. Peer review is a crucial step in our process, one in which Accepted consultants seek input from their colleagues in the firm, asking them to help evaluate and enhance our clients’ essays…
Taking the Road Less Traveled for High School Seniors – Six Ways to Spend a Gap Year
All your friends are applying for college, but you are overwhelmed with the whirlwind of decisions and expectations. Although you know you want to attend college, you have no idea what you want to study. And while you don’t want to lose momentum, you want a break from routine. Have you considered taking a different…
Applying for Your MBA Through The Consortium: Best Deal in Town
Our consultants receive a lot of questions from clients about applying to MBA programs through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. I’ve heard myths that suggest that applying to one (or more) of the 22 Consortium schools through The Consortium’s application is disadvantageous. But as the former director at two Consortium schools, I can assure…
A Rise in College Applications
Over the years, the number of colleges our clients apply to each season has more than doubled. When I started consulting in 2008, students submitted five to ten college applications. Today, I see students applying to 15-20 colleges, and even more, in some cases. The caliber of applicants might be similar to what colleges and…
Four A’s to Help You Get Accepted in Round Two!
Were you rejected in round one? Do you know what to do before round two? Oh no! You haven’t received interview invitations for round one, or your dream school has already denied you admission. What do you do now? One thing is sure; if you apply with the same application, you will have the same…
8 Things MBA Applicants Should Do After Submitting Their Applications
Within twelve hours I heard the same question from three clients, so I suppose this question may be on the minds of more than three. The question that may be plaguing you too, is this: “Now that I’ve submitted my applications, what should I do?” Well, you’re not done yet… The following are a list…
How Does Your GMAT Score Fit into the Holistic MBA Application Puzzle?
There’s a lot of talk about the holistic approach admission directors take to evaluate applications. How much weight is really put on different aspects of the application during evaluation? If the approach is so holistic, then why do so many applicants with low GMAT scores get rejected compared to applicants with high GMAT scores? Here’s…
What Does “At The Very Center of Business” Mean for Columbia Business School Applicants?
Columbia Business School Essay prides itself on being “at the very center of business.” The application then asks you to write the answer in 250 words or fewer. The video and the essay question have enabled Columbia to secure its brand and market share. Over the years, Columbia strayed from and returned to its core strength:…
MBA Letters of Recommendation: Who, What, Where, When & How
Selecting your recommenders requires a strategy. I like to begin with the basics: Who, What, Where, When, and How. I also like to suggest that you waive your right to access it. The waiver makes the recommendation more credible to the admissions committee. Who? Who are the best people to address the questions the schools…
Top MBA Programs That Defer
Most U.S. MBA programs will allow students to defer acceptance (push off starting the program for a year) for U.S. military deployment, illness, or illness of a loved one for whom the candidate is the sole or a major caregiver (you will need proof of the above). Check with the individual programs, but here are…
Multiple MBA Acceptances: Negotiating Scholarship Offers
On a day like today, I’m doing my happy dance. My MBA clients have been contacting me with good news from the schools to which they applied. Several of them have multiple offers with scholarships attached, which immediately present the question: Can they negotiate their scholarship offers? Since most of you have yet to take…