How do you react when you read/hear the weakness question? With this question, schools are assessing how well you self evaluate. Like a business problem, they want to hear your plan of action, your implementation, and your success rate. Here are some tips to help you a) think about and evaluate your weaknesses, and b)…
Getting Ready to Apply to Top Tier Colleges and Universities: Senior Year
This is the final post in our series Getting Ready to Apply to Top Tier Colleges and Universities, a 4-part series for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Accepted can help bring out your best in your applications and my colleagues and I are here to help. Tips for High School Seniors 1. Create a spreadsheet that…
Getting Ready to Apply to Top Tier Colleges and Universities: Junior Year
This post is the third in our series Getting Ready to Apply to Top Tier Colleges and Universities, a 4-part series for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. As it becomes increasingly difficult to gain admission into the country’s elite schools, knowing how to navigate the system should become important for you. Tips for High School Juniors 1….
Getting Ready to Apply to Top Tier Colleges and Universities: Sophomore Year
In this second post of our series Getting Ready to Apply to Top Tier Colleges and Universities, a four part series for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, I offer tips to high school sophomores. This year is a pivotal year for high school students and an important year for admissions directors. Tips for High School…
Getting Ready to Apply to Top Tier Colleges and Universities: Freshman Year
This post is the first in our series Getting Ready to Apply to Top Tier Colleges and Universities, a 4-part series for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Having consulted with numerous clients on college admissions, I have been facing the same personal decisions as my clients. I’ve already sent one happy stepson off to college and…
Do Low Stats Sink Your App?
Applicants and Admissions Directors almost always seek the same thing. Applicants want to be desired by Admissions Directors and Admissions Directors want their schools to be desired by applicants. Applicants want to optimize their ability to gain admission to the highest-ranking school that fits their education/career needs, and Admissions Directors want to optimize their ability…
The GMAT and the Law of Diminishing Returns
There is a time in every applicant’s life where you need to look long and hard at your GMAT score and ask: “Is my score high enough to get me into my schools of choice? Or should I retake the GMAT? What are my chances of getting into b-school with low stats? How will retaking…
MBA Scholarships: How do I Apply and What Should I Emphasize?
While each school has its own unique scholarship offerings (merit only, merit and need, need only), they do so for a variety of reasons. Similar to admissions, a director will consider your academic indicators, your work experience, your extra-curricular activities, your goals and your community service. They also consider socio-economic factors for need-based and outstanding…
Wharton: “Putting Knowledge Into Action”
Does the oldest business school actually have a brand? Does the oldest business school actually need a brand? Ironically, Wharton is a more powerful global brand than the elite Ivy League university of which it resides. In fact, many people don’t know that the University of Pennsylvania is a highly regarded Ivy League institution. Outside…
Goal Setting as an Entrepreneur
I always ask my clients to state their long and short-term goals for me on our first meeting. Eighty percent of the time I hear the response, “I want to be an entrepreneur.” So I begin to peel away at the onion. • What problem is your business going to solve? • Why is it different than…
Do Stanford GSB Grads REALLY “Change Lives. Change Organizations. Change the World.”?
Who wouldn’t want to change lives, change organizations, and change the world? Right? In this blog post, I set out to prove that Stanford GSB admits, transforms and graduates students who accomplish great feats. I wanted to demonstrate that Stanford GSB students, faculty and graduates lived GSB’s brand. I’ve always been a big proponent of…
Books To Read Before You Begin Your MBA Application
I’m certain everyone knows that before you apply to business schools, it’s a good idea to read The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Economist and Bloomberg-BusinessWeek to familiarize yourself with the jargon and the stories you will be discussing while in school. I also believe its a good idea to read about MBA…
PhD Applicants: Show, Don’t Tell
When I was Admissions Director at Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, I asked my colleague and friend, Dr. Robert Bloomfield, who led our Ph.D. program, “What characteristics do you seek in the Ph.D. candidates you invite to interview?” Rob’s answer sounded oddly familiar. A few weeks earlier, I had asked my brother Mark, who…
What MBA Applicants Should Do After Submitting Their Application
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, “now that I’ve submitted my applications, what should I do?” The following are a list of suggestions: Continue to learn about each school by speaking with faculty, alumni and students….
Are You Growth Minded? Mastering Kellogg’s Changing Brand
Episode 2 in our Big Brand Theory Series for MBA applicants: Northwestern Kellogg. Two days before Kellogg’s Dean Sally Blount announced Kellogg’s motto change from “Think Bravely” to “Inspiring Growth,” I received an email and video link in my inbox from my education hero, Sal Khan about why he will never tell his son that…
Get a GRIP on Team Questions
I took away a lot of wonderful concepts, frameworks and strategies from my MBA education that led to a successful admission career. In fact, one of the most powerful lessons I learned at Michigan (now Ross) was how to lead and work effectively on teams. Professor Noel Tichy, one of the gurus of Organizational Behavior…
Goal Setting as an Entrepreneur
I always ask my clients to state their long and short-term goals for me on our first meeting. Eighty percent of the time I hear the response, “I want to be an entrepreneur.” So I begin to peel away at the onion. • What problem is your business going to solve? • Why is it different than…
The Waiting Game: What MBA Applicants Should Do After Hitting SUBMIT
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, “now that I’ve submitted my applications, what should I do?” The following are a list of suggestions: 1. Continue to learn about each school by speaking with faculty, alumni and…
Athletic Appeal in Admissions
Long before Gabby Douglas flew through her floor exercise and Michael Phelps dominated the pool, admissions directors have been impressed by athletes. From stories about the perfect basket, goal, spike or serve, athletes have wonderful stories that display their endurance, strength, leadership and team skills. Fascinated by the applicant who used his marathon run as…
Preparing for IMD’s Interview
Without a doubt, IMD conducts the most thorough MBA interview. The interview day is divided into four evaluative sections. When you arrive on campus, you will be introduced to the adcom and faculty evaluators as well as a group of applicants who will partake in the same experience as you. Since the adcom will evaluate…