Last week’s conversation with Hima Bindu, the assistant director of admissions and financial aid at the ISB, and current ISB students Atma Shivalanka and Chandrasekhar Ghoda, was yet another Q&A success. If you missed the ISB event or if you wish to review it, you can read the whole transcript, listen to the full…
MBA ADMISSIONS
LBS Sloan Fellows Guru Interview
During my recent visit to London, I spent the morning at London Business School. I have several posts worth of thoughts and material. The first one will focus on the Sloan Fellows program at LBS. I spoke interviewed Balbir Guru, Recruitment and Admissions Manager, Sloan and Executive MBA Although I am presenting our conversation in…
MBA Applicants: What McKinsey (and HBS) Wants
They were looking for four things. I didn’t know until I’d made it to the third and last round of interviews, but McKinsey and Company, the strategy consulting firm perennially ranked among the top “dream” employers of MBA students, was looking for four specific qualities in the candidates they hired. By my calculations, McKinsey made…
Admissions Resume: What to Include
Recently in “MBA Admissions:The May-October Romance,” I suggested that applicants for Fall 2011 entry begin assembling materials for their applications now – a full 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…
Reject Rejection!
The holidays are over, and so is the “honeymoon” for many grad school hopefuls. Fortunately, I’m hearing good news from lots of clients: admissions to top schools. But I know it has been a tough year for many of you: maybe Harvard Business School gave you a precious interview invite, the interview went great, and…
Grad Admissions: Helicopter Parents
The New York Times published an article this week “Letting Your Grad Student Go “ on the phenomenon of helicopter parents in graduate schools admissions. Yes, I mean graduate, not undergraduate, admissions. I have a dual perspective on helicopter parenting. I have been working in graduate admissions as a private consultant for the last fifteen…
MBA Essay Tip: Responding to Criticism
2012 MBA Applicant posted recently that thanks to an upcoming employment review he will have material for the question, “What is the toughest criticism you have ever received and what did you learn?” While we’re glad that 2012 MBA Applicant has material, I thought you (and maybe even 2012 MBA Applicant) may want tips on…
London Business School 2010 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips
UPDATE- THE TIPS FOR LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL’S 2011 MBA APPLICATION ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE. PLEASE POST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE NEW POST. London Business School 2010 MBA Essay Questions My comments are in red. The Admissions Committee will consider carefully your answers to the following questions. Please complete all of the essay questions beginning…
MBA Admissions: Three Tips to Power Chicago Booth’s PowerPoint
I love Booth’s “Essay” 3, the PowerPoint. There, I’ve said it, placing myself at odds with most MBA applicants and many of my colleagues, including fellow Accepted editors. Even Accepted’s president Linda Abraham has pointed out, right here in this almanac, some of the challenges the PowerPoint poses, from potentially stifling creativity (by stipulating four…
Darden 2010 MBA Essay Questions, Deadlines
UPDATE: The tips for the 2011 UVA Darden MBA Application are now available online. Please post questions or comments to the new post. 2009-2010 MBA Application Essay Questions 1.How have the changes in the global economy over the last 18 months affected you and your plan for the future? (400 words) 2.What will you contribute…
What Does It Mean to Write from the “Inside Out”?
After devoting many days and countless revisions to his 250-word Stanford GSB Reliance Fellowship essay, the blogger at MBAdreamz concludes: “The mantra for writing essays should be bringing one’s ‘INSIDE OUT.’ The more one knows and reveals (about himself) in the essays, the more comfortable and confident he would be with the essays.” Having worked…
MIT Sloan 2010 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips.
UPDATE: The Tips For MIT SLOAN’S 2011 Application Are Now Online- Please post questions or comments on the new Post. MIT Sloan 2010 MBA Application Deadlines Round Due Date Notification Round 1* Oct 27, 2009 Feb. 1, 2010** Round 2 Jan 12, 2010 Apr. 5, 2010 Application must be received by 12 noon pacific time….
MBA Math Monday: Marginal Analysis by Table
The MBA Math Monday series helps prospective MBA students to self assess their proficiency with the quantitative building blocks of the MBA first year curriculum. Marginal analysis yields insight into the optimal production quantity, and corresponding profit, by examining whether each additional quantity sold generates more revenue than it costs to produce. Many students new, or…
7 Signposts to Differences Among MBA Programs
After reading “Musings on Kellogg’s Differentiators” by Managing Magic, who describes well a few distinguishing characteristics at Kellogg, I decided to explore the factors MBA applicants should examine to uncover the differences between programs. Researching these elements will help MBA applicants as they start their school research. They may also be worth a second look…
The Three Essential Components of Successful Wait-List Letters
Effective wait-list letters often contain three key components. First is an “update” section informing the school of recent professional and nonprofessional developments since you submitted your application. This section is your ostensible reason for writing, so it should be substantial and full of as many significant changes as you can think of (promotions being the…
Highlight Your Kellogg Kontributions
(note: “contributions” is normally spelled with a ‘c’) Describe how your background, values, academics, activities and/or leadership skills will enhance the experience of other Kellogg students. That’s good old Question 2 on Kellogg’s MBA application. It’s a simple enough query, but one that stymies many of my clients, leading to several questions:…
Approaching the Ethics Essay
No b-school application essay may be harder to write than the ethics essay. For most applicants, one challenge is simply identifying an appropriate story. Many applicants assume that the ethics essay is designed to put their morals to some stringent litmus test. They brainstorm for examples that show them proudly refusing bribes, pointedly excusing themselves…
See India In Your Future? Get Money for an MBA in Hyberadad!
Think you’re up against tough odds to get into a top MBA program? In India, over 200,000 applicants vie for 1600 spots at the country’s elite MBA schools—the IIMs (Indian Institute of Management). These programs aren’t ranked internationally. They mostly serve as a launching ground for Indian engineering students who seek management and finance exposure….
The Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship
All Indian students considering applying to the Stanford MBA program should check out the new Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship. The scholarship covers everything for up to 5 Indian students to attend Stanford GSB, and the top 50 finalists for the Fellowship will even receive a break on applying – taking the GMAT and submitting Stanford’s application…
What is an Accomplishment?
Accomplishments constitute the bread and butter of personal statements and application essays. Nothing too exciting in that statement. However, a fascinating brainstorming session on Accepted’s Editor Mailing List reveals that applicants don’t always know what an accomplishment is. What goes into this application staple? The bread: Impact. Your accomplishment must show you as a contributor…