Doing well on the GMAT is a function of accuracy and timing. With only 75 minutes to complete 37 math questions, you have approximately 2 minutes to complete each question. You need to find ways save time, and the “halving and doubling” math tip described in the video and examples below will help you do…
Response to “Shortlisting MBA programs”
In Mistakes, Lessons, MBA, and more…, the author, A, reveals his 6 criteria for applying to MBA programs in the aptly named post “Shortlisting schools.” The six are in order of importance: Intake % of Indian engineers Teaching Methodology Recruitment Culture Clubs/extra-curricular Curriculum and specialization. I boil down A’s 2-5 to three which I rank as follows:…
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…
Application Boxes Should Do the Heavy Lifting
For one of Accepted’s first forays into video, I decided to focus on application boxes, the mundane, pedestrian elements of an application that frequently are not given appropriate attention. Please watch the video to see how you make the ordinary into extraordinary, value-added elements of your application. Since this is our first attempt at providing…
Medical School Admissions: Apply Early!
Medical school admission is very competitive, so you must get your applications in early. Schools with rolling admissions review their applications as they come in. As students are accepted, there will be more and more competition for the smaller number of remaining spots available. Admissions committees will then have a greater number of other applicants…
Grad Application Preseason 4: Your Skills
As I’ve been discussing, part of the pre-application thought process involves honest analysis of your achievements and abilities, along with your future interests. Grad school will give you the opportunity for deep, advanced study in your field—including theoretical/methodological approaches undergrads are rarely exposed to. As you prepare to apply, consider how to present your skills/accomplishments…
Reflecting Back on 1970s Women’s Colleges
On the importance of attending a women’s college, 40 years ago, by an alumna: “At a certain age, it’s appropriate to stop thinking of boys as playmates and start relating to them as potential boyfriends and husbands. It’s easier to make the transition if you’re not in each other’s hair all the time.” In a…
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…
College Early Admissions: The Early Bird….
For those college seniors who decided to apply under one of the early admission plans for the fall semester of 2010, last week was a big week. As my high school sophomore noted, “Everyone on campus (of his college prep school) is tense and freaking out.” A little less so after Monday, when Columbia, Brown,…
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…
Personal Statement Tip: Story Time (Part 1)
The moment I found the lump, I suspected my life was about to change—in a big way. Good enough for an opening line? Want to read more? I hope it’s yes on both counts. Because I’m going to tell you a story. A short one. A true one. Not so much for the sake of…
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…
Tips For Applicants With A Low MCAT Score (Part 1)
Options Without Retaking the Exam All medical school applicants (or any other professional school applicant) must assess their credentials realistically in order to present themselves best during the application process. Since applicants are evaluated based on specific academic (undergraduate and graduate GPA and MCAT scores) and non-academic (research and clinical exposures, leadership skills, mentoring experiences)…
Indian School of Business 2010 Application Deadlines and Essay Questions
UPDATE: The tips for the ISB 2012 MBA Application are now available online. Please review the tips and post questions or comments to the new post. Check out the entire 2012 MBA Application Tips series for more valuable MBA application advice. The Indian School of Business is one of the newest graduate business programs in…
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…
MBA Re-Applicant Lessons: Why Not Me?
Last year was an incredibly competitive year for MBA applicants, as more people applied to programs hoping to ride out the recession. So what can you do to increase your chances of admissions this year? Stratcase’s recent blog entry has some tips for reapplicants that are worth highlighting: 1. “Re-categorize your school – instead of…
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….