Many applicants are recent immigrants or have parents who are immigrants and plan to write about this aspect of their life in a personal statement or diversity statement. Certainly, having this life experience makes you distinctive and can add to your appeal at any school. But, often these essays fall flat. First, you must decide…
Writing About Your Experiences Abroad
You studied, worked, or volunteered abroad. Now you want to include part of this in your personal statement as part of an undergrad, AMCAS or other application. Maybe you want to show that you’ve experienced a different culture and expanded your perspective through your eye-opening experiences meeting new people, mountain-climbing, assisting in a rural community,…
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Application Essay Tips
Paul Soros was often overshadowed by his younger brother, financial wizard George Soros, but he was a successful businessman and multi-millionaire in his own right. In contrast to George Soros’s success in the financial industry, Paul Soros made his mark on the world by innovating in the shipping industry, filing patents, and winning several engineering…
7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay
What is the diversity question in a school application, and more importantly, why does it matter when applying to leading programs and universities? A diversity essay is an essay that encourages applicants with minority backgrounds, unusual education, distinctive experience, or unique family histories to write about how these elements will contribute to the diversity of…
Elissa Sangster, CEO of the Forte Foundation, Returns for AST’s 10th Anniversary [Episode 463]
A peek into what change the Forte Foundation is implementing [Show Summary] In honor of Admissions Straight Talk’s 10th anniversary episode, our first ever guest is back. Elissa Sangster is the CEO of the Forte Foundation which is at the forefront of increasing female representation in the business world – from the classroom to the…
The Consortium Application: Tips for Your CGSM Essays [2021 – 2022]
![The Consortium Application: Tips for Your CGSM Essays [2021 - 2022]](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_lossy,ret_img,w_700,h_350/https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Consortium_Tips_2021-2022.jpg)
Are you committed to increasing diversity and inclusion of underrepresented populations in education and business? If so, applying to MBA programs through The Consortium of Graduate Study in Management might be for you. Besides the opportunity to receive a full-tuition scholarship to one of the top MBA programs, Consortium fellows get to enjoy the benefits…
Three Challenges Asian Applicants Must Overcome When Applying to Business School
One of my favorite times of the year when working at LBS was the recruitment and interview season. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend time traveling across Asia meeting prospective candidates and interviewing applicants. Aside from thoroughly enjoying my time exploring India, China, and Hong Kong over the years, I found…
A Dean’s Perspective on What Makes Great Physicians [Episode 420]
Words of advice for premeds and medical school applicants [Show summary] Dr. Sunny Nakae discusses CUSM’s approach to training the next generation of great physicians and shares wisdom from her book, Premed Prep: Advice from a Medical School Admissions Dean. Are you curious about CUSM? Read on for info about this new program and for…
4 Tips for Applying as an Underrepresented Applicant in Medicine
The ethnicities that are considered Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) include: Latino, African American, Native American, Laotian and Hmong, as well as a few other groups. If you are from one of these groups, it would help your application to demonstrate your connection to these communities and your fluency in the languages which are most sought…
How to Write the Statement of Disadvantage
If you have experienced any form of social, economic or educational disadvantage—at any time in your life—you can apply to medical school as a disadvantaged applicant. To receive this designation means that you will need to complete an additional essay on the AMCAS application. The character limit for this short essay is 1,325. Examples of…
Ivy League Colleges Accept Record Low Number of Students
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a surge of college applications this year, which led to record low acceptance rates at many colleges, including the majority of Ivy League schools. The eight Ivy League schools, as well as some other highly selective schools, sent out acceptance notifications a…
Applying to Regular Full-Time MBA Programs as an Older Applicant
“An MBA? Why aren’t you going for an EMBA?” You’ve probably heard this from friends and acquaintances when they learn that you are planning to pursue full-time graduate business studies, even though you are several years older than the average MBA applicant. This may also be the response of MBA admissions committees – unless you…
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 flying around that suggest that applying to one (or more) of the 20 Consortium schools through The Consortium’s application is disadvantageous. But as the former director at two Consortium schools,…
MBA Admissions: Application Advice for IT Applicants
Often, when we work with MBA applicants who are from a traditional information technology (IT) background, they begin the process already feeling the odds are stacked against them. Their first question is usually, “How can I stand out in such a crowded field? How can I show them I’m not like everyone else with my…
Kellogg Receives Transformative Gift to Accelerate Women Leaders
Kellogg alumna Ann M. Drake ’84 has made a transformative gift to establish the Drake Scholar Network, according to the Kellogg website. This formal, global network will emphasize Kellogg’s long-term dedication to educating future female business leaders by fostering powerful, intergenerational connections between women students, faculty, and alumnae. In the words of Dean Francesca Cornelli,…
What the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Can Do for MBA Applicants [Episode 395]
Learn about The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, and how it can help YOU gain acceptance at a top business school. [Show summary] Danni Young, Director of Recruiting for the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, breaks down how the Consortium helps hundreds of students from target populations get accepted to top MBA programs…
Admissions Advice for MBA Management Consulting Applicants
Are you a practicing management consultant applying to business school? If so, you have several advantages over the general applicant. Mainly, your success as a consultant for a major firm reveals that your work ethic, analytical, and probably team-playing skills are better than most. As a result, MBA programs will probably give you that initial…
Academic De-Greening, Part 2: Applying to Graduate School After Military Service
In Part 1 of this military series, we discussed possible misconceptions that recent veterans might possess regarding their suitability for college-level learning, and their attraction as applicants. Having worked closely with veterans to prepare them for the transition into higher education, I know that it can sometimes seem challenging to figure out how best to…
Academic De-Greening: Applying to College After Military Service
Having worked with numerous military veterans as they begin to transition to college, I know firsthand how challenging and daunting this shift can be. In particular, many veterans struggle to include their military experiences and accolades within the context of a personal statement, often assuming it is at worst a shot against them (proving they…
The Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Application Essay Tips
This post focuses on application strategies for pre-doctoral students and graduate student applicants to apply for three years of funding from the Ford Foundation through The National Academies of Sciences. What to Know About the Ford Foundation Fellowship Since 1936 The Ford Foundation, created by members of the Ford family, has turned what started as…
