MBA goals need to be practical, not just theoretical In the good old days when Wharton still offered feedback to rejected applicants, I talked with a potential client who was reapplying to Wharton. He had received feedback on his application and had, in fact, really liked his application. “They said I was well qualified, and…
Encore: Focus on Fit in Admissions [Episode 334]
I am taking time off for family this week, and as a result I decided to air an encore of one of our most popular shows ever, Focus on Fit. I chose it not only because of its popularity, but because the topic is relevant to so many, if not all, specialties. A solid understanding…
Getting Your MBA Goals in Shape
Knowing they’ll have to write essays about their goals, most b-school applicants have identified their goals prior to starting the application process. But I’ve found that “identified” often has a misconstrued scope, either too narrow or too broad to effectively serve the purpose of the essays. With some moderate effort, you can flesh out your…
Focus on Fit [Most Popular Show Rerun – Episode 176]
The most popular post of the last six months is “Focus on Fit,” and since Linda is taking a brief vacation, we are reposting it for this week. In this show, she shares the four not-so-easy steps to make sure you show you belong at your target programs. Whether you heard it the first time or…
Focus on Fit [Episode 162]
In today’s episode, Accepted’s founder and director, Linda Abraham, shares the 4 not-so-easy steps of showing fit in your application. While they are not simple to do, these steps are necessary if you want to get accepted to a program where the acceptance rate is less than 100%. STEP 1: Understand the school’s mission and criteria for…
Hone Your MBA Goals [Video]
A solid MBA goal should drive many of the decisions surrounding your business school application and education. In this video, Linda Abraham explores the essential components of a compelling MBA goal and shares a few tips on how to develop it. By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for…
Wharton Admissions Director Interview Available Online
We had an excellent Q&A last week with Ankur Kumar and Anthony Penna, admissions directors at Wharton. The excerpt below provides an insider look at how the adcom readers approach your goal essays – how you should bridge your past and present experiences to what you’d like to be doing in the future. Linda Abraham:…
4 Goals of an MBA Application
Do you want to get into a top MBA program? (Silly question: Of course you do. You wouldn’t be reading this post if you didn’t.) Make sure your application fulfills each of these goals, and you’ll be much better positioned to gain the acceptance you deserve. In your application you need to demonstrate that you:…
From Example to Exemplary #3: Writing the MBA Goals Essay
Lesson #3 of a five-part series for drafting exemplary essays. The MBA career goals essay, a close cousin to the graduate school statement of purpose, demands a laser-like focus. Unlike personal statements, which may discuss career goals but also allow for more flexibility in content, the MBA career goals essay has a specific and packed…
MBA Admissions A-Z: A is for Aspirations
Welcome to Accepted’s newest MBA admissions tip series, MBA Admissions A-Z. Get ready for 26 fantastic tips! Let’s begin with defining your MBA goals and aspirations. What is the Difference between a Goal and an Aspiration? A goal is something that you plan to do or accomplish in a particular timeframe. One way to look…
Goals Essay-Writing Tip
Goals Essay-Writing Nitty-Gritty Short- and Long-Term Goals Before you start drafting your goals essays, work out three levels of goals: short-term, intermediate, and long-term. It helps to have this whole picture in your mind regardless of where you’ll “zoom in” for a particular essay. Short-term is immediately post MBA to about two years later; intermediate…
Making Your MBA Essays Do “Double Duty”
With the new MBA essay questions coming out, you may be starting to sketch out your answers. Of course first and foremost answer the given questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. But how can your essays work for you to the max, especially when the questions don’t seem to provide opportunities to portray experiences, skills, qualities, or…
MBA Admissions Advice for Career Changers
MBA career switchers carry a burden that other applicants don’t: the need to demonstrate an understanding of and fit with a new industry or job function. For example, if you’re already an IT consultant and your post-MBA goals involve IT consulting, then you should have no trouble drafting an MBA goals essay that explains…
MBA Admissions: Approaching the “wild card” essay questions
Every MBA candidate expects to write a goals essay. Everyone expects to tell a leadership story. These are the “flagship” pieces of any application–the essays that will help the admissions committee figure out what you’ve achieved and how you approach your professional life. But then, there are the “wild card” questions–these are almost always very…
Before you write: some tips for getting the most out of your pre-writing process
It’s nearly July, and many business schools are already starting to release their new or revised essay topics for the coming admissions season. During this pre-season warm-up period, many applicants seem to feel a strong temptation to grab those questions as soon as they come out, paste them into a Word file and just start…
