The top MBA programs don’t want workaholic nerds. The schools already know that you work 40 or 50 hours a week crunching numbers at a desk or designing marketing plans for product launches. But if that’s really all they know about you, your MBA application can appear flat. When they also learn that you ran a…
Four Tips for Displaying Teamwork in Your Application Essays
Teamwork and its close cousin leadership are highly prized by graduate programs and universities. But if you haven’t worked in teams on any regular basis, don’t worry! You’ve probably got a number of examples of teamwork in your back pocket that you didn’t even realize were there. Consider the following four ideas when you are writing…
Schwarzman Scholars Application Essay Tips and Deadlines
What is the Schwarzman Scholars Program mission? The Schwarzman Scholars Program is a fully funded 1-year master’s program in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Designed in collaboration with prestigious universities such as Harvard, Oxford, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford, the program’s mission is to “build a global community of future leaders who will…
Writing a Powerful Leadership/Achievement Essay [Sample Essay]
Essays that ask you to write about significant achievements fall under the category of what are known as behavioral or experiential questions. The basic assumption behind these questions is that past behavior is a great predictor of future behavior. They are all varieties on the theme of “Tell us about a time when you…” These…
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…
What Harvard Business School Is Looking For: The Habit of Leadership
Thank you, Harvard Business School. That’s what applicants should think when they visit the program’s website and find “habit of leadership” on its “Who are we looking for?” admissions page. It’s common knowledge that HBS values leadership, but with this phrase, the adcom succinctly expresses how they view leadership – dynamic, deep, intrinsic, long-term. It’s…
The Importance of Teaching Management in Medical School [Episode 232]
Do physicians need leadership skills to be good doctors? Johns Hopkins professors Dr. Peter Pronovost and Dr. Chris Myers make an excellent case that the leadership elements of management should be a mandatory part not only of physician training, but of continuing education. Here’s how and why management skills can make you a better doc….
7 Traits of a Competitive Medical School Applicant
Are you med school material? What traits are the adcoms looking for in their future students? It’s time to do some serious introspection to make sure that you’ve got what it takes to get into med school, and that you know how to show off these top skills to the admissions committee! Here are some examples…
Admissions Tip: Thanksgiving Appreciation
I could write now about the aspects of my life I am thankful for: my husband, five healthy children, two delightful, adorable grandchildren, my daughter’s recent engagement, a thriving business, work that I enjoy, and good health. I have done so in the past as I wished you a Happy Thanksgiving, a US holiday that…
How to Demonstrate Leadership When You Don’t Have Leadership Experience [Short Video]
Most admissions committees are looking for applicants who can demonstrate leadership. If you don’t have any formal leadership positions to discuss in your application essays, that doesn’t mean that all is lost. Watch this short video for Linda Abraham’s definition of “informal leadership” and how to highlight it in your applications. Visit our services section…
An Interview with Dartmouth Tuck’s Admissions Director, Luke Pena [Episode 252]
It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on AST, Luke Pena, Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Luke earned his bachelors in PR and business at USC in 2006 and cut his admissions teeth at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication. He subsequently…
Are You A Leader?
Of course you are – but do you know how to present those impressive leadership skills and experiences in your application essay? For many applicants, writing the “leadership essay” is one of the most challenging aspects of the application process, mainly because the concept of leadership is so tough to define. It’s easy to say…
Where MedEd & Leadership Meet: An Inside Look at AMSA
If you are on the road to med school, you’ve probably heard of AMSA, the American Medical Student Association – the largest independent association of doctors-to-be in the USA. Listen to the recording of our conversation with Britani Kessler, National President of AMSA, for more information about what the organization does, and how you can…
Wearing My Military Uniform in the Business World
Ben Faw, a combat veteran and former Army Captain, shares his thoughts on how prior members of the military can use their unique skill sets to battle the dangerously high young-veteran unemployment rate of 21.4%. Rank never equaled respect in the military, and neither will your title in the private sector Pinning the 2nd Lieutenant…
Ace Your Summer Internship
This post is aimed at college sophomores and juniors who are thinking about earning an MBA in the future, and who will be working as an intern this coming summer. In my opinion, there isn’t a better way to test out your career interests than by working in your intended field for a few months….
Indian School of Business: Thoughts After My Visit to Hyderabad
Teeming, packed, noisy streets connecting the serene, sprawling, park-like campuses of Infosys and the Indian School of Business. Slum hovels just yards/meters away from beautiful apartment buildings. These are a few of the images from the busy three days I, and roughly 16 other MBA admissions consultants, spent in Hyderabad, India as guests of the…
The Schwarzman Scholars Program: Leaders of the Future Unite [Episode 126]
This is the opportunity of a lifetime. When fully set up, 200 students every year will learn how to lead the world into the future at an innovative (and all expenses paid) program. Listen to our conversation with Dr. Rob Garris to learn all about the Schwarzman Scholars Program: what it is, who it’s for,…
2011 Indian School of Business Admissions Director Interview Posted
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…
Digging Deep – 2: Kellogg’s MMM Program
Several weeks ago I posted about a hypothetical client –let’s call him Wonderman– with sterling stats, extra-curriculars and long-term goal. He wants to transition into Strategy Consulting as preparation for a VC or PE career. As an applicant from a developing economy experiencing a boom in infrastructure and manufacturing activity, Wonderman dreams of identifying local…
Don’t Discount a Summer Job
The summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school, I worked two jobs. Every weekday morning, I finished swim team practice, put on my bright orange counselor t-shirt, and boarded the school bus with my 5-12 year old charges. After 8 hours of playground games and sunscreen applications, I’d scoot across town…
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