Writing your best essays by being honest

I see this a lot: essays that sound formal, that rely on platitudes, that sound like a wall has been built around the words. Usually in such cases I will ask my client to retell me his story as if he is emailing a friend. In fact, I often will ask this person to email the story to me, rather than try and fit it into the confines of a Word document. The story often sounds very different, and much more human.

Stanford Business School has a line on its website that goes something like this: “The best essays, indeed, are the ones that don’t start out trying to impress us.” All schools want authentic stories that are written from the heart.

Last week, I wrote a 250-ish word self-introduction to the clients who have signed on with us. I’ve made this introduction many times before. I usually talk about my career, why I enjoy doing what I do. But this time I wrote it differently. Instead of recounting my career path and the promotions or awards I’ve received, I told the story of how I got interested in admissions. Many years ago, when I was a high school senior, I was rejected by my dream school. I had good grades and a high class rank, and yet I did not get in. I was rejected in favor of others who I knew sat much lower than me in academic rank. It was then that I realized there was much more to the admissions process than just grades.

And I told the story of how I came from an immigrant family. I was not, in fact, even born in the US. However, this early experience trying to access the top educational opportunities despite initial language and cultural barriers, and my experience helping my Chinese parents navigate American society are what influenced me to work as a bridge for international applicants.

I have never told this story to my clients because I believed I needed to appear successful. I am helping them try to enter top American and European programs. How would it look if I told them I was an immigrant, and that I myself had failed to get into my top choice university?

To my surprise, my clients responded positively, writing back to me to say that I had inspired and touched them.

My point in sharing this story is to remind all of you how powerful honesty can be. You are all successful now, which is why you are considering graduate school, so there is nothing to be afraid of showing. Maybe you got to this point by overcoming language barriers, or surviving poverty or depression. Maybe you’ve learned to be a leader by having had doubts or stumbling or even failing earlier in your career. Whatever the path, the fact that you are here is admirable. So don’t be afraid to show it. Be honest, be human, and the admissions committee will be impressed by the real you.

Tags: authenticity, writing

HEC Paris Information Session (July 23, 2011)

This is the third in a series of information session reports written by our correspondent during his attendance at the MBA Tour’s July 23rd event in New York City. (Cecilia Wu Tanaka’s note: My apologies for the delay uploading this post…)

The HEC Paris representative, Marie-Laurence Lemaire, Development Manager, started off her presentation with a bit of history. HEC Paris was established two centuries ago and is ranked the #1 business school in Europe (I would later look this up; according to the website the source is The Financial Times.) The school is actually not located in Paris; they moved out because the students were too "distracted" (this drew a few chuckles from the audience.) This was good for getting to know each other anyway, the representative said (and the campus is not that far from Paris, about 18 kilometers.)

The student body is diverse: 85% is not French. There are 150 students in the September intake. Students are divided into working groups that rotate every few months. They also make sure a student is the only one of his or her nationality. HEC Paris wants students to get out of their comfort zone. Just when you get comfortable, your surroundings change. While other schools may do this, I like that this is something articulated explicitly, as change helps one grow.

Some general information:

Language. You don’t need to learn French as the program is conducted in English but if you don’t know French  you’ll study the language. Those who already speak two languages will study a third. A language is not just language but  about the culture.

Essay. Very important. Have people read your essays.

Recommendations. These can be from clients. Job titles of the writer are not important; choose people who know you, your work, and your personality.

GMAT (average: 690) is very important. If you have a low GMAT score then another part of your application must be strong. If you have a low quantitative score the admissions committee will look more closely at transcripts and calculus courses you’ve taken.

Interview. You will also be asked to give a 10 minute oral presentation in the subject of your choice. This presentation is very important.

Work experience. If you have more than 10 years of experience you’ll be rerouted into the executive MBA program. The school does not feel that less than 3 years of work experience constitute enough experiences to share.

Tags: France, info sessions, international MBAs, MBA, MBA admission panels

Cornell Johnson School Information Session (July 23, 2011)

This is the second in a series of information session reports written by our correspondent during his attendance at the MBA Tour’s July 23rd event in New York City.

Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management

Cornell was represented by Christine Sneva, Acting Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Sneva talked about meat and potato topics like “experiential learning” that goes beyond case studies and immersion programs. And she talked about areas of study including finance (and how Cornell has a trading floor on the premises, which I thought was very neat), sustainability, and entrepreneurship. (At which point she said either you’re an entrepreneur or you’re not, and if you don’t understand that, you’re probably not.) She talked about dual degree programs. And then–

Community

This was only my second information session of the morning and I already was starting a bit of eye rolling. So every school prides itself on academic quality and community. She talked about how the Cornell community is tight knit, that students mingle with faculty in social events. There’s even a place for social gatherings, called Sage Hall. Because Cornell is in Ithaca I just picture people all hanging out locally on campus simply because there’s nowhere else to go. At NYU I imagine students probably have their own friends outside of school and socialize with them. Professors may be working at night (this is speculation on my part.) At Cornell people tend to live and work in one general area. Someone in the audience actually brought this up. He asked why on earth anyone would want to go to school in Ithaca. (OK, those are my words but he basically asked this question, just a bit more diplomatically.) Give credit to Sneva, who was prepared for this question. For one, it’s a beautiful campus. The classes are smaller and Cornell makes it a point to keep classes smaller rather than bigger. Then she launched into her spiel about the vast alumni network of Cornell. I wasn’t wholly satisfied by her answer and wasn’t convinced as to why I would potentially want to spend two years of my life in Ithaca but to her credit, she did not make a hard sell. Ithaca is not for everyone. (Side note: Cornell undergraduate alumni, whom she referred to as “Cornellians,” appear to have an edge in the admissions process because they, like no others, are intimately aware of what it’s like to live and study/work in Cornell.)

What reached me about this information session in a way that NYU did not was how Sneva talked about Cornell looking for leaders that will influence their organizations. If Cornell is successful in enrolling such people, I get the sense that Cornell is not populated with people who just want to make riches. I liked this criterion. And in speaking about alumni, she talked about “passion” and “legacy”–because after graduation these students, now alumni, will represent the Cornell brand. I found this appealing as this should make for a stronger network.

She then went into the application. The resume is very important. The essay is important. Why Cornell Johnson? Why an MBA? This was all quite conventional advice but this tidbit was gold: ONCE YOU MAKE IT TO THE INTERVIEW, 90% OF YOUR DECISION IS BASED ON THE INTERVIEW.

To me this was a bombshell because it would probably encourage me a little and scare the hell out of me a lot. So the weeks and months of preparation and essay writing and GMAT taking have brought me to this place. And the future course of my life boils down to this 45-minute conversation. Wow.

Actually, I think it’s good to know this because then it means, as an applicant, I’m close. She gave more information and advice. The nature of the interview itself is spontaneous, conversational. There are no staged questions. Show enthusiasm. Do your research. Visit the school (especially for New Yorkers, who are at least in the same state.) She mentioned the Cornell Club in midtown and buses that go to Ithaca.

The evaluation covers three areas:

1. Academics

2. Career decision-making and self-efficacy. This means one’s belief in one’s own ability. (She added, to my amusement, that this was probably “through the roof” for the people in this audience.)

3. Leadership and community.

They’re looking for people who are easy to talk to (extroversion/introversion doesn’t matter but outliers are obvious. In a small class, it’s easy to tell who sticks out.) Is the applicant proactive? Connects with people? Has a good sense of the school?

When the Cornell information session ended I felt that I had some sense of the school, and a positive one at that. I’m still not sure I’d want to study in such a remote location but at least now I’d be willing to look into the school, which I previously hadn’t considered before. On that level, at least, I think this session was a very successful one.

Tags: close-knit, Cornell, Interviews, Ithaca, Johnson, MBA, MBA admission panels, New York, small schools

NYU Stern School of Business Information Session

This is the first in a series of information reports written by our correspondent during his attendance at the MBA Tour’s July 23rd event in New York city.

NYU Stern School of Business

The first thing the NYU rep did was have everyone stand up and introduce himself to the person next to him. After some spirited chatter she indicated that this kind of thing was what Stern was about: community. She spoke about the growth of professional relationships. She talked about the numerous professional and social clubs, some of which may lead to jobs; and that second year students mentor first years. Indeed, community was one of Stern’s core values, which follow:

1. Academic Excellence. Faculty with real life experience. (In mentioning the new dean, she briefly mentioned how NYU Stern wants its students to think of how the economy relates to society as a whole, or something along those lines. I would have liked to hear more about this philosophy because it was one of the few things that made Stern unique sounding.)

2. Leveraging Location.

3. Community.

4. IQ and EQ. The importance of “soft skills” (her words, not mine); interpersonal skills.

While it seems that just about every school includes these values as their own, NYU is unique in its location (aside from its noticeably absent rival, Columbia.) The NYU rep indicated that its students work with case studies involving the New York Mets, the Metropolitan Opera, and Steinway Piano. And the room was packed, in part I imagine, due to its location in lower Manhattan (Cornell, despite its Ivy League status, had noticeably fewer attendees.)

The Stern rep gave some basic pointers on the application:

An applicant is judged on:

1. Academic potential

2. Career aspiration and achievements

3. Personal characteristics

GMAT:

- Take practice tests.

- NYU only looks at the highest score.

- NYU now accepts the GRE as it reaches more people.

Recommendations:

These should be from professional to convey how you are in the workplace.

Essay:

Show where you are; where you want to go; how to get there.

Optional essay:

Explain anything. Don’t make the admissions committee make guesses about you.

The NYU rep ended by providing the various deadlines.

During the introduction the person next to me was a man from Maryland with a background in real estate finance. After NYU’s presentation was over he deadpanned, “Everything she said was off the website.”

Thinking back on NYU’s information session I can’t say I have a clearer picture of the school. I really didn’t get anything out of this session. My impression is that NYU is diverse (as she cited significant proportions of women and minorities) and is well located. And my feeling that NYU is hip is left intact. I may know nothing of its academic rigor or what companies Stern graduates go on to work for but I’ll probably get to meet a lot of people.

Tags: Community, Manhattan, New York, NYU, Stern, Teamwork

New York MBA Conference: How Admissions Decisions are Made

The MBA Tour sponsored an all-day MBA fair in New York city on July 23, and we sent our local correspondent to cover the scene:

I arrived at the Grand Hyatt in Midtown at 8:50AM and there was already a line of about fifteen people waiting to get their name tags. By the time I made my way to the front of the line, checked in, and put the lanyard over my neck the Admissions panel at 9AM had started so I sprinted up the stairs to the big Broadway room, which seated around a hundred people. It was mostly already full.

At the front were a panel of three women; I couldn’t see their names because of where I was seated. They had already started talking about the GMAT. I heard one of them mention mba.com as a resource. One said that the GMAT is a good indicator of how a potential student would fare in the core classes but not necessarily the MBA program as a whole. (After having sat through numerous information sessions later on I get the sense that  the schools really just want to make sure you can handle the quant classes in the core.)

The rest of the panel consisted of segments on the essay, letters of recommendation, the resume, and the interview, followed by a Q&A session that I’ve incorporated into their appropriate categories.

The Essay

The members of the panel kept using the refrain “but check with the school” so what they were saying was very general. They offered some basic tips like check the maximum number of words, check your grammar and spelling, and be sure to put the (right) name of the school.

Here’s what I thought was a useful tidbit, on optional essays. You don’t get extra credit so if you don’t have something compelling, skip it. You can, however, also take this opportunity to explain low GMAT scores or tell your personal story. One of the panelists brought up an essay by a student who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. But if you don’t have anything compelling to say, this is just more for them to read.

Letters of Recommendation

Ask for letters as soon as possible. Aside from choosing your writers, you really have little control over this part. Prep your writers–give them your resume. Tell them why you want an MBA. And if your school is asking for a recommendation from your supervisor and you’re uncomfortable with this (as you intend to leave the company), explain this to the admissions office. In terms of whom to ask to write on your behalf, this panel and representatives from the schools whose information sessions I attended later on all echoed the same thing: choose people who know you well, not just people who have a high status and rank. In one example given, one high-ranking executive wrote a one-sentence letter of recommendation (though shame on him, I say.) Another piece of instruction I kept hearing is that the admissions committees want recommendations from people in the workplace. This makes sense; they want to know what you’re like in action. So should you have  professors write letters for you? Only if you’ve worked with them. And what if you’re an entrepreneur? Since you don’t have a supervisor, seek letters from clients, vendors, etc. One last thing they mentioned: If the letters are to be submitted electronically, let your writers now. And make sure they use the (right) name of the school.

Resume

Don’t merely provide a listing but really highlight what the school’s interested in. Know the emphasis of the program–what is your target school looking for? Do you have strengths you can offer to the school?–and the profile of the students. Show results. Show special special projects. Show that each year you’ve taken projects out of your comfort zone. Do you have cross functional work experience? Or team oriented projects and collaborative experiences? The more of this you can demonstrate the better.

In college, what did you do in addition to studying? They want to see well-rounded individuals. Include activities. What was meaningful to you? What were one or two that really excited you? And did you work during school to support yourself? If so, include this as it shows maturity and depth. Include interests, outside work, work at non-profits, sports, travel–they want to see the total person.

Other bits of advice:

- Make sure you can explain gaps in employment on chronological resumes.

- If you have different career paths, address them somewhere.

- Check page numbers. If they say two pages, they may automatically throw out your third page.

- Don’t include your high school. No one cares.

And one general takeaway: The admissions committee wants to know if you have strengths that fit the school. Don’t make them have to search to find out what they are. Make it easy for them.

The Interview

So you got an interview. Congratulations!

From the moment you step into the school for the interview until you leave, everything will be fair game for your evaluation. First impressions are important. This includes not just your professional appearance but how you greet the admissions staff upon arrival. Word gets around among schools, so don’t be rude to the receptionist.

How to prepare:

- In terms of research by now you should have done more than just visit the website. Hopefully you’ve spoken with alumni and even visited the school.

- Call ahead to see if the interview is a panel or one on one meeting. If there are other candidates present you will be observed on how you interact with them.

- Review your application before your interview as they are different between schools.

- Be prepared to conduct a conversation.

- Show your intellectual ability about your sector. Be current on recent events in your sector (read The Economist, The Financial Times, etc.)

- Think about what you want to talk about. What can you contribute?

- Don’t repeat what you’ve already written about (in other parts of your application.)

- Be prepared to talk about weak points.

- Show energy and enthusiasm about their school.

- For international students especially, your communication ability is important.

In the following Q&A session questions fell into the above categories so I’ve already incorporated them here. One question of note was when to apply–in round 1, round 2, etc. While of course earlier is better, especially if you’re applying for scholarships, it is less about the rounds than when you are ready. Apply when you have the best application to present yourself.

Will follow up over the coming two weeks with summaries of some of the individual school presentations.

Tags: essays, info sessions, Interviews, MBA admission panels, recommendations, resumes

Haas Business School Essay Question Analyses and Deadlines, 2011-12

Haas, for the first time this year, has clearly laid out the core principles that define their culture. While they have always looked for a certain set of qualities in the admissions process, they say that this is the first time they are actually articulating them. As you explore Haas, please take some time to study their 4 guiding principles and see how they might match your own philosophy and experiences:  http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/strategicplan/culture/

Important Dates

Essay Questions

Haas has renewed most of its essay questions this year. My comments and advice are in orange. The black text is from the Haas website.

At Berkeley-Haas, our distinctive culture is defined by four key principles — question the status quo; confidence without attitude; students always; and beyond yourself. We seek candidates from a broad range of cultures, backgrounds, and industries who demonstrate a strong cultural fit with our program and defining principles. Please use the following essays as an opportunity to reflect on and share with us the values, experiences, and accomplishments that have helped shape who you are.(Learn more about Berkeley-Haas’ Defining Principles).

1. What brings you the greatest joy? How does this make you distinctive? (250 word maximum)

This is an open-ended question and there really is no trick to it. To give you some point of reference, in the past this question used to be “What are you most passionate about?” The question is designed for the admissions committee to get to know you better, to understand what makes you “tick” (what motivates, excites or fulfills you) and to get a sense of what you value. What brings you the greatest joy could be creating something from scratch, beating your own time in an athletic endeavor, playing your favorite musical instrument, or parenting your children or helping the elderly. Remember that the purpose of the application is to let the admissions committee get to know and like you, and not necessarily to impress them. Use this essay to tell them who you are.

2.    What is your most significant accomplishment? (250 word maximum)

What have you done that you are most proud of? In many cases this is a professional accomplishment, however, it doesn’t have to be. Whatever topic you use, consider the following: qualities shown and skills exercised; impact made (whether on yourself or others (or both)); obstacles overcome.

3.    Describe a time when you questioned an established practice or thought within an organization. How did your actions create positive change? (250 word maximum)

This question supports Haas’ principle of questioning the status quo. UCB believes that true innovators are those who are not afraid to challenge convention. Have you ever introduced change or tried to bring about improvement to an established or conventional practice? What kind of resistance did you encounter and how did you deal with it? What was the outcome?

4.   Describe a time when you were a student of your own failure. What specific insight from this experience has shaped your development? (250 word maximum)

This question supports Haas’ strong desire to recruit students who “have confidence without attitude.” To be “a student of your own failure” is to learn from your mistakes. Do not be afraid to talk about something that you really messed up on. The admissions committee will not be focusing on the mistake itself – they know that everyone makes them – but on the humility with which you recognized the failure and learned from it. 

5.   Describe a time when you led by inspiring or motivating others toward a shared goal. (250 word maximum)

Please note that this is not simply a leadership question but one that focuses specifically on your team skills as a leader. In what ways did you support your team members or subordinates to accomplish a goal? You will need to discuss your work leading and motivating your team members in writing this essay, rather than talking about your individual actions to reach the goal.

6. a. What are your post-MBA short-term and long-term career goals? How have your professional experiences prepared you to achieve these goals?
b. How will an MBA from Haas help you achieve these goals? (1000 word maximum for 6a. and 6b.)

This is a straightforward goals question that asks you to talk about the interrelation between your career experiences, future goals, and a Haas education. How are they connected? How did your professional experiences lead you to the career goals that you now have, and how are those goals now leading you to make an application to Haas’ MBA program?

Tags: California, Haas, innovation, MBA deadlines, MBA essay questions, small schools

Harvard Business School Essay Question Analyses and Deadlines, 2011-12

HBS has released its essay questions and deadlines for this year’s application cycle. Please see below for the dates and my comments (in color) on the essay questions.

IMPORTANT DATES

From HBS’ site http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/writtenapplication.html

All application questions below are required.

HBS has changed all of its questions this year.

1. Tell us about three of your accomplishments. (600 words)

They’ve kept their classic question about the three accomplishments but made it simpler. In the past, applicants were asked to explain why these accomplishments were significant to them, but the 600 word limit probably made that difficult. Now, you just need to explain the accomplishments. If you have space to also mention how your experiences impacted you personally, feel free to do so.

In coming up with topics for this question, keep in mind the qualities that HBS looks for (leadership and related strengths and attributes) along with the strengths that are unique to you. You have an opportunity to present three stories, so consider balance and diversity, rather than focusing on a narrow part of you. What accomplishments best represent the best of you? What impact have you made on others?

2. Tell us three setbacks you have faced. (600 words)

This is a completely new question. The fact that HBS asks for 3 experiences of setback tells us that they are expecting to see a high level of introspection, self-awareness, and growth. They expect you to have failed or to have felt disappointed, and they want to see how you have grown from such challenges.

When approaching this question, be sure you understand well what a setback is. It is broader than “mistake” or “failure.” Discuss the setback, how you reacted to it, and what you learned/how you grew from it. I would recommend a mix of professional and personal setbacks (if you have them), but be careful about the appropriateness of your example if you talk about something personal.

3. Why do you want an MBA? (400 words)

This is pretty straightforward, and this essay questions your motive for studying for an MBA. Explaining your reasons will require you to discuss your goals and the skill set, knowledge and experiences that you feel you are lacking at this stage in your career. They do not ask why you need to study at HBS (they never have), and so you can certainly mention HBS’s resources but I would recommend mainly focusing on the question they do ask, which is why you need to get an MBA.

4. Answer a question you wish we’d asked. (400 words)

This is a great opportunity for you to round out your application in a way that will best represent your candidacy. What have you not had a chance to talk about? What other compelling story do you need to tell the admissions committee in order for them to get a full sense of who you are? Be sure you are adding value to your application and not simply giving them more of what they already know.

Admissions Consultants–worth the cost? how to choose?

We’ve been fielding inquiries from prospective clients over the last 6 weeks or so and I’ve also been approached by denied applicants to assess their applications. In light of this, I’ve decided to share my thoughts on the whole process of hiring and working with admissions consultants, and talk to you not from the perspective of sales and marketing (at which I am very bad) but from that of a veteran counselor.

Do I need to spend money on an admissions consultant?

If you grew up in a western country and you had been successful in your college applications, then I might say to you “no.” Graduate applications are not all that different from college applications, though MBA applications are a little more involved in terms of strategy. However, if you combine good writing skills, common sense, the opinion of a trusted friend/colleague/relative (to coach or check your essays), and knowledge gleaned from good websites and books like Richard Montauk’s How to Get into the Top MBA Programs, you may do just fine. Each year many applicants get into the schools of their choice by working completely on their own.

In my own experience of working primarily in the Japanese market (though I have also worked with other Asian groups and Americans), I will truthfully say that I have never seen an application that could have been successful without any aid. I recommend some type of help for anyone who is in any way baffled by the process. Consultants can provide insight into what types of topics to choose for essays, facilitate in the brainstorming of stories, assist in the planning of timelines (e.g., when to stop testing for GMAT and when to start working on applications, which schools to apply in which round, etc.), provide a western or admissions’ point of view on application materials, etc. Working on rejected application assessments reminds me of the saying, “Save now, pay later.” Seeing a client going on a second year of making applications reminds me that, when in doubt, it is a good idea to get help from the beginning.

I have decided to work with a consultant. How can I make this fit into my already limited budget?

Without doubt, applying to schools is an exorbitant venture. You’re paying for test preparation, the actual test taking, and the applications. Not to mention possible campus visits and the school tuition itself. And admissions consultants are expensive.

However, admissions counseling is one area where there is some flexibility, if your finances are truly limited. First of all, you can hire someone full time or part time. Different consultants/organizations will have different policies, but there are places where you can ask for help on just one school set, or where you can pay as you go. You can also ask the consultant to help you on big picture ideas, or whatever areas you feel weakest in. For things like English checking (if you’re not a native English speaker) or editing, perhaps you can farm that out to a less expensive professional, or a friend or colleague who has good English skills.

Admissions consultants can provide you with help on school selection and other advice. It may be advice you can find on your own, if you are willing to do the research. Doing more on your end could lessen the amount of help you need to pay for.

Get details on consultants’ payment structures. Many of my colleagues charge one large but flat rate. Think of it as all-you-can-eat. Others, like us, have more of a pay-as-you-go structure. We charge hourly and refund any portion that goes unused. Like going to a buffet, ask yourself how much you plan to be eating. Ask friends and colleagues who have used consultants and see if you can get a sense of how much people have paid.

Having said all this, keep in mind that your essays and recommendations will be a key part of your candidacy on which the admissions committees will be basing their decisions. If there is room financially to not skimp or cut corners, consider this an investment in an endeavor that will eventually pay off. $5000, $7000, or even $10,000 now to get into a target school will be cheaper than getting rejected and spending a second year reapplying.

What to look for in a good admissions consultant?

Before we started Reve Counseling in 2005, I had actually decided to “retire” from the field. I had a baby at home, and I was considering a different career direction. However, that year several people came to us asking for help, including one woman whose counselor had disappeared in the middle of her applications. The owner of the organization refused to refund her.

The overall poor quality of this industry is what brought me back to counsel. Sadly, anyone can become an admissions consultant. There is no accreditation involved, no licensing.

I have been counseling for over 10 years and have spent nearly that long also recruiting, hiring, training, and also firing consultants. Based on that experience, I will offer the following tips:

• Make sure the consultant/organization provides you with a clear, fully laid out and transparent policy of its services. How do they charge for their services? What do they offer? Do they provide refunds? Our business is incorporated in both Japan and the US, and we are required by law to refund unused services. If a consultant does not include a refund clause in his/her policy, leave.
• Reputation. Talk to a lot of people. Which consultants had they worked with? What was their experience? If more than one person says the same negative things, you should pay attention to that. Ask consultants and professionals in the field. If a prospective client talks to me but is not sure about whom to work with, I will provide recommendations of other consultants in the field that s/he can talk to. Yes, I care about my own business, but ultimately I am in this field to make sure applicants are being taken care of. I do not trust everyone in this industry but I have a small number of consultants whom I would be comfortable referring people to.
• Counseling style and personal fit. I have seen a lot of variations in the industry. In fact, one of the most successful and well-known consultants in our market is also known to heavily edit if not ghostwrite essays. Many have been turned off by him but then, many insist on working with him. Ask the consultant what his/her style and philosophy are. See if they fit yours. Do you feel comfortable talking to this person? Is this someone you would be willing to open up to? Do you trust this person? Do you respect this person? Your comfort in your counseling relationship will be critical to successful communication and, ultimately, a solid relationship that yields good results.
• Genuine interest in you. The best counselors help clients build applications based on authenticity. Your consultant should be genuinely interested in getting to know you, your strengths and weaknesses, and your stories. S/he should be asking you a lot of questions about yourself. The reason is that, ultimately, your applications need to be genuine, and they need to sound like you, not your consultant. Rejected applicants are frequently rejected because their essays fail to completely unveil the real person beneath the achievements.
• Strong writing ability. In all my rejected application assessments so far this year, the weakest point was the quality of the writing. I had reason to believe that the topics were excellent, but unfortunately the delivery was less than strong. Think of essays as movies. How many times have you seen a movie in which the topic was interesting, but the acting or the way the story was told was weak? Poor delivery impacts the reader’s ability to understand, appreciate, and be impressed by you. When I hire counselors, I choose those who can write well and who can teach others how to write well.
• Professionalism. Does your consultant respond to you promptly? How long do you have to wait to get your documents back? Is it easy to book an appointment? How many clients does s/he work with? Beware of any consultant who works with a large number of clients, as that could mean delays in returning documents to you as well as increased mistakes or lower quality work.
• Experience and knowledge. Everyone has to start somewhere, and, as a former novice counselor, I don’t want to disparage excellent consultants who are newer to the field. Whether new or veteran, the consultant needs to have an expert handle on the admissions process. What was this person’s training? If new, does the counselor have a supervisor? Does s/he keep up to date on the field? What schools have his/her clients applied to, what were their credentials, and how did they do? Again, we have been approached by clients who’ve received false or poor advice from other consultants. Make sure that your consultant is reputable in the field.

Tags: advice, graduate school, MBA, rejected

MBA ’12 Hopefuls: What to do this spring

You’re pretty sure you want to attend business school in 2012. You have an idea of what the general requirements are (tests, essays, recommendations, interview). Now you’re trying to figure out your time line (or, if you’re not, you need to get started!). What do you need to do when? The exact plan and strategy will vary according to each individual, but I will offer these general tips for what you should be doing right now:

Get the GMAT and TOEFL (or IELTS) out of the way

If you’re already in the process of preparing for these exams, perfect. If you’ve taken the tests and achieved your target scores, congratulations! If you have not yet started thinking about the tests, you really need to do so now. In our experience working with international applicants, it is not unusual to see some people requiring 1-2 years to prepare.

To be competitive for any top 20 school, you will need a minimum of 680 on the GMAT. This isn’t to say that you have no chances if your score falls below a 680; however, a score lower than a 680 will place you in a much more challenging position of getting accepted.

For those who’ve already achieved a 680, many want to know: Is there a big difference between a 680 and, say, a 710? Technically speaking, no. A 680 or above tells the admissions committee that you have the intellectual power to handle the work. One could argue, for example, that many of the admits that get into Stanford GSB have GMATs well in the 700s. On the other hand, how do you account for the scores of 700+ applicants who get rejected by Stanford? An excellent score will get you noticed, but it’s the overall quality of your application that will earn you an actual seat. I worked with one client who had a 710 and was rejected by a number of schools, while I’ve had another client get into Columbia with a 600; Harvard and Stanford with a 640; etc. Beyond a 680, it’s the accomplishments and personality/fit that matter.

You’d want to decide how best to use your time. Do you want to spend another month in the hopes of moving a 680 up 40 more points, or do you want to use that time focusing on your project at work (which you can use as an essay and recommendation topic) or working on your essays? If you still have plenty of time to do everything, you can go for the extra GMAT points.

For international applicants who did not complete an undergraduate degree at an English-speaking institution, you will need to take either the TOEFL or IELTS. Unlike the GMAT, score requirements here are fixed. Technically, if you do not meet the school’s minimum requirement, the admissions committee is not obligated to read your application. Do your best to not only meet this requirement but to exceed it as much as you can.

At some top 20 or 30 schools, outstanding applicants who fall slightly below the required TOEFL minimum may still be considered.

Start thinking about possible target schools

You don’t need to narrow your list down yet, but start thinking about what schools you would be interested in applying to. Consider your target study areas, desired school culture, location, opportunities, etc. Read the websites. Find out about and register for information sessions. Contact current students and alumni. Consider visiting the campus (but plan your trip when the classes are in session). The more research you do, the better your application will be. Do this in the spring and summer so that your late summer and fall can be devoted to preparing your application materials.

Once you have some idea of where you might want to apply, look up the deadlines. Do you want to apply in Round 1 or Round 2? This will give you some idea of when you need to complete your GMAT and TOEFL. Can you achieve your target scores by the deadlines?

Look into scholarship money

Scholarship money for MBA applicants is limited, and you will probably need to do a fair amount of digging to find opportunities. However, many scholarship deadlines take place in the spring. Please refer to this recent post for links to the Rotary, Fulbright, and Chevening Scholarships:

http://www.revecounseling.com/blog/?cat=35

Consider whether or not to work with an admissions consultant

Not everyone needs the paid services of a professional consultant. A sharp friend or relative who has a good sense of how the application process works can help significantly. Barring that, I would encourage people to consider getting help. I say that not because I am in this field but because I see how flawed applications and essays are when they are produced without assistance. To be honest, 6 years ago I had “retired” from the field of application counseling. I was going to focus on my new child and a new career direction. However, continued contacts from prospective clients made me realize how much our help was needed, so I went back.

Just as you would seek legal help for a legal issue, or hire a broker to help you find and purchase a home, you may want to consider professional assistance to help with this investment. I do a number of denied application assessments each year and I often think, “If only they had gotten better help; they would be applying for a visa right now, not business school for a second time.”

In a separate post this week, I will write about how to find and use an admissions consultant, no matter what your budget.

Tags: advice, GMAT, TOEFL

Still on the wait list?

Mid-spring is approaching and, if you find yourself still on the wait list of your target school, you are likely feeling anxious. Below are some tips for what to do and what not to do, along with a glimpse of what is going on behind the scenes at your target school.

What is going on in the admissions office?

It probably feels frustrating to not receive contact from the school, but in all likelihood the school is not much more certain than you are about your wait list situation. At the beginning of each application season, admissions directors have to make and report their projected numbers (not too different from what sales directors in business have to do), and now is the time for them to make sure they’ve hit those targets. Admissions staff are anxiously waiting for their accepted applicants to respond. They are happy to get each “yes,” and they get nervous if they start getting too many “no”s. At the same time, there is a pocket of people who have not responded, who are requesting deferrals, who are waiting to hear about financial aid, etc. This also holds things up. So, only until all of this settles down and the admissions office is able to clearly see their numbers can they start extending wait list offers (which happens only after they receive more declined offers than initially projected).

What NOT to do

The biggest mistake a wait listed applicant can do right now is to annoy the admissions office, and I say this having worked in three different admissions offices at top schools (and having monitored the wait lists at two of them). This means calling, emailing or visiting the admissions office repeatedly. It means not following the school’s instructions with regard to submitting information. (Don’t send in additional essays or recommendation letters if the school specifically asks you to not send in additional material.) It means rounding up all the high-profiled/high power friends of your parents to make calls on your behalf. It means calling up the office or visiting and demanding that you speak to someone, or railing against the staff for their bad judgment (yes, this happens!).Imagine if you yourself are stuck in an uncertain situation and you don’t have the answers, but a horde of people keeps badgering you. How would you feel? This is what the admissions office feels every time they have to deal with an overly anxious applicant.

On the other extreme, the second biggest mistake an applicant can do is to show NO interest. Now, there are exceptions. If the school’s premise is basically, “Don’t call us; we’ll call you,” then you should pretty much lay low. However, if there is no such instruction, then it would help for you to periodically let them know of your continued interest. It is hard for me to say for each individual how often you should do this, but I am thinking no more than once a month. As the spring wears on, more and more people will opt out of the wait list, not bothering to wait. At that point, the admissions office will want to know who is still sticking around. It won’t hurt if, after a decent lapse in time,  you drop a polite and non-pushy note to indicate your continued and sincere interest. It is also good for the admissions office to know that you will attend if you are admitted. I have seen cases (typically late in the season when the admissions office really needed to fill the class) where, all things being semi equal, it was the applicant’s continued interest that swung the decision in his/her favor.

What to do

1) Follow the school’s instructions. Some welcome additional information (recommendations, updates of accomplishments or test scores, etc.). Some don’t. As the school has set up their requirements for a reason, it is important for you to respect them.

2) If sending in additional information, consider what weak points you need to address. Did your reasons for attending the school sound a bit weak? Do more research and follow up with a more detailed confirmation of your interest in their program. Do you think your leadership experiences or accomplishments could be stronger? See if you can update them with something significant from work. Very often I see wait listed applicants focusing exclusively on restating their passion for the school, rather than working on their weaknesses. A common example is an average TOEFL or GMAT score. If this is your weakness, do everything you can to improve your score. If your English or quantitative skills are not up to their expectation, no amount of passion for the school or good personality can change the wait list decision in your favor.

3) Continue making plans as if you will not be attending your wait listed school. Statistically, all wait listed applicants have a very small chance of being admitted. For that reason, it is important for you to move forward with your plans. Just make a contingent plan for what you would do if your target school in fact decides to take you off the wait list at some point.

For a more thorough discussion of the wait list, please see my post here from late 2009: http://www.revecounseling.com/blog/?p=449

Tags: advice, MBA, Tweet, Wait List