APPLICANT RESOURCES

Clear Admit Interview Guides
Be as prepared as possible for your MBA interviews this season with the Clear Admit Interview Guides! School-specific sample questions and in-depth strategy, campus visit details and places to stay.

Clear Admit School Guides
Seventeen titles available! Understand how the leading programs compare and learn more about the MBA experience in and beyond the classroom through Clear Admit School Guides. As featured in the Economist.

Essay Topic Analysis
Below are links to our comments on some of the top programs' essay topics for the 2007-2008 admissions season.
The Career Goals Essay
Berkeley / Haas
Chicago GSB
CMU / Tepper *
Columbia
Cornell / Johnson
Dartmouth / Tuck
Duke / Fuqua
Harvard
IESE *
INSEAD
London Business School
MIT / Sloan
Michigan / Ross
Northwestern / Kellogg
NYU / Stern
Oxford / Said *
Penn / Wharton
Stanford GSB
UCLA / Anderson
UNC / Kenan-Flagler
UT Austin / McCombs *
UVA / Darden
Yale SOM
* denotes last year's commentary

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School Rankings
Rankings are a good way to start your research on various MBA Programs. Keep in mind each uses a different methodology.
Business Week
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ARCHIVE FOR MARCH 2004

Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Admissions Fact: GMAT trends?

Here are some interesting statistics from GMAC (the Graduate Management Admissions Council):

GMAT Volume Worldwide, January 1st - February 29th, 2004
- 33,274 (number of test-takers)

GMAT Volume Worldwide, January 1st - February 28th, 2003
- 38,684 (number of test-takers)

GMAT Volume Worldwide, January 1st - February 28th, 2002
- 46,800 (number of test-takers)

These numbers clearly indicate a continuing decline in test-taker volume - which may suggest that the slide in applicant volume has not yet come to a complete stop. On average, the top MBA programs’ application numbers are off nearly 30% since the boom season of 2001-2002. See the GMAC report for details.

What does this mean for applicants to the top schools? Essentially, it means that your chances of admission have increased - albeit only by a few percentage points. It also is important to keep in mind that there were a lot of ‘hangers-on’ applying in the peak admissions seasons of 2001/2002, and that the schools have been indicating that there are still many more qualified students than there are spaces in their incoming classes.

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Stanford and HBS ‘Round 2′ notifications

March 31st marks the final decision date for ‘Round 2′ applicants to HBS and Stanford. Some decisions have already been trickling out in Stanford’s case, so be sure to stay tuned to the BW Online discussion boards for the latest information from fellow applicants (HBS R2 discussion, Stanford R2 discussion).

Given that the top schools have almost universally seen 15-25% declines in application volume this year, candidates may end up with better results than expected. Best of luck to those of you who are nervously awaiting news from either school!

Monday, March 29, 2004

Admissions Tip: GMAT timing

For all you “early birds” who are planning to apply to business school this fall, here are a few tips on managing your time as it relates to the GMAT exam:

1) You should ideally be finished with the GMAT by mid-summer. The reason for this is that you will want to reserve the months of August, September and October for essay writing, school visits, recommendations work and all the other application-related tasks. The last thing you want to be doing in September is juggling the demands of GMAT prep alongside your MBA applications and your responsibilities at work, etc.

2) Putting the GMAT to rest by mid-summer is easier said than done. In order to be successful, you should ideally budget time for a GMAT prep-course (or 8-12 weeks of solid self-study). You should then consider the fact that you may need to take the exam more than once.

Given the advice above, here is a potential time schedule to follow:

April, May: Attend a GMAT prep-class, spend at least 2 hours/weekday doing problems, use the weekends to take full-length tests (under realistic conditions).
Early June: Take the GMAT.
June: If you are unsatisfied with your score, work towards taking the exam again. Leave at least 4 weeks to prep for the second sitting of the exam. Consider using a tutor to address your specific needs.
July: Take the GMAT again, ideally achieving a score that is within the range of the MBA programs on your list.

In some cases, it may make sense to parallel your work on the GMAT by simultaneously enrolling in a calculus or statistics class at your local university (especially if you have a weak track record in quant. subjects or need to build an alternative transcript). It turns out that these classes can often help applicants get the most out of their GMAT preparation.

Friday, March 26, 2004

Admissions Tip: The Waitlist

What should an applicant do when placed on the waitlist at his or her dream school? While most applicants regard the waitlist in a negative light (we’ve even heard it described as “a sort of purgatory prior to getting dinged”), the best approach is to view the glass as being half-full. In all cases, getting waitlisted is much better than getting denied.

Here are a few tips to help you navigate this often difficult/mysterious process:

1) Familiarize yourself with the school’s waitlist rules. Do you need to ‘opt-in’ in order to be on the list? Are you allowed to submit supplemental materials to bolster your case or inform the committee of changes to your candidacy? Does the school offer a chance for feedback via a phone session or interview with a ‘waitlist manager’?

2) Follow the waitlist rules.

CASE A: Schools that accept supplemental materials. If a school hints that you may want to provide a supplemental essay or recommendation letter, then by all means, take this offer seriously and get something together for them. Approach these materials in the same way that you would approach the application process (e.g. do not just send along something that you dash off in a matter of minutes). If you have several items you wish to send, it may make sense to spread them out over the course of a few weeks to demonstrate steady interest.

CASE B: Schools that do not accept supplemental materials. This may sound obvious, but if a school indicates that they do not want supplemental materials, then you should respect their guidelines. In other words, do not send along a new recommendation or an essay if the program has clearly indicated that you should not do so. There may be exceptions to this - for example, if a dramatic change has taken place in your candidacy - but in most cases, you should simply follow the rules. [Contact us to learn about other ways to improve your waitlist status with schools that frown on supplemental materials.]

3) Consider a visit. It may make sense to visit the school, particularly if you have not been before. So many different things can happen on a visit:

a) You never know when you’ll have that chance meeting with an admissions officer who is willing to give you a little feedback (and who through the process of meeting you face to face might get a better sense of your candidacy)

b) A school may take note of your visit (if you sign in with the admissions office) and view it as a potential sign of your interest

c) You may interact with students or professors who can better inform you of opportunities at the school and provide you with helpful ‘content’ for any waitlist materials you go on to submit

d) By visiting, you may find out that school X is really not for you, enabling you to move on and remove yourself from the waitlist

Please contact the Clear Admit offices for questions about waitlist strategy and our related services (info@clearadmit.com, +1 215-772-1750).

Thursday, March 25, 2004

Wharton Round 2 Decisions

Today is ‘D-Day’ for Wharton. In a matter of minutes, the admissions committee will be releasing their round two decisions online. Best of luck to those of you who are anxiously awaiting word!

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Upcoming chat on BW Online: Paying for School

Now that you’ve gained admission to the school of your dreams, it’s time to figure out how to pay. Check out today’s BW Online chat to learn more about this subject. Representatives from the MBA admissions world as well as Sallie Mae will be on hand.

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/mar2004/bs20040317_9285.htm

Monday, March 22, 2004

Early Bird Tip: Make sure you actively manage your recommenders

For those of you who are already looking at applying to business schools in the fall and winter 2004/2005 (or scrambling for those late round deadlines this spring), there is a solid presentation available on ‘coaching’ your recommendation writers. You can find it in the Wharton Student-2-Student discussion boards: http://s2s.wharton.upenn.edu/wh-wharton/messages?msg=6482.2

The presentation is an internal McKinsey & Co. document that is designed to guide recommendation writers who are assisting applicants to the top schools. Despite the fact that it glosses over a few details, it is a solid starting point for any candidate who might be thinking about the process of coaching their recommenders.

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

How to decide…

If you are fortunate enough to have gained acceptance to more than one school on your list, you may find yourself in a bit of a predicament. At this time of year, many of our clients email us with questions that look something like this:

1) “I have been admitted to Michigan, Cornell and UCLA. Where should I go?”

We also get questions along the following lines:

2) “I have received a substantial scholarship from MIT, but just got admitted to Wharton and Stanford - without any scholarship money. What should I do?”

Given the frequency of this sort of question, I wanted to share a few tips on making your admissions decision/assessing MBA programs:

a) If you have not visited, go to the school and see what you think of the environment. Be sure to attend classes, talk with students, etc. A weekend visit during the schools spring break is not a great idea. Even if you have already visited, be sure to attend the school’s ‘admitted students’ event(s) to get a sense of your potential classmates.

b) Try to get a sense for the school’s track record in your target field. For example, if you want to be a strategy consultant, take a look at the placement statistics with the firms that are of interest to you. Talk to the career management office at the school and find out which firms came to campus, how many offers were made, etc. You might also try to contact alumni who work in your target field and see what they have to say about their program’s strength in that area. Finally, it may be a good idea to approach the HR department of a firm you are likely to target and ask them for their opinion of the programs on your list. This is also an excuse to build rapport with a potential future employer.

c) Think about the location, size, teaching method, etc. Are you a city person? Are you looking for more of a close-knit, “we’re all in this together” sort of experience, or are you looking to attend classes and then disappear into a large city with a few classmates or old friends? Do you need the benefits of a large university for the pursuit of specific coursework? Do you crave lengthy discussions with faculty? Do you have family or a significant other that might need to consider location? Are you strong in qualitative areas but weaker in quantitative subjects? Is there a teaching method that might better address your weaknesses? Will you be targeting a certain location for employment? Does the school place many students in that region?

These are just a few general tips to get you thinking about how to make your admissions decision. It goes without saying that this is a once in a lifetime decision, so it certainly makes sense to do your homework - and to avoid getting too caught up in the rankings. Also, remember that the shoe is finally on the other foot now - and that the schools should be marketing themselves to you. Be sure to take advantage of their offers to provide you with answers to the questions you may have.

Best of luck to those of you choosing between schools!

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

Michigan Results

‘Round 2′ results from Michigan have been coming through this week. Check out the following discussion on BW Online for details: http://forums.businessweek.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=bw-bschools&msg=52609.1

Congratulations to those of you who have been admitted to the Michigan Class of 2006!

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Admissions Tip: MIT/Sloan Interviews

Anyone who has an upcoming MIT interview should be aware that the adcom conducts Behavioral Event-Based Interviews (BEI). BEI interviews are quite different from standard MBA interviews. The MIT admissions committee has created a PDF that explains how this works: http://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba/admissions/MITSloan_interview_guide.pdf

Beyond MIT’s guide, there’s actually some good discussion on the subject in a blog that is being run by a current MBA applicant (using the alias Harry Potter). “Mr. Potter” has assembled lists of sample questions and more. Here’s the link: http://mbamusings.blogspot.com/

Along those lines, here are a handful of sample MIT BEI questions for your perusal:

1. What situations have you encountered that required you to persuade others to your point of view?
2. What have you done when you have found yourself swamped?
3. Describe an ambiguous situation you have encountered. How did you handle it?
4. How would you describe your relationship with your boss?
5. Tell me about a time when you took charge in a work setting without being formally asked to do so.

Despite their track record of giving pure BEI interviews, there are occasionally MIT-focused questions as well:

1. When did you first hear about Sloan?
2. Did you find anything interesting about Sloan program during your research?

The key to performing well in your Sloan interview is to understand that they are NOT using the traditional ‘resume-based’ blind interview. Once you understand this and prepare accordingly, you should be in excellent shape. If you are interested in practicing with the pros, please contact Clear Admit for details about our Sloan mock-interview services.

Monday, March 01, 2004

Interview Season In Full Swing, Decisions on the Horizon..

‘Round 2′ interviewing season is clearly upon us. Our clients and admissions contacts at the top schools have alerted us to Berkeley interview invites for “Super Saturday” (March 6th), MIT ‘hub’ invitations in various cities, HBS interviews in India and on campus, and more. In addition, Wharton has begun wrapping up their second round interviews and Columbia has been issuing admissions decisions for candidates who applied in the regular (’rolling’) round.

DISCUSSIONS / BLOGS / WIKI

• Top Bush Education Official Leaves to Lead Business School Consortium
• Fridays From the Frontline
• Harvard Business School Deadlines and Essays Topics 2008-2009
• Tuck School of Business Auction Supplements Nonprofit, Public Sector Summer Internship Salaries
• Admissions Tip: Round 3 Results

Wiki

Discussion Boards

School-Hosted Blogs

Straight from the source: aggregated posts from students and administration. Below are the seven most recent posts in school-hosted blogs.

Individuals' Blogs

Bloggers by School

Community Blogs

Best of Blogging

• Top 10 Applicants:
• July Dream
• Miss Curly Bee
• VidiViciVeni
• B-School Bound
• Tinydancer
• gltnforpnshmnt
• mbabound08
• Achilles
• Eight Schools
• MBA Runner Girl

• Top 10 Students:
• m@ (Ross)
• MaybeMBA (Chicago)
• Hair Twirler (Georgetown)
• Iday (Chicago)
• J-term Johnny (Columbia)
• La Laudiaria (Wharton)
• MBA Gladiator (Yale)
• Angel Angie (LBS)
• Necromonger (INSEAD)
• Chrisof Meyer (Darden)

• Top 10 Applicants:
• Rungee582
• Iday
• Juggler
• Asiangal
• Forrest Gump
• RusGirl
• Hair Twirler
• JatWarrior
• MBA Babe
• Anand

• Top 10 Students:
• Angel Angie (LBS)
• The Divine Miss N (LBS)
• From Cali (Ross)
• Tim K. (McCombs)
• Noelle (IESE)
• Jerry Blank (Yale)
• Benny (Tuck)
• La Laudiaria (Wharton)
• Karlitos (LBS)
• MBA Gladiator (Yale)

• Top 10 Applicants:
• MBA Jackass
• Marina
• Forrest Gump
• Pupstar78
• Axechick
• Sorebrek
• Angel Angie
• I_Will_Make_It
• Redwolf056
• Vatsa

• Top 10 Students:
• Marquis (Stanford)
• Poweryogi (Chicago)
• KV (LBS)
• FutureMBAGirl (Wharton)
• The Divine Miss N (LBS)
• Vijay (ISB)
• Wakechick (Chicago)
• NoelleBellie (IESE)
• Jerry Blank (Yale)
• Olivier (INSEAD)

• PowerYogi
• Brit-Chick
• bskewl
• WakeChick
• Dave
• Iceman07
• iwhoElse
• Atta Girl
• Aregon23
• Classy

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