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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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ARCHIVE FOR JUNE 2006

Friday, June 30, 2006

Fridays From the Frontline

Welcome to this week’s edition of FFF! As usual, there is a lot going on in the world of MBA blogging. In fact, one of the most interesting things about tracking the MBA blogosphere at this time of year is that bloggers are in so many different stages of the b-school life cycle. There are new applicants who have just started the process of MBA application, reapplicants who are mapping out new strategies, admitted students who are leaving jobs and preparing for b-school orientation, first-year MBAs juggling internships and second-year MBAs reflecting on career moves and graduation. With that said, let’s take a look at the key news from these various corners of the blogosphere.

Kicking things off with the new applicants, we’re not surprised to see a lot of discussion concerning the GMAT. Kent Torokvei eyes a GMAT retake for late July and wonders if taking the test again will set him back in terms of all the school-research he had hoped to be doing over the summer. Meanwhile, FSM compares his GMAT CAT prep test results with the practice test he took from Kaplan, noting a 100 point difference between the two! FSM also laments his current work-GMAT-life balance, citing the fact that his only respite has been a few World Cup matches. Closing out the GMAT posts, we find Righty who offers a rather gripping, blow-by-blow account of his experience on test-day (replete with stray dogs, partying housemates and emptied pockets).

Elsewhere among applicants, there were posts from from Juggler, Kooljaek and TJ when the HBS essays came out (Clear Admit HBS essay tips here). We also found some interesting discussion about feedback sessions (retaking a 720 GMAT?!) and the use of admissions consultants from Jatwarrior. Capping things off on the applicant side of things, we wanted to point out some interesting school selection and round-juggling content from Kooljaek and Juggler (who else). We’d also like to welcome Abisurd back into the blogging fold and bid a temporary adieu to Pupstar78, who has postponed reapplying this year.

Shifting gears, we check in with admitted students. These folks are juggling lame-duck status at work, summer travels, orientation materials and the latest IKEA catalog as they begin contemplating the big move to b-school. LBS-bound Angel Angie talks about leaving consulting, UT Austin-bound Kilgore Trout details the drive from Charlotte to Austin, Curious George leaves his job in Pasasdena to prepare for travels to Utah and an eventual matriculation at Berkeley (Haas), MJ details the odds and ends of moving to Durham for Duke and Karlitos runs down the list of things to do in order to move to London and join LBS. Beyond the planned moves, a lot of accpeted students are boning up on academic and professional skills in advance of matriculation. Marina attended an ‘all about i-banking‘ session at Lehman Brothers (and provided a great recap), FooBarMe finished up his statistics requirement for Berkeley and Ashwyn summarized the incredible orientation package he received from IESE (entry includes a photo). Finally, MGALBLUE contemplates whether or not to wear her wedding ring in b-school (hmm…) and Brownoski runs down the laptop options while preparing to make a purchase.

Checking in with rising second year MBA students, there is much talk of summer internships and in some cases discussion of course offerings for the fall. Noelle describes the lull post-third term at IESE, rsr.pt looks back from the halfway-mark at LBS, The Divine Miss N checks in with some internship hunting tips and commentary on how her own summer post is turning out, Duke student Mr. Turtle offers some advice on surviving the summer internship and Natasja offers an overview of LBS summer options, including the Summer Consulting Team. In other MBA-student news, Sam Chow describes an Harvard summer course in game theory (though he’s an MIT student himself) and James Kelm alerts readers to the fact that Jack Welch will be teaching a course at MIT this fall!

Turning to the second-year students (or shall we say former-second year students) we find a bit of news regarding graduation ceremonies. DailyTravails celebrates completion of the Chicago GSB’s MBA program, Olivier checks in with a run-down on the last week of life at INSEAD (including some PG-13 rated photos from the program’s Cabaret performance) and Damali reports from graduation at Tuck. Our hearty congratulations go out to all MBA graduates in the class of 2006!

Finally, before we head off to an extended Independence Day weekend of World Cup action, we’d like to thank Marina for her recap on the GMAC conference. Enjoy your weekend!

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Columbia Business School Dean Hubbard Speaks Out

As our longtime readers may recall, we posted a blog entry a little over a year ago on the controversial Harvard Business Review article by USC professors Warren Bennis and James O’Toole. The HBR article, entitled ‘How Business Schools Lost Their Way‘ caused quite a stir, resulting in subsequent commentary from a couple of prominent publications:

Business Week: A Rank Offense to B-Schools?
Boston Globe: Reality B-School

While most of the response was immediate, Bennis and O’Toole’s article continues to provoke discussion in the MBA community. The most recent example of this comes in the form of an Op-Ed piece in today’s Financial Times, where Glenn Hubbard, Dean of Columbia Business School offers his defense of the degree (Do Not Undervalue the Impact of Business Education). This is an interesting read with several valid points to suggest that the MBA is more broad-reaching than critics indicate.

Admissions Tip: Red Flags

When applying to the top schools, it is important to avoid “red flags” in your application. For the uninitiated, red flags are negative items that stand out in your file and may result in rejection from business school. While most applicants understand the basic red flags, like a 2.4 GPA or a recommendation letter that raises serious concerns about the candidate’s maturity, there are many less obvious triggers.

Some time ago, an Admissions Director Symposium organized by the Graduate Management Admissions Council produced an interesting publication on the subject of admissions policy and red flags. Here is an excerpt from their report:

Identifying ‘Red Flags’ in the Application Process
The Directors Symposium participants found that many of the markers of less successful students can be identified in the application process but are often overlooked - everything from numerous job changes in a short period of time to strange personal interactions or difficulty communicating. These signals should not be ignored, said participants. It may be useful to discuss any ‘red flags’ with other colleagues, to determine which shortcomings can be mitigated by other qualities and which should be reasons not to offer admission.

One red flag that is often ignored but should be taken seriously, said some symposium participants, is excessive contact with the admissions office. Termed “Hassler Syndrome” by one participant, extreme dependency on the admissions office may signal a lack of self-confidence that manifests itself as neediness. This trait may show up later in the learning environment, when the student is unable to contribute meaningfully to classes and work groups and becomes known as a “net taker”. The same person may be a drain on career services, unable to take initiative in a job search.

The article goes on to discuss additional red flags that admissions officers should note. Although aimed at the admissions community, this is recommended reading for applicants to the top schools. At minimum it should make applicants think twice before placing repeated phone calls to the admissions office!

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

It Pays to Be Early!

Special Offer: Clear Admit Summer Discount

We are currently offering a special discount to all MBA applicants who sign up with Clear Admit for the coming admissions season. Clients who sign up before July 1st, 2006 may purchase as many consulting hours as they like at a reduced rate. These hours can be used throughout the 2006-2007 MBA admissions cycle (until June 1st, 2007).

To learn more about this offer see this page or email your resume/cv to info@clearadmit.com and set up an initial consultation with one of our admissions counselors.

HBS Essay Topic Analysis (2006-07)

As promised last week when we posted the deadlines and topics, here are some thoughts on how applicants might approach each of Harvard Business School’s essay questions for the coming admissions season:

1. What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience? (400 words) This question seems focused purely on the applicant’s educational experience while in college as opposed to part time work or extracurricular involvements (although if you excelled in the class room in spite of having numerous other commitments, this could be worth mentioning). This is your chance to go into some detail about why you chose your school and major and tell the admissions committee about your academic interests and educational milestones. A great essay will underscore an applicant’s intelligence and work ethic, as well as incorporate some element of leadership (especially if the applicant had a significant impact on the department or school as a whole). If you pursued a course of study that is in line with your work experience and/or career goals, this essay could also be a great intro to the rest of your file.

2. What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600 words) This question isn’t anything new, as it’s been a key component of the HBS essay topics for many years. When selecting accomplishments, keep in mind that the adcom has a very results-oriented attitude, and that you’ll want to select some examples that involve a lasting, positive impact you made on a project or organization. While the best choices will vary from candidate to candidate, we would recommend that you lead with a recent professional accomplishment, and include a balanced sampling of examples from various jobs and outside activities.

3. Discuss a defining experience in your leadership development. How did this experience highlight your strengths and weaknesses as a leader? (400 words) (slightly new question for this year) This essay question is actually a combination of two separate questions from last year’s Harvard application. The key challenge this year will be conveying the needed information in a mere 400 words. Remember that it’s best to use detailed examples whenever possible in your essays in order to make a strong impression on the reader. While one could conceivably discuss his or her tenure in a certain role or position over time, the best response to this question will cover one specific event or instance. Make sure that you take care to set the scene and then fully describe your actions, as well as their results. Note that because this is a defining experience, something needs to change between the beginning and end of the story - your leadership skills. This being the case, it’s likely that this essay will cover a very valuable lesson you have learned or a significant challenge you overcame. Do not forget to focus on how the experience showcased your strong points and shortcomings within the context of leadership. A great essay will introduce two or three positive qualities and provide a brief example illustrating each, and name a weakness that the applicant has taken steps to address along with an anecdote that confirms this improvement.

4. In your career, you will have to deal with many ethical issues. What are likely to be the most challenging and what is your plan for developing the competencies you will need to handle these issues effectively? (400 words) In devising an answer to this question, stay focused on the importance to keep your discussion grounded in your experiences and objectives as opposed to writing generally and waxing philosophical. Unlike most ethics-oriented essay questions that focus on a dilemma you have already tackled, this one calls on applicants to be forward-looking and anticipate ones that they will encounter down the line. It seems like this could be a platform to expand upon one’s career goals and comment on issues that are specific to a given function or industry. In explaining the compentencies that will equip you to handle these situations, it’s possible for you to draw from past experiences dealing with such issues and comment that Harvard’s specific curricular offerings and the diverse student body would be instrumental in solidifying and reinforcing your already sound principles.

5. What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you? (400 words) (slightly new question for this year) With altered wording for this year, Harvard has clearly expanded the scope of this essay. This seems to fit with the school’s desire to identify qualified leaders with a strong vision for the future. On some levels, it also echoes the theme in Stanford’s “What matters most to you and why?” essay (see our tips). Despite this broad approach, the essay question still covers the popular topic of career planning, with the added difficulty of a very restrictive word limit. In order to best present your career vision, you should consider summarizing your experiences to date in a very concise manner (think just a few sentences) before moving on to a detailed discussion of your future plans and the reasons that these plans are meaningful to you. See our tips on career goals essays in general for some good advice here. Of course, this essay topic could offer you some room to explain how HBS can help you achieve your vision, which could be an excellent addition to the discussion. Think about how Harvard’s program (specific classes, classmates and clubs) would prepare you for your future.

6. What other information do you believe would be helpful to the Board in understanding you better and in considering your application? (400 words) (slightly new question for this year) This essay is another great opportunity to share some new and interesting information about your candidacy that you have not had a chance to include in response to the other questions.  This is your chance to go into detail about that unique hobby, describe the ways that you would contribute to the HBS community or, for reapplicants, highlight the improvements in your candidacy since your last application.  Of course, since HBS has done away with their ‘Additional Information’ section in the online application form this year, there will be some candidates who need to consider using this space to explain that bad semester as an undergrad, lower GMAT result or other weakness.  If you fall into this group, be sure to weight the benefits of sharing something new vs. addressing a weakness (depending on the severity of that weakness). 

Please note: The general advice we offer here is designed to help HBS applicants think broadly about the questions. For more tailored counseling and advice, we encourage applicants to contact us directly and learn about our consulting services.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

MBA Trends: Admissions Consulting

Clear Admit’s Graham Richmond has just been featured in an article on admissions consulting that was penned by BusinessWeek’s Kerry Miller. The piece offers a comprehensive look at the industry, highlighting the presence of admissions consultants at the recent GMAC forum in San Francisco and suggesting that relations between admissions officers and consultants are taking a turn for the positive. Here are a few key takeaways from the piece:

1) Admissions officers from Tuck, U. Chicago and Darden go on record to say that reputable consultants do valuable work to help applicants target the right schools and put their best foot forward in the admissions process.

2) The lines of communication between admissions officers at the leading programs and admissions consultants at firms like Clear Admit are very much open - with a good amount of healthy dialogue ensuing.

3) A group of consultants (including Clear Admit, Accepted.com, Maxx Associates and MBA Empresarial) are banding together to form an industry association with standards in order to demonstrate their commitment to helping applicants in an ethical manner.

4) Much of what admissions consultants do can be compared to what many of the universities offer to current students in terms of writing centers, career counselors, mock interviewers, etc.

We’re thrilled to have been interviewed for the article and look forward to more news on this exciting subject. In the meantime, we encourage applicants to contact us directly and learn more about our services. Email your resume to info@clearadmit.com for details.

Canadian Business Schools

When discussing international MBA programs, our focus has tended to be on European programs, but today we wanted to focus on our neighbors to the north. For applicants in the early stages of school selection and thinking about what they want from an MBA, here are four strong Canadian programs that might be worth investigating:

Queen’s University
Full-time program duration: one year (12 months)
Options: Queen’s offers a full-time MBA for Science and Technology, a part-time program for students with an undergraduate degree in business, and several executive options - one of which allows students to earn MBAs from both Queen’s and Cornell’s Johnson School of Management over the course of 17 months.
Business school site: http://business.queensu.ca/

University of Western Ontario / Ivey School of Business
Full-time program duration: one year (12 months)
Options: Ivey offers a fairly standard full-time program (with an emphasis on what they call “cross-enterprise” leadership) with a set of Health Care electives and scholarship opportunities for aspring entrepreneurs, as well as two executive programs geared toward those interested in doing business in Canada and Hong Kong.
Business school site: http://www.ivey.uwo.ca/

University of Toronto / Rotman School of Management
Full-time program duration: two years (20 months)
Options: In addition to a full-time program that stresses “Integrative Thinking” across business functions, Rotman offers a three-year part time program, a one-year EMBA program based out of Toronto and a second global EMBA program offered in conjuction with the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Business school site: http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/index.html

York University / Schulich School of Business
Full-time program duration: two years (20 months on average with summer break)
Options: Also based near Toronto, Schulich offers a standard and international MBA (both full-time), part-time programs with flexible courseload options, and an executive MBA offered in partnership with Kellogg.
Business school site: http://www.schulich.yorku.ca/

Monday, June 26, 2006

Stanford to Accept GRE?

BusinessWeek is reporting that the Stanford GSB will now allow some MBA applicants to submit GRE scores in lieu of GMAT results. While there is no mention of this policy change on the Stanford website (which still indicates that the GMAT is required for admission), the article cites an effort on Stanford’s part to lower some of the financial barriers to the admissions process by accepting the less costly GRE exam. The test, which runs anywhere from $130-$175 (depending on location) is cheaper than the GMAT ($250 worldwide). The article claims that Stanford is hoping to address issues of inequity in the applicant pool by making the process more affordable. The cost of application to Stanford is $235.

Also, as reported earlier in this blog, Stanford is overhauling their curriculum for the class of 2009. We recently found another article from the Stanford Daily that discusses the proposed changes and should be of interest to those of you who are targeting Stanford.

MBA Trends: GMAT Volume

Last February, GMAC issued a report touting a 3.6% rise in GMAT volume for the 2005 calendar year (as compared to 2004), corroborating many schools’ reports that they were having banner years in terms of number of applications and suggesting that demand for the MBA was back on the rise. However, the data they’ve recently released comparing the number of tests taken during the first five months of this year to the numbers from the past three suggest that testing volume in 2006 might not keep pace with - let alone outstrip - the figures from last year. At the end of last month, 80, 492 tests had been taken worldwide, down from 85,379 that time last year. Whereas international students accounted for the vast majority of the increase reported in February, volume is down across the board compared to last May, with a 4.5% difference (55,412 compared to last year’s 58,037) for students in the states and an 8.3% drop (25,080 down from 27,342) for non-US test takers.

At first glance, these figures bode well for those applying this year, as they could indicate a drop in application volume and competition for seats in school. However, there’s a bit more to the picture. Though tests taken to date is down compared to the first five months of last year, GMAC reports that registration is up by 3.9% relative to the end of last May, 2.8% within the US and 6.3% internationally. This information drives home the point that it’s relatively early in the admissions season, and that only time will tell whether this rise in registration will translate to more tests taken and increased application volume.

For those interested the GMAC report is available at:
http://www.gmac.com/gmac/ResearchandTrends/GMATStatistics/CurrentGMATVolume

Saturday, June 24, 2006

HBS Deadlines and Essay Topics 2006-07

Harvard Business School has just announced their deadlines and essay topics for the coming admissions cycle. This is great news for applicants looking to get started on their quest for admission to HBS. Without further ado, here are the deadlines and questions:

Deadlines
Round 1: October 11, 2006 (decision: Jan. 17th, 2007)
Round 2: January 3, 2007 (decision: Mar. 28, 2007)
Round 3: March 7, 2007 (decision: May 9, 2007)
Note: all applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. EST

Essay Questions for the Class entering 2007
1. What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience? (400-word limit)

2. What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)

3. Discuss a defining experience in your leadership development. How did this experience highlight your strengths and weaknesses as a leader? (400-word limit) (slightly new question for this year)

4. In your career, you will have to deal with many ethical issues. What are likely to be the most challenging and what is your plan for developing the competencies you will need to handle these issues effectively? (400-word limit)

5. What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you? (400-word limit) (slightly new question for this year)

6. What other information do you believe would be helpful to the Board in understanding you better and in considering your application? (400-word limit) (slightly new question for this year)

Dual and concurrent degree candidates: How do you expect the joint or concurrent degree program to benefit you both academically and professionally? (400-word limit)

Please stay tuned to this blog for a full analysis of the essay topics to help you navigate the HBS admissions process. In the meantime, we’d like to point out a few obvious changes from last year’s application:

-Applicants will be pleased to note that there is one fewer essay this year. The committee has done this by combining last year’s essays #5 and #3.

-While there aren’t any wholesale changes, the committee has slightly altered the wording of three out of the six essay questions. These changes will have an impact on one’s approach.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Fridays from the Frontline

Another Friday has arrived, and with it another edition of FFF! After a flurry of activity last week, it’s been a quiet seven days in the MBA blogosphere. This is probably due in part to the fact that the remaining students on the scene - a number that’s dwindling now that Marquis has graduated from Stanford, Jeremy is finished with Chicago and Le MBA is done at HEC - are busy with academics and settling summer plans. It sounds as though Auris is extremely busy finishing up with INSEAD P3 (though he found some time to post Summer Ball pictures), and classmate L’Optimiste attests that things have been hectic outside of the classroom as well. Though still finishing up with some work at LBS, the Divine Miss N is looking forward to her upcoming semester at Stern. George is also on his way to the states for exchange at Columbia, but is spending his time looking back on what he liked about Section A at IESE.

Students beginning school in the fall are similarly busy, but have been a bit more active in writing about their plans and pastimes. Kilgore Trout is anticipating his last day at work and upcoming relocation to Texas and MJ is dealing with the logistics of the move to Duke. MGalBlue is thinking broadly about career options before heading off to Michigan, while Angel Angie is already pondering the details her post-MBA job and meeting up with future LBS classmates. Vatsa’s also found a number of Tuckies to meet with in Bangalore. Both FM and Moe have money on their minds and details about the first year curriculum at LBS in their blogs. The former has also acquired a nifty new laptop, while FooBarMe has been spending his pre-Haas time sharpening his accounting skills and thinking about course requirements.

While most are looking forward to school, a few are looking back at the application process; MBAXPloit has written up some thoughts on deciding when and where to apply, and I_Will_Make_It has posted her answers to some GMAT related inquiries from readers of her blog. Reapplicants are also looking back this time of year, as Anand relates some surprising feedback from Kellogg and Jat recounts what he learned during his sessions at Wharton and Chicago. In thinking about their candidacies and applications, they’re joined by a few first-time applicants; StressTensor is (fittingly) a bit anxious about his recommendations and Kent Torokvei is deciding on a post-GMAT plan (which might involve taking the GMAT).

That does it for this week. We hope that everyone is having an eventful and relaxing summer (need to rationalize the calm in the blogosphere somehow), and wish you all a great weekend!

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Clear Admit at GMAC

As we indicated earlier this month, two members of the Clear Admit team addressed admissions officers from some of the leading business schools in the country at last weekend’s annual GMAC conference, and we wanted to take some time today to report back on the presentations and ensuing discussions. Graham Richmond presented as part of a panel on the admissions consulting industry and the ways that schools might better understand the field and foster mutually beneficial relationships with reputable firms in the space. The two sessions, held this past Friday and Saturday, were attended by representatives from Chicago, Columbia, MIT, Stanford, Wharton, Harvard, Berkeley, Kellogg, INSEAD, UCLA, Cornell, Darden, NYU and several other programs. For those curious in the details of the message, co-presenter Linda Abraham has posted a nice summary of the panel’s objectives in her blog. It was wonderful to see staff from so many schools come out to learn more about what we do and enter into a dialogue about this often misunderstood industry.

Meanwhile, Alex Brown spoke on the role of blogs in the MBA admissions process, focusing on the implications for admissions offices and using Clear Admit’s own Fridays from the Frontline column as a sample method of fostering ties with and among the blogging community. LBS representative Graeme Harper also took the chance to highlight the new London Business School Blog, a collaborative blogging project with student, alumni and adcom contributors. Finally, Columbia admit Marina shared her reasons for blogging and weighed in on the typical prospective students’ perception of student and applicant blogs vs. the schools’ websites. We look forward to reading her thoughts when she posts them (hint), and want to reiterate our thanks to those who attended.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

New MIT Program in Entrepreneurship

For applicants who are interested in entrepeneurship and spending the summer months researching MBA programs that might meet their needs, we thought we would mention a new program that Rod Garcia of MIT Sloan recently brought to our attention. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, about to be launched this year, is available not only to future applicants, but also to accepted students starting this fall, who have until mid-July to apply for consideration.

Designed for those planning to launch companies focused on emerging technologies, the program seems unique in that it also aims to set students up for collaboration with classmates, alumni and future students of the program. For interested applicants, detailed information about the curriculum is available at:
http://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/E_and_I.php.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Admissions Tip: the Career Goals Essay

While only a handful of schools have released their essay questions for the coming year, it’s still possible for those applicants who are done with the GMAT and ready to proceed with the next step to get a jump on another element of their applications. Though the questions that each school asks tend to vary year to year, the two things that every prospective student can count on being asked are “What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals?” and “How will Business School X help you achieve these goals?”

This ‘career goals’ essay question can serve as an excellent starting point for those of you who are getting a head start on your Fall 2006 application essays. Not only will you have a working draft of an important document for the application process, but you’ll be well on your way to clarifying your thinking about your objectives and crafting an informative document to share with your recommenders. To help you get started, there are some general pointers:

Whether this essay is 1,000 or 500 words long, the school will be looking for clearly and fully defined long- and short-term career goals, your reasons for pursuing an MBA and for opting to do so at this point in time, and your specific interest in School X and your plans to contribute to the campus community, if admitted.

The key to successfully tackling each of these components is specificity. In presenting your goals for the future and explaining your motivation for seeking an MBA, it is crucial that your objectives be well-defined and sound feasible. The adcom is sensitive to the fact that students need a fair amount of direction at the time they enter the program in order to take the right classes, join the appropriate clubs and seek the best internship in preparation for their post-MBA job, so specifying a specific industry and function for the short-term is of the utmost importance. In addition to telling the adcom what you want to do, it would also be appropriate to explain your interest in your short and long-term plans and comment on what you hope to accomplish.

Admissions officers understand that successful students are focused in their ambitions, and one of the best measures of this is what they have done so far. Some schools ask for this explicity but, if there is room within the word limit, most programs also like to see a brief but coherent career history summarizing your work history to date and ideally creating some continuity between your previous professional experiences and goals for the future. A great essay manages to thoroughly and efficiently address each of these elements, with a nice balance between the ‘career progression’ section, the ‘career goals/why MBA’ section and the ‘why School X’ section.

Speaking of which, the explanation of your interest in a given program is another critical part of the essay, as you’ll need to convince the adcom that you’ve done your homework and are well informed about the school and its offerings. Naming specific classes that are relevant to your goals, recounting your impression of the campus culture based on a class visit, and sharing what you’ve learned from discussions with alumni and students are all good ways to telegraph the fact that you have conducted extensive research and are making an informed decision in applying.

Beyond convincing the adcom that your interest in their program is sincere, it is also important to keep the following concept in mind: any fair trade necessitates mutual benefit. In other words, in addition to showing that School X is the best MBA program for your needs, you should demonstrate to School X that you will enrich its community. Discuss insights and knowledge that you will contribute in class, and skills and interests for getting involved in activities (clubs, organizations, etc.) outside of class.

These general pointers should set you on the path toward crafting a great ‘career goals’ essay, the document that will form the centerpiece of your candidacy. Happy writing!

Monday, June 19, 2006

Happy Birthday, Blog!

The Clear Admit Admissions Blog turned three years old this past Saturday! In celebration of this milestone, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the highlights from the past few years.

Breaking News
One of the biggest news items in the MBA admissions space was the Apply Yourself fiasco of 2005, and Clear Admit was there with running commentary. This incident, in which 119 HBS applicants modified the URL in the browser window while logged in to their online applications and were able to see their admissions decisions early, raised a number of issues about ethics and the application process. To learn more and form your own opinion on the actions of the individuals in question and HBS’ response, check out our coverage of the scandal:
HBS Admissions Glitch, March 2, 2005
HBS R2, Part II, March 3, 2005
HBS/Apply Yourself, Part III, March 3, 2005
Apply Yourself Article Aggregation, March 4, 2005
Harvard to Reject Applicants Who Peeked, March 8, 2005
Apply Yourself to Sue Hackers?, March 10, 2005

Another interesting and controversial topic that occurred a bit further back down the road was Wharton and Harvard’s decision to deny ranking publications access to their students and alumni bases. This change in policy, ostensibly made to protect the privacy of individuals associated with the school, resulted in some outcry from journalists and even resulted in the two MBA programs being excluded altogether from the Economist’s 2005 ranking. Those new to the MBA admissions space can catch up on the saga by reading along with the following blog entries:
Harvard and Wharton Alter Policy, April 7, 2004
Wharton’s Official Statement, April 7, 2004
Harvard’s Statement, the Saga Continues, April 8, 2004
Why Wharton and Harvard Are Wrong, April 12, 2004

Best of Blogging
For the past two years, we’ve been conducting a survey of the blogosphere to identify some of the best community-generated advice and information for prospective MBA students. For those just embarking on the application process, the blogs listed in these rankings could be a great starting point in understanding what to expect over the next several months:
2004-2005 Best of Blogging Results
2005-2006 Best of Blogging Results

April Fools
Though this blog is generally focused on admissions trends and MBA news, each year we’ve tried to lighten things up on the first of April by poking some fun at the schools or the formality of the application process:
2004 - Admissions Tip: Get Their Attention
2005 - In the News: HBS to Abandon Case Method, Kellogg Sick of Being so Team-Oriented, et al.
2006 - In the News: HBS to Further Alter Grading Policy, Columbia Introduces New Admissions Policy, et al.

Admissions Tips
In addition to covering the latest goings on in the admissions space and blogosphere, this blog is also committed to providing valuable advice to those who are applying to and deciding between MBA programs. While the tips we’ve offered over the years are too many to count, here are a few recent nuggets of wisdom that are particularly relevant to applicants at this point in the season:
GMAT Timing, March 30, 2006
Addressing Academics, April 4, 2006
Considering the Campus, May 2, 2006

Thanks to everyone for reading! Knowing that this blog is a valued source of information and advice makes our work all the more rewarding. It’s been a pleasure being part of the MBA blogging community over the past three years, and we look forward to many more!

Friday, June 16, 2006

Fridays from the Frontline

Welcome to another edition of FFF, our weekly recap of the latest goings on in the MBA blogosphere. Though last week was relatively quiet, we’ve seen a resurgence of activity on all fronts as current students ease into internships or new jobs, admitted students plan their transition to school, and the next crop of applicants get started on their way. Let’s begin by taking a look at what the aspiring Class of 2009 bloggers are up to:

For those just beginning the application process, the GMAT is, somewhat predictably, at the fore of discussion. We were glad to hear that Army Commo Guy earned a very solid score when he took the exam last week and that Kent Torokvei is closing in on test day and feeling good about his performance as predicted by practice tests. KoolJaek, meanwhile, has resolved to retake and is looking into a test prep course - but might also want to take a look at MBAXPloit’s list of recommended materials and Marina’s detailed account of her own test prep approach. Even though the GMAT is more than a month away for Suser McLoser, she’s already finding out that it’s an easy part of the application process in comparison to formulating a career goal story and getting it down on paper, something that Juggler has recently achieved after much revision and restarting, while Stress Tensor seems more hung up on the “why now” question.

To help fellow applicants who are struggling in this regard, UniQpath has posted some potentially helpful essay topic prompts, and Darden-bound MBAXPloit wrote directly to the topic of the “Why MBA” essay. A handful of application and b-school veterans also weighed in with advice for applicants this week. Jacek offers a recap of the ESADE interview that contributed to his admit at that program, MBAyisyen shared his thoughts on the difference between US and European business schools (focusing on class composition and post-MBA job prospects), and UCLA student H. Caulfield answered some more pointed questions about the application process.

On the reapplicant front, having grabbed one of the few remaining Fuqua feedback sessions after calling a mere hour after scheduling opened, B-school Diva attests to the high demand for this service, while Forrest Gump is in the unfortunate position of telling readers what it’s like to miss this opportunity at Wharton. While these folks are gearing up for the year of applications ahead, admitted students are turning their attention toward getting ready for school. Angel Angie is wrapping things up at work and focusing on her pre-LBS travel plans and Curious George is looking forward to living the simple life at Haas. Paxti got together with some of his future LBS classmates located in the Bay Area, and Karlitos and I_Will_Make_It share their summer itineraries as they prepare to begin school in London and Chicago, respectively.

Though things have been winding down for a while, there’s been talk of endings across the board with the student bloggers and, in some cases, corresponding beginnings. First year student Sam writes about the closure of commencement at MIT, Daily Travails reports that finals at Chicago ended with a bang, Marquis revels in the completion of his coursework at Stanford, FutureMBAGirl closes the book on Philadelphia in preparation for her post-Wharton career on the west coast, and Mark brings his blogging career to an official end with the close of his HBS studies. On a less final note, Death Spiral has decided to conduct an informal year-end INSEAD poll to benefit future students (while classmate L’Optimiste plays hooky at the French Open). KV made the observation this week that most of his conversations these days revolve around finals, the World Cup and internships; this holds in the blogging community, as Noelle alone has the first two items covered as she jumps in between roles as an MBA student with soccer spectator at IESE. As for internships, Buckyhoo reflects on the toll his search took on his studies at UNC while Jeff’s own job hunt just came to a close and settled his plans for the summer away from Brandeis. Meanwhile, both Al Martine of LBS and Brit-Chick of Wharton have landed summer positions at charitable foundations, and take a moment to consider what they’ve learned from their first year of school.

That does it for this week’s installment of FFF. While blogs give us a window into the summers of some, we hope that everyone else’s are treating them well, and that you all have wonderful weekends!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Admissions Tip: the Rewards of Reflection

With several of the top schools having already released their essay questions for this admissions season, we’re sure that quite a number of early birds are eager to get a jump on the process in order to complete as many applications as possible by round one. At this time of year when applicants find themselves brainstorming for essay topics, we wanted to offer up a few tips on presenting yourself and your experiences as advantageously as possible.

1) Take time to reflect. Before diving in and beginning work on a draft of any one essay, it’s often fruitful for an applicant to think carefully about all of the stories and accomplishments that he or she has at his or her disposal. This can include experiences from the professional realm, formal outside activities, college clubs and even more casual hobbies and interests. This sort of comprehensive reflective approach should enable you to arrive at the potential essay topics that are most impressive and in line with your positioning.

2) Establish balance. It’s crucial that your essays work together to present a consistent and compelling picture of who you are, what you’ve done and what you bring to the table - the adcom is looking for students who are interesting, well-rounded, and likely to make a contribution to the school both in and out of the classroom. In selecting topics for your essays after you’ve identified all of the possibilities, remember that it’s ideal to have a balance of stories that cover the span of your career and introduce your interests and involvements outside of work.

3) Keep it relevant. While it’s important that you have a wide range of stories to tell and positive characteristics to convey, there are a few things that you shouldn’t mention in your essays. In terms of chronology, remember that you are applying to graduate school and that the adcom is primarily interested in your experiences since the time you began college. There are of course some exceptions to this (such as questions that ask you to recap your life story or discuss what matters most to you), but as a general rule it’s best to avoid writing at length about your high school or your upbringing, as this can make an applicant sound immature or stuck in the past. Other topics of which you should steer clear are those that are potentially sensitive or emotionally charged, such as politics and religion.

4) Show, don’t tell. Keep in mind that a given adcom member spends only ten or fifteen minutes on each application. This being the case, it’s imperative that you make an impression and give the reader a clear sense of who you are and what you’ve done. Specific anecdotes and vivid details make a much greater impact on a reader than general claims and broad summaries. Be sure to quantify your impact, fully explain your actions, and provide illustrative examples to produce a set of engaging essays.

Happy writing! Stay tuned to this blog throughout the summer for additional essay-specific tips and guidelines.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

UNC Kenan-Flagler Deadlines 2006-2007

UNC Kenan-Flagler has released its deadlines for the coming admissions season, with essay questions and full application due out in the coming months:

Early Action/Round 1
Application Submitted: October 27, 2006
Decision Mailed: December 11, 2006

Round 2
Application Submitted: December 1, 2006
Decision Mailed: February 5, 2007

Round 3
Application Submitted: January 5, 2007
Decision Mailed: March 12, 2007

Round 4
Application Submitted: March 2, 2007
Decision Mailed: April 27, 2007

The school’s dates line up very closely with last year’s timeline, with each of the deadline dates being just one day before those from the previous season. As you’ll note, UNC is the second school whose deadlines we’ve posted this week that has an “early action” round. While this term generally means that applicants will receive their admissions decision relatively shortly after their materials are due (just a bit over 6 weeks in the case of UNC), the post-decision implications for students can vary on a school by school basis. Check back in the coming days for a discussion of the differences between Early Action and Early Decision, and a comment on the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

MBA News: Update on the Aide

Time came out with an interesting article yesterday covering the controversial case of Blake Gottesman, the aide to President Bush who was admitted to Harvard Business School even though he does not hold a college degree. The press has tended to focus on the 26 year-old’s less glamorous responsibilities such as hand sanitizer toting, and it’s good to see that this latest article provides a more balanced view of his skills and role in the White House. It also reveals another very interesting detail: Gottesman was admitted to the Stanford GSB as well.

The text of the article is available at:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1202932,00.html

Berkeley Haas Essay Topic Analysis (2006-2007)

Though most schools won’t be releasing their essay questions until later this summer, we wanted to begin posting our essay analyses for those schools that have in order to assist diligent applicants who are already working on this element of the application. Today we’ll be taking a look at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business application.

This program’s format doubles as an opportunity and a challenge, as the various short answer inquiries allow applicants to discuss a variety of topics, but all within a tight word limit. Because the career goals essay - the real centerpiece of your application - comes last here (as opposed to first as with many schools), it will be important to provide a good deal of context about your role, company and the chronology of your story in your shorter essays.

Short Answers

1. What is your favorite quote, and why is it meaningful to you? (250 word maximum)
This question gives you a chance to reveal some words - and a concept behind them - that have had a significant and positive influence on your outlook and decisions. The adcom wants to get to know you a bit better though your answer to this question, so take some time to reflect on a quote that really resonates with you and ties into your overall message and candidacy. While we encourage you to be thoughtful and sincere, it’s also crucial that you think strategically; as with all essays, you want to avoid potentially controversial or sensitive subjects such as politics or religion. It would also be wise to avoid those that are intensely personal (such as a quote above love or death), as this could prohibit you from introducing important information about your candidacy in your response. Finally, try to be original when choosing a quote. You won’t win any points for picking something that has been used by hundreds of other applicants over the years.

2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 word maximum)
This is a very tall order for a 250 word essay, so brevity will be key here. You’ll clearly want to select an impressive achievement to discuss here - ideally one in which you had a positive impact on a group or organization (as it would reflect well on you to say that you consider it significant that you improved something for others). It will be important to comment not only on the results, but also on the actions and thought process by which you brought them about. Note that the question does not limit you to the professional realm, so feel free to think of examples from your outside activities in selecting a topic for this short response.

3. At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. How have you demonstrated these qualities in your professional or personal life? (250 word maximum)
This is the only question that is new for this season, replacing one asking about something that makes the applicant unique other than race or nationality. This year’s inquiry is certainly more focused on action rather than personal qualities, but is driving at something similar - going beyond the ordinary and expected, ideally in a way that would translate into an ability to make an interesting and valuable contribution to the class. Remember that detailed anecdotes will make a greater impact on a reader than general commentary; while it’s possible that an applicant could provide a list of ten instances of using creativity to a positive and constructive end, limiting the discussion to just one or two will be the best way to provide a clear picture of your ability to win support for a plan and translate an idea into action.

4. If you have visited Haas, please let us know what about your visit made the most lasting impression on you. If you have not visited Haas, what steps have you taken to familiarize yourself with our MBA program? (250 word maximum)
This is a rather transparent test to determine whether you’ve done your homework and are making an informed decision in applying to Haas’ program. Because some applicants treat this school as a backup for Stanford and other programs, it will be to your advantage to convince the adcom that you are sincere in your interest by explaining the appealing elements that are unique to the Berkeley MBA. Obviously, the more specific knowledge you are able to demonstrate, the better; the adcom would love to hear that an applicant has been in touch with students, is familiar with the campus and understands the Haas culture and program.

Required Essays

1. Give us an example of a time when you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)
It would be ideal to provide a solid professional example here, but an example from an extracurricular activity would suffice as well if you have made a more significant impact on an outside organization than you have in the workplace. To an extent, your topic choice may depend on how you’ve answered the earlier questions (since you’ll want to achieve balance across the essays). Another thing to note about this question is that it does not specify that you be in a formal leadership role - any time you exhibited the characteristics of a leader to affect positive c