admissions decisions

What are the MBA application readers looking for?

What are the MBA application readers looking for?

What are the MBA application readers looking for? Get into the mind of how MBA application readers think. Avoid too much jargon. Understand how the admissions committee is constructed. Remember that you are APPLYING to attend b-school & not yet graduated. Do NOT submit the same resume you would for a job opportunity.

Taking MBA Admissions Feedback With a Grain of Salt

Taking MBA Admissions Feedback With a Grain of Salt

I have been getting a lot of emails lately that center on the same basic idea: "I got feedback directly from the admissions office and they told me X."  Sometimes the feedback is ultra specific ("you should seriously consider retaking your GMAT") and other times it is extremely vague ("there were elements of your application that just weren't quite where they needed to be"), usually somewhere in between.  The question is: should you put stock in what they are saying?

What should I do during the “in between?”

What should I do during the “in between?”

As we bask in the post final round lull of MBA application season, the lovely “between seasons” part of the year, we know it won’t be long before this fall’s applications will be open once again. 

Responding to your HBS decision (2016)

Responding to your HBS decision (2016)

This Wednesday (October 12) is one of those days on the calendar that tend to stop everyone in their tracks and dominate the headlines.  Nevermind that the Duke Fuqua or Dartmouth Tuck deadlines are right around the corner - no, it's all about the final HBS Round 1 notification deadline.  Interview or ding?  Rather, interview or ding or deferral, as that appears to be a popular option this year as well.  Let's make sense of things and offer some advice on how to respond from here.  We'll group it result-by-result.

Transparency is an important part of the MBA admissions process.

Transparency is an important part of the MBA admissions process.

"Pay no attention to the man (or woman) behind the curtain!” That seems to be the philosophy of most admissions offices.  But for many applicants, transparency is an important part of the admissions process. If its not, it should be.