Application Process

Your Resume vs. Your LinkedIn Profile

Your Resume vs. Your LinkedIn Profile

How to make your resume and LinkedIn profile look as competitive for your MBA application as possible? Firstly, your resume and your LinkedIn profile should "match". In the very least, they should not be inconsistent. This includes names, titles, and dates as well. Here are some more pointers:

UPDATES: The Most Important Thing To Do After You Hit Submit

UPDATES: The Most Important Thing To Do After You Hit Submit

After submitting your MBA application, the most important thing you can do is to keep engaging your target business schools. After you’ve completed all your submissions, you should still keep reaching out to your target MBA schools with substantial updates. This will make you stand out and look more competitive.

When To Hit "Submit" on Your MBA App? 

When To Hit "Submit" on Your MBA App? 

You don’t have to submit your MBA application weeks before the actual due date. If it’s rolling admissions or early decision, at Columbia or even at Tuck, then yes hit submit ASAP. If it’s rolling admissions, the earlier you submit, the sooner you will get your decision. There is a word of caution though, keep reading.

WORK ON YOUR MBA APPLICATION RESUME LAST

WORK ON YOUR MBA APPLICATION RESUME LAST

Work on your MBA application resume last — within the last two or three weeks before the school deadline. Why? There are going to be things that you work on that come up at work, all recent updates you will need to capture and include in your resume. The resume is a living document that is constantly updated.

Letters Of Recommendation: When You Can't Ask Your Current Boss. Now what?

Letters Of Recommendation: When You Can't Ask Your Current Boss. Now what?

What happens if your current workplace does not support you going off to business school? If your current boss is unwilling to write you a letter of recommendation? Or you just can't ask them because it might jeopardize your current work situation? Well, this actually happens a lot. Luckily, we have five reasons and resolutions for this.

WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER WRITE YOUR OWN LOR’S

WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER WRITE YOUR OWN LOR’S

For one, it’s unethical. But even if you don’t care about that, you run the risk, of looking like a newb, as somebody who does not write a lot of recommendations. Secondly, you run the risk making your LOR's sound similar to each other. Thirdly, you run the risk of the LOR’s sounding very similar to your essays.

THE IDEAL LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION SCENARIO

THE IDEAL LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION SCENARIO

What MBA applicants should be doing right now (earlier on in the application process) and without letting the cat out of the bag, approach your boss. Only do this if you think your boss is going to be receptive to you applying to business school. Gage to see how supportive they are and if they would provide you an LOR.

HOW TO START WRITING YOUR SECOND MBA APPLICATION ESSAY

HOW TO START WRITING YOUR SECOND MBA APPLICATION ESSAY

Once you’ve got your first MBA application essay to 95%-99% completion, start tackling your second MBA application essay. The second target school should go through the whole process again starting at around week four or five. A good rule of thumb is to estimate one-third less time for the second school than the first.

HOW TO START WRITING YOUR FIRST MBA APPLICATION ESSAY

HOW TO START WRITING YOUR FIRST MBA APPLICATION ESSAY

The first school could take around eight to ten draft iterations, again this is at a bare minimum. You the MBA applicant are going to touch it around 5 times and the consultant is going to touch it another five times. Each week you work on a set of MBA application essays for days one to three, and then you flip it over.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE HIRING AN MBA ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE HIRING AN MBA ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT

If you are aspiring to enroll at one of the top business schools like Harvard, Wharton or Stanford (which only admits 5 percent of applicants) you will likely need professional help to gain admission. Competition for spots at these schools is incredibly intense and an MBA admissions consultant could improve your chances drastically. But not all MBA Admissions Consultants are equal.

Why You Shouldn't Shop Your MBA Application Essays Around Too Early

Why You Shouldn't Shop Your MBA Application Essays Around Too Early

Shopping your MBA application essays around to your friends, family, and colleagues may seem like a good idea - but be careful. For several reasons. You have every right to show your MBA application essay around. Most admissions consultants should want you to do that. But here’s the thing - do it at the end.

Start B-school Apps in Order of MBA Application Deadline Date

Start B-school Apps in Order of MBA Application Deadline Date

You have that list of five business schools you really want to apply to. Now, list your five target MBA business schools in order by the application deadline date. The earliest date should be the first MBA application to be worked on. You may be tempted to work on similar essays in parallel, but this is not advised.

REACHING OUT TO YOUR TARGET MBA PROGRAMS

REACHING OUT TO YOUR TARGET MBA PROGRAMS

You are now ready to narrow your school selection list to 5 MBA target programs by reaching out to them. Check the admissions committee website from each target school. Most of them will have an ambassador program where they will get currents students to email you back. Start reaching out to ambassador programs early.

OPEN YOUR MBA APPLICATION ONLINE EARLY

OPEN YOUR MBA APPLICATION ONLINE EARLY

The next step in your MBA application process should be opening up the online applications and reading through them. According to Paul Lanzillotti, admissions expert and founder of Amerasia Consulting, the reason for this is that you will get screwed if you don’t! You will start to see what kind of questions each school asks. You will also see many short questions. Writing a paragraph on your short term goals is a nasty surprise to get the day before the deadline.

7 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN DIALING-IN GOALS USING LINKEDIN

7 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN DIALING-IN GOALS USING LINKEDIN

The most important thing what every MBA applicant should know before starting their MBA application journey this year: is to know who your audience is. This includes being aware of the yin and yang element in the application process. Let’s bring you closer to create your competitive MBA application using LinkedIn.

START YOUR MBA APPLICATION ON THE RIGHT FOOT

START YOUR MBA APPLICATION ON THE RIGHT FOOT

When starting your MBA application process you need to keep in mind that you are not writing your essays for your mom or dad, nor are you writing to your boss. You need to try and assess and see if you are a good fit on paper, and be able to convince that person on the admissions committee that you are a good pick. Having said that, let’s move on and dive into the first four steps you should take when starting your MBA application process.

GMAT Adds Online Analytical Writing Assessment

GMAT Adds Online Analytical Writing Assessment

The Graduate Management Admission Council is adding the missing section of the GMAT exam to the at-home online version. Prospective MBA graduate students can now take the analytical writing assessment part of the GMAT exam at home too. The updated GMAT exam will be available on May 20th this year.

4 GRE Vocabulary Strategies To Help You Approach Your Test

4 GRE Vocabulary Strategies To Help You Approach Your Test

If you’re a native English speaker or English is your second, third or fourth language, you may come across GRE vocabulary problems. As well as finding Sentence Equivalence (SE) and Text Completion (TC) challenging. According to a recent Poets&Quants article, here are four strategies to improve your score.

6 tips on sending follow up emails

6 tips on sending follow up emails

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Rebecca Zucker , who is an executive coach and a founding Partner at Next Step Partners , speaks about how to not feel awkward sending a follow up email. Especially having to do it multiple times. Zucker mentions six tips to help you get the resonse you need.

5 Pieces of Advice for your MBA Reapplication Process

5 Pieces of Advice for your MBA Reapplication Process

Finding the energy, passion and confidence to embark upon this repeat journey can be tough. So, we hope this proves helpful and gives you a little wind at your back when you're reapplying for your MBA. Year after year, we receive a huge number of inquiries from applicants readying for the reapplication process.