This will be my last post for 2008. I just simply wanted to thank my readers for visiting. I am rather busy assisting my clients. I anticipate more blog posts after the 15th of January.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Cheers,
Adam
December 30, 2008
December 22, 2008
On consistency between your application and recommendations
I am frequently asked questions from MBA, LL.M., MPA, and other graduate school applicants about how much consistency there should between their application (essays, resume, and application form content) and their recommendations. This is a complex and annoying issue for many applicants, especially if they themselves and/or their recommenders come from countries where such recommendations are not a part of the academic and/or business culture.
Since the application and recommendations are not the product of the same person, total consistency would be amazing, unnatural, and highly suspicious. The applicant and the recommenders each have their own perspective. Of course, if you have a recommender who has worked with you on a single or on very few projects, chances are great that the stories they tell in their recommendations will have a significant overlap with the stories you tell in your essays and/or accomplishments in your resume or application form. On the other hand, if the recommender is someone you worked with for a long time on a variety of projects, the differences in the subjects of the stories that are covered is likely to be much greater. Of course, if you have a particularly important project or activity that you want to make certain that your recommender covers, let them know that. Hopefully you have selected someone who will cooperate with you.
I would hope that what you say about yourself in your application is reflected sufficiently in the recommendations that admissions is not left with the feeling that are reading about two different people. For instance, direct contradictions between your application and your recommender about your role in work or of your strengths would look odd. That is why it is important to make sure that you give your resume to your recommender and are certain that they perceive you in a manner similar to the way you perceive yourself. They don't need to tell the same stories you do in essays, but they had better be writing about the same person.
Hopefully you are selecting a recommender whose perspective on you will not be a complete contradiction. There are some situations where this occurs. For instance, female applicants sponsored by their companies might find it necessary to select a male recommender who just happens to be a sexist. In such instances, the applicant might have a guy, usually older, who wants to write about "how charming she is" and completely ignores her real talents. Sometimes, I advise such applicants to simply explain to their recommenders that such statements will not be viewed positively by an admissions committee that includes and is often directed by women. Other times, if the recommender is " a busy man" I suggest my client simply request that such unhelpful comments be eliminated. That usually solves the issue.
If, after selecting a recommender, you find that the person's version of reality is simply too far away from your own and they seem uncooperative, you might find it necessary to get a new recommender. I have advised a small number of clients to "fire" their recommender because it seemed like no other course of action was possible, but this is obviously not an ideal result.
For more about recommendations, please see Steve Green's previous post. Next year, I intend to cover recommendations in much great depth.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
Since the application and recommendations are not the product of the same person, total consistency would be amazing, unnatural, and highly suspicious. The applicant and the recommenders each have their own perspective. Of course, if you have a recommender who has worked with you on a single or on very few projects, chances are great that the stories they tell in their recommendations will have a significant overlap with the stories you tell in your essays and/or accomplishments in your resume or application form. On the other hand, if the recommender is someone you worked with for a long time on a variety of projects, the differences in the subjects of the stories that are covered is likely to be much greater. Of course, if you have a particularly important project or activity that you want to make certain that your recommender covers, let them know that. Hopefully you have selected someone who will cooperate with you.
I would hope that what you say about yourself in your application is reflected sufficiently in the recommendations that admissions is not left with the feeling that are reading about two different people. For instance, direct contradictions between your application and your recommender about your role in work or of your strengths would look odd. That is why it is important to make sure that you give your resume to your recommender and are certain that they perceive you in a manner similar to the way you perceive yourself. They don't need to tell the same stories you do in essays, but they had better be writing about the same person.
Hopefully you are selecting a recommender whose perspective on you will not be a complete contradiction. There are some situations where this occurs. For instance, female applicants sponsored by their companies might find it necessary to select a male recommender who just happens to be a sexist. In such instances, the applicant might have a guy, usually older, who wants to write about "how charming she is" and completely ignores her real talents. Sometimes, I advise such applicants to simply explain to their recommenders that such statements will not be viewed positively by an admissions committee that includes and is often directed by women. Other times, if the recommender is " a busy man" I suggest my client simply request that such unhelpful comments be eliminated. That usually solves the issue.
If, after selecting a recommender, you find that the person's version of reality is simply too far away from your own and they seem uncooperative, you might find it necessary to get a new recommender. I have advised a small number of clients to "fire" their recommender because it seemed like no other course of action was possible, but this is obviously not an ideal result.
For more about recommendations, please see Steve Green's previous post. Next year, I intend to cover recommendations in much great depth.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
December 13, 2008
Should I be simple or complex?
One thing that frequently arises when I work with my clients on MBA essays is the extent to which they should provide a simple or a complex portrait of themselves. My general strategy is to always say that I am greedy and therefore I want to learn as much about them as possible. Admissions committees, to a greater or lesser extent based on the questions that they ask, are trying to learn about you as a person. Tell them those best stories about you that will show you in all of your remarkable complexity. That said, the realities of page and word limits and the need to have a clear focus require some simplification.
While some schools like Columbia give very little space for the articulation of personality stories, even they are trying to find out about who you are and not merely what you have done. Your resume is a record of what you have done, the essays reveal who you are. Of course, recommendations will provide other people's perspectives on that, but until an interview takes place, the only way an admissions committee can learn about how you think about yourself, your own story, and your future is to read your essays.
Now telling stories about yourself is not an invitation to engage in mere self-indulgent confessions because good taste, discretion, and the necessity to market yourself effectively require that you exercise great judgment about what you write. That is especially why hastily written essays are so often bad. Such rushed content may have energy, but the assumption of "first thought, best thought" is often not only wrong, it is often fatal.
An effective approach to essay writing requires an initial brainstorming phase followed by reflection, revision, and some real serious consideration of overall strategy. Essays are read as a set and as part of a whole application, so it is best to see them as part of that holistic process.
I notice some applicants who think they need to continually repeat the same content from essay to essay within a single essay set. My assumption is if admissions read a story once, reading it again or reading one that is just like it in structure and theme is not likely to have much impact. Use each essay to tell focused stories that reveal a different aspect of who you are, how you think, and/or who you want to become.
Unless you are trying to create the impression that are there is little to you, presenting different aspects of who you are is important. People are complex, contradictory, imperfect and if you want to come across as a person you need to tap into that complexity. Being real, something I have heard admissions officers from such schools as Berkeley, Duke Fuqua, Stanford, Tuck, Chicago, and MIT say, is a core aspect of writing effective essays. Being real means presenting presenting different aspects of who you are.
You most certainly have to sell yourself, but do it authentically, and give admissions sufficient stories to connect to you as a person so that they decide that they want you as part of their community. These stories about your leadership, teamwork, communication skills, innovation, creativity, future vision, and accomplishments need to be in sufficient detail to have an impact on the reader. Merely sprinkling bits of detail will not be sufficient. You will need to choose between stories and can't possibly include everything.
You certainly have to think about your audience and ask what can you tell them that will most likely appeal to them? Don't do this at the expense of eliminating core positive aspects of who you are, but think strategically about what to focus on. For instance, at MIT, as I have suggested in my analysis of their behavioral questions, the ability to think and act differently depending on the kind of situation you encounter is certainly a net positive. In general, the ability to write differently and provide analysis of situations in different ways is an important way to communicate intelligence. This is something of value when applying to any school, but certainly even more so with essay questions like MIT's (or Stanford Essay C) that are specifically designed to gauge your emotional and analytical intelligence.
So back to original question: Simple or complex? Well, some of both actually. The art is all in the combination of the two and one of the core things that separates great essays from the rest.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
While some schools like Columbia give very little space for the articulation of personality stories, even they are trying to find out about who you are and not merely what you have done. Your resume is a record of what you have done, the essays reveal who you are. Of course, recommendations will provide other people's perspectives on that, but until an interview takes place, the only way an admissions committee can learn about how you think about yourself, your own story, and your future is to read your essays.
Now telling stories about yourself is not an invitation to engage in mere self-indulgent confessions because good taste, discretion, and the necessity to market yourself effectively require that you exercise great judgment about what you write. That is especially why hastily written essays are so often bad. Such rushed content may have energy, but the assumption of "first thought, best thought" is often not only wrong, it is often fatal.
An effective approach to essay writing requires an initial brainstorming phase followed by reflection, revision, and some real serious consideration of overall strategy. Essays are read as a set and as part of a whole application, so it is best to see them as part of that holistic process.
I notice some applicants who think they need to continually repeat the same content from essay to essay within a single essay set. My assumption is if admissions read a story once, reading it again or reading one that is just like it in structure and theme is not likely to have much impact. Use each essay to tell focused stories that reveal a different aspect of who you are, how you think, and/or who you want to become.
Unless you are trying to create the impression that are there is little to you, presenting different aspects of who you are is important. People are complex, contradictory, imperfect and if you want to come across as a person you need to tap into that complexity. Being real, something I have heard admissions officers from such schools as Berkeley, Duke Fuqua, Stanford, Tuck, Chicago, and MIT say, is a core aspect of writing effective essays. Being real means presenting presenting different aspects of who you are.
You most certainly have to sell yourself, but do it authentically, and give admissions sufficient stories to connect to you as a person so that they decide that they want you as part of their community. These stories about your leadership, teamwork, communication skills, innovation, creativity, future vision, and accomplishments need to be in sufficient detail to have an impact on the reader. Merely sprinkling bits of detail will not be sufficient. You will need to choose between stories and can't possibly include everything.
You certainly have to think about your audience and ask what can you tell them that will most likely appeal to them? Don't do this at the expense of eliminating core positive aspects of who you are, but think strategically about what to focus on. For instance, at MIT, as I have suggested in my analysis of their behavioral questions, the ability to think and act differently depending on the kind of situation you encounter is certainly a net positive. In general, the ability to write differently and provide analysis of situations in different ways is an important way to communicate intelligence. This is something of value when applying to any school, but certainly even more so with essay questions like MIT's (or Stanford Essay C) that are specifically designed to gauge your emotional and analytical intelligence.
So back to original question: Simple or complex? Well, some of both actually. The art is all in the combination of the two and one of the core things that separates great essays from the rest.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
December 12, 2008
Submit a weak 2nd round MBA application or apply in 3rd round with a stronger application?
This question always comes up, so I want to provide my official answer: If your MBA application is truly weak for 2nd round and you can get it better by 3rd round, apply in the 3rd round.
Now, of course, this is a trick answer.
"Weak" is a relative term. "Weak" for HBS or Stanford might be perfectly fine for a lower ranked school. "Weak" is always in comparison to (1) other applicants, (2) the relative difficulty of admission, and (3) your potential for putting together a better application later. One person's "weak" is another person's "strong." If you are not sure if your application is weak, get the opinion of an admissions consultant or someone else who you think will provide you with a unbiased and well-informed opinion. Also, be honest with yourself and ask yourself how much of a difference it will make. If you can substantially improve your essays or your test scores, it might very well make sense to wait.
You might very well determine that your applications to your safety schools are not weak, but are weak for your preferred schools. In that case, apply to your safeties in 2nd round and to the others in 3rd round.
At this point, you might be thinking: "Adam is insane. This year is harder than ever before in the history of mankind. No one will get in 3rd round. Why I am reading his blog?" Actually, I am perfectly sane. The reason that there is a 3rd round is because there are spots to be filled. It is not easy, but applicants do get in. It is certainly not ideal, but that does not make it impossible. Especially for those applicants who have strong backgrounds, but for whatever reason, have not gotten it together in time for 2nd round, 3rd round is really an option. Even this year. We will know that 3rd round is no longer an option when schools eliminate it. Till then, it is an option.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advised you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
Now, of course, this is a trick answer.
"Weak" is a relative term. "Weak" for HBS or Stanford might be perfectly fine for a lower ranked school. "Weak" is always in comparison to (1) other applicants, (2) the relative difficulty of admission, and (3) your potential for putting together a better application later. One person's "weak" is another person's "strong." If you are not sure if your application is weak, get the opinion of an admissions consultant or someone else who you think will provide you with a unbiased and well-informed opinion. Also, be honest with yourself and ask yourself how much of a difference it will make. If you can substantially improve your essays or your test scores, it might very well make sense to wait.
You might very well determine that your applications to your safety schools are not weak, but are weak for your preferred schools. In that case, apply to your safeties in 2nd round and to the others in 3rd round.
At this point, you might be thinking: "Adam is insane. This year is harder than ever before in the history of mankind. No one will get in 3rd round. Why I am reading his blog?" Actually, I am perfectly sane. The reason that there is a 3rd round is because there are spots to be filled. It is not easy, but applicants do get in. It is certainly not ideal, but that does not make it impossible. Especially for those applicants who have strong backgrounds, but for whatever reason, have not gotten it together in time for 2nd round, 3rd round is really an option. Even this year. We will know that 3rd round is no longer an option when schools eliminate it. Till then, it is an option.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advised you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
December 11, 2008
Don't Be A Student Leader At Michigan State University
UPDATE: MSU dropped their charges!
I ask my readers to indulge me in going off-topic and being slightly political. I wanted to bring my readers attention to the fact that Michigan State University, the home of the Broad School MBA program, is no friend of student leadership according to FIRE (The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education). My remarks follow the press release below:
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I ask my readers to indulge me in going off-topic and being slightly political. I wanted to bring my readers attention to the fact that Michigan State University, the home of the Broad School MBA program, is no friend of student leadership according to FIRE (The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education). My remarks follow the press release below:
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BREAKING NEWS: Student Government Leader at Michigan State University Found Guilty of ‘Spamming’ after Criticizing Administrative Decision
December 10, 2008
FIRE Press Release
EAST LANSING, Mich., December 10, 2008—A Michigan State University student government leader has been found guilty of "spamming" and misuse of university resources after she criticized the administration's plan to change the school calendar. MSU junior Kara Spencer had carefully selected and e-mailed 391 of the school's faculty members, encouraging them to express their views about the changes. Spencer, who plans to appeal her unconstitutional punishment, has turned to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help.
"It is outrageous that MSU's Student-Faculty Judiciary would find against a student who did nothing more than write members of her community who might be concerned about a major administrative decision," FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. "MSU must immediately reverse this unjust punishment and revise its policy."
In late August, MSU's administration revealed to members of the Faculty Council the administration's plans to shorten the school's Academic Calendar and Fall Welcome (freshman orientation) schedules, and asked that comments about the proposed changes be submitted by September 30. Given the highly controversial nature of the changes, members of the University Committee on Student Affairs (UCSA) met and exchanged e-mails in mid-September to construct a formal response. UCSA consists of several student government members (including Spencer), several faculty members, and several MSU administrators.
On September 14, Spencer notified UCSA that she would send a personal version of the formal response to faculty members. She noted that she had "compiled a database of all faculty on campus" for this purpose. None of the faculty members or administrators involved in the discussion gave any indication that MSU would choose to repress the e-mail or charge Spencer with any breaches of policy. One of the committee members even encouraged her to proceed. On or about September 15, Spencer carefully selected 391 faculty members—roughly 8 percent of MSU's faculty—and e-mailed them her version of UCSA's letter.
Spencer's e-mail argued that the proposed calendar changes "will greatly affect both faculty and students alike," and called for "an inclusive dialogue among members of the University community" prior to adoption.
On September 16, MSU Network Administrator Randall J. Hall summoned Spencer to a mandatory "investigation." The next day, Hall alleged that Spencer had violated as many as five MSU policies by sending what he called unauthorized "spam." After Spencer requested a hearing before the Student-Faculty Judiciary, FIRE wrote MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, calling on her to end the unconstitutional investigation. MSU chose to proceed with the hearing, however, and Simon falsely claimed that the policy was acceptable because it was "content neutral."
MSU proceeded with its shameful hearing on December 2, and the Judiciary notified Spencer this afternoon that she had been found guilty of violating MSU's Network Acceptable Use Policy and of engaging in an "unauthorized" use of the MSU network. Today, Spencer was punished with a formal "Warning" placed in her student file.
MSU's "spam" policy prohibits the sending of an unsolicited e-mail to more than about 20-30 recipients over two days without prior permission.
"MSU's decision defies the First Amendment, fairness, and common sense," Adam Kissel, Director of FIRE's Individual Rights Defense Program, said. "MSU is effectively preventing the campus community from sending e-mails criticizing the administration to more than an extremely small fraction of the MSU community. The university should be ashamed, and the president should immediately overturn this illiberal finding."
FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process rights, freedom of expression, and rights of conscience on our nation's campuses. FIRE's efforts to preserve liberty at Michigan State University and elsewhere can be seen by visiting www.thefire.org.
CONTACT:
Adam Kissel, Director, Individual Rights Defense Program, FIRE: 215-717-3473; adam@thefire.org
Lou Anna K. Simon, President, Michigan State University: 517-355-6560; presmail@msu.edu
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I think the idea that a student leader would find herself in such a predicament indicates that MSU has a real problem not only with free speech, but with student leadership and, by extension, lacks a commitment to leadership education. Clearly a university that punishes a student for showing initiative is not the ideal place to learn how to be a 21st century business leader.
By the way if you want to find out about which US schools take free speech seriously and which don't, visit the FIRE website and subscribe to their mailing list.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール ミシガン MBA留学
Adam Kissel, Director, Individual Rights Defense Program, FIRE: 215-717-3473; adam@thefire.org
Lou Anna K. Simon, President, Michigan State University: 517-355-6560; presmail@msu.edu
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I think the idea that a student leader would find herself in such a predicament indicates that MSU has a real problem not only with free speech, but with student leadership and, by extension, lacks a commitment to leadership education. Clearly a university that punishes a student for showing initiative is not the ideal place to learn how to be a 21st century business leader.
By the way if you want to find out about which US schools take free speech seriously and which don't, visit the FIRE website and subscribe to their mailing list.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール ミシガン MBA留学
December 05, 2008
Graduate Application Forms: All those little questions matter!
Sorry for the long hiatus. At least I can offer you something really long.
In this first post of the month, I wanted to tackle one of the most exciting parts of the parts of the graduate admissions process....
THE APPLICATION FORM.
If you are starting to get sleepy, I understand, but THE REASON SCHOOLS ASK ALL THOSE "STUPID" QUESTIONS IS THAT ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ACADEMIC, PROFESSIONAL, AND PERSONAL LIFE ARE NOT STUPID. THEY ARE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA.
I will try to keep this post as amusing as possible. This is as much for your benefit as mine.
Just because it is rather complete, I will refer to the Wharton MBA Online Application for Fall 2009 in this post, but generally what I write here can be applied elsewhere, though obviously there are differences in the way application forms are structured. Also with some modifications, what I write here applies to other types of graduate degree applications as well.
Before we get into the application itself, I want to provide some general ground rules that apply to application forms in general:
1. Doing a weak job on an application form is sloppy and unprofessional.
It is a test of your patience and ability to collect and organize key information about yourself. Yes, it is dull, possibly annoying, and certainly not the most interesting use of one's time, but hey much of life is like that.
2. The reason admissions asks all those questions is because they take them seriously.
Given the huge number of applications that top schools need to review, you can be absolutely certain that if they ask for some information, they are doing it for a reason. By asking all applicants the same relatively well-defined questions, they have just another way to compare applicants across a broad range of criteria. Such information also serves as another form of verification.
3. Do it right the first time and you will be richly rewarded.
Quite simply fill out the first form as comprehensively as possible, copy the answers into a word document, and reuse it for subsequent schools, modifying as necessary. (You probably know this, but I will say it anyway).
4. Make a great resume first.
If you have a solid resume to begin with, doing these forms will be somewhat easier. For more about resumes, click here. If your resume seems to fail to provide a sufficient number of answers to the questions being asked about your academic, professional, and/or personal background, it is possible that you need a better resume. Use this opportunity to alter your resume.
5. Be Consistent.
There should be no contradictions between your resume, essays, and application form (Regarding recommendations, since you did not write them and have no control over their contents, minor contradictions are possible and not inherently problematic). Often when I do forensic reviews of applications that resulted in dings as a part of my consulting service, I find such contradictions. Give yourself enough time to comprehensively review everything you will be submitting.
6. Read the instructions first.
I know it seems stupid, but if you look at my earlier post on the Stanford application, you will see why it is worth doing so. Most applications will not have such traps in them, but still spend a few moments to review the instructions.
7. Do not volunteer potentially damaging information unless you have to.
As schools like Wharton employ firms like Kroll to do a background check on those they admit (especially to confirm that your recommender is actually your boss and not your secretary or your mother), I do think you should disclose anything that has a high likelihood of being discovered as part of a standard background check (Felonies, for example). What does a firm like Kroll do?
Wharton MBA admissions Director Thomas Caleel at the University of Pennsylvania admits that although they have instituted a stringent set of verification processes (which he declines to specify), along with Berkeley as well, hire an outside background verification firm, Kroll Associates, to do the work for them (details cannot be revealed, although Caleel says that Kroll Associates contracts local companies to help them navigate language and cultural barriers to verify data points), it is not always possible to catch the rule benders: “I take the subject of fraudulent applications very seriously. It’s something I personally have no tolerance for. Now in saying that, do we admit people who have ghostwritten applications? I am sure we do.” Although there is no foolproof system against fraudulent applications, Caleel claims that if and when they know for sure that the applicant has submitted a false application, dismissal is swift.
Given the recent Scoretop scandal, you can assume schools are becoming even more likely to investigate applicants. By the way, if you have weird stuff on your Facebook or MySpace or other SNS, you might want to delete it because increasingly admissions people, especially at the undergraduate level, are looking at applicant's SNS pages. Big Brother or Big Sister might be watching.
Wharton MBA Online Application Form for Fall 2009
Since you know your name and address, I will not bother with that part. I am assuming you can handle everything on your own until
"Personal Information II."
Personal Information II
While some of the information contained here is pretty self-explanatory, I would first like to address this charming question:
Have you ever been suspended from an academic institution? Well, I hope not, but if you have and admissions could determine that from reviewing your transcript, you will want to write about that in your optional essay. Of course, I don't think it is necessary to report on suspensions that occurred prior to university.
If you have ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to any felony or misdemeanor (excluding minor traffic violations) follow the link below and provide further information on a confidential basis: Wharton actually has a whole separate place to report this information. I would advise disclosure as a standard background check is likely to turn-up anything that has not been expunged from the public record, but ultimately such judgments should be made by you, possibly in consultation with legal counsel.
Family Information: Within the limited space provided give complete information. This information helps admissions understand your background. I am not sure to what extent Wharton ever factors in legacy admissions (I hope they don't, but I am not such an innocent to believe it), but obviously by asking whether you have relatives who attended Wharton or PENN more generally, they have the potential to actually do so.
Language: In general, I suggest only listing languages you actually could use, even if that the novice(level 0 out of their scale of 0-5). Listing a bunch of languages where you have a novice ranking looks pretty lame, so I would suggest keeping the novice language list to at most one language. If you studied a language in school and got a high grade, but don't remember much, the novice ranking is for you. If you took first year intensive Russian in one summer and forgot everything (My mom was right, I should have taken Spanish!), and received a weak grade (Mine was a gentleman's pass), I would not bother listing it. Be honest about your own functional ability level.
Application Source: This is marketing information for Wharton. Just answer this directly.
Employment
I think it is rather obvious why Wharton asks about this, so I will not bother covering it.
Actually, no I will cover this. Just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention.
Assuming you can count, Number of years employed should not pose much difficulties.
The next thing you are probably asking yourself is why are they asking me all this stuff that is already on my resume? The reason is very simple, admissions wants to be able to refer to your employment history in a standardized way and they want to make sure that you specifically provide specific information in the categories they ask for. So why do they need a resume? First, they need it simply because they conduct blind interviewing. Next, a resume measures what you think is really important to know. It is a kind of self-evaluation. On the other hand, an application is what they want to know regardless of whether you think it is important or not.
I think many of the specific questions that are asked in this section are rather obvious, so I will only mention the ones that are likely to require strategy.
Job Duties
List multiple positions within this company here: Given that you have about 400 words more of less (1650 characters), obviously you might not be able to get everything you have ever done in here. Focus on the most important parts of your work and especially those aspects that you think best show your potential for your post-MBA goals. At the same time, make sure that you are not just providing accomplishments (you can do that on the resume), but also are providing an overall accounting of your duties.
How many employees do you supervise? Please explain this number briefly (i.e. direct reports, matrix organization, dotted line): Provide an honest answer to this question. If you supervise employees on a project basis state that. If the number has varied and you supervise significantly less people than in the past, you might try to indicate any such differences in your Job Duties description.
Reason for Leaving: Address this honestly and directly. If you have been let go as part of an overall cut in staff indicate that. If you were let go for reasons to do with your own performance, I don't suggest such disclosing such information (and obviously you would not want a recommender who would state that). If you were given voluntary early retirement, indicate that and the size of the package you received. If you quit because you wanted to hangout at your parent's home, drink beer, and have mom cook for you, get a life and come up with a better answer (I assume this does not apply to any of my readers, but I just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention). If you quit because you wanted to travel for a year, no problem, just make sure you write about that amazing experience elsewhere in the application.
Please upload your resume, one page only: Like many schools, Wharton only wants a single page resume, so if you have two pages or more, alter your format and prioritize your content.
Consider especially what you rather discuss in the Wharton interview when determining what to keep in your resume. If you have to cut something good, just get it into the online application.
School Information
The Wharton form is very clear about what should be completed here and there really is only one question that we need to look at: Awards. You have about 250 words for this section. You should only list academic awards here. If there is nothing here, don't make up something. Just give them the facts: Name of award, criteria for selection, and if a prize was given, what that was.
MBA Full-Time
General Information
This page has so many fun things on it!
Expected Major: Select one that is consistent with your goals and reasons for attending Wharton, except for Health Care Management, which has its unique processes, this is a totally non-binding choice. The only bad choice here is one that is not consistent with your Wharton 1 essay.
The 2000 Character Important Stuff That Really Matters:
The next five questions, all ask for lists related to your professional certifications, scholarships/awards, and extracurricular activities(during and after college). For some applicants this will be really hard to do because they have so much stuff :) to write about in one or more of these lists, but for others it will be hard because they have so little :( to mention. Whatever the case, provide honest and comprehensive information here and don't pad these sections with nonsense. You make have started playing golf, volunteering for the homeless, or studying French for last couple of months, but you should think twice before including it. Before completing this section, you should take a look at this post from the Wharton Admissions blog.
List any professional certifications you may have: In addition to providing the name of the certification, provide the date you received it, the basis for getting it if impressive, and if it not a very popular certification, briefly explain it.
List the most significant college, university, community and professional awards, honors or scholarships you have received: Yes, there is some overlap between this section and the one found under School Information, Awards, but don't worry about it. If you have enough space list everything from both sections twice because that would be following instructions. On the other hand, if you have lots of stuff here in addition to the Awards from schools, prioritize this list and minimize the overlap.
Please list your extracurricular activities while in college, including any positions held, dates of the activity and the number of hours per week, listing your most important first: If you were involved in extracurricular activities that were a major time commitment and your grades suffered as a result, you will probably be mentioning that in the optional essay, but here you should still provide factual information that will support your claims. In addition to what Wharton specifically requests for each activity, if it is not clear what an organization is or what your role was from the title, briefly explain that. Regarding the need to prioritize this list, just think about which activities are most important to you and reveal the most about your potential and/or personality.
Please list your activities since college/university, including any positions held, the dates of the activity, and the number of hours per week, listing your most important first: Clients ask me about this one all the time. Here are the common questions and my responses:
Q: I don't have anything for this section. I work 120 hours a week and I would define sleep as my extracurricular activity. What should I do?
A: Explain that in the optional essay. It is better to explain your concerns then to have them noticed without you providing your interpretation. And as Wharton Admissions says about this issue, RELAX.
Q: You know I realized that I did not have any extracurricular activities about six months ago, so I astarted volunteering at... What do you think?
A: Sounds pretty bad to me, do you think that the highly experienced admissions officers at Wharton are naive enough to buy that? Forget it. If something commenced in 2008 and you have absolutely no prior connection to it or something like it, think twice before listing it here.
Q: What is the difference between an extracurricular activity and a hobby/interest?
A: While some extracurricular activities might classify as hobbies, the key difference is that extracurricular activities should be part of an organization.
Please describe any hobbies or related activities, not listed above, which hold special significance for you. List dates of participation and hours per week. Also explain which of these activities, hobbies or special interests you have enjoyed most and why: Here it is important to distinguish between activities that you have shown a long-term commitment to and standard forms of passive entertainment. If you are an expert of French cinema of the 1960s, it is perhaps worth mentioning, but if you like to watch movies in general, welcome to most of the human race. This section can be really good for explaining those aspects of your private life that have been sources of pleasure and interest for a significant part of your life. This section can also add some personality to your application. Just make sure you provide specific examples and don't just write something like "Enjoy cooking," but instead write about what type of cooking it is and whether you have taken any cooking classes and/or even just enjoy cooking for friends or family. By the way, if you have kids, this section is about them and you. If you have a strong religious commitment, please write about that here(as a special interest) if it does not fit above as an extracurricular activity.
If you have worked outside of your home country, please name the country or countries and duration: This final question is straightforward. Even if the work duration was small, but significant, mention it. No, junkets to Bermuda for a conference don't count.
Well, I am sorry that this is over. And no, I will not be doing this for other application forms anytime soon.
By the way, unless you are one of my clients, PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL ME QUESTIONS ABOUT APPLICATION FORMS. I simply don't have time to respond. You are free to write comments on this blog, which I will review. I may or may not answer the questions, but will post anything that is not spam or selling something. If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
In this first post of the month, I wanted to tackle one of the most exciting parts of the parts of the graduate admissions process....
THE APPLICATION FORM.
If you are starting to get sleepy, I understand, but THE REASON SCHOOLS ASK ALL THOSE "STUPID" QUESTIONS IS THAT ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ACADEMIC, PROFESSIONAL, AND PERSONAL LIFE ARE NOT STUPID. THEY ARE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA.
I will try to keep this post as amusing as possible. This is as much for your benefit as mine.
Just because it is rather complete, I will refer to the Wharton MBA Online Application for Fall 2009 in this post, but generally what I write here can be applied elsewhere, though obviously there are differences in the way application forms are structured. Also with some modifications, what I write here applies to other types of graduate degree applications as well.
Before we get into the application itself, I want to provide some general ground rules that apply to application forms in general:
1. Doing a weak job on an application form is sloppy and unprofessional.
It is a test of your patience and ability to collect and organize key information about yourself. Yes, it is dull, possibly annoying, and certainly not the most interesting use of one's time, but hey much of life is like that.
2. The reason admissions asks all those questions is because they take them seriously.
Given the huge number of applications that top schools need to review, you can be absolutely certain that if they ask for some information, they are doing it for a reason. By asking all applicants the same relatively well-defined questions, they have just another way to compare applicants across a broad range of criteria. Such information also serves as another form of verification.
3. Do it right the first time and you will be richly rewarded.
Quite simply fill out the first form as comprehensively as possible, copy the answers into a word document, and reuse it for subsequent schools, modifying as necessary. (You probably know this, but I will say it anyway).
4. Make a great resume first.
If you have a solid resume to begin with, doing these forms will be somewhat easier. For more about resumes, click here. If your resume seems to fail to provide a sufficient number of answers to the questions being asked about your academic, professional, and/or personal background, it is possible that you need a better resume. Use this opportunity to alter your resume.
5. Be Consistent.
There should be no contradictions between your resume, essays, and application form (Regarding recommendations, since you did not write them and have no control over their contents, minor contradictions are possible and not inherently problematic). Often when I do forensic reviews of applications that resulted in dings as a part of my consulting service, I find such contradictions. Give yourself enough time to comprehensively review everything you will be submitting.
6. Read the instructions first.
I know it seems stupid, but if you look at my earlier post on the Stanford application, you will see why it is worth doing so. Most applications will not have such traps in them, but still spend a few moments to review the instructions.
7. Do not volunteer potentially damaging information unless you have to.
As schools like Wharton employ firms like Kroll to do a background check on those they admit (especially to confirm that your recommender is actually your boss and not your secretary or your mother), I do think you should disclose anything that has a high likelihood of being discovered as part of a standard background check (Felonies, for example). What does a firm like Kroll do?
Wharton MBA admissions Director Thomas Caleel at the University of Pennsylvania admits that although they have instituted a stringent set of verification processes (which he declines to specify), along with Berkeley as well, hire an outside background verification firm, Kroll Associates, to do the work for them (details cannot be revealed, although Caleel says that Kroll Associates contracts local companies to help them navigate language and cultural barriers to verify data points), it is not always possible to catch the rule benders: “I take the subject of fraudulent applications very seriously. It’s something I personally have no tolerance for. Now in saying that, do we admit people who have ghostwritten applications? I am sure we do.” Although there is no foolproof system against fraudulent applications, Caleel claims that if and when they know for sure that the applicant has submitted a false application, dismissal is swift.
Given the recent Scoretop scandal, you can assume schools are becoming even more likely to investigate applicants. By the way, if you have weird stuff on your Facebook or MySpace or other SNS, you might want to delete it because increasingly admissions people, especially at the undergraduate level, are looking at applicant's SNS pages. Big Brother or Big Sister might be watching.
Wharton MBA Online Application Form for Fall 2009
Since you know your name and address, I will not bother with that part. I am assuming you can handle everything on your own until
"Personal Information II."
Personal Information II
While some of the information contained here is pretty self-explanatory, I would first like to address this charming question:
Have you ever been suspended from an academic institution? Well, I hope not, but if you have and admissions could determine that from reviewing your transcript, you will want to write about that in your optional essay. Of course, I don't think it is necessary to report on suspensions that occurred prior to university.
If you have ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to any felony or misdemeanor (excluding minor traffic violations) follow the link below and provide further information on a confidential basis: Wharton actually has a whole separate place to report this information. I would advise disclosure as a standard background check is likely to turn-up anything that has not been expunged from the public record, but ultimately such judgments should be made by you, possibly in consultation with legal counsel.
Family Information: Within the limited space provided give complete information. This information helps admissions understand your background. I am not sure to what extent Wharton ever factors in legacy admissions (I hope they don't, but I am not such an innocent to believe it), but obviously by asking whether you have relatives who attended Wharton or PENN more generally, they have the potential to actually do so.
Language: In general, I suggest only listing languages you actually could use, even if that the novice(level 0 out of their scale of 0-5). Listing a bunch of languages where you have a novice ranking looks pretty lame, so I would suggest keeping the novice language list to at most one language. If you studied a language in school and got a high grade, but don't remember much, the novice ranking is for you. If you took first year intensive Russian in one summer and forgot everything (My mom was right, I should have taken Spanish!), and received a weak grade (Mine was a gentleman's pass), I would not bother listing it. Be honest about your own functional ability level.
Application Source: This is marketing information for Wharton. Just answer this directly.
Employment
I think it is rather obvious why Wharton asks about this, so I will not bother covering it.
Actually, no I will cover this. Just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention.
Assuming you can count, Number of years employed should not pose much difficulties.
The next thing you are probably asking yourself is why are they asking me all this stuff that is already on my resume? The reason is very simple, admissions wants to be able to refer to your employment history in a standardized way and they want to make sure that you specifically provide specific information in the categories they ask for. So why do they need a resume? First, they need it simply because they conduct blind interviewing. Next, a resume measures what you think is really important to know. It is a kind of self-evaluation. On the other hand, an application is what they want to know regardless of whether you think it is important or not.
I think many of the specific questions that are asked in this section are rather obvious, so I will only mention the ones that are likely to require strategy.
Job DutiesList multiple positions within this company here: Given that you have about 400 words more of less (1650 characters), obviously you might not be able to get everything you have ever done in here. Focus on the most important parts of your work and especially those aspects that you think best show your potential for your post-MBA goals. At the same time, make sure that you are not just providing accomplishments (you can do that on the resume), but also are providing an overall accounting of your duties.
How many employees do you supervise? Please explain this number briefly (i.e. direct reports, matrix organization, dotted line): Provide an honest answer to this question. If you supervise employees on a project basis state that. If the number has varied and you supervise significantly less people than in the past, you might try to indicate any such differences in your Job Duties description.Reason for Leaving: Address this honestly and directly. If you have been let go as part of an overall cut in staff indicate that. If you were let go for reasons to do with your own performance, I don't suggest such disclosing such information (and obviously you would not want a recommender who would state that). If you were given voluntary early retirement, indicate that and the size of the package you received. If you quit because you wanted to hangout at your parent's home, drink beer, and have mom cook for you, get a life and come up with a better answer (I assume this does not apply to any of my readers, but I just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention). If you quit because you wanted to travel for a year, no problem, just make sure you write about that amazing experience elsewhere in the application.
Please upload your resume, one page only: Like many schools, Wharton only wants a single page resume, so if you have two pages or more, alter your format and prioritize your content.
Consider especially what you rather discuss in the Wharton interview when determining what to keep in your resume. If you have to cut something good, just get it into the online application.
School Information
The Wharton form is very clear about what should be completed here and there really is only one question that we need to look at: Awards. You have about 250 words for this section. You should only list academic awards here. If there is nothing here, don't make up something. Just give them the facts: Name of award, criteria for selection, and if a prize was given, what that was.
MBA Full-Time
General Information
This page has so many fun things on it!
Expected Major: Select one that is consistent with your goals and reasons for attending Wharton, except for Health Care Management, which has its unique processes, this is a totally non-binding choice. The only bad choice here is one that is not consistent with your Wharton 1 essay.
The 2000 Character Important Stuff That Really Matters:
The next five questions, all ask for lists related to your professional certifications, scholarships/awards, and extracurricular activities(during and after college). For some applicants this will be really hard to do because they have so much stuff :) to write about in one or more of these lists, but for others it will be hard because they have so little :( to mention. Whatever the case, provide honest and comprehensive information here and don't pad these sections with nonsense. You make have started playing golf, volunteering for the homeless, or studying French for last couple of months, but you should think twice before including it. Before completing this section, you should take a look at this post from the Wharton Admissions blog.
List any professional certifications you may have: In addition to providing the name of the certification, provide the date you received it, the basis for getting it if impressive, and if it not a very popular certification, briefly explain it.
List the most significant college, university, community and professional awards, honors or scholarships you have received: Yes, there is some overlap between this section and the one found under School Information, Awards, but don't worry about it. If you have enough space list everything from both sections twice because that would be following instructions. On the other hand, if you have lots of stuff here in addition to the Awards from schools, prioritize this list and minimize the overlap.
Please list your extracurricular activities while in college, including any positions held, dates of the activity and the number of hours per week, listing your most important first: If you were involved in extracurricular activities that were a major time commitment and your grades suffered as a result, you will probably be mentioning that in the optional essay, but here you should still provide factual information that will support your claims. In addition to what Wharton specifically requests for each activity, if it is not clear what an organization is or what your role was from the title, briefly explain that. Regarding the need to prioritize this list, just think about which activities are most important to you and reveal the most about your potential and/or personality.
Please list your activities since college/university, including any positions held, the dates of the activity, and the number of hours per week, listing your most important first: Clients ask me about this one all the time. Here are the common questions and my responses:
Q: I don't have anything for this section. I work 120 hours a week and I would define sleep as my extracurricular activity. What should I do?
A: Explain that in the optional essay. It is better to explain your concerns then to have them noticed without you providing your interpretation. And as Wharton Admissions says about this issue, RELAX.
Q: You know I realized that I did not have any extracurricular activities about six months ago, so I astarted volunteering at... What do you think?
A: Sounds pretty bad to me, do you think that the highly experienced admissions officers at Wharton are naive enough to buy that? Forget it. If something commenced in 2008 and you have absolutely no prior connection to it or something like it, think twice before listing it here.
Q: What is the difference between an extracurricular activity and a hobby/interest?
A: While some extracurricular activities might classify as hobbies, the key difference is that extracurricular activities should be part of an organization.
Please describe any hobbies or related activities, not listed above, which hold special significance for you. List dates of participation and hours per week. Also explain which of these activities, hobbies or special interests you have enjoyed most and why: Here it is important to distinguish between activities that you have shown a long-term commitment to and standard forms of passive entertainment. If you are an expert of French cinema of the 1960s, it is perhaps worth mentioning, but if you like to watch movies in general, welcome to most of the human race. This section can be really good for explaining those aspects of your private life that have been sources of pleasure and interest for a significant part of your life. This section can also add some personality to your application. Just make sure you provide specific examples and don't just write something like "Enjoy cooking," but instead write about what type of cooking it is and whether you have taken any cooking classes and/or even just enjoy cooking for friends or family. By the way, if you have kids, this section is about them and you. If you have a strong religious commitment, please write about that here(as a special interest) if it does not fit above as an extracurricular activity.
If you have worked outside of your home country, please name the country or countries and duration: This final question is straightforward. Even if the work duration was small, but significant, mention it. No, junkets to Bermuda for a conference don't count.
Well, I am sorry that this is over. And no, I will not be doing this for other application forms anytime soon.
By the way, unless you are one of my clients, PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL ME QUESTIONS ABOUT APPLICATION FORMS. I simply don't have time to respond. You are free to write comments on this blog, which I will review. I may or may not answer the questions, but will post anything that is not spam or selling something. If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
November 28, 2008
MBA生ライブレポート
My former client and fellow blogger, Kaz, who I have previously interviewed, has a new column, MBA生ライブレポート.
私の以前のクライアントで、MIT Sloan在校生のKazが、MBA生活のコラムを書いていますので、紹介します。
Kaz自身のブログはこちら（http://blog.goo.ne.jp/kaz1204 ）です。
Kaz自身のブログはこちら（http://blog.goo.私は以前、『あなたはMBAを必要としていますか？』という記事を書きました。
そこで紹介したチェックポイントを考えるにあたって、Kazのような在校生の日々の記録は、あなたに何かのヒントを与えてくれるかもしれません。
-アダム
-アダム
November 24, 2008
Yes, I have been busy...
To my regular readers, you may have noticed that my posts in November have been rather minimal. Well, I am sorry, but as you imagine, I have been busy working with clients. I am preparing some posts for the blog, but my writing time has been in short supply.
I can't promise things will get much better till mid-January, but I will try to get something substantive up this month.
Meanwhile I still continue posting stuff on Twitter. You can see that here.
Cheers,
Adam
アダム
I can't promise things will get much better till mid-January, but I will try to get something substantive up this month.
Meanwhile I still continue posting stuff on Twitter. You can see that here.
Cheers,
Adam
アダム
Warning: Stanford Online Application Essay Page
I just wanted to let all Fall 2009 Stanford GSB Applicants (Click here for my full analysis of Stanford GSB MBA Essay Questions for 2008/2009), for 2nd and 3rd round, know that the online application question page does a awful job of presenting the Essay C questions. It states the following:
"Essay C: Please answer two of the questions listed below.
"When answering two of the questions in Essay C, please tell us not only what you did, but also how you did it. Tell us the outcome and describe how people responded. Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years."
Applicants have to take the statement "Please go to the 'Application Instructions' on the left menu for detailed information," located at the top of the Essay page literally. If one simply wrote essays on the basis on the online application essay page, it would be quite reasonable to unaware of this last three year limitation on the C essays. Of course, applicants who read the questions on the Stanford web page will already be aware of this three year requirement, but their seems no reason to not put on the essay application page. While most applicants will hopefully read the great content that Stanford has on this web page regarding their essays, GSB certainly has got a very user-unfriendly approach to handling this crucial limitation on their online application. This is clearly just a real good example of why it is always important to read the instructions closely. Or at least my essay analysis.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
"Essay C: Please answer two of the questions listed below.
- Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team.
- Tell us about a time when you felt most effective as a leader.
- Tell us about a time when you tried to reach a goal or complete a task that was challenging, difficult, or frustrating.
- Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected."
"When answering two of the questions in Essay C, please tell us not only what you did, but also how you did it. Tell us the outcome and describe how people responded. Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years."
Applicants have to take the statement "Please go to the 'Application Instructions' on the left menu for detailed information," located at the top of the Essay page literally. If one simply wrote essays on the basis on the online application essay page, it would be quite reasonable to unaware of this last three year limitation on the C essays. Of course, applicants who read the questions on the Stanford web page will already be aware of this three year requirement, but their seems no reason to not put on the essay application page. While most applicants will hopefully read the great content that Stanford has on this web page regarding their essays, GSB certainly has got a very user-unfriendly approach to handling this crucial limitation on their online application. This is clearly just a real good example of why it is always important to read the instructions closely. Or at least my essay analysis.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
November 14, 2008
Must Read BusinessWeek Article
I encourage all MBA applicants to read the BW article, "Crisis Hits the Business Schools," by Alison Damast. This does not make for happy reading, but is great reporting on both the job outlook for graduates and the increase in applications this year.
-Adam
MBA留学
-Adam
MBA留学
November 13, 2008
One word version is "Booth" not "GSB"
DON'T CALL IT GSB. DEALBREAKER has published an email from Dean Ted Snyder on what to call Chicago Booth. All Booth applicants should only use one of the three names below. When you want to only use one word, call it "Booth," and never call it "GSB." And if you applied before the announcement, don't worry. Here is the email:
"From: Dean Ted Snyder
Date: Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Subject: How to refer to our school
Chicago Booth Community,
Our announcement of David Booth's very generous and powerful vote of confidence in our business school and our rebranding the school The University of Chicago Booth School of Business have been nothing short of historic. The feedback has been as extraordinary as the gift and the naming of the school itself.
To clarify, there are three ways to refer to our school:
*The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
*Chicago Booth
*Booth
The rebranding of the school has empowered us to move away from a generic description, Graduate School of Business or GSB, to Chicago Booth, which has the potential to become a world class brand befitting this world class institution. Our goal is for Chicago Booth to be the best business school in the world and to be recognized as such.
We believe that referring to the school by name rather than by its initials will go a long way in helping us achieve this goal. We would like to elicit your support and help in successfully launching our new brand. When referring to your school, please use The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Chicago Booth or simply Booth. Please resist the temptation to call the school the BSB or the Booth School of Business.
I am confident that propelled by David's record breaking gift and the amazing press coverage we've already received, your thoughtful stewardship of the Chicago Booth brand will be just what we need to achieve unprecedented levels of broader recognition, familiarity and respect exceeding that of any other business school.
Thanks for your help and support.
Ted"
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール
November 07, 2008
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
The financial change the University of Chicago Business School has been looking for has arrived. Chicago GSB is dead. Long live Chicago Booth! It will be about three months before I can change the "Chicago GSB" name and tags in my posts, but what is in a name? Well in this case $300 million. Chicago Booth has not yet fully changed its website to reflect the name change, but I suggest you call it "Chicago Booth" and not "Chicago GSB." Here is the full press release (11/6/08):
Alumnus David Booth gives $300 million to University of Chicago business school; Largest gift in the University’s history. School to be renamed in his honor.
Alumnus David Booth gives $300 million to University of Chicago business school; Largest gift in the University’s history. School to be renamed in his honor.
An entrepreneur and visionary marketer who built his successful investment firm on finance principles he learned at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business has returned the favor by making the largest donation in the University’s history and the largest gift to any business school in the world, the school announced today (Thursday, November 6).
The donor is David G. Booth, founder and chief executive of Dimensional Fund Advisors, an investment firm, his wife Suzanne Booth and their family. David Booth received an M.B.A. from the school in 1971. The combination of an up-front payment, the income stream, and the equity interest provided by the Booth gift is valued at $300 million. In recognition of the gift, the school will be renamed the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
“The very first course I took at the University of Chicago was taught by Eugene Fama and it was a life-changing event for me,” said Booth, who was a Ph.D. student at the business school and a research assistant to Fama, the Robert R. McCormick Distinguished Service Professor of Finance. Fama is the founder of the efficient market hypothesis, which says investors in stocks should not be able to beat the market since there is no way for them to know something about a stock that is not already reflected in the stock’s price. Instead, market efficiency suggests investors are better off buying and holding widely diversified portfolios – the basic thinking behind index funds.
“I remember Professor Fama standing up the first day of class and saying ‘This is the most practical course you will ever take,’ and it turned out to be true,” Booth said. “We built Dimensional Fund Advisors around his set of ideas. I am hoping that others will join me in giving back to this amazing business school. Dean Snyder and his colleagues will need tremendous resources to realize their vision of maintaining and enhancing Chicago’s influence on business and markets.”
President Robert J. Zimmer called the gift a vivid illustration of the power of ideas.
“This gift is extraordinary in both its generosity and its endorsement of the University’s mission,” said Zimmer. “The relationship between David Booth and Eugene Fama – and the idea that captivated them both – is another example of how groundbreaking theory, rigorous examination and application of principles come together often at the University of Chicago.”
“Given the profile of our school and its role in the world, it is imperative that the person who names the school embodies its values and, moreover, is a person who is of great integrity and who commands respect,” said Edward Snyder, dean of the University of Chicago business school. “In David Booth, we have a person who exceeds all the relevant criteria.”
“This gift provides our school with a perfectly-timed opportunity to move aggressively forward, ensuring that we continue to attract the best faculty in the world,” said Snyder, who also is the George Pratt Shultz Professor of Economics.
When he was a student in the business school, Booth decided that rather than continuing with his plan to return to his home state of Kansas for an academic career, he would apply his training to the real world.
After founding Dimensional Fund Advisors in 1981 with University of Chicago classmate Rex Sinquefield, a 1972 M.B.A. graduate, Booth leveraged his Chicago education and the ongoing flow of ideas from its business school to develop strategies for his firm that were grounded in the efficient market hypothesis which says stock prices reflect all available information. Dimensional Fund Advisors now manages $120 billion for institutional investors and clients of registered financial advisors. The firm has U.S. offices in Austin, Chicago and Santa Monica, and international offices in London, Sydney and Vancouver.
Dimensional Fund Advisors relies on Eugene Fama as well as other faculty members from the University of Chicago business school to provide thought leadership to the firm. George Constantinides, the Leo Melamed Professor of Finance; John Gould, the Steven G. Rothmeier Professor and Distinguished Service Professor of Economics; and Abbie Smith, the Boris and Irene Stern Professor of Accounting are members of a DFA advisory board.
“By using the efficient market hypothesis developed at the University of Chicago business school, we have been able to document clearly that you don’t have to try to outguess the market in order to have a good investment experience,” Booth said.
“It would be hard to find anyone who benefited more from a University of Chicago education and from the faculty at Chicago than I have,” said Booth, who has been a member of the Council on the Graduate School of Business since 1999 and a member of the University of Chicago Board of Trustees since 2002. “I believe the quality of a business school’s faculty will determine the quality of a business school over the long run. The school is already in a strong position. This gift is intended to help it keep moving forward.”
The school plans to use the money for several new initiatives, including aggressively attracting and retaining star faculty. Other uses being considered include developing new faculty groups in academic areas not normally associated with business schools, expanding existing research centers, and launching ambitious programs to better leverage the school’s intellectual capital.
The gift may also be used to expand the school’s international presence beyond its existing campuses in London and Singapore.
Booth earlier gave the University of Chicago business school $10 million to help fund construction of the Charles M. Harper Center on the school’s Chicago campus.
His latest gift, from the Booth Family Trust, represents an economic interest in a portion of the trust’s shares in Dimensional Holdings, Inc., parent company of Dimensional Fund Advisors. The business school will receive an income stream from the shares and the terminal value of the shares if they are sold.
Before Booth’s gift, the largest gift to a business school was $105 million given to Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business in 2006 by Philip H. Knight, founder and chairman of Nike. Other large gifts to business schools include $100 million to the University of Michigan in 2004 from Stephen M. Ross, $85 million to the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2007 from a combined partnership of 13 alumni and $60 million to the Darden School at the University of Virginia from Frank Batten Sr., retired chairman and chief executive of Landmark Communications.
The previous largest gift to the University of Chicago was $100 million from an anonymous donor in 2007. The funds were designated for undergraduate student aid.
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine was named in 1968 and the University’s Harris School of Public Policy Studies was named in 1990.
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is one of the leading business schools in the world. The school’s faculty includes many renowned scholars and its graduates include many business leaders worldwide.
The Chicago approach to management education is distinguished by how it leverages fundamental knowledge, its rigor, and its practical application to business challenges.
Chicago Booth offers a full-time M.B.A. program, an evening M.B.A. program, a weekend M.B.A. program, an executive M.B.A. program in London and Singapore in addition to Chicago, a Ph.D. program, open enrollment executive education, and custom corporate education.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.
-Adam Markus
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-Adam Markus
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October 23, 2008
Northwestern University Kellogg MBA interviews
I know that there is some repetition in this series of posts on interviewing for specific schools, but since most readers are likely to only look at posts for specific schools, I thought it best that each of these posts be self-contained.
I have reviewed reports of Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management MBA applicant interviews found at accepted.com and clearadmit.com (As I have mentioned previously, both companies should be praised for collecting these reports for all to see. I should state as a matter of disclosure that I am a member of AIGAC, a professional organization, with consultants from both organizations). These reports reveal that there are five key things to consider when preparing for Kellogg interviews:
1. You need to know your resume completely as you will likely be asked about content in it. Review it carefully and consider what your interviewer might ask you to explain more thoroughly. If it is on your resume, it is fair game. Kellogg interviews are conducted blind, so your interview will not have read your application. The only thing they will have is your resume. Most interview reports indicate extensive questions about the contents of the resume.
2. You need to be prepared to answer routine MBA questions. Most reported interviews simply consist of them. See my previous post on MBA Application Interview Strategy.
3. Kellogg interviewers do not really ask an unexpected hypothetical and/or critical thinking questions,instead, as previously stated, you can expect more standard questions. Common notable questions include:
- What do you do in your free time? / What do you do for fun?
-Walk me through your resume (both admissions officers and alums ask this)
-Why Kellogg?/ What clubs or activities would you participate in?
-In your latest performance review, what strengths were highlighted and what weaknesses was it recommended that you work on?
4. Interviewers (adcom or alum) usually try to create a very relaxed interview atmosphere. As some adcom interviewers are 2nd year students, be aware that a campus interview might not be with an admissions officer. I know of a few instances when student interviewers were not necessarily that friendly to the applicant. In any case, this is an interview about fit (just like Kellogg Essay 2), so make sure you can explain in depth why you want to become a part of the Kellogg community and how you will contribute to it. Previous contact with alum, visits to campus, and/or intensive school research are all great ways to prepare. If you have not previously read my Kellogg Essay analysis for Fall 2009 admission, I suggest doing so as it contains my analysis of Kellogg's culture.
5. Reported interview length could be from 30 to 60 minutes, with most reported interviews taking 30-45 minutes.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 MBA留学
I have reviewed reports of Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management MBA applicant interviews found at accepted.com and clearadmit.com (As I have mentioned previously, both companies should be praised for collecting these reports for all to see. I should state as a matter of disclosure that I am a member of AIGAC, a professional organization, with consultants from both organizations). These reports reveal that there are five key things to consider when preparing for Kellogg interviews:
1. You need to know your resume completely as you will likely be asked about content in it. Review it carefully and consider what your interviewer might ask you to explain more thoroughly. If it is on your resume, it is fair game. Kellogg interviews are conducted blind, so your interview will not have read your application. The only thing they will have is your resume. Most interview reports indicate extensive questions about the contents of the resume.
2. You need to be prepared to answer routine MBA questions. Most reported interviews simply consist of them. See my previous post on MBA Application Interview Strategy.
3. Kellogg interviewers do not really ask an unexpected hypothetical and/or critical thinking questions,instead, as previously stated, you can expect more standard questions. Common notable questions include:
- What do you do in your free time? / What do you do for fun?
-Walk me through your resume (both admissions officers and alums ask this)
-Why Kellogg?/ What clubs or activities would you participate in?
-In your latest performance review, what strengths were highlighted and what weaknesses was it recommended that you work on?
4. Interviewers (adcom or alum) usually try to create a very relaxed interview atmosphere. As some adcom interviewers are 2nd year students, be aware that a campus interview might not be with an admissions officer. I know of a few instances when student interviewers were not necessarily that friendly to the applicant. In any case, this is an interview about fit (just like Kellogg Essay 2), so make sure you can explain in depth why you want to become a part of the Kellogg community and how you will contribute to it. Previous contact with alum, visits to campus, and/or intensive school research are all great ways to prepare. If you have not previously read my Kellogg Essay analysis for Fall 2009 admission, I suggest doing so as it contains my analysis of Kellogg's culture.
5. Reported interview length could be from 30 to 60 minutes, with most reported interviews taking 30-45 minutes.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 MBA留学
Dartmouth Tuck MBA Essay Questions for 2008-09
In this post I will analyze the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth MBA Application Essay Questions for 2008–09. The Questions for 2008-09 have not changed from the previous year, but I have modified my analysis somewhat. To read a testimonial by my client accepted for Tuck for Fall 2008, see here.
I will begin this post with a discussion of the Tuck Reception I attended last year. Tuck will be coming to Tokyo on November 4th, 2008 but since I can't attend, I thought I might as well include the information from last year as it appears that not much at Tuck has changed. Actually the details for the coming event seem to be the same as those for last year's event.
I attended the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth's November 2, 2007 Tokyo Reception. It had some unusual features.
First, it was held on the very same evening as the MBA World Tour, which required me to visit the MBA World Tour quickly in order to make it to the Tuck event. That really was no problem because my main objective at the World Tour was to get some brochures. Of course, for some applicants this must have been a more difficult decision. That said, anyone really interested in going to Tuck should attend one of their receptions.
Second, the number of those allowed to attend was extremely limited (maybe to about 40 or so, sorry I did not count the number of chairs that had been set-up). Actually, they could have allowed more reservations, because about half the chairs were empty.
Third, the reception was just that initially. It was held at the New Otani, one of Tokyo's most famous hotels. They served a cold and hot buffet that was delicious. The presentation did not actually begin till about 7:30, 30 minutes after the official start time. This was nice because it gave everyone a chance to chat, eat, and drink (no alcohol).
The admissions officer's presentation was brief and delivered without the use of Power Point! Yes, Tuck is the only school that as far as I know does not use Power Point. This was fine for me, but maybe hard for those whose native language is not English (that said, if you can't follow the admissions officer's presentation, you really need to think whether your English skills are strong enough to apply). After about fifteen minutes, she invited four alums up to the stage and started asking them questions. The audience also asked questions. This lasted for about forty-five minutes, I guess. Following that, there was plenty of time to talk, eat, and drink.
I mention the above apparently mundane events, not because I want to bore you, but because the event itself says something about Tuck.
As both the alums and the admissions officer emphasized Tuck is about being part of a community. The Tuck Reception I attended reflected that. They intentionally hosted a small scale event that would give everyone in the room a chance to mingle and to easily have a chance to talk with the admissions officers and alums. If someone was not comfortable in that cocktail party(albeit without alcohol) environment, they have no business applying to Tuck. Each person counts and each person will need to participate. After the presentation, one admissions officer made the rounds circulating among the participants while the other, the presenter, took questions at the front of the room. This communicated at least to me, the same message of "friendly community" that had been made by the admissions officer: students, their families, faculty, and staff at Tuck are all part of one community.
Not using Power Point is also a very interesting tactic because it eliminates a formal barrier between the presenter and the audience. Additionally people who are part of the same community don't need to make presentations to each other, they talk to each other. The admissions officer was just doing that. Those looking for a more formal or impersonal approach can find that elsewhere, but not at Tuck.
Anyone applying to Tuck, should most certainly watch the video series "Applying to Tuck: The Inside Scoop" with Dawna Clarke, the Director of Admissions. I will make reference to Ms. Clarke's advice below.
THE IMPORTANCE OF VISITING AND NETWORKING
If you are really interested in attending Tuck, I strongly suggest making a real effort to visit or at least to attend a reception. This will be a great way to meet with admissions officers in a very friendly environment. It is also an amazing way to network with the alum at the event and afterwards. At the Tokyo reception, we were actually provided with a list of alums who would be happy to communicate with potential applicants. In "Tips on Applying," Ms. Clarke emphasizes the importance of getting in touch with Tuck alum. She in fact, specifically says that mentioning that you met with alum is something you should do both in your essays and interviews. She also mentioned that she considers notes from alum as being in an applicant's favor.
Essay Questions for 2008–09
Let's take a look at the essay questions. I took the questions from the pdf.
Please respond fully but concisely to the following essay questions. Compose each of your answers offline in separate document files and upload them individually in the appropriate spaces below. Although there is no restriction on the length of your response, most applicants use, on average, 500 words for each essay. There are no right or wrong answers.
Please double-space your responses.
I don't suggest writing much more than 500 unless you really need to. That said, admissions will not be counting the words, so anything in the range of 450-600 is safe. Of course, if you need to write more, there is no absolute restriction, but I would tell a client to keep it to 750 maximum.
1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)
This is a very standard version of the Why MBA essay question. See my Chicago Essay 1 analysis as it applies here. Keep in mind the real importance of the second part of the question. Tuck's program is small, according to Businessweek, there are 500 students in the full-time program. According to the Tuck Class of 2008 Profile, the target class is 240. For the Fall 2007 Class, Tuck admitted 19% of 2584 applicants who applied, the yield was 51% (admitted who attend), so making the case that you really belong is critical.
2. Tuck defines leadership as “inspiring others to strive and enabling them to accomplish great things.” We believe great things and great leadership can be accomplished in pursuit of business and societal goals. Describe a time when you exercised such leadership. Discuss the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What characteristics helped you to be effective, and what areas do you feel you need to develop in order to be a better leader?
I suggest looking at my analysis of HBS 3:2, Stanford C, and Wharton 3 to craft your initial answer. Keep in mind that according to Dawna Clarke in "Tuck's holistic admissions process" video, leadership ability and/or demonstrated potential is one of three key common characteristics of Tuck students (see my analysis of question 4 for the other two). You should most certainly provide a full answer to this question, one demonstrating that you really understand your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Weak versions of this essay will focus so much on simply telling a leadership story and not enough on self-analysis of leadership ability.
3. Discuss the most difficult constructive criticism or feedback you have received. How did you address it? What have you learned from it?
It is possible to write this based on the topic used for a standard failure essay (see my analysis of Wharton 2.), but that is only one possibility. The basic structure for this essay is clear enough:
1. Briefly describe the situation where you received constructive criticism or feedback. Who did you receive it from and why? Why was it the most difficult? Explaining why is the most important part of this section of the essay.
2. Specifically state your response to the constructive criticism or feedback. This might take the form of a brief summary of your action steps or description of your change in attitude.
3. Explain what you learned. Often the best ways to help your reader understand this is to provide them with a different situation where you applied what you learned.
In addition to the standard reasons for asking this question- a test of ability to show how you learn from feedback, a test of your ability to honestly assess your own limitations, and a test of your ability to think critically about your past actions- this question makes particular sense for a program like Tuck where learning in a community is critical. The structure of the first year program including mandatory study groups of 5-6 students in the Fall and Winter terms, the Cohen Leadership Development Program, and the intensely community-focused nature of the environment certainly requires that all students be open to receiving and issuing positive, but critical feedback.
4. Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can bring new perspectives to our community. How will your unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences contribute to the culture at Tuck?
Please see my analysis of Kellogg Essay 2 as it applies here. Keep in mind that in addition to leadership, the two other common characteristics of Tuck students that Ms. Clarke mentions are teamwork skills and communication/interpersonal skills. So if you have not effectively covered those two categories in another essay, you should address them in one way or another here. Keep in mind that this essay is not just a way for admissions to understand some important aspects of who you are, it is also a place for them to see whether you know enough about Tuck to provide effective examples of the way you would contribute. Kellogg and Tuck are both schools were the ability to make a contribution is taken seriously, so make sure you are very serious about the way you state that you can contribute.
5. (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.
Like the optional question for Wharton, this is primarily a place for explaining something potentially negative. Under no circumstances include an essay clearly written for another school.
Finally, if you need to prepare for a Tuck interview, please see my earlier post on that. I might update it sometime, but I doubt that much will change.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
I will begin this post with a discussion of the Tuck Reception I attended last year. Tuck will be coming to Tokyo on November 4th, 2008 but since I can't attend, I thought I might as well include the information from last year as it appears that not much at Tuck has changed. Actually the details for the coming event seem to be the same as those for last year's event.
I attended the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth's November 2, 2007 Tokyo Reception. It had some unusual features.
First, it was held on the very same evening as the MBA World Tour, which required me to visit the MBA World Tour quickly in order to make it to the Tuck event. That really was no problem because my main objective at the World Tour was to get some brochures. Of course, for some applicants this must have been a more difficult decision. That said, anyone really interested in going to Tuck should attend one of their receptions.
Second, the number of those allowed to attend was extremely limited (maybe to about 40 or so, sorry I did not count the number of chairs that had been set-up). Actually, they could have allowed more reservations, because about half the chairs were empty.
Third, the reception was just that initially. It was held at the New Otani, one of Tokyo's most famous hotels. They served a cold and hot buffet that was delicious. The presentation did not actually begin till about 7:30, 30 minutes after the official start time. This was nice because it gave everyone a chance to chat, eat, and drink (no alcohol).
The admissions officer's presentation was brief and delivered without the use of Power Point! Yes, Tuck is the only school that as far as I know does not use Power Point. This was fine for me, but maybe hard for those whose native language is not English (that said, if you can't follow the admissions officer's presentation, you really need to think whether your English skills are strong enough to apply). After about fifteen minutes, she invited four alums up to the stage and started asking them questions. The audience also asked questions. This lasted for about forty-five minutes, I guess. Following that, there was plenty of time to talk, eat, and drink.
I mention the above apparently mundane events, not because I want to bore you, but because the event itself says something about Tuck.
As both the alums and the admissions officer emphasized Tuck is about being part of a community. The Tuck Reception I attended reflected that. They intentionally hosted a small scale event that would give everyone in the room a chance to mingle and to easily have a chance to talk with the admissions officers and alums. If someone was not comfortable in that cocktail party(albeit without alcohol) environment, they have no business applying to Tuck. Each person counts and each person will need to participate. After the presentation, one admissions officer made the rounds circulating among the participants while the other, the presenter, took questions at the front of the room. This communicated at least to me, the same message of "friendly community" that had been made by the admissions officer: students, their families, faculty, and staff at Tuck are all part of one community.
Not using Power Point is also a very interesting tactic because it eliminates a formal barrier between the presenter and the audience. Additionally people who are part of the same community don't need to make presentations to each other, they talk to each other. The admissions officer was just doing that. Those looking for a more formal or impersonal approach can find that elsewhere, but not at Tuck.
Anyone applying to Tuck, should most certainly watch the video series "Applying to Tuck: The Inside Scoop" with Dawna Clarke, the Director of Admissions. I will make reference to Ms. Clarke's advice below.
THE IMPORTANCE OF VISITING AND NETWORKING
If you are really interested in attending Tuck, I strongly suggest making a real effort to visit or at least to attend a reception. This will be a great way to meet with admissions officers in a very friendly environment. It is also an amazing way to network with the alum at the event and afterwards. At the Tokyo reception, we were actually provided with a list of alums who would be happy to communicate with potential applicants. In "Tips on Applying," Ms. Clarke emphasizes the importance of getting in touch with Tuck alum. She in fact, specifically says that mentioning that you met with alum is something you should do both in your essays and interviews. She also mentioned that she considers notes from alum as being in an applicant's favor.
Essay Questions for 2008–09
Let's take a look at the essay questions. I took the questions from the pdf.
Please respond fully but concisely to the following essay questions. Compose each of your answers offline in separate document files and upload them individually in the appropriate spaces below. Although there is no restriction on the length of your response, most applicants use, on average, 500 words for each essay. There are no right or wrong answers.
Please double-space your responses.
I don't suggest writing much more than 500 unless you really need to. That said, admissions will not be counting the words, so anything in the range of 450-600 is safe. Of course, if you need to write more, there is no absolute restriction, but I would tell a client to keep it to 750 maximum.
1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)
This is a very standard version of the Why MBA essay question. See my Chicago Essay 1 analysis as it applies here. Keep in mind the real importance of the second part of the question. Tuck's program is small, according to Businessweek, there are 500 students in the full-time program. According to the Tuck Class of 2008 Profile, the target class is 240. For the Fall 2007 Class, Tuck admitted 19% of 2584 applicants who applied, the yield was 51% (admitted who attend), so making the case that you really belong is critical.
2. Tuck defines leadership as “inspiring others to strive and enabling them to accomplish great things.” We believe great things and great leadership can be accomplished in pursuit of business and societal goals. Describe a time when you exercised such leadership. Discuss the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What characteristics helped you to be effective, and what areas do you feel you need to develop in order to be a better leader?
I suggest looking at my analysis of HBS 3:2, Stanford C, and Wharton 3 to craft your initial answer. Keep in mind that according to Dawna Clarke in "Tuck's holistic admissions process" video, leadership ability and/or demonstrated potential is one of three key common characteristics of Tuck students (see my analysis of question 4 for the other two). You should most certainly provide a full answer to this question, one demonstrating that you really understand your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Weak versions of this essay will focus so much on simply telling a leadership story and not enough on self-analysis of leadership ability.
3. Discuss the most difficult constructive criticism or feedback you have received. How did you address it? What have you learned from it?
It is possible to write this based on the topic used for a standard failure essay (see my analysis of Wharton 2.), but that is only one possibility. The basic structure for this essay is clear enough:
1. Briefly describe the situation where you received constructive criticism or feedback. Who did you receive it from and why? Why was it the most difficult? Explaining why is the most important part of this section of the essay.
2. Specifically state your response to the constructive criticism or feedback. This might take the form of a brief summary of your action steps or description of your change in attitude.
3. Explain what you learned. Often the best ways to help your reader understand this is to provide them with a different situation where you applied what you learned.
In addition to the standard reasons for asking this question- a test of ability to show how you learn from feedback, a test of your ability to honestly assess your own limitations, and a test of your ability to think critically about your past actions- this question makes particular sense for a program like Tuck where learning in a community is critical. The structure of the first year program including mandatory study groups of 5-6 students in the Fall and Winter terms, the Cohen Leadership Development Program, and the intensely community-focused nature of the environment certainly requires that all students be open to receiving and issuing positive, but critical feedback.
4. Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can bring new perspectives to our community. How will your unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences contribute to the culture at Tuck?
Please see my analysis of Kellogg Essay 2 as it applies here. Keep in mind that in addition to leadership, the two other common characteristics of Tuck students that Ms. Clarke mentions are teamwork skills and communication/interpersonal skills. So if you have not effectively covered those two categories in another essay, you should address them in one way or another here. Keep in mind that this essay is not just a way for admissions to understand some important aspects of who you are, it is also a place for them to see whether you know enough about Tuck to provide effective examples of the way you would contribute. Kellogg and Tuck are both schools were the ability to make a contribution is taken seriously, so make sure you are very serious about the way you state that you can contribute.
5. (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.
Like the optional question for Wharton, this is primarily a place for explaining something potentially negative. Under no circumstances include an essay clearly written for another school.
Finally, if you need to prepare for a Tuck interview, please see my earlier post on that. I might update it sometime, but I doubt that much will change.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
October 20, 2008
"Citi Loan Program Ends Nationwide"
While the total cancellation of the CitiAssist program is certainly not unexpected, The Harvard Crimson is reporting that the entire program has been halted for all new loans:
Graduate students at Harvard are not alone in facing rising interest rates on their student loans after Citigroup, the struggling financial services giant, cancelled a program designed to make it easier for international students to receive loans.
Citibank, the consumer and corporate banking arm of Citigroup, terminated its custom loan program with international graduate students at Harvard earlier this month, according to University officials. The bank is also canceling similar agreements with international students at schools including MIT and the University of Michigan, financial aid officers at those schools said.
The Assist custom loan program allowed foreign students to take out student loans without a cosigner—something that most lenders require of all students.
Citibank will honor all CitiAssist loans that were processed before the programs’ termination and will continue to underwrite loans for students in coming years, but no longer under the terms of the special arrangements with the affected schools.
Citigroup spokesman Mark Rodgers declined to say how many schools will be affected by the change, calling the specific arrangements with institutions confidential.
Harvard, MIT, and University of Michigan have already announced terminations. One would hope all institutions will do so as soon as possible as applicants potentially effected by this change in policy should have a clear idea of what funding sources will be available to them. Applicants who are counting on students loans to fund their graduate studies deserve to know whether it is even worth applying to effected schools. Given the complexity of finding new funding sources in today's investment climate, I am particularly pessimistic about the ability of many schools to actually get clear alternatives in place within the short run. I hope I am wrong.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学 ビジネススクール
Graduate students at Harvard are not alone in facing rising interest rates on their student loans after Citigroup, the struggling financial services giant, cancelled a program designed to make it easier for international students to receive loans.
Citibank, the consumer and corporate banking arm of Citigroup, terminated its custom loan program with international graduate students at Harvard earlier this month, according to University officials. The bank is also canceling similar agreements with international students at schools including MIT and the University of Michigan, financial aid officers at those schools said.
The Assist custom loan program allowed foreign students to take out student loans without a cosigner—something that most lenders require of all students.
Citibank will honor all CitiAssist loans that were processed before the programs’ termination and will continue to underwrite loans for students in coming years, but no longer under the terms of the special arrangements with the affected schools.
Citigroup spokesman Mark Rodgers declined to say how many schools will be affected by the change, calling the specific arrangements with institutions confidential.
Harvard, MIT, and University of Michigan have already announced terminations. One would hope all institutions will do so as soon as possible as applicants potentially effected by this change in policy should have a clear idea of what funding sources will be available to them. Applicants who are counting on students loans to fund their graduate studies deserve to know whether it is even worth applying to effected schools. Given the complexity of finding new funding sources in today's investment climate, I am particularly pessimistic about the ability of many schools to actually get clear alternatives in place within the short run. I hope I am wrong.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学 ビジネススクール
October 18, 2008
NYU Stern MBA Essays for Fall 2009
There are two reasons that I am analyzing NYU's essays for Fall 2009 Admission. The first is that I am working with a number of clients applying there. The second is that I really like Essay 3.
I have worked with a number of clients admitted to NYU. You can find a testimonial from one of them here.
New York University Stern School of Business MBA essay questions' web page also includes great tips, so I have included them below. Let's look at the whole thing first and than break it down.
"Essays
Please note the following details when completing the Essays section of the standard online application.
The following essay questions give you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee and to provide insight into your experiences, goals and thought processes. Your essays should be written entirely by you. An offer of admission will be withdrawn if you did not write your essays. Please note the following:
Essays 1, 2 and 4 must be typed and submitted using the standard U.S. 8 1/2” x 11” format, double-spaced, in 12-point font.
Please adhere to the essay word limits provided for each question.
Word limits apply to the total question. For example, your response to Essay 1 should answer part (a), part (b) and part (c) with a maximum of 750 words.
Label the top of each essay with the following: Name, Date of Birth (month, day, year), Essay Number and Page Number (e.g.: Joe Applicant, January 1, 2001, Essay 1, Page 1)
Essay 1. Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
Admissions Tips:
Listen to our podcast: Writing your Story.
Proofread your essays carefully.
Make sure you have fully answered the essay questions.
Be genuine in your essays - tell us about the real you.
Follow the essay instructions, including word limits and font size.
Essay 2. Fit with Stern
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The NYU Stern collaborative community is one of our strongest assets. We seek individuals who are passionate about our community and committed to growing as leaders at Stern. Please answer the following questions:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?
Admissions Tip:
To see if Stern is a fit for you, come visit us in New York City.
Essay 3. Personal Expression
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.
All submissions become part of NYU Stern’s permanent records and cannot be returned for any reason. Please do not submit anything that must be viewed or played electronically (e.g. CDs, DVDs, MP3s, online links), that is perishable (e.g. food) or that has been worn (e.g. used clothing). If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font.
If you are not submitting Essay 3 online, you must provide a brief description of your submission with your online application. To submit Essay 3 by mail, please follow the mail and labeling instructions. Also, note that supplemental Essay 3 packages are subject to size restrictions. Essays that exceed the stated size restrictions will not be accepted for review by the Admissions Committee. Please see the table below for the maximum package size guidelines:
Packaging Type
Dimensions: Metric
Dimensions: Non-metric
Box
36cm x 31cm x 8cm
14” x 12” x 3”
Cylindrical tube
8cm x 91cm
3” x 36”
Triangular tube
97cm x 16cm x 16 cm x 16 cm
38” x 6” x 6” x 6”
Admissions Tip:
Listen to Isser Gallogly, Executive Director of MBA Admissions, discuss Essay 3 on Public Radio's "Marketplace". (Before listening, note that we now have new Essay 3 size restrictions.)
Essay 4. Additional Information (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.
If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in Essay 4.
If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.
If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.
Uploading Formats
You may upload documents into the standard online application in the following formats: word, excel, PDF, .txt, .rft and .wpd."
Every year, I have seen some potential applicants to Stern look at the above questions and simply decide it is better to apply elsewhere. Actually, I have found myself advocating application to Stern as part of a school selection strategy as a result. While Stern's questions are unique, especially Essay 3, they maybe significantly less daunting than what you initially think.
Stern admissions does a very good job of explaining their application. As is written above, listen to their podcasts. If you can attend a presentation at Stern or at least attend an admissions event, that is most helpful because getting into Stern is all about fit.
Consider that in the three required questions above, the one constant feature is Stern. If you look at other top schools essay sets you will not find another one where a 100% of the questions require you to discuss the school. While Essay 1 only refers to Stern in the context of what you will do after it, clearly the assumption here is not that you just need any MBA, but one from Stern. Essay 2 actually consists of three questions about your relationship to Stern. Finally Essay 3 is about how you would introduce yourself to your classmates at Stern.
Attending Stern's Admission Event in Tokyo last year only further convinced me of this focus on fit. The impression I gathered from both the admissions presentation and the short video that was shown was that Stern places a high value on involvement within its community. At least that was impression that I got.
Essay 1. Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
What I really like about this essay is that Stern is doing all the organizational work for you. Lets examine each part.
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
Basically you need to provide an explanation for your career to the present with an emphasis on your current position. Given the space limitations, I don't suggest using more than 1/3 of your word count for this part of the essay. Focus on providing an explanation that would not be clear from simply reviewing your resume. Your motivations should be made clear. Don't write a career summary here! Instead help admissions understand you, not just what you have done.
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
Please see my analysis of Chicago GSB Question 1, which is very much focused on "Why now?" Clearly you need to show why given your present position and future goals, now is the right time to get an MBA.
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
Use at least 1/3 of your essay to explain both your post-MBA career goal and your long-term career goals. For more about goals formulation, see my analysis of Chicago Essay 1.
Essay 2. Fit with Stern
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The NYU Stern collaborative community is one of our strongest assets. We seek individuals who are passionate about our community and committed to growing as leaders at Stern. Please answer the following questions:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?
This essay consists of providing detailed answers to two totally seperate questions. Let's examine each part:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
Here you need to clearly indicate how you have become informed. Visiting is obviously best, attending their admissions event is also good, and so is making an effort to communicate with students and alums. Obviously reading their website is important, but is rather minimal. Make sure you listened to their podcasts. Making a connection to alum is always a good idea. Be specific about the steps you have taken. Feel free to use names of admissions officers, alums and students that you met. I would try to limit this section to 100-150 words at most because part (b) really does require about 400 words to answer effectively.
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?
It is likely that you will be using failure, setback, or mistake story to partially answer this question. Please read my analysis of both Wharton 2 and HBS 2 as it will assist you. This question, however is different because you also have to show how the lesson you learned from the feedback you received will allow to contribute to the Stern Community. It is also possible that was part of a situation that did not involve a failure, setback, or mistake. In any case the basic structure would likely be the following:
1. State who gave you the feedback and why.
2. Explain what you learned from it. If possible provide an example to show what you learned.
3. Explain what you can contribute to the Stern community based on this experience.
Question 3
Essay 3. Personal Expression:
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.
This is the NYU question. It is the one that seems to stop many applicants from applying to Stern (which is good for Stern's yield). In my experience, I have found that strong applicants who are willing to put the time into this question are often well rewarded (invited for interviews, admitted), but those who slap something together are often rejected.
To be honest, I have found a creative essay to be as effective as an "arts and crafts project." If you think you can answer the question most effectively by writing an essay, just do that. I have had clients admitted to NYU who have done both and all can say is that the key factor to their success was providing a response that really answered the question.
In past years, I have had clients who have done Power Points for NYU, but given that Chicago GSB now requires one, if you are applying to Chicago GSB and Stern and state that on your NYU application, don't do a Power Point for Stern because the NYU admissions people will assume you are trying to cut corners. After all, one reason NYU asks this question is because they want you to show your commitment to NYU by putting time into it.
In general, anytime a school has a non-standard question, you should really keep in mind that they are looking for answers that demonstrate an applicant's willingness to put time into it.
Regarding time, try to give yourself at least three weeks before the deadline to write/create this essay. In my experience, most successful versions of this essay take more time and drafts than most other essays. Of course, some applicants can do it right quickly, but since you are trying to be creative and also to effectively introduce yourself to your classmates, you may need more time.
One very common initial error with this essay is to focus on being creative at the exclusion of thinking about the purpose: to introduce yourself to your classmates. Keep in mind that your objective is to create a positive image of yourself that would make an excellent first impression on your classmates. It may be creative, but make sure that it also leaves admissions with a clear understanding of what positive impression of yourself you are communicating. It is your job to provide a sufficiently clear message regardless of the way you creatively present yourself.
Some Questions to get you brainstorming:
1. What do you want Stern Admissions to know about you that would positively impact your chances for admission?
2. What major positive aspects of your life have not been effectively INTERPRETED to the admissions committee in other parts of the application?
3. If you were meeting people that would you be working closely with for two years and that you might want as a part of your lifetime professional network, what would you tell them about yourself to create a strong first impression?
4. Why do people like you?
5. If there was one story about yourself that you think would really help admissions understand you and want to admit you, what is it?
6. Do you have a personal interest (painting and poetry for example) that would work effectively?
Finally, keep in mind that what you write here should not duplicate the content of Essay 2 or anything else in the application, instead it should really provide admissions with a new perspective on why you belong at Stern.
Essay 4. Additional Information: (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.
If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in this essay.
If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.
If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.
Like the optional question for Chicago GSB and Wharton, this is primarily a place for explaining something potentially negative. If you are a re-applicant, this is where your reapplication essay goes and clearly this should be a very positive and wonderful essay that states clearly how you are much stronger candidate. Under no circumstances include an essay clearly written for another school. NYU did not ask you write a whole essay about an important leadership experience you had, and since they did not ask for it, we can assume that is not what they need.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
I have worked with a number of clients admitted to NYU. You can find a testimonial from one of them here.
New York University Stern School of Business MBA essay questions' web page also includes great tips, so I have included them below. Let's look at the whole thing first and than break it down.
"Essays
Please note the following details when completing the Essays section of the standard online application.
The following essay questions give you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee and to provide insight into your experiences, goals and thought processes. Your essays should be written entirely by you. An offer of admission will be withdrawn if you did not write your essays. Please note the following:
Essays 1, 2 and 4 must be typed and submitted using the standard U.S. 8 1/2” x 11” format, double-spaced, in 12-point font.
Please adhere to the essay word limits provided for each question.
Word limits apply to the total question. For example, your response to Essay 1 should answer part (a), part (b) and part (c) with a maximum of 750 words.
Label the top of each essay with the following: Name, Date of Birth (month, day, year), Essay Number and Page Number (e.g.: Joe Applicant, January 1, 2001, Essay 1, Page 1)
Essay 1. Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
Admissions Tips:
Listen to our podcast: Writing your Story.
Proofread your essays carefully.
Make sure you have fully answered the essay questions.
Be genuine in your essays - tell us about the real you.
Follow the essay instructions, including word limits and font size.
Essay 2. Fit with Stern
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The NYU Stern collaborative community is one of our strongest assets. We seek individuals who are passionate about our community and committed to growing as leaders at Stern. Please answer the following questions:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?
Admissions Tip:
To see if Stern is a fit for you, come visit us in New York City.
Essay 3. Personal Expression
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.
All submissions become part of NYU Stern’s permanent records and cannot be returned for any reason. Please do not submit anything that must be viewed or played electronically (e.g. CDs, DVDs, MP3s, online links), that is perishable (e.g. food) or that has been worn (e.g. used clothing). If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font.
If you are not submitting Essay 3 online, you must provide a brief description of your submission with your online application. To submit Essay 3 by mail, please follow the mail and labeling instructions. Also, note that supplemental Essay 3 packages are subject to size restrictions. Essays that exceed the stated size restrictions will not be accepted for review by the Admissions Committee. Please see the table below for the maximum package size guidelines:
Packaging Type
Dimensions: Metric
Dimensions: Non-metric
Box
36cm x 31cm x 8cm
14” x 12” x 3”
Cylindrical tube
8cm x 91cm
3” x 36”
Triangular tube
97cm x 16cm x 16 cm x 16 cm
38” x 6” x 6” x 6”
Admissions Tip:
Listen to Isser Gallogly, Executive Director of MBA Admissions, discuss Essay 3 on Public Radio's "Marketplace". (Before listening, note that we now have new Essay 3 size restrictions.)
Essay 4. Additional Information (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.
If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in Essay 4.
If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.
If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.
Uploading Formats
You may upload documents into the standard online application in the following formats: word, excel, PDF, .txt, .rft and .wpd."
Every year, I have seen some potential applicants to Stern look at the above questions and simply decide it is better to apply elsewhere. Actually, I have found myself advocating application to Stern as part of a school selection strategy as a result. While Stern's questions are unique, especially Essay 3, they maybe significantly less daunting than what you initially think.
Stern admissions does a very good job of explaining their application. As is written above, listen to their podcasts. If you can attend a presentation at Stern or at least attend an admissions event, that is most helpful because getting into Stern is all about fit.
Consider that in the three required questions above, the one constant feature is Stern. If you look at other top schools essay sets you will not find another one where a 100% of the questions require you to discuss the school. While Essay 1 only refers to Stern in the context of what you will do after it, clearly the assumption here is not that you just need any MBA, but one from Stern. Essay 2 actually consists of three questions about your relationship to Stern. Finally Essay 3 is about how you would introduce yourself to your classmates at Stern.
Attending Stern's Admission Event in Tokyo last year only further convinced me of this focus on fit. The impression I gathered from both the admissions presentation and the short video that was shown was that Stern places a high value on involvement within its community. At least that was impression that I got.
Essay 1. Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
What I really like about this essay is that Stern is doing all the organizational work for you. Lets examine each part.
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
Basically you need to provide an explanation for your career to the present with an emphasis on your current position. Given the space limitations, I don't suggest using more than 1/3 of your word count for this part of the essay. Focus on providing an explanation that would not be clear from simply reviewing your resume. Your motivations should be made clear. Don't write a career summary here! Instead help admissions understand you, not just what you have done.
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
Please see my analysis of Chicago GSB Question 1, which is very much focused on "Why now?" Clearly you need to show why given your present position and future goals, now is the right time to get an MBA.
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
Use at least 1/3 of your essay to explain both your post-MBA career goal and your long-term career goals. For more about goals formulation, see my analysis of Chicago Essay 1.
Essay 2. Fit with Stern
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The NYU Stern collaborative community is one of our strongest assets. We seek individuals who are passionate about our community and committed to growing as leaders at Stern. Please answer the following questions:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?
This essay consists of providing detailed answers to two totally seperate questions. Let's examine each part:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
Here you need to clearly indicate how you have become informed. Visiting is obviously best, attending their admissions event is also good, and so is making an effort to communicate with students and alums. Obviously reading their website is important, but is rather minimal. Make sure you listened to their podcasts. Making a connection to alum is always a good idea. Be specific about the steps you have taken. Feel free to use names of admissions officers, alums and students that you met. I would try to limit this section to 100-150 words at most because part (b) really does require about 400 words to answer effectively.
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?
It is likely that you will be using failure, setback, or mistake story to partially answer this question. Please read my analysis of both Wharton 2 and HBS 2 as it will assist you. This question, however is different because you also have to show how the lesson you learned from the feedback you received will allow to contribute to the Stern Community. It is also possible that was part of a situation that did not involve a failure, setback, or mistake. In any case the basic structure would likely be the following:
1. State who gave you the feedback and why.
2. Explain what you learned from it. If possible provide an example to show what you learned.
3. Explain what you can contribute to the Stern community based on this experience.
Question 3
Essay 3. Personal Expression:
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.
This is the NYU question. It is the one that seems to stop many applicants from applying to Stern (which is good for Stern's yield). In my experience, I have found that strong applicants who are willing to put the time into this question are often well rewarded (invited for interviews, admitted), but those who slap something together are often rejected.
To be honest, I have found a creative essay to be as effective as an "arts and crafts project." If you think you can answer the question most effectively by writing an essay, just do that. I have had clients admitted to NYU who have done both and all can say is that the key factor to their success was providing a response that really answered the question.
In past years, I have had clients who have done Power Points for NYU, but given that Chicago GSB now requires one, if you are applying to Chicago GSB and Stern and state that on your NYU application, don't do a Power Point for Stern because the NYU admissions people will assume you are trying to cut corners. After all, one reason NYU asks this question is because they want you to show your commitment to NYU by putting time into it.
In general, anytime a school has a non-standard question, you should really keep in mind that they are looking for answers that demonstrate an applicant's willingness to put time into it.
Regarding time, try to give yourself at least three weeks before the deadline to write/create this essay. In my experience, most successful versions of this essay take more time and drafts than most other essays. Of course, some applicants can do it right quickly, but since you are trying to be creative and also to effectively introduce yourself to your classmates, you may need more time.
One very common initial error with this essay is to focus on being creative at the exclusion of thinking about the purpose: to introduce yourself to your classmates. Keep in mind that your objective is to create a positive image of yourself that would make an excellent first impression on your classmates. It may be creative, but make sure that it also leaves admissions with a clear understanding of what positive impression of yourself you are communicating. It is your job to provide a sufficiently clear message regardless of the way you creatively present yourself.
Some Questions to get you brainstorming:
1. What do you want Stern Admissions to know about you that would positively impact your chances for admission?
2. What major positive aspects of your life have not been effectively INTERPRETED to the admissions committee in other parts of the application?
3. If you were meeting people that would you be working closely with for two years and that you might want as a part of your lifetime professional network, what would you tell them about yourself to create a strong first impression?
4. Why do people like you?
5. If there was one story about yourself that you think would really help admissions understand you and want to admit you, what is it?
6. Do you have a personal interest (painting and poetry for example) that would work effectively?
Finally, keep in mind that what you write here should not duplicate the content of Essay 2 or anything else in the application, instead it should really provide admissions with a new perspective on why you belong at Stern.
Essay 4. Additional Information: (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.
If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in this essay.
If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.
If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.
Like the optional question for Chicago GSB and Wharton, this is primarily a place for explaining something potentially negative. If you are a re-applicant, this is where your reapplication essay goes and clearly this should be a very positive and wonderful essay that states clearly how you are much stronger candidate. Under no circumstances include an essay clearly written for another school. NYU did not ask you write a whole essay about an important leadership experience you had, and since they did not ask for it, we can assume that is not what they need.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
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