NOTE: I HAVE NOW PREPARED A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE HBS ESSAY QUESTIONS FOR FALL 2009 ADMISSION: Overall Strategy 1 2 3-1 3-2 3-3 3-4. Feel free to read the read post below, but I suggest you read my full analysis as the remarks below were merely tentative.
In honor of my client admitted to HBS 3rd round for 2008 who still reads my blog even though he does not need to, I wanted to give my immediate impression of the HBS questions that 2009 applicants will now start asking him about.
My full analysis of the HBS MBA Questions for Fall 2009 Admission will come out by mid-June, but in the meantime, here is my quick UPPERCASE take on them. See my Fall 2008 analysis for the questions that have not changed.
Two Required Questions: NO CHANGE. THE TWO REQUIRED QUESTIONS ARE PAST FOCUSED.
1. What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)
NO CHANGE FROM 2007
2. What have you learned from a mistake? (400-word limit)
NO CHANGE FROM 2007.
3. Please respond to two of the following (400-word limit each):
FOUR instead of SIX questions to choose from. Unlike in past years, there is no question that specifically uses the word "leadership." That said, you better be able to show it.
1. What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience?
NO CHANGE FROM 2007. THIS QUESTION IS PAST FOCUSED, BUT RELATES TO ONES FUTURE. IF THERE IS A STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN UNDERGRAD ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE AND FUTURE PLANS, THIS MIGHT BECOME THE GOALS ESSAY. OR NOT.
2. Discuss how you have engaged with a community or organization.
NEW QUESTION. A LEADERSHIP QUESTION FOR ANYONE WHO HAS SHOWN LEADERSHIP (ENGAGEMENT) IN ALMOST ANY CAPACITY. PAST FOCUSED.
3.What area of the world are you most curious about and why?
NEW QUESTION. GREAT QUESTION FOR THE INTERNATIONALLY MINDED AND ONE THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE CULTURE SHOCK. VERY FUTURE DIRECTED. COULD BE USED AS THE GOALS ESSAY FOR SOME APPLICANTS.
4.What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you?
NO CHANGE FROM 2007. WHEN HBS MADE THEIR GOALS STATEMENT OPTIONAL LAST YEAR, I ADMIRED THEM . GLAD THEY DID IT AGAIN. STILL MANY APPLICANTS WILL WRITE IT. AS LONG YOU HAVE A GREAT VISION, YOU BETTER GET IN. THEY WILL NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WANT AN MBA (THOUGH NOT NECESSARILY IN GREAT DEPTH), SO YOU CAN WRITE IT HERE OR IN ANOTHER ESSAY IN THE SET. MOST APPLICANTS WILL WRITE THEIR GOALS IN EITHER ESSAY 1, ESSAY 3-1, 3-3 oR MORE OBVIOUSLY IN ESSAY 3-4.
Please note: My comments above are subject to alteration after I think more completely about the new questions. Of course I am happy that I don't have as much work on my Harvard essay analysis this year!
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
カウンセリング コンサルティング エッセイMBA留学 ハーバード
May 17, 2008
May 15, 2008
School Selection: Academic Fit
Whether you are in the process of deciding where to go or are deciding where to attend, academic fit is an important part of school selection. For some strategic advice on school selection, please read my earlier post here. Beyond other considerations, such as ranking, location, financing your education, academic fit should be key consideration for all applicants.
How difficult is the program?
Don't associate difficulty with admission with difficulty of the program itself, though the two are often correlated. Some degree programs are just easier to get through regardless of their ranking or other positive features. Below, I consider this issue in regards to MBA, LL.M., Ph.D., Masters, and the relationship between difficulty and ranking.
MBA: INSEAD, Harvard Business School, and Darden, which at least based on what my previous clients have told me, seem particularly hard. Given the real variation in curriculum, this is partially a function of fit. Be honest with yourself and realistic about what you want to do. For example, HBS is great for some, but a disaster waiting to happen for some of its admits who will be invited not to return after the first year (maybe they can come back in a year or two, maybe not). Those not invited to directly return for the second year of HBS likely would have survived elsewhere, but due to weak communication skills, an inability to have anything useful to say in class, or weak quantitative skills, their two-year path to management greatness has been sidetracked, perhaps permanently.
An LL.M. at Harvard Law School also seems quite hard comparatively because international LL.M. students are not given extra time to complete their exams like they are at many other Masters of Law programs in the US. While most who are admitted to HLS are likely to go and do well (My clients admitted to HLS have consistently been some of the smartest legal minds I have encountered), it is at least worth keeping this mind. When selecting where do your Masters of Law, as with degree programs, ask current students and alums to get a sense of how difficult the program is.
Ph.D. programs: The rates of attrition in Ph.D. programs are high, so really think seriously about whether you should be applying for a Ph.D. or a masters program. Inside Higher Ed has a very good recent article on Ph.D. attrition rates.
Ranking does not necessarily tell you how difficult a program will be to get a degree from. Especially keep in mind that some mid-ranked graduate programs in the humanities and social sciences may often have more stringent requirements for obtaining a Masters than their higher ranked rivals. Often such mid-ranked programs have a reputation for providing the kind of master’s level training that gets their graduates into better Ph.D. programs.
Make sure that the faculty, classes, and other resources will support you and motivate you.
Are the program content and teaching methods used compatible with you? Think about what you want to learn and really look deeply into the program to see that it really will be focused on what you want to study. In some disciplines, teaching methods are more consistent, but in others, such as MBA, there is huge variation in what is acceptable. Do an honest self-assessment of what kind of learner you are in order to determine what will work best for you. For more about learning style, see here.
What are the faculty like? See my earlier post on how to learn about faculty.
What is the quality of the school's research infrastructure (libraries, research centers, and/or laboratories) for your intended field of study? Especially for those planning on doing intensive research, ask yourself whether the school is really equipped to meet your research agenda. Those applying for degrees in the sciences most obviously pay especially close attention to this issue.
To what extent will leading people in my intended field of study come to the school to deliver talks or hold short courses? One thing that often sets a top program apart is the frequency of visits by leading people in your field.
What kind of educational exchange options are there? If educational exchange is something that you are looking for, obviously you need to consider this issue. Many of my past MBA clients have reported wonderful experiences doing exchange programs.
Ask yourself whether you will be sufficiently prepared when you start the program.
If you think there is a gap between what you know and what you need to know when the program commences, ask yourself whether you can fill the gap. Even if you have obtained admission, ask yourself this question. Many admits will be covering those gaps in the summer before school starts and you should as well. If you are in the application phase, put together a plan for how you will cover any prerequisite gaps and decide whether your application needs to address this issue.
Fit with fellow students
One of the best reasons to visit a school or at least to interact with alums is determine whether you like them. To a greater or lesser extent, your fellow students will impact your graduate experience both in and out of the classroom. Make sure that you feel good about the alums and current students you encounter. Regardless of attempts to diversify, all institutions have a tendency to attract certain kinds of people, so just make sure you are left with the feeling that you would want to be friends with the alums and current students you encounter. Consider what it will be like to be in classrooms, engaged in discussions, in groups, and asking for help from the students in your program.
Trust No Single Perspective
Finally, when looking into these issues, don't simply accept one perspective on the school. You should never let your decision to apply or attend be based simply on the judgment of one other person. Ask around, look around, and ultimately trust no one but yourself to make the decision.
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
アダム マーカス
合格対策
How difficult is the program?
Don't associate difficulty with admission with difficulty of the program itself, though the two are often correlated. Some degree programs are just easier to get through regardless of their ranking or other positive features. Below, I consider this issue in regards to MBA, LL.M., Ph.D., Masters, and the relationship between difficulty and ranking.
MBA: INSEAD, Harvard Business School, and Darden, which at least based on what my previous clients have told me, seem particularly hard. Given the real variation in curriculum, this is partially a function of fit. Be honest with yourself and realistic about what you want to do. For example, HBS is great for some, but a disaster waiting to happen for some of its admits who will be invited not to return after the first year (maybe they can come back in a year or two, maybe not). Those not invited to directly return for the second year of HBS likely would have survived elsewhere, but due to weak communication skills, an inability to have anything useful to say in class, or weak quantitative skills, their two-year path to management greatness has been sidetracked, perhaps permanently.
An LL.M. at Harvard Law School also seems quite hard comparatively because international LL.M. students are not given extra time to complete their exams like they are at many other Masters of Law programs in the US. While most who are admitted to HLS are likely to go and do well (My clients admitted to HLS have consistently been some of the smartest legal minds I have encountered), it is at least worth keeping this mind. When selecting where do your Masters of Law, as with degree programs, ask current students and alums to get a sense of how difficult the program is.
Ph.D. programs: The rates of attrition in Ph.D. programs are high, so really think seriously about whether you should be applying for a Ph.D. or a masters program. Inside Higher Ed has a very good recent article on Ph.D. attrition rates.
Ranking does not necessarily tell you how difficult a program will be to get a degree from. Especially keep in mind that some mid-ranked graduate programs in the humanities and social sciences may often have more stringent requirements for obtaining a Masters than their higher ranked rivals. Often such mid-ranked programs have a reputation for providing the kind of master’s level training that gets their graduates into better Ph.D. programs.
Make sure that the faculty, classes, and other resources will support you and motivate you.
Are the program content and teaching methods used compatible with you? Think about what you want to learn and really look deeply into the program to see that it really will be focused on what you want to study. In some disciplines, teaching methods are more consistent, but in others, such as MBA, there is huge variation in what is acceptable. Do an honest self-assessment of what kind of learner you are in order to determine what will work best for you. For more about learning style, see here.
What are the faculty like? See my earlier post on how to learn about faculty.
What is the quality of the school's research infrastructure (libraries, research centers, and/or laboratories) for your intended field of study? Especially for those planning on doing intensive research, ask yourself whether the school is really equipped to meet your research agenda. Those applying for degrees in the sciences most obviously pay especially close attention to this issue.
To what extent will leading people in my intended field of study come to the school to deliver talks or hold short courses? One thing that often sets a top program apart is the frequency of visits by leading people in your field.
What kind of educational exchange options are there? If educational exchange is something that you are looking for, obviously you need to consider this issue. Many of my past MBA clients have reported wonderful experiences doing exchange programs.
Ask yourself whether you will be sufficiently prepared when you start the program.
If you think there is a gap between what you know and what you need to know when the program commences, ask yourself whether you can fill the gap. Even if you have obtained admission, ask yourself this question. Many admits will be covering those gaps in the summer before school starts and you should as well. If you are in the application phase, put together a plan for how you will cover any prerequisite gaps and decide whether your application needs to address this issue.
Fit with fellow students
One of the best reasons to visit a school or at least to interact with alums is determine whether you like them. To a greater or lesser extent, your fellow students will impact your graduate experience both in and out of the classroom. Make sure that you feel good about the alums and current students you encounter. Regardless of attempts to diversify, all institutions have a tendency to attract certain kinds of people, so just make sure you are left with the feeling that you would want to be friends with the alums and current students you encounter. Consider what it will be like to be in classrooms, engaged in discussions, in groups, and asking for help from the students in your program.
Trust No Single Perspective
Finally, when looking into these issues, don't simply accept one perspective on the school. You should never let your decision to apply or attend be based simply on the judgment of one other person. Ask around, look around, and ultimately trust no one but yourself to make the decision.
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
アダム マーカス
合格対策
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大学院留学、HBS
May 14, 2008
On LBS Attendance Event Monitoring
My blog was recently referred to in the Businessweek Forums regarding the issue of LBS monitoring who attends their admissions events. Here is my slightly modified reply that I posted on the forum:
I stand completely by my posting regarding LBS monitoring (See here and here). All the emails I quote are real. I deal regularly with admisions officers (hence I have interviews with a few of them on my blog) and would in no way misrepresent the facts. As I also mentioned on my blog, Georgetown is doing the same thing.
I don't believe that all schools are monitoring who attends their events, but clearly both Georgetown and LBS are. I am not sure what software they are using to do this or whether it is even the same software, but given the quick response, I doubt that this is being done manually. As to how it might impact admissions decisions, I would say it is a marginal consideration, but since it can only potentially help to attend, I would advise applicants to do so.
As I stated in my Georgetown post, I was told by adcom offcers previously when asked that they don't monitor, but things change, especially if technology enables it. As is clear from my two LBS posts, I found the whole thing rather creepy and invasive, but that is because I believe in a right to privacy, something that increasingly seems to be eroding in both the US and UK. If anyone else knows of schools other than Georgetown and LBS that engage in this sort of monitoring, please let me know as I will certainly be willing to document it on my blog.
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
アダム マーカス
I stand completely by my posting regarding LBS monitoring (See here and here). All the emails I quote are real. I deal regularly with admisions officers (hence I have interviews with a few of them on my blog) and would in no way misrepresent the facts. As I also mentioned on my blog, Georgetown is doing the same thing.
I don't believe that all schools are monitoring who attends their events, but clearly both Georgetown and LBS are. I am not sure what software they are using to do this or whether it is even the same software, but given the quick response, I doubt that this is being done manually. As to how it might impact admissions decisions, I would say it is a marginal consideration, but since it can only potentially help to attend, I would advise applicants to do so.
As I stated in my Georgetown post, I was told by adcom offcers previously when asked that they don't monitor, but things change, especially if technology enables it. As is clear from my two LBS posts, I found the whole thing rather creepy and invasive, but that is because I believe in a right to privacy, something that increasingly seems to be eroding in both the US and UK. If anyone else knows of schools other than Georgetown and LBS that engage in this sort of monitoring, please let me know as I will certainly be willing to document it on my blog.
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
アダム マーカス
May 12, 2008
Boosting Ones Chances for MBA Admission
Planning to apply for 2009 MBA admission? Or maybe 2010? Or 2011 or later? Have you wondered what you can do now to improve your chances for admission? Even for those thinking about 2009, it might be possible to take one or more of the following suggestions for improving your chances to get into B-school.
For those focused on 2009 admission, think about the one thing you would still like to improve in your background and in addition to GMAT and TOEFL preparation, try and focus on it. I know this is much easier said than done.
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
アダム マーカス
1. Amount of work experience: While top programs typically want a minimum of two years of experience, HBS and Stanford are trending younger. The quality rather the years of work experience is the issue. So apply when you are ready and don't feel obligated to wait till you have three to five years of experience. Keep in mind that it really the quality rather than the quantity that programs like LBS, Wharton, Kellogg, and Chicago GSB are looking for.
2. Kinds of work experience you should obtain:
-Evidence of leadership potential. One critical consideration is whether your work shows evidence of leadership potential. You should make efforts to lead projects, initiate specific proposals, and/or take other actions that will show this. Potential can be demonstrated by both large and small things, but it should be there.
-Cultivate teamwork/team leadership skills: put yourself into as many team situations as possible. Even when you are not the leader, show initiative and take on extra responsibilities. By doing so, you will create the kind of track record and develop the kind of experience that shows your ability to thrive in team centered work that is usually a core part of MBA programs.
-Add value beyond what your employer expects: Cultivate your creativity and initiative through your work. Give 110%.
The above actions will result in a stronger resume, better recommendations, and better stories for your essays and interviews.
3. Academic knowledge. If you have not done so, take college level courses in Micro/Macro Economics, Statistics, and Accounting. Take the courses from a major traditional university with online/distance/evening extension program. While it is not necessary to take such courses prior to entering an MBA, by doing so, you will by at great advantage over those who have to struggle with the basics. If your GPA is not great, work hard to get high grades in these courses as proof of your academic potential.
4. Get involved in something outside of work. Volunteer experience is one such option. Another is playing a leadership role in a social organization such as sports club. Another is showing commitment to hobby (martial arts, your jazz band, whatever). Schools want students are balanced and actually do something outside of work.
5. Improve your English or 2nd/3rd language ability. If English is your second language and you are not yet a very advanced level speaker, work on improving it. For everyone else, study another foreign language. If you are thinking about schools like INSEAD, it is ideal, at minimum to come in with competence in a second or perhaps third language.
For those focused on 2009 admission, think about the one thing you would still like to improve in your background and in addition to GMAT and TOEFL preparation, try and focus on it. I know this is much easier said than done.
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
アダム マーカス
May 11, 2008
Chicago GSB Reap Advice
As is usual for Chicago GSB admissions, they have provided some great advice, this time on the topic of reapplication. If you plan to reapply to Chicago GSB or are just looking for general reapplication advice, I suggest reading GSB's "Making a Fresh Start."
I especially liked the following very useful advice that is really applicable for any applicant:
Show us why you're different. Each year thousands of students apply to business school and yet many qualified candidates are not offered admission. With MBA admissions growing more and more competitive each year, it's really important to stand out in the crowd by attempting to differentiate yourself from those of a similar profile. Tell us about your challenges, interesting achievements, unique perspectives and stories.
Showing admissions why you are unique is something that all applicants should really focus on. For more about, please see my earlier post on being unique. For more about reapplication, please see my previous post.
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
アダム マーカス
カウンセリング コンサルティング エッセイMBA留学 シカゴ
I especially liked the following very useful advice that is really applicable for any applicant:
Show us why you're different. Each year thousands of students apply to business school and yet many qualified candidates are not offered admission. With MBA admissions growing more and more competitive each year, it's really important to stand out in the crowd by attempting to differentiate yourself from those of a similar profile. Tell us about your challenges, interesting achievements, unique perspectives and stories.
Showing admissions why you are unique is something that all applicants should really focus on. For more about, please see my earlier post on being unique. For more about reapplication, please see my previous post.
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
アダム マーカス
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