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
October 20, 2008
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
October 15, 2008
UNC Kenan-Flagler: 受験生向けチャットのお知らせ
I was asked to announce that the current UNC Kenan-Flagler Japanese MBA students will be having an online chat for applicants on November 8th. The details are below. I would highly encourage all Japanese applicants interested in applying to UNC to participate in this.
-Adam
イベント情報--------------------------
受験生向けチャットのお知らせ new! (2008/10/6)
日本人在校生がチャットで受験生のみなさんの疑問にお答えします。
日時
2008年11月8日（土）
日本時間 : 午後10時半〜11時半
米国東部標準時間 : 午前8時半〜9時半
アクセス方法
1. UNC at CH MBA日本語HPにアクセス
2. 近日中にアップ予定のChat専用URL (トップ画面を参照下さい) をクリック
3. 新しいウィンドウが現れ、Please enter your full nameと表示されるのでその下に表示されるブランクに参加者名(ハンドルネームで結構です)を記入
4. Sign inボタンをクリック
5. チャットルームへの入室ができます
6. チャット画面の下にメッセージボックスがありますので、メッセージを記入の上、”Send message”ボタンをクリックし、参加ください
7. 参加後、アンケートにご協力ください
お問い合わせ連絡先：UNC_MBA@hotmail.com
-Adam
イベント情報--------------------------
受験生向けチャットのお知らせ new! (2008/10/6)
日本人在校生がチャットで受験生のみなさんの疑問にお答えします。
日時
2008年11月8日（土）
日本時間 : 午後10時半〜11時半
米国東部標準時間 : 午前8時半〜9時半
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October 13, 2008
LBS Fall 2009 MBA Application Essay Questions
Attending the LBS Event that was held in Tokyo on October 7th (you can see my full twittering of the event, if you go to this page and start with "02:57 AM October 07, 2008 from mobile web"), I was again reminded of the strength of the LBS alumni network, the quality of its academic research (something LBS prides itself on), its core competencies in finance and international business, and unfortunately, the admissions offices' unwillingness to provide applicants with any information on acceptance rates. As someone who believes applicants should be able to make informed choices based on transparent admissions processes, I was disappointed to hear that LBS admissions did not feel such information was necessary to provide. I asked the admissions officer, but did not debate her. I never debate with admissions as there is no point in doing so. Now that my rant is out of the way, I will proceed to analyze the essay questions for a school that in all other aspects, I consider to be one of the best. I have worked with a number of clients admitted to LBS. You can find a testimonial from one of them here.
QUESTIONS 1 & 2
WHY DOES LBS SEPARATE THE SHORT AND MEDIUM/LONGER TERM GOALS?
I don't think this is just an administrative decision, but rather an indication that they are looking for applicants who can put together a very clear post-MBA plan. They want applicants who are focused on their immediate post-MBA career from the outset. In this respect, LBS is the total opposite from a school like MIT that believes that an MBA is transformative and that ones post-MBA plans will come out of the educational experience. By clearly separating the immediate post-MBA plan from the rest of your goals, LBS requires you to be specific. Make them believe in the reality of what you want to do. Make it real, not a "dream." The LBS approach seems to have little room for the medium/longer term, specifically 200 words.
QUESTION 1:
As stated above, give them a plan. Show how specific parts of your past experience support that plan. State clearly what parts of the LBS program will make that plan possible. Explain very clearly why now is the right to time to execute this plan. You should not be writing about goals, only about your post-MBA plan, that first job once you graduate from LBS.
The order you answer this question is really up to you, but I think it is very important that your answer not become overburdened by discussing your past experience at the expense of discussing your plans and why LBS is right for you. Keep in mind that you should be using your past experience as evidence to support your plan. Therefore, make sure that anything you say about your past experience is included for the sole purpose of showing its value to your plan and to the necessity for obtaining an MBA now.
Regarding LBS, for Questions 1,3, and 4, you need to know quite a bit about LBS. The more you know the better. Fully explore the LBS website, get in touch with alums, and even contact students. Do whatever it takes to become sufficiently informed about the school. Attend events if you can and even better, go visit if that is possible. The school has strengths beyond finance and international business, so explore them. Figure out specifically what parts of the program will most effectively assist you succeeding at your post-MBA plan.
QUESTION 2
Have a very clear five-year post-MBA goal. While it might be the case that you will change jobs within that initial five years, I suggest for this purpose that is best that you don't, but rather show how you will grow and develop in your career. Assume continuious realistic growth over those five years. As to the longer term career vision, give them a full indication that your goals are consistent with the idea that you will be a leader and influencer of the future.
Q3. Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Include any specific challenges you have faced. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your first year study group? (500 words)
In 500 words, you should try to cover two to three different aspects of your team experiences. I think there are two options for doing this: One is to focus on a single situation and the other is to focus on multiple situations. While I have had clients admitted using both forms, most choose the second option. Even if you focus on single situation, you had better clearly show how different aspects of your teamwork and team leadership will enable you to contribute to your study group.
If you chose to focus on multiple experiences, make sure each experience represents something different. One possible mix might be one recent professional team experience, one experience during your university years, and one relating to a current extracurricular activity. In addition to wanting to know about your team experiences and how they will add value to other students, London Business School wants to know how you will contribute to the school as a whole. I look at this question as quite similar to a specialized form of the very standard contribution question. Please refer to my analysis of Kellogg Question 2 for how to structure your answer.
Q5. Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country. What did you gain from these? (150 words)
This question is not optional.
Actually, I am at a loss to know how someone should answer this if they have never left their home country. That probably means LBS is not a good option for them. To be honest, even my clients with limited international experience have at least had some and always been able to answer this. If you have no international experience, go take a trip to another country before you apply. I am serious.
The usual problem my clients encounter is how to even minimally account for their international experience in 150 words. My advice is to focus on 1-3 key experiences which had a significant impact on you. Clearly some people with large amounts of international experience will find themselves providing a pretty macro-level answer, but even so, try to be specific about what you gained.
Q6. (This question is optional) Is there any other information that you believe would help the MBA Admissions Committee when considering your application? (300 words)
This question is completely open-ended. I highly recommend using it discuss something positive as well as any concerns you may have (bad GPA, low GMAT, no recommendation from your supervisor, etc.). What is that one additional story that LBS really needs to know about you? Use this answer to provide admissions with another reason to invite you to an LBS interview.
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
QUESTIONS 1 & 2
Q1. In what role do you see yourself working immediately after graduation? Why? How will your past and present experiences help you achieve this? How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal? Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA? (600 words)
Q2. Where do you see your career progressing five years after graduation and what is your longer term career vision? (200 words)
I think it is helpful to look at these two questions together. Many schools (INSEAD and Wharton for example) would put these two questions together, but LBS does not. If you need to do initial brainstorming on your goals, please see my analysis of Wharton Essay 1 as it will help you on conceptual level with these two questions. Assuming your goals are clear and you know why you need an MBA, you can proceed to writing Questions 1 and 2.WHY DOES LBS SEPARATE THE SHORT AND MEDIUM/LONGER TERM GOALS?
I don't think this is just an administrative decision, but rather an indication that they are looking for applicants who can put together a very clear post-MBA plan. They want applicants who are focused on their immediate post-MBA career from the outset. In this respect, LBS is the total opposite from a school like MIT that believes that an MBA is transformative and that ones post-MBA plans will come out of the educational experience. By clearly separating the immediate post-MBA plan from the rest of your goals, LBS requires you to be specific. Make them believe in the reality of what you want to do. Make it real, not a "dream." The LBS approach seems to have little room for the medium/longer term, specifically 200 words.
QUESTION 1:
As stated above, give them a plan. Show how specific parts of your past experience support that plan. State clearly what parts of the LBS program will make that plan possible. Explain very clearly why now is the right to time to execute this plan. You should not be writing about goals, only about your post-MBA plan, that first job once you graduate from LBS.
The order you answer this question is really up to you, but I think it is very important that your answer not become overburdened by discussing your past experience at the expense of discussing your plans and why LBS is right for you. Keep in mind that you should be using your past experience as evidence to support your plan. Therefore, make sure that anything you say about your past experience is included for the sole purpose of showing its value to your plan and to the necessity for obtaining an MBA now.
Regarding LBS, for Questions 1,3, and 4, you need to know quite a bit about LBS. The more you know the better. Fully explore the LBS website, get in touch with alums, and even contact students. Do whatever it takes to become sufficiently informed about the school. Attend events if you can and even better, go visit if that is possible. The school has strengths beyond finance and international business, so explore them. Figure out specifically what parts of the program will most effectively assist you succeeding at your post-MBA plan.
QUESTION 2
Have a very clear five-year post-MBA goal. While it might be the case that you will change jobs within that initial five years, I suggest for this purpose that is best that you don't, but rather show how you will grow and develop in your career. Assume continuious realistic growth over those five years. As to the longer term career vision, give them a full indication that your goals are consistent with the idea that you will be a leader and influencer of the future.
Q3. Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Include any specific challenges you have faced. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your first year study group? (500 words)
In 500 words, you should try to cover two to three different aspects of your team experiences. I think there are two options for doing this: One is to focus on a single situation and the other is to focus on multiple situations. While I have had clients admitted using both forms, most choose the second option. Even if you focus on single situation, you had better clearly show how different aspects of your teamwork and team leadership will enable you to contribute to your study group.
If you chose to focus on multiple experiences, make sure each experience represents something different. One possible mix might be one recent professional team experience, one experience during your university years, and one relating to a current extracurricular activity. In addition to wanting to know about your team experiences and how they will add value to other students, London Business School wants to know how you will contribute to the school as a whole. I look at this question as quite similar to a specialized form of the very standard contribution question. Please refer to my analysis of Kellogg Question 2 for how to structure your answer.
Q4. Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community events will you be involved with and why? How will you contribute? (400 words)
This is also a contribution question, but quite different in both theme and structure from Q3. This question is certainly not like the more standard contribution questions above because it is completely future focused, whereas the typical contribution question is about showing how the past will be utilized for the future. Here you should certainly explain why you would want to lead a particular club or event and while this may relate to the past, you should really use this essay to show what you want to gain from LBS. In fact, this question is both about what you will contribute and what you will learn/experience at LBS. Effective answers to this question require solid knowledge about LBS, so that you can think really practically about your answer to this question. Keep in mind that this question is not really very hypothetical because students are expected to get leadership experience through clubs and events.This question is not optional.
Actually, I am at a loss to know how someone should answer this if they have never left their home country. That probably means LBS is not a good option for them. To be honest, even my clients with limited international experience have at least had some and always been able to answer this. If you have no international experience, go take a trip to another country before you apply. I am serious.
The usual problem my clients encounter is how to even minimally account for their international experience in 150 words. My advice is to focus on 1-3 key experiences which had a significant impact on you. Clearly some people with large amounts of international experience will find themselves providing a pretty macro-level answer, but even so, try to be specific about what you gained.
Q6. (This question is optional) Is there any other information that you believe would help the MBA Admissions Committee when considering your application? (300 words)
This question is completely open-ended. I highly recommend using it discuss something positive as well as any concerns you may have (bad GPA, low GMAT, no recommendation from your supervisor, etc.). What is that one additional story that LBS really needs to know about you? Use this answer to provide admissions with another reason to invite you to an LBS interview.
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 12, 2008
AGE AT HBS: THE CLASS OF 2010 CHART
On October 1st, Harvard Business School's Admissions Director posted the following "Class of 2010 Graduation Years" chart:
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 MBA留学
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 MBA留学
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