The prompt:

As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?

The internet is so vast, where do you start researching these things? One of the best tools out there is right at your fingertips – LinkedIn.

Likely you’re at the beginning of this research process. There’s time before Round 1 deadlines, but you really need to use it wisely. I’ve laid out a guide below that will help you get your ducks in a row as you begin.

This is a really daunting question, and most people are lost at sea with it before coming to me.

The way to tackle this is to examine the question behind the question. First of all, in becoming part of the GSB alumni, you would be an ambassador of sorts, whether you are aiming to or not. You would represent GSB, an affiliation that will last longer than many marriages. Because of that, they want to really understand your operating system – your values.

And so, this question actually asks, what do you most value?

Hello to all those waitlisted! I realize this wait is agonizing and putting your life on hold. My hope is that you do what you can to put forth a great update letter and then let it all go.

I really like how Cornell-Johnson has outlined the potential weaknesses and recommended strategies in their waitlist information letter. I want to give you a bit of insight behind each item.

Prepping MBA applications is a little like Christmas, holiday, or birthday shopping. The deadline is months away, you've got all the time in the world, you can afford to drag your feet a little bit. Then, all of a sudden, you're out of time. You might be able to find a good present at the last minute, but you won't be able to churn out a good application in a week, or even a month.

Getting your MBA can be life-changing, so it demands a high level of attention and a lengthy prep time. If you’re even considering applying to business school, most of these steps have been on your mind. So, think of these steps more as a checklist or a guide to make sure your application is as strong as possible.

MBA applications can’t be rushed. They require lots of introspection, research, and iteration. So, you need to leave ample time for essay writing. That being said, it could still be in your best interest to apply in Round 2, even if that means you need to be done a little sooner than you planned. Here are some things you need to take into consideration when making your decision.

MBA application questions are notorious for seeming easy to answer when they actually aren’t. This one, however, actually gives you pause right away. I was recently asked, “Could you offer any advice about how to approach this short answer question from the Background section? It’s a bit unclear to me whether this is an ethnicity / citizenship question or if you can talk about anything related to your background.”

A short compilation of video essay questions that have been asked in INSEAD’s Round 1 this season. For tips on how to prepare for video questions and a comprehensive list of past questions from INSEAD, Kellogg, and Yale, check out my previous post here.

Q: Seeking some advice –INSEAD applicant here. Completed my GMAT last year – score was 670. Q47 (63%). Repeated my GMAT today – score was 690. Breakdown Q45 (57%). Quant has dropped quite significantly. I still have the option to cancel my score, should I report it? If so, I’ll probably have to address my max 63% score in quant between the two tests.

Q: Here’s a quick question. Does INSEAD require International experience?

A. Yes and no.

Main message when talking about work: it's easy to slip into jargon and acronyms that create a barrier to adcom understanding your greatness. Use universal language, and then run your response by people in your life who don’t know much about your job.

It’s that in-between time on the MBA admissions calendar – Rounds 1 and 2 are over, interviews are done, and decisions are made. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with these decisions, and if you’re one of them, my condolences. I know that wasn’t the outcome you were hoping for. You’re probably feeling pretty vulnerable right now.

First of all, definitely send a thank you note. Not 30 minutes after the interview; it will seem insincere. But no later than 24 hours.

I get it, you're tired of writing and rewriting. But no matter how much you want to, recycle with caution. Adcom is very old hat at this and will smell it out instantly.

What is possible, however, is borrowing pieces or aspects of various essays, which I call content blocks. However, absolutely make sure they are very on-target in answering the question – shape the recycled content as needed.

At first glance, this prompt seems simple enough, but it’s actually harder than it looks and you should prioritize it in your efforts. The key is doing the proper introspection. Think about past experiences that point to specific strengths – and weaknesses.

Now is the season for the all-important MBA interview process. In fact, many of you are preparing as I write this! Or at least I hope so? Or…maybe not?

Too often, I see applicants pour all their precious energy into the application and then blow it big time with the interview. By the time interviews roll around, they are either 1) burnt out, or 2) a bit overconfident about their ability to navigate the interview questions.

B-school plan a bit off track? January intake might save the day!

INSEAD, Yale, Kellogg, Georgetown, and Sloan are just a few of the business schools that have video essays and/or interviews. In a post-Covid world, we could even see more schools adopt video, especially interviews.

While the specific format (like how much time you get to prepare or answer) might vary, preparation is the same across the board. These tips will help you put your best foot (face, really) forward.

Q: I’m working on my NYU and CBS applications and both ask for a description of each job, without a specific word length. (It’s “Duties/Responsibilities” for Columbia, “Description” for NYU).

I assume I should include information different from what’s on my resume but what exactly? And how long should I make these be for each job?

Many of you may be preparing for the TOEFL on a short timeline. One of my clients prepared over 10 days while on vacation and successfully went from a 98 to a 112 through this approach. There’s also a useful bit of advice to keep in mind for the day of the test (in the event you are able to take it in person).

EMBA application season is upon us, which means there’s no time to waste in coming up with answers to the all-important essay questions. I’ve gone into great detail about a successful technique that gets your readers on board with your vision – learn to use the inverted pyramid here.

One way or another, you’ll encounter these questions during the course of almost every MBA/EMBA application. I want to share an effective technique for setting up your answers to really help the listener follow your vision – it’s called the inverted pyramid.

Sharing the letter of recommendation questions and rankings for Cambridge-Judge EMBA.

The recommendation grid shows you what matters to Judge – what they value, which can help you identify a strategic direction in your essays and interview.

Sharing the letter of recommendation questions and rankings for HEC-Paris EMBA. Interesting fact - letters of recommendation are an even bigger part of the evaluation criteria for EMBA applicants. Consider anecdotes for the open-ended strengths/weaknesses questions at the bottom that you can outline for your recommender to write in their own words.

Essays vs. Recommendations

When it comes to the essays, with most applications, you want to give them a personal dimension.

Round 2 applicants, now is the time to reflect on the questions common to all letters of recommendation: strengths, as compared to those in a similar role, and a story about receiving constructive criticism. More and more programs are moving towards the Common Letter of Recommendation. Identify the stories you want to share and outline them in STAR format for the first 3 questions, then consider ideas your recommender might include for the “anything else” area.  

Find Part 1 - Execution here.

Round 2 applicants, now is the time to reflect on the questions common to all letters of recommendation: strengths, as compared to those in a similar role, and a story about receiving constructive criticism. More and more programs are moving towards the Common Letter of Recommendation. Identify the stories you want to share and outline them in STAR format for the first 3 questions, then consider ideas your recommender might include for the “anything else” area.  

This is truly the foundation for all the content conveyed in your application. The quality of your introspection determines the overall altitude of your applications.

Passing along a few contributions from successful applicants who posted their advice in the INSEAD thread I moderated on GMAT Club.

All of these responses are raw and unedited. I think you will find at least one or two helpful things!

Location, Location, Location! Right? Well...

When seeking an MBA program, many applicants look at it as a golden opportunity to travel or live in their dream location. They think, “I have to be happy where I’m living for those 2 years, right?” Or, “I’m not much of a country person, so…” or “I want to live in a mild climate, so…”

I propose you set all that aside when making your decision.

The Mantra: Succinct, But Complete

How Do I Prepare for My MBA Interviews?

I believe the key to success with this whole MBA admissions thing is research. Research yourself, research your goals, and research the school. In that order.

Many MBA applicants feel very panicked about having bad grades. Some consider a 3.3 GPA in the danger zone; others are dancing on the 3.0 threshold and then there is the more extreme case of a 2.0.

Thinking about the EMBA? Round 1 deadlines are just beginning to pass so there’s no time like the present to make a decision. Here are some key points to know in terms of program design, GMAT requirements, and deadlines.

A lot of candidates tend to think about how they measure up for each checkbox: GPA, GMAT, work experience, extracurriculars, international work experience, or the lack of these things. And while it is true that they matter, the process isn’t necessarily “add water and stir”. Do keep in mind that adcom is reading this application for no other reason than to GET TO KNOW YOU.

A lot of admissions consultants advise that you have a “stated goal” when applying for business school, but not knowing what you truly want can hurt your success in both b-school and life.

Hello everyone, this is a bit of a confusing time to go to business school for international students. Recently, Trump put an end to H-1B visas for applicants outside of the United States for the rest of the year, which incites a lot of panic for those of you who want to leverage OPT – and hopefully H-1B status – to pay back your student loans while working in the US. Understandably, it would be an unmanageable burden to repay loans in your home country.

What I stand for the most is taking a personal approach with my clients, and from there, helping my clients develop a personal rapport with their audience – the admissions committee.

When it comes to MBA admissions, many candidates fail because their focus is on appearing professional, impeccable, beyond reproach, and presenting a strong “face.” The secret to success lies not in your strengths, but in your weaknesses.

I'm not in the business of getting people into MBA programs. I'm in the business of changing lives. An admit is just one positive outcome to this transformative process. I'm so humbled by this recent testimonial that I can't wait to share with you. It gives you a lot of insight into my process from the client perspective.

Many applicants wonder about how early they should start in this process. Here is my answer: EARLIER THAN YOU PROBABLY THINK!

Several people have asked me what separates me from other MBA Admissions Consultants. Here is my response. 

A lot of my prospective clients are now facing a big choice: take the online GMAT, wait for the offline GMAT to be back in action, or switch to the GRE.

When I suggest they switch to the GRE, these are the things I hear.

I would like to pass along a helpful habit for those of you preparing for the GMAT or GRE right now. And, this is also helpful if you are preparing your applications.

Many GMAT students feel that to get results, they need to spend 5 hours a day after work sloughing through problem set after problem set. The idea that “more is better” and by doing more problems they will increase their score.

Not really, though.

I have found it is far, far better for my clients to wake up 90 minutes earlier each day and those 90 minutes are worth a million times more than 5 hours after work, when you are ragged and run-down. The idea is to give it your freshest energy; the best of you and not the rest of you.

When you are learning something new, it requires high concentration and not the tattered remains of the day.

Have a clear focus on your learning objective like, “today I am going to work on modification questions” – drill down beyond verbal or quant or even the subsections. Get close enough to see the problem.

And of course, observe what you are doing, do more observation than working problems. I remember when I was struggling with the GMAT I was kind of trying to impose my will upon the test rather than LISTEN to what the test was trying to TELL ME. The test has its own ways and you need to be in OBSERVER MODE rather than try to bulldoze through problem sets.

My last piece of advice on good habits with the GMAT would be to try out coworking. Right this moment, I am on Skype with my Zoom coworking partner, so it creates a set up “container” for getting things done. Try as I might, I a better at showing up for myself when it involves another person and makes it all more fun.

We use the Pomodoro technique which I strongly recommend – 25 minutes of intense focus and then 5 minutes of doing something active and away from the computer (no phone stuff – like, a real break.)

Then rinse and repeat 2 more times for a total of 90 minutes. You will be very amazed how productive you are when 1.) you have a clear focus for the next 25 minutes 2.) there is a timer and 3) you see your buddy working too, in front of you.

To get to know more about me, I invite you to read through my interview with Stoodnt.com

https://www.stoodnt.com/blog/mba-admissions-consulting-5-farrell-d-hehn-mba-prep-coach/

There is a real lack of transparency when it comes to MBA admissions consulting. How will it help me? Often, candidates think it is just about the consultant telling you what to do, schools to select or what your chances might be at HBS.

I remember one candidate saying he could get the same information by reading blogs. Let me assure you: the free content we write is only a tiny morsel of what we deliver. Please know, there is no way in heck you would get the same benefit from reading my blogs. Others say, I can’t afford coaching I just want help editing my essays. Hearing this, I think applicants are unclear on how the coaching has everything to do with the quality of your essays.  

I hope this list might bring about greater transparency on MBA admissions consultants deliver to their clients, and why you should hire an MBA admissions consultant. Or at this MBA Admissions Consultant.

It’s important to not only to look at the cost of hiring a consultant, but the immediate, short term and long-term benefits of hiring a consultant. Including but no limited to increasing your chances of an admit, increasing your chances of a scholarship and securing an MBA internship offer.

1. ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS: The content is only as good as the research. As a trained journalist and a certified coach, I’m highly trained in the art of ask the right questions. Questions that bring forth the content that aligns with what adcom is looking for. Content that differentiates you from your competition.
2. MATCHING WHAT YOU HAVE TO WHAT ADCOM WANTS WANT: I get to know you well, probably better than you know yourself. We do research and assessments to accelerate the process of helping me get to know you. This allows me to learn about the qualities you have demonstrated that the adcom cares about.
3. IDENTIFYING TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS: For career switchers, this helps adcom and recruiters understand the qualities you bring to a new industry or function. Showing these qualities allows you to make a bigger “leap” in terms of role, industry and geography.
4. IDENTIFYING THE RIGHT PROGRAM FORMAT. I vet your strategy in terms of degree, program format, location and goals. There are a lot of ways to make a wrong turn. I talk clients off the ledge of making fatal mistakes with this. Having a viable strategy and plan can save you a year of wasted effort on applications, maybe test prep too.
5. CERTAINTY > MOMENTUM > SPEED. I help you stay focused and advance with momentum and confidence.
6. AVOIDING STRATEGIC MISTAKES BY FOLLOWING THE UNINFORMED: I work with dinged applicants all the time who say their friends and colleagues told them what to do and helped them make decisions. This is a complex labyrinthine process and even MBA grads are unsure of how to effectively advice you. Beware of friends, colleagues, mentors who do not know, what they do not know.
7. AVOID UNINFORMED FEEDBACK ON ESSAYS: I work with dinged applicants all the time who follow the advice of friends, colleagues and mentors who gave them bad advice on their essays. For example, encouraging you to avoid discussing weaknesses or vulnerabilities. Fatal advice. Again, beware of listening to those who do not know, what they do not know.
8. CUTTING WORDS, CLEANER MESSAGE: I help you narrow the scope of your message to what is most CORE, the #1 communication objective. We deepen that message while cutting away the distractions. This allows you to be HEARD by the adcom instead of them being confused by a muddled message and dismissing you.
9. LEVITY. I make you laugh when you’re tired or overwhelmed. I keep things buoyant and animated, which is important because the process is long and drawn out.
10. BRUTAL HONESTY. I will never lie to you to make you happy. Don’t even know how to do that. I take a stand for what is in your best and highest good. Clients often come to me with bad ideas based on untrue assumptions. I talk them off the ledge. I allow you to make your own choices and will stand by what you decide, but make sure you are first fully informed.
11. TOTALLY DEDICATED PARTNER. I am a safe place to land and have a fiercely positive intent for you. My entire focus is on helping you get what you want.
12. LEARN ABOUT YOUR STRENGTHS. Most applicants, even those with a very successful career, are not very aware of the strengths, patterns, and habits that make them successful. Or how they need to develop to get to the next level. It requires outside perspective from an unbiased party who can fuse together who you are, how you contribute and where you fit in.
13. CLEAR PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY. Working with me empowers you with words you use to describe yourself, and talk about your brand, for the rest of your life. To be successful, you must know your unique value proposition (USP) and be able to communicate it cleanly and concisely. This is what sparks interest in you when it comes to interviews, speaking with investors, and anything else that comes your way.
14. HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. I actually put my clients through the same exercises they do in zero week in business school, in terms of personal branding, informational interviewing, and your outreach/communication strategy in finding an internship or post-MBA job.
15. CHOOSING THE RIGHT GOAL. We review all our findings to choose a goal that is at least a winner on-paper and ideally your real goal. We want to pick a goal that 1) makes you look low risk to career services and 2.) is going to make you happy, so you can write passionately about it. Both of these things really help your chances of getting an admit.
16. GETTING GREAT VALUE OUT OF YOUR B-SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. Having your goals ironed out allows you to spend time in b-school learning, instead of recruiting for a bunch of different industries. Why go into debt JUST to get a job – when there are so many more interesting ways to spend your time in business school.
17. CANVASSING SKILLS. I help you research your goals. Find the right contacts, reach out to them so you get a response, and write out the questions you need to ask. Even if you switch goals in b-school, you will have built the skills to embark upon that new job search effectively.
18. RESEARCHING VIA INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWING. Networking with those who share your post MBA goal or attended your preferred program. At minimum, you have a killer goals question/Why MBA answer and at best, you will have offers for internship interviews.
19. ESTABLISH YOUR CRITICAL PATH. My key to success: research yourself, research your goals and research the schools. I help you establish the right activities that get you closer to your goal of an admit, activities which are very specific to you personally.
20. FIND LAST MINUTE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR PROFILE. I help you improve your profile, even with very little time left to do. I spot opportunities that can be quickly implemented, which will improve how you are perceived by adcom.
21. CREDIBLE AND MEMORABLE APPLICATION CAMPAIGN. I create consistency and synergy across all elements of your application – resume, essays, recommendations, application boxes, Linked In and interview responses. This gives you credibility – it makes you stand out, creates a clear message, and most of all makes you memorable.
22. TOOLS AND RESOURCES. I possess resources that make this journey lighter, easier and more efficient. This saves you time and spares you from confusion, so you can maintain momentum in this journey. I guide you on when to use these resources, and how to sequence things.
23. MY CLIENT ALUMNI NETWORK. I allow you to tap into my personal network of past clients and associates for the purpose of researching your career goals or researching schools/programs. This really helps you see where you best fit. It also creates within you a passion for the program you’re applying to, that powerfully shows up in your essays.
24. FROM ACRONYMS TO ADCOM-FRIENDLY LANGUAGE. I help you recognize where you are using industry jargon that adcom won’t readily understand, and translate that into universal language, as much as possible. This helps remove BARRIERS to adcom getting to know and appreciate you.
25. LEARNING HOW TO TELL STORIES. By outlining your anecdotes together, you learn an effective framework for telling stories that you take into interviews for the rest of your life.
26. MITIGATE RED FLAGS. I help you see possible red flags in your profile, as adcom would see you. These are not always obvious for applicants. Then, we come up with ways to fix them or mitigate the potential negative impact of them.
27. DISTINGUSH YOU FROM OTHERS WITH YOUR PROFILE. I help you focus on the attributes that separate you from other competitors in your profile group.
28. 1-1 SUPPORT OUTLINING ESSAYS. I outline all your essay stories with you, so the draft you write is on track, which saves time for you.
29. 1-1 SUPPORT OUTLINING RECOMMENDATION TALKING POINTS. I help you outline anecdotes to share with your recommenders, so they share compelling examples, but at the same time, allow their authentic voice to shine through.
30. POLISHED FINAL PRODUCT. I edit all your work, so it accentuates the key communication objective of each piece. I cut away what distracts from the main message. Greater focus and SIMPLICITY makes you more memorable.
31. STRATEGIC EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL RECOMMENDERS. I help you look at all the different variables that determine your best choice of recommenders. It’s a complex model, to be honest. We discuss dealbreakers too, when choosing recommenders.
32. KEEN INTUITIVE OBSERVER. I’m kind of psychic. Even though some say it’s “creepy” but it’s still very helpful! I tap into things unsaid: strengths, patterns and passions that I am intuiting about you, that lead to breakthroughs.
33. YOU LEARN ABOUT YOUR VALUES – to communicate who you are to adcom. When we reveal who you are to adcom on the level of values they become more attracted to you – the authentic you. Articulating your values helps adcom know “what makes you tick,” so they get to know you better and feel closer to you.
34. YOU APPLY YOUR VALUES – to make better decisions. Understanding your values also helps us make choices that are in alignment with those values. For example, if a key value for you is adventure, we would want to choose a school and a career goal that allows you to experience this value.
35. WHY MBA? AND WHAT NEXT. In choosing your career goal, I help you identify how you will need to grow and transform through the MBA experience in meaningful ways that best position you to secure your post-MBA job. This is good not just for essays but helps guide you in making choices on how to spend your time in b-school. Believe me, this will become important to you, because there is an overwhelming number of choices on how to spend your time. You need to be very intentional about your goals going in and be disciplined in sticking to them.
36. IDENTIFYING THE BRILLIANCE FACTOR. Initially, your stories are like a heap of information, and actions you took. I help you identify what I call the brilliance factor in all stories you have to tell, the breakthrough thinking you applied to solve the problem, to get the result. With tight word limits, it’s important we go down the right road with these stories, so we develop the best angle to showcase in each of your application elements, i.e., recommendations, essays, CV and interview anecdotes.
37. DULL DESCRIPTION TO MOVIE SCRIPT. I help you go from vague generic “white paper” project-level language to a personal anecdote showing the adcom who you are in this project, so they can get to know you and root for you.
38. REPOSITIONING YOU AND YOUR WORK HISTORY. I help you communicate who you are and what you’ve done so it can be understood by a wide audience outside of your world, outside your industry, which is what HBS asks of you specifically and is helpful when applying to any business school. And when changing careers.
39. SPOTTING HOW YOU HAVE ADDED VALUE. I am able to see various ways to articulate benefits and results of your work that my clients often miss. I can see ways your actions benefitted the company that you may not. They are seeing this through a much smaller aperture. I’m very experienced and my background is very multifaceted.
40. IDENTIFYING APPLICATION-KILLING ASSUMPTIONS. I help you identify your assumptions and limiting beliefs “It won’t be enough” “I can’t leave anything out.” “I can’t be specific, or I’ll seem too specialized.” Carrying on with these beliefs leads to muddled and messy applications where you include everything but the kitchen sink. They limit your effectiveness in creating successful MBA applications.
41. LEVERAGING THAT BRAND TO CREATING A CLEAR IDENTITY FOR ADCOM. By getting to know you, I identify your brand promise. What you deliver in every setting. From this we come up with an “angle” unique to you, and weave that through all the deliverables and interviews. Adcom can summarize who you are, because we have done the work for them.
42. IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT. GUIDANCE ON SCHOOL COMMUNICATION. You are being observed in all your interactions, and so it helps for me to give pointers on you emails to admissions, what to say at admissions events, and other informal interactions. 
43. CREATING EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO ADCOM. For example, I help you describe your hobbies in terms that are relatable to a wide audience, which allows adcom to become emotionally connected to you. This is an extremely undervalued strategy.

Q: My practice GMAT tests are at a 670, and I have worked for the family business (India) for 2 years. I messed up my GPA in college but did well the last year, still, my CGPA is 6.6. Should apply this year to a tier 2 program or aim for a 700+ and apply to top European MBA programs next year?

A: I would recommend you put applying for an MBA this year out of your mind completely and to be honest, I think you should wait TWO years. Light work experience at a family business and bad GPA is a combo likely to undermine your credibility.

Then on top of this, you are competing with super high achievers in an overrepresented profile group. Your GMAT is really low with respect to your peers/competitors. I would recommend you only consider programs where the average GMAT is 650 or less at this point, if your mock exams reflect accurately.   

In addition to improving your test score, would recommend that you GET INTERESTING over the next two years to distinguish yourself. Increase the depth of your interests and passions to distinguish you from the competition. Become a multifaceted applicant, join toastmasters, become active in the community and take a leadership role where you can have a positive impact.

Of course, also make sure to have a quantifiable impact in the family business as well, and search out recommenders who can speak to that.

I wish I had better news, but the truth is there is a lot of work to be done. Allocate the time you would spend on applying towards building up your profile.

Applying now would be a waste of money and missed opportunity. Why go to a third rate school when you are still young and can improve your profile, positioning yourself for a better school.

 This article contains 10 tips on improving your profile pre-MBA:

Cheers and good luck!

Q: Is it okay to change your job if you plan to apply to b-schools 1 to 2 months down the line? I am changing my job because I have received an opportunity in a firm much larger than my current one. The job profile mostly remains the same. Will it help my application/not affect my application/bring up a red flag in my application?

A: I would not do it unless it is very clearly advancing you in a directly that is more in alignment with your post-MBA goals. And that does not seem to be the case. It’s a move up, doing the same job at a bigger company, but puts in question how much you want/need an MBA to get to the next step.

Outside of the startup arena, it is a bit frowned upon to leave a job in less than a year. And, you will forever have to explain that yes you switched jobs and applied to business schools at the same time. This shows you did not really have the intention to stay at the job. 

This puts in peril your sincerity in general, because that is the assumption of those who do not have any other data points.

The story will be on your CV forever that you changed jobs while applying to business schools. The school needs to show their candidates have been highly vetted and on paper. In black and white, it undermines your marketability to school recruiters as well. Starting b-school less than a year after starting a job kind of signals that something went wrong.

Who knows how your future job will go – if you leave your job now a) will your manager still be as excited to help you in your recommendations and b) you will not be able to ask your new manager given that you just got there. 

If you expect to be accepted to a program, I think it would do more harm than good.

Q: MBA Prep Coach, do you have any expert advice on how to handle this essay?

• What other programs are you considering? Of the programs you are considering, what can IMD bring to you as a differentiator? (Word limit 100)

If we mention highly ranked programs such as INSEAD, will it send a signal to adcom that I am treating IMD as a safety school and unlikely to attend if I get admits from my top choices? 

A: In this question, you want to pick adjacent programs to some degree: similar ranking and like IMD, leadership development oriented. So maybe another school that has a well-developed personal deep dive course(s.) Or has an industry focus more so than consulting or finance. 

This speaks to the core of what differentiates IMD. I do think it might be a mistake to put down INSEAD here because if you have the right stats, they know they will probably not “win” you if they choose you. Also, INSEAD is really quite a different program from IMD and so this will undermine the sincerity of your application. 

They want to know: if I invite you to my party will you come, or will you make an excuse last minute and I will have to scramble to invite more guests? IMD wants to pick the “best” applicants but also the applicant that think IMD is the best as well; their first choice. 

I recommend everyone do a fair bit of research on IMD to get clear on what IMDs value proposition is specifically for them and their career; probably should be some aspect of personal development, introspection, and leadership. And how industry focus. How they would benefit from a simulation-type learning environment. 

A good place to start would be the interview with the Dean by Touch MBA. http://touchmba.com/tag/imd/

Q: I’d like to read your opinions about this. Is a GMAT of 680 good enough for a top MBA program (HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Booth) for international applicants?

A: The term “international” does not hold a lot of meaning on it’s own. If you are international and from India or China, there is fierce competition and so your GMAT has to be significantly higher than the class average just to be a contender.

But if you are an Iranian feminist – or otherwise highly diverse – ie, from a very underrepresented country, the situation is different.

680 could possibly be good enough *IF* you have proof of quantitative aptitude and a TOEFL score of 100 or better so they know you won’t fail. Harvard actually recommends a TOEFL of 110.

So, it depends upon the competition you are facing – what the scores are for others with your profile (citizenship, gender, work industry, role, etc)?

Because you are male I am inclined to say 680 is not enough for a top 5 MBA and it would put you at a major disadvantage; if you have some really unique unrepeatable contribution to make to the class that would add to the learning experience of others, it’s not impossible.

Question:

I am an Indian male software test engineer. That should probably automatically eliminate me out of contention for a lot of b schools. In terms of leadership roles, I have none that can be quantified in terms of official roles. I have only two promotions and 5 internal organisational awards in my previous job. I hear that a score of 720 and a run-of-the-mill IT profile is hardly attractive to b schools. 

Answer:

Unfortunately you heard correctly. It’s because Indian male IT is the most overrepresented profile in terms of applicants. The acceptance rate is less than half of what the average is.

So that puts a lot of pressure on having a good GMAT, and also finding ways to differentiate yourself.

Two promotions doesn’t sound so insignificant to me at all. I’m sad to hear that you haven’t had any leadership roles but challenge you to think creatively about the word leadership.

If you found a new way to organize the grocery carts at the local market that could count as a process improvement. So really think about how you have added value by way of changing processes, led others in terms of people and projects, not just official roles.

One of the most important things for Indians is to establish community service, hobbies and a record of extracurriculars. This is because not so many Indians have it/them and it really differentiates them.

If you are planning to apply to round two…hmm…I question that. Indian should apply early action round and round one for best results. It’s not an absolute ding but know that many of come before you already. You really have to sit and ask yourself, why would they choose you over the Indian male IT candidates with more leadership, ECs, and a higher GMAT who applied early action and round one.

For this reason, I don’t think you should apply to Duke even though your GMAT make sense for that school but rather wait for early action round next year. Cornell might be a good choice though if you are hell-bent on this year.

If at all possible I encourage you to wait a bit I would like for you to get involved with Toastmasters and get some leadership experience at a nonprofit organization ASAP…. that makes sense for your profile and seems organic… and then apply early action round for Duke and Darden. And then round one for other schools.

If you were to bump up your score by 30 points that would be a game-changer for you. So if you haven’t absolutely maximized everything you can possibly do on that test I really recommend that you do so. The better your score the better the school the better the starting salary and it would make sense to wait if you haven’t done your absolute best yet.

You seem to have communication skills, maybe good interpersonal (soft) skills as well. If so, I recommend that you *leverage the crap* out of this for your application and really put this across. Choose a community leadership role that will bring this out.

Well it is April 3rd, Round 2 results are out, some are overjoyed, some traumatized and some doing their level-best not to spiral into depression. Then there are others curious to see if they can get into a higher ranked school with a round 3 or round 4 application because hey, why not give it a go. I thought I would help keep everyone abreast of how you can navigate this time in the season.

Everything I write about here is reflected on my updated MBA Deadline Calendar.

September 2019 intake

Final round for US schools

The final round is over for most schools, and for international applicants, they are often cut off from the final round because visa timing shiz. At this point, schools have done most of the work shaping the class and will be working through the waitlist more so than looking at new people.

They might add in a 780 GMAT candidate to bump up the average or increase the diversity of the class and recruit someone from Papua New Guinea. But if you are not diverse, or have a spectacularly high-test score, round 3 is a bit chancy.

There are times it is the best option. If you just lost your job, God forbid, or waiting for R1 represents a life or death scenario, go for it. Yes, odds are chancier but hopefully at this point, your CV is sorted, and your recommenders have a well-oiled machine going at least for the questions found on the Common Letter of Recommendation.

Sidebar on the Common Letter of Recommendation

When scrambling to pull together an app, it’s enough to contend with the essays, but nearly impossible to develop good anecdotes for new recommendation questions, coach your recommenders, get time on their calendar, etc. Factor this into your decision – recommendations matter; don’t water down your app with a half-baked response to these questions.

Thankfully, most schools with upcoming deadlines use the Common Letter of Recommendation. Kellogg has a diversity question which you should tackle first. Google the recommendation questions; some sites have a pretty decent repository.

OK, still interested? Back to final round for US schools

So, if you are reading this soon after I post it; a Round 3 Hail Mary attempt is possible for Kellogg or Cornell a week from today(warning: long apps), MIT in 5 days (short app so it’s possible, but clear your weekend), USC R4 due April 15, and with Yale and Anderson allowing a bit more breathing room R3 due for both schools on April 16, and finally the straggler being Georgetown with R4 due on May 1.

Yale seems to be particularly open to round 3 applicants; they promote it quite a bit stating that round 3 is there for a reason. When it is a good fit, to improve your odds I recommend going for joint degree programs that have a separate quota, one good example being the Kellogg MMM program.

Sidebar Note on Age: Some apply to Round 3 because they over 30 and worried about losing viability as an applicant. If your goals require an internship and on-campus recruitment, I encourage you to apply to European schools that offer January intake; if that makes sense for overall life plan. INSEAD January batch, IESE, LBS, and HEC all offer internship periods.

The point is, European schools are more interested in seasoned applicants with quality work experience. GMAT scores tend to be lower there than US schools.

For older students, who don’t require a structured recruitment process, the other option is to wait for Round 1 deadlines for Stanford MSx or Sloan Fellows. Both are elite 1-year residency programs designed for mid-career professionals. Also apply to 1-year programs such as Kellogg, Cornell or Emory. One glimmer of hope, Cornell accepts applications until 4/15.

Weekend and Part-Time US programs

These are a pretty good adjacent possibility for any disappointed Chicago dwellers. The deadline for the Booth Saturday program is May 10 and the weekend program June 21. Kellogg‘s deadline for their EWMBA is June 12. In Ann Arbor, the part-time evening MBA deadline for Ross is May 20 and the weekend program does not have fall intake. New Yorkers, the 2nd deadline for NYU-Stern is May 15. Columbia does not have a formal part-time program, but their EMBA programs tend to recruit younger than typical applicants (one of my clients was the youngest in his class at age 25.) The Fri/Sat option still has an upcoming deadline of May 29. The FEMBA program at UCLA is taking applications until April 27. Option B for some Angelinos might be to apply to the USC part-time program where the final deadline is May 1 but applications are accepted on a rolling basis thereafter. If you live near Austin, you are in luck; there are several evening Texas (McCombs) MBA program deadlines upcoming. Round 2 is due on May 14. Texas R4 deadline for Both Dallas and Houston weekend programs is May 14. At CMU-Tepper the last part-time deadline is coming up quickly at April 18.

CBS January Term

Application comes out in June for Columbia J-term – this is a great option if you don’t need an internship, but don’t try to fake it, you will not get in. Watch their video: this is for those family business applicants, entrepreneurs, those who will not end up becoming a liability for the school because they did not do an internship. If you are planning on seeking on-campus recruitment, this option is ill-advised. Most finance positions require an internship, which is of course the forte of the school.

If you want spring entry, look at Europe or Canada because outside of this program, we don’t have spring intake here.

Canadian applicants

There’s a glimmer of hope for Canadians citizens and permanent residents who hope to apply; among the top schools, UT Rotman Round 4 is due April 29; Round 4 at McGill-DeSautels in magical Montreal is May 1 (that is a lot of M’s!) Both are 2-year programs which is optimal for those of you who would like to take advantage of the 3-year work visa offered to you post-MBA. The last deadline, R4 is coming up for Schulich-York on April 30. Same for HEC-Montreal on May 15.

Ivey is the top-ranked school, starting in March, but only a 1-year program which means you will only get one year to stay in Canada post-MBA. I have discussed that option below.

UK & EU Schools for September Intake

So be aware: the recommendation situation is a bit more complicated if you applied to Round 2 US schools and want to throw in an app at UK schools for this year. UK deadlines: ship has sailed for Oxford. That’s OK, did you really want to dress for school like you are headed to Hogwarts? Ok so maybe you did.

But there are still May 3 deadline for Cambridge, May 3 and June 21 for Imperial. Warwick has deadlines in May 31 and July 31. Manchester has a May 15 deadline open to international students and a June 13 deadline open to those coming from the UK and the EU.

EDHEC has pretty flexible timing; for September batch, they will accept applications until June 30th for international applicants and July 31 for EU and UK citizens and permanent residents.

Europe 2020 January intake + March intake @Ivey in Canada.

To share a slice of my life right now: my poor client interviewed with IMD in Switzerland last week, interviewed with IESE a few days later, last Friday, and then applied to HEC R3 January intake on Monday. Slept last night; plans to do case prep this week, is on pins and needles to hear from LBS R3 tomorrow, Thursday, and is flying out to Barcelona for Assessment Day.

So, all European MBA programs are global in nature and emphasize cross-cultural exchange; if you apply, would be a bonus if you had international work experience OR goals that necessitate a global program.

The biggest and most popular opportunity is INSEAD for R2 due 4/17, or R3 due on June 5.

January intake HEC round 5 of 11 rounds is due on May 1. Would not recommend you submit to September batch at all, at this point, unless the earth will certainly open up and swallow you whole should you not start in September.

IMD R2 is May 1; this is a program designed for older adults, the average age is 31; the same as HEC.   

RSM-Erasmus: Round 1 just passed yesterday, Round 2 is June 4. please make sure to apply here if you have any interest in green energy. Check out the Erasmus Center for Future Energy Business.

EDHEC is accepting applications for January batch until November 15 and for UK and EU citizens, until December 5. The school has campuses in London, Singapore, and throughout Northern France. They are ranked #1 in finance in France; their MS in Finance is ranked #1 worldwide.

IE Madrid: there is rolling admissions for IE “IMBA” or international MBA. When it comes to IE, I feel it is a case of buy low sell high. There was a kerfuffle with regards to multiple votes being submitted to the Financial Times in 2017 which caused them to be unranked in 2018, ouch. And for 2019 they have fallen #31 globally when they were ranked #8 globally in 2017.

The PR issue is there, but I think the fundamentals are in place for them to rebound. Very reputable for entrepreneurship, and they have the strongest “online” (well, hybrid-ish) MBA program out there.

Important note: my greatest concern is that Prodigy is no longer a lender for them, from what I understand, at least for India. Unsure about other parts of the world, so heads up, please investigate that before applying. I am looking to get clarification on that from my Prodigy contact. That said, Spanish banks are willing to finance international applicants which is a real vote of confidence.

IVEY Western – Canada

It’s is the top program in Canada, and uses the case method, a huge bonus in my book. However, it’s a 1-year program so that will only afford you a 1-year post-MBA visa. Ivey starts in March so they are earlier in their cycle and that will improve your chances. The next “deadline” is April 8; however, admissions are rolling. Would recommend you get it in ASAP but definitely before Round 3 deadline on July 15 to have the greatest advantage.

And of course, Executive MBA programs are a great option for those seeking an MBA more to maximize their current path and climb the ranks, rather than change industries altogether. They are not for career switchers though; so, if you are a switching hopeful 31 or older, absolutely apply to European programs for January intake.

I hope you find the ideal fit somewhere in there – and if you do end up waiting, really leverage your time to improve your application.

Cheers!

Farrell

I kind of feel like I am sending my kid off to kindergarten, even though he is 33. It’s been a long process preparing my candidate…as of late, for his interview at IMD…but also so rewarding, navigating all the questions has allowed us bring about a more concrete vision and path for his future.

So, by preparing for interview, it has been a quest into many other areas. how is your post-MBA goal job going to make you happy? Why aren’t you just going for it now? How can you do more of what you love and less of what you don’t? Given that IMD is known as highly introspective leadership program I’m glad for it.

Now he’s in Switzerland, prepping for the case analysis tomorrow and Friday is Assessment Day at IMD. It’s so surreal that he made his way from the middle east to Geneva to Lausanne in a matter of a few hours and now he’s sitting in a hotel room, eating his $22 burger, practicing his French, looking out on to a lake.

So much work has gone into this process, some days easier than others. We have done a ton of introspection, figuring out his brand, values, what separates him and now he’s standing at the station waiting to get on the train (figuratively.) 

I can’t imagine how I would feel being in a foreign country and then being asked to deliver a presentation, do a case analysis with your competitors, do a 1-1 interview, then the alumni interview over lunch…..it’s a long a$$ day y’all.

Maybe I can imagine it; I had to argue my thesis in front a panel of French professors but it was at the end of the semester, when I could finally speak the language fluent-ish. So, I am sure it is a bit like that but they are asking for him to jump, hum, bark and dance all in the same show.

Then, back to work on Monday and he’s interviewing with IESE on Friday, thankfully via Skype. I think the bulk of the work is behind us thankfully. I am feeling a bit confused like now what? We have been saddled up side by side for several months, it will be a little weird to put this level of focus on other clients. Maybe I will feel better once he has his first acceptance letter; or maybe it will be that much harder.

Strategy consulting is a subset of management consulting.

Management consulting pertains to answering questions raised by someone who manages either the whole or a part of the business. The questions can range from ‘I have been facing problems in delivering my product by the due date. How can I manage my operations better?’ to ‘We have lost a huge chunk of market share in the last quarter. How do we fix it?’

Now, there are various types of questions which an organization needs help with and each question is resolved by a specific consulting group.

How do I better manage operations in my organization – Operations Consulting
What role should IT play in my business and day-to-day operations – IT consulting
How can I optimize my HR functions such as benefits and talent management – HR consulting

Most of the above questions are raised by mid-management team members who strive to meet the year end targets set by the CXOs.

Strategy consultants usually are brought in to answer questions which are raised by CXOs and Board members. The question that they try to answer ranges from ‘What is the reason for drop in this years profits ?’ to ‘Does it make sense to acquire our nearest competitor ?’.

Thus, the different categories of consultants try to answer different set of questions and strategy consultants usually end up answering the ones which the CXOs and board members need help with.

With the quality of life in Rotterdam, kind of a cool place to do an MBA. It has one of the best green energy programs out there, https://www.rsm.nl/ecfeb/home/ 

Applications are accepted through November but earlier the better, as always. 

How long and in what capacity have you known the candidate? *Maximum Length all questions – 375 chars – quite brief

• What is your opinion of the candidate’s motivation and suitability for a career in senior management? 
• What do you consider as his or her principal qualities and weaknesses?
• Please comment on the candidate’s interpersonal skills (Such as performance in a team environment with peers, subordinates and supervisors).
• Please add any further remarks on the candidate that you consider relevant (Additional pages may be attached).

Well, Round 2 US application deadlines are coming to a close, and many applicants are seeking a way to leverage their efforts and extend the season.

Applying to European programs is the key – they usually have 4 rounds, and sometimes a January intake.

LBS Round 3 is indeed competitive, but for diverse applicants, it can be a means to submit an additional application to a really outstanding global program. 

Recommendation questions *no word limits specified

#1 How do you know the applicant? How long have you known them for?

#2 What would you say are the applicant’s key strengths and talents?

#3 What would you say are the applicant’s key weaknesses or areas for improvement? 

#4 In which areas of development has the applicant progressed most in the time you’ve known them?

#5 If you are a professional referee, would you work with the applicant post-programme? If you are an academic referee, what will be the applicant’s main contributions to the programme?

Upcoming Deadlines

HEC    3          Sep-19           February 1st 2019

            1          Jan-20           February 1st 2019

            2          Jan-20           March 1st 2019

Letter of Recommendation – no word limits noted

#1 How long and I what capacity have you known the candidate? 

#2 If this is a work-related reference, in what position is/was the candidate employed and for how long? 

#3 What do you consider to be the candidate’s principal strengths/talents? 

#4 What do you consider to be the candidate’s weaknesses or areas that need improvement?

While deadlines close on US schools, things are just beginning for IMD. Round 1 due on 2/1 – if you are a mid-career professional looking for a 1-year European MBA register for this info session 1/17 at 9am ET. 

Also, start considering possible anecdotes for your recommendation talking points

IMD 2019 Recommendation Questions. *no word limit is indicated. 

​​What is your relationship with the applicant? (drop down)

1. How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?

2. Describe the applicant’s role in your organization. What has his/her single most important contribution been to the organization?

3. What do you consider to be the applicant’s top three strengths?

4. What do you consider to be the applicant’s weaknesses or opportunities for improvement?

Hello, it’s been a long while since my last blog. For those of you who have not yet obtained interviews to your dream schools, I encourage you to reach out for a ding analysis to get a different result from Round 2. 

My clients have been doing great and interviewing at all the schools to which they applied with one exception – reapplications. So that has been interesting to experience. I’m now a bit sour on reapplications, especially those submitted the following year after a ding, without a sizeable GMAT boost.

Gearing Up for Round 2

Seven short weeks to JANUARY 2.

NOW IS THE TIME to start working on your applications if you haven’t already! At this point, the best way you can increase your chances to get admitted is to give yourself 2 full months for the applications.

Please don’t underestimate the complexity of this process and shoot yourself in the foot. My process with clients is interviewing, brainstorming, outlining, drafting and editing. Then doing this across your CV, essays, recommendation talking points and application boxes. Also, you need to turn your LinkedIn profile into a sharp marketing tool.

If you are looking for a proven partner in this process, fill out my prospective client form and send over your CV to start the conversation.

Application Box Tips

Great way to create quick momentum.

What should these look like? Yummy little candies for the adcom. Sweet and succinct.

• Distills valuable information about you clearly and succinctly. Elevator pitch.
• Everything illustrates qualities that business schools value – strategic thinking, results orientation, etc.
• Employment section gives the reader a clear, succinct understanding of the experience you’ve gained, employing simple, universal language.
• The activities and awards point to the overall brand that you set forth in other aspects of the application.

Recommendation Talking Points

Think through specific anecdotes y ou would like them to discuss and outline those for them.

Choose anecdotes where they have observed you model the qualities that business schools are seeking! Leadership, teamwork, etc.

Review each of the recommendation questions for each school.

Pondering the GMAT Question

If your GMAT is “good enough” please do not try to PACK IN another GMAT sitting to score an extra 20 points at the cost of the quality of your applications. That is too risky and unlikely to be the best  way to invest your time 7 weeks from deadlines.

You need time to do this right, especially considering you will be faced with multiple deadlines on the same day. That said, it does not make sense to apply to schools without a GMAT (or GRE) 

To Your Continued Success! Wishing You All My Best!

Question:

 
I am appearing or rather going to appear for GMAT in a month or so, just wanted to know if I should take the​​ risk of applying to B schools right now or just skip this year’s admission process altogether? I have a rather average CV and my aim for GMAT is 650, my country of choice is Singapore and around in the asia region. So to sum it up, should I take the plunge or not? Thanks.
 

Answer: 

HELL TO THE NO. It’s very difficult to build up momentum for an application you might not be qualified to submit. For this reason, I do not work with applicants who have not yet sorted their GRE/GMAT. 

Also, this will give you more time to strive for 700+. To maximize ROI for this whole process it’s best to go in with good stats and aim for top schools. 

Take the GMAT so many times that you are sure there IS NOT ONE MORE POINT LEFT IN YOU. 
Leave nothing on the table. If you want to stay in Singapore, INSEAD is the best school and you want 700+

Regardless of your GMAT score, you will need to do a quality job on your applications. 
This requires researching yourself, your goals and your schools to do a good job on this. 
It takes time. You cant slap some crap together the night before here and make any headway believe me. 

This is a long journey – and you want to do your absolute best at every stage to get a good chance of achieving an acceptance. 

​​INSEAD is a huge application in particular – give yourself 2 months to complete it and more if you work a lot of hours or plan to submit a lot of other apps in R2. 

Essay Question I: How do you expect to be changed by your experience at IESE and what impact you would like to make after your MBA? (word limit 300 max)

Another way to ask you why you are choosing IESE. Because most IESE applicants are also applying to LBS and INSEAD…along with other European schools. For purposes of yield, they do want to know that you have a special interest in their school and this is a sly way of getting that information (one idea might to be to show why Barcelona is a must for you.)

“How do you expect to be changed” this is another way of asking you how you expect to be transformed by your experience at their school; it’s kind of like why MBA + why IESE specifically.

Pretty clever question because in one go they are learning about why you need THEIR program (what’s in it for YOU? how do you need them to help transform you?) and how you will be more successful as a result of it (what’s in it for THEM? will you be an alumni who will make them proud and attract foundation dollars?)

Essay Question II: What are your short and medium term post MBA career goals and how will IESE help you achieve them? (word limit 300 max)

A bit tricky because unless you navigate this carefully, potential for overlap between the 2 questions.

My recommendation would be to focus the first essay question around personal qualities and a personal transformation and then the long-term legacy you hope to have. Using process of deduction here long-term is the only term missing in the second essay question.

For essay two, just stick to the post-MBA job and make sure it is something they can help you with.

If you are looking to become the next cleantech entrepreneur IESE might not be the right school, so take a look at their employment statistics and make sure your goal is obtainable via IESE. Medium term; the path you would take to achieve the long term legacy goal mentioned in the first essay.

Hope this helps!
Farrell

If I can brag a bit – MBA Career Services love my résumés.  “Don’t you dare change a single word!” were the words spoken to my client who started at Stanford GSB last fall. It went into the resume book as-is. Most of his colleagues started almost from scratch.

• Every single word has a purpose (pare it down – hence the image!)
• It uses universal language instead of industry jargon, to the extent possible.
• One page only, but maximize space horizontally.
• Give context: provide a one-line company description if needed.
• Give context: provide a job scope statement under your role.
• Each bullet is an accomplishment that states a result and an action.
• Results: ideally, making money, saving money or saving time.
• Anyone from any industry would be able to step into your resume, and comprehend the value of what you have done.
• There is space to breathe on the page. It has white space, and the reader feels good when they look at it. It looks inviting.
• It includes “fun facts” about you and demonstrates community leadership.

For more tips like these, follow me on LinkedIn. 

https://mbaessaycoaching.com/2018/05/24/2952/

Q: I botched my video interviews. Out of the four questions, I only nailed one of them. I really struggled in one of them and gave an incoherent, rambling response. And the other two, I wasn’t as fluent as I could have been and struggled to find the right words. 

How true is it that they don’t disqualify people based on the video essays?

A: I listened to an interview last year between a key member of the Adcom and a large admissions consulting firm. Adcom person did indeed say that it was only a means of fishing out applicants who they might have otherwise turned down. 

It was criteria that would give them a reason to say yes; not a reason to say no. This might be a lie, but that is their story on paper.

Rather than pacing and ringing your hands, channel that anxiety towards amping up your profile. This way, if you end up getting wait-listed you have a viable reason for submitting an update letter where I can help you make your case over again.

This means: amp up previous or current community service, retake the TOEFL, get a high-profile or international work project, get on the board of something, or if possible, get a promotion.

Getting a promotion at work before MBA is the best but the last person I helped get off the INSEAD waitlist…1 month before enrollment…only got promoted to Organizer for the local Soccer Club. So think broadly about leadership.

And of course if it doesn’t end up working out you have more juicy stuff to report for round one US/UK apps if you choose to do that.

– Farrell
I am a MBA admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. I help both full time and EMBA leaders get into top business schools. Schedule a profile review with me to see if we would make a good team. My goal is to help you create your best applications, get into your dream business school and pursue a career that excites you. 

Q: Hi Farrell, I hope you had a great weekend. I’m at the early stages of looking into an MBA programme, at what point in your career do you think it’s best to apply?

A: If you’re going for HBS and GSB they do like younger applicants… I generally hear from people around age 25, and they have about three years of work experience. 2 years is the absolute minimum – 5 years is optimal and for EU or UK schools 5 years is the minimum. In either case,  I think I would wait to get a promotion first, establish a little bit of longevity at your current job. Just kick ass there. However, make sure that you do not neglect the community service angle.

Given you are a fresh grad working for a huge consultancy, they are not going to be handing you the keys to the castle so for that reason you need to get into a community organization that aligns with your profile where you can have a significant leadership position. To show what you can do to make an impact, in a sense, the way one would in a startup.

And make sure that it’s something you’re passionate about and adds value to your overall narrative. For that reason, it’s important to get more clarity on your post-MBA and long term goals. I would recommend that you do Career Leader, which helps establish your interests and motivations. It’s is a very popular assessment used by most Business Schools but you would be way ahead of the game to have some traction on those before applying.

I’m not sure where you are with the GMAT but you can never start too early with that, because it’s a black box as many find out to their chagrin. Scores are good for 5 years. The trick for you right now is to find a way to distinguish yourself PWC, a great brand name but there are so many consultants to apply to Business School, and the challenge is to make sure you have find a way to get the community service factor in there despite having to work a billion hours. Many try to contribute internally and do a lot of mentoring which is good but common.

There’s quite a bit that you can do now — take the actions to prepare the CONTENT and the writing will take care of itself. The content is about taking stock of what you have achieved, but also, researching yourself, your goals, and the schools. If you do this, writing the applications will be a far less painful process, but instead, an exciting journey of self-discovery, where you are gaining more clarity about who you are and how you want to contribute.

I recently tweeted that people think applying to business school school is about writing essays but it’s really all about the decisions you make before you get down to writing those essays. 

Hope that helps!

Cheers, Farrell

Trying to figure your dream career can be really challenging, especially if you’re older and are considering starting something new. It can be an intimidating prospect with so many possibilities and so much uncertainty.

How can anyone possibly figure out their dream career? There are so many options, each with pros and cons.

What can you do?

Fortunately, you don’t have to wander blindly as you try to identify where you want to be in life. There are some very specific questions you can ask that will help you nail down who you are, what you love and what you really want to.

Consider these questions to be a map leading you to your desired destination.

 Question #1: Who Are You?

If you are facing in the right direction, all you need to do is keep on walking. – Anonymous

Before you can figure out what you want to do, you need to determine who you are and what you stand for. A dream career will line up with your core value and most tightly held beliefs. If you choose a career that contradicts these core values, you’ll probably end up deeply unhappy.

Ask yourself:

• What do I care about most?
• What underlying values motivate everything I do?
• What am I willing to sacrifice for?
• What drives me?

For example: I am Jessie, a single mother of three children. I am a spiritual, kind, loving person. I care deeply about helping my children succeed, social justice and alleviating poverty. I’m driven to sacrifice my time and comfort to provide financial security for my children. I’m driven to use my planning skills to help the homeless in my city.

Identifying your core values shapes the trajectory of your career path.

Question #2: What Do You Love Doing?

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. – Pope John XXIII

What are you passionate about? What do you absolutely love doing? What gets your juices going, your creativity pumping and your energy moving? What do you think about when you’re standing in line at the grocery store?

As you ponder this question, don’t limit yourself to things that you think could be a career. Do you love reading? What about hiking? Does the thought of making a delicious meal make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Do you get pumped at the idea of helping someone make money?

Finding your dream career starts with identifying your true passions. Once you’ve nailed those down, you can start moving toward the how.

Question #3: What Are You Really Good At?

You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand. – Woodrow Wilson

This one will get your mind going in a slightly different direction. What do you have real talent for? What’s the thing everyone says you’re amazing at? Art? Coaching sports? Teaching? Writing music?

Many times, a dream career comes at the intersection of your skills and passions. Of course, this makes sense. If you’re passionate about photography, you spend a lot of time taking photographs and thus get really good at it.

When you combine your skills and your passions, you’ll often discover a dream career waiting to happen.

Question #4: What Goals Do You Have?

What are your long term goals when it comes to:

• Relationships?
• Health?
• Family?
• Finances?
• Spiritual development?

In some ways, your goals will shape the dream career you pursue. For example, if you want to be a family man who spends most of his time at home, a career as a traveling musician probably isn’t right for you. If you want to be financially secure by the time you’re 45, it will be difficult to spend your life working among the poor in India (although that’s an admirable goal).

Ideally, your dream career will align well with your life goals.

Question #5: If You Could Do Anything, What Would It Be?

The only goal you can’t accomplish is the one that you don’t go after! – Vilis Ozols

If your life had no limits, what would you do? Think about it. If you had all the money, time and resources you needed, how would you spend your time? Where would you go? Who would hang out with?

This line of thinking pushes you outside your normal box. You probably have a series of limiting beliefs when it comes to what you can do with your life. In many ways, this is reasonable. There are actual limits imposed on you by your job, relationships, etc. But many of our limiting beliefs simply aren’t true. We’ve picked them up somewhere over the years and unconsciously treat them as law.

When you think about a limitless life, it allows you to explore possibilities you’ve never considered.

Question #6: Who Do You Look Up To?

The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive. – Albert Einstein

Who are the people you truly and deeply admire? Think on both a personal level and a professional level. Is there an author you love for her ability to turn phrases and create beautiful word pictures?

Is there a friend you admire for his willingness to help anyone at the drop of a hat?

Is there a photographer who always inspires you with his astounding nature shots?

What about a mentor who you look up to for her constant guidance?

As you think about the people you admire, consider why you hold them in such high esteem. What unique qualities do they possess? How could those qualities segway into a career for you? Could you become like the photographer you love? Could you also become a wonderful author?

Identifying the people you look up to can help you get ahead on what a dream career could look like for you.

Question #7: What Do You Dislike Doing?

Better to have spent a life reaching for a dream that never came true, than to have slept through a life that never had a dream. – Samantha Pickreign

This question will take you to the other end of the spectrum. Are there particular activities you really dislike? For example, if you’re an introvert who really doesn’t like being in large crowds, a career as an event planner probably isn’t for you.

When you consider these activities, think about why you don’t like doing them. Do you dislike manual labor because you don’t like being outside or because you’re in pain afterwards? Do you hate writing because you struggle with words or simply because you don’t like sitting in front of a computer?

Your goal isn’t necessarily to figure out what careers you want to avoid, although that helps. Rather, you want to determine why you don’t like particular activities. Knowing that you dislike the outdoors keeps you away from much more than manual labor and should be taken into account when considering your career.

Putting It All Together

Once you’ve answered all these questions, you can begin considering possible careers. You should have a good idea of what you love doing, what matters most to you and what types of things you want to avoid.

Now you’re ready to start taking steps in the right direction.

Depending on the complexity of your dream career, there are some relatively simple steps you can take to get started:

• Taking online classes in your field of choice
• Joining a mentor program
• Reading books about your dream career
• Starting a small side business

What matters most is that you do something. Take at least one step in the direction you want to head.

Conclusion

It’s never too late to start doing what you love. You don’t have to work in a job you hate until you retire. If you know the right questions to ask and the correct steps to take, you can chart a path to the career of your dreams.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.”

We wholeheartedly agree.

This article originally appeared here at https://www.cornerstone.edu/blogs/lifelong-learning-matters/post/7-questions-to-help-you-find-the-career-of-your-dreams and has been republished with permission from https://www.cornerstone.edu

I just wanted to offer some advice on the main essay topic as I know some people are racking their brain over this. Oxford wants to learn about your values. If it is shocking to you then it’s probably tripping upon some deeply felt principal. Ponder what that might be and speak from that place. Consider that they are trying to get to know you at the deepest level by understanding what motivates you, and examining if those values are a match for the Oxford Community. To generate some ideas you might actually consider looking at successful essays for Stanford’s main essay question which also speaks to values. For the part about how you would change this, I think they are looking to assess your innovative and strategic thinking abilities. Be imaginative.

So often applicants think about other aspect of their application (school selection, resume etc.) prior to considering their MBA goals, and I really feel this is a classic case of the tail wagging the dog.

THE EQUATION

To write a persuasive application, it’s critical that you have those goals honed and refined. Background + MBA = Post-MBA Goal. So in order to solve for “MBA” part here, you need to figure out the right side of the equation.

Then, take Goal + Experience = Long Term Goal. Hopefully this long-term goal will stir the adcom on both an emotional and analytical level.

THE PITCH

Consider this: schools invest more money in you than you pay in tuition. So while many consider this process to be shopping for an MBA program, in fact, your application should be likened to a pitch. Think Shark Tank.

Why should they invest foundation dollars in you vs. someone else? They are more likely to choose the applicant who has carefully considered why they are applying to the school, and what they are trying to make manifest by going there. Successful Shark Tank applicants rarely walk into the room presented a with few different “options” for potential products, or a generic, half-baked idea. They don’t say, well, give me the money, I want to explore first, and see what sounds good to me once I get there. That would be a ridiculous way to approach starting a business, a sure plan for financial ruin. Yet, business school applicants do this all the time.

THE PAYOFF

Check this out. For the admissions committee, in this case, *YOU* ARE THE BUSINESS. You are the business they are investing in. Show them you have a business plan for business school. Show you have a strategy and specific tactics to carry out said strategy.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t engage in big, blue-sky thinking. Schools like to see a big vision. One of my recent Wharton Lauder admits has a goal of establishing a consultancy in Africa that will allow Africans to effectively increase the percentage of arable land, solving part of the hunger crisis, and make the agriculture market a viable means of economic growth there.

THE EXAMPLE So, big vision is encouraged, however, you need to connect the dots. Background + MBA = Goal. In this case, he had visited Africa, traveled extensively, and has a masters in Engineering. All he needs is a business education – knowledge if marketing, finance – mentorship, and an understanding of the competitive landscape there. The Lauder program allows students to spend time abroad doing these things, so this is a fit. What Wharton-Lauder offers matches what he needs to achieve his goal. But we couldn’t establish that fit with crappy, fuzzy, generic goals.

So my message is this – set MBA goals first, to show how your Background + MBA = Goal. Demonstrate how YOU will leverage the opportunity – a key reason for adcom to admit you. Once you do this, the process of writing your applications becomes far easier, you gain momentum, and the passion and precision shines through.

Hello Indian readers. Someone wrote to me recently, asking, “why do the credentials for Indians have to be so much higher than for, say, Nordic applicants?”

And it made me think to myself, maybe not all Indians are “in on” the dynamics of business school admissions. This is the stuff that admissions representatives will not tell you. I will lay it all out.

Indians are extremely overrepresented, in fact, I believe they are the largest group in the application pool. And here is the crux of the issue.

Stanford (or any other business school) cannot pack the class full of Indians. Imagine that you walk into the class and you find wall-to-wall Indian students. This lack of diversity in terms of thought, perspective, and experiences would greatly decrease the value of what the school is selling – diverse experiences, exposure to various perspectives, industries and walks of life.

In essence, Stanford is protecting the experience of the students. This is why they want to have diversity in many forms, and citizenship or nationality is at the head of the list. However, it’s not the whole enchilada. An Indian male IT applicant would fare worse than a gay female Indian artist. If the school doesn’t offer they don’t have diversity, it lessens the experience for the students and reduces the reputation of the school.

The whole situation is really unfortunate because most Indians are very bright and test well on the GMAT, which is endemic of the problem. Competing against their others with a similar profile proves difficult. The whole situation is quite unfair in a myriad of ways.

If you are an Indian national, the acceptance rate for you is half of what it is for the reported average. So for Stanford, that goes from 6% to 3%. If you are in IT – well, that goes to 2%. The numbers are honesty quite deflating.

One of the biggest mistakes, however, is to assume that a high GMAT score and GPA is the answer to the problem. A decent GMAT is necessary in most cases, however, in my practice I find that most Indian candidates grossly underestimate the importance of doing the application well. Your profile will only help you to the degree you can communicate the value of it.

What does this look like?

Resume: Every single word has a purpose. It uses universal language instead of industry jargon. It contains resume bullets that are one line, focusing on actions and quantifiable achievements. If not a quantifiable achievement, something that speaks to human motivations, such as saving time and improving a process. Anyone from any industry would be able to step into your resume, and comprehend the value of what you have done. There is space to breathe on the page. It has white space, and the reader feels good when they look at it. It looks inviting. It has simple elegance.

Essays: The essays use anecdotes and examples that are written in chronological order. The reader can mentally see the story unfold. The story is told in brief sentences in a way that is accessible to a broad audience. Each essay shows a different side of you, yet all of them feel authentic, sincere, and accessible. They demonstrate self-awareness, personal growth, leadership and results-orientation. You reach the reader on both an analytical and emotional level.

Letters of recommendation: The recommender can “see” you – see the uniqueness of you – and articulate that eloquently. The letter is comprised chiefly of clear, specific anecdotes that point to your talents in the area of problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, communication and innovation. The reader is emotionally moved by the content and, ideally, wants to champion you to the adcom in quite the same way as the writer.

Online application: Twitter on steroids. Elevator pitch. Distills valuable information about you clearly and succinctly. Everything illustrates qualities that business schools value – strategic thinking, results orientation, etc. Employment section gives the reader a clear, succinct understanding of the experience you’ve gained, employing simple, universal language. The activities and awards point to the overall brand that you set forth in other aspects of the application.

This is where the opportunities lie. Do the app well. Your profile matters – but if delivered badly – if the value of it is obscured – the reader will not see it. And everything you have worked so hard for won’t even matter.

After having read hundreds of applications, I assure you, submitting a quality application will set you apart. It’s an underleveraged strategy.

So often, I am asked to give a MBA profile evaluation based on GMAT + GPA + Work Experience. It’s simply not possible estimate your chances based on these 3 numbers alone. I’m really not sure why applicants, year after year, continue with the perception that that is the case.

In truth, your chances have a lot to do with whether or not the schools are convinced that you should be part of the class. It’s just like the ding letter from Stanford that says, it is about selection not evaluation.

It’s not about being good enough. It’s about being what they’re looking for – and outstanding.

So those low grades or GMAT are not necessarily a deal-breaker, however you need to bring something to the table that would be an offsetting entry for them.

Unique contribution. What would make them want you – in order to make the class complete?

A value proposition consists of two items – desirability and exclusivity. Something is more valuable if it is desirable, and also, if it is rare. Uncommon. Unrepeatable. This is your competitive advantage, and it’s worthwhile to take time to figure it out.

Beyond your profile, some of this has to do with the rest of the applicant pool. Again, selection rather than evaluation. It’s not “all about you.”

It would be something related to the unique perspective you offer, acquired through your experiences. What you have done in the community types of experiences that have developed your leadership and teamwork skills.

So sit with the question for a while. What sets you apart from other people with your profile? What would be a reason to select you out of a highly competitive pool?

If you are interested in partnering with me on your applications, please fill out the prospective client form. 

It always seems so unfair to contend with HBS….

everyone’s dream school – as the first application essay – right when you’re developing your “sea legs” in the world of MBA admissions!

A few pointers.

First of all, please know that when it comes to word count, they are giving you enough rope to hang yourself here. Concision is valued and needs to be reflected.

MBA Applicants often feel as though more is better. This is not the case and if you’ve ever reviewed resumes for a living, you know what I’m talking about. The mantra here is targeted, not comprehensive.

If you are struggling to choose, can you take some of these things and roll them up into leadership characteristics that are broader, but still meaningful? The key is to find the essence of it, the golden thread, what others say is unique about you, what you’re known for – as it relates to leadership.

People can only digest so much at a time. For this reason, it’s your responsibility to be super clear and focused. Would you be more attracted to a political candidate who mentioned three things or 20? In many ways, this is your campaign speech – your pitch. Limit the focus to increase comprehension of the message.

Also, be transparent and avoid jargon. Make it easy for us to walk into your world – they ask for this specifically. Step outside of yourself and your world – in order to write an essay that is digestible by the adcom.

Strategically select an anecdote, possibly two, that reflect what it is you are known for, what might be your brand as it relates to leadership. There needs to be a hook and they need to get clear on what your trying to say in the first 15 seconds.

You don’t want the same anecdotes to show up in your letter of recommendation, but you want both items to point to the same qualities.

Feel free to reach out if you like me to review your drafts. I’ll send you audio file feedback.

– Farrell
I am a MBA admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. I help both full time and EMBA leaders get into top business schools. Schedule a profile review with me to see if we would make a good team. My goal is to help you create your best applications, get into your dream business school and pursue a career that excites you. 

School research is so important, and so is making a good impression on admissions. Before attending admissions events, do some research that will lead into some juicy questions.

Don’t ask them about stats you could easily find online. Rather, ask questions that demonstrate you’ve 1) researched the program and 2) believe it is a fit, based on that research. Use that as your jumping-off point for deeper conversations. Initiate as many meaningful conversations as possible, without sacrificing quality.

After each conversation, take their business card, and write down what you discussed.  Within 24 hours, email your new contact to follow up, the same way you would send a thank you note after an interview. It’s helpful to reference what was discussed, to reinforce the connection and make you more memorable. You can also ask them to set you up with a student mentor, and if possible, have them arrange a school visit. This will win  a lot of points. Keep in mind, showing a specific interest in a school will increase your chances.

The biggest headache for business schools is extending offers to people who choose another school. In this way, it’s a prisoner’s dilemma. So doing the work to demonstrate that you would pick them will up your chances. 

You can get even more mileage out of each event by noting a meaningful piece of information in your essay; i.e., I spoke with Flor (’12) at the Buenos Aires admissions event, and she mentioned XYZ about Cornell. XYZ = something that would make me a fit at your school.

And please don’t mention collaborative culture because 99.99% of applicants go that route. It is played out.

If you do mention it, show don’t tell – mention a clear example of what resonated with you. If possible, reference an alumni conversation in your essay that points to how the school is an especially strong fit with your unique career goals. This is a good idea for the prisoner’s dilemma mentioned above.

If you are unable to attend any events in person, make sure to subscribe to their You Tube and attend the online admissions events. Meet with students or alumni in your city; get creative to show the school you are passionate about their program!

In sum: make a good impression – before and after the event! 

Poets & Quants Profile for Farrell Dyan MBA Prep Coach

With critical reasoning, the most important thing is to read the question, and understand what your job is.

Some questions are simple, “what is the assumption,” whereas others are extremely convoluted. They say something like, “which of the following does not support the finding that the conclusion is wrong.” All the double negatives can make it very tough to figure out what’s what.

Strip it down from the abstract to a very concrete statement, something like, “why is X a bad idea?” And then pose this question to each answer choice. Hello, A, are you telling me why X is a bad idea? You need to set up specific criteria for the answer choice. If it doesn’t say why X is a bad idea, cross it off and move on.

If you don’t specify what you want out of the answer choice, it’s like walking into the grocery store without a shopping list. You will be lured to pick things that you don’t need and forget about why you went there in the first place.

I want to share a quick formula to guide you in answering almost any essay question. It’s an approach commonly used in interviews, so you might have heard of it already. It’s called STAR – Situation – Task – Action – Result.

Boring. So vague, it can’t be wrong. You know, the answer that is so watered down and wishy-washy, it’s basically saying nothing at all? THAT’S YOUR ANSWER!!! The GMAC wants to stay out of legal trouble. For this reason, any answer that is put forth as “true” must be totally indisputable. This means, incidentally, that it needs to be indisputably VAGUE as well. Vague statements are generally more likely to be “true” than specific statements. This strategy is especially helpful when you are looking at two similar answer choices. One of them is clear, detailed and specific, while the other, stating the obvious, dialed-back, to which you might respond, “duh!” Example. If I said you had black hair, there’s a good chance it’s true. But if I said you had black hair, blue eyes and freckles, the chances of that statement being true plummet dramatically. Additional details make the statement less likely to be true. They impose more conditions – and GMAT answers work very similarly. If you are drawn to smart-sounding, specific answers, listen up, you. The analogy I like to use is the Pyramid of Truth. Draw a pyramid on your paper.  On the top of the pyramid, write words such as, “only,” “never,” “always,” “most, “cannot,” …you get the idea. NARROW. Restrictive. Av  oid choosing answers that contain these words. Why? Only, never and always are highly disputable. They are unlikely to be true.

For example, If I said I always get GMAT answers correct, that’s unlikely (even for me.) On the bottom of the pyramid, write down words such as, “may, could, might, some, one.” BROAD. May or may not. Could or could not. Might or might not. Lean towards answers that contain these words. They claim very little, in fact, they claim nothing at all really, and must be true. The GMAC is off the hook. If I said I may get some particular GMAT question correct, that is indisputable. I may or may not. Either way, I’m telling the truth. Again, choose answers that are so vague, and claim so little, they can’t be wrong. Bottom of the pyramid. When you are faced with two different answers and one says, “most,” and the other says, “some,” choose the the latter. Just this one tip will clear up major problems with inference questions in Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. One exception, by the way – if the questions states, “which of the following MUST be false.” In such cases, extreme-sounding answers are a good contender.

If it’s one thing that drives me nuts, it’s someone who says they are “going to business school to figure out what they want to do.” THAT IS DUMB. And incidentally, also very EXPENSIVE, because it’s  a waste of your precious TIME. Get clear on your career goal first, so you can pick a program that will help you achieve it. Then leverage your time in business school to achieve said goal. Believe me, when applicants try to conceal their lack of direction, and BS their way through, it comes through loud and clear in their essays. It’s impossible to hide. And the essays are painful to read.

Business schools want to bring in students who will be successful, make them look good, have a positive impact on endowments. It’s difficult for students achieve greatness if  they have no direction. This is why business schools ask you – hey, applicant, how do you plan to spend your time at our school ? I heartily recommend that you do the introspection work….with a coach if necessary… to construct your career plans before attempting to draft your applications. Do the inner work first. The application essays should be a manifestation of this process, not be the beginning of it. I often hear, “I just want to get into a school and then I’ll figure out the rest when I’m there.” OK. Let’s say you get into a school. Without clear intentions, you will be caught in a tidal wave of courses, clubs, classes and recruiters. Not to mention speakers, internships, externships…you get the picture. Instead of tapping into your heart’s desire, it’s more likely that you’ll be thrown about the sea, shipwrecked, 20 months having slipped through your hands and all you have to show for it is a huge bill. I will end with these words of advice from one McCombs MBA student to an applicant:

“I didn’t realize how busy I would be! I knew that business school was going to be challenging but the first few months really tested my time management skills. Looking back I was amazed at how much we all accomplished in the fall term. Advice I would have for that is to think about what you want to get out of business school before you get here. Do you want to focus on recruiting, social, academics? And are you okay with priorities shifting as you progress in the year?”

Some exciting and surprising changes in the new US News & World Report. Stanford was dethroned; HBS is in the #1 place. Chicago-Booth tied with Stanford for the #2 spot, which used to belong to Wharton, now #4.

New England seems to be taking over. MIT stayed at #5; Dartmouth moved up the #8 spot and the biggest development is that Yale is now #9 – first time ever in the top ten (young MBA program – but safe to assume there will be further ascension in the rankings.)

NYC is the big loser this year. Columbia is ranked #10 and the big shock – NYU-Stern is ranked #20, down from #11, due to their failure to submit critical data on time to US News & World Report.

Meanwhile upstate in Ithaca, Cornell advanced one notch to #14. Darden, Duke and Ross are probably crying in their beer right now. Darden has lost its footing as a top 10 school, and the other two will unlikely make the top ten now that Yale is there – and most likely there to stay.

– Farrell
I am a MBA admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. I help both full time and EMBA leaders get into top business schools. Schedule a profile review with me to see if we would make a good team. My goal is to help you create your best applications, get into your dream business school and pursue a career that excites you