This is a 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. Because of that, they want to really understand your operating system – your values.

And so, this question actually asks, what do you most value? The answer is meaningless without an anecdote, really – as with all the essays, show, don’t tell – and the story should illustrate how you acquired value to which you lay claim.

As a coach, I try to help my clients discern their values so they can make better decisions. To use myself as an example, my values include self-expression, playfulness, and independence. How did I come to know this? Before I got into this business, I moved from newspaper marketing to Wells Fargo.

The change appeared to be an upgrade from the outside, but I found myself stripped of all that I valued. No longer was I able to champion my own initiatives, lead graphic designers, copywriters, or collaborate with the news desk. None of the writing I did came from a place of self-expression like it used to.

Rather, everything at Wells Fargo was lockstep, recycled from the marketing calendar, under heavy scrutiny of compliance standards, and totally devoid of all humor and spontaneity.

Had I understood my values, I would have been able to articulate why my inner guidance was saying NO DON’T DO IT. Once I started at Wells, I then realized to be happy in my work, self-expression, independence and playfulness needed to be there.

When it comes to What Matters Most, consider personal and professional anecdotes and see what the golden thread is, the “through line” that ties things together.

The exercise I have people do is to identify one personal and one professional anecdote for each of the following: 1) when did you feel most proud? 2) when did you feel most accomplished?, and 3) when did you feel most fulfilled? Then we consider each anecdote and from there back out what it says about the values of that person.

For instance, one of my clients felt most fulfilled when several coworkers slammed his phone with messages encouraging him to apply for a new job opening in their department.

As an Iraqi American in Texas, he had been the target of racist bullying in his youth, which gave birth to his value around belonging to community, feeling wanted and welcome.

In his essays, he shared the story of bullying and anecdotes around his later efforts to create a welcoming communities around him in his personal and professional lives.

By identifying where your values come from, you can understand why they are important to you provide a holistic and authentic answer to “What matters most and why?”

Struggling to achieve your ideal GMAT score and applying Round 2 MBA?

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.

Hi everyone, as the first round of EMBA deadlines arrive for most schools, wanted to touch on average age/work experience for each of the top programs. They vary quite a bit. Hoping this might provide some nuance and help you avoid potentially wasted effort.

Wharton: It’s concentrated around people in their 30s: year after year, only 20% of the class is over 40. Also, the only US based program breaking out this stat. Everyone stays in the same hotel every other weekend and I wonder if they are looking to maintain a certain social dynamic by avoiding big age gaps (this might create cliques).

Just this year that number bumped to 25% which makes me wonder if this average went up because they have older candidates doing the “global program” (the new remote option.) Or a philosophical change in general about having older candidates. Only 3% of the class is under 30. But, if you are an employer sponsored candidate, check out the “fellow” option.

Columbia: Many who consider Wharton also consider CBS EMBA. This option is a great one if you are a bit young for an EMBA. One of my clients started this program at age 25, actually, and had completed his online bachelor's degree the previous year – however – he was in fact in a people/program management role at his company. He was promoted 2 or 3 times during the program to director and is now a partner.

CBS doesn’t have a work experience minimum – and I can’t think of another program that doesn’t. It’s a bit of a wild card. This doesn’t mean anyone can get it in of course but they look at how the employer has “vetted” the candidate: are they sponsored? Have they been promoted? What is their track record of achievement? If you are a top performer under that magic 8 years of experience – this is likely a good option.

Yale: The 14 average years of work experience are higher than
Wharton but less than MIT, and the average age is 36. However interestingly they only require seven years of work experience, and it seems as though they are willing to make an exception with that if you have a track record of leadership. Note: The fact that the program is in New Haven Connecticut (logistics not ideal) and meets biweekly means that the majority of the class will be from the Northeast (59%). So make sure that a network from this geography would be valuable to you. It's clear they've put a lot of effort into making sure that 47% of the class are people of color and 44% female. They really emphasize their specialties of asset management, sustainability, and health care.

Booth: The average age is 37 with 13 years of work experience; they don't really give an 80% range so I'm not really sure how tightly clustered things are around that average. But I do know that one of my clients visited Booth he is like 42 or something and he felt somewhat comfortable there and found many others his age.

MIT: Primary reason I am writing this blog is to keep young applicants from applying here. The average age is 41 with 17 years of experience with a minimum of 10. And, having the most experienced EMBA cohort is cornerstone to their marketing. 90%+ are Directors. I recommend against having a “apply for the heck of it, worst they can say is no” approach here if you don’t fit this profile. Why? Because it's the most competitive EMBA program (very hot brand and no GMAT required = tons of applications) AND it’s a huuuuge application; a LOT of both recommendation and essay questions.

If you have 8+ years but less than 10, however, you are a director AND offer a lot of diversity, then you might contact admissions to see if they will make an exception. Note: don’t apply unless you have a B or better in stats and business calculus.

Kellogg: Average age is 39; down from 40. Average work experience is 15 years. 68% are director level or above. This program is less rigorous than Booth, Wharton, and MIT with a monthly Kellogg-Miami option. If you have small children or work long hours, you might find this program more manageable. Note: they have both fall and winter intake, so, frequent deadlines.

Duke: Average age is 34 for the global MBA (class meetings are at various international destinations) and 35 for the Weekend EMBA – interestingly, the required work experience is only 5 years. The Weekend option is monthly so might be a good option for younger applicants, even if they need to travel from outside the area.

NYU-Stern: There are 3 options; NYC; DC and the prestigious TRIUM Global EMBA. For NYC, the average age is 37 with an average of 13 years of work experience. The Stern PT MBA is very popular so it would make sense that less experienced applicants would go for that option. The DC monthly program is very new with no class profile yet posted. Given that there is no “top ranked” PT MBA in DC, I am guessing it might scoop up those applicants and skew younger. For TRIUM, the average age is 40. This is like a more prestigious version of the Duke Global MBA.

Michigan-Ross: The situation here is similar to Kellogg – average age is 40; less rigor, with more emphasis on leadership than quant-heavy subjects. No class breakout between Ann Arbor & Burbank monthly options. Interesting that they include average salary is $180K.

Berkeley-Haas: 80% fall between 33 and 48 and so it seems there is a good deal of variation here with age. Also, a monthly program.

I might even go so far as to say that monthly programs usually skew older than weekly (CBS only) or biweekly (Booth, Kellogg-Evanston, Wharton, NYU in NYC). However, MIT meets every 3 weeks and has the highest average age.

In sum – while age isn’t the only variable, of course, it’s something to factor in. EMBA programs are lockstep and 22 to 24 months – by design. Why? You will get to know your colleagues better this way and have deeper connections. You are paying to acquire a network, and so you want to feel you are surrounded by people who can help you. The fact is, a director probably won’t benefit much from someone with 5 years of work experience, and actually, vice versa. So, the bulk of the cohort needs to be equally yoked so to speak for the program to work.

MBA APPLICANTS – something I am realizing is a controversial issue and want to address it.

Include hobbies on your resume for MBA. Please trust and believe they are evaluating you, in part, to see if you are a social value-add to the class. You are both the consumer and the product. They want people who are well-rounded with a sense of humor.

Offering a couple examples so you will believe me I can TALK YOU OFF THE LEDGE of not doing this.

Question:

Hi, what are some proven strategies on getting off the waitlist? I have taken my GRE five times already so no more chances to retake it. Thank you!

Q: I was told that social work improves your profile and helps you stand out in front of the ad-com. Is that true?

A: 1000% yes. 

Interview Part 1 (45 min):

1. Walk me through your early career. Inflection points, decisions to pursue field

2. How do you choose mentors? How are you mentored?

3. Describe market opportunity and how you addressed it in your current organization

4. Biggest challenge and adversity turnaround story

As Wharton offers are coming in, I've been asked to comment on the differences to help people decide. This is by no means comprehensive but what comes to mind.

The cool thing about Kellogg is that they interview everyone, so its wise to apply if your magnetic and personable camera presence sells you better than other elements of the application. Here are the interview questions from a recent client. Reminder than R1 is 4/19 - factor in time not just for essays but brainstorming recommendation anecdotes (DEI in particular) and interview talking points!

Essay 2: Community, belonging and inclusion are important values at Kellogg. Tell us about a community that’s important to you and how you contribute to or impact that community. (450 word maximum)

In the application, you shared your short-term and long-term goals. How will Kellogg and an Executive MBA equip you to reach those goals? What are you looking to gain or develop during your MBA experience? (450 word maximum)

Round 1 April deadline for Fall intake is approaching and I'll be tackling the various elements of the Kellogg EMBA application.

Essay 1 starts out with, “In the application, you shared your short-term and long-term goals” so before tackling essay tips – let’s start here first. These short answers are the basis for the your response in Essay 1 - I will write a separate article for that.

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

They are trying to understand how well the recommender knows you, measured by both years and the level of engagement. When they say capacity – sure, articulate their role and yours, but really, they are trying to find out if you have worked closely with this person. Has this person observed you from a distance or have you been in the thick of it together, partnering on high-stress projects together? Ideal if you can show you have worked closely on complex and/or high priority initiatives.

Describe a situation in which you failed as a leader. What did you learn from it? (Word limit 300)

Because IMD is primarily a leadership development program, as Sean Meehan mentions, they want to know you are ready for what they deliver.

Regarding the failure part, they want to know you have enough self-awareness to observe where you might have failed, which makes you coachable and more receptive to change. Regarding the leader part, they want to know you have worked at a high enough level to benefit from a leadership program. If you haven’t worked in a leadership capacity in some form, you won’t have a frame of reference and there isn’t much for their curriculum and experiential exercises to “hang on.”

Wharton deadline is coming up quick on Jan 18. I would make sure to sort out recommendations first, as the holidays approach, and in parallel, set up conversations (goal and program-specific research) that will help you with the essays.

Definitely consult the class profile, https://executivemba.wharton.upenn.edu/class-profile/ taking into consideration you will likely need a higher score if you are overrepresented. You need 8 years of work experience unless you go the “fellow” option; for the new global program option you need 10 years.

Wharton admits are generally the same age as Booth and NYU, older than CBS EMBA admits, but younger than those attending programs including MIT-Sloan, Michigan-Ross, and Kellogg (incidentally all test-optional) where the average age is 40+.

The early deadline is 1/11 for CBS EMBA Saturday – followed by the final one on 2/23. If you are just starting now – and especially if you still need to sort out your test score – do prioritize application quality over tossing something together within a couple weeks.

The Saturday program kind of operates like a PT program at CBS. One of my clients got in at the age of 25 (he did have managerial experience in market research) There really isn’t any work experience or age minimum, which is UNIQUE. I can’t think of another EMBA program without a minimum. So, if you live in the NYC or Philly area, and you have steady progression at work with a solid test score, don’t let age or years of work experience stand in your way.

After the heaps of information I have already shoveled at them, what more are they looking for? While MBA adcom has peeked LinkedIn profiles on the sly for many years, mostly at the interview stage, now most schools are formally asking for your LinkedIn profile as part of the application.

Kellogg EMBA R1 for Jan intake 8/17/22 and R2 is 10/5 (all applicants interviewed; test score optional but need quant evidence); also deadlines for September start. Meetings in Miami monthly and Evanston biweekly, both residential.

https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/programs/executive-mba/admissions.aspx

Average WE 15 years; average age 39

Question:

Is there a possibility that I might get in a T15 with a Test waiver, however, if I apply with a test score, I might get rejected (because of a low-test score)?

Just trying to assess what’s the best course of action :)

This is a 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. Because of that, they want to really understand your operating system – your values.

And so, this question actually asks, what do you most value? The answer is meaningless without an anecdote, really – as with all the essays, show, don’t tell – and the story should illustrate how you acquired value to which you lay claim.

As a coach, I try to help my clients discern their values so they can make better decisions. To use myself as an example, my values include self-expression, playfulness, and independence. How did I come to know this? Before I got into this business, I moved from newspaper marketing to Wells Fargo.

The change appeared to be an upgrade from the outside, but I found myself stripped of all that I valued. No longer was I able to champion my own initiatives, lead graphic designers, copywriters, or collaborate with the news desk. None of the writing I did came from a place of self-expression like it used to.

Rather, everything at Wells Fargo was lockstep, recycled from the marketing calendar, under heavy scrutiny of compliance standards, and totally devoid of all humor and spontaneity.

Had I understood my values, I would have been able to articulate why my inner guidance was saying NO DON’T DO IT. Once I started at Wells, I then realized to be happy in my work, self-expression, independence and playfulness needed to be there.

When it comes to What Matters Most, consider personal and professional anecdotes and see what the golden thread is, the “through line” that ties things together.

The exercise I have people do is to identify one personal and one professional anecdote for each of the following: 1) when did you feel most proud? 2) when did you feel most accomplished?, and 3) when did you feel most fulfilled? Then we consider each anecdote and from there back out what it says about the values of that person.

For instance, one of my clients felt most fulfilled when several coworkers slammed his phone with messages encouraging him to apply for a new job opening in their department.

As an Iraqi American in Texas, he had been the target of racist bullying in his youth, which gave birth to his value around belonging to community, feeling wanted and welcome.

In his essays, he shared the story of bullying and anecdotes around his later efforts to create a welcoming communities around him in his personal and professional lives.

By identifying where your values come from, you can understand why they are important to you provide a holistic and authentic answer to “What matters most and why?”

Struggling to achieve your ideal GMAT score and applying Round 2 MBA?

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.

Hi everyone, as the first round of EMBA deadlines arrive for most schools, wanted to touch on average age/work experience for each of the top programs. They vary quite a bit. Hoping this might provide some nuance and help you avoid potentially wasted effort.

Wharton: It’s concentrated around people in their 30s: year after year, only 20% of the class is over 40. Also, the only US based program breaking out this stat. Everyone stays in the same hotel every other weekend and I wonder if they are looking to maintain a certain social dynamic by avoiding big age gaps (this might create cliques).

Just this year that number bumped to 25% which makes me wonder if this average went up because they have older candidates doing the “global program” (the new remote option.) Or a philosophical change in general about having older candidates. Only 3% of the class is under 30. But, if you are an employer sponsored candidate, check out the “fellow” option.

Columbia: Many who consider Wharton also consider CBS EMBA. This option is a great one if you are a bit young for an EMBA. One of my clients started this program at age 25, actually, and had completed his online bachelor's degree the previous year – however – he was in fact in a people/program management role at his company. He was promoted 2 or 3 times during the program to director and is now a partner.

CBS doesn’t have a work experience minimum – and I can’t think of another program that doesn’t. It’s a bit of a wild card. This doesn’t mean anyone can get it in of course but they look at how the employer has “vetted” the candidate: are they sponsored? Have they been promoted? What is their track record of achievement? If you are a top performer under that magic 8 years of experience – this is likely a good option.

Yale: The 14 average years of work experience are higher than
Wharton but less than MIT, and the average age is 36. However interestingly they only require seven years of work experience, and it seems as though they are willing to make an exception with that if you have a track record of leadership. Note: The fact that the program is in New Haven Connecticut (logistics not ideal) and meets biweekly means that the majority of the class will be from the Northeast (59%). So make sure that a network from this geography would be valuable to you. It's clear they've put a lot of effort into making sure that 47% of the class are people of color and 44% female. They really emphasize their specialties of asset management, sustainability, and health care.

Booth: The average age is 37 with 13 years of work experience; they don't really give an 80% range so I'm not really sure how tightly clustered things are around that average. But I do know that one of my clients visited Booth he is like 42 or something and he felt somewhat comfortable there and found many others his age.

MIT: Primary reason I am writing this blog is to keep young applicants from applying here. The average age is 41 with 17 years of experience with a minimum of 10. And, having the most experienced EMBA cohort is cornerstone to their marketing. 90%+ are Directors. I recommend against having a “apply for the heck of it, worst they can say is no” approach here if you don’t fit this profile. Why? Because it's the most competitive EMBA program (very hot brand and no GMAT required = tons of applications) AND it’s a huuuuge application; a LOT of both recommendation and essay questions.

If you have 8+ years but less than 10, however, you are a director AND offer a lot of diversity, then you might contact admissions to see if they will make an exception. Note: don’t apply unless you have a B or better in stats and business calculus.

Kellogg: Average age is 39; down from 40. Average work experience is 15 years. 68% are director level or above. This program is less rigorous than Booth, Wharton, and MIT with a monthly Kellogg-Miami option. If you have small children or work long hours, you might find this program more manageable. Note: they have both fall and winter intake, so, frequent deadlines.

Duke: Average age is 34 for the global MBA (class meetings are at various international destinations) and 35 for the Weekend EMBA – interestingly, the required work experience is only 5 years. The Weekend option is monthly so might be a good option for younger applicants, even if they need to travel from outside the area.

NYU-Stern: There are 3 options; NYC; DC and the prestigious TRIUM Global EMBA. For NYC, the average age is 37 with an average of 13 years of work experience. The Stern PT MBA is very popular so it would make sense that less experienced applicants would go for that option. The DC monthly program is very new with no class profile yet posted. Given that there is no “top ranked” PT MBA in DC, I am guessing it might scoop up those applicants and skew younger. For TRIUM, the average age is 40. This is like a more prestigious version of the Duke Global MBA.

Michigan-Ross: The situation here is similar to Kellogg – average age is 40; less rigor, with more emphasis on leadership than quant-heavy subjects. No class breakout between Ann Arbor & Burbank monthly options. Interesting that they include average salary is $180K.

Berkeley-Haas: 80% fall between 33 and 48 and so it seems there is a good deal of variation here with age. Also, a monthly program.

I might even go so far as to say that monthly programs usually skew older than weekly (CBS only) or biweekly (Booth, Kellogg-Evanston, Wharton, NYU in NYC). However, MIT meets every 3 weeks and has the highest average age.

In sum – while age isn’t the only variable, of course, it’s something to factor in. EMBA programs are lockstep and 22 to 24 months – by design. Why? You will get to know your colleagues better this way and have deeper connections. You are paying to acquire a network, and so you want to feel you are surrounded by people who can help you. The fact is, a director probably won’t benefit much from someone with 5 years of work experience, and actually, vice versa. So, the bulk of the cohort needs to be equally yoked so to speak for the program to work.

MBA APPLICANTS – something I am realizing is a controversial issue and want to address it.

Include hobbies on your resume for MBA. Please trust and believe they are evaluating you, in part, to see if you are a social value-add to the class. You are both the consumer and the product. They want people who are well-rounded with a sense of humor.

Offering a couple examples so you will believe me I can TALK YOU OFF THE LEDGE of not doing this.

Question:

Hi, what are some proven strategies on getting off the waitlist? I have taken my GRE five times already so no more chances to retake it. Thank you!

Q: I was told that social work improves your profile and helps you stand out in front of the ad-com. Is that true?

A: 1000% yes. 

Interview Part 1 (45 min):

1. Walk me through your early career. Inflection points, decisions to pursue field

2. How do you choose mentors? How are you mentored?

3. Describe market opportunity and how you addressed it in your current organization

4. Biggest challenge and adversity turnaround story