Sincerity. Honesty. Candor. We encourage candidates to strike at the essence of these attributes and, when this is achieved, successful essays inevitably follow. Yet, is there such a thing as too much of these attributes? In particular, when candor turns to negativity, the answer is “yes!” Sometimes, candidates unwittingly think that they are being candid but are in fact revealing themselves to have a predisposition toward pessimism, making it much harder for an AdCom to identify with their files. Such a situation is rather unfortunate, because the exact same idea can almost always be expressed in a positive and optimistic manner.

Example:

“In my current position, I am no longer learning and am afraid that I will continue to stagnate without my MBA. I cannot achieve my objectives to be a leader in my Marketing Department unless…”

Common sense would say that the AdCom would not be all that excited about accepting someone who has stopped learning or someone who believes that his career progress can be stopped by basic obstacles!

Example Revisited:

“As I look to the future, I recognize that with MBA training, I can dramatically increase my impact on my firm. With an eye toward a leadership position in our marketing department, I am….”

In our “Example Revisited,” the candidate is putting the exact same need for an MBA in positive terms and is thus making himself a more warm and engaging prospect (while still candidly stating a need for further education).

Before submitting your file, check for unnecessarily negative statements. While we would never suggest that every line in your essays needs to be “sunshine,” there is no need to reveal yourself as a pessimist either.

Yesterday, Integrated Learning posted a 700 level GMAT question on our blog. Today, they have followed up with the answer:

Answer = C

This problem is VERY tricky, but the logic is actually fairly straightforward.  This must be a combinations question because we know that each player shakes hands once.  In a combinations question, do the problem as if it were a permutations problem, and then just divide by the factorial of the number of spaces (there is a proper formula for this, but it’s completely unnecessary to learn it).

How many people take part in a handshake?  Two.  So there must be two spaces.  But in this case we have to use the logic of the problem to answer it correctly.  There are 35 people who can be in the first spot, but that person cannot shake hands with anyone on his own team.  So that person has only 30 people who’s hands he can shake!  That will be reflected in the combination.  So let’s approach it using the method and this logic:

Integrated Learning provides professional, experienced GMAT tutors throughout the United States

Each week Integrated Learning posts a 700 level GMAT question on our blog and follows up with the answer the next day. Are you up for the challenge?

7 basketball teams with five players each are at a tournament.  If each player shakes hands once with every other player NOT on his own team, how many handshakes take place?

A) 35
B) 70
C) 525
D) 595
E) 1050

Integrated Learning  provides professional, experienced GMAT tutors throughout the United States.

When tailoring essays to specific schools, many candidates do not go far enough to connect themselves with their targets. Offering school-specific information, but a mere mention of the particular resource that will be used is not enough—you need to take the extra step, adding context to your educational objectives.
What is the difference between a mere mention and providing context?

Mention:

“With a focus on entrepreneurship, I will participate in Columbia’s Entrepreneurial Sounding Board process. Further, I am attracted to classes such as…”

Context:

“With clear plans to launch my start-up immediately after graduating from Columbia, I look forward to testing my ideas through the Entrepreneurial Sounding Board; I find this opportunity to meet with faculty and gain critical feedback and mentoring to be invaluable as I…”

In the first example, the candidate shows an awareness of the Sounding Board but doesn’t provide the context necessary for the reader to truly comprehend how the resource will be put into use; therefore, the mention is entirely superficial. Further, because the candidate does not reflect, she has to move on to mentioning the classes she will take and thus begins to merely list resources rather than offering a reasoned consideration of how the school fits into her plans.

In the second example, the reader understands exactly how the candidate will use the resource; she has shown that she has done her homework and truly understands how Columbia will satisfy her academic and professional needs. The reader is drawn to the latter example because it is more informed and serious minded; the reader is certain that the candidate is set on her path and has a plan to achieve specific goals.

Yesterday, Integrated Learning posted a 700 level GMAT question on our blog. Today, they have followed up with the answer:

Answer: E

This is a tough remainder question.  First off, we can see right away that the answer cannot be A, B, or D, since each statement refers to only part of the question.  Now we simply need to figure out if they can work together to secure a consistent answer.

The key is to realize that if we divide p by 3, the only remainders that are possible or 1 or 2.  If we divided p by 4, the only options are 1, 2, or 3.  So the options are limited.  We just need to see what p could be, and figure out if the remainders always work in one way or another.

Do a quick little chart on your paper.  This won’t take long, and you’ll have the answer right away.

p 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
q 1 2 0 1 2 0 1
r 1 2 3 0 1 2 3

Since q and r must be positive integers, we can eliminate all instances where they are 0.  But we can still see that q can be either larger, smaller, or equal to r, so there is no way to answer this question.

Integrated Learning provides professional, experienced GMAT tutors throughout the United States

Each week Integrated Learning posts a 700 level GMAT question on our blog and follows up with the answer the next day. Are you up for the challenge?

p, q, and r are all positive integers.  Is q > r?

1. p divided by 3 yields a remainder of q.
2. p divided by 4 yields a remainder of r.

Integrated Learning  provides professional, experienced GMAT tutors throughout the United States.

Many essay writers like to begin essays with famous and/or eloquent quotations. For instance, an applicant might begin an essay simply by putting a quotation atop the first line of the first page: 

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” 

– Theodore Roosevelt 

Roosevelt’s words are as true today as when he spoke them. The essence of a manager is… 

Others might embed such a quotation in the first line of their essay. Such an essay might begin in this way:

As Peter F. Drucker said, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” I have found the distinction between management and leadership especially important… 

There is really only one rule when it comes to lofty quotations: don’t overdo it! One grand quotation per application (not per essay!) is plenty. Beyond that, simply ask yourself the same questions you would ask yourself for all the other features of your essays: Does this quotation fit with my essay’s thesis sentence? Does this quotation reflect who I am? Does this quotation add to the essay? If the answers to these questions are “yes,” then using a famous, eloquent quotation might be a good tool for one of your essays.

Stanford’s Admissions Director Derrick Bolton created some transparency this week, releasing a very brief update on interview decisions.

According to Bolton:

• Approximately 400 interview invitations have been extended to first-round candidates
• 150-200 more interview invitations should be extended in the coming weeks, before the notification deadline of 22 January 2009
• On the notification date, 50-100 applicants may be invited to join the waitlist, without having the opportunity to interview, though they may have the opportunity later on

With interview decisions continuing to arrive, we thought it might be a good idea to discuss challenging interview situations. While most interviews are straightforward opportunities for the interviewer get to know more about the candidate’s personal/professional background, goals, reasons for selecting a specific school and leadership/team experiences, some interviews vary dramatically and can include some peculiarities. What constitutes a tough interview?

1) Stoic interviewer: Some interviewers can be unemotional, refusing to give any indication whether the candidate is impressing him/her or not. Of course, when a candidate is under intense pressure, the lack of approval can be misunderstood as a sign of disapproval. The key in managing a stoic interview is to tune out the interviewer’s lack of emotion; the candidate should be thinking of answers and should not be distracted by the interviewer him-/herself. “Read” the interviewer in real time can be challenging, and candidates should instead focus on showcasing their strengths.

2) Philosophical questions:  Most candidates are ready to discuss their experiences and accomplishments, but many are not prepared to discuss their values and philosophy on life. HBS in particular likes to understand candidates’ motivations and will ask questions like “What is your motivation to succeed?”  “What drives you?” and “What gives you purpose in life?” The key to answering these questions is pretty simple: prepare for them in advance (after all, you are being warned right now!).  You can’t assume that all questions will be experiential.

3) Persistent questioning: Sometimes a tough interviewer will continuously delve deeper into a subject, for example, by asking, “Can you be more specific about your goals?” two times and after the initial question. These kinds of unusual pressure tactics can be disconcerting, but the key is to simply stay on topic. The interviewer is asking you about a subject that you know quite well, and that subject is you! So, again, by avoiding the distraction of the tactic and sticking to your agenda, you should be fine.

At mbaMission, we offer more interview advice via our Interview Guide, available in our online store, and through targeted mock interview sessions.

Yesterday, Integrated Learning posted a 700 level GMAT question on our blog. Today, they have followed up with the answer:

Answer: D

Explanation:

Since each employee typically produces 60 units per day, in a month of 20 days the total units produced would have been 48,000.  In February, though, 5 employees were sick for four days each, so they combined did not produce 1200 units while they were sick (4 x 5 x 60).

Because of that, Company X produced only 46,800 units in February.  Divide by 40 employees and 20 days, and we arrive at an average of 58.5 units per employee per day.

Integrated Learning provides professional, experienced GMAT tutors throughout the United States.