When tailoring essays to specific schools, many candidates do not go far enough to connect themselves with their targets. Offering school-specific information is good, but merely mentioning 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 invaluable as I…”
In the first example, the candidate shows an awareness of the Sounding Board but does not provide the context necessary for the reader to truly understand how the candidate will actually use the resource; therefore, the mention is entirely superficial. Further, because the candidate has seemingly not taken the time to reflect on this resource, he/she has to move on to listing the classes he/she plans to take and thus begins to merely catalog resources rather than offering a reasoned consideration of how the school’s offerings fit his/her plans.
In the second example, the reader can better understand exactly how the candidate will use the resource mentioned; he/she has shown that he/she has done the necessary homework on the school and truly grasps how Columbia will satisfy his/her academic and professional needs. The reader is drawn to the latter example because it is more informed and serious minded; the reader can be certain that the candidate is set on his/her path and has a plan to achieve specific goals.
Your application is a balanced portfolio of your academic and work experience, GMAT score, application essays, recommendations, networking and research. This session will present a step-by-step plan for you to effectively prepare each part of your application in the coming months. You will walk away with a concrete time line that you can import into your calendar of choice.
Date: Monday, January 24, 2011 Time: 9:00-10:30 p.m. EST Location: Online Price: Free!
Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday.
These days, as candidates consider their strategy for the coming MBA admissions cycle, many have a logical question in mind: How many schools should I apply to? The answer, of course, varies dramatically from applicant to applicant, but the golden rule is that you should only apply to an MBA program if you have enough time to make your application the best it can be. So, if you have time to “perfect” only three applications, then you should focus on applying to just three schools—and not consider submitting five “average” applications.
In terms of a target number—assuming that time is not a factor and you can commit yourself to all of your applications—five or six is generally optimal. With five or six applications, candidates can apply to a mix of reach, competitive and safe schools and can therefore truly cover their bases. Of course, each applicant has his/her own risk profile and timing to consider, but for most candidates, too few schools can increase the risk of not being admitted, and too many can be overkill.
Applying to business school in 2011? 2012? By taking action now, you can dramatically improve your chances of gaining admission to a top MBA program in the coming years. Indeed, it is never too soon (and certainly not too late) to take several crucial steps to shape your candidacy. Join mbaMission senior consultant Yael Melamed as she leads prospective applicants through a Long-Term Planning Seminar.
Topics of discussion include the following:
* Creating Your Ten-Month (and Beyond) Timeline
* Maximizing the Impact of Community Activities
* Accelerating Personal Goals
* Building an Alternative Transcript
* Taking and Retaking the GMAT
* Making the Most of Campus Visits
* Understanding the Differences Between MBA Programs
* More…
Date: Thursday, January 20, 2011 Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m. EST Location: 870 Market Street, Suite 1023, San Francisco, CA 94102 Price: Free!
When most business school candidates read an essay question, they interpret it quite literally. For example, when Kellogg asks applicants to “Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Kellogg. (600-word limit),” many applicants assume that they must answer each subquestion within the broader question in the exact order in which they were asked. However, this is not true. Such questions are indeed quite flexible, and at times, by pursuing your own structure, you can truly engage your reader.
We have found that with regard to overrepresented candidates who have unique professional goals, one strategy that can be quite helpful is to lead with goals instead of professional history. After all, “typical” experience is not as captivating as unusual (but realistic!) ambitions. So, the Indian technologist who intends to open a boutique hotel or the male investment banker who aspires to start a competitive windsurfing circuit can use these bold goals to stand out from the start.
Again, we emphasize that such candidates need to have (and show!) a compelling connection to their goals, and we do not suggest that overrepresented candidates strive to imagine or create “wild” goals just to catch the admissions committee’s attention. However, if you have a profound connection to an unusual goal, then reordering the question and ensuring that your goals are out front can make a difference.
A first-of-its-kind, on-demand MBA application experience that delivers a personalized curriculum for you and leverages interactive tools to guide you through the entire MBA application process.
