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Many MBA applicants—such as male investment bankers and Indian software engineers—worry that they are overrepresented in the candidate pool. Applicants cannot change their work histories, of course, but they can change the way they introduce themselves to the admissions committee. Consider the following examples:

Example 1: “As an investment banker, I…”

Example 2: “Managing a team to code a new software product for ABC Corp., I…”

In these brief examples, the candidates blatantly introduce the very overrepresentation they would like to minimize. Many applicants feel they must start their essays by presenting their titles or company names, but this approach can immediately make the reader pause and think, “Here we go again.”

Overrepresented business school candidates should therefore consider the opening lines of their essays especially carefully. Rather than stating the obvious, an applicant might instead immerse the reader in a situation or present a special aspect of their position.

Example 1 (launching into a story): “At 5:30 p.m., I could rest easy. The deadline for all other offers had passed. At that point, I knew…”

Example 2 (stand out): “While managing a multinational team, half in Silicon Valley and half in Pakistan, I…”

In the first example here, the banker candidate avoids drab self-introduction and instead plunges the reader into the midst of a mystery that is playing out. In the second example, the software engineer candidate is introduced not as a “coder” but as a multinational manager. Of course, every applicant’s situation is different, but with some effort, your story can be told in a way that avoids the pitfalls of overrepresentation.

Watch this video for even more tips for overrepresented MBA applicants:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tJ5D8D_PpE]

Many MBA applicants feel that they are purchasing a brand when they choose a business school. However, the educational experience you will have is what is crucial to your future, and no one will affect your education more than your professors. Today, we focus on Adam Brandenburger from New York University’s (NYU’s) Leonard N. Stern School of Business.

An expert on game theory and its practical application to business strategy, Adam Brandenburger was voted the NYU Stern MBA Professor of the Year in 2006, and in 2008 he received an NYU Excellence in Teaching award in recognition of his teaching and course development work. From 2011–2014, he served as vice dean for innovation at NYU Stern, and he is now the J.P. Valles Professor at the school. His latest book—called The Language of Game Theory: Putting Epistemics into the Mathematics of Games (World Scientific, 2014)—contains eight papers coauthored by Brandenburger and his colleagues over a period of 25 years.

Students with whom mbaMission spoke reported being consistently impressed by his capacity to make the complex simple in the classroom, stating that Brandenburger is able to take the “complicated, theoretical and intangible” world of game theory and make it “easy to understand and practical.” Brandenburger holds additional appointments at NYU as global network professor, distinguished professor at the Tandon School of Engineering, and faculty director of the university’s Shanghai Program on Creativity and Innovation.

For more information about NYU Stern and 16 other top-ranked business schools, check out our mbaMission Insider’s Guides.

With regard to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. Manhattan Prep’s Stacey Koprince teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense.

Did you know that, on any particular problem, roughly 80% of your learning comes after you have picked the answer? Turns out, we do not learn much while in the process of doing a problem, especially when the clock is ticking. We are just trying to remember (and use!) everything that we learned before we started working on that problem.

Afterward, though, we can take all the time we want to figure out how to get better—that is where we really learn. Did I understand what they were asking? Did I know how to do the math or reasoning necessary to get to the answer? Is there a more efficient way to do that work? Did I make any mistakes or fall into any traps? If so, which ones and why? How could I make an educated guess?

In a nutshell: if you are not spending at least as long reviewing a question as you spent doing it in the first place, then you are not maximizing your learning.

Take a look at this article: How to Analyze a Practice Problem. It contains a list of questions to ask yourself when reviewing a problem. Take note of a couple of things:

– Yes, you still ask yourself these questions even when you answer the question correctly.

– No, you do not need to ask yourself every single question for each problem you review; choose the most appropriate questions based upon how the problem went for you.

Want some examples of how to do this? Glad you asked. Below, you will find links to articles containing an analysis of a sample problem for each of the six main question types. Happy studying!

How to analyze the following:

Sentence Correction

Critical Reasoning

Reading Comprehension

Data Sufficiency

Problem Solving

Integrated Reasoning Table

Many MBA applicants feel that they are purchasing a brand when they choose a business school. However, the educational experience you will have is what is crucial to your future, and no one will affect your education more than your professors. Today, we focus on Ramon Casadesus-Masanell from Harvard Business School (HBS).

Ramon Casadesus-Masanell has been a member of the Harvard Business School faculty since 2000 and is currently the Herman C. Krannert Professor of Business Administration. His “Competing Through Business Models” course is an elective that, according to a student we interviewed, is typically oversubscribed. They noted that students must rank it among their top five course choices to have a shot at getting in, adding, “People enjoyed him so much they were willing to sign up for his 8:30 a.m. class.” As a part of the course, Casadesus-Masanell teaches cases on many industries, including airlines, consumer packaged goods, and manufacturing. A recent graduate we interviewed mentioned that Casadesus-Masanell keeps cases fresh and has included interesting business models such as Betfair (an online betting website), Greenpeace, and Osho (the spiritual guru). He also teaches the RC “Strategy” course.

Students told mbaMission they love Casadesus-Masanell’s teaching style, which they describe as incredibly engaging and high energy—sometimes he even jumps up on tables or runs quickly around the classroom. He pushes students in a good, even-tempered way and leverages technology well, incorporating video and game simulations into case discussions. Casadesus-Masanell also serves as co-editor of the Journal of Economics and Management Strategy, which his faculty profile describes as “the leading academic journal on the economics of strategy.”

 For more information about HBS and 16 other top-ranked business schools, check out our free mbaMission Insider’s Guides.

After reflecting on your career amid the constant shifting in today’s business landscape, you now have three letters on your mind: M. B. A. You know the degree is key to developing the foundation you need to successfully navigate the current dynamic reality of business, but what does being admitted to a top MBA program require? What are the core elements of a successful MBA application? How much time do you really need to dedicate to it? One thing is certain, you cannot pull off a successful MBA application overnight, in a week, or even in a month. An effective strategy involves ten essential elements:

1. Soul-Searching: First, you will need to do some soul-searching and ensure that you understand your personal “why” for pursuing an MBA. Business school is a transformative experience by most counts, but it also requires sacrifices, not the least of which is financial. You must have clarity as to why you want to earn an MBA and how it will be beneficial in achieving your future career goals. Due diligence related to your desired career path is critical to properly assessing the necessity of an MBA and what is most important to consider in narrowing your school choices.

2. Self-Reflection: Think deeply about what is most important to you in a business school. There are so many factors beyond rankings to consider! Fit is critical, and whether you genuinely feel excited about a specific school will come through in your essays and interview—and also influence your ultimate experience, should you attend. Make sure to check out mbaMission’s business school Insider’s Guides, which assess the leading MBA programs across eight key criteria: location, class size, curriculum, teaching style, academic specialization/recruitment focus, alumni base, faculties, and rankings and reputation. Carefully consider your personal learning style and what type of program would best fit your personality and overall profile.

You also need to think about your personal “tipping point.” Where do you draw the line regarding schools you would not attend, even if admitted? This is a very personal decision; some applicants want an MBA regardless of program, whereas others will enroll only if they are admitted to a select handful of schools. The admissions process is arduous and time-consuming, so ensuring that you have carefully vetted your final application list is an important step. Leverage the expertise of mbaMission’s consultants, who can help you on this journey by pointing you in the right direction via a free consultation call or dedicated purchased time.

3. Admissions Criteria: What are the admissions committees looking for in applicants? In broad strokes, they assess candidates across three key evaluation pillars: (1) academic track record, which includes test scores (GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment), GPA, and the academic rigor of undergraduate major/coursework; (2) professional experience, which includes accomplishments, history of progression, value provided to places of employment, career goals, and whether an MBA is necessary to advancement or success; and (3) engagement and community, which includes activities and commitments outside of work, community contributions, and personal interests and how those have been pursued.

The admissions committee’s ultimate goal is to bring together a diverse group of individuals who will thrive in a business school setting, be active members of the student body, and reflect positively on the school in the future. They want you to be successful both while you are pursuing your degree and after you graduate and are looking for signs in your application that this will be the case. Of course, the specifics of what each school is looking for are somewhat nuanced. Leverage multiple sources to fully understand the evaluation criteria and what is most important at each program; online research, school-produced and third-party webinars, and networking are all helpful sources. Also, be sure to check out mbaMission events for helpful perspectives and insight provided by experienced admissions advisors.

4. Timeline and Process: The MBA admissions process is definitely not something that can be completed in a few days or even a few weeks, if you want to put your best foot forward. Make sure you understand everything involved in the process, the various elements of the application, and the ideal timeline to position yourself for success. Check out the helpful timeline provided in the mbaMission Complete Start-to-Finish MBA Admissions Guide, which offers detailed explanations of each step, or this summary blog article. Ideally, you should plan to dedicate at least six months to ensure you have adequate time to submit the absolute best representation of yourself and your potential to the admissions committee. An admissions consultant can be helpful in keeping you on track and providing accountability at each step along the way.

5. Testing: Most MBA programs require applicants to submit scores for either the GMAT, the GRE, or the Executive Assessment (EA), though testing waivers have become more common. Testing is one of the first steps of the application process you should complete to help you refine your list of target schools. Your academic track record is a key element in the schools’ evaluation of you and is assessed based on your test scores, along with your GPA, major, and undergraduate institution. Depending on how long you have been out of school, your natural test-taking abilities, whether English is your native language, and the test you take, you will most likely want to devote a few weeks to a few months to studying for the exam of your choice. Although test scores are only part of your overall profile, they are an important component, and depending on which schools you are applying to, you might want to take the test more than once to submit the strongest possible score. Additionally, you might way to try more than one test type to determine which one is a better fit for your strengths. This YouTube video offers a helpful comparison of the GMAT, GRE, and EA.

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