Accepted.com is continuing a blog series featuring interviews with current MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. We hope to offer you a candid picture of student life, and what you should consider as you prepare your MBA application.

Here’s a talk with Akansh Khurana, a London Business School student from India who is taking in every aspect of his b-school experience – not just the educational element, but the wealth of opportunities that London as a city has to offer as well. Thank you Akansh for sharing your thoughts with us!

Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself – where are you from? What and where did you study as an undergraduate and when did you graduate?

Akansh: I am from India and was born and brought up in the northern part of the country. After high school, I moved down south to do my B.Tech. in Computer Science from IIIT-Hyderabad. After completing my under-graduation in 2006, I worked at Bain & Company for over five years out of the Delhi (India) and Boston (US) offices.

Currently, I am in the first year at London Business School.

Accepted: Why did you decide to attend London Business School? Which other programs were you considering and what tipped the scales to favor London?

Akansh: Many of my colleagues at Bain went to global business schools. This gave me the opportunity to speak to them and develop deep insights about the programmes at their respective schools. Before starting my application process, I had shortlisted my top four schools, which included London Business School.

There were several reasons that helped London Business School standout for me. Firstly, I was looking at the MBA as a platform to build a “real” global network. London Business School’s unique student profile – with strong regional and professional diversity – is unmatched. Secondly, I wanted to be in a city that offers opportunities to learn, and grow outside the campus as well. Of all the leading global business schools, London Business School offers the best location – right in the center of London city. And finally, I was looking for a strong brand name. The school has earned its brand and respect in a much shorter time frame as compared to any other renowned business school.

HBS, Wharton and Stanford GSB were the other programs I applied to – but in the end, London Business School offered me the best balance across all the three parameters that were most important to me.

Accepted: How does the European location contribute to your post-MBA goals? Have your career goals changed since you’ve begun your studies?

Akansh: I had limited exposure to the European region before starting my MBA. The school offers me a variety of opportunities (through clubs, career services, lectures and social get-togethers) to help develop sound insights about the region, and learn the successes and failures of the organizations here. Given the current EU crisis, there’s a lot of action in the region and so much to learn and discover. In this globalized world, it is extremely important to understand global businesses, apply learning from across the world, and build international relationships.

I came with an objective to strengthen my career across three dimensions – consulting, private equity and technology. The school’s elective offerings, career services team and alumni have all helped me develop across these dimensions.

Accepted: Had you ever lived or traveled abroad before now? How are you adapting to life in a foreign country? Are there cultural differences that are hard to get used to?

Akansh: Before starting my MBA, I worked and stayed in the US outside my home country. I had experienced cultural differences then, but being a London Business School student is different. I had never seen such a variety of cultures and backgrounds. Obviously, it’s hard to align with every single personality and culture. But the best part is that the school puts in a lot of effort to help us learn the act and importance of working in multi-cultural teams.

As an example, the school organizes “Away Day” as a part of our orientation period. During this one day outing, multi-cultural teams collaborate and compete on several group activities. The day is designed to teach us important lessons about working in diverse teams. On similar lines, we’ve also attended sessions to have candid peer discussions on preferences, expectations and stereotypes across nationalities. Such initiatives help us become aware of and accept cultures and personalities that we would otherwise find difficult to relate to.

To ensure that every student does get an international experience and exposure, the school assigns us in groups of 6-7 students – we call these as study groups. Study groups are comprised of students from different nationalities and professional experience. All the group assignments in the first year are required to be done in our respective study groups.

Personally, attending social get-togethers, working on group assignments in study groups, and being open to experimenting new things (cuisines, places, and destinations) are key ways of adapting to life in London.

Accepted: Had you visited the campus before deciding to attend?

Akansh: I did not visit the campus before deciding to attend. But I attended school information sessions in India, and spoke to a large number of my colleagues and friends who are alumni of London Business School. I managed to answer most of my questions through these interactions.

Accepted: What are some of your favorite and least favorite things about living in London? Can you recommend a cozy place to study or hang out with friends near campus?

Akansh: The best part about living in London is the variety of things it has to offer – from theatre to symphony, from proximity to Edinburgh to easy access to France, the Alps and the whole of Europe, from sports to art, and from academic education to the world’s leading organizations. London is a complete world in itself.

But all of this comes with a price – London is an expensive city to stay in, and one has to budget accordingly. I’ve already started to exceed my monthly budget by 10% or so. In the long scheme of things, the experience I get in return of spending this money is completely worth it, and that is why I ensure I do not compromise on experimenting with new things.

My favorite place to hang out near campus is Regents Park during the sunny days, and Edgware Road – noted for its distinct Middle Eastern cuisine and late-night bars and shisha cafes – during evenings. I like studying on the sixth floor at Taunton – it is quiet and offers a great city view.

Accepted: What’s your favorite class so far?

Akansh: It is hard to choose any one class. The professors at London Business School use a variety of teaching methods – role plays, case studies, as well as lecture style, and I’ve enjoyed and understood the use of each of those methods. I’ve enjoyed learning Corporate Finance from Anna Pavlova, General Management from Brandon Lee, Operations Management from Kamalini Ramdas, and Economics from Joao Montez.

But my favorite lectures so far have been in Accounting – I absolutely loved the energy and expertise of Oktay Urcan during my Basic Accounting lecture, and the sense of humor, practical examples, and thoroughness of Shiva in Financial Statement Analysis. Oktay and Shiva are the only reason why I am interested in Accounting at the first place.

Accepted: Do you have a job or internship lined up for the summer? If so, what role did London Business School play in helping you secure that position?

Akansh: The internship process for my batch has just started, and I am working on my applications these days. The school is doing everything in its ability to offer students a platform to learn about and offer a plethora of roles and brands.

I know people who’ve already secured internship offers – particularly in finance – by proactively networking with the school alumni and attending the student-led treks to Asian countries. A large number of students are currently interviewing on campus with the leading consulting firms. Industry recruitment evenings are being held, networking events are being organized, one-to-one career coaching sessions are being offered, and mock interviews are being conducted to help the students learn the technical as well as the soft skills aspect of the interviews.

What I’ve found most helpful is the opportunity to work on part-time projects in London. A lot of students are looking to switch careers, and being in central London helps these students find relevant projects during the first and the second terms. Many people leverage this part-time experience and exposure to find full-time summer internships in areas and sectors of their interest.

Accepted: Do you have any advice for some of our applicants who will be applying to London Business School?

Akansh: Make sure you get a feel of the London Business School student community. Talk to as many people as you need. At the end of the day, the experience is all about those sitting next to you in class. So make sure you find out all about those people.

And most importantly, remember that you will not only be applying to a great school, but also to a great city – do not underestimate the opportunities, the exposure, and the interactions you could get in London.

Please visit our London Business School Zone for more London-specific advice. For complete, soup-to-nuts guidance on the MBA admissions process, please purchase Linda Abraham’s new book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools – now available in paperback and Kindle editions!

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1. Plan ahead. Eisenhower once said, “Plans are nothing.  Planning is everything.”  Take a few minutes every day to plan out what you are going to do and set goals.  Try to focus on three really important things that you want to get done each day and then do them!  Focus on the 20% of the things that will account for 80% of your results.  At the end of each workday, I create my to do list for the next day.  That way I can focus on the important items I need to get done right away in the morning when I am the most productive.
2. Don’t procrastinate.  Most people look at their to-do list and complete the thing that is easiest first.  Don’t do this!  Instead, tackle the item that you fear the most.
3. Know when you are at your best.  If you are more productive in the morning, make sure you are focusing on the critical 20% of things you need to get done.  Don’t do the easy tasks during that time that don’t require you to be at your best.  I schedule my important tasks at the very beginning of the day because that is when I am at my best.
4. Focus.  Set a timer for 50 minutes, turn off all your distractions (email, phone, Facebook) and focus intensely on doing as much real work as you can.  Then take a break.
5. Learn to say no!  If you learn to be more efficient than the rest of your coworkers, others will ask you to take on their work.  Be aware and be ready to say no!
6. Set and respect deadlines.  Have you ever noticed how fast you can get things done the day before you leave for vacation?  That’s because you made a deadline that you had to meet.  Make little deadlines for yourself like and feel so great when you accomplish them.
7. Review where you are spending your time.  Do a four-quadrant test (recommended by Steven Covey, Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). Take a piece of paper and dissect it into 4 quadrants.  Write down everything you did the entire day and put it into one of the four quadrants.  Quadrant 1 is for routine things.  Quadrants 2 is for things that happen unexpectedly.  Quadrant 3 is for things that other people delegate to you. The fourth quadrant is for your dreams and goals. If you aren’t careful, Quadrant 1-3 will take up most of your time, leaving little time for your dreams and goals.  This will also help you see where you are wasting time.
8. Email management.  Email alerts are a great way to get distracted and focus on unimportant things.  Have a certain schedule to check your email everyday instead.  Many times it is important to reflect on emails before responding.  I often leave emails in my inbox to respond to the next day.  When I do this, I always think of a completely different response that is much better while driving home.  Don’t be afraid to wait to respond!
9. Reward yourself.  If you reward yourself for something, it will most likely get done.  Only reward yourself for completing the critical 20% of activities.  Don’t reward yourself for crossing the easy, 1 minute tasks off your to do list.
10. The world needs you to do what you love.  Make sure you plan out ahead of time when you will make time for yourself each day to exercise or spend time doing what you are passionate about.  By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you can actually improve your focus and concentration, which will help improve your efficiency.

How do you manage your time?

Classy Career Girl, a blog written by Anna Runyan, provides advice to young professionals on how to be classy as they climb the corporate ladder.  Her blog covers topics such as business chic fashion, career motivation, personal development, networking, and office etiquette. Connect with her at http://www.classycareergirl.com.

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Next up in our

Here we are going to focus on 4 critical MBA admission essay mistakes. Make sure that your essays DON’T include any of these:

1.    Buzzwords

Try this on for size: “I plan on penetrating the B2C e-commerce bubble by starting my own synergistic company. Additionally, I want to lead empowering seminars about diversity awareness in the workplace for the human resources space.”

Unfortunately, creating an MBA application essay isn’t as simple as piecing together a string of keywords. Many applicants think that if they include industry buzzwords in their essays, then they’ll come off sounding like experts in the field. Recipe for success? More like recipe for disaster. Buzzwords don’t make you look smart; they make you look unoriginal. (Of course, you can use a few buzzwords when absolutely necessary. Just make sure they clarify and inform as opposed to confuse and obscure.)

2.    Grandiose Statements

Don’t merely discuss a value or belief; illustrate it. “I want to give back to my community.” Okay, thanks for the info…now tell me something else: HOW? Or WHY? When have you lived this value in the past? How do you plan on focusing your energy on helping your community in the future? Furthermore, why do you feel a calling to contribute to your community? Give me some details here!

Maybe this is what you meant: “When I was suddenly orphaned at 16 years old, my local church bent over backwards to help revive me and my twin brother after the paralyzing tragedy. The community members went beyond simply feeding and clothing us, by caring for us and loving us in the absence of our parents. Their boundless kindness inspired me to found my not-for-profit organization; it helps teenage orphans keep their heads above water after tragedy strikes by supplying material as well as emotional support.”

3.    Whining

Complaining about your application blemishes only draws attention to them. If you aren’t happy with your GPA, then take responsibility for your low grades, and if relevant, provide context that explains why you did poorly…and then move on. If possible, portray your liabilities as assets by discussing the ways in which you’ve grown from your experiences, or  point to times when you excelled in similar circumstances. But please, keep the tone mature. Nobody likes a crybaby.

4.    Typos

This is one of the most common MBA essay mistakes, and yet is also one of the easiest errors to fix. Rule of thumb: Don’t hit “Submit” until you’ve edited and proofread your application essays. For the best results, read your essay aloud so you can identify errors with your eyes, as well as your ears. And remember, the only thing better than one set of eyes and ears, are multiple sets. Have your mom, best friend, neighbor, co-worker, or Accepted.com editor help you identify and then fix all spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and stylistic blunders.

The Book of All Books, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools, will lead you through the MBA admissions process beginning to end and includes lots of advice on how to approach the MBA essay writing process with examples. The book, written by Accepted.com founder and CEO, Linda Abraham, is succinct, but more in-depth than our short tips can ever be. Available on Kindle and in paperback.

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Linda Abraham: Art asks, “What strengths do you believe separate your school from some of the other MBA programs?”

Grace Kim: There are great programs out there, ours being one of them. Academically, any school that you go to, you will get a great academic education. So it’s really about fit – where do you fit culturally? What sort of experiences are you looking for as you are going to graduate school? I think that makes the difference as far as distinguishing factors from schools. Because when you go to an academic environment – a college, a graduate program – there are certain standards that everyone maintains to give you that type of education. But the other component is – what kind of network do you want to have? What type of culture? What type of experience? And that is what is unique from school to school.

So we always encourage our applicants, whether you are starting the application process or you’re thinking about schools, or even during the application process, to really go and visit the schools that you are going to apply to because that will give you a very good idea what the school is about and what the students are about. When we say teamwork and camaraderie, what are we talking about? How do people interact in class? What is the relationship between the professors and teachers? You will be able to get that kind of feeling and sense for the school when you actually visit. So we encourage our applicants to always visit the schools. Most schools have a visitation program. We certainly have one here; it’s called the Ambassador Program. Anyone can come Monday-Thursday. There is a morning class or an afternoon class, and a student will host you and take you around. They’ll give you a tour, answer any of your questions, and introduce you to the professors and other students so that you really get a feel for the school and what the unique characteristics of the school are. So we encourage you to do that. Feel free to call us any time in your application process to schedule an appointment.

You can view the full transcript or listen to the audio file here and see our blog post, USC Marshall Application Questions, Deadlines, & Tips, for more advice on how to optimize your USC Marshall application.

Still not sure if Marshall is the best b-school for you? Download Accepted’s free special report, Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One, now for valuable tips on choosing an MBA program based on your individual qualifications and experiences.

To automatically receive notices about these MBA admissions chats and other MBA admissions events, please subscribe to our MBA event list. To listen to the Q&A recordings on-the-go, please subscribe to the Accepted Admissions Podcast.

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The Top 15 Things Every Applicant to Law School Applicant Should Know is a series that will teach you the ins and outs of successful law school applications. Stay tuned for the remaining elements. This week starts with “Law School Admissions Strategy.”

Numbers and stats for law school admission are important – certainly more so even than for undergraduate – but the right components of your application can make all the difference in the world.

Does it seem like you just finished your undergraduate applications for admission, and now here you are applying to law school? Or maybe you did your undergraduate more than a few years ago, and are returning to law school after an academic hiatus. Either way, it’s important to know what admissions committees are looking for BEFORE you starting working on your application. You need a strategy.

The first thing to know is that the numbers that schools list on their web sites are real. Yale really does look for an LSAT score in the mid 170’s, whereas Tulane is happy with a 160. So look at the web sites of the schools in which you are interested, and make your list accordingly. Of course, you should always reach for the stars by including a couple of reach schools, but you also need to be realistic.

When making your list of schools, other things to consider include location, and whether or not you are able and willing to move to attend law school. For someone in their early 20’s, this often is not an issue, whereas if you are returning to law school a little later in life, you might be settled where you are and therefore are not able to relocate. From a financial point of view, the local school may also be more affordable.

At least as important as location and affordability is focusing on what kind of law you want to study, what you want to do with the degree, and which programs will therefore be the best fit. Are you interested in corporate law or do you see yourself working for LegalAid after graduation? Different schools have different specialties. Do your research and make sure that the schools you are including on your list match your interests.

Once you have done your due diligence and figured out where you can reasonably hope to be admitted, which schools have the best program for your interests, and which two or three schools fit into the “reach” category, then it is time to assess the potential strengths and weaknesses of your application. Suppose you have an excellent LSAT score, but your GPA suffered your junior year, thereby bringing your overall GPA down. Instead of seeing this as only a weakness, you need to make sure that you frame this in the best possible way. (Our professional consultants and editors can help you.)

After assessing and summarizing your professional, extracurricular, and community service activities, the single most important part of your application is your personal statement. This is your opportunity to make your story come to life and give the admissions committee an authentic look into who you are. Make sure you dedicate the appropriate time and energy into this essay. We’ll cover the personal statement in a later post, but if you want to get started immediately or simply want individual advice, consider hiring a law school admissions consultant to guide you.

For now, figure out your strategy, make a plan, and get started. You’re ready!

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Thank you to Lizz Fitt, Product Manager of TopMBA Connect 1-2-1, for answering some important questions about Connect 1-2-1 events. In the coming weeks, Connect 1-2-1 will have events in Milan, Lisbon, Vienna, Paris, Geneva, Frankfurt, Moscow, and Mexico City.  Visit Connect 1-2-1 online to see the complete schedule and register today!

Accepted: What is unique about the Connect 1-2-1 events?

Lizz: Connect 1-2-1 matches you with specific MBA programs for one-to-one meetings. We match according to your own study needs and to the entry criteria of the schools. The idea is to give you quality time to quickly and easily establish which programs are a good fit for what you want to get out of your MBA

Accepted: How should applicants prepare for your events?

Lizz: It’s a great idea to get some background knowledge on the schools you’re booked in to see beforehand, if you aren’t already familiar with them – this will mean you get more out of your sessions by being able to move on quickly from information that can be found online to the interesting stuff that isn’t so widely publicized. Then work out what’s important to you and prepare some questions that will enable you to gage whether or not a program can give it to you. And make sure you are able to explain why you want to do an MBA and what you intend to do with it afterwards – nothing impresses like a well thought through plan with clear objectives.

Accepted: What should applicants do to make the most of the event while they are there?

Lizz: To get the most out of these sessions, basic things like the way you present yourself are important – dress in business casual and be prepared to chat with some lovely people about your business education prospects. Networking with the other candidates in the waiting area is also a good idea – some amazing people attend these events!

Accepted: Is there any follow-up you would recommend?

Lizz: Definitely! Make sure you get business cards from the Admissions Directors from all the programs you are interested in, then stay in touch through your applications. A lot of schools run campus visits and breakfast meetings to help candidates through the process. These events are a great way to kick-start a really positive rapport, enabling you get the information you need quickly, while making a good impression.

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Or are you?

On this President’s Day, let’s think about it: Would a letter of recommendation from President Barack Obama, POTUS himself, ensure your acceptance?

I’m sure a letter from President Obama would get passed around the admissions office. That presidential seal and signature (even if from a machine) would be an eye catcher, but is it equivalent to “I’m in!”

How about from a past president? Maybe a senator? Or governor? The president of a Fortune 500 company? Maybe Mark Zuckerberg? Would he do it?

Actually, the title after the author’s name doesn’t matter nearly as much as the substance above the signature. Can the author, whatever his or her title, talk from personal experiences about your character when answering  the questions posed in a recommendation form or in writing the typical letter of recommendation?  If the recommender doesn’t have that personal perspective, can’t bring detail and example to the letter, the title may be a curiosity, but no more. That VIP letter could be less effective than a detail-filled letter from your twenty-something team lead who writes with specific examples and persuasive substance about your contribution to her organization.

Now if President Obama were to write about:

• The difference you made to his campaign or your contribution to nabbing Osama bin Laden,
• Your ability to organize his brilliant social media campaign,
• An example of integrity, or
• Your initiative during the budget ceiling crisis.

Then you would have an extraordinarily powerful letter of recommendation. However if he (or his third secretary twice removed) just wrote a general, flowery ode to how wonderful you are with no specifics, it would be no value. It would just be a shiny seal and sig.

Of course if your team lead wrote about:

• Your contribution to the team and the difference you have made to the bottom line.
• Your ability to organize a social media campaign or just about anything else of significance.
• An example of integrity.
• Your initiative and cool during a crisis.

You would also have a compelling letter of recommendation.

So on this President’s Day, keep in mind that a powerful letter of recommendation is much more about substance than station, personal insight than position, examples than eminence.

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and author of MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

The Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog covers the college, MBA, medical school, law school, and graduate school admissions scene. You’ll find everything from testing tips, essay advice, and interview guidance to rankings. Subscribe now!

Thanks for joining us as we continue with

Why students think the college application essay is hard to write:

• You have to talk about yourself.
• You have to make a good impression.
• You have to look into your experience to show something important about yourself when you don’t necessarily think what is important about you will impress college admissions committees.
• You don’t honestly think you know enough about yourself and the world (isn’t that why you are going to college?) to write convincingly.
• You haven’t had much writing experience that calls for assessing your personal experience to make a point about your abilities and interests.

Why parents have trouble helping their kids with the college application essay writing process:

• They focus on the competitive nature of college admissions and are so quick to judge their kids’ writing that they don’t nourish the spark of individuality that is in early drafts.
• Focusing on the looming deadlines, they are quick to judge their kids as terribly behind in completing the applications, and kids don’t listen to the resulting nagging.
• They think they know the right story to tell and want their kids to tell the one they think is best.
• They think they are better writers than their kids and correct drafts, making them sound too adult and often too general, and alienate their kids, who feel their experience is being falsified.
• They do not know the writing process themselves and, feeling incompetent as writers, they worry, worry, worry about how their kids will ever write the essay. Kids don’t respond enthusiastically to worry. Or nagging. Or corruption of their story.

Why it’s hard for kids to have their parents help:

• They understand their experiences differently than their parents do.
• They feel that by putting their experiences and thinking on the page, they may fail their parents if their parents don’t find enough in the experiences to please them.
• Kids begin feeling their parents think they know the kids better than the kids know themselves. Therefore, having parents as a first audience can short circuit the kids’ own way of thinking things through.
• There may be disagreement about which schools students should apply to.

What everyone can do to be more effective and get the essay done and done well:

• Have a family meeting in which students and parents honestly state their needs, fears, and understanding of the task ahead. If parents and students don’t concur on the appropriateness of some of the colleges chosen, agree to put forward reasons pro and con, just so they are heard.
• Write down everyone’s suggestions about how to get through the weeks ahead and accomplish the task of writing for the college application essay.  Really listen to the suggestions and don’t pooh pooh any of them.
• Parents listen to students state what help they most need. If parents and students decide someone else’s help might work better, brainstorm names of those who might offer help, including services experienced in coaching students to write the application essay.
• If parents and/or students are worried about getting the application and writing tasks done on time despite a myriad of activities, spend some time discussing the chosen colleges’ application requirements, agreeing to and writing down a timeline, and proposing other sources of help — books, professional college admissions counselors, relatives and neighbors who write well or are easy to talk with, as well as reputable editing services that work with high school kids, honoring their abilities to write and coaching them one-on-one.
• Become more effective by discussing ahead of time why waiting until the last minute is not a good idea, why parents bugging offspring to finish the essay is not a good idea, and why kids not communicating their progress to their parents is also not a good idea.  Discuss what sort of system can be put in place to emphasize writing time, complete the essay, and handle privacy issues during the drafting process.
• Be sure to designate some sort of celebration or reward to honor the finish of each application.

And students, remember that physical exercise can be a great way to think of good writing ideas or clear your mind so you can continue the writing process.  Keeping a pad and pencil by your bed means you can jot ideas down if they come to you in a dream or upon waking before your mind has taken on the day. Parents — don’t quiz your kids on whether they have gotten any new ideas when they wake up or have come in from shooting baskets! Ideas need time to gel. They often flee when talked about too soon.

By Sheila Bender, former Accepted.com editor and founder of Writing it Real, a “community and resource center for writing from personal experience.”[hs_action id="3910"]

Register now to reserve your spot for the Cambridge Judge MBA Q&A.

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Check out this 3-minute video to hear the Cambridge Judge MBA Class of 2011′s first impressions and what they’re looking forward to most.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

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