www.ivyeyesediting.com

Saying the Unsayable in Admissions Writing

2010-09-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Many applicants feel constrained by the purported boundaries of admissions writing. Admissions essays and 'statements of purpose' feel far too stilted, sort of like meeting the parents for the first time. They strangle the narrative voice; they stifle one's authentic Self; they inhibit one's true feelings. However, admissions writing doesn't have to be that way, nor does your first encounter with your in-laws, for that matter!

Listening to NPR just the other day, I caught Jonathan Franzen discussing his new novel Freedom and sharing insight into the purpose of a novel:

Mr. FRANZEN: I wanted to write long before I was in need of therapy. But having said that, much of the work on a novel for me consists in the kind of work you might do in a paid professional's office of trying to walk back from your stuck, conflicted, miserable place to a point of a little bit more distance from which you can begin to fashion some meaningful narrative of how you got to the stuck place. And the stuck-ness, for the working novelist - or at least for this one - has to do with not wanting to get into certain intensely fraught or private experiences, finding - having - feeling that it's absolutely necessary to say things that are absolutely unsay-able.

Many novelists have touched on this capacity to say the unsayable, to articulate and breathe life into those lacunae that exist between paragraphs, conversations and even thoughts--but it's something that really every great piece of writing should aspire to do. Admissions writing is no different, really. Whether you are applying to residency programs and substantiating your interest in pediatric surgery, or regaling a college AdCom with your Academic Decathlon defeat, you should aim to achieve this level of honesty and authenticity...then lightly 'sanitize' your writing for the admissions audience (you might not want to confess the all-night party that caused you to fail your Calc exam).

Our Premiere Service begins with a Skype conversation and really works to serve this authenticity-harnessing purpose. To quote Mr. Franzen again--our process is much like one you'd find in a 'paid professional's office'--we challenge our clients, we force them to distill connections and answer the 'why' questions. This is essentially the way our Advanced Service works too.

Recently, a client seeking a free writing assessment asked if he could just send me a stream of consciousness email. Our response? Absolutely! We'd much prefer the uninhibited, authentic content--the saying of the unsayable--than the alternative, which is 'writing what the AdCom wants to hear.'

Keep it authentic.

Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

MBA Goals Essays: Vision vs Pedigree

2010-08-22T20:27:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,

If you're applying to MBA programs this year, then you are most certainly grappling with the goals question for any number of MBA programs across the country: Wharton, Kellogg, Stern and more. Of course, thinking about your goals also necessitates taking some time (and space) to reflect on your past. You've given ample thought to your senior analyst role and how you can embellish your monthly P&L report "project" to reflect leadership impact and all that you've accomplished in your career to date.

The truth is, MBA programs don't expect every applicant to come off as a young Carly Fiorina or Warren Buffett. What's more, in most cases, they will have a good understanding of your company and your role and responsibilities. They have read an application like yours before. So, your job is to show that you've made the most of your time, and more importantly, that you know exactly where you are headed.

In the long run, a higher premium is placed on your goals (are they interesting, novel or well-reasoned?) and the clarity of your vision. So, don't worry about your young career not being 'up to snuff.' The majority of MBA students will acknowledge their careers didn't really gain momentum until after their MBA--and admissions committees are cognizant of this fact. A certain degree of aspiration is necessary to thrive in any career.

So remember: be honest about your background, be reflective and realistic, and think forward!

Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Weakness vs Development Need: How "Areas of Improvement" Can Show Strength

2010-08-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

A client recently sought our advice on a classic 'areas for improvement' essay question. While the essay topic may seem short and simple to some, it was/is deceptively tricky and should be managed with deft forethought and strategy.

The prompt read as follows:

Areas of Improvement Essay:
Each year our students target for themselves areas of improvement. Other than the acquisition of new knowledge, what personal area do you think needs strengthening? Design a plan as to how you could improve it. Please limit your essay to 500-1000 characters.

The clients potential ideas were (generally) as follows:

1. Seizing learning opportunities outside of the classroom
2. Looking at things from others' perspective
3. Focusing on task at hand, and removing other distractions
4. Learning new ways of dealing with differences with others

What did we prescribe? First of all, it's important to acknowledge the 'personal' dimension of this prompt, which does NOT ask for applicants to expound on how they plan to strengthen their aptitude. A personal area is typically 'softer' in character.

To that end, option #1 struck us as too much of a "hard" area. Option #2 is better, but for prospective physicians, the ability to think from another person's perspective (e.g. be empathetic) is a prerequisite--so that one can be ruled out. Option #3 is simply boring--who wants to read about a plan for removing distractions??? Option #4 is interesting, particularly given the status of this applicant (he is a residency applicant). Medical residents have already endured rigorous college and medical school educations, and they are ready for the next steps in their careers: deeper clinical experience, increased collaboration with medical teams, etc.

In the end, we actually recommended the client combine options #1 and #4. By doing so, he is able to convey a true personal development need, and also subtly highlight areas where XXX residency program will help him to grow and evolve. He can describe a systematic, compelling PLAN which is steeped in knowledge of the program itself.

You may run into these types of questions with any type of application--medical, MBA, law school admissions writing or otherwise--but it's important to construct the most thoughtful, targeted answer.

Corporate America's diplomatic way of calling a 'weakness' a 'development need' is actually very valuable to recall here: bottomline, you are trying to convey how a specific program will give you what you need to move forward. With some solid brainstorming, you can select areas of improvement that actually highlight your self-awareness, and help accentuate your strengths!

Best,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Graduate School Admissions Writing: Embracing Imperfection

2010-08-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

So, you’ve worked tirelessly to obtain near perfect grades in high school and college. You’ve amassed an inimitable battery of leadership experiences, both as a student and throughout a young but promising career. Now, all that’s left is the graduate school admissions process, and one of the many hurdles you face is writing your statement of purpose.

Fact: the statement of purpose (SOP) is a marketing opportunity that many applicants fail to seize. It is a valuable barometer for your aptitude, communication skills, vision, values and passion. It is not your resume: it is a forward-thinking, reflective essay that can make your candidacy more than a sheet of paper, and resonate with an admissions committee representative.

For many, it can be a daunting task to effectively translate an impressive resume into a humanizing application and SOP. In most graduate programs, the SOP is intended to give insight into your academic and/or professional history, your goals and interests, and your reasons for applying to a specific institution. Quite understandably, applicants feel constrained by these criteria and a perceived inflexibility in essay structure. Take the following introductory paragraph for example:

“After graduating from MIT in 2003 with a degree in mechanical engineering, I began working for a start-up that has been an industry pioneer in the development of robotic prosthetic devices. Today, I seek admission to USC’s Biomedical Engineering Program in order to build on my current interests and help develop a new wave of medical technology that revolutionizes patient care and lives of people everywhere.”

Your introduction may sound like a subtle variation on this—not poorly constructed per se, but absolutely underwhelming and flat. Simply asking the right kinds of questions can give this paragraph more heft: why have you chosen your career goals—an intellectual passion, a unique cultural circumstance or a serendipitous event? What about the connectivity between your past, present and future? Have you encountered roadblocks along the way? Why is it important to “revolutionize patient care and people’s lives”—what personal values are beneath this cliché?

As admissions processes grow increasingly competitive in every sphere, there is a higher premium on your admissions package. And while certain programs will place greater emphasis on communication and writing ability than others, all graduate programs—no matter how small—will want inspired applicants that are self-aware community members and energized contributors. This is where deeper, more authentic writing truly comes into play. You don’t have to be a super-human candidate, and in fact, embracing certain career missteps or rites of passage can make your application even stronger.

Of course, different types of applicants face very different expectations. MBA applicants must answer a dizzying array of targeted questions that uncover their strategic career goals, medical school applicants must display the prerequisite drive and comprehensive skill set for a medical career, and law school applicants must craft more open-ended statements that underscore their analytical and communication capabilities.

However, regardless of what type of graduate program you’re applying to, you must launch a persuasive, authentic campaign to distinguish yourself from hundreds of other applicants. So, before writing your materials, take the time to consider the more difficult ‘why’ questions: why do I want this education and what path will it enable? Why did I make certain career decisions and how are they related? What are the drivers behind my ultimate goals?

Applicants that adequately answer ‘why’ questions are able to tether their accomplishments and goals to values, a keen self-awareness, and the seasoned EQ required of today’s leaders in business, medicine, law and elsewhere. In a recent study, when given a list of a dozen words to describe their CEO, only one in five employees picked “caring” or “warm”; ironically, CEO’s picked these words twice as often to describe themselves. Business and academic communities are becoming increasingly sensitive to this marked disparity. Across the admissions spectrum, automatons with perfect resumes and test scores are being outnumbered by more authentic, visionary and even imperfect leaders.

Your ability to answer the “why “ gives a powerful window into your soft skills, and your potential to develop them to lead tomorrow’s organizations and industries. You may not be the perfect applicant, but your ability to embrace imperfections and craft authentic materials can make you exceptional.

It can also make the critical difference in your admissions results.

Best,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Our First Twitter Chat: Medical and Dental Admissions Writing

2010-07-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

After some technical snafus, we had an excellent Twitter chat on medical and dental admissions writing yesterday.

Whether you are an AMCAS, AADSAS, ERAS or TMDSAS applicant, there were a number of pithy take-aways (140 characters or less!)that I'd like to highlight below. Medical and dental admissions writing have their own unique set of best practices--and the expectations around applicants must be closely considered in order to put forth your strongest application.

Special thanks to all of our participants, including @timetowasteAT, @aobrooks, @collegevisit (Z. Kelly Queijo) and @jeannieborin!

Stay tuned for our next chat!

Best,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com
www.twitter.com/IvyEyesEditing

***

@IvyEyesEditing Bottomline, simply important to really closely evaluate your language & own each word of your statement. It's worth it. #ivyeyesmed

@IvyEyesEditing Some terminology is just outdated. multiple personality disorder--> dissociative identity disorder @jeannieborin @collegevisit #ivyeyesmed

@IvyEyesEditing In a 2ndary essay on a ‘weakness’ choose something that is trainable. Nothing that brings character or judgment into ? #ivyeyesmed

@timetowasteAT What are your suggestions for those having trouble coming up with a "weakness"? #ivyeyesmed

@IvyEyesEditing Leadership: ability to translate ideas into action, lead w/ different styles, be nimble/flexible, & maintain one's purpose #ivyeyesmed

@jeannieborin leadership can be an overused term - how would you define - taking initiative, original thinking - what else #ivyeyesmed

@collegevisit Now here's a surprising tip! RT @IvyEyesEditing: For all applicants: don’t ever thank the AdCom for their consideration. #ivyeyesmed

@collegevisit Word choice matters - #medschool essay RT @IvyEyesEditing: Disease, Disorder, Handicap, Disability or Condition? Know the diff. #ivyeyesmed

@collegevisit RT @IvyEyesEditing: More than any other type of admissions writing--medical admissions writing boils down to purpose & passion. #ivyeyesmed

I always knew I wanted to be a doctor....

2010-07-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

If you're writing your AMCAS or TMDSAS personal statement, or starting some of your secondary essays for medical school, you've likely taken multiple stabs at your introductory paragraph.

Somewhere, in one of your drafts, you've also probably attempted to pinpoint the precise moment when your passion for medicine was born. The majority of applicants will fall prey to the chronic default ("I always knew I wanted to be a doctor...") at some point or another; some will cite a prodigious talent for the board game "Operation" as an early indicator for a career in cardiology. Fight the impulse!

Instead, let your interest evolve naturally; don't force it. Your passion for medicine should be evidenced by your background, your research, your clinical experience, your activities, and your current reflections. Childhood ambitions change, and with good reason! If they hadn't, I would be a priest right now.

Avoid claiming a prezygotic interest in medicine--your personal statement will be infinitely more sophisticated and persuasive because of it.

Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Common App 2010-2011: Where to Start?

2010-07-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Recently, we were interviewed by another company in the education sector on how students should begin writing their Common App essays. Your essay can either humanize and authenticate you, or, simply flatten your candidacy. How do you ensure your Common App essays breathe life into your application and get you one step closer to your dream college?

This is the approach we most recommend with our clients to develop Common App essays that truly set them apart:

-Start collecting stories now. No story is too big or too small--don't discriminate in the beginning and worry about specific prompts later. One story might revolve around how you won an Intel science prize and made an astonishing discovery, another might be a more situational anecdote about discovering how to make a milkshake with your kid brother. Remember, the 'less remarkable' stories can be just as remarkable, if told expertly well.

-Have conversations with people you trust. Which stories are the most interesting or compelling? Which say the most about you and differentiate you as a candidate for a top college?

-Breathe, and remember to take your time. Live with your ideas and consider which ones really 'speak' to you.

-Instead of writing 57 rough drafts of different essays, sketch out a skeletal structure for each of your strongest stories, relating them to the relevant prompt. How will you frame each narrative? How will you start the intro, then maintain momentum and interest? A 250 word min--and preferably 1 page single-spaced (more like 500 words)--will not be hard to accomplish.

Now, you've selected the strongest story concept and basic framework. It's time to really put the pen to paper. What are the biggest pitfalls to avoid? We've read thousands of Common App essays, and these are the issues we consistently see:

1) Writing what the AdCom wants to hear--a lack of authenticity.
2) Excessive passive voice.
3) Speaking in generalities rather than specific, colorful terms and language.
4) An overly casual or informal tone.
5) Stilted transitions.
6) A narrative that makes the reader a passive participant.
7) Laundry lists of accomplishments--an essay that sounds like a resume in narrative form.
8) Introductory paragraphs that fall flat.
9) Usage of trite quotes that bring nothing to the story.
10) Essays that don't fully target the prompt and answer the question at hand.
11) Essays that don't set the right tone, or portray the applicant as a positive, energized community member.
12) Essays that strive too hard to be 'remarkable.' You might be an accomplished scientist at the age of 17--but what does your essay say about you beyond your resume? What are your values, passions and desires?
13) Essays that are simply too much like the rest. Any theme can be told in a unique way, but the more common themes--the illness of a loved one, winning a race, acting in a play--are risky and must be executed with finesse.

Tackling the Common App takes some strategy. Take your time--and be sure to seek out the right mentor or thought partner to help you develop your stories. Email admin@ivyeyesediting.com for a free critique of your Common App essay(s) today!

Best,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

GRE vs GMAT?

2010-07-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

A great short article below from BusinessWeek!

Best,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com
***

Getting In
Few MBA Applicants Submitting GRE Scores
Posted by: Geoff Gloeckler on June 10, 2010

It’s been widely reported that more top business schools are accepting the GRE exam in place of the GMAT for admission into their full-time MBA programs. The list includes Harvard Business School, Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. To schools, accepting the GRE for admissions broadens the applicant pool to include dual-degree students, younger applicants, and international applicants without easy GMAT access, individuals who otherwise may have been left out of the mix. It also benefits prospective students who aren’t as strong in the quantitative areas that aren’t focused on as heavily on the GRE exam as they are on the GMAT.

But how many prospective students are taking advantage of the option for admittance into the MBA Class of 2012? Not many. At eight prominent business schools that accept the GRE for entry into their full-time MBA programs, only four percent of applicants actually submitted the test.

Washington University’s Olin Business School received the highest percentage of GRE scores, accounting for seven percent of the total applications submitted. On the other hand, at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, only one percent of applications included the GRE. Similarly, at Stanford, while an exact percentage couldn’t be calculated, Derrick Bolton, MBA admissions director, said that the number of individuals submitting the GRE was “not a statistically significant group.” At Harvard, 468 applicants submitted GRE scores, which equaled about five percent of the total. Yale School of Management received a similar percentage of GRE scores as Harvard.

Based on the small number of scores being submitted, it’s not a surprise that very few GRE applicants are gaining admittance at these programs. At the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, for instance, where less than two percent of applicants submitted GRE scores, only two or three were admitted, according to Sara Neher, director of admissions at Darden.

True, the GRE is a new option for MBA-wannabes, which may explain the low numbers, but I think submitting GRE scores in place of the GMAT is still somewhat risky. My guess is that it will take a few years for admissions officers to feel completely comfortable with the test as an alternative to the old, reliable GMAT, and, until then, I’m not sure I would feel comfortable letting my application ride on such an unknown.

Am I off base here? Any prospective MBAs (or current MBAs) who have, or are considering, submitting a GRE score, feel free to sound off.

U.S. vs European MBA Programs

2010-06-30T12:58:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

We were just published at Vault--full article included below and original link found here:

http://bit.ly/bvzP76

Be well.

Best,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***
Recently, Vault published an article on "Why More MBAs are Choosing European Business Schools". The article could not have been more topical, as many applicants are considering the potential value of the European MBA education and the penetrability of the international job market.

Ivy Eyes Editing LogoIf you are an MBA applicant deciding whether to apply in the U.S. or abroad, you have a surfeit of sources from which to cull school information: school websites, online forums, rankings and more. Of course, these sources quickly become overwhelming, and some even conflict. Moreover, they don't tell the whole story. Even with all these resources, you still don't hear from the people who lived it: the students

We spoke with a 2010 graduate of Spain's IESE MBA program, Vikram Ahuja, who studied abroad at UCLA Anderson. Ahuja cited diversity as a key draw to European programs like IESE. "One IESE class was made up of 65 students from 46 different countries. You were always learning about different ways of working; it was a great, lively mix," says Ahuja. "At UCLA Anderson, and most other top U.S.-based MBA programs, classes are 60 to 70 percent American, which has an impact on the breadth of discussion."

Career focus and teaching approaches also greatly vary between geographies. Ahuja explains: "Generally speaking, IESE felt more academic in nature, with less daily focus on career." This academic focus largely results from less pressure to focus on your career. European students are, on average, older and only out of the workforce for one year, which makes it easier to transition in and out of school life. "I believe job placement at IESE was easily 100 percent last year. There are a lot of European jobs up for grabs," says Ahuja.

London scene: Big Ben, Westminster and a red double-decker busOn the other side of the spectrum, Arlen Marmel, a 2010 UCLA Anderson graduate who studied abroad at LBS, had a slightly different perspective on classroom dynamic in Europe. While Marmel says LBS was very ethnically diverse, "career focus is somewhat homogenous. Consulting and banking are the predominant career tracks." This has an obvious impact on student dynamics and life outside the classroom. For example, the Media Club at LBS might have six dedicated people, whereas at UCLA Anderson the Entertainment Management Association is the second-largest student group on campus. For prospective MBAs, "diversity" must not only be measured by students' cultural backgrounds, but also by area of professional interest.

Of course, many students will wonder how these contrasting values and qualities might translate into post-MBA career momentum. Certainly, the career centers at UCLA Anderson and LBS operate in different ways. Marmel shared, "I've had an excellent experience with the career center at Anderson. They are guidance-oriented and give students one-hour meetings (weekly, in some cases) to discuss career strategy, prepare for interviews, etc....The LBS career center acknowledges it is more of a sales team, judged on how many leads it generates." Of course, both of these approaches offer distinct advantages. LBS has a robust job board with deeply entrenched connections to global companies like Barclay's and Google, while the Anderson career center functions more as a training and guidance resource for its students.

When choosing between U.S. and European MBA programs, it's important to understand their key differences. European MBA programs are frequently smaller and have fewer resources and less developed alumnae networks, but they also have a host of corollary strengths, including those described by our two student sources. European MBA programs are also taking cues from their U.S. counterparts, building more exchange partnerships, launching global admissions and marketing campaigns, and attracting the "superstar" professors that every top U.S. MBA program boasts.

With the strength of European MBA continuing to build, will the U.S. continue to be the recognized leader in MBA education? Moving forward, U.S. MBA programs will be continually challenged to preserve their established brands and networks and to build the most relevant, global curricula and communities to compete on a global scale.

In the meantime, as MBA educational options continue to multiply, applicants should closely evaluate what it's really like on the inside of a U.S. MBA vs. a European one. Depending on your career focus, classroom expectations and background, one location may serve as a stronger springboard for your future career.

MBA Candidates: Focusing on Authenticity and Passion

2010-06-28T23:33:00.000-07:00

MBA applicants are frequently beleaguered by internet-induced anxieties regarding their demonstrated student leadership, professional accomplishments and net impact. In their MBA admissions essays, they spend copious amounts of time on positioning, and finding ways to distill (or embellish) management responsibilities from a number-crunching senior analyst position. The resultant problem here is: most applicants are hard at work engineering the same kind of boring “super-candidacy.”

What will make your candidacy different?

We find that the biggest issue in our clients’ writing rarely lies in their academic or professional pedigrees, but in the authenticity of their prose, and the specificity of their point of view. MBA programs are becoming increasingly concerned not just with finding business leaders, but finding energized community members, values-driven students and passionate people. Net impact and business acumen are no longer enough. Consider the following prompts from Harvard Business School, Duke Fuqua and Stanford GSB, respectively:

What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such?

Describe your vision for your career and your inspiration for pursuing this career path.

What matters most to you, and why?

Application Mistakes

In all of these prompts, most applicants will make the mistake of focusing on what is most concrete (accomplishment, vision, what matters), simply because what is abstract is infinitely harder to put into words. However, the more abstract dimensions of each prompt—the why—are where you can really bring dimension and humanity to your candidacy.

Applicants that adequately answer ‘why’ are able to tether their accomplishments and viewpoints to values, a keen self-awareness, and the seasoned EQ required of today’s business leaders. In a recent study, when given a list of a dozen words to describe their CEO, only one in five employees picked “caring” or “warm”; ironically, CEO’s picked these words twice as often to describe themselves. The business and academic communities are becoming increasingly sensitive to this alarming disparity. Your ability to answer the “why “ gives a powerful window into your soft skills, and your potential to develop them to lead tomorrow’s top organizations.

Applicants within a competitive group will particularly benefit from this ‘authenticity first’ approach—Indian males with an IT background, Caucasian males with a finance background. Your story and your net impact may not be that different from an applicant in your niche, but your point of view can make you exceptional.

Your MBA candidacy does not boil down to concrete career achievement, GMAT scores, and academic pedigree. MBA programs across the U.S. and the world are looking to build student bodies that are diverse in the broadest sense of the word. So, before you have your candidacy assessed and regression analyses run on your chances of admission, take a more humanistic, critical self-appraisal of your application. Take greater risks in articulating your values and exploring the forces that really drive you. Strive to be more authentic.

www.ivyeyesediting.com

Crafting Your MBA Applicant Resume

2010-06-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

What should my MBA application resume look like? With the launch of the 2010-2011 MBA admissions season, this is a critical question applicants around the world will be asking themselves over the next 6-8 months.

The good news is the answer is simple: your resume should be a forward-thinking advertisement that markets your strengths. The execution of that simple design, however, comes with a number of important caveats:

Structure & Format

1. Subheadings should be as follows: work experience, education, and additional. Objective is an outmoded practice still en vogue with some resume-writing services; however, it is not the standard of top MBA programs or elite corporate recruiting.

2. Applicants with limited or no work experience should find other ways to express leadership impact through a new subheading, such as extracurricular or nonprofit leadership.

3. Font: Size 10, Times New Roman. Margins should be close to 0.7-1 inch.

4. Length: for most applicants, even those with 5-8 yrs of professional experience, a 1 page resume is sufficient and preferred.

Bullets

1. Each role should have no more than 4 bullets, and most well-developed bullets should occupy two lines.

2. Lead with strong, active verbs. ‘Was responsible for’ might be replaced with ‘spearheaded,’ ‘facilitated,’ or ‘managed.’ Keep verbs in present tense for current roles and ongoing responsibilities, past tense for past roles and projects.

3. Each bullet should reflect situation, action and result. What was the situation? What action did you perform to solve it? What was the outcome?

4. Quantify and qualify your impact. Include % and $ signs where possible, which are also great visual cues for your reader.

5. Key questions to ask yourself: do your bullets present the full dimension of your job function and business skills? Do they seem overblown or convincing?

Strategy

1. If you have only one professional role to draw from, consider bucketing project experience to show leadership development and multi-dimensional business expertise.

2. What type of career goals have you detailed in your essays? Your resume can reinforce this brand and your full application package, and show your readiness for the next step or even career transition.

3. Capture leadership roles, academic accomplishments, and extracurricular activities under your college education. This will show the type of student you’ll be.

4. Additional: this is a great place to include more humanizing details and strengths. Most applicants will include languages, advanced computer skills, volunteer work, and hobbies.

Of course, many applicants will also deliberate on the differences between a resume and a CV, and which to submit for their MBA application. At one time, CV’s were more prevalent in European countries (they are still the standard in academia as well), but in a more global, fast-paced business culture, that convention is beginning to shift. A recruiter or admissions committee member may spend 30-45 seconds, at most, evaluating your resume. Through crisp language, straightforward design, and some strategic thinking around capturing your strengths, your resume can catch their eye, strengthen your MBA candidacy, and get your foot in the door.

Best,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Choosing an Admissions Consultant: Is Your Consultant Hip?

2010-06-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

For those of you deciding on whether to engage an admissions or writing consultant, you will have many options before you. At Ivy Eyes Editing, we firmly believe that applicants at all levels must learn to market their strengths as well as preserve what is most authentic about their candidacy. This is where your consultant's judgment, personality and tastes--not just his/her formal admissions strategy and pedigree--come into play.

Assuming you have marketed your best strengths, and come up with content that is authentic, reflective and colorful, you also have another challenge: to be likable. Likability is one of the most difficult elements to infuse into admissions materials. The quality of your work with your consultant will be evident in your essays: did they 'get' you? Did the portray you as a community member that your future classmates would want to know?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself before hiring an admissions consultant:

-Do they provide upfront (and ideally FREE) transparency to demonstrate their abilities and approach?

-What is their writing style like? Do they take the same approach with a college applicant as an MBA applicant? A dead give-away is the zingy one-size-fits-all introduction; great admissions writing is much more subtle (and diverse) than that.

-How is their command of language? Language is continually evolving. We have seen language and mechanical choices from other consultants that wreak of a 1940's grammar school education. Don't let someone insist that split infinitives are a definite no-no, or that sentences can't end with a preposition.

-Does their approach reveal the true coaching talent to not simply overhaul but PRESERVE what is best? Can they adapt to your style and tell you what you do right?

-Do they come from an older school of admissions and writing--just how relevant is their expertise?

-Do you know the person who will be editing your work? Before submitting your materials to an essay mill service, think about who might be reviewing them on the other end. PhD or MBA applicants, an undergraduate at Princeton may not be the strongest choice.

We're not implying that your admissions or writing consultant must listen to Lady Gaga, read The Paris Review, or use #/hashtags or @ signs in their daily communications, but we are implying they shouldn't wear a long denim skirt. We kid!

In all seriousness, there is a baseline level of 'hipness' which you should seek out in an admissions consultant or writing coach. What does it mean to be hip? The last time we checked, being hip was being cool, and being cool was being adaptive to any environment or person while preserving one's own point of view.

Furthermore, our perspectives and words are a product of our influences; do you want your application to read like the most seasoned, likable version of you, or the reflections of your 9th grade teacher turned admissions consultant?

Choose a smart, experienced consultant, but also choose a complementary mentor and thought partner. You want someone who knows their stuff but is flexible enough to identify what is exceptional about you. Think Mary Poppins or Mr. Holland, but with edge.

Best,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Being Gay in Your Admissions Essay

2010-06-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

One question we get from applicants across the board--medical, MBA, grad school and college--is how to broach the subject of sexuality in admissions writing. Should I reveal my sexuality or not, and to what degree? Will it hurt my chances if I do?

The important thing to keep in mind is that sexuality, like other personal (vs academic or professional)elements of your candidacy, is just one dimension of your admissions package, and should be positioned like any other. For a Latino applicant looking to start a revolutionary green consulting company in Colombia, 'being gay' bears an even stronger testament to the applicant's ability to traverse all sorts of cultural and social boundaries. An applicant from Beijing--where some might claim, sexuality is less openly spoken about than the US--might also speak volumes about his/her trailblazing leadership potential through past gay activism.

I would also make the claim that most admissions committees in the U.S. today are comprised of forward-thinking administrators who seek new levels of diversity, and have profound respect for the applicants that share who they are within their admissions materials. If just one committee member appreciates your perspective, you can win an ambassador, and get your foot in the door.

The gay angle, of course, can be taken to the extreme. An applicant who has helped establish an HIV clinic for gay men in Alabama may use his identity as a springboard for a much broader, high-impact essay that demonstrates exemplary leadership skills and vision. Ultimately, regardless of whether you are mentioning your sexuality, the color of your skin, or your religious background, you want it to humanize you, but not become the centerpiece of the narrative. An essay that feels too 'emotionally raw' may call into question the self-awareness of an applicant, or even his/her readiness for a rigorous, culturally (and sexually) homogenous environment.

We recently worked with an AADSAS applicant who wanted to discuss the polarity between his religious and secular/university education. It was difficult to help him pull back on the deeply felt, religious elements of his personal statement, but ultimately, we were able to help him draw out deep themes and transferable skills from his religious education. When writing about topics of such personal importance, it is easy to find yourself on such a tangent. Avoid this it all costs, and find a seasoned thought partner who can help you to 'reign it in.' Balance is key!

In many cases, gay applicants can use their identities to speak to their character, the challenge they've overcome, and their emotional intelligence. However, like any other dimension of your candidacy or person, your sexuality and unique identity should be incorporated into your admissions writing with the sure-footed strategy, deep reflection and subtlety.

Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com
www.twitter.com/IvyEyesEditing

MBA Applicants: GMAT or GRE?

2010-06-18T01:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Great article from BusinessWeek (http://bit.ly/bzqUfg). A key factoid:

"At eight prominent business schools that accept the GRE for entry into their full-time MBA programs, only four percent of applicants actually submitted the test."

Admissions trends and practices take time to shift, so we'll see if the GRE gains more momentum among MBA admissions committees this year.

Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***
Few MBA Applicants Submitting GRE Scores
Posted by: Geoff Gloeckler on June 10, 2010

It’s been widely reported that more top business schools are accepting the GRE exam in place of the GMAT for admission into their full-time MBA programs. The list includes Harvard Business School, Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. To schools, accepting the GRE for admissions broadens the applicant pool to include dual-degree students, younger applicants, and international applicants without easy GMAT access, individuals who otherwise may have been left out of the mix. It also benefits prospective students who aren’t as strong in the quantitative areas that aren’t focused on as heavily on the GRE exam as they are on the GMAT.

But how many prospective students are taking advantage of the option for admittance into the MBA Class of 2012? Not many. At eight prominent business schools that accept the GRE for entry into their full-time MBA programs, only four percent of applicants actually submitted the test.

Washington University’s Olin Business School received the highest percentage of GRE scores, accounting for seven percent of the total applications submitted. On the other hand, at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, only one percent of applications included the GRE. Similarly, at Stanford, while an exact percentage couldn’t be calculated, Derrick Bolton, MBA admissions director, said that the number of individuals submitting the GRE was “not a statistically significant group.” At Harvard, 468 applicants submitted GRE scores, which equaled about five percent of the total. Yale School of Management received a similar percentage of GRE scores as Harvard.

Based on the small number of scores being submitted, it’s not a surprise that very few GRE applicants are gaining admittance at these programs. At the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, for instance, where less than two percent of applicants submitted GRE scores, only two or three were admitted, according to Sara Neher, director of admissions at Darden.

True, the GRE is a new option for MBA-wannabes, which may explain the low numbers, but I think submitting GRE scores in place of the GMAT is still somewhat risky. My guess is that it will take a few years for admissions officers to feel completely comfortable with the test as an alternative to the old, reliable GMAT, and, until then, I’m not sure I would feel comfortable letting my application ride on such an unknown.

Am I off base here? Any prospective MBAs (or current MBAs) who have, or are considering, submitting a GRE score, feel free to sound off.

2010-2011 Duke Fuqua Essay Topics & Deadlines

2010-06-17T23:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Please find the 2010-2011 essay questions and deadlines for Duke Fuqua listed below.

Stay tuned for our analysis and tips! As always, if you're starting your Fuqua essays, feel free to email us at admin@ivyeyesediting.com for a free initial assessment.

Best,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***
Duke Fuqua 2011 MBA Essay Questions

Three essay questions must be completed before submitting your application. Prepare your essays carefully. The Admissions Committee considers your responses to the following questions important in the selection process. Please respond fully and concisely using 1.5 line spacing. Your response to each question should be no more than 2 pages in length, with a font size no less than 10-point.

Candidates who applied to The Duke MBA between September 2009 and April 2010 are considered re-applicants. All re-applicants are required to complete the Re-applicant Essay in addition to the Applicant Essays.

All applicants have the opportunity to submit an optional essay to explain any extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware.

Applicant Essays: Answer all 3 essay questions.

Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, emotional intelligence, and business acumen. Thus, Duke is in the midst of an ambitious global venture that will embed and connect us around the world, and we are seeking future leaders of consequence, who value diversity and collaborative leadership, and who aspire to impact the companies and communities of which they are a part in a lasting and positive way.

In an effort to identify, engage, and foster the development of future leaders of consequence, the Admissions Committee would like to get to know our applicants in a more holistic manner. We would like to know who you are, what has shaped you into the person you are today, and how you hope to impact both Duke and the communities of which you will be a part in the future. The essays are your opportunity to convey that to us. Please be open, genuine, and passionate. Share with us what makes you a dynamic, multi-dimensional person.

1. Describe your vision for your career and your inspiration for pursuing this career path.

2. How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture?

3. Why Duke? (If you are interested in a specific concentration, joint degree, clubs or activities, please discuss how you would contribute to these in this essay.)

Optional Essay (not required)

If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weakness in your application)

Re-applicant Essay

All re-applicants are required to complete the Re-applicant Essay. Please limit your response to two pages. Write an essay describing how you are now a stronger candidate for admission compared to the application you submitted the previous year.

2010-2011 Stanford GSB Essay Topics & Deadlines

2010-06-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Below please find the essay topics and deadlines for Stanford GSB.

Please stay tuned for our analysis and tips!

Cheers,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com
***

Stanford GSB Essay Topics 2010-2011

*Note: Stanford allocates a 1,800 word limit to be used among the four essays, with word limit suggestions for each individual essay. All essays should be written double-spaced in 12-point font.

Essay 1: What matters most to you, and why? (Recommended 750 words)

Essay 2: What are your career aspirations? What do you need to learn at Stanford to achieve them? (Recommended 450 words)

Essay 3: Answer two of the four questions below. Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it. What was the outcome? How did people respond? Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years. (Recommended 300 words each)

Option A: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.

Option B: Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.

Option C: Tell us about a time when you generated support from others for an idea or initiative.

Option D: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected.

Stanford GSB Deadlines 2010-2011

***

The Stanford GSB deadlines for the Class of 2013 are now available online. The three rounds are as follows:

Round 1
Deadline: October 6, 2010
Notification: December 15, 2010

Round 2
Deadline: January 6, 2011
Notification: March 30, 2011

Round 3
Deadline: April 6, 2011
Notification: May 18, 2011

2010-2011 Oxford Said Deadlines Posted!

2010-06-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Oxford Said has just released its deadlines for the 2010-2011 season. Please stay tuned for the essay topics.

Cheers,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***
Oxford / Saїd Deadlines 2010-2011

The Oxford / Saїd deadlines for the 2010-2011 admissions season have been released. The three stages are as follows:

Stage 1
Deadline: October 8, 2010
Notification: December 10, 2010

Stage 2
Deadline: January 14, 2011
Notification: March 11, 2011

Stage 3
Deadline: April 1, 2011
Notification: May 27, 2011

Applicants should note that all applications are due at 11:59 p.m. on the day of the deadline. Applications received after this time will be considered in the next round. For more information, visit the program’s website.

TMDSAS Applicants

2010-06-16T23:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

For those of you applying to Texas-based medical and dental schools, you'll be using the TMDSAS application, which comes with the standard personal statement requirement as well as 2 optional essays.

Please find the prompts below or on the TMDSAS website:

http://bit.ly/aY6OxW

Cheers,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***

It is important that you proof your essays thoroughly AFTER saving. Your essays will be sent to the schools exactly as they appear. TMDSAS will NOT contact you about incomplete essays or margin cut-offs. You will not be given the opportunity to correct any grammatical or typographical errors in your essays once your application has been submitted to TMDSAS.
MEDICAL PERSONAL STATEMENT

The personal essay asks you to explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. You are asked to discuss your philosophy of the medical profession and indicate your goals relevant to the profession.

The essay is limited to 5000 characters, including spaces.

OPTIONAL ESSAYS

1. The first optional essay asks you to briefly state any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application. This is not an area to continue your essay or reiterate what you have previously stated: this area is provided to address any issues which have not previously been addressed. Optional Essay 1 is limited to 2500 characters, including spaces.
2. The second optional question asks you to describe any personal characteristics and/or important or challenging experiences you have had that will contribute to the diversity of/ or provide educational benefits to the student body. Optional Essay 2 is limited to 2500 characters, including spaces.

DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM ESSAYS

Essays limited to 5000 characters, including spaces.

MD/PHD or DO/PHD ESSAYS

1. Explain your motivation to seek a MD/PhD or DO/PhD dual degree. Discuss your research interests and career goals as an applicant to a dual degree program.
2. Describe your significant research experiences. Include the name and title of your research mentor as well as your contributions to the project. List any publications which have resulted from your work.

JD/MD ESSAY
Explain your motivation to seek a JD/MD dual degree. Discuss your interest and career goals as an applicant to the JD/MD program.

Elite Medical School Graduates: Less Likely to Work in Underserved Areas?

2010-06-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

This is an eye-opening Washington Post article on how the name of your medical school--as well as your background--might influence where and how you build your medical career.

Food for thought.

Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***

Morehouse, Howard medical school graduates most likely to work in underserved areas

By Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 14, 2010; 8:12 PM

Graduates of medical schools at historically black universities such as Howard and Morehouse are the most likely to practice the kind of medicine needed under the health-care overhaul, according to a study published Monday.

The study in the Annals of Internal Medicine ranked medical schools based on the communities where their graduates worked and whether those doctors practiced primary care. The Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Howard University College of Medicine in the District and Meharry Medical College in Nashville ranked as the top three, in that order.

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville finished at the bottom of the 141 ranked schools, and the Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine was 139. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore was ranked 122.

The United States faces a shortage of up to 100,000 primary-care doctors in 2020, six years after the health-care overhaul fully kicks in with more than 35 million newly insured Americans. Yet elite medical schools place a stronger focus on specialized medicine and research, the study said. They also lag in recruiting underrepresented minorities -- Latinos, Native Americans and African Americans -- who tend to fill the openings created by the shortage.

"It's no surprise," said Eve Higginbotham, a senior vice president and dean of health sciences at Howard University. "We've known for a long time that minority students end up working in underserved areas four to five times more than majority students."

Wayne J. Riley, president and chief executive of Meharry Medical College, said the school recruits students with a background in community service and trains them to work in underserved communities. "We're very upfront. When you put the initials M.D. behind your name, it comes with an obligation to serve," Riley said.
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But others called the study, "The Social Mission of Medical Education: Ranking the Schools," another attempt to rank universities based on randomly selected criteria. John E. Prescott, chief academic officer of the American Association of Medical Colleges, questioned the study's methodology, saying, "If one focuses only on primary-care physicians, we're missing the boat."

Prescott said there is a need for more physicians of all types. "Some of the most important things that have happened in health care in the United States have come through research."

The study's chief author, Fitzhugh Mullan, said its intention is not to point fingers.

"It allows schools to examine the outcomes of its graduates . . . and how many minorities have gone through their institutions," Mullan said. "Health-care reform has now been enacted. The question is, how do we address it."

The study tracked 6,000 medical students who graduated between 1999 and 2001, the most recent group to have finished college, hospital residencies and obligations, such as working in the National Health Service Corps to pay off student loans, Mullan said.

Nearly 40 percent of Morehouse graduates -- the highest rate recorded -- practiced primary care in areas designated by the federal government as places where doctors were sorely needed. Thirty-three percent of Howard graduates practiced primary care in those areas.

By contrast, 20 percent of Vanderbilt's graduates worked in those areas, according to the study. About 27 percent of Johns Hopkins graduates practiced primary care where they were most needed.

David Nichols, the vice dean at Johns Hopkins medical school, said that the study is important because it "highlights the important role that black medical schools play in U.S. medicine," but he added that Hopkins has changed since 2001. It is starting an Urban Health Residency next month that replaces hospital residency with experience in neighborhood settings such as clinics and health departments.

Northwestern University dean Raymond Study agreed that the study has "very useful data" and lessons for medical academia but said it does not reflect changes since 2001.

"We're in this study as having a 7.9 percent representation of underrepresented minorities, and we've doubled that," Curry said.

The Access MBA Tour: U.S. Kickoff June 22nd in NYC!

2010-06-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

The Access MBA Tour kicks off in the U.S. in New York City on June 22nd. This is a phenomenal opportunity to learn more about the programs that best suit your needs and goals, and interact with other applicants and admissions directors across the globe.

For a complete list of participating business school, please see below.

Cheers,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***

Austria

* Danube Business School
* LIMAK Johannes Kepler University Business School

Australia

* Melbourne Business School
* Murdoch University Dubai
* University of Wollongong

Belgium

* Louvain School of Management
* Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management
* Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School

Bulgaria

* American University in Bulgaria
* City College (International Faculty - University of Sheffield)
* City University of Seattle

Canada

* HEC Montréal
* John Molson School of Business
* McGill University
* Queens
* Richard Ivey School of Business
* Rotman School of Management
* Schulich School of Business
* Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa

Denmark

*

Copenhagen Business School

Egypt

* ESLSCA

France

* CELSA
* ENPC
* ESCEM
* ESCP EUROPE
* ESG MBA
* ESSEC & MANNHEIM
* HEC Paris MBA
* HEC Paris EMBA
* IAE Aix-en-Provence Graduate School of Business
* Grenoble Graduate School of Business
* Sorbonne Graduate Business School IAE Paris
* INSEAD EMBA
* INSEAD Full Time
* Paris Executive Campus
* Reims Management School
* Rouen Business School
* SKEMA Business School
* The Open University Business School
* Toulouse Business School

Greece

* ALBA
* Athens University of Economics and Business
* City College (International Faculty - University of Sheffield)
* DEREE, the American college of Greece
* Hellenic American University
* International Hellenic University
* Strathclyde Business School

Germany

* Kellogg WHU

Hungary

* CEU Business School
* IBR School of Executive Management

Italy

* Fondazione Campus Studi del Mediterraneo
* MIP - Politecnico di Milano
* St. John's University
* SDA Bocconi
* Universitta Cattolica del Cuore

Kuwait

* American University of the Middle East

Lebanon

* University of Leicester
* University of Wales

The Netherlands

* Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
* Amsterdam Business School

Peru

*

ESAN

Portugal

* Lisbon MBA
* AESE
* EGP University of Porto Business School

Romania

* CEU Business School
* City College (International Faculty - University of Sheffield)

Russia

* SKOLKOVO Moscow School of Management
* St. Petersburg State University

Saudi Arabia

* Al Yamamah University
* College of Business Administration

Scotland

* Edinburgh Business School - Heriot-Watt University
* Robert Gordon University
* Strathclyde Business School

Spain

* ESADE Business School
* European University
* IE Business School
* IESE Global EMBA
* IESE Full Time MBA

Switzerland

* ETH Zurich
* HEC Lausanne
* IMD
* La Salle University
* Rochester-Bern
* Strathclyde Business School

Ukraine

* International Management Institute (MIM Kyiv)

United Kingdom

* Ashridge Business School
* Cass Business School
* Cranfield School of Management
* Edinburgh Business School - Heriot-Watt University
* Henley Business School
* Hult International Business School
* London Business School
* London School of Business and Finance
* Manchester Business School
* Manchester Business School Worldwide
* Nottingham Business School
* Robert Gordon University
* Strathclyde Business School
* The Open University Business School
* University of Chicago - Booth School of Business
* University of Leicester
* University of Liverpool
* University of Salford
* University of Wales
* Warwick Business School

USA

* Babson College
* Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business
* Duke The Fuqua School of Business
* Fisher college of Business
* Fordham University
* Hult International Business School
* Penn State University, Smeal college of Business
* Pepperdine University
* Robert H Smith School of Business
* St. John's University
* Thunderbird School of Global Management
* University of Chicago - Booth School of Business
* University of Miami School of Business Administration
* Univerity of Southern California
* Walden University
* Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management
* Wharton

UAE

* Cass Business School
* Edinburgh Business School - Heriot-Watt University
* Hult International Business School
* Manchester Business School Worldwide
* Murdoch University International Study Centre Dubai
* Strathclyde Business School
* University of Leicester
* University of Wales
* University of Wollongong
* Zayed University

Euro MBA Programs Part II

2010-06-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Another great article on European MBA programs from BusinessWeek. Stay tuned for our thoughts on how the admissions processes, curricula and culture compare between US and Euro business schools.

Cheers,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***
Admission Trends at European B-Schools

From rising numbers of applicants to more students eyeing entrepreneurship and social responsibility, here are the key trends shaping Europe's MBA programs

By Nunzio Quacquarelli
SPECIAL REPORT
European B-Schools 2010

* Europe's B-Schools Are Soaring
* Slide Show: Europe's Top B-Schools 2010
* Admission Trends at European B-Schools
* Fight for Jobs Easing at Career Offices
* Corporate Recruiters Warm to European MBAs
* Weaving Creative Careers into an MBA Mix
* European MBA Programs: Hidden Gems
* Going Abroad to Understand the U.S. Better
* Cape Town B-School Embraces Social Entrepreneurship
* A Modern B-School—in Tehran
* Special Report: B-Schools in Europe (2009)
* Special Report: European B-Schools (2008)

Story Tools

* post a comment
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* digg this
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Click here to find out more!

(Corrects Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School application figure in third paragraph)

Javier Muñoz, admissions director at IESE in Barcelona, is looking to expand the school's class size by adding a fourth stream to its full-time MBA. "Applications have been very strong this year," Muñoz says.

The increase IESE is seeing in demand for MBA degrees is happening worldwide—and particularly benefiting European business schools. The QS World MBA Tour reported an overall 5% increase in attendance numbers in 2009 over the previous year, while most European B-schools have reported increases of 10% or more in their number of applications.

Peter Rafferty, MBA director at Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in Belgium, has been able to double his class size in the past 12 months on the back of a 100% jump in applications. St. Gallen in Switzerland has seen a 100% growth in its part-time executive MBA program, alongside strong growth in its full-time MBA program—with applications coming from across Europe. And in the U.K., Philippa Hain of the London Business School's admissions team also reports strong application numbers, while the lesser-known Westminster Business School has had to wait-list applicants for the first time for its full-time MBA, according to its admissions manager, Agata Mazurkiewicz.

What's behind this resounding growth in demand for MBA studies at European schools?
Redirecting Careers

The financial crisis has certainly shaken out professionals in financial services, encouraging them to change career paths. Santiago Iniguez, dean of IE Business School, argues that "the MBA remains a transformational experience, a hub where participants can retrain." Among 2009 attendees of the QS World MBA Tour in Europe, 18% came with a finance background, compared with 14% in 2008. The one-year duration of most European MBAs, combined with the fact that the schools tend to cater to a slightly older cohort of candidates than their U.S. counterparts, have made them quite attractive to people seeking new careers.

Career insecurity also has encouraged young professionals from a broad range of industries to seek an MBA as a safe haven, using the recession as a period to "reskill" and prepare for opportunities in the future. Usually MBA applications start to slacken at the beginning of an economic recovery. But in 2010 many young professionals have decided that to be equipped for a new business era, an MBA degree may be a prerequisite for success. As a result, applicant demand is more robust than at the same stage in previous business cycles. "Business remains the hottest ticket in higher education, with the widest career opportunities," says IE's Iniguez.

One trend in the past 12 months is especially noteworthy: A growing number of people appear to be rejecting traditional corporate career paths in favor of entrepreneurial pursuits. An MBA is an obvious way to jump-start that process. Asked their reasons for attending business school, 30% of attendees of the QS World MBA Tour identified a desire to become an entrepreneur, up from 25% the previous year. Many European B-schools have established strong reputations for fostering entrepreneurs or entrepreneurially-minded managers, including Cranfield, EM Lyon, IE, IESE, Imperial, Insead, LBS, Manchester, and RSM.
Good Citizens, Too

Socially responsible careers are another objective that's increasing in popularity, to the benefit of European schools that have built CSR into their curricula. Some 11% of QS World MBA Tour attendees expressed an interest in socially responsible careers, compared with just 6% a year ago. "A significant number of IE alumni are exploring business opportunities in fields such as biotechnology, renewable energies, or 'green' industries," says the school's Iniguez. "Today we live in a new business environment where business schools are challenged to prepare not just good financial engineers or management technicians, but primarily entrepreneurs who are at the same time good citizens."

Another big change has been the proportion of international students at business schools who are actively looking to return home or develop careers in emerging markets. A few years ago, an international MBA was a route to a new life overseas—most commonly in the U.S. or Britain, which were the two most popular career destinations. Now, with tightening work permit requirements in the U.S., international MBAs are instead looking to return home to take advantage of burgeoning opportunities there.

Professor Mauro Guillen at the Wharton School in Philadelphia notes that "a higher percentage [of graduates], perhaps as many as two out of every three, are returning to work in their home countries, or in emerging markets, rather than staying in the U.S." European business schools are capitalizing on easier visa requirements in their countries to attract international MBAs determined to stay and work abroad in their country of study.

At the same time, European business schools are appealing to "return-homers." They are emphasizing their highly international student mix (at many, more than 90% of the students are international) and their ability to teach international business practices while providing an internationally dispersed alumni network. All of these factors can provide powerful career advantages for those seeking to exploit the rapid growth of China, South East Asia, Latin America, and other emerging economies.

Nunzio Quacquarelli is the co-founder, owner, and managing director of QS Quacquarelli Symonds, an independent expert in London on MBA studies that organizes the annual QS World MBA Tour.

European MBA Programs Part I

2010-06-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

For those of you considering applying to European MBA programs, this is a great article from BusinessWeek that may help inform your research.

Cheers,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***
The biggest schools have already established global brands, but smaller programs are finding novel ways to stand out from the crowd

By Matt Symonds
SPECIAL REPORT
European B-Schools 2010

One of the consequences of the global economic downturn has been a growing conservatism among prospective MBA candidates. Concerned about getting the best return on the substantial investment of time, effort, and money a program entails, many have taken what they see as the safe option and opted for one of the big-name brands in business education.

In Europe, this has allowed INSEAD to expand its class to a staggering 980 full time MBA students. IE in Madrid continues to attract candidates motivated by the school's reputation with recruiters. And HEC Paris is reporting that in addition to rising applicant numbers, the quality and diversity of candidates are also now markedly better, measured by higher than ever GMAT scores and a greater proportion of women.

How are institutions outside this Continental elite attracting the best and brightest in 2010? Perhaps not surprisingly, the schools still reporting healthy applicant numbers tend to be those that have found ways of differentiating themselves from the pack. In Germany, a country with a relatively short history of conventional business education, Berlin's ESMT attributes the 50% growth in its latest MBA class down to the continuing close involvement of its founders. The school was launched in 2002 by a consortium of Germany's top companies, including BMW (BAMXY), Deutsche Bank (DB), Lufthansa (DLAKY), and Siemens (SI), and they remain highly engaged on a day-to-day basis, providing visiting lecturers, internships, financial support to students, and employment opportunities. "Around half our MBAs end up joining one of the founding companies on graduation," says Zoltan Antal-Mokos, who is associate dean. "We think that's strong evidence that a business school actually founded by business is a successful model for management education."

Entrepreneurs Inside Big Companies

EM Lyon in the southeast of France has made itself stand out through a longstanding focus on entrepreneurship. At a time when many of the traditional employment routes for MBAs are looking decidedly rocky, this skill set is proving acutely important. The school teaches students not only how to set up their own businesses but also the techniques of "intrapreneurship," or the application of entrepreneurship within established businesses. As the school's dean, Patrice Houdayer, puts it: "Entrepreneurial leadership is arguably even more important in big businesses than in small companies. In uncertain times, our MBAs can help large organizations become as flexible as possible, to reflect rapidly changing markets."

Belgium's Vlerick Leuven Gent has emerged from relative obscurity in recent years to feature prominently in MBA rankings, and in 2009 it doubled the size of its MBA class. The school attributes its success to a strong record of helping graduates find jobs and to its innovative funding scheme. "We've never had the focus on banking and consultancy that other schools relied on, but we deliberately reached out to recruiters in a very wide range of sectors," says the international business director, Peter Rafferty. "It has meant we've been much less affected by the downturn. We also spotted back in 2008 that student funding would come under pressure because of the credit crunch, so we put together a scheme that's based on an individual's future potential rather than just their credit history. With so many other sources of funding drying up, it has proven very popular."

In the U.K., one of the biggest names in distance-learning MBAs, Warwick Business School, has kept up applications through a series of innovations to make the learning process more engaging. Introduced in 2009, wbsLive is a sophisticated virtual classroom that goes beyond the traditional online lecture model to let students interact with each other either singly or in study groups, wherever they are in the world. The system is now also being used as part of the school's MBA mentoring scheme, which allows current students to tap into the knowledge, experience, and contacts of alumni.

"Because of the diverse range of people we attract, the scheme has to be able to work on a truly international basis," says Tracy Lynch, a member of Warwick's alumni relations department. "Our students and alumni are spread across the globe, and the wbsLive facility allows them to interact almost as well as if they were sitting in the same room."

International Applicants on the Rise at U.S. Grad Schools

2010-06-15T23:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

A great article from The Chronicle of Higher Education on application rise among international applicants at US graduate schools.

For more information and key statistics, read below!

Cheers,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***

April 6, 2010

Foreign-Student Applications Rise 7% at American Graduate Schools

By Karin Fischer

Applications by international students to American graduate schools are up 7 percent over last year, reversing a three-year trend of slowing growth in overseas applicants, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Council of Graduate Schools.

The admissions data in the report are welcome news after first-time enrollments of foreign students were flat last fall, raising questions about the reliance of American universities on international talent at the graduate level.

But while the report's author calls the figures "an encouraging sign," he cautioned that admissions data often are not a strong indicator of enrollment trends. Last year applications were up 4 percent, but enrollments remained unchanged, said Nathan E. Bell, director of research and policy analysis at the Council of Graduate Schools.

"In this survey, we're counting applications, pieces of paper," Mr. Bell said, "not actual students who enroll."

A variety of factors could influence enrollments, Mr. Bell said, including continuing worldwide economic turmoil, the impact of the downturn on the availability of financial aid, growing competition from other countries, and increased capacity for graduate education in students' home countries. What's more, Mr. Bell pointed out, the rise in applications could mean more international-student interest—or it could simply reflect a smaller group of prospective students' submitting applications to more universities.

This is the fifth year in a row that international applications to American graduate schools have gone up, although in recent years the rate of growth has slowed. The report did not track trends in domestic-student applications.

Jeffery C. Gibeling, dean of graduate studies at the University of California at Davis, said he was less worried about year-to-year fluctuations in applications and more concerned about longer-term trends in international enrollments.

Mr. Gibeling—who says his university saw a 3-percent increase in applications from abroad and 14-percent growth in those from potential domestic students—is a member of a commission convened by the council on the future of graduate education. The group is expected to make recommendations about what steps universities, industries, and state and federal governments can take to raise both international and domestic enrollments in a report later this month.
Indian Numbers Stabilize

As in past years, American universities saw explosive growth in the number of applications from Chinese students, up 19 percent over last year.

Meanwhile, applications from India and South Korea appear to have stabilized after sharp declines last year. Applications from India fell 2 percent in 2010, following a 12-percent drop in 2008. Applications from prospective students in South Korea remained flat this year, after plummeting 9 percent the previous year.

The three countries are the largest sources of overseas students for American universities.

Applications from the Middle East and Turkey rose 18 percent over 2009. The council tracks students from the region because of its geopolitical importance.

Applications increased for the three most popular fields of study among international students—business, engineering, and physical and earth sciences (which includes mathematics and computer science).

Application growth was concentrated at institutions that already have the most international graduate enrollments. At the 25 graduate schools with the largest foreign-student populations, applications rose 10 percent, but those outside the 100 largest saw only a 4-percent increase, on average.

The council's report is based on responses from 240 institutions surveyed from January to March. Of the responding universities, 59 percent saw an increase in international applicants, 39 percent experienced a decrease, and 3 percent reported no change.

About half of the Council of Graduate Schools' member universities responded, but they enroll 64 percent of the international graduate students in the United States.

Because the survey was administered early in the graduate-admissions cycle, its results should be considered preliminary and subject to slight revision when a second survey looks at final application numbers later this spring, the report says.

And the report notes that there is "no guarantee" that the growth in applications will result in a corresponding increase in enrollments.

An examination of four years of data suggests no "clear-cut relationship" between applications and first-time enrollments, according to the report. In 2007 and 2008, the increases in international applications were about twice as large as the subsequent increases in first-time foreign-student enrollments, while in 2006, both applications and enrollments grew by 12 percent.

Tips for AMCAS, AADSAS, AACOMAS & ERAS Applications

2010-06-15T22:25:00.001-07:00

Hi there,

With summer deadlines for AMCAS, AADSAS, AACOMAS, and ERAS applicants quickly approaching, many of you are polishing all aspects of your application. This may even be your second or third time applying. So, how to make your application stand out for the 2010-2011 medical admissions cycle?

Here are a few quick tips for your personal statements:

-If you are a reapplicant, this is time for an honest self-appraisal. Focus on the elements of your application that have changed, and amp up the sophistication level of your statement and other application materials.

-Don't saturate your personal statement with accomplishments. Remember, you can use your extracurricular buckets to bring out other accomplishments and strengths in your candidacy.

-Don't be overly axiomatic regarding what medicine is or 'what it takes' to sustain a medical career. Have a point of view, but not remember--your evaluators will also be physicians.

-Don't cover your full medical resume in your personal statement. Many applicants feel a pressure to touch on every single dimension of their experience. The result is a formulaic arc that looks like this:

Introduction-->College-->Research (desire to work with people-->shadowing/volunteer-->Conclusion

Break the mold, and don't put yourself into a corner with this type of structure!

-Don't malign the world of research or a medical specialty that you decided against ("I decided I didn't want to be stuck in a lab--I wanted to work with people"). You never know the background of your evaluators, and the last thing you want to do is offend your reader.

-Try to make your passion for medicine more than circumstantial. We constantly read statements of applicants that show how a personal or family illness catalyzed a medical career path. Circumstances change. What factors--be they intellectual, creative, interpersonal or otherwise--will help you truly sustain a medical career?

-Create an authentic, colorful story. You have 5300 characters or so to crystallize what makes your candidacy special. Think like an admissions representative for a moment, and consider: does my personal statement capture the biggest strengths of my application? Does it tell an interesting story? Is there enough self-reflection and analysis--does my statement humanize me?

We hope these tips help you as you complete your AMCAS, AADSAS, AACOMAS and ERAS applications! As always, please email us at admin@ivyeyesediting.com if you are interested in obtaining a free assessment of your personal statement or other application materials.

Best of luck!

Best,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

10 Tips to Cut Thousands of Dollars from the Cost of College Tuition

2010-06-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

We recently participated in an online, Twitter-based chat (#collegechat) on cost-cutting measures for prospective college students. Some of the key take-aways from the discussion are included below.

Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com
www.twitter.com/IvyEyesEditing

***

10 Tips to Cut Thousands of Dollars from the Cost of College Tuition
During first Twitter #CollegeChat best selling college author discusses how to dramatically reduce the cost of college

06.15.2010 – Los Angeles, CA, June 15, 2010--Although the cost of paying for college is eclipsing many families’ budgets, by doing their own research families can dramatically reduce the cost of college according to Lynn O’Shaughnessy, higher education journalist and author of the new ebook "Shrinking the Cost of College: 152 Ways to Cut the Price of a Bachelor’s Degree." During the first session of #CollegeChat on Twitter, Lynn shared 10 tips from her new book that can potentially save college students and their families thousands of dollars.

“What’s become apparent to me is that families devote a lot more time to stressing about college than actually evaluating their options,” said Lynn O’Shaughnessy. “I’ve run into plenty of parents who seem to know where their children will attend school before they ever visit a single campus. I have no idea how much time the typical family spends researching colleges, but I do believe that it’s not enough. I believe that these tips from my new book can help steer families into helping their children make great choices for college that will also spare their budgets.”

Lynn recommends the following ten tips to shrink the cost of college:

• Cast a wide net. According to Lynn, some of the best deals for college may be time zones away. 35% of students attend school 50 miles or less from home but in-state schools aren't always the cheapest. Sometimes private schools are better deals than public schools. Lynn recommends families and students look at Forbes magazine best college rankings for ideas for potential colleges http://bit.ly/9SrzuF and also recommends reviewing http://www.zinch.com/ and http://www.cappex.com for college ideas that can be outside the box.

• Check out colleges’ graduation rates. Fewer than 60% of college students graduate in six years which can dramatically impact a family’s bottom line. An excellent resource to start researching 4, 5, and 6 year graduation rates is http://collegeresults.org/ . Lynn also recommends reviewing the list of schools from US News that have highest 4-yr grad rates http://bit.ly/6iazP. Graduation rates among similar type of schools can be all over the board so always compare candidates before selecting your final school.

• College sticker prices are meaningless. Do not discount pricey private universities because they usually have the best financial aid packages. Most state and private colleges discount prices. Private schools average tuition discount is 53.5%. State schools average tuition discount is 15%. 2/3rds of students at public and private schools receive grants (free money) from their colleges. Unfortunately, 59% of students say they only look at price tags when shopping for colleges http://bit.ly/98Kc84.

• Consider schools with the best financial aid packages. A good place to start is the list of 51 schools that Lynn compiled based on a study that researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Amherst College presented at the latest College Board Forum: http://bit.ly/6JWpfs . In addition, check a school's Common Data Set to measure its generosity here: http://bit.ly/3gTYMN .

• Understand what falls under the umbrella of financial aid and what the differences are. Grants, loans and work study make up a typical financial aid package. Use the College Board EFC Calculator to determine how much a college will expect a family to contribute at a minimum: http://bit.ly/fFtpP . Also, check a school's financial aid profile on http://CollegeBoard.com to see what percentage of financial need a school typically awards.

• Apply for financial aid regardless of your income. Most people assume they won't qualify for financial aid, but most families do. Families that make $200,000 or more may still qualify for significant need-based aid at pricey colleges. Some very affluent families – making $150,000-$200,000-- can qualify for need-based aid at $50,000 plus schools. Affluent families would not qualify for need-based aid at state universities.

• Look for merit scholarships. 82% of students at private colleges receive merit scholarships. Check out http://www.meritaid.com for scholarships from the schools themselves. To capture the best discounts, look for schools with a good academic fit. Try to look for schools where the prospective students would be in the top 25%-33% of applicants in grades and test scores. Private scholarships are the smallest source of college cash, but the myth persists that this is how to pay for college.

• Teens can win academic scholarships despite mediocre SAT/ACT scores. More than 830 colleges and universities are SAT/ACT optional. You can find the list of schools at http://fairtest.org/ . There is no need to submit scores to test-optional schools and typically this won't hurt scholarship chances. At plenty of schools, B students receive scholarships and at some schools everybody gets break in the price. For these schools, grades and strength of high school classes are more important than test scores when schools are awarding money.

• Beware of reach schools. A reach school is one where the student has little chance to get in. It is the opposite of a safety school. The danger of reach schools is that they give little or no financial aid or scholarships to students who barely get in. They often reserve best cash for top 1/3 to ¼ of new freshman class. Students will fare better with financial aid if they select schools that are solid academic matches. Students should check student profiles in college guides like Fiske, Princeton Review, CollegeBoard.com and College Navigator. Schools will often "gap" kids who barely get in with poor aid packages.

• Limit borrowing to federal student loans. Students should not borrow more than the $27,000 that is eligible to them through Stafford federal loans. These loans have built-in repayment protections: http://bit.ly/a0Vv6d . In addition, students should go through their college for the loans. Private loans should be an absolute last resort. Here are tips on borrowing: http://bit.ly/aD8D87. Borrowing federal loans is also safer now because of the new federal income-repayment program. A great resource for student loan information is http://projectonstudentdebt.org/ . The maximum federal Stafford loan for freshman is $4,500; for sophomores it is $6,500; and for juniors and seniors it is $7,500 each year.

Lynn is also the author of The College Solution, an Amazon bestseller. She regularly writes about college for CBSMoneyWatch, for US News, and at her own higher-ed blog – http://thecollegesolutionblog.com/.

About #CollegeChat
#CollegeChat is a live monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition should be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat either via http://Twitter.com/collegechat or by entering questions online at the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV. CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat.