APPLICATION DEADLINES

Round 1 Application Deadline — October 8, 2009

Decisions Due–December 18, 2009

Round 2 Application Deadline — January 7, 2010

Decisions Due–April 2, 2010

Round 3 Application Deadline — March 10, 2010

Decisions Due–May 7, 2010

ESSAY QUESTIONS

SHORT ANSWERS

Please answer each of the four questions below with a short paragraph of no more than 150 words. This is an opportunity to distill your core ideas, values, goals and motivations into a set of snapshots that help tell us who you are, where you are headed, and why. (600 words maximum)

1. What are your professional goals immediately after you receive your MBA?

2. What are your long-term career aspirations?

3. Why are you choosing to pursue an MBA and why now? (If you plan to use your MBA experience to make a significant change in the field or nature of your career, please tell us what you have done to prepare for this transition.)

4. What attracts you specifically to the Yale School of Management’s MBA program?

PERSONAL STATEMENT 1

Describe an accomplishment that exhibits your leadership style. The description should include evidence of your leadership skills, the actions you took, and the impact you had on your organization. (500 words maximum)

PERSONAL STATEMENT 2

Choose one of the following topics and answer it in essay form. Please indicate the topic number at the beginning of your essay. (500 words maximum)

1. A central premise of our teaching about leadership at the Yale School of Management is that true leadership—leadership that helps to address a significant problem in a new way—is necessarily personal. It is only when personal passion aligns with meaningful aspirations that individuals are able to inspire others to act in support of an important goal or cause. What are you most passionate about, and how have you demonstrated a commitment to this passion?

2. What achievement are you most proud of and why?

3. What is the most difficult feedback you have received from another person or the most significant weakness you have perceived in yourself? What steps have you taken to address it and how will business school contribute to this process?

4. Describe a situation in which you devised and implemented a creative or unique solution to a difficult problem. What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?

5. Required for reapplicants: What steps have you taken to improve your candidacy since your last application?

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (OPTIONAL)

If any aspect of your candidacy needs further explanation, please provide any additional information that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (250 words maximum)

NYU Stern 2010Essay Questions

Stern has posted its questions and provides extensive directions and tips to help you respond to them. I am just going to post the basic questions for the moment. For the detailed directions, please visit the Stern website.

This year’s questions are very similar to last year’s;#2 is somewhat changed. My tips will come later.

Essay 1. Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:

(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?

Essay 2. Your Stern Experience
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

We take great care to shape the Stern community with individuals who possess both intellectual and interpersonal strengths. We seek individuals who are highly intelligent, collaborative, and committed to flourishing as Stern leaders. Please answer the following questions:

(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? Tell us what actions you have taken to learn about us.
(b) Describe what most excites you about Stern from both an academic and extracurricular perspective.
(c) How do you anticipate making your mark on the Stern community? Be specific about the roles you will take on and the impact you hope to achieve.

Essay 3. Personal Expression
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.

All submissions become part of NYU Stern’s permanent records and cannot be returned for any reason.Please do not submit anything that must be viewed or played electronically (e.g.CDs,DVDs, MP3s, online links), that is perishable (e.g. food) or that has been worn (e.g. used clothing). If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font.

Essay 4.Additional Information(optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake theGMATand/orTOEFL or any other relevant information.

If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in Essay 4.

If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.

If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.

• In “My first Blog - Who am I” and Why do I want to do an MBA?, The Man Who Thinks He Can explores his reasons for pursuing an MBA. I hope he won’t take offense, but he really needs to sharpen his reasons. Detesting his current and previous jobs, as described in the first post, is a terrible reason to apply to business school. The reasons he lists in Why do I want to do an MBA? are at least positive, but they are not specific enough. His post-MBA goal should detail more than “a better network” or the possibility of getting an “enjoyable and well paid job.” What kind of job does he want after his MBA? In what industry? Doing what? For most programs, direction and purpose is part of the admissions evaluation. He says that blogging is helping him clarify his thinking, and I hope it continues to do so.
• At the other end of the process sits Stratcase who has been accepted to b-school and offers suggestions to consultants about the MBA admissions process. I strongly agree with this piece of advice: “try to find a speciality.” If you are a “consultant,” you are just like all the consultants out there. However if you are an environmental consultant, or a health care consultant, or a process improvement consultant, there are fewer of you applying to business school. That modifier distinguishes you and helps you stand out from the crowd. Obviously, your work experience has to substantiate the title, but if it does, use it. For more tips on applying from consulting to business school, please see:
  • The Consultant`s Guide to MBA Admission, an ebook.
  • “Application Advice for Management Consultants.”

The Princeton Review and the American Association of University Women are proud to support women who are considering pursuing an MBA to further their educational and professional lives. Attend this online event and get the advice you need from a GMAT and admissions expert with topics including career opportunities for female MBA graduates, the value of an MBA, full-time vs. part-time MBA programs, developing a strong network, common fears for women and GMAT misconceptions and test-taking strategies to score higher on the GMAT.

To register, call us at 800-2Review (800-273-8439) or visit
http://inquiry.princetonreview.com/testprep/womenmba/

Certain terms came up in almost every presentation. Co-author with me of MBA BlastOff: 45 Terrific Tips to Launch Your MBA Application to Acceptance and MBA I.V.: Mainline to Top MBA Programs MBA Interview Questions and Tips, Maxx Duffy, has a useful term for words that tend to be overused in admissions because they represent important values: “umbrella words.” As a consequence of this overuse, qualities like leadership are best broken down and demonstrated than talked about in their umbrella form.

Similar treatment is appropriate for umbrella-words-in-training — the terms that came up over and over again in connection with almost every school at the conference. It’s important for you to know how to relate to the latest and greatest buzz on the MBA scene. Merely parroting it won’t do. Like the school representatives, you need to go deeper. Let’s examine the most common of these terms:

• Experiential learning. Almost every school touts its experiential learning opportunities. So don’t write or talk about “experiential learning.” Discuss how each school’s particular experiential program is right for you. Reveal how Haas@Work will help you achieve your goals in your Haas application; or why Stern’s Industry Mentoring Initiative is the perfect program for you because you are a career changer committed to a particular direction; or how Columbia’s Master Classes represent the ideal opportunity to put theory into practice, a process you have enjoyed on a previous, specific occasion. Understand the nuances and points of difference between these programs to show that you have done your homework and really belong at your target schools.
• Sustainability. Green is the color of the day, and I’m not just talking about Twitter avatars in sympathy with Iranian demonstrators. Don’t write vaguely about “sustainability.” Will you participate in INDEAVOR, The Energy Club, The Africa Initiative, or all the above at INSEAD to further your interest in renewable energy and entrepreneurship? Which of the almost twenty courses that study sustainability at Darden are you most interested in? How will you take advantage of the Batten Institute’s resources as you dive into sustainable development in emerging markets?
• Global. Global everything was everywhere at the conference. Ross sends roughly 50% of its MAP projects outside the US to roughly 30 countries. Yale has a required International Experience in its core and hosts a Global Leadership in Healthcare Conference with other professional schools at Yale. Which aspects of your target schools’ global offerings are relevant to your goals and interests? If they are relevant, don’t talk about study abroad or international projects; talk about the particular programs that are attractive to you, and why they appeal.
• Flexibility. Several programs emphasized the increased flexibility of their programs. Both Tuck and Columbia have decreased the number of required courses and introduced mini-courses or seminars. Stern gives you a wide range of options in terms of designing your program. Yale allows you to take almost all second-year electives outside of SOM. How does your school’s flexibility assist you in reaching your MBA goals? What level of flexibility is important to you?

These terms reflect important concepts in graduate business education today, but if you write about them superficially, you will appear …. superficial. Don’t reflect merely the shallow buzz in your application. Study and understand the points of difference by scouring school web sites and attending presentations. Just as the AIGAC presentations went beyond the superficial to the substantive, so will your receptions and presentations.

Ensure your applications reveal a profound grasp of the distinctive currents among outstanding MBA programs, like those that presented to and hosted AIGAC last week.

Princeton Review 1,012 GMAT Practice Questions (Look up details on Amazon)

The book indeed contains 1,012 questions - counted myself :). It starts with a diagnostic test (37q and 41v questions). There are a total of 55 different “drills” targeting various interesting and often neglected areas. The format for Math is not just standard multiple choice, but actually 50% of the quant questions are Data Sufficiency, so one can practice both questions types - PS and DS.

Book Contents and Question Split:

• Quant:
  • Arithmetic (terminology, percents, multiples, fractions, ratios, factors, decimals) - 70 questions
  • Algebra (equations and inequalities, plugging in, pita, quadratics, must be true, Yes/No DS, roots, interest, functions, powers) - 163 questions
  • Statistics, Probability, and Combinations (averages, median, mode, range, stdev, rate, factorials, probability, permutations and combinations, groups) - 117 questions
  • Geometry (lines and angles, triangles, quadraliterlas, circles, 3D figures, coordinate geometry, inscribed figures and shaded regions) - 100 questions
• Quant Subtotal: 450
• Verbal:
  • RC - 30 passages and 150 questions (5 questions per passage)
  • SC (subject/verb agreement, tenses, pronouns, parallel, modifiers, idioms, mixed) - 175 questions
  • CR (weaken, strengthen, assumption, inference, evaluate, ID reasoning, resolve/explain, mixed) - 159 questionss
• Verbal Subtotal: 484
• Total: 934 + diagnostic test (78) = 1,012

I am giving Kudos for these sections: factorials, probability, combinations, groups, Yes/No DS, assumption, and parallel structure questions. These areas are often neglected by test prep companies and I am thrilled to see a guide that actually addresses these.

Issues I have with this book:
- Random House used cheap paper - as always
- RC section is structured by topic (humanities, science, etc rather than by type of questions)
- Verbal questions are a bit off (esp. CR) but that’s to be expected
- Could use more 700-level questions but there are a few in each section

See my other reviews for overview of the latest GMAT Books:

• Amazon Reviews
• Best GMAT Books

Wharton 2010 MBA Essay Questions

Wharton’s new admissions director is putting his imprint on the application. All the questions, except the optional, are new. My comments are in red.

Below are the essay questions for the Wharton MBA Class of 2012. We post the essay questions now to allow you to plan your application preparation this year. The full application, which will include questions for recommenders and other application requirements, will be available on our website in August. As you begin to think about your responses to these essay questions, remember that the Admissions Committee is interested in getting to know you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage you to be introspective, candid, and succinct. Most importantly, we suggest that you be yourself.

2009-2010 Questions – First-Time Applicants

Essay 1 (750-1,000 words)
As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”. What goals are you committed to and why? How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals?

Business school application questions reflect the values of the school. This question reflects Wharton’s consistent emphasis on global business and breadth, as well as its desire for people of initiative and achievement — people who act and attain based on goals.

This is a goals question in broader framework. How did your goals develop? How will they impact and contribute to more than your bottom line. How will the Wharton MBA allow you to achieve your goals.

Essay 2 (750-1,000 words)

Tell us about a time when you had to adapt by accepting/understanding the perspective of people different from yourself.

This question asks for a focused response, perhaps a PAR response. What were the differences? How did you adapt or come to understand the foreign perspective? What was the outcome of your adaptation? What did you learn from the experience. A good story would work well here.

Use an experience not discussed in essay 1 in responding to this questions. Again, Wharton values breadth. Show yourself acting and affecting people in a different situation than in the previous essay.

Essay 3 (500 words)
Describe a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself?

Like most failure questions, this is not an easy one to answer. It requires honesty and candor…and a little damage control. So choose a real failure, preferably one from a few years ago so that you can show how you handled a different situation with aplomb since the initial bomb. Also, try to use this question, and all questions, to bring out a different side of you.

Essay 4 (500 words)
Choose one of the following:Please complete one of the following two questions:

Which one to choose? Easy. Choose the one, that when added to the other elements of your application, adds a valuable component to the reader’s impression of you. Both questions are asking for a specific experience and would do well with an anecdotal response. They can be of a personal of professional nature, but you don’t want your application essays to be entirely personal or professional. The following is not cast in concrete, but I typically recommend a ratio of 2:1 professional:non-professional content in the essays.

a. Give us a specific example of a time when you solved a complex problem.

b. Tell us about something significant that you have done to improve yourself, in either your professional and/or personal endeavors.

Essay 5 (Optional) (250 words)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).

Wharton’s optional question is a narrowly defined one. It is not the place to talk about extra-curricular achievements. It’s for weaknesses and extenuating circumstances, and it probably is not the note on which you would prefer to close your essays. If you can, turn lemons into lemonade by describing how you ultimately overcame those nasty circumstances. Alternatively, if it fits, tuck a negative into another essay. However, if the other essays are strong and this is the best place to explain a blemish, then do so. It’s better to explain it here than leave admissions readers wondering why you did what you did.

2009-2010 Questions – Re-Applicants

(Please note: re-applicant essays are for those who applied during the application cycle in 2007-08 or 2008-09 only. Reapplicants from 2006-07 or earlier are to complete the first-time applicant essays).

Re-Applicant Essay 1 – (1000 words)

As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”. What goals are you committed to and why? How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals? How has your candidacy improved since the last time you applied?

Re-Applicant Essay 2 – (500 words)

Describe a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself?

Re-Applicant Essay 3 – (500 words) Choose one of the following:

a. Give us a specific example of a time when you solved a complex problem.

b. Tell us about something significant that you have done to improve yourself, in either your professional and/or personal endeavors.

Re-Applicant Essay 4 (Optional) – (250 words)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).

If you are a reapplicant you need to focus on recent activities and ensure that this application addresses weaknesses. Don’t simply submit your essays from last year. They didn’t work last year, and they are less likely to work this year. Show growth, more responsibility, more impact, and more maturity this time around.

If you are aiming towards round 1 deadlines, now is a great time for you to start on your Wharton application essays, as well as the essays for the other b-schools that have published 2010 MBA essay questions. Not only will you really be ready when those deadlines roll around, you can save 15% on Accepted’s (non-rush) MBA essay editing and advising services as well as our Wharton Comprehensive Packages if you purchase on or before July 31, 2009.

In listening to a podcast on an entirely unrelated topic, I started thinking about the essential components of a strong personal statement, statement of purpose, or MBA goals essay. Basically, the adcoms want a map of where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going for the statement of purpose and the goals essay. For personal statement your readers want to know your current location and how you got here; clear plans for the future are secondary and usually not required.

MAP has however a double meaning for those of you writing statements of purpose and goals essays. It stands for Motivation, Aspiration, and Perspiration.

• Motivation: What makes you tick? Why have you made the decisions you have made? Why do you want to go into your chosen field?
• Aspiration: Where are you headed? What do you aspire to immediately after you complete your degree and sometimes long term. HBS asks for “vision.”
• Perspiration: When in the past have you sweated to achieve? When have you dedicated yourself to a cause or goal? When have you worked hard to have impact and contribute?

If you write your statement of purpose or MBA goals essay, check it for MAP. If it has these three critical elements, you have started down the right path.

If you would like us to check whether you have MAP in your essay or you want us to work with you so you take the right road, please explore Accepted’s services.