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Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 24 Nov 2015, 1
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By Adam Hoff, Amerasia Consulting Group
Joined: 23 Mar 2014

Posts: 392
Time to break out an annual PSA here. I'm talking all alarms ringing, sirens, whatever it takes to get your attention. By "you" I mean: anyone applying to busin
Followers: 12 school. You need to stop doing something immediately. Here it is:
Kudos [?]: 207 [1] , given: 0 STOP TRYING TO "DIFFERENTIATE" YOURSELF. [/b]
+1 KUDOS Or at least, stop doing it without a professional by your side. Let's dive into the 4 Rules of Differentiation before someone gets hurt.
FOLLOW SEND PM Rule #1 - Do not "differentiate yourself" with a panicked career change. [/b]Throwing a Hail Mary at the last second is not a good idea. Trying to scramble to
cooler or sexier or "more noble" company is not going to make you stand out as a candidate - it's going to make you look directionless or (worse) fake. Now, so
people change jobs (even right before applying) and that is fine, as long as there is a logical reason for it - ranging from "I hate my current job and may walk i
traffic unless I leave it" to "this is a unique opportunity that I have to take." However, don't change just to change under some faulty logic that they are going
see "Adam Hoff, SpaceX" rather than "Adam Hoff, J.P. Morgan" and start doing backflips. If there is no logical reason to go work at SpaceX, then don't go work
there. They look at your whole resume - and mainly to see what skills you have, not what brands you racked up - so it's not like changing the "current employe
line is going to change the formula for who you are. This is all risk, no reward. Would you do anything else in your life that is "all risk, no reward"? I am guess
not.
Rule #2 - Listing a hard job to get as your short-term goal is not "differentiating." If you only read one rule, read this one. Please! Read it again. Done? R
it again. Okay, you get the point. I have heard many, many times the past two years the idea from candidates that they want to pick post-MBA job X or Y
because it will help "differentiate" them. In basically every case, the job in question is somewhere between "insanely hard" and "impossible" to get after
graduating from business school. I'm talking hedge funds, VC, luxury retail, etc. I've even heard the quote, "What I really want to do is work in management
consulting so I can really see what works and what doesn't and build towards my dream of starting company Z - but I feel like everyone puts management
consulting so I want to find something else." Well, yeah, everyone puts it because management consulting firms hire lots of MBA grads. And they do that beca
they need talent and energy to feed an "up or out" machine - and the reason that grads take those jobs is because they can indeed learn what works and what
http://gmatclub.com/forum/expert-advice-for-stanford-from-admissions-consultant-blogs-209064.html Page 1 of 18
doesn't as they make some good money and build towards the next step. It's a win for both parties ... so if that is what you want to do and it makes sense, wh
fight it? Either way, the worst thing to do is list a job you pretty much can't get, all in some misguided attempt to stand out. You will stand out all right -for y
cratering effect on their employment stats. Insta-ding.
Rule #3 - The "quick and easy" place to differentiate is in the WHY of your long-term career goal. I have probably written more about MBA career goals th
any subject on earth, so I won't belabor the point now, except to say that you can use your long-term goal to share parts of yourself that are deeply held,
introspective, and unique. That's how you differentiate yourself. Not "hey, look at how I left Goldman to go work at an oil company for no reason" and not "al
these other guys may want to take the slam dunk of management consulting, but I want a c-suite job at Prada!" - no, it's "what I want to do for the rest of my
is X, and the reason is [something that is unique and specific and deeply personal to you.] That is how you do it. If you need a mental shifting device, try this
most admissions officers would much rather read a great novel or watch a great TV show than hear a business pitch or dial up a TED Talk. Don't try to stand ou
("differentiate") with your ambition, win them with your humanity.
Rule #4 - The real, pure way to differentiate yourself is to do the app right. Do you know how many people submit truly great apps? No joke, my guess fro
what I've seen is about 1% of the applicant pool. I'm talking about: 1) a strong baseline profile (3.3 and above, 700 and above, solid impact in the workplace),
a really good resume (a sales document that advertises that impact in different contexts), 3) essays that are easy to read, 4) essays that are structured correc
5) essays with thesis statements, 6) essays that are introspective (see Rule #3), and 7) essays that nail the DNA of the school in question. If you check all seve
boxes, you just differentiated yourself. Rather than searching for some magic bullet, just do a really good job. If you had to read dozens of files each day an
only a few were really good, you'd be pumped when you read the handful that were. I know it's boring and self-serving to lay this out for you, but that doesn't
make the advice any less true, so there you have it.
If you need help differentiating yourself in a way that does good rather than harm to your app, email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com or visit us at
www.amerasiaconsulting.com/contact. You aren't going to hear buzz words or lame gimmicks, just a breakdown of the hard, steady work required for a great
app.
Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 24 Nov 2015, 1
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+1 KUDOS By Adam Hoff, Amerasia Consulting Group
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Today's blog post is about negotiating your offer of admission ... except that it's not. Because "negotiation" is not what you do when it comes to securing more
financial aid from a business school. The term of art for what you are going to be doing is "asking." Let us explain. Obviously, any discussion of an offer in this
context automatically means we're dealing with some good news: you've been accepted. So congrats on that! However, with the news that a b-school wants y
to enroll comes the sobering reality that they also want you to *pay* for that privilege. Sure, offers often come with dollar signs attached, but the amount lef
the "you" column is almost always going to be the bigger number. And that fact tends to bring up the following question: "How can I negotiate my offer?"
Again, let's rephrase the question entirely. Don't think of this as a negotiation, but rather a request: "How can I request more aid?" That is a much better fram
of reference, especially in light of the the advice that follows. Here's how we typically approach this process:
1. Be respectful. There are a lot of ways you might be able to get a little more scholarship money from a business school, but we know of one sure way that y
WON'T get money and that's if you try to "hardball" them. We have witnessed countless admits go from months of wishing and hoping to sudden arrogance and
"you better wine and dine me" attitude. Ditch it. Immediately. If you call an admissions office and try to leverage another offer or you give them the "so wha
can you do to sweeten the deal?" treatment, you will inevitably find yourself on the line with a tired and supremely annoyed member of that school's staff. Go
polite, grateful, and professional. Always. This is not an M&A deal and you are not "negotiating" with anyone. You are "asking" a business school to grant you
more free funding. Big difference and on that is not lost on the schools themselves, we assure you.
2. Instead, go for the heartstrings. Okay, you have your hat in hand and you are determined to avoid acting entitled. Now what? Not to be too blunt about it
but in our experience, a good old sob story seems to work best. So if you have authentic hurdles - and most of us do - to paying over $100Kfor your MBA, share
them. You don't have to impress anyone at this point with your huge salary or countless offers from heavy hitters; they've already decided they want you to
attend their school. And they are far more likely to try to work something out if they find you nice, respectful, and, yes, a bit needy. A long-term career goal
that eschews riches is probably best, but there are a lot of ways you can be honest about your situation and paint a very realistic picture as to how an extra $2
could make all the difference for you.
3. Never lie! If you don't have the "heartstrings" story, then don't go there. Of even greater importance is that you don't make up offers or dollar amounts from
other programs. It damages the integrity of the financial aid process (which is designed to get money to those who deserve it and who need it most) and the
school may ask to see proof in making a decision on revising your award.
4. Wait a beat. One of the keys to even getting yourself in the running for more aid is to wait a little bit so the dust can settle. Sure, on the one hand, the
money could be gone and the class full and the school might have no incentive to sweeten the offer. I've heard people worry that if they wait, this scenario co
result. And they are right - it totally could. But here's the dirty secret ... they alwaysspend all the money! When decisions go out, they throw out all the
scholarship awards with them, hoping to entice and bring in the necessary yield. It is only when people start turning down offers - and scholarship awards - th
the directors and staff start to see where there might be A) enrollment needs and B) financial aid surplus. In other words, if Booth gave you a $20K scholarshi
last week, don't call *this* week hoping for more. They won't have any more - at least not on paper. That spreadsheet is going to show every dollar spent. Wa
for people to turn them down and for some of that paper money to flow back into the Booth coffers. Doing so will give you a better chance at there even bein
something to ask for, let alone get. Plus, while this isn't necessarily likely, if you wait, you might also catch a school getting shorted a bit on enrollment, in wh
case they will be far more likely to help you meet your needs. (Think of what is better for a program - going to the waitlist and thereby increasing their
"admitted student" number in the process, or getting a 1-for-1 right off the existing list by spending a bit more money. It's a no-brainer.)
5. Follow up. If you talk to someone and they say they will get into it (most likely scenario other than "sorry" is "let me get back to you" ... "here's more mone
is a distant third), don't be afraid to follow up. The squeaky wheel can get the grease given that an admissions office is like a battlefield this time of year - it
not crazy that your request might land on someone's desk for a full week. In that time, hundreds of thousands of dollars might funnel back and forth on paper
leaving you in the cold. So wait a day or two and then call back to ask - respectfully, of course - if there has been any progress and if there is anything else yo
can or should do. As long as you are really nice and polite about it, no one is going to fault you for being angst-ridden about your financial future. And we
should add here - since people seem to worry about it - you are not going to lose your offer by calling about this stuff.
We hope that these hints help you navigate that latest stress in this process. Remember that you catch more flies with honey, honesty in the best policy, and
patience is a virtue. Armed with a few cliches, you'll do great.
If you are in the midst of this process, congrats and good luck! If you are just starting out on your admissions journey, email us at
mba@amerasiaconsulting.com for a free consultation.
Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 04 Dec 2015, 0
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One question that we get a lot from clients is "what does the adcom want to hear?" Not only is this the wrong way to approach the process in terms of being a
authentic, introspective, and interesting candidate, but it also completely misunderstands who is reading your file. We don't believe in trying to play pin-the-
tail-on-the-admissions-officer when it comes to your essays, but we do believe to writing to your audience. Sending out essays that don't understand the end
user is a dreadful mistake indeed. If you are imagining a room full of ponderous people smoking corncob pipes and debating each file, you are not understand
the end user. Not even close. Put another way: when you imagine your audience, you do not want to be picturing the admissions committee (or "adcom," as
everyone is fond of saying).
Okay, if the audience is not a room full of people, who is it? The way files are reviewed in an admissions office is almost universal: applications are batched a
rendered complete by a records department, put into a queue for a reader, and then reviewed out of that queue by a single admissions officer. THAT individu
Joined: 23 Mar 2014 your audience. Yes, there are other steps that follow (an initial decision made, interview invites, admissions committee reviews on pending admits, etc.), but
the one person who will most control your fate - by rendering your initial decision and by potentially becoming your advocate in the process - is the person
Posts: 392
assigned to your file on the first read. That person is your audience. Not the whole school. Not an abstract collective. Not the "adcom."
Followers: 12
Kudos [?]: 207 [1] , given: 0 So … now that we know who your audience is, how do you write to that person? Here are three steps for "writing to your audience":
+1 KUDOS
1. Know what you can't know. Sounds like armchair philosophy, but this is an important point, worthy of being placed first on this list. You have to come to
FOLLOW SEND PM grips with the fact that you simply can't know what makes this person tick. You won't know his or her interests, passions, or beliefs. I have had clients hesitan
to write about things that truly matter to them (religious views, family experiences, etc.) because they worry that others might not agree or might be offende
Well, that other person might also hate bankers, or misunderstand what consultants do, or despise the college you attended because of the basketball team.
have NO IDEA what they like and don't like, so why even worry about it? This is to say nothing of the fact that most people who read files are professional eno
to set their own viewpoints to the side; what they want is honest, introspective, and passionate content, not "stuff they agree with." So please, don't try to
figure out what other people want to hear; write what is inside of you. What makes you tick, what inspires you, what molds you, what you are good at … mak
this process about who you really are, not what you think someone else wants you to be.
2. Write with incredible clarity. Have you ever wondered why good admissions consultants are so successful, able to boast of amazing results? Surely, it is
either luck, smoke and mirrors, unethical practices, or fabricated results, right? After all, how else could the simple addition of a consultant so radically alter
the results that people experience? Allow me to offer one explanation: a good admissions consultant demands and ensures clarity in essay writing. From over
structure to easy-to-find career goals to use of thesis statements to paragraph balance to respect of words counts, good consultants know how to make an essa
easy to read. And crafting an essay that is easy to read is the most critical thing you can do to respect your audience - and therefore, write to your audience.
Imagine if you had to read 50 or 100 files a day. Now imagine that a majority of them are full of esoteric concepts, paragraphs of massive length (or, worse, to
of scattered paragraphs), buried answers, and "creative" writing (that goes nowhere). Pretty frustrating, right? Pretty exhausting, no? Now imagine that an
application pops up that is incredibly easy to read and follow. That person is basically twice as likely to get in, just on this fact alone. We honestly can't state
strongly enough how important this is to your chances.
3. Write like a human being, for human beings. Do not write a jargon-filled essay. Do not write like an MBA Bot created in a lab. Don't try to impress peopl
with how smart you are. Look, I can say it 10 different ways, but the point here is you want to humanize yourself through your essays - and to do that, you ne
to humanize your writing. I would say one of the most common mistakes I see from otherwise strong candidates is that they write in a really dense, overly
complicated style. Don't picture your boss or a famous investor when you write - picture a college buddy, a fun aunt, or maybe your favorite coffee shop baris
How would you explain your goals to those people? How would you share a key moment from your life with someone like that? Let that be your guide.
4. Understand the DNA of the school. We're taking a slight turn here. So far we have stripped away the idea of trying to "figure out" the person on the other
end of the process, instead focusing on introspection and then structured, clear writing. Now though, we fold back in the idea that each school is indeed
different. We still don't know what the admissions officer at MIT might be thinking relative to the second-year student at Booth, so there's no use trying to
understand them on an individual level. And we still don't want to think of the file as being reviewed by a boardroom full of people with nothing but time on
their hands. However, we do want to contextualize our individual reader. We know that this person is a professional, wants to read essays about the real "you,
and that he or she craves clear writing. Is there anything else we can know without truly knowing this exact person? Yes. We know that they - in all likelihoo
have great affinity for the school at which they work. Why else would they take this job? And not only do they love the school, but they subscribe to a viewpo
of that school that differentiates it from the other top programs. The surest way to take your personal, clear, human writing and and elevate it for your
audience (to make this person fall in love with your candidacy, basically) is to make sure you hit the DNA of the school in question. Know what makes that
program special and unique. Know how they see themselves on the spectrum of MBA programs. Really showcase your desire to be there, beyond "I want to ta
Class X from Professor Y." Make them read your file and think, "wow, this person is PERFECT for our school!"
If you are able to follow these four steps - and you have handled the basics (proper career goals, strong business school themes, overall merit and qualification
- you will enjoy incredible results. This is because you are no longer just another qualified applicant with a decent set of essays, but someone who is connect
directly with the person who controls your fate. You will be "writing to your audience" … and it has nothing do with figuring out what the "adcom wants to hea
We believe that we understand how to write for the audience better than anyone out there and - more importantly - we have the talent, experience, and wor
ethic to back those theories up. To find out why our clients are doing so well, please email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com for more information and to
request a free consultation.
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Followers: 12 Source: www.amerasiaconsulting.com/blog/reasons-why-you-just-got-dinged-from-business-school
Kudos [?]: 207 [0], given: 0 These days, in addition to helping our clients get ready for interviews we also meet a lot of new folks who didn't use admissions consulting services to apply - b
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now are wondering if perhaps they should have. Most often, they are asking for "ding analysis," which is basically "please tell me if I did something wrong and
whether I can fix it for next time." We are happy to oblige, of course, and so we see a lot (we mean A LOT) of rejected applications, to a lot of schools. In giv
FOLLOW SEND PM feedback time and again, we naturally are starting to see some of the same issues cropping up. The good news is that these issues are in keeping with the
feedback we give from the outset of an engagement, but the bad news is that obviously some people aren't getting that advice. (Note: I understand how
pedantic and self-serving this all sounds, but it's simply true. Our clients avoid the "triangle" of ding reasons by virtue of working with us, and, therefore, they
are getting droves of interview invites and admit letters to top schools. Yes, it's self-serving, but that doesn't make it false. Not sure what else to say.) Anyw
let's dive into the three reasons - or the "Triangle" - of typical ding issues that we see.
(Note: We ran a version of this back in the spring and it seems well worth running it again now that it's "ding season.")
Other than "bad luck" or "well, this school is one of the hardest in the world to get into" or "you never should have applied to this school," these are the three
most common reasons that people get dinged. Put differently, they are the three reasons you could have avoided:
1. Failure to have properly articulated goals. It's amazing to me how often I open up a set of essays and start looking for goals ... and find that I have to kee
looking ... and looking ... and looking. Applicants love to bury their goals in broad proclamations, quotes, misdirection, sentimental nonsense, and all other
manner of articulation that has the net effect of making it extremely hard to figure out what they want to do. I believe that part of the problem is that peopl
misunderstand the purpose of career goals and how to properly think about both the short-term and long-term elements.
The short-term goals should be A) achievable, B) a good fit based on your transferable skills (which MUST be articulated in your essays), C) clearly stated
and D) achievable. Did I list "achievable" twice? You bet I did. This is because schools want to admit applicants that they can place into jobs. Period. Y
have exceptions like HBS, GSB, and MIT - all schools that don't really care much about ST goals. However, for the most part, schools want to know they c
help you gain employment - for your sake and theirs (employment reports are a big part of rankings). I can't tell you how many people I have spoken to o
consult calls or essays I have read where a strange ST goal is in place, with the explanation, "I wanted to differentiate myself a bit." I also hear applicant
(sometimes smugly) tell me that schools "don't want to see yet another person who wants to do consulting." Um, yes, actually they do. Because they can
get students jobs in consulting! Don't put that you want a short-term job working for Prada or doing freshwater turbine investing - those aren't jobs they
help you get. Be smart about this.
The long-term goals are for sharing who you are. This is where you can differentiate and showcase passion and tell them where you come from and all th
good stuff. You SHOULD have fun with this and be creative and reach for the stars. So what if every other applicant and their brother is saying they wan
start their own business; if starting your own business is the best way to share your dream and articulate what makes you tick, share that goal. So, so,
soooooo many people invert the ST and LT goals - they go exotic with the ST and staid with the LT. This is the opposite of what you should do, it's probab
the opposite of the truth, and it's usually fatal.
Of course, this doesn't even include the people who straight up forget to include their goals in a goals essay. And yes, this happens all the time. I just assume
you are reading this blog post, you won't make that mistake.
(Last thing: vague statements of what you want to do with your life - like "impact the world" or "make a difference" - are not goals. Just so we're clear on tha
2. Failure to be an individual. Many dinged elite applicants that I see suffer from the same problem, which is that they never showcased what makes them a
cool, unique person. I'm not talking about having a "brand" or billing yourself as the "such and such candidate" - readers are not idiots, so they aren't going to
swept off their feet for something that rudimentary. I'm talking about setting aside your desire to sound smart or to cover every last detail or to (the worst)
"write what they want to hear," and instead being a real person with real interests and a real personality. So many dinged applications are dry, rigid, and only
technically sound - there is a skeleton but no heartbeat. (Note: the cousin of this failure is less common, but also a problem, which is the "I am going to try to
sound interesting" applicant - where they use weird phrasing or lofty prose to create "interesting" material. Please understand that the material is anything bu
interesting. It's excruciating. You can have clean paragraphs, topic sentences, and easy-to-follow prose and still be interesting - it's what you say, not the
flourish with which you say it.)
3. Failure to understand and connect with the DNA of the individual school. And now we get to the big one. A certain specialty of ours has become workin
with elite candidates who "somehow" got dinged at every single school the year before. This is a group of Type A people who have worked hard and strived to
make it this far and so they typically do okay on the first two bullets (although not always and almost never to perfection - there's a reason we have a firm tha
grows every single year; this stuff is not easy). It's the third bullet that kills them. I will ask a 3.7, 720 PE guy to send me his four dinged files and I'll open the
up to find that Wharton and Kellogg have the same leadership stories inside and that HBS and GSB feature the exact same tone and approach. Dings, for sure
at least at two of the four. (If it's not clear why that's the case, I would say again, that's why we have a business.) I see people who *should* get into Booth, fo
instance, but they didn't share their capacity for risk. That tells Booth, "I'm probably going somewhere else" at worst and "I don't understand your culture and
therefore am giving you no idea whether I am a fit there or not" at best. I see people who do not showcase readiness at INSEAD, who put risky career goals in
Columbia essay, who fail to touch on the four principles at Haas, who don't write about global focus at Wharton, who ignore the "think, feel, say, do" element
with MIT, and on and on and on. And these are just the easy parts. A good application - a set of essays that will transform a reader from a mere gatekeeper in
your advocate - knows the DNA of the school in question, taps into it, and then uses it to say "I am one of you!" to the reader. A failure to do this invites massi
risk, even for the best candidates, as you go into admissions committee "naked," which is to say, without someone fighting for you. At that point, anything can
happen - bad demographics, a test score 10 points too low, a C in a class, a low quant split, bad luck, you name it. And even though it seems cruel and unfair,
the same candidate can experience bad luck 3, 4, or 5 times in the same round.
Time after time, I review a file and explain "this is what is wrong with the goals," "you could have been more interesting and personal throughout," and - most
all - "you just didn't tap into the DNA of these schools." It almost never fails. This is why I've taken to calling it the Ding Triangle. Almost every ding features
each of these three sides to it, forming together to generate that result. I'm happy to say that all three can be address and improved upon in almost every cas
and that we've had great success in doing so. Therefore, if you have been dinged, don't give up hope, but instead, be honest with yourself - or, better yet, fin
someone who can give you an honest appraisal in these areas. Then, get back after it.
If you are a dinged applicant, we are happy to see where you went wrong and to help you improve. Reapplicants have been a true specialty given the sheer
number we work with every year - and the success that they have had. If you are starting fresh, be sure to engage someone who knows what they are doing so
you can avoid a Ding Triangle of your own. Email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2014 By Adam Hoff, Amerasia Consulting Group

Today's blog post is about negotiating your offer of admission ... except that it's not. Because "negotiation" is not what you do when it comes to securing more
Posts: 392
financial aid from a business school. The term of art for what you are going to be doing is "asking." Let us explain. Obviously, any discussion of an offer in this
Followers: 12 context automatically means we're dealing with some good news: you've been accepted. So congrats on that! However, with the news that a b-school wants y
Kudos [?]: 207 [0], given: 0 to enroll comes the sobering reality that they also want you to *pay* for that privilege. Sure, offers often come with dollar signs attached, but the amount lef
+1 KUDOS
the "you" column is almost always going to be the bigger number. And that fact tends to bring up the following question: "How can I negotiate my offer?"
FOLLOW SEND PM Again, let's rephrase the question entirely. Don't think of this as a negotiation, but rather a request: "How can I request more aid?" That is a much better fram
of reference, especially in light of the the advice that follows. Here's how we typically approach this process:
1. Be respectful. There are a lot of ways you might be able to get a little more scholarship money from a business school, but we know of one sure way that y
WON'T get money and that's if you try to "hardball" them. We have witnessed countless admits go from months of wishing and hoping to sudden arrogance and
"you better wine and dine me" attitude. Ditch it. Immediately. If you call an admissions office and try to leverage another offer or you give them the "so wha
can you do to sweeten the deal?" treatment, you will inevitably find yourself on the line with a tired and supremely annoyed member of that school's staff. Go
polite, grateful, and professional. Always. This is not an M&A deal and you are not "negotiating" with anyone. You are "asking" a business school to grant you
more free funding. Big difference and on that is not lost on the schools themselves, we assure you.
2. Instead, go for the heartstrings. Okay, you have your hat in hand and you are determined to avoid acting entitled. Now what? Not to be too blunt about it
but in our experience, a good old sob story seems to work best. So if you have authentic hurdles - and most of us do - to paying over $100Kfor your MBA, share
them. You don't have to impress anyone at this point with your huge salary or countless offers from heavy hitters; they've already decided they want you to
attend their school. And they are far more likely to try to work something out if they find you nice, respectful, and, yes, a bit needy. A long-term career goal
that eschews riches is probably best, but there are a lot of ways you can be honest about your situation and paint a very realistic picture as to how an extra $2
could make all the difference for you.
3. Never lie! If you don't have the "heartstrings" story, then don't go there. Of even greater importance is that you don't make up offers or dollar amounts from
other programs. It damages the integrity of the financial aid process (which is designed to get money to those who deserve it and who need it most) and the
school may ask to see proof in making a decision on revising your award.
4. Wait a beat. One of the keys to even getting yourself in the running for more aid is to wait a little bit so the dust can settle. Sure, on the one hand, the
money could be gone and the class full and the school might have no incentive to sweeten the offer. I've heard people worry that if they wait, this scenario co
result. And they are right - it totally could. But here's the dirty secret ... they alwaysspend all the money! When decisions go out, they throw out all the
scholarship awards with them, hoping to entice and bring in the necessary yield. It is only when people start turning down offers - and scholarship awards - th
the directors and staff start to see where there might be A) enrollment needs and B) financial aid surplus. In other words, if Booth gave you a $20K scholarshi
last week, don't call *this* week hoping for more. They won't have any more - at least not on paper. That spreadsheet is going to show every dollar spent. Wa
for people to turn them down and for some of that paper money to flow back into the Booth coffers. Doing so will give you a better chance at there even bein
something to ask for, let alone get. Plus, while this isn't necessarily likely, if you wait, you might also catch a school getting shorted a bit on enrollment, in wh
case they will be far more likely to help you meet your needs. (Think of what is better for a program - going to the waitlist and thereby increasing their
"admitted student" number in the process, or getting a 1-for-1 right off the existing list by spending a bit more money. It's a no-brainer.)
5. Follow up. If you talk to someone and they say they will get into it (most likely scenario other than "sorry" is "let me get back to you" ... "here's more mone
is a distant third), don't be afraid to follow up. The squeaky wheel can get the grease given that an admissions office is like a battlefield this time of year - it
not crazy that your request might land on someone's desk for a full week. In that time, hundreds of thousands of dollars might funnel back and forth on paper
leaving you in the cold. So wait a day or two and then call back to ask - respectfully, of course - if there has been any progress and if there is anything else yo
can or should do. As long as you are really nice and polite about it, no one is going to fault you for being angst-ridden about your financial future. And we
should add here - since people seem to worry about it - you are not going to lose your offer by calling about this stuff.
We hope that these hints help you navigate that latest stress in this process. Remember that you catch more flies with honey, honesty in the best policy, and
patience is a virtue. Armed with a few cliches, you'll do great.
If you are in the midst of this process, congrats and good luck! If you are just starting out on your admissions journey, email us at
mba@amerasiaconsulting.com for a free consultation.
Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 15 Feb 2016, 0
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Joined: 23 Mar 2014 As we move through the winter months and host calls with b-school candidates for the upcoming cycle, it's interesting to note that some admissions questions
Posts: 392 come up a lot more this time of year than they do later. We are going to try to use that as a cue to address these types of issues and concerns here on the blo
Followers: 12 and we are starting with a very common question this far out from the process, which is "what round should I apply in?"
Kudos [?]: 207 [0], given: 0 THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION DEPENDS LARGELY ON THREE FACTORS: [/b]
+1 KUDOS
Level of readiness (will you have everything done by Round 1, will have you time to put forward your best effort, are there any post-Round 1 events that would
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strengthen your case such that you should wait)[/*]
strengthen your case such that you should wait)[/*]

[*]Which schools you are applying to[/*]
[*]Your level of desire to keep your entire process "in lockstep" (having all your deadlines, interviews, decisions, etc. take place around the same time)[/*]
[/list]
We can throw out #1 for the purposes of this post, as each person is different and there is no reason trying to cover every permutation. #3 can be handled
quickly. Basically, if you are someone that looks to group things up, or avoid protracted periods of ambiguity, or even just logistically have things organized, y
should probably try to pick a round and apply to your schools that round, rather than spread them out or try to "game" things. If you don't care about that, or
even prefer to spread out a process, than a blend of Round 1 and Round 2 may be for you.
WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY, HOW DO SCHOOLS PLAY A ROLE IN ALL THIS?
Basically, you want to think about the schools as belonging to three groups: "Round 1 is better", "Round 2 (possibly) is better", and "It doesn't matter."
ROUND 1 IS BETTER
In my opinion, there are five schools where it is better to apply to the earliest round (technically, we've been using "Round 1" but what this means is basically t
earliest deadline). They are:
[*]Columbia Business School Early Decision[/*]

Duke Fuqua Early Decision[/*]
[*]Dartmouth Tuck Early Action (Decision)[/*]
[*]MIT Sloan Round 1[/*]
[*]Stanford GSB Round 1[/*]
[/list]
Columbia is a full-on Early Decision, and both logic and stats bear out that it's better to apply early if it's a top choice (and/or you are willing to eat a huge
deposit). Duke and Tuck also have early application periods and in the case of Tuck in particular, they like to see real interest given the school's remote locati
and applying early can be a good way to show that level of passion. With MIT Sloan it's more of a feel thing - because they only have two rounds, I would much
rather see someone apply to the "first" rather than the "last" round.
Stanford GSB is the one where it's more nuanced. Because Stanford uses a more curatorial approach to building a class (think of most schools as customs agen
stamping a long line of passports, whereas Stanford GSB is someone putting a seating chart together for a wedding reception), it follows that you want to be s
earlier in the process rather than later. This is because you run a larger risk of them already have people "like you" from Round 1 if you wait. We're obviously
talking about the margins here, given the school's obscenely low acceptance rate, but then again, winning on the margins is often the key.
ROUND 2 IS (POSSIBLY) BETTER
HBS
EU Schools
Let's start with the EU b-schools, because these MBA programs are less controversial. Most people will tell you that being "fashionably late" with the European
programs is not only acceptable, but probably better. EU programs have a ton of rounds and to apply in the very first one is not only unnecessary but also carr
some risk of looking overeager.
With HBS, this take is a little more unique, but I actually believe you have a slight advantage waiting for Rd 2. I wrote about Rd 2 in general here
(http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/blog/2015/7/15/looking-for-an-mba-advantage-consider-round-2), but will quote the relevant part about HBS:
"Display of confidence. I have seen more HBS clients of mine get in during Round 2 the last few years, honestly, and I think it's in part because it shows a reall
assured attitude. It's almost "I don't need to scramble around like a maniac for your increasingly, insanely early deadline. I'll lay back. I'm good." And I truly
believe that confidence gets rewarded. Again, I can't prove it, so I'm not going to tell all of my HBS clients to NOT apply Round 1 ... but I truly think they migh
have a slightly better chance if they wait."
The idea here is that as HBS continues to test how confident and self-possessed the applicants are, the more merit there is to possibly waiting. You can let all
your Type A peers rush to meet a deadline that gets earlier every year, while you hang back and show a little more confidence that your abilities and
accomplishments are more than enough to carry the day. It's once again a battle on the margins, but as with GSB, that can make a difference.
IT DOESN'T MATTER
All the other schools. Seriously, you will hear them say Round 1 is better if you go to an information session before Round 1, but that is to drive applications.
you go to the same session you will hear a new spin saying how Round 2 is just as good. At every other top school in the world - I have seen no evidence
(statistical or anecdotal) that there is a difference between Round 1 and Round 2.
So ... "If I am applying to Stanford AND HBS, what should I do?"
You should apply Round 1. Unless you are someone okay with spreading out your process and using multiple rounds (which means doubling the length of this
ordeal, having two waves of interviews, having competing enrollment deadlines, etc.), you are going to want to apply to your schools in lockstep. And, to me
the upside of of applying Round 1 to GSB is much higher than applying to Rd 2 to HBS.
FINAL THOUGHT
It goes without saying, but we will say it anyway, that you need to apply with the best possible application. If you submit something mechanical or shoddy or
lacking depth or that fails to connect with program DNA, it won't matter which round you apply.
No matter the round, we have helped more than 1000 clients successfully apply to top business schools worldwide since 2008. Let us help you figure out your
next step. Schedule a complimentary, one-hour consultation with a member of our expert admissions team. Email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com or visit u
online at www.amerasiaconsulting.com/contact.
Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 28 Mar 2016, 1
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U.S. News & World Report today released the 2017 Best Graduate Schools rankings, designed to help prospective students research programs across six discipli
and evaluate the potential return on their investment.
In the full-time MBA rankings, Harvard University is the No. 1 program in the country. The University of Chicago—Booth moves up two places to tie with
Stanford Graduate School of Business at No. 2. This is Booth’s highest placement ever in this list, and the first time in seven years that Stanford GSB has been
knocked out of the first place ranking held either on its own or tied with another school.
Yale School of Management, meanwhile, has achieved its highest ranking ever on this list, tied for eighth place with Dartmouth’s Tuck School after finishing a
No. 13 last year. For anyone wondering what happened to NYU Stern School of Business, which ranks 20th this year, according to a blog post by US News’s
rankings guru Bob Morse, it’s because Stern did not provide complete data in time for use in calculating the rankings.
Among part-time MBA programs, the Haas School of Business at the University of California—Berkeley remains No. 1, Chicago Booth comes in second, Kellogg
School of Management is No. 3, UCLA Anderson School of Management is No. 4, and Michigan Ross School of Business rounds out the top five.
Best Business Schools

1. Harvard School of Business
2. Stanford Graduate School of Business
2. University of Chicago Booth School of Business
4. University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
5. MIT Sloan School of Management
5. Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
7. University of California—Berkeley Haas School of Business
8. Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business
8. Yale School of Management
10. Columbia School of Business
The six graduate disciplines U.S. News ranks annually are evaluated on factors such as employment rates for graduates, starting salary and standardized test
scores of newly enrolled students. Because each graduate program is different, the rankings methodology varies across disciplines.
Different output measures are available for different fields, U.S. News explains, saying that in business, they use starting salaries and the ability of new MBAs
find jobs upon graduation or three months later.
“Going to graduate school is a major commitment of time and money,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “Our rankings and adv
offer guidance throughout the decision-making process to help prospective students and their families find the right fit.”
Image credit: Michael A. Herzog (CC BY-ND 2.0)
***
If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us
learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.
Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 31 May 2016, 0
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The Stanford Graduate School of Business has named economist Jonathan Levin, former chair of the Stanford Department of Economics and a renowned exp
in the field of industrial organization, as the next dean of the GSB, President John Hennessy and Provost John Etchemendy announced today.
Levin will succeed Garth Saloner, who is stepping down after seven years as dean. Levin’s appointment is effective September 1, 2016.
Levin joined the Stanford faculty in 2000 and is the Holbrook Working Professor in Price Theory at Stanford University. He was chair of the Department of
Economics from 2011 to 2014. He is also a professor, by courtesy, at Stanford GSB, a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and
director of the Industrial Organization Program at the National Bureau for Economic Research.
The new dean is known for his scholarship in industrial organization. Levin’s research has spanned a range of topics including auctions and marketplace design
the economics of organizations, consumer finance and econometric methods for analyzing imperfect competition. His current interests include Internet
platforms, the health care system and ways to incorporate new datasets into economic research.
“Jonathan is an outstanding teacher, a skilled and innovative administrator and a brilliant scholar who has deep understanding of both the academic enterprise
and the workings of industry and government,” Etchemendy said. “Importantly, he brings a vision for the future of management education that is rooted in his
extensive scholarship on the evolving needs of a global business community. I have every confidence he will continue the school’s strong trajectory.”
For more information about Levin, please see Stanford’s news release announcing his appointment as the tenth dean at the Graduate School of Business.
You may also be interested in:
Stanford GSB Dean Saloner to Step Down
image credit: Stanford Graduate School of Business
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Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 31 May 2016, 0
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The Stanford Graduate School of Business has posted the MBA application essays for the 2016-2017 admissions cycle. They remain unchanged from last year, a
are as follows:
Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (Suggested word count: 750)
For this essay Stanford GSB would like you to:
For this essay Stanford GSB would like you to:

Do some deep self-examination, so you can genuinely illustrate who you are and how you came to be the person you are.
Share the insights, experiences, and lessons that shaped your perspectives, rather than focusing merely on what you’ve done or accomplished.
Write from the heart, and illustrate how a person, situation, or event has influenced you.
Focus on the “why” rather than the “what.”
Essay B: Why Stanford? (Suggested word count: 400; 450 for applicants to both the MBA and MBx programs)
Enlighten us on how earning your MBA at Stanford will enable you to realize your ambitions.
Explain your decision to pursue graduate education in management.
Explain the distinctive opportunities you will pursue at Stanford.
If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.
For more information about applying to the Stanford Graduate School of Business, please visit the GSB MBA admissions website.
Stanford GSB Fall 2017 MBA Application Deadlines
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Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 22 Jun 2016, 0
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Stanford Graduate School of Business continues to ask applicants to delve deep into their personality, values and motivations for this set of MBA essays. The
classic “what matters most” essay should be your primary focus, and secondly you will answer why Stanford is the next step in your journey.
Total word count for the essays must not exceed 1,150 words, so be judicious in deciding how much or little to write for each prompt. As a general guideline,
Stanford GSB suggests 750 words for essay one and 400 words for essay two. Check your deadlines before you get started to make sure you are maximizing the
time on your essays.
Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (suggested 750 word limit)
– Focus on the “why” rather than the “what.”
– Do some deep self-examination, so you can genuinely illustrate who you are and how you came to be the person you are.
– Share the insights, experiences, and lessons that shaped your perspectives, rather than focusing merely on what you’ve done or accomplished.
– Write from the heart, and illustrate how a person, situation, or event has influenced you.
This classic Stanford GSB MBA essay is your opportunity to demonstrate who you are, what motivates you, and why. Topics can range from personal history to
grand visions of the future. While this topic should not be explicitly career related (and the strongest essays are likely not career oriented at all) it is possible
that some of your themes will continue in your career essay.
Your accomplishments and achievements are part of why you have developed into the person you are today, however it’s far more important to explain your
influences, lessons learned and motivations. Introspection and honesty should persist through the entire set of essays.
To generate ideas, try brainstorming over a period of a few days. Ask friends and family what values they see you demonstrating in your life and choices. Keep
notebook by your bed so you can record your first thoughts upon waking up, and mine your personal history for ideas. What keeps you awake at night? When yo
look back at your life what will you admire and regret about your choices? These are the kind of questions to ask yourself as you approach topics for this essay
Though the essay question may seem open-ended, answering the question with vivid and specific examples will provide solid evidence that you have
demonstrated or experienced “what matters most” throughout your life. Keep in mind as you select examples that Stanford GSB specifically advises focusing o
people and experiences that have influenced you, rather than accomplishments or achievements.
Essay B: Why Stanford?

Enlighten us on how earning your MBA at Stanford will enable you to realize your ambitions. (suggested 400 word limit, 450 for applicants to both the M
and MBx programs)
– Explain your decision to pursue graduate education in management.
– Explain the distinctive opportunities you will pursue at Stanford.
-If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.
After you have explained what is most important to you in life you need to explain why your next step is a Stanford MBA. The sub questions for this essay cove
both why you are interested in pursuing an MBA at all, and why you specifically want to attend Stanford GSB. Stanford GSB wants to know your aspirations will
both why you are interested in pursuing an MBA at all, and why you specifically want to attend Stanford GSB. Stanford GSB wants to know your aspirations will
uniquely satisfied by the program at Stanford GSB, and research will help you determine what aspects of the academic program, community and students are
crucial to your aspirations.
Be as specific as possible in your response to provide evidence that you have done your research. You should know everything about the aspects of the program
that most appeal to you. Have you met current students and alumni? Who are the professors you are excited about? What are the unique programs?
When you discuss how Stanford will help you achieve your ambitions consider that Stanford likes to see applicants who dream big, and have the credibility to
achieve their goals. Be bold with your aspirations. Don’t focus on what your parents or partner want you to do. Don’t think about the next job on the corporat
ladder. What do you, with your own unique background and values, want for your life?
If the question seems too vast, take a few minutes to close your eyes and reflect. Envision your life in twenty years. Where do you live? How do you spend you
days? What is your favorite activity? How does this vision fit into your career aspirations? Don’t be shy about your ambitions. Once you have identified your dre
career, you also need to make sure an MBA is an important part of achieving your plans and explain that part in your essay.
Though you should think big, don’t make the mistake of acting as if you are already perfect with no development needed. Remember that MBA programs want
help promising candidates reach their goals and be a step on an ambitious career trajectory.
Finding the Stanford essays challenging? Contact Stacy Blackman Consulting for personalized guidance through the application process.
***
Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 22 Jul 2016, 1
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Are you itching to start your own company and wondering which business schools would best help you achieve that dream? Entrepreneurship is a hot topic and
very popular course of study at today’s business schools. As someone who has started more than one successful business, I can attest that I leveraged a lot of m
MBA classes and resources into my business ventures.
Let’s take a look at the recent Financial Times ranking of the top 25 business schools for entrepreneurship. As you can see, seven of the top 10 programs are
located in the United States. In fact, US schools accounted for 15 out of the 25 ranked programs.
These programs offer a broad range of courses in entrepreneurship, as well as significant opportunities for networking with established entrepreneurs, launch
start-ups, and developing the skills needed to start successful businesses.
Top Ten MBA Programs for Entrepreneurship
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Babson College’s Olin Graduate School of Business
University of Virginia Darden School of Business
Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business
UCLA Anderson School of Management
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
IE Business School
London Business School
IESE Business School
According to the Financial Times, the ranking examines the percentage of graduates who started a company and how many of those businesses were still tradi
at the end of 2015. It also took into consideration how big a role the school and its alumni played in getting the company off the ground. FT also applied a size
threshold–requiring responses from at least 15 entrepreneurs at each ranked school.
I think most people would agree that an entrepreneur needs to know the same basic skills as someone running a more established company. After all, every
company began as a startup, launched by an entrepreneur.
If anything, you need to know all of the basics as opposed to specializing in one area. My advice to current and prospective MBA students interested in
If anything, you need to know all of the basics as opposed to specializing in one area. My advice to current and prospective MBA students interested in
entrepreneurship is to pay close attention in all of your classes—even in the areas you plan to outsource as soon as you have the budget.
***
Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 14 Aug 2016, 1
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Kudos [?]: 207 [0], given: 0 Today we’re discussing a unique MBA option for mid-career professionals – an option to study in a full-time, immersive program with other professionals at the
+1 KUDOS same level.
FOLLOW SEND PM Joining us today are: Stephen Sacca, Director, MIT Sloan Fellows Program; Silvia McCalliser-Castillo, Director, London Business School EMBA-Global and Sloan
Programmes; and Mike Hochleutner, Director, Stanford MSx Program. Welcome!
Why pursue mid-career graduate education in business? [3:00]

Stephen: It’s not easy to hit the pause button in an established career that’s gaining momentum, but it’s really to pause and reflect on what you’ve done and
what you’d like to do. I think of it as a reflection year from a personal perspective.
Mike: The world has evolved a lot. People are marrying later, having children later, etc. And they’re going through more career transitions and working longer.
The notion that early career training/education will train you for a full career isn’t as accurate as it once was.
Silvia: I absolutely agree. Careers are evolving – people are living longer and working longer. Our program is actually trending older (more years of experience
The opportunity to study with other mature students with a similar amount of experience is really compelling! Students gain exposure to new frames of
reference, new industries, new ideas.
Can you give us an overview of your programs? [6:35]

Mike: These three programs have some common heritage. The program at MIT was started with the support of Alfred Sloan, the retired CEO of GM – a forward
thinking CEO. The idea was to create a model of education for people who already had some experience, and the potential to run great companies on a global
level.
Here at Stanford, our program is in its 60th year. The MSx program is one of only two grad programs in the b-school. We require a minimum of 8 years of work
experience.
The MSx program is integrated with the FT MBA: for electives, MSx students have free rein within the GSB and the full university (you can take classes across t
campus). We have a global and diverse cohort. We want to help students create a network they’ll draw on for the next 20, 30, 40 years.
Silvia: The LBS Sloan Fellows Programme is a master’s in leadership and strategy. Our students have, on average, 15-18 years’ experience (no less than 10 year
and their average age is 42-44. They take a core curriculum in cohort, all together: some of our areas of emphasis include globalization and strategy in a
changing world. LBS has a lot of master’s programs, EMBA programs and partnership programs. Sloan students can take electives with the entire b-school, or w
part time students.
Stephen: MIT’s Sloan Fellows Program is in its 87th year. Alfred P. Sloan started the program for people with exceptional potential to lead dynamic organizatio
It’s a combination of academics and practice. We emphasize 3 pillars: Academics, leadership, and global perspective. We have 110 students from 35 countries.
The minimum is 10 years’ experience, and the average is 14. Our cohort is 70% men and 30% women.
Mike: The minimum experience for Stanford’s MSx program is 8 years. We’re looking for people who have experience in a managerial role: people who have
grappled with management challenges.
What is the application process? [13:50]

Silvia: At LBS, we have a unique process for the Sloan Fellows. First, we ask interested candidates to submit a copy of their CV and have a chat with a
recruitment coordinator to see whether it’s a good fit. We don’t want to waste anyone’s time. If it’s not right, we may recommend another program at LBS, or
waiting a few years to apply, or even applying to a different school. If it’s a good fit, we encourage them to apply. In terms of the application process, it’s an
online form (essays, LORs), and they submit their scores from the GMAT or the new Executive Assessment.
[Do the other programs accept the Executive Assessment? MIT: talking about it! Stanford: GMAT or GRE is required.]
Silvia: The process continues with interviews. We’re looking for people who’ve had important responsibility. Our cohort is only about 50-60 people, so it’s
important to get the class dynamic right!
Stephen: The process is similar for the Sloan Fellows at MIT. There’s a registration form on the website. We contact people who seem like a good fit and invite
them for a campus visit. We also do global visits in the fall. We normally interview about 40% of the applicant pool. If applicants would be a better fit elsewhe
we often counsel them to consider other programs. Our cohort is about 110.
Mike: There are lots of opportunities for people to learn about the MSx program. We do an initial review to see if it’s a good fit, so people can assess before th
go through the process. We’re looking for three things: 1. Demonstrated leadership and accomplishment (made an impact) 2. Intellectual vitality (aptitude an
attitude) 3. Clarity of purpose. The third point is very important! This is a 1-year program. It’s important to know what you want to do with the program. If yo
don’t know what your plans are, you might spend the year going too many different directions.
We ask for essays, test scores, LORs. We also consider work experience. And we work hard to assess fit.
What kind of career services support does your program offer? [22:00]
Stephen: We have a shared career services office – within that office, we have people who have experience with executive level career searchers. We’re not
seeking career changers, but if they come, we’ll give them what we can offer them. There’s no on-campus recruiting. But we provide coaching on resume
development, how to approach the search, etc. And we have tailored help for international students. We expect students to be fully engaged in the program.
development, how to approach the search, etc. And we have tailored help for international students. We expect students to be fully engaged in the program.
had 46% sponsorship this year, and we would like to increase that. If somebody’s looking to pivot, we’re happy to help them, but they have to have a plan.
Mike: The career situation for mid-career folks returning to school is a bit of a quandary. We made a choice: focusing entirely on sponsorship wasn’t in our
interest. About 30% of our fellows are sponsored. We have a dedicated team in our career management center that works with our students and sees how they
different from MBA students. We also work with our employer relations team to make sure they’re aware of our more experienced students. It’s very much a
networking-based job search process. It can be a challenging cohort to work with from a career development perspective. But one of the things we can help g
people is a set of skills.
Silvia: The LBS Sloan Fellows are a mix of sponsored students, entrepreneurs, and self-sponsored students looking for a change. We don’t have on-campus
recruiting. But we work with our contacts to promote our students. And we teach our students to manage their careers. We provide career coaching, mentorin
and advice. Each student is expected to come in with a plan. And the coaching continues after graduation.
What kind of contact do students have with the wider b-school community? [35:45]
Silvia: During electives, our students might work alongside both fellow Sloan fellows with decades of experience and 23-year-old MiM students. We also promo
social interaction through clubs and societies.
Stephen: MIT Sloan offers 10 degree programs; 56% of the courses the Sloan Fellows take are electives that are integrated with other students (other courses
from the b-school, and the whole MIT campus – as well as Harvard). Our competitions engage the full campus. And every year we have the 1 Sloan Initiative, t
bring the school together.
Mike: The GSB has 150 electives for the MBA and MSx programs. And about 15% of the required units can be taken across the full campus, in any division
(engineering, education, etc).
How would you coach somebody deciding between the MBA and MSx? [39:20]
Mike: They’re similar in terms of content. What’s different is the individual learning process. (For example, there are smaller sections in the MSx.) Some peop
want a 2-year program. The core of the MSx is that it’s building on what they’ve already done. If you have over 10 years of experience, that’s what they proba
should be doing. We let people make the choice in terms of what’s most appropriate for them. If I think they can get more from another program, I’ll direct th
in that way.
MIT has a full menu of programs – who should choose what? [42:50]
Stephen: We’re up-front: we share our portfolio of programs so people can see which program will be most appropriate for them. We’re up-front about our
minimum criteria. We don’t encourage people to apply to both the Sloan Fellows and the MBA.
How do you help people determine which LBS program is right for them? [44:30]
Silvia: A lot of Sloans already have an advanced degree. Often, people who choose the Sloan program over an EMBA are people who are looking for a full-time
degree.
We encourage people to talk to their employer if they’re hesitating between the EMBA and Sloan Fellows. Sloan is differentiating more and more from other
programs. A lot of EMBAs are hoping to accelerate their careers. And we’re finding that Sloans are looking to take a step back, think about their legacy – many
are considering entrepreneurship or other pivots (social enterprise, etc).
What do you consider the strengths of your specific programs? [48:00]

Stephen: Sloan is the business brain of MIT, where we have unparalleled strength in science and engineering. We’re also in a densely populated university
environment in Boston-Cambridge, which provides a unique environment.
Mike: The strength is Stanford. It’s a unique school and a unique environment at the heart of the innovation economy – it places students in a special ecosyste
in Silicon Valley, amid innovative companies in every industry. It’s a global center of innovation.
Silvia: For us, the London experience is critical. London is a world city with a global outlook. We just set a Guinness World Record for a song sung in the most
languages here at LBS – and it wasn’t even difficult. This was the first non-US business school to have the top-ranked MBA program.
Can you tell us about a recent grad doing great things? 53:45
Silvia: We had a recent student from Northern Spain who wanted to grow his network in the UK for entrepreneurship. He invested in a classmate’s startup (she
from Mexico and had been working in the US). It was such a great story of people working together who wouldn’t have met except for the program.
Mike: We had a couple of students, one from a tech background and another from consumer marketing, who were in class, and talking about how social norms
can be as motivating as financial incentives when it comes to paying back loans. This led to the idea behind SoFI. A team of 4 students raised $50K in seed mon
from their classmates, then $70 million after graduation. And now the company is the largest financer of student loans, and it’s moved into mortgages, and is
valued at $4 billion. From an insight they had during the program and their work together, this is what they created. It’s not a typical story! But a phenomenal
one.
Stephen: A couple of recent grads – one from the US and one from Mexico – had sold their ventures before coming to Sloan. They did a joint thesis, and have n
launched a new venture with several of our faculty members on the advisory board. Funding is looking very promising! The program allows people who have m
career experience to harness their opportunities in ways other people might not see.
The importance of the immersive experience: it gives participants a chance to unplug, but also a chance to get skills (strategy, leadership), along with
perspective. [60:50]
Can you share one piece of advice for prospective applicants? [61:55]
Stephen: Be very clear on your objectives and how the program will help. We take the essays very seriously. We want to know why you’re interested in this
program, and why now – your real interest and motivation. This year we’re adding a short video.
Silvia: I agree completely! Also: talk to alumni. Sometimes people have forgotten what it’s like to be a student and underestimate how difficult it can be to
return to school. Get a sense of what it’s like.
Mike: One of the criteria we look at is clarity of purpose. This is not a program for people who’re trying to decide what they want to be when they grow up. S
priorities. And get clarity in order to explore the program and also get the most out of it.
Related Links:
• MIT Sloan Fellows
• Stanford MSx
• London Business School Sloan Fellows
• EMBA 101
Related Shows:
• A Transformational Year: The MIT Sloan Fellows Program
• Insights into MIT Sloan MBA Admissions with Dawna Levenson
• The Stanford MSx Program for Experienced Leaders
• SoFi: Alumni Funded Student Loans
• The Scoop on the London Business School MiM Program
• How to Become a Corporate Executive
• Excellent Executive MBA Admissions Advice
• The Wharton Executive MBA Program: An Insider’s View
• The Wharton Executive MBA Program: An Insider’s View
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At our recent webinar on how to get accepted to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Accepted’s founder and CEO, Linda Abraham shared critical advice on
how to create a successful Stanford application. In case you missed it – or if you want to review – the webinar recording is now available on our website!
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Who will be graduating next year from Stanford GSB? Let’s take a look at the class of 2017 (from the Stanford website)…
• Applications received: 7,899
• Students matriculated: 407
• Women: 40%
• International: 40%
• U.S. minorities: 19%
• Average GMAT score: 733
• Range of GMAT score: 570-800
• TOEFL: 112
• Average undergraduate GPA: 3.75
• Average work experience: 4 years
• Range of work experience: 0-17 years
Breakdown of Undergraduate Majors:
Previous Industries:
Do you want to be counted among Stanford GSB’s next crop of students? Check out our free, on-demand webinar, Get Accepted to Stanford Business Scho
to learn the steps you need to take to discover your competitive advantage and GET ACCEPTED!
Related Resources:
• Stanford GSB 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
• Do Stanford GSB Grads REALLY “Change Lives. Change Organizations. Change the World.”?
• Understanding Stanford GSB’s Take on Demonstrated Leadership Potential
out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.
Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 12 Oct 2016, 1
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As part of its mission to educate business leaders to solve society’s most pressing problems, the Stanford Graduate School of Business announced it has
established a fellowship to provide financial support for up to three students with a passion for generating economic development in underserved regions of th
country. In its inaugural year, the Stanford USA MBA Fellowship will focus specifically on the Midwest.
Students applying to the Stanford MBA Program in the first of two rounds in the 2016-2017 academic year will be able to apply for the fellowship. Up to three
applicants will be selected to receive up to $160,000 over two academic years to cover tuition and associated fees.
Selection will be evaluated on the basis of general Stanford MBA admission criteria, as well as Fellowship-specific criteria. Applicants must demonstrate both
financial necessity and strong ties to at least one of 12 Midwestern states.
Within two years of graduation, the three Fellows will be required to return to the Midwest to work in a professional capacity for at least two years to help
contribute to the region’s economic vitality.
To be eligible for the fellowship program, students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Those with dual citizenship must also be citizens of the Unite
States. Candidates will demonstrate strong connections and a commitment to improve the economic development of at least one of the following states: Illino
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Defining what’s considered a strong connection to the Midwest includes current residency in one of those states, prior residency for a minimum of three
consecutive years in one of those states, or having graduated from high school in the Midwest. Other experiences demonstrating a commitment to the region
could also be considered.
Applicants will supply information about their income and assets, including copies of tax returns. Once admitted to the MBA program, Stanford will assess the
financial needs of students based on the information provided during the financial aid application process.
Applicants must apply in Round 1, or Round 2 by January 10, 2017. Candidates for Stanford’s MBA program must indicate their interest in the fellowship on the
application. Fellows will be selected by May 2017.
Stanford GSB Fall 2017 MBA Essay Tips
Stanford GSB Announces Fall 2017 MBA Admission Deadlines
Image credit: Flickr user Carl Wycoff (CC BY 2.0)
***
Re: Expert advice for Stanford from Admissions Consultant blogs [#permalink] 12 Oct 2016, 1
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