Ask Jennifer@Accepted.com: Application-writing advice for the best global B-schools

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by sanelyinsane

hi Jennifer,
Im a b.com (hons) with 68% aggregate and LLB from Law Faculty Delhi University.
I ve began litigating as a junior in supreme court but only since a few months.
Im preparing for Gmat and would apply if not this admission time but for october 2008 deadlines. By then id work as a lawyer for about a year plus. What kind of recos would i need for stern nyu.
Also what more can I do to target to have a strong application for Bschools providing good placements in finance, consultancies.
Kindly suggest.Im a lil lost.
Thanks

Sanelyinsane, your law background and practice is actually coveted by MBA programs - they like that diversity, and usually as a lawyer you are having a large impact even with just a few years of experience. Your recommendations (and essays) should focus on your transferable business skills - leadership, analysis, public speaking, writing, initiative, and impact.

In the meantime, to build up your application, make sure you are not just fitting into the pack but are going above and beyond the norm to take on new projects (both at work and in the community) to have a greater impact.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.
Don’t miss these upcoming chats at Accepted:
CMU – with Director of MBA Admissions Laurie Stewart: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at 5:00 PM GMT
Cornell – with Director of Admissions Randall Sawyer: Wednesday, October 24 at 6 PM GMT
INSEAD – with Marketing Manager Cassandra Pittman: Monday, October 29 at 5 PM GMT

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by puerile131313

Hi Jennifer,
I completed my B.E. in Electronics and communications in 2005, did post graduation diploma in VLSI and embedded systems, and working as a software engineer. My work experience of 2 years will be completed on 19th dec '07. I gave GMAT on 3 Oct '07 and have scored 620.
I want help from you in choosing the universities to which I can apply.

I already reported my score at the time of the examination to the following universities:
GLAKES, Chennai;
IMD
INSEAD-France and Singapore
ISB,
St. John University - Peter J Tobin College of Business (Queens & Manhattan Campuses)

I am really not sure whether I will get call from any of these universities at my score. Please tell me will I get call from any of the universities, and if possible from GLAKES.

Also, I want help regarding recommendation letters, SOPs and application forms. How to prepare all of these in the best possible manner?

Thanks and regards,
kavita

Hi, Kavita. In my experience, MBA programs expect their Indian applicants - especially those in IT - to have high GMAT scores (at least 680), but the Indian program and St. John's may be more flexible.

Business programs want their students to be leaders who take initiative and make an impact. You need to make sure that your letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, and application forms include many examples of you doing just that.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.
Don’t miss these upcoming chats at Accepted:
CMU – with Director of MBA Admissions Laurie Stewart: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at 5:00 PM GMT
Cornell – with Director of Admissions Randall Sawyer: Wednesday, October 24 at 6 PM GMT
INSEAD – with Marketing Manager Cassandra Pittman: Monday, October 29 at 5 PM GMT

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by neo_me85

Hi Jennifer, thanks for taking out time to help us out. Let me briefly introduce myself before I ask you my queries.

I was born in India (1985) but did my schooling entirely in Dubai (89-03).
I returned back to India to do my engineering (03-may07) and though i had opportunities to work in Dubai, i decided to stay over in India and get some experience here.

Academics:
10th : 86%
12th : 83%
Graduation CGPA : 7.39/10 in Engineering
GMAT : yet to be taken, 710 on Mock tests ---> I feel it can be improved.

Work ex:
Around 3 months. I have been working in the International Business Development dept. of one of India's largest and most respected engineering firms (Non-IT). Though we started out in a small way exporting to South-East Asia, Africa and Middle east, we are now moving towards US and European markets. My job involves Market Research, co-ordination with the design team to make customer specific designs, development of market strategies and involves a lot of interaction with clients and consultants from all over the world.

Community Service & extra, co- curriculars:
* Frequent donator at blood donation camps (with certificates)
* Very likely to participate in CSR activities of my company
* Volunteer at “Clean up the city” drives (no certificates)
* Was the class leader almost every year and finally elected School leader
* Debating club president, Arabic Drum player for school orchestra, adjudged sports champion for 2002 etc.

Though I am happy with the kind of work I am doing at the moment, I am not satisfied with the remuneration and future growth prospects. I would like to pursue an MBA to improve this aspect and am looking at a good ROI. Could u help me with the following:

1. When should I take my GMAT considering that some schools look down upon scores which are more than 3 years old.
3. Looking at my profile, what are the things I need to highlight in my essay and which are the colleges that u feel I should apply to.
4. Since I did not/do not actually work abroad and only have periodic foreign visits, will it affect my chances of admission or will it be considered as international exposure.

Thanks in advance,
Neo

Hi, Neo. In my opinion, you do need to gain some more work experience before you can pursue the MBA. I believe you sounded open to that. Your international experiences in Dubai definitely do count - assuming that you did not live in some kind of enclave for Indians living abroad there. I am sure you will have plenty of examples of your ability to adapt and get along with people from a range of cultures based on your experiences in Dubai.

Going forward, here's what I suggest:
1) at work, pursue new challenges, take on leadership roles, put your neck on the line and succeed, seek promotions and increased responsibilities, build a name for yourself and seek new roles in different divisions that will grant you more responsibility and impact

2) if you feel your math and verbal skills are at a peak right now because you just graduated, go ahead and take the GMAT. Many schools consider the scores for up to 5 years - and you never know: one day you may wake up and decide to apply for the fun of it, and then this step is already complete.

3) I'd like to see more extracurricular leadership - not just donating to a drive, but initiating and leading one and collaborating with other teams, organizations, and people to do it well.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.
Don’t miss these upcoming chats at Accepted:
CMU – with Director of MBA Admissions Laurie Stewart: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at 5:00 PM GMT
Cornell – with Director of Admissions Randall Sawyer: Wednesday, October 24 at 6 PM GMT
INSEAD – with Marketing Manager Cassandra Pittman: Monday, October 29 at 5 PM GMT

[lexsite]

Hello Jennifer,

Glad to see you helping out eager and anxious candidates.

I'd request you to kindly assess my chances at top 20 schools in US and Europe considering that I'd be applying for classes starting in Fall 2009.

Sex: M ; Age: 25

Education: 5 year integrated law course from NUJS, consistently ranked as one of the top three law schools in the country (acceptance less than 3 percent). I concentrated on business and financial laws in my optionals. I am ranked in top 25 in a batch of 70 students. I'd attribute my average acad to the fact that I was always an active participant in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities (the toppers have practically nothing to show here; the programme was too rigorous as evidenced by the fact that 15 from our class dropped out).

Additionally, 7 of my project papers have been published (highest in my class) including one in FICCI's (india's apex commerce body) annual entertainment law journal.

was part of the research team of the School of Criminal Justice and Administration constituted for the drafting of The Economic Offences Code (A UNDP project supervised by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India) wherein my report on Shortcomings in Various Economic Legislations constituted a part of the final report.

I have always been an active member of the School of Economic and Business Laws and contributed actively to various events organized by it.

Extra-curricular: I excelled in moot courts which demands excellent oratory skills. I have further been an active member of our legal aid clinic providing legal assistance to the under-privileged in rural west bengal. i've always been passionate about animal rights which i hope to highlight. last, but not the least, i have consistently represented my school and then university in cricket and football tournaments.

GMAT: 710

Work: Have been working since April 2006 in India's biggest law firm (rated consistently by Euromoney as the best in india and one of the best independent lawfirms in the world) in their capital markets practice group. I'd consider my responsibilities at the law firm to be considerably more than what a typical associate at my level gets.

My responsibilities include:

1. Structuring various public and private capital markets transactions including IPOs, ADRs and GDRs, Follow-on offers, private equity deals, External Commercial Borrowings etc,
2. Conducting due diligence, drafting offer documents, prospectus, diligence reports, etc
3. Negotiating various commercial arrangements including investment agreements, underwriting agreements, syndicate agreements etc

The experience I cherish most has been the evolution of a new practice area for the Firm, namely, anti-trust and international trade law group, in which I was intimately involved.

However, I'd be leaving this job and joining a prestigious law school as its faculty member starting january. I believe I'll have more opportunities to demonstrate my leadership potential in my new role.

I've refrained from detailing every aspect of my education and my career in the post. However, I believe it has been an interesting and enjoyable one and an MBA, for me, marks a natural progression.

I would be grateful if you could provide me with your inputs.

Thanks and Regards

[sethankur]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks a lot for your reply

You missed one question...something which i consider a weak link in my application

1) Even though I have a focussed career goal, I will still be a part of the Indian IT Male pool.(Isn't it ??) How should I compete with it ,considering my comparitive low GPA.

~Ankur

Originally Posted by Accepted

Ankur,
You do need to show that the R&D role has helped prepare you for your future, but that can be by building your teamwork, management, communication, or project management skills. I don't think your current role is a big disconnect, but you do need to explain your path and the business skills and knowledge you have gained from it.

I also suggest that you do some research into Kellogg, Wharton, Columbia, and Tuck's healthcare programs. From what I hear, they are also strong with faculty dedicated to the field.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.
Don’t miss these upcoming chats at Accepted:
CMU – with Director of MBA Admissions Laurie Stewart: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at 5:00 PM GMT
Cornell – with Director of Admissions Randall Sawyer: Wednesday, October 24 at 6 PM GMT
INSEAD – with Marketing Manager Cassandra Pittman: Monday, October 29 at 5 PM GMT

[sunil_prabhakar]

Hello Jennifer.

First of all, I would like to congratulate you for the wonderful work you are doing through this forum. I have been a silent spectator of this discussion till date. However, now I am in need of your help and hence, I decided to write to you.

I had taken the GMAT on the 1st of October and scored a 710 (v40, q47). I have sent my scores to the following schools:

1. Indian School of Business, India
2. Great Lakes, India
3. NUS Business School, Singapore
4. Nanyang Business School, Singapore
5. NYU Stern, USA

I am currently in the process of applying to the above mentioned institutes. I would also be applying to the following schools in the second round of admissions.

1. Carnegie Mellon - Tepper School
2. Duke University - Fuqua School of Business
3. University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business

I have always been inclined towards an MBA in Finance and hence, I have selected schools that excel in the field. I have an average of 75% in my undergraduation and have two years of work experience in the IT industry in India (IT...not again!!!). I have a decent work profile (no international exposure though) and have lead teams for most part of my stint in the IT industry. The letters of recommendations should not be a problem. I have already arranged for the same. Though I have captained my college basket ball team, took sessions in college for soft skill development and conducted interviews for my organisation, I do not consider my extra curricular activities as my strength.

I would like you to evaluate my profile and give me feedback on the schools I have selected. With a decent application, do you see any chances of me getting into any of the above mentioned schools? I have a strong reason for pursuing MBA and would be exploiting the same while penning my essays.

If you feel I am pushing my luck a bit too much, I request you to suggest a few schools to which I can apply. I would also require some help on essay writing, but that can take a backseat for now. Anticipating an early response from you.

Regards,

Sunil.

[sidchib]

Dear Jennifer,
Kindly look at my condensed profile and answer the queries mentioned below:
My profile
- Age -31 yrs
-10 years in the Army in varied capacities ranging from commanding a company fighting insurgents in the Kasmir valley, handling logistics, administration and welfare of appx 2000 troops employed in conventional and non- conventinal role to commanding a company- equivalent in an Armoured Div.
- Got selected to do an engineering course in an army institute and completed my degree in IT & Telecom with an aggregate CGPA of 8.33/9
- Have a pretty decent academic record in X(87%) and XII(87%)
- Have been selected for the Army Squash Team and been a keen sportsman , with participation in almost all games at the unit level.
- GMAT given twice: improved from 650(49,30) to 710(49,37)
- Was associated with an NGO in the Army.

Queries
- Is the profile strong enough to apply to the top b-schools(one year)?
- I am married with two kids having minimal savings. What are the chances of getting some financial assistance from the school? Also,is there any scope of my wife taking up the job to minimise the financial burden?
- What are the key factors that the admission commitee looks for in an essay or resume?

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by lexsite

Hello Jennifer,

Glad to see you helping out eager and anxious candidates.

I'd request you to kindly assess my chances at top 20 schools in US and Europe considering that I'd be applying for classes starting in Fall 2009.

Sex: M ; Age: 25

Education: 5 year integrated law course from NUJS, consistently ranked as one of the top three law schools in the country (acceptance less than 3 percent). I concentrated on business and financial laws in my optionals. I am ranked in top 25 in a batch of 70 students. I'd attribute my average acad to the fact that I was always an active participant in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities (the toppers have practically nothing to show here; the programme was too rigorous as evidenced by the fact that 15 from our class dropped out).

Additionally, 7 of my project papers have been published (highest in my class) including one in FICCI's (india's apex commerce body) annual entertainment law journal.

was part of the research team of the School of Criminal Justice and Administration constituted for the drafting of The Economic Offences Code (A UNDP project supervised by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India) wherein my report on Shortcomings in Various Economic Legislations constituted a part of the final report.

I have always been an active member of the School of Economic and Business Laws and contributed actively to various events organized by it.

Extra-curricular: I excelled in moot courts which demands excellent oratory skills. I have further been an active member of our legal aid clinic providing legal assistance to the under-privileged in rural west bengal. i've always been passionate about animal rights which i hope to highlight. last, but not the least, i have consistently represented my school and then university in cricket and football tournaments.

GMAT: 710

Work: Have been working since April 2006 in India's biggest law firm (rated consistently by Euromoney as the best in india and one of the best independent lawfirms in the world) in their capital markets practice group. I'd consider my responsibilities at the law firm to be considerably more than what a typical associate at my level gets.

My responsibilities include:

1. Structuring various public and private capital markets transactions including IPOs, ADRs and GDRs, Follow-on offers, private equity deals, External Commercial Borrowings etc,
2. Conducting due diligence, drafting offer documents, prospectus, diligence reports, etc
3. Negotiating various commercial arrangements including investment agreements, underwriting agreements, syndicate agreements etc

The experience I cherish most has been the evolution of a new practice area for the Firm, namely, anti-trust and international trade law group, in which I was intimately involved.

However, I'd be leaving this job and joining a prestigious law school as its faculty member starting january. I believe I'll have more opportunities to demonstrate my leadership potential in my new role.

I've refrained from detailing every aspect of my education and my career in the post. However, I believe it has been an interesting and enjoyable one and an MBA, for me, marks a natural progression.

I would be grateful if you could provide me with your inputs.

Thanks and Regards

Hi, Lexsite. Your career seems to be off to a good start but the biggest weakness I see in it is its length - I just don't know if you can show the type of leadership and impact that the ad com's are looking for. And the move to academia will make that all the more difficult. You may need to pursue an entrepreneurial venture or take a significant leadership role in the community to demonstrate that you have the charisma and personal abilities that the top MBA programs are searching for.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.
Don’t miss these upcoming chats at Accepted:
Cornell – with Director of Admissions Randall Sawyer: Wednesday, October 24 at 6 PM GMT
INSEAD – with Marketing Manager Cassandra Pittman: Monday, October 29 at 5 PM GMT

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by sethankur

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks a lot for your reply

You missed one question...something which i consider a weak link in my application

1) Even though I have a focussed career goal, I will still be a part of the Indian IT Male pool.(Isn't it ??) How should I compete with it ,considering my comparitive low GPA.

~Ankur

Sethankur,
Try not to compete with it head on. Instead, focus your application on the ways you are not a traditional male Indian IT applicant - by focusing on the operations management roles you have taken on, or demonstrating the impact you have had in comparison to your peers, for example. The key is not to be seen as just another IT guy.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.
Don’t miss these upcoming chats at Accepted:
Cornell – with Director of Admissions Randall Sawyer: Wednesday, October 24 at 6 PM GMT
INSEAD – with Marketing Manager Cassandra Pittman: Monday, October 29 at 5 PM GMT

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by sunil_prabhakar

Hello Jennifer.

First of all, I would like to congratulate you for the wonderful work you are doing through this forum. I have been a silent spectator of this discussion till date. However, now I am in need of your help and hence, I decided to write to you.

I had taken the GMAT on the 1st of October and scored a 710 (v40, q47). I have sent my scores to the following schools:

1. Indian School of Business, India
2. Great Lakes, India
3. NUS Business School, Singapore
4. Nanyang Business School, Singapore
5. NYU Stern, USA

I am currently in the process of applying to the above mentioned institutes. I would also be applying to the following schools in the second round of admissions.

1. Carnegie Mellon - Tepper School
2. Duke University - Fuqua School of Business
3. University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business

I have always been inclined towards an MBA in Finance and hence, I have selected schools that excel in the field. I have an average of 75% in my undergraduation and have two years of work experience in the IT industry in India (IT...not again!!!). I have a decent work profile (no international exposure though) and have lead teams for most part of my stint in the IT industry. The letters of recommendations should not be a problem. I have already arranged for the same. Though I have captained my college basket ball team, took sessions in college for soft skill development and conducted interviews for my organisation, I do not consider my extra curricular activities as my strength.

I would like you to evaluate my profile and give me feedback on the schools I have selected. With a decent application, do you see any chances of me getting into any of the above mentioned schools? I have a strong reason for pursuing MBA and would be exploiting the same while penning my essays.

If you feel I am pushing my luck a bit too much, I request you to suggest a few schools to which I can apply. I would also require some help on essay writing, but that can take a backseat for now. Anticipating an early response from you.

Regards,

Sunil.

Hi, Sunil. What I find most interesting about your post is that it actually told me very little information that is useful in figuring out whether you have a chance at these programs. I hope this isn't coming across as obnoxious; it's just that this is a pervasive problem among applicants. Academic performance and GMAT scores are just the foundation. I don't think anyone buys a house because they look at the foundation and say, "Wow, I love it. It's worth the subprime loan that is going to put us under in 5 years' time!" I think most people buy a house buy looking at the parts that are above the ground - the bay windows, the spacious living quarters, the counter space, etc. Of course, we *assume* that the foundation is there under the house to make it last, and we might only buy from a recognized builder for that reason, to have that assurance.

That's how MBA programs make their decisions too. They need a solid foundation before they can accept an applicant - in most cases that means they want a decent GPA and GMAT score. But they will not ever accept someone based only on those pieces of information. Instead, it is what gets built onto that foundation that will sway them one way or another.

If you are steering the company and not just a software development team, if you are pitching and wooing new clients, penetrating new markets, and having a significant impact on the company, then yes, you stand a chance at those schools. However, if you are leading teams of 4-6 designing software and implementing it, then you will have to show significant leadership in the community to demonstrate that you have what it takes to thrive in these MBA programs and the business world. Your recommenders may love you, but if they don't have this type of story to tell about you, then it just doesn't matter.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.
Don’t miss these upcoming chats at Accepted:
Cornell – with Director of Admissions Randall Sawyer: Wednesday, October 24 at 6 PM GMT
INSEAD – with Marketing Manager Cassandra Pittman: Monday, October 29 at 5 PM GMT