Chicago GSB Application Essays for 2008-2009

Although Chicago GSB hasn't yet released its full 2008-2009 application, the school recently announced its admissions essays for the upcoming year. Our comments are in italics:

Chicago GSB Application Essays

1. Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career? (750 word maximum)


(This is similar to last year's first question, although the maximim word count has been cut in half vs. last year.)


2. Please select one of the following two questions to answer. (1000 word maximum)
   
   Option 1
   
   a) Please provide an example of a time when you had to make a choice between two equally important obligations. How did you decide which obligation deserved your attention?
   b) Did you try and predict other people's reactions to your decision? If so, how accurate were you? Why do you think you were or were not accurate in your prediction?
   c) Reflecting on this experience, how do you think an MBA from Chicago GSB might have aided in your decision making process?
   
   -or-
   
   Option 2
   
   a) Have you ever made a decision that caused you to go against popular opinion? Please describe that situation and your rationale for you decision.
   b) Did you feel at any point that people misperceived your motives? Explain.
   c) In retrospect, how do you think an MBA from Chicago GSB would have affected your decision?

(These questions replace last year's "If you could step into someone else's shoes for a day" question. We wouldn't be surprised if they weren't quite getting the information they wanted -- i.e., true introspection on the part of applicants -- and so they've replaced that with questions that are more explicitly about the applicant. We think this was a good change. The takeaway for you is to remember to keep the focus on YOU, how you've grown, what tough decisions you've made, what setbaks you've faced, etc. This is what the admissions committee needs in order to evaluate your candidacy, not a bland statement about being in some world leader's shoes for a day.)


Chicago GSB PowerPoint Presentation

We have asked for a great deal of information throughout this application and now invite you tell us about yourself. Using four slides or less, please provide readers with content that captures who you are.

We have set forth the following guidelines for you to consider when creating your presentation.

• The content is completely up to you. There is no right or wrong approach this essay. Feel free to use the software you are most comfortable with. Acceptable formats for upload in the online application system are PowerPoint or PDF.



• There is a strict maximum of 4 slides, though you can provide fewer than 4 if you choose.



• Slides will be printed and added to your file for review, therefore, flash, hyperlinks, embedded videos, music, etc. will not be viewed by the committee. You are limited to text and static images to convey your points. Color may be used.


(This is a tiny change, but "Color may be used," is new this year. Don't go crazy with color, though.)


• Slides will be evaluated on the quality of content and ability to convey your ideas, not on technical expertise or presentation.



• You are welcome to attach a document containing notes if you feel a deeper explanation of your slides is necessary. However the hope is the slide is able to stand alone and convey your ideas clearly. You will not be penalized for adding notes but you should not construct a slide with the intention of using the notes section as a consistent means of explanation.


(Stick with the PowerPoint presentation. Resist the urge to spill your story into a verbose extra essay. The challenge here is to present yourself succinctly. Rise to that challenge!)

Optional Essay

If there is any important information that is relevant for your candidacy that you were unable to address elsewhere in the application, please share that information here.

For more advice on applying to Chicago, visit the Veritas Prep Chicago GSB information page.

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The Best GMAT Prep and Admissions Consulting Around - For Free

Veritas Prep is proud to present, along with Beat the GMAT, the MBA Fast Track Scholarship. We're giving away nearly $20,000 in free GMAT Preparation and Admissions Consulting services to the lucky winners of this scholarship. Five winners will be selected by representatives from Veritas Prep and Beat the GMAT.

Check out the MBA Fast Track Scholarship web site here.

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Dartmouth (Tuck) Application Essays 2008-2009

Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business has confirmed that its 2008-2009 admissions essays will be the same as those in last year's application:

Dartmouth (Tuck) Application Essays

1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you?



2. Tuck defines leadership as “inspiring others to strive and enabling them to accomplish great things.” We believe great things and great leadership can be accomplished in pursuit of business and societal goals. Describe a time when you exercised such leadership. Discuss the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What characteristics helped you to be effective, and what areas do you feel you need to develop in order to be a better leader?



3. Discuss the most difficult constructive criticism or feedback you have received. How did you address it? What have you learned from it?



4. Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can bring new perspectives to our community. How will your unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences contribute to the culture at Tuck?

Tuck is one of the few top schools that won't give you specific word limits for its admissions essays, but the school does "recommend" that you aim for about 500 words per essay. We suggest that you heed this target and treat it as you would any other school's word limit, going significantly beyond 500 words only if absolutely necessary.

For more advice on applying to Tuck, visit the Veritas Prep Tuck information page.

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NYU (Stern) Round One Application Deadline for 2008-2009

NYU's Stern School of Business has not yet released its application for 2008-2009, but the admissions office wanted to give a nod to the early birds in the applicant pool. A recent message on the school's web site announced that Stern's Round One deadline will be November 15, 2008. The full Stern MBA application will be available by late August.

For more advice on applying to NYU Stern, visit the Veritas Prep Stern School of Business information page.

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Specialized MBA Programs Keep Growing

A recent BusinessWeek article explored the growth of specialized MBA programs, especially at schools outside of the top ten MBA programs. These programs are one way for lesser-known schools to stand out from the pack, but are they always a good choice for business school students?

"Not necessarily," writes Fancesca Levy for BusinessWeek. "While established programs have placement records on par with those of their general MBAs, many newer programs have not yet established the kind of recruiting relationships that guarantee students high-paying jobs at graduation. And graduates always run the risk of getting hamstrung by their specialties later in their careers, when an industry downturn forces them to look outside their specialties for opportunities."

While specialized programs are often very valuable, their recent growth reminds us of the wave of e-commerce programs that appeared in business schools eight to ten years ago. Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management, for example, made a big push with its e-commerce MBA, only to scale back its offering after the dot-com party was over. (A recent search for "e-commerce" on Owen's site turns up just one Internet Marketing Strategy class.)

We're not knocking Vanderbilt or any of these schools for rolling out these programs. The market for management education always changes, and it's often these smaller schools that create real curriculum innovation. Just be careful that you don't chase any fads or trends that may not suit your goals five years from now, once the next fad comes along (real estate fit that description a couple of years ago, and "green" MBA programs just might be next).

Also, consider what you really expect to get out of your business school education. For many, an MBA is a chance to learn how to think like a CEO, regardless of the industry or function. Other applicants, meanwhile, enroll in business school to learn specific skills that can help them flourish as soon as they graduate. If you're in the former camp, you may want to skip these specialized programs in favor of a more general management-focused curriculum. If you're in the latter camp, however, then a specialized program may be a good fit for you.

For more help in choosing a business school, try the Veritas Prep Business School Selector and take a look at our books on MBA admissions strategy, Your MBA Game Plan.

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Economic Slowdown = MBA Upswing

As many people probably have heard (especially if you've been getting your applicant profiles looked over on online forums), this year is going to be more competitive for MBA applicants. The reason for this is that as the economy slows, people are more likely to return to school and ride it out, so they'll be able to put their brand new MBA to use when the economy strengthens up.

There is an interesting article in the Boston Herald today about just that, with figures from some top business schools on just how much their applicant pools increased for this fall's class. Harvard's received 16% more applications (they were up to 8600 applicants for this year's class!). MIT Sloan saw the largest growth, with a 23% increase.

And one other thing to consider if you're getting ready to apply: next year's class is expected to have an even larger increase in applicants.

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UVA (Darden) Application Deadlines for 2008-2009

The University of Virginia's Darden School of Business has released its deadlines for the 2008-2009 application season:

Darden Application Deadlines
Round 1: October 28, 2008
Round 2: January 7, 2009
Round 3: March 4, 2009

Note that Darden traditionally offers an Early Action (non-binding) round for applicants who are especially interested in the school. Darden has not yet released Early Action info for 2008-2009.

Also, the school has not yet released its 2008-2009 application essays, but see last year's Darden essays if you want to get a feel for what to expect in this year's application.

For more advice on applying to Darden, visit the Veritas Prep Darden information page.

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Michigan (Ross) Application Essays for 2008-2009

University of Michigan's Ross School of Business has released its application essays for the 2008-2009 season. Our comments are in italics:

Ross Application Essays

Long Answers: (500 word max)

1. Briefly describe your short-term and long-term career goals. Why is an MBA the best choice at this point in your career? What and/or who influenced your decision to apply to Ross?



2. Describe your most significant professional accomplishment. Elaborate on the leadership skills you displayed, the actions you took and the impact you had on your organization.

(These questions are the exact same as those in last year's application. Note the emphasis on leadership skills in the second question.)

Short Answers: (300 word max)

1. If you were not pursuing the career goals you described in Question 1, what profession would you pursue instead? (For example, teacher, musician, athlete, architect, etc.) How will this alternate interest contribute to your effectiveness in solving multidisciplinary problems?



2. Describe your experience during a challenging time in your life. Explain how you grew personally, either despite this challenge or because of it.

(Also the same as last year. The "other profession" question provides a good opportunity to show another side of you that may not otherwise come out in your application. As long as you can tie it back to one of the core dimensions in your application, don't be afraid to write about something that seems to be off the wall here.)

Optional Question

1. Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you to evaluate your candidacy?

(The natural tendency is to explain a weakness here, but no need to do that here if your application doesn't have an obvious weakness. If you do feel the need to explain something, then address it and move on. In other words, don't dwell on it or provide that weakness with more stage time than it deserves!)

For more advice on applying to Michigan, visit the Veritas Prep Ross School of Business information page.

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Tony Blair to Teach at Yale

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was recently appointed the 2008-2009 Howland Distinguished Fellow at Yale. He will lead a seminar on faith and globalization, which is going to be a joint effort between Yale's School of Management and the Yale Divinity School.

You can read the full post from Yale here.

And if you're planning to apply to Yale for the 2008-2009 school year, visit our Yale School of Management information page.

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And So It Continues...

Apparently, the Scoretop scandal isn't the only case of cheating that the GMAT has experienced lately. Another form of cheating has been going on, where students pay others to take the GMAT for them. GMAC president David Wilson won't let on the extent of this form of cheating, but he did say that 590 cases of "proxy" test-taking broken up by federal authorities "underscored the problem."

So, to counteract this problem, GMAC is planning to introduce palm scanning technology at their testing centers, starting with Korea and India next month, US centers in the fall, and full integration at all centers in the world by next May. These new scanners take a scan of the vein patterns in a person's palm, which is unique to each person (like fingerprints).

This new technology has a couple of benefits, namely that it is harder to trick these than fingerprint machines, and that the scans are better for privacy than fingerprinting (police can't take advantage of these scans in investigations, for example).

The other good thing about these new machines is that they aren't terribly expensive to add to test centers (under $1000 for the technology & training), and the GMAC will NOT be raising the fee to take the GMAT as a result.

You can read more about this here.

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New Dean at UNC (Kenan-Flagler)

What's in a name? Plenty, if your last name is "Dean." Last week UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School named Professor James W. Dean, Jr., as its new dean, pending approval by UNC's Board of Trustees. The appointment is expected to take effect August 1.

Dean has been at Kenan-Flagler since 1997, serving as a professor of organizational behavior and strategy. His work focuses in the areas of leadership, organizational change, strategic decision making, international management, and organizational performance improvement. He has also served in multiple leadership roles at the school, including Associate Dean of Executive Development, Associate Dean of the MBA Program, and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affiars.

Dean succeeds Steve Jones, who had been dean of the school since July, 2003.

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Kellogg Application Deadlines for 2008-2009

While Kellogg released its application essays back in June, the admissions office has put out its application deadlines for the 2008-2009 season.

If you look at the Kellogg page, you'll notice that it's fairly confusing. For each round, what you should pay attention to most is the date by which you need to contact the office for your interview and submit Part 1 of your application.

Also, note that (as of today) the Kellogg page still has a comment stating that the 2008-2009 deadlines have not yet been determined, but these dates below should prove to be a very accurate guide.

Kellogg Application Deadlines for Part 1
Round 1: October 3, 2008 (Oct. 17 if requesting an on-campus interview)
Round 2: December 22, 2008 (Jan. 12 for an on-campus interview)
Round 3: February 23, 2009 (Mar. 9 for an on-campus interview)

Kellogg Application Deadlines for Part 2
Round 1: October 17, 2008
Round 2: January 12, 2009
Round 3: March 9, 2009

Note that you get a couple of extra weeks for Part 1 of your application if you request an on-campus interview (no doubt because of the logistics the admissions office has to go through with off-campus interviews to match so many applicants with alumni interviewers around the world).

For more advice on applying to Kellogg, visit the Veritas Prep Kellogg School of Management information page. For more information on business school application deadlines, visit our MBA admissions deadlines page.

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New Dean at Haas

Yesterday, the UC Regents approved the appointment of Richard K. Lyons to the position of Dean at Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Prior to his appointment, Lyons served as a professor at the school, and as the chief learning officer of Goldman Sachs, New York. As the chief learning officer, he directed the group in charge of developing leadership in Goldman Sach's managing directors and partners.

Lyons stated that he "learned that you can't overestimate the importance of great people in building great firms. And that's the business we're in here at Haas."

Congratulations to Dean Lyons!

Learn more about the Haas School's newest Dean here.
Learn more about applying to Haas here.

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UT Dallas Offers Two New Master's Degrees

Earlier today, the University of Texas at Dallas announced the addition of two new master's degrees - one in finance, and one in supply chain management. These new degree options will begin in August of this year.

The finance degree requires students to choose one of four concentrations:

• Financial Analysis
• Financial Management
• Financial Risk Management
• Financial Engineering

The degree is designed to clearly identify these students as masters in finance, a distinction that wasn't always clear under the old degree.

The supply chain management degree was "driven by the industry and tailored by people high up in surrounding corporations," and is designed to teach students the intricacies of finding optimal ways of producing parts and supplies.

You can read the full release on their site.

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UC Berkeley (Haas) Application Essays and Deadlines for 2008-2009

The Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley has just released its application deadlines and admissions essays for the 2008-2009 season. Note that as of 7/16/08 Haas still notes on its web site that these are subject to change for the 2008-2009 application season. Our comments are in italics:

Haas Application Deadlines

Round 1: November 4, 2008
Round 2: December 9, 2008
Round 3: January 30, 2009
Round 4: March 11, 2009

(These are virtually identical to last year's deadlines.)

Haas Admissions Essays

(Note that we have presented these in a different order than what you will see on the Haas web site.)

Required Essays:

1. Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)
2. What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? Why do you want an MBA from Berkeley at this point in your career? (1000 word maximum)

Short Answer:

1. If you could change one thing you've done in your life, what would it be, and how would you do it differently? (250 word maximum)


2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 word maximum)


3. At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. Describe an innovative solution you have created to address a specific challenge. (250 word maximum)


4. What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program, and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? (250 word maximum)

Supplemental Questions:

(These are meant to accompany -- and explain parts of -- your Haas application data sheet, so we won't dive into too much detail here.)

1. If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, please explain; otherwise, enter N/A.


2. List in order of importance all community & professional organizations and extracurricular activities in which you have been involved during or after university studies. Indicate the nature of the activity or organization, dates of involvement, offices held, & average number of hours spent per month.


3. List full-time and part-time jobs held during undergraduate or graduate studies, indicating the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position held prior to the completion of your degree.


4. Please explain all gaps in your employment since earning your university degree.


5. Please identify the course(s) you have taken or intend to take to demonstrate quantitative proficiency. Provide the course name, date, grade if any, and institution at which the course was or will be taken. If you wish, you may discuss other ways in which you have demonstrated strong quantitative abilities.


6. If you have ever been subject to academic discipline, placed on probation, suspended or required to withdraw from any college or university, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (An affirmative response to this question does not automatically disqualify you from admission.)

(Note their comment in that last question. If you have a blemish in your past, don't try to hide it. Better to address it directly, explain what you learned and how you've changed, and move on.)

Optional Essays:

1. Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you haven’t addressed elsewhere. (500 word maximum)


2. If you wish to be considered for the Haas Achievement Award (for individuals who have achieved success in spite of significant economic, educational, health-related and/or other obstacles), please use this space to address the obstacles you have overcome. (750 word maximum)

(The Haas application features a bunch of short questions that clearly hit on all of the attributes that they most look for in applicants -- especially leadership, innovation, and maturity. Interestingly, there aren't many changes from last year. The "What would you change about your life?" question is the biggest change vs. what was in last year's application. This question provides for a better opportunity to demonstrate introspection than last year's "Who would you invite to dinner?" question. The key with all of these, especially the Short Answer questions, is to answer the question asked! They hit on some big subject areas, so don't waste any of your 250 words with each.)

For more advice on applying to UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, visit our Haas information page.

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Scoretop update

(If you haven't heard about the Scoretop scandal yet, you might want to check out our earlier posts on the subject: GMAC Addresses GMAT Cheating Scandal and More on the Scoretop Scandal)

One of the biggest areas of concern for past users of Scoretop, and an area of interest for many outsiders to this whole situation, is how schools will react to the canceling of scores. Yesterday afternoon, BusinessWeek posted an article with responses from top-ranked business schools on this topic.

I found the responses to be an interesting mix. Most schools either refused to make any speculative comments, or said they would wait to see what GMAC's investigation turned up before deciding on action. But a few schools were more outspoken about taking action against anybody who is considered to have cheated.

You can read the BusinessWeek article here.

If you're looking for legitimate resources for GMAT preparation, take a look at Veritas Prep's online GMAT courses and practice GMAT tests.

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Announcing MBA LaunchPad 2008

We're pleased to announce MBA LaunchPad 2008 -- our first annual event designed to help business school-bound students prepare to hit the ground running from the moment they set foot on campus. MBA Launchpad 2008 will be held on August 5th and 6th in New York City at NYU's Kimmel Center.

For years we have helped applicants get into the most competitive business schools, and many of them have asked us, "No that I'm in, what do you recommend for classes or materials to help me do well once I get there?" Knowing that the first couple of months are crucial to a business school student's success, we decided to build our own program to help students tackle the three most important aspects of an MBA program:

Academics
Veritas Prep has assembled a team of world-class professors from elite business schools including Columbia and Stern. They won't simply teach you the basics of the core MBA subjects -- instead they will show you how to effectively approach these topics and achieve the highest grades without wasted effort.

Career Management
MBA LaunchPad has brought together business school graduates who successfully landed job offers from the most competitive firms in management consulting, investment banking, healthcare, and other industries. Step by step, they will show you how to use networking to land competitive job interviews, and ultimately ace every type of interview, from finance-focused formats to consulting cases.

Extracurricular Involvement
At MBA LaunchPad current business school students will teach you how to network effectively in order to build personal and professional relationships that will last a lifetime. They will also give you candid advice on where you should and shouldn't spend your time outside the classroom -- giving you a crucial advantage as you manage your hectic schedule.

The two days will also feature social events and networking opportunities to give you a chance to meet other like-minded new MBA students.

Registration is $1,200, and is open until August 1, or until it fills up (whichever comes first). Veritas Prep clients are eligible for a substantial discount. Visit the MBA LaunchPad 2008 site to learn more and to register!

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MIT Sloan Application Essays for 2008-2009

Attention, MIT Sloan applicants! Sloan has released its application deadlines and admissions essays for the 2008-2009 season. Our comments are in italics:

MIT Sloan Application Deadlines

Round 1: October 28, 2008
Round 2: January 13, 2009

(These dates are virtually the same as last year's. Note that Sloan has just two rounds of admissions, while most other top programs have three.)

MIT Sloan Application Essays

All applicants:

• Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.


(Yes, the MIT Sloan cover letter is back. Note that the question is a little different this year. While last year's cover letter asked you to "discuss your passions, values, and interests," this year's cover letter wants to see how you've made an impact on an organization -- this used to be a standalone essay question.)


• Essay 1: Please tell us about a challenging interaction you had with a person or group. (500 words or less, limited to one page)



• Essay 2: Please tell us about a time when you defended your idea. (500 words or less, limited to one page)



• Essay 3: Please tell us about a time when you executed a plan. (500 words or less, limited to one page)



• Essay 4: Please tell the Admissions Committee whatever else you would like us to know. (250 words or less, limited to one page)

(The biggest change is that last year's "Tell us about a time when you had an impact on a group" question has been replaced by the "whatever else you would like us to know" question. Also interesting is that each of last year's questions asked the applicant to "Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did," while that has been dropped from this year's application.)

LFM applicants only:

• Essay 5: Why do you wish to pursue the LFM Program? How does this fit into your future plans? (250 words or less, limited to one page) You are welcome to copy and paste text directly from your cover letter.



• Essay 6: Why do you wish to pursue the engineering field and specialty area you have selected? (250 words or less, limited to one page) You are welcome to copy and paste text directly from your cover letter.

For more information about application strategies for MIT Sloan, visit our MIT Sloan information page.

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Free Sample GMAT Exam Now Available

Big news for everyone who's studying for the GMAT! For the first time, you can get a free practice GMAT exam from Veritas Prep.

For years we have offered our students 15 computer-adaptive practice GMAT tests -- by far the most practice GMAT exams in the industry. Now, we are pleased to make a practice test available to everyone in the MBA community, at no charge. Use this sample test to see where you stand and to pinpoint your areas of needed improvement.

Practice GMAT Exam Format

Just like the real GMAT exam, this computer-adaptive practice test consists of three sections:

• Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) -- Two short essays to test your writing abilities: Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument. (30 minutes each)



• Quantitative Section -- 37 multiple-choice questions: Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency. (75 minutes)
  
  
• Verbal Section -- 41 multiple-choice questions: Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, and Critical Reasoning. (75 minutes)

Visit our site to access your free sample GMAT exam, or to learn more about which Veritas Prep GMAT prep course is right for you.

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Wharton Application Essays and Deadlines for 2008-2009

Wharton has released its application deadlines and admissions essays for the 2008-2009 season. Here they are, taken from Wharton's site. Our comments are in italics:

Wharton Application Deadlines
Round 1: October 9, 2008
Round 2: January 8, 2009
Round 3: March 5, 2009

(No big changes from last year... All deadlines are within a week of the 2007-2008 season's respective deadlines.)

Wharton Application Essays

First-Time Applicant Questions:

1. Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals, and why is now the best time for you to join our program? (1,000 words)
   
   
2. Describe a setback or a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself? (500 words)



3. Where in your background would we find evidence of your leadership capacity and/or potential? (500 words)


(Question #3 isn't new, but it's new that it's a mandatory one. Interesting question... It doesn't get much more explicit than this that they're looking for leadership.)


4. Please respond to one (1) of the following questions:
   
   a. Describe an experience you have had innovating or initiating, your lessons learned, the results and impact of your efforts. (500 words)
   
   (Question 4a is new.)
   
   b. Is there anything about your background or experience that you feel you have not had the opportunity to share with the Admissions Committee in your application? If yes, please explain. (500 words)
   
   
5. OPTIONAL: If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, TOEFL waiver request, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application). (250 words, maximum)

Reapplicant Questions:

1. Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals, and why is now the best time for you to join our program? How has your candidacy improved since the last time you applied? (1,000 words)



2. Describe an experience you have had innovating or initiating, your lessons learned, the results and impact of your efforts. (500 words)


(As it is for new applicants, Question 2 is new. Clearly more emphasis on innovation from Wharton this year.)


3. Please respond to one (1) of the following questions:
   
   a. Where in your background would we find evidence of your leadership capacity and/or potential? (500 words)
   
   b. Is there anything about your background or experience that you feel you have not had the opportunity to share with the Admissions Committee in your application? If yes, please explain. (500 words)
   
   
4. OPTIONAL: If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, TOEFL waiver request, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application). (250 words, maximum)

For more information about Wharton, visit our Wharton MBA information page.And for more information on business school application deadlines, visit our MBA admissions deadlines page.

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What's in a Game Plan?

The phrase "game plan" gets thrown around a lot in the hallowed offices of Veritas Prep. Our director of research, Scott Shrum, literally co-wrote the book on MBA admissions and named it Your MBA Game Plan. We offer a Personalized Game Plan as part of every admissions consulting package. There are a lot of people in our office that love college football and study the art of game planning for blitz packages. And so on.

So what's the benefit of having a game plan when it comes to the graduate school admission process? There are a lot of answers to that question, but one that is often overlooked is the necessity of shifting perspective.

An applicant to a top law school or MBA program comes armed with both a set of skills and experiences as well as a cultivated perspective on those issues. The applicant is probably in good shape with regards to the former. The latter? Not so much.

The biggest problem I encounter when working with applicants - at any level - is that they fail to see themselves the way the admissions committee sees them. The skills and experiences that seem outstanding to a college senior may or may not appeal to an admissions officer at a law school. The reverse is also true - attributes that may seem run of the mill in one's graduating class or circle of friends may be highly unique and appealing to someone evaluating an application.

I often think back to my own law school application experience and note the complete lack of perspective that I possessed at the time. As the associate director of admission at one of the nation's top 50 universities and someone armed with a better-than-expected academic profile, I should have been able to destroy the law school application. Instead, I focused on all the wrong things. I incorrectly deemed my writing accomplishments to be singularly noteworthy when, in fact, almost every student who enrolled with me at the University of Chicago could boast of similar feats. On the other hand, I downplayed my extensive management experience, believing it to be appropriate only for B-Schools. Wrong. I found out later that it was my work - the title, the recommendations, the responsibility - that suggested an intellectual and emotional maturity. Luckily for me, the Director of Admissions at Chicago took a close enough look to find that information, since I basically hid it from her.

When students sign up for our consulting services and they ask me what "this game plan thing" is all about, I tell them it is about discovering a new perspective and avoiding making the same mistake I made. By working with an expert who has been through the process before, applicants are gaining insight into the way an objective, qualified outsider sees them as a candidate. No longer are you bound by your own limited perspective or suffering from a shortage of information. Now you know who you are in the eyes of the people who count. You're armed with the best kind of knowledge.

And as they used to say in the old G.I. Joe's Public Service Announcements: Knowing is half the battle.

[- Read the rest here -]

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PowerPoint

PowerPoint presentations are a fairly common occurrence nowadays. And, more often than not, they aren't as good as they could be. I've had gripes with the way most PowerPoint presentations are run for some time... the slides usually just say exactly what the presenter is, so I get bored watching them (I can read faster than they can talk).

Because presentations are an important piece of the business world, and often use PowerPoint (the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business even requires one in the application), I wanted to do an article on how to use PowerPoint effectively. Then I found this article by Gary Chapman (from the LBJ School of Public Affairs). It mentions everything I was going to say, and more.

I highly recommend reading the whole thing (and following the link at the bottom about the top ten PowerPoint sins as well). But I really think the most important point is made right up top, at number one:

"PowerPoint, when displayed via a projector, is a useful tool for showing audiences things that enhance what the speaker is saying. It is a useful tool for illustrating the content of a speech, such as by showing photos, graphs, charts, maps, etc., or by highlighting certain text from a speech, such as quotations or major ideas. It should not be used as a slide-show outline of what the speaker is telling the audience." (emphasis mine)

This is how I've always thought PowerPoints needed to be used. But I rarely, if ever, see them used in this manner. Hopefully Gary's post will provide some good direction on how to better use PowerPoint.

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More on the Scoretop Scandal

The Scoretop.com scandal has been the big business school news the past couple of days. We already posted an article on Monday about the FAQ released by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), but more information continues to come to light. GMAC released more information today, which was covered in this AP article.

According to GMAC spokeswoman Judy Phair, there are roughly 6000 scores that are in question now (though not necessarily 6000 students, as there could be multiple takes by the same student). Some posts on the site had users boasting about how familiar the questions were, with some being word for word.

And of course, GMAC's claim that they will cancel illegitimate scores has universities and students alike scrambling to figure out what to do. Students who used Scoretop.com in some way are worried about if their scores will be canceled, and universities need to figure out how to handle the possible cancellation of any current or incoming students' scores.

GMAC has already said that they are targeting those people who used Scoretop in a way to try gaining an unfair advantage; casual accessing of the site isn't going to be a problem (how that is defined isn't perfectly clear, however). Phair stated that, "canceling scores is a really serious thing. We're going to be careful but also we're very serious about this."

There's still not a ton of information out regarding this whole situation, but if you have concerns, you should look over the FAQ, and read GMAC's warning on the old Scoretop.com. And when it comes to preparing for the GMAT, make sure you're only using legitimate services (like Veritas Prep).

[- Read the rest here -]

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Wharton Director of Admissions Steps Down

On Monday Wharton announced on its blog that Thomas Caleel has vacated his role as Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, effective June 30. Anjani Jain, Wharton's Vice Dean and Director of the school's Graduate Division, will temporarily fill the role until a permanent placement is announced.

Reads the announcement: "In his role as Director, Thomas has been a passionate ambassador of the School and the MBA Program, and Wharton faculty, staff and students alike are enormously grateful to have had Thomas serve the School in this important role."

Under Caleel's leadership, the school opened up to the community even more through such initiatives as the student2student online forum (a longstanding Wharton initiative) and the Wharton Admissions Blog. Hopefully his successor will carry on with this philosophy.

From reading the announcement, Vice Dean Jain certainly seems to have enough on his plate already. With the 2008-2009 admissions season just around the corner, here's hoping that Wharton finds a suitable replacement for Caleel as soon as possible!

Fore more information about applying to Wharton, visit our Wharton information page.

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