Blog - Page 29 of 40

We offer a wealth of tips and strategies across a range of topics—from application advice on Harvard or INSEAD to acing the GMAT, writing essays, navigating MBA interviews, and more.

How to Position Your MBA Leadership Potential

Matt Symonds January 24, 2017

Donald Trump was 14 years old when John F. Kennedy gave his inaugural address. Long before Twitter, Kennedy knew the importance of inspiring others with a short and powerful phrase: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” What did young Donald make of such a memorable line that defined a generation? What does the phrase mean to you? What would you say to demonstrate your leadership credentials, or to show what you can do for your country? You don’t need to wait to be sworn in to high office—applying to business school is a perfect opportunity to reflect on these questions.

How to Convey a Powerful Career Vision in Your MBA Application

Nonie Mackie January 15, 2017

Creating and conveying a career vision is an elemental part of your MBA application. It’s about portraying a clear picture of where you’ve been, where you are headed, and why an MBA is essential for getting you there. B-schools are looking for students who are poised to get the most value from their MBA experience by going on to great things in the future.

The One Thing You Can Do to Dramatically Improve your Business School Application

Caroline Diarte Edwards December 30, 2016

Caroline Diarte Edwards offers one piece of advice and one action that she believes you can take to dramatically improve your MBA application—to spend a considerable amount of time on self-reflection—no matter where you are in the MBA application process.

Dinged From Your Dream School? What’s next?

Fortuna Admissions December 6, 2016

Have you been dinged in your Round 1 MBA application? Without receiving direct feedback from the school, rejected applicants are left speculating what on earth went wrong? It can be challenging to figure out what next steps to take if you don’t know why you were unsuccessful in the first place. You need to think about what to do next and move on, but first, you need to realize what you can learn from this failure. Read on for how to conduct a do-it-yourself ding analysis.

MBA Application Round 2 Countdown: 5 Tips for the Home Stretch

Matt Symonds December 2, 2016

The countdown to Round 2 MBA application deadlines is on… Harvard, Booth, Kellogg, Columbia, Tuck, Duke, and LBS are all waiting to hear from you by January 4, 2017. If you haven’t begun your application yet, you had better get started. At six months out you had the opportunity to carefully craft your profile, but at about six weeks it’s all about packaging and presenting it. Fortuna’s team of former senior admissions staff have put together five tips for prioritizing your remaining time and making the most of your effort.

You’ve Interviewed – now what?

Matt Symonds November 24, 2016

You may have just finished your first interview for business school. What’s next? As former Admissions Directors who have interviewed many candidates over the years, we recommend taking a few important next steps at this stage. Read on for our recommendations…

Fortuna Ranking Of MBA Rankings 2016 – US Schools

Matt Symonds November 23, 2016

Hear Matt Symonds’ take on the 2016 BusinessWeek Business School Rankings

Fortuna Admissions, tailoring your MBA application

Wharton Interview Team-Based Discussions – What To Expect And How To Prepare

Matt Symonds November 9, 2016

Wharton recently announced their round 1 interview decisions, and as former Director of MBA Admissions at Wharton, I can share my understanding of what the school is looking for in the team-based discussions (Wharton’s interview style) which will begin soon. Also to help you prepare I’m offering an online simulation on Nov. 10 and 13… read on for more details.

Are you ready for your b-school interviews?

Matt Symonds November 2, 2016

In the coming weeks, round 1 admission interview invitations will begin winging their way to a select group of lucky recipients. Are you ready? As former admissions directors at top MBA programs, we interviewed thousands of applicants and it was always pretty clear who had done their homework and who arrived unprepared. The MBA interview is your chance to convey key information about yourself to admissions as well as an opportunity for the school to get to know you and to assess your fit with their program. So how can you maximize your chances of securing a class seat?

The Fundamental MBA Question That Many Applicants Mess Up – And How To Get It Right

Emma Bond October 25, 2016

In recent years, MBA program admission committees have started asking unconventional essay questions. For example, Berkeley-Haas asks you to pick a song that expresses who you are; Chicago Booth leads applicants to an assortment of photos – “shared Booth moments” – and to pick the one that resonates the most with them; Cornell Johnson requests you to create a Table of Contents to explain your life story. However despite this innovation, many schools are still also asking the old old favorite ‘Why an MBA and why this school’ question. These seemingly innocuous questions that are also at the core of many MBA interviews can be challenging to get right. So how should you tackle them, and how do you convince each admissions committee that their school is your top choice?

700+ Isn’t Enough: Communicating Character in Your MBA Application

Matt Symonds October 14, 2016

Your MBA application requires showcasing a lot of hard facts about your profile: your GMAT, academic track record, and professional accomplishments. But schools are looking for more in their candidates than just a great resume. They want to learn about who you are and what you deem worthy of your time and energy, and how are these shaped by the values that define your character? On top of communicating your accomplishments and skills, how do you best convey your character in your MBA application?

How To Say More With Less In Your MBA Application

Matt Symonds September 15, 2016

This year we’ve seen a continuing trend of reductions in word limits and essay questions across MBA programs, creating limited space for you to communicate your strengths, potential, and values to adcoms. With such limits, where do you begin?! What should you focus on? And how much should you write? Your challenge is to say more with less.

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