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Application Strategy

January 6, 2024

What To Do Now That You’ve Submitted Your MBA Application

You’ve logged long hours at work to keep clients happy, agonized over essays, juggled GMAT study sessions amid competing priorities, and exhausted loved ones with your near-obsessive commitment to perfecting...
December 4, 2023

US vs. European MBA Programs: The 7 Key Differences

As the former Director of Admissions at INSEAD, I often get asked about how an MBA at a top international school is different from a top US school. It’s a...
November 15, 2023

How Parents Can Help (Or Hinder) Their Children on the Road to Grad School

As you slice up the Thanksgiving turkey, sit down to a big family meal, and begin to pass side dishes around the table, your son or daughter announces they want...
November 14, 2023

MBA Reapplicant: How to Reapply to an MBA Program

Responding to Business School Rejection So, the acceptance letter you have been anxiously awaiting from your top-choice MBA program did not arrive. A rejection showed up instead. Don’t lose hope....
September 11, 2023

How to Answer “How Will You Contribute to Our MBA Program?​”

Are you gearing up for the MBA application process and feeling stuck when trying to answer essay questions like “How will you contribute to our MBA program?” This challenging question...
August 2, 2023

Applicant Opportunities in the Wake of the Affirmative Action Decision

Writing Your Way Aboard “Spaceship MBA” While many in the admissions world were dismayed by the Supreme Court ruling that ended the use of Affirmative Action in US college admissions,...
July 8, 2023

The IMD MBA Experience is Unique from the Start

In IMD’s top-ranked MBA program, the unique learning experiences begin before applicants are even admitted.  Candidates submit the usual application form, transcripts, test scores, and a recommendation letter. Top applicants...
May 24, 2023

Two-Year vs. One-Year MBA Programs: Which One is Right for You?

As you conduct your business school research and consider which schools are best for you, one way to narrow it down is by length of program. The typical MBA program...
May 23, 2023

How to Get into Business School with a Low GPA

You understand the power of an MBA degree. And you’re confident it will give you the knowledge and skills you need to advance your career. But you’re wondering: Is my...
May 23, 2023

How Many MBA Programs Should You Apply To?

It’s time: You’ve decided to invest in yourself and advance your career. You know an MBA is for you, and you’re ready to apply. First you need to decide: How...
February 3, 2023

Applying to Carnegie Mellon Tepper: 3 Essential MBA Tips

My Fortuna Admissions colleagues and I have seen an uptick in interest in the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon. One of the smallest among the top 20 business...
Should I Waive my Right to See Letters of Recommendation?
January 7, 2023

Should I Waive my Right to See Letters of Recommendation?

When applying to a business school, just as in applying to college, you’ll have two options: waiving your right to view your letters of recommendation or retaining this right. It’s...
MBA Elevator Pitch
December 20, 2022

Tell me about yourself: 5 Tips for Your MBA Elevator Pitch

So, tell me about yourself. This is a question you can expect to receive, in various forms, from any personal interaction related to the business school application process – from...
December 15, 2022

Brand Building & Storytelling for the MBA: Your How-To Guide

We all have a personal brand, regardless of whether you intentionally manage it or not (and if you don’t, let this be your impetus to start). In short, your personal brand encompasses...
November 21, 2022

The Power of Giving Thanks in the MBA Admission Process

I still have the thank you note from the first student I admitted to Penn in 1990 (pictured here). It means a lot to me. Then, because it allowed me...