Stay on top of the latest
insights.

Advice, tips and insights from the
admissions dream team.

search

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.

new berkeley haas MBA

How to Answer the Berkeley Haas MBA Essays and Video

Jun. 7th, 2024 | by: Sharon Joyce

When you apply to the University of California -Berkeley Haas School of Business, they want to know what makes you feel alive, how an MBA will help fuel your MBA goals and what kind of leader you are — and they want you to show them. Haas requires a video essay as one of the […]

letters of recommendation

How to Secure the Best MBA Letters of Recommendation

May. 31st, 2024 | by: Jessica Chung

Select your recommenders with care and prepare them to champion your candidacy. MBA application essay questions understandably get a lot of early attention and focused effort. (For insider tips and advice for every top 20 business school, view the Fortuna team’s MBA Essay Tips.) But don’t overlook the importance of securing strong letters of recommendation […]

MBA financing

How To Negotiate An MBA Scholarship + Example Letter

May. 20th, 2024 | by: Catherine Tuttle

You’ve won an MBA scholarship, but not from your dream school. Should you take it? It’s a fortunate dilemma to have, but one that ties many of our clients in knots around this time of year. The scenario typically goes like this: You’ve been offered a good scholarship at one school — but not your […]

average age of an MBA graduate

What is the Average Age to Get an MBA?

Apr. 26th, 2024 | by: Melissa Kate Joelson

Your boss has an MBA from a top business school. So does your boss’s boss. As does, needless to say, the CEO of your company. You want to move up the ladder more quickly. Or maybe you’d like to make a career switch. For these or many other good reasons, you’ve decided you want to […]

MBA GMAT Prep

7 Essential Tips for GMAT Prep

Apr. 25th, 2024 | by: Caroline Diarte Edwards

For the last 15 years or so, the average GMAT score for candidates admitted to top MBA programs has been rising steadily. In the US, the mean GMAT score of tests reported to MBA programs is now 658, up 48 points from five years ago. At the elite M7 schools, the average GMAT for the […]

Top 10 Deferred MBA Programs

Top 10 Deferred MBA Programs + Tips on How to Get In

Apr. 2nd, 2024 | by: Michel Belden

For college seniors with clear business aspirations, applying to a deferred MBA program straight out of college is a strategic move. In the traditional path to an MBA, you spend roughly three to six years earning real-world career experience before applying to business school. In contrast, deferred MBA programs offer the potential to lock in […]

MBA Types: Which Program is Right For You?

Apr. 1st, 2024 | by: Patty Keegan

For those seeking to supercharge their careers, business schools now offer a dazzling array of MBA formats and graduate degrees. Options range from full-time two year programs, to accelerated one-year programs, to part-time and Executive MBAs, online options, and topical specializations. Which format is the best for you?  The traditional full-time, two-year MBA, which is […]

mba interview

Dress for Success: The MBA Interview

Mar. 28th, 2024 | by: Karen Hamou

The MBA interview is all about standing out for the right reasons.  Candidates should want to be remembered for what they say, not what they wear. In my role as an expert coach at Fortuna Admissions, I advise many clients on preparing for their MBA admission interview, and field many concerned — and valid — […]

before you start MBA

5 Things to Do Before Starting Your MBA Program

Mar. 28th, 2024 | by: Judith Silverman Hodara

How do you want to feel when your head hits the pillow after your first day as an MBA candidate on campus? Thrilled to enter a new chapter of your life surrounded by fascinating people and big ideas, while appropriately daunted by the scope of challenge you’ve undertaken? Or will your elation be dimmed a […]

Duke Fuqua MBA

6 Insider Tips on Applying for the Duke Fuqua MBA

Mar. 15th, 2024 | by: Catherine Tuttle

Duke University’s Fuqua School  has ascended to one of the top international business schools in its somewhat brief history. Fuqua is routinely ranked among the best domestic MBA programs —#6 in the 2023-24 Poets & Quants rankings and tied for #12 in the U.S. News & World Report in 2024 .Outside of official rankings, Fuqua […]

How to Get into INSEAD MBA

How to Get into INSEAD: Advice for 6 Common MBA Profiles

Mar. 12th, 2024 | by: Caroline Diarte Edwards

During my seven years at the INSEAD University, where I served as director of MBA admissions, marketing & financial aid, I oversaw all aspects of candidate evaluation and policy decisions for INSEAD MBA requirements. Here’s my advice for positioning a stand-out application for six typical profiles to help you learn how to get into INSEAD […]

How to Get a Perfect GMAT Score

How to Get a Perfect GMAT Score

Feb. 8th, 2024 | by: Matt Symonds

Achieving a perfect 805 score on the GMAT Focus Edition is a lofty goal. While it might seem like an impossible feat, test experts I’ve talked to assure me that landing a perfect GMAT score is indeed within reach. Will getting the highest possible score on the GMAT score significantly boost your MBA application? Not […]

Free Consultation