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.
MBA Admissions Etiquette: 5 Essentials & Mistakes to Avoid
Jan. 5th, 2023
I have a few MBA applicants who talk to me like we are buddies, and we are not. I fear that if they communicate with anyone else in the business school admissions process (admissions officers, alums, student ambassadors, etc.) in the same way they communicate with me, they will seriously harm their chances of admission. […]
Insider Tips for The INSEAD Interview
Dec. 27th, 2022
INSEAD is among the top schools that enlist alumni to conduct MBA admissions interviews. In doing so, the Fontainebleau, France-based program strives to pair you with one alumnus of a similar profile to yours and, for diversity’s sake, another with a very different background. It’s a signal of how deeply the school values the perspective […]
Tell me about yourself: 5 Tips for Your MBA Elevator Pitch
Dec. 20th, 2022
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 virtual coffee chats with second year students or alumni to your MBA admission interview. Reaching out to forge connections, gather information and deepen your understanding […]
Brand building & Storytelling for the MBA: Your How-To Guide
Dec. 15th, 2022
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 what you represent, what you stand for and what comes front of mind to people when they see your name. What traits, qualities, and values […]
How to Customize Your MBA Application
Dec. 11th, 2022
It’s tempting to want to plug your winning story into play for each business school on your list once you’ve done the hard work of reflecting on where you’ve been, where you want to go, and how business school is going to get you there. If it’s good enough for Columbia, it’ll be equally compelling […]
How Business Schools Are Attracting Laid-Off Tech Workers
Dec. 8th, 2022
Kellogg Northwestern is waiving GMAT and GRE exams for unemployed tech workers, a bold MBA admissions move that’s received both praise and criticism. In this episode of the weekly BusinessCasual podcast, Fortuna’s Caroline Diarte Edwards with co-hosts John Byrne of Poets&Quants and ApplicantLab’s Maria Wich-Villa, discuss the motives and implications of Kellogg’s MBA admissions changes, and how […]
What is the Average MBA Waitlist Acceptance Rate?
Dec. 7th, 2022
You put your heart and soul into applying for an MBA in hopes of getting into a top business school. You were invited for an MBA interview and it went really well. The waiting to get the final response seemed endless. And then it came. Not only wasn’t it what you expected, it introduced a […]
MBA Application Advice: 5 Must-Dos Before You Hit Submit
Dec. 5th, 2022
The single most important thing you can do when you hit submit on your MBA application is to be confident that it’s the very best reflection of you and your candidacy – no matter which admissions round you’re targeting. Having reviewed thousands of applications during my career in MBA admissions, as head of Admissions at INSEAD […]
The Power of Giving Thanks in the MBA Admission Process
Nov. 21st, 2022
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 to see that I was someone that students could trust. And now, because it reminds me how powerful it is for the person across the […]
Kellogg MBA Interview: What You Need to Know + 7 Tips to Prepare
Nov. 19th, 2022
Kellogg is unique in many ways, not least that it’s the only top business school that seeks to interview every candidate who applies. It’s able to attempt this feat by flexing the strength of a worldwide network of passionate alumni, who opt-in both as ambassadors for the program and messengers to its admissions committee. While […]
How to Optimize LinkedIn: 10 Tips for MBA Applicants
Nov. 17th, 2022
It’s no secret that your social media posts are fair game to the MBA admissions committee. Nearly two-thirds of MBA admissions officers visit an applicant’s social media profiles to aid their decision-making, according to survey data from Kaplan Test Prep in 2021. Kaplan reports that 36% of admissions officers visit applicants’ social media profiles like […]
MBA Interview Prep: 3 Key Qualities of ‘Professional Presence’
Nov. 7th, 2022
There’s an awkward coaching moment that most of us hope to avoid when preparing our clients for the MBA interview. As former senior admissions professionals at top-tier schools, my fellow MBA Admissions coaches and I are seasoned at navigating sensitive subjects while guiding candidates to convey their greatest potential as future business leaders. But anything […]
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