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Advice, tips and insights from the
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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 Loan Forgiveness

Top Tips for Financing Your MBA

Matt Symonds March 24, 2017

Before you apply for an MBA is the best time to begin planning your financing. After all, you’re opting to forego your annual salary just as you’re committing to one of the biggest financial investments of your life.
If one of your key considerations is cost, you can find a vast array of financing options to fund your program. How to best finance your MBA is tied to your particular circumstances and profile—your nationality, personal resources, credit history and chosen program are all elements that can impact your approach. Here are some top tips to help you get started.

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Fortuna Admissions Ranking of MBA Rankings, Fortuna Ranking of Business School Rankings

Your Winning Strategy to Apply in Round 3

Fortuna Admissions February 6, 2017

This is the time of year when applicants ask our advice about whether or not to apply for their MBA in R3. Here at Fortuna Admissions, our response is often, “it depends.” After all, it is well known that top schools have selected the bulk of their classes by early April, so odds seem far less favorable for anyone applying for the last deadline. At the same time, not applying now means waiting until the admissions cycle begins anew next fall. And there can actually be some advantages to submitting your application now.

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insead

What INSEAD’s #1 Rankings Repeat Means for the School

Matt Symonds February 6, 2017

They say that lightning never strikes twice. But the bolt from the FT that jolted the world of MBA rankings 12 months ago has struck again. The FT announces that INSEAD has maintained its place at #1 for the second consecutive year, ahead of Stanford GSB, Wharton and Harvard Business School. It took 19 years for a one-year MBA program to reach the FT rankings summit, and to maintain the position speaks to INSEAD’s international credentials, research, and earnings power of alumni. Fortuna Director and former INSEAD Director of Admissions, Caroline Diarte Edwards, shares her insights behind the school’s success.

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MBA leadership potential

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.

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MBA Career Vision

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.

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dream school

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.

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MBA application

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.

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social media for MBA

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…

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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.

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b-school interviews

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?

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