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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.

Cornell Johnson campus

Cornell Johnson MBA Essays: Tips & Strategy

Jun. 27th, 2024 | by: Silpa Sarma

Cornell’s Johnson School is known for its tight-knit community and culture of collaboration. Learning to harness the power of a team to drive impact is a key component of the MBA experience at Johnson, and diversity among backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences is greatly valued. To identify candidates who fit that culture, the Cornell Johnson MBA […]

MIT sloan MBA

MIT Sloan MBA Strategy: How to Tackle the Application

Jun. 27th, 2024 | by: Tsahala David

MIT Sloan just released deadlines for its 2024–25 admissions cycle, with an additional video essay added to the application components. MIT Sloan’s MBA application exemplifies the institution’s ethos of boundary-breaking innovation. The process omits several of the typical elements of an M7 application. The school doesn’t require you to write a “Why MIT” essay, nor […]

harvard mba essays

HBS Essays: What is Harvard Looking For?

Jun. 26th, 2024 | by: Karla Cohen

Harvard Business School has released new essay questions for the 2024-25 season, the biggest change by HBS admissions in a decade. The school has ditched its longstanding wide-open prompt with a generous limit of 900 words in favor of a series of three much shorter essays. As a Fortuna Admissions coach and former Associate Director at HBS, […]

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Fortuna’s Free MBA Consults Are Different: Here’s Why

Jun. 21st, 2024 | by: Scott Brownlee

“You treated me like a person with an impactful story instead of a number.” “You really heard my concerns about applying to Harvard with a low GPA and a rough patch at work, helping me see a path through the noise in my head to a successful plan of action that got me back on […]

INSEAD MBA Video Interview Questions

INSEAD MBA Video Interview Questions: Tips and Strategy

Jun. 10th, 2024 | by: Melissa Jones

The INSEAD’s full-time MBA application requires candidates to submit a video as part of their application process. Applicants must answer four random questions in a very short, timed session. These videos, submitted via the Kira interview platform, give the Admissions Committee a fresh, unfiltered sample of your communication style and skills and a chance to […]

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 […]

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