Dee Leopold « Master Admissions

April 23, 2012

Want to get into b-school? Be yourself!

Filed under: Application ideas,Harvard Business School,Inspiration — Tags: 85 Broads, Admissions, admitted, authenticity, business school, Columbia Businesss School, Dee Leopold, Harvard Business School, Mary Miller, MBA, Michigan Ross, Soojin Kwon Koh — admin @ 1:23 pm

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "authentic?" My bet would be that you don't automatically think of an MBA student. But someday, you just might.

Why? The top business schools are not only looking for applicants with academic potential, but they’re seeking out a new breed of leader—someone who’s passionate, collaborative, and wants to make a difference in the world. They want applicants with more than good grades, impressive scores, and a letter of recommendation from the likes of Bill Clinton. They’re looking for people who can use their hearts and souls when making business decisions—leaders who are authentic.

Many applicants shudder at the thought of revealing themselves in a business school application (“what if I look imperfect?”). But believe it or not, that’s OK! If you try to be the person you think schools want to read about, you’ll end up sounding just like every other candidate out there. So, take a look at these do’s and don’ts that will help you show business schools your true self—and your leadership potential.

Do: Be Yourself

It’s corny, but according to Mary Miller, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Columbia Business School, it works—and it’s exactly what admissions committees are looking for. “Be yourself,” she advised in a BusinessWeek interview. “We're all unique individuals; we all present ourselves in a unique way…After you read 10,000 applications, it's pretty easy to pick out who really shares themselves.” So do some self-exploration before you start writing. Figure out your own motivations and influences to get in touch with the genuine you.

Don’t: Presume You Know What They Want to Hear

Don’t model yourself after admitted applicant “essays that worked.” Admissions readers are wise to the templates that are out there, and they’ll take away from your own authenticity.

Instead, write what you want people to read in your application essays. As Director of Michigan Ross MBA Admissions Soojin Kwon Koh says, “the uniqueness comes when you answer questions using your own experiences and your own points of view developed through your unique way of processing experiences. An off-the-shelf approach is a sure way to distinguish yourself—in a negative way.”

Do: Learn By Doing

Of course you can take Myers Briggs or Enneagram tests to determine your leadership style—but the best way to develop it is to go out and make things happen. Take on a new responsibility at work, join a non-profit steering committee, or mentor someone who could benefit from your expertise—and use those experiences to talk about your leadership potential. Take note of how you work with others when you are faced with challenges and actively seek feedback on ways to improve.

Don’t: Be Like the Tin Man

Harvard Business School Admissions Director Dee Leopold claims that the best candidates have a “Wizard of Oz” combination: brains, heart, and courage. We all know plenty of smart, gutsy people—some of whom have risen to the top of their organizations. But many are missing a crucial ingredient: heart.

Authentic leaders show heart, which comes in the form of their dedication to their purpose, and their commitment to their values. Throughout the application process, don’t be afraid to reveal your passion—it’s this quality that makes someone a leader worth following.

Do: Stand Proud of Your Success

It’s OK to be excited about your accomplishments—in fact, you should showcase them in your essays and interviews. Tell stories to illustrate your experiences and potential. . Just don’t forget to acknowledge the contributions of your teammates and supporters too. . Success is something you should be proud to share, but chances are, you didn’t get there alone.

Don’t: Brag

While showing pride can be an asset, don’t get carried away—you can be gracious about your accomplishments without boasting. Dwell on your accomplishments too long, and you risk sounding like what cynics call the “typical MBA,” not a future leader. Also, don’t be afraid to own up to your mistakes. Nobody’s perfect, and admitting that you’re fallible can demonstrate maturity.

As you begin to prepare your essays and applications, you may think your own stories aren’t so interesting. In reality, the opposite is true—the more genuine you are, the more interesting your stories become. That authenticity will improve your chances for admission, and pave the way for success—in business school and beyond.

This article originally appeared in The Daily Muse.

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February 3, 2012

The Round 3 Question

Filed under: Application ideas,Harvard Business School — Tags: Admissions, Cornell Johnson, Dee Leopold, Fuqua, Harvard Business School, Indiana Kelley, MBA, McCombs, Round 3, Stanford GSB, Tepper, third round, UCLA Anderson, UNC Kenan-Flagler, USC Marshall, Wharton — admin @ 4:52 pm

Some business school applicants are legitimately wondering whether they should go ahead and apply in Round 3 for the 2012 entering class. Some realize that if they don’t apply in this round, they probably won’t matriculate this year. Others figure that they should take advantage of this one last chance to round out their choices.

If you are thinking of Round 3, take a look at the following list of do’s and don’ts. It just may help you decide whether to go through the process one more time. At the bottom of this post you’ll also find an unscientific list of schools that may be worth reviewing for third round. This does not mean that it’s a cakewalk, just that they may have more flexibility than, say, Harvard or Wharton.

You should apply third round if

You ran out of time second round and had some other target schools that interested you (and you fell within the profile of the class of 2013)
You improved your GMAT score by enough to put you within the target school’s range
You overlooked a school and, after taking a closer look, you think you might be a good fit
After going through the whole application process, you really realize you are less hung up on a top 5 name.
You are considering part-time programs when you only applied to full-time programs

You should NOT apply third round if

You only want to go to a top 5 school and you didn’t get into the top 4
You are outside of the school’s 2013 class profile
You aren’t sure what you want to do
The thought of filling out another application gives you a rash
You hate your job and it just occurred to you to apply to business school last week

If your scores/grades are lower than average/mean/standard distribution for your target school, take the time to retake your tests, or take a few courses in finance/accounting/business statistics and ace them. If your work experience isn’t strong enough, take on more projects or a team leadership role.

The final round is not the death round; I know some very successful third-round admits at schools as competitive as Stanford.

As a bonus, I’m reposting excerpts from Harvard Business School admissions director Dee Leopold’s 2011 blog post about Round 3:

Round Three - Should You or Shouldn't You?
…You may be asking yourself whether it's worth your time and money to submit an application. Is it too much of a long shot?

…we always conclude that we like Round 3 enough to keep it as an option. Although we have admitted about 90% of the class by this time, we always - ALWAYS - see enough interesting Round 3 applicants to want to do it again. I know you wish I could define "interesting" with pinpoint accuracy but I can't. Sometimes it's work experience, sometimes it's an undergraduate school we wish we had more students from, sometimes it's a compelling recommendation …

So if you are interested in trying for HBS in Round 3, make sure you get your application in by April 10, 2012.

An Unscientific List of Third-Round Deadlines that Might Be Useful, (in date order)

Indiana Kelley 3/1

Carnegie Mellon Tepper 3/5

Duke Fuqua 3/8

Cornell Johnson 3/14 (R4)

USC Marshall 3/15

UNC Kenan-Flagler 3/16 (R4)

Texas McCombs 3/26 (R4)

UCLA Anderson 4/18

–Betsy Massar

Don’t forget to check out our new book Admitted: An Interactive Workbook for Getting Into a Top MBA Program

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September 13, 2011

Wrangling Recommendations for MBA Admissions

Filed under: Application ideas — Tags: Admissions, Dee Leopold, Derrick Bolton, Harvard Business School, HBS, Jeremy Wilson, MBA, Michigan Ross, Northwestern Kellogg, recommendations, Soojin Kwon Koh — admin @ 1:36 pm

Wrangling Recommendations is High Art

As we come up to the business school application deadlines, thousands of aspiring MBA students are asking their bosses, former bosses, senior colleagues, and even clients for recommendations to business school. Some might argue that it’s already too late to hit up a busy executive for a b-school recommendation, but if you plan and execute right, the amount of time remaining should be reasonable.

Don't Overthink
You can find many opinions about how to strategize the recommendations all over the web. I only have three words to say about it: Don’t overthink it. Admissions officers have come right out on their websites and told students what they are looking for in a recommendation, and I encourage you to take them at their word.

A classic article on this subject can be found on the Stanford Graduate School of Business website. Kirsten Moss, the GSB’s former Director of MBA admissions, offered clear advice for all applicants, not just Stanford. She purports that the recommendation is “about about bringing this person alive. How, if they left tomorrow, would [the] organization have been touched in a unique way. “

Note too, that admission committee members reading your letters of recommendation don’t want everything to be stellar. If all the recommenders say that the applicant is wonderful for the same reasons, or if the student looks like a demi-god, “it loses its authenticity.” says Stanford's Moss.

Derrick Bolton, Dean of Admissions at Stanford’s MBA program also guides students with ideas to make the letters specific:

You might review the recommendation form and jot down relevant anecdotes in which you demonstrated the competencies in question. Specific stories will help make you come alive in the process, and your recommender will appreciate the information.

And from Harvard Business School...
Dee Leopold, the very experienced and candid Director of Admissions at Harvard Business School, advises that recommenders answer the questions posed, and be specific (good advice for applicants as well as recommenders!). Furthermore, “Many recommendations are well-written and enthusiastic in their praise but essentially full of adjectives and short on actual examples of how your wonderful qualities play out in real life,” she explains. “What we are hoping for are brief recounts of specific situations and how you performed.” Her blog is not indexed, so I recommend searching for her posts of August 24, 2009 and June 17, 2008.

The always articulate Soojin Kwon Koh, Director of Admissions at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, allays fears that your recommenders must write perfect prose. “We won’t be evaluating your recommenders’ writing skills. We will be looking for content that helps us understand who you are as a professional and … the impact you had within your organization.” She also offers the following four specific tips

1. Choose substance over title (in other words, don’t ask your CEO)
2. Go with professional relationships
3. Make it easy for your recommender (For example, remind them of examples, in context)
4. Provide ample lead time

More Excellent Resources Available

Several students and former students have chimed in on the recommendations process. One of my favorite applicant blogs, Palo Alto For Awhile, thoughtfully offered a very specific step-by-step guideline for the recommendation process.

Another generous soul is Jeremy Wilson, who is on the Northwestern Kellogg admissions committee and currently a JD-MBA student there. He offers some answers on how to ask someone to write a recommendation who is very, very busy. Good question! His response is thoughtful, and action-oriented. I especially like his #3, “Highlight Why You Picked Them.”

Indeed, organizing and managing the recommendation process can be a challenge, especially if you are applying to a number of different schools. But it's a lot like managing a project at work: you've got to get buy-in and meet the deadlines.

I know you’ve got it in you.

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December 9, 2010

Non-Traditional MBA Candidates and "Bizability"

Filed under: Application ideas,Harvard Business School,Wharton — Tags: Admissions, Betsy Massar, business school, Dee Leopold, Harvard Business School, HBS, MBA, non-traditional candidate, Wharton, Yale — admin @ 8:44 pm

It’s funny, but almost everyone I know is a non-traditional candidate for their MBA. And it scares them. They think everyone else applying to business school comes from consulting or finance, and those not from those fields should just give up. We all know a few consultants, investment banking types, and more than a few engineers at business school. And indeed, if you look at the profiles of many business schools (here’s a link to the Wharton MBA site, where you will see a combination of 37% for those in finance and private equity). But thousands of others from backgrounds in the arts, social enterprise, hard science, start-ups, and the military will make their way to MBA program of their choice in the fall of 2011. Really.

It’s a Master of Business Administration

Here’s something that most people don’t understand: getting into business school is not just about leadership. Indeed, leadership is very important, and may be one of the most important elements of the application, but understanding what makes a business enterprise work is probably just as important. Dee Leopold, the famed director of admissions at Harvard Business School, calls this business acumen “bizability.” I wrote about it in a previous blog post, last August after watching her presentation to prospective students. Bizability is so important, that it is worth going over again.

The term bizability reminds students that they are (nearly always) applying to a school of business. The degree is called a Master of Business Administration. The Yale School of Management had tried for two decades to sell its Master of Public and Private Management (MPPM) degree, but the school officially changed the name to the MBA in 2000. Business is about commerce, about enterprise, and even in the case of non-profits, it’s about making money. Dee Leopold described it as being “grounded in the language of business.”

Bizability means that students have to, at some level, like business. I once met a student who wanted a joint degree in education and business to fund a school, but she hated business. She didn’t care about it; she didn’t appreciate finance, she just thought it was all evil. That is not a great admissions strategy. You have to like business well enough to have been exposed to what makes a company tick and want to learn more.

Drawing upon your own experiences

It doesn’t mean that you have to work in the private sector to “get” business. You have to be able to appreciate what makes businesses work well. For those of you who have only worked in non-profit or government, think hard about where you have used actual business skills to succeed. Have you run – or do you work with — the budget for your department? Do you know how to read financial statements? Do you follow the business press? Have you ever run your own little business? You don’t have to answer “yes” to all of these questions, but they cannot scare you.

So think about what business school is about and what having a career with a business degree means. Think about words like industry, commerce, management, enterprise, company, market, trade, and finance. Do you have an affinity for any of these ideas? If so, you are on your way, and are perhaps not so scarily non-traditional after all.

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August 21, 2010

A Treasury of Grad School Recommendation Resources

Filed under: Harvard Business School,Northwestern Kellogg,Recommendations,Stanford GSB — Tags: Admissions, Betsy Massar, business school, Dee Leopold, Harvard Business School, Kellogg MBA, Kirsten Moss, Stanford GSB, Stanford MBA — admin @ 9:16 am

It’s about six weeks from the first deadlines for applying to business school, and thousands of aspiring MBA students are asking their bosses, former bosses, senior colleagues, and even clients for recommendations to business school. Some might argue that it’s already too late to hit up a busy executive for a b-school recommendation, but if you plan and execute right, the amount of time remaining should be reasonable.

A classic article/podcast on this subject can be found on the Stanford Graduate School of Business website. Kirsten Moss, the GSB’s Director of MBA admissions, offers some clear advice for all applicants, not just Stanford. She makes it very clear that the recommendation is “about about bringing this person alive. How, if they left tomorrow, would [the] organization have been touched in a unique way. “

Note too, that the people reading your letters of recommendation don’t want everything to be stellar. If all the recommenders say that the applicant is wonderful for the same reasons, or if the student looks like a demi-god, “it loses its authenticity.” says Stanford's Moss.

But here’s the money quote – why Kirsten Moss and her colleagues at the Stanford Graduate School of Business went to the trouble to spell it out for applicants and their recommenders. This is what they are looking for:

When I read a really great recommendation, the person jumps off the page and they really come alive. I feel like I know them; I know the good, the bad, the warts; if I walked into a room, I could almost pick out this person.

And from Harvard Business School...
Dee Leopold, the very experienced and candid Director of Admissions at Harvard Business School, has also given advice on recommendations. She advises that recommenders answer the questions posed, and be specific (good advice for applicants as well as recommenders!). Furthermore, “Many recommendations are well-written and enthusiastic in their praise but essentially full of adjectives and short on actual examples of how your wonderful qualities play out in real life,” she explains. “What we are hoping for are brief recounts of specific situations and how you performed.” Her blog is not indexed, so I recommend searching for her posts of August 24, 2009 and June 17, 2008.

Several students have chimed in on the recommendations process. One of my favorite applicant blogs, Palo Alto For Awhile, thoughtfully offered a very specific step-by-step guideline for the recommendation process. (S)he recommends asking two-to-three months out, so if you are a stickler, and are thinking of applying the second round, you are not too late.

Another generous soul is Jeremy Wilson, who is on the Northwestern Kellogg admissions committee and currently a JD-MBA student there. He offers some answers

You could get down on your knees and beg

on how to ask someone to write a recommendation who is very, very busy. Good question! His response is thoughtful, and action-oriented. I especially like his #3, “Highlight Why You Picked Them.”

I know you’ve got it in you.

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August 2, 2010

Notes from an Admissions Expert

Filed under: Essays,Harvard Business School — Tags: Admissions, Dee Leopold, Harvard Business School, HBS, MBA — admin @ 8:25 pm

It’s an annual event. Harvard Business School kicks off the touring season, offering potential MBA candidates insights on the school, tips on applying, and chances for successful matriculation.

It’s a good show. I am even more impressed this year than I was last year, which I wrote about on 85 Broads . Amazingly, it’s one year later. Dee Leopold, head of admissions, is the best. She has been on the Harvard Business School’s admissions committee on and off since she graduated in 1980. She knows the ropes. Dee is funny, candid, and a great speaker. Although her presentation is specific to HBS, I think anyone applying to any business school would to well to take on board her advice.

Dee Leopold’s presentation emphasized an overarching point -- Harvard Business School is looking for students who have already demonstrated a habit of leadership – that is, “we are finding leadership, not creating it out of thin air.” And of course, that the work is challenging. Last year, she made sure she reminded applicants that Harvard Business School is a school – that is, there’s a lot of work involved. (I can attest to that point). This year, her message was even more specific: students should have

An analytical aptitude and appetite
“Bizability”

Analytical Aptitude and Appetite

Because Harvard is known as school that focuses on leadership, many applicants forget that much of the learning depends on understanding the analytics. Analytical aptitude is relatively easy to measure by looking at grades on quantitative undergraduate courses such as business statistics, calculus or econometrics. Or hard science or engineering courses. Admissions directors will also look at the quantitative portion of your standardized tests to judge that aptitude. But it goes beyond that.

By emphasizing an analytical appetite, I believe that the HBS Admissions board wants to see that the prospective student likes to play with numbers, that he or she appreciates that quantitative analysis can help a leader make decisions. This does not mean that the school is looking only for science or quant jocks. I personally know a number of amateur historians who are quite adept at getting in and crunching numbers – and that “appetite” is what the school is looking for. Remember, the “s” in HBS stands for “school” and the admissions committee, the faculty, and prospective employers what to see that see students who roll up their sleeves and dig in to the analysis.

Bizability

To be honest, I had never heard this expression, so I was relieved when the HBS admissions director admitted that she had made it up. And it’s a good word, one that goes back to what interests you. I personally think it means that a student has to like business and have a feel for what business does. This is even true for those coming from the public sector; Dee made it clear that she wanted to see prospective students “grounded in the language of business.”

It doesn’t mean that you have to work in the private sector to “get” business. You have to be able to appreciate what makes businesses tick. For those of you who have only worked in non-profit or government, think hard about where you have used actual business skills to succeed. Have you run – or do you work with -- the budget for your department? Do you know how to read financial statements? Do you follow the business press? You don’t have to answer “yes” to all of these questions, but they cannot scare you.

So what if you have the analytical appetite, but haven’t proven the ability, or don’t think you have that “bizability” down? It’s not all over, but then, this might not be your year to apply. Think about what business school is about and what having a career with a business degree means. Talk to alums who have been through the programs and are doing what you want to be doing five or 10 years from now.

And for those of you who have these traits, try and articulate them. Think about where you have gone in and crunched the numbers – whether it is for your own stock portfolio or regression analysis on a market research data. Or figuring out how to get your organization the most bang for a buck of grant money.

These are just some ideas to make you comfortable with the idea of being a business person – particularly one who “gets it.” It’s not magic, but it does have to be the right fit for you.

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June 24, 2010

What Admissions Officers Tell Us

Filed under: Application ideas,Harvard Business School — Tags: Admissions, Betsy Massar, business school, Dee Leopold, emotional intelligence, Haas, Harvard Business School, MBA, MIT — admin @ 3:12 pm

The admissions process to business school is getting increasingly transparent. As a result, more students are focused on applying to the right school, rather than a scatter-shot of programs in the top rankings.

That’s a good thing – for you, the applicant, and for the school, that wants to attract a student that will be happy and thrive in its environment. Last week I had the privilege of learning this first-hand from admissions professionals from about 15 business schools, including MIT Sloan and Harvard Business School, our hosts.

The Real You
One thing all admissions officers agreed upon was authenticity. They wanted to see candidates who presented their authentic selves –not someone that can be found in a book of sample essays. The top programs look for work success, or as Rod Garcia from MIT’s Sloan School said, “Not work experience, but success, and where you are relative to your peer group.” Additionally, admissions officers were key in on emotional intelligence, particularly self-awareness. (I’ve blogged on emotional intelligence and admissions in the past; here’s a link to a post regarding Daniel Goleman’s five components of EQ.)

Emotional intelligence shows up everywhere – in every interaction with the school; admissions officers use your interactions all along the process as a proxy for how you will act at school, and in the real world with employers. This is all consistent with the 85 Broads Jam Session: 10 Tips to Make Your Application Rock.

A Worldly View
Many of the admissions officers were looking for students that can adapt to multicultural organizations – that goes beyond coming from a country different from the MBA program’s location. Peter Johnson of Berkeley’s Haas program told us that recruiters are looking for adaptability, and someone who “has the ability to move beyond what they already know.”
Admissions officers from INSEAD, Columbia, and Harvard Business School all referred to a global outlook.

And here’s an easy tip: every one of the admissions officers agreed that one-page resume trumped a two-pager. “Less is more,” they said.

The Sloan School
MIT Sloan impressed us with a wonderful description of all their programs – not just the MBA program, but a new executive MBA program, the Master in Finance Program, and the Leaders for Global Operations program, a Global Operations MBA & Masters in Engineering joint degree. We were lucky enough to see two faculty presentations, both of which underscored that MIT Sloan believes in “action-based learning.” I became a huge fan of Professor Steven Eppinger’s Product Design and Development Course – oh how I wish I could go back and do my MBA all over again!

Harvard Business School
The final day was at my alma mater, Harvard Business School. I was surprised and delighted to see that facilities don’t seem to have changed since I was last there, but have just gotten better and better. In Aldrich Hall, where first-year classes are held, HBS director of admissions Dee Leopold told us why the school is different – largely due to the case study method, where students “build muscles around judgment.” I was delighted by her reference to the Wizard of Oz in terms of a successful applicant’s qualities: HBS is looking for students with a combination of “brains, heart, and courage.” Dee also talked about different leadership styles (I’ve seen her talk about this in her road-show presentations to prospective applicants), and the rigor of the program. “It’s hard,” she said. You won’t get an argument from me on that one.

So keep doing your research on the programs. Ask yourself the hard questions: do I want to go to business school? Is it right for me? Is this program right for me or something that will impress my employer (Or my parents? Or my ex?). Think like a Harvard MBA student, where, as they say, self-examination is a varsity sport.

And what you learn from this process is yours to keep.

Taken while at the HBS library, June 2010

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January 12, 2010

MBA Deadlines for Round 2 Mostly Behind Us

Filed under: Application ideas,Chicago Booth,Harvard Business School,Stanford GSB — Tags: business school admissions, Chicago Booth, Chicago MBA, Columbia, Dee Leopold, Harvard MBA, MBA admissions, Rose Martinelli, Stanford MBA — admin @ 3:01 pm

It has been a crazy few weeks -- application deadlines for the most popular application date "Round 2" have come and gone with one significant exception: Harvard Business School.

Indeed, the flagship MBA program has offered potential candidates an extra two weeks beyond Stanford GSB, Wharton and Columbia. Kellogg's deadline is January 14, and NYU Stern, which used to be later in the month, moved its deadline up to January 15.

Dee Leopold, Harvard Business School's director of admissions, put a note up on the admissions blog about HBS's deadline. She offers some handy tips on essay word limits (don't go way over, but don't stress over a few extra words), recommender word limits (roughly one page of text, but HBS won't cut it off if it goes over), and she tells us that it doesn't matter whether you submit today or a few minutes before the deadline -- all applications are considered equally.

Note that this is not true for all schools -- Chicago comes to mind as an exception to this rule; Rose Martinelli has indicated that sending earlier in the round is helpful to her team. And then there are the schools like Columbia, which offer a rolling admissions schedule.

Having said all that, if your application was not ready by Round 2, it's not the end of the world. I know of a woman who applied to Stanford, and only Stanford in Round 3, and got in. And I can guarantee you that her resume did not read like a joint winner of the Nobel Peace and Physics prizes.

Here's the link to the HBS admissions FAQ.

Harvard Business School Director of Admissions Blog

Remember, proof, proof and reproof where you can. And once you hit send, make sure you go out and celebrate!

Best of luck to all of you. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. The more 85 Broads we get into business school, the better.

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October 10, 2009

HBS Update on Interviews

Filed under: Application ideas — Tags: Admissions, Applications, Dee Leopold, Harvard Business School, HBS, MBA — admin @ 2:02 pm

This is more a long tweet than a blog post, and I apologize up front. But for all those who are anxious about Harvard Business School's first-round interviews, Admissions Director Dee Leopold says invitations will start trickling out October 16 to Dec. 15.

HBS Round 1 Update

She writes:
Round 1 Update
Date: October 09, 2009

Greetings. We're already deep into round 1 applications. As the leaves begin to turn colors (shameless plug for our spectacular foliage in New England) our board members burrow into their offices or study carrels in the library and we're drinking lots of coffee in Spangler in order to keep us on schedule.

We expect to begin sending out interview invitations on October 16. This year we may not be trying to send as many out on one day as we did last year... maybe more like a not-scientifically-measured stream until December 15. We really (really, really, really) don't know how many will go out on any given day. If you call and ask, we will say exactly that.

Interviews will take place during the month of November in Boston and in other hub cities. Detailed instructions to candidates about how to sign up for interviews will be included in their email invitation from us.

Don't worry about whether our email will get lost and we'll give away your interview spot. We don't do that. We'll find you. We've been doing this for a long time and we haven't lost anyone yet!

I will post updates whenever I think it would be helpful and others in our office will keep you current through Twitter and Facebook.

And I'm hoping that I can devote one post each week to answering your questions.

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October 3, 2009

Application Tactics for the MBA

Filed under: Application ideas,Chicago Booth,Harvard Business School,Stanford GSB — Tags: Admissions, business school admissions, Chicago Booth, Chicago MBA, Dee Leopold, Harvard MBA, MBA, Rose Martinelli, Stanford MBA — admin @ 2:05 pm

So much going on - coaching first-year students at Stanford Graduate School of Business on their Critical Analytic Thinking papers, advising applicants for Round 1 & 2, planning an essay-writing workshop for the Harvard Alumni Club. It's exhilarating.

So instead I will turn to my favorite admissions blogger, Rose Martinelli, Director of Admissions at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She reports that it does pay to apply ahead of the deadline at Chicago Booth. That does not mean that it is true in the case of all schools; HBS reps have mentioned that they do not look at anything in advance of the final deadline.

If you are curious about how your top-choice school reviews the applications, there's no harm in asking. Just email the admissions office, or send a question in advance of one of their many chats, and you'll likely get a response.

Here's Rose:

I'd like to address why you might want to consider applying prior to any of our Round deadlines. Since my team will begin evaluating applications at least one week prior to each application deadline, those applications that are submitted (and are considered complete with all required application parts) will be queued up to enter the evaluation process ahead of those submitted on the deadline. This means that you will hear back from the admissions committee regarding the interview process well ahead of those who wait to apply on the deadline, giving you ample time to plan whether you wish to visit campus for the interview or schedule an interview locally with an alumnus/a.

While the deadline for Round 1 is October 14, the deadline refers only to the last date that we will accept applications. So for all of you A-types that are accustomed to getting your work done well in advance of its due-date, I hope this provides you with an incentive to click submit when you've finished rather than wait until the deadline. Happy application writing! Rose

Rose Report

Meanwhile, take a look at some of HBS Admissions Director Dee Leopold's answers to recent questions. (Bearing in mind that the October 1 Round 1 deadline has passed.)

HBS Admissions Blog

Feel free to email me if you have any questions of your own about b-school applications. --Betsy

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