Doug enlisted the help of his Stacy Blackman consultant when he started researching schools and realized very few successful MBA applicants had a similar legal background to his. Doug had attended a top law school immediately after graduation from a large state school. He was academically talented and had a strong GPA and great LSAT score. After law school he had worked at a large firm and became interested in mergers and acquisitions after working on several deals over the two years he practiced law. He decided to pursue an MBA to transition to the business side of the transactions, and was preparing for the GMAT when he started working with us.

Doug’s consultant took a close look at his undergrad transcript and advised Doug to take two or three quantitative classes to balance his political science major with pre-MBA prep. Doug found calculus, statistics and microeconomics classes online that he could balance with his demanding work schedule. The classes doubled as excellent preparation for the GMAT, and Doug was able to pull off a 710 in the first try.

With his academics in order, Doug and his consultant focused on the essays and recommendations. One concern about JDs, and anyone with advanced post-graduate degrees, is that the applicant is simply collecting credentials rather than focusing on accomplishment in the real world. In Doug’s case he had already done significant research and talked to successful M&A professionals both at large banks and in corporate finance positions at large companies. He determined that while a JD was extremely helpful to him, knowing the fundamentals of business and finance were crucial to accomplish his future goals. Doug and his consultant crafted a convincing narrative about his aspirations, and coached his recommenders to emphasize the utility of the MBA in Doug’s specific situation.

After all of his hard work, Doug was thrilled at acceptances from Columbia, Wharton and Duke.

Contact us to learn how your unique background can be an asset in the MBA application process.

Wondering how to get the most out of your MBA experience? If you are a soon-to-be member of the MBA class of 2015, you may not be sure of how to best prepare for what comes next.

I’ve got seven tips for you, which I’ve laid out in an article posted this week in Wharton Magazine, published by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Follow the link above to check it out, and remember, getting in isn’t the end goal. It’s just the beginning!

Hi There!

Could the leaves changing color be any prettier?   Even though it’s not that cool yet in Los Angeles, my sweaters and fireplace are beckoning me.

At this time of year, I always find that I want to hunker down and really focus on my work. Despite the distractions of holiday parties and travel, I love the feeling of productivity.

Congratulations to any of you who have already turned in your applications!  Most of you are still tinkering, which is great. You’re right on track and completely on schedule.

But some of you are stuck.

You’re emailing and tweet’ing one very consistent question: How do you make yourself stand out when, on paper, you don’t sound that different than the rest of the applicant pool?  Like fingerprints, no two applicants are the same.

We greatly undervalue our uniqueness.  We shy away from what makes us stand out.

So how do you know what to include in your essays that will make you seem more interesting and more unique?

Tell your story.

How can you peel back the layers of your life so that a Dean of Admissions, reading hundreds of applications, will feel like he or she got to know you through your writing?

Rapper and music-mogul Jay-Z said it best, “Nobody built like you. You design yourself.”

Just reading that quote makes me feel inspired!

So make sure every word on your application is there to show the reader how you designed yourself.

For more on this and my Three Tips to help you set yourself apart on your business school applications, check out this month’s video.

Until Next Time,

More international students, fewer with undergrad business degrees, and a slight dip in diversity over the previous class were just a few of the changes recently reported by the Stanford Graduate School of Business when it released the MBA Class of 2014 profile.

While no two Stanford MBA students are the same, here’s what they all have in common: intellectual vitality, demonstrated leadership potential, and stellar personal qualities and contributions, dreams and goals. Here are a few key areas of change for the Class of 2014, as revealed by the school:

• The representation of international students increased to an all-time high of 42%, comprising 53 non-U.S. countries.
• U.S. minority representation reverted from last year’s 20-year high of 27% to a more typical level of 20%. All types of diversity matter at Stanford. Our outreach efforts will continue to foster students whose unique perspectives will enhance our learning community.
• The breadth of undergraduate study continues to dazzle us. This year, a few more engineers and humanities majors joined the MBA program, with a handful fewer students who studied business.
• The industry mix changed slightly, but the absolute number both of schools, (especially non-U.S. institutions), and of organizations represented, reached an all-time high. Two-thirds of our new students are the sole person to come directly from that organization.
• Work experience in the class increased slightly to 4.2 years from 4.0 years. This is a peak for the last decade.

The school attributes these shifts to the fact that the admissions process is about admitting individuals—not categories. Stanford is looking for outstanding individuals, and has welcomed exactly 398 of them this year after receiving 6,716 applications.

Round 2 deadline is coming up on January 9, 2013. If applying to Stanford GSB is part of your action plan, check out our Stanford MBA essay tips for guidance on how to best showcase your goals and achievements.

When our client Irene first started working with her SBC consultant, she brought up an issue that was causing her a lot of anxiety. At the beginning of her sophomore year of college Irene was undergoing personal challenges and was suspended for academic dishonesty. The charges were eventually dropped when Irene returned to school, but she was ashamed of this “mark” on her permanent record and extremely concerned about its impact on her MBA applications.

Irene’s consultant reassured her that she was not alone. Many MBA applicants have something less than stellar on their academic record. While it seems devastating at the time, nearly everything that an applicant is ashamed of can be explained appropriately in an MBA application. The key approach is to offer explanations and evidence of growth when explaining anything embarrassing that needs to be addressed.

Irene decided to take on the issue head on in an essay where she discussed her personal challenges during her sophomore year. She briefly explained the circumstances of her difficulties, which were generally related to a family dispute and an abusive romantic relationship, and focused the majority of the essay on what she did to emerge from the challenge a stronger person. Irene had worked hard to improve her relationship with her family and herself, and proactively sought positive interactions during the remainder of her college career. Additionally, Irene prioritized academic achievement and her career goals, and was able to graduate with a 3.7 GPA and an offer from a top consulting firm.

By emphasizing the positive results of the academic probation, Irene was able to gain admission to two of her three target MBA programs and ultimately attended NYU.

Concerned about your own academic record? Contact us to request a free consultation with one of our expert consultants.

Have you already applied to Yale School of Management or thinking of doing so in an upcoming round? Admissions director Bruce DelMonico recently posted insight into the Yale SOM MBA admissions process that we’d like to share with current and future applicants.

Step # 1

Two different members of the Admissions Committee review the submitted applications. Like most top-ranked schools, Yale SOM takes a holistic approach to its review and DelMonico says no one element of the application is determinative. The school is looking for candidates with strong academic backgrounds and leadership potential, with certain qualities that make Yale SOM students distinctive.

According to the admissions director, successful applicants will possess “broadmindedness and intellectual curiosity,” as well as “the ability to think rigorously and act purposefully, and the constancy to navigate uncertain situations.” With a class size of just 250 students, it’s imperative that each member of the community brings an element of diversity through his or her background, experiences, interests and professional aspirations.

Step # 2

For those who applied in Round One, know that Yale SOM has extended approximately a third of the total interview invitations it plans to offer for the round. While an interview is certainly a positive sign, DelMonico cautions against assuming that an invite is a strong indicator of AdCom’s final decision.

“We typically interview roughly 30% of our applicants, and a little more than half of those interviewed are ultimately offered a place in the class,” he explains.

The purpose of the interview is to get a better sense of how you think and act, DelMonico says. Preparation is vital, and you should come in ready to discuss your leadership experience and career trajectory as well as elements from your resume and essays.

Step # 3

If you applied in Round One, you will receive a decisions by December 13, 2012. For those applying on the January 8th Round Two deadline, expect to hear back by March 28, 2013. If you are  still working on your application and interested in learning more about the school, DelMonico notes that Yale SOM has posted additional events to its schedule, including online chats, which are a great way to get a feel for the campus and community.

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For more on applying to Yale School of Management, read Stacy Blackman’s previous posts with Round Two advice, application tips, interview pointers, and more.