*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

Our client Jillian thought she had the recommendation portion of her applications locked up. A few years into her career, she had in hand a strong recommendation from her current supervisor attesting to her leadership skills, and a former boss happy to emphasize her communication skills in a second recommendation.

Jillian was aiming for some top schools, and as she combed through the requirements for Harvard and Stanford GBS with her consultant, they found the catch. Each school asked for not one, not two, but three recommendations. Harvard simply asked for a current or recent supervisor to write one recommendation, and Stanford was a little more specific, asking for the third recommendation to come specifically from a peer and not a supervisor.

“But I work eighty hours a week!” was Jillian’s first reaction. “I’ve made sure to focus on my job the last few years and give it everything I’ve got- I barely have time for anything else so I’m not sure who to ask.” Jillian’s consultant first advised her to look at the problem the other way around: she already had two home-run recommendations ready, so this might be an opportunity to show off a side that hasn’t been showcased elsewhere in her application. They went through all the possibilities, from colleagues at her current and former companies, to her church volunteer work, to her Friday night bowling league.

What they found was Jillian had missed an answer that was right in front of her. At a previous position, she had worked extensively with a peer on several projects in a row, and in the process had become good friends outside of work, continuing their friendship even though both had moved on to other companies. Jillian hadn’t even thought of Grace as a peer anymore since they spent more time at the movies than working on spreadsheets nowadays, but of course Grace was delighted to write her recommendation, and was able to provide personal insight that even Jillian’s supervisors could not.

After digging deep for that third rec, Jillian felt great about sending off her applications to Harvard and Stanford, and as a result of her participation, Grace is now thinking seriously of going for her MBA as well.

Are you having trouble deciding who should recommend you for business school applications? Sign up for a free consultation to talk to one of our experts.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

This time of year we hear from many applicants who have ended up on a wait list for their top choice programs. For our comprehensive clients, wait list strategy is part of the all inclusive consulting package. We’re also available to help new clients on an hourly basis – go ahead and contact us to hear more.

Our comprehensive client Abhishek had selected Wharton as one of his “reach schools” out of a list that included Duke, North Carolina, and UT-Austin. He had a stellar academic record in his engineering program, and an interesting work trajectory. Abhishek started his career at a large multi-national IT consulting firm, and then took a position as the third employee at a start-up providing services to small businesses. The company grew and as their client base expanded Abhishek was able to increase his responsibilities rapidly into project management and client facing services.

Abhishek’s work experience helped him stand out from similar applicants, and his MBA plans were in line with his future goal to be a C-level executive at the company. However, Abhishek had a hard time with the GMAT and had only a 680. The quant and verbal sections were also a bit uneven, and despite taking the test several times Abhishek had been unable to crack the 80th percentile barrier that schools like Wharton prefer to see.

Though Abhishek’s GMAT was lower than the mean for Wharton and many of his other target schools, we thought his excellent GPA and interesting work experience would be enough to get him a close read from the admissions committee. As results came in, Abhishek was admitted to UT-Austin, Duke, and wait listed at Wharton. Because Wharton was his top choice, and the reach school, Abhishek decided to remain on the wait list and see if it would come through.

Wharton specifically discourages additional information from wait listed candidates. Therefore we did not put together a wait list letter or seek additional recommendations to bolster Abhishek’s case. It was clear that Abhishek’s lower than average GMAT was likely causing question on his candidacy and making it difficult to choose him over similar candidates with stronger scores. Since this was such a clear weakness in his application, we encouraged Abhishek to take the test again after changing his study approach (he used a tutor who designed a personalized plan to address his specific issues). Though Wharton wouldn’t accept additional materials, they would see his improved GMAT score when it was officially submitted at the test site.

Abhishek successfully increased his score to 710 by focusing on some of his test anxiety. Later in the summer he was offered a spot in the Wharton incoming class and he decided to take it.

Though we can never know if his improved GMAT score was the reason Abhishek made it off the wait list he was glad to have taken concrete steps to improve his chances.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

Our client Natasha wanted to apply to Stanford, her dream school, but was intimidated by the acceptance rate below 10%. When she initially met with us to talk about her candidacy, she wanted to find schools that she felt more comfortable attempting. Though Stanford is a reach school for most candidates, we advised Natasha that it was worth aiming high for Stanford, as part of a strategy that included other schools that might be more realistic.

In Natasha’s case she overestimated her competition and underestimated herself. Natasha had an interesting career as an international banking associate working in the oil and gas industry across Russia and the Middle East. Her experience was diverse, and fed directly into her future career goal to expand alternative energy solutions while partnering with governments around the world. Natasha’s academic credentials were stellar, with a 3.7 GPA and 730 GMAT and she had a long list of volunteer service projects both during undergrad and beyond. In short, Natasha was exactly the kind of well-rounded and interesting candidate a school like Stanford likes to admit.

In discussing Natasha’s misgivings about aiming for a school like Stanford, she expressed that the competition must be very stiff and she imagined Princeton grads with Goldman Sachs pedigrees as the ideal candidate for the top tier programs. While certainly those candidates are part of the pool and can offer compelling cases for admission, there is no such thing as a “perfect” MBA applicant. Women applicants, in particular, often downplay their strengths and ability to perform in an MBA environment. Self-awareness is a key attribute of successful business leaders, but the ability to take a chance and aim for a long shot can also bring results.

In the end Natasha was admitted to Stanford, as well as INSEAD and Chicago. She told us that even without such amazing results, she was glad that she had not rejected herself from her “dream school” before the school had a chance to make a decision on her admission.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

MBA programs want to admit applicants who they believe will make optimal use of the degree to achieve their professional goals. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to show in all aspects of your application that an MBA will take your career to the next level. Most candidates understand the need to explain why an MBA makes sense in the context of overall career goals, but how do you explain the career stumbling blocks and setbacks that are often part of working life?

Our client Dwayne had performed incredibly well in his work as a marketing professional. He had been promoted rapidly to Manager at his agency, and was sponsored by management for a leadership program. About a year before Dwayne wanted to apply to MBA programs his company went through substantial layoffs, and Dwayne decided to take a voluntary separation agreement and remain on as a contractor for a few months. In the meantime, he took the opportunity to pursue his long-term career goal in non-profit management and decided to focus his time on his volunteer activities and applying to school.

Right before applying to UCLA, Kellogg, Darden and Yale, Dwayne landed a position that was a reduction in title to Coordinator, but which allowed him to gain experience at a large national non-profit organization. Dwayne was excited about the opportunity, yet concerned about how the move would look to MBA programs.

We focused on how Dwayne responded to the layoffs at his agency with optimism and goal orientation. He was able to highlight his volunteer experience and what it taught him about his goals and working with others, and also we briefly mentioned the new position. Most importantly we explained the step back in title in detail and why this was the right move for Dwayne despite his five years of work experience in Marketing.

When Dwayne received his results he was excited to be admitted to Kellogg and Yale, and only faced the tough decision about which top tier program he wanted to attend.

We’ve addressed the concerns of applicants with a history of layoffs, or family business experience. What would you do if you needed to move into a new job just a few months before submitting your MBA applications?

Josh started working with Stacy Blackman Consulting last August and during our initial conversation it was clear that his current workplace was not incredibly stable. Soon after his third draft of essays for his Round 1 applications, he landed a new job. This was in the nick of time, as his former company lost a major client and started a round of layoffs. He was relieved to start a new position in a field he was interested in, but Josh was also concerned that switching jobs right before submitting his MBA applications would be an issue.

Josh had two concerns related to the fresh job:

1. How to talk about new work responsibilities in essays and the resume when he was still learning the ropes.

2. Most schools prefer current supervisors as recommenders and he wasn’t sure how to handle.

For his first concern we actually decided to frame most of his career goals story in the context of the work he had done for the previous three years. He worked in technology and had rapidly risen through the ranks of his former company, which was a startup. Josh discussed his lessons learned and what he wanted to gain from his MBA and future career and his eventual goal to start his own company. He also described the reasons he joined the new company, but spent most of his work experience examples on the responsibilities of his old position.

Josh’s resume was something we decided to push a bit later in the process. By the time we revised it for MBA applications he had almost two months of work experience at the new company under his belt and was more confident in describing his position.
Recommenders were trickier because Josh did not want to inform his new company about his MBA plans. He was able to explain in an optional essay that his current supervisor had only known him for a few months. Therefore he made the case for asking recommenders from his previous three years of work experience to comment upon his work and ability to achieve.

Josh ended up enjoying his new job tremendously, and was excited to recently learn he was accepted to Michigan Ross.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

As deadlines near many candidates become more and more nervous about putting together the perfect application and submitting everyone on time. The MBA admissions process requires a great deal of time and money, and an exhausting level of self-examination in some cases. The high stress of this time can take an emotional toll on any applicant.

Cassandra was a client who worked with us for several months preparing a round two deadline to Stanford, NYU, Yale and Kellogg. Her profile was impressive from a 720 GMAT score to a 3.8 GPA to her three years of experience at a prestigious investment bank. Cassandra had some excellent leadership experience as part of the women’s group in her firm, and extensive volunteering with her college alumni association.

We started working with Cassandra on her essays and recommendations, helping her prepare her recommenders for the questions posed by each school, and setting an essay strategy that emphasized her exceptional leadership qualities, achievements at work, and quantitative ability. We had a road map for the application and were on track to achieve her deadlines with time to spare.

As the application process continued, Cassandra started talking to her peers at work about their applications and approach. While it was useful to commiserate over hours spent on MBA applications, she became more and more nervous about her own chances as compared to others in her firm. Compounding her anxiety, Cassandra was reading Internet forums, especially focusing on a rumor that Tuck and Stanford were admitting fewer candidates from her industry. All of the input created stress for Cassandra, and luckily she raised her concerns in our next conversation.

While chance, trends, and your competition are always a factor, as we discussed with Cassandra the only part of the MBA application you can control is your own materials. It’s important to showcase yourself effectively in your peer group, and it’s also important to maintain your strategy and confidence. As we discussed her concerns, we were able to ease Cassandra’s mind and return our focus to finalizing her application materials and submitting by the deadline. After Cassandra submitted her last application she turned off the computer and went on vacation for two weeks. When she returned she was relaxed and ready to focus on interview preparation.

Her application strategy paid off, and Cassandra was admitted to Kellogg.