*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.

While top MBA programs in the United States are very interested in European candidates, some aspects of your profile may make it challenging to apply from Europe.

Aldo engaged Stacy Blackman Consulting to consult on his applications to Kellogg, Haas, Wharton, and NYU. Three years of investment banking experience at a bank based in the UK, and 18 months in London, was a good basis for his ultimate goal to work in real estate private equity in Italy. Aldo hoped to work for an investment bank in NYC, specializing in real estate, immediately after his MBA. A balanced GMAT with an overall 720, and a 3.8 GPA presented a very strong academic profile for Aldo.

Aldo’s main issue was that extracurriculars and volunteering was not quite as emphasized in his undergraduate experience, and was not a priority for his peers in banking in Italy or London either. As a result, he had limited aspects to demonstrate the community engagement US programs are looking for.

We worked with Aldo to think of anything he could use in his background to add some interest to his overall profile. Because of a passion for traveling he had visited all seven continents and studied abroad in Singapore. He was able to reference some of the lessons he learned while traveling and living in Singapore in London to demonstrate his cultural awareness and international focus.

Ultimately Aldo was admitted to Wharton and NYU, and attended NYU to have the experience of living in NYC for several years.

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

Most MBA candidates face either serious writer’s block or a case of “too much information” when it comes to b-school essays. Yes, business schools tell you they want to know the real you. However, that doesn’t mean that your entire life story is relevant to your business school applications. Editing yourself (or working with someone else who can edit you) is a key strategy to producing quality business school essays.

Cheryl took a comprehensive package with Stacy Blackman Consulting and was looking particularly for help pitching her non-traditional background to MBA programs. Her target schools were Haas, Tuck, Anderson and Duke. Much like our client May whose career path was covered in an earlier SBC Scoop, Cheryl had pursued more than one career prior to pursuing an MBA. Cheryl had worked as an investment banking analyst for a year, then started producing off-off-Broadway productions with a group of friends from her undergrad theater classes. The first draft of Cheryl’s career goals essay was three times the word limit and included numerous anecdotes from her colorful theater experience. The essay read like a novel with anecdotes like the time Cheryl had to manage an alcoholic actor who threatened to quit the show right before opening curtain.

While Cheryl’s story would definitely hold an admission officer’s interest, we needed to transform her essay into a coherent pitch for her admission to the program. First we talked through the various experiences Cheryl had in her years of work experience. Then we applied a filter to all of her stories and asked: “Does this story demonstrate that Cheryl has key business skills?” If a story was compelling – but had more drama than skillset – we eliminated it. After extensive editing Cheryl’s essay was a coherent portrait of someone who worked effectively with creative people and had the skills to run an organization.

In the end Cheryl was happy with her less-dramatic essay because it led to real results. She attended Anderson and was able to pursue her dreams of combining her creative and business skills together in the entertainment industry.

A recent entry on the admissions blog at Simon Graduate School of Business takes a look at how to handle the dreaded “What are your areas of weakness?” question as part of your business school application or interview. Many applicants try to spin the question so that the weakness is actually a strength in disguise, but according to Dana Eagle in the admissions office, this is a real missed opportunity.

“There is no shame in admitting the areas that you need to improve; after all, if you had no areas of improvement, you would probably already be a CEO.”

Candidates should know that revealing their weaknesses to the admissions committee helps determine their fit with the school, Eagle says. ” I can honestly tell you that some of the most refreshing and enlightening conversations I have had were those in which the candidate has highlighted their areas of potential growth (weaknesses), and how those areas will be improved upon by completing graduate study.”

Honestly is expected and appreciated, though applicants would do well to remember to maintain professionalism and make sure any weaknesses addressed pertain to business and your career growth.  “Avoid the blame game, or finger pointing in why you may be lacking in certain areas,” says Eagle, who encourages applicants to focus on the future and what you plan to do to lessen your short comings and head for success in your MBA studies.

An article on the weakness essay question by QS Top MBA notes that not admitting to a weakness will likely get you dinged by admissions.

“If you ‘have no weaknesses’ that just tells the admissions committee that you don’t know what they are yet or that you’re too immature to face them. It says you don’t know yourself, therefore you don’t yet know where you will mess up. You are a liability to yourself and your company.”

The ability to discuss your weaknesses candidly is a strength in itself. In general, MBA programs are seeking smart, dedicated and self-aware students who are able to see themselves clearly and improve and adapt when necessary. Your own ability to understand the areas you might be able to improve is a great way to demonstrate this ability to self-assess.

Your weaknesses may just set you apart from other applicants, and not always in a negative way.  “A sound understanding of why you are pursuing graduate study, and how specifically the school to which you are applying will help you to develop your weaknesses to achieve your short and long term career aspirations is in fact a way to strengthen an application,” Eagle says.

For more advice on addressing strengths and weaknesses within the MBA application, read these Tuesday Tips.