Top Ten Blog Posts-March 2020 Edition
Wondering which blog posts this year’s crop of MBA applicants visits the most on the Stacy Blackman Consulting site? We were, too! Thanks to modern technology—AKA Google analytics—you now have the news you need right at your fingertips. Without further ado… SBC’s top ten most-visited blog posts for the first quarter of 2020.
Application Strategies Worth Noting
Successful Reapplicant to Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB
For many rejected MBA candidates, having to wait another year to start business school feels like pure agony. When we first met Ed Redden, he had submitted six failed applications. But the rejections from Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business, in particular, made him question whether he should even try to apply again.
Character Prevails: Stanford & HarvardBusiness School MBA Applications
Have you ever heard of the term “double admits”? That’s what we in the MBA admissions consulting industry call those singular applicants who receive admissions offers from both Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business.
We’ve worked with many top applicants this MBA admissions season who achieved this impressive feat—some with scholarships to boot. Here we analyze eight cases—and we have eight specific takeaways to share.
Waitlisted MBA Applicants are Still in the Game
Ultimately, the decision to stay on the waitlist depends on your interest level in that particular MBA program. If it’s your top choice, you may want to remain on the list until school begins. This could mean moving quickly and giving up a deposit on a school that has offered you firm admission.
If the program is not your first choice, or you would like to settle your MBA plans before school starts, you may choose to remove your name from the list. If that’s the case, do so promptly and give someone else a chance at their MBA dream.
Don’t Fear Those MBA Admissions Background Checks
The vast majority of people shouldn’t stress over this verification process. Business schools aren’t on a mission to grill candidates about every last detail of their applications. They simply want to ensure that applicants have honestly represented themselves, their experience, and their accomplishments.
Blog Posts with Program-Specific Intel
MIT Sloan Cover Letter and Video Advice for 2019-2020
Take the MIT Sloan cover letter idea literally and approach this essay as if you were applying for a demanding new job. One of the former MIT Admissions Officers on the SBC team shared that MIT seeks applicants who can navigate, “problems of progressive complexity, ability to adapt to ambiguous situations, independence of thought, humility/consideration for others.”
Face-Off: Oxford vs. Cambridge
In SBC’s blog series Face-Off, we tease out the strengths and differences between two similarly ranked, or located, b-schools. Plus, we’ll highlight unique elements of their admissions processes. Let’s kick things off by looking at the differences between the Oxford MBA application versus that of the University of Cambridge Judge School of Business.
Stanford MBA Essay Tips for 2019-2020
We’re sharing our Stanford MBA essay tips to help you create a positive impression through your application materials. Although the required questions are the same as prior years, Stanford has added an optional short-answer essay this season. These questions are simple, yet the answers are revealing. Also, the new optional essay allows you to go beyond your resume and describe a time you had an impact.
Important Letters (0f recommendation and thanks)
Tips for a Killer MBA Recommendation Letter
Most applicants select their references, direct them to the proper forms, and hope for the best. But actually, you can have a significant influence on the quality of your recommendations. When SBC clients ask for advice on choosing who should write their MBA recommendation letter, we tell them to keep these critical elements in mind.
What Makes a Great MBA Recommendation Letter
The recommendation letter forms an integral part of your MBA application package and can make—or break—your chances of admission. Ideally, the MBA recommendation letter provides the admissions committee with a fresh perspective on your skill sets. Above all, your recommenders should enhance your application by offering new and valuable insights into you as a person.
Our clients often ask us if they should write thank-you notes to their interviewers. While handwritten messages of appreciation will always be a classy move — and we certainly encourage applicants to write such letters if they’re so inclined — an email message is just as acceptable in this day and age.
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We hope this roundup of blog posts serves as a helpful jumping-off point as you begin to prepare for your application journey in 2020 and beyond.
