Ask Stacy Blackman Consulting for Ivy League MBA admissions

[varun_0311]

Hi Stacy,

Thank you for the response. The case study mentioned by you was of great help. Answered almost all my concerns.

I am interested in General Management with a focus on Entrepreneurship. I am already in the process of starting my own venture which is expected to be operational very soon.

Agreeing with the fact that the admission depends on several factors, I just want to know if I should start applying right away or wait a little longer considering my profile:

1. MBA from one of the top schools in India
2. GMAT score of 720
3. Post MBA work experience of near about 2 years
4. Undergrad and Postgrad CGPA of 6.7 and 6.9 respectively
5. Very good involvement in social work and co-curricular activities
6. Have some consultancy experience as a freelancer in the field of supply chain management.
7. Currently in the process of starting my own venture

Also, please let me know if a good TOEFL score would provide any additional advantage in getting the admission.

[Stacy Blackman Consulting]

Hi varun_0311,

Most business schools like to see at least 2 years of work experience, which you have. You can apply at whatever time you would like, however the time and energy you spend on your application may interfere with your new venture (which I presume is very time intensive).


Cheers,

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team

[Stacy Blackman Consulting]

SBC Scoop: Big 4 Public Accounting Career Goals

http://www.stacyblackman.com/2011/09...-career-goals/


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

When Linda started working with us she was nervous about crafting compelling career goals and a case for her MBA. Linda was a CPA with four years of experience at a Big 4 accounting firm. She knew that accounting experience was generally less common in the business school application pool, and that while Big 4 public accounting experience was in high demand from employers, it was considered less compelling than some of the investment banking, private equity or hedge fund experience of her competition.

Linda was a high performer at work, and had been promoted to manager early. She started managing teams during her second year, and had extensive experience working directly with high profile clients. All of this experience created a strong story to sell her leadership ability, communication skills and work ethic. Incidentally, Linda was a graduate of Penn State with a solid 3.6 GPA, and had a 710 GMAT score.

Career switching is a common reason for a Big 4 CPA to seek an MBA. Most employees of public accounting firms are set up extremely well for positions within corporate finance, and Linda wanted a different career path. She enjoyed working with clients and being part of a team, but she was interested in solving a variety of problems and wanted to work in strategy. At the same time her passion was fashion and luxury goods. Ideally she wanted to be in a business development or strategy position within a large retailer. Linda’s plan post MBA was to work in management consulting and then transition to industry.

We worked with Linda to craft her career goals essay into a solid story. She would leverage her client and team leadership experience effectively in management consulting. To demonstrate that Linda was a creative and innovative thinker who would be well suited to management consulting and and strategy we pulled from her college experience as the leader of a club that put on fashion shows at Penn State. Linda highlighted the entrepreneurial nature of that activity. Linda’s passion for fashion and luxury was communicated in several places throughout the application, and set her up to make a convincing case for her long-term career goals.

Overall we highlighted where Linda stood out from her peers (creative college activities and long-term career goals) while also leveraging the assets of a prestigious firm and well-regarded work experience. As a result Linda was offered a spot at UVA Darden and NYU Stern, and decided to attend NYU to be closer to the fashion scene in New York City.

[Stacy Blackman Consulting]

Hi everyone,

Are there any MBA admissions or GMAT related questions we can help answer?

Best,

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team

[Stacy Blackman Consulting]

SBC SCOOP: HANDLING A CRIMINAL RECORD


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

Everyone makes mistakes, and growing up can result in many mistakes you regret. If your mistake is still on your permanent record, how do you handle it in your MBA application?

In the first phone call with Jon he raised an issue that had been causing him a tremendous amount of stress. While in college he partied a bit more heavily than he should have, and made the mistake of driving home drunk from a party one night. Jon was stopped by a highway patrol officer and ended up with a DUI citation. Jon’s license was suspended for several months. Clearly Jon was very concerned about how to explain an arrest in his applications.

Jon’s experience was over four years before he applied for an MBA, and he had honestly contemplated how to avoid hurting himself and others with excessive drinking. Overall the experience was honestly a wake up call for him, and led him to moderate his drinking substantially. Jon influenced his friends and fraternity brothers and encouraged his social group to always designate drivers. Since the arrest, Jon had never operated a motor vehicle after drinking.

Upon hearing his story I believed Jon could actually make his error in judgment an asset to his application. In telling his story during our first consultation I could tell that Jon had genuinely learned quite a bit from the experience. Many MBA programs ask you to explain a mistake you have made, or discuss a challenge you overcame. The most interesting candidates have faced difficulty and learned from it, preferably changing their behavior for the better. Jon’s story was a solid example of this.

On a practical level we advised that Jon be completely honest about his DUI and explain what happened and what he learned in his optional essays for all schools. For a school that asked about a mistake Jon was able to use this experience as an example.

Those of you who have a similar issue in your past will be glad to know that Jon gained admission to USC and Duke.

[Stacy Blackman Consulting]

Hi everyone,

I hope this article is of help to candidates:

http://www.stacyblackman.com/2011/03...ian-applicant/

SBC SCOOP: AN INDIAN APPLICANT

My client, Abhi, was a very accomplished individual who desperately wanted to attend a top business school. In particular, he had his sights set on Wharton.

Unfortunately, Abhi had one significant challenge: his profile was nearly identical to hundreds and hundreds of other applicants. Abhi was from India, and after earning his undergraduate degree, he had come to the US to earn a Masters in Engineering. He then took on a technical role within a financial services company in Washington DC. He stayed there for three years and did very well, earning an important promotion along the way.

Abhi was involved in a handful of extra-curricular activities, but even those were similar to ones we had seen many times from other Indian applicants. He had participated in dance competitions back home, and in the US volunteered regularly with a well known organization, raising funds for India. On the personal front, he sent money home regularly to help his parents and sister who struggled financially. All of these things highlighted a truly giving, hardworking individual who was passionate about developing himself and his communities. Abhi’s GPA and GMAT were average.

When we first met with Abhi, we had a difficult conversation about the reality of this highly competitive situation. We encouraged him to apply to a portfolio of schools in order to maximize his chances. He did agree to apply to four schools, with Wharton by far being the most competitive and his first choice. The final list also included Tepper, Darden and Stern.

We then proceeded to map out some stories to share with the admissions committees. We decided to mention his long track record of service, but really hone in on a more recent activity. He had organized a large group to train for a marathon and raise money for a six year old girl who was sick with leukemia. He discussed his own training process, recruiting and engaging others, planning multiple fund-raising events and the leadership ups and downs that he encountered throughout.

He also discussed a relationship that he had developed with an important business mentor, and some of the activities that he had completed on his behalf, as well as a business organization that he had joined as a result. This highlighted his initiative over and above what he did in the office, and his ability to network and develop relationships. This story was completed by a recommendation written by the mentor, which further discussed the relationship.

For Wharton, Abhi put on an extra push: he visited campus more than once, and came to know the school extremely well. This was made clear in his essays. He also asked a good friend who was a current student and who could legitimately add insight into his candidacy, to submit a letter on his behalf. The final package truly highlighted how passionate he was about the program and what a good fit he was in terms of culture and goals.

In the end, Abhi was admitted to both Wharton and Tepper. We all celebrated!

[Stacy Blackman Consulting]

Hi everyone,

Are there any MBA admissions or GMAT questions we can help answer?

Best,

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team

[Stacy Blackman Consulting]

Hi everyone,

We just launched our new Case Studies Page:

http://www.stacyblackman.com/case-studies/


We hope you enjoy.

Cheers,

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team

[Stacy Blackman Consulting]

Hi everyone,

Had you had the chance to visit our new Case Studies Page?

http://www.stacyblackman.com/case-studies/


Best,

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team

[Stacy Blackman Consulting]

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

http://www.stacyblackman.com/2011/10...duate-degrees/

All GPAs are not created equal. It’s well known that some schools are far more academically rigorous than others. But you probably made the decision about where to go to college as a teenager, years before you even considered applying for an MBA program. You may have decided to attend the nearest state school because of cost or convenience, or you ended up a smaller and less well-known program because you valued small classes and a close community. If your undergraduate institution doesn’t have the caliber of a top tier University, how do you showcase your academic achievement?

Sean attended the University of Maine for one year and then transferred to Bates College, also in Maine, where he graduated. He performed well at University of Maine (3.3 GPA), and extremely well at Bates (3.8 GPA). Even with strong academics, Sean was concerned that he couldn’t compete with his peers who had attended Ivy league programs.

When we started working together one of the first steps was to analyze Sean’s transcripts and look for any strengths or weaknesses in his academic record. Sean had started out as a Biology major at University of Maine, but he found the large program not as engaging as his small classes during high school. He decided to transfer to Bates, and he also transitioned to a Political Science major in the move between schools. Therefore his transcript showed a mix of hard science and social science classes. Sean’s grades were strong enough in the math and science courses to assure an MBA program he had quantitative ability. Most of his classes at Bates had a participation factor to the grading, and his extremely strong performance showed that he would shine at case discussions in business school.

Overall Sean’s academics presented a case for academic achievement in an MBA program. We decided to add a short optional essay on why he transferred and changed majors to smooth out any concerns about his multiple undergrad institutions.

In the end Sean did not need to be concerned about the name brand factor of his undergraduate degree. He was admitted to Columbia, Kellogg and Darden, and decided to pursue his MBA at Darden because he preferred the case study academic approach.

Read more SBC case studies here: http://www.stacyblackman.com/case-studies/