Interview Preparation 1

With round 2 deadlines almost here, it’s time to start preparing for interviews! Throughout the application process, you’ve hopefully clarified your post-MBA goals and polished a few representative stories from your career. The next step is to prepare to share these in person, and convince your chosen school that you’re a great fit. It’s not enough to hope that the interviewer asks you the right questions-it’s important that you go in with a strong message about how and why you will add value to next year’s class, and at the same time demonstrate that you have the personality and communication skills to succeed in both the MBA and your future career.

Whilst you prepare for the common interview questions (hint: the Agos MBA Interview Manual and https://www.vinceprep.com/interviews will be very useful here), it’s worth considering some other important questions:

 

What do I want the interviewer to know about me? What will make me memorable?

What new information can I provide to complement, rather than repeat, my application?

What makes me unique, and how can I leverage this at business school?

 

As you practice for upcoming interviews, record yourself, and see if you’re including these details or not. Get feedback from your consultant/friends/family/colleagues. How would they summarize your answers? What did they learn about your skills, strengths, and personality? Does this match your intention?

Building confidence in your message will help build your confidence for the interview itself, and hopefully enable you to make an even better impression on your interviewer.

Faye

Re-applying to MBA programs – the OPTIONAL ESSAY

If you were rejected by a business program, it is often very hard to put your doubts aside and reapply.  Before you begin the reapplication process, try to under what areas of your original application were weak.

Many re-applicants assume that a business school will reject them again since they rejected them the first time. Every applicant risks a rejection and a re-applicant is no different. However, it is important to understand why you were rejected the first time. There is a better chance of success if weaknesses in the first application are directly addressed. Most MBA programs view the re-application on its own and will generally refer to the previous application if there is a major discrepancy. A re-application may demonstrate commitment to the program; however, re-applying alone will not get you admitted unless the application is strengthened.

The re-applicant is often required to submit the optional essay.  The optional essay prompt usually asks for a statement outlining how you have improved your candidacy since your last application.  The Admissions Office is looking for substantive change in your qualifications.

If your GMAT scores changed substantially compared to your previous application, it will demonstrate your ability to succeed in the academic environment. If it was a lack of leadership experience, you want to look for ways to demonstrate that you took greater initiative or responsibility at work. Perhaps unexpected personal events have occurred – family death or illness- that have matured you and help clarify your goals.

The schools will be evaluating re-applicants in terms of the school’s hard admissions criteria such as GMAT scores, GPA and the new year’s applicant pool. If your application survives these first two criteria will the Committee begin to ask how your new application differs from the last one.

Therefore, the schools will be interested in developments that occurred in the intervening year – specifically the actions you took, the impact you had and equally important, the lessons you learned and HOW you are applying it today.

Jumet

The Video Essay

Not too long ago, having one’s picture taken was not an everyday occurrence. Camera-phones were still new and photographs were grainy, low-resonance images, and digital cameras didn’t fit in jeans pockets. Facebook, Flickr, and Instagram had yet to be invented. Today, many of us have become more or less comfortable in front of a camera. As such, video essays have become a more common part of MBA applications, and are now considered as fairly straightforward.

The MBA video essay requirement is the current trend and brings together the aspects of live interviews and written essays with the added pressure of time constraints, technology concerns and the most challenging of all, a complete lack of facial cues and real-time feedback. In the video interview, you have no idea if your response resonates with the audience. There is no opportunity to see if your interviewer’s eyes are glazing over and you are on the wrong track or if his/her eyes are lighting up and you have found a point of connection.

However, as with any challenge comes opportunities; it can give the candidate another medium to express themselves. The key to successfully managing the video essay is to PRACTICE. Tape yourself responding to questions. MBA programs that use video essays have sample questions on their website. Other questions that you can use to practice are:

  • How would your teammates describe you?
  • Who has had the greatest impact on you and why?
  • What is your favorite book and why?
  • If you have a day to do whatever you want, what would it be and why?
  • What are you most passionate about?
  • Why are you a great fit for this school?

Practice responding to questions is critical. As you practice, make sure that no sound can be heard other than your responses. Try to sound as natural as possible, and your non-verbal expressions should be consistent with what you would expect of yourself in a live interview. Finally, make sure that your responses are consistent with the narrative in your MBA application, connecting them with the wider themes explored in the essays.

Show your recording to someone you can trust and who understands the application process. Ask them for honest feedback and try to fine-tune your responses with every iteration.

Jumet

 

 

 

 

Standing Out at Admissions Events

 

How to ask good questions at school fairs and information sessions?

As someone who once stood by a school table/booth or a podium answering all sorts of questions from applicants, I can’t help asking myself:  So do I remember any of those questions, any of those names or faces?

The purpose of those fairs and info sessions is to help the school staff and prospective students to get to know each other face to face, at a personal level. While there’s plenty to say about how much a prospective student might get to know the school and its people, including staff, alumni and perhaps even a couple of current students, how much the school staff or school representative might get to know a certain prospective student, remains dubious in most circumstances.

The good news is that, the outcome of such an encounter depends mostly on you, the prospective student or applicant. Yes, you do go to those events to listen and to ask questions about the school. However, depending on the quality of your questions, there’s also a fantastic opportunity for you to help the school staff remember you, in a positive way, which could go a long way for your application when it comes to be assessed.

So why did I barely remember any of the questions, or faces or names that matched the faces at a fair or an info session? I typically came back to my office with a stack of business cards and another stack of resumes, most if not all of which were recycled. It was a one-way communication, me to you, but rarely both ways, you and me, you to me. My suggestions for avoiding such a lost opportunity are:

  1. Do not walk up to me with a straight face, with the look of a serious professional from an office meeting, even though you are legitimately tired after a long day of work. Remember I might have just arrived in Tokyo the night before and I’m really tired, too and jet lagged. Your relaxed, smiling face refreshes me in this pretty loud and busy hall.
  1. Do not simply hand me your business card and your resume right away. I actually do not collect those papers and I’m accepting the ones from those ahead of you mainly as a courtesy. Say hello to me, chat and genuinely ask how I’m doing today. Give me positive feedback if I just gave a presentation by the way. Appreciation goes both ways.
  1. Do not ask generic simple questions, questions that you can find the answer to on the school’s website, such as what the ratio of international students is, or whether the school has a Japan Club. Unfortunately, lots of prospective students do ask those “dumb” questions. You don’t want to be among one of them, which guarantees a one-way communication.
  1. Moreover, do not ask me super “intelligent” questions either, questions that I would struggle to answer as well, such as what the future strategy of the school is, or how the school plans on improving its leadership program. There are always one or two people who appear intent on outsmarting the school representative. Remember it’s supposed to be a two-way communication, not a competition. I wouldn’t remember you, and if I do, it’s less likely to be in the way you want.
  1. So, ask questions that are specific, that demonstrate your research and understanding of the school and its program, and that even better, tie in your interest with the specifics of the school and program. Share your interest, succinctly, with me, and help me see how it is interesting to me and my school. If you do that, chances are I will look at your business card and resume afterwards, and remember you as one of the few outstanding/interesting prospectives that I have met on the road.

Parting message: The key is to do research before you go to any event, ask any questions. Once you’ve done your research and come up with your specific interesting/relevant questions, approach the school representative in a very friendly manner. Go for it.

Mengdan

HINTS for successfully writing the MBA essays

The business school application process can be an intimidating process with competition particularly fierce at top business schools. In general, candidates are screened based on the following;

  1. GPA and GMAT scores
  2. Personal attributes. Prior to being invited to an interview, the applicant’s “fit” with a particular program is assessed based on his/her essays and recommendation letters.  Invariably, the essays and reference letters collectively must draw attention to the skills and characteristics that business programs seek including maturity, motivation, strong work ethic and solid communication skills. A great essay will provide color to your performance and potential.

To write a strong essay, you need to understand your audience. It is imperative that you understand what the Admissions Committee is looking for.  From your admission essays, the Committee hope to better understand the following relative to other candidates:

  1. Depth of your academic and professional experiences
  2. Unique traits and interests that are not covered in other parts of the application
  3. Your commitment to the MBA program

Writing Hints:

In your essay, be passionate and sincere. Show Admissions Committee who you are and what you will bring to the program. Some hints are:

Do’s:

  1. Answer the question being asked. Many candidates gets lost as they write their essays. Instead of focusing on the question being asked, he/she rambles on and on without focus. Always come back to the question.
  2. Convey positivity and optimism.  A typical essay question is “Write about an experience that has shaped your personality.” Very often, applicants write about an unfortunate event and writes from a perspective of being the victim. AVOID this perspective. Instead, focus on what you have learned from the experience.
  3. Use active voice. Be clear and use simple sentence structure. Often, essays have word limit and every word has to count.

Don’ts:

  1. Resist the urge to describe. Applicants often spend the better part of the essay tediously describing an experience or event. The description is only a part of the essay. Demonstrate what you have learned including perseverance, stamina and knowledge.
  1. Don’t repeat information that can be found in other parts of your application. The essays are your opportunity to demonstrate who you are. Rehashing the same information/experience only makes you one dimensional; business programs seek candidates that have depth and are multi-dimensional.
  2. Don’t try to explain weakness on your record. It is almost impossible to explain poor grades and/or test scores without sounding defensive or worse, irresponsible.  If there is a reason for an academic weakness, write in a separate short essay and avoid in the body of the essay.

As much as possible, you should craft your narrative around your achievements and experiences that have enabled you cultivate your strengths.  Use the whole essay set to “speak” to the Admissions Committee about who you are and not just disparate traits that you think the school wants to see.

Jumet

The Millennial Paradox

One thing MBA applicants (rightly) hear again and again is how important it is to really get to know your business school, but which ones do the best job of getting to know you as a prospective student? Every year, the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) surveys MBA applicants on their experiences during the admissions process. Here are the most recent findings:

 http://aigac.org/for-media/application-survey/

Its worth keeping this information in mind as you determine your fit with your prospective schools, and also as you consider what you want them to know about you. What are your unique skills and experiences? What value will you add to the class? What makes you stand out among the crowd?

As you narrow down your list of schools, this is a good time to get on the mailing lists to keep up to date with any webinars, coffee chats in your city, or admissions events. The next step would be to reach out to current students and alumni to hear their first-hand experience of the programmes. Finally, if time and finances allow, visiting the school will give you insight into its culture and opportunities.

Faye

MBA school selection

People typically pursue an MBA because they are looking to improve their career opportunities. MBA programs can be compared based on attributes such as rankings, starting salaries, recruitment/ job placement opportunities, and net costs. In addition, there are other factors that potential candidates focus on such as predominant teaching methods, size of classes and location. These are all important considerations; however, you are investing time and money when you complete an MBA program. Therefore, as you start the process, focus on your objectives for getting an MBA.

Where do you begin?

Research extensively the schools you are interested in. Look at the entire two–year experience and determine if the program will give you the skills you are looking to acquire, the resources you need, and the network you want to develop.  Take a look at such attributes as quality of student life, teaching methodology, faculty orientation (research versus teaching), and size of program. Location should also be a consideration because as can be expected, schools in the financial centers can easily attract guest lecturers in the financial services while other areas may offer expertise in areas such as healthcare or luxury brand management.

Understand your profile. Many facts are considered in the admission process, including academic background, professional experience and progression, achievements, leadership potential, awards, hobbies, and test scores.  Your performance in your prior academic program and test scores help shed light on how you will thrive in the program. Another key area that is considered will be your stated goals and how you expect the program to help you achieve them.  Understanding all these areas is the starting point for developing a personal branding strategy and help you stand out among other MBA prospects.

Finally, apply to a wide range of schools. Apply to schools that have higher GPA or GMAT results – “reaches” -as well as ones that have lower ones.  The process is highly subjective and you never know what combination of attributes gets you admitted.

Jumet

 

 

 

Should I apply early?

As the cherry blossoms, apple blossoms and almost all other blossoms have gone with the wind that stirs up all-too-soon warmth in the air, it becomes inevitable that summer is upon us whether we are prepared or not. So are graduate school application deadlines. The heat is being turned up.

As someone who has applied to US graduate schools as an international student and someone who has both evaluated and consulted numerous applicants, I would venture that three or so months would be a legitimate period of time to prepare your application. That puts the next three summer months at the front line for beating the first round of application deadlines of at least most top business schools.

So, are you mentally prepared to submit your application to your dream schools in September or October? Why do admissions keep pushing their deadlines ahead? What are the pros and cons of applying early, say, first round?

According to my experience, Admissions tend to perceive first or early round applicants as typically more put together, more proactive and more focused. Admission rates are usually higher for first round than later rounds. As a result, it should be no surprise that they would want to compete for those applicants and push their early deadlines to stay ahead of the game.

So clearly there are advantages to applying early. The question becomes whether you would like to get ready, to rise up to the challenge.

Obstacles to applying early can seem insurmountable. Summer is your craziest time at work. Your employer is yet to announce its pick for sponsorship. Family events all happen in this season. Your TOEFL and other scores just aren’t there. Therefore, you need those heated months to get over all the above, and you secretly place your hopes on those last two holiday weeks of the year to catapult you to the second round in early January, to compete in a much bigger pool of applicants.

Understood and understood. Yet the fact of the matter is, if you do not prepare yourself early, if you do not aim for early round, chances are you might not ultimately prepare yourself in the most optimal way regardless of rounds. Or shall we say, if you do not prepare, how would you know whether you are prepared? You do not want your second round to be your test round, do you?

There will always be obligations and obstacles. The only time to lay the foundation of your application to your dream schools is nevertheless now, when things just start to heat up. Reflect on and summarize your experiences and accomplishments, clarify and broaden your professional and personal goals, research and connect with the schools and people, get your resume ready and write and rewrite your essays. And in case all those things are under control, start preparing for your interview! The saying is: it is never too early to start.

Mengdan

Where to apply?

Reach

Where to Apply? Choosing which schools to apply to in your home country can be difficult enough, but doing so in another can be even harder. How can you choose a good balance of safety, likely, and reach schools that would all be a good fit for you and your goals? Here are some things to consider:

  1. Minimum requirements vs class profile. Reaching the minimum requirements for admission is a great start, but it’s worth checking out the class profile to see how you’ll compare to your classmates. If your TOEFL is lower, will you be able to participate fully in discussions? If you have much more work experience, what will your new network provide you?
  2. Location. Outside of class, what will your life look like? What opportunities can the school offer based on its location? For example, schools near Washington DC can offer more government-focused opportunities.
  3. Specialisations and concentrations. In addition to the core courses, how can this school help you focus on your area of interest? You can consider any internships or field work experience offered in addition to official concentrations offered. Some schools also allow you to design your own specialisation from their many courses.
  4.  Employment stats. If you’re self-sponsored and looking for a job after graduation, careers services and access to employers may be more important to you than for a sponsored candidate returning to a guaranteed job. Cost and scholarship options should also factor into your decision.

Posted by Faye

 

 

 

MBA School Selection: Examining Teaching Styles

People typically pursue an MBA because they are looking to improve their career opportunities. MBA programs can be compared based on attributes such as rankings, starting salaries, recruitment/ job placement opportunities, and net costs. While these attributes are valuable pieces of information, when narrowing down the school list, it is best not to focus on just the top few programs.  It is important to remain pragmatic and consider those schools that best meets your expectations and particular profile.

One attribute that is often overlooked in making school selection is teaching styles.  I would advise students to research the teaching styles of the different programs. There is the case study method, the experiential/action based learning method, and team-based focus of learning. Some schools will emphasize one method whereas many employ a combination of these methods.  It is important to find a program where the teaching method allows you to learn and thrive.

The case study method, often associated with Harvard, allows students to analyze and debate actual management challenges and make recommendations on actions that can be taken. This method relies on class discussions on a host of different views and tends to appeals to students who tend to be more outspoken and gregarious.

In recent years, schools have been added to experiential elements to the curriculum with increasing emphasis on hands-on activities such as industry-focused immersion experiences and conferences. Programs that favor this approach include Michigan Ross and Vanderbilt Olin. This approach may be favored by those who enjoy working in groups and want to see how businesses are managed in real-time.

Lastly, there is the traditional lecture method.  All MBA programs use this method but certain schools standout for their greater use. Lectures are often the most efficient method for teaching business concepts and theories with case-study and experiential learning both being more time consuming. Nevertheless, an academic environment where there is higher percentage of lectures may be more comfortable for some students.

MBA programs will incorporate all these methods when teaching the curriculum but there are significant variations between schools.  Consider your personal style and preferences as you begin the school selection process.

Posted by Jumet