overcoming application obstacles admissionado

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Admissionado Welcomes you to its… OVERCOMING APPLICATION OBSTACLES PRESENTATION.

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Page 1: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

Admissionado Welcomes you to its…

OVERCOMING APPLICATION OBSTACLES

PRESENTATION.

Page 2: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

GOALS OF OVERCOMING APPLICATION OBSTACLES.

1) To provide a brief overview of the most common application obstacles

2) To give y’all some tips on how to overcome them

3) To introduce you to the Optional Essay, and to think about how to use it.

4) To give you the chance to ask questions about your specific obstacles or anything else for that matter.

Low GPA? Anyone? Anyone?

“Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable…”

Page 3: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

PERHAPS A QUICK INTRODUCTION OF… ADMISSIONADO

Just like Precision Essay, only with a cooler name and website.

We have done 12,000 MBA applications in over five years.

Last year, well over 50% of our client base was international.

Jon Frank is a Harvard Hero and co-Founder Raj Patil has a Hollywood background—and it takes BOTH a business perspective, and a MARKETING and ENTERTAINMENT approach as well.

Jon has trained all our guys personally—and Raj and Jon look at EVERYTHING before it goes out the door…

Yaron Dahan, Head Consultant at Admissionado - in his fourth season with these guys, and seventh as an Admissions Consultant - is the oldest and longest-standing Consultant.

Oh, and we aren’t Precision Essay anymore. But: Admissionando!

(Jon Frank)

Page 4: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

GOT AN APPLICATION WEAKNESS? SO DOES EVERYBODY ELSE!

Nobody’s Perfect!

Well, Almost nobody…

The first step is to RECOGNIZE your obstacles. And then STRATEGIZE your way to overcome them

Page 5: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

COMMON APPLICATION OBSTACLES

Application issues

GMAT

Low GPA

Lack of leadership

Lack of International Experience

Lack of business experience

Non-traditional background

Lack of volunteer work

Lack of "interesting" stories

No experience in industry of your goals

Seemingly unquantifiable results in achievements

Reapplicant

Recommender Issues

Page 6: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

PRECISIONESSAY

LOW GMAT

The following are Five Things you can do to Deal with a Low GMAT. 1) Retake 2) Show other high standardized test scores 3) Take extra coursework before you apply 4) Strategize your schools well 5) Show intellectual capacity in other areas (more on this

in the next slide)

Page 7: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

LOW GPA??? WHAT CAN YOU DO?

I’m thinking, I’m thinking... Show your Smarts in other areas

GMAT and other exams

Intellectual work in your professional experience

Science/Math related work

Publications/ Awards

If possible, show a high GPA in your major, or a GPA that is going up

Explain WHY you had a low GPA

Work and Study

Double Degree

Family/health issues

Social/Psychological issues

Page 8: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

NOT A BATTLE PROVEN LEADER?

Okay, so you haven’t successfully routed Hannibal’s army, nor led a host of minions across the desert. So how do you make yourself out as a leader for the AdCom? First, you likely have more leadership than you think. Leadership is MORE than "official management" •Mentoring •Giving presentations •Being an innovator •Representing company outside •Leadership outside work – personal life, volunteer work, military work Second, keep in mind that if you were such a great leader, you wouldn't NEED an MBA. So more than leadership, you need to show leadership POTENTIAL.

Page 9: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

LACK INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE? LET’S BRING FORTH

THE GLOBAL YOU

Not everybody flies around the globe every second week. So what can you do to get the most global you out of your app?

Show professional work in other languages – Research, writing, etc.

Show interactions with other cultures – even if you haven’t managed abroad, maybe you manage a virtual global team? Or have international phone meetings?

Personal experience counts! (Caveat: should be more than “I visited the Eiffel Tower and ate a Croissant and then a Baguette”)

If you don’t have it, show the school how you will get it through their amazing program

Page 10: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

NOT FROM A BUSINESS BACKGROUND?

First: Don’t PANIC! Plenty of folks who apply to MBAs aren’t from business backgrounds, and schools even LIKE that (diversity and such). You don’t have to be Warren Buffet to get into B-school. BUT…. You should show at least: 1. A Passion for Business. 2. Potential for business greatness.

And for those of you with NO business experience at

ALL, it’s not a bad idea to take some classes before you apply (Economics, Statistics, Basic finance, etc.) These will not only help you prepare to go to B-school, but will also show the school that you are SERIOUS.

Page 11: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

TOO BUSY MAKING MONEY TO VOLUNTEER?

Think it’s too late? You are wrong! If you haven’t volunteered yet, get started NOW. A little bit is always better than nothing, and you can even write the school how “their application led you to reevaluate yourself and follow the path to goodness” Secondly, you probably have more volunteer

experience than you even think: - Ever help out a friend or family member in

business or otherwise? - Tutor a neighbors kid? - Organize an office or college party? - Take part in a political campaign? - Be a part of a religious/social group? Then you have volunteered!

Page 12: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

“BUT EVERYONE ELSE IS SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN ME!”

Maybe… but let’s not tell the AdCom that! Here you have three solutions, and you can mix and match whatever fits you best. 1. Get Moving – You haven’t directed a film?

Started a band? Saved an orphan from a burning building? It’s not too late!

2. Get Mining! - You probably have more interesting stories than you think. You just need to break out the heavy equipment and start digging. Talk with friends, family, partners, professionals, etc. to help you identify what maybe you don’t yet recognize!

3. Be original in your language! Okay, so you have a good solid story. It’s a bit standard though. Use language to make it interesting. Write it as a poem, as a movie script, whatever. Be funny. Be wild. Be literary. Let the school hear your unique voice!

Page 13: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

NO EXPERIENCE IN INDUSTRY OF YOUR GOALS

This one may be not so much an obstacle as a problem you make for yourself. The first thing you need to ask yourself is: “Am I harming my application chances by presenting too wild goals”?

For example, If you are an MD and you present goals to the Adcom of “wanting to switch into finance” you are likely shooting yourself in the foot. First you would be throwing away all this amazing medical knowledge that almost no other candidate will have. Second, you are placing yourself in a huge an highly talented pool from which the school can choose from hundreds of more qualified applicants. Not clever.

Can you have goals in which you change industries? YES! But make sure it makes sense.

Page 14: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

HOW DO I QUANTIFY RESULTS, FOR MY SEEMINGLY

UNQUANTIFIABLE PROJECT?

Worked two years on a ten-year project? Never got results for a project you led in a job you left long ago? Leading a “qualitative” project?

It doesn’t matter. You CAN quantify. You just have to find out HOW.

If you don’t have measurables, make them. If you can’t quantify in sales, quantify in EFFICIENCY, or something else. If your “success” is subjective, MAKE it objective by showing third-party praise for your results.

There is (almost) always a solution to making your subjective sounding “I did the project good” into a concrete, specific and PROVEN achievement. And if not, maybe it’s time to change stories?

EVERY ACHIEVEMENT IS QUANTIFIABLE!!!

Page 15: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

SPECIAL ISSUES FOR REAPPPLICANTS

The most effective things you show the Adcom to give your reapplication the best chance are: Items SPECIFICALLY addressing improvements in your candidacy. This includes

•More responsibilities •Newer achievement •More leads •New innovations •More social/communal/volunteer work •Additional entrepreneurship •Higher test exams •Refocusing your goals •Finding out more about the school •Applying R1 to show more dedication to the school

2. Showing how you are bringing yourself closer to your goals despite the fact that you were not admitted. We want to see that you didn’t give up! That you kept moving forward!

Page 16: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

RECOMMENDER ISSUES

1 . Can’t get a recommendation from current employer because you don't want them to know you are leaving This “problem” is not one. Yes, it’s better if you can get this LOR. But if not, this is something that B-schools see ALL the time and totally understand. You just need to explain it in your Optional Essay 2. Entrepreneur with no bosses/ Family Business This one is a bit tricky, and in general the best is to speak with a consultant on a case-by-case basis. But in general, don’t go for recommendations which are “useless”. So, a recommendation from your dad in the family business is useless because he’s your dad. A recommendation from an employee or someone you are above is useless, because they have no choice. Think about who will give you a strong recommendation, while providing an objective viewpoint on you

Page 17: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

USING THE OPTIONAL ESSAY

(ALMOST DONE! ONLY TWO SLIDES TO GO!)

Two types of optional essays 1. The Open essay 2. The "Let's deal with a problem" essay What to write in your Open optional essay needs to be decided in function of the rest of your application materials. But it CAN be elements that you would address in the second type of essay (or you could even write more than one topic) When do I need to address a problem in an Optional Essay? - When the problem is obvious - When the problem is big The important thing is to attack your problems HEAD-ON! Be a hero. Don’t be afraid to show your weaknesses

Page 18: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

IN CONCLUSION…

Attack your weaknesses HEAD ON!

Remember, NOBODY’S PERFECT, but if you SHOW the schools that you know your weaknesses, it will show maturity

At the same time: BE SMART! Strategize ways to make your weakness seem less weak.

Use your weakness to your ADVANTAGE. Use the school’s SPECIFIC programs and strengths to SHOW how their program specifically will help you overcome your weaknesses.

Don’t be afraid to TAKE RISKS. This means telling unique stories, finding your unique voice.

DREAM! But BE REALISTIC – when building your school strategy, aim for your dream schools! But at the same time be aware of your chances, so that you can build the best possible holistic strategy.

USE the optional essay. ALWAYS. It’s another chance for you to show another aspect of yourself to the school. So use it.

As always folks, we are here to answer any and all your questions…

Page 19: Overcoming application obstacles admissionado

Admissionado, LLC

www.admissionado.com

[email protected]

All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Precision Essay.