MBA Application Blogs on AppMentor
Tips on Resume writing
A well written resume should have the following:
1. Adequate details of what you did, without using much technical jargon. AVOID technical jargon as much as you can. The jargon doesn't make you come across smarter, rather it might hamper your chances of admission, if the person reading your resume can't comprehend your achievements. Keep it simple. If you have been in a business role, you could use management words.
2. Each of the work experience or education part should not have more than 4-5 bullets. If you have had only one job after graduation, see if you got a promotion so that you can write about your work experience under two (or more) roles with 2-3 bullets for each role. Most of the times if you have 3-4 years of work exp, you will have either multiple jobs or multiple roles to talk about. In addition you could write about the part-time work experience, if you had one and if that was really valuable to your growth.
3. Each bullet under the work experience heading should be written in ACR format.
ACR:
Action: What you did? (Analyzed past operating data to statistically determine causal factors)
Context: What was the context/situation? (…high scrap rate issue during vehicle dashboard manufacturing process…)
Result: What was the result? (...Findings contributed to actions reducing scrap rate from 50% to 10%.)
So the final bullet would become: Analyzed past operating data to statistically determine causal factors of high scrap rate during vehicle dashboard manufacturing process, contributing to actions reducing scrap rate from 50% to 10%.
So you see, this gives a complete picture of what your role was, what specifically you did in the situation and what was the result.
4. Make sure you format the resume in such a way as to not exceed 1 page limit. Use the entire sentence space if you are making a bullet with 2 sentences, else cut it short and make it one sentence. Always make sure there are no typos. Typos reduce your credibility and make you come across as careless and lazy which you are not. So be careful about them.
5. Additional section: This section serves an important role to provide a "glimpse" of the candidate outside the realm of work and education. But please don't just list your hobbies or interests. Tell the Adcom what specifically you have done with your hobby or interest. ( Instead of writing: Like to play guitar or like acting, say: performed x number of times on stage/parties in last 5 years. This shows your interest, your commitment to it and your potential to carry it forward at Ross and engage with student body here)
Checklist for Ross resume.
1. Header
- Your name and contact detail. Include phone number, no unnecessary commas or spaces.
2. Education
- Should not exceed 40% of the overall resume space (optimally 20% to 30%),
- Include graduation month and year
- Spell out degrees
3. Work experience
- Should be 60-70% of the overall resume space
- Each bullet should be two to three lines in length (avoid one-line bullets)
- Put experiences in reverse chronological order (most recent to least recent)
- Put bullets within experiences in order of significance
- Account for all years after graduation from college (avoid gaps in work history)
4. Additional
- Should use two to five lines of space for this section
- Typical bullets are one line in length
Good Luck!
-S
Guidelines for App. 2009-2010 / Class of 2011
Application 2009-2010 / Class of 2012
Sloan Adcom: 'We are interested in learning more about you and how you work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response. Please limit the experiences you discuss to those which have occurred in the past three years.
In each of the essays please describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.'
In terms of detailing your response the adcom, per their instructions, is interested in hearing about what you thought, felt said and did. Let's try to break that down in true, rule of thumb yet highly scientific nerd fashion (not that I am a nerd....)
20% set up the situation
20% detail what you felt : This is your gut reaction, overwhelming primordial instinct about the situation. Feeling is not a logical process. Feeling is instantaneous, and yet feelings can evolve over time as a situation evolves. (see section below on expressing feelings) note: Try to be specific rather than general about how you feel. Consistently using only one or two words to say how you are feeling, such as bad or upset, is too vague and general. What kind of bad or upset? (irritated, mad, anxious, afraid, sad, hurt, lonely, etc
20% detail what you thought : What were your inner, rational thoughts about another person, yourself or a situation? What you thought will not necessarily be what you do, i.e. you may think that it is a mistake to pursue project X, yet for various reasons your team may pursue it...etc. The adcom is interested in knowing your personal take on the situation.
20% detail what you said
20% detail what you did
Past three years: Several applicants last year asked me strictly one should abide by the three year rule. I am not on the adcom so it is hard to say. I know that I used one story in my essays which was more than 3 years old, that being said, especially if you are under 25 years of age, I would try to keep my stories within the last three years.
- Cover Letter : Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.
- Essay 1: Please describe a time when you went beyond what was defined, expected, established, or popular. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
- Essay 2: Please describe a time when you coached, trained, or mentored a person or group. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
- Essay 3: Please describe a time when you took responsibility for achieving an objective. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
Application 2008-2009 / Class of 2011
- Cover Letter
- Essay 1: Please tell us about a challenging interaction you had with a person or group. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
- Essay 2: Please tell us about a time when you defended your idea. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
- Essay 3: Please tell us about a time when you executed a plan. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
- Essay 4: Please tell the Admissions Committee whatever else you would like us to know. (250 words or less, limited to one page)
How to
Express Difficult Feelings (from http://www.drnadig.com/feelings.htm)
Also check out the Feelings Word List: http://www.drnadig.com/feelings_list.htmFeelings Versus Thoughts and Beliefs
Feelings and thoughts are different, but also are one and the same. They are like the head and tail of a coin. We react to events with both thoughts and feelings. Feelings are emotions, and sensations, and they are different from thoughts, beliefs, interpretations, and convictions. When difficult feelings are expressed, the sharp edges are dulled, and it is easier to release or let go of the bad feeling. If we only express our beliefs about the event and not the feelings, the bad feelings linger and are often harder to release. Whenever someone says, "I feel that..." the person is about to express a belief, not a feeling.
Guidelines For Expressing Feelings
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Try to be specific rather than general about how you feel. Consistently using only one or two words to say how you are feeling, such as bad or upset, is too vague and general. What kind of bad or upset? (irritated, mad, anxious, afraid, sad, hurt, lonely, etc.). |
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Specify the degree of the feelings, and you will reduce the chances of being misunderstood. For example, some people may think when you say, "I am angry" means you are extremely angry when you actually mean a "little irritated". |
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When expressing anger or irritation, first describe the specific behavior you don’t like, then your feelings. This helps to prevent the other person from becoming immediately defensive or intimidated when they first hear "I am angry with you", and they could miss the message. |
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If you have mixed feelings, say so, and express each feeling and
explain what each feeling is about. For example: "I have mixed
feelings about what you just did. I am glad and thankful that you
helped me, but I didn’t like the comment about being stupid. It was
disrespectful and unnecessary and I found it irritating". |
Techniques
for Expressing Feelings
The two following - I feel statements
and I messages will help you:
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Express feelings productively. |
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Respectfully confront someone when you are bothered by his or her behaviour. |
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Express difficult feelings without attacking the self-esteem of the person. |
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Clarify for you and the other person precisely what you feel. |
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Prevent feelings from building up and festering into a bigger problem. |
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Communicate difficult feelings in a manner that minimizes the other person’s need to become defensive, and increases the likelihood that the person will listen. |
When you first start using these techniques they will be cumbersome and awkward to apply, and not very useful if you only know them as techniques. However, if you practice these techniques and turn them into skills, it will be easy for you to express difficult feelings in a manner that is productive and respectful. Which of the two methods you use for expressing your feelings should depend on your goal, the importance or difficulty of your feelings and the situation.
- I feel statements are used in situations that are clear and fairly simple, when you what to express yourself and avoid a build-up of feelings without attacking or hurting the self-esteem of the other.
- I messages are used in more complex situations to clarify for yourself and the other person just what you are feeling when a) you have difficult negative feelings, b) you confront someone and want them to change their behaviour, and c) it is very sensitive and important that the other person accurately understand.
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"I felt embarrassed when you told our friends how we are pinching pennies." |
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"I liked it when you helped with the dishes without being asked." |
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"I feel hurt and am disappointed that you forgot our anniversary". |
I
Messages
It is called an I message because the focus is on you, and the message is about yourself. This is in contrast to a You message which focuses on and gives a message about the other person. When using I messages you take responsibility for your own feelings, rather than accusing the other person of making you feel a certain way. A You message does not communicate a feeling, but a belief about the other person. The essence of an I message is "I have a problem", while the essence of a You message is "You have a problem".
There are four parts to an I message:
- When ... Describe the person’s behaviour you are reacting to in an objective, non-blameful, and non-judgmental manner.
- The effects are ... Describe the concrete or tangible effects of that behaviour. (This is the most important part for the other person to understand - your reaction.)
- I feel ... Say how you feel. (This is the most important part to prevent a build-up of feelings.)
- I’d prefer ... Tell the person what you want or what you prefer they do. You can omit this part if it is obvious.
The order in which you express these parts is usually not important. Here are some examples:
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" When you take company time for your personal affairs and then don’t have time to finish the urgent work I give you, I get furious. I want you to finish the company’s work before you work on your personal affairs." |
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"I lose my concentration when you come in to ask a question, and I don’t like it. Please don’t interrupt me when I am working unless it is urgent." |
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"It is very hard for me to keep our place neat and clean when you leave your clothes and other stuff laying around. It creates a lot more work for me and it takes a lot longer, and I get resentful about it. I’d prefer that you put your clothes away and put your trash in the basket." |
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"I resent it when your flirting with the women keeps you from having time for your work, because it means more work for me." |
Common
Mistakes
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Not expressing a feeling at all, expressing a belief or judgment. |
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Sending a disguised You message. |
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Only expressing negative feelings. |
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The nonverbal body language contradicting the words. For example, smiling when irritated. |
Practice these techniques and turn them into useful skills. Make it easy for yourself to spontaneously express difficult feelings in a manner that is productive and respectful.
the mini-Napoleon in us all and MIT Sloan Essay Two
Essay 2 (application year 2008-2009 / class of 2011): Please tell us about a time when you defended your idea. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
I can't say I am a huge fan of the word 'defended' in this essay question. Defended, at first glance, seems to imply that the essay writer had a correct idea/stance that others did not see or did not agree with (because, reading between the lines, they were blockheads). It follows that the essay writer then convinces people/colleagues that he/she is right. The temptation here is to come off as a mini Napoleon who, though, most likely junior in the company, still manages to show up all the senior people. At the end the essay writer throws in a line about how they improved performance by X or saved the company Y dollars.
UGGGGH.
Replace defended with ‘promoted’ or ‘sold’ when you write this essay. It doesn’t really matter if your idea was implemented or not, was successful or not – what, in my opinion, is important here is showing (not telling) the adcom that you are capable of ‘selling’. Yes selling. Why? because an MBA student/alumni needs to not only sell himself to recruiters, but later in his career (banking, consulting etc) you need to be able to sell the firm’s services to clients.
Question: So what makes for a good promoter/salesman?
Answer: Someone who:
1. is acutely aware of other people’s feelings
2. is acutely aware of other people’s underlying motivations (for influence within the company, a need to feel valued etc.)
3. is acutely aware of the organisational politics present (which may be help/hurt your idea) but either way is still a factor
4. knows how to leverage 1-3 to promote (and maybe obtain) the results he/she is after.
That is just a little essay number two rant to get you thinking about things. I hope it proves helpful.
Clarissa
My Value Proposition
Below, in a very limited amount of space, I will attempt to articulate why you should select me as an application mentor. I do not know you and you do not know me, but I am hoping that something peaks your interest just enough to choose me from among many other options. Does my challenge sound familiar to you? My guess is that you are probably going through a similar ordeal with your application essays, attempting to convey your uniqueness while navigating those pesky word limits. Well, I accept the challenge, so let me tell you how I can help.
1. I can help you craft a compelling story line that succinctly illustrates your strengths, while also credibly answering the ever-important "why MBA?" and "why now?" questions.
Going into my application process, I recognized that I was not a unique applicant (i.e., male, management consultant, not an underrepresented minority). I had to differentiate myself by using my essays. Fortunately, I was able to use my network to find and speak with current students at Columbia, Stanford, Harvard, Kellogg, and Wharton on how they set themselves apart. I used their advice and my own research to craft a comprehensive story that effectively "framed" me as an applicant and eventually led to my admission at Columbia Business School (CBS). Using my experiences, I have developed a simple strategy to ensure that your story is effective - see if it works for you.
2. I can complete a thorough analysis of your essay package and develop a report that clearly identifies the problem areas and corresponding solutions.
If you choose me or not, please do make sure someone besides yourself reviews each essay individually and collectively. Take it from me personally, it is nearly impossible to do a thorough and unbiased review of your own essay package. Through my research and own experiences, I have identified several common pitfalls that trap applicants. I will review your essay package and ensure that you stay clear of these pitfalls and craft the best essay package possible.
3. I can help you ensure that your essays are cohesive, polished, succinct, and have absolutely no grammatical errors.
I have been the editor-in-chief of a newspaper, and I served three years as a teaching assistant during college. I know how to do a technical edit and can spot those small errors that might blemish an entire essay package. Do not believe me? See if you can find any mistakes in this blurb.
For those applying to Columbia GSB…
4. I can help you understand the ins and outs of the Columbia application process.
During my application process, I spoke extensively with current students, alumni, and admissions staff. I know what gets the Columbia application board excited, and I can make sure your essay package does not fall short of their standards.
I wish you the best of luck during your application adventure.
MBA Application Due Dates
AWA : Don't Worry!
Life at Wharton During the Crisis
A few people have asked about life at Wharton in the midst of the financial crisis.
I think the current situation on Wall Street has both positive and negative impacts on the b-school environment. From a recruitment perspective, things are certainly tricker now. But from an academic perspective, things are as vibrant as ever.
There are students who have had their job offers vanish, and there are other students who still have job offers but now have to face the reality that their job is going to be significantly different from what they originally signed up for. Furthermore, the ripple effect of the credit crisis has an impact on a variety of industries - recruiting, even outside the financial services, has become more competitive. I wouldn't go far as to say that there is "panic" among students because of this, though. It's more a matter of facing the reality and taking the best steps available.
On the positive - there is arguably no better place to explore the crisis. From an academic standpoint, this is perhaps the "most exciting" time in Finance that we've seen in years. Peers and faculty engage in active discussions in debates exploring how this happened, why this happened, and the pros and cons of various solutions. Prominent thought-leaders are leading panel discussions, writing op-ed pieces, and sharing their thoughts with students in the classroom. I think most would agree that it's been a while since we had such a backdrop to think of while we learn lessons in Finance and Economics.
GMAT Verbal Podcast Resources
The Table that Brought me from a GMAT Verbal Score of 41 to a 47 (99th Percentile!)
| Perfect | Progressive | Perfect Progressive | |
| Present | Has or Have - Indefinite Time in the past - Began in the past, continues into the present | Am, Is, Are - Ongoing Action Happening Now | Have Been, Has Been - Began in the past, continues into the present and maybe into the future |
| Past | Had - Order of two past events | Was, Were - Happening when another action occurred | Had Been - Completed before another action occurred |
| Future | Will Have - Future event that precedes another | Will be, Shall be - Ongoing action that continues into the future | Will Have Been - Future ongoing action that will occur before a specified time |