Admissionado_Biggest App Mistakes

7/31/2019 Admissionado_Biggest App Mistakes

1/25

TEN MOST COMMON MBA APPLICATION MISTAKES

www.admissionado.com

[email protected]


2/25

THE NEXT FORTY FIVE MINUTES

Why? Because everyone is an expert. Yet as you

will see, much information out there is incorrect.

You must unlearn what you have

learned. - Master Yoda

Flavor Flav said

it best:

Dont believethe hype.

Flavor Flav Jon Frank


3/25

1. OVER-THINKING SCHOOL SELECTION

(VIS. OVER-TAILORING THE APPLICATION)

I am about to blow your minds.

1) Clients and prospective clients ask us which school is right

for themwhat about this program, or that one.

2) They will spend months researching schools, locations, reaching

out to students, friends, really researchingeverything.

3) I am here to tell you that ALL of that is a waste of time. Why?(And this is the part that will blow your minds.)

4) Because the following is the ONLY thing you need to know when considering

which MBA program to attend:

5) What is the best school?

Reputation. (Connections with amazing classmates.) Reputation. (Contact with awesome professors.)

Reputation. (The ability for you to get a JOB anywhere you want, later.)

Anyone who tells you differently didnt get into the program they had

hoped to get into. How do you judge reputation? Well thats harder

Im thinking, Im thinking...

Go to the best school you can get into.


4/25

Wanna go into finance?

Great! Go to the best school you can get into.

Wanna go into Marketing?

Cool! Go to the best school you can get into!

Wanna return to China to take over the world?

Tai hao le! Go to the best school you can get into!

Did you get a big scholarship?

Great! Ignore it.

Have you found that one school has a really great

program in your field of choice?

You get the idea

1. OVER-THINKING SCHOOL SELECTION

(VIS. OVER-TAILORING THE APPLICATION)

Sgt. Slaughter went to the school of

hard knocks. Was that the best

school he could get into?


5/25

Never forget folks, it is BUSINESS school.No matter what else you do, if youre career goals are screwy, you wont

get into a top MBA program.

What is a good career goal?

YOU MUST CONNECT YOUR PAST EXPERIENCES TO YOUR FUTURE GOALS.

An example of how it should work (real estate finance into real estate

development, investment management into investment banking)

An example of how it should not work (IT into non-profit, non profit into

investment banking)

2. SCREWING UP (PROPOSING?) CAREER CHANGES.


6/25

1) Connects your past experiences to your future goals.



Why? Well first of all, you need to get a JOB.

Secondly, what if you dont like your new career choice

If you like something else, why havent youdone it yet?

Oh no! Sounds like we career changers are scrood eh? (Nope.)

You just need to be crediblesomehow. And it is possible to do. Complicated, butpossible

THE PERFECT MBA APP DOES THE FOLLOWING THREE THINGS:

I am RICH folks. Very, very rich.



7/25

LETS PLAY A GAME: MATCH THE SKILL TO THE CAREER

Leadership.

Teamwork.

Well connected.

Good managers.

Problem solving.

Jack of all trades.

Creativity.

Hard working.

Knowledge of Finance.

Investment Banker.

Private Equity.

Management Consulting.

Marketing.

Military.

Non-Profit.

Farming.

Pro Athlete.

Kiwi Harvester.

Author



8/25

If youre doing it right, you can argue that ITS ALL THE SAME.

You dont need to work as a consultant to solve problems for a living.

You dont need to work in marketing to be creative all day long

Not only military guys know what its like to lead people for a living

You dont need to be a general management guy to know what it takes to be a

valuable teamworkmachine

See what we mean folks? To pull off a career change, you need to prove that

you already HAVE the EXACT skills youll need in your new career. Period.

I dont care how unusual your path is, you will need to get a job just likeeveryone else



9/25

Honestly? Essay questions dont REALLY matter.

I am so stressed about my essays! Where do I even begin...

Ignore essay questions. The entire game is predicated on your putting your best foot forward. You have

four stories that MUST be told. It doesnt matter what the essay questions are

tell these four stories. At all costs.

Dont let the wording of topic of any one question force you to use your seventh or

eighth best story in an app

The same is actually true with interviews. But we are getting ahead of

ourselves

3. FOCUS ON ESSAY QUESTIONS.

And dont forget, go to the best school you can get into.


10/25

How many Bob Marley songs can you name?

The answer ismost likely the ones on the Legend album. To that we say Well done, Bob Marley.

The Significance of Bob Marley, Legend

It actually doesnt matter what questions adcoms ask you, whether in applications or interviews.

All that DOES matter is that you tell your best stories. If you have 5 AMAZING stories to tell in the

past 3-5 years, you must tell ALL of them. I dont care what the questions asked happen to be.

That work can start now. Start your lists today my friends. A simple Excel chart takes 20 minutes

Golly, is Georgia

doing what I

think shes

doing?

Lucky dog, lucky

dog. Im a lucky

dog

3. FOCUS ON ESSAY QUESTIONS.


11/25

4. SCREW UP THE TIMING, ENDING UP RUSHED.

1) Essay questions change from year to year.

2) Most schools havent even released their apps yet.

3) My application and background are preeeetty much

set already. How much can I realistically do now?

4) Even if I hit Round 1 or Early Decision, how long can thisprocess takereally?

Cant I just lie here til August?

I hate to burst everyones bubble here (least of all Georgia the dog), butall these

reasons are patently false. Dont believe or subscribe to any ofem. Heres why...

Georgia the Bulldog

THERE ARE MANY EXCUSES TO WAIT ON WRITING APPS


12/25

PS. THE REASONS TO DELAY STARTING YOUR APPS ALL SUCK.

1) Essay questions change from year to year.

Meh. Not really80% or so will remain the same

And even the ones that do change will borrow from

the same general set of themes.

2) Most schools havent yet released their applications yet.

Truebut again, we know what the apps will entail. They havent really changed at all overthe past 10 years

3) My application and background are preeeetty much set already.

Mostly, this is true. But there is still PLENTY to do in the meanwhile. Like what? Well thats

why were here today, but promotions, ECs, and addressing app weaknesses for starters

4) To hit Round 1 or Early Decision, how long can this process takereally?

Here is my (sad, sad) promise to everyone on this call: NONE of you will submit all your apps

during Round 1, even though you all think you will. Not one. We have done 12,000

applications and NEVER has anyone successfully done this. I promise, you will be rushed.

4. SCREW UP THE TIMING, ENDING UP RUSHED.


13/25

4. SCREWING UP THE TIMING, END UP RUSHED.

Round 3 Fun Fact: Round three should never be

an option. After all, If he is so serious about an

MBA, why is he applying so late in the game?

Round 2 Fun Fact: If you are applying in Round 2

and you are an international candidate, you are

doing yourself a great disservice.

Round 1 Fun Fact: Lately, folks have been saying

that the level of applicants is best in R1should

I game it, and apply in Round 2? Great example

of how to NOT listen to Experts. Besides, thebest applicants will be accepted R3, dont you

think

Looks like I picked the wrong day

to stop sniffing glue


14/25

Are you on the old side?

Are you on the young side?

Do you have no international experience?

Are you a career changer?

Did you do poorly on your test scores, or in school?

Are you applying in Round Three?

YOU MUST ADDRESS THESE THINGS.

Yet do so subtly

5. APPLICANTS FOCUS ONLY ON THE GOOD

AND DONT ADDRESS THE BAD

(HBS class of 1979)

(HBS class of 1975)(HBS class of 2005)


15/25

6. OVERLOOKING EUROPEAN (INTERNATIONAL) MBA PROGRAMS

Its all about ROI people. Let me explain.

Are you older? Do you want to spend less money?

Do you want to spend less time without a job?

Do you want the same results as your friends at US schools?

Did you miss your deadlines, or not get in?

Sloan MBA:

Tuition and Expenses Year 1 $83,000


Opportunity Costs Salary Year 1 $60,000

Opportunity Costs Salary Year 2 $60,000

Total Real cost of Program $286,000

Yet Post-MBA Salaries are $147,974 at INSEAD and $158,353 at Sloan

INSEAD MBA:


Opportunity Costs Salary Year 1

$60,000

Total Real cost of Program $136,000

Yaron DahanAdmissionado Head Consultant


16/25

Where students come from

Harvard:

Africa: 2 %

Asia: 13 %

Europe: 10 %

North America: 70 %

Latin America and the Caribbean: 4 %Oceania: 1 %

INSEAD:

Africa: 4 %

Asia: 32 %

Europe: 41 %

North America: 15 %

Latin America and the Caribbean: 6 %Oceania: 2 %

Harvard:

Africa: 1 %

Asia: 9 %

Europe: 7 %

North America: 80 %

Oceania: 0 %

Latin America and the Caribbean: 2 %

INSEAD:

Africa: 3 %

Asia: 28 %

Europe: 53 %

North America: 8 %

Oceania: 2 %

Latin America and the Caribbean: 6 %

Where grads go to work



17/25

Harvard:

International Students: 34%

International Faculty: 37%

International Board: 21%

INSEAD:

International Students: 92%

International Faculty: 90%

International Board: 80%

Finally, I have beaten HBS in a contest ofMBAdom



18/25

We will not claim that we are the only credible

consultant.

Others may have done 12,000 applications too

Others may combine business + creative focus

Others may care about what they do as much as

we do (are not angry, disinterested, etc.)

But do yourselves a favor, since there are NO barriers

to entry. SCREEN your consultants people:

Years of experience

Passion for what they do

More than one set of eyes.

An approach, a style, an opinion (whatever it is.) And above all else, 1000%

transparency.

7. PICK A CRAPPY CONSULTANT.

(GRATUITOUS AND ONLY ADVERTISEMENT SLIDE)


19/25

Corroborate Your Stories.

Are you telling the truth?

Is there more to the stories you have told?

Add NEW Stories.

The 70-30 Rule.

Is there NEW ground to cover?

Judge Your Judgment.

Nothing says this person has bad judgment better than

a luke warm (or even cold?) LOR.

Or a LOR that was clearly written by YOU, and not by your

recommender

8. BOTCHED LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION


20/25

WHOM SHOULD I ASK TO WRITE MY LORS?

Its an age-old question: should I get the LOR from the CEO, or

from a lower-level guy who knows me better?

No brainerthe lower-level guy. Why?

He will write better stories.

He will try harder, this will reflect in you.

He likely knows you better.

Please do NOT make the following mistakes:

Asking peers for a LOR

Relying on academic LORs

Specifics are the name of the game. There are only so manyadjectives, and most botched LORs will use all of em. A lot.

Do NOT give your recommenders too much info, too much guidance,

and do NOT micromanage them. This ALWAYS leads to luke warm

LORs, and you begin to lose that 30%.

Please dont ask this guy.

8. BOTCHED LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION


21/25

The Awakening Dragon. China is SCARY. It is FOREIGN. And if the adcom feels youre too

foreign they wont feel like they connect, or go to bat for you.

Why scary?

People (so many).

Politics (we dont understand).

Economy (China is buying the US and that is scary).

Ask any US citizen, what do you think about China. They will say, China is taking over.

And that of course is what WE are trying to do at Admissionado...

Why is this significant? Not because it is or isnt truebut because a good app needs to

make the adcomfeel like you are NOT too foreign. You are NOT scary. You are not trying

to take over the US. You are simply chasing your dream, just like any American would

WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK THEY KNOW ABOUT CHINA EG.?

9. MISHANDLED INTERNATIONAL-NESS


22/25

Outsourcing.

High Tech.

Poor.

Foreign.

DIFFERENT!

BUT ON THE RISE! Ask any US citizen, what do you think about India. They will

say, India and China are taking over! And thats just fine with us at PE...

Why is this significant? Again, not because any of this is true. But instead,

because now you know what the adcom is thinking about you. Make them feel

like you are NOT too foreign. You CAN do more than IT. Youre capable of BIG

picture stuff. Too many Indian applicants ignore these preconceptions

WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK THEY KNOW ABOUT INDIA EG?

9. MISHANDLED INTERNATIONAL-NESS


23/25

Your adcom member is NOT a smart 60 y/o MBA retiree.

He is in his 20s.

Liberal arts major, now in an HR capacity.

Often significant other to MBA student

Whats the significance?

They do not know ANYTHING about business.

So we propose some tests.

.

.

.

10. GIVE ADCOMS TOO MUCH CREDIT

Would Tyra understand what you do?


24/25

IN CONCLUSION

Scary Fact: Much of what we discussed today is the OPPOSITE the advice currently

out there:

Avoid round 1, try to get some VIP to write you a LOR, go to Wisconsin if you

are REALLY serious about real estate, etc.)

Redeeming/Inspiring Fact: The advice weve given is all simply common sense:

Go to the best school you can get into, dont over think fit.

Pretend youre in the adcom, and think about what your WEAKNESSES are.

The problem with career changes is that you arent putting your best foot forward

(The airplane test, etc.)

Everyone on this call is WAY ahead of the game. Early. So be smart, get your apps in

early, be thoughtful, and if you are EVER confused, just use simple common sense.

There are no shortcuts; just research, honest hard work, and execution.

And as always, lets answer some questions


25/25

Admissionado

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