EssaySnark

  • about
  • contact
  • help
  • sign up
  • login
CLICK FOR MORE!
  • Essay Questions
    • Harvard
    • Stanford
    • Wharton
    • Chicago Booth
    • Kellogg
    • MIT Sloan
    • Tuck
    • NYU Stern
    • Columbia
    • Yale SOM
    • Berkeley Haas
    • UVA Darden
    • Duke Fuqua
    • Michigan Ross
    • UCLA Anderson
    • Cornell
  • Strategy Guides
    • MBA Career Goals in Entrepreneurship
    • School-Specific MBA Application Guides
      • Harvard 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Stanford 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Wharton 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Kellogg 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • MIT Sloan 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Columbia 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Chicago Booth 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • *MORE SCHOOL-SPECIFIC GUIDES HERE*
  • MBA Consulting
    • Free essay reviews
    • What stage are you in?
    • Military MBA
    • BIPOC Program
    • Testimonials & Reviews
    • Guest Posts
  • My SnarkCenter
    • My Strategy Guides
    • My Favorite Posts
    • Discounts & Offers

($) Applying where the scholarships are (wherein we talk up Ross, Cornell, Darden, and others)

April 22, 2019 by EssaySnark - Discusses Cornell Johnson, Darden, Michigan Ross Leave a Comment

We’re not exactly advocating this as an actual strategy for selecting your MBA programs to target. But it’s something to consider! It’s certainly more practical and intelligent (yes we said it) than using rankings as the priority tool to choose where to apply.

If a top MBA program has a special scholarship fund earmarked only for students in a specific field, then wouldn’t it make sense for you to apply there?

All else being equal (which to at least some extent, is definitely the case when you consider groupings of peer schools), if there’s funding available on campus for some specific sector or industry, then you can bet that the school is placing an emphasis there. Not only is there the possibility you might actually earn some of that scholarship money (maybe — if you’re a legit candidate for that specific sector and well qualified) but there’s also likely to be an ecosystem or infrastructure built out around that interest area on campus.

It’s unlikely that some wealthy alumna/us is going to drop a sh!t-ton of money on their alma mater focusing on a specific industry segment if that school is not on board to support and promote and groom and nurture students to go into that field.

One example is in this news that we saw in March: Michigan Ross Alum Donates $5.4 Million To Create New Full-Ride Scholarships for MBAs Interested in Healthcare

And to that we say WOW! Setting up a scholarship fund for a particular sector is happening more often at many schools but a full-ride scholarship opportunity? That level of generosity being bestowed to multiple students is not common. This Pinkert Scholar opportunity is truly significant and will be a hard one to pass up if you end up getting this on offer.

This Pinkert Scholars program at Ross is not the same type of hyperfocused program such as the Wharton Healthcare Management Track which is fully immersive, and which also often offers some financial support (stipends and such) for students who are accepted. If you’re interested in healthcare, and you’re a fit overall to The Wharton School, then the HCM should be on your radar for sure.

This is potentially even more impactful and important than the alumnus who’s funding student travel to international destinations now at Darden — which is also a notable new development that should be investigated as part of your school research efforts. If you’ve decided that an international career path is part of your future, then going to a school that not only requires international experience in order to graduate, but one who’s putting some money where their mouth is and helping students to go on such experiences seems like a school to investigate.

Now, please don’t get the wrong idea. We’re not suggesting that you decide to focus on a healthcare as your post-MBA career if you’ve never been interested in healthcare, never worked a day in healthcare, never been inside a doctor’s office since the last time you were vaccinated as a child. (We hope you have been vaccinated, Brave Supplicant!) We’re not trying to plant ideas on how you can game the system and try to get in to a top school by pitching yourself as in love with healthcare. The only way this works is if it’s a genuine interest of yours already, that you’ve been pursuing in your life over time, and it makes sense for where you want to continue to focus through your MBA and beyond. You can’t just decide to switch into healthcare now if you’ve not done anything in healthcare before; that’s not an impossible pitch to make for an admit but it’s unlikely you’ll get into Wharton HCM or be awarded this new Ross Pinkert scholarship unless you have the foundation behind you to back all of it up.

What we are suggesting is that if you’re already focusing on healthcare and you love it, and you’re excited by it — or if you’re hot to trot for entrepreneurship and innovation and you know you want to make your mark in the medical field in some way, even if you don’t currently have vast experience there (but you’re, say, looking for bschool to set you up with the right partner who does bring that specialized sector knowledge to the mix, and you can pair up and be a radical success as a team) — then Ross might be one to look closely at.

If you’re gung-ho about fintech, well, this is a non-viable strategy: We’ve not heard of a single school that has any special funding for those going to fintech. There aren’t that many big-ticket scholarships available at the top schools for anything finance-related, actually, and that’s for what’s hopefully the obvious reason: If you want to go into finance, you’re likely motivated by, well, finance — and those jobs pay quite handsomely on the backend, thank you very much. You can find a smattering of scholarships to the tune of around $5,000 here and there such as these at Berkeley-Haas (along with one for $50k) which do include a mentorship component, but it’s not the same infrastructure and intimate nurturing that you’d experience with one of these others we’re discussing.

The reason a school would get an alum to fund a big scholarship for a specific sector is to try and enhance that school’s offering in that field, and to serve the market of employers looking to that school for new talent. Healthcare is a sector where many schools have been unable to fill the available demand, and so these types of student funding opportunities are a way to address that on a broader scale.

Smaller off-the-radar schools also often have some very nice support for particular fields, such as UC-Davis and their Health Professions MBA Scholarship Program . Or, a one-off scholarship awarded to a student in the media industry (apparently preferring a focus on traditional media like newspapers) is available at UVA Darden. Their Batten Media Scholarship is also a full-ride opportunity, but this is clearly open only to a very tiny self-selecting slice of the MBA applicant pool (there’s a sister Batten Scholarship at Darden focused on innovation which more of you might be interested in).

Finally, not an industry focus but an exceptional opportunity for the right candidate: Cornell Johnson has the Park Fellows program which is an intensive track for leaders of distinction and diversity. It’s a way for Cornell to be competitive with certain candidates who they really want to bring on board. Perhaps more than these other full-ride scholarships we’ve been highlighting, this one has certain obligations that the Fellows will fulfill during their two years on campus, along with the mentorship and nurturing for leadership. It’s a community within a community and there are specific expectations that you’ll want to understand before you apply. That’s often the case when a program is titled a “fellowship” versus a “scholarship” though the lines between these terms can be blurry. In any case, if you’re given the privilege of such an award, you can expect for the school to want to use you in marketing and you’ll have some responsibilities for contributing to the network, and an expectation that you’ll stay involved and help out with the next generation even after you have graduated and moved on.

All of these opportunities are worth exploring, and you may be surprised at what’s available at individual schools and the programs they offer. There’s certainly no guarantee you’ll be awarded such a generous gift; most people are thrilled simply to be accepted, they don’t expect to be paid to go get an education. But if you’re the right fit to a school culture already and you’re interested in the sector they want to support, then yeah, going all-in with your application and making sure you’re exploring that opportunity fully as part of your school research, to leverage it to the full extent possible in your pitch, could be an excellent investment of your available time from now till submitting those essays.

 
 
You may also be interested in:

Filed Under: finance, healthcare, selecting schools, tuition Tagged With: financial aid Bschools: Cornell Johnson, Darden, Michigan Ross

« Previous: The secret to how to get into HBS
Next: PSA: How to email »

So who the heck is EssaySnark, anyway?!

We're the snarky experts in MBA admissions!

Sometimes amused and often appalled by what candidates write in their MBA applications to top bschools, EssaySnark created this little blahg to share common mistakes. Learn from them and avoid making admissions directors laugh (or want to hurl) when they read your essays. If you are hoping to have your essay reviewed anonymously on the blahg for free, submit it for consideration.

Want EssaySnark's personal assistance with your MBA applications? Start with our menu of consulting services and please read the Help FAQ to learn how we operate. Still have questions after doing all that? Email Team EssaySnark at gethelpnow at essaysnark dot com.

Good luck on your apps, Brave Supplicant!

Tell us what you think. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for the 'Snark via email

Enter your address to get weekday blahg posts by email.

UPCOMING MBA APP DEADLINES

  • INSEAD Round 4
    in 1 month, 0 weeks, 4 days, 16 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 intake Rd 1
    in 1 month, 2 weeks, 0 days, 16 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 Intake Rd 2
    in 3 months, 0 weeks, 1 day, 16 hours
  • (expected) HBS Class of 2024 app requirements released
    in 3 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 17 hours
  • (expected) Columbia J-Term/ED app to open
    in 4 months, 1 week, 6 days, 17 hours
   
From a BSer January 2020:
"love the guide books!"


CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2020-2021 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the main essay, the EQ Endorsement and Pick Six!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2023 essays!
   
    The 2020-2021 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2020-2021 applications
   
    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
    The 2020-2021 Duke Essay Guide - covers the 25 Random Things essay and all the rest too!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Duke Fuqua - up to date for the current season!
   
    The 2020-2021 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the contacts for two references, and additional tips for the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2023!
   
    The 2020-2021 Tuck Essay Guide has been refreshed with latest insights and advice for your essays about "investing generously" and "why Tuck"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA - completely overhauled for 2020, to help you demonstrate how you are nice, aware, etc stuff!
   
    The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2023 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2020-2021
   
    The 2020-2021 Chicago Booth MBA Application Guide - ready to go to support your Class of 2023 essay strategy!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Chicago Booth for this year's MBA app!
   
    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with new tips for 2020!
   
    The 2020 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values' -- plus tips on 2020 world events and applicability to your essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - updated and revised for the new realities of 2020!    
      The 2020 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2023
   
    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for 
UCLA
   
   

Brave Supplicants' latest reviews on The 'Snark


Apr 10, 2020
by George on EssaySnark
Great Starting Point

I thought getting over the GRE/GMAT hurdle was fairly straightforward--disciplined study then test execution... Read more

Apr 10, 2020
by George on Single Shot Express MBA Essay Review
Worth Every Penny

I used the Single Shot Express to decimate essay #1 at my first-choice school. Paired with the school... Read more

Feb 9, 2020
by KA on Waitlist Assist
Committed

You continue to blow me away with your commitment to us BSers! Thanks again for everything. It's been... Read more






Not sure where to begin with EssaySnark?
Our Snark Selector
will tell you!



What were we snarking about at this time in past years?

  • 2020: ($) Deciding on a school: Qualitative factors
  • 2020: ($) Updating the admissions office on changes to your profile post-submit: GMAT/GRE/classes
  • 2019: ($) If you got into a top bschool and now you're thinking you're not going to go
  • 2019: Harvard Business School is....
  • 2018: Quote of the Day
  • 2018: If you really want to start a company...
  • 2017: The problem with lying.
  • 2016: ($) Admitted Applicant Problems! Bschool and significant others
  • 2016: Success Stories that never materialized
  • 2015: Another quiz!
My Tweets

See the Top U.S. Business Schools on a Map!


EssaySnark is currently available! We're accepting new clients! Standard turnarounds apply. If you're in a hurry, Speedy Review is available!

EssaySnark® is a registered trademark. All content copyright © 2010–2021 Snarkolicious Press · Privacy Policy

Where should you start with EssaySnark?

Which EssaySnark service is right for you? Answer a few questions to find out!

This field must be set to Everyone - then in the Settings -> HTML -> After Fields screen there's JavaScript to hide it.
Sending