This post was prompted by a very legit question asked by a BSer planning a Round 2 strategy a few weeks ago: Given that the Haas admit rate is actually lower than Kellogg, why would EssaySnark claim that it’s easier to get in? Many years ago we published our own “rankings” on which schools were […]
Continue reading...($) When a 740 GMAT isn’t really a 740 GMAT
Clickbaity title, yes, that’s valid. But there are so many misconceptions out there on GMAT scores. The importance and impact of standardized test scores in MBA admissions is being called into question this year based on the policy changes some top schools have implemented (though some schools seem stuck), and there’s even more confusion out […]
Continue reading...Some schools are being hard-asses about standardized testing and test scores (and a rant)
A number of schools seem to be trying to play the status-quo game: They’re maintaining their pre-covid policies and not really making many accommodations to their processes and policies. In a “normal” year we would not even call any attention to this. It’s what schools do. With the exception of changing their essay questions and […]
Continue reading...($) A Stanford applicant case study: Avoidable mistakes
Reblahgging from the past, because based on some profiles and BSers we’ve seen lately, this info may be useful again!! We got an essay submitted for a freebie review last November and we spent a day reviewing it for everyone right before Round 2 (Stanford “What matters most and why?”) (tl;dr: getting rejected from...
($) Do “legacies” have an admit advantage?
So much has changed in such a short time. If you’d asked us this about five years ago, the answer would’ve been an unequivocal “Yes!” “Legacies” are candidates whose parents went to the school that they’re applying to. Sometimes other relatives like aunts or uncles, or grandparents, are included in the “legacy” equation. Premium content […]
Continue reading...A quick primer on types of schools and MBA programs
This is in the category of, maybe you already know it, but maybe you’ve gone through life wondering what this stuff means and how everyone else knows it but you. None of this really matters that much in the process of applying for an MBA. You can go through the entire cycle and get accepted […]
Continue reading...($) Are we seeing stronger applicants this year?
Yesterday we went reminiscing about what last year’s admissions season was looking like in mid-October of 2019. You may have read that and thought, “Who cares!??” If you did, thank you for humoring us anyway. Yesterday’s post sets up today’s: What are the trends and expectations that we are perceiving NOW, for the CURRENT admissions […]
Continue reading...($) What we were seeing at this point in the season last year
Not that last year’s trends relate to this year. This year is different in so, so many ways. But still. Since we’re now in that quasi-lull where the frenzy of Round 1 is mostly behind you (with the exception of some final scrambles for schools like NYU or Duke), and you’re in the Waiting Game […]
Continue reading...What is this “holistic review” thing?
It’s been an exciting week for many of you already! Thank you to Michigan Ross for issuing interview invitations before Harvard. Talk about a well-deserved boost of confidence for many! You could already be in interview-prep mode based on news that’s come out for some Round 1 apps to date, or you’re in wait-and-see mode, […]
Continue reading...Which school will do it first?
Some of you may be too young to remember the details, but about 12 years ago, we had that big financial crisis involving mortgages and Wall Street and fancy-dancy securities called collateral debt obligations and all that jazz. The part you probably do remember is that it made the housing market melt down, and people […]
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