Yes yes yes, we know, you want to make more money. Get a better job. Maybe work in some other part of the world. All that is perfectly fine. But as part of your pre-application MBA preparedness process, we strongly encourage you to step back and consider the question of WHY. An MBA is a […]
Continue reading...($) What does “I want to start a company” mean?
This simple sentence can be empowering – or it can really trip you up and even embarrass you depending on the context and to whom you are saying it. And maybe, after the events of the past few weeks especially and more broadly months, you’re starting to second-guess that whole idea in the first place. […]
Continue reading...($) “Oh no! What now?” part 2
This week we’re discussing the real-world situation of the Brave Supplicant who tried for an MBA but did not have success getting in. This is not so much about planning a reapplicant strategy, though that isn’t at odds with this either. This is about, hmmm, things didn’t go as planned, and sitting here in middle […]
Continue reading...Becoming your future self
Just about a month ago, many of you wrote these very impressive-sounding (we hope!) essays on your intended future goals. What if you started implementing those plans today? This is both a smart thing to do — because how else could you demonstrate that you’re a new-and-improved person if you end up (eeek!!!) as a […]
Continue reading...($) The importance of explicit “why MBA” content
The “why MBA” aspect to your pitch in your MBA essays is not just literally stating why you think an MBA is necessary to achieve your goals — though that’s obviously an important part! The most sophisticated “why MBA” essays are about positioning YOU towards THIS SCHOOL. There are two angles of “why MBA” that […]
Continue reading...($) Yet another “be specific!” post
When you’re writing about career goals especially, but also when answering other MBA essay questions too, it’s almost always best to go more specific than you have been doing. We can say that without even seeing any drafts you’ve written because hardly anyone goes specific — like, at all. Premium content starts here… ———– […]
Continue reading...($) Are you proposing too big of a change?
Most applicants to business school want to change careers. Bschool is an ideal vehicle for that. Most bschools want to hear about your plans to change careers in your essays. Crafting a solid set of goals is one of the most important steps you can take in building a strong application. There are many ways...
“If I knew what I wanted to do with my life, I wouldn’t need an MBA”
Why do schools ask you about career goals? Not all of them do, but some of them do — and those that do often tend to care a lot about how you respond. No you don’t really need to know what you will do in three years when you (hopefully!) will be graduating with that […]
Continue reading...($) “Impact on the world”
Did you know that you have an impact on the world just by breathing? It’s true! You know, that whole butterfly effect thing? All of us, by our very existence, we are changing the destiny of everyone else! But probably most of you writing essays for Stanford are trying to say something greater than that....
Interested in moving from engineering to business?
Or basically any independent contributor role, where you’re giving specific parts of the project to go off and execute, and someone else is responsible for the big-picture view, and for communicating with everyone across the team and department, up and down the chain of the organization? If so, we invite you to go read this […]
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