Well that went fast didn’t it! There’s something very odd that happens to time in that sequence of dates between like December 15th and the first Monday in January. Or maybe that phenomenon of weird-time-experience only happens to those trying to write essays for Round 2 applicants (and the snarks who try to support them). […]
Continue reading...($) The very best messaging for handling an issue with low GPA
One of the most common statements that MBA admissions committees hear from applicants who have rocky academics is, “My GPA does not reflect my ability.” We have cautioned against this before as not quite the ideal. So then, what is? Premium content starts here… ———– ———– Premium content ends.
Continue reading...Mental health and top universities
UPDATE: And then of course we have the tragic news this morning of another shooting in the U.S., this time on the campus of the University of Virginia… ——————- In the long-ago past here on the blahg, we routinely cautioned candidates to be careful of overdisclosing personal information in their MBA applications. This was a […]
Continue reading...($) One bad grade: Dealing with a D or an F on your transcript.
Oh nos! You flunked out of a class! Or just flailed mightily, and ended up with a very low mark on your transcript. What do you do about that now? Premium content starts here… ———– ———– Premium content ends. If you want full support on figuring out what to do and how to...
While much of the blahg is available completely for free, the content here is reserved for members with full blahg access only ($9.95/month for six months, cancel anytime). Please login to view this content or purchase a membership.
($) Optional essay for low GPA: “I have proven myself since then by excelling at my job.”
We see statements like that quite a bit in optional essays about poor academic performance in college. We covered something similar recently in this post on “making excuses for low grades” and it’s a perennial topic here on the blahg. However this angle deserves a post of its own. Premium content starts here… ———– […]
Continue reading...($) MBA app strategies: Making excuses for low GPA in college
Err, actually, that title is inaccurate; making excuses is never a “strategy.” We need to talk about what works, and what doesn’t help at all, when dealing with a low-grades situation when you’re applying for a top MBA. Premium content starts here… ———– ———– Premium content ends. An optional essay about grades should […]
Continue reading...($) Already have a Master’s degree? Why do you also need an MBA now?
Some schools don’t really focus on this issue but a few of them do – including Tuck in particular, who in the past wouldn’t even consider a candidate with a prior MBA or MBA-similar degree, like the PGP from India. They are (somewhat?) loosening those restrictions in the new admissions climate but even if you […]
Continue reading...($) “My test score is not reflective of my abilities.”
To this statement, we say “Uh-oh.” We see nearly this exact statement in lots and lots of optional essays submitted with MBA applications. Brave Supplicants know that their test performance wasn’t in range of what the “best” candidates are presenting, based on the averages published at their target school, and they want to say something […]
Continue reading...($) When informing the adcom about a new GMAT score (waitlist, optional essay)
If you’re just starting the process of applying to bschool for the first time, this post is not for you. Today we’re mostly talking to those who are either still on the waitlist, or who will be reapplicants, and who will be informing the adcom about an updated GMAT score either in a waitlist update […]
Continue reading...($) More tactics on the optional essay: What to say and how to say it (and how much to say) for issues like low GPA
We went into some considerations on use of the optional essay in your MBA applications recently and there is much more to be said on this important topic! Premium content starts here… ———– ———– Premium content ends. Still scrambling with essays? There’s actually still time to enlist our help in your MBA apps! […]
Continue reading...