…you’d better do it! Yeah this is coming at you from the Department of the Obvious, but you’d be surprised. Every year, we get some intrepid BSer with some type of flaw in the profile – not-great GMAT or GRE, blemish-prone GPA – and they decide that they’re going to compensate for that flaw and […]
Continue reading...Unintentionally blurring things
For a whole bunch o’ reasons, it’s important to tell the truth on your apps. Even if it seems simpler to bend things. Fudging is really great when you’re baking a cake or some brownies, but not so great in your apps. Here’s what we shared with a BSer when we saw this potentially happening […]
Continue reading...($) What does authenticity mean: For Stanford?
It definitely means going beyond the obvious. Nowhere is “don’t tell us what you think we want to hear” more applicable than in your MBA essays for the Stanford GSB. If we read one more Stanford essay about “what matters most is helping people” then we’re gonna scream (j/k. if that’s what you wrote we’re […]
Continue reading...($) “Do the adcoms *really* look at the whole package?”
Here’s a question that a BSer asked us: quick question you guys about applications in general – is everything *really* looked at on a holistic basis? I ask because obviously, in sharing only one of my essays with you fine folks, I got one response, but after framing up my profile, etc., it was a different […]
Continue reading...Applying to Bschool: The Strategy of Authenticity
We’re reviving this series from the ‘snarchives because it’s so important as a concept to understand in constructing high-quality MBA applications — and in life! We talk a lot about strategy in your MBA apps here on the blahg. Strategy comes down to: pitching the right schools pitching the right way maximizing your strengths […]
Continue reading...Interesting clues to getting more out of life (and essays)
Have you heard of flow? It’s that state where you lose track of time because you’re so immersed in your task. Most people don’t expect that writing essays can end up being enjoyable, and frequently, the level of procrastination that goes into the avoidance of writing essays can pile up into real obstacles that create […]
Continue reading...That pang of loss.
You know how it feels when you realize that a $20 bill fell out of your pocket? No? You do remember what cash is, right? From even before the Before Times, like from your childhood or something, before Venmo existed? Or how about when you mistakenly put the car in reverse when you meant to […]
Continue reading...Don’t forget the thank-yous!
Most of you who’ve been accepted to bschool this past season have likely already done this — but just in case! It’s always good to get reminders of the basics sometimes. If you got in to bschool — and even more so if you didn’t (eek!) — be sure to circle back and inform the […]
Continue reading...Public Service Message: Please decline the schools you won’t be attending.
With all the talk of waitlisters recently, we’ve neglected to mention one important point: Please be kind and decline. If you’ve been accepted to one or more MBA programs that you already know you won’t be attending, please formally decline those offers as soon as you possibly can. There are hoardes of other BSers out […]
Continue reading...First Impressions and Ongoing Professionalism: Email Etiquette
As you develop your career, you will be interacting with more and more people, and small things you do in those interactions can go a long way to forming their perceptions of you. The habits you have in emailing your BFF or texting your mom can get in the way of a positive impression you’re […]
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