Application Strategy Review

Let’s review shall we?  At Transcend Admissions we are always immersed in admissions-related material so that we can have the most up to date knowledge on programs and applications strategies. We also make a point of reviewing all of the information that we think we know on a regular basis to ensure we are up to speed with what is important to our clients every single season.

In that spirit, we wanted to take a moment to create a summary that can link you to some important posts we have written in the past on application strategy. We often receive common questions from applicants and we believe that many of the blog posts below can answer those questions and help applicants start to plan their strategies. 

Undergraduate Application Strategy

Common Application Tips: The Activities Section

Common Application Tips: The Short Answer

Common Application Tips: The Personal Essay

Game Plan: Preparing to Apply

Game Plan: Details & Links for Application

Game Plan: Essay Questions

Please Follow the Word Limit!

Overcoming a Low GPA

Five Things Taiwanese Undergraduate Applicants Should Keep in Mind

When Grades and Test Scores are Similar, How Do Admissions Officers Choose?

Graduate Application Strategy

Should I Apply for MBA in the Early Decision Round?

Please Follow the Word Limit!

Guidance for Younger MBA Applicants

Advice for Career MBA Switchers

Should I Take a Break to Prepare for the GMAT?

Overcoming a Low GPA

Choosing Between a 1 and 2 Year MBA Program

Avoiding Common Resume Problems

Deliver Your Core Message

When Grades and Test Scores are Similar, How Do Admissions Officers Choose?

If you’re thinking about applying for an undergrad degree, an MBA, for Law School, or a graduate degree after this summer – you need to be thinking about all of this information now so you can lay your plan before the deadlines arrive.

If you know someone applying to school and think they’d benefit from reading these articles, feel free to share this article with that person!

If you’d like help thinking through your own application strategy you are most welcome to contact me personally at david@transcendadmissions.com.

When Grades & Test Scores are Similar, How do Admissions Officers Choose?

Let’s examine a hypothetical situation. Two students from Taiwan are applying to master’s programs in the United States: Terry, and Sharon. Terry and Sharon both went to National Taiwan University and achieved high grades throughout their undergraduate careers. They have both volunteered at the community service organizations and studied abroad at good universities in the United States.

Here’s a breakdown of Terry and Sharon’s grades, and scores.

Terry

GPA: 3.7

GMAT: 710

TOEFL: 103

Sharon

GPA: 3.58

GMAT: 730

TOEFL: 101

If Terry and Sharon, who are so similar on paper, are applying to the same school, how will the admissions officers decide between them?

Making the Decision

Admissions officers have a very difficult task. They need to understand the kind of person both Sharon, and Terry are by looking at their applications. Admissions officers have to inspect thousands applications every year and it is your job as the applicant to communicate the type of person you are as effectively as possible so that you stand out and make their decision easier.

Your Motivations

Admissions officers want to understand what motivates you. Why do you want to get a graduate degree, and will it really help you achieve your career goals? What drives you to get out of bed in the morning, and what would you spend your time doing for free on the weekends and late into the evenings? What passion do you bring to the master’s program? If Sharon seems more passionate and motivated than Terry, that will be a point in Sharon’s favor.

Your Character

Admissions officers need to understand how you make decisions, and that you have high ethical standards. If Sharon writes about how she faced an ethical dilemma and made a difficult choice that cost her in the short-term but clearly explains that maintaining her integrity is most important to her, she will have painted a very attractive picture in the minds of the admissions officers. Admissions people need to see that you have a long-view of ethics, and that you will consistently make good decisions which will benefit their University brand, and the companies you work with down the road.

How Do You Work in Teams?

Master’s programs involve lots of group work and projects. You want to be mindful to structure your application to emphasize that you work well individually, but also in group settings. If Sharon somehow gives the impression that she prefers to work independently and Terry talks about a time where he led a group to success by listening to everyone’s input and helping the group make an informed decision - that will be a point in Terry’s favor. It is really important to emphasize your respect for the group process, and ideally communicate to admissions officers that you are a leader who works well with and brings out the best in your teammates.

Conclusion

Admissions officers need to understand your uniqueness and core values so that when they make a decision, they will have a compelling reason to choose you, instead of Terry or Sharon or thousands of other qualified applicants. In order to help the admissions officers get to know you, focus on communicating your passions, motivations, character, and attitude towards teamwork.

If you’d like to read more freely available content with strategies to optimize your graduate school application, please refer to other articles in this admissions blog. If you’d like more personalized attention and coaching through the application process, arguably one of the most important applications of your life, please feel free to reach out to me personally at david@transcendadmissions.com.

The Number of Master's Programs in the United States has Increased Rapidly

In this recent article, the Washington Post reports that from 2000-2012 the number of people receiving master's degrees from colleges and universities in the United States increased by 63%.  Many universities, such as Georgetown, award far more master's than bachelor's degrees (Georgetown awarded 2,838 master's compared to 1,871 bachelor's degrees in 2012).

Master's degree programs are not only big money makers for the schools, but have proven to be a crucial investment for workers aiming for high-skill jobs.  Census data in Virginia shows that the average salary for people who hold a master's degree in electrical or electronics engineering is $75,000 compared to $56,000 for those who only hold bachelor's degrees.  

Many universities seem to expand their master's degree offerings each year, and launch programs that allow students to gain very specialized knowledge for an increasingly competitive and complex knowledge economy.  We believe this trend is especially beneficial for international students, as new programs offer more and more opportunities for them to come to the United States and get a great education in a multitude of disciplines.

Deliver Your Core Message

Many admissions officials have agreed that about 80% of the applicant pool is fully qualified to do well in their programs.  But as we all know, the admission rate for most top MBA and other graduate school programs is quite low.  

Good academic performance and test scores are critical to gaining admission.  And beyond this, applicants with plenty of great professional and other (leadership and international) experiences have a big advantage in the graduate school application process.  The application essays are the key vehicle that applicants can use to deliver a powerful message about these experiences that can differentiate them from the other 80% of qualified applicants.  

However, many graduate school applicants that have abundant experiences and many skills struggle to use the essays to differentiate themselves.  Applicants often attempt to squeeze too many details about their experiences and explanations about all the incredible skills they have into a short essay.  The result can be a cluttered message: the person has mentioned so many things that it is hard to clearly understand their core value.

The purpose of this blog post is to encourage MBA and graduate school candidates to first carefully think about their core value (or value proposition) and then build the essays around that message.  Perhaps your core message is related to your international perspective, entrepreneurial mindset or ability think proactively and solve problems.  If so, find ways to weave these concepts into your essays by explaining how this mentality affected your past decisions and future plan.  

Graduate school programs definitely look for well-rounded students - but you don't need to convince the admissions committee that you are good at everything.  If the admissions committee can clearly understand your core value, they will more likely have a memorable impression of you.  A lot of people have a skill or knowledge area that they are particularly strong in or a personality trait that sets them apart.  First analyze what sets you apart and develop a core message. Then, instead of trying to persuade the admissions committee that you are good at everything, maximize your core message and subtly highlight your key experiences and stills related to it.  

To use an analogy from business, the clothing giant Ralph Lauren now has a prominent product line in almost every possible fashion category and distribution around the globe.  However, Ralph Lauren didn't become a global icon overnight – this brand had humble beginnings as a necktie producer.  The company’s exceptional necktie designs and elegant brand image allowed them to accumulate a dedicated customer base that eventually led to a partnership with a major department store and then rapid expansion from that point forward.  The bottom line is that Ralph Lauren was not a top designer in all product categories from the beginning; it all started with neckties and then everything was built from there.

Thus I challenge graduate school applicants to find their core value (their “necktie” so to speak), and then build their own “brand image” in the essays around those key selling points.  By taking this approach you will be able to deliver a memorable impression to the admissions committee, and increase your chances of acceptance.          

Columbia Business School 2014 Essays Released!

Harvard is typically the first business school to release their essays each year.  But this year Columbia Business School (CBS) has beat them to the punch as they released their 2014 MBA essays last week.  It is a smart move by CBS, as they are always encouraging as many applicants as possible to apply in their Early Decision Round (deadline October 2nd).

This early release it great news for aspiring CBS MBA candidates who have been sitting around waiting to get started on their applications (or bad news for those who wanted to procrastinate for a couple more months, it depends how you look at it!).

The new essay questions include major differences from the 2013 CBS essay questions, with a clear focus on the benefits of studying in New York City (Essay 2) while providing applicants more of an opportunity to share specific personal information about themselves (Essay 3).  Here are the questions:

Essay 1 - Given your individual background, why are you pursuing a Columbia MBA at this time?

Essay 2 - Columbia Business School is located in the heart of the world's business capital - Manhattan.  How do you anticipate that New York City will impact your experience at Columbia?

Essay 3 - What will the people in your Cluster be pleasantly surprised to learn about you?


The CBS Early Decision deadline seems like it is ages away - but it will be here before you know it!  Applicants that get started on their essays early typically achieve superior results in the end.  So get started as early as possible!  And of course, if you would like insights on how to approach the newly released 2014 CBS MBA essays, feel free to reach out to us at: david@transcendadmissions.com
  

Five Things Taiwanese Undergraduate Applicants Should Keep in Mind

Do you want to obtain an undergraduate degree at a university in the United States? In many ways, Taiwan students are extremely competitive when they apply to US universities – as they can provide a global perspective and cultural background often missing in many undergraduate programs, a perspective and background that many schools are eager to include in their student body.

With that said, there are a number of things which Taiwanese students need to keep in mind when they are applying to undergraduate programs in the US. Below are five important points I want to share with you as you are going into the summer and seriously starting your application process.

1. Diversity Matters

US universities want their student bodies to be ‘diverse.’ Diversity in this sense means that they want students from many different countries, many different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, as well as students with a diversity of interests. As an applicant from Taiwan, you can craft your unique story in such a way as to emphasize your diversity and gain a competitive edge over students from within the US.

2. Grades Aren’t the Only Thing that Matters

Clearly students are always concerned about their grades and standardized test scores. While these are critical, it is really only the first step. Every student applying to top universities will have outstanding test scores. But there is much more to a successful application than grades and test scores – you must paint a complete picture of who you are as a person - you must be curious, intelligent, creative, generous, and outgoing. The easiest way to show you are this type of well-rounded person is to get involved in clubs, activities and hobbies outside the classroom.

3. Passion

Be passionate! In order to truly express who you are as a person and give colleges insight into how you will impact their community (giving them a reason to admit you), you must show them what you really care about. This doesn’t simply mean mentioning that you love reading – it should be explaining why your favorite book shaped the way you think. It doesn’t simply mean writing that you love basketball – it should be explaining in an essay how the strategy and teamwork involved in basketball have helped you to evolve as a person.

4. Be Yourself

While your application should be professional and well-polished, you should not exaggerate or try to pretend to be someone you are not. Whoever you are right now is already really unique, and it is your job to tell your story and convey the type of individual you are. If you stretch the truth and try to make yourself sound like the best person to ever apply to their university, the admissions committee will become turned off. They read thousands of applications every year, and are trained to understand when applicants are not sincere.

5. Be Creative

Admissions committee members read so many essays every application season and you cannot blame them for getting bored. You need to make your essay stand out somehow to capture their attention so that they will have a memorable impression of you. Thus, instead of simply mentioning your interest in sports – show them through your writing how being involved in sports (or music, or math competitions, or whatever) has helped you lead a more meaningful life, and possibly helped you give back to your community.

There are many factors that go into making your application to an undergraduate program successful, none of which are set in stone. Fundamentally, it is your duty to make yourself seem more interesting, intelligent, creative, and valuable than the other applicants. You need more than grades to accomplish this – you need to craft your story with care and attention to detail. Be yourself and speak to your passions and you’ll be on the right track. And of course, if you’d like any assistance working through how to craft your story that will give you the maximum chance of success, you can always reach me at david@transcendadmissions.com.

Issues You Should Think About Before Engaging an Admissions Consultancy

Signing up to work with an admissions consultancy is a big step for anyone to take, and the decision comes down to trust - you need to trust that your consultant will provide you with high quality and timely services.  The quality of admissions consulting services varies greatly, especially in Taiwan, were a select few consultancies provide excellent services, while most do not.  Here are a few things to think about before engaging a consultancy so that you can ensure that they are well-trained, trustworthy people who are ready to fully support you and have your best interests at heart.

1. Avoid consultancies that promote a “guaranteed admission” policy.  Guarantees typically sound great!  However they create financial risk for the consultancy.  The consultancy will seek to minimize this risk by pushing clients to apply to schools that are easy to gain admission to; instead of schools that might be the best fit for the client.  Thus, such guarantees cause a conflict of interest that will make it difficult for the consultant to provide the best school selection advice for the client.   

2. Ask specific questions to ensure that the consultant keeps up with new trends, academic program changes and evolving campus culture.  You need the most up to date information in order to choose the right schools, and to convince the schools that you deeply understand their programs in your essays and interviews.   

3. Does the consultancy have a proven track record of satisfied clients?  How long has the company been in business and do they publish their track record of admissions success?  Ask the consultancy to refer you to some former clients at random so you can ask their opinions about the firm’s quality.

4.  Does the consultancy receive commissions from the schools they are recommending to you?  Many consultancies will direct clients to the schools that pay commissions to them, rather than provide the client with a true assessment of the school list that is right for them.   

5. Are all consulting fees clearly stated in writing, up front, indicating exactly what services you will receive for those fees?  Many consultancies use deceptive marketing practices where they provide a very low fee quote - but the reality is that the fee will not cover the most critical application services (like essay editing). 

6. Find out the firm’s policies in the event you want to add additional schools.

7. Who is doing the work?  With some consultancies, you might meet face-to-face with someone with an impressive background, while another person might actually be doing the real work (i.e. editing) behind the scenes.  When one person is giving advice, and another is editing, there is always some disconnect.  Ensure that your consultant will be the person who is actually editing your documents.   

Choosing an admissions consultancy is an important life decision, and you should make this decision with your eyes wide open.  We hope that by pointing out these issues above you to do so.   And of course, to understand our firm’s values and professional admissions services, as always, feel free to contact us at david@transcendadmissions.com.

Free MBA Strategy Event - June 1st

免費MBA課程

時間：6/1 (Sat.) 14:00-16:00 

地點：A2 GMAT 教室 台北市大安區信義路四段6號13F-7 (捷運共構大樓)

主講人：創陞教育顧問公司 (Transcend Admissions Consultants) 創辦人David Johnston 及 2012 Top MBA 學生

人數限制：25名

報名截止時間5/29 (Wed.)  報名信箱 david@transcendadmissions.com 

課程內容

First Steps – Planning and Executing Your Strategy

-          Understanding how the Admissions Committee will evaluate you

-          Addressing weaknesses / improving your profile

-          Gathering information and school selection

-          Determining your application strategy

Special Guests: Transcend Admissions Consultants clients:

-          Mr. S., admitted to Dartmouth (Tuck) and Virginia (Darden) MBA and

-          Ms. Y, admitted to INSEAD MBA

will explain how they successfully navigated the top MBA application process and answer questions. 

Avoiding Common Resume/CV Problems

Anyone who has heard me speak about graduate school applications knows that I put a lot of emphasis on creating a fantastic resume/CV.  The resume provides the first impression that the applicant will make on the admissions committee (or human resources personnel when applying for a job).   Thus the writer must seek to maximize the impact the resume will have on the reviewer.  With this in mind, here is a list of common mistakes that graduate school (and job) applicants should keep in mind when crafting their resumes:

Crowded Information - The reviewer might only spend 30 seconds reading your resume the first time.  And the first time might be the last time.  If the text is crowded and hard to read the reviewer might miss critical information.  If you are struggling to fit your resume into one page - it's time to find an editor!

Unappealing Formatting - You never get a second chance to make a first impression.  Unappealing, inconsistent or sloppy formatting makes a strong statement about your work quality and professionalism.  A sloppy resume infers that you would produce sloppy deliverables in the future.

A Simple List of Responsibilities - Perhaps the most common problem with resumes is that they often only contain a simple list of responsibilities.  It is necessary to briefly list your responsibilities, but it is more critical to point out what you have achieved.  The reviewer will want to understand not only what you were responsible for, but most importantly what you achieved when handling those tasks.

No Impact - Graduate school programs and employers are looking for individuals that have made a positive impact on the organizations they were part of.  If you made an impact in the past, you are likely to make an impact in the future.  Most resumes give no indication of the impact the person had during their experiences.  Find a way to show that you made a difference at your job or in other involvement.

Failure to Make Connections to the School/Employer - Most people use a "one size fits all" resume.  However, to achieve the best results the resume should be tailored to fit the target.  Analyze the graduate school program or employer and get a sense of the skills and types of experiences they value.  Then analyze your background and put extra emphasis on the skills and experiences that are a good match.  By doing this you will market yourself to the school/employer in the best possible way.

We hope this list of resume tips are helpful!  There are many more subtleties to creating an effective resume.  If you would like to ask resume-related questions or understand our resume editing services, feel free to contact us at david@transcendadmissions.com.



      

Reapplicant Action Plan

If things did not work out last time and you are planning to reapply to business school it is great that you are reading this now, because you still have plenty of time to create a strategy for success.  After you have analyzed the reasons why your applications were not successful, you can start to take action to gain a different result the next time around.

The most important thing for a reapplicant to do is to show clear improvement.  A reapplicant will only be admitted if the admissions committee believes they are a stronger candidate this time.  The good news is that there are a lot of things that a reapplicant can do to show improvement.  The bad news is that it takes an investment in time to improve.  So act now!

Professional:  Career progress is probably the most effective way to show improvement.  Thus a reapplicant might attempt to find a new job that is clearly better, seek a promotion or at least transition to a role with different and increased responsibilities.  Doing any of these things can show that a person is progressing professionally and/or taking steps toward their future career plan.

Community:  If you lack college extracurricular or outside-of-work involvement then consider assuming a leadership position in a community service organization.  This can go a long way to show that you are an active person who cares about your community.

Test Scores:  If you feel you can make solid gains in your GMAT or TOEFL score then go for it.  There is a huge difference between a TOEFL iBT score of 100 and 110.

Academics:  If you had a weak performance in a college course (like Statistics) that might cause the admissions committee to doubt your quantitative abilities, then now is the time to retake that course (and earn a high grade).      

Career Goals:  In your previous applications you might not have clearly explained your career plan, or failed to convince the admissions committee that you could achieve those goals.  It may have appeared to the admissions committee that you were not committed to or knowledgeable enough about your future career path.  Talk to more people in your target industry or function and learn as much as possible so that next time (in your essays and interviews) you can provide more convincing reasons why you can succeed in this future job.

"Fit" for the School":  Perhaps you started preparing your application materials at the last minute and did not have a lot of knowledge about the schools you applied to.  Take action to learn more about the programs you are interested in by connecting with alumni, current students or visit the school if you can so that next time you can more easily show your knowledge, enthusiasm and "fit" for the program.  

Essays are critical for a reapplicant!  A reapplicant is often asked to write a new set of essays, or they might only be required to submit a reapplicant essay.  However, simply writing more interesting essays with better English will not be enough to succeed.  It is critical that the essays clearly demonstrate: a) That the reapplicant has taken action with the aim of getting better; b) After taking such action the reapplicant is now a more qualified candidate who is likely to make a strong contribution to the class and succeed in their future career plan.  The conclusion the admissions committee must make is that the reapplicant did some things differently and is now an improved person.  If a reapplicant can do that -- they will take a huge step towards an admission!

It is never too early to get started on this process.  There are a lot of strategies and actions a reapplicant might take.  If you are interested in getting some specific input about your reapplication plan, feel free to reach out to us at david@transcendadmissions.com.