Tips for Waitlist Essays

When an applicant is put on the waitlist they are being told by the admissions committee that they are qualified for the program but that they have not quite distinguished themselves from other admitted or waitlisted candidates.

Therefore, now is the time to quickly take some action to distinguish yourself!  Here are some tips on what steps to take next.  Whatever action you take, such as getting a higher GMAT/TOEFL score, taking a Calculus course or leading a new community service project -- the key will be to craft a persuasive essay that clearly explains your actions and improvement.

We read many waitlist essays that are a little bit off the mark and would like to provide some tips on how to write a very effective waitlist essay.  The key to a waitlist essay is to highlight the improvement the applicant has made.  Therefore, simply mentioning the new project you have worked on is not enough; the essay should explain how working on such project has helped you improve.  The essay should clearly highlight the critical knowledge gained and the skills the candidate has enhanced.  Then the final and most difficult step (that people typically omit) is to explain why this new knowledge, or the enhanced skill allows them to make a stronger contribution to the program.  The most persuasive waitlist essay will make clear connections to the specific aspects of the program where they they might make an impact.  Thus, the logic flow of a waitlist essay should include: recent actions taken -> explanation of improvement -> potential impact to the program.  

Another major goal of the waitlist essay is to convince the admissions committee that the candidate is 100% committed to attending their program.  To do this, the candidate should list the actions they have taken to connect with the school's community, and highlight something new they have learned about the program that really excites them.  Doing so can display a candidate's commitment and passion to attend the school.

After reading the waitlist essay the candidate will want the admissions committee to come to the following conclusions:

- The candidate is making a diligent effort to improve;
- They are now a stronger candidate than they were when they submitted the application and better able to contribute to the program; and
- The candidate is very knowledgeable about the school, and will likely enroll if given an admission.

We hope this information is helpful for all of you waitlisted applicants out there!  Keep pushing and improving, and if you do, you just might be one of those people sharing a success story in the near future.

If you have any questions about the waitlist or would like help crafting the most persuasive waitlist essay possible, please reach out to us at transcendadmissions@gmail.com

Waitlisted? - The Glass is Half-Full!

This is the time of year when we congratulate many successful MBA and graduate school applicants on receiving their acceptances.  This is also the time of year that many people receive an often somewhat unpleasant surprise - that they have been placed on the waitlist.

For many people who have been involved in the application process for many months being placed on the waitlist seems like a terrible thing as they will need to continue the agony of waiting indefinitely. While being placed on the waitlist is not the wonderful news many people are anxiously waiting to hear, there is still hope, and applicants are often admitted from the waitlist eventually.

Besides this past article we wrote about planning a waitlist strategy, the best advice we can give to those on the waitlist is to be optimistic and most importantly, be patient.  You should not be bothering the school's admissions committee once a week asking for updates.  While being patient is easier said than done, the best way is to distract yourself by working on a new project or focusing on making quick improvement to a test score.  The most important thing is to focus on continual improvement and becoming a stronger candidate.  This action might help you take the small step you need to gain admission in the short-term, or if you decide to apply again in the future.            

Good luck to all applicants on the waitlist!  And if you would like to discuss a specific waitlist strategy, feel free to reach out to us at transcendadmissions@gmail.com.

Congratulations and Good Luck!

March has arrived and that means two things: a) spring is almost here and b) another application season is entering the final stages!  There is still a lot of work to be done to deliver some great interview performances but for now I'd like to CONGRATULATE Transcend Admissions Consultants clients who have already been admitted to great universities around the world, and GOOD LUCK those who have recently received interview invitations.

CONGRATULATIONS to clients who have been admitted to:

MBA programs: Dartmouth (Tuck), Michigan (Ross), Cornell, Virginia (Darden), UT - Austin, Emory, Georgetown, Boston University, Washington (Foster), Indiana, Ohio State, George Washington, University of Illinois (UIUC), UC - San Diego, SMU, INSEAD, Cambridge, HEC Paris, Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Hong Kong University (HKU).

MS & Undergraduate programs: Northwestern (Medill), UPenn, Duke, UIUC, UT - Austin, Purdue, University of Maryland and Warwick.

And GOOD LUCK to clients who have had or have upcoming interviews at:

MBA programs: MIT, NYU (Stern), Wharton, Kellogg, Chicago (Booth), Michigan (Ross), Duke, USC (Marshall), Carnegie Mellon, Emory, Georgetown, UT Austin, UNC, UC - Irvine, Rochester, Washington (Olin), Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, Rice, Oxford, National University of Singapore (NUS), HKUST and CEIBS.

One-Day Interview Course - Feb. 24th

A lot of MBA applicants have received their interview invitations over the Chinese New Year holiday and to help people quickly prepare for their MBA interviews we will be holding a one-day course on February 24th.  See course details below: 

_________________________________________________________________________________

This will be a one-day four (4) hour course designed to give you real-world, practical knowledge which can quickly improve your interviewing ability and increase chances for admission into your dream program.

Books are helpful for preparing for the GMAT, but to nail your MBA interview, you need to deeply understand the interview process, get inside the interviewer’s mind and learn what they want to hear - and you need real world practice in front of real people.

Schedule:

2/24 (Sunday):   13:30-17:30

Class Size, Location & Pricing:

Size: limited to 15 students

Location: A2 GMAT (台北市大安區信義路四段6號13F-7).

Pricing: NTD1,600 per student

RSVP to David at: transcendadmissions@gmail.com

Instructor:

David Johnston (Graduate of Georgetown University Law Center; Founder of Transcend Admissions Consultants)

Course Overview

(13:30 – 14:30)  Understanding the MBA interview

-          An explanation of the MBA interview process

-          Review the most important interview questions and discuss the purpose of the questions

-          Learn how to best structure your interview answers

-          In-depth discussion of how to approach the most important questions (“why MBA?”, “why career goals?”, “why our school?”, and questions about teamwork and leadership)

-          Analyze a sample written answer to a “Why MBA?” question

(14:30 – 15:30)  Applying Your New Interview Skills

-          In the “hot seat:” Students give presentations and receive in-depth personalized feedback from the instructor other students

(15:30 – 16:30) Applying communication skills to the interview

-          Introduction and examples of how to use effective body language

-          How to make a positive impression on the interviewer and get the interviewer to like you

-          Learn how to “break the ice” and convey a sense of humor in a professional setting

-          Strategies to practice for your interview

-          How to adapt a story to multiple questions and situations

-          Examples of the best questions you can possibly ask your interviewer to connect with them

(16:30 – 17:30)  Applying Your New Interview Skills

-          In the “hot seat:” Students give presentations and receive in-depth personalized feedback from the instructor other students

-          Ask David interview questions to see how he responds under pressure, and adapts the same story to different scenarios

Interview Mastery Course - Part II

MBA Round 2 interview invitations are already being sent out - it's time to get prepared!  We are holding another interview preparation course in Taipei - see course details and registration information below.  

Interview Mastery Course:

Master Your Nerves - Ace Your Interview

Interview Mastery is a six hour course designed to give you real-world, practical knowledge which you will use to improve your chances for admission into your dream program.

Books are helpful for preparing for the GMAT, but to nail your MBA interview, you need to deeply understand the interview process, get inside the interviewer’s mind and learn what they want to hear - and you need real world practice in front of real people.

Schedule:

2/2 (Saturday):   14:00-17:00

2/3 (Sunday):   14:00-17:00

Class Size, Location & Pricing:

Size: limited to 25 students

Location: A2 GMAT (台北市大安區信義路四段6號13F-7).

Pricing: NTD3,500 per student

RSVP to David at: transcendadmissions@gmail.com

Instructor:

David Johnston (Graduate of Georgetown University Law Center; Founder of Transcend Admissions Consultants)

Course Overview

Class One (14:00 – 15:30)  Understanding the MBA interview

-          An explanation of the MBA interview process

-          Review the most important interview questions and discuss the purpose of the questions

-          Learn how to best structure your interview answers

-          In-depth discussion of how to approach the most important questions (“why MBA?”, “why career goals?”, “why our school?”, and questions about teamwork and leadership)

-          Analyze a sample written answer to a “Why MBA?” question

Class One (15:30 – 17:00)  Applying communication skills to the interview

-          Discussing the structure of an interview

-          Introduction and examples of how to use effective body language

-          How to make a positive impression on the interviewer and get the interviewer to like you

-          Learn how to “break the ice” and convey a sense of humor in a professional setting

-          In the “hot seat:” Students give presentations and receive in-depth personalized feedback from                    the instructor and other students

Class Two (14:00 – 15:30)  Getting Inside the Mind of an Interviewer

-          Learn Adcom and alumni interviewers’ motivations and how they approach interviews

-          How to research and prepare for your interviewer so that you can form a strong connection with them

-          The “Tradition Trick” & other classic connection strategies

-          How to avoid embarrassment: what to do when you’re completely stuck

-          Examples of the best questions you can possibly ask your interviewer to connect with them

-          How to adapt a story to multiple questions and situations

-          Strategies to practice for your interview

Class Two (15:30 – 17:00)  Applying Your New Interview Skills

-          In the “hot seat:” Students give presentations and receive in-depth personalized feedback from the instructor other students

-          Ask David interview questions to see how he responds under pressure, and adapts the same story to different scenarios

Smart Practice: Adapting Your Best Stories to Multiple Interview Questions (Part II)

In Part I of this series, we asked you to think about how to adapt one sample story to three distinct MBA interview questions. In Part II, we’re going to show you how to use almost exactly the same story to answer three different questions, just by tailoring the conclusion.

The three distinct MBA interview questions at hand are:

Question 1: Can You Tell Me About a Time You Demonstrated Leadership? Question 2: Can You Tell Me About a Time You Overcame a Challenge?           Question 3: Please Tell Me About a Time You Worked Well on a Team, and What You Learned.

Our sample answer without the conclusion was:

“Sure, that’s a really interesting question, Mr. Interviewer.
 The biggest challenge I’ve overcome was the time that I started a nonprofit in college to collect used musical instruments to donate to a needy school with gifted musical students and not enough musical instruments. I drove all over Taipei to collect the used musical instruments. I established a not for profit organization to make the donation legally, and also worked with my schoolmates to put on a charity concert where we raised enough money to buy a brand new Tuba – the most expensive musical instrument. This experience helped me to realize how valuable and rewarding it is to help people less fortunate than myself, and that I can be successful in leading my peers to have a positive impact on society.”

Sample Conclusion Question One: Leadership

This was a critical leadership experience and I learned a great deal about myself in the process. One important thing I learned was how to best interact with a team while trying to motivate them to do something they were not being paid to do. I realized that I prefer positive reinforcement to negative reinforcement, and prefer to include people in a team environment to motivate them to help each other rather than to demand they complete tasks. I believe that I can develop this positive style of leadership at your MBA program when I take _______ course on leadership, and intend to pay it forward by using my leadership skills to make an impact in more community activities during my MBA studies.

Sample Conclusion Question Two: Challenge

What surprised me is that the biggest challenge I faced in this entire experience had nothing to do with motivating people as a leader, or finding resources. The biggest challenge for me was in finding the inspiration and idea in the first place, and once I had that everything else naturally fell into place. I know that by attending your MBA program I’m pursuing the strongest passion I’ve ever had in my life. I truly believe that my life will fall into place after graduation, with some careful planning, just like my musical not for profit fell into place after I found the inspiration to start it.

Sample Conclusion Question Three: Teamwork

Achieving success in this project was truly a team effort. During the course of organizing the charity concert with my peers we met many times to discuss different ideas and how they could be effectively implemented to have the maximum impact on donations. I learned that people from backgrounds different than my own had unique insights to contribute that really helped us reach our goal, and that I enjoy the collaborative teamwork process a great deal. In fact, since then I have gone out of my way to volunteer for group projects at work because I feel that I’m not only helping the company meet its goals, but educating myself about how to interact with and learn from other people in the long run.

Conclusion

Notice how all three of these answers fit neatly into place at the end of our sample story? They build off of each other, and many of the conclusions continue to touch upon multiple points from the questions (leadership, teamwork, overcoming a challenge). Although your story will different, the principle behind these questions is similar.

When you practice for your interview, keep in mind that you will want to try to use your best stories. Thus, find a way to make your best stories fit multiple questions. Like these stories above, you'll find that many stories have elements of teamwork, leadership, overcoming challenges, etc., and that you can make slight adjustments to the stories to directly address the question. 

I hope this was helpful for those of you preparing for MBA interviews. If you have any additional questions about preparing for your MBA interviews, feel free to reach out to me, David, at transcendadmissions@gmail.com.

Smart Practice: Adapting Your Best Stories to Multiple Interview Questions (Part I)

There are hundreds of possible questions that the interviewer could ask you in your MBA interview.  But you only have a few days to prepare!  

Preparing for every possible interview question will take a huge amount of time and effort. You can save yourself time, and answer interview questions with more impact by speaking to the meaning behind the questions, and adapting the same story to multiple questions. That way, you will make sure that you can discuss your best story, no matter what question you are asked.

Let’s look at the meaning behind three different questions.

Question 1: Can You Tell Me About a Time You Demonstrated Leadership?

Question 2: Can You Tell Me About a Time You Overcame a Challenge?

Question 3: Please Tell Me About a Time You Worked Well on a Team, and What You Learned from Teamwork.

Although these questions are distinct, the meaning behind the questions are similar. These questions are all mechanisms that your interviewer is using to try to get inside of your head, figure out what type of a person you are, and how you make decisions under pressure. They are trying to evaluate your character, attitude, and ability to adapt to difficult situations.

Now, since the meaning behind the question is similar, we might be able to use the same story to answer all three questions. We just need to ensure it’s an answer which shows what type of person we are, how we make decisions, and then tailor the last part of the story to the question.

Sample Answer

“Sure, that’s a really interesting question, Mr. Interviewer.

"I started a nonprofit in college to collect used musical instruments to donate to a needy school with gifted musical students and not enough musical instruments. I had to drive all over Taipei to collect the used musical instruments. I had to establish a not for profit organization to make the donation legally, and also worked with my schoolmates to put on a charity concert where we raised enough money to buy a brand new tuba – the most expensive musical instrument. This experience was important to me because it helped me to realize how valuable and rewarding it is to help people less fortunate than myself, and that I can be successful in leading my peers to have a positive impact on society.”

At this point, the story above could answer any of the three questions we touched on. As you can see the story contains elements of leadership, elements of a challenge and elements of working on a team. Depending on which question was asked, the story could be adapted to focus more on teamwork, leadership or overcoming the challenge.  

Spend some time considering how you would change this answer to fit these questions. If you’re going to be preparing for an MBA interview yourself, the mental preparation and time you spend thinking about your answer will help you. In our next blog post we will show you precisely how we would customize an ending to this story for all three sample questions above.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about how best to prepare for your MBA interview or optimize your application, please feel free to reach out to me, David, at transcendadmissions@gmail.com.