You’re probably aware that ambitious, yet realistic MBA career goals are critical to a compelling business school application. Not only that, understanding how business school will accelerate or pivot your career path is essential to justifying the financial and time investment required to pursue an MBA. Many clients we speak with have a general sense of what...
Are you familiar with The Consortium, including their MBA member school and The Consortium fellowship fellow program? If not, you should be! Formally known as The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM), this amazing nonprofit’s mission is to “enhance diversity and inclusion in global business education and leadership”, which is something we can all rally...
How to network and why exactly networking is important is something we’re frequently asked by our MBA admissions consulting clients. In an already subjective and sometimes vague process, “networking” can seem particularly abstract or worse, can simply be another “thing” on your long MBA application to-do list. While there’s no hard deliverable attached to networking, we believe...
Are you considering hiring an MBA admissions consultant and curious to understand how MBA admissions consulting prices work? It’s confusing, we get it! In today’s article, we’ll do our best to clarify the various ways MBA admissions consultants charge for their services and share the pros and cons of each. We also want to acknowledge upfront that,...
One of the most common concerns we hear from clients is that their low GPA will prevent them from being accepted to the MBA program of their dreams. Whether it was because you chose the toughest major at your university, had a little too much fun, or were so involved in extracurriculars that you didn’t have...
While ‘when do MBA applications open?’ is a very relevant question (keep reading for the answer), it shouldn’t define when you begin working on your MBA application materials. Yes, we know the Round 1 MBA application deadlines seem so far away, but they’re not! Read on for our ideal MBA application timeline and you'll see why...
If Stanford GSB is your dream school, you may already be thinking about how to craft perfect essays. We’re here to help! Read on for Stanford GSB essay tips to ensure your submission stands out from the (very crowded) pack. If you’re applying to Stanford GSB, here is what you need to know. Stanford GSB Application Run Down Stanford...
If the first two application deadlines for the top MBA programs got away from you, you’re not alone! Now you might be questioning if you should apply in round 3 or wait until next year. While we can’t make the decision for you, we can tell you the truth about round 3 MBA applications. How Top MBA...
As MBA admissions consultants, a question we often receive is which top MBA programs don't require the GMAT or GRE and whether taking one of these tests is really necessary to gain admission. We get it! Taking the time to prepare for and take the GMAT or GRE (often multiple times) is a lot of work....
You were invited to interview with Wharton, congrats! You’re one step closer to getting accepted. You might wonder what the odds of acceptance are for those who participate in the Wharton Team Based Discussion. Well, Wharton interviews roughly half of all applicants, but only accepts one in five. So, they’re looking to cut the remaining pool...
As an MBA admissions consultant, I find that clients and prospective clients, especially those early in their MBA journeys, are often fraught with anxiety and indecision about standardized testing – namely the GMAT and GRE exams. Should they take the GMAT or GRE? When should they prepare and sit for the exam? What GMAT or GRE...
In recent years, we’ve seen significant growth in deferred MBA programs at the top business schools. A trend that started primarily with the HBS 2+2 program and Stanford Deferred Enrollment has now come to Wharton, Chicago Booth, Columbia, MIT Sloan, Kellogg, Darden, and Yale. The list of deferred admission (or enrollment) MBA programs continues to grow every year. As a...
HBS 2+2 is the ‘OG’ of deferred enrollment (or deferred admissions) MBA programs. It was the first to launch in 2007 and has rightfully earned a reputation as a spectacular opportunity for superstar college seniors (and those who entered a master’s program right out of undergrad). What Is HBS 2+2? On a basic level, HBS 2+2 (and other...
If you are currently in your senior year of college or enrolled in a graduate program that you began right after graduation, this article is for you. While it might be tempting to coast through to the summer, we urge you to consider whether you should apply to deferred enrollment MBA programs. What Are Deferred Enrollment MBA...
If you were lucky enough to emerge from the Round 1 business school application process with one or more acceptances in hand, congrats! It was competitive year, made even more challenging by a limited ability to visit and network with schools in person. A subset of you may have even received offers of scholarship money to help...
With the Round 2 deadline quickly approaching, you might be sitting down to tackle your Booth application over the holiday break. With an urban location as well as an innovative and flexible curriculum, this MBA program has numerous points of differentiation. If you’re applying to Booth, here is what you need to know. Application Run Down Deadlines Round 1...
That’s the question facing many MBA applicants at this time of year. The Round 2 deadlines are quickly approaching in January but waiting until Round 1 next year means delaying matriculation until fall of 2023. So which timing is right for you? As with all aspects of the MBA application process, it depends. To help you make...
Deciding where to apply? Our newly updated Comparison of Top MBA Programs can help! This sortable tool ranks the top business schools on dimensions such as class size, average post-MBA salary, top recruited industries and more. It also includes the key criteria (GPA, GMAT, etc.) to help assess where you are likely to be a competitive...
If you’re planning to apply to an MBA program (or multiple) in round 2, it’s 'go time'! Ideally you already have a strong application strategy and personal brand that you’re leveraging to start thinking about how to approach one of the most critical and time-intensive aspects of the applications: the essays. If you’ve done this upfront...
Preparing for your MBA interviews can seem fairly straightforward at first. All you need to do is bullet out and practice your answers to the standard questions and you should be good to go, right? Hopefully so, but not always. While interviews with members of the adcom may entail a certain level of consistency between candidates, this...
If you’ve recently hit submit on your MBA applications, after doing a little happy dance that you no longer have to spend every free moment on essays, your attention will quickly turn to the interview portion of the process. Most schools will release interview invitations over the next month or so (if they haven’t already) and,...
You may have seen that Businessweek recently reaffirmed its #2 ranking for Tuck amongst US MBA Programs. While specific rankings are of debatable importance, there’s no doubt that Tuck has amazing attributes to offer – beautiful surroundings, a personalized experience, and a passionate alumni base are a few that come to mind. If you’re applying to...
With Kellogg’s Round 1 deadline quickly approaching, our admissions consulting clients have been asking how best to prepare for and tackle Kellogg’s video essays. For context, let’s think about what Kellogg is trying to learn about you from this portion of the application. Since the school leverages alumni (like myself!) to conduct the vast majority of their...
If you’re wondering how to find the best MBA admissions consultants, this article is dedicated to you. While I can’t claim to have all of the answers, I can give you my perspective as someone who has been on both sides of the table: I worked with an MBA admissions consultant when I was applying to...
Working on your Columbia Business School application? Here is what you need to know: Application Run Down Columbia is one of the only top schools where the timing of when you click “submit” can matter. Since Columbia has rolling admissions, it’s often to your benefit to submit your application early. This is an important one to stay on...
If you’re a round one MBA applicant and you haven’t had the “oh sh#t” moment yet, you’re probably not paying attention. Starting with HBS on 9/8, round one applicants face a busy month as they finalize their applications and make last minute changes before the deadlines. The team at Vantage Point MBA is here to help. Here is...
Kellogg’s 2021-22 application is open! If you’re considering applying to Kellogg, here is what you need to know: Application Run Down The deadlines are as follows: Round 1: 15 September 2021 Round 2: 5 January 2022 Round 3: 6 April 2022 (please do yourself a favor and don’t wait for Round 3) There are two required essay questions, which remain unchanged from...
At first glance, the Harvard Business School essay question, which remained unchanged again this year, seems fairly simple. What more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy? However, after giving it some thought, many candidates find themselves quite lost, trying to figure out what the adcom is looking for and which experiences from their...
Wharton’s 2021-22 essay questions are out and offer a fresh twist on last year’s questions! As in prior years, their prompts are direct and allow enough word count to paint a robust picture of who you are and why Wharton is right for you (and vice versa). As such, I often recommend that my clients tackle...
“Is my test score strong enough?” That question is plaguing hundreds, if not thousands, of MBA applicants this time of year. By now, many MBA hopefuls have taken the GMAT or GRE at least once, but aren’t sure if their score is “enough” to get them into their dream programs. While a test score is only one...
Michigan Ross’ full time MBA application is live! This midwestern stalwart prides itself on its collegial culture and focus on action-based learning. Its location in one of the preeminent ‘college towns’ and passionate alumni network also count as some of this program’s key selling points. If you’re considering applying to Michigan Ross, here is what you need...
In the already subjective MBA application process, “networking” can seem particularly abstract. What exactly is networking in this context? Do you really need to do it? How do you get started? What Is Networking? Let’s start there. Some folks think networking is very transactional or artificial (i.e. schmoozing), where you reach out to someone to “get something” like...
And so, it begins…the first 2021-22 MBA application is live! Last week, the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business opened their application, which again includes a variety of short answer essay prompts (although they’ve been tweaked slightly from last year). They will continue to offer an early decision round, with both binding and non-binding options....
A question we often hear this time of year is “when should I start working on my MBA applications if I’m applying in the fall?” It seems so far away… But it’s not! You can guess where we’re going with this. The answer is that you need to start right now. Seriously, the amount of time you...
In a climate where there has been increased debate about the ‘value for money’ you get from a traditional full time MBA program, you may wonder whether a one-year MBA program is an option worth considering. After all, the cost of attending these programs can be significantly lower than their two-year counterparts. At Kellogg, for instance,...
When evaluating top MBA programs, rankings such as those published by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, The Economist, and several others, are a logical starting point and can provide a general pulse on how the market feels about each school. That said, have you ever noticed how widely rankings can vary by source, depending on...
As an MBA hopeful, you are undoubtedly aware that your MBA applications require letter(s) of recommendation to support your candidacy. You may wonder, how important are they to the admission committee’s evaluation of you? What, exactly, are they hoping to glean from your recommendations? And most importantly, how can you ensure that you get the most...
While many people think of January as the time to reflect, I find that spring – with its first warm days, sunlight extending a little later into the evening, and flowers emerging from the ground – can be an equally optimal time to set aside habits that aren’t serving us and commit to goals for the...
If you were lucky enough to emerge from the Round 2 business school application process with one or more acceptances in hand, congrats! It was competitive year, made even more challenging by the inability to visit and network with schools in person. A subset of you may have even received offers of scholarship money to help offset...
In Part I of this series on MBA career goals, I shared how to craft a short-term career goal that is specific, realistic, and logical. While ‘checking those boxes’ will demonstrate to the admissions committee that you understand the type of companies that hire out of their program, it won’t get them excited about having you...
As an MBA admissions consultant, one of the first – and most critical – things I do with clients is help them develop their ‘personal brand’. A strong, authentic personal brand is the backbone of a successful application. It is the marketing pitch you present to schools that demonstrates three key things: 1) the unique perspective...
As an MBA admissions consultant, a concern I sometimes work through with clients is how to address an employment gap in their MBA application. Given the upheaval of the past year, even more prospective MBA candidates than usual have faced job changes or periods of unemployment. They fear the admissions committees at top MBA programs will...
With Round 2 application deadlines behind us and interview invitations being released in the coming weeks, many MBA hopefuls will soon be shifting their focus to interview prep if they haven’t already. It’s smart to get a head start, especially this year. We’re finding that the turnaround time between an interview invitation and the big day is...
Updated 1.14.21 One of the most common concerns we hear from clients is that their low undergrad GPA will prevent them from being accepted to the MBA program of their dreams. Whether it was because you chose the toughest major at your university, had a little too much fun, or were so involved in extracurriculars that you...
Goodbye 2020 and hello 2021! While it seems every New Year comes with a sense of optimism and hope for the future, this year takes that sentiment to the extreme. Perhaps you’re planning for a fresh start in more ways than one by applying to MBA programs this fall. Congrats on taking that leap – from...
As the first semester of ‘business school in a pandemic’ comes to a close, we reached out to our past clients who are currently on campus to see what things have really been like. They graciously provided insights on everything from virtual classes to Zoom interviews to the MBA social scene and, while nothing about this...
Peruse any of the MBA admissions sites or forums and you’ll find that most of the dialogue is geared towards full time programs. While much of the advice translates to part time programs, clients I speak with who are interested in the latter option often rue the lack of specific resources. As such, I thought it would...
Updated 11.30.2020 At first glance, the Harvard Business School essay question, which remained unchanged again this year, seems fairly simple. What more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy? However, after giving it some thought, many candidates find themselves quite lost, trying to figure out what the adcom is looking for and what stories and...
When it comes time to write your MBA application essays, one topic you can count on having to cover for nearly every program to which you are applying is why that particular school is the best fit for you. As an admissions consultant, I’ve helped countless clients craft this argument and I can undoubtedly say that,...
Perhaps it’s because this year has been…untraditional to say the least, time is flying by. The earliest Round 2 deadlines are approaching in just over six weeks! With the holidays thrown in the mix, the time that remains will elapse before you know it. That realization may strike fear in many of you, which is understandable,...
As an MBA admissions consultant, I find that clients and prospective clients, especially those early in their MBA journeys, are often fraught with anxiety and indecision about standardized testing. Which test should they take? When should they prepare and sit for the exam? Is their score ‘good enough’ or should they retake the test? These are the...
Updated 10.29.20 You were invited to interview with Wharton, congrats! You’re one step closer to getting accepted. You might wonder what your odds are from here. Well, Wharton interviews roughly half of all applicants, but only accepts one in five. So, they’re looking to cut the interview pool by slightly more than half. You have probably read about...
If you’ve recently hit submit on your MBA applications, after doing a little happy dance that you no longer have to spend every free moment on essays, your attention will quickly turn to the interview portion of the process. Most schools will release interview invitations over the next month or so (if they haven’t already) and,...
Phew…you just hit submit on your last Round 1 MBA application! At first it’s a huge relief, as pulling double duty with a full time job and seemingly endless versions of your essays (not to mention all of the stress and uncertainty with the current state of the world) were enough to make your hair fall...
With Kellogg’s Round 1 deadline quickly approaching, my admissions consulting clients have been asking how best to prepare for and tackle Kellogg’s video essays. For context, let’s think about what Kellogg is trying to learn about you from this portion of the application. Since the school leverages alumni (like myself!) to conduct the vast majority of their...
If you’re a round one MBA applicant and you haven’t had the “oh sh#t” moment yet, you’re probably not paying attention. Starting with HBS on 9/8, round one applicants face a crazy couple of weeks as they finalize their applications and make last minute changes before the deadlines. The team at Vantage Point MBA is here to...
As an MBA admissions consultant, I've seen time and again how networking in advance of applying to MBA programs can make all the difference between a standout and forgettable application. Yet, I'm often surprised by how often this part of the process is overlooked, especially now when many programs have gone virtual. Although some parts of...
*Updated August 10, 2020 By now, most of the top MBA programs have released their application deadlines and essay topics for the 2020-2021 season. Below we’ve summarized what’s out so far so you can stay on top of it. Remember, when to apply matters. Early action programs tend to have higher acceptance rates but are typically binding commitments....
Perhaps it’s because this summer has been…untraditional to say the least, but time is flying by. The earliest Round 1 deadlines are approaching in only six weeks! That realization may strike fear in many of you, which is understandable, but try to harness the panic as motivation to plan for how you will use the remaining...
“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.” – Betty Reese In the current environment, as the days slowly tick by and an underlying sense of fear seems unavoidable, it is easy to feel helpless and yearn for the recent past when things were ‘normal’. I know I...
Melody and I have held off on sending out advice over the last week as the right “advice” has seemed like a moving target. However, it looks like uncertainty will be the new “situation normal” for a while; and as two banker girls who lived through the 2008-2009 financial crisis, we have some advice for how...
First of all, if you were invited to interview with Wharton, congrats! You’re one step closer to getting accepted. You might wonder what your odds are from here. Well, Wharton interviews roughly half of all applicants, but only accepts one in five. So, they’re looking to cut the interview pool by slightly more than half. You have...
As a college senior, are you wondering, “If I take this job over another, will my chances of getting into grad school be higher or lower?” or “Will this job give me enough experience to be appealing to the top MBA programs when I graduate?” These questions are hard to answer right now as, after you graduate,...
The rankings, such as those published by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, The Economist, and several others, are a logical starting point when evaluating MBA programs and can provide a general pulse on how the market feels about the school. That said, have you ever noticed how widely rankings can vary by source, depending on...
As you’re applying to business school, your resume is like your executive summary: it should concisely tell the story of how you’ve grown and developed over the course of your career as well as provide an indication of your focus areas and motivations. However, not all resume bullets are created equal! Simply describing what you did...
Picture this: in an interview you’re asked a question about something that went wrong in a past job. Instead of simply explaining what happened, you find yourself shamelessly spinning a story about how you had a feeling all along that whatever “it” was would fail but your hands were tied. In different versions, this propensity to...
MBA applications take up a TON of time!! From studying for the GMAT to visiting schools, writing essays, prepping recommenders and interview prep, we estimate that the average applicant spends around 150 hours to 250 hours applying to b-school depending upon the number of schools you’re focused on. That’s a pretty serious part-time gig in addition...
Every year we run into a question that the “interwebs” appears to be conflicted about. Is it ok to write your own recommendation, or hire an admissions consultant to write your recommendations, and then have your actual recommender submit it? A lot of people apparently do this. Should you? No. And here’s why: first and foremost, your...
Putting in the time and effort to apply to top tier schools only to be rejected across the board is extremely disappointing. For many people, this defeat leads them to give up on business school completely. However, with hard work and a good strategy, in many cases it's worth it to reapply. To illustrate how it...
It's already February, and while it may seem like you have plenty of time, there are several things that you can be doing right now to give yourself a leg up on applications this year. Take a look at the list below, start laying-out your timeline for the year, and as always, we offer a free 30-minute...
Many of the business schools have started releasing their 2017 - 2018 applications, including the much anticipated essay questions. For many, this is the fun part; and for just as many, this is the part they dread. Boiling down your accomplishments, passions, and goals to 500 - 750 words is no easy task. But step one...
If you’re smart, motivated and have a good idea, then what value will an MBA really bring to you? Everyone knows that any good start-up requires a lot of trial-and-error, learning-by-doing, and sometimes learning-through-failure to actually get to the right place. Though you can't necessarily get this from an MBA, MBA programs do provide some fast-track learning...
After interviewing MBA hopefuls for Kellogg over the past six years, I can solve the apparent mystery of whether or not the questions you ask at the interview matter: undoubtedly,they do. Like the overall admissions process, much of the interview is subjective. There is no quantifiable formula to determine how well you did. In fact, it's...
Many of the top MBA programs have fairly similar interview formats - conversational discussions about your past and future that are meant to assess “fit” as well as your true desires to attend the school and its alignment with your goals. As part of this, most interviewers are looking to see what you might contribute to...
You have approximately two months before the round two MBA application deadlines. So it’s time to un-glue yourself from the news, excuse yourself from the continued debates, and focus your attention on your own future - business school. With the holidays coming-up, round two deadlines sneak up on most people faster than they think. Taking the GMAT...
One of the most frequent questions that we get is whether rankingsreallymatter. Do you have to go to the top ranked MBA program to be successful in life? Clearly the answer is no. There are many paths to success. But, let’s be honest: ingenerala graduate of a top-ranked program wil l have more recruiting options and degree...
HBS and Tuck have released their round one deadlines! Note that Tuck allows you to visit the campus and schedule an in-person interview. Historically, there have been limited spots for each date, so please schedule early. We added their applicant-initiatied interview deadlines to this calendar as well. As always, we recommend starting the application process asap if...
We figured that you have enough to worry about, so we're aggregating all of the round 1 deadlines into one calendar that we'll continue to update as new dates are posted (...
What makes for a strong performance in an alumni interview? Simple. Show that you’ve done your homework. About the school, but also about yourself. With alumni interviews you need to start by recognizing your audience. Your interviewer, who is probably doing 3-4 interviews a year, will have a combination of self-righteousness as their role of “gate keeper,”...
