...A Former Harvard Business School Admissions Board Member Reveals the Insider Keys to Getting In • Prepare your resume and professional record • Discover the differences between business schools • Top essay and interview strategies • Behind the scenes of the admissions process • Qualitative factors that can make you stand out • Application insights from insiders Chioma isiadinso, M.ed. former Admissions Board Member of Harvard Business School The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets A Former Harvard Business School Admissions Board Member Reveals the Insider Keys to Getting In Chioma Isiadinso, M.ED. © 2008 by Chioma Isiadinso Cover and internal design © 2008 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover photo © Punchstock Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. —From...
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...MBA Admissions Essay Powerful Tips for Improving Your Odds of Gaining Admission to the MBA Program of Your Choice Admissions essays are easily the most challenging part of the MBA application process, and it’s no wonder. Most people don’t like to write, and even those of us who do enjoy writing can come up blank when called upon to write about ourselves, especially when so much is at stake. The fact remains: If you want to go to business school, you have to be able to generate one or two thousand carefully chosen words that sum up your background and experience, your career goals, your reasons for seeking the MBA, and why you’ve chosen the program to which you’re applying. Step one: Relax. Writing admissions essays is stressful—it’s supposed to be stressful— but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Everyone who has ever applied to business school has written admissions essays, and so can you. All you have to do is submit essays that are a little bit better than most of the others, and if you follow the advice we’ll cover in the following pages, it will be a lot less painful. How to Write a Successful Most MBA essays are mediocre The good news is that most MBA admissions essays are mediocre at best. If you can at least come up with a marginally compelling narrative, and if you can spell and punctuate everything correctly—or know someone who can—you’ll automatically have an advantage over much of the competition. This guide is designed to help you get started (the hardest...
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...Summary: “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?” by Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, presents proposals “that might begin to set things right’ (TSIS, 180) in education. Both professors, Hacker and Dreifus, studied institutions and interviewed higher education leaders, policy makers, and students across the country (180). According to their voluntary assignment, they acknowledged at first, their belief that “all Americans can do college work,” which basically provided a thesis for every proposal to follow within their article. Suggestions, such as persuading students to liberate their imagination instead of just focusing on a financial goal after graduating, or “replacing tenure with multi-year contracts” (181) so that all professors begin to take more initiative to improve, gave way to a deeper analysis of specific colleges and their priorities. My Response: In the article, “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?” by Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, both professors maintains a perspective that is convincing, to a degree. “We believe all Americans can do college work, so universal enrollment should be our nation’s goal” (180). In making this comment, Hacker and Dreifus urge us to do the obvious. Of course everyone should have the same opportunity to be accepted at the collegiate level, but there are several problems that have to be addressed and taken care of prior to the suggestion of this desire for all. If there was universal enrollment, will that lead to...
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...need to have structure -- just flow your sentences together in a natural voice and you'll get to 250 words before you know it. By looking at samples and prolonging your preparation period (aka, procrastinating), you're spending way more time than you need to on an essay that is ephemeral, at best. Further, by spending so much time thinking about the thing (instead of just doing it), you're building it up to be a big, challenging hurdle instead of the straightforward task it is. Dwelling leads to more procrastination and its attendant guilt, which ignites a self-stoking cycle that's difficult to escape. 250 words is doable in 10 minutes; in the time you're likely to spend preparing for those ten minutes, you could probably write as many as a dozen 250 word essays, from which you could afterwards pick the best. SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES Written 29 Jul • View Upvotes More Answers Below. Related Questions How do you write a 250 word essay? How do I type a 250-300 word essay within 20 minutes? Essays: How should I put my ideas being empathetic about the subject and write an effective and structured essay? Essays: How do I convince a college that I'm important? Essays: Is going abroad for higher education good or bad? What are the...
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...1. Why are you applying? • For example why you want to study at higher education level. • Why that subject interests you. • What your ambitions are when you finish your course. 2. What makes you suitable? • Skills, knowledge, achievements and experience you have that will help you do well. • These could be from education, employment or work experience, or from hobbies, interests and social activities. • Take a look at the activities on the Planning your future page to see some of the things it could be useful to mention. • Explore your options • Undergraduate • When to apply • Filling in your application • Personal statement • Reference, pay and send • Tracking your application • Results • Student number controls • Fraud and similarity • Performing arts • Postgraduate • Teacher training • Flexible and part-time • International • Starting your studies • Student finance • Mature students • Parents and guardians • Advisers and referees Your personal statement Write a personal statement that shows you'd be a great student – to persuade unis and colleges to accept you on their course. • Course tutors use personal statements to compare applicants, so try to make yours stand out. • Remember it's the same personal statement for all courses you apply to – so avoid mentioning universities or colleges by name, and ideally choose similar subjects. If they're varied then write about common themes – like problem solving or creativity. Personal...
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...The task was simple: write an essay based on this prompt, “A Biola University education is designed to equip students for a life of following Jesus. The Bible plays a significant role in the life of a Christian. Using meaningful verses from the Bible, in 1-2 pages please respond to both of the following prompts: 1. Describe how and when you made a decision to follow Christ 2. Using personal examples, share about your growth as a Christian over the past 3 years.” Yet, the the essay was much more difficult to write than expected. Not only did I have to meet the essay requirements, I was also attempting to win over the admissions board to be accepted into Biola University. I remember as I wrote this essay, I was terrified. Seeing as my father is a Language Arts teacher, I always felt pressured to have “perfect” writing. Always keep your formal writing in the third person. Do not use contractions. Make your essay fight for your topic, not against it. All the added...
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...说明 1. 本资料来源于英文版《How to get into the top MBA programs》,作者为Don Martin. 2. 第一部分为115份真实的ESSAY, 分别来自于17个不同背景的申请人. 3. 第二部分为对21个常见ESSAY问题的分析，包括问题的关键，常见错误，正确的回答方式. 个人认为这一部分比真实的ESSAY更重要. 4. 由于文件采用扫描和文字识别方法输入, 可能存在一些错误. 5. 此文件仅供CHASEDREAM网友参考使用, 请尊重原书版权, 切勿用于商业用途. Xiearmyxiearmy 零四岁末于美国穷乡僻壤 Chapter I Application Essay Examples INTRODUCTION This appendix contains 115 actual essays written, by 17 different applicants, for leading MBA programs. They address dozens of different essay topics. The applicants and their essays have been selected to give you the widest possible range of materials from which to profit. The first four applicants all applied to the University of Chicago. They were chosen by Chicago’s admissions director, Don Martin, according to my desire that they be from four very different people and of average quality for those admitted. In other words, these essays will show you exactly what you are competing against. They are of perfectly acceptable quality, but they should not discourage you. If you follow the lessons of this book you should be able to surpass each of these efforts. The second set of three applicants—Melissa, Doreen, and Carol—is taken from Columbia University’s files. Columbia’s admissions director, Linda Meehan, was asked to supply several applications, again from people of widely differing backgrounds, but this time of superior quality. I think that this group’s applications...
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...BUSINESS SCHOOL HARVARD SUCCESSFUL 65 APPLICATION SECOND EDITION E S S AY S APPLICATION BUSINESS SCHOOL HARVARD SUCCESSFUL 65 ECSNS A IYI O N S SE O D ED T With Analysis by the Staff of The Harbus, the Harvard Business School Newspaper ST. MARTIN’S GRIFFIN NEW YORK 65 SUCCESSFUL HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL APPLICATION ESSAYS, SECOND EDITION. Copyright © 2009 byThe Harbus News Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For-information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. www.stmartins.com Library of Congress Cataloging...in..Publication Data 65 successful Harvard Business -School application essays : with analysis by the staff of The Harbus, the Harvard Business School newspaper / Lauren Sullivan and the staff of The Harbus.-2nd ed. p.em. ISBN 978...0..312...55007...3 1. Business schools-United States-Admission. 2. Exposition (Rhetoric) 3. Essay-Authorship. 4. Business writing. 5. Harvard Business School. 1. Sullivan, Lauren. II. Harbus. III. Title: Sixty...five successful Harvard Business School application essays. HF1131.A1352009 808'.06665-dc22 2009012531 First Edition: August 2009 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction ix xi I. Defining Moment Stacie Hogya Anonymous Anonymous David La Fiura Anonymous Avin Bansal Anonymous Brad Finkbeiner Anonymous 4 7 10 13 17 20 23 26 29 ii. UndergradUate experience John Coleman Maxwell Anderson...
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...Evan Mandery Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice • Why I'm Skipping My Harvard Reunion (A Call to Action) Posted: 05/06/2014 8:51 am EDT Updated: 07/06/2014 5:12 am EDT In a few weeks, the Harvard class of 1989 will be reuniting in Cambridge. There'll be mini-TED talks, a "Taste of New England Dinner," and a chance to sing with the Boston Pops, but I'll be spending the weekend coaching my son's Little League team and hanging out with my family. Reunions seem unnatural to me. I refuse to participate in the charade of pretending to be surprised to see a classmate, and when I'm asked, "What have you been doing?" as one inevitably is, I never know where to draw the line between "stuff" and the full, self-reflective version one might share with a close friend. I think too much detail implies an exaggerated sense of self-worth and is hence a greater faux pas than too little detail, so I've always hewed closer to the "stuff" version, but this runs its own risk of suggesting you don't think the other person is important enough to merit the full telling of your own story. It's a minefield and, in the social media era, one that's entirely avoidable. I've never been unable to locate an old friend or classmate online. It's particularly easy for graduates of Harvard, which maintains a great alumni website--it's where Facebook started, after all. Anyone interested in me can find my professional record on LinkedIn, family photos on Facebook, and many hilarious tweets. If one wanted...
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...Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van. Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back. “Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?” “Why me?” I thought. More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window’s seal like I’d seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I’d been in this type of situation before. In fact, I’d been born into this type of situation. My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. “The water’s on fire! Clear a hole!” he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I’m still unconvinced about that particular...
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...HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS Lauren Starkey ® NEW YORK Copyright © 2004 LearningExpress All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Learning Express, LLC, New York. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Starkey, Lauren B., 1962– How to write great essays / Lauren Starkey. —1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 1-57685-521-X 1. English language—Rhetoric—Problems, exercises, etc. 2. Essay—Authorship—Problems, exercises, etc. 3. Report writing—Problems, exercises, etc. I. Title. PE1471.S83 2004 808'.042—dc22 2004003384 Printed in the United States of America 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition ISBN 1-57685-521-X For more information or to place an order, contact LearningExpress at: 55 Broadway 8th Floor New York, NY 10006 Or visit us at: www.learnatest.com Contents Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 vii Organization 1 Clarity 11 Word Choice 21 Mechanics 39 Revising, Editing, and Proofreading 55 Untimed Essay Writing Strategies 67 Timed Essay Writing Strategies 85 Sample Essay Prompts and Essays 97 Resources 111 CONTENTS HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS v Introduction n your preparations for college, you may find yourself facing a handful of high-stakes essays. Your college application requires at least one, and the SAT requires another. Depending upon the high...
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...Personal statement examples Find College Courses and Degrees There are no ‘right’ ways to writing your personal statement, but there are many ‘wrong’ ways of doing it. On this page you will not only find everything you need to know about putting together a professional personal statement, but will also have access to dozens of expertly written ones. These samples are a great way to see how other people put together their personal statements, and to visualise the sort of structure and language they use. Reading through these will allow you to judge which ones you think are good or bad, which in turn will greatly help you in putting together your own winning statement. YOU ARE STRONGLY ADVISED NOT TO COPY THESE EXAMPLES WORD FOR WORD, BUT INSTEAD USE THEM AS USE THEM AS GUIDES AND AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. Many students struggle to put together an effective personal statement, primarily because they find it difficult to write about themselves. They may also fall for other common essay writing mistakes such as straying from the core subject and message they should be trying to get across. To help students overcome these potential pitfalls we have developed this resource page as a guide to giving them useful tips, strategies and techniques on writing a professional profile that is of the highest quality and one that will maximise their chances of enrolling at their first choice university. By following our advice, preparing properly and with a bit of practise, putting...
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...College Education is Worth the Investment All kids are pushed to do their best and work hard in school. Having a work ethic is something that is always emphasized when children are young and learning the importance of diligence in school. We are told that if you work hard you will reap more benefits in your lifetime. Hard work is a key to doing well in school and work. Being inherently intelligent will obviously open doors but having merit and putting that in your everyday work will get you far as well. It has been shoved down our throats that a college degree is a way to secure a job and find something that will allow some stability in life. In a time where everyone has seen families struggle with finding any sort of stability, it is something that this generation definitely strives for. The economy is said to be recovering, and unemployment rates dropping. We are told that hard work helps guarantee a job, security, and more wealth in life. Due to the economy and high education costs it is not always so obvious whether the hard work put forth in college will pay off in the end. College is supposed to guarantee a sort of safety net for a safe middle class life, and although this is not always the case the costs and time spent in college teach valuable lessons that a student can carry with them and apply to the work world when they get their degree and in other aspects of their life. Some people think that they will not be able to get into college based on grades...
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...Writing Your Graduate School Application Essay Generally speaking, there are two types of application essays for graduate school: the statement of purpose (SOP) and the personal statement. (Refer to FAQs to find out how the two types are different.) Both types let you convince the admissions committee that you are a good fit for the program and can contribute to the department. Although different graduate schools may ask you to answer different prompts, most ask that you write no more than a two-page application essay. The application essay is difficult to write because you must pitch your candidacy to a few department faculty members who read through hundreds – or sometimes thousands – of other essays. In this handout, you will learn how to show these busy readers that you will contribute meaningfully to the university and their department. 1. Relate your past and present experiences to the future. In their application essays, many applicants make the mistake of underemphasizing the future. But it’s important that you show how your past experiences have informed your present work, and how your present work can be extended to the future or raise new research questions. Admissions committees assess many qualified applicants based on whether their research will reflect positively on the university and their department. Committees will think your past and present work is relevant only if it relates directly to your plans for the future. If you don’t know exactly where your current...
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...are targets of daily racism, hindering their chances for advancement. Proponents point to small numbers of these minorities in certain desirable jobs (i.e. CEOs of corporations and high elected office) as evidence of underrepresentation of minorities and a need for diversity both in the workplace and in higher education. There are a number of different levels of affirmative action, including quotas, preferences, and outreach, in lessening order of severity. Quotas, also called “set asides”, deal with having a definite amount of jobs or college spots reserved for a particular group. For example, if a university admits 1000 students every year and sets aside 150 seats that are open to blacks only, this is considered a quota. A perfect illustration of a quota would be the 1977 Supreme Court case Bakke v Regents of the University of California, in which the court ruled that these quotas could not be used by the system but that race could be considered a plus in admissions to the medical school. This brings us to preferences. Preferences are when persons from certain groups (usually groups that have been underrepresented or disadvantaged) are given a ‘boost' in admissions. An example of...
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