Recent Blogs

There are only a few real rules in writing. In fact, there are so few rules to good composition that the best-ever book on the subject, The Elements of Style, is only 105 pages and tucks tidily into a Kate Spade handbag.

In business writing, and especially in writing essays for business school applications, there’s one big rule above all else: Answer the Question.

Most of you reading this blog have written business memos – even if your boss hasn’t specifically asked you a question, you know there’s a qu…

It’s about six weeks from the first deadlines for applying to business school, and thousands of aspiring MBA students are asking their bosses, former bosses, senior colleagues, and even clients for recommendations to business school. Some might argue that it’s already too late to hit up a busy executive for a b-school recommendation, but if you plan and execute right, the amount of time remaining should be reasonable.

Don’t Overthink
You can find many opinions about how to strategize the recommendations all over the web. I only have three words to say about it: __Don’t overthink i…

Happy August! Believe it or not, the summer is almost over — but not yet, so no need to be needlessly stressed. I’m finally going to discuss the 10th, and final tip of the 10 Tips to Make Your MBA Application Rock. It have been trying to stretch it out by interspersing with other blog posts, but now it’s time to wrap it up. (All 10 Tips can be found in the PowerPoint of the presentation I gave to 85 Broads on June 1. You can also check out the webinar under the video tab. You’ll also find links to the first nine o…

It’s an annual event. Harvard Business School kicks off the touring season, offering potential MBA candidates insights on the school, tips on applying, and chances for successful matriculation.

It’s a good show. I am even more impressed this year than I was last year, which I wrote about here on 85 Broads. Amazingly, it’s one year later. Dee Leopold, head of admissions, is the best. She has been on the Harvard Business School’s admissions committee o…

Welcome back to the 10-Tips series. We’re down to the wire — here on Tip 9, Work Only on the Part You Can Control.

I was anxious about mentioning the element of chance involved in the business school application process. I didn’t want the excellent applicants, along with the hard-working, under-appreciated admissions committee professionals, to think that I am calling it crap shoot. It’s not. But you cannot control the entire process, particularly the outcome.

It’s Your Strategy
You cannot control the ultimate outcome, but you have some power to influence the inputs. Let’s…

The admissions process to business school is getting increasingly transparent. As a result, more students are focused on applying to the right school, rather than a scattershot of programs in the top rankings.

That’s a good thing – for you, the applicant, and for the school, that wants to attract a student that will be happy and thrive in its environment. Last week I had the privilege of learning this first-hand from admissions professionals from about 15 business schools, including MIT Sloan and Harvard Business School, our hosts.

The Real You
One thing all admissions officers…

Welcome back to the series “10 Tips for Getting into Business School.” I gave a jam session here on for 85 Broads last week, where we reviewed all 10 Tips, complete with a snazzy PowerPoint presentation . However, in terms of blogging, I’ve still got three more tips to go, including today’s tip, Talk Around.

Along with Tip 6, Stay Sane, Talking Around is one of my favorite tips, because it is so beneficial – you can use it to test out your own ideas and then open yourself up to new ones. It has been said that the b…

Welcome again to the 10 Tips series to help members of 85 Broads get their applications in order for business school. We will be covering these tips, plus the final three (stay tuned!) at the Jam Session on Tuesday, June 1. Please click on this link for more info. I hope you can make it. If you can’t but want me to cover something in particular, please go ahead an email me your question at [masteradmissions.com]. Thanks to terrific 85 Broads technology, you’ll be able to replay the Jam Session in perpetuity.

Now…

Welcome back to Tip 6 of the 10 Tips for Getting Into Business School. Before I launch into the second half of the list, I want to thank the great Krista Sande-Kerbeck and Marlena Hubley, 85 Broads extraordinaires, for scheduling a 10 Tips Jam Session on June 1. This is a chance for you to talk back — ask me what you really want to know! I’ll do my best to answer them all — and if I don’t know, I can tap into my wonderful network to find out. Also, hat tip to 85 Broads of Washington DC!

Get a Life
Of the 10 Tips in this series, this one – STAY SANE, is my favorite. I’ve subtit…

We’ve finally made it to the fifth of the 10 tips for MBA admissions. The first advised you to start early, the second, to take inventory, the third, to connect with your inner rock star, and the fourth, to explore career paths. In the next tip, I suggest that you perform service.

Helping Out
This is an area that most 85 Broads know in their bones, but some might be in their nose-to-the-grindstone 24-hour a day career mode. So, I prefer using the word “service” rather than “extra-curricular” or even”volunteer.” The first definition that comes up on Dictionary.com is, “An …