The GMAT Club Blog

UNC Kenan Flagler 2009 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips

UNC Kenan Flagler 2009 Deadlines

   Application Deadline       Decisions Released

Early Action  Oct 24, 2008        Dec 15, 2008

Round 2         Dec 5, 2008         Feb 9, 2009

Round 3         Jan 9, 2009          Mar 23, 2009

Round 4        Mar 13, 2009        May 4, 2009

* Application Due by Midnight EST

UNC Kenan Flagler 2009 MBA Essay Questions

My comments are in red.

UNC Kenan-Flagler encourages you to assess your known talents and potential skills, understand your personal style, and confirm your values and interests. If you do this prior to beginning your MBA studies, you will be better equipped to navigate the many options the MBA program will provide. There is not enough time to do all the activities and take all the courses that will be available to you. It is important, therefore, to make your choices based on your own development plan. Think of the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA application as a first step toward uncovering the unique attributes and goals that will inform your development plan. Please be thoughtful and reflective in your answers.

Essay One (Required)
What are the 2 or 3 strengths or characteristics that have driven your career success thus far? Do you have other strengths that you would like to leverage in the future? (500 words maximum)

Rather than list Strength 1, Strength 2, and Strength 3, I recommend you start with an anecdote that illustrates ideally 2-3 or your strengths and then analyze how they have contributed to your career success. Remember to describe your achievement in terms of impact and quantify as much as possible. Another approach: Describe the accomplishment anecdotally and then go into the characteristics that contributed to it.

In both cases, also include a paragraph about a trait that you would like to use in future projects and successes.

Essay Two (Required)
Briefly describe the career path you intend to pursue immediately after b-school. Explain why this career option appeals to you and why an MBA is appropriate at this time. (500 words maximum)

What do you see yourself doing immediately upon graduation and for the first five years after you graduate? Based on UNC's instructions, you need to have a clear direction and goal when you arrive or you will be lost. Describe why this path attracts you. What experiences have convinced you to pursue it? Why do you need an MBA, especially one with UNC's  approach to business education, to proceed down your chosen path.

Essay Three (Required)
What personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? How do these qualities or experiences equip you to contribute to Kenan-Flagler? (500 words maximum)

Everyone has a story. What's yours? What makes you unique? What hobbies and experiences will differentiate you from the IT guy, consultant, real estate developer, or banker that the adcom just read about? How will your perspective contribute to the classroom and community at Kenan-Flagler?

Essay Four(Required)
What do you expect from your MBA program? How and when will you measure the return on your investment in the MBA?
(500 words maximum)

What do you want from your MBA program? Thoroughly go through UNC's web site and see where its features match your requirements.  Let this essay reflect your research, not by spitting back the copy and videos on the web site, but in a deeper way  -- discuss the Kenan Flagler values and strengths that you identify with most strongly.

In terms of ROI, you can measure ROI in terms of money, but I don't believe that UNC is talking exclusively about financial ROI. Like most business schools, it places enormous emphasis on developing leaders. It is proud of its 4-point process and 360 degree feedback.  It is a general management program that makes extensive use of the case method and small teams for learning.  Without ignoring the greenbacks, also talk about ROI in terms of personal development.

Essay Five(Optional)
If your GMAT quantitative score is low, or if you have not had coursework in calculus, microeconomics, statistics and financial accounting, please tell us how you plan to prepare yourself for the quantitative MBA curriculum. (300 words maximum)

This is pretty straightforward. Just answer it.  You may also want to highlight professional preparation that you have already had in quantitative areas.

Essay Six(Optional)
Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you in order to evaluate your candidacy?
(300 words maximum)

font color="#cc0033">My favorite: The optional question. A gift allowing you to give the adcom one more reason to admit. you.

If you would like help with UNC's Kenan-Flagler essays, please consider Accepted.com's MBA admissions consulting and editing services.

GMAC Reports Sharp Increase in Applications in 2008

GMAC published "Applications Rise at Business School Worldwide"  today with impressive stats about the just concluded 2008 MBA admissions season. A few highlights:

• "Among full-time MBA programs participating in the 2008 GMAC Application Trends Survey, 77 percent - the highest level in five years - said they saw application levels increase. This compares with 64 percent in 2007 and reflects the second-largest year-over-year surge in applications to full-time MBA programs since the survey was first conducted by GMAC in 2000."
• Part-time and EMBA programs also reported increases, but not at the same torrid pace.
• "The GMAT was administered 246,957 times during the testing year that concluded June 30, 2008, representing the busiest testing year ever for the exam."

Tweet, Tweet

With incredulity, misgivings, and skepticism, I have set up a Twitter account and started "tweeting." No I am not bored. Maybe crazy, but not bored.

If you want to know what I'm up to and learn the latest and greatest admissions news ASAP, search Twitter either for Accepted or Linda Abraham. You can then follow me! And I'll know you really care. I may not know why, but I'll know you care.

And if you're not on Twitter, don't worry.  You can continue to read news via more detailed blog posts right here. No chirping allowed.

London Business School Deadlines & Essay Questions

London Business School has announced its deadlines and essay questions for 2008-09

London Business School Deadlines

Stage   App Due    Interview Decision  Decision
    1     14 Oct 2008     12 Nov 2008  18 Dec 2008
    2     06 Jan 2009     12 Feb 2009  31 Mar 2009
    3     03 Mar 2009    15 Apr 2009  22 May 2009
    4     30 Apr 2009    03 Jun 2009  08 Jul 2009

London Business School Essay Questions:

The essays are an opportunity to tell us more about yourself. Use the essays to detail your interests, values and goals. We are interested in what motivates you, evidence of leadership and team work, why you are looking to pursue an MBA at this point in your life, and what you will bring to the London Business School Community. The essays are a vital part of your application and thus we recommend that you spend a significant amount of time in their preparation.

The essay questions for entry in August 2009 are listed below.

Question 1 (600 words)
In what role do you see yourself working immediately after graduation? Why? How will your past and present experiences help you achieve this? How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal? Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?

Question 2 (200 words)
Where do you see your career progressing five years after graduation and what is your longer term career vision?

Question 3 (500 words)
Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Include any specific challenges you have faced. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your first year study group?

Question 4 (400 words)
Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London Business School MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community events will you be involved with and why? How will you contribute?

Question 5 (150 words)
Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country. What did you gain from these?

Question 6 (300 words) (This question is optional)
Is there any other information that you believe would help the MBA Admissions Committee when considering your application?

Question 7 (300 words) (This question is for re-applicants only)
Please describe how your candidacy for the London Business School MBA has improved since your last application. 

Please note that applicants should submit their completed essays within the Essay template (Word 260kb)

Columbia's New Core Commences

With the start of instruction for the Class of 2010, Columbia officially inaugurates its new core curriculum. In Columbia's words:

"Consolidated to allow for an additional full-term elective course in the second semester of the first year, the revised core curriculum is organized into “required” and “flexible” components. The new structure retains Columbia’s commitment to an academically rigorous core as the nucleus of the MBA.    The required core of 6.5 courses covers material that is deemed essential to an MBA: accounting, corporate finance, leadership, marketing, operations, statistics and strategy. The flexible core, designed to expand the scope of the required core and complement its content, is composed of 1.5 courses. Students will select one course from each of three broad categories: Organizations, Performance and Markets, and may take additional courses as electives.

"Organizations focuses on organizational change and the importance of social networks and interpersonal skills. Performance combines the disciplines of risk management and accounting: Courses cover the impact of a firm’s operational strategy and introduce accounting-based performance measures as tools for decision-making. Markets delves more deeply into macro- and microeconomics, including game theory.

"A new feature of Columbia’s core curriculum – a non-credit corporate governance module – brings a unique focus to a topic often overlooked as a core competency in management education. The module is designed to enhance students’ understanding of their duties and responsibilities as managers and directors of firms, as well as their appreciation of the role of corporate governance in their careers, the business entity, the economy and society at large. The corporate governance module will begin during first-year orientation with a series of pre-term readings and class sessions, and will conclude with a capstone session in the final term of the MBA program."

MBA Admissions Events: Michigan Ross Chat, MBA Mojo

Come one! Come all! To Accepted's first MBA admissions chat of the 2008-09 MBA application season. This year we are launching the chats with an event devoted to the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. Director of Admissions, Soojin Kwon Koh and Kimberli Keller, Associate Director of Admissions along with two second year MBA students will be available to answer your questions about Ross. Please join us in the Accepted chat room on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET/5:00 PM GMT.

MBA Mojo(TM) Do you have it? Come and get it! Access MBA Mojo! Participate in Accepted’s fun and informative MBA admissions contest. Win prizes. Reduce your stress. Enjoy!

Price Increase Coming

I am writing to encourage loyal readers of this blog who are considering using Accepted's services to contact us ASAP. We are raising our prices on September 1, 2008. There are only two weeks left  in which you can contact your editor to figure out which admissions consulting and editing service is best for you,  try it out, decide you like us, and then purchase more before the price increase. Just enough time, but definitely not too much so please don't delay.

MBA Admissions: Brownie Points for Visits?

School visits. They are time-consulting and expensive. And they contribute to global warming. 

Furthermore, Dee Leopold in The Director's Blog at HBS' web site makes clear that HBS does not weigh a visit as a factor in an admissions decision.  The Wharton adcom blog made a similar statement a few years ago.

Is personally visiting the campuses of your target schools a waste of time and effort? Absolutely not.

I am not disputing Harvard's or Wharton's statements that they don't award brownie points for visiting. However,  whether or not  your target programs award brownie points, a visit does mean you will have a better chance of being admitted -- not because of imaginary points, but because you will be a better informed applicant. You will know more about the school and its culture. You will know more about why it appeals to you, why its style matches yours, and how it supports your goals.

As Dee suggestions in her post, to profit the most from your trip, visit when class is in session. Then take a tour, meet with students, participate in the info session, and attend a class. In short, take advantage of whatever is offered.

What if you simply can't visit your target schools?  If you live far away, don't worry about it. You still need to demonstrate a deep understanding of the school's culture and program, but the school won't hold your lack of visit against you. Even schools (e.g. Tuck and Darden ) that really value a visit as a sign of serious interest understand that international applicants can't necessarily come.  Other schools explicitly ask what you have done to learn about their program, for example Haas queries "What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program?"

What steps should you take on the road to an MBA acceptance?

• Scour the schools' web sites.
• Attend the many receptions and events held by the schools.
• Participate in MBA Tour events.
• Talk to current students and/or recent alumni.
• Read current student blogs to get a feel for campus life.

Here is a list of upcoming MBA Tour events in the US, but the Tour is international so check their website if you are outside the US.

September 2 : Chicago
September 4: Houston
September 6: New York
September 7: Washington, D.C.
September 9: Atlanta
September 11: Boston
September 13: San Francisco
September 14: Los Angeles

INSEAD Sept 2009 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips

INSEAD Sept 2009 Deadlines

  Application Deadline    Decision Released

Round 1   Oct 1, 2008        Dec 19, 2008

Round 2   Nov 26, 2008     Mar 6, 2009

Round 3   Feb 11, 2009     May 7, 2009

Round 4   Apr 1, 2009        Jun 19, 2009

INSEAD Sept & Jan 2009 MBA Essay Questions

The questions are the same as last year's and my comments (in red) are virtually the same. 

Each essay topic listed below and in the subsequent pages must be answered.

1. Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors, which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (400 words approx.)

For a question like this I recommend two strengths and one weakness. If you can choose one anecdote that reveals both the strengths and the weakness, you will have a strong essay.  Don't forget to discuss how these qualities influenced your personal development.

A word on weaknesses. Be honest without going overboard. Don't make up a phony weakness. I attended an HBS info session a few years ago. One of the alumni said that he discussed a "phony weakness" in his essays (required for HBS that year) and his interviewer focused right on it, and basically said, "Come on. What's a real weakness?" The applicant had to get real in a hurry. Take advantage of the essay: Give it some thought and respond with the benefit of that reflection. For more information, please see "Flaws Make You Real."

2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date, explaining why you view them as such. (400 words approx.)

Try to take accomplishments from different arenas of your life. (But don't go back to high school and earlier to do so.) The accomplishments should show impact, contribution, and for INSEAD at least one should have a multi-cultural flavor.

3. Describe a situation taken from school, business, civil or military life, where you did not meet your personal objectives, and discuss briefly the effect. (250 words approx.)

In choosing the situation, here's a case when you can go back in time a little -- let's say 2-5 years. You can illustrate how you learned from this situation and were able to meet similar objectives next time around.

4. Discuss your career goals. What skills do you expect to gain from studying at INSEAD and how will they contribute to your professional career. (500 words approx.)

This is a forward-looking career goals question. Use the past just enough to set context for your future and show that your goals are anchored in experience. Then explain how INSEAD with its intense, one-year, general management program and strong international focus will help you achieve your goals.

5. Please choose one of the following two essay topics:

a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What did it mean to you? (250 words approx.), or

b) What would you say to a foreigner moving to your home country? (250 words approx.)

These two have been part of the INSEAD repertoire for several years. Choose the one that is easiest for you to answer and allows you to bring out a facet of your experience not found in the other essays. 

6. Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (200 words approx.) This essay is optional.

Take advantage of the optional essay to give them one more reason to admit you. DON'T use it for a grand summary, a restatement of your other essays, or something similarly boring, superficial, and repetitive. A tight, focused essay highlighting something you haven't yet discussed.

If you would like help with your INSEAD MBA application, please consider Accepted's MBA essay editing and admissions consulting or a INSEAD Comprehensive Packages, which provide essay editing, interview coaching, consultation, and a resume editing for the INSEAD MBA application.

UCLA Anderson 2009 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips

UCLA Anderson 2009 MBA Deadlines

Application Deadline:   Decision Released By:

Round 1  Oct 9, 2008     Jan 8, 2009

Round 2  Jan 8, 2009     Mar 26, 2009

Round 3  Apr 2, 2009      Jun 4, 2009

UCLA Anderson 2009 Essay Questions

My comments are in red.

This year, UCLA has modified its application and added a required fourth question. However, in an original twist, it limits that question to 250 words or a one-minute audio. I believe Anderson is the first MBA program to encourage a non-visual response to an essay question.  Separately, it is giving you more opportunity to introduce the non-professional side of you in this year's application, specifically question #2.

The UCLA Anderson Admissions Committee is interested in getting to know you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage you to be introspective, genuine, and succinct. We are more concerned with the content of your essays than their form or style.

All responses to essays must be on double-spaced pages that are uploaded in document form, except for Essay 4 for first-time applicants and Essay 3 for reapplicants, which may be submitted as an audio file instead.  (Please note the word limits in parentheses.)

Four required essays:

1.  How has your family and/or community helped shape your development? Please include information about where you grew up, and perhaps a highlight or special memory of your youth. (750 words)

For years similar questions have been UCLA's first and one of its longer essays. That status reveals the importance UCLA places on getting to know you as a human being.

Choose 1-3 important elements of your background and youth to discuss in this essay. You can focus on your community, family life, vacations, mealtime, seminal experiences or events that were formative. The key is to highlight particular topics and not write the sweeping (and superficial) bio.   Avoid "I was born in Timbuktu and when I was 4 we moved to Outer Mongolia and then when I was ..." or the equivalent.

One of the differences between this year's #1 and last year's is the introduction of community to the question. Community is an important value at Anderson. If it has been important to you, you may want to focus on its role in your development.

2.  What experience has had the greatest impact on who you are today and why? (500 words)

New question. Minimize or eliminate overlap between your responses to #1 and #2. They should complement each other.

The experience is important, but more important is how you answer the second part of the question. In order to answer this question, you will need to reveal how you are different, how you behave differently as a result of this transformational experience.

3.  Discuss your short-term and long-term career goals. What is your motivation for pursuing an MBA now at UCLA Anderson? (750 words)

UCLA's is a pretty straightforward goals question. What are you goals? Why now? How will UCLA Anderson help you achieve your goals. As always be specific and make sure you answer all elements of the question.

4.  Audio or text:  Select and respond to ONE of the following questions. We would like you to respond to the question by recording an audio response (up to 1 minute).  If you are unable to submit your response via audio, then please upload a written response (250 words) instead.  The supported file types for audio files are: .avi, .wav, .mp3, .wmv, .midi, .wma, .aiff, .au, .mp4

a.  What does entrepreneurial spirit mean to you?
b.  What global issue matters most to you and why?
c.  What is something people will find surprising about you?

New question. As with all questions that give you a choice, choose the option that allows you to present a different and impressive experience -- one not discussed in a previous essay. If you ever ran your own business or worked in a start-up, "A" may be the one for you. If you have been involved in global business, have participated in community service activities addressing global issues, or want to have impact on a particular global issue, perhaps "B" is the question you should answer. And "C" could be perfect for someone from a seemingly common background with a distinctive hobby, interest, or twist to his or her experience.

5.  OPTIONAL: Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words)

Last year, UCLA added the following: "Please do not submit redundant information in the Optional Essay."  Good advice for all optional questions.

For more suggestions, please see The Optional Question: To Be or not To Be.

If you would like help with UCLA's essays, please consider Accepted.com's UCLA Anderson Comprehensive Packages or our other MBA admissions consulting and editing services.