mbaClarity with Candy LaBalle | Your journey to Business School starts here

Author name: Candy Lee LaBalle

Candy Lee LaBalle is the founder of LaBalle Admissions & an MBA admissions expert. Since 2008, she has helped hundreds of MBA applicants get into the world’s leading business schools.

MBA

Everything you ever wanted to know about MBA interviews!

I have spent the last two months doing interview preparation for MBA applicants. From Harvard to Haas, Duke to Kellogg, Wharton to London Business School, IESE to INSEAD. In addition to helping my clients prepare by practicing questions such as “walk me through your resume,” I spend a lot of time explaining what to expect in the interview. What exactly does it mean if my interview is blind? Who is better, an alumni or 2nd year student? Is it better if I go to the school, or is Skype okay? So, to help future applicants, below is my vocabulary list of everything you need to know about MBA interviews: Interview Type Blind: the interviewer is “blind” to your application, they have not seen your essays nor your letters of recommendation (LORs); usually they have only your resume. Non-blind: the interviewer has full access to all aspects of your application. Whether they read them or not is another story… By invite only: Most schools only invite you to an interview after an initial screening. The interview invitation means you have passed the first stage and so far, adcom thinks you’d be a good fit. Woo-hoo! Assessment Day/Open Day: Several schools offer an Assessment Day or Open Day on campus as part of the interview process. IESE, HEC Paris and Cambridge Judge are examples. Interviewer Alumni: Many schools use their MBA alumni to conduct interviews. The alumni will follow some guidelines from the school on what to ask and what to look for. Alumni can be great supporters for you since they have been in your shoes. If you are admitted, they will become part of your network. 2nd-year student: Similar to alumni, the 2Y is knows what you are going through (they did it themselves just 2 years earlier) and can be a good ally for you. Again, they will conduct the interview based on some guidelines from Admissions. Admissions: The interviewer is a member of the Admissions Committee (adcom) and could be someone very senior (Rod Garcia of MIT Sloan, a legend in admissions, often travels around the world to do interviews) or a new joiner to the adcom team. Location Off-campus: The interview will be conducted anywhere other than the school’s home campus, possibly in your hometown, or in a hub city. Hub City: Many schools (HBS, MIT Sloan…) conduct interviews in batches in hub cities such as NYC, London, Paris, Mumbai… On-campus: Several schools prefer that the interviewee go to the school for the interview, NYU Stern and Tuck for example. And now, let me interrupt this list to say it for the record, loud and clear: For schools that do not require “on-campus” interviews…NO, it is not “better” to go to the school for the interview. You do not get “extra points” for showing up. That would not be very fair, would it? Think about it: an applicant from Detroit will have an easier time traveling to a US campus for an interview than an applicant from Delhi would. While the visit could be great for you personally, it will not sway the admission decision. Skype: Online interviewing is very common and a perfectly fine alternative if a face-to-face interview is not possible. You are not negatively affected if the interview is online and I have had many clients interview by Skype and then get accepted. The only drawback is that there is a higher chance for miscommunication and/or technical difficulties, and it is a bit cold overall. For this reason, when my clients have a choice, I always suggest they do the face-to-face. Question Types  This is really a topic for an entire other article, but for now, let me highlight a few common ones: Basic Questions: “Why the MBA, what are your goals, why this school…” Know the answer and please be specific to the school, no generic answers! “Walk me through your resume”: this question is very common in blind and alumni interviews. Commercial Questions: Designed to test your knowledge of your field or intended field; “What are the problems facing Y industry at this time? Tell me about the specifics of a recent deal in the X industry.” Anything on your resume: from specific deals and projects to hobbies and university experiences. Anything in your application: if the interview is NOT blind, the interviewer could ask about any detail presented in your application. Behavioral questions: Designed to understand how you think and act: “Tell me about a time you led a difficult group, tell me about a time you faced a challenge…” Case/presentations: Several interviews ask you to solve a short case or give a short presentation on a topic. LBS is famous for this. Team-based discussions (TBD): An interview held in group where your social interactions are as important as your intellectual contributions. Emotional Intelligence, baby! Wharton has pioneered this method. Tricky questions: This could be any question you were not expecting. “What is your favorite movie and why?” “How could your president improve the economy in your nation?” “If this school were a person, what would he/she be like?” “What is something you will never be good at?” The advice I give my clients is to take a deep breath and answer the best you can. You can even say “wow, that is tough…, give me a second to think.” The interviewer is not asking a tricky question to “trick” or “trap” you. Instead they are looking to see how you react in a stressful situation, how you handle pressure, how you respond, what your attitude and demeanor are like when you are challenged. PS: The best practice questions out there are those compiled by my friends at Clear Admit. I swear by them. Random Stuff Language: If the interviewer is an adcom, a native English speaker, or if you and the interviewer do not share the same language, the interview will be in English. In theory, all MBA interviews are conducted in English, but in practice, if you and the interviewer share the same language, the interview may switch into your native language once the interviewer feels you’ve demonstrated your English level. Or

LaBalle Admissions

All About the GMAT

What is the GMAT? The GMAT is administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council and is a test of general skills: quantitative (math), verbal (grammar, reading, logic), integrative reasoning, and analytical writing. The test uses a high level of English which is comparable to the level you will need to pursue a top MBA. Your final score will range from 200 to 800 and there are individual scores for quantitative, verbal, integrative reasoning and analytical writing. Do I need the GMAT? Yes you do! The world’s top MBA and EMBA programs require the GMAT. Furthermore, several scholarships such as Fulbright or La Caixa ask for the GMAT in order to apply. Finally, top recruiters of MBA programs such as McKinsey or Boston Consulting Group will request your GMAT scores. So, in general, all MBA applicants do indeed need the GMAT, though certain schools may waive it or offer their own test. Check on the school’s website to be sure. What score do I need? Many people think that 700 is the magic number to open the door to any top MBA. However, it is not that simple. It all depends on the rest of your profile and the rest of the competition. Aim for the highest score you can get and then compare it to the “80th percentile” at each school, that is the score range that 80% of the admitted students have, you can find it published on each school’s websites. If you are on the low end, you are at a disadvantage; if you are on the high end, you are better off—nothing is guaranteed. Schools do not publish a minimum score because they prefer to evaluate your application as a whole: CV/résumé, essays, undergraduate transcripts and GMAT together. This holistic approach is why I have seen a client enter a top-7 program with a 660 and another get rejected for a 690! How do I prepare for the GMAT? You have three options: 1) You can prepare on your own using resources such as The Official GMAT Guide, Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org) or other 3rd-party materials. 2) You can attend a GMAT course at an academy in your area*. Or, 3) Take one of the many online courses. *If you are in Madrid, you are in luck, one of the top teachers in Europe is based here, Kevin Armstrong who runs GMATClasses (http://gmatclasses.es.) How do I register for the GMAT? You register for the GMAT through www.mba.com. When you register you will be able to choose the city where you would like to be tested and you can pay the registration fee. When should I register for the GMAT? ASAP! Testing dates in major cities fill up quickly. Register as early as possible or you may end up flying across the country to take the test. Also, if you do not get the score you need and have to retake it, you must wait 15 days. Therefore, if there are doubts about your score, schedule your first date with enough time to let you retake the exam if needed (ie. five to six months before the application deadline). How often should I take the GMAT? Ideally you take it once and get the score you need, but in reality, most applicants take it twice and many take it three times. The rules are that you can retake the GMAT up to 5 times in any 12-month period, but no more than once in any 16-day period. However, if you take the test more than 3 times, you may have to explain to Admissions why you took it so many times.

LaBalle Admissions

Ten Steps to a Top MBA

Do you dream of an MBA at Harvard, Wharton, Columbia or INSEAD? Here is a list of the top ten steps for preparing a successful MBA Application to your dream school. 1. Start Early! Begin the application as soon as possible. Ideally, you need 1.5 years to prepare, however some very hard-working applicants can complete the process in six months. 2. Why an MBA? An MBA application is a very self-reflective process. Start thinking over your career, your experiences, your strengths and weaknesses, your goals and dreams. How does an MBA fit into those? Are your goals reachable? How? If you understand these questions from the beginning, it will be much easier to write your essays later. 3. GMAT or GRE. A good GMAT (www.mba.com) is required for all top MBA programs. Though there are no minimum GMATs, 660 is the lowest most top MBA programs will accept. You can only take the exam once every 16 days, so schedule your first GMAT early enough to give yourself time to retake it if necessary (most applicants take it 2-3 times). For more about the GMAT, check out “All about the GMAT”. Most business schools will also accept the GRE (https://www.ets.org/gre/), the Graduate Record Exam which is the standard exam choice for masters’ degrees that are not business-related. 4. English Exam If you did not go to an English-speaking university, you must take either the TOEFL (http://www.ets.org/toefl) or the IELTS (https://www.ielts.org/). Do not assume that your English is high enough for a good score. You should prepare, especially for the Speaking sections. 100 is the standard minimum for most US schools but Harvard asks for 109. Most European schools ask for 105. 5. Transcripts As early as you can, request your official transcripts from all universities that you attended. If they are not in English, you will have to translate them using a sworn translator from your home country. Review the transcript policies for each school, while most request a scanned copy, some may want actual paper documents. If you attended university outside of the US, some smaller American business schools also request an external evaluation of your transcripts from a service such as WES (http://www.wes.org/). 6. Letters of Recommendation (LORs) Choose professional recommenders that know you well such as your direct supervisor. Do not choose the CEO of some famous company just because your father golfs with him…that is a sure way to get dinged. Schools want recommenders who really know you and your professional abilities and potential. And since your recommenders are busy people, the sooner you ask them, the better. 7. Research Schools & Find your Fit Don’t just rely on rankings and reputation, learn as much about the top programs as you can. Attend seminars, MBA fairs, talk to students and alumni, and visit the school if possible. Review the teaching methods, specialties, publications, and faculty. Will this program help you reach your goals? What does it offer that other schools don’t? What is the school culture like? And the surrounding community? Ask yourself, how will I fit in here? 8. Choose Schools Select 4 to 6 first choice schools and 2 to 3 second choice schools. The past few years has seen an increase in MBA applications and an increase in the quality of applicants. That does not seem to be slowing down. To ensure your acceptance at a top school, expand your odds by applying to several. Then, when you have your final list, order them according to which one you will apply to first, second, and so on. This may be influenced by deadline dates and difficulty of the questions. 9. Essays Gather the essays questions from your 1st school and brainstorm answers. Don’t worry about word limits, just find the best stories and examples from your life to answer the questions and also give insight into what makes you stand out from all the other applicants. From this rough draft, you can create the first version of your essays. Expect between six and ten versions until you arrive at a perfect essay. 10. Application Do not leave the online application, the “data-form” until the last minute. Many data-forms are filled with additional “mini-essays” asking for details about your career, extra-curricular activities, and more. Also, keep in mind that when the deadlines arrive, the servers even at the biggest business school can start to run very slow; try to submit your application at least a few days before the deadline to avoid this.

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