What Should I Write About in my MBA Personal Statement?

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What should I write for my personal Statement?

One of the biggest questions that gets asked about MBA personal statements is what the author should include when it comes to main content points and what can be left out. A common misconception is that every piece of content in an essay of this sort has to focus on nothing but business accomplishments. That’s simply not true. An essay that is single-minded in that way will not flow well, nor will it make an impression on the reader; in fact, it could make a negative impression, making you come across as cocky or self-absorbed. You’re much better off telling some stories.
Many of the most effective and compelling MBA essays are created when the author builds the piece around anecdotes, stories about things that have happened to you in the past. MBA essay prompts are ideal in this regard, as they often specifically ask you to describe a situation from your past. As you respond to prompts of this sort, remember that it’s equally important to connect the story to you and explain why the story is important, telling, and applicable to your overall plans/goals. Don’t just tell a story for storytelling’s sake. Your story still needs to connect to your overall motivations and plans.

If you want some expert advice, focused and specified on your particular essay and story, make sure to visit TopAdmit today!

Tell a Compelling Story in your MBA Statement

In addition to telling a story, avoid getting bogged down by trying to mention every single thing you think is important from your past. You’ve certainly done a lot already, and there’s simply no way you can cram it all in to your set of essays. The sooner you accept that, the easier time you’ll have with the writing process. Rather than trying to fit everything in, spend some time listing what you consider the most important elements from your professional career to this point and ranking them as best you can.

Also consider whether any of those elements will be covered anywhere else in your application and whether they can be left out of the essays, or simply mentioned in passing. Once you’ve done this, you can build your essays around the most important items on your list.

As you brainstorm and ultimately write, keep the overall purpose of these essays in mind. And what is that purpose? Simple: to give the reader a better, more personal understanding of who you are as a person, businessperson, and applicant.

Be Personal and Honest

And lastly, remember to be personal and honest. You’re a unique individual with a unique set of experiences and plans; don’t try to fit in or somehow make yourself into a candidate that you think the admissions committee will approve of. Your individuality is your greatest strength as an applicant and if anything, you should be playing it up, not hiding it.

Along those same lines, don’t lie or stretch the truth. You’ll probably be caught, and there’s no faster way to torpedo your candidacy than to be discovered as a fraud. Besides, you’re interesting enough without embellishment!

It is always useful to read other people’s work to get a sense of what good essays are. To assist you, TopAdmit provides you some MBA essay samples written by counselors and editors hailing from prestigious schools including Harvard. This page contains personal statement samples, statement of purpose samples, and application essay samples for college. But please remember, these are for your reference only; it is not to your benefit to copy their style or concepts. It not only violates academic ethics and could lead to an automatic rejection by the admissions committee — the point of our service is to help you construct a unique essay — not one similar to other essays.

30 Tips For Your MBA Admissions Success

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Fortune may favor the brave, but when applying to business school it is careful planning and meaningful self-reflection that win the day.

With round-one deadlines for the world’s top MBA programs less than six months away, this is the time to put together a plan for admissions success. You’ve got a lot of ground to cover:

• Introspection about your personal and professional goals

• Research to identify the schools that match your objectives

• Study for the GMAT or GRE, and any courses that boost your academic record

• Outstanding professional performance to strengthen letters of recommendation

• Purposeful community engagement and genuine leadership opportunities

• Outreach to b-school students and alumni combined with campus visits

That’s quite a to-do list, but MBA admissions success doesn’t just happen — you create it. And that means accepting all the challenges that are involved, and not just pursuing the ones you like.

(Photo by Jens Schlueter/Getty Images)

You don’t have to go to business to make a success of your life, but this is your chance to shape your own path, and not rely on somebody else’s. To more accurately quote business philosopher Jim Rohn, “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”

So where do you get started? Pursuing the theme of insightful quotes, I asked my colleagues at Fortuna Admissions for their advice, based on years of insider experience working in the admissions offices of the world’s top business schools.

Here are their 30 tips for MBA admissions success.

Self-Awareness And Defining Your Personal And Professional Goals

1. “Be your authentic self in your application. The most engaging candidates strip away the pretence, and don’t try to fit into a mould.” — Judith Silverman Hodara, Wharton

2. “Start with good questions — they are the best way to find great answers. Business schools want to know more about you than just your resume. They want to get a sense of what makes you tick. What do you want from your career? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What have you learned about yourself from times you have excelled and times you have failed? Don’t skimp on introspection—or waste the gift of choice.” — Caroline Diarte Edwards, INSEAD

3. “Spend time talking to many people in careers that seem interesting to you so that by the time you apply, you have a much better sense of your post-MBA plans. If you’re looking to make a career transition, consider speaking to people at your current company in positions that you’d like to go into after your MBA since they could be great resources that are highly accessible.” — Dina Glasofer, NYU Stern

4. “When talking about your long-term goals, think big. You will inspire the reader with your plans to change the world, not with your goal of retiring at 50. Find the thread that links your past decisions with your future goals. Make sure your story makes sense with a clear vision of where you want to go.” — Heidi Hillis, Stanford GSB

Selecting And Researching Your Target Schools

5. “Don’t settle for the ordinary — by definition a stretch school is within reach and by stretching yourself you will improve your reach. Believe in yourself, so that the admissions office can believe in you.” — Julie Ferguson, Chicago Booth

6. “Look beyond MBA rankings. List the factors most important to you and talk to students and alumni to help assess the fit.” — Dina Glasofer, NYU Stern

7. “Don’t settle for general statements about the school. Repeating well-known facts proves nothing. Identify and be able to explain your personal passion for the school.” — Karen Ponte, London Business School

Mastering The GMAT

8. “If you’re going through hell on data sufficiency or critical reasoning, keep going. You may have to fight the GMAT battle more than once to win it.” — Judith Silverman Hodara, Wharton

9. “Improving your GMAT score by 100 points is achieved in 10 point increments. Test success is the sum of small efforts practiced day in and day out.” — Cassandra Pittman, Columbia Business School

Personal Branding

10. “Think like a marketer — define and design your brand. What’s your unique expertise and contribution to the MBA program? Leverage that in each part of the application.” — Katherine Johnson, Harvard Business School

11. “As you look to set yourself apart, consider the lens that has influenced your worldview—and then find ways to project that understanding of yourself into your application.” — Brittany Maschal, Wharton

12. “Every school wants diversity – think how could your professional background, upbringing, nationality, age, future ambitions or interests add a unique dimension to your MBA class.” — Melissa Jones, INSEAD

 Resume

13. “Be specific – demonstrate your value with objective evidence, don’t just ask the reader to take your word for it.”  — Jodi Keating, Wharton

14. “Tone back the technical language and take it back to basics, highlighting the skills relevant to the role and ones the school will be looking for.” — Nicola Sandford, INSEAD

15. “There is probably someone applying to your target school with the exact same job title as you. Your resume needs to show exactly why you are better at that job.” — Jodi Keating, Wharton

Application Essays

16. “Telling a story that illustrates the type of person you are has far more impact than telling the reader what kind of person you are.  Show, don’t tell.” — Heather Lamb Friedman, Harvard Business School

17. “In your essays, go for the why, not the what. The resume tells what you did, it is up to the essays to explain what motivated you.” — Heidi Hillis, Stanford GSB

18. “Don’t just cut and paste essays from one school to another. Each application should feel like it was written specifically for that school, including concrete examples and specific school offerings rather than generalized statements.” — Dina Glasofer, NYU Stern

19. “Focus on depth over breadth! Talk in a non-technical manner when explaining your career — your file reader may come from a different background to you.” – Nonie Mackie, INSEAD

20. “Show self awareness. When talking about your weaknesses, be honest. A strength disguised as a weakness could very well backfire. Remember that you need to show that you still have something to learn.” — Michel Belden, Wharton

Extra-curriculars

21. “Go for quality not quantity. It’s better to get deeply involved in one thing you’re really passionate about, than to start four new activities simultaneously.” — Emma Bond, London Business School

22. “Devote your time and energy to something that supports your personal purpose in life. Don’t just get involved because it’s an admissions criterion. Do it because it genuinely resonates with who you are, your values, and your sense of purpose.” — Catherine Tuttle, Duke Fuqua

23. “Don’t underestimate the importance of your passions outside of work. The 10 years spent training as a ballerina shows dedication and drive, and can help you dance your way to the top of the applicant pile.” — Melissa Jones, INSEAD

Letters Of Recommendation

24. “Work on developing a relationship with your recommenders now so that when you ask them for a recommendation they are inclined to do so.” — Michel Belden, Wharton

25. “Don’t assume that your recommenders know what they are doing. Details, depth and insight add value; generalisations and do not. Help them to help you.” — Caroline Diarte Edwards, INSEAD

Interviews

26. “There is a misconception that schools are looking for perfect candidates, when in fact schools are looking for candidates with the right fit.” — Malvina Miller Complainville, Harvard Business School

27. “Practice, practice, practice! Have great examples to hand and a clear story, ensuring you tell the interviewer what you did do, not what you would do.” — Nicola Sandford, INSEAD

28. “Prepare your key selling points and stories ahead of time, and go into the room feeling confident that they wanted you there, and enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the school’s community.” — Malvina Miller Complainville, Harvard Business School

Staying On track

29. “Focus on what you can do, rather than what you cannot undo. A brand-new start is not an option, so put your energy into a brand-new ending.” — Brittany Maschal, Wharton

30. “When tackling the most challenging areas of your MBA application, get up early in the morning and be sure to complete these first!” — Nonie Mackie, INSEAD

It is clear from the insider experience of my colleagues, and decisions they made to admit certain candidates and reject others, that successful and unsuccessful applicants do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to achieve their goals. So what is to stop you?

Source: www.forbes.com

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HISPANIC AND LATINO STUDENTS

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College enrollment rates are rising among Hispanic men and women in the United States. Recent data from the Pew Research Center shows that 2.2 million Hispanics between the ages of 18 and 24 were enrolled in a two-year or four-year degree program in 2015; this figure represents a threefold increase since 1993. This rise in postsecondary attendance is largely attributable to the nation’s growing Hispanic population and a sharp decline in the high school dropout rate among this demographic. According to the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), the percentage of college students who identify as Hispanic rose from 4% to 15% between 1976 and 2012. Hispanic students reached a new milestone in 2012 when, for the first time, Hispanic high school graduates enrolled in college at a higher rate than their Caucasian counterparts. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates one in four college students will identify as Hispanic by 2020.

MINORITY STUDENT ENROLLMENT 1976-2012

MINORITY STUDENT ENROLLMENT 1976-2012

Persistent educational challenges continue to affect the Hispanic community, however. Many college-bound Hispanic men and women come from low-income families, and tuition rates for in-state students at public universities have risen 296% over the past 20 years. Consequently, many of these students are forced to absorb student loans to afford their degree. These loans carry steep monthly minimum payments and interest rates that can affect borrowers for decades.

TUITION GROWTH AT NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES

TUITION GROWTH AT NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES

Pew Research data shows that 22% of Hispanic students have outstanding student debt. While this is the lowest rate of debt among student racial groups, it should be noted that nearly half of all Hispanic students complete their education at a two-year community or technical college. These programs tend to be significantly less expensive than four-year programs, but they are also less likely to help students secure meaningful post-college employment. As of 2015, only 15% of Hispanics aged 25 to 29 held a bachelor’s degree in any subject.

FAMILY NEEDS

Family obligations present another challenge to Hispanic learners. A 2015 survey by the National Journal found that two-thirds of Hispanic men and women who sought full-time work or joined the military after high school claimed to have done so in order to financially support their loved ones. By comparison, only 39% of white men and women who bypassed college made the same claim.

FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS

First-generation Hispanic college students face additional obstacles. The percentage of first-generation students at all U.S. postsecondary four-year institutions fell from 38.5% to below 16% between 1971 and 2005, according to a report from UCLA. A study by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) further estimates that up to half of Latino parents have not received any postsecondary education. Many educational experts agree that parents without a college background are unable to fully prepare their children for the rigorous academics and the social pressures of institutionalized higher education. “Without family background in the college experience,” the study notes, “these students may find it difficult to fully engage in college life, which can lead them to drop out and not complete a degree.”

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Language barriers are another factor. Hispanics made up 46% of all U.S. immigrants in 2013, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute, and the National Education Association (NEA) notes that roughly 80% of the country’s English Language Learners (ELLs) identify as Hispanic. Despite a widespread emphasis on English instruction in U.S. public schools, however, less than 20% of k-12 ELL students earn average or above-average reading comprehension scores. Furthermore, up to 10% of ELL students between the ages of 12 and 18 are forced to repeat a grade every year. The lack of English speakers in the home is a major reason for these trends.

CHILDREN OF MIGRANT WORKERS

Another underrepresented group are the children of Hispanic migrant workers. Each year, the U.S. Department of Education’s Migrant Education Program serves approximately 345,000 Hispanic students between the ages of three and 21. The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) offers financial support for college freshmen, along with five-year tuition grants, but because migrant families are constantly on the move, these students often perform poorly in the classroom and their secondary school dropout rates are higher than non-migrant students.

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Roughly 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools each year. The U.S. Department of Education guarantees public education for undocumented children through grade 12. Additionally, there are no federal or state laws prohibiting undocumented men and women from applyng to, enrolling in, and graduating from public or private colleges. A survey by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) found that 32% of public postsecondary institutions admitted undocumented student applicants.

However, many schools categorize undocumented students as “foreign”, thus making them ineligible for both federal financial aid and in-state reduced tuition rates. The Obama administration has introduced a bill known as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act that would create a college pathway for undocumented students by providing them with permanent residency. However, the DREAM Act has yet to receive congressional approval as of April, 2016.

DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS

Students in the U.S. must be permanent residents before they can receive federal financial aid. Most immigrants earn permanent residency by applying for a Green Card, but current laws stipulate that undocumented citizens are unable to take this path; they must instead leave the United States and apply for permanent residency from a consulate office in their home country.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, seeks to ease college admission challenges for undocumented students. Under DACA, undocumented children who enter the U.S. prior to age 16 receive “deferred action status” and are categorized as DACA Students. They may also be able to obtain a social security number (SSN). While DACA students are still ineligible for federal financial aid, those with a valid SSN are able to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and they may receive state- or institution-sponsored funding.

DACA students may also qualify for reduced in-state tuition, although discounted rates are often available. A total of 18 U.S. states currently offer provisions for undocumented students to receive discounted in-state tuition. These include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Washington. In contrast, three states have barred reduced in-state tuition for undocumented students: Arizona, Georgia, and Indiana. The remaining 29 states are classified as unstipulated.

Undocumented students should meet with their high school career counselor to discuss financial aid options for college. Most DACA students with a valid SSN are urged to complete a FAFSA in order to learn about state- and institution-based financial aid options. The Department of Education offers the following tips for DACA students who wish to fill out a FAFSA:

HOW TO FILL OUT THE FAFSA AS AN UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT

  • The FAFSA does account for the citizenship status of the applicant’s parents, but the form requests the SSNs of both parents. Applicants must write in 000-00-0000 for the SSN for any undocumented parent or legal guardian.

  • Applicants will encounter the following question: “Are you a U.S. citizen?” Undocumented students must check the box for “No, I am not a citizen or eligible noncitizen.”

  • There are also questions inquiring about the “legal state of residence” for the applicant and their parents. The correct answer will vary, as each U.S. state has different requirements for legal state residency. Applicants should consult their on-campus career counselor before completing this section.

  • The online FAFSA form features an IRS Data Retrieval tool that allows applicants to submit their tax information and their parents’ tax information. If the applicant or their parents did not file an income tax return during the previous year, then tax information may be entered manually.

HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS

The Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) program was enacted through Title V of the Higher Education Act. HSI status is conferred on not-for-profit postsecondary institutions where at least 25% of full-time students identify as Hispanic. Under Title V, eligible HSIs can receive grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). Grant funding is then used to build on-campus resources and bolster support services for Hispanic students. Today, HSIs are represented by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU); although HACU members comprise only 10% of U.S. postsecondary institutions, these colleges and universities are home to more than two-thirds of the nation’s Hispanic student population.

The rising number of HSIs in the U.S. directly correlates with the increasing number of Hispanic students enrolling in accredited college programs. There were 245 recognized HSIs in 2005, and as of 2014-15, there were 435 recognized HSIs that collectively enrolled more than 1.8 million students. The states with the most HSIs are California with 152, Texas with 78, Florida with 24, and New Mexico with 23. Additionally, Puerto Rico has 63 recognized HSIs.

latin_scholarships_guide-copyscholarship is a monetary gift for students to use for funding their postsecondary education. Scholarships do not need to be paid back, making them a desirable alternative to student loans. Scholarships may be used to pay for education-related costs including tuition, books, and other course materials. Some scholarships may also be used to cover food, room-and-board, laundry, and day-to-day expenses.

Thousands of different scholarships are available. Merit-based scholarships are typically given to students with high GPAs or an extensive record of community service. Other scholarships may be allotted to certain groups of people, including women or minority students. There are also scholarship options for students who demonstrate financial need.

In order to qualify for most scholarships, students must first complete an application. While the nature of these applications will vary by award, most will include the following general criteria:

  • Grades/Transcripts: Most scholarships (merit- and non-merit-based) require a minimum GPA for consideration; this minimum is usually 2.5 or higher. Additionally, some impose minimum scores on the SAT, ACT, or other college admissions tests.
  • Essay: Many scholarships require applicants to complete an original written testimonial explaining why they deserve the award.
  • Letters of Recommendation: A scholarship application may ask for letters of recommendation from teachers, school counselors, former employers, and other people who have interacted with the student in an educational or professional environment. These letters should not come from friends, relatives, or family acquaintances.
  • College Information: Many scholarships will only award money to applicants who have enrolled or plan to enroll in an accredited postsecondary institution within the following year. Some are only allotted to students who plan to pursue certain fields of study.
  • Other Financial Aid: For needs-based scholarships, applicants may need to prove they are not receiving federal financial aid, additional scholarships, grants, or other forms of monetary support.

HERE ARE A FEW EXPERT PIECES OF ADVICE FOR FILLING OUT SCHOLARSHIP FORMS:

  • Begin your scholarship search during your freshman year of high school and compile an organized, comprehensive list of options before your senior year. Earning scholarship funding is essentially a numbers game; the more scholarships you apply to, the more financial support you’re likely to receive.
  • Apply to every scholarship award for which you are eligible. Smaller scholarships are generally less competitive, and these awards can increase your overall support.
  • Fill out all applications in pencil and be sure to proofread each section for misspelled words, grammatical errors, and awkward phrasing.
  • Essays should be personal and heartfelt. Applicants should take this opportunity to demonstrate their writing skills and speak directly to the scholarship committee; be as expressive and direct as possible.
  • If an online option is unavailable, submit your application to the scholarship committee by direct mail. In either case, be sure to keep a copy for your records in case the original application is not received.
  • Be mindful of deadlines and make sure every application has been finished and submitted before its due date.

EXTERNAL SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES

Students who are unfamiliar with scholarship applications should seek advice from educational experts. Here are a few online resources for scholarship applicants to peruse:

QuestBridge: This organization provides assistance and support to low-income and underprivileged men and women with college aspirations. QuestBridge’s website features links to more than a dozen scholarship databases.

FastWeb!: This comprehensive financial aid database allows users to customize scholarship criteria in order to generate a list of applicable awards.

ScholarshipAmerica.com: This organization “works to engage private sector support for programs and policies that advance equity in postsecondary education.” Their site links to 15 government-sponsored and private financial aid databases.

CareerInfo.net: The scholarship aggregator on this U.S. government-sponsored site lets users customize scholarship options by award type, education level, state of residence, and award sponsor.

BigFuture: CollegeBoard’s customizable scholarship aggregator allows users to browse more than 2,200 scholarships, internships, and other financial aid opportunities.

Some of the most common scholarships include:

Colleges and Universities: Most postsecondary institutions offer scholarships to current and prospective undergraduate and graduate students. Many scholarships are specific to major fields of study or offered exclusively to students in certain gender or minority groups.

Foundations: Students should explore scholarship opportunities through established businesses and professional organizations affiliated with their proposed field of study. Other foundational awards are available through women’s or minority rights advocacy groups.

Local Community Organizations: Scholarships are often offered through community-based groups such as churches, youth centers, rotary clubs, and chambers of commerce. While these awards tend to be smaller in monetary value, they are also typically less competitive than national or statewide scholarships.

Thirty essential tips for grad school success

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Starting this summer, many of our subscribers will be heading off to grad school. Congratulations are in order, but this is only the beginning of your journey! Take a peek at an experienced academic’s advice for postgraduate success. (Also applicable in many other areas of life!)

By the way, if you are still thinking whether to take the grad school. plunge, Jason will be happy to talk with you. (linked text: www.essayapp.co/free-mba-consulting-session.html)

Top ten

1. Remember: there are no non-professional interactions.

2. Fundamentals matter. Practice your talks until they flow. Do some editorial work. Volunteer. Wear clean clothes. Update your software. Eat. Sleep. Take showers. Laugh. Love. Don’t obsess over the university—explore your city or town. Make friends everywhere. Eat cupcakes.

3. Figure out what you stand for politically. Be prepared to speak up.

4. Value loyalty over cool or influence. Make friends with people who care about your ideas and your well-being. Bleed for your friends and allies.

5. Do not work with anyone whose first desire is to burn things down. Eventually, they will.

6. Try not to get lost in departmental/teaching politics.

7. Always say “thank you.” And always be “nice.” Until, of course, it is time not to be nice. Insisting on politeness—at least at first—isn’t about suppressing dissent. It is about recognizing that no one wins in the long term when everyone starts every conversation by shouting. Anger only nets short-term gain and inhibits long-term goals.

8. From the moment you arrive, start thinking about the book you are going to write. No matter how daunting it seems, mess around with titles, and tables of contents, and story-lines. Think about archives and methods. Get in the habit of talking about it. Don’t be worried if, at first, you don’t know what you are doing. Choose a book that you can research and write well within five to six years. Don’t choose a topic so obscure that only a handful of people care about it. Don’t choose a topic so broad that it can’t be finished. Search for something that appeals to you and that connects with bigger issues. So choose wisely and be excited.

9. Learn how to say “no” politely and firmly. And do so often. But also learn how to say “yes.” Learn how to recognize when someone has gone the extra mile to extend an invitation to you, to introduce you to someone, and say “yes” as a sign of respect.

10. Take teaching seriously. Watch great teachers in the classroom. Ask them questions. Ask them to explain. Audit an undergraduate class. Draft syllabi, but don’t be weird about it. Talk to your comrades about what you’ve seen work in the classroom. Treat the discussion of teaching with as much seriousness as you do the discussion of the latest, coolest essay or book you’ve all read.

The rest

11. Write every day, without editing, for at least half an hour. Write at different scales—close readings, blog posts, project proposals, breezy op-eds, dense histories—and at different paces. Revise your CV—experimentally, trying on different formats and fonts—every single week. Treat your table of contents as a poem; don’t rush it, craft it, agonize over every comma, every gerund, every syllable. Join an ongoing writing group, and prioritize the writing and reading for that group. Take proofreading seriously. This means reading everything out loud, so that your ear can be your editor. It means running spell-check. It means leaving yourself enough time to do these things well.

12. When faced with qualifying exams/defenses/other rites of passage, do not listen to people who ask: “Do you think you’re going to pass?” Tell them to shut up.

13. Learn how to craft and control the narrative of your career, from the presentation of your CV to web pages to wardrobes to public performances. This means learning how to distinguish between the truly impressive and the superficial.

14. Never ask for a letter of recommendation without giving at least two week’s notice, a fresh copy of your CV, and whatever is being proposed. Accept responsibility for bugging your writer about the due dates and details.

15. Know the difference between criticism and critique. Do the latter. Posing and showboating is fine. Humility is fine, but not the norm. Hollow criticism is the thing you need to learn to hate. Know your shit. Do the reading. Trace the argument outward. Understand the stakes of every book, every essay, you encounter. Think harder. Applause is cheap.

16. Read blogs from professionals in your general area. Consult them alongside newspapers and academic journals and press catalogs. Develop reading habits. Consume information and analysis as if they were food.

17. Back up everything you have ever written every day. In the cloud and locally.

18. Know this: there is really only one question at job talks and conferences and grad student get-togethers: “Your work is interesting. How does it relate to mine?” So do your homework. Know what people care about.

19. There is a lot of concern about what comes after. You can always say “no.” There are other things to do in life. Lingering on and on as an adjunct is not a good life. Don’t do it. Move along. Don’t assume there will be an academic job waiting for you; and don’t assume that there won’t be one, either.

20. People will treat you like crap all the time. They will ignore you, or try to hurt you, or even try to ruin you. If what they are doing is illegal, don’t be silent. Do what must be done. If what they are doing is merely cruel, just remember, and don’t be that person. And mobilize for a better world.

21. Learn to value idiosyncratic behavior. Our tribe is very weird. Study them. Classify them. Make distinctions between, say, people who think your work is genuinely good regardless of who you work with vs. people who think your work is good only because you work with this person or that person vs. people who think your work is bad but won’t say anything because you work with one of their friends vs. people who are not willing to recognize that your work is good because you work with this other person vs. people who have no filter and say that your work is shit.

22. Understand that academia, like any other industry, will exploit and discard its workers to the extent it is able. So know what an “alt-ac” is, and recognize what is going on with adjuncts. Don’t imagine that “they” are not “you.” Imagine a future in which you might be off the tenure-track, and work to make that future better.

23. Learn how to tell the difference between those faculty who will help you get things within the context of your department/your university, and those faculty who will help you do the same thing while also teaching you how to get these things on your own.

24. Learn how to apply for extra-departmental funding. And do it. There is no better way to organize your thoughts than having to explain them to readers from outside fields. And, in many places, the generation of outside support is a crucial metric.

25. Do not take career advice coming from people who checked out of academia years ago.

26. Be social media savvy—and polite: it’s great to circulate news about your own work, but make sure you’re promoting and sharing the work of friends and colleagues too. Practice intellectual and professional generosity as part of your participation in the broader community.

27. Build a community around you that has a group of people who are not in graduate school. Among other things, their distance from your day-to-day struggles with graduate school life will help you maintain a healthy balance regarding your social life, sanity, etc.

28. No advice list is complete or all-encompassing, of course. So talk to others. Make your own choices.

29. Don’t trust the hype—good or bad—about academe. Investigate for yourself how many adjuncts are employed at your university, and find out how they are treated. Don’t think that administrators are evil, because most are awesome. Get to know your students before you decide that they are too rich, too spoiled, or too stupid to learn.

One last thing

30. Finally, write your own list. Don’t just copy this down. Edit it. Disagree with it. Improve it. Print it up. Put it on the fridge. Argue about it. The point of any such list isn’t to give you a pathway; it is to help you find your own.

Credit: This post originally appeared on Matthew Guterl’s website.

2,056 Accepted to Harvard Class of 2021

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Dean Fitzsimmons

Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67.

UPDATED: March 31, 2017 at 1:21 a.m.

Harvard admitted 5.2 percent of applicants to the College’s Class of 2021 Thursday, accepting 2,056 students of the nearly 40,000 applicants and posting an acceptance rate roughly equal to that of last year.

Harvard offered 1,118 students admission to the College Thursday through the regular application process. They join 938 applicants who were notified of their acceptance last December under the early action program into the Class of 2021.

After receiving a record 39,506 applications, the College’s acceptance rate is marginally lower than that of the previous year—5.20 percent this year, versus 5.22 percent for the Class of 2020.

The pool of accepted students represents a small decrease in total percentage of minorities from previous years, with largest decreases in Latino admits—from 12.7 percent for the Class of 2020 to 11.6 percent for the Class of 2021—and Native American admits, from 2.2 percent to 1.9 percent.

Certain racial groups, however, did see increased representation. African American students make up a record-high 14.6 percent of admitted students, an increase from 14.0 percent last year.

Amid a lawsuit alleging that Harvard discriminates against Asian American students in its undergraduate admissions processes, Asian American students make up a 22.2 percent of the admitted class, up marginally from a then record-high 22.1 percent last year.

Students who will be the first in their family to attend college comprise 15.1 percent of the admitted pool. The College will dedicate a new part-time “student advocate” to advising first-generation and low-income students, though Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana rejected a proposed summer program tailored towards those students earlier this semester.

Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, a first-generation college student himself, attributed the slight increase in part to the “startup grant,” a program started last fall that gives approximately one-fifth of incoming Harvard freshmen—many of whom are first-generation—$2,000 to adjust to extra costs in the first months of college.

“I’m very excited because I would have received one,” Fitzsimmons said. “I think you end up with enormous freedom and flexibility, especially in that critical first year.”

Slightly less than half—49.2 percent—of the accepted students are women, up from 48.4 percent the previous year.

In a slight downward trend, 15.5 percent of students indicated interest in studying the humanities, down from 16.9 percent the previous year. A plurality—26.5 percent—indicated interest in the social sciences, while 19.3 percent said they planned to study computer science and engineering.

International students comprise 11.4 percent of the admitted pool, and Fitzsimmons said he did not see an impact on international applications despite uncertainty generated by President Donald Trump’s recent orders limiting travel and immigration from a number of countries.

Fitzsimmons said the admissions department’s decisions were partly influenced by a report published last year encouraging admissions officers to evaluate college applicants beyond academics and traditional extracurriculars.

“I look at [the report]’ as one of these really important long-term efforts of breaking down stereotypes of what colleges are and what they’re trying to do,” he said. “We value whatever it is that people have done in addition to study.”

Admitted students will have the opportunity to stay at Harvard for Visitas, which is scheduled to run from April 22 through 24. Students will then have until May 1 to respond to their offer of admission.

Applicants to the seven other Ivy League schools also received admissions decisions Thursday. Yale—which will open two new residential colleges in the fall—accepted a record 2,272 students, or 6.9 percent of its total applicant pool. Columbia posted the second-lowest acceptance rate in the Ivy League, at 5.8 percent, while Princeton offered admission to 6.1 percent of applicants. Elsewhere in Cambridge, MIT accepted 7.1 percent of its applicants earlier than this month.

—Staff writer William S. Flanagan can be reached at will.flanagan@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @willflan21.

—Staff writer Michael E. Xie can be reached at michael.xie@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelEXie1.

It is always useful to read other people’s work to get a sense of what good essays are. To assist you, TopAdmit provides you some college admissions essay samples written by counselors and editors hailing from prestigious schools including Harvard. This page contains personal statement samples, statement of purpose samples, and application essay samples for college. But please remember, these are for your reference only; it is not to your benefit to copy their style or concepts. It not only violates academic ethics and could lead to an automatic rejection by the admissions committee — the point of our service is to help you construct a unique essay — not one similar to other essays.

Harvard Law School will no longer require the LSAT for admission

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Harvard Law School will no longer require the LSAT for admission

 HARVARD LAW SCHOOL WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE THE LSAT FOR ADMISSION
 

For 70 years, the LSAT has been a rite of passage to legal education, a test designed to gauge students’ ability to learn the law.

But its dominance could change. Beginning this fall, Harvard Law School will allow applicants to submit their scores from either the Graduate Record Examination or the Law School Admission Test.

The significant change in admissions, a pilot program at Harvard, is part of a broader strategy to expand access. Because many students consider graduate school as well as law school, and because the GRE is offered often and in many places worldwide, the decision could make it easier and less expensive for people to apply, school officials said.

Harvard’s decision was announced this week, just before the arm of the American Bar Association that accredits law schools considers changing its standards to allow tests other than the LSAT.

Last year, the University of Arizona College of Law became the first law school in the country to allow applicants to submit GRE scores rather than LSAT scores. Two other schools followed. But for Harvard, which has one of the best law schools in the world, to do so could upend the admissions process for legal education.

“This is a very big deal,” said Bill Henderson, a professor at the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University at Bloomington, who has written extensively about legal education and rankings. “This is a wise move. It makes them better off,” by allowing them to consider applicants in a more comprehensive way without worrying that their median LSAT score, and hence their ranking, will drop. It means they can look for leaders and academic brilliance and countless other qualities, even if those don’t always align with extraordinarily high LSAT scores. “It loosens the vise grip of these numerical admissions criteria on the legal academy. … This is really exciting, good news.

“I can’t imagine other top law schools not following suit.”

In a sense, it brings admissions full circle: “You go back to the 1940s, 1950s, Harvard and Yale were the folks that put these tests in place to begin with. In the postwar years, they were getting this tremendous rush of applicants,” Henderson said, and they were gauging aptitude for the law largely based on whether students were able to pass the first year. And the LSAT was a huge success, he said, providing an excellent measure that allowed both students and schools a way to determine that without wasting a year. The trouble came in more recent years, he said, as schools developed a lopsided dependence on the test scores because of their effect on rankings.

Something else has flipped since that time: the volume of applicants.

Kyle McEntee, executive director of Law School Transparency, thinks many law schools have already been considering this change “because schools across the board have been struggling with applications — not only applications, but the quality of applicants.”

The other schools “have come under criticism for basically just trying to expand their consumer base” by not requiring the LSAT, McEntee said. “That criticism is clearly not going to apply to Harvard.”

Nationally, he said, law schools have struggled in recent years in the wake of the Great Recession as people learned that job prospects were threatened.

“Schools are trying to find new ways to find people. Will other schools follow? Probably,” McEntee said.

By the end of last week, there were more than 42,000 applicants for the 2017-2018 academic year, a decrease of 1.5 percent from the year before, according to the Law School Admission Council.

The current numbers aren’t directly comparable with past numbers because of the way they are tallied, but there has been a significant decline in applicants; nearly 89,000 people applied in the fall 2006 admissions cycle, according to the Law School Admission Council.

Harvard, by contrast, had a 5 percent increase in applicant volume both last year and this year, said Jessica Soban, associate dean for admissions and strategic initiatives.

“Regardless of the number of applicants we have, this initiative is about making sure the most qualified candidates continue to consider us,” she said. “We have been out pretty publicly with a message that some of the cutting-edge legal issues rely on an understanding of science and technology and engineering problems. These are the questions that require not only great legal training, but the technical underpinnings really do help to understand the issues.” She said the school is “up to double digits” in people coming with science and technical backgrounds, and many of them may have initially considered other graduate degrees.

About 17 percent of its current first-year class is made up of international students, she said, so broader access to the GRE was a significant factor.

A study by the school examined the GRE scores of current and former students who took both the GRE and the LSAT and determined that the GRE is an equally valid predictor of first-year grades.

“Harvard Law School is continually working to eliminate barriers as we search for the most talented candidates for law and leadership,” Dean Martha Minow said in a statement. “For many students, preparing for and taking both the GRE and the LSAT is unaffordable.

“All students benefit when we can diversify our community in terms of academic background, country of origin, and financial circumstances. Also, given the promise of the revolutions in biology, computer science, and engineering, law needs students with science, technology, engineering and math backgrounds. For these students, international students, multidisciplinary scholars, and joint-degree students, the GRE is a familiar and accessible test, and using it is a great way to reach candidates not only for law school, but for tackling the issues and opportunities society will be facing.”

It’s all part of broader efforts, Soban said, to make the school more accessible. Some of the changes include using Skype for interviews, wiping out the requirement of a deposit for accepted students and beginning a deferred-admission pilot program to encourage applications from juniors at Harvard College who commit to two years of work experience before law school.

“The decision has the potential to create a domino effect among other law schools,” Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs at Kaplan Test Prep, wrote in an email. “When Harvard changes their admissions strategy, other law schools take notice.”

If other schools follow, it would provide more options for students. The GRE is offered almost every day, Thomas noted, compared with the LSAT, which is available only a few times a year.

Kaplan Test Prep surveyed 125 law schools in May, and 56 percent said they had no plans to adopt the GRE as an admissions alternative to the LSAT. Just 14 percent said they planned to do it. But the remaining 30 percent said they were not sure, which Thomas said signified a lot of room to grow. “We think that number is likely to increase over the next few months,” he said.

The council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, an agency of the ABA, has planned a meeting from Thursday through Saturday in California at which the question of whether the LSAT is fundamental will be considered.

Barry Currier, the section’s managing director, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that his organization “will consider changes to Standard 503 dealing with admission tests at its meeting this weekend and whether to put these changes out for notice and comment. For that reason, at this point we will defer for now any comment on any individual law school’s proposal or pilot program on testing of prospective students.”

Minow said in a statement, “We look forward to working with the American Bar Association on finding the most effective ways to encourage the best students to enter the legal profession.”

Source: By Susan Svrluga – The Washington Post

Grammar Tips: Than Vs. Then

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Than Vs. Then

Two acquaintances who share many of the same features may be difficult to distinguish from one another. How can you tell them apart? One way is to get to know them better. Even identical twins have unique characteristics in their physical appearance and personality. A lot of people make errors with the nearly identical than/then pair, but you don’t have to be one of them. Just use the same strategy you use to tell one person from another—get to know them!

Than

A conjunction is a word that connects two clauses or coordinates words in the same clause. Than is a conjunction used to introduce the second part of an unequal comparison. It also introduces the rejected choice in expressions of preference. Finally, than can mean “except” or “when.”

Amanda is shorter than Annabelle is. She would rather die than wear high heels.

Than can also function as a preposition. A preposition connects a noun or pronoun to a verb or adjective in a sentence, usually to express a spatial or temporal relationship. As a preposition, than means “in relation to” or “by comparison with.” Here’s a (technically correct) construction you may not have seen before:

Annabelle is a friend than whom there is none more caring.
then-or-than

Than appears in a lot of idioms. Many of them, such as “more fun than a barrel of monkeys” or “more dead than alive,” feature comparisons. You’ve probably heard some of the most popular ones (e.g., “easier said than done,” “better late than never”) but many may be new to you. For example, have you heard of “more sinned against than sinning”? Wouldn’t it be a fun project to find out how these colorful expressions started?

Then

Then often functions as an adverb. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Dictionaries define then lots of different ways: in that case, at that time, next in order of place or time, at the same time, soon afterward, in addition, or as a consequence.

Standing next to Edwin is Ethan, then my roommate Claire, then me. Edwin told me, “If we are having fun together, then you should take lots of photographs.” There were no digital cameras then!

Sometimes, then is an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, or describing word, it means “being such, existing, or being at the time indicated.” As a noun, it means “that time.”

My then roommate Claire moved out and I have not seen her since then.

Then appears in some idioms too. One means “on the other hand”: Edwin is funny, but then I laugh at everything. Another idiom means “at that exact time and place, or at once”: Ethan asked me if I wanted to take a road trip, and I went home to pack my suitcase right then and there.

Then and than have many similar characteristics. They are spelled alike, except for the E in then and the A in than. However, telling them apart is not impossible. They have different characteristics: How you define than is definitely not the same as how you define then! They have different “personalities” in that they function as different parts of speech. Do you feel that you know them better now?

Author:  

New Trend – Study and Work in Canada

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O Canada! International students have friendly study options in the Great White North

With the inauguration of the new Trump Administration, the educational winds may be changing for current international students and those who are still considering their options to study abroad. Among other things, students are concerned over a potential tightening in post-graduation US visa options including the OPT program and H-1B visa program.

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No matter the short-term political bumps in the road, however, international education will increasingly be a must-have in the modern worker’s and manager’s tool kit. Moreover, current uncertainty just goes to show that agile thinking always pays in today’s professional environment. So what to do?

Consider Canada! This North American alternative is becoming an increasingly popular option for international students who are attracted by its friendly people, worry-free health care system, and astounding natural scenery. Furthermore, Canadian higher education is gaining increasing respect on the world stage.

Today, we take a look at the most popular Canadian MBA programs. Something to think about, eh?

Top Canadian Business Schools

5. HEC Montréal: Montreal, Quebec

Full-time Program Length: 13 Months

Full-time Program Cost: US$7,500 (Quebec residents) US$15,300 (out-of-province)

HEC  MontrealAbout: HEC Montréal is a French-language business school located in Montréal, Canada. Since its founding in 1907, the School has trained more than 78,000 students in all fields of management. HEC is the business school of the University of Montreal.

4. Schulich School of Business, York University: Toronto, Ontario

Full-time Program Length: 16 Months

Full-time Program Cost: US$70,710

Schulich School of Business, York University: Toronto, Ontario

About: Located at York University in Toronto, Ontario, the school is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). According to Forbes and CNN Expansión, Schulich has the best full-time MBA program in Canada.

3. Ivey Business School, Western University London: Ontario

Full-time Program Length: 12 Months

Full-time Program Cost: US$82,000

Ivey Business School, Western University London: Ontario

About: Ivey Business School (Ivey) is one of Canada’s leading business schools, located at the University of Western Ontario, a research-intensive university in London, Ontario, Canada. According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Ivey has the best full-time MBA program outside of the United States.

2. Queen’s School of Business, Queen’s University Kingston: Ontario

Full-time Program Length: 12 Months

Full-time Program Cost: US$77,000

2. Queen’s School of Business, Queen’s University Kingston: Ontario

About: Queen’s full-time MBA program was ranked as the number one full-time MBA program in Canada and number one outside of the U.S. by the bi-annual ranking of Business Week in 2004, 2006, and 2008. Environics ranked the Queen’s Full-time MBA program number one in Canada in 2006 in their Report on Executive Education in Canada. In the 2012 QS Global 200 Business Schools Report, the school was indexed as the 3rd best business school in Canada and the 16th best business school in North America.

1. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto: Toronto,  Ontario

Full-time Program Length: 20 Months

Full-time Program Cost: US$95,100

1. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto: Toronto,  Ontario

About: Rotman’s MBA program was ranked as 60th in the Global MBA rankings for 2016 issued by the Financial Times magazine. In the 2012 QS Global 200 Business Schools Report, Rotman was placed as the 9th best business school in North America, while in the 2011 BusinessWeek MBA rankings, Rotman placed 3rd in the best international business schools category (outside the United States)

What are the common requirements? Generally speaking:

·        For MBA programs, an undergraduate degree is needed but not necessarily in a business field, and two years of postgraduate work experience.

·        GMAT: 550 with at least a 50th percentile in the quantitative and verbal sections

·        GRE: 150 on the verbal and quantitative section

·        Demonstration of some English proficiency (varies according to school)

Interested? TopAdmit can help you out! TopAdmit offers Ivy League-quality editing and advice for all levels of admissions essays. We have a distinguished track record and have proudly assisted students from over 50 countries to get into their dream schools. Upload your essay now!

It is always useful to read other people’s work to get a sense of what good essays are. To assist you, TopAdmit provides you some MBA essay samples written by counselors and editors hailing from prestigious schools including Harvard. This page contains personal statement samples, statement of purpose samples, and application essay samples for college. But please remember, these are for your reference only; it is not to your benefit to copying their style or concepts. It not only violates academic ethics and could lead to an automatic rejection by the admissions committee — the point of our service is to help you construct a unique essay — not one similar to other essays.

– Gong Xi Fa Cai – Use code BYEMONKEY to get 15% OFF!

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