Accepted.com
Odds 'N Ends
We have decided to publish this newsletter as a service to our clients and others who
register for it on our Web site. Accepted.com's Odds 'N Ends will bring you our
tip of the month, admissions information for grad, law, MBA, and medical school applicants,
and news about Accepted.com.
We also welcome contributions from readers. If you have comments, questions, or perhaps
an article idea, please e-mail our editor.
We cannot publish everything we receive, but we will try to respond to everyone. And as always,
we appreciate feedback.
Index
What's New at Accepted.com
Essay Tip of the Month
Resume Tip of the Month
MBA Admission News You Can Use
Law Admission News You Can Use
Medical Admission News You Can Use
College Admission News You Can Use
Our Services
Accepted.com In the News
Accepted.com president, Linda Abraham, was quoted in an article on the HBS Working Knowledge Web site entitled, "Summing Up: What Can Business Schools Do to Avoid Bad Apples?" by Dr. Jim Heskett.
Please visit http://hbswk.hbs.edu/pubitem.jhtml?id=3112&t=heskett.
Accepted.com Chats
Accepted.com has launched its series of online admissions chats with two last month: MIT's Sloan School of Business and UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. This month we have additional MBA chats and a law school admissions chat.
Time Marches On
In fact, it seems to march at double time. It's hard to focus on essays and keep all the personal, professional, and educational balls in the air. Those application deadlines somehow manage to creep up mysteriously out of nowhere.
We want to help you, but please give us enough time to do so. Don't wait to sign up for Accepted.com services (http://www.accepted.com/services/register.aspx )or to contact your editor. Help us help you.
Choosing an Admissions Editor
Accepted.com editor Jennifer Bloom wrote me last month with an interesting tip-of-the-month idea. She has had a number of clients who have come to her after working with other consultants and being disappointed. She suggested I write a tip on choosing a consultant
Given that the majority of O&E subscribers are not Accepted.com clients and many are considering hiring an admissions consultant, I thought Jennifer had a great idea. So whether you are considering Accepted.com or other admissions consultancies, check the following:
- Fit. Are you comfortable with the firm? With your particular editor?
- Qualifications. Do you know the background and qualifications of the individual you will work with -- not just the founder or principal?
- Will you work with one person or will you be shunted around?
- How long has the firm been in business? Does the Web site provide testimonials? Can you talk to references? Do you know someone who used the service?
- Are you pushed to commit a lot of money immediately or can you purchase a relatively modest amount, get comfortable, and then purchase more?
- Can you talk to the person who will work with you before you commit money?
- Is the editor/consultant accessible and responsive via phone and e-mail?
- Will your editor provide constructive criticism while pointing out faults and weaknesses?
Follow these tips and avoid the experiences that Jennifer's clients had before they started working with Jennifer.
Preparing a Resume for Professional Graduate School
With One to Three Years' Experience
Your graduate school application process is under way: you've clarified your goals, downloaded applications, and contacted recommenders. Now it's time to work on your resume. Suddenly you realize that with only two years of experience, you don't have a lot of quantifiable accomplishments, nor do you have impressive promotions (especially in the current labor market). How then do you craft your resume to convey that you are a high-powered applicant?
By digging deep in two areas: professional experience and non-work experience.
First, professional experience. Emphasize details, accomplishments, and hands-on tasks; avoid passive-sounding, obvious, and/or generalized phrases such as "communicate with customers." Instead, indicate what the communication is about: "Provide clients with assessment of their case status, identifying time frame, desired outcomes, and potential obstacles." If you have had positive feedback from someone about such communication, you can add a snippet: "Top-revenue client cited 'extraordinary support' to supervisor." Also avoid simply stating what you learned: "Became familiar with ISO 9000 quality standards." Instead, show your working knowledge by stating, "Helped analyze and document data storage processes for ISO 9000 implementation." Finally, look beyond your designated responsibilities. Did you help two colleagues resolve a conflict? Did you propose a cost-saving measure? Be sure to present anything where you demonstrated leadership, initiative, and/or impact.
Second, non-professional experience. As you move further away from your college years, you should remove most of the college extracurricular activities. However, keep (for now) those that demonstrate truly significant achievement or leadership, such as starting a campus chapter of Amnesty International (note membership and impact of organization). Also note any current activities that can shed light on positive qualities and attributes, such as volunteering. Here too, demonstrate positive impact. For example, if you take an active role in an amateur sports league, clarify that role, e.g., "Coach women's squash and establish weekly games for newcomers to the sport," rather than just listing squash as an activity.
Your goal for this resume is to make the reader see that you shine, you contribute, you have impact, you are a focused achiever. By zeroing in on the details and specifics of what you actually do, you will make that message clear.
MBA Interview Feedback Database
One of Accepted.com's most valuable resources is its MBA Interview Feedback Database. After completing their interviews, hundreds of MBA applicants to dozens of schools in the U.S., Canada, and Europe have filled out feedback questionnaires. Before you interview, find out what you can expect. And after you interview, please contribute to this valuable resource.
http://www.accepted.com/mba/InterviewFeedback.aspx
"It's a 10!" Is Back
We are pleased to announce that we are bringing back our popular "It's a 10!" contest. Every tenth MBA applicant who fills out an interview feedback questionnaire will win a $10 gift certificate. Just fill out a questionnaire after you interview for admission to an MBA program, and you are automatically enrolled in our contest. For additional information, please visit our contest details page.
Book Review: How to Get into the Top MBA Programs-Second Edition
Richard Montauk has revised his classic How to Get Into the Top MBA Programs and earlier this year published a second edition. I'm happy to report that the sequel is better than the original. Providing insight into current adcom thinking and a great reference on MBA admissions, Montauk's book, both in its depth and breadth, is tops. I recommend it highly.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735203199
WSJ Rankings
- Tuck
- Michigan
- Carnegie Mellon
- Kellogg
- Wharton
- Chicago
- McCombs
- Yale
- Harvard
- Columbia
A little surprised? Keep in mind that the WSJ ranking is based almost exclusively on recruiter surveys. As such, it provides a valuable window into recruiter thinking and is particularly useful if you don't have stellar stats. BUT, it reveals recruiter values, and recruiters may have different objectives than you do.
Chats Past
Accepted.com launched its third year of online admissions chats with Sloan Speaks on September 17 and Haas Happenings on September 19.
Here's an excerpt (now online) from the MIT chat:
"patel (Sep 17, 2002 9:25:19 PM)
? Rod, is there any advantage in applying in round 1 versus round two?"
For Rod Garcia's, the Director of MBA Admissions, very direct and informative answer, please visit http://www.accepted.com/chat/transcripts/2002/mba09172002.aspx.
Chats Future
October 2: Carnegie Mellon with Laurie Stewart, Director of Admissions; Carolyn Gould, Asst. Director of Admissions and the Career Opportunity Center at CMU; and two CMU second-year students.
October 14: University of Michigan Business School with Kris Nebel, Director of Admissions; Al Cotrone, Director of the Office of Career Development; and two UMBS students.
October 22: Tuck Business School with Kristine Laca, Tuck's new Director of Admissions, and two Tuck students.
The chats provide you with a great and convenient means of asking questions of admissions experts and hearing answers to questions you haven't yet thought of. Mark your calendars.
All chats take place at 6:00 PM PST (-7:00 GMT)/7:00 PM Mountain Time/8:00 PM Central Time/9:00 PM ET at http://www.accepted.com/chat
Law School Admissions Chat
On Wednesday October 16, 2002 at 6:00 PM PST (-7:00 GMT)/7:00 PM Mountain Time/ 8:00 PM Central Time/9:00 PM ET) Accepted.com will host a law school admissions chat. Our special guest will be Accepted.com editor and former Duke Law adcom member, Catherine Cook. Please bring your law school admissions questions. With her extensive experience both at Duke and at Accepted.com, Catherine will be able to provide you with solid answers.
We look forward to chatting with you on Wednesday October 16.
http://www.accepted.com/chat
International Medical Graduates
This month's The New Physician, AMSA's magazine, has an excellent series of articles on foreign medical education and the prospects for graduates of foreign medical schools. If you are considering a non-U.S. medical education or if you are a medical student abroad who would like to practice in the U.S, I strongly encourage you to obtain the October 2002 issue of The New Physician.
U.S. News Rankings
- Princeton
- Harvard
- Yale
- California Institute of Technology
- Duke
- MIT
- Stanford
- Penn
- Dartmouth
- Columbia
No surprises here.
Average SAT Scores Hold Steady
The Wall Street Journal reports that overall average SAT scores have held steady this year at 1020. The average math score increased two points and the average verbal score fell two points.
The College Board had announced earlier that it will add an essay section to the SAT in 2005.
Writing a personal statement is a tough challenge. A former client, an NBC journalist with over twenty years of experience in the field, once said that his personal statement "was the toughest thing I ever had to write." He sought our help. Shouldn't you?
Accepted.com's editors are here to help you write your best essays - eloquent, compelling essays that distinguish you from the competition and transform you from a transcript and test score into a competitive applicant and unique individual.
Check us out. Complete information on our services can be found in our catalog. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at http://www.accepted.com/services/generalinquiry.aspx.
We look forward to serving you.
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