Admissions Tip: Essay Polishing
As the vast majority of round two application deadlines are now just a matter of days – if not hours – away, we’re offering up one final round two tip that is geared towards candidates taking a final pass through their materials.
LBS Adds New Video Submission Element to MBA Application
London Business School (LBS) this fall has introduced a new video submission element to its MBA application. In a blog post last week David Simpson, admissions director for the MBA and masters in finance programs, shared his team’s thinking behind this newest addition to the LBS application process.
“This was not a decision we took lightly,” Simpson writes, adding that they’ve been giving it some thought for a couple of years. In fact, the team piloted the process last year with a handful of candidates, primarily those whose English-language skills warranted assessment. “But this year we are going all-out and using the videos to help us learn a lot more about you,” Simpson says.
Earlier in his post and in past interviews with Clear Admit, Simpson has stressed the importance of the LBS alumni interview. “We gain a HUGE amount from the interview process and love having our alumni conduct them, so that you can learn a huge amount about life at LBS, too!” he writes.
Like many other top business schools, LBS recently reduced the number of written essays it requires of its applicants, keeping just one, about candidate’s aspirations. “A top MBA is a career and indeed life-changing experience,” he writes. LBS’s remaining question on future goals is key, he continues, even though, given the transformative nature of an MBA, those aspirations will change during your studies.
LBS Adds New Video Element for All Invited to Interview
But as it drops a written essay, the London school has decided to add a video submission for all applicants who are invited to advance to the alumni interview portion of the application process. Round 1 LBS applicants who made it to the interview stage all received an invitation to participate in the new video element.
But have no fear, reassures Simpson. “We are being very thoughtful about how we use this exciting new addition to our process,” he says. A video component has its limitations, and he and his team have set their expectations accordingly.
LBS recognizes that factors ranging from cultural differences, diverse professional backgrounds and differing personal comfort levels with being in front of the camera mean that not all applicants will approach the video submission feeling on equal ground. “Some people will feel a lot more comfortable than others filming themselves answering questions,” Simpson recognizes. But even those who are apprehensive should rest assured, he says. “We are NOT looking to use this as a tool to disqualify candidates or ‘catch you out’.” (For those unfamiliar with the term “catch you out,” is just means to expose error or shortcoming in someone.)
In fact, you don’t even need to worry too much about timing your answers just right, Simpson says, adding that they won’t deduct points. “We just want to see how you perform on both the prepared question and the unprepared section,” he says. “We love meeting candidates at events, but it’s not possible to meet you all, so this helps us see you in action.”
LBS partnered with Kira Talent, an online platform that allows higher education institutions to interactive video and written components into their application processes. Kira Talent’s other customers include Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, INSEAD and the Foster School of Business, among others.
“First round applicants have all now submitted, and we can’t wait to watch all the videos!” says Simpson.
Round 1 LBS applicants who have taken part in the new video component, don’t forget to share your experience with others in the Clear Admit Interview Archive!
This post was originally published by clearadmit.com
What’s the Difference Between an MBA and Masters in Management (MIM)?
It’s no secret that this website focuses on MBA degrees — I mean, our name is MetroMBA for crying out loud. With that said, we like to give people options, so this post will focus on a different kind of graduate business degree: the Master in Management (MIM) degree. Aside from having an adorable acronym (you try saying MIM three times without smiling), this type of business degree is different from an MBA. How are an MBA and Masters in Management different? Let’s discuss. Continue reading…
Guide to Getting the Most from Your MBA Campus Visit
So you’ve decided that you want to go to graduate school to pursue your MBA — congratulations, that’s great news! But how will you know which MBA program is right for you? Sure, you can read all the rankings, reviews, and recommendations to get a good idea of what a particular school, campus or program can offer you, but the most tried and true way to know for certain is to plan an on-campus visit. Continue reading…
HBS Announces New Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid
This article originally appeared in its entirety on clearadmit.com
Harvard Business School (HBS) today announced the appointment of Chad Losee (HBS MBA ’13) as the next Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid.
Losee earned his undergraduate degree in International Relations from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 2008. Continue reading…
Round One Application Deadline for Olin Nov. 1
The first round of application deadline for the Two-Year and One-Year MBA programs at F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business is Nov. 1. Petia Whitmore, Dean of the Graduate School Admissions at Babson gave prospective students some advice for getting the application completed by the deadline. She advices applicants to carefully review the details of the application process and the requirements for admission for the program that they are applying to.
