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The following is a schematic overview of the
contents of MBA Admissions Strategy:
Preface & Introduction
SECTION ONE: STRATEGY FOR THE
ADMISSIONS PROCESS
1. Marketing to Adcom
Getting elected. Seeing the world through
Adcom�s eyes. �People people.� The reward system
for admission officers. Business schools compete
too.
2. What Satisfies the Admissions Committee?
The key attributes. Summary: A CEO in waiting.
It�s your future not your past that counts. The
four attribute dimensions. A four-part
interlocking profile. Class balance.
Highlighting diversity contribution. A two-way
fit. Understanding the school�s market
positioning. Start with your needs.
3. Strategy Fundamentals
Researching and choosing schools. Dig behind the
websites and glossy brochures.
Visiting the campus. How many schools? Gmat
strategy. Managing references and referees.
Priming referees. Referee fatigue. Interview
strategy. Understanding behavioral questioning.
International applicants. Foreigners for US
schools. Americans for foreign programs.
4. What Goes On After You Hand In Your
Application
The committee meeting. Application timing
issues. A basic timeline. The role of the
essays. Fine-tuning selection. Rewarding
strengths outside the classroom. Communication
skills. Meeting the essay requirements.
SECTION TWO: PROFILE-BUILDING
TECHNIQUES
5. The Profiling Project
Profiling: Why do it? Creating an alternative
basis for essay responses. Preparing for
behavioral questioning . Brainstorming
methodology. Shadowing the essay process.
Finding and developing stories. Subjective
realities and formative events.
6. Personal Profile Analysis
Personal features and attributes. Activities.
Accomplishments and achievements. Skills and
strengths. Difficulties, failures, and
weaknesses. Leadership. Major influences:
people. Major influences: culture and
environment. Life-changing events and
experiences. Diversity and contribution. Values
and philosophy. Personal goals.
7. Professional Profile Analysis
Characteristics and qualities. Activities.
Accomplishments and achievements. Skills and
Strengths. Difficulties and failures. Weaknesses
and inexperience. Leadership. Influences. Change
and growth experiences. Difference and
diversity. Values and philosophy. Professional
goals.
8. Positioning, Messaging, and Mapping
Reducing complexity. Selecting and grouping.
Extracting themes. Which themes to choose? Theme
example. The application message. Applying
marketing principles. Message techniques.
Mapping your message to the essay questions.
Towards the question archetypes.
SECTION THREE: ESSAY MANAGEMENT
9. The MBA Question Archetypes
Message Mapping. "Why an MBA?" Strengths,
success, and achievement. Weaknesses and
failure. Leadership. Contribution. Ethics and
values. Teamwork. Key influences, mentors and
role models. Direct personal inquiry. Creativity
and innovation. Community service, self review,
and the optional essay. Multiple archetypes in
one essay.
10. Mapping Approaches
Balancing the essay set as a whole. Category
approach. Theme approach. Plugging the holes.
Mapping Essay Set One. Archetype analysis and
mapping. Assessing gaps and openings. Revised
mapping.
SECTION FOUR: WRITING TOOLS &
METHODS
11. Principles of Better Writing
Relevance and importance. Passing the �so what�
test. Perils of �the written word�. Deleting the
bits that readers skip. Choosing and managing
human-interest stories. Show, don�t tell.
Specific, detailed and concrete prose. The 13
essay pitfalls to avoid.
12. Idea Discipline: Outline and Structure
Persuasive writing. Classic structures.
Outlining. Signposting. Thesis statement.
13. Writing the First Draft
The introduction, body & conclusion. Summary:
the �take-home� message
The first draft and essay revisions. Where do I
start? The cooling period
Further drafts: revising and re-rewriting.
Reusing material for other applications.
14: Improving expression: Word and Sentence
Strategies
Techniques of writing clarity and simplicity.
Brevity. Everyday language. Active voice. Using
more and better verbs. Handling conjunctions and
pronouns.
Conclusion
Appendix: Essay Revision Checklist
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� The MBA Admissions
Studio, 2008 | |
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