Admissions Straight Talk

Show Summary Dr. Cynthia Boyd, Associate Dean for Admissions and Recruitment at Rush Medical College, discusses the distinctive elements of the Rush Medical College program, including its focus on developing critical thinkers and providing excellent clinical care. She also highlights the importance of community service and healthcare exposure in the admissions process. Dr. Boyd emphasizes the need for applicants to present a thoughtful and authentic application that aligns with the school's mission. Ultimately, Dr. Boyd also encourages applicants to seek feedback if they are not successful in the admissions process and to consider areas for improvement before reapplying. Show Notes Would you like to attend a medical school that is outstanding – really outstanding – community service? I'm speaking today to the Associate Dean for Admissions at Rush Medical College, recipient of the 2020 Spencer Foreman Award for outstanding Community Engagement. Thanks for joining me for the 551st episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Will you be ready next Spring to apply to your dream medical schools? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted’s Med School Acceptance Calculator can give you a quick reality check. You'll not only get an assessment, but tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it's all free. Now let's move on to today's interview. I'm delighted to have on Admissions Straight Talk, Dr. Cynthia Boyd of Rush Medical College. Dr. Boyd earned her MD at George Washington, where she also did her residency in internal medicine and later earned an MBA from Chicago Booth. She joined Rush Medical Center in 1998 and has served in a variety of roles, including Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs, Director of Medical Staff Operations and Chief Compliance Officer. She moved over to Rush Medical College full-time in 2019, and is now Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, as well as the Associate Dean for Admissions and Recruitment. Dr. Boyd, thanks for joining me on Admissions Straight Talk. Welcome back. [1:55] Pleasure to be here. Thank you. Let's start with my usual opening question, which is can you give an overview of the Rush Medical College program for MD students, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [2:01] Absolutely. So just a very quick overview, Rush Medical College was one of the first medical schools in the Midwest, dating back to when it was founded in 1837. And it is a clinical-focused organization or institution or university. We don't have a parent university, so we are dedicated to the health sciences. Rush Medical College, its main goal is to develop students who will be critical thinkers, who will provide excellent clinical care, patient safety and quality. So in 2017, the curriculum was totally changed and more directed at the students becoming the learners, self-directed learning versus sitting in a classroom and so to speak, being fed everything. So practitioner teacher models, our practitioners also teach our students, so they're able to bring to the classroom, to the students, their own practice experience, and they learn from that as well. What's new at Rush since we spoke a little over two years ago? A little over two years ago, we were in the midst of the pandemic, as I'm sure you remember and are aware. But has anything stayed from that period? What's changed? [3:17] I would say the newest is that we went from a grade scale of grading to pass fail. Oh, wow. [3:39] Now for the preclinical years, the pre-clerkship, I should say, years, it is a pass-fail grading system. Flipped classroom has already been in place, as I mentioned, since 2017, but now for the pre-clerkship years, everything is pass-fail. And when did that start? [3:58] That started I believe in 2018 or 19. Are students having difficulties in terms of residency placement because residency directors- [4:04] Not at all. In fact,

Show Summary Brigitte Suhr, an Accepted law school admissions consultant and a former application reader for UVA Law, shares insights and advice on the law school admissions process in a podcast interview with Linda Abraham. They discuss topics such as changes in law school admissions, the importance of work experience before law school, the personal statement and diversity statement, common mistakes to avoid, and the character and fitness section of the application. Brigitte emphasizes the importance of starting early in the application process and being genuine in one's essays. She also provides guidance on addressing academic weaknesses and navigating the interview process. Show Notes If you're applying to law school now or in the near future, you're going to love today's show. Brigitte Suhr, Accepted Law School admissions consultant and former application reader for UVA Law, is going to help you get accepted to your dream law school. Welcome to the 550th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. Are you ready to apply to your dream law school? Are you competitive at your targeted programs? Accepted's law school admissions quiz can give you a quick reality check.Take the quiz and you'll not only get an assessment, but tips on how to improve your qualifications. Plus, it's all free. Our guest today, Brigitte Suhr, earned her bachelor's from UT Austin and her JD from UVA. She then went on to travel the world as an international lawyer, working for Human Rights Watch, The International Criminal Court and other foundations and NGOs. For approximately two years, prior to joining accepted in 2019, Brigitte worked as an application reader for her alma mater, UVA School of Law, and in that capacity reviewed over 2,500 applications. She was the one recommending admit, or deny. Let's find out when she made those recommendations and how she helps accept its clients. Brigitte, welcome to Admissions Straight talk. [1:52] Thanks, Linda. I'm happy to be here. Pleasure to have you. Now let's just start with something fairly basic, actually not so basic. What's new in law school admissions this year? [1:56] There's a lot new, Linda, maybe too much new. So from year-to-year it seems like essays don't change that much. Applications don't change that much, but with the Supreme Court decision this past summer, law schools took that opportunity to review what they were doing. They want to be compliant with the decision, but in so doing, they added quite a few changes and in my opinion, maybe overloaded a bit on essays and supplementals and things like that. So it's been a big transition for those of us working in admissions and certainly for students who have even more work to do than ever. And frankly from, I wonder if some admissions committees aren't going to be regretting some of their extra essays at some point, because it's going to be longer and longer to read and I think maybe- Could be maybe more work for them. [2:47] Exactly. We might see some cutting back. I don't have inside information on that, but if I were them I'd be doing some cutting back by next summer. I know business schools used to have many more essays and over the years they've cut back quite a bit. [2:56] Yeah. This is not a change that occurred this year. I think it's a change that's occurred over the last 10, 20 years, and that is that more and more law school applicants or more and more law school students do not go directly from college to law school. They take a year off, I think it's frequently to work for a year. Do you advise applicants to, “take a year off,” – take a gap year or work before going to law school? [3:03] I mean, I think that law schools have always cared about employability, and they care about it all the more now because the US News and World Report is factoring that into the rankings, and so it becomes an important issue. But frankly,

Show Summary In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, host Linda Abraham interviews Dean Robert Salomon, the inaugural Dean of Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi. They discuss NYU Stern's groundbreaking one-year MBA program in Abu Dhabi. The program is open to applicants from around the world, but it is particularly aimed at those interested in building a career in the Middle East. The program will offer the same core courses as NYU Stern’s MBA program in New York, and students will have the opportunity to study in both Abu Dhabi and New York City. The program also includes an experiential component, with students working on live projects for local companies. Dean Salomon emphasizes the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and the opportunities for students to engage with start-ups and gain hands-on experience. He also discusses the importance of diversity in the student body and the availability of merit-based scholarships. The episode concludes with Dean Salomon discussing the reasons behind choosing Abu Dhabi as the location for the program and the opportunities it offers for students to be part of the region's transition to a knowledge-based economy. Show Notes Are you interested in doing business in the Middle East but want an MBA from a top US business school? And would you prefer a one-year program? Today's episode is all about NYU Stern's groundbreaking one-year MBA program in the UAE's Abu Dhabi. Welcome to the 548th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted's podcast. Sometimes I'm asked, is the MBA worth it? And my answer is, it depends on your individual circumstances, but I've got good news. We've developed a tool, the MBA ROI calculator that will help you evaluate whether an MBA is worth it for you and your individual circumstances and by how much. And using the tool won't set you back even one cent. Use of the tool is free. It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on Admissions Straight Talk, Dean Robert Salomon. Dean Salomon earned his bachelor's from Michigan Ross and then moved to NYU Stern, which has been his home almost ever since. He earned his master's in PhD in strategy and international business there and has been a professor of management at Stern since 2005. Dean Salomon will lead the NYU program in Abu Dhabi and will actually be the inaugural Dean of Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi. Dean Salomon, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:49] Thanks for having me. I'm so glad you can join me. As we were talking about before, it's morning for me, night for you. It's amazing that we can... I think you're 12 hours ahead of me, right? [1:53] 11 this time of year. Once you change your clocks, I think it'll be 12. So we're literally on other sides of the world and yet we can still have this delightful conversation. Let's start with an overview of NYU's Abu Dhabi MBA program. Can you please provide us with one? [2:07] Sure. So we are opening here a full-time MBA program. It's going to be a 12-month, accelerated MBA program that will run from January through December, and the first class will start in January of 2025. So you're really just getting going. You're not going to have a class this year, you're just getting going for the following year, really? [2:36] We'll start a year from January, although the website is now live, the application is available, it can be downloaded, people can start it, and we are accepting applications now. The first deadline comes up January 15th, but people can start applying now. It takes a while to put together a good application, so that makes a lot of sense. [3:00] Yeah. Is this program for people in the Middle East who want a US MBA or is it for people anywhere in the world who want to focus on business in the Middle East? What's the goal of the program? [3:06] So the program is for anybody in the world, and what we would like however, is that people who are interested in the region,

Show Summary In this podcast episode, Linda Abraham interviews Dr. Kevin Schulman, the director of Stanford's Master of Science and Clinical Informatics Management Program. They discuss the opportunities available at the intersection of medicine, business, and technology, and the problems that you can solve by combining these interests in your career. The program at Stanford combines business courses, technology courses, and ethics to train leaders who can transform healthcare delivery. The program is designed for working professionals and is a one-year, part-time cohort program. Graduates of the program can pursue careers as Chief Medical Information Officers, start their own companies, work in tech or industry, or advance in clinical leadership roles. Finally, the interview concludes with a discussion on the potential risks and benefits of technology in healthcare, and the importance of personalizing healthcare through technology. Show Notes What are the opportunities for you, if you're interested in the intersection of medicine, business, and technology? What problems can you solve if you combine those interests in your career? What education would you require? We're going to find out in this interview with the director of Stanford's Master's program and Clinical Informatics Management. Welcome to the 540th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. Whether you are applying to a niche, innovative graduate program or more traditional one, the challenge at the heart of admissions is showing that you both fit in at your target schools and are a standout in the applicant pool. Accepted's free download, Fitting In and Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions will show you how to do both. Master this paradox and you are well on your way to acceptance. Dr. Kevin Schulman, director of Stanford's Master of Science and Clinical Informatics Management Program is also Professor of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and Professor of Operations Information and Technology at Stanford GSB. He is our guest today, and those are just three of his titles. He has several more, along with over 500 publications. His research focuses on organizational innovation and healthcare, healthcare policy and health economics, which leads us directly to Stanford's Master's in Clinical Informatics management or the MCIM. Dr. Schulman, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [2:00] Oh, thanks so much for having me, Linda. My pleasure. I'm really delighted to be speaking with you. I saw an ad for the program online and it just felt like such a fascinating program that I looked into it and I thought, gee, it'd be great to have you on. So let's start with a couple of really basic questions. I am not a techie and I'm not a healthcare professional. I do have an MBA. What is clinical informatics management? [2:05] That's a great question. As you think about healthcare compared to other services that you receive on a daily basis, we're just lagging so far behind in terms of how we provide digital services to our patients, to consumers, how we do follow-up, how we provide education. So we wanted to build a program to help create leaders that will transform the delivery of healthcare in this country and around the world. To do that, we combine business courses and technology courses and ethics in a year long program for working professionals where we meet every other weekend. So my next question was going to be, can you give us an overview of the MCIM program, and you kind of just did that, but can you go into a little bit more detail about how it is structured and what is actually taught in the program? I mean, again, it just sounds absolutely fascinating to me. [3:06] So at a high level, when I first started a program like this after the HITECH Act in 2009. Oh wow, it was back that far? [3:27] I was at Duke at the time, it wasn't here, but our CIO said, look,

While the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, has made it very clear that applicants need outstanding academics to get in, the program will not compromise its values to maintain it high stats. Haas’s four Defining Leadership Principles are taken very seriously by the school’s administration and admissions team. You will need to show that you share and live by those principles if you are to receive serious consideration as an candidate. The four principles are as follows: Question the Status Quo Confidence Without Attitude Students Always Beyond Yourself Keep those principles very much at the forefront of your mind as you prepare your Haas application. Ready to get to work on your Haas application? Read on. Haas application essay tips Haas application deadlines Haas class profile Don’t miss our Admissions Straight Talk podcast interview with Eric Askins, Executive Director of Full-time MBA admissions at UC Berkeley Haas. He reveals why prospective applicants in their applications are encouraged to focus on their overall story and narrative, and how they can demonstrate their ability to handle the academic rigor of the program. Eric Askins also encourages applicants to engage with current students and alumni to learn more about the program and its opportunities. Listen below or click the image to read the full transcript. Haas application essay tips Haas Essay #1 What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why? (300 words maximum) Just reading this question excites me because it conjures up memories of my first SCUBA dive, playing tag with my stepsons when they were children, singing songs with my dad when he was ill, laughing until I cried at my husband’s jokes, and getting legislation passed that helps cancer patients live better lives. These are just some of the things that give my life meaning and purpose. So sit back and relax before you start writing this essay. Take some time to really consider the things that put a smile on your face. Is it spending time in nature? Being in nature helps us not only de-stress but also appreciate the beauty of the world around us. Is creating something new what makes you feel alive? Writing a poem, playing the guitar, painting a picture (or a house), building furniture, gardening – these can all be enriching experiences. Creating something from nothing allows us to express ourselves and share our talents. Does helping others make you happy? Making a difference helps us feel good about ourselves, enables us to connect, and builds strong relationships. Whatever your “it” is, it can be as common as a morning run or as unique as walking a tightrope – or as tasty as making barbeque sauce (for Ted Lasso fans). Regardless, it’s an activity you repeat because you just can get enough of it. It fills you with energy, love, and a need for “it” in your life. So, don’t try to guess what you THINK the adcom wants to read and write about that. The truth is that they want to read about your authentic self. Be descriptive so they can be in the moment or activity with you. And remember to write about why your “it” makes you feel alive, because the “why” is more important than the “it.” Haas Essay #2 How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words max) To write this essay well, you must first understand and share Haas’s four Defining Leadership Principles (as presented on the Haas website): Question the Status Quo: We thrive at the epicenter of innovation. We make progress by speaking our minds even when it challenges convention. We lead by championing bold ideas and taking intelligent risks. Confidence Without Attitude: We make decisions based on evidence and analysis, giving us the confidence to act with humility. We foster collaboration by building a foundation of empathy, inclusion, and trust.

The University of Texas School of Law offers academic excellence, affordability, and robust support to its students. In this podcast interview, UT’s Dean of Admissions, Mathiew Le, discusses the distinctive qualities of the UT Austin Law JD program. He highlights the vibrant city of Austin, the healthy and robust Texas legal market, and the focus on building a strong community at UT Law. Le also discusses the Society Program, which helps students navigate the law school experience in a fun and social way, and the Mentorship Program, which provides students with guidance and support throughout their time at UT Law. Le advises applicants to submit their applications early, but only if they have a strong application. He also discusses the acceptance of both the LSAT and GRE, and the importance of tailoring applications to specific law schools. Le emphasizes the importance of leadership, community engagement, and enriching the learning environment in the admissions process. He also advises against trying to be overly creative in personal statements and highlights the availability of financial aid and scholarships at UT Law. Show Notes Located in the heart of vibrant Austin, Texas Law offers its students academic excellence, affordability, and robust support, plus professional opportunities upon graduation. And today, we're speaking with its Dean of Admissions. Thanks for joining me for this, the 546 episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Are you applying to law school this cycle? Are you planning ahead to apply to law school next year or later? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's law school admissions quiz can give you a quick reality check. You'll not only get an assessment, but you'll also get tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it's all free. Now, for today's interview, I'm delighted to have on Admissions Straight Talk, Mathiew Le, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at the University of Texas School of Law. A native of Texas, Dean Le earned his bachelor's from the University of Texas at Austin and his JD from Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law. Prior to joining UT Law, Dean Le was the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at the University of Washington School of Law for almost a decade. He has held numerous national service and leadership positions, including serving as a member of LSACs board of trustees. Dean Le firmly believes in the value of a public education and has a deep commitment to providing access for education to underrepresented groups and helped co-found the National Asian Pacific American Pre-Law conference, now associated with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Annual Convention. Dean Le, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [2:10] Thank you so much, Linda. It's really a pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me. I'm delighted to speak with you today. All right, let's start with a very basic question. Can you give an overview of the more distinctive qualities or elements of the UT Austin Law JD program? [2:16] Sure. Absolutely. Well, one of the things that I always like to start off telling students that makes UT special really comes from a place of three colors. The first of which is the City of Austin. Austin is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and continues to be a city that is grounded in a vibrant music and entertainment culture. Many people know that there's been an infusion of major tech companies like Amazon, Google, Oracle, and Tesla, combined with cultural offerings here. It's just a wonderful pit stop for many students who will come to law school for three years here in Austin and then decide to go elsewhere. A little bit about the Texas legal market in general is that it's very healthy, it's very robust. In the state of Texas, we have several major markets, Houston of course, Dallas, and then San Antonio as well.

Wharton has not changed its application essay questions for several seasons now. This is usually a sign that the admissions committee is happy with the kind of essays applicants are providing in response. Wharton asks candidates to share what they plan to do with their MBA in the short and long term and to discuss what they can contribute to the school’s community. The school’s optional essay then lets applicants address any issues with their profile, if needed. And don’t miss our Admissions Straight Talk podcast interview with Blair Mannix, Executive Director of Graduate Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. She encourages applicants to take risks and be themselves in their applications. The interview also covers the team-based discussion component of the admissions process and provides advice for reapplicants and those considering applying in the future. Listen below or click the image to read the full transcript. Ready to get to work on your Wharton application? Read on. Wharton application essay tips Wharton application deadlines Wharton class profile Wharton application essay tips Wharton Essay #1 How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your future professional goals? You might consider your past experience, short and long-term goals, and resources available at Wharton. (500 words) This question is future focused and exclusively professional. What do you want to do professionally that you can’t do now and that a Wharton MBA will enable you to do? What “soft” and “hard” skills do you hope to acquire at Wharton? How will a Wharton MBA (the education, credential, and experience), combined with your past experience and education, help you achieve your dreams?Wharton Director of Admissions Blair Mannix explains: “We want students to do self-reflection on why they want this degree. We want students to explore the pivot moment – when they decided they wanted to do this – and unpack the talent and treasure they can bring to the MBA. Spend the time and really think about the top three things you will get out of the program.” As with most MBA goals questions, Wharton wants to see how you plan to connect your MBA education to your future. Keep in mind that Wharton has an incredibly rich curriculum. How will you take advantage of its premier offerings to prepare yourself to realize your vision? To answer this question well, you need to have professional direction and you need to know which of Wharton’s myriad resources make it the perfect next stop on your professional journey.There are many ways you could structure your response. You might start with a pivotal experience that either illustrates what you seek to accomplish or shaped your short- and long-term goals. Then explain why this experience – ideally, an accomplishment – is important to you and how it relates to the question. In doing so, make sure you answer all the elements of Wharton’s essay question. Wharton Essay #2 Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 words) For this essay, start with the end in mind: How do you intend to contribute to the Wharton community? To answer that question, research the cocurricular opportunities and pedagogical approach at Wharton. How will you add to the program and its community? Based on your experience, what difference do you intend to make? How will you participate and, yes, contribute? Now decide on the aspects of your experience and background that have prepared you to have your intended impact. You can highlight achievements, challenges overcome, initiatives you’ve led, and teamwork situations, and that’s just for starters. You’re now ready to write. You can start this essay with the impactful experience from your past and then analyze the lesson you learned from that accom...

Please join me as I speak with Dr. Michael Ellison, Associate Dean for Admissions at Chicago Medical School at the Rosalind Franklin University. Dr. Ellison shares his insights on what makes Chicago Medical School unique, how to impress its admissions committee, and what all this information means for you as an applicant. Thanks for joining me for this, the 544th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. I'd like to highlight for today's listeners a wonderful resource when you're invited to a medical school interview, and that is Accepted's free download, The Ultimate Guide to Medical School Interview Success. In the guide, you will learn how to prepare for interviews (including those difficult questions), how to make sure your body language matches your intent, and proper interview follow-up. Download your complimentary copy today! Now, let's move into today's interview. With a focus on interprofessionalism, the Chicago Medical School is one of five graduate schools in healthcare at Rosalind Franklin University in Chicago. I'm delighted to have as a return guest on Admissions Straight Talk, Dr. Michael Ellison, Associate Dean for Admissions at Chicago Medical School. Dr. Ellison earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Roosevelt University of Chicago. He has worked in higher education, and specifically in medical school admissions and administration, for decades. Dr. Ellison, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. Thank you so much for joining me today. [1:53] Linda, it's my pleasure to be with you again, and thank you for asking me to come back. My pleasure. Can you give us an overview of the Chicago Medical School program focusing on its more distinctive elements? [2:02] Sure. I think the university itself is really focused and dedicated on improving healthcare outcomes for the patients that our future providers will provide. And in doing so, interprofessionalism is really a strong tenant for the university and for the medical school, and other programs as well. You mentioned about five colleges. Now, we have a sixth college, which is the College of Nursing, that have some entry-level programs for those who are seeking advanced degrees, and it is now an additional tool in our toolkit to help with interprofessionalism. And so you'll see, again, students from the medical school taking courses with students from other health science programs, whether it be podiatry, pharmacy, physician assistant, path assistant, and then nursing. And so when I talk to students, they certainly talk about their level of excitement of sitting in a class with a classmate who is in a different program and kind of learning from them and how they will be looking at the patient that will be a little different from the way that the medical physician will be looking at the patient and they feel that it's very helpful for them. We are certainly moving into a society that it is... we're more team-based and team-approached. And so I think incorporating that into our learning structure, our learning environment is most helpful for our students. And so we continue to work on this interprofessionaism. Our students also work in the sim lab with students from other programs as well, so not only do they get to learn theory, collaboratively, they also get to do practical kinds of opportunities as well in terms of our simulation lab. What's new since we last spoke in 2021? Hopefully, the pandemic is in our rearview mirror, which was not the case then. [4:08] Well, again, I just mentioned the new College of Nursing that is on board, so that is something that is new. The medical school itself is always reinventing itself in terms of how we can better service our students, and so we've made a lot of changes in our student affairs staffing. We brought on additional staff to help advise our medical students through all four years of their medical school experience. We have learning communities at Chicago Medical Schoo...

Please enjoy this encore edition of one of Admission Straight Talk’s most popular episodes of 2023: “The Cornell Johnson EMBA Program: Four Options for the Largest EMBA Program in the United States.” This encore was chosen not only due to the episode’s popularity, but also because it’s a fascinating exploration of a well-established, large EMBA program with four distinct components. If you are even considering an Executive MBA, this episode is a must-listen. Alternatively, if you are debating whether to go down the MBA or EMBA path, Dean Mark Nelson and Dr. Manoj Thomas provide unique insight with indispensable advice obtained from their years of experience. To learn more about EMBA admissions, download Accepted’s free guide, Ace the EMBA. Did you know that Cornell Johnson has the largest Executive MBA program in the United States with four distinct flavors? I didn’t, but let’s learn together about Johnson’s EMBA program, its unique distributed classroom, and how to get in from its dean and director. [SHOW SUMMARY] Welcome to the 506th episode of Admission Straight Talk, Accepted's podcast. Thanks for tuning in. Before I dive into today's interview, I want to invite you to download Ace the EMBA, expert advice for the rising executive. This free guide will compliment today's podcast and give you suggestions on how to choose the right EMBA program for you, differentiate yourself from your competition in a positive way and present yourself effectively as a future business leader, who will bring credit to any program that accepts you. It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on Admissions Straight Talk, Dean Mark Nelson, the Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean and Professor of Accounting at Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management, and Dr. Manoj Thomas, Senior Director of EMBA and MSBA programs, and the Nakashimato Professor of Marketing, also at Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management. Dr. Nelson and Dr. Thomas, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [Dean Mark Nelson] Thanks for having us. [Dr. Manoj Thomas] Thank you, Linda, delighted to be here. Dean Nelson, what makes a Cornell Executive MBA program different from other EMBA programs? [1:55] [Dean Mark Nelson] That's a great question, Linda. I mean, first off is the fact that we have these four different flavors of a Cornell MBA. And that's very intentional, it's been developed over time. We started initially with our Metro EMBA program, which is based in New York City, and which is focused on a general management EMBA, providing that jurisdiction, that market. Second, then we have our Americas EMBA program, and that's a really unique program where we're reaching out to executives throughout the Americas using our own unique approach to distributed learning. And then third, we created an FMBA program, a collaboration with Tsinghua University, a finance-focused EMBA, and that's bilingual and offered in Beijing. And then fourth, we have our MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership program, which is providing both an EMBA and also an MS in healthcare from two great institutions, the Johnson School and the Weill Cornell Medicine. And so I go through that because the unique combination here is that we've got a general interest EMBA in New York, we've got something focused in the healthcare sector, we've got something that's a unique and leading program in China, and then this Americas program serving the Americas. And I see that as a pretty special and unique roster of great EMBA programs. Now, when you think about what's the spine that relates all these together, there's a couple things that I'd shout out, and then I'd maybe ask my colleague, Manoj, if there's anything he wants to add in. One is that in all of these programs, we have a team-based learning approach that we think is really, really important. And by that I mean that we have students that, of course they're performing individually,

Are you looking for a highly respective quantitative program that will prepare you for a career in the most demanding, analytical, and data-driven areas of financial services? Today’s guest, Jacob Gallice, Executive Director of Berkeley Haas Master in Financial Engineering program, shares what it takes to get accepted to this highly competitive program. Welcome to the 540th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. Before we dive into today's interview, I want to mention a resource at Accepted that can help you prepare your statement of purpose to a Master in Financial Engineering program as well as the other graduate programs. Download 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Grad School Statement of Purpose to learn how to avoid the five most common mistakes we see in grad school statements of purpose, as well as tips on how to write a statement of purpose that makes your story memorable and highlights your qualifications for your target graduate program. Our guest today is Jacob Gallice, Executive Director at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business’ Master of Financial Engineering. Jacob earned his bachelor's at Binghamton University and his MBA at NYU Stern. He has worked for Goldman Sachs and Heidrick & Struggles in the financial services world. In 2017, he pivoted to admissions as Associate Director and then Senior Associate Director of Admissions at NYU Stern before deciding he preferred west coast weather and moving to Berkeley in 2021, first as Program Director of the MFE, then he became Executive Director of the MFE in March 2023. So I can still, I think, congratulate you on your promotion, right? Still within 12 months. [1:56] Sure. Thanks. Congratulations, Jacob, and welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [2:02] Happy to be here. Now let's start with a really basic question. What is the Master in Financial Engineering program at Berkeley Haas, and what does it prepare one to do? [2:06] Excellent question. A financial engineering degree is a specialized master's degree here that prepares one to enter the field of quantitative finance and more largely, can prepare someone to enter the fields of financial technology, namely in roles such as data science, machine learning. But largely speaking, what we're talking about here are individuals who are interested in the intersection of technology and finance and working within the ecosystem of what we kind of call the niche field of quant finance. Can you provide an overview of both the full-time and the part-time options at the MFE program and roughly how many students participate in each of the programs? [2:48] I can indeed. So we enroll about 80 students in our flagship full-time program. We're one of the only programs out there in the market that is a one-year or 12-month program. So the program is intensive, it's immersive, but it prepares students very well to enter and break into this field. So that is the one-year program. We can certainly get into that a little bit more in due course. I contrast that with the part-time program, which gives students the flexibility to do their studies over a two- to three-year period, and it's a much more small specialized cohort. Typically you're looking at roughly 7 to 10 students in that cohort. It's really designed for working professionals who are simply looking to augment their education, their studies, and apply that real world knowledge directly on the job. So we started that program a few years ago to sort of allow those students who otherwise did not feel it was necessary to leave their job, but still wanted to tap into the great education here at Berkeley Haas. Do they basically have to be in the Bay Area for the part-time program? [3:59] Actually they do not. No, we do allow students in that option to take their courses remotely if they so choose. Is there an in-person component to the part-time program, and do both the online and offline students ever meet?

If you want to know how much of BU medical school's recent $100 million gift it intends to use for scholarships, or what happens to applications to ensure a genuinely holistic process, or what its associate dean of admissions wants to see in students read on! In this interview, Dr. Kristen Goodell, associate Dean of Admissions at Boston University’s Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine answers all these questions and more. Welcome to the 541st episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Are you ready to apply to your dream medical schools? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's Med School Admissions Quiz can give you a quick reality check. Complete the quiz, and you'll not only get an assessment, but tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it's all free. DON'T MISS Linda Abraham's 2021 interview with Dr. Kristen Goodall: All About BU School of Medicine, a Social Justice-Minded Med School [Episode 405]. Click here for a full transcript! Today's guest, Dr. Kristen Goodell, associate Dean of Admissions at BU's Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, earned her bachelor's degree at Colby College and her MD at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her residency in family medicine at Tufts and has been a practicing physician ever since 2007. In addition, from 2012 to 2017, Dr. Goodell served as a Director for Innovation in Medical Education at the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care. In 2017, she was appointed Assistant Dean of Admissions at the Boston University School of Medicine and became Associate Dean in 2018. Dr. Goodell, welcome back to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:57] Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here. Can you give an overview of Boston University’s Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine program focusing on its more distinctive elements? [2:03] Sure. So the most important thing to know about BU School of Medicine is that we are a social justice medical school, and you see our social justice focus come through in many different ways. It is woven into the curriculum quite explicitly. You see it in what our students do with their free time. You see it in the particular areas of expertise of our faculty, and of course it's in the patients that we serve at our primary hospital, which is really on the same campus with the medical school. Now I normally ask what's new and I will ask what's new, but the obvious thing that's new is the school's name. So why don't we start with that; then you can tell me what else is new in addition to the name. [2:44] Sure. So last year we got a new name for our medical school along with a hundred million dollar gift. That's a big gift. [3:00] Right. And it was a wonderful gift and in my mind, perhaps the most exciting thing about that is that $50 million of it, so half of the gift was specifically earmarked for financial aid. Ever since I have been here, we’ve been really focusing on increasing the amount of scholarship aid that we have available to give students, and the maximum scholarship award has almost doubled just since I've been here. It's gone from $30,000 to $55,000 per year, and that's just only for scholarships and it’s need based. And so that increase has been really remarkable, but now we know that it's going to increase even more. So I think that is amazing. As a private school, we know that our tuition is high. As a school that is in Boston, we know that living expenses here are high. So anything that we can do to offset the cost I think is really good, obviously for our students and makes us a more accessible institution. Do you think you're going to get to a point where you can make it a free medical education? [3:57] There are intermediate goals before we get to completely free, we would love to be able to meet the full demonstrated financial need of our students. I think that's a sooner goal than making it free completely.

How to Get Into Yale SOM [Episode 542] Are you looking for a mission-driven school that aims to educate leaders for business and society? Would you like to know how to get into that MBA program, which happens to be at the Yale School of Management? Tune in for this interview with its Assistant Dean for Admissions, Bruce DelMonico. Welcome to the 542nd episode of Admissions Straight Talk, thanks for tuning in. Sometimes I'm asked, "Is the MBA worth it?" And my answer is, "It depends on your individual circumstances." But I've got good news, we've developed a tool that will help you evaluate whether an MBA is worth it for you and your individual circumstances and it also estimates by how much. Check out how much you're likely to benefit, or not, from taking an MBA education. Using the tool won't set you back even one cent because it's free. Don't miss Linda Abraham's 2021 interview with Yale SOM Dean, Bruce DelMonico - full transcript below! It gives me great pleasure to have back on Admissions Straight Talk, Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Yale School of Management. He's been on the admissions Team at Yale since 2004. He became the director in 2006 and the assistant dean in 2012. He was last on Admissions Straight Talk almost two years ago in November 2021. Bruce, welcome back to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:44] Thank you so much, Linda. It's great to be here I'm so pleased to have you join me today. Now, let's start with a basic overview of the Yale SOM MBA program for listeners who may not be that familiar with it, and if you could focus on the more distinctive or perhaps the newer elements of the program. [1:48] Sure, happy to do that. So just briefly, we're a two-year, full-time, in-residence MBA on the Yale campus in New Haven, Connecticut. There are some things similar to other programs, some things I think are a little bit distinctive, as you say. So when you join us at Yale for your two years, the first year is primarily our core curriculum. Then you start to take electives in the spring the first year, and your entire second year are all electives. I would say a couple of the distinctive things, first of all, our integrated curriculum in the core I think is a little bit different than what you might experience in other MBA programs, the way the material is organized. A lot of the same concepts and same material, but organized differently and presented differently, and we think it teaches you to learn and think differently. In addition, I mentioned the electives, you could take those across Yale without limit and there are other features of the program that I think really heightened the connectivity to the larger Yale community. I think that's one of the nice features of being in an institution like Yale, is taking advantage of all the resources that the entire university has to offer, so I think that's another distinctive aspect of our program. I think a third thing I would point to is our global footprint. A lot of MBA programs have global programming and I think the way that we've assembled our Global Network for Advanced Management and the kind of opportunities that flow from that, I think are rather unique and I think do give our students a rather special global perspective in their two years with us at Yale. That was a great summary, thank you. Now, you mentioned the Global Network. Yale was a leader in global education for its students, innovating before the pandemic, the Global Network for Advanced Management, which allowed students to take classes around the world from New Haven. It also had several study abroad programs. Now that the pandemic seems to be behind us – we're hopeful – what are the global study options at Yale? Can you go into that a little bit more? [3:24] Sure, happy to do that. Knock on wood about the pandemic, of course. So pre-pandemic, we had this sort of portfolio of global opportunities.

Located in the heart of vibrant and historic Boston, Boston University School of Law offers enormous breadth to its students, and today, we're speaking with its Dean of Admissions. Are you applying to law school this cycle or are you planning to apply to law school next year or later? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's Law School Admissions Quiz can give you a quick reality check. Complete the quiz, and you'll not only get an assessment, but tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it's all free. I'm delighted to have on Admissions Straight Talk Alissa Leonard, Senior Assistant Dean for Admissions, Financial Aid and Enrollment at Boston University School of Law. Dean Leonard attended Oberlin College and earned her AB in History. She has been in admissions at BU Law since 2008 and brings 15 years of experience to our conversation today. Dean Leonard, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:37] Thanks very much for having me. My pleasure. Can you give an overview of the more distinctive elements of the BU Law JD program? [1:41] Sure, I'd be happy to, and you'll have to stop me when I run on too long because I love this question. We're in the center or heart of Boston obviously. If I look out my window, I've closed my shades, but you would see the Charles River with folks on it on this sunny day. You would see the State House from my office. Boston's obviously a major legal market. It's the hottest biotech city in the country. The First Circuit sits here. We're big on tech and innovation, and of course, it's a very youthful city because of all the schools and colleges here. On top of being in the middle of Boston, we're part of a large research institution of 36,000 students. It has remarkable benefits, concrete as in opportunities for dual degrees or for students to just take up to 12 hours of graduate-level coursework anywhere at BU towards their degrees, but also sort of lifestyle enhancements like an outstanding gym and that sort of thing. Within the law school, we have a deep and broad curriculum. We have an outstanding portfolio of experiential opportunities that maybe we'll talk about. We guarantee a clinical opportunity to any student who wants one. We have a broad range of study abroad programs. We have just expertise, a faculty renowned, not only for their legal research, but for their talent in the classroom. So I think we feel very strongly about a student's ability to find their path, even change their path during the three years, and we might want to talk about that, for all sorts of avenues toward their eventual practice. We also offer students a community of support, by which I mean students are assigned a faculty mentor, career development advisor, an upper-level student and an alumni mentor if they would like one upon entry to the law school. So I think this gives students an extraordinary opportunity of designated people from whom they may seek advice and counsel as they proceed into the building of their professional careers. It really sounds like very robust support. [3:45] Yes, I think so. Now, when I was preparing for the call, I was really struck by the breadth of the law school, and you've touched upon it in your response to my last question. Can you go into a little bit more depth? I noticed that BU Law has, for example, a special program in transactional law as well as study abroad programs and a concentration in international law. There's a lot more, but those two programs caught my eye. [3:49] Sure. I think I'll start with the transactional practice program, which I'd say is the premier such program in the country. It started here about 12 years ago. It is not a secret that most lawyers do transactional law, not litigation, but law schools traditionally didn't train students. The training was often training they got in firms in transactional work. And so here, we have an outstanding program taught in large par...

There is tons of advice on Accepted.com and on previous episodes of Admissions Straight Talk, about what you should do when you're applying to top MBA programs. But what about common mistakes? What about the things that you shouldn't be doing? What are the errors that applicants like you all too frequently make on applications? Today you're going to hear different admissions committee directors from around the world talk about what they think are the most common mistakes in MBA applications, and you're invited to listen in. Welcome to the 538th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Before I turn to those mistakes I mentioned a second ago, I have a question for you: Are you ready to apply to your dream MBA programs? Are you competitive at your target schools? Accepted's MBA admissions quiz can give you a quick reality check. And you’ll not only gett an assessment; you’ll also get tips on how to improve your qualifications. Plus, it's all free. If you're a regular listener to Admissions Straight Talk, you know that during most episodes of AST I interview a guest. Occasionally, I do a solo show. Frequently, the guests are admissions directors. I also have many times asked my guests, “What are the most common mistakes that you see when you're reviewing applications?” Today's episode is a collection of guests’ answers to the questions, what are the most common mistakes you have seen during the MBA application process? What are the most common mistakes that you see when reviewing applications? All featured guests are admissions directors at top MBA programs sharing what you should not do when you are applying. The two most common mistakes were in broad categories, Lack of authenticity, a sense that you're not really revealing yourself. And number two, sloppiness, which can come in many forms and you can learn about those forms through the admissions directors’ comments. There are nuances and details that the admissions committee directors provide in their comments, and you want to hear from them in their words what they are - so don't go anywhere. Don't just think that the two items I listed, you're done for the day. In addition, there were some other errors that don't fit into those two categories and still are common and damaging to applicant's chances. For example, one would be to not adjust in your resume for business school, but give in the technical resume that you have used in getting jobs. That's not going to work when you're applying to an MBA program. But again, you're going to want to hear what changes you need to make and you're going to want to hear it from the admissions' director's mouth. In short, to make sure that your applications shine like gems, first, remove the impurities. Those impurities are the common errors discussed in the rest of this episode. I've arranged the episodes in alphabetical order by school name. Teresa Peiro, Associate Director of Global Admissions for Degree Programs at INSEAD [3:22] Linda Abraham: Our first speaker is INSEAD's Teresa Peiro, Associate Director of Global Admissions for Degree Programs. Now, you've been doing this for a few years, what's the most common mistake you see in the application? TP: I would say lack of motivation. We know that the application process is long and it takes time, and our recruitment team is always saying focus on the essays, focus on what you're writing. You need to prepare. So a sloppy application is a no go. TP: Essays that aren't well-structured, essays that are not well-prepared, things that are mismatching, lack of consistency, that would be a killer. And that translates to you as lack of motivation. TP: And this is a big investment and it's not only about money, but it's also who you're going to… This INSEAD will follow you for the rest of your life. We tend to say that you'll never travel alone, for instance. So it's something that we want to be sure that you're really going ...

Michigan State's College of Osteopathic Medicine provides an innovative patient-centered curriculum with multiple specialties and multiple opportunities for clinical exposure. Sound appealing? Well, plug in your earbuds because today I'm speaking with the senior associate dean of admissions at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine. Welcome to the 537th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me today. Are you ready to apply to your dream medical schools? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's med school admissions quiz can give you a quick reality check. Complete the quiz, and you'll not only get an assessment, but tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it's all free. Dr. Katherine Ruger earned her undergraduate degree at Northwood University, her master's in counseling and sports psychology at Wayne State, and her PhD in education and organizational leadership from Pepperdine University. She started at MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine as an admissions' counselor in 2009 and has assumed increasing responsibilities ever since. Since August 2022, almost exactly a year ago, she has served as a senior associate dean of admissions and student affairs at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Ruger, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:40] Thank you, Linda. Can you give us, just to start, an overview of MSU's DO program, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [1:54] Sure. I'd love to. MSUCOM, which is what I'll refer to it during the course of the session, is a really special place. I think it has a lot to do with the type of people that we recruit and attract, both from an admissions' perspective as well as faculty and staff. Certainly, it's a college of osteopathic medicine, and so our training really revolves around that holistic approach and focusing on preventative medicine. But we're looking for students and faculty and staff who have a commitment to service, a heart for leadership. That type of community just inspires a lot of growth, curiosity, excitement. It's a really wonderful place to be, and I know that I'm biased in saying that perhaps. But I think something that sets us apart is that we are part of Michigan State University, and we have a lot of wonderful access to resources as part of the university. Our college is committed to local community outreach as well as international outreach. A lot of reasons why folks want to be part of our community is because they get to serve different populations of people. We have street medicine, which is where our students, in partnership with clinicians, get to go and work with individuals who are experiencing homelessness. That's more on the local level. Then from an international perspective, we have renowned faculty that are trying to cure malaria in Malawi. We have students going out there and doing medical missions. We have them going to Peru and Guatemala. It's really fun to be able to get them involved in a lot of different ways. It tends to be a reason why, again, folks want to be here. You mentioned the community focus as well as the international focus. That's a balancing act I assume, but I noticed that you have three campuses. You also mentioned that it's obviously an osteopathic school. How do both the ability to study on three different campuses and the osteopathic nature of the program affect the educational experience for MSU students? [3:43] Good question, and one that I've not been asked. The first thing I thought of was the interconnectedness of systems, which is the osteopathic philosophy in general. Because students can start their preclinical years or years one and two of medical school in Detroit, in Clinton Township, or in East Lansing, Michigan. They have the opportunity to select their geography. Certainly the vibe, if you will, across those campuses. But at the same time, there's an interconnectedness,

Leadership, teamwork, and ethics are essential elements of the Duke Fuqua MBA, which is why you’ll need to make sure you express your passion for these qualities in your application essays. Impress the Fuqua adcom by positioning yourself as an innovative leader and team player, as someone who can see the big picture, work collaboratively, and shape global business.To learn more about the school, listen to our podcast interview with Shari Hubert, Duke Fuqua’s associate dean of admissions. Ready to get to work on your Duke Fuqua application? Read on. Duke Fuqua application essay tips Duke Fuqua application deadlines Duke Fuqua class profile Duke Fuqua application essay tips You’ll need to provide your thoughts on one short answer question and two longer essay questions as part of your application.Instructions for all written submissions: Responses should use 1.5-line spacing and a font size no smaller than 10-point. Do not repeat the question in the document you upload with your application as this will cause the essay to be flagged for plagiarism. Respond fully and concisely. Length requirements vary by question and are detailed below. Responses must be completed before submitting your application. All submissions are scanned using plagiarism detection software. Plagiarism is considered a cheating violation within the Honor Code and will not be tolerated in the admissions process. Required short-answer essay question Instructions: Answer the following question in 100 words.What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first-choice career plan and your alternate plan. What’s your professional direction? And if you cannot progress in your career in the most direct way, what is another way of reaching your desired destination? Since you are dealing with a 100-word maximum, you will have to think long before you start drafting and then write succinctly to get your point across. Required essay #1 (25 random things about yourself) The ‘Team Fuqua’ spirit and community is one of the things that sets the MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. Please share with us “25 Random Things” about you. The Admissions Committee wants to get to know YOU – beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. Share with us important life experiences, your hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are.Your list will be limited to 2 pages (750 words maximum). Please present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be brief, while others may be longer. Have some fun with this list. It certainly allows for a more creative approach than most essay prompts permit. Note that the question asks you to go “beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript.” So, you can list your Pez collection or perhaps your brief membership in a rock band, or the fact that you took violin from ages 6 to 18, your membership in a gospel choir, your volunteer work in a hospital, your needlepoint, your favorite recipe or photo. Gosh – the list is endless. Just let it reflect you. Think of this list as an introduction to potential friends. Watch: Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business on How to answer the 25 Random Things Question: https://youtu.be/Vzbd3AdrLE8 Required essay #2 (The Fuqua community and you) Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders.

The Tufts University School of Medicine describes its fundamental mission as promoting human health, with an emphasis on leadership and clinical care. It is looking for students with a strong background in the fundamentals of science who want to apply that work in a clinical setting. The school’s curriculum emphasizes early patient contact along with full integration of the sciences. Because the Tufts medical school is focused on classes where there is a dynamic environment with a great deal of peer-to-peer work, you should emphasize your ability to lead and contribute to a medical school class in your application. Tufts Medical School secondary application essay questions Tufts secondary essay #1 Do you wish to include any comments (in addition to those already provided in your AMCAS application) to the Admissions Committee at Tufts University School of Medicine? Please explain briefly. (1000 characters) You can use this space to write about anything not in the AMCAS. Be sure you do not repeat your personal statement. This is a good place to indicate anything specific about Tufts or about your personal background that relates to your med school application. Some applicants use this space to write about a personal experience that is particularly relevant and not included elsewhere in their application. Others write about a personal circumstance, an opportunity or job offer that arose at some point after they submitted the AMCAS primary application. This is also a great place to say why you want to attend Tufts Medical School. Tufts secondary essay #2 Please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. Include in this explanation if you will be a student, working, conducting research, volunteering, etc. (1000 characters) A thousand characters is approximately 200 words – not a lot. Discuss what you plan to do in the upcoming year that most shows your fit with Tufts’ vision, mission, and values. If you are a rising senior, will you have any leadership positions? What do you hope to accomplish in those roles? What research, if any, will you conduct? What community service will you do? Where will you participate as a clinician? If you are taking a gap year, show, as discussed in this Admissions Straight Talk episode, that it’s going to be a growth year. What will you accomplish at work? How will you immerse yourself in different populations? Will you work as a scribe (excellent clinical exposure)? Will you participate in a research project? Be included as an author? Highlight plans that demonstrate your commitment to medicine as Tufts sees it and that indicate that you will be a valuable member of the school’s next incoming class. Tufts secondary essay #3 How might you contribute to the diversity of the student body of Tufts University School of Medicine? (1000 characters) For this question, you should consider diversity in all its forms: race, ethnicity, language, family background, economic circumstances, education, gender identity, sexuality, ability, and past experience. Consider how you might interact with a diverse group of medical students and contribute to your class. It is not enough to simply say that you are diverse; you need to explain how that makes you a more appealing applicant. If you are struggling to come up with ways to describe your individuality, I encourage you to interpret the question broadly and explain how your experiences make you a unique and worthwhile candidate who is going to contribute a special background, perspective, or experience to Tuft’s class. Tufts secondary essay #4 Given how the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the world these past few years, please contextualize how your experiences have been affected which might include your personal, professional and educational journey. (1000 characters) It is true, COVID-19 derailed the majority of volunteer work, shadowing, academic research, internships and MCAT plans for medical school applica...

Thank you to Apex for contributing this informative article! With an industry-leading syllabus Apex offers the most comprehensive GMAT & GMAT Focus preparation on the market today. We exclusively offer 1-on-1 private GMAT tutoring, both in person and online, in order to deliver the strongest results for clients who simply want the best, most efficient preparation available. And don't miss our Admissions Straight Talk podcast interview with Manish Dharma, Director of Product Marketing at the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), where he chats with Accepted's Linda Abraham about the new, shorter GMAT Focus exam. Listen below or click the image to read the full transcript. The GMAT is one of the greatest challenges that many people face on the road to their MBA acceptance, but it doesn’t have to be. For many, the anxiety surrounding the GMAT is due to it being a largely misunderstood challenge. Contrary to what you might think, the GMAT represents an opportunity to illustrate your creativity and improve your critical and creative thinking skills, not just revise your knowledge of high school math and grammar. When properly preparing for the exam you’ll develop: new ways to approach solving problems of all sorts novel techniques for organizing and characterizing information the ability to curate your own thought process to become a more effective thinker With this in mind, I’d like to discuss five key points to help you get into the correct mindset for a successful (read: transformative) and low-stress GMAT preparation experience. 1. You are not your GMAT. Many people use their GMAT score to define their abilities across a range of fields, their value as an applicant, or, even more insidiously, in a greater self-esteem context. You are not your GMAT! Your GMAT score doesn’t represent how smart you are or how capable you are as a person, student, or professional. It certainly doesn’t deliver the distinct mix of characteristics that make you, well, you. What admissions committees are seeking when they look at your GMAT score is a set of skills that are valuable in a number of ways (more on this later), but tying your self-worth up in a number is perilous, to say the least. hbspt.cta.load(58291, 'a7004604-d7d1-4d1f-98ef-a0ec53d7e590', {}); Putting the self-esteem aspect aside for a moment, identifying yourself with your GMAT means that you are giving short shrift to who you are as a person outside of a testing environment - you know who I’m talking about, the badass who has already achieved so much and is on track for so much more. There is no need to put additional pressure on yourself to perform well on the GMAT to prove to yourself, or to your family, friends, or an admissions committee how “valuable” you are, how smart you are, or how capable you are. From our perspective as teachers, we also see this occur frequently in the other direction, with tutors who apply to work with us. They define themselves by their GMAT success rather than their ability as educators. We reject many potential tutors out of hand, despite their having a 770+ score, because a score is simply a number on a piece of paper; we seek people who understand others, are strong communicators, and who are always growing as educators. Takeaway: By focusing on your score, rather than developing stronger critical and creative thinking skills, you’re missing the point of the GMAT. 2. The GMAT is both easier and harder than you think. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but bear with me. The stigma of the GMAT - that it’s a terribly difficult exam - affects the performance of most test takers. This hyperbole can cause you to freeze up and underperform. The people who make the GMAT out to be more difficult than it is, in the end, hold themselves back by placing it on a pedestal and treating it with too much reverence. The GMAT is certainly an exceptionally challenging exam that will p...

Do you want to know how to get into Johns Hopkins School of Medicine? Are you wondering what Johns Hopkins' program is like? How is it adapting to the post-COVID era, and AI? Continue reading and you'll learn more from its Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs. Don't miss Linda Abraham's previous interview with Dean Paul White: What Med School Applicants Must Know About Johns Hopkins [Episode 392] Are you struggling to keep up and write the essays with the specificity and coherence they require? Check out Accepted's Ultimate Guide to Secondary Essay Questions. Download your free copy today. Today's guest, Paul White, Assistant Dean for Admissions at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, attended Yale for undergrad, Georgetown for his law degree, but he has worked in admissions, both undergrad and medical school, since 1988. Since 2012, he has served the applicant community as the Assistant Dean for Admissions at Johns Hopkins. He was last on Admissions Straight Talk in November 2020 when the pandemic was raging. People were hunkering down and working and attending school at home. I'm thrilled that the pandemic seems to be in the past, and that today, Paul White has found time to join us again. Paul, welcome back to Admission Straight Talk. [1:41] Thank you very much, Linda. Nice to see you. Can I make one correction though? Absolutely. [1:47] Yes. I actually started in admissions in June of 1979 and then took a four-year break in which I worked, and then went and got my JD, so I'm in my 40th year in admissions. I came back to admissions in 1986, but so all the way back to when I started, it was 1979. Wow, that's when I got my MBA. [2:08] Oh, okay. I've been doing my medical school admissions since the year 2000. Also, I'm in my 40th year of admissions, of the last 44. Okay, great. Well, you obviously have a lot of perspective, experience, and expertise to share, and I'm glad you corrected me. [2:23] Yeah, no problem. Can you give an overview, just to start, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine program, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [2:32] Sure. Absolutely. Well, Hopkins is a MD program. Let's start there. It's allopathic as opposed to osteopathic. Osteopathic schools will work the osteopathic type of medicine. Hopkins is one of 160 plus allopathic schools in the US that awards the MD. We have been around since, oh, I would say 1893 or so as a medical school. We were one of the first medical schools to establish the need for prerequisites and we are also the institution where the term rounding was developed. Our dome, which is an iconic image of our medical school is where rounding first took place, and Hopkins is one of the schools in 1911 or 1912, that the Flexner Report said got it right. That's all to say we have a history, but Hopkins doesn't believe in, nor will have you rest, on your laurels. It's just that we recognize that we do have histories behind us, but this is a fascinating place. We have 120 medical students come in every year who are either MD or MD-PhD. Several thousand applications, so it's a very long process for the applicant, but also for us, our mission is research, patient care, and education, and that is a part of everything we do here, and we are also a very incredibly inclusive community, and that is also a part of what we do and recognize that everyone brings something to the table. This is a wonderful environment for the student, but also to be a member of the community as a professional, however it might be teaching or a member of the greater staff. It's very team-oriented. We're the type of institution where everyone has a voice, including the students, and we listen very closely to our students and we also encourage, really require that they honor the patients that they work with, so you have be very service oriented and hopefully competent to deal with this but we’re very much a team environment on all levels.

Our consultants receive a lot of questions from clients about applying to MBA programs through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. I’ve heard myths that suggest that applying to one (or more) of the 22 Consortium schools through The Consortium’s application is disadvantageous. But as the former director at two Consortium schools, I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth — provided you meet The Consortium’s minimum qualifications. Though the requirements, participating schools, and corporate partners have changed over The Consortium’s 57-year history, not only is the organization the best deal in town but it also gives its members an alumni network that extends throughout the 22 member schools. The Consortium history and mission Initially, The Consortium provided opportunities for young African-American men to have a fair chance at rising up the corporate ladder via the MBA. Later, The Consortium added Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and women to its mix. Membership came along with the fellowship. However, after the Supreme Court decided the Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger cases, The Consortium opened its doors to offer membership to selected applicants that further The Consortium’s mission to promote the “inclusion in global business education and leadership . . . of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans.” Members do not need to belong to one of these groups but must demonstrate the mission through community and professional action and impact. Thus, membership is no longer race based but rather mission driven. Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to succeed in a Consortium member school’s MBA program. Consortium member benefits Like the undergraduate Common App, candidates can apply to up to six schools with only one application for a fraction of the cost that the candidate would incur by applying to each school separately. The Consortium membership grants the candidate access to the orientation and corporate partners. Many members receive internship offers before the start of school. To summarize the benefits: Applicants can use a single application for up to six schools at one low cost. Members gain access to a vast alumni network of 22 schools, including mentorship from among the approximately 9,000 Consortium alumni (formal or informal). Students gain access to corporate sponsors at orientation if selected as a member. If selected as a fellow, students receive full tuition and a stipend. READ: The Consortium Application: Tips for Your CGSM Essays >> Consortium member schools Consortium Member SchoolAverage GMAT Score (Class of 2024)Average Undergraduate GPA (Class of 2024) Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business7023.33 Columbia University, Columbia Business School7293.60 Cornell University, Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management7103.30 Dartmouth College, Tuck School of Business7263.52 Emory University, Goizueta Business School 7003.38 Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business6973.29 Indiana University-Bloomington, Kelley School of Business6853.38 New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business7333.62 Indiana University-Bloomington, Kelley School of Business6853.38 Northwestern Kellogg7293.7 New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business7333.62 Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business7023.43 Stanford University, Stanford Graduate School of Business7373.76 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School 7063.43 The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business7063.48 University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business7293.64 University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Anderson School of Management711NA* University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Michigan Ross School of Business7203.50 University of Rochester,