-I think the number 1 mistake is being too general.  I notice this with writers of every level.  When you write these admissions essays or resumes, you want to be specific.  People remember specific examplesand stories a lot more than general statements.  For example, it is notgood to say “I will be a great graduate student because I am smart.” It is much more powerful to say “I will be a great graduate student,because I finished in the top 5 on a competitive university entranceexam, I achieved high honors every semester in school, etc.”  So, insummary, be specific and sell yourself a lot!

-Another mistake is that many are too wordy.  In general, you wantto be concise and use as few words as possible.  Shorter sentences areeasier to read and understand, and there is less chance to confusemeanings.

-Many of the essays have word or page limits.  This means everysentence should have meaning and contribute something to your essay. Sometimes I see sentences that don’t really say anything.  If you have sentences like this, delete them.

-I sometimes see resumes that aren’t very consistent.  By this, I mean the fonts, the font sizes, the alignment, all of these thingsshould be consistent and look nice.  They should not change in the samedocument.

-Also explain things that aren’t self-explanatory.  If you writethat won an award or if you use initials, most people will not understand what those initials mean if you do not write them out.

A discussion from GMAT Club: Many students have presented questions regarding an MS Finance degree as a substitute or stepping stone to an MBA. Now seems as good a time as any to address this important topic.

First, some broad generalities

1. Master of Finance degrees take less time than US-style MBA programs (Roughly 1 year for the MS Finance vs. 2 academic years for the MBA)
2. The Master of Finance degree will have much lower work experience requirements than a high cluster MBA program (many MS Finance programs have no work requirement at all)
3. The Master of Finance will place far less emphasis on leadership or leadership potential than the typical “high cluster” MBA
4. The Master of Finance will tend to be far more specialized than even MBA programs that allow students to develop a “track” or “specialization”
5. Quantiative skillls are even more highly prized in Masters of Finance programs than in the typical MBA program
6. It is generally more difficult to find comprehensive employment data for MS Finance graduates

Second, note that MSF programs come in many different “flavors.”

Here are some broad types of MS Finance programs

1. Mathematical Finance
   “The program creates an integrated curriculum spanning four disciplines: economics, mathematics, econometrics/statistics and computational/numerical analysis.”
2. Financial Engineering
   “Financial Engineering is a multidisciplinary field that request familiarity with financial theory, the methods of engineering, the tools of mathematics and the practice of programming.”
3. Comprehensive Finance
   “Unlike mathematical or computational finance Master programs, we teach all of finance. This means for instance that we teach accounting, corporate finance, behavioral finance, etc., in addition to stochastic calculus, derivatives pricing, financial engineering, etc. We believe that our broad multidisciplinary approach to finance is an important advantage of our program, and that our placement record reflects it.”

Third, universities have different administrative structures for running MS Fin programs

. Here are some examples:

1. Finance programs sponsored by the Mathematics or Engineering department (e.g. University of Chicago and Columbia University)
2. The Hybrid programs that are shared between Mathematics/Engineerng and the Business School or Economics Department (e.g. University of Southern California)
3. The Finance program provided through the Business School or Department of Economics (e.g. University of California Berkeley)

Token: ZNG4CY5GA3V2

This is a discussion from Linkedin.com.  Ean asked “Can someone tell me the difference between a Masters of Business Administration(MBA) and a M.S. in Management? The course descriptions look similar, but I am not sure what kind of weight a M.S.M holds.”

The primary difference is the “core” requirements for the MBA generally 10 courses. The Masters program is good, but the MBA seems to be the Gold Standard.

I would agree that the MBA is much more recognized, but I would also posit that the relative value of each program depends on what you plan to do with the degree. For someone who wants to specialize in change management and leadership development, I would offer the MS or MA in Management as much more focused to support that goal – on the other hand, if a management position within an organization is what you want, then the MBA is probably better.

I know folks who are successfully managing departments and corporations, being consultants and who are unemployed. In each case, some have MBAs, some have Management degrees, and some have some other type of degree. Not sure that, outside the Ivy League schools, it is as critical as the MBA recruiters would have us believe.

The traditional MBA curriculum alays focused on exposing an individual to all the key areas of management within the business operations domain, and to a certain extent ensuring a solid financial literacy base for advanced ffinancial analysis and decision-making competencies revolving around identifying ket risk or opportunities with beneficial returns. The masters in management route though often similar would in some cases emphasise other key competency areas which that sgrow as specifc business school emphasised as being critical operating paradigms or perspectives to consider and in some cases grow as a body of knowledge.

The truth is the both the MBA and the MSBA are very similar, they require about the same number of total courses and require a grounding in general business disciplines, quantitative and communication skills.

The difference (at our school) is in the upper division electives. MBA students have a fairly tightly scripted program, there are only 4 electives which can be used for a concentration. The MBA is considered to be a “generalist” degree, covering the scope of management issues.

The point is, unless you have a clear reason to take a degree other then the MBA, the MBA is what you want.

An MBA is the master’s of business administration degree and the MS is a master’s of science degree. Either of these degrees are completed after a student receives the bachelor’s degree, and they are often used as means to advanced careers.

The truth is the both the MBA and the MSBA are very similar, they require about the same number of total courses and require a grounding in general business disciplines, quantitative and communication skills.

The difference (at our school) is in the upper division electives. MBA students have a fairly tightly scripted program, there are only 4 electives which can be used for a concentration. The MBA is considered to be a “generalist” degree, covering the scope of management issues.

MS students have no script and have 8 electives for their advanced courses. This means that you get two kinds of students going for the MSBA – Those that have a specific focus they want to prepare for (you see the MSBA valued in some technically oriented industries) – and those that are looking for the easiest schedule they can find.

That is why, as a rule, the MBA is the preferred degree – there is a stronger level of consistency in the brand. And it is the union card you need to be taken seriously in corporate America. Businesses that hire MSBA’s are usually looking for specific competencies that they don’t get with a generalist program.

There are also master degrees other than the MBA and MSBA that prepare you for general management, for example a masters in Public Administration may be useful if you are looking to go into government.

The point is, unless you have a clear reason to take a degree other then the MBA, the MBA is what you want. If you are not sure I recommend two approaches：

1. First, talk to people who are successful in the area you want to grwo and find out what kind of degrees they have on their resume’s.
2. Second, Talk to an advisor at the school you are thinking of and discuss options. You may have to talk to more than one advisor – and it may be smart to have these conversations at a general university rather than a specialist school (even if that is not where you are planning on going). Each advisor is likely to steer you toward programs he or she is comfortable with. You may also want to network with some of your old college faculty to see what they have to say. They would probably love to hear from you and certainly be proud of what you have accomplished.

I have done some research on Youtube and found following 2 very interesting videos regarding MBA application essay writing.

If you are still struggling with MBA application essay topics, watch this video and spark your head: Read the rest of this entry »

The GMAT exam is a standardized assessment, delivered in English, that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. Please read Introduction to GMAT Test if you are not familiar with GMAT.

Sample Analysis of an Issue Question

“The best strategy for managing a business, or any enterprise, is to find the most capable people and give them as much authority as possible.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

Sample Analysis of an Argument Question

The following appeared in an article in a health and fitness magazine.

“Laboratory studies show that Saluda Natural Spring Water contains several of the minerals necessary for good health and that it is completely free of bacteria. Residents of Saluda, the small town where the water is bottled, are hospitalized less frequently than the national average. Even though Saluda Natural Spring Water may seem expensive, drinking it instead of tap water is a wise investment in good health.”

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

GMAT uses data sufficiency questions to test your ability to “reason quantitatively.” This stands in sharp contrast to the problem solving section, which is designed to test how well you manipulate numbers. If you find yourself doing a lot of number crunching on the data sufficiency questions, you are doing something wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Most students getting their MBA in popular fields such as finance, marketing, and management, but these are not the only the specialization of MBA programs offered by colleges or universities. There are far more specializations in MBA offered for individuals in various industries; any fields that you can think off, there will be an MBA specialization for it.

Focuses on a wide variety of topics within the domain of finance including entrepreneurship for high tech companies, investment analysis, mergers and acquisitions, and value creation. Enhance your ability to perform risk analysis, capital budgeting, foreign direct investment, multinational capital budgeting, and manage foreign currency risk while also exploring quantitative methods of valuation. Read the rest of this entry »

Kurt Badenhausen and Lesley Kump from Forbes:  Is a business school degree worth the considerable investment? Our ranking will help you make that determination by comparing the cost of attaining an M.B.A.–foregone income and tuition–to the prospect of a bigger salary. In short, our study shows which schools offer the best return on your investment.
Read the rest of this entry »

You way be asked to answer “What is your most significant accomplishment and why do you believe it is the most significant?” if you apply for a scholarship or admission. Don’t be bothered. Think this accomplishment essay as another opportunity for you to show how capable you are.

So, Rule No. 1: Do not include information that has been in your application. For instance, there is no need to make a stress on your high G.P.A. in the accomplishment essay. Or, do not try to include the whole list of your awards.

However, it is commonly a good idea to start your accomplishment essay from the list of your awards. Another list you can start with is the list of your social activities. I am not saying that you should repeat the list. You should tell something behind these lists, something interesting and meaningful.

The following questions that may spark your mind:

1. Why did you want to pursue the  award? Or why did you want to participate in the activity?
2. Does this award/activity bring any changes to your life?
3. What had you been through during the competition/activity?
4. Did you ever think of giving up? What made you give up the giving-up?

Hopefully you can get an idea and start your essay. Please remember Rule No.2: Be real. Of course you add some “artificial” details to make the story more interesting (and I suggest you do so), but stay in the line so that your story doesn’t look like a drama.

Rule No.3: Find at least 2 people to help review your essay.

It is well know that tuitions, fees and expenses for MBA programs are very high. For international students, especially students from third world such as China and India, the situation is even worse. Unfortunately, there are very limited scholarship, assistantship or any other types of financial aid resources that are available for international students. Scholarships for international students are very competitive.

To secure scholarship you must work hard and work smart. Please read through Go to Business School for Free: A Scholarship & Assistantship Application Guide. This article from BusinessWeek is very instructional. Most principles apply for international students even though it was originally written for US students. Read the rest of this entry »

Alison Damast from BusinessWeek: With tuition for a top MBA program averaging $150,000 for two years, and nearly 90% of students taking out loans, business school is increasingly becoming a more expensive proposition. The average debt for a student attending one of the top 20 business schools hovers around $80,000, according to Graduate Leverage, a student loan consolidation and debt management company in Boston. Yet every year, a highly selective group of students manages to snag a full-ride scholarship or fellowship. Needless to say, they’re among the most competitive awards in the management education sector and many top business schools offer only a handful each year.

There’s very little luck involved in getting a full ride. The students who get them tend to be all-around superstars, outstanding at everything from work to their involvement in the community, says Linda Abraham, an admissions consultant for Accepted.com. And they work their applications to the max. Read the rest of this entry »