At Ivy Groupe, we are passionate about authenticity, leadership, success, and impact – these are important to demonstrate not only in MBA applications, but also throughout your career. As a result, some of our blogs will be dedicated to these topics. In the various professional and extracurricular roles that you have held thus far and that you will take on in the future, and as you work on your MBA applications, one term will consistently pop-up – leadership. There are many

Last month, the Association of Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) held its annual conference in a virtual format where Admissions Officers from both US and European MBA programs spoke about recent trends and developments pertaining to their schools, MBA admissions, and the broader business world. Key takeaways from the conference are below. Business will play a bigger role in a post-pandemic society During the conference, a recurrent theme was the broader role that busi

Are you unsure whether to apply to MBA programs this application cycle or in a subsequent application cycle? This question comes up often when speaking with MBA aspirants, which is not surprising given that applying to business school requires a significant investment of time and energy. If you find yourself wondering whether now or later would be better for you to apply, ask yourself the questions below. How do you see your candidacy changing over the next year or couple of

As one of the “Magnificent 7” (M7) business schools, Chicago Booth’s MBA program attracts many applications globally from MBA hopefuls every year. Whether you are applying to Booth or any other school, it’s imperative that you understand the qualities that each program is seeking in candidates so that you can demonstrate knowledge of the school as well as fit. The University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ mission, stated on its website, is to “create knowledge with end

Did you know that there are some myths about the MBA application process that are likely impacting the way you are approaching your applications? That’s right. These myths are important to be aware of since they may be embedded in your subconscious and precluding you from putting your best foot forward (and that is definitely something that is not desirable). So what are these myths? Read on. Myth #1: You can’t get into a top MBA program with a low GMAT or GRE score For illus

Have you been rejected from an MBA program? After receiving a rejection from one school, many applicants begin second guessing their strategy and start believing that their story is not compelling enough for any of the schools they have applied to. While this tendency for candidates to extrapolate one’s school decision to other schools’ results seems natural, it’s important to try not to do so. Here are three reasons why. The applicant pool for each business school is diffe

Many business schools offer admitted students merit-based scholarships, which are financial awards based on academic success and other strengths in a candidate’s application; these scholarships do not require any repayment on the part of the student. Merit-based scholarships can range from being partial in nature to being a full scholarship. Given the high tuition of MBA programs, it is not surprising that a question that we often get from candidates is what they can do to

The application process is already competitive as it is; however, it can be even more competitive for those applying from an oversubscribed industry (such as finance and consulting). If you fall in this category, here are three tips to keep in mind to help you navigate your MBA application journey. Look beyond the core statistics The statistics (GPA, GMAT/GRE) play an important role in the MBA application process, of course. However, the threshold is already set high for thos

Over the years, MBA programs have been reducing the word count for the essays in their applications. For example, Stanford’s most well-known question, “What matters most to you, and why” has been condensed from 750 words a few years ago to 650 words in more recent application cycles. While this may initially come as a relief to many candidates, the reality is that being more concise is actually more challenging; essentially, business schools are forcing applicants to focus on

Most candidates approach the MBA application process with the best intentions when it comes to completing the applications, namely starting early and working systematically. However, as the weeks go by, other things start to take more precedence, such as professional obligations and GMAT/GRE studying (and unfortunately, this happens more often than not). While these other commitments are, of course, extremely important, preparation of the applications should not fall to the w

Last month, the Association of Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) held its annual conference in a virtual format where Admissions Officers from both US and European MBA programs spoke about recent trends and developments pertaining to their schools, the broader business school community, and MBA admissions one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Key takeaways from the conference are below. Application volume is expected to be flat to up in the 2021-2022 application cycle Th

This article originally appeared on fortefoundation.org. An important area that Admissions Committees will evaluate in your MBA applications is your professional trajectory. In addition to evaluating your career progress, Admissions Committees will want to understand what you have accomplished in your roles, and in particular, the impact that you have had on organizations and people. Your prior experiences will give the Admissions Committee confidence that you will continue t

Are you a college senior seeking admission to a deferred MBA program? Many business school programs now offer the opportunity for younger candidates in college to apply to their MBA programs on a deferred basis – in other words, admission is granted early for a spot a few years in the future. This means that after these candidates graduate from college, they join the professional workforce for a few years knowing where they will be heading to business school. Some of these de

In this day and age, it’s extremely rare to not have a social media presence; you probably have accounts with multiple social media channels, such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, to name a few. So, what are the implications of your social media presence when it comes to business school applications? This is a question that arises often. While your social media presence is not a component of the formal business school application for a majority of MBA programs,

Business school applications require A LOT of hard work – after all, it’s not easy to distill who you are and what you aspire to do in a compelling way within a few sheets of paper. Therefore, I am never surprised when candidates begin to revisit their applications again and again after they have already hit the submit button. Often, there is second guessing with respect to what they have chosen to write about or concerns that they may have missed a typo and/or grammatical er

As part of their MBA applications, most business schools require candidates to complete short answers – these can be questions that ask an applicant to elaborate on areas such as his/her professional background, extracurricular involvement, and awards/recognitions received. The short answer sections are just as important as the rest of the application. However, too many times, I see candidates hastily completing these sections, which is a mistake. Below are my thoughts on how

If you're a reapplicant, that’s great that you are giving it another shot! I've worked with quite a few reapplicants, who by bolstering their profile from a prior year, were successful in gaining admittance to an MBA program of their choice. Reapplying is looked upon positively by business schools. By reapplying, you are demonstrating a strong, continued interest in an MBA program as well as your ability to be self-reflective and grow (a highly valued quality). If you are

For any candidate applying to business school, this is a critical question to ask. After all, why are you willing to invest your resources (both time and money) as well as your energy to pursue this degree? As you immerse yourself in the application process, you’ll see that this question comes up over and over again, such as in information sessions, essays, and interviews. As you think about your response to this question, keep the following elements in mind. Your post-MBA

This article originally appeared on fortefoundation.org. A question that I often get asked by candidates is how to juggle both professional responsibilities and MBA applications, given the demands of both. Performing well at work is, of course, extremely important. Moreover, there is no doubt that MBA applications require a lot of dedication – studying for the GMAT/GRE, developing your strategy/story, and writing your essays are just a few of the steps in the process. So h

There is no doubt about it – the coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused many changes to take place across practically every part of normal life, including business school and MBA admissions. As a result of the uncertainty due to COVID-19, the MBA admissions landscape, not surprisingly, remains in flux. The Association of Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) recently held its annual conference in a virtual format where Admissions Officers from both US and European MBA programs