Increasing competition has been a constant theme in admissions news for the past few years. If our level of activity is any measure of the overall level of interest in undergraduate and business, law, and medical school admissions, that theme will hold true this year, too.

We're busy. Several of our admissions consultants are already at full capacity, and others are approaching that point. Even our full-time consultants work with a relatively small number of applicants because of our commitment to provide clients with a maximum 72-hour turnaround time. We stick to this policy to ensure that all our clients receive the prompt, customized attention they need to maximize their admissions chances.

One reason we have our 72-hour policy is that timing is a crucial factor in admissions. Medical school application deadlines start falling in mid-October. College early admission deadlines and business school Round 1 deadlines come up in about 8 weeks. Law school deadlines for matriculation in 2010 are about half a year away, but these schools will start taking applications next month, and the sooner applicants get their applications in, the better.

Of course, it’s vital that you meet the final deadline for any program you hope to enter. But application timing is about more than meeting a deadline. There is often some advantage to submitting an application early in a decision cycle. That doesn’t mean, however, that it pays to send in your application before you’re ready to. You’re better off submitting a strong application a week before the deadline than you are submitting a weak application early on.

So how do you know when your application is ready to be submitted? Our consultants can help you make a wise decision on that. They can also help you decide whether to apply through early decision or early action programs and when to visit schools (and what to look for when you visit).

Look through this month’s Insider Edge and see what information is of interest to you. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, by all means contact us by calling us at 703.242.5885 or emailing us. We’ll be happy to try to help you – after all, our favorite activity is helping applicants gain admission to the schools and programs of their choice.

Today's MBA programs are built around training and developing leaders, not followers. To that end, admissions committees look for applicants who have character, who stand out in the crowd. With applications to MBA programs increasing steadily, separating yourself from the rest is crucial.

The essay portion of the b-school application is the best area to demonstrate your character. The best way to do that, says business school admissions consultant Susan Shaffer, "is to be yourself."

"Too many people think they have to sound perfect in their essays," says Susan. "But it just comes across as contrived. They don't seem real."

One of her biggest pet peeves when she worked as the Senior Associate Director of MBA Admissions at NYU was reading essays that "presented clichéd statements in stilted language." These essays not only added nothing to the case for admitting the applicant who submitted them, but also represented a wasted opportunity. The applicant behind the essay had passed up a chance to impress the admissions committee with who he or she really was.

Susan says honesty is the best policy in deciding what to write about, and how. "Let your personality show through in your essays. Show your strengths, but be honest."

Don't exaggerate your accomplishments or claim to have done things you didn't really do, Susan cautions. There's a good chance you won't get away with it anyway. Speaking from her own experience, she remarks that "Committee members can always see through a story that's put together just to project a certain image."

Having Trouble Getting Started on Your Applications? Our consultants can help you understand what admissions committees are looking for and guide you through the process of identifying and developing your best application strategies and essay topics. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to learn more.

Meet an elite group of Business Schools at the MBA Tour event near you! The MBA Tour is an independent and high quality information source regarding MBA admissions. These events emphasize personal interaction between prospective students, admissions representatives, alumni and others. The MBA Tour represents top business schools from five different continents.

The presentation format includes panel sessions and presentations that help students select a university specific to their career and lifestyle goals. The schools conduct all the talks, panels, and presentations and allow attendees to learn more about the people and schools present at the event. These events are limited to a select group of business schools that are reviewed and approved by an advisory board of peers.

For more information, visit The MBA Tour website.

Look below to find the next event closest to you:

Chicago, IL
Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Atlanta, GA
Thursday, September 10, 2009

New York City, NY
Saturday, September 12, 2009

Boston, MA
Sunday, September 13, 2009

Washington, D.C.
Sunday, September 20, 2009

< back to top >

< back to top >

If you are a high school junior and college bound, chances are that you've begun to think —and possibly stress — about taking either the SAT or ACT, as almost all undergraduate colleges and universities require applicants to take one of the two tests. Many students take both. The stakes are high and in the competitive environment of college admissions, many high school students and their families are willing to go to great lengths to achieve top scores on their college entrance exams.

Read more

Doctoral applicants oftentimes have a large variety of programs to choose from when completing their initial inquiries on school selection. Many applicants tend to have difficulty deciding which programs best suit their overall needs. Two important criteria to consider when choosing the best-fit school is career objectives and outcomes.

We asked Senior Consultant Heather Macneill what advice she has for doctoral applicants in regards to this particular issue.

Read more

Will Your Application Succeed in Setting You Apart from the Rest of the Applicant Pool? That question can be harder to answer than you might think – and a wrong answer might make the difference between getting into your target schools and being dinged. Our consultants can help you avoid making that mistake. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to learn more about our graduate school admissions consulting services.

One of the key aspects for applicants to consider when applying to graduate school is the fluctuating deadlines that come with the entire process. For most applicants obtaining teaching and research assistantships is absolutely critical and many of the schools that offer such opportunities have earlier deadlines than those without such attractive offerings. Thus in order to maximize one's chances, it is important to keep on schedule. There are various integral and time consuming components of the application. However, it is the Graduate Entrance Exam (GRE) requirement that usually takes the most time to prepare for and complete. Therefore, it is critical for all applicants to register well in advance for the exam.

Remember that test-takers can only take General Test of the exam once per month. If a test-taker is not happy with his or her results the exam may be retaken; however, a maximum of only five sittings per year is allowed. Also, bear in mind that not all test centers are open on each reported test date.

Some programs even require a GRE Subject Test score. For that reason, all applicants should check the requirements for each respective target program and then make test plans accordingly.

Not sure whether you need a GRE prep course? Call us at 703.242.5885 or email us to discuss your situation. We're here to help you!

< back to top >

Senior Admissions Consultant and former Dean of Admissions for the University of Pennsylvania Law School Derek Meeker offers these pointers on what to aim for in a letter of recommendation.

Read more

Unfortunately, they also provide an excellent opportunity to make the wrong kind of first impression on admissions officers. One of our consultants attended a Washington, D.C. Law Forum and found himself wincing at some of the behavior he saw from applicants. He suggested we pass along this list of "Law School Forum Do's and Don'ts" for applicants who want to make the right kind of impression:

One – Wear appropriate attire. You don’t have to wear a formal business suit, but at least go 'business casual' to make the best impression.

Two – Don’t hog all of a particular rep’s time, or try to corner them. You’ll be remembered – but for all the wrong reasons.

Three – Don’t be closely followed by a parent or guardian. I even saw grandparents hovering over some applicants! The applicants didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with this, but it makes you look like less of an adult. Applicants need to be able to speak for themselves and give good, independently thought-out reasons for wanting to go to law school.

Four – Display a professional attitude. Looking clearly intimidated, or starting off every sentence with 'well, like,' isn’t the best way to go.

Five – Don't ask dumb questions that you could easily get answers to from the school's basic literature or the school’s website. That means questions about the school's acceptance rate, average LSAT score, etcetera.

< back to top >

• Saturday, September 26, 2009  (or Tuesday September 29, for Saturday Sabbath observers)
• Saturday, December 5, 2009  (or Monday, December 7, for Saturday Sabbath observers)
• Saturday, February 6, 2010 (or Monday, February 8, for Saturday Sabbath observers)

"Proper preparation is key," says Jeff Glazer, president of Griffon Preparation Services. "Your studying should begin with a full-length, timed exam – there's one available for download at the LSAC website."

Glazer reminds applicants that, unlike many other standardized tests, the LSAT is not knowledge-based. "Instead, the exam is designed to test a pattern of critical reading and thinking," Glazer says. "That means that studying for the LSAT must be approached differently than other tests. Simply taking many timed tests will not usually improve one's score. You'll need to sit down with a few real LSAT tests and work out how to derive the correct answer from the information you are given."

Glazer advises against using non-LSAC practice tests. "Study books published by companies that use fake questions should be avoided at all costs," he says. "Such questions rarely mimic the real thing and can cause confusion on test day."

If you choose to prepare for the exam on your own, some of the best self-study material available for the LSAT is distributed by LSAC themselves, says Glazer. "They have multiple publications that include real LSAT questions from previous test administrations. In particular, LSAC's SuperPrep contains three exams plus wonderful explanations of correct answers from the test writers."

The most important thing, Glazer reminds test-takers, is to put adequate time and effort into LSAT prep. "Since the LSAT is weighted so heavily in the law school admissions process, it is crucial to spend as much time studying for the LSAT as possible.”

Are You Wondering How to Prepare Yourself for the Application Season? Our qualified consultants are available to help you on any questions you might have related to your positioning and school selection or the application process. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to find out more about our services.

You can get admitted to med school. Let there be no doubt about that. However, it is an extremely competitive process and it's made much more difficult by avoidable applicant mistakes such as sitting for the MCAT multiple times. Med school admissions committees can see all of your scores for the past five years, although many accept the most recent score as the official one. Then the admissions committees may wonder why you didn't wait until you were ready to take the test.

Check out our latest video to learn more about how admissions committees see multiple MCAT scores.

Enrollment is Expanding - But Admissions Are Still Competitive! Our consultants can give you the insight and advice you need to make informed choices about your medical school options and how to best position yourself for admissions success. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to find out more about our services.