AdmissionsConsultants Insider Edge Newsletter


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In the May 2008 Edition: AdmissionsConsultants News Business School Admissions Looking Ahead to Most 2009 B-School Admissions MBA Rates to Increase MIT, Columbia 2009 Deadlines Announced David's Corner: 5 Common Misunderstandings About U.S. B-School Admissions Preparation Will Pay Off In Your GMAT Score College Admissions There's a Hidden Hazard in Online Applications SAT Writing Portion Indicator of College Grades Top Colleges Go Deep Study Shows Dual-enrollment Programs Beneficial	Graduate School Admissions Sometimes It's Best to Say Nothing About a Poor Grade How to Pick Your Target Schools Law School Admissions Thinking of a Joint Degree? Think Twice U.S. Firms Hiring LLMs for International Offices Ready for Summer LSAT? Medical School Admissions 3 Paths to Re-Applicant Success Keep Your Eye On Application Deadlines UCF Med School to Fund Entire Inaugural Class May MCAT - No Need to Panic Visit Our Sponsors
New Happenings at AdmissionsConsultants
Early summer is a deceptively quiet time in the annual cycle of college, law, business, medical, and graduate school admissions. At most schools, 2008 admissions are either already over and done with or soon will be, and applications for 2009 will not be available for a few more months. That doesn't mean, however, that you should put your plans on hold until application materials are available. Summer is an excellent time to get a head start on your educational and career plans by working on application components such as these: Standardized tests – If you haven't already taken the test or tests you need for your applications, pick a test date and begin preparing for the exam now. Test preparation is one of the most time-consuming parts of the application process, which leads many people to put it off. It's a mistake, though, to try to juggle test prep while you're also writing essays and trying to line up your recommendations. Get the tests out of the way now so you can focus on other application tasks later. School selection – The schools you choose to apply to will make a difference in the educational and career choices open to you later on – and in how happy you are with your school experience. Taking the time to research schools carefully and to choose the ones that are right for you is one of the smartest steps you can take in your admissions strategy. Summer is a great time to look at school guides and websites and to visit campuses. Rounding out your résumé – Community and extracurricular activities are an important element in many admissions decisions. If you're weak in those areas, summer is a good time to do some catching up. Increase your level of involvement in one of your current volunteer activities, or get involved in a new one. Our consultants can help you understand these and other aspects of college and graduate school admissions. They have served on admissions committees themselves, making accept/reject/waitlist decisions at highly selective colleges, b-schools, and law, grad, and medical schools. Their understanding of the admission process can give you the edge you need to prepare effective applications and maximize your admissions chances at your top-choice schools. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to learn about our consultants' various fields of expertise and how they can help you position yourself for admissions next fall. Note to our MBA clients: We will be increasing our rates on May 26th. < back to top >
BUSINESS SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
Looking Ahead to Most 2009 B-School Admissions
The top business schools aren't likely to begin releasing their Fall 2008 application deadlines or essay questions for at least another month. That delay has some applicants wondering anxiously what, if anything, they could do to advance their b-school plans in the meantime. Not to worry, advises Senior Consultant Susan Shaffer. "These next few months are the PERFECT time to get started if you are planning to apply for fall 2009 admissions," she says. Read more Is Your GMAT Score Working For You or Against You? GMAT scores are an important factor in business school admissions, but they're far from being the only piece of information that the Admissions Committees consider. Our consultants can help you understand how your GMAT score will look to an Admissions Committee in the context of your academic and professional background and advise you on whether you're best served by re-taking the test or by focusing on other aspects of your applications. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to learn more. < back to top >
MBA Rates to Increase
AdmissionsConsultants will be increasing prices on Monday, May 26. If you want to lock in a package or pre-pay for several hourly sessions at our current rates, we strongly encourage you to sign up before the deadline. We wanted to let you know this as a courtesy, in case you were thinking about upgrading your package or pre-purchasing additional hours with your consultant. Any purchases you make before the 26th will be at our current rate structure. If you have already applied, but know of friends and family who will be applying this upcoming season, please pass this information along. We always welcome news from our clients and would like to hear from you. Whether it's news about surviving business school, career plans, or any of life's other milestones, we are eager to catch up or even answer any questions you may have. So email or call us at 703.242.5885 to share your news or request information. < back to top >
MIT, Columbia 2009 Deadlines Announced
MIT Sloan has gotten a jump on the upcoming admissions season by publishing their deadlines for the 2008-2009 application year. Once again, the school stands out from other leading MBA programs by offering only two rounds of deadlines as opposed to the usual three. Both rounds fall around the same dates as last year. Round 1: Application Received by: October 28th, 2008 Decisions Released on: February 2nd, 2009 Round 2: Application Received by: January 13th, 2009 Decisions Released on: April 6th, 2009 Re-applicants must submit their materials by the Round 1 deadline. Despite Sloan’s East Coast location, all application materials, which will be available in July 2008, are due by noon Pacific Standard Time. Columbia Business School has posted the essays for the 2009 Accelerated January Program, also known as "J-Term," as well as the Early Decision dates for 2009 matriculation. The September 2009 Early Decision application review period begins August 13th, 2008 with a deadline of October 8th, 2008. September 2009 Regular Decision deadlines are still pending. Here are the new J-Term application essay questions: Essay 1 (Required): What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals? (Recommended 750 word limit) Essay 2 (Required): Master Classes are the epitome of bridging the gap between theory and practice at Columbia Business School. (View link.) Please provide an example from your own life in which practical experience taught you more than theory alone. (Recommended 500 word limit) Essay 3 (Required): Please provide an example of a team failure of which you've been a part. If given a second chance, what would you do differently? (Recommended 500 word limit) Essay 4 (Required): Describe for us your greatest passion in life. (Recommended 250 word limit) Essay 5 (Optional): Is there any further information that you wish to provide to the Admissions Committee? (Please use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history.) . < back to top >
David's Corner: 5 Common Misunderstandings About U.S. B-School Admissions
If you're an Indian business professional applying to U.S. b-schools, you're not alone – and if you're frustrated by some apparent contradictions in the U.S. b-school admission process, you're not alone, either. In fact, as the number of Indian applicants to American MBA programs has grown, I've noticed that several widely-held misunderstandings about the b-school admission process in this country seem to make the experience even more frustrating for many Indian applicants than it has to be. That's why I wrote "5 Common Misunderstandings About U.S. B-School Admissions" for BusinessSchoolAdmission.com, as this month's David's Corner. Discuss < back to top >
Maximize Your GMAT Potential
One thing to keep in mind in preparing for the GMAT is that cramming in study-time doesn't necessarily translate into a great score. These tests don’t only measure what you know or how well you know it; they also measure how well you take them. To help you get into the right frame of mind, Bara Sapir of Test Prep New York has a couple of suggestions. "Make sure you exercise regularly and eat healthy with plenty of water," she says. "Take some time to be with friends and laugh, too - it helps alleviate the stress on the body and keeps your system calmer. "Optimal test readiness includes feeling confident, calm, focused and alert," she continues. "When you achieve this state, you can have a "conversation" with the test, a dialogue in which you understand what the questions are really asking and then respond with ease and clarity. In this state, it feels easy to pick the right answers." – Contributed by Bara Sapir, founder and executive director of Test Prep New York, the first and only educational company to fuse academic and strategy-based learning that helps students reach their most relaxed, effective mental state by targeting the most pivotal traits of peak performance to give them a critical edge. Not sure whether you need a GMAT prep course? Call us at 703.242.5885 or email us to discuss your situation. We're here to help you! < back to top >
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
There's a Hidden Hazard in Online Applications
Senior Consultant Deb Schmidt notes that on-line college applications, including the Common Application, have made the college application process much easier for high school students. There's much less paper to keep track of now, and much less need to enter and re-enter the same information into different forms. Applicants can be grateful for that. But they need to be careful, too, says Deb. The very convenience of online applications can lure students into making potentially deadly mistakes Read more Are You Unsure About What Lies Ahead of You in College Admissions? We can help. Our consultants can explain what to expect, when, and give you an informed and candid assessment of your strengths and weaknesses as an applicant to your targeted schools. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to learn more about our services. < back to top >
SAT Writing Portion Indicator of College Grades
The controversial new writing portion of the SAT is actually a better predictor of grades for freshmen college students than the older, more established critical reading and mathematics portions, according to preliminary results of two new studies. The College Board, which administers the SAT, studied test scores from 150,000 freshmen entering 110 colleges in 2006 and then looked at their GPAs at the end of their freshmen year. The University of California drew a similar conclusion from an analysis of its incoming 2006 freshmen; school officials there said that while the best predictor of grades is a student's high school GPA, the writing portion of the SAT is the most important among tests required by the UC system. UC will continue to study grades as students proceed through school, but the preliminary results, presented at a small conference in November, came as a surprise to many administrators. The College Board voted in 2002 to add the writing portion. UC leaders had threatened to abandon the SAT because it didn't reflect what students were learning in school. The writing portion was introduced in March 2005. Many colleges make the writing portion optional. Discuss < back to top >
Top Colleges Go Deep
If you're one of the many thousands of high school seniors still on the waitlist at one of several top colleges in the U.S., there may be some good news for you in the near future. Several top schools plan to offer admissions to a large group of applicants on their waitlists. Harvard plans to send out 150-175 offers, while Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania plan on taking an additional 90. Though schools do turn to their waitlists to round out their incoming classes, it is unusual for the most selective ones to go so deep. This year, however, has been an unusual one across the board in college admissions. With an unusually large graduating class of high-school students, changes in early-admissions programs and major financial aid adjustments at several elite universities, this admissions season has been anyone's guess right up to the May 1 student acceptance deadline. With Harvard and Princeton digging so deep, the result is a ripple effect across the top-tier schools. Yale sent out roughly 45 offers this past week and expects to do another round later in May. Dartmouth already has more than enough accepted students committing but admits the "domino effect" may have them select a few more. Amherst, Swarthmore and Pomona also plan on taking an average of 15 to 20 more additional students off their waitlists. High school guidance counselors have noticed a parallel effect as well; many have commented that despite more students put on the waitlists, offers to those same students have gone out quicker than in previous years. Were You Waitlisted? Our Waitlist Assistance package can help you understand your situation and options. A consultant with first-hand college admissions experience will review the application you submitted, give you their assessment of the reasons for your admissions outcome, and advise you on what to do next. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to learn more about our college admissions consulting services. < back to top >
Study Shows Dual-enrollment Programs Beneficial
Students who take college courses while in high school are more likely than their peers to graduate, to go on to college, and to do well in college, a new study suggests. The courses appear to be especially beneficial for male students, students from low-income families, and those who struggled academically in high school, according to a 2007 study done by Columbia University. Read more Are you uncertain about how many schools you should apply to – or which ones are good choices for you? We can help. Our consultants can explain the many college and university options open to you and assess how competitive an applicant you are at your targeted schools. Call us at 703.242.5885 or email us to learn more. < back to top >
GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
Sometimes It's Best to Say Nothing About a Poor Grade
The axiom that 'no one's perfect' holds as true for college students as it does for anyone else. Even serious, dedicated, hard-working students sometimes graduate with a transcript that includes one or two poor or even failing grades. Those grades can later become a major source of anxiety for students who decide to apply to graduate schools. What should you do if you're a grad school applicant with one of those less-than-perfect college records? Read more Discuss Are You Ready to Get The Most From Your Grad School Interviews? Our Mock Interview service may be just what you need to do your best on your interview day! A consultant who has previous experience interviewing MBA applicants on behalf of a top b-school admissions committee will conduct a mock interview with you to ensure that you are ready for the "real thing." Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to learn more about our graduate school admissions consulting services. < back to top >
How to Pick Your Target Schools
One of the most difficult aspects of the graduate school admissions process is having to pick a realistic number of target schools from the overwhelming number of programs and overlapping disciplines that there are to choose from. Summer is an excellent time to create your own personalized and prioritized checklist of the qualities you desire in your graduate program. Read more 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 >
LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
Thinking of a Joint Degree? Think Twice
Senior Consultant Mark Meyerrose notes that joint degree programs are becoming more common at U.S. law schools. Although combining a J.D. with a graduate degree in another field makes good sense for some applicants, Mark advises most people to think carefully before taking the plunge. Read more Are You Selling Yourself Short on Law School Selection? The school you attend will make an enormous difference in the career options open to you after graduation. Our consultants can help you understand how competitive an applicant you would be to the top schools. An initial, one-hour consultation may be all you need to answer your questions about the suitability of various programs to your interests and career goals, and about your chances of gaining admittance to your preferred schools. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us, or visit our website to learn more. < back to top >
U.S. Firms Hiring LLMs for International Offices
An increasing number of U.S. law firms have been tapping into Master of Law degree programs in order to recruit foreign lawyers to build upon their own international networks. Firms are turning to LL.M. programs as a source of foreign lawyers who have a law degree from their home country and other credentials. By tapping into U.S. LL.M. programs, firms are able to find such students who also have an understanding of the U.S. legal system and strong English language skills. Recruiting among large international firms is nothing new, but a steady rise of hiring has been noted as these offices continue to expand; at the same time, newly global firms are coming around to the idea. Both types of firms look at the LL.M.s that come to America as a potential hiring pool. The demand for attorneys from certain countries rises and falls each year, depending on which areas of the globe are experiencing growth. Currently, law firms are interested in students from Brazil, China and Germany. Typically in years past, many foreign LL.M. students would get their degree and take advantage of the automatic option to work at a U.S. firm for a year before returning home to a prior or new employer. Now there are more opportunities for students to join a U.S. firm on a permanent basis. Do you think this might factor in your decision on getting a J.D. or an LL.M.? Discuss < back to top >
Ready for Summer LSAT?
The next LSAT is scheduled for Monday, June 16, 2008. That gives '09 applicants a few more weeks of preparation. "Proper preparation is the key to success on the LSAT," says Jeff Glazer, president of Griffon Preparation Services. He 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.” < back to top >
MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
3 Paths to Re-Applicant Success
Med schools nationwide saw yet another round of exceptional applicants this past admissions season. Given the highly competitive nature of medical school admissions, that means that many well-qualified applicants will have been left considering their chances of approaching med schools as re-applicants this admissions season. These applicants should not feel discouraged. Many med schools accept re-applicants – in fact, applicants who have already been through the admissions process once may have some advantages over those who are going through it for the first time. However, re-applicants need to be realistic about the reasons they did not succeed the first time they applied and make sure they rectify those weaknesses. Read more Were You Denied for 2008 Admissions? Our consultants can help you understand why your applications failed the first time around and advise you on how to secure a better outcome for 2008. Our special, fixed-fee ding analysis package may be just what you need to get your educational and career plans back on track. Call us at 703.242.5885, email us or visit our website to find out more about our services. < back to top >
Keep Your Eye On Application Deadlines
The medical school application process can be confusing. One of the most frustrating aspects of it is that there are so many dates and deadlines to remember. Therefore, with the admissions season set for a quick take-off later this month, make sure you take note of all the upcoming deadlines that might affect you. The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) is already allowing applicants to begin work on their 2009 primary applications. Although AMCAS will not allow applicants to actually submit any applications until early June, it's a good idea to go ahead and assemble everything that you can early, so that you can submit your applications early in the admissions cycle. Applicants should also keep track of the final submission deadlines that lie ahead this fall. M.D. programs have varying deadlines, ranging from mid-October to mid-December. Applicants interested in Early Decision options should note that the ED deadline for all schools participating in the AMCAS system is August 1, with decisions scheduled to be mailed by October 1. Applications for U.S. osteopathic medical schools will be available starting in early June, via the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). AACOMAS advises applicants to submit their applications as early as possible in order to avoid processing delays and missed deadlines. The deadlines for the osteopathic schools are also set by each respective school and vary in dates. The deadline range is between November and March. All applicants should keep in mind that it is to their advantage to submit their applications as early in the cycle as possible. Most medical schools review applications on a rolling basis and issue interview invitations to qualified applicants as they are identified. Late applicants may not get an interview, regardless of their qualifications, simply because there are no interview slots left. < back to top >
UCF Med School to Fund Entire Inaugural Class
Students in the charter class at the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine will pursue -- for free -- their dreams of becoming medical doctors thanks to 40 scholarships fully funded by the Central Florida community. University officials today announced the completion of the first-of-its-kind scholarship fundraising campaign. That means each student in the school's charter class will receive a four-year scholarship worth $160,000 – about $20,000 for tuition and $20,000 for living expenses and fees each year. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, no other medical school in the nation has provided full scholarships to an entire class. The scholarships are significant because the average debt of a medical school graduate in 2007 was $139,517, according to the AAMC. "This is a momentous occasion – we have made history," said UCF President John Hitt. "Through the generosity of our community, we reached our goal of raising $6.4 million for this remarkable scholarship program. I want to thank everyone who helped us make an investment in our collective future." The College of Medicine is set to open in fall 2009. The college will begin taking applications on June 1. Students who are admitted will automatically receive the scholarship. Gaining acceptance into the medical school should be quite competitive. Requirements are posted at www.med.ucf.edu and officials say they are seeking the best and brightest candidates who are well rounded and have a pioneering spirit. The four-year medical program will capitalize on UCF's existing strengths in biomedical sciences, modeling and simulation, and optics and photonics. Other programs in materials science, psychology, chemistry, film and digital media, hospitality and nursing will support the College of Medicine. The college will eventually produce about 120 medical graduates each year. Would you change your application schools to a newly-minted med school, if they did the same thing? Discuss. < back to top >
May MCAT - No Need to Panic
The next MCAT occurs on May 27, 2008; late registration runs until May 20. The last date for the MCAT this month is May 31, with late registration ending May 24. Dr. Brett Ferdinand, Chief Instructor for MCAT-prep.com, advises students who are planning to take the May MCAT to begin test preparation now if they haven't already. "Take adequate time to plan and prepare for the MCAT," he says. "Conduct a focused MCAT review that covers what you personally need to improve in order to do well on the test. And be sure you take realistic practice tests. Use one of the full-length practice MCAT tests available from the AAMC, and take it under realistic test conditions." < back to top >
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AdmissionsConsultants is a full-service admissions consultancy that maximizes the admissions chances of its clients. Our consultants have admissions committee experience, meaning they have made accept/reject/waitlist decisions and, therefore, truly have expert knowledge of the application process. It is this admissions committee experience that enables us to know exactly what differentiates successful from unsuccessful applicants including: strategies, essays/personal statements, letters of reference, resumes/cvs/activity statements, applications, and admissions interviews. We understand that admissions committees care about more than just typo-free essays and that is why we offer comprehensive services. We have even assisted a former undergraduate admissions officer with some graduate school applications. She chose us because she recognized she would benefit from the expert advice of someone with the appropriate admissions-committee experience. We can provide this same expert level of service to you. If you would like more information about our services, you can call us at 703.242.5885, email us or visit our website. We will be glad to advise you through the application process and ensure that you maximize your admissions chances! Copyright Copyright 2008 Admissions Consultants, Inc. All rights reserved. While we ask that you not reprint or host this newsletter on a web site without our express written permission, we do encourage you to e-mail any friends or colleagues whom you believe may find this newsletter helpful. Information provided in this document is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. AdmissionsConsultants is a registered trademark of Admissions Consultants, Inc.