General Education's Seminar on detailed Step by step plan and strategy to GMAT Preparation, MBA Essays, choice of B-Schools and effective B-School Application Development

1. Presents
MBA Application Strategy Seminar 2014
Seminar on effective B-School Application Development - ApplySmartTM

2. General Education Presentation 2:00 PM –4:00 PM
Supreeth Reddy (MBA INSEAD)
Aruna Papireddy (MBA HEC)
Q&A with ISB Adcom 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Mr. Shubhen Sarangi, Senior Associate Director– Admissions team, ISB
Breakout and Profile Evaluation
Mock Interview If time permits.
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Shifting into Pre- MBA mindset
Handling preliminary decision points
Application evaluation process
Managing B- School application essays
Preparing for the recommendation process
Gearing up for the interview process

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General Education Counseling Engine
Applicant centric Services
Differentiated Approach
Real Information based analysis and advisory
Customizable processes
Some statistics
Number of applications serviced > 1500
Overall Success Rate ≈ 67%
Scope of our services: All international B-Schools
•MBA (Cornell), B-Tech (BIT)
Suman Dubey
•MBA (INSEAD) , B-Tech (NIT)
Supreeth Reddy
•MBA (ISB)
Ryan Pais
•MBA (ISB), B-Tech (IIT)
Anoop Kumar
•MBA (Harvard), B-Tech (IIT)
Rajit Kamal
•MBA (HEC, Paris), B-Tech (IIT)
Pankaj Gupta
•MBA (Emory), B-Tech (IIT)
Vineet Shekhar
•MBA (HEC), B-Tech (VTU)
Aruna Papireddy
•MBA (Duke), B-Tech (IIT)
Niraj Kumar
•MBA (ISB), B-Tech (BITS)
Akshay Sonthalia

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Hard work & sound guidance breeds success: Admits to top B-Schools
Testimonials to describe the significant value of our services
Harvard

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GMAT
•GMAT Preparation (by ISB Graduate, 760 GMAT Score)
•Focus on Test Taking Strategies
School Selection
•Detailed Profile Evaluation
•Counseling Services
•School Selection – Location, work industry, etc.
Application Development
•Application Essay Evaluation
•Recommendations
•Re-application
Interview
•Interview Preparation Service
•Response Content and Delivery
•Mock Interview Sessions
Application Stage
Services
Business School
Applicant
General Education Consultant

7. GMAT Test Section
Number of Questions
Question Types
Timings
Analytical Writing Assessment
1 Topic
Analysis of an Argument
30 Minutes
Integrated Reasoning
12 Questions
Multi-Source Reasoning
Graphic Interpretation
Two Part Analysis
Table Analysis
30 Minutes
Quantitative
37 Questions
Data Sufficiency
Problem Solving
75 Minutes
Verbal
41 Questions
Reading Comprehension
Critical Reasoning
Sentence Correction
75 Minutes
Total Exam Time
3 hours, 30 min
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8. The number of questions you answer.
Whether you answer the questions correctly or incorrectly.
The level of difficulty and other statistical characteristics of each question.
The questions in an adaptive test are weighted according to their difficulty and other statistical properties, not according to their position in the test.
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Consecutive mistakes and those made early in exam cost more in GMAT than spaced out ones!!

10. New Section introduced last year
12 Questions; Score on a scale of 8
4 Question types
◦Graphics interpretation
◦Two-part analysis
◦Table analysis
◦Multi-source reasoning
Last 1 year data shows increasing tendency of B-Schools to use IR score as deciding factor – Why????
Also, It is important for scholarships
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12. Majority of GMAT takers are working professionals like you
Pressed for time due to their busy schedules and travelling assignments.
Difficult to go and regularly attend classes in a brick and mortar set up.
Time crunch and travel constraint.
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13. Online live Classes over weekends- At the luxury of attending it right from your home or anywhere
Access to video recorded classes and study material – So you don’t miss much even if you miss a class due to some professional or personal exigency
Personalized attention - Only 3-5 students per class
Best in class and well researched study material – 40 hrs of classroom learning, Over 1000 solved GMAT like questions of varying difficulty, multiple full length tests and doubt solving sessions
Access to online classes and study material for full one year
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14. External Orientation
Internal Alignment

I want to do an MBA All my undergraduate peers have done it
Which schools should I apply to?
Am I good enough for Top 5 B-Schools?
Am I going to get a job after MBA?
I don’t have any social activity experience?
Should I apply to ISB? My best friend is going there!
What are my goals?
•Personal/Professional
•Short term/Long term/Any term
What is my history?
•Personal
•Professional
•Academic
•Others
Are my goals realistic?

15. External Orientation
Internal Alignment

I need to do an MBA. It matters to me!
Which schools can help me achieve my goals?
Will Top-5 MBA help me achieve my goals?
Is getting a job a concern? Workout Plan B
Demonstrate what you have
Is your best friend one of the priorities?
What are my goals?
•Personal/Professional
•Short term/Long term/Any term
What is my history?
•Personal
•Professional
•Academic
•Others
Are my goals realistic?
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16. Years of work experience
Trajectory in the current job
Current learning and link to long term goal
Personal situation and preferences
Low opportunity cost (current market situation)

17. Link to long term career goals
Geography – vastly different perception of MBA
Duration (2yr vs. 1yr)
Financial commitment – ROI Analysis
Past statistics of people with similar background (school & job market response)
Work experience – sector, years etc
GMAT score
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18. HIGH WEIGHTAGE ELEMENTS
Work Experience Essays Interview GMAT
EMPLOY-ABILITY of the applicant
TRUE HOLISTIC VALUE that the applicant brings to the MBA program
Requirements Specific to B-Schools (INSEAD – Diversity, HBS – Leadership)
MODERATE WEIGHTAGE ELEMENTS
Undergraduate grades Recommendations
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19. Make or Break component
The ONLY component of your application that you can STILL CONTROL and develop to your advantage
Reflection of your personality
Maximum amount of time spent by Admission Committee
Opportunity to defend weaknesses in profile
Sets the direction for interviews
Development of successful application demands between 80 -120 hours
HBS recommends 120 hours focus to develop high quality application

20. SIMPLE and REAL
“Demonstrate” instead of “telling” the reader
•Use real life experiences
Think beyond professional experience
•Bring personal touch to your story (show the side of your personality not reflected through your resume or other essays)
Differentiate yourself
•Highlight traits/experience that would make you stand out
Explain weakness (grades, scores, lack of experience)

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Services
How We Are Different?
MBA Counselling
GMAT Preparation
MBA Essay Editing
Interview Preparation
Resume Editing
Ding Analysis
IIM Admission Service

22. Back traceable – From long term goals to short term goals to immediate goals
Specificity – Be as specific as possible
Realistic – Do reality check on goals
Demonstrable – Coherent with Personal and professional history
GOALS
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
PERSONALITY
AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRAM
PERSONAL HISTORY
SKILLS
Short term Goals
Long term Goals
Professional History
Personal History & Characteristics
Immediate Goals
Gap Analysis
MBA

23. GOALS
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
PERSONALITY
AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRAM
PERSONAL HISTORY
SKILLS
GOALS
INADEQUATE
COMPLETE
Long term goals
Start my own IT consultancy firm
Lead a mid-size banking domain IT application development consultancy in India serving international/domestic clients
Short term goals
•Join an IT company as business development manager
OR
•Join a business strategy consultancy like McKinsey as a consultant
Gather functional knowledge of
IT industry while acting as
functional head
AND
Strengthen people network
Immediate Goals
•Join an IT company as business development manager
OR
•Join a business strategy consultancy like McKinsey as a consultant
Join leadership program at IBM, Microsoft, or Accenture.
Professional History 3 years as IT software application developer in banking domain, also handled tickets and software upgrades Personal History Academics and Cricket. Loves to play guitar occasionally.

24. GOALS
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
PERSONALITY
AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRAM
PERSONAL HISTORY
SKILLS
Evolution of your professional history – reasons about your choices
Your current role – What are your regular activities at work?
Key achievements at work
Key skills accumulation at work
Supervision and Leadership experience
Professional cross cultural experience
Significant professional development
Social conditions under which you are brought up
Influence of your family (parents, siblings, relatives)
Influence of acquaintances (neighbors, friends)
Your academic life (teachers)
Your interests outside work and academic
Extracurricular activities
What are you most passionate?

25. GOALS
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
PERSONALITY
AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRAM
PERSONAL HISTORY
SKILLS
Strengths and weaknesses (Identify RELEVANT and GENUINE top 3 of each) Ask your family, colleagues and acquaintances to help nail down the strengths and weaknesses
Strengths – Indicate influencing factors that shaped your strengths
Weaknesses – What have you been doing to improve on your weaknesses?
Analysis of the case
Response to a real or hypothetical situation
Presentation on generic topic
Submission of article or artifact

26. Identify unique aspects of school that will help you achieve your goals
Very Important - Get in touch with all possible alumni, current student, admission committee member, professors – Start doing this from today
Visit campus if possible
GOALS
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
PERSONALITY
AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRAM
PERSONAL HISTORY
SKILLS

27. Help to structure your thoughts for introspection
Help to structure your application essay content
Candid assessment of your application on actual B- school criteria and suggest improvements
Learn from experience rather than by committing mistakes
Can tip the balance from potential rejection to ACCEPTANCE
Been There Done That Personal Experience

28. BAD ESSAY
GOOD ESSAY

29. How important are the recommendations?
Whom to choose?
Educating the recommenders?
What makes a good recommendation?

30. Self Description
Professional and personal history (unique life experiences)
Knowledge about sector you work in
Future short term and long term goals
Analytical skills
Extempore skills
Global events in business landscape and related policies How To Prepare
Write
Refine
Repeat
Mock

31. Mock Interview
Be HONEST, CONFIDENT & UNAMBIGUOUS
Be consistent with your application material
Be ready for surprises
Verbalize your goals, professional & personal self- description
Know in and out details of industry your work in
Know current global business trends and policies
Arrange and face at least 2 mock interviews before the actual

32. Gauge your chances of admission in MBA for the business school you choose, by trying the tools:
1)Chances for Business School tool http://www.genedmba.com/chances-bschool/ 2) Business School Selector tool http://www.genedmba.com/b-school-selector

33. Krishnavardhan Telkar Assistant Business Development Manager, General Education Ph +91-9035050056 krishnavardhan.telkar@general-ed.com Biju Krishnan Assistant Business Development Manager, General Education Ph +91-9035011711 biju.krishnan@general-ed.com Visit http://www.genedmba.com or email to info@genedmba.com

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Mr. Supreeth Reddy (MBA INSEAD) Ph - +91-9008499411 Ms. Aruna Papireddy (MBA HEC) Ph - +91- 9880100318

35. Mr. Shubhen Sarangi
Senior Associate Director- Admissions team
Indian School of Business
pgpadmissions@isb.edu
Ph - 040 23187474