Monthly Archives: January 2011

Was it a “Religious Experience”?

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When you say you had a religious experience, do you really mean it? It can be tricky to integrate personal beliefs and religious connections into admissions essays without sounding like you’re trying to proselytize. How to write about your spiritual convictions without sounding close-minded? As always, the show don’t tell policy works best: Show the admissions committee how you’ve grown through your religious affiliations.

Rather than writing,

My work in the Christian church is the most important part of my life.

you could try this:

My volunteer work in underprivileged urban schools with the XX church group changed my perspective on what it means to be a leader.

Of course, this approach means you might need to dig a little bit deeper into your personal understanding of what leadership really means to you. But isn’t personal and professional growth what we’re after in the first place? So take a look at how your beliefs in the spiritual sphere have affected your activities and successes in the professional sector. Use your admissions essays as an opportunity to reflect upon the larger gestalt of meaning and belief in your life.

If a significant life event (or accident, near-death experience, etc.) led you to your religious beliefs, it will be important to describe these circumstances in a way that is understandable for a non-believer. It can sound a bit unbelievable, or even psychologically unstable, to attribute your religious leanings to a sudden moment of revelation in conditions of distress. Your beliefs are absolutely important, but given the separation of church and state in the United States, the Admissions Committee needs to hear your experience in terms that are grounded in personal development rather than spiritual miracle.

Instead of describing how,

I will never forget the day when my allegiance with Jesus was formed.

you could write:

As I developed my understanding of the Christian principle of goodwill, I learned the importance of making positive contributions to my community.

This is the kind of sentiment that even someone who is not Christian can easily understand and relate to. It is paramount to show a breadth of understanding in terms of the global relationship to religion. Unless you are applying to an overtly religious academic institution, it will be best to approach this highly controversial issue from the sophisticated perspective of personal growth. The Admissions Committee is looking for well-rounded individuals who have the capacity for self-reflection and development.

Hopefully, your spiritual experiences and religious affiliations have expanded these very qualities in you. In order to share these thoughts effectively, begin by asking yourself some questions:

How are you a different person because of the spiritual or religious aspects of your life?

Did you have an important mentor in a religious group who helped guide you in your career? If so, how?

What elements of your religious life inspire your professional aspirations?

How does your spiritual life help you connect with your immediate community and the larger global community?

Cheers,

Lily

Ivy Eyes Editing

www.ivyeyesediting.com

College Application Numbers On The Rise: UCLA is #1

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Hi everyone,

US News released a report today detailing the colleges that receives the most applications during the 2009 Fall season. Please find the table below:

Below is a table of the 10 universities that received the most student applications for enrollment for fall 2009, among all colleges and universities that reported application data to U.S. News.

School Name Applications Received U.S. News Ranking & Category
University of California—Los Angeles 55,708 25, National Universities
St. John’s University 52,980 143, National Universities
University of California—Berkeley 48,650 22, National Universities
University of California—San Diego 47,046 35, National Universities
California State University—Long Beach 45,771 24, Regional Universities (West)
University of California—Santa Barbara 44,707 39, National Universities
University of California—Irvine 44,123 41, National Universities
University of California—Davis 42,374 39, National Universities
San Diego State University 41,986 183, National Universities
Pennsylvania State University—University Park 40,714 47, National Universities

As college application numbers continue to increase–drawing even larger numbers from the U.S. and abroad–expect to see a number of other schools crossing the 50,000 mark this season!

Cheers,

Ivy Eyes Editing

www.ivyeyesediting.com

Top 10 Admissions Essay No-No’s

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We know. It can be tricky to figure out exactly what those finicky admissions officers are looking for. It can make you strung out. Paranoid, even. But that’s why Ivy Eyes Editors are here, to talk you down off the ledge of admissions writing and remind you of the Ten Commandments. Not the religious ones, mind you, but the Ten Commandments to prevent your admissions writing demise. Or what we like to call: The Top Ten Admissions Essay No-No’s.

Read them. Recite them to yourself. Print them out. Tape them to your desk. And then write an amazing admissions essay.

Thou Shalt Not…

1.…Over-sell yourself.

As great as you think you are, you should never refer to yourself as being better than other candidates or make claims about your own freakishly wonderful abilities. Just show the reader what makes you a unique candidate. Don’t tell them. Show them.

2.…Under-sell yourself.

On the other hand, there is no need to talk about yourself bashfully, or in deprecating terms. Think in terms of growth rather than failure.

3…Regurgitate your resume.

Your essay needs to be more than a paragraph-by-paragraph description of your personal and professional lives. It needs a narrative arc. A voice. A life. In short, it needs to be more you than a bunch of bullet points on a piece of paper could convey.

4.…Regurgitate your transcript.

Don’t waste your reader’s time by listing the classes you took and going over what you learned. They want to see evidence of your knowledge in action, not hear about how Mr. X or Professor Y taught you about Statistics and Probability.

5…Describe personal failure or instability without also showing growth.

Have a period of personal or academic challenge? A psychotic break? A major loss that led to a life change? Hey, life is rough—we can all relate. Just make sure that you couch the breakdown in terms that reveal the growth you have since experienced. You want to demonstrate the new and improved you, not the bedraggled and lost self of yesteryear. What does that better than any claims of wellness and serenity? Show some perspective. If you can see clearly now the rain is gone, share your insight with the Admissions Committee. Show them the new you through the strength, clarity, and focus of your current work and future goals.

6…Break your essay up into sections with headers (or subheaders).

An admissions essay is not a research paper. Yes, it should have all the elements of a term paper, but without the headings and subheadings. It needs to flow smoothly from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph.

7…Have a boring introduction.

Grab your reader! Tell them the first memory you have that connected you to your future career or academic interest. Don’t just type out the name of the program you’re interested in and make it a sentence by adding an “I” and a period. Self-reflection is key. Show the reader why they should keep reading your statement, don’t tell them.

8…Have a lame conclusion.

After working so hard to write a great essay, don’t conclude it by saying something akin to, “Thank you for reading my essay.” Synthesize your statement and offer insight as to how you might fit into the larger community at their institution.

9…Use direct address.

Don’t directly address the reader or the academic institution (“…and this is why you should admit me to your school.”). You should, however, make direct connections to the school in question. This shows thoughtfulness and real interest.

10. Lack enthusiasm for your own career.

We read so many essays that sound like their author got bored while writing them, or before they even began. This is your life we’re talking about here! Get excited! Do you want to read about someone who bores herself? Of course not. Show the Admissions Committee the dynamic, quirky, and inspired person you are. We’re sure they’ll love you.

Sincerely,

Lily

Ivy Eyes Editing

www.ivyeyesediting.com

UCLA Anderson’s Riordan MBA Fellows program

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Hi everyone,

The Riordan MBA Fellows program application goes live on February 1, 2011!

Please find the details below.

Cheers,

Ivy Eyes Editing

www.ivyeyesediting.com

***

APPLICATION INFORMATION: The 2012 program application will be available February 1, 2011. The Riordan MBA Fellows program has a rolling admissions process.
Attend our Open house on February 12, 2011. Registration Link
Interested in attending an Outreach? Register here

APPLY NOW:
The applicant is responsible for completing Step 1 and 2.
Applying to the program is a two-step process outlined below:

1. A Complete Riordan Fellows online application. Upon completion, print the Application Summary Sheet and include it with your application package (#2). You are able to save the online Application. However, all saved information must be viewed on the same computer. The online application deadline is July 7, 2011 at 11:00 pm Pacific Time (PT).

Application Checklist for Step 1:

  • Application
  • Essays (2 Essays, 1 Optional)
    1. Please provide us with a summary of your personal and family background.  Include  information about your parents and siblings, where you grew up and perhaps a highlight or special memory of your youth. (500 word limit)
    2.  Discuss your career goals and why you want an MBA, particularly at this point in your career.  Why, specifically, are you applying to the Riordan Fellows Program? (500 word limit)
    3.  (Optional)  Is there any other information that you believe would be helpful to the Admissions Committee in considering your application?  (If you feel the application already represents you well, do not feel obligated to answer this essay question.)  (500 word limit)

2. Complete Step 2 of the Application
Submit Step 2 of the application which includes the: summary sheet (Online component), transcripts, letters of recommendation, resume, and application fee postmarked by July 7, 2011. Please note all documents must be submitted (via mail) in one complete package. No items may be mailed to our office separately.
Download the application for step 2: PDF

Application Checklist for Step 2:

  • Application cover sheet
  • Application summary sheet (Online)
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation (2)
  • Resume
  • Application fee
Application Deadline Interview Decision E-mailed by
July 7, 2011 By Invitation Only August 11, 2011 (5 PM)

* Online Application: Step 1 – Due June 7, 2011 at 11:00 pm Pacific Time (PT)
Step 2- Due June 7, 2011 postmarked

Dates
2010- 2011 Session Dates*

Orientation – October 1- 3, 2010
Session #1 – November 6, 2010
Session #2 – December 11, 2010
Session #3 – January 22, 2011
Session #4 – February 12, 2011
Session #5 – March 12, 2011
Session #6 – April 2, 2011
Final Session - May TBA (Graduation)
*Session attendance is mandatory. Dates subject to change.
*GMAT Diagnostic test will take place on the Sunday after Orientation.

Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants should meet the following criteria:

  • Applicant must be up to four years post graduate from an undergraduate college/university. (Please note: for application to the 2011-2012 class we will accept applications from graduates of 2006-2011 and students that meet the criteria above)
  • Applicant’s cumulative grade point average must have at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Applicant’s parents should not have post-collegiate education (i.e. graduate or doctoral degrees)
  • Applicant should have substantial work experience (this can include summer internships, community volunteer experience). Must be fully employed and have at least one year of work experience.
  • Applicant must have demonstrated leadership skills and community service involvement

Participant Responsibilities
Admitted Riordan Fellows are required to attend all monthly Saturday sessions. Riordan Fellows are expected to exhibit  a professional demeanor and actively participate in class discussions, community service projects and all other program activities.  Appropriate attire is required at all Riordan Programs functions.

Cost
There is an application fee of $50 for all professional applicants. For all admitted Riordan Fellows, tuition for the 2011-2012 program year is tentatively set at $350. Classroom supplies and materials are provided at the monthly Saturday sessions; parking and cost of books excluded.

Say What You Mean, and Mean What You Say

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How many times have you started to write an admissions essay, deliver a firm-wide presentation, or field a tough interview question, and floundered? In the clip above, today’s operatic superstars discuss the best way to translate practice into flawless performance. This, of course, is relevant to virtually any career path or setting (yes, executives are ‘performers,’ too).

In the admissions context, connecting to one’s ‘intention’ is equally vital. Why? The second you find yourself in a position you’re not prepared for, delivering a pat or inauthentic answer, your listener/reader will immediately sense it. While there may be a range of performance ability or talent–in business, medicine or on the operatic stage–there exists a universally acute audience sensitivity to inauthenticity.

It makes you squirm; it makes us squirm.

Your audience WILL palpably feel a lapse in authenticity, whether you’re speaking in an unfamiliar language or using advanced tech jargon. So, stay atuned to saying what you mean, and meaning what you say. This undercurrent of authenticity will help you communicate a deeper, more resonant message, and win over any audience.

Cheers,
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

MBA Goals Essays

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Hi everyone,

If you’re applying to MBA programs this year, you are most certainly working through some permutation of the ‘MBA goals essay.’ The problem is: you’re just 27 years old. You’re not ready to write your autobiography, or the statement of purpose for your life. How many people would be equipped to compose a self-actualizing piece of prose that predicts the course of their career?

Like all admissions writing, the MBA goals essay requires ample forethought and planning. Below, we’ve included vital considerations to be made before crafting your goals essay(s):

1) Show strategic vision. Are your goals connected to your experience? Are your goals fully realized and executable? Ambition is great; half-baked idealism is not.

2) Show heart. In an ever-increasing applicant pool, how do you distinguish your goals in a common post-MBA track? This is the most difficult element to achieve in a goals essay. The more reflective you can be, the better. In Draft 1 of your essay, get everything on paper: your motivations, your doubts, your pipe dreams. The idea is to present a capable, multi-faceted human being, not an infallible android.

3) Explore connectivity. Like any other professional, your career most likely has had its ups and downs. Your summer internship at the Whitney does not have strong ties to your subsequent career at Goldman Sachs. However, this is YOUR history–and it’s your job to make sense of it beyond your resume. Use the essay to give your application humanity, cohesion and depth.

4) Tether your goals to the program. Wharton is aware of its “world-class professors,” its “vibrant student body,” and its “core courses in finance, strategy and operations.” So is every other top MBA program. Your goals essay should demonstrate you’ve done your research on MBA programs, and know exactly why Wharton, Stanford GSB or Kellogg are the best fit for you. How will these programs be the perfect training ground or incubator for you? Schools are looking for students that are great fits, who will seize resources and become successful, active alumnae.

Your MBA goals essay isn’t simply your resume in narrative form. With reflective, authentic storytelling, fully realized, strategic goals, and demonstration of program fit, your goals essay can be much more than that: it can be your application’s major selling point.

Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Applications Numbers on the Rise at Top US Schools

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Hi everyone,

Top colleges around the country–including Harvard, Columbia and MIT–are abuzz about substantial increases in application numbers this year. Bloomberg reports:

“Harvard, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, received almost 35,000 applications for the next academic year, a 15 percent increase from 30,489 for the current year, William Fitzsimmons, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid, said today in a statement. Applications to Columbia, in New York, rose 32 percent to a 34,587, from 26,179 a year earlier, according to a statement today.”

Harvard admitted 6.9 percent of applicants last year, and Columbia 9 percent. The most-selective colleges are setting application records because students are seeking a chance at “the luxury brands of higher education,” said David Hawkins, director of public policy and research at the National Association for College Admission Counseling in Arlington, Virginia.”

Columbia’s dean of undergraduate admissions reported that an increased focus on marketing toward international applicants helped prompt their increase:

“Behind the surge at Columbia, also an Ivy League member, were outreach efforts, “global awareness of Columbia’s reputation,” and New York’s drawing power, Jessica Marinaccio, dean of undergraduate admissions at Columbia, said in the statement. She said the university for the first time used the Common Application, a form accepted by more than 400 institutions and helps high school students apply to multiple colleges.”

Stay tuned as other schools (like Yale!) report their numbers…

Cheers,

Ivy Eyes Editing

www.ivyeyesediting.com

JFK’s Underwhelming Harvard Application

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Great post from Gawker on JFK’s Harvard application. This just goes to show that you can be admitted to some of the finest schools in the country, with a lackluster essay and application…if your last name is Kennedy :)

Cheers,

Ivy Eyes Editing

www.ivyeyesediting.com

***

In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of JFK’s inauguration, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library is digitizing reams of JFK artifacts. Among them: The president’s application to Harvard, including mediocre test scores and a refreshingly banal personal essay.

In 1935, when JFK applied, Harvard’s application was three pages long. (Somewhere, a guidance counselor just burst into a maniacal fit of laughter.) The “Why I Want to Go to Harvard” section was spacious enough for five handwritten sentences. Here are John F. Kennedy’s:

JFK's Unimpressive Harvard Application

The reasons that I have for wishing to go to Harvard are several. I feel that Harvard can give me a better background and a better liberal education than any other university. I have always wanted to go there, as I have felt that it is not just another college, but is a university with something definite to offer. Then too, I would like to go to the same college as my father. To be a “harvard man” is an enviable distinction, and one that I sincerely hope I shall attain.

April 23, 1935
John F. Kennedy

Joseph P. Kennedy wrote a letter to the dean before his son enrolled in 1936, after stints at the London School of Economics and Princeton. Apparently Joe’s strategy was one of brutal honesty:

Jack has a very brilliant mind for the things in which he is interested, but is careless and lacks application in those in which he is not interested. This is, of course, a bad fault.

JFK ultimately enrolled and graduated cum laude. Click below to see the whole application, or here for other Harvard-related JFK documents.

Announcing our MBA Admissions Resource Center!

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Hi everyone,

It’s official–our MBA Admissions Resource Center is finally up! Please check it out here !

In this resource center, you’ll find an MBA admissions deadlines calendar which can be downloaded onto your personal calendar (deadlines pasted below), as well as a list of essay prompts for all major US and international MBA programs. Stay tuned for more adds, including our essay analysis, videos from admissions directors, and more.

In the coming months, we also plan to launch similar resource centers for college, medical, law school and other graduate programs. Exciting developments from our team, which we look forward to sharing with all of you in 2011.

Be well,

Janson

Ivy Eyes Editing

www.ivyeyesediting.com

***

US BUSINESS SCHOOLS

SCHOOL R1 R2 R3 R4
Berkeley (Hass) 10/13 12/2 1/20 3/16
U of Chicago (Booth) 10/13 1/5 4/13
CMU (Tepper) 10/25 1/3 3/7
Columbia University 10/6 1/5 4/13
Cornell (Johnson) 10/5 11/9 1/4
Dartmouth 10/13 11/10 1/3
Duke (Fuqua) 9/30 11/1 1/4
Emory (Goizueta) 11/1 12/1 2/1
Georgetown (McDonough) 11/1 1/1 4/1
Harvard 10/1 1/11 3/31
Indiana (Kelly) 11/1 1/5 3/1
Michigan (Ross) 10/11 1/5 3/1
MIT (Sloan) 10/26 1/4 N/A
Northwestern (Kellogg) 10/14 1/11 4/7
NYU (Stern) 11/15 1/15 3/15
Purdue (Krannert) 11/1 1/10 3/1
Rochester (Simon) 10/15 11/19 1/5
Stanford 10/6 1/6 4/6
Texas (McCombs) 11/1 1/14 4/1
UCLA (Anderson) 10/20 1/5 4/13
UNC (Kenan-Flagler) 10/22 12/3 1/7
USC (Marshall) 11/1 1/15 3/15
Virginia (Darden) 10/14 1/5 3/30
Wharton 10/4 1/4 3/3
Yale 10/7 1/6 3/17

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOLS

SCHOOL R1 R2 R3 R4
INSEAD 9/29 12/1 3/9 N/A
Cambridge (Judge) 10/4 12/6 1/10
CEIBS 11/15 2/12 4/6
ESADE 10/15 12/10 2/11
HEC Paris 11/23 1/4 2/8
IESE 10/25 12/7 1/17
IMD 2/1 4/1 6/1
Indian School of Business 8/30 11/30 N/A
London Business School 10/7 1/6 3/3
Oxford (Said) 10/8 10/29 12/10
Western Ont

Should You Take a Gap Year?

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Hi everyone,

In the past five years, “gap years”–the year between high school graduation and college matriculation–have gained significant popularity among our college clients. With this choice comes a host of serious considerations of course, all of which are unique to the client.

We recently stumbled across a fabulous article in U.S. News (written by our Twitter friend, Lynn O’Shaughnessy) on things to consider before taking a gap year.

Please find our summary below.

Cheers,

Ivy Eyes Editing

***

1. What is a gap year?

“…a period of time that people use to explore areas of interest…[it] doesn’t have to last a full year and can be taken at any age, but the typical gap year is taken by students between high school and college.”

2. Should I apply to college before or after I take my gap year?

“Most counselors and college admissions officials encourage high school seniors to apply and get accepted to college before taking a gap year. Reardon says students should apply to college while in high school because their junior and senior years are set up to support the college application process.”

3. Can I still get financial aid and scholarships for college after a gap year?

“If a student has qualified for federal financial aid but has deferred college for a year, he or she will have to re-apply the following year by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. If their family’s financial circumstances haven’t changed significantly, the student will likely receive aid again, says Bull of the Center for Interim Projects.”

4. Can gap years be affordable?

“…look into AmeriCorps programs, which provide health care benefits, a living stipend, and $5,350 from the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award at the end to use toward college. This amount is tied to the maximum Pell Grant amount. Better yet, 92 colleges and universities offer to match this AmeriCorps education award, essentially doubling its value. Students can also volunteer for programs such as Habitat for Humanity and World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, commonly known as WWOOF, though students will have to fund their living expenses in some cases.”

“Gap years can also save parents money in the long run. Steve Goodman, an educational consultant and college admissions strategist, says, “If a gap year clarifies what a student is going to do college, it pays back in college because you’re saving tuition money for the time a student may have spent clarifying their major.”"

5. What are the benefits of taking a gap year?

“The students emphasize that the experiential learning during their gap year was unlike any they could gain in the college classroom.”

6. What do AdComs think of gap years?

“At Binghamton, Brown has also noticed an increase in the number of students taking a gap year. In 2009, 52 of approximately 2,100 freshmen deferred for a year to work or volunteer. Brown says she’s only seen positive results from these students. “I think the increased maturity, self confidence, sense of problem solving, and recognition that they can do these kinds of wonderful things only serves them well in their college experience,” she says.”

7. Will a gap year make the college transition more difficult?

“”Students who are going to college after a gap year are going into it more mature and better prepared than others,” says White, of Darien Academic Advisors. Many of these students have some apprehension about returning to the classroom, but are able to transition easily because they have already been away from home, White says.”

There are obviously potential pitfalls to taking a gap year. However, our perspective is that if you use the time productively–learning a language, volunteering, taking an internship in a lab–this time can ultimately be clarifying and help you to really focus your goals in college. Students are frequently encouraged “to explore” as college students, but, it is costly exploration, and the real world can yield insight that initiates long-term career paths.

All best,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com