My MBA Path

One of the advantages of working with an MBA admissions consultant is understanding how other aspiring MBAs are approaching the process – and how you compare. My goal every week is to give you, my reader, insights into the MBA admissions process that help you build a stronger application even if you never purchase any service. And if the recent rumors that yours truly, aka Petia Whitmore, the founder of My MBA Path, was just ranked as a Top 10 MBA Admissions Consultant in the whole entire world are true, perhaps you can benefit from an observation or two about what I'm seeing candidates do well – or not so well – right now. So make sure you get on the list for the Sunday AdCom insights - thousands of other MBA candidates consider it to be one of their most valuable sources of information: https://lnkd.in/exrGcYj9 #mba #mbaadmissions #mbaaplication

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐲 𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐞 MBA AdComs have to read hundreds of MBA applications every round.  Do you know the surest way to bore them to death (or at least to "deny")? Write sentences like this: “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘺-𝘵𝘰-𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘴, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦, 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥/𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺, 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱.” A 53!Words!Sentence! I’m pretty sure this is illegal in some countries. Or it should be. If the MBA AdCom can even bring themselves to finish reading this, the only thing they’ll learn is that you are an insufferable writer. That you're unable to synthesize your experience succinctly. And that you're having a hard time relaying information in a way that makes it possible for an audience to understand. Which ultimately means that your analytical and communication skills leave a lot to be desired. All qualities that can send your application straight to the “deny” pile. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐛 As an MBA candidate, your number one task is to make it easy for the MBA AdCom to understand your story. Before you try to vow, impress, charm, and win over, you need to be clear on what you want to share with the AdCom. And you need to be capable of conveying it with clarity, conviction, and simple but skilled writing. 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐧 You often hear how you need to have an “MBA story”. How your MBA story is the most critical component of your candidacy, much more important than your statistics. It’s true that the best way to think of your MBA application is as a story. And it’s also true that a compelling story can outweigh statistics. Yet, it’s often hard to know what this concept means, and developing that story for yourself can be even harder. 𝐒𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧? I have some ideas for you: https://lnkd.in/eXtrmNsH #mba #mbaadmissions #mbaaplication

Struggling with the new HBS MBA essays? Don't worry, I've got you covered! Join me, a former Dean of MBA Admissions, as I break down the three crucial things you can't afford to get wrong. Discover why the HBS essay changes aren't as dramatic as they seem and learn how to leverage the timeless narratives of leadership, accomplishment, challenge, and growth. Plus, check out the "MBA Leader Check" tool to enhance your leadership narrative. Get the insights you need to stand out in the MBA admissions race. Links & Resources: The Four Stories: https://lnkd.in/e-2KpiZQ... MBA Leader Check: https://lnkd.in/dvYjEp6D Sunday AdCom Insights: https://lnkd.in/exrGcYj9 #MBA #HBS #Essays #Admissions #Leadership

A super common question about the Stanford GSB essay is trending right now. 🎉🎓✍️ Should you explicitly write, "What matters most to me is..."? 🤷♀️🤷♂️ Here’s the thing: if you feel the need to spell it out explicitly, it could be a sign of two things.... 📄🚫 Find out what they are in our newest video. #mbaapplication #mbaadmissions #StanfordGSB #MBAEssays #AdmissionsTips #EssayAdvice #GSB #MBA #ApplicationTips

🎓 Use the four essential stories framework to uncover your narratives of leadership, accomplishment, challenge, and growth in your background. Learn from examples of successful MBA candidates and use this primer to craft your own MBA success stories. Make this year the year you get admitted to a top MBA program! 🚀 #MBAAdmissions #MBA #MBAAdmissions #MBAApplication #CareerGoals #MBAJourney #MBATips #GlobalMBA #MBALife #BusinessSchool #BschoolLife

🎓One successful HBS admit I worked with leveraged her unique combination of knowledge in technology, human behavior, and business processes to impress the head of risk management at her financial institution. As a result, she was given the lead role in overhauling the new associates onboarding process, showcasing her leadership and intellectual vitality in influencing rather than managing. 💼👩💼 #MBAAdmissions #MBA #CareerGoals #StudyGoals #GlobalMBA #BusinessSchool #MBAProgram #TopMBAs #LeadershipDevelopment #MBAJourney #BusinessDegrees

👀 HBS seek students with leadership, analytical aptitude, and community engagement. Leadership can be demonstrated in so many different forms, from organizing a classroom to directing a combat squad. No one size fits all! 💼 #MBAAdmissions #MBA #TopMBAs #MBAApplication #LeadershipDevelopment #MBAAdmissions #FutureMBA #StudyGoals #MBADreams #GlobalMBA #MBALife

Do you grumble how unfair it is that your competition can work with a top MBA consultant? That MBA admissions is a black box and every decision you make a shot in the dark? Not anymore! Come level up with loads of insights and strategies for the 2024-2025 MBA Admissions cycle, straight from Petia Whitmore, a former Dean of MBA Admissions. Register now: Link in comments From understanding why MBA applications went up this cycle (despite the abysmal job market) to learning what MBA stories unlocked the doors to the very top MBA programs, this live MBA Spotlight is the most important conversation you can be part of on the way to submitting the strongest possible MBA application. #mba #mbaaplication #mbaadmissions

🎓 One of my MBA candidates showcased their intellectual prowess by framing a challenging task as an intriguing puzzle, highlighting their philosophy and approach in tackling it. They emphasized the importance of learning and generating innovative ideas, ultimately gaining team buy-in and achieving a technological advancement. 💡💪 #MBA #MBAAdmissions #FutureMBA #MBALife #BusinessEducation #MBAAdmissions #MBAStudies #BschoolLife #MBAProgram #MBAApplication #CareerGoals

🔍 To gauge your intellectual vitality, Stanford looks for new knowledge/expertise, willingness to challenge assumptions, and ability to develop ideas. GMAT scores aren't the only factor - background, experiences, values, and accomplishments also count. Show your curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity to stand out! 💡 #MBA #MBAAdmissions #LeadershipDevelopment #GMATPrep #MBALife #CareerGoals #MBATips #MBAInsight #GlobalMBA #MBAProgram #BusinessDegrees