Blog

GMAT Stress

2011年10月16日

This is the time of year when many MBA candidates are struggling to get competitive GMAT (and TOEFL) scores while also spending many hours writing essays as well as working full-time jobs. It is already a definitely a difficult proposition, but many people make it even harder by putting added pressure on themselves, particularly regarding GMAT. There have been a lot of scientific studies that have shown that stress can have a negative impact on learning ability and memory, which is never a good thing when you are trying to take a test as challenging as GMAT. Certainly, stress will always be there, and in small doses it can be an effective motivator. However, when the pressure becomes too strong, it can definitely drag down your score.

The trick is to find ways to reduce your stress level. Some time-tested methods include exercising, jogging yoga, getting a massage, and taking a hot bath. But, your frame of mind is also important. For instance, instead of thinking: “I absolutely have to get a 700+ score on this test.” You should tell yourself: “I will do the very best I can and hope for the best.” Taking GMAT is not a life or death situation, so you shouldn’t treat it like it is.

A few years ago, I had a client who didn’t do so well (below 600) the first time he took GMAT. But when I asked him how he felt, he said that he was fine and that he actually enjoyed the experience. He emphasized the fact that he learned a lot and he was confident that he would do better the next time. Sure enough, he did, and he ended up getting into one of the best business schools in the world. I truly believe that his positive attitude played a key role in his ultimate success.

First Round Approaching

2011年10月03日

As many of my clients know, first round deadlines are fast arriving for many schools. With this in mind, my clients often ask me if it is better to apply in the first or second round. My answer is always, “It depends.” It really comes down to two factors: 1) your scores, and 2) your essays.

1) Scores: If you do not have strong GMAT and TOEFL scores, it is better to wait until the second round. The only exception is if you are applying to a safety school, for which your current scores are adequate.

2) Essays: If you feel like you are rushing to complete the essays in time for the first round, it might be better to wait until the second round. Rushed, sloppy essays will do you no good.

If, however, your scores are solid and you have had plenty of time to write and review your essays, then certainly you should apply in the first round.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

2010年07月11日

As I mentioned in my last blog entry, I helped a client “Taro” with a low 600 GMAT get accepted to a top 5 MBA program. Normally, I would advise a client with such a low score to wait until next year instead of applying to top schools. However, for various reasons, Taro was highly motivated to gain admission this year. So, our strategy was to take a two-tiered approach of applying to both safety and dream schools. Taro had already been accepted to a “safety school,” which is actually quite a good program. This left Taro and me to focus on the dream school that had placed him on its waitlist. Now, you might ask how someone with a low 600 GMAT could get onto the waitlist of a top 5 program. The short answer is this: great essays, which led to an interview invitation; extensive interview preparation which led to an excellent interview.

Still, the big challenge remained: how to get Taro from Waitlist to Accepted. Here, we employed a multi-tiered strategy, which included a supplemental essay and recommendation letter plus a campus visit. For the supplemental essay, the focus of the content was primarily the information Taro gained and people he met during the campus visit, which included attending classes. For the recommendation letters, we were able to get one alumnus of the program. This person was not appropriate as a recommender for the initial application, because Taro did not work closely with him. However, he was an excellent choice for the waitlist stage, since he could attest to Taro’s work ethic, integrity, excellent people skills, etc.

Finally after all of these steps, Wharton sent Taro the great news. Almost immediately, he contacted me to share his happy result. I was happy and proud to have helped turn another client’s dream school into reality.

World Cup Fever

2010年06月14日

When I moved to Japan 10 years ago, I had almost zero interest in soccer (as we call football in the US). I was (and still am) a baseball man, through and through. I love the LA Dodgers and in Japan I adopted the Hanshin Tigers as my favorite team in my adopted home. But, over the years, I have come to be quite impressed by the amazing displays of athleticism and artistry of the “beautiful game.” Now, I consider myself an honest to goodness fan of the game. At the club level, I support three teams: LA Galaxy, FC Yokohama, and Bolton Wanders. The first two are my home town clubs, while Bolton is an English Premiere League club famous for “punching above its weight,” which I can associate with since that is exactly what I help my clients do.

Now, with World Cup season upon us, I find myself waking up at odd hours (3:30am) to watch live matches broadcast from South Africa. Despite the constantly blaring vuvuzela, I have enjoyed the matches so far. I was especially happy to see the scrappy US earn a point in a lively 1-1 draw with England. It was great to see American soccer players competing as equals with some of the world’s greatest players. And, I was pleasantly surprised to see Japan win its opener 1-0 against Cameroon. Team Japan played solid defense and took advantage of its one great scoring opportunity. This result was especially shocking since Japan had played so horribly coming into the match: they couldn’t even score a goal in a friendly with a jet lagged Zimbabwe team (ranked 110th by FIFA) in their final tune-up match. But it just goes to show that with hard work and persistence anything can happen.

It is the same thing I tell my clients; you never know what will happen if you don’t give it your best shot. Almost every year one or more of my clients gets into a school despite having a GMAT or TOEFL score well outside of the 80% range. For instance, in years past, I have seen clients get into Stanford with a 640 GMAT and Chicago with a 590. And this year, one of my clients (let’s call him Taro) was accepted to a top 5 US school with a low 600 GMAT score. In a future blog, I will describe the process that led to this client’s success. But for now, I need to get ready for the upcoming New Zealand vs. Slovakia match.

Start Early, Stay Focused

2010年05月30日

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to give a presentation on MBA Application Strategy at Affinity, Noguchi-sensei’s excellent GMAT and TOEFL school in Kanda. In the talk, I gave tips on such things as what the business schools are looking for in candidates, how candidates can make themselves stronger candidates, what rounds to apply in, and how they can decide what schools are the best fits for them. Other areas I covered included the keys to high impact essays, the importance of thorough preparation for interviews and cost-effective ways to improve English skills outside the classroom. After the presentation, Noguchi-sensei kindly invited me to stay for the celebration party of his successful students, some of whom were my clients too. It was a great event.

One of the key points I made in my talk was the importance of doing thorough research of the schools you are applying to. In essence, you should become an expert of the programs in your “portfolio” of schools. This entails thoroughly reading the website and brochure as well as contacting students and/or alumni. Think of it as due diligence, and it is important for several reasons. First of all, if you don’t know a school well, it is very difficult to write compelling essays. It is not good enough to provide general reasons for why you are applying to a specific school. You must be thorough and specific, and the only way to do that is by really getting to know a school. This “homework” will also prepare you for the interviews, which is absolutely vital to the admission process. And a side benefit of thoroughly researching schools is that it will improve your reading comprehension as well.

Another thing I emphasized is the importance of beginning the essay and application preparation as soon as possible, even if you are still studying GMAT and TOEFL. Every year, my clients are amazed at how much work goes into writing essays, securing recommendation letters, getting transcripts, filling out online applications, etc. It takes a really long time. By starting early, you can improve both the quality and quantity of applications. Plus, you can avoid the rush and panic that comes from waiting until the last minute.