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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Since then, many leading international firms have gone a step further, by encouraging employees to perform volunteer activities, both during working hours and on their own time. For example, McKinsey often sends its consultants to support NPOs like Doctors without Borders. Mazda is also impressively expanding its volunteer activities (http://www.mazda.com/csr/social/domestic/local.html).

Of course, at most Japanese companies it is very difficult for employees to find time for meaningful social activities, whether for leisure or altruistic purposes. Loyalty and dedication to work is not limited to 9am-6pm Mon-Fri. Working late is an every day occurrence/requirement for many of my past and present clients. However, if you are serious about getting into a top US MBA program, it is imperative that you find time for extracurricular activities. The top schools are looking for well-rounded students who are not “married” to their jobs. That is why I strongly urge my clients to get involved in some kind of activities outside of work.

Examples of what some of my past clients have done include things like organizing litter clean-up campaigns at the beach, reading stories at a children’s hospital, playing games with lonely residents at retirement homes, and providing pro bono legal and accounting services to NPOs. I have also had clients dedicate their vacations to do volunteer work (building schools, drilling wells, teaching computer skills, etc.) in developing countries. There are so many ways that you can do. And the best part is, in addition to helping your chances of gaining admission to business school, you will also be making important contributions to society.

So, even if it is 2 hours a month, you need to get involved in some outside activity. Hopefully, in the future, when you return from business school to lead your company, you can change the business culture by promoting work-life balance and social responsibility. But in the mean time, you just have to do the best that you can on your own. Fortunately, there are many organizations in Japan that welcome volunteers. All it takes is a simple Google search: Volunteer opportunities in Japan.

In the U.S., telling someone to “get a life!” is considered quite derogatory, as it implies complacency or a lack of effort. However, the vast majority of Japanese professionals I have known and worked with are very driven and dedicated. So, if I were to tell someone in Japan to “get a life” it would have entirely different meaning. It would be a suggestion to find time for both fun and meaningful activities (and often the two can go together) outside of the daily grind of work. Trust me, you will feel better for doing so.

As for MBA aspirants in Japan, Golden Week is a time for intensive GMAT and TOEFL training, whether independently or at a prep school. I know from discussions with clients, past and present, that there is little time for fun during this week. However, the time spend hitting the books is well worth it when they see the rising scores.

So, there’s need to feel sorry for yourself just because you have spend your Golden Week studying. It could be worse: you could be stuck on the Tomei Expressway, fighting a two-hour delay while breathing tailpipe exhaust. All things considered, I’d rather be studying.

In the past year, I have worked with some amazing people, and I am happy to know that I have helped them get accepted to some awesome programs. I have thanked each one of them individually, but I would like to publicly say thank you very much to all of my clients this year. It has been a real honor to work with all of you. I would also like to thank my past clients as well for their encouragement and referrals. For me it is very important to maintain contact with my past clients. It is exciting for me to track their progress both in school and beyond. I was also proud to be a sponsor for the Spring trips this year of UCLA Anderson and Dartmouth Tuck. In both cases, my past clients were part of the organizing teams, and I was happy to support them.

Looking back on the 2009-1010 season, what has been most rewarding for me is to see the real progress my clients have made over the months. I have seen remarkable improvements in all aspects of their English communication, from writing to speaking. More than that, I could see improvements in confidence, career focus, and willingness to contribute. In other words, I have seen them become stronger MBA candidates, which is almost as rewarding as when they get the good news from the schools that accept them.

This year, I put a lot of effort into preparing my clients for the interviews, which are not easy to prepare for, especially for non-native English speakers. At the same time, I never lost focus on the importance of making sure their essays were up to the highest standard. One client was so excited to tell me that in his interview at a top European program, the admissions person specifically told him how much she liked his essays. He ended up being accepted there. It is stories like this that keep me in this field.

Now that the busy season is behind me, you can expect a lot more blogs from me.

For me, what stand out for me about Fuqua are two points: shorter terms and longer class sessions. Each term is only 6 hours, which enables students to take a greater variety of courses. And despite the shorter terms, professors can still dig deep into each subject, since each class has two 2.25-hour sessions per week. The longer classes also allow students to engage in more interactive assignments.

As far as specialties, Duke has an interesting program on leadership and ethics, in which the star lecturer is Duke’s legendary basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K). There are also programs focused on Corporate Sustainibility, International Business, and Innovation. These and other research centers offer students great opportunities to become well-connected experts in their areas of interest.

And speaking of Coach K, one of the real treats of attending Duke is the opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere surrounding their basketball team. Home games are played at Cameron Indoor Stadium, ranked as the 4th best sport venue in the US by Sports Illustrated. What makes Cameron so great is not the building per se, although the 69-year old building does have its charm. No, it is the rowdy student section, known as Cameron Crazies, who pack the place for every home game. Fans paint their faces blue and white, stand and scream the entire game, and in general do everything they can to disrupt the visitors. They are very effective, as Duke has one of the best home records of all time in college baskteball. Tickets are available to all students, including MBA students, on a first come first served basis. (For big games, students are known to camp out several days for seats.) The Fuqua School happens to be really close to Cameron, giving stressed-out MBA students a chance to relieve some tension whil partaking in one of the greatest traditions in US college sport.