7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
1/15
HOW TO WRIT
ESSAYS
WHAT
B-SCHOOLS
LOOK FOR
HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF TO THE
ADCOM
WHAT YOU
NEED TO KNOW
FOR
INTERVIEWS
https://www.youtube.com/user/crackverbalvideoshttps://plus.google.com/+CrackverbalEdutechhttp://www.twitter.com/AskCrackVerbalhttp://www.facebook.com/CrackVerbal7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
2/15
WHY CRACKVERBAL?
CrackVerbal is India?s fastest growing test-prep company, focusing on GMAT, GRE an
Application Consulting services. Over
3500+ aspirants have trusted uswith such an importan
career decision
So, what makes CrackVerbal dif ferent?
Test-Taking Techniques for Indians:
At CrackVerbal we realized early on that Indian students struggl
to ace standardized tests such as the GMAT & the GRE becaus
typical training programs for these tests cater to a native Englis
population.This is why we have created a unique set o
techniques, which leverage the int ri nsic st rengths of non-nat iv
Engl ish speakers.
Beyond Books:
We absolutely believe that our classroom coaching and
our fabulous trainers can teach you more than books We
wouldn? be doing this if we were not able to do so. We
have a very selective processand rigorous training for
instructors and the cornerstone of our success is our
exceptional t eaching quali ty.
Support System :
CrackVerbal students can discuss questions with our instructor
and fellow-students on the exclusive CrackVerbal forum, whic
now has more than a mil l ion views We also have a dedicate
support number where our instructors address student concerns
Our mission isn? f ulf il led ti ll you have taken the test & reache
your dream school .
Structured preparation:
Many students, with the best of intentions and will-power, still
struggle with GMAT preparation because they?e not sure how to
plan their prep-t ime, how to analyze their weak areas, and how to
improve their GMAT scores. At CrackVerbal, we give you a detailed
study-plan to help you bring the right focus to your GMAT
preparation.
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
3/15
OUR MBA CONSULTANTS
Arun Jagannathan - dmissions Coach
Founder and CEO at CrackVerbal, Arun brings to the table valuab
insights into the value of an MBA, much of thi s knowledge accrued ove
the years from a ring-side view of students making a transition fro
pre-MBA applicants to post MBA graduates climbing the corporat
ladder. He also brings with him a plethora of information specific t
individual programs given his extensive network among the b-scho
community, including admissions commit tee members at top B schoo
across the globe. Arun is one of the official expert MBA Admissio
consultants on PagalGuy and provides guidance to applicants on othe
forums such as BeattheGMAT and GMATClub.
Shreekala Kurup -
pplication Services Counselor
Shreekala has a strong background in operations (PMP, Six Sigma
accrued during her 7-year stint with Hewlett-Packard, where sh
worked in client facing roles for marquee customers. She is a fellow o
the ISB Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneurs program. A
Crackverbal, Shreekala has channeled her corporate experience an
deep understanding of the world of management to help thousands o
students and professionals make the right choices amongst a plethor
of options.
Vijay has extensive experience across the higher education
technology and printing industries. He holds degrees in busines
management and finance from Manchester Metropolitan Universit
UK, and is also an international student ambassador f or MMU. A
CrackVerbal, he has worked with hundreds of MBA aspirants, guidin
them to make the r ight Choices towards pursuing an MBA.
Vijayendra Khanna -
pplication Services Counselor
Pradyot Anand -
Industry Mentor
Pradyot has 10+ years of professional experience spanning strategy
planning, management consulting, and technology across industries
Asia, USA, and Eastern Europe. An alumnus of ISB Hyderabad, Prady
graduated in the top 10% of the ISB batch and made the Dean?s Lis
Having served on the Admissions Panel at ISB for quite some time, an
mentored many successful MBA candidates, Pradyot is one of those MB
Admission Consultants who knows exactl y what makes an AdCom t ick.
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
4/15
Sannidhi Jhala - Industry Mentor
Sannidhi has over 5 years of experience across the operations field. She
an alumnus ISB Hyderabad, majoring in Marketing & Strategy and
currently working for beverage giant, Coca-Cola as the Area Key Account
Manager. She has mentored many CrackVerbal students and helped them
along the path to their dream B-School.
Nit in Vig -
Industry Mentor
Nitin has over 6 years of experience across Telecom, IT and e-learnin
Nitin graduated f rom Indiana Universit y?s Kelley School of Busines
majoring in Finance and Business Analytics. He currently works as a Sale
Manager for one of India?s largest e-learning companies. Many CrackVerba
students under his tutelage have gone on to bag admits to top-notc
B-schools.
Shirupa has the distinction of being the only person on th
CrackVerbal Admissions Panel to have taught painting (or indeed
taught anything) to professors at ISB and IIMB. She is a versatil
individual with a yen for the arts, teaching and mentoring. A
CrackVerbal, Shirupa wears two hats ? as instructor, and as Admission
Coach; and puts her creative forces to use, helping students develo
and present their stories wi th appeal and panache.
Shirupa Gupta -
dmissions Coach
Vasudha Gopal -
dmissions Coach
Vasudha is an ex-techie and ex-project manager, with 8 years of
corporate experience at Cisco behind her (and also 8 years o
proofreading and fine-tuning colleagues?application essays just for
fun). She loves the English language with all its idiosyncrasies and
has a raw score of 48 on the GMAT Verbal section. At CrackVerbal, she
uses to advantage her natural zeal for coaxing words, sentences, and
application essays into putt ing their best foot forward.
To view more of our prestigious consultants CLICK HERE
http://applications.crackverbal.com/consultants/http://applications.crackverbal.com/consultants/7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
5/15
TABLE OF CONTENTS
# 1. What B-Schools look for in you ..................................................? ? ? ? ? ..?
# 2.Essays........................................? .? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ...............? ..9
# 3.Interviews ..............................? .? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ...............? .1
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
6/15
FOREWORD
Think of any movie you saw in the last few months. Now think how was the hero portrayed.
Was he shown doing routine chores like watching TV
Did they show him sleeping or brushing his teeth
What about him driving to work and stuck in traffic
Probably not
He shown doing superhero effort : saving t he earth, feeding poor people, romancing the
heroine. Just about anything that makes him look cool.
How does this help in understanding B-School appl ications? Well, the same thing appl ies here.
You need to be the "hero" of your story in your MBA Application
This ebook presents you with the 6 factors all B-Schools look for to see if you are the "hero".
How do they see it ? Predominantly through your appl ication essays and your interview. We
have kept a separate chapter on each of t his so you start t hinking how you can be the hero (or
the heroine) of the story.
I hope this ebook helps you start thinking in the right di rection.
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
7/15
# 1 WHAT B-SCHOOLS LOOK FOR IN YOU
You need to understand what is it that makes you stand out i n the appl icant pool . These are
the aspects that B-Schools look for in an applicant .
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
8/15
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
9/15
# 2 ESSAYS
B-schools abroad only take students who they think wil l bring a lot to the class in terms of skil l
experience and qualit y. 85 percent of the learning in an MBA program abroad is from your
colleagues rather than f rom the professors. Keeping this in mind, the schools want you to
present an accurate portrait of yourself , helping them gauge who you are and what you wi ll
bring to the table.
It is for this reason; they have what they call, The Admission Essays.
Admission essays are the f irst round of the admission process, after you have taken the GMAT.
Typicall y leading B-schools wi l l ask you 3-5 assorted questions that aim to bring out your real
self . These questions may test you on dif ferent aspects of your personali ty and bring out your
creativity and originality.
Here we give you some sample questions asked by b-schools in their essays and what they are
looking for in an applicant based on these questions.
And, we bring to you the quintessential question of t he entire process ,Why MBA?
Almost all the b-schools want to know this. The questions may be di rect or may acquire
dif ferent avatars, but seeking the same truth, ?Why MBA?
Here are the dif ferent avatars of t he quest ion asked by dif ferent b-schools:
1. Why MBA from X b-school?
2. What are your career aspirations? What do you need to learn at Stanford t o achieve them?
(Stanford)
3. a) What choices have you made that led you to your current posit ion?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your l if e?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career
goal? (NYU Stern)
4. Describe your career goals. How wi l l the Ross MBA help you to achieve your goals? (Ross
Michigan)
5. Describe your vision f or your career and your inspiration for pursuing this career path (Duke
Fuqua)
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
10/15
6. What are your professional goals immediately after you receive your MBA? What are your
long-term career aspirations? Why are you choosing to pursue an MBA and why now? (Yale)
7. Please give us a full descript ion of your career since graduating f rom university. If you
were to remain with your present employer, what would be your next step in terms of
posit ion? (INSEAD)
8. What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you? (Harvard Business
School)
This is the most important and the most frequently asked question by almost all b-schools.
And it is this question that they want to separate wheat from the chaff.
B-schools, ask this question to understand your past and what made you to take this decision
of pursuing an MBA. They want to weed out people who do an MBA, without knowing what to
do with it . And believe us they know a serious candidate when they see an answer to this
question,
This is the question that wil l allow you to show your personalit y and your thought process.
This is the place where you display your lucidi ty and clarity of thought. Here is where you
show the pains that you have taken and your hunger for the MBA. You can show what
homework you have done about the course, the b-school and your career in general. Don?
let this question be a tr ibute to yourself , but a eulogy about the school and how it wil l help
you achieve your short term and long term goals.
Remember some basic facts while answering questions
Be Realistic: Do not portray your aspiration to a Steve Jobs by day and Mother Teresa
by night. Remember an MBA is not something that wi l l guarantee future success and it
depends on individual talents as much as the education. The career aspirations must be high,
but no so high that they sound ludicrous. You have to draw the line between realism and
incredible, and stop at realism. (Also remember Steve Jobs never thought he will be what he
is today. And in all probabilit y he would not have written an essay as he is not an MBA).
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
11/15
Align your future goals to your current career: Remember MBA abroad is an
enhancement degree and not a degree in i tself. So it makes better sense for you to align you
future goals to your present career. So it wi l l make sense for you tell , ?Right now I am a senio
software engineer where I have noticed all these flaws in delivery. I want to do an MBA, get
into a management role and correct i t.? This wi ll give you a better chance than tell ing, ?I am
PL/SQL expert and after doing my MBA, I want to be a marketing guru and sell soap.? In the
latter, the admission committee reaction in all probabil ity wi ll be ?Are you smoking bro??
Do not save anything for the swim back: This is a l ine from the movie ?Gattacca? Here
the main protagonist and his brother play a game called ?Chicken?where they swim out to
the sea and the f irst one who gives up and swims for the shore is the loser. The brother
always wins, because of his better stamina. However at a crit ical juncture in the movie, the
protagonist challenges his brother and wins the contest. When asked how he did it, he
simply says, ?I never saved anything for the swim back.?
This might be the story of your MBA appl ication essay. If you say, I want t o start a
mobile application company and with an MBA, I wil l also have a fall-back option, they will
think that you are not confident of yourself . And they don? li ke people who save something
for the swim back.
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
12/15
What you should not do
Do not feel sorry for yourself, If you think you have not done extraordinary things. No
b-school expects you to be a Bill Gates when you apply there and quite frankly no one is.
Remember, even the World?s youngest ?Billionaire?Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook)
stole his idea. So be proud of yourself and don? lie to get that edge. And also know if you are
honest you don? have to remember anything.
Make it all about yourself : If you fail to t alk about the specif ics of the program and the
course and how that wil l help you, the schools on their part wil l consider you to be another
self -obsessed narcissist who has appl ied for reasons other than genuine.
Set your mark at such a low level that you do not need an MBA: If you state that, at the
end of my MBA, all you want to be is the Manager of your project, which quite frankly does
not need an MBA, you will get the dreaded ?dunk?mail. Set your goals suff iciently high but
not as high as they deem it to be incredible.
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
13/15
# 3 INTERVIEWS
What do B-schools really look f or when they are trying to interview you? This is the t ime when
a lot of people who have sent in their applications, would have started receiving their
interview call s. So remember these 3 things whenever you think of an interview :
A.Content - Does this person know what he is talking about? Make sure you go through each
and every thing that you have writ ten in your application. Make sure that you have a good ide
? for example if you say that you want to get into Finance, post MBA, then pretty much you
should be able to answer questions such as, ?What do you think will happen if the interest
rates were to go up?? or, ?Why do you think the Rupee slipped against the Dollar??. So these
are the things that you need to know. If you say Product Management they could ask you
questions, again not very theoretical questions but things like, ?Tell me a product feature that
you l ike in say Google.? or ?Tell me a product company that you think has a very bright
future.? They want to make sure that you know your stuff .
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
14/15
B. Communication ? Second thing apart f rom content is communication. How well are you abl
to express your ideas. You want to focus on body language, you want to focus on tone, clarity,
clarity of speech and ensuring that your answer comes out as clearly, as crisply as possible.
One suggestion that I have for this is please go back again t o your application and prepare for
some standard questions like, ?Why do you want to do an MBA? ?What brings you here??
?Why this part icular school?? ?Tell me an achievement that you are proud of?? ?Tell me what
are your weaknesses?? ?What do you want to do post MBA?? ?Tell me something about
yourself?? ? Typically many interviews start that way. Make sure you are very clear in your
communication.
C. Clari ty
? When you look at clarit y, they are really looking at clarity of vision and specif ically
looking at what you want to take away from B-school, what is it that you want in li fe. The tip
over here is be yourself . Don? try to be someone you are not. For example if they ask you
what you want to do post your MBA, be very clear, say you want to get into Consult ing, you
need to be able to say, ?This is what I want to do.?, ?I?m very clear this is how a school such as
ISB is going to help me.?, Be genuine, don? t ry to sound confused. If you don? know
something be open, say, ?I don? know but I can hazard a guess.? ?I can sti l l try, I can attempt
this?, but don? t ry to get caught in your own tangle. For example there are people who have
mentioned adventure sports in their profile which they have attempted once, l ike bungee
jumping. But i f you have done it only once, there is only so much you can know. So you kind o
start digging your own hole. Be very clear and specif ic in what you talk.
These are the 3 t ips that I had - Content, Communication and Clari ty. I hope it was useful & I
hope to catch you next week
7/25/2019 How to Market Yourself to AdCom
15/15
Email : [email protected]
Mobile: +919008166800/9008177800
www.crackverbal.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/crackverbalvideoshttps://plus.google.com/+CrackverbalEdutechhttp://www.twitter.com/AskCrackVerbalhttp://www.facebook.com/CrackVerbalhttp://www.crackverbal.com/