Ask an MBA Admissions Expert Chioma Isiadinso

Ask an MBA Admissions Expert Chioma Isiadinso Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Chioma Isiadinso is a former HarvardBusiness School Admissions Board member as well as the former Director of Admissions at Carnegie Mellon University. She is the CEO of EXPARTUS, a worldwide MBA admissions consulting service, and has also written a book of insights on the MBA admissions process called The Best Business Schools Admissions Secrets. VT: How much time should be set aside to adequately prepare for and complete the application for an MBA program? Chioma: Ideally you want to start to seriously think of the MBA a couple of years before you actually apply. By having such a long lead time you can invest time identifying any weaknesses in your profile and can address them long before you apply. An early start in preparing for your MBA will enable you to be strategic in the types of projects you pursue and will allow you to cultivate the strong relationships with your superiors who will eventually write recommendation letters for you. When it comes to applying, you should budget about five months. Two months to prepare and take the GMAT or GRE and three months to work on the application. VT:What would you say is the single most important thing to focus on for this kind of application? Chioma: While each part of the application is important, not having a strong academic profile will ensure that the application will be rejected. For the highly selective MBA programs, candidates who have very low test scores will be eliminated early in the evaluation process. It is important to adequately prepare for the GMAT/GRE to ensure that you have a strong test score. While a strong test score alone does not guarantee admission to a top school, not having them will make it easy for the admissions board to deny you admission. VT: What do MBA admissions officers look for most in the essay questions? Chioma: They look for depth of character. The essays provide a canvass through which a candidate can showcase their strengths, accomplishments and motivations. They explain what is driving you and why you have made the choices you have made in your life. Because of the variations in MBA essay questions, they offer a chance for candidates to speak about their personal and professional lives and achievements. The essays, when written well, can be the main differentiator and can endear you to the admissions board. There are so many talented candidates applying and it is hard to separate strong candidates who have similar work profile, test scores etc. However, the essays can be the deal breaker when they are poorly written or the deal maker when they reveal really insightful things about you that makes you come alive to the admissions board. VT: What are the biggest mistakes one can make on this application? Chioma: The biggest mistake applicants make is to underestimate how much work is involved in putting together a successful application. This often leads them to submit application essays that are weak and riddled with errors. Another mistake that applicants make is selecting the wrong people to write recommendations for them. Recommendations are quite important in the evaluation of MBA applicants and it is critical to select recommenders who know you very well. Avoid choosing recommenders based on simply their seniority at your firm (eg. The CEO of your firm who barely knows your name); you are better off choosing a recommender with a less impressive title who knows your work very well and can provide detailed examples to support your candidacy. VT: What aspects of the MBA admissions process make it most different from undergraduate admissions process? Chioma: The main difference between college and MBA applications is that the latter group of applicants are older and have more years working in the real world. The average MBA candidate has worked for 3 or more years before applying to business school. Therefore, the quality of work experience and impact in a professional setting is weighed quite highly in the business school application assessment. Outside of the work experience difference there are a lot of similarities between the college and MBA admissions (both programs are looking for smart, accomplished individuals who will add to the diversity/richness of their schools). VT: Is there anything that automatically disqualifies an applicant from being considered for an MBA program (i.e. low GPA, lack of particular work experience, etc.)? Chioma: This varies from school to school and is important for applicants to understand the nuances of different MBA programs. For instance, while international experience is important to all top MBA programs, it is particularly of high importance for a MBA program like INSEAD. Failure to show international experience or exposure will relegate your INSEAD application to the reject pile. The same applies to language fluency: not having another language under the belt disqualifies a candidate from being admitted to a program like INSEAD. Work experience is valued at most top MBA programs. Yet there are some programs that are more open to candidates who are early in their career and have less work experience. A program such as Stanford GSB admits a few exceptional candidates with little to no work experience. Very low GPA or GMAT can undermine a candidates application as well. The further away your score is from the average score of admitted students, the more of an issue it will be. Academic infractions such as suspensions, plagiarism, as well as criminal records are sure ways of disqualifying a candidate. VT: What kind of work experiences should be highlighted in the MBA application? Chioma: One of the things candidates should do when showcasing their work experience is to cut out jargon from their CVs and focus on the impact and contributions they have had in each of their jobs. Since many programs like to see short CVs of not more than 2 pages (one page resumes for most of the US MBA programs), candidates have to think carefully about all the details of their responsibilities within each role and at each firm. Anything that doesnt help reinforce their brand (how they are positioning themselves) should be cut out allowing them to connect the dots of their experiences in their resume/CV. Internships that are in the industry you are looking to enter are worth including in your MBA application especially when you have limited work experience. VT: What advice do you have regarding GMAT test prep? Chioma: My advice on test prep is to make the investment upfront before taking the GMAT. So many applicants take the GMAT without fully being prepared resulting in mediocre scores. Ideally it is best to take the GMAT once. So before embarking on the exam there are some practical things to do to give you the best chance of success:-Take a practice test to see what your benchmark score is. If it is lower than 700 you will be better off doing additional preparation before taking the test. Practice tests can be found on www.MBA.com.-Identify where you are weak in (verbal versus quantitative) and focus your efforts in strengthening this area. This may involve self-study or a class. Some applicants can get away with a few sessions with a tutor instead of an entire class.-There are many test prep companies out there so you should do your homework before deciding on the best one. VT: Is it absolutely necessary to have work experience prior to starting an MBA degree? Chioma: It isnt absolutely necessary to have work experience and there are several accelerated MBA programs that allow college seniors to go directly from undergraduate study to the MBA. However, I recommend getting some experience prior to the MBA. You can better contribute to the classroom by drawing on real experiences instead of relying solely on theoretical lessons from a previous course. If you are choosing to do a Masters degree in Management, you dont need to have work experience. VT: What are the characteristics of a great MBA program? Chioma: One of the main characteristics of a great MBA program is that it attracts a truly diverse set of candidates across industries, sectors, countries, etc. This diversity creates a stimulating environment where students can grow and learn from one another. Secondly, a successful MBA program must have committed faculty who are invested in teaching and developing their students. It is also important that the faculty have expertise across a wide variety of business subjects (finance, marketing, operations, management, etc.) to give students a firm foundation in business education. Finally, on the career side, a great MBA program has to have a track record of success preparing students to attain employment when they graduate. It is vital to look at employment statistics as well as the industries and companies that recruit at the school to ensure that there is a fit between you and the schools you are interested in applying to. Visit EXPARTUS for more information or follow Chioma on Twitter @EXPARTUS.The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

The Real Reasons Why You Need To Learn Guitar Scales

The Real Reasons Why You Need To Learn Guitar Scales Suzy S. Is it really necessary to learn guitar scales? If youd rather just focus on chords and songs, youre not alone. But here, Austin, TX teacher Samuel B.  shares why practicing your scales will ultimately make you a better guitar player down the line Im a 25-year veteran of playing the guitar. In seventh grade, I took an introductory class to both the guitar and keyboard, in which I received only a B as I pretty much neglected the keyboard altogether. Besides, Id taken piano lessons already and was, by that time, more interested in portable instruments with strings and a neck as played by my musical heroes (i.e. Tom Petty and George Harrison). A few years later, I purchased a hand-strengthening tool. I suppose I had in mind (for some reason) that Id be able to use it to practice when an instrument wasnt handy. Needless to say, the hand strengthener did not serve this specific purpose. I see nothing wrong with purchasing accessories (such as this one) provided that you understand their intended effect strengthening your hand, in this case, rather than improving the fluidity of your playing. As far as fluidity is concerned, nothing beats practicing your scales. I now introduce a relevant one for each of the first two sets of first-position chords youll learn (the ones in the key of C and the ones in the key of D, respectively). Beyond that, theres more room for experimentation (particularly with blues progressions in E the next key slated in the curriculum). Scales serve multiple purposes: 1. They condition your fingers for playing chords. Think of playing scales as warm-ups. As I type, Im considering a relevant metaphor. One of the computer programs that taught us how to type in second grade (The Typing Teacher) focused on our recognition of the home-row keys (ASDF, JKL;) and the proper positions for pressing each.  On the basis of our mastering the home row, we were subsequently taught the fingerings for the keys in the upper row as well as the lower one. Along comparable lines, the C fingering is the same as that of its D counterpart a full step up the neck just with (in this case) your use of four (not three) left-hand fingers to press the notes otherwise played openly. However, the comparison itself presents a pretty simple concept that your mastery of one body of knowledge provides the basis for your branching out into mastering another. Regarding both playing scales AND typing, I dont even think about what Im doing nowadays. As a matter of fact, I sometimes have to pick my brain a little when I help students learn guitar scales as I play the ones I know (the major and the blues scales predominantly) with natural ease. At some point, I also began sensing a correlation between the components of the chords in the key of E and the notes of the blues scale. I now play them interchangeably, which is another purpose served by scales they are the foundation of improvisation. 2. Once mastered, a scale provides you with everything you need to launch a heartfelt solo even one involving fewer than five notes. From that point, the skys pretty much the limit. I even remember being prompted to play a ONE-note solo during a jazz band rehearsal. Without scale knowledge, though, Id have had no basis for playing a solo whatsoever unless it simply involved picking out the notes comprising chords, which makes for pretty dull and predictable listening. Heres a great video that shows how a basic knowledge of scales can add some flair to even the most basic melodies. 3. Scales also serve as teaching tools for introducing music theory. Im quick to point out that the C scale (the first thing youll learn) is the only one that contains no sharps or flats. I even mention its relevance to the white piano keys periodically. A Do a Deer reference would work here too. Similarly, I tend to explain the basic building-blocks of major chords (the first, third, and fifth notes of the scale) and the half-step difference between major and minor ones (regarding the lowered third note in this case). Youll also hear me mention the added seventh note in seventh chords (G7th in C for example). As a teacher, Ive found scale mastery to be the sole factor determining a students rate of progress. As you learn guitar scales, youll have a greater level of musical confidence. Just as your mastery of home-row keys determines your readiness for learning to type essays, your mastery of scales will serve as a cognitive lubricant welcoming upcoming knowledge and skills with aptitude and enthusiasm. Substitute practice your scales as the punchline to that old How do you get to Carnegie Hall? joke. Samuel B. teaches beginner  guitar lessons in Austin, TX. He teaches lessons face-to-face without sheet music, which is his adaptation of Japanese instruction (involving a call-and-response method).  Learn more about Samuel here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  Brian Finifter