Kaneisha Grayson's Blog, page 28

How to Determine if the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Mid-Career (MC/MPA) Program is Right for You

Guest Post from Heidi, Consultant for The Art of Applying

How to Determine if the Harvard Kennedy School Mid-Career Program is Right for You

“Is this program right for me?” It’s a good question to ask yourself for any program. Perhaps more so when considering mid-career programs. The following tips will help you get started:

Reflect early and often.

Before even looking further at the HKS MC/MPA and/or HKS Mason Fellows program, ask yourself:

Why go back to school at this point in my career?


What do I expect to gain from a graduate school experience?


How will a graduate program further my career goals?

If you can’t answer these questions, it’s time to do some more soul searching before moving forward. It can be tempting if you feel stuck in your job or just itchy for something new to look at a graduate program and think “This is the ticket to a new life!”

If this is you, you wouldn’t be the first grad student to end up there based on this logic, but to get the most out of any graduate school program, especially one focused on mid-career and executive professionals, you’ll do best to first set your objectives and then find the program that fits.

Make sure you’re eligible to apply.

Before getting in too deep, make sure you meet the academic and work prerequisites of the MC/MPA program.

Click here to read the requirements for applying to the HKS Mid-Career program. 

Assess whether you’re a solid candidate or could benefit from waiting another year or two to apply. If you aren’t sure if you are eligible, a Deep Dive is a great way to get a clear green light on whether you should apply this year or wait to apply in the future.

Switching from the private sector? Test the waters first.

The MC/MPA program is not only for current public service professionals but also for professionals looking to “transition from the private sector to leadership positions in the public or nonprofit sectors.” If you fall into this category, you’ll be best positioned for acceptance and you’ll get the most out of the experience if you’ve already tested that a move into the public or nonprofit sector is truly the next step for you.

If you’re looking for a way to explore this path but aren’t yet sure, the first step is to get involved as a volunteer in some projects or programs in the nonprofit, public, and/or civil sectors. Depending on your professional background, you might be a qualified candidate for the board of a nonprofit, which is a great way to give back in regards to an issue about which you care, and test the waters for a career switch.

Speak with alumni of the program.

If you don’t have access to anyone in your LinkedIn or other networks, contact the admissions office directly. They’re usually happy to connect you to alumni of the program because they recognize that the best candidates are those who have done their homework. Researching the school via chats with alumni is a great step towards understanding what you can expect from the program and how it can advance your career.

Find out what the alumni are doing now and how the program helped them get there. If you speak with an alum who isn’t quite in your field of interest, ask if he or she can connect you to a peer who better matches your trajectory—your background entering the program or your future career goals or both.

Ask questions about what they found most useful about the program, what they liked most and least, and advice on courses to take and connections to build. Ask the person what you should know that might not be obvious.

Get clear on how best to use the program to meet your goals.

This is another place where speaking to alumni will be helpful, but you also need to do your own thinking and research. In the HKS MC/MPA and Mason Fellows program, you design your own course of study and have only course distribution requirement: one course each from Economics and Quantitative Analysis, Management and Leadership, and Political Thought and Institutions.

Freedom and flexibility in graduate school is exciting, but it can also backfire if you haven’t put in the time connecting courses and the program overall to your career goals.

You’ll get out of it what you put in. Consider what skills you currently lack that are needed to move into your next and future positions. What intellectual grounding do you need to know in depth to do become the expert in your field? And how will you tie it all together into a cohesive program?  

Trust your gut.

Finally, after considering everything else, ask yourself “When I picture myself in this program, am I excited?” Passion and enthusiasm count for something. Keep it in mind as you make up your mind! 

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How to Write the Academic Statement for the Georgetown McCourt MPP Program

Guest Post from Heidi, consultant for The Art of Applying

3 Tips on Writing the Policy Analysis / Academic Statement for the Georgetown McCourt MPP Program

The Georgetown McCourt MPP application’s Academic Statement requirement reads as follows:

Academic Statement

Maximum length 500 words. Your essay should address the following:

MPP & MIDP: The McCourt School’s programs emphasizes analytical rigor and using sophisticated quantitative tools where appropriate. Why do you think analytical rigor is important for policy analysis? Use a current policy issue (MIDP applicants should use a development policy issue)  to demonstrate your reasoning.

The Academic Statement can be one of the more daunting application components. But this is all the more reason not to put it off until the last minute while you perfect your other materials. When it comes to your academic statement, you want to give yourself plenty of preparation and writing time. To get started, follow these three tips:

Tip #1: Pick your policy issue wisely

Your first challenge is selecting a current policy issue to focus on for this essay. The best choice is a policy issue about which you feel passionate and know well, and that lends itself to answering the question “Why do you think analytical rigor is important for policy analysis?”

Make a list of the top 4-5 policy issues that come to mind. Then put them to the test, by answering these questions:

How will you analyze your policy issue? What analytical tools will you use? Are you confident you are able to apply “rigor” to your analysis?


What are the key points of the policy issue? Can you easily summarize them? You only have 500 words to make your case, so you don’t want to waste too much of your word count explaining the actual issue.


What are your policy conclusions or recommendations? And, how does your analysis help you come to them?

Once you’ve answered these questions for each policy issue, it should be apparent that one is a stronger choice than the others. If you have several policy issues that would work well, pat yourself on the back! Then, just pick the issue on which you most want to spend time writing.

Tip #2: Make sure you thoroughly answer the question

The Admissions Committee is asking you to focus on a current policy issue to demonstrate why you believe analytical rigor is important to policy analysis, so you’ll need to address this in your Statement. Consider writing about what is lost when analysis lacks rigor. Show both that you can do the analytically rigorous policy analysis and that you can make the case for why analytical rigor this is critical.

Tip #3: Turn in a well-written essay

Finally, don’t get so lost in making your arguments that you lose sight of the fact that this essay—like all other essays in your application—is a way to demonstrate your writing ability to the admissions officers. Make sure your Statement is free of typos and grammatical mistakes, and edit with a close eye toward being clear and concise in your writing.

Your application may be number 507 in the pile, so you want to make it easy for the reviewer to quickly determine that you are a competent writer, that you understand public policy, and that you have strong analytical reasoning ability.

You got this! Good luck!

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How to Secure Your Dream Policy School Internship

Guest Post from Connie, consultant for The Art of Applying

4 Tips for Winning the Policy School Internship Game

When I was applying to policy school, I daydreamed a lot. Between cramming for the GRE and drafting personal statements, I would browse school websites, look at glossy pictures of alumni, and I imagined myself at my MPP internship or first job.



In my daydreams, I would be working somewhere glamorous like the United Nations (UN) or somewhere intensely policy wonky like the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), brushing shoulders with key policy makers in the halls of power.

If you’re applying to policy school, you dream of changing the world. The summer internship between your first and second year can help you reach your goals. You can learn a new skill, enter a new sector, and even find a full-time job.



Good internship opportunities don’t fall from the sky, though. You have to seek them out with support from your school. Thanks to hard work, good advisors, and some luck, I ended up with four internship offers on three different continents, and had my pick of internationally renowned organizations like the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Here’s how I did it.

How to get the summer internship of your dreams:

Network, Compensation, Focus, and Determination
Tip #1: Apply to policy schools with a strong alumni network

A school’s alumni network might possibly be the most valuable asset you gain from your degree, so look for schools that have a strong alumni network. My Assistant Dean of Career Services helped me set up Skype and phone calls with alumni who had worked at every organization I was interested in. To make the most of our appointments, I came prepared with a list of organizations that I was interested in, and we went through it one by one to identify alumni or even current students who had interned or worked there. She even suggested similar additions to my list based on her experiences with other students. I talked to second-year students who had done the same internship, and even professors who had contacts at local policy think tanks.

Everyone was extraordinarily helpful in referring me to the right people and giving me the advice I needed. When it comes to using networking to get a job or internship, younger policy schools can be at a slight disadvantage, since they have a smaller network, but if an alum is enthusiastic about the education they received, they will also be enthusiastic to help you out. Since many jobs and opportunities can come your way through your school’s network, make sure you go to a school with a strong one!

Tip #2: Apply to policy schools with internship funds

Some internships are paid, but many public policy internships are unpaid. If you want to intern at a government agency, NGO, or nonprofit, they may be unfunded internships. For example, State Department internships are entirely unfunded.

Fortunately, some schools make it easy for you to accept the internship you want, regardless of what it pays. Schools like Duke Sanford, Berkeley Goldman, and Harvard Kennedy School provide unpaid internship funds for its students. The amount and the policies for applying for and securing such funds vary from school to school or even from year to year. Getting summer internship funding can be a big help in covering your living and transportation expenses. The grant or stipend you receive may even include your cost of living. Be sure to research whether your dream schools offer summer internship funding!

Tip #3: Have a clear focus for your policy school internship

Knowing what you want out of the summer internship experience can help you have a productive, interesting, and memorable summer. Some things to think about are:

Do you want to intern there with the goal of securing a full-time job there?

Do you want to learn content knowledge from experts?

Do you want to practice your new quant skills or do first-hand fieldwork?

I was thrilled to receive an offer from the Beijing office of the UN’s International Labor Organization (ILO), but I felt deflated when I found out that the role was mostly administrative work, translating documents from Chinese to English and taking meeting notes. With that position, I would learn more about labor policy in China, but I knew I really wanted to learn a new skill or gain more quantitative experience. Most organizations that care about offering a good internship experience will ask you what you want out of it too, so figure out what you want to learn and how you want to contribute, and then be brave enough ask for it!

Tip #4: Be determined and persistent

Once you figure out what you want from your internship, you need to go after it with real determination, and not give up until you get a solid yes or no. I was very interested the OECD, a prestigious Parisian think tank.

Though there was no internship listed, I sought out three current students and alumni who had interned and worked there, interviewed current staff by Skype, and sent a dozen emails starting in December.

Through my emails, I relayed my request directly and politely, acknowledged their busy schedule, and added any deadlines or relevant details. It was almost May before the director came back to me with an offer, but it did finally happen!

Here is an example of the check-in emails I sent:

Hello Mr. ____,

I would like to check in once more about the status of my application. I understand your busy schedule but would much appreciate a timely response about the possibility of a summer internship with your team. I must make my decision on my summer commitment by March 30, and remain interested in working with the OECD. Thank you in advance for your consideration and time.

Very respectfully,

Connie Ma

You really can create your own opportunities if you are persistent and make your case. Best of luck out there getting your dream internship!

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How to Save Money and Be Frugal in Grad School

Guest Post from Connie, Consultant for The Art of Applying

How to Save Money & Be Frugal in Grad School

For many of us, graduate school can be 2-3 very expensive years. Increased earning potential after graduation doesn’t always mean that you have spare cash to spend right now. Fellow students and I often shared ideas with each other on how to save money and still make the most of our graduate school experience, and now I’m sharing our tips with you!

How to Save Money on Food

Keep a few clean food storage containers in your locker. There are often lots of leftover food from catered events and on-campus dinners. Packing some of that leftover food makes for a great lunch tomorrow!


Keep bags of tea or instant coffee in your locker, and use water kettles to heat up water in the morning. This will keep you from accidentally spending $20+ per week on Starbucks. Be sure to bring your own mug or thermos.


Non-perishable snack foods like energy bars and peanut butter are also good snacks to keep in your locker, and are healthier than vending machine chips and candy.


If you have a Costco or Sam’s Club card, invite a few friends to come along for some bulk shopping, and share the love of your membership.


Like to eat out? Universities often list local restaurants and stores that offer discounts to students who show a student ID. Be sure to ask your school’s Student Services office about this!

How to Save Money on Transportation

It can be easy to rely on Uber, cabs, and other convenient modes of transportation when out on the town in grad school. However, you should take public transportation as consistently as possible to keep everyday transportation funds low.


Flying to another city for an interview? Schools often have professional development funds that will pay for your travel in pursuit of internships or jobs, or even registration fees for networking events and conferences.


If you are a bike commuter, you can often sign up formally with the university’s Parking and Transportation and get free access to gym showers and some free parking passes.


Not a bike commuter? Why not? Parking passes at some universities can cost you $1,000+ a year. For less than that, buy yourself a good bike and get mobile.


Student passes for local transit are easier to make use of when you have transit tracking apps, like TransLoc (available via Google Play).

How to Save Money on Books, Clothes, and other items and services:

Use the school library and public library to look for and borrow textbooks; there is at least one copy of most assigned textbooks in the library. Scan pages you need at the library, and send them to yourself.


Need some professional clothes for job and internship interviews? Get your friends together for a clothing swap. You can pass on good clothing that no longer fits and acquire some new-to-you clothes. Local thrift stories will also likely have hidden gems.


Borrow needed items from friends! When I was in need, I often found that my entire cohort was willing to help out. Reach out to the Facebook group or email listserv, and ask your friends for items you may need rather than outright buying them. Someone you know probably has that household tool you may only use once, spare textbook, or kitchen appliance you need.


Borrow time: your friends may also have the time to help you move, petsit, babysit, give a ride, etc. instead of paying for those services. Don’t be afraid to ask! Payment in dinner, drinks, or paying the favor back can go far.

We all rely on our community in life and in graduate school. So don’t be afraid to ask for support, say thank you, and pay it forward!

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Looking Beyond School Reputation When Choosing Your Target MBA Programs

Guest Post from Nicole, consultant for The Art of Applying

With hundreds of business schools in the US alone, it can be a challenge to prioritize your top choices. A school’s reputation as a “top” program for certain industries (e.g., Wharton for finance, Kellogg for marketing, Stanford for tech, etc.) can lay an extra layer of confusion. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a business school, with an emphasis on ways to consider a school’s reputation:

Your career path

Do you really know which career path you want to pursue and therefore, which concentration you want to pursue for your MBA?  You might change your mind as you’re exposed to new possibilities by your classes, extracurricular activities, and classmates.  And, who knows where life might take you?  

For example, when I headed to Wharton, I knew I didn’t want to be a finance major. I ended up splitting my focus between management (strategy) and marketing. In my first post-MBA job, I by happenstance ended up working in corporate M&A, a very finance-heavy function. I was glad to have the rigorous finance training required by Wharton’s core classes even though I wasn’t a finance major.

Other ways to factor in a program’s reputation:

Overall university brand, including the reputation of non-MBA programs, can often bestow halo effects on the business school, like Yale University’s School of Management, which benefits from the overall university’s history and prestige.


The business school brand might be stronger than the university brand. In my opinion, Wharton’s brand is stronger than the University of Pennsylvania. Keep this in mind when choosing your business school 


Regional reputation where you plan to live can also be equally if not more important. For example, attending a University of California school if you plan to stay on the West Coast can be more beneficial than going to a more highly ranked school on the East Coast.


A school’s reputation in majors outside its most acknowledged ones may not be well known outside the industry. Sure, you know Kellogg has a good marketing program, but did you know Wharton is actually ranked #2 in marketing by U.S. News and World Report? Remember to dig deeper to learn more about the industries, sectors, and geographies in which a school excels.

Factors to consider other than reputation:

Alumni network: A more robust way to assess reputation is to look at the school’s alumni network by industry and/or function in the region in which you want to live. This will be the network you inherit upon graduation and could help support your career.


Courses offered: Check out the core classes and electives of your intended major. Do the courses sound rigorous, especially the core classes? If so, even the people outside your major will have a strong training and help build the alumni reputation for that function. Also be sure to assess whether the courses you find actually interest you.


The Professors: How actively do professors in your concentration publish?  Professor research and expertise can help raise the pedigree of your major. Beware that a rockstar professor is not the same thing as a good teacher. Rockstar professors can often be too busy with their external projects to pay much attention to or establish deep relationship with their students. You want to find a good mix between “great teachers” and “great scholar-practitioners” in the professors available within your school and/or major. A fairly reliable sign of “rockstar status” is if their textbooks or case studies are used across business schools.


Practical experience: How much field experience does the school offer in your major? For example, Wharton helped arrange FAPs (Field Application Projects), basically mini-consulting projects with real companies, to solve real problems.  Hands-on engagements can provide real-world experience that translate well into cover letters, resumes, and interviews during the recruiting process, which is especially helpful and important if you are a career switcher.


Extracurricular activities: Research the student clubs and conferences related to your major. Student-run clubs and conferences are another way to get immersed in your function and network with top companies in your industry. Make sure your target schools have a healthy presence in your area of interest—and if not, consider starting the student club yourself!

In summary, a school’s reputation in your intended major is only one factor in helping you in your future career path. Be sure to consider the other factors mentioned above as you choose a school!

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How to Apply to Business School with Limited or No Full-Time Work Experience

Guest Post from Enyi, Consultant for The Art of Applying

How to Apply to Business School with Limited or No Full-Time Work Experience

You want to go to business school. And you have less than three years of work experience. However, most top business business schools tout incoming classes with an average work experience of five years. Given that professional experience is one of the primary elements of the MBA application, you may have serious qualms about your chances to gain acceptance into a top MBA program.



But let’s say you’re also the one who doesn’t buy into conforming to perceived traditional standards of admission, or maintaining the status quo of being a 28-year old matriculating MBA student. If that’s you, then this question may be popping in your head: How do I approach the MBA application? Well, let’s go through key points that will allow you to stand out amongst other applicants with more work experience than you.

Why Now?

The two paramount questions that MBA Admissions Committees (AdComs) want to know about each applicant are “Why an MBA?” and “Why Now?” Having a distinct outline of your intentions to get an MBA will help position yourself as a mature applicant. However, your answer to the “Why Now” question will determine whether a top business school will take your application seriously without the thought that you are applying prematurely.



In order to answer this question thoroughly, ask yourself if you have reached a ceiling in terms of what you can learn in your current job or industry. Have you maximized your potential in your current position? In addition, are you looking at an MBA to build upon the skills you currently have and expand your scope of knowledge and influence in your current field? Or, are you looking to use the MBA to transition into a completely different career path?



Also, know why the particular school you are applying to fits your career timeline versus other MBA programs. Once you’re able to provide comprehensive and succinct responses to these questions, your “Why Now?” answer will write itself.

Emphasize Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to work experience, MBA AdComs evaluate across two scales: quality and quantity. So even if you are lacking in the quantity space, the quality of your professional experience can tilt the admissions scales in your favor. How can you demonstrate such quality? By highlighting the impact and leadership you have had throughout your career. Examine each professional role you have held. Can you point to specific results that measure your impact in an organization? More importantly, what is the narrative behind the direct and indirect impact of your actions? Did you change the culture of your company, or create community impact as a result of your actions?

On the leadership side, mention instances where you have taken the initiative to start innovative projects in your organization. If you’ve had accelerated promotion, highlight your status as a top-notch producer. Don’t forget about teamwork. Not only should you show that you have performed well within teams, but also that you have led teams in some decision-making capacity.

Focus on Your Full-Time Work Experience

As an early career MBA applicant, you may be tempted to highlight your academic achievements and internship experiences. While you should definitely shed light on these factors, if you have full-time work experience, you want your application to revolve around your full-time work experience.



Feel free to mention major leadership roles from your undergraduate experience, but unless you are applying straight out of college (such as HBS 2+2, Yale Silver Scholars, or Booth Scholars), don’t dwell on them as foundations of your leadership potential. Internships can be built into your profile as extensions of your professional career, especially if there is a natural transition between what you did in internships and your full-time experience.



As for letters of recommendation, focus on getting letters from your current organization versus academic sources, unless the academic recommenders can speak in depth to your leadership capabilities and readiness to enter an MBA program. If you are applying straight out of college, of course having one academic reference is fine and expected. 

Know Yourself

Finally, know yourself. What does that mean? Don’t be discouraged by others (friends, coworkers, and websites) that say you are too young or inexperienced to attend business school. MBA programs are looking for ambitious, confident, and accomplished people that can be future leaders in business, regardless of age. So if that’s you, apply away!

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How to Apply to Business School as a Nontraditional Candidate

Guest Post from Lin Yang, consultant for The Art of Applying 

How to Apply to Business School as a Nontraditional Candidate

Self-doubt can be unnerving and abundant when you are a non-traditional applicant to a top business school. The term nontraditional applies to those who did not follow a typical, private sector career path before their MBA.

I’ve been there. As a former high school teacher and journalist, nothing in my resume screamed that I knew how to work in the corporate world. After having gone to business school, however, I can offer some advice to those who face a similar predicament.

The good news is: business schools want you. Admissions offices are always looking for high-performing candidates who can bring a diverse perspective to the incoming class. Nontraditional candidates tend to have unique knowledge and a certain “street cred” that only comes from working in environments, and with customer segments, to which typical business school candidates lack exposure. It is no wonder that Kellogg, for example, admitted 9% of their 2018 class from the public sector, with 28% of their class studying the humanities as their undergraduate major. However, in order to be a compelling applicant, you must alleviate two of the greatest admissions office concerns:

Admissions Will be Wondering About:

Will you be able to find a job after graduation?
Will you bring relevant skills and experiences to your class and fit into the school’s culture?

Point #1: Convince the Admissions Committee That You Have a Plan

Your career goals essay is critical here. You must weave a compelling narrative that tells the admissions office who you are, what you have accomplished, what you want to do next, and how business school will help you get there. This essay has to be convincing. You have to convince the admissions committee that you can successfully pivot to a career in business without abandoning the achievements and motivations of your past. Perhaps it was something in your past experience, or your desire to have a greater impact in an industry you are interested in, that prompted you to apply. It is important for nontraditional candidates to link their nontraditional past to their future career aspirations.

Ask yourself these questions before you write:

Considering the career that you’ve had so far, why do you want to go to business school now?
What industry and function do you want to go into after business school?
How will your prior career influence and/or help you make this career move?

Point #2: Emphasize Your Universal / Transferable Skills

No matter what you did before, you likely have relevant skills for the business school. Business schools crave candidates who can thrive in teams, communicate with ease in front of an audience, juggle multiple academic and extracurricular responsibilities, and possess a sharp analytical mind when looking at data.



Schools also want candidates who are fun, and have interesting hobbies. Therefore, you should talk up some of the special skills you have that other candidates who have stuck to a more traditional business path may not have. Identify the specific classes, programs, and clubs to which you would contribute your time and talents. Talk to current students and alumni to get the inside perspective of a school’s culture.

If you can demonstrate a convincing plan for your career, and that you can fit into the school’s culture, you can demonstrate to the admissions committee why your nontraditional background is an asset—rather than a liability—to your candidacy.

Best of luck with making your case to your dream school!

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Tips for Writing The Consortium Membership Essay

Guest Post from Enyi, consultant for The Art of Applying and Consortium Fellow

Tips for Writing The Consortium Membership Essay

The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management  application features three types of essays: two core application essays, one or more member school essays, and the membership essay. This post focuses on the membership essay. (See all of The Consortium essay prompts here.)

The Membership Essay prompt is as follows:

The mission of The Consortium is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping the serious underrepresentation of African American, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both our member schools’ enrollments and the ranks of management.

What have you done pre-MBA in your business, academic or personal life to demonstrate commitment to this mission? What will you do while enrolled in your MBA program to demonstrate your commitment to the mission? What will you do post-MBA with respect to community service and leadership involvement to demonstrate your continued commitment to The Consortium’s mission of diversity and inclusion?

Please provide specific examples of your involvement, actions and results. (4,000 characters)

The above prompt appears pretty dense, with multiple facets. We have broken the prompt down into four key elements that you should address:

Address the Consortium’s Mission

The Consortium places emphasis on two areas:

Enhancing diversity in the business education and leadership spaces, and
Helping underrepresented students of African American, Hispanic American, and Native American background. 

Hence, you want to maintain a strong connection to this mission throughout your essay. Your experiences should highlight a focus on serving African American, Hispanic, and Native Americans—whether you are a member of one of those groups or not.

Discuss the Progression of Your Commitment

This essay prompt asks you to shed light on how you have demonstrated commitment to the Consortium mission pre-MBA, and explain how you will continue to show commitment during and after business school.

Your essay should mirror this natural progression by highlighting professional, academic, and/or personal examples of such commitment through your pre-MBA experiences before you illustrate how you will maintain commitment going forward. Although it may be fairly easy to pinpoint how your current experiences show pre-MBA commitment, forecasting commitment during business school can sometimes be more difficult.

Talking to current Consortium students and alums can serve you well, as they can provide you with the potential actions and roles you could take on as an MBA student. In addition, once you are a client of The Art of Applying, you can speak with the consultants here at The Art of Applying who are Consortium Fellows. Speaking with Consortium alumni that have deep insight to the Consortium experience and commitment will help you provide concrete details in your essays. Actions that you will take post-MBA to show commitment are more speculative, so you may need to do some brainstorming on how you will stay connected to the Consortium and its mission after graduating from business school.

Provide Specific Examples of your Work & Efforts

The Consortium wants you to delve deep into the specific roles, actions, and results that demonstrate commitment to their mission. You can achieve this throughout the essay by incorporating quantitative descriptions in addition to qualitative ones.

Providing more details gives color to your essay so that any reader can clearly follow the impact of your commitment. You can also reference The Art of Applying’s Juicy Story Framework for some guidance on how to vividly tell your story.

Set the Right Tone

The overall perspective of your essay absolutely needs to highlight how YOU have demonstrated commitment to the mission and what YOU will do to maintain that commitment in the future. The Consortium wants to ensure that its members are self-starters, and will take the initiative to promote its mission. As a result, in your membership essay, you want to focus on your role and actions.

In this vein, you want to primarily highlight your actions not as “we” actions you completed in a team setting, but rather as “I” actions to demonstrate your specific contributions within a team. You want to be the hero of your essay with the beneficiaries of your good deeds to be the Consortium and those they seek to serve through their mission.

We here at The Art of Applying are always available to help you craft your best essay, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help with editing your Consortium membership essay! Good luck.

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How to Write The Consortium’s Supplemental Member School Essays

Guest Post from Enyi, consultant for The Art of Applying and Consortium Fellow

Writing The Consortium’s Member School Essays: Our Exclusive Guide

The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management application features three types of essays: two core application essays, one or more member school essays, and the membership essay. This post focuses on the member school essays. (See all of The Consortium essay prompts here.)

Each Consortium member school has school-specific prompts for applicants to answer. Some schools have just one extra essay, others have up to four extra essays. However, the themes of these prompts are often similar across different schools. We will go over common types of member school essays and how to approach them.

Topic: Introduce Yourself / Interesting Facts Essay

This type of prompt manifests in two ways:

Describing an interesting fact about yourself, or
Introducing yourself to future classmates.

If the prompt asks you to introduce yourself, you can think about the first days of high school, college, or a new job. How would you introduce yourself in new classes—or how do you wish you had introduced yourself? For essay prompts that ask for interesting facts about yourself, you can highlight a cool hobby, a quirky experience, or a defining personality trait.

Alternatively, think about icebreakers you’ve encountered in the past that ask you to reveal something interesting about yourself. What are your go-to’s during icebreakers? Which quirky or little known facts about you intrigue people and stay in their memories? You can also treat the “introduce yourself” prompt as your personal elevator pitch. What are the most essential things to know about you in less than one minute? Of course, remember your audience, and make sure that what you are sharing is of interest to and appropriate for your audience (your classmates and the admissions committee).



Your responses to these types of questions do not have to be very formal. Nor do they have to (or even should) focus solely on your professional background. Allow your personality and personal background to shine through as well. In addition, don’t talk about what you think the admissions committee wants to hear in a response. Above all, be honest and true to yourself. Who are you—really?

Why This School?

This question is popular among business school applications, because admissions committees want to know which applicants are truly interested in their schools and have done their research to be a well-informed applicant. Sometimes this question is embedded within a densely worded essay prompt alongside other questions; other times it is asked in simple terms.

Also, at times this question is asked with the lens of how the school will prepare you for your post-MBA life, both professional and personal.

Examples of how this question is weaved into essay prompts are listed below:

How will the Michigan Ross program help you achieve your personal and professional goals? (250 words max)
Tuck educates wise leaders who better the world of business. Please discuss why you are interested in Tuck specifically and how a Tuck MBA will enable you to become a wise leader with global impact. (500 words max)
What actions have you taken to determine that NYU Stern is the best fit for your MBA experience?* (250 words max)
Based on your post-MBA goals and what drives you in your personal and professional life, why is the Texas MBA the ideal program for you and how do you plan to engage in our community? (500 words max)
Why Haas? (2000 characters max)

In order to adequately answer a prompt asking you “Why our school?”, you need to:

Have a genuine interest in the specific school
Take the time to find out and address the intricacies of the school that attract you to the institution

In order to do this you need to connect with the school on multiple touchpoints, which you can do by talking to current students and alums (in person or via phone) and/or by visiting the school on campus. By doing so, you can gain a pulse of the school to the extent that you can pinpoint what matters to you about that particular school’s experience. More importantly, you can reference specific people in the community and mention details about the school’s culture, climate, and offerings that one cannot find through a quick online search.

When answering this question, make sure your response is concise. You can discuss the 2-3 most pertinent reasons why the school is a great fit for you. Try not to answer from the perspective of why you are a great fit for the school.

Overall, no reason is less powerful or right than another. Your “why” can refer to school culture, location, reputation, academic and professional opportunities, or anything else that you deem appropriate. What is most important is that your answer is that you demonstrate how the school offers a combination of specific things that you seek.

Keep these tips in mind and you will be well on your way to submitting strong member school supplemental essays with your Consortium application.

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How to Write The Consortium’s Core Essays

Guest Post from Enyi, consultant for The Art of Applying and Consortium Fellow

How to Write The Consortium’s Core Essays

The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management  application features three types of essays: two core application essays, one or more member school essays, and the membership essay. This post focuses on the two core essays. (See all of The Consortium essay prompts here.)

Core Essay One

Core Essay One asks applicants to respond to the following prompt: Please describe your short and long term goals post-MBA. How has your professional experience shaped these goals and influenced your decision to pursue an MBA degree? (Two-double spaced pages maximum)

Does the above essay prompt look familiar to you? If it does, that is because you may have seen a variation of this prompt on the application websites for some top business schools.

Many business schools want to know more about your pre-MBA background and how it fits with your post-MBA goals. Questions about your career background and goals help admissions committees create a diverse incoming class.

However, this specific prompt differs in that it does not expect applicants to craft a response in the context of a particular school. Here a few points to keep in mind as you draft your response to this question:

Show Your Career Trajectory

Just as a resume is a reflection of your career direction, this essay should demonstrate how you have reached this point in your career, and what you view for your professional future. You need to tell the story of what inspired you to obtain an MBA, whether it was a specific role, a single event, or an influential person in your life. 

For most, such a story would best be explained in a chronological manner, but do not confine yourself to that style if it doesn’t fit your career. What is most important is that a reader can logically follow the motives behind your career shifts and decisions.

Be Near-Sighted & Far-Sighted

In terms of time frames, it helps to think of the short term as the 2-3 years post-MBA, and to attach a 5-10 year time horizon to long-term goals. Long-term goals tend to be fluid and abstract, so there is pressure to highlight specific metric targets of success. Therefore, focus on the scope of the impact you want to have in your post-MBA career.

MBA: “My Business Advantage”

Use this acronym to help you target what advantages you will gain by spending two years in an MBA program. What parts of the MBA experience do you most value?

Maybe you want to gain soft skills and a qualitative business perspective to supplement a technical background. Perhaps the network of the school through alums, professors, and fellow classmates is a huge plus. Take the time to think of the core elements of the MBA that will maximize your impact in your post-MBA career.

Core Essay Two (Optional – still, respond!)

Core Essay Two is optional and states: Is there any other information you would like to share that is not presented elsewhere in the application? You may also use this essay to provide further explanation of employment gaps, test scores, etc. (Two-double spaced pages maximum)

It’s important to note that, here at The Art of Applying, we always recommend that you respond to the Consortium’s optional essay. There are two directions one can take with this essay: 

Shed light on extenuating circumstances surrounding sections of your application that may raise questions by an admissions committee, and
Take the opportunity to bolster your candidacy by adding an experience you didn’t have the bandwidth to explain in other sections of the application. It’s important to note that the Consortium application welcomes these “bonus stories” but most schools prefer that the optional essay be a succinct explanation of any concerns they may have—no bonus stories allowed.

With respect to addressing extenuating circumstances, you can address circumstances related to the following:

Employment gaps
Career Shifts
Test Scores
Overall GPA and/or grade inconsistencies across semesters
Recommender Choices

If you go this route, you want this essay to be concise, straight-forward, and solution-oriented. You want the tone to be explanatory, but not excuse-laden. Focus on how you navigated or bounced back from past challenges, which shows that you can deal with potential liabilities in the context of an MBA program.

On the other hand, if you decide on direction #2, make sure that whatever you address is something that could not be covered given the scope of other essay questions or application sections.

For instance, this essay could be a chance to describe an unusual experience, special accolade or extracurricular activity that is central to your life and different enough to differentiate you from other candidates. Again, make sure you address the most important aspects rather than trying to cover every possible concern the admissions committee may have about you.

When it comes to the Consortium application, we encourage you to add to your candidacy by responding to this prompt. Note that the Consortium titles the prompt “Core Essay Two.” So while the prompt is optional, your response will become a core section of your application. Hence, don’t write this essay on subjects that would be viewed as footnotes rather than as core themes.



Good luck on completing your Consortium application!

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