Essay Tips: Columbia Business School

Essay Tips: The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Mary Jacobs

June 21, 2023

Law School Admissions

Survey Finds Law Students Hesitant About Generative AI Technology

Mary Jacobs

June 21, 2023

Law School Admissions

The use of generative AI technology is growing within the legal industry. In a recent LexisNexis survey, over half of lawyers polled reported using the technology for research (59 percent) and improving efficiency (54 percent). Significant proportions also used it for drafting documents (45 percent) and writing emails (34 percent).

Surprisingly, however, the survey found that law students were the least likely group to report using the technology. Only nine percent of the responding law students said that they use AI currently in law school and a quarter said that they plan to use it in their future legal work.

So why aren’t law students jumping on the AI bandwagon? Serena Wellen of LexisNexis took a deep dive into the data to find out. We’ve summarized her findings below:

Accuracy. Some of the law students noted that generative AI is not reliable. Research findings may be inaccurate, false, or based on unreliable data that it presents as fact, even including false citations.
Academic Integrity. Students fear that the use of generative AI could encourage academic dishonesty as the proper use of the tools has not been well defined at many law schools.
Innovative Thinking. Students note that learning and practicing the law requires critical and innovative thinking and they believe that the use of generative AI would discourage their refinement of this skill-set.
Fear of Replacement. Some students fear that generative AI will overtake entry-level legal positions that offer essential learning opportunities.

Ultimately, while generative AI will likely play an increasingly important role in legal work, students are correct in expressing their hesitation. Law schools will need to develop guidelines for proper use of the technology.

Mary Jacobs

June 20, 2023

Medical School Admissions

AMA Formally Opposes Legacy Preference in Medical School Admissions

Mary Jacobs

June 20, 2023

Medical School Admissions

During the AMA’s Annual Meeting earlier this month, the House of Delegates announced that they formally oppose, rather than just discourage, the use of legacy preference in medical school admissions . Specifically, the AMA objects to the inclusion of “formal and specific legacy questions” in the application, which can serve as a screening mechanism and discriminate against applicants from historically underrepresented groups.

In the discussion prior to the resolution’s passage, Anna Yap, MD and Delegate for the Section Council on Preventive Medicine and the Resident Fellows Section, said, "We should remove this question that can be used as a filter that further cements structural racism."

A delegate for the Women’s Physician Section, Nicole Plenty, MD, pointed out that the inclusion of a legacy section on the application may discourage underrepresented students from even applying. This section can highlight for some students, particularly among those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, a lack of connection to the school in comparison to other prospective applicants.

A full summary of the AMA’s policy adoptions and updates is available here.

Mary Jacobs

June 18, 2023

MBA Admissions

Essay Tips: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Mary Jacobs

June 18, 2023

MBA Admissions

University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School has published its 2023-2024 application deadlines for their full-time MBA program. As we always say, It’s never too early to start thinking about your application.

Round Application Deadline Interview Invitation Decision Notification

Round 1 06 September 2023 24 October 2023 14 December 2023

Round 2 04 January 2024 16 February 2024 26 March 2024

Round 3 02 April 2024 19 April 2024 13 May 2024

*Deferred 24 April 2024 28 May 2024 27 June 2024

*Deferred applicants apply during their final year of study at an undergraduate or graduate institution. They are expected to pursue quality work experiences for two to four years and then enter into the Wharton MBA program.

Wharton receives a large number of applicants each year, most of whom have excellent undergraduate transcripts, post-baccalaureate work experience, and standardized test scores. Because of this, key points of differentiation for the Admissions Committee are applicants’ essay responses and their performance in the team-based interview.

Essay 1: How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your future professional goals? You might consider your past experience, short and long-term goals, and resources available at Wharton. (500 words)

This prompt asks you to explain how a Wharton MBA will bridge your past accomplishments and your future goals. To do this, you will want to anchor this essay in the past. Because what you’ve already done, learned, and achieved is far more important than what you haven’t—what you say you want to do in the future. In order to fully satisfy the objective of this prompt, go into your backstory and detail the key moments that influenced you and the formation of your goals. Then transition into what you have yet to learn, and why a Wharton MBA is your next step. Prove to them that their program is the perfect intersection between where you’ve been and where you want to go. Which courses, professors, experiential learning opportunities, etc. are most interesting to you? Choose three or four that differentiate Wharton from other business schools you’re considering and explain why you’re so eager to engage and participate. This essay is about connecting the dots; once the reader has taken the trip to your past, your proposed path forward will make much more sense.

Essay 2: Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 words)

Show Wharton’s admissions officers how you will be a valued member of their community by anchoring your response in experiences from your past that will inform and invigorate your plan. Are you a passionate environmentalist who has spent your career in corporate social responsibility and hopes to spearhead a new sustainability case competition for full-time MBA students? Were you part of a years-long organizational behavior research study in undergrad and hope to find a research mentor in that department at Wharton? Did you start a pro-bono consulting group at your current employer, and you’d like to partner with a local organization to offer similar services alongside a group of your Wharton colleagues? In linking your passions and expertise to your proposed contributions, you will demonstrate to the admissions directors that you are the kind of collaborative, community-minded, and determined student they are looking for.

Optional Essay: Please use this space to share any additional information about yourself that cannot be found elsewhere in your application and that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee. This space can also be used to address any extenuating circumstances (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, areas of weakness, etc.) that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (500 words)

This essay is for additional context around a weak spot in your application. Did you get a C in calculus? Or withdraw from your courses your sophomore year to help a family member? Do you feel that your lackluster GMAT score isn’t indicative of your abilities?

If you are going to address a low grade in an analytical course or a low GMAT score, don’t make excuses. Spend the majority of your word count demonstrating your ability to excel in rigorous academic or professional environments by using specific examples. Provide information on similar classes in which you achieved excellent grades or give details about a professional pursuit that resulted in success.

If you are speaking to a more sensitive situation, perhaps a big mistake or legal issue that impacted your GPA, spend approximately 20 percent of your essay addressing the situation. Then use the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took to improve and what happened as a result. Do not make excuses, simply address the situation, placing the emphasis on what you learned. Remember, everyone makes mistakes, taking accountability and moving forward demonstrates maturity.

The Writing Process

Begin with a brainstorm. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Document your experiences, positive and negative, that prompted an evolution in your perspective—you know, those “ah-ha!” moments without which you would be a different student, professional, and/or person today. Then, record those experiences that will show the reader your abilities in innovation (critical/creative thinking and problem solving), leadership, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your interest in business school. Capture as many details as possible, paying particular attention to what you thought, felt, said, and did in each situation. Your focus should be on adult experiences (from the start of college and later), though stories from your youth could comprise up to 20 percent of this brainstorm.

During your brainstorm, don’t limit yourself by worrying about a cohesive narrative, the quality of your writing, and/or the number/length of your stories. Simply focus on collecting those situations that helped to guide your path to this point and impacted your decision to apply to the Wharton MBA program.

Craft an outline. Select the key stories you will use to anchor your narratives. Remember that you’ll use your essays to go deep into experiences that demonstrate the traits you want to emphasize.

Write. Keep in mind that you must be showing, not telling the reader who you are. In contrast to your resume, which provides a general overview of your experiences, your essay responses should go deep into a story that allows the reader to come to their own conclusions about some of your character traits and abilities. Highlight how you’ve struggled, triumphed, learned, and how these experiences have developed you into the person you are now.

Review. Revise. Repeat. Confirm your word count and read your essay aloud noting where you stumble. Make revisions as necessary. Once it reads smoothly, set it down and walk away for at least 24 hours. Then re-read it. Is it you? Is it personal and authentic? You want the reader to see the real person behind the applicant number. While we caution against “oversharing,” being appropriately vulnerable will create connection.

Related:

Essay Tips: The Harvard Business School

Essay Tips: The Stanford Graduate School of Business

Essay Tips: Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley

Essay Tips: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Essay Tips: The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Mary Jacobs

June 18, 2023

Medical School Admissions

Katie Couric Commencement Address Urges Medical School Graduates to “Talk to Your Patients in Human”

Mary Jacobs

June 18, 2023

Medical School Admissions

Katie Couric, best known for her years as a broadcaster and outspoken advocate for cancer research, recently addressed the graduating class at UMass Medical School. Her speech focused on the power of humanity and the irreplaceable role that empathy plays in the doctor-patient relationship, especially in our increasingly technological world.

Her speech included a quote from Jeremy Faust, MD and Editor-in-Chief of MedPage Today. “My friend, Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, put it this way: ‘Use every bit of technology that you possibly can to prepare for each patient. But then drop all that and do the one thing that technology never can do: Look at your patient and think, ‘What would I do if this were my mother or my brother?’ No machine will ever be able to know that feeling and it will change what you do, more often than you’d expect.’”

After Couric’s speech, Faust expanded upon his quote in a blog post published on MedPage Today. In it, he provides tactical advice about what “speaking human” and the marriage of technology and human connection can look like for a physician.

We’ve provided highlights from his post here, as well as links to the full text of Couric’s speech and Faust’s blog below.

Introduce Yourself. Not only should you introduce yourself, but ensure that the patient also identifies themself by name. This does the double-duty of starting politely and also confirming that you are in the right place with the right person. Take the time also to meet and understand the role of other family members or friends who are present.
Make the Human Connection. Create a connection through the means available. When applicable, Faust said that he will share a relevant personal struggle that parallels the patient’s experience. This can help him to demonstrate his understanding of what a patient is facing as a person. Additionally, he mentions that he’ll often invoke his own family as he discusses potential options. This communicates to the patient that he is thinking through his advice to them with no less rigor or personalization than he would his own family.
Make Your Professional Experience a Part of the Conversation. Establish credibility by being upfront with how experienced you are with a particular situation. Let the patient know that you’ve seen similar situations often (or, for newer physicians, that you have observed similar cases and are working in partnership with an experienced attending physician). Conversely, if you don’t have the experience, make sure to let the patient know that you’re calling on the advice of someone who does. Either way, providing the patient with an honest evaluation establishes confidence and trust.
Make Technology an Open Part of Your Workflow. Use technology to gather ideas, or to level-set with a patient who you think has already turned to technology. Share your use of technology with them as well as your assessment of the findings. Review with the patient which ideas are worthy of exploration, as well as those that are not. Faust contends that technology is a meaningful resource for physicians. “If I look something up, I'll tell a patient. That’s not ‘cheating.’ That’s going the extra mile,” he wrote.

Find the full text of Katie Couric’s speech here.

Find the full text of Dr. Jeremy Faust’s blog here.

Mary Jacobs

June 12, 2023

MBA Admissions

Essay Tips: Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley

Mary Jacobs

June 12, 2023

MBA Admissions

Berkeley Haas has published application deadlines for their full-time MBA, and it’s never too early to start thinking about your essay responses.

Round Application Deadline Decision Notification

Round 1 14 September 2023 07 December 2023

Round 2 04 January 2024 21 March 2024

Round 3 28 March 2024 02 May 2024

The Admissions Committee at Berkeley Haas wants a holistic understanding of applicants, including “all aspects of a candidate’s character, qualifications, and experiences.” And they care deeply about putting together a diverse class.

All MBA programs look for applicants to demonstrate their abilities in innovation (critical, creative thinking and problem solving), leadership, and teamwork, but Berkeley Haas specifically defines four leadership principles you should pay particular attention to while brainstorming and writing. These include “Challenge the Status Quo,” “Confidence without Attitude,” “Students Always”, and “Beyond Yourself.”

Required Essay 1: What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why? (300 words maximum)

The Haas Admissions Committee asks this question to get a sense of who you are and what makes you tick. They want to better understand your passion(s) and what qualities and interest(s) you will bring to the program.

To get started, consider what “feeling most alive” means to you. Is it working towards something meaningful? Overcoming an obstacle? Entering a flow state? What experiences in your past have made time disappear? Then consider your interests, hobbies, work, and volunteer experiences. Keep in mind that the activity itself matters less than the joy and personal growth that has resulted from your experiences. So choose something you feel authentically passionate about rather than what you believe the Admissions Committee wants to see.

Once you feel confident with what you want to write about, take a deep dive into one specific instance in the activity. Then explain the role of the activity in your life. What has it taught you about yourself, about others, about the world? How does your participation in the activity continue to inspire your growth?

Take a look at our writing process below to help you craft a strong narrative.

Required Essay 2: How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words max)

Although this question asks about your future goals and how a Haas MBA will help you achieve them, you will want to anchor this essay in the past. Because what you’ve already done, learned, and achieved is far more important than what you haven’t—what you say you want to do in the future. In order to fully satisfy the objective of this prompt, go into your backstory and detail the key moments that influenced you and the formation of your goals. Your resume will provide an overview of your professional path to date, but this is your chance to provide a deep dive into your most pivotal experiences. Once the reader has taken this trip to your past, your proposed path forward and why Haas will be the perfect fit, will make much more sense.

Required (Video) Essay 3: The Berkeley MBA program develops leaders who embody our four Defining Leadership Principles. Briefly introduce yourself to the admissions committee, explain which leadership principle resonates most with you, and tell us how you have exemplified the principle in your personal or professional life. (Not to exceed 2 minutes.)

To start, familiarize yourself with the Haas Four Defining Leadership Principles. Which one resonates most with you? Why? Which of your personal and/or professional experiences will most compellingly show how you live one of these values in your daily life?

Create an outline of ideas and practice delivering your content aloud. You’ll want to include a brief introduction (20-30 seconds), an explanation of why your chosen principle resonates with you (40-50 seconds), a deep dive into a specific experience that shows how you live that principle (40-50 seconds), and a brief conclusion (10 seconds).

Consider also how you can best incorporate your personality into your submission. If you have a location or background that will help you tell your story, go for it. And take advantage of the fact that you can record the video as many times as you want.

Tips for filming your video include:

Set the lights. Place a light in front of you so that your face is clearly visible on the screen (backlighting will result in shadows).
Dress professionally. Put your best foot forward by dressing professionally, similar to how you would dress for an in-person interview.
Prepare, but don’t script yourself. You’ll want the admissions committee to see the real you. Think strategically about the points you want to highlight in each video, but don’t memorize a script.
Note your pace. When nerves hit, people tend to speak too quickly. Practice delivering your response out loud, and ensure you can get through all of your points at a steady pace within two minutes.

Required (Short Answer) Essay 3: Can you please describe any experience or exposure you have in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging whether through community organizations, personal, or in the workplace? (150 words max)

This question prompts you to explore how you have and will continue to thrive in diverse environments. What have been your most meaningful experiences connecting with those unlike yourself? What have you learned? With such a limited word count, you should choose one anecdote and explore how it impacted your perspective as well as reinforced your desire to promote a sense of community at Berkeley Haas.

The Writing Process

Begin with a brainstorm. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Document your experiences, positive and negative, that prompted an evolution in your perspective—you know, those “ah-ha!” moments without which you would be a different student, professional, and/or person today. Then, record those experiences that will show the reader your abilities in innovation (critical/creative thinking and problem solving), leadership, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your interest in business school. Keep in mind also the Haas Defining Leadership Principles. Capture as many details as possible, paying particular attention to what you thought, felt, said, and did in each situation. Your focus should be on adult experiences (from the start of college and later), though stories from your youth could comprise up to 20 percent of this brainstorm.

During your brainstorm, don’t limit yourself by worrying about a cohesive narrative, the quality of your writing, and/or the number/length of your stories. Simply focus on collecting those situations that helped to guide your path to this point and impacted your decision to apply to the Berkeley Haas MBA program.

Craft an outline. Select the key stories you will use to anchor your narratives. Remember that you’ll use your essays to go deep into experiences that demonstrate the traits you want to emphasize.

Write. Keep in mind that you must be showing, not telling the reader who you are. In contrast to your resume, which provides a general overview of your experiences, your essay responses should go deep into a story that allows the reader to come to their own conclusions about some of your character traits and abilities. Highlight how you’ve struggled, triumphed, learned, and how these experiences have developed you into the person you are now.

Review. Revise. Repeat. Confirm your word count and read your essay aloud noting where you stumble. Make revisions as necessary. Once it reads smoothly, set it down and walk away for at least 24 hours. Then re-read it. Is it you? Is it personal and authentic? You want the reader to see the real person behind the applicant number. While we caution against “oversharing,” being appropriately vulnerable will create connection.

Related:

Essay Tips: Harvard Business School

Essay Tips: The Stanford Graduate School of Business

Essay Tips: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Essay Tips: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Essay Tips: The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Mary Jacobs

June 9, 2023

Law School Admissions

Law School Applicant Volume Projected to Decline

Mary Jacobs

June 9, 2023

Law School Admissions

After the 13 percent spike in law school applications in 2021, the numbers continue to normalize. Law School Admission Council data shows that, as of last Thursday, applicant volume was down 2.4 percent from last year.

"It's a return to normalcy," said Susan Krinsky, the Law School Admission Council’s Executive Vice President for Operations. "It's very consistent with the last five years except for 2021."

With the exception of 2021, applicant numbers have consistently stayed between 57,000 to 64,000 during the five-year period. Reuters noted that, according to legal industry experts, the one-year surge resulted from the confluence of the Covid-19 pandemic and its effect on the entry-level job market, the nationwide protests related to inequality and the death of George Floyd, and the presidency of Donald Trump.

Despite the decline in applicant quantity, applicant quality and diversity remain high. The percentage of applicants with LSAT scores between 170 and 180 are up slightly from last year, suggesting that, despite the decline, spots at highly-regarded programs will remain competitive. And applicant diversity is up, with applicants of color making up 46.5 percent of the total, an increase from 45 percent last year.

Mary Jacobs

June 7, 2023

Medical School Admissions

Establish a Self-Care Routine Before Starting Medical School

Mary Jacobs

June 7, 2023

Medical School Admissions

This blog is the third in a series that we are publishing on the soft skills and self-care rituals that all premedical students should work on developing prior to starting medical school.

The toll that medical school takes on students is well-documented. A 2020 article published in Medical Education Online summarized research findings on the impact of starting medical school on student wellness. “Prior studies suggest that mental health is especially affected, with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and perceived stress among medical students compared to age-matched non-medical student peers,” the article noted.

If you’re thinking, “Sure, medical school is stressful, but it’s temporary…,” you may be underestimating the problem. The American Medical Association references physician burnout as an epidemic, noting that just under two-thirds of doctors report signs of burnout including “emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.” In 2017, as a response to the gravity and universality of physician burnout and its negative impact on patient care, the World Medical Association amended the Geneva Declaration’s Physician Pledge, a modernized companion to the Hippocratic Oath, to include (among other things) the line “I WILL ATTEND TO my own health, well-being, and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standard.”

You must take care of yourself, to take care of others.

This is why we recommend that aspiring medical students do not wait to consider integrating self-care practices into their schedules. Because, while school is temporary and residency is temporary and fellowships are temporary—practicing medicine is not and it will continue to bring stress throughout the many phases of your career.

Although self-care looks different for everyone, there are some basic practices we recommend you consider. The Harvard Health Blog offers “four ways to nourish your body and soul,” that overlap considerably with the AMA’s recommendations for medical students.

Physical Activity. Finding a regular exercise routine is a powerful way to ensure that you stay physically healthy, but it can be difficult. Harvard’s blog recommends that, no matter how, you make it a practice to incorporate movement into your day as much as possible. Park further away, take the stairs, stand up and stretch routinely while studying, discuss your coursework while taking a walk or flip through flash cards while on an exercise bike. The minutes and benefits will add up.
Good Nutrition. Eat as plant-based and colorfully as possible. Try to avoid high-carbohydrate and sugar snacks, and don’t try to compensate for a poor diet with supplements and vitamins. Practice what you will (eventually) preach to the fullest extent possible. The AMA also recommends that students try to avoid high-sugar energy drinks and vending machines in favor of proper, nutritious meals.
Obtain calm. Take at least a few minutes every day to engage yourself in something that calms you. This could be meditation, yoga, painting, reading, knitting, baking, or playing an instrument. What works best to soothe your busy mind?
Sleep. Yes, even in medical school. Routinely get the amount of sleep that you need. Usually that’s around eight hours. And be sure to stay away from electronic devices and/or alcohol directly before bedtime. Erin Ayala, PhD, and the lead author of the medical student self-care study, provided the AMA with the following tips to improve medical student sleep:
- Track your sleep so that you understand the amount you’re actually getting and what improvements you need to make.
- Create a routine based on consistent bedtime and wake-up times.
- Relax prior to going to bed, and don’t use your bed as a study spot.
- Consider your caffeine and alcohol intake and how those may impact your sleep.

Read the rest of the series:

Mary Jacobs

June 2, 2023

Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions

Shorter GRE Available for Test Takers in September

Mary Jacobs

June 2, 2023

Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) just announced that, as of September 22, 2023, registrants for the GRE will receive a shorter test. The refreshed exam will take under two hours, about half the current testing time, and is the first in a series of planned updates to the GRE. The changes are intended to improve the testing experience and reduce test-taker anxiety and fatigue.

Specific updates to the test include:

Removal of the “Analyze an Argument” (analytical writing) section
Fewer questions in the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections
Removal of the unscored action
Faster receipt of official scores (8-10 days)

“As we continue to introduce product innovations, we’re committed to balancing two things—maintaining rigor and validity, while improving the test-taker experience,” ETS CEO Amit Sevak said.

The ABA voted to allow the use of the GRE as an alternative to the LSAT for law school applicants in 2021. The organization has not yet commented on the reduction in the test length and if the changes will impact the ABA’s decision to continue to allow the GRE in law school admissions.

Mary Jacobs

June 2, 2023

MBA Admissions

Essay Tips: The Stanford Graduate School of Business

Mary Jacobs

June 2, 2023

MBA Admissions

Stanford GSB has published deadlines for their MBA application submissions and it is never too early to think about your approach.

Round Application Deadline Decision Notification

Round 1 12 September 2023 07 December 2023

Round 2 04 January 2024 28 March 2024

Round 3 09 April 2024 23 May 2024

*Materials must be submitted by 4:00 pm Pacific Time on the designated date.

Stanford’s Admissions Committee is looking for you to demonstrate intellectual curiosity and vitality (show them how you might contribute in a classroom), leadership skills (show them how you approach guiding others towards a common goal), and how you see the world (show them your values, beliefs, ambitions, and identity in action). They want to see a polished, but genuine, version of you (not what you think an ideal MBA candidate looks like).

Essay A: What matters most to you, and why?

For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you’ve identified what matters most to you, help us understand why. You might consider, for example, what makes this so important to you? What people, insights, or experiences have shaped your perspectives?

In this essay, you will need to get deeply personal. If you’ve written this response correctly, it will make you a bit uncomfortable because it will touch on some of your toughest decisions, scariest learning moments, and/or most tender relationships. Stanford’s Admissions Committee asks the question to gain an understanding of how you view the world and how you make decisions and execute against the goals and priorities that you set. What you name as mattering most matters less than your ability to effectively show how you have lived in its pursuit.

If you’re unsure of what matters most, you’re not alone. Start by brainstorming and writing down stories from your past. A lot of them. (And, bonus! This will serve as an excellent starting point for essay responses for other school applications and/or interview responses). In particular, think about your most meaningful experiences that changed or impacted your worldview. This may involve key decisions, moments of pride or shame, times when you’ve excelled or struggled, and notably strong or difficult relationships. Keep in mind that tough decisions, particularly when you feel torn between the options, are useful for pinpointing what matters most to you. Similarly, painful failures and mistakes can also bring to light what you care about. Consider why the situation was painful and what you learned from it.

While you’ll want the majority of your essay to reflect your adult life, the origins of what matters most to you may have occurred at a younger age, so keep your brainstorming broad. After writing these pivotal moments down, see what themes emerge. Did you turn down an undergraduate admissions offer to Harvard and later an appealing job to stay close to family? Did you move across the country (where you knew no one) to attend the best engineering school you were admitted to, and while there, worked around the clock? Did you quit a lucrative finance career to join a political campaign?

If you read the question and immediately know your answer, what matters most to you, take a look at our writing process below to craft a strong narrative.

Essay B: Why Stanford?

Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.

In Essay A, you’ve given Stanford insight into who you are. In Essay B, you’ll explain to the Admissions Committee the specific components of the Stanford GSB MBA that you need to execute on your future goals. What courses, professors, experiential learning opportunities, and/or case competitions are you particularly intrigued by and why? What previous experiences reinforced your interest in these offerings? How will these opportunities help you achieve your post-MBA goals? We know the overwhelming popularity of courses like Stanford’s “touchy-feely,” but your response should feel personalized to your career path. Make the case that the Stanford MBA (not just an MBA) is the perfect bridge between your past and your future.

The Writing Process

Begin with a brainstorm. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Document your experiences, positive and negative, that prompted an evolution in your perspective—you know, those “ah-ha!” moments without which you would be a different student, professional, and/or person today. Then, record those experiences that will show the reader your abilities in innovation (critical/creative thinking and problem solving), leadership, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your interest in business school. Capture as many details as possible, paying particular attention to what you thought, felt, said, and did in each situation. Your focus should be on adult experiences (from the start of college and later), though stories from your youth could comprise up to 20 percent of this brainstorm.

During your brainstorm, don’t limit yourself by worrying about a cohesive narrative, the quality of your writing, and/or the number/length of your stories. Simply focus on collecting those situations that helped to guide your path to this point and impacted your decision to apply to the Stanford GSB MBA program.

Craft an outline. Select the key stories you will use to anchor your narratives. Remember that you’ll use your essays to go deep into experiences that demonstrate the traits you want to emphasize. Think about your application as a whole and use your responses to strategically cover any qualities that may not be adequately addressed in other aspects of your application.

Write. Keep in mind that you must be showing, not telling the reader who you are. Invite the reader into your life by highlighting sensory details, such as smells and sounds, and don’t hesitate to engage your readers emotionally. Sprinkle in humor (if you feel comfortable doing so) or hit a poignant note. In contrast to your resume which provides a general overview of your experiences, your essay responses should go deep into a story that allows the reader to come to their own conclusions about some of your character traits and abilities. Highlight how you’ve struggled, triumphed, learned, and how these experiences have developed you into the person you are now.

Review. Revise. Repeat. Confirm your word count and read your essay aloud noting where you stumble. Make revisions as necessary. Once it reads smoothly, set it down and walk away for at least 24 hours. Then re-read it. Is it you? Is it personal and authentic? You want the reader to see the real person behind the applicant number. While we caution against “oversharing,” being appropriately vulnerable will create connection.

Related:

Essay Tips: Harvard Business School

Essay Tips: Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley

Essay Tips: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Essay Tips: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Essay Tips: The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Mary Jacobs

May 29, 2023

Law School Admissions

National Conference of Bar Examiners Releases Details on the NextGen Bar Exam

Mary Jacobs

May 29, 2023

Law School Admissions

The students starting law school this year will be among the first to experience the NextGen Bar Exam, slated for release in July 2026. The National Conference of Bar Examiners just released a 42-page outline providing deeper insight into the updated exam.

The NextGen Bar Exam’s development stemmed from calls to create an exam that more adequately tests the legal knowledge and skills necessary for legal professionals today. The current bar exam faced criticisms that it “doesn’t reflect the actual practice of law” and that it tested memorization of legal concepts rather than skills.

Reuters provided a summary of the changes, which include:

Removal of the current exam’s three component tests: Multistate Bar Examination, Multistate Essay Examination, and Multistate Performance Test
Usage of an integrated format that tests both skills and knowledge

Seven legal skill areas: client counseling and advising, client relationships and management, legal research, legal writing, and negotiations
Seven legal knowledge areas: business associations and relationships, civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and constitutional protections of accused persons, evidence, real property, and torts.

The test will require memorization for some content, but it will also allow the use of support resources for designated subject matter areas.
The test will remove subject matter related to family law, estates and trusts, the uniform commercial code, and conflict of laws.

Although the NextGen Bar Exam will go live in July of 2026, states will determine which exam test-takers will receive for a specified period of time. After a period of no longer than five years, all jurisdictions will move to the NextGen exam.

Mary Jacobs

May 29, 2023

Medical School Admissions

Given the Choice, Most Physicians Would Choose Medicine Again. Most Would Even Opt for the Same Specialty.

Mary Jacobs

May 29, 2023

Medical School Admissions

Medscape recently published its 2023 Physician Income report. For this year’s report, over 10,000 providers, across 29 specialties, submitted responses.

We provide highlights from the report below:

Amidst the well-documented physician shortage and effects of the pandemic, which further reduced the supply of providers, it is not surprising that physician incomes are continuing to increase. From 2018 to 2023, the average physician income increased from $299,000 to $352,000. In 2023, Specialists’ compensation averaged $382,000, and Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) averaged $265,000. Male physicians continue to make more than women, with average salaries 19 percent higher for PCPs and 27 percent higher for specialists. The gap between the sexes, however, is smaller in 2023 than it was in previous years for both groups.

The top 10 highest paid specialties have remained relatively unchanged for the past decade with the exception of Plastic Surgery, which now garners the highest annual compensation ($619,000). Average pay increased the most from last year among Oncology (+13 percent), Gastroenterology (+11 percent), Anesthesiology, Radiology, Critical Care, and Urology (all +10 percent). The specialties with the biggest declines from last year include Ophthalmology (-7 percent), Emergency Medicine (-6 percent), Physician Medicine and Rehab, Nephrology, Allergy & Immunology, and Rheumatology (all -5 percent).

Most physicians (52 percent) feel that they are compensated fairly. Satisfaction does not correlate perfectly with average compensation, as physicians in some of the lower-paying specialties are among the most likely to report that they are satisfied. Physicians who work in Psychiatry (68 percent), Dermatology (65 percent), Public Health and Preventative Medicine (65 percent), and Critical Care (63 percent) are the most likely to feel compensated fairly. And, with the exception of Dermatology, none of the specialties fall within the top ten highest paid. Physicians working in Infectious Disease (35 percent), Ophthalmology (42 percent), Internal Medicine (43 percent), and Nephrology (43 percent) are the least likely to feel satisfied with their pay.

Almost three-quarters (73 percent) of physicians reported that they would choose medicine again and most would choose their specialty. Almost all Plastic Surgeons (97 percent), Urologists (96 percent), and Orthopedists (95 percent) would opt for their specialty again. The least likely to say that they would choose their specialty again are physicians working in family medicine (66 percent) and Internal Medicine (61 percent).

Physicians feel rewarded by their expertise and their relationships with patients, although they name many challenges. Just under one-third of respondents (30 percent) said that the work itself or “being very good at what I do” is the most rewarding part of the job. An additional 24 percent named “gratitude/relationships formed with patients,” and 19 percent said “helping others and doing good”. When asked about the challenges, physicians responded with a variety of items, including rules/regulations (21 percent), long hours (16 percent), dealing with difficult patients (15 percent), dealing with Medicare and/or insurers (13 percent), and working with electronic health records (13 percent), among others.

On average physicians spend 15.5 hours per week on administrative duties. This includes an average of nine hours on EHR documentation weekly. Specialists who spent an average of 18 (plus) hours per week on these duties, include Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (19 hours), Critical Care (18), Internal Medicine (18), Nephrology (18), Neurology (18), and Oncology (18). On the other end of the spectrum, Anesthesiologists (9) and Ophthalmologists (10) spent fewer hours on administrative work.

Mary Jacobs

May 24, 2023

MBA Admissions

Essay Tips: Harvard Business School

Mary Jacobs

May 24, 2023

MBA Admissions

The Harvard Business School just posted the submission deadlines for applicants to the MBA Class of 2026, and confirmed the required essay.

Round Application Deadline Decision Notification

Round 1 September 6 2023* December 6 2023

Round 2 January 3 2024* March 27 2024

*Submitted by 12PM ET

The essay prompt, which remains unchanged from last year, asks: “As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?” It’s never too early to start planning your narrative response.

At HBS, as with other elite programs, the essay is a critical component of your application. Not only does it allow you to differentiate yourself among a large pool of highly-qualified applicants, but it provides an opportunity to show the character traits that Harvard values. HBS puts a strong emphasis on character and service, with a longstanding mission “to educate leaders who make a difference in the world.” The program also expressly calls out community values including, “trust and mutual respect, free expression and inquiry, and a commitment to truth, excellence, and lifelong learning.” Dean Srikant Datar describes one of his aspirations for the school as “...stretching HBS and its learners beyond notions of merely personal success toward becoming, collectively and individually, driving forces in redefining the role of business in society around the world—addressing inequality, exclusion, climate change, and other intractable problems.”

Begin with a brainstorm. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Document your experiences, positive and negative, that prompted an evolution in your perspective—you know, those “ah-ha!” moments without which you would be a different student, professional, and/or person today. Then, record those experiences that will show the reader your abilities in innovation (critical/creative thinking and problem solving), leadership, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your interest in an MBA program. Capture as many details as possible, paying particular attention to what you thought, felt, said, and did in each situation. Your focus should be on adult experiences (from the start of college and later), though stories from your youth could comprise up to 20 percent of this brainstorm.

During your time spent brainstorming, don’t limit yourself by worrying about a cohesive narrative, the quality of your writing, or the number/length of your stories. Simply focus on collecting those situations that helped to guide your path to this point and impacted your decision to apply to the Harvard MBA program.

Once you have these thoughts on paper, look again at all of your experiences. Start to think about the story you want to tell, and also how you can use your experiences to best position yourself with the admissions committee.

The Outline. As you start to consider how you will anchor and organize your essay, you’ll want to think about your application as a whole—MBA Admissions committees are looking for you to demonstrate MBA-readiness with high potential in the areas of innovation, leadership, and teamwork—so you can use your essay strategically to show those qualities that may not be covered in your other materials. For example, if you have a perfect score on the analytical section of your GMAT and fantastic work experience in an analytical career on your resume, you may wish to use your essay to take the reader on a deep dive into your most meaningful leadership and/or community engagement experience.

Create a draft. Now it is time to start writing. Keep in mind that your essay is memoir, not autobiography. A memoir requires more than a recounting of events from your life. Rather, you must show the reader that you’ve experienced transcendence. Marion Roach Smith calls it the “golden rule” of memoir. She writes, “Memoir is not about what you did. Memoir is about what you did with it.” The experience is not the focus or the reason for the writing, just the vessel for sharing a more universal learning with your audience.

As you write, keep the lessons that you garnered from your experiences as the primary focus. Highlight how you’ve struggled and triumphed and how these experiences have developed you into the person you are now.

And don’t neglect to make it clear why a Harvard MBA is your next step. The question is asking about you (rather than “Why Harvard?”), but you’ll want to write it so that the reader finishes with a clear understanding of why a Harvard MBA is your next logical step.

Review. Revise. Repeat. While there is no limitation on length, we recommend that you target about 1300 to 1500 words. Read your essay aloud noting where you stumble. Make revisions as necessary. Once it reads smoothly, set it down and walk away for at least 24 hours. Then re-read it. Is it you? Is it personal and authentic? You want the reader to see the real person behind the applicant number. While we caution against “oversharing,” being appropriately vulnerable will create connection.

Essay Tips: Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley

Essay Tips: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Essay Tips: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business