Yale SOM Hosting a Tokyo Reception on March 1, 2018

Staff of the Yale SOM MBA Program will be hosting a Reception event on Thursday March 1, 2018 in Tokyo. For more information and to register click here. 

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

2015-16 MBA Admissions Deadlines and Essays: Harvard, Stanford, Yale, MIT, Wharton and Columbia

Thinking of submitting an MBA application later this fall? Top schools are releasing their deadlines and essay prompts earlier than ever, and even though we are only in mid-May, there's a lot of information out there:

MBA admissions deadlines:

Harvard, Stanford, MIT Sloan, Wharton, Columbia J-term, Yale



MBA admissions essay questions:

Harvard, Stanford, MIT Sloan, Columbia

This year, Harvard's deadline is September 9th. Time to get started on that application!

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

MBA Application Strategy: Adding 1-2 Schools is Easier than Ever

I have never endorsed the concept of applying to more programs than you might normally do so just for the sake of maximising your overall chances. Applying to 10 programs instead of 7, or to 5 programs instead of 3 has often meant, to me at least, greater risk of shoddy and underdeveloped work as a result of not spending enough time on each application. Rushing to complete a lot of work in a short amount of time never really works out for anyone.

However, today MBA applications are easier to complete than ever as recommendation letter prompts and essay topics are becoming more and more generic. 

Essays - 

More and more top MBA programs have been cutting their number of required essays (Wharton, Michigan, Stanford, Tuck) or eliminating mandatory essays entirely and leaving only one optional essay (Harvard). I don't agree with this trend, as I feel schools should be investing more time into choosing the right candidates for their program rather than cutting application requirements. However, the amount of time spent drafting and completing essays is going to be a bit less now that schools have less essays. What will stay the same though for most is the amount of time spent brainstorming contents. This, brainstorming and deciding essays approaches and strategies, is and will always remain a vital component of the process.

Recommendation letters - 

Recently several top MBA programs announced they’re requiring recommenders to respond to a standardised set of questions. Columbia, Yale, Wharton, Chicago, Virginia, and Kellogg are expected to participate. A Poets&Quants article on the topic can be read here. Stanford even made their famous peer recommender an optional part of this year's application - more on that here.

Overall, I feel the change is again a negative one in that schools are becoming more and more alike and less differentiated at the application level. But there’s no doubt that if you aim for 1-2 extra schools amongst those in this list, your recommenders won’t be greatly affected. 

So, if you have finished one application that is strong, and completed to your liking, and it cannot be improved anymore..  then adding an extra school or two might certainly be within reach. I don’t mean that you SHOULD apply to more programs, just that the OPPORTUNITY COST is lower than ever. 

Remember: application quality is most important, and should never be sacrificed. Don’t cut and paste blindly between applications. Research programs and be ready to show how you feel fit with a given program when asked to do so. These are important things to consider for every school to which you apply. But, at the same time, know that the days of saying “I don’t think I have the time to submit an HBS or Wharton app in R2” are likely gone for those who are well-prepared and keeping to a schedule.

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

Yale SOM no longer requires the TOEFL, publishes essay prompts, promises video questions

The Yale SOM announced via a recent blog post that they will no longer require the TOEFL, or any test of English for that matter.

In a highly related follow-up post, they revealed their 2 essay prompts for this year, as well as the fact that applicants will also be required to answer video-based questions too.


Essays:

Essay 1: What motivates your decision to pursue an MBA? (300 words maximum)

Essay 2: The Yale School of Management provides leadership education for broad-minded, rigorous, and intellectually curious students with diverse backgrounds; a distinctive integrated curriculum; connections to one of the great research universities in the world; and the broad reach of an innovative and expanding global network of top business schools.

What motivates you to apply to the Yale School of Management for your MBA? What will you contribute to Yale and Yale SOM? (450 words maximum)

The essays can be verified here. In addition to these traditional essays, Yale SOM plans to roll out video-based questions later in the year. I have already posted the SOM application deadlines here.  More on these changes soon!

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

Yale SOM Deadlines for the 2013-14 Application Season

The Yale School of Management has posted the deadlines for those applying to their MBA program beginning in the fall of 2014.

Round 1 - 
Deadline: 9/25/2013
Decision: 12/9/2013

Round 2 - 
Deadline: 1/9/2014
Decision: 4/4/2014

Round 3 - 
Deadline: 4/24/2014
Decision: 5/22/2014

Please confirm these deadlines at the Yale SOM official website.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

Yale Releases Application Essays for the 2012-13 Application Season

The Yale School of Management has announced via their admissions blog the essay prompts for those applying to the entering class of 2013. This year’s application includes 4 required essays.  

First-time Applicant Essays:

1. What prompted your decision to get an MBA?  When did you realize that this was a step you wanted – or needed – to take? (150 words maximum)

2. Describe a difficult professional decision you had to make.  What were the consequences, and what, if anything, did you learn?  Would you make the same decision again? (300 words maximum)

3. The Yale School of Management provides a leadership education characterized by broad-minded and intellectually curious students with diverse backgrounds, a distinctive integrated curriculum, connections to one of the great research universities in the world, and the broad reach of an innovative and expanding global network of top business schools.  What will you contribute to the Yale SOM community, and how will being part of it help you extend your professional vision? (300 words maximum)

4. What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishment?  Why? (300 words maximum)

Reapplicant Essays:

Reapplicants must answer 3 essays.  They are questions 1 and 4 from above, and in addition, this essay:

What steps have you taken to improve your candidacy since your last application? (300 words maximum).

As always, do verify all information directly at the website for Yale SOM admissions. 

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

Yale SOM Announced 2012-13 Application Season Deadlines

The Yale School of Management has announced their application deadlines for those applying for their MBA program starting in the fall of 2013.

Round 1:
Deadline - 10/4/2012
Decision - 12/13/2012

Round 2:
Deadline - 1/8/2013
Decision - 3/28/2013

Round 3:
Deadline - 4/18/2013
Decision - 5/16/2013

Do confirm all information directly at the school's admissions website.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com