StrataG

Improving your MBA statement of purpose — 12 steps at a time

The following tips for your MBA personal statement are based mostly on the experience of Strata-G’s professional editors, not formal research. They are merely a starting point, since the topic of good writing doesn’t really ever finish.

Also, please keep in mind that some schools provide detailed descriptions of the function of the personal statement(s) within their recruiting/admissions process. Some also provide great online writing resources for personal statements. They will happily trash yours because you failed to read the instructions. On the other hand some schools leave it all up to to you. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.

1. Realize what the PS is – it’s an ad – and approach it creatively

2. Quit your job — ah, so much more time to focus on the personal statement (PS)

3. Read a few real (not “sample”) statements that pertain to your target field/ program (check the Internet donk). Identity the standard PS themes/mechanisms such (a) opening anecdote (story) b) strategies for succinctly summarizing an entire academic or professional career in a few words c) how to conclude.

4. Don’t read too many statements. It won’t help and it can hurt. Put the best examples aside and have another glance at them when you’re two or three rough drafts down the road.

5. Start with roughly 200% word-length and then cut the PS in half. This way you keep the best parts.

6. Spend plenty of time looking at the website, including alumni publications, of your target programs. Frankly, this is the beginning of the acculturation process. It will take some time to truly fit in. It’s beyond dreaminess. Imagine yourself being there and eventually you will be.

7. Meanwhile, what does the admissions committee at your target school dream of? The same thing – they hope that you’ll fit in, excel, and support their programs after you graduate. They want to know that you’re a team player.

8. Aim for the right balance between professional jargon/buzzwords and normal language. In general, the tone of a personal statement is not formal.

9. Shoot for an effective balance between who you are and who you want to be.

10. Don’t ignore the cultural context of the reader. The same level of politeness that may be 100% OK in an Asian context (halus gan) may sound obsequious (tapi kelewat) in the context of university admissions overseas.

11. Be aware that many Western students will emphasize “overcoming hardship” in their personal statements. Tapi . . . at the same time, there aren’t a lot of good reasons to spotlight “privilege” either. Do you agree?

12. Emphasize Indonesia (or something else that’s unique or interesting).

Six functions of the CV/ resume within the graduate admissions process

Clients sometimes ask, why can’t I use the same CV to the admission committee that I use when I’m seeking work. Of course, we don’t advise that. When you think about it, the reason it’s not a good idea is because, as a graduate admissions candidate, you’re interested in joining the ranks of a diverse, prestigious graduate school in places like the US, UK, Holland and Australia — not looking for a job in Indonesia.

Here are six ways the CV/resume functions within the admissions process:

1. Footnotes. As discussed in the post about 9 steps toward grad study overseas, your CV and personal statement (PS) complement each other. You could say that your CV functions as footnotes for your PS. You aim for a certain “echo” effect by strategically repeating certain themes.

2. Evidentiary. A CV serves to prove statements the candidate makes about herself as part of the admission application process. Don’t lose 10 points worth of credibility to gain 5 points of embellishment value.

3. Branding. What brands are on your CV? Everyone would like to have some household names UN, Royal Dutch Shell, Schlumberger, Indonesian Ministry of Finance, Bank Indonesia, PT Telkom. Maybe it’s not too late. Who’s on your Facebook? Send out an SOS.

4. Fit. Admission committees will try to determine, based on the CV’s and other documents you submit, whether you’ll be a good fit for the 2010 or 2011 entering class. You may be familiar with the social networking application LinkedIn. How easy would it be to create a LinkeIn profile if there were no drop-down menu? Pretty tough, because you’d have to know the official name for everything and everyone you wanted to link to. You would have to come up with your own words to describe your background, identity, relationships and experiences. And that’s exactly how you begin you CV — with a white sheet of paper. Of course, if you get in right – bingo – you’re linked up with everybody that matters to you.

5. Travel log. Let’s take the USA for example. Many Americans only recently heard of Indonesia. (Funny, but true.) Your CV is an opportunity to demonstrate your cross-cultural fluency. Don’t say “faculty” if you mean “department.” These aren’t the same in the US. Also, no need to mention how you won th respect of your “seniors” as well as your “juniors.” It just doesn’t translate cross-culturally.

6. Flexibility. Knowing how to use a CV in the applications makes you more versatile. Let’s say you discover you must substantially alter your entire admissions strategy, eg, different degree, different program, different test, etc. Your CV/resume won’t mind at all. The vain little beast may even enjoy all the blood, sweat and tears you put into the makeover exercise. You’ll come out with a CV that shows the “other you” by adding new experiences and interests to the CV, realigning the existing ones with your target program.

Applying to graduate school from Indonesia — what’s my next step?

Congratulations on putting all your masters degree admissions tasks on one piece of paper. You can see the calendaring work has been checked off the 9-step list below. That means you only have 8 more steps to go.

Good luck and don’t hesitate to add your own tips in the comments section.

Order	Action	Why
1	Your calendaring exercise comes first. Gather together information about test dates and applications deadlines and requirements. Decide which programs you’ll apply to and when you need to E-mail and/or post the application documents.	Timing is one of the most challenging aspects of graduate applications. Calendaring is the first step in coming up to speed.
2	Control the test (eg GMAT, GRE, etc) situation. Which tests will you take and when? Plan to spend all your time preparing for your test, except the time you need for applications.	You will be more confident and focused after you have a test strategy.
3	Control the letters of recommendation (LOR) situation. Make a list of who (eg, professors, supervisor) you want as a recommender and come up with a strategy that will turn them into your strong supporters. Include at least two back ups.	The letters are a “question mark.” You need extra time in case things don’t go smoothly.
4	Write a first draft personal statement (PS) as soon as possible. Be creative. Start with a story. You statement is like an advertisement: it provides information in order to sell a product; and you are the product. You need to differentiate yourself from “competing brands.” A boring PS won’t sell.	The 1^st draft requires full concentration. Your strategy: get it out of the way. Turn to other activities. Start the 2^nd draft with a fresh mind.
5	Stop writing your personal statement and turn to your CV. Your graduate applications CV is a complete but concise record of all the important, impressive things you have done. These considerations apply to each potential CV entry: Omit it if many or most other applicants also have the same activity, award, etc; UNLESS it was carried out in an unusual way, unusual place, unusual language etc Use creative labels to combine activities of shorter duration into more substantial CV entries Don’t confuse local and global. If the admission committee is in the USA, then SD in means South Dakota not sekolah dasar. A few acronyms – like ASEAN, UN, MBA, HTML – are OK. Everything else should be translated.	Your CV and PS work in tandem. Without a strategically designed CV, your PS is just poetry.
6	Despite the name PS2, the second draft of your PS isn’t fun. But it’s better than PS1. Use the PS to emphasize your CV entries which are substantial and relevant but also interesting to discuss. Stuff that’s important but boring can remain in the CV alone but with added emphasis.	Your CV and PS might look similar at first. But eventually they need to work independently of each other.
7	Give your CV and essays to some people who have some idea how it will be used and ask them for feedback.	This is a critically important opportunity to hone both your writing and your “self sales” technique. Effective assistance from others can and should feed back into your application strategies themselves.
8	Forget about the PS now and study for the test.	You can consciously shift gears – from synthesis into analysis. (Test prep will seem fun compared to Steps 4-7 : -)
9	Even if English is (more or less) your first language, you should have your CV and personal statement edited by a professional.	First of all, great writing requires good editing. Second, the admissions committees frankly admit that this is standard practice. This is another way of saying that they expect it. So this is a strategy for staying competitive.

MBA 2011 — masih ada waktu (tapi sedikit ; )

Fall 2011 admissions update:

Welcome back from holiday. Please notice that it’s not yet too late for fall 2011. If you don’t have time to read the entire post, at least download the deadline/ application information link (.pdf) so you have all the information for top MBA programs next fall. It’s a great resource. It will help you make your decisions faster this week.

For that matter, today is a good time to put all your test prep and applications tasks onto one calendar. Then print it. The whole process may take you 5 hours or more. But it’s worth it. I promise you can finish the calendaring process in one day.

Here’s what I would recommend:

Your TOEFL/ IELTS should be complete by now
So, go online now and create candidate profiles/accounts at all your target MBA programs
Now, draw up a short list of referees (to write your letters of recommendation) and send them an E-mail tomorrow
You should register for GMAT by Friday (this week)
Purchase your study materials this week
Once you’re familiar with what you have to study, put your test day and all study tasks and goals to complete before test day on the calendar
Schedule 2 days “holiday” from your study routine to make an 1) outline 2) rough draft of your personal statement
Add DHL / Fed-Ex dates to calendar (leave 5 days for hard copies to reach the admissions office from Indonesia)
Working backwards from your the DHL/ Fed-Ex dates, add your other applications tasks to the calendar so that everything can be finished in time (notice this may require you to revise your “budgeted” test prep hours)

Finally, E-mail calendar to strata.g.indonesia@gmail.com. Time permitting, we can provide my general observations about the practicality, ambitiousness and risk factors entailed by your goals and calendaring. (You’ll need to complete our intake survey so we know your academic profile and current employment demands.)

Kenapa dua test (contoh TOEFL + GMAT) ?

Semua tergantung strata dan program kita memilih. Jika kita berencana ke luar negeri untuk S2, mungkin kita akan menghadapi situasiny seperti ini berkaitan dng TOEFL/ IELTS: itu harus tapi tidak cukup.

Berarti, kita harus ambil TOEFL atau IELTS agar sekolah target percaya ketrampilan kita dalam minimal satu bahasa internasional. Tetapi sekolah luar negeri yg kompetetif — yaitu tiap tahun aplikasi yg diterima jauh lebih banyak daripada lowonganya — akan minta lebih dari itu. Daftar persyaratan2 di top school mudah-mudahan agak panjang:

TOEFL / IELTS
GMAT/ GRE / LSAT
CV / Resume
Statement of Purpose /Motivational Letter
Letters of recommendation
Online application forms
Immigration forms

Barang kali Anda pernah dengar orang bicara seperti ini yrmhtemanya: “Wah, teman FB aku habis diterimah di program MBA di Stanford . Pasti IQ-nya tinggi.” Faktanya, kecerdasan manusia rumit diukur. (“IQ” hanya nama ujian tertulis jaman duluh kan?). Yang jelas, sih teman miliki skor GMAT cukup tinggi (di atas 700 juga).

GMAT sama GRE — Apa bedanya?

Saya mendengar GRE dan GMAT akan mengalami perubahan besar?

That’s correct — because they are competing for the same b-school market. The expected result is that the similarities between the tests will increase.

Expected GRE changes (by around Aug 2011):

Verbal:

No more analogies and antonyms
More emphasis on reading and reasoning

Quant:

More data interpretation and problem solving/case study
Onscreen calculator

All Sections:

Questions with multiple correct answers
More analysis, less synthesis

Expected GMAT changes:

Time frame : Expected by June 2012
New section: “Integrated reasoning” uses charts, graphs, and spreadsheets to test problem solving skills
Other: Headphones to test “auditory learning style”
AWA: Only one question (issue or argument)

Pada dasarnya, apa bedanya GRE & GMAT ?

•    Harga (GRE cuma USD 165)
•    Kalau GMAT, soal quantitative (matematika) lebih rumit
•    Kalau GRE soal kosakata lebih rumit

Tetapi persaingan GRE / GMAT hebat saat ini; menjadi susah dijawab.

Saya lebih baik ikut tes yang mana dan kapan saja?

If you’re good at math, take the GMAT before it changes. If you’re better at English, then take the GRE before it changes.

Aspek apa dari tes2 ini yang tetap sama?

Heavy emphasis on logical reasoning (how to put together and take apart an argument)

Tanggal & Lokasi GMAT di Indonesia 2010

1. Tidak ada rahasia GMAT. Sama selali. Semua informasi gratis/umum.

2. Seperti FB dan Gmail — kalau belum terdaftar, tidak bisa main : ) Daftar duluh dong. Baru dapat informasi mengenai tanggal/lokasi GMAT maupun Jakarta, Surabaya atau Singapore

3. Note: Kalau tidak salah, there are still a few weekend dates still available in Singapore. But not in Jakarta.

4. Subject to change.

Sumber: www.mba.com @ 17.10.10

Money back when you take the GMAT

Money back when you take the GMAT between 19 and 24 November 2010! Here’s what will happen:

Normal price of USD 250 will apply at registration.
Your test will be 30 minutes longer than usual because of an experimental section.
If you try to get the right answer on this section of the test you’ll probably get a “reward” for USD 25

How do I know about this?

You should to www.mba.com first to register. If you choose the test dates in question at UI in Salemba, Jakarta, then you’ll probably see the following message:

Your test appointment will last approximately 4½ hours. At the end of your standard GMAT exam, you will be asked to answer 12-15 additional questions during a special 30-minute research session. These questions will not count toward your GMAT score and will not be shared with schools. You will receive a US$25 reward if you put forth reasonable effort to answer these questions