Night Owl's Revenge

My knowledge of the business school application process back in January 2010 can be summed up in one word - clueless. I come from a science and engineering background. Most of my co-workers are concerned with the latest results from a clinical trial from a research perspective. We have a hazy view of how it affects the financial bottom line of the overall company. There are several reasons why I want to pursue a MBA, and learning how to take research from the lab to the marketplace is one of them. I was fortunate, and received guidance and support from MBA alums in my network throughout my journey last year. But what if you want to go to b-school and don’t have access to this type of support?

Over the past few days I’ve had the privilege of previewing a new online course from Clear Admit and Beat the GMAT. If you are new to the business school application process, and don’t have the resources to hire a consultant, these videos provide the very same clear and detailed advice offered in private sessions.

There’s a lot to learn in this series, even for re-applicants like myself. I was especially interested in the following lectures:  

• Lesson 2: Understanding Your Admissions Reader
• Lesson 5: How to Write the Most Effective Essays
• Lesson 7: How to Interact with Schools
• Lesson 9: How to Manage Waitlists

Lessons 2 and 5 were the most helpful to me. When I was drafting my career goals essays it was very easy to slip into industry jargon and totally forget my reader. 

First-time applicants, and re-applicants who want to totally rework their applications should review: 

• Lesson 1: How to Choose Which Business Schools to Target
• Lesson 4: Planning the B-School Application Calendar

Both of these are key to creating successful applications. Finding a school that fits you and your goals is truly more important than the latest ranking. Lesson 1 provides great pointers on finding programs that match your needs. The suggestions presented in lesson 4 will help you plan your time before hitting the submit button in rounds 1 or 2. 

Likes:
Background of the lecturer is given before the lesson.
Nice page layout and easy course navigation.
Slides are available for review.
VERY detailed information

Questions I had for the course administrators:

Could you add the following lessons to the course: Issues for re-applicants (re-write essays? re-visit schools?), and Financial Aid?

I know that Clear Admit has school guides that they sell on their website. Would any be packaged with a subscription?

I also asked if the lessons could be purchased separately, but at this time you have to buy the entire series. I will say that you get a lot of solid advice for your $249, and it’s WAY cheaper than paying for a consultant.

General Disclaimer: I have not been paid to review the service. Additionally I have 2 free subscriptions that I would like to give away. I’ll post the details later this week.