NORTH STAR ADMISSIONS BLOG
MBA Application Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making
Although these phrases and strategies may seem like a good idea, they can damage your candidacy. Avoid the following MBA application mistakes. Top Ranked School It is never a good idea to say that you want to attend a school because they are highly ranked. The...
The Truth About Business School Interviews
If you are preparing for your business school interviews, you might wonder what schools are really looking for. Why do they ask certain questions, and are there right and wrong answers? Here is the truth about what your interviewer is evaluating with these common...
Describing Extracurricular Activities On Your MBA Applications
Why do business schools ask about your activities, and what do they expect to see? Here is advice about how to describe your extracurricular activities on your MBA applications. Think Like an Admissions Officer Admissions officers are trained to look for involved,...
Optional MBA Application Essays – What Schools Are Really Asking
Confused about optional essays? If so, you are not alone. Here are some guidelines about how to use the optional MBA application essay. Be Brief. You shouldn’t tell an elaborate, personal story, or write creatively. You want to use this space judiciously, and to...
What To Tell Your MBA Recommenders
A friend of mine who graduated from Tuck a few years ago is now writing a business school recommendation for one of his associates. He asked me how to really convey his genuine support for the candidate, which is an excellent question. Here are my suggestions, which...
The Top 5 MBA Essay Mistakes
As an applicant, you know that essays are important. The last thing that you want to do is make an error that creates the wrong impression and damages your candidacy. Having read tens of thousands of business school essays, I have seen some common issues. Here are the...
Safety Schools
There is a lot of confusion about safety schools. What constitutes a safety school, given your individual candidacy? Should everyone apply to a safety? If so, when and how many? I encourage North Star’s clients to apply to a range of programs, and to follow these...
Make a Great Impression At MBA Admissions Receptions
As a prospective business school student, you may be curious about the admissions receptions that many schools hold, both domestically and abroad. Here are some tips about how to make a great impression at MBA admissions receptions. Don’t feel obligated to ask...
What College Applicants Should Do This Summer
July is well underway, and it’s time to get serious about your college applications. Here are four things that college applicants should do this summer: Finalize Your Test Strategy. At this point, you have likely taken your SAT and/or ACT, as well as your SAT subject...
Advice About GMAT’s Score Cancellation Option
GMAC recently announced that candidates can now preview their scores and then choose to cancel them before leaving the exam. This is very big news in the MBA application world, and can absolutely help people who are concerned about posting weak scores. However,...