I recently stumbled across a wonderful resource for EMBA applicants on the Wharton website. The Tips for Applicants, provides advice on how to propose and receive EMBA sponsorship from one’s employer. The tips are useful for both Wharton and non-Wharton EMBA applicants. Tips include planning your strategy, sample sponsorship request, tips from faculty and advice from students. A must-read for all EMBA applicants!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I like my mom's stuffing, getting together with family and friends for Thanksgiving dinner, and the theme of the day. Physically and philosophically, it's my kind of day.  For loosely analogous reasons, my all -time favorite blog post was last year's Thanksgiving post.  It combined beliefs I hold dear, a good story, AND admissions advice. Blogging nirvana. I received more compliments on that post than on any other post in 4.5 years of blogging.

This year, I intended to simply wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving whether you are in the United States, which is celebrating this uniquely American holiday, or not. The themes of appreciation and gratitude associated with Thanksgiving are universal -- even on days when the headlines scream terror attacks and recession. Or perhaps especially on days when the bad news outweighs the good we need to count our blessings. 

However, a few days ago I received an unusual thank-you from a former client and applicant. Our clients frequently thank us when we finish working with them and/or when accepted, but this woman wrote roughly four years after working with us. Consequently this Thanksgiving I want to share one of the nicest notes of appreciation Accepted has ever received.

"I am writing to you today because I want to give you a testimonial for use on your website for the law school essay [editing] services. I know your service must receive testimonials from people who have just received their admissions. I, however, am now an attorney and can see the long-term value of using your service, which is why I share this with you now.

"I worked with, if I recall correctly, Linda Abraham in the Fall of 2004 in writing essays that would help explain that I left law school [earlier] for family reasons, and why law schools should have taken a chance on me a second time. Linda really helped me distill my reasons for wanting to return to law school into clear, achievable goals. This process not only helped me write a terrific personal statement, but also helped me once I got into law school in keeping a clear focus on my long-term goals. This, in turn, truly made me very successful in law school, which allowed me to procure the most exciting and meaningful professional experience of my life, my current position as an associate with a wonderful law firm.

"In short, the money I spent to work with Linda was the best $1,000 I ever spent in my life. That $1K turned into over $75,000 in scholarships over my three years in law school, and, more importantly, got me into a school that really worked for me, which turned into a job that now pays me market rate. Talk about a return on investment!

"Thank you."

JS

While I would like to take credit for the work that so helped this applicant, I can't. She worked with an editor who has since left Accepted to pursue other professional interests, but any one of our staff would provide the dedicated support that this client received.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your dreams and aspirations with us, for letting us into your lives. Wishing you a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

My assistant Deborah is helping me with a new ebook -- a compilation of Accepted Admissions Almanac tips from the last 3-4 years. She came upon "Personal Statement Tip: Topic Choice" and felt that I needed to be more specific.  I'm going to write this tip as an addendum to that one from two years ago. Besides, given the flood of deadlines in the next several months, now is a great time to discuss personal topic choice.

So what should you write about? What's most important to you and distinctive about you.

For all applications, the schools are attempting to get to know you through your essays. For general personal statements, like those law schools and colleges typically request, focus on past activities and achievements that reflect your values. The admissions readers also seek to uncover how you will contribute to their class, their program, and the diversity of their schools. By telling your story -- not what you think they want to hear and not what you share with 50% of other applicants -- you will reveal how you can uniquely add to their class.

For applications asking you to respond to specific questions and requesting statements of purpose, you first and foremost have to answer the question. If the essay is a statement of purpose, you need to discuss your post-degree goal and the way in which your studies will help you achieve it considering your previous education and experience. Again specifics are key. Which past accomplishments reveal the traits necessary to succeed both in gradate school and in your chosen field? Those experiences, clothed in analysis detailing their significance, should comprise your statement of purpose or goals essay.

In the recent (and excellent) Yale chat an applicant asked a question that could have flowed from any number of motivations. None of them good. Here is the question and Bruce Delmonico's response. Suffice it to say that he was nicer than I was

IT_boy (Sep 25, 2008 12:43:12 PM)
Bruce: How does the admissions committee distinguish whether the essay is genuine or it is just written to impress the AdCom? How do you check the accuracy of the facts and experiences elaborated in the essays?

BruceDelMonicoYALE (Sep 25, 2008 12:45:37 PM)
IT_boy, we do care a lot that you write about what's important to you. You shouldn't try to guess what's important to us. Be yourself! In terms of checking accuracy, we do that in a number of ways, including the background check and the interview. So it does behoove you to be accurate and factual. That is one area in which we have no tolerance for: Inconsistency.

IT_boy (Sep 25, 2008 12:55:20 PM)
Thanks Bruce, I'll give you an example. For example. If you ask me in an essay what I have learned from a mistake? How can I realistically and truthfully answer the question if I think I haven't made any significant mistakes in my life? I am not counting a mistake in an exam or following a wrong technical procedure at work as a mistake that makes for a good answer!

Linda Abraham (Sep 25, 2008 12:56:03 PM)
IT-boy, if you are in your mid 20's and have never made a significant error in your life, either you aren't reflective on your actions or you have never tried anything. And probably the former. I am not speaking for Yale. That is my opinion.

BruceDelMonicoYALE (Sep 25, 2008 12:58:22 PM)
IT_boy, I think you should think hard about whether you have never made a mistake in your life. If you have not made a mistake, then it's likely that you have not stretched yourself or gotten out of your comfort zone, which is something you need to do to succeed. It doesn’t need to be a huge mistake or something you did horribly wrong, but even just a time when you looked back and saw how you could have handled something differently is important. It also shows that you are introspective and can learn from the things you do, which are also keys for success.

You cannot be an active player in this world, a person of vision, integrity, and initiative, if you have never erred. You can live in a cave and fail to have any impact...or any mistakes. You can be active, fail to reflect on your actions, and consequently fail to recognize mistakes, opportunities for improvement, or lessons you can apply to your next venture.

In short, you cannot be the kind of leader top b-schools, including Yale SOM seek, if you cannot answer this question with sincerity and integrity.

 

For the first time ever, the Wall Street Journal has published its own rankings of EMBA programs. The Top Five are:

 

1. Northwestern University (Kellogg)
2. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
3. Thunderbird School of Global Management
4. University of Southern California (Marshall)
5. University of North Carolina (Kenan Flagler)

 

The WSJ worked in conjunction with a research team to compile information from both employers and students regarding the schools’ abilities to develop managers and leaders. The WSJ Article, And the Best Executive MBA Programs in 2008 Are… reported that among the twenty-five schools that it ranked, two programs stood out: Kellogg and Wharton. Both schools received significantly higher marks than their competitors from companies, placing them in the first and second spots, respectively.

More interesting to me than the actual rankings or even WSJ’s reports on individual schools was WSJ's survey of EMBA students. A few highlights:

• In choosing a school the top factor mentioned by students was the school’s reputation.
  
• 78% of students responded that they considered their school because of its distinguished faculty.
• Approximately 34% of students said that they paid for their full tuition; 30% said that they received complete financial sponsorship from their companies; 13% said that their companies paid between 51% and 99% of the program cost.
• Many students noted the rapid payoff of enrolling in an EMBA Program: 24% said that they were given both a raise and a promotion since starting classes and 26% expected such benefits upon graduation.
• Both student and corporate surveys reflected the need for continued improvement in EMBA Programs, particularly in the areas of practical application, technology, flexible scheduling and academic work load.

This ranking also represents a change in WSJ methodology. For its MBA rankings, it previously surveyed recruiters only, arguing that they are the best judges of MBA educational quality. For this year's inaugural EMBA rankings, the WSJ, like BusinessWeek, which will publish its influential, bi-annual MBA rankings this month, sought the opinion of both students and employers.