MALIBU, CA--(Marketwire - May 18, 2010) - Business school applicants have spoken: they want resources specific to individual schools, and express less interest in one-size-fits-all advice, to help them build effective applications in an increasingly competitive MBA admissions landscape. This according to the results of a recent survey conducted by leading GMAT prep and MBA admissions consulting provider Veritas Prep, which captured insights from more than 400 prospective MBA applicants who had read its Annual Reports, a series of comprehensive guides to 15 of the world's top business schools.
"The survey's findings reveal that applicants are becoming increasingly aware that a one-size-fits-all approach to applying to top business schools won't get them in," explains Scott Shrum, Director of MBA Admissions Research at Veritas Prep. "Each school looks for a set of unique applicant traits, and savvy applicants will speak to those traits and make a compelling case for why they fit into the program's culture in their applications."
Applicants surveyed indicated four school-specific resources to be in especially high demand, including popular interview questions, sample admissions essays, profiles of current students and interviews with admissions officers.
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Popular interview questions (66 percent) -- MBA admissions interviews can seem intimidating since they require applicants to respond in-the-moment. Thus, a strong majority of applicants feel a need for even more interview preparation to prepare for any kind of question they could encounter.
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Sample admissions essays (65 percent) -- Despite the wide variety of sample admissions essays available, many applicants want to see even more examples of great essays -- and bad ones -- before they ever sit down and start writing their own essays.
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Profiles of current students (58 percent) -- The more that applicants can compare their own backgrounds with those of current MBA students, the better able they are to identify a cultural and academic fit with a given business school.
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Interviews with admissions officers (58 percent) -- While there are many unbiased resources to help applicants research MBA programs, applicants still want to hear as much news and advice "straight from the horse's mouth" as possible, knowing that admissions officers are the ones who will ultimately decide their admissions fate.
"While school-specific resources can help applicants focus on application themes at target schools, positive admissions outcomes depend on how well the applicant uses those themes to tell his or her unique story," continues Shrum. "The content of an effective admissions essay for one applicant may be disastrous for another applicant with a different background, just as knowing potential interview questions in advance is unlikely to help an applicant who clashes with the school's culture and interviews poorly."
For more information about Veritas Prep's MBA admissions resources, including its school-specific Annual Reports -- offering insider insights on everything from program strengths and weaknesses to student culture to star professors at each of the top business schools -- call 1-800-925-7737 or visit veritasprep.com/mba.
About Veritas Prep
Veritas Prep is the world's largest privately-owned GMAT preparation and admissions consulting provider, offering industry-leading programs to help applicants improve their test scores and gain admission to the world's best graduate schools. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management, Veritas Prep now offers live GMAT prep instruction in more than 90 cities worldwide, as well as interactive online courses available everywhere. Additionally, Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most competitive business schools, law schools, and medical schools in the world.
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Contact:
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