Leading MBA Admissions Consulting Firm Explains the Rising Incidence of Multimedia Questions Among Top Programs and What the Trend Means for Business School Applicants
MALIBU, CA--(Marketwire - July 21, 2010) - As the number of applications to top business schools continues to climb, MBA admissions officers are searching for ways to better separate great candidates from the rest of the pack. The increasing competitiveness of the applicant pool has spurred a trend among top programs to experiment with their essays and, in some cases, to replace traditional written essays completely, says leading MBA admissions consulting firm Veritas Prep.
Could the MBA application of the future consist primarily of videos and visual presentations? While business school applications are renowned for their grueling sets of essay questions, some admissions officers have begun to experiment with wildly different formats that replace the traditional essay. These multimedia questions, which are completed through such platforms as audio, video and sometimes PowerPoint, are an increasingly common tool used by the likes of the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and the Anderson School of Business at UCLA to learn about the "real" applicant, or the person behind the resume, GMAT score and undergraduate institution of record.
"A shift in the response format of an MBA admissions essay generally indicates that admissions offices were not getting what they needed to make accurate determinations about applicants," explains Scott Shrum, Director of MBA Admissions Research at Veritas Prep. "Multimedia questions offer a fresh opportunity for applicants to be creative and demonstrate the key qualities that admissions officers look for, including emotional intelligence (EQ) and capacity for critical thinking and self reflection."
Whatever the response format, application essays represent a prime opportunity for applicants to communicate personal information that admissions officers may never otherwise know that can enhance their candidacy. As a result, applicants should heed these basic tips to take advantage of the emerging question formats:
For more information about Veritas Prep's best practices for multimedia application questions or its business school admissions consulting offerings, 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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