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An Accepted.com Report
by Cindy Tokumitsu
Copyright 2010 Accepted.com
Table of Contents
know-how he has accrued, and his employer sees the value in this path as well - and
does not want to lose one of its stars. Hence, the company has agreed that Kareems
next move will be to transition to the business side to manage a new product line he has
championed, a role that will include P&L responsibility. Kareem knows he has a steep
business learning curve and decides to pursue an EMBA as the best way to prepare
for his imminent management role.He will pay the tuition, and his company agrees to
accommodate the schedule.
These three candidates now face the challenge of applying to EMBA programs.First, they must select
the programs they want to target from an increasingly large and multifaceted selection.Then, although
they are all strong applicants, they still must distinguish themselves through their application essays. In
this special report, we will explore the changing EMBA options and how to choose among them, and
then address the roll-up-the-shirtsleeves part of the process: developing effective essays.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_43/b3956601.htm
http://www.emba.org/pdf/pressroom/2006_research_results_11_18.pdf
http://www.accepted.com/zones/Wharton.aspx
http://www.accepted.com/zones/DukeFuqua.aspx
http://www.accepted.com/mba/UNCMBAProgram.aspx
Kellogg:6The level of financial sponsorship may vary, but every company must
provide the necessary time away. A letter of sponsorship from the organization is
required for every applicant and should spell out both kinds of support in detail.
Although not required, financial sponsorship is a competitive plus for applicants, because it guarantees
revenue for the program and virtually ensures your employment after graduation.
6 http://www.accepted.com/zones/NorthwesternKellogg.aspx
7 http://www.accepted.com/zones/NorthwesternKellogg.aspx
8 http://www.accepted.com/zones/chicago.aspx
9 http://www.accepted.com/zones/CornellJohnson.aspx
10 http://www.accepted.com/zones/MichiganRoss.aspx
11 http://www.accepted.com/zones/UCLAAnderson.aspx
12 http://www.accepted.com/zones/NYUStern.aspx
13 http://www.accepted.com/zones/NYUStern.aspx
14 http://www.accepted.com/mba/EmoryBusiness.aspx
15 http://www.accepted.com/mba/EmoryBusiness.aspx
16 http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/GMATnotRequired.asp?iEpisode=37
17 http://www.accepted.com/zones/DukeFuqua.aspx
18 http://www.accepted.com/mba/UNCMBAProgram.aspx
Program Variety
Not so long ago, EMBA programs were primarily held on weekends and sometimes weeknights,
and therefore attracted managers of regional businesses as the majority of applicants.This scenario
has changed radically.Now many, if not most, EMBA programs offer a variety of options for both
schedules and types of programs.Dukes EMBA19 is a good example: its Weekend Executive program
(students averaging 10 years of experience) meets alternate weekends on campus; its Cross Continent
program (targeting high potential students with three to nine years of experience) involves weeklong residencies in the US, Europe, and Asia and employs distance learning; and its Global Executive
program (students averaging 14 years of experience) combines classroom learning, distance learning,
and global residencies.
As a result of having new options for attending EMBA programs that do not require weekly
appearances on campus, applicants can now consider programs beyond their immediate locale,
finding it feasible to, say, fly an hour or two every other weekend.At one extreme is a Wharton 07
EMBA graduate20 who, due to a promotion, ended up commuting every other weekend from China
to Whartons San Francisco campus!More reflective of the norm within this trend is UNC KenanFlaglers21 weekend option, which has drawn senior and middle managers from 22 states.
These more varied options mean that specific programs are more closely calibrated with an applicants
needs and experience level, as the above noted Duke programs show. Another example is UNCs
Kenan-Flagler EMBA: an evening option (5 years experience minimum, 8 preferred) for local
professionals, which requires little to no time off from work; a weekend option (5 years experience
minimum, 8 preferred) with classes on Friday and Saturday twice a month; and OneMBA (7 years
minimum experience, 10 preferred), with classes once a month, global residencies, and online.
The UNC OneMBA reflects another trend as well: partnering among global EMBA
programs.OneMBA partners with Erasmus University in Europe as well as programs in Mexico,
Brazil, and Hong Kong.Similarly, NYU Stern has joined with London School of Economics and HEC
School of Management in Paris to offer the TRIUM Executive MBA.22
While it is exciting to have more appealing options to choose from, these targeted programs make it
important to articulate in your essays the reasons you want to attend the particular program in question
and why you consider it the right fit for you.
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http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/mba/executive/formats/
http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/assets/documents/emba_onemba_partnermap.pdf
http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/programs/emba/mbaprograms/rightmba.cfm
http://www.triumemba.org/
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_43/b3956601.htm
http://www.emba.org/pdf/pressroom/2006_research_results_11_18.pdf
http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x14798.xml
http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mbaexecutive/careers/development/resources.cfm
likelihood that you can find programs that closely align with your needs.The challenges
are (a) identifying and articulating what you truly want out of the EMBA; (b) devoting
the significant time and energy necessary to examine the options and select those best
for you; (c) clearly delineating in your essays this excellent fit.
If you are looking to change focus post-EMBA, the upgraded career services are
clearly a boon. However, it will take some work to sift through the various programs
to identify those that offer actual recruiting as well as the broad support (workshops,
professional profiling, etc.) that most offer.And if you are anticipating a change of
career or company, it is always imperative to make an airtight case for this change in
your goals essay.
You also have a decision to make regarding the GMAT if you dont want to take it,
should you target just non-GMAT schools or also make the effort to request a waiver
if you feel you have a strong case?If you think youll do well on the GMAT, should
you expend the time and energy to take it even if its not required?If you dont take the
GMAT, make sure that your work record demonstrates quantitative capability.
After addressing the practical impacts of recent EMBA trends, we can tackle the application process itself
Appropriate goals will place you within senior management, since presumably you
are already at a mid-management level (or a comparable position) if you work for a
company.If you are a business owner, your goals should clarify not only your plans for the
business, but also the specific role(s) you intend to undertake i.e., your own professional
growth path.In addition, the adcoms want to be assured that the graduates will be a credit
to the program!All EMBA applications require a goals essay.You should be prepared to
discuss immediate, intermediate, and long-term goals. Not all goals essays ask for this
breakdown, but many do and even if a question doesnt ask for it, it will hardly hurt to
present such a progression.
Do you have the knowledge and skills to succeed in the EMBA academic program?
Even if your goals are credible and appropriate, you will need a fundamental familiarity
with business operations plus quantitative skills to handle the coursework.If you are a
high-achieving mid-level manager with budget responsibility at a name company, your
resume itself will essentially cover this point.However, if you are closer to the Kareem
profile or an entrepreneur, you may have to explicitly clarify that you have this basic
understanding.While Kareem did not have a business role and could not be expected to
fully understand, say, corporate finance and management principles, he would certainly
have understood his companys customers business needs and interacted substantially
with marketing and product development at a fairly senior level.You can ask your
recommenders to address this point, you can work it into your essays, and you can take the
GMAT if you believe your score will validate your capabilities.
Will you contribute to the program (professionally and/or personally, during and after)?
This is a two-pronged point: (A) Do you have something to say do you draw insight
and meaning from your experiences? (B) Do you share are you a team player/
Do you understand the demands of studying while working and do you have a workable plan for
fitting the EMBA studies into your life?
Some EMBA applications have an essay question specifically targeting this point.The
last thing the adcoms want is for someone to leave the program before completion, or to
get by academically without being a full participant in the learning community.And its
very easy to underestimate the demands of studying and contributing while maintaining
ones professional and personal responsibilities.While you may or may not be asked
to address this point directly by an essay question, it is important to demonstrate
your time management skills and also that you have juggled multiple responsibilities
effectively.Of course, the essays are the ideal place to make these points, followed by the
recommendations (if you have a say in their content).
With these qualifying factors covered, we will now examine how to go from qualified to accepted
by differentiating and distinguishing yourself as an applicant.
Factual Points
Not everyone will have differentiating factual points, but to the extent that you do, you should
highlight them and maximize their impact.How to determine whether an aspect of your experience
is a differentiating factor?Reviewing the class profiles of the EMBA programs, which provide
information on industries and functions, is a good place to start.These profiles will show percentages
of students from given industries.While that information will provide you with an overview, you may
have to extrapolate further to make it meaningful and relevant to your case. For example, if you are
in consulting and see that 24% of students come from that industry, it may not seem like much of a
differentiator.Nevertheless, good judgment, common sense, and/or further research via discussion with
the adcom or current students will indicate that consulting in IT strategy for the defense sector would
be differentiating, even though general management consulting might not.
To get the most mileage out of a differentiating fact, in your essays dont just state the fact, but provide
illustrative detail and anecdote to show what is special and different about it.
http://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2007/6/8/mba-admissions-what-is-a-goal.html
inherently unique, even if the experience you are describing may seem commonplace.However, be sure
to keep such perspective relevant; to make a successful application, it must align with your goals.So,
dont just throw in every insight youve had, but weigh its importance vis--vis your goals and be
selective in adding it according to that criterion.
In your essays, you can either weave this individual perspective and insight into the narrative, or
present the narrative and then add a paragraph focusing on your reflection.
Goals
The goals essay will be the backbone of your application.Previously, we discussed the minimal
skeleton for your goals. For each phase of your goals, in the essay you should discuss (a) what you
expect to do at that level, (b) what you hope to learn, and (c) what you hope to accomplish. Provide
specifics: desired titles or positions, specific markets, likely number of people to manage, budget size or
P&L responsibility, etc.Also describe how this particular step builds on your previous experience.
How do you make your goals do extra duty by differentiating you?Provide a clear motivation for
why you want to pursue these goals, and, most important, a vision for what you want to achieve, what
impact you want to have.While there will likely be other candidates presenting similar goals, only
you will present these specific points.For example, if your goal is to become a senior manager at a
major pharmaceutical firm, dont just present the facts that make this a logical and likely step.Get the
reader excited about the prospect of your taking this role.Perhaps you perceive certain trends in the
regulatory systems or certain production opportunities in developing regionsBeing a decision-maker
addressing such issues will allow you to maximize chances for your company to continue innovating
and marketing new drugs.
For effective goals essays,28 keep three short words in mind: what, how, and why.
28 http://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2006/6/30/the-struggle-for-a-compelling-mba-goals-essay.html
Epilogue
We hope that our Ace the EMBA: Expert Advice for the Rising Executive special report will guide
you through the EMBA application maze. If you are still not confident about your ability to write
effective essays, or just want to save your time and nerves, please contact Accepted.com.33 While our
experienced professional editing staff wont write your essays for you, we can help you34 from the
beginning, as youre defining your topics and themes, or we can edit your essays35 to ensure that your
application is as strong as it can be.
If you have any questions about this report, or questions about admissions in general, please feel free to
post them to our Facebook wall.36 We would be happy to answer your questions!
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http://accepted.com/ecommerce/ebook2.aspx
http://www.accepted.com/Ecommerce/ConsultantsGuide/ConsultantsGuide.aspx
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http://www.accepted.com/services/approach.aspx
http://www.accepted.com/services/mbaservices.aspx
http://www.facebook.com/Accepted#!/Accepted?v=wall