MBA

Your GMAT score unarguably plays a vital role in the MBA application process. However, most of the times, it’s seen that candidates are often stuck with this one part of the application. Some applicants, in spite of multiple attempts at the GMAT, are unable to improve their GMAT scores and often get frustrated in the process. This also leaves them with very less time to work on the remaining elements of the application – essays, recommendations, resume, interview. If you’ve scored very low on your GMAT, it’s advisable to try to improve your score. However, if your GMAT score shows no improvement and all your efforts are proving futile, maybe it’s time to move on i.e. choose colleges where the low GMAT scores won’t be a deal-breaker and focus on the rest of the application. This list is for those with a low GMAT score. Did you know that The Financial Times Global MBA ranking also includes a lot of business schools with a low average GMAT score? Colleges Accepting Low GMAT Scores How would you define a low GMAT score? Quite subjective, right? We used 650 as the threshold for this article. Here’s the list of schools having their GMAT average lower than 650. School name Location Average GMAT score 1 Warwick Business School Coventry, UK 647 2 George Washington University School of Business (GWSB) Washington D.C, USA 646 3 The Lisbon MBA Lisbon, Portugal 645 4 Rutgers University New Jersey, USA 643 5 Purdue University (Krannert) Indiana, USA 640 6 Temple University – Fox School of Business Philadelphia, USA 640 7 Erasmus University-Rotterdam School of Management(RSM) Netherlands 640 8 University of Manchester – Alliance Manchester Business School Manchester, UK 640 9 ESMT Berlin Berlin, Germany 640 10 CUHK Business School Hong Kong, China 634 11 City University – Cass Business School London, UK 630 12 AGSM – UNSW Business School Sydney, Australia 630 13 University College Dublin (Smurfit) Dublin, Ireland 625 14 University of St. Gallen – Executive School of Technology, Management & Law Switzerland 620 15 Grenoble Ecole de Management Grenoble, France 620 16 University of Pittsburgh (Katz) Pennsylvania, USA 613 17 Lancaster University Management School 600 18 Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) Sydney, Australia 600 19 University of Strathclyde Business School Scotland, UK 600 20 University of Edinburgh Business School Edinburgh, UK 585 21 Babson College Massachusetts, USA 632 22 University of Birmingham (Birmingham Business School) Birmingham, UK NA 23 Durham University Business School Durham, UK NA 24 University of Connecticut (UConn) Connecticut, USA 639 25 EDHEC France 64 These numbers are likely to change over time. So make sure you refer to the original source (the bschool website) to get the latest GMAT scores. If you go through the entire Financial Times (FT) ranking, you’ll also find schools that have average GMAT scores in the range of 650-700. It wouldn’t be right to simply assume that all schools that figure in the FT rankings necessarily expect a high average GMAT score because that’s not the case. Each of the ranking agencies uses a different methodology based on several criteria related to the business school and not just the GMAT score. Before you shortlist your b-schools, you need to do your research. Compile information and gather facts related to the program including the course duration, course fees, geographical location, scholarships and other funding options, work experience requirement as well as placement statistics. Read up and find out what alumni or those who’ve got into the program have to share about their experience. Finally, your choice of the MBA programs would greatly depend on parameters that are of priority to you. Be aware that a low GMAT score doesn’t necessarily mean you cannot aim for the top ranked schools. There are several instances where candidates with a strong profile but a low GMAT score have managed to secure a place in some of the best business schools. It’s really heartening to read such success stories, so don’t let a low GMAT score affect your spirit. So, go ahead and give it your best shot! Leap Quest has helped several low GRE and GMAT scorers get into reputed MBA/MS programs, by helping them with the rest of your application (essays, resume, recommendations, interview). Our team of expert MBA admissions consultants helps you push for more, find your voice, and tell your story in the most compelling way possible. We have helped a large number of applicants convert their dream of attending top schools around the world. Leap Quest MBA Admission service includes all elements of MBA applications that consist of: Shortlisting the list of target B-Schools Guidance in building MBA application essay write-ups (how to draft essays for MBA application) MBA essay editing and guidance in organizing any other aspect of MBA application. Guidance in preparing CV/Resume MBA Interview preparation service in the event an MBA applicant gets an interview call from a shortlisted B-School Any other related part that is inside the scope of B-School application process Social Media Consulting LinkedIn Assistance Drafting Scholarship letters Application Form Guidance If you’re confused about the decision and want to be sure you’re taking the right decision , here’s something that may help. Drop in a email to Info@theleapquest.com for professional help  At Leap Quest, we’ve done a lot of research into this topic. Having spent several years in the industry, we’ve gathered loads of information and data. There is a greater deal of human involvement to judge the non-objective aspects of your profile too – your clarity of career goals, your ability to connect the dots and make an overall good impression on the Admissions Officer.   We’re determined to get you the admit you deserve. Our question is, will it be yours?  

Getting an MBA from one of the world’s top business schools will provide you with a coveted distinction. Because no two programs are alike, exploring your options effectively and efficiently means deploying a strategic research process. So, what aspects are most important for your decision-making and how do you create a target list of schools? First, your shortlist of MBA programs should reflect your individual priorities and needs. All b-school admission committees are trying to identify why you want to go to business school and why their program. You’ll need to take the time for honest introspection to be able to reply with confidence and authenticity. To do this you’ll need to reflect on your strengths, values, motivations and career goals. Your future objectives and individual ambitions are the first filter for distinguishing the information that’s most relevant, useful and practical to you. Doing your homework is paramount, which is where things can get tricky. Many candidates are misled and rely too much on MBA rankings, which can be subjective and vary in terms of methodology. So, you need to do thoughtful research to find the right MBA for you. Here are the LQ’s key factors to consider for a successful research process: Here’s a list of factors to consider while selecting the right college. Good ROI High graduation rate Low student-faculty ratio Adequate financial aid Excellent research, internship, and travel opportunities Well-planned curriculum Interesting club activities and other extracurriculars Deep concern for student health and wellness Well-run campus/city safety systems Helpful academic support services Useful career services Modern building infrastructure Well-equipped labs / computing infrastructure Dependable alumni network Using ROI to tell the difference One definition of ROI is that it is “the total earnings minus the cost of the degree, minus the average earnings over the person with only a high school education.” Another definition says that ROI is “the difference between the 20-year median pay for a bachelor’s grad and 24-year median pay for a high-school grad minus the total four-year cost of attendance.” In its “Best-Value Colleges” list prepared as part of its 2018 College ROI report, PayScale provides a list of colleges that can help students with comparative returns on their college-education investments. Its analysis takes into account the 20-year net ROI of a degree, total four-year cost of attendance, graduation rate, typical number of years to graduate, and the average loan amount. The list, which provides the names of as many as 1,878 colleges, puts two US service academies in the first, second, and fourth positions. The top 25 includes MIT (third, ROI $1,015,000), Harvey Mudd College (sixth, $978,000), Colorado School of Mines (eighth, $909,000), and Caltech (tenth, $887,000). Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (12th, $856,000), Stanford University (16th, $811,000), Princeton University (18th, $797,000), and Harvard University (25th, $760,000) are some others at the top. The bottom of the list should also be a revelation for students looking for college admission. It helps identify colleges that don’t promise a great ROI for their students’ investment. From rank 133, the ROI starts to fall below $500,000; and from rank 1456, to below $100,000. From rank 1752, the ROI goes into negative. At the dregs of the list are Mississippi Valley State University (rank 1,878, ROI $ (minus) 174,800) and a host of private colleges with negative ROIs running above $100,000. Of course, it is no one’s argument that only majors with the highest earnings potential and colleges with the best ROIs can provide high-value college degrees. However, these majors and colleges should be on top of the minds of students, particularly of those who go in for huge education loans or depend on their family for funds or on their own savings. They are well-advised to examine the financial success of the alumni of their target college before they decide. The Leap Quest methodology rewards schools for subjecting themselves to analysis by all five of the most influential rankings. Some 42 out of the 100 ranked MBA programs were ranked on every major list. That approach penalizes schools that deliberately refuse to participate in rankings where they may be at a disadvantage or that fail to gain a rank because the institution’s MBA program isn’t good enough to make every list. The methodology also favors more fact-based ranking systems that depend on qualitative data that measures the quality of incoming students, their career outcomes as graduates and the return-on-the-investment given MBA tuition costs and scholarships. Rankings heavily based on opinion in surveys completed by students who know their answers will be used to rank their alma maters are given less weight. Click Here To See the Top 100 Rankings Need help in shortlisting schools that are right for you? Leap Quest MBA Admission service includes all elements of MBA applications that consist of: Shortlisting the list of target B-Schools Guidance in building MBA application essay write-ups (how to draft essays for MBA application) MBA essay editing and guidance in organizing any other aspect of MBA application. Guidance in preparing CV/Resume MBA Interview preparation service in the event an MBA applicant gets an interview call from a shortlisted B-School Any other related part that is inside the scope of B-School application process Social Media Consulting LinkedIn Assistance Drafting Scholarship letters Application Form Guidance Major chunk of the MBA aspirants face a lot of dilemma in deciding whether to pursue their MBA dreams or not. There are a lot of challenges candidates face regardless of the Industry or work experience they come with. If there is something that’s stopping you from proceeding with your plans, Revert with the list of challenges and we’re pretty sure a quick discussion with our team will help you put things into perspective and take a call. We’re determined to get you the admit you deserve. Our question is, will it be yours?

As more and more business schools waive standardized tests for admission to their MBA programs, the companies that routinely ask students for their test results say that a GMAT or GRE score is no longer a prerequisite to getting hired. For years, some of the highest-paying jobs available to MBAs required graduates to come clean on their scores, including at MBB, the popular acronym for McKinsey, Bain and BCG, and at investment bank Goldman Sachs. But now these firms are publicly disavowing the importance of standardized exams just as the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business announced that it is extending its policy of granting test waivers into the 2021-2022 admissions season after discovering that “many incredible applicants” in this past year applied without a test score. “I don’t mind one bit campuses waiving the GMAT requirement,” Bain recruitment chief Keith Bevans told The Wall Street Journal. “Business schools are admitting a much broader range of talent, and I expect to find strong candidates this fall in places I wouldn’t normally see them.” He added that Bain has steadily de-emphasized the importance of applicants’ GMAT test results in its hiring decisions over the past couple of years. He insists there’s no threshold for who gets an interview or job offer as a result of a GMAT score. Nevertheless, Bain still asks for test results from MBA applicants even though, Bevans says, candidates will not be penalized for them. The consulting firm uses the score for an internal analysis it runs, according to him. The analysis shows that a higher score doesn’t always correlate to being a more productive Bain employee. “If you were training for the Olympics rather than taking the GMAT…. “If you’re at a top B-school, you probably have something amazing going for you anyway. If you were training for the Olympics rather than taking the GMAT, that tells me more about your competitiveness than if you can tell me the angle of this triangle,” Mr. Bevans told the Journal. The downplaying of the GMAT is more bad news for the Graduate Management Admission Council which has seen fewer test-takers as a result of marketshare gains by the GRE in recent years and the fact that some 67 of the top 100 business schools have now gone fully test-optional or are actively promoting test waiver policies. While the change has largely occurred as a result of the pandemic and the early closure of test centers all over the world, many business schools believe that standardized tests have gotten in the way of achieving diversity, equity and inclusion goals. MBA admission officials insist that their admission standards have not declined as a result of the policy changes. Instead, they are relying on other parts of candidates’ applications to gain confidence that an applicant can handle the academic requirements of their programs. Some of the most prominent business schools have joined the waiver movement, including MIT’s Sloan School of Management and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Darden has led the charge, in fact, with a dean who believes GMAT scores have long been over-indexed in MBA admissions. One result of the change? In A GMAT-optional world, the average reported scores are plummeting at the top 50 business schools. Mckinsey on the GMAT: An Interesting Metric That Is Not Required For An MBA Hire !! McKinsey & Co., which expects to hire more MBAs this year than in any years in its history, told the Journal that test waivers haven’t affected its recruiting. According to Danielle Bozarth, the firm’s lead partner for North America recruiting, McKinsey views test scores as an interesting metric but doesn’t require them from job candidates. Boston Consulting Group, meantime, takes the same position many schools have adopted in waiving standardized tests for admission. Brian Myerholtz, a BCG partner who leads its North America recruiting, told the newspaper that there is no one metric used to assess a candidate.  Over the years, the firm has used test scores to help evaluate candidates, but in more recent years GMAT scores have become much less of a priority, according to Myerholtz. It is also a fact that the elite investment banking firms have long asked MBA candidates for their test scores. But a Goldman Sachs spokesman told the Journal that GMAT and GRE test scores haven’t been part of the firm’s recruiting process for the past several years. The trend of making tests optional “is aligned with our recruiting approach that [tests] are one of many ways to help assess a person’s skills or knowledge,” she said. “We look for people who are good problem-solvers,” but the many indicators of that can include winning a scholarship, doing a fellowship or case-study interviews, she added Leap Quest MBA Admission service includes all elements of MBA applications that consist of: Shortlisting the list of target B-Schools Guidance in building MBA application essay write-ups (how to draft essays for MBA application) MBA essay editing and guidance in organizing any other aspect of MBA application. Guidance in preparing CV/Resume MBA Interview preparation service in the event an MBA applicant gets an interview call from a shortlisted B-School Any other related part that is inside the scope of B-School application process Social Media Consulting LinkedIn Assistance Drafting Scholarship letters Application Form Guidance Major chunk of the MBA aspirants face a lot of dilemma in deciding whether to pursue their MBA dreams or not. There are a lot of challenges candidates face regardless of the Industry or work experience they come with. If there is something that’s stopping you from proceeding with your plans, Revert with the list of challenges and we’re pretty sure a quick discussion with our team will help you put things into perspective and take a call. We’re determined to get you the admit you deserve. Our question is, will it be yours?

Top MBA in Singapore: NUS v/s NTU The MBA in Singapore has gained prominence in the last couple of years. While world-class education is definitely a big pull, the multi-cultural environment (UNESCO ranks it as the 6th best student city) and the employability after the completion of the course makes this place extremely popular. NUS v/s NTU: While the two top-ranked management schools in Singapore- National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) offer excellent MBA programs, their courses differ on several aspects. This here is an attempt to differentiate between the courses and give you a snapshot of each of the courses to help you decide between NUS v/s NTU. Our objective is to present the facts to help you make a better decision. Quick Facts no Points of Difference NUS NTU 1 Location 15 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119245 50, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 2 Fees $ 62,000 (Singapore Dollars) $75, 000 (Singapore Dollars) 3 Financial Aid There are several merit-based scholarships that students become eligible for and the link is attached. As regards financial aid, prodigy finance offers several loans to both local and international students. Several banks such as SBI, RHB and Maybank provide loans.  There are several scholarships that the student may apply for. The link is attached here. 4 Hostel Accommodation New, Full-time Graduate students are considered for Hostel Accommodation New, Full-time and International Students are eligible for Hostel Accommodation 5 Ranking # 26 Global MBA Ranking (Financial Times 2017) # 24 Global MBA Ranking (Financial Times 2017) 6 Salary Today $ 131,760 (US Dollars) $ 126,218 (US Dollars) 7 Average GMAT Score 662 660 8 Top Employers Accenture, GoldMan Sachs, KPMG, Microsoft Accenture, Deloitte, Citibank, Infosys Technologies Ltd 9 Employment Through  School 94% (Class of 2016) 88% (Employment report of 2016) NUS v/s NTU – Class Profile NUS-A broad look at the class profile of the students joining the MBA course with NUS puts the average work experience at 7 years while the average age in this group of students is around 32 years. Though 93% of the class consists of international students, a majority of them come from the Asian region or are those that seek a career in this region. Singapore is strategically located in the region and is a hub for some of the biggest financial and IT companies. For Delphine Morandeau, the sole purpose in joining NUS after being involved in an Urban Innovation project for a government agency was to understand the private sector in Asia and find a focus through this journey. She is now the Philanthropies Asia Marketing and Communications Lead at Microsoft in Singapore. NTU- If you look at the Nanyang MBA and the class profile, the students typically come with an average of 6 years work experience and the average age of the students is 28. With a class size of about 80-100, 40% of the group constitutes women and 88% are international students coming from over 20 countries around the world. The number of students also varies depending on the course you take. For instance, NTU also offers an MBA program for senior executives called the Fellows MBA inviting just 20 professionals from around the world. This program starts in Singapore and works its way around three US universities. (Wharton, Georgetown, and UC Berkeley). Honestly speaking, in terms of the class profile, there is little to choose between NUS v/s NTU. The peer group, quality of learning, and student activity is quite similar between the two schools. Program Structure NUS- This is a 17-month program where one semester is dedicated to a student exchange program and another semester to the internship. While they are required to complete 68 modular credits to graduate, they can take anywhere between a minimum of 12 credits to a maximum of 20 credits per semester. MBA classes typically meet once a week for every module during the day, while the sessions for electives are held in the evening NTU- The Nanyang program is a 12-month program, described as a compact and an intense program, this course combines 9 courses (core) and 4 electives. The prominent features of the course include SPAN (Strategy Projects at Nanyang) and BSM (Business Study Mission). While SPAN allows students to apply lessons from the class in a real-life consulting project with a sponsor company, BSM gives the students exposure by allowing them to visit overseas companies, observing, engaging and meeting with executives of such companies. In terms of the program duration, the NUS v/s NTU debate gets interesting. For people in more senior roles, who want to get back to the workforce quickly, NTU may be a better option (in terms of duration). For those who can afford the five extra months in an MBA program, though, NUS too is an attractive option, because it is still short of the 22 months that many MBA programs can stretch to. Successful Admit from NUS Singapore | Masters in Finance We are very thrilled to announce that one of our candidates Shweta has received an Admit from NUS Singapore   NUS Business School has developed a reputation in delivering rigorous and rewarding learning experiences. In particular, the finance department has an excellent reputation in teaching and research. For example, the MBA programme is ranked as #22 globally in the Financial Times’ 2020 ranking of “Top MBAs for Finance”. The MSc in Finance programme will build upon this solid foundation and the school’s industry networks to provide students with a fulfilling learning experience and an excellent opportunity to create their own paths in the financial sector.”   The whole of the Leap Quest Team is very happy that we could be part of this journey and were able to extend our support in all ways possible.   In one of the interactions with her mentor where B-schools were being discussed and this time mainly NUS Singapore, we could hear her enliven the dream of making into a global MBA program through the description of the program given by her mentor.   To have a look at the Screenshot

No matter how you slice it, new data and analysis  has been reporting in business school employment reports in recent years: Compensation for MBA graduates is going up, including in those signing bonuses meant to sweeten the employment pot. Leap Quest aggregated more than 10 years of signing bonus data for MBA graduates from 115 business schools, looking at trends not only over time but also in three different tiers of programs. The Analysis found that while signing bonuses overall increased at least 15% in the last decade, the biggest percentage gains were at lower-ranked schools. Schools in tier 7 or lower in the platform’s aggregate ranking system saw their average bonuses grow an eye-popping 63% since 2013 SIGNING BONUS TRENDS So, according to the analysis, MBAs at schools in Tiers 7-13 saw average signing bonuses rise a whopping 63% between 2013 and 2022, from $14,367 in 2013-15 to $23,452 in 2020-22.This put them almost on par with schools in tiers 4-6 in the 2020-22 sample, although both groups lagged behind the top tier schools by a significant margin in terms of overall average signing bonus. Schools in the second bucket, Tiers 4-6, had an average bonus of $25,927 in 2020-22, just $2,475 more than the lower tiered bucket. The top schools (Tiers 1-3), meanwhile, had an average starting bonus of $31,709, or $5,782 more than Tiers 4-6 and $8,257 more than Tiers 7+. NYU Stern is once again the top school for overall salary plus bonus, but Michigan Ross saw the biggest year-to-year increase. Average 2021 MBA Salary, Bonus & Overall Pay At The Top U.S. B-Schools   Rank School Overall Average Salary Overall Average Signing Bonus 2021 Overall Pay* 1 Stanford GSB $161,831 $29,148 $173,199 2 Chicago (Booth) $149,058 $40,544 $175,290 3 Penn (Wharton) $153,379 $34,963 $175,021 4 Northwestern (Kellogg) $142,719 $32,236 $168,057 5 Harvard Business School $153,156 $33,671 $169,015 6 MIT (Sloan) $148,075 $30,006 $166,739 7 Columbia $146,482 $37,444 $164,567 8 Dartmouth (Tuck) $142,179 $33,745 $166,948 9 UC-Berkeley (Haas) $143,696 $33,775 $163,758 10 Yale SOM $138,676 $34,716 $162,005 11 Duke (Fuqua) $141,109 $34,958 $170,474 12 Michigan (Ross) $142,055 $32,177 $169,277 13 NYU (Stern) $149,524 $38,211 $178,182 14 Virginia (Darden) $144,933 $35,488 $174,246 15 Cornell (Johnson) $139,121 $37,684 $169,231 16 CMU (Tepper) $134,847 $30,399 $158,345 17 UCLA (Anderson) $135,273 $29,877 $154,574 18 USC (Marshall) $131,976 $29,473 $147,980 19 UNC (Kenan-Flagler) $125,687 $29,751 $144,876 20 Texas-Austin (McCombs) $129,854 $28,153 $156,036 21 Washington (Foster) $130,407 $39,283 $154,134 22 Indiana (Kelley) $121,999 $30,398 $140,876 23 Georgetown (McDonough) $126,107 $34,073 $147,062 24 Rice (Jones) $131,384 $33,221 $153,277 25 Vanderbilt (Owen) $125,130 $27,651 $145,882 26 Emory (Goizueta) $134,700 $29,151 $157,496 27 Georgia Tech (Scheller) $123,843 $25,066 $143,971 Get Help from Leap Quest for your MBA/MS Applications! An early start gives us enough time to approach the process in a more meaningful manner which has constantly fetched us results which is why we’re writing to you. We would be more than happy to help you through this process. You can select the package from the list below and revert back at the earliest for us to proceed with the next steps. Leap Quest MBA Admission service includes all elements of MBA applications that consist of: Shortlisting the list of target B-Schools Guidance in building MBA application essay write-ups (how to draft essays for MBA application) MBA essay editing and guidance in organizing any other aspect of MBA application. Guidance in preparing CV/Resume MBA Interview preparation service in the event an MBA applicant gets an interview call from a shortlisted B-School Any other related part that is inside the scope of B-School application process Social Media Consulting LinkedIn Assistance Drafting Scholarship letters Application Form Guidance Major chunk of the MBA aspirants face a lot of dilemma in deciding whether to pursue their MBA dreams or not. There are a lot of challenges candidates face regardless of the Industry or work experience they come with. If there is something that’s stopping you from proceeding with your plans, Revert with the list of challenges and we’re pretty sure a quick discussion with our team will help you put things into perspective and take a call. We’re determined to get you the admit you deserve. Our question is, will it be yours?

Business school adcoms are keen on exploring what the applicant brings to the table. And they have a range of tools to do that – ranging from the college grades to the final interview. Your MBA essays are the only component within the MBA application that allow the adcoms to gain a more intimate understanding of who you are, before they invite you for a 1-on-1 interview. They use essays to gain insights into your personality, interests, skill-sets, extracurricular involvement, leadership qualities, career goals, and various achievements both academically and professionally. The MBA essays form the crux of your application, offering you a canvas to paint your story in vivid colours. A good storyline is the essence of your essays. With the right content and packaging you can use your essays to bring your story to life. Compare this to a movie. Every high-budget movie does not become a hit even if the cast is top-notch.On the other hand, even a low-budget movie with an interesting story and a good director can appeal to the audience and become a huge success.This art of good story-telling can go a long way in making a connection with the audience/reader. When you’re competing with the best applicants in the world, you can tilt the scales in your favour, through well-written essays that go beyond the basic facts and figures. What makes essays more important than other parts of the application? It wouldn’t be fair to write off any application component, with the sole purpose of making the essays look superior. Each one of them is there for a reason.   Resume  A resume gives a bird’s eye view of your past achievements in academics and career. It’s meant to provide a quick summary of the important milestones in your journey.The issue is – most applicants from the same industry look like clones on the resume. The human element is completely missing. The other issue is when you’re aiming for a career change. What you’ve done in the past may not help the Adcoms figure out the motivations for the transition, your expectations from the MBA program, and the probability of success after you graduate. MBA Recommendations MBA recommendations typically follow a standardized format. And the perspectives come from a third party i.e. you don’t have as much control over them as with the other aspects that you are directly working on.Recommenders with a ton of to-do items on their table, generally don’t have the same enthusiasm as the MBA applicant, to work on creating a masterpiece that fits perfectly with the rest of your application. We’ve seen cases where there’s been a conflict between what the applicant has claimed in the essays and what the recommenders have said. MBA interviews These are important, as they form the final piece of the puzzle you’ve been working on for months. But they come into picture only after the initial filtering process i.e. only if you’ve been shortlisted. If your essays are bad, you will not have a chance to interview. All the work before this is down the drain!Now, coming back to the MBA essays, if you happen to stumble in any of the other areas of your application, you can try to use your essays to regain your balance.   Using the MBA essay to explain a low GPA You can use your optional essay to explain the reasons for a low GPA, or even a break in your academic/professional life.You may have reasons why you weren’t able to do justice to your academic performance. Was it because you were busy with extracurricular involvements? Or perhaps you had taken up part-time work? Or did you have health issues? You can explain all this in your essays. Explain how a low GPA has not held you back from doing well in your professional life. MBA/MS Application Checklist  With application deadlines around the corner It is time to make your list and check it twice. While most checklists will merely cover the basics, Leap Quest challenges you to ask these 9 questions to assess whether your applications are REALLY ready!   1. Is your story clear? Does the reader walk away knowing who you are and what matters to you? 2. Have you thought out and articulated why you want an MBA/MS? To get promoted or to gain “business skills” are NOT good enough reasons. 3. Are you consistent throughout all of the application components? Your resume, essays, short answer questions and letters of recommendation should all include the same general message. Any inconsistencies are an instant red flag. 4. Does your application include specific information about the target school? Admissions committee members read thousands of essays every year and it is very easy for them to determine who is genuinely interested in the school and knows a lot about the program.   5. Are your letters of recommendation strong enough? Did you advise your recommenders to use specific examples and compare you to other candidates? 6. Are your essays easy to read? Or do you find yourself re-reading paragraphs because you do not see how they fit into the essay? 7. Did you have someone else read your essays? This will give you an outsider’s objective opinion of your accomplishments and help to ensure you are talking about your experiences with the right level of detail for someone outside of your industry. 8. Do you have an MBA specific resume? For an MBA resume, you want to show how you have been successful and demonstrated leadership. You are selling your future potential. Make sure not to get too detailed here, though. 9. Have you actually answered every question? It can be tempting to go off-book or include additional information but adcom members ask each question for a specific reason. Ensure you are answering the question asked and not offering what you think they want to hear.   If after answering these questions you have doubts about whether your applications are strong enough, Reach Out Today!   MBA/MS Application Extras:   1. Many schools include optional essays: Do not feel compelled to

The two biggest groups to come to the United States seeking graduate business education have long been Indian and Chinese nationals. For many years, the latter outnumbered the former, but for about the last decade, through 2019, the number of Chinese students seeking MBAs or other business degrees in the U.S. has declined while the Indian population at U.S. business schools has steadily grown. This trend can be seen across all programs: In 2019, for the first time, Indian undergraduate students at U.S. schools outnumbered Chinese, a monumental shift noted in the biennial Open Doors report. Indian & Chinese Students At The Top B-Schools The school with the highest percentage of Indian students across all programs: Minnesota Carlson, with 64%. The highest percentage of Chinese students can be found at USC Marshall: 63% Rank School Enrollment (All Programs) Indian Students Chinese Students Other Notables MBA Enrollment International MBAs T7 UC-Berkeley Haas 1,681 15% 6% Canada 2%, France/Japan 1% 627 30.10% 9 Yale SOM 843 15% 19% Canada 12%, Mexico 9%, Germany 4% 692 29.30% T10 NYU Stern 2,163 28% 25.70% Canada 8.3%, Republic of Korea 5.7%, Brazil 3.3% 668 22.80% 12 Duke Fuqua 977 16.80% 31.00% Republic of Korea 5.7%, Canada 4.8%, Brazil 4.6% 798 27.40% T13 Michigan Ross 1,166 39% 10% Brazil 12%, Canada 7%, Peru/Japan 4% 758 22.70% T13 Virginia Darden 1,023 21% 18% Nigeria 9%, Peru 7%, South Korea 6% 733 24.00% 15 Cornell Johnson 714 13.50% 40.40% Canada 4.6%, South Korea 4.6%, Mexico 3.2% 571 32.70% T16 USC Marshall 1,213 11% 63% South Korea 4%, Canada 3%, Indonesia 3% 435 21.80% T18 UCLA Anderson 1,916 38% 16% Canada 9%, South Korea 6%, Taiwan 3.5% 694 25.90% T18 Texas McCombs 1,028 37% 19% Mexico 11%, South Korea 6%, Canada 4% 491 15.10% 20 UNC Kenan-Flagler 593 37% 13% South Korea 7%, Japan 6%, Turkey 6% 593 11.50% 21 Georgetown McDonough 996 40% 17% Mexico 7%, South Korea 6%, Canada 4% 509 26.70% 22 Washington Foster 722 7.90% 3.20% Canada 1.1%, Mexico 0.4%, Peru 0.3% 227 25.10% T23 Indiana Kelley 503 52% 6% South Korea 15%, Japan 8%, Taiwan 8% 225 30.70% T23 Vanderbilt Owen 423 27% 8% Japan 10%, Nigeria 8%, Canada 6% 329 10.30% 25 Rice Jones 752 29% 21% Mexico 6%, Nigeria 5%, Spain 5% 281 20.30% 26 Emory Goizueta 653 5.70% 4.20% South Korea 3.4%, Japan 1.2% 286 28.00% 27 Florida Warrington 435 20% 8.60% Venezuela 11.4%, Colombia 6.3%, Mexico 6.3% 90 7.80% T28 Georgia Tech Scheller 622 50% 13% Canada 7%, South Korea 7%, Japan 4% 157 18.50% T28 Minnesota Carlson 828 64% 13% Kosovo 1.5%, Korea 1.5%, Taiwan 1.5% 139 14.40% 30 Arizona State Carey 407 26% 41% Taiwan 7%, Ghana 5%, Nigeria 4% 131 33.60% T31 BYU Marriott 395 1% – Brazil 1.3%, South Korea 0.5%, Canada 0.5% 256 9.00% T31 Texas-Dallas Jindal 785 32% 7% Taiwan 2%, South Korea 1%, Vietnam 1% 105 27.60% T33 Ohio State Fisher 537 37% 20% Vietnam 5%, South Korea 5%, Taiwan 3% 134 15.70% T33 Penn State Smeal 161 16% 5% Nigeria 2%, Brazil 2%, Pakistan 1% 107 26.20% T33 Rochester Simon 416 46% 12% Nigeria 7%, South Africa 4%, Mexico 3% 232 38.80% The highest-ranked school to report detailed data on nationalities was UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business, tied for seventh in the ranking, which reported 15% Indians and 6% Chinese out of nearly 1,700 students in all programs; the only other top-10 schools to do so were No. 9 Yale School of Management, which reported 19% Chinese and 15% Indians out of 843 students, and No. 10 NYU Stern School of Business, which reported 28% Indians and 25.7% Chinese out of 2,163 students. (See the next page for a complete breakdown of the numbers.) Using ROI to tell the difference One definition of ROI is that it is “the total earnings minus the cost of the degree, minus the average earnings over the person with only a high school education.” Another definition says that ROI is “the difference between the 20-year median pay for a bachelor’s grad and 24-year median pay for a high-school grad minus the total four-year cost of attendance.” In its “Best-Value Colleges” list prepared as part of its 2018 College ROI report, PayScale provides a list of colleges that can help students with comparative returns on their college-education investments. Its analysis takes into account the 20-year net ROI of a degree, total four-year cost of attendance, graduation rate, typical number of years to graduate, and the average loan amount. The list, which provides the names of as many as 1,878 colleges, puts two US service academies in the first, second, and fourth positions. The top 25 includes MIT (third, ROI $1,015,000), Harvey Mudd College (sixth, $978,000), Colorado School of Mines (eighth, $909,000), and Caltech (tenth, $887,000). Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (12th, $856,000), Stanford University (16th, $811,000), Princeton University (18th, $797,000), and Harvard University (25th, $760,000) are some others at the top. The bottom of the list should also be a revelation for students looking for college admission. It helps identify colleges that don’t promise a great ROI for their students’ investment. From rank 133, the ROI starts to fall below $500,000; and from rank 1456, to below $100,000. From rank 1752, the ROI goes into negative. At the dregs of the list are Mississippi Valley State University (rank 1,878, ROI $ (minus) 174,800) and a host of private colleges with negative ROIs running above $100,000. Of course, it is no one’s argument that only majors with the highest earnings potential and colleges with the best ROIs can provide high-value college degrees. However, these majors and colleges should be on top of the minds of students, particularly of those who go in for huge education loans or depend on their family for funds or on their own savings. They are well-advised to examine the financial success of the alumni of their target college before they decide. Top 100 Schools with Rankings The Leap Quest methodology rewards schools for subjecting themselves to