Total Page : 453
Publisher : Prentice Hall Press
Publication Date : 1996 10 11
>> great book
i don t know if its a must read but it certainly helps it really gives you a good idea of how to prep for the mba process recommendations volunteer work essays etc
>> Good for positioning and strategy but take with a grain of salt
I m currently in the application process now and I ve found the book helpful I may have other thoughts depending on the outcome of the process It s good to help frame your thinking e g how to position yourself what to ask your recommenders for and to understand the perspective of your admissions reviewers For these purposes the book has been useful
That said some of the specifics are outdated and based on the paper application process most of the examples appear to be from the late 90 s I certainly found this irritating especially given the constraints posed by online applications
For example the numerous sample essays are mostly from pre 2000 Their content is useful for broad brush instructional purposes but there are significant limitations to their value A particularly glaring example is one of the sample Stanford essays which checks in at an astounding 4 5 pages and is approximately 1700 words Recent applicants will know that 1800 words is the allotment for the school s entire essay section and 1700 words is 2 5 times the recommended length of 750 words In this particular case it does a disservice to the teaching given 1700 words for a single essay many people could cite a litany of compelling reasons why they re a great candidate
Another similar problem is the sample recommendation letter The recommendation letter is 5 pages long in the book and borders on ludicrous It s instructional insofar as the type of thing that should be said but it poorly manages expecations as to scope/breadth For most candidates an understanding of how to manage the latter would probably be helpful There are several other such admittedly specific anachronisms which make the book seem a little bit outdated
Overall though recommended just manage your expectations on what the book can provide i e high level strategic advice
>> Useful overall guide to the MBA admissions process
I read an earlier edition and this one has been updated considerably especially the sample essays This book includes tons of sample essays to get your juices flowing I recommend this to anyone serious about getting into a top program
