How Social Media Affects College Admissions

How Social Media Affects College Admissions Years ago, personal essays, interviews, and grades mattered most in college admissions. Today, however, there is another factor that plays a role in your chances of getting into college: your social media profiles. Social media can affect college admissions in both positive and negative ways. Oftentimes, students post items that they dont realize might be controversial. But in a time when admissions counselors may check out your social media identity, its vital to exercise smart thinking when posting online. Now that you know admissions counselors are looking at your online profiles, how exactly does social media influence your chances of getting into college? Read on to find out which of your social media posts may affect your college admissions. [RELATED: What College Students Should Know About Social Media] Social media posts that can bolster your college admissions chances Community participation Social media posts that convey your commitment to building a positive community within your high school or neighborhood can create a great impression, as admissions counselors hope to see that you will be a meaningful part of their campus communities. Examples can include: Instagram photographs of you working to create a club or program that opens space for communication or artistic expression. Twitter posts to increase participation in your group. Academic or extracurricular awards Pictures or a description of an award you received but didnt mention in your application may positively affect your impression on admissions counselors. Even if you did mention these awards in your application, posts on social media that reference them can reinforce your dedication to your education. Unique accomplishments Have you founded your own business or completed a large research project? Social media posts about your unique accomplishments will likely helpnot hurtyour chances of college admission. [RELATED: 3 Questions to Ask Your Guidance Counselor About College] Social media posts that can harm your college admissions chances Discrimination Racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination can greatly harm your college admissions chances. They suggest that you are capable of intolerancesomething that is unwelcome on college campuses. Illegal activity Many college applications include a section that asks about previous arrests or criminal activity. If you lie about your history of illegal activity, the college or university may rescind your application. In recent years, it has become more common for people with criminal histories to share their stories on social media in order to dissuade others from illegal activity. While this can be a form of healing, admissions counselors may view it unfavorably if you fail to disclose this past on your application. In addition, posting photographs with alcohol or drugs will reflect very poorly on you. Violence Posting pictures or videos with weapons, violent language, or threats is a massive red flag to admissions counselors. Remember that college campuses are meant to be places of peace and inclusion. [RELATED: What to Do After Youve Submitted Your College Applications] The bottom line on social media and college admissions Not all admissions counselors scan students social media pages as part of the application process. However, with an immense number of college applicants using social media, some admissions counselors do turn to it for additional information when vetting applications. Take note of the above tips to ensure your social media posts help your chances of getting into college. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

YOU are Capable of Greatness - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / YOU are Capable of Greatness - Introvert Whisperer YOU are Capable of Greatness I used to manage a 1000 person organization. Since that time, I’ve coached hundreds of people and spoke to hundreds more â€" not to mention x more people I encounter along my daily path.   It doesn’t matter who they are but one thing is true for the majority of people I meet. Here it is:   YOU are capable of great things.   But here’s the rest:   YOU probably don’t realize it or don’t believe it. As a person who has helped developed and trained probably thousands at this point, I see it every day.   People are capable of so much more. I realize that life kind of “scuffs” us up and those nicks and bruises we get can add up quickly.   Early in life for many but certainly along life’s path, we limit our thinking about ourselves.   We doubt our abilities; we question everything about us from how smart we are to our likeability. We get used to thinking small about us and I’m here today in an attempt to get you to think differently about you. If I were with you right now, I’d do everything I could to convince you that you can do great things.   It doesn’t matter what the “great thing” is so long as it’s your definition of great.   But, its true, you can and it doesn’t matter what your age is, what your background is or even if you have a horn growing out of the side of your head.   It’s been true for the vast majority of people I have met and that means it’s true for you. I believe in you.   I’d like for you to believe in you, too.   How about it? What’s the greatness lurking just beneath your surface?   Just know, you can do whatever your greatness is. Sit with this over the weekend.   You,are,capable,of,MORE. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

What Will I Learn From Cooking Classes

What Will I Learn From Cooking Classes What To Expect From Cooking Lessons ChaptersCookery School HighlightsSome Key Skills You Can Expect To Learn GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsCookery School HighlightsIf you are set to begin a 12-week spell at cooking school, then you can almost certainly expect to learn a great deal of information about all things related to cooking. From vegetable prep to trimming meats, from gutting fish to making pastry art, you’ll gain an incredible number of kitchen skills  fr om your cooking tutor.Reading RecipesHowever, one very important thing that you will learn to do during an extensive course is how to read recipes. It may sound simple, but the art of dissecting recipes is actually a very skilful activity and requires a great understanding of gathering ingredients and taking instruction.Knife SkillsKnives don't come with instructions, but if you have ever seen a professional chef using them to perfection during a demonstration, it will make you think that perhaps they should come with instructions on how to cut things like they do! Your cooking tutor will guide you through the technique.Learning how to use knives of all sizes, from a paring knife to a ridged bread knife, is something that you can expect your tutor to teach you during any basic cooking class focused on the fundamental aspects of novice cooking techniques. In addition, your instructor might show you how to safely sharpen your equipment.Food HygieneAlong with learning about cooking met hods, recipes and food types, you will also learn how to treat food during the preparation process. Food hygiene is incredibly important in the kitchen, and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), a government organisation, ensures the safety of food preparation zones in all commercial kitchens by setting out strict hygiene rules.Some of the basics that you will cover are using different chopping boards and knives for cooking poultry, fish, red meats, other meats and of course vegetables. In fact, in some kitchens, you will find colour-coded cutting boards according to the type of food you are working with.With the FSA's fabulous visual ratings decorating the windows of many cafes and restaurants, you can check how clean an establishment's kitchen is by seeing what it has been rated by experts on a scale of 1 to 5.Find the available cooking classes near me here.The Food Standards Agency issues ratings to let customers know how hygienic kitchens are. Photo credit: jeffdjevdet on VisualHuntL imit Your ExpectationsDespite the fact that you are paying for lessons, you simply cannot expect to learn everything at once.With this in mind, don't prepare yourself to come out of a week-long course a fully-qualified, state of the art chef who can walk into any restaurant kitchen. Any successful chef will tell you that expertise develops over a very long period of tough experience under the supervision of a well-trained chef.You have to work from scratch to become a good cook so make sure that you set realistic expectations of the outcomes your cooking classes London.While you may not have the time or funds to invest in a full-blown culinary school term, you can still expect to learn many of the above skills in shorter courses, but in a slightly less intensive method. It may not be clear while you are learning, but you will still take away a great deal of knowledge on kitchen processes, how best to use tools in the kitchen and, more importantly, confidence to go about your cooking without barriers.Find out more about the cost of cooking lessons.Some Key Skills You Can Expect To LearnHow To Chop An OnionOnions are the fundamental ingredient in so many dishes: from fine Italian cuisine to a roast dinner gravy, almost every dish could easily incorporate an onion, or its smaller sibling, the shallot, to pack it full of flavour. But what is the correct way to cut an onion?When following a recipe from your cookbook, it is important to note whether your onion should be diced or sliced, as this will affect how much flavour is released during the cooking process and also the texture of the dish. And now for the cutting... have you ever seen chefs cutting onions at super-fast speed?When you slow it down, you will notice that, when dicing, the chef cuts the ends off of the onion, halves it and then cuts into each half with parallel slices, yet leaving about 5mm of the opposite edge in tact. Then, they rotate the half onion 90 degrees and cut in parallel slices the oppo site way to achieve small pieces, without the onion falling apart in their hands.There is a technique to chopping an onion like a professional. Photo credit: austinevan on Visualhunt.comIf you try this pro method while you home cook, be sure to use a cutting board and a suitable knife. If you are a bit of a calamity in the kitchen, then do ensure you wear closed toe shoes too!Everyone has their own method, but your instructor might also advise you on how to prevent your eyes from stinging when you cut into the onion. Whether it is cutting it whilst it is immersed in water or sucking on a teaspoon to keep your eyes tear-free, they will have a suggestion or two to try!How To Boil Or Poach An EggBoiling an egg - sounds simple, right? But there is an actual science to getting the consistency just right.If you want a nice runny yolk, this can be destroyed in the matter of seconds, turning the overcooked egg to a sticky mess. Obviously, your tutor will explain that the length of time you boil the egg for will directly impact how runny or hard your egg becomes. One of the main things to remember is that you should start with your eggs at room temperature.For soft-boiled eggs, you will need to lower the egg into a pan of boiling water and leave for three to five minutes. For hard-boiled eggs, place the egg in a pan of cold water and bring it up to boil with the egg immersed, cooking for a further seven to ten minutes after it has reached boiling point.A great tip is to put your egg in cold water when you remove it from the heat so it doesn't continue to cook.How To Make An OmeletteSticking with eggs, a great addition to your cooking repertoire is knowing how to make a basic omelette.Omelettes are great for a light lunch or dinner option, and are good for using up leftovers like peppers, ham, mushroom and more - you can create a real cocktail of flavours with just a few simple ingredients!An alpine speciality is omelette made with potatoes and Reblechon cheese, so if y ou are a ski fanatic, you might have tasted some seriously delicious omelettes whilst on the slopes.An omelette is a quick and easy way to provide a light lunch or dinner and use up leftovers. Photo on Visual huntIf you have watched chefs compete on Saturday Kitchen to make an omelette in record time, then please don't follow their lead! This is just a game designed to allow professionals a bit of friendly competition and is purely for entertainment value.The correct way to make an omelette is to beat your eggs (two eggs are sufficient for an omelette for one), and to pour the into a hot pan, greased  with a knob of butter. Scatter over your fillings, like your cheese and your chosen vegetables, and then fold it over if you so wish.How To Make GravyIf you are used to stirring some Ahh Bisto granules in with boiling water to create a gravy, then you and your palate are in luck! Elementary cooking courses will often cover how to create tasty gravies and sauces to accompany your food. Real, homemade gravy tastes so much better than the powdered stuff.Your class leader will probably have their own secret trick to making a silky smooth gravy, but for a textured gravy you should aim to cook your meat, vegetables and an onion (for taste) all in one pan and add the liquid so it gets all of the combined flavours. You'll then have to sieve it into a smaller saucepan.If you can't or don't want to put everything in the one pan, then you can reserve the cooking juices and water and then add to the separate saucepan.How To Cook The Perfect SteakBrowning your meat  to seal in the flavour is a technique that a professional will recommend. When it comes to making the perfect steak, though, you don't want to risk over-cooking it, even for a few seconds.For a really tasty steak, make sure that you pick a nice cut of meat. Fillet steak is often the least chewy, and is perfect for a date night menu paired with some wine. Tenderloin is also a good choice, meanwhile if you are buyin g beef for a stew or casserole, you can opt for a cheaper cut like braising beef.The best and easiest way to cook a steak is to pan fry it. Make sure you take your meat out of the fridge and let it come down to room temperature before placing it in a pan. Then, professionals usually add pepper and salt before placing it in a sizzling pan of oil or butter (apparently, you should never salt your beef too early as the salt gets into the flesh and dries it out).For a medium-rare steak, cook each side for two-three minutes and then leave it to rest for several minutes before serving. If you serve up your meat on the plate before it has had a chance to rest, you will wind up with an unappetising pool of blood on your dish.

TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week Joshua M.

TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week Joshua M. ksurmacewicz This weeks Rock Star Teacher of the Week is the multi-talented Joshua M., who teaches several subjects including singing, acting and music performance in the Washington, DC area.   A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Joshua has a strong background and interest in musical theater and also studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.   In addition to his role as a TakeLessons certified instructor,   Joshua has worked as a Musical Director/Rehearsal Pianist for many shows within the NY/NJ/DC tri-state area and serves as the Co-Artistic Director of No Rules Theatre Company based out of Washington, DC and Winston-Salem, NC. He remains active in theater and has performed in, written and directed a number of   musicals; some of his notable performance credits include roles in Godspell, Othello, Show Boat, Sweeney Todd, and Les Miserables. Joshua believes in creating a strong foundation for his students to learn, and focuses primarily on breath, placement and eliminating bad vocal habits early on so that students can grow and develop new skills.   His students describe him as easy to work with and incredibly patient, and praise his ability to help them understand the core principles and underlying concepts of singing and acting. Congratulations on a job well done, Joshua!

How to Read Piano Notes Sheet Music 5 Easy Steps for Beginners

How to Read Piano Notes Sheet Music 5 Easy Steps for Beginners Sign up successful Step 2: Write the note letter names Now take a piece of music you want to learn, and underneath the music notes of the right hand in the treble clef, write the letter names.  (Use a pencil, that way you can erase it later!) This isn’t a great habit to get into in the long run, but it’s perfectly fine for just starting out. If there is one note youre having a hard time remembering specifically, feel free to just write that one note letter name. Keep in mind youre only focusing on the white notes on a piano for now. Don’t worry about the black keys, (your sharps and flats), just yet. Step 3: Memorize letter names, and move onto bass clef After youve memorized all of the letter names on the lines and spaces for your right hand (the treble clef), you can move on to reading piano notes on the bass clef, where the notes on the lines and spaces will be played with your left hand. Step 4: Name your spaces ACEGB and GBDFA Practice drawing the bass clef, which will start on the F line. Then with the spaces at the bottom of the page, name your spaces ACEGB (remember “All Cows Eat Grass,” and don’t forget to add your B at the top!). Next, name your lines starting at the bottom of the page GBDFA (“Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always”). Memorize these notations as well. Now transfer these letter names of the lines and spaces to your piano song from step #2, and name all the notes with your left hand in the bass clef. Step 5: Find a hand diagram and label each finger 1-5 There is another method with numbers that may be easier for you to read.  Find a diagram of your hands and looking at the right hand starting with your thumb, label each finger with 1-5.  Do the same with your left hand. There are many  easy piano songs  to begin with, such as “Three Blind Mice”, “Hot Cross Buns”, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, and “Jingle Bells” that only use notes C-G, or numbers 1-5. Starting on middle C of the piano, put both thumbs on the note, and align both your hands so that your right pinky ends on 5 (G) and your left pinky lands on 5 (F). You can write in the numbers next to letter names, if that helps you more. Remember to begin with only the white notes on a piano. Now, as you read through your song, play and sing the letter or numbers while playing, which will help you memorize the names of numbers of the notes on a piano.  Once youve practiced this for a while, try erasing the letter names and testing yourself to see if you still remember the playing pattern and tune of the song. With these steps, reading piano notes and music will start to become natural to you. For each piece you learn, write in the letter names or fingers, and then erase them when you get comfortable enough. Pretty soon you won’t even need to write them in! A Different Way to Read Sheet Music:  The Mental Flip Strategy One of the most difficult things about learning how to read sheet music for the piano, as opposed to most other instruments, is that there is not just a single melody to be played. Piano music requires you to play more than one part at a time. Usually these parts are interconnected they are part of a chord that you need to be able to accurately read. A Little History Behind Reading Music Notes Sheet music is read from left to right. The reasoning behind this is that music began as an exercise most focused on the progression of notes in a scale or mode in a horizontal fashion. When more than one voice was sounded together, they usually sang in unison and it was not till the 9th century that musicians became increasingly concerned with vertical harmony and polyphony. Keyboard instruments, such as the organ, the harpsichord, and ultimately the piano were instruments developed to satisfy this changing aesthetic and the increased importance of vertical harmonies. They were adapted into a notation that had been developed to address primarily horizontal concerns (i.e. what note comes next). This is not to say that sheet music cannot be read for the piano, but rather that the beginning student of piano must learn to think about the music on the page differently than they might read words on a page. The Mental Flip Strategy for Reading Music Notes You must flip the orientation of the sheet music in front of you mentally, so you can read the vertical orientation of the notes. In order to begin to think about and practice this mental flip, there is an extremely helpful strategy you can use. You can actually turn the sheet music so you are reading the notes down the page. Doing so allows you to more easily understand the spacing between the notes and more intuitively grasp where your fingers should be placed on the keys. This technique is also incredibly helpful for visualizing the grand staff as a whole and where the octaves on the keyboard are located. In order to properly perform this strategy and learn how to read sheet music for piano, follow these three simple steps: Take your original sheet music and flip it clockwise. The line of music you’re working on playing should be read down the page, from top to bottom, instead of across the page. Begin to identify chord units and think about each measure in terms of chordal units. Most bars or measures of beginning piano music contain one or two chords. Sometimes these chords are arpeggiated, other times there is an alternation pattern of notes in the treble and bass in quick succession. Your success with this technique depends on your ability to identify which chord is being outlined. To do this, simply name the notes. In beginning sheet music you’ll most likely see either major or minor triads. Match the notes on the page to your fingers on the keyboard. Notice how, with the sheet music turned, the sheet music is actually a diagram of the intervals between each note and how this realization helps you visualize where to place your fingers. Heres how it looks on your sheet music: With music, there are many different strategies that can help you move quickly to a better understanding. Everyone approaches music differently. Some beginners intuitively grasp complex concepts, others need a little help along the way. Some may even find this strategy more confusing than the standard approach. Whether or not this technique is right for you depends largely on whether or not it yields a type of “aha” moment, where you can better visualize the spacing of your fingers and their placement on the keys. If you need further instruction on learning how to read piano notes, consider taking piano lessons.  A professional piano teacher can walk you through these steps and ensure that youre building your skills on a solid foundation of music theory. Post Author: Liz T. teaches online singing, acting, and music lessons.  She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal performance and currently performs/teaches all styles of music including Musical Theater, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, RB, and Country. Learn more about Liz here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of prescreened teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for safe, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by Basheer Tome .paszone-container-74612 { display: none !important; }.paszone-container-74612 ~ .paszone-container-74612 { display: block !important; }

What is it Like to Attend Harvard College

What is it Like to Attend Harvard College The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. James is a New York City tutor and graduate of Harvard College. He studied History during his time at Harvard and now tutors many subjects including World History tutoring, Literature tutoring, and College Essay prep tutoring. See what he had to say about his alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? James: Harvards campus is located in Cambridge Massachusetts, next to Boston. Thus, it provides a perfect balance of urban opportunities and the serenity of a quieter, less hectic environment. I dont see urban and safe as antonyms. The campus is both urban and reasonably safe. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? James: When I was an undergraduate, professors were mostly quite remote figures, except for certain subjects where the departments and classes were smaller, and professors therefore were more available. Professors were typically illustrious figures who lectured and otherwise dedicated themselves to research. Consorting with undergraduates was not high on their list of priorities. Obviously, there were plenty of exceptions, and graduate studentsoften very accomplished scholars in their own rightcould be very cordial and helpful. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? James: I found dorm life a bit disappointing, but it was probably adequate. Given the size of the school, it is difficult to generalize about student life. However, MIT was reputed to have livelier parties and socializing opportunities, which says something. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? James: Some programs certainly were rumoured to be more prestigious: Social Studies, History and Literature. To some extent, the undergraduate majors followed the fortunes of the graduate schools. For instance, English was reputedly a somewhat disorganized and fractious department, with numerous tensions between the faculty, and this seemed to affect the undergraduate experience in subtle ways. However, in almost all cases the university made an effort to ensure that undergraduates were taken care of. My advice is to pick a smaller department and less common majors. That was the path to more attention and TLC from the departments. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? James: Meeting people was not hard, but depended to a considerable extent on the initiative of individual students, like most aspects of life at Harvard, intellectual or social. The Greek Life consisted of a few clubs that only were sufficient to include a fraction of undergraduatespresumably rich and connected ones; I would say that these clubs were not a huge factor in undergraduate life. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus?The Office of Career Services was very helpful and accessible. James: Certainly, there was plenty of recruiting on campus, though the efforts of the CIA and other government agencies to do so was a political hot potato, as I recall. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? James: I remember a wealth of libraries and places to study. Students there are very fortunate in this sense. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? James: Cambridge is a quaint, manageable town with fine cultural and gastronomic resources. Boston, nearby, is big enough to accommodate any reasonable desires for entertainment, cultural immersion or escape. The diversity of these towns culturally and racially was quite rich, though Boston and Cambridge when I was there were both still quite racially divided, echoing the tensions and turmoil of the 70s and 80s, perhaps. Whether or not this is still the case, I dont know. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? James: The student body is large, and class sizes could also be big, as in one Political Philosophy class with c. 700 people. Although this question does not ask me about the quality of my peers, only their quantity, I probably learned more from my fellow students, and that despite containing a disproportionate number of socially inept and tunnel-visioned overachievers, the student body is a remarkably fascinating and impressive bunch of students with an enormous range of interests and accomplishments. I was very impressed by them on the whole. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. James: The Political Philosophy professor of the above-mentioned class of c. 700 people (Michael Sandel) was very charismatic, and the well-conceived and organized class stimulated my thinking, due to his teaching and the excellent reading list. I wrote him a quixotic letter challenging the courses central communitarian premises, and received an invitation to come speak with him in his office. Though the conversation was brief due to my being overawed and tongue-tied, it was an honor to be taken this seriously. Check out James tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

3 Key Components of a Good MBA Application

3 Key Components of a Good MBA Application GMAT MBA Admissions Blog Applying to business school is an extremely competitive process. Top schools such as Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Wharton hold applicants to high standards, so putting together a good application is key. The three key components of a good MBA application are: a strong academic profile, work experience, and a compelling answer to why you are applying to MBA programs. A Strong Academic Profile Your academic profile is the first impression you will make on an admissions officer. A good GPA, strong GMAT or GRE, and competitive undergraduate institution, will put you in a good place. Your GPA is an indicator of how well you perform in a traditional academic setting, and admissions officers will look to this number as evidence of your ability to succeed in business school. If you have certain concerns with your GPA or transcript, such as a drop in grades one semester, or a slow start at the beginning of college, these are points you can address in an addendum. That being said, the addendum should be used to explain extenuating circumstances, such as a drop in grades one semester due to a death in the family, or something of that nature. Using this additional information section to explain these sorts of situationsâ€"without making excusesâ€"can be a good way to shed light on your GPA or transcript. The GMAT or GRE are thought of as indicators of how well you will succeed in your first year in business school. For students coming from non-business-related majors, the GMAT is a good opportunity to display your aptitude at quantitative skills, if you are lacking those in your academic background. Applying from a competitive, undergraduate school will also help your chances at top MBA programs, especially if you performed well at that school. That being said, your GPA, GMAT, and undergraduate school are simply the first means of evaluation. Once you meet a certain academic threshold for schools, it becomes a matter of standing out in comparison to applicants with similar qualifications. Good Work Experience Good work experience is a major point of evaluation for MBA schools. Unless you are applying directly out of undergrad through a program such as Harvard’s 2+2, you will need a strong resume. If you are coming from a more traditional finance or consulting background, then you should think about ways in which your work experience has differed from your peers. Have you led individual projects? Have you recently been promoted to a managerial role? Have you displayed leadership and initiative in your recent jobs? An upward, promotional trajectory is something top MBA programs look for on applicants’ resumes. Your letters or recommendation should speak to your leadership and initiative in the workplace. Make sure that your recommenders can draw on concrete examples of how you were a changemaker at your job, and how you will continue to impact the business world following your MBA degree. An Answer to: Why are you pursuing an MBA? Many students apply to business school to simply “get ahead.” Yet, admissions offices are looking to admit students who will use their MBA degree in impactful, meaningful ways. This means that as you write your business school essay, you should consider this question of why are you pursuing an MBA degree? You want to be able to tell a compelling, cohesive, and unique story through your application. Let’s say, for example, you have been working at an Investment Bank for the past few years and have been a leader in your specific division, but that your true passion is in sports technology. Maybe you played a Division I sport in college, and you have continued that interest by running in marathons or volunteering to coach a youth basketball team. Now, you need an MBA in order to transition your past leadership skills into this new field, in which you plan to start your own company. This is a compelling answer to “why I need an MBA.” It also brings work experience, academic interests, extracurricular activities, and future goals together in a cohesive way. As you work on your MBA applications, think about what makes you a unique applicant. Formulate your application around this persona. Your academic background may qualify you for top schools like HBS or GSB. But the story you tell about your work experience and your goals for the future may be the ultimate, deciding factor. About the Author: Hannah Smith is a Graduate Coach and admissions expert at InGenius Prep, an MBA admissions counseling company, with Former Admissions Officers from top business schools such as Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton.

NO Question

GMAT Question of the Day #343 - YES/NO Question GMAT MBA Admissions Blog This week's GMAT Question of the Day relates to question #343 from the Official Guide for GMAT Review, 2017. It is a typical AD/BCE, YES/NO Question. A little content knowledge: Decimal expansions of (reduced) fractions depend on the denominator, not the numerator The decimal expansion of a (reduced) fraction will terminate if the prime factorization of the denominator contains only 2’s and 5’s. The first of these should be pretty common sense, but the second takes some thinking. When we convert a fraction to a decimal we’re dividing the numerator by the denominator. To make this work we add zeros to the dividend (the numerator) and continue dividing until the process terminates or we find a repeating pattern. Because we’re adding zeros, our dividend is a multiple of a power of ten. If an integer doesn’t divide any power of ten it won’t divide a multiple of a power of ten unless it is a factor of that multiple â€" in that case the fraction wasn’t reduced: That’s pretty abstract, but worth knowing because it will solve this problem for you right away. However, a totally common-sense straightforward approach will work: (1) SUFFICIENT: This is a lot easier to work with than it looks â€" there are a finite number of factors of 100 (9 in fact: 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, and 100) and we know decimal equivalents for all of them. Multiplying those decimal equivalents by an integer r isn’t going to change the fact that they all terminate. AD/BCE (2) INSUFFICIENT: Pick a factor of 100, like 5. That’s r. If s = 2 the answer is YES. If s = 7 the answer is NO. AD/BCE The correct answer is A. Takeaways: In a YES/NO question, if you’re given a statement that results in a finite number of cases that you can produce quickly, just check them. John is a Senior MyGuru GMAT tutor based in Chicago, but is also the founder of Owl Test Prep . We encourage you to check out their web-site and YouTube channel.