As a way to combat rising costs or simply to distinguish themselves from other programs, more and more B-schools are offering degrees other than the traditional MBA, but are these degrees good values?

I think we can’t answer that question unless we first ask ourselves why we’re seeking an MBA in the first place.  

If you want a traditional consulting or I-bank or finance job, then you really need an MBA from the Magic Seven, no questions asked.  I think you might, in some cases, get a pretty good shot at your dreams if you use one of the top foreign business schools, but – honestly – that’s about it.  If you want to punch your ticket, then your choices are few.

If, however, you simply want to “learn,” then – sure – all B-schools have pretty similar curricula.

So what’s the real argument for a non-traditional degree?  It’s that these degrees might help you sneak into a better program than you’d otherwise make, and that could be a good deal for some.

But it’s not the deal you should take.  Look, the GMAT can be beat – it’s not some talent contest that measures what God gave you; it’s an achievement test, which measures how well you’ve learned to play the game.  Rather than looking for a short cut, get help learning the game. Honestly, if people spent half as much time and money preparing for the test as they spend trying to circumvent the test, I think they’d soon realize that beating the test is the best short-cut of all.  Sure, it’s not cheap, but it works.

Second, I think you’d be better off building up your application than looking for new places to send it.  B-school isn’t law school or med school; b-school takes plenty of second-tier academic talents because B-school isn’t looking for school smarts alone.

Third, I think that’s the ultimate problem with “alternative” degrees – what, exactly, are you going to do with your finance degree or whatever?  Prove you’re smart? I mean do you honestly think that your future employers can’t figure out what you’re doing?

An MBA, in large part, signals to employers that you are the kind of person who can get into and graduate from that sort of program; economists call it “signaling”.  So, unless the specialized masters is in the field that's "exactly" what you'll be doing after graduating, the MBA-alternative degree only proves that you aren’t the sort of person who could get into a great MBA program – why would that help you?

Yes, I know – I’m biased: I think you should study for the test and get admissions counseling instead of looking for a short-cut, but biased doesn’t mean wrong.  We’ve built this business because we believe in what we do: we can help you get into a great MBA program.

Or you can look for a short-cut.  The choice is yours.

Chris

Here at TPU, we like to worry about the GMAT; we take it seriously because we know that you take it seriously, and we’re here to help you.

But it’s not worth anyone’s life or health.

Applying to B-school is stressful.  If you don’t lose heart from time to time, you probably aren’t appreciating the gravity of your situation, but if you ever feel like it’s getting to much for you, let us know!  

Obviously, we can’t diagnose or treat a serious mental issue, but we can listen – and refer you to someone who can help, if appropriate.

Whatever you do, don’t suffer in silence.  We’re not mind readers; we don’t know if you’re not studying or not studying as well as you ought because you’re suffering some problems you haven’t told us about, so talk!  

And if you can’t (or won’t) talk to us, talk to someone.

There are plenty of ways to get into B-school without endangering your health, so don’t tough it out, seek help.

In the meantime, don’t make this already-stressful process more stressful than it has to be.  Through diet, exercise, and commonsense, you can minimize the stress and strain – that’s why we recommend a schedule, it helps ensure you can get everything else you need to get done done.

I can’t stress this enough: this process, especially the test, is a physical and mental ordeal.  Personally, I once had to leave a test and cancel the score because I wasn’t feeling well and I chose to mix a few prescription drugs that I didn’t realize shouldn’t have been mixed – the result was a racing heart and a failed test.  So, remember that you can’t perform unless your mind and body perform; taking care of both is studying – think of it, and plan for it, in that way.

Here at TPU, we don’t like to waste anything, so I’ll close this post reminding you that you might have experienced some issues in your past.  If so, disclose it. I’m not saying you should discuss every up and down in your life, but if – for example – your grades suffered during an illness, don’t hesitate to explain that in your application.  It’s better than just seeming unintelligent, careless, or lazy. Remember that the admissions officers are humans; they understand health issues.

Now don’t go overboard: don’t make yourself seem like you were dying or something, but just state the truth in a short, clear, and relevant manner.  Like, “my grades fell in fall ’17 because I had back surgery,” etc. I don’t want to tell you how to document your experience because the right answer depends on a whole host of factors, but I do want you to know that you shouldn’t hide it – don’t be ashamed and don’t think nobody will notice.

And please don’t limit your creativity: it may very well be that your experience with X led you to realize you wanted to do Y with your life – that could be a great essay!  (Or even a great business!)

In some sense, a great essay is like a great story: we want a hero who overcame great odds, so don’t be shy about discussing the odds you overcame!  And, whatever you do, don’t lose perspective: we’ll help you reach your targeted score, and we’ll guide you to the right B-School, but – whatever happens – keep your health!  Too many people are counting on you.

Here at TPU, we never get political.  Unless and until one of the candidates comes out against MBAs or something, we don’t have time for anything, but test prep and admissions consulting.  GMAT is our life, and – when you join us – it’ll be your life until you achieve your targeted score.

So why am I bringing up fake news?

First, I want to remind you of all those horror stories out there: don’t become the next viral sensation.  To the extent there’s anything “bad” in your social media history, get rid of it. And, for the time being, get off social media.  You’ll never write anything on social media that will get you into B-school, but you might write something that will create a problem for you.  

Besides, you don’t have any time for social media.  You should be reviewing your flash cards, or reading, or reviewing problems you’ve missed; you’ve got no time to find out what the Kardashians have been doing.  (But if you did, it would blow your mind… just kidding.)

Second, I want you to start thinking about essay topics.  Remember the best essays come from your life experience, but your life can be digital.  Did you experience a social media crisis? Did you help lead your business through such a crisis?  Or did you help it avoid one?

At some level, I don’t care whether you helped your synagogue reach out to disaffected members or you developed a strategy to respond to rumors your investment bank is run by Satan; it’s not the crisis that concerns me, it’s the qualities you displayed in your response, and the insights you’ve gleaned.

So, let’s talk about fake news in the hope that you might find some great material for your applications.

Why is fake news a problem?  Here’s my theory: we live in a post-literate age.  Here’s what I mean: most people can read, but they don’t; consequently, the function like illiterates – they simply lack enough experience and background information to assess news stories.  As a result, they’re easily whipped up into a frenzy.

Let me illustrate my point with one concrete example: a group of pranksters have repeatedly managed to persuade news organizations to report that they’re living without food because they believe (and, supposedly, have proven) that humans don’t need food.  I suggest that anyone who reads would know that’s impossible, that it violates multiple laws of physics and physiology, but if you’re not a reader, you don’t tend to think in those terms, you don’t have the tools to assess these claims because nobody can remember everything and most web surfers don’t take the time to check what they’re “surfing.”  Again, non-readers could check, but they don’t because they’ve fallen out of the habit of reading, preferring instead to “consume” media.

How does that relate to GMAT?

GMAT specifically measures your ability to see through the nonsense, and the precision of your thinking.

You lose points for sloppy/imprecise thinking. The less prone to cognitive biases you are, the higher you'll score. The most obvious example of GMAT critical thinking is in the aptly titled Critical Reasoning section. You may be asked to weaken an argument or identify an assumption or information that would help you evaluate an argument.  In Boldface questions, you are asked to identify what role certain sentences play in a passage. This is crucial for legal contracts. Is this phrase inconsequential? Is it a big deal? See the whole picture.  Real life is far more complicated than a single CR boldface question, but your performance in these mini-models gives a glimpse of how likely you are to commit similar errors in the big picture.

But other than that, cognitive biases/shortcuts are measured for in other areas of the test. In Problem Solving, often an intermediate answer will be a trap answer choice.  In Data Sufficiency, they make it look like they provided sufficient information when actually they didn't.  In SC, two sentences may sound almost exactly the same but mean completely different things!


But back to the bigger picture about fake news, you may wonder how fake news relates to B-school.  Well, do you think anybody’s going to bother to “read” negative comments about you or your company?  How does a company (or professional) survive when reputation can be destroyed in an instant?  Whatever you think of that smirking kid from Covington, have you – or anyone at your company – ever done anything that might look bad in a quick shot or short video?

See my point?  Your business could be shattered in an instant – how can B-school help you prepare?  How have you demonstrated your ability to anticipate and defuse such dangers?

There could be a great essay in there.

I know you want an MBA, but I wonder if you only think you want an MBA.

Here’s what I mean: B-schools offer lots and lots of degrees, and the number and variety of degrees is only growing.

First, I don’t want you to overlook a degree in finance.  Particularly for those of you who live overseas, these degrees often carry a so-called STEM designation, which may be beneficial for your immigration status.  Obviously, such issues go far beyond the scope of our analysis (you’d have to consult an immigration attorney), but it’s just something of which you should be aware.

Second, you might want to focus on the technical aspects of something, which might mean you want a degree in finance or a joint-degree.  I’m not going to lie: these can be “back doors” to the better schools, or they might be a better fit for you. If, for example, your dream is to run a hospital, then a joint-degree may be more useful.  Please don’t misunderstand me: I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just saying you might not want to leap into anything. Spending a few hours speaking with one of our admissions consultants might be the best decision you ever made because we’ve looked at this issue from every angle, and we’ll use our expertise to help you analyze your decision.

Look, anyone will sell you test prep and admissions consulting, but the real experts will help you decide the larger, strategic issues behind these tactical decisions.  It doesn’t help to move faster when you’re traveling in the wrong direction; consequently, it’s worth taking the time (and spending the money) to plan out your strategy.

Third, I have to be honest here: too many people overlook the alternatives to a traditional MBA at a top school.  Whether it’s going overseas, an executive MBA, a local program, there’s other things to consider. Now am I going to tell you to skip HBS or Wharton for something else?  No, of course not, but I am going to suggest that you need to think about the alternatives. If, for example, you’re on the border line for Magic Seven, what other options should you consider?  Should you just go to #8 as your back-up? Or should you expand your search? That’s the kind of issue you should research with our help because too many people don’t bother.

Think about that for a moment.  Choosing the right MBA program is like choosing the right house (both cost about the same!).  If your first choice is unavailable, do you just buy the home next door?

At TPU, we’ll help you consider all your options just as much as we’ll help you get your first choice because nobody can guarantee you admission to the Magic Seven, but worst case we can help you pull a great alternative out of your hat!

    Amongst history buffs, like myself, there’s a famous story about the Declaration of Independence.  Basically, it was a long, hot summer in Philadelphia, and Congress deputized a committee to write the Declaration.  Everybody on the Committee figured it’d be some dry legal document stating the facts and the Congressional response.  One member of the Committee asked the others to let him handle the first draft; thinking they were ridding themselves of an unpleasant clerical task, they readily agreed.  That committee member, Thomas Jefferson, created a literary masterpiece. The instant John Adams and the other committee members read Jefferson’s draft, they knew that they had missed an opportunity for immortality because they hadn’t seen the potential in this otherwise routine task.

    I want you to review your resume like Thomas Jefferson would: what have you done that’s really far more impressive than it seems?  Everybody got good grades, but how many people did it with a learning disability? Everybody worked at an i-bank or a consultancy, but how many people achieved X?  What’s hiding in your resume that deserves more attention?

    Don’t get me wrong: you don’t need to upsell them on your college or your employer.  You don’t even need to upsell them on your achievements; it’s all about you and what you learned.  Heck, Newton figured out gravity from an apple and a tree (I know that’s not quite true, but literary exaggeration is fine!)  You might have done things that seem fairly ordinary, but what did you learn from those things – that’s what matters.

    You might have the most extraordinary insights from the most ordinary of things.  Heck, Steve Jobs always claimed that studying fonts was key to Apple – fonts? Could anything be more boring, and yet…

    That’s how I want you to approach your resume; I want you to think about how you demonstrated something more significant or learned something more profound than the plain facts of your resume imply.

    I’ll be honest: I don’t care that you increased sales 11% because you might have been lucky; heck, your colleague may have boosted sales by 12% -- the facts aren’t that interesting or persuasive.  But maybe you learned that you had to focus on your customers’ needs, that you had to worry about THEM before you could take care of YOU and, thus, you implemented Z policy. And now you’ve seen how that focus on others could help your business solve Problem Q, which had nothing to do with sales.  And so on and so on.

    As you build out from one small story to an insight to another insight, you reveal more and more about yourself, and your story becomes more and more interesting.  I remember one of the most interesting speeches I ever heard was a recipe – literally, he told the audience how to make a mint julep, but that wasn’t really the topic of his speech.  In fact, he was talking about his own yearnings, his own love of beauty, grace, and simplicity, and – rather than tell us he valued those ideals – he showed us, through his meticulous language and presentation.  

    So it’s not the “facts”; it’s your insight, your presentation that matters.  You can be a very boring astronaut or a very inspiring janitor (Good Will Hunting, anybody?)– which one do you think is going to get in?