Case Studies
We have gathered five case studies from previous MBA clients who describe in their own words their concerns, challenges, and strategies they pursued to present a compelling application to top MBA programs. While every candidate is different and the set of challenges and concerns they face vary, these case studies provide you with some insight into the EXPARTUS® approach.
Case Study 1: African Male Chemical Engineer working in Pharma Industry.
During my application process for a top business school for fall of 2007, I was particularly concerned with the strength of my extracurricular activities/leadership and developing a streamlined personal brand. During college, I had not held any significant positions in any organization to show my leadership strength. Since college, I had relocated many times, further preventing me from holding significant organizational positions. Furthermore, I had a couple of prospects for post-business school but was unsure of how to address them in my application without appearing to lack clear direction.
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Case Study 2: English Female working in Banking Industry
Clearly I could have struggled through the application process on my own, and still had a chance of getting in to my choice schools. However, without EXPARTUS, firstly the whole process would have been much more stressful, and secondly, I really don't think my essays would have been anywhere near as compelling and insightful as they actually turned out to be.
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Case Study 3: Caucasian New York Female working in Fashion Industry
When I met with my EXPARTUS® advisor for the first time, what I lacked in time to spare before my first application deadline I made up for in determination - and raw materials, i.e. my background. But these materials that collectively comprised my educational, professional and personal past did not necessarily follow a single path or form a clearly directed resume. Specifically, I jumped from one job to another - to a third - in the little over four years I had been out of college, and the jobs ranged from financial to creative in nature. I could boast good grades from a well-respected undergraduate institution and a solid GMAT score, but so could most of my competition. I had some extracurricular activities to speak of, but none that were particularly out of the ordinary.
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Case Study 4: Asian American Female in Marketing and Advertising Industry.
Having been in marketing and advertising since graduating college, I didn’t know too many people with MBA’s and didn’t consider pursuing an MBA as part of my long-term plan. So when I felt ready to go back to school, I was not as prepared as other candidates who were in industries were an MBA was encouraged. I spoke with several admissions consultants before working with EXPARTUS, and they all filled me with fear – fear that I was not business school material and that my odds of getting into top programs were very slim. All these consultants told me that I was too old and my work experience didn’t have the star power of investment banking or management consulting. In particular, one consultant told me that I had “no meat” to my story and that Michigan would be a reach school for me. With dread, I made my call to EXPARTUS® expecting the same.
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Case Study 5: Female Career Changer
Applying for business school is an incredible investment. From a time standpoint, for 6 months, your free time is consumed by the GMAT, writing essays, rewriting essays, visiting schools, meeting with recommenders, and interviewing. From a cost perspective, simply taking the GMAT once and applying to the standard four schools costs over $1000. Upon realizing the enormity and importance of the task at hand, I knew that I would need an advisor to guide me through the process. As a career changer, I needed assistance marketing myself. I chose EXPARTUS® because of their extensive experience in Admissions at leading institutions and their passion for helping people fulfill their potential.
I had spoken extensively with friends at top business schools across the country and thought I had a handle on the components of a winning application. After my initial consultation with EXPARTUS, I began to realize how much I did not know. I did not know how to truly differentiate the top 15 schools from one another to identify which ones would fit my needs. I did not know which recommenders would be most appropriate for which schools. And despite having years of professional experience, I could not effectively communicate my story. What are my short term and long term goals? How does business school fit into this?
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