THE MBA APPLICATION

In an application climate where the most sought after MBA programs accept as few as 8% of their applicants, your application package must be exceptionally competitive. MBA programs like Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB and Wharton aren’t just looking for great MBA applicants; they are looking for future business leaders.

Furthermore, as an MBA applicant in today’s economic climate, successful candidates must demonstrate what Ivy Eyes calls “living values.” These are the intangibles of your application that make up the real fabric of your identity: commitment to CSR and sustainability, penchant for innovation, emotional intelligence, and management with heart. The entire MBA application process is changing –from video essays to prompts that sound like trick questions – and you need more than just good scores to resonate with an admissions committee.

THE MBA ESSAY

Applying to business school is about far more than your GMAT or GPA scores. Of course, your resume and transcript should be top-notch, but it’s really the MBA essay that delineates between a strong MBA candidate and a true MBA program contributor/future business leader/engaged alumnus. Why? Your MBA essay is the one place on your business school application where you can humanize your candidacy and "start the conversation."

Without acknowledging your reader outright, you must connect with them, and involve them beyond a litany of flat, first-person pronouncements (“I have proven…I am ready…I believe…”). You must obliterate the third wall. The MBA essay is your arena to demonstrate that you’re an authentic, a precise communicator, and capable of connecting your past with your future. This is what all today's leaders must be capable of.

Though we value authenticity across all admissions spheres, the MBA essay doesn't just boil down to personality-laden prose. Essays must be "ready to market" and strategic. For example, you may have a background in publishing, but a genuine desire to pursue management consulting (along with 85% of other MBA applicants). Where are the transferable (soft and hard) skills you've developed along the way? What's your niche/desired path in the consulting world? How are you poised to marry these two interests? Do your goals reflect your understanding of existing business realities, or is your head in the clouds?

Without sitting in the seat of an admissions committee member, or steady exposure to admissions writing, it is impossible for most MBA applicants to anticipate these types of questions.

THE IVY EYES APPROACH

Although MBA essay questions vary from one program to the next, the crucial entry point is always this: who are you and why are you the ideal candidate? Whether it’s MIT Sloan’s “Introduce Yourself” essay to Stanford Graduate School of Business’ “What are you passionate about and why?” your individually assigned Ivy Eyes editor will help you distill the most marketable dimensions of your candidacy.

What distinguishes our approach? Mark Twain wrote, “Plain question and plain answer make the shortest road out of most perplexities.” In a nutshell, this characterizes our precise, facilitative approach. Through our flagship services – Advanced or Premiere – what we do is ask the questions needed to generate the best stories. Through multiple revisions, we get the best content out of you, and then adapt and integrate that material to form fully realized, winning essays.

The final element to our method is all balance: we balance authentic, colorful prose with strategic positioning. We realize that your MBA essays are not simply about storytelling— a holistic approach is required. As MBA programs evolve, so do their selection criteria, and the Ivy Eyes Editing team will ensure your essays optimize your chances of admission.

IVYEYES PROMISE

Ivy Eyes editors are not only writing coaches and thought partners; we make it our business to help you uncover your unique voice. Many of our editors have worked in admissions and corporate recruiting, and attended top graduate programs. Our team’s distinctive approach will intuitively help prepare you for the next step in the applications process: the interview.

Each product is a reflection of our individualized collaboration with each client. To that end, every document edited by Ivy Eyes Editing is 100% unique. This aligns not only with our Ivy Eyes Ethics, but also with what’s best for you: you want your admission to reflect your hard work. After working with Ivy Eyes Editing, you can be certain that your admissions materials are uniquely your own, and that your acceptance is well-deserved.