Category: Posts by Rebekah

Advice from the Assistant Dean: 3 Tips for Success with Your Round 2 Application

The following blog post was written by Rebekah Lewin, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid

It’s that time of the year! You have probably been busy studying for your GMAT or GRE, working on edits to your application essays, and trying to finalize all the details on your MBA or MS application for a Round 2 submission. Before you submit, here are three important tips to keep in mind:

Rebekah.Lewin1.) Be Yourself! I know I am starting with something that seems “big picture,” but it is really so important in how you present your candidacy to the Admissions Committee. From your essays, to the résumé, to your interview—we really want to get to know you: what makes you special and interesting, how you fit with our program, what you will learn, and where you will add value. If you have done your homework and really understand our program (a bonus tip!), then you can proactively demonstrate your interest in every section of your application. There are no right or wrong answers in essays and interviews, so be yourself and let your unique talents shine as we get to know you.

2.) Start early. With about three weeks left until Round 2, there is still plenty of time to put the finishing touches on your application, but don’t wait until the last minute. There are often items that require input from others, such as collecting transcripts and getting help proofreading an essay. If you wait until the last minute, then you run the risk of missing the deadline (or just adding more stress to the experience). Set up a project timeline with goals and deadlines for yourself to manage what you need to do and when.

3.) Don’t forget: it’s a holistic review. Each part of the application is important and no one area alone will be the key to getting you admitted or rejected. Many students focus on the quantitative aspects of the application (years of work experience, test scores, GPA) when determining qualifications. While these are important, they are not the only factors that will be considered—the Committee will spend even more time on essays, communication skills, leadership, teamwork, and the quality of your prior work experience as it relates to future career goals. Make sure that you are giving each part of your application the effort necessary to position your candidacy for success.

If you have questions on the application process or your specific candidacy, please reach out to our office. While we are officially closed on 12/25 and 1/1 to celebrate the holidays, we are open each of the other days (Monday through Friday) in late December and early January, and we welcome the opportunity to engage with you.  Please email our office at admissions@simon.rochester.edu or call us at +1 (585)-275-3533. 

Good luck with your MBA or MS application—we hope to review it soon!

Dec 14, 2018 | 0 comments View Post

Advice From the Assistant Dean: How to Get Admitted in Round 3

The following blog post was written by Rebekah Lewin, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid

Every year at this time, the emails and phone calls to the Admissions Office start rolling in from prospective students. They usually begin something like this:

“I know I am late in the application cycle, but I am really interested in Simon. Is it too late to apply and still be offered admission?”

Let me use this post to offer some perspective and reassurance. We have had a Round 3 deadline for years, and it is an important round for us to finalize our incoming Full-Time MBA and MS cohorts. Each year we admit great Round 3 candidates, and this year will be no different. We still have spots available and are eager to see top candidates apply so that we can offer admission and finalize our class. There are also still merit-based scholarships available to competitive candidates.

So here is what I would suggest if you are applying by March 15:

  • Make sure you have done your homework and can answer the question, “Why Simon?” Be sure to offer a compelling case for your interest in our MBA or MS program. Just as importantly, help us understand what value you will add and contribute during your studies here. “Fit” is really important and should not be underestimated in your application materials.
  • Get organized with your supporting materials – transcripts, recommendation, etc. – to ensure that everything can be submitted in a timely manner. While you can submit your application online without having other materials submitted, the longer we have to wait for these supporting materials, the later we will begin the review of your application.
  • Full-time MBA candidates should register for Experience Simon Weekend on March 23-24. If you attend, you have the option to schedule your admissions interview. This is the only option for a candidate-initiated interview during our application process and is a great chance for 1:1 face time with one of our staff or alumni interviewers. We offer travel support and hotel accommodations to attendees who visit from out of town.
  • You don’t have to have a perfect application profile to be admitted, but you do need the self-awareness to understand your strengths and weaknesses and to articulate them for the Admissions Committee. The optional essay can be a way to provide an explanation if you had a low semester of grades during college or a gap in your résumé.

So take the next step in pursuing your career dreams and apply to Simon by March 15.  We look forward to reviewing your application and getting to know you during the process!

As always, if you have questions about Simon, the application process, or our programs, feel free to reach out to our Admissions Office: admissions@simon.rochester.edu or 1-585-275-3533.

Mar 08, 2018 | 0 comments View Post

The Application Process Part 2: Work Experience, Recommendations, and Essays

The following blog post was written by Rebekah Lewin ’02 MBA, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid

Blog -- Steps to A Simon AdmissionWhen the Admissions Committee reviews your application, a significant component is the review of your personal and professional potential for an MBA or MS degree. This includes evaluation of your communication skills, demonstrated teamwork and leadership, co-curricular or community engagement, and future career plans. There are a variety of ways that we assess these characteristics, and I will discuss how a few areas of the application can impact your chances for admission.

Work Experience:

The Admissions Committee will consider both the quality and quantity of your prior and current work experience in relation to your future career goals and the degree you are targeting.

For MS candidates, we are expecting to see relevant internships or a short period of full-time work experience after your undergraduate degree. For example, if you are pursuing the MS Accountancy degree, we would expect you to have one or more internships in corporate or public accounting.

For MBA candidates, we are seeking several years of full-time work experience with demonstrated accomplishments and transferrable skills that will add value to your future post-MBA employer. Your experience does not need to be the same as your future career goals, but you will need to provide context for your motivation to change careers and share information on how an MBA will help you to achieve this goal.

During the application review, the Admissions Committee will assess your résumé, recommendations, and essays to rate the quality and amount of prior work experience and how relevant it is to your future goals. Your résumé provides an overview of what you have done and how well you did it – think of it as a combination of your job description and your performance evaluation. Your essays and recommendations can add a bit of detail with one or more examples that validate and substantiate your work experience to date. You will also want to address why you are pursuing the MBA or MS degree at this particular stage of your career.

Leadership, Teamwork, and Communication Skills:

Keep in mind that the Admissions Committee will also be trying to assess your “soft” skills during the application review. The essays, résumé, and recommendation letters all provide an opportunity for you to shine in these areas. Leadership and teamwork can be demonstrated in both work and non-work situations, and you will want to have several examples that you can share.

Make sure to carefully proofread your essays and keep within required word limits. You will want to answer the question(s) in a way that puts you in the best possible light, while also being yourself.

Simon Fit:

One of the other significant things that the Admissions Committee will be looking for in the essays, and possibly even the recommendations, is assessing “fit” for Simon. The “fit” factor is a culture and career fit – assessing how we think you will be involved as a student, how your career goals fit with the types of opportunities that are typically available post-MBA or post-MS, and balancing a desire to find candidates with characteristics that make you stand out from other candidates, while also expecting some similar qualities of drive, motivation, and commitment to personal and professional advancement.

If you are invited to interview (after submitting your application), then many of these skills and capabilities will be evaluated. The interview is a great opportunity for you to showcase additional examples of how you can contribute in these areas both during the MBA or MS program and with your employer after business school.

Recommendations:

This is an important opportunity for someone familiar with your work contributions to validate your potential to the Admissions Committee. Recommenders are often supervisors, but we also receive letters from clients, vendors, colleagues, or someone an applicant worked closely with on a project. We do prefer a professional recommendation over an academic one, but we understand this isn’t always possible.

Make sure you are giving your recommenders enough time to write a positive and detailed recommendation letter. I suggest that you schedule a meeting with each recommender ahead of time to share your goals for B-school, why you are applying to Simon, how our program fits with your career interests, and the deadlines for getting materials submitted. Hopefully, if you thoughtfully approach the process, your recommenders will have adequate context to help your application shine.

In the meantime, I encourage you to begin or continue working on your application. We look forward to reviewing it soon!

Interested in more advice? Tune in to our “Round 1 Application Tips” webinar Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 12 p.m EDT.

Sep 25, 2017 | 0 comments View Post

The Application Process Part 1: Your Academic Profile

The following blog post was written by Rebekah Lewin ’02 MBA, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid. 

For many studBlog -- Steps to A Simon Admissionents, undergraduate performance and standardized testing will be a significant point of stress in the application process. The Admissions Committee will review your grades and test scores, but keep in mind that there are many other factors to consider as well. Here’s some additional information about those two potentially worrisome sections of the application that we hope will put your mind at ease:

Your academic record:

Grades are a historical part of your application – you cannot change your performance, so this is a data point in the overall assessment that might not even be fully reflective of your current potential.  If you are pleased with your performance and your grades include a variety of quantitative or business courses, that’s great. If not, here are some things you might consider:

  • More recent non-degree coursework in math or business areas can strengthen your academic profile (both lower grades or an absence of undergraduate courses in content that is relevant to your future MBA plans). Consider one or more courses in statistics, algebra, or financial accounting and aim for grades of “B” or higher.
  • If you already earned a master’s degree, the Admissions Committee will take your graduate level coursework into consideration when reviewing your application.
  • A strong score on the GMAT or GRE (especially on the quantitative section) can offset average or below average undergraduate performance.

Your standardized test scores:

The GMAT/GRE is used to compare academic potential across candidates and provides some prediction on performance in the core classes of the MBA program. It is one of the only aspects of the application that is standardized across candidates and the Admissions Committee will consider both your absolute performance (scores/percentiles) as well as your relative performance compared to other applicants.

If you are not confident with your GMAT or GRE score, consider the following:

  • Review the class profile for your desired program, especially the middle 80% range of the GRE and GMAT, when assessing your relative performance.
  • If you decide to take the exam more than once, the Admissions Committee will count your highest score.
  • Strong performance on the GMAT or GRE can help offset a weaker academic record.
  • A strong test score will not by itself get you admitted, nor will a weak test score by itself get you rejected.
  • An important part of standardized test success is preparing with adequate lead time – develop a study plan and map out when and how much you will prepare and how that timing fits with application deadlines.
  • The Admissions Committee looks at all components of the GRE or GMAT – including the writing portion and integrated reasoning.

Once the Admissions Committee concludes that you are academically qualified to be successful in the MBA or an MS program, they will then focus on many of the other areas of the application that will help to differentiate you from other candidates – level and type of prior work experience, recommendations, career goals, and fit for the program.  Many of those areas are within your control as you present your candidacy to the Admissions Committee.

Stay tuned for a future blog post with tips on how to put your best foot forward with work experience, recommendation letters, and essays. In the meantime, I encourage you to begin or continue working on your application. We look forward to reviewing it soon!

Interested in more application tips? Tune in to our “Preparing to Apply and Common Application Mistakes to Avoid” webinar tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 30. at 12 p.m EDT.

Aug 29, 2017 | 0 comments View Post
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