Crafting Compelling Business School Applications
Everything you need to know about putting together the strongest business school applications from an HBS grad and MBA admissions expert
Through this course, you will learn how to put together the strongest applications possible to maximize your chances of getting into the MBA programs of your choice. We strongly believe that each candidate's unique experiences are what set him/her apart. Our philosophy focuses on authenticity and storytelling to help clients craft compelling and differentiated applications that stand out. With this approach, our clients have gained admission to top-tier MBA programs such as Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT, Columbia, Booth, Tuck, Haas, and Yale, among others.
The course is divided into 6 modules (with multiple lessons within each module), digging into topics such as what to think about before applying to business school, how to approach the application (story/strategy, goals, resume, essays, etc.), and how to prepare for interviews. The different modules are:
- Module 1: What Admissions Committees Look For
- Module 2: How Many Schools to Apply to and When to Apply
- Module 3: Developing Your Application Story/Strategy
- Module 4: Crafting Your Application
- Module 5: Post-submission
- Module 6: Parting Thoughts
The best way to get the most out of this course is by reading and doing. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to creating strong applications – persistence and hard work will be required! To that end, worksheets are attached throughout this course to help guide you on your journey towards crafting the most compelling business school applications. By the end of this course, you will learn what you need to do to craft compelling applications and would have actually taken the steps to do so!
"Shaifali was my guardian angel throughout my business school application process… teaming up with her for my applications was the best investment I ever made and is already changing my life.”
"Shaifali was my guardian angel throughout my business school application process. From our very first phone call, I felt completely supported and understood. Shaifali listened to my career goals and she created a strategy to overcome my weaknesses (low quant score on GMAT) to get into a top school. With Shaifali's step-by-step guidance, I was able to dig further into each school's program and my own MBA goals to build competitive applications. Shaifali also made herself completely available to me and was quick to turnaround edits for all of my essays. Shaifali also prepped me for all of my interviews so I would know how to prepare for questions and feel confident talking to interviewers. Shaifali took a stressful situation and broke it down into milestones that, with her unwavering support, seemed less daunting.
In the end, I received acceptances from Stanford GSB, Wharton, Northwestern Kellogg, and UC Berkeley Haas. I could not be more grateful for all of Shaifali's help. Teaming up with her for my applications was the best investment I ever made and is already changing my life. I highly recommend Shaifali's services to anyone who is applying for business school."
- Admitted to Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, Haas
Your Instructor
Shaifali is the Founder/CEO of Ivy Groupe (www.ivygroupe.com), a boutique MBA admissions consulting company. She received her MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS) and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Princeton University. At HBS, Shaifali served as VP Admissions of the Women’s Student Association; in this role, she collaborated directly with the HBS Admissions Office as a liaison between current and prospective/admitted students. At Princeton, Shaifali interviewed prospective students for admission as an alumni interviewer. Through these experiences, she has had the unique opportunity to gain insight into the qualities that top-tier educational institutions look for in candidates.
Shaifali's rich and multi-faceted career across industries and functions makes her extremely well suited to understand the varied backgrounds of her clients. Before making the transition to education management, Shaifali spent most of her career as a finance professional on Wall Street, where she worked in the investment banking and asset management industries at leading companies such as JPMorgan and Neuberger Berman. She also has experience working in the educational non-profit sector and as an entrepreneur, founding an online media company.
Shaifali has formally spent 7+ years successfully coaching hundreds of diverse applicants and re-applicants to top-tier MBA programs (many of whom received scholarship awards), including those applying to deferred MBA, part-time MBA, and executive MBA programs. Prior to founding Ivy Groupe, she was EVP, Business Development & Strategy as well as a Senior MBA Admissions Consultant at Stratus Admissions Counseling; she also gained experience as an MBA Consultant at Stacy Blackman Consulting. Because of her deep knowledge of the MBA application process, Shaifali has been quoted as an expert in U.S. News; additionally, she has been a contributor to Forbes, Entrepreneur, and The Muse. Shaifali has also been a featured speaker both domestically and internationally on the QS World MBA Tour and has led webinars on GMAT Club and Beat The GMAT. She is a member of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC).
"Shaifali is very thoughtful in her approach and her attention to detail is second to none...if you're applying to business school, you want Shaifali at your side."
"Bottom line - all you have to do is look at the results. With Shaifali's guidance, I got into HBS, my dream school (I was also invited to interview at Stanford). Shaifali is very thoughtful in her approach and her attention to detail is second to none. I was an international applicant, and she worked with me to put together the best strategy given my different experiences. Shaifali's suggestions when it came to my essays were spot on, and she was instrumental when it came to helping me coach my recommenders and prepare for my interviews. Whenever I had any doubt during the process, she was always positive! If you're applying to business school, you want Shaifali at your side...period."
- Admitted to Harvard
BONUSES
Everyone loves bonuses, right? By purchasing Crafting Compelling Business School Applications, you gain free access to these helpful bonuses.
Bonus #1: Sample Resume Template ($360+ value!)
By purchasing this course, you will have access to the sample resume template that we use with both comprehensive and hourly clients. The document has been uploaded in word format so that you can easily populate it with your own achievements and accomplishments.
Bonus #2: Recommender Template ($360+ value!)
Our Recommender Template will make it very easy for you to provide your recommenders with the information that they need to write strong recommendation letters.
Bonus #3: Sample Interview Questions ($360+ value!)
You will also receive the actual sample interview questions that we use with clients when helping them prepare for interviews across different schools.