Blog:
Five Ways an MBA Can Help Future Entrepreneurs
July 18, 2025
Here at Stratus, aspiring entrepreneurs often ask us whether they should pursue an MBA, wondering whether the investment will truly pay off. Will they be better served with the on-the-job training of launching a new company rather than taking time away from work to go back to school? There are certainly high-profile examples of successful…
MBA Programs Offering GMAT Waivers in 2025
July 11, 2025
You have a killer GPA, excellent work progression, and the perfect letters of recommendation—and you even volunteer to save the whales or the environment or whatever other cause is near and dear to you. However, you’re not great with standardized tests, and you are afraid you’ll bomb the GMAT/GRE/EA. Does this one data point in…
How to Use the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation to Enhance Your MBA Profile
July 8, 2025
In an emergency room, doctors follow predefined protocols and procedures when handling medical emergencies such as suspected heart attacks and strokes. In military situations, standard operating procedures guide soldiers in executing tactical maneuvers and providing logistical support so that soldiers act decisively in combat situations. This same kind of playbook exists for MBA applicants as…
Tips for Your Harvard Business School Application Essays
July 8, 2025
Harvard Business School Essay Tips, 2025–2026 In 2024, for the first time in more than ten years, Harvard Business School (HBS) changed the essay questions for its MBA application. The school’s essay prompts for this year are only slightly different from last year’s and focus on three specific themes, in contrast to the long, open-ended…
Tips for Your Georgetown McDonough Essays
July 7, 2025
Tips for your Georgetown McDonough 2025–2026 Application Essays Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business’s 2025–2026 application is one of the most flexible, with a required video essay, plus three options for your main essay. Which one should you choose? The answer will be different for everyone, so focus on the question that you can most…
Tips for Your Dartmouth Tuck Application Essays
July 7, 2025
Dartmouth Tuck MBA Application Essay Tips, 2025–2026 Known for its extremely close-knit, down-to-earth community, Dartmouth Tuck wants to learn about you and how you will contribute to and support the individuals in it. Through its application essays, Tuck asks you three questions intended to highlight aspects of you that are not conveyed in the other…
When to Skip the GMAT for Top MBA Programs
July 3, 2025
The global coronavirus pandemic disrupted standardized testing, making it challenging for MBA applicants in some parts of the world to secure a seat in a testing center. As a result, test takers could also opt to take an online (at-home) version of the GMAT, GRE, and Executive Assessment (EA), but this was not an option for…
Seven Must-Do Things in July to Move Your MBA Applications Forward
July 1, 2025
Early July is about two months before the first regular-decision MBA application deadlines. If you’re preparing to apply to business school, you’re likely pretty overwhelmed by all there is to do, but it helps to lay out the tasks in steps to keep all the moving parts together. Here are some things you should do…
Tips for Your UVA Darden Application Essay
June 27, 2025
UVA Darden MBA Application Essay Tips, 2025–2026 UVA Darden is looking to understand how you will collaborate with others to create impact as a Purpose Driven Leader through its application essays. And your past actions are the best indicators of your potential to make an impact in the future. Before you sit down and look…
Tips for Your Duke Fuqua Application Essays
June 27, 2025
Duke Fuqua Application Essay Tips, 2025–2026 Please note: All information is subject to change. Duke Fuqua’s 2025 application deadlines have been released, and although the school’s essay questions have not been officially announced as of 6/26/25, our trusted contacts within the Fuqua adcom have confirmed that the prompts will remain the same. Duke Fuqua presents its applicants with one of the most creative, and…
Tips for Your Cornell Johnson Application Essays
June 26, 2025
Cornell Johnson School Application Essay Tips, 2025–2026 Cornell Johnson has a small, close-knit community and an amiable culture with an international focus and an emphasis on collaboration. The school looks for candidates who will have an impact on the program both as students and after graduation. Leadership, teamwork skills, the ability to analyze problems, and…
Tips for Your MIT Sloan Application Essays
June 26, 2025
MIT Sloan Application Essay Tips, 2025–2026 MIT Sloan wants you to make your pitch for admission in a somewhat unique application essay format: a business cover letter. Although the information the admissions committee wants is not that different from what most programs seek, the presentation might be a bit daunting for some candidates. Sloan also…