Blog:
Four Tips for Prepping Your Business School Recommenders
May 14, 2024
MBA letters of recommendation are a critical part of every business school application, but don’t panic! If you haven’t done so already, we at Stratus suggest that you start by reading our “Four Steps to a Five-Star MBA Recommendation.” Although recommendation letters are the part of your application over which you have the least control,…
25 Questions to Ask Students and Alumni While Researching MBA Programs
May 13, 2024
Connecting with students and alumni is an important part of researching MBA schools. Business school is a considerable investment of time and money, so digging a few layers deeper by speaking to current MBA students and alumni at your programs of interest will help you find the right programs. Additionally, schools want to know you’re…
Four Ways an MBA Can Help You Get into Consulting
May 6, 2024
The first time I heard of McKinsey, I was in a container in Afghanistan. We were counting down the days until the end of our deployment, and some of us were pondering what life would look like once we left the Army. A friend told me all about McKinsey, and I decided that was my…
Eight Steps to Help Engineers Build a Strong MBA Profile
March 7, 2024
Earning an MBA can be a great way for engineers to expand their technical skills and grow into a management role. Many tech companies prefer MBAs with engineering or computer science backgrounds for product manager roles. Engineers can bring their problem-solving ability to business by breaking down challenges, identifying root-cause issues, and developing innovative solutions….
Resources for Hispanic/Latinx Candidates Applying to MBA Programs
December 20, 2023
As of 2022, Hispanic and Latinx citizens made up the largest ethnic or racial minority in the United States at approximately 19% of the US population, but they held fewer than 4% of senior executive leadership positions in corporate America. Increasing awareness and building the talent pipeline in the Latinx community may help reverse the…
MBA Application Tips for LGBTQIA+ Candidates
November 27, 2023
Each year, business schools strive to admit groups of students who are diverse among multiple dimensions: demographic backgrounds, work experiences, countries of origin, and even future career plans. Schools want to create a welcoming environment for all, and that has increasingly included their LGBTQIA+ candidates and students. Some top business schools have even developed specialized…
Tips for Nonprofit Professionals Applying to Business School
November 17, 2023
If you have a nonprofit background, applying to MBA programs can be intimidating. Applicants who come from “traditional” MBA roles such as banking and consulting often have access to MBA alumni who can provide guidance during the admissions process. But if you come from a “nontraditional” role, you might not have easy access to that…
How Long Does It Really Take to Build an MBA Application?
October 17, 2023
Most of our clients ask us, “How long does it take to put an MBA application together?” This is a great question—and one that you should consider seriously. However, there’s a different answer for every client. Therefore, in this blog post, I intend to help you build your personal business school application timeline. To start,…
Top US One-Year MBA Programs
September 12, 2023
While European business schools are starting to offer more two-year MBA programs, the number of one-year programs in the United States continues to grow. Before highlighting some of the top US-based one-year MBA programs, let’s talk about why you might consider this type of degree. In a one-year MBA program, you have the residential aspect…
What Can Indian Women Do to Gain Admission to a Top MBA Program?
September 11, 2023
With the increased awareness of the career benefits an MBA offers and business schools’ dedicated efforts to attract more women through unique program options, female enrollment is showing a big uptick. Most notably, Wharton’s MBA Class of 2023 is 52% women. And according to Graduate Management Admission Council research, 47% of GMAT test takers in…
Tips for Your Emory Goizueta Application Essays
August 21, 2023
Emory’s Goizueta Business School is named after Roberto Goizueta, the former CEO of the little local company Coca-Cola. Goizueta’s values of curiosity, intellectual courage, and integrity are part of the Emory Goizueta ethos. The school also places a strong emphasis on leadership, entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, global awareness, and social responsibility, so these should all…
Optional Essay Dos and Don’ts
August 11, 2023
When completing your MBA applications, it’s tempting to answer every possible question. The optional essay, however, has the word “optional” right in its name. MBA programs value self-awareness in their applicants; you can demonstrate this by recognizing what material is appropriate to include—if any—in the optional essay. Quite simply, the optional essay—and it really could…