The MBA Reality Check: Make the School You Want, Want You

A no-nonsense guide to getting into business school at a time when the industry requirements are evolving and competition is at a record level.

MBA programs are redefining their mission and seeking a new generation of business visionaries. No longer simply about grades or test scores, top schools now look for students with a transformative vision. The MBA Reality Check covers everything from the specifics of the application process to how applicants can position themselves among the crop of tomorrow's business innovators. Through their work with hundreds of MBA hopefuls, Forster and Thomas have shown what it takes to succeed in today's highly competitive marketplace, including:

?How applicants can find their own exceptional story to set them apart

?What to include in an MBA application-and what to leave out

?What b-schools really want to learn about candidates

?How to turn any question into an opportunity to illustrate unique leadership qualities

 (15 customer reviews)

This guide to winning a spot in an MBA program is useful and charming - and those two qualities are more closely related than you think. As the title suggests, the book attempts to correct numerous misconceptions applicants have about getting into their target business schools. Some of those myths and self-delusions are pretty tenacious, and education consultants Evan Forster and David Thomas have to be equally pointed to puncture them. That's where the charm comes in. Through vivid narratives of learning experiences (both their own and their clients') and hearty dollops of humor, Forster and Thomas make the arduous process of applying to MBA programs seem less daunting. Along the way, they provide specific advice on everything from how to help the people writing your recommendations to how to fit in the worthwhile extracurricular activities you need to stand out from the crowd. Naturally, getAbstract recommends this sassy but savvy book primarily to those considering graduate...Read more

MBA Reality Check is a refreshingly candid and colorful read with excellent pointers for anyone considering applying to an MBA program, grad school, or even college! Evan and David never hesitate to tell the truth and speak to their rich experience with hundreds of clients. So many books offer up a magic formula to writing the "right" essay or crafting the "right" application. Evan and David take an alternate path, one grounded in authenticity rather than posturing. The key to creating an application that will stand out from the pack is to craft an application that is genuine, that comes from a place of honesty, passion, vulnerability. The authors give dozens of examples of students who take the right kind of risks with their essays, and allow the admissions readers to get glimpses of their character, their fears, their deepest desires. Essays like these are innately inspiring, and they simply ring true. Authenticity is powerful!

I have personally broken out my copy...Read more

As a candidate who has been aspiring to go for an MBA program for about half a decade, I own a lot of books on MBA admissions but this is the only one that I have read cover to cover.

The MBA Reality Check is Fresh! It is not a slapdash effort having a 'one size, fit all' approach, instead it makes one truly re-discover himself. It makes one peel layers and layers of his personality, layers that one usually doesn't even know exist. Writing B-school apps is not a surgical process and that is exactly what Evan and David make you realize. It's about self-realization and demonstrating the real you.

The MBA Reality Check is Honest! David and Evan are in your face and unrelenting. They do not accept superficial stuff; as narrated in the book may times over they force their candidates to be truthful, to bring out their real self and not hide behind business jargon or say stuff that they think the Ad Com wants to hear.

The most important thing about the book...Read more