473 of 485 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Read it, but be realistic, April 20, 2002
I am actually a professor at one of the top MBA programs in the country. My students tell me it is getting harder and harder to get into the best programs. That's especially true just now that the economy is bad - everyone decides to drop out of the economy for a couple of years, at the same time. Our applications are up 40-50%.
So yes, you could use some advice, and some of Montauk's is OK. But you should remember that NO book can change some basic facts about you: your GPA. Your work experience. Your basic intelligence. If you do not score well on EVERY one of these, you will probably not end up in what the book calls a "top" program.
Don't let that get you down - there are a lot of great programs out there. Instead of obsessing about whether you will get into Wharton (or whatever), obsess about learning more about LOTS of program, to find the one where you will FIT the best. This book does not really offer you any help in the way of describing the pluses and minuses of the various programs, so don't make this the first MBA admissions book you get.
That said, I found some useful pointers in this book, particularly when it comes to recommendations. Pick your recommendation writers wisely (make sure they know how to write!), and PREP them. Remind them what makes you special, send them a resume, etc. I write a dozen or more letters a year. The students who give me more information about themselves make it easy for me to help them stand out.
Give yourself enough time to take the GMATs more than once in case you are not happy the first set of results.
And (this one is mine, not Montauks) don't be in a hurry to do it this year if you don't have to. If you will be able to tell a better story about your work experience 12 months from now, wait to apply. Stronger work experience = stronger chance of getting in.
So to summarize - this book is OK but a book with detailed info about programs would be better. Concentrate on finding the right program for you instead of getting up high in the Business Week rankings. Pay attention to your recommendation letters.
Maybe you won't have to read the book now that you've read the review ;-).
Good luck!
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137 of 141 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very good book for getting your act together for MBA Apps, August 26, 2000
"How to Get into the Top MBA Programs" is a very good resource on the business school application process. The book expounds upon three points very well:
1. Know yourself. Understand why you are considering a business school, determine what you expect to get out of it, and identify which programs are best for *your needs*. Be honest with yourself.
Assuming you've determined an MBA program is the way you need to go, you have to determine which offering is most appropriate. Objectively evaluate schools, don't blindly go off of the numerous "rankings." These are purely quantitative and may not be the best fit. (For example, if you want to do marketing and not finance, Northwestern might be a better choice than Wharton.) Evaluate programs, interview alumni and current students, and VISIT campus. Pay attention to any "gut" feel.
2. Market your strengths and weaknesses.
The ideal applicant will have a 4.0 undergraduate GPA, 800 GMAT, speak seventeen languages, served president of IBM, and have several gold medals in swimming. If this doesn't describe you, you're "just folks" (to borrow from Harry Bauld) and need to market yourself.
Montauk has some interesting generalizations for backgrounds (e.g., engineer, sales) and their general strengths and weaknesses.
One valuable suggestion is to choose and manage your recommenders. They should say what they want, and in their own words, but you can help guide the perspectives they emphasize on your candidacy so you come across as a multidimensional applicant.
The essay writing suggestions are generally very good, especially the "angle" that some of the questions are taking. (This is very similar to the "Knock 'em Dead" by Martin Yate.) However, for actually writing your essay, I would strongly recommend reading "On Writing the College Application Essay" by Harry Bauld.
3. Stay on top of the admissions process.
To a great extent, this is really "make sure everyone gets stuff when they should." Provide dossiers for your recommenders, make sure you have a completed application in on time, follow up with people.
Because the application process is competitive, Montauk offers suggestions on reinforcing your candidacy be waitlisted or are called in for an interview.
--
Throughout each chapter, Montauk includes comments from various directors of admissions. These basically reiterate what the text says and (especially for the US schools) are a regurgitation of things you'd read in the applications packet. For example, "The GMAT score is as important as any other single element in the admissions process." Duh, otherwise it wouldn't be required.
Overall, this is a very good book, offering a lot of perspective on the self-evaluation and application processes.
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73 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
It is NOT a must buy, February 11, 2001
I bought this book to prepare my application to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton and Columbia. I have to admit that I was very disappointed since I found a lot of obvious advice. There are a lot of sample essays but no in-depth analysis and comments were provided. Last, this book is a bit out-of-date. Also, it does not provide any information on school specifics so that I could position differently my application for each targeted school
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