Customer Reviews

How to Get Into the Top MBA Programs

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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!

"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.

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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.

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

This book is now outdated and not very helpful. Looking forward to get my money back!!

This book is a good introduction for those who are deciding whether they need an MBA. If you are more or less certain about your goals, type of MBA program you need, etc. - I would not recommend this one. After reading most of the chapters I understood that there was nothing that I could not have figured out myself - how to behave at an interview? what are my strenghts compared to others? how to advertise yourself in personal statement? It's no rocket science (especially if you hold some other graduate degree already..)

First, I must say there are lots of useful gems in this book, but one major problem really torpedoes it. I'm going to TRY not to make this review a "why this book didn't help ME in particular" review, but I think the book's problem is a serious one. It's written for people who, given their background, should already have no problems getting into a top school.

This is extremely evident in the example essays. The applicant-authors of these example essays should be shoe-ins for acceptance at top schools. Most are already established, successful managers and consultants with few serious weaknesses. The rest have something interesting or extraordinary in their backgrounds that obviously set them apart from the pack. I mean, seriously: Does an international IT consultant with a great resume and a 3.9 GPA really need this book?

The author of this book would have earned more stars from me had he shown how someone with multiple serious deficiencies turned his application around and succeeded despite his background. He could have shown a boring, mediocre white male applicant whose essays made him or her stand out. I would think that most of the people who are looking for help getting in to school fall into these categories.

If you could only buy one book on MBA admissions, make it this book. How to Get Into the Top MBA Programs is the most thorough and comprehensive guide to MBA admissions; Montauk answers nearly every possible question an MBA hopeful could have. The caveat is that because this book is slightly outdated, it is best paired with a more updated book like,"Your MBA Game Plan," by Omari Bouknight and Scott Shrum. Although Montauk has this new edition (I am referencing the 2nd edition, so be sure to get whatever the most recent edition is), I think Your MBA Game Plan puts forth some important, more up-to-date advice that is slightly different, because it comes from the perspective of recent admits to a top b-school. However, it is not nearly as comprehensive as Montauk's book.

A short summary of the good and the bad:

The Good:

1. Many great sample essays from a variety of candidates and a variety of schools.
2. A solid section on interviewing.
3. A very helpful section on MBA essay topics, why certain questions are asked and how to approach them.
4. School specific quotes from actual MBA admissions officers.
5. All the sample essays are not perfect - the commentary at the end of the essays shows this. This analysis can really help applicants analyze their own work and understand what works in a b-school essay and what doesn't.
6. Useful sections like Appendix I, a Personal Organizer, which will help candidates begin to analyze their own applicant profiles and start the process of highlighting strengths and mitigating weaknesses.

The Bad:

1. This book overall would benefit from an even more recent edition. For example, there are sample essays in there at this point that would no longer work. I spoke with an admissions officer from Wharton who said, about one particular type of example, it almost never works.
2. Overall, I've seen some people rely a little too heavily on Montauk's book. Know that just because you "pattern" or "structure" your essay exactly like one in this book, it doesn't mean your essay will be a winning one. Use Montauk's book as a guide and a reference. It should be one of many data points that help you form your b-school application plans.
3. There is some advice he gives that I have heard actual admissions officers advise against (specifically in the chapter entitled,"How to Choose the Right School for You.") This is understandable given how old this book is. What I advise readers to do is to make sure they are in communication with admissions officers at their target schools. Make sure you visit schools, go to information sessions, talk to current students, alumni and faculty. When you have questions, ask them during the info sessions and/or even email the general admissions email address at your target school. So when reading a book like this, you can "bump" these quotes and information up against what current admissions committee members advise. Remember that schools always change and even those who make up the admissions committee change - so know the viewpoints of the current admissions committee members.

When I applied to b-school, I used this book. I ended up going to Harvard Business School and this book provided key insights and guidance that helped me get in. In short, buy it, but keep the caveats in mind. And be prepared to pass it on to your friends after you get into a great b-school! As more and more people obtain MBA degrees and more apply to competitive programs, it is important to have a book like this in your arsenal to give you an edge. Buying this book is not a guaranteed admission to a top school (nothing is, not even an 800 GMAT), but it will definitely increase your odds.

Also, I think this book can help everyone - regardless of what their profile is. You don't already have to be a "great" prospect. If you have serious deficiencies, this book can help you (but again, there's still no guarantee). I've seen plenty of people who were seemingly "ordinary" get into great schools. One reason is that they knew (whether they used this book or not) how to apply the right strategies and create a great application.

Other good books to help with MBA admissions and essays: The Elements of Style (Strunk and White) and 65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays.

I have applied to about 10 MBA programs. A lot of work and stress to complete all the requirements (essays, GMAT, letter of recos, interviews..). Indeed, I am so glad to be done...let's wait for the results! This book has been somehow disappointing. First of all, I bought it since consumer reviews were quite positive..but most of them dated 1998 or 1999. This book has been written almost 5 years ago and some of the perspective are quite outdated since competition for admission is now even harder and Admission offices have changed some of their requirements. Second, this book has been written by someone who has never completed an MBA dossier. While reading it, I have missed a lot of insights that will probably make the difference in the application process. Anyway, good luck to all of you.

I bought "how to get into top MBA" before applying to HBS, Wharton, Columbia, Kellogg and Dartmouth. THis book did help me a bit but it lacks some key information. I wish that it features more focus and insights about the very schools I was applying to. Application is very competitive..so this kind of information are crucial to "make or break". I have heard that application have jumped 35% this year at HBS!!

Found the information and tips to be outdated for the current situation