US grad school app tips from Jon Frank -P7--TEST SCORES VS. ESSAY–WHICH IS MORE

JonFrank

Question:

I am applying for 7 schools this year. Can I use one personal statement to apply for all of my schools?

Answer:

Nope.

Sorry, we don’t mean to be curt. But ya just can’t. Admissionado, you protest, do you have any idea how much work it is to write multiple personal statements? Why yes, yes we do. But that’s what it takes to get in, my friend. If it were EASY to get into a top grad program, well, you wouldn’t want it so badly.

It’s a tough pill to swallow, sure, but it’s impossible to use the same personal statement for all your schools, because most schools don’t ask the same essay questions. Sure, sometimes they are SIMILAR enough that it might seem doable to squeak by under the radar using the same exact essay, but usually the questions are different in subtle ways, and if you don’t address those subtle differences, it’s gonna show. And all the other applicants who DID address those subtle differences will have written better essays than you.

The other thing about this is that even if the questions are exactly the same, the eyes reading it are different. Think about it: would you write an email to your mom in exactly the same way that you would write an email to your boss? Probably not—unless your mom IS your boss…*

You’ve GOT to tailor your essay to fit the reader—the school—to show how YOU fit the school. You need to address your research interests and what that specific school has to offer: programs, classes, funding, extracurriculars, etc. If you’re going for your PhD you ESPECIALLY need to address specific professors you want to work with—both to catch the adcom’s attention, AND so your app can get passed on to those professors who will also review (and decide on!) your app.

It seems like a lot of work, and that’s because it is. But going to grad school is worth the piles of work, and if you start early enough, like right now, and get super on top of planning when to attack those piles, you’ll be juuuust fine. And when you get IN, well, you’ll be better than fine, folks. You’ll be on your way to that degree.

Good luck,
@JonFrank
HBS 2005

JonFrank

Question:

Is it going to affect my application if I have taken too many GRE tests?

Answer:

Think about GRE tests like a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips. How does it feel to eat a handful of ‘em—just the right amount to satisfy your snack craving? Really good, right? They taste so good, BUT you know when to stop so you don’t get sick… and so your fingers don’t smell like sour cream and onion for days….

Now, how does it feel to binge eat an ENTIRE bag at once? Kind of terrible, right? (Unless you have a very high tolerance for junk food—which admittedly a lot of us here at Admissionado do. Especially when it comes to breakfast cereal. Don’t get us started on Cocoa Puffs.)

You want to take juuuust the right amount of GRE tests to satisfy your application. If you take it too many times, like 6 or 7, the adcom is gonna see that, and it’s gonna make them queasy, or at least uneasy about your app. Why is this gal or fella taking the test so many times without improving? Aren’t they studying? What’s the deal? Those are not the thoughts you want your app to stir up the adcom’s mind. Best not to take the test more than three times. Study up, get a tutor, take a prep class…whatever you need to do to get that score up within those three test sittings.

And, it’s actually not a BAD thing to take the test more than once, as long as your score improves. This shows the adcom that you DO know how to study and improve your abilities in a short period of time. That’s impressive.

But you also need to be careful and budget your time wisely. If you spend too much time prepping for the GRE, that’s time taken away from the rest of your app. It’s ALL important.

A higher GRE score will absolutely add value to your app. But if your time is severely limited and you have to choose between extra studying for the GRE and polishing your essay, for example, unless your score is catastrophically low, we say go for making your essay as brilliant as it can be. Because ultimately, your personal voice and story will do more for your app than a test score ever could.

Hope that helps,
@JonFrank
HBS 2005

JonFrank

Question:

I just too the GRE and I think my score is pretty solid overall… except for the writing score. How important is my GRE Writing score, really? Should I retake?

Answer:

Your GRE Writing score is important, and also maybe not terribly important.

It depends.

It’s complicated.

Sigh.

Okay, let’s try this again.

The importance of your GRE Writing score depends on your answers to other questions like…

What kind of grad program are you applying to?

For certain programs, like Social Policy or Education, those types of subjects, they do look at your writing scores and some schools impose minimum score requirements as well. If you’re going for something like Engineering, your Writing score isn’t AS important as your math score. You still want to do your best, and a higher score will only help, but if you get a lower than hoped for score and can’t retake, just make sure to rock your essays to show that you’re competent with language.

Do you hope to TA?

A high GRE Writing score IS needed if you want to be considered for an RA/TA position in grad school. Those positions tend to go to folks with high GRE Writing scores. (Do you want a teacher who isn’t proficient in the language the program is being taught in? Neither does anybody else.)

How is your GRE math score?

If BOTH your math and writing scores are low, that’s just not gonna look good at ALL to an adcom. If you gotta have one low score, you need to excel in the other subject.

HOW low is your GRE writing score?

You don’t need to worry too much if you can get higher than a 3 or 4. Now, if after all is said and done, the highest you can get is a 1 or 2, you will have to prove your writing skills in your essays.

The best combo is to have high test scores—the foot in the door—and a stellar application and essays—the sales pitch once the door is open. But even if your GRE Writing score isn’t where you want it to be, your essays will play an even bigger role in your overall application… so make sure those SHINE.

@JonFrank
HBS 2005

wanghaoran1992

Hi Frank! Could you please tell something about the different career paths for graduates of master in financial economics and those of master in finance? Thanks a lot!

joybb

mark一个

JonFrank

Which is more important in my grad school application: my test scores or my essay?

This is such an important topic, we were worried you wouldn’t believe us if we just gave you one sweeping answer. So, we decided to be all grad school about it and do a study using the scientific method. Here are the results of our study.

THE RELATIVE MERITS OF TEST SCORE AND ESSAY IN THE GRAD APP—ADMISSIONADO-STYLE

Observation: I have to take exams AND write an essay for my grad school app. (Facepalm.)

Question: Which one is more important?

Hypothesis: IDK that’s why I’m doing a study. But probably they are both important or they wouldn’t both be there.

Method: Ask smart people (some of Admissionado’s top grad school consultants) who know this stuff.

Data:

The essay is the most important thing for getting you into your schools, regardless of your major. The test score’s purpose is twofold: one is meeting the minimum requirement for admission (or first round of screening) for the adcom to even look at your app. Second is to find out whether your English is good enough for certain RA/TA jobs.

–Dr. Ching Au,MIT Ph.D

The test score is fundamental. You can easily find the average score information for the past years to see if you measure up. But once you achieve the recommended score, or score higher than average, it is the essay that decides whether you can get in or not.

–Bolong Li, NYU

My opinion is both of them are important. It’s like the Wooden Bucket Theory: to be admitted to a top school, neither of them can be weak. If your time is limited when application season starts, I would suggest you start applying for some second-tier programs and retake the tests at the same time so that your can apply for some schools in the second round, when the competition is less fierce.

–Allison Zhang, Washington University in St. Louis

Conclusion/Analysis:

BOTH ARE IMPORTANT, and neither will get you admitted on their own. You’ve got to get the adcom to at least open the door for you first—that’s the test score. But then once you’ve got their attention, you better use your words (your essay) wisely, to deliver your best sales pitch.

@JonFrank
HBS 2005

jyj1021

Thx sooooo much~~~

JonFrank

Hello,everyone

JonFrank

So, you’re thinking about becoming a Master of Finance. But you’re flipping through the application packet or scrolling through websites and everything’s starting to become one big blur. Take a deep breath, and don’t freak out. We’ve got your questions covered.

What are some of the best programs out there?

Ready to be dazzled? Here goes: Wharton, Chicago (Booth), NYU (Stern), Stanford, Columbia, MIT (Sloan), Berkeley (Haas), UCLA (Anderson), Harvard, and Northwestern (Kellogg). Yeah, pretty much the best programs in the world. And you could be studying at one of ‘em. But there are a ton of smaller schools out there, too, with top-notch academics and great post-grad opportunities.

What are the key factors that will impact my application?

These schools like applicants who already have a lot of work or internship experience, who communicate well, and exhibit stellar language skills.

How high should my GPA be?

AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE. But really concentrate on your test scores.

What test scores do these schools want me to get?

On your GMAT you want anything over 700. On your GRE you should aim for 590 verbal, 790 quantitative. If you’re taking TOEFL, top schools look for at least 100. Smaller schools look for around 75-85.

How many letters of recommendation do I need, and what should they say?

Two to three, depending on the program. They should be from people who can evaluate your skills in this field, and at least one should be from a direct employer or supervisor. In general, you should pick people who know you very well and want you to succeed. Start building those relationships now!

What about the interview? I’m nervous.

Don’t be! Usually schools only conduct a 15-20 minute phone interview by invitation only – very few applicants actually get interviewed!

This all sounds so difficult. Why should I do this?

Because this degree will be a huge advantage if you want to get you a job in the financial analytics field. Plus, it will only take about a year to complete! Since no previous coursework in finance is required, the courses aren’t too challenging, and financial aid isn’t hard to get. Also, the average salary WITHOUT a Masters is $44,080. The average salary WITH a Masters is $79,143.

Sounds like a win/win to us.

JonFrank

Applying for Master of Finance? It's hard, isn't it?