How Does Us News Chemistry Ranking Work?

How Does Us News Chemistry Ranking Work?There are several sites online that provide a basic, basic information on Us news chemistry ranking, including an explanation of the formula used by the site to calculate their results. However, since there is no one set of law for calculating the rankings of various news sources, every source, even the most reputable and reliable one, would have its own ranking system that they apply when rating the news.In order to calculate the information in this article, we have taken a look at some of the factors that these sites base their ratings on, in order to gain a better understanding of the way that these websites rank and rate news. We will look at the factors that these sites use in their ranking, in order to understand how these factors can determine the rankings of different news sources.The main factor that each of these sites uses in calculating their rankings is the quality of the article that they publish. These factors include how long th e articles are, how many links it has received, and how many times the article has been published elsewhere, as well as the traffic that the article receives. Generally, the more time the article is published, the more link it gets, and the more traffic it receives, and therefore the higher the ranking it receives.However, these factors, although important, are not the only ones that affect the ranking of the article. How long the article is published and how often it is published, are also factors that are taken into account. While the length of the article is highly important, the amount of time the article is published is equally important as well.The second factor that these sites take into account is the URL that the article is published at. This is something that cannot be taken lightly, and because the URL that the article is published at, is what determines the ranking of the article, this can be very important.To begin with, the more links that the article has to other webs ites, the higher its ranking will be. The more links it has, the more credibility that the article has, which means that the article will be ranked high. Although the links that the article has to do not directly affect the ranking, they help the ranking of the article greatly.All in all, the most important thing that each of these sites takes into account when ranking an article is the quality of the article. Other factors, such as the amount of time the article has been published, how many times it has been published, the number of links that it has received, as well as the traffic that it receives, however, have no bearing on the ranking of the article.

UK has the youngest teaching workforce in the developed World - Tutor Hunt Blog

UK has the youngest teaching workforce in the developed World UK has the youngest teaching workforce in the developed World UK has the youngest teaching workforce in the developed WorldSchoolsIn fairy tales and legends the character of `the wise old man` often features. This venerable sage, with his long white beard and modest attire is seen as a fount of all knowledge, with everyone from humble villagers to Kings and Queens seeking his sage advice. Though some details concerning this character archetype many alter from story to story, one things stands constant - he is always of advanced years. In many cultures there is a parallel made between age and wisdom: someone who has lived such a long life must surely have accumulated a great amount of knowledge. Does this mean that older teachers make better teachers? Back in the 60`s and 70`s when I was at school, it seemed there wasn`t a teacher under 50, though this certainly doesn`t seem to be the norm nowadays. A report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has disclosed that the UK has more than double the proportion of teachers who are under the age of 30 compared to the other developed countries. As well as having the most youthful workforce, our teachers have a modest salary, being paid below the international average for all the associated levels. This trend seems to have begun in 2005, when the average age of teachers started to fall, leaving us with 31% of primary school teachers now aged 30 or under. Salaries for teachers in England are on average 10% lower than in 2005 - and it doesn`t look like the study has taken into the effects of inflation, meaning the real pay for teachers has fallen even further over the last decade and a half. Combine these constricting finances with growing class sizes - the UK being one of the few countries that has classrooms becoming more packed since 2005 - and it becomes easy to understand why there is a recruitment and retention crisis in teaching. Andreas Schleicher, the director for education and skills at the OECD, gave a speech at the launch of the report, saying `There have been clear cuts and when you make cuts you have to make choices. You cut your teacher salaries, you increase your class sizes.` `Teachers have moved backwards on pay and on class size so the UK is in the risk quadrant where class sizes have become bigger and teachers are paid less.` Of course there`s no rule that says younger teachers are any less skilled then their more `mature` colleagues - in fact many students claim to learn more from a teacher who is close to them in age. Mr Schleicher pointed out that the UK having the youngest teaching workforce could be seen in an favorable way: `You can look at that as a positive sign in the sense of lots of people who want to move, who are motivated and who are freshly educated with the latest technology.` The fact remains that the reason we have such a large number of young teachers, not just in primary but also in secondary schools, is that there is a huge retention crisis. Recent research carried out by the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) suggests that a quarter of teachers quit within their first year; and that four out of ten plan to leave the industry completely within the next 5 years, according to the National Education Union. With excessive workloads, often exceeding 70 hours a week, and with one in four teachers `experience(ing) violence from pupils every week` (according to the NASUWT union), it`s really hardly surprising that so many teachers leave the industry to pursue other occupations. It`s this exodus of course that`s bringing down the average age of teachers, with many older teachers leaving the profession only to be replaced by young graduates. Mr Schleicher was well aware that the young average age of teachers `signals that a lot of people leave the profession. That`s the downside of it. That actually there is a lot of churn and turnover in this which I think puts the population at risk.` The strains aren`t just felt by teachers though, as the report from the OECD reveals the UK has the second highest university fees in the developed world, despite the salary premium for graduates declining over recent years. There may be some good news however, with the Department for Education promising that all teachers and school leaders will enjoy an above inflation pay increase this year of 2.75% - and the government has also announced that teacher starting salaries in England will be raised to 30,000 by 2022. 5 months ago0Add a Comment

5 Best Elementary Schools in Dallas

5 Best Elementary Schools in Dallas Dallas is a bustling city that has a lot to offer its residents. When it comes to schools, there’s no exception.After researching the best elementary schools in Dallas we now have the concrete proof just how great they are. For our first ranking in our school district series, we’ll show you how we calculated the Texas Education Agency’s metrics from the most recent report (2014) to rank each school that met their standards. While the TEA Index is pretty comprehensive, Frog Tutoring decided to evaluate a couple additional factors in the study we found. The following methodology was used in calculation:SAT Factor (24%): The SAT was taken into consideration for this ranking out of a possible score of 2400, since the most recent statistics are from 2014 when the SAT was in it’s old format.STAAR Expectations (22%): When taking the STAAR test into consideration, we look at the percentage of students who met or exceeded the expectations of the test in a given year.TEA Index (22%): W e utilized the Texas Education Agency’s 4 areas of academic excellence, which consist of Student Achievement, Student Progress, Closing Performance Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness.AP Test Factor (18%): We wanted to include the percentage of students that made a score of at least a 3 or better on one or more AP test. We thought this was important to include in regards to college readiness.Graduation Rate (10%): Graduation rate was taken into consideration for the purposes of measuring student achievement and postsecondary readiness.Class Size (2%): Student-to-teacher ratio is important for an individual’s learning, so we took this into consideration.Online Reviews (2%): We have weighted each school’s popularity score based on Facebook reviews, Greatschools.org reviews, and K12.Niche.org reviews.If you’d like to see a more in-depth look at the TEA’s metrics for accountability standards, please click here. To determine a definitive ranking for the top elementary schools in Dallas, we combined these 7 factors to create one number to compare and contrast the success of each elementary school.Let’s dive in to the list of the 5 best elementary schools in Dallas!1. Lakewood ElementaryOur first school on the list is Lakewood Elementary that has a student body of 841. Lakewood has the highest performance on the STAAR test with 78% of students meeting or exceeding STAAR standards. Class sizes are slightly above the state average (17 students) with 19 students on average in each classroom. Lakewood is nestled in the Lakewood neighborhood in north Dallas near White Rock Lake. As you can see, it has a long list of impressive accomplishments.2. Stonewall Jackson ElementaryYou don’t have to travel far to get to our second school on the list, Stonewall Jackson Elementary. A high rating of 72% of its student body meets or exceeds the expectations for the STAAR test, and is one of the reasons that Stonewall Jackson Elementary is one of the highest ranked public s chools in Dallas. There is a class size average of 16 students per class, which gives many students a more inclusive educational setting.3. George Bannerman Dealey MontessoriGeorge Bannerman Dealey is an elementary school name that also comes with a long list of accomplishments. It has earned distinctions in Reading/ELA and Postsecondary Readiness to name a few. The school is also on par with our second school on the list with STAAR expectations met or exceeded with 72% of students.4. Harry C Withers ElementaryOur fourth school on our list has the second highest STAAR expectations met or exceeded in our research with 76%. Harry C Withers Elementary also has a nice class size of 17 students that gives each individual a chance to get the attention they need. The school has also scored very high in the Texas Education Agency’s ratings, and has earned distinctions in Top 25% Student Progress and Top 25% Closing Perform Gaps.5. J P Starks ElementaryJ P Starks Elementary is the 5th high est-performing school in Dallas with distinctions in Science, Reading/ELA, and many more. The school has an impressive 75% of its students meeting or surpassing the standards of the STAAR test, and has a nice class size of 18 students on average. J P Starks Elementary is one of the highest performing elementary schools in the large district of Dallas ISD.Frog Tutoring Dallas Tutors are proud to present the best elementary schools in Dallas based on statistics released by the Texas Education Agency. Please share in the comments any personal experience that you have had in the Dallas Independent School District!5 Best Elementary Schools in DallasCreate your own infographicsNote: We wanted to take a second to explain our methodology, and how we arrived at factoring in each area of success for our rankings. First, we made an extensive spreadsheet (which you can take a look at for yourself here), and collected all of the data that we needed for our results. Then we converted each factor into a percentage and multiplied that number by the percentage of how much it’s worth in our ranking system. Let’s look at an example:Woodrow Wilson High School’s TEA Index ranking is 235/400.235 / 400 = 58.75%Since this is 22% of our total, we used the percentage above to measure how much it’s worth in our ranking system. Which in this case is 22% of the total score.58.75 x .22 = 12.93%If you’d like to know more about this process, please contact our coordinator, Judith, at judith@frogtutoring.com.

Why New Years Resolutions Dont Work

Why New Years Resolutions Dont Work There are only a few more days left in 2017, and it’s about now that we begin to recall our last year’s resolutions and our failure to achieve them. So, what went wrong again? Every one of us could come up with a number of explanations and excuses, but these can be actually boiled down to just a few points: You dont believe in yourself A failure to act can cripple you before you leave the starting line. You have to believe in yourself. So what if you’ve failed a time or two? This year, you can try again! Your time management skills are lacking Managing your time effectively is not about crossing all the entries off your to-do list; it is about knowing what your priorities are and getting the right things done first. If you need some help find a life coach and work with him. You have no social support It can be hard to stay motivated when you feel alone. The good news? You’re not alone! Post a status on Facebook asking your friends if anybody would like to be your gym or accountability buddy.  Social support  can enhance quality of your life and provide a buffer against adverse life events. You dont  monitor your progress If you dont track and monitor your progress in some way, how will you ever know whether youre any closer to reaching your goal? You are  impulsive If you want to change something about yourself or about your lifestyle don’t try to change whole thing, first pick one thing stick to it and change it. Change is hard We commit ourselves to changing something we really don’t want to change, or to do something we really don’t want to do.  So if youre having a hard time sticking to dont be so hard on yourself â€" youre better off making resolutions you can actually stick to, and recognizing that its not easy to change overnight.

John Warnken and teaching English online to schools in Indonesia

John Warnken and teaching English online to schools in Indonesia John Warnken It is amazing the things that can happen when people get connected online. John Warnken (italki profile, facebook profile) was teaching US senior citizens in Arkansas how to use the internet, when he found italki. He found that connecting people through italki and Skype was a popular activity for the seniors he was working with. However, one person John met on italki was Endang Palupi, a school teacher from Pekalongan, Indonesia. She asked John if he would be interested in volunteering to teach some basic English to high school students. John began teaching classes through Skype, and since then, John has become a celebrity in Pekalongan. Hes been featured in the local newspaper, and hes been introduced to the mayor of Pekalongan. He even gave a graduation address (through Skype) to the high school. Hes written up his own story on the Oprah Angels Network.  Hes also posted his story in this italki group. John had a chance to be on a Central Java radio station, and he invited me to join him on the show. During the show, the mayor phoned in, as well as the local school superintendent. A number of students also went to the studio to talk on the air with John. Unfortunately, at the moment when I was supposed to introduce myself, and talk about how the internet could be used to help people learn languages I ran into some technical difficulties with Skype. The irony was not lost on me. You can listen this segment of the radio interview here: (I believe I said a number of things, but) Nevertheless, it was inspiring to hear how much this town appreciated Johns help in teaching English through Skype. John also let me know that the station has been receiving hundreds of texts and phone calls since the radio show aired. The station may make a talk with John a weekly program. Here are pictures of the radio show in Pekalongan. If you know of other stories about how you have used italki to help people (or have been helped), please let us know at feedback at italki dot com. If youre interested in helping John with teaching English classes through Skype in other countries, you can contact him through italki (John Warnken) or post on his group discussion. Were excited to see how projects like this develop. Kevin and the italki team

The History of Sphere Geometry and Algebra in the History of Astronomy

The History of Sphere Geometry and Algebra in the History of AstronomyIt is known that the 'Terminus' was based on the spherical trigonometry and algebra, so it is fairly clear why these two disciplines were considered as an important part of the Islamic science. In fact, many of the advancements made in the field of mathematics during the period led to the invention of tools that could be used for other sciences as well. If you are wondering where these developments came from, you need to know a bit more about this aspect of the history of Islam.One area that requires some kind of explanation is the spherical trigonometry that was used by the learned scholars in the Islamic world. The term spherical trigonometry refers to an algebraic concept that was used by the astronomer and mathematicians of the Islamic world to solve problems related to the spherical geometry. This concept involves the use of the Pythagorean theorem, as well as the plane arcs as well as straight lines.While the spherical trigonometry is something very simple, this principle has been considered a fundamental element of trigonometry for several centuries now. In addition to this fact, the spherical trigonometry was especially designed to work with problems that are associated with the concepts of spherical geometry. As we all know, trigonometry deals with angles. So, when people look at trigonometry and sphere geometry, they will not be able to see the sphere that is in between both of them.There is a very good reason why spherical trigonometry has been a standard part of trigonometry for many years now. In order to understand this aspect of the history of algebra, it is necessary to understand the basics of spherical trigonometry.It was already mentioned earlier that spherical trigonometry was actually used by the astrologers in the Islamic world. Before they even started to use this concept, it was discovered that they were using spherical trigonometry to deal with problems associated wit h the sphere.What actually makes spherical trigonometry is that it is all about finding points that are on the sphere and finding the angle that is made between those points. This is done using the concept of arc integration, which is the relationship between the Pythagorean theorem and the radius of the sphere.For people who want to learn more about spherical trigonometry, you should try to look at the history of sphere geometry, as well as the history of spherical trigonometry. By doing so, you will be able to apply this concept to your own studies as well.

What is the Best VOA Special English Learning Course?

What is the Best VOA Special English Learning Course?VOA English lessons are the best type of skills to have when you want to improve your knowledge and communication skills. You can use this course on your own, as well as for a class or a team project with your school.English is not just one language, it is the international language spoken by many people around the world. It is one of the most widely used languages in the world, and its influence is felt in almost every part of the world. As a learner you may be able to speak English at a high level, but you may struggle to improve it further. Here is how you can make your English learning experience more effective and fun.Have fun! It's easy to find a course that teaches you everything you need to know about language learning, but finding the right type of lesson can be tricky. When choosing the right course, it is important to choose the one that provide interesting classes, an engaging teacher, and something to help you get bett er with your English. What is more, if you are given a plan, made up of tasks to complete that will guide you through the stages of learning, you will be much more likely to succeed.There are also some courses that will help you learn how to communicate in the language, and help you make the best out of it. That will be important for those who do not wish to go through the difficult stages of language learning but who want to gain a good knowledge of the language. Having a course like this is useful because it will provide you with a lot of practice. This is a great way to get rid of the language you learn for a year and keep it alive.Now that you have chosen the right course, you must use your personal time to get the most out of your lessons. VOA does a good job of teaching its lessons, but it is up to you to use it. Whether you want to enjoy the advantages of VOA, or simply learn the basics and apply them later, it is up to you.So once you have been told all you need to know abou t the language, how you can use it to your advantage and what is needed from you, you can concentrate on the lessons. You don't have to worry about an English course for life! Remember to enjoy your lessons, ask questions, and work your way through the classes.This is how you get the most out of VOA English lessons and really see how far you can go. Your English learning experience will be much better, both personally and professionally. Get started today and be inspired.

What Should You Pay Your Professional Coach

What Should You Pay Your Professional Coach How To Find Your Professional Coach For The Right Price? ChaptersWhy Pay For A Professional Coach In The First Place?Personal Development Coaches On SuperprofIn-House Company Coaching: What Does It Cost?How Much To Pay For Personal Coaching SessionsIf you wish to change your career altogether or gain the skills necessary for you be more accomplished in your current position, possibly seeking a promotion, professional coaching will often be required but it does come at a price that could put a strain on your finances.In recent years, statistics, surveys and polls have shown that most middle age men belong to another social class than their father, showing greater mobility in the working world.If your life or career ambitions have changed, a reconversion is sometimes necessary and to achieve this, coaching sessions can help: in-house company coaching, individual coaching, executive coaching, etc.For this article, we have reviewed the average prices that clients have to pay to find a personal development coach and change their professional li fe.Great results can follow professional and life coaching! Source: Pixabay Credit: FotographieLink TraceyPersonal development Teacher 4.92 (9) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (7) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IsamPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndriyPersonal development Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MichelePersonal development Teacher 4.73 (7) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlloydPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliverPersonal development Teacher 4.33 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhy Pay For A Professional Coach In The First Place?The coaching business requires key skills that are sometimes remunerated at a hefty price.This price can often be unaffordab le, especially if you do not hold a senior executive position your company.It is very likely that you won't be able to spare £3000 to £4000 of your yearly budget to follow neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) courses or conflict management coaching sessions if you're salary is around the national average.However, the economic situation and corporate culture often require workers - whatever their qualifications - to reorient themselves towards jobs, which are more promising, more profitable or more profitable.Every one can, at one time or another, face career management difficulties: finding a path is sometimes complicated after higher education, sometimes you want to start your own business, you can't handle the emotional burden of a tiring job, or you sometimes lack self-confidence.And there are many other problems that prevent people from progressing upwards in their professional  life.A coach is not exclusively reserved for the top executives of The Financial Times-Stock Exchange 100 Index and does not cost a year's salary.According to Valérie Pascal, executive coach and supervisory professional, everyone should take a professional coach during the course of their professional life.Paying for such a service - in individual coaching - helps you to question yourself, take a step back, regain self-confidence, help you speak out, manage stress, etc., simply achieve professional objectives that seem unattainable on your own.A coach will ask questions and mobilize coaching tools - NLP, systemic approach, transactional analysis - to change a given situation.Paying a high price for change management can sometimes be quickly reimbursed if the expected benefit is greater, for example by multiplying your salary by three.But how much does it cost? Although we now know the possible benefits of taking coaching courses, we must try to set a fair price for this service.Personal Development Coaches On SuperprofOn the Superprof platform, there are now many professional coac hes ready to help you: everyone can claim to be competent to coach since there is no government-recognized or imposed coach training that one must complete be able to practice.First of all, there are more than 3000 professional coaching teachers on Superprof: most of which offer online tuition (through Skype of the likes) meaning you can learn online how to manage stress or better approach interpersonal relationships with coaches throughout the UK!For in-person sessions, it is necessary to compare the prices in each city and there, the offer becomes less abundant especially if you live in a medium-sized city (Newcastle, Bristol, Liverpool, Brighton, etc.).In London, a professional coaching service will cost on average £45 per hour.When it comes to person-to-person services, this is pretty expensive considering the coaching is financed by personal funds. The plus side is that more often than not, there is no need for numerous individual sessions to achieve concrete results.The funda mental objectives of coaching are indeed speed, intensity and the low number of sessions planned.Rates in London range from £15 per hour to £200, with a plethora of profiles ranging from £35 to £50 per hour.Do you need to climb the ladder of your professional environment in Manchester, to do a market study, to evolve professionally? Contact a coach in Manchester!Your coach is here to guide you on the corporate playfiedl, not to take your place in the game. (Source: pixabay.com)In-House Company Coaching: What Does It Cost?As we have already mentioned in a previous article on the subject, coaching rates depend on the professional coach, the nature of the coaching (team coaching, individual interview, company coach), the position of the coachee and the tools used to enable clients to achieve their objectives.On average, the price of a session can increase to £600 or £700 when a company uses a coaching firm on behalf of one or more of its employees.The price range, therefore, rang es from £150 to £650 excluding taxes (excluding VAT) on average. This is a fairly wide price range because each service provider is free to set their own prices and it is quite impossible for us to make an exhaustive inventory of all the tariffs applied throughout the UK.A coach certified by a recognized coaching school will, in theory, be more expensive than a self-proclaimed coach even though they may be able to prove to have 15 or 20 years of experience in team management or human resources management.The larger the company, the higher the coaching fee will be because the managers of large corporations will have to face more important challenges than for a small local company.Moreover, it can be observed that the higher the level of the coachee's is, the higher the hourly rate will be: indeed, it is considered that through a runoff effect, the benefits of coaching will have an effect on all the coachee's employees.But at the end of the action plan, the bill quickly reaches sign ificant sums: a certified professional coach usually invoices between £4,000 and £8,000 excluding tax for executive or top manager coaching and between £10,000 and £16,000 excluding tax for team coaching.The challenge is, therefore, even for a large company, to get a quick return on investment.Here are some other examples of rates you can find on the web: £520 ex. VAT for an initial diagnosis for the support of executives, managers and top managers, Between £900 and £1600 ex. VAT per day for trainers, team building coaching. So if the company orders between 5 and 10 days of coaching for their employee, the invoice will quickly amount to a total ranging from £8,000 to £16,000.Do not forget that this investment in human capital will bring productivity gains and high added value to the production of services: in short, the company will hope in return, through a multiplier effect, to increase its turnover tenfold thanks to initially very expensive coaching.Improving your charism a, speaking in public and getting better at negotiating are all skills that a professional coach can help with.How Much To Pay For Personal Coaching SessionsSlowing down spending on supervision or skills assessment can obscure the prospects for professional retraining, and lead to stagnation.In other words, having followed a coaching program for the development of skills - non-violent communication, emotional management, preparing for a job start, a job interview, etc. - is essential and can be a catalyst for important benefits (well-being at work or higher wages).Personal coaching is financed by the coachee himself and may seem expensive since it weighs on their own budget.But don't be horrified or scream at the sight of three-digit rates: most of the time, the coaching training program will revolve around 4 or 5 two-hour sessions.In monetary terms, we are well below the hours of home-school support for a middle or high school student over a whole school year.In London and througho ut the Greater London region, prices are always higher than elsewhere in the UK since real estate and cost of living are higher.This is why the average price for a coaching  session in London revolves around £100 an hour whereas it is only around £60 or 70 £ an hour in other British cities.For example, a coaching training plan in Manchester for 5 sessions could cost between £350 and £600: the equivalent of a month rent.Of course, this represents a sacrifice, but not necessarily an impoverishment.In fact, individual coaching sessions should be considered as deferred income.Greater London residents can always benefit from lower prices by seeking the expertise of a coaching firm in Manchester, Liverpool or Birmingham, but it will then be necessary to pay the transport costs (train, motorway and petrol or carpooling).Not sure that the cost related to travel expenses compensates for the gain made by avoiding London coaches!Another way to reduce your bill is to use a remote coaching s ervice. Video conferencing can be a way to find a professional coach worldwide without burning through your savings!

Ask an MBA Admissions Expert Jeremy Shinewald

Ask an MBA Admissions Expert Jeremy Shinewald Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. He gave us some brilliant Law School admissions advice, but now he is back with information on his primary area of expertise. Founder of the elite mbaMission consulting service, Jeremy Shinewald is one of the most highly recognized experts on the MBA admissions process. A graduate of the University of Virginias Darden School of Business, where he also served as an admissions interviewer, Jeremy has provided his services to MBA applicants all over the world. He has been quoted in major media outlets including the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post and is now offering you some of his most thoughtful insights on the business school admissions process. VT: How much time should one expect to devote to adequately preparing for and completing an application for an MBA program? Jeremy: From start to finishif you include class visits and GMAT prep (which typically takes three months) and assuming that you would be applying to four or five schools across two application rounds (which is a common approach)the entire MBA application process might take a well-organized and diligent individual six to ten months. Of course, some applicants will study for the GMAT and prepare applications at the same time, so this schedule could be shortened to three or four months total. In terms of working on an individual application, if the candidate is disciplined and has completed the GMAT, it might take him or her, working a few evenings per week, a month to complete a single well thought-out and polished application. Each MBA application is different, with different essay questions in particular. So, you will not be working with one application that can just be tweaked from school to schooleach application involves its own process. You will likely become a little more efficient with each application you complete, but you should be ready for a very time-consuming process! VT: What would you say is the single most important thing to focus on for this kind of application? Jeremy: The MBA application process is holistic, meaning that it encompasses a variety of important components, none of which is given special weight. When you apply to a business school, you will need to submit a GMAT score, your GPA, several essays, roughly three recommendations, a resume and other materials. Each of these componentsalong with an interview, which could followis a piece of the puzzle the admissions committees evaluate to determine whether you have what it takes to succeed both in the future and in their academic and social environment. This is not to say that any of these pieces are unimportanton the contrary, all of them are very important. But you should not assume that if you have a 4.0 GPA or worked at Goldman Sachs, for example, you are destined to get into every school to which you apply. No one element of your candidacy will define you as an applicant or convince the admissions committees to admit you. VT: What do MBA admissions officers look for most in the essay questions? Jeremy: MBA admissions officers are looking for sincerity and personality, not a Pulitzer Prizelevel essay or some wild card in your profile that will force them to pay attention. So, there is no recipe for writing a guaranteed successful essay. The first step in creating a great essay is brainstorming thoroughly to identify the stories from your life that will make you stand out. You do not need to have been on the biggest deal at J.P. Morgan or founded Facebook to get into a top MBA program. You just need to demonstrate that you have done the everyday things in your life and career remarkably well. We encourage our clients to think about those moments when they did something impactfulwhether it was standing up for a principle or motivating someone who felt defeated or envisioning a creative solution to a problem or accomplishing some other notable featand then help them write about those experiences in narrative form and in detail, because the story is where the power lies, not the language. If you have a truly great story, it will largely tell itself, and your actions will stand out. That is when admissions officers take notice. Avoid bragging, but make sure to highlight your accomplishments and your pivotal role in them. VT: What are the biggest mistakes one can make on a business school application? Jeremy: Almost every school asks candidates to discuss their post-MBA goals, and many applicants make the mistake of being vague in response to that question, offering a bland, blanket statement such as I want to work in marketing. What kind of marketing? Why would you be good at such a job? How has your career to date prepared you for a role in this industry? Applicants need to clearly show that they have done their homework, really understand the types of jobs they are proposing and have the skills, interest and, in many cases, experience to get where they want to goparticularly with the addition of an MBA to their qualifications. Admissions committees can love all that you have done in the past, but if they are not convinced that you have a legitimate plan for your future, they will not choose to invest in youyou can rest assured that someone else will have a more compelling plan. VT: In what ways does the MBA admissions process differ the most from the undergraduate admissions process? Jeremy: Of course, the required standardized tests are different, and the availability of help is likewise dissimilar. You will not have a guidance counselor on hand to help you out, though you can choose to seek out professional consultants, like mbaMissions, to guide you along the way. In addition, a common application can sometimes be used for several undergraduate programs, but that really does not exist at the MBA level. You will also need to prepare a resume as part of your application materials for business school, and the required recommendations are often more complex than those submitted for undergraduate programs. There are actually many small differences, and they add up! VT: Can anything in a persons application automatically disqualify him or her from being considered for an MBA program (e.g., low GPA, lack of particular work experience, etc.)? Jeremy: Although no business schools have GPA or GMAT cutoffs, seeing anyone with a sub-500 GMAT score get into a top 15 school is exceedingly rare (averages at top schools are approximately 710, or 92nd percentile and higher). A few candidates get into prestigious schools each year with sub-600 scores, but this is also rare. The MBA admissions process is holistic, as we explained earlier, but some limitations do exist. If your GMAT scores are very low, you will need to have a very strong GPA to compensate for them, and you will also need to be remarkably accomplished in your work experience, community endeavors and other facets of your life. If your GPA is low (under a 3.0), the other components will need to be strong for balance purposes as well. Scores alone will never get a candidate into school. If you have perfect scores, but you have a weak and jumbled work history, there is very little chance that you will succeed. Weak professional history is as close as you can come to an automatic disqualifier. VT: What kind of work experiences should be highlighted in the MBA application? Jeremy: Admissions committees are not seeking applicants who have held a specific professional position or role. Candidates who are bankers frequently complain that they are just another banker and those with careers in industries other than banking often worry that admissions committees love bankers and so they will be left on the outside looking in. The truth is that the MBA programs want to see impact, and every applicantregardless of industrycan reveal impact through his or her essays, resume, interview and recommendations. You do not need to be a rousing, Churchillian leader to get into Harvard Business Schoolyou just need to convince the admissions officers that, again, you have done the everyday things in your life remarkably well. You might be a great mentor, an accomplished synergist or a creative problem solveror even that Churchillian orator/motivator. In short, you might have different styles or personas in different environments, but no single type should be highlighted. The experiences you share in your application should convey your character for you, and having a diversity of them is great! VT: What advice do you have regarding GMAT test prep? Jeremy: I think that taking a GMAT preparatory class is a smart ideait brings a very beneficial, and often necessary, discipline to most peoples study. We at mbaMission recommend Manhattan GMAT and Kaplan GMAT and have elected to partner with them because of the profoundly positive feedback we have consistently received about them from our clients. My only advicebecause I am not the GMAT guywould be to give yourself enough time to succeed. As I noted earlier, studying for the GMAT can take several months; classes alone are nine weeks long, and then you need to absorb all that information and work on mitigating your weaknesses. Moreover, the schools actually encourage candidates to take the GMAT more than once, because they only count an applicants highest score, which is then used to calculate their averagesand because these averages are considered in the various business school rankings, they want them as high as possible. You can only take the test once per month, so if you need a few months to study and to take the test multiple times, you will need the luxury of time! VT: Is having work experience before starting an MBA degree absolutely necessary? Jeremy: No, for the top schools, having formal work experience is not absolutely necessary, but you will need to have some proxy for this kind of experience if you are to be successful. So, perhaps you started a small business in your dorm or were president of student government at your undergraduate institution or had a series of unpaid internships in which you made a notable impact or held a leadership role on a sports teamall of these examples represent valid proxies that could reveal your potential going forward and your maturity, both of which the schools want to see in your application. VT: What are the characteristics of a great MBA program? Jeremy: The top 15 to 20 programs are all playing a game of cat and mouseone school opens a new building, and the rest soon follow suit. One establishes an incubator on campus, and soon after, the others have incubators, too. The leading MBA programs have large endowments and the ability to direct funds to attract great professors and promising students. Sure, brand strength might attract more candidates to Harvard Business School or the Wharton School, but the top 15 programs will all provide you with an excellent education. In short, there is no single characteristic that applicants should look for. Candidates need to identify what exactly they need and want from an MBA program and what kind of environment will be most conducive to their success. The environment differs greatly between Whartons 850-student class and Dartmouth-Tucks 240-person class, between Chicago Booths flexible curriculum (in which you independently choose all your classes from day one) and Harvard Business Schools preset, required core curriculum that spans the entire first year. Neither of these options is better than the other, but one is likely a better fit for you personally. So, we encourage all candidates to do their homework (and consultants such as mbaMissions can certainly help with this step) and critically evaluate their options, because an MBA is a huge and enduring investment. Check out mbaMissions website for further information about Jeremy and his consulting services.The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.