infosense

Linda Abraham to discuss what college students and graduates need to know about applying for graduate school September 7, 2010 at 6 pm Pacific/ 9 pm Eastern on #CollegeChat

Los Angeles, CA, September 1, 2010—Linda Abraham, a graduate school admissions expert and president of Accepted.com, will provide college students and graduates with an overview of what they need to know about applying for and preparing for graduate school during #CollegeChat on Twitter on September 7, 2010 at 6 pm Pacific/ 9 pm Eastern, Theresa Smith, principal of Pathway Communications and moderator of #CollegeChat announced today.

Attending graduate school is a goal of many college graduates especially in a turbulent job market. Long term statistics show that this strategy may pay off. According to the Census Bureau, in 2008 college graduates between 25 and 29 with a master’s degree made on average $7,954 more annually than those with only a bachelor’s degree.

During the upcoming live #TwitterChat, Abraham (http://twitter.com/accepted) will address questions on  how college students and graduates can best prepare including:

• Does going to graduate school make sense financially
• What are the differences between the graduate school admission process and the undergraduate admissions process
• Should college students go directly to graduate school
• What is a personal statement and why is it critical
• Where are good places to start researching graduate programs, especially MBA, Law and Medical School
• What steps should college students take during college to prepare for graduate school
• How to finance graduate school, how much can be borrowed

Linda Abraham has been a leader in the admissions consulting field since 1994. Today her consultancy, Accepted.com, serves thousands of applicants each year through its web resources, information products, and premier advising and editing services. Abraham is also is a co-founder and first president of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC), the only organization dedicated exclusively to the field of private graduate admissions advising. Abraham has also written or co-authored 13 ebooks on the admissions process.

New to Twitter? 

In order to participate in the chat, attendees will need to have a Twitter account.  To sign up for a Twitter account, go to http:// twitter.com. The easiest way to follow the chat is to use TweetChat (http://tweetchat.com). Simply log in to TweetChat with your Twitter information (email or username followed by password) and then enter in CollegeChat without the “#” and you will be placed into the chat room with only those participating in #CollegeChat. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and using TweetChat can be found at http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat. 

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat, by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV, or by email. CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Read Full Post »

REMINDER: Today is your last chance to take advantage of Accepted.com’s current prices before we raise our prices tomorrow.

Effective at 12:01 AM PT on September 1, 2010, Accepted.com will be increasing its prices on all editing and consulting services.

Accepted.com editors have helped literally thousands of MBA, law, med, grad, and college applicants reach their higher education dreams. Purchase Accepted.com essay editing or admissions consulting TODAY and take advantage of our current prices…before it’s too late!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Read Full Post »

A recent GMAC survey shows a sharp increase in Executive MBA applications in 2010. 59% of EMBA programs reported an increase in applications, compared to last year’s 37%.

According to Michelle Sparkman-Renz, Director of Research Communications at GMAC, the applications received this year also came from more highly qualified candidates compared to last year’s applicants. Shelbi Brookshire, Director of EMBA Recruiting at University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, explains that the increase in EMBA applications is reflective of the deeper understanding of the economy that EMBA students possess, and because of their age. Brookshire says that as baby boomers begin to leave the market in three to five years from now, spaces will be opening for highly experienced, skilled, business-educated individuals. If EMBA students plan their moves correctly, then in the next few years, Brookshire explains, as the market begins to bounce back, they’ll be able to move into higher, more lucrative positions in the business world. 

Part-time MBA programs also received more applications this year; both this year and last year, 43% of part-time programs reported an application increase.

For Master’s programs in accounting, finance, and management, the numbers were again optimistic with more than 60% of programs reporting more applications this year than last. 

Full-time MBA application volume, on the other hand, decreased this year, with 44% of programs indicating that they received an increase in applications, down from 66% in 2009 and 77% in 2008.

I think that the increase in applications for EMBA, part-time MBA, and MA programs also reflects today’s uncertain economy. People aren’t willing to leave their jobs if they don’t have to. Shorter, one-year MS or MA programs enable students to take off less time from work. Part-time and EMBA programs mean one can earn an MBA without quitting a job. Also, many full-time MBA programs are trending younger, so more applicants in their 30s opt for the EMBA, and this development probably also contributes to the increase in EMBA applications this year.

Related Accepted.com Resources:

• Ace the EMBA: Admissions Advice for EMBA Applicants, a free, 6-day email course.
• GMAC Reports Steady Value of MBA through “Great Recession” 
• GMAC Releases Results from 2010 Corporate Recruiters Survey 

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Read Full Post »

The term “personal brand” is bandied about a lot in admissions. I don’t claim to be an expert on branding, but after fifteen years editing essays and advising applicants, I know a bit about admissions. I see the concept of “personal brand” as a threat and opportunity for applicants.

Want to know more?  See this 4-minute video where I discuss the good and the bad of “Personal Brand in Admissions.”

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.

Read Full Post »

An Inside Higher Ed article, “Ups and Downs in Grad Admissions,” reports that American graduate school admissions offers to international applicants increased 3% in the last year. Last year U.S. graduate schools extended 1% fewer international offers.

The upward trend is attributed mostly to the increase in admissions offers made to China, which alone experienced a 16% increase in offers. Top graduate programs reportedly admitted 30% more Chinese grad students this year compared to last.

More findings (all of which come from the Council of Graduate Schools report) include:

• India and South Korea experienced minor decreases in admissions offers, which is an improvement compared to last year’s 14% drop for both countries.
• International applications as a whole went up 9%, bringing the total number of international applicants to a higher level than it’s been since 2003.
• Large graduate schools saw the largest increase in international applications and in international offers. Ohio State University, for example, saw a 15% increase in international applications and a 19% increase in admissions offers, bringing the total number of international graduate students to a quarter of the grad population.
• American grad school applications went up 9% in the last year. Offers at M.A. programs went down 6%. Offers at Ph.D. programs remained flat.

[Note: According to the Inside Higher Ed article, figures are not final. Some graduate programs will continue their admissions process through the end of the summer.]

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Read Full Post »

When I was in college, I had high hopes for my organizational skills. Each year I’d buy new calendars and organizers—and each year they would end up unused, waiting on some corner of my desk to be mined for scratch paper. Invariably, instead, I resorted to what I termed my “little scrap of paper organizational system.”

Purses, backpacks, and books from that time brim with little bits of paper covered in scribbled notes– receipts, post-its, torn scraps from those unused calendars. And they record an only semi-knowable record of my schedule and concerns: phone numbers without names attached, lists of library call numbers with no titles, the time of a meeting without the attendant date. Not much of a system.

I learned how to organize myself before I applied to graduate school.

When you’re applying to grad or professional school, you need to stay organized. Juggling multiple deadlines, essays, letters of rec, and other supporting documents can be daunting. Creating a system that works for you will not only ease the process by ensuring you’re on track and have all your information in one place—it can also help you organize your thoughts as you start to work on your essays, saving time and effort later.

Here are some tips:

1. Create a central document to track all of your applications—when they are due, what they require, what steps you’ve completed and what you still need to complete. Some people find Excel most useful for this; some create a calendar using another application; some prefer a paper calendar or chart. Whichever format works best for you, use it. Just make sure you record all deadlines and requirements, and check them off as you go along.
2. Similarly, for your letters of recommendation: record the name and contact info of the recommender, the date you contacted him/her, the date of each conversation or meeting, the date the letter must be submitted, and the date that you followed up.
3. It is very helpful to create a master list of your essay questions (including length specifications) at the beginning of the process, so that you can determine points of similarity and overlap among the topics.

I still occasionally find scraps of paper tucked into books or folded into the inner compartments of bags. But for applications, I relied on a more organized organizational system. We urge you to find one that works for you.

 By Dr. Rebecca Blustein, Accepted.com editor and former Student Affairs Officer at UCLA’s Scholarship Resource Center, is the author of Financing Your Future: Winning Fellowships, Scholarships and Awards for Grad School, an ebook, and Get Your Game On: Prepping for Your Grad School Application, a free ecourse.

Read Full Post »

We just wanted to give you a head’s up that we’ll be slightly increasing our hourly rates and package prices starting next month.

So what does this mean for you? It means that you’ve got until August 31, 2010 to lock in a service at the current, low rate. Browse our catalog of services today to get an early start on your applications and to take advantage of our pre-increase rates!

When you sign up for an Accepted.com service, you’ll receive the following advantages:

• You’ll get an early start on your applications. Starting early on your grad school or college applications means less stress, less rushing, and fewer careless mistakes. The early bird gets the worm!
• You’ll put your future in professional hands. Accepted.com hires professional, experienced writers and editors, trained wordsmiths with a passion for the art of writing. They won’t write your essays for you, but with their guidance you will present yourself through your essays at your best.  
• You’ll get comprehensive admissions expertise. Our admissions consultants have strong admissions backgrounds that will give you wide-ranging perspective and new insights into the admissions process. And our consultants will apply that knowledge and insight to your specific situation.
• You’ll get convenience, confidence, and peace of mind. Our editors work extra hard to accommodate your busy schedule. Your essay drafts will be returned to you within two business-days of submission, and your calls and emails will be answered as soon as possible. By taking the proactive step of engaging Accepted to help make your b-school dreams a reality, you’ll receive a healthy boost of confidence and the peace of mind that you are putting your best face forward.

It always helps to have a pro on your side—purchase an Accepted.com service before September 1, 2010 at 12:01 AM PT, get the help you need on your applications, and take advantage of our pre-increase prices!



Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Read Full Post »

You’re a creative, innovative person, and you want that to reflect in your grad school, b-school, or college application. You want to create an audio or video application clip, but aren’t quite sure how to begin. In a day and age where these clips have become so popular, how can you make sure that yours stands out, that it distinguishes you from the crowd, and that it is done creatively and professionally?

Accepted.com has just released a new special report that will answer all of your questions, plus more! In Audio & Video in Admissions: Get Ready for Prime Time you’ll learn everything you need to know about creating compelling audio and video application clips, from beginning to final cut.

In the report, Michelle Stockman, admission expert and media professional, will teach you technical tips for shooting or recording your clip, professional editing advice, and how to create killer content that reflects your strengths and makes your clip stand out and shine.

You can view or download Audio & Video in Admissions: Get Ready for Prime Time now to benefit from Michelle’s expertise and to start rolling on the right foot.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Read Full Post »

New Jersey’s Centenary College will be shutting down its Asian MBA program because of widespread plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct, reports an Inside Higher Ed article “Policing Plagiarism Abroad.” The 400 students who study at the branch programs in Taiwan, Beijing, and Shanghai will need to choose between receiving a tuition refund and taking an exam that, upon passing, will award students with a degree. So far, only two students have opted for the exam.

Some people are surprised at the measures Centenary has taken, to close the program despite the significant cash flow that comes in from running such a program “You don’t want to be too persnickety or you lose the revenue that comes from these programs,” explains Kathryn Mohrman, director of the University Design Consortium.  

Many believe that China’s reputation for research misconduct and plagiarism will “hamper the rise of Chinese universities.” The Inside Higher Ed piece points to an inordinate number of recent articles that discuss this issue. Both students and their host academic institutions are being blamed for what’s been likened to a plagiarism “epidemic.” How to “treat” this problem is the source of much debate. Building teacher-student trust, highlighting the importance of learning for learning’s sake, and addressing specific cultural attitudes towards citation and towards misconduct are all avenues that need to be examined in tackling the problem of academic misconduct at international branch programs and amongst foreign students studying in the U.S.

To tackle the problem of conforming to a widely-accepted conduct standard, Michael Smithee, an international higher education consultant says:

You’ve got to be willing to repeat how you approach cheating and what cheating is, and be very clear, every time, so that by the time the course is done, the students will be tired of hearing it. And if they’re tired of hearing it, it probably means that they understand it a little more.

To reinforce this issue to students is crucial; but the fact that teachers and institutional culture play a part in fostering a plagiarism-heavy atmosphere also cannot be denied. According to Teddi Fishman, director of the International Center for Academic Integrity, “[I]f you have a problem this large, it’s not just the student and it’s not just the teacher.”

Do you want to go global with your MBA? Download Internationalizing the MBA, a free special report, to explore the increasingly global canvas of leading MBA programs in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Read Full Post »

Time is running out for you to save 20% on Accepted.com’s essential scholarship resource guide, Financing Your Future: Winning Fellowships, Scholarships and Awards for Grad School.

In Financing Your Future, Linda Abraham and Rebecca Blustein reveal practical, hands-on advice to help you complete your fellowship, scholarship, and award applications, and obtain those critical funds that will make attending the grad school of your dreams possible.

Buy Financing Your Future: Winning Fellowships, Scholarships and Awards for Grad School and save 20% when you use coupon code FUTURE20 by July 30, 2010.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Read Full Post »