USA Leadership Corps - Accepted.com MBA Admissions Partner

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Accepted.com is a premier MBA admissions consulting and application essay editing service. Since 1994, they have provided advising and editing services along with a helpful blog, eCourses, sample essays, writing tips, application interview questions database, and online chats with admission officials.

Accepted has partnered with USALC to provide the below articles regarding community service and the MBA application process. Be sure to visit Accepted.com/mba for other informative articles.

Article #1: Why is Community Service Important?

It's spring, and many of you are turning your attention to fall applications. For those of you not burdened with test prep and boosting GPAs, take time to examine your community service. At most top programs, community service is virtually a requirement.

First let's discuss what "community service" is and isn't. I define it as: "Active participation in and assumption of responsibility for your community."

That is an intentionally broad definition that includes taking an active role in sports teams, professional organizations, alumni groups, churches, literacy programs, political campaigns, environmental causes, fund raising for immigrant assistance groups ... whatever you define as your community. Community service almost always does and should reflect your values and priorities.

The operative phrases in the definition are "active" and "responsibility." Writing checks is not enough. And helping your elderly neighbor occasionally makes you a nice person, but doesn't mean you are taking responsibility for your community. Community service requires commitment.

Accepted.com

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"To adcoms a history of activism and participation suggests you will be an active student and alum. That's the kind of impression you want to make."

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So why is community service important?

1. It provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate attributes that young applicants frequently can't reveal in the classroom or in their jobs: leadership, initiative, interpersonal skills, and the ability to handle responsibility. It expresses your willingness to contribute.

2. To adcoms a history of activism and participation suggests you will be an active student and alum. That's the kind of impression you want to make.

3. It indicates breadth and well-roundedness.

At the most competitive schools, community service and extra-curricular activities frequently make the difference between who is accepted and rejected among otherwise competitive applicants. If you have been involved in community service, great. Keep up the good work. If you haven't, find an activity, cause, or organization that you would like to contribute to. And then be consistently and actively involved so that you will have a commitment to write about other than school and work. You may even find that you enjoy it.

-- Written by Linda Abraham, Accepted.com's founder and president. Linda has helped literally thousands of MBA's gain acceptance to top MBA programs. In addition to advising clients and managing Accepted.com, she has written and lectured extensively on admissions. The Wall St. Journal, The New York Times, The Sunday Times of London, BusinessWeek and MBA Podcaster are among the publications that have sought Linda's expertise in admissions.

Article #2: MBA Admissions: Dreading Community Service

I have been responding for a few months to questions on the PaGalGuy forum for aspiring MBA applicants from India, and I received a very interesting question recently. Siddharth is brutally honest and admits that he has no interest in community service – certainly not the hypocritical community service that is simply executed to earn admission to a top MBA program. .

As Siddharth phrased it:

"The thing is I don't really believe in doing community work and do not want to do [it] just to get an admission… Is it a big deciding factor?"

I would like to share my advice to Siddharth since I suspect there are many MBA aspirants who experience the same reticence to get involved.

The top global business programs believe that business leaders are and should be shaping tomorrow's world. For this reason, they like to see a history of that kind of community influence in their applicants. If you really aren't interested in serving the community in any way, then you do not share these schools' vision.

My suggestion is for you to find something that you do care about. If it is just profits, then you may want to just pursue the Master of Science in Finance - these programs are much more focused on selecting students with exceptionally analytical minds and abilities, not necessarily community-minded individuals..

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"The top global business programs believe that business leaders are and should be shaping tomorrow's world. For this reason, they like to see a history of that kind of community influence in their applicants."

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If you are able to identify some part of the world - politics, education, poverty, the disabled, public health, building community among young professionals, etc. - about which you do feel passionate, then dive into that area and make a difference. The key isn't just to add some extracurricular effort to your resume; the key is to demonstrate that you are passionate and able to lead people to share that enthusiasm and make an impact.

Finally, you may also be able to demonstrate at least some of the non-work leadership that the top business schools are seeking by demonstrating leadership in a sports team. While it isn't changing the world, it is non-work leadership, and that is sometimes enough to show that you possess the passion they are seeking.

-- Written by Jennifer Bloom, CPRW and Accepted Senior Editor. For ten years Jennifer has been guiding her clients as they generate sincere MBA application essays that show their passion and earn acceptances..

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