TOEFL Preparation

So you’re feeling high‐strung about your upcoming IELTS test and want some pointers to help you achieve good results? Well, calm those nerves and take a look at the following tips.

1. Which universities have you selected to apply to and why?

Stanford, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Caltech, Cornell, Washington U in St. Louis, UPenn, U Illinois – Urbana Champaign, Northwestern, and Dartmouth!

When I started, I looked for schools that provided a strong background in engineering because that is something I’d really like to do in my life. After looking at different schools for a while, I realized that I wanted universities that would let me pursue the arts as well. If I just pursue engineering, it would be like wasting my life away; I wanted the chance to try so many other things. I was looking to pursue engineering as a major and also study subjects that involve art such as philosophy, design, or architecture. Of course, I also looked at campus life in terms of diversity and interactiveness. I’ve never been to America before, so I want to experience American culture and interact with others from different nations.

Nobody knows writer’s block like a high school senior.

When it’s Personal Essay Season, days are set aside, coffee mugs are filled up; blood, sweat, and tears pour forth:

Still, the Word document remains blank.

Yes, the symptoms of writer’s block are worse than swine flu -- and imaginably so: writing about yourself is…hard. But not impossible.

Nobody knows writer’s block like an MBA applicant.

When it’s Personal Statement Season, months are set aside, coffee mugs are filled up; blood, sweat, and tears pour forth…

…and still, cigarette after cigarette, the Word document remains blank.

Yes, the symptoms of writer’s block are worse than swine flu, and imaginably so -- writing about yourself is very, very hard. Especially when you need to prove your intelligence, character, and infinite business potential. The key is to strike a balance between written eloquence, and professional substance.

In other words, you need to sell yourself, without sounding like a used car salesman.

Students of the SATs often worry about the exams, how best to prepare for them, and often feel isolated with their revision - a ship without a rudder. So, how do you get through it all? One of our experienced SAT teachers, Elena, has been there and done that. Here, she tells the story from her side:

This month, ICON+ set up a personal interview with Barnard College,
the top liberal arts women’s college affiliated with Columbia

Ah, Business School.

It’s finally time to apply, and you’ve got the works: corporate experience, GMAT skills from night school, and charisma -- you got this from the two dapper blue suits you bought along the way, and a single pair of cufflinks:

Two silver squares, slightly turned inward; a sharp, geometrical border around them.

You’re twenty or thirty-something, and everything is in the leather briefcase.

Well, almost.

Singapore boasts high quality universities that students seek from all over the world. Why then, do so many students visit our office seeking aid in applying to American colleges and universities?

Worldwide recognition and improved career prospects are the answers that we most commonly hear. It’s true that Harvard, Stanford, MIT are names spoken with a touch of awe, even reverence, throughout the globe. It’s fact that a good US degree opens doors. However, there are many more benefits to studying in one of the 4000 plus institutions of higher education in the US.

*Find out why achieving ballpark GMAT Score is sufficient

*Discover how Top MBA Schools allocate vacancies

*Learn why your profile and MBA Essay might be the most important factor

*Find out what not to include in your essay

For anyone applying to an MBA programme in a top business school, your GMAT score counts as one of the most important determinants on whether or not you gain entry into the programme, regardless of your extensive work experience or undergraduate GPA.

1/ Which universities have you selected to apply to, and why?

The Universities I have selected are King’s College London, University College London, University of Liverpool, and University of East Anglia. I have chosen these based on the competition of students applying to the university, ensuing that I had one ‘reach’ school, two medium, and one safe one. However, Medical Schools in London are so competitive and they only accept the best 7% of all international applicants, so I might go through clearing if I am unsuccessful.

Curious about your ICON+ peers’ academic background and goals? Read this feature to peek into the life of an MBA applicant.

Q: You graduated with a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from NUS and yet you never proceeded to look for work in engineering. Why did you choose your course at NUS? How has it helped you in your banking career?

A: When I enrolled for university, I wanted to do a course that would train my mind well. I was inclined to study engineering because the subject trains you in quantitative and analytical skills, which are important in both career and in life. This is why I chose to study an engineering degree even though I knew that I would not practice as engineer.

After graduating, I went into banking because I wanted to be in a business role. I work in product management, a role that requires me to employ quantitative analysis in many arenas, for example in customer data analysis, various marketing initiatives, and product capability development.

Can you write effective text messages?

Of course! Short-forms, exclamation marks, emoticons -- you know the works, and you know them well. When someone texts you – you’re quick, clever, and you’ve always got the answer:

Omg really? No way!

Ok, c u soon!

Busy, ttyl?

But does your mobile phone prowess mean you can produce an effective Prompt Writing Essay?

Now, that’s a good question.

Confused about which education system suits you better?

A great many of our students look to apply abroad for further study, the most prominent destinations being the US and the UK. Choosing between the two, however, can often be an incredibly taxing and confusing task. Are the courses structured differently? Is it easier to get into one country’s Universities than the other? These are just some of the questions we get asked – to settle the issue, over the next two issues our two experienced Admissions Counselors weigh up the merits, and the negatives, of studying in these countries:

Choosing the right course starts with a look at yourself

How do people decide whether to take an MBA and which school to attend? One good strategy is to adopt the following five steps in making a decision. These steps encourage candidates to take their time, assess their own personal strengths and objectives, and do their research to ensure they make the right choice.

*Tips to raise your GMAT Test Score

*Common errors by GMAT Candidates Revealed

*Scheduling of Time to Maximize Scores

Aspiring business school MBA students may find the thought of having to prepare for a benchmark exam and going back to school all over again daunting. However, the good news is that the GMAT Test is an exam that you can prepare for and there are tips and techniques that will raise your score significantly.

Here are some tips found to be especially useful!

The current downturn may be a key moment in the ongoing rise of Asian business schools. Up in the rankings and with the local economic conditions predicted to be less difficult than those in the West, it may be that Asian business schools will profit as the world's attention turns east. David Williams investigates.

Politics have little say when it comes to the Liberal Arts.

Still, many Singaporeans remain diplomatic. Warm hugs for getting into the ivies, thumbs up for the research institutions, and when the small, artsy colleges come into play – polite, but hardly-there nods.

And herein lies the problem: while the brand name schools (Harvard & Co) give you the prestigious degrees and make your grandparents very proud, liberal arts colleges have a more holistic approach to learning. In doing so, they provide high quality education that often exceeds the standards of other, more well known universities.

As with most college admissions related questions, the answer is, "It depends." Frustrated? Let us explain.

First consider that the maximum score you can possibly attain on the SAT is 2400. Next, consider that the national (US) average is about 1500.

If your score is about average, then you will have access to many colleges and universities out of the 4000+ available in the US. Of course, if you slacked in school or took part in no extracurricular or work activities, then you’ll have fewer choices.

Got your heart set on MIT? The average SAT scores for highly selective institutions can be above 2000.

On the other end of the spectrum, a score of below 1100 is considered low at most institutions that are not open-enrollment.

Applying to business school can be a stressful and overwhelming process.   An MBA is a critical building block of many career paths, but also a serious investment of time and resources. Thereforeit is critical that you also put forth a significantinvestment into the search and discovery process!  

University Admission Directors want to shake your hand, in person.

“We’ve seen a dramatic shift in the way people communicate with one another. Interaction is increasingly channeled through social media – Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, and others”, says Mae Jennifer Shores (UCLA, Anderson). “Yet when it comes to the critical decision as to who to admit to our MBA programs, we still largely rely on face-to-face interaction wherever possible. There is no substitute for the live, real-time exchange of ideas and energy that occur when people meet in person”.