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Accepted.com
Odds 'N Ends
We have decided to publish this newsletter as a service to our clients and others who
register for it on our Web site. Accepted.com's Odds 'N Ends will bring you our
tip of the month, admissions information for grad, law, MBA, and medical school applicants,
and news about Accepted.com.
We also welcome contributions from readers. If you have comments, questions, or perhaps
an article idea, please e-mail our editor.
We cannot publish everything we receive, but we will try to respond to everyone. And as always,
we appreciate feedback.
Index
What's New at Accepted.com
Essay Tip of the Month
Resume Tip of the Month
MBA Admission News You Can Use
Grad Admission News You Can Use
Law Admission News You Can Use
Medical Admission News You Can Use
College Admission News You Can Use
Our Services
CPN - Accepted.com Alliance
It gives me great pleasure to announce an alliance between Accepted.com and Chinese Professional Networks ("CPN"), the premier international network of Chinese professionals and executives. As a result of this unique partnership and each organization's commitment to excellence, Accepted.com will offer its services to CPN members on the CPN Web site and at an exclusive discount.
For more information about Accepted.com's services, please visit http://216.26.162.9:8080/ or http://www.chineseprofessionalnetwork.com/accepted_ad.htm.
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Why Is Community Service Important?
First let's discuss what "community service" is and isn't. It's "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 reflects 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. When attempting to write about community service, don't describe activities or actions that don't fit the bill.
So why is community service important?
- 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.
- To adcoms a history of activism and participation suggests you will be an active student and alum.
- 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. In addition to supporting causes and organizations that you believe in, community service will enhance your chances of admission.
Community Service on Your Resume
Yes, single-handedly negotiating the largest deal in your company's history will give your resume an extra luster. But another powerful way to make it stand out is to ensure it adequately represents your community or volunteer activities. In fact, it's virtually impossible for such involvements to convey anything but the most positive impression about you. List them in reverse chronological order under an appropriate heading like "Community Service," "Volunteer Work," "Public Service," "Charitable Commitments," or "Civic Involvement." If your volunteer activities can be grouped into two or more themed categories by all means do so. For example, your work for Make-a-Wish Foundation and Christian Children's Fund could be grouped under the subheading "Helping Children" and your work for the symphony and local theater under "Cultural Volunteering."
Don't list your role or title as "volunteer." If you tutored say "Tutor," and if you coordinated say "Coordinator." As elsewhere in your resume, always be specific. Don't say "Tutor children" when you mean "Tutor 15 developmentally disabled first-graders in art and music."
Highlighting community activities on your resume offers an additional benefit if they advertise skills or experiences that employers need. The best thing about raising $10K for AIDS research is benefiting a good cause, but it also shows you know how to attract money -- an effective theme when your goal is to run a mutual fund or launch a startup. Similarly, supervising 15 volunteers on a Habitat for Humanity site underscores your leadership ability. You may be surprised how many skills your community work has entailed--training others, writing, public speaking, project planning, etc.
Volunteer activities can also be used to work against stereotypes. If you are a database administrator, your work organizing a major charity bike-a-thon or speaking to corporate audiences about arts education will squash the Dilbert "cubicle drone" image. Community activities can help portray you as a well-rounded, energetic, committed "doer"-every employer's ideal.
--Paul Bodine, Member, Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches
Save the Date for MBA Admissions Chats
We have set up a full and exciting schedule of online chat with adcom directors from leading business schools. Here is the schedule for September and the first week of October:
Haas
Guest: Pete Johnson and Haas students
Date: Sept. 12
MIT
Guest: Rod Garcia, Jon McLaughlin & MIT students
Date Sept. 17
CMU
Guest: Laurie Stewart and CMU students
Date: Oct. 2
All chats take place at 6:00 PM PT/9:00 PM ET at http://www.accepted.com/chat/.
Save the dates and then join us for informative, stimulating discussions of MBA admissions at these top programs.
On deck for later in the year: Tuck, Chicago, Cornell, Darden, UT, NYU, and others!
Also, don't miss the transcripts from last year's chats at http://www.accepted.com/chat/transcripts/.
Useful Web Site for Healthcare Management
I stumbled across a small, but useful Web site for those interested in health care management and public health. It lists all schools with masters programs in healthcare administration, public health, healthcare management, etc. If you are interested in these fields, visit http://www.mastersinhealthcare.com.
Cautious Optimism Characterizes Hiring Scene
According to Businessweek, the hiring outlook for business, especially financial services, is starting to turn around. Citing the Broadmoor Groups survey of executives, the BW article points out that 30% of financial execs now expect an increase in hiring in the next six months, 55% predict no change, and 15% expect a decline from current hiring levels. Except for telecom, most other industries, including professional services, are predicting flat or slightly increased hiring.
For more information, please visit http://www.businessweek.com/careers/content/aug2002/ca2002087_7030.htm.
Survey of Faculty Salaries
The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources published its annual survey of pay practices at colleges and universities for full-time and part-time faculty. The report reveals that the average salary for all ranks is $60,289, but there is tremendous variability based on specialty, faculty status, and institution.
The highest paid disciplines:
| Law | $107,696 |
| Financial Mgmt. | $88,764 |
| Chemical Engineering | $87,577 |
| Enterprise Mgmt. and Operations | $86,277 |
| Electrical and Communications Engineering | $83,564 |
For more information, please visit http://www.cupahr.org/cupahrnews/vol02-8-02/2001-02NFSS-Public.html .
ETS Suspends Computer-Based Testing in China, S. Korea, and Taiwan
In the wake of security breaches, ETS has suspended computer-based GREs in the China, S. Korea, and Taiwan after discovering that questions and answers from the computer-based GRE were being shared on Chinese and Korean Web sites. Applicants can register for paper-based GRE's in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
For more information, please visit http://www.ets.org/news/02072301.html.
LSAC Law School Forums
The forums are great opportunities for you talk to representatives of the different law schools and learn about the application process, financial aid, and career opportunities in law.
Date: September 20
Location: Chicago Marriott Downtown
Date October 11
Location: Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Date: October 19
Location: Renaissance Worthington in Dallas-Fort Worth
Date: November 2
Location: Marriott Copley Boston
Date: November 11
Location: Hotel Nikko San Francisco
Date: November 15
Location: Los Angeles Airport Marriott
Law Profs Grab Highest Pay
Law professors grabbed the highest salaries among faculties, earning an average of $107,696 per year at private law schools and $98,565 at public ones according to a survey conducted by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.
NY Times Advises Pre-Meds
The NY Times has an excellent article on medical school admissions. It covers pre-med curriculum, the importance of clinical experience, essays, the MCATs, etc. There may not be a lot of "new" information, but it is an outstanding, highly recommended summary of valuable information for pre-meds.
You can find it at http://query.nytimes.com/search/abstract?res=F30A16FB385F0C778CDDA10894DA404482.
Princeton Reacts to Security Violations
Princeton University President Shirley M. Tilghman has acknowledged and apologized to Yale University and individuals whose records were accessed for the unauthorized breach of Yale's computer systems by Princeton admissions staff members. In addition, Mr. Stephen LeMenager, formerly Associate Dean and Director of Admissions at Princeton and one of the individuals implicated in the breaches, has agreed to leave the admissions office after almost twenty years in positions of increasing responsibility there. He will take another position at Princeton. Dean Hargadon, Princeton's Dean of Admission, has assumed responsibility for the incident and apologized, but will be allowed to remain in his position until his retirement next June. The entire admissions office will undergo training in respecting privacy and confidentiality of applicants.
AMA Urges Princeton Review to Cease Ranking Party Schools
Claiming that ranking schools for "the best parties" encourages high-risk drinking, the head of the AMA's Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse blasted The Princeton Review for surveying students about schools in terms of "Lots of Beer," "Lots of Hard Liquor," and "Party Schools."
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, which reported the AMA's complaints and Princeton Review's response, the latter denied that its surveys glorify drinking and says it has no plans to drop the offending lists from its annual surveys.
Writing a personal statement is a tough challenge. A former client, an NBC journalist with over twenty years of experience in the field, once said that his personal statement "was the toughest thing I ever had to write." He sought our help. Shouldn't you?
Accepted.com's editors are here to help you write your best essays - eloquent, compelling essays that distinguish you from the competition and transform you from a transcript and test score into a competitive applicant and unique individual.
Check us out. Complete information on our services can be found in our catalog. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at http://www.accepted.com/services/generalinquiry.aspx.
We look forward to serving you.
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Client Testimonial
 I found out today that I was admitted. :) I'm surprised about how quickly they got back to me, especially since I heard that they would be reviewing waitlisted applicants beginning in May. I didn't even have to forward another recommendation letter! I really appreciate your guidance in helping this happen. :) -- Accepted to USC Marshall"
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