After Apple Picking
After Apple Picking
The top questions we got and the ones we wish we got
Apples, picked from trees when ripe and also chosen to teach children the first letter in the alphabet. Given our propensity of trying to adopt frameworks and systems from nature - we’re happy to say we’ve done our round of apple picking and declared the shortlist for interviews moving to the next round!
Congratulations to all you fine fruits!
What I’d like to look at today is an overall summary of the top questions we received (along with their answers) as well as the questions we wish we’d received.
Questions we got:
What are the cut-offs for Masters’ Union for XYZ exam?
The admissions evaluation process is as holistic as it can be. From looking through your academic background across school, college, etc. to your professional background - we try to see a thread of linearity or dynamism exhibited by diverse profiles - and how that would match up, in our cohort. We dive deep through your text and video essays - to see clarity, cohesion and consistency - in your responses.
There are no cut-offs for Masters’ Union - for any examination - whether it be the MU-BAAT or the CAT/GMAT/GRE. We use this exam, especially the MU-BAAT, to benchmark your verbal and analytical abilities across the rest of our applicant pool.
If you’d like more info - you can ready about it on my post, titled ‘The Homerun’.
How do I approach answering the essays?
Our process allowed for two types of responses - both through text and video. And we got some very creative responses - from videos shot in the kitchen outlining the Masters’ Union recipe to PDFs of code for ant colony optimization algorithms!
Through our essay section, what we’re looking for is ways you can provide an explanation on how you’re planning to use the Masters’ Union platform. This question can come framed to you in many different ways. Along with your personal goals and objectives, we’re assessing your perception of what your outcome will be from your own Masters’ Union experience. We’d encourage you to think creatively as well.
A good way of measuring your attempt would be to assess your response and see if your ‘authentic’ self is clearly on display.
Questions we wish we got:
How do I choose my reference? Anything to keep in mind?
We got many students submitting references that we didn’t think were appropriate. Previous clients, vendors or even family business associates might not fit the exact description that we were looking for.
A good individual to consider is someone who knows you well and can talk about your specific strengths and abilities. People who have seen you grow up in a professional context or been advisors to your projects/initiatives, should be individuals that you should approach. As per our suggestions, we’d encourage you to choose a manager, mentor, investor, professor, etc. who you’ve worked closely with and can have a conversation/reply to a questionnaire about your strengths, weaknesses and past experiences.
How can I best represent my previous academic & professional experiences?
There’s a fine line between crafting a good application with relevant information presented to evaluators to make a decision, and a platform for you to list down all activities you’ve participated in, since middle school. We’d encourage you not to do the latter and use the relevant information and experiences in your life that you think will be important for the admissions committee to know.
How you showcase your academic and professional experiences - whether you think highlighting the 6th online certificate vs the internship you did in school - is something you have to do upon your discretion. I’d encourage you review your application from a global perspective (once complete) and see if ‘the bigger picture’ comes out at you.
It’s a wrap!
With the interview season approaching soon for R1 applicants, we’re excited to have wrapped up our this round of admissions for our upcoming cohort.
However, if you’re reading this and couldn’t complete, start or register your application at Masters’ Union, we have great news!
We’re happy to announce the commencement of Round 2 of admissions at Masters’ Union, with the deadline being 11:59 pm on 20th March. Feel free to start your application here.