“When you wake up in the morning and your life means something to someone other than you, you have a purpose. If you don’t do the things you need to do, people’s lives suffer.”
-Malkhaz Geldiashvili
At IvyBound, we:
- Listen carefully to your desires, your needs and your goals
- Protect your privacy with confidentially and security
- Guide you toward improving your credentials and building your edge
- Assist you tell your story in your own voice to the admissions committees in an interesting and compelling way that helps you stand out among a field of competitive applicants
- Respect you & are honored that you consider our evidence-based, student-centered and client-specific services
- Are the only company to offer the expertise of current Harvard, Princeton and Columbia University students as resources for our clients
Your main benefit from employing the services of IvyBound is to help you enroll in the best business schools possible, not solely based on prestige, but based on the “best fit” institution for you as an individual. This is especially important since business schools are not alike. They are as varied in character as students vary in personalities. Elite business schools, on the other hand, are not always looking for the absolute best students in terms of GPA and standardized test scores, but for the “best students” in terms of the greatest potential to positively impact the world. Examples of this includes students likely to contribute to global leadership, avant-garde health care, pioneering researcher, once-in-a-generation innovation, Silicon Valley-like entrepreneurship, among other abilities.
You benefit from IvyBound guidance because each of our partners are either Ivy League graduates, parents of Ivy League students, Ivy League students or affiliated with an Ivy League university. Most commonly our relationship is with Harvard, Princeton and Columbia. Through our personal experience, research and processes, our student-centered, evidence-based and client-specific methods place talented individuals in a position to reach their greatest potential and gain admission into their “best fit,” top school.
Although we have demonstrated exceptional individual achievement as members of the Ivy League community, what truly sets us apart from most college admissions consultants is our ethics, commitment to our students, our knowledge of the college admissions process, our appreciation of what admission committees look for in their applicants, and our performance. Thus, we are uniquely qualified to evaluate pre-business students, make specific recommendations that enhance the presentation of their credentials and accomplishments.
Finally, we develop both a comprehensive and student-tailored strategy to present your most competitive self among a field of strong business school candidates. We cannot guarantee success. Only 1 out of 20 applicants are offered acceptance letters to the most prestigious institutions. But, we can assist you in becoming a must stronger candidate than you would on your own. We make the process easier and less stressful.
IvyBound wishes to be your partner in a positive and mutually beneficial relationship in this often complex, stressful and confusing process.
Self-Assessment
First, we assist the student define their personality, interests and abilities in order to match these qualities with business schools and residencies that complement your profile, values and goals.
Vision
Having completed the process of self-reflection, the student looks at a 5-20-year time horizon, considering regions of the country or cities you want to study in particular business schools that meet your long-term career goals, specific departments, curriculums, professors and research interests that each align with your ultimate goals.
Strategic Plan
Having accomplished this, together we develop a plan with measurable and reachable goals and objectives, in particular those that enhance your pre-business school credentials and create a compelling story to the business school admissions committees to make you stand out and get noticed.
Branding/Marketing
Ever wonder why two seemingly comparable pre-business school students apply to the same schools, one gets into most of them. The other gets into one or none. Or perhaps, you find that a seemingly less qualified student earns that coveted acceptance, while the ace does not. The difference is likely that the successful business school candidate marketed him or herself better to the admissions committee. At IvyBound, we assist you in determining and executing your marketing campaign.
The Application & the Process
There are things in the application you can control (i.e. your personal effort and your personal statement). There are things that you cannot (i.e. letters of recommendation, deadlines, admissions committee decisions). With acceptance rates hover just above 2% at Stanford and other elite universities, the margin for error is low. While there are no guarantees for admittance, we use student-centered, evidence-based approaches to help students get into the best possible, best fit business schools.
The Big Idea: How to Benefit from IvyBound
The reason that admission to the Ivy League, top-ranked universities, and other elite graduate schools of business is so difficult is clear. The value of a degree from an elite business school and residency can be immeasurable, including greater career choices, better job security, quicker promotions, more interesting work, prestige, greater business school and career satisfaction, and not to mention increased pay.
“Self-discipline is the key to greatness. With self-discipline, the average person will rise as far as his talent and intelligence will take him.”
-Brian Tracy
At IvyBound, we guide you toward best recognizing the 25 qualities the Ivy League and other premier business schools look for in student/applicants:
- Academic Intelligence
- Intellectual Curiosity (interest in academic research & the creation of knowledge)
- Success Through Challenging Coursework
- Sustained Interest and Passion, demonstrated through consistent activities over time
- Genuine and Authentic Presentation, with resounding conviction
- Outstanding Moral and Ethical Character, substantiated by letters of recommendation
- Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills
- Good Judgement, Professionalism, Reliability and Selflessness, validated in the letters of reference
- Compelling Narrative that shows with clarity what matters most to the student, how you think, not just what you did, but why you did what you did, & what you felt, all while clearly articulating your short-term and long-term goals
- Qualities consistent with the mission of the institution
- Social Intelligence: Ability to work well with others, and in teams; engaging personality
- SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable and Ambitious, Relevant and Time-Limited Career Goals
- Demonstrated history of taking advantage of and creating opportunities, and high likelihood of maximally utilizing the resources on campus
- Exceptional Personal Initiative through demonstrated high-impact leadership, creativity, research, entrepreneurship and community service — evidence for having left your footprints in your wake
- National and International Leadership Potential
- Global World View
- Foreign Language Proficiency
- Demonstrated Growth and Progression in regards to Skills and Responsibilities
- Meaningful, Consistent & Compassionate Service to Humanity
- Special Talents that differentiate from the crowd
- Demonstrated, exceptional written and verbal communication Skills
- Analytical Skills
- Students that will contribute greatly to and benefit immensely from the entering class, the institution and the profession
- Applicants that can convey their message in their own voice, without “spin”
- Compelling applicant so intriguing that the admissions committee member would go out of their way to meet them on campus
The IvyBound Advantage allows you to self-reflect on who you are, where you stand, are you competitive, and where do you expect your business school education to take you. We prompt you to contemplate your preferences, abilities, academic record, extracurricular activities, your strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats to determine where you are competitive and which programs best fit your needs. We guide you as to how to improve your credentials in order to maximize the success of your application. IvyBound helps you improve your credentials in a way that presents your entire application in the best light, all while addressing the very priorities business schools value most. Let IvyBound be your partner in the often complex, stressful and uncertain admissions process.