A floating city in the Maldives begins to take shape Written by Nell Lewis; video by Milly Chan, CNN

 Designed by Dutch architecture firm Waterstudio, which specializes in building on water, the city will consist of 5,000 modular units -- as shown in this rendering -- including houses, restaurants, health care units and schools.

Think Computers Can Replace Humans as Test Graders? Think Again. by KAYLA WEBLEY FROM Time

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/24/think-computers-can-replace-humans-as-test-graders-think-again/

The GRE Becomes Relevant by Michael Bruce FROM Psychology Today

"That being said, I'm thrilled to report that the GRE has been revised! Testers will be relieved to know that antonyms and analogies have been removed."

B-School Admission Essays, For a Fee By Francesca Di Meglio FROM Businessweek

As long as applicants are not being misrepresented, what's wrong with having someone write the essays for them? A good writer may well be able to give a better picture of some applicants than the applicants themselves can. Consider the fact that US presidents usually have speechwriters, and as candidates, they have a host of experts prep them for the debates. Is this unethical too? If business schools really care, they should administer a written qualifying exam to students themselves.

"Blake Reynolds, owner of Perfect Words, which is in New York, and David Burton, general manager of Essaywriter in Leeds, England, defend their businesses, saying some applicants need help expressing themselves."

The GMAT Gets a Makeover by Alison Damast FROM Businessweek

"But I think we'll see some students who feel they will perform better under the test's current structure, so there will likely be a race to take the old version of the test before the deadline."

Interview Word List by Kenneth Beare FROM about.com

A list of words to explain what you did and to describe your skills.

10 Ways to Get Your Résumé Ignored By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

1. Not bothering with a cover letter.
Cover letters are so important to the application process that many hiring managers automatically reject résumés that arrive without them. Make the most of your cover letter by expanding on a few of your qualifications, explaining any gaps in employment or providing other information that will entice the employer to read your résumé.

Shutting Down a GMAT Cheat Sheet by Louis Lavelle FROM BusinessWeek

GMAC said any students found to have used the Scoretop site will have their test scores canceled, the schools that received them will be notified, and the student will not be permitted to take the test again. Since most top B-schools require the GMAT, the students will have little chance of enrolling. "This is illegal," said Judy Phair, GMAC's vice-president for communications. "We have a hard drive, and we're going to be analyzing it. If you used the site and paid your $30 to cheat, your scores will be canceled. They're in big trouble."

Interviewing: Professional & Graduate School FROM University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Questions Often Asked by an Interviewer

"Before answering the following questions, it is important to remember that most interviewers will be looking for three things when you answer questions: 1) your answer; 2) how well you can organize your thinking; and 3) how well you express yourself. For more information about preparing for interviews and answering questions, refer to the Interview Like a Professional handout.

Interviews will vary among programs and the individuals conducting the interviews. Questions may be direct, indirect, hypothetical or behavior-based."

Evaluation of non-verbal signals FROM actingforbusiness.com

Many graduate school interviews are conducted over the phone, but it is still worth being aware of these points. Keeping track of some of these points might help break some bad habits.

Evaluation of non-verbal signals
	GREAT	GOOD	POOR	COMMENTS
Eye contact
Posture
Smiled
Didn't fidget
Voice volume
Voice speed
Grammar
Confidence
Sincerity
Enthusiasm

Oversentimentality by Mary Catherine Savage FROM Johns Hopkins University

Avoid gush and mush! The following example should get the point across:

I have wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 10 years old when our family dog, Petey, lay dying after being run over by a car. I knew then that I wanted to be in a position to do something to help sick and injured animals rather than to stand by helplessly. For this reason I chose to study veterinary medicine.

Comment: Avoid this kind of statement altogether. While the story might be true, it detracts from the professional image you’re trying to portray. An emotional appeal to the reader is not convincing evidence of a well-reasoned decision to enter a particular profession.

Five standard topics for a personal essay by Mary Catherine Savage FROM Johns Hopkins University

Though written for those in the health fields, these suggestions are also useful for others. I would be very cautious about #5. You might come off sounding pretentious explaining your personal philosophy, especially if you are 20 years old.

1) your motivation for a career as a physician,
2) the influence of your family/early experiences on your life,
3) the influence of extracurricular work/volunteer activities on your life,
4) your long-term goals, and
5) your personal philosophy.

It is also suggested that irregularities in your academic record may need to be explained in this section (Do not utilize the whole section for this purpose, however, and do not make excuses--just explain). In considering which topic best fits you, think about where you have something meaningful to say.

It is not realistic to think that you can comment on each area. In attempting to do so, you will
probably leave the reader with nothing to remember about you. Your goal in selecting the best topic for you, and in writing about it is to create an impression that you will be an interesting applicant to interview. When you have identified an area, think about anecdotal information or stories that support what you are stating. These stories will personalize your essay, and leave the reader with something specific to remember about you.

Insider's comments on admissions essays FROM collegiatechoice

Here are two of the insider's quotes:

*Resist the temptation to let others speak for you. A quotation from a philosopher, poet or politician may appear to be the perfect opportunity to parade your erudition. More often than not, you will impress no one while you hijack the personal essay to
a place you have never been. . . .

*Selection committee members are pretty savvy. They have learned to look for authenticity, not profundity. But knowing yourself, on paper, takes imagination, reflection and time. Start early, let parents and friends read it, and then revise: the voice you find may be your own."

Why this School? by Christopher T. Hank FROM Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Why this School?
Once you have developed a sense of the faculty's interests and the department's special features, you can make it clear in your application exactly why you want to attend that particular school. What is it about the department's curriculum structure or general approach to the field that makes you interested in being a student there? Don't waste your valuable essay space, or your reader's valuable time, telling the reader how wonderful or prestigious their institution is; people on the admissions committee already know this. They want to know about you.

Nonetheless, if there are special programs or institutes at the school that seem appealing to you, briefly mention that you are interested in becoming part of them. For example, state that you "want to be a member of the XYZ Group for Blank and Blank Studies because . . .", but don't tell them how great, well respected, and world-renowned this part of the school is.

If, during your research on the department's faculty, a faculty member strikes you as someone whom you might be interested in working with, indicate this in your essay; be concise and specific about why you want to work with this person in particular. A word of caution here: Do not try to use this as a way to "butter up" the admissions committee, because if there is any reason to believe that you are not sincere, your application may be adversely affected. Again, mention the person and how their work relates to your interest, but don't load this statement with what might be interpreted as false or superfluous praise.

Autobiographical Essay: Two formats

Chronological Essay
As far as the presentation and essay format, I feel there are two major styles. Some people prefer to use a chronological style of writing, listing and describing their achievements by dates, and linking their personality to those anecdotes. This has the advantage of being an easy to follow system where the reader can easily visualize your personal development. However, it can be easy to get sidetracked using this method by focussing too much on each particular experience. It's also very easy to see any gaping holes if you have an unproductive period in your life.

Personality Traits Essay
Another method of presenting the content is to list 4-5 of the major personality characteristics that you feel you have, which are crucial to becoming a good doctor. Then, you describe experiences in your past where you have exhibited, or have worked, to develop those characteristics. . . . Pick whichever you feel are most relevant. Then, look towards your curriculum vitae to find experiences that relate to each of these categories. This system forces you to spend equal weight on each characteristic, which will make you look more well-rounded. If you have had an unproductive period in your life, using this type of an essay format will help "camofulage" that time period. A disadvantage is that you may have to exclude experiences that don't fit into the personality criteria you have already selected.

The Rise of the European B-School by Jennifer Fishbein FROM BusinessWeek

European MBA programs may have traditionally lacked the brand recognition of their U.S. counterparts, but that's changing fast. The continent's increasingly dynamic business environment, improvements to curricula, and growing corporate demand for employees with international experience are attracting top-notch candidates from all over the world. In addition, most Europe management programs are cheaper, shorter, smaller, and more diverse than their U.S. rivals, which is drawing a growing number of American students to studies in the Old World.

Educational Institutions, Professional Organizations and Accrediting Bodies Recognizing IELTS

This list of US organizations recognizing IELTS is from the IELTS website.
(January 2008)

The Right College Match

FROM the Wall Street Journal By SUZANNE BARLYN
January 29, 2008; Page D1

Both the sites mentioned in the article are useful, but unfortunately they are geared to undergraduates.

Problem: Finding colleges compatible with your child's interests and academic performance.

Solution: Create a profile on Cappex (www.cappex.com), a free Web-based "matchmaking" service that pairs students with colleges looking for specific types of candidates. Cappex also helps facilitate introductions between colleges and students by forwarding student profiles to admissions offices. Hone in on schools using factors such as cost and location at College MatchMaker, an online service from the College Board (http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp). Or generate a list of your child's personal top schools using the ranking feature on Admish, an online college admissions community (www.admish.com/?q=the_best_college_for_me) with personal ranking criteria students choose from a master list.

Caveat: A Web site isn't a substitute for a visit to a college, where prospective students can see for themselves whether the school is a good fit.

Getting into Business School without taking the GMAT

FROM the BusinessWeek article, "GRE Eyes GMAT's Testing Turf" by Jane Porter.

Josh Cincinnati is a member of a fairly new breed of business school student—one who has never taken the Graduate Management Admissions Test, better known as the GMAT. Cincinnati, who graduated from the University of Virginia last May, knew he wanted to go to graduate school, but wasn't sure what for. In a few years, he figured, he would apply to business school, but for now he kept his options open and took the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) instead of the GMAT. Much to his surprise, the 23-year-old discovered he could apply to Stanford Graduate School of Business with only his GRE scores, allowing him also to consider programs in politics and economics.

Screening out e-mail with Taiwanese IP addresses

Recently a student told me that he sent an e-mail to a professor at a US university to find out more about a program. He received an automatic reply indicating that that professor's e-mail does not accept e-mails with a Taiwanese IP address. I think this student was lucky in that he found out immediately what the professor's position was regarding Taiwan and Taiwanese students. I imagine some Taiwanese students applying to US schools never find out their efforts are being undermined.

This reminds of an older college professor who said that when he was an undergraduate at Harvard, a student could finish an entire semester without the professor ever having revealed his political inclinations.