Strategy Series

A Note From Walter Hutchinson What is Velociti ^TM? Why is it fundamental to our process and to your goals? Velociti ^TM is our standard for working with applicants around the world. It targets a combination of characteristics which have attracted admissions committees to my clients every year. Not coincidentally, acceleration and momentum are hallmarks of our advising process, because both increase odds of admissions success - making the name of the standard mission-appropriate. Whenever I personally vet someone who wants to become an MBA Velociti ^TM Advisor at ApplicationAdvantage, having a degree from a Top-10 school, admissions experience or exposure to a particular industry are minimal requirements. The example I set directly through this standard at ApplicationAdvantage is higher and more discerning, because most of my firm's clients are preparing for global careers that stretch them, requiring exceptional versatility, multicultural insight, creativity, courage of conviction, and leadership savvy. That's what our clients expect. That's what we deliver.
The Meaning of Velociti ^TM to You V - Values Our principle, your challenge: Influence by multicultural experience, diversity both globally and locally, an unusual background, generally exposure outside of one's comfort zone, and how the challenges you faced contributed to who you have become. Admission relevance: Every top MBA and Graduate professional program is interested in what values shape you and how you will apply them. Your MBA Velociti ^TM Advisor will guide you on how to effectively communicate your values to admissions committees. E - Engagement Our principle, your challenge: In a word: *gravitas. Personal and professional charisma in your country, culture of industry. The degree to which you impact other people. Do you attract through what you do as well as who you are? Admissions relevance:* Will classmates want to know you? Will they see your participation in the school program as an enhancement of the overall quality of their experience? You can be 100% certain that admissions committees will examine your application for answers! Your MBA Velociti ^TM Advisor will guide you on how to effectively communicate your engagement to admissions committees. L - Leadership Our principle, your challenge: Aspirational. Global. Sectoral. The qualities you possess for getting people to either share or follow your vision. Proof of success or compelling evidence of potential. Admissions relevance: Perhaps the Number One criterion admissions committees seek in candidates. No application to a top school can succeed without being absolutely convincing on this point. Leadership is one of the key qualities which your MBA Velociti ^TM Advisor will assist you in communicating to admissions committees. O - Originality Our principle, your challenge: What makes you YOU. Lingering influences of your current locale or place of origin. The things you cannot go without. Habits. Instinctual behavior. Patterns of thought. How those elements converge to forge your passions, delights, flaws and anything else that distinguishes you as an individual. Admissions relevance: Committees want original personalities that contribute to the diverse mosaic of a class' composition. If 15 strong applicants are in the same profession with similar leadership track records, their best hope for differentiation and admittance, is to express originality. Demonstrating your originality to admissions committees becomes much easier with help from your MBA Velociti ^TMAdvisor. C - Credibility Our principle, your challenge: Aspirations anchored by a clear path to achievement whether aimed at goals in your home country or on a larger scale. Vision with context. Dreams tethered to a roadmap that can be traced back to where you are professionally and personally at this moment. Admissions relevance: Can you actually go where you think you want to go? is it believable? Before committees begin to get excited about the prospect of admitting you, they will want reassurance that you are credible. Your MBA Velociti ^TM Advisor will guide you on how to effectively project credibility - a cornerstone of strategies for winning over admissions committees. I - Innovativeness Our principle, your challenge: Moving past the "thinking out of the box"-type of corporate clichés and their equivalent. Applied imagination, relative to the resources and opportunities both within and outside your reach. Admissions relevance: Committees care more about how you applied your imagination or filled a creative gap than about how you followed through on some task that seemed to be a predictable next step or obvious remedy. SPECIAL STRATEGIC SUGGESTION: If you have a short leadership track record but out-sized career goals, you will need to demonstrate innovativeness in order to prevent your application from suffering a credibility gap. Your MBA Velociti ^TMAdvisor provides invaluable feedback on the extent to which your innovativeness will distinguish you with admissions committees. T - Trust Our principle, your challenge: Prove that you are who you say you are. Demonstrate your claims through the way your thought process works. Establish how a pattern of behavior which benchmarks your character and convinces that you are authentic. But achieve those goals without appearing to disingenuously "put on a show" - which would instantly backfire. Admissions relevance: Committees will not admit you if they do not trust you - a candid, unspoken truth which underlies their encouragement for you to show civic, professional, ethical and personal leadership in your application. On this point, your essays truly become key players in the fate of your candidacy. Evoking trust in admissions committees begins with the advisory relationship you establish with your MBA Velociti ^TM Advisor. I - International Outlook Our principle, your challenge: If you have none, argue how you will acquire it. If you have it, argue where you will take it. Outlook is relative to your profession and goals, so you must strike the right balance while being sure to underscore how you will continue to enhance your own. Admissions relevance: No 21st Century career can go very far without international outlook. Committees are interested in people who aspire to influence as much as having the capacity to adapt. Will you thrive in a class represented by more than 50 nationalities? Are you prepared to leverage that international diversity in your career and make it a positive aspect of your personal ethos? Your MBA Velociti ^TM Advisor is better-positioned personally and professionally than most people, to guide you on how to effectively project your international outlook to admissions committees. On a cumulative level, you will need to convey globally-oriented Values, Engagement, Leadership, Originality, Credibility, Innovativeness, Trust and International Outlook in order to strengthen your odds of being admitted to a top program. More than any other factor during your admissions season, your MBA Velociti ^TM Advisor will be an indispensable resource as you pursue the goal of persuading admissions committees that the sum of your profile far exceeds its parts.

Testimonials Highlights

"When I began looking at business schools, I figured I would get into maybe 1 or 2. I was so nervous about my chances, that I applied to 12 programs in all. On the recommendation of a friend of mine, I asked Walter for comprehensive help and followed his advice for nearly 10 months while I developed my applications. When I received my first Acceptance Letter from NYU Stern, I was happy enough, because at least I was in at one good school....BUT THEN the other decision letters started coming from INSEAD, Columbia, London Business School, Goizueta, Oxford, Stanford, Kellogg, IESE and finally...my Number 1 Choice....HARVARD!

ACCEPTED AT 10 SCHOOLS!! I had no idea this was even possible. I am still in shock."

Admitted to Harvard, Asian Applicant

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"I did some work on Wall Street and with a couple clients from Silicon Valley for several years, but figured my application did not have much of a chance, because I was a minority and not an exceptionally accomplished one. Boy did Walter help me turn that around! Not only did I get in, but also I received enough scholarship money to cover between 90% and 100% of all my business school costs."

Admitted to 2 Ivy League business schools, North American Applicant

"I pushed Walter for a firm estimate of my chances when we started working together and constantly questioned his advice. I am not used to being so trusting of anyone, especially with something as important as my education. Almost no one from my country has an easy time getting into top business schools, so when he told me I had a great shot, I was naturally skeptical. Now I am a believer."

Admitted to Harvard, Indian Applicant

“If you are thinking about graduate school, Walter is an extremely valuable resource. Walter is a friend that knows the inner working of the admission process, who is committed to helping people getting admitted to a school that will help them achieve their professional objectives. What makes Walter special is that he is committed to your success. He asks a lot of questions to get to know your background and interests. If going to graduate school is the right choice for you, he will evaluate your profile comprehensively and give you constructive ideas on how you can better position yourself as an ideal candidate for the school of your choice. With Walter 's help, I turned in application that was well-prepared and had a 95% chance of getting admitted. I ultimately got accepted into the school of my choice with a fellowship. I highly recommend talking to Walter if you are serious about graduate school.”

Admitted to Columbia, SAIS, American Applicant

“Even though I initially turned to Walter for some executive branding advice, I now think of him as a good friend. Walter came highly recommended and his wide-ranging experience quickly earned my trust. But more than that, his commitment and caring turned this trust into friendship. Walter’s thought-provoking advice, candid feedback and inspirational conversations have been invaluable as I considered the next steps to take in my career. He is a great listener and always seems ready to offer a fresh, timely perspective on issues of concern to me. When in need of exceptional and personalized branding advice, Walter is the first person I recommend to my network. For obvious reasons, he also remains among my close circle of friends and confidantes.”span>

Admitted to Chicago Booth, European Applicant

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