Guest post by Joanna Graham, Fortuna Admissions

Most students look forward to taking a standardized exam about as much as getting a root canal, so I get that my love of them is uncommon (standardized tests, not dental work). I was 11 years old when I took my first standardized test, and since then I’ve sat for just about every exam under the sun – the ACT, SAT, GRE – even the LSAT and MCAT. So I speak from experience when I say that the GMAT, which is the beefy exam favored by business schools worldwide, is special. (Disclaimer: I spent nine years working at GMAC, the entity that administers and develops the GMAT exam.) Coupled with your academic credentials, your GMAT is also an integral component of your MBA application.

Many students decide to pursue an MBA on a part-time basis. It can be more affordable, particularly when considering the alternative opportunity cost of giving up your income for two years to attend business school full time. Still, paying for an MBA is rarely easy, even when maintaining a full-time income. Many students are in the market for financial aid and aren’t sure how to begin.  If this sounds like you, check out the latest contribution by College Coach finance expert and former Babson College financial aid officer, Michelle Clifton, to the Fortuna Admissions blog.

The decision to go back to school to pursue an MBA is not an easy one. Adding studies to a plate already full with work, family, and more can be a lot to take on, and that’s before even considering the cost of furthering your education. A related decision to contemplate is whether you want to pursue your MBA on a full-time or part-time basis, and how the cost of these two options may compare and fit into your life as an adult student. College finance expert and former Babson College financial aid officer, Michelle Clifton walks you through how to decide between a part-time and full-time MBA in her latest article on the Fortuna Admissions blog.

Guest Post by Matt Symonds, Fortuna Admissions

Common sense suggests you should apply to business school when you’re ready. But let’s demystify how things work behind the scenes of MBA admissions and the reality of how seats are allocated from one round to the next.

It is not uncommon for high school seniors to launch an extensive private scholarship search to help fund their education. Unfortunately, however, senior year tends to be both the first and last time many students look for scholarships. Alternatively, we recommend continuing the scholarship search process throughout your college years, and, if graduate school is in your future, for your graduate education as well. College finance expert and former Babson College financial aid officer, Michelle Clifton, outlines her best tips for MBA students to track down scholarships in her latest article on the Fortuna Admissions blog.

Guest Post By Matt Symonds, Fortuna Admissions

A college friend once confided that her dad – at his emphatic insistence – wrote all of her undergrad admission essays. Given that she was a physics major with near-perfect grades at a top 10 undergrad institution, this parental intervention struck me as irrational (not to mention unethical).  Given the news we’ve all heard this week about parental overstepping to a criminal extent, I guess I shouldn’t have been shocked by my friend’s confession.

From rescuing to over-praising, we’ve been warned of the perils of helicopter parenting and its implications for children. Yet when a child expresses their intent to apply to a top business school, there’s plenty you can do to help without overstepping your bounds.

You understand that an MBA is an investment in your future—that it will, in all likelihood, pay off in terms of future earning potential. There’s no getting around, however, that this investment in your future requires a significant up-front cash outlay—one that is prohibitive for many people. But what if an MBA didn’t require such an up-front investment? What if you could get a scholarship to cover some or all of your MBA program?

Guest Post By Matt Symonds, Fortuna Admissions

How to best prepare for the complexity and uncertainty of today’s business world? To drive your career forward in any sector, an MBA from one of the world’s top business schools will give you the fundamentals. In addition to offering a foundation in economics, finance, ethics, accounting, strategy, operations, and marketing, the MBA is now combined with lessons in leadership, decision analysis, communication, and entrepreneurial thinking to create value and empower students to embrace change.

Guest Post By Caroline Diarte Edwards, Fortuna Admissions

The MBA is designed to be a life-changing experience, positioning you to pursue your highest career aspirations. At the same time, the amount of time, money, and effort you’re gearing up to invest means that where you go to business school stands to be one of the most significant life decisions you’ll make. It’s vital to do your homework to find the best business school for you.

Will your employer pay for you to go back to school?

If you don’t know the answer to that question, it may be time to speak to someone in your Human Resources office or dive into the benefits information provided on your employee intranet. Many employers offer tuition assistance programs as a way to help recruit and retain a qualified and well-educated workforce, but making the most of your tuition assistance dollars is not always as easy as it may first appear.