Dear customer,

Happy holidays! Welcome to the December edition of ICON+’s MBA Access Newsletter. You are receiving this e-newsletter because you inquired about our test prep and/or admissions consulting services.

We wish you the very best with your applications. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance with meeting the quickly approaching deadlines.

Come to these info sessions on ICON+ premises to learn about these excellent MBA offerings!

1. The NANYANG MBA Course Preview

2. The NUS MBA Programme Briefing

Please see the column to the left for more information. To register, please email natsuko@icon-plus.com.

Nobody knows writer’s block like an MBA applicant.

When it’s Personal Statement Season, months are set aside, coffee mugs are filled up; blood, sweat, and tears pour forth…

…and still, cigarette after cigarette, the Word document remains blank.

Yes, the symptoms of writer’s block are worse than swine flu, and imaginably so -- writing about yourself is very, very hard. Especially when you need to prove your intelligence, character, and infinite business potential. The key is to strike a balance between written eloquence, and professional substance.

Read the full article.

Traditionally, men have dominated when it comes to business leadership and enrollment in business programs. However, “the times” began to change decades ago, and we are certain that business culture and gender dynamics will continue to evolve.

MBA programs are actively recruiting women by offering scholarships, adapting program-related organizations, and modifying program content. US-based professional organizations such as the National Association for Women Business Owners, the American Business Women’s Association, and the National Association of Women MBA’s provide support to current and future business leaders who are women. The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) even reports on its website that about 40% of GMAT test takers are now women (although the percentage of women enrolled in MBA programs is significantly lower).

To read GMAC's myths relating to women and the MBA, click here.

Size and Student Body:
• 150 students (Nov 09)
• 10% international
• 27% female
• Average age: 25.9

Ranking of S P Jain as a School:
* Accredited by AMBA, UK
* Institution of higher learning by MOE, Singapore
* 2nd best b-school in India (Outlook India 2007 &
Mint Wall Street Journal)
* Asia’s 6th best school (Asia Inc. Singapore, Sept. 2006)
* Number 1 Institute of Higher Learning in UAE (AC Neilson
Report 2008)

Program Information:
• 1 year full time & residential 
• 4 cities (Singapore, Dubai, Optional: Toronto/Sydney)
• 9 specializations in Finance, Marketing, IT, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, and HR Management

Admissions Requirements:
• Degree graduate
• Min 3 years full-time work experience
• GMAT: Min. 650
• IELTS: Min. 6

Cost:
• 23,575 USD tuition
• 11,715USD other expenses
• Tuition fee waiver scholarships available

Career:
• Assistance offered,100% placement rate
• Most students join global MNCs

Highlights:
Originally established in Mumbai, India, the S P Jain Institute of Management & Research has rapidly developed its global offerings. It now boasts capuses in Dubai and Singapore as well as alliances with top MBA programs in Toronto, Canada and Sydney, Australia. Taught in a global context under the guidance of leading international faculty, SP Jain’s GMBA aim is to prepare the global business leader of tomorrow with core management tools and concepts across 9 specialized industries. Join this excellent program in either April or November 2010!

Go to SP Jain's Global MBA website.

You’ve just sat down with your interviewer for the speaking portion of the IELTS test, and your hands are already clammy. A bead of cold sweat threatens to roll down your face.

We meet many IELTS test-takers who dread the speaking portion. They wonder, “What if I forget a word or say something grammatically incorrect?” or “What if I get stuck and have nothing else to say?”

Here’s what to do if you find yourself in a corner:

1. If you don’t understand the question or do not understand a word in the question, ASK! This section tests you on your speaking ability and not your listening ability. It will be difficult for you to develop a good answer if you do not understand the question.

To read more tips, click here.