Dear customer,

Welcome to the June 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.

If you are applying to US MBA programs or programs beginning in August/September, now is the time that you need to confirm your program selections. Read our feature article below to find out how to select the perfect MBA program for you.
 

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To register, email arlene@icon-plus.com or call 6336-6558.

Decisions, decisions.

How to make them?

I personally swear by “Eenie, meenie, miney moe.”

But, you could also flip a coin, pull a straw, or use a blindfold. Each mechanism is bound to steer you in the right direction.

The only exception, of course, is this life-altering thought, now pressing upon you:

Where should I get my MBA?

Unfortunately, decisions about b-school are slippery, and often require less obvious tactics.

So what’s the best approach? First and foremost: get in touch with yourself. You need to understand your academic strengths, career goals, financial abilities, and geographical preferences before you can find a program that best fits you. So identify your limitations, flexibilities, habits, goals, needs, and desires. Then, consider the various factors that may contribute to your MBA choices.

We’ve designed the following sections to make this process easier. If you stick to the guidelines, you should have no problem picking the right b-school for you.
 

Click here for MBA Selection Guidelines.

Words, words and more words

It is no secret that to excel in the GRE, one needs to develop a high level of vocabulary. One good way to get word savvy is of course, to start paying attention to all those bombastic words which you encounter while reading or watching television. It is totally senseless to attempt to cramp hundreds of words into your head as the test date draws close. Paying attention does not merely mean taking note of them, but more importantly looking their meanings up in the dictionary and coming up with flash cards or something along those lines.

By far, the best approach is to learn through practicing various GRE questions. Through this, you not only memorize the words but also familiarize yourself with different types of questions and potential traps among answer choices.
 

Read more tips.

Q: You are originally from Switzerland, but are currently working in Singapore for Sika -Asia Pacific. Can you tell me about your path to get here?

A: During the last 2 years when I was at law school, I already knew I wanted to go to a foreign country. I applied for this job in the summer, and I graduated this February.

I wanted to go to Asia because it’s a vibrant place. I applied at the head office for the Asia Pacific region, which is here in Singapore. Actually, I would have gone to any country in Asia, but they asked me where I wanted to go, and I said Singapore.

I asked for Singapore, first because the head office of the Asia Pacific region is here. Second, because I thought this is quite an international melting point. If I had gone to Japan or China, I might have ended up in a place where they didn’t speak English, and that would have been stressful.

Q: What is the greatest lesson you have learned during your studies or on the job?

A: I would say that the greatest lesson at university was that I had to experience firsthand that success is based on a lot of work. I basically had to learn how to study. Back in high school everything was pretty easy, and I achieved good grades without studying at all. Then, at university I was suddenly confronted with a huge amount of subject matter. I had to learn how to cope with this new situation and I had to realize that at the end of the day you can only rely on yourself. Of course studying groups may help you to enhance your grades, but sometimes it’s better if you cloister yourself away to avoid distraction. It took me some time to understand that for me, it's best to study alone. I now usually do so in the Swiss mountains.
 

Read full interview.

On first glance an English Language Course has obvious benefits. As the most commonly used language in the world a course allows students to interact with a vast number of different clients, networks and friends than was previously available to them, and furthermore provides further opportunities in the job market as a result.

Gaining a definitive qualification such as a TOEFL or IELTS results is a clear demarcation of your language skills. These are markers that are used as measurements not only by Universities and Business Schools, but also by companies and organisations. As internationally recognised qualifications, having a good score in either of these tests can help to set an applicant apart from their peers, especially on internationally expanding ventures.

However, sometimes the qualification alone does not help that individual person.
 

Read the full article.