Dear customer,

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.

Still in the midst of perfecting your B school essays? This month's feature articles tells you what topics NOT to write about.

GMAT Trial Class
Sat 31st Dec: 13:00-15:00
ICON+ Raffles Campus

Contact vivian@icon-plus.com or mandy@icon-plus.com to register.

Don’t drink and drive! Stripes and polka dots don’t belong together in the same outfit. Oh, and most importantly – never drink orange juice after brushing your teeth (it takes really REALLY gross)!

Sometimes, it’s knowing what NOT to do that puts you on the right path. Here are some topics you should avoid on the personal essay you’re about to submit to Stanford, Keio, Booth, or INSEAD – whatever your dream school may be.

Sex and Drugs

This one is obvious to most people. Admissions officers aren’t interested in these topics (at least not in the context of your essays) – especially YOUR sex life or drug usage. We’re including this warning, however, because we realize that sex and drugs feature in many a person’s coming of age experience – and some might be tempted to hint at these topics.

This “no-no” category also includes your significant other. Yes, we know, he/she has made you a better person! Given you a fresh perspective of the world! You might even be in love! On the other hand, essays on romance are often clichéd and might even come off sounding immature.

As for every rule, there are exceptions. We have seen successful applications that included stories about their loved ones.


Read full article.

The ISB on the eve of its 10th anniversary celebrations will be awarding Ten International scholarships specific to a geographic area.

If you are an international applicant (non Indian Passport holder) you are eligible to apply for the scholarships.

Details of the scholarship are as follows.

1.The scholarship amount ranges from 300,000 INR to 1,500,000 INR depending on the merit of the application

2.There are specific scholarships for North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, China, South East Asia, Far East Asia, Australia, SAARC countries and Africa.

3.The applicant has to have a passport of the same country to be eligible to apply for that Geographic area scholarship.

4.You have to submit an essay on the following topic and attach it to your completed application to be considered for it.

“India Growth story and why I want to ink my career growth in India”

Be a part of a globally 13th ranked Business School; add value to your career and life.

We look forward to seeing you on campus in April 2012.

Please contact Hima Bindu at Hima_Bindu@isb.edu for more information.

At 75 minutes, the analytical writing section of the GRE is the most lengthy portion of the exam. In contrast, the quantitative section lasts 45 minutes, and the verbal section, often quoted as the most difficult portion, is a mere 30 minutes long. That means it’s time to gear up for this writing challenge!

In terms of scoring, you’ll get a number between (and inclusive of) 0 and 6. The scores are given in half-point increments, so while you might obtain a 4.5, you cannot get a 3.25.

You’ll be asked to compose two essays: Perspective on an Issue and Analyze an Argument.

Read more here.

Every year, we at ICON+ work with hundreds of students preparing for the TOEFL and IELTS exams.

The scores they achieve impact which colleges, universities, and graduate programs they attain admission to; career opportunities; and even whether or not they can migrate to their countries of choice. A great deal of impact for tests that each last less than four hours, huh?

Although our students pay for the same course to prepare them for these crucial exams, we’ve noticed that some students walk out with disproportionately higher improvement on scores. We’ve scratched our heads and come out with the following tips to help you get the most out of your TOEFL or IELTS preparation course:

Read the tips here.