Admissions Straight Talk

How to match successfully as a couple: catch some great tips on today’s episode!

Today’s guest, Evan Kuhl, has written guest posts for the Accepted blog. He’s currently a 2nd year resident in Emergency Medicine at The George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC. He also got married a couple of months ago. He and his then fiancée — now wife– succeeded in matching at the same hospital a year ago. He’s joining us today to share his advice about the Match, and specifically, matching as a couple. Welcome!

What was your path to medicine, and specifically Emergency Medicine? [1:27]

I did an EMT course. I met an ER doc on one of my first shifts who became a mentor, and I got really into emergency medicine – it’s a bit rare to decide so early. EMS was a great foundation for me personally. You learn a lot about patient contact and get skills that help in a lot of areas.

After graduating from Bellarmine, you went straight to med school – any bumps along the way? [3:18]

I never thought about any path other than med school.

Bellarmine gave me great preparation as a premed. It’s a small school in Louisville. But it’s one of the only schools that provides gross anatomy classes for undergrads.

My fellow residents have diverse backgrounds and a lot of them did take time in between undergrad and med school – master’s degrees, business, travel – it makes it fun and interesting to interact with people with so many diverse experiences.

My practice MCATs weren’t great, but I pushed through and applied – I didn’t take any time off.

What was the hardest part of the application process? [6:50]

If I were applying now, it would probably be the MCAT – because of the longer test.

For me, the process of the secondary applications was challenging: there’s a lot of variety between schools with regard to what they want, and a lot of time and effort involved. And it’s hard not to hear back, particularly when the application is more personal than the primary application.

How did he meet his wife, Elsa? [8:24]

We both grew up in Louisville, but we didn’t meet until med school. We were assigned to the same study group on the first day of med school.

Then we were placed 2 cadavers over in cadaver lab. My classmates pushed me to ask her out.

She started med school planning ortho, and came out as a radiologist.

How crucial was matching in the same city? Did you consider a long distance relationship? [10:50]

The first 10 matches on our lists were all in the same cities. Then the rest diverged a bit. We definitely wanted to be in the same city.

We started early and built an Excel sheet – including the city, residency, etc. And built a list of about 80 places. Some cities didn’t have programs for both of us, but were near a program that worked for the second person (for example, Duke and North Carolina).

Then we applied to about 71 programs each.

If she got an interview, I would email the ER director at that hospital. (And vice versa.) She had better scores than I did, so the Radiology directors were happy to talk to her!

Be frank and honest with the programs you’re ranking very highly (but don’t lie).

How do you manage time/relationship pressures, in med school and now as residents? [16:30]

When you’re applying for residency as part of a couple, be able to discuss your relationship pretty candidly when you interview.

In med school, we had study time together.

In residency, we have asynchronous shifts, so it’s a little more challenging.

We’re joined today by Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, and by Doreen Amorosa, Associate Dean and Managing Director of Career Management at McDonough. They’re here to discuss what’s changing in the job search landscape, as well as what’s new at Georgetown. Welcome!

How have career services changed due to students’ interest in startups and smaller companies – and to changes such as increased off-campus recruiting? [2:20]

Dean Amorosa: Entrepreneurship continues to gain steam. It’s a focus area here, and McDonough is ranked high for entrepreneurship. We’ve shifted the way we think of access to employers in a significant way: more employers are focusing on off-campus recruiting.

Goldman Sachs is now recruiting undergrads entirely off-campus— is this the beginning of a trend in financial services? [3:50]

This gives them broader access to the talent base at the undergraduate level. We see it continuing into the MBA arena in the future.

How has this changed what students need to do when looking for internships? [5:10]

From the time students arrive on campus, we work with them on analyzing their skills and focusing the direction of their internship search. Once they have career coordinates (industry-function-geography), we help them think through access channels from the employer perspective to get them to the internship opportunities. They have to be focused.

For example, a student wants to work in brand marketing. She needs to think through target companies. Where will you encounter companies and how? (Ie, career fairs, virtual opportunities – alumni outreach – etc.)

The traditional concept of the internship is a 3 – month interview. Is that still the case, or are students shopping around more, or trying non-traditional internships? [8:00]

A lot of students take the traditional path. But other students are taking internships with smaller companies – we see that trend continuing.

Dean Hubert: Georgetown’s entrepreneurship initiative provides some small stipends for students to take internships at smaller/more entrepreneurial companies.

Dean Amorosa: There’s also a summer incubator program. And a fellowship where students work with venture capitalists. There are some unique opportunities.

How has increased off-campus recruiting changed the way students find full-time positions? [10:45]

As it changes at the internship level, it also changes at the full-time level. Some changes have to do with shrinking travel budgets (i.e., virtual interviewing is becoming more popular).

We’re also seeing more companies using predictive hiring tools to manage the candidate pool early in the application process – i.e., they’re incorporating assessments into the screening process to narrow the pool. (Amazon now requires essays and tests at the first application stage.) It’s not just about behavioral interviews anymore.

An important part of gaining the right position is your networking approach. [14:05]

We launched a platform which enables students and alumni to conduct informational interviews virtually. Students can also do interviews with each other. If you sign up, you commit to helping someone else: this is part of Georgetown’s values.

Has the changing job search changed the application process? [16:55]

Dean Hubert: If you’re proposing to change careers/job functions, you need to be prepared,

Today we welcome Keith Vaughn, a highly experienced MBA admissions professional. He started as an Associate Director of MBA admissions in 1994 at USC Marshall, moved up to Director in 1997 and to Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions at USC Marshall in 1997. In addition, he served briefly at different points in time as Interim Vice Dean of the MBA Program and Interim Executive Director, MBA Career Services. And his experience is not at all limited to USC Marshall.  Keith also had multi-year stints on the board of GMAC and on the board of the Consortium for the Graduate Study in Management. He has met and worked closely with all the leaders at a array of full-time part-time, and executive MBA programs.

Breadth and depth in MBA admissions define today’s guest’s expertise.

Not only is Keith bringing his insights and qualifications to this episode – he also just joined Accepted’s consulting staff and will be helping Accepted’s clients one-on-one. Welcome, Keith!

His background & how he got into admissions [2:15] 

I was a military brat – I was born in West Point. For college, I was accepted to the Air Force Academy, but went to Amherst instead. When I was studying for my MBA, the dean pulled me in to work on a career project. When you work on output, you have to work on input, so that’s how I got into admissions.

There’s a lot of travel involved with admissions work – I traveled over 3 million miles in my career, all over the globe.

Initially, I thought I’d do the job for about 3 years. After 3 years, I became the Admissions Director.

What did you wish applicants understood or knew that they just didn’t get? [4:55] 

There are no tricks to this process, and there’s no formula. Admissions people are trying to get to know who you are. Even if you get a curveball question in an interview, it’s not meant to trick you – it’s meant to see how you think on your feet.

What did you review first when you reviewed an MBA application? [7:12] 

The obvious first answer is the GMAT score. But just like I look at the average rating on Rotten Tomatoes to get a sense of how good a movie is – I would look at the AWA score, which gave me a good sense right from the start whether I was in for a good read. It was a great indicator of writing skills.

Then I would do a quick review of the resume.

How should MBA applicants approach the essays? [9:38] 

Be authentic – tell your story in your voice. Think about the stories you’re telling. It can be helpful to show friends and colleagues to get input.

You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete – you’re unique. It’s about self-reflection. 

Understand what motivates you and how. Peel the layers back and really get a sense of who you are.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management and applying via its application process? [11:55] 

I’m actually a Consortium alum, in addition to having served on the board.

The mission of the Consortium is to increase the number of people of color in the ranks of business. Now anyone can apply if they support the mission: increasing the number of people of diverse backgrounds in management. You have to show how you’re helping, how you’re supporting the mission.

Again, there’s no trick to the application. The process is the same.

In today’s episode, Accepted’s founder and director, Linda Abraham, shares the 4 not-so-easy steps of showing fit in your application.

While they are not simple to do, these steps are necessary if you want to get accepted to a program where the acceptance rate is less than 100%. 

STEP 1: Understand the school’s mission and criteria for acceptance. [1:20] 

Almost all schools have a mission stated clearly on their site. For example, Stanford GSB’s is “Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.” It’s everywhere on their site. Not surprisingly, to me the defining characteristic of accepted Stanford applicants is initiative, the willingness and ability to effect change in the face of need or opportunity.

Similarly, when we spoke to the admissions directors for any number of medical schools they all emphasized the importance of their schools’ missions.  (See links below for examples.)

The other key is to understand the school’s criteria. Some schools clearly state their criteria on their site. [2:50]

An example of a criteria list: Harvard Business School’s has its “Who are We Looking For?” page where it says all its students share the following characteristics: Habit of Leadership, Analytical Aptitude and Appetite, Engaged Community Citizenship.

Another example: UCLA Geffen School has a page devoted to Basis of Selection, which goes beyond course requirements, grades, and MCAT. It explicitly states that qualities like “Life Experiences (Research, volunteerism, etc.) are considered.” Furthermore “Preference is given to students who present high achievement in college and a capacity to develop mature interpersonal relationships.”  [Emphasis added]

Clearly UCLA is looking for academic achievement and this “capacity.” Teamwork is probably one important way to show an ability to develop mature interpersonal relationships.

If you listen to episode 155 with representatives of Temple’s Katz School of Medicine, you will quickly learn that Temple values teamwork.

Know what your target school is looking for: [4:33]

It’s just that simple. So if Stanford is looking for initiative, your essays, descriptions of activities and jobs should highlight those aspects of your experiences that show initiative. For HBS, it’s a habit of leadership and engaged community citizenship that the written parts of your app will most likely reveal.

And the same process holds for law school and other graduate programs.

The foundation of fit: [5:25] 

This basic understanding of what the program values and what it is seeking in applications is the foundation of fit.

STEP 2: Show you can do the work: usually grades and test score. [5:40] 

This is usually a stated requirement and criterion for most schools. However, it is so important that I have to mention it. Some applicants believe that “the stats” are the be all and end all of admissions. Others believe that anything but the stats count.

Both groups are wrong. You need stats and qualitative fit at competitive programs.

Schools want to admit students who can succeed in their programs and who will make the admissions offices proud to have as alumni.

Meet today’s guest, Executive Director at CEMS Global Alliance, Roland Siegers. He studied in Germany and France and started working for CEMS in 2002, becoming the Executive Director in 2012. Welcome!

What is CEMS? [1:45]

It’s a joint program – a partnership among 30 leading b-schools. It’s provides a pre-experience master’s program (the students are straight out of undergrad). And students study at two of 30 campuses on 5 continents.

Currently there’s no US partner.

MIM program overview [3:13]

Students enroll at one of the 30 partner campuses. They do one term at their home campus, one term abroad, and one internship term (also usually abroad). There’s a very strong international focus.

And at the end, students earn two degrees: a master’s degree from their home campus and the CEMS Masters in International Management.

Most of the master’s programs are 1-2 years. If a student is in a 2-year master’s program, they can add the CEMS program in the second year of the 2-year program. [4:38]

If a student is doing a second degree, does it have to be related to business? [5:30]

Yes. We consider the CEMS MIM an advanced degree, and we go deep. But their undergrad degree can be in a different field.

What distinguishes the MIM from an MBA? [7:15]

Timing. While the MBA generally requires a few years of work experience, MIM students are young – generally straight out of undergrad.

What distinguishes the CEMS MIM from b-school linked Masters in Management? [8:25]

The international flavor. 100 institutions contribute to shaping the program – so there are many opportunities for your studies. You get to be exposed to students from 30 campuses and 70 nationalities.

The world is our home, and that’s reflected in our program.

What are the 100 institutions? [10:00] 

There are 65 companies, 5 NGOs, and 30 schools. The companies participate in every aspect of the program: selecting students, mentoring, providing guest speakers, etc. And ultimately, hiring.

How does the internship term work? Is it in a third location? [11:15]

People do diverse things all over the world (including developing countries and countries where the program doesn’t have partner campuses, like the US). The internship gives them a chance to learn something practical about the working world.

What are you looking for in a student? [12:45]

Bright people with good academic records. We also want an interest and appetite for the international, as well as people with maturity, clear ethics, and a strong moral compass. People who have the capability of reflecting on challenges, and who have the desire to perform and compete.

The application process [14:10]

The application itself is carried out by member schools.

After applying, candidates are selected to an interview/assessment center. The interview could include a group discussion or team situation, or you could be asked to give a presentation. There’s also an interview with a school representative and a company representative.

Does the application vary by school (among the 30 campuses)? [16:10]

The application might vary – the school might have specific requirements you also must meet.

Some schools have essays. They all want to see you’ve done well in your studies and that you’ve also gained international exposure.

The GMAT/GRE? [17:20]

Both GMAT and

How to apply to medical school: join us today for a conversation with Accepted’s own Cydney Foote!

Cyd has a background in healthcare education administration at the University of Washington Medical and Dental Schools, where she served on several fellowship admissions committees, as well as years of experience in writing and marketing for various businesses. And it’s that combination of persuasive writing and medical school admissions experience that she has drawn on since she joined Accepted in 2001 and became a medical school admissions consultant extraordinaire. We’re also going to draw on those parallel strengths today in this show.  

Cyd, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk!

Considerations for the average med school applicant when it comes to deciding where to apply? [1:55]

It generally comes down to time and money. Be smart and look reasonably at your chances. Most people generally apply to between 15 and 30 schools. There’s a tradeoff when you apply to more schools – it costs more, and you might not have enough time to put together strong secondaries.

Do your research to see where you’re a competitive applicant. Look at the numbers: don’t go below the “lows” on MSAR, but if you’re in the average range it’s worth applying. Also note that state schools often have a higher acceptance rate for in-state students. And that there’s a tradeoff when it comes to numbers, too: some of the schools with low average stats also have low admissions rates, because a lot of people apply to them.

You should also do your research: look at each program’s strengths and focus. Do you want somewhere research oriented? Patient oriented? Arts focused? Research up front will help you when you’re answering secondaries and preparing for interviews, too.

I definitely advise organizing and keeping your research. (A spreadsheet can be helpful.) [5:25]

It can also be helpful to talk to mentors, doctors you’ve shadowed or done research with, etc.

How can applicants determine which experiences to write about in the personal statement, and which in the activities/meaningful experiences? [6:30]

Before you start to write, think about what you want to talk about in the application overall. (Think through some of the stories you would like to tell, and do some prewriting – basically, work on generating your inventory of stories.) When you’re working on your meaningful experiences and secondaries, think about things you didn’t have the space to talk about in your personal statement.

You can imagine the application process as a ladder where each section leads to the next. Be consistent—all of the pieces come together to present a picture of you as a qualified applicant. (Another metaphor: a jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces come together, but they don’t overlap.)

Reinforce rather than repeat – be balanced. Make the parts of your application (including the pieces of the primary app, the secondaries, the interviews) work together as a cohesive whole.

Each step in the process is a rung in the ladder: the primary app, the secondaries, the interviews.

Do you recommend that people save stories? [10:25] 

Yes. I recommend that people write more than they need to for the primary personal statement, and when I review personal statements,

Since we recorded this interview, the Wall Street Journal published a short article discussing the strong demand for tech skills around the world. Apparently the area with the greatest gap between supply and demand is Big data/analytics, where 39% of IT leaders feel there is a shortage of people skilled in this area, the highest of any tech field in the survey.

The shortage makes this podcast interview particularly timely because you’ll hear from Dr. Dimitris Bertsimas, Co-Director of MIT Sloan’s Master in Business Analytics, and we discuss this brand new program in depth.

Meet Professor Dimitris Bertsimas. After earning his Master’s in Operations Research and PhD in Applied Mathematics/Operations Research at MIT, he joined the MIT faculty, where he is Professor of Operations Research, the co-Director of the Operations Research Center, and now the co-Director of the brand new Master’s in Business Analytics program. Welcome!

What is MIT Sloan’s Master’s in Business Analytics? [1:25]

It’s a 1-year program. Students take two semesters of courses and labs and then do a 3-month internship, implementing solutions with a company.

How did MIT’s MBAn come into being? [2:10]

It’s been developing over the last few years The need for analytics has grown. Sloan is in a strong position to provide this program – given the strength of its faculty in this area, it can attract superb students and be the premier business analytics program in the world.

And the demand is definitely there: last year I taught a MOOC to over 100K students.

What are the labs? [4:00]

There are several unique elements. Students learn software for analytics. There are also several modules – optimization, visualization, etc. And they learn leadership, teamwork, communication skills, etc. It’s not just traditional teaching: there’s a strong focus on hands-on learning and real world context.

The internships [6:03] 

There will be multiple opportunities available for internships. Some internships might eventually and naturally translate into job opportunities.

The program is aimed primarily at recent college grads. For this group of applicants, what is MIT looking for in an applicant to the MBAn? [7:00]

Exceptional academic ability and the aspiration to apply their skills in the real world.

For career changers who have some work experience, what are they looking for? [8:22]

A strong background in science, engineering, or math: breadth and depth in their area of expertise.

What is required in the application? [8:50] 

GMAT/GRE, grades, projects/papers, letters of rec. There’s also a personal statement and an interview.

What is MIT hoping to glean from the interview? [9:30] 

We’re looking for exceptional people. We want grads to be leaders in analytical efforts in their organizations. So during the admissions process, we’re trying to select people who have the ability and aspiration to advance. We’re looking for leadership qualities.

For potential applicants who are considering MBA, MS Stats, MS Operations Research, or the Masters of Business Analytics: what makes the MBAn stand out? [10:45]

The internship component is unique. Also, the focus on lab courses and experiential learning is a unique focus.

The MBA career search and life as a Chicago Booth MBA – check out the latest episode of Admissions Straight Talk.

We are joined today by the co-founders of TransparentMBA, a free career data resource for prospective and current MBA students.

Introducing Mitch Kirby, Alyssa Jaffee, and Kevin Marvinac, co-founders of TransparentMBA and students at Chicago Booth. [0:35]

Mitch graduated from Princeton with a degree in molecular biology and then worked in the Health Practice at Booz. Alyssa went to the U of Wisconsin, studying Marketing and Spanish and then worked for the Advisory Board in marketing and sales for about 5 years. And Kevin, after earning his bachelors in Finance and Latin American Studies at Notre Dame, pursued his love of wine and worked for the Gallo Winery. They all met at Chicago Booth, and we’re going to hear the rest of their story from them. Welcome!

What is Transparent MBA? [1:25]

It’s a way for MBA students to anonymously share compensation and satisfaction information for firms that recruit MBAs.

Their roles [1:52]

Mitch– product developer/coder

Alyssa– works with the corporations

Kevin– user side

How did Transparent MBA come into being? [2:40]

Mitch: I wanted to understand career options better, and felt there was a lack of MBA-specific data in the space. The data from the school’s career services wasn’t specific enough (by company), and other options (like glassdoor) aren’t MBA-specific.

What need does Transparent MBA fill that other services don’t? [4:20]

It’s specific to the needs of MBAs and allows more specific company-based searches than school information, which often doesn’t provide details on bonuses, etc.

When did they launch, how have they grown [5:23]

Transparent MBA launched in 2015 with just a few students. By Feb of 2016, they were outside Booth, with 35 schools and thousands of participants.

Is there any danger that with small sample sizes, people are retrieving more anecdotal evidence than data? [7:00]

They’re actually trying to combat a reliance on anecdotal info by giving people the opportunity to get more information from another source, rather than just relying on something they heard.

You can log in and compare industries. Later there will be more filters and tools so you can filter by school, grad year, etc. [8:30]

Is the site useful to pre-MBAs? Or is it more for MBA grads? [10:25]

Pre-MBAs can use it now through the prospective user portal. It can be helpful to see what their future options will be. In the future, it could potentially be a tool to help compare schools.

Role Booth played in helping develop Transparent MBA? [11:25]

Mitch took a course in coding and building web applications, which gave him the skills to develop the project. He also met his cofounders at Booth. And they’re participating in the New Venture Challenge, which is helping them think through challenges.

The New Venture Competition- how does it work? [12:30]

There are 30 teams, of which 10 will make the finals and 1 will win. They pitch their venture to investors. It makes them think harder about everything they’re doing.

The next stage is the Acceptance Pitch on June 2, to see if they make the finals. They’re competing for $70K in funding.

A one-year law school for non-lawyers: join us for a conversation about Emory’s Juris Master.

Meet Dr. Lynn Labuda, the director of Emory’s Juris Master program. After years of working in business, she earned her EMBA from Emory’s Goizueta School of Business in 2007, and her PhD in Education in 2015. She’s led the Juris Master program since 2012. Welcome! 

What is the Juris Master program? [1:30]

It’s a 30-credit program for people who don’t want to be practicing lawyers, but who want to understand the law as it relates to what they do. About 80% of the students are working professionals and are enrolled part time, taking 2-2.5 years to complete the program. The remaining students are full-time—recent graduates (from college or grad school) who want to use the program to supplement their educational background as they launch their careers. Taking courses full time, it’s a 1-year program.

For example, some of the full-time students are pre-med students taking the course during a gap year before med school.

How the program came into being [5:15]

Emory’s law school wanted to reach a broader audience — not only people who planned to practice law, but also people who wanted to learn about the law, particularly in their own professional fields. (For example, physicians who want to move into healthcare administration and want a deep understanding of health law.)

Curriculum overview [7:22]

Incoming students take two required courses:

1. Introduction to the American Legal System (which gives them an introduction to contracts, torts, criminal law, property law, etc)

2. Analysis, Research, and Communication for Non-Lawyers (which trains them in foundational skills for law school)

Then they can select among many concentrations (for example: employment, health, IP, etc), and tailor their courses to their interests. They can also customize their concentration.

Most classes are taken alongside Emory’s JD students. The mandatory first year courses are JM specific. [9:19]

This is a benefit to the whole law school program: since so many of the JM students are mid-career professionals from diverse backgrounds, their experience adds to the JD classes.

The size of the program [10:50]

At any given time, there are about 70-80 students in the program (full and part-time combined). They’ve graduated about 80 so far.

The application process [11:12]

It’s a straightforward online application. They want to know about your educational and professional background; they require letters of rec; undergrad and graduate transcripts; and a personal statement. The personal statement is very important for showing your motivation for pursuing the degree.

What is Emory looking for in a successful applicant? [12:20]

Someone who is a good fit and will benefit from the program. They want people whose goals align with what the program is doing. It’s not for people who want to be professional lawyers – it’s important to understand what the program is and what it’s not.

They want students who can handle the academic rigor of the program – it’s a law school program that requires strong critical thinking skills.

And they’re looking for students who will make a contribution to the Emory community.

What role does work experience play? [15:10]

They’re not looking for a certain level of experience.

Would you like to combine a slick, personalized mobile test prep app with access to individual tutoring?  Stick around!

Meet Elad Shoushan, a former pro-basketball player in Israel who attended the Technion, Israel’s MIT, got into coding big time, and worked for GE Healthcare. Just before starting at MIT Sloan he founded a little start-up that this year raised over $5 million in Series A funding and whose apps have been downloaded over half a million times. That’s what he’s here to talk about today. Welcome, Elad!

How did he get into test prep? [1:55]

He’d always wanted to study in the US – even during his basketball career, he dreamed of coming to the US to study and play division I ball. When he was working at GE Healthcare, pursuing his MBA seemed like a natural next step.

He struggled with the GMAT, and took it a few times. While he was studying, he thought that the process didn’t make a lot of sense – and he wanted a convenient way to study on the go. He thought an app would be helpful, and so he set out to create one.

Going through the test prep process helped him learn a lot about how the brain learns and how standardized tests work. [4:25]

As the company has developed, they’ve worked on studying learning methodologies. And they’re getting great feedback from users.

What was his career plan when he applied to MIT? [6:10]

He wanted to be an entrepreneur. In fact, he’d already spent a couple of months developing/coding the first version of the app (for GMAT prep), and had already left his job at GE. So he’d already launched the business by the time he started at Sloan. His courses at Sloan helped him develop the start-up.

He pursued the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Certificate at MIT Sloan [9:25]

What distinguishes his apps from other test prep options? [10:30]

The goal is to provide a full educational experience all the way to school, with the focus on being a great mobile learning experience. Other test prep companies basically plug in existing content into an app. His company focuses on the user experience – developing the experience and the content specifically for mobile. They consider what the user needs to learn, where s/he is, when s/he is using the app, to maximize learning in small bites.

Is the focus on content or strategy? [13:55]

Both. The goal is to identify what the applicant needs to focus on. It’s a comprehensive course: each app has over 1000 questions. For the MCAT course, they’ve partnered with the Princeton Review for content; for the other apps, they’ve developed their own content.

The original name is LTG (Label the GMAT)—what does that refer to? [15:40]

This goes back to the beginnings of the company, and the idea that solving questions requires two steps – identifying the type of question and knowing the content. The app parses the text so the learner can easily identify the concepts being tested. Now this feature is called “x-ray”—it allows the applicant to see the keywords in the question and quickly understand how the question is structured. It’s a way to grasp the underlying logic of the exam questions.

Where does tutoring fit in? [18:35]

Tech can help a lot, but it can’t solve everything. Some people will benefit from an explanation from a human being.