Chioma Isiadinso - Former Harvard Business School Admissions Board Member

F1GMAT is honored to have Chioma Isiadinso, a former Harvard Business School admissions board member and a former director of admissions at Carnegie Mellon University. She is the CEO of EXPARTUS®, LLC, a global admission consulting company, and the author of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets.



1.Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am passionate about education and empowering people to achieve their dreams by accessing the best schools possible. This mindset was influenced by my experience being raised by two Ph.D. parents and growing up in university environments where my dad taught. I also have a strong affinity for anything international…I love meeting people from different parts of the world and learning about different cultures. I suspect that this interest comes from being born in Nigeria, growing up in the US and currently living in London.

2. What were some of your observation and takeaways as the Assistant Director of Admissions at Harvard Business School?

The biggest revelation from my time serving on Harvard Business School’s admission committee is how incredibly competitive it is for applicants to get admitted (HBS receives over 9000 applications and admits less than 10%). I got to see firsthand many candidates who on the surface were absolutely admissible based on excellent academic and work profiles but didn’t make the final cut. The reverse was also the case where I saw candidates gain admission despite having some challenge to their profile (whether it was a low GMAT or GPA, limited work experience, or gaps in their stories).  Successful candidates go beyond the numbers to showcase who they are, their brand. Years later I still remember several of the essays of candidates who were admitted. Their applications were memorable. My advice to applicants is to be memorable. Be yourself, know your story, and tell it passionately.

3. It is tough to evaluate profiles for a prestigious institute like Harvard. What were some of the ground rules that you followed while evaluating the applications?

The HBS admissions board provides information on the evaluation criteria on its website. Applicants are evaluated on their leadership track record and potential, academic/intellectual ability, as well the kind of unique contribution they will make or bring to the program. All applicants were consistently reviewed based on these same criteria and each application got the same level of attention which ensured an equitable process.  

4. What challenges did you encounter while evaluating the profiles?

There aren’t enough hours in the day to review thousands of applicants. So admissions board members work very long days during the admission season, and have little patience for nonsense. Think of your audience when applying. If the essay asks for 400 word limit, try and stick to that. You should also aim to make your point quickly. Don’t write essays that veer off the track. Answer the questions and make it easy for the admission person reviewing your profile to find the information she is looking for.

5. When you evaluate profiles for a Business School like Harvard, what is the one trait in MBA candidates that will jeopardize their chances of being accepted to a top MBA Program?

Arrogance is by far the key trait that can derail an application. This is followed by the absence of team experience in a candidate’s profile as well as a lack of evidence of commitment to others.

6. What were the events and circumstances that led you to create Expartus?

I started Expartus in 2002 after moving to New York with my husband who had just graduated from HBS. I loved working in the admission industry and wanted to continue working with applicants. I felt that working for myself allowed me to remain neutral in terms of the information I shared with applicants and I was excited at the prospect of drawing on the lessons I learned at HBS as well as my experience as the Director of Admissions at the School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon. Nearly 9 years later I still enjoy working with applicants and seeing them achieve their admission goals.

7. How will Expartus help MBA candidates?

At Expartus we believe that every human being has a brand whether they know it or not and this also applies to applicants. Your brand is how people view you and is made up of your track record (skills), your passions, your values and goals/aspirations. When clients come to us we first conduct a Brand Audit to understand who they are. We then look for recurrent themes that resonate with their stories/experiences. These themes are the building blocks for their essays. We then explore their stories to see if they have evidence to back up any brand claim they make. Once this work is completed the applicant is able to embark on the application. We also assist clients with the entire process, from program selection, to essay brainstorming, to essay review, to interview preparation and recommendation selection.  

8. Many MBA candidates have used your Book - "Best Business Schools' Admissions Secrets" as a reference for their MBA Admissions process. For those who have not heard of your book, can you please summarize what you have covered in it.

The main premise of this book is that schools like Harvard are attainable and you don’t have to be a superstar to be admitted. In writing The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets I basically focused on giving readers a courtside seat in the admissions decision “war-room”. I provided a play by play assessment of the entire application process, including how to understand the admissions criteria and how they are evaluated, a practical framework of how to approach writing your essays, tips on how to select and prepare your recommenders, a thorough overview of how to ace the interview, and much more. You can read an excerpt on Amazon or part of a chapter of the book for free on my website.

For MBA candidates planning to get into Top Business Schools like Harvard and Wharton, utilize Chioma's Expertise with Expartus MBA Admissions Consulting. For those who want to get tips, strategies and best practices for MBA Admissions Process, Buy Chioma's popular MBA Admissions Reference Book - The Best Business Schools' Admissions Secrets: A Former Harvard Business School Admissions Board Member Reveals the Insider Keys to Getting In (See all College Guides). We guarantee that you will love it.

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