This past weekend, I attended a barbecue and wound up in a conversation with a current Wharton student. We talked about Scoretop for a little bit, as she had just received an e-mail from the administration about the 3 students at Wharton whose scores had been canceled due to confirmed usage of the Scoretop site.

One interesting point that this student shared with me that I was surprised by was that, prior to her showing up at Wharton, she went through the equivalent of a background check, with people calling her past employers and confirming various details. She said that one of her supervisors at Ebay had since left the company, and she had to scramble to track the person down so that her information could be verified.

Businessweek also reported recently on steps B-schools are taking to catch resume-puffers. It seems there’s a growing trend of ‘trust, but verify’ in the MBA application landscape. Something to be aware of as you’re filling out your applications.

The Wall Street Journal has the number of applicants who have had their score canceled at 84, with 12 having supplied testing items and 72 having confirmed seeing live items when they took the GMAT. The 84 includes 2 University of Chicago students, and one graduate from Stanford. The article seems to suggest at least one Wharton student has been identified too, as Wharton didn’t say “None of our students were involved,” which was the preferred response of most other schools.

Update – the Wall Street Journal updates that three current and past Wharton students have had their scores canceled.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the more visible of the 84 in the coming weeks. Be glad it’s not you, and study hard (legitimately)!

We are pleased to announce that Clear Admit will be offering two free MBA application seminars for applicants in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. The first seminar will take place in Santa Clara on Monday, September 15th and the second will be in downtown San Francisco on Thursday, September 18th. Both events will take place from 6:30 – 8:30 PM. Registration is mandatory and space is limited. Sign-up details are below.

What You’ll Learn at the Clear Admit MBA Application Seminars
As the deadlines for leading schools approach, now is the perfect time to attend a seminar that will review the application process, explain MBA admissions from an insider perspective and help you to think through your overall positioning strategy as well as your approach to the essays. Learn what admissions officers look for, how to avoid ˜red flags’ in your application, how to address weaknesses and more. Both seminars will be led by Clear Admit’s Stacey Oyler.

About Stacey Oyler
With a mix of MBA admissions and recruiting experience, Stacey Oyler is ideally prepared to guide business school applicants toward the right schools given their background and goals – and to help them get in. Serving as assistant director of admissions at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth from 2003 to 2005, Stacey read applications, conducted interviews and participated directly in admissions decisions. She also oversaw the waitlist process and provided feedback and coaching to candidates who were not granted admission. Beyond her perspective on what a top MBA program looks for in its students, Stacey’s view extends into what post-b-school employers want. Upon leaving Tuck, she joined McKinsey & Company, leading all West Coast recruiting efforts for advanced degree and MBA candidates.

Prizes!
Seminar attendees are also eligible to receive several prizes, including:
¢ A set of five Clear Admit School Guides (a $175 value)
¢ A set of five Clear Admit Interview Guides (a $100 value)

How to Sign Up
Clear Admit has teamed up with ManhattanGMAT to offer these seminars. The events will take place at the Manhattan GMAT centers in Santa Clara and downtown San Francisco. To sign up for the Santa Clara seminar, click here. To sign up for the San Francisco seminar, click here. (Note: These links will take you to the manhattanprep.com/gmat/ website. If it is your first visit to the site, you will be asked to complete a short student profile.) For questions about the event, contact ManhattanGMAT at 800-576-4628 or email studentservices@manhattanprep.com/gmat/.

Monday, September 15th, 6:30 – 8:30 PM.
Santa Clara Manhattan GMAT Center: 2905 Stender Way, Suite 66, Santa Clara, CA 95054
Register Now!

Thursday, September 18th, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
San Francisco Manhattan GMAT Center: 870 Market Street, 6th floor San Francisco, CA 94102
Register Now!

We look forward to seeing you at these events!

A recent piece in the Economist provides confirmation of the sense that this is shaping up to be a VERY competitive season for Business School applicants. It may be a good idea to apply to a few extra schools to make sure you have some options in the Spring if you’re committed to attending school next Fall.

Of course, a high GMAT score can’t hurt your chances either. 🙂