Last week at the 2017 Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Annual Conference, I had the honor of presenting to over 100 MBA Admissions professionals from around the world on ways that MBA admissions teams can attract more women to MBA programs globally. Here is what we learned.

With the release of its 2020 MBA Application, NYU Stern marks a significant change to the required essays candidates are asked to complete. Most notably, Stern is dropping its infamous open-ended creative essay, which allowed applicants to submit almost anything to “introduce” themselves to their classmates, so long as it was not perishable and could fit within certain size limits.

Our morning was filled with the stunning views from the Wharton West facility in San Francisco. The EMBA and MBA programs both presented at AIGAC 2017, providing insights relevant for all applicants who might be thinking of a Wharton MBA. There were some specific suggestions and tips for entrepreneurs applying to the program, addressing issues that often come up for candidates as they look for ways to communicate their success.

HBS has released its essay question for the 2017-18 application cycle, with the same prompt as the previous cycle.

Columbia Business School has released their deadlines and essay prompts for the 2017-18 MBA admissions season. This year, there have been some more significant changes to the essay prompts and what they want to learn from applicants.