MBA07

Congratulations!!

2004-12-24T18:44:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a verry happy new year. Here's also sending out my hearty congratlations to everyone who got an Admit. BritChick, Classy, Riter, DaRaverLA and the whole gang. What more can you ask santa for?

At my end, I'm kinda mentally gearing up to take the GMAT again. Haven't fixed a date yet and will probably spread my preparation out over a number of months. Might take it in August of 05 just in time for the R1 ramp up.

3$

2004-12-02T05:56:00.000-08:00

A truly touching story.See what 3$ can do to the life of a child in India. FYI T Nagar is a place in Chennai, INDIA.

Congrats!

2004-12-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

Congrats DM on the CBS Admit!

Update

2004-11-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

Just gave my GMAT a couple of days ago. what happened? Nothing great. Scored a measely 650. The quant was surprising easy but I bombed big time on the verbal. I'm glad I started out on the b school journey this early. Atleast now I'll have ample time to test again sometime next year.

People I've talked to say that it isn't possible to boost your verbal score in a month's time and so I shouldn't think of re taking the test in Dec'04 or Jan'05. Any ideas? I was quite nervous about the math section before the test. I really wasn't that concerned about the verbal section. I was getting kinda worried about wierd ppblty and combinatorics questions that were getting "brain dumped" on some of the forums.

Well, that's that. Sulked for a while but then got over it. Dave, my heart goes out to you for your second attempt. Gosh I can't even think of touching my books for a while. Will have to start soon though. I need a score of 700 if I want to stand a good chance. At the very least, I can say that I gave this attempt my best shot. Maybe that best shot wasn't good enough but nevertheless, have to get down to preparing for the next attempt.

If anyone would like a perspective on what it means to be a woman and live/approach the MBA process, read this. Hats off to you Classy. Great post!.

Day23 leading up to G Day

2004-11-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

Am kinda pleased with my prep today. Managed to get my hands on the Kaplan 2005 CD today. Gave to diagnostic and got a 620. I've also been working thorugh the OG. Did 50Qs from Quant, 50Qs in SC and 50Qs in CR. Have also worked through section tests in the Kap CD for DS and CR. I've also reviewed my co-ordinate geometry. I need to work on Inequalities and number properties a little more carefully. I noticed that I got questions wrong either because of a careless mistake or because I hadn't worked through all the possible ways of solving a DS question. I hope to overcome this by doing a lot of DS questions over the next few days. I hope that'll be enough to teach me the most common tricks employed by the ETS.

Dave thanks for putting up the answer templates to the OG. The templates are helping me categorize my mistakes systematically.Am making a note of where I'm going wrong and am doing reviews everyday.

What I'm really afraid of on G day are questions from the moon on Probability and Combinatorics. I'm contemplating studying the basics of these topics and getting my proficiency upto a medium difficulty level as opposed to going all out on these topics. Afterall, the verbal section decides your GMAT score, so would like to take as many verbal section tests as possible and work on improving my accuracy on the RCs. What do you think?

On the work front I'm on the beach from tomorrow. Hope this will go on till G day ;).

2004-10-31T02:54:00.000-08:00

Hi All, sorry for the long absence. Since I've started out on my new project I've been swamped with loads of work. The experience was great and I've managed to learn a lot, both from a managerial perspective and a technical perspective. From a managerial perspective I was given the opportunity to play the role of a team lead. This was something I was expecting as an outcome of this project and I'm glad it worked out fine. Something more to add to my MBA resume next year.

On the GMAT front, my progress has been all but good. I'm planning on taking 2 weeks off from work and concentrating on my GMAT to gain the lost momentum. My GMAT is on the 24th of next month. One fine day I rang the testing center for the earliest available date and was allotted the 24th. I've been taking mock tests using 800 score and from the kaplan 2003 CD. The Kaplan scores are nothing great to report as are the 800 scores. I just took a test today ( 800 score ) and here are the scores:

Math : 85%
Verbal:60%

On the math section, I'm finding probability and combinatorics dense. On the verbal section, the RCs seem to be really tough. I'm working on the OG and want to complete it from cover to cover before taking the test. I'm also looking at taking atleast 8-10 tests before G day. 4 weeks of preparation doesn't seem like much but I've been procrastinating this and have decided to give it my best shot. Writing it again is not an option but I will have ample time if I want to improve my scores.

Honestly, all I want out of this attempt is a 700. Anything more will be more than welcome :). Wish me luck ppl!.

Tuck, Wharton and Stanford were in town last month and I missed all of their information sessions because of work! :(...Managed to hook up with a few friends who attended the sessions. Didn't seem like I missed much though :)..

Anyways will post more as things develop. Take care you guys and here's wishing all the 07 applicants all the best. Some of you are waiting for your interview invites etc. Do let us all know your experiences. Classy, thanks for telling us aboutfor your Michigan interview experience. All the best with your research Dave and with your interview invite Britchick.

Exclusivity Kills The CAT

2004-09-19T01:52:00.000-07:00

Throughout the MBA research process I've read about GMAT Quant score being sky high esp. when it comes to the Indians and the Chinese. Between the 2 scores, there is a clear Quant skew among these applicants. Thought that a 750+ from an Indian/Chinese ups the competitive pool? Now read this.Its an article that talks about the competitiveness amongst the pool of applicants that apply to the IIMs in India each year.

Executive Summary: Only 0.25% of the entire applicant population makes it past the written test. Talk about competition! :)

Things that you should take care of in your application

2004-09-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

I know this might sound cliched by now because most of the 07 applicants are mostly done with their applications(R1 wannabes atleast) but here's the laundry list of things that your application must address. This is taken from driftinglife's blog. Please go here for the complete post. IMHO, this list can be applied (to a large extent) to any B School application.

What are the basic attributes of a successful duke application?
1. Demonstrated quantitative ability and undergraduate gpa.
2. progression, depth and quality of work experience.
3. demonstrated leadership and teamwork outside of your professional life within your community or an organziation that is important to you
4. essays that convey your "story" and your ability to articulate and answer the questions being asked.
5. solid recomendations from people who are able to speak about your leadership, team work, strengths and even weaknesses.
6. explain gaps in employment, low gpa or anything that may not be as strong -- basically do not allow the admissions committee to be in the dark and have to guess.

In another AdCom Chat transcript that I read, the AdCom was asked about what is the 1 major thing to do on your application. Amongst other things, applicants were asked to be HONEST. Hmm..I wonder if they found too many applicants talking about things they didn't do as part of an effort to paint a "cool" picture. I guess that's what the verification process is about :). But then I guess after reviewing 1000s of applications the AdCom must know whos original and whos merely trying to paint a "cool picture". Then again, an important skill that everyone must possess to prepare a good application is presentation. Infact, one of the top 5 bschool admits I met said that he had a career gap for 5 years and yet made it to where he was solely on the basis of presentation. What did he do for those 5 years? Lets see..travelling and doing nothing. He spend his time in the "thiking about what I want to do in life" mode. 5 years of "thought" and no activity got him an admit to a top 5 B School. Now that really makes you wonder why you're doing so much of everything when someone can do nothing and still make it :)...anyways...enough of my ramblings :)..

Edited to add the complete link to driftinglife's post. Thanks for pointing out the error driftinglife.

Long time no post..here's what I've been upto

2004-09-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hi All. Sorry for not having posted for so long. INSEAD applications for the Jan 06 entry are out!. Am thinking seriously of giving it a shot. More details as I work things out. I just took on a leadership role with an NGO I work with.So for the past 2 weekends I've been busy with them. Will post in detail over the weekend. Sorry for being so curt.

Don't they have a heart?

2004-09-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

As you must know by now, 150 children are estimated to have died in the hostage crisis in Russia. As Images of those children with blood streaming down their face, arms and legs, in a state of shock, hungry, in tears, half naked running out of the school to safety were screened live on TV, the only thought that came to our minds was, Don't these messengers of terror have a heart? What does it take to sell your soul? What does it take to sell your feelings? your humanity?

Its sad that our emotions are so easily hijacked by some philosophy that claims that God gives his consent to this murder. Lets all join in a prayer to God to give peace to the families who have to bear the loss of a child gunned down mercilessly by these messengers of terror.

Which section drives your overall GMAT score?

2004-09-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

Apparently its the verbal section that drives your overall score rather than the quant section. Gohere for more info. Interesting...

Are you passionate about life?

2004-09-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

I found an interesting post on the S2Shere.It talks about what a re-app should be asking himself/herself about before applying to Whartong the second time round.

What caught my attention was "I can guarentee that almost everyone applying to top b-schools is passionate about his/her work, but not everyone is passionate about life.". Have you ever given this a thought? Makes sense right? :)....

I've also registered for the Stanford event at my city. Can't wait to attend it especially to guage the competition! Wonder what they'll be like and what their backgrounds are. How will the alumni and the AdCom respond to them? They'll ask those same very questions you and I have read over and over again on the S2S. What will the AdCom's tone be when they ask for the 1 millionith time "Hi I am blah blah blah and this is my background...should I apply?". I look forward to answering all these questions :)

Register for the Wharton Global Event at a location near you

2004-08-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hey ppl! The Wharton Admissions site is up and working. Hurry and register for the Admission events. Dont know how its managed, but you dont want to be told that the event is full at your location just cause you were a little late in registering. I've been monitoring this site for close to 2 weeks now waiting for it to go live and it finally has!. Oh and I've registered for the event at my location. Can't wait to attend the event :)..

What it takes to make the cut at Wharton

2004-08-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

Check this out.Its kinda old but summarizes the app process at Wharton and what they look for. PPl@Wharton are so helpful!. I was chatting with a fellow blogger and we talking about the lack of such information when it comes to other schools. Why can't the other schools provide us with as much information as Alex@Wharton does?

In other news, I've been working 60 hour weeks. Its become close to impossible to blog during the week. My GMAT studies are now confined to the weekends only. I was looking at the Tuck program and suprisingly it's kinda IT friendly. Check out the profile of the class of 06. 23% of this class has a undergraduate major in engineering/computer science.

Worldwide General Information sessions - Stanford

2004-08-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here's thelink to the Stanford General Information sessions that are to be conducted world wide. They've yet to schedule the sessions in Asia, India, Taiwan and Thailand.

Have you found your true calling?

2004-08-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hi All..sorry for not posting for such a long time. With my new project at work I'm at the office for 13-14 hours a day at the very least. On weekends all I want to do is sleep. I was scouting around the net today and stumbled across this post. This is from a site that matches your talents/skills with an NGO that's looking for it.

"I'm 44 and finally found my path or "calling" just 4 short years ago! Have patience, keep your heart and your mind open and your path will make itself clear. Keep in mind, there really is no final destination in our quest for fulfilling work. I've gone down many paths and have turned at many forks along those paths - the amazing thing is they have all lead to the path I am currently on! And I have taken something with me from each and every path I have followed no matter how long or short the trip was.
My point is - just do something, anything that looks interesting to you. If it's not for you, learn what you can from the experience and move on to something else. You'll be amazed at the things you discover about yourself. "

So no matter how old you are, you're never too old to find your true calling...even at 44.

Next Generation TOEFL in September 2005

2004-08-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

ETS is going to introduce the next generation TOEFL starting September 2005. Click here for more details.

Yesterday I bought myself the Kaplan GRE/GMAT math workout. I wanted another source besides the ETS to use for Math and so picked up this book. On the preparation front, I've done the first 100 questions from the ETS book. I'm also lurking various test prep forums for their SC questions.

Here's a snippet on when to use "compare to" vs. "compare with". I took this from the TestMagic Forum.

Compare with: To evaluate things relative to each other; for example, I'm thinking of buying either a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry, so I'm comparing each with the other, trying to figure out which to buy. This meaning is much more common.

Compare to: To say that one thing is like another thing, often to try to explain what one is like, but sometimes as an insult; for example, My friend didn't know what a pomelo was, so I compared it to a grapefruit. Then she was able to understand what it was. or My friend got mad at the way I handled her bags, so she compared me to a gorilla. This meaning is less common.

Now that the weekend is finally here I can concentrate on getting some GMAT study done. Before I started work on my new project I manged to study for an hour or so on weekdays as well. This was in addition to my weekend prep. Anyways, gotta get back to my books.

Some Developments at work

2004-08-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the reason for the prolonged silence. I've got this great, and potentially transforming opportunity at work that could lead to a significant change in my current role a few months down the line. I'm wokring 12 hour days now and have resigned my GMAT study strictly to the weekends. I was at work last weekend so couldn't study much.

I know exactly where my weaknesses are as far as my GMAT is concerned. I've been practicing and reviewing but the improvement is in baby steps. Sometimes I think, "let me take the GMAT and get it over with. After all how long can I just go on and on preparing." But I can't do that now cause:
a) I need to score consistently in the 700s in the practice tests
b) I need to build up my mental stamina and I haven't quite got to that threshold figure of 10 tests yet.
c) I can't walk into an exam knowing what my weaknesses are and not having seen a significant improvement.
d) I need to concentrate on my work now BIG TIME. This opportunity is too good to miss. I have to do well.

I feel that I owe this success to my apps. It will definitely help me fill up that career progress section much better. If the outcome of this project is going to lead to where I expect it to lead then its all the more reason that I work really hard. So, guys I need all that encouragement from you. Wish me luck.

FF is moving on

2004-08-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you who dont know FF please visit the Wharton s2s board. FF is moving on to a Strategic Management position in a software company ( in the energy space ).For all of us Wharton wannabes, FF is wholly responsible for our love for Wharton. His perspectives have helped us better understand ourselves and Wharton as a school. If what he's done for the s2s and the Wharton community is anything to go by, Wharton is going to be one amazing experience. FF, here's wishing you all the best.

Grammar Reference

2004-08-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday I was talking to a couple of 07 applicants and we were exchanging ideas on how to tackle the SC section on the GMAT. That's when a bulb lit up inside our heads. We hadn't paid enough attention in class when our English teacher was trying to drill those grammar fundas into our heads. OK...price paid for making fart noises behind the guy who sat in front of me in class ( I'm sure he did too..afterall if my SC is weak so is his ;)..heheh ). Memorizing the 7 SC rules from the PR Verbal book isn't enough. You need to be able to pick out the flaws. As someone said, with sufficient practice the flaws will jump out at you.

International applicants especially have a problem with english. So, for all you guys racking your brains on SC, here's a link to a simple yet effective grammar site. Happy revision :)..

2004-08-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

Architecture at a temple in South India. The temple dates back to close to 900 years old

What goes around, comes around

2004-08-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

I was doing the usual rounds of blogs today and read posts on blogging and privacy. Some have chosen to remove their RSS feed and some haven't. I did find my blog listed at the Deltacourse web-site but I don't mind.

When I started out on the MBA path it was the blogs of the class of 06 that gave me a sense of direction. I recall reading blogs where people have expressed their aches and pains about the whole process, where they were and what they needed to do to get to where they wanted to. It made me connect with them in a way. I would say "Here's someone who I can identify with. He's gone through what I'm going through and so I guess its ok to feel what I'm feeling". In other words, someone to ease the growing pains.

As I got comfortable on the journey I decided to share what I found with my readers, with you. In a way I feel like its a way of giving back what FutureMBAGirl, TadHolbie and the others gave us when we were newbies to the whole MBA thingy. If what I write makes any sense to you and helps you on your journey then this blog has accomplished its mission. People ask, "what if someone scores over me because of what I've shared?". My answer is "what goes around, comes around".

Finally, Dave deserves a big pat on his back for all that he's shared with us. He's shared a lot of who he is with us and I feel priveleged to know this much about a person I've never seen or known. It takes guts to put yourself out there, to bare your soul.

I recall a post that quotes a Stanford AdCom member saying "we thank you for giving us the privelege to know you through your essays". The Class of 2007, its a privelege to know you.

Research with NetSnippets

2004-08-03T02:45:00.000-07:00

During the course of browsing your blogs and b school sites, every once a while I find stuff that I want to save for future reference. I started off creating folders on my harddrive for each school and saved stuff in that folder. Over time, I had collected so much info that the whole thing looked like one big mess. I wasn't able to cross reference information into categories and search for it at a later date.
That's when I found NetSnippets. Its a really cool tool esp for us applicants. It allows you to capture entire screens, parts of a screen, contents from your clipboard etc and save it with search keywords that you can create and assign to it. You can finally generate an index to all your material. Voila! now your info is just a click away. Its all sorted, laid out logically and in once place. Finally, if you want to share your material with your friend, all you have to do is to generate an executable and mail it out.
I'm not in a marketing role for NetSnippets, but I must say, its one really amazing tool for us applicants. Hope this helps!

Future MBA Resources by Dave

2004-08-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

Dave has done a superb job of collecting GMAT material/linka from different sources and putting it all in a single place. Go Here to access it. Thanks Dave for your efforts.

Wharton Global events

2004-08-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

Wharton has scheduled Global Admissions Receptions, Alumni Forum Events and Student-run Admission Events. Click
Here for further information.

Inspiration and your essays

2004-07-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

"Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant, there is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks." - Johann Gottfried von Herder

"When a goal matters enough to a person, that person will find a way to accomplish what at first seemed impossible." - Nido Qubein

"Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe." - Winston Churchill

"Mix a conviction with a man and something happens." - Adam Clayton Powell

See something common with your essay writing ? :)

Some great GMAT prep advice

2004-07-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Mark Rice has some super GMAT prep advice. By the time he was done with his 3rd attempt his score jumped by a 100 points to rest at a cool breezy 750 :). To sum up his effort:

-->no. of problems worked: 3500
-->useful prep. material used: Kaplan 800, Kaplan higher Score,Kaplan GRE/GMAT Math workbook, Kaplan Verbal Workout, PR 2001, OG, PP.
-->Strategy used: Calm, Quick, and Careful
-->Score range: 650,660 and 750.

Bala sheds light on the AdCom perspective

2004-07-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is in continuation to the my post on FF's article on the S2S. Bala gives us some very thoughtful insights into the AdCom's perspective.

Bala says :-

Firstly I must congratulate you for asking some very valid and focussed questions on essay writing, its importance and its effects. FF has given you some amazing thoughts about it and I see you have still few issues to contend with. I do not want to give you an individualized answers to your questions but thought I should take you to a new paradigm where you can see the same thing that you are viewing now from a different direction and perhaps understand the process better.

Your worry - IS ESSAY Everything..or what happens if one has a bad writing skill but not a good background?

Firstly remove your applicant cap and put on that of a Wharton Admissions Team member!

You have infront of you 8000 applicants out of which about 75% of them are actually eligible to get admitted!! They all more than satisfy the minimum criteria. They all are successful in thier careers, they all have done something interesting and have acquired many transferrable skills from their past profession.

SO NOW WHAT...

The ESSAYS.

Consider application from 10 guys. Same quality, same ability and same goals too!!

The only thing to note is the admissions team member who would be evaluating these two guys have the following attribute

1) They have not personally interacted with them

2) They are super stressed as they have to complete this process in very short time frame competently

3) They may not understand your profession

4) They may not understand your future goals even

Thus an essay here essentially bridges this gap. If you as an admissions team member, want to suddenly wake up and notice a particular application, the essay defnly would have

1) Something more interesting to say

2) spoken in tangible terms (such as giving examples etc) so that it is easier for you,the adcomm team, to comprehend and visualize

3) Projected a view of a totally focussed person, who knows what he wants in life or at least made an attempt to know what he/she wants in life

4) given you an impression that the applicant has taken lots of pains to translate his passion/desires/goals into sensible, high impact words and sentences.

5)Clearly articulated all the skills that the applicant has now and the skills that the applicant would like to acquire while at wharton etc.. (This step essentially makes the job easier for the admissions team member to find out whether this applicant is suited for W or not!! Imagine on the other hand if the essays are written in a convuluted fashion where the reader has to dig in deep into the essays and find out the answer to the same question, don't u think the applicants chances would defnly reduce!)

So what I am arriving at is Essays are essentially a very important marketing tool. If that is screwed up, the product is bound to fail regardless of its 'quality'!

Moreover buddy, better learn to market yourself. That is exactly what you are going to do during and Post wharton too!!

All the best. You will soon realize that the essay writing process is after all very enjoyable as it will force you to think about yourself!!

Bala

P.s - These are just my views and I am merely an incoming student. May be it is all wrong. Take it with a pinch of salt

Here are a few tidbits from FF:-
--> Everyone has their own unique story and experiences. But truly unusual experiences are, well, unusual.

We try to see candidates through their essays, rather than by their essays. (I hope my meaning is clear through the semantics.) Interviews are another avenue, but we probably best get to know the candidate as a person through the essays. Certainly I would hope to get far more insight into the character of a candidate through an essay than by looking at their GMAT score.

--> Certainly passion without drive can leave you unfocussed (althoug lack of drive is not something we see in many Wharton candidates). Drive without passion/belief can leave you going in circles. :-)

I think most students would encourage you to explore opportunities while at Wharton, they would also agree that b-school is not the place to find yourself.

--> As for career opportunities, start with the hundreds of Employer Information Sessions at Wharton, add in career clubs, more than 17 different student run conferences, over 200 elective classes,independent research and study into areas of your choice - you can soon see how you cannot possibly do them all. And all of this without considering all the other opportunities for socializing, networking and personal development.

LBS Wannabes - techies not applying?

2004-07-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

First off, the idea behind this post is not to talk ill about or malign/whatever anyone. This is purely for the benefit of you guys out there. LBS AdCom, if you have an issue with this post I will remove this post with immediate effect.

During my research I was looking at LBS as well. Given that I have a tech background, I emailed the admission office with a few queries.

Here's the mail I sent them....

Dear Admissions Committee,
I intend on applying to LBS next year for a
2006 entry into your MBA program. I had a couple of questions regarding the
professional background of the class of 2005.

a) I note that only 5% of the class comprised of people from the IT
background while a significant portion of your class comes with either a
finance or a consulting background. Can you comment on this please? Being
from the IT sector/service industry, I am trying to understand the
implications of such a low statistic to my fit in the LBS student
community/chances of admission to the LBS. The statistics for the class of
2005 imply that only 15 students of a graduating class of 303 were from the
IT sector/industry.
b) Approximately what percentage of the total applicant pool (pre-admission)
comprises of applicants with an IT background? If this figure is
significant, is/are there factors that can explain the why only 15 students
out of a class of 303 are from an IT background?
c) I've heard that B Schools are apprehensive of IT applicants because of a
notion that IT applicants lack strong communication skills due to the
inherent nature of their job viz.a.viz. tapping away at their keyboard all
day. Can you comment on this please? Do you have any such apprehensions
about IT applicants? Reflecting on applicant pool statistics over the past
years and the quality of IT applicants in that pool, do you think that there
are specific areas of an IT applicant's profile/application that need
addressing when compared to applicant profiles across the pool for a
particular year?

As you'd have realised my questions were based on info from their website as well as excerpts from admissions consultants I've read from all over the net on techies applying to b school.

Here's their reply....

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your email and for your interest in London Business School.

From the applicant pool that we receive each year we take only the best. We are
not prejudicial to any professional background. We want as much diversity in the
programme as we can possibly manage. But this diversity is dependant upon who
applies and how strong their application is compared to the others.

Numbers change from year to year, but overall, in the last few years, we have
not seen as many people applying from the IT sector, perhaps because they are
not looking for an MBA.

You have as good a chance as anyone else at getting accepted. Please be careful
to study well our application process
http://www.london.edu/mba/Admission/index.html and tailor your application to
this School. Do not send us the same application as you would any other school
and simply change the name. We are looking for people who want to be at London
Business School.

Be sure to read our FAQs as they will guide you to specific areas of the web
site that may answer your questions in more depth.
http://www.london.edu/mba/The_Programme/Frequently_Asked_Questions/frequently_asked_questions.html

"Approximately what percentage of the total applicant pool (pre admission)
comprises of applicants with an IT background?"

I'm sorry but I do not have this breakdown available.

Have you seen the London Business School MBA Employment Report at
http://www.london.edu/recruiters/Recruitment_Statistics/recruitment_statistics.html

Best regards,

MBA Information Office
London Business School
+44 (0) 207 706 6891
www.london.edu
mbainfo@london.edu

What do you techies out there think?

How the Wharton AdCom looks at your application - Very Comprehensive

2004-07-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

This is probably the most candid post on how the AdCom at Wharton evaulates/what it looks for in your application. Thanks A TON FF for such a detailed post. So all you ppl out there, if you want a more realistic perspective to where your application stands from an AdCom perspective then visit the S2S ASAP. As Alex and FF have always pointed out, there's no "perfect" application but this post definitely helps a lot. Thanks again FF.

The complete post is waay to long. But I'm including FF's reply here for your convinience. FF, if I'm violating any copyright issues etc., please leave me a comment and I'll remove this post.

A little info is in order. 'standard' refers to the vanilla reasons people articulate for the "why MBA" question.

1. If you feel you are getting 'standard' answers, it is probably because this really is the view of adcom. We strongly believe that good essays reveal a lot about the person, their personality, their goals, and what makes them tick - this IS a very individual thing, and an approach that works for one candidate will likely not work for a different candidate.

In light of this, we don't have any concept of a 'perfect' essay, against which we compare applicants.

We do not provide samples, as we believe this encourages templated thinking, which is something we don't want to see. We celebrate diversity (of background, WE, education, etc), at Wharton and don't want to see 800 clones in each class.

2. We don't 'grade' essays, rather we look to see what the essay tells us about the applicant, and build up an overall picture of them in combination with other parts of the application. We want to admit applicants, not applications, and look to the essays as to what they say about the person. Of course, if the reader believes that the essay is particularly well (or poorly) set out and written, they will make a note pointing towards the applicant's communication skills.

3. Journalists excel at communicating complex topics clearly and briefly, and adopting some of these traits is probably a good thing in your essays. However, we do not expect (or generally receive) journalistic quality essays. Novelist quality writing is probably too long and wordy to be effective in application essays.

However, effective business leaders are almost without exception also good communicators, and we make no bones about wanting to recruit good business leaders, rather than narrow analysts. Of course, all communication skill, and no analytical capacity will probably end you up in PR school, not business school.

Think about writing a memo to your CEO about a business issue. You may have done many, many hours of detailed and complex analysis on the issue, and could write a report running to hundreds of pages. However, if you are going to get your ideas adopted, you probably must distil it down to no more than a single page on the critical issues, and excluding what is less relevant. More than this won't get absorbed. This is why communication is important to business success.

A good personal essay conveys the author's passion for the subject (and passion is what we expect, given it's YOUR career we are talking about). However, it is very difficult for even a good writer to get passionate about someone else's goals, and this is how we 'smell' ghost-written essays. (Of course, it's probably more likely that the essay is genuinely written, but just fails to communicate passion, but either way, it is probably not a good essay).

4. We certainly don't expect candidates to be perfect across the board (and as noted above, we don't have a concept of 'perfect' anyway). However, you are up against some strong candidates, and so serious weaknesses are probably not helpful to your case - and yes, we are concerned (for reasons that should be obvious) if you cannot develop your thoughts well.

5. Do people's goals change. Certainly. And do people lie to us in their goals essay. Almost certainly a few people do. However, despite this, we believe that clear articulation of goals is important for a number of reasons:

Clearly articulating a vision is probably the most important skill of a leader - if you can't articulate a vision for your own career, then what does this say about your leadership skills? By way of example, a company may well have the goal of creating value for it's shareholders, but who will follow a CEO that says this and nothing more than this?However, people will follow a CEO who clearly articulates a clear (and compelling) vision of what specifically the company will do, and how it will serve it's customer.
Ask any student at Wharton, and they will tell you about the sheer range of opportunities for career development at Wharton, and that if you do not have a clear focus, you will hit the wall at about week 5 of the 2 year program.
What you want out of the future tells us something of your motivations, and you as a person (not in the sense of good or bad, but about what makes you tick as a person).
I'm not sure if all of this necessarily helps you put pen to paper in the short term, but this is (broadly and briefly) adcom's approach to essays.

Good luck.

FF

Here's the complete post on the S2S.

#Edited to correct S2S link#

HBS screening methods...take it with a pinch of salt

2004-07-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

Was reading through DaRaverLA's blog and found this post on how HBS screens.

-- Not sure how much truth is in this remarks, but you guys may find it amusing, if not useful.

"I have spoken with a formed Ad-Com member. This is how it works:

HBS initially screens applicants with only data points and Essay 1 and 2. That's their first cut.

Applications are then read again 2 times in order to determine interview invites.

Candidates who have a powerful backer have their applications "white-tagged" and are given a special read by Brit Dewey."
-- DaRaverLA

I know that this is strictly supposed to be an MBA blog, but I thought I'd share my views on something that struck me at work today. I noticed that most people who were given senior roles/a promotion/roles where they have to lead a team, suddenly turned into slave drivers. For them it seemed like the only way to do things. There seems to be no sense of empathy, no sense of wanting to make someone work for you. Just a sense of "I want this done by that time. Now get down to doing it NOW!" type tone. I often think about B School and the people I'll interact with. I've even met Senior Management in my organization who are from HBS/Stanford and they seem to have a different aura around them. Their personality speaks so much. Because of the way they treat you, you want to work for them. They dont bark. I'd imagine that after my MBA, when I get positions of responsibility, that I wont behave like this. Its a shame to even observe such uncouth behavior and not be in a position to say anything. If I tell you who I work for you'd fall off your chair. The first question you'll ask yourself is that do these guys actually hire people like this?

Now we're all setting out to do our MBAs. So, here's a little question for you. Do you think that positions of power/responsibility warrant such behavior? Would you treat your team like this? Its when I observe such behavior that I understand the relevance of experience to reflect on when you're at B School. Indeed the HBS/Stanford alumnus I've met have gone through a transformation. They can't belive the transformation they've gone through themselves.

Survey Results - How important are these factors to your application

2004-07-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Criteria	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Significant	Crucial
GMAT	0	36.4%	0%	36.4%	27.3%
GPA	0	45.5%	27.3%	27.3%	0%
Years of work experience	0	18.2%	54.5%	27.3%	0%
Social/Community Efforts	18.2%	27.3%	36.4%	18.2%	0%
A leadership/managerial role at your workplace	18.2%	18.2%	27.3%	27.3%	9.1%
The diversity of your application/your background	0%	27.3%	36.4%	27.3%	9.1%
Other Extra curricular activities	9.1%	45.5%	27.3%	18.2%	0%
Technical Certifications/contributions to your technical community	54.5%	45.5%	0%	0%	0%
Tangible Recognition for your work@ the office	9.1%	36.4%	45.5%	0%	9.1%
Recos from your CEO/COO/MD/Some Big Guy	72.7%	9.1%	0%	9.1%	9.1%

Hope this adds some info to your thoughts. Overall the results seem to resonate with what all the AdComs say esp. with reference to the last question.

#Edited to add# total no of respondents = 11.

Rip....Crash.....Burn

2004-07-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

No..I'm not burning a CD or downloading illegal music or something...that's kinda what happened to my comp over the weekend...my hard drive crashed...couldn't take my Kap test 2...will take that and keep you guys posted..and about the survey results..will do that in my next post.

2004-07-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Nothing much to report over the week. I've been really busy with work and have had no time at all to study during the week. Today I just didn't feel like doing anything so I've been taking it cool. I am going to work on the 2nd Kaplan test tomorrow. Will post my results again. This time, I'll try and post my results with a little more detail.
Like I said the last time round, I get mentally tired 3/4 way through the test. Need to work on that. I hope that testing enough number of times will improve my mental stamina. I'll also try and publish the results of my survey tomorrow. Thanks Dave for pointing that out.

Kaplan test 1

2004-07-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hi All..here's that latest from my end. I just finished taking Kaplan test 1 and my score?..570!...I know, I've read posts that say that their scoring system is screwed up and so you could safely add 50-100 points to your score. But that still brings it to a max score of 670!. Have to analyze where I've gone wrong and practice some more. Boy, doing the test with the AWA sections does give you a fair idea of your mental stamina. Hope my stamina will improve as I take more and more practice tests. As of now I've completed all the section tests on the Kaplan CD. I've given the review material on the CD a browse as well.

That apart, I am unable to decide between going through OG and then taking the PP tests ( the score would be biased of course ) or take the 2 PP tests( or maybe just one of them for now and the 2nd one closer to the actual GMAT) and then finish OG from cover to cover. But if I did the former then I wont have an accurate indicator as I get closer to the test day. Any ideas? What do you suggest I do?

Have Your Say

2004-07-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

I've created a survey for you guys to understand your take on the factors that go into creating a successful application. I've put in some of the more than obvious factors. Please take the survey and have your say on how you feel these factors will influence your application to B School this year.

I've spent my day working through the math section tests on the Kaplan 2002 Higher Score CD. I got a couple of them wrong cause:

a) I ran out of time at the end and had to guess my way through the last 2 questions.
b) I didn't read the question properly/misunderstood what the question asked.

Now here's an interesting tidbit. According to Kaplan, the answer choices to "Which of" questions are either (D) or (E). For example:

Which of the following must be an integer if 4/x + 5/x + 6/x is an integer?
a)x/5
b)5/x
c)x/30
d)30/x
e)x/120

Anyways, here's the link to the survey again.

cheers,
mba07.

PS: and oh, where oh where did my previous post go? I clicked on "Publish Post" and it didnt show up in the published blog..hmm..strange..but that's what you get for using a free service :).

Long time no post..here's what I've been upto

2004-07-03T04:55:00.000-07:00

I know its been a long time since I posted. Well, here's what I've been upto. Since I'm gonna be applying for a fall'06/07 entry I'm trying to zero down on the colleges I want to apply to. So far here's what I've come up with:

a) Stanford
b) Kellogg
c) Wharton ( general management? donno..seems more finance centric to me )
c) London School of Business
d) INSEAD

While I've been doing my research on which schools I want to attend I've been focussing on:

a) Does the phisolosphy of the school gel with who I am as a person. I know I am a very team centric person. I very strongly believe that being a team player and working in teams is instrumental to achieveing success at whatever you're doing. I've seen this again and again at my workplace and have seen teams going horribly wrong when there is a lack of team spirit/lack of a sense of "oneness" if I may say. Stanford, Kellogg and Wharton seems to have this at the core of their philosophy. If I can extrapolate my observations at work to b school in the future, I definitely want to be in a school that focuses on team work. While many schools will say that this is important, the reall test is when you look at their teaching methods and how they will evaluate your performance those 2 years shows just how much they value team work. Look at Wharton's assessment methodology and how much team work contributes to your overall assessment while at school for more details. I'd love to attend Wharton, but being such a finance centric school I dont know if I'd really fit in there. I'm more interested in a general management/international management course.

b) The teaching methods that the school employs to teach you the subject. I am not looking for a class that's gonna dump a load of theory on my head and bid you adieu at the end of the cirriculum. A good balance between theory and practical is important to me.

c) My placements after b school. Will this college get me where I want to go to?
I'm also toying with the idea of applying to these colleges in different years ie. try for (a) and (b) above for a fall'06 entry and (c),(d) and (e) for a fall'07 entry.

d) How strong is the alumni network and what is their commitment to the school post graduation.

e) What kind of people is the school going to put me with in a classroom. Will I have fun interacting with them in class and outside class? Will they contribute to me as much as I will to them?

On the GMAT front, I've not yet registered for the test yet. I was thinking of taking it in October this year. The whole thing is that no matter how much you practice you just dont feel that you've done enough. On the Kaplan tests I'm scoring 650. My weak area is Verbal and I've been working at it for quite some time now. Currently I'm working with Princeton's Verbal workout. I must say that the SC part is handled much better than Kaplan. Thanks to Daveformba for pointing this out to me. Though Kaplan and Princeton cover the 8 rules, Princeton does a great job at presenting it to you well. On the math front, I'm kinda trying to figure out how I'm going to revise all my concepts before the exam. I'm trying to get together a "question bank" of problems in areas that give me a spot of trouble and revisit this list frequently.

So overall, this is my strategy:

a) complete the Kaplan Higher score on the GMAT CD.
b) complete the Princeton GMAT verbal workout.
c) complete the exercises/tests in the Kaplan verbal workout book.
d) complete the OG cover to cover.
e) take tests in between (a) and (d) above to see how things are going.
f) register and take the GMAT as my scores get to the 700+ mark consistently.

Here's something interesting. I met a friend of mine yesterday over dinner and discussed my b school plans with her. She went about asking me the same questions why mba/when do you want to do it/why at that time/why not now/what do you want to do post your mba. The result was that while I was able to convince her on all the other questions I wansn't quite able to convince her on the why mba front. Just when I thought that I'd figured it all out, I'm having to revisit the drawing board. In one of my posts I had mentioned that if we are clear on these why questions then it will show up in the essays as well as in our interviews. The last thing I want is for someone to find a chink in my armor. So I'm gonaa revist the drawing board and attractively repackage the whole story. Lets see how that works out. Will keep you posted on those developments.

Please do leave your comments. They serve as a compass for me. Atleast I'll know where I'm goofing up.

cheers,
mba07.

2004-06-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Its been a while since my last post. There's nothing new to report. I did a timed Sentence Correction test from the Kaplan CD and got 7 wrong out of 18. That's that. On the B School front I'm scouting as much as possible for people who know people who know people who have graduated in the last 5 years from either of Wharton,Kellogg and Stanford. I dont wnat to reapply. I need to get into 1 of the schools I apply to in the year I apply.So far I've target fall of 2006. Hope that materialises.Will keep you posted as things develop.Things are a little hectic on the work scene for the next couple of days.

2004-06-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!
I spent most of today working on my SCs and CRs. I'm gonna take a section test tomorrow and assess just how much my verbal scores have improved.
I was doing my rounds of your blogs. Dave has some pretty interesting articles on his blog including feedback from someone who scored 760 on her GMAT and links to some pretty interesting articles. He can be found Here.
Well, I'll report to you guys tomorrow and update you with my GMAT preparation. Till then...have a nice weekend.

The Raver LA: This has to be the Classic of BWeek messages.

2004-06-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!
Wassup? I've just completed my rounds of touring your blogs. Its nice to see that things are moving. I was at DaRaverLA and found something humorous. This has to be the Classic of BWeek messages.
On a more serious note, I managed to get hold of a Kaplan GMAT Higher Score CD (2002 ed ). I took the diagnostic test on it and it gave me a score of 640 ( and it tells me 91 percentile...aint I flattered! ). Where did I bomb? the RCs and CRs of course :)...My accuracy on the CRs while I'm practicing is quite high but when I try and solve them under testing conditions I just dont seem to hit the nail on the head...ok 1 thing that I must admit is that I haven't been practicing my RCs much and so need to get going on that area of the verbal section....Those inference questions on the RCs are quite tricky...got a couple of them wrong. Do you guys know any practice material ( besides the OG ) from which I can improve my RC skills?
As always, do leave your thoughts. DaRaverLA has nice post on the verbal section. Visit his site ( daraverla.blogspot.com ) for more details.

2004-05-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,
I've been spending my day working through CRs and SCs. Figured out that that's where I had a problem in my Verbal section. I figured that I was getting slowed down ( and hence guessing the last few questions ) cause I wasn't able to get my CR questions out of the way in the optimum time.
Here are some interesting links that you may want to check out.

1) http://www.economist.com/business/globalexecutive/education/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2644358 talks about B schools looking at applicants with fewer years of experience than we think is the threshold to apply to b school.
2) mbaapplicant.com has a whole load of advise on how to go about the entire process.
3) Testmagic.com has a good GMAT preparation forum.

Okay, now here's a question for you guys. After you've finished brushing up your basics for your GMAT and you get to the test taking part, would you
a) Go on taking Standardized tests ( virtually every test you could lay your hands on) till you see your scores hovering around a certain score.
OR
b) Take 5 to 10 tests just to get acclimatized to the experience of the CAT and then go take the CAT whenever you have to. This is assuming ofcourse that you'd start taking these tests close to your GMAT date.

What do you think?

2004-05-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys, I did my first practice full length test and scored 660. Still got some more distance to cover. Didn do as well as I expected to in the verbal section. Some of the CRs I attempted were tough. That's the update. And what am I gonna do till I take my next test? Practice Practice Practice :)). Do you think that 660 is a decent score to start out your preparation with? Have you found a neat way to improve your verbal section scores? Any suggestions would be more than welcome....

2004-05-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally met up with a Stanford Alumni in town. I've known him for such a long time. I shared my B School dreams with him. He was very supportive about the whole thing giving me ideas on what I should do to strengthen my case. He said that my GMATs should be sky high. Now ppl, here's something I don't quite understand. You read interview transcripts of AdCom members/directors and they say that your GMAT score is only an indicator of whether you can handle the rigor of the course or not. I've read in places that scores that are within +or- 30 or 40 points of the average GMAT score for the school should do just fine (Not to say that a high score is of any discredit to your application).But, if what successful 2006 applicants say is true, then your essays and recos carry roughly 65% of the weightage in the whole process, the remaining being your GMAT score,Undergrad GPAs etc. My question is that is it absolutely necessary to get a score that's in the neighborhood of 780 to remain competitive in the application process? Is this esp true if your work ex is 3-4 years by the time you're ready to start the course? Can anyone reading this post please comment? Esp the 2006 admits?
On the essay front, I've got the contents of my generic drafts ready. I've shared it with one of my recommenders and she said that:
a) The whole thing was well linked up in terms of ideas.
b) My essays very much reflected who I am as a person.
c) I should give it more time to let them mature and edit them once in a while. esp when I have an experience that I'd like to add to my essays.
Now here's another question for all the 2006 admits. Does being candid ( brutally candid) about your short-comings in life and what you've learned from those experiences hurt your essay? This question maybe dumb, but my concern is more of wanting the AdCom ppl to read my essay and say "Ok..this is one major screwup...but the lessons that have been learnt from the experiences show a growth/maturity in her thinking" instead of saying "What!!! how CAN someone screw up like that?...learning or no learning, she has no place here". This aspect has ( I suspect ) lead many applicants to disguise a strength as a weakness in an essay. Can anyone please share your ideas on this? For instance how many successful 2006 applicants were really candid ( brutally ) in their essays? This is esp. toward the Wharton 06 folks ( One of the essays asked applicants to talk about an experience where they failed to achieve personal goals they set ).

On the GMAT front, I'm starting my mock tests from tomorrow. I've decided that I'm gonna take a mock test every weekend and use the week to patch up any areas that I am weak at/dont know. Will keep you posted with my first Test score.

progress since my last post

2004-05-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well I've finally managed to arrange to meet with one of my prospective recommenders later this week. So that's that. Looks like the MBA journery is going to be a long one. One that would require a tremenduous amount of patience and perseverence. Boy oh Boy I just hope that there's a light ( a bright one might I add :) ) at the end of this tunnel.
I've read some of the posts at BWeek where ppl say that they have a 780 on the GMAT, a 3.9GPA and essays great essays. The result? they got dinged by schools like Stanford. I know, you're going to say that stats dont matter...its the essays...but one cant help but wonder...do I have the guts to face a ding? Noooo way...its scary to even think about a ding..anyways..enuf of dinging....lemme get back to work...

2004-05-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

Loads to get done this week. Have contacted my probable Recommenders. Have to meet them during the course of the week. Have to register for the GMAT. Am taking it in October sometime. Have to start standardized tests to pace myself and get my endurance levels up there....and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep.
For all you international students out there, take a like at this!. It basically talks about the reluctancy of firms in the US to hire international students esp in the recent past.

2004-05-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Chalked out a plan today on how I'm gonna get that mock application filled in a month's time. Have to make a couple of calls tomorrow and request my recommenders to write me a reco!. I am sure its going to take them 2-3 weeks to give me a completed reco form. Meanwhile, I've started doing some deep introspection on what personal themes I want to stress in my essays. There will be a level of customization when it comes down to writing an essays tailor made towards a specific school so that you can tie up your experiences and your expectations with what they have to offer. However, I strongly believe that there are certain traits and characteristics that will stand out in an essay and which are unique to you as a person. This fact coupled with the customization and linked up to point towards why School X, in my opinion, is more of an honest statement to an AdCom than reverse engineering the entire process. As AdComs will tell you, sending them generic essays will only put you at a disadvantage. So will reverse engineering your essays and tailor making them towards what the AdCom wants to hear.
I was reading through BritChick's blog about her experience visiting Yale. Am waiting to read what she's going to say about Stanford and Kellogg. I was also reading through Bound for Harvard's blog where he seems to question what he wants to get out of his mba and where its going to lead him. I felt that these were very important questions that all us prospective mbas should ask ourselves. If we can convince ourselves beyond doubt about why we want an mba,why now, what we want to gain at the end of it and where we want to be, it will show in our essays. We'll stand out as clear and focused people. Bound for Harvard, if you're reading this, please continue posting your thoughts. I am sure it'll help prospectives gain a better understanding into the philosophy behind the application process and help them write better essays.
For anyone else reading this, please leave your feedback.

2004-05-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,

Here's a brief intro about me. I live and work in India for a major IT consulting house. As of now I have a cumulative work experience of a little over a year. I've been reading through all those blogs ( FMG,Hella et.al ) and the feeling I get is that getting to B School is a looong journey. The journey has its upsides and its downsides. The upsides? the journey gives you a deeper understanding of what/who you are. the downside? It can get down right frustating at times!. From all those class of 06 blogs out there, I've figured that the earlier you start the journey, the more educated you are about the whole process/the greater the chances of emerging victorius (sp? ). I plan to attend B School in Fall'06/Fall '07. I've started scouring Blogs and univ sites in an attempt to shortlist the Univs I want to attend. Its more an attempt to find a value and principle match as well as a course offering vs my expectations match from the MBA program/school I want to attend. I'll let you know my shortlist as soon as I've compiled the whole thing.

So what's the plan for this year? Broadly speaking:

a) Write my GMAT and get it out of the way ASAP. This is something that most of the Blogs out there seem to suggest. That way I can concentrate on the most important of my applications..the essays. So if its any consolation to all you class of 06 guys out there, we're listening.

b) Preapare a mock application of the one school I want to attend and then have it assessed by a number of people. Why? cause I want to do a reality check on where I stand as of today and hence give my application enough time to mature in terms of work experience as well as adding themes/experiences that are lacking in my state of readiness as of today. (that was one looong sentence :) ).

c) Prepare generic answers to the most frequently asked essays and put in themes that I'd like to highlight when I apply. I want to be able to revise these essays as and when I have new experiences so that whenever I apply, I've added to the base ( unless the base will end up getting changed completely by then which doesn't look very likely :) ).That way my essays are likely to mature over time like wine does ( and hopefully the end will be as sweet..:) ).

I would appreciate any comments you guys have on my strategy for this year particularly if anyone of you is from an AdCom/class of 06..

2004-05-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hi All! This is my first post. I am a mba'07 aspirant. Brit Chick, here's someone to give you company.