Early Birds: Fall 2009 Applicants

Hey! Great thread!

I figure it's never too early to start planning for the next application season. If you'll be applying for the Class of 2011, let's hear from you!

1) What schools are on your list right now? Yale, Duke, NYU, Chicago, Columbia and maybe... Harvard (yea, I know)

2) What is the state of your current preparations? Took the GMAT (710), but taking it again. Currently planning visits for Yale, NYU in April. Just got back from Chicago (amazing!). Working on getting active with some community involvement, and working on a couple side projects from work.

3) What's the scariest part of the process at this point?

Pretty much this, execpt you forgot to mention that everyone is a VP at a Bulge Bracket IB, and still has time to do all of the above... and they were waitlisted without interviews (or so I hear)!

4) How serious is your pursuit at this point? Very serious... really looking to make a career change, and really enjoy the collegiate setting.

Glad to see this thread! Best of luck to everyone!

Thanks Kryz and Toga...I figured the earlier, the better. I know my undergrad GPA is a major obstacle for me, so I really need to knock the GMAT out of the park. Plus, I want to KNOW I'm applying to the right schools, which is why I've started this early.

Sam: Good for you having already scored well on the GMAT. That's about my target score, so I've got some work to do! What made you pick the schools you did?

Count me in.

What schools are on your list right now? HBS, MIT, Kellogg (1-year)...then maybe Yale, Dartmouth, Cambridge, Oxford

What is the state of your current preparations? Finished the GMAT two weeks ago. Will visit the local schools (Boston) in April, and I'll probably go out to Chicago in the summer. Starting to assemble loads of stories and ideas for the essays at my target schools, as well as for any interviews (optimistic, I know).

What's the scariest part of the process at this point? Two things: (1) The frightening dilemma that I don't want to leave my current area but that the schools here are all ridiculously hard to get into. That's why I have some "maybes" that are somewhat nearby or are 1-years. (2) Wondering what my employer will "offer" in terms of support. It's unlikely that they're amenable to a 2-year program, which is my favored route.

How serious is your pursuit at this point? Quite serious. I'm not a career switcher, but I've only been at one, relatively unknown, company throughout my career. I've made huge amounts of progress, but I'm not sure if other organizations would value my experience here so greatly. And MBA will be validation of sorts that will expand my opportunities. This is something that concerns me greatly. Plus I'm excited to go back to school!

Good luck everyone; I'm sure this will be the first of many discussions to come!

RCA, visits arent going to be all that helpful if students arent around and in class. I dont know if Kellogg does visits during the summer when the 1Ys are there or not but still its only going to be a handful of students and wont really give you a complete perspective since they will have just started and no 2nd years will be around to really tell you what the school is all about.

If you visit in the fall there will probably be a half dozen clubbers there to show you around.

Anyone else concerned that applications will skyrocket next year due to current mess? Worse, there will be a ton more of the overachieving banker types.

If you arent a banker you wont be competing against that group really...if you are a banker it probably will be tougher. Apps have been climbing for the past 3 years or so, very significantly at some schools. Just apply R1 and your chances are going to be far better. Just look at the success in R1 at Kellogg vs R2 so far.

Thanks for the tip. From their website it appears that Kellogg has a limited schedule in the summer (as opposed to nothing, which is the case at many other schools), but I hadn't thought about the lack of activity on campus. Do you think it's too late to visit in the fall in order to work my first-hand thoughts on the school into my essays? That will only give me about a month, assuming I visit in early September.

Another complication to work out!

I'm not a banker, but I would imagine that most schools would have a hard time not expanding their "banker quota", assuming such a thing exists, due to a bigger number of pedigree applicants. Plus there's the PE guys.

Either way, it doesn't concern me too much. My "message", if you will, couldn't be farther from banking.

I hardly ever start any endeavour early, but you have to change your ways every once in a while, I guess.

1) What schools are on your list right now? 1R: Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley, London Business School, maybe Kellogg/Tuck.

2) What is the state of your current preparations? GMAT taken in January (750), planning to take TOEFL in June. Will try to visit Stanford/Haas in April.

3) What's the scariest part of the process at this point? I will be 28 by the time I marticulate. With top schools going on youth jihad, I am seriously concerned about my age being a drawback. I anticipate a serious increase in the number of applications and a fierce competition, but since I have an non-profit background, desperate bankers/PE kids don't scare me much.

4) How serious is your pursuit at this point? I am determined to join a class of 2011, next year my chances will likely be lower.

The trick is to make them wear water wings so they don't weigh you down as much.

I have a similar fear...I'm 26 right now, so I'll be turning 28 during the fall term of 2009. Back when I was finishing my undergrad, everyone said "Don't go straight for your MBA! You need to work a few years first and gain experience." Lo and behold, once we reach that experience, now they want people younger! And I'm also a non-traditional candidate: I work for a bank, but I do direct marketing that is database driven.

Thanks!

I picked the schools I did for a variety of reasons. I tend to be a little weaker in Quant - so an acceptance to NYU, Columbia, or Chicago would be a great way to really tackle, and shore up that weakness. Not to mention great brand name, and great placement from all three. I visited Chicago last weekend, and it was extremely impressive. I chose Yale, and Duke because I have read a lot about the new curriculum at Yale and think it is a step in a positive educational direction, very different from what else is out there, and students/profs have raved about it. Duke because of the great team atmosphere, and culture, not to mention the obvious brand/opportunities. My list perhaps needs some refining... but it's where I stand currently.

Best of luck to everyone, I am really looking forward to see the GMATClub 2009 class start to form!

1) What schools are on your list right now? In order, for now: R1: Stanford, HBS, Wharton, Columbia, Tuck; R2: Kellogg, UCLA (might apply to one of: Haas, Chicago, or Darden if I don't get into any R1.) That's a pretty heavy list, but I'm going to stick to it. I won't let the pessimist in me deter me from applying to Stanford even though I figure it's wasted time and effort.

2) What is the state of your current preparations? I just took the GMAT (760), and have started sowing the seeds at my employer that I'm considering leaving. I've tried, quite unsuccessfully (see response to 1 above), to narrow my list of schools by eliminating: MIT, Haas, Chicago, Darden, NYU, etc. I'm trying to beef up the community involvement aspect of my application, and thinking about experiences that I can write essays about.

3) What's the scariest part of the process at this point? Reading about all the speculated increased application volume driven by the economy. Reading first-hand accounts of business school like this: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/e ... ess-school (see post by: SwappieMonster.) Making the decision of whether to leave my current position, where I have a great working relationship with the CEO (offered partnership after 2 years), for other experience, before or even after B-School. I will also be 29 at matriculation, yikes!

4) How serious is your pursuit at this point? Serious enough to have taken the GMAT, I guess.

Good luck to all.

Count me in!

What schools are on your list right now? MIT, Harvard, Columbia, Wharton, Stanford, LBS and Haas
2) What is the state of your current preparations? Yet to take the GMAT. Aiming for a 700 +
3) What's the scariest part of the process at this point? The only thing that scares me at this point is the GMAT. I refuse to be intimidated by any of the high achievers (Ivy league grads, IBs, McKinsey consultants etc)
4) How serious is your pursuit at this point? Very serious, Serious enough to have started to fully prepare for the GMAT.

Good luck to all.

Lets keep this going!

HAAS HAAS HAAS HAAS HAAS... My goal is to convince each and every one of you to apply to Haas by this fall (like rhyme did for Chicago applicants )

Haha, why so much love for Haas?

Haha, because it's a great school that has been overlooked by a lot of applicants who normally focus on East coast and the two midwest schools. Generally people don't apply to the West Coast schools except for Stanford. Haas' program is up there with a very good brand name for many different fields. It may not be Stanford (or ever be), but it's still a very good choice for many applicants

Plus, the weather is amazing here, haha.