2012 MIT Sloan Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) Thread

MIT LGO MBA Program

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Questions about this Roll Call?


My name is Bob and I'm a first year student in the MIT Leaders for Global Operations program. If you're new to the program, LGO is a two-year, dual-degree MBA/MS Engineering program founded at MIT between the Sloan School of Management and the School of Engineering. LGO is focused on educating technically-polished future business leaders to solve tomorrow's operations challenges. I am starting this thread with a few classmates to help answer some questions, to familiarize you with the program, and to let you know what being a student at MIT/Sloan is really like.

A little bit of my background:
Graduated in 2006 from Carnegie Mellon University with a dual-degree BS Mechanical Engineering & Biomedical Engineering
Entered into General Electric's OMLP rotational development program after college and worked for 2 more years in supply chain positions at GE
Worked for 1.5 years in Nuclear Power Plants engineering at Westinghouse Electric Company

And now for some good resources on LGO...

The best initial sources for information are the program website:
http://lgo.mit.edu
http://lgo.mit.edu/docs/lgo_brochure_2010.pdf

Additionally, I would check out the main program blog, student blogs and alumni blogs:
http://lgo-blog.mit.edu/

To formally introduce yourself to LGO and receive event invites and other information:
https://inq.applyyourself.com/?id=mit-lgo&pid=1397

Follow us on Twitter and facebook:
http://twitter.com/#!/MITlgo
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MIT-Leade ... 9001770621

Let us know what questions you have or just use this as a no-stress place to chat with other applicants!

Hi LGO,
Thanks for the initiative!
Could you please clarify three burning questions about the program:
- the application deadline is mid-december, meaning it's the 2nd round for MIT? If you fail at LGO, will you be still considered for MBA program?
- how strong is the requirement for the previous engineering experience? for example, you were working at SC position, so that was considered enough? I am asking because despite having my MS in Engineering, my WE is in transportation
- how important is to be an American/EU citizen? How many foreign students do you have? I am asking because at the admission page there is a remark that those categories of students will be prioritized due to work permit issues.

Hi Vorskl,

Thanks for the questions.

1.) You are correct that if you are not admitted to LGO, you will be considered in Sloan's Round 2 MBA admissions process. However, this is ONLY if you apply through Sloan. If you instead apply through your chosen Engineering department, and you are not admitted to LGO, you then may be considered for admission to Engineering. This varies across departments, though.

2.) There is no firm requirement to have previous engineering experience, though it certainly doesn't hurt. Most successful applicants have worked for an operations/manufacturing company, but it is not explicitly required. In my specific case, I had both supply chain/operations experience and engineering experience at separate companies, but there are several students in my class that were successful with experience in only one or the other.

3.) The information on the website regarding work authorization is correct, but there are no set quotas for US citizens/permanents or internationals. There are 5 international students in the class of 2013.

I hope this helps to answer some of those questions. Feel free to send us anything else you're interested in knowing!

Hello All,

To follow on Bob's post, I would like to introduce myself as another first year student at MIT-LGO. My name is Zach and I am excited to be able to answer any questions you may have. I look forward to providing a student's perspective on the program, MIT, and Sloan.

And for my background:
Graduated in 2009 from the United States Coast Guard Academy with a BS in Civil Engineering. Out of the Academy, I served 2 years in the Coast Guard. My first tour was on a large cutter doing Homeland Defense/Counter-Drug Operations. I then worked in support of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill clean-up operations.

I am looking forward to discussing the program with all of you!

Bob and Zach,
You provided a very interesting opportunity to learn more and thus the questions are coming

1) I strongly consider MIT because of its solid reputation in Supply Chain concentration. In your opinion, what MIT program will be the best option if I'd like to pursue a career in that field? From that I read, my impression is that LGO focuses heavily on manufacturing?

2) What is your recommendation on demonstrating the second part of the below requirement:
Demonstrate business experience and a strong interest in a manufacturing or operations-related career

Hi Vorskl,

Let me take a stab at answering these questions for you:

1.) A few years ago, the old Leaders for Manufacturing (LFM) program was rebranded as LGO to attempt to dispel exactly the impression that the program is focused primarily on manufacturing. In reality, the program is focused on all aspects of business operations. I think our current list of partner companies actually provides a pretty comprehensive look at the kinds of industries in which you might expect to work following LGO. (http://lgo.mit.edu/mit-lgo-industry-partners.html) If you take a look, you'll find quite a few companies that aren't traditional "manufacturing" companies, like Amazon for instance. Our partners look to LGO to supply them with a pipeline of leaders fluent in all areas of operations, and the program is structured accordingly. We could discuss curriculum and concentration options further, if you're interested.

2.) I personally feel that the best way to demonstrate that you have a strong interested in a manufacturing or operations-related career is to be yourself in your essays. Be open, honest, and passionate about your interests, as well as your plan(s) for the future, and the admissions committee will definitely take notice.

Hope that helps.
Bob

LGO13,

Thanks for all your valuable insight. As an applicant who has a strong interest in applying for this program, I would like to ask about academic qualifications that are listed on the LGO website.
It states one of the requirements to be, "Have a strong academic record and an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry, or physics." I actually graduated with a BA in Economics, although I did take a slew of math classes throughout (all calculus courses, linear algebra, 300-level probability/stochastic, etc.) as well as 3 years of supply chain management work experience. So basically, is it a stringent requirement to have a degree in Engineering/science, or is it possible to get admitted with just a demonstrated ability in these fields (coursework, GMAT quant score)? Thanks in advance.

Great thread!!! Thanks Bob and Zach

I have a MS in EE degree from US and a Bachelors degree from India. Is the focus on both the undergrad and the grad school or would it be more on my recent degree? Not sure if having a MS is a disadvantage since the program is a dual degree, can there be an issue as to why I want to go for a dual degree rather than just MBA? ( I have my reasons why but just want to make sure if it would be a disadvantage?)

Thanks

Manutd8,

Thanks for the question - this one comes up a lot.

Regarding the requirement for an engineering/science/technical degree, I don't believe this is explicitly written in stone as a make-or-break requirement; however, I do have some "but's" for you:

The MIT Sloan MBA is extraordinarily quantitative in its own right, so having a strong quantitative background, regardless of your undergraduate degree, is an imperative. It sounds like between your undergrad record, work experience, and GMAT quant score, you'd be OK in proving your stuff to the Sloan MBA admissions folks.

The big sticking point with non engineering/science/tech applicants is that in order to be admitted to LGO, you must be admitted by each of 3 separate entities: The LGO Admissions Committee, the MIT Sloan Admissions Committee, and the Admissions team from your chosen department in the School of Engineering. I think the Engineering Admissions team would be the most difficult for you to sell with an undergraduate degree in Economics.

I certainly would not discourage you from applying, as it sounds like your interests are in the right place. I would just caution you to spend a fair amount of time thinking about how to craft your application to tell the School of Engineering folks that you belong in a graduate engineering program.

Cheers!

Hemantuec,

Thanks for the question.

The admissions team is going to focus on your entire body of work, so I wouldn't worry too much about differentiating your undergraduate vs. graduate education.

Additionally, already having an MS in an engineering discipline is definitely not a detractor from your application strength. In fact, I would estimate that more than a dozen of my 50 current classmates have an MS already in their discipline.

You may be interested in checking out the Engineering Systems Division (ESD) option, as this is a popular program for students who already have an MS in their discipline. ESD is actually our largest subset of LGO students, and I think you'll find that the program offers some interesting courses of study. You can learn more at:

http://engineering.mit.edu/education/graduate/esd.php

Cheers!

Hi Bob.

Hi Bob,

Can you tell me a little about the student life? Do you guys have any fun?

CrazyH,

Great question. Student life has been fantastic so far. There aren't a lot of programs operating during the summer at MIT, so the new LGO class basically has the entire campus to itself. We've done a lot of exploring in Cambridge and Boston, and make efforts to get together whenever possible. I feel like you could probably go to a new restaurant/bar everyday throughout the two year program and still not hit them all. People have taken in Red Sox games, and the Stanley Cup finals just came through Boston, as well.

LGO is definitely a lot of work, but we also make time to play. It helps us to stay sane, and affords us all ample opportunity to make new friends.

It's been a ton of fun so far.

Hi great to see your thread. What is the average GMAT score at LGO programme? Do you need a GRE score (international applicant) if you have a Masters of Science in an engineering field?
How do you find the teaching standards? (Assuming you are not from Ivy League formerly)
Lastly, how exactly is the MBA and programme quantitatively intensive? (Do you need pre-req in certain areas?)

mourinhogmat1,

Thanks for your questions. I think regarding test scores, you can find all the information you need at:

http://lgo.mit.edu/engineering-mba.html.

For the class of 2013, the average GMAT score was around 710, and the average GRE Quant score was 760. LGO accepts either the GMAT or the GRE, though. You can take either exam, and definitely don't need to take both.

We're taking about 7 classes this summer, and the level of teaching has been incredible. Our Probability/Statistics professor is honestly the best instructor I've had at any level. In all, I've found the quality of teaching to be exactly what you'd expect from MIT.

Lastly, the program is quantitatively intense in a number of ways. Quite a few of our required MBA courses are cross-listed as engineering courses and are taught at a graduate engineering level. For example, our Systems Optimization class has us diving pretty deeply into concepts like linear programming, matrix algebra, and programming in Matlab. I don't believe there are any firm pre-requisites, but remember, you have to have taken an undergraduate curriculum that stands up to the admissions standards of the School of Engineering, not just the Sloan School.

Hope that helps!

CrazyH,

Thanks for the question: I want to expound on Bob's comments on student life. For me, one of the best things about LGO is the close community. I know that sounds cliché, but it is definitely true. Being such as small group (~50), we are able to get to know each of our classmates very well and I cannot imagine a better group of people. It is amazing to see so many people with diverse backgrounds come together to have fun and learn. It is by no means easy, but it sure is more manageable knowing that your classmates are there to help you, not to compete with you. This “intangible” and “soft” aspect of life here is hard to quantify or put into words (we at MIT hate that), but it is an important part of life here.

-Zach

Hello Bob, Zach!

Great to see a post about LGO!

I've been following the program for some years now and plan to apply this year. Although from an engineering background, I am not sure as to what expect regarding the quantitative level of the program (specifically the engineering program). I haven't been doing "hard" quant for some years now and I feel a bit rusty. Are most of the basics covered? What courses would you recommend to take before joining?

I have a Mechanical Engineering degree (3 years) and two MS and are planning to take a third one this year as a final preparation for MIT LGO. I've taken one MS in Lean Manufacturing and another one in Industrial Management and haven't really expanded that much my quant curriculum.

I'm also working as a Manufacturing Manager leading a ~50 workers manufacturing plant. Are there many people with shop floor experience?

Regarding internship, could you please provide some indepth in how the process of selection / chosing company works?

PS: I'm international, from Europe. Any extra advice?

Thank you very much!

Regards.

LGODream,

Thanks for your post. These are interesting questions.

Regarding the quantitative rigor of the program, I would say that it is exactly what you would expect from a graduate-level engineering curriculum at MIT, i.e. it's very quantitative. The instructors assume that you already have a full undergraduate engineering education, and they start building from there. Given your background, though, I wouldn't worry a tremendous amount about not being able to manage the quant. expectations.

If you did want to brush up on some basics before matriculating, I would recommend revisiting probability/statistics and basic calculus.

There are a lot of people who have shop floor experience. In fact, I'd say the majority of my class has worked on a shop floor in a supervisory/managerial role at some point in their career. That's definitely not a detractor to your application. In fact, those are the types of experiences that can be used for inspiration in your essays to really convey your interest in operations management.

On the subject of internship selection, I believe the process is pretty formal. I say "believe" only because I haven't actually gone through it yet. However, what I believe happens is that the partner companies offering internships will come to MIT and conduct individual interviews with each LGO who is interested in their internship offerings. Once the interviewing is completed, the partners rank their preferences of LGOs, the LGOs rank their preferences for internships, and a matching algorithm takes over.

Lastly, there are 5 international students in the class of 2013, and I believe this number is pretty typical for the incoming class (~10%). If you have permanent authorization to work in the US, definitely make mention of that on your application, as preference is given to applicants not in need of corporate sponsorship.

Hope that helps!
Bob

Hey Bob,

Awesome, thank you for the detailed answers!

I have some more questions if you don't mind

I'm mostly interested in ESD track. Once you choose the curriculum, what mix of students do attend a certain engineering class from that track?

Also heard that Sloanies get grouped with 1 LGO for group prjoects. Could you explain a bit how the interaction between LGO and MIT Sloan MBA works? Read many things here and there but I'm kind of curious.

Last one (I promise!): I'm not very familiar with US grading/evaluating methods and there isn't much info on the net. I've done some searching on MIT OCW syllabus and such and it seems like every professor has its own ways (some mostly projects, others very high class participation, others exams...). How does the evaluation for the engineering / MBA works?

Thank you very much!

Regards.

Hi LGOdream,

You choose your engineering curriculum on your application, and once you enroll, you take engineering classes largely with students in the same curriculum, i.e. ESD students take a lot of the same classes together. There is some mixing between similar or related engineering disciplines, as MechE students often take ESD courses, and vice versa, but you probably won't find that many ChemE students in an ESD class, for example.

Regarding dividing the LGOs up among the Sloanies, that happens in the Fall once the incoming Sloan MBA students arrive on campus. Sloan divides each incoming class into large groups, called "oceans," and each ocean is broken down into smaller cohorts. The smaller groups will only have a handful of students, and the program coordinators make an effort to have only 1 LGO per group. In this way, it creates a maximum amount of mixing between the LGOs (who have already spent the entire summer together) and the Sloanies (who are just arriving at MIT. These smaller groups effectively become your teams for the core courses, and you'll complete group assignments by working together.

MIT grades on a 5.0 scale, which is a little bit different than most US universities (4.0 scale). A (excellent), B, C, D, F (failing) are represented as 5.0 through 1.0, respectively. As far as how individual classes are graded, that's entirely decided by the professor of the course. Some put a lot of weight in class participation, and some put no weight there. Some classes have only a mid-term and a final, while some have weekly homework's. It totally varies course-to-course.

Hope that helps.

Thanks