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I am considering Cambridge too ..

Also , any take on Rotman ...Is it very much fin focused or is it just a myth ??

Rotman is a good school and while they have a finance focus, there are plenty of students who don't study much finance. I wouldn't worry about it being too finance focused for you.

Advice & Tips: Getting recommendations from your current boss when you were not planning on making your MBA plans public

Many people have this decision to make: do you (1) keep your B school goal a secret so it does not affect your job, forcing you to ask people besides your current manager to write a recommendation or (2) tell a couple people at the office because you want them to write your recommendation, and then hope they don't tell others

The right answer to this depends on how long you have been at your current job, how close you truly are to your manager, and who else you could get to write your recommendations. While admissions committees like recommendations from current employers, they are definitely used to people who don't ask their current boss because their boss does not know they are leaving for school. If you are in that situation, you need to have had another full time job post undergraduate where a manager could write about your work experience. You can indicate in the optional essay why you chose not to get a recommendation from your current employer. If your only experience is your current one, that makes getting recommendations tough.

Tread carefully: if you think your boss won't tell other people at the company, take a minute to think twice. How close is your relationship with your boss? At some companies word gets around quickly so you may be better off being upfront about it yourself.

Finally, when thinking about who to ask, think about who will write the best things about you. If your former boss loved you and would put you in the top 1-2% while your current boss would rank you high, but not that high, it may make sense to go with the older boss even though s/he has older content to write about. The choice of recommenders is an important one to debate, so make sure to spend enough time thinking about who to ask.

If you have any questions about selecting the best person to write your letters of recommendation or would like other personalized assistance putting together your applications, see my website for details about Personal MBA Coach services https://www.personalmbacoach.com or send me an email directly to schedule a time to discuss: scott@personalmbacoach.com

Hi Scott,

Thank you so much for taking out the time to evaluate my profile. My credentials are:

Gender : Male
Nationality : Indian
Age : 29 years

Academics :
Xth - 83%
XIIth - 87%
Graduation : Chemical engineer from IIT Delhi (Consistently ranked among the top 2 engineering universities in India)
CGPA - 6.5/10

GMAT - 740

Work experience :

Total 48 months

* 1 year 8 months as a Proprietary trader at one of the largest prop trading firms in India. Not very famous outside India though.
* 2 years 2 months as cofounder of an educational startup that grew to 60,000 monthly users. Did not not raise venture funding. The startup has been closed.
* Managing director of family investment firm for the past 6 months. This is part-time so I don't really know how much it counts.

Extra Curriculars :

* Director of a family run Non Profit organisation that is working towards the prevention and eradication of Encephalitis. It's a small organisation currently and work has been limited to 3 districts in India.
* Captain of hostel soccer team.

International Exposure:

3 months as an International Research scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Activities & Interest:

* Traveling : Have traveled to more than 15 countries. Into exploring cultures and understanding the values and traditions of people living in different parts of our beautiful planet.
* Soccer.

Post MBA goal - Product Management at an established technology company or a high growth startup so that I can learn valuable skills I am currently lacking, and which along with the lessons from my previous startup enable me to create an organisation that significantly improves the lives of people involved.

My target schools are - Wharton, Berkeley, Kellogg, UCLA. My main considerations are Location (Silicon Valley) and placement in technology companies. I plant to apply in R2 2015-2016.

I would love to know your view on my profile, preferably the weaker points and things that can be done to mitigate the weakness in my profile.

Again, thank you for doing this.

Pillarsofcreation
Thank you for your detailed post. You have had some interesting and valuable experiences, but they are varied and do not directly match your post-MBA goals. In order to get into those schools, it will be important to articulate the reasons for each of your career decisions and tie everything together with your goals. It is certainly possible to do that and to have a good chance at those schools, but its important to spend enough upfront time on the story development in your case. That is the weakest part of your application.

Your undergrad performance and GMAT is great and your ECs are quite impressive. From someone who has also started a non-profit, I can say that its both rewarding and very helpful for the B school apps.

If you would like to hear how I can help you craft a strong story that will help you get in, send me an email and we can schedule time to discuss: scott@personalmbacoach.com

Feel free to ask any other questions here as well. Good luck!

For those of you in the Boston area...

I will be hosting an informal gathering to talk about applying to business school and studying for the GMAT. Whether you have specific questions about the process, are looking for general advice or are not sure where to begin, stop by and introduce yourself. Light drinks will be served on the rooftop.

What: B School Application Chat and Drinks On The Rooftop
When: Wed Oct 7th, 7-9:30PM
Where: 255 Northampton St. Boston, MA 02118 - Rooftop
Details: Call 617-645-2424 upon arrival

If you would like a consultation about your profile, please email your resume prior to the event or talk to Scott about scheduling one in person. Please also RSVP by sending a quick email to let us know you will be coming. scott@personalmbacoach.com
www.personalmbacoach.com

Join my GMAT Club live chat on Mondays at 12PM ET. I will be in the chat room tomorrow to answer any questions you have about applying to schools!

See below for more details

https://bit.ly/1VXRb5w

Interview invites and preparation

Round 2 interview invites are starting to be sent out. Here are some thoughts for preparation as you get those invites...

How much time do you need to prepare for interviews?

~2 weeks, but this depends on how you prepare. Generally the amount of time the school gives you between the invite and the first appointment is enough time, though it can help to give yourself a few extra days to make sure you nail your stories and delivery. There is no need to wait until the end of the interview window, but take time to think through your resume, why MBA, why the specific school, and then all of the other school specific questions


How can you prepare for interviews on your own?

I provide interview advice, school specific questions and mock interviews. That said, if you prefer to do it on your own, here are a few tips:

1. Prepare many behavioral stories for each question that you may have to answer. - You never know how you will get thrown off during the interview and if you only prepare one answer to "Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership," then perhaps you would have already talked about the story you had prepared for that question. By having multiple stories, you are able to solve this.

2. Think about the reasons you made each of your career choices. While this seems clear to you, sometimes interviewers will poke at your resume and wonder why you made each decision and how that path logically leads to an MBA.

3. Be very clear and concise. Interviewers talk to many people each day and often days in a row so you want to ensure you come across very clear and are also engaging. If you send mixed messages, it makes it that much harder for the interviewer to remember: Jennifer came from XYZ, has excelled at ABC, but loves doing 123. You want those clear, impactful messages.

Contact me if you want individual interview preparation, or find more information below. Good luck!
https://www.personalmbacoach.com/#!interview-prep/c1wgo

Best,
Scott

Want To Discuss Your B School App Strategy Over Drinks? Meet Scott This Wednesday 2/10 - NYC 

Scott Edinburgh from Personal MBA Coach will be hosting drinks at Papillon in Midtown on Wed 2/10 at 8PM. Come to discuss B school application strategies during an informal Q&A session at the bar. Whether you have specific questions about the process, are looking for general application advice or are thinking about applying this year, stop by and introduce yourself.
If you would like a consultation about your profile, please email your resume prior to the event or talk to Scott about scheduling one in-person. scott@personalmbacoach.com

Wed Feb 10th – 8:00-9:30PM

Papillon
54th Street Btwn 5th & Madison
22 E 54th Street
New York, NY 10022

As a former management consultant, a Wharton MBA and MIT BS graduate, Scott founded Personal MBA Coach in 2008. With a boutique and personalized approach, Scott helps turn analytical, general management and client services experiences into powerful and convincing stories that admissions committee members are looking for. Scott has helped hundreds of applicants get into all of the top MBA programs around the world. Contact Scott to learn how Personal MBA Coach can help you prepare for the GMAT and work with you to create powerful applications, walking you step by step through the entire process.

96% of Personal MBA Coach clients get into one of their top two or three schools. Whether you are applying to full-time, part-time or Executive MBA programs, Scott can help you get there.

Scott can be reached at scott@personalmbacoach.com, https://www.personalmbacoach.com or +1 617 645 2424.

Hi Scott,

I posted my profile on a separate thread but I am hoping you don't mind giving me some feedback on my profile.

Education Undergraduate: Bachelors in Civil Engineering from Istanbul Technical University in Turkey in 2006 with gpa of 3.06 (top 20 among 200 in my class a difficult school and major to say the least)
Education Graduate: Master of Science in Civil Engineering with focus on construction management and engineering from Virginia Tech with 100% tuition scholarship + monthly stipend as a research assistant from 2006 to 2008, gpa: 3.74.

Work Experience: Total 10 years: 2 years as a research assistant doing real work for Virginia Department of Transportation during my studies at Virginia Tech, 4 years for a mid-size construction management firm near Washington DC, 3 years with a multinational construction consultancy in Australia with 3 promotions and roles with increasing responsibility and bunch of international projects from Indonesia to Chile, to Romania, London, Middle East etc. worked on large oil and gas and infrastructure projects as a senior level consultant on a number of projects in these countries and mainly worked on dispute resolution space (international Arbitration mainly and also mediations and negotiations) for international contractors (think Fluor, KBR, Bechtel), owner/operator organizations (think chevron, Exxon etc.) and law firms (think mallesons, Norton rose, Freehills etc.). I work in a similar position in the us for the last 5 months.

GMAT Score: 750

A few extra curricular activity and leadership roles like student chapter of a professional organization at Virginia Tech, current involvement in board of directors of construction association regional chapter in Florida, involvement in not for profit organization that provides scholarship to under represented/ under privileged students, university bowling team, traveling, speak Turkish, English, and Spanish. One unique thing about me is that I love making kites and flying them which I have done since I am 7!

Post mba career - I am quite interested in attending a rotational leadership programs offered by energy companies like chevron, bp, shell and maybe GE etc. for recent mba graduates and later specialize in strategy/decision making for future projects. Plan B would be a similar program/similar role with A company that do international trade (I know it is a stretch but I have my reasons for that). I cannot get into big oil without an mba unfortunately and this is the main reason why I want to do an mba among other things.

Target schools - McCombs, Rice, Duke etc. not sure if m7 would even consider me for an interview.

Dilemmas I am having are a) am I going to be considered too old for this position b) I am currently making 150K and there will be a significant opportunity cost that I have to sacrifice to do this and I know that my post MBA salary probably be around 110-120k so not only I am going to take a pay cut but also lose a lot of money in lost salary. However, I am not very happy with the type of work i do anymore and I can always do it as a free lance contractor if I need to but it is not fulfilling and I don't (want to) see myself in my boss' position in 5-10 years.

My questions:

1. What would you do if you wee me, mba or no mba?
2. Do you think I could get decent scholarship from McCombs or Rice?
3. Any chance at M7 acceptance?

Appreciate all feedback and thank you in advance for your time.

Serc,

Thank you for the detailed post. I am very familiar with Istanbul Technical University as I have worked with a number of Turkish applicants, one from your school who has done very well this year actually at M7. Your academic performance is quite strong and your work experience is also interesting. Construction leadership roles can pan out well, as long as connecting current experience with future goals is done well. Answering your questions:

1. I would go for an MBA. I know the industry you are in and unless you are happy rising there, which it seems like you are not, it is time to make a change. You should not worry about the short-term cost of the MBA for a few reasons. First, with your experience you may get a higher level role and make a bit more than you indicated. Even if you do not, eventually the salary will increase to make up for the lost wages. The MBA will also allow you flexibility to change down the road if you choose.

2. Yes, I would predict you would get a good scholarship from both schools. When I compare you to other clients I have worked with (assuming the essays are just as strong), you stand a good chance at getting scholarship money.

3. Yes, you stand a chance at M7. Depending on the type of program you go for, you stand a better chance at some than others given your age. We can discuss more, but I have a couple ideas in mind for you.

Since you want scholarship money, it may not be the best strategy for you, but you would also be competitive for EMBA programs. Send me an email if you want to discuss further and hear how I can help you with your applications. scott@personalmbacoach.com

Best,
Scott

https://bit.ly/1KpyfuD

HBS Fills Dee Leopold’s Seat with Bain Manager and HBS ‘2013 Grad

Dee Leopold announced her upcoming departure after this application season and received overwhelming praise for the work she has done at the helm of the world’s most prestigious business school. Dee will not be going far, remaining as Program Director of the 2+2 program. Chad Losee, an HBS graduate from the class of 2013 will assume the role of Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid. Chad was a Baker scholar (top 5% of the class) at HBS and helped launch HBX. Chad is currently a manager at Bain & Company.

Join me in welcoming Chad. We are all excited to see what he has planned.

Best,
Scott

HOWDIEEEE.. to anyone who reads this...!!

Now I have a very specific situation (thats what i think ) so i am submitting my info to which i would love to hear from anyone who has the adequate knowledge to address my concerns
Heres my BACKGROUND

10th grade=> 73%
12th grade => 74% (a science student)

Then i took an year off as i did not get into the a decent engineering college..Trust me here- i got into many colleges but all of them were Pretty much CRAP (sorry for the curse but i am being bluntly honest here)
In the mean time I assisted my father during the day and studied during night..I am not sure that experience will count for business schools nevertheless i am very proud that i did that as at an early age i got to understand as to how someone who runs an industry actually functions..
The Gap year proved fruitful as i got into GGSIPU Delhi plus i got a pretty good and a decorated college in the Capital city..
Engineering was Good in fact great ..

Aggregate=> 71%(B.Tech In Information tech)
Now to be honest with you guys i was working with my father during my engineering years as well ..I would literally pick up documents and do other chores for him (Yes He Paid Me too)

Here is the real problem why i wrote this piece =>
My age is 23 years and 330 days
I will be 24 next month..!!


I graduated in June 2015..
And from DAY 1 i have been working with my father in our Family business..
Initially i was hesitant to join him as i was an IT engineer and my family is into Footwear business. Then I started to love my JOB [Common we make shoes and other footwear's for a living. Who would not love that right ]
Now almost an year later i feel like i need to grow my business outreach..
Trust me when i say this - Work is Fine..But the glitch is => "i want to take my family Business to places" Actually i want that to be Awesome instead of just Fine (sorry for the choice of words )
Hence i need an MBA..
And to much of my surprise my father stands right by me in this decision..! In fact He told me that its a very mature move..!!

I know most of you might think its too early for an MBA
But honestly guys Waiting for another 2 or 3 years will not take my business anywhere .It will be in a stand still.
Plus i think i have the added advantage of working with my father in my initial GAP year where i assisted him if it counts.

So it goes without saying => I DON'T ONLY WANT AN MBA ; I NEED AN MBA..!!

secondly i am a bit confused about this work experience thing ..!!
Most of the business schools require 2 years of work experience in there applicants ..
What does 2 years mean?
till the program actually starts or till the time you fill out your application
If i apply in 2016 for fall 2017 admissions then by the time i actually start my school in September i will be having 2 years and 2 months of experience.. I guess that would do..???

WHAT ARE THE SCHOOLS I CAN TARGET ???

Top 20 can i get in ?
Okay Top30?
Top40?
i am flexible as long as it in the Top 40-45
Common Guys Help me get into top 40 at-least..!!!! I don't want to wait ..!!
I am into manufacturing shoes and other footwear so anything related to MARKETING AND ADVERTISING would be Fabulous ..Plus i like Advertising.
Now if (only if) i wait another year( which probably would not do any good to my industry ) then will it increase my chances of getting admitted..

GMAT => Appearing this October..I think i can get a good score..i will try for 700 maybe ..I will Dig that (i have started preparing)

now to the most important part=>

Community services => I am an active part of an Organisation which rescues street dogs and treats them until they are healthy..I have been a part of this organisation from my engineering days ..the reason i do it it i honestly believe in the work we do..We organise dog shows too..

Positions held => "I am not given any designations actually .. I am responsible for marketing and supply ..Plus sometimes manufacturing too. Family business comes with several added responsibilities too
The Post MBA goals => " I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO MY HOME COUNTRY THE DAY AFTER I GET AN MBA . Off course i would like to do an internship however..But apart from that i have one any only one vision that is to Do Justice to my family business and take it to a level it deserves"

ANYONE WHO READS THIS Please Feel free TO POST any suggestions You guys Have for me... It will be really helpful..


Love and respect to everyone
Stone Cold

P.S => Don't let my user name mislead you ..!! I am an indian candidate

Stone Cold,

Thank you for the detailed post. You definitely have the energy and enthusiasm which is great! To answer your questions....# of years of work experience considers up to matriculation and usually counts post-undergrad full-time experience (with some exceptions). So if you start in 2017 you will have two years of experience. This is definitely on the low end and I usually recommend someone with a profile like yours to wait before applying. Certain jobs are better for early applicants (two years) and others are not. However, if you are flexible on the rank of the school and are more interested in doing the MBA sooner than later as you mentioned, you could make something work at a school within the rankings you identified. Since you are young and applying early, you want to do as well on the GMAT as possible, so try to beat 700.

If you would like to discuss further we can set up a consultation. Good luck! scott@personalmbacoach.com

Best,
Scott

https://www.personalmbacoach.com/#!Colum ... 1db0f9ad7e

Columbia Releases Essay Questions and Deadlines for Class of 2019


Early Decision: Oct 5, 2016
Merit Fellowship: Jan 4, 2017
Final Deadline: Apr 12, 2017

Columbia deadlines and essays are now official. If you are planning to apply early, you can get started on your applications now! See below for questions and analysis.

Applicants must complete one short answer question and three essays.

Short Answer Question:
What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (51 characters maximum)
Examples of possible responses:
“Work in business development for a media company.”
“Join a strategy consulting firm.”
“Launch a data-management start-up.”

Pretty straightforward, just watch the character limit.


Essay 1
Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals going forward, and how will the Columbia MBA help you achieve them? (100-750 words)

Also pretty straightforward. Pay attention to every word in the question though. There is no need to repeat in great detail your experiences to date, just comment on your goals. Goals not goal, so you should be discussing at minimum a short-term and long-term goal. These goals should show a logical progression after your current experience. If they do not, then a brief explanation is a good idea. When answering the part about how Columbia will help you achieve the goals, don't consider only the academic part of your experience. There are many ways Columbia GSB will prepare you to accomplish your goals and it is important to write about all of them. Be as specific as possible here, which requires you to do in-depth research about Columbia, the program, classes and extra-curricular offerings.


Essay 2
Columbia Business School’s students participate in industry focused New York immersion seminars; in project based Master Classes; and in school year internships. Most importantly, our students are taught by a combination of distinguished research faculty and accomplished practitioners. How will you take advantage of being “at the very center of business”? (100-500 words)

See the video before writing your answer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFyBmvnqGkk
This topic is important to Columbia and it means more than simply being located in NYC. The admissions committee has made the decisions to keep this question because it helped them identify who is truly knowledgeable about the program and who will fit in well. While at first glance, this question may seem like it won't help you differentiate yourself from other applicants, it is important to think through this in detail so that the decision to live and study in NYC does not appear to be arrived at lightly. You have a few things you could discuss (Master Classes, internships, Immersion Seminars, research faculty, etc). Don't feel like you need to or even can address all of those areas. Pick the relevant ones for you.


Essay 3
CBS Matters, a key element of the School’s culture, allows the people in your Cluster to learn more about you on a personal level. What will your Clustermates be pleasantly surprised to learn about you? (100-250 words)

Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-826mEdXyCY and get inspired. If nothing else, it should help you develop passion for Columbia and write more powerful essays. Explain who you are and what makes you unique. There is no right or wrong answer here, the key is to make it personal and reveal something interesting about you. It isn't necessary to impress here though don't feel the need to be modest either if you have something exciting to share. Have fun with this question.


Optional Essay
An optional fourth essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays.

This is not meant for everyone. Read the question carefully and if it doesn't apply to you then leave it blank. There is no need to tell them more impressive things about you here as that would only hurt your application.


For the most part, the essays remain the same as last year’s essays. The main difference is essay length. Notice that Columbia has given applicants a word limit range rather than a traditional hard word limit. While the total word count may seem high if you add up the upper limits of each question, you can submit a quality application that is shorter than the maximum allowed. While it will really depend on your individual circumstance, the question that will likely have the most responses below the word limit is #2. It is possible to convey a great deal of information about your interest in CBS and NYC in fewer than 500 words.

**Note: If you are a re-applicant, you only need to submit one new letter of recommendation and one essay.

How have you enhanced your candidacy since your previous application? Please detail your progress since you last applied and reiterate how you plan to achieve your immediate and long term post-MBA professional goals. (Maximum 500 words).

Send me an email to discuss your profile and work on your application to Columbia GSB or other MBA programs. scott@personalmbacoach.com

Best,
Scott[/b]

Hi,

I will try to keep it short.
Xth : 96.8% (Zone Topper)
XII: 92.8%
B.Tech in Mining Engineering: 8.73/10 ( Gold Medalist and Institute medal for exceptional academic record ) from IIT, Varanasi
GMAT 740 (Q50, V39, AWA:6, IR:6)
3 papers (2 National conference, 1 International Conference) , 1 Book Chapter (Springer, Introduction chapter)

Have held some good position of responsibility during my college time such as Placement Representative, Departmental Undergrad committee Senior Representative and have also participated and led my team in some National level competitions such as CIMA Global Business competition etc.

I had my startup during my final year but sadly it could not take off and I ended up joining TATA STEEL.

I am currently working in TATA STEEL India as a Manager, Mining Operations and have about 1 year of work expn. During my time here, I have undertaken about 3 improvement projects (on critical issues of Mining). I will be having two when I will join a MBA Program next year and am thinking of applying in R1 this year.

I have some good amount of voluntary experience, not just normal contributing stuff but some real projects ( 2 ) and participatory rural appraisals.

My question is should I be actually thinking of applying this year in schools such as Sloan,Booth, Yale, Columbia? Do I have a chance or should I bide my time and apply next year that is in 2017.

Thanks for your post and congratulations on your accomplishments. You have a very impressive profile. The only thing that you could do to improve it is get more experience. If you get another year of experience, perform very well at work, obtain leadership roles etc, you will be in a great position to apply. That said, if you are targeting Columbia ED this year, I can see that potentially working out for you as well. I recommend if you do that, you should submit your apps as soon as possible as the questions are already out. So yes, you have a decent chance this year. Next year you will have a better chance.

Let me know if you want to chat about an application strategy. scott@personalmbacoach.com

Best,
Scott