Calling all Michigan (Ross) Fall 2009 Applicants!

Got the answer. Further in the instructions found this,
"If you were provided only one official copy of your transcript,
you may submit a photocopy. If you are admitted, you will be
required to bring the original to our offices for authentication."

Exactly. I was in this situation, having only one copy of transcript - brought it to the school along with photocopy and a lady from the admissions office took the photocopy after comparison against the original transcript.

I disagree. The optional essay is not a place to discuss simply anything that you feel like talking about. It is intended for one to discuss areas of disconnect or things that need explaining in the application. Examples of this would be low GPA, why you are not using your current recommender, gaps in work history, etc.

The bottom line is Ross is telling you what they value from applicants (hence the 4 essay questions and details asked within the actual app). Stick to their questions and answer them. Don't try and throw in EC's in an essay that doesn't call for them (unless DIRECTLY relevant and answers the question) and don't use the optional essay to discuss them.

This is from the official list of Ross 2008-2009 questions:



They don't restrict your answer to "bad GPA, low GMAT, etc". You have the option of putting in something else you think will help the adcoms evaluate your candidacy. I agree that you have to be very careful about what you put in, but you can put it there.

If you spent 2 years saving AIDS orphans in Africa and had a great story to tell, I'd definitively put it there.

RF

Hey I'll be in Michigan on the 24th night and 25th for a school visit. Anyone want to meet up or network and discuss their MBA apps process so far?

I'll also be getting a hotel room on campus (I am not being cheap or anything else just throwing it out there) anyone want to save some money and split the cost?

Did you have to bring in the photocopy after or before they announced your decision ?
From what I understood, with the application, I can submit a photocopy. If I get an acceptance, then I HAVE to provide the hardcopy of the original. Is this right ?

I wrote an optional essay last year about a memorable event that ocurred during my favorite EC, hiking. They seem to have admitted me. Take it for what you wish.

Write the optional essay so long as you bring to it something meaningful about yourself that is not elsewhere on the app. In other words, if you have to think hard to come up with something to fill the optional essay page, then stay away from the essay. If you do write the essay, keep it within a page.

Has anyone written challenging time essay? The 2nd question of the essay has confused me a bit. 'Explain how you grew personally, either despite this challenge or because of it.'

So, I wrote about the challenging time and how I handled the challenge. To answer the 2nd question, would I be writing something like

I learned x. Because I did this, I learned to handle y. I understood z.

How are you guys answering this question? Also, what is the approximate ratio of Answer 1 to Answer 2?

I spent 25% describing the problem, then the next 15% describing why it was challenging and the rest what I learned from this challenge and the steps I took to overcome it.

My biggest problem is the word limit , 300 words seems very less, unlike the Tuck essay where I could use 500 words for a similar essay!

A good way to handle "how you grew/acted/developed" questions is using the STAR format: situation/task -> action -> result.

For these types of questions I....
1. Describe the situation. (situation)
2. How it impacted me. (action)
3. What I learned. (action)
4. Example of my actions based on what I learned. (result)

RF

Folks,

Ross website's faculty directory categorizes its faculty in to
1) Emeritus Faculty
2) Tenure-Track Faculty
3) Clinical/Lecturer/Adjunct/Visiting Faculty

The third one is self explanatory. But what do the first and second mean ? Are these common terminologies used in the US colleges ?

Ranjit

Yeah, it's common terminology.

Emeritus faculty - retired but still maintaining a presence on campus (lectures, research, etc)

Tenure-track faculty - this is your typical professor; after working as an "assistant professor" (or whatever their title is) for a number of years you can earn tenure which is something like a "permanent job". You can't be fired without cause.

RF

Refurb,

Thanks. I was completely unaware.

Hey Guys,

How are essays going? Writing essays adhering to the word limit is tough.

Tell me about it. I think my essays will require another 8 hours or so and they'll be done. My first essay is 540, the second 510, the third 301 and the last 317. And I still feel like there is more I should add!!

RF

Wow!!! You are almost done. I am still catching up. Have you visited the school?