riverripper wrote:
terp26 wrote:
Also note that passion doesn't have to be just volunteering. It could be an interesting hobby or a fun activity you take part in.
I think that is what most people miss...you want to show you are well rounded and not a worker bee doing nothing but slowly killing yourself at your 9 to 5 (9?). Everyone does SOMETHING outside of work...you may not think of it but you must have something that you are passionate about.
As for admissions consultants...they are going to find things weak about your profiles. Why? Because they are selling their services to you. If they say wow you have the most amazing profile ever, you will get into H/S/W no problems at all...why would you use their services and pay them 2k a school?
You're absolutely right river. I also noticed that consultants try to match candidates with schools that are not the candidate's first choice, and then the consultants reiterate that H/S/W calibre or M7 or top 10, etc. schools are wayyy out of reach.
Also, keep in mind, that community/ECs and essays are about the only thing that these consultants can work on to improve a candidate's profile. Your GPA, school, accomplishments, GMAT, recommendations are all non-controllable aspects of your profile. You can't do much to change these. So the only angle these consultants have is make you feel that your ECs could ruin or hinder your application even further. They play on making you feel down and hire them.
As for the lying involved. It happens without question. I know from friends who pursued professional graduate degrees in M7 schools (MBA, and other professional programs). And btw, if you guys think HBS acceptance rates are low, check out their MPA or Masters in Health Managements, etc. Their acceptance rates are all under 10% and hover around 5%.
I know of at least half a dozen people who blatantly lied about their ECs and community involvement and now already have professional degrees from M7s.
And yes, I know there's this thing called Kroll. But these applicants are not stupid. They're not going to say that they volunteered for the UNICEF without having their asses covered. And yes, they do have the connections to cover their asses.
As for me, I will be honest with everyone here - I am volunteering, and while the experience is rewarding, I would not have done it if it were not for my applications. Its the only reason why I do it really. I am curious to find out how many post-MBA investment bankers still volunteer.