Kellogg: Calling all applicants - Class of 2016

Essaysnark,

Do you know if on-campus and off-campus are very different? Is one preferred over another?

Nope, none preferred, they're treated equally and the actual experience itself should be fairly similar regardless of who conducts it - though we have to say, if you can get to campus, that's an advantage for you in terms of learning more about the school, the culture, and what they offer. It also shows your motivation (the schools don't technically use it in evaluating apps but it does make a difference when the adcom reviewer sees you went to the effort).

The big downside of requesting an off-campus interview is the risk that it might get waived. Be sure to read about the policy on this; if you're in an area of high demand - or if you submit later in the cycle - then they might not be able to match you up with someone. We've seen all sorts of stress around this in past years; it may be smoother this year with a single-submit app, we'll need to see. Sometimes the interview could initially get waived and then they would invite the person to interview anyway. They claim that people are accepted even when the interview is waived and we're sure it's possible, but we have never seen it happen. Not that we know all the Kellogg applicants! There's surely been some where it played out that way. It's just not the norm.

EssaySnark
_________________

Thank you ES You're awesome. I am only a 3 hour flight away but have an insane work schedule in November for whatever reason before Thanksgiving so just trying to plan things out in advance

Hey, just accessed the kellogg application, is anyone having trouble saving their application, I click continue on the app and it keeps bringing me back to the login screen without saving any of my changes!

The application portal has been launched and you can see the video essay now, ofcourse not the questions for it.

Also, they have a not-so-hard deadline of september 18th for applicants who will request for offcampus interview. They cannot promise a interview match if the application is submitted after that. Phew!

Kellogg recently added the recommender's questions to their website:

https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/pro ... lying.aspx

Just a warning: The Kellogg recommendation requires more from your recommenders than most other schools; it's a more burdensome rec for them to deal with (Columbia's is also in this category).
_________________

I actually thought Columbia's was pretty good this year! It lets the recommenders flow fairly freely on highlighting the strengths but with more guidance...but thats just me :p

Yes, but compared to most other schools, Kellogg and Columbia ask a LOT of questions. #morework
_________________

Kellogg finally updated its admissions FAQ to cover this year's app, too:

https://kellogg.northwestern.edu/programs/fulltimemba/faqs.aspx
_________________

Anyone knows the venue details for Kelloggs' Mumbai event in September?

hi xinga,

this event seems to be full. your best bet would be to email someone in admissions, tell them that you are really interested in learning more about the school and ask whether its still possible to attend.

with that said, just want to make a shameless plug for these events. i think that they are a great way to learn about the school through 1) the eyes of the current student leading the event and 2) alumni who will likely be present at the event.

full disclaimer: i am a current student and am actually hosting one of these ambassador events so in part its a shameless plug, but i also think that its worth taking an hour to learn more about the school. i admit, these things sound cheez, but looking back at my application process, i def. wish i spent more time reaching out to other students/alumni because i learn the most from them.

hey snark,

I became a subscriber to your blahg over the wknd one quick q: do you think it's okay to use the "obstacle" essay to address poor grades? or should I use the "brief" description section for this? my grades is arguably the worst part about my profile at this moment so I figured I could use this to address it. thanks!

Hey ricecake - glad to have you at the blahg! Thanks for joining.

On the Kellogg obstacle essay, not so keen on using low grades for that.

a) was that REALLY the biggest obstacle you've ever faced? (really??)
b) what is it actually telling the adcom about you?

The other thing is that often, low grades are self-inflicted; an 'obstacle' typically means something bad from the outside that happened to you - not always, but often. Check out this post from the blahg about 'setbacks' - very similar to 'obstacles'.

So we feel that you would not be taking best advantage of your essay real estate to use this essay this way. There are some exceptions to it but typically only when the low grades are a result of something else - some horrible personal thing going on at the same life where the grades were a symptom. In that case, talk about the other stuff you had to deal with.

Remember, with an obstacle, you have to show how you overcame it, and the most revealing parts of these essays are where you discuss the actions you took to do so. With a 'low grades' essay, there isn't usually all that much you can say about it - "I worked harder" - it's what everyone with a low grades story stays. It's not often very additive. If your situation is different, then our opinion might change, but generally we don't recommend it.

That being said: Yes you definitely need to address it, but Kellogg has an optional essay that you can use for that.

Hope this helps!
EssaySnark
_________________

thanks snark! I love the content on your site so figured the least I can do is become a paying member

Okay that's what I feared. It wasn't so much that school was my biggest obstacle, but rather me attempting to pay my way through school and being immature about the burden of debt and responsibility. It's a fairly long explanation and the "optional essay" says to be brief so not sure if I have enough room there for that.

So there you go, showing us that maybe you are the exception.

Paying your own way through college is a pretty big deal - the adcoms often appreciate hearing about this. Based on the limited information we have, we're thinking that it's possible that that might qualify as an 'obstacle' - no? The financial situation and all?

Keep digging at it. Sounds like there could be more to the story than just 'low GPA.'
_________________

thanks snark! as you love to say, everything depends on execution. you're the (wo)man! there's definitely more to the story than just low gpa but i just gotta make sure it's more than that. really appreciate everything. also didn't mean to come off as I didn't have any other obstacles in personal/professional life: just this one stands out more than anything.

Hello - I have a few questions regarding the application (some of which are specific to the 1Y program, as noted):

1) Any idea if there are word restrictions on the 5 questions for recommenders, or does anyone have guidance?

2) Specifically for the 1Y program, any insight on advantages of R1 vs. R2? I know they say they are equally competitive, but not sure if people have had other experiences.

3) Do you think the GMAT is equally important for 1Y vs. 2Y? I'm hearing it may bear more weight for 2Y; one current 1Y student had told me they heard that 1Y students GMAT score are NOT included in Kellogg's GMAT score reporting. Additionally, similar to how PT programs generally admit lower GMAT ranges, I've heard AdCom is willing to accept a lower GMAT for 1Y vs 2Y. Any thoughts?

Hi adammpls,

1) I don't think so. I would ask my recommenders to keep the entire letter to maybe 2 pages.

2) No differences in chances between R1 and R2. I sat in for an information session during which the ex-admissions director took the pain to repeatedly mention that there is no difference. She did however mention towards the end that the quality of applicants in R1 is notably better than the ones applying in R2. Make your own conclusions.

3) I would guess it is equally important for all the three full time MBA programs; 2y, 1y and mmm. Again the adcom mentioned that there is no difference in chances and hence no difference in the selectivity criteria used amongst any of these three Kellogg FT MBA programs. Part time mba programs could be different I agree.

I'm in a dilemma on choosing my recommendation providers... I'm an Assoc. Consultant in Business Operations...
1. my immediate manager- who knows me for 2 years and a Head of an account
2. My Manager's Boss- who knows me for 3 months only and is a Kellogg Alumni
3. My Department Head- Head of Business Operations for the vertical and knows me for 2 years

Any advice appreciated...