Calling All Fall 2012 Consortium Applicants!

Check out @cgsm_recruting

... I can only find @cgsm_mba ...

Are they having a down year for applications? I've heard rumors that it's a down year for most schools. If so, does that improve my chances as a non-URM applicant to get a fellowship?

https://twitter.com/cgsm_recruiting

Never mind I found it, it's @cgsm_recruiting (add another "I" in there)
And your right, they did say still accepting apps

I wonder what exactly the penalty is for submitting late...

Application volume is down at most schools. Tuck for example is tracking down 7% from last year (keep in mind though they had a surge in apps last year).

With regards to the fellowship, the new changes to how CGSM evaluates them is likely going to put a thicker screen on candidates who may not align with their mission. That's not to say if you're a non-URM you can't get a fellowship... moreso just makes sure your actions are in direct alignment with what they are promoting.

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Is it more difficult for a non-URM to get membership than a URM? I also assume that for some reason.
but as far as I can tell from what I read, the fellowship is only based on your support for the consortium mission.

Does anyone know, outside of your membership essay, what else goes into the decision to offer a membership?

Also...

What changes went in to the evaluation process this year? How was it in the past?

Consortium says it's based on your membership essay and mission recommendation. They also likely take into account your resume & ec's (but it certainly won't hold as much weight as the membership essay & rec). There are a few webinars out there that give students tips on which buzz phrases to use and how specific to be in the membership essay, presumably to telegraph how to gain membership.

EDIT: Don't assume it will be harder to be granted a fellowship because you are not a URM. There are plenty of non-URMs that have been granted memberships/fellowships - however they explicitly support the mission. On the flip-side if you are a URM don't assume you are a shoe in to me a member/fellow - you actually have to support their mission through actions not just as a result of circumstance (read between the lines).

There are a few changes this year:

1) No consortium interview
2) The Consortium evaluates ALL membership essays & recs and grants membership. Schools will not see either. Before it was the schools themselves, and presumably Consortium felt some institutions were taking advantage of this privilege (make what you want of this).
3) Consortium will inform schools before 'draft day' in March who qualifies for membership and who does not.

AFAIK, my views and my track record has been inline with the mission of the CGSM. I am from a minority but I get bundled up with a larger group on the background surveys. I knew the chance was slim but it was worth a shot. I didn't do it for the fellowship but I won't turn it down. My essay wasn't the greatest but I do have a reference who has known and worked with me for 4 years and has seen me uphold the same principles. My grandparents were refugees, my father was the first person to attend college in his entire extended family and I've seen the difference an education made in his life (and mine). If I don't get the fellowship, I'm still glad I applied and glad to know there is someone out there giving the opportunity similar to the one that enabled my dad to escape his situation.

The other part I failed to mention was the Mission Recommendation. None of your schools will see your membership essay or the mission recommendation either.

My view is that I think applying through Consortium for just about anyone is not a bad thing. From a financial standpoint you save money and of course you are giving yourself a shot at having your education paid for and locking up an internship early in the game. There are some out there who will take advantage of the mission, but I happen to believe the system is designed to screen those folks out of the membership/fellowship process.

Something I am noticing Re: Consortium applicants is a surge in candidates of Southeast Asian decent. I'm not sure what the reason is but it's certainly very interesting.

I think the surge in SE Asian Consortium applicants is due to awareness of the Consortium. I think we often view ALL Asians as high represented but that's not the case. Vietnamese, Laotian, Filipino, Indonesians, etc actually face many of the same challenges as Black, Latino, and Native American applicants. Also there tends to be a lot of social interaction within these groups so it's more likely that SE Asian applicants can demonstrate a commitment to the Consortium's mission. One of my chapter sorors is Filipina.

I think the surge in SE Asian Consortium applicants is due to awareness of the Consortium. I think we often view ALL Asians as high represented but that's not the case. Vietnamese, Laotian, Filipino, Indonesians, etc actually face many of the same challenges as Black, Latino, and Native American applicants. Also there tends to be a lot of social interaction within these groups so it's more likely that SE Asian applicants can demonstrate a commitment to the Consortium's mission. One of my chapter sorors is Filipina.[/quote]

Excellent post! As a SE Asian minority, I agree.

TheSenator,

I thought applicants were down last year and the surge was 2 years ago

Or are applicants down this year and the surge was last year?

Sorry if I sound confusing! But there's a big diff. I think some schools have claimed to have more applicants this year (UCLA is +20%)

Of course everything is on a school by school basis, but in general most Full-Time Top MBA programs experienced a decline last year and the trend is continuing this year. Much of it has to do with ROI and rising cost of education. Part-time and online programs are experiencing increases. Tuck was one of the few schools last year to buck the overall trend but they too are not immune from declining application rates.

The real difference is in the quality of candidates applying though. So even though there are less potential applicants the selection pool for schools is getting stronger. So when someone says, "my chances are better this year", I immediately think, "possibly, if you are as strong of a candidate as your peers". So even if application volume is down at Consortium member schools this year, it's likely the selection pool of this year's class is stronger than past years. And from the looks of the roll call that seems to be in alignment with this line of thinking.

As the forum moderator I want to thank all of the lurkers who have emerged from the shadows this week to say hello, contribute and 'officially' join our community by updating your profile to the roll call. As it currently stands we have 33 applicants who are applying via Consortium this year on gmatclub.com... only 33?

While I'm happy the conversation is rich and many of you are participating in the discussion I know there are many more who still take cover in the shadows and are waiting for the first admit to join the roll call or post a comment. For a few months I was one of you - I was so intimidated by all of these over-achievers on gmatclub I thought; people are going to look at my profile and laugh, how embarrassing would it be if I got dinged and the entire forum could see it? Then I realized three things: 1) no one even knows who I am (well maybe one person does) 2) no, it's not embarrassing because 95% of us are getting dinged too 3) how great of a resource this forum and community was to me as I was struggling through the application process and decided I wanted to start to integrate myself into a family (of both MBAs and Consortium members) that I will be a part of for the rest of my life. I'm so glad I found this site and the Consortium forum; it really has become a sort of online home for me.

Now that the stresses of applying are over and done with I want to continue to make the appeal to Update Your Profile and join the Consortium roll call (please make sure you adjust your privacy settings and application cycle (2011-2012) and round in which you are applying accordingly) but also, drop us a line on the forum and say 'Hi'. It's my personal goal to make the Consortium forum one of camaraderie, support and encouragement... one of the best ways we can do that is by participating regularly and respectfully. I'm very proud that compared to last year we already have almost 500 posts well before the class of 2013 did but I know we can do better.

If you're having concerns about privacy with your profile and/or you just aren't the talkative type we all understand. PM me if you're interested in joining the roll call but want your info to be on lock down or if you just want to introduce yourself personally. If you've already joined and you have friends applying through Consortium please encourage them to sign on and sign up!

And remember we are here to help, mentor and uplift each others journeys so no question or comment is too dumb. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening folks...

Hi! That's all I'm suppose to say, right?

Posted from my mobile device

That works!! Welcome to the Consortium thread. Did you apply R1 or R2?