Oxford (Said) 2012 - Calling All Applicants

Hi There. All the best in your apps. Im a R1 admit. I'd recommend really nailing that second essay -- the topic is broad because they want to see what kind of thinker you are.

nervously awaiting results this week

Hey enkie, I have been reading so many of yours posts in this forum, particularly in this Oxford thread, that it's almost like I know you! Please, I am just starting on my essays and while I am confident I can do a good job of it in one month, I really need all the encouragement, PM tips, links to the best forum pages, etc!!

Hey buddy, all the best! Please pm your tips, suggestions on how to start with the essays and recommendations!

Hi.. I am a current student at the Said Business School.. Let me know if you have any questions.. But, be advised that, as this is the exam week for Hilary term (our second term), there may be a delay in my reply..

Hi Oxfordgrad2012, I really, really wanted to talk to you! You were missing from the forums for a while. I am going to PM you my questions. In fact, I have some tough questions that I need answered and I ll take a few minutes to collect my thoughts. Are you going to be online for a while?

Hi.. PM me your questions.. Will do my best to answer by today evening (UK time)..

Hi all,

This is a my first ever post in the forum, but been a lurker for quite sometime already. I'm currently drafting my essays trying to catch the R3 submission. Would appreciate some tips.

Hi countolaf, guess we ll be applying for R3 together! but the deadline is in a month - when r u giving the GMAT

Posted from my mobile device

By the end of the month. Hopefully I could pull off a good score. Anyhow, would you know if the IELTS requirement needs to be completed on the same time as the other requirements?

Checking email every single minute even though the decision notification is going to be released several days later.
I think you guys who participated in the interview feel the same as what I feel.
Hope your success in the admission and see you at SBS as co-students.

Posted from GMAT ToolKit

Same here. Next 10 days are going to be very crucial for me as the results of the four universities for which I had given my interviews will be released in these ten days... Starting with Oxford on Marhc 23rd... there are three more universities which will release their decisions in the last week of march ... This '10-day' period is probably going to be the longest one of my life ... )

If there's one thing I've observed, it's that the gmat would appear to matter less to British management programs compared to their American counterparts.

The average gmat score at LBS is even lower than SBS, and they are both top 20 programs. I must say I find it heartening that UK schools focus more on applicant accomplishments and world views vs. the results of a standardized test.

budablasta and CountOlaf

The advice I can offer for the essays are as follows.. (hope they are helpful)

1. You have about a 5% margin to go over the word limit, so dont freak out too much about staying within the word limit.
2. Make sure to ACTUALLY answer the question. I think sometimes applicants get really frantic about wanting to include extra information that they forget to answer the actual question.
3. First essay question. Talk about what led you to where you are today, and where you hope to go in the future (whether it is to continue your current trajectory or do a career change -- make sure that if you want to do a career change to give very rational reasons why and show that you've done your research in your chosen new field). Make sure to talk about why a MBA would help your career and why specifically Oxford. May be helpful to include faculty research topics that interest you or are helpful in your career goals. The key here is to come across very thorough in your research and succinct about your future goals (they want someone who has thoroughly thought about investing in a MBA and in Oxford).
4. Second infamous topic essay is where you really showcase what kind of thinker you are. I would recommend taking a few moments to brain storm any world events, topics, books that really affected you. Personal experiences interlaced with a specific world event/book usually gives a very good introspective picture for the adcom committee. Or think within your functional area -- for example, if you worked in finance, maybe talk about how the financial crisis has shaped your thinking and outlook. Or if you work in technology, the rise and fall of new innovative technology in your arena may have shaped your thinking. Or, if you worked in government, certain world events would have affected you immensely. In my humble opinion, Oxford University doesn't just want a money making machine, they want critical thinkers that would add value to their university -- as they are first and foremost a world renown research university.

Last but not least, before I began all of my b school applications, I sat down and did a branding/marketing exercise with me as the product. I brain stormed phrases and adjectives that I wanted to project. And I chose 3 as the 3 defining characteristics. All of my essays, resume materials, recommendation letters etc expressed those 3 characteristics (if you didnt prepare a bulleted list of qualities and accomplishments you want your recommenders to talk about, I suggest you do this asap and send it to them).

That was my biggest take away from b school apps, it's all a marketing exercise. And the most memorable product (meaning candidate) wins.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

For round 1 the results came two days before the deadline. If that is the case, tomorrow will be the "D-day"

I hope you are right! Anyone have the same experience for other rounds?

Looks like the results were released pretty early in the morning in round 1 (for those of us on the east coast of the states). Perhaps we'll be waking up tomorrow to news! (good or bad).

I forgot to add the obligatory "longtime lurker blah blah blah..."