Calling all Kellogg Applicants (2015 Intake) Class of 2017 !

I completed my interview late-Jan. Interviewed in Dubai.

FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: A Tweeting priest, and what he’s learning at Kellogg

Photo by Victor Sokolowicz From Northwestern Magazine — By Sean Hargadon The chants rose to the roof of the Owen L. Coon Forum: “Manny! Manny! Manny!” The Cash Cows had just won the Kellogg School of Management’s new student Olympics, and soon Manny — who had emerged as a leader during the weeklong orientation program that pits teams of first-year MBA students against each other in collaboration-inducing competitions — was being tossed in the air. “It was like a high school football game for me,” says Manuel Dorantes, who is also known as “Father Manny.” “It was phenomenal. “They had no idea who I was,” adds Dorantes, a Chicago diocesan priest who had ditched the collar for his Cash Cows team T-shirt throughout Kellogg’s Complete Immersion in Management Week. “So on Monday, the first day of class, I show up with my collar on, and you should have seen the jaws drop. My classmates [who knew there was a clergyman in the class] were like, ‘You’re the Catholic priest? Are you serious?’ “I think they were disappointed,” he says with a laugh. Dorantes is now a second-year MBA student who splits his time between Chicago and the Vatican, where he occasionally works as a liaison to the Spanish-speaking media for the press office of the Holy See, the central government of the Roman Catholic Church. Dorantes’ first major assignment was the canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II last April. It was an unforgettable experience, he says. In the fall Dorantes studied change management and global economics through Kellogg’s International Exchange Program at the London Business School — a convenient two-hour flight from Rome — after a paid summer internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers as a financial services consultant in the fraud and money laundering department for a Chicago client. (Unlike priests in a religious order — Jesuits or Franciscans, for example — diocesan priests do not take a vow of poverty. Dorantes manages his own finances and is paying his own way at Kellogg with help from an F.C. Austin Scholarship.) Dorantes has come a long way from his roots in Ixtapan de la Sal, a town in the State of Mexico near Mexico City. Read more about Dorantes and his Kellogg experience Filed under: Academics, Student Life Tagged: Austin Scholarship, cim, Mexico, Northwestern Magazine, Two-Year MBA Program

Hi Everyone. Long time lurker here with a question: I'm very confused by the interview statistics on the first post in this thread. Doesn't Kellogg interview all applicants? So shouldn't applied and interviewed track 100:100 or like 100:98 (because of alumni availability) every round?

Or is it just a matter of the self reporting being incomplete?

Thanks!

considering even you didn't even list your schools, there are probably a ton of people that don't bother to update their status...

also - kellogg "tries" to interview all applicants.

Kellogg can give an initial interview waiver in certain cases. Although they say this is not a "bad" sign. If they really like you they just contact you for a formal interview.

People probably don't bother updating their status on the site hence the distorted statistics.


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FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: Kellogg announces 2015 Youn Impact Scholars

Tree farms that bring green space, jobs, and new hope to American towns in the grip of post-industrial decay; investments that help small businesses thrive in the face of withering conditions: these are just a few of several forward-thinking projects being implemented by this year’s cohort of Youn Impact Scholars. The program, in its second year, honors students and alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to becoming leaders in social impact in any chosen field, says Elizabeth Coston, Kellogg’s manager of social innovation. “We’re agnostic about whether they’re going into nonprofit, corporate, government, education — they are committed to somehow having a positive impact on society or within their organization,” Coston says. This year’s five student and five alumni honorees will meet with last year’s class of nine scholars later this year, at the first biennial Youn Impact Scholars meeting. Having the opportunity to connect with a growing network of like-minded peers is the most coveted aspect of winning, say student and alumni winners alike. Nicole Chavas ’15, who developed the tree farms idea along with fellow scholar Laura Kimes ’15 and is launching two pilot farms in May, pointed to “the chance to maintain that link with Kellogg, and with others who share the same passion and ideals I do from a business perspective,” as the greatest reward. Read more about the Youn Scholars program and this year’s recipients Filed under: Academics, Career, Student Life Tagged: alumni, social impact, social innovation, Youn Impact Scholars

I got an interview invite from the admissions. I don't know if they couldn't find any available alumnus in my area. I was interviewed and sent a 'thank you' letter to adcom.

In response interviewer said me that "we look forward to reviewing your application". I was really confused. Because I had thought that since I got an interview invite, and since it was not via alumnus but via skype with adcom, they initially reviewed my application then decided to interview with me because of my profile. I had thought it was a good sign and my chance of admit was improved.

But as far as I understand from the reply of adcom, they even didn't initially review my application at all. Am I wrong?

FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: An intro to Kellogg’s Career Management Center

What is DAK? That was my first question as I began my role as Managing Director of the Career Management Center (CMC) just over a year ago. DAK stands for “Day at Kellogg” and we held our first DAK of 2015 this past February. DAK is an extended weekend where admitted students and their spouse, significant other, partner, etc. come to get a feel for the real Kellogg. It is a peek behind the curtain and a glimpse into what a life at Kellogg would feel like, from the social experience and academic life to my personal favorite – navigating your career life! I spoke with a few hundred admitted students about the high-quality student and alumni career support they could expect to receive as a member of the Kellogg community. I also reassured them that there is nothing quite like springtime in Chicago and that winters are short-lived. Next, the students split into groups based on different industries. These breakout sessions helped them relate to the kinds of interests, motivations and values held by current students and alumni across the major industries pursued by Kellogg students. A CMC career coach moderated these sessions. Current students and alumni discussed utilizing clubs to learn about different fields, breaking into a new field, personal anecdotes about internships and securing jobs, and the best ways to take advantage of the resources offered by the CMC. At the CMC, we are able to help students by offering: Recruiting timelines for particular industries Resources to help you job search in a certain field Industry specific on-campus recruiting opportunities Relevant career research tools and resources And more Right now we’re already planning for DAK II, which will be held April 23-26. Here is a glimpse at some of the breakout session topics we will be hosting: Consulting Strategy & Business Development High Tech Private Equity/Real Estate Social Impact/Sustainability/Agribusiness Entertainment/Media/Sports Marketing/Brand Management/Retail/Luxury Goods Entrepreneurship/Startup/Venture Capital Energy/Clean Tech Investment Banking/Investment Management General Management/Operations Healthcare/Biotech/Pharma/Med Devices On behalf of the entire CMC team, we were pleased to meet everyone at DAK I and look forward to getting to know our Round 2 admits at DAK II. For everyone else, we can’t wait to show you all that Kellogg and the CMC have to offer. Best wishes, Mark Gasche Managing Director Career Management Center Learn more about Mark Gasche Filed under: Academics, Admissions, Career, Student Life Tagged: Career Management Center, CMC, dak, day at kellogg, Mark Gasche

It could have been that the individual that interviewed you hadn't reviewed your application yet. I've heard that some adcoms prefer to set up "blind" interviews with applicants so that prejudices about about GMAT score and GPA don't affect the quality and consistency of the interview. I think in the past, knowledge of one's GMAT and GPA prior to the interview skewed the interviewer's conversation/questions and ultimately resulted in a highly biased and unfair review at the end.

Another adjacent theory would be that you were passed through an initial screen based on certain metrics to obtain a skype invite and that your responder was simply referring to a more thorough review of your application that would be processed later.

Disclaimer: All of this is merely my own personal speculation
_________________

Did you initially get an interview waiver? If yes then they probably reviewed your application and then invited you to interview. However, that does not mean they won't take the interview data along with the rest of your application and review it all together. The interview doesn't guarantee admission. They probably meant that.

Assuming you did get a waiver, could you please share your location? I also received a waiver and am eagerly awaiting a call.

I didnt get a waiver mail, I got an interview invite (Skype) in Jan last week, interviewed in Feb....I am from India

Actually, I was waiting for a waiver but I did get interview invite without a waiver. I am from Turkey. Not so many alumni here I think.

On the other hand, if I didn't misunderstand, I was told that I would be waiting for March 15th for the decisions. As far as I saw, the decision release date was written March 25th on the web site. Is there any chance that Kellog loves surprises and release the decisions 10 days earlier?

Can I ask AO to release decision on my application earlier before March 25th? I've got another school's offer and the final decision day is March 11th. Kellogg is my first priority school but I'm really not confident...
So does anybody here have such experience before? What did you say to AO and did you get feedback?
Many thanks.

Pretty sure it doesn't work that way. Maybe if they had rolling admissions

Nope...but you can always ask your other school for an extension. I got mine extended by 12 days to March 26.

FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: The Polar Plunge with Lady Gaga and Vince Vaughn

On Sunday, more than 4,500 people braved the frigid waters of Lake Michigan to take the 2015 Chicago Polar Plunge and raise more than $1.1 million for Special Olympics. Along with celebrities who took the dip — like Vince Vaughn and Lady Gaga — were nine Kellogg students, including four Kellogg Board Fellows. The team of Board Fellows raised nearly $4,000 for the cause. Special Olympics Chicago Executive Director Susan Nicholl first met with students in the Kellogg Board Fellows Program this past fall, and it was that talk that inspired several of the students to form a team for the Polar Plunge. “We felt that partnering with Special Olympics Chicago would be a tangible and useful demonstration of the impact our organization and the Kellogg community strives for with nonprofits in the Chicago area,” said Noah Buntman, president of the Kellogg Board Fellows. “We hope that this year’s Plunge with Special Olympics Chicago is the first of many and the start of a lasting friendship and partnership between our communities.” Will Connor (pictured above), one of the Board Fellows team members, has a relative who has been a lifelong participant in the Special Olympics. Because of that, he wanted to give back to an organization that’s done so much for someone he cares about. “We could not have had more fun at the Polar Plunge this year,” Connor said, “and are grateful for Special Olympics for inspiring our participation.” The Kellogg Board Fellows Program is a student initiated and student-led experiential learning program. Approximately 50 fellows are selected each year, and they come to the program with work experience and an abiding interest in nonprofit board governance work. Each fellow is matched with a Chicago-area nonprofit board of directors for 14 months, beginning at the end of the fellow’s first year at Kellogg and continuing through May of their second year. The fellow serves as a non-voting member of the nonprofit board, actively contributing to the board’s work in a mutually agreed upon way that advances the work of the board. Each fellow is assigned a mentor from the organization’s board of directors; the mentor helps with the onboarding process and provides ongoing guidance and insight into the workings of the board. In addition to gaining real-world experience on a board of directors, the fellow also studies nonprofit board governance through two courses taught by Kellogg faculty: Nonprofit Board Governance and Advanced Board Governance.  These courses offer the fellow an opportunity to study best practices, examine trends in nonprofit governance, exchange insights with other fellows and learn how to become an effective board member. The program’s unique combination of academic study and real world experience helps fellows gain a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of board service. To learn more about the Kellogg Board Fellows Program, take a look at this story from the latest issue of Kellogg Magazine. Filed under: Academics, Student Life Tagged: board of directors, Chicago Polar Plunge, experiential learning, kellogg board fellows, nonprofit, Polar Plunge, special olympics

They will not release the decision early. Also, Kellogg is one of the few schools that doesn't convey your entire (possible) scholarship package when you receive an admit decision. If scholarships would impact your decision, it may be a few weeks after the admit decision when you would find that out.

You could ask whichever school admitted you to extend their deposit deadline, or pay the deposit and view it as the cost of doing business.

FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: Students develop forecasting tool for Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls and Kellogg’s Analytical Consulting Lab have had a partnership that extends back to the spring quarter of 2012. In the fall quarter of 2014, a team of second year students (Gavin Driskill, Andres Oksenberg, Pankaj Tanwar and Bruno Valle) completed the most recent project with the Chicago Bulls as part of the course, led by Professor Russell Walker. Since the team’s first season in 1966-67, the Chicago Bulls have evolved into one of the most iconic teams in all of sports and developed a brand recognized around the world. The Bulls organization won six NBA championships in 1991-1993 and 1996-98, and in recent years has reached the playoffs six consecutive times and made nine appearances in 10 seasons. In addition, through community relations efforts and support from Chicago Bulls Charities, the organization has made an impact on Chicago by contributing time, materials, resources and financial donations with an emphasis on youth education, youth health and wellness, and violence prevention. Through the efforts of everyone associated with the team, the Chicago Bulls have established a tradition of excellence on and off the basketball court. The Bulls, led by Director of Analytics Matt Kobe ’11, presented the ACL team with a merchandise and concession forecasting challenge. The team wanted to improve the forecasting of these revenue streams to help the team better plan and promote throughout the season. Using historical data, the Kellogg team was able to develop an initial forecasting tool for the Bulls. From there, the team added other elements that impact the forecast, including weather, day of the week and the Bulls opponent. Under the guidance of Professor Walker, the Kellogg team developed a powerful, yet simple tool the Bulls could implement. The Bulls will use this forecasting tool to inform the merchandise planning and promotional calendar and also evaluate performance throughout the year. “The Bulls partnership with the Analytical Consulting Lab has been great,” Kobe said. “This last quarter, the Kellogg students used data and analytics to address a key forecasting challenge for us and delivered executable recommendations that made an immediate impact to the business.” The key findings were presented to the Bulls during a December 9 visit to the United Center. The ACL team was thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with the Bulls and hopes that our project helps the Bulls continue to improve their business going forward. Gavin Driskill is a second-year MBA student at Kellogg. His interests include market research and segmentation, strategy and sports business. Filed under: Academics, Business Insight, Student Life Tagged: analytical consulting lab, analytics, Chicago Bulls, sports

FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: Dropbox peace of mind

First-year student Rohan Rajiv is blogging once a week about important lessons he is learning at Kellogg. Read more of his posts here. If I had to summarize my learning on pricing from my Microeconomics classes, it would be: avoid price competition like the plague. And to do that – differentiate, differentiate, differentiate. We discussed Dropbox’s move last year to lower prices to compete with Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon. The big question was whether this was going to be a race to the bottom in a future where storage would inevitably be free. Now, Dropbox is one of my favorite products. I have been a user since the early days when they used to be hosted on “getdropbox.com” and their brand had nothing but positive associations. All my working files sit on Dropbox, and ever since I did that three years ago, I’ve never had to fret about whether my working files will ever be lost. So I thought I’d put together two recommendations for Dropbox based on what I’ve learned in Marketing and Microeconomics in the past few months. These recommendations are based on the principal that differentiation matters. If we make the argument (and we can) that most storage providers inherently offer a similar product, the game-changer will be Dropbox’s ability to horizontally differentiate, i.e., inspire great brand loyalty among its users. That then leads us to a marketing question: how can they do that? My line of thinking is to think around the traditional four P’s – product, price, promotion and place. My two recommendations are going to be based on promotion and price: 1. TARGET THE PEACE-OF-MIND BUSINESS. What can Dropbox do to differentiate? That leads me to ask this question: what is the market? The first answer seems to be storage. But is it really storage? Or, put differently, do we want it to be storage? When I look at why customers use Dropbox, collaboration is obviously a massive reason and is at the core of why they do what they do. Dropbox has understandably worked really hard at making collaboration easy. My recommendation would be to also target the peace-of-mind business. Every user who collaborates via Dropbox likely has many important files on it. Why not just move them all onto Dropbox and make it a full set? I pay Crashplan a yearly fee to back up my photos. That could easily be Dropbox. I think Crashplan works fine but I don’t love Crashplan the same way and would be more than happy to pay a bit of a premium for that love and trust of Dropbox. In short, I think the customer problem that Dropbox could look to solve is to remove the worry about files not being backed up. This needs an investment into customer education and a few tweaks into the way it is marketed. But, if done well, I think this could be a huge win. 2. GET CREATIVE WITH PRICING. The current “band” approach to pricing from the storage providers is staid. The problem with bands is that it only feels like a good deal if you are near the edge of the next band. Why pay $10 for 1 terabyte if all you have is a 100 GB worth of content to store? An approach that could be really impactful is Amazon Web Service’s “you-pay-for-what-you-use” style. This could work well for two reasons: FOOT-IN-THE-DOOR. Even if I’ve not fully made up my mind, I could put in 10 extra GB into my Dropbox folder and try it out for a month. Once I’m in and experience the peace of mind, it’ll be hard to get out. CUSTOMER’S USE WILL EXPAND WITH TIME. It is much easier to get a customer paying $6 to pay $10 vs. one paying $0. This use expansion is part of the reason Dropbox and Netflix still use AWS for storage. Dropbox has a strong edge when it comes to differentiation because its brand associations are all linked to storage. Amazon, for example, has begun offering photo back up for free for Amazon Prime members, but I still haven’t checked it out because I don’t associate Amazon with photo storage (yet). It’ll be interesting to see how the storage wars play out. Good luck, Dropbox! Rohan Rajiv is a first-year student in Kellogg’s Full-Time Two-Year Program. Prior to Kellogg he worked at a-connect serving clients on consulting projects across 14 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. He blogs a learning every day, including his MBA Learnings series, on www.ALearningaDay.com. Filed under: Academics, Business Insight, Student Life Tagged: Dropbox, marketing, MBA Learnings, microeconomics