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FROM Grant Me Admission: 5 Tips on Getting a 700+ on the GMAT (updated) |
So I have taken the GMAT twice and gotten a 710 twice. My splits were (Q49, V38) and (Q47, V41). This blog post is going to… |
FROM TopDogMBA - A Reapplicant's Tail: Do you want to know a secret …dinged at Wharton! |
You heard it hear first folks! I’m a bit disappointed not to have secured an admit trifecta (together with INSEAD and MIT Sloan), but this outcome was pretty inevitable at this late stage. I feel privileged to have been selected for the waitlist at Wharton and am fired up about matriculating at MIT Sloan this fall (more on this […] |
FROM TopDogMBA - A Reapplicant's Tail: There’s a place |
So, my final tally is in. I applied to three b schools in total this season: INSEAD – admitted MIT Sloan – admitted Wharton – waitlisted and dinged No MBA application process is complete without at least one ding – I know people who secured H/S/W admits and were still dinged by other schools! – […] |
FROM The Unlikely Capitalist: Course Descriptions - University of Michigan Business School |
Course Descriptions - University of Michigan Business School: Business Strategies for the Base of the Pyramid — The condition of the world’s poor is the subject of growing attention. Global poverty is increasingly seen as an unacceptable outcome of the current economic system, and there is interest in exploring new market-based approaches to poverty alleviation. The emerging base of the pyramid (BoP) perspective aligns business-oriented incentives for growth, innovation, and profits with the development community’s efforts to create a more inclusive capitalism. In fact, the relationship between profits and poverty alleviation in pursuit of mutual value creation is a central component of the BoP perspective. To explore these issues, this course integrates concepts of strategy, international business, non-profit management, and poverty alleviation to stimulate the leadership skills and competitive imagination needed to design BoP ventures. Through combination of cases, readings, lectures, videos, and outside guests, class session will engage students in discussions aimed at: 1) identifying the opportunities associated with a new perspective on serving BoP markets; and 2) developing the strategies, business models, and partnerships required to productively explore those opportunities. |
FROM The Unlikely Capitalist: Global Impact Speaker Series — The William Davidson Institute |
Global Impact Speaker Series — The William Davidson Institute: The William Davidson Institute Global Impact Speaker Series features thought leaders, practitioners and innovators who work in emerging markets economies. It has brought highly successful business leaders from various organizations and companies to campus to share their experiences, provoke thought, and stimulate discussion around the opportunities and challenges of international development, specifically healthcare issues and poverty alleviation in emerging markets. Past speakers include Dr. Tadataka (Tachi) Yamada, President of the Gates Foundation Global Health Program; Paul Farmer, the co-founder of Partners-In-Health; Brian Trelstad, Chief Investment Officer at Acumen Fund; Dieter Zestche, then CEO of DaimlerChrysler; and the late C.K. Prahalad. The monthly series provides students an opportunity to meet, hear from and interact with some of the people who have shaped and influenced development in emerging economies. Visiting speakers also have the opportunity to meet Ross School of Business MBA students and faculty in small group settings to further explore issues affecting international business and public policy. |
FROM The Unlikely Capitalist: The Erb Institute at Michigan Ross |
The Erb Institute at Michigan Ross: The Erb Institute is committed to creating a socially and environmentally sustainable society through the power of business. Building on nearly two decades of research, teaching, and direct engagement, the Institute has become one of the world’s leading sources of innovative knowledge on the culture, technologies, operations and governance of business in a changing world. The Institute’s impact is realized most powerfully through our vibrant global network of students and alumni who are the transformative change agents in business, government and the non-profit worlds. |
FROM The Unlikely Capitalist: Michigan Ross Center for Positive Organizations |
Michigan Ross Center for Positive Organizations: Our mission is to inspire and enable leaders to build high-performing organizations that bring out the best in people. We are a catalyst for the creation and growth of positive organizations. |
FROM Grant Me Admission: The most important technique to boost your critical reasoning score |
This week I am excited to have a guest blogger. Eliza Chute is an independent GMAT tutor, and she runs the helpful site https://bestgmatprepcourse.com/ (check it… |
FROM The Unlikely Capitalist: Impact Challenge |
Impact Challenge: What is the Impact Challenge? This year-long Ross effort seeks to create a profitable venture with a social mission in Detroit. It begins with a series of workshops, community conversations, team challenges, and pitch competitions that engage more than 1,500 students across five academic programs at Ross. It continues with eight months of engagement with individuals and organizations in Detroit, and culminates in the launch of a new, high-impact venture. Built into the process, awareness-building activities, feedback mechanisms, and reflection sessions maximize your leadership development. |
FROM The MBA Manual: Cornell Johnson Essay: “Table of Contents” Breakdown |
This essay is a creative submission that states the following: “You are the author for the book of Your Life Story. In 2000 characters or less, please write the table of contents for the book in the space provided or upload it as an attachment. Note: approach this essay with your unique style. We value creativity and authenticity.” So, essentially you need to break down your life into a series of chapter titles that convey what you want to the admissions officers. These titles should integrate seamlessly into your story. For me, I wanted to demonstrate how I’ve gotten to be interested in the field of education and where I intend to take it, all while showing some of my personality that wouldn’t otherwise be expressed in the application, such as humor and attention to stylistic detail. Think about what portrait of yourself you’d like to convey and start brainstorming chapter titles that work towards that portrait. My Table of Contents example can be found here. Feel free to take a look as I dissect it. I chose to separate my book into six main sections (representative of six of the main sections of my life so far), and provided a small blurb about each section. Some of the sections are supposed to be lightly humorous (such as the foreword by Will Smith), while others are supposed to be a bit more serious. The sections and blurbs were as follows: Page 4 Foreword by Will Smith A few kind words about our lifelong friendship Page 16 The Beginning Where the seed of a love for learning was sewn Page 48 Taking Leaps An intimate chapter focused on world travel and personal growth Page 77 College and a Calling When my passions and career path began to mesh Page 105 My Johnson MBA 2 years of learning, development, and life-changing experiences Page 139 A New Frontier How and why I changed the world of education Some of the things that I think I did well with this creative submission and that you might like to implement in yours are the following:
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FROM Grant Me Admission: My 3 Biggest Mistakes Studying for the GMAT (updated) |
Last time I took the GMAT, I got a 710. As I study to take it again, I reflect on three mistakes I made last time… |
FROM The Unlikely Capitalist: Wharton Social Impact Courses |
Wharton Social Impact Courses |
FROM The Unlikely Capitalist: Economic development in Mozambique. |
Economic development in Mozambique. |
FROM Grant Me Admission: Want to meet the Top Schools all at once? |
Hello everyone! Researching, networking, and understanding the “feel” for a school are all part of the essential journey to a top MBA. Wouldn’t it be great… |
FROM The MBA Manual: Cornell Johnson Essay: “Targeted Job Type” Breakdown |
This is going to be a shorter post for two reasons: one, the essay is pretty black and white, and two, the essay is very short (2000 characters max). The prompt is as follows: “What is the job that you would like to have immediately upon graduating with your MBA? (2000 character limit, including formatting characters)“ Let’s break this down. 1. Frame (~300-350 characters)
2. Short-term Goals (~550-600 characters)
3. Long-term Realization (~550-600 characters)
4. Wrap-up (~300-350 characters)
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FROM The MBA Manual: How to prepare for b-school interviews |
If you are invited to interview at one of your dream b-schools, congrats! Not many candidates will get to this point, and the fact that you’re being invited indicates an already strong interest in you on behalf of the school. Now it’s time to seal the deal. Pre-interview When I found out I had an interview at Yale SOM, I was first ecstatic, then panicked. “What if I mess up? What if I blank? What if I seem like a much better applicant on paper than I do in person.” These are all completely normal responses to have. The key is to use that anxious energy positively in preparing for the interviews rather than negatively by crippling yourself with fear. How to practice The first thing I did was scour the internet for the most common MBA interview questions. Here are some of the obvious:
Since, at most schools, you get to schedule your interviews yourself, try to space them out as much as possible. The reason for this is it allows you to “get in the zone” completely for one interview at a time. If you had all your interviews back-to-back-to-back, you might slip up and name drop someone you had correspondence with, talk about a club you liked, or mention a course you were interested in… FROM THE WRONG SCHOOL. The good news is that once you’ve prepared for one school, a lot of your answers will stay the same (career goals, why you’re pursuing an MBA, strengths/weaknesses, etc.). You’ll just need to adjust your more specific answers about the school itself. One last tip about practicing: try to practice naturally. What does that mean? Don’t work off of a script of any sort. If you approach your interviews with a script in mind and somehow fall off of that script mid-interview, you’ll panic. Not only that, but even if you nail it verbatim, you’ll probably sound too rehearsed. Rather, have a set of ideas that you want to touch on. Don’t focus on the exact phrasing; let the wording come naturally based on those ideas. Pre-interview In some cases, you will be offered the choice between an in-person interview or a Skype interview. Unless there is some extreme circumstance barring you from being able to swing it, choose the in-person option. It shows a certain dedication and commitment to the school that settling for a Skype interview does not, especially if you have to travel a far distance. In fact, if you are rather close in location to the campus, it may reflect poorly on you if you opt to do a Skype interview rather than make the commute. I’m not saying people who choose the Skype option don’t get in, because they obviously do. It’s especially understandable if you’re from another country (or continent). However, if it’s possible for you to do the in-person, do it. Tips for a Skype interview Sometimes circumstances prevent you from attending in person. For me, it was a snowstorm that hit my city and left it with seven feet of snow. Trapped in my apartment, I had to switch gears and request a Skype interview for my Yale interview. One thing to realize about Skype interviews is that notes aren’t “against the rules.” You can have your resume next to you or a few key examples that you’d like to touch on. However, you cannot blatantly read these notes, you should only glance at them if you get stuck. I have even heard of applicants writing things they want to touch on on a white board behind their laptop. If you choose to use notes, you need to practice discreetly referencing them. Film yourself with your webcam and practice glancing at your notes if you were to get stuck. If you can’t do it without looking like you’re reading right from the notes, then just don’t do it. If you can, though, then maybe have a few things jotted down just in case. From my experience, the people who do this end up not even looking at the notes, but they are a confidence-boosting safety net. Additionally, even though it’s a Skype interview, you should still dress professionally, and do so all the way down despite the fact that only your torso is showing. Being professionally dressed down to the shoes puts you in the professional mindset, something that rocking pajama pants and slippers with your suit coat might not do (no matter how comfortable). Lastly, and I’ve already touched on this, practice by filming yourself answering questions speaking into the webcam. You need to see if you’re doing right. Are you fidgeting or swiveling in your chair? Stop it. Are you looking directly into the webcam to simulate eye contact? It’s pretty unnatural, but you can get good at it through practice. Are you smiling? You should be! Practicing in the element of the interview will make it feel much more natural once the time comes and I cannot recommend it enough. Tips for the in-person interview Obviously, if the interview is in person, you’ll want to wear business professional. Make sure your clothes are ironed and you look well-groomed. I went as far as wearing a tie of the school’s color in a attempt to “subliminally” hint that I’d fit in well with the school. Did that work at all? Probably not, but it made me feel better. If you want to freshen your breath, opt for mints and not gum (no chomping). Give yourself plenty of time to get to the location. Being late might be a fatal blow to your application. When you first interact with your interviewer, stand up to greet them if you aren’t already standing. Give them a firm (though, not hand-crushing) handshake, look them in the eyes, and smile. First impressions aren’t everything but they’re definitely something. When you’re first starting the interview, try to get a feel for your interviewer and respond accordingly. If they’re more serious, be more professional. If they’re joking around, be more friendly. This is especially true of the Stanford interview, which is conducted by alumni all around the country and can vary greatly from interview to interview. Personal bias shouldn’t play a role in interviews, but it does. A slight shadowing of your interviewer helps. People like people who are like them. In either case…
Be on the lookout for upcoming posts about my personal interviews with Stanford, Yale, and Cornell, including the difficulty, format, types of questions I was asked, and a review of the overall experience! |
FROM The MBA Manual: My Interview with Yale |
Originally, I was supposed to have an in-person interview for Yale in New Haven, CT. However, as I mentioned in my last post about how to prepare for b-school interviews, my city was hit by a massive snowstorm, which made that impossible. The ad-com was very understanding and accommodating, though, and set me up with a Skype interview with only a day’s notice. As I also mentioned in my last post, I wouldn’t advise anyone to pursue a Skype interview over an in-person interview unless it is absolutely necessary, as this shows less initiative and interest in the school. I happened to be forced into the Skype interview by circumstance while still showing that I was willing to go in person, a best of both worlds kind of situation. The reason that I say best of both worlds is because I feel like Skype interviews are generally lower stress than in-person, at least for most people. You get to interview from the comfort of your own home/apartment, and the day typically goes as usual until it is time for the actual interview. I woke up in my own bed, worked out at my own gym, ate what I usually eat for breakfast at my own table, etc., and I think this familiarity really helped calm me down, especially since Yale was the first school I was interviewing with and the one that I cared the most about. I also had some notes jotted down next to my laptop in case my mind decided to shut down mid-interview, and this crutch helped ease my mind, too, despite the fact that I never actually looked at the notes. This is not to say that I wasn’t still insanely anxious; I spent the last 15 minutes before my interview pacing back and forth in my suit, trying to calm down. However, those things still helped. About 5 minutes before the interview, I checked my camera, adjusted my lighting, grabbed myself a glass of water (highly recommended–a great way to pause if you want to think for a second, though don’t overdo it), logged onto Skype and waited. Finally, the bleep-bloop ringtone of the incoming Skype call jolted me out of my anxious stare as the icon of the admissions officer popped up on my screen. I took a breath, said “let’s do this” in my mind, and clicked the “answer call” button. There were two interviewers, both female, and we began with formalities. We joked about the snowstorm that was keeping me away from campus and I began to feel the nervousness melt away in the first few minutes. They were very easy to talk to. After introductions, they proceeded with a back-and-forth style of interviewing, with each interviewer asking one or two questions and then delegating to the other. The interview featured some typical behavioral questions, but focused a lot on my resume (make sure you have a copy of yours handy when interviewing). They asked questions about each section of my resume; for example, in reference to my internships, something along the lines of, “What were your roles in each internship and how do they tie into your career goals?” or, in reference to my experience abroad, “Why these experiences? Which one impacted you the most?” etc. I was asked the traditional, “What are your short- and long-term goals and why is an MBA necessary to achieve them?” I was asked “Why Yale?” (I had tons of reasons) as well as if I had reached out to anyone to ask about Yale (I had…I named them, and stated why I chose to reach out to them). Since I was applying for the Silver Scholars program, I was asked about my age and how I think I can contribute to classroom discussion without work experience (a fairly tough question, but one I had prepared for). One question that I found to be a bit of a curveball was “What does initiative mean to you?” Being a first generation college student, I had my story ready and so found it semi-easy to answer, though I could see it being difficult for others. Lastly, they said we had a few minutes left (they have a deadline of 30 minutes and won’t go much over it) and asked if I had any questions. I had to sort of pick and choose my best ones due to the time constraint, but I still got plenty of valuable information. Overall, the Yale interview was probably my favorite. The questions were clear, the interview was concise, and the interviewers were on my side and wanted me to succeed. If you interview for Yale SOM, I would highly recommend knowing about the program and figuring out why you’d fit well in it, reaching out to current Yalies to gain more information, knowing your resume inside and out, and knowing what your career goals are. If you take these steps before the interview, you’ll be well on your way to an acceptance call in the winter. |
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Hi Guest,
Here are updates for you:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
R2 Decisions Are Coming Out - Join Chatrooms!
✅ Duke Fuqua : Mar 12, 2024
✅ UVA Darden : Mar 13, 2024 ✅ Dartmouth Tuck : Mar 14, 2024 ✅ Michigan Ross : Mar 15, 2024 ✅ IESE: Mar 15, 2024 ✅ Johnson (Cornell): Mar 15, 2024 ✅ Georgetown McDonough : Mar 18, 2024 ✅ Emory Goizueta : Mar 20, 2024 ✅ UT Austin McCombs : Mar 21, 2024 ✅ Chicago Booth : Mar 21, 2024 ✅ UC Berkeley Haas : Mar 21, 2024 ✅ UCLA Anderson : Mar 22, 2024 ✅ Yale SOM : Mar 26, 2024 ✅ Wharton : Mar 26, 2024 ✅ Kellogg : Mar 27, 2024 ✅ HBS : Mar 27, 2024 ✅ Stanford GSB : Mar 28, 2024 ✅ UW Foster : Mar 29, 2024 ✅ USC Marshall : Mar 31, 2024 ✅ MIT Sloan : Apr 5, 2024 ✅ Cornell Johnson : Apr 5, 2024
Tuck at Dartmouth
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