Calling all Michigan (Ross) Fall 2009 Applicants!

Folks,

Ross website's faculty directory categorizes its faculty in to
1) Emeritus Faculty
2) Tenure-Track Faculty
3) Clinical/Lecturer/Adjunct/Visiting Faculty

The third one is self explanatory. But what do the first and second mean ? Are these common terminologies used in the US colleges ?

Ranjit

Yeah, it's common terminology.

Emeritus faculty - retired but still maintaining a presence on campus (lectures, research, etc)

Tenure-track faculty - this is your typical professor; after working as an "assistant professor" (or whatever their title is) for a number of years you can earn tenure which is something like a "permanent job". You can't be fired without cause.

RF

Refurb,

Thanks. I was completely unaware.

Hey Guys,

How are essays going? Writing essays adhering to the word limit is tough.

Tell me about it. I think my essays will require another 8 hours or so and they'll be done. My first essay is 540, the second 510, the third 301 and the last 317. And I still feel like there is more I should add!!

RF

Wow!!! You are almost done. I am still catching up. Have you visited the school?

I've done two apps in almost 2 months, I suck a writing.

Anyways, I'll be visiting Michigan this Thursday. I'll post an after-visit action report when I get back.

RF

Hey guys,

on the online application I did not see any place to upload a scanned copy of my transcripts? Do I need to email them directly or did I totally miss it on the app?

You missed it. I already uploaded mine.

RF

Tough is an understatement. I started off with a 580 word career goal essay. Brought it down to 534 now. This essay is testing my editing skills to the hilt. I am thinking if I should leave it at that (hoping they wont mind +-10%). What are you guys doing?

Wow, my first draft of the goals essay was more near 750 words! I think I've managed to bring it down to about 570. My gf is a great writer, so she has no problem telling me what to cut. I plan to be at or below the limit. I'm the conservative type and unless it specifically says recommended (i.e., Columbia) or has strange guidelines (i.e., Tuck), I'm sticking to the rules. The way I see it is that thousands of people have been able to stick to the rules over the years. My case is no more different or special than any of the other folks that have been admitted at Ross (or any other top school), so I will stick to the limits. 34 words is maybe 1-1.5 sentences. Have someone else take a pass at your essay. I guarantee you can get it to 500 or below.

Ok. I see your point. Another thing I just realized was, Ross uses the word 'maximum' while specifying the limit, which probably suggests they do not appreciate the rule being flouted.

By GF is no good at reviewing . Will find someone else for the task .

In the alternate career essay, has anyone defined what is a multidisciplinary problem ? I thought it was an interesting way to structure that essay. I did not do so till yesterday, when I completely revamped my essay.

This is the structure I have now :
a) My interest/passion 'abc' would drive me to pursue career related to 'abc'. Defined the long term goal for my alternate career here

b) In order to achieve the long term (alternate) goals, would need mutidiscplinary skills. Defined what are multidisplinary skills and how they help solve multidisciplinary problems

c) Went in to details of my alternate profession (something like a short term goals section in essay 1)

d) Related to the points made in point c and explained how they were multidisciplinary based on my definition in point b and how from these experiences, I will be effective in solving such problems. Concluded

What do you guys think ?
And if you don't mind, can you share the structure you followed..This is really a curve ball question..I did not find it in any of the MBA essay books ...

Ross Essay 3
My "definition" of an MD problem is purely something that will require me to rely upon multiple skillsets. That can be interpreted as marketing, strategy, and statistics, or communication skills and leadership. I don't define an MD problem in my essay, I use examples to illustrate this (the good ol' fashioned "show don't tell" theory you learn from elementary school).

Also, it's a 300 word essay. I don't know how you'll be able to pull off all of the detail you are suggesting. I did a word count on your hi-level explanation and that was 100 words right there.

Here's my pretty detailed approach (I'm not saying it's right, just telling you what I did).

1) I like to do <insert interest X here> because of a, b, and c. If I were not pursuing my goals as stated in Essay 1, I would do <insert job associated with interest X> [4 sentences]

2) Because I have experience/interest in a, b, and c, I will be good at solving multidisciplinary problems because b allows me to do this and c allows me to do this, things which will be helpful for solving multidisciplinary problems. [5 sentences]

3) I go a step further and show a specific real-life example of how I already leveraged my interest in X to help solve a multidisciplinary problem. [3 sentences]


Word count: 297

So are you writing about a specific MDP? I had to change from specific to general because of the word limit.

Paragraph 2 is general
Paragraph 3 is one specific real-life example

Thanks for sharing your structure. It interesting to know how others have approached this question. I like the way you have structured yours.

I think for the most part our structures are similar. The only major difference that I see is in point No 2. You are explaining how your interest, a,b, and c contributed to your effectiveness in MDP. Whereas, I am explaining how my alternate career/job (a result of my interests, but not the interest itself) will contribute to my effectiveness. I don't know which is more desirable. And maybe both are equally right or wrong.

The only reason I chose the way I did is because I thought the question wanted me to go a step further, put on a creative cap and draw an alternate career. So instead of explaining how the origin of my alternate career i.e. my interests will help solve MDP, I used my imaginative career to do that.

But seriously, still I am almost equally unsure about this question as I was when I was writing this. And I am certainly not yet done. I am way over the word limit (372)..This has to come below 330. Happy editing !