Calling All Fall 2010 Yale SOM Applicants

I would like to know what % of those entering IB or MC had no prior experience, in other words are career-switchers. I don't know why I would like to know as I am interested in neither, but I guess to shed more light on the employment stats.

So Yale needs to see that you understand their values, one of the most important being that businesses operates within society. And that does not just mean societal impact of business decisions, but also how those impacts can affect government policy, which in turn impacts the bottom-line of businesses. So you must show an understanding, through the context of your own industry, how businesses and society are very much connected and impacts each other.

For Personal Statement 2:

Choose one of the following topics and answer it in essay form. Please indicate the topic number at the beginning of your essay. (500 words maximum)

1. A central premise of our teaching about leadership at the Yale School of Management is that true leadership—leadership that helps to address a significant problem in a new way—is necessarily personal. It is only when personal passion aligns with meaningful aspirations that individuals are able to inspire others to act in support of an important goal or cause. What are you most passionate about, and how have you demonstrated a commitment to this passion?
2. What achievement are you most proud of and why?
3. What is the most difficult feedback you have received from another person or the most significant weakness you have perceived in yourself? What steps have you taken to address it and how will business school contribute to this process?
4. Describe a situation in which you devised and implemented a creative or unique solution to a difficult problem. What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
5. Required for reapplicants: What steps have you taken to improve your candidacy since your last application?

Does anyone know if reapplicants need to choose one essay topic in addition to answering #5?

Yes. You must choose an essay from 1-4 and essay #5. I inquired about this as well because it's not clear and there is only 1 upload. I was told to put both essays in the same document, making sure to label each essay, and then upload.

good luck.

I was a reaplicant as well. I wrote Essays 1 & 2 and answered question #5 for essay #3. As I was accepted I am assuming that this is all that was required. But I would ask just in case.

Dude, I just reformatted my resume a million times so that it would look normal both in a word document and on the preview screen. Now, my application is submitted! Anyone know how to save a copy of the application for our records?

That is where I usually submit my application via PDF. Don't have to worry about formating. BTW, I heard from a current student that the school has stopped using a bidding system. It's apparently all closed list now at Yale. Any one have any opinions about that?

GB what do you mean bidding system vs closed?

From my understanding:

There are typically two list. Open list (bid for interviews) vs Closed list (Company pick who to interview). Usually companies look through the apps, the people they found as good match at networking events, connections yada yada, and invite people they want to invite to interview (the closed list invites). If you were unable to get on the closed list, then you have a chance to bid on the invites, everyone is allotted the same number of points and you bid depending on how important a certain company is for you (Open list). Usually bidding is good for people who don't have the strong resume for the company, likely career switchers like myself, but would do well at interviews or case studies.

Certain schools and companies have moved away from the open list. At Kellogg, McKinsey has moved off-campus (another way of saying closed-list invites only - 0% open list) and the school has reduced the open list interview requirement for on-campus interviews to 30% of all available interviews (it was 50% last year).

I am wondering if you are supposed to include college extracurriculars in the "Activities" section of the application or only post-college extracurriculars? The wording, "List the most meaningful activities (up to five (5)) in which you participate or have participated from college to date." is confusing me.

Thanks!

Count me in for round 2. Submitted today. Thanks!

I took that to mean both during college and since college when I filled out my application. My reasoning was, if you remove the words "to date", it would definitely mean during college. If they meant "since college" they could have made it clear. And there is no other place to list collegiate activities. Two of my activities were very obviously from college and I was admitted so I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Yale SOM just got its largest gift to date 8,888,888
https://mba.yale.edu/news_events/CMS/Articles/7066.shtml
Maybe a fact you can inject into your essays.

Haha! I like the amount of his gift - so Chinese of him.

What's the significance of that number?

from the article:
Zhang chose to make his gift $8,888,888 because of the significance of the number eight in Chinese culture. Throughout China, eight is considered lucky. The Chinese word for "eight" sounds similar to those for "wealth" and "fortune."

count me in for R2, putting the final touches on my essays now

Any R1 admits hear anything about scholarships? I figured that info would've come with the admit call/packet, but haven't seen anything on this board...