Calling All Kellogg MBA Applicants(2018 Intake) Class of 2020!

Feel free to reach out via PM if there are any questions related to Kellogg app or general questions. Im a first year at Kellogg, going onto second in Fall 2017.

Good luck.

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ah, the Kellogg deadlines! Awesome. Any reapplicants here? I am a Kellogg 2020 hopeful and can't wait to get my hands on those essays.

The thread seems awfully quiet!

yeah I am glad they did not change the essay prompt last year. Gnpth - you applied to Kellogg last year right? What is your reapplication strategy?

Hey, thanks, Man!!

We know that you are busy but we can have admitted student chat whenever you are available. I'll IM you...

Hi Engr2012: I am sure Gnpth has reached out to you for the admitted student chat. I think it would be fascinating for new users. Meanwhile, we have created this space for all top school current admits and alums to share their learning with new applicants (such as myself). Would you mind posting a short blurb there?

Also, how was your interviewing experience?

June was a busy month for us at The Kellogg School of Management. We said goodbye to the class of 2017, welcomed our latest one-year and MMM students to campus, and continue to work with our two-year and JD-MBA admitted students on their arrival in August. Now that our incoming students have started to arrive, we are getting ready to hit the road and meet the applicants all around the world.

Our application for the Full-Time MBA program goes live in mid-July, kicking off our admissions season. We love seeing the unique and exciting ways our prospective students express themselves and demonstrate their amazing backgrounds throughout the application process.

Every year, we review our application and look for ways to get to know our applicants even better. As the 2017 application is about to go live, we are excited to share an update to our essay questions and give you insight into how you can best showcase your accomplishments in your response.

Changing Question #1 on the Kellogg Full-Time MBA Application

The evolution of the new essay question

We have long asked our applicants to reflect on their leadership experiences and impact on others, which are key aspects of the Kellogg experience. The latest version of this question takes this same focus on leadership and expands it to call out another longstanding Kellogg commitment: creating lasting value in organizations. We are looking forward to your response to the following:

Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip and inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Tell us about a time you have demonstrated leadership and created lasting value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn?

The goal of creating lasting value in organizations is not something new to Kellogg. In fact, it’s an integral facet of our purpose statement. We are calling you to show us how you have spearheaded change, strived for excellence and created legacies in your organizations. This is an opportunity to dive deep into a strong example; we want to understand the challenges you faced and what you learned from that experience to develop you into the leader you are today. We want our students to be the kind of people who aim to leave a lasting mark wherever they go, both before Kellogg and throughout the rest of their careers.

As you prepare your application, we recommend you visit the Full-Time MBA application page to find more information about all of our essay questions and start your Kellogg journey. We are so eager to meet you and learn more about your accomplishments.

Saturday, July 8: Live Q&A with Recent Kellogg Admits and Current Students.

CHAT ROOM 2: https://gmatclub.com/forum/mchat2.php?fl=menu

Dear Applicants, We will conduct a live chat with Class of 2019 new admits to Kellogg as well as few current students, at 9:00 PM IST (4:30 PM GMT) on Saturday, July 8th 2017. We hope all of you will attend this chat. I hope you utilize this opportunity to ask your questions about the school, application process and anything else that will help you make a strong case for admission this year.

Date and Time:

July 8, 2017 | Saturday | 9:00 AM PST (4 PM GMT) to 10:00 AM PST (5 PM GMT)

Place:

Chat Room2

Add this event to your Google calendar.

Hey, Guys!!

Please make use of this platform to chat with current students before you start your applications. Looking forward to chatting with all fellow prospective applicants on Saturday!

Q- Is there a common characteristic that defines everyone at Kellogg? like, I’ve heard it’s a place for extroverts and some one who’s had stellar co-curricular activities in Undergrad.. Is that true? How can someone with limited undergrad extra-curriculars strengthen their profile to the ad-com?

A- Interesting question! I would say very open mindedness would be the top of the list. Its not true that everyone at Kellogg is an extrovert, I am friends with quite a few introverts as well. The best thing about Kellogg is that you get to meet all sorts of people and get to stay in your own zone while meeting new people from different backgrounds.

Q- Have heard a lot about the emphasis on team assignments at Kellogg. Are all of them chosen by students themselves or are some assigned randomly?

A- good question. I would say 50-50. Some courses professors would assign them so that there is diversity in the groups while for some courses you would want to pick your people so that you enjoy the courses. Profs. will let you know before either way. Either of these 2 strategies only add to your classroom experience.

Q- Do you see major differences between the two year program that you are into and the one year program esp wrt degree valuation and placements? Will help few of us who are in dilemma of picking the right program with decent work experience.

A- a question everyone should think about. Apart from 1Y vs 2Y, there also is MMM//Part time // Exec MBA options available at Kellogg. You definitely get a lot more opportunities to network as a 2Y student but 1Y placements have been decent as well the past year. But frankly as 1Y, you just need to get started right from the very day and be clear with what you want. 2Y program does give you this flexibility of switching roles/industries if needed.

Q- Have heard compliments about the curricular flexibility at Kellogg. Does that include eligibility to taking classes at other schools at NU? I am particularly keen on law classes (applied to Pritzker Law and WLed this year). If allowed, then is it uncomfortable given the Evanston-Chicago commute?

A- yes, you can start taking electives starting with the winter quarter of the first year. I will be taking a business law course this fall. So, yes, there is definitely flexibility in that regard.

Q- Maybe this is a more generic question about putting in our best application, but in your experience, what makes for a better impression on the ad-com- personal stories or professional ones, to show leadership and/or achievements? Can this balance out a lower GMAT score for an international applicant?

A- there is no one size fits all formula here. Make sure the stories/examples you quote clearly follow the STAR technique and you should be good. If you have multiple examples for the same trait, pick one and move. As for lower GMAT, yes, deifnitely. I’ve seen people with low GMAT get admitted with great essays as they were able to connect with the adcoms at Kellogg. Also, make sure to answer the implied question of your low GMAT in the optional essays. Bottom line is that be proactive about filling in the blanks in your application and don’t let adcoms speculate as to why didn’t you answer this particular aspect. Mantra: try to minimize work for the adcoms to form a picture of your holistic personality.

Q- One thing that really stands out in Kellogg vis-a-vis other M7 schools is the number of companies which recruit a big chunk of the batch. It’s somewhere close to 200 as opposed to double-digit numbers in others. I know you can’t compare Kellogg’s career office with the others. But how helpful has the office been in your experience for someone interested in 1. the school’s core strengths (marketing/consult etc) and 2. the ones that are not traditionally chosen by the students - entrepreneurship/finance

A- Career management centre (or CMC) at Kellogg has been really helpful. You get assigned to a career counsellor by mid October and do make sure to use this massive resource to your advantage. Right from resume review to career path options, you can discuss anything you want to. Career coaches themselves are spread across the spectrum and you can definitely sit down with another one if your career path is non traditional.

Q- Kellogg is one of the stingiest of the M7 schools. To defray costs, are there any external scholarships available (am sure there are options but does a reasonable percentage of Kellogg class actually end up getting them) or other TA/RA positions available (not sure if we would have time for it)

A- Don’t know of these stats. But I know of sizeable scholarships awarded. It becomes difficult to get one if you are an international student, but domestic students have a ton of options. Also, NU provides loans at much lower than other providers to defray some of the costs.

Q- How one can answer ad-com questions on how we see ourselves contributing to Kellogg? How is such a question best answered? I know most activities at Kellogg are purely student-led.. so should we be largely demonstrating that quality?

A- Contributing to Kellogg is definitely on the personal level. Show how you have researched different ways of contributing to Kellogg’s culture either via engaging yourself in different clubs or leading initiatives or something else but something that shows your genuine thought process and not regurgitation of something you saw online.