Collection of Important Posts from LBS Class of 2016 Discussion

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Collection of Important Posts from  LBS Class of 2016  MBA Applicants’ discussion.

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LBS (Full Time MBA) Class of 2016: GMAT Club Application Stats

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LBS (Full Time MBA) Class of 2016 interview invitation and decision release dates and time

Interview invites to R1 applicants on 1st Nov 2013. First invite reported at 9.18 AM Pacific
Interview Period 11 to 24 Nov 
R1 decisions on 12 Dec 2013. First report on GMAT Club at 9.47 AM Pacific on 12th Dec 2013.

Interview invites to R2 applicants on 6th Feb 2014. First invite reported at 9.30 AM Pacific
R2 decisions on 27 March 2014. First report on GMAT Club at 12.16 PM Pacific Time on 27th March 2014

Interview invites to R3 applicants on 8th April 2014. First invite reported at 8.42 AM Pacific
R3 decision on 15th May 2014. First report on GMAT Club at 10.13 AM Pacific Time on 15th May 2014

Admit Calls to Waitlisted Applicants on 26th May 2014

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“Why the MBA, why now? Prepare to have this challenged. Talk to your friends- know what you could be challenged on, chances are you have had friends or family already ask you these questions, so be prepared to defend your view. It's hard to challenge your background and experience, so if you can bring this in part of your answer: do it. For me, I really need this for a crucial jump start for what I want to do post-MBA, and I knew what aspects of programme I needed to be involved with to reach those goals.”

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Applicant   |   Application   |   Essays  
 -  hashpipe

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Application   |   Application   |   Essay

I doubt it will make any difference whatsoever. LBS gets a lot of US applicants every year so the adcoms will be used to it. By the way, I am a Brit and I intend to spell everything the British way (or should I say correctly) on all my apps! -  domotron

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Applicant   |   Interview Debrief  
Hi guys. I had my interview today, so some general tips:

1. Know your CV inside out- don't just say what you do, detail a story or anecdote that actually captures 'you'. My interviewer seemed more interested when I wasn't just saying things but actively giving examples.
2. Have your basic behavioral question answers ready- conflict, leadership, teamwork - what you learned from each experience is crucial.
3. Why the MBA, why now? Prepare to have this challenged. Talk to your friends- know what you could be challenged on, chances are you have had friends or family already ask you these questions, so be prepared to defend your view. It's hard to challenge your background and experience, so if you can bring this in part of your answer: do it. For me, I really need this for a crucial jump start for what I want to do post-MBA, and I knew what aspects of programme I needed to be involved with to reach those goals.
4. Why LBS? I had also applied for INSEAD so my interviewer really wanted to know which was my first preference (for me, this was easy as I REALLY want to attend LBS for several reasons- however if you're applying for several schools, be prepared to give the reasons why LBS is right for you, over and above each of these other schools.)
5. Know yourself, and your own unique story and stick to it. What is it about you that is deliciously different? Don't hide who you are; my interviewer particularly liked parts of my application which weren't even part of my main essays, things like my hobbies which she was also interested in so we spoke a lot about that. At the end of the day, you are a person being judged on if you would be an interesting, thoughtful and inspiring class member to your peers. Bring out your random side!
6. Have three keywords in your head that you consistently bring in to your responses: your messaging describing YOU and your brand is crucial. What are the three keywords that you want to leave your interviewer with, long after you leave and after they've seen many other interviewees. Stand out and help them remember your three key words!
7. The presentation is not designed to trip you up, it's a check of clarity in thinking. Use some basic presentation structure skills and you will be fine. Bring in a recent topical (and relevant!) news headlines and you'll probably score better, but I think it's mostly on clarity of structure.
8. Be genuinely interested in your interviewer- LBS is one of the most thorough schools for matching potential candidates with interviewers with similar backgrounds and/or goals. Take advantage of this! This is your opportunity to ask someone who has probably been in very similar shoes to you as to how they managed their career transitions, what they found easy and hard, what they wished they had done during their time at LBS, and most importantly - what they definitely recommend doing whilst attending. My interviewer gave me a list of classes that she said were amazing- this is all great knowledge and it's your chance to get to know someone who has been through through the process.

It was a tough, thorough interview, but I am so impressed with the interviewer. So far I've only met very friendly, intelligent and inspiring students and alumni and this alumni was no exception.

If anyone has any specific questions, PM me, happy to answer, or happy to do general questions on the thread. Good luck to all interviewing soon! -  mbadreams17

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LBS Blog   |   Masters in Management   |   School Info  
 Postgraduate programmes research… we understand there is so much information to review about entry requirements, work experience, GMAT scores, and further to that no shortage of tips on how to make your application more competitive. Whilst these things are all very important to consider before you even get to the application stage, I would like to offer an insight into what our Admissions Committee is looking for in Masters in Management candidates.

Let’s start from the beginning. You are in your final year of university or have graduated recently and you decide that a postgraduate course would be the next appropriate step in your career. You conduct research on several business schools and discover the Masters in Management programme at London Business School. You check entry requirements and you tick all the boxes! Is that enough? Below you will find a few points that you should have a think about when crafting your application and essay questions, and deciding whether you are a good fit for the MiM.

The majority of students will want to pursue postgraduate business studies in order to achieve their career goals. As such we want to see individuals who have the motivation to achieve their career goals and whether they have already taken any steps towards them. We will be looking at whether there has been a clear focus in your work experience thus far, and that you understand how this programme is going to help you fast track your career. If there hasn’t been a clear focus, have you been working to obtain a transferable skill set that can be utilised in your job/industry of choice?

We are looking for high-performing individuals coming from good universities around the world who have pushed themselves to excel in an academic environment, and who have achieved success in doing so. The programme accepts candidates with no work experience at all and, in this case, the Admissions Team will be looking at other aspects that you have excelled in during your undergraduate career (such as music, arts, sports, volunteer work, etc). The Committee will also be assessing grades, awards and scholarships, exchange programmes, summer schools and studying abroad. All of these activities or projects are important as they may give you transferrable skills for your desired industry such as teamwork, leadership, ambition for success and interpersonal skills. These transferable skills are important not just for your career, but also for the classroom here, which is why we put so much emphasis on them. However, please be aware that most students will have had at least one internship prior to starting the programme, and thus having solid internships in top-tier firms, or a solid family business or entrepreneurial experience, can help to boost your candidacy. If there are any gaps in your CV, it is recommended that you discuss this in your application.

International awareness is also an important aspect of our programme. Students come from more than 40 countries and speak 46 languages so having a multicultural outlook is essential. A multicultural mindset will also be valuable for your future career as, nowadays, recruiters are looking for candidates who also have the ability to work harmoniously with other cultures. Regardless of whether you have had the opportunity to travel or study abroad we want to see that you have an interest to be a part of the multicultural environment at London Business School. Do ask yourself: will you enjoy being challenged by different points of view?

We are looking for leaders in the making who are also great team players. Why is it so important to have excellent team working skills? Study groups make working in teams and collaboration a vital aspect of the learning process at LBS so we are looking for individuals who work well in this team-based environment. You should be comfortable with sharing ideas and taking a step back when needed. You also need to be ready to step-up and take charge when appropriate. Showing leadership potential and the ability to build a network are both equally important.

Is there a certain, exact profile that you have to perfectly match? No.
We are not recruiting the same people over and over again – that is the fun of the MiM!

Our students are very different in terms of nationality, degree subject, university and work experience. Having peers that come from such diverse backgrounds makes the learning experience more interesting and exciting.What your classmates will share however are a certain drive, energy, collaboration and ambition which make them a good London Business School ‘fit’.

If you have any questions about your eligibility for the Masters in Management programme, please feel free to submit a post below or submit your CV for review to  mim@london.edu.

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LBS Blog   |   Interview Prep  
 Winter is coming…actually, in London it’s already here. For MBA Admissions, this means we are organising Stage 1 interviews all over the world, and I do mean everywhere, from Athens to Jamaica. This is the perfect time to talk about interviews, and more specifically things candidates have done really well. This post is titled ‘how to impress at a business school interview’ as much of what I’ll say is going to be relevant for whichever school you are applying for. Some will be specific to the LBS MBA Programme. I should also point out here that at LBS, all MBA interviews are conducted by alumni from the programme.

Right… so you get the email shortlisting you to interview. Congratulations! To get shortlisted to a top business school certainly isn’t easy. After all the work you have done so far you want to make sure you nail it! Here are a few tips to help which, incidentally, are all things I have seen or heard successful candidates do:

Do your research. If you are meeting an alumnus, see if you can find out more about them. Linked In is the obvious way to do this. Make sure your understanding of the school and the programme extends well beyond what you have read on the website. The most common failing in MBA interviews is a candidate being unable to demonstrate ‘why LBS?’ and also that they are truly passionate about the school. Remember the alumnus will be volunteering their time, mainly because they have a passion for their school. They will want to see that passion on display during the interview.

Make sure you have ‘your story’ ready and it is coherent and compelling. Your interviewer will want to understand where you have come from, both personally and professionally, and where you might want to head in the future. This doesn’t mean you have to have a defined business background or a very specific post MBA goal.

Read the latest business press. Make sure you are well versed on current trends and topical issues. Equip yourself with some solid examples of experience working in teams and leading. This doesn’t have necessarily have to be line management. Think about what you are going to bring to LBS. How will you fit into your study group? Which clubs will you join?

Finally, the alumnus will make time and be willing to answer any questions you have about LBS and the programme. This is a great opportunity to get candid first-hand answers and raise any concerns or worries you might have.

I appreciate this may all sound rather obvious but these interviews are ultimately quite straight forward. The alumnus will be thinking ‘would I have wanted to study with this person?’ Believe me, they will be wanting you to do well!

Oh and I’m afraid I can’t give you much information about the impromptu presentation, otherwise it wouldn’t be very…well…impromptu!

Good luck to anyone interviewing this month!

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Current Student   |   Interview Prep  
Hi all, I'm currently at LBS and I was in your shoes a few months ago. Here are my three main pieces of advice for MBA applications.

First, I can say that online forums like GC helped me a lot to prepare my applications and my interviews to have a general understanding of what to expect. Thanks GC!

The second very important thing, find 2 or 3 friends to challenge your essays and for mock interviews. For essays, try to have someone with a good understanding of what MBAs are looking for and a good knowledge of yourself. Non natives, might be worth having a native to trim your wording and spelling. For interviews, try to train with several people and different styles.

The third and most important point, get some real experience of LBS. This can be done by visiting the campus if you don't live too far, and/or by meeting students and alumni. There are multiple options to do that, such as contacting the school or students directly. Another even better way is to attend one of the events of the school. Global Energy Summit is a very good one and is held this Friday 29 Nov. Experiencing the school and interacting with its community would allow you to confirm that LBS is the right place for you and would add to your applications and interviews. I think that this last advice is true for every top business school.

Good luck! -  lddl 
 
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Applicant   |   Admission Process

The initial commitment fee is £1,500, and is due 3-4 weeks after receiving the offer. The reservation fee is £6,000 and is made in June. -  PlastMan

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Applicant   |   Admission Stats

Their admissions rep at an event I attended told me that they interview about 30% of all applicants and accept about 75% of interviewees (including those taken from the waitlist) -  brottscott

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Applicant   |   Interview Debrief  
Interviewed in RD2 -on campus, got the invite to the exclusive masterclass on the 25th but no placeholder for the Admit dinner although the initial email from my regional manager mentioned the date in her email. Somehow, I don't think either of these mean anything until the final decision is out.

While I am here, here's the round up from the interview, lasted around 3 hours:
- Why LBS
- Why MBA
- What I love about London
- What I love about my job
- How do I manage stress
- How do I select my teams? How do I convince someone to be part of my team
- What's my leadership style
- Has anyone ever let me down? What's my biggest accomplishment? Have I ever failed anyone?
- Industry trends in my profession, what are the biggest opportunities/ threats for my firm
- My post MBA plans include starting my own business so we discussed my vision for the business, the scaleability of the proposition
- What will I bring to the LBS community
- How did I go about choosing the programs I applied to
Presentation was brief and the topic was pre-selected. I didn't know much about the topic but tried to follow a structure, the interviewer didn't ask any follow on questions.
We ended the interview with talking about the interviewer's background and some questions I had. I think I might have rambled a bit for some answers but the ones where I was concise, there were follow on questions.
Hope this helps anyone who is still waiting to be interviewed.

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Funny stuff posted by applicants in desperation.

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List of Admitted Folks

gcb09173 · Answer

To confirm - it is actually £2000.

£2,000 Commitment Fee Deadline 
Stage
1 Thursday 22 January 2015
2 Wednesday 22 April 2015 
3 Thursday 18 June 2015 
4 Thursday 16 July 2015

£6,000 Reservation Fee Deadline
Stage
1 Thursday 18 June 2015
2 Thursday 18 June 2015
3 Thursday 18 June 2015
4 Thursday 16 July 2015

bb · Answer

Collection of Important Posts from LBS Class of 2016 Discussion

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