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May 0507:00 PM EDT
-08:00 PM EDT
In this live 60-minute masterclass, How to Get Ahead of MBA Recruiting Now, we’ll walk through the four biggest mistakes incoming MBAs make and how to avoid them so you’re not scrambling to catch up once recruiting begins.
May 0710:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Sia Admissions Founder Susan Berishaj is covering this live on YouTube, May 7: how admissions committees actually evaluate goals statements, who is in the room, and why the goals statement most applicants submit wouldn't survive that conversation.
12 Feb 2009, 10:39
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Don't want to jinx myself since there's still so much for me to find out, but here's my crack at it:
I too come from the lower-than-average GPA/good GMAT coalition and knew that I wasn't going to woo any school through that, I was going to have to win it over through my work experiences. Since a lot of schools like to breach diversity and have at least 1 ex-peace corps volunteer I knew I had a fighting chance anywhere, but also realized it'd just take one other to apply (likely with a better GPA than myself) and I'd be reduced. This combined with the fact that a lot of schools were willing to waive my app fee led me to try as brute force an approach as possible, apply to a bunch of schools and see if any will stick.
Wharton-I actually hadn't been planning on applying here until I took the GMAT(and got a better score than I expected) due to feeling I was out of their league. It was my first application and though I put a lot of effort into it / got it peer reviewed, I definitely would say the essays are less refined than say my Kellogg or Columbia ones which came later. However, since this was my only school where my essays were 100% brand new, they perhaps came across as more 'authentic'.
Result: Interviewed and currently WLd
Duke-My 'strategy' involving what schools to apply to was largely based on Duke, far and away my choice of the non-M7s. I knew that considering their obvious affection for peace corps volunteers and much higher acceptance rate, I had a very good chance of being accepted here. Furthermore since their R1 decision deadline was nice and early, well before the R2 due dates for other schools, I decided to make it my 'safety' since I knew I'd be able to do my R2 apps after hearing the Duke decision. Furthermore I could spend my time crafting apps for more difficult schools, ones that I knew I'd pick over Duke. As a result, I had the part 1's of my Kellogg and Kenan-Flagler applications ready to go based on the Duke decision.
Result: Accepted w/ scholarship, Kellogg part 1 fired off / app fee paid the same day
Sloan-Being an engineer from the boston area this school has always had a special attraction to me and I knew I'd kick myself if I didn't at least try. But I was also aware that I'm an american, white, male engineer with a 3.2 from a 40-ish ranked school.
Result: Dinged w/o interview
Haas-Got turned on to this school because of its track record in social enterprise, but found out after application submission that their biggest rockstar professor in this area(Jim Schorr) was leaving for Vanderbilt. Also knew it was a long shot due to their 11%ish acceptance rate/high GPA importance but by December I probably would have opted for Duke anyway (just a personal view, its still a great school).
Result: Dinged w/o interview
Columbia-The only real 'surprise' for me, I thought I had a really good shot since my boss went to grad school there, my ug institution has a much better name recognition in NY than say on the west coast, and during my peace corps tenure, Ive worked with 2 nonprofits that won awards from the Schwab foundation (which is a big donor to Columbias social ent. program). Also thought my interview went fantastic. But again, when you're a white male with a 3.2, 10-12% acceptance rates are not your friend.
Result: Dinged w/ interview
Kellogg-Originally eliminated it during R1 because I wasn't that familiar with Chicago and they wouldn't waive my app fee. Slowly but surely I realized how lame those were for reasons to eliminate the school and began investigating it and Booth side by side for R2. It ended up not being close in terms of which school better fit what I wanted to do and the culture I wanted. Having an extra couple months to re-think what makes good essays and pick the brains of other GClubbers was helpful as well. Finally I noticed that a lot of Wharton WLs/dings were having good success getting in here, so I figured I had a decent shot (and still do).
Result: Interviewed, TBD
All in all I'm not huge into 'fit' the way some other people are, I think if you have the right attitude you are going to enjoy any of these schools and make the most of them. Furthermore I feel that 'fit' is much less often a reason that one gets dinged than say GPA or work ex. So in summary my take away is that one should apply to schools based on a combination of fit and feasibility rather than just one or the other. If a potential applicant is in 'I think I can get in somewhere, but no clue where' mode like I was back in Sep, I highly, highly stress applying to a staggered group of schools R1, and have a few different schools ready for R2 contingent on how your R1 shakes out. That way you'll know you gave it your best shot....even if Duke's the only place I get into, I'll know I tried more than half the schools ranked above it and will have no regrets.
*Disclaimer: Should I somehow get into Wharton I reserve the right to completely delete the last statement while screaming 'Anything's Possibullllllll!!!!!!!' kevin garnett style at the top of my lungs
I too come from the lower-than-average GPA/good GMAT coalition and knew that I wasn't going to woo any school through that, I was going to have to win it over through my work experiences. Since a lot of schools like to breach diversity and have at least 1 ex-peace corps volunteer I knew I had a fighting chance anywhere, but also realized it'd just take one other to apply (likely with a better GPA than myself) and I'd be reduced. This combined with the fact that a lot of schools were willing to waive my app fee led me to try as brute force an approach as possible, apply to a bunch of schools and see if any will stick.
Wharton-I actually hadn't been planning on applying here until I took the GMAT(and got a better score than I expected) due to feeling I was out of their league. It was my first application and though I put a lot of effort into it / got it peer reviewed, I definitely would say the essays are less refined than say my Kellogg or Columbia ones which came later. However, since this was my only school where my essays were 100% brand new, they perhaps came across as more 'authentic'.
Result: Interviewed and currently WLd
Duke-My 'strategy' involving what schools to apply to was largely based on Duke, far and away my choice of the non-M7s. I knew that considering their obvious affection for peace corps volunteers and much higher acceptance rate, I had a very good chance of being accepted here. Furthermore since their R1 decision deadline was nice and early, well before the R2 due dates for other schools, I decided to make it my 'safety' since I knew I'd be able to do my R2 apps after hearing the Duke decision. Furthermore I could spend my time crafting apps for more difficult schools, ones that I knew I'd pick over Duke. As a result, I had the part 1's of my Kellogg and Kenan-Flagler applications ready to go based on the Duke decision.
Result: Accepted w/ scholarship, Kellogg part 1 fired off / app fee paid the same day
Sloan-Being an engineer from the boston area this school has always had a special attraction to me and I knew I'd kick myself if I didn't at least try. But I was also aware that I'm an american, white, male engineer with a 3.2 from a 40-ish ranked school.
Result: Dinged w/o interview
Haas-Got turned on to this school because of its track record in social enterprise, but found out after application submission that their biggest rockstar professor in this area(Jim Schorr) was leaving for Vanderbilt. Also knew it was a long shot due to their 11%ish acceptance rate/high GPA importance but by December I probably would have opted for Duke anyway (just a personal view, its still a great school).
Result: Dinged w/o interview
Columbia-The only real 'surprise' for me, I thought I had a really good shot since my boss went to grad school there, my ug institution has a much better name recognition in NY than say on the west coast, and during my peace corps tenure, Ive worked with 2 nonprofits that won awards from the Schwab foundation (which is a big donor to Columbias social ent. program). Also thought my interview went fantastic. But again, when you're a white male with a 3.2, 10-12% acceptance rates are not your friend.
Result: Dinged w/ interview
Kellogg-Originally eliminated it during R1 because I wasn't that familiar with Chicago and they wouldn't waive my app fee. Slowly but surely I realized how lame those were for reasons to eliminate the school and began investigating it and Booth side by side for R2. It ended up not being close in terms of which school better fit what I wanted to do and the culture I wanted. Having an extra couple months to re-think what makes good essays and pick the brains of other GClubbers was helpful as well. Finally I noticed that a lot of Wharton WLs/dings were having good success getting in here, so I figured I had a decent shot (and still do).
Result: Interviewed, TBD
All in all I'm not huge into 'fit' the way some other people are, I think if you have the right attitude you are going to enjoy any of these schools and make the most of them. Furthermore I feel that 'fit' is much less often a reason that one gets dinged than say GPA or work ex. So in summary my take away is that one should apply to schools based on a combination of fit and feasibility rather than just one or the other. If a potential applicant is in 'I think I can get in somewhere, but no clue where' mode like I was back in Sep, I highly, highly stress applying to a staggered group of schools R1, and have a few different schools ready for R2 contingent on how your R1 shakes out. That way you'll know you gave it your best shot....even if Duke's the only place I get into, I'll know I tried more than half the schools ranked above it and will have no regrets.
*Disclaimer: Should I somehow get into Wharton I reserve the right to completely delete the last statement while screaming 'Anything's Possibullllllll!!!!!!!' kevin garnett style at the top of my lungs
