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30 Jul 2014, 08:00
| FROM Naija MBA Gal: I don did it |
And I’m done with GMAT. Not the score I wanted but it will do. Time to face the rest of my application. For today: I’m off to sleep, then party.  I’m not sure if I should do a detailed debrief seeing as the score is what it is, let me know what you think.
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30 Jul 2014, 11:00
| FROM Farhanc85: Achieving Heroism |
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" Farhan, you are a friendly, average good guy XXX admits heroes. You are pleasant, clear about your goals but there was nothing wow in your application." Now, If you ask me that's a very difficult statement to comprehend. This was the feedback after my ding. I even remember hearing you are self aware. The first thing that I did was look up the definition of Hero,"a person typically a man who is admired for his courage, outstanding achievements and noble qualities." How can I be that? Then I thought I would look at the qualities of business heroes, that makes sense right? After reading the following: Billionaires 12 business heroes of young entrepreneur I realized these people are admired for courage, outstanding achievements and noble qualities(questionable but majority of them do make this cut) So how do I work towards these qualities. I think in life, all of us have shown these qualities one time or another, however the important aspect is do we strive for these qualities? Courage: I remember when I was a kid we used to always hear about this who was asked to write an essay of 500 words on courage and he just wrote "This is courage". He was one of the shortlisted ones for Indian administrative services. Cannot confirm or deny, moreover something as non-traditional as that requires lots of courage. I am working on this through taking up challenges at work and outside work that allows me to push myself further from the conventional set-ups Outstanding achievements : Achievements can be in the form of professional recognition and personal satisfaction. Few days back, I was having a discussing with my wife on humility and great leaders are ones who don't talk about themselves lest others talk about them. I rested my case with the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, etc. She said in business parlance leaders take responsibility, the first ax falls on the leaders head and so the credit should go to the leader first. When a leader says "I have raised the company's profits by 30%" it doesn't show that he is unappreciative of his team member, it only shows he would have said"the company made a loss because of me" Achievements come to those who take complete ownership. Noble Qualities: Righteous, virtuous, good, honorable, honest, worthy these are the few synonyms of noble. I think this is the most difficult thing to achieve to be a Hero. It's so easy to waiver from our commitment to righteousness and so difficult to stick to it. I am glad this is one quality that I always work on without fail. The most important aspect of this quality is to remember. There are situations where the gains are working against noble qualities, but at times like these it is important to remind ourselves not to give in to temptation for short term gains. Noble qualities have a positive impact on overall "you" and "your surrounding" Well, I have listed these 3 targets and I am working towards achieving each and every one of them, so that in my next interview I am no less than a HERO!!!! |
31 Jul 2014, 01:00
| FROM Naija MBA Gal: GMAT: my journey from 610 to 710 |
On 23rd December 2013, I attempted the GMAT exam for the first time, after a little more than a week of preparation (which consisted of learning the question types and trying a few questions), the result was a pitiful 610 (Q47, V28, IR3). I was so heartbroken but I submitted a few applications. In February, […]
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31 Jul 2014, 10:00
| FROM Grant Me Admission: Memory, Mind, and GMAT Prep |
I read this article via Magoosh’s GMAT Blog, and thought it was AMAZING!!!! It is well researched and really goes into how effectively study and retain…
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01 Aug 2014, 07:00
| FROM Pulling That MBA Trigger: All this back and forth is killing me |
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It feels like it has been a while, even though it hasn’t really. Work has become super hectic, we’re working on a new release of this app and I happen to be the team lead on this. I’m drowning in bugs and test cases — which is why an MBA is going to save me from this endless drudgery. Okay, it isn’t as bad as I’m making it out to be but you get the picture. I like coding, I do. It’s super challenging and makes me feel smarter than I am every day. But as much as I enjoy it, it gets monotonous and I can only stare at the computer screen for so long. The founder of my company is doing one of my recommendations, as I’d mentioned earlier. I was hoping to ask my client to be the other recommender, but he’s very busy marketing the app I’ve been working on. I figure it’s better to ask another one of my managers for a recommendation rather than risk asking someone who might not be able to give his 100% to it. I have to make sure they both cover different aspects of my work here so that they can give a more comprehensive picture of me as an applicant. I finished draft one of my Yale essay and after receiving feedback on that one (there was lots of it), I’m now working on draft number two. I think they are shaping up to be pretty strong, but I can’t help but imagine how they compare to other applicants with more experience since I only have so many things to write about. That’s the downside of being a younger applicant. I also recently met one of my dad’s friends from college who went to Duke for his MBA and he was personally affronted by the fact that I wasn’t applying there. He spent the next hour brainwashing me about the virtues of Fuqua, while I tried to convince him that the only reason I wasn’t applying was because it was out of my league with a class size larger than I would prefer. But he wouldn’t have it and now I’m confused. AGAIN. I would get $125 waived off on the application fee with an alumni referral but then I would be applying to five schools which is one more than I would like. Which brings me back to… should I exclude Darden from the list entirely? I like everything about it (small class size, tight alumni, college town, strong for consulting), but I’m a little worried about how intense the program is supposed to be. Every alum I spoke to said the same thing. Expect not to have much of a life outside the classroom in the first year, although it eases up in the second year. Some people actually preferred it this way since they said it gave them more bang for their buck. While I wish I was that intellectually enlightened, I’d rather have an easier course with a good balance of everything. Hey! You’re only young once. I don’t want to spend most of two years holed up in a library. This is probably why I’m too immature to apply to Darden in the first place  Yeah I can debate this both ways quite easily, but for the time being I’m going to sit on it and wait for some divine intervention that tells me which school to pick.  
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01 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Defying Gravity - The MBA Journey: What questions to ask admissions officers |
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I was recently sent a message from an applicant regarding what questions to ask current students, alumni, and admissions officers. If you follow my blog or my posts on GMATClub, you've probably noticed my repeated advice to network, network, network. Reach out to people to truly learn about each program, beyond what's on the school's website. But, what should you actually ask them? I had this same question myself last year. And when I asked, I was told to just ask whatever you want to know to help make the best decision about where to apply and ultimately/hopefully matriculate. That advice was incredibly unhelpful. I already knew where I wanted to apply. By that point, I just wanted advice that would help me get in. I was past the stage of trying to determine "fit." I can write a post later about finding your fit, but this post is for those of you who fall into the latter category and just want advice to make yourself stand out. The point of asking questions to admissions officers (in my opinion) is to start to establish a connection and hopefully leave them with a rough memory of you. Do:
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01 Aug 2014, 12:00
| FROM Grant Me Admission: 57 Essay Analyses & 1 Infographic! |
I have updated the essay analysis list! It is almost all filled up. Hope you use this to really make your point in your essays and…
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02 Aug 2014, 12:00
| FROM TopDogMBA - A Reapplicant's Tail: Think for yourself – INSEAD part 2 |
Some specific feedback from a senior (and very active fundraising) alumnus and a 2009 graduate (who has also interviewed a dozen or so candidates when invited to interview):
 
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02 Aug 2014, 12:01
| FROM TopDogMBA - A Reapplicant's Tail: I don’t want to spoil the party |
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Not much blogging activity from me these past ten days, but trust me I’ve been rocking my application research in the meantime! Since my last post, I’ve worked on the following: School 1 – met marketing director for Exec MBA (they reached out to me!); spoke with senior member of alumni fund (relative of a friend – good to have contacts!); met one recent alum; arranged to meet another alum next week. School 2 – met three alums from Class of 2014 (already knew them – benefit of being a re-applicant!); sent last year’s application to three alums (not necessarily the same ones I met) for critical feedback. School 3 – sent last year’s application to two alums (already knew them from last time) for critical feedback. School 4 – attended a webinar hosted by an admissions consultant; reached out to an alum and current student (already knew both of them from last time) for advice and asked them to review last year’s application. In general – shored up my two recommenders; told my boss about my plans (also an MBA alum so a key person!); discussed and clarified my goals with two consultants (both now retained); did an interview with Accepted.com; worked on my ‘greatest hits’ and ‘how I have improved since last time’ responses. And, most importantly, I got my wife on board with my re-application plan. Phew! Still, there’s no time to rest. According to my original game plan I’m already a month behind, but I figured spending time on critical feedback and getting my goals and stories in shape (which are essentially the backbone of my applications) would pay dividends when it comes to writing my essays. And it seems like I’m not the only one left wondering where July went. MBA on my mind, Pulling That MBA Trigger and texaswannabecali have all blogged with the same thought. In fact, I don’t know anybody who’s claimed the MBA application process was a doddle – we’re in good company! Finally, I’d like to share some love with Grant Me Admission! for his excellent post which will help any of you struggling with their GMAT plan of attack and school research. Back to my magically expanding to do list – at least updating my blog is checked off (for now)!  
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03 Aug 2014, 13:00
| FROM Farhanc85: Why INSEAD?? |
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Thispost by topdogmba inspired me to write about my dream school. In the battle with GMAT i shouldn't forget the real war . With representation from over 70 countries, I don't think you can get more global than this. INSEAD admission says "Our aim is to build an exciting, dynamic and diverse student body." My goal is to be part of this exciting, dynamic and diverse student body. My experience in Middle east has made me the importance of understanding global culture and work in synergy with people from different culture. The flexibility of a global learning in terms of geography, industry and function is what attracts me the most to INSEAD. The qualities that INSEAD looks at Global Awareness, Self-awareness, Collaborative leadership attracts me to be a part of such an institution. This week I am trying to get in touch with current Indian students and alumnus from INSEAD to learn from their experiences. So far the responses have been encouraging. I will write a comprehensive posts from my interaction just like topdogmba soon. For me my biggest challenge would be to differentiate myself from the competitive Indian pool of candidate( rich experience in technology, high gmat, global exposure), well I have 1 of those 3, but i also have a certain level of self-awareness and clarity of goals different from others which I need to bring out in my essays. I am getting nervous as I haven't started writing yet but yes I will soon start with my drafts. |
04 Aug 2014, 04:00
| FROM Grant Me Admission: My Journey to 760 (Part 3) – The Breakthrough |
*This is part of a series on my journey to get a 760. Part 1 & Part 2 can be found here. With about 3 weeks left,…
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05 Aug 2014, 01:00
| FROM Pulling That MBA Trigger: Switching up schools |
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It’s official. I’m removing Darden from my list of schools and putting Fuqua into the mix instead. Darden did tick a lot of boxes for me, but as good as it is for consulting, I don’t want to put myself under an undue amount of stress and pressure. I’m not saying that an MBA should be a breeze, but I don’t want to spend all of my time cooped up indoors. As an engineering grad with a 9+ GPA, I’ve spent enough time with my nose stuck to a book. I want to have enough time to really explore the campus, get involved in all the activities a school has to offer and meet a ton of different people. This means I’m now applying to:
 
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05 Aug 2014, 03:00
| FROM Farhanc85: To be or ISB!!!!!! |
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After INSEAD's post I thought I will write something on the only school which I did research for in 2013. I am not someone with deep pockets, I am a guy in entry level management role who could do well for himself with some enhancement to his profile. I can easily fly down to Mumbai/ask my wife to fly to Hyderabad whenever it gets tough. I am not a CAT guy(I did this when I was younger and although I managed to score well, I don't see myself doing that again). I have international exposure, so I know the importance of a global education.I want to go back to school to learn/unlearn and be aware about the happenings in my surrounding. I don't want to limit myself to an industry/function for the rest of my life. Conglomeration of all these factors about me made ISB my topmost choice last year. When I was at the campus I just had a feeling of calm over myself. The relaxed environment, those quads in the student village which were together yet secluded somehow gave a warm welcome. The atrium which was quiet during my visit gave me a view of how I would fit in If i was at ISB. I started day-dreaming of completing projects there, chilling with new friends and having discussion on latest buzzwords in business. I met some students from Retail Club(a field of interest for me) and had discussion on e-commerce, brick and mortar, FDI so on and so forth. In the night I saw a couple of guys near the quad that I was staying in, opening bottles on the staircase and discussing their day. This was a perfect scene for me. I don't have the kind of money to spend for school visits abroad, but my visit to ISB gave a feeling of being in a global school. In my research last year I found that most of the alums are still tied with ISB in some form or other, making it one of the only school in India with such High alum interactions. The network itself boasts more than 5000 members across countries in every field of management. Although I am against plagiarism in essays i cannot end this post without a dedication to WS To be or ISB, that's the question, Whether it's nobler in the mind to suffer with what ye do, The slings and arrows of outrageous monotony, Or to arm thyself with an MBA degree. And thus the native hue of resolution is made stronger, Is strengthened through the rays of thought, And enterpises of great pith and moment, Thy shall grow with ISB. (I know the last line is a bit cheesy, but I couldn't help it  Cheers |
05 Aug 2014, 04:01
| FROM Naija MBA Gal: Application Status |
In less than 50 days, I will be submitting my application for at least one of my chosen schools (Sloan has the honour of being the school with the tightest deadline for me). Here’s a look at where I am now with respect to my MBA applications GMAT: Done (710 – well within the 80% […]
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06 Aug 2014, 11:00
| FROM Defying Gravity - The MBA Journey: How to Prepare Your Recommenders |
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Have you seen the new blog postfrom the Tuck adcom about recommenders? If not,check it out now. It answers a lot of frequently asked questions and gives some helpful advice. I've recently been asked by a couple of blog readers some similar questions, and I think Pat Harris (Tuck adcom) answers those questions well. But anyway, if you've read that post and still want my advice, then keep reading. Once you've decided who to choose for your letters of recommendation, it's not enough to just send them the online link and leave the rest up to fate (well, it's probably enough for some people, but if you're reading this blog, then it shouldn't be enough for you). However, you absolutely can not (and should not) write your recommendations yourself. Nevertheless, you can provide guidance to your recommenders to steer them in the right direction. I created individual Recommender Packets and set up coffee chats with each of my recommenders. During our meetings (and in the packets), I noted my career goals, explained why I wanted an MBA, and then reminded them of some of my major accomplishments (i.e. "Remember how awesome I am and all of those great things I did!") I don't know if they chose to describe those things in my letters of recommendation, but it was a helpful starting point to get them brainstorming. I also let them know about particular areas that would be helpful for them to address. For example, coming from a less traditional field, I needed the adcom to know that I do actually have strong analytical and quantitative skills, and I can really compete with the finance kids. I let my recommenders know that this was an area of concern for me, then I asked them to comment on some of the major initiatives that I've led that highlight those areas. Your recommendations should reinforce the strengths and stories highlighted throughout your application, while also providing additional insight into your candidacy. |
06 Aug 2014, 18:01
| FROM Grant Me Admission: Recommendations . . . and Work. |
For weeks I have debated how I am going to ask my current supervisor at work for a letter of recommendation. And not just one, but…
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08 Aug 2014, 05:00
| FROM Naija MBA Gal: MBA Application Snag |
Let me start this with a summary of my applicant profile: Work Exp: One year in a non-profit. Almost 6 years in consulting. 710 GMAT (Q47, V40) GPA of 3.92 out of 5 College EC’s: member of Student Government, Peer tutor, church volunteer. Post-college EC’s: Founding Board member of a committee at work, professional mentoring […]
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08 Aug 2014, 09:26
| FROM Pro GMAT: Inspiration: DO NOT FEAR FAILURE |
DO NOT FEAR FAILURE Filed under: Preparation Tagged: Inspiration
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08 Aug 2014, 09:26
| FROM Pro GMAT: How it started-Part 1- First GMATPrep & tools. |
I have taken my first GMAT prep on 26th February. The first score always becomes a surprise as we sometimes have over confidence being from engineering background. I also thought of scoring 600+ (at-least.) but was disappointed. I managed a score of 540 (Q22, V22, IR6) and really struggled with time to complete the exam. It […]
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09 Aug 2014, 01:00
| FROM Pro GMAT: How it started-Part 2- Post Quant |
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This is part 2 of How it started. You can find Part 1 here. I did complete quant but consumed a lot of time because i was busy with some client deliverables. Because of that, office was over charged with lots of extra time to be spent on issues and solving them. While studying quant I have realised that few questions are very easy to tackle with some small tricks. Like remembering squares, square roots, cubes, cube roots, and some basic formulas. The GMAT exam is not about what have you studied for the preparation but it’s about your ability to apply some basic and useful steps in general management scenarios. After all you are studying to become an Manager. To practice with the pace its obvious we need to keep track of the time of each question and average time we spend on each question. If you want to track your speed for each section and want to know your pace, you can use the GMAT timer which can give you more specific details section wise and it is perfect to use while practicing. I have also used a Snap Timer which a small and easy to use application for desktop but it is just a timer. After completing quant, retook my GMATPrep (in between I have to format my machine so I lost my previous result). And shockingly it was 530 (10 points below from previous score)  But my Quantitative score was increased from 22 to 46. That is a positive point. So Now I really have to work on my Verbal. I have already completed SC and CR portion of the verbal and completed questions of Official Guide for Verbal, 2nd Edition and Official Guide for GMAT, 13th Edition for SC and CR. I will complete RC study portion within 2-3 days and will be posting my further progress. Comments!! Filed under: Preparation Tagged: GMAT, GMATPrep, Guide, Journey, Quant, Study, Tool, Verbal 
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Hi Generic [Bot],
Here are updates for you:
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