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Hey Zat,

Can you tell me what is the best way to send the transcript by post from India ? Say I will have around two weeks time before the deadine. Also, can you advise me some topics for the presentation. Thanks a lot.
Hi mamacta!

I would suggest that you send the transcripts by a reputed courier service such as DHL or FedEx.
I sent mine via BlueDart DHL and it was delivered within the next four days. Also, they had an offer going on at that time wherein applicants to a few international universities (including HEC) were entitled to a discount (around 40%). You can check if the offer is still available.

I cannot suggest a particular topic for your presentation since the the idea has to come from you and it should represent your way of thinking. However, to get more clarity on how to choose a topic and what topics the past applicants have chosen, you can refer to these posts:
hec-paris-class-of-2015-jan-intake-calling-all-applicants-145226.html#p1211053
hec-paris-class-of-2015-sept-intake-calling-all-applicants-160736-100.html#p1341783
hec-paris-class-of-2015-sept-intake-calling-all-applicants-160736-120.html#p1350076
hec-paris-class-of-2015-sept-intake-calling-all-applicants-160736-120.html#p1354839
hec-paris-class-of-2015-sept-intake-calling-all-applicants-160736-120.html#p1349733

P.S. By the way when have you scheduled your interviews?

Many thanks for the reply ... I have my interviews scheduled in the last week of this month and applying for the Sept intake. I know I am late considering the rounds people usually apply, taking a gamble here. I also read online the people who are pre-selected have many chances of getting in. So far now, fingers crossed and have to prepare my presentation in the due course. Also, one more thing I want to know is that I have applied for the official transcripts from my university which is going to take atleast couple of weeks from now, so I was wondering if at all it's possible to send the certified notarized copy and also do we have to submit only the undergrad transcripts or the 10+2 transcripts as well ?
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Hey Zat,

Can you tell me what is the best way to send the transcript by post from India ? Say I will have around two weeks time before the deadine. Also, can you advise me some topics for the presentation. Thanks a lot.
Hi mamacta!

I would suggest that you send the transcripts by a reputed courier service such as DHL or FedEx.
I sent mine via BlueDart DHL and it was delivered within the next four days. Also, they had an offer going on at that time wherein applicants to a few international universities (including HEC) were entitled to a discount (around 40%). You can check if the offer is still available.

I cannot suggest a particular topic for your presentation since the the idea has to come from you and it should represent your way of thinking. However, to get more clarity on how to choose a topic and what topics the past applicants have chosen, you can refer to these posts:
hec-paris-class-of-2015-jan-intake-calling-all-applicants-145226.html#p1211053
hec-paris-class-of-2015-sept-intake-calling-all-applicants-160736-100.html#p1341783
hec-paris-class-of-2015-sept-intake-calling-all-applicants-160736-120.html#p1350076
hec-paris-class-of-2015-sept-intake-calling-all-applicants-160736-120.html#p1354839
hec-paris-class-of-2015-sept-intake-calling-all-applicants-160736-120.html#p1349733

P.S. By the way when have you scheduled your interviews?

Many thanks for the reply ... I have my interviews scheduled in the last week of this month and applying for the Sept intake. I know I am late considering the rounds people usually apply, taking a gamble here. I also read online the people who are pre-selected have many chances of getting in. So far now, fingers crossed and have to prepare my presentation in the due course. Also, one more thing I want to know is that I have applied for the official transcripts from my university which is going to take atleast couple of weeks from now, so I was wondering if at all it's possible to send the certified notarized copy and also do we have to submit only the undergrad transcripts or the 10+2 transcripts as well ?
Last week of April... Nice so you have ample time to prepare.
To resolve the issue regarding your transcripts I would suggest that you get in touch with the Admissions Team.
All the best for your interviews! Keep us posted.
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Hi mamacta

regarding presentation, i too was confused before Satish chipped in and cleared doubts. My topic was Mumbai Dabbawalas - Entrepreneurial Success driven by people,not technology. HEC clearly states that topic can be anything but should not have been covered in your application .try picking any topic ,which not only interests you but also should be interesting for the interviewer. Ask yourself , if you were interviewing and had this presentation...would you enjoy it ?

Also , by picking an interesting topic , you can give yourself ample scope to talk which is good.Make sure , your presentation is professional and there are no spelling mistakes or font mismatches etc.

Be consistent , avoid very loud colours for your text.

all the best.
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Thank you zat and ashkul123 for your insights. I am also confused for the reason I want the presentation to be interesting and have a takeaway at the same time. Seriously, without giving a topic makes the person more confused than having a topic. I hope I will sort that out soon and yes I'll keep you all updated about the interviews.
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that's precisely the skill they are trying to test. it is difficult and they want to see how you react. having said that, please take everything i say with a pinch of salt. I merely appeared for the interviews and results are still awaited :)
so hardly an expert
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FROM HEC Paris Admissions Blog: Lessons in Leadership, One Bridge at a Time: Saint-Cyr Off-Campus Leadership Seminar 2014
“In 20 years’ time, this will be the part of your MBA that you will still be talking about”

– Professor Kevyn Yong, Saint-Cyr Leadership Seminar

If you asked any of our soon-to-be graduating class of 2014 for their 3 most cherished MBA memories, you can almost guarantee that they would mention the leadership seminar at St Cyr. Every year, our entire MBA cohort (that is to say, the September, January and Part-time intakes) eagerly pile onto buses towards the elite Saint-Cyr Military Academy in Brittany, ready for 2 days of field-based team exercises to test their leadership abilities.



But while the word “seminar” may usually bring classrooms, clipboards and complicated theories to mind, it’s safe to say that this isn’t your standard lesson in leadership. Epitomizing the “learning by doing” philosophy that is at the very heart of the MBA program at HEC Paris, Saint-Cyr is a great opportunity for our students to work with and adapt their leadership style to their peers, receiving constructive feedback on their leadership from both fellow students and military leaders alike. Students are divided into ‘teams,’ supervised by a military mentor and they are each required to lead at least one field exercise.

The exercises themselves are as varied as they are exhausting; the first day consists of team-based exercises towards a common goal – rafts were built (and consequently sunk), bridges were built and planks of wood were used as walkways over imaginary swamps, acid pools and shark-infested waters. Not only did these exercises work to test leadership, but also the skills of delegation, foresight and preparation in working towards a set goal. While maybe not as physical as the other activities, the crisis center at the end of the day proved to be a mentally exhausting and incredibly rewarding exercise, as students were put under pressure as they had to cope and adapt to a set of scenarios with strict deadlines and ever-complicating constraints.

The second day, at the beautiful Fort de Penthièvre, sought to test our students’ ability to push themselves and continue in demanding – and sometimes frightening – circumstances. With zip lines, tightropes and climbing ropes, this day was no less team-based than the previous as the groups had to work together to encourage and calm their teammates as they scaled walls and walked across walkways 20-feet above the sea. The strong bonds between participants became abundantly clear, with some displays of teamwork and courage even bringing the staff close to tears!



Feats of determination aside, perhaps the most notable thing about the seminar was the clear change in our students over the course of only two days. While at first there was perhaps a tendency for the leader to rush in and immediately begin to call the shots in an attempt to assert their authority, later exercises saw the students take a step back and contemplate what they had to get done before doing it, leading to a marked increase in efficiency and confidence.

So, do we have some newborn leaders among our ranks, the future titans of business? Oh, definitely; there are no two ways about it. Providing the perfect chance to learn by doing in picturesque surroundings with expert support and peer encouragement, Saint-Cyr is a once in a lifetime experience. Not surprising it comes top of many of our students’ lists, then.

“It’s the confidence. If I can do all this when I am frightened, I feel like I can do anything. It’s like, what was I so afraid of?”

– Srinivas Kishore, Class of 2015
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Hey Zat, Satish and ashkul 123, really need your help in one scenario. I had my first interview today and I was also grilled on the same question : Why MBA ? and why I want to go in marketing ? Can you guys please suggest what these interviewers want to hear from us ? coz no matter what you say that is not convincing enough.. Also I want to ask is if you want to make a switch from one profession to other, how do you explain that ?
Answers are welcome and will really appreciate asap, as I have my second interview tomorrow. So I hope I am able to have good explanations to these questions by then.
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Hey Mamacta,

Going to take a stab at this. Don't think there's any 'right' answer to either of these questions, so you're better off not aspiring to concoct one. My experience with the interviews (both went rather well) was an exercise wherein they tried to understand your story and how HEC could fit into the broader scheme of things.
I'm a marketer too, and my story was on wanting to work with luxury. What I attempted to do was elucidate how my journey thus far led up to this point, and how HEC would be an ideal fast forward at this juncture.
With regards to why MBA - there are always stereotyped answers, which if you tweak based on your story, you'll get your answer. Some of these are - change in profile, growth in profile, need for business understanding, holistic management perspective, change of location. See which of these (if any) work for you, and marry with your journey.

All the best!
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Hey Zat, Satish and ashkul 123, really need your help in one scenario. I had my first interview today and I was also grilled on the same question : Why MBA ? and why I want to go in marketing ? Can you guys please suggest what these interviewers want to hear from us ? coz no matter what you say that is not convincing enough.. Also I want to ask is if you want to make a switch from one profession to other, how do you explain that ?
Answers are welcome and will really appreciate asap, as I have my second interview tomorrow. So I hope I am able to have good explanations to these questions by then.
Hi mamacta!

Here's my two cents....
1. How to explain the switch?
I am sure that you must have developed interest in the new profession due to a specific reason. It would be even better if you could show some sort of a connection between your current role and the profession that you aspire to go for. Eg. While working in Profession A I found that I was really good at the XYZ(marketing in your case) part of my role and hence I decided to for MBA as it will help me get into Profession B as I'll get to do more of XYZ there.

2. Why MBA?
You'll have to justify why MBA is the best option for you out of all the available options. Also, they would love to hear how you connect it with HEC. For instance, if you could point out a certain subject which is taught only at HEC or a company where you wish to work which has laods of HEC Alumni.

3. What the interviewers want to hear from you?
The interviewers just want to make sure that you have clearly thought out your career goals and that you have a vision which HEC can help you achieve. If they feel that HEC will be the right place for you, there should be no problems at all. That's why it is always better to show that you have done your groundwork and that you knew HEC in and out before you thought of joining the program.

4. Lastly, do not worry if your 1st interview was not as great as you wanted it to be. There are many people who felt that they had not performed well in one of the interviews but still got admitted to the program. It might have been a stress interview just to see how you react to an uncomfortable situation.
Prepare well for tomorrow and give it your best shot.
All the best!

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Hey mamacta

I merely interviewed so can only share what I did in your situation. First of all , to answer your question - what these interviewers want to hear from us ? Well, all they want to know is , whether you have a clear thought process. Look , once you are in the program , nobody will hold you to your goals essay and what you said in the interview, however , they do want to understand if you are serious enough about the MBA and have done enough research or not.

What they are really looking for is for you to tell them a story. The story about where you are right now (say point 1) and where you want to be in next 5-10 years (say point 5). You need to connect the dots and the MBA has to be one of the dots (say anything b/w 2 to 4).

So what you can do is , think about your current profile and make a list of your skills. Then think about what you want to do post MBA. Then do a google search and look for similar job postings. This will give you a list of desired skills. Make a list and then all you have to do is, during interview, tell them you are at point 1 , want to go to point 5 and you lack these skills so you need an MBA which is the fastest way to achieve your goals.

For example, if you want to become a product manager ,but you have no marketing experience, then you could argue that even if you become a PM without an MBA, you would still not know ,how to price a product or how to architect a brand.

Hope this is helps. One more thing ..Read your goals essay very carefully. If you were grilled on why MBA then it means most probably your essay didn't answer one of the below questions clearly .. Why MBA , why now, why hec. Prepare your answers for them and stick to your story.

all the best .

cheers
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Thank you guys for your help. Done with the second interview and add me also to the list wherein people have had one good and one bad interview. Now God knows what is going to happen. All the best to all those who are awaiting their results. Wish you a very good luck and hope all of us make through and hear good news soon.
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looks like decision date postponed to end of week.
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looks like decision date postponed to end of week.
Decision date is 9th May as per HEC website. I am positive you shall receive the decision on 9th itself. I've heard that HEC always announces the decisions on a Friday.

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Thank you everybody who attended the latest webinar jointly organized by GMATClub and Admissionado Consulting for the applicants got dinged this year.

For the members who could not attend this event, we have posted the webinar recording in the main post of this thread.

Check out this link for free ding analysis offer by Admissionado.
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Hi Guys,

I applied to HEC on 30th April 2014 within the 1st May deadline for september 2014 intake. Anyone who applied in this deadline. I got my profile evaluation done followed by an informal call and then applied .

I received a mail which says pre selection status will be sent in 2 weeks time. Just wanted to connect with fellow students who are in the same boat.

My profile.
Age 30, Indian
9 years of work experience in Finance and Accounting
Currently Country Finance Head in Africa.
GMAT 620
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Hi!
The MBAT at HEC has started on 8th May and I've been following it online as I earlier used to wonder why all the MBA students are all ga ga about it. And I actually found it to be pretty awesome!
So I thought I'll share the same here. You can check out the following:

Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/HECMBAT

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MBATournament
Also check out #ready4mbat

Youtube: You will find loads of videos uploaded by various schools while preparing for MBAT

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hecmbat/

Poets and Quants:
https://www.poetsandquants.com/2013/04/3 ... -olympics/

Yareah:
https://www.yareah.com/2014/05/02/return-mba-olympics/



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Guess what zat .. as of now, super anxious for the result. What time does it usually comes ? I mean, french time. Today is the big day for people anxiously waiting for their results of this round... All the best people.. I can understand how you all must be feeling.... Fingers crossed.
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