So, I have been hearing a lot of fuss about this whole background check. I was wondering if any of you guys have been through Kroll check? What all schools use these checks and how do they go about approaching the background checks?

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poppyseedmuffin

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23 Feb 2011, 17:20

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Josie, how long did the Kroll verification take in your case from start to finish? And did they call/email your recommenders?

jczgal

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24 Feb 2011, 08:49

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Hi all,

Long time listener, first time poster!

I am nervous about the Kroll background check because I realized that in my applications, I did not specify that I was a contractor at the first company I worked for (June-Oct 2005), where I was converted to full-time 4 months later.

I listed the 4 months of contracting as part of my full-time job tenure (June 2005-March 2007) since I had the same title, and I entered the salary and bonus I received as a full timer, rather than listing the contractor portion separately and including the hourly wage I was earning.

Is something like this a deal breaker? Will they think I totally lied? I didn't mean to, all the dates just blended together in my mind.... please help!

EBM

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24 Feb 2011, 08:54

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jczgal

Even if that small detail turned up during the Kroll check, I would hope that a school could examine the situation and see if you made a mistake or if you had a real intent to deceive them.

I wouldn't worry about it in your case.

chuyrulez

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24 Feb 2011, 09:09

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Even though I have not yet been accepted to an MBA program I have interviewed with several MBAs, and am worried about the background check, I was 100% truthfull in my application, the problem is I am from Mexico and because of the current violence/drug war ocurring in my city it is company policy to not release ANY information pertaining to employees, the HR department cannot even confirm that I work at my company if someone calls (several extorsions have already happened). I would have to talk to the entire HR department and let them know my application situation, the problem is only 2 people in the company (my reccomenders) know I am applying for an MBA, and because of the complicated financial situation my company is in I am afraid that If I let the entire HR department know my situation I could be laid off immediately to prevent others that want to stay in the company from being laid off. The people who do my background check could talk to my reccomenders (immediate superior and other supervisor), but I am not sure what would happen with the HR department. What should I do??? Am I making to big a deal before I even have a background check????

MBAUncle

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24 Feb 2011, 09:23

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chuyrulez

I believe that Kroll is aware of such problems and even if they find something wrong they will ask you for your explanations. So don't worry.

josiebella

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24 Feb 2011, 14:30

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poppyseedmuffin

Josie, how long did the Kroll verification take in your case from start to finish? And did they call/email your recommenders?

it took me about a week, I am really not sure how it worked since I clearly have no inside access to Kroll, but I doubt they called my recommenders. I think the only thing they verify is employment. Also, this is specific to Columbia. good luck with yours!

MBAUncle

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25 Feb 2011, 06:41

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josiebella

agree. I did the same thing, HR didn't ask me anything. My Kroll is now complete as I did not want to wait til last second.

How long does it takes to complete the whole process until they say "finished, everything OK" ?

MBAUncle

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25 Feb 2011, 06:47

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MBAUncle

josiebella

agree. I did the same thing, HR didn't ask me anything. My Kroll is now complete as I did not want to wait til last second.

How long does it takes to complete the whole process until they say "finished, everything OK" ?

My fault, I quoted your post from the last page and have not seen your response to poppyseedmuffin

EBM

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25 Feb 2011, 07:02

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MBAUncle

How long does it takes to complete the whole process until they say "finished, everything OK" ?

Mine for Berkeley only took a week, and that was including a day or two spent trying to track down one of my former employers.

cidneymba2011

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28 Feb 2011, 10:56

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Really dumb question here....just trying to register for this Kroll check, and it asks for your "school ID provided in your admissions packet". Hummmm, which of the 17 diff ID's do they want here? UNI? PID? Or have I just missed a step entirely, are we supposed to be notified when we are to begin this process?

I just sent my transcripts to the admissions office a week or two ago, haven't heard any follow up. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Magfrap

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28 Feb 2011, 11:15

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Hi

I made a mistake in my application. I stated the wrong figure of bonus. The school asked the bonus 'you have earned' in the past 12 months. However, I stated the expected bonus for the incoming round. I failed to notice that this schl asked for the past 12 months when I ran check on my printed PDF before submission becoz th pdf did not mentioned '12 months'. I just noticed this mistake when I logged on to check my application online.

The difference between what I have earned in the past 12 months and what I have stated in te application is significat due to the economic crisis in the the last bonus round.

Should I report the ad-com before they release their final decision? Will this affect my appln status? or Will Kroll think that I cheated?

thanks-appreciated all your help

globalcitizen

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28 Feb 2011, 13:00

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cidneymba2011

Hi Cidney! Under Kroll Verification in the "to do" checklist, you'll find the school ID in bold at the very bottom. It'll also tell you what your password is which is YYYYMMDD. And to sign in, you use your columbia email address. Its all explained on the bottom of that Kroll page!

cidneymba2011

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28 Feb 2011, 13:32

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globalcitizen

cidneymba2011

Hahahah thanks global, I'm silly sometimes and don't know how to read directions

flackawacka

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28 Feb 2011, 17:13

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Anyone gone through the Kroll process yet for Tepper 2011? If so, do you know what they are verifying this year?

LittleYoda

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01 Mar 2011, 07:42

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When do you receive the Kroll background check email/letter/request? Is it after you've been admitted, or after you've confirmed that you'll be matriculating/paid your deposit? I'm a recent admit and I don't see a Kroll background check on the admitted students website's To-Do list.

josiebella

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01 Mar 2011, 09:21

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LittleYoda

Congrats! You will see it after they receive the deposit.

thmgoodw

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03 Mar 2011, 06:19

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Personally, I think people are reading the "credit report" part of Kroll's background check incorrectly.

Does Kroll pull a credit report? Sure. Could a school rescind an offer because of bad credit? As a lawyer, I just don't see how that is possible, unless some how one mentioned their "good" credit on the application and thus lied about it. I wouldn't worry one second about this to anyone reading the thread.

Why would Kroll pull a credit report? A credit report has lots of information on it, such as previous addresses, employers, etc., that can be used to check against stuff that was in your application.

This has absolutely nothing to do with "bad" credit though.

Tom

djhouse81

ncprasad

Given the fact that most B-school graudates are able to get into a decent job after graduation and the fact that student loan payments dont start until after 6 months post-graduation, I really dont see how a credit score is relevant. Also, international students with bad credit will then get away with it, right? So, how can an admission be rescinded based on credit score.

djhouse81

If your debt to income ratio is already out of control then how are you going to handle more debt with no income?

I agree, it would be strange to be rejected after they check your credit, but the debt to income ratio is a legitimate concern--despite the deferral of your student loan payments until after you graduate. Some people have mortgages, car payments, credit card debt, even college loans to pay off--all at once! How are they going to pay for that when they are going to school full-time, especially with no savings? It would be very difficult to take out a student loan that covers all of that, given the liquidity and credit crises that the market is experiencing--just look at Sallie Mae. Just like there are a few cases of people who blatantly lie on their app and schools rescine their offer as a result; there is probably few borrowers who have atrocious credit to the point that schools must rescind their offer. In the end, I bet schools will try everything to make the financial packages work, as opposed to the fraudulent applicants who are kicked to the curb.

TomKat12345

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09 Mar 2011, 22:34

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Can any current student shed some light on this? they hire Kroll to do background checks. student must fill out a "data-sheet" (whatever that means) then kroll will do the rest.

What is asked in this "data sheet" and how do they go about verifying employment?
Do they just verify current employment, last 2 jobs, all jobs?
How do they do so, do we give them the contact info of your supervisor and they call/email them, or do they randomly call the public number listed for the company and ask to be connected to HR?
What if your file is not in the HR records, are you basically screwed?
What else do they ask the employer: job title, salary, etc?

globalcitizen

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10 Mar 2011, 08:39

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TomKat12345

what kroll verifies varies from school to school. The data sheet is information from your application that the school provides to kroll. so, maybe your school wants to verfiy your last two jobs...that information should be in the data sheet and your job is to make sure that the phone numbers/your job title/salary/etc is all accurate. Once you check that form, then you submit it to kroll with your payment (you have to pay to get your info verified).

i am still going through the process myself...but my assumption is that if the data sheet only asks you to verify the information you put in your application with regard to your current employer ONLY, then kroll will ONLY call your current employer. i could be wrong. but apparently columbia only verifies current employer and my data sheet only asked me to confirm information regarding my current employment.

with regards to recommendations, i don't know...i doubt it though.

and my previous employer has no hr records of me either. but, if its in the data sheet, i think you can provide the phone number of someone there (supervisor/someone higher ranking than you) instead and kroll can verify that way.