| Last visit was: 27 Apr 2024, 11:03 |
It is currently 27 Apr 2024, 11:03 |
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
06 Aug 2015, 14:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: Choosing where to apply |
|
There are two separate decisions you will need to make during your application process. Where should you apply? Where do you want to go? You will struggle to differentiate between these two questions at some point. Just trying to get into “somewhere” and confirmation bias could influence you. Use this simple rule to separate these two questions: where you want to go is agnostic of your chances of getting in, where you should apply is not. If you are not sure you want to go to business school, are willing to wait a year if you do not get into your top choice(s), or are unwilling to go to a runner-up choice, your list of schools can be the same for both questions (“Flexible Applicant”). If you are sure you want to business school next year, you definitely need to consider your chances of getting in when deciding where to apply (“Committed Applicant”). Where do you want to go? There are basically 2 schools of thought: First, go to the best school you can get into. Second, go to the school that is the best “fit”. Determining “fit” is tough, the best schools are a little easier. Take rankings with a grain of salt; remember that if magazines published the exact same list every year, no one would care. They are incentivized to change their rankings every year and publish ridiculous things, like “HBS is #8″ (that’s stupid) and “What is wrong with Wharton?” (absolutely nothing). As far as rankings go, I believe the simpler the better. I am partial to Forbes, which calculates a simple ROI and shares their criteria. Viewing composite rankings (BusinessWeek and US News) only shows you what others think is important, not what you think is important. Regardless of what the rankings say, you should do your own research. Talk to mentors your respect. Interview leaders in the area you hope to move into. As a general rule: For general management, Harvard and Stanford are your best bet. For finance, Booth and Wharton (throw in Columbia and NYU, if you want to end up in NYC). For marketing, Kellogg is the best choice. For technology, throw in Berkeley and MIT. (If you want to end up in a certain region after graduation, you may also want to add Tuck and Cornell for the Northeast; Ross and Kelley for the Midwest; Duke, UNC, Darden, and Texas for the South, or UCLA for Southern California.) The second school of thought is about finding “fit”. For this I recommend making a “Fit List” of what is important to you and ranking schools on each item on your list. The best way to experience fit is to do an official school visit (this also has the added benefit of making your application easier). For me, I chose 4 categories (each with several criteria): Lifestyle and Environment, Perception and Salary, Teaching and Curriculum, and Innovation Atmosphere. I then took the added step weight each category and criteria based on its relative importance to me. This was minimally helpful. Essentially, the only value gained from this step was ranking each criterion by importance (not the actual quantitative result, which seemed too arbitrary to be useful). My Fit List (including Difficulty to Get Into):  Where you should apply? For Flexible Applicants, I recommend narrowing your list to 2-3 schools. This should be the best schools for what you want to do or the top schools on your Fit List. For Committed Applicants (definitely going to B school next year), you should be thinking 4-6 schools. This should be your top 2-3 schools, plus 2-3 “Bumper Schools”. These schools will help ensure you knock down at least one pin. They are still high on your list, but where you will be a very competitive applicant. You should also get at least one application done during Round 1 to ensure that there is time to finish or adjust strategy in Round 2. To find your Bumper Schools, consider creating a two-part metric that utilizes both your personal ranking and difficulty to get into, such as selectivity %. Schools in the South and Midwest such as UNC, Ross, Duke, and Booth, have high selectivity % relative to their perception and brand. Schools in California and the Northeast, such as Berkeley, MIT, and Yale, have low selectivity % relative to their brand. Take Our Poll Ultimately, think of the application process as a “funnel”, where schools attrit at each step. I hoped to get into two schools and allow the admit weekend to be the final deciding factor. For this reason, I chose to submit 5 applications and ended up accepted at three (1 more than I had hoped). My Application Funnel:  So when you are applying to business school, remember “where you want to go” and “where you should apply” are not the same thing. Where you should apply depends on two criteria: Are you a “Fit Lister” or a “Top Schooler”? And are you flexible in your application process?  Where should I apply to business school?  
|
11 Aug 2015, 15:01
| FROM Defying Gravity - Current Student: A recap of a year at HBS |
|
Oops, sorry. I really meant to update this blog months ago. Somehow, life got in the way. I'm now preparing for my second year (known as EC year) at HBS. A few followers have recently contacted me asking about my b-school experience, so over the next few days/ weeks, I'll be posting various updates, musings, or learnings. Random musing #1. The section experience is awesome. During your first year, all of your classes are taken with the same group of 90 peers. You sit in the same assigned seat everyday, and the professors rotate (yes, it's kind of like elementary school). One of my concerns in choosing HBS was its massive size. Would I feel lost in the crowd? How could I form meaningful relationships when there are 900 people per year? The section experience takes care of these issues, and the program begins to feel much smaller. Its a unique mix of the resources of a large program, combined with the intimacy of a smaller program. #2 The case method works Before HBS, I took Financial Accounting and Microecon courses at a local university. Not coming from a traditional business background, I wanted to have some insight into these basic principles. Within a few months of finishing those courses, I remembered very little (virtually none) of the details. At HBS, I took courses in a variety of fields. While I don't remember every nuance, I frequently find myself referencing cases. If I say "Apple and Einhorn," "cranberries," "Tesla," or "Martha Stewart," I bet that 90% of my peers would know what I'm talking about. Cases provide a real-life story to put key learnings in context. #3 Second years are unicorns Second year students are on completely different schedules than first years, meaning there is very limited interaction. And when I did see them, they always seemed significantly less stressed and with more free time. Especially at the beginning of my first year, they were like unicorns, a bit rare and mythical. I interacted with them a bit through clubs and social activities, but for the most part, first year students tend to stay within their sections. I'm curious to see what life will be like for me this coming year. I'll post other thoughts in additional posts later. In the meantime, feel free to leave any comments below if you'd like me to discuss a particular area. |
12 Aug 2015, 14:01
| FROM Defying Gravity - Current Student: Advice to the class of 2017 |
|
It's your time. You've worked hard to get to this moment, and now classes are about to start. Congrats, and welcome to RC year! I have a few friends who will be joining the HBS class of 2017, and they have recently approached me for advice. I realized that some of this content may be helpful to the larger community, so I'm also posting it here. 1. Make an effort to form more than surface level connections. At the start of your first year, your section will have a million social events. You'll chat with your sectionmates and peers from other sections, and then you'll move on and chat with even moroe people. While it's great to get to know a ton of people, try to have conversations that go beyond the typical questions of "Where are you from?" and "What did you do before HBS?" These are the conversations that you'll remember later. 2. Don't stress about commenting in class. At HBS, 50% of your grade is based on class participation. This means it's critical that you comment regularly in class. Most people suggest trying to comment once in every 2 or 3 classes. Early on, many people try to have the perfect comment. Honestly, there's no such thing. Just say what you believe, and don't be afraid to say something wrong. Your peers are there to support you. Despite the fact that grading is based on a curve, most people aren't actually trying to compete against one another. After the first few weeks, you'll start to understand this better. Also, the quality of comments will progress throughout the year. You don't have to be perfect on day one. 3. It's okay to over schedule yourself, but also take time to relax. Are you interested in 10 different clubs? No problem, join them all. Want to finally try yoga? Awesome, there's a beginners class every Thursday afternoon. You'll probably see me there. Are you considering 50 different career fields? Cool, there are events for all of them. In business school, there are so many opportunities that it can, at times, become overwhelming. But don't be afraid to explore. Joining a club doesn't mean that you have to attend every meeting. In fact, it basically just means that you want to be on their email distribution list. You can then decide how involved you want to be. If you're the type of person that likes to constantly be doing something, that's great. If you're more like me and enjoy some alone time, that's okay too. Take advantage of the unique resources that you'll have for the next 2 years, but also make sure to take some time for yourself. 4. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Everyone at HBS is super smart. At times, however, that can make it challenging to ask for help. When everyone else seems to be understanding something, it's hard to be the person to say "I don't get it." But honestly, you're not the only one thinking it. HBS offers private tutoring (free) for all classes, and the more technical courses like finance and accounting offer weekly review sessions. In addition, your classmates are one of your best resources. If someone says a comment that you don't understand, invite them for coffee after class and chat about how they got their answer. This will help you understand the material, while also being a great way to form deeper relationships. I also have given random advice about laptops, school supplies, dating, and other stuff, but these seem to be the topics most frequently asked. |
12 Aug 2015, 22:02
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: Why female entrepreneurs should get an MBA |
 Originally posted on Fortune: Dropout billionaires have cast serious doubt on the value of an MBA. But I couldn’t have raised my first million without one. Ten years into my professional career, I was promoted into a director role in a mid-sized company—and was beginning to think about launching my own firm. Still, in meetings people would often assumed I would take minutes, even though I’d been invited for my expertise and ideas. Being treated like a glorified administrator was just one of a handful of experiences that made me realize that, for whatever reason, I wasn’t being taken seriously by my peers. But despite my frustration, I didn’t feel ready to start a company yet. If even my own colleagues didn’t take me seriously, how would investors? Would I be taking notes instead of elaborating on my business plan? Looking to close my own confidence gap, I went back to business school—against… View original 568 more words  
|
13 Aug 2015, 16:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: My Interview with Stanford by MBA Manual |
|
The Stanford interview is an alumni-run interview. You give Stanford your current address and they reach out to alumni in your area to find one that can interview you. Stanford introduces you to the alumnus/alumna that will interview you by means of an email, and the two of you coordinate a date/time to meet up […] https://mbamanual.com/2015/07/28/my-interview-with-stanford/  
|
15 Aug 2015, 08:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: How to answer Kellogg’s essay questions — Part 1 |
 Originally posted on Kellogg MBA Students:  The 2015-16 Kellogg Full-Time MBA application features two distinct essay questions. In the first of a two-part series, Beth Tidmarsh, director of admissions for Kellogg’s Full-Time program, reveals how to write a stellar response. Question 1: Leadership and teamwork are integral parts of the Kellogg experience. Describe a recent and meaningful time you were a leader. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? View original 458 more words  
|
15 Aug 2015, 08:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: How to answer Kellogg’s essay questions — Part 2 |
|
Originally posted on Kellogg MBA Students:  The 2015-16 Kellogg Full-Time MBA application features two distinct essay questions. In the second of a two-part series, Beth Tidmarsh, director of admissions for Kellogg’s Full-Time program, reveals how to write a stellar response. Question 2: Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? View Beth’s tips for Question 1 View original 377 more words  
|
15 Aug 2015, 09:02
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: My Interview with Cornell (Johnson) by MBA Manual |
 Originally posted on MBA Manual: My last interview took place at the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University. Since it was my final interview, I had my answers to the general interview questions (“Tell me about yourself” “Why an MBA?” “Why now?” etc.) down cold, and only had to focus on answering the more specific questions regarding Johnson. The interview was on the Cornell campus, which is obviously very beautiful, but also a bit intimidating. A nice feature of the Johnson interview process is that they offer you the chance to sit in on a live MBA class and/or take a walking tour of the campus while there. I opted for the class, which was very informative in terms of showing me what a typical class session would be like at the school. If you interview at Cornell, I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity. Anyway, let’s take a step back to my interview… View original 620 more words  
|
16 Aug 2015, 12:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: HBS Accept Admissions Consulting is Launching |
|
Stay tuned for HBS Accept’s Consulting Launch! Thursday we will be launching on IndieGoGo. Check HBSAccept.com or follow me on Twitter @HamiltonDave for launch details!  
|
18 Aug 2015, 05:02
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: The Cost of Living in Boston: A List of Monthly Expenses |
Having come from Indianapolis, maybe the cheapest of the top 20 cities, moving to Boston has been an adjustment for my wallet. Folks coming from New York or San Francisco are excited by Boston’s slightly less expensive cost of living. Here’s the monthly breakdown:
 
|
18 Aug 2015, 08:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: 7 study tips for when you just can’t even |
|
The exam is tomorrow and you’ve been studying all week — or maybe just started today — but your brain is fried. Here are a few tips to help you cope. https://college.usatoday.com/2015/08/17/7-study-tips/  
|
18 Aug 2015, 08:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: 4 reputation-saving email templates for when your response is long overdue |
|
Is it awkward when you forget to respond to an email? Yes. Should you pretend that it got caught in spam? No. https://college.usatoday.com/2015/08/17/reputation-saving-email-templates/  
|
18 Aug 2015, 15:02
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: The Cost of Living in Boston: A List of Monthly Expenses |
Having come from Indianapolis, maybe the cheapest of the top 20 cities, moving to Boston has been an adjustment for my wallet. Folks coming from New York or San Francisco are excited by Boston’s slightly less expensive cost of living. Here’s the monthly breakdown:
 
|
19 Aug 2015, 22:02
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: HBS Accept Admissions Consulting is Live! |
The wait is finally over! Help us get you into Harvard Business School or the school of your dreams. Check it out on IndieGoGo. The first person to buy a perk will receive a special bonus, so don’t delay.  
|
21 Aug 2015, 18:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: 4 tips to turn a summer internship into a job |
|
You still have time to increase your chances of getting hired now or down the road. https://college.usatoday.com/2015/08/21/four-tips-to-turn-a-summer-internship-into-a-job/  
|
23 Aug 2015, 13:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: Is a graduate school assistantship the right choice for you? |
|
If you have been offered a graduate school assistantship, congratulations! Receiving such an offer is not only considered an honor – one that is often awarded to a small number of graduate students – it also means that a department, professor or researcher believes that you are an asset to the program and that you… https://college.usatoday.com/2015/08/23/is-a-graduate-school-assistantship-the-right-choice-for-you/  
|
24 Aug 2015, 05:02
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: Know Yourself, Know Columbia Business School |
|
It has been only three months since I graduated from Columbia Business School (CBS), but already I am homesick for the beautiful Upper West Side campus, days filled with executive guest lecturers, and nightly club events. For those in the midst of the application process, or those just considering a future MBA, I envy your position only in that you still have two great years ahead of you. Knowing the application process is a stressful time, I urge you to seek out as much advice as possible. Below is guidance I have given to other CBS hopefuls in the past (all of whom were accepted), built on my own experience, tips from classmates, and insight from alumni I consulted when applying to Columbia. Know Your Story If you have ever spoken to an admissions consultant (like HBS Accept), they will stress the importance of having a strong story that clearly ties together your background and career goals, and explains how Columbia can make that connection for you. For some applicants, this may come easily, but I spent hours poring over job descriptions, LinkedIn profiles, and interviews with people who held positions I thought I wanted one day. Doing this helped me to understand what certain career paths looked like, and what it would take to attain that dream job. Though at first it seemed overly prescriptive, having a specific goal in mind for both a five year and ten year plan made it all the easier to explain how I was going to get there. One main benefit from this exercise is the ease at which you will be able to write your essays for Columbia. The first two questions ask about career goals, and they have respective limits of 50 characters and 500 words. To both stand out and paint a clear picture in 50 characters requires a firm understanding of one’s own future. These questions will come up in conversation during school visits and interviews, and the more defined the answer, the better prepared and knowledgeable you will appear. Additionally, though business school is a place to find yourself professionally, those two years fly by quickly; hit the ground running with a clear idea of where you want to go and what you need to get out of school. Know the School While it may seem obvious, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to understand Columbia to the point that you feel as if you are already a student walking through campus. When I was applying, there were spots in the application to list which admissions events you had attended, names of faculty or staff you had met with, and current students or alumni you knew, not to mention if you were related to a CBS alumni. Business school is about networking, and the admissions team wants to see that you as an applicant have made the effort to learn as much as possible about Columbia and met people who understand the CBS experience well. Doing this will also shed light on which specific clubs, classes, and initiatives you should get involved with to further your career goals, should you be accepted. Many clubs have a Vice President of Prospective Students or Membership, and they are there to help answer questions about what the club provides in professional resources, and the leadership positions offered in the organization. The city of New York is an integral part of the Columbia experience, and should be a reason why you are applying. Having completed my undergraduate in a college town, and then worked for four years in Chicago, I don’t believe I fully understood the benefits of attending business school in New York until I was here. C-suite executives are in class on a weekly basis, as a visit simply requires hopping in a cab outside their downtown office. Most students interested in a career in retail, venture capital, private equity, or at startups, have a part time internship during the school year. The abundance of networking and career-building events in the city is never ending. Simply put, Columbia thinks being in New York is amazing and believes you should share that enthusiasm to both get the most out of your two years, and to be an integral member of the CBS community. Applying for business school can be stressful, but the professional and personal experience is well worth it. When in doubt, ask for help and seek out resources like HBS Accept that can provide opinions from those who have already beat a successful path. Best of luck! Kendall Miller  Kendall Miller (CBS MBA 2017) Columbia MBA working at the intersection of strategic, creative, and operational roles and solutions. She is an avid traveler, design world enthusiast, and devoted NYC transplant. As a consultant for Fortune 100 companies, startups, and NGOs, she worked in strategy development, performance improvement, and business model design. Her interests lie in understanding where customer experience design and digital innovations can help companies grow and adapt. Kendall has recently returned to Deloitte Consulting where she is a Senior Strategy Consultant.  
|
09 Sep 2015, 18:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: How Does MIT Sloan Evaluate MBA Applicants? |
|
Candidates often ask us, “What does it take to get into MIT Sloan?” While there is no magic formula, it is helpful to understand how we evaluate applicants. Our team developed these slides to help applicants better understand the evaluation process. We are all excited to start reviewing the Round I applications in a few […] https://mitsloanadmissions.com/2015/09/09/how-does-mit-sloan-evaluate-mba-applicants/  
|
30 Sep 2015, 14:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: Meeting a record-breaking group of classmates |
|
It’s a statistic that has floated around since orientation and pre-term, but I think it bears repeating: the Kellogg class of 2017 has a record percentage of female students, and at 43% of an incoming class of 492, those students are poised to make a big impact. I had a chance to feel this impact quite viscerally when I walked into the Allen Center a few weeks ago for the first annual Women’s Welcome Event hosted by the Women’s Business Association (WBA). https://kelloggmbastudents.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/meeting-a-record-breaking-group-of-classmates/  
|
02 Oct 2015, 15:01
| FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy - Current Student: KWEST 2015 #TBT |
|
Last week, hundreds of first-year and second-year students traversed the globe as part of KWEST: Kellogg Worldwide Experience and Service Trip. Kyle Burr, one of the student-run KWEST executive committee members, wrote about the KWEST experience in the run up to this year’s trip. As Kellogg’s first-year students continue their Complete Immersion in Management (CIM) week, take a look back at some of the photo highlights from their trips as part of Throwback Thursday. https://kelloggmbastudents.wordpress.com/2015/09/03/kwest-2015-tbt/  
|
|
|
||
Hi Generic [Bot],
Here are updates for you:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tuck at Dartmouth
AGSM at UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE
 |
close
