Calling All Kellogg MBA Applicants(2018 Intake) Class of 2020!

I've heard GMAT is a really big focus again this year. So to be competitive you must hit 730-740. I'm studying a little bit to hopefully boost my score 20 points

gmathopeful19

I don't know if averages going up is a function of growing focus on GMAT from the school. It can be a function of the self-selection within the applicant pool. Maybe with people with 600s are applying now. But I could be wrong. My GMAT is sorted, but how kind do you think Kellogg is towards GPAs - what's a good number on a 4pt scale?

As for GMAT, I noticed your score breakup is 46/41, from personal and very recent experience, I would highly recommend GMAT club quant tests and I can't emphasise that enough.

I have it on good authority, I wanna maintain my anonymity on this site. I've heard as long as you have above a 3.3 you are fine ( they won't dock you any if its above).

Yea the GMAT has been my hell. I was taking official practice tests and scoring between a 740-760 and got a 710. Usually my quant was around 48-49. I am taking it again on September 2nd so I will move toward those quant tests. I had been using Veritas Prep cats but they just don't seem very helpful.

My verbal score was also disappointing but I think that was more of a factor of fatigue. I am fairly confident that if I take that as my first section I will do much better.

This is something that gets raised every application year. M7 is getting tougher year after year and in order to differentiate yourself out of thousands of Indians/Chinese applicants or within the cohort of say consultants or bankers, its your job as an applicant to show that you are better than the rest. Getting a high GMAT definitely helps in that regard. A 3.3 GPA or 750 GMAT might still not provide you an admit though. The application must be looked at in its entirety and not merely GPAs or GMATs. If you have a low GMAT/GPA but show through either building an alternate transcript or taking higher level analytical/quant courses; you should still be covered if your GPA is <3.3 or say your GMAT is <730.

Thus, focus on the entire application and do not look at GPA/GMAT as individual entities. All these scores/essays must show a coherent and logical progression of your 'story'.

Good luck. Feel free to reach out if there are any questions.

I'm in for Round I...just submitted! Now to do that video essay........

essay questions are the same as last year.

Good luck everyone!

So I actually started my essays for Kellogg before they released the prompts assuming that they would be the same or similar and they were but I think there is an important change to the leadership essay. The prompt is almost exactly the same except they added the part about "creating lasting value" so I went back to mine and made sure that the lasting value part was clear since this is obviously something the ad com is looking for specifically and I think the change is worth the call out.

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Have you submitted the videos? How was it???

Although I haven't submitted yet, I know for a fact the video essays give you unlimited practice time and is quite chilled.

That's good to know! bigbirdferda I haven't done it yet. I plan on doing it this weekend. I am working on making sure I have some good answers to some of the question lists that are floating around. I will post about how it goes after.

A little off topic here, but I was wondering if anyone could answer my question. I just took the GMAT and I can probably only do 1 application in R1 (with deadlines just 20 days away)... I plan to apply to the remaining schools in R2.

My question is - let's say I get an admit in R1... how much time do we get to accept the offer? Do we get time to complete R2 and see how we do in R2? Do we have to make any payments already to block the spot? If anyone could throw some light on this, I'd be grateful.

Hi, in all cases that I know of the deposit dates for Round I admits are all before any schools releases round II decisions. So yes if you get into the Round I school and you want the spot you will need to make a deposit before you know about your other schools.

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Anyone interested in trading essay feedback? Think it might be helpful to get an extra set of eyes on them.

Just did my video essays...I think it went well...I think I forgot to breathe during the second question lol and started to feel a little flustered but I don't think it came across on the video. I did practice a lot a head of time.

Nicely done. How many rounds did you practice? I'm also curious about the external factors. Were you wearing a suit? How was the lighting? Etc.

PM me and I'll be happy to take a look.

Cool, I need a couple more days and will certainly take you up on that. When I attended an online info session I remember the presenter saying that the word-limits are 450ish, indicating going over by a few words won't be a killer. I usually stick to the limit but seeing as they specifically mentioned this I might give myself some leeway this time.