monkbent wrote:
Just to follow up on this, this board is WAY to much like BW for my liking, and, quite frankly, has a much different tone than past years. Obvious questions are asked again and again ($$ only in first call?), and the "congrats , bschbound! Can you please share your industry/stats?" posts make my skin crawl.
Now, I don't have much experience in GMAT Club outside of the Kellogg threads and way too much time in chat, primarily last year, but there was definitely a vibe in those threads that mirrors a lot of the Kellogg culture. Namely, pulling your weight (reading up on stuff instead of asking questions that have been asked a million times), genuinely supporting a teammate (congratulating without selfishly mining for info for yourself), and being receptive to the truth, no matter how unpleasant (it's random rolling admissions - THERE IS NO PATTERN).
The board this year is increasingly nothing like that, and that's a shame.
(I know it's probably because GMAT Club is getting every bigger, but that doesn't mean I have to like it, or keep visiting - except when procrastinating during finals that is!)
EDIT: Update
https://gmatclub.com/forum/calling-all-kellogg-fall-2010-applicants-78734.html?view-post=701549#p701549.
DISCLAIMER: I wasn't on these b-school app boards last year, so this is just my uninformed opinion
I sort of see what you're saying. The GMAT section of this site is much for supportive and friendly. I had dismissed the difference thinking that that section has to do with test-taking (more objective questions and answers) and this section is about applying and competing with one another.
In any case, the problem probably is exactly what you mentioned - GMATClub is growing. Like any growing community, the newcomers are not familiar with the norms, customs, vibes.... and as transient visitors they're not interested in forming bonds. Support and encouragement comes only if the members feel attached to the site and to one another.
IMHO only GMATClub is in a position to make that happen. A growing community has to be guided and shaped. We have excellent and active moderators, but most of them are applicants too. Perhaps if former applicants / current students could be persuaded by the founders to be more active?
For example, there have been TONS of posts like "please post your stats" over and over again. One reason is that the info is not in the profile (new member, etc etc). Another is that nobody said not to do that the first time. Asking for stats (IMHO) is not bad in and of itself. It does suck when that is all we see on the thread, that is all anyone wants to know, and the moderator finds it all the more difficult to update.
This is not a ding on Jerz or any of the moderators. I'm just saying that perhaps they (and the founders) need to have a discussion on how proactive they want to be.
I think people got upset with your post because it seems like (not saying it is, but it seems like) you were making a value judgement on the characters and quality of applicants this year.
It sounded like you were saying "gosh all these new people have no idea what Kellogg is like and don't belong here".
We're all super anxious. Seeing a pattern in the admits eases (? or does it ?) some of that anxiety because you have *something* to hold on to. Of course the anxiety is infectious and a 100 anxious people on this site, constantly posting how they *STILL* haven't got a call.... well you know what happens.