R2 Chat with current students/alum - POST YOUR QUESTIONS NOW

Good idea staind:

Current host list by schools (still tentative):

Schulich
Booth
Kellogg
MIT
Ross
HBS
Tuck

Thanks,

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the chat, but I do have a few questions. Will you post a summary of the chat like was done for the R1 chat?

Questions as follows:

1. One of the schools to which I'm applying requests an academic reference. They do say that if I have difficulty obtaining an academic reference, that I can use a second business reference. I graduated from college 8 years ago and I don't really stay in touch with any of my professors. Is it a very poor reflection not to use an academic reference?

2. Most of the schools to which I'm applying ask for a resume, but then also ask for the work experience to be input into their application form. My difficulty is that while my time in the Army was technically 1 job for 1 employer with 3 different positions, the positions are all very different. Do I try to capture all 3 positions in the job description? Or do I separate them out (for schools that have the space to do so) into 3 different jobs?

3. When do you tell your boss that you're leaving? I'm not asking my current employer for a recommendation letter as I haven't been there for all that long and I've barely been challenged. So I haven't told my boss yet that I'm applying to MBA programs (all of them are full-time programs). When's the best time to tell your boss that you're leaving?

That's all I've got for now; if I think of any more, I'll update this post. Thanks for organizing the chat!

Last bump. Chat is tomorrow.

Dear Students,
Thanks for taking time to answer question on this board.

I was wondering if you can give any insights on the merit scholarship award process. I would be interested to know what you think are factors in determining merit scholarships. Needless to say, I understand that merit scholarships are awarded to any applicant who the adcom really wants in a class. I was wondering if there can be more insight into what qualities such a candidate might possess.

For example, while a school might have mean GMAT of 720, and applicants over 700 are seriously considered, would a GMAT score of 800 really help the merit scholarship award decision?

Insights/stories appreciated.

Thanks!

Paul

mohater: possible to point me to the link for the round one chat? Are you really just starting from scratch with the chat questions? I just don't have a lot of context for what the focus of this chat is. Keeping in mind I don't really have any context for this, here's a list of questions you could ask your panel.

Why did you choose to pursue an MBA?
How did you choose the schools that you applied to?
What made you choose the school you ultimately attended?
Knowing what you know now, what if anything would you have done differently during your own application process?
What one question do you think prospective students should ask current and recent students of the schools they are researching?
What's the best way to pick people to ask for recommendations?
Describe how you approached the essay writing process.

Here's the thread for the R1 chat. The chat summary is posted near the end of the thread: https://gmatclub.com/forum/online-chat-with-admits-current-students-97381.html

I like your questions, though; I think those are always valid.