Hi everyone, my R2 Lauder admit is in Africa as we speak, I'm very excited for him. He has a background in aviation, so we developed an interesting narrative that evolved over time.
We thought about the application of his background to drone technology. Then, considered the international implications of that. After exploring the options (interviewing people he met via Linked In) agriculture felt right, and as that evolved, we discovered how drones could provide 3D mapping of crops. This would in turn, allow you to apply microirrigation strategies, and by reducing the amount of water needed, this, in affect, increase the percentage of arable land in Africa. This could (and hopefully will!) help support the growing population in Africa and also help develop agriculture as one of the up and coming markets in Africa. So that is what he is doing over there now, learning about business environment, competition, etc.
This was a narrative that developed over time and as he kept sharing it, another person would offer a resource or contact and eventually, our Lauder essay content was ready to outline.
Notice my words there. The essay is the manifestation of all your research and introspection, not the beginning of it.
So my advise to all of you would be to research your goals. There is no substitute, you have to write 750 words about Why Lauder and you must have a concrete idea of what you plan to do abroad. I feel that having such clear (big, exciting, yet measurable and achieveable) goals was a big, big reason he was accepted at Wharton with a GRE score that is equivalent to 620 GMAT.
Create a foundation right now - do the introspection, study yourself, study your goals and finally, study the Lauder program. Make sure this is a blend of offline and online tactics. The most recent blog on my website can guide you with specifics.
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