MBA4Jay wrote:
cheetarah1980 wrote:
Oh please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that adcoms don't observe applicants at any and all admissions events. What I am saying is that adcoms encounter thousands of potential applicants each year. There is no way they can keep track of everyone they meet. The invites to admissions events are automatically generated based on info from GMAC that goes into a database (i.e. flag GMAT takers with 680+ score, 3.0+ GPA, and 3+ years WE). It's not like the admissions officers are hand crafting invite lists and know who you are. Hell, I'm an admit and I still don't think my AO can keep track of all my details (i.e. what I wrote in my app, how much scholarship money I was offered, etc.), so I know they are not keeping close tabs on people who haven't even applied yet.
Now if you choose to attend this reception you are right. They'll definitely be aware of how you carry yourself. Are they taking notes? Probably not. But will they definitely remember either an extremely positive or extremely negative interaction? Yes. However, most people aren't wildly impressive nor are they spectacular douchebags/basket cases/idiots either. In these events most applicants make a perfectly pleasant impression which is forgotten when the adcom meets another batch of nice potential applicants at the next reception. My advice is to use the opportunity to learn as much about the school as you can, speak to the admissions officer and alums who are attending (but don't hog them), and eat some pretty decent appetizers. Don't feel as though you have to stand out right now because you don't. I didn't even speak to Kurt Ahlm (Booth Admissions Director) when he hosted the reception in my area.
I'm curious, since you believe that admissions reps don't remember anybody or take notes at meetings, then, why did you keep going to such events?
Also, had you not gone, do you think you would have still been admitted?
I went to the events for myself. When I started this process I identified 9-11 schools that I was interested in. That's way too many applications. I went to these events to learn more (like I stated earlier) so I could whittle down the list. A lot of schools look perfect based on their website, but these events helped ME see where I might truly fit in. I wanted to know as much as possible so I went to as many events as I could. I stopped going when they started getting repetitive. Often the admissions rep who I met at the MBA fair wasn't the same admissions rep hosting the school's reception or info session. I didn't reach out to any adcom outside of these events either. I simply attended, got what I wanted out of them and tried my best not to do anything stupid.
Do I think these events helped me get admitted? Yes. However, it's not because the admissions officers had taken notes on me. It's because I learned a lot about the schools that helped me tailor my applications to each one. Visiting Booth helped me experience the student culture first hand so when I was writing why Booth was the right school for me I was able to convey a certain intellectual curiosity (one of Booth's mottos is "Question everything") that wasn't present in my Kellogg essays (in those I stressed collaboration).
Honestly, I kind of immersed myself in the application process. I just wanted to soak up as much information as possible. The events I attended were part of that. I think all of these touch points with the school are more for your benefit than the adcoms'. Does it help a bit to show that you're really interested? Of course, schools love being loved. Is it the factor that tips the scale in your favor? Nah. I went to two Stanford events that I was invited to and I didn't even get an interview there. Also when I visited Kellogg for admitted students weekend the admissions rep I'd met at a reception didn't remember me at all. Had to do the intro all over again and it's not like my name rang a bell with her. If you were traveling from New York to Chicago to LA to Houston to Philly to Dheli to Sao Paulo to London and beyond and meeting over a thousand people, would you remember them all individually? I doubt it. Plus admissions reps can't go too deep into evaluating every perspective candidate they meet because they don't even know if you're going to apply. I visited both Stern and Johnson for sponsored admissions weekends and didn't apply to either. This happens so much that it is not an efficient or practical use of an adcom's time to be taking notes on every single potential applicant that crosses their path. Now if you find that you're meeting the same person several times, that's when you might start to stand out and it could be an advantage. But one offs? Nah, not so much.
So please, do attend this event. I think they are of great benefit. I am just saying that they really do more for the applicant than they do for the adcom, given the sheer number of events they attend each application year.