Said (Oxford) Class of 2015 Calling all applicants!

FROM Oxford Admissions Blog: The human side of the MBA

We are MBAs. We are supposed to be about business, strategy, maximising profits; so the most common words you should be hearing in the business school should be “show me the money!”, Jerry Maguire-style. But that is not what I heard or have been hearing at Saïd, at least recently. It is about the human side of the MBA. Dean Tufano felt that human element of the MBA had to be highlighted in some form so he engaged with ace photographer Robert Fogarty to take a series of photographs of MBAs painting various thoughts or themes on their bodies. The exhibition of these photos was opened by the dean this week. In the opening speech he mentioned that when he was watching one of the photographer’s exhibitions he was touched by a picture of a cancer survivor with the words “Survived Cancer” painted on his body. He said that it was a poignant and powerful message. That’s when he realised that it’s the human factor. We might be all MBAs and be business leaders of the future, but at the end of the day we are all humans with feeling and benevolence. With that message the exhibition was declared open. And as I went through the pictures of last year’s Dear World Project with messages like “Love” and “Peace” painted on the MBAs, I could feel the human spirit. The second piece of wisdom was from our professor for the course, Developing effective managers. He said the key to any organisation is its people. “Many of you want to go into social impact and social entrepreneurship; there it’s the people. You will need to know how to manage them to be an effective leader.” I looked at some of my classmates who had come from the social impact space, I think about the conversations I had with them. It was never the money, rather the impact of money on the lives of people that drove them. The human element of the MBA, Saïd and the Skoll centre struck me. The third and most powerful message was in the concluding lecture for our marketing course. A visiting professor from Harvard taught us marketing. As a parting note he said, “I am glad I came to Oxford. This is an institute that has been educating youngsters for almost 1,000 years. The empire sent its young men to Oxford to study PPE so that they could go on and rule the world. I think the British Empire was one of the most benign empires in the world and they ruled well. “The future rulers will be MBAs in the form of large corporations and you are in the right place.” These words just kept ringing though my mind all day, I felt special about being in Oxford and being an MBA. I felt human, humble and a world leader all at the same time. So with these words my friends, I want to sleep; but I have assignments to do, job applications to fill “And miles to go before I sleep” (R Frost). Happy weekend all! Originally published in the FT on 14.03.14

very true! Any extra earnings are welcome before we bust the bank.

Yay! Deposit paid!! People join me at this fine institution!!

anyone else waiting for R4 interview decisions today?

Invited for interview!
Anyone care to share their interview experience? I need all advice I can get.

Anyone know if MFE Stage 4 interview invites went out yet?

Quite amazed to see Olympic winners in the Oxford Classroom! What an interesting prospect - can just begin to imagine the kind of learning and interaction one would benefit from.

https://www.oneyearmba.co.in/olympic-winner-storm-uru-boat-race-oxford-said-mba/

Sorry but no job opportunities at Oxford MBA and I believe that it is so much money just for good learning and interaction.

FROM Oxford Admissions Blog: Teaching as a DPhil

The never-ending pile of exams and projects on my desk is a reminder that teaching has been an important part of my academic training during this term. I have helped as a Teaching Assistant on an MBA course and I tutored an undergraduate student. Being a TA is something common in doctoral programmes, as it enables students to learn about teaching by seeing how it is done by experienced professors. In my case, I have been TA for the MBA and Executive MBA module, Strategy & Innovation, jointly taught by my supervisor Marc Ventresca and by Teppo Felin. The module itself is very interesting – based on how new markets are created, how technology develops, and how entrepreneurs and incumbent firms can organize for innovation – and the feedback from the students is always very positive. As a future academic, it was a privilege to sit in the classroom and learn how to prepare the lectures, how to engage students with the topic, and how to keep the spirit of the class high during the 3-hour sessions. My job as a TA was to help prepare the materials, allocate some office hours to answer questions from students and, most of all, help with the marking. I have marked more than a hundred versions of each practical work – three times over the term – and now the largest part remains: the final exams and the group projects. Although a bit tedious in the end, it is always good to see all the effort put in by the students – as well as how they build on their professional experience and connect it with the topics from the course. My other teaching commitment this term has been with an undergraduate student, tutoring for an Organisational Behaviour course. In a very Oxford fashion, we have had eight tutorial sessions for which the student prepared certain readings and submitted an essay in advance. Although the student is younger, it was great to see their engagement, critical analysis, and how they tried to relate the different concepts about the study of organizations to those firms or groups that are closer to them. So, I have realized that learning how to teach is an important part of my training as an academic, one that is very much encouraged here in Oxford. And now, back to the pile of exams and projects.

FROM Oxford Admissions Blog: Oxford plays to win

I was back on one of those long haul flights again. This time around, no snowstorms and I actually managed to reach where I intended to go! My destination was Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina. I was travelling with my Sustainable Venture Capital Investment Competition (SVCIC) team. The past couple of weeks were packed with final assignments and exams lined up one after another. On the day of the final exam, my team and I make a dash for the airport to catch a flight to the US. I seem to have a complicated relationship with air travel. As luck would have it we ended up missing the connecting flight in Washington DC and spent most of the night at the airport and barely managed to make it in time for the SVCIC finals; all bleary eyed and sleep deprived after all those all-nighters for the exams. SVCIC is a prestigious, business competition held every year. SVCIC and VCIC (Venture Capital Investment Competition) are two starship events in the MBA calendar world-wide and both are intensely promoted by Said Business School here in Oxford. Both these events are hosted by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in the US, with teams from all over the world taking part. As always, Oxford had the largest internal round for SVCIC this year and our team was selected to represent Oxford in the finals at UNC. Our first attempt at the finals ended up with us getting entangled in a snow storm with the team getting split up; half of us in Canada and half in NC and the event was eventually postponed. This time around we managed again to get half the team to UNC with two members having to Skype in due to final exams. The event involved analysing the business proposal of upcoming businesses in the North Carolina region and carrying out due diligence processes to assess the suitability of investing in them from a financial, sustainable and social impact perspective. This was followed up by a final presentation with recommendations and questions from the judges. After two weeks of assignments and exams with preparatory work split across two continents on flights, airports and Said seminar rooms, we managed to win first prize. With this prize we join a list of elite and prestigious business schools who have won this event in the past including Wharton, Kellogg, and NYU Stern. This is the second time Oxford is bringing home this trophy, the previous being in 2010. This is also the fourth major MBA Business competition that our school has won this year. I guess Oxford plays to win! After the end of the exams we are back in school to work on our Entrepreneurship Projects (EP). This is a compulsory module, where students form small teams and work on a business idea. The idea is then refined through an iterative process spread across two weeks aided by various workshops, seminars and faculty. At the end of these two weeks we make a presentation on our business idea to test how it stands against the scrutiny of venture capitalists. The EP has been designed to give students the confidence to go out into the real world and start their own entrepreneurial ventures. Many of my classmates told me that the very reason they chose to do an MBA in Oxford was the EP and most of them are working on the business ideas that they would pursue right after the MBA for EP. I think this is the reason why a significant portion of the MBA class from Oxford always goes on to become entrepreneurs. Watch this space for news about one of the oldest sporting events in the world, the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race or simply known as The Boat Race; which takes place this weekend on the River Thames in London. I will be watching from the banks of the Thames to cheer my MBA classmate, college-mate, good friend and Olympic medalist, Storm Uru who will be rowing for the Oxford Blues.

I'm sorry you feel that way, and must say that if you were coming to the program just for a job in the end then we all applaud you on taking the choice which is better for both yourself, and us. The students who choose Oxford do it for both job and life opportunities. A proper school won't place you immediately after graduation, it will help you open the doors you need to open in order to ensure that your life goes in the direction you want it. The school will empower you. I know that each of the students attending Oxford will come out with an excellent career, on a path which their year at the school will help them shape.

You have made the choice for Olin and I hope that right for you, and it is ranked 88th in the world which makes it an excellent institution. Where Oxford has a ranking of 24th shows that if its job program vs costs are not as aligned as your other choice schools then it still provides a wealth of life skills. I'm proud to say I am going to Oxford for many reasons, and you should be proud to chose Olin, I hope the fit works well for you.

As for those who have accepted Oxford, welcome to the days of empty pocket books and full day planners, just the way we like it!

Hi guys!
Any ideas how to choose a college?
I saw the list of available colleges and I assumed that people chose the oldest colleges. This logic makes sense. If you are in Oxford, you want to get the most from its brilliant legacy. However, if you explore the presentation that was sent in offer package, you could see the numbers of students that can be accepted by each college. Most colleges accept a few MBA students. The only college with significant number (70) for MBA students is Green Templeton. So, here is the question: out of a couple of hundreds Oxford MBAs 70 go to Green Templeton. It means that social interactions between students are more intence in this colledge. It is really cool to be a part of established elite college with over 500 years of legacy, but we live nowadays. It is easy to conclude that Green Templton has the biggest MBA community since the launch of MBA in Oxford.
I will be grateful for any tips and insights.

I went through the same process as you did, and at the end of the day it was almost harder than choosing the university to attend. I think I came to the same conclusion that you did, albeit a shaky one, that Green Templeton would be the one with the most MBAs, the most resources for MBAs, and what really got me in the end was that it would have the most MBA alumni, who are the one we will be networking with for the rest of our lives. You will have friends who will attend all colleges and they can invite you over to see the cool meal halls, and you can go to their pubs, don't see it as being locked into one college.

At the end of the day, we will be at Said most of the time anyway I'm pretty sure.

I really enjoyed the interview process - although was surprised at how short it was (30mis on the dot).

The interview was fairly standard that you'd expect and focused around my broad experience, why I want to do an MBA and why I feel now is the right time for me and finally what I would contribute to Oxford. We then talked around specific parts of my experience which turned into a bit more of a debate style session (in an enjoyable way). For example we talked around why the public are nervous about anonymous information being shared as part of a big data initiative but happy to share so much on facebook. This is definitely very specific to my role and where I want to go by the way so wasnt trying to trip me up

The interviewer had read my pack in detail so I'd just say make sure you have refreshed yourself on it all (as it has probably been a while since you wrote it) and have examples to back up any of your answers to the standard questions.

Mine ended in an offer so hope that you are as succesful!

Good luck.

FROM Oxford Admissions Blog: Since completing my MBA

Its amazing how time flies. Its been almost two years since I completed my MBA at Oxford and went back into real life. Looking back, I still maintain it was a fantastic, transformational experience, and I wouldn’t change a thing. So what has happened since the MBA? I returned to my former place of work where a merger and the prospects of being actively involved in raising a new fund appealed greatly to me. Nigeria won the African Cup of Nations in South Africa: Remember my patient girlfriend? Yeah, I convinced her to marry me somehow… And almost immediately I accepted a position with a Development Finance Institute in Vienna, Austria. Looking forward to this new adventure. Originally published on Bayo’s personal blog, Against Most Odds, 03.04.2014

Hi All,
Congrats to all those admitted to the program. Does anyone know what form does Oxford send to the person that writes the recommendation? Is it a question-answer and, or, multiple-choice kind of form? Or simply a blank document? I saw that it was asked earlier in the thread but I haven't seen an answer.
Thanks!

FROM Oxford Admissions Blog: How to choose your Oxford college

Oxford University is a little bit different from other universities in many ways, one of which is the fact that you are not just a member of the University and a member of your department or faculty, but also a member of a College. Once you have paid your deposit you will be sent a list of colleges and asked which one you would like to apply to join, if you have a preference. So, how do you know which one to choose, and does it even matter? The Purpose Of The Collegiate System There are 38 colleges at Oxford University and in addition to their basic services, such as offering rooms to rent, a cheap place to eat and being responsible for your general welfare, it is an opportunity for you to belong to a smaller community within Oxford. The college will also assign you an advisor, who is a member of the College’s academic staff and who will be able to offer you support or advice. Why Making An Active Choice Matters Each college is slightly different; location, facilities, resources, etc., so if you don’t make an active choice you might end up with one that isn’t ideal for your circumstances. Some colleges won’t accept graduates, so there is no point considering these. From a networking aspect, being alumni of a certain college can also be a door opener in the future, which is another reason I would urge you to make an active choice. Once you have joined a college you are not really able to switch, so having been accepted you’re stuck with it for life. Choosing The Right College; Before, During and After 1. Decide what you’re looking for: My first criteria was to find a college where I could meet those people that were most likely to help me in my career, so I started by researching members of my network of trusted colleagues, clients, etc. who had studied at Oxford. I asked them what college they were a member of, and which one would they recommend to me? I figured that if there was a trend in their answers it would give me an initial shortlist. I then used the website Choose an Oxford College to narrow down my options. I decided I wanted to go to an old college, to really make the most of the experience of going to one of the world’s oldest universities. Another benefit of an old college is that they are located in central Oxford, so easy to get to and from. I also thought it would be nice to go to a college with many intellectual celebrities just for the bragging factor, but in the end I had to compromise on this criteria. I now had a list of three colleges. 2. Start early: Each college will only have a certain number of places set aside for EMBA students. This means that the sooner you can apply to one the greater the chances are of getting into the college you really want. Students who get accepted to the EMBA and pay their deposit early have an advantage over the rest; I was a late joiner so some of the colleges on my shortlist were already ‘off the market’. Start early to avoid disappointment. 3. Be active: Once you have been accepted to a college, make the most of it! This is a bit easier for EMBA students based in the UK as a lot of activity happens throughout the year, and not only during our EMBA weeks (when you’re really busy anyway). Each college will have a social group, called MCR (Middle Common Room) for graduates and mainly made up of 25-30 year old PhD students; get on their mailing list, join their Facebook group and go along to their events. Only a few months into the EMBA I’ve already attended a few dinners and a wine tasting. These social events are just one example of the benefits of being a member of a wealthy college, as that means these activities are free of charge and they will have the resources to invite alumni back for annual dinners etc. Good luck in your search for the perfect college!

Blank document. Good luck!

Hello GMATCLUB Members,

GMATClub and Admissionado Consulting are conducting a webinar for the applicants got dinged this year. This is your opportunity to get expert guidance and build a smart strategy for the next application round/season. Webinar will be conducted by Admissionado's Founder and HBS Alum Jon Frank. Jon will share his suggestions followed by a Q&A session - this is your opportunity to ask your specific questions.

One lucky attendee will get the opportunity to have his/her (dinged) profile evaluated by Jon Frank during the session. If you'd like to be chosen for this opportunity, please email info@admissionado.com with the subject line "GMAT Club Webinar - Choose me!". Please include your name, nationality, age, GMAT score and a list of schools where you were dinged. And please also attach your essays + resume + LORs from one of your applications. Winner will be notified via email on April 16th!