The MIT Sloan Class of 2015 Applicant Thread https://spectrum.mit.edu/wp-content/images/2011-winter/new-center-for-mit-sloan-school-of-management.jpg Hey Everyone - Welcome to the MIT Sloan Class of 2015 Applicant Thread!! The admissions season is upon us, and Sloan has joined the charge, releasing their deadlines and essay topics for 2012-2013. In the coming months, I'll try to keep this thread as up to date on everything Sloan as I can, but to start things off, here's a cache of information on Sloan for both this year, and past years. MBA Program Application Deadlines and Important Dates - for August 2013 Entry: Round I Application Submission Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012 - 3 pm ET Decision Release Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013 Reply By Friday, Mar 8, 2013 Round II Application Submission Thursday, Dec 27, 2012 - 3 pm ET Decision Release Tuesday, Apr 2, 2013 Reply By Friday, May 24, 2013 *Reapplicants may submit their applications by the Round I or by the Round 2 deadline. LGO reapplicants must submit their reapplications by the LGO deadline. **Decisions will be released early for some candidates who will be denied admission without an interview. MIT Sloan Real time Applicant Summary GMAT Club vs Latest Intake GMAT Club's Real-time Admissions Statistics Latest GMAT Club Member Profile Updates Detailed Applicant List Add Your Profile to This List Questions about this Roll Call ? Rankings (2012 GMAT Club Rankings Table) US News 2012 #4 Entrepreneurship #4 Finance #5 Information Systems #1 Production/Operations #1 Supply Chain/Logistics #1 BusinessWeek 2010 #10 Historical GMAT Club Applicant Threads Fall 2012 - Calling All MIT Sloan Applicants Fall 2011 - Calling All MIT Sloan Applicants Fall 2010 - Calling All MIT Sloan Applicants Fall 2009 - Calling All MIT Sloan Applicants Fall 2008 - Calling All MIT Sloan Applicants Fall 2007 - Calling All MIT Sloan Applicants Popular Links Programs Offered at MIT Sloan MIT Sloan Employment Reports Prominent Faculty Notable Alumni Application Elements 1. Cover Letter 2. Resume 3. Essays 4. Letters of Recommendation 5. Transcript 6. Test Scores 7. Application Fee ________________________________________________________ 1. Cover Letter Please prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should describe your accomplishments, address any extenuating circumstances that may apply to your application, and conform to standard business correspondence. Your letter should be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Senior Director of Admissions. 2. Resume Please prepare a business resume that includes your employment history in reverse chronological order, with titles, dates, and whether you worked part-time or full-time. Your educational record should also be in reverse chronological order and should indicate dates of attendance and degree(s) earned. Other information appropriate to a business resume is welcomed and encouraged. The resume should not be more than one page in length (up to 50 lines). 3. Essays We are interested in learning more about how you work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response. Please limit the experiences you discuss to those which have occurred in the past three years. In each of the essays, please describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did. Essay 1: Please describe a time when you had to convince a person or a group of your idea. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page) Essay 2: Please describe a time when you overcame a personal setback. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page) Supplemental Information (Optional) The Admissions Committee invites you to share anything else you would like us or your future classmates to know about you. This may be in written or multimedia format. Please do not use Flash Media Player, and include a URL where it can be accessed online. Written essays should be 300 words or fewer. 4. Letters of Recommendation MBA applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. Professional recommendations are preferred from individuals who are able to speak with certainty about your professional achievements and potential. Recommenders must submit recommendations online. We do not accept mailed recommendations. Recommendations may be in either letter or short answer format and should not exceed two pages each. Please choose recommenders who are able to provide specific answers to the following questions: How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant? How does the applicant stand out from others in a similar capacity? Please give an example of the applicant's impact on a person, group, or organization. Please give a representative example of how the applicant interacts with other people. Which of the applicant's personal or professional characteristics would you change? Please tell us anything else you think we should know about this applicant. 5. Academic Records (Transcripts) Please scan and upload copies of your academic records. Do not mail in your official academic records or transcripts. Applicants invited to interview will be required to provide an official transcript from each school attended. Any discrepancy between the scanned transcripts and official transcripts may result in a rejection in our decision or a withdrawal of our offer of admission. 6. Test Scores The GMAT or GRE is required of all applicants and must be taken before submitting your application. Once your online application is submitted, we will not allow replacement of your test scores. Only tests taken after September 1, 2008 will be considered. The TOEFL or IELTS is not required for MBA or LGO applicants. MBA GMAT School Code: X5X-QS-41 MBA GRE School Code: 3791 7. Application Fee MBA Application Fee: $250.00 ___________________________________________________ CLASS PROFILE Full-time students in newest entering class (2010-2011) that are: Female: 38 % International: 38 % Students from following regions: Africa: 1 % Asia: 18 % Europe: 8 % North America: 64 % Latin America and the Caribbean: 9 % Percentage of U.S. students in newest entering class that are: African American: 8 % Asian American: 24 % Hispanic or Latino American: 15 % Native American: 1 % White (Non-Hispanic): 46 % Chose not to report: 6 % Percentage of U.S. students in newest entering class who are from the following regions: Northeast: 52 % Mid-Atlantic: 9 % South: 9 % Southwest: 7 % Midwest: 5 % West: 18 % Work Experience Mean months of work experience of newest entering class: 58 Median months of work experience of newest entering class: 60 Middle 80% range of work experience of newest entering class in months: From: 36 To: 96 Age Median age of entering class: 28 Mean age of entering class: 28 GMAT score distribution (incoming class): Average GMAT Score: 710 50th Percentile (median): 710 (Official Class Profile Page: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba/student-ex ... rofile.php )

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Sloan 2013 (MIT) - Calling All Applicants

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fitzmanon

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03 Oct 2012, 23:48

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starlight1

Hi, can someone give an example of a "setback" please? Just trying to figure out what is hidden under the term "setback".

I tried to keep it professional (I consider that MBA applications are not the place where to discuss private matters but it's only my European take on it). It's tough because we are all successful in our professional careers to a certain extent.

I believe you also need to show that you were able to "rebound".

starlight1

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04 Oct 2012, 00:44

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Thank you for the insights. Just to confirm that I am getting everything right. So, personal setback is something personal that was failed due to EXTERNAL circumstances not by YOU and we have to describe how we overcame it???

I am having difficulty in understanding the difference between "failure" and "setback". First time I read the topic for essay 2, I understood that I should describe something that I failed and how I overcame the situation. But now, I am realizing that setback is not exactly a failure, I mean it is a failure but not because of my fault. Correct me if I am wrong.

MBAWanderlust

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04 Oct 2012, 01:54

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starlight1

So let me put it this way -

Failure - When YOU (something you thought or did) caused something you were trying to do, from getting accomplished.

Setback - When some sudden, unexpected circumstance or event (not something you did) caused something you were trying to do, from getting accomplished.

Trying to run the marathon but chickening out the night before - Failure
Trying to run the marathon but an accident breaks your leg - Setback

I believe the key thing to address in setback essays, is mainly how you managed to deal with/overcome an unexpected speed bump on the way to achieving your task, even when it was not your fault.

Hope this helps.

-MBAWanderlust

starlight1

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04 Oct 2012, 02:03

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MBAWanderlust

starlight1

Greatly appreciate! Thank you!!!! Now it is clear.

david01234567

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04 Oct 2012, 02:25

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Hi everyone,

If you are in Paris, come learn more about MIT Sloan and get a first-hand account of the MBA experience. Please join four MIT Sloan students for a student-hosted information session on October 8th in Paris. We will discuss our experience, the admission process, the career opportunities, life in Boston, and answer any of your questions.

Here are the details:

Date: Monday October 8th 2012
Time: 6pm to 7pm
Place: McKinsey & Company, 79 Avenue des Champs Elysees, 75008 Paris
Registration: please sign-up on MIT Sloan Admissions Events website (google it and you'll find it)

Hope to see you on Monday!

Best,

David

aerien

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06 Oct 2012, 06:16

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MIT sent an email with some essay tips:

Essay 1: Describe a time when you had to convince a person or group of your idea. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page)
Essay 2: Describe a time when you overcame a personal setback. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page) This example may be from a professional situation and should be something that affected you as an individual.
Optional Supplemental Information: Share something you would like your future classmates and the Admissions Committee to know about you in a multimedia or written format. (300 words or fewer, limited to one page) This will not be shared with anyone outside the Admissions Committee without your permission.

Presentations must be accessible via an unprotected URL and cannot be uploaded directly into your application. Videos should be no more than one minute long; please do not use Flash.

For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response including what you thought, felt, said, and did.

Please limit the experiences you discuss to those which have occurred in the past three years.

A few thoughts/questions:
For Essay 2, I'm happy they clarified that this was not limited to just personal situations, but it's probably back to the drawing board for me on this one.

For Essay 3, does this mean we shouldn't use this as a typical "additional information" section (clarifying low exam scores, GPAs, other extenuating circumstances)? I'm starting to think this is more of a "describe yourself in 300 words" essay that may or may not end up being shared with the incoming class.

kingfalcon

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06 Oct 2012, 06:48

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mba2014hopeful

If I'm remembering right, I believe MIT explicitly says to use the Cover Letter to provide insight into any extenuating circumstances.

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06 Oct 2012, 09:33

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Anyone going to the Sloan Diversity Weekend next Friday?

OptimisticApplicant

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Updated on: 10 Oct 2012, 09:35

Originally posted by OptimisticApplicant on 08 Oct 2012, 09:46.
Last edited by OptimisticApplicant on 10 Oct 2012, 09:35, edited 1 time in total.

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[EDIT - Best of luck everyone!]

HBSGrad

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08 Oct 2012, 18:36

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mba2014hopeful

For Essay 2, I'm happy they clarified that this was not limited to just personal situations, but it's probably back to the drawing board for me on this one.

For Essay 3, does this mean we shouldn't use this as a typical "additional information" section (clarifying low exam scores, GPAs, other extenuating circumstances)? I'm starting to think this is more of a "describe yourself in 300 words" essay that may or may not end up being shared with the incoming class.

For Essay #2, the context (whether it be professional or personal) is only important for applicants who've done some incredible stuff: the people who reported directly to CEOs, who managed headline mergers / acquisitions, who commanded hundreds of soldiers, etc. In reality, that's a small minority of applicants! (while every Perspectives makes it sound like they're the majority!) So for most people, don't worry about the context so much.

The most important / meaningful part of your answer, for most applicants, is not the context, but the part about what "you thought, felt, said, and did." That's the part that helps the AdCom understand who you are. In most cases, MBA programs don't want to admit the immature, self-serving braggart from a big name company. They'd prefer to admit the reflective, conscientious, empathetic, self-aware person who has the potential to become a great leader.

So choose a story that demonstrates those characteristics that MBA programs want.

Admissionado

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09 Oct 2012, 04:19

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OptimisticApplicant

How are you all planning to sign your cover letters? For example, are you doing...

Sincerely,
First Last

OR

Sincerely,
[HANDWRITTEN SIGNATURE]
First Last

OR

Sincerely,
[TYPED SIGNATURE IN A SCRIPT FONT]
First Last

or something totally different?

Thanks!
OptimisticApplicant

Good question! I like this idea a lot of putting in a handwritten signature. I've actually never seen anyone do this, but it's something that I feel would be a beautiful personalized touch, like getting your initials stitched into your bathrobe

crimemaster

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09 Oct 2012, 13:43

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What do you guys think of the students being paid to defer admission from Fall 2012 to Fall 2013- Less seats for us to grab?
https://poetsandquants.com/2012/09/26/sl ... o-go-away/

kingfalcon

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09 Oct 2012, 14:30

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crimemaster - Unfortunately, that's exactly what it means.

Posted from my mobile device

OptimisticApplicant

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Updated on: 23 Oct 2012, 08:03

Originally posted by OptimisticApplicant on 09 Oct 2012, 14:38.
Last edited by OptimisticApplicant on 23 Oct 2012, 08:03, edited 1 time in total.

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[EDIT - Best of luck everyone!]

lamanxa

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10 Oct 2012, 06:48

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Hello fellows,

where are you guys addressing the eventual lack of a current supervisor recco? The cover letter prompt suggests that the letter could be used to address any extenuating condition, but it sounds a bit odd to explain such situation in a document with the aim to show that I'm a fit to MIT Sloan. I would appreciate any insight on it.

Regards,
lamanxa.

str1der

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10 Oct 2012, 07:05

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OptimisticApplicant

In short, yes, I do think there will be fewer seats for those of us applying for the Class of 2015 this year.

First, the Class of 2014 is overenrolled, so to compensate, I expect they'll want a smaller Class of 2015 to begin with. Second, four people accepted the $20K deferral and rumor has it that others accepted non-scholarship deferrals (see comments of P&Q article). Third, I'm sure MIT will have a higher estimated Yield based on last year.

In my estimation, the accpetance rate will drop from 14.4% for the Class of 2014 to 13.3% for the Class of 2015. Here's how I calculated those figures:

Class of 2014:
-4,133 Applicants (source 1)
-413 Enrolled (source 1)
-67% Class of 2012 Yield (source 2)
-400 Enrollment Target (assumption)
-597 Estimated Acceptances (400 Enrollment Target / 67% Yield)
-14.4% Estimated Acceptance Rate (597 Est. Accepts / 4,133 Applicants)
-69% Class of 2014 Yield (413 Enrolled / 597 Est. Accepts)

Class of 2015:
-4,133 Applicants (assumes it will hold constant vs. last year)
-4 $20K Deferrals (source 1)
-6 No Scholarship Deferrals (assumption based on source 1 comments)
-800 Total FT MBA Program Enrollment Target (assumption)
-409 Class of 2014 (source 1 - 4 $20k deferrals)
-391 Class of 2015 Enrollment Target (800 total - 409 Class of 2014, assumption)
-381 Class of 2015 Seats Available (391 target - 10 deferrals)
-69% Class of 2014 Yield (see above)
-551 Class of 2015 Acceptances (381 Class of 2015 Seats / 69% Yield)
-13.3% Estimated Acceptance Rate (551 Class of 2015 Accepts / 4,133 Applicants)

Source 1: https://poetsandquants.com/2012/09/26/sl ... o-go-away/
Source 2: https://www.businessweek.com/bschools/ra ... sloan.html

Let me know what you all think!

Thank you,
OptimisticApplicant

Good analysis, although it does nothing to advance you as an OptimisticApplicant in our eyes

haha

I think the acceptance rate will remain the same (14 odd percent) as the number of apps at Sloan will also be down (as is expected to be the general trend). If you take a 5% decline, you are looking at 550 admits out of 3,926 applications - which is 14% Now THAT is an OptimisticApplicant! hehe - cheers!

OptimisticApplicant

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Updated on: 23 Oct 2012, 08:04

Originally posted by OptimisticApplicant on 10 Oct 2012, 09:21.
Last edited by OptimisticApplicant on 23 Oct 2012, 08:04, edited 1 time in total.

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[EDIT - Best of luck everyone!]

Grumppee17

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10 Oct 2012, 10:04

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Submitted yesterday. Best of luck to everyone!

icaniwill

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10 Oct 2012, 16:12

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OptimisticApplicant

With Handwritten signature, don't you think it *may* come across as pretentious candidate. Just a bit of risk.

elbie

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10 Oct 2012, 16:21

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mba2014hopeful

Info session I was at explicitly said that the Supplemental Information is really not optional - you should definitely answer it.

Thoughts on the setback essay: is getting rejected from other schools 2 years ago (and demonstrating learning/growth/why I am ready now) a reasonable approach? Only real setback I've had in the last 3 years.