The London Business School 2009 thread

guys i am considering the MM program (lack of exp for MBA) so anyone whose got some idea on what they are exactly looking for, gmat score and gpa wise...i read the information available on the progam's webpage, so i mean aside the excelling in sports or something non-academic stuff. also i got rejected by LSE's MSc Fin program, so should i take a hint that LBS's MM will treat the same or what?

if its already discussed, pls post the link. thanks

Hi MJ, maybe if you post a little bit more about yourself, we might be able to help. I was at the LBS presentation a few days ago and they said that because this is a brand new program, the class size could vary from 15-100 depending on the quality of students.

Graduated from Lahore Uni of Management Sciences (LUMS) in July 2008 (economics major), I doubt any of you would have heard of it, but its the best we have in Pakistan . Worked for a month not-for-profit firm in Pakistan and now in the asset mgmt divsion of a regional invmt bank in GCC(middle east).
Gmat's 690 (90th) V:38 (84) Q:47 (81) A: 5.0/6.
CGPA: 2.9/4, Trust me LUMS is tough in grading, but I simply can not convince you as you probably don't even know about the University. Notable Extra-curriculars but I doubt they would make a difference if I put them here in much detail, stuff like Uni society president and 1 Top ten ranking in a Pak chess tournament.(but then pakistan doesn't have great chess players).
I got the general idea about the MM program and all, I guess like HBS, LBS will also be looking for those bright young kids with exceptional skills which i dont have so what is the range of their GPA and Gmat scores, if they are in line maybe an excellent essay might turn the odds in my favor... any help bsd_lover will be greatly appreciated

Hi getmeouttahere,

Here is my profile:

Area of interest in MBA : GM, heavy international focus
GMAT: 700 (90%), V41 (92%), Q44 (70%)
GPA: 3.75/4.00, International Relations, Top 5 nationally ranked school
W/E: 5 years. 3 years in investment banking (public finance) for top-tier bank (not involved in bailout hehe), 2 years in corporate strategic planning/international biz dev for blue-chip company (consistently ranked in top ten most well-regarded intl brands)
Nationality: U.S. (Mexican-American ethnic background)
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Extra-curriculars/community: Lots in college, not much in banking years, now chair community service & social activities for my 15-person business group, involved in monthly leadership development program, participate in corporate-sponsored community service activities.

Hey mate I wouldn't necessarily be discouraged and would certainly apply. Your GMAT is decent and your background (i.e. Pakistan origin) is distinctive. The chess stuff is pretty interesting too. Since this is the first year of the program, they have a clean slate. They dont have any past classes to look at as a guideline.

Good luck.

Deteted

There's an old adage about essays - depth over breadth. Presumably you demonstrate lots of enthusiasm and passion for this one club - which will come across as sincere.

pm. me if you want a second pair of eyes to look into it.

are you for real? Sorry but I didn't understand a word you said let alone the meaning of your post.

Apshma, make sure that you show off your diversity and interest and explain WHY rather than what. Make that passion flow in this essay.

Hi apshma,

I mentioned 4 clubs I am involved with in the first paragraph of Essay 4--kept it VERY short b/c the main point of that paragraph was to touch upon my involvement in the minority community (I am Latina and do a lot of work with minority outreach). Second paragraph talked about how the LBS clubs I am interested in would relate to my geographic interests & background (mentioned my academic/personal interests, & intl W/E). Last paragraph talked about how I would use the clubs to build my skills in other areas, and talked about 1 hobby/skill i want to develop more and 1 "professional" interest I want to develop more through a LBS club. Basically, I tried to weave my W/E, academic background, and personal interests into a coherent picture of who I am as a person and what I am passionate about.

I also used the "Tell us about your main interests and activities outside of work" short answer prompt in the main application to mention a few more activities that didnt make it into Essay 4.

Hope this helps!

Many thanks everybody! Looks like I need to give the essay another shot!

He's just a wannabe baller. True ballers would never be caught dead in a TAG.

Okay I am applying to LBS for the MM programs... bsd_lover is a convincer!! got 1 recommendation in...waiting for the other... lets hope I manage it for the 28th Feb deadline. wish me luck!

Hey MJ, i'm also applying for the MiM programme before the 28th deadline......
Do keep us updated about your progress after you submit your app....

Best of Luck!!

is that like a Californian Hood thing?

I was way off on translating "gwop," though (I looked it up on Urban Dictionary after I posted).

Good luck to both of you! Keep us updated on how the process goes...