The London Business School 2010 thread

bsd_lover,

I find that applicants, when once they've got an honest enthusiasm for the programme and feel a strong sense of "fit", will conduct extensive research into the programme that is considered not so much a chore, but an unburdened satisfaction of their passionate curiosity. That was true for me in my applications to London and Kellogg.

wow,you'd make a great management consultant you're scary!

Haha psned11, thank you for your compliment!

I think bsd_lover draws his conclusion from the common conception of an adolescent high school experience.

The S you want you dont get, The S you get you dont want.


Going to visit LBS tomorrow afternoon, despite flight delays.

ha ha good luck fonica - pm me when you are here, will be happy to show you around if I am nearby. I'm not in town today (20th) but will be back on the 21th and the 22nd.

Guys,

I just have a quick question. Even though I have been admitted, is it worth retaking the GMAT (I scored 710) before the beginning of the MBA? I am a career changer and I am afraid that 710 is too low for top banks.

Cheers

LBS asks people to put GMAT on their CVs only if its over 750. So retake it only if you feel confident enough to hit that.

I am applying to only LBS this year, and there's a question on the application form asking - which other schools am I applying to? Do you think not putting any other schools will reflect my not-so-serious or not-so-realistic picture of mine?

Many thanks.

Please count me in for R2.

Thanks
ak

Hi crux I wouldn't worry too much about this and stick to the truth. To the best of my knowledge this data does not get over analysed and impact admit decision. I know several people in class who applied only to LBS due to personal reasons (location / family / relationships / networks) so applying to only LBS can be very much a realistic picture.

zibi1,

The truth is that you ask a very important question that often gets overlooked. It is understandable that London Business School only recommends putting your GMAT score on your CV if you score 750 or better on the test as this marks the cross-over into the gloried 98th percentile. Considering that genius and "near-genius" status is defined as having an IQ, or some other metric of intelligence, in the 98th percentile, I speculate that it is for this reason that London Business School recommends noting such an accomplishment on your CV. Afterall, it's just a silly test, and taking up a bullet point to document it is a waste of precious CV space unless it's truly remarkable.

However, to answer your question frankly, top recruiters across Finance, Consulting and Industry have been rumoured to establish preliminary cut-offs for general MBA applicant pools in top MBA programmes to internship or full-time positions on the basis of GMAT scores. It is rumoured, and I also have sought to verify these claims, that non-members of the 700 club stand at an initial disadvantage when aiming for the Goldmans of Finance, the Deloittes of Consulting, and the Googles of Industry. The extent of my research would indicate that this practice, if true, is more prevalent in the top American programmes.

This is not a terrible surprise, though, is it? When one considers that almost everyone who gets into a top MBA programme is already built of the material required for outstanding success, and that a 93rd percentile GMAT score is a mere 50th/60th percentile within one's class (depending on the programme), then firms seeking top talent at top programmes would need to raise the stakes to reduce the size of the ultimate applicant pool which, even before reduction, constitutes a remarkably talented set.

Give it some thought, talk to alumni in those fields and firms of interest to you, and see if you can put your ear to the ground with current students who will be wading into London Business School's milk round in January to determine what benefit, if any, exists in trying to improve a ~93rd percentile GMAT score.

DoctorM,

as usual your reply is pretty accurate. The fact is that I'm already in a top consulting firm (MBB), so the CV speaks for me. I prepared the GMAT in 4 weekends so I am confident that I can hit the 750 bar. However, preparing the GMAT is stressful.. but at the end of the day I know that if I want to make the career change I need to score better on the GMAT!!

Cheers

crux,

Like you, this question concerned me deeply when I initially discovered it on the application form. I was concerned enough to seek out alumni and student ambassadors to understand the context in which this question is evaluated in the Admissions Committe. Two consistent responses emerged:

1) The Admissions Committe would like to understand the competition for London Business School and evaluate it for marketing purposes.
2) London Business School appeals to a certain type of achiever; you must have heard bsd_lover talk on this thread on more than one occasion about the "self-selectivity" of applications to London Business School. Bearing this in mind, the Admissions Committee can determine the authenticity of an application that claims to seek diversity, world experience and the myriad of other aspects that distinguish London Business School from its peers, by reconciling (or not) the defining hallmarks of the other programmes the candidate has applied to. I will not mention specific programmes that differ from London Business School in that regard, but if you listed one of such programmes in your appliction, your story might appear to contradict itself.

Ultimnately, it does not appear there is even the remotest penalty for ignoring this question. The form does not list it as essential component of the application, and the Admissions Committe informs that it is for marketing purposes only.

Know these things, and apply discretion.

zibi1 you will find that career changers have to also understand many things beyond the GMAT to successfully make that switch :
- Passion about the target industry (evident in interviews)
- Networking networking networking
- Having a strong story
(among others)

Last year the successful career switchers into capital markets (this is my area of interest) had some prior relevant experience. A GMAT of 800 can't beat that. It was a particularly nasty year and banks were incredibly risk averse in their recruiting (if they recruited at all).

If you are in London already, you have the advantage to start networking. You can also start reading books and researching your target industry. What I'm getting at is GMAT on your CV is a small part of being successful at a job hunt. At best, it will get you an interview. Beyond that its all upto you. So whether the time spent on getting from 93rd percentile to 99th is worth it ? i dont think it is. But you are the best judge for yourself. Also GMAT is a lot about "on the day" - say you have a poor day and the improvement is not very high just because you didnt get enough sleep the night before - then a lot of time / effort is wasted.

DoctorM, I am not really trying to glorify myself. It is the exact contrary. I want so badly to change career that I do not want to be limited by having a "low" GMAT score. Since I have little experience in capital markets (an internship), I have to be on the safe side for everything else.

So the only reason for which I want to retake the GMAT is to have a shot at my career aspiration. I started to do my networking (although I am not in London) and I have a good knowledge of the industry I want to get in.

Many thanks bsd_lover and DoctorM for your inputs. Just to elaborate a bit more - I work in London and if admitted I 'may' be financially supported by my employer ... in return, they probably seek internships and part-time (2nd yr onward) work while I am at LBS (btw, I love my work -- so no issues there). My concern is how to approach the "why LBS?" question. Of course, I am convinced that it is a great school, fits my goals and is perfect for my industry and blah blah ... but truth be told, a major factor for my decision to apply only at LBS is my employer angle. So to put in simple terms the situation is like -- MBA at LBS with some funding while contributing in some ways to my current employer and then returning back to them OR no MBA at the moment and continue working full time with my current employer.

Therefore to answer the "why LBS?" question, I am wary of putting something like 'LBS will provide me xyz opportunity that no other school can offer ..." Hard to sell. Hence my initial question. So, to summarize - I need to think hard on how to portray that funding is not the only reason for me to apply to only one MBA program, but rather I really believe that I can learn and contribute... (which I genuinely believe, btw ).

Any thoughts?

Many thanks.

That is a perfectly valid reason (i.e. if your employer will only provide funding if you come to LBS). Dont ignore the other aspects like diversity etc.