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saurabh357
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The "Why this bschool?" question 23 Jul 2007, 08:16
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I have observed that a number of bschools have an essay about why we want to apply to them...now, of course people have different takes on this but I really wanted opinions here....so if there is a dicussion link for last year about this or some one wanting to put in their own thoughts, most welcome....
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The "Why this bschool?" question 23 Jul 2007, 08:33
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On my side, my two top choices are also geographically motivated, as my wife has a job and that it is difficult for her to relocate (thank god it is Chicago though!).

Talking last week to a GSB and a Kellogg alumni, they told me that stressing a geographical preference in the application was a good thing.

Anyone has an opinion on this ?
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The "Why this bschool?" question 23 Jul 2007, 10:13
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I haven't been able to talk to any alums. UCLA refused to give out any alum info. Stanford's alum association president said to talk to the adcom, and Haas I'm still waiting for a response.

But here are some general things I'm going to talk about in the "Why this school?" essay:

- Geographical Preference: This is a biggie for me, and one of the reasons why I'm only applying to 3-4 schools and am not even applying to Harvard/MIT. I hope to also know if this is a good idea to stress geographical preference

- School Curriculum: I want a more flexible curriculum like Stanford's new one, instead of Harvard's fixed curriculum.

- School strengths: I'm looking for entrepreneurship, VC, and/or Global Management, so the schools I'm applying to have strengths in those.

- Culture/Atmosphere: I'll have to visit the schools before I can talk about this, but it'll be in the essays for sure!

- Teaching method: Ditto above

Any others?
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The "Why this bschool?" question 23 Jul 2007, 10:21
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Job preferences - some schools are more finance based, some are more consulting based - post MBA job scene....

alumni networks, social networking - some schools like an indivualistic approach, some prefer team work.

these 2 came in my mind
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The "Why this bschool?" question 23 Jul 2007, 10:31
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good point about the alumni network. That's one BIG reason why I am only applying to elite and above schools, for the flexibility of moving around the country if I need to after graduation and still have a good alumni presence.
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The "Why this bschool?" question 23 Jul 2007, 10:45
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I would disagree on the geographic location bit as I dont think that carry a lot of weight. I think the response should be more focussed on a combination of:

1. Academics - what kind of 1st year core and electives offer and how that may be of interest to you. this may include classes, profs, educational seminars, etc.
2. what your career goals are as far as industry, recruiting companies that come to schools, placements for school. also may include networking opportunities, alum network, etc as well as clubs available that you can be a part of.

I am sure realistically geography of school plays a part but I would not advice on making it the numero uno reason...maybe just mention it as secondary reason.
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The "Why this bschool?" question 23 Jul 2007, 12:25
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kryzak
I haven't been able to talk to any alums. UCLA refused to give out any alum info. Stanford's alum association president said to talk to the adcom, and Haas I'm still waiting for a response.

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If you want to get in touch with alumni, you should try local alumni chapters or cross check people on social networks (LinkedIn is great for that) with whichever company you work for. These options worked very well for me.

I was extremely pleasantly surprised by the spontaneous responses I received, and these guys' will to spend some time after work talking about their school.
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The "Why this bschool?" question 23 Jul 2007, 12:28
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Sweet, thanks CerealMBA! I will try Linked in and some Yahoo and Google groups.
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The "Why this bschool?" question 23 Jul 2007, 12:38
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gmatmba
I would disagree on the geographic location bit as I dont think that carry a lot of weight. I think the response should be more focussed on a combination of:

1. Academics - what kind of 1st year core and electives offer and how that may be of interest to you. this may include classes, profs, educational seminars, etc.
2. what your career goals are as far as industry, recruiting companies that come to schools, placements for school. also may include networking opportunities, alum network, etc as well as clubs available that you can be a part of.

I am sure realistically geography of school plays a part but I would not advice on making it the numero uno reason...maybe just mention it as secondary reason.
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excellent points. Also remember that this is your chance to market yourself to their program. I would also add to the points above how you fit into them and what makes them appealing to you.

bad: The GAP program at Anderson sounds neat.

good: My experience working with engineers from all corners of the globe spurred my interest in working for a global IT company, such as Cisco Systems. The GAP program at Anderson is an important opportunity for me personally to segue from IT consulting to global business management and further hone my teambuilding and leadership skills.

Show what you're interested in, how the school fits with your plans and what you'll contribute as well.