Hi,
Please have a look at my profile and lemme know if I am targetting the right universities
GPA-3.53/4 (one of the National Institute of Technology,India)
Work-ex :2 years with Computer Sciences Corporation India .Total work-ex -3 at the time of joining a B-school
GMAT score :730. Balanced one
Extra-curriculars : Exceptional,if I can dare say that .Headboy of the School, Freestyle Rapper,Composer and guitarist.Have performed in public functions.Songs are available on youtube. Passionate writer-Constantly receive rave reviews for my satirical and paradoxical articles on my own website.Member of the winning team of the State Level Basketball team.Have won a gold medal in semi-cross country race.Have won several other medals in atheletics.Represented school at the State Level in Debate and Quizz comptetions.Member of the Literary and Debating Society in college (only 20 people outta 1000 get entry in this society)and member of a couple of other societies .Apart from all of the above,still have a lot of other things to mention
Professional Achievements :Certified in General Insurance Practices(Property & Casualty,Personal,Commercial Insurance) by AICPCU,America. Certified in Financial Markets,Derivates Markets,Securities Modules, Mutual Funds Module conducted by the National Stock Exchange,India .Have a couple of Technical Certifications,though I know there are not worth here. Have received a Certificate of Achievement for contribution to the team
Other activities : Working as an instructor and an educational counsellor with an NGO ,for the upliftment of slum children.
Target Universities :Darden,Indiana, UNC, Illionis(UC)and the likes.Basically universities with ranks between 20 to 40.
Special Note : A good Scholarship is a must .Even if I have to compromise on the universities .
Queries: 1.I am quite skeptical about my work-ex as it is on the lower side. What's your take on this, as most of the universities have people with around 5 years of work-ex ?
2. Though I have done the above mentioned professional certifications but I am working just as a software Engineer and don't have a leadership role. Your comment on this.
3.Do you think ,with my kind of profile and the pre-requisite condition that I need a scholarship,I am targetting the right universities ?
Would be really thankful if you could answer my queries and also throw some other insights,if any .Thanks a lot again
Thank you for your inquiry. I enjoyed reading your profile and there are some aspects of it that will really make you stand out. Overall you have strong academics and interesting and unusual extracurriculars with a history of achievement. If you are as good a writer as you say, your essays will stand out as well (although I would caution you to avoid being "satirical or paradoxical" in your essays! A bit of humor here or there is fine.)
The gap in your profile is, as you identify, leadership experience and I am not just referring to leadership in a work context. Your activities - while impressive - seem primarily individually-focused rather than team or leadership-oriented. Even teaching through the NGO is a fairly individual activity. I encourage you to find opportunities to demonstrate your initiative and leadership within the activities you already pursue - creating a team and leading it to accomplish a goal. That will help offset any concern the admissions committee might have about your leadership potential.
U.S. business schools tend to accept students with less work experience than do some of the international schools, so 3 years of experience is not considered too little. What is more important than length of time is what you have done with the experience; you want to be sure to demonstrate in your application accomplishments, results and any leadership or initiative you took.
You seem to be targeting a very reasonable list of schools given your profile. As an Indian technologist you are in an extremely competitive demographic, so highlight in your application those qualities and activities that differentiate you. Given the competitiveness of your demographic, the lack of leadership experience might hurt you at a top 10 school but I think you will be a competitive candidate at the schools you are targeting.
Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hi,
Please have a look at my profile and lemme know if I am targetting the right universities
GPA-3.53/4 (one of the National Institute of Technology,India)
Work-ex :2 years with Computer Sciences Corporation India .Total work-ex -3 at the time of joining a B-school
GMAT score :730. Balanced one
Extra-curriculars : Exceptional,if I can dare say that .Headboy of the School, Freestyle Rapper,Composer and guitarist.Have performed in public functions.Songs are available on youtube. Passionate writer-Constantly receive rave reviews for my satirical and paradoxical articles on my own website.Member of the winning team of the State Level Basketball team.Have won a gold medal in semi-cross country race.Have won several other medals in atheletics.Represented school at the State Level in Debate and Quizz comptetions.Member of the Literary and Debating Society in college (only 20 people outta 1000 get entry in this society)and member of a couple of other societies .Apart from all of the above,still have a lot of other things to mention
Professional Achievements :Certified in General Insurance Practices(Property & Casualty,Personal,Commercial Insurance) by AICPCU,America. Certified in Financial Markets,Derivates Markets,Securities Modules, Mutual Funds Module conducted by the National Stock Exchange,India .Have a couple of Technical Certifications,though I know there are not worth here. Have received a Certificate of Achievement for contribution to the team
Other activities : Working as an instructor and an educational counsellor with an NGO ,for the upliftment of slum children.
Target Universities :Darden,Indiana, UNC, Illionis(UC)and the likes.Basically universities with ranks between 20 to 40.
Special Note : A good Scholarship is a must .Even if I have to compromise on the universities .
Queries: 1.I am quite skeptical about my work-ex as it is on the lower side. What's your take on this, as most of the universities have people with around 5 years of work-ex ?
2. Though I have done the above mentioned professional certifications but I am working just as a software Engineer and don't have a leadership role. Your comment on this.
3.Do you think ,with my kind of profile and the pre-requisite condition that I need a scholarship,I am targetting the right universities ?
Would be really thankful if you could answer to my queires and also throw some other insights,if any .Thanks a lot again
Hi !
I am Himanshu and i am Targeting MBA from US,UK ,Singapore and European B Schools.I have not taken up GMAT yet, and planning to start preparation next month and would like to take up the test at the end of the year.
Finances are a point of concern and i can not manage without a Scholarship.
Please advice me,which institutes i should target based on my needs and profile (mentioned Below)
My Profile
work
Industry:Petroleum / Oil and Gas
Profile:Technical Consultant (Process Design Engineer) in an Indian PSU (Public Sector Undertaking)
Work Experience :2 years now and will reach to 4 by the time i am planning to go apply.
Academics:
B.Tech Chemical Engineering :Gold Medalist from a state University.
Good Academic records overall.
Extra Curricular
President: Student Association at College.
Organized cultural Festival and Technical fest.
Presented Technical Papers.
Used to be a Diffident Guy at School so nothing much except some essay and painting competitions.
Since i am in Core Technical Role right now ,please tell me what i can do to enhance my profile for good B schools
Hi,
I have just answered my GMAT
740 ( q 50 v 40 AWA 6.0)
I am looking for an MBA in any one of the following universities
Harvard
Wharton
Stanford
Columbia
LBS
IMD
INSEAD
IE
CHICAGO ( Booth)
NYU Stern
I would like to go for Admissions counselling and am not sure which counselor is the best in India. PLease advice.
CB
Thank you for your inquiry. You seem to have a good work and academic background, but in this competitive market and coming from a competitive demographic, your lack of community activities may hurt you. I do not see in your profile any recent demonstration of leadership, either at work or outside of work.
Fortunately, you are planning far in advance so have time to fill some of the gaps. Aside from doing well on the GMAT, I would recommend finding activities now that you are passionate about and can get involved with, perhaps related to some activity you did in university. I do not recommend finding activities simply to be able to list them on your resume, but instead determining what will hold your interest and make you excited enough to get involved. This could be professional societies or activities that have nothing to do with work. Within your job you should also look for opportunities to take on leadership roles and demonstrate initiative.
I hope this is helpful,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hi !
I am Himanshu and i am Targeting MBA from US,UK ,Singapore and European B Schools.I have not taken up GMAT yet, and planning to start preparation next month and would like to take up the test at the end of the year.
Finances are a point of concern and i can not manage without a Scholarship.
Please advice me,which institutes i should target based on my needs and profile (mentioned Below)
My Profile
work
Industry:Petroleum / Oil and Gas
Profile:Technical Consultant (Process Design Engineer) in an Indian PSU (Public Sector Undertaking)
Work Experience :2 years now and will reach to 4 by the time i am planning to go apply.
Academics:
B.Tech Chemical Engineering :Gold Medalist from a state University.
Good Academic records overall.
Extra Curricular
President: Student Association at College.
Organized cultural Festival and Technical fest.
Presented Technical Papers.
Used to be a Diffident Guy at School so nothing much except some essay and painting competitions.
Since i am in Core Technical Role right now ,please tell me what i can do to enhance my profile for good B schools
Congratulations on an outstnading GMAT score; you should be very pleased. Without knowing anything else about your profile I cannot advise as to whether the schools you list are reasonable choices.
Beyond that, I am afraid I cannot answer which admissions consultant is best in India. The company I am with, mbaMission, does work with clients all over the world; our consultants work exclusively on the phone and via email, helping candidates in any country present themselves in the best way possible. If you prefer to work with a consulting firm in person you would have to research which firms do work in India and I am not familiar with that market.
Best wishes,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hi,
I have just answered my GMAT
740 ( q 50 v 40 AWA 6.0)
I am looking for an MBA in any one of the following universities
Harvard
Wharton
Stanford
Columbia
LBS
IMD
INSEAD
IE
CHICAGO ( Booth)
NYU Stern
I would like to go for Admissions counselling and am not sure which counselor is the best in India. PLease advice.
CB
Thanks a lot,Jessica for the fair evaluation.I am glad that you liked my profile and I will try to fill the gaps which you have pointed out in greater depth.Would be glad if you please clarify some queries regarding the letter of recommendations :
1.I want one of the letter of recommendations from a senior Account Executive who's used to work in my firm .But recently, she's switched job.So,would it not leave a subdued impression on the Adcom when they'll see that the person giving the reco doesn't work in the organisation the candidate is still working in.
2.Can the second letter of recommendation be from the Director of the NGO I am associated with as I dont share a great rapport with my team leader in my organisation?
Thank you for your inquiry. I enjoyed reading your profile and there are some aspects of it that will really make you stand out. Overall you have strong academics and interesting and unusual extracurriculars with a history of achievement. If you are as good a writer as you say, your essays will stand out as well (although I would caution you to avoid being "satirical or paradoxical" in your essays! A bit of humor here or there is fine.)
The gap in your profile is, as you identify, leadership experience and I am not just referring to leadership in a work context. Your activities - while impressive - seem primarily individually-focused rather than team or leadership-oriented. Even teaching through the NGO is a fairly individual activity. I encourage you to find opportunities to demonstrate your initiative and leadership within the activities you already pursue - creating a team and leading it to accomplish a goal. That will help offset any concern the admissions committee might have about your leadership potential.
U.S. business schools tend to accept students with less work experience than do some of the international schools, so 3 years of experience is not considered too little. What is more important than length of time is what you have done with the experience; you want to be sure to demonstrate in your application accomplishments, results and any leadership or initiative you took.
You seem to be targeting a very reasonable list of schools given your profile. As an Indian technologist you are in an extremely competitive demographic, so highlight in your application those qualities and activities that differentiate you. Given the competitiveness of your demographic, the lack of leadership experience might hurt you at a top 10 school but I think you will be a competitive candidate at the schools you are targeting.
Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hello Jessica,
First of all, kudos for all your efforts at PG. You ve been doing a fantastic job.
I graduated in 2006 with an engineering degree in Information Technology (Managed a not so bad 75%). Unlike a lot of engineers, I declined offers from a few IT majors and went on to establish a startup in Executive Search/Recruitment. The company caters exclusively to recruitment in Banking and Financial Services. Though we are not a large firm, our numbers show a consistent increase in revenue as well as size of clientele.
I gave the GMAT once and scored 730/6.0 (Balanced Scores). I am looking to retake the GMAT sometime in August 2009, with a lot more preparation and hope to beat the 750 mark.
As for extracurricular activities/community service, Id say, they ve been very good. Been actively involved in 3 National level social initiatives ( few leadership roles as well ) apart from numerous associations with NGOs and self help groups. I am confident I can turn in sound essays as well.
My career interests lie in IB/Consulting (Yes. Money certainly is a motivation, though there are other factors 😉 ) with a focus on Private Equity at a later stage in career. The following are my target schools.
1) Wharton
2) U Chicago
3) Stern
4) Columbia
Will it be possible to assess my chances with the above schools? Will certainly appreciate any additions to the list of schools based on my career interests as well. Also, it would be great if you can suggest ways to augment my application.
Looking forward to hear from you, and thank you so much for your time. 😃
I am glad you found the advice helpful. Admissions committees understand that some candidates cannot ask for recommendations at their current job. As long as both recommenders have worked with you closely and can answer detailed questions about your accomplishments and personality, they seem like good choices.
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Thanks a lot,Jessica for the fair evaluation.I
am glad that you liked my profile and I will try to fill the gaps which you have pointed out in greater depth.Would be glad if you please clarify some queries regarding the letter of recommendations :
1.I want one of the letter of recommendations from a senior Account Executive who's used to work in my firm .But recently, she's switched job.So,would it not leave a subdued impression on the Adcom when they'll see that the person giving the reco doesn't work in the organisation the candidate is still working in.
2.Can the second letter of recommendation be from the Director of the NGO I am associated with as I dont share a great rapport with my team leader in my organisation?
Hi,
Please have a look at my profile and lemme know if I am targetting the right universities and chances of a call...
GPA-3.00/5 (one of the top 6 colleges of India,India) + scholar in school
Work-ex :4 years with Infosys(Clients Nordstrom, Fidelity).Total work-ex -5+ at the time of joining a B-school
GMAT score :710/6
Extra-curriculars : Undefeated Hindi debating champ, won multiple quiz competitions. + played State level Basket ball. know multiple dance forms and have won multiple competitions for my college and school. Part of college Dramatics society, participated at various level...from writing to acting. + Won some technical design competitions etc and pioneered the opening of a new chapter of a technical society in college(president of this scociety) etc
Professional Achievements : cleared some technical certifications(internal) + onsite experience. Have been a team lead for the past 3 years and have helped my company start a new relation with a client and get some multi million projects. have been awared some awards for the same. Worked for Nordstrom(Retail) and then was moved to Fidelity. Mentored multiple teams both onsite and offshore
Community service: Have been associated with an organisation in India + now with an org in US.
Issues: although my acads in college are above average(although they were excellent in school), i have 2 red marks in my marksheets. college first yr: and second year, i have back in Maths. I am excellent at maths, but first year, I was caught as I was helping a friend and second yr i could not give the exam coz of medical reason.. I am not sure how this is going to affect my application. Its been 6 years since both the incidents, but just worried abt this.
My target schools are top 5 US schools + ISB. I really need some advice about my chances in these schools.
Thanks...
Hi jessica,
am new here and would like to get ur insights.
First my profile:
10th std-excellent (one of the best schools) (topper)
11th std-excellent (again one of the best) (topper)
Undergrad-engineering-Industrial Biotechnology (81%)
Post grad- PGDM- from a top 20 college in India
Started career with a top Automotive firm as a sales trainee ( would complete 4 years of experience by the admit) .Now a manager and would move to Senior manager role by then.
No international Experience (as the company is very much an Indian firm so no opportunities till now)
Awardsfrom the company to honor my performances.
Very good extra curriculars with national level awards in various events, apart from school and college level awards. could give u detailed profile of this.
A consultant with A private NGO in my home city for 3 years now.
Now the biggest problem i have is that i did my engineering froma well known and good university in India but in a field which i had thot was my interest but almost in my fourth year i realised That i did not wanna continue in the field as i was not made for it. So i instead took up a PGDM in a top 20 institute in india. Late decision and hence had missed a lot of entrance exam dates and had chucked my placement offer from the top most IT company in India as i was not interested in IT from the beginning. so had to settle with this college due to parental pressures.
At the end of the PGDM i found a job as a sales trainee in one of the largest automotives firm in India. Have risen up the ranks and am now a manager though without any international exp. Am expecting to be a senior manager (sales) by the time of an admit.
Now does a shift like this hamper my chances to get into a good MBA program because now i want to move into International management and my current job is not providing me with the opportunity for such a change.
second, have done a PGDM after my engineering and now wanna do an international MBA. would that have any effect on my admissions or would be favourable in some way?
Third, Which are the schools i can target with such a profile? and wat extra can i do to make my profile worth while for HBS, wharton, Stanford and INSEAD.
Thanx in advance jessica. It would be of great help if you could reply.
Thank you for writing in. While your IT training initially places you in a competitive demographic, the fact that you went on to establish and run a successful company in a different industry will make you stand out. Along with your strong GMAT and evidence of leadership both at work and in extracurricular activities, I think you will be a competitive applicant at all four schools you mention. You could add in one or two stretch schools, like Harvard or Stanford, as well as some other schools in the top 15 like Duke, MIT, UC Berkeley-Haas or Dartmouth/Tuck that all have active entrepreneurial and finance areas. Look at the career placement rates for graduates (available online at all schools) to get a good sense of which schools are placing people in IB/consulting/PE jobs more successfully.
To strengthen your application, I would emphasize your entrepreneurial success in your essays, moreso than your IT background. You also will want to be fairly focused on your career goals; right now you have a background in one field, work experience in another, short-term goals to go into two more and switching to a fifth as a long-term goal. That can read as unfocused and you will need to figure out a way to tie them together to demonstrate that your career path has a coherent and reasonable progression. Finally, I am not sure that re-taking the GMAT for a higher score is the best use of your time. I'm not discouraging you but merely saying that the difference between 730 and 750 is not so great that it is worth taking time away from polishing your essays, for example.
Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hello Jessica,
First of all, kudos for all your efforts at PG. You ve been doing a fantastic job.
I graduated in 2006 with an engineering degree in Information Technology (Managed a not so bad 75%). Unlike a lot of engineers, I declined offers from a few IT majors and went on to establish a startup in Executive Search/Recruitment. The company caters exclusively to recruitment in Banking and Financial Services. Though we are not a large firm, our numbers show a consistent increase in revenue as well as size of clientele.
I gave the GMAT once and scored 730/6.0 (Balanced Scores). I am looking to retake the GMAT sometime in August 2009, with a lot more preparation and hope to beat the 750 mark.
As for extracurricular activities/community service, Id say, they ve been very good. Been actively involved in 3 National level social initiatives ( few leadership roles as well ) apart from numerous associations with NGOs and self help groups. I am confident I can turn in sound essays as well.
My career interests lie in IB/Consulting (Yes. Money certainly is a motivation, though there are other factors 😉 ) with a focus on Private Equity at a later stage in career. The following are my target schools.
1) Wharton
2) U Chicago
3) Stern
4) Columbia
Will it be possible to assess my chances with the above schools? Will certainly appreciate any additions to the list of schools based on my career interests as well. Also, it would be great if you can suggest ways to augment my application.
Looking forward to hear from you, and thank you so much for your time. :)
Thank you for your inquiry. You have a strong but not necessarily differentiating profile in some ways - GMAT and work experience. Your GPA might be a strike against you, but your unusual and diverse activities demonstrate success in a range of fields, and that will be a positive. In your application I would recommend emphasizing your leadership experience and success outside of work, rather than, for example, your technical certifications. I think it is reasonable for you to target the top 5 U.S. schools, but they are all stretches; I would encourage you to look at a slightly broader list - top 15 for example, which still give an outstanding education - which would increase your chances.
In terms of your two red marks, I have a follow up question. You said "I was caught as I was helping a friend". Can you clarify what you mean by that? Once you do I can respond to your question better.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hi,
Please have a look at my profile and lemme know if I am targetting the right universities and chances of a call...
GPA-3.00/5 (one of the top 6 colleges of India,India) + scholar in school
Work-ex :4 years with Infosys(Clients Nordstrom, Fidelity).Total work-ex -5+ at the time of joining a B-school
GMAT score :710/6
Extra-curriculars : Undefeated Hindi debating champ, won multiple quiz competitions. + played State level Basket ball. know multiple dance forms and have won multiple competitions for my college and school. Part of college Dramatics society, participated at various level...from writing to acting. + Won some technical design competitions etc and pioneered the opening of a new chapter of a technical society in college(president of this scociety) etc
Professional Achievements : cleared some technical certifications(internal) + onsite experience. Have been a team lead for the past 3 years and have helped my company start a new relation with a client and get some multi million projects. have been awared some awards for the same. Worked for Nordstrom(Retail) and then was moved to Fidelity. Mentored multiple teams both onsite and offshore
Community service: Have been associated with an organisation in India + now with an org in US.
Issues: although my acads in college are above average(although they were excellent in school), i have 2 red marks in my marksheets. college first yr: and second year, i have back in Maths. I am excellent at maths, but first year, I was caught as I was helping a friend and second yr i could not give the exam coz of medical reason.. I am not sure how this is going to affect my application. Its been 6 years since both the incidents, but just worried abt this.
My target schools are top 5 US schools + ISB. I really need some advice about my chances in these schools.
Thanks...
Thank you for your inquiry. Your successful sales background will differentiate you from other applicants with an IT education and in your application you should use that to your advantage - use your success in a people-oriented field to demonstrate your strong interpersonal and leadership skills. That career background will set you apart. You also seem to have a good record of achievement outside of work. You did not provide your GMAT score so I cannot assess your overall academic profile.
In terms of your specific questions:
1. International experience is desireable but it is not a defining criteria. Schools do accept applicants without that experience. If you have travelled abroad or interact outside of work with people from other backgrounds, you can incorporate that experience as showing a skill in understanding and appreciating diversity. You have a well-reasoned argument for why you want the MBA - your career plan is to go into "international management" and your current career only gives you the "management" side of that.
2. Some PGDMs are considered equivalent to an MBA and some are not; you would have to research your specific program. Here is one source: Institutes Whose PGDM is Equated with MBA You can use the PGDM to demonstrate your ability to succeed in a rigorous academic environment, but should be sure to explain why you need a second degree in management. I do not know how each school will perceive it, however.
3. There are many outstanding schools besides Harvard and Stanford; look at any of the top 15-20 and focus on their career placement records in terms of the kind of jobs you want to go into. I don't have a full picture of your profile so it is hard to do a full assessment. Harvard and Stanford are going to be stretches for you but if you can demonstrate outstanding interpersonal skills you may still be competitive there.
Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hi jessica,
am new here and would like to get ur insights.
First my profile:
10th std-excellent (one of the best schools) (topper)
11th std-excellent (again one of the best) (topper)
Undergrad-engineering-Industrial Biotechnology (81%)
Post grad- PGDM- from a top 20 college in India
Started career with a top Automotive firm as a sales trainee ( would complete 4 years of experience by the admit) .Now a manager and would move to Senior manager role by then.
No international Experience (as the company is very much an Indian firm so no opportunities till now)
Awardsfrom the company to honor my performances.
Very good extra curriculars with national level awards in various events, apart from school and college level awards. could give u detailed profile of this.
A consultant with A private NGO in my home city for 3 years now.
Now the biggest problem i have is that i did my engineering froma well known and good university in India but in a field which i had thot was my interest but almost in my fourth year i realised That i did not wanna continue in the field as i was not made for it. So i instead took up a PGDM in a top 20 institute in india. Late decision and hence had missed a lot of entrance exam dates and had chucked my placement offer from the top most IT company in India as i was not interested in IT from the beginning. so had to settle with this college due to parental pressures.
At the end of the PGDM i found a job as a sales trainee in one of the largest automotives firm in India. Have risen up the ranks and am now a manager though without any international exp. Am expecting to be a senior manager (sales) by the time of an admit.
Now does a shift like this hamper my chances to get into a good MBA program because now i want to move into International management and my current job is not providing me with the opportunity for such a change.
second, have done a PGDM after my engineering and now wanna do an international MBA. would that have any effect on my admissions or would be favourable in some way?
Third, Which are the schools i can target with such a profile? and wat extra can i do to make my profile worth while for HBS, wharton, Stanford and INSEAD.
Thanx in advance jessica. It would be of great help if you could reply.
mbaMission's Essay Analysis for Harvard Business School's application questions has been posted and I wanted to share it with you. As more schools release their essay questions for next year's application, we will continue to post analyses of their essays. Please look for them at www.mbamission.com/blog.
Here is our analysis of HBS's questions: mbaMission - Boutique MBA Admissions Consulting Blog Blog Archive Harvard University (Harvard Business School) Essay Analysis, 2009?2010
Harvard University (Harvard Business School) Essay Analysis, 20092010
As we noted the other day, Harvard Business School (HBS) kicked off the admissions season with yet another early release of its essay questions. While Stanford has already followed suit and released its essay questions, we expect that many programs will stick with their late June/early July time frames. Time will tell
HBS tends to tweak its essay questions ever so slightly each year. This year, HBS has maintained its first two mandatory questions and has removed one of its flexible choices. Gone is the question What area of the world are you most curious about and why? It has been replaced by two new questions (which are not really formulated in classic question form): Tell us about a time when you made a difficult decision and Write a cover letter to your application introducing yourself to the Admissions Board.
So, this year, HBS applicants will have two mandatory questions to answer and then will need to respond to two of five other questions, giving candidates greater opportunities to work to their strengths. Our analysis follows:
What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)
This mainstay of the Harvard MBA application challenges the applicant to quickly wow the reader with three individual accomplishments that, together, reveal a true depth of experience. Generally, the candidate should showcase different dimensions of him-/herself within the three subsections of this essay. Candidates can select from their professional, community, personal, academic (must be truly outstanding), athletic, interpersonal, experiential and entrepreneurial accomplishments, but certainly, no formula for the right mix of stories exists.
While this is HBSs longest single essay in terms of word limit, many candidates treat it as three mini essays. Remember, though, that constructing individual stories within 200-word subsets is quite challenging. Candidates must keep in mind that the experiences they describe are crucial, but these descriptions only address half of HBSs question. Indeed, two elements need to be addressed in this essay(1) your accomplishments and (2) an analytical reflection on them (why do you view them as such?). The second half of this question should not be ignored; your personal thoughts and reflections are yours alone and will differentiate you from the pack.
What have you learned from a mistake? (400-word limit)
What makes this question interesting is that the Admissions Committee is not asking you to simply recount a failure or setback, which might allow you to shift the blame onto others or external circumstances. Instead, they are asking about a mistake that you have made or were in some way involved in makingwhich means that you cannot avoid taking personal responsibility for the error. We cannot emphasize this enough: the Admissions Committee wants to know that you can honestly and critically assess yourself. You do not need to be brutal, but your essay must leave you exposed in some way. Attempts to hide or minimize your mistake, or your role in it, will be transparent and will lessen the import of what you learned from itas well as the strength of your essay. That said, however, be sure to note that this essay is not so much about the mistake itself as it is about what you learned from the mistake. So, you will need to explain the error, take responsibility in a mature manner and then be introspective, showing that learning occurred and led to real change in your thoughts and actions.
Please respond to two of the following (400-word limit each):
What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience?
Note: we generally do not recommend this essay question to candidates who are several years removed from their undergraduate experience, but exceptions are made for those who had truly extraordinary academic careers.
This question is quite open-ended, so you are not constrained to a historical recounting of your entire academic career; you can be selective and showcase the aspects that present you in the most positive light. This can be an opportunity to explain your choices (of school/major) and highlight your intellectual vitality not review of your coursework (the Admissions Committee has your transcript) or justify bad grades.
While academic is the operative word in this essay question, it can be interpreted broadly. Your academic experience can extend beyond the classroom and into, for example, vigorous discussions with professors during office hours. The idea is to show that while you were an undergraduate, you seized various opportunities to explore ideas and develop your own interests, thoughts and world view. You should try to create momentum in your essay, illustrating how you worked to discover your passions and then committed yourself to an appropriate course of study. However, this does not mean that you can only discuss your major; that quirky Surrealist Cinema or fascinating Modern Architecture class that was well outside your core course of study might be the perfect fodder to prove your intellectual curiosity and growth.
We should mention that we have seen successful candidates hone in on one spectacular academic experience that defined their academic career as a whole. Again, this essay need not be a historical recounting of an entire four-year degree. You have the freedom to offer what is important to you and showcase what will enable you to stand apart from others.
Discuss how you have engaged with a community or organization.
How is the key word in this essay question. The Admissions Committee does not want you to simply recite your activities (they will have access to a complete list of these from the short answer section of your application). They want to understand the thought process behind your involvement and the actions you have taken to create your personal impact.
Clearly, a candidate should choose this essay only if he/she has a profound connection to a community or organization. In many ways, this essay should be an expression of that connection, showing the spirit, meaning and purpose that inspired the engagement, as well as the efficacy of the involvement. Indeed, mere participation will not suffice. The Admissions Committee must take away from this essay that the applicant is a leader and has influenced a community or organization in an indelible way.
Tell us about a time when you made a difficult decision.
When approaching this essay, you must remember that for a decision to have been difficult you need to have weighed two competing and relatively equal sides of an argument. So, if your manager asked you to trade on insider information and you emphatically said, No! the human interaction might have been uncomfortable, but the decision itself should have been quite easy. When considering your response to this question, please ensure that you are balancing an issue, as the Admissions Committee is interested in how you reasoned and ultimately made your decision.
An effective essay will likely present the story of how the problem came to be and then emphasize the steps the applicant took to reason through it, either alone or by seeking the advice of others. The resolution of the problem need not be 100% favorable. After all, the choice was difficulta strong essay will honestly assess the outcomes.
Write a cover letter to your application introducing yourself to the Admissions Board.
We beg of you, please do not start this essay with a version of the following line: My name is Jeremy Shinewald and I am an applicant for the Harvard Business School Class of 2012. Many (many!) will use this completely uninspiring opening and will immediately bore the individual reading the essay. Further, we advise candidates to not use all this space to explore and expound on their professional careers. Remember, the Admissions Committee has your resume, recommendations and responses to your short answer questionsthey will therefore already have a strong sense of your professional history. Finally, we ask that you not flagrantly appeal to the Admissions Committee to accept youlet your story do the talking. Do not plead your case!
So, you now know what we advise you not to do, but what about what you should do? In many ways, this essay offers you free space. If you have a standout story that simply does not fit as a response to any of the other questions, you should be able to work it in here, but you will need to add context. If you feel that your personal circumstances are interesting or unusual, you might explore them in this essay. If you have something unique to contributeremember, unique is the key wordyou can discuss it here. The bottom line is that you can use this space to add personality and vitality to your candidacy, offering some emotional depth behind your potentially rigid accomplishments.
What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you?
Many candidates feel anxious about not answering this question, because, for the most part, every top school asks candidates to directly discuss their goals. Well, for the record, mbaMission has worked with candidates in each of the past two years (i.e., since this essay became an option) who have succeeded in gaining admission to HBS without answering this question. It is, indeed, optional. Essentially, we feel that if you are truly passionate about a certain career path and this path has some distinctiveness to it, then you should answer this question. However, if you are still contemplating your career or can reveal something unique about yourself by answering one of the other essay questions instead, then you need not respond to this one.
If you choose to address this question, it offers you flexibility in discussing your career path, because the Admissions Committee wants to hear about vision, not narrow goals. Still, even though no blatant request is made for a description of your short- and long-term goals, you cannot afford to be whimsical. To ensure your credibility, you must demonstrate that you are focused in your ambitions and show that your desired career path is built on a legitimate, existing foundation.
HBS strives to restrict the illustrious HBS experience to those with clear vision, potential and purpose. The latter portion of this essay question (why is this choice meaningful to you?) places the onus on you to explore and explain your motivations. The questions structure prevents superficial answers and forces you to show a fundamental understanding of, and personal connection to, your goals.
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
hi.. wat are the best foreign universities that dont require experience for mba?
Thank you for your question, but I am afraid I will not be of very much help. To the best of my knowledge all top business schools require experience. Some schools have programs, like HBS' 2+2 program, that accept students directly out of college but with deferred admission, requiring them to work for two years before they enter. But besides that I really do not know of any top schools that accept students with no experience.
Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
thesuccessstory Sayshi.. wat are the best foreign universities that dont require experience for mba?
Hi Jennifer,
I really appreciate the way you are handling students Queries. It is amazing and trust me I feel it is better than any NGOs work.. coz It is a great pain/confusion that we student suffer while going through the entire application process...
I am just coming from a consultant ( working in a reputed mba consulting centre)to whom I paid for the services for helping me out to select the right college as per my score. I realized that there sole motive is to make maximum money out of the student and mostly they would suggest those colleges name from where they can get maximum commisions... For example I knw someone who had similar score and profile as mine got selected in some xyz coll and i asked my consultant what are my chances over there.. he simply said its not advisable to apply in that college as you have got low score(660) and started giving me the list of colleges that are not even in the 2nd tier...some colleges never heard of.. huh..
So I am really disappointed right now.. and would like your help in sorting out some colleges for me/ U can PM me if u want..
Here is the brief description of my profile..
10th- 77%
12th-69.6%
B.E in Electronics and comm-72%
Work ex-- 3 years as a Software Engineer in Infosys Technologies Limited
GMAT(660, Quant-50, verbal-29, AWA-4.5)
Can get a very good LOR from my PM.
I am not planning to write my GMAT again.
Please suggest the best college(US/UK/canada/australia/Europe) as per my marks wherein I can apply?
I am more interested in Jan2010 intake...(2yrs/accelerated 1 yr mba)
If I would apply for Sep 2010 then i would only look for accelerated 1 yr Mba..
Funding is not a problem for me...
Regards,
Cherrie.
Hi Cherrie -
I am sorry that your experience with an MBA consulting firm was disappointing. I do however want to address one specific point. You said "I realized that there sole motive is to make maximum money out of the student and mostly they would suggest those colleges name from where they can get maximum commisions..." To the best of my knowledge there are no reputable admissions consulting firms that take commissions from universities. In fact, one of the principles of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) is that members "Refuse compensation from schools for placing candidates." I do not know what firm you were working with, but in my experience no firm accepts commissions. Further, no MBA program would pay commissions. MBA programs are inundated with applications and have to turn away vast numbers of qualified candidates - they have absolutely no incentive to pay commissions to admissions consultants.
I can tell you that with your profile, I do not see you being competitive at a top 20 U.S. school. Your work experience, while I am sure it is excellent, puts you in an extremely competitive demographic, while your grades and GMAT score, particularly your verbal score, are below what is typically seen in that demographic.
In addition, you list no current community activities or extracurricular activities while in school, so it is impossible to get a complete picture of your profile. Remember, MBA programs are trying to get a complete picture of each applicant and do not make their decisions just on scores, work experience or letters of recommendation.
There are many good schools that are in the second or third tiers where you might find your application successful. But without improving your GMAT score, building a stronger alternative transcript (e.g. 2-3 current courses with solid grades), and taking leadership roles at work and in activities, I think higher ranked schools might be a stretch for you.
I wish you the best of luck.
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hi Jennifer,
I really appreciate the way you are handling students Queries. It is amazing and trust me I feel it is better than any NGOs work.. coz It is a great pain/confusion that we student suffer while going through the entire application process...
I am just coming from a consultant ( working in a reputed mba consulting centre)to whom I paid for the services for helping me out to select the right college as per my score. I realized that there sole motive is to make maximum money out of the student and mostly they would suggest those colleges name from where they can get maximum commisions... For example I knw someone who had similar score and profile as mine got selected in some xyz coll and i asked my consultant what are my chances over there.. he simply said its not advisable to apply in that college as you have got low score(660) and started giving me the list of colleges that are not even in the 2nd tier...some colleges never heard of.. huh..
So I am really disappointed right now.. and would like your help in sorting out some colleges for me/ U can PM me if u want..
Here is the brief description of my profile..
10th- 77%
12th-69.6%
B.E in Electronics and comm-72%
Work ex-- 3 years as a Software Engineer in Infosys Technologies Limited
GMAT(660, Quant-50, verbal-29, AWA-4.5)
Can get a very good LOR from my PM.
I am not planning to write my GMAT again.
Please suggest the best college(US/UK/canada/australia/Europe) as per my marks wherein I can apply?
I am more interested in Jan2010 intake...(2yrs/accelerated 1 yr mba)
If I would apply for Sep 2010 then i would only look for accelerated 1 yr Mba..
Funding is not a problem for me...
Regards,
Cherrie.
Hello,
Firstly, thanks for ur endeavor to reply to doubts like ours. They go a log way in our decision making process. Here's my profile:
10th: 90%
12th: 93%
BE: 9.14/10 (Electronics and communication)
Work experience: 22 months in the field of embedded software development. (started August 2007 )
Extra curricular activities: Public speaking. Extempore winner at district level, College editorial board work,Founder of a thriving student activity club at college, organized college level events,
,Theatre (after college...done many public shows in city plus for NGOs)
Target: MBA admission in 2010.Looking at a switch to business consultancy post management education. Target schools are : ISB,NUS, NTU and European schools (school research in progress)
Doubt: Is my profile good enuf to attempt at european/other international schools? Anything that i can add to my profile that can help me win brownie points? Will it be too far a stretch to apply for Chicago GSB, Wharton?