2015 MBA Application Thread
Alright,
So who's struggling through R1 apps like I am? Trying to find the time between my 70 HR week, my needy GF, and life's general bullshit has been tough but I'm through a few first drafts of essays and have my R1 school schools down to Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, Booth, and Sloan.
Who else is going through the process? Where you at? How's it going? How much do you hate bullshit essay questions like "introduce yourself"? Let's all commiserate here.
As a side note, with an essay topic like "introduce yourself" I now fully understand why Brady never could get into Harvard. Can you imagine that guy writing a free form essay about himself?
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Completely hate the open ended questions but on Draft 2 of my HBS and Booth, Draft 1 of Kellogg and Sloan.
I don't take i'm gonna make it to R1 :/
passed GMAT got a miserable 620, i'm still preparing again GMAT, to make things even harder, i got into a fight with my boss...i can kiss goodbye that recommendation lol
1 year away from this, about to take a practice GMAT right now actually. I wish you all the best in your applications, stay strong!
Application process underway. I am very much enjoying it. I like the essay questions believe it or not. Haven't gotten the chance to write an essay in a while
Are you planning on applying to all 5 of those schools in R1? I have been told by multiple people that 5 is too many, and I should focus on 3-4 for the first round. Also, are you having the same two recommenders write recs for all 5 of the schools?
My consultant suggested 4-6 (Stacy Blackman) but I got started on the process early. Though she also suggested I put in an app to a less selective school and I haven't done that figuring Stern/Yale can sneak into round 2 if need be (which I probably will, because I'm a boring white dude in finance).
Keep in mind I do literally nothing but work and applications right now, so it's not fun, but I'm hoping this will be over soon.
Don't ever call Old Eli less selective. I will find you... and I will kill you...
Is you approach pretty much top choices in R1, then adding lower choices to R2 if you don't get an acceptance from R1? Thats what I'm doing despite recommendations to have a mix of some "easier" school in Round 1.
Good luck to everyone working on their school apps.
I am currently going through the process and not really enjoying essay writing process. Currently on draft 4 of HBS. It made me realize how much I hate introducing myself... Not easy to manage writing essays, work including business related international travel.. At least this process won't las forever.
Anyone else feeling outrageously disheartened? Every new revision of my Harvard and Columbia essays (the two schools I'm working on right now) someone else seems to rip apart a different issue and I just want to be like Fuck it, stop revising and just submit what I have.
I am currently an undergrad, so I can't contribute any usable information, but I did enjoy reading the comments!
so i'm not the only one!
I'm currently 26 and have always wanted to get an MBA at some point, but time has flown since undergrad. I've been working on the CFA and haven't put much thought recently into the MBA, but I fear I'll be aged out of the typical MBA demographic before I realize it (based on how fast the last 4 years have flown). If I've made no progress at all, is it already too late to apply for the fall 2016 start dates?
Is everyone in this thread aiming for scholarships? Because I was about to say...MBA from HBS, Sloan, Booth etc etc are crazy expensive. If you have that money then okay
Also, I'm now submitted at 2 of my 5. Just got to keep chugging along.
Did you apply to Columbia ED? Also, which schools are you planning on applying to Rd2? Does your Rd2 list depend entirely on which schools you get into from Rd 1? I'm applying next year
I'm far away from applying to MBA (not even sure if an MBA is worth it), but for the folks trying to land a MC job what are some of your backup plans if you can't land that dream MC job?
For folks applying to MBA schools I have few questions:
1) Do you think an MBA is worth giving up 2 years of salary and $100K (if not more) of debt? 2) What industry are you aiming to go into post-MBA?
Thank you for your response. If you don't mind me asking what kind of savings do you think I should have at matriculation?
Also, why do you think MBA is worth the time and effort? After all you're giving up 2yrs of salary and taking out $80-100K of loans (assumption based on average loan amount)
Whether or not an MBA is worth it is entirely a personal decision. From purely an NPV proposition, it depends on what your current career path is, what career path you are shooting for (taking into account the likelihood of getting there), and the opportunities that specific school provides. But there are also a lot of personal things to think about. Are you happy doing what you do now? Will you continue to be happy in it? Will you be happier in something else? Is getting an MBA the only reasonable way to get into that other profession?
I'm giving up a 120k a year job to go back. Why? Upside. In my current career path I'll slowly make my way to ~300k sometime in my late 40s and plateu there (unless I somehow got lucky and moved up into c suite, but that's basically out of your control). It's a career path I find not challenging, which makes it hard for me to stay interested and happy. I want to move into work that has higher upside and I find more intellectually challenging. I also can easily come back and continue doing what I'm doing at a plethora of brand name companies.
With my goals in mind is an MBA worth it? Absolutely, but only if it's a top MBA that provides opportunities most schools don't. But it's something you have to weigh personally and it's absolutely not one size fits all.
Hit the button on HBS and CBS (ED) today. Between GMAT and essays I think I put my best foot forward, but it's always a crap shoot. Finding it hard to focus on getting my third and probably final R1 out the door - wharton
Got admitted and going to INSEAD this January...
applying to Kellogg. but there's like 5 short answers and another 2 essays... it'll be taking a while...
nice. I have restraints over location, and only doing PT apps. probably booth and UCLA for my full list of interests
Only applying to INSEAD so still have a while to go before January 2017 apps. Good luck all!
So now that a decent amount of R1 deadlines are passing, who's all in? What have you seen/been surprised with/frustrated over so far? I'm in at Booth, CBS, Sloan, and Harvard. Still have to make the finishing touches on my Wharton app.
I have to say. Stamina is an under talked about point. This process is long. I started studying for the GMAT in January. Took it in March and then again in May. I started game planning, throwing around and thinking about consultants in May/June. Started writing in July. And now I'm still not done with my final app and then I'm just going to wait for weeks.
The process is not easy. Hope everyone else is doing well.
Was trying to finish up the Booth app but didn't feel it was polished enough. Don't see a point in throwing away an app after all the time I spent doing it. Looks like its on to Columbia ED, Wharton, Cornell, and Michigan.
If I dont get into Columbia or Wharton , Ill apply to Booth and Kellogg round 2. I really wanted to make it for Booth round 1 but it is what it is.
The process is surprisingly arduous overall. I've been working on the essays since the day they came out and still have 2 to go. And man, that Booth app sure is long. I wasn't 100% convinced that it was my best work but it was close enough that I didn't feel any marginal benefit outweighed the small % decrease in admission odds in R2.
The whole process was super taxing for me and I only applied to one school. Started studying for GMAT in March I think, took it in June, applied ED to Columbia on July 15, got in August 25 I can only imagine how tough it is applying to tons of schools. Anyways, best of luck to everyone and I hope to see some of you at CBS next year.
Wharton in. Now it's time to wait. I'm expecting to hear one way or the other on interviews for MIT, Booth, and Harvard within the next three weeks.
Wharton in today. Similar process here to some of the recent other posts. 4 schools in total, began the process back in February studying for the GMAT in April. Had a few months off and then started essays really as soon as they were released in July.
For those looking to apply next fall or 2017 fall and in New York, Boston, and Chicago, study for the GMAT in the winter. I had a number of friends study this summer and the previous summer and results were not as strong. Hard to force yourself to grind it out when it is 85 degrees and sunny out vs. the inevitable 4 months of 0 sun exposure in the winter.
I started studying around Christmas and then took the test first week of May. It's impossible to study in the summer, and you definitely wouldn't want to miss a football season for the GMAT. It sucks to miss college basketball, but the games are short so you can still watch a few a week while studying. I think your point is a great one, Jan-May studying FTW
Ditto for the arduous process... I'm applying to only three, under round 1, but pretty much have been working on it for two months... It's indeed a soul searching process though.. Good luck to all R1 applicants!
Are you guysthat are applying for the MBAs working at the same time? If so, how would you guys do that?
I'm applying for UNC Kenan-Flagler's online MBA as I think that's the only way I'd be able to attend a program while working.. (I'm in the accounting industry and hate it and failed to get an IB job.) This would be my second masters as I get my Masters of Accountancy this December.
It's definitely not something you can do unless you are willing to give up free time on nights and weekends.
Oops, what I meant was will you be working while attending the MBA program..
Sorry about that. No, I'll be going FT and quitting my current job.
I am hitting all MBA business schools ">M7 schools for round 1. Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern, Chicago, MIT and Penn are all in. Columbia is the only one left. I mean, it was a lot of work, but there were so many shared elements between the applications. Personally, I think people over do it trying to customize and tailor their apps, let's face it, there really isn't THAT much of a difference between how these schools operate despite what they all say.
Then again, I could be totally wrong. Guess we'll find out when I hear back!
Big week this week. Harvard's two major interview notification dates and I expect Booth to start rolling invites around Thursday (3 weeks after the application deadline was when notifications started last year). Good luck to those of you hoping to hear.
Vast majority of the non 2+2 interview invites for HBS going out at noon EST today. Good luck to other round 1 applicants.
Anyone else get an interview invite for HBS yesterday?
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Anyone else feel strange now that apps are all in? It's kind of a weird feeling to not have to think about wrapping up an application or looking at essays haha.
Haha seriously. I've had the habit of refreshing my application portal everyday even though there's no updates coming yet for my apps. I need some massive distractions between interview time and decision time.
I applied to 4 schools so far. I finally have a small break. I'm going to apply to Tuck for the November round and then its just a waiting game. It would suck to not get into any options in the first round and have to grind out apps again for round 2. Luckily the process gets much easier after applying to a couple of schools.
Can't imagine how awesome it must have felt for the people who only applied to Columbia ED and got in after 3 weeks and are done with the process.
Got my Booth interview invite today. Trying to decide if I should fly to Chicago or do an interview with an alumni in my current city. Any thoughts?
Fly over there. I was just in Chicago for Booth Live last week and the weather was great. After my trip, Booth definitely went up in my book.
I obviously don't know whether or not you've visited campus before or if you've ever even been to Chicago -- so those are a couple of things to take into consideration.
PM me if you have any specific questions
How's everyone's cycles going? Out of my 5 I've heard good things from all but HBS which gave me the ding without interview. Wharton is tomorrow.
Wharton ding for me today. Hope Fuqua gives me better news Thursday.
Wharton ding here as well. Was a little bit surprised at first TBH but I've gotten over the sting.
Judging from gmatclub and this post on essaysnark - http://essaysnark.com/2015/11/what-happened/, there's quite a few Wharton rejections floating around there.
Does anyone mind sharing their stats (GMAT, current role & their future goals out of their MBA program)?
Like some others, good news everywhere but Harvard. I'm sensing a trend lol. That school is just ridiculously competitive.
I applied to a lot of the same schools you guys did. I had an interview at Sloan last week and thought it went great (was told as much by the interviewer), but came away from the visit really thinking the school wasn't for me. The few current students I met were oddly very intense, but not intense about jobs like I see from CBS students, intense about their classes. And that's not something I really see wanting to be a part of my MBA experience. I was also told "grade disclosure doesn't matter because no one asks... except Financial firms" which, as someone who is going into Finance, worries me.
I was at Booth a few weeks ago visiting there and had the opposite issue. I thought my interview went poorly but enjoyed the school and people a lot. I definitely felt like I could fit in there. Also the new employment report was really a lot better then last years for Finance.
I'm waiting to hear from CBS but I have ties there so I'm expecting good things. Definitely excited about them too but I am interested to see how the new employment report looks. I also wonder how much validity there is to CBS and Booth being on opposite paths of ascending/descending in terms of prestige/selectivity.
......
Yes, MIT has grade disclosure. I was told the vast majority of firms/companies don't ask what your grades are. But I was told specifically by one student that Google asked her. I was told by another student that all the banks and asset managers ask, too.
And Booth is definitely rising... Their most recent employment report was actually, in my mind, a big step up over the year before in Finance. They did much better at the top shops. As far as CBS declining... I personally don't think it is, but there seems to be a lot of debate about it at least online. I'll be more comfortable once I see their most recent employment report.
Wharton doesn't surprise me. They've been trailing HBS/Stanford a little bit, and they're trying to reclaim the definitive 3rd spot. They've dinged amazing people, just to say they have. It's a move I don't think will work out for them, but they're desperate not to be overtaken by Booth as the definitive Finance/Consulting 3rd elite. This was pretty much confirmed by current students.
I don't think that's the case, nor is it any different than any other school that dings "amazing" people. Schools are trying to build a class, and sometimes certain people don't fit. And that's fine. But in the same way as Stanford dings people with 800 gmat scores, I don't think it's a sign of desperation (gasp, Stanford couldn't possibly be desperate to hold on to its ranking); more that a particular individual didn't fit what admissions was trying to do with the class.
For the record, also, Wharton and Stanford are tied for the highest avg. GMAT (both are above Harvard). I may be wrong, but that doesn't seem like they are dinging too many truly amazing people to me.
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