2013-2014 B-School Application Cycle Thread
Not sure if anybody has started a similar thread yet but I was wondering if anybody applied to a top-25 business school and heard back yet. I figured I start this post in case other applicants were anxious like me. Basically, I envision this thread as place to post interview invitations and admission decisions as time goes by (I know that there are other sites similar to this).
Anybody else? Also, feel free to leave tips/suggestions regarding prep for interviews.
Will start working on applications soon.
I started a thread a while back: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/class-of-2016-mba-applicants
I submitted 5 apps during R1. got dinged from CBS and Booth without interview :(
Cool - I didn't realize that you have already started a thread. What other schools did you apply to? Have you heard back from them yet?
Applied Rd1 to Stanford, Booth, Berkeley and UCLA.
So far have received invitations to interview from Booth and UCLA, have not heard from Berkeley or Stanford (my #1 choice).
Should have apps out to Columbia/Harvard well before thanksgiving.
Congrats on getting the interview from Booth and UCLA.
How are you planning on preparing for the UCLA interview?
Thanks man, you too.
For UCLA, just planned to search Clear Admit and GMat Club to see what kinds of questions people have been asked and practice answering them.
What about you?
Got the interview invite from NYU.
edit
Anyone get a GSB interview?
Nobody I know has gotten the GSB invite. Hopefully their definition of "bulk" is 60/40 rather than 90/10.
I know someone that's already invited and interviewed for GSB in round 1. He has an amazing profile though (in SoCal)
Looks like I've done everything I can for Round 1.
I had 4 interviews; Fuqua Tuck Ross and Johnson. Wharton dinged me. Darden won't talk to me, so I'm assuming that is a bad sign. Mid December can't come soon enough!
At least you got all of them out of the way. My old guidance counselor used to say that if the average acceptance rate for top schools is 25%, you should apply to 4 schools and statistically one of them should end up accepting you. Cheers and good luck.
Thanks - same to you. Glad to hear you liked Anderson!
Don't think probability works like that...
Wow four interviews! Good luck dude. I know you will end up with good offer(s).
Thanks! Two were applicant initiated, so..a little less impressive. I still think its a great idea to initiate interviews where you're applying/allowed to (Fuqua, Tuck, Kellogg, others?), if nothing else, for practice. And who knows, you might get in!
Had my interview with UCLA recently. Really liking the Cali culture. Now it's time to focus on other interviews and the waiting game.
Does anybody know when UCLA releases its decisions? All at once or rolling?
Agreed, I came away with the same feeling, seems like it would be a pretty good place to spend 2 years.
So who else took a DING to the face from Stanford yesterday? Their application process seems Teflon from where i'm standing. 760----3.6----URM----International-----WB/IMF Work experience----notable extraCs.......still no love. Not even an interview.
Not to nitpick, but in order to be considered a true URM (in the adcom's eyes and for their stats) don't you have to be a US citizen? Not that this would have had any impact, since GSB just seems to be nearly impossible for anyone to get into. Or maybe you were saying that you have international work experience.
I'm a naturalized dual citizen, which from what I've heard "counts" (whatever that means). But, c'est la vie, like you said GSB is nearly impossible to get into. I guess all I can do now is hope my other options pan out.
edit
Has anyone here interviewed at MIT Sloan this year? Any feedback you can throw out?
Had an interview 3-4 weeks back. The only advice i'd give is; know your resume and your application. The entire discussion will succeed or fail based on how excited YOU can get THEM about having you in their program. At the end of the day its a conversation between two people. Be personable, be interesting, and be intelligent (one of which is probably a given based on the fact you have an interview).
Has anyone used admission consultants?
Interesting - I wonder if that does count. It must, but it's a situation I've never heard specifically about.
Good luck with the rest of your interviews. I've finished all my interviews (except Columbia, and I just haven't heard from them period) so am just playing the waiting game.
Speaking of, has anyone who applied RD heard from Columbia? I know they read applications in the order in which they were received, so it's possible I'm later in the game than most as I applied in late October.
I heard from CBS last Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I applied around the end of Sept.
bump
Got accepted to UCLA. Email came around 3 AM this morning.
Got dinged at H and W. In at Tuck and CBS, and waiting on Sloan (interviewed) tomorrow. All in all, pretty happy with where I am (HBS and Wharton were long shots).
Anyone else hear back (positively) from Sloan yesterday?
I'm in at Sloan and likely going in the fall.
So you're giving up your spot for Kellogg? hopefully I can get off the waitlist then ;)
It would be more beneficial to the community if people could post their stats along with their results.
In at Sloan as well. Tough decisions ahead
730 (48Q 42V), 3.2 GPA, Consulting (Non-MBB), Varsity athlete, strong extras
Yea, the $$$ Sloan is offering is making them seem VERY tempting. Though if I get into HBS Rd 2.....who knows.
Anybody going to UCLA?
hey mbahopeful. I'm thinking of applying to UCLA in R2.
What are your stats?
...
Got the interview invite for Columbia (submitted back in early December). Anybody else interviewed with Columbia? Any advice?
Obviously will depend on your specific alumnus, but mine was pretty easy. Make sure to go onto ClearAdmit and look at the sample questions to prep for some of the behavioral interview questions. Be ready to hammer home why Columbia (and hence, why New York). Basically, all your answers should come back to that. I think some of their other standard behavioral q's are an adversity one, a team one, ethical dilemma, and a backup plan if you don't get your intended internship/job. Also know some CBS specifics, including classes, what extra curriculars you'll get involved with, and other stuff like that.
Since you didn't apply early decision, I would also prep an answer for why you didn't apply early. I didn't get that question, but I know a couple people that have.
Thanks for advice - I'll be sure to incorporate it into my prep. Did you hear back (if you don't mind me asking) from Columbia?
mbahopeful, mind if I ask how your Columbia interview went? I will be interviewing next week.
I'm actually also having my interview next week. There was a slight delay in scheduling an interview - due to work commitments (mine and the alumni). I'll let you know how it goes.
Hey IMax, did you have your interview yet? How did it go?
I had mine this past week and the interview was pretty relaxed. It was more of a conversation with a few behavioral questions (why MBA, strengths/weaknesses). I think it went well but who knows. Praying for the best.
770 GMAT; sub-3.0 GPA. International, successful entrepreneur; extensive global experiences.
Submitted to Ross, Tuck, HBS, Fuqua and Darden for R2.
Will submit to Yale on Jan 9 and Cornell Johnson on Feb 12 (R3).
Good schools - I applied to 5/7 of the schools you're applying to with a sub 3.0 GPA, and no where near that GMAT.
How did you fare?
Just read your blog, congrats on the Johnson admit!
Just submitted my last app for R2: I'm doing HBS, Tuck, MIT, and Wharton.
(I'm an nontraditional applicant with shitty stats but an interesting story, and am not applying to any real safety schools because an MBA isn't absolutely necessary for me right now. If I don't get in, I simply won't go.)
I submitted to HBS, Wharton and Columbia and will submit to Stanford tonight.
730 GMAT 3.4 GPA at small liberal arts school, varsity football player actuary (FSA) at two large financial services companies over the past 4-5 years strong ECs
I'm in the same boat as holla_back: untraditional applicant not applying to safety schools. I feel like I have a 50-50 chance of getting into at least one of the four schools I listed.
+1 to mbahopeful for the Columbia interview, but more importantly for your avatar (that same pic was once my FB profile pic)
...
Dude, congrats on Stern. It's a great school and will probably do great things for you. If these forums are your barometer for things, I'm not sure if anything would be good.
Stern was one of the two R2 schools I was prepping to do apps for, and it's a great place. Would have been great to go there.
Thanks for the kind words as well. Feel good about my decision, although it was definitely not easy.
I applied to Stern, Tuck, CBS, Wharton and Sloan R2. I am in at Stern and waiting for interviews from everyone else.
770 GMAT, 3.3 GPA as engineer from top 15 university, with 5 years of experience as business analyst and lots of extra curriculars and volunteer
^ Good luck. Applied to 4/5 you applied to with a moderately similar profile (although lower in both grades and GMAT), and got into everywhere but Wharton. Think you'll have a good shot at Wharton with that GMAT and a STEM degree.
BGP, congrats on getting into so many schools! Have you decided?
I had a bad news / good news day. I got dinged at Columbia but I got superbowl tickets.
@BGP2587 @hamm0 and others who got in this year Did you guys send thank you emails after the MBA interview and do you think it matters? Did you ask for their cards at the end?
I did. I sent thank yous to anyone I interacted with - probably a bit overkill, but it can't really hurt.
I didn't always get their cards, but made sure to get at least their first name + one other thing about them (last name, previous work experience, location, etc). This made it easy to find them via social media and then you can track down their email with a little more sleuthing.
A contact at one of my school's told me "Plus, you're the first person of the twenty-some I've hosted so far that sent me a thank-you note, which, while superfluous, is a nice touch." That basically sums up the thank-you's to non-interviewers.
Agree with hamm0. I sent a thank you note to everyone I interacted with. In some cases I ended up gaining additional insight from current students and have been put in touch with others. Worst case you won't get a response but it can't hurt.
@Consultingorbust: going to Tuck. Sorry to hear about CBS.
@Brian: To echo what others answered, I did send thank you emails. Nothing fancy - just enough to say thanks and point out something about the interview. Actually ended up emailing back and forth with all of my interviewers multiple times (interestingly), and my Tuck interviewer has been a huge help finding me a place to live.
I'm sure it doesn't really matter, but may as well send them and remind them of who you are and why you're a good fit/that you're excited to go there.
Anyone heard about R2 interview invitation from Wharton or Sloan?
Interviewed at a couple of schools. Went really well.
@RustyR During R1, everyone heard back from Tuck on the last day. Doesn't make a difference when you interviewed or submitted. Phone calls for admits go out throughout the day and your decision will go online at 5 pm (I think).
Wow. The decision date is March 14. That is quite a wait.
@RustyR Waiting until March 14th for Tuck decision is especially long and annoying considering the fact that you don't get any kind of idea of how much the school wants from an interview invite.
Ha, yeah, it's brutal. I interviewed late September and didn't hear until December 18th. Definitely felt your pain.
@"BGP2587" I made a couple of mistakes in my writing on my Tuck application. Any thoughts on whether these could jeopardize my Tuck application? .
There's a couple people on here that already go to Tuck that may be able to better speak to this than me, but I can't imagine that it will make any difference. I'd be shocked if I didn't have a typo of some sort somewhere in everyone of my apps, even though I checked them over 100 times. I actually found out in my Columbia Interview (last interview, a week before I got in everywhere I got into) that my resume had an incorrect start date for college that had somehow gotten by 20 version proofreads, an admissions consultant, and multiple other reviews. My interviewer laughed about it and I got in a few days later. That date was off on all my resumes.
I think Tuck, of all places, is likely to overlook it. They have such a strong emphasis on fit (obviously if you're first qualified) that I assume they're most likely to shake off a typo or two. A strong profile, interview, and indication that you want to go have to matter much more than a typo. Then again, I think most of these AdComs are pretty reasonable people, and realize that no matter how often you check something over, you still miss things.
Good luck man. Rooting for you to get in. That GMAT will be tough for schools to turn down (and I got in with a very below avg. GPA as well, so there's definitely hope there).
@"BGP2587"
Thanks! The interview went really well so I am hopeful.
Any HBS R2 applicants here?
I got my first of many dings today.
Yup, in the process of Interview prep as we speak. Anyone else?
Anyone have any insight on what realistic chances are for someone who was deferred for further consideration for HBS 2+2?
Edit
Any Yale SOM applicants here? Any insights on how far along adcom is in going through R2 applications?
Waiting
This thread has been dead for over a week.
Just had my Ross interview. Have Fuqua and Darden next week.
It's the dead period between interview and notification :) it'll liven up again in a couple of weeks!
I will be matriculating to Columbia in August. Anyone else made a final decision yet?
I'm also headed to CBS. If you missed Columbia Connect 1, definitely try to schedule in CC2.
On Tuesday I was invited for a Wharton interview. I will be interviewing this week.
I'm batting 0.000% right now in terms of interview invites, with time slowly slipping away until the official dings come in. My girlfriend got interviews to the two schools she applied to (not hard to guess which) and will likely get into both.
Feels great, man.
aint nothing wrong with dating a sugar mama ;)
Aaaaand just got ding #2.
One more. Looks like this whole business school thing isn't going to work out.
I'm officially Brady.
Interviewing at Darden on Thursday
@holla_back Where else do you have left? Never over til it's over...
Only yours, but I'm not holding my breath for good news on March 14.
While it was definitely my best application, I understand that the odds certainly don't favor me. Guess it's time to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.
Well, it only takes one. And assuming the dings you have are H/W/Sloan, Tuck probably is a bit easier to get into, especially R2 (I think Sloan is a decent amount harder in R2 than it is in R1). Either way, your odds of getting into Tuck were the same as they were before all the dings, so may as well hold out hope for another few weeks.
The wait is brutal though...
In at Tuck, Ross and Fuqua. 3 out of 3 so far.
Congrats on Tuck today.
Tomorrow's going to be a long, long day for me.
grats! leaning one way or another yet?
Leaning towards Tuck.
@RustyR Congrats! Guess the typos didn't matter. Feel free to PM if you have any questions about deciding on Tuck or want to connect.
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