Hey folks,
Harvard's round 1 is due VERY SOON!
Anyway, who's applying to b-school this year? Let's make this thread a motivation for those who are grinding through apps and also give helpful tips when we can.
I'm applying to Ross, Duke, Darden, Cornell, McCombs, UNC, Booth (extreme stretch), and Indiana. How about you guys? Any tips for not getting stressed out? This process is pretty grueling and I need some motivation from you guys.
| +43 | UC Berkeley (Haas) vs Cornell Dyson vs Columbia vs Dartmouth | 19 | 22h | |
| +29 | MSF Rankings 2024 | 21 | 1h | |
| +26 | Should I take on 100k in loans to go to Emory? | 30 | 3s | |
| +21 | Clash of the MSFs, Georgetown vs Nova | 9 | 48m | |
| +21 | Imperial MSc Economics and Strategy for Business for London consulting? | 11 | 2d | |
| +20 | Got admission to ESCP MiM - now what? | 14 | 1d | |
| +17 | Full-Ride at Nontarget or Full Price at Target? | 8 | 2d | |
| +17 | Is it impossible to break in to IB without a MBA? | 3 | 5d | |
| +16 | HEC Mim vs Bocconi Mfin (URGENT) | 6 | 5s | |
| +16 | SHOULD I DO THIS MINOR? | 14 | 3s |
Career Resources
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
Good idea. How did you choose the schools you're applying to? Any post grad plans?
I'm applying through the Consortium, so for those who don't know, it is a common app with about 18 schools. You can apply to maximum 6 in a common app format, so it makes it a little easier. For the others, I fell in love with Duke and Chicago, even though I know I don't have much of a shot at Chicago.
Are you applying this year?
EDIT: As for post-grad plans, I want to jump to non-profit strategy long-term. Short term, consulting or corporate strategy.
What gives you the idea that you are a stretch for Booth? I'm also applying this season. Booth, Haas, Yale, Darden...
Also, using the consortium as well.
Awesome man, good luck!
My gmat score is low, so to be honest I might be a stretch almost everywhere. Still, at this point I'm just trying to crush my story, and I think my work experience, quant skill, and recommendations will be enough to at least give my profile some consideration.
How are the apps going? Are you using a consultant? How about alumni or current students? Any general essay or recommendation tips?
Thats unfortunate, my gmat score is 'pretty good' as far as these programs are concerned. I'm a non-traditional applicant for work experience so that may be my key issue.
Apps are ok, still brainstorming for the essay portions. I will be using a consultant to finalize work. Tip-wise you'll have to ask me something more specific, I'm new as well...all I can say is that you should develop a strong theme to your application and prove that point as best as possible.
Booth is my top choice, but if I happen to get a fellowship through the consortium I may have to reconsider. We should keep the dialog going throughout the application season. I'm new to WSO, should we divert to pm's?
I am also applying to business school this year... UCLA, Berkeley, and McCombs through the Consortium and Duke and possibly UNC and Ross depending on my campus visit to Berkeley to see if I like the culture fit
Good luck with your apps! What made you choose your selections? Staying motivated is definitely difficult but there are some great sites like gmatclub with forums from other applicants that help from a motivation standpoint as well as giving advice
Awesome Dallas Business Girl! I chose my selections mainly by choosing the 6 schools in the Consortium that I have a decent chance in as well as there programs. Looking at GMAT averages, a lot of schools are out of reach for me even though they may be ranked similar (ex. UCLA has a very high range even though it is considered a peer to the other schools mentioned). I also visited most of those schools and really liked what I saw.
As for GMATClub, different strokes for different folks. I like this site so much better, too many internationals high-jack every thread on GC.
Hope my story is unique enough for consideration. I have alumni in almost every school guiding me through the apps, but I'm still not sure how competitive I really am.
Any specifics you liked about the schools you are applying to? What are your post-MBA goals?
That's definitely a plus!! Having alumni in your back pocket is extremely helpful when it comes to reviewing essays and also providing details about the program that aren't always available on the website! Much luck to you :)
I want to study finance with a concentration in healthcare so Duke, UCLA and Haas were easy choices for me. I especially love the idea of living in California. I also hate cold weather so any Northeastern schools or Chicago schools were definitely out for me. And being from Texas, I have to give McCombs a shot.
Are you planning to retake the GMAT before applying? I've taken it once and got a decent score but I'm currently in intense study mode to improve. I'm an underrepresent minority and woman so I feel like I have a pretty good shot at the schools I chose, but I'm also young so im hoping a high gmat score kind of balances everything out.
What stage of the app process are you currently in?
how exactly does the consortium work? can anybody apply through there? is there a vetting process before they accept you as a member?
Go to cgsm.org and build an account, similar to going to any school's website. You then apply just as I noted above. I know its not official, but if you don't show ANY commitment to their mission, I'm sure it would hurt your chances if you apply there. Just my personal opinion, even though some people say otherwise.
Will be applying to HBS this weekend then following up with applications to Columbia, Kellogg and Stern for R1. Been quite a ride with essays and short answer questions, looking forward to the interview rounds.
How did the HBS application go? Any specific approach? The one essay and many short answer questions gave me trouble because I have to take a different approach. Not that I have a shot or would be applying anyway.
I didn't really think it was all that bad. Although I certainly liked the Kellogg and CBS applications more, as I found it easier to tell a story under the umbrella of a specific essay prompt.
HBS also limits the number of jobs, extracurriculars, etc. that you can submit, so whereas Kellogg leaves it open to six extracurriculars and multiple jobs, HBS wants you to focus on your most important three activities and two jobs.
Feel free to PM me if you want any more specific details. I don't think I'm a slam dunk candidate by any means, but the only way you can find out no is if you apply, so I'm putting my best foot forward.
Good luck everyone, currently grinding through the first semester curriculum but totally worth it!
Any tips for us? What worked for you?
Here are a few things I took away from the process (just my experience, might be different for others).
I had a below average GPA from undergrad so I knew that I I had to bolster my application in other ways to be competitive at my target schools (5ish-15ish). I also knew that I performed very well in interviews but that my profile on paper was mediocre at best (I'll explain why this is important later). Here was my plan to get to the interview:
1.) Kill the GMAT. When I say this, I mean don't settle for a score that you honestly believe is lower than you are capable of. At the very least, having a decent GMAT puts you through to an interview and you won't have to address a low score over and over again during the b-school interview / internship recruiting process. If you are able to score significantly higher than the class average (even through multiple tries) you are in better shape of getting pushed through to an interview and getting some scholarship $.
2.) Make sure my essays had a compelling narrative while addressing all of the obvious weaknesses in my profile. My GPA was crap and my W/E was not as sexy as most. I made sure to structure my essays in a way where I was able to frame both my strengths and weaknesses exactly as I wanted to. I generally focused on my strengths in the mandatory essays and used the optional essay to explain the weaknesses. The important thing here is that you need to get everything on the table so that the adcom is not left wondering about any potential gaps in your abilities.
3.) Be in touch with the adcom regularly. By regularly I don't mean calling them every day just to say whats up. I made sure that I would speak with them once every 2-3 weeks so that I could ask pertinent questions and show interest. After a couple months, I was on a first name basis with some of the adcom members, so I'm sure that helped me move to the interview round. Important thing here is to not overdo it and become annoying and needy.
I was able to get through to interview at 4 out of the 5 schools I applied to and was admitted to those 4. If I could do it again, I would've taken advantage of the schools that have candidate initiated interviews. Like I said at the beginning, I knew that interviewing was my biggest strength (never interviewed for a position that I was not offered), but I did not play to that strength as much as I could have. If you feel that you are a strong interview but that your profile on paper might not merit one, go to the events where you are guaranteed an interview (diversity weekends etc.) so that you can put your best foot forward.
Not sure if any of this makes sense as I am in a bit of a daze from studying, but hope it can help some of you.
Time to call the big dogs.
@"CompBanker" @"mbavsmfin" @"OpsDude" @"BGP2587" @"TheGrind"
Any others I'm missing? Do you guys have any advice for us?
I'm a consortium member (read: not fellow) from Stern. Happy to answer any specific questions feel free to DM. But just a few tidbits:
1) Visit the school - there is absolutely no excuse especially if you live in the same city. As a point of differentiation, visiting schools that are harder to get shows your enthusiasm for the school. Even better, just more talking points in your essay.
2) As a few people mentioned, it's really the total package. Don't get fixated on one piece of your application being weak. I had good grades from a tough school which made up for my weak GMAT and weaved a good story in my essays.
I'd just say there's GMAT competition going on among the top schools, so the "700 GMAT is fine" advice you may get is now wrong. If you're a white/asian male from a traditional industry, you really want at-least 720 GMAT. Even a lot of the military guys I meet at Kellogg (a group not known for high GMAT's) have 720+. I heard through the grape vine that kellogg is going to have an average above 720 this year, so I'd expect all M7 + Tuck at or above 720 this year. Some schools (e.g. Duke and Cornell) have avoided the GMAT race, but they are the exception. There's a handful of 700/710 white males at Kellogg, but they are top PE and McKinsey people (who presumably would've gotten in HSW if they had upped their GMAT).
People care about essays too much I feel - you need to tell a consistent story and have some basic research about the school, but getting a higher gmat score, even an addition 20 points, will help you infinitely more than crafting your essays an extra month.
Re essays, I think I agree. Yes, people overassume the power of an essay. Your overall story is the most important part, and a dazzling set of essays (or one big essay, per HBS, and now other schools) is probably not going to make or break an application.[Of course, if you choose to write about something trite, or parrot something that's in the "best essays of 2014" it might be an automatic ding] That's partly why I encourage people to spend more time than they would expect to on the short answers (hence the video), because that's a way to demonstrate day-to-day leadership on the job. That is, even if you have no one reporting to you (and many of you don't) if you have stepped up and influenced something on the job, you have a chance to represent that in the short answers, and if you are smart, in your resume. Furthermore, if you'd made some interesting and ambitious choices in your life, that's clear in your history, whether you write about it in the essays or not.
By choices, I mean your pattern: where you chose to study (given your personal circumstances), what you chose to study, whether you took advantage of everything your college has to offer, how much you challenged yourself at school, in your job, and in the rest of your life, are all part of the picture. So it's the overall package -- and that's why admissions officers look at the person as a total picture, not just one piece of the puzzle.
Emphasis on the "at least" 720. If you are a white/asian male from a traditional industry, aim for 20+ points above the median. I am applying in a year and will definitely be retaking my 740. Schools are ultimately trying to maximize ROI per student, which means the focus is on finding students who will be successful and bring notoriety, donate money, and/or increase their rankings.
I'm not sure what you're hearing through the grape vine, but I think the liklihood of the top 7-8 schools all having gmat scores above 720 is very low. Having gone through the application process last year, I just wanted to temper the insane numbers that are often thrown around on this site. I've spoken to a bunch of people post-matriculation, and by and large the one comment I hear about WSO and similar skewed samples is that they seem to be very disconnected from what is actually happening in the admissions process.
That being said, my advice is always to shoot for the school average at minimum and beat it if possible. The GMAT is one of the few levers still in your control, so why not maximize your chances.
great info @"dthollow"
Got my LOR's submitted, they're amazing. Working to get my resume down to 1 page is proving difficult. The essay is absolutely killing me. I'm leaving for vacation on the 8th and so have to submit by the 7th. This is torture.
I would strongly recommend reaching out to the President of one of the clubs on campus (Finance Club for most here). You won't learn anything amazing, but it's a great tidbit to bring up on essays and in interviews because it shows interest in the school and an ability to commit independent due diligence. A lot of people don't take this simple step, and it makes a difference.
i understand that it is important to incorporate school specific things in your essays (prominent professors, specific classes, students orgs), but how do you guys do that for applications that dont have the typical 'why X MBA'? for example, kellogg and ross both have similar kinds of essay question which both have to do with your own professional and personal experiences so i cant really find a way to mention kellogg or ross specific facts in the essays. kelllogg does have some short answer questions, but the length limit is super short (150-250 characters, not words) so you cant really work in much other than just directly answering the question being asked. this kind of sucks because i actually visited kellogg and there were so many things that i loved about the campus, the students and just the feel of the school that i was hoping i could work into my essays, but i cant really seem to find a place to work this in. would the optional essay be a good place to work this kind of stuff in?
That's a great question. Hopefully one of the experts can answer this question.
I actually think that listing classes and courses and regurgitating what is on the website doesn't really differentiate yourself, so when you do consider that question, incorporate your own goals with "why that school" , from research as well as from talking with students. If you look all over WSO and everywhere, it is about fit, and really understanding the DNA of the school, and how you personally will take advantage of the opportunities in light of who you are. This is much, much trickier than it looks. And it's also why many schools do not ask "why us" directly. If they do ask that question, They really want you to understand what you are looking for and why this particular program is right.
@TwoThrones Happy to give advice to anyone that's interested. Feel free to PM me and we'll connect by email since my WSO presence is off and on (mostly off) since quitting work and starting school.
Throw my hat in the ring if people want advice too. I'm at a top 15 school, and got in with a low GPA and lowish GMAT. Non-URM or anything special, really. Just had a solid story and good reasoning on why I wanted an MBA from each school.
Seems everyone from last years class seems nice and busy - glad that I'm not the only one.
applying for the 2+2 at HBS and maybe GSB. Lets get into the 10% admitted!
... and if anyone knows this - do rounds really matter? does it really make NO DIFFERENCE the round you apply? What do they do with the apps that come in Round 1 vs apps that come in Round 3? Do they just sit there or they start choosing those who will go to the final pile for a final selection (after all rounds are in)
from what i understand, most schools (excluding Columbia) dont care if you apply Round 1 or Round 2. Round 3 is def tougher than the first two though. Columbia is open about there rolling admissions process and encourages you to apply earlier.
I'm taking 6 courses and doing my dept research paper atm. Not only it is impossible for me to study for the GMAT right now but I'm also trying to add my paper with my application. Thanks for the tip on Columbia!
Rounds absolutely matter. No one should apply in round 3! Round 1 is preferred, but if you aren't ready, then don't do it.
But reading your question, I think you misunderstand how rounds work. It's not like there's a final pile after all the rounds are in at all. There are separate notification dates for each round.
Columbia does have rolling, but it also has a deadline for early action. That' is October 8.
If anyone is still thinking of applying to HBS and hasn't watched my video on Poets & Quants, here's the link: it's only 6 minutes long and I did it to help people understand the value of the short answers -- particularly the goals question.
Thanks for the video Betsy, about to watch it when I finish writing this comment. My problem is that I have a lot of courses this semester and my dept research paper which I believe will boost my application. Not only that, I'm only planning on doing the GMAT after winter break. I guess I'll roll the dice but expecting it to be harder to get in
Quick question, the only schools with a program with deferred admissions are HBS and Stanford?
I'm surprised more of you aren't applying to NYU.
just curious how many mba applications are URM's? if you are one...are you at a significant advantage in comparison to other applicants?
Curious on this as well
Is it ever advantageous to apply round 2 instead of 1?
Being interviewed for early decision application to Columbia tomorrow at 8:00. Keeping my fingers crossed.
770 GMAT and 1 yr MBB + 1 yr non-profit + 3 years of PE... I think I should be a shoo-in but I got dinged after the interview 3 years ago so I'm spooked.
Fuck, if you can't make it I will be soooooo screwed...
No interest in HSW?
FYI - you will hear back within a few days of your interviewer submitting their review.
I found out i got in like three days after (last year). Another friend who applied ED this year found out the next day.
how quickly did they get back to you to schedule the interview after you submitted your ED app? I'm planning on submitting in a week or so.
about 3 weeks
Harvard maybe because "it's the best" but I got dinged with no interview 3 years ago and I don't feel like I fit the profile of godlike ubermensch leader of the masses. Plus I grew up in Boston: I had about enough of the Bean and I'd rather be in NYC. Wharton = philly so no thanks, Stanford is so highly selective I doubt I'd get in.
If I don't get into Columbia ED, I will hire an admissions consultant and try for Harvard and Stanford plus some safety schools.
Submitted round 1 apps to HBS and Chicago Booth this week. Will submit apps to Tuck, Columbia, and Wharton by the end of the month.
Military officer, high GPA from service academy, 710 GMAT, decent extracurriculars. Hoping for a busy October-November with interviews.
Submitted H/S/W/Columbia/Chicago/MIT. Also applying to Berkeley MFE, Princeton MFin, Harvard MS, Stanford MS.
327 GRE, 2 years banking, 1 year credit research, 1 year PE.
Fingers crossed.
Everyone submitting multiple apps: are you using the exact same resume, or changing it between apps?
Interested as well. My assumption was to use the same one but now you've got me guessing.
FWIW I'm using the same one. Don't think it matters too much.
Applying to hbs,booth, Kellogg, sloan, wharton, tuck. It will be interesting to see how it goes....710 GMAT white male is borderline at best.....hoping to get an admit through differentiated work exp/goals/extra cirruc's
Haha I did my Columbia essays first, even though I'm applying in regular decision. Figured they're the most straightforward.
Gotta get my Booth and Wharton applications submitted, get my recommenders to finish all six application recommendations and prep for the Tuck interview before 9/28 when I leave to visit schools. Hopefully it slows down after this, six applications is no joke!
I was accepted to Columbia, will be beginning this January. Happy to help answer any questions...
Congratulations! How were the essays for you? Any tips on building a story or theme?
No particular advice except that early decision seems like it paid off in my case. The interview was totally informal and conversational. The only specific interview question was "why is Columbia your first choice". Given that, and the essays (the whole "at the very center of business" thing), I think making a big deal about NYC and Columbia being your number 1 choice is the right way to go. I also think its important for them to know that you have a credible post-MBA plan, IE if you want to switch careers don't say something absurd (like I did last time... 1 year consulting --> 1 year non-profit --> MBA --> PE... in retrospect it was totally unrealistic).
I think if you have the GMAT box checked, some reasonable work experience, and you can convince them that they are your first choice, you're in.
If you are a non-American and you go to a UNC/Emory/McCombs level MBA college, then getting what would be classified as a 'top job' is near impossible. I went to a to a UNC/Emory/McCombs level MBA college (ranked 15-20) and also have had friends who made this mistake.
If you are a non-American, do not go outside the top-10/12 colleges because: a) The quality of jobs that Americans get is much higher - for example pricing strategy manager for non-Americans vs Corporate strategy manager for Americans within the same company. b) Even the global firms prefer not to sponsor non-Americans from this tier of colleges. They hardly pick up anyone and reject almost all non-Americans due to 'fit' (yeah right!!!). At my college, I can only think of 1 non-American who went to a bulge bracket and no non-Americans went to MBB/other top consultancies. c) The quality of life sucks because you have to prove yourself every time - especially in academics or when you're trying extra hard to look like a good 'fit'. (I've noticed whites seem to 'fit' in way better than others, even if the others have higher mba grades or awesome work experience --- but this could be just me!)
The amount of networking and doors that were slammed on my face (I'm Asian) were soul-crushing. Eventually most non-Americans pick up whatever they can find or take jobs very different to what they really want. They tend to feel relieved rather than overjoyed (god bless them) when they finally get sponsored.
Colleges ranked 15-20 should not be charging $100K+ because honestly they aren't worth that much, for Asians especially.
I'd advise all Asian applicants to not apply to colleges ranked outside the top-10/12. Best of luck to everyone :)
Just submitted Booth. On to Wharton.
In for Round 1 HBS, Stanford, and Wharton. Also submitted Columbia.
background in BB IBD followed by 3 years of mid-cap PE at a well-known name. 760 GMAT, top-5 undergrad. Good luck to all.
Just got out of my first interview. I'm still at the school. Not sure how I feel about it being informal and conversational, because then it is harder to know what mistakes you made.
About to have another interview this Saturday. This has been a rough ride. How's everyone else doing?
@"TwoThrones" are these informational interviews you scheduled with admissions at various schools? Or are these official Round 1 interviews?
I'd love to hear your color on the informal nature, as I'm currently prepping and have heard other candidates voice their displeasure. Do you think you weren't given the opportunity to articulate your career goals or why an MBA makes sense for you now more than ever?
No, it was the official interview for the school. It's very conversational. They ask the standard Why MBA, why now, walk me through your resume, what are you most proud of, etc. Depends on the school I guess.
The best advice I was given (from someone at Darden, for what it's worth) is to make sure your goals are REALISTIC (as in, others have trodden that path) and it makes sense given your background.
For example, my goal is a little bit out there, and so the interviewer told me that the school's focus isn't on recruiting for that industry. I told her that I spoke to an alumni who works at the company I want to work for and also I spoke to a current student who interned at that company. I think she was impressed by my research, but can't be certain.
Employability is definitely a factor admissions keep in mind but you don't really hear about in forums like this. Maybe because everyone here wants either IB BB, MBB, or PE/VC.
Duke does open interviews as well.
I just got back from a week long trip visiting Wharton, Columbia, Stern, HBS and Tuck. Also did my interview at Tuck, which was with a second year student and I thought went pretty well (though of course you're never sure until you get an offer). I really, highly, would recommend visiting schools you're applying to before accepting an offer; I didn't really understand the whole fit thing - it sounded pretty much like bullshit to me - but now after visiting I definitely get it. Tuck was originally at the bottom of my application list, but now I think it's moved up to #3 behind Wharton. Columbia and Stern weren't that impressive and it didn't really feel like there was much of a community or student life at either because of how integrated into the city they are.
Any questions feel free to ask. Submitting Tuck in a couple days and Stern soon after.
Funny how Tuck does that to you. I was pretty impressed when I made the visit up last year as well.
Good luck!
Tuck tends to do that to you when you visit. Before I visited Kellogg was my #1, Tuck post-visit jumped from 3rd to 1st on my list and now I'm here.
As an aside, happy to answer anyone's questions re: Tuck.
Great! I definitely wish you the best of luck in getting acceptance from all schools!
I just came back from a week long trip as well, visiting 4 schools. I guess for me, the schools I am applying to are so similar (small city, small class size) that I think the "fit" part is BS. I'm sure if I went to other type of schools (such as NYU, Harvard, or Columbia), I could see the difference. But my interviews will be practically talking about the same exact thing. Community life, small student body, work together as a team, etc.
HBS, Stanford, Wharton, and Kellogg in, Tuck on the way.
Nice, were you pissed when Milton Waddams got that promotion instead of you? I'd say b-school is a much better exit opp than stealing money from your company.
Couple hours until HBS first notification for interviews.
Can anybody confirm receipt of an HBS interview invite?
Check the GMATClub forum - looks like a bunch of folks confirmed receipt of their invites from the wave of ~800 that went out today.
At this point I'm giving up hope on HBS. I know there's still a shot but it's stupid to be hopeful for a whole week.
Can confirm. HBS must think my story of software engineer to construction worker is unique and maybe worthy of a spot in the class, and they identified with my goal of leading a civil engineering firm. I guess Lumbergh must've written me a good rec!
Yep they went out - had a hell of a time registering the slots went like immediately
Just submitted my Consortium application. Applied to six school and applied pretty much last minute. Here are some of my thoughts on the process.
1) One of the resources I used for essays said to write too much and then edit down. I almost disagree with this advice, because the most time I spent on essays was editing down, and it was by far the hardest part and most time consuming. Looking back, I would have written a short outline that has all the details I want to talk about and then try to make a tight story at the beginning rather than writing 800 words and condensing it down to 300.
2) Choose recommenders who know the MBA application process well/went through it themselves. This makes a huge difference in the quality of your recommendation. I did choose the people who worked closest with me and who knew me well, but I wish I didn't have to micro manage them. This took up more significant time than I would have ever imagined.
3) If you are applying to similar type of schools like I did, don't waste your time visiting every school. Once you visit 2 or 3 schools, you'll have a general feel of business school life. I would reach out to students in the school you are applying to and just pick their brains for a few minutes. This was infinitely more beneficial, especially since a few of them even offered to read my essays. If you are a Consortium applicant, I would say just do the diversity events at every school, some even offer an open interview to those who get in. I wish I knew about those beforehand, but I did end up getting into one diversity event (no interview though).
4) Maybe I'm just extremely cynical after going through the process and meeting a ton of students/applicants, but adcoms are superficial. Another thread here talks about it, but if you do some awesome education initiatives, you aren't as impressive as someone who went through TFA. I worked on amazing projects, but my company is not considered the best of the best, so I could see the "whatever" look in the adcom's eyes when I told them my story. Company brand name matters! Most of the current students I spoke with worked at a well known brand.
5) There is no way to be "unique" in your essays. When I first started applying, I thought I could differentiate myself with my essays, but the fact is, everyone applying is smarter than me and has done more incredible things. If you saved your company $1M, then someone else saved their more "prestigious" company $100M. Led a regional district basketball team to the championship? That sounds great, but someone else played in the NBDL. Speaking of which...
6) Adcoms are sports whores. A lot of the rockstar students I spoke with played college basketball, football, track, cross country, etc. All us overweight working stiffs get shafted here; I can't talk about how I'm a top 500 player at Call of Duty.
7) After all my cynicism, my advice is do your best. It is very difficult to meet some amazing people and then be down in the dumps. My feelings were like a cosine graph, someone would give me encouragement but then reality would strike and I would be brought down. DON'T LET IT GET TO YOU!
6 applications down, I have one more non-Consortium, and then depending on how Round 1 goes, will be submitting a few more for round 2.
We're all gonna make it.
Dinged at HBS, not unsurprising but still disappointing. Booth invites started going out today, hopefully will get one before I have to travel down tomorrow for Booth Live!
Sorry to here that, from your posts, seemed like you were a solid candidate with great stats. How did Booth Live go?
Just received my acceptance to CBS yesterday after applying ED. I only had a 700 GMAT, so I wanted to dispel the earlier posts about needing at least a 720+ for any kind of chance.
I also agree with the earlier posters regarding fit, why Columbia and why NYC for the purposes of the interview and application. My interviewer spent some time mentioning how Stern offers a lot of the same things given the location, and I had to really get into specifically why Columbia (i.e., which alumni I would try to connect with, which professors I wanted to take classes with, what clubs I wanted to join and lead, etc.)
Congratulations my friend!
Going through the not so fun process here too. Dinged at HBS, applying to Wharton, Stern and Booth also. Maybe CBS. I was really impressed by Booth during their Booth Live event and quite put off by CBS when I went to visit. If you can definitely visit the schools you are applying to, will help you talk about 'the Why' in the essays.GMAT: 730, over-represented Asian Male and 5+ years of work ex as a trader.
Booth Live was pretty awesome, though really repetitive. There are only so many questions you can ask in a day. The Liquidity Preference Function was fun and actually got to talk to some students that weren't giving me canned responses. Overall I like Booth, not my top choice but it's alright.
This is exactly how I felt about Columbia as well. It seemed sorta like a shithole. I was surprised a top school was that mediocre. If I got in there it'd be so much better for my career, but I personally liked Tuck and Booth so much more, ugh. Actually aside from HBS, Tuck is my favorite choice.
How were you put off by CBS? I attended an info session on campus and did not get that vibe.
The info session was an Adcom talking for 45 minutes and then a few students answer the prospective applicant questions for 15 minutes. Compare that to Booth where the Assistant Dean was literally introducing himself to every prospective student. I spoke with an Adcom member alone (not surrounded by 15 others) for 20 minutes, of course it helped that it was a full day event. Columbia was very run of the mill and dry for me. I would be pissed off if I was visiting from out of town and that's all I got. Luckily I live in New York.
Got the booth invite today during their third wave of emails. Anyone else? 2 days to go
Got the invite to interview at Booth today as well!!! So hyped!!!
Awesome job, congratulations to @"Khayembii" and @"Goinggolfing"! I know its not as impressive, but I got a Ross invite, so at least something I did worked!
...
Anyone else get dinged from Wharton today? I'm pretty shocked by it, but onward and upward.
Yea me too. First ding but not that surpirisng I guess my GMAT wasn't special.
Yeah, Wharton ding really stung.
Booth interview scheduled for 11/15. Really hoping to get Booth/Tuck offers. No idea if Stern/Columbia will invite me.
Just got back from interviewing at Tuck. I honestly loved it and had a great time. For anyone on the fence I highly recommend checking the school out.
I would love to go there but this is a stretch school for me. Will see how it goes!
Bumping this thread because I've now heard from everywhere. 3 admits, 1 WL, 1 rejection, no merit scholarships. Not a bad run. My school decision is made (although I'm planning on job hunting a bit in the background). Anyone else know what they're doing in the fall?
Interviewed at Kellogg and Booth, now I play the waiting game...
My situation:
CBS - Ding w/o interview Tuck - Interview Wharton - Interview Booth - Interview SOM - no word....
Applied round 1 to HBS, Wharton, Tuck, and Booth.
Admitted to HBS and Wharton, withdrew from Tuck and Booth before admission decisions but after interviewing with them both.
Headed to HBS this fall. Good luck to everyone in round 2!
wharton: ding no int Mit: ding no int Booth: wl after interview Tuck: admit Kellogg: admit w/scholarship $ Hbs: matriculating
See you guys in Boston!
Good luck!
Aspernatur corporis aperiam non eos dicta qui. Autem quibusdam iusto voluptatem veniam accusamus quisquam perspiciatis. Odio cum nam quasi et eligendi a. Quibusdam necessitatibus qui nemo est facilis libero.
Aut consectetur perspiciatis incidunt voluptas officia natus nulla. Non placeat quae ipsum et quasi. Aut praesentium rerum aut quos. Quas dolores doloremque consequuntur et quas. Reprehenderit optio et cumque facere quod ut. Ut deserunt consequuntur qui et dolor necessitatibus alias ducimus.
Corrupti ea laborum omnis minima facere voluptas. Adipisci excepturi molestiae ut totam. Rem pariatur rerum at facilis in et. Temporibus tenetur sit ut sapiente.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Et id rerum non voluptas. Omnis necessitatibus in sint quod sit voluptatum cupiditate.
Quis laboriosam eaque et deleniti. Laborum laborum est qui aliquam sit est. Est soluta autem praesentium omnis ut aut.
Ullam voluptatem ratione quis dolores commodi dolorem enim. Velit in et molestiae est sit dolor.
Dolores nobis vitae sapiente ullam est. Fugit tempore iste voluptatem et. Qui expedita qui a id rerum quidem eos. Et quidem iusto aut eaque. Reprehenderit non autem ratione aliquam iusto ducimus eos. Et aperiam facere nemo laboriosam.
Similique incidunt ut officia id eos nulla distinctio sed. Debitis est dicta nam sunt porro quia. Consequuntur dolores consequatur ut aut occaecati repellat dolorem. Corrupti nam illo natus occaecati sed quaerat et dolor. Cupiditate similique aut nihil consequatur asperiores. Veritatis assumenda dolorem et ad dolorum maiores. Nesciunt dolor ut voluptates voluptatibus consequatur. Qui distinctio mollitia sapiente nihil possimus corporis.
Autem quis a quos ipsum dolorum cumque fugiat. Corporis perspiciatis ullam voluptas omnis in aut. Et enim quas accusantium exercitationem similique. Velit excepturi vel consequatur omnis quo mollitia et. Itaque ut quia sapiente temporibus dolore mollitia est.
Beatae voluptatem voluptas molestias iusto. Veritatis rerum deleniti praesentium sunt sit officia. Dolorem qui laboriosam ut voluptatibus officiis commodi accusantium. Ullam eligendi molestias aut.
Amet sed minus at eveniet amet non voluptatum. Ex et cumque atque vel.
Est recusandae iusto cupiditate non non velit. Iste placeat provident eaque est id. Praesentium blanditiis cupiditate est rem minima. Et vel illo aut magnam consequatur aut eius necessitatibus. Nobis dolorem aut sed ut sed similique. Non placeat consequuntur iste cum iste.
Suscipit voluptatem et tenetur commodi id sed. Non maiores dolorem nisi sit qui quaerat. Ipsam est tempore natus ducimus rerum.
Reprehenderit voluptatem minima omnis voluptate quidem molestiae. Deserunt sint sed sit quisquam quibusdam. Dicta non voluptate saepe quia.
Nemo et corrupti aut corrupti voluptas occaecati et nam. Ea quas recusandae ipsum id consequatur rem odio et.
Ipsam in sint autem quo. Ducimus dolorem suscipit aliquid asperiores non voluptatum.