Fuqua has announced its essays for the fall 2011 entry. There are only 3 required questions { i guess till last year fuqua had 1 long and 3 short essays}.
The essays are usual b-school essays, asking for why MBA, why Duke and why you. Applicants must respind within 2 pages with a minimum 10 point font, meaning one has about 850 words to frame the answers.
Source
New Essays for Fall 2011 Entry
Three essay questions must be completed before submitting your application. Prepare your essays carefully. The Admissions Committee considers your responses to the following questions important in the selection process. Please respond fully and concisely using 1.5 line spacing. Your response to each question should be no more than 2 pages in length, with a font size no less than 10-point.
Candidates who applied to The Duke MBA between September 2009 and April 2010 are considered re-applicants. All re-applicants are required to complete the Re-applicant Essay in addition to the Applicant Essays.
All applicants have the opportunity to submit an optional essay to explain any extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware.
Applicant Essays : Answer all 3 essay questions.
Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, emotional intelligence, and business acumen. Thus, Duke is in the midst of an ambitious global venture that will embed and connect us around the world, and we are seeking future leaders of consequence, who value diversity and collaborative leadership, and who aspire to impact the companies and communities of which they are a part in a lasting and positive way.
In an effort to identify, engage, and foster the development of future leaders of consequence, the Admissions Committee would like to get to know our applicants in a more holistic manner. We would like to know who you are, what has shaped you into the person you are today, and how you hope to impact both Duke and the communities of which you will be a part in the future. The essays are your opportunity to convey that to us. Please be open, genuine, and passionate. Share with us what makes you a dynamic, multi-dimensional person.
1. Describe your vision for your career and your inspiration for pursuing this career path.
2. How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture?
3. Why Duke? (If you are interested in a specific concentration, joint degree, clubs or activities, please discuss how you would contribute to these in this essay.)
Optional Essay (not required)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weakness in your application).
Re-applicant Essay
All re-applicants are required to complete the Re-applicant Essay. Please limit your response to two pages. Write an essay describing how you are now a stronger candidate for admission compared to the application you submitted the previous year.
Monday, May 24
Friday, May 21
Update
Just finished working on essays {from previous year} of one of my target schools. Must say that writing Essays is the most difficult, most interesting and most important part of the application. It took me 5-6 iterations for each essay before my story started making SOME {I think 15-20%}sense. Introspection, positioning and knowledge of target school play a huge role in crafting a winning application.
I now need to read all the essays together to get a holistic picture of my positioning effort. This is important -- don't just focus on a single essay. Start by keeping your overall story in mind. Put down everything, small or big that you have achieved in your life. Now based upon the essay segregate stories, as to which story would be used in which essay. Try to link up all the essays to one common theme but reveal different facet of your personality every time. Make sure that your passion and motivation should reflect in essays.
Would enjoy my friday night and from tomorrow back to work ... hope that by next 8-10 days i will have a set of essays that i would be able to share with one of my friend to get some feedback..Also need to explore the school in much more detail I felt that i need to know a lot more about my target schools before i even think of applying to them....
don't know how much sense this post would have made...but just wanted to share some thoughts :)
p.s: I have started thinking about safety schools :'( ... thats a bad sign for sure... hope that by october this thought fades away ..else ..
I now need to read all the essays together to get a holistic picture of my positioning effort. This is important -- don't just focus on a single essay. Start by keeping your overall story in mind. Put down everything, small or big that you have achieved in your life. Now based upon the essay segregate stories, as to which story would be used in which essay. Try to link up all the essays to one common theme but reveal different facet of your personality every time. Make sure that your passion and motivation should reflect in essays.
Would enjoy my friday night and from tomorrow back to work ... hope that by next 8-10 days i will have a set of essays that i would be able to share with one of my friend to get some feedback..Also need to explore the school in much more detail I felt that i need to know a lot more about my target schools before i even think of applying to them....
don't know how much sense this post would have made...but just wanted to share some thoughts :)
p.s: I have started thinking about safety schools :'( ... thats a bad sign for sure... hope that by october this thought fades away ..else ..
Saturday, May 15
Paintings for sale !!
I am uploading 3 paintings by Miss S, they are up for sale. In case you are interested please revert on braveheart4mba(@)gmail.com. I will share the price and delivery details.
Thursday, May 13
Career progress and future goals essay
Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing an MBA. (600 Words)
I was really aghast with myself as i saw the draft of my answer to the question above. I elaborated my career and never assessed the same. And i briefly touched upon the idea as to why i need an MBA. Needless to say, i used 1200 words to shape up my response.
If i want to submit winning essays i really need to understand the question before i started vomiting my useless answers on word pad. The ad-com commitee wants to understand how i have fared in my career till now and what are the various skills that i have acquired and honed. Also, they want to get a flavor of the impact of my work and most importantly want to understand the motivation behind my career moves. Elaboration of my career goals would point towards the skills that i need to acquire.
Wish i had given a lot more time to understanding the question and framing up the answer than just scribbling my thoughts down.
Plan to work on this essay during this weekend and hopefully trim it down to 700 words before finally taking it to 600 word limit.
lots of work!!!!
I was really aghast with myself as i saw the draft of my answer to the question above. I elaborated my career and never assessed the same. And i briefly touched upon the idea as to why i need an MBA. Needless to say, i used 1200 words to shape up my response.
If i want to submit winning essays i really need to understand the question before i started vomiting my useless answers on word pad. The ad-com commitee wants to understand how i have fared in my career till now and what are the various skills that i have acquired and honed. Also, they want to get a flavor of the impact of my work and most importantly want to understand the motivation behind my career moves. Elaboration of my career goals would point towards the skills that i need to acquire.
Wish i had given a lot more time to understanding the question and framing up the answer than just scribbling my thoughts down.
Plan to work on this essay during this weekend and hopefully trim it down to 700 words before finally taking it to 600 word limit.
lots of work!!!!
Friday, May 7
Clear Admit Career Guides - Review
Disclaimer: The views expressed below are my personal opinion and in no way related to clear admit or any other company.
I recently bought Clear Admit Career guide for Marketing. I am really sad to say that the publication disappointed me. Rather than a true career guide the pdf serves as a handbook for comparing Marketing curriculum of various US b-schools {that too is not a detailed comparison}.
The guide speaks about the career in Marketing only for 1 page. Yes you read it correctly, its "1 page". And this description is also limited to "Brand Management or Product development" paths in Marketing.
The publication could have been a lot better had it served the following purposes:
1. Provided clear cut distinction between a Marketing career in CPG industy and a Marketing Career in non-CPG industries {such as Financial services}
2. The guide could have explained the career progression in Marketing industry and could have explained the roles and responsibilities of Marketers at various stages of their careers
3. Also, the guide fails to describe in detail the skill-set that is required to kick start a career in Marketing,
Good points:
1. Gives you a good flavour of Marketing curriculum at various schools -- though you will have to explore the website and other resources to get the whole story
in short, for $40 the clear admit guide for Marketing is not a value for money buy...if i have to rate this guide on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest:
My verdict: 1.5/5
I recently bought Clear Admit Career guide for Marketing. I am really sad to say that the publication disappointed me. Rather than a true career guide the pdf serves as a handbook for comparing Marketing curriculum of various US b-schools {that too is not a detailed comparison}.
The guide speaks about the career in Marketing only for 1 page. Yes you read it correctly, its "1 page". And this description is also limited to "Brand Management or Product development" paths in Marketing.
The publication could have been a lot better had it served the following purposes:
1. Provided clear cut distinction between a Marketing career in CPG industy and a Marketing Career in non-CPG industries {such as Financial services}
2. The guide could have explained the career progression in Marketing industry and could have explained the roles and responsibilities of Marketers at various stages of their careers
3. Also, the guide fails to describe in detail the skill-set that is required to kick start a career in Marketing,
Good points:
1. Gives you a good flavour of Marketing curriculum at various schools -- though you will have to explore the website and other resources to get the whole story
in short, for $40 the clear admit guide for Marketing is not a value for money buy...if i have to rate this guide on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest:
My verdict: 1.5/5
Thursday, May 6
Pleasing a school viz a viz Pleasing a girl
Strange title for the post huh!! :) Well i was pondering over the question "Why xx b-school?". Like an average applicant i began listing down few stupid ideas such as: 1. XX has a phenomenol brand name 2. XX has great faculty, 3. I will learn yy at XX school
Pathetic effort isn't it? Now consider a situation where a guy sees a super hot girl and wants to woo her.
Also, Guys fall in love with what they see {How often we fall in love with a school that has a superb brand equity ;) } and Girls fall in love with what they hear {Schools love applicants who express themselves well -- ESSAYS ARE V-IMP}
We have seen one approach above to woo a girl. Now consider this:
Guy: Hi Gorgeous!! I just wanted to tell you that i often dreamt of an angel whose eyes had innocense and sensuality, whose cheeks were crafted out of rose petals and whose lips were like strawberries. An angel whom god crafted out of marble and whom god coated with honey. You are the one whose smile is more beautiful than the rainbow. I can spend rest of my life watching you smile. When i saw you first i couldn't believe that someone could be so beautiful. {This was why XX school and how it fits in your scheme of things?}
You are the one for whom i would die a thousand times, if you would say i would get the most precious jewels for you, i would keep you like a prized possesion. I would kiss your lips and play with your sensual hair. I would peep into your hypnotising eyes for hours, i would really love to make love to you. {What would you do for the school?}
Pathetic effort isn't it? Now consider a situation where a guy sees a super hot girl and wants to woo her.
Thousands of guys would love to hang out with a beautiful chic, like thousands of applicants want to get into a reputed b-school. So, be it a beautiful girl or a reputed school - both have a problem of plenty. Now, if a guy makes a strong case and tells a girl why he has fallen for her {Why XX B-school?}, what will he do for her {How will you contribute to the school?} and How will she fulfill his dreams {How will the school help you in achieving your goal} there is a chance that girl would give the guy a chance.
Also, Guys fall in love with what they see {How often we fall in love with a school that has a superb brand equity ;) } and Girls fall in love with what they hear {Schools love applicants who express themselves well -- ESSAYS ARE V-IMP}
We have seen one approach above to woo a girl. Now consider this:
Guy: Hi Gorgeous!! I just wanted to tell you that i often dreamt of an angel whose eyes had innocense and sensuality, whose cheeks were crafted out of rose petals and whose lips were like strawberries. An angel whom god crafted out of marble and whom god coated with honey. You are the one whose smile is more beautiful than the rainbow. I can spend rest of my life watching you smile. When i saw you first i couldn't believe that someone could be so beautiful. {This was why XX school and how it fits in your scheme of things?}
You are the one for whom i would die a thousand times, if you would say i would get the most precious jewels for you, i would keep you like a prized possesion. I would kiss your lips and play with your sensual hair. I would peep into your hypnotising eyes for hours, i would really love to make love to you. {What would you do for the school?}
Half the battle is won if you market yourself well. School might call you for a date {read interview}
While addressing "Why XX school?" question don't just mention how good a school is. Ad-com already knows that, that's not unique ... Tell the ad-com exactly what are your scheme of things and how you found the school fitting in...all the courses, faculty, clubs, alum network, placements, student projects, guest speakers etc. anything and everything that you can think of -- and those things that add an extra punch to the story. Now, don't just stop here, express what would you do for the school once accepted. Most of the top b-schools are student run organizations and schools are looking for students who will pro-actively contribute to the activities of school....
More later...
Wednesday, May 5
Best advice for GMAT preparation
Clear Admit BoB results are out!!!
Congrats Dramchaser{DC} and Orlando for winning the best applicant and best student category awards respectively. DC is headed to Kellogg and Orlando is studying in Kellogg!!! Actually Kellogg students have swept the awards :)
And this very blog was voted the "Best Advice for GMAT preparation". I feel honored and would like to thank Clear Admit and Fellow bloggers.
The results can be found here .
Worked on my resume yesterday. Still looks pathetic and needs a lot of work. But as compared to my previous resume the new version looks impressive :). Will share some tips for crafting Resume...And any suggestions from fellow bloggers are welcome !!!!!
Congrats Dramchaser{DC} and Orlando for winning the best applicant and best student category awards respectively. DC is headed to Kellogg and Orlando is studying in Kellogg!!! Actually Kellogg students have swept the awards :)
And this very blog was voted the "Best Advice for GMAT preparation". I feel honored and would like to thank Clear Admit and Fellow bloggers.
The results can be found here .
Worked on my resume yesterday. Still looks pathetic and needs a lot of work. But as compared to my previous resume the new version looks impressive :). Will share some tips for crafting Resume...And any suggestions from fellow bloggers are welcome !!!!!
Saturday, May 1
10k hits
Finally my blog recorded 10k hits. Thanks to all the readers.
As expected max. no. of hits are from USA..followed closely by India. One interesting trend that i noticed -- Normally Indian hits are almost half of US hits on other blogs. But in my case they are almost 80% of US hits.
Is it because Indians love my blog or people in USA hate it?? I would like to believe the former :).
On Apps front haven't made much progress for last 2 weeks. Only good thing was that i disclosed my MBA plans to one of my recommendors. She is my client and was very pleased to hear my decision to go for an MBA. Now i need to intimate my 2nd recommendor -- my current supervisor. I have been working with him for past 3 years now. He knows my strengths and weaknesses, he is the one who has seen me grow professionally. I think he won't mind writing a reco for me but then you never know!!!
My back pain has returned with a bang and has not allowed me to read or write much. Ortho department failed to heal my injury and now i am under the supervision of Neuro department.
More later...ciao
Sunday, April 18
First rough draft
Before i share my progress i want to share the Sad news!!! CK Prahlad renowned management guru passed away. Indeed sad!! CK was known for his theory - "fortune at bottom of pyramid", applicable in many emerging economies. Also, CK was esteemed faculty member of University of Michigan {Ross B-school}.
May he RIP.
Coming on to the next update -- wrote first rough draft of Career progression and why MBA essay. Must say it looked horrible. Way off the word limits, hardly giving the personal touch and mostly bragging about things that i had already mentioned in my resume.
Its very imp. that an applicant does not repeat the same things as mentioned in his/her resume. Resume mostly reflects "WHAT" part of your story. i.e What an applicant has accomplished. Every school asks for a copy of resume along with the essays. So, ad-com members would be aware of "WHAT" part of the story. I believe that through essays ad-com members are more interested in knowing the real person behind those accomplishments. Essays should answer "WHY" part of the story. i.e Why you made certain choices, why you were able to achieve certain things {as mentioned in your resume} and obviously why an MBA makes sense for you?
After writing the first draft i have decided to think hard about -- "Where i am coming from?", " Why i made certain choices in life and what i learnt from those experiences", " Where do i see myself 5 years, 10yrs from now and what's the motivation behind that.". I guess if i will answer these questions then i will be better able to answer Why MBA in the stipulated word limit.
Also don't forget to be specific in your essays. I think once we have enough degree of specificity in essays we won't have to worry about being unique ;)
May he RIP.
Coming on to the next update -- wrote first rough draft of Career progression and why MBA essay. Must say it looked horrible. Way off the word limits, hardly giving the personal touch and mostly bragging about things that i had already mentioned in my resume.
Its very imp. that an applicant does not repeat the same things as mentioned in his/her resume. Resume mostly reflects "WHAT" part of your story. i.e What an applicant has accomplished. Every school asks for a copy of resume along with the essays. So, ad-com members would be aware of "WHAT" part of the story. I believe that through essays ad-com members are more interested in knowing the real person behind those accomplishments. Essays should answer "WHY" part of the story. i.e Why you made certain choices, why you were able to achieve certain things {as mentioned in your resume} and obviously why an MBA makes sense for you?
After writing the first draft i have decided to think hard about -- "Where i am coming from?", " Why i made certain choices in life and what i learnt from those experiences", " Where do i see myself 5 years, 10yrs from now and what's the motivation behind that.". I guess if i will answer these questions then i will be better able to answer Why MBA in the stipulated word limit.
Also don't forget to be specific in your essays. I think once we have enough degree of specificity in essays we won't have to worry about being unique ;)
Saturday, April 10
Nominated -- Clear Admit Best of Blogging{BoB}
Come 2nd friday of April and clear admit announces nominations for best of blogging in the MBA blogosphere. I feel privileged because my blog has been nominated along side some of the very best blogs for this years BoB. There are 2 categories -- MBA applicants and MBA students { i wish next year i make a switch from applicant category to student category }
You can find the complete list of nominees at : BoB Nominations 2009-2010 . Next comes the voting phase where the nominated bloggers, celebrity judges and Clear admit staff will cast vote. 50% consideration is given to blogger votes and 25% each to celebrity judges and clear admit staff votes. Ballots are due on April 30 and rankings would be revealed on May 4th. There are lots of prizes to be won.
Clear Admit's blog has huge repertoire of information when it comes to GMAT prep, Applications, school selection etc. Kudos to Clear Admit and all the bloggers who have added value in MBA blogosphere.
I wish all the fellow bloggers lots of luck. {Free drinks for those who vote for me ;) }
You can find the complete list of nominees at : BoB Nominations 2009-2010 . Next comes the voting phase where the nominated bloggers, celebrity judges and Clear admit staff will cast vote. 50% consideration is given to blogger votes and 25% each to celebrity judges and clear admit staff votes. Ballots are due on April 30 and rankings would be revealed on May 4th. There are lots of prizes to be won.
Clear Admit's blog has huge repertoire of information when it comes to GMAT prep, Applications, school selection etc. Kudos to Clear Admit and all the bloggers who have added value in MBA blogosphere.
I wish all the fellow bloggers lots of luck. {Free drinks for those who vote for me ;) }
Sunday, April 4
Beat the GMAT Scholarship!!
Just wanted to draw the attention of fellow bloggers to the Beat the GMAT scholarship. There are 6 scholarships valued at approx $8, 500. The winner will get a GMAT prep course with one of the leading prep companies.
All one is required to do is to register himself/herself at BTG site and write few essays. The good thing about participating in this competition is that you get to think hard about why MBA?, why GMAT? etc. Also one of the question forces you to think hard about your story. How your story is different from others and how you are more deserving than others. Writing these essays will already propel you into the next orbit of your journey to a top b-school.
The essay questions are available here: BTG scholarship Essays, Deadline is May-20-2010. Winners will be announced within 10 days of the essay submission deadline. One can redeem the prize by as late as June-2011.
Prospective GMAT takers don't miss out on this opportunity.
All one is required to do is to register himself/herself at BTG site and write few essays. The good thing about participating in this competition is that you get to think hard about why MBA?, why GMAT? etc. Also one of the question forces you to think hard about your story. How your story is different from others and how you are more deserving than others. Writing these essays will already propel you into the next orbit of your journey to a top b-school.
The essay questions are available here: BTG scholarship Essays, Deadline is May-20-2010. Winners will be announced within 10 days of the essay submission deadline. One can redeem the prize by as late as June-2011.
Prospective GMAT takers don't miss out on this opportunity.
Monday, March 29
INSEAD vs US b-schools
Yesterday Miss "S" threw some questions at me, forcing me to think hard. Though i could answer most of them but found myself struggling while answering others.
Miss S: why Kellogg or Booth and why not INSEAD? Your ultimate goal is to move to strategy and INSEAD does as well as top US schools when it comes to placing students in strategy.
Me: i want to do an immersive program and a 10 month program is too short to even fully live the MBA experience.
Miss S: But consider the ROI. INSEAD offers highest ROI. You have to forego only 1 year salary and the total amount spent on tuition and living is also less in case of 1 year prog.
Me: Agreed!
Miss S: Forbes 2009 ranking. Have you seen them?
Me: Yes..Salary for INSEAD class of 2004 in 2008 was $218, 000 and for Kellogg it was $165, 000. INSEAD students take 2.5 years on average to repay their education loan while Kellogg students take 4.4 years.
Miss S: that's a big difference..
Miss S: So why not INSEAD? It s going to offer you greater diversity, access to same set of recruiters, it has campuses in multiple locations. I assume INSEAD would offer you similar courses and would have great faculty too.
Me: That's true but INSEAD is too big. 900 {is it 900 or 1800? 900*2} students passing out every year. Thats like a factory output
Miss S: rubbish!! Ultimately they are going to divide you in sections and that's what will matter to you. Is the batch size any how going to affect your learning?? And INSEAD is a great school {top 5 in every ranking}, so having a large alum network is a plus.
Me: that's right!! But INSEAD is skewed towards consulting. What if i change my mind during MBA?
Miss S: Have a better look at their employment report. You will get the answer.
Me: But INSEAD is not that well known outside Europe.
Miss S: People who are going to recruit you and people who are going to work with you will know about INSEAD. How does it matter whether your friend from high school or girl next door doesn't know about INSEAD.
Me: Thats right too!!!
Miss S: see, if you can get into INSEAD you will do as well as you will in case you go to any other top US b school. But you will repay your loan faster and can start enjoying sooner.
Me: I will definitely discuss this with my fellow bloggers and gain some insight ... you have confused me :'(
I know Kellogg students take more time than those at INSEAD to repay their education loans. But i would like to carry Kellogg/Wharton badge for the rest of my life. Maybe because my parents, my friends hold these brands in high esteem {And i don't know how good is this reason for choosing a particular school.}. I think all of us have unconcious fascination towards some particular schools. I never feel anything about Stanford or Berkeley or SLoan but the mention of K/W/Booth/Ross/LBS etc sets my pulse racing.
But the 2008 salary for class of 2004 is a big differentiator, K students earning $165, 000 and INSEAD students earning $ 218, 000. Money matters after all :) .... I have still not fully accepted the idea of applying to INSEAD but i will surely explore this great school before i take any decision.
Miss S: why Kellogg or Booth and why not INSEAD? Your ultimate goal is to move to strategy and INSEAD does as well as top US schools when it comes to placing students in strategy.
Me: i want to do an immersive program and a 10 month program is too short to even fully live the MBA experience.
Miss S: But consider the ROI. INSEAD offers highest ROI. You have to forego only 1 year salary and the total amount spent on tuition and living is also less in case of 1 year prog.
Me: Agreed!
Miss S: Forbes 2009 ranking. Have you seen them?
Me: Yes..Salary for INSEAD class of 2004 in 2008 was $218, 000 and for Kellogg it was $165, 000. INSEAD students take 2.5 years on average to repay their education loan while Kellogg students take 4.4 years.
Miss S: that's a big difference..
Miss S: So why not INSEAD? It s going to offer you greater diversity, access to same set of recruiters, it has campuses in multiple locations. I assume INSEAD would offer you similar courses and would have great faculty too.
Me: That's true but INSEAD is too big. 900 {is it 900 or 1800? 900*2} students passing out every year. Thats like a factory output
Miss S: rubbish!! Ultimately they are going to divide you in sections and that's what will matter to you. Is the batch size any how going to affect your learning?? And INSEAD is a great school {top 5 in every ranking}, so having a large alum network is a plus.
Me: that's right!! But INSEAD is skewed towards consulting. What if i change my mind during MBA?
Miss S: Have a better look at their employment report. You will get the answer.
Me: But INSEAD is not that well known outside Europe.
Miss S: People who are going to recruit you and people who are going to work with you will know about INSEAD. How does it matter whether your friend from high school or girl next door doesn't know about INSEAD.
Me: Thats right too!!!
Miss S: see, if you can get into INSEAD you will do as well as you will in case you go to any other top US b school. But you will repay your loan faster and can start enjoying sooner.
Me: I will definitely discuss this with my fellow bloggers and gain some insight ... you have confused me :'(
I know Kellogg students take more time than those at INSEAD to repay their education loans. But i would like to carry Kellogg/Wharton badge for the rest of my life. Maybe because my parents, my friends hold these brands in high esteem {And i don't know how good is this reason for choosing a particular school.}. I think all of us have unconcious fascination towards some particular schools. I never feel anything about Stanford or Berkeley or SLoan but the mention of K/W/Booth/Ross/LBS etc sets my pulse racing.
But the 2008 salary for class of 2004 is a big differentiator, K students earning $165, 000 and INSEAD students earning $ 218, 000. Money matters after all :) .... I have still not fully accepted the idea of applying to INSEAD but i will surely explore this great school before i take any decision.
Saturday, March 27
Why MBA ..Which School...Why Now??
As i move ahead towards my MBA dream, i am forced to think hard about the following questions:
1. Why MBA?? -- In my previous post Why MBA? I had mentioned few reasons that motivate me to pursure an MBA. But specifically linking an MBA program to my career goals is a bit tough job. For this reason its an absolute must to be crystal clear about your short term and long term career goals. Once you have done so get in touch with student ambassadors or b-school students {who have similar career aspirations as you do} to understand how an MBA has helped them in realizing their goals. I have found a very interesting pattern in that a lot of people do not stick to the same career goals that they mentioned in their essays. Thats fine also, pursuing an MBA will expose one to various career streams and being flexible is a good option. My why MBA story to get into a b-school can be very different from my Why MBA once i pass out of the school.
An MBA can help you mingle with people from your target industry, can give you a platform to interact with recruiters of your choice {Mckinsey, BCG, Bain don't recruit everywhere..}. You can develop certain traits that your future job might require. Also being an engineer i can never expect to learn economics, accounting or marketing in my job so an MBA can help me in getting a hang of these subjects.
Which b- school?? --No matter which school i try to explore i find the same courses offered in the "CORE" and almost similar sounding "Electives" {Barring few}. Every school boasts of a great faculty and pioneering research. Every school offers almost similar clubs such as conculting, marketing, I-banking etc. and every school talks about developing leaders.
Then there are few differences too -- Harvard and Darden - case centric...Kellogg, Ross -- great for marketing and team work is very imp. ... Wharton - -emphasizes a lot on innovation...Then there are schools with small class size {300-400/ batch} and then there's H/W {800-900/batch}. Also US and european MBA's differ in many other aspects too. {I am not getting into details of european vs US schools as i am focussing on US b-school only for some reasons.}. Location of a school is another imp. factor..Cornell, Tuck and Ross are at an disadvantage when compared to Columbia, Kellogg, Wharton, Harvard etc. Sloan and Haas are tech centric..Chicago lets you choose all your courses except one right from 1st year.
Why Now?? -- .. Need help !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
1. Why MBA?? -- In my previous post Why MBA? I had mentioned few reasons that motivate me to pursure an MBA. But specifically linking an MBA program to my career goals is a bit tough job. For this reason its an absolute must to be crystal clear about your short term and long term career goals. Once you have done so get in touch with student ambassadors or b-school students {who have similar career aspirations as you do} to understand how an MBA has helped them in realizing their goals. I have found a very interesting pattern in that a lot of people do not stick to the same career goals that they mentioned in their essays. Thats fine also, pursuing an MBA will expose one to various career streams and being flexible is a good option. My why MBA story to get into a b-school can be very different from my Why MBA once i pass out of the school.
An MBA can help you mingle with people from your target industry, can give you a platform to interact with recruiters of your choice {Mckinsey, BCG, Bain don't recruit everywhere..}. You can develop certain traits that your future job might require. Also being an engineer i can never expect to learn economics, accounting or marketing in my job so an MBA can help me in getting a hang of these subjects.
Which b- school?? --No matter which school i try to explore i find the same courses offered in the "CORE" and almost similar sounding "Electives" {Barring few}. Every school boasts of a great faculty and pioneering research. Every school offers almost similar clubs such as conculting, marketing, I-banking etc. and every school talks about developing leaders.
Then there are few differences too -- Harvard and Darden - case centric...Kellogg, Ross -- great for marketing and team work is very imp. ... Wharton - -emphasizes a lot on innovation...Then there are schools with small class size {300-400/ batch} and then there's H/W {800-900/batch}. Also US and european MBA's differ in many other aspects too. {I am not getting into details of european vs US schools as i am focussing on US b-school only for some reasons.}. Location of a school is another imp. factor..Cornell, Tuck and Ross are at an disadvantage when compared to Columbia, Kellogg, Wharton, Harvard etc. Sloan and Haas are tech centric..Chicago lets you choose all your courses except one right from 1st year.
Why Now?? -- .. Need help !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Saturday, March 20
WWW - Weekend Without Wallet
Friday - Mar-19-2010
I went to a mall on Friday and realized that i was not carrying my wallet. Thank goodness i realized my stupidity well before parking my car in the mall's basement parking. It was not a good idea to go back and get my wallet from the flat as it would have taken me a lot of time in doing so. I decided to park my car in a housing society near the mall. I told the security at the gate that i was there to meet a friend and parked my car at the visitor's parking {saved cool 50 bucks}. Post parking my car i walked down to the mall .
Walking down to the mall made me sweat and i really wanted to wash my face. I saw "The Body Shop" showroom right across me, i entered the showroom and pretended as if i was seriously thinking to buy something. I picked up a "face-wash" tester and i used it in mall's wash room. To moisturize my face post this cleaning i again used another tester at "The Body Shop".
I really liked this idea of testing the stuff before you purchase it. Baskin Robbins was my next target. Tasted choco chip, coffee, black currant, nutty buddy and black forest ice creams then made a face as if none of the flavour tasted good. Applied Bvlgari perfume from a tester at the "Shoper's stop". Must say that Bvlgari is good.
Crosswords provided me another opportunity to read a book at no cost and sip free coffe from a nescafe dispenser. Read "Dhirubhai ambani's biography" {nearly 90 pages} from the book Business Maharajas. It was an amazing story and a must read for anybody who is serious about entreprenuership.
I had spent cool 4 hours at the mall and then decided to head back to home.
I went to a mall on Friday and realized that i was not carrying my wallet. Thank goodness i realized my stupidity well before parking my car in the mall's basement parking. It was not a good idea to go back and get my wallet from the flat as it would have taken me a lot of time in doing so. I decided to park my car in a housing society near the mall. I told the security at the gate that i was there to meet a friend and parked my car at the visitor's parking {saved cool 50 bucks}. Post parking my car i walked down to the mall .
Walking down to the mall made me sweat and i really wanted to wash my face. I saw "The Body Shop" showroom right across me, i entered the showroom and pretended as if i was seriously thinking to buy something. I picked up a "face-wash" tester and i used it in mall's wash room. To moisturize my face post this cleaning i again used another tester at "The Body Shop".
I really liked this idea of testing the stuff before you purchase it. Baskin Robbins was my next target. Tasted choco chip, coffee, black currant, nutty buddy and black forest ice creams then made a face as if none of the flavour tasted good. Applied Bvlgari perfume from a tester at the "Shoper's stop". Must say that Bvlgari is good.
Crosswords provided me another opportunity to read a book at no cost and sip free coffe from a nescafe dispenser. Read "Dhirubhai ambani's biography" {nearly 90 pages} from the book Business Maharajas. It was an amazing story and a must read for anybody who is serious about entreprenuership.
I had spent cool 4 hours at the mall and then decided to head back to home.
Thursday, March 18
Introspection -- Essays
The most important stage during MBA application process is of "INTROSPECTION". One has to be crystal clear about the reasons for pursuing an MBA and reasons for choosing a school. 2 years and $150k would mean a lot to lot of people. I have started giving a thought to essays and bumped across the following piece of advise that i found worth sharing with all the fellow applicants:
{Its important that one gives a due thought to each of the following questions.}
1. Are you a leader in a true sense? A lot of aspirants limit leadership around their team leading experience. Even though it is true to some extent, it hovers around a lot of other areas in your candidature. What is it that makes you a leader in life?
2. Did you ever take an initiative and exceeded expectations of the people around you ? What led you to take that initiative? How did you chart your strategy, and involve your peers in realizing the overall goal for the benefit of the organization or body you have been or were related to?
3. All of us face resistances and friction when we implement ideas? How well do you understand this, and what do you do to perform in the wake of resistance from people who are either associated with or affected by your ideas?
4. Have you managed a group of people? Did you make them realize their full potential?
5. All of us follow prototypes in our day to day lives. Have you ever thought outside the boundaries and worked as a designer who thinks creatively?
6. Are you keen on contributing to the lives of others?
You are a sharp and a dedicated individual at work. However, it takes a while in getting people around you used to your ideas and style of working. How well can you communicate with professionals working with you, and make them understand your goals for the organization?
{Its important that one gives a due thought to each of the following questions.}
1. Are you a leader in a true sense? A lot of aspirants limit leadership around their team leading experience. Even though it is true to some extent, it hovers around a lot of other areas in your candidature. What is it that makes you a leader in life?
2. Did you ever take an initiative and exceeded expectations of the people around you ? What led you to take that initiative? How did you chart your strategy, and involve your peers in realizing the overall goal for the benefit of the organization or body you have been or were related to?
3. All of us face resistances and friction when we implement ideas? How well do you understand this, and what do you do to perform in the wake of resistance from people who are either associated with or affected by your ideas?
4. Have you managed a group of people? Did you make them realize their full potential?
5. All of us follow prototypes in our day to day lives. Have you ever thought outside the boundaries and worked as a designer who thinks creatively?
6. Are you keen on contributing to the lives of others?
You are a sharp and a dedicated individual at work. However, it takes a while in getting people around you used to your ideas and style of working. How well can you communicate with professionals working with you, and make them understand your goals for the organization?
Monday, March 15
Ross -- Amazing website
For long, i was trying hard to research some of my prospective schools. But i was finding it really hard to explore the schools. Sitting in India, thousands of miles away from schools, i found myself ill-equipped to research the schools. What a fool i was!! If you have access to internet and a burning desire to explore then you have got everything that you need to find out more about your dream schools.
Let me come back to the school in question - "Ross". Ross has structured its website in an excellent manner. All the information that an aspiring MBA can vouch for is present in a user friendly layout. Even if you have very vague idea about your future career prospects, Ross can help you give a better insight into various career streams. You will have a sound knowledge of curriculum that you will have to take in order to pursue a particular career option. Then you can explore the faculty for each of the subject that you want to opt for.
The detailed employment statistics for past many years speak very highly of Ross. Over 70 student clubs and organizations are there to cater to your interest.
How to structure your career search is another question that Ross' website answers beautifully. The website also gives an amazing insight into the core curriculum and relevance of various elective courses. MAP is highlighted in a big manner on Ross' website. Multidisciplinary Application Program {i hope i have put it down correctly} caught my eye and the experiential learning experience that MAP would provide to any MBA student is awesome.
Also, what all the candidate should highlight in his/her application is also mentioned briefly on the website. Ross is very similar to Kellogg in that it has a very good Marketing and consulting placement. Ross offers a good General Management MBA option and is big time on my radar now.
I don't think that my small haphazard article has done justice to the topic of this post but i would suggest all my fellow bloggers to experience the Ross website themselves -- ITS AMAZING!!!
Let me come back to the school in question - "Ross". Ross has structured its website in an excellent manner. All the information that an aspiring MBA can vouch for is present in a user friendly layout. Even if you have very vague idea about your future career prospects, Ross can help you give a better insight into various career streams. You will have a sound knowledge of curriculum that you will have to take in order to pursue a particular career option. Then you can explore the faculty for each of the subject that you want to opt for.
The detailed employment statistics for past many years speak very highly of Ross. Over 70 student clubs and organizations are there to cater to your interest.
How to structure your career search is another question that Ross' website answers beautifully. The website also gives an amazing insight into the core curriculum and relevance of various elective courses. MAP is highlighted in a big manner on Ross' website. Multidisciplinary Application Program {i hope i have put it down correctly} caught my eye and the experiential learning experience that MAP would provide to any MBA student is awesome.
Also, what all the candidate should highlight in his/her application is also mentioned briefly on the website. Ross is very similar to Kellogg in that it has a very good Marketing and consulting placement. Ross offers a good General Management MBA option and is big time on my radar now.
I don't think that my small haphazard article has done justice to the topic of this post but i would suggest all my fellow bloggers to experience the Ross website themselves -- ITS AMAZING!!!
Monday, March 1
Fellow Illuminati in at ISB and interviewed by Booth!!!
Awesome!!! That's how i will describe the last week....
1. I went to Goa with Miss S and few friends...that was one great trip. Biking..Beaches...water sports..Dolphins...Sun bath..Trance Parties...and *censored censored* ;)
I think life is good when you are with your loved ones and friends...and one enjoy the life to the fullest whenever possible...
2. Fellow Illuminati gets an admit from ISB and gets interviewed by Booth Alum -- one of my dearest friends and co-founder of NGO "Illuminati" got an admit into ISB Hyderabad {his dream school} and got interviewed by a Booth Alum. i hope he cracks into Booth too. {I will share his interview experiences soon with all my fellow bloggers}
3. Got my bonus -- {That was peanuts...nothing to be happy about ..but still i got some money to spend in Goa :) }
4. Happy Holi to all the bloggers may this holi bring brightest colors to your lives....
played holi with my friends and had a jolly good time....
Happy holi once again....
1. I went to Goa with Miss S and few friends...that was one great trip. Biking..Beaches...water sports..Dolphins...Sun bath..Trance Parties...and *censored censored* ;)
I think life is good when you are with your loved ones and friends...and one enjoy the life to the fullest whenever possible...
2. Fellow Illuminati gets an admit from ISB and gets interviewed by Booth Alum -- one of my dearest friends and co-founder of NGO "Illuminati" got an admit into ISB Hyderabad {his dream school} and got interviewed by a Booth Alum. i hope he cracks into Booth too. {I will share his interview experiences soon with all my fellow bloggers}
3. Got my bonus -- {That was peanuts...nothing to be happy about ..but still i got some money to spend in Goa :) }
4. Happy Holi to all the bloggers may this holi bring brightest colors to your lives....
played holi with my friends and had a jolly good time....
Happy holi once again....
Sunday, February 21
SC Notes - 2
In continuation of my previous post:
19. you don’t pay in a job but you pay for a job – OG10-109
20. In English it is idiomatic usage to credit someone with having done something.- OG10-111
21. the correct idiom is better served by x than by y
22. after when is unidiomatic: one word or the other can be used to establish temporal sequence, but not both together. OG10 -124
23. you can't 'demand X to do Y'. – UNIDIOMATIC (subjunctive) {Demand that x do y}
24. it's wrong to say 'preferred X over Y'. the correct idiom is 'prefer X to Y'. take note.
25. the idiom to mistake x for y.
26. Considered as is unidiomatic but Regard as is idiomatic
27. GREATER THAN VS MORE THAN in formal written english, if you are talking about an increase in a single statistic, you use GREATER. if you are counting things, and NOT referring to 'the number' or 'the population' or any other single statistic, you use MORE
the population of filipinos is greater than it was 10 years ago
there are more filipinos than there were 10 years ago
28. the sentence form X is why is unidiomatic (X is the reason why would be idiomatic og10-177
29. 1) idiom : support from vs. support of
support from : is used when you get support from something(someone)
support of : is used to express that you support something
ex) I rallied to the support of my country.
30. because is better than since when explanation of a cause is given.
19. you don’t pay in a job but you pay for a job – OG10-109
20. In English it is idiomatic usage to credit someone with having done something.- OG10-111
21. the correct idiom is better served by x than by y
22. after when is unidiomatic: one word or the other can be used to establish temporal sequence, but not both together. OG10 -124
23. you can't 'demand X to do Y'. – UNIDIOMATIC (subjunctive) {Demand that x do y}
24. it's wrong to say 'preferred X over Y'. the correct idiom is 'prefer X to Y'. take note.
25. the idiom to mistake x for y.
26. Considered as is unidiomatic but Regard as is idiomatic
27. GREATER THAN VS MORE THAN in formal written english, if you are talking about an increase in a single statistic, you use GREATER. if you are counting things, and NOT referring to 'the number' or 'the population' or any other single statistic, you use MORE
the population of filipinos is greater than it was 10 years ago
there are more filipinos than there were 10 years ago
28. the sentence form X is why is unidiomatic (X is the reason why would be idiomatic og10-177
29. 1) idiom : support from vs. support of
support from : is used when you get support from something(someone)
support of : is used to express that you support something
ex) I rallied to the support of my country.
30. because is better than since when explanation of a cause is given.
Saturday, February 20
Idioms/ SC - Notes
Found one document where i had jotted down some of the idioms/notes:
1. the idiom is "believe x to be y." – og 10- q 9
2. the infinitive to be is more appropriate than the limited present-tense is in referring to an event that occurred long ago but has been recently discovered – og 10-q9
3. rates of is incorrect; when rates means "prices charged," it should be followed by for. – OG 10-Q13
4. estimated to be is correct – og 10-q14 –estimated at is unidiomatic
5. the idiomatically correct expression distinguishes between x and y – og 10 –q15
6. the phrases on account of and because of are unidiomatic; because can independently introduce a complete subordinate clause
7. idiomatic expression worried about rather than worried over -- worried about is preferable when describing a condition rather than an action. – OG 10-42
8. none the less ... than in D and no less... as in E are unidiomatic; the correct form of expression, no less ... than, -- OG 10-30
9. the same to X as to Y. – OG 10-54 --- UNIDIOMATIC FORM - the same to X just as [it would] to
10. The phrase have a danger is unidiomatic – OG 10- 63
11. because an adverb such as twice cannot function as an object of the preposition by. – OG 10-72
12. seem is Followed by an infinitive (to indicate), - OG 10-95
13. : x forbids y to do z or x prohibits y from doing z
14. Use "a native of" when you're talking about where a person was born, for example: I am a native of Detroit.
Use "native to" when you're talking about a category, characteristic, or species, for example: Tigers are native to India.
15. Rather than vs Instead of
Rather than shows a judgment. One choice is preferred over the other. It is better somehow.
instead of merely expresses a replacement of one thing for another.
I would rather have ice cream than apple pie because I like ice cream better.
But if there weren't very much ice cream left, and I wanted to save some for tomorrow, I might have apple pie instead of ice cream tonight.
More to follow....
1. the idiom is "believe x to be y." – og 10- q 9
2. the infinitive to be is more appropriate than the limited present-tense is in referring to an event that occurred long ago but has been recently discovered – og 10-q9
3. rates of is incorrect; when rates means "prices charged," it should be followed by for. – OG 10-Q13
4. estimated to be is correct – og 10-q14 –estimated at is unidiomatic
5. the idiomatically correct expression distinguishes between x and y – og 10 –q15
6. the phrases on account of and because of are unidiomatic; because can independently introduce a complete subordinate clause
7. idiomatic expression worried about rather than worried over -- worried about is preferable when describing a condition rather than an action. – OG 10-42
8. none the less ... than in D and no less... as in E are unidiomatic; the correct form of expression, no less ... than, -- OG 10-30
9. the same to X as to Y. – OG 10-54 --- UNIDIOMATIC FORM - the same to X just as [it would] to
10. The phrase have a danger is unidiomatic – OG 10- 63
11. because an adverb such as twice cannot function as an object of the preposition by. – OG 10-72
12. seem is Followed by an infinitive (to indicate), - OG 10-95
13. : x forbids y to do z or x prohibits y from doing z
14. Use "a native of" when you're talking about where a person was born, for example: I am a native of Detroit.
Use "native to" when you're talking about a category, characteristic, or species, for example: Tigers are native to India.
15. Rather than vs Instead of
Rather than shows a judgment. One choice is preferred over the other. It is better somehow.
instead of merely expresses a replacement of one thing for another.
I would rather have ice cream than apple pie because I like ice cream better.
But if there weren't very much ice cream left, and I wanted to save some for tomorrow, I might have apple pie instead of ice cream tonight.
More to follow....
Thursday, February 18
God..Friends and Me
For long i have been contemplating about my relation with few so called "Friends" and with "God". How come i mixed up the topic of friendship and god is a topic of contention.
I have seen my faith in god taking various shades and so has been my relationship with my friends.
As a kid, i was made to believe that god is a supreme power and looks para-normal. God would punish me if i committed a sin and would reward me for my good work. This thought didn't last long and i started believing that irrespective of our actions god loves us. He is magnanimous and forgiving. But once i started facing the real world and faced the real challengesi had to believe that we do get punishment sooner or later.
Slowly and steadily i started thinking of god as one who is similar to me. I still adhere to this thought pattern.
Now, i would slightly change the topic to friendship.A lot of time we we mistake our acquaintance or our peers for our friends. Its not hard to feel frustrated when these people don't live upto your expectations.
Most of you might have guessed that i am trying to vent out my anger for someone. I am not a kind of person who can go out and bash up people. I really cannot do that even if i want to { i have done that in the past but with time i have mellowed down}, so letting out the steam here on my blog.
I really get bogged down when my so called "friends" call me up only to seek some help. It is not that i don't want to help but i feel that this relation can't be friendship. These people would never call me to ask "how am i doing", or they won't hang out with me. I have enough friends to hang out with and it could be that my so called "Friends" might not find me interesting enough but they won't respond when i try to get in touch with them. Now, this is something that i don't like. If i am there for you my friend then you ought to respond when i need you.
So, what do i do..i call it quits. Its good to be a little selfish. As i am done with the post mortem of my failed friendships, i realize that my relation with "God" is going in the very same direction.
I pray to god but i am always asking for one thing or the other. I am a thankless fellow, as soon as i get what i want i hardly give a party to god. I am not responding to his calls.
This sucks!!! and No doubt as i am moving away from my so called "friends", god would have by now...moved away from me...
Many might argue that god is too magnanimous to behave like that. But for me, my god behaves in a similar manner as i do.
Today, when i look back. The life seems good. All the troubles that bogged me once seem trivial. I am glad that i am alive but i am sad that i never thanked god.
God..i love you...i do..i want to give you a hug and say thank for all that you have done for me. I will keep on bothering you with my silly thoughts but from now on i will try and meet you often..i will try to talk to you often...i will try not only to talk but also to listen to you.
I have seen my faith in god taking various shades and so has been my relationship with my friends.
As a kid, i was made to believe that god is a supreme power and looks para-normal. God would punish me if i committed a sin and would reward me for my good work. This thought didn't last long and i started believing that irrespective of our actions god loves us. He is magnanimous and forgiving. But once i started facing the real world and faced the real challengesi had to believe that we do get punishment sooner or later.
Slowly and steadily i started thinking of god as one who is similar to me. I still adhere to this thought pattern.
Now, i would slightly change the topic to friendship.A lot of time we we mistake our acquaintance or our peers for our friends. Its not hard to feel frustrated when these people don't live upto your expectations.
Most of you might have guessed that i am trying to vent out my anger for someone. I am not a kind of person who can go out and bash up people. I really cannot do that even if i want to { i have done that in the past but with time i have mellowed down}, so letting out the steam here on my blog.
I really get bogged down when my so called "friends" call me up only to seek some help. It is not that i don't want to help but i feel that this relation can't be friendship. These people would never call me to ask "how am i doing", or they won't hang out with me. I have enough friends to hang out with and it could be that my so called "Friends" might not find me interesting enough but they won't respond when i try to get in touch with them. Now, this is something that i don't like. If i am there for you my friend then you ought to respond when i need you.
So, what do i do..i call it quits. Its good to be a little selfish. As i am done with the post mortem of my failed friendships, i realize that my relation with "God" is going in the very same direction.
I pray to god but i am always asking for one thing or the other. I am a thankless fellow, as soon as i get what i want i hardly give a party to god. I am not responding to his calls.
This sucks!!! and No doubt as i am moving away from my so called "friends", god would have by now...moved away from me...
Many might argue that god is too magnanimous to behave like that. But for me, my god behaves in a similar manner as i do.
Today, when i look back. The life seems good. All the troubles that bogged me once seem trivial. I am glad that i am alive but i am sad that i never thanked god.
God..i love you...i do..i want to give you a hug and say thank for all that you have done for me. I will keep on bothering you with my silly thoughts but from now on i will try and meet you often..i will try to talk to you often...i will try not only to talk but also to listen to you.
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