Time for plan B..... when reality strikes

The Round 1 results of most Bschools out. For some it signals the end of the search of their dream BSchool. But for others like me the hunt is still on. Things haven't looked up since my last post.  After the Three C's (read Columbia, Cornell and  Chicago) came three d's (read Dinged without interview).The denial notification as always is  diplomatic...."you are a fine candidate... but sorry we will not offer you admission".


Although the Admissions Committee has given careful consideration to your application for admission to Columbia Business School, we are unable to offer you a place in the class. The number of students who apply for admission to the School is many times greater than those we can accept. It is unavoidable that we must disappoint many fine candidates.
It was extremely difficult to make this decision, and we sincerely hope that our inability to accept you will not discourage you from seeking other ways to achieve your goals. If you wish to reapply to a future term, please visit our website at www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/learnmore/applynow/reapply for a reapplication checklist.
Sincerely,
Linda B. Meehan
Assistant Dean, Executive Director for Admissions

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Thank you for applying to Chicago Booth's Full-Time MBA Program. Your application has received the careful consideration of our Admissions Committee. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you admission to the Class of 2011.
The superb quality of this year's applicant pool presented the Admissions Committee with some difficult decisions. Three members of the Committee reviewed your application in its entirety before our decision was made. Applicants are evaluated on several criteria, including academic preparedness, professional achievements, communication skills, extracurricular/community involvement, leadership, self-awareness, understanding the value of the MBA experience, and fit with Chicago Booth.
We certainly appreciate the effort you put into this process, and we wish you every success as you continue to plan for your future.
Sincerely,

Rosemaria Martinelli
Associate Dean, Student Recruitment and Admissions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Admissions Committee of the Johnson School at Cornell University completed a comprehensive review of your application. After careful consideration, we will not offer you admission to the Johnson School. We appreciate the time and effort you dedicated to completing the application. This was a difficult decision for us since many applicants exhibit unique strengths. Competition for the MBA program remains especially rigorous and we must deny admission to many fine candidates each year. Thank you for your interest in the Johnson School. We wish you the very best in your future endeavors.


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Results are awaited for Yale and Stern. I have put the Tuck application on hold. However after these three straight dings (10 if you count the 7 dings in the previous application season),  I have started doubting my chances in these schools. 
Everything is in a state of flux. The 720 gmat score no longer looks competitive. The CA & CFA qualifications doesn't seem to add weight to the applications.  I have second thoughts about spending another $200 - $225 on an application . 


Now it's either applying to a safe schools or finding alternate means to achieve my  career goal. 

That's all for now.

Congrats to all  those who made it to their dreams schools....


For others Happy hunting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What are you made of...

Frequently while writing the essays we get overly obsessed by our work experience and academic performance and forget that we are not the sum of these two alone.. there is something more to us that make us different from all the others having a similar profile or similar experience. This is reflected in the our culture, choices we make, our approach to problems, things that keep us going. Frequently this  is overlooked.

I came across an excellent blog on this aspect of the application...

Will i be proud to call you a fellow alum

This blog talks about essays "merely putting some why's and examples to the Resume"

Something worth sharing....

So what's your style

A friend of mine,after reading my essays, said an interesting point . This friend was born and brought up in India. Six years back he went to US to pursue an MBA degree and is living in US since then.

He told that there are couple of ways to write a paragraph.

• One is Deductive Approach. Here you say a lot initially and then arrive at the end result towards the last part of the paragraph.
  
• Other is the Inductive Approach. It means you state what you want to mention in the first couple of sentences then expand them in the later part of the paragraph.

The writings and presentations in US are generally more inductive rather than deductive. We Indians typically tend to follow the deductive approach in all our writings. Mine is no exception. He told that it would help me if I am more inductive in my essays (though it is the content of the essays that will make the eventual difference).

Something worth noting ....

Lessons from the Great Fall

Score Card fall 2008

1. Kennan Flagler -R-3 (Interviewed & Dinged)
2. NYU Stern -R2- (Dinged without Interview)
3. Wharton -R2- (Interviewed & Dinged)
4. Yale SOM -R2- (Interviewed & Dinged)
5. LBS -R3-(Dinged without Interview)
6. Chicago -R3-(Interviewed & Dinged)
7. Stanford -R3-(Dinged without Interview)
   

"If a mistake is not a stepping stone, it is a mistake"


Now that I have decided to make a fresh start for Fall 2009, it is imperative to know why Fall 2008 "Mission MBA" didn't click. That brings us to feedback from the admissions committee.

Now not all b-schools give feedback to its re-applicants. (even bschools which give feedback, don't offer it to all reapplicants.) I decided that my luck would be in those bschools where I reached till the interview stage (i.e. Wharton, Yale & Chicago). I was not among the "lucky few" who were selected for feedback by Wharton. Chicago doesn't offer feedback "due to the high volume of applications." Yale Admissions committee has asked me to contact them in mid-June. The next best source is the alumni who took your interview. (Though they have not read your entire application, they have had a firsthand interaction with you & can conclude whether they will be proud to call you an alumni.)

I finally got an opportunity to speak with the Chicago interviewer today . The summary of our discussion is as follows.

• Present a more holistic picture . I came across as a quant-heavy kind of guy because of my CA & CFA qualification. I should try to prove that there is more to me than my accads, workex and a good Gmat and toefl score. ( All these are now-a-days more of a basic hygine factors) I should showcase my leadership traits in and beyond work place.
• Apply early. This year was terribly competitive ( the offer -to- acceptance ratio was over 90% compared to previous years 65%). So by round three almost all the seats were taken and even no of waitlisted candidates were less than the previous year
  
• Recommendation Out of the two recommendation give one of your immediate superior and one of a person who is at a senior level in the organization hierarchy. The later would stress on my future potential as a manager, leader etc.(My recommendations were from my my immediate superiors of my current and previous organizations).
  
• Getting interview call from the bschools like Wharton, Yale and Chicago should be take as an positive indication. I am on the right track in terms on my career goals(i.e. Investment Management) and am able to make a convincing case for the same through my Essays.