With the results coming in and no interview call yet for me, I'm finding solace in reading other blogs. I'm consolidating a list of applicants in various phases of their journey, it diverts me a bit from hyperventilating.
INSEAD and London Business School results are now less than a week away. I hope it turns out to be a happy diwali for me =)
If you're blogging about your journey and would like to honor my blog by allowing me to list it, please leave a comment and I'll be very happy to do so.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Whys and other questions
During my conversation with a friend we were talking about the questions to ask before thinking of MBA, and we spoke about the 5 why's.
It is useful to answer a few questions before plunging into MBA application process. You can be as descriptive or as concise as you would like to be and remember when you look at your words later.
* The first set of questions are five Why's which are very useful in applications, almost every school will have one or more essays based on this.
Why MBA, Why now, Why this school, Why this region, Why me
* The first question always is Why MBA and it transcends to 5 more whys. For Example -
Why MBA - because I want to change my field of work to ___
Why change my field of work to ___ because I am passionate about it
Why are you passionate about it...
...and so the questions go
The answers have to be plausible before proceeding to the next why. Once you have done this move on to the other three and then to the last one which is selling yourself
* Why me is an important question and requires a lot of reflection. This is where you take a look at yourself. There are various tools available to help you figure this, on forums you'll find skill assessment metrics etc, there is swot assessment - strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (which I can talk more about, may be later) and some more.
I did not use any of these directly but I'm a less organized person.
* Make a list of your accomplishments and disasters. This helps work on essays later
* Make a list of five things you definitely want to add to your application and two that you want to highlight. These are usually your strengths and differentiators.
* The two things you select in above are very important, they are what makes you unique in the pool applicants. For Example, you may want to highlight your entrepreneurial abilities and creativity. They both go hand in hand so you may choose your detail orientation over creativity and highlight creativity while sighting example of entrepreneurial skills.
What is more important here is this unique thing about you has to be demonstrated in your life. You should be able to hold it at all times. Which would mean that your recos will have them mentioned in some form, you should be able to carry them with you during interview. This is what defines you as a person.
I'm sure these are not the only questions and people may have their own version. And that is the point, bring in your perspective show your individuality in the process. That is what leadership is all about.
Did I do the above religiously, don't think so but like I mentioned I'm not an organized person. And I don't have the credibility to preach at the moment until I get admitted to a b school. I just like to share my thoughts!
It is useful to answer a few questions before plunging into MBA application process. You can be as descriptive or as concise as you would like to be and remember when you look at your words later.
* The first set of questions are five Why's which are very useful in applications, almost every school will have one or more essays based on this.
Why MBA, Why now, Why this school, Why this region, Why me
* The first question always is Why MBA and it transcends to 5 more whys. For Example -
Why MBA - because I want to change my field of work to ___
Why change my field of work to ___ because I am passionate about it
Why are you passionate about it...
...and so the questions go
The answers have to be plausible before proceeding to the next why. Once you have done this move on to the other three and then to the last one which is selling yourself
* Why me is an important question and requires a lot of reflection. This is where you take a look at yourself. There are various tools available to help you figure this, on forums you'll find skill assessment metrics etc, there is swot assessment - strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (which I can talk more about, may be later) and some more.
I did not use any of these directly but I'm a less organized person.
* Make a list of your accomplishments and disasters. This helps work on essays later
* Make a list of five things you definitely want to add to your application and two that you want to highlight. These are usually your strengths and differentiators.
* The two things you select in above are very important, they are what makes you unique in the pool applicants. For Example, you may want to highlight your entrepreneurial abilities and creativity. They both go hand in hand so you may choose your detail orientation over creativity and highlight creativity while sighting example of entrepreneurial skills.
What is more important here is this unique thing about you has to be demonstrated in your life. You should be able to hold it at all times. Which would mean that your recos will have them mentioned in some form, you should be able to carry them with you during interview. This is what defines you as a person.
I'm sure these are not the only questions and people may have their own version. And that is the point, bring in your perspective show your individuality in the process. That is what leadership is all about.
Did I do the above religiously, don't think so but like I mentioned I'm not an organized person. And I don't have the credibility to preach at the moment until I get admitted to a b school. I just like to share my thoughts!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
ISB Dandiya
I've been away because I've been working on an event n been crazy busy, check it out - http://www.tedxgachibowli.com/
Today I was talking to a friend who is preparing for her gmat and i got it all back. I have some more schools to go and its easy for me at this point to lose focus while I wait for the interview results. I may thne feel devastated or panicked preparing for the interview.
I have to keep at it and look for the next applications.
So the ISB thing... yesterday I went to ISB for garba and dandiya night with an alum he was a frends frend. They have a bar on campus its not the best i've seen but they got a bar on campus!!!
Focusing on my convo with him... we spoke about isb and life and what is good and not so good.
Looks like ISB has quite a few students who're not focussed which means the peer group won't be as mature. And he mentioned its not t best for org dev. He mentioned that ISB is good for strategy. My biggest fear about ISB is the international exposure. They do bring in the best guest faculty but i dont know about the case studies etc. Also very few foreign students, mostly non resident Indians and some exchange students. The life does look good and I think I might apply. I think I would prefer the second league of European schools and Australia over ISB. Will keep posting on how my decisions shape.
The garba and dandiya was a lot of fun... this was my first time with garba and it went quite nicely so am happy wit my sat eve =) The pic is Nitima, my frend n me at ISB.
Today I was talking to a friend who is preparing for her gmat and i got it all back. I have some more schools to go and its easy for me at this point to lose focus while I wait for the interview results. I may thne feel devastated or panicked preparing for the interview.
I have to keep at it and look for the next applications.
So the ISB thing... yesterday I went to ISB for garba and dandiya night with an alum he was a frends frend. They have a bar on campus its not the best i've seen but they got a bar on campus!!!
Focusing on my convo with him... we spoke about isb and life and what is good and not so good.
Looks like ISB has quite a few students who're not focussed which means the peer group won't be as mature. And he mentioned its not t best for org dev. He mentioned that ISB is good for strategy. My biggest fear about ISB is the international exposure. They do bring in the best guest faculty but i dont know about the case studies etc. Also very few foreign students, mostly non resident Indians and some exchange students. The life does look good and I think I might apply. I think I would prefer the second league of European schools and Australia over ISB. Will keep posting on how my decisions shape.
The garba and dandiya was a lot of fun... this was my first time with garba and it went quite nicely so am happy wit my sat eve =) The pic is Nitima, my frend n me at ISB.
Monday, October 4, 2010
What's more difficult
I read about it but thought it was exaggeration but its so true. I've lost gazillion hours of sleep in past month. My rejects from IMD and IIMA left me devastated and not so confident.
Or may be this is how it goes. The first two apps were fine, it was effort but it got over but now its just crazy. INSEAD was sleepless nights and now LBS is sleepless weeks. And I'm still not happy with my essays. I had planned to submit my app on saturday and i'm still editting my essays. In fact last night I changed two essays completely because I thought the old ones were crappy. Now the other problem I have is that one of my essays is way shorter than word limit. There is a lot I want to write but when I later trim it comes too short. ugghhhh I have somehow not met the deadline I wanted to and am closing on the real deadline...
Now I agree that GMAT is probably the easiest part of application process and essays are what kill you even if you know what you want and have all the clarity on earth. word limit will be different n there is no way to copy paste and edit. its all fresh beginnings.
Or may be this is how it goes. The first two apps were fine, it was effort but it got over but now its just crazy. INSEAD was sleepless nights and now LBS is sleepless weeks. And I'm still not happy with my essays. I had planned to submit my app on saturday and i'm still editting my essays. In fact last night I changed two essays completely because I thought the old ones were crappy. Now the other problem I have is that one of my essays is way shorter than word limit. There is a lot I want to write but when I later trim it comes too short. ugghhhh I have somehow not met the deadline I wanted to and am closing on the real deadline...
Now I agree that GMAT is probably the easiest part of application process and essays are what kill you even if you know what you want and have all the clarity on earth. word limit will be different n there is no way to copy paste and edit. its all fresh beginnings.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
London Business School Research and Essays
I found it most comfortable to work on London Business School essays. May be because I had researched it a lot. My research -
I started with reading about the basic mentioned on the site of why London and what they're looking for.
Faculty -
- Looked at faculty in my area of interest... organization behavior
- Looked up what papers or books they have written and get my hands on some of it
- Helped me see their opinion on some of the important subjects
Curriculum -
- Looked at the program structure
- Individual courses by subject area
- Got into details of some that got me curious
- Electives... did they have what I want to learn
- Projects and other work... I found organization audit to be of interest to me
- Learning Methodology... As a trainer I was very interested in finding this
Community
- Student Community... another important part to me
- Clubs
- Activities and fitness centre
- Parties
- Social events
YouTube
- I looked through formal and informal both
- Promotional videos
- Student uploaded videos... found some videos of tattoo, summer ball and santa walk
Student Blogs
- Both official and unofficial
Forums
- MBA forums like beatthegmat, gmatclub and Indian forum pagalguy
- MBA consulting sites : not much here but did read through adcom and alumni interviews
I have put in effort in researching all the schools I've applied to but have spent more time and effort on London. My essays are done a week before the deadline and should be able to get this out hopefully before time.
A little on approach to Essays -
- It is extremely important to know what you want
- I tried visualizing my life in London and after
- I wrote my essays then took a few hours to research London Business School and then looked at them again with a little more understanding of the school
- I also took breaks for few hours to research a different school and then looked at my essays afresh
- The essays look different everytime and then I kept getting surer
- I'm taking today off and not looking at my London's essays to take a break from them
I'm also hitting another app with deadline clashing with London Business School... more on that later
I started with reading about the basic mentioned on the site of why London and what they're looking for.
Faculty -
- Looked at faculty in my area of interest... organization behavior
- Looked up what papers or books they have written and get my hands on some of it
- Helped me see their opinion on some of the important subjects
Curriculum -
- Looked at the program structure
- Individual courses by subject area
- Got into details of some that got me curious
- Electives... did they have what I want to learn
- Projects and other work... I found organization audit to be of interest to me
- Learning Methodology... As a trainer I was very interested in finding this
Community
- Student Community... another important part to me
- Clubs
- Activities and fitness centre
- Parties
- Social events
YouTube
- I looked through formal and informal both
- Promotional videos
- Student uploaded videos... found some videos of tattoo, summer ball and santa walk
Student Blogs
- Both official and unofficial
Forums
- MBA forums like beatthegmat, gmatclub and Indian forum pagalguy
- MBA consulting sites : not much here but did read through adcom and alumni interviews
I have put in effort in researching all the schools I've applied to but have spent more time and effort on London. My essays are done a week before the deadline and should be able to get this out hopefully before time.
A little on approach to Essays -
- It is extremely important to know what you want
- I tried visualizing my life in London and after
- I wrote my essays then took a few hours to research London Business School and then looked at them again with a little more understanding of the school
- I also took breaks for few hours to research a different school and then looked at my essays afresh
- The essays look different everytime and then I kept getting surer
- I'm taking today off and not looking at my London's essays to take a break from them
I'm also hitting another app with deadline clashing with London Business School... more on that later
Sunday, September 26, 2010
INSEAD check
I finally submitted my INSEAD application today and sent out the transcripts. Its kinda last minute, I wanted to submit by Friday but couldn't hold the temptation of reviewing my essays and apps over the weekend. Now its a long long wait to Diwali!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Writing Essays
I'm working non stop on my INSEAD and London Business School essays. I was reading through forums and realized people getting into the details of things like whether to use LBS or London Business School or whether to use Americanism or Englishism. I don't worry too much about these things and I can be wrong. Here's my take - if we're applying for global program they probably would go easy on the usage and should not be egoistic about it. Anyway the London essay app is automatically switched to Englishism spell check so I guess it would fix things.
My focus is more on the content. Yes good communication is required but it won't make up for application with no substance in it.
I feel I'm improving with essays for each application. And now I wonder if it was a good idea to start working on essays months before application process begins so that we have suficient practice. I know consultants encourage writing why mba, why now kind of stuff way before app process begins. That I think is a good idea, because by the time app and interview time comes you'd know what you want and how to express it with conviction.
My focus is more on the content. Yes good communication is required but it won't make up for application with no substance in it.
I feel I'm improving with essays for each application. And now I wonder if it was a good idea to start working on essays months before application process begins so that we have suficient practice. I know consultants encourage writing why mba, why now kind of stuff way before app process begins. That I think is a good idea, because by the time app and interview time comes you'd know what you want and how to express it with conviction.
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