SgHama's MBA Dream

Steve Jobs and his resignation

2011-08-26T00:43:00.006+08:00

Yesterday, Steve Jobs stepped down as CEO of Apple. This isn't news because it's plastered all over the Internet, wherever I go. What's surprising is all the eulogies being written about him... it's like he's no longer with us anymore.

Now I'm truly saddened that his health has taken a turn for the worse, and I pray that he will recover soon, but the man is not dead. He will be staying on as chairman of the board. Let's be a little bit more optimistic and look forward to more years of Steve's magic.

To close out, I recently watched this commencement speech Jobs made to Stanford's graduating class of 2005. It's a good video with a few nice quotes... favorite ones below. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

Moving on from consulting

2011-08-25T03:51:00.003+08:00

I alluded to this in my previous post, but for the record, I've decided to move on from consulting. I went into consulting thinking it wouldn't be forever, and my last 3 years have confirmed it. Not that it's a bad career - I've learned a ton, and have a lot of respect for the people who choose to stay in the industry... and the economics become very attractive the longer you stay, but it's just not for me. As nice as high level strategy work is, I'd also like to get grounded in the reality of making things happen on the ground. I want to build a product or a business. I want to work in an industry that I'm excited about. Oh, and I want my life back.

I'm back

2011-07-26T05:47:00.003+08:00

Hello world... it's been a while since my last post. Don't think I have anymore readers, but I'd like to still use this as a forum to reflect on the past 5 years. Let's look at the quick highlights:

1) Tried out investment banking in New York - great experience but no thanks

2) Had a baby girl - I'm a dad!! life changes forever

3) Graduated from Tuck with that coveted MBA - ready to conquer the world

4) Moved to California to work for one of the big 3 consulting firms (McKinsey/BCG/Bain) - started out with a ton of energy... have had my share of ups and downs over the last 3 years

5) Spent 6 months in Tokyo on an internal transfer - awesome experience paid for by the company

6) ... looking forward to the next step

Did I make the right decision to take the $150K plunge? Did I truly accelerate my career? What is consulting really like? Do I see myself staying in consulting? Will talk about all this and more soon. If you're read this, leave me a comment so I know I'm not talking to myself. Till next time.

Stanford and GRE

2006-07-07T10:42:00.000+08:00

Apparently Stanford will accept GRE scores in lieu of GMAT scores to help potential students who cannot afford high application costs. To me, the whole idea seems ridiculous. People are still going to take the GMAT because all other schools require it, and unless you are 100% sure you're getting into Stanford (and who is?), you're going to apply to other schools as well. So the GRE becomes irrelevant (unless you want to spend even more money to take another test). Interesting how Stanford did not choose to reduce the one cost which would make a difference - the >$200 application fee!

Useful posts (maybe)

2006-06-21T11:20:00.000+08:00

I know I haven't been blogging recently, and there is a ton of stuff to update regarding the post-admit process - visa, housing, financial aid, and even a car! I will do that later once I have more time. I'm still working and plan to work through the summer to earn some extra moolah for school. Oh and the World Cup has been sucking a lot of time too ;) I envy all you guys that have already quit and are spending the summer traveling or just bumming around!! My turn will come... 2.5 weeks before I officially hand in my resignation letter and then another month before my last day. The management team doesn't know yet... how did you guys bring up the subject?

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I've added a section on the left for posts that I think would be useful for next year's class - GMAT tips, interviews, etc. Going through my old posts, I also found a few things about essays and recommendations, but they weren't in neat little posts that I can just link to, so if you're interested you'll have to wade in through all the muck of my application story =)

Why I like Green more than Red

2006-05-03T14:49:00.000+08:00

As promised, this blog entry addresses the Why Tuck question. It's actually an email response I sent to another T'08 admit who is trying to decide on where to go. My reasoning may not apply to all you guys out there who still have decisions to make but I hope that at least some of it is helpful.

The main areas I considered were career opportunities, brand, location, and fit.

First, in terms of career, I'm one of those guys that isn't really clear about what he wants. I'd like to keep my options open in consulting, finance (buyside in PE/VC, IM), and a general management rotation program. After doing the research I came to the conclusion that both schools are about the same for consulting and that Tuck has a slight edge in general management recruiting in the US. While Chicago is a finance mecca, PC/VC firms don't recruit on campus (except for maybe Harvard/Stanford) so it's going to be tough from either school but I feel that Tuck's proximity to Boston and its alumni network will make it a little easier if I choose to pursue that path. For IM, Chicago is the better school since they bring recruiters to campus, but then again, standing out against the former investment bankers/sell side analysts lining up for IM jobs at Chicago is going to be tough. If I was focused on what I wanted - e.g. IM - then Chicago would be a better choice because I would be able to take all the IM related courses in the first couple semesters in preparation for internship interviews, but because I am pretty undecided, I feel that I wouldn't be able to take advantage of the flexible curriculum. Not to mention having to go up against guys who will load up on relevant courses. While I would be able to select courses that cover a broad range of disciplines at Chicago, I think I would also open up myself to questions from recruiters - e.g. why didn't you focus on finance since you have a such a flexible curriculum, etc. I won't get that at Tuck because everyone has to go through the same courses.

In terms of brand recognition, Chicago trumps Tuck, especially internationally. It's a big risk for me to go with Tuck given that it's relatively unknown in Asia. However, I plan to get a job in the States immediately after graduation, so that made me more comfortable with the branding issue since both schools have good reps in the US. Chicago has a broader alumni network, but I've had mixed reviews about the effectiveness of the network. Tuck alums seem to be unanimously positive about the alumni network.

Finally, Tuck wins hands down for location and fit for me. This is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in such a rural environment. The "fishbowl" environment ensures that I will have deeper relationships with my classmates compared to at a huge city like Chicago, and building lifelong friendships is something I really want to get out of bschool because 5-10 years down the road, that's all that's really left. If you factor in that Hyde Park isn't the most desirable of neighborhoods to live in and that students are scattered over downtown and take classes at both the Gleacher Center downtown and main Hyde Park building, I am pretty sure I will have a better time at Tuck overall. Plus it doesn't hurt that I love snowboarding and that the slopes are practically next door to Tuck, while the midwest is pretty much flat but with the same freeze your ass off weather. =)

To be honest, it took me a really long time to get over the whole brand name/reputation issue. Almost everybody I spoke to recommended that I go to Chicago (and the school does a fantastic job of selling career services and hosting a really slick website), but in the end I think I'll do alright at either school so I might as well go where I feel most comfortable. Another sacrifice we had to make was that my wife will probably not be able to work in Hanover, whereas her chances at Chicago would be much higher. However, we've spoken about it and she is ok about that.

Soooo, here's to drowning myself in green kool aid for the next 2 years. August can't come around soon enough!

Enrolled!

2006-04-24T22:09:00.000+08:00

Thank you for your response. Your decision has been processed and sent to Tuck Admissions—you have now secured a place in the Tuck Class of 2008. Congratulations!
---------------

I finally bit the bullet and paid the $2,000 deposit. I'm officially going to Tuck! I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the estimated student budget for first years ($65k!!!) but I've come this far and I'm not about to back out now. I can't wait till school starts! =)

I'm back

2006-04-15T14:17:00.000+08:00

Sorry all for the long hiatus. I've been swamped with work and have also been agonizing over which school to go to. I will definitely expand more on the reasons in a later post, but for now just wanted to answer the question of which school.

My decision will probably surprise most, but after speaking with current students/alumni/friends, I'm going to trust my instincts and will be heading over to Hanover in the fall. Like the b-week forums thread, it's all TUCK TUCK TUCK!!!

It's official

2006-03-22T22:52:00.000+08:00

In at Chicago!

I think I'm in??

2006-03-22T10:01:00.000+08:00

Came into the office this morning and saw an email from Eddie Pulliam, Associate Director of Admissions at Chicago, asking me to call back later! Checked my status online and it still says invited to interview, but I think I'm in!!! =)

Aftermath

2006-03-19T18:30:00.000+08:00

Thank you all for your condolences... the blogging community here has been a great support group through this whole process. I was definitely in a bit of a shock after getting the Wharton ding (it affected me more than I thought it would and I couldn't sleep that night), but soon realized that I am pretty lucky already compared to some of my fellow bloggers. I'm happy to report that W is now out of my system.

I know it's a little early to be doing this (especially after a ding and you never know what might happen on Wed), but I am having a hard time deciding between Tuck and Chicago. Originally I entered this whole process intending to return to consulting, and if that were the case now, I would definitely be going to Tuck in the fall (I'm already dreaming of my season pass at Killington!). However, I am now interested in exploring buy-side finance as well and I know that Chicago undeniably has an edge in terms of finance recruiting. I am a Tuckie at heart but I don't want to be at a disadvantage career wise. What should I do? Arrrrrghhhh...

And the verdict from Wharton is...

2006-03-16T22:13:00.000+08:00

Ding! Had a lot of nervous energy waiting for this decision - especially since I was at work the whole time. Oh well, it's certainly disappointing but at the same time I'm glad it's made my school choice easier. Now it's down to Chicago...

Oh, and congrats to all the admits!

Mata ne, Nippon

2006-03-08T21:55:00.000+08:00

I said my final goodbye to Japan today, at least for a while... It's been an awesome 2 months or so, and last night wasn't any different - tearing up the Tokyo's city streets and the Shuto highway (loops around Tokyo and a great circuit to do laps in) in my buddy's first gen Honda S2000. OMFG - that car is unbelievable. Fast, tight, and the sweetest engine note ever between 6000-9000rpm. Yes I am not kidding. 9000rpm before the limiter kicks in - the screaming VTEC engine is out of this world. I was living out my Ridge Racer and Gran Turismo fantasies. I think I just found my second love...

tick tock tick tock

2006-03-06T22:37:00.000+08:00

I thought I was immune to this whole admissions anxiety thing but it turns out that I've been in denial the whole time and it's now a rampaging bull in my mind as the Wharton decision date approaches. I seriously have no idea where I would go if I get accepted to all 3 schools, but I just want to have that choice to make!! 10 days and counting.... arrgh it's killing me.......

Last one down

2006-02-28T14:46:00.000+08:00

So I had my Wharton interview yesterday, last of the three, and now there's nothing left to do but wait. I am truly blessed because I think I got a relatively simple interview, unlike my blogger friend Forrest.

I had chosen an alumni interview in Tokyo and it was a little intimidating at first because my interviewer was working in one of the big 3 strat firms, but I prayed about it and left it at that. Sticking with the interview prep strategy that seemed to work with Chicago, I decided to throw all wisdom out the window and wing this one as well. I reread my essays on Sunday, surfed the Wharton website to refresh my memory on details about academics and clubs, and then spent the rest of the day watching the olympics and reading manga. And guess what it worked - I was able to avoid stressing myself out and the words just flowed off my tongue, maybe a little too much (not sure if I was rambling...)

My interviewer turned out to be down to earth, friendly, and not in the least bit arrogant. The questions were the standard ones and nothing out of the ordinary, except one which I'll talk about later:

Career progression, and why I made certain choices
Career goals
Why MBA/Wharton

After I finished answering the above (and responding to specific probing questions), my interviewer completely surprised me by looking at his watch and saying, "Well, we've been talking about 30 minutes, so I think that's enough. Is there anything you want to ask me about Wharton?" I thought to myself - that's it?? Did I ramble too much? I was a little concerned and so asked him if there was anything else he wanted to know. He looked at me, looked at my resume, went hmmm, then......... "well... maybe let's look at your personal activities..." Phew!

What do you do in your free time?
At Wharton, your classmates will all be smart and successful. What differentiates you from the rest?
How are your applications progressing? Have you heard from any of the other schools you've applied to?

I was honest with the last one, and he went "that's interesting..." but didn't elaborate further. I'm not quite sure how to read it, but I think it wasn't negative. Anyway this brings me to the question I wanted to talk about. I can't remember exactly at which point he brought this up, but he told me that most of the poeple at Wharton are very focused on making money (lots of it) and he wanted to know how I felt about earning big bucks. I think he was coming from a "fit" perspective (someone correct me if I'm wrong), and I tried to give a balanced answer - yes money is important because I need to pay off loans but it's not the only thing, etc. Again not sure if it was what he was looking for, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

After that I had some time for questions. The whole interview took about 45-50 minutes and I left with a pretty positive vibe, so I think I should be ok. Of course I may have totally misread everything like so many have before me, and get the ding in two and half weeks, but that's alright. I gave it a good shot and I'll take whatever comes my way.

Chicago interview

2006-02-20T21:17:00.000+08:00

I did my Chicago interview in Singapore over the weekend on Saturday with a GSB alum who graduated back in 2001. In fact, I had met this very same alum before at an infosession and I lucked out when his name came back during my interviewer search. Anyway we had hit it off during the infosession, and I was hoping that it would carry into my interview.

He suggested Starbucks, and told me to keep it casual and not wear a suit. I came in business casual (shirt and slacks but no tie) just to be safe. Anyway he wore a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals so I was definitely formal enough. I'd just flown in from Tokyo that same morning, so we started off chatting about Japan and traveling schedules. Then we got down to business.

Why MBA - I began with my career goals and then went on to why an MBA was necessary. He agreed that it made sense, but drilled down into my career goals, specifically asking me what if I didn't get into firm A, had I considered other areas that I could possibly also work in to achieve my goals, where would I be in five years if things didn't turn out as planned.
Why Chicago - Because I'd mentioned that I planned to return to Asia after my MBA, he asked me why not other schools in Asia such as Insead. After I gave him my spiel, he asked me why I wasn't applying for the International MBA program. This caught me offguard - I honestly didn't know the differences between the international MBA and the regular MBA but I think I was able to BS my way through this one...
What clubs would you join (non-career oriented ones) - I think I got this question because during my Why Chicago answer, I mentioned some consulting-related activities (e.g. Management Labs, Service Corps, etc.). My answer to this one was ok - and I managed to tie some clubs back to the activities I'd listed on my resume.
Give me an example of a challenging project - Because he asked specifically about one of the companies I'd worked for, I chose an example that showed teamwork, leadership, and how I motivated my teammates.
Tell me about a time when you faced an unprecendented obstacle and what did you do to overcome it - I used another example from work that hopefully showcased more leadership and initiative.
What kind of impression does Chicago GSB give you, and what is the one thing that you would change about it - Ha! He tried to throw a curveball with this one I think. Not sure if I answered it satisfactorily, but I mentioned strong academics/research, but maybe too much focus on theory. Then as I was saying all that I remembered the experiential learning that I mentioned in my Why Chicago answer. Arrrghhh... contradictory answers, but oh well, not the end of the world...

We took about half an hour to go through the questions above, then he asked if I had any questions. Since we'd already spoken pretty extensively before, I just asked him about which classes he felt were "must take" classes and what made him choose Chicago over the other schools he was admitted to. We also spent some time chatting about his own long term goals and the VC industry. In total the whole session lasted about an hour.

I was relaxed and the interview was pretty enjoyable. Face-to-face interviews are definitely easier than phone interviews, and the funny thing is I didn't even really prep for this one - just reread my essays and emails from students I'd contacted to find out more about certain Chicago activities. I will probably do the same for my Wharton interview coming up next Monday (in Tokyo this time). Think it's easier to just wing it sometimes =)

Incidentally I received an email from Chicago just hours before my interview beginning with "Congratulations...." I was like... WHA--??? I'm in already even without the interview???!! Turns out they just wanted to verify some personal information. What an anti climax.

Wharton wants to know more...

2006-02-09T09:16:00.000+08:00

Received the interview invite from Wharton today. Unlike other schools that had more informative and congratulatory notifications, Wharton's note was obscure.

Your application status for the MBA & MBA/MA - Lauder Programs program for Fall of 2006 has been updated.

Please log into our website at https://admissions.wharton.upenn.edu/admissions/app to check your status.

After logging in:

The Admissions Committee would like to discuss your application in more detail through an evaluative interview. Please click the Interviews tab to select your option from the available interview choices.

Right now I can't say I'm feeling all that excited about it though - work has been taking over my life. I don't even have the time to enjoy Tokyo anymore and I had to cancel my snowboarding trip this weekend :( On top of that my Chicago interview is next Saturday, and I haven't started prepping! At least I know I still stand a chance with all 3 schools. Will have to login eventually to schedule the Wharton one, but that will definitely be not be for a while since the interview doesn't have to be completed until March 9. I have absolutely no visibility on my schedule after Feb 17. Sigh.

Lets play tag

2006-02-06T20:24:00.000+08:00

Hmmm... been tagged by FooBarMe and Mave so here goes...

Four jobs I've had in my life:

Waiter at a dingy hip hop bar
Military policeman (not Abu Graib)
IT consultant
Strategy consultant

Four movies I can watch over and over:

Pulp Fiction
Major League
The Matrix
Drunken Master

Four places I have lived:

Singapore
Yokohama, Japan
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Manila, Philippines

Four TV shows I love to watch:

The A-Team (anyone remember this??)
The Apprentice
Bleach
Seinfeld

Four places I have been on vacation:

Cairo, Egypt
Milan, Italy
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Beijing, China

Four of my favorite dishes:

Pizza
Dumplings (gyoza, xiao long bao, guo tie, the list goes on)
Lasagne
Tonkotsu ramen

Four websites I visit daily:

Bloglines
Yahoo Mail
Gmail
My Yahoo

Four places I would rather be right now:

At home with my wife
Whistler
Hokkaido
Bora Bora

Four bloggers I am tagging:

Powder heaven

2006-02-01T15:51:00.000+08:00

Since I'm in such a good mood, I thought I'd share what I've been doing over the weekends... and why I completely forgot about my MBA plans until Tuck called.

My first weekend in Japan, I was at Echigo-Yuzawa. The following weekend, we went to Naeba which had amazing powder runs - waist high in one bowl we dropped into. I'm looking forward to checking out Zao when I'm back next week!

Interview with Chicago

2006-01-31T16:26:00.000+08:00

I'm now at the departure gate in Narita airport. Checked my email - and found out that I've got an interview with Chicago :) Did a search for interviewers in Singapore and I managed to find one alumni that I met at an infosession. I'm going to email him and see if he's free to interview me sometime this week. Otherwise I'll have to look for an interviewer in Tokyo.

The great thing about having the Tuck admit is that this interview is pretty much pressure-free. I can approach it without being stressed about getting in. This will hopefully enable me to give a better performance than the Tuck one (which I guess didn't suck as bad as I thought =))

Tuck loves me!!!

2006-01-25T23:26:00.000+08:00

Woooohooooo.... SB - i'm still in Tokyo so will be hitting the shochu pretty soon =)

TUCK???

2006-01-24T22:39:00.000+08:00

I just got a call from Tuck! But I don't know what it's about... could it be THE CALL??

I've been in Tokyo for the past couple of weeks and my wife got a call at home in Singapore 20 minutes ago! She MSN'ed me but I was in the shower! arrrghhh...

I just called the Tuck lady and left a message on the voice mail... Just checked the BW forums and apparently the calls have started going out!

Aw man- when is she going to call me back??

Choke

2006-01-04T22:12:00.000+08:00

I am reeling now from my interview experience. I messed up - simple as that.

The call came on time at 8:45pm and the interview took about 35 minutes (my interviewer had an 8:30am class, 9:30pm my time). Questions asked:

Question about one of my extracurricular activities.
Why do you need an MBA now?
What do you want from an MBA program?
How do you see yourself contributing to Tuck?
Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and what you did to achieve it.

Simple enough right?? It should have been. But I think my nerves got the better of me. The first question kinda threw me offguard, and my answer was so so. I was nervous, and it definitely showed. I completely froze halfway through the Why MBA question. My mind just went blank and I couldn't say anything for a good 20 seconds. What went wrong??? I have no idea - this is the story that I know like the back of my hand. I mean , I've written about it in 3 essays. No excuse for screwing up a career goals question. I sounded ridiculous.

I answered the next question with a "Why Tuck" response. Over here I guess I was ok, but with one glaring mistake - I forgot to mention the close-knit, collaborative community!!! That is what Tuck is all about and I was rambling all about academics, proximity to nature, but nothing about the community. Strike 2.

My answers to the next two questions were alright, I guess. I talked about a couple of clubs and discussed a work experience. I got more comfortable as the interview progressed, but my delivery was far from articulate and smooth. At the end I asked the interviewer about his experiences with his first year project and international field study.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably give myself a 5. In hindsight, I now know why people have mock interviews. What really drives me crazy is that the questions were easy and I had prepared them. My answers just didn't come out right. I just hope that it wasn't bad enough to keep me out. I've heard how a good interview won't bump someone up from a ding to an admit, but that a bad interview can certainly hurt.

Interview... or not

2006-01-04T09:36:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I got into work and saw an email waiting for me. It was from my Tuck student interviewer asking me to schedule an interview by Jan 4. I didn't want to keep sitting on it, so I suggested last night, 9:15pm. Might as well get it over and done with.

I got home early, ate dinner, showered, ran through some practice questions, and waited by the phone. 9pm... 9:10pm... 9:15pm... 9:20pm... 9:45pm... 10pm... ??? I sent another email, and it turns out he hadn't checked his email! Duh.

I've scheduled it for 8:45pm tonight. And the wait begins again. I hate this antsy feeling...

Happy New Year!

2006-01-02T12:31:00.000+08:00

This past weekend has probably been one of the most relaxed weekends I have had for the past few months. For once I was able to just bum around without worrying about essays and the like. Watched 20 episodes of the Bleach anime (yeah I can be such an otaku when I have the time) and it totally kicks ass. I only stopped cuz I ran out of episodes to watch, and will need to bug my friend about downloading more…

Ok, I did try to squeeze in some interview preparation between episodes (I've got this feeling that my Tuck interview is going to hit me sometime next week) but that just consisted of trying to fill out responses to some sample questions. I've been pretty lazy about the whole process and am wondering whether my complacency is going to come bite me in the ass. Guess I've usually been able to articulate my thoughts at interviews, and Tuck does interview 70% of its applicants so I think this interview wouldn't carry as much as weight as it normally would at other schools.

Right now I'm trying to come up with points for the following questions:

What types of people would you pick for your study group?
If you had one year completely off, what would you do?
Example of a great leader and what makes him great
Since your long term career goals is in your home country, why do you want an MBA from a US school?

These are trickier questions and if anyone out there has any thoughts on them, please drop me a line. I think it's a fine line between what I would do if there were no implications and what the interviewer wants to hear. Spending 6 months surfing and another 6 months snowboarding would be a damn good way to spend a year if I didn't have to do anything else, but saying that would tantamount to suicide.

Work starts tomorrow and I'm dreading leaving my comfy lifestyle at home. I'll probably be traveling again soon - looks like I'll be going to Tokyo next week and I'm not sure how long I'll be there for. Tentatively 6 to 8 weeks and coming back home maybe once every 2-3 weeks.

I have mixed feelings about this assignment. While I look forward to going back to Japan - will be able to meet up with friends from high school and college I haven't seen in years - the prospect of seeing my wife only 3 days a month isn't as appealing. Throw in the fact that I'm supposed to be staying in a 13.5 square meter hotel room (the area includes the toilet) and the situation looks bleak. But I cheer myself up by looking forward to leaving town and hitting the slopes on weekends where I don't have to work. I haven't stepped on a board in 8 years and I am ready to start carving huge turns and getting big air... as long as I don't leave impressions of my face in the snow.

All done

2005-12-23T14:31:00.000+08:00

Wharton and Chicago are in!! No more application essays baby... yeah!!!! (I hope)

Wharton R1 d-day

2005-12-22T23:37:00.000+08:00

Wharton released its decisions today. S2S was awash with admits and dings. Funny thing is, reading the posts made me kinda jumpy. Even though I haven't even applied yet! I can just imagine the tension during those last 30 minutes before 9am. I think I will have a nervous breakdown when my turn comes.

A big congratulations to those who got their admits! To those that didn't, don't let it get you down. There are still more schools out there. As always, remember Poweryogi. Rejected from Wharton twice, but starting a new life at Chicago this year. There is hope yet...

Another ridiculous post

2005-12-19T09:25:00.000+08:00

Yet again from Wharton's S2S:

"Hi all,

I heard from a current student in Wharton that AdCom doesn't like the applicant with 750+ GMAT, especially applicant from Asia. Is it true? I understand the AdCom will evaluate the application package as a whole, but whether a 750+ GMAT will be viewed as negative in my package?

BTW, I am a Asian.

Thanks!

Dchaser"

No comment necessary.

Coasting

2005-12-17T17:10:00.000+08:00

For the first time, I'm feeling really comfortable with my application progress. 2 Chicago essays are being reviewed, and once I get them back I just have to make my final updates and that'll be it for essay writing! My Wharton and Chicago application forms are completed, and the only outstanding items are recommendations and of course uploading the Chi essays once they're complete. If all goes well, I should be able to submit everything by next week (my end anyway).

Next up: prepping questions for the Tuck interview.

Oh yeah, and a big congratulations to Marina and Katahdin for their Columbia admits! You guys rock!! Can you please teach me how to get my b-school admit too??

Where you cross the line

2005-12-16T09:16:00.000+08:00

From Wharton's S2S board:

"I was wondering about the order with which the components of an application are handled: Essays or Transcript or Resume; which one comes first? Or, does the Adcom member just spread them on the table and look for the 'sign'? (metaphorically :)

The reason I'm asking this is because I'm not sure how to structure my application, which I wish to be an (implicit) walkthrough of my persona, as far as the Adcom is concerned."

What is wrong with MBA applicants these days?? I can't believe it's gotten to the point where people are even thinking about whether the resume or transcripts get read first. Chill out and quit over analyzing things. As we say in Singapore, this is one super KIASU dude.

And Tuck responds!

2005-12-13T23:28:00.000+08:00

Was checking my mail and i got my interview invite from Tuck!!! It's going to be a phone interview conducted by a second year Tuckie :)

Last essay

2005-12-13T18:12:00.000+08:00

Time for another status update. I've finally figured out how I've used my personal characteristics and resources to improve the lives of others, and have captured it all down. Important point to note for those tackling this question: try to think of experiences that would portray you as a well-rounded individual. In other words, don't always use a work-related story, otherwise you will come across as a career-oriented mindless drone with no life. Doesn't mean you shouldn't use something from work for this one, but all 4 essays should draw from a variety of sources.

Anyway, now I need to find out who I would like to be for one day. Well, if given a choice, I would like to be Ms. Rose Martinelli so I can tell the rest of the adcom what a fantastic applicant SgHama is and that they should admit him immediately. No need for an interview, no questions asked, just do it. Ha! I'm sure almost every other applicant would like to be her too.

Congratulations to all the new tuckies

2005-12-09T00:04:00.001+08:00

Was going through the TUCK TUCK TUCK!!!! thread in BW and it seems like the admits are rolling in. Congrats to all - I envy you guys and I hope to be in the same position by the end of January. An admit now would make my day - I would stop mucking around with the other essays... worry about housing... scholarships... quitting my job...

pinch... pinch... slap! uhhh.. whaa-aat? I blink my bleary eyes and come crashing back to reality and how i've used my personal characteristics and resources to improve the lives of others.

I hate off topic essays

2005-12-06T23:09:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, I tried to start on my Chicago essays. Essays 1 and 2 are relatively straightforward, and I was able to draw on some of the materials from my previous essays for Tuck and Wharton. In fact, I managed to finish first drafts for the first 2 essays in a few days. But then I got to essays 3 and 4. I knew good things don't last.

Dear Chicago Adcom, I have the utmost respect for you, but why do you have to make the application process more difficult than it already is??? I am complaining, yeah, but having to write more essays from scratch really sucks. #%^&@$£$#!!

On a more positive note, my Wharton application is done - application form filled in, ready to submit. The only thing holding me back now is the possibility of getting more ideas from doing Chicago that I can update my Wharton essays with. At least I can focus on one school for the next 3 weeks. The only problem is I can feel myself slacking off. Think I'm losing steam... and I need to figure out a way to get my wind back. Fast.

Tuck Financial Aid Deadline

2005-11-30T14:08:00.000+08:00

Those of you applying to Tuck, don't forget the financial aid application which is due Dec 8. In my excitement of submitting the actual MBA application, I almost overlooked this little detail... I sent it out today (more damage to my credit card - express charges aren't cheap these days) and now I can finally close the chapter on Tuck for a while and focus on the other schools.

Out the door!

2005-11-28T21:24:00.000+08:00

I've submitted my Tuck application! Woo hoo! Was hesitating for a while at the final submit button - should I submit or take one more last look through? ha ha.. but in the end just took the leap of faith. My status is officially "Submitted" now. Wonder when it'll change to "Under review"??

Tuck is done!

2005-11-28T11:16:00.000+08:00

I am one step away from submitting my first application after what seems like forever since I started this process. Compared to when I was rushing for Wharton’s R1 (and didn’t make it), I feel comfortable with this application, and with a couple days to spare too. It’s not perfect, there are definitely weaknesses I can identify straightaway, but it’s as good as it’s going to get, and I hope the adcom likes it.

Now, I need to print out the application form and go through it one last time before clicking submit… and then check it again… and again…

For those obsessed with application statistics

2005-11-17T13:42:00.000+08:00

http://www.admissions411.com/

Another Tuck progress update

2005-11-17T09:39:00.000+08:00

I've been spending the past couple of days working on the application form itself since my essays are with my reviewers now. I'm glad I started early - I never knew they would take this long. I've done my transcripts, filled up the activities section (this in itself took a few hours trying to fit each description into 300 characters, spaces included), and just finished my resume last night (also another tedious task given that I had to rephrase everything WITHOUT any consulting jargon. e.g. words like "benchmarked" had to be thrown out the window and replaced with something more accessible such as "evaluated" or "assessed").

Now all that's left is:
1. Employment information - I'll have to dig through my old salary letters to find out my bonuses, short job description (btw, can someone who's filled out a Tuck application tell me what goes in here? It says no paragraph breaks and has a 650 character limit...). I also had to convert my salary to US dollars and boy does it look paltry after the conversion.

2. Edit essays after I get feedback.

3. Follow up with recommenders to make sure they get submitted on time.

4. Financial aid form - This is one thing I almost forgot to do. Tuck requires original documents so I have to send this by post, and it has to reach them by Dec 9! Good thing I picked up on this - was originally going to work on it after Dec 1, but think I'm gonna have to start earlier. The thing is, it's a PDF file that needs to be printed out - which means I have two options: a) fill it out by hand, or b) try and find a typewriter (who the hell uses one these days??) so it looks more professional. I know it's probably a good idea to use the typewriter, but the problem is I haven't seen one in 10 years!

5. Hit submit before Dec 1.

Tuck progress

2005-11-13T18:10:00.000+08:00

I haven't been posting for quite sometime - simply because work has been taking all of my time. To the extent of me not working on my apps for a couple of weeks.

Fortunately, I managed to get this weekend free, and I locked myself up at home with 90% of my time dedicated to getting my Tuck application ready (the other 10% had to be spent on inconvenient tasks such as laundry and eating). Unlike earlier occasions, I'm happy to report higher productivity this time round and I've completed second drafts for Tuck essays 1 to 3, and have just finished the first draft of essay 4! I plan to get them sent off to my reviewers as soon as possible. Oh and I have to say this - the team spirit and helpfulness of Tuckies is absolutely unmatched. One Tuck alum I got in touch with through Tuck Connections even offered to give me some comments on my essays! (I didn't ask... he offered!)

With Dec 1 only 2.5 weeks away, I need to work on the other parts of the application (resume/work history, EC descriptions, etc.) and I hope to start on some of it later today. I also need to come up with a few specific examples of my strengths that my recommenders can use.

Better get back to work, the clock's ticking.

MIT no more

2005-10-24T10:52:00.000+08:00

A few people have asked me why I decided to drop Sloan so I thought I might as well cover it here. Well, the short story is I don’t think I will have time to make the Nov 2 deadline, seeing that it’s less than 2 weeks away and I haven’t even worked on it yet (although I can probably reuse one Wharton essay). Since Sloan only has 2 rounds, that makes the next one the equivalent of other schools’ R3, which doesn’t spell good odds for me.

The long story: I’ve been working on my Wharton app since the end of August, and I am still midway through the fourth and final essay. I never expected the whole essay writing process to take so long, and it has seriously taken a whole lot out of me. Especially with a punishing work schedule, the wedding, and the apartment. I have been tempted several times already to just put all my eggs in one basket and submit Wharton and only Wharton. Essay writing sucks. Period.

Fortunately the rational part of my brain realizes the suicidal nature of this plan and I have to send out my other applications just in case. Well not quite. I really want to go to Tuck, and I would just as happy if Wharton dinged me but I get admitted to Tuck, so I definitely have to get that out (just over 30 days left…). Chicago also gives me a good vibe with the flexibility in its curriculum. But MIT was pretty much never a good fit to begin with. The two things that attracted me were brand name and location. But I really don't think I would enjoy slogging through the quant intensive curriculum (I already went through 4 years of engineering hell during college so I know). Who wants to pay 120k and be miserable? And given that I’ve discovered how horrible I am at writing essays, I’ve decided to alleviate some of my pain and bid my Sloan hopes farewell.

That’s it. Hopefully I get into one of the remaining three, so I won’t mope and think: if only I’d applied to Sloan…

Wharton postponed

2005-10-14T11:54:00.000+08:00

Not sure about the other Wharton R1 aspirants, but this one couldn't make the deadline. I've postponed my app to R2 because I couldn't get my essays and one recommendation to a satisfactory state in time. I want to submit the best application can vs. rushing it for the sake of making it in R1. This way, whether I get the admit or dinged, I know I'll have done the best I could. I think it would be a lot worse if I get dinged and have this nagging feeling that it could have been because I didn't put forward my best work.

I went out last night to celebrate my relief from the postponed submission, but now I'm having a killer hangover. It's like there're these little dwarves inside my head pounding at my skull with a sledgehammer. Anyway, I am back to work on Monday, so I hope to at least do some more essay editing before then. Tuck is looming up closely now with the Dec 1 deadline (I've dropped Sloan). Good luck to all the other R1 hopefuls for your schools.

late nite break

2005-10-11T03:23:00.000+08:00

It's past 3am, 2 days away from the Wharton deadline. I am STRESSED. I've completed Essays 1 and 2, but Essays 3 and 4 still need work. In fact, I only finished my first draft of Essay 4 a couple hours ago!! One of my recommendations has been drafted, but I haven't been able to contact my other recommender recently so I have no idea what the progress is on that. And I haven't started on the actual application yet. I've heard that filling in all the info about employment, activities, etc. is an ordeal in itself. Now Round 2 is beginning to look more realistic. shit. i have no idea how my fellow blogging applicants are doing - i just moved and I'm stuck on a dialup - but hopefully they're in better shape than me. good luck to you all. now back to essay 3.

Da Big Day

2005-10-02T10:38:00.000+08:00

It's wedding day. Showtime. I'm 4 hours away from making the biggest step in my whole life. I'm not nervous yet... but I think that'll change two hours from now!

Busy

2005-10-01T10:46:00.000+08:00

Haven't been blogging for the past couple weeks because i've been completely swamped with work and haven't had time to work on anything MBA related. I'm moving to my new apartment today, and I am getting married tomorrow!! So that's been taking up the rest of my time. I am a little worried about making the Wharton deadline though, since I've only completed 2 essays and am halfway through the third. Will write more once things slow down...

Chicago forum

2005-09-27T09:09:00.000+08:00

Like Wharton's S2S boards, Chicago now has its own in house message board too...

http://chicagogsb.edu/fulltime/forums/

Looks like Ms Rosemaria Martinelli has brought over more than just essays :)

Gorgeous

2005-09-08T10:05:00.000+08:00

For those of you who haven't seen it yet. The iPod nano is absolutely stunning!! I want one already...

http://www.apple.com/ipodnano

Yesterday was a good day...

2005-09-01T09:34:00.000+08:00

I got my promotion and I finally found my apartment. Woo hoo! Salary letters will be out next week and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll also be signing the tenancy agreement later today. Now hopefully I'll have more time for the wedding (31 days till Oct 2) and Wharton app (42 days till Oct 13). Oh damn, I haven't sorted out the honeymoon yet...

Wharton Essay 1 feedback

2005-08-31T00:28:00.000+08:00

My reviewers came back with their feedback, and the verdict was not pretty. And here I was thinking I had written a literary masterpiece. The common theme I got was the lack of specifics to personalize the essay. i.e. You could have taken my essay and tagged any consultant's name onto it, and it would probably still make sense for the most part. Another area I need to work on is to show, not tell. Again this boils down to giving specific details to support broader statements.

Back to the drawing board, but at least I know version 2 will be much better.

Can you write an essay in under half an hour?

2005-08-25T10:35:00.000+08:00

Last night sitting on the bed in my hotel room, I worked on Essay 2, laboriously trying to describe one of my challenges leading a team of programmers and achieving our target despite incredible odds. And as usual I didn’t get very far with it. My mind was completely unfocused and I was distracted by this movie on TV, not sure what it was called but it involved a lot of bike racing. I’m a sucker for racing/sports movies.

On my way to the office today, I had a sudden flash of inspiration and as soon as I came into the office, I junked last night’s sorry writing. Well not really junked. I saved a backup copy just in case. But I basically booted up my laptop, opened up the essay and wrote my new idea in all of 20 minutes! Unbelievable, and I think this new one is much stronger because I wrote about one of my EC’s instead of another war story about work. Anyway it’s still very raw, but at least I’ve got my thoughts down and it would be easier to rework it now that I’ve got a base to start with.

Ok, I better stop patting myself on my back and get back to work. Got a presentation tomorrow and I haven’t even started on the analysis yet… sigh.

Finally some progress

2005-08-23T16:58:00.000+08:00

I’ve completed my first draft of Wharton’s Essay 1! This is a major milestone. My first MBA essay ever, and definitely more than 15 hours of work taking into account all the time spent in front of the computer thinking, with my fingers poised to type but not moving.

I pretty much did the essay in two discrete portions – first, career progress, and second, career goals and how a Wharton MBA would help me achieve them. Describing my career to date was relatively straightforward, and I struggled only to condense my experiences and avoid rehashing my resume. I think it still needs more work, but at least it’s in a state where I would be comfortable in asking people to offer feedback.

Refining my career goals, on the other hand, was painstakingly difficult and this was where the bulk of my time went. I knew what my short-term goal was, but coming up with a plausible long-term goal that I could tie back to my background, interests, and short term goal given my hazy view of where I want to be in 10 years was a trying experience. I probably burned out a few brain cells in the process. For those of you who haven’t started yet, this is definitely the KEY to the essay and the effort required to articulate your goals should not be underestimated.

Once I had my career goals settled, answering the Why MBA and Why Wharton questions were a breeze. It was simply a matter of identifying what skills and knowledge I lacked, how an MBA could bridge that gap, and including specific details about Wharton that attracted me.

My essay is still rough around the edges, so I’m going to send it out for review and hopefully get some good insights on how I can improve it.

Now on to Essay 2…

Reality check

2005-08-08T22:16:00.000+08:00

I just got off the phone with Sandy Kreisberg and he didn't sound too optimistic about my chances at Wharton. Bummer. The main problems, as I already know, are my GPA and my lack of EC's. So basically unless I can tell a compelling story that hits home with the adcom, I will probably be left behind by guys with better grades and EC's, who also have high GMAT scores and work experience at the more prestigious strategy firms.

A little depressing, but I think I'll stick with my school choices. I always knew Wharton would be a stretch, just didn't like hearing it I guess.

Work and unpredictable travel

2005-08-06T22:17:00.000+08:00

Have been pretty busy lately with work - just got back from Bangkok today, and I still have to go to the office tomorrow. MBA-related work has been put on hold for the past couple of weeks.

I'm planning to give Sandy from Cambridge Essay Service a call on Monday to see what insights he might have to offer. Bought some SkypeOut credits to use, so that should save me much moolah. Not sure what the quality is like, but will give it a try.

Last minute traveling is a pain. 3 days ago, I received an email telling me I needed to go to Jakarta for the next few weeks, and would be leaving tomorrow night. I was completely blindsided by this - I was expecting to be home for the next couple months until the wedding. So this was terrible, terrible timing. I just came back from the Phils last Saturday and flew to Bangkok the next day. Now, after being back for a day, which I have to spend at work anyway, I have to go to Jakarta?? And you tell me 3 days before???

But as usual, the plans have changed. And at the last minute. I'm still going to Jakarta, but on Wednesday night instead of tomorrow but Wednesday night. At least I'll be home Friday night. For now anyway. Who knows what will happen in the next few days.

Tuck deadlines & essays

2005-07-31T14:20:00.000+08:00

They're out, finally! December round deadline is as expected. Phew.

http://www.tuck.edu/admissions/dates/index.html

Early Action:
Deadline - Oct 17, 2005
Decision - Dec 16, 2005
App for Tuck Funds - Oct 24, 2005

December Round:
Deadline - Dec 1, 2005
Decision - Feb 1, 2006
App for Tuck Funds - Dec 8, 2005

January Round:
Deadline - Jan 12, 2006
Decision - Mar 24, 2006
App for Tuck Funds - Jan 19, 2006

April Round:
Deadline - Apr 10, 2006
Decision - May 16, 2006
App for Tuck Funds - Apr 17, 2006

Essay Questions

http://www.tuck.edu/pdf/app_essays.pdf

1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)

2. Tuck defines leadership as “inspiring others to strive and enabling them to accomplish great things.” Describe a time when you exercised such leadership. Discuss the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What characteristics helped you to be effective, and what areas do you feel you need to develop in order to be a better leader?

3. Many highly effective leaders have noted that they learned more about leadership in times of crisis than in times of success. Discuss a significant nonacademic failure that you have experienced. What did you do that contributed to the creation of the problems you faced? How did you handle the situation, and what have you learned from it?

4. What do you most want others to know about you as a person? How do you hope that aspect of who you are will contribute to the Tuck community?

5. (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application. Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.

Filipino farewell

2005-07-31T13:42:00.000+08:00

I came back from the Philippines yesterday for good, and it was surprisingly bittersweet. Before I went I was bitching about the whole idea of being stuck in limbo for a few months, but after actually living and working in Manila, I think I'm going to really miss the place now that I've gone. After my fiancee came up to join me, we really made our little apartment home for the past couple months.

Memorable experiences include:

Tagaytay and its gorgeous landscape
Supermarketing in Landmark and SM
The restaurants, cafes, and bars in Greenbelt
Makati Cinema Square - Makati's own haven for cheap electronics, DVD's...
Working out at the gym - the first time I've worked out consistently following a program
Brooklyn Pizza and Yellow Cab Pizza Company - the best pies in the Phils (imho)
Riding the jeepney and FX
Last but not least, the warm and friendly Filipino people.

Salamat. Paalam na po. We'll miss you.

R1 or R2?

2005-07-20T09:38:00.000+08:00

Clear Admit has brought up a very valid point about deciding on which rounds to apply for this year - consider the decision date in addition to the application deadline.

This was also something that I'd considered last month when trying to finalize my application schedule - I had decided to apply to Wharton, MIT, and Chicago in R1, and to Tuck in its Dec based on application deadlines, decision dates, and deposit payment date. However, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry so why would my case be any different? With the Chicago R1 deadline this year on Oct 26 (right smack in the middle of Oct 13 for Wharton and Nov 2 for MIT) instead of mid November as I'd originally thought, I'm honestly not sure if I am going to be able to pull together 3 applications in the space of 3 weeks.

So now, this is the tentative plan.

Oct 13 - Wharton (R1, decision on Dec 22, 1st choice)
Nov 2 - MIT (R1, decision on Jan 30, 2nd choice)
Dec - Tuck (I don't think this will change because of their Early Action round in Oct)
Jan 4 - Chicago (R2, decision on Mar 22)

Just have to pray that the often quoted advice of not applying to your 1st choice first (because it's usually your worst application) doesn't hold for me.

Another step forward with recommendations

2005-07-15T17:21:00.000+08:00

Got my recommenders lined up finally - the other two managers I was considering getting recommendations from are a-OK with helping me out. :) I've sent all 3 managers the application deadlines so they're aware of the timeline. I also forwarded them a presentation on recommendations prepared by McKinsey which includes pointers and a sample letter to give them an idea of what's required (first time for 2 of them). I'll need to get in touch with them again sometime towards the end of August once I get my application strategy together and I know what I want to highlight.

The beginning of an obsession

2005-07-13T10:27:00.000+08:00

With the release of the essay questions for Wharton and Chicago, I'm starting to find myself thinking about what to write almost every moment I'm not occupied with something else. For the most part my thoughts are completely random and do not drive me closer to getting an essay in shape, but occasionally I'll have these flashes of inspiration and if my palm is lying close by, I try to record those down. Unfortunately most of the time I'm just worrying that I don't have any content, that I won't be able to structure my story coherently by the time the deadlines come about.

I know I still have another 3 months but given that I want to submit more than just one application in October, time flies especially with my incorrigible case of procrastination. It doesn't help knowing that some of my fellow applicants are already in the 4th or 5th drafts of their essays. Hmm. Maybe it's a good thing after all - something to jump start my lazy ass.

I've found reading other people's essays (from friends and MBA application guides) a good source of ideas for content and ways to structure the essays, especially the ubiquitous career progression/why MBA one. But I'll have to watch myself to make sure it's me coming out. I don't want to fall into the trap of taking someone else's work and just replacing the details.

On the personal front, there are a ton of other things happening in my life and I need to work on keeping my MBA fixation in check. I just spoke to my fiancee about postponing our honeymoon because we originally planned it in October, right in the middle of application deadlines. She's been really understanding so far and is ok about just going for a short getaway first, but I hope I won't cross the line. After all she IS more important than the MBA.

Wharton essays

2005-07-09T00:03:00.000+08:00

They're finally out - they seem pretty standard, so hopefully will be able to craft something meaningful with them.

http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/action/apply.php

Essay Questions for the 2006 Application

Instructions The Admissions Committee is interested in getting to know you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage you to be introspective, candid, and succinct. Most importantly, we suggest you be yourself.

First-Time Applicant Essays (this also includes those who applied for Fall 2003 or earlier)

Required: Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals and why now? (1,000 words)
Required: Describe an impact you’ve had on an individual, group or organization. How has this experience been valuable to you or others? (500 words)
Required: Please complete two of the following three questions (500 words each):
- Describe when you were part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What did you learn?
- Describe a situation where your values, ethics, or morals were challenged. How did you handle the situation?
- Describe a personal characteristic or something in your background that will help the Admissions Committee to know you better.
Optional: If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).

London bombings

2005-07-07T20:34:00.000+08:00

Just heard on the news about the bombings in London today. My condolences and sympathies to all affected. I hope that my fellow bloggers living in London and their families are safe and well.

F*cking terrorists.

Chicago essay questions

2005-07-06T12:31:00.000+08:00

http://www.chicagogsb.edu/fulltime/admissions/essay.aspx

Essay 1: To complete, we require that you answer all parts of A, B, and C below. (1500 words maximum total):

Explain the path that has led you to pursue an MBA as the next step in your professional/ personal development. What steps did you take and how did you reach your decision?
What or who influenced your choice of schools? What criteria will you use to decide where you will attend? What is it specifically about Chicago GSB that is going to help you succeed?
Describe your short and long term post-MBA career goals. What steps will you be taking in order to achieve your goals?

Essay 2: Choose one of the following two questions to answer (500 word maximum)

Describe the most challenging team environment in which you have been involved. What role did you play? What impact did you have? What did you learn?
Describe a time when you exhibited leadership skills even though you were not the designated leader. What was the situation? What skills did you utilize?

Essays 3 & 4: Choose two of the following five questions to answer (500 word maximum for each).

How have you used your personal characteristics and resources to improve the lives of others?
Describe a time when you felt a strong sense of purpose in your life. What motivated you? What changes did you make personally and professionally to achieve that purpose?
What would you consider the biggest failure or disappointment in your life? How did you adapt your plans or move past that failure or disappointment?
If you can spend one day as someone else, who would it be? Why? What would your day look like?
To be successful in life, you must be able to distinguish between fleeting trend and genuine innovation. Tell us of a time when you had to make such as a distinction. What, if anything, would you have done differently?

Stanford application deadlines

2005-07-04T14:33:00.000+08:00

From the website:

We have three application deadlines each year. It is important to note that:

Applications must be submitted online.
You may apply only once in any application year.
It is most important that you apply only when you feel your application is as strong as it can be. However, applying in the earlier rounds will allow more time to address some important issues such as financial aid and housing.
All application materials must be received (not postmarked or faxed) in our office by 5:00 p.m. PST on the deadline date.

Calendar for the 2005/2006 Application Year All credentials must be received in our office by 5:00 p.m. PST
	Application received by:	Interviews:	Decision posted:
Round 1	19 October 2005	Early November to Mid January	19 January 2006
Round 2	04 January 2006	Mid January to Late March	30 March 2006
Round 3	15 March 2006	Late March to Mid May	11 May 2

Chicago application deadlines

2005-07-04T14:21:00.000+08:00

From the website:

The Graduate School of Business Full-time MBA program admits new students in the autumn quarter only. We use a system of three application deadlines, with early applicants rolled over for consideration at subsequent deadlines.

2005-06 Full-Time MBA Admissions Deadlines
Application Deadline	Decision
October 26, 2005	January 11, 2006
January 4, 2006	March 22, 2006
March 15, 2006	May 17, 2006

R1 falls right in between Wharton and MIT. Crap... and I thought I would only need to work on this in November. I think the essays might be out already - tried to create an account, but got an error. Will try it again tomorrow...

First draft (not quite)

2005-07-04T10:48:00.000+08:00

Took my first crack at the "Why MBA" essay yesterday, and I wrote all of one paragraph. At least I have something I can come back to. Slowly but surely it will get there. I don't have any outline or organized thoughts yet. I figure I'll just write about my career progression so far and where I think I'm going so I at least have some words down on paper. Then I can go back and edit. It somehow seems easier to get started that way.

Some progress...

2005-06-27T17:33:00.000+08:00

OK, haven't started on the essays yet, but I did contact the manager I worked with the most from my previous firm about recommendations. I really need his help for the recs because I haven't had any significant leadership roles in my current firm, so he would be the best person to give feedback regarding my team leadership and management skills. The good news is he said OK!

Now i just need to find a second recommender. I have two managers in mind, but I'll have to tread more delicately here since I'm up for promotion in September and I don't want my MBA plans to affect that. One of them is leaving the firm at the end of the month, so I'll probably ask him since he won't be affected by my study plans, and will still be able to comment on my work over the past few months. The only problem is, I did a lot of my work independently, without much supervision, so I'm not sure about the quality of feedback I'll get. Not so much whether it'll be positive or not, but more on whether he'll be able to provide good examples to highlight my strengths and weaknesses.

Strategy consulting thread

2005-06-18T14:20:00.000+08:00

Here's an interesting thread to follow in the BW forums if you're interested in consulting. It puts some perspective on the consulting lifestyle and also has some helpful pointers (once you sift through the junk)

Wharton and MIT Application Deadlines

2005-06-17T08:42:00.000+08:00

As schools start to release their application deadlines and decision dates, it's a relief to know that the schools I'm applying are probably going to have reasonably comfortable breaks between their R1 deadlines. At least I probably won't have to rush for 2 submissions in the same week! So far Wharton and MIT have released their Fall 2006 application dates.

Wharton
Round 1:
Deadline - Oct 13, 2005
Decision - Dec 22, 2005

Round 2:
Deadline - Jan 5, 2006
Decision - Mar 16, 2006

Round 3:
Deadline - Mar 2, 2006
Decision - May 18, 2006

MIT
Round 1:
Deadline - Nov 2, 2005
Decision - Jan 30, 2006

Round 2
Deadline - Jan 11, 2006
Decision - Apr 3, 2006

No news yet for Tuck and Chicago, but going by last year's dates, R1 will be around Nov 12 for Chicago (Jan 21 decision) and Dec 1 for Tuck (Feb 15 decision). Tuck also has an early action round with a deadline around Oct 18 and decisions out by Dec 17, but the deposit needs to be in by Jan 7, which is before I'll even hear from the other schools (with the exception of Wharton). So for now, I'll go with the December round.

Looks like I'll be sending out my applications in the following order:

Wharton - October 13
MIT - November 2
Chicago - Early to mid November
Tuck - Early December

Wharton essays should be out by mid July and MIT's in August, so that's hopefully enough time to work on both before submitting the first app. Conventional wisdom says don't work on your 1st choice school first, but it looks like I don't have a choice if I want to target R1. I truly hope first time's the charm!

Alex Brown joins Clear Admit!!!

2005-06-14T23:15:00.000+08:00

Wow. For those of you that don't know, Alex Brown was THE MAN at Wharton's admissions office (Senior Associate Director of Admissions), and had a large part to play in Wharton's innovative approach to admissions including its MBA Admissions Blog and Student 2 Student forum. Alex was a regular contributor to both sites, and his candid posts certainly helped to demystify the whole admissions process and impart some valuable insights.

Have to give my props to Clear Admit for getting such a high profile "superstar" in the MBA admissions game onboard, and I would imagine Alex's presence on the team alone will seal the deal for many Wharton hopefuls!

On the move

2005-06-08T12:45:00.000+08:00

Haven't worked on the apps since my last post, but I just wanted to say...

I am finally going home!!! Woohoo! Although it will just be a short trip, at least I will get to sleep in my bed and see my fiancee and family for a couple days before coming back.

My flight's at 6pm later today, so hopefully I'll be back home by 11. Tomorrow I'll need to drop off my laptop at the office (getting a new one!), rush back, and catch a 1pm flight to Phuket for a firm event. Will be back in Singapore on Saturday 6pm, pickup my laptop, hangout for a few hours, then I'll be off to Manila again at 5pm Sunday.

Welcome to the life of a consultant.

Mind block

2005-05-31T18:59:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, I decided to really do something about my essays and tried to do some serious brainstorming. All the MBA books I've read so far have some form of organizing worksheet/tool to help you get started. e.g. Your MBA Gameplan has an activities grid to fill out, and Montauk's book has a list of questions in the Personal Organizer section. Clear Admit also has a questionnaire that they require all their clients to fill out.

Wait, what happened to the MBA gamplan website??? I wanted to create a link to the site but it's been replaced with some Veritas GMAT test prep page????? C'mon guys.... the original was 100 times better and actually quite useful, with sample essays and comments. Please bring it back!!

Anyway, back to the brainstorming. I'd already given some thought to career goals, why MBA, why now type issues. But how could I package it nicely and flesh it out with examples and insights that would bring out the real me behind my resume? I went straight to what I felt were the more challenging areas to answer in each of the "organizers". First up was the "Personal Questions" section of Montauk's list:

Who are the four or five people who have most influenced you? (who and how?)
What are the four or five things you most admire in others? (in whom and why?)
What are your four or five most memorable experiences, whether great or small?
What was your greatest success, and what did you learn from it?
What was your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?
What fear have you overcome? (how, why?)
What do your friends most like (and dislike) about you?
What are the four or five (or more) key words that would describe you? What on your list demonstrates this?
Do you have a personal motto or something that you frequently quote?

??? I ran right into a mental roadblock. I'd never really considered such questions before and trying to list down the 5 most influential people in my life or what I admire most in others were insanely difficult. I think I finally understand how the whole MBA application process can be a period of intense introspection and a learning experience in itself.

I never made it past the first question and ended up watching the NBA playoffs instead. Will have to come back to this again, but I need to do some deep thinking first. I have the feeling it will be easier once I get the ball rolling. The first step is the key to it all!

Thrilla in Manila

2005-05-24T23:33:00.000+08:00

So it finally happened. I flew to Manila on Sunday night and will be here till June 8. They've put me up at this place called Oakwood Premier and I lucked out with a really sweet studio. This apartment is fully maxed out - dvd player, stereo, fully equipped kitchen, and even a washing machine and dryer in the room!! Plus most people are friendly and helpful.

But as usual good things don't last for long. The cheapo running the engagement asked the project administrator to get me some place less expensive, so this super efficient lady went and found me a cheaper apartment. You have to admire the single-mindedness of these people - cost cutting was the number one priority and that's what she did alright. Well, apparently the Philippines is pretty high risk and even the client was uncomfortable about the new location so they sent their security guy to check the place out - the report will be out soon and then we'll see if I have to move there.

Anyway, I had to see the place for myself so last night I walked over to check out the apartment in question. And as luck would have it, I ran into the bane of all tourists in developing countries: crooked cops.

I was "forced" to jaywalk across one of the roads (the underpass was under renovations so couldn't use it) only to find a fence between the road and sidewalk on the other side! I had no choice but to keep walking on the road itself. And what do you know (I should've seen it coming), a jeep with 5 cops in it pulled up. You can't walk on the road... blah blah blah... you've broken the law... blah blah blah... let me see your ID.

Wait... hold up. There was no way I was going to show my ID to these guys - the circumstances were just too dodgy. I mean, so I was walking on the road instead of the pavement. Big deal - didn't they have better things to do than hassle me on the street??? Remember there were 5 of them! I apologized and told them I would move onto the sidewalk (I was prepared to jump over the fence if I had to), but predictably they wouldn't leave it at that. So I told them my passport was in the apartment and i didn't have any ID on me, so could they please let me go? Of course they wouldn't.

Blah blah blah... You need to pay a fine of 1000 pesos! WTF??? No way Jose I saw that coming a mile away. I told them upfront I wasn't comfortable with the procedure, I wanted to go to the nearest hotel and make a call back to my apartment so that they knew what was happening. No no no, why do you need to call your hotel? Well then let me go back to Oakwood, get my passport and show it to you, and at the same time check with the reception. No no no, we'll have to take you back to the station, to the prison. Blah blah blah...

Finally after a good 15 minutes, I guess they could see that I wasn't going to cave in and one of the cops came over and told me they'd let it go this time. Phew. My first encounter and if I'm going to be here till August, probably not my last. Nice to know corruption is alive and kicking here in good ol' Manila.

[Edit: Looking back I guess I was pretty lucky to have gotten out of it without a scratch. Next time I'll try not to be such a pain in the ass and will probably just pay up - don't want to end up in the wrong part of town at the wrong time.]

Target schools

2005-05-20T14:41:00.000+08:00

I never really explained my school choices, so here's the obligatory post. There were 4 main criteria I used in narrowing down my target list:

1. Financial Aid - Because of my limited finances, the school must have a program to guarantee 100% loans without a US co-signer. This is by far the most important criteria, and automatically ruled out a couple of schools I was really interested in before I ran into this snag.

2. Top recruiting companies - The school should be a target school for the main strategy consulting firms. The big 3, M/B/B, should recruit on campus, or be among the top hirers of graduates. Other consulting firms should also instantly recognize the school and count it among their "in" lists.

3. Brand (and rankings) - Having attended an undergrad institution that is pretty well regarded in the US, but isn't as well known in Asia, I've found that doors do not open as easily here as they would in the US. In general, people here seem to only recognize Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and MIT. Most other schools tend to draw a blank or are considered of a lesser pedigree. Cornell... hmm don't they make pots and pans? Columbia - oh yeah... the sportswear guys? Jokes aside, I believe that only a few schools have the coveted halo-effect that makes employers think twice about throwing your resume into the ding pile. Never underestimate the value of brand recognition, especially in your home country!

4. Environment - I would like to attend a school where I would enjoy being a part of for 2 years. It also needs to be spouse-friendly since I plan to bring my wife-to-be with me and I wouldn't want her to feel bored/neglected/left out while she's there. I believe this will come with a close-knit environment that almost always comes with a small class size and team-oriented culture. Other pluses would be non grade disclosure (takes out cutthroat competition), intellectually stimulating lectures/discussions, and diverse student body.

Evaluation:
Criteria 1 immediately narrowed my list of options down to the following 9 schools: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT Sloan, Kellogg, Tuck, Chicago, Duke, and Michigan. This was unfortunate because I'd previously attended info sessions for Columbia and Berkeley and was really keen on both schools. In addition to having top notch programs, both schools are situated in awesome locations, and tuition costs at Berkeley are significantly lower than for other top 10 MBA programs.

But such is life. Criteria 2 further excluded Duke and Michigan from my list but I knew that I would have a decent chance of getting into any consulting firm graduating from either one of the remaining 7. So that left me with Criteria 3 and 4. This turned out to be less straightforward and I had to do some homework on each of the remaining schools.

Harvard
Pros: Unparalleled brand recognition - Everybody knows Harvard, even in the Gobi Desert. Breeding ground for managment consultants and the case method preps you really well for a career in consulting. Non-grade disclosure policy. Boston. High powered alums.
Cons: Almost 0% chance of acceptance. Younger class. Huge class of 900. All classes taught using case method - while I think it's a great learning model, I still feel that lectures work best for certain classes.

Stanford
Pros: Phenomenal brand. San Francisco & Silicon Valley. Great entrepreneurship track (even though slightly off the official career goals, still have some dreams from the dot com days). Relatively small class with ~370 students. Close knit community. Non-grade disclosure policy. High powered alums.
Cons: Younger class. From what I know, you need to have an amazing life story coupled with fabulous EC's to get in. Nearly impossible for me. 4,696 apps for 371 places doesn't help either.

Wharton
Pros: Another super brand rounding off the top 3. Not as "known" in Asia compared to H and S, but is definitely top notch in the eyes of those who need to know. Great overall program, especially in finance. Plethora of activities, classes, and concentrations. Non-grade disclosure policy. Good international mix. High powered alums.
Cons: At 825 students class size is huge, although students are grouped into cohorts of about 60-70 during the first year. Highly selective (21% for the class of '06), although it somehow seems more reachable than H or S (but not by much). Philadelphia.

MIT
Pros: Superb brand recognition in Asia - not necessarily in business, but the community's fabled brainpower just commands huge respect. Wide net of alums (again leveraging off the greater MIT network, not just Sloan's). Relatively small class with 375 students. Diverse international community. Boston.
Cons: Focus on quant - even though I majored in engineering I'm not a great numbers guy. Certainly nowhere close to all the Indian and Chinese math wizards. High proportion of engineers, low proportion of marketing and general management people.

Kellogg
Pros: Renowned marketing program. Chicago. One of the main target schools for management consulting firms.
Cons: Medium sized class of ~500 students. Kellogg name not as established in Asia.

Chicago
Pros: Finance powerhouse with largest number of Nobel laureates on faculty. Most flexible curriculum with only one required class (LEAD). Chicago. Strong brand recognition in Singapore due to local campus (executive MBA). Non-grade disclosure policy.
Cons: Medium sized class of ~525 students. High proportion of finance and quant jocks.

Tuck
Pros: General management program with solid core foundation. Close knit community. Incredible alumni network. Hanover - a chance (probably one and only) to experience the small town lifestyle. Small class size of only 240 students also ensures access to recruiters on campus.
Cons: Tuck brand relatively unknown in Asia. Hanover - it's at least a couple hours away from the nearest big city.

The Verdict:
I originally went with Stanford and Tuck (small class sizes, great programs, I knew I couldn't go wrong). Then self-doubt crept in - only 2 schools and both highly selective to boot? What if I don't make it? So I added Wharton and Chicago, not that they are any easier to get into, but including them made the numbers game slightly better. And that was where things stood when I started this blog.

(Side note: Harvard was never really in the picture because it somehow seemed beyond reach, Sloan was too quant focused for me, and Kellogg, well, it was a toss up between Kellogg and Chicago and Chicago won because of its location and better brand recognition in Singapore. I also think that subconsciously I discriminated against schools with websites I didn't like, and the Kellogg website just didn't appeal to me.)

The more I researched about Stanford though, the less confident I became about being able to put together a compelling application versus the rest of the applicant pool. And I didn't like the odds - so I acknowledged my limitations and moved on. I've decided to drop Stanford (even though it was essentially my dream school), and focus on a more realistic target like MIT Sloan. I figure my profile has a better fit with Sloan and hopefully I will stand out from the hordes of applicants coming from engineering and IT. Maybe if I have time I'll send an application to Stanford anyway, but only if.

So the final 4 (for now) are:

Wharton
Chicago
Tuck
Sloan

You will probably notice that I don't have any safety schools, and so there's a high probability that come next fall I will still be in Singapore, not going anywhere. To me, taking on the huge debt is only worth the risk if I can attend a school that will help me reach my career goals. It's either top 10 or nothing.

I know that if I do get admitted to all my target schools, I will probably go to Wharton. My heart leans towards Tuck (I know it's the one place where I will truly enjoy my two years), but my head tells me to go to the highest ranked school possible. But that again is a moot point if I don't get into any school. So enough daydreaming and back to the applications...

Blogs and forums

2005-05-14T21:27:00.000+08:00

My eyes are blurry and seeing stars. Just went through 5 hours of binge MBA blog reading. My trip to the Phils has been postponed by a week so just hanging out at home trying to take in the whole application process again by the guys that just went through it.

Notable reads (today):

Tagad_Tale - I pretty much went through the whole blog to find out what Tuck is like. Reaffirms the whole close-knit community with awesome bust-a-nut-to-help-you alumnis. Nice!

Chanakya - Another source for Tuck information. Well not that much, but he's going to Tuck this fall. cynical and funny. I like his style. too bad he hasn't been active recently.

Iceman07 - Going to Wharton this fall. Although I didn't get to really go through the blog (reached here late and i can't look at the computer screen for much longer), got a feeling there's good stuff here about the wharton application process. Will have to come back again and spend some time reading.

I used to spend a lot of time in the BW/S2S forums, but I'm finding them pretty low in quality content compared to blogs where you can find much more candid information and get immersed in someone's story. There's a limit to how many posts you can read by people thinking that the all-knowing forum community can accurately assess their chances of getting into H/S/W after putting up some GMAT/GPA stats and some other job related numbers. So you got a 770 GMAT and 3.8 GPA with 4 years in P/E. Do you really need someone to tell you, "Based on your stats, I think you got a good shot at H/W/S... blah blah blah"??? You know your numbers are within/above the range of your target schools. Get on the clue train already and start working on your essays!! Sheeeeeet.

Ok, I can't ignore the forums completely, but I think I'll spend less time on them from now onwards. I also discovered Bloglines which lets you get feeds from the blogs you're interested in following. Saves me the hassle of having to go to each and every blog individually. I know, i'm a little behind on the tools available. 2 months ago I didn't even know what a blog was.

Alright i'm seeing double now. later.

Good luck to the waitlisters

2005-05-12T18:09:00.000+08:00

Browsing through the BW forums these days, I find an abundance of posts from people on the waitlists for their preferred schools. Poor guys, I can imagine the conflicting feelings they're probably experiencing now (having gone through the same many years back when I was doing my college apps). Disappointed yet hopeful, not knowing yet what the next few days or weeks might bring. The whole waiting period all over again, extended for who knows how long. And some with admits to make decisions on soon.

Yet at the same time it must be comforting to have forums and a community to share their anxiety and hopes with as they wait out the next few weeks. At least they know they're not alone, at least they can speculate on their chances with fellow WL'ers, or find whatever nuggets of new information they can online.

Don't give up hope guys, there's a ton of tips out there to boost your chances on the WL. And no matter what, keep praying. Hope you make it.

bad news

2005-05-10T16:02:00.000+08:00

it's been 95% confirmed. i'm going to manila on sunday. flyback only every 2 weeks, if at all. and only on sat, and then back on the plane sunday afternoon. everything is so damn uncertain now.

Transit

2005-05-04T11:59:00.000+08:00

Here I am at one of the Internet workstations in Changi Airport waiting for my flight to Bangkok, Thailand. My first vacation in over a year! Will be back from the Land of Smiles in 4 days - I think it's going to be mostly a shopping trip.

Borrowed the MBA Gameplan book to read during the flight. More to come later...

Deported to limbo

2005-04-27T11:17:00.000+08:00

I just found out from my project manager that I might be shipped off to the Philippines mid-May for a few months till end August at the earliest!! Why me??? This is really going to suck big time because of all the things I will probably need to settle in Singapore. I just made an offer for an apartment and if the deal goes through I'll need to be around to settle the paperwork, renovations, etc. Plus the wedding prep has to go on.

So far it looks like flybacks every 2 weeks, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed they'll let me come back more frequently. The only positive I can think of at the moment is time to concentrate on my apps since I won't be able to do much else besides work.

Am working on trying to get myself staffed on another project in Malaysia that will give me weekly flybacks. Plus the work will be 10 times more interesting. Hope my connection pulls through...

Post-MBA starting salaries in Singapore

2005-04-26T17:42:00.000+08:00

Another thread in the BW forums about starting pay in Singapore for MBA's. Should be of interest to those of you interesting in working in Singapore after graduation.

A McKinsey associate starts at S$12,000 per month! Factor in the low tax rate of around 10% and you end up with a pretty decent check every month. Sounds good to me... it makes the US$120k loan slightly more palatable.

I've also heard AT Kearney associates make US$8-9k in Asia (e.g. China) and slightly less in Singapore.

ROI

2005-04-25T09:28:00.000+08:00

There is an interesting thread in the BW forums that discusses the ROI of a b-school education given the rising costs of tuition (7-9% a year on average!) and the relatively flat salaries of MBA grads over the past few years at ~85k base. Makes you second guess again the wisdom of shelling out 120k and living in debt for the next 10 years with only modest improvments to your pre-MBA lifestyle. Ahh... but the MBA siren's call beckons... and it's hard to ignore...

What a great year it's going to be

2005-04-21T12:55:00.000+08:00

Haven't done much for MBA apps the past few days.

Signed up for the Tuck Connections program where Tuck matches applicants with students based on their profile, and I've already gotten a response from my student counterpart! The matching process is pretty efficient and it's a great initiative to offer potential applicants the chance to find out more about Tuck - they paired me up with a 2nd year student, also from Singapore and also previously working in consulting. He's been very helpful and enthusiastic about the Tuck MBA program and I think it really shows the close-knit community that Tuck has. Now I remember why it was my first choice a year ago... Go Tuck!

I also plan to call Sandy from Cambridge Essay Service to have a chat about my apps. Will give the details on that later...

Other than that I've been busy trying to find a flat to purchase! Wait, why am I trying to buy an apartment when i'm planning to take out a USD 120K student loan in a years time?? Well... I'm getting married in Oct and my fiancee and I don't want to live with our parents. The truth is there is a very high probability that I will not get into any of the programs i'm applying for, and renting an apartment doesn't seem very attractive. So we want to find a flat that 1) we like and will be comfortable living in and 2) will be easy to rent out should we end up in the US next year.

Add wedding preparations to the mix and you'll get an idea of how stressful the year is going to be! Oh, and did I mention that I'm targeting for a promotion this September??

So this is potentially going to be the one of the busiest and most memorable years in my life! Maybe this is something I can write about in my essays?? I can envision it already - Describe one of your greatest challenges...

Pondering admissions consultants and essay editors

2005-04-18T10:23:00.000+08:00

With all these thoughts about how to put together a competitive application, I went browsing through the services offered by MBA admissions consultants/essay editors. And surpise surprise... these guys cost more than an arm and a leg!!

Although with all the success stories I've read, I wonder if it's actually worth it. Case in point - AV, a very satisfied Clear Admit client: "I applied to 4 top 10 business schools. For three schools (Stanford, Wharton & Columbia) I completed the applications on my own and for one (HBS), I took the assistance of Clear Admit. I was admitted to only HBS! ..."

Of course I take all of this with a pinch of salt (after all, anybody can write a "testimonial" about themselves!), but it still makes me go hmmmm... But at the end of the day, I guess it all boils down to whether I'm willing to fork over $2000 to make my application more competitive with the right angles, but still not guaranteed to earn me a place in my target school. At this point, I'm not ready to part with money just yet but I think these guys can really make a difference so I'll keep this option open...

Clear Admit does offer free feedback on resumes though, so I sent in my resume to see what they had to say. They came back with some interesting observations which more or less confirmed what I had anticipated about my application's weaknesses and strengths. But the key is having someone experienced with the admissions process pointing out those weaknesses to you. It then makes people like me, who might otherwise brush off those weaknesses, take a second look and seriously think of how to improve on them because if they see weaknesses in my profile, those admissions guys are surely are going to see the same problems! I would definitely recommend that applicants make use of this service and get some free feedback!!

Other websites I went to:
Cambridge Essay Service
EssayEdge.com
Accepted.com

If anyone out there has any first hand experience working with these guys, please leave me a note!

Time out - headphones?

2005-04-14T17:51:00.000+08:00

I made an impulse buy today and picked up a pair of Sennheiser PX100 headphones. I still have my trusty Koss PortaPros and both of them sound AMAZING. If you're still using the cheapo earbuds that came with your iPod or cd player, get one of these two babies and you'll never want to listen to your favorite tunes with anything else! Alright that's the end of my marketing spiel. Guess the Portas are a little more bassy and warmer, but they are both good in their own ways. The Senns might be a little bit clearer, but that's probably me trying to pick out every nuance just to find some difference. No regrets so far!

Marketing yourself

2005-04-14T09:24:00.000+08:00

I borrowed Richard Montauk's How To Get Into the Top Ten MBA Programs and Brandon Royal's 88 Great MBA Application Tips and Strategies to Get You Into a Top Business School from the library about a week ago. Browsing through both books, I realize what an uphill task this whole application process is going to be - how can I differentiate myself from the thousands of consultants applying this year??

International experience? Breadth of experience having done both tech and strategy? Haha that's what most people will say anyway. Will need to really think through this...

Another thing that worries me is my lack of extracurricular activities... sure I have some of the "recreation club", "golf club" type of activities, but nothing significant and substantial. I did read that there's less of an emphasis on EC's for international applicants, but guess I'll have to work on this area as well.

One thing that really struck me was how eloquent all the sample essays are. There're actually MBA applicants out there using themes, motifs and other "advanced writing techniques" in their essays!! Where do these guys come from?? Man, it's gonna be tough...

More reminiscing about the GMAT...

2005-04-13T17:12:00.000+08:00

Oddly enough, I didn't take the GMAT for the purpose of applying to b-school. This probably needs more explaining - I have a tech background (engineering major) and when I finished my national service, I jumped straight into IT consulting because I thought my background fit the bill. Only after I'd worked for about a year and half or so, did I then discover that there were all these other non-tech related career paths available to fresh grads, no matter what you majored in!

I then decided that management consulting was what I wanted to do. The problem was, my GPA didn't quite make the cut for the top firms. So I decided to take the GMAT in the hope that a good score would compensate for it. Well, that strategy didn't work out and I was dinged from pretty much all the firms I applied to without even an interview. So much for that.

Anyway, to cut a long story short I ended up in what's probably considered a Tier 2 strategy firm (i.e. not McKinsey, BCG, Bain) and I'm enjoying the change in job scope. But at the same time, that's also reaffirmed my interest in taking it to the next level. Hence B-School... it's a good thing the GMAT is done and I can hopefully focus on getting my essays up. Funny how it works out sometimes...

GMAT thoughts...

2005-04-13T16:05:00.000+08:00

I took my GMAT way way back in Dec 03. I actually ran out of time in the quant section and didn't complete it, but I somehow managed a decent score. Glad that's over!

Anyway, for those of you that haven't taken it yet - I strongly recommend buying the green book from GMAC that has real GMAT questions from previous tests and start working on the practice questions! The test is definitely something you can study for and it's a lot easier once you're familiar with the style of questions. Oh, and don't forget to download the powerprep software and take the practice GMAT tests - do one before your actually begin studying (to get a sense of where you are and what you need to work on), and one after you're done studying.

In a nutshell:

1. Register for the GMAT!! Don't fall into the trap of thinking I'll take the GMAT when I'm done with my preparations... that will never happen unless you happen to be extremely disciplined and motivated Booking a date gives you a deadline and a tangible target to work towards.

2. Download the powerprep software and do one practice test. Don't worry about the essay sections for now, just go straight to the multiple choice sections. This will give you your baseline score and identifies your problem areas. Don't do the other test yet, you'll need it later!!

3. Get the GMAT books from the Princeton Review and GMAC. Read the tips and tricks from the Princeton Review, but skip the practice questions since they're not real GMAT questions anyway - that's what the other book's for!

4. Start working on practice questions from the green GMAC book. Focus on your problem areas and work backwards because the harder questions are in the back. Point to note: Don't even try to do all the questions as you'll never finish them - there're thousands. You'll know when you've reached the point where doing more questions won't add any value to your prep.

5. There's also a trick to the essays - there is a structure that the scorers will look out for, and if you cover the points you shouldn't have any problems with that. I can't remember the name, but there's this book that has covers the key points and has ~120 essay samples! Read through the pointers and practise writing a couple of essays so you get familiar with the time limit and can pace yourself.

6. You're ready to see how much all that studying paid off! Take the second GMAT score and hopefully it's significantly higher than your first score! (I think most people should be able to add 80-100 points unless you had an unbelievably high score to begin with)

7. Don't stress about the GMAT the day before the test, just relax and do something fun. On the day itself, maybe go through the tips, but don't bother studying - it's not going to help, and you'll only stress yourself out. Good luck!!

Getting started

2005-04-13T14:13:00.000+08:00

Well here i am finally starting up my own blog after lurking around reading other people's for the past few weeks (PowerYogi - dude, you moved me man... glad you found your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow). It's been tremendously insightful and I hope to be able to share the ups and downs of my journey towards getting a place in a top 10 MBA program for fall 2006.

A little bit of background info about myself - I'm 27, from Singapore, and I'm currently working in consulting. Grew up in Japan and the US, and came back home after graduating college.