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I got exactly the same score on my practice and real GMATs. The adaptive math questions bothered me a bit. I would get a string of easy ones and then a stumper that would take longer than two minutes to figure out, so I'd just guess in order to finish on time. I found time pressure to be a significant factor in the GMAT, unlike most other standardized tests I've taken. Oh, and I got a lower score than I expected on the essays. I'm almost sure it was because I only included two or three good reasons/examples for each question; I think they were looking for more quantity and less in-depth explanation. I otherwise followed the recommended "formula" that the computer grader supposedly likes (yuck).
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May 11, 2009 10:55
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Dijkstra posted:Does anyone ever get in on the waitlist?
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Jun 10, 2009 18:30
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School has been great so far. The workload is high but manageable (30-50 pages of reading each day, plus 2-3 problem sets/papers per week). The academics are not as intense as I imagine a graduate degree in science or engineering would be. However, the networking/socializing/partying aspect is really important so I count that as part of my "workload". (I'm an introvert so going out to the beer bash til 3am and meeting new people takes some effort... YMMV). I highly recommend knowing Microsoft Excel forwards and backwards before arriving at school. In theory you can learn as you go, but you'll be at a severe disadvantage.
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Oct 4, 2009 00:06
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Military experience can be hugely useful. I am an MBA1 at a top-tier school and there are at least four US military students in the class (including two Marines) plus one foreign military. They all have no non-military work experience, and the plan seems to be to do the MBA, get a job in consulting or strategy at a larger firm, and then leave after a few years to start their own business.
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Jan 18, 2010 23:21
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Responding to Stup: I think you have an excellent shot at a top-tier school. I am lucky enough to be attending one and your background sounds like it fits right in here. Interests outside of your major, visibility/promotion at work, and the China connection all help a lot. If you've done any work in clean/green technology, that might add bonus points. ("green tech" is a big fad here, but few of my classmates have actual backgrounds in the area). Whether or not you should move and pay big $$$ for a top-tier school is indeed a big question. Even if you are not totally sure yet about which direction you want to go after school, it might be useful to consider a few possibilities and imagine how the school you go to will affect your options. For example, the kinds of companies that you'll be exposed to for recruiting will vary a lot depending on the school (multinationals vs regional firms, finance/consulting vs manufacturing, etc). Also you should consider to what extent the brand of your MBA will affect how potential employers will see you.
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Apr 11, 2010 02:35
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The top-tier schools aren't very regional in terms of recruiting. At least as far as traditional MBA employers like consulting firms, banks, private equity, and VC firms, the top companies recruit at all the top schools regardless of which coast they are on. Less well-known schools get more regional, which could be an advantage if you are more interested in finding a job closer to home or getting plugged into a regional business community. (e.g. if you plan to work at an energy company in Texas, you might be better off going to school in Texas since you'll be in closer contact with the industry there than you could be at a brand-name coastal school). "Freakonomics" is basically economics or econometrics; we have a few courses that use econometric techniques (e.g. for evaluating HR practices or investment portfolio allocation), but they are definitely "softball" compared to what you'd learn getting a degree in economics or econometrics. You might find it interesting to look at management consulting cases, most of which have some quantitative elements; for an introduction try the book "Case in Point" by Mark Cosentino.
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Apr 12, 2010 04:03
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My actual score was very very close to my practice score. I just did a lot of practice tests for preparation. Make sure you are timing yourself - speed was an important factor for me on the math part.
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Jun 12, 2010 16:47
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Yes, definitely get some work experience first. Also, I would think about the "story" you are going to tell the admissions committee - what are your interests/passions/dreams, how do they connect with your planned jobs before and after the MBA, and how does the MBA play an essential part in your future. I decided to attend business school rather late (10 years post-undergrad and without much prior planning) - it was difficult to assemble all the pieces from my background into an attractive admissions package. (for instance, I was always doing highly technical jobs, and had I planned things better around the MBA, I would have sought more group leadership opportunities so that I'd have more "management"-type stuff to talk about in my application). The good news is, if you know you want to get an MBA from the start, then you can orient your short-term work plans in a way that will set you up to write a superb application later on.
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Jun 12, 2010 22:11
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Pretty much yeah. Here's my personal take... There is a minimum bar you have to pass in terms of academics/GMAT but it's not too high. Once you're above that bar, the real factor that drives admission decisions is diversity. Not necessarily ethnic diversity (although that may play a part), but diversity in terms of career background and life experience. I think the admissions committee looks at assembling a class like making a meal with lots of ingredients - some consultants and finance people for the meat & potatoes, a healthy side order of international students, some military for seasoning, a dash of nonprofit here, some high-tech for zest over there. So having worked at Goldman Sachs is not a free admissions ticket if the school thinks it already has enough finance people for your class. I think the candidates most likely to be picked are the ones with a broad background that touches a lot of the key diversity areas, like having international experience working at a high-tech non-profit startup in clean energy (that's kind of an extreme example, but most people in my program seem to hit two or three areas). Of course, the committee will always be able to make exceptions for truly outstanding applicants, so don't be discouraged.
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Jun 15, 2010 22:38
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Rrail - sounds like you have a great plan. I have several classmates with 100% military backgrounds, including (I think) at least one intelligence analyst. Note that the essays Agent Escalus is referring to are the application essays, not the GMAT essays. Doing well on the GMAT just makes sure that the admissions committee will read the rest of your application. The application essays (together with supporting work history and letters of recommendation) are what really make or break your chance of admission. Every school has its own set of essay questions, but typically they boil down to asking 1) what did you do in the past and why, 2) what do you plan to do in the future and why, and 3) how will going through our MBA program help you achieve that plan (and how will you contribute to the class while you are here). CaptainEO fucked around with this message at 18:59 on Jun 23, 2010 |
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Jun 23, 2010 05:01
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Among my former-military classmates, I don't think anyone was ranked higher than captain. The two I know best were a Marine general's personal assistant and someone who worked in purchasing and maintenance of nuclear power equipment for the Navy. There is also an intelligence analyst who served in the Middle East.
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Jul 6, 2010 20:27
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What you do there and how well you do it are more important than the Goldman name. Schools like to see you taking a leadership role, mentoring peers, getting recognized and promoted, stuff like that. The employer's brand may be helpful for admission, but only as a secondary factor. It could come in really handy when you're looking for jobs after the MBA though.
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Jul 20, 2010 14:17
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Many companies sponsor MBAs for their employees, although it's more likely to happen in industries where an MBA is a mandatory part of the career path (e.g., management consulting, banking). Typically you are required to return to that company after graduation for a minimum of 2 years. If you leave early or don't return, you'll have to pay your tuition back. You should be looking at full- or part-time standard MBA programs, not "executive" MBA programs. Those are oriented towards mid-career managers and are usually very expensive.
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Aug 1, 2010 06:14
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Tyro posted:I am getting a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of reading, assignments (sorry I mean "deliverables"), case studies, club meetings, employer info sessions, etc.
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Sep 8, 2010 03:23
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Re: the finance book - could you supply the options & derivatives sections as supplements in a course reader?
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Nov 14, 2010 00:49
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I wouldn't be concerned at all. Military experience definitely does count, and I'd be very surprised if a school held it against her that she completed undergrad at the same time (this could even be a "plus" since it shows the ability to balance priorities). For the application and recommendations, I would make sure to highlight how she contributed to important military decisions and any leadership experience (even if it's just of a small group).
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Dec 24, 2010 06:46
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I would wait... Round 3 is extremely selective in top schools- at that point they've only got a few seats to fill, and a pretty good idea of who they need to round out the class (e.g. they might be looking only for someone with clean-tech VC experience in China or something random like that). I would feel much better taking the GMAT, working really hard on your applications, and submitting in Round 1 for the next year. The undergrad record should not be too much of an issue. It will be noticed, so I would make a point of talking about it in the application (in a positive way, e.g. you struggled until you found a career you were passionate about, and exhibited tons of growth since then). Regarding the recommendations - it's best if they are very personal and describe specific anecdotes or experiences that illustrate your qualities (e.g., "this one time our project was falling behind, and Morris stepped up and set new goals for the team that brought everyone together). Those seem to go over better than recommendations that just consist of a list of adjectives ("he's so smart, hardworking," etc etc).
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Jan 14, 2011 06:01
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EMBAs are usually intended for mid-career executives, not people with just a couple years of work experience. Companies do pay for them, but mainly for seasoned managers who are being groomed for promotion to senior positions. This is a different situation than a company-sponsored regular MBA, which typically is undertaken much earlier in the career track and serves a different purpose. There is no point in getting an EMBA after a regular MBA. The EMBA course content is usually a subset of what you learn in a full-time MBA. EMBAs are more expensive because the target audience is less sensitive to price.
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Jan 26, 2011 21:36
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You can hedge your bets - take the GMAT now, send in some applications, and if you don't get into a top school, go work for a few years and apply again. Check carefully with schools of course, but I don't think applying a second time will hurt you if you don't get in right now. (I am proof of this - I got rejected in round 3 at a top school, then accepted round 1 the following year). There is no strict "profile" for successful admissions. In fact, having an unusual background and success early in life will probably help you stand out.
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Jun 21, 2011 08:48
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I think it would help to flesh out your career plans in more detail. "Stable and has room for upward movement" covers a lot of jobs, many of which don't require spending as much as the MBA (accounting? financial planning? pharmacology?). If you come out of business school without a more detailed plan, you'll probably gravitate towards consulting, operations, or general management - areas where hiring can be very competitive (especially consulting). I would first come up with some more detailed career ideas, and only then evaluate whether an MBA makes sense. For instance, if you are interested in general management, look at what kinds of employers are hiring for those jobs in the area you live, and find out whether there are any MBA programs that have networks or recruiting channels for them.
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Jul 6, 2011 10:34
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I think you definitely have a shot. I just graduated from a top program and had several classmates with similar stories, including one who did military intelligence in the Middle East, a few infantry officers, and a Marine who was personal assistant to a general. Some questions to think about for writing your application: - why get an MBA? - why an MBA at this school? - why an MBA at this school now? (the above are important, because there are so many strong applicants at top schools, you need to have a good story for why you need an MBA - not just in general, but from that particular school and in this particular year) Also, think about what you can contribute to your classmates' learning. Your presence in an MBA program is not just to benefit yourself; you also bring a unique perspective that will enrich the learning environment for your classmates.
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Aug 12, 2011 02:38
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Also, if you're already running a successful business, the MBA may be less valuable than you think  .
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Aug 31, 2011 07:57
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Same here, not sure about the adaptiveness, but my real score was identical to what I got on the practice test.
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Nov 18, 2011 00:04
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