Wharton Interviews for the Class of 2015

For my most recent post on Wharton interviews, please see Preparing for Wharton Interviews for the Class of 2015.


I should consolidate this post, this other post, and the actual group interview questions, but will do so after Round 1.

Wharton has radically altered their MBA admissions interviews for fall 2013 entry.  This post was last updated on August 12, 2012 and will be updated as new information becomes available. Fortunately Wharton has already provided a fairly clear idea about what they will be doing. My post on essays for admission to the Wharton MBA Class of 2015 can be found here. Specific details about Wharton's new interviews were first discussed in detail on Ankur Kumar's Directors blog post of August 6th.  You can find my comments interspersed in UPPERCASE below:

"I also know you are eager to learn as much as you can about what to expect. Below are some key details regarding the team-based discussion. We will continue to share further details on logistics over the coming weeks. GREAT. I HOPE THEY PROVIDE SAMPLES! 

• The team-based discussion, like our behavioral-style interview, will be by invitation only.  Participation is required to complete the admissions process. NO ONLINE ONE-TO-ONE SUBSTITUTES ARE TO BE OFFERED. THIS WILL BE LOGISTICALLY CHALLENGING FOR SOME APPLICANTS.  IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW LOGISTICALLY CHALLENGING ARRANGING ALL THESE INTERVIEWS IS FOR WHARTON.
• Each team-based discussion will be comprised of 5-6 applicants. Teams will be organically created; there is no ‘crafting’ done on our end. YOU WILL BE ON A RANDOM TEAM OF 5-6 STRANGERS. YOU MIGHT ALL HAVE SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS OR NOT.  PERHAPS YOU WILL BE WITH PEOPLE YOU KNOW IF YOU INTERVIEW IN YOUR HOME CITY AND NOT ON CAMPUS.  CLEARLY THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE CONTROLLING FOR FRIENDS BEING ON THE SAME TEAM. THIS COULD HAPPEN SO EASILY, IT IS NOT EVEN FUNNY. 
• The discussion will have a prompt and a purpose; you will work towards a tangible outcome with your group. YOU WILL HAVE SOME KIND OF SPECIFIC ISSUE TO DISCUSS WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THE GROUP WORKS TOGETHER.  DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE (CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT IF YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE) WHO TRIES TO DOMINATE THE GROUP BECAUSE YOU WILL GET DINGED. ALSO DON'T BE SHY BECAUSE IF YOU ARE, YOU WILL GET DINGED. EVEN IF YOU ARE A NON-NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER WHO IS FORCED TO INTERVIEW ON CAMPUS AND NOT IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY, YOU HAD BETTER GET USED TO THE IDEA OF SPEAKING UP IN A GROUP. PEOPLE WITH STRONG SOCIAL SKILLS WILL BE AT A HUGE ADVANTAGE HERE.
• In addition to the team-based discussion, candidates will still have an opportunity for a short individual conversation with an admissions team member. GREAT. NO TIME MENTIONED, BUT I BET, BASED ON WHAT THEY WERE DOING PREVIOUSLY, THAT THIS IS LIKE 10-20 MINUTES.  IT COULD BE VERY STANDARD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS OR MAYBE BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS PLUS STANDARD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. YOU MUST PREPARE FOR THIS PART TOO! ACTUALLY THIS MIGHT BE THE ONLY PART THAT THOSE APPLYING IN R1 CAN PREPARE FOR. 
• The majority of team-based discussions will be held on-campus and conducted by our Admissions Fellows, a select group of second-year students. When you come to campus we encourage you to attend classes, have lunch with students, tour campus and attend an information session about the program. More information about the visit program is available on our website. YOU WILL MOST LIKELY BE EVALUATED BY SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS IF YOU INTERVIEW ON-CAMPUS. IF YOU INTERVIEW OFF-CAMPUS, ADMISSIONS OFFICERS WILL BE IN CHARGE FOR SURE.
• During each evaluation round we will continue to meet students in select cities around the world.  There will be limited slots, so please plan accordingly.  We will do our best to accommodate candidates where possible. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT EVEN IF WHARTON COMES TO YOUR CITY, THE SLOTS WILL GET ALL FILLED UP AND YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO TRAVEL TO CAMPUS.  FOR OVERSEAS APPLICANTS, GET READY TO TAKE OFF DAYS FROM WORK AND PAY FOR AN EXPENSIVE AIR TICKET. 
• On- and off-campus team-based discussions will be conducted and considered equally. There is no ‘advantage’ to doing either, though we encourage you to come to campus." THIS IS REALLY A MESSAGE DESIGNED TO SCREW WITH APPLICANTS' HEADS.  IF THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE TO COME TO CAMPUS, WHY STATE HERE THAT WHARTON ENCOURAGES IT? IN GENERAL, WHARTON ENCOURAGES VISITING, BUT IN THIS CONTENT IT IS JUST MAKES FOR A MIXED MESSAGE. THE GREAT THING ABOUT SUCH MIXED MESSAGES IS THAT I WILL ASKED AGAIN AND AGAIN ABOUT WHETHER IT IS BETTER TO INTERVIEW ON CAMPUS.  I WILL SAY SOMETHING LIKE, "IT IS BEST TO VISIT WHARTON IF YOU APPLY THERE. IF YOU GET INVITED AND HAVE NOT BEEN THERE, YOU REALLY SHOULD CONSIDER GOING THERE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF IT IS JUST TO BURDENSOME TO GO AND YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF INTERVIEWING CLOSE TO HOME, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. 

New in the US, but not new for MBA programs: Wharton's new approach to admissions interviews, consisting of a team-based discussion of 5-6 applicants plus a short individual conversation with an an admissions team member, represents a significant change to the way any American MBA program has conducted interviews. The world's best small MBA program, IMD,  has been conducted group interviews for a long time, but they have a class of 90 and five application rounds. Wharton has an annual class of over 800. That will be quite a few group interviews. In a more limited way, London Business School has previously conducted group interviews of Japanese  MBA applicants in Tokyo (This seems to have been specific to Japan because my clients who interviewed elsewhere never experienced this, including Japanese clients based outside of Japan). 

Basic team discussion strategies: Since I don't have a school and don't teach classes with multiple applicants at one time, I have only rarely prepped someone specifically for a group discussion. However, based on working with clients who have been doing group interviews and by reading interview reports for  IMD and LBS(Japan only),  I do have some suggestions. Here are some basic group interview strategies to keep in mind:

1. Be someone who makes clear and effective points in the conversation, but does not dominate the conversation.

2. Don't be rude to others. Rude jerks are the easiest people to get rid of when evaluating participants in a team based discussion.

3. Listen closely enough to others in order to say something that builds on or reacts against what other people are saying. Refer to what others are saying in order to build consensus.

4. Try to provide constructive communication that moves the discussion forward to a positive conclusion. Make an effort to include others in the conversation.

5. Don't be afraid to make a less than perfect point. If you do that too much, you will never get enough speaking time and perceived as shy and ineffective in team situations. That will get you dinged. 

6. Synthesize and summarize the team's conversation in order to move the conversation forward.

7.  Use hedging language and other forms of consensus building language. Try to avoid being dismissive of the views of others. 

8. If you are having difficulty understanding someone because of their accent or because of your poor English listening skills, still engage in non-verbal demonstrations that you understand what they are saying.  Non-verbal communication will surely be observed, so if you look confused or frustrated that could be used against you.

9. Smile and show eye contact with other people.

10.  Make sure that you don't slouch in your seat, but are sitting tall and look like a positive and engaged person. 

Do you want to be a guinea pig? If you are looking for a good reason not apply in the first round at Wharton, one of the best is not serving a guinea pig for this first ever attempt at conducting group interviews worldwide for an MBA program of this size.  Another is not having a clear idea of what the specific interview content might be. Another is knowing that the evaluators scoring these team discussions will have had very limited experience doing so. Maybe first time interviewees will be at advantage in terms of being given the benefit of the doubt, but I am not betting on that. 

Beware of old information on Wharton interviews: Until details emerge of the specific content for the team and individual interviews, it would not be a good idea to highly depend on the accuracy of past interview reports or past Wharton interview advice (like my old blog posts on Wharton interviews). 

Individual interview content: While it is inevitable that past Wharton interview questions are likely to be used in the individual interviews, the specific mix of questions that an applicant will encounter is an unknown at the moment (August 12, 2012).  You should surely be ready to answer questions about anything on your resume plus such common questions as:
Why do you want an MBA?
Why do want to go to Wharton?
What are your professional objectives?
What can you contribute to Wharton?
More to come as I know more.  In the meantime, I would encourage you to see my general posts on preparing for MBA interviews (here and here and here) because at least for the individual interview portion, my posts are still relevant. 

-Adam Markus

I am a graduate admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please complete my intake form. Please don't email me any essays, other admissions consultant's intake forms, your life story, or any long email asking for a written profile assessment. The only profiles I assess are those with people who I offer initial consultations to. Please note that initial consultations are not offered when I have reached full capacity or when I determine that I am not a good fit with an applicant.

Wharton MBA Essay Questions for Class of 2015

In this post, I analyze the essay questions for Wharton for Fall 2013 admission. You can find testimonials from my clients admitted to Wharton in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 here.  Wharton has again changed both its essays and has a new approach to interviews.  For my most recent post on Wharton interviews, please see Preparing for Wharton Interviews for the Class of 2015.

Wharton is a relatively essay set to start with. Given all the changes that have taken place this year with top school's essay sets, Wharton looks like a relatively good school to start with.  This year, most of my clients are starting with Columbia, Wharton, or Stanford.  The required question for Wharton on your professional objectives/Why Wharton is a very standard question and so is Essay topic 3.  Essay topics 1 and 2 are rather Wharton specific, but not completely without potential recyclability. In the preface to the Class of 2015 Essay Questions, the following is stated: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. This statement is really important because it provides some guidance as to what Wharton wants:
1.  Provide both personal and professional content. Personal content can be expressed in academic, personal, extracurricular, and even professional contexts. Personal means giving insight into who you are as person and not just what you know or what you can do.  Professional means providing Wharton with a clear understanding about your capabilities in a professional context, about your ability to overcome challenges and/or accomplish something.
2.  Be analytical, not merely descriptive. It is very important that you engage in a sufficient amount of interpretation of your actions and not merely a description of what you do. Your objective is help guide your reader's interpretation of what you write, so that they perceive you in the way that you intend.
3.  Make sure you are stating things as briefly and effectively as possible.  Don't waste your words. Use them carefully. Keep your essays within the word count. That is what "succinct" means!  I advise all my clients to stay within the word count these days.  A few years ago, 10% over was no big deal, but given the general focus on shorter essay sets, I see no point to giving Wharton more than they want. 

Required Question: How will Wharton MBA help you achieve your professional objectives? (400 words)
If you are having difficulty determining what your goals are and/or why you need an MBA in general, please see my analysis of Stanford Essay 2. In that post I provide a detailed method for thinking about goals and need for an MBA. Here is how I suggest you think about Wharton's specific essay question:

What do you imagine your professional future will look like?  You need to give Wharton admissions a very clear image of your future.  I suggest including a clear post-MBA career goal and a longer term vision/goal.  A purely abstract dream or visionary statement could easily come across as unrealistic or ungrounded if not handled carefully, so be relatively specific about the short-term. Career changers (those planning on  changing industry and/or function after MBA) should explain why they want to change their careers and how Wharton will enable that. Career enhancers should explain how an MBA will enhance their careers to continue along the pathway that thy are already on. 

Keep discussion of your past experience to a minimum unless it directly explains why you need an MBA or what your goals are.  The question does not call for a summary of your professional experience, so you need not provide one. You should surely refer to your past experience in order to explain what you want to do in the future, just keep in mind that this is not the place to describe your past experience, but only to analyze it. Let your resume and application provide those details because you don't have the word count  for them here. 

What motivates your professional objectives?  That is to say, why are these your objectives? While the question does not say “What are your professional objectives and why are they your objectives,” if you are going to be “introspective, candid” and “yourself,” as per Wharton’s overall instructions, you had better also explain “why.” Clearly a drawn-out explanation based on a detailed examination of your past experience cannot be conveyed here, so provide a clear analytical answer as to what motivates your professional objectives.

While you should be explaining why you need an MBA in general, you need to make sure that your reasons for wanting an MBA align well with Wharton. You should also learn about the curriculum, clusters / cohorts/ learning teams, Learning @ Wharton, community involvement, clubs, and WGA in order to determine what aspects of Wharton really relate to your professional objectives. You need not mention the names of particular courses as long as it would be clear to your reader that your learning needs align well with Wharton's offerings. For example, it is really a waste of word count to mention the names of particular finance courses if the main point you are simply trying to make is that you want to enhance your finance skills. Every admissions officer at Wharton is well aware of the programs major offerings.  If you have a particular interest in a more specialized course or studying with a particular professor, it might be worth mentioning it as long as it is an explanation of why you want to study the subject and not based on circular reasoning. 
An example of circular (tautological) reasoning:  "I want to take Advanced Corporate Finance because I am interested in developing advanced corporate finance skills." 
This kind of bad circular reasoning is so common in early drafts I see from my clients and in the failed essays of reapplicants that I am asked to review. Usually it takes place within a paragraph consisting of many such sentences. These sentences actually convey nothing about the applicant. The admissions reader wants to learn about you, not about their own program. If you don't explain what you need and why, you are not actually answering the question, you are just writing something dull, surface level, and without positive impact.
An example of an actual explanation:  "While I have been exposed to finance through my work at MegaBank, I presently lack the kind of comprehensive understanding of corporate finance that I want to master at Wharton to succeed as a future leader of cross-border M&A."
By focusing on very specific learning needs and explaining those needs in relationship to one's goals and/or past experience, admissions will be learning about you and really be able to understand what you need from Wharton. Mentioning a course name is not important if the learning need is already something obviously obtainable at Wharton. A more complete explanation would include additional details about the kind of issues that the applicant is interested in learning about and/or specific ways the applicant intended to apply what he or she would learn at Wharton.

While your core reasons for wanting to attend Wharton should be made clear in this essay, if you write on the first of the three topics below, you will have a further extended opportunity to explain why Wharton is right for you. It is also possible to elaborate on why Wharton with the other two options below, but it is certainly less direct. I don't necessarily think writing on the first topic is inherently better. If you are very clear about your professional objectives and connect them well to Wharton, the required essay is all you need. 


Write on 2 out of 3 essay questions, 500 words each.
Wharton is again giving applicants options as to which specific questions to answer. I don't think it can be said that one of the questions below is generally preferable to another.  This will just vary by applicant. However, Essay Option 3 is the only relatively generic topic amongst the three questions and one that you will likely use for other schools. It is also perfect for professional stories.  Given Essay Option 3 advantages, my guess is that most applicants will write on it as well as either Option 1 or Option 2. 

ESSAY OPTION 1: Select a Wharton MBA course, co-curricular opportunity or extra-curricular engagement that you are interested in. Tell us why you chose this activity and how it connects to your interests. (500 words)

This question is Wharton specific. That is to say, there really is no way you could have easily written this one for another school. It provides an excellent opportunity for actually demonstrating both why you want to attend Wharton and also what you can contribute.

Steps for Answering this Question:

1. Identify a Wharton course, co-curricular opportunity or extra-curricular engagement ("WCCE"). If this WCCE does not relate directly to goals, it had better relate to revealing something else important about you. For instance, your favorite team sport that is played at Wharton, your religion that is part of a Wharton student club,  your sexual orientation,or a hobby.  

2. It is critical that you discuss your own experience and/or values in detail. The last thing you want to do is just tell Wharton about its own WCCE. Assume they know what it is. What they don't know is why you are interested in this particular WCCE that you are discussing. As  mentioned in my discussion of the why Wharton/professional objectives essay above, you need provide full explanations. In fact, the balance of this essay be a discussion of why you are interested in a particular WCCE in terms of its relationship to your interests, not on the WCCE itself. 
3. Brainstorming your answer: In the following chart, I have suggested how to brainstorm and organize this essay.  First identify a WCCE, next identify 2-4 aspects of this WCCE that appeal to you, next explain why you this particular WCCE, next explain exactly how each aspect of the WCCE connects to your interests, and finally be very clear that you can identify what Wharton is learning about you. 

Essay Option 1: How to brainstorm your answer

Wharton MBA course, co-curricular opportunity or extra-curricular engagement (Pick one such course, opportunity or engagement and then below break it down into 2-4 aspects)	Why did choose it? You can provide a total answer to this or answer it through explaining different aspects of the activity.	How does it connect to your interests? Your interests can be academic, professional, and/or personal.	What will Wharton Admissions learn about you? Through discussing your interests, Wharton should be learning about your values, strengths, goals, and/or what you can contribute to the Wharton community.
Specific aspect of activity :
Specific aspect of activity:
Specific aspect of activity:
Specific aspect of activity:

(You can copy and paste this table in a Microsoft or Google document file. It works!)

ESSAY OPTION 2. Imagine your work obligations for the afternoon were cancelled and you found yourself "work free" for three hours, what would you do? (500 words)
This is what I would call a "Gift Question." Gift questions are always about making best use of the resource that is being given. Best use should directly connect to your personal or professional motivations, core values, life experiences, interests, and/or strengths.   Some gift questions are really generous and rise to the level of fantasy-"If you could travel to any time and place, where would you go and why?"- but Wharton's gift is decidedly realistic and actually pretty cheap. I would not treat this question as a test of your imagination per se, but rather a test of your realism at making best use of very limited free time.  
Three hours in the afternoon: This question is both time specific and time limited.  Unless you usually work on the weekends, you have three hours off on a workday afternoon.   This clearly limits the kind of activity you can engage in. This makes the question extremely realistic, but also means that it excludes activities that involve other people who would be working and excludes activities that would take more than three hours (No, you don't have time to take an out of town vacation, but you can sure go get a workout at the gym near your office!).  
Work Free: Don't write about work.  Somebody will, but clearly the point is not that you will do more work, but that you will do something other than work.
Doing what you always do anyway: If you use this essay to discuss what you already have time for, you are not actually use the gift for anything special.  My suggestion is that even if you discuss an activity you regularly, make specific and special use of this time.
Doing what you wish you had time for: Given the highly realistic nature of the gift, most answers are likely to fall into this category.
The reasons are just as important as the actions: Keep in mind that just discussing what you would is not enough because it is the meaning of what you would do that Wharton admissions really needs to understand.  The significance of how you would spend the time in terms of what it says about you is at as important as what specific activity you engage in.



ESSAY OPTION 3. "Knowledge for Action draws upon the great qualities that have always been evident at Wharton: rigorous research, dynamic thinking, and thoughtful leadership." - Thomas S. Robertson, Dean, The Wharton School
Tell us about a time when you put knowledge into action. (500 words)
Don't get turned off by the quote that begins this question. Actually just ignore the quote since you don't need to refer to it in your essay. This is the most generic of the three essay topics and easily reusable for HBS 1 and Stanford 3 amongst others. The question is in fact asked in standard behavioral question style. See my analysis of Stanford Essay 3 for a discussion of behavioral questions in general. The methods I outline in that post fully apply here. 
Regarding this specific question, I think the first thing to consider is just how absolutely open-ended the topic is. Almost anything one does involves the use of knowledge. However, clearly the admissions committee has something more specific in mind:  A situation where you effectively used your knowledge to implement something. To what extent you you do the actual implementation yourself is less important than your ability to go from taking your knowledge to making into reality. If you do actually handle all the implementation then to the extent possible, explain what you did.You should be writing about a situation with a clear positive outcome where you added value. While the story need not be on a professional topic, it should be on a topic where the outcome is clear and that best showcases your ability to effectively implement based on an idea, a specific insight, or overall expertise.


ADDITIONAL QUESTION FOR REAPPLICANTS: All reapplicants to Wharton are required to complete the Optional Essay. Please use this space to explain how you have reflected on the previous decision on your application and to discuss any updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, extracurricular/volunteer engagements). You may also use this section to address any extenuating circumstances. (250 words)
An effective answer here will do the following:

1. Showcase what has changed since your last application that now makes you a better candidate.

2. Refine your goals. I think it is reasonable that they may have altered since your last application, but if the change is extreme, you had better explain why.

3. Make a better case for why Wharton is right for you.

For more about reapplication, please see "A guide to my resources for reapplicants." 


OPTIONAL SECTION FOR ALL APPLICANTS: 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, or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application). (250 words)

As with other school's optional questions, do not put an obvious essay for another school here. If you read the above, it should be clear enough that this is the place to explain anything negative or potentially negative in your background. If you have no explanation for something negative, don't bother writing about it. For example if your GPA is 2.9 and you have no good explanation for why it is 2.9, don't bother writing something that looks like a lame excuse. This is more likely to hurt than help you. In the same vein, don't waste the committee's time telling them that your GMAT is a much better indicator than your GPA (the opposite is also true). They have heard it before and they will look at both scores and can draw their own conclusions without you stating the obvious. That said, if you have a good explanation for a bad GPA, you should most certainly write about it.

In addition to GMAT/GRE, TOEFL, and GPA problems, other possible topics include issues related to recommendations, serious gaps in your resume, concerns related to a near total lack of extracurricular activities, and  major issues in your personal/professional life that you really think the admissions office needs to know about.You can certainly write on something positive here if you think its omission will be negative for you, but before you do, ask yourself these questions:

1. If they did not ask it, do they really need to know it?

2. Will the topic I want to discuss significantly improve my overall essay set?

3. Is the topic one that would not be covered from looking at other parts of my application?

4. Is the essay likely to be read as being a specific answer for Wharton and not an obvious essay for another school?

If you can answer "Yes!" to all four questions, it might be a good topic to write about. 

-Adam Markus

I am a graduate admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please complete my intake form. Please don't email me any essays, other admissions consultant's intake forms, your life story, or any long email asking for a written profile assessment. The only profiles I assess are those with people who I offer initial consultations to. Please note that initial consultations are not offered when I have reached full capacity or when I determine that I am not a good fit with an applicant.

2012 UCLA Anderson Information Session in Tokyo

I was asked to post information about  the 2012 UCLA Anderson Information Session in Tokyo. The event will be held in Japanese.

-Adam Markus

I am a graduate admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please complete my intake form. Please don't email me any essays, other admissions consultant's intake forms, your life story, or any long email asking for a written profile assessment. The only profiles I assess are those with people who I offer initial consultations to. Please note that initial consultations are not offered when I have reached full capacity or when I determine that I am not a good fit with an applicant.

2012 UCLA Anderson Information Session

卒業生による学校説明会のお知らせ

今年で11回目を迎える「夏恒例」のUCLA Anderson School of Managementの学校説明会、来る9/2（日）の開催が決定いたしました。UCLA Andersonのその年の卒業生が中心となって自主的に企画・開催されるこのイベントでは、学校紹介プレゼンテーション（卒業・在校生が作成するオリジナル版）、パネルディスカッションに加えて、バックグラウンドや希望職種・業種ごとの小グループに分かれたQ&Aセッションを行います。UCLA Anderson合格を目指す方、出願を検討している方はもちろん、なんとなく興味のある方々にも、是非真のAndersonを知っていただきたいと思います。

• UCLA Andersonとはどんなビジネススクールなのか？
• 卒業生たちがどのように出願プロセスを乗り切ったのか？
• UCLA Andersonでの実際のMBA留学生活はどれほど大変で、楽しく、エキサイティングで充実しているものなのか？
• 留学生はどのような学校生活（クラスやクラブ・課外活動など）、私生活を送っているのか？
• 卒業した後、UCLA Andersonの卒業生はどのような分野で活躍しているのか？留学中に培ったスキルやノウハウ、人脈がどのように活きていると実感しているのか？
• これからUCLA Anderson合格を目指す方々に向けてのアドバイスは？
• そもそも、UCLA Andersonにはどのような人たちが集い、学び、活動し、生活しているのか？

以上のようなことを含め、UCLA Andersonを様々な角度から理解していただく絶好の機会です。せっかくの日曜日午後の時間となりますが、どうぞUCLA Andersonを体感して下さい。一人でも多くのMBA志望者の皆様にお会いし直接お話できることを、卒業生・在校生一同心から楽しみにしております！

2012年7月

UCLA Anderson　夏イベント企画幹事一同

【日時】 　9月2日（日） 13:30-16:30
【場所】 　ヴィラフォンテーヌ汐留　会議室1・2・3番（http://www.hvf.jp/shiodome/）

　〒105-0021　東京都港区東新橋1-9-2（汐留住友ビル内）

【予約】 　参加ご希望の方は以下の登録フォームをご記入下さい。尚、会場のキャパシティ上定員（100名）を設けており、先着順とさせて頂きますので予めご了承下さい。

　http://ucla.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2seoUxxmEhP3Zxr

【費用】 　無　料
【説明会スケジュール（予定）】

13:00 受付開始

13:30 イベント開始

13:40-14:10 学校紹介プレゼンテーション

14:10-15:10 卒業生・在校生パネルディスカッション

15:20-16:30 卒業生・在校生とのフリーディスカッション・Q&A（小グループに分かれて行います）

【問い合わせ】　藤田 悠介（Class of 2012）yusuke.fujita.2012@anderson.ucla.edu

Round 1? Round 2? Apply when you are ready!

I think all applicants planning on MBA application for 2013 entry, should take a look at Heavy Round One Volume Expected, an article by John Byrne in Poets & Quants.  Byrne has been communicating with some other admissions consultants about the fact that they anticipate a very heavy first round (R1) this year because of (1) the switch to the new GMAT, which motivated many applicants to get their test taking done with early, (2) HBS and Stanford both have historically early round one deadlines, and (3) Stanford is now clearly saying round one application is significantly less competitive than round two (R2).  In addition to those factors,  I think the trend of smaller essay sets will make it possible for applicants to get through more applications quickly. While MIT Sloan has always made it clear that R1 was preferable to R2, Stanford’s position on this will only further motivate applicants to apply in R1.  

Applicants are always asking me about R1 versus R2. Previously, I have tried to be more school specific about my answer, but I suspect that with top ten programs, there will be less reasons to focus on the specific program, but my answer will remain very applicant specific.  

One issue that has consistently arisen for me is that my advice on R1 does differ based on the background of the applicant. For example, given that I work with many North Americans in the financial sector, I do highly recommend that given the level of competition, especially amongst men, that they apply in R1.  Also, as I work with many Indians (both in India and worldwide), given the level of competition they will face, I think R1 is vastly better than R2 for them.  When you are a male North American banker or an Indian male IT guy, R1 is so clearly preferable. That said, I have certainly had clients in both categories succeed in R2, but they clearly face so much competition and have such a greater chance of getting dinged or waitlisted.  On the other hand, when I work with Japanese clients, I simply emphasize the extent to which they are ready to make application because I don’t see much difference in R1 versus R2 outcomes amongst them. This often applies even to Stanford.

To go beyond my own perspective, I asked some of my colleagues who run their own counseling services about their opinions on this issue.  Before providing their perspectives, I wanted to briefly mention that admissions consulting in Japan arose quite independently from such services in the US. Japanese companies have sponsored some of their most capable employees for MBA and strongly desired that such employees gain admission to top schools. These objectives, combined with the need to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers helped to establish a relatively large number of admissions consulting services in Japan. Most services focus primarily on meeting the needs of Japanese applicants and those of expats (Americans, Canadians, Chinese, and Indians are most common).  Tokyo remains a top stop for admissions officers as the vast majority of applicants to top MBA programs in Japan are based in the Tokyo area. While companies used to be the dominant players in this market, at this point it is all about 1-2 person operations like mine.

One of the most experienced counselors serving the Japanese market is Stephen Round,  who began as an admissions consultant in 1995. Stephen is the Executive Director of Round One Admissions Consulting.  When I asked him about this issue, he said “Many MBA applicants whom I’ve met this year have expressed a strong interest in applying in the first round. However, whether or not they will actually be competitive in the first round remains to be seen, since most applicants I’ve met are still in the process of trying to earn competitive TOEFL and GMAT scores.”  In general, he thinks that “an MBA applicant should consider applying in the first round if they have competitive TOEFL and GMAT scores, have had sufficient time to create polished application materials, and, perhaps most importantly, if they can be sufficiently prepared for first round interviews. Some applicants obsessed about applying in the first round allocate insufficient time to their interview preparation and, thus, they fail to perform well in their first round interviews. This is a classic mistake. Therefore, applicants should understand that choosing to apply in R1 requires a commitment to be prepared to interview in the first round. Otherwise, they are setting themselves up for a first round ding letter... “ Like Stephen, I know there is nothing more painful than seeing a client rush through the process and be ill prepared for interviewing.

Ed Lee, the founder of www.edogijuku.com, has been a full-time admissions consultant since 1997, having started a few years prior to that on an occasional basis. I think his long term perspective on which round to apply to and the fact there is no size fits all approach is really worth keeping in mind:  “From talking with MBA admissions directors and officers over the years, all have agreed that applicants should apply “when you are ready”, meaning when the person can apply “when you are ready”, meaning when the person can put together the best application regardless of round. However, some schools historically favor early decision/ first round, such as Columbia and I develop strategies based on each applicant’s unique case. FOR SOME PEOPLE 2ND ROUND and EVEN 3RD ROUND is best.” Ed also has great advice on planning: “I recommend applicants MAKE A PLAN and MAKE A BACK-UP PLAN. Most applicants have never applied to business school, so no one knows how to start making a plan. An applicant might say, “I plan to finish my TOEFL and GMAT in August.” But it does not happen, then what? Rather than panic, I suggest developing a PLAN A, PLAN B, PLAN C, and a WORST CASE SCENARIO. I think that being proactive is the best strategy.”  As Ed suggests, planning for any applicant is critical, especially for those who are still struggling with TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, and/or GMAT.

My friend and colleague since 2002, Vince Ricci, owns and operates Vince Admissions. Like me, he is seeing an increased number of clients focused on R1: “I am receiving inquiries earlier than ever. This is true both in my original Japan market, as well as my new target markets, which include the US, EU, India, China, and the Middle East.”   In terms of timing for most Japanese applicants as well as other English-as-a-second-language (ESL) clients who might struggle with TOEFL, Vince says, “I tell non-native English speakers to allow two to three months to complete their first application, which includes the letter of recommendation process. Therefore, if one of my ESL clients has yet to score 680 GMAT and 107 TOEFL by August 1, I usually assume that it would be hard for them to submit a competitive R1 application to HBS, Wharton, or Stanford. That is especially this year, since the HBS R1 deadline (September 24) is earlier than ever.  Of course, every year, someone proves me wrong and gets admitted in less time than we expected, which always makes me happy.”  Vince also points out that late R1 deadlines still allow ESL applicants to meet R1 deadlines at some top schools. ”MIT’s October 24 R1 deadline is later than most other top schools, so it might still be possible to start your MIT Sloan 2-year MBA application after August 15. This is especially true since Rod Garcia does not require TOEFL (his AdCom team will check your English at the interview!)” Vince’s overall advice is surely worth keeping in mind: “Start early, work hard, and apply when you feel 95% ready (you will NEVER feel 100% ready). Most of all, please enjoy the process!”

The newest counselor to go independent in Tokyo is John Couke, Independent Academic Advisor. John trained under Vince and I back in 2006 and was running a company in Tokyo’s counseling service until earlier this year.  John says that he “feels a slight increase in R1 application, but it may be because my point of interaction with clients has changed over the past year. In the past, historically 30% of my clients have applied in R1, 60% in R2 and 10% in R3.” This would make sense because John says that he “often works with company sponsored applicants who have received their sponsorship recently and focus quickly on TOEFL. In such cases this year, few even considered sitting for the old GMAT. In past years, they often apply in R2 to give them sufficient time to prepare strong applications.”  Like the rest of us, John emphasizes that the client be ready: “I feel clients should apply for R1 if their test scores are ready, and their application is strong. I never recommend clients rush to complete an application just to make R1 when more time would give them a stronger R2 application. I have seen a higher admit rate amongst my clients who applied in R1, but I feel a lot of this is due to the fact that often my strongest clients apply in R1 - so while the application volume might be higher in R2, the quality of the competition is higher in R1. This to me is a prime difference between R1 and R2, especially for top programs.”

What I hope you can see from these different perspectives is that each applicant’s specific situation is a much greater consideration than whether to apply in R1 or R2.  The counselors interviewed for this article agree that applicants should consult with their counselors about which application round makes the most sense for their particular circumstances. Therefore, rather than do what everyone else is doing, applicants should consider their own particular situation.

-Adam Markus

I am a graduate admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please complete my intake form. Please don't email me any essays, other admissions consultant's intake forms, your life story, or any long email asking for a written profile assessment. The only profiles I assess are those with people who I offer initial consultations to. Please note that initial consultations are not offered when I have reached full capacity or when I determine that I am not a good fit with an applicant.

An audio interview with me on CareerEdge Japan

You can find an audio interview with me on CareerEdge Japan where I discuss the graduate admissions consulting services I offer, the types of clients I work with, and some of my consulting methods. For those considering using my services or if you are just curious to know what I do, this interview is a good place to start. CareerEdge Japan is a new English language site focused on all aspects of career development including recruiting and training. I am happy to be part of CareerEdge Japan because it will provide both internationally focused Japanese and expats based in Japan with great career resources.  For those considering whether they need an MBA or another graduate degree or simply need some more specific training or just simply a new job,  I think CareerEdge can help. 


-Adam Markus

I am a graduate admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please complete my intake form. Please don't email me any essays, other admissions consultant's intake forms, your life story, or any long email asking for a written profile assessment. The only profiles I assess are those with people who I offer initial consultations to. Please note that initial consultations are not offered when I have reached full capacity or when I determine that I am not a good fit with an applicant.