TUCK学校説明会開催のご案内

One of my former clients,  a current student at Tuck, asked that I announce the following event to be held in Tokyo.

-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.

TUCK学校説明会開催のご案内

～TUCKの魅力を大解剖～

この度、Tuck（正式名称:Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth）の学校説明会ならびに懇親会を以下の要綱にて開催いたします。 本校の概要をはじめ、在校生・卒業生による体験談等をインフォーマルな形式にてご紹介する予定です。 全米最古の歴史をもち、小規模校ならではのインタラクティブなコミュニティ、チームワークを体感できるトップビジネススクールの一つ、Tuckの魅力を是非この機会にご確認ください。

当日は、2012年入学予定者も参加します。Tuckのみならず、MBA全般に関するご質問等にもお答えできればと考えています。ご多忙のところ恐縮ですが、ご調整の上、ご出席いただけると幸いです。

記

日時:            2012年7月7日（土）14:30～16:30 ［14:00受付開始］

場所:            ホテルヴィラフォンテーヌ汐留　コンファレンスセンター会議室2・3番
　　　　　                  http://www.hvf.jp/shiodome/

概要:　          14:30-15:30　学校説明会 ［プレゼンテーション、パネルディスカッション、Q&A］

15:30-16:30　懇親会

出席者:         卒業生、在校生、2012年入学予定者

お申込み:       完全予約制、下記URLに7月2日（月）までにお申し込み下さい。

https://dartmba.askadmissions.net/Portal/Templated/UserTemplate/ViewDetails?gid=623577daf8a337b1f044feb258080410f50a41&returnUrl=Search

お問合せ:       tuckjapanHP@gmail.com

ホームページ:   TUCKオフィシャルサイト

http://tuck.dartmouth.edu

TUCK日本人向けサイト

http://mba.tuck.dartmouth.edu/pages/clubs/international/JP/

※本説明会は、完全予約制となっております。定員110名になり次第、締め切らせて頂きますので、お早めにお申し込みください。

※お申し込みいただいた方には確認のメールを追って返信いたします。

※インフォーマルな形式の会です。カジュアルな服装にてお越しください。

※ご家族・パートナーも大歓迎です。是非ご一緒にお越しください。

※本説明会は、卒業生・在校生・2012年入学予定者によって企画されたものであり、出願審査とは 一切関係ございません。当日、アドミッションからの出席はございませんので、予めご了承ください。

※Please note the entire Information Session will be conducted in Japanese.

My visit to IMD

On 11 May 2012 I had the opportunity to visit IMD.  You can find my analysis of IMD's essays here. 

Lisa Piguet, Associate Director MBA Admissions & Marketing (My interview with her is here.),  was kind enough to take time out of her schedule to meet me and give me a tour of the campus.  As this meeting was off the record,  in a future post, Lisa will be answering some questions that I will be posing to her.  What follows are just some of my general impressions.

IMD’s campus occupies a very lovely spot on Lausanne’s lakefront.  IMD’s corporate education programs occupy a considerable portion of the beautiful campus.  The MBA students directly benefit in terms of the quality of the infrastructure. In addition to a beautiful campus, there is free coffee everywhere (Nestle is a major corporate contributor to IMD), water fountains that offer water with or without gas, and the legendary lunch buffet.

The day I visited, classes were not in session. Instead, students were working on projects. Some were on-site around the world. Others were meeting with their teams.  Each team has a room, where they essentially live a great deal of the time. Their study area also includes a nap room. Partners are well integrated into the program and play an active role in student life. As IMD students are quite busy, it is the partners who typically organize parties for the class of 90 students.

Anyone who knows about IMD’s intensive interview process, a day-long event held either on or off campus knows that IMD carefully selects students. The essays and written application are comparatively the easier part of the process.  Given the class size, there is very little room for error. 

While I could not observe the formal interview process, I was fortunately on campus during an interview day and got to see the applicants at lunch.  Dressed in suits, on a hot spring day, while everyone else was wearing business casual, I felt sorry for them.  The applicants were having lunch with the students.  This is part of the interview process.  I guess one advantage of interviewing off-campus in Singapore would be air conditioning in summer, but seeing the campus is itself is quite something. Just assume that whatever you do during interview day, you are being observed. 

Lisa was kind enough to invite a group of students to have lunch with us and answer my questions.  

Some members of IMD’s class of 2012 were kind enough to have lunch with me (from left to right): Aswini Gauthama Sankar, Hidefumi Hatakeyama, Me, Xose Diaz Queijeiro, He Yang (Lotus), Thibaut Girard, and Jorge Ortega. 

IMD is a highly self-selecting program, given its intensity and leadership focused general management education.  The students seemed quite happy with the program and embraced its intensity.  They were a very mature group, many intending to make major career transitions, while others were focused on further developing their careers within the same industry.   They all seemed to really enjoy the unique leadership focus of the program, which addresses the interpersonal and psychological aspects of leadership.  All had very positive things to say about the therapy sessions that are part of the leadership program.

Having lunch with so many corporate education students, also gives the MBA students opportunities for networking on a constant basis.  It was easy to see how lunch and coffee everywhere would provide easy opportunities for networking.

Lunch at IMD is equal to that of any great hotel’s buffet. The cuisine on offer was highly international. No other MBA program can even come close in respect to lunch.  Both an alumnus I talked to in Brussels (a former client) and the students I met with, emphasized how much the 1.5 hours they have for lunch is really the only major time they have to relax during the day.  It seemed like a very nice 1.5 hours. 

-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.

Q&A with a Member of the Stanford GSB MBA Class of 2013

In this post, my former client, a member of Stanford GSB’s Class of 2013,  provides great answers to my questions about his first year in the MBA program. GSBEngineer worked as an engineer in a technology company prior to business school for a few years. He has an advanced degree in computer engineering. He is interested in the technology sector investment and also looking into start-up ideas. 

Adam: To what extent do you think Stanford’s mission statement has impacted what you learned at the school so far?


GSBEngineer: The school emphasizes leadership and I greatly enjoyed honing my soft skills during the first quarter. To be honest, most students can learn basic finance/accounting/etc. on their own but the opportunity to listen to my peers' feedback is priceless, from how to structure an argument to how to build a productive team to how fast should I speak in front of a crowd. 

Adam: What parts of the program have you liked the most? The least?

GSBEngineer: I really loved the rich resources that are available to us thanks to a small and close-knit class. On a per student basis, faculty and staff are really easy to get access to. More importantly, students can always talk to all the company reps easily during on campus recruiting, without getting stressed out at all because people's interests are so diversified. For those who are interested in the traditional banking/consulting jobs, there are plenty of opportunities to have one-one info interviews. With the Exclusive Academic Period (EAP) in place (See here http://www.stanford.edu/group/mba/blog/2011/11/the_end_of_eap_the_beginning_o.html for an extended discussion), we were isolated from the recruiting noises for the first six weeks of the program so that we could focus on bonding with classmates and getting used to be back at school. I did feel a bit overwhelmed when EAP ended. Among classes, extracurricular and recruiting events, it wasn't easy to balance everything. I'd suggest thinking about what you want to do early and focus on those things most relevant to you. 

Adam: What has most surprised you about your first year?


GSBEngineer:
1) How accomplished and special everyone is. I shared a room with a professional poker player during our pre-MBA trip to South America. As young as he is, I didn't know he just won over 2 million dollars earlier that year. 
2) The schedule can be fairly intense, especially the first quarter. Be ready to give up some sleep and to study. 

Adam: Do you actually have any time for clubs?  If so, which ones are you active in?


GSBEngineer: Yup. I am part of one career oriented club and one diversity club. It really depends on how one chooses to spend his/her time. Some classmates are very actively pursuing their startup ideas so they choose classes on certain days of the week and will spend most free time working with their start-up co-founders. Some choose to be engaged in clubs and the student association.I am helping a local nonprofit as a board fellow. It is a great experience to sit in the board meeting and help them solve issues.

Adam: Are there any common characteristics you find amongst your classmates?

GSBEngineer: I think a key ingredient that makes an MBA program unique is the diverse student body. It probably shows more at Stanford. We do have finance and consulting types but percentage wise, many are also from non-profit, tech, pharmaceutical, etc. It makes classroom discussion very interesting.Also a large percentage of my classmates are self-sourcing their internships (VC/PE firms and hedge funds, start-ups, etc.). I want to point it out because if you want to be in finance, Stanford has a very strong network of alumni in this area. And they answer our phone calls.

Adam: What are hot topics, activities, classes, etc. at Stanford GSB?


GSBEngineer: Tons of opportunities to attend start-up/VC events. Getting to know the founders or speak w/ the VCs. Cross pollination is happening across departments everyday. Sand Hill Road. is right here. It doesn't get any better. We don't have GSB classes on Wednesday. One highlight of the first year is probably the Vegas FOAM (Friends of Arjay Miller). Two classes fly over on a Tuesday evening after winter quarter midterm) to Vegas in 70s costumes, hang out at one of the clubs (@Pure this year) all night long and then fly back the second day. It sounds and is crazy but is awesome. 
C4C, a charity event with many other MBA programs, just finished. GSB show, an event where students will reveal their great performing talents on stage, is coming! Being close to Tahoe is a great advantage to skiers. Many classmates had weekend trips during the winter.
BTW,  $25 for playing on Stanford’s golf course is a steal!

Adam: What advice do you have for those considering application to Stanford?

GSBEngineer: Be truthful to yourself. Really sit back and reflect on how and why you made the choices you made along your career/school/etc. I believe that is what makes you stand out. Then write your essay.
Definitely visit us, sit in a class and have lunch with current students. You will know how each school is different. 

Adam: Anything else you would like to tell us?

GSBEngineer: if you get in, try to join the unofficial pre-MBA trip to Colombia. This is purely personal choice. Some people prefer other smaller pre-MBA trips. And because it is unofficial, there is not pressure to go if you cannot make it.
I like it because it is not easy to get 120 people, who have never met each other before, to show up in Cartagena on the same day. There is no agenda to visit businesses, no classes, no recruiting, just relax and having fun. I met my schwab roommate on the trip. Personally it also made remembering names a lot easier once school starts (I am not good at names).  

I want to thank GSBEngineer for taking the time to answer my questions.

-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.

My visit to IESE in Barcelona

I had the pleasure of visiting IESE Business School in Barcelona on April 16^th.   I have been traveling in Europe since early April and will be doing so until returning to Tokyo on June 16^th, so my visit to IESE was my only “work” this month.  That said, visiting IESE was a real pleasure.  The campus is located in one of the many very lovely parts of Barcelona.

My visit was arranged by a former client.  I really appreciate his willingness to take time to make arrangements for me to visit one of his classes, to meet with Ms. Itziar de Ros Raventós, the Admissions Director, and to give me a tour of the campus.

Like other top international MBA programs, the thing that struck me about being in a class at IESE was how diverse the class was.  The class I attended, Operation Strategy, taught by Professor Alejandro Lago, was very dynamic.  I was very impressed by the class and the level of student engagement.  As a case method focused program, the class environment was quite similar to HBS except the students at IESE are much more diverse. I was particularly glad to see the highly active participation of so many Japanese students in the class I attended.  Japanese students in MBA programs worldwide often have a reputation for not being active in class, but at least in the first-year class I attended, this was not the case. IESE's Japanese student page is here. Based on what I observed, IESE surely provides the kind of internationalizing and personally transformative education that only the best MBA programs provide.

Ms. de Ros Raventós was kind enough to take some time to talk with me. I want to thank her for giving me a better understanding of IESE and answering some of my overall questions.    

This is my first blog post on IESE, but I doubt it will be my last.

Now back to my vacation.

-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
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, which is publicly available on Google Docs here, and then send your completed form to adammarkus@gmail.com.  You can also send me your resume if it is convenient for you.  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. See here for why. 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.

ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学

Q&A with a Member of the Chicago Booth MBA Class of 2012

In this post, the first where I have done a Q&A with a former client in both the first and second year of his or her program, is with “Booth1Y” who is now “Booth2Y”. Booth2Y is a member of the Class of 2012. You can find his earlier Q&A here. Booth2Y wanted me to share his background with you: “After the four year experience as an equity analyst and the three year experience in the corporate in one of the major investment banks, I got an MBA sponsorship from my company and chose Booth due to its amazing finance program (however, again Booth is not just finance school).”


Adam: Looking back on your Booth MBA experience, what do you think you have gained?


Booth2Y: I have gained the following.

• Advanced knowledge of finance: I worked as an equity analyst before coming to Booth. In order to continue a career in an investment management company, I wanted to learn advanced level of finance. At Booth, we can take PhD level courses of finance. Through such courses, I definitely think I could get a deeper understanding of finance and broaden my knowledge (i.e. from equity to fixed income and derivatives)
• Soft skills in several areas (please read the following questions)
• Global network with talented students: Through tons of student activities and study groups, I can get a lot of friends from all over the world. If I just had continued working in Japan, I would not have been able to get these precious friends.
• Deeper understanding of myself and Japan: This MBA experience is my first time to live and study abroad. Through studying and being involved in student activities with talented students from all over the world, I could understand my weaknesses and strengths deeply. In addition, by looking at Japan from U.S., I feel I could rediscover problems and attractiveness of Japan.

Adam: Beyond Booth’s flexibility, which you mentioned last time, what parts of the program have you liked the most?


Booth2Y: I like that Booth offers us tons of resources to learn and to create network. For example, other than courses, Booth offers us lots of seminars about leadership and practical financial skills. Through these seminars, we can have more opportunities to learn and grow as business people. In addition, various student clubs organize conferences, which enable us to expand our network.


Adam:  Booth has a strong reputation for teaching the hard skills, but have your soft skills improved?


Booth2Y: Definitely. Although Booth is famous for its hard skill courses in finance and entrepreneurship, Booth has also various kinds of soft skill courses such as negotiation, organizational management, and leadership. Although I was skeptical about learning soft skill in classes before coming to Booth, I have learned a lot from soft skill courses and am feeling that my soft skills have improved. For example, this quarter, I am taking one negotiation class called “Strategies and Processes of Negotiation”. In this class, we learn various techniques of negotiation thorough a lot of exercises with our classmates. This is my first time to learn negotiation systematically. And, I feel my negotiation skills are definitely improving through the lectures and the exercises.


Adam: How would you describe Booth’s culture?


Booth2Y: I often feel professionalism from our friends. For example, in study group meetings, we don’t depend on each other too much. Each of us makes most effort to solve homework before the meetings. And, we try to finish the meetings within predetermined time because we have a tight schedule and because we respect time of our friends and us. Of course, if our friends cannot solve the homework, we help our friends learning.  And, of course, like other business schools, all of us are very friendly. However, we are not just “friendly” and don’t respect superficial “teamwork”.


Adam: I know you are active in a number in a number of clubs, which ones did you end up being really involved in?


Booth2Y: I am really involved in the activities of Japan Club. This March, as an active member of Japan Club I led the Booth Japan Trip 2012 which 39 Booth students and partners joined. It took 4 months from November in 2011 to this March to prepare for this trip and we were busy with the preparation during the winter quarter. We considered itinerary, collected the applications and money, and organized the information sessions, etc in the preparation. Through the preparation and the trip, I could improve my leadership skill and extend my network. And of course, although I was hectic during the trip, the trip was very enjoyable.


Adam: Do you think Booth is successfully expanding its scope beyond being a “finance school”?


Booth2Y: I think, only in Japan, applicants tend to consider Booth just a “finance school”. However, in U.S. Booth is considered a school which has strengths in not only finance but also entrepreneurship and marketing. Thus, the backgrounds of students are well balanced from engineers to consultants. In terms of qualities and quantities, Booth offer great courses in entrepreneurship, marketing, and other areas. Thus, Japanese applicants should discard the wrong image of Booth = a “finance school”.


Adam: Do you have any specific advice for those considering application to your school?


Booth2Y: My advice may be commonplace and basically the same as last year but I think applicants need to write very, very, very specifically what they want to learn and do by taking advantage of Booth’s flexible curriculum and rich resources. Applicants should plan precisely how they will spend two years at Booth, i.e. which courses they will take, when they will take the courses, which activities they will be involved in (student clubs?, new venture challenge, parties?). In order to make their essays more feasible, applicants should talk with the Booth students or alumni who have the similar backgrounds and career interests.


I want to thank Booth2Y for his willingness to answer my questions two years in a row.



-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.