MBAJourney 2 - MBA Adcoms 2

It's even.
I started with an overwhelming 2 - 0 in my favor, but last Friday, in a lapsus of 3 hours, it was a draw. I received 2 dings: Wharton and MIT!
(By the way, I couldn´t post because I had very limited conectivity during a trip I had to do the last couple of days).

It was kind of a bummer the MIT ding. I believed it was a good application, and having interviewed with Wharton, I had the feeling that I would have the chance to interview with MIT! However, it did not happen.

Anyway, I am very happy that Chicago Booth and Kellogg had admitted me! And I look forward to getting to know the schools even better to make a decision! Furthermore, don't forget about Tuck!!

Wharton interview

Sorry I haven't been posting that much! I was very busy at work and preparing interviews!

Well, I just had my Wharton interview. Again, it didn't go amazingly. I am sure that I am better in interviews than what I showed today. I got nervous in the Why Wharton question, and I think I screwed up there. I didn't mention a couple of things I had prepared. Then, it was very difficult for me to go back to the cool-calmed-easy-going guy I was during the first part of the interview. I ended up with a headache. In the end, it wasn't that bad. I just believe it could had been much better!

I met the alumnus at the airport of my city as he came for business for the day. He was very friendly and conversational. The interview lasted a little less than an hour.

The questions he asked were:

• Tell me about your professional experience 
• Tell me about your experience in Spain / why didn't you stay there. 
• Tell me about you undergraduate experience.
• Why Wharton 
• Why MBA and not any other masters degree 
• Do you need an MBA to become a manager at ? 
• Strengths and weaknesses 

Then we talked about Wharton and the life in Philly. He was very nice and gave me lots of advice.

So, I believe it was not a bad interview, but again, I don't know if it will be enough. (I kind of believe it won't :( )

Now, I have Kellogg's interview tomorrow, and I have also been invited to interview by Tuck! So preparation continues...

Wharton invite!!! and other updates

I got the mail from Wharton!!! wow, what a feeling... I couldn't share it with anyone because I was about to enter a meeting! Anyway, this morning I was writing this: "Wharton: Hopes are lost. We are one day to the deadline of the mid decision, and no invite came. I really liked Wharton. Anyway... I'm sure the experience will be great in whatever school takes me in!" But it seems I'm still in the game!

Here comes the updates part.

Tuck: Well, after working hard all weekend, I submitted Tuck on Monday. I prepared those essays in only a week! I was able to use a lot of ideas of my previous essays. People say you shouldn't, however, it worked for me at leat for essay writing. Let's see if it works for getting in! As I am international student, I couldn't go to Tuck to interview, so, if my profile interests them, I will be called for an interview. Otherwise, people will prove right for that thing of not using the others school essays!

Kellogg: I did receive an invite! I thought they were forgetting about me. I hope to schedule it for next week and prepare it well!

MIT & Chicago Booth: In the not-sweet wait. I have a wait of more than a month for both. For Chicago Booth, I'll be waiting for the final decision, and for MIT, I'll be waiting for an interview invite!

So, I will have to prepare two interviews (K and W) kind of in a rush. I don't know if I should split them in the time that is left, so as to be totally focused in one at a time. The thing is I've already written to my Kellogg alumnus proposing him a day and time. If he says yes, then I have to try with the W alumnus to stretch things a little. I don't know... I will see in the next couple of days.

I'll keep you guys informed!

Some application strategy

Given that neither Kellogg nor Wharton sent me an invite yet (ok, now i'm worried!) and that my Chicago interview didn't go spectacularly, I will give it a shot to Tuck. I have been intensively working on the Tuck's essays I once began writing. I know I have a good fit with Tuck's close-knit community!

I believe that Tuck having the 1st round the same day that Wharton's mid decision and very close to chicago´s is not a mere coincidence... And it worked for me!!

I am surprised at Kellogg as I have not received any news. Not even the mandatory invitation to interview!

Anyway... I still have some hope that at least one of these schools will admit me!

MIT submission, no news from Wharton nor Chicago

It's too much going on today!

First, after having a weekend of proof reading my Sloan essays, and adjusting minimal details (which I hope they give more bright to the essays!), I submitted Sloan's app. I will now call my recommenders to remind them that the deadline is over us!

Second, Chicago Booth is supposed to start sending inteview invites today! But i still didn't receive one. As with Wharton, I don't expect to be one of the first people who receive one. I will be happy if I receive one in the first days of november! Some guys in the Business week forum claim to have received an invitation. All the luck for them in the interviews!

And finally, Wharton's inteview invites are shining for their absence. They were supposed to be sent since October 22nd. Only one person in the Business Week forum claimed to have received one! (I'm getting adicted to that forum... I read that it could happen). However, it is kind of rare that almost no one in the internet received and invitation.

I believe the best thing is not to worry about this issues until November 7th... but it is VERY difficult!

Wharton interviews and uploading MIT materials

Just a notifier for those waiting for Wharton: Today the adcom was starting to send invitations to interviews! Of course, I haven't received one. I hope to receive one more close to the mid decision deadline, which is November 12.

Regarding Sloan, Today I will be uploading the transcripts. The essays are almost done, and my recommenders told the have started working. Hopefully everything will be ready by Monday!
Sloan allows you to upload many scanned transcripts file, which is great! Because I don't have to worry about the file sizes when appending new scanned pages. As I am an international applicant, I have to also scan the translations, which means I have to send double the number of scanned pages! But Sloan makes it easy for me :).

MBA - Cars comparison

I found this excellent comparison of cars with MBA's here: http://mbaapply.blogspot.com/2007/06/top-mba-programs.html.

HBS is like the British luxury car of varying quality - Bentley, Aston Martin, MG, Rolls-Royce. They are Establishment, tophats and all. Some drivers are able to break the "unapproachable" mold and will take their cars for a bit of a joyride, but some are trapped in the pomp and circumstance of their cars.

Stanford is like the Italian sports car - Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, Maseratis. They are bold, distinctive, and anti-authoritarian. They aren't the most reliable cars, but they sure look good, and they are the ultimate joyride car, risks be damned.

Wharton are like the German sports cars - Porsche and AMG-Benz. They combine the quality/reliability of German engineering that the British and Italian sports cars don't have, with the cachet that rivals only the British and Italian luxury cars. However, they don't quite have the same cachet of the British and Italian luxury cars, even though many drivers would still kill for a Porsche 911 turbo or AMG.

Chicago GSB is like a Volvo - the quality, performance and reliability is probably as good as any luxury automaker, but it doesn't do as good of a job at marketing itself. It has a reputation for being a bit staid, boxy, boring. But it's like a tank - impenetrable to any kind of criticism because its owners will try really hard to explain why its car is as good as any German car out there.

Kellogg is like a Volkswagen - they aren't the most reliable cars, but they are sure fun cars to drive. They also have a very young, hip and aspirational image - but one that is within reach of many people. They are very good at promoting and managing its reputation as a “cool and hip” car to drive.

Sloan is like an Audi - more people have them than you'd expect, and for a German car, they are a bit younger and hipper. Particularly it's S-series. They are mentioned alongside the other great auto manufacturers, but still fly under the radar in most discussions.

Columbia is like a BMW - an amazing machine that combines performance, quality and cachet, but it also attracts a disproportionate number of aggro drivers who believe they own the road, and act accordingly (blasting their music for everyone to see, cutting people off in traffic, honking their horns, etc.).

Tuck is like a Saab. It's quirky, relatively small in number, but has a fiercely loyal following of aficionados. Not many people know the car, but those that do rave about it.

What will I be?
If I do a reverse rationale, that means, match my personality with a car, and then the car with the MBA, I think I would have Chicago Booth as a first option, and then MIT! That's funny! Try it out!

My short list

I am a round 1 applicant for the following schools:

• Kellogg
• Chicago Booth 
• Wharton 
• MIT 
• Tuck (maybe)

As for today, all of the schools have something that really wake my attention.

For Kellogg, the community and collaborative philosophy. I went to an information session, and it was filled of alumni! They all conveyed this positive about their community.

I believe that Chicago Booth's academic rigor is definitely a plus. I see Chicago Booth graduates as highly intelligent and analytic people.

Wharton's rank says a lot of the school. Consistently ranked among the best three, it has a great reputation in many fields, specially finance. Big network.

MIT, for now, my favorite. I can't hide the engineer that is inside me!

Tuck. In addition to an excellent and intellectually demanding program, probably the best community and one of the most active networks. The only issue that doesn't convince me, is the little town. I want my significant other to capitalize the experience by studying or working. Living in Hanover imposes some limitations, although not completely.

So well... that is my short list. You may be asking about HBS and Stanford!! Those will go for 2nd round ;).