observer

wonderful place for seeking advice!

thanks!

diatomss

I have one question: It seemed my application to Columbia, Duke, MIT has no hope, so I guess my competence is not strong enough for top 10. Do you think I should lower my target in Round TWO?

My background is as follows: big four accounting firm; 3 years; G: 700; T: 620.

Thanks a lot!

hsWang

以下是引用Clemons在2005-11-16 13:57:00的发言：

Great service!

MY BACKGROUND

I graduated in 99 with a degree in Operations Management and have moved up the Ops corporate ladder over the past six years. I started as a production planner, working for the Intel Corporation, and worked up to Master Scheduler, Planning Program Manager, and finally as a SAP Business Analyst for the Materials Management and Production Planning modules. I have several corporate awards where I can demonstrate leadership in the positions I have held and regularly work with statistical models at work. I have also received two highly sought APICS certifications in the Operations world. My cumulative GPA is 3.2 and my most recent GMAT was 640. I only spent a month preparing for the GMAT and feel that I could score an additional 30-40 points with some study.

QUESTION

What additional steps would improve my chances at going to MIT and Carnegie Mellon? I personally believe they have the best Ops program in the world, but am curious how many Ops guys apply for these spots and how competitive it is.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Clemons,

Thanks for your inquiry and compliment!

Since you are confident you can boost your score by 30 or more points, I encourage you to retake the GMAT. The good news is you are getting a head start on the process and you should have time to take the GMAT, develop a solid story, and submit applications by the round 2 deadlines.

You're asking a good question. In the applicant pools at Sloan and Tepper, I believe you can be very competitive, particularly with a higher GMAT score and your highly analytical work experience. The biggest concern I see from this admittedly brief blurb is a potential lack of extracurricular activities.

Best of luck with your application!

Sincerely,

H.S.Wang

Clemons

Great service!

MY BACKGROUND

I graduated in 99 with a degree in Operations Management and have moved up the Ops corporate ladder over the past six years. I started as a production planner, working for the Intel Corporation, and worked up to Master Scheduler, Planning Program Manager, and finally as a SAP Business Analyst for the Materials Management and Production Planning modules. I have several corporate awards where I can demonstrate leadership in the positions I have held and regularly work with statistical models at work. I have also received two highly sought APICS certifications in the Operations world. My cumulative GPA is 3.2 and my most recent GMAT was 640. I only spent a month preparing for the GMAT and feel that I could score an additional 30-40 points with some study.

QUESTION

What additional steps would improve my chances at going to MIT and Carnegie Mellon? I personally believe they have the best Ops program in the world, but am curious how many Ops guys apply for these spots and how competitive it is.

Thanks in advance.

Justly

Dear Wang

Thanks a lot for your kindly reply.

I would like to call you at your convinience, may I ?

hsWang

以下是引用Justly在2005-11-6 11:32:00的发言：

I have two questions...

1. About what round to apply in, I've heard a few theories. On one hand, I've heard Round 1 admissions generally have higher acceptance rates, but on the other hand, this might be due to the fact that there are several other stellar 4.0/800 applicants from the I-banks who are applying in that round. I am an I-banker, so my chance in round 2 would be hurt?

2. If interested in obtaining an position in Europe immediately upon graduation, what is the difference between a European business school and applying to a US business school and coordinating an international job search from here?

Thanks for your help.

Hi Justly, thanks for your questions!

1. This is an urban legend. The schools have very detailed historical records and they know that each year roughly x% of their best applicants apply in round 1 or round 2. Hence, they tend to admit applicants along the same lines.

The only ounce of truth to this is that there are a very small number of admissions committees who actually use a rather rigid approach when determining the number of applicants to accept in each round. The number is very small though and we consider those schools' identities to be proprietary as we are certain no one else comes close to matching our extensive network.

At these very few schools, if you wait until round 2, you are hoping they don't get as many highly-qualified applicants in round 2 and the school is "stuck" taking you as they already passed over more qualified applicants in round 1.

2. You would be better off attending a school in Europe if that is your main consideration. You will have a stronger network and the European recruiters will take you more seriously.

Don't hesitate to contact me directly if you would like professional assistance. We do have European b-school admission experience.

Sincerely,

H.S.Wang

Justly

I have two questions...

1. About what round to apply in, I've heard a few theories. On one hand, I've heard Round 1 admissions generally have higher acceptance rates, but on the other hand, this might be due to the fact that there are several other stellar 4.0/800 applicants from the I-banks who are applying in that round. I am an I-banker, so my chance in round 2 would be hurt?

2. If interested in obtaining an position in Europe immediately upon graduation, what is the difference between a European business school and applying to a US business school and coordinating an international job search from here?

Thanks for your help.

hsWang

以下是引用gaoleming在2005-10-25 12:18:00的发言：

Hi, HSW!

Please advise me on the best approach for "weakness" questions. We all have them but is there a trick or best approach on addressing weaknesses? I have read essays where people talk about how they have a temper issue or are judgemental.

But seriously are these "real" weaknesses or just character issues? No one ever writes about how they lack proper management skills or technical expertise, etc.

If one were to reveal the latter ones, is that the WRONG type of weakness to reveal? Please help!!

Hi, thank you for your questions.

Indeed, everyone has weaknesses, but why most schools ask such question? The reason is simple----to test whether you have the sense of self-awareness, whether you are honest, and whether you are mature......

So feel free to mention your real weakness (the ones needed to avoid mentioning include: ethichal problems; inability in quantitive analysis, and lack of leadership potential), and more important, you must also emphasize that you've taken initiative to make improvements in the weak areas.

Best of wishes to your essay writing and application!

Sincerely,

H.S.W

hsWang

以下是引用eilekioa在2005-10-16 0:49:00的发言：
Hi,
I have graduated with a Bachelors in Biology. But, I became unmotivated to go and my areas of interest changed as I finished up my degree. I have become interested in real estate. I was wondering if it is possible to get into a masters in real estate development, if I have a background in the biology and chemistry area.

I have also thought about getting a MBA in Health care field? What would you recomend based on my background? Which field has the most potential in the future, How is the pay in each particular field?

Thanks!

Thank you for your questions!

I must admit I am not an expert career consultant. But I would share my two cents on your case. Since you want to develop in real estate, you can combine biology and geology. For example: what about a company that builds cities in China, and makes them safer for the people. In these times of national emergency, water, food and air are concerns for people and where they live.

MBA can be general enough to help run the companies to make it a safer world. This would give you a chance to angle into a career that is still hot all over the world.

Sincerely yours,
H.S.Wang

eilekioa

Hi,
I have graduated with a Bachelors in Biology. But, I became unmotivated to go and my areas of interest changed as I finished up my degree. I have become interested in real estate. I was wondering if it is possible to get into a masters in real estate development, if I have a background in the biology and chemistry area.

I have also thought about getting a MBA in Health care field? What would you recomend based on my background? Which field has the most potential in the future, How is the pay in each particular field?

Thanks!