Just Bought Two New Books

Has anyone read Freakonomics or Guns, Germs and Steel? My order from Amazon just arrived and I'm about to dive in. I read a few exerpts from Freakonomics in a magazine and it looked great. I'm also reading Theodore Rex right now, which is a biography covering Teddy Roosevelt's time as President. Too bad they don't make them like Teddy anymore.

Grandstanding at Stanford

Main Entry: grandstand
Function: intransitive verb
: to play or act so as to impress onlookers

Stanford's GSB announced that they’re rejecting all of the 41 MBA applicants who accessed their admission decisions during the infamous Apply Yourself disaster. Here’s the article: Stanford Rejects 41 Hacker Applicants.

First things first, it bugs that they’re still calling this a “hack.” But, I digress (and please, no silly analogies or moral pontificating. We’ve read it all before on the BW forums).

The real problem is that Stanford positioned itself as the compassionate, sensible leader during the aftermath, only to become the most evil of them all when it came down to it. They asked everyone who accessed their decision to write a letter explaining their actions and motivations. And then they denied every single one of them.

Stanford acted like they were giving people a second chance, but were only interested in prolonging the agony and talking to hear the sound of their own voice. There is simply no possible way that every single one of the 41 explanations fell short. I believe this is what’s known as, “gettin’ feudal on that ass.”

In my opinion, they had no intention of letting any of the Palo Alto 41 get off the chopping block, but we’ll never know. So, in summary, Go Bears!

Spending Money Never Felt So Good

It’s on! I just paid my UCLA Anderson deposit, securing my place in the Class of 2007!

Part I: Pre-Application and the GMAT (For Future Applicants)

I started seriously committing to business school one year ago, almost to the day. I had applied for a job that I was overqualified for that would pay me too little, but it was a job that I wanted nonetheless. I interviewed twice, hit it off for everyone and impressed the decision makers, but ultimately they went with somebody else. I was really surprised that they passed on me, and I decided that I wasn’t ever going to put myself in that position again. I needed the leverage on my side, and some additional real-world skills to make it where I wanted to go.

I was, however, a little doubtful when I started looking into the process. I had been working as a professional and as an artist for years, but I wasn’t an I-Banker or a Consultant. When I picked up my first GMAT book I realized that I hadn’t seen geometry in well over a decade. I wasn’t the “typical” candidate, but I knew that if I could score well enough on the GMAT to merit consideration I could produce a compelling application. No matter where you come from, you have a chance!

First Things First:

1) Write down your “positioning statement.” Who are you, why are you unique, what have you done, what do you want to do, and how will you add to a business school community?

You will live this marketable image over the next 9-12-18-24 months, so start working on it ASAP. It won’t be perfect right away, but it’s better to get started sooner than later. All of your essays will touch on this message in some way. As my friend said, “It’s like the admissions committees are casting a play. You have to decide which roles you can audition for.”

2) Commit to making no excuses and giving it everything you have. I don’t want to make this sound like Rocky, but you’re going to have a million chances to give less than 100% or make excuses to rationalize failure. You simply have to stick your neck out and commit to this process until the fat lady sings or you’ll get eaten alive. It’s not easy, it goes on for a long time, and it’s very competitive, but the rewards are great and the satisfaction of getting into a great MBA program will make it all worth it!

Visits and Meetings:

I attended the World MBA Tour over the summer and found it to be very informative. It was my fist opportunity to meet admissions committee members and current students face to face. I didn’t make any relationships, but looking back on it, I definitely should have. I say that because I attended an info session at one of the schools I applied to and met an admissions consultant. We exchanged cards, I followed-up with an email, and we stayed in touch all the way through the process. Creating that business relationship helped my application and helped my chances. It really does matter. Getting to know the people who will read your applications is the easiest way to stand out from the thousands of applicants they will judge.

You’ll also hear some good info at these tours/info sessions, provided that you’re there to listen. I remember passing by the Tuck table at the World MBA Tour and listening to one of their adcom members. He was describing what makes a successful essay. He suggested using the STAR tactic, or Situation Task Action Result. In other words, when writing about accomplishments, describe the macro situation, talk about your specific role in helping the process, talk about what you did and show how it helped. Pretty basic stuff, but it was great to hear how they wanted the short essays arranged, and I applied that focused approach to all of the essays I wrote (even though I didn’t apply to Tuck).

You should also visit all of the schools you want to apply to, ideally at least a month before you start writing your essays. Take notes during any info sessions, write down people’s names (including those of professors whose classes you visit), jot down your general impressions, etc. All of these notes will make your essays more personal, and admissions committees want to see that you’ve researched THEIR program, not just a generic MBA.

GMAT:

If you haven’t already, start studying for the GMAT. Even if you’re only ½ sure that you’ll apply to bschool, start studying. It’s not a fun exam and it tests how willing you are to learn its style, so get on it. That said, everyone is capable of achieving a good score if they’re willing to work hard enough. For some it will come easier than for others, but it’s a challenge and you simply have to overcome it to get the ball rolling.

I didn’t start studying until August, and I took the test in November. I wish I’d had a few more months to study, but the R2 deadlines were approaching and I left myself just enough time to take the test once. Luckily, I got the score I needed on the first shot, but don’t put yourself in that position if you can avoid it.

If you’re not good at math and aren’t satisfied with your progress, find a class or a tutor. You can find plenty of test taking courses like Kaplan or Princeton Review, or you can find a private tutor. Check out Craigslist if you want to find an affordable tutor in your home town. The same goes for English and Reading Comprehension.

My favorite GMAT resources:

Official Guide to the GMAT, Volume 10 -- This book had the best, most realistic questions. The math sections at the end of the book were very tough and representative of the math you’ll face on the test.

Test Magic -- A great forum for questions, strategy, and test-taking community.

Recommendations:

Talk to your recommenders-to-be as early as possible and communicate your positioning statement to them. Obviously, they’re going to write the recommendations in their own words, but it can’t hurt to let them know which aspects of your character and accomplishments you want to highlight. They might not take your words into consideration when they write your recs, but if you never communicate you can be sure that your message won’t be heard.

I really thought that recs didn’t help all that much. I assumed that everyone had great recs and, therefore, unless you got a bad recommendation it really wasn’t a difference maker. Just recently I spoke to a former adcom member at a top-20 MBA program. They mentioned that the GMAT and the recommendations were their top two criteria! I was amazed! They said that if Bill Gates wrote a recommendation, they took it into consideration and gave the application more weight, no matter what. So, if you’re two degrees of separation or less from any famous business people or leaders, find a way to meet them face to face and try to impress them with great questions! Who knows, maybe they’ll be willing to write you recommendation if you ask.

…more to come in the next episode.

You See Elle Eh!

I just got the “UCLA Anderson Congratulatory Letter” delivered to my inbox! Wow, how sweet it is!

I dropped my application into cyberspace on January 5th, and after four agonizing months, my first choice came to fruition. Well, truth be told, Harvard was also my first choice, but more like choice 1a because I knew that getting in would be like being struck by lightening and bit by a shark on the same day. And, I’m saving those odds for a massive lottery jackpot.

The last month and a half was particularly challenging, given that I was twisting in the wind on the wait-list flagpole. Last spring, when I officially decided to apply to business school, UCLA was my obvious first choice. Then I looked at the admitted students profile and prestigious rankings and thought, “well, maybe I need a backup plan.” So, I decided that USC would also make a great destination, and then I looked at the admitted students profile and prestigious rankings and thought, “well, maybe I need a backup plan.” If nothing else, the lofty GMAT, GPA, and Work Experience hurdles made me study harder, work more efficiently, and refine my positioning statement.

But through it all, I felt like Anderson was meant to be. Every time I walk out my front door and look across the street I see a bus stop for a line that runs from my neighborhood to UCLA. Literally. Door to door, y’all. Try wallowing in wait-list purgatory and seeing that friendly little reminder every morning. Good times.

I’m excited to post the obligatory, self-congratulatory, Shakespearian “how I did it” missive(s) in the coming days. I’ll probably break it down into three parts: I) Pre-Application and the GMAT, or “Self-Doubt” II) Applying and Waiting, or “Neurosis” III) Post-Acceptance, or “Debauchery.”

That’s it for now. Back soon, and to all of those on a wait-list somewhere, keep the faith.

Boom Goes the Dynamite!

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! This guy needs a career change!

Click for Video

3 Things I Won't Do in Business School

1. Wear blue button-down shirts. I like the way they look, and blue is one of my favorite colors, but they’re like slightly off-kilter Von Dutch hats in LA circa 2003, i.e., ubiquitous and played. I always feel like I’m headed to a Young Republicans meeting when I’m wearing one. I’m convinced that too much time in a blue shirt makes you clap on 1 & 3 when listening to music and drink white zinfandel.

2. Use stupid words like “synergy” or “mission-critical.” Buzz words, in my opinion, are little band-aids used to cover up people’s insecurities. Basically, when somebody isn’t quite sure that they know what their talking about, they reach into the buzz word bag and pull one out to make themself feel smarter. Remember how in that Communications class you took in college you had to memorize a bunch of definitions that were fancy, made-up words used to describe everyday ordinary events that happen when people, you know, talk to each other? Same thing.

Did I miss something in morning meeting, or are we suddenly on our way to the moon? No? Then don’t say “mission-critical” as plain old “important” will suffice.

Check this out for a buzz word laugh

3. Ever stop thinking that these posters are funny. Do yourself a favor and browse the entire collection.