Tepper result awaited

It's been more than two months and Tepper result is still awaited. Yes, I'm Tepper waitlisted and still expecting to hear some positive news, though the chances being an international applicant seem a little low now.

Contacted Tepper. They are evaluating and re-evaluating applications, and results would be announced by July1, which means today or tomorrow. This is my last result for this year, and I am all set to apply for Fall 2011, but the wait is killing me. And the downside of this anxiety is that I'm not able to concentrate on my CABM nor my applications from last few days.

Tepper, please announce the result as said. Fingers are still crossed!

All the best to me,

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Startup Leadership Program (SLP)

Yesterday night while researching about Kellogg, I happened to land on a Kellogg current student, Shobhit Chugh's blog, and get to know about this Startup Leadership Program. It's quite impressive, so thought to share it with you. Note: This is not a part of Kellogg. If you have any views on this program, please share.

View more presentations from Anupendra Sharma.

Response of Accepted.com on my schools shortlisting criterion

Linda Abraham of Accepted.com has responded to my last post shortlisting schools - criterion. She largely agrees with the my criterion except the first point (intake % of Indian engineers). 

My point is that, as an Indian engineer belongs to an overrepresented group, he/she should apply to a school where the intake of Indian engineers is relatively higher, considering he/she is a career enhancer or wants to be the same indutry post MBA. This might increase his/her chances of getting in as the seats would be more in that school.

But this is just one side of coin. The other side is that in those schools more engineers might apply, thereby intensifying the competition. Also, this criterion doesn't stand good for career changers who want to move out of technology/IT industry post MBA.

Linda explains more on this.  Jump on to her post to know more.

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Shortlisting schools - Criterion

In my last post I dicussed my take on 1 year program v/s 2 years program. Today, I want to discuss on the criterion I feel must be considered while shortlisting schools.

Shortlisting schools is the toughest and most crucial step of MBA application process. The other day I had a long discussion with one of my friend about the criterion which hold priority for us (Indian IT guys - an overrepresented group). We decided on something and your comments to clarify our thoughts are most welcome.

1. Intake % of Indian engineers: I believe this is very important as a few schools such as MIT, Tepper give a little more preference to engineers than others schools do. If a school's intake of an IT is low as compared to other functions, then even if qualified, it might become very competitive for an Indian IT guy. And, qualified and competitive are two different things, as you know. If you don't please let me know.

2. Teaching methodology: This is one of the important criterion for me. I might not apply to a school which follows a strict case study method (I'm not used to it) such as Harvard or Darden, or I might not apply to a school where I have to sit 50% of time inside a class listening to a lecture (I'm overused of it). I seek a balance of all with an emphasis on projects and hands on learning as at Ross.

3. Recruitment: Howsoever good is the college, International applicants always face stiff competition is getting great jobs, and more if there is a career transition. So, it becomes necessary to know how many international students got placed relatively.

4. Culture (competitive or collaborative): After researching through many schools, even they are framed as competitive, at the end I found them collaborative. For example Harvard which is known for its competitive environment, but ask a Harvard alumni to know Harvard also is collaborative. So what I feel is, and please shed more light on this, the schools which has more of case study, where each student is individual in a class of 90 and is arguing for his/her points with other 89, will automatically become competitive. But outside the class, they might be collaborative. One other hand, team based projects and assignments will make students more collaborative all the time.

5. Clubs/extra-curricular: How active are the your career clubs and your interests clubs?

6. Curriculum and Specialization: Some has rigid curriculum and some has flexible. Some are type casted for a particular specialization such as Chicago for Finance and some are famous for general management such as Ross. But somehow I feel, this criteria has lower priority for me than the above five. Every top school could give what I want in terms of subjects/courses I want to study.

There are many other criterion such as location, climate et all. No doubt these are important criterion as well, but I want to keep them tertiary.

Disclaimer: These are my personal views gained after my research and discussions with alums, students, and friends. Please feel free to correct me anywhere. It would help us both :-)

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Schools shortlisting: 1 year program v/s 2 years program

Today, I have formally started short listing the schools and the very first question that stands is 1 year program v/s 2 years program. But before pondering over the factors to answer this question, I want to stop for a second and ask: “How important is this question for me?”

I’ve already completed 6 years of my IT experience and when I’ll enter any school, next year hopefully, I’d complete 7. So, as far as my research goes, 7 years of total experience is not so high to lower my chances into US 2 years programs and is not so low to lower my chances into European 1 year programs. In that sense, my chances are equally favourable in both of these programs. For a person who has just 2-3 years of experience or who has more than 10 years of experience, this question might not be as important, because the former knows he/she has relatively brighter chances in 2 years program and relatively lower in 1 year, and vice-versa for the latter. For instance, my friend who has 3 years of experience is not even thinking about 1 year program.

Thus, this question is very important for me. And just to mention, it is also very important for my mom, who is quite worried about my marriage ;-).

There are a few factors (not comprehensive) which I can’t ignore to consider.

Favouring 2 years programs:

1. Without any background in consulting, I need a solid base to make a transition from IT to consulting. Apart from experiential learning through team projects, this solid base would come from internship project in a consulting firm, which I could avail only in 2 years programs with a very few exceptions in 1 year programs such as INSEAD.

2. In 1 year program, I should have razor sharp future goals, as it doesn’t give me any space to rethink or reframe my career plans after getting into the school. In 2 years program, I could have that option, if I realise any change for better.

3. 2 years would give me a little breathing space. 1 year would be no doubt academically rigor.

4. I could make a strong network base with students and alumni in 2 years; 1 year would just pass in a splash.

5. After discussing with current students, friends, and experts, I have this feeling that the transformational education I could avail better in US than anywhere else.

Favouring 1 year programs:

6. If I’m very sure of making a transition specifically to IT consulting, my solid IT background would favour me, and in that case a 1 year programs could also provide the needed solid base.

7. I'll miss on just 1 year income, and will be back to work earning in just a year after 1 year program.

8. 1 year programs are relatively lower fee structures than 2 years with a few exceptions.

9. I’ll be 31 when I’ll come out of 2 years of program; a big concern for my mom.

Given these factors both suits me in their ways. Just going by my heart, I’m more tilted for 2 years program in US, but would target only the top tier ones. So, I’m planning to apply to both 2 years and 1 year programs which clearly fit my goals, and where I strongly fit. I hope this would maximise my chances.

One female just got dinged from Ross and got selected in INSEAD. Means, many people shortlist both programs, not only I. Do you think differently?

The next question is “how many schools in Round 1?”

Keep researching. This is the time to maximise it.

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