bodhisattva

any book but "ahead of the curve". that book will just get you really excited about hbs and then when you are dinged you will feel like crap. not speaking from experience (yes i am)

bpdulog

Wendy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> slave Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > numi Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Made it into a top 3 b-school last
> > > year and the rest, as they say, is history.
> >
> >
> > Douche.
>
>
> Disagree. The fact that numi was admitted to
> H/S/W is key information.
>
> When you are applying to business school, everyone
> you know will offer their advice. Unfortunately,
> much of this advice will be idiotic.
>
> If are fortunate enough to know someone that has
> actually been admitted to a top program, then
> that's the guy you want to listen to.


That's basically right, and numi's a smart guy, but remember that people don't always know what it was that got them accepted or rejected. All they really know is that they got in and perhaps some guesses about what worked.

But there are two things that one can get from people who got in.

1) People who got in often have a flavor of the "culture" of the school. A lot of the decision is as much about "fit with what we do" as it is about raw talent. In fact, in schools where there is tons of talent in the applicant pool, admissions officers are often more concerned with shaping the culture of the school (albeit with people that have made the talent cut). They are looking for a the balance between "fit with the culture" and "diversity within the culture." You want to fit in with the types of stuff the school is known for. On the other hand, top schools really do want a diversity of student perspectives so that they don't produce cookie-cutter graduates.

2) Sometimes, it is useful to know people who get in *despite* things that sound like strikes against them, like a low GPA or GMAT, or something like that. There is extra information there about what it is that can overcome these issues, and that's a hint about what admissions officers value.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 01:38PM by bchadwick.