Dinged by UC Berkeley Haas

And the DINGs keep on coming ! Haas sent the ding note this afternoon.

I have kind of got used to these ding e-mails to the point that they no longer have any effect one me. I simply read the mail,made a note about it to a co-worker and carried on with my duties for the day. That's it !

McCombs and XLRI are the only ones left on the list now. I have almost written of CMU, what with the long list of folks on their WL.

Let's see what happens.

Haas R2 app submitted

Submitted my dream school - UC Berkeley Haas School of business for Round 2.

As is the case with most things, I learnt from my experiences in previous apps to really shine my Haas essays. I especially liked my long essays. Really showed my leadership skills, goals, fit with Haas etc. etc.

My only worry is if I have been able to differentiate myself enough to get a call.

My wife doesn't like me talk about this differentiation thing. She says...."you said what you wanted to say....if XYZ school thinks that is not enough....hell with them...they probably are missing the next Gates or Ellisson!".
Maybe a slight exaggeration to compare me with such greats, but I guess she has a point. As DaveforMBA says, "the MBA is a tool not a goal".

So there goes my Haas R2 application. Lets see how it ends.

Darden interview invites coming out

Found from BW forum that Darden has started sending out interview invites.
Despite me checking the online app status site couple of dozen times a day, it still shows "pending". Hmmm...let's see how it goes.

CMU decision is 17 days away. ISB will decide in less than two weeks.

Meanwhile, fine-tuning my Haas essays. The "creative solution" essay took some time to figure out. But have things worked out for now. I sent an initial draft to someone I know and got useful comments. Let all the God's bless this one app pls !

Haas MBA Essay Analysis

Working hard on my Berkeley Essays now. Deadline is Dec 11th.

Haas has a comprehensive set of essays which is aimed at trying to get the applicants complete background.

My 2 cents on the essays :

Short Answer (required):
1. If you could have dinner with one individual in the past, present, or future, who would it be and why? (250 word maximum)

The focus here should be on yourself by mirroring the characters of the individual with yourself.
In simpler terms, use a person who shares many of the ideals or principles that you uphold to show the adcom what kind of person you are.

2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 word maximum)
Not much words here...so the detail of the accomplishment may decide what you want to write here. Since they have not mentioned that this should be professional only, I guess it is fine to write about accomplishments in one's personal life.

3. At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. Describe an innovative solution you have created to address a specific challenge. (250 word maximum)
This was the tough nut to crack for me....finally got a vague story after brainstorming with my wife. The hard part is to bring out a truly creative story...not just any solution like " project was in crisis...everyone were praying for me to come and help...I came..I helped..I went !".
I realised finally that the solution need not be ground-breaking research but any solution that we came up with, no matter how small it maybe.

4. What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program, and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? (250 word maximum)
Standard question...how did you find out Haas is for you....what all did you do to confirm this.
Note that in the long essay they again ask why Haas...so this may be answered at a high-level and the long answer can provide more depth.


Required Essays:
1. Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)
Standard leadership essay.

2. What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? Why do you want an MBA from Berkeley at this point in your career? (1000 word maximum)
Looks easy with 1000 words..but only when I started writing did I realise the breadth of this question......goals, your past,why mba, why now, why berkeley in 1000 words......lot of material to cover.

Optional Essays:
1. (Optional) Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you haven’t addressed elsewhere. (500 word maximum)
Any weaknesses or areas of concern that you wish to talk about.

2. (Optional) If you wish to be considered for the Haas Achievement Award (for individuals who have achieved success in spite of significant economic, educational, health-related and/or other obstacles), please use this space to address the obstacles you have overcome. (750 word maximum)
If you have a genuine story of how you achieved success despite hardships...you can write it here.