Essay Alert: Berkeley MBA Fall 2009

For all you Berkeley MBA applicants  - The Cal MBA Bears has posted its essay questions for Fall 2009!

Deadlines for R1 & R2

R1: November 4, 2008

R2: December 9, 2008

Straight from http://mba.haas.berkeley.edu/fall2009.html

Short Answer:

1. If you could change one thing you've done in your life, what would it be, and how would you do it differently?
2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment.
3. At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. Describe an innovative solution you have created to address a specific challenge. 
4. What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program, and what factors have influenced your decision to apply?

Required Essays:

1. Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. 
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? 

Optional Essays:

1. Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you haven’t addressed elsewhere. 
2. 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. 

Good Luck and Happy Writing!

A few words about the GMAT

As mentioned in my previous post, here are some learnings I'd like to share about my GMAT experience so far:

1.)    Do not rush!

a.       Do not rush to take the GMAT despite outside pressure.  You need to take it when you are ready and can walk in being confident. 

b.      Do not rush through the problems when you study.  I found myself, going through the problem and reading the explanation and simply moving on.  You need to be able to fully understand where you went wrong, figure out the pattern and thought process for tackling the problem before you even thinking about moving on the next problem.   In doing so, you will learn to recognize patterns and be to quickly hone in on what they are really asking in a question.

2.)    Learn from Tiger Woods

a.       Two Words: Mental Toughness.  I lacked in this area when I sat for the exam.  I’m a horrible test taker but GMAT and B-school won’t buy that.  You need to be mental tough to handle this exam.  In other words, go in with confidence and remain calm and confident at all times not matter how you think you are doing.  For me, I looked at the first quant problem and freaked out.  By the middle I was so sure that I was doing poorly, that I just started to give in and tried to get the math section over with as fast as possible…do not do this to yourself.  If you feel like you are losing it…take a deep breath, re-group, re-focus and move forward.   

b.      Start this when you are studying.  Try your best not to get frustrated, learn to pace yourself, and think positive.

c.       Practice, Practice, Practice.

3.)    Remember: The GMAT does not own you.  You own it!

Update: Don't get desperate and cheat becuase it is never worth it  :)

Back Up Again

OK! So, I think I have had enough time to whine, pout, be upset and I'm done with that. Now it's time to get back up and give it another go!

Thank you to: HappyBunny, Omne, tinydancer, JulyDream for the encouraging words - they defiantly helped!

I'm planning to re-take my GMAT again in late August making sure I leave ample time to do my essays prior to deadlines in Oct/Nov/Dec.

In my next post I'm going to reflect on where I think I made mistakes during my study period and during the exam. I hope that will help others as they prepare for the GMAT

I leave you with these quotes:
"If you fail, get up, and try again"
"Nothing worth having ever comes easy - so if you want it, go get it"

Game Over

In short - I took the GMATs and I scored below the national average...well below.

I am so mixed up in thoughts/feelings - not sure what else to say at this point.

Dreams of top 20 mba schools just got shattered!

Sure I can take it again, but the changes of scoring 700+ just isn't realistic - not to mention AdCom will look really down on this score.

I need to walk/run this off...

I'm (so) Lost

I've been reading quite a few forums and blogs by people who are also pursing an MBA. There are some very thought provoking comments and subjects that I have come across.

As for me, just when I thought I had a good idea of what I wanted to do...I'm back where I started. I'm interested in the topic of an ROI for pursing an MBA from a top 20 school where tuition + living expenses can reach anywhere from $110 - $150K + 2 years of lost income. That got me thinking...wow am I sure I'm making the right move? Yes, I understand that post-MBA salaries will make up the cost, but from what I have read/learned so far - that's only for students going into investment banking (IB) or consulting.

I've done some research and soul-searching and decided that IB or consulting is not the route for me (despite salary and bonus). The reason is because I'd like to maintain a work-life balance with minimal travel so that I can spend time with my family. This leads me to the question...well if one is not pursing IB or consulting, then what other areas are graduates getting into that help them pay off the massive loans and is obtaining an MBA from a top 20 MBA program still worth it?

What are your thoughts?

My first post

As you guessed it, I'm yet another prospective MBA candidate. For the past couple of months, I have been reading many inspirational stories about people's journey to business school. I finally decided, that I would join the club and write about my experience. I am hoping that this blog benefits other prospective MBA candidates and seek help from the wonderful people out there.

Let me beginning by saying: I'm not your typical b-school candidate (but then again, who is?)
The mere fact I'm even considering obtaining a seat at one of the top 20 MBA programs is something I would have never thought I would be doing

I come from a family that are high achievers: cousins graduating from top medical school, law school, and relatives who are executives at leading tech companies. Then there is me. I'm not putting myself down, rather illustrating where I'm coming from. As for me, I went to an average school, got average grades, and pretty much settled on being average ...Till now!