So Things Were Bad Last Year, But Does That Mean We Should Ignore Last Year's Placement Stats?

I get so many emails from students asking what to make of last year's placement stats on business schools. Here is my take on it.

Yes, things were bad but they were bad for all schools and some schools did better than others. You should use the placement stats to see which schools did better in the recession. Talk to students to find what the school did and how it helped them. Also talk to students from schools that did pretty bad to find out what the school did not do for them. Compare the info you will have from the students and decide for yourself which school is better.

If you ask an adcom member why XXX school did not do well, DO NOT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THE ANSWER THAT THE ECONOMY WAS BAD. When things are fine, even the worst of people do well. It is when things are bad that the real achievers stand out. Ask them questions about how other schools were able to place more students than them and what they have done to fix things this year.

Trust me guys, if you ignore the placement stats from last year, you will be making a HUUGEEE mistake.

Hope this helps.
Anshul

No posts during the holidays

Hey guys,

I will be traveling for the holidays so will not be able to post anything until 2nd week of Jan. Have a happy new year!!

Anshul

Canada or USA

Hi All,

I am back to USA from my exchange at McGill university in Montreal. Three months just flew by and it was a great experience. Here is my comparison of the two countries:

1. USA has a lot more opportunities even in this time of recession. However, if you are not interested in consulting and finance, your opportunities are limited. Plus, lot of companies are not willing to hire internationals.

2. I thought that UNC was a much better school than McGill when it came to commitment of students and quality of professors. However, I found that McGill's culture was very warm and the program staff was more helpful than UNC's especially for international students.

3. If you plan to immigrate, then Canada is the way to go. Life in Canada is the same as it is in the US and immigration is a lot easier. USA has pretty much closed it doors for Indians and Chinese, unless you dont mind waiting 5+ years for your green card. However, if your plan is to work in the US for 3-4 years and then go back home then USA is a better choice than Canada because it has more to offer.

4. I felt that Canada is more accepting of immigrants. There is more diversity in Montreal and Toronto. I felt more welcomed in Canada. I always heard people say that Canada is more accepting but I never thought it was going to be true. I was a big pro-USA guy, when I have give this one to Canada.

5. Canada is cold!!! so if you dont like the winter, better stay south.

I think thats pretty much it, if you have more questions please ask and i'll do my best to answer them :)

Before You Apply - A Free eBook For All MBA Aspirants.

Please download the ebook through this link. Feel free to distribute to anyone and everyone who is interested in an MBA. Please leave feedback so I can improve this for future classes.

Enjoy!

Thanks,
Anshul

Application Strategy for your B-School

It is very important to get your strategy right for each business school. Your story should clearly say what your goals are and how this MBA and more importantly this school fits into your long term goals. Your essays and resume should reflect this strategy very clearly. Think about it this way. If you are applying to Wharton, your story should that finance is the love of your life. You have always dreamt of working on Wall Street and that’s the reason you studied finance in college. And for the same reason you joined this local bank and want an MBA to learn more about finance and then take the leap to a hedge fund. Get the point?

I understand that your story might not fit as well, but try to find transferrable skills and make the best story you can. Discuss your story with current students and alumni and get their feedback and tweak your story accordingly.

Alumni/Current Students Questionnaire

Here is a list of questions you can ask current students and alumni when you call them or talk to them during your school visit:

1. Why did you choose this school?
2. What do you like the most about it?
3. The biggest strength of the school?
4. The biggest weakness?
5. What other areas would you say the school needs to improve?
6. How are the placements for international students? (if applicable)
7. Talk about housing costs and get more related information.
8. How many students have partners? What is their experience like? (if applicable)
9. What other schools did you consider?
10. What are you majoring in? What are your post MBA goals?
11. Talk about your post MBA goals and ask if this school fits with the goals?
12. Do you any other students who have similar post MBA goals?
13. What is the culture of the school like? Social scene, competitiveness, academic rigor, etc.
14. Favorite professor? Class?
15. What did you wish you knew when you were applying?
16. Any last words of wisdom for me?

Note: This is just a sample of the many questions that you can ask and if you feel I left out something important please let us know and I will update the list.

Is ‘Fit’ Really Important?

School’s cultural fit is very important for every MBA student. Think about getting stuck with students you don’t fit in well with. You are a competitive person and all your colleagues don’t care about competition at all. You like to go out but everyone thinks that they should study on a weeknight. Smaller differences like this can really break your MBA experience. Your colleagues are your future network, and if you don’t get along well with them, it won’t be of much help. Now think of the exactly opposite situation where you get along with everyone and share similar interests. You get the point?