Ask Jon Frank- P69-Q&A:WHY MBA? 7 OVERLOOKED REASONS TO GET AN MBA

JonFrank

Hi Jon,

Thank you for helping here.  I think all the applicants here will be grateful for your inputs.  Most of your answers gave me insights to the application process.

If you got the chance to choose between Columbia, Harvard and Wharton, which would you pick? Is location really important to recruiting and school life? Please do a simple summary of the comparision among these 3 schools. such as pros and cons.

Regards,
christy

-- by 会员 honeybutter (2010/12/13 13:27:32)

Christy, happy to offer up some thoughts here.  Well I would pick…Harvard of course.  After all, that is where I went.  I got into all the schools you mentioned, and chose Harvard because of its reputation, network, and being surrounded by the smartest people…on earth.  Next I would pick Wharton—it has a slightly better reputation than CBS, although still not quite as competitive (or exclusive) as Harvard.  But it is great for finance, and international aspects also.  While Im not a huge fan of specialized programs (real estate, Lauder, etc.) it does offer some benefits in those areas as well.  And finally, there is CBS.  Great access in NYC especially, although not a ton of school spirit.  Remember tho, CBS is VERY hard to get into at this stage of the game—they’ve already accepted a BIG chunk of their class.  As of today, Wharton is most likely the easiest (of the schools you’ve listed) to get into.  J Good luck!


Jon Frank

-- by 会员 JonFrank (2010/12/14 0:16:47)

Thank you for your reply. I learned a lot from your thread!
Let's see, Boston is about 4 hrs to NYC, Philly 2 hrs.  So, isn't CBS has some recruiting and intern advantage here? since most financial companies are located in NYC.  Also, I remember second round deadline for CBS is Jan. 6 and Wharton is Jan. 5. They both only have 3 rounds. Why you say CBS admitted large chunk of their class already while Wharton still have a chance?

If I add Stanford, LBS, INSEAD to the list, can you do some explain on the pros and cons as well?  I have a finance background and want to find a job in banking after graduation.  But at the same time I like to get some exposure in business school to global business and entrepreneurship just in case in the future opportunities coming up, I can be my own boss one day. Thank you.

-- by 会员 honeybutter (2010/12/14 3:36:39)

Hey there!  Yes, you are 100% correct.  CBS does have an advantage with the companies that are located in NYC of course, just as Stanford has an advantage with CA firms and HBS has an advantage with Boston firms. So in finance, where most US companies are based in NYC, Columbia is in great shape.  And yes, the reason CBS is hard to get into at this stage of the game, is that they have accepted a bunch of folks ED.  We know one guy who got into HBS and Stanford in Round 2…but was wait listed by CBS!  So that happens every year. INSEAD is a VERY cool program, and truly international. We send some clients there every year…and they LOVE it!  So I would recommend it for sure, especially since many Chinese applicants don’t apply. Same with LBS, although that app is tough!  Hope this helps, and good luck!


Jon Frank

JonFrank

Hello Jon,

My reference wrote a letter of 4 pages to UCLA (5 questions in total), and she asked if that would be too long. Do you think a long reference letter is a little boring for the admission committee? Will that affect my application? After all I don't want to bore the admission officers.

Thank you!

Ben

-- by 会员 ben3ben4 (2010/12/13 16:51:34)

Ben, thanks for the note dude.  Sadly…yes.  You don’t want to ever submit a LOR that is…longer than your entire application dude!  J  It isn’t the end of the world—but ideally, you wanna keep that sucker to 3 pages, max.  And most likely, 2 and change.  So try to influence your recommender—nobody has the time or energy to read a novel dude! Good luck convincing him/her to change his ways!  J


Jon Frank

JonFrank

Hi Jon,

My initial plan for 2011 fall master application was focusing on Engineering Management, which is a relatively new programme designed for engineers who want to learn critical business knowledge.
However, when I explored the available programme I found MBA maybe a better choice since...since it is more competitive and provide more opportunities to improve myself.
I only have GRE score now, but I saw majority MBA starting to accept GRE score. Verbal 690 (97%) + Quantitative 800 (94%) + writing 3.5 (26%)  Except the writing I think my score is competitive enough.
I have 2.5 years semiconductor manufacturing company experience as an Engineer (recently promoted to Senior Engineer) in Singapore. My undergraduate study was also taken in Singapore and I graduated with first class honours (GPA ~ 3.57/4), major in Electrical & Electronic Engineering.
Would like to ask do you think people with Engineering background is suitable for MBA study? I'm interested in cooperate strategy and operations management and want to join consulting firm after graduation. In that case which schools do you think are suitable for me?
I am in a mess and hurry right now since I just made up my mind the day before yesterday and the composing of essays seems so hard to start. I'm currently interested in Sloan (since its technical emphasis) and Yale (since I kinda like non-profit too, and I like Yale, the name, and you can tell from that I'm a layman~).
I really need your advise since now I still hesitate about my decision. I'm afraid I'm not ready enough to present the best of me for MBA programme. Thank you very much!

Bella

-- by 会员 solartorch (2010/12/14 22:10:44)

Bella!  Hey there.  Jon Frank here from , happy to answer your questions of course.  The fact that you’re an engineer is not bad at all—in fact, we work with a bunch of engineers (from all over Asia) each year, and it is an EASY sell to bschools.  You wanna move from being technical, to MANAGING the technical folks.  That’s not your problem.  Your problem is gonna be your test scores, and your writing skills.  After all, youll find yourself between a rock and a hard place with your essays.  If you write AMAZING essays, the adcom will wonder how you did so, given your low AWA score.  But if you write poor essays, they will…not like them of course.
So.  What to do from here?  You apply.  ick three schools and write AMAZING applications.  The writing cant be too polished of course, but it should cut to the core of who you are.  Sure, Yale is a good spot.  Sloan may be a bit of a stretch, but if you put out three GREAT apps you should be in great shape.  And we will be pulling for you!  Good luck!


Jon Frank

JonFrank

Hi, Jon,

This is J from Taiwan.
I got 7-year full time employment. (2 years in army and 5 years in a leading pharmaceutical company)
My test scores: GMAT 700; TOEFL: 106.
I would like to apply for MBA programs with healthcare management concentrations.
Can you suggest some schools that you think I might have good chances to get in?

Thanks for your time!!

Best regards,
J

-- by 会员 taiwaneseg (2010/12/14 23:02:32)

Hey there! Yes, it would be our pleasure to list a few schools where you have a good shot of getting in, and where there are great healthcare-related programs.  I like Tuck, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Ross.  J  Of course HBS and Wharton have great programs as well—but as you can tell, we tend to be conservative.  Consider these four programs, and you will be in business this year.  All GREAT options for you my friend, and a well-rounded group of schools…


Jon Frank

JonFrank

Another question: do you have guarantee policy in your service? e.g. you revised the paper work package and make sure people to get in their dream schools, if they don't, their money back or at least some of it.  Or do you just get the work down but care less for the result?

I know some agencies in China provides such guarantees.

-- by 会员 honeybutter (2010/12/15 7:22:23)

Hey there!  Thanks so much for the note.  Yes, schools do background checks after folks are accepted.  And on one occasion, I know of a guy who had lied who had his offer rescinded.  Of course this is unusual, but it is a real possibility.  In fact, this year we worked with an applicant (from the Middle East) who worked for one of the companies that does these background checks…

And we try not to discuss our company business here out of respect for our gracious hosts at CD—but the answer is no, we don’t offer any such guarantees.  After all, we cant interview for our clients!  J  And if we did offer such guarantees, we would have a (harmful) incentive to tell people NOT to apply to challenging schools.  We would never do a Stanford application, for example.  After all, nobody has a GREAT chance of getting in there.  We do address this great question on our website—but please, beware of any company offering such guarantees.  Think about their incentive to help you, should they be most interested in managing that ratio…

And feel free to reach out to me personally, any time at all.  Best of luck to you!


Jon Frank

JonFrank

Hi, Jon

Thanks for your time and effort paid to our forum. I have a question here.


I graduated from Peking Univ in 2004 and had 6 years working experience,3 yrs in PwC and 3 yrs in an alternative investment company. Now my career meets a bottle-neck, so that I want to enroll in an MBA course. My GMAT is 710 and I just got my TOEFL score 96, which did not meet the line of 100. Although some B-schools say that they do not have a minim requirement of T score, I still think T plays an important role. Now I have 2 solutions.The first one is to apply in the near 2nd round and well prepare with the essay. I WISH the school will value me based on my whole package rather than to filter the scores. The second one is to re-take the exam and put-off the application in the last round.The advantage of this strategy is a better score and more choice of the schools, while the shortcoming is that the last round application is really tough for international applicants.  Could you help me about your preference? I really appreciate for your help.

-- by 会员 cte1231 (2010/12/15 14:07:10)

Hey there.  I am so sorry that you aren’t happy with your scores.  While 710 is not necessarily a dealbreaker for top ten programs, a 96 on the TOEFL will be very tricky indeed.  L  Your  best bet, if you need to apply this year, will be to find programs that are open to lower TOEFL programs.  For example, Tepper accepted someone last year with a 96 on the TOEFL.  What you DON’T want to do is apply to any schools in the LAST round.  This is never a good idea—even for US based candidates it is extremely risky.  For international candidates, it is even more difficult to get in.  So I would find some programs that do not have a minimum requirement, and I would go with it.  That is your best bet—that, or retake the TOEFL and apply next year in Round 1…

Jon Frank

JonFrank

Hey Jon,

Thanks for answering my questions! If I cannot get into a good business school this year, I would definitely ask for your help to review my Stanford application for next year. I hope my application could be more drama, even if it seems a little bit right now...haha..If yyou need any help with your business, my pleasure to offer help.

Cheers on our entrepreneur spirits,

Ben

-- by 会员 ben3ben4 (2010/12/16 11:32:28)

Ben, thanks so much for the kind words.  I wish you nothing but the best of luck, and if there is ever anything we can do to help, we hope you do ask.  Cheers--to entrepreneurship man!


Jon Frank

JonFrank

Jon - how did you become so fluent in Chinese?  Especially reading?  Your Chinese is better than most Chinese Americans!

Took classes in HS, college and study abroad in China?

-- by 会员 thecow10000 (2010/12/16 23:54:26)

Hey there!  We are not expert in Chinese—we still consider ourselves to be beginners.  We have a number of people who help us when we get confused—mostly former clients whom we have helped through the years.  Thank you though for the kind compliment!  J

JonFrank

Hi, Jon

Thanks for your time and effort paid to our forum. I have a question here.


I graduated from Peking Univ in 2004 and had 6 years working experience,3 yrs in PwC and 3 yrs in an alternative investment company. Now my career meets a bottle-neck, so that I want to enroll in an MBA course. My GMAT is 710 and I just got my TOEFL score 96, which did not meet the line of 100. Although some B-schools say that they do not have a minim requirement of T score, I still think T plays an important role. Now I have 2 solutions.The first one is to apply in the near 2nd round and well prepare with the essay. I WISH the school will value me based on my whole package rather than to filter the scores. The second one is to re-take the exam and put-off the application in the last round.The advantage of this strategy is a better score and more choice of the schools, while the shortcoming is that the last round application is really tough for international applicants.  Could you help me about your preference? I really appreciate for your help.

-- by 会员 cte1231 (2010/12/15 14:07:10)

Hey there.  I am so sorry that you aren’t happy with your scores.  While 710 is not necessarily a dealbreaker for top ten programs, a 96 on the TOEFL will be very tricky indeed.  L  Your  best bet, if you need to apply this year, will be to find programs that are open to lower TOEFL programs.  For example, Tepper accepted someone last year with a 96 on the TOEFL.  What you DON’T want to do is apply to any schools in the LAST round.  This is never a good idea—even for US based candidates it is extremely risky.  For international candidates, it is even more difficult to get in.  So I would find some programs that do not have a minimum requirement, and I would go with it.  That is your best bet—that, or retake the TOEFL and apply next year in Round 1…

Jon Frank

-- by 会员 JonFrank (2010/12/16 23:45:31)

Hey, Jon

Thanks a lot for your reply. I have decided to re-take the test on 8th Jan. 2011,  which is the earliest date available in mainland. Additionally, I have applied a restate of speaking part score. I wrote to some schools to state my situation, some replied to me that I can use the score to apply in 2nd round and updated them with the new one. If they can get the update with a week or so after the deadline, it is OK. I listed this information here and hoped it could help others whose conditions might be similiar to mine.

Thank you for your kind advice and I think I may need your further help in Essay, since it is a MUST to use touching stories to offset the bad test score. Let's keep in touch.

Have a nice day!

-- by 会员 cte1231 (2010/12/17 19:42:18)

Thanks so much for this thoughtful response.  You are 100% correct, schools are often open to the idea of your submitting an app, and resubmitting test scores a bit LATER in the process.  Thanks for pointing that out--it is advice that everyone should hear.  One more thing that you have pointed out--great that you called the adcom directly.  There is no need to take anyone's word for these tricky situations...but the adcoms themselves!  Nicely done here--we would love to keep in touch.  Good luck!

Jon Frank

JonFrank

hi jon

i have one question.

in why now section, if i mention my failure in interviews for my target companies such as boston consulting, bain consulting, and in business proposal for taking some small size companies to china, it can make sense or bring negitive impact to my applications ? Initially i just want to express i can get interview chance by my current resume but i need to learn what i lack by MBA. But i can not be sure MBA admission how to think. I ask my friends, MBA students, they suggest me no to include. Can you give me some suggestions ?

-- by 会员 himici (2010/12/20 9:29:27)

Hey there!  Thanks so much for the note.  Happy to offer up some thoughts here.  Honestly my friend, if I were you...I would agree with your friends.  If you had these interviews, and didnt get the job, why should you get into bschool?  After all, you will be applying against some people who DID get those jobs.  And an MBA wont teach you how to interview necessarily, it will teach you how to think, solve problems, etc.  So I would agree with your friends--lets leave it out.  Thats your safest move.

Now.  One additional thought.  You could say that you have reached out with and met with many people from these firms.  Ha!  They wouldnt need to know that you met them...in interviews, and you never got the job offers.  But you WILL get credit for doing the research of getting in touch with these people.  That is probably the smartest way to treat this scenario.  Good luck...


Jon Frank