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"Engineer-->Finance" This is a very common career path for students at the GSB, especially Indians and Chinese. But that also means you have a lot of competition from people with basically the same background and professional stories. How do you stand out? What makes you appealing to the people who read your application essays (admissions officers and students who work in the admissions office)? Can you offer them something different from other engineers and make them think, "Wow, this person looks interesting to have on my study team. S/he can offer some unique insights and add value to the GSB commuty..."?
Think about their needs. GSB adcom sees enough engineer applicants with stellar numbers and experience (high scores, good educational background, bigname companies...) Play down with those "hard" data and concentrate on the "softer" ones, so as to paint a vivid picture of yourself. Fight the sterotype on engineers (better with number/facts than people, follow the routine and uncreative, not many personal interests, etc.) This doesn't mean, however, that you should go out of your way to do something really special (or fabricate it) to stand out. No, just bring out what you are. Don't be afraid to reveal your true self. You ARE different, right?
Besides, you also want to show commitment. Research thoroughly about what the school can offer (cirriculum, student group activities, culture...), decide what fits your needs best (from an ADMITTED student's point of view), and talk about this in your essays. Don't just go by the common "oh yeah, GSB is great, good ranking, good finance program, and good teachers..." Everyone else will mention that. Get to the details--how a particular course/student activity can help you make the career transfer, why you will enjoy studying here more than at other schools, AND, most importantly, why you (not some other engineer) will be a valuable asset to the school and fellow students...
If you are in US, do consider coming to the Fall Preview (GSB's major on-campus admissions event) this Friday and Saturday (Oct. 15-16). Tour around the campus (there's the big new building), audit a class (you'll love the professors), and talk to current students (hundreds of them volunteered to serve on the admissions committee. For more info, go check at the GSB website.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
One last suggestion (from a personal view): keep your essays fun to read and unique to GSB. No "ba gu" please...Just look at how much efforts GSB makes to change the wording of their essay questions every year (the essence is basically the same, hehe) Echo to that effort by tailor-making your essays. Don't just copy and paste from your Wharton essay...Think of the adcom as a girl to be wooed--she would want your eyes to focus ONLY on her as if she is the only woman in the world...
[此贴子已经被作者于2004-10-14 0:40:20编辑过] | 
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发表于 2004-10-11 21:37:00
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