Hi Alex,
I lost my job last Fall after a very successful few years doing Corporate Finance / Strategy at a major media company (division moved to LA and I declined a promtion and stayed back). Business School has been a lifelong goal of mine, but I immediately focused on finding a job, and it's been 5 months and I'm still searching. I'm now scrambling to put in applications to a few top schools for the 3rd Round.
Some questions:
1) Do I need to address my unemployment in the optional essay?
2) What if I need to use it to explain lower GPA?
3) Should I explain my reasons for applying in the 3rd round?
4) One Recommender wants to show me a draft of his letter. Can/Should I do this? What is the impact on "waiving my rights" on the application?
5) Is there a limit to Reccomendation length?
6) Any other feedback on applying in the 3rd Round and how to position myself?
Thank you so much.
-STJ
GMAT Forum
4 postsPage 1 of 1
- MBAApply
Sorry to hear about your job loss. It's becoming a very common theme these days for a lot of people (MBA applicants included).
To answer your questions:
(1) Yes. Again, no need to spin it and how you described the situation in your post is pretty much all you need to say in the optional essay. Adcoms don't live in a bubble. They know that job losses in this kind of environment is no reflection of your ability or competence.
(2) Then you do that in the optional essay. The "optional essay" isn't really an essay, as much as it's a series of disclosures. Again, just keep it short - all you can do is acknowledge that you know the GPA isn't great, and that it's not a true reflection of your ability. They've heard all the excuses in the world (had to work a job, family problems, health problems, etc. and the fact is there's others who have faced similar circumstances or difficulties and still managed to do reasonably well in school).
(3) No.
(4) Yes, that's fine. The "waiving the rights" issue pertains to seeing the rec letters *after* a decision has been made on your application (it's more of a legal issue than anything else, and the question about "waiving your rights" is more a legal formality than anything else).
(5) Some schools will state word limits. Others won't. It's really a judgment call. Put it this way - the longer it is, the less likely it'll be read (who wants to read 10+ pages or even 5+ pages?). Keep it as succinct as possible. HBS states up to 250 words per question, and that's a reasonable guideline to follow for other schools that don't have word limits.
(6) Just do the best you can on your application, regardless of round. There isn't anything different that you should be doing in the actual application itself just because it's Round 3.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
To answer your questions:
(1) Yes. Again, no need to spin it and how you described the situation in your post is pretty much all you need to say in the optional essay. Adcoms don't live in a bubble. They know that job losses in this kind of environment is no reflection of your ability or competence.
(2) Then you do that in the optional essay. The "optional essay" isn't really an essay, as much as it's a series of disclosures. Again, just keep it short - all you can do is acknowledge that you know the GPA isn't great, and that it's not a true reflection of your ability. They've heard all the excuses in the world (had to work a job, family problems, health problems, etc. and the fact is there's others who have faced similar circumstances or difficulties and still managed to do reasonably well in school).
(3) No.
(4) Yes, that's fine. The "waiving the rights" issue pertains to seeing the rec letters *after* a decision has been made on your application (it's more of a legal issue than anything else, and the question about "waiving your rights" is more a legal formality than anything else).
(5) Some schools will state word limits. Others won't. It's really a judgment call. Put it this way - the longer it is, the less likely it'll be read (who wants to read 10+ pages or even 5+ pages?). Keep it as succinct as possible. HBS states up to 250 words per question, and that's a reasonable guideline to follow for other schools that don't have word limits.
(6) Just do the best you can on your application, regardless of round. There isn't anything different that you should be doing in the actual application itself just because it's Round 3.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
- Guest
Alex,
Thank you so much for taking time to reply. This is extremely helpful. I have a few follow-up questions if that's ok.
1) What if my "excuse" for a low GPA isn't anything special? Maybe working to support myself contributed to it (in addition to my learning disability), but neither sounds like a particullary good "excuse" worth highlighting separately. Just whining, no?
2) According to the book by Richard Montauk, I thought Recommenders could write a single, all-inclusive letter of recommendation for all schools rather than follow the format the schools send them. When I prepared my recommender, this is what I told him--especially becuase I can't see the recommendation questions and I needed to help shape the message & themes. I also understood they didn't need to fill out the "grid boxes" and the single letter would suffice.
3) I think I am very confused about the 3rd Round application, and a few issues keep running through my mind. Such as:
-I feel i need to do SOMETHING to acknowlege extenuating cirumstances around a 3rd round submission. Should I try to persuade them saying timing is ideal for an MBA right now given my job loss and successful run at work?
-Should I explain 3rd round timing as a result of being swamped at work doing my company's merger and shut down during 1st and 2nd round deadlines?
-Should they know about my due diligence process that has lead me to an MBA so it doesn't look like I'm "backing into it"?
-I'd like to leverage my offer for a promotion to demonstrate upward trajectory, but how will this look against my decision to decline the offer? Especially since I'm still out of work. Should I say I declined the offer to pursue an MBA, or for personal reasons (not wanting to leave NYC- the truth), or for not wanting to continue in the industry (also true).
-Is waiting until next year's 1st round a better option? Even though I won't have much to add by then.
Again, many thanks Alex
-STJ
Thank you so much for taking time to reply. This is extremely helpful. I have a few follow-up questions if that's ok.
1) What if my "excuse" for a low GPA isn't anything special? Maybe working to support myself contributed to it (in addition to my learning disability), but neither sounds like a particullary good "excuse" worth highlighting separately. Just whining, no?
2) According to the book by Richard Montauk, I thought Recommenders could write a single, all-inclusive letter of recommendation for all schools rather than follow the format the schools send them. When I prepared my recommender, this is what I told him--especially becuase I can't see the recommendation questions and I needed to help shape the message & themes. I also understood they didn't need to fill out the "grid boxes" and the single letter would suffice.
3) I think I am very confused about the 3rd Round application, and a few issues keep running through my mind. Such as:
-I feel i need to do SOMETHING to acknowlege extenuating cirumstances around a 3rd round submission. Should I try to persuade them saying timing is ideal for an MBA right now given my job loss and successful run at work?
-Should I explain 3rd round timing as a result of being swamped at work doing my company's merger and shut down during 1st and 2nd round deadlines?
-Should they know about my due diligence process that has lead me to an MBA so it doesn't look like I'm "backing into it"?
-I'd like to leverage my offer for a promotion to demonstrate upward trajectory, but how will this look against my decision to decline the offer? Especially since I'm still out of work. Should I say I declined the offer to pursue an MBA, or for personal reasons (not wanting to leave NYC- the truth), or for not wanting to continue in the industry (also true).
-Is waiting until next year's 1st round a better option? Even though I won't have much to add by then.
Again, many thanks Alex
-STJ
- MBAApply
(1) Tell the truth. Nothing more, nothing less.
(2) Follow the instructions on the rec form. Fill out the grid. Answer the questions. A generic form letter looks like a generic form letter. It takes less effort. Adcoms know that. But fill out the entire rec form, and that very action alone speaks volumes -- that your recommender is willing to put in extra effort for you.
(3) No. The more you write to rationalize it, the less rational it comes across (underneath it all, it just makes you sound guilty for applying in Round 3, like you did something wrong).
As for Round 3 now or Round 1 later, that's a personal decision.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
(2) Follow the instructions on the rec form. Fill out the grid. Answer the questions. A generic form letter looks like a generic form letter. It takes less effort. Adcoms know that. But fill out the entire rec form, and that very action alone speaks volumes -- that your recommender is willing to put in extra effort for you.
(3) No. The more you write to rationalize it, the less rational it comes across (underneath it all, it just makes you sound guilty for applying in Round 3, like you did something wrong).
As for Round 3 now or Round 1 later, that's a personal decision.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
4 posts Page 1 of 1