MBA Application Essays : Of Self-Introspection,Insights and other flaff

[cracked-it]

Originally Posted by rickyricks

well cracked-it - i have been working in a "traditional manufacturing company" for the last 30 months and have had my share of success. I did have offer frm s/w companies during campus placements, but for the reason i hate coding, i decided against them. Though I have had a tough time in making myself clear to my oldie bosses, but again the opportunities in terms of ppl handling have been simply gr8.

Perhaps, things have changed for the better now. At least in my times (10 years back), a trainee engineer straight out of college could manage 10-12 workers on shop floor. But then the next "real" promotion was due only after 7-10 years and with a pyramid structure, talent alone wasn't percieved to be sufficient.

[cracked-it]

Originally Posted by znaamed

@susie
Would you really recommend that a future applicant try out your
Method (I know you just did, but double checking)? Did you go about the whole application process with this mindset?
I really wanna know, coz I really really like Ross and I find it hard to believe
That anyone could have followed this approach and obtained an admit. BTW congrats
On the Ross admit!!

Znamed,
For a moment lets forget what is truth, what is right/wrong. Consider this - One has slogged to get an admit into business school and he/she succeeds. When people ask about the success factors - how many of us would have the courage to attribute at least a part of it to "make-up"? I admire Susie for this courage! Perhaps her views could be better recieved (and she could even be a PG moderator) if she doesn't keep a "I don't care" attitude and leave the grey areas grey but thats a different matter altogether.

Now about hard to believe part - look around. Its everywhere! As long as you can sell a dream (whether real or fake) you will have better chances of getting in. If you can sleep peacefully in the night after cooking up your insights go ahead and do it. But if it keeps pinching you somewhere in your heart then don't. The decision to use "Susie method" would be purely based on your value system.


I agree with Oxymoron on what he said,
<Quote>Anyway the point is "honesty","idealism" etc are extremely relative. And there is no "truth" but truths. ( Perhaps this is the only truth! ) So I am pretty skeptical and cynical about the "be yourself" bit. </Quote>

Just as a thought - how many of us didn't "accelerate" our social service efforts / extra curricular so that it helps in admission process? Sure many had the foresight and researched what is required to get into top MBAs. I am not saying that it transformed each of us from "Valya Koli" to "Valmiki" but it sure did influence many ordinary mortals.

To me, getting influenced by the fruits of the future and "accelerating" is not honesty, no matter how noble the cause is.

[iday]

Originally Posted by cracked-it

For a moment lets forget what is truth, what is right/wrong. Consider this - One has slogged to get an admit into business school and he/she succeeds. When people ask about the success factors - how many of us would have the courage to attribute at least a part of it to "make-up"? I admire Susie for this courage! Perhaps her views could be better recieved (and she could even be a PG moderator) if she doesn't keep a "I don't care" attitude and leave the grey areas grey but thats a different matter altogether.

Amen to that

Originally Posted by cracked-it

Now about hard to believe part - look around. Its everywhere! As long as you can sell a dream (whether real or fake) you will have better chances of getting in. If you can sleep peacefully in the night after cooking up your insights go ahead and do it. But if it keeps pinching you somewhere in your heart then don't. The decision to use "Susie method" would be purely based on your value system.

Amen to that again.

Originally Posted by cracked-it

I agree with Oxymoron on what he said,
<Quote>Anyway the point is "honesty","idealism" etc are extremely relative. And there is no "truth" but truths. ( Perhaps this is the only truth! ) So I am pretty skeptical and cynical about the "be yourself" bit. </Quote>

To each his own - i guess this sums it all up.

Originally Posted by cracked-it

Just as a thought - how many of us didn't "accelerate" our social service efforts / extra curricular so that it helps in admission process? Sure many had the foresight and researched what is required to get into top MBAs. I am not saying that it transformed each of us from "Valya Koli" to "Valmiki" but it sure did influence many ordinary mortals.

This is a different variable into the equation and perhaps consists of those "future applicants" i was referring to. I guess a majority of people fall into this category - use the preparatory years to fill in different parts of the MBA application.

Originally Posted by cracked-it

To me, getting influenced by the fruits of the future and "accelerating" is not honesty, no matter how noble the cause is.

Depends on what the person considers to be the fruits of the future. If the fruit is just to obtain an MBA - i believe he/she has lost the entire script. Here we are treading a really thin line between "preparation" and "manipulation" Just to draw a parallel, this is similar to the difference between the OG and the JJs

[cracked-it]

Originally Posted by iday

Depends on what the person considers to be the fruits of the future. If the fruit is just to obtain an MBA - i believe he/she has lost the entire script. Here we are treading a really thin line between "preparation" and "manipulation" Just to draw a parallel, this is similar to the difference between the OG and the JJs

Amen to that!

[jaiBoloh]

For future applicants - "You have to be you" "You cannot and should not spice up things just bcoz someone else did and succeeded (got admitted, etc)". Think of the plight of Director of admissions committee at Harvard who reads 3000 applications when each application is "jacked up" and created to match a certain standard. Do you see how the process can easily turn into reading 3000 carbon copies with different names on them?

I have to agree with iday and others on this issue.

Do you think if M.Sherewat were to act/dress/imitate M.Dixit, you would be interested in watching her on a big screen? What difference wud you find between Sherawat and Dixit? You rather stick to the "more creative" Dixit who worked hard to create her own persona all these years?

US schools try to understand you as a person and your own creative skills. From thier standpoint, you are "who you are". You need not be (and should not be) Micheal Jackson when dancing, or Sampras when playing tennis, or Bill Gates when working. They will need you because you are different and unique.

That's the backbone of the US culture here. you get many examples from entertainment industry ("American Idol", big brother), games/sports (Woods, Kobe bryant), social status (gays, lesbos), and celebrities (Prince, snoop dog). Each one is unique coz they are who they are, what they think, and how they act.

If being urself does not get you an admission @ stanford, then you are NOT a "fit" for the school. But, if you try to imitate as a "fit", you will land into severe problems in life. Remeber, MBA is not the end of life!

Indian perspective of the matter is different - our parents teach us to imitate leaders and great people. They make us conscious of our actions and thrust on us their thoughts and beliefs (of course they believe their thoughts and beliefs are right). They imbibe in us rules and idiosyncracies of their own. Natural learning (and self-healing) is seldom practiced.

In US, parents teach their children self-sponsorphip (responisble for their actions - if a toddler bumps into a chair and hurts himself, then he will learn to not do that the next time. Do you see any parent in India leaving the toddler free on the ground and bump into object?). They teach shamelessness (to brag about themselves, which in a way is self-realization, soul searching). They teach one to be one's self.

So, I wud suggest future applicants to be creative, and creativity is when you are who you are.

I am sure pagalguy and others living in US would agree with me.

Originally Posted by iday

Sir - there are ppl who do it. The questions here is "Is this the best thing for you" or "Is this what you advocate ppl to do".

[cracked-it]

Originally Posted by jaiBoloh

I am sure pagalguy and others living in US would agree with me.

I don't. You have covered a lot of ground here my friend- cultures, countries, raising kids, would love to have a discussion when I have the bandwidth.

[kgkid]

Originally Posted by jaiBoloh

I am sure pagalguy and others living in US would agree with me.

I agree with you brother. However, I do admire people who jacked up things and proved to the admissions comm about how good they are. They would in all probability do well in their career. But, I have a conscience that makes me feel whether i can live with that throughout my life. If i cannot then i will not do it. Period. But then you have seen people who worship God everyday and then go cut people's throat (typical Hindi movie )

But I am I (sorry IDay for stealing this for a post ) and thatz what makes me unique...

[jaiBoloh]

Sorry dude... I cannot be disrespectful to you, but I cannot prescribe what I do not believe.

Originally Posted by cracked-it

I don't. You have covered a lot of ground here my friend- cultures, countries, raising kids, would love to have a discussion when I have the bandwidth.

Iday and inblue, I do not mean to hijack this thread, but your thoughts were unequivocal, and I like them. dudes who need these instructions would be well-informed.

Originally Posted by kgkid

But I am I (sorry IDay for stealing this for a post ) and thatz what makes me unique...

I like that dude... I personally can vouch that this attitude will take you to the heights...

[iday]

Originally Posted by kgkid

But I am I (sorry IDay for stealing this for a post ) and thatz what makes me unique...

No issues...
Send me the copyright money

PS: It is not IDay, it is Iday

[iday]

Originally Posted by jaiBoloh

Do you think if M.Sherewat were to act/dress/imitate M.Dixit, you would be interested in watching her on a big screen? What difference wud you find between Sherawat and Dixit? You rather stick to the "more creative" Dixit who worked hard to create her own persona all these years?

US schools try to understand you as a person and your own creative skills. From thier standpoint, you are "who you are". You need not be (and should not be) Micheal Jackson when dancing, or Sampras when playing tennis, or Bill Gates when working. They will need you because you are different and unique.

There is a tricky situation here.
You can always want to be a MJ in dancing (i sometimes wanted to be, till my tummy bloated up ) or a Pete in Tennis (isn't Roger currently THE guy). But the point is that you should not want to be someone just to get an MBA. You should not say "Only the MJs and the Petes get into MBAs. So i wanna become one". Nay!!! That doesnt work.

Instead, it is something like "I have this burning passion for dancing and MJ is the best guy there. So i wanna be like him". And when you decide u want an MBA, you can factor in the fact that u are as good as MJ in dancing. It adds to ur versatality factor. If ur aim is to start this series of Dance schools all over the world, then this is ur qualification

Originally Posted by jaiBoloh

That's the backbone of the US culture here. you get many examples from entertainment industry ("American Idol", big brother), games/sports (Woods, Kobe bryant), social status (gays, lesbos), and celebrities (Prince, snoop dog). Each one is unique coz they are who they are, what they think, and how they act.

If being urself does not get you an admission @ stanford, then you are NOT a "fit" for the school. But, if you try to imitate as a "fit", you will land into severe problems in life. Remeber, MBA is not the end of life!

Indian perspective of the matter is different - our parents teach us to imitate leaders and great people. They make us conscious of our actions and thrust on us their thoughts and beliefs (of course they believe their thoughts and beliefs are right). They imbibe in us rules and idiosyncracies of their own. Natural learning (and self-healing) is seldom practiced.

In US, parents teach their children self-sponsorphip (responisble for their actions - if a toddler bumps into a chair and hurts himself, then he will learn to not do that the next time. Do you see any parent in India leaving the toddler free on the ground and bump into object?). They teach shamelessness (to brag about themselves, which in a way is self-realization, soul searching). They teach one to be one's self.

I havent seen the US culture first hand. But i have always been against this "Culture A is better than Culture B" kinda arguments. Simply because culture is not something we can generalize. Cross a state border in India and u are into a new kind of culture I, for one, know that there are enough families in india which fit into all the descriptions u have mentioned above.

Originally Posted by jaiBoloh

I am sure pagalguy and others living in US would agree with me.

I'd leave this to them