I i/ved on 27th march.

Best of luck puys!

I too am still waiting for the decision to come..just hoping that this long wait turns out to be fruitful..
@m7mba congratulations on your admit.. can you share the details of when had given your i/v?

I'm still waiting to hear from the school. No decision out as yet. Anybody else in the same boat?

I got the email from Dean as well about the admit.
puys.. did any admit receive schol yet ?

I got admitted :cheerio:
no info about the schol the though.

App Season so far:

Kelley - Admit
Mccombs - Admit
Marshall - Admit
Cornell - Waitlist
Tepper - Waitlist
Georgetown - Waitlist

Did anyone get the decision 2day?

my bad,did not read your post closely:)So in which universities have you been waitlisted and what would be your top choice?

@Altair - Thanks! Have been wait listed by three other univs. Will decide once I get the result from them.

My profile -

GMAT 720
Work Ex 2.5 years in IT, Good International Exposure, Decent Acads and Extra Curr.

Congratulations!!:cheerio:
Did u receive an acceptance mail?

Guys they do not send a mail..Just login in on ur app page and a decision link will be made available at the bottom of the page

@dreammba2012- Congrats! Are u headed for Marshall? Whats your profile like?

@Altair - Thanks! Have been wait listed by three other univs. Will decide once I get the result from them.

My profile -

GMAT 720
Work Ex 2.5 years in IT, Good International Exposure, Decent Acads and Extra Curr.

Guys they do not send a mail..Just login in on ur app page and a decision link will be made available at the bottom of the page

@dreammba2012- Congrats! Are u headed for Marshall? Whats your profile like?

Admitted!!! Had applied in R2.

I logged in and saw the status. Did not receive any email.

@shilpi
i see that you have admits from few other schools like kelley, smith etc. if you were to get an admit from usc as well which wud be your choice?

After the not-good interview of USC Marshall I am not expecting much.These people do not have many Indians in any batch.So I am headed to Kelley.

altair Says

Dinged... It has been a super competitive year...I have 4 dings and a waitlist!

Where did you get the information from???

where do we get to know the admission decision from. Do we get a mail/ do we get login and check the status. if we need to login and check where exactly is the decision available..

Dinged... It has been a super competitive year...I have 4 dings and a waitlist!

@shilpi
i see that you have admits from few other schools like kelley, smith etc. if you were to get an admit from usc as well which wud be your choice?

I too had my i/v yest night with michael fowler and the awaiting for the decision. Typical questions like

1. What kind of work do you do in office? Wat kinda customers do you interact with?
2. Why MBA and why now?
3. tell me a situation where you had displayed leadership skills.
4. what do you do outside of work.

All standard responses but I am not sure if I was able to convince him with my responses. He said that the decisions would roll out by thursday or latest by friday.. So keeping fingers 'X'.

All the best every1 awaiting results.

I just finished my interview on 31st that is 2day.Decisions will be posted 2morrow.I am not too optimistic...I was kind of sleepy during the interview!

I guess USC wud release their results on April 1st. How was the interview for those who have given it ?

I did get an invite from USC marshal, I have scheduled it on Web 17 - skype webcam .

700
IIM
4 yrs with 1 yr at USA .

I have a quality wrk exp. I do have admit from BROAD with close to 50 percent scholarship.

Senthil

I got an interview invite as well and I opted for a campus interview. Anyone else scheduling a campus interview?


Raman Tanwar
5+/IT/750

@nikhil,

b/w kelley, mccombs and marshall (assuming that you will get an admit ) which one is your top choice ?

@nikhil7. thanku. shall wait for your updates. congratulations on your admit in other schools.

@gvc84 No I m yet to schedule it..will do tht and get back if I hear anything from them

I too received an interview invite.

Best of luck for the interviews! What are the available dates ? Have heard nothing yet...

I too received an invite for interview requesting for dates. I had sent my preference but there is no response yet from them.
@Nikhil57 did you schedule your interview and have you heard from them?

I received an interview invite today (R2 appl).

Guessing that the invites have just started so all the best to you guys!!!!

My profile:
GMAT 730
TOEFL 113
BE Mech. (mumbai univ)
Family business background (4 yrs)

Thanks for the link vishwa...still nothing from USC still! Score could be a factor in all my apps i guess!

@Vishwa- That is gr8 news..Congrats for the admit! Are you planning to join Marshall? Please post your profile and interview questions asked!

I think intl. interview calls should be out this week...

i got an admit.
they notified via the online application in the first week of feb. the notification date per the website is feb 1. my decision was posted on feb 2 or 3. but i know of an applicant who received his admit just a few days back. so it may not come on the specified date. in fact their website says that the notification is spread over a couple of weeks.
no: of indians in the batch of 2010: 12
i dont know abt the batch of 2011. but it should be around that figure.

regards,
vishwa

@v1shwanath- What is the final status? and when were you informed?

Any idea, how many Indians are in at Marshall?

i applied in r1.
marshall came to india as part of mba tour, so they scheduled i/vs for r1 applicants.
applied on nov1. i/ved on dec 3rd.

regards
vishwa

Hey anyone as of yet got an interview call for R2??? On GMAT club forum there have been alot of interview invites but it seems those are for those who are California Residents or nearby..havent seen an international Interview invite...

any R1 admits can you throw some light on to this as in when did you hear from the Adcom about interview...

Regards,
Gaurav

Do we need to send transcripts for an interview?

Ofcourse...The application won't be complete otherwise. My status has changed to application under review. No mail or any other updates though..

Heard Nothing as well. Do we need to send transcripts for an interview?

I have not heard anything from Marshall. What about others?

So people..any updates/ admits yet?

I don't think that you are reading my posts carefully. I meant that it is very difficult for a 2-3 yrs experienced person (like you and me) to get into strategy consulting. USC is not to be blamed here - the problem lies in your background and limited experience. East coast is definitely stronger in finance (presence of Wall Street). However, in consulting, there are many companies in LA too. Deloitte has pretty big offices in DT LA and Irvine. Strategy consulting is a premium and highly competitive field - it is akin to getting into Google or Yahoo! when you were doing your computer engg in college - and is very selective in terms of types of candidates who qualify for it. The big 4 firms - Booz Allen, McKinsey, Bain & BCG don't recruit outside the top 5 schools. Also, it appears from your post that you just want someone to assure you that you can get through strategy consulting rather than think through the skill set and experience these positions require. I had explained in my previous post why I feel that with your experience consulting would be a tough field to get into. My main aim here is not to disconcert you, but to tell you what to expect once you come here. And you may eventually make it, provided you network hard to get the interview call and prepare for those case based interviews well.

I don't know what inputs you are getting from people at Smeal but I would believe it will be the same (if not worse) there. If you get a chance, inquire about the type of firms (including their names) Indians in those universities are being recruited into? Do not let them quote what happened in previous batches - ask them what is happening now. And what is your definition of a good college? I would think that ranking is a pretty good indicator of a good college unless you are looking for very specific niches (such as Babson is known for entrepreneurship, Purdue for ops etc).

At USC many people try to get into corporate finance, tech consulting or product management roles. I personally am only looking at product management in web companies. With 2-3 experience, I would recommend that you do a part time internship while in second year (the way I am doing) to make your profile more stronger. Also, roles such as corporate finance and (maybe) product management will be good options for you.

Dear Meagwhiz,

Your posts were really insightful...your posts make me believe that its next to impossible to get into consulting from USC especially for profile like us from USC....you said there should be a plan B...what is your plan B what companies/field you are targeting post MBA...
but what I have heard from other colleges its easy to get into consulting there...even in colleges that are well below in rankings but are good colleges like Smeal, Penn state univ,.....may be it is because of location...LA is more into Entertainment and Technology as compared to East Coast that is more into Finance and Consulting...????right...

Also, as i have figured on this forum and also talked to alot of students...most of the Indians are IT people who do MBA to shift career...and mostly want to get into Consulting...and I am assuming it will be the same at USC...most of the Indian people would be IT people at USC and would be wanting to shift to different careers...can you tell all of us here(if u know) that what kind of jobs are available for Indian/International students as consulting is hard to get into..so what would be the option....and also if u can elaborate what are the opportunities for people like us 2-3 year experienced what kind of jobs available....

Thanks and Regards,
Gaurav

pisces_gaurav Says

All Top Str Cons companies have offices in all cities of US but it doesnt mean that job is easily available...major bulk for consulting is towards East Coast....Offices are in India also but if getting a job was easy in India in such firms then why would anyone go to US for an MBA...I was just trying to comment about Importance of Location ...colleges like Purdue, BYU etc are good univs... and have offices of top strategic consulting firms in Indiana and Utah but job opportunities are nil in Str Consulting from these colleges as well just due to location...hope it clarifies what i meant in what i wrote..

Dude...

Have a look at the stats below....

Last Year's Top Recruiting Firms at UCLA
McKinsey & Co., Inc. 6
Deloitte Consulting 6
Boston Consulting Group 3
Bain & Co., Inc. 3

Last Year's Top Recruiting Firms at UCB HAAS
McKinsey & Company 15
Deloitte Consulting 8
Boston Consulting Group 4
Bain & Company 2
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC 3
A.T. Kearney, Inc. 4


Well these are big consulting firms that have their offices based in LA...
They have recruited people from the same area but a different college...
So you can understand what i meant when I said that..

Besides, megawhiz was 100% correct about these big firms recruiting at top colleges and about difficulty in getting thru into these firms via USC especially for INDIANS...

Also you cannot compare places like Utah and Indiana with LA..


Cheers...

All Top Str Cons companies have offices in all cities of US but it doesnt mean that job is easily available...major bulk for consulting is towards East Coast....Offices are in India also but if getting a job was easy in India in such firms then why would anyone go to US for an MBA...I was just trying to comment about Importance of Location ...colleges like Purdue, BYU etc are good univs... and have offices of top strategic consulting firms in Indiana and Utah but job opportunities are nil in Str Consulting from these colleges as well just due to location...hope it clarifies what i meant in what i wrote..

mehta.gaurav Says

I would like to add something here.. You said maybe because of location that ppl dont get into Stra Cons.. Well I think all the top strategic Consulting firms have offices in LA... So I dont think that it should be a concern...

Dear Meagwhiz,

Your posts were really insightful...your posts make me believe that its next to impossible to get into consulting from USC especially for profile like us from USC....you said there should be a plan B...what is your plan B what companies/field you are targeting post MBA...
but what I have heard from other colleges its easy to get into consulting there...even in colleges that are well below in rankings but are good colleges like Smeal, Penn state univ,.....may be it is because of location...LA is more into Entertainment and Technology as compared to East Coast that is more into Finance and Consulting...????right...

Also, as i have figured on this forum and also talked to alot of students...most of the Indians are IT people who do MBA to shift career...and mostly want to get into Consulting...and I am assuming it will be the same at USC...most of the Indian people would be IT people at USC and would be wanting to shift to different careers...can you tell all of us here(if u know) that what kind of jobs are available for Indian/International students as consulting is hard to get into..so what would be the option....and also if u can elaborate what are the opportunities for people like us 2-3 year experienced what kind of jobs available....

Thanks and Regards,
Gaurav

I would like to add something here.. You said maybe because of location that ppl dont get into Stra Cons.. Well I think all the top strategic Consulting firms have offices in LA... So I dont think that it should be a concern...

Dear Meagwhiz,

Your posts were really insightful...your posts make me believe that its next to impossible to get into consulting from USC especially for profile like us from USC....you said there should be a plan B...what is your plan B what companies/field you are targeting post MBA...
but what I have heard from other colleges its easy to get into consulting there...even in colleges that are well below in rankings but are good colleges like Smeal, Penn state univ,.....may be it is because of location...LA is more into Entertainment and Technology as compared to East Coast that is more into Finance and Consulting...????right...

Also, as i have figured on this forum and also talked to alot of students...most of the Indians are IT people who do MBA to shift career...and mostly want to get into Consulting...and I am assuming it will be the same at USC...most of the Indian people would be IT people at USC and would be wanting to shift to different careers...can you tell all of us here(if u know) that what kind of jobs are available for Indian/International students as consulting is hard to get into..so what would be the option....and also if u can elaborate what are the opportunities for people like us 2-3 year experienced what kind of jobs available....

Thanks and Regards,
Gaurav

MegaWhiz that is some eye opening information that you have given. Thank you! Some more questions-

1. How is the grading system in USC? As in, i have heard that in some colleges, there is a GPA non disclosure policy if the teacher offers it and the students accept it. Do some teachers follow such policy at USC?
2. Network and entrepreneurship focus is what attracts me to USC. What networking opportunities does USC offer with local industries, businessmen and venture capitalists?
3. Do you have any classmates who come from a family business background (like mine)? How easy/ difficult do these students find to get jobs? I ideally want to work with an angel/ venture investment firm post MBA.
4. What kind of job profiles do companies like Disney and other entertainment companies offer USC students? Is a background in entertainment industry necessary for these jobs?

Sorry for bombarding you with questions! :)

@ Others- Post your interview experiences and updates...

1. Non-disclosure? Students know their grades after each semester. Grading is relative. However, grades are not shared amongst student. So student A will not know student B's grade unless he shares it.
2. Many events happen at USC. There's an entrepreneurial roundtable this week itself where we can meet upcoming entrepreneurs to learn more about their business and possible help them succeed. Others include networking events organized by each vertical - be it marketing, finance or consulting. Here reps from companies will visit Marshall and students will have opportunities to network with them. VC firms don't recruit at Marshall. It is even tougher (yes more than strategy consulting) to get through a VC firm. First, you need to have relevant and rich industry experience (so a web VC firm will ask you about your experience in web industry, a biotech focused VC firm in healthcare - you get the point). Next, most of these firms have very limited openings which they normally fill from Stanford or Berkeley pass outs or even successful entrepreneurs.
3. I have no idea. We have one guy who wants to join his family business post MBA but he worked in IT before.
4. Disney, Warner Bros, Universal and other entertainment companies do not recruit international students. Entertainment industry is in a big turmoil (read trouble) these days and hence they have only limited opportunities.

And do not think that these statistics are for Marshall only. Many other similarly ranked schools will be going through the same state. I cannot even begin to imagine what will be happening to B Schools ranked over 45.

MegaWhiz that is some eye opening information that you have given. Thank you! Some more questions-

1. How is the grading system in USC? As in, i have heard that in some colleges, there is a GPA non disclosure policy if the teacher offers it and the students accept it. Do some teachers follow such policy at USC?
2. Network and entrepreneurship focus is what attracts me to USC. What networking opportunities does USC offer with local industries, businessmen and venture capitalists?
3. Do you have any classmates who come from a family business background (like mine)? How easy/ difficult do these students find to get jobs? I ideally want to work with an angel/ venture investment firm post MBA.
4. What kind of job profiles do companies like Disney and other entertainment companies offer USC students? Is a background in entertainment industry necessary for these jobs?

Sorry for bombarding you with questions! :)

@ Others- Post your interview experiences and updates...

If you are hell bent on doing strategy consulting after your MBA, then maybe you should reconsider applying/joining USC Marshall. I just know 1 person who got through strategy consulting from Marshall (and that includes domestic students, so 1/220; it might be more since I do not know what each and every student is upto). It will not be a smart decision to stick only with strategy consulting - you would need to develop a plan B to realistically explore potential opportunities here.
MBA helps you develop several skills - the fact that you do most of your work in groups (which are not always compatible) was itself a big learning for me. Additionally, once you come here, you will need to introspect which will help you understand what you are truly interested in. Moreover, you will have to network (that is your answer on how you try to get into strategy consulting) to get the roles of your interest. LA is a happening city with several events happening daily - be it networking, conferences or talk shows. Do not expect it to be a smooth ride - there will be many challenges and uncertainties (be it your career, classes, group projects etc). But hey, I would argue that this is the real learning - Marshall MBA truly pulls you away from your comfort zone and puts you in a environment where you need to be proactive, knowledgeable and intellectual to successfully get through it. Taking risks and making compromises is part of life and Marshall prepares you for it well!

I dont know any international candidate with 2 yrs experience in my batch. However, at the same time, I would think that the quality of work ex is more important than quantity. I mean, there are many students with 3 yrs experience and hence, you stand a fairly decent chance if you did your essays well.
Mngmt/strategy consulting is a premium field (which requires strong prior experience and background) and one of the hardest to get into. With a work experience of 2 yrs in IT, it will be very difficult for you to even secure an interview call in that role. To give you some perspective, none of the Indian candidates in the past two years (at Marshall) have got into strategy consulting (even in a smaller firm). In my batch, none of the Indian candidates have even interviewed in that role (and I am talking about guys having greater than 7 yrs experience). Most strategy consulting firms prefer to recruit from top B-Schools. Also, with an experience of 2 yrs, you are more suitable (like me) for an analyst role than a consultant (which is a major drawback as consulting firms normally come to B schools to recruit for consultants than analysts). Many consultants have greater than 5 yrs experience as an analyst or an associate.

MegaWiz.

I have a question for you here.. Your post is an eyeopener for a person like me who is looking to work in the area of Strategic Consulting...

My question for you here is that if it is really so difficult to move into area of Strategic Consulting even with 5-6 years of experience and with an MBA from USC Marshall, does the MBA really serve a purpose here?

I want to know how then do we make a shift to area of strategic consulting? If Str Con firms recruit only from top 10-15 then what should be the approach. You mentioned that even people with 7 years of prior MBA exp failed to get an interview call and that in the last 2 years not a single Indian has been able to make it into this area. In that case, I really dont see a purpose for doing an MBA.

Yeah we would study strategy as a subject but if we can't really land up in the kind of job we are looking for do you think I should really do the MBA from USC..

I hope I am not sounding rude or nethng, just curious to know the approach..


& thank you for shedding light on the aspect of Stra Cons..

Thansk for the prompt reply Megawhiz..

Ok any international candidate with 2 years work ex...or any candidate with experience such as mine...like 2 years...

Basically i am looking whether i can expect to get into Marshall or not with 2 year work ex...thats why emphasizing on the number of years...

Also, like you say that work exp is not very imp if u wanna go for Investment Banking ...does the same apply for Management/Strategic Consulting....

I dont know any international candidate with 2 yrs experience in my batch. However, at the same time, I would think that the quality of work ex is more important than quantity. I mean, there are many students with 3 yrs experience and hence, you stand a fairly decent chance if you did your essays well.
Mngmt/strategy consulting is a premium field (which requires strong prior experience and background) and one of the hardest to get into. With a work experience of 2 yrs in IT, it will be very difficult for you to even secure an interview call in that role. To give you some perspective, none of the Indian candidates in the past two years (at Marshall) have got into strategy consulting (even in a smaller firm). In my batch, none of the Indian candidates have even interviewed in that role (and I am talking about guys having greater than 7 yrs experience). Most strategy consulting firms prefer to recruit from top B-Schools. Also, with an experience of 2 yrs, you are more suitable (like me) for an analyst role than a consultant (which is a major drawback as consulting firms normally come to B schools to recruit for consultants than analysts). Many consultants have greater than 5 yrs experience as an analyst or an associate.

Thansk for the prompt reply Megawhiz..

Ok any international candidate with 2 years work ex...or any candidate with experience such as mine...like 2 years...

Basically i am looking whether i can expect to get into Marshall or not with 2 year work ex...thats why emphasizing on the number of years...

Also, like you say that work exp is not very imp if u wanna go for Investment Banking ...does the same apply for Management/Strategic Consulting....

-
- Work ex is imp. In my batch none of the Indian candidates have less than 3 yr work ex (which I have). In fact, most of them are 5 and above. Additionally, work ex is imp if you are planning to find an internship or a full time job in US. With just 2 yrs work ex, it is always going to be tough to convince employers that you have the capability to lead teams and manage complex projects (especially in tech sector & consulting). Low work ex however is not that much of concern if you are planning to get into say investment banking.

Have been a silent observer of this thread for quite sometime now. good to have a senior reply to queries on this thread.

Megawhiz is is possible for you to provide information on the number of applications from India.


My profile:
700/5
4years(IT products)
decent acads and ec's

- Round 2 i/v calls generally come around end Feb or early March - I got mine around March 12th. So it is still a lot of time.
- Different work profile may (should) compensate for a low GMAT - but I do not know any Indian with less than 710 GMAT in my batch at least.
- First year courseload is quite heavy - so you will not have the time to work part time during the first year. Second yr is comparatively lighter. Many people do part time internships then.
- Work ex is imp. In my batch none of the Indian candidates have less than 3 yr work ex (which I have). In fact, most of them are 5 and above. Additionally, work ex is imp if you are planning to find an internship or a full time job in US. With just 2 yrs work ex, it is always going to be tough to convince employers that you have the capability to lead teams and manage complex projects (especially in tech sector & consulting). Low work ex however is not that much of concern if you are planning to get into say investment banking.

Thanks a lot!!...

Lets see...based on the replies of the Current 2nd Year student I am atleast hoping for an Interview call...when i decided to apply to west coast i had to decide between UCLA and USC and after UCLA ding USC was the other option for me....

Well just an advice if you are looking for a good college then u should seriously think of GMAT...because we Indians need a good GMAT minimum 680 +.... Great Work Ex doesnt compensate for Low GMAT for Indians there...

and good to hear that indians get alot of scholarship there...hehehe...

Yeah I am based in Delhi...where do u put up... I am in Lajpat Nagar...but I travel to gurgaon everyday for office....may be we can meet up...my number is 09911327467...may be we can work things out...

Hey congratulations for the admits.

Well i have applied to number of colleges but to be honest i am not expecting any calls this year. I applied so that i can have idea of apping and get to know what to do next time. The only consideration i gave while selecting colleges were 1. Class size 2. Faculty 3. Experiential learning opportunities.

As per ranking i glanced at US News and Businessweek as i will be spending money out of my own pocket (loans etc) so i stuck to the above criteria and Top 10 b-skools were never on my list because of point 1 above.

Where are you guys based .. i am in India near Delhi for a month .. we can catch up if that works out.

Hi Megawhiz,

I really appreciate that a current student is taking up questions for prospective students...

How much does the work exp value during the admission process...

I have seen the average work ex is 5 years at USC...and I have 2 yrs work ex...in terms of quality i have shown that in my essays...but wont it be a disadvantage considering a quantitative factor of 2 when average is 5....
can you share the range of work exp of your classmates ...also are there people with work exp or around 2 at the time of joining...any indian in that list...your help would be really appreciated...

Gmat-- 730/5.5
Toefl-- 109
Work Ex- 2 yrs by joining-- Indian IT Male...
Acads-- NIT Bhopal...8.33/10
Community Service-- decent...

Hello Everyone:

I am a second year FT student at Marshall. Good to see some discussions going on here. Shoot any questions you may have to me. I will try to answer them asap:

Some pointers:
1. GMAT for Indians - around 710 and above; avg aroud 730
2. Many Indian students on scholarship (in my batch; 10/12 are on 50% schol); in the first year batch I know (maybe more) at least 7/12 who are on schol. Funny that Marshall has just 12 Indian students in each batch since the last 3 years! GMAT is a big criteria for deciding schols
3. Good things: Alumni, LA location, career center (you may get differing opinions here), good for marketing candidates

Hello Everyone:

Some pointers:
1. GMAT for Indians - around 710 and above; avg aroud 730
2. Many Indian students on scholarship (in my batch; 10/12 are on 50% schol); in the first year batch I know (maybe more) at least 7/12 who are on schol. Funny that Marshall has just 12 Indian students in each batch since the last 3 years! GMAT is a big criteria for deciding schols
3. Good things: Alumni, LA location, career center (you may get differing opinions here), good for marketing candidates

Thanks for the inputs Megawhiz and it is great to have a senior here. Some questions-
1.When can r2 (Jan 15) applicants expect interview calls?
2. Can a different work profile compensate for sub 700 GMAT? I seriously doubt my chances with average GMAT of 730
3. How heavy is the coursework?

@pisces_gaurav- Congrats on the admits!

Hello Everyone:

I am a second year FT student at Marshall. Good to see some discussions going on here. Shoot any questions you may have to me. I will try to answer them asap:

Some pointers:
1. GMAT for Indians - around 710 and above; avg aroud 730
2. Many Indian students on scholarship (in my batch; 10/12 are on 50% schol); in the first year batch I know (maybe more) at least 7/12 who are on schol. Funny that Marshall has just 12 Indian students in each batch since the last 3 years! GMAT is a big criteria for deciding schols
3. Good things: Alumni, LA location, career center (you may get differing opinions here), good for marketing candidates

thanks for your inputs @altair and @tryingveryhard

Scholarships on the basis of need??? how can one show he is in need of scholarship...

but the placements in times of good economy were close to 99% so finding jobs was not that much of a problem...if u check placement records of a couple of years back they were like awesome and really good salaries also....

where all have you applied till now @altair and @tryingveryhard...??

so far i have got admits from R1 from Smeal (Penn State) and Rotman ( U of Toronto)....but california is the state i want to be...and dinged from UCLA without interview really demoralized me but still applied to USC in R2 so lets see how it works out...
I hope i get through USC Marshall, becuase this is my last application and supposedly my best application also...

Hey congratulations for the admits.

Well i have applied to number of colleges but to be honest i am not expecting any calls this year. I applied so that i can have idea of apping and get to know what to do next time. The only consideration i gave while selecting colleges were 1. Class size 2. Faculty 3. Experiential learning opportunities.

As per ranking i glanced at US News and Businessweek as i will be spending money out of my own pocket (loans etc) so i stuck to the above criteria and Top 10 b-skools were never on my list because of point 1 above.

Where are you guys based .. i am in India near Delhi for a month .. we can catch up if that works out.

thanks for your inputs @altair and @tryingveryhard

Scholarships on the basis of need??? how can one show he is in need of scholarship...

but the placements in times of good economy were close to 99% so finding jobs was not that much of a problem...if u check placement records of a couple of years back they were like awesome and really good salaries also....

where all have you applied till now @altair and @tryingveryhard...??

so far i have got admits from R1 from Smeal (Penn State) and Rotman ( U of Toronto)....but california is the state i want to be...and dinged from UCLA without interview really demoralized me but still applied to USC in R2 so lets see how it works out...
I hope i get through USC Marshall, becuase this is my last application and supposedly my best application also...

Can you both Altair and Tryingveryhard share your conversations with the current students...

I wanted to know how my unique work ex background would stand at Marshall. I asked about the network and the curriculum...the general stuff.
Some general pointers he gave:
1. Indian students score is around 720-730
2. The scholarships are given usually on the basis of GMAT score, need, and work experience. 25 % and 50 % tuition waivers given
3. Part time jobs not possible in the first year because of the courseload.
4.The career development center at Marshall is good.
5.Primary focus of the school is Marketing. Consulting and Finance are average.
6. Some inputs on entrepreneurship details

Can you both Altair and Tryingveryhard share your conversations with the current students...

My conversations more centric towards Operations, as Marshall is not well known for operation so my conversations were more focussed on that, and faculty.

I also inquired about experiantial learning opportunities mainly PRIME. Also about the alum network which he said is steller and known well in the industry.

The rest conversation was pretty standard about the curriculum, clubs etc.

HTH