MIT Sloan Chat with Rod Garcia -- September 2002

Please feel free to let us know if you would like to be informed of future chats by sending e-mail to chat@accepted.com. We would also be interested in knowing if you would prefer a different format or different topics.

Linda Abraham (ID=16) (May 14, 2002 9:17:05 PM)
Any comments on last year's AMCAS debacle, or more importantly, are you confident AMCAS will avoid a similar disaster this year?

drlewis (ID=11) (May 14, 2002 9:17:18 PM)
I am confident that AMCAS will avoid a similar disaster this year. Why? Because it is a PR nightmare for them, and all their constituencies were plenty upset—perhaps the most vocal being the individual medical schools. It turns out that the web-based AMCAS will “go on” as an updated 2003 version, but the verified AMCAS 2003’s will be printed (yes I said printed) and mailed to each medical school in batches. Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:14:44 PM)
Ok. Let's start.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:15:09 PM)
Tanaz is held up but should be here shortly

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 9:15:30 PM)
Rod, can you elaborate on the 16 or so qualities you are looking for in applicants. thanks

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:15:36 PM)
Hi Rod, Jon & Phil

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:15:45 PM)
First I want to welcome you all to Accepted.com’s MIT admissions chat.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:15:55 PM)
SloanWLee: are you kidding?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:16:02 PM)
I also want to welcome Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions, Jon McLaughlin, a member of the admissions committee, Phil Lapsley, a former engineer and current second year student at Sloan, and Tanaz Sowdagar, a second year student from Iran and officer of Sloan Women in Management. And last but not least, I want to welcome Paul Bodine and Cindy Tokumitsu, two of Accepted.com’s editors. Tanaz will join us shortly.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:16:11 PM)
Thanks to everyone for joining.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:16:30 PM)
I encourage dialogue and discussion, but I would like to suggest a structure to make it easier to follow the threads of conversation. So here is the protocol: We will post material to the chat. If you have a question on that material, please type a ‘?’ and then your question. One of our guests, another participant, or I will reply. If one of you wants to comment on the current topic, please jump right in. If you want to start a different topic, please type ‘?’.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:16:38 PM)
SloanWLee: I'll explain those competencies offline. More info later.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:16:40 PM)
If the crowd this evening grows and a moderated chat becomes more beneficial, we’ll switch to that format to avoid the chaotic feel that some other chats have had. When we switch to a moderated chat, all your questions will come to me. I will choose the questions that have the broadest application and those questions will appear in the main window for our guests to reply to. If and when we switch to a moderated format, you will only see your question in the main window if and when it is chosen. You will not see it if it is not chosen.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:16:41 PM)
thanks Linda, and we should point out that Phil has started two companies, in addition to his engineering credentials

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:16:55 PM)
Thanks for adding that.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:16:56 PM)
Final request: We would like to avoid the brief summary of qualifications (or even the long laundry list) followed by the question, “Can I qualify?” Or “What are my chances?” This isn’t the forum for that kind of analysis.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:17:08 PM)
Other than that limitation, this is your chance to ask questions about Sloan’s program and admissions policies. But I would like to take advantage of my position as host and ask the first questions.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:17:16 PM)
great

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:17:28 PM)
MIT now has probably the most comprehensive set of essay questions. What are you trying to glean from the answers?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:18:15 PM)
ok, we wanted to get info on your experiences, let me continue in a bit...

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:18:27 PM)
Phil and Tanaz, what are the three aspects of your Haas experience that you like best and least?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:18:39 PM)
Take your time Jon.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:18:49 PM)
I just thought I would also give Phil something to do.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:20:02 PM)
Well, I actually did go to U.C. Berkeley, but that was for engineering undergraduate and graduate degrees. :-) At Sloan, I think the #1 thing I like best is the people -- my fellow students. They are an amazing bunch. Not a day goes by that I don't learn something from them.

elan (Sep 17, 2002 9:20:28 PM)
In what way are they amazing?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:20:54 PM)
Are they more amazing than the students at Berkeley and in what way?

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:21:20 PM)
Do they have the similar characteristics as other MIT students?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:21:25 PM)
we shortened the limits on essays and tried to get more directly at the experiences you consider important. The recommendation question tries to give people a chance to get their birds eye view: we feel it will help applicants not used to blowing their own horn in the American style, and will give us a sense of how you see your own career. Our new set of questions puts more emphasis on your goals and why mba why sloan to be in the cover.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:22:09 PM)
Linda, can we start asking questions now?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:22:18 PM)
sure go ahead.

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:22:21 PM)
? Thanks Jon. One question. I started visiting Sloan last year. 1st student Frances Lai hosted me. I wonder, when I am revisiting on September 30, whether I can get to talk to some 2nd students to see what they have learned about Sloan after a year.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:22:28 PM)
Their experiences are widely varied, they are incredibly smart, and they are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. For example, one of my pals here is a former medical doctor *and* a fighter pilot with the U.S. air force. Another was a chemical engineer, a third a venture capitalist. In terms of differences, the folks at Berkeley in the engineering program were younger, less experienced, and in some ways, less well rounded.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:22:31 PM)
Jon, what characteristics does Sloan specifically favor?

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 9:22:34 PM)
Rod, I was actually referring to the 11 (16 was typo) core competencies you indicated in your B-Week chat last year. Anyway, we can take this offline if you like.

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:22:55 PM)
I meant 1st year student & 2nd Year student.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:23:08 PM)
lilly--I think second years are very approachable and around in large numbers :)

SloanIn03 (Sep 17, 2002 9:23:34 PM)
?Jon or Rod, were there any differences in acceptance rates between R1 and R2 last year?

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:23:34 PM)
I’m a reapplicant who was waitlisted last year. I have a question regarding recs. Would having the recommenders from last year recommend me again this year be disadvantageous? Professionally, my two recommenders from last year know me best. I still report to one, and the other is a colleague with whom I work closely. Needless to say, some of what they write will be different from last year since the rec questions are different.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:23:51 PM)
I have a medicore GPA (from a good school w/ 750 GMAT). Is it advisable to address it head on in an essay? If so, any recommendations on how to go about it?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:24:11 PM)
reapp-wl: I'll take your question. Allow me a few minutes to gather my thoughts.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:24:38 PM)
skwalzer: I'll take your question as well.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:24:40 PM)
blueman--we want people with a passionate vision for their career (not just their job, different) and demonstrated excellence. Leadership is important to us, and we believe it can be demonstrated in a variety of positions/settings, not just "out front"

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 9:24:43 PM)
? I was waitlisted last year at Sloan. Did you get a chance to take people off the WL last year? Just trying to gauge where I went wrong in the WL process.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:24:54 PM)
Rod, how does MIT view applicants with less working experience?

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 9:25:13 PM)
?Did the percentage of engineers accepted at MIT decrease last year?

patel (Sep 17, 2002 9:25:19 PM)
? Rod, is there any advantage in applying in round 1 verses round two?

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:25:22 PM)
Linda, following up on your question, I think a second thing is that Sloan is, of all the schools and companies I've been involved with, the most open to change. At Sloan you can really "own your own experience" -- if you're not happy with something at Sloan, you can change it. If you are happy with it, you can improve it. Everybody, including faculty, staff, and students, seems genuinely interested in innovating and improving things.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:25:25 PM)
What percent of applicants enter Sloan with two or less years w/e?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:25:31 PM)
Let's hold the question for a minute.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:26:06 PM)
Reapp-wl: by all means, use the same recommenders if they are the most qualified people to speak about your qualities. The questions are very different this time and ask for very, very specific details and stories about your accomplishments, etc.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:26:10 PM)
Wlee--we took very few off of the waitlist this year, less than 10 people. We would like to have the flexibility to take more but we are not in absolute control of the turnout, and we try not to torture people by "shoving " them to the waitlist

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:27:08 PM)
An example: some fellow students and I created a new class in organizational dynamics with some of the faculty here. It was put together in just a couple of weeks and was very successful. It's hard to imagine a place where that could happen so easily.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:27:27 PM)
blueman--there are a fair amount, though I don't have the percentages. Remember 4 years is the average, not the requirement

nsinsf (Sep 17, 2002 9:27:40 PM)
? About the reapplication, if goals have changed since the last application should we address that directly, or should we treat this as a new application?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:27:42 PM)
Someone tried to IM me earlier and unfortunately it's not working. so I'm not being rude; I simply can't respond.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:27:45 PM)
skwalzer: yes, you should address your "mediocre" GPA in your materials (cover letter, supplemental info or essays). You should put them in perspective for us (tough school, tough major, etc.).

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:27:58 PM)
? Would expanding in this year’s app on stories used in last year’s app be a disadvantage? A story I used in last year’s "making things happen" essay fits well with this year’s "impact on a person" essay. I would like to use this story again (I’ll change the essay) - not because I’m lazy, but because I feel this story demonstrates my impact.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:28:05 PM)
Thanks Rod

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:28:44 PM)
nsinsf--treat your rec as a new application, we will have access to the old material, but we changed the questions to get new and better data, and we expect you to invest fully in answering them, reap or no

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 9:28:49 PM)
Thanks Jon, ? how does Sloan view reapplicants? are waitlisted people any different? should I indicate in the cover letter that I was waitlisted last year?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:29:05 PM)
Jon when you review a reapplicant do you also review the old app?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:29:13 PM)
Patel: yes, we take more people in Round I than in Round II. Last year, 18% of Round I applicants were admitted versus 7% of Round II applicants and 2/3 of our applications came in Round II.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:29:15 PM)
Will MIT conduct interviews this year?

patel (Sep 17, 2002 9:29:42 PM)
Linda, it was me - saying it's late here in London - I am trying to find out when the transcript will be posted on the web site?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:29:45 PM)
Lilly, was your question answered? If not, could you repost?

patel (Sep 17, 2002 9:29:46 PM)
thanks Rod

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:29:58 PM)
Patel, it will probably be posted next week.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:30:08 PM)
patel, thanks for coming. That shows dedication!

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:30:17 PM)
? - Any advice on what sort of info should go in the cover letter (i.e. not to overlap w/ the essays or simply restate your resume?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:30:25 PM)
reaap wl/Linda--if it's critical to your case then by all means use it, Linda--we have access to it and will probably review it, but our focus will be the new one. We do need to see movement in the year, though.

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:30:26 PM)
Linda- yes my question was answered, thanks. I guess I'll take the T and hop off and walk around, maybe bump into Phil.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:30:26 PM)
Blueman: as we did last year, interviews are by invitation only.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:30:30 PM)
Don't restate your resume.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:30:55 PM)
Thank you Jon.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:31:00 PM)
Patel: any other questions before you sign off?

patel (Sep 17, 2002 9:31:00 PM)
? Jon, What are the ranges for the GMAT scores (average, middle 80%) of the incoming class and do you expect similar numbers this year?

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:31:06 PM)
thanks Rod

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:31:11 PM)
skwalzer--goals and why Sloan are particularly important for the cover

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:31:35 PM)
patel--80% is 620 to 760

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 9:31:36 PM)
?Reposting the question Did the percentage of engineers accepted at MIT decrease last year and do you see that percentage changing this year?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:32:05 PM)
PSA27: it stayed the same and we expect it to be the same this year as well.

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 9:32:11 PM)
? What can we expect from the Ambassador's Program - first or second year student ambassador? Will we be evaluated during the program? What is the dress code?

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:32:14 PM)
what characteristics does Sloan particularly look for?

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:32:36 PM)
? - about what % of apps are math majors? is it of any particular help? is it a hindrance (more of the same)?

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 9:32:37 PM)
thanks Rod

patel (Sep 17, 2002 9:33:07 PM)
thanks Jon - I think I will stay a little longer until I really have to sleep.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:33:31 PM)
? How much progress do you "expect" to see in an applicant from one year to the next - especially in terms of professional development (assuming the applicant's digits are all within range)?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:33:41 PM)
diver T--thanks for that question: Ambassadors is deliberately not evaluative. We do not ask for (or get) feedback from the students, we want you to have a candid glimpse of the school without pressure. Dress is what you want...though I think ripped t-shirts would be a bit much

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:34:03 PM)
Phil, how did Sloan’s graduates fare in the job market last year? Finding internships? What is Sloan doing differently to help its graduates in this tough job market?

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 9:34:04 PM)
Thanks, Jon!

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:34:06 PM)
skwalzer: not a significant percent in the pool. It doesn't help or hurt to be a math major.

elan (Sep 17, 2002 9:34:11 PM)
Phil, what's the 2002 years applicant's profile, how many years of working experience do they have, and what percent is foreign students?

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:34:27 PM)
Thanks Rod & Jon for your answers.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:34:55 PM)
? - How strong is the Not for Profit influence at Sloan? Are there any courses/institutions dedicated to it?

fe-mba (Sep 17, 2002 9:34:58 PM)
Do you factor in an applicant’s desired track while evaluating his or her application? For example, do you look for a more quantitative background for applicants seeking admission to the Financial Engineering track?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:35:40 PM)
elan--the "profile " is misleading, that is not what we look for. It's an average based on an incredible diversity of people.

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 9:35:49 PM)
? how does Sloan view reapplicants, especially people waitlisted in a previous year? should one indicate that he/she has been waitlisted last year in the cover letter? thanks

nsinsf (Sep 17, 2002 9:35:57 PM)
? can you give us a little insight into re-app statistics?

patel (Sep 17, 2002 9:35:58 PM)
? Is the applicant pool expected to be as competitive as last year?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:36:07 PM)
Let's let them catch up for minute.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:36:14 PM)
fe-mba -- we do not factor in the track

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:37:12 PM)
reapp-wl: I can't really give a general answer since every individual's case is different.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:37:56 PM)
skwalzer--not for profit is strong. The students started a funding program for NFP internships. Stronger still are things like Entrepreneurs for international development. I think there is a sense here that profit does not have to mean ignoring social responsibility

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:38:00 PM)
Linda, Sloan grads did well, both full time and summer. From the presentation I went to last week from our Career Development Office, we were near the top of all the other b-schools. The CDO has done a lot of work helping people prepare in terms of figuring out what kinds of jobs they want, and also in terms of digging up leads. But the CDO, nice as they are, can't help you if you don't help yourself -- the individual students need to invest in their job search.

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:38:20 PM)
? Rod, Jon, I heard that Sloan is spearheading its general management area. Can you shed more light on it? I am interested in general management / international business/ entrepreneurship.

SloanIn03 (Sep 17, 2002 9:38:23 PM)
? Jon or Rod, I had a somewhat low GPA (3.0) but have been traveling 100% of the time during my work experience in and out of the country and have not had a chance to take courses. Any suggestions for addressing this issue in the app and alleviating course grade concerns in another fashion?

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:38:42 PM)
Thank you, Rod.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:39:00 PM)
Thanks Jon

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:39:10 PM)
nsinsf: I don't have the stats right now. Keep in mind that most reapplicants were waitlist candidates, so the number might be too deceiving (i.e., we may look reapplicant friendly). Also since we do not grant deferments, candidates who were previously admitted reapply.

cindy tokumitsu (Sep 17, 2002 9:39:31 PM)
Rod, Jon, Phil -- did you experience any problems last season with accepted foreign applicants' ability to obtain visas? Do you have to make any adjustments or changes to the process, your assessments, or anything else related?

nsinsf (Sep 17, 2002 9:39:51 PM)
? that implies that you are not reapplicant friendly?

elan (Sep 17, 2002 9:39:56 PM)
Phil, is Sloan workload heavy?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:40:10 PM)
All MBA programs are workload heavy.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:40:22 PM)
Elan, yes, it is, especially in the first semester. But as Linda says, I think that's true of all programs.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:40:24 PM)
Lilly: I haven't heard of a move towards general management.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:40:28 PM)
? - what areas is sloan particularly proud of? what areas would you say the school is strongest in? how strong is the tie w/ the undergrad school? can students take courses there?

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 9:40:54 PM)
Rod/Jon, could you please answer my question on WL above?

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:41:11 PM)
? Questions 1-3 in this year’s application ask the applicant to describe his/her thoughts and actions. What about question 4, the self-written recommendation? Can you provide some guidelines as to what you are looking for or what things we should address?

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 9:41:16 PM)
Hi appreciate you coming ...What is the adcom looking for in terms of essays ... Specially how would one make a case for being unique...Any thoughts

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:41:20 PM)
? Phil- what are "c" functions?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:41:26 PM)
Nsinsf: not necessarily. I didn't want folks to read too much into our reapplicant stats or other schools' stats since most candidates assume that only denied applicants reapply.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:41:28 PM)
SloanIn03--It really depends on your particular background. You need to provide evidence that you can handle the academic load and still contribute outside of class...that could be gmats or intellectually demanding work experience...

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:41:34 PM)
Please hold your questions for a minute.

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:42:19 PM)
Rod- I'll study more then. I thought I heard it from casual conversations with my friends who are currently enrolled in 1st & 2nd year program.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:42:21 PM)
Does that help?

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 9:42:31 PM)
Rod, John, Phil,

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:42:37 PM)
skwalzer, I think its emphasis on innovation and teamwork is what *I'm* proudest of... the classes, but more importantly, the attitude at the school really focus on this, and I think it's the best sort of preparation for the business world today.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:42:47 PM)
SloanWLee: no need to explain you were waitlisted since we will have your old file. Regarding waitlisted applicants, we're giving them a clean slate this year. The reason why we asked reapplicants to apply in Round I is to eliminate space as a constraint or a factor.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:43:05 PM)
Thanks Phil

SloanIn03 (Sep 17, 2002 9:43:24 PM)
Thanks, Jon, I appreciate your answer. ? So is it safe to say that a 720 alleviates my 3.0 concerns enough?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:43:48 PM)
Phil, could you give an example of MIT's emphasis on innovation and teamwork?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:43:56 PM)
SloanIn03--Hate to do this to you, but it all depends on the totality of the application...

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:43:59 PM)
Linda: Tanaz will be joining us shortly. She's about to log in.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:44:12 PM)
Hey Linda - when will this transcript be available online?

SloanIn03 (Sep 17, 2002 9:44:23 PM)
Jon - Understood, Thanks.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:44:30 PM)
The transcript will probably go up next week.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:44:33 PM)
how does sloan view extracurricular activities?

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:44:37 PM)
Thanks Linda

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 9:44:38 PM)
Rod, John, Phil could someone answer the question I asked about how one would present their case for being unique specially for say IT applicants (I happen to be one of them with that background)...

nsinsf (Sep 17, 2002 9:44:57 PM)
? can someone comment on the media and entertainment specific programs available at sloan?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:45:28 PM)
vxb11: Jon is typing his response.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:45:37 PM)
(Wait, skwalzer, an example). At Sloan in the first semester you're assigned to a team. Nobody is in charge, it's up to you guys to figure out how to make it all work and what the "norms" are. This process repeats itself (though you get to choose your own teams later) throughout the classes you take. The fall core has a class called "team project" where you study an innovation that is going on at some local company, and try to understand how it's working and what you could do to improve it -- with a focus on the team or group dynamics.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:46:02 PM)
nsinsf: someone is taking care of your question.

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 9:46:09 PM)
? is there anyway one can get a informal feedback on what went wrong last year? thank you.

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 9:46:20 PM)
?Phil or Tanaz What do you think differentiates Sloan from other Business schools?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:46:37 PM)
vxb11---I think a purposeful sincerity is your best strategy. Don't try to be unique, or tell us what you think we want to hear (I guarantee you we'll figure that out). Talk about the experiences that shaped you and what you've accomplished. Your individual talents and skills WILL come out.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:46:46 PM)
Thanks Phil

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:46:53 PM)
Lilly, a C function is a social function where first years and second years and faculty and staff get together... we have them every week. Some are on campus, some are off, some are "themed", some are not. It's a great way to get to know people.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:46:58 PM)
Would love to hear an answer on PSA's ? too

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:47:27 PM)
VXB11, I'm going to give a couple of hints on writing unique essays:

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:47:38 PM)
1) don't just tell them what you think they want to hear, as Jon said.
2) Write with distinctive details that others won't share.
3) Provide your unique insight into events -- not clichs.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:48:25 PM)
? Reposted: Questions 1-3 in this year’s application ask the applicant to describe his/her thoughts and actions. What about question 4, the self-written recommendation? Can you provide some guidelines as to what you are looking for or what things we should address?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:48:26 PM)
Welcome Tanaz. Thanks for joining us.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:48:27 PM)
Wlee--We would like to be able to, but given our set up (adcoms reading and interviewing with lots of travel) it is not realistic to have a set time/system.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:48:48 PM)
nsinsf, Tanaz is answering your question, she just got here... one sec.

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:49:00 PM)
Phil- Thanks. ?Rod, Jon, are applicants allowed to "visit" the C function and get to know more people, including faculties? Thank you.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:49:11 PM)
Rod, how does sloan weight the extracurricular activities?

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:49:14 PM)
PSA27, it'

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 9:49:53 PM)
Thanks Jon. How heavily is the GMAT weighed against other factors (such as good professional work experience with some solid extracurriculars...I have a GMAT in the mid 600s but am wondering if that's too low for consideration...? I do plan on applying with that score since I believe there are some other good pertinent experiences I can share in my essays

Paul_Bodine (Sep 17, 2002 9:50:10 PM)
Did Sloan make any progress in improving its male-female ratio (74%--26%?) in the past admissions year?

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:50:16 PM)
Media & Entertainment: We have different treks (business/academic trips) to Vegas and NY visiting media companies ... there is a club called the mediatech which has a branch for media & Entertainment. Also the marketing club has several programs

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:50:56 PM)
vxb11--it's not too low for consideration

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:51:01 PM)
C-Functions for applicants: You can hook up with a Sloan student and go to C-Functions as a guest.

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:51:23 PM)
Thanks Tanaz.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:51:24 PM)
reapp-wl: regarding self-written recommendation (Question #4), it's a way for us to compare how you perceive yourself and how your recommenders perceive you. Think of it as a 360 feedback.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:51:27 PM)
(oops) PSA27, it's a little hard for me to say, since I haven't gone to other b schools. But I think the emphasis on innovation is one thing. I also think -- and this is maybe just my gut feeling -- that the people here are somehow more collaborative than at other schools. This is an incredibly friendly place, and there is a spirit of helping each other out. It may be that it exists at other schools, but my sense is it's a little special here.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:51:41 PM)
Thank you, Rod

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:51:54 PM)
Paul Bodine: do I know you? Your name sounds familiar.

skwalzer (Sep 17, 2002 9:51:58 PM)
Gotta run - thanks all for your help Rod, Phil, Jon, Linda etc!

Paul_Bodine (Sep 17, 2002 9:52:14 PM)
I'm one of Linda's editors!

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 9:52:19 PM)
Thanks Phil!

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 9:52:27 PM)
? So I suppose we should answer Q. 4 from the perspective of one of our recommenders?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:52:52 PM)
Paul: I see. Ratio remained the same. Wish we could do better.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:53:07 PM)
Phil, you know this is Sloan's third annual chat, and every year that question gets asked, and every year, although the students change, the answer remains remarkably consistent.

patel (Sep 17, 2002 9:53:35 PM)
? what are your thoughts on using services like Accepted.com? Do you encourage or discourage usage?

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 9:53:36 PM)
Good to hear that there's a collaborative environment. Is a visit to the campus before submitting the app recommended...? I am thinking of about making a visit and am wondering how that would strengthen my app...

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:53:39 PM)
good luck SKWALZER

fe-mba (Sep 17, 2002 9:53:42 PM)
Can someone comment on the possibility of obtaining a Master's in a different field while at sloan? Either a maters degree or a certificate (as in the Financial Technology Option)?

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:53:49 PM)
PSA27: Sloan is different because students are involved in every aspect of how the school runs. Students in Sloan have the opportunity to take real leadership positions and have a true impact. For example: I have been in the curriculum redesign committee shaping Sloan's future in teaching

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:54:27 PM)
that's my opening for a question: What's new at Sloan? What will be new next year?

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:54:32 PM)
Rod, could you give me a couple examples as to what kind of applicants with less w/e got in? Thanks

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:54:59 PM)
Blueman: I'll let Jon take that one since he admitted one directly from college this year.

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:55:07 PM)
New at Sloan: Leadership programs/classes and initiatives also marketing initiatives

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:55:09 PM)
thanks Rod

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:55:23 PM)
Tanaz, can you be a little more specific?

nsinsf (Sep 17, 2002 9:55:32 PM)
? considering that most applicants are going to be forced to draft at least one recommendation for their recommenders (as much as everyone hates it), are you going to be looking specifically at that when reading responses to question 4?

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:55:50 PM)
vxb11, sure, how can it hurt to visit us? You'll get a bit of a better feel for the place and whether it's right for you, and maybe some insights into the kind of people we have here. I would imagine that your essays will be better (or at least different!) with a visit than without.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:56:05 PM)
patel--how could we discourage using them in this forum...:) Seriously, they exist and I think that used properly services can be helpful. Where people fall down (and we see this a lot!) is relying on the services to do the dirty work of visualizing your career, fit with school and general tone. A good, ethical editor can help you polish, but polishing dull stuff will leave it dull.

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:56:16 PM)
There is a leadership model that Sloan has developed and we are incorporating it into all of our courses along with specific leadership workshops/courses

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 9:56:27 PM)
? do you accept recommendations from current Sloan students? How are these viewed?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:56:30 PM)
Jon, I couldn't agree more.

Paul_Bodine (Sep 17, 2002 9:56:35 PM)
Well said, JonMcLaughlin!

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:56:52 PM)
Rod, I am in Boston area and want to visit Sloan, even attend some classes, shall I just go or do I need to make an appointment?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:56:57 PM)
fe-mba: I believe the FTO option is for non Sloan master's or Ph.D. students who wish to venture into a finance career (e.g., Ph.D. in mechanical engineering)..

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:57:07 PM)
blueman---that particular applicant had a consistent record of organizing large groups and creating lasting structures, also a great deal of part time work experience in conjunction with school. A clear exception.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:57:18 PM)
thanks Jon

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:57:21 PM)
Marketing: we are just setting up a one week workshop in January covering several marketing topics with industry experts .. this is a marketing club - student run org. initiative

patel (Sep 17, 2002 9:57:37 PM)
Jon, thanks

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:57:46 PM)
Blueman: go to our website http://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba and arrange your visit through the Sloan Ambassadors Program. It's available four days a week, twice a day.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 9:57:59 PM)
Thanks Rod

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 9:58:24 PM)
Thanks Phil. In reference to what Patel asked, do adcoms see through your essays when you are using a service like Accepted.com......Nothing against the services, but I would like an honest opinion.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:58:43 PM)
Diver-T: Yes, we'll take recommendations from current Sloan students, but this person really needs to know you because our recs ask for very, very specific examples.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 9:58:55 PM)
How is Sloan responding to the scandals of the past year?

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 9:59:18 PM)
?Phil, Tanaz, can you elaborate more on the areas related to international business / investments? Any field trips?

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 9:59:24 PM)
Thanks, Rod

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 9:59:41 PM)
vxb11--see above answer

Paul_Bodine (Sep 17, 2002 9:59:45 PM)
Are all Sloanies required to take a leadership-type course with Rob Grenly, MIT's director of leadership?

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:00:01 PM)
Lilly, Tanaz will answer your question...

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 10:00:08 PM)
Thanks Phil.

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 10:01:06 PM)
? Tanaz or Phil, what are the most popular courses at MIT?

patel (Sep 17, 2002 10:01:26 PM)
Thanks to all of you, Linda and representatives from MIT. Have a good evening - It's almost 3 am!

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 10:01:34 PM)
How is the focus on general mgmt compared to say U of Michigan....I attended their Ambassador program and found it to very insightful...

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:01:45 PM)
Patel: Hope to see you in London on October 3. Check our website for details.

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 10:01:45 PM)
? Piggybacking on PSA27's question - do some courses get overfilled? Is there a "silver bullet" in your bidding system?

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 10:01:46 PM)
Good luck to you Patel. Hope to see you soon.

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:01:46 PM)
Lilly: we have classes on global markets, national policies and the competitive advantage of firms. We have classes with 3 weeks internship during January in a foreign country. We have many, many international trips for spring break

cindy tokumitsu (Sep 17, 2002 10:01:58 PM)
? Have you experienced any problems last year with foreign students obtaining visas, and if so are you making any related changes?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:02:03 PM)
patel, thanks for coming and participating. Now get a short night's sleep. :-)

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 10:02:38 PM)
Thank you Tanaz.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:02:40 PM)
? If the self-recommendation (i.e. Q4) is used partly to compare how you see yourself with how your recommender sees you, then does that mean we should answer Q4 from the perspective of one of our recommenders? I was planning to answer each of Q4's questions from the perspective of someone who is not writing a rec.

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:02:54 PM)
popular courses: Industrial Economics, law for managers, Conflict Management, E-Lab and G-Lab, Macro Economics

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:03:01 PM)
Cindy: sorry for missing your previous question. No problem this year other than a student from a certain country who took more than four months (and a week late for classes) to get his security clearance.

elan (Sep 17, 2002 10:03:05 PM)
I also have to go, bye all, have a good night

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:03:09 PM)
Linda, as you can imagine, this is a hot issue in our classes. I'm currently taking Prof. Akula's business law class, and he had us reading an article he wrote -- in 2000! -- about the "hard edge of law and regulation." It was right on target but two years early! My impression is that the ethics portion of the curriculum is pretty well distributed throughout the classes we have, but of course, it comes up more now in class discussion than even a year ago. Jon may be able to add more.

cindy tokumitsu (Sep 17, 2002 10:03:17 PM)
Thanks Rod.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:03:26 PM)
Thanks elan. good night.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:03:57 PM)
Paul B--We added a leadership workshop to our expanded orientation this year, and Rob and students organized sessions around various aspects of the leadership model (I co taught/moderated one session with Tameeza Azaria, a second year student, that focused on communicating vision and follow through.) At the session people were provided with references to leadership courses and components within courses and introduced to the feedback form used for all student organizers. It was exciting and very collaborative. One of the most exciting things I've been involved with here.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 10:04:04 PM)
elan was in China, so should be "good morning" :-

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:04:17 PM)
You're right.

Paul_Bodine (Sep 17, 2002 10:04:29 PM)
Thanks Jon

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:04:38 PM)
reapp-wl: No, you should answer it from your own perspective. It's no different from completing your own performance appraisal.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:05:02 PM)
Elan: someone from Sloan will be in Shanghai next week. Check our website for details.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:05:13 PM)
diver-T, yes, some classes do get overfilled... but think of the "bidding" system as a way of clarifying what your priorities are. I don't know of anyone who really wanted a class who wasn't able to get it. But that's not to say that you can have *every* class that you want even a little bit, if you see what I'm saying.

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 10:05:52 PM)
Phil - yep, thanks.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:06:03 PM)
Sounds like a system that allocates scarce resources -- something like money...

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:06:03 PM)
Has the chat started?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:06:13 PM)
Yes, ouyang.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:06:22 PM)
? Is Sloan planning to come to India - either for interviews or for an info session?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:06:40 PM)
Ouyang, if you have a question, please feel free to post.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:06:45 PM)
Linda, yes, that's right... after the fall core, you get 1000 points to bid each semester.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:06:46 PM)
Following Phil's ethics answer--it's nice to be able to report that we have a long history of dealing with those issues as an institution. The whole field of industrial relations was given a big boost through Sloan research and an ethical current runs strongly through that. See also Ed Schein's work. Our work with the UN Global Compact touches upon this on the macro scale (what is the role of management in the world, its responsibility).

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:06:48 PM)
sure, thanks.

1 (Sep 17, 2002 10:06:54 PM)
?Rod/Jon, What does the interview address, above and beyond the ability to communicate effectively, that is not in the written part of the app?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:07:21 PM)
reapp-wl: No decision about it yet, but we talked about it yesterday.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:07:47 PM)
Jon and Phil, thanks.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:07:49 PM)
Thank you, Rod

SloanIn03 (Sep 17, 2002 10:07:59 PM)
? Rod or Jon, What percentage of applicants were interviewed last year? What percentage were admitted w/no interview, if any?

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:08:04 PM)
piggybacking on 1's question... how would you characterize the tone and nature of the interview questions vis--vis your standard job interview?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:08:05 PM)
I'm happy to hear that Sloan isn't jumping on the ethics bandwagon, because it's been on it all along.

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 10:08:48 PM)
? Rod/Jon, will Sloan have a short feedback from the previous application that the reader will compare the new application against? or will the reader refer to the previous application only when a specific question arises? will the reader look at all the additional material provided in the WL period? thank you.

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:09:08 PM)
first question, does Sloan have a plan to hold a info session in Beijing, China?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:09:22 PM)
Jon, how do you read a file? What do you look at first, next and last?

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:09:30 PM)
Rod, I hope you do come to India. There are many from here who are interested. However, now may not be the best time to come given the political fragility of the area.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:09:33 PM)
SloanIn03: Roughly 40% were interviewed last year and everyone admitted was interviewed.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:09:40 PM)
Rod, the same question for you, if you don't mind.

SloanIn03 (Sep 17, 2002 10:10:04 PM)
Thx Rod

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:10:05 PM)
All: Jon, Tanaz, Rod, and I are typing this from the admissions office at Sloan... in the lobby outside, at 10 pm, there is a salsa dance class in full swing. It's kind of funny, answering these questions while people are dancing away like mad just outside... :-)

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:10:08 PM)
Jon is in the process of answering interview questions ... give him some time

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:10:29 PM)
Interviews--well, they check that the person on paper is the person in front of us--somewhat figuratively speaking--and that you can thrive in a spontaneous non-linear environment. It is not completely unrelated to the skills required in a job interview, so that's helpful data too. Also, our students (and faculty and staff) will be spending two years with you and a lifetime with your memory. We want to make sure that our institution is proud of you.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:10:32 PM)
Phil, that does give us some flavor.

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 10:11:10 PM)
Linda are you affiliated with Sloan in some way?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:11:17 PM)
Not at all.  

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:11:32 PM)
Ouyang: a member of the Admissions Committee will be in Shanghai next Monday, September 23, at Hilton Shanghai. Check our website for details.

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 10:11:48 PM)
Is Sloan planning on increasing it's class size in the mid-term future?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:11:53 PM)
Linda--it varies, but I think I read the cover letter first on the assumption that the person will direct me through the application in a manner they think is important. After that it varies depending on what they have showed me. But it all gets read pretty thoroughly.

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 10:11:58 PM)
Thanks for your effort at this late hour of the night. I didn't realize you are all in the office. I guess same for Linda.

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:12:17 PM)
Jon, that being said about the interviews (thank you for your prior response) what were your thoughts about the interview afterwards? I only ask because I have heard such a wide variety of stories from various MBA interviews...

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:12:31 PM)
We have no plans for increasing the class size - (from all of us here)

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:12:37 PM)
reapp-wl: will do my best. I have lots of friends there. I just need to tie the trip to India with another country or city in the region since it's too, too far away to visit for a day or two. I understand January is the best time to visit.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:12:42 PM)
The salsa class has about 70 people, but we refuse to be distracted from our duties...:)

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:13:06 PM)
Jon, what dedication!

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:13:14 PM)
wookie--I don't understand

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 10:13:27 PM)
Jon, I thought you are in the Lasala Hall

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 10:13:28 PM)
Thanks Tanaz

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:13:29 PM)
PSA27: no plans to increase in the future since that involves more classrooms and hiring more faculty. Not that easy to make such a major change.

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 10:13:49 PM)
? Are there grades at MIT? Are they reported to employers/outside organizations?

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:14:09 PM)
Thank you, Rod. I already knew of the Shanghai event. So Beijing won't be as lucky as Shanghai, right? Can I ask for an interview at the event, which will make me fly unhesitatingly to Shanghai next week?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:14:43 PM)
SloanWLee: we'll have access to everything (evaluator's and interviewers comments and scores).

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:15:16 PM)
Yes. There are grades at MIT Sloan! we have a 5.0 scale and it is up to students to disclose grades (or not).

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:15:34 PM)
I guess what I'm asking, without knowing what kind of interviews you may have had in the past (i.e. tough quantitative banking, consulting case interviews, etc), I'm curious about what actually gets asked in the typical sloan interview. For other schools, I've heard a wide range from 'softball' resume type questions to some pretty tough personal questions... I'm just curious how you feel about the sloan interview and the questions asked

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:15:54 PM)
? Rod, January is definitely the best time for a visit to India. Beware the fog. Another question: What does it mean to be waitlisted? For example, does it mean the applicant was close but someone from a similar background was more accomplished?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:16:39 PM)
Rod, is it a "blind" interview or do you base the question on the application?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:17:07 PM)
BTW, Accepted.com has an MBA interview feedback database so you can see how previous interview experiences went for the different schools.

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:17:21 PM)
thank you Linda

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 10:17:46 PM)
Linda, where can I find the previous interview transcripts?

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 10:17:47 PM)
? Wookie, I was interviewed last year. The interview was friendly. 1. Go through the resume and why Sloan. 2. not a blind interview, the interviewer read my application prior to the interview 3. some situations questions. 4. very conversational....my perspective

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:17:57 PM)
diver-T: yes, we give grades to students but we cannot release them to outside organizations. All schools are required under Family Educational Rights Privacy Act to protect the student's records. However, we do not have a policy preventing students from telling prospective employers/interviewers what their GPA is.

Paul_Bodine (Sep 17, 2002 10:17:57 PM)
Sloan facts: Recruiters ranked MIT #1 for excellence in IT, #2 for excellence in quantitative analysis and operations management, and #9 in entrepreneurship (Wall St. Journal).

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:18:17 PM)
Thanks SloanWLee

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:18:27 PM)
wookie--the core of the interview is behavioral, we want to know about your past experiences and what you have done, but the interview evaluation goes beyond that to your ability to self analyze, a personal presence that indicates you could lead and contribute to a team and (we hope) a sense of humor that indicates you would thrive in this down to earth environment... I would also add that you shouldn't necessarily know "how you did" coming out. A difficult interview may signal nothing more than thorough interest.

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 10:18:58 PM)
?Rod/Jon Could you explain the admissions process a little bit. For instance is the application reviewed by one person or several people? If so who are they (what positions). Are there several stages in the process etc....

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:19:02 PM)
Ouyang: unfortunately the interviews will take place only after we have evaluated your application and at our invitation only. But the Shanghai event should be fun since there are a number of schools represented there and you will get a chance to meet members of the admissions committee, that is, the decision makers.

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:19:09 PM)
Great, thanks Jon...

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:19:20 PM)
Despite the late hour in Boston and the pulsing salsa music outside their office, our MIT guests have graciously agreed to continue for another half hour.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:19:43 PM)
Thank you guys!

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:19:44 PM)
to confirm Jon's point: Jon interviewed me 1.5 years ago and I had no indication as how I did when I left the interview.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 10:19:46 PM)
Thanks all

nsinsf (Sep 17, 2002 10:19:51 PM)
Thanks MIT!

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 10:20:03 PM)
Thanks guys - 70 salsa students is an ENORMOUS class

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:20:36 PM)
We Sloanies like to party :)

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:21:03 PM)
Paul--I think both us and Stanford cancelled our subscriptions...;) Actually, with the reach of MIT our entrepreneurship program is incredibly dynamic and valuable. I don't think you can find these resources anywhere.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:21:17 PM)
I'm sure it's a very cooperative and innovative salsa class. :-)

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 10:21:21 PM)
Jon...When you say self-analyze can you explain further...Self analyze as a response to a specific question or something related to what you have on your app...?

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:21:28 PM)
Thank you, Rod. That's encouraging. I wish I could have a chance to invite them to dinner for some fantastic Chinese food :-)

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:21:29 PM)
Linda--touch

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:21:30 PM)
Linda: It's not a blind interview. We're hoping to draw some examples from the essays.

cindy tokumitsu (Sep 17, 2002 10:21:52 PM)
I have to sign off; thanks very much, everyone from MIT, for a truly interesting and informative chat. Good luck to all the applicants!

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:22:04 PM)
Cindy: great to hear from you again.

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 10:22:07 PM)
thank you cindy

abny2002 (Sep 17, 2002 10:22:09 PM)
hi there

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:22:15 PM)
hello

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:22:17 PM)
abny2002: Hi

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:22:22 PM)
My apologies in advance if this was already asked, but I joined late... (feel free to ignore it and I'll check the transcript later)... Considering the application timeframe, I don't think I will be able to make it out to Sloan prior to submitting my application... Do you (Rod) still consider a person who shows sincere interest after submitting the application? I'd love to visit first, but timing is terrible right now...

abny2002 (Sep 17, 2002 10:22:35 PM)
sorry got in late....work just never ends, does it?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:22:55 PM)
vxb11--I think I'm referring to a perspective on yourself that indicates you are the type of person who learns from your mistakes, receives outside input and can look at your decisions through a CEO type lens (not I was good, they were bad)

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 10:23:05 PM)
when will the interview be held?

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:23:16 PM)
Just to jump in on the entrepreneurship thing, since that's my area of interest: I'd rank Sloan very high on its entrepreneurship program. 15.390 ("New Enterprises") is actually the oldest running class at the school. Right now it's taught by two profs, both of whom are successful entrepreneurs and VCs in real life. Ken Morse, another successful entrepreneur, runs the E-Center... the resources are great.

1 (Sep 17, 2002 10:23:19 PM)
?Tanaz/Phil are your courses often integrated with local companies? If so, how and how often?

flylikewind (Sep 17, 2002 10:23:42 PM)
I have a very common question which is torturing me. Will 700 GMAT( Q50-97%, V34-71%) give me any disadvantage for applying for Sloan? If so, what should I do? retake GMAT or something else? thanks a lot.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:23:56 PM)
Wookie: It would be nice if you can visit before you complete your application, but there are a number of successful applicants who have not visited.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:24:01 PM)
? Repost: What does it mean to be waitlisted? For example, does it mean the applicant was close but there was someone with the same background who was more accomplished?

SloanIn03 (Sep 17, 2002 10:24:16 PM)
Thanks to all - I am off

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:24:25 PM)
blueman--we interview (and issue invitations) all the way to the deadline. It has to do with our internal methods for reading (won't go into it) rather than geography, so don't give up hope till its done

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:24:34 PM)
Flylikewind: 700 GMAT is an impressive score but it doesn't reveal much since we need to know your grades, experience, etc.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:24:39 PM)
Good luck Sloanin03

abny2002 (Sep 17, 2002 10:24:39 PM)
Rod...I am an IT consultant and now working as an IT business analyst in a top management consulting company. My GMAT is 670 and I want to know whether I should retake the GMAT?

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 10:24:48 PM)
Thank you Jon

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:24:59 PM)
1, they are. One of the examples is the class that all first year students take during the fall core, the "team project". In this your team goes out and identifies a local company that is undergoing a change initiative and analyzes how the initiative is doing and what the company could do to make it go better (or problems it may have in doing it). Plus, there are other classes that work closely with local companies.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:25:12 PM)
Oh, and my summer internship was with a local start up as well. :-)

blueman (Sep 17, 2002 10:25:20 PM)
I have to sign off, thank you every one

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:25:29 PM)
blueman, thanks for coming.

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:25:46 PM)
1: we have courses like e-lab, HR for start-ups, Management Consulting Prosem and digital Biz Strategy that have company projects included in the course. you get to work with a local company in all of these classes.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:26:01 PM)
waitlist--it could be for so many reasons there is no one good answer...sorry

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:26:06 PM)
ABNY2002: If your GPA is 3.7 or better (tough major, top tier school), no need to retake the GMAT even if it is 650.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:26:17 PM)
Blueman: thanks for dropping in and good luck.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:26:54 PM)
Blueman: interviews will be held starting in early January.

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 10:27:12 PM)
? When does recruiting start in the 1st year? I get the impression that it starts promptly after you step on campus.

Paul_Bodine (Sep 17, 2002 10:27:13 PM)
Now that you mention it, #9 in entrepreneurship DOES seem unfair. :-)

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:27:15 PM)
Phil... you mentioned a start-up internship. 1.)How easy is it to find such opportunities and 2.)How well do those opportunities pay relative to the other opportunities that are out there?

flylikewind (Sep 17, 2002 10:27:16 PM)
RodGarciaMIT: thanks for your response. you mean 700 (even with the poor verbal part) is fine? I mean we just talked about the GMAT score.

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 10:27:26 PM)
? Jon, will you be able to accommodate a few-minute interview if we can make it to the campus? do you recommend prior appointment? since you handled the WL last year ...

abny2002 (Sep 17, 2002 10:27:34 PM)
Thanks Rod....my GPA is 3.5 in Industrial engineering (M.S.) from Rutgers University. My other question is in what ways do you advise candidates to distinguish themselves in their essays?

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:28:04 PM)
Rod, my UGPA is 3.3(after converting from Chinese grading), but I have evidence my stand is 9/108 in the class. Is that enough to show my academic competency?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:28:05 PM)
flylikewind: your verbal is fine.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:28:06 PM)
Thank you, Jon.

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:28:21 PM)
Diver-T: recruiting starts in September and continues till June depending on the industry and the company size

flylikewind (Sep 17, 2002 10:28:35 PM)
Great. I am kind of relieved. So I can focus on my essay writing. thanks a lot.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:28:38 PM)
ABNY2002: Hopefully you can distinguish yourself from your responses to the essay questions.

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:28:39 PM)
Does the admissions office have listings of Sloan alumni in my area that I could meet with on an informal basis to pick their brains about their experiences?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:28:42 PM)
SloanWLee--we can't guarantee anyone is available, we try and be courteous to all guests but you have to be prepared for disappointment if you drop by and we can't talk. We don't schedule appointments for such things.

logitech (Sep 17, 2002 10:28:49 PM)
? if I had a 3.33 in fairly difficult major from a state school, is this something I should address, even if I have >750 GMAT?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:29:05 PM)
Wookie: send me an email (rgarcia@mit.edu).

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:29:20 PM)
Excellent, thank you Rod.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:29:44 PM)
logitech: your number sounds fine. If you're accepted (or denied), it's not because of your GMAT or GPA.

abny2002 (Sep 17, 2002 10:29:51 PM)
Rod...I want to visit MIT. I have heard about the Ambassadors program. Is it possible to meet a few professors as well (in person)?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:29:52 PM)
Rod, are you at all concerned about having the manpower to read all those essays and other written material?

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:29:52 PM)
Wookie, like anything else, you need to be willing to do some work. Most start ups don't recruit through our career development office (CDO), so you tend to get positions like that via networking. Again, though, there are a lot of entrepreneurial activities (new enterprises class, NPVD track, elab/glab, etc.) that can help you network. I know a bunch of people who worked for start ups. Generally speaking, start ups pay less than other opportunities (and you generally don't get stock if you're just there over the summer), but if it's what does it for you, it's the only way to fly. :-)

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 10:30:05 PM)
Rod- can I also contact you at your email regarding the alumni list? Thanks.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:30:16 PM)
ABNY2002: yes, you will have a chance to meet and talk to a professor.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:30:21 PM)
Lilly: go ahead.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:30:26 PM)
? Excellent question, Wookie. Rod, would it be okay if I did the same? I would love to talk to a former student in my area.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:30:38 PM)
Phil and Tanaz, what re your favorite extra-curricular activities at Sloan?

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:30:38 PM)
Linda--It's a well known fact that adcoms don't need sleep

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:30:39 PM)
Reapp-wl: same for all

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:30:54 PM)
Thanks Phil... and unfortunately for my checkbook, that is what does it for me. :)

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:31:10 PM)
Jon, they're supposed to be super-human I'm told.

flylikewind (Sep 17, 2002 10:31:13 PM)
Rod, do you mind if I e-mail you further application-related questions?

abny2002 (Sep 17, 2002 10:31:30 PM)
re: Wookie's idea about MIT alum in the local area. Rod.....can you help me with that as well please?

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:31:48 PM)
Thank you, Rod.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:31:54 PM)
Flylikewind: feel free to email specific questions to me. It may take me a while to get back to everyone since I'll be on the road beginning tomorrow.

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 10:32:07 PM)
Jon- hope when you do sleep, you don't get nightmares because of the poorly written essays.

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 10:32:10 PM)
Jon, Rod, Phil, Tanaz...thank you all for taking the time to talk to us.

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:32:16 PM)
rumor goes that Sloan love people who have graduated from very famous schools. Will other people be somewhat disadvantaged in this regard?

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:32:48 PM)
just a quick note: when I applied to B-school I did my homework and found the alum through all kinds of sources (e.g. current students). It shows that you care about a specific school.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:32:53 PM)
Rumor also goes that Sloan loves people coming from name firms and big companies. Could you comment on that as well?

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 10:33:03 PM)
If I am interested in pursuing a entrepreneurial venture (even though I have limited experience as an entrepreneur. The flip side is that me & my wife are looking at one such venture now), how would that look if presented in the essays....? Most of my work experience has been in technology so far....

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:33:14 PM)
lilly--just don't use the word paradigm...just kidding...sort of

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 10:33:20 PM)
? Last questions from me - are there organized opportunities for b-school students to mingle with graduate students from other schools at MIT? I assume classes are one of them... any others?

abny2002 (Sep 17, 2002 10:33:35 PM)
Jon...a question for you. What are some of the KEY attributes in a successful Sloan applicant. In other words, what attracts you most and who is a winning candidate?

flylikewind (Sep 17, 2002 10:33:55 PM)
good question.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:34:29 PM)
Linda, re extra-curricular activities: C functions are nice, of course. There is sailing (Sloan is right across from the MIT sailing pavilion, which has free sailing lessons!), canoeing/kayaking, eating in Boston's many fine restaurants (found a new one tonight), no shortage of clubs... lots to do here. Plus I sometimes have been known to geek out in the MIT machine shop, where I build small projects out of aluminum. But that's just me. :-)

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:34:32 PM)
Linda: coming from big firms or big-name firms don't necessarily put one at an advantage. It's just that most of business school applicants come from big firms and big-name companies. Same thing with schools.

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:34:37 PM)
I came from Tehran University and a company called 'AG Consulting' , so I am a living example for coming from a no-brand school and a small company

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:34:47 PM)
diver t--techlink (tech stands for MIT does exactly that and is very active).

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:35:06 PM)
Thanks Rod, Phil, and Tanaz.

logitech (Sep 17, 2002 10:35:10 PM)
? another question, I changed positions within my company 2 months before my last application was submitted, but as most of it was complete by the time my entire transfer happened, I didn't mention it when I submitted it. Is this something I will be expected to address in this application?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:36:03 PM)
Tanaz, could you also address the extra-curricular question?

abny2002 (Sep 17, 2002 10:36:04 PM)
hey PhilLapsley....are you a Sloan student?

lilly (Sep 17, 2002 10:36:08 PM)
?Tanaz, did you have to explain somewhere in the essay what your company does/how recognized in its own industry, etc.?

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:36:23 PM)
abny2002, yep... second year.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:36:23 PM)
Yes, Phil and Tanaz are second-year students.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:36:23 PM)
logitech: nothing to be concerned about the change of position.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:36:30 PM)
? When will the placement report for this year's graduating class be posted on the Sloan website? Also, does Sloan publish a list of start-ups begun by recent Sloanies?

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:37:06 PM)
reapp-wl: it's not out yet since we're still collecting stats. My sense is it should be ready in the fall.

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:37:15 PM)
Diver-T: There are tons of opportunities to meet other MIT students, through formal and informal events. It's up to you to explore it. For example, I have made 6-7 good friends from LCS (lab of computer science) in the past year.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:37:33 PM)
Thank you, Rod.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:37:53 PM)
abny2002--see above for answer but hunger, drive, an innate sense of decency, the ability to motivate and work with others, leadership and a compelling vision for their professional lives. The exact proportion of each quality depends on the applicant.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:37:53 PM)
reapp-wl, I'm not aware of any definitive list of companies, but the MIT 50K business plan competition has produced 75 start-up companies in the last 10 years alone.

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:38:00 PM)
Rod, if you can tell me ....roughly how many people from mainland China applied last year and how many got admitted?

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 10:38:13 PM)
? In the latest WSJ ranking , the paper quoted recruiters saying "Sloan could improve by balancing the student profile with more non-engineers". Do you have any comments on this?

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:38:17 PM)
lilly: not really. I had to talk about me and my accomplishments and also my goals. It was really about me, not my company

flylikewind (Sep 17, 2002 10:39:16 PM)
Phil, 75? I just saw 60 on 50k.mit.edu :-)

diver-T (Sep 17, 2002 10:39:31 PM)
Thanks Rod, Jon, Phil, Tanaz, Linda, and Accepted.com for setting this up. I'm out. Take care!

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 10:39:35 PM)
Hi I had a question early on about entrepreneurship...Would appreciate someone's response...

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:39:44 PM)
You're welcome. Good night.

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:39:52 PM)
flylikewind, if that's what the web site says, I'll take your number... 75 was what I heard from one of the presentations about the 50k.

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:40:16 PM)
if only one of my questions could be answered

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:40:29 PM)
Ouyang: I don't have the stats with me. I'm guessing over 100 from China and roughly 7-8% were admitted (I think).

flylikewind (Sep 17, 2002 10:40:34 PM)
Phil, just kidding. the actual words is "Over 60 ... "

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:40:37 PM)
vxb11: can you please ask your question again ... I can't find it

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:40:55 PM)
Last 3 questions.

flylikewind (Sep 17, 2002 10:41:40 PM)
Rod, you said 100, did you mean from China or Chinese citizen? I think this is a big difference.

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:43:02 PM)
PSA27--We haven't seen their data and so we really can't comment

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 10:43:02 PM)
I am interested in pursuing entrepreneurship (even though I have limited experience as an entrepreneur...) Recently however my wife and I are looking at one such venture but it is really in its infancy stages. How would that sound if presented in the essays? (Most of my work experience till date has been IT consulting)

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:43:08 PM)
flylikewind: Citizens of China.

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:43:23 PM)
Rod, How do you view a GPA from China. The Chinese universities generally have strict grading systems. Although I stood 9/108 in the class, I only got a GPA of 3.3. Will that GPA be considered a disadvantage?

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 10:43:49 PM)
? any data on top of your mind on WL admission rate (next year). Would 50% be a good guess? thank you.

reapp-wl (Sep 17, 2002 10:43:49 PM)
? I'm afraid my recommenders may use some of the same stories they used last year in this year's recommendation letter. Is this okay? I feel they know me best since I still work closely with them.

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 10:44:24 PM)
Tanaz I just reposted the question..

JonMcLaughlinMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:44:33 PM)
SloanWLee--We haven't really got that far but I think 50% is far too high

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:44:34 PM)
reapp-wl: I'm sure the stories are very different since we changed our recommendation questions.

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:44:34 PM)
Is there any difference in first/second round applications?

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:44:59 PM)
Wookie, Rod answered that earlier so you might want to look at the transcript for the answers.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:02 PM)
Thank you again all for participating this evening. Special thanks to Rod, Jon, Phil and Tanaz for joining us this evening and to Paul Bodine and Cindy Tokumitsu for their assistance.

SloanWLee (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:05 PM)
? Jon, I meant for re-applicants

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:08 PM)
Thanks.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:13 PM)
Wookie: Yes. Check out the transcript for my comments about Round I and Round II apps.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:15 PM)
We look forward to seeing you at future chats. On deck:

flylikewind (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:22 PM)
Linda, this question is for you. Can we get a copy of this talk later?

tanazsowdagarMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:27 PM)
vxb11: you can certainly talk about your thoughts and plans in running the venture you are looking at (with your wife). you don't need to have experience in running a venture to be passionate about it. however, you should show that you have entrepreneurial attitude.

nsinsf (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:28 PM)
Thanks MIT, this was really quite helpful

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:31 PM)
Haas – September 19, CMU – October 2, Michigan -- October 14

Paul_Bodine (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:33 PM)
Three cheers for MIT. Good luck to everyone.

vxb11 (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:50 PM)
Thanks Tanaz... Good night all...!!

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:45:57 PM)
MIT folks... thanks a lot. Your comments are very much appreciated.

RodGarciaMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:46:01 PM)
Thanks to all and good night.

PSA27 (Sep 17, 2002 10:46:03 PM)
Thank you MIT, Accepted.com and other participants..

PhilLapsleyMIT (Sep 17, 2002 10:46:05 PM)
Thanks, folks! Good night!

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:46:08 PM)
The transcript should be available next week.

ouyang (Sep 17, 2002 10:46:08 PM)
Thank you, Rod. Thank you, Linda.

Wookie (Sep 17, 2002 10:46:10 PM)
Everyone else, good luck.

Linda Abraham (Sep 17, 2002 10:46:10 PM)
Have a very good evening! Good luck with your applications!

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