Shobhit,

Hey man, I just want to make one thing clear.  You absolutely CAN write about this event--if in fact it was life-changing for you, and your most powerful experience--maybe you simply have no choice.  The best essay will come from the heart, and it sounds as though this story may be your most powerful one yet to date.  Or to borrow a phrase from a recent (favorite) film, "Its the story you were born to tell."

But if you do go down this path, make sure that you are cognizant of the fact that many others will tell a similar story.  How will your take on it be different?  How will you avoid platitudes such as, "Coming from so little, I have come to realize how lucky I am.  I want to give back."  We have never met, but I see that conclusion coming a mile away.  So if you DO chose to tell this story, how will you make the story distinctly your own?  How can we find your voice in it, louder and more clearly than those who tell a similary story, or come from similar beginnings?  That, my friend, is your challenge.

Good luck to you, sir.

Jon Frank
CEO, Precision Essay

Bustit,

Hey there, and thanks for the note.  Before I address your specific question, I want to throw out a shameless plug for the Precision Essay Blog.  My co-founder Raj Patil keeps up our Blog, and I keep up on the Forums, etc.  So everyone check it out!  It is different than everyone else's, as you will find out--mostly because Raj is a pretty cool dude.  It's definitely worth stopping by every couple days.  www.precisionessay.com/blog

Now, down to business with Bustit.  First of all, off-hand, I think you know that your profile is interesting.  The whole science angle unique, and the adcoms wont see many like it.  So thats the good news.  The bad news is that you also have a couple things working against you here--especially, your age.  But all in all, with a set of great essays, I like your chances.  So, now to your questions, one at a time.

1. I plan on applying to Tuck, Ross, Cornell, Duke and Yale.  Do these sound like a reasonable choice of schools?      

We recommend that everyone applies to seven schools.  Sure, it is a random number.  But this will give you a chance to stretch a bit (Tuck, Ross) as well as perhaps to add in a slightly less competitive school or two (UNC, UT Austin).  And since you're starting so early, I'd say why not apply to more, and a broader range?

2. My ECs are pretty weak as I never held any leadership positions, just a helping hand.

You still have time.  Play up what you have going for you, now.  Find some leadership experiences.  Start a fundraising drive.  Lead a boyscout shooting competition.  Do something.  But also, look back at your past EC experiences.  Is there something that you used to do, that you could pick back up, and then refer to "the past six years, working with the organization" etc.?  Get creative.  Always tell the truth, but try to build on what groundwork you have already thrown down.

3. Do I mention the weak GPA or let my transcripts speak for themselves (rise in GPA over time).

Nah, your GPA is fine.  Dont stress it.  Maybe a sentence or two in an essay, but again, not an issue.  Your GMAT is strong enough.

4. How much of a factor will my age be?  I'm older than the average, but my years of WE is about the same.  Do I need to explain it?

Now in this case my friend, I would slow down a bit.  Yes, I would explain this.  You will be among the oldest students in your class, other than perhaps some military guys.  It sounds as though you do have a good sense for why that is, and you have a great explanation.  So dont stress it, you should be fine.  But yes, I would expect to address this in your application.

Alright man, I hope this helps!  Sorry to get a bit long-winded.  Keep me in the loop, and feel free to reach out to me (or my partner Raj) with any more specific questions.

Jon Frank

CEO, Precision Essay; www.precisionessay.com/blog

 

Jon!  Thanks a ton for your input on my profile.

And I have to give a thumbs up for your blog too.  You don't have a ton of stuff up there, but the stuff you do really provides some great insight into the whole process.

Bustit

Hey man, yeah I hear ya on the BLOG aspect.  For whatever reason, last year our blog didnt get NEARLY as much traction as its gotten this year.  I couldnt begin to tell you why, since Raj has been manning that thing from Day 1.  This year (maybe because so many applicants are blogging, themselves?) TONS of folks are checking it out .

As a result, we are now making it a top priority.  Our blog will be cool, up to the minute, and helpful for all to see.  And hopefully, somewhat entertaining as well.

Let me know if there's anything more I can do to help, sir.

Jon Frank

Precision Essay www.precisionessay.com/blog

IMAGREE,

Hey man, thanks for the kind words.  Sorry its taken me a few days to get back to you.  If I understand your question fully, it is essentially "What do adcoms make of military experience?"

And the answer, to be brutally honest, is VERY MUCH. At HBS, we often referred to the three M's--Mormon, McKinsey, and Military.  There were TONS of people from all three of those backgrounds at the school.  Of course this isnt to say that the adcoms discriminate at all, because of course they do not.  But the military guys bring an incredible wealth of knowledge to the table.

During a case discussion, we would all raise our hands and offer up our pathetic leadership experiences, "Yeah, as a real estate developer, I once motivated my consultants to blablabla."  The next guy says, "As a banker, I once motivated my team to put together a really killer pitch book on powerpoint, and..."  Then a military guy steps up and says something like, "One time when my fighter plane was under attack over Iraq, I leveled with my squadron, and gave out some strong orders."

...

Silence, in Section C.  Now THAT is leadership.  So in a word, yes.  Your military background is AMAZING experience, and you should refer to it liberally in your apps.

Good luck to you sir, and keep in touch!

Jon Frank

CEO, Precision Essay

Greetings and salutations, fellow BSchool enthusiasts.

Quite a few folks have approached us, asking what to expect in terms of the bad economy.  That is, "With the economy taking a nose dive, will applications go soaring through the roof?"

And the answer, to some extent, is "yes."  Apps will absolutely increase this year, and most likely in the next year or two as well.  Why?  Well its pretty straightforward--with the economy slumping, many folks will head off to school.  The real question is, what does it all mean for us.

And the answer, happily, is very little.  As with any selective process, there will be ebbs and flows.  Sometimes, a school may be a bit more selective, sometimes a bit less.  In some markets, folks will shoot for the stars more readily, and in other markets, many will prefer to play it safe.

Our advice has always remained the same--hold steady.  Apply to the best schools you think you have a shot at getting into, and as always, seven is our magic number of apps.  Remember, classes are always growing, and trending younger.  So keep your eye on the ball, and apply to your list of schools.  It will turn out in the end.

Thanks, and keep in touch.

Jon Frank
CEO, Precision Essay

www.precisionessay.com

Jon--

Hello, sir. Terrific thread.

Have finally gotten around to putting together some applications, but am conflicted about my timing. I'd like to apply to a few R1 schools (deadlines more or less mid-October), but don't know if I have enough time to really put together a polished application by then.

Few questions for you:

1) From your experience at HBS, did you ever learn from others when the majority applied? Did you notice any trends among those you considered at the top of their game having applied in R1 or R2 etc?

2) How long do you find it takes to really whip an application into shape? I consider starting with a strong background, but as someone who needs a ton of work and rework before my writing can ever be solid.

3) And under what circumstances would it make sense for someone (at the tail end of August) to wait until R2?

Cheers,
B

Babar,

Hey man, glad you find the thread so interesting.  I enjoy posting up on businessweek--and every day or so we seem to connect with a new group of people.  Thats exciting stuff.  So lets get into it.

1) If you apply during Round One, your chances will be slightly better.  Period.  However, if you rush your apps, and if you do a lousy job because you are so stressed to hit Round One, you were better off waiting.  The overwhelming majority of folks will get in Round Two.  Thats what I did, and I got into HBS, Stanford, and others. 

That being said, sitting here today, you have TONS of time.  Pick a couple Round One Schools, and go for it!  Pleeeeenty of time.

2) Generally speaking, we can whip an application into shape in one month.  We have done it in a week, and sometimes it can take more than a month.  (Erm, sometimes well over a month).  But as long as the applicant is driven and keeps up with us, one month is a decent benchmark.

3)  Sounds like the same as your question #1 to me.  Let me put it a different way: Round Two is perfectly fine.  If you arent confident in your Round One app, wait until Round Two.  After all, thats what everyone else is going to do anyway.  But right now, you have PLENTY of time.  So you can shoot for Round One--at least for a couple top-tier programs.

Hope this helps, my friend.  Good luck to you.

Jon Frank

Hi Jon,

My buddy DannyO, who is working w/ you, suggest I reach out to you.  I applied to HBS and Wharton last year and got double dinged w/out interview.  HBS was a dream, and it was pretty heartbreaking.  I thought about reapplying to both but it just doesn't seem worth it.  So, I plan to put in an ap at Columbia in the next couple weeks, and hit Kellogg round 1.  I was thinking maybe one more round 3, possibly UCLA.  I want a top school if anything, and near a big city for my wife's job prospects.

For stats, I work for a top asset maanager in the middle office...not a glam position, but very good career progression.  Male, GMAT 700, GPA from Liberty U 3.94, also 2/3 done with the CFA exams.  ECs very solid...heavy community involvement and unique ones like acting and modeling.  Another big factor for me is an opportunity presenting itself w/in my firm for a pretty nice job potentially very lucrative.  It's definitely not a dream job, but one some top MBAs might go for...so no school or something like NYU part-time are valid options.

So sorry for the novel, but wondering if you can provide any general advice.  I might consider your 1 week service for my Kellogg ap...Columbia's essays are shorter and more straightforward, so I think Kellogg would be more bang for the buck. 

Thanks a million for anything you can let me know.

Ngray,

Hey there.  Glad DanO passed you along.  Hes a good guy, and we've been chatting now for over a year!  How time flies...

Now, down to business.  Sorry to hear about HBS--it can be heartbreaking indeed, but its gotta be a good learning experience.  Id love to have a look at those apps, if you can dig them up.  I may be able to offer some advice.  Be careful with Columbia--since they admit so many people early, applications get VERY competitive later on in the year.  Would you consider Cornell?  Again, close to NYC and well connected on Wall Street.  Frankly, there are TONS of good places close to major cities, including NYU (full time) and Haas.  Honestly, you cant go wrong, especially if you are open to both the east coast and west coast.  Anderson is also a great program, as you know.

We also advise folks to apply to WAY more than just two schools.  You should plan to apply to 5-7, if possible.  You have plenty of time--take advantage of it.

I'm happy to chat about all this stuff off-line, if youd prefer.  Email me at jon@precisionessay.com. 

Thanks for the note man, and keep in touch.

Jon Frank