合格体験記
合格者プロファイル
アドミッションへの
インタビュー
キャンパスビジット
ローン制度
|
アドミッションへのインタビュー：英語原文 （2005年）
今年のアドミッションへのインタビューはAssociate Dean, Student Recruitment & AdmissionsのMs. Rose MartinelliとAssociate DirectorのMs. Esther Choyのお二人に行い、アドミッションのプロセス、GSBのユニークさ、そしてGSBがどのようなCandidateを求めているかについて聞いてきました。
なお、本インタビューの和訳版をこちらにご用意しています。併せてご覧ください。
日本語訳インタビュー
Rose Martinelli
|
On October 27th, we had the privilege of interviewing Ms. Rose Martinelli, Associate Dean, Student Recruitment & Admissions, and Ms. Esther Choy, Associate Director of Admissions, about the admissions process, GSB's uniqueness, and what the GSB is looking for in a candidate.
Compared to last year, a lot of things changed in the admissions process, such as the interview process and the essay topics. Was there a change in the overall mission/strategy of the admissions since you took over and if so, why was there such a change?
Rose:
The mission of admissions is very clear -- to find the best and the brightest students who are a good fit and match with the GSB. The changes we have implemented this year are focused on removing barriers and making the process even more transparent than in prior years.
Our essay questions were not necessarily easy to understand for international students (they didn't know what a mascot was) making our essay questions biased to US and native English speakers. The information we were getting in the data points in our applications was also not as complete as we wanted to make good evaluations. Can we make a better process that will help us be able to process applications more quickly, and get the most information in order to make good decisions. What we needed to do is to create procedures and processes for students worldwide that are much more transparent, understandable, and in many more ways equitable in terms of our resource alignment. First of all the behavioral questioning is preferable from my standpoint, because the questions can relate to anybody's experience and they can talk about it through their experiences; they're not creating a hypothetical response, but they're using experiences to answer questions. So that was important.
Chicago GSB also had a lot of barriers for our international students regarding the TOEFL and 3-year program requirements. After a full evaluation and discussions with University administration, we were able to clarify the minimum requirements. For our language requirements, students are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement if a student earned a degree in an institution where English is the language of instruction.
The decision regarding shifting to an interview by invitation process was based on constrained resources. The GSB believes that interviews are very important to evaluating fit and match. From this point forward, all students who we are considering for admission must have an interview with either an alum, staff or student member. Now, instead of interviewing the whole pool, we are going to interview 50-60% of the applicant pool. Also, since it's after they applied, they have demonstrated their seriousness and preparation. So this will be an easier experience for everybody involved.
How are the number of applications so far?
The market has been shrinking for the past few years. To have seen the bottom and see things moving up is a good thing. But not at all to a level where applicants should be concerned about the level of competition they are up against. It should not impact applicants at all at this level. I think it is a pretty exciting time to apply.
We did enormous amounts of outreach this year. We will have had 60 receptions in 28 countries by the time we're done. We want people to understand who the GSB is. Getting out there and helping people assess Chicago GSB is very important.
How was the reception in Tokyo?
Esther:
About 120-130 attended, and 28 alums showed up, and, all in all it was very successful. We kept on increasing the maximum number of people until the very last minute, and every time we did so, the capacity was getting filled, so we are very happy with that particular reception.
Rose:
We were glad we were able to show the applicants how much enthusiasm and passion the alumni have such for this school, because it's not necessarily common among top business schools.
How do you feel about the bias among the Japanese students that Chicago is "just" a finance school?
It's not just Japanese, it's everywhere. Everybody thinks we're finance, competitive, quant-oriented, a little geeky, not social, etc. It is now a school-wide effort to over come this. I think Esther has done a wonderful job of explaining how well-rounded our curriculum is, the power of our students and community at each reception. The new executive director in marketing is working very hard on this as well. It will take some time to influence people's awareness and perceptions of us, but that's a primary initiative that we have right now.
Moving towards a more detailed discussion on the applications, what sets apart a good application and a not-so-good application?
First and foremost, it's the student's self-awareness of where they've been, why they need an MBA, and where they're going. Knowing their history, being able to articulate the motivations behind choices; it's really about being able to build a case. It's really a business case plan they're putting together. Your credentials are important, your work experience, your academics, your GMAT, but true leadership comes out through synthesis of ideas and the path and plan created. If somebody can talk about where they have been, where they're going, why MBA and why GSB, that really makes a difference. Recommendations are also important because it is the only external voice we can get about the applicant at the time a student submits an application.
Path plan, well-roundedness, knowing that you have other interests besides business, good recommendations and thinking holistically is important; but to me, it's awareness first. Why does it make sense to you to spend the time and the money for your MBA. Answering why is a big deal for us.
Huge credentials do not matter. Solid credentials matter. What I mean by that is academic readiness, language ability, and a tracking in your career that is moving upward. Do you have to be a manager or at a high-level or what we call a fast-tracker, no.
Everybody in admissions has a different view and that is why we have large teams make decisions so that the applicants are getting a fair evaluation from various people with various backgrounds.
Esther:
Instead of thinking your application as a way of just getting you in, think of it as an opportunity to really sit down and think about your career and your life. You'll be pleasantly surprised how much you get out of this process. By the time you get admitted and start school, you're so much more prepared the more you put into it. Career paths do not necessarily have to be special or unique, but each person's voice and uniqueness is something special. I know that in Japan there are many experts at prep schools who can guide you, but just be aware that do not let these external experts drown out your voice because what you end up having may look very polished, but an application that looks just like the next applicant.
How does Chicago GSB differentiate itself from other top schools like Wharton and HBS?
There are so many differing needs in the marketplace. Everybody comes from different backgrounds. Not one program will fit everybody.
Our fit is unique in the marketplace because we do not have a rigid "core." We do have a "core," but it's based on ability and interest and it can be spread out during your 2 years, so we have a different philosophy and approach. If you're looking at just Wharton and Chicago, we're very similar institutions in that we're both finance powerhouses, have strength in marketing, entrepreneurship, and strategy. But Wharton has a rigid core. Regardless of whether you are a poet or an expert in finance or a CPA everyone will move through the core together at the same levels. You can waive out a few courses, but you really are lockstep with your cohort of 65 people and your team for one year. It is a terrific program, but it's a little bit more constrained in terms of exploration. The style of the program at Chicago GSB is very different. We give people different classes with different levels, and the ability to learn quickly and get up to speed with the rest of the class. For the experts, they can move to higher levels coursework. There is a lot of flexibility, and the message is simple that Chicago GSB lets you gain the tools to shape your own education. Having said that, however, shaping your own education is not done completely in a vacuum. There is a community that forms around cohorts, classes, and interests. The community is actually richer because you're expanding your network much more quickly because of this flexibility and you're having a broader set of people to learn from.
Harvard is a general management program. You may not learn the fundamentals in class, because class is solely case-based. So you have to learn the fundamentals in modules outside of class. If you have a great business background and you love cases, it's a great place for you.
The fit and match between all these different programs are great for the right individuals, but you need to choose the right program for yourself based on your self assessment and your goals for the future.
One other thing that sets Chicago GSB apart from the other top schools is the whole value system of "debate." It means our academic class room experience requires engagement and pushes students to learn from (and challenge) each other. That may be different at other places, where professors are the "expert" and you're the "student." You still learn the fundamentals, but it's a different setting. At Chicago, you learn to conceptualize your ideas and defend them which builds confidence because you are doing it over and over again.
You have to want to be engaged, you need to be intellectually curious, and you need to have an idea of what you want as an outcome of your life so you can guide your own path. We're not giving you a fixed plan. You have the ability to choose and you make of this experience what you want.
Esther:
It's up to the applicants as to how many schools they should apply to, but it's a bad strategy to try to apply to as many they can afford. One very helpful criterion to choose is that different schools have different approaches to training business leaders of tomorrow. What kind of environment do you feel you can excel in would be a good determining factor on where you spend your time.
Over the years the number of Japanese students has gone up. Any change in strategy there?
We admit the best candidates regardless of citizenship. We'd love to have a broad representation from all nations that apply, and sometimes we do and sometimes we don't, because the quality may not be there. The quality of applications from the Japanese pool has been very, very strong over the years. There are no quotas, nothing like that. Will we continue to reach out strongly into Japan, yes!
Any messages to the Japanese applicants?
Spend time to know yourself, do your self assessment, be yourself in your essays, don't allow yourself to be over-edited by the experts and if you believe that the GSB is a good fit for you, believe in that because that confidence will come through in your application. Do your research to find out whether Chicago has the right fit for you. Get on our discussion forums, talk to alumni, talk to students, and make sure you spend time on your application. We know this is a very arduous process, so do the best you can, and then let us do our work after you click "submit".
As applicants are exploring Chicago GSB, we are coaches and counselors. So if you have any questions, please let us know - use our discussion forums, send emails to staff --that's absolutely what we want to have happen. However, once you have submitted your application we take on our second role which is the role of the evaluator. This is when we have to separate ourselves from the applicants, and a lot of times people get confused. Oftentimes we struggle with our Japanese applicants because they want to come and sell themselves from the time they submit to the time they get their decision and we just cannot allow that interaction (in order to ensure that the evaluation process is fair). We do need to go to a land of silence after somebody submits an application because we need to be fair and impartial. If somebody who already submitted his/her applicant is reading this and is anxious, breathe deeply. If you are still thinking about applying, feel free to go on our discussion boards or email us.
We encourage students to come visit campus. However, after submitting your application, we unfortunately do not allow you to have a sit-down chat with admissions, because that is where the interview comes in. If you want to visit campus and you haven't applied yet, we'd be happy to sit down and talk to you after the information sessions and chat about how to be successful in the process; not necessarily particularly about your own candidacy but how to be successful from a general standpoint. Once you submit your application and visit campus, you should spend your time with students, and in the class room. Once you are admitted, and you want to come to campus, the door is wide open!
We, as students, will also continue our efforts to help deepen the applicants' understanding of the GSB. Thank you very much for your time and information!
|
