DOUBLING DOWN W. DEE LEOPOLD, WHAT DOES IT MEAN????

 I heard having an interview with Leopold means ur chance of admission is doubling down…
not becoz of u, but i guess it’s becoz she’s esp. harsh in selecting students…
but good luck to you!!!!

hmmmmmm, ‘doubling down’ w. Her Majesty is my phrase, originally used on my blog and Biz Week boards, and what I mean is that if you interview w. Dee Leopold (HRH) and she likes you, you are in, if she dont like you, you are not in, the decision sorta gets made in her head right there, unlike any other adcom, where they write a report, and then it gets considered holistically w. your app and everyone else, of course, Dee is doing that too, but in some unpluged way. It is possble to have so-so interview w. reg adcom and get in, based on whole story, but if you have so-so interview w. Dee, and it leaves bad aftertaste, Buy-bye, similarly, if you have boffo interview w. reg. adcom, that could get devalued in reg. admission process, but if Dee flips for you, well, good chance you will be in. Of course, you are thinking YOU will be the one she will flip for, soooooooooooo, many out there hoping to get Dee. Hmmmmmm, IMHO, she is a gal who has seen a lot of applicants and heard a lot of stories, and seen how a lot of boffo stories have turned out (some not so boffo)–so chances of sweeping her off her feet, not as likely as you might imagine, altho, sure it does happen. ON DA OTHER HAND, while being totally professional, etc. etc. she is, ahem, ahem, unlike funny and patient and lovely person you may have seen at Forums etc. someone w. both a trigger wit and a trigger response to little annoying things you might say, soooooooooo chances of setting off an internalized spike of INSTANT DING ANGER, are out there. All that said, in most cases with her, you neither sweep her off her feet, nor cause an explosion, and she is a warm and sensibile interviewer who does not throw curve balls and let’s you sorta reach your own level, and the only gaffs, are those you cause yourself. She dont pressure you. So not a bad person to draw for the interview, but BEWARE of Instant Dingma Gonna Get You minefield.

HBS 2+2 STATS FROM DEEP WITHIN THE HBS WEBSITE
[quote]Class of 2014*
Admissions
Total Applicants 844
Admits 115
% Admitted 14%
Women 39%
International 27%
Countries Represented 17
Testing Information
Complete Range
of GMAT Scores 510-790
Average GMAT 727
Range of GRE Q 690-800
Range of GRE V 560-800
Average GRE Q 767
Average GRE V 679
Average GPA** 3.75
Educational Background
Engineering & Natural Sciences 50%
Humanities & Social Sciences 44%
Business Administration 6%
Undergraduate Institutions Represented 51

*These numbers are subject to change.

**Excludes GPAs not on 4.0 scales.

source: [url]http://www.hbs.edu/mba/profiles/classprofile_2+2.html[/url][/quote]

stop the presses, no news from HBS about the WL. Eileen Chang learns to put dates in these letters, unlike ones last year.

NO ONE WILL BE TAKEN OFF WL TIL APRIL 6TH!!!!!!!!!!!! 

March 1, 2010
 

Hello Everyone:
 

It’s Eileen Chang from the MBA Admissions Board at HBS. As it is the

first of March, I’d like to provide you with another process update.

Given that I had indicated in last month’s message that we will becommunicating decisions to as many of you as we can on April 6, I don’t really have anything too noteworthy to add this month. We are currently in the middle of reviewing round 2 applicants and begin conducting round2 interviews today. Some of you on the waitlist who have not already been interviewed may have been invited to interview this round.
 

The most common inquiry we received since our February update was concerning admission to other programs and the timeline of our decision process relative to the need to respond to other business schools. We will not be able to provide a decision to anyone currently on the waitlist before April 6. As a result, we understand if you need to make other plans and wish to remove yourself from the waitlist. Please do so

by emailing my colleague Dana Scalisi at dana_scalisi@hbs.edu.
 

For those who are wondering, the number of people who will be admitted from the waitlist will depend entirely on what we see in round 2. I hope to be able to share more information on this in my update next month.
 

Until then, thank you for your participation on our waitlist.
 Sincerely,

Eileen Chang

MBA Admissions

Harvard Business School

Soldiers Field Road

Dillon House

Boston, MA 02163
 

HMMMMM, CONFIRMS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG ABOUT ZILCH CHANCES OF BREAKING INTO PE WITHOUT PRIOR PE EXPERIENCE. SO DONT SAY THAT AS YOUR GOAL IN ANY B SCHOOL ESSAY UNLESS YOU QUALIFY. B SCHOOLS DONT LIKE UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE CLOGGING UP THEIR GRADUATION CEREMONIES.

from Wall Street Journal blog

PE Firms To MBAs: We’re Hiring, We’re Just Not Hiring You

There’s good news and bad news for business school graduates looking to secure a spot with a private equity firm this year, according to a panel of private equity professionals that spoke at the venture capital and private equity conference held at Harvard Business School on Saturday.

The good news is that after a virtual drought in 2008 and early 2009, private equity firms are starting to hire again. The bad news is that they aren’t hiring many MBA level positions.

“It’s really taking place at the junior levels or the senior levels,” said Sachi Gahan, a managing director with executive recruiter Glocap Search. “Most of my work is at [the] principal or associate [level], but very little at the senior associate [level]. There’s a big stack-up of talent in a lot of these partnerships.”

After private equity firms hired aggressively out of business schools during the boom years of 2005 to 2007, “Most firms are not in a hurry to get back to those levels,” said Ryan Harper, a vice president at Boston-based Summit Partners. However, he said Summit does plan to hire one or two vice presidents this year.

These days, deal experience is a must, as an analyst or associate at a private equity firm or through work at another organization, such as an investment bank or a consulting firm, panelists said.

“Give us a sense that you know what it’s like to work on a deal,” said Michael Berk, managing director at Boston-based TA Associates Inc., which also continues to selectively hire MBAs this year. “The hard truth is if you don’t have prior deal experience, it is very tough to get into TA and a lot of more established larger private equity firms.”

AMAZING HEADLINE OF THE WEEK

Goldman Sachs Still Shines for MBAs Who Ignore ‘Hype’ (Update1)

READ FULL STORY

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=agFgbCvM44FA

AMAZING EXCEPT:

 Nicole Zenel, an MBA student, has read the negative stories about Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s role in the financial crisis, its subsequent record profits and its decision to set aside $16.7 billion for pay and bonuses after receiving $10 billion from the U.S. Treasury.That didn’t stop Zenel from applying there for an internship.SHOCKED, SHOCKED TO FIND KIDS APPLYING TO GOLDMAN HERE.

good story fr. Stanford Student Newspaper at the link.

Stinky job market impacts even Stanford–kids there may now deign to show up at Investment Baking interviews. Nah. #MBA http://bit.ly/dzI9UN

Sandy,

Do you have any idea of how the 2+2 program will affect the class of 2013 for HBS…Specifically how it might affect a applicant with 2 years of experience at the time of matriculation?

well, assuming that HBS does not dramatically increase class size for class of 2013, and it stays in the 920-940 range, that means instead of ~920-940 slots (maybe few less for prev. admitted, and seniors who deferred in prior years) this year the number of open slots will be 106 LESS than that.  That is going to impact anybody’s odds, but I do not believe it will disproportionately impact those w. 2 year experience, since that is very attractive demographic. Of course, other figure is what total number of apps received is. If in the 8k range, as recently, that means a big chunk of of spots (more than 10 pct ) are off the table. And don’t retort by saying that those 106 2+2 babies would have applied anyway, and are not applying now (b.c. they have already been admitted). Many wld be in law school, grad school, or just no longer competitive b.c. they did not do first bucket work at e.g. IB or MC shop.  So bottom line, next year applicants (entry in 2011, grad in 2013)  have a narrow needle to thread. 

   WHY GET A MOCK INTERVIEW FROM  SANDY–WELL, HERE IS ONE HAPPY CUSTOMER (NOT PICTURED ABOVE BUT YOU GET THE IDEA)

Sandy,
Just finished my Wharton interview. 

After you bitch-slapped me during the mock interview earlier this week, I canned the notes/list and simply started preparing questions in my head.  There were zero “robotic” responses as a result.   I also took your advice in telling stories about extras/community service, and passions outside work to combat the Finance-geek impression that you could get from reading my app.  Feel that strategy paid off, as non-work areas were where she focused.   
Questions:

- Walk me through resume. 
Kept it real crisp, then transitioned naturally into cultural rediscovery story –which she loved. 

- Why MBA, why now, why Wharton. 
Took why Wharton a step further to how I would contribute to Wharton. Emphasized how I wanted to strengthen the career dimension of the program’s SE Asian components (i.e. Global Immersion Program), snd changing the perspective that SE Asia club/tour is more of a fun party event (which I’d heard was the case from current students, and which she laughed, and confirmed was her impression as well) 
- ST/LT goals
- Tell me about a leadership challenge you faced. 
Talked about my struggles being a leader….while I was the youngest person in a culture where age is viewed as prerequisite for decision-making power.  I followed your advice and added as much self-awareness in my response as possible… i.e., admitting that I made my share of snafus initially as I was learning the cultural ropes.  She responded with empathy, citing a simular situation she had faced while working in dif country.

- Tell me about a leader you admire and why.  Talked about one of my recommenders… brought in skill in managing conflict in cross-cultural teams, and then how I have tried to emulate that in my own experience. Talked about how he succeeding coming from a disadvantaged past and how he took advantage of all his opportunities to succeed… then brought that make to me and stated examples of how I have done the same in my life.
- Considering your age, why do you feel you would fit into a learning team where most people are a few years older? Went to our prep. Talked about how maturity was one of my strenghs, and how I both enjoy and work really well with people older than me.

Mentioned ethnic  professional community I started in NYC, and how I was able to inspire other members of the group (doctors, lawyers, etc. whose average age was 30+) while I was just 23.  Also mentioned how I was able to thrive in —– despite being the youngest employee at IB.She responded by saying that that was a great answer.

- What are some of your passions outside work.  Talked about how I love to play ____, and worked in my interest in Psychology and how that was an effort to be well-rounded academically. Then I moved on to ____.  Mentioned how I have been ____ for over five years (hopefully that dispelled any remaining impression of being a typical Finance-geek), . she was able to visualize this as she had lived in NYC for two years.  Then I worked in how I could continue to pursue both of these interests at Wharton through x and y.

I am confident that I have added another ally to my cause, and have my fingers crossed for the decsion.  Thank you for being so cruel to me during the mock interview.  At the time, I thought you were being too harsh (even bordering on being a jerk), but it turned out being exactly what I needed.    

CAN A STUDENT AT STANFORD HELP YOU GET AN INTERVIEW????

for those who love lists–all 50 can be found  here:

The Top 50 Women in Hedge Funds
By Yoree Koh

http://bit.ly/c8BLXrWhile the hedge-fund industry guards its secrets, it is widely known that it’s a male-dominated field with few women at the top. But female finance pros with a knack for innovation and entrepreneurship take notice: The Hedge Fund Journal is spotlighting 50 women in hedge funds who are tearing it up.