Making A US Dollar Draft

I had a tough time making a US Dollar draft to confirm my AIM admission. Few pointers to help people making the draft .

1. The Foreign exchange is open only till 3.30 pm, Do if you to bank around 3 or latter, don't accept to get the draft the same day.
2. Carry tour ID proof and College offer letter along with you.
3. Be ready to fill a 10+ page declaration/form.
4. Many branches don't have foriegn exchange, do call them and inquire before going, I had been to three banks before getting the correct branch.
5. Its better to get a draft from the bank in which you have account, the charges will be less. In ICICI bank they took 250+ S.T
6. Meet the bank manager directly, the work gets done faster.
Attaching a picture to help you understand better.

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AIM GD/PI Experince

MY GD/PI experience
2:00 - 2:25 pm, 8th March 2010 GD
4:50 - 5:10 pm, 8th March 2010 Interview

Reached Taj by 1.30 pm, met the other 6 candidates Shresht, Gaurav, Rangarajan, Anmol and Rajeev
Horacio Borromeo had called us to a conference room , The room was very elegant . We were seated in order of the interview slots. He gave us a topic.

How does technological advancement change the workplace arrangement?

It was a different kind of GD. Horacio Borromeo was himself conducting the GD. In the sense, he gave us topic and gave us 10 min to make your points and then he will tell to start.
He told us to raise hand and then he will allow us to speak.
Initially I was seeing the person talking but everyone was looking at the proof seeking a chance to talk.in the GD I spoke for around 3-4 times.
Borromeo was trying to question our explanations, but the GD was very organized though we could not discuss many points.
Total GD was sharp 45 mins.
It was a very different kind of GD, Just be sure you have few points and you have enough to back it up.

PI was very normal.

As I entered he asked how did you think the GD went ?
I answered!

Do you think it was good.
I answered!

He asked about my work experience?
I answered!

How many team members I lead?
I answered!

He asked me how am I in maths?
I answered!

Do know financing and accounting?
I answered!

I had mentioned about weight loss in my essay, so he asked in details about the same?
I gave a long answer, which included my business plan, why mba and why AIM.

What you do in weekend?
I told I meet my friends and go to mosque .Do charity work. Sunday I rest and prepare myself for the next week.

Then he asked why u go to mosque only in weekends?
Explained the time constraint in weekday

He asked any questions?
I asked him when will the results come out?

He asked will you take a sabbatical?
I answered!

How will you finance?
I answered!

I have written a very brief experience but if you have any particular question please ping me, i am ready to help all the aspirants.

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XAT Forms out

XAT is on december 3rd, 2010
XAT Bulletin & XLRI Prospectus can be obtained from 120 Branches of Axis Bank or from the XAT Office / Admissions Office, XLRI, Circuit House Area (East), Jamshedpur, 831001.Click here to view address of Axis Bank Branches.

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few pointers to write your essays

1.How you communicate is often more important than what you communicate
2.Answer the question(s)
3.Check and recheck for accuracy, correct grammar and spelling
4.So also are essays sent to the wrong institution the kiss of death.
5.Sometimes you are given an opportunity to complete an optional essay.
6.Remember: BE YOURSELF!!

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Other Exams

CAT 2008 may not have gone well, not to worry many exams are on the way SNAP is scheduled on December 21, 2008 and would be an objective type test of two hours duration carrying a total of 180 marks. Each question has four responses. The test has four sections. The General English section (40 marks) comprises questions on Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Ability; Quantitative, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency section carries 40 marks as does the General Awareness section with questions on General Knowledge, Current Affairs and Business Scenario, while the Analytical and Logical Reasoning section carries 60 marks. Deadline: Nov 25, 2008 XAT 2009 on January 4, 2009 would be used by more than 60 management institutes for short listing applicants for their MBA programmes. XAT consists of a two-hour multiple choice type test followed by an essay test of 20 minutes duration. Visit www.xlri.edu or www.xlri.ac.in for details of the application procedure. Deadline: Nov 30, 2008 [issue of XAT Bulletin and XLRI Prospectus) FMS Admission Test on January 11, 2009 will have objective type multiple choice questions to assess English usage and reading comprehension, quantitative aptitude, logical and analytical reasoning skills. Online registration can be done at www.fms.edu

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International MBA: Making the decision

I believe I used a framework that I would like to call "the four Ps of b-school decision making". The four Ps (no connection to Jerome McCarthy's theory on marketing) are Programme, Prospects, Price and People.

Programme
I had seen many of my fellow applicants recite B-school rankings at the drop of a hat. Rankings, thus, seemed like the logical place to start the investigation. Since the brand value of an MBA is one of the key components of the money you spend on the MBA, I felt that the total value of the programme would be reflected, to a great extent, in the rankings.

However, to ensure that I was not swayed by the "one-year wonders" (schools that suddenly peaked in one year and slipped off the rankings thereafter), I tabulated rankings for schools over three or four years. To make sure that my impression was correct, I also looked at rankings from about five publications. The emerging pattern showed that certain schools maintained a respectable position consistently, about 15 of which I put up on my shortlist.

Then I considered the specifics of the programme itself such as whether it had a one-year or two-year format or anything in between, assigning a higher weightage to those of shorter durations. I pored over the brochures to glean information on the specialisations the programmes were known for. I attached a marginally higher weightage to those with strengths in corporate finance, my main area of interest.

I jotted down the flexibility available in choice of electives. I also performed a reality check by noting the acceptance rate at the shortlisted schools. The best schools would also have the highest number of candidates competing for them, right?

In the case of business schools from non-English speaking native regions, an additional (cultural) feature caught my attention and my fancy -- the bilingual study methods -- ensuring that every participant would have an advanced (business) level of proficiency in the local language. This was peculiar to some European programmes and given my personal interest in languages, I gave them an additional vote.

Prospects
The purpose of the MBA, at least in the immediate term, was to accelerate my career path, which subsumed the aspiration for a more lucrative work opportunity. Therefore, the work prospects after the programme would be a key determinant of my decision. I examined the employment/ recruitment statistics at the shortlisted schools -- the percentage of students placed through the school's career services, the major sectoral groups that recruited them, the range of remuneration they were offered, and the locations they were offered positions at.

This consolidated picture told me which schools were preferred by which employers for what type of candidates at what locations and for how much money. It also suggested to me the extent of personal initiative an international candidate might have to take to balance the support provided by the schools' career offices in job search.

The other two Ps Price and People willbe discussed in next Post.

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Why an MBA from abroad?

Some of the main reasons why people decide to do an MBA abroad are:

They want to work in a particular country -- employers are keener on MBA graduates who have studied in the country where they operate.

They want a brand name that is recognised globally on their CV.

International MBA classes tend to have a more diverse population in terms of nationalities, backgrounds (educational and professional), genders, etc, which enhances the quality of the environment and the learning.

International B-schools tend to have a more global coverage of topics in their syllabi.
International B-schools are more likely to have access to a wider base of resources such as alumni network, faculty, guest speakers, libraries, employers, etc.

Some schools offer shorter duration formats such as a 10-month/ 16-month MBA, allowing candidates to return to work quicker

Almost all the reasons applied in my case. To future MBAs , I recommend that you come up with reasons that resonate most with your aspirations and the kind of experience you are looking for. If this will be your second MBA, then it will be imperative to articulate the thinking since you will most likely be asked this question in your interview.

It is all right to continue to fine-tune this reasoning during the process of MBA prep, but ensure that there is a consistent thread in your story. I cannot emphasise enough how critical your belief in this story will be and how many times this belief will be questioned during and after the process.

Reference : rediff,testfunda

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Why MBA?

I needed to answer two questions: why an MBA? And, why abroad? These remain important for any candidate.


Why MBA?

So, why did I do an MBA? When faced with this question, I put myself through the 'ART' test. The test asks three questions of a candidate considering doing an

MBA:

Do you want to Accelerate your career in the current industry?
Do you want to Rotate to a business/ corporate function within the current industry?
Do you want to Transform your skill-sets to change to another industry?

An affirmative answer to any one question is, superficially, sufficient reason to want to do an MBA. The important thing for me was to identify exactly where this career move was focused. I decided that A -- Acceleration resonated the most with me.

I was working with a group of bright, motivated individuals. My superiors provided me with learning opportunities now and then. However, I had reached an invisible hurdle beyond which growth demanded an additional set of skills, which I felt an MBA would address. Now that the toughest part was over, the next step was to elaborate and justify this answer with valid reasons.

It is completely acceptable for you to want to achieve more than one of the above objectives through an MBA. But a careful drilling-down into the story is critical.

Acceleration
This could be in terms of the number of steps of the hierarchy that the MBA will help you to jump and/ or the amount of money it will enable you to demand in the job market. It could also mean an accelerated career path, a fast track, which your organisation can provide you with by virtue of your MBA degree.

There could be environmental factors, such as a dynamic industry scenario or a downturn, that warrant different skills and techniques to successfully handle business realities. As a middle/ senior manager or as a businessperson, you may feel the need for an MBA to ensure that you maintain or increase the pace of growth of your business.

Rotation
You have made good progress on your career path, obtaining a promotion every year or two, handling greater responsibility with each, and drawing a larger pay packet at each level. However, the growth is unidirectional, with a greater volume of work supervised at each level, but no additional faculties being developed. You wish that you could gain a broader perspective of business and contribute in a wider spectrum.

What you really want is to have a cross-functional understanding of your industry and carry over the learnings from one role to another, thereby adding to your set of skills. The MBA will help to provide you with the tools and techniques to comprehend and assimilate nuances of the various aspects of running a business.

Transformation

There may be a better word for this route, but an MBA is based on the premise that you will use the learning in the programme to transfer the skills you developed in your career pre-MBA to the role and industry you move to post-MBA. Hence, what you want to achieve is a transformation of your skill-set, through a set of frameworks and techniques learned in the MBA, which will help you to contribute, to a new role, in a new organization, in a new industry.

You could well want to be your own boss, fan that entrepreneurial fire burning inside, but know that you will have enough of a business perspective to create a successful venture. You essentially want to change careers, without having to start at the bottom of the new ladder, and be taken seriously in the new role, based on your past work experience and the new skills developed through the MBA.

Another way of checking whether you have nailed the reasons is by asking yourself whether any other route will help you achieve the same results. For example, if you believe that you have sufficient experience of the marketing and project management areas but find yourself wanting when it comes to financial concepts, then you may want to consider a short-term course that provides you with basics in finance.

If, however, you want to be the finance whiz kid, then consider a Masters in Finance or a Chartered Financial Analyst programme. It is important to understand the level of specialisation you desire. An MBA is usually oriented towards general management, with some scope for specialisation. In my case, I was quite certain that I wanted skills that were tangible across functions and industries. No specialised course could have addressed that requirement.

Why am I emphasising the need for this reasoning so much? Because the Admissions Committees stress on it. The reason that Admissions Committees are extremely keen on understanding your motivation for pursuing an MBA is a significant investment in your development. They want to ensure that the candidates they recruit to the MBA class are mature professionals who have weighed the benefits of the MBA adequately before making the investment decision. Additionally, they want to be certain that when you graduate, you will have gained something tangible in line with your expectations, and, thus, will be a confident brand ambassador for the school.

The thought process that I went through in this stage of my MBA prep was tested several times during the phases leading up to the admissions -- when I decided which B-school to apply to, when I took my GMAT, when I wrote my essays (especially here!), when I was arranging for the funding, and when I appeared for my interviews (probably the deal-breaker). So it helped tremendously to have clarity in advance.

Author is Oxford Alumni
Reference: rediff, testfunda

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US Colleges Application Deadlines

Dartmouth / Tuck Deadlines 2008-2009

Early Action
Application Due: October 15, 2008
Applicant-initiated Interview Completed by: October 15, 2008
Notification: December 19, 2008
November Round
Application Due: November 12, 2008
Applicant-initiated Interview Completed by: November 12, 2008
Notification: February 6, 2009
January Round
Application Due: January 7, 2009
Applicant-initiated Interview Completed by: January 30, 2009
Notification: March 20, 2009
April Round
Application Due: April 1, 2009
Applicant-initiated Interview Completed by: April 1, 2009
Notification: May 15, 2009

Columbia Deadlines 2008-2009

January 2009 Accelerated Program
Application Review Period Began: April 30th, 2008
Decision Period: Within 8 weeks
Application Deadline: October 8th, 2008
September 2009 Early Decision
Application Review Period Begins: August 13th, 2008
Decision Period: Within 10 weeks
Application Deadline: October 8th, 2008
September 2009 International Applicants
Application Review Period Begins: January 7, 2009
Decision Period: Within 12 weeks
Application Deadline: March 4, 2009
September 2009 U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
Application Review Period Begins: January 7, 2009
Decision Period: Within 12 weeks
Application Deadline: April 15, 2009

UVA / Darden Deadlines 2008-2009

Round 1
Application Deadline: October 28, 2008
Interviews Conducted: December 5-19, 2008 and January 5-9, 2009
Decisions Release Date: January 30, 2009
Round 2
Application Deadline: January 7, 2009
Interviews Conducted: February 16-March 2, 2009
Decisions Release Date: March 25, 2009
Round 3
Application Deadline: March 4, 2009
Interviews Conducted: April 9-17, 2009
Decision Release Date: May 8, 2009

IESE Deadlines 2008-2009
Round One
Deadline: October 27, 2008
Notification: December 5, 2008
Round Two
Deadline: December 8, 2008
Notification: February 6, 2009
Round Three
Deadline: January 19, 2009
Notification: March 20, 2009
Round Four
Deadline: March 2, 2009
Notification: April 24, 2009
Round Five
Deadline: April 20, 2009
Notification: May 22, 2009
Round Six
Deadline: June 8, 2009
Notification: July 3, 2009

UT Austin / McCombs Deadlines 2008-2009

First Deadline:
November 1, 2008
Second Deadline for Domestic Applicants/Final Deadline for International Applicants:
February 1, 2009
Final Deadline for Domestic Deadlines:
April 1, 2009

Yale Som Deadlines and Essay Topics 2008-2009

Round one:
Deadline: October 22, 2008
Notification: January 16, 2009
Round two:
Deadline: January 7, 2009
Notification: April 10, 2009
Round three:
Deadline: March 18, 2009
Notification: May 8, 2008

UCLA Anderson Deadlines and Essay Topics 2008-2009

Round 1:
Deadline: October 9, 2008
GMAT/TOEFL taken by: September 30, 2008
Decision released: January 8, 2009
Round 2:
Deadline: January 8, 2009
GMAT/TOEFL taken by: December 31, 2008
Decision released: March 26, 2009
Round 3:
Deadline: April 2, 2009
GMAT/TOEFL taken by: March 31, 2009
Decision released: June 4, 2009

Cambridge / Judge Deadlines 2008-2009

Round 1:
Deadline: October 1, 2008
Interview Notification: November 7, 2008
Interview Day: Late November/Early December (exact date to be decided)
Final Notification: December 10, 2008
Round 2:
Deadline: January 7, 2009
Interview Notification: February 13, 2009
Interview Day: Late February/Early March (exact date to be decided)
Final Notification: March 11, 2009
Round 3:
Deadline: March 4, 2009
Interview Notification: April 9, 2009
Interview Day: Late April (exact date to be decided)
Final Notification: April 29, 2009
Round 4:
Deadline: April 15, 2009
Interview Notification: May 8, 2009
Interview Day: Mid-May/ Early June (exact date to be decided)
Final Notification: June 3, 2009

Oxford / Said Deadlines 2008-2009

Stage 1:
Deadline: October 24, 2008
Interview Notification: November 14, 2008
Final Notification: January 9, 2009
Stage 2:
Deadline: January 16, 2009
Interview Notification: February 6, 2009
Final Notification: March 27, 2009
Stage 3:
Deadline: April 3, 2009
Interview Notification: May 1, 2009
Final Notification: May 29, 2009
Stage 4:
Deadline: June 5, 2009
Interview Notification: June 26, 2009
Final Notification: July 24, 2009

Carnegie Mellon/ Tepper Deadlines 2008-2009

Round One: October 27, 2008
Round Two: January 5, 2009
Round Three: March 9, 2009
Round Four: April 27, 2009
Round Five: June 1, 2009

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IIML announces executive MBA programme

What: The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIML) announces its one-year residential International Programme in Management for Executives (IPMX 2009-2010) at its Noida campus.

Programme details
It is a post-graduate programme in management and includes a four-week teaching term at McGill University, Canada [Images], for compulsory coursework.
Programme is meant for executives from corporates/ development sector, entrepreneurs, consultants, professionals, defence personnel and civil servants, to prepare them for leadership roles in the global environment.
The Institute would facilitate placement of non-sponsored candidates.

Eligibility
~ Executives with Bachelor's degree in any discipline or equivalent
~ GMAT score obtained from July 1, 2008 to November 1, 2008
~ Minimum of six years full time, post-qualification professional experience, as on March 31, 2009

Last date for receipt of completed application form: November 1, 2008

Contact
IPMX Admission office
IIM Lucknow -- Noida Campus,
B1, Sector 62, Noida 201307 (UP) India
Phone: (0120) 6681002
E-mail: ipmx@iiminc.ac.in

Application form and programme brochure is available online at: www.iiml.ac.in or www.iimlnc.ac.in

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Admission Deadline of Top Colleges 1

Michigan/Ross Full-time MBA Application Deadlines
Round One
Application Deadline: October 10th, 2008
Decision Notification: January 15th, 2009
Round Two
Application Deadline: January 2nd, 2009
Decision Notification: March 15th, 2009
Round Three
Application Deadline: March 1st, 2009
Decision Notification: May 15th, 2009

Berkeley/Haas Deadlines 2008-2009

Round 1
Application Deadline: November 4th, 2008
GMAT and TOEFL Taken Before: November 4th, 2008
Decision Release Date: January 28th, 2009
Round 2
Application Deadline: December 9th, 2008
GMAT and TOEFL Taken Before: December 9, 2008
Decision Release Date: March 18th, 2009
Round 3
Application Deadline: January 30th, 2009
GMAT and TOEFL Taken Before: January 30th, 2009
Decision Release Date: April 28th, 2009
Round 4
Application Deadline: March 11th, 2009
GMAT and TOEFL Taken Before: March 11, 2009
Decision Release Date: May 19th, 2009

Stanford GSB Deadlines 2008-2009

Round 1
Application Deadline: October 29th, 2008
GMAT and TOEFL Taken Before: October 29th, 2008
Decision Release Date: January 22, 2009
Round 2
Application Deadline: January 7, 2009
GMAT and TOEFL Taken Before: January 7, 2009
Decision Release Date: April 2, 2009
Round 3
Application Deadline: April 8, 2009
GMAT and TOEFL Taken Before: April 8, 2009
Decision Release Date: May 21, 2009

UNC / Kenan-Flagler Deadlines 2008-2009

Round 1 (Early Action)
Application Deadline: October 24th, 2008
Interview Completed by: November 7th, 2008
Decision Release Date: December 15th, 2008
Round 2
Application Deadline: December 5th, 2008
Interview Completed by: December 19th, 2008
Decision Release Date: February 9th, 2009
Round 3
Application Deadline: January 9th, 2009
Interview Completed by: February 27th, 2009
Decision Release Date: March 23rd, 2009
Round 4
Application Deadline: March 13th, 2009
Interview Completed by: March 27th, 2009
Decision Release Date: May 4th, 2009

INSEAD Deadlines for 2008-2009 - September and January Intakes

Deadlines for September 2009 Intake
Round One
Application Deadline: October 1st, 2008
Interview Notification By: November 7th, 2008
Final Decision: December 19th, 2008
Round Two
Application Deadline: November 26th, 2008
Interview Notification By: January 16th, 2009
Final Decision: March 6th, 2009
Round Three
Application Deadline: February 11th, 2009
Interview Notification By: March 20th, 2009
Final Decision: May 7th, 2009
Round Four
Application Deadline: April 1st, 2009
Interview Notification By: May 15th, 2009
Final Decision: June 19th, 2009
Deadlines for January 2010 Intake
Round One
Application Deadline: March 11th, 2009
Interview Notification By: April 30th, 2009
Final Decision: June 5th, 2009
Round Two
Application Deadline: May 27th, 2009
Interview Notification By: July 3rd, 2009
Final Decision: September 4th, 2009
Round Three
Application Deadline: July 22nd, 2009
Interview Notification By: August 28th, 2009
Final Decision: October 9th, 2009

MIT Sloan Deadlines 2008-2009

Round 1
Application Received by: October 28th, 2008
Decisions Released on: February 2nd, 2009
Round 2
Application Received by: January 13th, 2009
Decisions Released on: April 6th, 2009

Re-applicants must submit their materials by the Round 1 deadline. Despite Sloan’s East Coast location, all application materials, which will be available in July 2008, are due by noon Pacific Standard Time.

Harvard Business School Deadlines and Essays Topics 2008-2009

Application Deadlines
Round 1: October 15, 2008
Round 2: January 6, 2009
Round 3: March 11, 2009
Note: All deadlines are 5 p.m. EST.
Notification Dates
Round 1: January 21, 2009
Round 2: April 2, 2009
Round 3: May 13, 2009

IMD School of Business Deadlines 2008-2009

The five deadlines posted by the IMD School of Business remain unchanged from last year’s deadlines. Although the IMD admissions process is rolling, the school encourages applicants to apply to one of the earlier deadlines.
The five deadlines for the 2008-2009 deadline season are:
February 1, 2009
April 1, 2009
June 1, 2009
August 1, 2009
September 1, 2009

Chicago GSB Deadlines 2008-2009

Round one:
Application Deadline: October 15, 2008
Mid Decision: November 12, 2008
Decision Notification Date: January 7, 2009
Round two:
Application Deadline: January 7, 2009
Mid Decision: February 18, 2009
Decision Notification Date: March 25, 2009
Round three:
Application Deadline: March 11, 2009
Mid Decision: April 22, 2009
Decision Notification Date: May 13, 2009

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Application

SIBM and SCMHRD last day on January 06
forms are very scare , do get it fast from IMS

XIMB
GIM last day for online application is 31st december,2007

GLIM is january 18th,2008

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Applications Debriefed

Applying to colleges is a very tedious process Applications process are discussed and do keep deadlines in mind , Checklists are

1.Official gmat scores
2.Transcripts
3.Degree Attested
4.Resumes- This is very important as it’s a mean to market your self and should be accurate and any data should not be mismatched , if so application will be degraded.
5.Recommendation – 1st From our current manager 2nd Team lead/ Previous company 3rd College. It should be about you role.
6.Essays – Use this to show why want to be in your college don’t leave any gaps tell everything , no use of writing general stuff write why you want to be in about your diversity
7.Work Experience

Need to do lots of research what will be ideal length of MBA ,your financial state to pay fees and what best for you as said you have to analyze things deeply as you are paying a huge amount of money and return of investment should be there.

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