August 2008 Archives

Getting accepted to HBS is going to be tough. Very tough. Over the last few months as I've been researching my post-graduate options, it's grown more and more obvious exactly how competitive the application process for HBS is.

I choose Harvard as my number one for a few reasons. One, to be totally honest, it's an amazing brand. An over whelming brand that makes it difficult to ignore. Two, and probably most important, is the case method style of learning. Working in groups with an emphasis on class participation and dialogue fits perfectly with my learning style; which is generally more hands on. The more I read about the 'case method' the more excited I become with the opportunities at Harvard. Third, from what I've read, Harvard's program seems to be put together more for the well rounded 'General Management' business leader. Each universities MBA program seems to have a slight emphasis on what type of student they churn out, for example Stanford's focus is on Entrepreneurship, Kellogg's is on Marketing, Yale on Finance and Harvard's is General Management.

However, the more I read about past and current student's backgrounds prior to attending HBS, the more I realize I have a lot of ground to cover and make up for. My target of getting accepted to Columbia and earning a Bachelors in Economics is a good first step, but it might not be enough.

The past five years of running my own creative consulting and production company has been a great introduction to business. From filing corporate taxes, to income projections, to proposals, to just maintaining the day to day paperwork of a corporation; it has opened my eyes greatly to what goes on behind the scenes and what is possible. Yet I am concerned that it fails in comparison to applicants who have three years in the trenches of an investment bank or have been running a manufacturing plant in Asia.

All is not lost however, as I have two solid years to continue to build my business and business contacts to render me a serious candidate for admission. In the end, this entire process is only going to help me grow overall.

I stopped off in Borders Books yesterday, while waiting to see Tropic Thunder, and perused the business books section. It's filled with loads of general books on leadership, skills assessments, and management that seem to all be eerily similar to self-help books. Nothing particular really caught my eye so I moved onto the education section to check out the GMAT books to get an idea of what to expect. This is a little off topic, but The Official Guide for GMAT Review seemed to be a GREAT resource that I will definitely pickup when it comes time to start studying for that test.

On my way out of the store I literally bumped into a display table that had been setup for 'Top Business Books' and the very first one to catch my eye was, Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School. Funny I thought, a possible sign? I read the back cover and the first few paragraphs of the preface and decided it would be a good read.

When I got home from the movie I looked it up online and realized it was only just published about two weeks ago (July 31st, 2008) just before I started this blog, possible sign number two?

[Except from Ahead of the Curve] I did not go to Harvard Business School planning to write a book about the experience. In fact, after ten years as a journalist, I went there to recover from writing, to stop looking at the world around me as a source of potential stories. I wanted to learn about business in order to gain control of my own financial fate and, more important, my time. I was tired of living at the end of a cell phone, prey to an employer's demands. A master's in business administration, I hoped, would be my path to greater knowledge about the workings of the world and broader choices about the life I might lead.

I get the feeling that the book might not shed the most positive light on his experiences at Harvard, he seems to be somewhat covertly apologetic for what were are about to read. The author, Philip Delves Broughton, was actually in a similar situation to me when he entered Harvard, though he had his undergrad degree when he decided to apply, he too had spent ten years working in a non 'business' field. He also decided to attend Harvard as a way to greater understand himself and open new opportunities. Though I feel I am a bit more specific in my goals and career track; I wish to build and manage Internet/New Media/Entertainment companies. It will be an interesting read for me that I will be sure to write about when I am done. You can pick it up on Amazon here.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Harvard University is back as the Number One ranking national university for the first time in 12 years. It  beat out Princeton, Yale, and MIT to claim the top spot. Harvard also takes the number one for it's graduate business school, followed by Stanford and the Wharton School (U. Penn).

Columbia University comes in at a three way tie with Duke and University of Chicago at number eight, which is one step higher then it was last year. Columbia's graduate business school comes in at number nine.

Yahoo News lends Harvard it's success to the fact that it scaled back the size of it's classes, "Harvard reports the percentage of students in classes under 20 students rose from 69 percent to 75 percent since last year's report, while the percentage in classes bigger than 50 fell from 13 percent to 9 percent."

It's good to see these kind of results cause it reminds me of what great odds I'm up against, nothing that's insurmountable, but it is definitely humbling.

I filled out the introduction form on the Harvard MBA program website today. I'm two years out from applying, but gotta start somewhere.

Today I had a quick phone meeting with an admissions counselor at Columbia University's School of General Studies. It was a good call as it reinforced the fact that I might be a perfect candidate for this program. Which is very exciting.

For those not familiar with Columbia's School of General Studies, let me give you the brief overview.

Columbia University is made up of many 'schools', as most universities are. The three main schools at Columbia are: Columbia College (this is the standard Freshman applicant school), Barnard, and General Studies. The General Studies school was setup to meet the needs of 'non-traditional' and returning students. The application process places more emphasis on who you are and what you've done over the grades you received. Students who have been out of school for more then three years, ex military, or adults seeking a second bachelors degree are encouraged to apply to this program.

The nice thing about the General Studies school is that you are placed into the regular student body and take regular Columbia classes (not special adult or evening classes). There is no difference at all between the education you receive as a Columbia College student and a General Studies student. This is different from other 'returning student' programs at other Ivy League universities like Harvard and MIT. These schools have 'extension' classes (see Harvard's Extension School) that are totally separate from the main student body; classes are held at night and typically not by University professors. You still earn a Bachelors degree, but I don't believe the class work is anywhere near as challenging.

The actual physical degree you earn from the General Studies program is slightly different from the Columbia College program but the education is the same, and that's really what matters.

So back to the phone call. It was a great starting point. The admissions counselor informed me of two information sessions happening here in LA in October that I will be sure to attend. She was impressed with my work background, however, she did mention that my grades are on the low side. She recommended that I take some classes at Santa Monica Community College as a way to bolster my application.

Unfortunately, I can not take classes until the winter term, and those classes don't count for transfer credit, but they would still use the grades as part of my application. I will have to check SMC's classes schedule when it's posted in a few months and see what classes would be best. I am thinking of taking a Calculus refresher course as I know it's used in Economics and I'm sure my differentials and integrals are a little rusty.

So this is the first posting in a series of many on my imminent return to the world of academia.

If you are someone who never finished college and are have been thinking about going back or if you are someone who is planning on getting a Harvard MBA (or any MBA program) then this site is for you.

Over the next three years I plan to groom myself as a competitive applicant to the Harvard School of Business. This will include getting an Ivy League degree at Columbia University as well as continuing to hone my business skills not only with my own current company, but also by learning from the successful businesses and business leaders out there today.

I hope the resources and blogs I post are as useful to you as they will be to me.