Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of an impact you had on a person, group, or organization. 


I have always been actively involved in volunteer service. In my final year of
high school, I voluntarily tutored a group of students every weekend for three
months. Currently, I spend my weekends with the National Blind Association,
helping transcribe reading materials into cassette recordings. When a social
worker friend of mine invited me to tag along during one of her visits to
Letchumi, I agreed. 

I have never seen anyone live in more abject conditions than Letchumi. She is a
widow who lived in a makeshift house made up of a few wooden walls supporting a
partially broken zinc roof. The place was covered with dank water that had
leaked
through the roof during a recent downpour. She cooked over a fireplace because
her gas stove had been stolen by one of her neighbours. She was also suffering
from chronic asthma, for which she could only afford to buy basic medication -
pills that provided short-term relief but not optimal treatment. I was deeply
moved by her plight and offered to help despite my heavy work commitments.
Together with some friends, I spent several weekends repairing her roof and
cleaning up her home. I also bought her a new gas stove. Over the last two
years,
I continue to visit her whenever I am back home, bringing food, and money for
her
medication. 

Unfortunately, Letchumi's story is not one from rags-to-riches. I know that my
help will never be able to extricate her fully from her poverty. The confluence
of many complex, negative factors like a broken home and unfortunate
circumstances create overwhelming odds that cannot be surmounted by my
small-scale volunteer efforts alone. There needs to be a systematic effort to
integrating her back into society. It pains me that this is so. Yet, seeing the
smile that lights up on her face every time I arrive at her door - I know my
contributions, albeit small, have made a significant impact on Letchumi's life.

Spending time with Letchumi has made me cognizant of the ironies of life and
reminded me of the value of contentment. It has allowed me to reflect on - and
thus gain valuable insight into - my own individuality.  I have emerged with
greater confidence in my ability to make a difference to the lives of others. 
Still, I appreciate my limits and weaknesses, realizing that there are no easy
victories in the war against inequality. 

Ultimately, the tide can only be turned if each of us does our appropriate
part, even if the effort seems small in
isolation. This belief has strengthened my resolve to give something back to
society and reinforced my aspiration to set up a biomedical engineering company
that would combine technology with health-care to provide more cost-effective
health care.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of a time when you generated a new idea or a new use for an existing idea, which added demonstrable benefit. Minor essay 


In my fourth year at university, I conducted an engineering research project
titled 'Automated transcription of digitised music signals'. The aim of the
project was to solve an old but complex problem - 'How to automatically
transcribe a polyphonic music signal'. Some research had already been done in
this area; however most of the results were limited to monophonic and not
polyphonic signals.

Solving this problem would yield many benefits, both commercial and social. From
a commercial aspect, being able to transcribe a polyphonic music signal would
mean being able to perceptually code an audio file (method by which MP3 audio
files are produced for distribution of music on the Internet) and restore
corrupted old music tracks - both of which would hugely impact the digital
recording industry. For music fans, it would mean being able to transcribe a
music score from a compact disc recording and re-orchestrate the score by
modifying the different instruments and vocals in the recording. From a social
aspect, an optimal noise reduction system could be created for use in automatic
speech recognition systems and hearing aid devices - an innovation which would
have far-reaching benefits for the hearing-impaired community. I was drawn by
the
challenge of the task and the opportunity to contribute to society, and hence
decided to take on the project.

To solve the problem, I used a statistical model-based
minimum-mean,-square-error (MMSE)1 approach to estimate the original signal.
After that, I generated a tracking algorithm to plot the changing frequencies of
the audio signal in a time,-frequency plane and based on the relative strengths
of the frequency peaks, derived an estimated musical score. The problem was
especially difficult because a polyphonic signal is made up of concurrent audio
signals, each with a different set of harmonics. Transcribing a monophonic audio
signal is much simpler as a single signal can be easily represented by a
summation of frequencies: a fundamental and a set of harmonics.

After working on it for one year, I arrived at a partial solution. I had
succeeded in creating a prototype system to transcribe duo-phonic signals. Even
then, it was a significant achievement for the laboratory and for the
department.
As a result, my thesis was published in the coveted University Engineering
Research Reports. Spurred by the success of the project, the laboratory is
currently embarking on a second phase - to extend the results to polyphonic
signals and to translate the findings into commercial applications. Based on the
results of the work, the laboratory is also studying the application of
psycho-acoustic models to reduce noise in speech and music signals. Through my
recent communications with the laboratory, I know that several start-up
companies
have shown a keen interest in facilitating further research in this field and
are
contributing funds to commercialize the findings - findings that will greatly
benefit society especially in today's digital information age.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of a difficult interaction you had with a person or group. Minor essay 


In 2002, I participated in a project to restructure one of the large oil and gas
companies in the world. For decades, the company had suffered significant
revenue
losses due to production shortfalls, secondary to an ineffective planning
process.  My role was to assess the viability of setting up a new planning
department. This required working closely with Jacques, a key project
stakeholder, who was extremely difficult to work with because of his distrust of
external consultants and resistance to change.

Proving the imperative for change was easy; a quick analysis uncovered many
uncoordinated production and maintenance activities, which if coordinated could
bring in US$100Mn in additional revenues annually. Surprisingly, Jacques
resisted
the idea. For two long months, I struggled to convince him of the benefits.
After
two months of deadlock, I realized his resistance was because my proposal
involved a reorganization of his department and its reporting structures, which
he obviously had a personal stake in.  A new department meant a possible
relinquishing of his venerated position. In short, while the logic was
impeccable, his 'personal concerns' were not addressed. 

I was determined to achieve what was right for the company.  Through many
painstaking individual meetings, I gradually managed to subjugate his arguments
and allay his concerns. Thinking in his perspective helped me understand his
reservations and build a persuasive case for the proposal. There were often
difficult questions, and sometimes, antagonistic circumstances but sticking to
my
principles and logic helped me to face them effectively. I was careful to
position myself as impartial and motivated exclusively by the good of the
company.

In the end, Jacques agreed with my recommendations whole-heartedly. That marked
a significant accomplishment for me because I had successfully transformed an
important but extremely difficult client to one of BCGs most vocal supporters.
At a personal level, I was gratified with the outcome because I had established
a
good working relationship with him, which later turned into a friendship. I had
also earned his trust as a worthy discussion partner despite the age and
experience gap. I am glad I was entrusted this challenging leadership and client
management responsibility, which is often reserved for more experienced
consultants.  It was an affirmation of the confidence BCG had in my leadership
and client management skills. These skills are very important for my future
success, which I am keen to further hone at Sloan.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of a time when you achieved a goal that was important to you. Minor essay 


Against all odds, I qualified for the university ballroom dancing team.

I had only started learning ballroom dancing a year before I was selected to
represent the top U.K. university team in the annual National Championships.
Prior to that, I had absolutely no dance experience, nor was I a natural dancer.
In fact, during the first few weeks of learning how to waltz and jive, I must
have stepped on my partner's feet more times than there were beats in a bar. 

Through the months of enduring disdainful stares and irate remarks every time I
bumped into someone, I gradually learnt to appreciate the music and the dance.
Inspired by the many talented dancers on the team, I was determined to prove to
myself that I could be as good as one of them. I set myself an ambitious goal of
qualifying for the varsity team by the end of the year. 

With only six months to the trials, I used every spare opportunity to practice,
sometimes even squeezing short practice sessions between classes. I did this
every single day, for the whole six months. Because the university did not have
any good dance instructors, I traveled two hours every weekend to London to take
lessons with a private instructor. I also purchased a video camera and convinced
some close friends to record my dancing - a highly effective method of
identifying the many areas for improvement! In addition, I started a workout
routine in the gym to develop ankle strength and stamina. 

Against all odds, I eventually made it the team. I was extremely gratified with
the outcome because I managed to achieve a goal that was seemingly impossible. I
had proven to myself that personal adversity, no matter how difficult, can be
overcome with clear vision, tenacity and perseverance. 

Bolstered with confidence by the accomplishment, I went on to compete outside of
the university circuit. I emerged finalist in the prestigious international
'Champions-of-Tomorrow' competition held in Blackpool, U.K. and represented
Great
Britain in the U.S. - U.K. inter-varsity competition. I recently competed in two
international competitions held in Asia, coming out champion in both events. My
next goal is to represent my home country in the highest level of ballroom
dancing - the annual International World Ballroom Dancing Championships held in
Blackpool, U.K. I also hope to someday find a means to teach ballroom dancing to
those visually impaired at the National Blind Association, just as it has been
possible to teach ballroom dancing to those wheelchair-bound.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of a situation when your thinking was different from your colleagues or superiors. Minor essay 


'I don't think this product will sell in Turkey', exclaimed my project leader.
'And besides, price points are so low that it's probably not profitable anyway.
Furthermore, is this in line with the client's overall strategy?'

I was involved in a project to develop an international strategy for a consumer
goods company. My responsibility was to identify potential new markets. I had
presented my findings about the market attractiveness of Turkey, but my project
leader had strongly disagreed.  

Argue based on facts

'I don't think this product will sell in Turkey...' It was a new product in
Turkey. What I had done to prove the potential market attractiveness was to
identify characteristics that would indicate a propensity for the product, such
as the adoption of clove in the product, and extrapolated based on that. I had
also interviewed industry analysts and conducted acceptance tests with local
Turkish communities, and discovered a high acceptance for the product.
Furthermore, I pointed out that Turkey's attractiveness cannot be viewed in
isolation as a stand-alone market. Turkey attracts many European visitors, and
in
that light, Turkey should be viewed as a market entry vehicle into Europe.

'&Price points are so low that it's probably not profitable...' I ran a
sensitivity analysis to prove that the profit margin was not sensitive to the
price but to the tax structure. Depending on the product specifications, the
specific and ad-valorem taxes would change and by controlling that, it was
possible to generate high profit margins from the product.

Appreciate others' viewpoints

'Is this in line with the client's overall strategy? He pointed out that the
client's focus was on Asia, not Europe because they had already established a
distribution network in Asia. I explained that the product only needed to be
distributed to five major cities, which would cover 60% of the total projected
demand, and it was possible to latch on to the distribution network of an
incumbent monopoly of another product. We concurred that setting up a full-scale
manufacturing operations was out of the question.

After a grueling six-hour debate with my project leader, we decided on a
recommendation that incorporated both his and my viewpoint: that Turkey was
indeed attractive and should be recommended as a potential market; however it
should be entered via a low-investment exploratory approach i.e. using a third
party import model. The CEO was compelled by our pragmatic recommendation, and
executed it on that same day! I recently heard from my project leader, that
operations in Turkey have been very successful, with profits doubling over the
last six months. 

From this experience, I learned that while having a rigorous logic to defend a
viewpoint is extremely important, it is equally important to appreciate
different
viewpoints. I strongly believe in the notion that the overall result is greater
than the sum of its parts', which I hope to share with my classmates in Sloan
during classroom discussions. I am confident that this will drive more creative
discussions, and enhance the learning experience of all in Sloan.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Major Essay: Describe your greatest professional achievement and how you were able to add value to your organization. 


I believe my greatest professional achievement occurred outside of the
workplace.  By creating an alumni networking group, I have helped to bring
people
together in ways that benefit many professional organizations.  

At a farewell party in October 2002 for my Alma Maters retiring president, I
realized that the event was not only fun but also a great networking
opportunity.
Seeking to replicate that experience, I co-founded and continue to serve on the
steering committee of the Bates College Business Network ('BBN'). In doing so, I
have helped to unite alumni in the spirit of friendship and enterprise.

I was effective because I organized a team that followed through on BBN. I could
contribute enthusiasm and focus, but needed others to support the idea with
financial backing, publicity and a broader base of contacts. I called the
College
Vice President for Alumni and External Affairs, a trustee, and several alumni
and
we organized the first meeting.

Consulting with a Bates parent who organized similar events for another
university, we devised a quarterly meeting structure that offered continued
learning via lectures, Q & A and networking. BBN targets alumni in New York City
who are pursuing careers in business and finance. More than 90 alumni registered
for the most recent event. In addition to the simple exchange of business cards,
BBN's format encourages alumni to share memories of times gone by and ideas for
collaboration in the future.

Effective leadership in this case meant creating momentum for BBN rather than
implementing every aspect of the idea. Sharing my concept with the alumni
community encouraged others to act. Now that BBN is in motion, the gatherings
are
gaining popularity by word of mouth. The chairman of The Bank of New York, a
trustee and parent, has offered us class A space for meetings. 

My ongoing commitment is to sustain BBN as a conduit for the exchange of ideas.
By joining and supporting people with related interests, BBN is a haven for
relationship building. I have spoken with alumni who learned about new areas of
professional endeavor, who sought financial partners for a future filmmaking
endeavor and who were helped through a period of unemployment.

I am eager to bring my perspectives on relationship building to business school.
Collaboration with a large and talented peer group such as I would find at the
Johnson School is a key part of the investment I am making in a graduate
business
degree.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

What career do you plan to pursue upon completing the MBA and why? How will the Johnson School help you achieve this goal? 


My goal is to start a real estate development company that builds socially and
environmentally responsible projects (green development). I want to establish
green buildings as the new market standard that occupants demand. My post-MBA
goal is to work with a real estate developer to build the reputation necessary
to
become an expert in my field.

Since the real estate industry has overlooked the advantages of green
development, exciting opportunities for innovation now exist. The
entrepreneurial
business model I envision relies on a) developing a repeatable process for green
development, b) reducing industry path dependency and c) encouraging
collaboration across the value chain to develop projects that align profit
motives with green goals.  The Johnson School's commitment to social
responsibility provides opportunities to explore solutions that combine business
and community goals.  As a Park Fellow, I would collaborate with talented peers
to enhance Ithaca's built environment.

Why an MBA for a developer? Every property functions as a separate business and,
as such, is a case for general management. Developers convert concepts into
assets by assembling and managing a team of lenders, contractors, and designers.
The job demands facility with asset valuation, contract negotiation, and public
speaking.

The Johnson School offers the best path to prepare for a specific
entrepreneurial goal that builds on my experiences in land-use and public
finance. The schools intimate setting and emphasis on analytical and
experiential
learning will expand my scope and capabilities.  The Entrepreneurship & Private
Equity Immersion is a perfect way for me to explore new business challenges. 
Beyond the Johnson School, electives from the Masters in Real Estate program and
the School of Architecture, Art and Planning will complete my toolkit with
industry specific skills.

The Johnson School is the ideal setting to develop important contacts. Corporate
leaders will be allies in advancing green development. For example, where
Wal-mart uses natural lighting to cut costs, sales and employee satisfaction
have
increased. Private equity and opportunity funds, such as AIGs Brownfields
Remediation Fund, will likely contribute capital to future projects.

Ideally in a leadership role for the Associate Real Estate Council, I could
discuss green development with future partners and network with peers pursuing
related fields in other Cornell schools. 

At the Johnson School, I look forward to working with others who have a great
deal to learn and also a lot to contribute in an exchange of ideas and
experiences that will accelerate our ability to make a difference in business
and
in the world.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Tell us about what you feel most passionate 


My passion is to seek and cultivate happiness in my life.  It is a source of
personal satisfaction, an important management tool and a catalyst for success. 
To me, this pursuit is more important than earning an MBA or becoming an
influential real estate developer.  However, striving for professional and
educational goals adds to my happiness: I enjoy the process, I am excited about
learning and I believe my objectives can add value to the community.

Through my experience serving utility clients at Morgan Stanley, I learned that
contentment improved my performance in leadership roles such as deal execution. 
I believe my focus on happiness, expressed as confidence, spirit and compassion,
has improved my professional relationships.  The effective leaders I have known
use these qualities to bring people together.

Entrusted with financial and cultural influence, leaders make decisions that
affect working groups, corporations, nations and the world.  A decision
influenced by unhappiness and dissatisfaction can have a broad and negative
impact.  Making difficult decisions and moving forward become easier when a
decision maker is content and sure of their motivations.  

The importance of happiness is undervalued.  Too often, it is portrayed as the
pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  I try to make decisions in my personal
life that will enhance my business performance.  To me, this does not mean
retiring early or avoiding hard work.  Instead, my hope is that prioritizing
happiness will guide me to success in my professional life.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Minor Please use the space to tell the Amissions Committee anything else that has not been addressed elsewhere in your application 


In my freshman year of college, I began training to make the Olympic team. 
While in school, I managed the demands of a full time student and an aspiring
world-class athlete.  Often, I would wake up for morning practice as my
roommates
were going to bed.  In many ways, the demands of training affected my academic
performance. My grades reflect my college priorities: competing in the Olympics
and a passion for art history. 

I believe my non-major GPA is the weakest aspect of my application.  To address
that and for my own satisfaction, I have enrolled in a Microeconomics class at
Allegheny County Community College (Spring semester, 2004).  My focus and
capabilities have steadily increased since college and I believe this is
reflected in my application.

In August 2003, I left Morgan Stanley on good terms to pursue my passion for
green development and to apply to business school.  Beginning in January 2004, I
will work as a consultant to Hergenroeder, Rega and Sommer ("HRS"), a Pittsburgh
law firm whose municipal client is completing a multi-million dollar mixed-use
development.  My responsibilities over a six-month project term include
oversight, ad hoc financial analysis and review and negotiation of lease and
financing obligations.

I included my project at HRS in the Employment History to help readers keep
track of what I will be doing in 2004.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Why are you seeking an MBA? What are your plans and goals after you receive your degree? (MAJOR ESSAY) 


During the faculty panel at this October's Fall Preview, Professor Ellen Rudnick
referred to entrepreneurship as the 'integration' of all other business-related
disciplines.  Having spent a year at the helm of an early-stage company, I
appreciate the range of expertise required to launch a new venture, and the
formidable nature of this task motivates me to earn an MBA and continue my
career
in entrepreneurship.  Upon graduation, I hope to re-join ISTN or manage a
similar
start-up, especially since I have gained the competitive advantage of being an
early entrant in the nanotechnology industry, which the National Science
Foundation predicts will grow to $1 trillion by 2015.  

Eventually, I intend to draw on my accumulated expertise to start my own company
from scratch.  I see this grand challenge as a fitting continuation to a career
where I have continually sought the most demanding intellectual pursuits. 
Unsure
of an exact path following high school, I chose the broad, rich academic
experience offered by the nation's top liberal arts school.  After a semester
studying in one of the world's financial centers sparked my interest in
business,
I chose the competitive environment of a bulge-bracket investment bank to build
my career foundation.  Despite the extraordinary learning curve, my unique
leadership experience as a representative on Lehman's Global Advisory Committee,
where I was one of just four Analysts elected by peers to work directly with the
senior management of Investment Banking in identifying and addressing key
operating issues, compelled me to find a position less focused on client
service.

Aware that maximizing my level of accountability and responsibility held the key
to accelerating my development, I turned down an Associate position from a
boutique investment bank to join ISTN.  In just over a year, I have grown the
company from 11 employees to 19, pushed it past the critical $1 million mark in
revenue, and transformed its culture from a dormant R&D firm to a dynamic
upstart
focused on commercialization.  This whirlwind experience has further confirmed
my
long-term interest in entrepreneurship, but it has also reminded me that an MBA
is essential to my success.  Despite my tremendous experience at ISTN, the
breakneck pace of my job makes it impossible to gain the useful grounding in
business fundamentals an MBA can provide.

Not only would I immediately enhance my entrepreneurial skills by studying
topics such as Commercializing Innovation and Developing New Products and
Services, I could utilize the framework for evaluating opportunities that I will
learn to verify I am entering the right company and the right industry. 
Furthermore, I would gain valuable training in functional areas such as Finance
that will become increasingly critical as the organization I manage grows. 

My professional challenges will surely change with time, and I want a foundation
that will prepare me to manage a company through different business environments
and different stages of its life cycle.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of an impact you had on a person, group, or organization. 


The challenge facing our sector in 2002 was the transfer of a
100,000-square-foot factory in Florida to Motorola's world headquarters in
Schaumburg, Illinois.  I made two great contributions to this effort: 1) I
directed the transfer of the packing and shipping operations, and 2) I led the
engineering team responsible for resolving the many quality crises caused by the
displacement of the factory. 
	
The transfer of the packing and shipping operations was a complex project.  It
involved moving all of the associated processes and the IT systems supporting
them.  As part of this project, I managed the development of new software,
identified and purchased all required equipment, and coordinated training and
human resources issues.
	
The most difficult part of my job was the completion of a major construction
project to overhaul the packing and shipping facility in Schaumburg and prepare
for the assimilation of the new processes from Florida.  I started with a blank
floor plan and built the facility from the ground up.  I coordinated the
construction project from calculation of the number of shipping dock doors
needed, to installation of a high-tech security system, to removal of asbestos
from the floor.  By late April, I had used all of my $400,000 budget to
transform
the facility.
After completing the transfer successfully, I was immediately called to support
manufacturing in the recently moved factory.  The processes I was engineering
and
the products I was supporting were all new to me.  I had to sprint up the
learning curve in order to effectively solve the technical manufacturing
problems.
  
Moving the factory across the country created instability detrimental to
quality.  These issues prompted the director to hold quality meetings twice a
day.  With my manager still in Florida, I represented my team at these meetings.

I assumed a leadership position, giving direction to team members, leading
frequent team meetings, and playing the role of team spokesperson at all of the
high-level meetings.  At the end of the year, our organization had met every
quality goal.  My effort was critical to this success.

My contribution was important to the organization because it surpassed
management expectations.  When I took over the transfer of the packing and
shipping operation, I became a resource they had not counted on at the start of
the project.  During this time of crisis, my consistent leadership and fortitude
provided stability for my team.
This experience was incredibly meaningful to me because I extended myself by
taking on challenges unlike any others I had before.  The multi-faceted project
brought my organizational skills to a new level.  I found it thoroughly
satisfying to build the new facility from scratch.  With my manager absent, I
gained substantial leadership experience.  Most of all, this experience was
valuable to me because it established me as one of the most effective people in
the organization.  In recognition of my contribution to the sector's success, I
was awarded the Vice Presidents Award for Outstanding Performance.  This award
was given to only four people in an organization of 150 and included an
all-expenses-paid vacation in the Caribbean!

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of a time when you generated a new idea or a new use for an existing idea which added demonstrable benefit. 


Exposure to our operation's packing and shipping processes made me aware of the
potential for improvement of our packaging.  I find that after spending any
significant amount of time in any area of an operation, process flaws inevitably
expose themselves.  In the case of the packing and shipping department, it was
the packaging materials that required upgrading.  I saw packaging developed in
the 1980s being used.  The packaging technology was antiquated and made from
unnecessarily expensive and environmentally harmful material.  One package, for
example, was composed of four layers of foam glued together.  These foam blocks
were then glued to cardboard sheets.  This convoluted package was toxic and cost
$42.  That's $42 for the packaging materials alone!
	
My idea was to completely overhaul the packaging in our facility.  I began by
researching new packaging technology.  As I learned about the new technologies
it
became very clear to me just how outdated our packaging was.  One new packaging
technique, called retention packaging, could be used as a replacement for much
of
the current packaging.  Retention packaging utilizes strong, thin plastic sheets
to suspend the box's contents.  In comparison with a foam package, the size and
weight of the box are much less, which dramatically reduces shipping cost. 
Changing from foam to cardboard and two recyclable plastic sheets also makes the
package environmentally friendly.
	
Taking into account shipment quantities, cost, and environmental
incompatibility, I prioritized the packages for replacement.  The $42 package
was
top on my list.  I worked with design engineers, packaging vendors, and
Motorola's environmental team to develop retention packages suitable for our
products.  After several design iterations, plenty of drop testing and some
paperwork, the new package was implemented.  With the factory shipping about
10,000 of these packages every year, the material cost savings were incredible -
about $300,000 were saved as a result of changing this one package.  This
package
improvement is one of a dozen my team made in 2002.
	
My team's efforts resulted in savings of $3.5 million and a 96-ton reduction in
foam shipment annually.  After six months, my team was regarded as one of the
premier environmental teams in the corporation.  The office of the CEO
acknowledged my team's success by honoring us with the Environmental Performance
Excellence Award.  It was the first time anyone in my department had won this
honor.
The success of this innovation is incredibly meaningful to me because I created
the project, proposed it to management, and drove it to completion.  As it
turned
out, my project captured more cost savings than any other in my department in
2002 and made a dramatic environmental impact.  Most importantly, I prize this
accomplishment because I made my clear vision a reality.  I saw the tons and
tons
of toxic foam shipped every day and was compelled to take action.  I conveyed my
vision to my team and motivated them to help me make an important change.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of a difficult interaction you had with a person or group. 


The instructors of the project management courses at Motorola have a favorite
statistic: 70% of all projects fail.  They fail because the project isn't
feasible, leadership is weak, the organization does not support the project, or
another unexpected difficulty manifests itself.  About six months into my career
at Motorola, I was assigned to a project that was destined to fail.
The team's goal was to increase productivity by combining two manufacturing
lines into one.  Combining the two lines would improve cycle time, lighten the
work load for stockroom personnel, and ultimately reduce cost.  My role on the
team of five people was to perform time studies, purchase and set up new
equipment, and provide general technical support for the move.  The team was led
by John, a senior member of the Inventory Integrity Team.
At this early point in my career, I had already been the member of several
project teams at Motorola, all of which had been successful.  The leadership was
strong and the project plan was clear in those cases.  John, in contrast to the
leaders of these teams, had set a vague team goal and had difficulty defining
the
plan to accomplish the goal.

Our team meetings were disorganized.  During John's meetings, each team member
seemed very interested in completing important actions.  The team excitedly
shared ideas and discussed the benefits of the project.  I realized after three
such meetings in a row that the team was not doing much more than talking once a
week.  I had completed the time studies and diagrammed new process flows and
brought the results with me to each meeting, but we never seemed to get to the
part of the project which required my information due to an assortment of
roadblocks.  One team member could never find time to work on the project. 
Another couldn't get a hold of a person with important information.  The team
wasn't making any progress.  Realizing the project wasn't going anywhere, John
canceled a couple meetings in a row and eventually canceled the entire project. 
I was left frustrated having spent hours working on my part of the project.
I learned that following time-tested processes is critical to running projects
efficiently and effectively.  (As I write this, it seems very obvious to me now,
but it wasn't three years ago.)  Motorola encourages project managers to invoke
the DMAIC method (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control).  Following
these steps gives a rigid discipline to the project.  The process reminds the
team members of the critical questions they should be asking themselves at each
point in the process.  Had our team adhered to the DMAIC steps, we may have been
successful.  Our team did not pay enough attention to the 'D' - the plan was
never clearly defined.  This experience taught me the importance of establishing
a clear project plan - precisely defining the problem, setting a clear goal,
selecting the right team, and mapping out the approach to creating a solution.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of a time when you achieved a goal that was important to you. 


Graduating summa cum laude from Washington University was the pinnacle of my
academic career and my greatest accomplishment to date.  My education and
personal development have always been the focus of much of my energy.  I was
born
with an insatiable hunger for knowledge and a fear of wasting my potential.  My
success during my elementary and middle school years put me in a position to
participate in honors classes throughout high school, where a diligent work
ethic
and assiduous study habits earned me valedictorian honors.  This academic
success
helped me secure a scholarship at Washington University.  I was excited about
studying at the university level, but as a teenager I was somewhat intimidated. 
I knew the challenges before me at Washington would be much more difficult to
overcome than any I had faced in the past, but I was confident that I could be
successful by maintaining my work ethic and level of determination.  By the end
of my four years at Washington, I had earned the Mechanical Engineering Student
of the Year award two years in a row and graduated with the highest honors
offered by the university.   
Graduating summa cum laude is a great accomplishment.  But maintaining a
consistent level of excellence in my studies while extending myself in other
activities on campus is what I feel makes this accomplishment unique.  I was a
member of the varsity soccer team and traveled all over the country for games. 
New York, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Boston are a few of the cities we played in. 
These trips required me to find time for studying on planes, buses and in hotel
rooms.  Among the many other organizations I was involved in were the Thurtene
Honorary and the Catholic Student Center.  My commitments to both of these
organizations demanded up to thirty hours a week.  I also found time for
personal
development in many areas, especially music.  For example, I taught myself to
play the guitar sophomore year.

This accomplishment is a milestone for my family because it is the highest
academic achievement in my familys history.  My father risked everything to
escape the violence that claimed the life of his father and uncles in Slovenia
in
the 1940s.  With persistence and luck, he and his mother made it to the United
States, securing the opportunity to start a new life.  I am the son of an
immigrant who was just learning to speak English when he entered college. 
During
his college years my father was working several jobs to provide food for his
mother and younger brother.  When I was in school, I clearly understood how
lucky
I was to have the educational opportunities I did.  My fathers hard work and
perseverance created a life for me that he never had.  My graduation with high
honors from a top university made my father feel all of his risks were
worthwhile, another reason this was my greatest accomplishment.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example of a situation when your thinking was different from your colleagues or superiors. 


The most exhilarating part of my job right now is managing stop-ship resolution
teams.  A stop-ship occurs when a quality issue forces part of the factory to
shut down, immediately causing the company to start losing money - millions of
dollars in some cases.  As a member of the Technical Operations department, I am
expected to understand every area of the operation in order to effectively
coordinate the team's actions.  I welcome the challenge of leading senior
engineers, production managers, brand managers, and representatives from every
area of the operation during these crises.
	
This year, with two days left in June (and two days left in the quarter), our
operation was processing a critical order when testing uncovered an uncontainable
defect.  After transmitting for an extended time, and thus heating up, radios
were beginning to transmit at frequencies other than the designated carrier
frequency - an FCC violation - resulting in a stop-ship situation.  I pulled
together the appropriate people to assess and correct the problem.  We had to
think of something fast.  The order in question would generate $15 million for
Motorola, and we had only two days to ship it.
	
The team quickly came to the conclusion that the amplifier was heating up too
quickly.  With more efficient heat transfer the problem would disappear.  My
colleagues' proposed solution for promoting the heat transfer was to simply apply
a thermal compound to critical areas of the amplifier.  I disagreed with this
thinking.  My past experience told me that application of the thermal compound,
being a manual process, is not consistent.  I felt the team had not come up with
a complete solution.  Referencing a similar issue from the previous year, I
suggested circuit analysis of the amplifier's voltage regulator.  This previous
problem had been corrected by changing a capacitor in the regulator circuit.  The
design engineers argued they did not have the resources to explore a part change
in such a short time.  I argued that we could not depend on the thermal compound
to completely eliminate the problem.  Modification to the circuit, I felt, was
much more controllable than spreading thermal compound onto an amplifier with a
brush.
	
As the debate heated up without a solution in sight, I escalated the issue to
upper management.  Those supporting the thermal compound solution explained their
thinking.  I then reviewed the history of the similar problem from last year.  I
showed data supporting my position that modification to the circuit was a more
dependable solution.  After listening to my opinion and the opinion of those who
opposed me, upper management leveraged the resources to explore both solutions
immediately.  After round-the-clock experimenting for the next 24 hours, the team
determined implementation of both solutions resulted in the greatest reduction in
off-carrier transmission.  The design team was able to optimize the voltage
regulator circuit and thermal compound was added to the amplifier of each radio,
since more efficient heat dissipation could only help.  The integrity of the
radios was ensured, and the order shipped on time.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Why do you wish to pursue the LFM Program and, in particular, the engineering program you selected? 


I am seeking experiences that will prepare me to be the general manager of a
manufacturing operation.  This has been my long-term goal throughout my career. 
I have had a wide range of experiences at Motorola which have given me a deep
understanding of many areas of manufacturing, including process control,
inventory management, and information systems.
	
At this point, I believe formal education in mechanical engineering and business
management is the next important step toward my career goal.  I don't believe an
exclusively engineering program is right for me.  Nor do I feel an exclusively
business program would prepare me for my future.  The LFM program, which blends
these two disciplines, will provide me with the engineering, business and
leadership skills necessary to lead a manufacturing operation.
	
From every angle, the LFM program is exciting.  I've received information from
many sources, and, having done extensive research, I'm sure LFM is exactly what
I
am looking for.  I've talked to alumni, read the alumni career reports and
biographies on-line, I spent two days with current LFM students through the
Ambassador Program and I had the opportunity to sit in on four classes. 
	
I believe a mechanical engineering masters degree is important in preparing me
for a career as the leader of a manufacturing operation.  Understanding of
mechanical principles is imperative in making manufacturing decisions regarding
design, assembly or even packaging.  A broad understanding of mechanical
engineering is required to optimize manufacturing operations.  Some of the most
important courses I would take in the mechanical engineering school include
Materials Selection, Design and Economics and Design and Control of
Manufacturing
Systems.  Courses such as these will build upon my manufacturing foundation and
provide me with expertise.
	
At this point, I am not certain what industry or industries I will explore
throughout my career.  There are many that interest me - automotive,
telecommunication, and medical supply, to name a few.  What I am certain of is
my
interest in the science of manufacturing: the process of converting raw
materials
into high-quality products that society will benefit from.  I believe a
mechanical engineering degree is the best way for me to acquire the broad
technical background I need to be successful in manufacturing.  Other
disciplines, such as electrical, chemical, or materials engineering would not
allow me the same freedom to study the manufacturing discipline.    
	
Since I was a child, I was interested in how things work.  I was fascinated by
all machines - the more moving parts the better.  My interest in physics and
science has been consistently strong throughout my life.  I can't imagine my
life
without my experience as an undergraduate studying mechanical engineering. 
Mechanical engineering is my calling, and I am determined to pursue it.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example when your actions had an impact on a person, a group, or an organization. 


I have managed several profound changes on certain organizations that have had
strong impacts while working at Accenture S&BA. Nevertheless the example I am
most personally proud of happened during my university years.

Attending university, I realized that there were a lot of people with a great
fondness for classical music like me but there were neither activities nor
associations related with this art. I have been playing piano since I was 7
years
old and music has always been my passion. Therefore, despite the little time I
had after classes, I decided to work to create a student association for both
musicians and enthusiasts.

My first step was to organize an open event calling for anyone with musical
interests. Nearly 40 people came to the speech in which I explained the
association I dreamed of. It was very challenging for me because those people
had
different interests, ages and backgrounds and most of them were older than me.
Therefore, I needed to effectively communicate my views to awaken their appeal
for participating in the project because if my plan did not have enough support
it would not be achievable. Although I was a little frightened of not prompting
their interests, in the end it was a great success because 34 of them decided to
join this venture.

The next step was to show the plan to the directors board in order to be
approved and funded. Our main issue was that each one of us had a different idea
for the association. Therefore, I proposed to hold a vote to set the basis and
organization. As a result, I was officially elected President since they trusted
me to successfully carry out this responsibility. I was determined to dialogue
with all the associates to first, understand all their different expectations,
second, unify them and third, motivate them to gain their involvement.
Sincerely,
it was a big challenge to align the interests of 34 unlike people and then
coordinate them to design an economic plan, the funding needs, and especially to
define our mission. In addition to setting a common direction for all of us I
believe that I contributed to create the innovative spirit that surrounded our
club. In the end, we approved a unique plan which was accepted enthusiastically
by the university which consequently funded it. The Classical Music Association,
Chamber Orchestra and Chorus had been born.

The first year we gave 6 classical concerts and the next year 8, along with an
innovative activity which was to organize an official elective course, 'History
of Music'. I led the negotiations to convince our university board about the
importance of including this course in the elective curriculum to develop the
general and cultural training within our traditionally technical education.
Although this was the first time a student association had influenced the
creation of a new course, it was a complete success due to the number of
enrolled
students (nearly 60). All of these things contributed to our association being
considered one of the most innovative, influencing and motivated in our
university, growing steadily to reach 70 members in 2002. 

Personally, I met some of my best friends there and I also learned that
motivation through effective communication is one of the most powerful tools to
align people's interests and to encourage them to work in the same direction as
a
whole team to change any situation.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please give an example when you were part of a high- or low- performing team. 


'Gestion Global' is one of the most prestigious business management simulation
competitions in Spain in which more than 3.000 university students and
professionals compete for first place. This is a team competition consisting of
making decisions involving all functional areas within the various virtual
enterprises and industries. When I heard about it I thought it was an
interesting
challenge and I encouraged some classmates to create a team.  We organized
ourselves by functional area and I took on the role of CFO and was also elected
CEO/Spokesman. It was a big challenge since the competition was designed for
business students and business world professionals and we were only a group of
engineering students.

Our weaknesses: basic knowledge of business concepts and little time to work
after highly demanding classes.

Our strengths: outstanding analytical skills and strong motivation.

So for improving our weaknesses first, I encouraged my teammates and myself to
carry out an intense self-learning process by studying additional business
textbooks, and second, I worked hard to motivate them to meet after classes to
discuss our strategy and to collaborate together so that we could fill each
other's gaps in knowledge.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Please tell us something meaningful in your life over the past year. 


In August 2004, mainly motivated by some of the conclusions present in my
engineering thesis and my performance during my professional activity, the IMF
School ('Instituto Madrileqo de Formacion') asked me to generate the contents
for
the course 'Management Control Systems' within the future 'Masters in Finance'
which is planning to be launched on-line in early 2005. It was a challenge for
me
because I did not have the specific education in finance for creating the course
but more of a practical and general one derived from my finance courses and
professional experience I had with Accenture S&BA. IMF was aware of this but
trusted me to carry out this important task. Moreover, I knew the responsibility
that I would have for future alumni and the necessary skills I should need:
exhaustiveness, clarity and conciseness. Nevertheless, this idea stimulated me
to
accept the proposal despite the little time I had after my intense professional
activity.

I studied hard to master the concepts involved in the course and used my
creativity to build a different course, an innovative one, not only including
the
newest theories but also creating real business cases that first, reflected the
reality of the current business world, second, presented new situations and
third, were focused to develop the training concepts I was aiming for. Some of
the strongest attributes of this course were the parts dedicated to explaining
how technology can support the management activities and its business impact in
which I could best transmit both my academic and professional experiences.

Finally, in December 2004, I implemented this work in a book of 500 pages of
academic rigor and creativity. When the Programs coordinator read my material,
he gave me his felicitations for the excellent work I had done and the
innovative
focus that I had given to the course. I have been offered more proposals of
collaboration with this school, such as tutoring, classroom teaching, and
creation of other future courses. I am looking forward to seeing the impact my
work will have on future alumni of this course. 

Nevertheless, this is not the first time I have enjoyed contributing to other
people's education. For instance, in my fourth year at University, I was
selected
by a technological department to teach my classmates in two courses (8 hrs/week
for a year) thanks to my previous top performance in some courses related to
technology. Despite my incremental workload to reach the outstanding knowledge
level necessary to be able to teach my 50 classmates, I enjoyed the experience
very much and also learnt a lot from it.

Added to the knowledge I have acquired doing the work for IMF, I have learnt to
focus my creativity and perfectionism to suit an instructive goal by being
concise, interesting and conveying. This experience makes me very proud because
I
know that future alumni will be studying my work and hence I will be directly
contributing to their education.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Compulsory Cover Letter to Rod Garcia (director of Admissions) 


Dear Mr. Rod Garcia,

My name is XY. I would like to present to you my candidacy and a little bit of
my background, why I believe that the MIT Sloan MBA would be the best experience
towards the fulfillment of my personal and professional goals and how I aspire
to
contribute to its community. 

My background: I earned my telecommunications engineering degree (MSEE
equivalent) in one of the most prestigious and selective universities in Spain,
Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, obtaining highest honors in my final thesis.
During my university studies I decided to penetrate in the business world by
participating in numerous prestigious worldwide competitions where I won 1st
place at 'Gestisn Global', 3rd place at the 'Global Management Challenge' and
1st
place at the 'Accenture Business Game'. These successes along with my strong
social commitment to my hometown influenced its town council to name a street
after me and give me the highest honor a Spanish town can give: 'Hijo
Predilecto'
(Favorite Son of the Town). Additionally, during my last year at university I
joined PriceWaterhouseCoopers as an IT consultant where I developed my practical
business education and leadership skills. Finally, after graduating I decided to
work in the strategy consulting sector because I wanted to boost my problem
solving skills and creativity in a higher business level, so I joined Accenture
S&BA (Strategy & Business Architecture). My successful performance at Accenture
has been awarded with the highest evaluations ('Exceptional' grade - Top 5%),
for
my innovation, teamwork and leadership.

My reasons to choose MIT Sloan as my first option: My career goal is to create a
professional services company that brings technology innovation and management
advice to social and cultural organizations which are undeveloped. To reach this
goal, I need to complete my business education and leadership skills with an MBA
program. A few of the reasons why I have chosen MIT Sloan as my first option are
its academic excellence, its outstanding faculty body (e.g.: Thurow, Modigliani,
Freund, Myers), its spirit of innovation (e.g.: SIP, research activity), its
global focus and its prestigious alumni network. Moreover I admire its
exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, present in Ken Morse's 'Entrepreneurship
Lab'
and the '$50K Business Plan Competition'. Thus, I believe that these facts,
added
to its reduced class size and its privileged location, will make this experience
the most enriching of my life.

My contribution to MIT-Sloan: I am very motivated to contribute to the Sloan
community. I will bring to the classroom my four years of successful and diverse
professional experiences (locations, industries and functions), my strong
cross-cultural fondness developed while being raised in Belgium, working on
international projects and in my personal life (e.g.: being married to a French
woman), and my passion for art and music. My unique experiences have enabled me
to successfully interact with different people and have instilled in me a strong
sense of tolerance and respect for others. Finally, I believe I am a very
friendly and dynamic person, who can be an active member of the Sloans social
community joining, for example, the 'European Club' and the 'Club Latino', as
well as sharing my artistic passion with the 'Sloan Arts Enthusiasts Society
(SAE)' and performing free classical piano concerts in my spare time.

I am truly looking forward to having an interview with you and personally
conveying my enthusiasm to become part of the MIT Sloan community and thus,
fulfilling one of my greatest dreams.

Sincerely,