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Taking two years to pursue an MBA requires a considerable investment of time and resources. Please describe the path leading to your decision to pursue a Wharton MBA now. How do you expect the MBA experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level? Major essay
My aspiration is to set up and manage my own health-care organization, catered especially for the underserved communities in my country. Why health-care management? My interest in health-care stems from way back. After high school, I secured places in both medical and engineering degree programs. As I was undecided, I enrolled in a medical shadowing program at the National Hospital, which was designed to provide an inside view of life as a doctor. Eventually I decided that being a doctor was not my professional calling and pursued engineering instead. However, even during my engineering studies, I was quite sure I wanted to work in a health-care related industry, rather than an engineering firm. Given my scientific but non-medical background, I explored the pharmaceutical industry. While a career in the pharmaceutical industry would more closely reflect my interest in health-care, I was not convinced my role in such a company would be related to health-care delivery per se. Admittedly, as a fresh graduate with limited real world savvy, I could not fully articulate my final career aspirations and needed space to explore options. I wanted a job that would expose me to a myriad of industries with the option of moving back to health-care later, and hence decided on consulting. The last two years at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have provided me that exposure and have allowed me to gain valuable leadership, business and people management skills. However, I realize that my ability to effect change is limited to financial-based improvements and does not always impact the individuals' lives. At that point I was challenged to re-explore my interest in health-care. How can I make a difference? As I explored the idea of a long-term career in health-care, two questions surfaced: 'What can I do related to health-care given my non-medical background? How will I be more effective compared to a medically trained person?' To the first question, I realized my strengths are in leadership, management and business acumen - skills developed throughout my education and enhanced at BCG. I realized that by using my strengths to set up and manage a health-care organization, I could be directly involved in the human elements of health-care delivery. As to 'How I will be more effective compared to a medically trained person?'; it is known that a hospital management team made up of doctors will undoubtedly face conflicts of interests in prioritizing funds for health-care delivery. In addition, medical doctors generally lack the business know-how and management skills. Professional managers, on the other hand, not only have the business savvy but are also better positioned to allocate hospital funds in an unbiased manner. However, hospitals run by professional managers can be so financially driven that they neglect the needs of the doctors and patients. Why an MBA in Wharton? I realize that striking this balance is just one challenge in managing a health care organization. There is a whole range of issues concerning health-care, ranging from 'Are publicly or privately funded health services more effective?' to 'What drives financial decision making in a hospital?' This is where an MBA education at Wharton, above other MBA or graduate health-care management programs, is crucial in achieving my aspiration. Firstly, the Wharton MBA program has a uniquely comprehensive balance of business, entrepreneurial management and health care management - both in and out of the classroom. In the classroom, electives such as 'HCMG653 Health Care Management' and 'HCMG849 Financial Management of Health Institutions' will provide me with an invaluable understanding of the interactions between health-care delivery and management practices while entrepreneurial management electives such as 'HCMG867 Health Care Entrepreneurship' will expose me to the start-up challenges of building and growing my own health-care organization. Also, I relish the opportunity to test out my business ideas through the many entrepreneurial programs offered such as the Annual Wharton Business Competition and the Venture Initiation Program. Out of the classroom, I am keen to actively involve myself in student clubs such as the Health Care Club and Entrepreneurs Club, which will help prepare me to lead my own health-care organization. Secondly, the opportunity to study with Whartons renowned faculty, including Dr. Burns and Prof. Danzon excites me. I have been an avid follower of health-care publications by your Wharton faculty, including 'Health Care Value Chain by Dr. Burns', which strikes a chord as I reflect on the strategic alliances and partnerships developing along the supply chain in the health-care industry in my home country. Lastly, I want to complement the theoretical learning with practical insight into real life business situations. Wharton will be perfect to leverage as a platform to enrol in non-clinical internship positions at some of the leading hospitals in Philadelphia during my summer placement. I also intend to participate actively in the Wharton Healthcare International Volunteer Project. Although the three reasons above describe why an MBA is most suitable for my career objective, I cannot exclude one last reason why I value an MBA education. I would like to look back on my two years at Wharton as a life-transforming period of unprecedented personal growth and character development. The primary force behind this will be my immersion into the school community. I will be enriched by the case study learning process, and benefit from the exchange of culture and ideas through interactions with my classmates and professors. By contributing my unique Asian perspectives to the eclectic and diversified community, and involving myself in the various student and community service activities, I hope to establish lasting friendships and build lifelong legacies. After two years, consulting has equipped me with a solid grounding to tackle business issues at broad, strategic levels. Every day I take a steady step closer to my goal with the experiences and lessons gained from work and life. Yet, I feel that my progress is gradual and somewhat linear. In this respect, I believe that the Wharton MBA experience, at this point of time in my career, is the best available catalyst to propel me towards my aspiration.
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Describe when you were a part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What was your role, how did you contribute to the process or outcome, and what did you learn? Minor essay
It was 10:00 at night and we had a few hours left until our project was due. The team was at an impasse. Nerves were frayed, positions set in stone, and everyone had consumed way too much caffeine. This was a two-week university project, where six of us had to design an original engineering solution and package it into a five-year business plan. As with any other group situation, there were several challenges working together. i) Agreeing on the raison d'jtre In my experience, teams become dysfunctional when they lack a common goal. To function well, members must agree on the teams raison d'jtre and subscribe to it. The team was divided into three groups, covering different angles of the project: technical details, financials and marketing. We spent considerable time debating the approach because while everyone had ample grasp of their modules, none had a holistic view of the overall problem. I quickly intervened and assumed a leadership position, organizing separate discussions with each of the groups. Through the discussions, we compiled the facts and based on these, developed a comprehensive team charter that described our overall project deliverable. Removing the ambiguity helped to align the team to a common objective and allowed us to work more productively. ii) Creating an environment of mutual respect Teams are often comprised of people with different personalities, working styles and seniorities. Only when respect is multilateral can a team establish trust and function well. One of the members refused to agree with everyone else. During our break, I found out from her that she felt another, more vocal, team member did not respect her opinions and thus she had to hold her ground. When I spoke with the other person, he had no idea she felt this way, and from then on went out of his way to consider her points. Resolving this personality issue greatly improved the team process for the rest of the night. ii) Encouraging open communication The best teams are founded on open communication. This allows them to build team solidarity. During our discussions, I noticed that some members were more reserved than others. At that point, I initiated a brainstorming session with one cardinal rule: no interjecting censures until the end! It was designed to ensure that the more reserved members could contribute their opinions. After everyone was heard, we short-listed the best ideas through a democratic vote and assigned individual duties. We eventually completed the project and emerged as winner of the competition. Through this experience, I have learned to assume two roles when leading a team - as a leader who sets the vision and motivates the team towards it, and as a manager who builds team spirit and facilitates collaboration of team members. These leadership, teamwork and project management skills I have honed are going to be relevant sharing opportunities with others at Wharton.
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Describe an impact you've had on an individual, group or organization. What did you do? How has this experience been valuable to you or others? Minor essay
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, the experience has been valuable, knowing that even if my efforts serve to bring her temporary aid and cheer, I have helped make a difference. 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. Yet, 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 an equal-access health-care organization someday.
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Describe a situation where your values, ethics or morals were challenged. How did you handle the situation? Minor essay
I have always believed in the value of humility - placing others before one's own self. I once enrolled in a public speaking course. At the end of the course, the lecturer selected two students to vie for the 'Best Speaker' award. I was one of the chosen two. We both had to prepare a speech and present it to the class. After both speeches, everyone in the class (including ourselves) was asked to vote for whom we thought deserved to win. This process was done by secret ballot. Because of my strong belief in humility and putting others before myself, I spontaneously (and without thinking about who actually deserved to win) put down my opponent's name and submitted my vote. I instinctively felt it was the right thing to do. The results were announced, and my opponent was declared the winner - by one vote. On reflection, I questioned if I had done the right thing; if I had voted for myself, I would have won. I questioned if my values were appropriate - they seemed to hinder me from being a 'success'- at least in that instance. Losing the title may seem trivial but the experience has taught me a valuable lesson. I came to the conclusion that in life, certain situations can present themselves with no obvious right or wrong thing to do. In this particular situation, I should have given careful consideration as to who I honestly thought gave the better speech before casting my vote. I need not necessarily compromise on my values and beliefs, but must consider all options objectively with wisdom and good judgment in the process of exercising my values and beliefs. This experience, coupled with my Asian upbringing, and BCG exposure, has taught me the value of having balanced perspectives whilst preserving humility. At Wharton, I hope to promote this by sharing my persona and experiences of blending the desire to succeed with selfless humility.
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Please identify and explain what you would consider the weakest area of your application. Minor essay
The weakest area of my application is my relatively short work experience compared to other Wharton applicants. With three years of work experience (two years and four months at the point of writing) compared to Wharton's average of four and a half years, it would seem that I am inexperienced or less prepared to pursue an MBA at this point in my career. However, I believe my intense and diverse work experiences in BCG have equipped me with the industry exposure and necessary skills to benefit from and contribute to Wharton's MBA program. Nevertheless, I acknowledge that my experiences working with companies have been limited to providing advice in the capacity of an external consultant - I have never been given the opportunity to manage my own company or execute full-scale changes across an organization. I have also never taken on any profit and loss responsibilities. Recognizing the limitations in my work experience, I am keen to move from an advisory role to leading and managing my own organization. I see myself ready to make that transition at this point in my career. I strongly believe that Wharton will help me make that transition through its comprehensive leadership and management curriculum, and many out-of-classroom opportunities to lead student clubs and be actively involved in volunteer projects.
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Please tell us something else about yourself that you feel will help the Admissions Committee know you better. Minor essay
My contributions to Wharton will be manifold. A unique Asian upbringing, a British education, extensive travel journeys and diverse work experiences are some of the factors that will enable me to have positive influences on many aspects of Wharton life. Through exposure to many new ideas and views from an array of cultures, I learned to stretch my thought horizons and discard many erroneous beliefs. At Wharton, I intend to share my views and perspectives with my classmates. As much as I hope to learn about business from interactions with my classmates, I also hope to advance their knowledge by sharing insights and first-hand experiences I have gained from solving business problems as a consultant. Community service is another area I see myself making an impact. I have always had a strong penchant for social work and am keen to participate in the Wharton Healthcare International Volunteer Project. Also, I hope to share the understanding I have gained working as a volunteer with my co-workers in Philadelphia Cares, and trade perspectives on how to manage the inherent conflicts between our professional, personal and societal obligations. I have often had to grapple with these tensions - sometimes unsuccessfully - and would love to exchange views and experiences. Lastly, I hope to enrich the Wharton community through my fellowship and camaraderie. I have benefited much from working in environments that foster team spirit and promote mutual support, and will make it my purpose to contribute towards the same ethos at Wharton.
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1. Taking two years to pursue an MBA requires a considerable investment of time and resources. Please describe the path leading to your decision to pursue a Wharton MBA now. How do you expect the MBA experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level? (1,000 words) For reapplicants, please replace this essay with the reapplication essay, below.
I am an individual who always seeks to challenge his abilities while striving to reach higher goals. In order to meet these challenges and lofty goals, the path that I have taken in my life contains many instances in which I have invested considerable time and resources. From commuting to high school for an hour and half via bus, ferry, and subway to traveling to the North Sea as a lead process engineer supporting technology atop an offshore oil platform, I find professional and personal satisfaction by continually expanding my limits and experiences. I am confident that the challenge of attaining a Wharton MBA will provide me with similar professional and personal benefits and development. My parents and teachers first realized how motivated I was when I chose to attend high school in Manhattan while we were living in Staten Island, New York. While the commute to school was long and difficult, I knew that my high school education and experiences would be well worth the investment. Today, I realize that the positive environment, good-natured competitiveness, and diversity of high school had major impacts in molding me. While I was strong academically in all subjects in high school, my strong interest in science and, in particular, chemistry, led me to choose chemical engineering as my undergraduate major. In applying to undergraduate engineering school, my next goal was clear - I wanted my college experience to be an environment that would foster expansion of my leadership, time management, and teamwork skills. I found that environment at the University of Pennsylvania. As I reapply to my Alma Mater, I realize how the atmosphere at Penn fit my needs. Within my major, my engineering senior design project is one instance that reflects my Penn experience. When our project seemed to lose its direction, I stepped up to lead the group. As a result, our team became more focused and rose to capture the second-place prize. Outside of my major, I developed my interest in business by obtaining a minor in economics. Studying with economics and business majors, I broadened my engineering education with basic business principles. Participating in extracurricular activities with students inside my major and my dorm, further enhanced my college experience with additional opportunities for leadership and team building. As I entered the working world, I sought out a position and a company that would enhance my technical and basic management skills in the short-term. I fulfilled these goals as a Process Engineer with Company Name. During my first year with Company Name, my strong technical skills helped me become proficient in a specific refining technology very quickly. My managers noticed this and responded by challenging my abilities with increasing more difficult assignments. During my second and third year with Company Name, I led troubleshooting and start-up teams on an oil production platform in UK North Sea, a gas plant in Alberta, Canada, and in Gulf Coast US refineries. My managers were impressed with my technical skills in these efforts as well as my leadership abilities and high-quality personal interaction with our customers. When the time came to choose a new assignment in my fourth year at Company Name, I decided on a position as a Project Development Engineer. My goal in choosing this assignment was to enhance my management skills and become more familiar with the Company's project system. While my technical skills still developed somewhat, my primary responsibilities were to ensure that the project team met process design deliverables at designated points in the project timeline. My managers noted in my performance reviews how quickly I transitioned between assignments and effectively led business development. As a result of this success, I was assigned to my current position as a Design Lead in a Houston-based engineering contractors offices. In this role, I help to establish work priorities and manpower requirements for the contractor and report back progress to Company Name project managers. This path leads me to my current goal - obtaining my MBA from Wharton. After attaining my MBA, my short-term goal is to join a technology-based organization again as project or product development manager. Longer-term, I will leverage my strong technical skills with strong business skills I develop during graduate school to lead decision making as an executive manager in the organization. I am very impressed by the professional benefits from the course of study at Wharton. I have a keen interest in the Operations and Information Management as well as the Marketing and Operations Management curricula. I am very excited about the prospect of getting my MBA from Wharton when I read about courses like Process Management in Manufacturing and New Product Development. I am confident that the course of study at Wharton will provide me with a solid, well-respected foundation to attain my career goals. In addition, Penn's location in the Northeast is attractive to my career goals. It geographic position close to major chemical, pharmaceutical, and personal product companies will help me secure an internship and job that fits my career goals following my MBA. From my undergraduate experience at Penn, I know that I will benefit from the learning and living environment at Wharton. I expect that graduate school at Penn will allow me to learn from a world-renowned faculty and student body with diverse education, work, and cultural backgrounds. Living in Houston, I am enthusiastic to return to Philadelphia since I enjoyed my undergraduate years there so much. Also, after visiting the Wharton Graduate Association website, I am impressed by the wide range of opportunities to socialize and team build with my classmates. With my years in Houston, hopefully I would be a welcome addition to the Texas Club! I am eager to experience the MBA program at Wharton. As you review my application, I hope you will find that my background and experiences are an important addition to the Wharton community since I know that both the professional and personal benefits of a Wharton MBA are very much in-line with my expectations for graduate school.
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Describe a time when you made an impact on someone
The young man was sitting at the corner, his unkempt head buried in the English reader. I surveyed the crowded room, and having determined that his was the only table without a second occupant, walked over and introduced myself to him. Jae Wook had arrived in New York from Seoul six months earlier to attend a year-long ESL course. His goal was to write the TOEFL before returning to Korea. A good score on the test could land him a better job back home. He explained that he was particularly worried about the essay section of the test, and wanted some extra help beyond the lessons given to him by his ESL teacher. Could I proofread his writing, he asked. I readily agreed. For the subsequent six months, Jae Wook and I met once a week at the International Center. Like the other couples in the crowded room, we were paired by the Center members and their English-tutoring partners. Most members, like Jae Wook, were new to the country. Some were immigrants; others were students, or temp workers in the country. We often chatted about our activities for the week and discussed ways to improve English skills. Jae Wook often brought his writing homework for me to proofread.Occasionally, I would simulate the TOEFL by assigning him a topic to write within 30 minutes. I never thought much of my contribution. It was such a token effort - merely two hours of my free time per week. It was not until after Jae Wook's departure that I realized how significant that effort was to him. Two months after returning to Korea, Jae Wook was offered a job in one of his preferred companies. He called me one early morning to thank me for the help. The telephone reception was poor, but his warm gratitude was crisp and clear. 'Thank you, thank you,' he said repeatedly in his Korean accent. I only volunteered two terms as a Writing Partner at the International Center, but each student offered me new perspectives on life. I was the teacher, and yet in some ways, I learned as much as the students. Not only was this experience a window into different cultures, but it was also a window into myself. I was everything they were: an immigrant, a non-native English speaker, and a temp worker in the United States, but by some stroke of fate, I was much more fortunate. Having immigrated to Canada as a child, I never had much difficulties adjusting to North American life. The taunting of my faux British accent in school was little in comparison to an adult immigrant's struggle in a foreign and incomprehensible environment. Amongst my peers in school and work, I sometimes lose sight of how my background and education have afforded me a lifestyle not easily accessible to some. Seeing Jae Wook and his successor's struggles reminded me of how privileged I was and how a small sacrifice of my time could make a valuable difference to someone else.
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Describe a time when you or your team faced a failure. What were your actions and lessons learned? (max 500 words)
On the third floor of the Mickey Mantle School in Manhattan, there exists a 100-foot long mural - one amongst many painted during a one-day, citywide volunteering campaign to clean-up schools. In preparation, mural artists assigned to individual schools had earlier sketched out their designs on the walls. My friend and I were the mural artists for the Mickey Mantle School, a problematic partnership that almost jeopardized the project. The first indication of trouble came when only my name was listed on the official roster as the artist for the school. Because all information was mailed to me, I became responsible for contacting the school and the volunteering agency. My partner took the backseat as I arranged meetings and requested information from various parties. Matters were further exacerbated by the schools closure during the weekends. We would meet on Saturdays and Sundays to generate ideas, but during the week, my partner excused himself from school visits, citing a busy schedule at the office. To work around my own work schedule, I squeezed in visits before work in the mornings, during lunch hours, and after work in the evenings. In retrospect, I am partially to blame for the poor partnership on this project. Rather than confronting and demanding more responsible behavior from my partner, I tacitly condoned his unreliability. I had expected an equal share of the work at the onset, but due to our existing friendship, was reluctant to reprimand him despite my disappointment. Instead, I shouldered the burden, staking out at the school every evening after work to ensure completion of the project. Three days prior to the deadline, it was evident that my individual effort could not complete the sketching. Acknowledging defeat, I took two immediate actions. That night, I sent a terse e-mail to my partner/friend, stating simply the situation, his selfishness, and my disappointment. My second action was a S.O.S. call to three other friends. Despite the last minute notice, all three gladly agreed to help the next day. Not only did the four of us make excellent progress, but the extra camaraderie was also a welcome contrast to the lonely evenings when I sketched by myself. Later that evening, my partner showed up for the second time ever at the school. His presence, although tardy, was nevertheless contributory to our finishing the mural. We finished the mural draft as a team of five. Due to the lack of time, the end product was not as ideal as I had envisioned. Nevertheless, I knew it was a success when I saw the children interact and play along the finished mural during a subsequent visit. The process may have been frustrating and stressful, but it was also a beneficial experience. Through it, I learned to deal with various parties in the execution of a creative venture and to acknowledge a crisis as the first step towards remedial action. But more importantly, I learned the need to confront even those whom I know on a personal level. For my next mural, I will be more equipped.
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Why do you want to attend business school now? What experience do you bring to the Wharton class?
In the Fall of 2001, I paid a visit to Shanghai and the neighboring Jiejiang province. It had been eight years since I was last in China and the physical transformation of the city left me awestruck. Old neighborhoods were bulldozed overnight to make way for skyscrapers everywhere. While improvements to living in the Jiangnan region were remarkable, I was wary of its rapid development, often without evidence of careful urban planning or historical preservation. There was a need, I felt, for better expertise in managing this construction. As an apprenticing architect at the time, I vowed to return and make some contribution to my mother's native city. Yet I had not return to Shanghai in the few years since 2001. I deliberated on the means to achieve my goal and determined that I was not prepared. Much of an architect's construction knowledge is not learned in school but derived from on-the-job experience. At the time, I had been out of school for only two years and was in the middle of my first major construction project. I chose to stay and see the building through to its completion, participating in negotiations with the contractors and attending to the nitty-gritty details. I was especially fortunate, since the building was on a fast-track schedule. Whereas most building projects lasted over ten years, this job allowed me to see the entire construction process from design to occupation in a span of merely three years. I spent the ensuing two years dealing with the contractors daily and flying occasionally to London for site visits. In my spare time, I prepared for my licensing exams to become a registered architect. In September 2003, the building was officially completed. In the same month, I acquired my architects license for New York State and was formally accepted as a member of the American Institute of Architects. With the completion of the building and four years of work experience under my belt, I felt more competent to handle a construction project in China. I reconsidered returning to Shanghai as a foreign-educated, ethnic Chinese architect, whose overseas experience would contribute to the construction industry there. In the end, however, I decided to delay that path and to attend business school instead. Working in an architecture firm for four years has taught me that constructing buildings requires much more than the technical and design skills taught in architecture school. A great deal of financial resources and managerial expertise are necessary in the endeavor. Architects can design wonderful buildings, but without adequate funding, nothing can proceed. Once a project has the green light, there are managerial issues to deal with, such as scheduling, budgeting, and contingencies. If I were to truly participate in China's urban transformation, I need to learn the business of construction and development. A marriage of solid business decisions and convivial architecture can foster a successful development, where financial viability and occupant satisfaction are both fulfilled. Armed with a business degree and an architect's license, I would return to China as either a developers representative, or a consultant for the public sector. Both roles are integral to a successful real estate development. With this in mind, I researched on the various options where I could attain these skills. While a one-year master program in real estate was viable, I decided the broader MBA would be more beneficial. As my eventual goal is to become a manager of real estate development, rather than a REIT analyst, the extra year will offer general management skills valuable to overseeing a business. Wharton's MBA program appeals to me because of its strong real estate major, rigorous curriculum, and international outlook. Since I had not worked in the financial sector, I looked for a business school, such as Wharton, where a structured core curriculum will provide a solid grounding in the basics, and a range of departments will offer opportunities to explore the various facets of management. These, I believe, are essential to the training of a well-rounded manager. While at Wharton, I intend to double-major in Real Estate and Business & Public Policy - two fields that are complementary and valuable to my aspirations. Real estate development is intertwined with public policy: the physical and economic framework mapped out by urban planners and other policymakers governs individual building projects. Thus, a good understanding of public policy will be essential for my career goals, whether in the private or public sector of the real estate industry. Wharton's international outlook was a further attraction for me, since a good understanding of global management will be an asset to my eventual return to China. As a Wharton student, I hope to participate in the Global Immersion Program to better understand management in a foreign environment. Post-MBA, Wharton's international reputation and extensive alumni network worldwide will offer valuable resources for my career. Attending business school is a comprehensive experience, and learning occurs as much outside the classroom as within. At Wharton, I anticipate discovering about different cultures and industries through the diverse and talented student body. As an architect, I am often in contact with those in the construction industry. During my two years of MBA studies, I would like to expand my social circle and build lifelong friendships. Reciprocally, I hope my non-financial background will instill a fresh perspective to the student body. Some may perceive my pursuing an MBA as a risky endeavor. After all, having established a career in architecture, I am now leaving the comforts of a familiar industry to learn a new skill set. I, however, believe in lifelong learning and risk-taking. At this point in my professional life, attending business school is the most logical step towards achieving my career goals. I look forward to a challenging but exciting two years at Wharton, and to developing China's communities in the years to come.
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Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals and why now?
After graduation, I was determined to return to Asia to develop my business career. I joined a global management consulting firms Hong Kong office as an Associate Consultant in September 2002. As a social science graduate, I got up to speed quickly in consulting assignments and was able to grasp the key business issues and acquire the relevant analytical skills rapidly. Over my career, some of the most interesting case experiences include working with a chemical logistics company to project financials and estimate capital requirements for its China expansion plan. In my current project, I am helping an IT services company to identify opportunities in their core customers. I need to work seamlessly with the clients to develop their sales, account management and delivery strategy. As I get more senior, my role evolves and I take on more significant responsibilities that requires more profound understanding of the broader business issues. Instead of asking myself -what I need to do to complete the analysis-, as my experience accumulates, I am now more concerned with questions like -what the client needs to do to succeed in China-. During the past two years, I had the opportunity to work in locations outside of Hong Kong - I spent 12 months in Beijing and Shanghai and also completed a six-month transfer to the London office. Not only have I developed language capabilities to communicate effectively in various locations, I have also become more sensitive about cultural differences and built up the flexibility to work with people from different backgrounds. Through my extensive consulting experiences in different industries in China, I have acquired a deep understanding of the local market and established my status as a China expert. My global perspective, coupled with my local capabilities and expertise, is a critical strength which I believe will help achieve my career goal. Other than case work, I am also dedicated to building a positive working environment. Consistently rated as 'exceeding expectation' on teamwork in my half-yearly appraisals, I enjoy my work and make it enjoyable for others. I am proactive in organising case team events and facilitating informal knowledge exchange between different modules. In my opinion, the definition of teamwork extends well beyond a single team. Despite my heavy travel schedules, I volunteered to organise office events every quarter for the Hong Kong office in an attempt to break down the implicit barrier between the services team and the consulting team. Morale has improved significantly - the office is livelier and people feel that they are part of a bigger team. More importantly, office members communicate more openly as they understand people better on a personal level. Recently, I extended my effort to building a -one-team- culture in the newly established Shanghai office. Only mutual understanding can bring about positive results. Building a socially conscious travel business in China is my long term goal. This is because of my professional aspiration to run a successful enterprise and my personal passion about economic development. My interest in tourism began when I joined the HK Ambassador Programme before university. Visiting tourist sites and listening to industry experts- views, I was amazed by the power of tourism in promoting economic development and enhancing cultural exchange. Numerous cultural sites in rural China suffer from lack of development. I see the potential of providing alternative offers to travellers while improving the local economies. Asian resorts have experienced significant growth as people look for an escape from big cities. Following the trend, I can market the tourist spots as -cultural experience- packages e.g. -Be a Mongolian for three days-. To minimize the disturbance to the local environment and maximize the cultural appeal, I would engage the community in planning and execution. Equipped with international exposure and local knowledge, I am in an advantageous position to introduce foreign best practices. Success should lead to positive changes in the society. I seek to achieve something bigger than just building a business. Through achieving my career goal, I hope to create a sustainable and socially inclusive economic environment. I have always been compassionate about children in rural China not getting adequate education due to poverty. Born in Hong Kong, I was fortunate to receive free basic education and I also had the opportunity to further my undergraduate studies overseas on a scholarship. A lot of children in Mainland China are not as lucky. Getting access to knowledge, I believe, is a basic human right. Through achieving my career goal, I want to improve the situation by alleviating poverty in the local community and investing part of the profits into childrens education. Education is the only way to sustain long term economic growth, ensure social mobility and breed future leaders. Other than attaining personal fulfilment, I am committed to contributing to the success of our society. Before starting my business, I plan to stay in consulting for three years to apply my leadership skills as I take on more project ownership. After spending two years abroad, intensive business experience in China is also instrumental for me to build a network and acquire solid market understanding. An MBA from Wharton provides me with a firm foundation to reach my aspirations. Having graduated with a first degree in social sciences, an integrated understanding of business fundamentals (e.g. finance and marketing) is crucial for me to build an enterprise. Focusing on general management, Wharton education is the best preparation for my entrepreneurial goal. Specifically, Wharton Social Impact Management Initiative presents an unrivalled opportunity for me to gain access to the latest intelligence in the field and get involved through taking related courses, attending conferences and internships. Experiential opportunities and hands-on experience on top of rigorous classroom settings inject practicality into learning. Entrepreneurial resources available at Wharton (e.g. Entrepreneur-in-residence) provide an optimal environment for me to develop a risk-tolerant management style. Being one of the most international MBA programmes, Wharton has an extensive alumni network in Asia, which is advantageous for finding future business and financing partners in the region. I will have completed the Associate Consultant programme by August. My experience in China paves the road for my entrepreneurial goal. In addition, my transfer experience to London proves that I can succeed in different cultural and economic environments. Studying an MBA will be the natural milestone for me to build full toolkits for the next stage of my career, to share my international experience and to learn in a diverse leadership environment.
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Essay Question:
Describe an impact you've had on an individual, group or organization. How has this experience been valuable to you or others? (500 words)
I transformed 15 singing team members into leaders of a 200-person group. This experience helped me to realise that a leader should have three important qualities: she must have strong self-awareness about her strengths and weaknesses; she must have the ability to understand other people, their motivations and their limitations; and she must be visionary and aim for the higher goal. After graduation, I joined the 'China Synergy Programme' (a 20-day travel exchange programme in China) with 200 students from different countries. I volunteered to organise a group singing performance, while the organiser promised to find 15 other qualified members. It turned out that only five members were secured, and only one of them had music training. The first practice was unsatisfactory. I knew that I could not conquer this alone - critical mass of trained singers was the key to improving overall performance. We agreed to find more members, specifically those with performing experiences. Using our network, we formed a group of 15 singers, five of them with extensive experience. I assigned roles so that experienced singers could coach others effectively. The team built up confidence quickly in this setup. Rather than my dictating the flow, I encouraged members to refine arrangements to make the performance more interesting. The group shifted its mentality from getting things done to taking ownership. The performance went very well, but our teamwork did not come to an end. On the following day, while we waited for group photos, I was asked to lead the group to sing together. I asked my team members to be leaders in their small groups. They showed so much confidence and ownership, encouraging their group to participate and helping out the weaker members. 200 students sang in harmony without prior coordination. It was magical - team members were transformed into leaders, making an impact on the extended organisation. After the performance, participants complimented my leadership. Reflecting upon the experience, what made me a successful leader was not my individual strengths, but my ability to unleash my team members' full potential. No matter how capable one is, it is impossible to achieve large-scale success without a strong team. To build a lasting organisation, it is crucial to cultivate a pipeline of motivated leaders - the only way to generate success again and again. At work, I consistently witness the power of coaching and investing in future successors. I would like to contribute my perspective of leadership to the Wharton community.
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Essay Question:
Describe when you were part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What did you learn? (500 words)
I was one of the helpers of the Cambridge China Conference Organising Committee in year 2000, which failed to materialize after nine months of preparation. The committee was made up of seven officials and a few helpers. I was a first year undergraduate and it was seven months into preparation when I was invited to help out. There were serious problems in planning and group processes. Firstly, there was no work-planning right from the beginning - no clear milestones were set and no responsible persons were assigned to individual tasks. As a result, the committee has not secured any sponsorship two months before the event while some speakers need to fly in from the U.S. Secondly, the group process failed. The committee was split into two groups and did not have a common vision. Most meeting time was spent on blaming one another rather than generating action steps. Lastly, the president did not do a good job to motivate her team members to work towards a common goal. She blamed her team members for being incapable and said 'you better do something if you do not want to mess up your CVs'. The conference was cancelled at the last minute. Every one was very distressed by the outcome. This failure taught me three important lessons: (1) A team needs a common goal to succeed; (2) the common vision should be inspired by a strong team leader who believes in the goal and makes team members to believe in it; (3) team process needs a plan to set the direction and delegate the right members to fulfil their jobs. I was determined to use my learning to make the Conference a success in the following year. I know that I can make a difference as a leader. Therefore, I volunteered and got elected as the president. At first, the team was reluctant since there was no success story to learn from. I communicated the challenges to my team honestly, but also expressed my view that the difficulties were not insurmountable with better planning and group process. I drafted the work-plan to lay out a clear roadmap and delegated according to team members- skill sets and interest levels. We agreed as a team that any issues should be resolved in an open and honest manner. I motivated my team by pointing out that the conference would be valuable to increase awareness of Asian business affairs at the University. On a higher level, we should aim to make the Conference a sustainable event by creating our own success story and motivate future leaders. With passion and perseverance, we successfully organised the Conference on the topic -Globalisation: Its Impact on China in the 21st Century-. We secured enough sponsorship two months before the Conference and invited nine speakers from U.K., U.S. and Hong Kong to share their views with more than 100 participants in a two-day conference. Since then, the annual conference has become a society tradition.
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Essay Question:
Describe a personal characteristic or something in your background that will help the Admissions Committee to know you better. (500 words)
I am motivated by challenging and improving myself, while at the same time helping people around me to develop their talents. I believe that what drives people in life is fundamental to how they will develop as people and as leaders. I continue to challenge myself, even if it involves taking risks. I chose to study social sciences as my undergraduate degree, which was a big shift from my previous academic background. I had specialized in science subjects since the forth year of my secondary education. While I enjoyed the scientific approach, I felt that I lacked the appreciation of wider global questions, which is essential for making informed decisions in a constantly changing world. After graduation from secondary school, I decided to study social sciences. Being one of the top students in science subjects, changing my academic focus was considered to be a huge risk in Hong Kong. I was willing to bear the risk. Although I did struggle in the beginning, I got up to speed quickly. The ability to take a high level view of issues while keeping a strong discipline of scientific rigor is the reward I reaped from taking an academic risk. I am determined to overcome my weaknesses. I developed into a successful debater after three years of hard work. I started debating in the fifth year of secondary school. After a few rounds of internal competition, I was chosen as one of the school debating team members. It was an honour for a fresh debater, and I discovered my strengths and weaknesses quickly. I was a natural stage performer, but debating also requires tight logical thinking and quick responses. My performance in external competitions was mediocre, but I was determined to improve myself. To develop logical thinking, I read classic debating scripts to learn how to build and substantiate strong arguments. To improve real-time response, I attended high quality competitions to observe how to formulate effective and articulated rebuttals. In addition, I organised joint school competitions to practise what I had learned. I led the Cambridge team to win an Oxbridge debate in 2000, where I was voted the best debater. I strive to help people to develop their talents. At work, I invest in others' successes. I have extensive experience of supervising temporary consulting staff members in China. Despite their status as temporary hires, I take their developmental needs into account during work planning and schedule discussion sessions to understand their goals. One of the temporary hires I had worked with later turned into a full time staff as she had developed important skills during the project, which she was able to demonstrate in the interview. In a broader context, I would like to contribute to helping children get access to education through achieving my career goal. These motivations drive my career decision. An MBA is a unique opportunity to challenge and improve oneself with advanced business concepts and stimulating individuals. I will make full use of the education to prepare myself for the next stage of my career. Through interacting with fellow students, I would like to contribute to their personal and career development, while gaining new insights and perspectives from them at the same time.
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Essay Question:
Describe an impact you've had on an individual, group or organization. What did you do? How has this experience been valuable to you or others? (500 words)
My impact on Digital Reliance is difficult to quantify. I have been instrumental to its success in almost every area. However, possibly the largest impact I had on the company was when its future was in jeopardy. Two years ago, my company made the decision to layoff over a third of its employees. Afterwards I was given the responsibility of heading up Data Analysis and Customer Service in addition to my position as Director of Software Development. Not only would I be dealing with typical post-layoff issues such as job insecurity, guilt, and reduced company loyalty, but also I knew we were in financial trouble. In order for us to secure another round of funding, we would have to show increased effectiveness with fewer people. If we could improve the efficiency of loading data while enhancing our product in a few key areas, the company would be more attractive to investors. Of equal importance was keeping our current customers satisfied, as they were a vital to future profitability. I needed to ensure every colleague understood and fully committed themselves to the goals for the newly integrated department. I spent time with each employee explaining the situation and emphasizing the new ambitions of the company. I had them list their previous job responsibilities, and then add their part to support the new objectives. This approach was effective; it drove home the point that each team member was key to our success and clearly communicated my expectations. In order to create an open environment, I established a weekly status meeting where everyone discussed their work. Often a data analyst would talk about a labor-intensive project, and a developer would respond, 'I can build a tool to do that for you in a few hours.' For the customer service representatives, the increased exposure to the other departments provided better insight into the product and a larger voice on product direction, improving the service they could provide to their clients. Losing half our development resources rendered our existing product schedule obsolete; correctly prioritizing which features to develop was vital to our success. I spent increased time with sales, marketing, and the executives to ensure I understood their main objectives. By becoming a single point of contact for product development, I enabled both technical and business parties to concentrate on their responsibilities while ensuring all voices were heard. Leadership opportunities do not always present themselves as we would hope. Though not ideal, working under these extreme circumstances compelled me to discover leadership abilities. Learning the intricacies of two new departments while maintaining the momentum of my development staff was daunting at first. Eventually I realized that combining the three departments enabled us to establish a compelling shared vision for our company's future. The period after the layoffs was one of the most efficient times in Digital Reliance history, and we received our funding.
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Essay Question:
Describe how your experiences, both professional and personal, have led to your decision to pursue an MBA at the Wharton School this year. How does this decision relate to your career goals for the future? (1,000 words)
One of my main hobbies is the outdoors, and I am lucky to have had a variety of very thrilling and beautiful experiences in some remote corners of the globe. But the journey that I regard as the most significant achievement is a hiking trip I organized in northern Alaska, because more than at any other time, my friends' and my own safety were dependent on my skills. We arranged to be dropped off on the tundra by a bush plane only big enough to carry us and our supplies, and picked up by the same plane at a spot about sixty miles away. For the ten days in between, we were on our own: no trails, no rangers, and no means of contacting the outside world. Such a trip requires physical and mental preparedness. We considered every contingency, from the inevitable bear encounter to the potentially disastrous broken ankle. We meticulously planned our meals and stocked our first aid kits, mindful that every extra ounce would have to be carried on our backs. The trip was a wonderful experience, and taught me several things. To begin with, it forced me to examine my attitude toward risk. I am familiar with the hazards of wilderness travel. About a year before the Alaska trip, I broke my spine in a mishap during a mountain climb. Although the experience was frightening, a quick rescue ensured my safe recovery. The Alaska trip offered no such hope of assistance. In an obvious sense, the simplest way to mitigate the risk of the trip would have been to avoid it altogether by visiting a less remote spot. But the isolation was unquestionably part of the appeal of Alaska, and self-reliance brought an intangible reward. I feel the risk was justified, but only because I went into the experience with my eyes open and made every effort to address the contingencies under my control. I intend to continue challenging myself and pursuing sometimes risky opportunities for personal growth, and the Alaska trip was a great lesson in achieving the right balance in this pursuit. The trip also provided a compelling lesson in the ways that teamwork and leadership can be adapted to different situations. Our group had no explicit leader - or, in a certain sense, we were all leaders, responsible for ensuring our own and each other's safety, bound by our mutual dependence. Any one of us could lead or be led, as circumstances demanded. Although this structure isn't necessarily useful for designing an org chart, it does very accurately reflect the looser collaborations that are so important in daily life. The ability to form relationships based on mutual trust, to resolve conflict in the absence of explicit authority, and to flexibly divide responsibilities to achieve a common objective are essential in any endeavor. On the Alaska trip I learned that these sorts of informal coalitions are viable even when the stakes are highest, provided they are bound by trust and a shared goal. Please tell us something about yourself that you feel will help the Admissions Committee know you better. (500 words) My career in college and afterward is marked by a deep-seated intellectual curiosity, a concern for the effects of my work on others, and a strongly pragmatic focus on the practical applications of knowledge. This somewhat unusual blend of characteristics bears heavily on the choices I've made and on my decision to pursue a career in international development. I am distinguished by my intellectual curiosity. Most people enter the software industry because an aptitude for math leads them to seek an engineering degree. I came to computers through the disciplines of philosophy and history, when my study of neurobiology first made me aware of the fascinating parallels between the brain and the integrated circuit. Only later did I teach myself how to program. Of course, a host of more practical considerations played into my decision to pursue a career in technology, but it is certainly the case that I seek a deep understanding of my work and enjoy pursuing knowledge in unusual directions. A second distinguishing characteristic is my concern for the effects of my work on people. Technology is fundamentally about answering people's hopes and fulfilling their needs. It is not surprising, for example, that my favorite part of being a product manager was conducting usability tests. I loved the drama and immediacy of sitting behind the one-way glass and watching people succeed or struggle with whatever system I was developing. It was uniquely gratifying when the tests went well, and uniquely motivating when they did not. Finally, I am distinguished by a deep streak of pragmatism that provides focus to my energy. A big part of my job has always been striking the right balance between vision and practicality, recognizing that in the real world the loftiest goals are subject to the constraints of budgets, schedules, technical feasibility, and the political realities of human institutions. At bottom, I prefer shipping products to sketching fanciful designs. These traits provide me with a blend of creativity and discipline that has served me well in the entrepreneurial environment of Silicon Valley, where big ideas are harshly tested in the marketplace. I have cherished these experiences. But my ambitions have a broader scope, and these traits will be even better put to use in international development. Intellectually, the problems of the developing world are deep, and successful solutions will require agile consideration of the complex forces of commerce, history, politics, and culture. From a humanitarian perspective, raising living standards in the developing world is unquestionably the great challenge of this century. And finally, progress will require pragmatic innovation from leaders who are not slaves to any one theory, and who recognize that difficult compromises will sometimes have to be made in the name of advancement. I feel an imperative to have a positive impact, to live usefully as Benjamin Franklin so modestly put it. International development provides the perfect way for me to apply my strengths to this goal.
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Essay Question:
1. Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals and why now? (1,000 words)
Career progress to date After college, I faced one of the first professional decisions of my life. I had to decide between a very attractive job offer from Arthur D. Little and an offer from the Investment Promotion Bureau (SEPI). Although management consulting was a professional goal, I chose SEPI because it offered me the unique opportunity to make an impact on society by contributing to the development of Spain. SEPI is the Spanish governmental holding of public companies and its goal is based on four main pillars: to restructure public companies, make them profitable, privatize them, and rebuild industrial areas and sectors through the attraction of foreign direct investment to Spain. My job was more focused on restructuring and attracting foreign investors, marketing Spain as our product, and assessing investors in the completion of the whole investment process from the performance of due diligences and feasibility studies to the operations start-up. This position allowed me to develop in a very entrepreneurial environment, apply my analytical skills, and last but most importantly, be a witness to the results of my own effort through the creation of real businesses and job positions. However, after a year at SEPI, I realized that my "outsider's view" was limited and that I needed to learn more about the internal functions of companies and the challenges they face in the global environment, hence, I made the decision to work at Roland Berger. For the last two years, Roland Berger has revealed itself to be a unique opportunity to help me understand these issues and has contributed to my business education in a very analytical and goal oriented way, allowing me to assess real strategic, commercial and operational issues of multinational companies and work in international assignments across Europe. Short-term and long-term goals As Roland Berger Strategy Consultants plans to sponsor my MBA studies, I hope to return there as a Project Manager for a period of two to three years. Roland Berger offers a challenging and educative international work environment that I think will help me put my studies into practice and will allow me to further develop my management, leadership and commercial skills. The business knowledge, the international scope and the network acquired at Wharton/Lauder together with this position as Project Manager at Roland Berger are the basis for the achievement of my long-term goals. In the long-term, I plan to establish my own consulting company whose mission will be to contribute to the economic development of Europe through both the assessment of multinational companies looking to invest in Western Europe and the redefinition/restructuring of the business operations of companies already in Europe which face the threat of delocalization. The current economic framework of Western Europe and the emergence of new business in developing countries and regions such as China and North Africa have shifted the investment plans of multinational companies towards these locations and away from Europe, and are forcing many companies to reconsider their strategies. In this situation, governmental agencies have demonstrated inefficient in addressing this problem. I believe that the answer lies in the private sector, which should develop a profitable solution to address this situation and concentrate on an issue that concerns the European society as a whole, namely continuous economic growth and the retention and creation of job positions. Why the Wharton/Lauder program? Despite all the enriching professional and personal experiences I have had, I personally feel that I need to acquire some missing pieces in the puzzle that only the Wharton/Lauder program can help me develop in order to achieve my goals: - Educational and personal development: the Wharton MBA together with an MA, is the optimal way to acquire some tools that will be key in my career plan such as Entrepreneurship, Finance and a unique International focus. In addition, my stay at Wharton/Lauder will enhance my interaction with top professionals and faculty who I am sure will serve as role models, such as Prof. Metrick in Venture Capital or Prof. MacMillan in Entrepreneurship, contributing to my personal development and future career accomplishments. Moreover, the many extracurricular activities at Wharton, will allow me to develop new personal and professional paths with some of the Student Clubs such as the Consulting Club, the Investment Management Club, the Europa Club, or even found a Team Handball Club. - International focus: the outstanding group of students that I will find, with different backgrounds and cultures, will enable me to meet amazing people from all over the world and, using their know-how and experiences, to consider different solutions and approaches for the same problem. Moreover, the Lauder Institute will enable me to develop a special sensibility for international issues from a more social and culture-oriented point of view, and will allow me to meet truly exceptional people who share my passion for international affairs. - Professional opportunities: the summer immersion and the international internship opportunities accessed through Wharton/Lauder will be the best opportunity for me to understand the investment and strategic planning of large multinational companies and a unique chance for me to delve deeper into global markets. The target clients of my business venture will be multinational companies, and a comprehensive understanding of their investment planning and needs will be key for the success of my firm. However, apart from this factor, access to these companies will also be a must. The Wharton/Lauder Alumni are currently leading some of the major global companies and will continue to do so in the future. Hence, becoming part of this network will not only be motive of pride, but also one of the main assets in my future career goals. - Triple location advantage: Firstly, the US experience and the chance to see first-hand how the US is attracting foreign direct investment and successfully warding off the threat of delocalization; retaining businesses that would otherwise go to South America or China. Secondly, the opportunity to study and work in Germany through the Lauder program, the most powerful European country and one of the largest contributors to foreign direct investment projects in the world. And thirdly, less career-oriented but no less sincere, the possibility that my fiancie is able to live closer to her family, which is living in North Carolina, after having spent four years abroad. Why now? After several years of intense full-time work experience, I feel I need to go to business school to round off my educational background, strengthen my managerial skills, and get a new international perspective. I firmly believe that earning the dual degree at Wharton/Lauder is a natural step in my career and that I am ready to become an active contributor, not only to the class, but also to society through the countless opportunities that Wharton offers to do so.
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Essay Question:
Taking two years to pursue an MBA requires a considerable investment of time and resources. Please describe the path leading to your decision to pursue a Wharton MBA now. How do you expect the MBA experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level? (1,000 words)
Perhaps it started from an early fascination with computers or from watching my dad start his companies, but for as long as I can remember, I have been interested in entrepreneurship and technology. While dividing my time between electronic circuit design and management case studies, I realized that my true calling was in business. The campus activities that I devoted my time to all seemed to have more in common with a life in business rather than in engineering. In E.E. Senior Design Lab, I preferred marshalling resources, recruiting teammates, and defining specifications to wiring and programming. In investment banking, I synthesized my technical and business knowledge through technology mergers and acquisitions, a bustling sector at the peak of the dot-com bubble. Despite completing transactions in the billions, I discovered that the engagements that excited me the most were those involving young, fast-moving companies. Late nights in collaboration with company management developed my kinship with CEOs whose drive to succeed overcame employee defections and intense competition. I also assumed responsibilities beyond the scope of a traditional investment banking analyst's, such mapping out industry trends and managing fairness opinion teams, and I found them to be much more engaging than pure financial or accounting analysis. By the end of my tenure, I was advising CEOs and CFOs on strategic issues and assuming formal leadership roles that many investment banking analysts wait years to undertake, but still I could not dispel the feeling that I was moving further away from entrepreneurship. As an influencer rather than the ultimate decision-maker, our bank was standing on the sidelines during the technology boom, handing out our brand of Gatorade to the players who were building new industries. Eager to pursue my entrepreneurial ideals, I turned down a lucrative associate promotion to join an established technology venture capital firm. In venture capital, I saw entrepreneurship in action and learned just how critical a company's formative years are. The prospective executives I interviewed, the product direction I refined, and the market positioning I developed all had far-reaching impacts on a portfolio company's future success. As a principal investor, I realized that I felt comfortable assuming the risk associated with early-stage companies given the prospect for greater impact and rewards. I also observed that our portfolio companies were turning their eyes towards international markets. This trend was at the front of my mind when I sat down with the VP of Marketing for our satellite communications company. Together, we devised a strategy for overhauling the companys corporate focus and message. With the U.S. market for their satellite broadcasting equipment stagnating in single-digit growth, the time was ripe to shift development and sales resources to the thriving Asian market. My work was publicly commended by the company's CEO at the annual board meeting. Inspired by this success and encouraged by my work with early-stage companies, my own thoughts about international entrepreneurship began to resurface. I am immersed in the entrepreneurship process at my venture firm, but I still feel the nagging urge to join the entrepreneurs on the other side of the table. Given my heritage, I have always kept an interested eye on the rapid developments in China. China's enormous potential as a producer and as a market piques my entrepreneurial instinct, but I am aware that corruption, dishonesty, and intellectual property theft can derail its progress. Having developed a strong personal code of business ethics, I envision making my mark as an entrepreneur by creating a company that facilitates trustworthy relationships between East and West and inspires others with its ethics. While I have had the unique opportunity to contribute to investment-making decisions and portfolio company development, I hold back from striking out on my own because I realize that successful entrepreneurs combine vision with ability to execute. An international business leader must be attuned to local customs, people, and markets, and I recognize that my experiences in the United States have, in some respects, made me more American than Chinese. Without a deeper base of operational knowledge, I cannot hope to be a great venture capitalist, much less a great CEO. Although I could spend the next ten years learning operational fundamentals and obliquely getting a glimpse of international markets, I would risk missing out on this crucial period in China's evolution. At this junction of my personal and professional life, the Wharton MBA program is the best way to accelerate my development in key functional areas and prepare me for international entrepreneurship. Though I received a solid grounding in business skills as a Wharton undergrad, the course demands of my additional engineering major prevented me from fully-exploring areas outside of entrepreneurial management. Moreover, working with Wharton MBAs has shown me how their business school experiences fused those fundamentals with a strategic perspective. Unlike some other programs, Whartons MBA curriculum provides me with the latitude to tailor my education and to pursue my passions. The GIP program represents an exceptional opportunity for me to explore the Chinese business world and to see whether that world is right for me. I can also picture myself heading up the entrepreneurship conference, bringing in venture capital colleagues and portfolio company CEOs to come and share their insights with the Wharton community. The diversity of students, combined with the emphasis on teamwork, should provide me with new perspectives on foreign cultures and the ability to work with all type of personalities. I hope to share experiences and learn firsthand from accomplished classmates who may have already started a company or faced the challenges of doing business in China. Finally, theinternational prestige and alumni network of an institution like Wharton will open doors for a fledgling company. Given China's timetable for economic change and the years that I will spend getting acclimated to Chinese business dynamics, there is no better time for an MBA than now.
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Essay Question:
Describe when you were part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What was your role, how did you contribute to the process or outcome, and what did you learn? (500 words)
My experiences with working in teams have varied in scale and scope, from evaluating investments at partnership meetings to rallying volunteers at a large organization like the Red Cross. I have found that with any team, people can become so defensive about their ideas that it can be difficult to reach a rational decision. In the world of venture capital, the subjective nature of investment and the millions of dollars at stake can amplify both the likelihood and the consequences of emotional commitment. Early into my tenure at my venture capital firm, I reintroduced an investment opportunity that the partnership had declined months earlier. Although I presented new information that addressed our previous concerns about profitability and growth, the partner who vetoed it the first time dismissed my proposal offhand. He merely glanced at my analysis before immediately launching into a spirited defense of his earlier decision. Although I convinced him to delay his final verdict with a promise to provide additional analysis, the company's share price moved out of our target range before we could come to an agreement. In a matter of weeks, it appreciated from $9 to $26 per share - we ended up missing out on over $25 million in potential returns! I felt incredibly frustrated with the team and with myself. After all, I had missed a terrific opportunity to generate returns for the fund and to increase my standing in the firm. Looking back, I realize that while I had addressed the right investment issues, I had failed to anticipate the potential team and decision-making issues. It was naove to think that as the newest and youngest member of the investment team, I could rely purely on analytical data to sway entrenched sentiment. Without addressing the personal side of the decision-making process, I was unable to garner enough support to achieve my desired result. I have since learned to tackle group work with a more holistic approach. I begin by anticipating points of potential conflict or emotional investment prior to group discussions. By accounting for personality differences and team dynamics, I try to assess the different levels of individual commitment and address teammates personally. Not only has this approach helped us conduct discussions and make decisions more objectively, but it has also helped me recognize when my own emotions are affecting my judgement. As a future entrepreneur, I am interested in learning other ways successful business leaders avoid or overcome emotional commitment and team conflict. Whartons team-oriented coursework and entrepreneurship programs should enhance my ability to work effectively within a team and reach optimal outcomes. With a better grasp of these dynamics, I can be even more productive in advancing new ideas or implementing change within my organizations.
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Essay Question:
Describe an impact you've had on an individual, group or organization. How has this experience been valuable to you or others? (500 words)
On March 27, 2003, KPMG senior management concluded their audit of the 2002 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and congratulated each other on a job well done. Having worked long and hard on this ostensibly successful campaign, I sat and pondered why I felt dissatisfied. Despite management's contentment and accolades, I couldn't come to terms with my misgivings. Accordingly, I committed myself to constructing a plan that would ensure that I wouldn't be faced with the same dissatisfaction after the following year's audit. I wanted our 2003 SEC filings audit to be more efficient, focused, and thorough. It was an ambitious endeavor for a third-year employee to present a plan that would change the audit methodology of a multi-billion dollar enterprise. However, I felt confident that through better allocation of personnel and responsibilities we could reach the goals that I had in mind. I presented my plan to upper management in June 2003 and explained that we could conduct a more thorough audit by allocating disclosures and their related audit work to task-appropriate personnel. Further, I expressed my concern that we should dedicate more time to the so-called 'problem' or subjective areas. Finally, I presented the argument that proved to be most impactful on upper management: By implementing my streamlined auditing procedures, we could reduce the amount of time spent on the audit by approximately 10% versus the prior year-all while performing a fundamentally better audit. The plan was accepted by management and I was put in charge of successfully implementing it as part of our 2003 SEC filings audit. On March 25, 2004, KPMG senior management concluded their audit of the 2003 SEC filings of CSFB. This time an incredible feeling of accomplishment filled the room, effectively displacing any of the latent dissatisfaction that tainted our earlier campaign. During our audit, we alerted CSFB to some insufficiencies in their disclosures and audited so thoroughly that, as a by-product, we were able to offer some suggestions for improvement of their existing internal controls. CSFB congratulated our team on bringing these points to their attention and complimented our efficiency and attention to detail. The successful implementation of my plan was very well received by upper management and has given me excellent professional credibility. The CSFB audit was completed 25% under budget and my methodology is currently being rolled out to other account teams. From a personal development standpoint, this experience helped me make the transition from a valued employee to an indispensable leader who influences procedure and policy. I have proved that I possess the ability to think analytically, articulate my viewpoints, and change the minds of my industry's decision makers. By honing my critical analysis skill set and continuing my business education, I'm confident that I'll be able to climb the corporate hierarchy and open a new forum for my ideas and strategies.
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Essay Question:
Describe a personal characteristic or something in your background that will help the Admissions Committee to know you better? (500 words)
I assess accomplishment in terms of personal growth, societal impact, and professional development. By nature of this definition, the achievements that provide me with the most satisfaction and pride run the gamut of human interest. I believe the following paragraphs provide valuable incite into my background and my passions. I hope you find it a helpful facet of my Wharton application. One of my most substantial accomplishments is successfully integrating myself into American culture while remaining connected to the mores and customs of my Argentine homeland. My personal experience has been that immigrants either have a hard time acculturating or desert their native culture while integrating into their new milieu. Though I don't believe either of those scenarios warrants negative judgment, it is a substantial accomplishment when an individual can assimilate the ideals of a foreign culture into their native country's unique set of traditions and beliefs. I arrived in New York on December 9, 1988, passed through security, and saw my father. I ran towards him excitedly and lunged directly at his chest to the welcoming words of 'Te traigo a este pais para darte todas las oportunidades.' Those words have never left me: 'I bring you to this country to present you with all opportunities.' I've used those opportunities to the fullest without forsaking my native culture, successfully completing an undergraduate college career while keeping in touch with Argentinian friends and relatives. I enjoy a very rewarding professional career here in America, but I still retain the cultural and intellectual flexibility necessary to discuss Argentina's economic issues with local action committees throughout my native land. I've made connections with individuals from every continent while sharing stories and perspectives that reinforce my status as a citizen of the world. Another substantial accomplishment is serving as a Founder and President of ATTITUDE (Aiming To Teach Individuals Togetherness Until Discrimination Ends). The group's objective is to foster open communication regarding racial, gender, and sexuality issues. A small cadre of dedicated undergraduates started the group during our sophomore year at Boston College. Membership grew and, during my presidency, attendance at the group's presentations became suggested for the entire university. We started the group when we realized that a student-sponsored forum would be very helpful in establishing clear lines of communication between the college's disparate constituents. Regarding the sensitive issues we discussed, we felt that a peer presentation would be more effective than a top-down communication that dictated standards of behavior. I was elected President and led the process of writing a script for our presentation, finding other motivated individuals with similar interests and coordinating a play. We presented our play to the university's governing body with outstanding results. I'm very proud of being elected President of ATTITUDE because it provided me with an opportunity to lead a group of individuals that delivered life-changing messages to the vast majority of the student body. I still receive e-mails from alumni that attended my presentations during their undergraduate years thanking me for providing a forum of self-improvement.
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Essay Question:
Describe a situation where your values, ethics, or morals were challenged. How did you handle the situation? (500 words)
We are faced with situations that challenge our core values on a daily basis. From complying with our voluntary tax system to ensuring proper ethical decorum at work, we are confronted with circumstances that repeatedly test our ability to abide by our morals. In this essay, I've chosen to discuss a specific situation that is not only appropriate in this forum, but also provides great insight into my core values and my ability to stand by them. During the summer of 2000, immediately before my senior year at Boston College, I completed an internship at KPMG. It was a great experience because it solidified my aspirations of pursuing a short-term career as a CPA. I worked exclusively with Joe, a seasoned senior manager with many small commercial banking clients. Though I was mostly interested in investment banks, I found him and his area of expertise interesting and worthwhile. Mutual respect and fondness for one another fostered agreat working relationship. During our final lunch before my return to Boston College, Joe expressed interest in offering me a full-time position commencing the summer after my graduation from school. He showed tremendous interest in me and in continuing our working relationship. I felt extremely grateful and expressed that all feelings were mutual and that I would seriously consider the offer. Two months into my senior year the offer remained unconfirmed. My interest in commercial banking had diminished, dwarfed by my growing affinity for investment banking. KPMG Human Resources received word of my concerns and stepped up their recruiting efforts. I received a call from Mark, a high-profile senior manager with impressive clientele within the investment banking arena. Based on the laudatory performance evaluations that I had received from Joe during my internship, Mark indicated that he would like me to join his team. I must admit that I was torn in making this decision. Pursue the investment banking route that interested me the most and run the risk of alienating a friend, or prove my loyalty to Joe and join his team? I wasn't subject to any contractual obligations which specified that working for Joe was a prerequisite to the KPMG offer. However, Joe had inspired me and was the main sponsor of the original offer. After a day of self-reflection, I made a decision. I called Mark and expressed gratitude for his offer but stated that I would decline and join Joe's group. My loyalty, trust, reciprocity, and respect were all main drivers of my final decision. Upon my return to KPMG in September 2001, Joe notified me that he had been selected to lead the audit of one of KPMG's largest global investment banking clients, Credit Suisse First Boston. He said that I was coming along for the ride. Considering the ethical dilemma that had preceded this great news, I couldn't help but think that I'd been the beneficiary of great karma. More importantly, the successful results of my decision proved to me that the hardest of choices are made with the heart as well as the mindand only through a balance of reason and passion can we truly determine what is ethical, just, and right for us in a given context.
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Essay Question:
Describe a cross-cultural experience in your adult life that was challenging to you. How did you meet this challenge and what did you learn from the experience? (1000 Words - MA/MBA program)
I've always considered myself a cultured individual, someone who has had diverse experiences with myriad cultures and is extremely open minded. For most of my life, I found that I was the one ensuring that everyone felt comfortable and at 'home.' I thought my diverse ethnic background, unique neighborhood, and college experience had prepared me for anything. If only I knew what was awaiting me upon my arrival into the professional world. I arrived in Queens, New York, from Argentina at the age of nine. My family and I moved into a quaint two-bedroom apartment in Corona, a predominantly Hispanic community adjacent to large Italian and Chinese populations. Not having previously experienced much outside of Argentina, I found that I learned a tremendous amount about the cultural mores of Caribbean and northern Latin American people by observing and interacting with the people of Corona. A few years later, still living in Corona, I attended a predominantly Caucasian high school, which, coupled with my experiences at home, provided me with an incredible perspective on the differences of the many cultures that interact in an amazing place like New York. Already feeling equipped with a strong sense of cultural awareness, I began my undergraduate experience at Boston College. I eagerly joined and created social clubs that conducted cultural events and I attempted to involve many of my peers. I found it fascinating to socialize with the many groups of international students that roamed the campus - and I ensured my place in a multicultural milieu by choosing to live with a Swede, a Mexican, and a South African during my junior and senior years. This experience was a tremendous lesson in cultural differences and commonalities, and I was lucky to learn about other countries from friends and classmates instead of textbooks and second-hand reporting. Accordingly, based on my adolescent years and my college experience, I felt I was culturally prepared for anything. I began my career as an auditor immediately following my college graduation. What I found upon arrival was partly expected: a group of young, motivated, and intelligent professionals eager to begin or advance their careers. The unexpected was the surprisingly large percentage of international rotation colleagues. There was a significant number of individuals that chose to participate in an international rotation to the United States for approximately six to twelve months. As I began my second year with the company I was given the responsibility of managing a group of ten individuals, of which eight were international workers from such nations as Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Russia, China, and Italy. None of these individuals were Americanized. Individually, they possessed very unique mind-sets and idiosyncrasies. Collectively, they coveredthe spectrum of personalities. It was amazing to see how actions and traditions that were absolutely essential to some seemed foreign or offensive to others. Some individuals believed very strongly in lunch breaks while others found midday sleep breaks to be essential. Some individuals believed that no social interaction should be conducted with an audit client while other felt ashamed to convey a business query prior to discussing family. In some cases, certain individuals found it offensive to partake in conversations about politics while others thrived on a well-supported political discussion. I didn't find any of these differences detrimental to the team atmosphere - however, the concentration and negative connotation placed on these differences by the team members had a tangible, deleterious effect on the interpersonal comfort of the group. I found the members judging each other based on these differences. As part of my managerial responsibility I had to ensure that the team worked well together and performed efficiently. As a result of the general magnification of the team members' differences, I found this endeavor very challenging. Though I felt culturally prepared based on my past experiences, this situation felt a bit more 'real.' The main problem I encountered was that although everyone spoke English well, they did not listen to each other. I struggled for over two months in an attempt to discuss the problematic issues on an individual basis, until I decided drastic collective action was necessary. In order to help them embrace their differences and perhaps help them build on their commonalities, I instituted a weekly 'communication' meeting, an anonymous suggestion box, and an attendance-encouraged 'culture' dinner. During our 'communication' meetings we shared the status of our audits and related fieldwork stories. These discussions created a wonderful venue for the team to find professional commonalities. The suggestion box allowed them the ability to express themselves in a constructive and discreet method. I encouraged truthful and meaningful criticism in order to assist some of the team members in strengthening their cultural awareness. Finally the 'culture' dinners gave each person an opportunity to share a native dish, which fostered amazing social interactions and appreciation for their differences. Appreciation for their differences was the key to unlocking their ability to listen to each other. Fortunately, the group reacted very well to the activities and began to socialize outside of the workplace. They became a great professional team and also managed to develop strong friendships. I learned a tremendous amount from this experience. I determined that it is extremely important to participate in cultural training prior to embarking on an endeavor that includes an international audience. Most importantly, I learned that open and constant communication is tremendously important. Communication eliminates assumptions that may create confusion among team members and fosters an amazingly friendly and efficient team environment.
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Essay Question:
Taking two years to pursue an MBA requires a considerable investment of time and resources. Please describe the path leading to your decision to pursue a Wharton MBA now. How do you expect the MBA experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level? (1,000 words)
Perhaps it started from an early fascination with computers or from watching my dad start his companies, but for as long as I can remember, I have been interested in entrepreneurship and technology. While dividing my time between electronic circuit design and management case studies, I realized that my true calling was in business. The campus activities that I devoted my time to all seemed to have more in common with a life in business rather than in engineering. In E.E. Senior Design Lab, I preferred marshalling resources, recruiting teammates, and defining specifications to wiring and programming. In investment banking, I synthesized my technical and business knowledge through technology mergers and acquisitions, a bustling sector at the peak of the dot-com bubble. Despite completing transactions in the billions, I discovered that the engagements that excited me the most were those involving young, fast-moving companies. Late nights in collaboration with company management developed my kinship with CEOs whose drive to succeed overcame employee defections and intense competition. I also assumed responsibilities beyond the scope of a traditional investment banking analysts, such mapping out industry trends and managing fairness opinion teams, and I found them to be much more engaging than pure financial or accounting analysis. By the end of my tenure, I was advising CEOs and CFOs on strategic issues and assuming formal leadership roles that many investment banking analysts wait years to undertake, but still I could not dispel the feeling that I was moving further away from entrepreneurship. As an influencer rather than the ultimate decision-maker, our bank was standing on the sidelines during the technology boom, handing out our brand of Gatorade to the players who were building new industries. Eager to pursue my entrepreneurial ideals, I turned down a lucrative associate promotion to join an established technology venture capital firm. In venture capital, I saw entrepreneurship in action and learned just how critical a company's formative years are. The prospective executives I interviewed, the product direction I refined, and the market positioning I developed all had far-reaching impacts on a portfolio companys future success. As a principal investor, I realized that I felt comfortable assuming the risk associated with early-stage companies given the prospect for greater impact and rewards. I also observed that our portfolio companies were turning their eyes towards international markets. This trend was at the front of my mind when I sat down with the VP of Marketing for our satellite communications company. Together, we devised a strategy for overhauling the companys corporate focus and message. With the U.S. market for their satellite broadcasting equipment stagnating in single-digit growth, the time was ripe to shift development and sales resources to the thriving Asian market. My work was publicly commended by the company's CEO at the annual board meeting. Inspired by this success and encouraged by my work with early-stage companies, my own thoughts about international entrepreneurship began to resurface. I am immersed in the entrepreneurship process at my venture firm, but I still feel the nagging urge to join the entrepreneurs on the other side of the table. Given my heritage, I have always kept an interested eye on the rapid developments in China. China's enormous potential as a producer and as a market piques my entrepreneurial instinct, but I am aware that corruption, dishonesty, and intellectual property theft can derail its progress. Having developed a strong personal code of business ethics, I envision making my mark as an entrepreneur by creating a company that facilitates trustworthy relationships between East and West and inspires others with its ethics. While I have had the unique opportunity to contribute to investment-making decisions and portfolio company development, I hold back from striking out on my own because I realize that successful entrepreneurs combine vision with ability to execute. An international business leader must be attuned to local customs, people, and markets, and I recognize that my experiences in the United States have, in some respects, made me more American than Chinese. Without a deeper base of operational knowledge, I cannot hope to be a great venture capitalist, much less a great CEO. Although I could spend the next ten years learning operational fundamentals and obliquely getting a glimpse of international markets, I would risk missing out on this crucial period in China's evolution. At this junction of my personal and professional life, the Wharton MBA program is the best way to accelerate my development in key functional areas and prepare me for international entrepreneurship. Though I received a solid grounding in business skills as a Wharton undergrad, the course demands of my additional engineering major prevented me from fully-exploring areas outside of entrepreneurial management. Moreover, working with Wharton MBAs has shown me how their business school experiences fused those fundamentals with a strategic perspective. Unlike some other programs, Whartons MBA curriculum provides me with the latitude to tailor my education and to pursue my passions. The GIP program represents an exceptional opportunity for me to explore the Chinese business world and to see whether that world is right for me. I can also picture myself heading up the entrepreneurship conference, bringing in venture capital colleagues and portfolio company CEOs to come and share their insights with the Wharton community. The diversity of students, combined with the emphasis on teamwork, should provide me with new perspectives on foreign cultures and the ability to work with all type of personalities. I hope to share experiences and learn firsthand from accomplished classmates who may have already started a company or faced the challenges of doing business in China. Finally, the international prestige and alumni network of an institution like Wharton will open doors for a fledgling company. Given China's timetable for economic change and the years that I will spend getting acclimated to Chinese business dynamics, there is no better time for an MBA than now.
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Essay Question:
Describe when you were part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What was your role, how did you contribute to the process or outcome, and what did you learn? (500 words)
My experiences with working in teams have varied in scale and scope, from evaluating investments at partnership meetings to rallying volunteers at a large organization like the Red Cross. I have found that with any team, people can become so defensive about their ideas that it can be difficult to reach a rational decision. In the world of venture capital, the subjective nature of investment and the millions of dollars at stake can amplify both the likelihood and the consequences of emotional commitment. Early into my tenure at my venture capital firm, I reintroduced an investment opportunity that the partnership had declined months earlier. Although I presented new information that addressed our previous concerns about profitability and growth, the partner who vetoed it the first time dismissed my proposal offhand. He merely glanced at my analysis before immediately launching into a spirited defense of his earlier decision. Although I convinced him to delay his final verdict with a promise to provide additional analysis, the companys share price moved out of our target range before we could come to an agreement. In a matter of weeks, it appreciated from $9 to $26 per share - we ended up missing out on over $25 million in potential returns! I felt incredibly frustrated with the team and with myself. After all, I had missed a terrific opportunity to generate returns for the fund and to increase my standing in the firm. Looking back, I realize that while I had addressed the right investment issues, I had failed to anticipate the potential team and decision-making issues. It was naove to think that as the newest and youngest member of the investment team, I could rely purely on analytical data to sway entrenched sentiment. Without addressing the personal side of the decision-making process, I was unable to garner enough support to achieve my desired result. I have since learned to tackle group work with a more holistic approach. I begin by anticipating points of potential conflict or emotional investment prior to group discussions. By accounting for personality differences and team dynamics, I try to assess the different levels of individual commitment and address teammates personally. Not only has this approach helped us conduct discussions and make decisions more objectively, but it has also helped me recognize when my own emotions are affecting my judgement. As a future entrepreneur, I am interested in learning other ways successful business leaders avoid or overcome emotional commitment and team conflict. Whartons team-oriented coursework and entrepreneurship programs should enhance my ability to work effectively within a team and reach optimal outcomes. With a better grasp of these dynamics, I can be even more productive in advancing new ideas or implementing change within my organizations.
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Essay Question:
Describe a situation where your values, ethics or morals were challenged. How did you handle the situation?
By 2002, the start of my career in venture investing, startups were folding by the dozen, capital sources had dried up, and venture firms held all the cards in their negotiations with entrepreneurs. It was with this backdrop that I was to propose terms for a potential investment in a network security company. One might think that I would be rubbing my hands with glee at the prospect of investing money at a 'dirt-cheap' valuation with stringent terms, but that was far from the truth. On one hand, my primary purpose as a venture capitalist is to maximize returns for our investors. A low valuation and protective terms would certainly give us comfort should the investment not turn out as well as expected. I also had the added pressure of being new to my firm's investment team - sub-par returns would not inspire confidence from my partners. On the other hand, onerous terms would dilute the ownership of the employees who had invested significant energy and personal stakes. Applying our full leverage would wipe out the rights of entrepreneurs who had poured their lives into the company. I had come to know the executive team personally, and I was not eager to see them taken advantage of. Early in my decision process, I realized I would not be able to get around the fact that valuations had declined substantially and that private company investments had become more risky in recent years. In subsequent conversations with company board members and management, I got a sense of their valuation expectations, and I sent them the relevant valuation analyses to bring us towards the same page. I also sought the advice of senior VCs to understand how financing provisions had changed over time. After careful consideration, I recommended that we offer the company a valuation significantly discounted from public comparables, but with traditional financing terms. The financing terms were generous compared to those of our competitors, and I was indeed assuming greater risk in a downside scenario. I had seen enough companies to understand that Silicon Valley was a small place, and that new ideas and new companies spring up, but one always runs into the same entrepreneurs. At the end of these negotiations, our fortunes would be tied to those running the company, and it was not only ethical to keep our interests aligned, but it was also smart business. It took some debate to convince the partners that we were better served assuming additional risk, but they were eventually swayed by the energy I dedicated to the deal and the relationships I had built with the company. We won that investment from competitors despite a lower valuation primarily because the management team felt we treated them as partners rather than debtors. Though the outcome of this investment is yet to be determined, I believe my approach will help us attract other entrepreneurs and preserve our reputation for fair dealing and fair terms.
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Essay Question:
Please identify and explain what you would consider the weakest area of your application. (250 words)
I believe an applicant's candidacy is best evaluated on three dimensions: leadership potential, fit and academic ability. With regards to leadership, I feel I have demonstrated unique evidence of initiative and excellence in my professional and community experiences. As a returning alumnus, I can clearly envision my active role as a contributor to the Wharton community. However, my academic record is decidedly mixed. Though I scored well on the GMAT and my overall GPA is in range, my transcript shows a noticeable decline starting spring semester Junior year. The spring of 1997 was when my mother first exhibited the symptoms of a rare intestinal disease. In addition to coping with a seriously-ill parent, I needed to make frequent trips to Los Angeles while juggling the demands of one of the most difficult programs offered at Penn. My attention and time were split between school and home, and I made the conscious decision to focus on my business courses. As a result, I had varying marks in other courses, but my entrepreneurial management GPA held steady at 3.96. Since that difficult time, I have built a strong foundation of analytical skills and financial knowledge through my professional experiences. I applied this foundation in investment banking, and I also devoted time as a guest lecturer for the local state universitys MBA-level advanced corporate finance class. With my mother's condition now stabilized, I am determined to fulfill my academic promise with a return to Wharton.
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Essay Question:
Please tell us something else about yourself that you feel will help the Admissions. (250 words)
In my life, I have benefited greatly from the guidance of my mentors as well as from my experiences mentoring others. In two short years in investment banking, I successfully completed over twenty merger transactions, but my most challenging engagement was rescuing a struggling first-year analyst named Vincent. Vincent's poor performance had earned him 'probation', our company's Death Row for struggling analysts, and senior bankers did not trust him with their client work. I drew on my experiences tutoring disadvantaged youth at Penn in refusing to write off Gavin as others had. Recognizing that his real strengths lay in qualitative understanding of markets rather than in spreadsheet work, I matched him with right associates and projects for his talents. His in-depth knowledge of enterprise software ended up surprising everyone, and it probably saved his job. Mentoring Vincent helped me recognize the impact personal attention can make. In advising MBA students at the local state university, I go beyond lecturing on finance to reviewing resumes and offering career advice and assistance. With fellow Wharton alumni, I share insights on the venture capital industry and help them prepare for job interviews. My mentorship work has taught me to look past preconceived biases, to actively listen and work with my mentees, and to develop into a more versatile leader. At Wharton, I will have numerous opportunities to draw upon the tremendous potential of the students, faculty and alumni. I look forward to continuing my growth as both a mentor and a mentee within the distinguished Wharton MBA community.
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Essay Question:
Describe why you feel your candidacy is stronger than the last time you applied. Please describe the path leading to your decision to pursue a Wharton MBA now. How do you expect the MBA experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level?
At the beginning of this year, I was promoted to an Associate position within the Investment Banking Division. Given the difficult market conditions in the financial industry, this promotion was a testimony to the quality of my work and my dependability as an effective member of my team. I was entrusted with managing more challenging transactions and given broader exposure to clients from a wide range of industries throughout Asia. My job also took on an increasing focus on consulting client companies regarding the strategic issues they face. I have discovered that thinking through these issues and operational implications is both fascinating and enlightening. However, as I moved from executing one transaction to another, I realized that my knowledge of how our clients operate their businesses did not expand with my increased responsibilities. To be sure, an accurate understanding of the clients' industries is key to being a good financial advisor, and I have always made sure I know the industry trends and the competitive landscape of my clients' businesses. Although I have had a glimpse of what it is like running a business, I still crave to see the world more from the management's view and to make tangible contributions to operations. Last year my uncle gave me just such an opportunity. A Taiwanese businessman running a small but fast growing wireless data equipment company in Southern China, he asked me to take a look at his financing plans. The project brought all my skills to good use. I was able to give him advice on topics ranging from bank loan requirements and future equity listing possibilities to development of wireless equipment markets in Asia. That was when I had my epiphany! I want to one day operate my own business where my unique background and familiarity with both Asia and the U.S. could provide distinct advantages. This realization built upon what I had learned about myself after Wharton's rejection last year, a truly humbling experience. It made me reflect on my own strengths and flaws and re-examine the direction of my career path. This self-assessment actually deepened my resolve to find another way to realize my entrepreneurial aspirations. After all, my own father had no formal business education, but that did not prevent him from starting and running a successful business on his own. Ever since I immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan at the age of fourteen, I have always believed that hard work and diligence can overcome any difficulties. So I began to seriously investigate business ideas with two other entrepreneurially-minded friends. Although these efforts ultimately produced no tangible results, I had learned something valuable. I realized that, unlike my father when he was starting his business, I lacked operational expertise and in-depth understanding of the industry I was attempting to enter. Given my goal of one day starting and running my own company, a formal business education is absolutely crucial for me to realize my ambitions. My engineering and investment banking background has given me solid analytical skills and sound financial understanding, and my international experience had provided me with a unique perspective and sensitivity to the different cultural and business practices in different parts of the world. A formal business education can complement these strengths and offer me a meaningful improvement in non-finance disciplines. For example, in the course of my investment banking career, I have made suggestions for headcount reductions as a result of my merger and synergy financial models, and helped many companies securitize their account receivables and inventories. In business school, I can go beyond the financial perspective of these topics and really study the specifics of managing human resources and optimizing working capital on an operational level. As a would-be entrepreneur, business school also serves as the perfect laboratory that would allow me to experiment with entrepreneurial ventures with a low cost of failure. As many Asian economies are poised to cross the threshold to join the ranks of the world's developed nations, there are unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurs, especially for someone with roots in both Asia and America who could bridge the distinct cultures and business climates comfortably. Now is absolutely the best time for me to go to business school. As a re-applicant to Wharton, I believe my candidacy has gotten stronger for reasons beyond my recent promotion and increased responsibility at work. Sincere self-reflection has given me a clearly-defined career goal, and my entrepreneurial efforts made me realize that an MBA education is critical to bringing my goal to reality. Most importantly, a genuine understanding of my own strengths and limitations and a realistic expectation of a business school education truly distinguish me as a better candidate this year. The Wharton School stands out as my school of choice for many reasons beyond its renowned academic excellence and powerful alumni network. At Wharton, I could acquire the necessary frameworks and skills to start a business venture not only from top-notch professors and the excellent entrepreneurial management curriculum, but also from a wide range of activities outside of the classrooms. I intend to partake in the Global Consulting Practicum for a firsthand experience in developing a strategy and implementation plan for a global client. I also plan to sharpen my skills by participating in the Wharton Business Competition. But what draws me to Wharton the most is its strong entrepreneurship culture. During my visit to the school, the number of students I met who were involved in entrepreneurial activities made a deep impression on me. Whether it is helping local businesses through the Small Business Development Center or initiating business ventures with the support of the school's vast resources, I look forward to immersing myself in the school's vibrant entrepreneurial culture. Another factor that draws me to Wharton is the school's emphasis on student-run clubs and organizations. I feel that at Wharton, students can truly have an impact on every aspect of the school. An ardent outdoor enthusiast, I look forward to organizing camping and hiking trips and sharing my passion for the outdoors as part of the Wharton Outdoor Club. A long time volunteer with the Tzu Chi Foundation, I wish to expand the organization from the University's undergraduate population into the Wharton graduate community to make a positive difference in local communities. Whether inside Huntsman Hall or in the pubs of Philadelphia, I hope to share my bicultural perspective, international finance background and diverse interests with my fellow students, and in turn learn from their personal and professional experiences. My immediate goal after business school is to validate what I have learned at Wharton through an operational position in the Asian regional office of an established multinational such as IBM or Motorola. In focusing on the strategic and operational issues in Asia, I hope to learn how to best achieve the elements of success and avoid the pitfalls of failure. Having the necessary toolsets, an in-depth understanding of business operations, and extensive industry contacts will enable me to seize entrepreneurial opportunities quickly and decisively. With hard work and a bit of luck, I hope to one day stand at the other side of the podium and give lessons from my own entrepreneurial experiences to other aspiring Wharton students.
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Essay Question:
Taking two years to pursue an MBA requires a considerable investment of time and resources. Please describe the path leading to your decision to pursue a Wharton MBA now. How do you expect the MBA experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level? Major Essay 1000-word essay
The free trade agreements that my country, Morocco, is negotiating with the US and the EU represent a historic opportunity for its companies to break ground in the world's two largest markets. My long-term career aspiration is to create a consulting firm to assist Moroccan companies in seizing upon this exciting chance. My short-term career goal is to join a top-class strategy consulting firm in order to acquire enough expertise to prepare for the challenge of creating my own business. I believe that pursuing a Wharton MBA will help me attain these professional objectives as well as fulfill my personal ambition to perform significant community work in Morocco. I want to do more for my country Being born and raised in a developing country bears no resemblance to being born and raised in a developed one. In a country like Morocco, young people grow up with the consciousness that they live in a land left behind. When I left Morocco to enter my engineering school in France, my second country, I was impatient to gain enough know-hows to make a difference in my home country. As soon as I graduated, I was eager to make my first tangible contribution. After less than a year with Accenture, I founded a nonprofit organization, Aide Transfert, with a group of fellow-consultants. Its mission was to set up computer centers for educational purposes in poor areas of Morocco. Over the last two years, Aide Transfert has grown much. It now counts 30 members belonging to major consulting companies and has established three centers catering to a thousand children. Though this endeavor was no doubt of value to my countrymen, it was humbling since it made me realize the extent of their needs. Today, I feel I can do more for my country by taking an active role in its economy. How? If the above-mentioned free-trade agreements are signed, Moroccan companies have a chance to secure significant market share in the US and EU markets. If they are to live up to international standards, they must undergo organizational transformation. Our entrepreneurs seldom possess the change management skills needed to lead such transformation. Moreover, they are insufficiently acquainted with developed markets to fashion effective international strategies. My long-term career goal is to create my own consulting firm to help Moroccan entrepreneurs face these challenges. Firstly, it will focus on assisting them in restructuring their operations. Secondly, it will help them succeed in the US and Europe by providing an inside knowledge of those markets and the competition as well as devising winning commercial strategies. My short-term career goal is to join a top-class strategy consulting firm to gain exposure to companies which look to re-organize themselves to become more competitive. I will also seek to experiment with different international development strategies through multinationals that try to expand to new geographical markets. A Wharton MBA will help me achieve this My three years in consulting have been exhilarating. In Accenture's very demanding environment, I nurtured the qualities required to succeed in consulting: determination, hard-work, and a team spirit. I also developed invaluable expertise in project management and process analysis. With PwC/IBM Consulting, I have sharpened my ability to work in a multi-cultural environment through a complex project in Germany involving 60 consultants from 10 different countries. I have also stretched my competencies outside of IT. My current assignment consists in re-organizing a 450-person insurance claims department. I had to perform the productivity analysis and identify the cost-saving opportunities ($50m). I am currently working on outsourcing a substantial part of the workload. Those experiences and the skills I have acquired will be helpful in my desired career path but are not enough to enable the career shift I am contemplating. Given the breadth of services my company will be providing, I must complement my operational consulting skills with a solid grasp of strategy and finance. Moreover, creating a viable company requires specific entrepreneurial know-hows I lack today. Having lived, studied, and worked for more than eight years in France, Ireland, and Germany, I am well acquainted with the European culture and economy. By contrast, I need to familiarize myself with American society and business in order to be successful in accompanying Moroccan companies in their expansion in the US. An MBA from a top US institution I trust it will arm me to achieve both my professional and personal aspirations. Professionally, it will do so by (1) providing me with a strong academic grounding in all disciplines that pertain to managing a company (2) helping me complete and test my business plan for my consulting company (3) exposing me to an American, international, and highly competitive student body. In personal terms, I believe an MBA will help me hone my aptitude for community action in Morocco. If accepted at Wharton, I intend to take advantage of its excellence in the domains of Finance, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship by taking appropriate courses. To prepare in creating my own consulting company, I also plan to tap the resources of the Small Business Development Center. The Wharton Global Consulting Practicum will give me the chance to work on real cases showcasing ways to break ground in the American market. During my recent visit at Wharton, I had the chance to chat with a dozen students. I was impressed with the responsible jobs they had held but also with their humility. Besides, I was struck by how involved they were in school life. A compelling example is that of Graham Balk, our guide for the campus visit. A first year student, he was the WGA's assistant treasurer, co-managing $2.2M in student club accounts, but also took part in other student activities. I look forward to interacting daily with the talented Wharton students. As for my personal objective of playing a social role in Morocco, I expect that taking core courses such as 'social Entrepreneurship' will help me grasp development issues. By playing an active role in clubs such as WIVP and NetImpact, I can also learn effective ways of making a social impact. If given the chance to join, I believe I can contribute valuably to your program through my singular cultural background, my solid consulting experience as well as my passion for my country and its development.
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Essay Question:
Describe when you were part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What was your role, how did you contribute to the process or outcome, and what did you learn?
During my initial project as a consultant within Accenture, I helped implement SAP's financial consolidation component at a leading insurance company client. Two factors made the project particularly difficult. First, its manager had been promoted to his position only recently. Second, none of us consultants had any prior experience with SAP, let alone of this particular component. Inadequate management and the team's passivity in the face of the obstacles encountered caused the project to fail. How did this occur? Each of us consultants was responsible for a particular system functionality. Given our lack of familiarity with SAP, we quickly ran into considerable technical problems. We really struggled with the system. Early on, the manager refused to immerse himself in the project's technical aspects. Rather, he focused on overseeing the work and communicating with the client. After two months, not much progress had been achieved. The project manager imagined that we were not making progress because we lacked motivation. He called all of us into his office and reprimanded us sternly. His behavior widened the misunderstanding between him and us and discredited him in the eyes of the whole team. For weeks, we consultants whined about our boss's incompetence yet tried nothing to alter the situation. De-motivation took hold and doomed our chances of redressing it. The client ended up realizing how significantly the project had been delayed. He requested from the project sponsor - a member of Accenture's Executive Committee - that he appoint a new manager. A new manager was indeed appointed and, after much effort and adaptation, the project was completed to the client's satisfaction. From that experience, I learned many lessons. Personally, I realized that I didn't play the role I should have. I yielded to the passivity and de-motivation prevailing in the team. I ought to have been a catalyst for change and action, to have taken initiative within the group despite my junior position and even though it was my first project within Accenture. A year later, I faced a similar situation. I was sent to Germany on a large PwC Consulting assignment with a top international insurance firm. A project to streamline the financial reporting processes among the firm's 400 branches was stalled because our manager failed to lead and coordinate adequately. He was addressing the issues in separate streams rather than globally. Though I was by far the youngest consultant on the project, I perceived this and so took the initiative of urging my manager to organize a meeting with the entire team. During that meeting, we agreed on an action plan that cemented all of us around one common course of action and bolstered our motivation. Through my initiative, I believe I contributed to rescuing the project. I also learned that a project manager is more than a mere coordinator. He must engage with his team and share their problems; he cannot be content with learning from afar about their various difficulties. He must spend the time required to act competently on the issues they face.
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Essay Question:
Please tell us something else about yourself that you feel will help the Admissions.
I love history as a discipline. The reading of history books since my early teens has ripened three key traits of mine: curiosity, tolerance, and a striving for objectivity. History is the account of ideas and convictions being born, developing, and dying. It demonstrates that there is no such thing as absolute truth; ideas and beliefs are relative to their context. Reading history, I became tolerant. Intolerance begins when one thinks he possesses the truth. Most historians attempt to depict past events objectively. Reading their works, I have admired their usually dispassionate, painstaking analyses. They have inspired me to approach situations and people rationally, free from stereotypes and cultural biases. History has also opened my eyes on the world's complexity. It has fanned my desire to apprehend the intricate web of dependencies between peoples, events, economic circumstances, and the underlying human feelings. It has aroused my curiosity and determination to travel the world in order to meet people and discover new cultures. If accepted at Wharton, I look forward to studying among young people of varied geographic and social backgrounds. With them, I intend to share my interest in history as well as my familiarity with the Islamic-Arabic and Judeo-Christian cultures. I'll be pleased if I can help students raised in each comprehend the other a little better through informal discussions and by organizing meetings and debates within the Arabia club. Despite their differences, I know the two civilizations uphold essentially the same values.
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Essay Question:
Describe why you feel your candidacy is stronger than the last time you applied. Please describe the path leading to your decision to pursue a Wharton MBA now. How do you expect the MBA experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level?
Last spring, after learning that I was not admitted to Wharton, I spent time thinking about my professional goals and my Wharton candidacy. For the reasons I develop in this essay, I reached the conclusion that a degree from the Wharton School was definitively the best option for me. There are three reasons that make this year's application stronger than last year's. The first one is professional. My employer, mistergooddeal.com (MGD), has continued to grow. It's now a 65-person company with sales over $35 million in 2003. Furthermore, as I was promoted in March to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) position, I have gained broader and more diverse experience than I had a year ago. On a personal level, given my wish to develop my passion for classical music, I joined a well-reputed Parisian chorus five months ago. We are currently preparing two concerts which will be held in December with thousands of concertgoers expected. Working within a 60-person chorus has thus far been a very instructive collaborative experience. Finally, I have continued to meet with Wharton alumni and students to further build my knowledge of the program, and I have worked to address the issues in my application which Judith Silverman pinpointed during my feedback session. Curiosity and entrepreneurial interests are two key aspects of my personality. I studied engineering at Supilec (one of France's major engineering schools) while participating in the creation of an event-planning company in order to finance my studies. After graduation, I realized that in order to pursue my entrepreneurial goals I would first need to gain some hands-on experience within an existing company. I applied for several positions and decided to go to Ernst & Young in order to develop my knowledge of accounting and to be exposed to various businesses. Thanks to my results during my first year, I began to develop my management skills by leading small teams during my second year. Despite my progress, I became increasingly frustrated with my role as an advisor to multiple firms rather than a direct participant in the vision of a single company. I began meeting with several venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, eventually making the acquaintance of the founders of MGD, a new Internet start-up in the overstock space (similar to Overstock.com in the US). After a series of discussions, the seasoned management team and the business model convinced me to seize the opportunity and to help launch the company. Working alongside a group of dedicated entrepreneurs at MGD has been truly eye-opening and has reinforced my passion for entrepreneurial ventures. In addition, my work has developed my understanding of the economic realities of doing business in Europe. As I look ahead, I can see that new European companies need to be created, managed and financed with a singularly European vision. Therefore my goal after graduation is to join a leading European venture capital firm such as Apax Partners, 3I or BC Partners Capital, in order to help finance e-commerce businesses with a cross-European growth focus. In the mid-term, I plan to become a Partner at one of these firms in order to actively contribute to the elaboration of a truly economically unified Europe. In the longer term, I feel very implicated in the economic development of the Basque country, as my family comes from that region. By using my experience as a venture capitalist, I plan to create a venture capital and consulting firm that will provide pan-European-focused Basque companies with both financing and operational support. Although a direct leap from MGD to venture capital is possible, an MBA degree will help me to reach my goals faster, and to aim higher. During the last six months of serving as the COO for MGD, I have faced both financial and operational issues I was unfamiliar with. This made me realize how important it was for me to master key financial and operational skills to complement my engineering studies. I also want to reinforce the 'on-the-job' leadership, management and organizational skills I have begun developing through my work. Additionally, studying at Wharton will give my career an international focus by exposing me to American business culture. I think that now is the best time because, despite the success of MGD, in my current position, the opportunities for intellectual growth have diminished. There are four factors that make Wharton my top choice. First, the excellence of the Entrepreneurial Management and Finance majors offers a deep exposure to key issues of finance and entrepreneurship. I am very eager to attend Professor Raffi Amit's Entrepreneurship and Venture Initiation course, as well as Professor Metrick's course on Venture Capital and Private Equity. The recent discussions I have had with students, including Thomas Guyot (WHG '04), attracted my attention to Professor Siegel's course of Macroeconomics. Secondly, I am drawn to the collaborative nature of the education at Wharton. I think that the learning team is not only a powerful model, it is also a very good simulation of day-to-day business life. Besides the education, I am impressed by the university's ability to put students at its core: the feedback session system is unique among the top business schools, and Huntsman Hall is probably the most efficient learning building existing today. The third reason has to do with the academic clubs and conferences. Playing an active role in the Wharton Private Equity conference and the European conference will help me to build a broad network of global entrepreneurs and venture capitalists while sharing my experiences from the startup world in Europe. Ultimately, my interest in Wharton is also related to the discussions I have had with my father (WHG '69) about the important role that the Wharton MBA and alumni network have played in his career, relationships that are still strong today. The recent Wharton Technology breakfast I attended (organized by Susan Lucas-Conwell for the Wharton Paris Alumni Club) confirmed that sentiment. For all of these reasons, an MBA from the Wharton School will be a vital catalyst in the pursuit of my professional goals. The progress I have shown both at MGD and outside of work make this application stronger than last year's. I am therefore very excited to contribute to the Wharton community by sharing my entrepreneurial and corporate experiences, offering my own perspective as a Franco-Basque European, contributing to discussions in the classroom, actively participating in the Follies and joining the golf and extreme outdoor clubs.
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Essay Question:
Describe when you were part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What was your role, how did you contribute to the process or outcome, and what did you learn?
A group failure that impacted me happened in 1999 when I was working for Ernst & Young. The firm was deploying a new audit methodology. The idea behind this methodology was that, to better control financial statements, one had to thoroughly understand a business. The first step of this new approach was to understand the business of the client and to highlight business risks. The next step was to translate these business risks into accounting risks and then to focus controls on those accounting risks. Together with the rest of my team, I was in charge of deploying this methodology for a client. During the project, we spent three periods of time at the client's office. During the first two periods, we followed the new methodology. I interviewed brand managers, marketers or manufacturers to improve our understanding of the client's business. As we experienced internal problems within our team and complications with our clients in deploying the new methodology, we ran out of time during the final phase and had to use the old method to audit their final statements. The assignment therefore ended as a three-fold failure. First, we proved unable to entirely deploy the new methodology as we had been asked to do. Second, as we only spent one period of time with the old method, we were not able to implement as many controls as we used to. Therefore, our job as financial controllers was not as strong as it should have been. Finally, we left our client with questions concerning our ability, creating a poor image of Ernst & Young's professionals. In my opinion, we made two important mistakes. The first one was an internal communication problem vis-`-vis the issue of resistance to changes. As some of the members of the team were very hesitant to adapt to the new methodology, the group was not united towards the same goal, and we were less efficient that expected. We also faced a communication problem with our chief contact at the client site. I regret that we did not spend more time with him to explain our new approach. Staff members who were not accustomed to speaking with auditors did not understand why they were being interviewed. Some of them were reluctant to give us the information we needed. Meanwhile, the clients financial department was not convinced of the value in our method, which appeared mainly as an extra cost for the company. This failure is a good illustration of the complexity of putting successful organizational changes into action. Not only does it require a perfect theoretical approach, but human and timing issues involved have to be taken into account. I still use the lessons I learned from this failure. For example, I recently led a project concerning the modification of our product storage system at MGD. To make a success of this project, I worked extensively with the workers in the warehouse. Because they added their experience and input and had a strong impact on the final project, they now have ownership of the new system. This achievement helped my team crucially when it came time to implement the new system.
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Essay Question:
Describe a situation where your values, ethics or morals were challenged. How did you handle the situation?
In 2002, MGD hired a new employee in the customer service division. A few weeks after his training period, we noticed that he was experiencing problems. He was not mastering the company's procedures, was giving wrong answers to customers, and had problems adapting to our technology. His direct supervisor decided to change his job, assigning him the task of answering customers' emails instead. Unfortunately, he was inefficient at that as well, working too slowly and having problems with our IT tools. As the head of the department, I had to work with the employee's supervisor to make a decision about his future with the company. From a professional point of view, there was not much reason to keep him on board. His technological skill problems seemed to be far from being easily resolved. On the other hand, making a decision to fire him seemed immoral to me, as he was not only trying to improve his performance, he was also facing a difficult personal situation. He was close to fifty years old, had experienced a long period of unemployment in recent years, and had the responsibility of a family. It seemed clear to me that if he were fired from MGD, he would have problems getting another job. I felt it would not be morally right to fire him. To resolve this dilemma, I decided to give him a chance. Maybe, I thought, we had not spent enough time on his technological training. Maybe once he overcame his technological difficulties, he would be able to focus on company procedures and reach our standards. As a next step, I met with him. I printed all the emails he had written the day before, and we took a close look at them. I explained to him why some answers were not correct, and tried to understand why some emails had not been answered more rapidly. We reached an agreement: he would have a two-month period to reach a higher level of performance. Meanwhile, together with his boss, I worked on giving him more technological training. Unfortunately, two months later, the situation had not changed. The employee and I met again to discuss the matter. He made it clear to me that he realized he was not meeting our standards. He also informed me that, as a result of this, he had decided to leave the company. The only satisfaction I have about this incident is that by giving him an extra period of training, the best resolution could become clear to both of us. This experience has helped me understand the responsibilities an entrepreneur has to his or her employees. While MGD has played a positive role in society by creating over sixty jobs in the past three and a half years, this role carries with it moral responsibilities. This is the reason why I think Wharton's focus on ethics is important. From the Ethics and Responsibility and the Management of People at Work courses to the rest of the core curriculum and electives, I hope to better my understanding of the consequences of decisions I will make during my business career.
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Essay Question:
Please identify and explain what you would consider the weakest area of your application.
The weakest part of my application is the absence of knowledge of my current employer, mistergooddeal.com (MGD), outside of France. From an American point of view, the success of MGD may seem slightly smaller than it does in France. However, with over 40,000 online visitors each day, MGD has become a major brand in the French e-commerce space. This is why I would like to illustrate to the Admissions Committee that, even if it is not familiar with MGD, the firm's success has provided me with a truly valuable set of professional experiences. To begin with, in addition to the growth of MGD ($1 million sales in 2000, over $35 million in 2003) the firm has played a positive social role by creating more than sixty jobs since April 2000. Furthermore, I see it as a success because of its low startup costs. To date, we have only raised $7 million in venture funding. We have therefore built and developed practically everything alone: the teams, the website, and the procedures, as well as the IT tools. This demanded not only motivation and vision but also a solid dose of creativity and teamwork. This has enriched my professional background - and has enhanced the closeness of the MGD team. From a personal point of view, I am proud of the different jobs I have held at MGD. From creating the Customer Relations Management Department to setting-up a low-cost system for delivery throughout France to redefining the logistics organization, I have fully participated in MGD's development. The success of this venture is an experience that I would be very happy to share with my classmates and professors at Wharton.
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Essay Question:
Please tell us something else about yourself that you feel will help the Admissions.
My family comes from the Basque country ('Euskadi' in the Basque language) which
is mainly located in the north of Spain. The exact origins of this people are
still unknown. My interest in my Basque origins increased after working for the
Institut France-Euskadi, a foundation whose role is to promote links between
France and Euskadi. Together with a colleague from university, I developed the
organization's first website. In order to better inform myself and read Spanish
publications on the Basque region, I also learned Spanish by spending two years
pursuing a self-study program.
Euskadi is the second Spanish economic center after Barcelona's region. It is
granted autonomy by the Spanish Constitution. Nonetheless, it faces an image and
security problem since a minority of Basques use terrorism in their struggle for
total independence. I am very committed to changing this image. I continue
developing my knowledge by reading Spanish newspapers and participating in
conferences on the region. This year, I was introduced to the President of the
Basque government after a conference he held in Paris. I would be very eager to
share my knowledge and vision of Euskadi with my Wharton classmates, and I hope
to organize a trip to this region, perhaps in conjunction with one of the Global
Immersion Program trips to Europe.
In the longer term, I plan to use my business experiences to promote the
economic development of the Basque country by creating a company that will bring
financial and strategic support to Basque businesses, particularly those
interested in developing internationally. Later, I hope to play a more political
role, facilitating the transformation of Euskadi to an open, dynamic and
powerful
region of Europe.
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Essay Question:
Describe how your experiences, both professional and personal, have led to your decision to pursue an MBA at the Wharton School this year. How does this decision relate to your career goals for the future?
Often one memory comes to mind whenever I think about my life. This particular memory is related to a poker night with some close friends in my senior year of high school. At that night, it seemed that putting down the winning hand was not enough to satisfy me. We started talking about where we could picture ourselves years to come. Perhaps that was the first time I thought about my life goals. At the time, I had higher ambitions but it was really hard to know what exactly I wanted. With my excellent academic performance and valuable internship experience, I graduated from South China University of Technology and immediately secured an ideal position with China National Electronics Import and Export Shenzhen Company (CEIEC). The company is one of top 3 electronic products trading companies in China and is also headquarters of Kaito Electronics Incorporation (U.S.A.) for which I am currently working. In 1998, as manager of Export Department, I strongly suggested that we should establish a branch office in the United States to open the American market. CEIEC accepted my advice. Soon afterwards, I was sent to America responsible for promoting the sale of products. Within three years, Kaito Electronics has developed from a small office of only three people to a company of twenty-two employees. The sales team of eight directed by me not only developed the traditional marketing patterns, but also initiated online sales service. As a result, we make annual sales revenue in the amount of USD 10 million. Our clients can be found throughout over 20 states. During the time, we also set up another branch office in New York. I was born and raised in Shanghai, China. My experiences growing up in that famous city have allowed me to see the world as in constant change. The Shanghai that I grew up in is completely different from the Shanghai that is continually developing today. Maybe I really am a product of Shanghai. Just as the city is incessantly growing, I see myself changing with the times. My view of life has changed from being a little kid aware only of the streets around my house to an adult considering how to commit myself to my lifetime. I never really understood how the mind could be such a powerful tool. So now I think one of the most important things in life is to push forward and constantly challenge myself to learn more and experience more. It has been more than three years since I first came to the United States far from China. As a foreigner living and working in this country, I have had to rise above many challenges: being separated with my family and friends, being confronted with the working pressure, adapting to a new way of life. Today, when I was able to talk freely with people from different cultures as well as deal smoothly with different circumstances, I am pleased to find myself already assimilated with wonderful American culture. For me, keeping constant change in my view and accepting the challenge have been running through my professional and personal experiences. Now I am 31 years old and function as a marketing director. Like what my friends say, I am supposed to be satisfied with this great position at my age. But as a matter of fact, becoming a well-rounded leader capable of owning my business and growing it into one of Fortune 500 companies is my ultimate career goals. My experiences made me learn that I am still young; I can do so much more, I can do better. I know that one of the most basic requirements of success for a leader is to have great expectations. Whether you want to be an innovator in business or a leader for a lifetime, you need to aim beyond your current knowledge and capabilities. I know I am still far from my goals. I also know that the road of growth never ends, and learning mixed with experience will give me the ability to lead and the credibility that a leader needs in today's knowledge-based economy. So, I decided to pursue an MBA degree at this point of time. I do believe that an MBA education can help me develop my career to the fullest potential. When people talk about The Wharton School, they all know it has the best Finance program in the United States. As a matter of fact, there are a lot more things that deserve to be mentioned. I choose The Wharton School because in my mind it is the best as well as the most comprehensive business school in the United States. Established more than 100 years ago, Wharton not only enjoys more distinguished reputation, but also offers more top-ranked programs than any other business schools. So, within the following two years, an MBA program at Wharton will give me an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen my comprehensive analysis and judgment skills through case or lecture studies and class participations. Working in teams will allow me to learn from my intelligent fellow classmates and share their unique experiences. In addition, its world-class faculty and powerful network of 75,000 alumni make me choose Wharton without hesitation. I am convinced that Wharton can prepare me to extend my reach and to expand my ability to effect change, enlarge my understanding of the role of business in society and the contributions business leader can make. I know I still have a long way to go in order to achieve my career goals. But I like to challenge myself; I want to see how far my potential could explore; I wish to make a difference in the world. Going to The Wharton School has always been my life dream. I do believe that the school can accelerate the process to achieve my goals.
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Essay Question:
Describe a situation where leadership and teamwork were critical to the outcome of a project in which you were directly involved. What did you learn from the experience and how have you applied what you learned to other situations?
It has been more than three years since I became a sales director. In my opinion, leadership and teamwork are two essential elements for managers to succeed. In my career life, I have been involved in so many real cases, but there is one kept in my memory for a long time. I am very glad to share this unforgettable experience with you. About two years ago, a new employee entered our team. Her ideas were very fresh and provided motivation to work more intensely. She became a supervisor soon. However, one individual may have felt threatened by her popularity. He was the other supervisor who others had looked to previously for encouragement in developing marketing campaigns. It came to a point where they seemed to be competing against each other for everything: the attention of coworkers, the acceptance of marketing plans, etc. In the beginning stages, I viewed it as the kind of competition that pushes one to work harder. But I finally found that I was wrong because an unexpected event happened. At that time, we just finished negotiations with our major client, Wal-Mart, and succeeded in acquiring a purchase order from this largest Supermarket in the United States. It was a deal of over USD one million. Being able to bring our products to Wal-Mart, thus open American market has always been our goals. During the transaction, one person of the two who I mentioned before was mainly responsible for the contact with Chinese manufacturers; the other person was in charge of the American market. The order with Wal-Mart was a batch of multi-meters with temperature testing function. Due to the disagreement and improper communications between these two persons, the goods were found a serious problem after their arrival at Wal-Mart distribution center in Los Angeles: the thermometer on multi-meter was shown in Centigrade, not Fahrenheit which is widely used in the United States. That indicated no American customers would likely buy this kind of meters. So, Wal-Mart asked for the return of all merchandise and compensation for the loss. This was our first big order since we started our business in America, which was also the key step in order to enter the American market. If we failed this time, it would unquestionably be a serious strike to the whole teams spirit. At the time, most people in the company were getting upset and worried about the next step. I, however, calmed myself within a short period of time. As a team leader, I knew that I could not hang back cowardly in front of difficulties, because my action would have a direct impact on the whole team. I must make every effort to re-establish my team's confidence as quick as I could. So, I first had a meeting with those two persons, restated the situation we were in and the mistakes they had made, hoping that in order to solve the problems, they should leave individualistic heroism behind and take the interests of the whole into account. Fortunately, they realized the significance of the problems and acknowledged their faults. In addition, they offered many suggestions by every possible means. Then, I organized a company wide meeting, letting every employee understand that it was not a matter of a single person or a single department, it was a matter of the whole company, the whole team, including shipping department, accounting department, warehouse and customer service department, etc. At last, I called for our common efforts to pull through difficulties. With teams ideas and proposals, I finally made a prompt decision: First, make a sincere apology to Wal-Mart; Second, try to get the permission of Wal-Mart's headquarters, through its internal systems, ship the merchandise to its distribution centers in Canada and Mexico in which Centigrade is widely used, we pay for the shipping fees; Third, transport from China another new batch of correct multi-meters to Wal-Mart within the shortest period of time. When I later contacted Wal-Mart's Purchase Department apologizing and explaining to them our remedial ideas with good faith, they accepted my suggestions and finally became satisfied with the result. After over one month of hardworking, everything was settled. Soon afterwards, we also expanded our market in Canada and Mexico. From this event those two persons came to realize the truth: as an inseparable part of the team, each single person's work would directly influence the whole team's progress. In order for team to operate smoothly, all team members should give mutual aids and cooperation. Finally, they not only cleared up contradictions but also became good friends. Even though we eventually resolved the problem, I also learned a lot from this experience. I recognized the importance of leadership and teamwork in today's management. These two issues are not isolated; instead, they are supplementing each other. A leader and his team are close as fish and water. Leader cannot do anything without team's mutual support, and the same as to team who cannot do anything without leader's wise decisions. Furthermore, before making decisions, leader needs to listen to team members' suggestions because this is helpful for leader to keep an objective attitude all the time. During three years of work, our team has met some other difficulties now and then. But every time when we experience such situations, we do not seem restless any longer, instead, every team member could keep calm and try his or her best to provide proposals or possible solutions. Each member's idea is probably different, but once I make a final decision, the team begins to work cooperatively and effectively for a common goal, at the same time, I also join the team and help team members to achieve our objectives. Therefore, I believe that a good team leader is also a good team member.
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Essay Question:
Please tell us something else about yourself that you feel will help the Admissions Committee know you better.
I am a rich person, because I possess three most valuable and unique assets in
this world: my family, soccer and friends.
My father is a senior engineer as well as a general manager of a cotton textiles
plant. My mother is a senior engineer too. They would describe me as smart,
honest, and faithful. They have never stood in the way of opportunities that
have come across my way. In fact, their first reactions include telling me to
think carefully about the choices I make and offering encouragement at whatever I
attempt. Three years before, they had firmly supported my consideration to
develop business abroad; three years later, they are still giving strong backup
to my decision to pursue an MBA degree. Therefore, I am so thankful for their
complete understanding to my choices and the emotional sacrifice they have made
in order to support my career.
My sister is currently in pursuit of an MBA degree specialized in Finance at
California State University, Fullerton. I look to her as a source of inspiration
and energy. Even though she is younger than me, she has accomplished much in the
past few years in China. Her pursuit has also pushed me to chase my own dreams.
She considers me as her dependable, thoughtful and knowledgeable brother. We
remain close, due in large part to us being so far away from home.
My parents and my sister are always there giving me courage and determination to
go forward. It reminds me that life is more bearable with having the support of
those who know me best. Every time when I think of my family, I feel so warm.
Soccer is also an inseparable part of my life. When in college, I was the
Captain of College Soccer Team. I could still remember 1991, the exciting year
when I first led my team to the National College Students Sports Competition. The
soccer contest was intense and we were definitely not the best team in the
competition, but we finally won the champion for that year's Soccer Carnival. I
will never forget that defining moment when we were holding the Champion Cup with
smiles and tears.
From playing soccer, I have made a lot of friends in China and have tried to
share this enjoyment of the game with friends I met here in the United States.
Luckily a lot of my friends have also been involved in this sport.
Furthermore, I think that my range of friends, from many different backgrounds
(American, French, Indonesian, and others), reflects my sociable, open-minded
attitude towards people.
I hope that if one day I am given an opportunity to meet my peers at Wharton, I
will definitely be happy to share my experience with my classmates and listen to
their unique stories. We come from different background, but our common goal is
to make our life an enjoyable and meaningful experience at The Wharton School.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Taking two years to pursue an MBA requires a considerable investment of time and resources. Please describe the path leading to your decision to pursue a Wharton MBA now. How do you expect the MBA experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level?
Over the last four years my friends in business school have been pressuring me,
'You'd be perfect here! What's holding you back?' I have known an MBA was in
my
future, but until now, my future goals were not clear. To me, business school
is
not the place to find my future, but rather a means to achieve it.
At Morgan Stanley, I founded a women's committee after seeing the need for a
support system for incoming female bankers. After Morgan Stanley, I knew that I
wanted to further develop my business skills, but this time by making an impact
on people's lives. I chose NYC Investment Fund because it invests in women- and
minority- owned businesses. At the Fund, I realized that I loved supporting
entrepreneurs, especially women. I went to Lifetime, a women's cable channel,
because I wanted to be in a business environment solely focused on serving
women.
Here I learned that I enjoyed looking at the financial 'big picture,' but I
also
realized that I did not want to be so far removed from Lifetime's customers, who
were at home watching television. All of these experiences have made me realize
that I enjoy being in a business that advises women, and being in close contact
with those I advise.
It was not until recently, while getting my Masters with a concentration in
Women's Studies and living in Hanover, a small business area, that I have
decided
what I would ultimately like to do. My long-term goal is to found a non-profit
organization dedicated to women entrepreneurs. After business school, I will
spend my first few years consulting small businesses and non-profits to prepare
myself.
My academic and professional experiences have provided me with a strong
foundation in analytical thinking and interpersonal communications. I now need
an MBA to expand and develop my skill-set to successfully transition to a
consulting career in the non-profit and entrepreneurial sectors. The consulting
firms that I have approached have informed me that without an MBA, which would
provide me with the necessary nonprofit and entrepreneurial expertise and with
leadership skills, they would not be willing to hire me. In short, to move
forward with my career goals an MBA is crucial now.
Wharton is my first choice for several reasons. First, at Wharton I will get an
outstanding nonprofit and entrepreneurial education and be surrounded by
socially-aware, innovative people. Social Impact Management's (SIM) various
opportunities is one of my main reasons for choosing Wharton. I have spoken to
students involved in the integration of a Social Entrepreneurship course into
the
core curriculum. I will benefit greatly from this course, and I plan to be
involved with its future development. I am also eager to take electives such as
Promoting Social Change: Issues of Race and Gender through the Social Work
School. While at Wharton, I hope to organize a social impact conference and
organize a team-based Field Application Project in the nonprofit sector.
Wharton's exceptional entrepreneurial environment is also highly attractive. I
hope to learn from Wharton's remarkable entrepreneurial professors as well as
get
the hands-on entrepreneurial experience offered by the Field Application Project
and the Small Business Development Center. After speaking with many student
leaders, who describe the entrepreneurial culture as a 'place where you can make
things happen,' I know I will thrive in this type of this student-initiated,
innovative environment.
Second, Wharton's vast range of student activities and Wharton's location will
provide me with a rich, diverse nonacademic life. I will be active in the
Wharton Women in Business club, where I will organize activities including
panels
and networking events. In addition, as a Board Member of Dasra, a nonprofit
Indian organization, I am eager to arrange an International Volunteer Program in
Asia.
I am eager to return to a city so that I can be exposed to a more international
crowd and a broader range of art and culture. I look forward to bhangra dancing
with Wharton's India Club and to square dancing with the Texas Club. Also, I
look forward to joining the Dance Club. Dancing has been a longtime passion; I
have competed and performed in ballet, tap and jazz for over fifteen years.
Third, by attending Wharton, I know I will benefit from the lifelong friendships
I gain and the school's long-term commitment to my career. I have spoken to
many
intriguing Wharton graduates. The combination of their international
backgrounds, diverse professional backgrounds, and their down-to-earth demeanor
are all attractive. I know that I would leave Wharton with a solid group of
lifetime friends.
In addition to dedicated friendships, I highly value Wharton's commitment to
long-term careers. I intend to benefit from and to give back to CareerConnect
long after I have graduated from Wharton. Moreover, Wharton's loan forgiveness
program shows its long-term commitment to social enterprise and will facilitate
my future career in the nonprofit sector.
My primary reasons for choosing Wharton are the exceptional education, the
diverse extracurricular opportunities, and the long-term benefits. Through all
my research, I can confidently say that I will thrive in Wharton's environment
as
much as Wharton will benefit from my contributions and dedication.
