MBA in America

Making travel plans to US

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:41:00 +0000

One of the first things that students have to do once they are accepted is to block the air ticket. You need not pay anything while blocking, it’s free! You can pay later (generally 10 days before departure) after your ticket and schedule is confirmed. Block flights with many airlines.
Try and book a direct flight to your place, even if you have to take a local airline in United states it is better and safer than the bus service greyhound, which usually has its stops in the shadiest area of towns. Buy a single ticket all the way through – add on are very expensive. Avoid change of airline,a direct flight is the best.
If change of airline can't be avoided, leave at least 4-6 hrs gap between the scheduled arrival of one flight and the scheduled departure of the connecting flight. This is to ensutre that you don't miss flights incase the onward flight is delayed.
Baggage is usually safe with a single airline - change of airline sometimes leads to misplaced luggage. Some airlines don't take care of baggage transfer - you may have to personally carry it (check this while booking) and cross check every thing you are promised by the Travel agent with the original air lines. Even if you have confirmed ticket in you hand.
Remember to ask for student concessions.Generally all the airlines will come up with one or the other discount offer for students, so check all this out before you pay the money.
Typical expenses: Rs.27, 000 - Rs.35, 000/-

Please note: Most of the tips in this section are by Vikram Nagda, an MS student. I made use of these tips while planning my trip to the United States.

Warren Buffet's speech in University of Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 15:19:00 +0000

Interesteting value investing concepts from Warren Buffet himself:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Part 6:

Part 7:

Part 8:

Part 9:

Part 10:

blog on iphone.

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 04:54:00 +0000

For those of you who have been wondering what I am upto these days, Here is what:
http://iphonerevealed.blogspot.com/

I have just started working on it. It still needs a lot of work to be done. I hope you find it useful.

Recommendation letters

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 03:32:00 +0000

Recommendation letters form an important part of the application process. However it is also a subject of much confusion and uncertainty. Here are a few of the issues that potential B-school applicants face and my take on them.

How many recommendation letters do I need?

Most colleges that I have applied to have asked for two recommendation letters. You could also send in a third recommendation letter if you feel that it will increase your chances of getting into a particular college. However, I have seen colleges discouraging people from sending in a third recommendation letter. One particular college explicitly mentioned that applicants will receive negative rankings for a third recommendation letter. so, the moral of the story is: Carefully read the application requirements of each college and make a judgement call.

Essentially, you need two recommendation letters for each college. Let us say you are applying for six colleges, you need twelve recommendation letters. That's a lot! Imagine asking someone to write six recommendation letter for you! what should you do? That takes us to the next question of this section:

Who should recommend me?

Ideally b-schools would like to hear from your immediate supervisors, colleges or managers that you have worked under. This is a problem for students with no work experience. Many students who apply to b-schools fresh from college try to get recommendation letters from their professors and Heads of the Departments. Most B-schools place little or no weightage on academic recommendations. This is mainly because b-schools believe that professors are in contact with many students and are unlikely to know you on a personal basis. In fact most b-schools are quite upfront and explicit about this. This also puts most working professionals in a fix because most working professionals would like their immediate supervisors/managers know about their b-school aspirations. Asking supervisors/managers to recommend them would expose applicants intentions.

There is a solution this fix, fortunately. B-schools are also quite open to recommendations from customers /clients. In fact, I believe that a client / customer testimonial carries more weightage than a supervisor / manager.

How does a recommendation letter look like?

Have a look at the sample recommendation letter below:

Are there any ways to improve / influence the recommendation letter?

Fortunately for us, there are specific ways to improve / influence the recommendation letter.

1) Give the recommender a copy of your application essays - this will help him / her in understanding how you are trying to project yourself and he / she can word the recommendation letters accordingly.

2) Give the recommender a copy of your resume highlighting your accomplishments in areas related to their purview. This has the same function as first one.

3) Let them know in advance that you will be asking them for recommendations and also let them know when you need the recommendation letters back.

4) Keep sending friendly reminders in case you haven't received the letters by the due date.

How do I send the recommendation letter?

Most B-schools require you to send the recommendation letters to be sent to them along with the other necessary transcripts. However, off late, a few b-schools have started asking people to fill in and submit recommendation letters online. This is a great benefit for those who are seperated from thier recommendors geographically.

Top 10 Business Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 03:32:00 +0000

Hi all,
I am going to take a departure from the regular stuff that I write about. Lets talk about something very interesting - Movies! Movies about business are few and far between. There are, but a few rare gems amongst those few that Hollywood decided to make amidst thier end of the world movies. Here is a list of my favourite ones

1) Barbarians at the gate
2) The Insider
3) Wall street
4) Citizen Kane
5) The aviator
6) God father II
7) Glengarry Glen Ross
8) The network

hmm... doesn't add up to 10 does it?

Application check list

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 03:32:00 +0000

Hi all,
managing all the aspects of the application process can be very tricky. Please find below one the means to organize information in an organised manner. Please feel free to modify to better reflect your personal priority and style. This was adapted from the book "Game plan for getting into Business school" by Peterson's

School name:

Date information requested:

Date information received:

Deadlines:

a) Application:

b) Financial aid:

Under gradate transcripts requested:

Other transcripts requested (if applicable):

Under gradate transcripts received:

Letters of recommendation requested:

GMAT test date:

TOEFL test date:

Essay written:

Resume updated:

Reminder to recommenders:

Fill out application form:

Gather recommendations:

Date application form sent:

How many applications do I need to submit?

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 19:31:00 +0000

This is a tough decision that most applicants face. If you apply to very few b-schools, you risk not getting accepted. This is a bad situation as you have to get started on the application process all over again in the next year. On the other hand, if you apply to too many B-schools, you end up spending a lot of time and money. Have a look at the application costs listed below:

100$-200$ on the application.
20$ or so for each additional score report for TOEFL and GMAT.
20$ or higher for sending your transcripts.

Other than this, you also need to spend a lot of time preparing the essays, getting recommendations and filling in applications for each college.

The best way to go about this is by placing b-schools in three categories:

Aspirational
Reach and
Safety

Aspirational colleges are colleges that you would die to get into but are quite tough. Reach colleges are colleges that will fit into your profile and desirable. The last item of the list, safety colleges are colleges which are not exactly the most desirable but are those where you can be certain of acceptance. I suggest that you have at least two colleges in each category. For example, see a list of colleges that I applied to:

Aspirational - Chicago GSB & Babson College
Reach-UC Berkeley, Ross (University of Michigan)
Safety- William E.Simon (University of Chicago), McCombs (University of Texas)

I hope this was of some use to you.

MBA Rankings by speciality

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 23:28:00 +0000

Hi all,
I noticed that a number of you are interested in the rankings section of this blog. While it is okay to look at the overall rankings of college, you get good value for the money you spend in your mba program if you focus on the best colleges in your specialisation. Please find below a list of programs ranked by thier specialisation.
Please note: This is 2004 data from US News and world report. There might be slight changes in subsequent years.

The I-20 form

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:55:00 +0000

What is an I-20 form?

This is US departmant of homeland security form that is issued by Colleges to students. It is a suppourting document to help you get a US visa. It basically verifies the fact that you are a legitimate student.

How do I get it?

The process starts after you confirm your acceptance to the college. Initially, college sends you a document asking you to show that you have sufficient liquid funds to cover your first year fees. You have to mail the requested documents back to the college's International student servies director. Once they recieve these documents, They will mail you the I20 form.

What is this form used for?

You need this form to complete your Visa application. After you get your visa, this form will need to be updated each and every time you leave or re-enter United states.

What is the documentation I need to submit for getting a I-20?

For a student funding herself or himself: A current ORIGINAL bank statement showing a minimum of US$ 8500.00 on bank letterhead, indicating the student's name and including a bank officer's signature and official seal. This statement must be written in English, and it must show all amounts in United States dollars. (If the amount shown is not in United States dollars, an equivalence to United States dollars must be included.)
or
For a student sponsored by another person: A current ORIGINAL bank statement showing a minimum of US$ 8500.00 on bank letterhead, in the sponsor's name, signed by a bank official. This must be in English, and it must show all amounts in United States dollars. In addition, your sponsor should complete an "Affidavit of Support" form including the student's name and date of birth, the sponsor's name and relationship to the student, and a small paragraph which states exactly what the sponsor will provide (for example, money for tuition, living expenses, room and board). The sponsor must sign this letter. If the sponsor is a United States permanent resident or citizen, s/he must fill out a government document entitled I-134. This document may be obtained from our office, or from another university or establishment that carries government documents. The sponsor must also sign the financial certificate found on the application form.
For a student receiving a scholarship: A scholarship award letter, on the organization's letterhead, in English, indicating the student's name and stating the specific expenses that the organization will cover.
AND
The financial certificate (completed and signed) and all original bank documents attached to the application form.

The format for the bank letter can be found here.

How does this form look like?

Update from other bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 03:51:00 +0000

A quick update from other fellow bloggers

Thanks for the information friends!

Part time or Full time

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 03:51:00 +0000

Hi all,
Here is a link to a interesting businessweek article on whether to go for part time program or a full time MBA program.
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/feb2007/bs20070204_929908.htm?link_position=link1

Two year MBA or one year MBA?

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:57:00 +0000

In two year MBA, you get to learn stuff in a relatively relaxed phase (relatively, mind you!, it is intensive by its own right) you get a break of one month in December, three months in summer and one more month in December of the second year of the MBA program. In one year program,these five month breaks are done away with and you have a pretty intensive program with little or no breaks. Then again, there is little or no difference in Fee structure for a two year program or a one year program in the same college. The choice for a one year program or two year program really depends on the person - how long you can sustain yourself away from the work force, family commitments and stuff like that.

I preferred a two year program mainly due to two reasons: Networking and time for business development. Let me elaborate on that. In a typical B-school, you have an incoming class of 150 or more people. Getting to know them all on a personal basis is difficult on a one year program. These networks will be extremely critical and helpful to you when you are trying to advance your career or trying to make a break in the business. A two year program gives you sufficient time to develop your networking skills.

Again, I am from a family business background. I really like the time I get off from the two year program to develop business plans and go through various iterations of the same. This will help me when come back to India to have a firm footing. One other aspect is that though you get time off in the two year program, you could apply for internships which will help you offset the cost of the program.

From the point of view of recruiters, they tend to be a little biased towards two year MBA programs. However, I do not have factual data regarding the same. Business week magazine is usually a good source for questions like this.

By the way, take my advice with a pinch of salt because I tend to defend my choices. Decide for yourself what an ideal choice would be for you.

Websites for buying MBA books

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:52:00 +0000

You have got accepted, the visa is through and you have paid your security deposit. What next? One of the things that students have to do before joining MBA is buying the required books for the course. Books for MBA in United States might be quite expensive. I personally do not recommend buying books from a college bookstore as it might turnout to be the most expensive proposition. People from India, Pakistan, Srilanka and Bangladesh can purchase international editions which are very cheap compared to American editions. Most books have the same content. I found the following resources to be very helpful.

Good resource for first hand books:
www.amazon.com
www.bn.com

Good resources for used and discounted books:
www.half.com
www.ebay.com
www.collegebooks.com
www.varsitybooks.com
www.classbook.com

Good resources for students from India:
http://www.sapnaonline.com/
http://www.firstandsecond.com/

Application essay questions

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:52:00 +0000

Here is a collection of the most commonly asked essay questions and thier variants:

Academic background

What did you enjoy studying the most during university? Why?
What were your favorite activities outside the classroom? Why did you enjoy them?
What strengths did you develop or display most prominently in your academic work? In your extracurricular activities?
What were your greatest academic and /or non-academic achievements during university? Why are you particularly proud of them?

Professional background

What field are you currently working in? Why did you choose this path?
What issues do you work with?
Can you name those achievements at work of which you are most proud? Why are you proud of them?
What would your supervisor say are your greatest professional strengths and qualities? How have you shown them?

Academic goals

What question(s) do you hope to research and find answers to in your graduate program? Ph.D. applicants: What methods will you employ to research these questions/
When did you start asking yourself these questions?

Professional goals

What do you want to do in the few years following the completion of your graduate degree?
What do you want to do 10-20 years from now?
When did you realize this is what you wanted to do?
Do your goals fulfill a need in your field, organization/company, community, country, or in the world? How?
Why are you particularly qualified to fulfill this need? What unique contributions can you make to your field?

Your graduate program

How will this graduate program help you to obtain your goals?
Why is this stage in your career the best time to pursue your graduate degree?
What are your top choice schools? Why did you choose them?
Why should the school accept you? What is unique or special about your background, qualifications, and personality?

Personal background

Looking back over the course of your life, did you experience anything that changed your way of thinking in any significant way? What was the event? What were you like before, and what were you like after? How did you change?
What are your greatest personal strengths? How have you demonstrated these strengths?
Have you experienced any obstacles in life or difficulties? How did you overcome them? What lessons and/ or qualities did you develop as a result of the experience(s)?

MBA application interview questions

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:52:00 +0000

Here are some of the most commonly asked MBA application interview questions:

The following are some of the most common interview questions asked in an MBA application interview:
Discuss your career progression.
Give examples of how you have demonstrated leadership inside and outside the work environment.
What do you want to do (in regard to business function, industry, location)?
Why the MBA? Why now?
Describe an ethical dilemma faced at work?
Describe your career aspirations?
What would you do if not accepted?
What are your long- and short-term goals? Why?
Why are you applying to business school?
Why does this school appeal to you?
What is an activity you are involved in? Why is it important to you?
Talk about experiences you have had at work.
Why are you interested in a general MBA program?
Why did you choose your undergraduate major?
Discuss yourself.
What contributions would you make to a group?
Name three words or phrases to describe yourself to others.
What is most frustrating at work?
How would co-workers describe you?
Describe a typical work day.
Have you worked in a team environment? What were your contributions to the effort?
Discuss any experience you have had abroad.
How did you choose your job after college?
What do you do to relieve stress?
It's two years after graduation, what three words would your team members use to describe you?
Describe a situation where you brought an idea forward, and it failed.
How do you define success?
What would you do if a team member wasn't pulling his own weight?
Is there anything you would like to ask me/us?

Confused? overwhelmed? Well, I felt the same when I looked at this list for the first time. There is a subtle trick to the MBA application interview. You see, though most colleges ask questions from this pool, in most colleges some questions occur in higher frequency compared to others. Going through interview experiences in websites like accepted.com can help you prepare for application interview from each college.

Sample documents to help you fill in visa application

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:52:00 +0000

Some sample forms that you need to fill for completing Visa application:

Your visa conformation letter will look like this

Please note: These forms are from another resource. (www.immihelp.com) This site contains many useful links and helpful information for people who want to take a visa appointment.

Preparing for the F1 visa Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:52:00 +0000

After getting accepted into a college, one of the major hurdles that any international student has to overcome is the Visa interview. Visa interview can be very intimidating for many people given the fact that so few people get accepted. However, as daunting as it may seem, Visa interview is a relatively simple process.

Visa application procedure: (For students from India, for other international students, procedure might slightly vary)

§ Prior to confirming a visa interview appointment online, you need to pay the following fees and obtain a Visa Fee Receipt from HDFC Bank.
§ After you have paid the fees wait for 2-3 days (compulsory) before scheduling interview.
§ Visit https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml to pay the SEVIS Fee.
§ Now go to www.vfs-usa.co.in
§ Click on "Apply for Non-Immigrant Visa" link. Click on "Continue" Question will be asked, "Do you have BEP User Id", and if you have it click YES. Most of us don't have it so click "NO" Click "Create a new application" link and fill up the relevant details.
§ You will now asked to fill up the visa application forms (DS-156,157,158) VFS office by taking a print out. Fill the forms and schedule an interview date. Please Note: You will be required to enter SEVIS details before scheduling.

What happens in the consulate before the interview?

Step 1: You stand in the "Q" outside the visa consulate until they call out for your time slot.

Step 2: When your time slot turn comes, they will check the passport and appointment letter and let you in.

Step 3: You will pass through a metal detector and there is you will be frisked. (Ladies by ladies and gents by gents). Your files and folders will be checked for metallic objects and storage devices.

Step 4: You will be asked to wait for a while and then they will put you in 'Q's where your I20, DS156,DS157, DS158 and passport will be put in a folder and be given back to you.

Step 5: There is again a wait involved after which you will be asked to do the finger printing. (Left index finger and right index finger)

Step 6: After some more waiting, you will be finally asked to come to the VO.

What types of questions are asked in the visa interview?

There are really only very few variants of questions being asked at the Visa interview:

Why do you want to go to United States?
(Flexibility in curriculum, diversity of student body, international recognition an reputation)
Which college are you applying to?
Why this college?
(Rankings, Faculty, innovative programs)
Do you have any backlogs?
How do you plan to finance your education?
What are you planning to do after completion?
Why would you come back?
(Family ties, Properties, Business)

What are the documents needed for the visa interview?

Mandatory:

Passport
One color photo with white background ( 50mmX50mm)
Visa application forms DS-156, DS-157 and DS-158
I-20 form from the university you wish to attend
SEVIS fee payment receipt.
Visa application fee payment receipts
Visa interview appointment letter

Supporting documents:

Education related:

GMAT score report
TOEFL score report
College degree certificate and mark sheet
High school certificates and mark sheets

College related:

College acceptance letter
College rankings
College faculty profile
Correspondence with faculty.

Finance related:

Original tax returns for the past three years.
Original bank statements for the past three years.
Scholarship letter (if any)
Loan sanction letter (if any)
Liquid assets
§ Fixed Deposit
§ LIC policies
§ Mutual Funds
§ Shares Bonds
§ PF / GPF
§ Proof of rental income if any
Property Documents
§ Residential
§ Commercial
§ Ancestral
§ Farm Land
Affidavit of support from Parent

General tips for the Visa interview:

Organize your papers neatly in a small binder separated with sections like College related, Transcripts, finance related, work related etc., this will help you retrieve documents faster when the VO asks
Smile and greet the Visa officer. Create a positive first impression.
Three things you should keep in mind during the interview: Confidence, preparation, truthfulness.
Not getting the visa is not the end of the world. Be indifferent to the result. (It can help calm you). It also helps if you don't pay attention to Visa applicants appearing before you. If they get rejected, your confidence level goes down so don't pay attention.

On Campus housing or Off campus?

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:52:00 +0000

‘About the decision to take graduate housing or opting to stay outside- It is a tough call. I mean, whereas staying outside the campus would be less expensive compared to staying on campus. However, if you factor in costs like Internet, TV, phone, Water, electricity and commuting costs, graduate housing might prove advantageous. I personally prefer staying the graduate housing as it helps me be in touch with my classmates and broaden my circle of friends which would not be possible while staying outside the college. I also like the fact that I am able to use the college resources like the library and gym and the ability to walk down to my classes in 5 minutes. We also have a strong community feeling in my graduate housing and we organize some fun events from time to time. I feel that people staying outside are missing out on such opportunities. It is really a personal thing and I would not like to emphasize too much on this.

Rough road map for MBA in US

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:52:00 +0000

Step 1: Register for GMAT by visiting GMAC website. Request for Free Power prep software.

Step 2: Take GMAT and find out approximate score range.

Step 3: Research colleges using business week website and US news and find out colleges which fall in your score range. GMAT and GPA.

Step 4: Visit the college websites and find out more about the college.

Step 5: Shortlist about six colleges to apply.

Step 6: Prepare for the GMAT.

Step 7: Take the GMAT.

Step 8: Take TOEFL.

Step 9: Visit the short listed college website and start filling in the application forms

Step 10: Complete all online applications

Step 11: Get recommendation letters.

Step 12: Send the transcripts by courier.

Step 13: Wait for the interview calls.

Step 14: Prepare for the interviews.

Step 15: Wait for the results.

Step 16: Send decision to college.

Step 17: Send request for I 20 forms

Step 18: Receive I20 forms from college

Step 19: Apply for Visa interview

Step 20: Prepare visa documents

Step 21: Appear for Visa interview

Step 22: Pay security deposit to college

Step 23: Travel plans

Sample Bank letter for I-20 form

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 20:46:00 +0000

TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

This letter is to certify that Mr. GG has been a highly valued customer with the BANK for a period exceeding 7 years. All his financial dealings have been extremely satisfactory. Mr. GG is a resident of ___

Mr. GG is in possession of the following funds:
Current Account (Balance as at 31st October 2004) Rs. ___ Equivalent to US$ ___
(rate of conversion used 1 US$ = Rs. __ as on 31st October 2004)

Savings Bank (Balance as at 31st October 2004) Rs. ___ Equivalent to US$ ___
(rate of conversion used 1 US$ = Rs. __ as on 31st October 2004)

Fixed Deposits (Balance as at 31st October 2004) Rs. ___ Equivalent to US$ ___
(rate of conversion used 1 US$ = Rs. __ as on 31st October 2004)

Any other financial instrument which can be converted to liquid cash with ease and within a very short time duration (Eg bonds, mutual funds, Demat Account (Shares))

Altogether, Mr. GG is in possession of Rs. ___ equivalent to US$ ___(rate of conversion used 1 US$ = Rs. __ as on 31st October 2004). Please find attached a certificate stating his bank balance as on date.

Mr. GG has informed me that his son intends to pursue an MS in Computer Science.
Mr. GG will be using these finances to support his son Mr. HH’s higher education in America.

Authorised signatory
Designation Manager

The first week-My impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 20:46:00 +0000

Hi all,
It is the end of my First week in United States and I feel it is high time that I record my impressions. This is going to be pretty long so bear with me.

The culture shock:
There has been so much hype about the culture shock that everyone from India receives when they reach United States. After one week, the only shock that I received was that there wasn't any! I guess I have been getting used to the American way of life by watching movies, sit coms and books. I probably had undergone a long process of acclimatization. A few others tell me that the culture shock might not happen in so short a time. Maybe I have to really wait a few weeks for it to hit me. Honestly, I don't know.

Home sickness:
This is another thing that hasn't hit me yet. I have been away from home for quite long before. In fact, coming to think of it, I have been away from home for nearly seven years-four years during under graduation and another three years when I was working. So staying away from home is not such a big deal. However, there are two things that are different from my previous situations. One-I will need to be away for more than a year which I have never been in the past. We have a break in December this year, I haven't decided if I will go home this December. There are already plans being made for a cross country trip. Sounds like fun.
Two-in the first two situations I had been away, food was never a problem. I need to see how long I will get along this time. (Not that I have a choice about it). I think I am okay with the continental food here, so food is not really a big problem. Other than that, starting with coffee and scrambled eggs, I am starting to cook! I guess I will manage

So, what is this America all about, really?
I live in a place called Wellesley. People tell me that is the richest locales in Massachusetts. A few friends were telling me that the insurance rates were really low here. (Insurance rates-This is really a big deal, I don’t know if I can really talk about it here. Let’s save it for some other time). The reason that I am giving you all this information is because I am not sure if the impressions that I am getting here applies to the whole of America. Then again, I got to start some where and here I am.
So besides all the usual stuff about swanky clean roads, disciplined traffic and stuff, you know what struck me the most?-super stores! I had been day before yesterday to a super store called Staples and the only thing they deal with is office supplies! In India, I am used to buy my office supplies in a book store or some department store. There is never any separate mall for office supplies. The impression that most people here have is that buying from a mall is cheaper. We spend a good 10$ in gas to get to the mall - I don't think that we saved that much in stationary. Kind of crazy, I think.
Another thing that is fascinating for me is the obsession with vending machines. Soft drinks, snacks, newspapers, washing machines- you name it, there is a vending machine for it. Yesterday, I saw a vending machine for renting a DVD! I swear I am not lying. Here is how it works. First, in the touch screen, we make a movie selection. Second, we select whether we want to purchase it or rent it. Renting is 0.99$ per day. We get to swipe our credit card and the DVD comes out. We have to return the movie the next day within the stipulated time or additional rent is deducted (the machine has the credit card information, remember). Interesting-though kinda scary.
I was thinking why we don't have so many vending machines in India-I came up with three explanations. One-the currency denominations are pretty low in India so may be it is not worth having a vending machine. Secondly since these vending machines have high levels of sophistication, they would cost a ton. That kind of thing doesn't have many takers in India. Three-the percentage of educated populace is much lower in India, so there is possibility for misuse of equipment.
One other thing that strikes me is how people work here. For the past week, I have been observing the utility people work around the college. They do stuff like cleaning up garbage, repair pavements and stuff like that. During the entire chain of garbage disposal, people never physically touch any of the garbage. Same with laying pavements. There is absolutely no manual work involved. Every thing is being done by machines! Every single chunk of the work is being done by some equipment. I will post some pictures tomorrow that will help you understand better.
Talking about impressions I should also talk a little bit about the rules and regulations here. You will need to give me a quick answer for this one – how long did you prepare documents for getting the drivers license? You are okay if the answer is less than an hour. I have spent two full business days just to get the documents in order. Here is a list of requirements to get the Massachusetts driving license:
1. One document which will serve as signature proof.
2. One document which will serve as Photo proof (No, the same document will not do for both).
3. One document for address proof. (You need a document that is separate from the above.
4. Social security number or a letter of denial to give you a social security number. (The craziest clause I have seen)
When you have all of this, you need to give a written test (online). This consists of 25 questions. You need to thoroughly go through a 239 page driving manual to answer this. Finally you need to take a driving test. You can’t do this immediately. You need to book a date at least three weeks in advance.

Popular MBA rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 20:46:00 +0000

The most popular MBA rankings is given below:

Business week
U.S.News and world report
Financial times
Wall street journal
Which MBA?
The insiders guide to Top 10 MBA's
The MBA advantage.

All of these bodies vary in the criteria for ranking the MBA programs. So be careful about using the rankings as such. Choose the ranking that best reflects what you are looking for.

Acing GMAT

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:22:00 +0000

While taking GMAT, you have to be aware that higher the final score, better are your prospects of getting to the Ivy league B-schools like Harvard, Stanford, University of Michigan, University of Chicago, Kellogs school of business and North Weastern university. If you have a GMAT Score in the range of 700+ you can also get good aid. Sometimes you can also qualify for a full tuition waiver.

GMAT is a computer adaptive test. It adapts to the level of the user. In the begining, the computer throws you a easy question. If you answer it correctly, it will give you a question of moderate difficulty and so on. The important thing is to answer the initial few questions accurately. It is estimated that five correct responces in the begining of the test will improve your score to a level that even if you slip behind at the later part of the test, it has little or no impact on your final score.

The test is like this: you have two essays at the begining of the test. One is an analysis of an argument and other is analysis of an issue. Each is of half an hour duration.

The third section deals with verbal ability. You have reading comprehension and sentence correction exercises. Don't under estimate this section. This section is perhaps the toughest of the test.

The fourth section of the test deals with quantitative ability. 10 std math is sufficient to deal with this section. However, preperation is the key to crack this section. Oflate, I found this section has increased in the level of difficulty.

The best book to prepare for the GMAT is the "Official guide to the GMAT" by ETS. It is pretty pricey and bulky book but is an exellent practice material.

Kaplan's books are good for preperation. Be sure to buy the books with CD roms.

I am attaching a list of websites that you might find helpful.

For registering for the GMAT,

www.gmac.com

(Be sure to book for a date that is atleast four-six months away. You need the time for
preperation. The test will cost you 200$. Have a credit card with you while registering
for the test. Request for a GMAT Bulitten and powerprep software which will help you prepare. It is free!)

For taking a sample test for free:

http://www.princetonreview.com/

For advice of sentance correction, please look at:

http://www.sentancecorrection.com/

For general advice on GMAT, Refer to the foolowing forums:

http://gmatclub.com/ (Thanks for the user who pointed this out for me)

For general advice on B-school interviews and essays, you can refer to

accepted.com

For Business school rankings refer to:

http://www.businessweek.com/

http://gmatclub.com/

MBA or CAT? (India specific post)

noreply@blogger.com (Balaji.P.B) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:08:00 +0000

Taking GMAT Or CAT depends a lot on several factors like
1) What do you want to do after MBA- Work, start up a business etc.,
2) How much are you prepared to spend?
3) What kind of return on investment are you looking at?
4) How much time you like to spend for preparation?
5) Your personal commitments like when you want to get married?

Going abroad from an MBA is quite expensive proposition. GMAT exam itself cost you about 15,000 Rs to take and TOEFL another 6000 Rs. You have an option of selecting upto five colleges where you need to send your scores while taking GMAT. If you want to send to more colleges, you need to spend 1000 rs extra just for additional score reports for each college. On top of that, you have application fees for each college which amounts to 6000 rs per college and 800 rs to send courier. So you end up spending 7000 rs per college for application alone. so if you chose to apply to 10 colleges, you end up spending close to a lakh of rupees.
Getting a scholorship may not always be possible. Assistanship & part time job options are also practically ruled out as the MBA program is pretty intensive & will demand most of your time. Tution fees and living expenses amount to approximately 45-50 Lakhs (!!).Sorry if I scared you but this is the truth. MS in US & MBA in US are quite not comparable. But the brighter side of the thing is you land up in a job which can give you an Return of investment in three years. However, if you want to do MBA in US, you must atleast start preparing 1.5 years in advance to the start of your MBA program.

MBA in America

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Warren Buffet's speech in University of Florida

blog on iphone.

Recommendation letters

Top 10 Business Movies

Application check list

How many applications do I need to submit?

MBA Rankings by speciality

The I-20 form

Update from other bloggers

Part time or Full time

Two year MBA or one year MBA?

More Links....

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MBA application interview questions

Sample documents to help you fill in visa application

Preparing for the F1 visa Interview

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Rough road map for MBA in US

Sample Bank letter for I-20 form

The first week-My impressions

Popular MBA rankings

Acing GMAT

MBA or CAT? (India specific post)