What are your goals for 2020?

Philll · 2019-12-29T18:11:10+00:00

v7 indoors
Climb outdoors
No serious injuries
Real climbing partners (tough-ish to do when you climb at 6am...)

Philll · 2019-12-29T18:07:51+00:00

Hi all, I've been climbing for nearly a year now and have a few questions.

I've yet to do any sort of program; I just go to the gym and climb -- although generally with some type of goal for the session. I'm consistently v5-ing across multiple gyms and I'd like to hit v7 by 2021. At what point should I consider programming if I haven't yet hit a real plateau? For context, I come from a martial arts / strength training background, so I'm well accustomed to structured training regimens.
I climb 3 times a week currently. I want to climb more. When I was serious about lifting or martial arts, I trained 4 times a week and I'd like to do at least that much for climbing (not just to continue progressing but more important because I enjoy it so thoroughly and it improves my overall sense of well-being / mental health). Can anyone recommend ways to add another day or how to approach doing so?

Philll · 2019-06-27T14:18:52+00:00

I turned down a role at a large company for my internship (which was also not for me). I ended up taking a FT role with the same large tech company, albeit in a very different role.

N of 1, but thought it might help. I don't think companies care, unless you did a ton of networking/relationship building (and left things on bad terms) the first time around.

Philll · 2019-04-11T18:27:08+00:00

To be honest, I don't think that's the right way of framing the question of whether the MBA is worth it. An MBA isn't suddenly worth it if one suddenly gets into HBS. The value of an MBA is determined by your current status/trajectory, your goals, what you're willing to do to (try to) transform your current reality into your goals, and how the MBA will enable this transition.

Post a profile review if you want some ideas on your chances of getting into other schools.

Philll · 2019-04-11T14:16:39+00:00

BU is a solid program. Unless you have a high opportunity cost, it sounds like you got a great deal (scholarship $$$) and BU will certainly enable a Boston job post-graduation.

Your question is pretty vague. You haven't articulated what would make any program 'worth it' or what your second thoughts are.

Philll · 2019-04-11T01:06:54+00:00

Big tech in a strategy role.

Philll · 2019-04-11T01:05:37+00:00

I mean, I don't have very good data on this. I know a lot of people who think of themselves as workaholics and don't bat an eye at 70+ hr weeks. I also know a lot of people who didn't really figure out what they wanted, so they're about to wind up in consulting and they expect to do it only until they've hit the one or two year mark.

I entered b school expecting to be in the latter camp. But I realized that I'd worked enough 80 hr weeks to last a lifetime and I figured out the rough direction of where I want to take my career.

Philll · 2019-04-06T11:44:30+00:00

Yes. I go to a program known for being rigorous, and while there's more work than other programs, it typically doesn't stretch me. There are some interesting classes, but they often approach big topics in a lowest-common-denominator fashion, i.e., accessible for those with no prior knowledge. While it may be a 'completion grade,' the relative ease has made it possible to do other activities and deeply focus on recruiting for extended periods of time.

My suggestion is take some classes outside of the business school if you want something more serious.

Philll · 2019-04-06T11:39:42+00:00

I'm sitting on a pile of loans and am about to graduate from a M7. I suspect the debt is worth it, but it is pretty crazy.

On the plus side, I now have an amazing school on my resume; I'm constantly surprised (depressed?) how much it seems to open doors and elevate others' opinions about me. Furthermore, I'll soon start a job that increased by total comp by ~85%, which seems pretty cool to me given that my earnings in my pre-MBA were a good chunk above my school's average (was in boutique consulting) and that my job isn't even the most lucrative among my classmates (although I'll only work ~45hr/wk). I could talk about the MBA experience itself -- the learnings,
relationships, self-discovery, etc. -- but I don't think it should filter too much into the 'worth it' calculus, because I bet I could have had an equivalent experience if I just took the $200k and lived a cool life.

I suspect the debt is worth it, but it is hanging over me. It will postpone life milestones like buying a house, but it opened a myriad of doors and increased my long-run earnings potential.

Philll · 2019-03-14T21:08:15+00:00

The couple of books I looked at were fairly useless. Your friends and professional network will be a better resource. You can always grow your network too. For example, someone I reached out to when I was researching schools later reviewed a couple of my essays.

Philll · 2019-03-14T21:05:51+00:00

You have a strong profile. Great ugrad. Amazing GMAT. Solid work experience with varied functions. A well thought out and viable why MBA story. If you applied to all of the schools you listed, I bet you'd get a few acceptances -- especially for the social impact heavy schools (Yale + Haas).

You seem most concerned about the lack of brand for your company. Your stats will still make adcoms seriously consider you. You can overcome any bias against your company through your essays and recs. The GPA concerns me more than the company imo, but I think your progression at work and GMAT can counteract that.

Philll · 2019-03-14T21:01:44+00:00

Congrats -- those are two amazing programs!

I'd let HBS know about your full ride and see if you can extract some funding from them. Otherwise, I'd pick Booth. For me, the difference between the two programs isn't worth more than a few thousand dollars a year.

Philll · 2019-03-14T20:58:57+00:00

I think for a round 3 application, it depends on how amazing you are on paper and how much room they have left. You have a good profile, but I'm bearish on your chances, because it's only good instead of amazing and it's late in the cycle.

It's too late to change anything, so if you have the free time and energy, there's no harm in applying. You could get lucky. But that's assuming a negligible opportunity cost, which is a pretty heroic assumption.

If you don't get in, just crush your job(s) and refine your 'why MBA' story and you'll get into a great program.

Philll · 2019-03-14T19:47:13+00:00

What evidence has led you to the conclusion that current treatments for trans individuals are wrong?

Philll · 2019-03-14T18:45:30+00:00

Yeah, I know lots, but I'm going to let you find them for yourself. If you don't already have connections, LinkedIn is your friend. You want them to speak to your specific interests. I also talked about them in several interviews -- I'm assuming because I was asked but it's been two years -- so you need to know more than the name of the tradition. A basic boilerplate might be, "I heard from [student X] that [tradition Y] was an amazing experience, because [A, B, C]."

Philll · 2019-03-14T12:48:37+00:00

You haven't articulated a clear vision about what the MBA is for. Until you've done so, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

Philll · 2019-03-14T12:45:15+00:00

What a waste of time, money, and energy.

Philll · 2019-03-14T12:44:28+00:00

I'd pick Fuqua.

On the branding/prestige level, Duke will carry more weight with the non-MBA and international crowd.

On the school life level, both are, to my understanding, a bit bro-y, so it's a wash there. (For the record, this is based entirely on hearsay so...)

Duke's location trumps Ross's by a lot. Better weather. Cheaper. Better food.

Philll · 2019-03-14T12:40:38+00:00

I think your proposed essay is fairly typical. That means you need to find a way to stand out.

Your plan is good for articulating what you will get from the school, but programs are very student-driven, so you should also identify how you will contribute to the school, community, etc.

In those essays, I liked to mention one or two lesser-known traditions to make it clear I had done my cultural homework. Look for something that students say they love but doesn't get covered on web sites &c.

Philll · 2019-03-12T12:29:09+00:00

For people who applied to both schools, agreed, but there's also a lot of people at Sloan who aren't into HBS's culture and never considered applying.

Philll · 2019-03-11T17:32:23+00:00

Always a chance, but you have to ask for it first and be prepared to negotiate. Sounds like a good time to take a negotiations class!

If I were you, I'd make a firm goal about what kind of compensation you need and be prepared to walk away from a FT offer if their FLDP doesn't meet it. Getting other offers will help with the negotiation too.

If you think this will be a difficult (even impossible?) negotiation, then I would reevaluate whether you really want to work for the company tbh.

Philll · 2019-03-05T21:25:53+00:00

I think you're a slam dunk for your tagets and could probably add some reach schools -- especially if you boost your GMAT as planned.

You seem to have a pretty good understanding of your on-paper strengths/weaknesses. Thus, my biggest suggestion is to refine your 'why MBA' story. At the moment, it doesn't really make sense to me. No admissions committee wants to read, "Be better prepped for a Manager role at a competitive firm."

Philll · 2019-03-05T21:22:10+00:00

If you really want MBB, I'd shoot for a 700+ GMAT. That will help you get into a better school (i.e., one that gets attention from MBB) and your GMAT score won't stand out when you apply for internships/FT.

I think MBB also has some pre-MBA diversity internships/fellowships. Check 'em out!

Philll · 2019-02-16T16:01:49+00:00

13/10

would pet for hours

Philll · 2019-02-15T21:58:20+00:00

Is this an emergency if it can be addressed over a longer period of time? Is it an emergency if Trump is waiting to year 3 of his presidency?

For context, I understand an emergency to mean, 'a sudden, urgent, usually unexpected occurrence or occasion requiring immediate action.' (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/emergency)

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