Okay, This might be an old news..(precisely 2 weeks old) But as I checked the ISB site 2 days back, I found that the application-portal is up and the essays are out as well. As some of the regular visitors of the blog may know, ISB is one school that never left my list since I decided to go for an MBA..So I guess I need to get my grey cells charged to attack the essays with full might..
The essays this year have changed completely and i guess ISB is perhaps the only school that comes up with new essays every year. And the pattern is unique too!! This year too they continued with their 3 300-word essay norm. Here’re the three essay questions:
1) Please give three reasons why ISB should admit you into the class of 2010. These reasons should ideally differentiate you from your competition. (300 words max)
2) You are contesting the election to be the President of the ISB Student Body. Write a speech you will deliver to the student body on why they should elect you as the President?
3) CASE : You have been appointed to head the team to build a dam across the River Zumba. Success in this project is critical for your company and would earn you a promotion. Failure would mean that your company would be bankrupt and will take along with it, its investors and its employees. Building a dam across the river would result in deforestation of a portion of the rainforests and would mean relocation of the tribals and destabilization of wild life at Zumba. There is resistance from environmental groups against your project. You are meeting the head of the resistance movement in one hour wherein you would have to explain your decision. Describe what you would do and why? (You will be evaluated on the creativity and practicality of your solution). (300 words max)
I don’t find myself getting too impressed with the questions.. I’m surprised to see the goals-essay absent yet again. However repetitive and common that may be, but I feel the goals-essay is very important to judge a candidate’s sense of direction and judgement.
Further I feel that though the essays help you let your imaginations free and think creatively, (I guess in this field only essays from Haas are the closest match.), still it does not give you many chances to delve into your past and quote from your personal experiences. And with 300 words each, I guess ISB is quite stingy. (Particularly First essay: three differentiators in 300 words!! ). And though, it’s a great idea to have a case as one of the essay questions, but I find data a bit insufficient for Q3.
I’m not indulging in ISB-bashing here (as one of my friends termed it when I discussed this with him.) ISB was and still is one of my favourite schools.. But just didn’t like the questions much..
In any case, it’s a level playing field.. If data is insufficient for me, it’s insufficient for every other candidate. If I find word-limit a bit harsh, same limit holds for others too.. Further,with the applications to the school multiplying every year, perhaps it’s not that easy to go ahead with the longer essays.. And perhaps by designing these unique Qs,ISB wants to eliminate the reuse of essays written for other schools, thereby making sure that only candidates genuinely interested in the school apply..
One good thing is that the R2 deadline has been shifted to December 1. (from Nov 15 last year) I’ve decided to app in R2 because I need to have something to compare with if and when I get an offer from ISB. As per the schedule, R1 results will be out by mid-November, which means that by that time, I’d not have even got my app reviewed at most of the schools, if I app in R1. So R2 it is for ISB!
BTW, I’m not finding many of my blogger-pals interested in ISB.. Are there any?? Do leave a comment here??
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In case, u feel u have some scope of improvement, by all means retake the test..
Hey! This year’s Qs at ISB seem better than last year – I particularly liked the last Q. Too bad these questions didn’t come out last year. However I feel that applying in R2 would be a mistake esp given the fact that you belong to the extra-stretched applicant pool of IIM. Go ahead and apply in R1. If you get the admission and are required to pay up the deposit, then go ahead and do so. If you decide not to take it, then just pretend it was money donated for a good cause. A classmate from my bschool also paid up the deposit etc and then chose the US bschool over ISB. So I’d advice that it’s better to go with R1 which traditionally has lesser number of people applying, so as to give your candidature a leg up in the race.