Duke Interview Experience

Here goes my Duke MBA Alumni interview experience.


All straightforward questions:

• Why now?
• Why MBA?
• Short Term and Long term goals?
• Why duke?
• Good qualities of a team member
• Good qualities of a leader
• Three strengths
• Three weaknesses
• One leadership failure example
• 2 initiative examples - 1 from work n other one from outside work
• A case study - This was a bit tricky - As a consultant for a new airline, I had to come up with a figure highlighting number of aeroplanes needed to start the business (Jet Airways was to be taken as benchmark). Interviewer was mainly interested in my approach and logic and not figures...
• Any questions for him?

Overall it was a good experience. I hope this interview helps me to get my Wait List converted to an admit to Duke.

But as 30th April (deadline to deposit Simon/Owen's deposit fees..some 1500 $$$) approaching, not many days left. For me, this date would actually boil down to 25th April as after that I would be all busy for my D-day (29th April). So I would like to finish off my deposit and all before that. I hope I hear some good news from Tepper/Duke/UCLA before that.

Between Simon and Owen, my heart says Simon and my head says Owen. For last few days. I have been discussing this with lots of alumnus and students from both the schools. But I am still not very sure which way to go......

Is it really fair????

For last few days, I have not been happy for India's dismal performance in the world cup and more than that the voice against Sachin putting questions on his credentials and asking him to retire. In one of the article I read that Sachin should take the responsibility and announce his retirement so that it relieves the pressure from the other Team players after the team's show in World Cup.
But one thing always keep haunting me, why for more than fifteen years, the country of a billion has been expecting only one man to bring victories and take blame for every loss. As far as I know there are eleven players in the Team. I remember during the 03 World Cup, Sachin played another class innings against Kenya, but people started saying that he can play only against such minnows. Well, he didn't play against Bangladesh and the result we know. But then now he should answer why he didn't?
When Sachin hits a century and India loses then its quiet common to hear that he can't win the match for the country, but people are even happy with Dravid's 50 against Srilanka though for not a single time India looked like winning. Is Dravid lacking something in terms of experience?
Inzamam took the responsibility for his team's performance and left his captaincy, even announced retirement from one-day cricket. But in India we want to hear this from a player of the Team, not the Captain or the Coach. I would like to know when did Dravid won a match single-handed for India; the fact remains that he has just played to turn a complete disaster into a more respectable loss.
I am not trying to blame the Captain and Coach as people might ask what a Coach can do if the team performs like this. But then why do we have a Coach? I guess most of the players were having a much better technique before the Chappel era, and the Coach was brought to improve the remaining flaws, but he introduced some new ones, whether it may be Sehwag, Pathan , Kaif or anyone. No wonder India is now 8th in the Ranking.
Most of the people will say that this is another blog post from a typical Sachin fan. I do accept that I have been his fan for last 15 years, but did he ever say that he was the very best; in fact we crowned him as the God. We always compare him with Laras, Pontings, the Waughs, Sir Viv Richards and even Sir Donald Bradman. Every time a player is at his peak, we start comparing Sachin with him, but why can't we find another Indian player who we can compare with them? Still remains a mystery.
I don't know he should retire or not because he knows more of him than us. But, I wish he didn't because that will be succumbing to the pressure created by the former cricketers (who stand no where to him) and the media (who knows when to lick and when to bark to get the best money). No matter what has happened, no matter how things go and no matter how much media shouts I will always salute the God of Indian Cricket, who made this game the passion of a billion hearts.

No Time to Relax

Hey Kkkkkkirrran,

I have to stop writing letters to you as I am getting married very soon....Yup...You heard it right...I am getting married with my love, Anuprita, on 29th April...



On MBA Front...hell lots of confusion going on in my mind....Very Very Very Confused..........All results have been declared and current scenario is as follows:

Admits from :
Univ of Iowa (Tippie School of Management) - Approx cost would come to be 15 lacs Rupees
Vanderbilt Univ (Owen School of Management) --- Approx cost would come to be 33 lacs Rupees
Univ of Rochester (Simon School of Business) -- Approx cost would come to be 37 lacs Rupees...

Wait listed at:
Duke -- Didn't have interview, so scheduled now on 4th April with an alumni in Mumbai
Tepper -- after interview
UCLA - without interview

Rest -- DINGS

Less than a month to go for my marriage...so i am not sure about how much time I would be able to devote to my Wait list follow ups...But have to do it...I need to convert them to admits....else I have to compromise with II-Tier schools like Simon/Vandy/iowa....where again picking one school would be difficult task...what the hell is this????

Feeling a bit tensed since morning today...Not Sure what would happen but one thing is sure that there is no time to relax....

Come on JP...You gotta do it...Some efforts here and things would turn around...Come on buddy....This is not difficult than my love story (where I had to wait for more than 4 years to get a real good news)

Right now, my Views on the three schools(I have an admit) are as follows:

Simon:
Advantages:
a. Location - Close to NY
b. Small Class Size - so better focus from career management center and faculty
c. Good Reputation in Finance education

Disadvantages:
a. Costliest among all three
b. Cant get loan without co-signor, so might end up having loan in India

Owen:
Advantages:
a. Good Placements
b. Average Reputation in Finance education
c. No Co-signor required for loan

Disadvantages:
a. Costly
b. Location - I am not sure about this one as I believe east coast provides better opportunities for finance jobs.

Iowa-Tippie:
Advantages:
a. Cheapest among all three
b. Small Class Size - so better focus from career management center and faculty

Disadvantages:
a. Location - would also face tough competition from Kellog and Chicago
b. Not very well known for finance education.

So Guys please share your thoughts/views...

take care
bye
jp