World MBA Tour

Rushed from work to the MBA Tour, definitely worth attending if you really want to dig in deeper and explore - but definitely go with a list of schools in mind. Or at least a rough idea on what you are looking for.

INSEAD - Perpetually surrounded by people asking all sorts of brilliant questions, in foreign sounding accents too (probably due to their overseas work experience). Hard to get the INSEAD spokesperson to answer your questions unless you are standing all the way in front (which yours truly did :P ). After looking at my potentially fellow INSEAD applicants, I am seriously thinking hard about how much I want to get into INSEAD. Yes, it is a brilliant school with a brilliant rep and brilliant peers - but how realistic am I to getting in? I lack the working experience as well as the ideal undergraduate academic results (and area). Core abilities they want, analyticals skills, team work and one more that I forgot :P

Empresa - Spent quite a bit of time with the spokesperson, who was all in all a rather friendly guy giving lots of advice to applicants. Spoke to him about doing an MBA focused on Entrepreneurship (which Empresa is supposed to be known for) and Business Strategy and a career in management consulting. Also on their admissions process since they have their own entrance exams. Definitely on my consideration list, though have decided to sit for the GMAT (mid-2006) as it would allow me more time for preparation, and if my mark falls short, then will I only sit for the entrance exam (early 2007). Key to the interview - any thing goes as long as I can convince the interviewer to accept my justifications to why my background should be accepted.

Vlerick Leuven Gent - Small school and probably not as well known as the other schools such as Wharton, INSEAD etc. They are actually planning on maintaining their small class size (50 - 55 people) for 2006 onwards. Did not really ask much as I had already spoken to their online representative before, though I did ask for their local alumni. Key to the application - show that I was in control of my work history and decisions made.

Hult International Business School - A USA school that I have never heard off (though ranked 22 by The Economist). Was nicely surprised that not only was it a USA school that offered a 1-year program, but in addition that they are currently offering a scholarship worth USD14,000 for all accepted applicants for 2006. I cannot seem to find much information on this school but for what it's worth, if you are interested, this is the information that I have found on the school. Quite interesting, a boutique school (?). What do you think? Is it worth applying just for the scholarship? Was told to send in my CV to gauge my my % of being accepted....