94
Manufacturing
Mktg/Sales
Self-funded
MIT-Sloan
SFMBA
Thanks to the support of Round One, I was fortunate to receive an offer of admission from the MIT Sloan Fellows Program. I am deeply grateful for the close and dedicated support provided by Mr. Round and Ms. Round. In fact, my first contact with Round One dates back to nearly eight years ago, when I was in my twenties and initially aspiring to pursue an MBA. At that time, I worked with Ms. Round through part of the preparation process, but due to family circumstances and work commitments, I ultimately decided to put my MBA plans on hold without applying to a single school. When I decided to pursue an MBA once again this time around, it felt only natural to turn to Round One for support.
In the application process for the MIT Sloan Fellows Program, I believe that in addition to the “official” evaluation components—such as test scores, essays, and interviews—“unofficial” elements were also critically important. These included the résumé submitted in advance, pre-application phone interviews, and campus visits.
In my personal view, the MIT Sloan Fellows Program places considerable importance not only on the “official” materials—test scores, essays, and interviews—but also on “unofficial” elements such as the résumé submitted in advance, pre-application phone interviews, and campus visits. After registering on the program’s website, applicants are prompted to submit a résumé. This is followed by a casual phone interview, during which the program is explained and a conversation takes place to assess the applicant’s fit with the program. I prepared thoroughly for these pre-application, unofficial interactions with Ms. Round before participating in them. The same applied to other unofficial events thereafter, such as meetings with the Program Director when they visited Japan for information sessions, as well as campus visits, all of which I approached only after careful preparation with Ms. Round. As a result, despite being a self-funded applicant, I was placed on the Fast Track Admission Process and received my offer of admission before Christmas.
To those of you who are about to embark on the MBA application journey, I know it can be challenging in many ways, but I encourage you to do your best without leaving room for regret. You will likely encounter a great deal of information about MBA admissions and individual schools from websites, prep schools, and other sources. I recommend not allowing yourself to be distracted by unnecessary information, but instead respecting your own intentions and taking ownership of the application process. Best of luck.
