Applying to LFM

I got my first comment that was not from an LFM! (or at least I hope it wasn't) Someone out there asked about LFM's application and acceptance rate, since it is not something posted on the website. On average, there have been about 200 people applying for the program each year. Simple math tells you that this means that there is about a 25% acceptance rate, which is pretty generous for such a great program and a great school. While we are actively working to up the numbers of applicants this year, it is not likely to get much higher than that in the short-term. So think of this as just one more reason to consider applying to the program!

Part of the reason the number of applicants is low is that it is targeted at manufacturing and operations - so all of the 1,000's of future consultants and investment bankers don't apply. I don't think this self-selection is such a bad thing - it means that the applicant pool has strong interests in a field which I personally feel is pretty fascinating.

The program is very serious about their requirement that admitted students have strong interests in manufacturing and operations. In my interview group, there were many people who did not have any manufacturing experience, but they came prepared with detailed examples of what manufacturing careers they would like to have post-graduation. So don't get discouraged if you are coming from consulting, design, sales, or even the military (we have 3 ex-Navy officers in our class) - you just have to be able to show that you are interested in working in manufacturing in the future and that your previous experiences have taught you about leadership, working with people, and managing processes.

I also have to point out that a 25% acceptance rate doesn't mean LFM is an easy route to getting into Sloan. This year, our average GMAT score is higher than the Sloan average, and in most cases our stats match or exceed the Sloan stats. The biggest benefit is that, if you are truly interested in a career in operations, they take that to heart more than they would in a general Sloan interview, so you can score some extra brownie points. And you get to meet a lot of great people from a wide array of industries, so you learn about manufacturing careers just from the interview process. The people in my interview group were so interesting that I spent all day finding out about where they worked and what they did, that I did not even have time to be too nervous (well, until 15 minutes before the interview!).

If you are applying this year:
I would highly recommend not spending months of your time on the essays. If you are convinced that this is the right program for you (like most of us were), then express that in your essays and the admissions committee will love them. It is not about having the perfect formatting, the most intelligent big words, or the most expensive consultant reviewing them - in my experience, the admissions staff just wants to hear from you about your interests, goals, and what you can bring to this exciting place. Make them look good, but don't spend days writing and re-writing one sentence in your essays. Don't stress!

I think I took a more laid-back approach to my applications than some of my classmates, so they may tell you differently. I knew this program was right for me, and I put my energy into making sure that came through in my essays. I know a lot of you also have questions about your grades, test scores, leadership/work experience, etc. My recommendation is to not focus too much on any one part. A lower GMAT score can be balanced by strong career plans, and a lack of management experience at work can be improved by leadership experience outside of work. Most people in my class have had 3-4 years experience, and many have not managed people yet, so don't look at some of our people with 10+years experience and compare yourself to them (even though we still do it sometimes in class).

Another thing you can do to improve your application is to visit the LFM program (or talk to a student over the phone/email if you live too far away). We love to have visitors to show around campus and to talk to about how much fun we have been having. By seeing the program first-hand, you can find out which parts of the program are most appealing to you, and you can tie them into your essays. It is one thing to find a keyword on the website - it is another to have spoken to a student about our Domestic Plant Trek, our Proseminar course, or many of the other LFM activities. As I mentioned above, the admissions committee wants to know why LFM is a good fit for you, and they don't just mean the coursework.

Good luck on the GMAT and application-writing! And please let me know, via the comments section, if there is anything else I can tell you about the program.