After graduating from a university in Japan, I joined a consulting firm as a new graduate and have been working there for four years. During university, I studied abroad in the United States for one year. I am a self-financed international student.

I had a strong desire to work in management in the future, but the opportunities to do so in my career to date had been limited, so I decided to study management in a practical and diverse environment through an MBA in order to broaden my horizons and network.

The reason I chose Kellogg is because of its supportive culture and attractive location. At Kellogg, where team discussions are emphasized, everyone is really cooperative, and I felt that warm atmosphere throughout the application process. In addition, the fact that the school is surrounded by nature and only 30 minutes away from downtown Chicago was also very attractive. I applied to Kellogg because I felt that I could make connections with many people by taking advantage of this supportive culture and collegial environment.

The hardest part was getting the IELTS score. It took me about 20 attempts to get a 7.5 and I was struggling to get the score I wanted, so I almost gave up along the way, but Ed pushed me and I finally got the score I needed right before the deadline.

Ed was extremely helpful throughout the entire process, including CV , essays, letters of recommendation, video essays, and interviews. He not only helped me polish the content, but also gave me various ideas and hints, ultimately helping me finalize it in a way that would have an impact on admissions.

What I was particularly grateful for was the speed of their replies. They would generally reply on the same day, or at the latest the next day, which was extremely reassuring during the application process, which is a race against time. I was mainly working with other counselors on preparing for the interview, but when I asked Ed to help me with that partway through, I was amazed at the depth of his feedback. He gave me accurate and essential advice that was extremely helpful during the actual interview.

Conduct thorough research on each school. In particular, I recommend having coffee chats with current students and alumni to find out real information that is not available on the internet. By incorporating that information in your interviews and essays, you will be able to concretely demonstrate your strong desire for that school. In order to prepare for the interview, I think it is important to look over all past questions as much as you have time and prepare so that you can answer any question with confidence.

I grew up in the United States for a total of about four years from elementary school to junior high school, and then received my education in Japan. I joined a Japanese financial institution and have been working there for four years.

One of the role models I met in high school was a female entrepreneur who graduated from HBS. I had heard that she used the HBS network to scale her business and that having an MBA made it easier for her to return to work after giving birth. This triggered a vague desire to obtain an MBA since high school. Even after joining my current company, I was also influenced by the fact that my boss, who is bringing about change within the company and whose leadership style I respect, is an MBA holder.

I felt that my company would need to start doing business with a wider variety of countries in order to maintain and develop Japan's economy in the future, and I thought that studying abroad for an MBA would be the quickest way to acquire the necessary negotiation and leadership skills for that.I also wanted to maximize my networking through an MBA before experiencing life events such as marriage and childbirth that would entail responsibilities for my family, so I decided to study abroad for an MBA in my fifth year at the company.

I was busy with work during the week and didn't have time to study, so I concentrated on studying for a good score on the weekends.
Since it was my first time taking the TOEFL in five years, I studied intensively for about three months and listened to English podcasts while traveling to get used to English. Since I have almost no opportunities to speak English at work, I made a conscious effort to think about things in English for about a week before the TOEFL test.
I got a terrible score on the GMAT the first time I took it, but I managed to make it in time for my application because I quickly switched to the GRE. I think it is very important to start preparing for the test early and to analyze your strengths and weaknesses and choose the test accordingly.

Because we ensure that no more than 10% of a class is made up of students from the same country, you will learn from a diverse range of classmates through group work, sometimes experiencing national and cultural differences and clashes of opinion, and look forward to building strong relationships that will allow you to support each other even after graduation, while also experiencing moving campuses.

I had the hardest time scoring. For me, who is not good at math, the GMAT was not a good fit for me, as the percentage of correct answers per question affected my score. After switching to the GRE, I worked on improving my calculation speed by solving elementary school math problems every day, made a conscious effort to get used to Quant problems on Magoosh, and for Verbal, I memorized vocabulary and improved my reading comprehension through The Economist.

Since he sees many MBA students, the seminars on trends and strategies for applicants from Japan were very helpful. The seminars specialized for each graduate school were also useful in deepening my understanding of what kind of profiles are accepted and what kind of people the graduate schools are looking for.
The part that helped me the most was my application. I spent too much time on making my GRE score, so I started writing my CV and essays one month before applying, but I don't think I would have been able to apply and be accepted without Ed, who is very experienced and quick to correct and respond. He often replied to emails I sent after work, even though the date had passed, and he brushed up my application, which was in a low state, at an unimaginable speed through video calls and email exchanges. In addition, he recorded the contents of my CV, essays, and interview practice, and immediately gave me detailed advice on how to improve after the interview, which I think helped me prepare my application efficiently.
As I went through the application process I tended to become disheartened, but they always gave me positive and encouraging words, which was a great help to me mentally.

First of all, I recommend that you start collecting information and preparing your application as early as possible. To gather information, I attended Ed's seminars, information sessions at each graduate school, and information sessions held by volunteer Japanese students. Since preparing for the application also takes longer than expected, it is better to start early with what you can do. Personally, I regret that I left a gap between my TOEFL score and preparing for the GMAT and GRE, so it is better to proceed with them simultaneously or continue studying without letting your guard down even after one test is over.

If you have a hypothesis about things you don't understand, and try to research them thoroughly until you can explain them in your own words, you will not only acquire knowledge but also broaden the scope of your thinking. As a new employee, there may be times when you feel frustrated that you have not grown, so regularly review your short-term and mid- to long-term goals and your achievements, and praise yourself for the areas where you have grown. If you cannot view yourself objectively or do not know what to do, try asking those around you for help. The people around you want to be with you more than you think and are supporting your growth.

I have worked at a consulting firm for 9 years and at an investment fund for 5 years. My only overseas experience is studying abroad. Fortunately, I have been in an environment where I use English a lot for the past year.

1) Senior-level leadership: As a fund manager, I face the daily challenge of encouraging behavioral change among CEOs of the companies I invest in. I thought that through discussions with senior management at the EMBA program, as well as psychology-based negotiation theory and behavioral economics, I could get some hints on how to improve my own leadership.
2) Global Network: Every day, I exchange information with a variety of investors from around the world. Creating business opportunities from these opportunities is my goal as a fund manager. As a Japanese person with little overseas experience, I often feel at a disadvantage, so I wanted to make the most of these opportunities through close collaboration with the Global Cohort.

As I become a senior member, my interest is shifting to "how to move a corporate organization." At Booth, I am interested in classes that strengthen soft skills such as psychology, negotiation, and organizational behavior based on economic ideas. I would like to combine these with my hard skills in corporate investment and management to further strengthen my leadership of the companies I invest in. I am also interested in the Global New Venture Challenge. I usually evaluate businesses as an investor (outsider), but the opportunity to think about business proposals as an entrepreneur (insider) is valuable, and I would like to explore how I can contribute to senior members in their late 30s to 40s from all over the world.

It took me a long time to decide whether to apply. I was accepted just before the final round deadline, but I regret that I could have started the process a little earlier. I feel that I should have started preparing little by little every day.

Ed worked with me on my essays and interview scripts until I was satisfied. I was initially overwhelmed by the large amount of feedback I received at once. However, I felt that all of these questions were asking me to delve deeper into my past successes, failures, difficulties, and feelings, so I took each and every question seriously. I am also a somewhat stubborn person, so I was uncompromising in telling him what I wanted to convey in this essay, and Ed gave me flexible and accurate advice on the theme and expression method. As a result, I received very high praise from the admissions department.

Unlike MBAs, EMBA is considered to be a process closer to "sales activities" or "job hunting" rather than "taking an exam". It is important to take advantage of your individual originality as a business person and act outside of the box. Even if your EA/GMAT or GPA is low, you can make up for it with other factors, so please do not give up on applying.

"Follow your interests and passions." 20 years ago, I saw a news report about a hostile M&A by a listed company, and I was intuitively drawn to corporate management, M&A, and corporate governance, and decided to build a career in these fields. Also, dreams and goals that seem far away are often surprisingly close to home, so I feel it is important not to be swayed by the voices around me, and to value small steps.

Because now that I feel I have gained sufficient work experience in project management in the private sector, I want to study development economics in graduate school and get a job at an international organization. Since I was in high school, I have wanted to contribute to solving development issues in developing countries. As a means to achieve this, I studied abroad in France for one year while in college, and after graduating, I got a job at a private company and gained management experience in a renewable energy power generation project for five years. Considering the age restrictions for YPP and JPO, which are the gateway to employment at international organizations, I thought that now was the best time to go to graduate school.

My three biggest expectations for the Harvard Kennedy School MPA/ID (International Development) program are: 1. Deepen theoretical understanding of macro, micro and development economics, which are essential for effective policy formulation, and acquire quantitative analysis skills using data. 2. Learn about political science and stakeholder management, and acquire skills to implement effective development policies in society, taking into account the cultural background and distribution of political power through fieldwork.

The program is small, with about 75 people, and classmates are mainly government officials and central bankers from around the world, so you can learn about real social issues in your home country and broaden your horizons. From my experience working on infrastructure projects in the private sector, I realized the importance and difficulty of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in solving development issues in developing countries (especially infrastructure vulnerability). During my time at HKS, I also took classes at HBS, and after graduation, I hope to become a person who can support the formation of PPPs as an employee of an international organization. Also, since I am what is called a "pure Japanese," I had the most difficulty making a score on the GRE. To be honest, it was the only year in my life that I never want to repeat again.

As mentioned above, I have been clear about what I want to do since high school, and my past achievements and experiences were aligned with that axis, so I did not have much difficulty drafting my resume or essay. However, I am sure that I would not have been accepted to HKS without Ed's advice. The reason is that Ed gives advice from a higher perspective, not only from the perspective of "Is the answer to the question in the essay logically correct and not strange?", but also from the perspective of "Does it express what you want to say most accurately and convey your passion to the reader?" In my case, when I thought I had written an essay that I was satisfied with, and asked Ed for feedback, he often pointed out some points for improvement that were a little abstract because they were fundamental. When the deadline was approaching, I was worried about whether I would be able to meet the deadline and racked my brains over how to improve, but by being persistent and not giving up and repeatedly making improvements, I ended up with an essay that I could think of as "I will have no regrets even if I fail."

Based on my own reflection, my advice to you is to simply work hard on your scores as early as possible. It would be a shame if you had passion and a track record but were cut off from your dream school because of your scores. Based on my success, my advice to you is to be honest and clarify, rather than relying on tricks, what you truly consider important, what you want to work on, and what you want to achieve. Admissions and interviewers are human beings too, so I think they will be moved by the sincerity of the person that shines through in their essays and interviews.

I think it's important to have a long-term vision, even if it's only provisional, and to choose a job from the perspective of whether it is meaningful in light of those dreams and goals, and whether it is a job that allows you to utilize your likes and strengths. Once you start your career, it's important to never stop thinking about what you want to learn from what you do every day and how your experience will be useful in light of your long-term dreams and goals, and to accumulate even small realizations that are meaningful to you. As an employee, you may be transferred against your will, but if you have the above mindset, I think it will greatly expand your possibilities in unexpected ways.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/takashi-otsuki-6a9112296

For those coming from a more domestic company and career background, it is important to explain persuasively why obtaining an overseas MBA is necessary. Since I was applying as a company-sponsored candidate, one thing I was very conscious of was aligning my story with my company’s annual report and its overseas expansion strategy. I first understood the company’s target for global expansion, and then shaped my own career to date and future goals in a way that matched that direction. In my case, although I had a background in renewable energy, I had built my career entirely in Japan. My company had established a Singapore office with the goals of improving fuel procurement efficiency and developing new business in Southeast Asia. Based on that, I set my future goal as using the Singapore office to pursue new business related to renewable energy in Southeast Asia, and I built a story in which an MBA was the necessary means to achieve that goal.

What I am looking forward to most at Booth is interacting with classmates who are highly motivated to pursue careers in the United States. I myself had a very domestic career background and had never really imagined working overseas. For someone like me, I think being admitted to an M7 school and being surrounded by American and international students whose goal is to work locally in the U.S. will be a tremendous source of stimulation. Through those interactions, I hope to change the way I think about my own career. Of course, I also find Booth’s broad range of elective courses and opportunities such as the joint degree with MPCS very attractive.

It is hard to narrow it down because every part of the process was so difficult, but personally I would say IELTS was the hardest. Coming from a domestic career background, it was extremely difficult to improve my Speaking and Listening scores. I got through it by having junior colleagues take over some of my work responsibilities so that I could secure enough study time.

Edogijuku helped me with almost every part of the process. If I had to single out a few areas, they would be school selection, essay writing, and interview preparation. When it comes to choosing target schools, Edogijuku provides extremely accurate advice. My GMAT was 645 and my GPA was below 3.0, so my numbers were not especially impressive, yet I applied to seven schools and was admitted to five of them, including Booth. I believe a major reason for that success was that Edogijuku gave me appropriate advice on where to apply based on my career and scores.
As for essays, one of Edogijuku’s strengths is providing advice on how to make your ideas more powerful and impactful, while also quickly and accurately pointing out parts that are unclear or not fully logical. I believe that is an excellent service.
Finally, interview preparation was also extremely helpful. Many counselors advise applicants mainly through the STAR method, but Edogijuku taught me a broader range of strategies, including the PREP method. Since I was not confident in my English ability, I felt PREP would allow me to communicate what I wanted to say more clearly, so I chose to practice using PREP. I believe that was the right decision. Edogijuku also helped me with video interviews, advising me not only on the script itself but also on how I spoke in the recordings I made. I received interview invitations from every school that required a video interview, and I believe that was thanks to Edogijuku’s support.

For people with a domestic career background like mine, I strongly recommend starting IELTS early and taking it seriously. As of January 2024, my overall IELTS score was 6.0, and it ended up taking until December 2024 to raise it to 7.5. Because I had to devote so much time to IELTS, I was not able to achieve the GMAT score I had hoped for. Reaching IELTS 7.5 with a domestic background is truly a very difficult path, but at the same time, without a 7.5, admission to so-called top schools becomes much less realistic.

Anyone who is already thinking about an MBA at the age of 20 is, in my view, someone wonderful who is taking their career seriously. My advice would be that when you are unsure, you should consult professionals in the field. One major reason my MBA application process ended successfully was that I got in touch with professionals, including Edogijuku, and was also able to connect with other applicants who shared similar goals.
I once failed my university entrance exams. I had performed well in my high school class and had received good mock exam results, but I became overconfident, studied without joining a prep school, and ended up failing to get into my first-choice university. Learning from that experience, I consulted professionals very early this time. Of course, that involves a certain cost, but I am convinced that my investment in Edogijuku produced an outstanding return for me.

Although I had received fairly strong performance evaluations within my company, that did not lead to improved treatment such as early promotion. As a result, I came to believe that in order to break through the barrier of seniority-based promotion, I needed to be recognized by the company as someone worth sponsoring for an MBA, which is why I applied.

I narrowed my focus to European schools because I believed Europe offered greater diversity and an older student profile, which would make it a more challenging environment for leadership development. There are of course different opinions on this, but personally I do not believe that the American model of capitalism is the absolute standard, and I also felt that the European model of capitalism may offer more lessons that Japan should pay attention to.

Because I was company-sponsored, I placed importance on how much value the MBA would offer beyond just helping with job searching. The deciding factors for me were that INSEAD places strong emphasis on leadership development throughout the program, and that it has strong recognition and a solid alumni network not only in Europe but also in Asia. Another factor was that, because the possibility of being posted to France by my company is extremely low, I likely would not have another chance to live in France in the future.

I like to say that time is everyone’s biggest rival. You seemed to manage time well.

I think the key is to work in a short, highly concentrated burst. In my case, I needed a test score in order to apply for company sponsorship, and by the time I started thinking seriously about applying for company sponsorship for an MBA, I only had two months left to prepare. Because of the timing, I only had one chance to take the test. On the other hand, I think it was precisely that pressure that allowed me to focus intensely and get the score I needed.

As I mentioned above, I was fortunate not to struggle too much with test scores, which are generally considered the hardest part. On the other hand, I found choosing a school to be extremely difficult. I applied mainly to European schools such as INSEAD, IESE, and LBS, and each school had its own strengths, so in the end I had a very hard time deciding where to enroll. I spoke with current students as well as overseas partners I had worked with in the past, and after hearing various opinions, I decided to attend INSEAD.

I had already prepared a general story based on my professional experience, so Edogijuku helped me mainly by giving me useful ideas on how to communicate the key points of that story and how to structure it in a way that would make it more compelling.

An MBA is no longer the kind of golden ticket it may once have been, where success is almost guaranteed if you have it, so I do not think people should spend too much money, in the millions of yen, on preparation.

I think it is important to develop your strengths early and build a strong personal reputation within your company. If you have a good reputation, you are more likely to be entrusted with more challenging work, which then further strengthens your reputation. In that way, you can enter a positive spiral, and I think that will help you build the kind of professional experience that can become the foundation for the stories required in MBA essays.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryo-kambayashi-07125351/

Throughout my career, I have felt the difficulties and hardships of startups, but also the joy and rewards. My vision for the future is to scale startups across borders and make a lasting impact on society. My strengths so far have been my involvement in launching organizations from two functions, sales and HR, in different industries and corporate scales. In order to connect these strengths to the realization of my future vision, I felt that it was essential to improve my ability to communicate and develop my thoughts in a global environment, and to have the ability to see things from a broad and high perspective. In the HEC EMBA, I hope to further deepen my qualities as an international leader through dialogue with my peers and professors from diverse backgrounds.

I have been involved in the growth of various organizations in Japanese companies, honing my ability to draw and refine my own vision. However, I had limited experience in communicating with people with different values and cultural backgrounds. So, as a next step, I joined a foreign startup with a European culture, and developed the ability to see things from various perspectives and develop my ideas. However, I feel that there are limited opportunities to be involved in decision-making from the perspective of a Japanese corporation. That is why I want to take on the challenge of an EMBA, improve both my imagination and my international communication skills, and grow into a leader who can create value on the global stage.

The most difficult part of the application process was getting an IELTS score. I started studying in earnest in March 2024, and took a total of five exams over the course of about a year. My scores were particularly unstable in speaking and writing, and it took a long time to master the format. I did not use commercially available study materials, but instead repeatedly practiced and reviewed on online mock exam sites, and recorded and analyzed using spreadsheets and Notion. I made full use of free resources such as YouTube and Quizlet to prepare for the exam. Taking the EMBA exam was not easy, but I was able to reconstruct my study habits, establish my own motivation and progress management methods, and learn efficient study methods, which I will use even after passing the exam.

The most difficult part of the application process was getting an IELTS score. I started studying in earnest in March 2024, and took a total of five exams over the course of about a year. My scores were particularly unstable in speaking and writing, and it took a long time to master the format. I did not use commercially available study materials, but instead repeatedly practiced and reviewed on online mock exam sites, and recorded and analyzed using spreadsheets and Notion. I made full use of free resources such as YouTube and Quizlet to prepare for the exam. Taking the EMBA exam was not easy, but I was able to reconstruct my study habits, establish my own motivation and progress management methods, and learn efficient study methods, which I will use even after passing the exam.

I think that very few Japanese people choose to study an Executive MBA in Europe. The opportunities are limited, and there seems to be little competition.
For example, even if you have only worked in Japan, that can be an advantageous weapon for Europeans as a form of diversity, and with fewer Japanese competitors, I feel that there are great opportunities if your experience in Japan is appealing and you appear to be prepared to assert it.
I hope you'll explore the possibilities!

I think it's a good idea to follow your own sensibilities and have a variety of experiences. I believe that sensitivity, knowledge, and experience are three very important things for people to live.

When we are children, our intuition plays a large role, and we probably try out various things according to our interests. As we grow older, we gain knowledge and experience, and we start to think, "Oh, I shouldn't do this," "I've already known this," or "It's interesting, but it's a hassle," and we gradually stop acting on our intuition. While this is growth, it also hinders us from taking action. If you are interested in going abroad, just try it out, and if there is a part-time job you want to try, just try it out. If there is a food you want to try, you can look it up online and try it. If there is something that you are "interested in," please try to spend your days listening to it and taking action even if it is a bit of a hassle.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/haruka-kobayashi-namekawa/

I am originally from Kanagawa Prefecture and graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tokyo, including one year of exchange study in the UK during university. After working for about three years at a consulting firm affiliated with an audit firm, I changed jobs to a company providing consulting and related services for the nursing care industry, where I worked for about four years until entering my MBA program. In the most recent year before matriculation, I also worked on the side as an independent consultant, providing management consulting to dental clinics within a regional healthcare group.

At the consulting firm affiliated with an audit firm, I learned the fundamentals of business and consulting, and around my third year, I started wanting to build expertise in a specific area. Around that same time, I got married, and because I wanted to have children relatively early, I changed jobs in search of both a shift into a new field and an environment more compatible with raising a family. In fact, I gave birth about a year and a half after changing jobs and took six months of maternity leave at my new workplace.
It was by chance that I entered work related to nursing care, but once I actually started working in the field, I found it extremely interesting and well suited to my own nature, which made me want to deepen my involvement in it. In particular, I became interested in the management of nursing care facilities and hospitals, and in order to build knowledge not only in care but also in healthcare management, I also took on side work consulting for dental clinics.
I believe that Japan’s healthcare and nursing care system is supported by the best insurance system in the world. At the same time, its limits in terms of sustainability are becoming increasingly clear, and in hospitals and nursing care facilities, management themes that are standard in other industries, such as profitability and service quality improvement, are not always pursued enough. With that in mind, I came to feel strongly that I wanted to tackle the question of how to manage hospitals and care facilities in a way that balances the humanism of healthcare and nursing care with sound business thinking, and how to sustain that as a society over the long term.
At the same time, it is also true that there is a strong inertia toward maintaining the status quo in the healthcare and nursing care field. I did not think that, already being 30 years old, I could start working inside Japan’s healthcare and nursing care system from that point and drive change from within. So I came to believe that it would be better to learn how healthcare and nursing care are approached overseas, then bring those lessons back to Japan and create change that way, which is why I decided to pursue an MBA abroad. Of course, since I wanted to be involved in hospital and nursing care facility management, I also saw the MBA as a place to train and strengthen my fundamentals as a management professional.

In the end, in Round 1 I was admitted to Kellogg, with no scholarship, Ross, with a $120,000 scholarship over two years, UCLA, also with a $120,000 scholarship over two years, and Fuqua, with a $60,000 scholarship over two years, which was later increased to $90,000 after negotiation. Tuck placed me on the waitlist, probably because of an administrative mistake in my application.
Since I was self-funded and bringing my husband and son with me, finances were very tight, so receiving a scholarship was almost essential. As a result, Kellogg unfortunately dropped out of consideration first.
Next, I filtered the remaining schools based on their potential for learning in healthcare, especially hospital and nursing care facility management. All three schools had programs or coursework for MBA students interested in healthcare, but among them, I felt that Fuqua’s Health Sector Management program was especially intensive and likely to offer the kind of learning that fit me best, so I chose Fuqua. I also wanted to respond positively to the expectation that Fuqua showed in me by agreeing to increase the scholarship amount.
I felt genuinely bad because the Japanese alumni from every school were extremely kind to me, but as a way of giving back, I hope to treat future applicants sincerely as well, whether they end up going to Fuqua or not.

At first glance, my career path looked somewhat inconsistent and scattered, so it was difficult to identify the logic that ran through the background of it all. Also, the work I was doing full time at the company where I worked during my MBA application period was not the kind of role where I could easily point to things like setting goals and achieving them, producing concrete results, or accomplishing something as a team. Because of that, I struggled to come up with episodes I could use effectively in essays and interviews.
I kept trying to say, by drawing on my student days, my previous job, and my side work, that “this is my theme” or “this is what I bring,” but the more I thought about it, the more it felt disconnected from reality, and I was tormented by the feeling that I had nothing at all. It was probably what people call imposter syndrome.
Once I somehow pushed through that painful self-dialogue and kept moving forward with preparation, the rest was not especially difficult. After putting my child to bed, I used the time from around 9:00 p.m. to midnight, and I would decide in advance what I was going to work on for roughly the next month, then steadily work through it.

In addition to working with a main counseling company, I also sought second opinions from Ed. I would highlight three main ways Ed helped me.
First, because he handles everything himself, from admissions strategy through interviews, he develops a deep understanding of each applicant. He really remembers and engages with people carefully, including their traits and background, which honestly seemed like a tremendous amount to manage. The main counseling company I used had one person in charge before the application strategy stage and a different person in charge from the essay stage onward, so there were times when I felt the support was not fully consistent.
Second, because he works with so many applicants, he has accumulated a huge amount of information. At one point, Ed told me very directly, “With the quality of this essay, I don’t think you’ll get into Kellogg.” I believed that was probably objectively true, and it gave me a strong sense of urgency that motivated me to push harder. He also provided a large number of interview reports, and I was able to connect with other applicants and practice interviews together.
Third, he responds quickly, although of course there may be times when circumstances make that difficult. That speed was especially helpful when I wanted a quick second opinion and needed to make final adjustments.

I am not a returnee, I did not major in economics or business, and I do not belong to a large corporation, but I am someone with many unusual aspects, so I believe I was admitted not as a typical profile but as an interesting one. Your own color and strengths do not change in a short period of time, so I hope you will work hard to apply to schools where those qualities can be used well, and to present yourself in a way that brings them to life.
Also, although I will not go into detail here, after being admitted in Round 1, I was also able to receive a grant-type scholarship from a Japanese foundation. Before that, I had already been rejected by around five other foundations, and even now I do not really know why that one picked me up. Scholarships are far more competitive and difficult than MBA admissions, but if you are prepared for the possibility of total rejection and apply widely anyway, you might just get lucky and have one come through.

I think it is better to have as many opportunities as possible, even just once more, to put into words what you want to do and what kind of things genuinely bring you joy. Also, when you realize that something you thought you liked may not actually be right for you, I think it is better to admit the mistake honestly and correct your course quickly, rather than clinging to the need to justify your original choice.

I worked for about four years at a major corporation, where I was involved in overseas project management and performance management for local subsidiaries in Southeast Asia and Central Asia. I then spent about two years at the Tokyo headquarters, where I was responsible for planning and implementing company-wide HR strategy and global talent development initiatives.

At first glance, it may have seemed unusual that I became the first woman in my company to pursue a full-time MBA, especially since I come from a long-established, highly traditional, and male-dominated industry. In many ways, however, that environment itself became my biggest source of motivation.
What has defined my career has been my desire to build collaboration across organizational boundaries, bring together different perspectives, and create new value. I had consistently taken on challenges with no clear precedent, but I also realized that to keep growing and take on even greater challenges, I needed to grow myself. That is what led me to an MBA.
My four years overseas gave me invaluable exposure to diversity and leadership, but I believed that the MBA environment would offer a different kind of growth, one where I would not be defined by my title or position. I wanted to work closely with people from a wide range of backgrounds, gain a truly global perspective, and push myself to grow further as a leader.

Columbia Business School was my top choice for two main reasons.
First was the location. Being in New York, one of the world’s leading business centers, offers an unmatched opportunity to engage with the front lines of global business. It is a place where you can learn not only about the U.S. market, but also about industries, ideas, and people from all over the world. I felt that the learning environment and network at CBS would be essential for the kind of global career I hope to build.
Second was the strength of the program itself. Areas such as leadership, real estate, and social enterprise matched my interests very closely. I was also strongly drawn to CBS’s emphasis on not only learning at school, but learning through New York itself. That combination of academic rigor and real-world exposure was especially compelling to me.
CBS also has a deeply connected and highly diverse community. I was excited by the opportunity to learn alongside talented classmates and visiting professors from around the world, and I knew the alumni network would be a tremendous source of support throughout my future career.

The most difficult part was self-reflection and essay writing. It took a great deal of time and energy to reflect deeply on my experiences and shape them into a clear and consistent story about my strengths, weaknesses, and values.
The application process also requires a high level of communication skill. One challenge for me was explaining the realities of Japanese business culture and the difficulty of driving change within that context to admissions readers with very different backgrounds. I had to think carefully about how to make experiences that felt natural to me understandable and compelling to others.
I also paid close attention to the consistency between my essays and recommendation letters. In my case, I wanted to highlight my four years of overseas experience, while my essays focused mainly on stories from my two most recent years working in Japan. As a result, I asked a former supervisor from my overseas assignment to write my recommendation letter. I made sure to provide enough context so that my growth and achievements would come through clearly.

I used Edogijuku as a second opinion, seeking support through one-off seminars, essay reviews, and mock interviews as needed. Every part of that support was incredibly valuable.
What stood out most to me was Edo’s mindset. While many counselors focused on helping me reach a level that would be good enough, Edo always pushed me to aim for the strongest version possible. He helped me clearly see the gap between where I was and where I needed to be, which gave much stronger direction to my overall application strategy.
His feedback on my essays was especially valuable. I was already getting input from other counselors, but Edo offered a different perspective that helped me better understand both my strengths and the areas that needed more depth. His advice went far beyond grammar or wording. He often challenged me with questions that pushed me to think more deeply about my values and motivations, and that helped me develop a much stronger and more thoughtful story.
His mock interviews were equally helpful. He did not just prepare me for expected questions. He also helped me think through how to respond to unexpected or difficult questions, which gave me much more confidence going into the real interview.
What I appreciated most was that his support was never limited to application technique alone. He genuinely helped me grow through the process and brought out my motivation in a deeper way. I am sincerely grateful for his passion and support.

Do not compromise on self-reflection or strategy.
The MBA application process is a rare opportunity to gain clarity about yourself and your future direction. When you take the time to articulate your values, strengths, weaknesses, and career goals, the entire process becomes much more coherent. Once you are clear on your direction and your target schools, you can move forward with a much stronger sense of purpose. Looking back, I feel that having a clear foundation from the beginning would have helped me prepare more efficiently and with less doubt.
Actively build a circle of supporters.
Connecting with current students, alumni, and fellow applicants was extremely important for me. These conversations not only gave me access to real and practical information, but also helped me clarify my own reasons for applying and what I was truly looking for. It is also important to be thoughtful about who you speak with and what you ask.
Keep going until the very end.
The MBA application process is long, and there will be moments when you feel discouraged or uncertain. In those moments, it helps to remember why you decided to pursue an MBA in the first place. As long as you keep moving forward and do not give up, a path will open. Believe in yourself and stay persistent until the end.

Make the most of your youth by embracing a wide range of experiences.
Youth is a special kind of strength that you can never get back. I believe your twenties are a time to invest in your future by stepping into new environments, meeting different kinds of people, and exposing yourself to different values and ways of thinking. The more experiences you have beyond your comfort zone, the more they will shape and strengthen you in the years ahead.
Value your relationships and build a network of trust.
As you begin your career, you need to take the initiative to build relationships with others. Trust is one of the most valuable assets you can develop, and it will support you throughout your professional and personal life. While taking care of yourself, I hope you will also approach others sincerely and continue to nurture, protect, and expand the relationships that matter.

I graduated from a liberal arts program at a Japanese university and joined a global management consulting firm as a new graduate. Now, after seven years, I am working as a Manager. I have never lived or studied in an English-speaking country.

During my one-year assignment at an overseas office in Asia, I came to realize four things very clearly.
First, Japanese academic credentials were not widely recognized. Second, after six years in integrative consulting, my experience and skill set still felt somewhat ambiguous and too narrow. Third, cultural differences had a major impact on business, and overseas expansion was far more complex than I had expected. Fourth, I truly understood the importance of English.

If I were going to spend my entire career in Japanese consulting or in the domestic business side of a company, I probably would not have needed an MBA. But if I wanted to work overseas or contribute to a company’s international business, I knew I had to overcome those four challenges. I ultimately decided to pursue an MBA because I believed the growth curve from business school would be far greater than the growth I would gain from simply continuing to work as a Manager for another two years.

What I look forward to most is overcoming those same four challenges. More specifically, I wanted to gain the credibility of a world-class academic institution, build a more systematic foundation in management, take advantage of the opportunity to do an internship in industry with relatively low risk, and be surrounded by people from backgrounds very different from my own.
I was also excited by the chance to put myself fully outside my comfort zone, as a non-native English speaker and someone without an academic background in business. Beyond that, Booth represented a gateway to pursuing a career in the U.S., a rare opportunity to step away from work for a while, and two years to fully immerse myself in an academic environment.

The GMAT was by far the most difficult part. When I first took the exam, I scored 120 points below my target under the new format, with a 575. After that, I took a two-month leave and studied intensively on my own, but I was still 100 points short. At that point, I realized self-study alone would not be enough, so I enrolled in a prep school, and my score began to improve rapidly. Even then, however, my practice test scores were still around 40 points below my goal.

As time went on, it started to look like I might even miss Round 2. I still had not reached my target score, but I decided to take the actual exam anyway, and unexpectedly hit my goal on test day. I ended up submitting a final score of 695. That experience taught me that the GMAT involves a meaningful element of luck as well. In the end, I think you need three things: a solid foundation in English and math, the mental toughness to stay calm even when you do not understand a question or are running out of time, and a certain amount of luck.