Self intro / Linkedin
My core responsibility is to support Japanese energy company to change their business model under the pressure of carbon neutral


When did you start thinking about the MBA?
I decided to apply an MBA just 9 months before application deadline (never studied and thought about it before)


You seem to have a really good fit with consulting and your company and I think that you did a lot to support people looking for careers, can you tell me about this?
I think “a real fit” is to overlap the place where you have aspiration and the place where your company and society need. I joined my company as a new grad after graduating university with B.A. Since then, I have supported leading Japanese companies to establish their new businesses and business entities (i.g JVs) . My university experience joining several brand design or business creation contests is evaluated by my company which supports clients to embark on the new area under market changing. I feel that consultants who have creative thinking and logical thinking skills are still rare in the market. So, I can feel I fit my company well.

I’m assigned to the internal initiative of new grad recruting officially. In addition, I personally take a mentor role for junior members both mid-career and new grad voluntary. As I write later, I have wonderful mentors (almost “family, brothers, sisters”) to come this far, so I’m happy to support people as my mentors did for me. A lot of different opportunities are in my company, so people can find their ways. By supporting them, I can look back my journey with objective views and it helps me to keep my motivation and refresh aspiration.


You were also good at identifying your areas of strength and this is important in the application process, can you share insights that might help future applicants?
I believed understanding of fits between school needs and my aspiration/experience was the key. So, I focused on creating a story to win in the application process. One big change caused by COVID-19 I expected was being sponsored by the company or acquiring a scholarship may change the game; because the school needs money. Also, having the option to go back to the previous company would be seen positively; schools want to keep good results for the careers of graduates.
So, I emphasized

・My fit in my company and career, possibility of getting sponsorship, continuous my company support to work as a member of leadership team and my recruting initiatives

Also, I assumed that the resume and essay are much more important than test scores for Japanese students. Interview is the most important component; I read several interview articles in which the HBS admin office said that the test score doesn’t reflect Japanese applicants’ English and communication skills. My hypothesis was if the essay and resume are appealing, they will never kick-off the applicant just because of the test score. (I have sense that the hypothesis is true)


You decided to prioritize the first round and timing is important so can you share some ideas about this important decision?
Because my career is not so unique, to apply for the first round was important to secure the seat for consultants. Also, I expected my work schedule would become tough from autumn.


There are a lot of people who apply who grow up in Japan. You took some time to go to the US to study English communications and this was a very positive experience for you can you provide some insights about this experience?
I do believe it didn’t change any impressions of the school to my English skills. However, I learned the importance of what to say in business situations. If my contents and arguments are interesting and insightful enough to people, I can get the seat even though my English is poor.


You are busy as a consultant, but make time to contribute to community activities and things outside work. This is important and can you talk about your activities outside work?
Outside of my work, I’m voluntarily coaching university students who are thinking consulting as their first career to understand the reality of consulting jobs and necessary intellectual skills beyond learning how to use tools(Power point, excel etc)


If you could go back and change one thing when you were 20 what would you do?
I might spend my time abroad to improve my English but nothing has been regretted about my past decision


MIT has the video essay and this can be challenging for people who grew up in Japan and never lived extensively abroad, but you seemed to do well and enjoy this part of the application. Can you give some tips about what made you successful?
The theme was “introduce yourself to your future classmates”. So, I talked about my personal interests and paid attention. My tone and facial expressions told me that I am a passionate and genial person(just imagining my first day in MIT Sloan ). Incorporating several “hooks” to arouse school's interests is the key; interesting key words or using visuals effectively.


What was the most valuable thing about the Edogijuku Services for your applications?
The intensive discussion with Ed. Ed gave me the objective views supported by track records. Also, the list of potential interview questions are really really helpful. I could feel that I had been prepared for all the questions at the real interview..


Do you have any other advice for future applicants?
Only you know your strengths. So, I recommend being open to Ed's counsel and accepting his advice. Also, you should have hypotheses then use him to test it, not just wait for his advice. This kind of collaboration makes your application competitive.


So maybe you could write about how your father or other mentors inspired you and positively influenced your career. It is one more thing I thought about for your unique background.
Their coaching style is to support me to make the stage and ask me to show my best. They repeatedly said “Don’t worry. Don’t have to feel you have to take the whole responsibilities by yourself. It’s our job”. The cordial support has encouraged me to go beyond my official responsibilities. Without them, I couldn’t have gotten the early promotion and the sponsorship. So, it’s my turn to back up junior members!

Self Intro/Linkedin
Experienced 4 years of global sales in the insurance industry, and moved to consulting. As a consultant, I am mainly in charge of project management for large global projects in the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry.
Privately, I spent 4 years living in New Jersey, US as a child, and experienced working in US environments both as an insurance sales and as a consultant. My passion outside professional activities are sports and animal protection; I belonged in the lacrosse club in university, worked part-time as a fitness instructor and am currently a member of an animal protection NGO.


You started your career in the insurance industry, can you share some details about why you joined your company and what makes you passionate about the industry?
I started my career in Tokio Marine because I felt the cultural fit for the company. I participated in the company internship, and I enjoyed how passionate members of the company indulged in business like team sports. I was able to imagine myself in the company easily.
What made me passionate about the industry is my experiences of engaging in disaster support for earthquakes and hurricanes in Japan. I learned the value insurance can provide in times of disasters.


Even though you had success in your company, you joined another company mid-career, can you share your reasons for that career decision?
One of my most exciting projects in the insurance industry was supporting an auto manufacturer to expand business in the EU. I was collaborating with Deloitte Consulting in the project, and I learned how consultants support client businesses in a wider aspect. I always had the desire to expand my roles and business skills, so I transferred to Deloitte through the project network.


When did you start thinking about the MBA, earlier in your career or after you changed jobs?
A global MBA had always been my aspiration as I had dreamed of pursuing a global career since university days. I chose to go now because I felt the learning curve get easier after spending a while in consulting. I wanted to take on the challenge to stretch myself and attain a whole new perspective.


How did you develop your career vision?
It took time, and honestly, I am still constantly making revisions. But I used the opportunity to share my past experiences and emotions since childhood, and I tried to put together a story. I made discussions with Ed, my friends and MBA graduates, and kept on changing parts where I felt awkward or insincere, not genuine.


What was the hardest part of the application for you?
Polishing my career story to become a story which I can be proud of. It took me many trial-and-errors to refine my story with consistency while shaving off my feelings of wanting to impress the school using exaggerated or unnatural stories.


What did you prioritize when selecting an MBA program?
Global perspective and ROI of the program. In terms of ROI, I wanted to maximize the density of the duration and benefits after graduation while minimizing the opportunity costs. Although extremely exciting, MBA is just one of many options in life, and I had many other career aspirations after graduation as well.


How did you come to your final decision about INSEAD?
Global perspective and ROI of the program. I truly believe INSEAD is by far top in these two metrics.


How did Edogijuku help you prepare a successful application?
Ed helped me in two ways. 1. Edogijuku has a lot of history and network on schools and past applicants. Making discussions with Ed helped me ideate what works for me, and what doesn't. 2. Ed is a professional with words and grammar, and I was saved by his support of polishing nuances and squeezing essays in the word limit.


If you could go back to 20 years old and make one change, what would it be?
I would have liked to be more open-minded to a variety of challenges. I was a child devoted to sports only, and at that time, I believed that anything else valued me less. I may not have gotten far, but I feel I could have used my childhood to pursue different activities and perspectives also.


What advice would you give to applicants?
Definitely start early. I was able to enjoy the entire application process because I did not have to worry about scoremaking after the application season began. I was able to stay calm throughout the process and take time to generate my essay stories.

Self Intro/Linkedin
I joined Citi’s global leadership program in 2018, focusing on the bank's digital transformation. In various projects, Citi gave me the exposure to collaborate with senior managers and to think at a strategic level. Also, I’m deeply attracted to disruptive fintech services in my personal life. Both my professional and personal experience guided me to pursue an MBA, where I could have the opportunities to access fintech hubs and to work in strategic consulting.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chen-rong-shih-44b69a124/


You joined a special program in your company after graduation, can you explain about that program and your decision to join it to start your career?
Citi offers the most well-known leadership program in Taiwan. Compared to other offers I received, this job provides me an unique opportunity to take ownership of high-profile projects and to work with department heads to resolve unfamiliar problems. I’m a curious person who truly enjoys learning from different people, therefore this role fits my personality to rigorously collaborate with various experts.


You have a clear vision for the future, can you share how you developed your career vision?
An investment failure in my family severely impacted my childhood and made me interested in finance. After studying various economic and finance theories, I learned that there’s some systematic way to help amateur people, like my parents who suffered from financial loss, to acquire normal returns and secure their retirement savings. My working experience further confirmed the effectiveness of leveraging technology to reach financial inclusion. However, I also see many financial innovations happening in the US but not in Taiwan. Therefore, I aspire to gain more experience working in a global fintech hub and enhance financial efficiency.


When did you start getting interested in the MBA?
I started getting interested in MBA before I joined Citi, regarding MBA as one of the potential career developments. I understood my job provides many leadership developments, but pursuing higher education could also provide regional access and functional transfer. After working for a few years, I’ve grown in my current role and want to further expand my impact on fintech. I found that an MBA can help me achieve this goal, therefore I started my MBA application.


What did you prioritize when selecting an MBA program?
I mainly considered fintech resources and my fitness in the school’s culture. Therefore I narrowed it down to schools that are well-known in fintech or technology management. I would suggest applicants talk with more current students and alumni to learn more about each school's offering and culture.


What was the hardest part of the application for you?
Self-awareness exists in every single process of the application and it's a critical mindset that I found challenging to cultivate. How do my personalities differentiate me from other colleagues? How do I manage stakeholders? How my past experience leads to future success? Every school believes the past success is the best indicator of future achievements. In the beginning I used many quantitative indicators to prove my achievements, however self-awareness is not only about what I did as a single person, but also about how I reached this achievement with other members. Many people are doing unique things everyday so they regarded those as usual things, just like fish don’t know their uniqueness when they are born and swim in the ocean. I tried to talk with many colleagues from different perspectives to understand how my personality helped other team members to achieve our goals. Their inputs and anecdotes are extremely helpful for me to build my application strategy and personal image.


How did Edogijuku help you prepare a successful application?
Edo plays a critical role in every process of application. Starting from determining application strategy to interview preparation, Ed provides constructive feedback for me to keep improving myself. Both at a strategic level and logistic level, he helped me position the best of myself in the application process. Furthermore, he connected me with other MBA students to learn more deeply about each MBA program. Ed is diligent and pays due care to students. Compared to the experience of my other Taiwanese peer applicants, I feel lucky to have Ed as my consultant. I would say I couldn’t achieve my dream school without Ed’s support.


If you could go back to 20 years old and make one change, what would it be?
I would broaden my horizon by meeting with more people to learn from their insights. It’s always critical to step out of your comfort zone to embrace different ideas.


What advice would you give to applicants?
Application is a process of self-reflection. For me, I find the best way to succeed is to enhance self-awareness. I suggest applicants review their life milestones and every decision behind that, there are always some drives and motivations that make each candidate have unique life stories from others. It’s about how you make decisions, how you communicate, and how you think. Those drives could further lead candidates to another unique life chapter in the future, and all we have to do is to illustrate this brightest characteristic vividly to the Adcom and interviewer.

You made the decision to study abroad at Duke before starting your career, how did that unique decision impact your career?
I confirmed that I want to work in a diverse/international environment in my career with Duke experience. Also, I enjoyed my time at Duke, which stimulates me to go for an MBA after a couple years.


You were interested in finance, but why did you decide to join your company?
That was actually my mistake. I thought I was gonna learn more finance stuff as BLK is known for finance but turned out my team was more focused on fintech not pure finance.
Technology has been disrupting many industries. How did you adapt to learning about your company’s unique platform and how did that influence your career?
I am hoping to pivot my career more on the investment side. So I am hoping that my MBA experience will open the door to finance.


When did you decide to apply to the MBA program?
I knew that I wanted to do an MBA when I was in college but I decided to apply for the class of 2024 in 2022.


What was the hardest part of the application for you?
GMAT/GRE


What did you prioritize when selecting an MBA program?
Brand and alumni network. Also location was important to me.


How did Edogijuku help you prepare a successful application?
I knew Ed from my Duke application so it was easy to work with Ed as he also knows about my background. He helped me to brush up my ideas and had a clear essay.


If you could go back to 20 years old and make one change, what would it be?
I would go to US college and stay in the US instead of coming back to japan


What advice would you give to applicants?
Prepare GRE/GMAT/TOE/IELTS as early as possible.

Self Intro/Linkedin
Working for a leading trading company, handled the automotive / mobility business. Having had international experiences when having business trips and being dispatched to a subsidiary in Manila, Philippines for 2 years.


Your company gave you the opportunity to work overseas and gain international exposure even though you grew up in Japan. How did that global exposure help you change and grow your global perspectives?
The business in the Philippines gave me the opportunity to have a close look at the lives of lower-income people in developing countries. I found that various social, political, economical, and religious issues resulted in inequality worldwide. That gave me the opportunity to seriously consider how to make an impact on the society in the future.


Working in the Philippines helped shape your future vision. Can you share that turning point?
In addition to the above consideration toward the social impact, the interactions with excellent Filipino business people, like top managements of our joint venture company, helped me understand that their hungry mindsets for their careers are totally different from a “Japanese Salaryman”. That motivated me to change my mindset for my career.


What did you prioritize when selecting an MBA program?
Diversity and connections to developing nations.


How did you decide on Oxford Said MBA?
I was attracted by its strong focus on social impact, which is unique among business schools. I would like to change my career to make a social impact in the MBA program.


What was the hardest part of the application for you?
Score making


How did Edogijuku help you prepare a successful application?
Initially I contracted with another counselor in May 2021, but I could not get along with her because she did not try to listen to me. So, I changed to Ed at the end of July 2021. Compared to the first one, Ed tried to make my application documents unique through conversations. In addition, he has lots of information about the preferences of business schools and gave me informative tips to show my fit with each school.


If you could go back to 20 years old and make one change, what would it be?
Studying abroad to have wider perspectives.


What advice would you give to applicants?
I recommend that you should be yourself. Depending on your background and experiences, the topics of essays and the time to study English and GMAT/GRE are different. So, please do not be affected so much by others. I am sure that everybody has bright parts. Please think about how to spot it and show it in the essay and interview.

Self Intro/Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yutaka-iwasaki-086331161/


You decided to pursue your career in the insurance industry. Can you share your reasons for why you joined your company?
With the expectation to contribute to the development of Japanese companies and the economy.


Many industries are being disrupted these days and your company is facing many changes, what is the biggest challenge in your industry and how does this relate to your decision to pursue an MBA?
The insurance industry is one of industries which are and will be disrupted, but it can overcome this challenge by transforming itself with DX. I hope to develop my career in a new department to pursue DX where I can utilize my knowledge and experiences in the MBA.


Many schools are interested in leadership and you developed many interpersonal and leadership skills in college as part of your extra-curricular experiences. Can you share how these experiences were and are important to you?
Exactly YES. Developing my leadership is another reason for applying for the MBA. I have been the youngest member in most of the teams I ever joined, but in future management positions I will have to build and lead teams. I expect to develop my leadership skills by working and collaborating with cohorts from various backgrounds through extra-curricular activities.


When did you start getting interested in the MBA?
When I got engaged in October 2020, I decided to apply for the MBA. I got the corporate sponsorship in December 2020.


What did you prioritize when selecting an MBA program?
Related to my motivation for the MBA
The availability of high-level entrepreneurial courses
Opportunities to develop my leadership skills

Restriction from my employer
The term of the programme is less than two years


What do you like about the Cambridge program?
Entrepreneurship: its entrepreneurial environment (located in the Silicon Fen entrepreneurial ecosystem)
Leadership: hands-on projects in each term.


What was the hardest part of the application for you?
GMAT, ILETS, Essay, Interview… All of them were challenging but keeping my mind positive is the most difficult and hardest part of the application. Advice from Ed and communications with other applicants and senior colleagues were helpful to keep me motivated.


How did Edogijuku help you prepare a successful application?
Many sound advice which are tailored to each applicant. I could understand points of essay questions, deepen my consideration of essays and myself, and make strong essays. His support for interviews was also helpful to make a strategy to effectively present myself to interviewers. Moreover, his response was always prompt!!


If you could go back to 20 years old and make one change, what would it be?
This question is like an essay question. lol
I would train discussion skills so that I can think deeply and have my own opinion. When talking with friends from overseas, I feel they are well trained to discuss. Do not be a typically “shy” Japanese person.


What advice would you give to applicants?
Talk a lot with graduates who experienced the MBA application!!
You should have someone with whom you can consult when you face challenges and troubles in the application process.

Self Intro/Linkedin
After graduating from the Univ. of Tokyo with a bachelor degree of Law, I joined a trading company, where I have worked 9+ years in the Energy industry. My experiences range from M&A in Oil & Gas upstream in the U.S and Australia to business development in renewable energy in Asian emerging markets.
www.linkedin.com/in/tatsuro-sato


When did you get interested in an MBA?
I got interested in pursuing an MBA in Dec 2018. While I felt I was well equipped to perform at my work, I often reflected on what I wanted to achieve in my career using my expertise. By chance, I had a chance to talk with my colleague who was about to go to the U.S. MBA, and he talked about the social impact movement, which drew growing attention in MBA education. I was fascinated by the concept and felt that I wanted to learn more about it. I decided to pursue an MBA on the same day and started score making on the next day.


How do you think that an MBA will help your future career?
Ultimately hard skills taught in MBA can be learnt by other means and platforms at a lot cheaper price, but I believe MBA is still valuable since it allows us to access people, places, and opportunities that we otherwise cannot reach out. For me, an MBA is most beneficial in that I can have opportunities to know about social impact and people who share the same passion. Being in MBA, we can do internships, work in student clubs, and take related classes to explore areas we
are interested in. I plan to put my focus during my MBA on figuring out what social impact really is, how it works, what I can do in the sector, and how I can design my future career.
In addition, I studied and worked predominantly in Japan before my MBA. I wanted to expose myself to a diversified environment to know new cultures and new people, which I believe will enrich my life. I also wanted to be immersed in brilliant and passionate people to see how I can perform in a competitive and international environment. Given my motivations mentioned above, being in a highly-ranked, diverse MBA program like INSEAD was the best option.


It is challenging to manage time with your work and family and spare time to prepare for the MBA, how did you manage time?
With my wife and two kids, squeezing my time to prepare for my MBA was not easy. At the same time, I was never alone throughout my MBA application journey. All in all, I did better with my family than I would have done without. Before Covid-19 and work-from-home, on weekdays, I allocated around two hours either before or after work to do MBA preparation. I secured a shared work space close to my office to focus on MBA stuff. Typically, I spent my time with my kids in the morning and studied in the evening since they go to bed earlier than I come home. I tried to minimize overtime to keep time for MBA prep. I was lucky that I had already worked in the same position for several years and was able to manage my work mostly within the work hours. On weekends, I had one day with my family and another for MBA prep. My wife and her parents, who live close to my home, extended full support so that I could secure a day each weekend. After starting work-from-home, balancing between MBA preparation and family got much easier. Without the need to commute, I spent the evening time with my family, taking baths with kids and having dinner together, and then I spent as much time as I wanted after my family sleeps. Again, I could deal with my work mostly during work hours so I could focus on my MBA after finishing my work.
For many people including me, MBA preparation is not a short sprint but a marathon where we experience many ups and downs along the way. Having a wife to share my progress and having kids to play with are my best relief, which allowed me to re-energize even when exhausted and get ready for MBA prep again.


You were sponsored by the company. That is a great honor but sometimes it is challenging to develop your own goal. Share some insights about that process.
In order to make strong MBA applications, we need to plausibly present what we experienced in the past, what we want to achieve in the future, how MBA helps achieve that goal, and what kind of passion drives you in your past and future career. This is the same whether or not you are sponsored. Being a company sponsored applicant, your future goal is supposed to, at least broadly, align with what your company aims to achieve (If your passion is outside your current company, it is not reasonable to get the company’s sponsorship in the first place). This is how the MBA admission committee expects in reviewing your application. You need to be authentic but at the same time be mindful about the above-mentioned context. In my case, what I present in the company sponsorship selection and in the MBA application are
not exactly the same. In the former, I put more focus on the strategy of the company and how I can contribute to it by gaining an MBA. In the latter, I had much more emphasis on my personal story, my experience in emerging markets and my passion to pursue impact in emerging markets. However, I kept in mind that my future goal can be indeed achieved in the same company. All of my essays and presentations share my same passion to make a positive impact for people in need, so in that sense I could keep my authenticity.


You are going to study in France at INSEAD, what are you most excited about?
As I mentioned, I am most excited to explore the social impact realm through internship, electives, and club activities. I am eager to learn like-minded people and practitioners and open up my future career possibilities. In addition, INSEAD is the most diverse business school in the world with the highest reputation as an educational institution. I cannot wait to see my classmates who are super brilliant and unique in their career and personalities. I will be in France with my family for our first journey overseas. I am also looking forward to experiencing new life in France with them.


There are many challenging parts to the MBA application process, what was the most challenging part for you?
Essay was the most challenging part for me. While my passion for social impact was real, finding out my unique story that plausibly supports my passion was not an easy task. It required deep self-reflection and many essay iterations, most of which did not impress Ed and made me work for the next iteration. I ended up spending almost 6 months ruminating on my core essay story. However, once I succeeded in weaving my own story, I was able to tell it with confidence in the interviews.


What was the most valuable thing about the Edogijuku Services for your applications?
Ed has been my companion throughout my MBA application, starting from essay construction to application review and interview preps. To enumerate a few of many unique values he provides, I would start with his candid feedback. Backed by an unparalleled, successful track record advising top Japanese MBA applicants, Ed always provided valuable viewpoints and opinions, which were the important yardsticks for me to know how good (or bad) my essay or interview responses were. I knew that I had to work harder if I could not impress him, and I was on the right track if his feedback was positive. As we have no “correct answer” in an MBA application, having such an authentic and trustful viewpoint is what I could not do without.
Second, I love his swift and flexible service. Ed is always quick in providing feedback. That was especially helpful when the due date of applications was close, enabling me to brush up my applications until the last minute. He was also flexible in providing his service. By charging only for actual minutes spent, Ed allowed me to send many iterations for review in a given paid hour. While the hourly rate is not cheap, I could make the most of it thanks to his flexibility.
Finally, I admire his personality. While he did not hesitate to provide critical feedback when necessary, he kept an encouraging attitude and was always constructive. Thanks to him, I could stay positive in my MBA application journey and overcame challenges I faced.


If you could go back and change one thing when you were 20 what would you do?
I do not regret my past decisions, but I would put more effort into academics in university since my GPA is a disaster!
Also, I would try to expand my world by interacting with people outside my community, which in my case was the rugby football club of the university. Such interactions would have given me more chances to broaden my perspectives and values while I was younger.


Do you have any other advice for future applicants?
Sometimes I felt jealous of people who speak perfect English, have international and unique backgrounds since I did not think I had any of these attributes. However, now I sincerely believe that your life is unique to you and every story can shine if rightly presented. You do not need to be perfect in order to get into your target schools. I would like future applicants to have confidence in themselves and try to be a better version of themselves, rather than comparing you with others
and craving what they do not have.
Also, an MBA application is more like a marathon than a short sprint. I recommend finding people with whom you can share your difficulties and joys. It can be your partner, family, or friends.
Maybe your counselor. Having such people makes you more resilient and your success a lot more wonderful!

Self intro / Linkedin
Yoshiaki Nakayama, a former sales and marketer of a Japanese semiconductor manufacturing company.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoshiaki358nakayama/


You are working in a traditional industry - semiconductors - and I think that few people in your company go to the MBA. When did you get interested in the MBA?
My interest in the MBA started in my college days. When I visited Barcelona for sightseeing, by chance I met one Japanese person who was doing a campus visit to IESE. He inspired me a lot by his passion about his future career with his MBA.


How do you think that it will help your career?
My current knowledge and experience are primarily focusing on sales and marketing. The comprehensive business knowledge that I will acquire during my MBA will help me to survive in the current and future chaotic business world.


Also your university probably does not send many people overseas to study and earn an MBA. I really think that it is a big challenge, but you did it. Can you share some insights for other people who may not go to the famous Japanese university and show how they can challenge the global MBA too?
I would recommend that you mention why you chose your college and what/why you did there. Also, you had better try to get GMAT and TOEFL points as high as possible. Find or create your strengths that can cover your weaknesses.


You grew up in a local area of Japan and did not have a lot of chances to live and work overseas, but I think that you could get overcome that domestic background. I believe people win with what they have and that they need to look at their strengths. You did that by showing your experience managing people oversea - can you share some insights that would be helpful for other applicants.
International experience does not only mean you need to be physically in other countries. Look back on what you have done that could show your international exposure. Plus, there are probably many other applicants who have richer international experience than you do. Try not to compete with them on an equal footing. You have your advantageous field.


You started by applying to the US schools and you did get into one of them, but you started to shift your focus to the European schools. Can you share how you found the better fit with the European schools?
European schools have many more international students than US schools do. For me, working, studying, and talking with people from diverse countries and areas are very important. (You can improve your English skill in US schools, so it can be more important for people who want to work in English-speaking countries!)


You could get into INSEAD, a one year program, and IESE (and HEC), a 2 year program, why did you decide to go to IESE?
First, IESE's solid and intensive 2 year curriculum will help me grow my business base. Second, IESE has been excellently dealing with Covid-19. It has continued to offer face-to-face classes with its reliable protocols. Finally, I will visit the school with my wife. She supported me a lot through the application process, so I want her to enjoy 2 years living overseas in a place that has nice weather and food.


What do you think was the most challenging part of the process?
GMAT and TOEFL were the first and the most difficult parts I had to overcome.


What was the most valuable thing about the Edogijuku Services for your applications?
Ed's sophisticated application strategies, both positive and constructive feedback on essays and mock interviews, and passion to let me get admitted were essential for my application process.


If you could go back and tell your 20 year-old self advice, what would you say to do differently?
Keep improving yourself.
Do you have any other advice for future applicants?
You are not other applicants. Find your strengths and weaknesses, and assemble them into how you want to be seen by the schools. Then, you'll be ready to join real Avengers!

Self intro / Linkedin
I’ve worked for a Japanese trading and investment company for 4 years. I’ve been engaged in upstream and downstream business in the energy field.


You had a successful career in a big and famous Japanese company - when and why did you get interested in the MBA?
Since I was a university student, I have dreamed of taking an MBA. Firstly, I thought I would pursue an MBA as a corporate-sponsored applicant, but I want to change my career and decided to apply as a self-sponsored applicant.


Your future career goal is different from your past career to some extent and you decided to quit your company to pursue your MBA - can you talk about this?
Being engaged in the energy field, I enjoyed a meaningful mission to contribute to supply the Japanese market, but I plan to pursue my dream of building infrastructure in developing nations.


You did a good job showing how your travel abroad in college and your personal experiences deeply influenced you. Some people tend to focus only on their professional career, but I think that personal maturity, self-reflection and being authentic are important to developing winning essays - can you give some insights or advice?
With Ed, I dug deep to find my story. Writing essays is a great chance to reflect on yourself and find what is your true dream. I think your personal experiences form you. Ed helps you realize who you are, and this is the first priority to write essays.


You grew up in Japan and did not grow up overseas or have so many international experiences so I think that the score making is quite challenging. Do you have any suggestions for people like you who did not grow up overseas?
Choose sincerely which one you take TOFEL/IELTS and GMAT/GRE. Score making is long run, so take it easy and find companions


If you could go back and change one thing when you were 20 what would you do?
Traveling in college changed me. If I attended a university abroad, I would expand my horizon more.


You decided to apply to CBS early and this can be advantageous. Can you explain this decision?
I’m interested in international affairs as well and taking SIPA class would be great for me. And, I’m still thinking about a career in the public or private sector after graduation, so NYC location would be a great advantage.


You are applying and you have a family and so there is a risk of quitting your job and going to the MBA. Can you give some advice to people in a similar situation?
Again, an MBA is a huge investment. In most cases, you would not need an MBA, but it is also true that there is a world you cannot see without an MBA. Talk with your family and go the way you believe.


What was the most valuable thing about the Edogijuku Services for your applications?
His style and character. He respects clients and he’ll always be with you. He encouraged me to do self-reflection and be authentic to myself. And, his quick responses were great, you can keep your pace.


Do you have any other advice for future applicants?
To be honest with yourself and dig your own story.
Who dares wins!

Self Intro/Linkedin
I believe that innovation makes the world better. Particularly, innovative solutions at the intersection of business and technology resolve conventional and complex problems in our society. Also, my passion for tech innovation is driving my career. I have worked in one of the largest IT companies in Japan for 8 years. I developed technical skills and gained valuable hands-on experience as an engineer, and now product manager. However, I faced unforeseen challenges to reach my goal and decided to enter the SDM program at MIT which offers the best opportunities to develop my management and technical skills to achieve success in the IT industry.


You originally did a master’s degree before starting your career -how did that influence your career development?
I have two points. Firstly, my analytical and problem-solving abilities developed during my master's degree allowed me to move things forward with other people. By analyzing things objectively and persuading people such as my company's board members and business partners with the number and logic, I have convinced people who worked with me and inspired their decision-making. As a result, my performance in my company was highly evaluated and I gained the earliest promotion to the manager position. Secondly, admissions would be concerned about my past education performance. In this context, my master's degree enabled me to show my education potential in graduate school. Also, I worked as a statistician at an International Organization and a Japanese Government Research institute during my master's degree and my name was on the official publication, which would also contribute to my admission.


Why did you decide to join your company?
I have two points. Firstly, I would like to obtain hands-on experience and technical skills in the IT industry. Particularly, my company is famous for its passion for engineering training. Secondly, I would like to make use of my company's huge resources and presence to impact society.

You have a background in engineering and started your career implementing ICT systems. How has your engineering foundation been important for your career?
As I wrote in the above question, I have a passion for tech innovation to solve conventional and complex problems in our society. I realized that I need to understand the technologies and communicate with engineers to achieve my goal throughout my experience. Therefore, I developed my engineering foundation at my company.


You grew up in Japan, but worked on some projects with members from other countries such as Thailand and Cambodia, how did you manage the challenges in the international team?
The biggest difficulty in my team management was inspiring their support. Through my experiences as a project leader, I consider a people-centric approach was a key factor to make sure all interests get involved in one goal because everyone and every organization have different interests. Particularly, I’m now in charge of creating new innovative products that need many people’s support, and I feel this type of leadership is critical to accomplish great work. Growing up in the Japanese countryside and having lived in Tokyo and Osaka, and worked in Bangladesh, Paris, and Hong Kong, I’ve learned through my experiences that common sense and the self-interest of others are different from person to person. We are all people who have different cultures and backgrounds. The goal of a leader is to have the ability to use our differences in culture, language, personality, etc, and to unite these differences into a common goal to achieve success. Therefore, I think it is important for leaders to understand each person’s interest and background at first to later inspire their cooperation. As I showed this type of leadership, I could obtain international team members' support.


When did you start to get interested in graduate school abroad?
It's around two years ago. Due to my achievements in my company's engineering division and oversea office, I was selected as a task force member to plan corporate innovation programs such as open innovation. Later, one of the trial cases, fintech service development, was highly evaluated and I was assigned as a project leader. I succeeded in rolling out my products and winning some model cases. Currently, I am planning to capitalize on these services by spinning off a new company. However, interacting with many startup executives and developers, including unicorns in Asia, I realized that I need to enhance my capabilities as an entrepreneur in the IT industry to achieve my goal. Therefore, I got interested in graduate schools abroad.


What was the hardest part of the application for you?
In my application process, it was hard for me to consider my composition and content in my essay and interview. At the beginning of the preparation, I did not know how to express my strengths and convey my messages logically to admissions.


What did you prioritize when selecting the MIT SDM program, it is unique?
It’s an ideal and unique program to help me achieve my goal of leading innovation in tech fields. There are three reasons. Firstly, the program is excellent in both business and technology to foster leaders with excellent skills in both fields. That exactly fits my purpose. Particularly, the SDM’s unique program for mid-career that offers customizable and advanced curriculums of both MIT Sloan business school and Engineering School is attractive to me.
Second is curriculums focusing on action learning like the SDM integrated core. It’s not just from books. I can learn how to lead diverse team members to achieve real innovation by involving tech and business. It’s ideal preparation for me to develop and extend my service globally. Also, the classes would enable me to manage different backgrounds and people to solve complex problems with a system thinking approach. Again, it would allow me to design a new ecosystem in this complex industry with international members and stakeholders in the future.
Finally, in terms of the learning environment at MIT, guest lectures from both business and technology industries, and activities like the tech and entrepreneurship club would broaden my view of technology businesses and open chances for my international business development.


How did Edogijuku help you prepare a successful application?
Ed was very supportive and gave me much insight into strategies for success in graduate school admission. I didn't have time to apply because I started my preparation for my essay one month before the deadline. However, he advised me to focus only on MIT (which was the first choice) to improve my application quality and helped me to make the strategy by making use of a lot of his past databases. Also, he gave me his review and feedback quickly on my essay and interview. Thanks to his people-centric approach and supportive mind, I gained the MIT admission even though I applied only for the university.


If you could go back to 20 years old and make one change, what would it be?
I would have had prepared to apply for a Master's degree in computer science at a U.S university (maybe MIT or Stanford), later for the Ph.D. degree to obtain more changes to impact our society. When the information revolution occurred in Japan, around 20 years had already passed. During this period, the world changed dramatically for better or worse (how to use the technologies would depend on our ethics). It took many years for me to realize the potential of IT to solve conventional and complex problems in our society. If I were 20 years old, I would go to the universities directly and learn about the cutting-edge knowledge to lead innovations in this generation and design a new society even in my earlier career.


What advice would you give to applicants?
I recommend you contact your counselor as soon as possible even though you have not decided which university you will apply for because your submission in an earlier round would improve the probability of your admission. They have a lot of databases on universities and help you select them and make your strategies for them while bringing out your hidden interest. They are professionals in this field like you in your current job. In this context, I recommend you Ed because he has a lot of databases on universities and successful candidates. He will support your whole application process.