James Sherman is applying to Sloan MBA program again in 2014 after being rejected in 2012. Over the past two years, he has had transformative personal experiences that have made him a stronger candidate. He distributed toys to children in Guatemala and did volunteer work at an orphanage. He lost 70 pounds through participating in various athletic events. At his company BlueGrace, he improved leadership, teamwork, sales, customer retention and stability. He now has a better understanding of himself and his passion for taking on challenges and building a business, making him a stronger candidate for Sloan's MBA program.
2. PERSONAL STATEMENT
When I applied to Sloan in 2012, I knew I wanted to earn my MBA,
PERSONAL STATEMENT
but did not know exactly why. Over the past two years, I have gone
through a number of transformative experiences that have clarified
my understanding of who I am and who I want to be. The following
slides highlight these experiences, how they have made me a
stronger person, and in turn, a stronger candidate for the Sloan
class of 2016.
3. GIVING BACK
• In the last 2 years I have
distributed 3000 toys to
children living in remote
villages of Guatemala’s
Escuintla region.
• I performed additional
volunteer work with an
orphanage in Guatemala City.
• Motivated by the effectiveness
of these efforts, I want to
increase involvement in
humanitarian work where I
can make a direct impact.
• Prior to business school, I plan
to spend summer 2014 in
Guatemala to take Spanish
classes and continue my
volunteer work.
4. • In the last 2 years I have
participated in 2 triathlons, 1
half marathon and various
shorter road races.
• As a result I have lost 70 lbs. and
substantially improved my
overall health
• I found that successful athletic
efforts have fueled my passion
for taking on challenges, which
has translated to increased
energy and drive professionally
• I am scheduled to run Syracuse
Ironman 70.3 in June 2014
IMPROVED FITNESS & HEALTH
5. IMPROVED LEADERSHIP
& TEAMWORK SKILLS
• I have established greater cohesion and collaboration at BlueGrace,
resulting in increased sales, improved customer retention and greater
overall stability.
• Delegated daily operational responsibilities to customer service team,
leaving business in better position to move forward without me.
• I entered agreement with business partner wherein he will purchase
my shares of the company when I leave to pursue my MBA.
6. IN SUMMARY
I have always wanted to take an
innovative idea and build it into a
thriving business. This inherent
passion for taking on challenges is
exemplified by the way I attack life
both personally and professionally.
I firmly believe that the experience
of earning my MBA at Sloan will
give me the tools to become the
entrepreneur I aspire to be.
And I’m from
Boston, so I won’t
have any issues
with the weather!
