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MBA INSIDER: SAMPLE APPLICATION ESSAYS Pennsylvania (Wharton): Essay 1 QUESTION: Please tell us something else about yourself that you feel will help the Admissions Committee know you better.
As I reflect back on my life, I realize that perhaps the best way to know me better is to see what forces and influences shaped my personality. I have lived in Russia through times of unprecedented economic and social turbulence. In front of my eyes, the Soviet empire, with all its values and ways of living, collapsed, giving way to the wilderness of early Russian capitalism. I observed the first steps of democracy in August 1991, and witnessed open hostilities in the streets of Moscow in October 1993. I saw the emergence of the free market, its development and its ups and downs. As my country was changing, so was I.
In this perspective, one of the most significant events that influenced my personality, was the Russian financial crisis of August 1998. On the macro level, the debt crisis resulted in an 80% devaluation of the national currency, a ten-fold collapse of the stock indices and a major decline in the GDP. From a micro viewpoint, the financial meltdown almost swept away the emerging middle class. Many of my friends lost their jobs; some of them lost hope in their future. Career-wise, I was luckier, but also went through a paradigm shift in my thinking. I realized how unprotected ordinary employees were in the turbulent economic environment. Three analysts of my incoming class of six were downsized at a time when all consulting companies froze recruiting. After I helped two of my colleagues to find jobs in the less affected oil industry, where I had personal connections, I recognized the importance of networking for the long-term career success. I also saw how determination could triumph over seemingly impossible economic circumstances. I was working as a consultant on a new factory construction project led by our client, a major American FMCG company, when the ruble collapsed, making their business plans irrelevant. Unlike their competitors, the company chose not to shut down operations in Russia. For several months the company's management and my team worked almost 24X7 to review sourcing, brand mix and distribution, and ultimately restored profitability. For me it was a practical lesson in crisis management. I became more independent and critical in my economic thinking. The crisis proved many government economists shortsighted and biased, and severely affected companies that blindly relied on their forecasts. Now I prefer to follow the principle of 'substance over form', and do my own assessment of fundamentals and macro-economic dependencies. The financial crisis helped me mature both personally and professionally. This existential experience made me more discreet, intellectually independent and sensitive to people. Despite the pain and grief associated with it, the crisis changed me and my country for the better, and, ultimately, led me to the decision to enhance my practical skills with a world-class business education. I am confident that my diverse experiences in the transitional environment will contribute to the creativity and intellectual level of class discussions, as well as to community life at the Business School. 
BW MALL
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