So I started getting to know my future classmates. Interestingly enough, until now, of around ten people from Japan who have been offered a place at Oxford, ~50% are foreigners.
To give some idea about few of profiles:
Japanese
More than five years work experience with a Japanese Bank, M&A advisory.
He looks forward to the Oxford experience.
Australian
Works for a placement consulting company (executive search).
Aims to run his own consulting company post MBA.
Japanese
More than ten years work experience with a Foreign bank. Product management.
His objective is to gain further expertise in leadership skills and progress in his field.
Indian
Technology senior analyst at a leading investment bank. More than eight years experience.
Has the objective of transitioning from technology to business side.
Chinese
Accountant in back office of a leading investment bank with more than five years experience.
Going to Oxford for a life-changing experience.
In our facebook group, I can count 15 nationalities already (two more rounds of admission are pending before 2011 batch starts). So there will be more.
Last year's class has students from 48 countries!
Many of them are married and will be living in Oxford with their spouse.
The wives of my seniors had only good things to say about their experience at Oxford - how fully engaged their schedules were, traveling, socializing and few even taking up courses to study.
If you have noticed, the school chooses people who are already at a certain level of maturity and can be a good fit for the overall-class. Average age is 29-30.
Having said that, there are also few younger people in the class (with experience of 2-3years). Most of them I talked to have an entrepreneurial flair. They are either inheriting family business or plan to roll out something on their own. Also, many social entrepreneurs, who plan to work with NGOs or launch their companies which will benefit the mankind.
The Japanese I have talked to, regarding their admission experience, told me about the challenge on TOEFL. It seems that the high requirements for TOEFL score is an obstacle for many people from here.
But if you have studied from, say, an University which teaches in English or have worked abroad for a long time enough that you feel your English is fluent, you can write to the admission office requesting for your application to be accepted without TOEFL exam. Of course, your GMAT (specially the English section), essays and application should be strong enough for them to accept this request.
In case you are reading this, then you already have the curiosity.
In addition, if you have the passion, zeal and enough sense of adventure, then go for it!
Why should a small hurdle like TOEFL stop you? After all, Thomas Paine has said "What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly."
In case you are wondering why the post is CC-Lemon, it is tangy and bubbly drink; at the same time, you know it is healthy -- will do you good. I have a similar feeling while socializing with my diverse and elite group of classmates. The feeling of drinking CC-Lemon(^^)
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