SDA #10: Are 10 entries still enough for a DS on an application portfolio?

I have never been one to understand how to get an "A" or a "DS." Growing up I was that kid who was friends with the top student/best athlete/hottest chick/most graceful/most thoughtful - you name it they were my best friend/mother/sister. I really like these people but what actually annoyed me the most at times was their need for the title and what was the most endearing was having a conversation with the best student about some event that she was not an expert on, going bowling with the athlete, eating bon bons and watching movies at home with the hot chick, dancing late night to TLC waterfall with Ms. Grace or being there when my thoughtful friend needed someone to be thoughtful for her. I always prided myself on not needing a title. I truly believed that life was not meant to be lived trying to earn something you don't care about but putting your heart into things that add value or meaning to either your life or to someone else's. Thus, getting a DS in a class was certainly not on my agenda for graduate school - although producing some killer projects was and learning AND UNDERSTANDING was as well.

This made me think about my position where I am in right now: on the edge of a DS and competing with those folks who just might have a heart attack if they do not get a DS in SDA. It makes me wonder though - what is the actual strategy for getting a DS in a class where you are competing with the top students in the program? Let's break it up by the deliverables:

Quiz 1: If you did not get a 31 or 32 on this one - you are pretty much out of the running.

Final Project: This is a really tough one because unfortunately you must rely on other members in your team for this one...every semester you see the same people get the same people on their teams...goal being a DS. This is where I heartily disagree...this semester out of 4 teams and 12 people, I have only 3 people that I have been on prior teams...the point of an MBA(in my opionion) is to develop your soft skills while fine-tuning your hard skills...if you don't get both you have missed out...but that is my opionion...

Participation: Come to class, post in first class and make sure to do well on homework assignments

Quiz 2: Better get a 95-100% or you are out!

Application Portfolio: Although Noonan says quality not quantity - better turn in 15-20 to be safe...I wonder if this number is going to keep rising as people continue to push the bar up...

So, how can one create a strategy for this...easily find the place where weakness usually occurs and EXPLOIT, EXPLOIT, EXPLOIT.

Quiz for a DSer is simple...22-24 hours should do it...

Participation for a DSer is a little more complicated because sometimes these folks haven't fined tuned those soft skills so making comments or asking the right questions could be a challenge...but is this really important? They think probably not.

Application Portfolio: an area of distinction here - 20-25 just might beat everyone!

Project Team: Every semester they have created a worksheet or added to their "Dean's List Workbook" and they call these people during the break to ensure the proper mix on their team...they worked 4X as hard those first few semesters knowing that they needed to get on the
Dean's List themselves so they would secure a place on the DS team as well...

Man, if I had just taken this class at the beginning maybe I would have had more potential to get a DS...but maybe we all know this all along and just depends on where you find value in the process...what is interesting is that I was always a 3.3 student...getting a C was certainly not ok because then that would mean that I didn't learn a thing or just didn't show up for tests...but getting an A ususally encroached on a conversation with the best student about some event that she was not an expert on, going bowling with the athlete, eating bon bons and watching movies at home with the hot chick, dancing late night to TLC waterfall with Ms. Grace or being there when my thoughtful friend needed someone to be thoughtful for her and to me these people are so amazing that I would give up a DS in a second if it meant getting to know one of these people a little more.