After 2 years in this excellent forum , this is my first thread.This forum has given me a lot and I would like to start this thread , where current MBA students from various schools advise candidates . Here is mine: I would not repeat wh…
After 2 years in this excellent forum , this is my first thread.This forum has given me a lot and I would like to start this thread , where current MBA students from various schools advise candidates .
Here is mine:
I would not repeat what you would find from umpteen resources.These are from my own experiences , things which i didnt read anywhere , but which i have realized.
Before starting out , consider all aspects carefully . The order should be
1) Where do you want to work - India or abroad.
2)Are you willing to take the risk of spending something like 40-45 lakhs of INR in two years of time.
3)Are you willing to go through the struggle of finding a summer internship and job independently.
4)Career switch is not an easy prospect in non-Indian Schools.
5) The loan payback would take something around 5 years.
Only after you have mulled over the above , should you go for the next step ; that is of finding about schools you want to go to , and schools you can go to.Remember they may not be the same , but your endeavour should be to apply to the intersection as well to the
other two categories.
Now to decide on the schools is a tedious process , and you should start off on it as early as possible.Even as you block a GMAT date , start going through the Business week and US News websites.You would find discrepancy between the rankings , but going through the school websites , blogs etc , you would come to a ranking of you own , which would be derived from these rankings as well.Some schools will appeal to you more and some less.Do a thorough research. Try to see what a particular school gives a premium on.Some are less-experience friendly , some are GMAT score friendly , some are extra-curricular friendly , some are International student friendly etc.Try to prune your list of schools to 6.Two long shots.Two competitive.Two sure-shots(and ones which u would like to go given no other choice and from where you can expect some aid.).I would advise to go for schools which have larger class size and better locations.
I would strongly favour on deciding at least 4 schools before u go for GMAT.It will save you some dough and you would be more focussed on the things to do post GMAT.And post GMAT you would grapple with the most important part of the process.The Essays! Before i go on, i need to comment on the importance of GMAT. Its important.If you have a stellar GMAT , nothing like it.But it wont guarantee you an admission in the top 20 US b-schools , lower it might.Try to aim for 750+ . Worst case it should not go below 700.The trick is to keep your math strong.dont get less than 50 and if ur verbal is avg , then also you will end up with something better than 700.Only if you perform 60 or more points below the avg you were scoring the practice tests and your score is below 680 , should you consider retaking it.Else forget it and concentrate on the most important thing.Yes..! The Essays!
Coming to the Essays , it always helps if you are in touch with a current student or an alumni , preferrably having a similar Pre-MBA profile.In fact , while deciding on your schools try to get in touch with students across schools. Find out the positives and negatives of a school etc.The insight about a school will be a big help while writing the essays.It would help you to look at your application from the school's perspective and allow you to plug the shortcomings in the essays.It would also help you answer the school-fit question.
Some tips about the essays.Dont spend too much time on them , otherwise it would grow on you and you wont be able to point out the mistakes.Try to write a rough draft , and keep refining it.Get 1-2 reviewers who could critically review the grammar and the feel of the essay.Try to make the essay interesting.Make the "Why MBA" as much as compelling as possible.Try to BE DIFFERENT.Take risks.Do good research abt the courses and write abt the ones which appeal to u.Write abt the aspects of programs which excite you.Make each word count.Make the stories logical.Connect you past , present and you future.Make the thread to run along in the main essay.
Try to get your recommenders corroborate the stories you have written in your essays and the points you have made in your resume.Do make sure that they are effusive about your candidature and that they drop in a line subtly mentioning their vast experience etc.Try to get in the recommendations before you complete the essays.
Dont wait for the last day to submit your application.There are things like career history etc which you might discover on the last day and which would take time.The traffic on the application site may also be on the slower side.
The most important thing is to get in your application as early as possible!That may make the difference between an accept and a reject.And do your research well.Despite my thorough research i realized only after i had submitted my Stern Application that they dont conduct off-site interviews for round 2 applicants , so if you are nowhere near US , forget applying to Stern after Dec 1.That was my dream school , what a waste i made of my dream school!
Before i sign off , i would like to emphasise the importance of patience and confidence in this process.Go through it , step by step.Dont try to hide chinks in your profile, instead highlight the strengths in your profile.That would be noticed more. People with sub 700 scores have got thru stanford and other top schools. All this is possible , so just spread your application between schools well and go get them!!
Good resources
1.BW ranks
2.US News ranks
3.BW forums
4.Accepted.com(the resource on interview experiences is good)
5.Clearadmit.com
6.Pagalguy.com
Bysodus
1st yr MBA student at a top 20 US school.
hey mate, thanks a lot. it was really informative and very kind of u to do so. thanks again
mind telling the schoolbysodus Says1st yr MBA student at a top 20 US school.
amitnsitian Sayshey mate, thanks a lot. it was really informative and very kind of u to do so. thanks again mind telling the school
UNC-Kenan Flagler.
Look at his profile 😛