MBA Gameplan
MBA programs take 5 things into consideration when deciding on whether to admit a prospective student. These things are:
1. GPA/Undergrad school
2. GMAT score
3. Work experience/resume
4. Essays/interview
5. Letters of recommendation
Now I have to start formulating a plan in order to maximize each of these aspects of my application. Here goes…
1. GPA/Undergrad school
Nothing much I can do about this. I graduated with a 4.0, but from a non-famous school. Also, you have to look at my first two years of school at NC State. When I first went to college, it wasn't for the education; rather it was to escape the 2-stoplight town I grew up in. I just wanted to get out of that small town and see a “real city” (much to my disappointment, Raleigh isn't really a “city”). I scored in the 92nd percentile on my SAT, but chose NC State because I had a few friends going there and I was too lazy to go through the application process to attend a more prestigious school. Those applications had essays and you needed to perform community service. It was too much trouble for my lazy ass. I also think that small town mentality had a part in my decision. I figured, “I'm just from a small redneck town in North Carolina and my parents aren't rich. There's no way I can get into a school like NYU,” so NC State it was. When I got there I drank like a fish and partied non-stop, managing to pull off a 1.4 GPA my first semester. I pulled it up to around a 3.0 before I left, but I still didn't really have any focus. After taking a break from school and going to NY, I returned to college with a goal and pulled off the 4.0 from the University I graduated from. I suppose this fact won't hurt me too much because all of my Finance related classes were A's. I might have to explain why I was such a dumbass when I was 18 in my essays though.
2. GMAT score
96th percentile is good enough to get into any school. I'm not worried about this.
3. Work experience/resume
This might bite me in the ass. Because I came to China to marry Emily right after graduation, I have no business-related experience. Also, on average students at the schools I am applying at have around 3-5 years work experience after graduation. When I plan to apply I will only have close to 2 years. One good thing about this is that even though I don't have much post-graduation work experience, I have international experience. I can bring that experience into the classroom. I suppose the best thing I can do is try to study Chinese and pass the HSK before I start applying in October so that I can put one more thing on my resume and hope that my GMAT score and GPA can outweigh my lack of experience.
4. Letters of recommendation
I've already done all I can do with this. I've contacted an old professor and my old boss back in NY and they said that they would write me a letter. Now all I need to do is get a letter from my current employer. I just have to do excellent work here so that I can get a letter from this employer as well.
5. Essays/interview
This is really going to be the crux of my application. This is the part where I can explain why I lack post-graduation work experience, why I need an MBA, and allow me to really differentiate myself. Every MBA class has a few “weirdos” to round a class full of investment bankers, marketing executives, and Indian IT workers. I am hoping that I can fill in one of those “weirdo” slots and the essays and interview give me the chance to persuade them that I deserve a slot. One of the things I need to do is contact the student ambassadors of every school I plan to apply to and ask them about their experience at the school. This will help me greatly. Every school is going to ask, “Why our school?” and it will be beneficial if I could drop some personal anecdotes from students already attending. Every school also asks, “Why do you need an MBA?” I've already somewhat formulated my answer. In China, there are no entry level positions in Finance for foreigners. Companies don't need highly paid foreigners to do entry level work. Foreigners that work in Finance in China have experience and high level degrees. Since Emily and I plan to live in China, I will need a high level degree to compete. Since it is necessary to have a high level degree, why not complete it now while I am still young? The applications for the 2008 school year are not available yet, so I cannot start on the rest of the essays, but I've already started on the “Why MBA/Why our school?” question.
So, there you have it. This is my MBA gameplan. I find that writing it out helps me not to stress about the things I cannot control (GPA, work experience, letters of recommendation) and focus on the things I can control (essays, bolstering my resume, interview). If I do everything I can, the rest is up to the admission gods.
Chinese word for the day: 准备 zhun3 bei4= prepare, get ready
1. GPA/Undergrad school
2. GMAT score
3. Work experience/resume
4. Essays/interview
5. Letters of recommendation
Now I have to start formulating a plan in order to maximize each of these aspects of my application. Here goes…
1. GPA/Undergrad school
Nothing much I can do about this. I graduated with a 4.0, but from a non-famous school. Also, you have to look at my first two years of school at NC State. When I first went to college, it wasn't for the education; rather it was to escape the 2-stoplight town I grew up in. I just wanted to get out of that small town and see a “real city” (much to my disappointment, Raleigh isn't really a “city”). I scored in the 92nd percentile on my SAT, but chose NC State because I had a few friends going there and I was too lazy to go through the application process to attend a more prestigious school. Those applications had essays and you needed to perform community service. It was too much trouble for my lazy ass. I also think that small town mentality had a part in my decision. I figured, “I'm just from a small redneck town in North Carolina and my parents aren't rich. There's no way I can get into a school like NYU,” so NC State it was. When I got there I drank like a fish and partied non-stop, managing to pull off a 1.4 GPA my first semester. I pulled it up to around a 3.0 before I left, but I still didn't really have any focus. After taking a break from school and going to NY, I returned to college with a goal and pulled off the 4.0 from the University I graduated from. I suppose this fact won't hurt me too much because all of my Finance related classes were A's. I might have to explain why I was such a dumbass when I was 18 in my essays though.
2. GMAT score
96th percentile is good enough to get into any school. I'm not worried about this.
3. Work experience/resume
This might bite me in the ass. Because I came to China to marry Emily right after graduation, I have no business-related experience. Also, on average students at the schools I am applying at have around 3-5 years work experience after graduation. When I plan to apply I will only have close to 2 years. One good thing about this is that even though I don't have much post-graduation work experience, I have international experience. I can bring that experience into the classroom. I suppose the best thing I can do is try to study Chinese and pass the HSK before I start applying in October so that I can put one more thing on my resume and hope that my GMAT score and GPA can outweigh my lack of experience.
4. Letters of recommendation
I've already done all I can do with this. I've contacted an old professor and my old boss back in NY and they said that they would write me a letter. Now all I need to do is get a letter from my current employer. I just have to do excellent work here so that I can get a letter from this employer as well.
5. Essays/interview
This is really going to be the crux of my application. This is the part where I can explain why I lack post-graduation work experience, why I need an MBA, and allow me to really differentiate myself. Every MBA class has a few “weirdos” to round a class full of investment bankers, marketing executives, and Indian IT workers. I am hoping that I can fill in one of those “weirdo” slots and the essays and interview give me the chance to persuade them that I deserve a slot. One of the things I need to do is contact the student ambassadors of every school I plan to apply to and ask them about their experience at the school. This will help me greatly. Every school is going to ask, “Why our school?” and it will be beneficial if I could drop some personal anecdotes from students already attending. Every school also asks, “Why do you need an MBA?” I've already somewhat formulated my answer. In China, there are no entry level positions in Finance for foreigners. Companies don't need highly paid foreigners to do entry level work. Foreigners that work in Finance in China have experience and high level degrees. Since Emily and I plan to live in China, I will need a high level degree to compete. Since it is necessary to have a high level degree, why not complete it now while I am still young? The applications for the 2008 school year are not available yet, so I cannot start on the rest of the essays, but I've already started on the “Why MBA/Why our school?” question.
So, there you have it. This is my MBA gameplan. I find that writing it out helps me not to stress about the things I cannot control (GPA, work experience, letters of recommendation) and focus on the things I can control (essays, bolstering my resume, interview). If I do everything I can, the rest is up to the admission gods.
Chinese word for the day: 准备 zhun3 bei4= prepare, get ready
Labels: Life
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home