Filed under: Internationals — admin @ 7:13 am

There is good news for international students who were facing the challenge of finding financing for their MBA. With the emergency $500 million International Student Loan Program created at the request of the Graduate Management Admission Council, many international students at top U.S. and European Business Schools will not have to give up their dreams of attending a top MBA program. International students admitted to top business schools should contact their financial aid officers at their schools to find out more about the application process.

Filed under: General, Uncategorized — admin @ 6:52 am

There are just a few weeks remaining before classes end and MBA programs wrap up their class visit programs at most business schools. Since the class visit programs are not usually available before the first deadlines, applicants who can fit them in now should try to do so in the next few weeks.

Some of you may be questioning whether campus visits are worth it. I know, cost is a major factor, especially for those of you who live abroad or in different states. And one can’t forget the fact that you already have crazy work schedules and it’s near impossible to get away from work. I get it and quite honestly, admissions people know this and can be lenient regarding campus visits, especially for those who live far away from their programs. Now if you work in the same city and never take the time to attend a class or an information session, you clearly are opening yourself up to some scrutiny down the road.

I personally think that applicants should visit the MBA programs before applying, and certainly before enrolling to the program. Would you buy a $50,000 car without testing it out, or for that matter, seeing it? Why would you go on other people’s opinion (alumni recommendation, websites, etc) without visiting a school that would cost you over $140,000? I’m a bit risk adverse and want to know what I’m “buying”.

Five Reasons to Visit Your MBA Programs

1.      MBA Programs like it. It signals that you have done your homework and that you are serious about them.

2.      It can help you position why you are a fit for the particular program since you gain insight into the nuanced culture and what makes the program different from others.

3.      It can tip your admission to your favor in some unique circumstances such as getting off a waitlist.

4.      You can better assess whether the program is a fit for you.

5.      It’s a great chance to network with students and connect with future classmates

If you can’t make a campus visit, the next best thing is to attend an open house event in your city. These fill up quickly so make sure you are in the program’s database so you can be invited to open house events in the late summer and fall.

Filed under: General, Uncategorized — admin @ 6:09 am

There are many ways an applicant can jeopardize his/her chance of admission. One common way is not getting the timing of the application right–that is applying when you don’t have enough experience or applying after too long, and the MBA doesn’t make sense anymore for you.

Applicants who time it right are more likely to have a successful application outcome. As a first step, applicants should find out the age/work experience profile of students at their target schools. It’s not enough to get the average age since the mean doesn’t necessarily paint a full picture of the class.

Take a look at the profile of Harvard’s class of 2010 Complete List From the Director – MBA – Harvard Business School. Only 102 out of 900 admitted students had graduated from undergraduate programs within the past 6 years or more. Majority had graduated in the past 5 years. While graduation year doesn’t necessarily translate to number of years of work experience, there is a strong link between the two. That doesn’t mean that you have no chance of gaining admission to a MBA program like HBS if you have been out of school for 8 years. But knowing that only 14 students with 8 years out of school gained admission in 2008 is important information to have when applying. You should research all programs to find out what the class profile looks like and to get a better sense of how you fit in that profile. Do keep in mind that every MBA program is different.

Three Quick Things to Help You Time Your MBA:

1.      Take the GMAT early and get it out of the way. Ideally, you should take the test while you are in college–consider taking it in your senior year. Remember that the test is active for five years.

2.      Seek Challenging Projects: You can create a track record of leadership early in your career and don’t have to wait for too long to apply to business school. What ever you do, volunteer for more challenging opportunities and build a track record of creating impact. The quality of the work experience is what MBA Boards care about not just number of years of work experience.

3.      Plan Ahead: This is an obvious one but lack of careful planning has caused many applicants to delay their MBA applications, leaving it too late. You should commit to two years to plan and execute a successful MBA application.