Helpful Hints

I'm reading some helpful hints from the book "Your MBA Game Plan" and want to make note of them:

Overall Process:

• Develop a compelling application story; weave it through application
• The components of your profile should be multi-faceted and consistent with an overall theme.
• Outside of your professional endeavors, what are your personal interests and endeavors?
• Typically, your motivation to make a career change will describe your motivation to make a career change or to bolster your current career path
• Your message should reflect your ability to innovate and your entrepreneurial spirit.
• Characteristics sought: academic aptitude, leadership, an ability to work well with peers/subordinates, integrity, ambition, etc.
• Your application should answer how your career goals will impact an industry, individuals, or society in general.

Timing

• Apply in the first round for 3 reasons:

1. Less applicants
2. Communicates your interest in the school
3. Best for planning purposes - you'll hear back by January

*If your top choice offers early action, you should consider applying then; less applicants still

Interviews

• Set up an interview for all your target schools asap

Recommendations

• Send recommenders 1-2 essays describing your career goals
• Ideally, you should give them 2 months time
• Send them a sample recommendation, resume, etc.

Resume

• Use the school's resume template to create your own. This shows you've done your homework
• 3 sections: "Education," "Experience," "Additional" Info.
• Be succinct; one page, reverse chronological order
• Place the most impressive information upfront
• Emphasize experiences relevant to your career goals
• Focus on your actions and their result, not on the job description
• See sample resume on p. 115-116

Potential Interview Topics

• What are your career goals?
• How would business school play a role in meeting those goals?
• How would your professional and personal experiences enhance the classroom dynamic.
• In what ways have a I acted as a leader to my peers?

Schools

• MIT values analytic ability, Duke it's team oriented approach

How To Demonstrate Fit w/A School:

• Show you understand what the school stands for and why those values are important. (E.g. Darden preaches leadership - give examples of what leadership means to you)
• Show you embody the traits the school most wants to see in its students
• Show you will become very involved in your business school, from contributing to class discussions, to running student organizations to being an active alum in the future
• Show your penchant for working on teams & that you're a sociable person
• You'll want to show you'll actually go to the school if selected

4 Dimensions a B-School is looking for:

1) Innovation

2) Maturity

3) Leadership

4) Teamwork

Leadership: Examples where you've provided others with direction, shown initiative, managed difficult situations in your professional, personal, and academic careers.

Innovation: traditional intellectual ability and creativity. Can be as easy as finding a solution to an every day business problem.

Maturity: You demonstrate multilayered experiences inside and outside the workplace.

Community Service: It's important to show you have aspirations to help society as sa whole and not just your personal bank account.