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How important is volunteer work when applying for MBA?
 

triadelection's picture
PE
 
Points)
 on 4/9/08 at 12:21am

Will volunteer work make you stand out when applying to top MBAs?

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4damoney's picture

GPA and GMAT

CF
(Baboon, 130
 
Points)
 on 4/9/08 at 12:26am

That is what matters...and where you went to for undergrad. I dont think volunteer work helps you stand out all that much unless you have been doing it for 4 plus years and you can talk about it in your personal statement.

srr636's picture

uhm....essays and work

IB
 
Points)
 on 4/9/08 at 1:13am

uhm....essays and work experience? are you kidding that gmat and gpa are the most important things? have you looked at the 80% ranges for bschool lately?

aachimp's picture

what about extracurriculars

ST
(Gorilla, 673
 
Points)
 on 4/9/08 at 3:07am

how important are extracurriculars in college? prefer a response from someone who's been through the process.

mlamb93's picture

Are you joking milkman?

IB
(Orangutan, 271
 
Points)
 on 4/9/08 at 8:09am

GPA is the most dated piece of information on your application. Your GMAT can keep you out of the running, but it cannot get you in. Work experience and essays are by far the most important.

junkbondswap's picture

ECs during college are not

(King Kong, 1,723
 
Points)
 on 4/9/08 at 9:47am

ECs during college are not nearly as important as ECs post-graduation...adcomms want to ensure that you are a well-rounded candidate who is proficient at time-management and interested in things outside of work. Obviously, adcomms are cognizant of the absurd hours in IB but they still expect that you get involved in something outside of work for a few hours a week.

I would agree with mlamb that W/E and essays are the most important aspects of your application and GPA/GMATs are often deal-breakers if you are not within a certain range.

triadelection's picture

thanks for the input guys.

PE
 
Points)
 on 4/9/08 at 6:24pm

thanks for the input guys.

Devils Advocate's picture

How the hell am I going to

IB
 
Points)
 on 4/10/08 at 1:51pm

How the hell am I going to find time for ECs...working 80-90 hour weeks

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MBAApply's picture

You do it in college.

EN
(King Kong, 1,006
 
Points)
 on 4/14/08 at 3:52pm

You do it in college.

That's why if you're a banker, your chances at certain b-schools are already "set" by the time you start the job right out of college, because your analyst stint will be more or less comparable to every other analyst, and it won't be the thing that sets you apart -- other than "brand" of your employer (i.e. bulge bracket vs. middle market, etc.).

If you didn't do much in college and are a banker, then all you can do is just put in your applications and hope for the best -- or, quit after your 1st or 2nd year analyst stint, and do something else for a year or two (i.e. work at a nonprofit, join the Peace Corps, work in brand marketing, etc.).

It's not about community service for the sake of community service -- from a b-school admissions standpoint, it's showing that you're not just a one-dimensional finance geek -- to show that you are more than your job (and if you don't have much outside of work or in college, then it's going to be much harder to show that).

Alex Chu

Alex Chu
www.mbaapply.com

srr636's picture

alex - what sorts of ECs

IB
 
Points)
 on 4/14/08 at 4:11pm

alex - what sorts of ECs help? i mean it's it pretty irrelevant 4 years down the road if i was president of my sorority in college or if i was on the board of a nonprofit isn't it? i can see things that are more tangible - ie starting a company or athletics being more helpful...?

mlamb93's picture

it's tough to say

IB
(Orangutan, 271
 
Points)
 on 4/14/08 at 4:50pm

you really can't rank EC's in terms of which is better on an application. anything that stands out that you've excelled in aside from work is a positive.

on that note, i wouldn't recommend citing a startup business as an EC. if you're trying to sell the admissions committee on the notion that it was (or is) ultimately successful, why would you want to leave the workforce for 2 years to get your MBA? if that were the case, the opportunity cost of you sitting in a classroom is huge. remember: b-school is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself.

MBAApply's picture

As mlamb93 said, you can't

EN
(King Kong, 1,006
 
Points)
 on 4/14/08 at 6:24pm

As mlamb93 said, you can't rank order extracurriculars.

Put it this way. You've either done something worthwhile and interesting with your time, or you have not. There is "busy work" , and there is "fulfilling" work when it comes to extracurriculars. You don't do "fulfilling" work as resume filler. You do it because you want to do it.

Your resume is a reflection of who you are, not the reason for who you are.

If you want to build a legacy or a life that has an iota of meaning or fulfillment to you, you have to stop thinking about "what looks good" to an adcom, employer, etc. and start working on what you want to do, period, regardless of what others think.

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who spend all their time window dressing themselves with superfluous things and external validation (whether it's their resume, their zip code, etc.), and there are those who can cut through the bullshit and focus on what's important to them. Choose.

The "what kinds of extracurriculars should I do?" seems to be one of those common questions that comes up, and when you really think about it - that's something only you can answer, because it's your life. We all have different talents and values -- go live them.

And you know what? That's what adcoms in some sense look for too - or at least that's what they try to do. It's business school after all - you're going to get your share of shallow, superficial and vacuous drones looking to punch their card, but they do want to minimize that all they can. By presenting yourself as "window dressed", you don't do yourself any favors.

So the most helpful activities are the activities you genuinely want to do - because that will come through in your actions, enthusiasm and even how you express yourself either in writing or in person.

Alex Chu

Alex Chu
www.mbaapply.com

numi's picture

MBAApply

HF
(Gorilla, 610
 
Points)
 on 4/14/08 at 6:48pm

Alex, thanks again for dropping the knowledge. Always appreciate your posts here.

Alphaholic's picture

Great advice, Alex. Don't

CO
 
Points)
 on 4/18/08 at 2:26pm

Great advice, Alex. Don't ever be cookie-cut!

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