MBA admission questions
Hi everyone. Got several questions to ask on the admission process.
1. Do I need to show the Admission board my contract to prove my previous working experience? If not, how would they know if I was lying on my resume or even recommendations.
2. I really don't have any "true" leadership experience, and I don't think my entry-level position will give me any of that in the near future. Anything to make up for that? I don't think join any other organizations will be an option since I work almost 15 hours a day.
3.I went to a target but I was under some financial pressure, so I took a lot of courses, combined with my AP credits, I was able to graduate in 2.5 years. As a result my GPA is only 3.35. Would that give my apps a negative impact? I did take the GMAT and got 740 on my first try. I think if I work on it I could definitely get to 780 or higher.
Any advice is welcomed. Thanks.
And sorry if there was any typo, I can't even keep my eyes opening...
Hi, I attended a one-year MBA
Hi, I attended a one-year MBA in Europe (top 20 global program) and here are my comments based on my experience in applying for and getting into the program:
1. Contract not required. I think they verify it with the company. But if you don't intend to lie on your resume, why are you worried? Even if they ask you for any document, you can easily give it to them, right? If you are honest in your application, don't waste your time thinking about this.
2. Leadership does not necessarily mean having a team reporting to you. I can't answer it for your specific situation unless I know your background. But if you coordinated with other teams for getting a project completed or took ownership of a task and got support teams to compete their jobs, that shows leadership too. It could also be something you undertook from your undergrad experience.
3. 740 is as good a GMAT score as any (I had 730) - GMAT is most often used as a filter to weed out ppl with a low score. Incremental scores above the 720-740 range don't make much difference imo. You should focus on putting the other parts of your application in order so you have a complete package than just focusing on the GMAT. Most ppl forget GMAT is just one part of the application and even a score of 800 will not guarantee you a place at HBS. Do well in your essays and recos and you have a good chance.
See my WSO blog
Go for the 780 GMAT.
Go for the 780 GMAT.
See my other WSO blog posts
Bottom line: A lot of people
Bottom line: A lot of people applying to b-school work 15 hours a day and still have awesome leadership experience. There's a lot of ways to get it, so be a little creative. It helps to have had awesome leadership experience in college (e.g. captain/athlete, leader of big student org, etc.) because that sets a nice base, but if not, you can still do things to get experience.
1) Organize some sort of event. It's pretty easy to arrange a happy hour for charity. Find a charity you like, and preferably, that speaks to your background, think of a reason for doing the happy hour that will get people out, and just do it. Email blasts, facebook, twitter, evites, etc..
2) Do something internally at work. Just cause you're a entry level analyst/consultant/whatever you are doesn't mean you can't find leadership roles. You might not lead a client meeting with the CEO, but that's just one form. Lead the next company event (happy hour, outing, whatever), put together a triathlon team (or Team X that meshes with your interests), lead an internal project working closely with a higher up person (which also helps you for recs down the road).
There are honestly so many ways to get leadership roles without spending ridiculous amounts of weekend/outside of work time, and saying that you work too much to do them is exactly why you'll fall below someone that works just as much, but took the time to be creative and accomplish some things.
Just my $.02. Finding these leadership roles can actually be a mildly rewarding part of the application experience.
BGP2587: Bottom line: A lot
Bottom line: A lot of people applying to b-school work 15 hours a day and still have awesome leadership experience. There's a lot of ways to get it, so be a little creative. It helps to have had awesome leadership experience in college (e.g. captain/athlete, leader of big student org, etc.) because that sets a nice base, but if not, you can still do things to get experience.
1) Organize some sort of event. It's pretty easy to arrange a happy hour for charity. Find a charity you like, and preferably, that speaks to your background, think of a reason for doing the happy hour that will get people out, and just do it. Email blasts, facebook, twitter, evites, etc..
2) Do something internally at work. Just cause you're a entry level analyst/consultant/whatever you are doesn't mean you can't find leadership roles. You might not lead a client meeting with the CEO, but that's just one form. Lead the next company event (happy hour, outing, whatever), put together a triathlon team (or Team X that meshes with your interests), lead an internal project working closely with a higher up person (which also helps you for recs down the road).
There are honestly so many ways to get leadership roles without spending ridiculous amounts of weekend/outside of work time, and saying that you work too much to do them is exactly why you'll fall below someone that works just as much, but took the time to be creative and accomplish some things.
Just my $.02. Finding these leadership roles can actually be a mildly rewarding part of the application experience.
BGP is 110% right. Leadership is simply getting people to follow you. I would say it's even more impressive when someone can lead without the benefit of a formal title or role. Try to take initiative on a certain project or with a client and gain the buy-in of your manager, team, or another department (whatever makes sense). This definitely shows leadership (and might even get you promoted).
As for the GMAT, unless your 740 is entirely made up of verbal do not waste your time retaking the exam. The ROI on a 780 is not as high as you think it is. You will get dinged faster with a 780 but no leadership experience than you would with a 740 and informal leadership experiences. It's up to you to think outside of the box in terms of beefing up this aspect of your profile. My advice is to pursue leadership in areas in which you are truly interested. Your results will be that much greater when you're engaged in something you really want to do.
The 3.35 is pretty neutral. It's not so low that you would need to explain your grades in the optional essay, but it's also not impressive either. What was your major? The 3.35 will work harder for you if you had a more difficult major (i.e. engineering, physics, math, etc.). The GMAT alone won't offset your GPA as schools use them as two different measures of academic ability. You could take 1-2 quant classes if you feel that your transcript lacks rigor. If you've already taken the classes in undergrad and gotten a B or better then I'd say to let it ride and focus on the other aspects of your profile.
Kazmott: 1. Do I need to
1. Do I need to show the Admission board my contract to prove my previous working experience? If not, how would they know if I was lying on my resume or even recommendations.
Hi Kazmott, here are some quick answers to your quick questions.
They will do background checks. Also, good have have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile.
They also have been known to call or verify recommenders. That's why they ask the recommender to use their official email rather than their gmail type accounts
2. I really don't have any "true" leadership experience, and I don't think my entry-level position will give me any of that in the near future. Anything to make up for that? I don't think join any other organizations will be an option since I work almost 15 hours a day.
If you are applying now and have only a few years of experience and are just doing entry-level work, then, well, it's going to be tough. But do be wary of a narrow view of leadership. Posters above have given some good ideas, but leadership is also about character -- if you've stood up for something unpopular and rallied the troops around your position, or if you took initiative when no one else did, or even if you mediated a sticky problem between coworkers. Leadership can be defined in a very broad way.
3.I went to a target but I was under some financial pressure, so I took a lot of courses, combined with my AP credits, I was able to graduate in 2.5 years. As a result my GPA is only 3.35. Would that give my apps a negative impact? I did take the GMAT and got 740 on my first try. I think if I work on it I could definitely get to 780 or higher.
Depends on where you went to school, what courses you took.
Don't retake the GMAT.
Sounds to me like you are very young age-wise then, and I think that will make it hard at some of the top schools because they are looking for some street-savvy too, and if you are 22, they will probably prefer you wait. Having said that, I am making some assumptions like you are applying right now.
If you've got follow up questions, can I pimp for my WSO thread? http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/b-school-qa-...
-- been away for a few days because the R1 deadlines are starting in just a few days and everyone's a procrastinator!
thanks!
Betsy Massar
Check out my B-School Q&A Forum on WSO
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Founder of MasterAdmissions.com
bankerella: Go for the 780
Go for the 780 GMAT.
Don't bother a 740 is fine, you're better off spending that time on your apps.