For those of you who are preparing to apply to business schools in the fall, here are some steps you can take NOW to enhance your candidacy:
- Clarify your post-MBA career goals – clarity about your career goals and an understanding of the reasons why you want to pursue an MBA will inspire you to stay motivated. Reflect internally on your passions and skills, then look externally, researching and interviewing people in companies and roles that you are interested in.
- Kill the test (GMAT or GRE) – most of us could benefit from a prep course. My advice is to study hard, and get the exam out of the way. You do not want to be studying for the exam while trying to work on your applications. Don’t postpone studying or taking the exam, get it done NOW!
- Overcome the skeletons in your closet such as the low GPA - we can’t change the past. If there are some courses in which you performed poorly during college, but are relevant for your post-MBA career goals, study those subjects at your local college or online and try to get A’s to compensate for your low GPA.
- Strengthen your leadership capabilities - continue to seek out leadership opportunities at work by mentoring others, or by persuading others about your ideas and then leading the initiatives.
- Extracurricular – be strategic and selective about your extracurricular activities. If you are making a transition in your career, try to find extracurricular activities that are related to your post-MBA career goal. For example, a client of ours would like to transition to sports marketing, so he volunteered to lead the fundraising for a major charity race.
There are plenty of productive steps you can take NOW to pave the way for presenting yourself in the best light to business schools. As Gretchen Rubin said: “The most important step is the first step. Don’t get it perfect, get it going.” Start the journey NOW towards reaching your goals!
At Marvel Admissions, we guide our clients in managing their time and energy effectively, and we hold them accountable for progressing toward their goals. Contact us if you are interested in our coaching https://marveladmissions.com/contact-us/
Best of luck!
Christine Lin, founder,
Marvel Admissions Consulting
