I am thinking of applying to business schools next year (2008) for 2009 OR the year after that (2009) for 2010. I know most of you guys are in the process of applying already, and there are probably some "I should have __ a few years ago" in your minds. I hope you could share a few advice or your personal regrets that I could learn from, and eventually help me in my future application.

Let me first introduce myself. I am 21 years old, still in college, and I am in my senior year. I am part of the "minority". I have strong organizational/volunteer work, but a weak grade point average. Although I am likely to average above 3.0 in my senior year, my grade point average in the first three years of college are lower than 3.0 (but it is ascending). I have no post-graduate work experience. However, I do have a small but considerably growing microfinance business. From a portfolio of around $2,000 two years ago, it has grown to almost $10,000 (with a lot of help of course:)) The main reason I want an MBA is to learn how to expand this business, and create a firm or a consultancy that will help other entrepreneurs in this line of work. I also have an internship with a big international agency.

I am giving myself one to three years to prepare myself for the b-school application. Here are the things I plan to finish next year, upon graduating college in February 2008.

1. Study for the GMAT
I have already started (hovering in the low 600s,) and will continue again in March. I plan to allot the whole month studying the GMAT, and start working in April. I will not take the test until I see a score of around 700 in my GMATprep.

2. Extra Curricular Activities
I guess I will just continue what I am doing now. Other activities such as sports should not be a problem. But I am wondering, should I be attending as much forums and seminars as I can? Would that help?

3. Classes
This will help make up my low grade point average. I think I had a D or C in College Algebra, a C+ in Stat, and a C in calculus. I believe I can ace those classes if I take them again. I never took finance/accounting. So which classes should I take? Calc, Algebra and Stat, for sure. Should I take finance/accounting as well?

4. Work experience.
Ok, this is where it gets complicated. I know what I want to do after my MBA. I want to expand my business and promote microfinancing in my country. Ideally, I should be working in a similar field, right? But the small business I currently have does not require me to work 8 hours a day. So I got a lot of time in my hands, and I could get additional work.

I know job responsibility is as equally important as working for a big named company. So should I be looking for a job with lots of responsibility? Should I look for something similar to my small business?

Also, I would like to ask about international experience. I am thinking of studying Chinese in Guangzhou. Will this help me? This will surely lessen the number of months of my job experience. Will this kill my chances of applying in 2009?

Oh, and if there is anything else you guys want to add, feel free to do so!

THANK YOU SO MUCH.