This post will cover the basics: when, what, where, etc but I've decided to put more emphasis on tips and things I learned along the way. Things that if I had known ahead of time, would have made life a lot easier.
When and What: I've always liked business, even growing up. Being born behind the iron curtain in Eastern Europe I remember wondering when I was a kid, hey how come some economies thrive and are able to produce huge conglomerates, while others aren't? I always wondered if it was sheer luck or if there was something some people were getting right while others weren't. So when I was a kid, I became determined to get an education in business and economics at a "Western school". Well little did I know something as simple as obtaining a college degree would turn out to be one of the most challenging experiences of my life. Relying only on myself in a different country forced me to become more mature and responsible that other kids I met. I knew that I had to learn quickly or would be sent home packing. My whole UG experience was really painful, but I felt an immense sense of accomplishment when I finally did it.
So then degree in hand, I found a job at one of the biggest advisory shops in Canada. I wanted to learn from the best even if that meant that I wouldn't make as much as money as I would have had I gone somewhere else. I knew that long-term I wanted to be in finance. Initially, I was interested in asset management for one of the big institutional investors in Canada (there aren't that many), then as I started to do more networking, went through a bunch of the Vault career guides, I realized that PE/VC is more the career that I wanted. Intellectually challenging, rewarding and with great exit opps. Perfect I thought. Along the way I also realized that the way we conduct business today, the whole incentive system is flawed. Regardless of what you believe the impact of business on human life (especially in poor counties), the environment, etc is, we all know there is one, the question is do you care enough to change anything. I began thinking about a new way to view margins and to give everyone an incentive to internalize the costs they incur, since we currently only internalize direct costs. It’s always bothered me that there's no internalization of livelihood of anyone or any social environment costs that businesses incur. I knew that an MBA was the best way to get me there - I knew I needed the knowledge, the contacts and the exposure to opinions different than my own. I decided to not take the social enterprise angle to my applications as this was somewhat of an add-on that I wanted to work on initially. I needed the fundamentals first.
Where: I firmly believe that school selection is one of the most important factors especially for applicants that have a pronounced weakness in their profile or have very unique post-MBA aspirations.
Another lesson I learned, and possibly one of the most important ones, was to not sell yourself short. You're from an overrepresented demographic? You can do it! You have a really low GPA? You can do it! You're a career switcher and your background to date doesn't have much to do with your post-MBA goals? You can do it! Be realistic but always dream big.
I also decided to focus on 3-5 schools tops but really put together compelling applications. For those of you who don't know my story, just look to the left of this post and notice I'm rocking an awesome GPA of 1.87 (yes that is on a scale of 4.0). For more info on how I overcame this, take a look at this thread:
profiles-admitted-to-top-b-schools-w-low-gmat-or-low-gpa-73999-60.htmlSo I realized that not spreading myself thin was important. I ended up applying to only 4 schools, and got into all of them. I put my heart and soul into every application and genuinely saw myself at every school whose application I was working on at the time. I really think that shows. As you start working on an app, you start liking a school more because you get to know what it's really about. So go to that happy place in your mind and then start writing - be genuine and enthusiastic.
I ended up applying to Ross, UNC, Cornell and INSEAD. Here's what I did for every school:
- I reached out to people on this forum who were current students at the schools I was interested in and also found MBA ambassadors on each school's website. By then I already had an idea of what shape my story was going to take - it's really all about how you present things. I knew I had to highlight the skills I could transport to my chosen post-MBA field and I knew I had to emphasize things I could contribute to the class. I'm very fortunate to have traveled extensively, so I wanted to draw on that experience. When I reached out to students, I asked about: 1) classes with cases that discussed international conglomerates. Ideally I was hoping to hit one about a company or a country I knew a lot about. I asked what the course was, who taught it and the gist of the case discussed. 2) clubs - this is a big one for US schools. Schools in Europe don't care nearly as much. But if you're applying to a school in the US, understand that clubs play an instrumental role in providing industry-specific intelligence and an extensive network of contacts. Most clubs have a website, just email the president and say that you're an aspiring student, give them a 1-2 sentence background on yourself and see if you could ask a couple of questions. Chances are that the folks you come across will be friendly and willing to help. I learned that if you're truly passionate about something and are able to communicate that passion, people will do whatever they can to help you (key for interviews as well). I asked about the future direction of the club, how the most recent recruiting season shook out, and what qualities/background they think an officer of their club should possess.
- I read blogs, the school website, employment reports, memos and press releases. I wanted to know specific facts that were pertinent to the industry I was interested in as well as the broad direction of the school. All schools are somewhat different, but there're a lot of similarities at the core. I'd even argue that beyond a certain point (yes they all have a somewhat unique culture), they're all pretty much the same. Capturing those nuances however, is what’s going to make you stand out. Most people don't bother to do that much research though, so great potential to be realized there.
- Went to MBA conferences and fairs. Tried to get face time with someone from admissions at the schools I was interested in. They won't remember you later, so don't try to impress them - just ask questions you genuinely want to know the answer to, and also don't forget to take their card. Voila, now you have a contact at the school (only use as needed, stating the obvious here but being pesky won't get you far). Also a lot of the apps ask for people you've talked to at their school. Now you have this cool card in your back pocket. Add that to the list of students and alumni you've already reached out to.
- Scheduled school visits. Those are a bit overrated. Yes, it's the only way to know how you truly feel about a school and there's so much those glossy brochures, which by now are flooding your mailbox, would never be able to convey. So by all means, if you don't live too far, try to visit the school, but don't expect to learn anything too earth-shattering for the most part. Those emails you've been exchanging with current students are likely to give you more fodder for your essays/interviews than a school presentation ever would. Prior to visiting, I also emailed a couple of the current students I had been exchanging emails with and asked if they'd have time to chat over a quick cup of coffee. That's how I met in person a whole bunch of current students. By then I knew a lot about the school, but I always knew there's more to learn so every time I went with an open mind and an open heart hoping that someone would teach me something new, give me a new perspective I never thought about.
- last but not least:
use this forum early and use it often – it’s free and its members are some of the most driven, intelligent and friendly folks you’ll meet in any online community. Become a regular, let us get to know you and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There’s a huge wealth of information out there that’s taken years to compile, take advantage of it!
None of the above advice is particularly earth-shattering and it’s stuff you encounter on multiple posts on this forum, but if you do the above, I guarantee you your essays and your whole story will stand out from the rest of the pack. That’s a HUGE leg up right there.
I'm not going to go into much detail about every school I applied to (there're a few items in my INSEAD vs Ross vs Cornell thread), but in the end it came down to location and post-MBA goals for me. Since after this whole ordeal (and now that I know myself a lot better - which might just be the biggest benefit of this whole experience), I have finally decided that I'll be pursuing a GM rotational program.
Anyway, I’m going to wrap up before I put you all to sleep, but seriously this whole process has been incredible. I learned a lot about myself, met some wonderful people and now have a shot at a life I never had before. I want to thank everyone on here who has helped me along the way. The least I can do is pass along the knowledge and help others offered when I needed it. I hope this helps someone out there and best of luck as you embark on this journey of a lifetime.
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11 May 2009, 22:18
