chauncey24 wrote:
Hello all:
I am currently a deferred admit for a top business school, and will be starting in the Fall of 2013. What advice would you give for making the best use of the 18 months I have left before beginning my graduate work.
Think of your deferral year as a free call option with unlimited upside!
You've locked in a great thing - business school! - so now take some time to overweight professional risk you haven't tolerated in the past or simply just enjoy yourself!
Were you working a job that you hated just to have a perfect b-school resume? If so, and if your personal finances / student loan eligibility allow it, I'd consider leaving that job and doing something that you dreamed of doing but couldn't stomach the risk. Work for somebody you really respect and could learn a lot from who but can't pay you or can't pay you in cash (but could potentially pay you in equity). Consider a start-up that you could flesh out a little bit before looking for a partner / co-founder in b-school.
Do the things you'd like to do if climbing professional ranks at a pedigreed firm didn't matter too much - but *DO* keep in mind that you'll have to defend this year to future employers when you are recruiting for summer internships once you get to business school. Still, I think you could spin almost any story from a recruiting standpoint as long as you can prove that you were intentional with your time and taking wise risks.
From a personal enrichment standpoint, I'd also recommend traveling *for fun* this year if you can swing it professionally and financially. Especially if you are considering moving to a place that is different from where you currently live today, you should use this year to scope out different cities where you could see yourself living or doing business or learning about cultures that may be important from a personal and professional standpoint to you later. It's no coincidence that top-tier MBAs are usually well-traveled, curious people. Globally-oriented, open-minded people are generally better business people.