Why Get an MBA?

Why go to business school? The answer can be nearly anything, but it’s almost always about moving forward.

By its very nature, business school is a means to an end. The benefits of business school are numerous: it can help us reach our goals, advance in our careers, and become better people.

At Kaplan, we have thousands and thousands of success stories—stories of people who, just like you, figured out how to get an MBA and made the decision to pursue it. Each of them answered the question, “why go to business school?” differently; what they had in common was a clear image in their minds of who they wanted to be and—most importantly—the will to go for it.

One such individual is Jennifer Shoemaker, a certified public accountant, marathon runner, and amateur boxer. To land her dream job and take her career to the next level, she needed an advanced accounting degree from a top business school.

After prepping with Kaplan and figuring out how she could maximize the benefits of business school for herself and her vision of the good life, Shoemaker got into the University of Notre Dame, earned her master’s in accountancy, and was on her way.

So, when the time was right, how did Shoemaker answer that question that every prospective MBA signing up for the GMAT asks him or herself at some point: Why go to business school?

Q: What made you decide to go to business school?

I had a job offer from a company that I really wanted to work for, but the offer was conditional upon earning an advanced degree from a top business school.

 Q: Oh, that’s all? How did you do it?

As soon as I knew what I had to do to get where I wanted to go, I started researching how to get an MBA. To get into a top business school, you absolutely must have a high GMAT score, regardless of how well you did in undergrad. So, I walked into my Kaplan center and asked for a tutor.

 Q: Tell us about your Kaplan GMAT experience.

I was extremely lucky! I stopped in the Kaplan center over winter break and the only person working there was the center manager. He previously was a GMAT instructor and a tutor, but had moved into a management role and wasn’t taking on any students at the time. However, he still took me on as a student and sat with me for a month straight, coaching me on the GMAT.

I knew he was extremely busy with his other responsibilities being a manager, but he never once made me feel like I was imposing on his time. My GMAT tutor worked longer days just so that he could help me. He taught me the logistics of the exam—what it tests, how it tests, what to expect, how to pace myself.

He also put in the extra effort to teach me to believe in myself and to attack the exam with confidence. To this day, my tutor remains one of the most influential people I’ve met in my life. I will forever be appreciative of everything he did for me.

Q: How did you go from prepping for the GMAT to going to business school?

After endless multiple choice questions and sleepless nights of GMAT studying, I took my exam and earned the score I needed to get into the business school I wanted to go to. I was later accepted at the University of Notre Dame, where I ultimately received my master’s in accountancy, which then led to my first job at a Big Four public accounting firm.

Q: Do you have any advice for prospective students on the benefits of business school or how to get an MBA?

The GMAT is a hard test, and it takes a lot of work to get a great score. But, just learning how to work out math problems and correct bad grammar won’t take you all the way. The confidence that I gained during those long hours of tutoring and study was such a critical element of my success not only on the GMAT, but also the on CPA exam and in my career.

I took what I had learned with my Kaplan instructor and applied it to my own study regimen for the CPA. One of my proudest accomplishments is passing the CPA exam in only eight months, and I know that wouldn’t have been possible without first believing I could do it.

More importantly, I had proof that I’d done it before. Knowing that made me feel like I could achieve anything.

What kind of big shot do you want to be? A creative genius, or more of a financial wiz? Find out which professional superstar you are with our six-question personality quiz, and learn how to unlock the good life!

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