{"id":32372,"date":"2016-03-07T12:59:31","date_gmt":"2016-03-07T19:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=32372"},"modified":"2016-07-27T15:45:42","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T22:45:42","slug":"mba-2017-ready-set-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/mba-2017-ready-set-go\/","title":{"rendered":"MBA 2017 – Ready, Set, Go!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Download:<\/a>
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Deadlines are sooner than you think. Are you prepared?<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s not even spring yet. So why am I nagging you to get moving on your MBA application prep?<\/p>\n

Not just because those Round 1 deadlines<\/a> creep up with wicked stealth and speed. But also because there is so much you can still do between now and then to improve your candidacy<\/strong> (sometimes a lot, sometimes on the margins, but margins matter). Also, preparing now will enable you to apply to more programs earlier, and therefore to adjust strategy in Round 2 if necessary.<\/p>\n

So, what should you be doing NOW?<\/p>\n

First, two obvious things.<\/p>\n

1. GMAT.<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019ve seen too many people leave the GMAT<\/a> till late summer or early fall, get a lower score than they expect, and have to recalculate their plans. If you don\u2019t have a GMAT score yet, NOW is the time to prepare and take the GMAT, ideally by end of spring. Then, if your score isn\u2019t realistic for your schools of choice, you have time to retake the test, reconsider your target schools, or both. And you will have it behind you when you focus on the applications.<\/p>\n

2. School Research:<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s best to visit schools when classes are in session. So NOW is the ideal time to research schools for a preliminary list. I developed an easy-to-use resource, Best MBA Programs, A Guide to Selecting the Right One<\/em><\/a>, to walk you through this process. This effort will also get you thinking about your profile strategically.<\/p>\n

Then there are the less obvious things.<\/p>\n

3. Academic Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Is your academic record a potential weakness<\/a>? There is time (not much), NOW, to take a relevant course or two, complete it, and have an A or two to report to the adcom as evidence of your ability to excel academically.<\/p>\n

4. Recommendations:<\/strong>\u00a0Not sure whom to ask for recommendations<\/a>? Sort it out NOW, while there\u2019s time to weigh the pros and cons of various options, to possibly broach the issue (directly or indirectly) with people, and adapt as needed. You do know whom you\u2019ll ask? NOW is time to enhance your positive visibility to them, so they can\u2019t help but write a scintillating letter.<\/p>\n

5. Leadership<\/strong>: You can improve \u2013 deepen, broaden, refine \u2013 your leadership<\/a> NOW and every day before your application. Whether or not you have a formal leadership role, you can always find ways to exercise informal leadership. And you can\u2019t have too much<\/strong> leadership in an MBA application. If there isn\u2019t space to write about it in essays, portray it in your resume.<\/p>\n

6. Goals.<\/strong>\u00a0Naturally, since you\u2019re planning to apply for an MBA, you know what your goals<\/a> are. But what are you going to say about them of interest<\/strong>? About your planned industry, company, function? Read. Books, journals, company reports, not just the WSJ<\/em>. And do informational interviews (use your undergrad alumni network). An interview needn\u2019t be longer than 10 minutes with two good questions to be illuminating! Interesting, informed perspective on your goals will make your essay jump out from the sea of merely competent essays. But do this research NOW, to digest and integrate it well.<\/p>\n

7. Resume. <\/strong>NOW is also the perfect time to prepare or adapt your resume<\/a> for business school. You can get it at least 95% done, and adjust as needed for any new developments later. This way, if you have a chance to visit or school or meet with an adcom member earlier than you planned, you\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n

Six months and counting to round 1 deadlines\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Read<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Cindy<\/a> By Cindy Tokumitsu<\/a>,\u00a0author and co-author of numerous ebooks, articles, and special reports, including\u00a0<\/em><\/em>Why MBA<\/a> and\u00a0<\/em><\/em>Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One<\/a>. Cindy has advised hundreds of successful applicants in her fifteen years with Accepted.<\/em><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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Related Resources:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 MBA Action Plan: 6 Steps for the 6 Months Before You Apply<\/a>
\n\u2022 Top 6 Tips for Visiting Business Schools<\/a>
\n\u2022 5 Tips to Assess Your MBA Profile<\/a><\/p>\n

This article\u00a0<\/a>originally appeared on\u00a0<\/em>blog.accepted.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.<\/p>\n

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help\u00a0you\u00a0<\/em>get accepted<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not even spring yet. So why am I nagging you to get moving on your MBA application prep? Not just because those Round 1 deadlines creep up with wicked…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,939,775,113,243],"tags":[1687,1677,1676],"class_list":["post-32372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-accepted","category-admission-consultants","category-applications","category-blog","tag-round-1-applications","tag-round-1-business-school","tag-round-1-mba","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32372"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32376,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32372\/revisions\/32376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}