{"id":37194,"date":"2017-05-16T10:20:47","date_gmt":"2017-05-16T17:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=37194"},"modified":"2017-05-16T10:24:03","modified_gmt":"2017-05-16T17:24:03","slug":"key-steps-that-mba-applicants-should-take-before-fall-deadlines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/key-steps-that-mba-applicants-should-take-before-fall-deadlines\/","title":{"rendered":"Key Steps that MBA Applicants Should Take Before Fall Deadlines"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are planning to apply to Business school this year, you should start gearing yourself for Fall. \u00a0The Round 1 deadlines for the MBA applications are a little over \u00a0four months away. \u00a0Some schools have already rolled out application deadlines and essay questions (Columbia, Yale) while some have released their application deadlines (Stanford, NYU). \u00a0So if you haven\u2019t yet embarked on your MBA journey, NOW is the time to get started. \u00a0Some MBA hopefuls I have talked to have already aced the GMAT and are in the process of researching schools. \u00a0Good for them. \u00a0Year after year, I have seen that my most successful students have been the ones who had started their preparation ahead of time- about 6-8 months before Fall deadlines. \u00a0This proves that the sooner you start your MBA prep, the more successful your MBA journey will be.\u00a0 By planning ahead and starting early, you can make this journey not only rewarding, but also enjoyable. \u00a0So if you are planning to start B school in Fall 2018, it\u2019s time to start planning\/ preparing now.<\/p>\n

Here is the step- by- step plan you can follow:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Ace the GMAT\/GRE: <\/strong>First and foremost, get this biggest hurdle in your journey out of your way. GMAT is the biggest parameter you will need for making a list of your target schools. \u00a0If you take your GMAT now, and do not get your desired score, you will still have some time to retake it before you begin focusing on other parts of the application package (school selection, r\u00e9sum\u00e9, essays, and recommendation letters). \u00a0Dealing with GMAT preparation as well as essays, recommendation letters, resumes with deadlines drawing close, and that too with professional commitments, will put you under tremendous\u00a0pressure, making it extremely challenging for you to produce quality work. \u00a0I have worked with candidates who started the process pretty late (1 month before the deadlines) and then simultaneously worked on essays and GMAT prep, along with their demanding professional and personal commitments. \u00a0They obviously found it too stressful as they were not able to give their hundred percent to essays. \u00a0I now advise them to first get the GMAT out of their way before beginning to work with me on their application. \u00a0By allowing yourself sufficient time, you can avoid this unnecessary stress and enjoy the application process.<\/li>\n
  2. Begin School Selection Process: <\/strong>After getting GMAT out of your way by earning your desired score, begin researching your target schools. Selecting your schools is again an extremely time consuming process. \u00a0To be a successful applicant, you must be able to demonstrate thorough knowledge of the MBA program to which you are applying. \u00a0With proper planning, research and initiative, you can definitely pick out schools that will align with your credentials and aspirations, but give yourself significant time in researching selecting your schools. \u00a0For school selection<\/a>, you will have to consider many factors e.g. geographical location, loans, scholarships, key projects\/courses, employment reports, and companies that are regular recruiters over the years. Do your research and decide on which schools are the best \u2018fit\u2019<\/a> for your credentials and aspirations. \u00a0You should research faculty, curriculum, student groups, clubs, and organizations that match your interests and goals. \u00a0Try to find answers to the questions: \u201cWill this school help me meet my objectives (in the areas of education, networking, and career)?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Along with your research, you should also start reaching out to people with MBA experience: colleagues, friends, current students, and alumni, etc. \u00a0Their feedback will help you determine if their perspectives and experiences align with your findings or not. \u00a0In addition, make sure to attend MBA fairs and school information sessions; this will provide you relevant information on your shortlisted schools. \u00a0If possible, visit the schools-attend a class or two, meet with a faculty, talk to students, and take a tour of the campus. \u00a0All these steps should enable you to identify three schools that are your dream schools, three that are your reach schools, and three that are your safe schools.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Build Your Resume: <\/strong>Now that you are ready with your list of target schools, it\u2019s time to work on constructing your r\u00e9sum\u00e9. MBA r\u00e9sum\u00e9<\/a> is very different from a job r\u00e9sum\u00e9, so you will need a significant amount of time and effort in building it. MBA r\u00e9sum\u00e9s are brief and concise stories of your skills, interests, experience and key accomplishments. I would like to quote Ross Admission Director Soojin Kwon, \u201cFor me, the r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is just as important as your essays. Think of it as a trailer of the movie about you.\u201d \u00a0By making an engaging trailer (r\u00e9sum\u00e9), you are building Ad Com\u2019s interest in your movie (essays and recommendation letters).<\/li>\n
    2. Reach out to recommenders: <\/strong>It\u2019s also time to approach your recommenders.\u00a0 Please note the best recommenders are not just those individuals who agree to write a letter or you; they are people who know you well and are interested in your future goals. Once you have chosen your recommenders, start having conversations with them regarding your plans to apply to B schools. \u00a0It is important to make sure that your recommenders get enough time to write the recommendation letters<\/a>. \u00a0They are busy people, so you may want to apprise them of this favor that you would expect from them in the near future. \u00a0I would encourage you to request a meeting with each of them to discuss the key themes you would like to showcase in your application.<\/li>\n
    3. Brainstorm stories for Essays: <\/strong>After having accomplished all this, you may be wondering \u201cMy target schools have still not released essay questions. What do I do now?\u201d \u00a0Well, before B-school roll out their essay questions, begin thinking about your story! \u00a0Everyone has a unique story; spend the time now to think about yours. \u00a0Even though B-schools change their essay topics from one year to another, there are going to be concepts that are the same among business schools. \u00a0For instance, all schools will expect you to write your goals essay; so take your time to identify your short term and long term goals. \u00a0Make sure your goals are realistic as well as ambitious. \u00a0Also, start thinking of your greatest leadership experiences, accomplishments, your background, life experiences, your greatest strengths (and weaknesses, too) and how these will help you add value to your target school.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Some of the most common themes you can organize your thoughts on are:<\/p>\n