Intern
Joined: 20 Apr 2019
Posts: 4
Given Kudos: 9
Location: United States (KS)
Concentration: Operations, General Management
GPA: 3.4
Army Vet to M7 Admit
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25 May 2020, 18:17
I decided about a year I wanted to transition out of the military and into an MBA program. To start the process, I reached out to friends that were current MBAs and asked to hear about their story. A key piece of advice that I received was to take both the GMAT and GRE practice exam before starting the long climb of test preparation. I ignored this advice and just went headstrong into GMAT preparation. I spent months on it, invested in classes with a test prep company, and in the end, made very little progress. Only after nearly giving up, did I agree to take a GRE practice test with a buddy who was also preparing to go to business school. I performed much better and was reinvigorated. Afterward, I spent about two months preparing for the GRE, worked with a personal tutor from Wyzant, and took the GRE a few times. The second attempt yielded an acceptable score, although I was pretty burnt out at this point. I wish I had just focused on the right test for me from the beginning, and maybe I could have had more success/less pain in the process.
After I achieved an acceptable score, I moved into narrative creation. I think this an overlooked part of the MBA application process. When you research what it takes to get into these schools, all you see is the GMAT/GPA information. It was essential to have a compelling story about: where I came from, what my experiences are, why I want to get an MBA, why that school, what I am going to get out of the school, what I am going to contribute to the school, and what my short/long term career goals are. In building this narrative honestly, carefully, and free of gaps in logic, it helped set a solid foundation throughout the application process.
In writing the essays and resume, I set aside plenty of time for additional drafts, edited by someone I trusted. I think this process took me about three months (applied to 6 schools). On average, I had about five drafts before the final product was submitted.
In the interview phase, I prepared extensively. I averaged about 10 hours of interview prep per interview. I wanted to make sure the I was ready for the questions and was able to be relaxed and authentic. Preparing an honest, compelling, and complete story initially was a huge help during this phase. The solid foundation allowed me to answer the questions accurately and confidently, without showing the interviewer anything that may discourage them from seeing the interview as a positive mark in my packet.
Overall, I found the process to be an exciting but time-intensive process. Preparation on the front end allowed for success in the end. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like me to elaborate further on something.