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04 Mar 2014, 10:17
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About Critical Square
From everyone at Critical Square, I’d like to share how excited we are to be joining the GMAT Club community. From answering your questions here to providing the services and results to get you where you’re going, our firm is dedicated to your success.
Behind every success story at Critical Square is a friendship between an applicant and one of our dedicated, full-time consultants. No contractors. No part-timers. We provide more than just admissions advice because we’re more than just admissions consultants - we're friends and mentors. At Critical Square, we’re proud of what drives us and the impact we have. Our admissions expertise, commitment to our clients, and uncompromising ethics work together to deliver exceptional results. Extensive experience and unique insights translate into a truly differentiated application.
There are a lot of things that set us apart from the other admissions consulting firms out there. We’re pretty unique! We don’t compromise when it comes to your best interests – even if that means we don’t get to work together. So what does it come down to? Expertise, passion, and integrity in everything we do.
At Critical Square, we have a simple goal: to enable yours.
Learn more! >
Ready to Get Started?
We are! You can post your questions here or start the conversation with us through a free 30-minute consultation.
Sign up! >
Our Services
No matter what your needs, timeline, and budget, our services offer something for everyone.
Not sure which service is right for you? Contact us! >
Free Resources
Are you wondering what admissions committees look for or what to consider when shortlisting schools? Perhaps you’re wading through all the rankings out there and don’t understand why they are so different? Maybe you just want a one-stop-shop for the important school info you're looking for. We bring all the information you’re looking for (and a little more, we admit) into one place.
Something else on your mind? Have a request? Contact us! >
Check 'em out! >
For more great content and relevant information, tips, & tricks, don't forget to visit the Critical Blog! >
Bhavik Trivedi
Managing Partner, Founder
Critical Square | MBA Admissions Services
Web | Blog | Free Resources | Facebook | Twitter
Sign up for a free consultation today!
10 Mar 2014, 08:26
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Entrepreneurship | Picking the Right MBA Program
It seems nowadays “entrepreneurship” and “MBA” are synonymous. After all, an MBA can be the perfect environment to explore the entrepreneurial scene, gain access to the support and resources you need, and get your idea off the ground!
However, given the recent “entrepreneurial” craze at the top programs, how do you figure out which ones are right for you? Where you’ll not only get the opportunities you’re looking for, but the environment and support you’ll need? Entrepreneurship isn’t as cut and dry as most other fields. There are a lot of factors at play and considering them all is part art and part science. So what should you look for? In this blog post, we list out a few of the main factors and what they mean in the real world.
Before you read the rest of this post, ask yourself this: what do YOU want out of the entrepreneurial scene? Are you looking to work for a start up or are you looking to start your own? If the former, what stage start up? Are you after 5 people around a table in a garage or something with Series B or C funding? If it’s your own venture you’re interested in, do you have an idea? Do you need access to specific resources? Funding? Be honest with yourself here. And, if you don’t know, that’s ok too!
Reputation
Let’s go after the 800lb gorilla first. Reputation matters, but not as much or as evenly as you might think. At the end of the day, going to a top tier school opens doors. There’s a reason why such a large percentage of executive teams in the start up world have Harvard and Stanford alum. However, that doesn’t mean you HAVE to go to a top 3 school. Many of the top 20 programs out there have amazing entrepreneurship programs and strong reputations to boot. So yes, rankings and prestige matter. But once you’re in the top 20, or 15, or 10, or 5, the incremental benefit of another notch or two is insignificant. That’s when the rest of the factors come into play!
Personal Enablement
You’re going to get your MBA for a lot of reasons. You want to learn, meet people, and explore new things. So pick a program that, above all else, enables those core personal goals. If you find yourself lacking knowledge of some core business functions then you probably need a strong general management program. If you’re targeting consumer products starts up, then try to find programs that have a strong brand in that space. And don’t forget about fit! The entrepreneurial community starts out big and narrows quickly. You’re going to be in a core group of a few dozen (depending on the size of the program). These are going to be your future core network. The rest of your class is equally important and will have the contacts and networks you’ll need as an entrepreneur. Make sure you like the people and culture!
Location
This is one of the more important factors but it is NOT the end all, be all. It really isn’t. If you’re interested in tech start ups, you’re probably gravitating to the west coast. And you should! Being next door to Silicon Valley and in the heart of the global entrepreneurial community is probably going to be great! But have you considered Austin? Or Boston? Or New York? Or Chicago? Each of these locations has a lot to offer. Austin, for example, is one of the fastest growing entrepreneurial communities ANYWHERE. There are start up opportunities everywhere so don’t just go out west because that’s what you think you should be doing. Be self aware and find out what’s right for you and your life. And just because you go to school somewhere other than the west coast doesn’t mean you can’t wind up out there. Almost every top program organizes treks out west to get their students plugged into those communities. Will it require a little more work on your part? Yes, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. If you’re starting your own company, make sure there is money to be had!
Also, what kind of a person are you? Do you do better in smaller networks or larger ones? Do you want your school to be a center of gravity in the local ecosystem so that it can open doors for you or do you like a bustling scene where you’re mostly on your own? Chicago and New York City, for example, are two very different ecosystems!
Program Opportunities
Does the program you’re targeting embrace entrepreneurship in all its forms? Has it built its program to support it? More importantly, does it provide you with the opportunities you need? For example, almost every top program has a business plan competition but do a little research to separate the real heavy weights from the more generic competitions. Additionally, some programs offer summer internship funding if you’d like to intern with a start up. Others offer in-year internships with VC firms which can be a great way to get your foot in the door. Some provide curriculum flexibility and deceleration options too!
These are just some of the factors to consider. There are a ton of others! But hopefully you’re beginning to see there’s a lot that goes into picking the right entrepreneurship program and only some of it is based on rankings and prestige.
If you’re interested in start ups and want to chat, sign up for a free consultation with us here. We’d love to speak with you!
For more great content and free resources, visit our website.
As always, if you have questions, let us know!
Bhavik
11 Mar 2014, 08:12
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Please join me in welcoming Critical Square Admissions Consulting Team to the forum!
The founder of Critical Square, Bhavik, already has a well-established profile on GMAT Club with 400 helpful posts. I encourage you to add Critical Square to your consideration and if you are looking for an admissions consultant, do not hesitate to ask them for a free profile evaluation in this thread - they will be happy to provide you with one.
Critical Square put together an exclusive discount for GMAT Club members - to see the latest offer for GMAT Club members, please visit this here: https://gmatclub.com/blog/courses/critic ... discounts/. In a few months or weeks, you can check out the reviews section to find feedback from past and current clients; to see reviews, please visit here: https://gmatclub.com/reviews/critical-square-345345645
The founder of Critical Square, Bhavik, already has a well-established profile on GMAT Club with 400 helpful posts. I encourage you to add Critical Square to your consideration and if you are looking for an admissions consultant, do not hesitate to ask them for a free profile evaluation in this thread - they will be happy to provide you with one.
Critical Square put together an exclusive discount for GMAT Club members - to see the latest offer for GMAT Club members, please visit this here: https://gmatclub.com/blog/courses/critic ... discounts/. In a few months or weeks, you can check out the reviews section to find feedback from past and current clients; to see reviews, please visit here: https://gmatclub.com/reviews/critical-square-345345645
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11 Mar 2014, 08:27
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Welcome Critical Square!
