Extracurricular Activities for MBA Application

Question

Hi all,

I am planning to apply to business school in about 3 years, so it is still relatively early in the process for me. I have a decent GPA and a history of good standardized testing scores (got a 331 total on the GRE, although that score is now expired). I also had fairly decent extracurricular activities when I was in school - mostly undergraduate research and some independent projects I led which earned me some grants/awards, and which I got the chance to present at professional conferences. However, ever since entering the workforce, I have had no meaningful extracurriculars besides miscellaneous hobbies. I see a lot of advice recommending to volunteer with a non-profit, but there aren’t any organizations that really catch my eye at the moment.

Is it a bad thing if I end up applying to business school with no extracurriculars after college? I do have some leadership experience with certain initiatives at my work, but otherwise I don’t really have any non-work related leadership.

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PersonalMBACoach · Answer

Hi RuthW , Extracurriculars are quite important, as they show the admissions committee another side of your profile and help highlight what has defined you and why you have made specific choices. The best way to start boosting your extracurricular profile is to choose areas that you are passionate about and that fit with your story. For example, if you want a career as an educational consultant, consider volunteering in the education industry. If your passion is tennis, give tennis lessons to underprivileged children in your neighborhood. You do not need to pick the most unique or prestigious charity. Instead, do what you love! They are also a great way to show leadership. While there are countless ways that you can (and should) display leadership throughout your profile, extracurricular activities are one great opportunity to do so. Look for an organization where you can step up, or explore options to expand your role at an existing organization. Take the time to do this now so that you have clear results to share come essay time. Luckily, since you plan to apply in about 3 years, you have plenty of time to build a strong track record of involvement and add real value. Personal MBA Coach can help guide you via our Early MBA Planning services . This includes helping you improve your extracurricular profile so that you can differentiate yourself from the pack. We learn a lot about your personal background, challenges, struggles and current extracurricular involvement and benchmark you against successful applicants to determine necessary improvement. We will then brainstorm options for you to enhance your portfolio in a way that gels with your overall story! Do not hesitate to reach out to scott@personalmbacoach.com to learn more. Our early planning clients have stellar acceptance and scholarship success rates! Best, Personal MBA Coach

RuthW · Answer

Thanks for your extremely helpful answer! I really liked what you said about using your extracurriculars to build a “story” and strongly agree with it. To give some additional context, I am currently working as an electrical engineer in the building and construction industry. I am also multilingual and have spent a considerable amount of my life abroad. My reason for wanting to pursue an MBA is to leverage my technical and international background to expand access to smart digital infrastructure. Some potential post-MBA employers I am considering are industrials/energy related, such as Siemens, Emerson, etc.

My prior extracurriculars in school were also closely related to this theme. The research and projects I did were related to the Internet of Things and energy/sustainability. However, now that I’ve graduated, I am having trouble thinking of potential extracurriculars that would also follow this theme (though my work related stuff still matches it closely). Do you have any suggestions?

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MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hi RuthW , ECs play a critical role in your apps, revealing your diverse personality and allowing adcoms to learn about the various facets of your personality. Think about what you like doing and discuss it in order to make the applications more compelling, as this is what can set you apart. ECs aren't about doing something big, they're about your passions, interests, and hobbies outside of work. So, try to go deeper and find answers that demonstrate your diverse personality. You have time to work upon this. You may want to read an article on role of extracurricular activities in your MBA application to get some better insights and it will give you some direction

Hope this helps! Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience. How to enhance your application and maximize your chances for fall intake Cheers! Neha Hadke Profile Analyst & Community Manager, MBA and Beyond Testimonials Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

Hi again RuthW , Thanks for following up with this information! It sounds like you have a lot of strong elements to your candidacy. For being so early in the process, it's great to see that you have begun to think strategically about your MBA goals and potential post-MBA employers. If sustainability and energy are areas of interest to you, there are a number of organizations and nonprofits that you could potentially get involved in. There is no "right" number of activities, but having a laundry list of activities is not going to appeal to admissions committee members. Instead, focus your efforts on organizations or areas where you can have a real impact and add value. While there are a number of larger global and national organizations, you can also look at the local level. For instance, a search of "sustainability / renewable energy volunteer opportunities in " should show you some smaller options in your community – whether that be something physical like helping to install solar panels or something more policy/legislative-oriented. Of course, Personal MBA Coach can help you create a personalized, strategic plan should you be interested in our early planning services . Often, having a new theme for your extracurriculars is helpful to round out your story. If you want further guidance we can give this through a package with us if you are looking to hire a consultant. We would be more than happy to connect (scott@personalmbacoach.com) to discuss your situation in more detail! Best, Personal MBA Coach

ARINGO · Answer

Any MBA applicant should have extracurricular activities on their resume/CV. “ECs” demonstrate a well-rounded candidate that is passionate and active in all of their endeavors. There isn’t a “right” or a “wrong” extracurricular activity or organization. Instead, select charities and activities that are genuinely interesting to you, or those that align with your goals. Keep in mind the traits business schools are seeking such as leadership, teamwork, and creativity, and look for opportunities to demonstrate these skills, much like you are at work. Extracurricular activities like volunteerism and hobbies can help you to stand out from other applicants, by demonstrating both passion for various mediums and skills like leadership and teamwork beyond the cubicle.

For more info and tips regarding Extracurricular Activities for MBA Application, please visit: https://aringo.com/extracurricular-acti ... plication/

Admissionado · Answer

RuthW : Piggybacking off of other comments here, you should really find a way to get involved. If you aren't applying for a few years, you should absolutely start now. The best advice here is to think about your non-work interests and find organizations (or start an initiative) centered around those interests. Time is the universal limiting constraint, so if you are going to spend your free time outside of pursuing extracurricular endeavors, they might as well be things you enjoy. This way it won't feel like a chore. If you have a few years, you can start slow and build up. Raise your hand to get involved and keep thinking creatively about what you can do to help those organizations. At Admissionado, we offer an Advanced Planning Programs which is a "crash course"/set of mentoring sessions on positioning yourself for your MBA application. It sounds like you would really benefit from a few coaching meetings with one of our MBA mentors on how to build up your post-college extracurricular involvement, in addition to other elements of your profile. https://admissionado.com/mba/mba-advanc ... g-program/

Extracurricular Activities for MBA Application

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