aakashganga wrote:
After getting dinged by a couple of schools, I am taking feedback from a few of my friends on my goals essay. My long term goal is to move to Middle East and lead supply chain operations for an American retail chain there (more and more retail chains are starting operations in the Middle East). I am originally from India, but have been living in the states for about 6 years. I can read Arabic and understand it to an extent although I haven't been there yet.
After reading my goals, a few of my friends thought that schools might have wondered about the seriousness of my goal. They thought if I were serious, I would apply to schools in the gulf rather than to schools in US. But, for me US schools offer a lot more that schools in the gulf region won't be able to offer. Besides, in the short term I want to join operations consulting firms and if possible take assignments in the Middle East.
Do people write about goal of moving to other countries and do US schools look favorably upon such applicants?
Here are a few tips that I have gathered after talking to a number of successful MBAs:
1. You can and certainly should name the place if you know it already about where you want to work after MBA..i.e long term goal
2. To make a good long term goal that sounds convincing, you should be able to show some past/current WE in that area, to be able to show that yes you have done your research and middle east or where ever is the right location for you in the long term and your research shows that you will be comfortable living and working there apart from being successful.
3. Schools do not worry about where you want to work after MBA...as its your personal choice...but you certainly need to show why you need an MBA and why from this/that school...knowledge is knowledge, you should be able to apply it anywhere, so middle east or even Africa or any other place is absolutely fine, as long as you can do justice and show that this is the place you belong to...
Good luck.