Is Publication an advantage?

Question

Hello, I am graduating from engineering school(undergrad school) next year. I got a question about publication.
Will it make the profile stronger when applying to master or a MBA?

I will have 2 journals.
One is about Power generation vs. Economy and will be presented in Power Gen. Conference and another is an automotive engineering journal.

Thank for answering :D

StratusDonna · Answer

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

This will probably be more valuable the relevant industry/category of the publication if you were pursuing a degree in that discipline for an MBA less important but if you frame it as a meaningful experience you can couch it in some other fashion it could be a nice addition. Generally the more recent business oriented experiences will be more relevant for admissions

MBADecoder · Answer

Hi,

I would say yes!

MBA programs don't care much about the publication, specially if its a technical one.

But publishing papers shows a few things about you:
1. you are technically strong
2. If your publication won some recognition/ award or was printed in a known trade journal, then it helps establish your expertise in your field.
3. Shows your initiative taking capability, research capability 
4. If the application has a section for publications, then you have something to write there. In my opinion, leaving blank sections is a bad situation to be in.
5. If you are applying for MS you can link your research to your career goals

Admissionado · Answer

Not significantly. It a nice little extra though.

VanessaGilMBA · Answer

Greetings gzsakuraz,

And thanks for your message.

Your publications are great, congrats on those! They are a wonderful accomplishment, and a great means of showing that you are analytical, skilled with quantitative subject matter, and capable of sustained intellectual commitment. It doesn’t hurt that publications typically require that a committee of similarly qualified individuals have deemed your work a worthwhile contribution to germane matters in your field. For a Masters' application, the answer is clear - publications are a clear advantage. For MBA, you'll need to drive home how your scholarship can be applied in the business world.

One thing I noticed is that I see you are still in undergrad. Please remember that many MBA AdCom's prefer candidates with 3-5 years' of professional experience, so unless you're applying to a program like 2+2, you may face a challenge of a different kind (but that's a topic for a different post)...

As some others have noted, you certainly want to highlight whether or not you will continue in a field that touches upon Power Generation or Automotive Engineering. Might you be a founding member of a business plan competition team? That is to say: will your findings be helpful in founding and scaling the next Uber or Lyft? Be sure, in your discussion of your work, to showcase your innovation -- did you explore a particularly esoteric subject or discover something new that might solve a critical business problem? AdCom wants to know how you’ll add to their MBA community, inside and outside the classroom. So for maximum impact, be sure to mention how you might enrich your fellow classmates’ knowledge through your scholarship, and how you might add to clubs and conferences.

Furthermore, remember that MBA AdCom’s want to see how you demonstrated business-positive traits in everything you have done. Did your subject require some initiative- either in defining it or pursuing the research? Was it primary research that might yield particularly helpful relationships (to the MBA community, and to your own career)? Finally, did you work with other researchers? That would be a great springboard from which to discuss your collaborative and teamwork gifts, and/or show how you bounced back from any disappointments that you may have encountered along the way before you completed the final, published work.

Utilized skillfully, a publication (or two, nice!) can be an excellent way to distinguish the traits that matter most to AdCom’s: intellectual heft, leadership/innovation, teamwork, and grit!

Good luck and contact me if you’d like to learn more about how to do all that gracefully.

Best of luck in life and the MBA,
VG

Is Publication an advantage?

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