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uncertainmba
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Schools: HBS - Class of 2005
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uncertainmba
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Hi uncertainmba,

Picking up the baton from Cindy here -- see my responses below!

1. If you wanted to become an executive at an engineering firm down the road, I'd say you would do well to prove that you have that knowledge by now and are capable of understanding engineering theory. However, if that's not the case, I wouldn't be too worried about it at this point. It's primarily a concern if you didn't perform well academically in a subject area that's directly relevant to business school (like economics or finance) or to your career path.

2. This one is a tricky toss-up. On the one hand, top b-schools do care about brand-name employers, so switching to a Tier 1 consulting firm would provide a boost there. On the other hand, b-schools also want to see career progression and growth, and part of that is taking on more responsibilities and managing larger workstreams / teams, which you're likelier to do if you return to your original firm. I'd say that if you have a sterling reputation and a strong group of advocates at your original firm, you might have better stories to tell by returning there and building upon what you already started there.

3. Plenty of applicants don't know what they want to do long-term! Never fear. However, you want to present yourself as a thoughtful, promising future business leader who has a plan as well as the humility to remember that life is full of twists and turns and unforeseen opportunities. So it's best to articulate some kind of long-term goal, ideally involving both the type of role you'd like to have (CEO of a Fortune 500 company, entrepreneur, top advisor to XXX type of corporate clients, etc.) and the industry that most interests you at this point in time. You want to be able to clearly connect the dots between your pre-MBA work experience, what you want to get out of your MBA, your immediate post-MBA ambitions, and this long-term goal. The AdCom won't hold you to your word, but they do want to see coherence and logic to your planned career trajectory.

4. The primary importance of extracurriculars for MBA applicants is to demonstrate your well-roundedness and involvement as a concerned citizen of your community. AdComs want to know that you're someone who cares about things outside of your narrow job description, and they want to see how you roll up your sleeves and participate in groups, organizations, and society around you. If your main non-job activities are still related to your firm (or the military), that's cool! Just be clear that these are commitments you take on *outside* of your formal job description.
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Hello uncertainmba--

Apologies, I hit "submit" before I could sign off!

We hope our perspectives on your profile are helpful. Don't hesitate to contact us at www.admissionado.com if we can be of further help!

Best,

Doris