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GabrielRodriguez
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Applying for 2009 or 2010.. What to do now? 23 Sep 2007, 09:58
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Hi Hjort! I already posted this thread in the other forum. But I want your expert opinion. If you have time, any feedback would be very much appreciated.

https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/t52743

GabrielRodriguez
I am thinking of applying to business schools next year (2008) for 2009 OR the year after that (2009) for 2010. I know most of you guys are in the process of applying already, and there are probably some "I should have __ a few years ago" in your minds. I hope you could share a few advice or your personal regrets that I could learn from, and eventually help me in my future application.

Let me first introduce myself. I am 21 years old, still in college, and I am in my senior year. I am part of the "minority". I have strong organizational/volunteer work, but a weak grade point average. Although I am likely to average above 3.0 in my senior year, my grade point average in the first three years of college are lower than 3.0 (but it is ascending). I have no post-graduate work experience. However, I do have a small but considerably growing microfinance business. From a portfolio of around $2,000 two years ago, it has grown to almost $10,000 (with a lot of help of course:)) The main reason I want an MBA is to learn how to expand this business, and create a firm or a consultancy that will help other entrepreneurs in this line of work. I also have an internship with a big international agency.

I am giving myself one to three years to prepare myself for the b-school application. Here are the things I plan to finish next year, upon graduating college in February 2008.

1. Study for the GMAT
I have already started (hovering in the low 600s,) and will continue again in March. I plan to allot the whole month studying the GMAT, and start working in April. I will not take the test until I see a score of around 700 in my GMATprep.

2. Extra Curricular Activities
I guess I will just continue what I am doing now. Other activities such as sports should not be a problem. But I am wondering, should I be attending as much forums and seminars as I can? Would that help?

3. Classes
This will help make up my low grade point average. I think I had a D or C in College Algebra, a C+ in Stat, and a C in calculus. I believe I can ace those classes if I take them again. I never took finance/accounting. So which classes should I take? Calc, Algebra and Stat, for sure. Should I take finance/accounting as well?

4. Work experience.
Ok, this is where it gets complicated. I know what I want to do after my MBA. I want to expand my business and promote microfinancing in my country. Ideally, I should be working in a similar field, right? But the small business I currently have does not require me to work 8 hours a day. So I got a lot of time in my hands, and I could get additional work.

I know job responsibility is as equally important as working for a big named company. So should I be looking for a job with lots of responsibility? Should I look for something similar to my small business?

Also, I would like to ask about international experience. I am thinking of studying Chinese in Guangzhou. Will this help me? This will surely lessen the number of months of my job experience. Will this kill my chances of applying in 2009?

Oh, and if there is anything else you guys want to add, feel free to do so!

THANK YOU SO MUCH.
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Hjort
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Applying for 2009 or 2010.. What to do now? 28 Sep 2007, 22:40
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It sounds like you are already thinking in the right direction for the basics of MBA applications. I would strongly consider retaking Calc and Statistics as you mention as well as a course or two in Finance and/or Accounting.

I would also suggest going a somewhat different direction- in my experience the thing that people would benefit from most when they are thinking about their future career is talking to people in that career field. I imagine you have already done this, but I would try to meet as many people as you can from microfinance to learn how they got where they are today, what they feel was the best help in getting them there, and what decisions they wish they could undo.

Hjort
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GabrielRodriguez
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Applying for 2009 or 2010.. What to do now? 22 Oct 2007, 06:49
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All righty.

Thank you Hjort :-D
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GabrielRodriguez
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Applying for 2009 or 2010.. What to do now? 22 Oct 2007, 16:10
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By the way, my small microfinance business does not require me to work eight hours a day.

I want to ask what type of job should I look for when I graduate from college. Should it be something related to microfinance? Will it hurt my application if I jump on a big profit making corporation?