Thought Starters for the MBA Application Process
The following questions are designed to help guide your thinking as you contemplate business school.
Where do you want the MBA to take you?
There’s no need to know definitively that you want to lead alternative asset management for a hedge fund, but narrowing down the industry or industries you’re interested in will help you both in the application process and when you arrive on campus.
What work experiences do you bring that will allow you to contribute meaningfully in class?
While there is no magic number in terms of how long you need to have worked before pursuing the MBA, schools are looking as much at what you have to contribute as what you have to gain.
Which current or former supervisors can you ask to speak to your strengths and potential?
This will be an important part of your eventual application, so it’s valuable to begin giving this question some thought well in advance.
How will you finance the MBA? Have you saved enough money and/or explored potential scholarships or other funding sources?
While there is no magic number in terms of how long you need to have worked before pursuing the MBA, schools are looking as much at what you have to contribute as what you have to gain.
Do your family and/or employer support your decision to pursue an MBA now? What can you do to obtain this support?
Whether you’re contemplating a full- or part-time program, buy-in from your family and/or employer can have a tremendous impact on your potential for success.