I haven't even set foot in my school, and I already have a list of things to do! Like:
1. take an online Math course
2. take an online career assessment test (done)
3. search for companies and job roles that I'd be interested in for internship/work
Not exactly easy peasy.
Finishing 1 means we'll be ready for business Math proper, for which we'll be having workshops in orientation. 2 and 3 are for getting us a headstart on landing internships. Any day now there'll be a fourth item on the list -- update my resume.
As I haven't got into the scholarly mindset yet, I'll procrastinate on these for a while and take time to enjoy the end of summer in Manila.
Which school have you landed? I'm planning on applying at HBS, Stanford, Columbia, Haas, and Tuck. Is it really that hard to enter? I'm currently taking Mechanical Engineering. Is it recommended that I get a working experience first before applying or apply immediately after college?
ReplyDeleteWell, if you have a good candidate profile, it might not be that hard to enter. I would say that it's hard to land a full scholarship for any of those schools. You might have a chance for partial scholarships, but don't get your hopes too high and just hope for the best. If you have the money for those schools, then you just have to worry about making the cut. You will be competing with other Filipinos for slots, as well as other international students. Work experience is a definite plus for your profile, no matter what schools say about accepting fresh grads. You might need that edge to win over other international applicants. I'd say that three to five years of work experience would give you that edge because it's enough time for you to earn recognition and go through different roles. Plus, this will make it easier to get internships and full-time jobs after graduation. The GMAT, on the other hand, is best taken in the last days of, or immediately after, college since you will still be in study shape and the results have a five-year validity. But this is just my opinion; if you believe you have a strong chance, then don't let me stop you from applying!
DeleteThank you so much! It's just so funny because I've spent my high school life preparing for my college applications. I was able to enter UP. Now, I'm spending all of my time making up my profile for my MBA applications. I've been very eager in getting both learning and grades (I want them to come together. My current standing is cum laude. I'm trying to pull it a little bit higher to magna.) Also, I've been spending my free time doing all of these extra-curricular activities in the organization. I had experienced to be a part of a team that worked on a national conference. Now, I'm the over-all head of another national conference. I was originally planning on having two years of work experience, but I read your blog and I'm thinking of having at least three before applying. I really want to get in any of those schools and finish my MBA there. BTW, what other schools may you suggest to me so that I can also consider? I think I've limited myself to the usual top 10 USA schools.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great Gerald, you're really working hard! If you want more information on certain schools, you can check if they have info sessions in Manila which you can attend. Yes, work experience is something that you can never go wrong with. If you want to work in the US after your MBA, five years is very good (three is the minimum). I would suggest to expand your search to the Top 25 of the BusinessWeek rankings. Have a good balance of dream schools, dream schools you can afford, sure-shot schools, backup schools. It might be helpful if you have an idea on the track/concentration you want to be in as some schools are known for these tracks (eg. work in IT - MBA from Tepper School, Carnegie Mellon. Yes, it's not Harvard but when it comes to IT, people recognize the brand of Carnegie Mellon.)
DeleteI see. Thank you very much. Your advices are very helpful.
ReplyDelete