#1 - Are you truly ready for an MBA? We see a lot of MBA aspirants nowadays who wish to pursue an MBA at the earliest possible opportunity. Often times, this is driven by the lure of high profile positions or lofty pay checks or even peer pressure. While business schools have been accepting younger candidates in recent years, it is imperative that MBA aspirants introspect before firming on a decision to pursue an MBA.
If an MBA aspirant doesn’t have sufficient or the right kind of experience, they may not only end up settling for a lower ranked school, but also have a subpar experience in the program. Moreover, they may find that their post MBA career prospects fall well short of their expectations. The worst reason to do an MBA, however, is due to peer pressure. In such situations, the entire journey could be fraught with stress and frustrations.
If you’re an MBA aspirant with less than three years of work experience, you should ask yourself whether another year or two will not only build up the quality of your work experience but also add more life experience to your profile. This may not only boost your chances at getting admits to better ranked schools but also enhance the quality of your MBA experience and set you on a far more rewarding career trajectory.
#2 - Does your school selection make sense? While success stories from top ranked programs serve as inspiration to all, basing your school selection only on hopeful suppositions may lead to disappointment. It is imperative to remember that while most candidates would have dreams of attending the top b-schools, the acceptance rates at these programs is typically very low. Hence, a realistic approach is necessary.
Now you may well ask about all the online stories about candidates getting through top schools with below average GPAs or low GMAT scores. However, these data points cannot be considered in isolation; the candidates probably had something extraordinary in their profiles which made them hard to ignore. Hence, school selection needs to happen pragmatically keeping your academic and professional background in mind.
Does this mean that you shouldn’t apply to top schools? Not at all. However, it does mean that you should adopt a prudent strategy where you have a good mix of schools, including those where you’re fairly confident of making it through. It’s also wise to remember that even when selecting your top schools, it’s necessary to do your research and only consider those where you have at least some chance of making it through.
LemonEd can help you with all elements of your MBA application.
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