Business School:To Be or Not To Be?

SCS Pre-Business Webinar Series

Presenter:Kyra YoungSCS Program Coordinator

How to Participate in a Webinar1) Chat & Questions. If you do NOT have access

to a mic and do not call in with a phone, you can use the Questions feature to type a question that you want to ask to the presenters. At the end of the presentation, the facilitator will read out loud any questions that come through this feature.

2) Raise Hand. For most of the webinar, all participants will be in listen-only mode, meaning that they will be muted. When the presenter opens the floor for questions, people will not be unmuted unless they use the Raise Hand function.

3) Surveys. After the webinar ends, a link will be emailed to you to participate in a survey. We encourage ALL participants to participate.

Agenda

• Pre-Business Prep Suggesting• Preparing for Business School• Business School Application

– GMAT– Work Experience– Letters of Recommendation– Essays– Interviews

• Resources• Q&A

Pre-Business Prep Suggestions

1) Determine if business school is the right path for you

o Visit your Career Center, attend a workshop, conduct informational interviews, and talk to a counselor.

2) Studyo Visit the Math Resource Center, the

Writing Center and the Academic Achievement Center.

Pre-Business Prep Suggestions

3) Get involved, Get experienceo Join a club or organization

(leadership); intern/work for a business; participate in community service; get to know your instructors

4) Graduate with Honors

5) Research business schoolso Visit the

Graduate Management Admission Council.

Preparing for Business School

Preparing for Business School

• GMAT and GPA = MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS!! Rigor of academic coursework, work experience, letters of

recommendation, extracurricular activities, personal statement

• NO preferred majors Focus on communication and analytical skills Your interest = better academic success Double majors won’t increase your chances of getting into business

school (think quality vs. quantity)

• NO required courses Take rigorous courses that challenge you to write, think critically, and

expand your knowledge of different economies, cultures, and social philosophies

Common Pre-Business Majors• Business/Business Administration/Economics

Qualities (among others): intellectual ability, organizational skills, good written and oral skills, quantitative ability, and the ability to work with others

• Engineering/Natural Sciences/Technical Disciplines/Math Qualities (among others): intellectual and analytical ability, organizational skills, self-

motivation, a highly developed quantitative ability, an increased capacity to problem-solve, and the ability to get things done individually and as a group.

• Humanities/Liberal Arts/Social Sciences Qualities (among others): intellectual ability, imagination, creativity, good written and

oral skills, a sense of humor, and self-motivation.

• 3+ Years of professional employment and success Qualities (among others): intellectual and analytical ability, organizational skills, good

written and oral skills, the ability to work well with others, problem-solving skills, self-confidence, maturity, a sense of humor, and managerial potential.

BOTTOM LINE: GET GOOD GRADES AND DEVELOP THESE QUALITIES IN YOURSELF!!!

Citation: http://bit.ly/Jn9ARo

Business School Application

Business School Applications• NO grammatical or spelling mistakes anywhere!• Submit Early (more time) – late Sept, early Oct

1) Rolling admissions – limited # of spaces between 2 set dates2) Round admissions – multiple deadlines, best to submit 1st round3) Discretion occurs early4) End of the process is most competitive5) You only need 1 advocate from business school committee (60%

numbers, 40% committee)

• Apply for fee waiversCall or visit Business Schools/Programs and ASK

• Fill out 15-20 school appsAcross all levels, across the countryNegotiation – geographic diversity, financial aid, facing challengesApply to all UCs & big out-of-state schools

• Check business school data service• Visit Admission Offices and speak to representatives

Helps to get your name out there before you apply. Smaller schools may actually remember you. • Keep professional communication

Components of Business School Application

• Online or Paper Application• Transcripts (GPA)• GMAT (or GRE for some programs)• Letters of Recommendation• Resume• Personal Statement

Addendum Letters (if allowed & necessary)• Interviews

GMAT Facts

• GMAT – Graduate Management Admissions TestComputer-Administered Test (CAT)

• Cost: $250 (other fees not included)

• Frequency: every weekday all year long, except holidays

• Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes

• 4 sections: 1) Quantitative, 2) Analytic Writing Assessment*, 3) Verbal, 4) Integrated Reasoning*

• Scoring: 200 min, 800 max, 500 avg

* These sections are not included in the overall composite score

GMAT Tips• Practice, Practice, Practice!• Take a GMAT prep course

i.e. Princeton Review (SCS discount), Kaplan, Manhattan GMAT

• Private tutoring• FREE: GMAT prep books at

library, study at bookstore• TIME is KEY!!!• Seek experiences of business

students, ASK questions• Analytical, reading classes• Practice, Practice, Practice!

Practice makes perfect!!!

GMAT Tips continued

• When to take GMAT?o You can only take it once per

calendar montho Couple months before you apply

to business schoolo Right after completion of prep

course/tutoringo Take a year or two off to work

and study for testo GMAC reports all scores from

past 5 yearso When you are ready! Practice!

Resume & InterviewsResume:• Updated resume of academic and professional experience• List info chronologically (most recent first) or by skill set• Include: Work/Job Experience, Educational Background, Skills (i.e.

languages and computer). Other sections to consider: Leadership Activities, Community Service/VolunteerismIf CV (Curriculum Vitae), follow standard academic format (online)

• Reviews from Career Counselor, experienced professional (SCS)

Interviews:• Check if MBA program recommends or requires an interview • Practice/mock interviews with Career Counselor or experienced

professional (SCS)• Dress in professional and appropriate business attire

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation

• Most business schools require at least 1 letter of recommendation and may ask for up to 3 letters. The strongest letters come from faculty or employers who are familiar with your intellectual abilities, leadership potential, ability to work with others, and other skills relevant to a business school admissions committees.

• Don't seek a recommender with a fancy title who doesn't know you well enough to speak to your attributes. They should be able to attest to your strengths, offering concrete and specific examples of your accomplishments.

• You don't need to prepare a file of recommendation letters until shortly before you apply for business school, but you should begin building rapport with instructors or faculty advisers early in your undergraduate career. Give your recommenders plenty of time to write letters (pass out brag sheets), always making sure to thank them and follow up with your program status.

Application Essays/Personal Statement

• Cornerstone• Goal: rich portrait of who YOU

are• 2 pgs, 1” margins, double-

spaced• Common essay topics

Why are you applying to business school?Why did you choose this program?What are your career goals?How would you make a contribution to this program?

• Proofread with Professional

Other Application Tips

• If AB540: o Apply with more rigor (scholarships, CA Dream Act, etc.)

• If Waitlisted:o Fire off letter (letter of continuance) – email, fax, walk it in

If true: my top choice, more extracurricular activities, other awards/ achievements since applying

o Alumni of schools support (advocacy)

Resources• Online Resources

Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) – www.gmac.comMBA.com – www.mba.comBloomberg Businessweek – http://www.businessweek.com/business-schools

• Business ProgramsTuck Business Summer Bridge Program – www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/bridgeRiordan MBA Fellows – http://bit.ly/10aFaw4See here for list of summer undergraduate business programs: http://www.rochester.edu/careercenter/students/internship/links/business/bussummer/

THANK YOU!