Ask Jon Frank- P69-Q&A:WHY MBA? 7 OVERLOOKED REASONS TO GET AN MBA

ki88el

Hi Jon,

Thanks for your time and effort on this thread.

I am planning to apply in R2 and would highly appreciate your advice on which b-schools to apply for. Let me brief my background:

1. Undergraduate: B.S. degree in Computer Science with GPA: 3.5/4.0 from Top 4 university in China.
2. 9 yrs W/E in Top IT US multinational company, including 3 yrs oversea W/E in Asia.
   Current job position: Senior Project Manager.
   The oversea assignment explains why I'm applying for MBA at age of 31...
3. post-MBA career goal: corporate - general management / MNC global business development, but not limited to hi-tech companies.
4. G: 720/5.5, T: 106.
   I took GMAT exam in Mid-September and am not satisfied with my score 'coz I could have done better, say 750+.
   On one hand, I know that applicants from mainland China usually have higher average GMAT scores.
   On the other hand, I should leave time for essays and applications.
   I'm not sure whether it's better to retake the exam in October.

After all, I haven't decided my target schools yet. I'm fine with Top 30 (prefer Top 15) US MBA programmes. The question is I don't know which b-schools fit me better.
- (Tuck? Haas?)  --- Will my GMAT score be a setback?
- (Fuqua? Darden? Ross?)  
- (Tepper? UTA?)
- Open to other recommendations.

Looking forward to your expert opinion.

Sincerely,

Kouji

perain

Hi Jon,


Thanks for your insightful ideas.


Do you mind giving some advises for the career switchers here? You mentioned that the Adcom don't like the career switch-but most of people do switch career paths after their MBA, and I believe most of the applicants  intend to land a different job(either in another industry or for another work junction or both) by means of taking an MBA. So, how to deliver an essay that speaks our minds, and, at the same time, convinces the Adcom?


Regards,
Nic

JonFrank

Hi Joe,

Appreciate your answers and comments here, quite useful. Could you please help to evaluate my background below and give some advice?

My background:

Full-time W/E: 1.5 years in a top business consulting and market research company; 2.5 years in a Fortune 500 company with function of corporate strategy (strategic and business development project lead)
Education: bachelor in business administration in China (GPA: 3.9/4); master in economics in US (GPA: 3.3/4)
Others: startup and volunteer experience; quantitative research experience
G/T: TOEFL can be waived; will take GMAT in Jan’2012
Career goal: investment industry like PE/VC…
Target b-school: Cornell, UCLA

Thank you very much!

Shu

-- by 会员 sr888152 (2011/9/22 13:59:31)

Shu, your chances are good my friend.  Of course it depends on your GMAT score (and I wish you could apply Round 1!) but yes, I like what I see so far.  Given your focus in General Management, I would also consider Tuck and Ross, BOTH great in that area.  And if you NAIL your GMAT, perhaps you could also look at HBS!  J  Why not, you have the background, again, depending on your future GMAT score…


Jon Frank
HBS 2005

JonFrank

Hi Jon,

Thanks for your time and effort on this thread.

I am planning to apply in R2 and would highly appreciate your advice on which b-schools to apply for. Let me brief my background:

1. Undergraduate: B.S. degree in Computer Science with GPA: 3.5/4.0 from Top 4 university in China.
2. 9 yrs W/E in Top IT US multinational company, including 3 yrs oversea W/E in Asia.
   Current job position: Senior Project Manager.
   The oversea assignment explains why I'm applying for MBA at age of 31...
3. post-MBA career goal: corporate - general management / MNC global business development, but not limited to hi-tech companies.
4. G: 720/5.5, T: 106.
   I took GMAT exam in Mid-September and am not satisfied with my score 'coz I could have done better, say 750+.
   On one hand, I know that applicants from mainland China usually have higher average GMAT scores.
   On the other hand, I should leave time for essays and applications.
   I'm not sure whether it's better to retake the exam in October.

After all, I haven't decided my target schools yet. I'm fine with Top 30 (prefer Top 15) US MBA programmes. The question is I don't know which b-schools fit me better.
- (Tuck? Haas?)  --- Will my GMAT score be a setback?
- (Fuqua? Darden? Ross?)  
- (Tepper? UTA?)
- Open to other recommendations.

Looking forward to your expert opinion.

Sincerely,

Kouji

-- by 会员 ki88el (2011/9/25 10:12:58)

Kouji, yes your school selection seems right on.   I like it—but remember, regardless of what schools you select, you will need to write an optional essay addressing your age.  Just short, fewer than 200 words even.  But explain why you are applying a few years late; many folks, for example, will also have international experience but they will not be as late in the game as you. As for the GMAT, I would say that you can apply to some schools (UTA, Duke) this round with your current score.  In the meanwhile, you can retake the test in October, and if your score goes up you can submit your NEW scores to your schools; and for sure, use that new school for your R2 apps.  But why not apply to some schools in R1, and some in R2 w your new GMAT score?  That’s what we would recommend—apply to your “Safer” programs R1 (and benefit from that extra R1 boost) and in the meanwhile, get that GMAT score higher…


Jon Frank
HBS 2005

JonFrank

Hi Jon,


Thanks for your insightful ideas.


Do you mind giving some advises for the career switchers here? You mentioned that the Adcom don't like the career switch-but most of people do switch career paths after their MBA, and I believe most of the applicants  intend to land a different job(either in another industry or for another work junction or both) by means of taking an MBA. So, how to deliver an essay that speaks our minds, and, at the same time, convinces the Adcom?


Regards,
Nic

-- by 会员 perain (2011/9/25 17:49:47)

Nic, it is easy dude. simply…don’t talk about career changes in your essays for the adcom.  J  Stick with your past background; speak your mind…as though you were going to stay along the lines of your current job.  That is your best bet for sure.  career changes make adcoms nervous; simply because it is hard for anyone to get a job in an area where they have no background of course.  So…why bother? Why stick with the career change story?  Just let it go dude, that is your best bet by far…


Jon Frank
HBS 2005

bulldogi

Hi Jon
I just retype message here. Hope I can get your help.

I was sales manager in top publishers in China. Now I am project manager in Canadian think tank. What could be my short term career goals?  

My current one is to be marketing manager of Pearson Education to cut into China's market since china just gave out green light on publications market on 2010.


Thanks a lot.
Kun

asap

Hello Jon, thanks for your insightful posts.

As you mentioned about career goal, currently I'm working in the postion of Corporate Finance of a energy company, short-term goal is to do consulting, and long-term goal is to come back  in corporate of energy industry, do you think it will be a logical trajectory as a career goal in the essay?

Thank you

-- by 会员 asap (2011/9/20 15:39:56)

Hey there.  Suuure that sounds just fine.  But one quick question for ya—why bother with all the career switching?  Why all the changes? Why not just…stick with your current career?  Why add consulting into the mix, since you already have such great stuff with energy, corporate finance, etc.?  Of course you can CHOOSE to do consulting once you get to school.  But why bother with a career change if you don’t have to?  Schools don’t like career changes typically, if we can help it…


Jon Frank
HBS 2005

-- by 会员 JonFrank (2011/9/21 11:13:24)

Thank you, Jon
But I still wonder that if I choose to stick to my current career, let's say, corporate Finance, and set a  long-term career goal as CFO, would that be too simple or too common?  

Besides, after MBA, I would like to return to the corporation that I'm working in, should I mention this in the essay?

so eager to know your opinions about these 2 questions.
Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

JonFrank

Hello Jon, thanks for your insightful posts.

As you mentioned about career goal, currently I'm working in the postion of Corporate Finance of a energy company, short-term goal is to do consulting, and long-term goal is to come back  in corporate of energy industry, do you think it will be a logical trajectory as a career goal in the essay?

Thank you

-- by 会员 asap (2011/9/20 15:39:56)

Hey there.  Suuure that sounds just fine.  But one quick question for ya—why bother with all the career switching?  Why all the changes? Why not just…stick with your current career?  Why add consulting into the mix, since you already have such great stuff with energy, corporate finance, etc.?  Of course you can CHOOSE to do consulting once you get to school.  But why bother with a career change if you don’t have to?  Schools don’t like career changes typically, if we can help it…


Jon Frank
HBS 2005

-- by 会员 JonFrank (2011/9/21 11:13:24)

Thank you, Jon
But I still wonder that if I choose to stick to my current career, let's say, corporate Finance, and set a  long-term career goal as CFO, would that be too simple or too common?  

Besides, after MBA, I would like to return to the corporation that I'm working in, should I mention this in the essay?

so eager to know your opinions about these 2 questions.
Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

-- by 会员 asap (2011/9/28 17:44:21)

Hey there—don’t worry about being too boring!  Besides, what could be more boring than consulting!  Nah, we worked with a bunch of Chinese clients last year who had the same background as you—said they wanted to be CEO or CFO—and got in!  J So go with it, and don’t worry so much!  The only thing you need to worry about, is if you come in as a career changer, in your application…


Jon Frank
HBS 2005

JonFrank

QUESTION:

I am working on the third essay for MIT application: Please describe a time when you had to make a decision without having all the information you needed. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page).

For this kind of topic, it is OK to write something not work-related, but purely personal? Like a life decision, etc? Will this kind of topic fit in with the application, or is should all essays be focused on work and business?

ANSWER:

The answer to your question is that by all means, YES – and this goes for any school you may be applying to – you can absolutely write an essay that is not work related.  In fact, we recommend that you do!  Like we always say, b-schools are hiring people, NOT profiles, and throwing something a little personal in there really humanizes you and shows the adcoms who you are as a whole.

But, of course, there are some ground rules here, folks.

First of all, you must remember that you are applying to business school and not…erm…life coaching school. What does that mean? It means that if you want to write about a personal experience, you should only do that in one essay per application. One. Then make sure that aaaall your other essays are work related.

The other thing to keep in mind is…well, business. Even if you’re writing about something personal, try to keep business in mind. For example, you could write about a time that you went to meet a friend for dinner but you didn’t know where the restaurant was. That qualifies as a “decision without having all the information,” but what does that really say about you (besides the fact that you don’t have a navigation system in your car….)? Nothing. So why tell it? When you’re using a personal story in response to this question or any question, you want to make sure there’s a GOOD reason to include it.

Does this story show that you have the skills (able to think on your toes, resourceful, rational, logical, etc…) to be good in business?

Does it present you in a way that will be endearing and appealing to the admissions committee?

Make sense? As long as you keep those two things in mind, throwing a personal story into your application can (and should) only help ya.

Good luck!

– Jon Frank
HBS 2005