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

JonFrank

QUESTION:

I’m having trouble with the essay questions that ask me to describe my greatest life achievement. No matter how hard I try, I completely freeze up. After all, I’m getting my MBA so that I could have achieve great things in the FUTURE. I just feel that what I’ve got to say is boring… Any ideas?

ANSWER:

I find it hard to believe that you’ve had NO great life achievements to date. Yeah, an MBA is going to help you get ahead in your career, but I’m SURE you’ve done some great things so far. And even if they aren’t GREAT, you’ve done SOMETHING… and that something could make for a great essay. So relax. You got this.

The best way to approach this sort of question to take the pressure off a bit.  It doesn’t have to be the biggest, coolest thing on earth.  Not even the biggest, coolest thing you’ve done.  In fact, some of the BEST versions of this essay are very “simple,” or “not impressive accomplishments.”  Crossing the street, for example.  Man, that sounds so easy!  How could it be your best accomplishment, the reader wonders?  Well, in the second paragraph, we learn that “I was born with no feet.”  You get the idea.

Also, the impressive-ness comes when we talk about the lessons.  So let’s say it’s a deal you worked on.  Any old deal. Blablabla, it only made the company $10,000.  Not a ton of cash, no, but the LESSONS you drew from it were priceless.  You learned to be CONFIDENT. You learned how to manage a team. You took SOMETHING from this experience. Sure, the accomplishment wasn’t amazing, but it led to some AMAZING learnings.  Again, it’s almost BETTER if the lessons are simple or obvious – it makes you seem that much more confident when you get to the lessons.

Lastly, in choosing the one to go with…don’t forget what we ALWAYS say: think of your app like your life’s Greatest Hits album. Which of your greatest hits haven’t you written about yet? What story do you want the adcom to know that you haven’t shared yet? Got one? Go with THAT one.  Write about THAT one.  It doesn’t have to be so amazing or something you’d include in your memoir 30 years down the road, but it’s good for now and for showing those adcoms who you are and what you can do. Gussy it up by focusing on the lessons and you’ve officially unfrozen yourself.

Now, get writing

– Jon Frank
Founder PrecisionEssay

flyingnoodle

Your advice is very helpful. thanks Jon

JonFrank

So…you got dinged.  One thing’s for sure—we can feel your disappointment from here.  But all is not lost!  The truth is, despite what it feels like, this is not the end. In fact, the only way it IS the end for you is if you think that it is. Do NOT lose hope and, for the love of God, don’t fall into the following three tempting mental traps.

1) If one school dinged me, the rest will too.  This is flat-out false.  Many applicants will be accepted to their top choices, and outright dinged at lesser places.  Why might this happen?  Well for one, every application is different.  Your responses may have not been as strong for one school as for another.  But also, many lesser schools will see your application and instantly know that you will get into a “better school.”  Because they don’t want to be rejected by their acceptees, they will reject you instead.  “Why accept the kid if he’s clearly going to Stanford or HBS anyway?”  That happens quite a bit, as the schools LOVE to keep their retention ratios high.  That ratio is a large part of how they measure themselves against one another.

2) If a few schools dinged me, I blew it and should stop applying.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The more schools you apply to, the better your chances will be.  eriod.  If you have been rejected from a few schools in a row, add some safeties to your list!  Better to have some options than no options in April.  And the great news is, sitting here today, you have nearly a month to craft those final applications. That is plenty of time.

My advice? Get a second set of eyes to review your work and find the holes. It can be a friend, a family member, or a professional. As long as it’s someone NEW who can see your apps from a fresh perspective, you’re on the right track. Then… fill in those holes and put out a BETTER application this time around.

3) Once I’m done submitting, I need a break!  Nothing could be less true, guys. If you are gonna sit around ‘til results come back in April, you will only have…4 months to improve your apps for next year.  So start that process the SECOND you finish your R2 apps.

Improve your GMAT score. Not only will this show that you are committed to the program, but it will also prove that you are TRYING to improve your candidacy.

Plug into some extra-curricular activities! Again, not only can you get some great experience this way, but you can also prove to the schools that you are doing your best to improve your candidacy.

And finally, VISIT!  Reach out to the adcom. Learn everyone’s names. Become “that guy,” if you can. Next year, you need to write something like, “When I didn’t get in last year, I did some soul searching. I did tons of new research, and now I only want to go MORE than ever.”

Hope this helps, gang, and keep the faith! If getting into b-school were easy, everyone would be doin’ it…

Jon Frank
Founder PrecisionEssay

JonFrank

QUESTION:

I’m a 24-year-old girl from India. I passed out of an engineering grad school with not-so-good academics (57%), but was involved in a bunch of extra curriculars: I was a drummer in a local heavy metal band, played in my college band, was the cultural secretary in college, organized fests, won awards for debates, etc. I have also done a lot of community service, like scribing for blind kids, volunteering at orphanages, etc.

As you can see, I’ve done a LOT… besides succeed in my academics. Also, my GMAT is a paltry 660 (q41, v40).

My target schools are Emory, Georgetown, University of Maryland, Smith and Darden (which is a long shot…)

My question is just this: Are these schools possible in terms of my track record, or am I being too ambitious?

ANSWER:

Thanks for the note.  I LOVE your unusual background!  How many heavy metal female drummers from India do you think are applying to Emory this year?  Not that many.

So, let’s talk good news and bad news.

The bad news is that your grades will be real obstacles here.  Your GMAT is low, even by the standards of some of the schools that you mentioned.  Any chance you can retake it and NAIL the thing? Maybe prepare now, take it again this year and apply in R1 next year? With a 700 GMAT, I’d say that I like your chances.  You can talk your way out of a low GPA if you have solid GMAT.  roblem is, you don’t really have either one going for you. So right now, that will be a struggle.

The good news is that you DO have a chance.  Let me ask you this, though.  Do you want to stay in the States after school?  Because if yes, then you should add a few schools to your list and apply in the areas you want to stay in.  Do you like NYC?  Then apply to schools on the Northeast, like BC or Carnegie Mellon.  Even Rutgers.  Do you like the midwest?  Consider Ohio State or Michigan State.  Or try your hand in California at USC.  You have a shot at the schools you mentioned (why not shoot for UNC or Cornell as a stretch), but it will be a challenge for sure.  And if you’re dead set on starting a program next fall, you need to open up your chances a bit. You should apply to seven schools at least, and a broad range including some safer choices.

And needless to say, your main opportunity to shine will be through those essays.  You need to tell a story, and sell it with the kick and authority of Lars Ulrich.  And I’m sure you will.

By the way, ‘Run to the Hills’ is clearly of the best metal songs of all time.

Good luck!

— Jon Frank

JonFrank

QUESTION:

I am in the process of deciding on my second deadline schools (I know… I’m a bit late on the uptake here). I’ve been reading your blog for awhile and your advice to “go to the best school you can” kind of makes sense, but I have a question.

Do you think it holds true irrespective of my goals?

For example, say if my goals relate to I-Banking; do you advise me to go to Kellogg instead of Stern or Cornell?  When I try to answer the “why Kellogg” question, don’t you think it sounds unrealistic to the adcom that I say my goals are in IB and Kellogg is my first choice? Do you think I should choose schools based on my goals or at least have different goals in the applications for different schools?

ANSWER:

Another great question up in here. And, as usual, one we see every day. The key here is, as you know, to go to the best school you can get into. : ) And this inevitably leads to some consternation from our peers on the forums. But such is life.

Here is the way to do it dude: Yes, tell Kellogg that you wanna go there to do banking. Shouldn’t be too hard to convince ‘em of the fact. For example, are you all about teamwork? Suuuure you are. Kellogg is the place for you. Do you wanna maybe run JP Morgan one day? If so, you might wanna talk to Prof. David Stowell about that. He ran the Midwest biz for the firm. There are PLENTY of heavy hitters there.

And Kellogg needs bankers too, dude.  Every school does. Sure, some “specialize” in certain areas, but every school will prepare you for whatever it is you want to do post-MBA. In fact, getting a banking job from Kellogg will be even easier than it would be, in many ways, out of Stern. Just imagine how much less competition there will be…

At the end of the day, your b-school experience is what you make of it, so do your research on Kellogg, find out what Kellogg has to offer for you specifically, and build that into your “Why Kellogg” essay.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

– Jon Frank

JonFrank

QUESTION:

I got waitlisted at Wharton in R1 and I don’t know what to do. I’ve been reading your blogs and I know that you say people can reach out and update their application while they wait to hear back, but you also say that Wharton does not want you to do that. So… is there anything I can do?

ANSWER:

First things first: congrats on getting waitlisted. Yes, congrats. Because that wasn’t an outright ding, which, as I’ve said in all those blogs you’ve been reading, means that Wharton likes you… they just aren’t 100% sure yet.

Of course, getting accepted is always the preference, but Wharton isn’t done with you yet.  And that’s a very good thing.

So… what can you do? Well, you’re right – unlike many other b-schools that accept updates to your application, Wharton doesn’t want you contacting them or sending them much of anything. But that doesn’t mean you just have to sit there and wait around.

What you can do is get another LOR. Find someone who hasn’t written a recommendation for you and put them to work. If that someone happens to be a Wharton alum or someone who is somehow connected to the school, even better. And that person should write about things that the other recommenders missed. A different story, a different situation… something that shows a different (and impressive!) side of you that the adcom hasn’t seen yet.

This is a nice way to get around the “don’t contact us” rule at Wharton because, hey, you’re not contacting them! And who are you to stop that Wharton alum for sending over a glowing recommendation about ya? But seriously, it won’t hurt to have someone else reach out and add a little somethin’ somethin’ to that app.

There’s no guarantee this will get you off the waitlist, of course, but it’s better than sitting around and hoping for the best. And in the meantime, get to work on some other applications and keep your options open. There’s still plenty of time for some later R2 deadlines (Haas, UT, Cornell), not to mention European programs. If you eventually get into Wharton, great! But it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan. You know… that whole eggs in one basket thing.

Good luck out there and keep us posted on where you end up!

– Jon Frank

JonFrank

QUESTION:

Hi. I’m interested in applying to MBA programs that start in 2013. I know it’s early and essay questions aren’t out yet, but I’m wondering if there’s anything I can start working on now?

ANSWER:

Hello there! Great question and one, quite frankly, we wish we got more around here. Too often people come to us for help in the 11th hour, when their apps are due in less than a week! It’s great that you want to be proactive and get an early start.

And sure, essay questions for next year won’t be posted for a few months, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get started on the application process now. After all, there’s a LOT to do before you can actually start filling out those apps.

Take the GMAT. And do well on it. Yes, this one’s a given, but there’s more to it than simply sitting for the test. Think about the schools you want to go to (more on that later) and make sure your GMAT is competitive. If it’s not, sign up for a GMAT prep class and prepare to re-take the exam. If you start now, you could have it all done by April or May… which is perfect timing for those round 1 apps.

[How do you know if your GMAT is competitive? Sign up for US News and World report’s MBA rankings. For $20 you have access to the most comprehensive list of schools and stats that will help you throughout the application process.]

Research. You want to go to Harvard/Stanford/Wharton? Great! So does the rest of the world. Do yourself and favor and look into some other programs. There are tons of awesome b-schools out there beyond H/S/W, and you’d be doing yourself a great disservice if you didn’t consider them.

What should you be looking for? That depends on what’s important to you, but research where the school is located, what sort of student groups there are, key faculty members and classes, the post-grad employment stats, and all the other aspects of a school that make it a good fit for you.

[We recommend applying to at least 7 schools (2 reach, 2 “safe” and 3 right in the middle), so spend some time and find the 7 schools that work for you.]

Fill in the holes. Do you know what’s required for b-school apps? First, find that out and then make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row. Line up some potential recommenders, get your resume in order, step up to the plate at work and take on a leadership role. Do whatever you have to do NOW so you’re a strong applicant come September.

Visit! We say this all the time… and that’s because it’s important. You’re going to be spending up to two years (and a lot of money!) in b-school, so you want to be 100% certain that you’re happy with your choice. How can you be sure if you’ve never stepped foot on campus? So get there. Walk around, sit in on a class, chat with students and just soak up the campus culture.

Yyyyep… it’s a lot. And we haven’t even gotten to the actual applications yet.  Aren’t you glad you’re getting started early? There’s a lot of work to do, friend… The good news is you’ve got plenty of time to do it.

We’re here if you need us.

Good luck!

– Jon Frank

JonFrank

QUESTION:

Hi. I’m interested in applying to MBA programs that start in 2013. I know it’s early and essay questions aren’t out yet, but I’m wondering if there’s anything I can start working on now?

ANSWER:

Hello there! Great question and one, quite frankly, we wish we got more around here. Too often people come to us for help in the 11th hour, when their apps are due in less than a week! It’s great that you want to be proactive and get an early start.

And sure, essay questions for next year won’t be posted for a few months, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get started on the application process now. After all, there’s a LOT to do before you can actually start filling out those apps.

Take the GMAT. And do well on it. Yes, this one’s a given, but there’s more to it than simply sitting for the test. Think about the schools you want to go to (more on that later) and make sure your GMAT is competitive. If it’s not, sign up for a GMAT prep class and prepare to re-take the exam. If you start now, you could have it all done by April or May… which is perfect timing for those round 1 apps.

[How do you know if your GMAT is competitive? Sign up for US News and World report’s MBA rankings. For $20 you have access to the most comprehensive list of schools and stats that will help you throughout the application process.]

Research. You want to go to Harvard/Stanford/Wharton? Great! So does the rest of the world. Do yourself and favor and look into some other programs. There are tons of awesome b-schools out there beyond H/S/W, and you’d be doing yourself a great disservice if you didn’t consider them.

What should you be looking for? That depends on what’s important to you, but research where the school is located, what sort of student groups there are, key faculty members and classes, the post-grad employment stats, and all the other aspects of a school that make it a good fit for you.

[We recommend applying to at least 7 schools (2 reach, 2 “safe” and 3 right in the middle), so spend some time and find the 7 schools that work for you.]

Fill in the holes. Do you know what’s required for b-school apps? First, find that out and then make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row. Line up some potential recommenders, get your resume in order, step up to the plate at work and take on a leadership role. Do whatever you have to do NOW so you’re a strong applicant come September.

Visit! We say this all the time… and that’s because it’s important. You’re going to be spending up to two years (and a lot of money!) in b-school, so you want to be 100% certain that you’re happy with your choice. How can you be sure if you’ve never stepped foot on campus? So get there. Walk around, sit in on a class, chat with students and just soak up the campus culture.

Yyyyep… it’s a lot. And we haven’t even gotten to the actual applications yet.  Aren’t you glad you’re getting started early? There’s a lot of work to do, friend… The good news is you’ve got plenty of time to do it.

We’re here if you need us.

Good luck!

– Jon Frank

zhaoshating

Dear Jon,

Let me start from a self introduction. My name is Jerry. I am writing to expect your kind suggestion regarding to my career plan.

I graduated from a 30th some Chinese university with a degree in liberal arts (broadcasting and television). I do not want to further clarify why I joined the program. But my career plan is as below:

in 10 years--my death, start-up. Focusing on less developed area in China. Possibly agribusiness and retailing area, but the area is still not quite sure.
in 5-10 years, PE/VC
in 2-3 years. American MBA,
now, an associate in tax arm of big four accounting firms

My ultimate goal is to do my own business. People say that "if you want to do start-up". You do not have to get an MBA or work as a white collar. Perhaps they are right. But I think life itself is just a matter of experience. After all, the last stop for all of us is tomb, ain't it? so, I will go to attend an MBA and I will join PE before start-up.

You may imagine: It is very difficult for me to get into big four as a liberal arts graduate. Since, at least in China, unlike technology and science graduates, liberal arts graduates are indeed discriminated by most commercial sectors. Frankly speaking, I wish I can accumulate pre-MBA experience in consulting sector(strategy, due dilligence, etc.) like Bain or big four advisory arm, not legal regulatory jobs as I currently do. But again, it is so difficult for me to switch among commercial sectors.

My question is,
1. Do you think my liberal arts background means a dead end for me to get into top-tier American business school? From another perspective, do you think it adds value to me when admission officers think that"He must have something special since this liberal arts guy can get into the big four firm"?

2. I am currently thinking about switch my job. Based on my career plan and interest, I am thinking about three possible places. First, advisory arms of big four--But not that possible because of my academic background, and my current work tax does not fit corporate strategy jobs. Second, corporate finance department(i.e loan evaluation) of commercial bank, where I thought I can learn due dilligence and industrial/corporate research and evaluation jobs as well. Third, to be a financial journalist. I have academic background in media and media is easier for me to get in. Actually, I thought interviewing entrepreneurs and business insiders all day can be a better way than most commercial sectors for me to learn about business and to train my critical thinking. However, Will admission officers agree? Do you think the business jounalist job can be recognized by MBA admission officers? After all, based on existing profiles, journalism pool is a rare one for MBA. Is this experience too risky for MBA preparation?

The three places above, due dilligence in big four, bank loan evaluation, and journalist, are all for my start-up preparation as well. No matter for DD or for journalist, development of small enterprises always make me excited and I will surely pay special attention to SMEs.

3. I will tell admission officers that I wish to do my own business in agriculture. But currently I have done very little to prove I am serious to my plan. I wish to go to Africa to be a volunteer in a agriculture related enterprise or NGO. Does this kind of experience count?

My scores: GPA 3.33/4, GMAT 710(Will surely retake), IELTS 7.5(approximately equals to 106/107 for TOEFL)

Thank you for reading such a long letter. I really appreciate if you can help me since your suggestion means one of the most important decision of a little boy.

Best regards,
Jerry