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

JonFrank

[The following question came up after our recent webinar: Letters of Recommendation, 101.]

QUESTION:
I am applying for MBA programs this year and am trying to figure out who to reach out to for a recommendation. Is it OK to ask for a letter of recommendation from my boss with whom I worked 7-8 years back, or do I need a more recent supervisor?

ANSWER:
Great question. But before I answer it specifically, I want to make one very important point about LORs: always ask the person who knows you best. That’s the secret sauce. The magic formula, if you will. Don’t get swayed by the guy with the fancy title, thinking that’s gonna look more impressive in your application. If that guy doesn’t know you, getting an LOR from him will be as effective as getting one from the barista who serves up your morning Green Tea.

Do you want to know what impresses the adcom the most? The guy who talks about you and your experience passionately. The guy who wants you to succeed, who will go to bat for you, and who shows that with specific examples and powerful language in his letter. So even if you’ve got the choice between, say, Michael Dell or your direct supervisor who’s seen you work and knows what you’re made of to write you that LOR… yup, go for the supervisor. Every single time.

Now, what if the guy who knows you best was your boss back in 2004? Well, sure. If he’s the best guy you’ve got, why not? But let me warn you: if you have to go back 7-8 years to find someone who’s willing to go to bat for you, you’re doing something wrong.

Is there no one you’ve worked with more recently that can write you a recommendation? Not one person? Because that’s gonna raise some flags for the adcom. “Why doesn’t this guy have a more recent boss to sing his praises? What’s he been doing since 2004?!”

See what I’m saying?

I’d say the old boss is a great option for a second LOR, but if you can, let’s find someone a little…fresher to vouch for ya.  And if you can’t (if, say, you don’t want your current job to know you’re heading back to school), then, yes, go with the old boss. But you’re going to want to explain that choice in your optional essay.

Good luck,

– Jon Frank

JonFrank

QUESTION:
I’ve heard you say that International experience is very important for International applicants. How can we best highlight that experience without making it appear like laundry a list? Any tips about how to (or whether to) highlight my international travel experiences where I’ve met people from different backgrounds, learned from their wisdom and learned to appreciate diversity?

ANSWER:
Yup, it’s true. International experience is very important on an MBA application for International applicants. Why? Because the adcom needs to see that you’re going to be OK here in the US for the next 1-2 years (or longer). They need to feel comfortable about you adapting to the culture of the school and working with the diverse student body.  And for that, you need to prove to them that you’ve interacted with people that are not like you, and experienced things outside of your hometown.

So you gotta maximize your international experience in your apps, whatever it may be.

Which brings us back to your question: how do we do that without it sounding like some list? And what should and should not be included?

Here’s a good place to start:

What is it you want to get out of this specific essay? What do you want THE ADCOM to get out of it? What are the top 3 or 4 things that you have accomplished that say “these make me diverse and unique, and relate directly to both my short- and long-term goals”?

Write out your list. Then decide WHICH of those 3 or 4 experiences applies to getting into b-school (meaning, which is going to be the most impressive, which is going to make the most sense for that specific school, and which is going to tie most closely to your goals). That will funnel things down. From there, you’ll choose the best experience and dig into THAT one in your essay.

The key here is this: focus on the few things that really make you stand out and not the laundry list. It’s quality over quantity, friends. Having 15 different (yet shallow) international experiences in your application is going to do nothing for you. But having one really great one that lends itself to your long-term goals and also gives the adcom what they want… that’s the golden ticket.

So sit down and give it some thought, narrow it down, and there’s your answer.

– Jon Frank

JonFrank

QUESTION:
I’m 32 years old and I want to attend a full-time MBA program. I know full well that my age could be an issue, but I want that full-time MBA experience, so I’m going to go for it. What schools out there are more open to older applicants?

ANSWER:
I hear you, dude. There’s nothing quite like the b-school experience, and a lot of that has to do with the culture and experience of just being there, outside the classroom. So you shouldn’t have to give that up just because it took you a few extra years to come up with a career plan.

And, yeah, your age could be a bump in the road for you, but it’s not the end all, be all. When I was at HBS, there was a 35-year-old woman in my section. And there are older students in every section, at every school. It’s just not the norm; most b-school students are in the 26-29 range, so anything outside of that becomes “an obstacle.”

The key is proving to the adcom that you’re not lazy (“gosh, why’d it take Joe Smith so long to figure out what he wanted to do with his life?”), that you’re not stuck in a dead-end career (“Oh no, it’s almost too late for him to make a go at it”), and that you will roll up your sleeves in dig in.

But let’s get to what you really asked: which schools are more open to older applicants? Look, it changes every year (this year, schools are swinging younger, but next year, they could go in the other direction…) but right now, this is what I know:

Open to older applicants:

Wharton
Ross
Duke
Tuck
CBS
European programs

Like ‘em young:

HBS
Stanford
Yale

Again, nothing is set in stone and you could have a shot anywhere, if you play your cards right and present a smart application.  But you asked the question, so that’s my answer : )

Good luck out there,
Jon Frank

JonFrank

Still not sure if an MBA is a good investment? Around here, we always think an MBA is worth it’s weight in tuition costs, but we get it – the economy’s seen better days and the job market isn’t what it used to be.

But it looks like it might be coming back, folks.

The GMAC is reporting that current MBA graduates are entering a better job market this year than did last year’s graduates. According to the Global Management Education Graduate Survey, based on responses from over 5,000 recently graduated or soon-to-graduate students from 136 MBA programs across the globe, the percentage of recent graduates receiving employment offers increased from 54% in 2011 to 62%. Another survey shows that 79% of corporate recruiters are expecting to hire new MBA graduates this year, an increase from 2011’s 72% hiring figure. When coupled with the 4% increase of overall employer hiring expectations this year, students emerging from MBA schools this year should have better chances of finding a job.

Especially if they want to find a job in Asia. Not much of a surprise here, but to keep up with their massive global expansion plans, Asia-Pacific companies are chomping at the bit to snatch up MBAs, and doing so at a higher rate than their US and European counterparts.

So, what does this mean for recent MBA graduates? It means you can breathe a sigh of relief. Sure, it’s still a competitive market, but as the global business environment improves, the job opportunities for MBAs should be plentiful.

Jon Frank

yoshimihoku

I can prove that, according to my internship searching experience

JonFrank

It’s that time of year again, folks.
The bschool applications, deadlines, application tips, standardized tests, and stress.  LOTS of stress.  But there are PLENTY of resources to bring the stress level down. Maybe it seems like you’re getting more information than you need (or can handle), but the truth is that you can never be too informed when it comes to getting admitted into the MBA program of your dreams. Keeping up with the program’s offerings, the administrative staff, and the latest updates to the application process is absolutely essential to your success… and just might give you an edge over the other applicants.
These days, staying connected with your bschool targets has become easier than ever thanks to the INTERNET. The adcoms are all sharing news, updates, and even advice on their blogs and social media handles, making those RICH resources for info.  If you don’t mine it, you miss it.  And to make it even easier for you to take advantage of these resources, we’ve aggregated the blogs and Twitter handles for some of the top 50 MBA programs in the U.S.
Simply add the following blogs to your RSS Feed or Google Reader, or follow your bschool on Twitter to stay on top of it all.  Here it goes…
Harvard
Admissions Blog: http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/blog.html
Twitter: @Harvard
Stanford
Admissions Blog: http://www.stanford.edu/group/mba/blog/
Twitter: @Stanford
MIT Sloan
Community Blog: http://mitsloanblog.typepad.com/
Twitter: @MITSloan
Northwestern Kellogg
Admissions Blog: http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/programs/fulltimemba/applying/admissions_blog.aspx
Twitter: @KelloggSchool
Chicago Booth
Admissions Blog: http://blogs.chicagobooth.edu/boothinsider/
Twitter: @Booth_Insider
Wharton
Admissions Blog: http://engage.wharton.upenn.edu/MBA/blogs/mbaadmissions_blog/default.aspx
Twitter: @Wharton
Dartmouth Tuck
Admissions Blog: http://tuckschool.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @TuckSchool
Berkeley Haas
Admissions Blog: http://berkeleyhaasmba.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @UCBerkeley_Haas
Columbia Business School
Blog: http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/publicoffering
Twitter: @Columbia_Biz
NYU Stern
Admissions Podcasts: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nyu-stern-mba-admissions/id341554864
Twitter: @NYUStern
Yale SOM
Community Blog: http://blogs.som.yale.edu/
Twitter: @YaleSOM
Michigan Ross
Admissions Blog: http://rossblogs.typepad.com/admissions/
Twitter: @MichiganRoss
Virginia Darden
Admissions Blog: http://blogs.darden.virginia.edu/admissions/
Twitter: @DardenMBA
Duke Fuqua
MBA Student Blog: http://blogs.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-mba/#.T-ON0ZgXm6E
Twitter: @DukeFuqua
UCLA Anderson
Admissions Blog: http://mbablogs.anderson.ucla.edu/
Twitter: @UCLAanderson
Carnegie Mellon Tepper
Twitter: @TepperCMU
UT Austin McCombs
Admissions Blog: http://blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/mpa-admissions/
Twitter: @UTexasMcCombs
Cornell Johnson
Admissions Blog: http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/Academic-Programs/Full-Time-MBA/Admissions/Admissions-Blog.aspx
Twitter: @JohnsonSchool
Washington University Olin
Admissions Blog: http://blogs.olin.edu/olinformer/
Twitter: @WUSTLbusiness
USC Marshall
Twitter: @USCMarshall
OSU Fisher
Admissions Blog: https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/emba/
Twitter: @FisherOSU_MBA
UNC Kenan-Flagler
Community Blog: http://blogs.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/mba/
Twitter: @KenanFlagler
Indiana Kelley
Admissions Blog: http://kelleymbaadmissions.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @IUKelleyMBA
Georgetown McDonough
Community Blogs: http://msb.georgetown.edu/mba/students/blogs/
Director’s Tips: http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/mbapremium/sep2008/bs2008092_581196.htm
Twitter: @msbgu
University of Minnesota Carlson
Admissions Blog: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/csomweb/carlsonmba/
Twitter: @CarlsonMBA
Georgia Institute of Technology
Admissions Blog: http://gatechadmissions.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @georgiatechbsch
Emory Goizueta
Goizueta Blog: https://newsroom.goizueta.emory.edu/gnr/
Twitter: @EmoryGoizueta
Rice Jones
Twitter: @ricemba
Notre Dame Mendoza
Twitter: @NDBusiness
UW Madison
Twitter: @UWBusiness
Vanderbilt Owen
Twitter: @VanderbiltOwen
Arizona State Carey
Twitter: @WPCareySchool
Texas A&M Mays
Twitter: @maysbusiness
Brigham Young Marriott
Twitter: @marriottschool
U Washington Foster
Twitter: @FosterMBA
UC Davis
Twitter: @ucdavis
Boston College Carroll
Twitter: @BCCarrollMBA
Boston University
Twitter: @BUManagement
U Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Twitter: @uiucbusiness
U Rochester Simon
Twitter: @SimonSchool
UT Dallas
Twitter: @UTDallasNews
Purdue Krannert
Twitter: @PurdueKrannert
Tulane Freeman
Twitter: @FreemanSchool
Michigan State Broad
Twitter: @MSU_MBA
Penn State Smeal
Twitter: @SmealCollege
U Maryland Smith
Twitter: @SmithSchool
UC Irvine Merage
Twitter: @UCIrvine_MBA
U Iowa Tippie
Twitter: @TippieIowa
U Arkansas Walton
Twitter: @uawaltoncollege

JonFrank

It’s that time of year again, folks.
The bschool applications, deadlines, application tips, standardized tests, and stress.  LOTS of stress.  But there are PLENTY of resources to bring the stress level down. Maybe it seems like you’re getting more information than you need (or can handle), but the truth is that you can never be too informed when it comes to getting admitted into the MBA program of your dreams. Keeping up with the program’s offerings, the administrative staff, and the latest updates to the application process is absolutely essential to your success… and just might give you an edge over the other applicants.
These days, staying connected with your bschool targets has become easier than ever thanks to the INTERNET. The adcoms are all sharing news, updates, and even advice on their blogs and social media handles, making those RICH resources for info.  If you don’t mine it, you miss it.  And to make it even easier for you to take advantage of these resources, we’ve aggregated the blogs and Twitter handles for some of the top 50 MBA programs in the U.S.
Simply add the following blogs to your RSS Feed or Google Reader, or follow your bschool on Twitter to stay on top of it all.  Here it goes…
Harvard
Admissions Blog: http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/blog.html
Twitter: @Harvard
Stanford
Admissions Blog: http://www.stanford.edu/group/mba/blog/
Twitter: @Stanford
MIT Sloan
Community Blog: http://mitsloanblog.typepad.com/
Twitter: @MITSloan
Northwestern Kellogg
Admissions Blog: http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/programs/fulltimemba/applying/admissions_blog.aspx
Twitter: @KelloggSchool
Chicago Booth
Admissions Blog: http://blogs.chicagobooth.edu/boothinsider/
Twitter: @Booth_Insider
Wharton
Admissions Blog: http://engage.wharton.upenn.edu/MBA/blogs/mbaadmissions_blog/default.aspx
Twitter: @Wharton
Dartmouth Tuck
Admissions Blog: http://tuckschool.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @TuckSchool
Berkeley Haas
Admissions Blog: http://berkeleyhaasmba.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @UCBerkeley_Haas
Columbia Business School
Blog: http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/publicoffering
Twitter: @Columbia_Biz
NYU Stern
Admissions Podcasts: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nyu-stern-mba-admissions/id341554864
Twitter: @NYUStern
Yale SOM
Community Blog: http://blogs.som.yale.edu/
Twitter: @YaleSOM
Michigan Ross
Admissions Blog: http://rossblogs.typepad.com/admissions/
Twitter: @MichiganRoss
Virginia Darden
Admissions Blog: http://blogs.darden.virginia.edu/admissions/
Twitter: @DardenMBA
Duke Fuqua
MBA Student Blog: http://blogs.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-mba/#.T-ON0ZgXm6E
Twitter: @DukeFuqua
UCLA Anderson
Admissions Blog: http://mbablogs.anderson.ucla.edu/
Twitter: @UCLAanderson
Carnegie Mellon Tepper
Twitter: @TepperCMU
UT Austin McCombs
Admissions Blog: http://blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/mpa-admissions/
Twitter: @UTexasMcCombs
Cornell Johnson
Admissions Blog: http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/Academic-Programs/Full-Time-MBA/Admissions/Admissions-Blog.aspx
Twitter: @JohnsonSchool
Washington University Olin
Admissions Blog: http://blogs.olin.edu/olinformer/
Twitter: @WUSTLbusiness
USC Marshall
Twitter: @USCMarshall
OSU Fisher
Admissions Blog: https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/emba/
Twitter: @FisherOSU_MBA
UNC Kenan-Flagler
Community Blog: http://blogs.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/mba/
Twitter: @KenanFlagler
Indiana Kelley
Admissions Blog: http://kelleymbaadmissions.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @IUKelleyMBA
Georgetown McDonough
Community Blogs: http://msb.georgetown.edu/mba/students/blogs/
Director’s Tips: http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/mbapremium/sep2008/bs2008092_581196.htm
Twitter: @msbgu
University of Minnesota Carlson
Admissions Blog: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/csomweb/carlsonmba/
Twitter: @CarlsonMBA
Georgia Institute of Technology
Admissions Blog: http://gatechadmissions.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @georgiatechbsch
Emory Goizueta
Goizueta Blog: https://newsroom.goizueta.emory.edu/gnr/
Twitter: @EmoryGoizueta
Rice Jones
Twitter: @ricemba
Notre Dame Mendoza
Twitter: @NDBusiness
UW Madison
Twitter: @UWBusiness
Vanderbilt Owen
Twitter: @VanderbiltOwen
Arizona State Carey
Twitter: @WPCareySchool
Texas A&M Mays
Twitter: @maysbusiness
Brigham Young Marriott
Twitter: @marriottschool
U Washington Foster
Twitter: @FosterMBA
UC Davis
Twitter: @ucdavis
Boston College Carroll
Twitter: @BCCarrollMBA
Boston University
Twitter: @BUManagement
U Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Twitter: @uiucbusiness
U Rochester Simon
Twitter: @SimonSchool
UT Dallas
Twitter: @UTDallasNews
Purdue Krannert
Twitter: @PurdueKrannert
Tulane Freeman
Twitter: @FreemanSchool
Michigan State Broad
Twitter: @MSU_MBA
Penn State Smeal
Twitter: @SmealCollege
U Maryland Smith
Twitter: @SmithSchool
UC Irvine Merage
Twitter: @UCIrvine_MBA
U Iowa Tippie
Twitter: @TippieIowa
U Arkansas Walton
Twitter: @uawaltoncollege

JonFrank

QUESTION:

Are extracurricular activities and non-school activities really that important to a Master’s application?

ANSWER:

Great question, and here’s the short answer: yes.  VERY important.  U.S. applicants have a leg up here because they’ve been told from Day 1 that extracurricular activities are an important part of the school experience and help you get ahead in life.  That’s why high schools and colleges across the U.S. offer after-school sports, clubs, events, and competitions for students to run and participate in.  Unfortunately, this isn’t the same for applicants from other countries, which that can create a problem for international applicants to U.S. graduate schools.

The biggest thing you’re looking for here is focusing on activities that will go hand in hand with the graduate level work you’re purusing.  We’re talking internships, lab work, etc.  These sorts of technical extracurriculars show your involvement and dedication to your chosen field, really filling out the picture of you as a real candidate instead of just a profile on the page.

After this kind of stuff, you can look at non-work related things (do you play the cello? Volunteer on the weekends? Knit like a fiend?), which are GREAT for many reasons.  If you can show that you’ve set out a goal and accomplished something, like leading a team to win a big race or organizing a food drive, you’ll show you’ve got great leadership and people skills.  If you manage to achieve all of these AND keep a killer GPA, even better.  This shows that you’ve got the kind of time-management skills that are CRUCIAL in the grad environment.  And if nothing else, you’re showing the adcom that you’re more than just a profile, you’re a real PERSON with real interests. That’s just as important to those applications, and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Now, what happens if it’s too late for you to get involved in something new? After all, isn’t it going to look…. suspicious if you’re just getting involved with something now? Sure, but there’s a way to make this work. The key is to get creative.  Get back into some activities you were in before, whether at your school or with an outside organization.  If you get back into it now, it will look like you’ve been doing it on-and-off for a while and establish your continued interest.  So long as you package it right, you should be just fine.

At the end of the day, no matter what you do, do something. You need to be more than just an academic. You need to show that you’re a real person with real passions. And extracurriculars will make that case.

They also happen to be fun, so if nothing else… well, get out there and enjoy yourself.

Good luck,

– Jon Frank

JonFrank

Question:

I have an employment gap in my resume, and it’s got me a little worried. How long of an employment gap is too long? Should I talk about it in an optional essay on the app?

Answer:

The honest answer here, my friend, is that any employment gap is too long. That said, not every gap needs to be explained in your MBA application. If the gap’s longer than 3 months or so—let’s call it 4+ months—it’s worth addressing in the app. Now, this does not mean that you necessarily NEED to put it in an optional essay. There are ways to serve up these explanations in other aspects of your app, maybe even in the career goals section. Whether it’s in a section of the resume or in another app essay, there are other avenues you can take to get your point across.

There are plenty of reasons for gaps in your employment: You went to school full-time. You were out of the country doing volunteer work. You were taking care of a sick family member. All of these are reasonable explanations that can actually HELP your app by showing your strengths in places other than at work, if you approach them the right way.

But, you gotta remember to see it from the adcom’s perspective here. The real fear is that you are unemployable. Schools want people who will get JOBS when they graduate, because a higher graduate placement rate makes the school look better, more impressive, more effective. If you get an MBA from them and then can’t get a job, what’s that say about the school?

So, if you DO address your career gap in the app, you’ve got to address this fear and put it to rest. Focus on the fact that, “Yes, I had no job, but it doesn’t mean I can’t get one later…” Show them that you’re a strong enough candidate, and you just might get them to forget about that gap.

Hope that helps.

– Jon Frank

JonFrank

Question:

I’m planning on going for a Masters in Accounting and I’ve kept a great GPA throughout college, but my GMAT score was only average. I retook the GMAT, but didn’t really improve my score that much. What are my chances, and should I retake the test again?

Answer:

There’s actually lots to talk about here, dude, and most of it comes from what you haven’t told us.

To start, the biggest question I’d have is about your GPA. Accounting programs are interested in your overall GPA, sure, and having a great overall GPA is ALWAYS a strength. But what about your major GPA? How did you do in your core accounting courses in college? Accounting programs are going to be MUCH more interested in knowing that you’re a solid performer in the given field. If you’ve got a high major GPA, even better.

Now, that said, a less-than-spectacular GMAT score could be an issue for you, but that depends on MANY other factors. Have you worked in any accounting or finance-related internships? How about extra-curricular activities? Did your school have a Finance Club? Were you the Treasurer for any clubs or teams? Did you take a leadership role in any of your activities? Did you FOUND an Accounting Club? All of these are things that Accounting programs look for because they show that you live and breathe this stuff. That you’re invested (pun intended) in your career goals.

Which brings us to the other big variable in the equation. What ARE your post-grad plans? Going for a CPA? Does it match up to what you’ve done so far? Can you demonstrate that you’ve got the background and the know-how to make it happen? If all of these things fall into place, an average GMAT won’t be AS much of an issue.

So, all this said, should you retake the GMAT? Well, if you do some effective test prep (study guides, prep classes, etc.), you should almost definitely improve your score. That prep stuff really focuses on improving you as a test taker, not just in covering the GMAT material. But, the thing to keep in mind is that it’s not JUST about your GPA or your GMAT numbers. It’s about being a really well-rounded, solid candidate. Somebody who’s involved, focused, driven, and has a plan.

– Jon Frank