Handling Recommendations

There are three important steps to be followed to emerge with a successful recommendation:

Selecting the recommender: The best recommender is a supervisor of yours who has interacted with you closely. Recommendations from CEOs or CFOs are absolutely of no use unless you have closely moved with them. A supervisor who can talk of your strengths, weaknesses and the material you are made of, is one of the best choices. A peer review is sometimes sought by schools. But when the recommender selection is left as a open choice, I would say a supervisor weighs far more than a peer.

Coaching the recommender: This is an essential and crucial step. Make sure you coach your recommender about your goals and aspirations. Tell him/her why you are looking for an MBA. The recommender may very well be mindful of your work culture, team spirit, attitude etc. But it is also important that he is aware of your professional goals. Its your duty to make an appointment and enable him to know your goals in detail. The next step is to tell him/her about the time lines and don't hesitate to send across a gentle reminder if need be.

The recommender's say: In short, the recommender must fortify what ever you said in your essays. In fact, the recommender gets a chance to narrate instances and elaborate on many of your attributes. You can make sure that your application bundle is tied together if your recommender reinforces your ideas and elucidates your qualities. All this will lubricate and smoothen the recommendation letter handling and also the application process.

Selecting schools

Selecting the right school is one of the important things in the application process. I consider the following aspects important in the selection process.

Curriculum and Electives: Check what a school has got to offer as a part of the curriculum. Do the electives offered meet your career goal and aspirations?

Placements: How good is the recruitment in the field of your interest. If you are an international student make sure to know the companies that are willing to sponsor work permits. Not all companies are inclined to recruiting international students.

Teaching style: Teaching methodology is typically a mix of cases and lectures although some schools only practice the lecture based method. Personally, I think cases give a real time experience and schools that promote it are a better choice.

Networking: Know how good are the school's ties with its alumni and the kind of events and fairs arranged. Networking is very important for intern and post-MBA jobs as well. One of your main line professional networks will be through the school you graduate from.

Location: Location can be of concern to many because of family ties, weather or other interests.

Student body: What is the student body composed of? What is the extent of diversity in terms of work-ex, age, nationality etc. How enthusiastic and participating are the students?

Outside classroom: Student organisations and cultural clubs enable you to pursue your interests and develop extra-curricular activities. Learning about the various clubs will help you understand what you get to do outside class.

Hands-on experience: Many schools encourage their students to work for companies even during their course work. That helps you hit the ground running.

The various sources to know about schools would be their students, staff, alumni, websites, MBA fairs and class visits. Class visits are more advisable after an initial shortlisting. They will help you to zero down on your choices.

Extra curricular activities

Wondering what schools expect when they talk of extra-curricular activities? Well, be it any domain that the school is concerned about, they look for one key trait; leadership! In fact, one need not have held any lead roles in terms of designations in one's work experience. The initiatives you took and your leadership instances count. Anyway, we are deviating. Hm...yeah, extra-curricular activities. So, as said, the admissions committee looks for your commitment and leadership yet again in these activities. It is often misinterpreted that community service alone qualifies for this section. Definitely, not. Do something you are passionate about. That would help you enjoy whatever you do and be sure to bring out instances where you could showcase your leadership. Tell them how you would pursue this interest at school. Your activity could be music, some sports club...just anything. Anything, but you are expected to do something outside work...some for fun and some out of passion and interest. No one out there wants a nerdy bookworm. Try to be the right mix!

Dizzy with rounds?

We have been hearing "It is the best to apply when you and your application are ready" ! But, why not get ready for earlier rounds? Even if your stars don't turn lucky for you, you would still have many doors open if you are an early bird. Yes, people who are not happy with the offers they get in the first round decisions always stand a chance to apply to their next set of schools' second admission round in the very year rather than wait for 365 days!!! This is more appropriate for international students who are typically allowed to apply only to certain rounds of admission, most likely the first couple of them. First round generally spans from Oct to Dec. But certainly, as said, ensure you are all set when you apply. You may go through the checklist post to measure your readiness.

Weighing GMAT

Where to place GMAT in the admission process scale of ten? Hmm... let us first redefine the scale. It is a scale of ten ones rather than a scale from one to ten. Each applicant is evaluated as an individual gauging across various skill sets from aptitude to work-ex to extra-curricular activities to....and the list goes on... essays and recommendations speak of the other faculties...


Now, GMAT is an indicator of your aptitude. It would help in guessing how one would perform in class. It is better to get GMAT out of your way and get onto the other things which would be more demanding in terms of efforts and time. Certainly, GMAT seems as a monster on your journey to secure an MBA. But, trust me, once you get off this hurdle soon will you realise that you are just through the tip of an iceberg...an immensely huge ice berg! Simply blow the GMAT out of your way and swiftly fly past it. Giving one's best to every inch of the admission process is important. No piece weighs more than any other.

Application sequel !!

Sounds weird, eh? Well, the application process is not "complete" with submission of your online application or even after your interview. There is certainly more to it. I agree that after undergoing the gruelling process, it is very tempting to hug your bean bag and slack off. However, it is crucial to stay and also prove competitive in the race you started running. Keep the admissions team posted about all your updates ever since you applied or interviewed. Detail about your latest achievements, activities and how you would add more value to the school community. Add lines that demonstrate your continued interest and do include a thanks note for their time and all opportunities given. Stay connected with the admissions committees.

Checklist

Here is a step wise approach to mission-MBA. This is designed by logically prioritising each of the activities that make up the whole process. I hope this will be of help to attend to each task in a timely manner.

• Identify your career goals and identify why you would want to associate with an MBA. For more on the very first step to MBA...click here

• Select the schools that make the best fit for you in terms of mainly your career goals and other factors like the student body, class size, teaching methodology, placements, student clubs, location etc...

• Set a minimum target GMAT score which would be a must to score to get it out of way (the highest of the averages of GMAT scores of the schools you prefer to study at). Remember this is the MINIMUM you must score.

• Prepare, attack and beat the GMAT. If you are required to take TOEFL too. Get it out the way too.

• Send out your score to schools.

• Make sure you post all the supporting documents (schools don't review an application until the file is complete).

• Start your online applications and register your recommenders.

• Make appointments with your recommenders and talk to them about your goals. Let them reinforce the ideas you wish to project and showcase in your essays and interviews in the recos they give out(it's your duty to keep reminding your recommenders and get your recos in place before the deadline).

• Draft your essays and have them read by your family and friends.

• Submit your application and be hopeful to get a call from all the schools you applied to.

• Schedule an interview if an applicant initiated interview is required. Reharse all your interview responses aloud.
  

These apart, ensure you have all your under-graduation and graduation transcripts ready before you start applying. Also, connect with schools in whatever manner, whenever and where ever possible...attend MBA events, talk to alumni, current students and staff; visit schools (if possible)...show them that you make a good fit and would add to their community.

Where to start?? What first? What next?

GOSH!! I know. It's so confusing !#@$% Chill… Read on and I'm sure you'll feel better.

The first and foremost step that an MBA aspirant should get past is…no, definitely not the GMAT. It's interospection and cheers to those who guessed it right! Of course, a tedious phase but the most important of all. Yes, know why exactly you landed at this blog! Where are you heading? Why are you looking for an MBA? Just augmented career options or fat pay packets cannot be the only reasons. Identify a specific career path you wish to tread…Which industry? Which function? What designation? What in the short run? What in the long run? Now, think if getting back to school will help you acheive these goals? Once done, you will have a better eye that'll help you look in the right direction in the right way. This process will also help a great deal in writing your apps and also in interviews. So, get set! Good Luck!