MBA: An Entrepreneur's Chances?

schep104 · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 9:41 pm Post subject: MBA: An Entrepreneur's Chances?

Stacy,

As an undergrad I graduated with honors, hosted a triple emphasis in finance, management and marketing. Minored in communications, launched an international fraternity, founded the venture finance group, worked two jobs at a time, was a finalist for the following awards: cheverton (highest honor), senior leadership and man of integrity.

Since graduation, I've ventured off on my own into the world of venture finance valuation and due diligence. I own my own company and will be applying to B-School to expand my knowledge of the business realm.

Will my resume be competitive even though I haven't worked at a large I-Banking firm (like Goldman Sach's)?

Does Harvard, Stanford, Wharton and the top schools value entrepreneurs?

Thank you in advance for your insight.

Best,

Scott

Lisa Anderson · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 11:04 am Post subject:

Dear Scott,

All schools value entrepreneurs. No schools are looking for one career before the MBA; they all want a variety of background and experiences to add richness to the classroom and teamwork. You should use your entrepreneurship as leverage in your application to distinguish yourself in the eyes of the admissions committee.

Good luck,
Lisa

VP_Tatiana · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 12:39 pm Post subject:

Hi Scott,

I think your entrepreneurial background will really distinguish you in the eyes of the admissions committees of many top schools. My background going into business school consisted of 5 years at Microsoft, and 3 years of running my own coffee shop. One of the professors that runs our program told me that one of the main reasons I was admitted so young (25 years old at time of admission, second youngest in the program) was because I owned my own business.

Babson is ranked #1 for entrepreneurship, so I am not surprised that they weighted my experience so heavily. I'm not sure if a school with another main focus would have put so much weight on my entrepreneurial experience, but I would imagine they would appreciate the unique background I bring to the cohort.

So, don't worry if you don't have the "standard" background of investment banking or IT, because admissions committees don't want a homogenous cohort- and neither should you. You'll find you learn the most from people with very different backgrounds.

Best wishes,

Tatiana