Mba right after graduation

Share tips as you apply, write essays, interview...
This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:14 am
Location: India
GMAT Score:710

Mba right after graduation

by rb90 » Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:56 am
i am a student in the final year of college studying commerce.i graduate next year in june(2011).Im really confused regarding my chances of making it to top b-schools in the USA like yale,darden,hbs etc.I wanted to give it a shot inspite of knowing its really difficult to get into those schools without work experience.Is it advisable,considering ill be re-applying incase i dont get in?i havent started my gmat preparation.So when should i plan on giving my gmat? ive been working in my fathers business for the past two years after school.I plan on including this in my essays as well.The thing of most importance is that i dont want to give much time to work experience after graduation.
Please help as im new to this enitre process.Thanks.
Source: — The Application Process |

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 1090
Joined: Wed May 27, 2009 4:06 am
Thanked: 175 times
Followed by:68 members
GMAT Score:750

by Bryant@VeritasPrep » Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:38 pm
Business schools require experience for a good reason: the learning experience in b-school is collaborative and all participants are expected to contribute what they have learned in the "real world" to classroom discussions and team projects. If you want to bypass the post-undergrad experience, you will need to demonstrate meaningful experience in your family business which will convince a committee that what you have learned will be valuable to classmates who have worked professionally for two, three, five or seven years. If you can do this in a passionate and compelling way, if you have an outstanding academic record (i.e. top of your class performance) and pull down a heck of a GMAT, it is not out of the question that you can get into b-school without experience. Your big hurdle will be recommendations. It would not be appropriate to have a family member write one of your recommendations--this would be biased and also demonstrate a lack of maturity and judgement on your part (two important factors in b-school. Additionally, b-schools want to see a strong history of leadership and leadership potential. Being unproven in the post-undergraduate world leaves the admissions committee with too easy a decision to tell you to "come back next year when you have led something." Additionally, it will be challenging to convince a committee that you have it "all figured out" in terms of your long term goals and vision without having been around the block yet. Schools are quick to reject applicants (even those with considerable experience) if it seems like they are not quite sure why they want tthe MBA or what they are going to do with it. You should give this consideration before you write your essays. A strong and believable vision is critical. I applaud your identification so early that you want to have an MBA, but my gut tells me you should use that to your advantage and strategically map out the next two or three years in a career where you can garner the kind of meaningful experience that will not only impress an admissions committee and add to the classroom experience, but will also set you up for success after b-school by making you even more attractive to employers. Hope this helps.
Bryant Michaels
MBA Admissions Consultant


Enroll now. Pay later. Take advantage of Veritas Prep's flexible payment plan options

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 795
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:41 am
Thanked: 177 times
Followed by:85 members

by essaysnark » Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:52 pm
EssaySnark says, actually, previous answer isn't quite on target. A bunch of bschools are very receptive to candidates straight from university. In fact, a bunch of bschools have programs where you can apply as a junior. These include schools on the OP's list - Harvard with 2+2, Yale with Silver Scholars, etc. - and so EssaySnark assumes you're interested in exactly those programs. These programs typically will accept students now for later matriculation, and in the intervening time, will offer extensive career services support to help kids get a job out of university, to work a year or two before coming to bschool.

The deadline for HBS 2+2 was about a month ago, and so if you're starting your final year at university this fall, you missed your chance for that program. However Yale Silver Scholars is still an option for you, as are several programs in Europe. Chicago Booth and UCLA are also known to accept early-career candidates into their standard MBA track. Not all schools do, so the other response is partly true, but there are more than a handful of schools that encourage apps from this younger cohort.

The point about leadership experience is valid, and that's what all these programs will be looking for: are you an overachiever? Have you made the most out of your university years, not just academically, but in really diving in and getting involved in the community, with your peers, etc.? Have you made some big contribution in the family business? What about internships? They'll look for evidence that you're a superstar in all these areas.

Harvard is trending younger every year; they have probably the youngest average age around, and are also open to getting apps from college seniors (standard program, not 2+2). You'll need to distinguish yourself on the GMAT and definitely need great academics. But there's a chance at a lot of bschools these days for younger candidates. You'll need to get started now and the GMAT is probably the first thing to tackle, since that score will determine whether or not these schools we're discussing are even in range for you.
EssaySnark has MBA application guides for HBS, Stanford, Booth, Wharton, NYU and pretty much any other school you can name - including a fully revised and expanded 2015 Columbia essay guide!
https://essaysnark.com/bookstore/
* * * * * * *
The Indians' Guide to Getting In maps out everything you need to evaluate your own profile and select your schools. https://essaysnark.com/ssguide/quicksnar ... ans-guide/
* * * * * * *
MILITARY CANDIDATES! We've got some pro bono offers just for you: https://essaysnark.com/military-mba/
* * * * * * *
Follow EssaySnark on Twitter!

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:14 am
Location: India
GMAT Score:710

by rb90 » Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:12 am
Thanks so much for your replies.i really appreciate it.Can you also please suggest me other schools which have programs like hbs 2+2 or silver scholars in yale etc.
One more thing i wanted to ask was whether masters in management from London Business School is an alternative for mba after college?Its got a mediocre response ,from what ive read online.
Please help.
Thanks!

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 795
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:41 am
Thanked: 177 times
Followed by:85 members

by essaysnark » Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:01 am
EssaySnark says, if you're entering your senior year in college, Yale Silver Scholars is the only special MBA program left available. The others that we're aware of would have required you to apply this summer, right after your junior year (2+2 etc.). As posted above, the schools that are still open to younger candidates include Harvard, Chicago, and maybe UCLA. Many schools accept one or two just-graduated seniors but you have to really stand out. Most important for those applications is a statement of why it's critical to go get your MBA now. As the other poster said, gaining experience is really helpful, and many people feel that they get more out of bschool once they've spent several years in the workforce. So you need to show the adcom why now is the right time and how you're ready now. Extensive internships can make a difference on this point.

The LBS MIM is a great program that's designed exactly for people without much work experience. London is an amazing school. EssaySnark isn't sure where you've heard that it's mediocre, because in our opinion it offers the best of both worlds for younger candidates: relevant business classes taught by the same faculty who teach in the MBA program, a cohort of students in the same position in their careers, grappling with the same challenges as you, and extensive support for helping you launch your career. You can't beat the LBS name and resources. And, it doesn't necessarily preclude you from getting a "real" MBA later, if you wanted, though you may not even need it; the curriculum is essentially what you'd get in a standard first-year MBA core. Looks great to us. Duke has a similar thing called the MMS. These are new programs, and any new program does take awhile to get established in the market, so you'll not get much in the way of graduate opinions yet, since there aren't many out there. But EssaySnark thinks these are fabulous options that many people in your position would benefit from.

Just our opinion. Good luck with it!
EssaySnark has MBA application guides for HBS, Stanford, Booth, Wharton, NYU and pretty much any other school you can name - including a fully revised and expanded 2015 Columbia essay guide!
https://essaysnark.com/bookstore/
* * * * * * *
The Indians' Guide to Getting In maps out everything you need to evaluate your own profile and select your schools. https://essaysnark.com/ssguide/quicksnar ... ans-guide/
* * * * * * *
MILITARY CANDIDATES! We've got some pro bono offers just for you: https://essaysnark.com/military-mba/
* * * * * * *
Follow EssaySnark on Twitter!

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:14 am
Location: India
GMAT Score:710

by rb90 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:53 am
In the Yale silver scholars program,the 1st year and 3rd year are same as that of the normal full time mba program.but the 2nd year has full time internship.What do you feel about this?
Another thing is that i still havent started my gmat prep.i think going for round 2 in january would be a better choice.But i dont think any school other than yale is within my reach considering i have no work experience outside college.Please tell me what u feel about this

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 795
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:41 am
Thanked: 177 times
Followed by:85 members

by essaysnark » Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:20 am
rb90 wrote:In the Yale silver scholars program,the 1st year and 3rd year are same as that of the normal full time mba program.but the 2nd year has full time internship.What do you feel about this?
EssaySnark isn't quite sure what you're asking. Silver Scholars is quite comparable to HBS 2+2 except that it's structured differently, and you work just one year all told instead of two. So you'd graduate a year earlier. But otherwise the program works in a similar way and is explicitly designed to prepare those new to the workforce. Was there something else you wanted to know?
rb90 wrote:Another thing is that i still havent started my gmat prep.i think going for round 2 in january would be a better choice.But i dont think any school other than yale is within my reach considering i have no work experience outside college.Please tell me what u feel about this
Again EssaySnark isn't sure of the question. We already discussed possible programs above for someone coming straight from college. Even Silver Scholars does like to see some work experience (internships etc.) so if you literally have never worked ever, then maybe there's still time to do that before the summer is out. Otherwise you'll be relying solely on extracurriculars from college to present in essays. A R2 app to Yale SS should be fine. Does this answer your questions?
EssaySnark has MBA application guides for HBS, Stanford, Booth, Wharton, NYU and pretty much any other school you can name - including a fully revised and expanded 2015 Columbia essay guide!
https://essaysnark.com/bookstore/
* * * * * * *
The Indians' Guide to Getting In maps out everything you need to evaluate your own profile and select your schools. https://essaysnark.com/ssguide/quicksnar ... ans-guide/
* * * * * * *
MILITARY CANDIDATES! We've got some pro bono offers just for you: https://essaysnark.com/military-mba/
* * * * * * *
Follow EssaySnark on Twitter!

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:14 am
Location: India
GMAT Score:710

by rb90 » Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:15 am
Thank you for being for so co-operative and for replying essaysnark.
What i meant in the first part of my question is whether i will be studying anything while interning,or will it be only interning?Im asking you this as im trying to find people who have or studying in yale at the moment so that i could get first hand information,but im having a hard time finding.
You have answered the second part of my question.
Thank you!

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 795
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:41 am
Thanked: 177 times
Followed by:85 members

by essaysnark » Thu Jul 22, 2010 7:48 am
rb90 wrote:What i meant in the first part of my question is whether i will be studying anything while interning,or will it be only interning?
Aha! Okay, now we understand your question. No. You won't be in school while you're working. You start off with school full time for the first year, then you go to work full time for the second year, then you come back to school to finish the second year of the MBA curriculum in the third year. Many people will go to work in different cities, so there wouldn't be easy opportunity to attend classes at the same time (plus, working and doing school at the same time is really really hard -- they probably want you to focus 100% on each part, one at a time).

The Yale SS program is relatively new, and small, so it may be tough to find people's direct personal experiences with it discussed on the web. You could contact the Yale admissions office and see if they'll put you in touch with a current SS student.

Good luck with it!
EssaySnark has MBA application guides for HBS, Stanford, Booth, Wharton, NYU and pretty much any other school you can name - including a fully revised and expanded 2015 Columbia essay guide!
https://essaysnark.com/bookstore/
* * * * * * *
The Indians' Guide to Getting In maps out everything you need to evaluate your own profile and select your schools. https://essaysnark.com/ssguide/quicksnar ... ans-guide/
* * * * * * *
MILITARY CANDIDATES! We've got some pro bono offers just for you: https://essaysnark.com/military-mba/
* * * * * * *
Follow EssaySnark on Twitter!

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:14 am
Location: India
GMAT Score:710

by rb90 » Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:47 am
i have a question:
two years work ex+mba from INSEAD/IE/other reputed one year b-school mba program VS three-year silver scholars in yale?
Really really confused!

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 795
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:41 am
Thanked: 177 times
Followed by:85 members

by essaysnark » Mon Aug 02, 2010 12:53 pm
Sorry, EssaySnark doesn't quite understand the question.

Are you asking about the comparability of the MBA between these program lengths? If that's the question, the actual MBA degree is obviously the same, however you can tailor your educational experience (focus areas, concentrations, majors) in different ways at different schools. The time spent in classroom at the Yale Silver Scholars and the standard-track Yale MBA is identical, and is the same as you'd expect at any American two-year program. Yale SS is not three years of school; it's the same two-year curriculum just broken up into two one-year sections with a year of work between.

Many European schools like INSEAD actually prefer more work experience than just two years; four or five years is more typical. If you're comparing the Yale SS with schools like INSEAD, that's probably a bigger conversation in terms of all the deltas.

Hope this helps!
EssaySnark has MBA application guides for HBS, Stanford, Booth, Wharton, NYU and pretty much any other school you can name - including a fully revised and expanded 2015 Columbia essay guide!
https://essaysnark.com/bookstore/
* * * * * * *
The Indians' Guide to Getting In maps out everything you need to evaluate your own profile and select your schools. https://essaysnark.com/ssguide/quicksnar ... ans-guide/
* * * * * * *
MILITARY CANDIDATES! We've got some pro bono offers just for you: https://essaysnark.com/military-mba/
* * * * * * *
Follow EssaySnark on Twitter!

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:14 am
Location: India
GMAT Score:710

by rb90 » Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:16 am
So ive started my GMAT prep finally.Havent registered myself yet for the exam.I plan on taking it by 1st week october latest,but trying to finish it even earlier than that in order to give a shot at the exam in the last ten days or so of September(or earlier) .Also,ive started looking for people who can write my recommendations.Ive decided to apply for round 2 of yale silver scholars.Also trying to volunteer for a few events in school.Any suggestions ?

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:14 am
Location: India
GMAT Score:710

by rb90 » Sat Aug 07, 2010 12:25 pm
i was planning to appy to round 2 in January for the silver scholars program.i wanted to know :
1)I graduate in June 2010.Can i apply in Round 1 in 2010?
2)If i get a letter of recommendation in mid- January (which i believe will be a very important recommendation),can i send it sometime after the round2 deadlines?
3)Do the 1st year students goto different countries and work/learn there?
4)Can i give the recommendation of a student who will be studying in his final year of the silver scholars program by the time i apply?

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 9:48 pm

by mimconsultant » Fri Dec 24, 2010 9:55 pm
Hi,

You can explore more about the Yale SSP, Harvard 2+2 , LBS MiM and Duke MMS programs on

mymimapp.com

Best,

MiM Consultant