Extracurricular Activities

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homeyg: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 12; Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 12:39 pm

by homeyg » Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:41 pm

I am applying to the top 5 bschools. I was extremely busy with work over the past five years, and I only recently began to participate in extracurricular activities. I have been a Minds Matter mentor for 1 year, and I have been a leadership council member of a nonprofit for the past 8 months. My question is will this be enough to impress the top bschools? How much weight do they put on extracurriculars. I have listed below some other details on my background for your consideration. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

1) 3.1 GPA in Computer Science from Penn State University
2) 720 GMAT (48 Q, 40 V)
3) Work Experience - 2 yrs at BB ibank, 3 yrs at emerging market PE firm

Source: Beat The GMAT — The Application Process | Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:41 pm

VP_MBA_Guru: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 690; Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 12:51 pmFollowed by: 3 members; Thanked: 39 times; GMAT Score:750+

by VP_MBA_Guru » Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:17 am

H
Great question. We get a lot of questions about how AdCom evaluates ECs. Basically, it is one component of the Admissions evaluation, but does not carry a significant weight. More than anything else, it (1) helps to set you apart from other candidates with similar professional/educational background and (2) gives you the opportunity to develop leadership skills or pursue your passions outside of your professional career.

Its hard to say what experience will 'impress' AdCom, but overall it seems that you have good ECs in light of your work experience, particularly your leadership experience.

Hope this helps,

N

Nikhil P. | Admissions Consultant | Veritas Prep

tmino: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 61; Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:30 pm; Thanked: 6 times

by tmino » Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:39 pm

I think AdComs will understand if some candidates were too busy with their jobs to be actively involved in ECs. And as Nikhil writes it's only one part of the entire application.

Some applicants think that in order to get into bschool you need to have 5 years of volunteering experience. That's not the case. In order to differentiate yourself any passion or interest can also set you apart (e.g. sports, music, arts, etc.). Personal experiences which emotionally touch the reader are also great essay material.

While it's great to see that applicants are often involved with non-profits, it's definitely not a requirement for admission.

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