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What should I read to get ready for B-School?

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What should I read to get ready for B-School?

by SigGolfer » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:32 am
I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for good MBA primers/prep books? I was thinking about getting The Complete MBA for Dummies, just to brush up before school starts. Does anyone else have any other recommendations? Also, please let me know whether you are an MBA student already. Thanks!
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by parore26 » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:24 am
Try this site: www.mbagym.com. There are also a bunch of videos on: https://www.ft.com/businesseducation/isb . In addition, if you find yourself on the beach - here are some light recommendations: https://www.businessweek.com/bschools/co ... han=search

Also search Business Week for MBA reading. There is a huge list of professors and their recommendations. Very helpful, if you plan on taking their classes in the Fall ;)

As for me. I'd suggest these books:
1) Fooled By Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
2) Monkey Business
3) Liar's Poker
4) Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
5) The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
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by SigGolfer » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:39 am
Thanks a lot. Those seem like some pretty good resources. Through my own research, I found www.knowthis.com. The site is all about marketing, but it seems like a pretty good resource too. Any other thoughts/recommendations would be appreciated.
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by dmagnia » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:36 pm
SigGolfer... I should have know Sigma Chi's don't know how to conduct research, especially one that has served in the militia :) Have you asked Olin if they have any pre term programs? or if they have any suggestions as far as resources are concerned?

Hey and that argument you had on the businessweek forums was hilarious!
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by MBAPodcaster » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:36 pm
Here are some more recs:

* How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
* Winning by Jack Welch
* The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
* Freakanomics by Steven Levitt and Steven Dubner
* Songbook by Nick Hornby

We also did a show/podcast on books to read for MBAs called "MBA Must Reads: Experts Share Their Top Recommendations on the Books that will Prepare You for Your Application, Business School and Your Career Beyond School".

Also, if you're planning on getting up to speed on your quant skills for bschool, check out MBAMath.com
Janet
MBA Podcaster
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by mroper12 » Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:33 pm
Hi SigGolfer.

Just to extend your excellent post, if you are looking for another great mba-prep resource, please consider our professional group, USA Leadership Corps (www usaLeadershipCorps org).

USALC partners with pre-MBAs who are looking to enhance their leadership, consulting, entrepreneurship, and/or community-involvement backgrounds by leading volunteer nonprofit & small business strategy consulting projects.

Thank you & good luck.

Maxwell Roper
Outreach Director
USA Leadership Corps
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by wharton750 » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:40 am
Be active on the Businessweek B-school forums just to keep up with trends and any news.
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by Ttronn » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:44 am
I'll provide advice that is a little less fun but will go a long way to helping you during the interview process. Now perhaps you already employ this practice but I'd highly recommend getting into a habit of regularly reading the most prominant trade publications in your industries/career functions of interest. Keeping up to date on what's going on in your prospective post-grad work environment will go a long way in interviews, casual conversation at networking events, and most importantly your confidence. I'd definately second the advice of many of the posters in this thread as well. Many have suggested great books. Best of luck
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by tmino » Sat Jan 22, 2011 3:51 am
This book is probably the most popular MBA application prep book:

How to get into the top MBA programs, by Richard Montauk (5th edition)

Also, for a quick read:
https://www.skoolix.com/MBA-Admission-Requirements.aspx
MBAvolunteers - Application feedback in exchange for a donation to a non-profit
MBA Admission Requirements - All you need to know about getting into b-school
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by Kaneisha Grayson » Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:47 pm
Hi SigGolfer,

In addition to the helpful replies you've received already, I would recommend you take the online courses offered by Harvard Business Review (I'm an HBS alum but not connected to HBR in any way).

The link is here (https://web.hbr.org/store/landing/courses/index.php) and I would suggest taking the courses in this order (in case you don't have time to take them all):

- Accounting
- Finance
- Quantitative Methods
- Mathematics for Management
- Spreadsheet Modeling

I may not give another person the same order for coursework, but if you are pressed for time, focus on the first 3.

Every incoming student at HBS takes the Accounting, Finance, and QM modules, so you'll be getting the preparation we were required to have!

UCLA also has a helpful list of pre-MBA resources: https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x459.xml

I DO NOT recommend paying thousands of dollars to do a certificate program in leadership or something like that. Many times, those programs don't do enough to prepare applicants for the classroom material they will encounter nor do they prove enough to AdComs in regards to your ability to excel academically.

Save your money and focus on brushing up on the specific skills b-schools want to make sure you have--or can readily acquire.

Good luck!
Kaneisha
Harvard Business School MBA 2010, Harvard Kennedy School MPA 2010
Founder, The Art of Applying
Admissions Consulting for MBA, MPP, Joint Degrees, and Fellowships
https://theartofapplying.com

Want free advice that actually works? Sign up for my weekly MBA, MPP, and JD newsletter here: https://theartofapplying.com/newsletter/


My clients have earned over $3.1 million in fellowships from Harvard and other top MBA, MPP, and JD programs since 2010.
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by aveekguha » Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:19 am
It depends the strength of your business background. If you were a business or accounting major to begin with, I do not think much is necessary. Additionally, if you work in an area that is more cross functional in nature with exposure to multiple disciplines, again, I think that is adequate in terms of preparation.

If that doesn't apply to you, a primer like the one offered by our firm or one any of the others may be valuable in order to 'level the playing field' a bit when you start your program. It just depends on your background and business acumen pre-MBA.

Best of luck!
Aveek Guha, President, www.mbadaycamp.com
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