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Is start-up experience worth-it in application to B-Schools?

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by [email protected] » Mon Jun 03, 2013 3:31 am
I would like to ask the experts that if a student has a start-up experience and applies to some of the top b-schools for the MBA/MiM programs, then considering the other factors at par with any other applicant, what would be the impact of such kinda experience?
Do these B-Schools entertain such applications?
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by CriticalSquareMBA » Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:43 am
Hi there,

Short answer? Absolutely! Longer answer: start up experience, generally speaking, is viewed very positively by admissions committees. If the business is/was successful, great! If it wasn't, if you can articulate what you learned and why it failed, that can be just as impactful. Success of the venture is a small part of the story.

The reason why adcoms love this type of experience is it gives them insight into your character while at the same time giving them a potential student that will bring some very diverse and exciting experiences to the classroom.

The trick becomes how do you communicate these experiences? How do you convey what you learned and where it will take you next? How do you share your experiences, long hours, and dedication? How your start up experiences are viewed is completely contingent upon application execution.

It has the makings of powerful story and gives you a rich set of experiences to pull from to show adcoms exactly what you're made of. Not to mention, it helps you stand out from the thousands of Finance, Consultants, and IT professionals applying!

If you have any questions - I'm happy to answer them!

Bhavik
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by MBAAdmissionsCoach » Mon Jun 10, 2013 10:49 am
In my years of interviewing MBA applicants, one common theme often appeared in their long term goals. Everyone had aspirations to start their own business some day .... after they got experience and education.

Guess what? If you've got start-up experience, you've already checked this off your list of accomplishments. I can tell you with certainty that start-up experience is highly valued by admissions committees.

Launching your own business takes courage and confidence.

If you are successful, you've learned great lessons.
If you are not successful, you've learned great lessons.

Regardless, you've got great things to share and contribute to the classroom of any MBA program to which you are applying.

Good luck!
I love to talk about MBA admissions with MBA applicants! If you find my posts helpful, please take a moment to click the "thank" icon at the top of the page and/or follow me!


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by max_roper » Thu Jun 13, 2013 6:08 am
Hi... Not only does start-up experience add mileage to your application, but also working with (and learning from) a start-up demonstrates great passion and commitment to long-term entrepreneurship.

Several national organizations can assist you in locating a start-up business that is in need of a second pair of eyes to help address its long-term growth needs. Two organizations immediately come to mind: SCORE and USALC. I suggest that you visit the website of both organizations and explore how each group can facilitate a great start-up learning experience for you.

Sincerely,
Maxwell Roper
Outreach Director
USA Leadership Corps (USALC)
www usaLeadershipCorps org
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by Busytrying » Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:59 am
I just wanted to say thank you for this information. I have started two very small businesses and neither is still going, and although I feel I learned a lot, I do tend to feel personally downcast that I could not take them further. I will have to have a good think how to explain what I've learned from these experiences.
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by Gowri@CrackVerbal » Mon Aug 19, 2013 10:25 pm
Busytrying wrote:I just wanted to say thank you for this information. I have started two very small businesses and neither is still going, and although I feel I learned a lot, I do tend to feel personally downcast that I could not take them further. I will have to have a good think how to explain what I've learned from these experiences.
As far as B-school applications go, the very fact that you ventured out to do something on your own is awesome. When you write about this,

1. Think whether your post-MBA goals are along the same lines as the businesses you've set up. For instance, if you have 2 tech start-ups, do you plan to take them to the next level after your MBA? Or start another tech company? Try to make this connect with your pre and post-MBA goals.

2. Don't think of 'achievements' solely in terms of sales or revenues. Try to take in the bigger picture - what learning did you have? what aspects of business or people management did you get exposure to? how did the experience change you as a person as well as a professional?

This will certainly help you talk about your experience more positively. :)
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by Busytrying » Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:34 am
Hi Gowri@CrackVerbal

Thank you so much, I completely understand what you are saying. To be honest the two businesses were n completely different fields, I saw an opportunity and tried for it but definitely I can't imagine myself not starting another business when I have another opprtunity, will have learned from these other experiences and will be keen to explain that in my applications.
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