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MBA IN US WITH no work experience

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MBA IN US WITH no work experience

by devoushka » Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:41 am
hi evrybody
I m an engineering student from India looking forward to seek admission in a gud B school in the US.
however i wish to pursue MBA without work ex..
so can i please know the universities where i hold a good chance!
and also the universitties for which work ex is preffered..how do i compensate for having no work ex?
wat strong points does the univ look for in the resumae so that this work ex flaw is covered?
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by Lisa Anderson » Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:26 pm
Dear devoushka,

While most schools do not require work experience, most do prefer at least two years post-bachelor's degree. Applicants without work experience who gain admission generally have high GMAT scores (>720) and high GPAs (>3.75). They also have a solid rationale for going to business school directly from undergraduate studies, demonstrate maturity greater than others their age, and have some professional experience like internships or a family business. Finally, these applicants must be able to show extensive leadership experience in college and be realistic in terms of career options. If you believe you fit that mold, then you should consider applying. If not, then you might want to consider working for a couple of years first.

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by hemanshu.das » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:12 pm
Could you shed light on the colleges one could aim for with little experience(less than a year). Do NGO activities add to the "professorial experience".
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by Lisa Anderson » Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:36 am
Dear hemanshu.das,

Professional experience is defined as full-time work experience in a professional capacity after a bachelor's degree is earned (per reporting standards). Thus any work you do with an NGO or in the community that is volunteer would not be professional work experience. In terms of where to apply, most schools do not require work experience, but prefer applicants to have worked full-time after earning their bachelor's degree. You should verify requirements for any school prior to applying as there are some that do require a certain number of years. Just like any other prospective applicant, you want to identify programs that are a good match for you on several variables (see our sticky on school selection for more information). However, to be competitive with less than 2 years experience, you will need to be above average on GPA and GMAT for the programs you target and demonstrate you have the leadership potential desired by MBA programs through your professional and personal experiences.

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by hemanshu.das » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:29 am
My GPA(Engg) is good if not excellent (9/10; dont know how it is converted to international standards), nd I hope to attain a 720+ score in GMAT (aiming 4 it atleast). Would aiming for top 50 B-schools with about an year's experience (in IT sector) be a realistic approach?
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by Lisa Anderson » Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:18 am
Dear hemanshu.das,

Assuming you score 720+ on the GMAT, a top 50 program is not unrealistic. However, you will need a strong overall application package to give yourself the best chance.

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by UDITKTODI » Wed May 25, 2011 1:11 am
Hey Lisa,

I have just finished with my graduation from St. Stephen's College, Delhi , India. they dont follow a GPA system . We get marks which are converted into a percentage. I have an overall percentage of 75%, which is around the 95%ile in the university.

Here's my profile :

Degree : B.A.Honours In Economics
College Score : 75%

GMAT Score : 750

I have been assissting my dad in the family business while attending college for the past 3 years. So I want to do my MBA directly without waiting any further.

What are the chances of getting in with this profile in the top 10 univs of US ?
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by Lisa Anderson » Thu May 26, 2011 1:35 pm
Dear UDITKTODI,

Gaining admission without full-time work experience is not impossible, but it is challenging. Additionally, your degree might not be viewed as equivalent to a US 4-year degree by many US schools making you ineligible to apply. Thus you will need to verify your degree equivalency with any school you are considering to ensure you meet the requirements. Most Indian applicants with a 3-yr degree do a master's degree to earn 4-yr equivalency, so applying without that could put you at a disadvantage. While your GPA and GMAT are strong, how competitive you will be is also greatly determined by your rationale for the MBA and at this point in your career. Your essays, recommendations and interview will be critical. I encourage you to do some further research and talk with admissions professionals at a forum in your area regarding your profile.

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by atisht saxena » Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:01 am
hi
i'm persuing my b.tec in cmputer science frm india,
looking forward for an MBA directly after graduation in USA prior any work experience
can anybody suggest me about the universities that offer MBA without work experience??
and what is considered more GMAT or GRE....as i hav seen that some colleges are offering MBA with no min score in GMAT....they more into IELTS score....are they worthwile
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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:14 pm
Dear atisht saxena,

I encourage you to review all of the requirements for applying to business school for each MBA program you intend to submit an application to when the time comes. Most business schools will require the GMAT from all applicants and either the TOEFL or IELTS from international applicants. While most schools do not require professional work experience, it is highly preferred.

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by atisht saxena » Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:32 am
hi lisa
thnx for ur help....i recently checked out the MBA requirements in stanford business school(california)
they jus pressurising more on IELTS score rather GMAT score so jus wanted to know that is it worth doing MBA from there....what's it's ranking and will it benefit me in the longer run!!!!???
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by NRToma » Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:59 am
Hi, I have completed my 4 yr Bachelor degree of engineering from India. My CGPA is not good its equivalent to 60%. But my GMAT score is 750 and i am gonna retake the exam to improve the score.
I have a full time work experience of 1 year and have 4 internships. My IELTS score is 8.5, I have good extra-curricular profile as well. Is there any chance for me to get admission in one of the top universities? If not,Is there any way to improve my profile?

Please, give me some suggestions!
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by Lisa Anderson » Fri Aug 05, 2011 11:01 am
Dear NRToma,

Admissions decisions are made on more than numbers, so I don't have enough information to comment on your chances at any program. From what you posted, your GMAT score is high and competitive for any program. Your GPA is probably at or slightly below average for most programs. So your decisions will probably come down to how you present your background and experiences in your resume, essays, recommendations and interviews. Unless you have a compelling reason to go to business school now, you might consider waiting to apply until you have 3-4 years of work experience. Similarly, if you are not currently participating in community or other activities outside the office, you might want to find 1-2 organizations to be involved with at a significant level, especially if you do not have many opportunities to work on teams or lead teams in your professional experience. Finally, I encourage you to do some research on the MBA degree, MBA programs, and the MBA admissions process. The more you know, the better your applications will be when the time comes.

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Help!

by h_farabi1 » Thu Feb 09, 2012 3:17 am
Hi Lisa,

US colleges often claim that they evaluate work experience not in terms of years but the depth and breadth of an individual's position.
I am a renowned proffesional muscian with a solid undergraduate business degree seeking an MBA from Top-tier US college. Since high school, i have managed and played in a band that is signed with UNIVERSAL music India. I have successfully launched 2 music albums and 6 music vidoes across the sub-continent in the span of 6 years. Also, I Graduated from IBA, top business school of Pakistan, with a 3.2 GPA in june 2011. This promises to make an interesting application in my opinion.

After graduating, i did an internship at JWT followed by a tour of concerts for two months. My dream is to open the first legitimate music label in Pakistan so i can share my experience with other talented but under-priveldged mates in my country. I am currently working in MINDSHARE, a world renowned media planning company since 2 months which is helping me build a stong foundation and network to fufill that dream. The job involves in-depth analysis and use of media for promotional goals.

By the time i apply for MBA class entering fall 2013, I will have one and a half years mundane work experience with this company to go with my experience as the band member+manager for 7 years. I plan to sit for GMAT in june and hopefully get ready before the early deadline.

Do you think it would be wise to apply at this point(US colleges will recognize my unique application) or i should be realistic and wait till i fall into the dreaded 4-5 years work experience category? Thanks a lot
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by Stacy Blackman » Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:27 pm
Hi devoushka,

Although some MBA programs do look at candidates with no work experience (for example Harvard Business School), the majority of business schools like to see candidates with at least 2 years of work experience.

Regarding how you can address limited work experience, I have below a case study of a candidate with no work experience who was accepted into HBS and Stanford:

https://www.stacyblackman.com/2011/07/14 ... applicant/


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