Missed most of the application deadlines

[Vaishnavi3]

Hi,I am undergrad Indian female. I would be graduating in May 2016. I have not yet appeared for gmat exam, and have missed mostly all the application deadlines for international applicants. I want to apply as a fresher, and have no work experience. Could please guide me with the future course of action? As to whether I should wait for a year and then apply or appear for the exam now and apply to colleges?

[Melissa@Fortuna]

Hi,
I would definitely get a few years of work experience under your belt. It's very competitive getting into business schools so you have to stand out from the crowd - however you didn't mention which ones you might be targeting? US schools? Europe? Where exactly? Most schools requires some work experience (not all ) plus also you need to get involved with extra curricular activities if you haven't already. MBA schools are looking for future leaders so this can shine through through some work accomplishments and achievements outside of work. I would wait to study for the GMAT until you are ready to applying to business school. Why exactly do you want an MBA?

[Vaishnavi3]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply I am targeting US colleges, mostly those which are best Marketing colleges. Regarding extra curricular activities, I am very much into them. I love debating and have participated in inter collegiate and national level debating competitions(I have achieved 2nd position in English section for the same.) I have also participated in quiz, elocution, ad mad shows. I am also a part of youth NGO in my city. So, is that sufficient?
I belong to a business family, plus I am already graduating in Business Administration, so MBA is an obvious choice. Also, I have many entrepreneurial ideas, but don't know how to channelize them.

[Melissa@Fortuna]

That's great - sounds like you are very involved which helps create a well rounded profile. Entrepreneurial ideas are definitely important for an MBA - you can often illustrate this when they ask what your short term/long term goals are.
If you ever want to chat about which schools might be a good fit and if you have a good chance, feel free to go to our contact us page and have a 30 minute free consultation. My colleague Matt will talk to you as he is a real pro about helping you choose the right school and when.
All the best
Melissa

[Vaishnavi3]

Thanks alot for an optimistic reply I will definitely get in touch with you asap, as I really need some guidance

[Kaneisha Grayson]

Hi Vaishnavi3,

I want to echo some of the advice you've received so far and encourage you to get 2-5 years of work experience before you apply to business school.

Other things you can do to strengthen your candidacy between now and when you plan to apply is:

1) Make sure you have taken (while in college or after college) the following courses and earned a B+ or better in each: Calculus, Microeconomics, Accounting, Finance, Statistics (As a business major, you've probably taken many/most of these classes).

2) Continue to participate in leadership and community service activities, quantify the results of your efforts, and stay in touch with the supervisors there in case you want to use one of them for a letter of recommendation.

3) Sign up for the prospective student/admissions office newsletters of your top 4-10 schools so that you know when they are coming to your area of the world and you can attend the admissions events. They also offer webinars fairly frequently that are helpful.

4) Consider joining Forte's MBA Launch program. I'm one of the teachers there and love the women in the program. It looks like you'd have to be willing to go to London, though. More info: https://www.fortefoundation.org

5) Give yourself enough time to take the GMAT three times before you submit your first application.

That's what I have for now. Best of luck with your applications and come visit me and my team at The Art of Applying if you'd like to learn more about working with us!

Kaneisha

[Michael@VeritasPrep]

You have no work experience? My suggestion would be to put thoughts on business school on the backburner for the time being. Spend three years working, figuring out what you want to do with your life (or at least have a good idea) and then start getting serious about business school.

[Abhyank]

Hey Vaishnavi,

Since you are looking for programs with no work experience, I'd like to suggest Masters in Management programs.
There are some worthy MiM programs to look into such as St.Gallen, HEC Paris, ESSEC, LBS, RSM etc. Some of these programs require a business background, that is, an undergrad in business.
To better understand which school better fits your profile and your chances of getting into these schools, you can take a free profile evaluation at:
https://www.mim-essay.com/
If you have any additional queries, feel free to contact us.

Hope this answer is helpful.