Planning for an Ivy League MBA

MBA is one of the most desired Post graduate qualification for many students and professionals in the current day. People zero in on this path to land jobs in management functions such as consulting, sales, marketing, strategy, operations, Finance and General Management. Lot of people also take this route to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

However, there is a huge difference in the experience and outcomes of this program depending on the institute it is pursued from. This articles aims to clarify the parameters one should use to narrow down the targeted colleges and also provides guidelines on how you can strengthen your candidacy to enhance your chances of admission into these colleges.

A college is considered Ivy league for its academic excellence, reputation and several other factors. 8 colleges make up this Ivy League in the United states. However, the term is used to refer to top rated colleges in any country and in any discipline.

Ivy league in this article is used to indicate top rated colleges offering MBA program. Why should one target for top rated colleges instead of getting this credential from any college. One simple reason is that every subject taught as part of this program can be learnt using latest technologies and resources without actually joining these schools.

So, if the aim is only to learn concepts, it can be done without doing this program. If one is actually prepared to pay for the program and invest time of attending a college, natural reason should be to reap the benefits that come with the college's offering. These include networking, brand and world class faculty.

Unlike an undergraduate degree, post graduate degree is more of a conscious choice one makes and thus the methodology followed to zero in on the college should be carefully calculated and goal oriented. Once you establish the goals you want to reap from this program, next step is to identify the colleges that will help you meet these goals.

For almost all of the top colleges, applying for an MBA with few years of hands on work experience is an ideal situation. This is mutual both for the colleges and students. Colleges prefer this to build a diverse classroom with students from multiple backgrounds and for students, it is even more important to gain some experience as it will help them identify a path to take post college with better clarity. Typical work experience ranges from 2-9 years of experience. People with more than 9 years usually go for executive MBA programs.

Shortlisting colleges
Once you identify your goals, next step is to shortlist the colleges and programs to be targeted. This gets easier only if you have established what you intend to reap out of the program. The goals are usually a combination of three aspects. Function, industry and geography.

If you plan to land a job in a certain country, then an MBA from that country's top institute works better than doing it from even the top college of the world. Some colleges are good at certain industries because of the research, faculty and industry tie ups.

Do a thorough research on all these aspects and give a weightage to each factor and score the colleges that come up in your search. This usually takes few weeks of effort and it is worth the effort. Join forums, attend admission events, MBA college fairs and talk to the alumni of college to get through this stage.

Planning for the exam
Typically, all these colleges ask for a GMAT score. Next step is to find out if GMAT is required and if it is, then what is the score range required for admission. Planning for GMAT preparation while working on a full time job is a challenge. However, with careful planning and rigor one can manage with a preparation of around three months. Always have the target score in mind and if you are not reaching that score then you may have to retake the exam.

Building and showcase a holistic profile
GMAT is only piece of an admissions application puzzle. Other pieces include, your past academic record, quality of professional experience, extra-curricular activities and your other accomplishments such as awards, patents etc. Top colleges often emphasize on a holistic profile which is a combination of all these factors. People from niche background may crack an admit with less GMAT score for the diverse experience they bring in.

Planning applications
Almost all top schools' applications for admissions are very different from what you have seen till this point. These applications are not just meant to gather demographics and academic details but are meant to collect compelling stories.

These stories are often sought in the form of admission essays. The word limit on these essays sometimes can be as brutal as 200 words and you have to power pack your story in such short paragraph that compels the admissions officer to want to talk to you.

These essays revolve around your accomplishments, challenges, leadership situations and your failures. Best way to excel in this part is to be honest and elevate the aspects that you think are unique to yourself.

Planning recommendations:
Along with other requirements, recommendations from your peers or superiors is also asked. Since it may be a delicate situation to tell your boss that you are working on your MBA application, see if you can confide in with any other peers and maintain the confidentiality. Also, ensure that recommendation is covering all aspects of you both positive and negative so that it comes across as authentic.

Planning for interviews
Once you have been shortlisted and called for an interview, half the battle is won. This means that the college is interested in what you have presented and is looking forward to talk to you in person.

If you can manage this conversation justifying the passion and conviction that you have shown through your applications, then you should be set.

Each one of these steps are equally important to ensure you join the college of your choice. Good luck with your admission.