If you are planning to study MBA overseas, preparing early will increase your chances of admission success in the college for your desire. MBA is a popular business management program that attracts thousands of students across the world each year, inviting applications to international universities across North America, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and other prominent countries.
Putting in research efforts on the MBA admission requirements, other than the obvious ones like good scores, can give you valuable insights and set you ahead of other applicants. There are three categories of students who apply for MBA program – undergraduate students, professionals, business owners, and international students.
Preparation for getting through the admission process successfully should depend on the category you belong to therefore it is recommended that a candidate must choose a study abroad consultant that will eventually help him in getting the best guidance and right study abroad counselling.
Once you have decided on the colleges you wish to apply to, there are a few important factors to focus on to increase the chances of your MBA admission application acceptance by the college committee. There are a number of elements the college admission committees look for in an application. Hence, you should be aware of these essential elements and work towards presenting your best self for maximum impact. Let us take a look at the top five areas:
This one may seem obvious, however being aware of the score requirements is one thing but working your way around, if you are not confident about your scores is another. On an average, a GPA score of 3.5 is considered to be good for applying to reputed international universities for an MBA degree.
If you have already completed your undergraduate studies then there is not much you can do about your scores however, if you are still studying and plan to pursue MBA right after your graduation then paying attention to your weak areas will help improve your overall GPA required later. Start by looking at the score requirement for the MBA program you wish to study, relate them back to your current subjects and scores.
Identify both strong and weak areas for you to prepare for the desired final GPA score. E.g. – if you are an international student and your English scores are not as strong as they should apply for an international MBA program, then start working on them now. Likewise, you should look at your quantitative, algebra, accounting scores, etc. depending on your current study stream and the MBA program you wish to study in the future.
Applicants with a clear understanding of their career goals usually have a higher chance of securing admission in an MBA program at reputed international universities. The reason behind this preference is that MBA as a course focuses on teaching business and management skills.
Students with a clear vision of their career progression find the program more valuable as with a targeted approach they are able to make the most out of the program. With a career clear goal throughout the program students gain more insightful experiences during their study-e.g., through their interaction with the faculty and peers and participation in activities on-campus related to their future career.
If you are an undergraduate wanting to apply for an MBA program right after your graduation, look for opportunities such as volunteer work or internships related to the area you want to build your future career in. For Instance– if you want to build your career in healthcare and you aim to apply for MBA in healthcare management, look for opportunities to work on projects that involve healthcare research, data management, administration, quality control, and like. This shall later help you convey to the admission committee on how clear you are about your career path, and in the past, you took steps to enhance your knowledge in the area of your interest. People make the mistake of taking up any project or internship that comes their way without giving much thought to what’s there in it for them to learn. Before taking up any project always question yourself –how is this assignment or project going to add value to the MBA course I want to study in the future?
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If you are a working professional then a career progression on your resume will help make the right impression on the admissions committee during the admission process of your MBA application. If you have promotions to show either in terms of designation or work responsibilities, it will go a long way. If due to reasons beyond your control a hierarchal promotion is not possible, look for projects at your workplace that relate to the MBA program you are interested in pursuing in the future. Planning your career progression in advance in alignment with the subject you want to study will help you look for the right opportunities. Applicants with relevant professional experience always have an edge over others. This can also help you cover up for the lack of high academic scores if any in your admission application.
Universities like it when applicants make efforts to connect and interact with their alumni in a professional capacity. It goes to show them your willingness to network with the right people and your seriousness in knowing more about the university or college you are want to study in. With social media, building online professional networks have never been easier.
Once you have your professional profile created and set right, reach out to alumni groups of colleges you want to seek admission in, bearing in mind that these are professional groups and everyone in the group is busy with work responsibilities. Approach them in a very formal and professional manner and be clear on what knowledge you want to seek from the group.
Avoid asking for irrelevant information such as program fees or references for job opportunities, this will only spoil your case. Keep the interaction formal and related to topics such as the program, faculty, college, tips for admission interview, subject and industry related information. Such groups can be found on Linkedin or Facebook. If you want to reach out to individuals, first seek permission and only then proceed with your questions regarding a particular college or a university.
If you do not find such groups or fail to get connected to members of alumni reach out to student ambassadors or staff representatives of the targeted business schools. You can seek relevant information from them. Going above and beyond a university website or brochure in your research shows serious efforts on your part, which is something the admission committee looks for in every applicant. This exercise doesn’t just help you with the right information but also helps you know your strengths and weaknesses, which you can work on to improve your profile and chances of being accepted.
Along with the points mentioned earlier one of the most important aspects of your MBA admission application is your performance in the admission test or entrance exams. Depending on your profile you will either opt for GMAT/GRE and as an international student, you will have to take the IELTS test to prove your proficiency in English. Admission test scores play a significant role in your MBA admission application, as the scores are a reflection of your aptitude for the program. Though admission test scores alone are not the deciding factor but good scores make it easier for candidates to prove their fitment for the course.
Preparation for admission tests-GMAT/GRE/IELTS and the outcome is a controllable factor. It is directly a function of your efforts. A workable and successful strategy to put in place will be to start with identifying the areas you need to improve upon. Look at your subject wise comfort and then decide on the kind of effort you want to put in to get to the desired score. It is a highly competitive field, therefore your preparation before taking the test matters the most.
Start by taking diagnostic tests that will tell you where you stand without any preparation as of today. Analyze your scores section wise to understand where you can score better and what are the areas you need support with? The next step should be to decide on the mode of study with the time you have in hand. You are the best person to decide how much time you need to prepare for the admission test and your diagnostic test score should exactly tell you that. There are plenty of online and offline options available for you to start your GMAT/GRE/IELTS preparation-choose the one which is most convenient for you. The earlier you start, the better.
You can take these tests multiple times a year, so if do not get the desired score in your first attempt do not give up or hesitate to take the tests again. The admission committees do not view retakes as a lack of ability in an applicant, on the contrary, it shows your willingness to improve your own performance. With tests such as GRE General Test, you have the option of submitting your best scores to universities through their ScoreSelect® option.
One of the best method that will help a candidate in practicing for the test is to hire a overseas education consultants which will provide you a number of sample test module.
As an MBA degree is all about management and leadership skills, leadership in one quality every aspiring student should start working on as soon as they decide to pursue an MBA degree. Irrespective of whether you are an undergraduate student or a professional, working on developing your leadership skills will help you a great deal with your MBA admission application.
Depending on your area of work make an attempt to take on projects that put you in a leading position e.g.- if you are studying in a college, volunteer to organize an event no matter how small, or convince people to join or contribute to a cause. If you are a working professional and you do not see leadership opportunities coming your way, create them by pitch ideas to your supervisor or peers on how to improve current processes or services. Do not expect your ideas to be accepted right away, be prepared to pitch several times, improve upon your ideas everytime you pitch to convince others, look for ways to get feedback on your ideas, build on those ideas, and pitch again.
These are some of the ways to create leadership opportunities for yourself. If you earnestly follow this approach you will have your experience to share with the admission committee later during the admission process. Your past performance will act as an indicator of your future performance, bearing this in mind start looking for leadership opportunities now. Right leadership experience will help you at many levels-other than adding to your work experience and personal development it will help you participate in a more meaningful way in your class and group level activities during your MBA program in the future.
Other than these five points, your communication skills both written and verbal, contribution to community related activities outside your college, interest in non-academic areas like sport, travel, etc., learning a new language, your social media profile all put together to count in building the right MBA profile for getting admission in the university and program of your desire.
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Study abroad counselling empowers students & professionals to succeed in their life by making right decisions on Colleges, Careers, Subjects and Courses. Admissions consultant helps students to realize their true potential, identify their goals and hence make informed career decisions. abroad education consultants offers Personalized recommendations on individual strengths that are provided through an online test based on Personality, Aptitude, Motivation, and Interest.
Every college will have its GPA requirement mentioned as an eligibility criteria. There is no minimum percentage but one should have 65% and above in general. Rest GMAT/GRE and IELTS scores act as a big deciding factor for admission in MBA programs.
Over the past decade Technology, Finance, and Healthcare related MBA programs have seen a surge in interest. Along with these the following are in demand:
MBA in Artificial Intelligence & Consulting
MBA in Information Technology (IT)
MBA in Marketing Management.
MBA in Business Management.
MBA in Retail Management.
MBA in Supply Chain Management.
MBA in Human Resource.
Primarily there are two types of options available-full time and part-time. Full time MBA is offered as a two year and one year course. One year MBA programs are generally on an accelerated path. Part-time options have E-MBA programs with weekend classes also available.
Like any study stream, MBA has its own requirement. It is a little different from a typical master’s course as it has a very hands on approach. Typically, students with few years of relevant professional experience find the course to be highly valuable in their career progression.
MBA fee varies depending on several factors. In the USA the tuition fee for a two year full time MBA program can range from $65000 to 100,000 depending on the program type, ranking of the university, and other factors.
If you are planning to study abroad and searching to match your profile with the best suited university, Experts at Manya – The Princeton Review have gathered important information of top Universities from abroad. Surely, this information will help you narrow down your quest for universities. You can access accurate & authentic information related to rankings, application fees, average tuition fees, cost of living, scholarships, latest updates, and much more from more than 1000+ universities. You may also search for universities by name, country, or courses in common specializations, such as Physics, Finance, Business, Language and Culture, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Computer and IT, Media and Communication Marketing.
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