• Business School
    • Admissions Help
    • MBA Essay Tips
    • Executive MBA Essay Tips
    • MBA Admissions Calendar
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
    • EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
  • Medical School
    • Admissions Help
    • Med School Admissions 101
    • Secondary Essay Tips (by School)
    • Student Interviews
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
  • Law School
    • Admissions Help
    • Law School Admissions 101
    • Selectivity Index
    • Free Guides
    • Podcast
    • Video Tips
  • Graduate School
    • Admissions Help
    • Grad School Admissions 101
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
  • College
    • Admissions Help
    • Free Guides
    • Supplemental Essay Tips
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
Accepted

1 (310) 815-9553

Blog HomePodcastContact Us

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

August 22, 2016

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Mapping out Your MBA Prep — Post-grad + 1

Get help preparing for your GMAT - check out our resource page!
Use your first year out of university to take the GMAT – THEN vacation.

“Wish I had done that a few years ago ….” We hear that frequently from MBA applicants as they’re filling out their MBA applications. We don’t want you to have to say that. This is the second of a five-part blog series with advice on how you can prepare, years in advance, to be competitive for a top MBA program. From college to those first years of work, I’ll discuss steps you can take along the way that will appeal to adcoms.

Post-Grad +1

On the job: B-schools want candidates who are leaders, as well as excellent team players. Use your first year on the job to show you know how to contribute to team success. This will likely point toward leadership opportunities down the road. Taking the following steps could also lead to stories you can tell the adcoms in your essays:

1. Seek to add value. First and foremost, excel at your assigned role. Master the skill sets you need to succeed. Turn in work early or on time. Ask smart questions. Admit when you don’t know something. Communicate well with managers.

Once you are proficient, analyze your role and identify ways to do it better. Teach yourself new skills. If you come up with a better, faster or cheaper way to get something done, pitch it to your manager–then execute.

Finally, if someone can’t perform, volunteer to step into their role and take on added responsibility.

2. Be curious. Find out as much as you can about your company. Get to know people, both in and beyond your department, so that you can create allies who eventually might help you.

Also, get to know your industry. Read up on competing companies. Find out who is doing research in your field at various business schools, and make it part of your studies.

3. Find a mentor. A wise and experienced mentor can give you constructive criticism, as well as make your case to management for promotion. Ask for feedback after presentations so that you can work toward an “executive presence.” Ultimately, a mentor can help you develop the tact and maturity that companies seek in future leaders.

GMAT/GRE: Your GMAT/GRE score is valid for five years. Why not take it right after university while you are still in the swing of study? Of course, if you wait longer than five years to apply to business school, you’ll need to retake the test. But five years out is generally the time when most people apply.

1. Make the most of your time. It might be tempting to take an extended vacation before you begin your first job. But you would be wise to use at least some of this time to study for and take the GMAT. Taking it early gives you a chance to get to know the test, and retake it if your score is low. The higher your GMAT score, the more options you will have when it comes to applying for an MBA program.

And you can use that vacation as a carrot to treat yourself when you’ve completed the test.

2. Get help: If you get a low score on your practice tests, consider taking a prep course or hiring a tutor. Sure these tests are about evaluating your knowledge. But these courses can teach you strategies on how to approach the test can boost your score.

The Bottom Line: Use your first year out of university to take the GMAT, and establish a solid reputation for yourself on the job.

The 4-Year Guide to MBA Prep A How-To For College Students and Recent Grads

Michelle Stockman Michelle Stockman is a professional journalist, former Columbia Business School admissions insider, and experienced MBA admissions consultant.

 

Related Resources:

• Your 3 Part Game Plan on Dominating the GMAT [on-demand webinar]
• GMAT & MBA Admissions – Resource Page
• Ace Your Summer Internship

Article by Michelle Stockman / MBA Admissions / 4 Year Guide to MBA Prep

Get Accepted!

Choose your desired degree and then the service that best meets your needs.

Which program are you applying to?

What do you need help with?

Join the informed applicants who read Accepted's blog!

8 Popular Posts

1. 7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

2. How to Write About Your Research Interests

3. Sample Essay from Admitted HBS Student

4. How to Write a Goal Statement for Graduate School

5. 4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future

6. When Will Medical Schools Give You an Answer?

7. The Personal Statement That Got Me a Large Scholarship to Cambridge

8. Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay]

Recent Posts

  • Should You Apply in Round 3? Let’s Find Out!
  • What a Law Career Is Really Like [Episode 401]
  • The 5 Essential Elements of a Winning Med School Application
  • Bring Your Personal Statement to Life With Vivid, Active Verbs
  • How Do You Create a Great MBA Application? [Video]
This Site is Featured on GMATClub

Home Page Services and Prices MBA Med School Law School Grad School College

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog
Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553
© 2021 Accepted

BBB A+ RatingStamp of AIGAC Excellence

Copyright © 2021 · Education Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in