Question: Student involvement is an extremely important part of the MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community event do you envisage yourself initiating? How would you set about organizing this, and how would you communicate it to the wider School community?
When I first came to America, I decided not to allow myself to be the quiet guy from South Korea. So upon entering college, I immediately joined the Korean Students Organization and the Asian-American friendship group. I actively participated in every event, meeting, fund raiser, and activity by these two groups and slowly I started to learn English and gradually became familiar with the American way of life. It was a big leap to endless fast food chains and television sitcoms. Needless to say, I truly enjoyed being an active member of these groups and soon they weren’t enough. I then joined the International Students organization that was an eye opener for me. I then was exposed to more cultures and especially the sub-cultures in the United States. If there is a group like this in ________ University, then I would surely be the first to sign up. If not, then I would try to create one myself.
I really would like to act as an ambassador of South Korea and raise people’s awareness of our culture, history, customs, and current situation. I believe that understanding is the key to building strong relationships and this is what I have come to love about the International Students group. Aside from doing this, I would also love to know about the other cultures as well. Other students’ experiences in their country, as well as the change in lifestyle upon arriving in the United States are also information I believe that are worth knowing. Sharing embarrassing experiences like not knowing what to say when confronted by an English speaker, getting lost because of not understanding signs, and having a problem even from ordering a simple hamburger is a way of moving on and just laughing about them in the end.
I find that an important aspect of such clubs is that the world is more globalized than ever before. It is easier for companies to deal with clients from across the world and a good knowledge of their culture can be a key factor in gaining their trust. People around the globe are usually honored to find that you have taken the time to learn about their culture and language.
Joining a club also helps you learn to interact and perform with a group. This is usually the case in a real world setting. Businesses function through team and networking. If you have a solid foundation in networking, then it would be easy to get to know the giants of the industry you are in, which will give way to a smooth climb to the top. A lot of big business deals have been made over lunch and the proper knowledge and experience of knowing how to interact and converse would build solid stepping stones to success.
Photo Credit : diongillard
Question: Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your study group, and how do you intend to contribute to it?
When I was 16, I made a decision that would forever change my life. I was born and raised in Barcelona, Spain by my Spanish father and Filipina mother. At home, we would only speak Castillian and for some reason I wasn’t taught my mother’s native tongue. Throughout my life, I have been quite the introvert as I couldn’t seem to fit with any group. To make up for my anti-social lifestyle, I would focus my time on my studies and would be very good at it. I would soon feel quite empty and question what more the world could offer me. When I was 15, I was able to watch an American television show that would inspire me to research on the life in the United States and the opportunities waiting. A year later, I moved to the US without knowing a single word of English. It was quite a challenge throughout the remaining years of my high school life but then I persevered in spite of the adversity I had to face. I took English classes, a series of speech classes, and soon practiced the language by conversing with my classmates. The small step of trying to communicate with other people ignited a quality that I never knew I had.
In college, my English was already quite excellent and even better than some of my peers. I joined a Foreign Affairs organization because I wanted to act as an ambassador of my homeland, Spain. I would engage in a lot of talks, speeches, and debates. Soon enough, I would find myself in leadership positions in every team or group I would be a part of. This made me think of running for president of the student council which led to a landslide victory.
After college, I took a job at a large banking firm as part of a financial strategy team. My years of experience in leading our team to success confirmed that indeed, leadership was a central quality I had in me all along. Still, the world is rapidly changing and new trends arise with every beat of the heart. My college experience was a key factor in the growth of my leadership skills, especially my ability to exchange ideas with people of different backgrounds, and I am confident that this is what an MBA would provide. A continued education would only strengthen this characteristic of mine and soon enough success is to surely follow. The environment at ______ University with its collection of top notch students and faculty would be a great avenue for me to explore my key attribute. I know that when I finish my MBA, a steady climb to the top awaits me.
Photo Credit : pingnews.com
1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is ___ University the best MBA program for you?
As I lay down on the sandy beach of my hometown, the crashing of the waves and the awe inspiring brightness of the stars remind me of a dream that I have wanted to turn into a reality for quite sometime now. As a young girl living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the view of the horizon from the shoreline has always made me wonder about the world outside of Brazil. Since then I have considered a life of mountain trekking, backpacking around Europe, and exploring the outskirts of the polar regions to experience absolute nirvana. As much as I would want to fulfill this dream, I turn my sights from the stars to the establishments behind me. I am suddenly reminded of our family business and how I have also made good plans of improving and expanding our real estate company.
Working as the operations manager of my family’s real estate company, I am responsible for making sure that the well-being and quality of life of our employees are kept intact through expanding the company to a stronger and well-established corporation. Through the knowledge I have gained from my undergraduate degree in finance, I have done an amazing job for the company’s progress towards its goals. Although all has been well at the moment, I am certain that an undergraduate degree is not enough if I wanted to make my plans for the company a reality. This is why I am adamant in earning an MBA. Upon the first thought of it, the only institution that popped into my mind was ____ University. The primary focus of its curriculum is the perfect complement to my skills, experiences, personality, and prior education. Now that the world is becoming smaller and smaller because of globalization, new business models have begun to appear, and it can get quite difficult to catch up. The curriculum, reputation, experience, prestigious faculty, and environment at ______ University would ensure that I would not be left behind in a rapidly shifting global
market.
My family’s company is an up-and-coming player in the real estate business. It has already made big leaps in closing big accounts within Brazil and some of the neighboring countries. My experience in all my duties including operations management, financial analysis, and collection of data have made people overlook the fact that I am a woman in a male dominated business. Since the company is still climbing towards its peak, I know that I would soon have to face crucial decisions that would make or break the company. An MBA would ensure that when that time comes, I have the ample amount of knowledge and experience to continue an already great momentum.
Photo Credit : Hank LeClair
An important part of applying to a university is writing your personal statement for MBA. Aside from the GMAT, the admission essay is also a key factor in landing a spot in the school of your choice. A personal statement for MBA in Medical and Law schools usually ask for a general and comprehensive essay. This allows you to build your own theme and write what you think would get you into the university. Business and other schools normally ask 2 or more questions in an application essay. Regardless of what question/s are asked, it is essential to prepare for your personal statement for MBA.
Things you may include in a personal statement for MBA
Overall, you must be able to engage your reader in your writing. Being able to show some unique things about you that are accompanied by an interesting story or two is a way of sparking the interest of the admissions officer in your personal statement for MBA. In an MBA essay, you could include a story of you overcoming diversity. Living through poverty, family crisis, and disability are stories that could increase the strength of your statement of purpose. You should also be able to state skills and characteristics you possess that set you apart from other applicants. Including career goals in you personal statement for MBA is another important thing to consider. Having a clear plan for your goals would help a long way. People also experience a lot of things during their stay in college. You could consider including study groups, organizations you have joined, and working on your thesis. An MBA essay would also be compelling when you include experiences you have had in the particular field you are applying for. Things like seminars, classes, readings, and work related to the field increase the credibility of your personal statement for MBA. There are applicants that have discrepancies in their college grades. If you are one of them, then a short explanation for it could be included in your application essay. It is important to remember not to sound too defensive about it. A good personal statement for MBA could also include a story about what sparked your interest in the field you are in and applying for. After considering all these things, you should analyze which ones would prove to be the most compelling and these are the ones that you must stress out in your statement of purpose.
To sum it all up, having a strong personal statement for MBA requires a good preparation for it. Sit down, think about the things you could include, and try to create an interesting story that would move the reader. An amazing personal statement for MBA, along with great GMAT scores would give you a great chance at a spot in the university of your choice.
Photo Credit : matsuyuki
A very important aspect of an admission essay is having a strong personal statement. Aside from an above average score in the GMAT, an application essay could increase the chances of your application if it is well written. A personal statement for MBA could be a general statement. This allows you to write whatever it is you want to tell the university and this is the personal statement usually asked in medical and law schools. There also are Universities that ask you specific questions. These are usually business schools or undergraduate programs and some of them ask around two to three questions for a personal statement for MBA.
What to say in a personal statement for MBA
There are some things you must consider including in your personal statement for MBA. You should be able to tell the University what distinct and unique qualities you have. This should be able to set you apart from the other applicants. Another good thing to include in an application essay is some of the problems you had to face during the course of your life. This could be a big family problem, poverty, a disability, or even a natural disaster. Showing that you have the strength to overcome adversity is a big plus in an admission essay. In a personal statement for MBA, you should also be able to say how and when you started getting interested in the particular field you are applying for. How you started, what steps you took to supply your interest in the field, and your experience in it are some of the things that could be stated. In your statement of purpose, you should be able to tell them your career goals. Showing them a particular plan on how to successively achieve them one by one is a way of exhibiting your organizational skills and that you all ready know what it is you want in life and how to achieve it. There are applicants that have discrepancies in their records but only need a bit of explaining. If you are one of those applicants, then it is important to include an explanation for it in your statement of purpose. A short simple explanation would do unless you think there really is an interesting story behind it. In a personal statement for MBA, you should definitely include what skills and personal traits you possess that would help you be successful in the particular field you are applying for.
In a nutshell, writing a personal statement for MBA is all about selling yourself to the university. Having a comprehensive personal statement for MBA, along with a good GMAT score, would increase the chances or even land you a spot in the university you so long have dreamed of.
Photo Credit : Bright Meadow
A personal statement for MBA showcases your leadership skills, and your compatibility with the MBA program. When universities mention a personal statement for MBA, they are merely talking about your admission essay, statement of purpose or application essay. Different universities may make use of different terms, but it all means an essay that shows your personality at its best. This is the best way to let the university of your choice know who you are from you yourself, not just from recommendations; you do reveal a lot of yourself in the way you write your admission essay. While intelligence can be substantiated by your academic records and Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), it is through your personal statement for MBA that the admission committee warm up to that specialness in you.
How do you go about writing a personal statement for MBA admissions? That special you can get lost in the chaos of disorganized writing. To avoid such a wreck, put together all the materials and info that you will need. It won’t do to have afterthoughts. If you become long-winded and constantly going back to a thought that should have been discussed earlier, you have lost your connection. Connecting with your audience is very important in a personal statement for MBA. Maintaining the connection will ensure that your target audience will finish reading your application essay. If not, your statement of purpose will be seeing itself on the reject pile. Perfect grammar and spelling will also add the needed polish of your personal statement for MBA. Also, follow a general format of introduction, detailed supporting paragraphs, and conclusion.
A perfectly organized, flawless personal statement for MBA is useless without compelling, honest content. Your personal statement for MBA must not reiterate your GMAT results, or list in chronological order, achievement after achievement. Remember, it is about making a personal statement, not writing a resume An MBA essay tests the level of your maturity and willingness to pursue the degree. Write your personal statement for MBA according to the question that the university has posted. Take note to follow instructions, like how many words the MBA essay must be. Your personality statement for MBA must be distinctly your own: unique and full of specific details that give life to an otherwise white piece of paper. When the personal statement fully represents you as if you were there in person, it is a success.
There are also no-nos in writing a personal statement for MBA. For example, avoid the extremes of making controversial statements or writing bland sentences. Avoid false starts, gimmicky writing, and writing grand words. False starts can mean overused beginning sentences or unsubstantiated claims. You do not want your personal statement for MBA to appear either boring or pretentious.
Writing a good personal statement for MBA is important in making yourself known as you want to be known. This can reward you with an interview, where you further convince the university that you deserve the chance to an MBA degree. Before you get to do that though, you must write about your life, your goals and dreams, and your activities to express who you are. Universities want to accept people with strong characters, people who are driven towards a goal. That requires a personal statement from you.
Photo Credit : Martin Kingsley
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is one of the most prestigious business schools in the world. While Wharton has gained acclaim as an influential and highly respected business school, there are some facts that many people do not know about the school. If you are looking to enter into Wharton, of if you just want to get to know about the school, these five little-known facts should be of interest to you.
Wharton: a world first
Many people do not know that Wharton School is the world’s first business school. Joseph Wharton, a philanthropist and industrialist, founded the school in 1881. The original name of the institution was “Wharton School of Finance and Commerce.” Since it was first founded, the school has committed to a continuing tradition of innovation, collaboration and discovery.
Wharton: continuing innovation
Aside from being the first business school in the world, Wharton has continued to make world-firsts throughout its history. As a leader in business education, Wharton continued their innovation by publishing some of the first business textbooks between 1881 and 1910. The school is also known for having the first research center at a business school: the Industrial Research Unit, established in 1921. Wharton’s Securities Industries Institute is the first and longest-running executive education program, which began in 1953 and continues to the present. There are a number of other innovations and firsts in the history of Wharton.
Wharton: faculty fact
The faculty at Wharton is known as the largest and most cited business school faculty in the world. As of 2007, the faculty was composed of over 260 members. Having such an accomplished and influential faculty has helped Wharton become one of the most respected business schools in the world.
Wharton: keeping ties
Another little-known fact about Wharton is that their alumni network is massive and widespread. Currently, there are over 82,000 alumni members all around the world. These members are spread out amongst over 140 countries. With over 80 alumni clubs and representatives around the world, Wharton has a powerful and active alumni community.
Wharton: rank facts
There are numerous journals, magazines and intitutions that have ranked Wharton amongst the top business schools in the United States and worldwide. Throughout the years, Wharton has garnered numerous first-place rankings for its MBA and undergraduate programs. Wharton enacted a policy in December of 2003 declining active participation in business school program rankings. They made this policy out of concern for the privacy of their alumni and students.
Photo Credit : Chris Radcliff
An MBA? That sure sounds like a big thing! And you’re going to apply for it? Now that will be great! But wait, you ask, what is this personal statement thing? Do I really need to get this straightened out to be the right person for the course? And how?
The scoop on the MBA personal statement
For those who are, well, quite ignorant about what an MBA is, it is actually the acronym for Master of Business Administration. Now you might have heard about this several times. That’s because an MBA is indeed a very popular graduate course. Many people all over the world take it because they believe in the money-making and power wielding powers of the business world – and they want to get a chunk out of it. What better way to do so than get the right credentials, am I right?
So, what do MBA schools look for in their prospective students? What sort of person must you be, or qualities should you possess?
* A good leader – Because this is an administration course, you’re not supposed to be just another businessman when you graduate, but a businessman that influences the industry and makes significant decisions that impacts on people.
* A sociable person – For you to be a legendary businessman, you have to form a wide social, professional, and business network. What better way to begin than by being a friendly person.
* A business genius – You may have to give the impression that you have at least an actual working experience that you want to enrich through an MBA.
Now, here’s the question: what’s all this got to do with your MBA personal statement? You see, a personal statement is meant to sell yourself” to your preferred MBA school. The points stated above are points you must prove in your own MBA personal statement.
Can you use your involvement in a non-government organization or NGO as part of the content of your personal statement for an MBA?
Graduates of MBA schools get involved in several sectors of society, not just in business. When people receive their MBA can choose to work in the world of politics, government, and public administration. Many political figures are MBA degree holders because part of the training you will receive in MBA schools is how to make good and sound decisions.
Your involvement in an NGO can certainly be included in your personal statement for an MBA. Including this as part of your personal statement for an MBA speaks volumes on the kind of person you are – involved in social issues and not at all that concerned in making huge profits.
Photo Credit : heyjohngreen
Now that you’ve finally decided to enroll in an MBA program, you’re probably doing research on all the available ones there are. The thought of writing a personal statement for MBA in an application essay, taking the GMAT, managing your time, and funding your education lurks in every corner of your mind. There are a number of business schools that can give you a proper education, and one of them is the University of Chicago and its MBA program.
The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business is known to be the second oldest business school not only in the United States, but the world. Since 1898, it has shaped countless individuals who have started over 40 companies.
University of Chicago: Available MBA programs
The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business has several programs that cater to different types of people. They offer full-time, evening MBA and weekend MBA, and Executive MBA programs:
*Full-Time MBA- The fulltime MBA program allows you to be immersed once again in student life.
*Evening MBA and Weekend MBA Programs- This particular program involve the same faculty and curriculum with that of the Full-time program.
*Executive MBA program- This program is a 1 year, 8 month curriculum designed for experienced managers.
Personal Statement for MBA in an application essay
All of these programs offer high class business education and may only differ when it comes to their application essays. A personal statement for MBA is a vital part of the application process aside from taking the GMAT. Being able to write a well-structured statement purpose will get you far in the application process and this is why it is important to take the time and prepare for your personal statement for MBA. An MBA essay should contain interesting stories of your life including overcoming adversity, experience in the business world, and college life. If do well with the GMAT and create an amazing personal statement for MBA, you have a high chance of getting into the university.
Interested Individuals may opt to apply online. All they have to do is go through the easy process of registering on the University of Chicago GSB website, then all they have to do is complete an online application, schedule an interview or more, and download several admission materials which may include a personal statement for MBA. Again, your statement of purpose is very important.
So if you really are interested in University of Chicago GSB, then I should repeat once more that the preparation for your personal statement for MBA or admission essay is a must. The personal statement for MBA could be the key factor for you landing a spot in this prestigious university.
Photo Credit : Androfire
One of the most important steps to applying to business school is your personal statement for MBA. This application essay gives the University an idea beyond number of who you are, what you can do, and why they should accept you. Unlike the general statement medical and law schools usually ask for, business schools often ask multiple questions in admission essay.
Preparation for personal statement for MBA at the top business schools.
A lot of interested applicants for MBA aspire to study in the most prestigious business schools. This obviously means that you have a lot of competition, and it would be hard to get accepted without a good statement of purpose, even with a high GMAT score. The top business schools include the University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, Harvard University, University of Michigan, Stanford University, MIT, UC Berkeley, Duke University, and Columbia University. Aspiring MBA students from around the world flock to these schools to continue their education and are probably already thinking about answering the personal statement for MBA. Regardless of what the MBA essay question is, there are a few points that you already have to think about.
*Be a great story teller- No matter how interesting your life story may be, a bad structure could render the admissions board sleeping within the first few sentences. Make sure that you generally have a catchy introduction, a compelling body, and a conclusion that sums it all up. There are several books and websites that give pointers in writing a story. The introduction or opening paragraph will be the part that sparks the interest of the admissions board in your statement of purpose.
*Find a Hook- Rich and compelling stories have certain hooks. If you had to overcome adversity to put yourself through school such as poverty, a family crisis, or a disability, then find a way to build your personal statement for MBA on it.
*Research- A question like “ Why did you choose ___ University over the other business school?” could appear on your MBA essay question. An admission essay with a question like this requires research. Find out about everything the university you are applying for has to offer as well as its history, list of known alumni, and its reputation.
*Use it repeatedly- Since there are a lot of similar questions for personal statement for MBA, you should use your application essay if you feel like you’ve made the best one you can. Some questions may slightly be different than each other, so tweaking your admission essay a bit is quite possible.
There simply are so many ways to give a heart catching answer to a personal statement for MBA question. Having a great answer to these questions, relevant and engaging experience, great educational records, and getting a high GMAT score will and you a spot in your desired university.
Photo Credit : Gratuitous Pawn
