Columbia Business School

Columbia Business School is seventh in the ranking for the 2008 top US MBA schools. This business school came into existence in 1916. The school has produced many famous business leaders in the United States. Today, Columbia Business School is home to students from different parts of the globe. This academic institution also boasts various programs such as executive education and doctorate programs. This school is also proud of its various professors who are famed for introducing new concepts in the field of business.

Fuqua School of Business (Duke University)

Duke University was founded by James Buchanan Duke in 1924. The establishment of this school was made possible by the Duke Endowment, the philanthropic foundation of the Duke family. The school was once an expansion of Trinity College. It was in 1969 that the Fuqua School of Business was established. This business school is one of today’s best institutions for a business education in the US. The Fuqua School of Business offers MBA programs, executive education, and doctorates.

MIT Sloan School of Management

MIT Sloan in Cambridge, Massachusetts was established in 1914. It did not start as a business school; rather, it was an engineering administration curriculum within the MIT Department of Economics and Statistics. Currently, MIT Sloan offers various options for those who want to study business.

If you want to know more about each business school, you can visit the website of each school. Among the things you have to prepare if you want to be admitted in any of these three schools are your resume and your personal statement for MBA.

Haas School of Business (University of California–Berkeley)

The founding of the Haas School of Business was put forward by Arthur Rodgers who was a businessman and an alumnus of Berkeley. Rodger’s idea of a College of Commerce in the University of California was heard in his 1883 commencement address and it took more or less 15 years for this idea to become a reality. The types of programs offered at the Haas School of Business include full-time and part-time MBAs, undergraduate and executive programs, PhDs, non-degree programs, and Masters in Financial Engineering.

Tuck School of Business (Dartmouth College)

The Tuck School of Business is notable for producing graduates who later became distinguished individuals in the world of business. This business school was founded in 1900 and is located in Dartmouth. In the course of its long and splendid history, Tuck School of Business gave birth to many distinguished individuals who have helped shaped the world of business. Among them are Colin Kenny, Mark Byrne, Philip J. Moss, Anne Sullivan, John Jacquemin, and Quentin L. Kopp.

Johnson Graduate School of Management (Cornell University)

Another notable school of business is Johnson Graduate School of Management. This academic institution was founded in 1946. There are various programs to choose from at Johnson Graduate School of Management. Among these are MBAs, executive MBAs, and PhDs. Prominent alumni of Johnson School include Daniel Hesse of Sprint Nextel Corp., Nancy Schlichting of Henry Ford Health System, Irene Rosenfeld of Kraft Foods, Inc., Robert Ramin of National Aquarium, and Kyung-Bae Suh of AmorePacific Corp.

If you plan to pursue your studies in any of these academic institutions, you have to prepare your personal statement for MBA. You can visit the site of each school to get more information about the application process.

Leonard N. Stern School of Business is the 13th placer in the 2008 Business Week MBA school rankings. NYU Stern was established in 1900 as an undergraduate School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance. This institution is located at New York University’s Washington Square Campus. In 1916, the graduate business program was established and accepted both full-time and part-time students. As the business trends developed over the years, NYU widens the range of programs it offers. The then School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance was renamed Leonard N. Stern School of Business after Leonard Stern donated $30 million for the improvement of the school’s facilities.

Anderson School (University of California–Los Angeles)

The 14th placer in the 2008 MBA rankings is the Anderson School of Management. It was founded 70 years ago, under the University of California. There are various programs to choose from at Anderson School of Management. Among these are PhDs, executive MBAs, and Master of Financial Engineering. On top of these, Anderson School of Management offers UCLA-NUS Global Executive MBA Programs, Global Access Programs, Riordan Programs, Management Development Programs, and Management Communication Programs.

Kelley School of Business (Indiana University)

The 15th placer in the list of top business schools in 2008 is Kelley School of Business. This was established in 1920 and was formerly called the School of Commerce and Finance. It was later renamed School of Business Administration. In 1997, E.W Kelley donated $23 million so the school was renamed Kelley School of Business. This business school offers full-time MBAs, undergraduate programs, online MBAs, executive education, specialized master’s degrees, and PhD programs.

To apply in any of these schools, you can visit their official websites. It is also a great help if you write your personal statement for MBA ahead of time.

In the 2008 Best MBA Program ranking by Business Week, Darden Graduate School of Business is sixteenth in rank. This school is one of the extensions of the University of Virginia, a university that gave birth to many famous figures such as the poet and writer Edgar Allan Poe. The Darden Graduate School of Business is considered as one of the highly recommended schools in the US for those who want to study business.

Kenan-Flagler Business School (University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill)

Kenan-Flagler stands seventeenth in rank in the 2008 Best MBA Programs by Business Week. In 1919, UNC Kenan-Flagler was established as the Department of Commerce of UNC Chapel Hill’s College of Arts. The current name of the school was given in 1991 after the couple Mary Kenan and Henry Morrison Flagler gave donations to the school. The renaming of the school is also in recognition of F.H Kenan of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. The programs offered in UNC Kenan-Flagler include executive education, master of accounting, MBAs, and doctorates.

Cox School of Business (Southern Methodist University)

Cox School is eighteenth in the list of the 2008 Best MBA Schools by Business Week. Many major publications, such as Business Week and The Wall Street Journal, considered Cox School as one of the world’s best business schools. Among the program options for those who want to attend this business school are executive education, undergraduate, and graduate programs.

For those who are interested in apply to any of the business schools mentioned above, the schools’ official websites provide information about the schools’ application processes. It is also necessary to prepare your resume and personal statement for MBA when applying for these business schools.

The networking offer

An MBA program offers networking.  Though other schools will provide their own brand of networking, an MBA school will connect you with like-minded people: future entrepreneurs and managers.

The benefits of networking

Why is networking so valuable?  On the surface, networking is about socialization and about making sure that you have a  well-balanced life.  Of course, these are both valid reasons to support networking.  From a business perspective, however, networking also focuses on finding contacts that can help in your future business ventures.  Your current classmates may become future business partners or even clients.  Or, they can contribute helpful tips on how you can better run your future company even when you are still a business student. It’s crucial for those who attend MBA schools to ask for the contact numbers of people they deal with. Who knows, these people may help them achieve business in the future?

Networking within your MBA program

Of course, it is not advisable to make connections merely for gain.  You may establish friendship with other students or join organizations to expand your social network. This will help you become a good team worker and team leader as well.  If you treat them more warmly, they will be more willing to help you out in the future. To maintain a strong link or build a better relationship, aAlso share your own business insights.

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Benefit of seeking alumni help

When you talk to MBA alumni, you are exposed to application, and overall MBA program, success stories.  You can find out how to succeed in your own quest to become an MBA student, doing this with the help of reliable sources.

How to approach MBA alumni

List down MBA alumni you personally know; this will include friends, relatives and even acquaintances.  Get their personal perspectives on what the MBA admissions committee is looking for. You can request them for detailed accounts of their application experiences.  Finally, you can ask advice on what to include or to exclude from your personal statement for MBA.  If you do not know any alumna or alumnus personally, you can visit the school’s forums on their MBA programs.  Here, you can ask professors and students everything you want to know about MBA admissions.

Asking advice on your personal statement for MBA

To complete the overall package you are creating with the help of alumni, you need to know how to represent yourself.  One way to do that is through the interview.  Alumni can give you advice on the interview but can also advise you on your personal statement for MBA.  They can advise you on both the structure and the content of your application essay.  This is very important, because your essay may be the deciding factor of your application.

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Business means that you will be dealing with money or more numbers.  To deal with spreadsheets and other financial documents, you need to have good mathematical skills. You will also be dealing with more advanced mathematical functions, especially in subjects such as economics and actuarial science.  If you are already interested in mathematics as a whole, you will have an advantage in some of your subjects.

Data analysis

It is important to do well in business analysis.  If you can examine data carefully and create solutions for case studies, you will do well in the field of business.  When filling in your spreadsheets, you shouldn’t focus on the mathematical side alone, but will also have to relate these numbers to business probabilities.

Oral and verbal communication

You will need to write business proposals and pitch your products to make a sale.  This means that you will also need excellent written and verbal communication skills.  How can you use numbers and plans if you cannot put them into words?

Emotional quotient

Even if you are the smartest MBA student, you will not fare well in the real world without a high emotional quotient.  You don’t only need to communicate, but also hat to connect with people. You need to know how to work with a team and further develop your leadership skills. For your business to do well, you need to expand your social network.  This growing network may benefit your business in the future.

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Selection of specialized MBA degrees

When choosing an advanced MBA degree, pick a specialization that will best suit your targeted industry.  You have varied choices for management specializations, depending on what department you want to oversee.  For example, you can choose to be in financial management or may go for a human resource management specialization.  You can also venture into other specializations, such  as marketing and biotechnology.  Programs, such as the joint Law-MBA, are available to people who want to mix two major interests into one.  These dual programs will enable you to earn two degrees at one time.  It is cost-efficient, time-saving, and doubly rewarding.

In the end, you will have to pick a program that will cater to the desired future career.  This is not just about picking the most impressive combination, but also about setting a goal that is most attractive to you.

Benefits of getting an advanced MBA

Becoming a recognized expert of your field will immediately turn you into a candidate for top management positions.  People may trust your judgment on your specific area because they know that you dedicated your MBA study on that particular field.  Because you are now a very valuable addition to any company, you will also benefit from higher salaries and possibly more exciting perks.

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Business tactics

Entrepreneurs have their own techniques of managing their businesses.  The technique may be successful or not.  With an MBA degree, an entrepreneur can either learn where he or she went wrong, or can discover new ways to keep the business updated.  Learning will be so much easier if you keep in mind that the marketing and branding strategies you learn can be immediately applied to your actual business.  Interest actually helps a lot in learning.

Prestige

Even if are already a  fairly successful businessperson, an MBA degree will add to your respectability.  An MBA degree provides you with the added prestige of an advanced degree. More people will like to do business with you, knowing that you know the latest business trends and that you are formally educated.

Career satisfaction

Next to prestige is career satisfaction.  Because of your MBA degree, you can earn higher salaries or get better jobs through management positions in a business corporation. If you are entrepreneur, you can also feel accomplished with doing something positive for your business.

Connections

While studying for your MBA degree, you will be meeting other entrepreneurs.  This means that you may get connected to other people in the business world.  You also get to know people coming from completely different fields; MBA schools are not discriminating with the students they accept as long as these students show potential.  Connections may translate to business partners or clients in the future.

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List your requirements

Before writing your personal statement for MBA, you have to make sure that you have a list of requirements for each school you are planning to apply to. You have to make sure that you have checked an updated online, or cork-and-wood bulletin board.

Answer the question

One reason for checking an updated requirement list is that schools usually pose a different specific question every year. Make sure that you answer the particular question directly, covering all points that the school requires. Every school you apply to may have different questions, and that in itself can be a way for you to customize each of your essays. Remember though that you have to consider your personal experiences when answering any question.

Highlight points relevant to each program

Write a general outline for all your essays. Research on each school’s reputation, preferences and personality. Highlight the parts of your narrative that responds to each particular school. You can expand these parts through examples or more vivid details.

Put in new ideas

Each school will most likely ask a different question. This will require you to put in ideas that are unique to each school. Your personal statement for MBA will then not look generic, but thoughtfully applicable to the school’s requirements.

Do not stretch your essay beyond its point

You do not have to stretch your application essay beyond its personal limit. Though there may be a required minimum number of words, stop writing when you have fully stated your case. Stretching the essay may make it boring, or forced.

Proofread

Of course, do not submit a personal statement for MBA without proofreading first. Make sure also that you are submitting the right essay to the school it is customized for.

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