What to do between college and b school

[dschneid2010]

Hello all,

I just took the gmat yesterday and it's had my mind a bit on B school and I was wondering what is it that admissions officers look for.

The things I know that they look at are gpa and gmat and your line of work. Right now I'm about to graduate college and was wondering what do people do aside from work that B school would pay attention to?

I'd like to get into a top b school if possible, right now my situation is:

gmat 750 98 percentile, 50Q/41V
gpa 3.5 in applied mathematics Harvard University

Will be starting work at Capital One as a business analyst in July.

So, what is it that should be in the back of my mind, if i'd like to remain competitive for future applications?

thanks!

[mbamission]

Your GMAT score, undergraduate institution and GPA are all strong. But of course they are not the only factors that will be analyzed when you apply to business school. Professional/community leadership and your personal story/journey will play a key role in your application as well. In your job, make an effort to go beyond your stated responsibilities. For example, if you join the company and you see that a long-standing process could be better, take the initiative to improve it. If you have an idea, voice your opinions and be prepared to execute on it. Volunteer for the challenging projects and don't be afraid to step up and take on higher responsibilities if necessary. Be sure to also make a point to be involved outside of work. Depth is better than breadth when it comes to community involvement. If there is an organization or cause that you are passionate about, get involved....and be open to the possibilities of taking on more leadership roles within that organization as time goes on.

If you have the opportunity to gain international experience, take advantage of that opportunity since having a "global mindset" is becoming more important in MBA admissions.

This is just a shortlist of key things to focus on. Best of luck with the your job at Capital One!

Monica Okrah
mbaMission