Hello from a very snowy London, England. I’m here for an MBA Fair tomorrow night, however I seem to have brought the weather from London, Ontario with me and the city has virtually shut down today. I’m hoping that the tube and buses and airports are up and running by tomorrow so that people can make it to the Fair, but all of this has me thinking about the importance of preparing for unforeseen circumstances – a lesson that anyone applying to MBA Programs should keep in mind. .. .
I’ve talked to a few people in recent months who have a deadline date for applying to our Program set in their mind and they have scheduled the GMAT very close to that date. One word of advice is to, if you can, build in a bit of leeway between when you have your GMAT scheduled and the deadline in case you need to re-write. In talking to applicants after the December holidays who had to rewrite the test due to weather, or simply not performing up to their potential the first time they wrote, having that extra bit of wiggle room can make the process less stressful. Now I’m not saying don’t go in and give it your all the first time around, but I am saying that things can happen that are outside of your control and with final round deadlines approaching, you don’t want to find yourself in a position where you are submitting an application that does not reflect your true and highest potential, simply because you ran out of time.
(On a side note, anyone with an account on Inside Track receives the monthly Ivey Insights newsletter from us. This year we’ve created a 12-step series called Tips and Tricks to a Successful B-School App; if you’d like to receive installment No. 2: Preparing for the GMAT, sign up before next Monday!)
Once you have submitted your application and if you are invited to interview, it’s good to have a Plan B in mind for your short-term post MBA career goals. Given today’s economic climate (not so sure we can call this an unforeseen circumstance, but the lesson still applies!) you might not land career/company choice #1 right away. By broadening your horizons and thinking about how else you can gain the skills and experience you are hoping for immediately post-MBA, increases your chances of success in tough economic times. The key thing to remember about Ivey is that with the help and guidance of Career Management, you’re not just 1st job ready: you will have the skills and knowledge to successfully manage your career and get to where you ultimately want to be long-term.
The decision to apply to an MBA Program is a significant one, and it’s not something that you want to rush or take for granted. Having a well planned strategy for both your application and the admissions process is important, and being prepared will reduce stress should any unforeseen circumstances occur.