Sunday, June 21, 2015

An Indian Student's Guide to Getting into an MBA Program in the US

With interest in pursuing MBA programs in the US continuing to rise among Indian students, here are some essential tips that will help you prepare better and increase your chances of securing a berth in a premier American management school.

• Criteria for Selecting a School
There are several B-schools in the USA that offer quality programs. But your choice will depend on your expectations from the course and the kind of career prospects you want after its completion. To make an informed decision, it is important to know your criteria well. What area would you like to specialize in? What kind of a career are you interested in? Do you want the school to be in a small town or a big city? Does it have to be a large university or a smaller one? All these and more can be the things you would like the B-school to offer you. Your final choice would depend on the same.

• Experiential Training
While Indian students often excel in theoretical knowledge, they lag behind in experience and hands-on training. Along with strong academics, US universities also seek strong leadership skills, community service, global awareness and some industry experience. Presentation is also important since how you present your essays and value statements will either help you get selected or rejected. Building a strong profile is of utmost significance.

• Resources
Studying and living in the US is expensive, so you must make sure you have the resources to be able to afford it. While many universities do offer some kind of assistance in the form of scholarships or teaching assistantships, but they may often be hard to obtain. Assess how much you can afford and if you are willing to take loans. Taking loans might affect your choice of schools so consider that too. Upon seeing an MBA admission consultant, Chennai students can learn more about financial assistance and how to go about the process.

• Choose an Accredited Program
The highest accreditation comes from AACSB International, and out of the 579 accredited business schools, 469 are in the US. Be careful about choosing an accredited program because most US employers don't hire graduates from non accredited programs.

• Prepare Well
Having a high GMAT or GRE score is vital and investing time and effort in preparation will pay off well. Taking preparation exams will help you anticipate questions as well as strengthen other skills.

• Take a second option
Even the highest scores cannot promise you a seat in a top school. In case you cannot make the cut, keep a second choice ready. With an MBA admission consultant, Chennai students can get valuable information on the list of good universities worldwide.

• Talk to Other Students
If you know of students who are currently doing an MBA in the US, then talking to them can be helpful in gathering some suggestion on how to prepare and what not to do.

• Take your Time
Never make a choice in a hurry. Prepare well in advance and give thought and time to your decision to get into the school that you want to.
An MBA may be commonplace now but pursuing a quality program from a US university can open many doors before you.

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