Case Study: MBA in U.S.A.

Scheduling
I spent about a month collecting all the information I needed about getting an M
BA in the U.S.A. It wasn't just an MBA from anywhere that I was aiming for, I wa
nted the best degree on offer to set me up for a great career ahead.
These are the notes I referred to when making my schedule. I will not share my s
chedule because you ought to make one that suits your needs.
Tests:
- I need to register for a test date. Getting test dates can be difficult during
the peak periods between June to January. It's wise to register at least three
months in advance.
- I need to request GMAT and TOEFL bulletins which can be requested online. I ha
ve to keep a month to get the forms, get a dollar draft made and send the form t
o the required address.
Start the test registration work atleast four months before the test date.
- Immediately familiarise myself with the contents of the tests and set my self
a target score so that I can schedule how long I need to prepare before taking t
he tests.
University application deadlines:
- Universities have about two deadlines for international students. The first is
somewhere between October end and early December for most good universities and
the second between January and March. It's better for International applicants
to apply before the first deadline as it improves their chances of admission.
- Universities would want my applications complete in all respects before the de
adline. This includes the GMAT and TOEFL score reports, which may take about a m
onth to reach the university after I take the test.
So, the test registration work should start atleast five months before the unive
rsity's first application deadline.
Preparing documents to accompany my application:
I need to submit the following documents -
1. School and college marksheets (called transcripts) - Some universities issue
official transcripts in a format required by U.S. Universities. Otherwise, photo
copies signed and attested by university registrar or Principal works alright.
I would need to visit my university for this.
2. Recommendation letters - I need to identify people I know well and who will b
e willing to spend time in writing my recommendations. Most universities have th
eir own formats of recommendation letters. I must send the format and request fo
r recommendations at least three months prior to university application deadline
s. I have to start speaking to my recommenders immediately.
3. The GMAT and TOEFL score reports have to be sent directly through ETS (the co
mpany that conducts the tests). I can name five universities at the time of taki
ng the test. I need to decide the universities I have to apply to before taking
my GMAT and TOEFL. In case there are more than five universities I wish to apply
to I must fill out the additional score reports form in the GMAT bulletin (The
booklet I use to register for the test). I have to do this immediately after I
take the test. Probably send out the request the day after taking the test. I ne
ed to get a dollar draft made or use a credit card to make payment for test regi
stration and additional score reporting.
4. Financial documents like a bank statement and Affidavit of Support need to ac
company my application. Bank statement must be got from a Bank where my sponsor
has an account showing funds to support my expenses during the period of study.
Affidavit of Support is to be made on a legal stamp paper showing that my sponso
r will fund my tuition and living expenses for my study.
5. Essays take time to write. I have to download university application forms as
soon as they are available, get familiar with the essay questions and set aside
at least two months to write essays.
6. Finally, the documents have to be couriered to the universities, I have to ke
ep at least 15 days for the courier to reach the universities after I despatch.
Working on applications: Universities release their applications by the month of
June or July for the preceding year's Fall semester intake. I have to start dow
nloading application forms as early as I can, probably by July.
Shortlisting universities: I have to decide where to apply by the same time, by
about July end, so that I have enough time to prepare for their applications.
The above information allowed me to set a schedule which I followed successfully
.
There are activities to be completed after sending out applications, you would b
e in the groove to handle them as they come.
Next > GMAT/TOEFL

Case Study: MBA in U.S.A.

Taking the tests
The top schools require applicants to be good at everything they do. So, they ex
pect them to have good scores.
I was told a 720+ is a bare minimum in the GMAT if I'm targeting the top-10 scho
ols. I set my self a target of 760, and got a 740. I made sure that no school re
jected me for a low GMAT. I know now that a high GMAT cannot get one an admissio
n on its own. But a low GMAT can get one a reject on its own.
I started my GMAT preparation by taking a practice test. I analysed my performan
ce and I identified topics which made me feel uncomfortable.
The books I used included Kaplan, Princeton, Arco and of course, the official GM
AT guide. I did practice tests of all the above and the Crack-GMAT practice test
s that were available on the net.
I spent two and a half months, studying about four hours every day after office.
I kept the Saturdays and Sundays to analyze my progress and identify weak areas
. The math section was easy for me. I had to work harder for the the verbal and
comprehension sections and practice was the key in these sections.
I attribute my score to all the analysis I carried out about where I need to put
that extra effort. If you are targeting 650, you don't need to do much, just st
udy the material with you and go for the test.
But for a 750, you need to really take care of the finer points. This requires i
dentifying areas where you are likely to make a mistake and brushing every singl
e concept in that topic.
TOEFL was easier. Frankly, I didn't spend too much time on it. Picked up the Bar
ron's guide and a CD that a friend handed over to me.
Next > Selecting Schools

Case Study: MBA in U.S.A.

Selecting Business Schools
There are three factors that influenced my selection of universities to apply:
1. Craving factor: Top Schools.
2. Sanity factor: Which ones fit your long term career needs?
3. Safety factor: Where can you get in?
I was told to consider each of the above factors before selecting the final list
of universities to apply.
I chose:
- Harvard and Wharton as I wanted to be in one of these schools.
- Thunderbird and Moore because I wanted International Business.
- Vanderbilt and Carnegie Mellon, as I was told that I would get one of them.
I got Wharton, Thunderbird and Vanderbilt.
I think that had I not got Wharton, Thunderbird and Vanderbilt were good schools
to go to.
But believe me this Craving/Sanity/Safety theory is a handy one to use when sele
cting your own set of schools.
While selecting on the basis of the sanity factor, all the research you do to fi
nd schools for your needs, comes in really handy when you answer, "Why you chose
our school?" question for your essays.
Next > Writing Essays

Case Study: MBA in U.S.A.

Writing Application Essays
As I look back this was the best part in the whole exercise of applying for admi
ssion. It seemed difficult before I got into it. But while I was working on the
essays it allowed me to visit parts of me that were previously unexplored. I'm a
better person because of it and know myself much better.
I started by addressing these questions which I found on Infozee. They were very
useful in getting me to think in the right manner.
Write down all your past accomplishments - academic, extra curricular, social co
ntributions, sports - whatever you've done well in life. Also write down all the
things that you feel or care for strongly.
What is it that you want to do in life? What is the career you want to choose fo
r yourself in the future and why?
Write down the area that you want to study further in. How will taking up this c
ourse of study help you achieve your long term career goals that you described a
bove?
Now, write down why should you have the life that you want? Why should you get a
ll the things you listed above? What qualifies you to have all the success you d
esire
Once I completed this initial exercise, writing answers to the essay questions o
f almost all schools seemed extremely easy.
While I knew I could write my achievements, I was not sure if they were right fo
r the business school, especially as some of them involved things which were qui
te technical to explain. Also, the word limits were a little scary. That is when
I decided to take up professional counselling and editing services.
Professional editing also helped me in understanding how admission committee loo
ks at the application essays.
Next > Recommendations

Case Study: MBA in U.S.A.

Recommendations
The first question I had about getting recommendations was that since it is unli
kely that the university will contact my recommender, why shouldn't I write my o
wn recommendation and have it signed by some one senior at office?
I researched at my end and found that:
- My recommender is likely to receive a thank you note from the university.
- Admission committees who read applications day in and day out can figure out i
f the recommendation is authentic, 4 times out of 5.
- An honest recommendation, assessing you objectively, even highlighting some p
oints about you that may not be very positive, hold more value than a self writt
en recommendation that shows what a great person you are.
I however did take time from my recommenders to discuss my career till now. I hi
ghlighted to them points I was planning to project through my essays.
For instance, I wanted one of my recommenders to focus on my communication and i
nterpersonal skills. I gave her a brief describing the presentations I had made
to my customers and the feedback I got from them, about my ability to look at di
fficult situations objectively and to keep my bosses and my team members informe
d about my understanding on the situations. About the relationships I had built
with two of our customers who had informed me of their future projects even befo
re they officially approached companies for proposals.
So, even though they wrote my recommendations on their own, I was able to influe
nce what they should write.
To allow them to make an honest assessment and write what they wanted to, I had
asked them to seal the recommendations and hand them over to me. I then sent the
recommendation without knowing what they had actually written.
The strategy seemed to work for me, and I believe it should work for every one.
Almost anyone will also tell you that it doesn't matter who your recommender is,
just make sure the person knows you well. Only then will he/she be able to writ
e about you in detail.
There's no point getting a recommendation from your Managing Director if he does
n't know you well. If your General Manager has worked with you and knows you wel
l, his recommendation has more value than that of your Managing Director.

Next > Financing Issues

Case Study: MBA in U.S.A.

Financing my MBA
When I thought in terms of Returns on Investments, spending Rs. 40 - 50 lacs in
two years wasn't a bad decision at all. I would recover this money in no time af
ter I graduate. But still the money needed to be arranged, and it's no small sum
this. I almost laughed out when I was told that I'll have to show this sum in m
y "SAVINGS BANK ACCOUNT" to get a visa. Even if I had this kind of money why wou
ld I keep it in a savings account?
But, like any other problem in life, I knew there was a way around it waiting fo
r me to discover it.
I knew I could do one of the following:
- Get a loan from a Bank in India, but that's only for a maximum of Rs. 15 lacs.
- Apply for a scholarship, but then when you are aiming for the top schools, get
ting an admission is big, leave alone a scholarship. I had heard that it was nea
rly impossible for international students to get a scholarship. Some of the top
schools do consider international students for scholarships, but these are purel
y based on your application and are not need based. You compete with local U.S.
applicants for a scholarship.
- Get a loan from a bank in the U.S., but that would need co-signing by a person
 in the U.S.. Technically it's the same as borrowing the money from the person i
n the U.S., it's that person's responsibility to pay back and not yours.
- There are some top schools which have arrangements with banks in the U.S. who
offer loans even to international students without a co-signor, based on their a
dmission. Wharton has a loan like this. Its very convenient one doesn't have to
repay till six months after graduation and it takes care of almost all expenses.
More importantly this loan also can be used to get a visa.
There are some other universities also which offer the loan facility to internat
ional students based on a co-signor in the student's home country. However this
loan cannot be used to show expenses for obtaining a visa.
The best bet for you is to wait for admission and speak to the international off
ice in your university, who will be able to help you with the available options.

And remember there's always a way out. I haven't heard of any one who got admitt
ed to the top schools but was unable to make it because of his inability to fina
nce the expenses.
Just go ahead, get an admission and your options will reveal themselves to you.
Keep this issue in your mind, but don't let it bog you down.

Next > Visas

Case Study: MBA in U.S.A.

Getting my visa
There are two aspects I needed to convince the visa officers about when being in
terviewed.
- I have the necessary funds to finance my study
- I'm not a potential immigrant.
The first was not a problem for me. I had a loan through the university which wa
s considered proof for my ability to pay.
But the loans offered through other universities (other than Wharton) are normal
ly not considered by visa officers. You have to show funds for at least one year
of all expenses in your savings account and sufficient financial ability to gen
erate funds for the second year of study.
The "potential immigrant" bit is a little difficult to understand. One's suppose
d to provide reasons for returning back to India after study. But most of us wil
l not be returning home, at least not immediately after completing the course. S
o, what makes visa officers offer visas to so many of us?
That we're not returning home may not actually be a secret, the visa officers pr
obably know about it. Knowing this, there job may actually be to select students
who they may not mind having around in their country, working for their compani
es.
While this theory may or may not be true, you have to go for your visa with a co
nvincing story about why you would want to return back to India after completing
 your course. So, put on your creative caps and think of an original story that
will compel the visa officer to offer you the visa.
Of course they will not take you on face value, you need to take financial and o
ther documentation to make your story convincing.
I guess when you get into a top school, they do not ask you much. That's what ha
ppened in my case. They just asked me a couple of questions and my interview las
ted hardly 5 minutes.

Next > Preparing to leave