Working in an IT firm, I had decided to pursue MBA after 2 years of work experience and had started my preparation for MBA entrance exam CAT (Common Admission Test). In the IT sector, there is no fixed time for leaving the office, and the work pressure varies daily, thereby time management is an essential factor in filling up the application forms of B-schools before the deadlines and after taking an informed decision whether to apply in a particular university.
Being working, I did not want to depend on my parents for funding the expenses of filling all the application forms and registering to the B-Schools. Since I was working in Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS) with its annual package to support economically barely, I was required to make informed decisions regarding the selection of B-Schools and applying in them before the deadlines.
- Firstly, make a chart listing all the important dates of all MBA exams you are appearing for. Also, record in a tabular manner the starting as well as the end date of applying to each of the B-Schools, including its registration, uploading the photo and signature, filling the application forms, and payment.
- Regularly follow up with the e-mails sent after registering for an exam as well as B-Schools. Do not keep the task pending as one needs to load the mind with various activities along with the jitters of the reviews approaching near.
- While selecting the list of MBA schools to apply for, apart from ranking and cut-off, also consider other factors that might suit you. For, e.g. locational advantage, fee structure, return on investment (ROI), views from alumni, environment, and amenities within the Institute.
- Analyze your scores efficiently and accordingly apply for the universities rather than filling in all the B-Schools, as it would invest your time as well as money in vain. Some of the application forms ask for specialization, and one must apply and pay separately for different streams, thus be clear about the streams/specializations you want to pursue MBA in. Also, there are certain B-Schools known for a particular specialization, and one must apply in them considering ones’ interest.
- Be ready with passport size photocopies with a white background and softcopy of signature in defined dimensions. Keep all your essential documents scanned, including mark sheets of standards 10th and 12th, mark sheets and degree of graduation, certification of any courses, certificates of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, proof of any other engagement.
- Since most of the profile based forms require you to answer descriptively about specific common questions or write Statement of Purpose (SOP), you must prepare the qualitative answers of these questions and save them separately for rewriting. Some of the fundamental questions may include like:
- Why do you want to pursue MBA?
- Why do you want to get into a particular specialization?
- Why are you the perfect fit for this B-School?
- Why do you want to pursue MBA from this B-School?
- Where do you see yourself after two years of MBA?
- What skills do you possess that make you stand apart from the crowd?
Following these guidelines previously helped me to avoid the last minute frenzy during these crucial months of MBA aspirants along with my frantic schedule of the job. It helped me balance my time and stick to deadlines, also invest my time and money efficiently rather than missing out important notifications in clutter.