Admitted MBA Student To-Do List
Has the euphoria over your acceptance to the b-school of your dreams subsided slightly? Then it’s time to refocus your energies on all of the big and little details that make up your admitted MBA student To-Do List. Here are some of the specific areas that need your immediate attention.
Give notice gracefully
If your supervisor already supported your plans to attend business school, sharing the great news of your admission won’t be awkward at all. However, some applicants need to keep their application plans quiet so as not to jeopardize their employment. In that case, now is the time to let your employer know you’re leaving.
You should explain your reasons, give plenty of notice, and offer to help train your replacement if applicable. Make every possible effort to leave on good terms to keep this part of your professional network intact.
Set up a budget
Step one of your admitted MBA student To-Do List: get your finances in order. Avoid credit card debt, and save, save, save as much as you can before school starts. Forgo unnecessary purchases, and try to live slightly below your means. Remember, your projected budget should factor in expenses beyond tuition and living costs. Travel, student clubs, and study abroad trips greatly enrich the b-school experience.
@stacyblackmanconsulting #sbcyourfuture #bschool #mba #bschooladmissions #budget #savings #money ? original sound – Stacy Blackman Consulting
Make Housing Arrangements
This aspect varies depending on the school. For example, 80% of MBA students live on campus at Harvard Business School. Housing in residence halls at HBS is assigned by lottery. Other schools offer limited on-campus housing and refer new students to nearby rental houses or apartment complexes.
Prospective students can visit apartments and houses in their new city during Welcome Weekend. But start the process early. Schools have strict deadlines for campus housing. If you prefer to live on campus, make sure to find out those important dates early on.
Brush Up on Quant Skills
Business schools regularly report that many soon-to-be first-year students lack some basic quantitative skills. If that sounds like you, a quant refresh should be on your admitted MBA student To-Do List. Review the course syllabus online and purchase textbooks in advance if you can.
Many top MBA programs offer so-called math camps for accepted students during the summer. If you have any weak spots in this area, sign up so that you’re ready to hit the ground running once school starts.
Consider a Pre-MBA Program
Many admits do pre-MBA internships to explore a new field of interest, gain training insights, and begin networking with recruiters months before the formal recruiting process begins.
Others participate in short, company-sponsored programs, such as McKinsey Early Access, BCG Unlock, and Experience Bain. Applications are poised to open, and deadlines come quickly (April and May 2024), so don’t delay if you are interested in this option.
Still other admits take advantage of pre-term, non-academic travel programs, such as Kellogg Worldwide Experiences & Service Trips (KWEST), which unite more than 80% of incoming students through social, site-seeing, and community service activities.
Reach Out to Fellow Classmates
Schools often host receptions for admits where they can mingle and network with alumni and fellow admits. Welcome Weekend is another prime opportunity to begin connecting with your future cohort. If you’ve followed the MBA forums, you may already have a head start on building relationships with other admits.
Find out if your class has a Discord, Slack, or WhatsApp group. If not, offer to help set one up. Business schools make it easy for classmates to get to know each other pre-term. Take advantage of these social opportunities, and you’ll arrive on campus feeling already at home.
Finally, enjoying some quiet time before things get crazy should also be on your admitted MBA student To-Do List. Cross a few items off your bucket list. Connect with family and friends you won’t see much of during the next two years. Dive back into those hobbies and extracurriculars that made you a desirable, well-rounded candidate in the first place.
The months leading up to the start of business school are an exciting time. But it flies by in a flash. Knowing what to expect and laying the foundation for a smooth transition to student life will make your first year less stressful and even more rewarding.
***
If you’ve already been admitted to your dream MBA program and need guidance for financial aid applications as a US or international candidate, we are here to help with SBC’s Financial Aid Advisory service. Please email info@stacyblackman.com to learn more.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×