Choosing a B-School: Assessing Your Profile

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Noodle Staff April 18, 2012

The first step to choosing a business school is to assess your profile. Understanding what you have to offer will help you find a program that fits your talents.

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

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Drowning in Business school applications? With so many MBA programs to choose from it's hard to know where to start. In today's post Linda Abraham discusses factors to consider when applying to business schools from your academic record to extracurriculars and everywhere in between to make sure you apply to the right schools for you.

To make applying to business school next fall run more smoothly and efficiently, we recommend that you get started on generating a list of target schools NOW. With so many programs out there, it can be hard to narrow down your selection to a reasonable list of just five or six possibilities.

The first step to choosing a b-school is to assess your profile. You may have a life-long passion to attend HBS simply because one of your parents went there, but if your GMAT scores aren't even in the ballpark or if your GPA is too low, or you don't have a lot of leadership, then you may have to adjust your plan.

Here are some factors to consider when assessing your profile:

Academics - This includes your GMAT score and your GPA. As mentioned above, a weak GPA or a low GMAT score may limit your school choice. Be realistic--if you don't have time to improve your scores in either of these categories, then you're going to have to rule out the schools that require scores of a certain level. Of course, you do still have time to retake the GMAT, so if you think you have a shot at increasing your score, you may still be able to keep HBS (or another top ranked program) on your b-school list.
Work experience - Your target business school is going to want to know about your past and current jobs. Now is a good time to think about any progressions you've made through your career path. If you haven't made significant strides, then maybe you still have time to take on a new leadership position or increase your job responsibilities. Think about your strengths in your past and current positions, as well as your weaknesses. In what ways can you work now to strengthen your weak spots? Also note that some schools expect a certain number of years in the workplace before applying; others do not. Check your target schools' requirements.
Goals - "Fit" is extremely important to the adcoms who will be reviewing your application. This is usually determined by seeing whether your MBA and post-MBA goals match up with the mission and ideals of a given program. A lot of introspection goes into developing a concrete list of goals. Get a head start thinking about why you'd like an MBA and you'll have an easier time answering the goal-related essay questions later on.
- Extracurricular activities - Your extracurriculars will set your application apart from the others, highlighting those unique aspects of your personality. Now may be a time to think about some of your hobbies and interests and perhaps get more involved in extracurricular activities. In terms of choosing a b-school, these activities could help you (as well as the adcoms) determine school fit.
- Miscellaneous factors - Criminal records, honor code infractions, and other negative aspects to your profile may limit your choices when it comes to applying to top b-schools. On the other hand, positive experiences like military service and academic or community awards may help boost your profile.

Evaluating your qualifications is step one to generating a list of potential b-schools. Next time we'll discuss the various aspects and offerings of different programs and how you should take those into consideration when choosing a school.

Looking for more tips on creating a realistic list of potential business schools? View Accepted's FREE webinar MBA Reality Check for more insider information on choosing the b-school that's best for you.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com, co-author of _MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

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