Are You Ambitious Enough for a Top Business School? Part 1

I know the title of this post may sound a bit funky but I’ve titled it that way because I know that if you’re applying to business school, it’s a serious decision and chances are, you’re pretty ambitious.  I have no doubt about that.

However, remember, business schools are looking to invest in candidates that have the highest probability of making it big one day.  If you’re not quite keen about this, you may want to to check out my previous post on business school’s wishing well investment.  What is big exactly?

We could debate about this one but I’m going to lay it out how it is.

I like to be transparent about the process because I spent quite a few years applying – walking into it a bit naive and uncertain and walked out of it ready to scream how much I knew.

Big to me means going beyond typical career visions such Managing Director of Bain & Company or Development Associate at Seed funding companies.  If you really want top schools like Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton to select you into their class, you have to give them something they can hold on to.

 They are taking their chances with you and you’ve got to prove yourself.

Big here means exactly that.

Making it big one day.

Business schools are looking for potential leaders who will make history.

 I’m not saying you need to work for a Fortune 500 company and become CEO. But you must at least make schools believe in you, that you can achieve something outstanding.  Can you imagine  if no one had any desire to be CEO? Or founder of a particular company? Or make one hell of an impact in a particular industry?  How would business schools create famous alumni?

Top schools are looking for applicants who dare to dream big! I know it’s hard to put yourself in those shoes but if you’re thinking top 10 MBA, you need to believe that you can shake the world.  Only then will you become an advocate for change.

 You heard me, shake the world.

If you think I’m yacking away, I’m not. My point is that whatever your career vision is, you have to have a fun and exciting career vision.  It sounds like a fantasy but you need to persuade admission officers that you can achieve something so great that it’ll get you on a cover of Time Magazine.

It’s sort of like gambling or making an investment, you need to give them a grand image of you in the future.  It is at this point where you make them curious and give them something to bet on.

It is here where they go “OOOooooo, Aaaaaaaah, me likey.”

Like I mentioned a few moments ago, you don’t need to be CEO or work for a Fortune 500 company, but that career vision better be high quality and very exciting.  There are no boundaries really – the career vision can be entrpreneurial, continuing a family business, returning to your country, nonprofit, forprofit, and so on.

 It needs to be something that could earn you an award down the line or like I said earlier, get you on a cover of a magazine or some kind of exposure in the media.

So what are some examples of exciting career visions? Join me for my next post on the kind of career vision you need to make admission officers really believe in you.  As always, if you’re curious about what else is there to learn about MBA admissions, please sign up for my Masters newsletter that reveals even more secrets about the process and how to best approach the application with the right attitude.  And of course, comments are always welcome.