Forum: School selection (2 Comments)
school selection keeping entrepreneurial goals in mind
Posted by - maverick.aj - on 15 August 2012 - 12:59pm
hi,
i am ashish from new delhi,india.
MY profile_
-HSC-96%
-SSC-95%
-B.COM-74%(AGRA UNIVERSITY)
-CHARTERED ACCOUNTANCY(FINAL YEAR)- 78%(TILL NOW)
-GMAT-710;IELTS-8.0
-ECs-below average(some sports(hockey,lawn tennis,badminton) at school and college level and community service)-I HAVE done a 3 year INTERNSHIP in a chartered accountancy firm in agra and also have spent some tym helping my father in his leather shoe exports biz.
REASONs FOR DOING MIM(fall 2013 intake):
1.Gain business knowledge.
2.Get a school brand name to be leveraged in my contacts.Goals after MIM
1.Get into my father's shoe export business and help it basicallywith the marketing and the finance part because it is a bit lagged behind in that field. OR
2.do a startup of my own back in indiaSPECIALISATION OF MIM(IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE)
1.ENTREPRENEURSHIP
2.STRATEGY
3.MARKETINGON THE BASIS OF ABOVE I HAVE SHORTLSITED THESE PROGRAMS_
1.EMLYON(GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM)
2.LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS(MANAGEMENT, STRATEGY AND GOVERNANCE(I YR) PROGRAM)
3.ESADE(MASTERS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP+CEMS)
4.IE(MSC IN MARKETING)I AM CONFUSED ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS..
1.HEC PARIS(GRANDE ECOLE)-As according to what i have heard from their alumni and students is that this program is not for people who are looking to start up and more for people with sciences background and looking for finace,consulting jobs.
2.LBS-As i think i wont be able to make it.(and as i am short of time i want to try out colleges where i have a better chance of getting in)
3.DUKE (MMS)-as i think this programme is basically for people with non business background.AFTER THE PROGRAM I WOULD LIKE TO WORK FOR A YEAR BEFORE COMING BACK WITH MAYBE A UPCOMING COMPANY(START UP) OR MAYBE somehere in marketing and startegy.
SO please let me know whatever knowledge u have about visa issues in all these countries for asians.P.s i have very limited time for framing out essays and all because i am extremely busy with my chartered accountacy final studies so i can apply to limited colleges.(please suggest)
Posted by - Thomas Graf - on 15 August 2012 - 2:46pm
Hi there,
thank you for your question. Here are some comments that might be valuable for your search process.
Your approach to finding programs
Well, after reading through your message my impression is that your future is still very open at the moment. You seem to be very interested in becoming an entrepreneur but at the same time you also like strategy and marketing. You think about helping out your father but at the same time you consider starting your own start-up and you consider working for an employer the year after graduation.
This is all fine. The question is: How broad or narrow would you like your Master be? For example, you can do a Master in Entrepreneurship if you want to specialized in this area (contentwise and networkwise). You can use our search engine to look for Masters in Entrepreneurship.
On the other side you can do a Master in Management (MIM) that is very broad and by definition covers general management areas. Finally, you can choose a MIM program that provides some entrepreneurial focus in the advanced parts of the curriculum. Some of the programs that you mentioned come close to this; another example would be the Master in Management at IE Business School.
What you finally choose depends on your preferences of course. But my intuition is that you are on the right track if you go for a MIM with a speicalization opportunity in entrepreneurship.
The schools you have doubts about
If you have doubts on the entrepreneurial content of programs (you mentioned the HEC, you can always screen the curriculum and course structure. Ideally, you check out more than just whether there is entrepreneurial content but rather how much (in terms of quantity or credit points) are covered by your specialization area of interest.As for LBS, I would try applying it if the school's interesting for you. Your GMAT is great and I don't see a reason - from your CV point of view - why you should not try it (unless you have other reasons of course).
As for the Duke MMS program, it is open for graduates from all academic areas. They seem to have a focus, however, on strong quantitative and analytical skills. Here I recommend the same as for the LBS: If the school is interesting for you I would try it.
Visa issues
My recommendation is:- Contact your embassy in the country of your interest
- Contact the school of your interest and ask about their experience in placing graduates from your country.
Some final advices
- I would try to contact the career service and amdissions office to gain information about who studies the respective program and where they fnd a job afterwards. Is this the environment you feel comfortable?
- If you are interested in entrepreneurship and innovation try to find a program with some practical content, e.g. a venture lab or business plan environment where you are fostered and supported to develop your own business in the program. Sometimes they even offer a competition with a guaranteed financial support from business angels for the top 3 business plans.
- You say that you are under time pressure. My recommendation, however, is: Take the essays seriously and don't write them in a rush. Admissions officers are very interested in your competencies BEYOND YOUR cv and may have a close look into them.
All the best and good luck
Thomas
