First Generation Student Guide: Applying to an MBA Program

Camilo and myself brought together this set of resources, advice, and timelines to support other First Gen students looking to start their MBA application journey in 2021. None of these resources are completely encompassing of what this process can and will look like for you, but they are an exceptional starting point to start considering what to do next. Best of luck to you in your journey.

AGENDA

1. MBA Application Vocabulary
2. Primary Application Stakeholders
3. Secondary Application Stakeholders
4. 12 Month Application Timeline
5. 6 Month Application Timeline
6. Crucial MBA Questions to Prep For
7. MBA Fellowships
8. MBA Scholarships
9. MBA Conferences
10. EDI Resources
11. Study Resources
12. Advice

GENERAL MBA APPLICATION VOCABULARY

• Business School: General term for universities’ MBA business programs I.E. “I went to business school on the west coast.” Casually, and often, abbreviated to “b-school”
• GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test - Traditional business school application test (similar to the SAT or the ACT’s in undergrad)
• GRE: Graduate Record Examinations - Also a standardized admissions test accepted by US graduate programs and more recently accepted by MBA programs (less quant focus than GMAT and more writing)
• Application Rounds: US MBA applications are accepted across three rounds - applicants aiming to start Fall 2022 can apply R1 by ~Sep 2021, R2 ~Jan 2022, or R3 ~Mar 2022
• Triple Pivot Candidate: Applicant who is pivoting across 3 traits; 1) geography, 2) function, and 3) industry - example: I'm a NYC Accounting Manager at a bank going to b-school in LA to become an Associate in Commercial Real Estate
• URM: Underrepresented Minority
• MBA Specializations: Are similar to undergrad majors as you’ll pursue a set of courses with a concentration around a certain topic (i.e. Brand Management or Analytics) however the major difference from undergrad majors is these specializations are significantly less likely to be representative of the career you’re pursuing

PRIMARY APPLICATION STAKEHOLDERS

• University Admissions: Get to know them, be their friends, they're nice people, and the best advice you can receive from them is how to reach out to students or groups or organizations on their campus that you may be interested in + general student stats that can support your program application selection.
• MBA Students in your industry of focus: Students with experiences similar to what you’re pursuing are key resources to help you make decisions. USE THEM and pay it forward when the time is right.
• Fellowships: Pending on which/ if you decide to apply to an MBA program through a fellowship you’ll want to ensure your holistic application is reflective of the fellowships values i.e. don’t apply to a community service fellowship and never mention community service is important to you in your MBA essays.

SECONDARY APPLICATION STAKEHOLDERS

• Alumni: Are another well of knowledge that is usually always happy help you by answering any questions regardless of how small they may be.
• MBA Students in identity groups you relate to: This is where you go to get the answers that you may feel uncomfortable asking in other settings i.e. is it really inclusive thou? 

12 MONTH TIMELINE (Jan - Dec 2021)

6 MONTH TIMELINE (Jul - Dec 2021) 

MBA QUESTIONS TO PREP FOR WITH EXAMPLES

Why do you want an MBA?

As a First Generation college grad I’ve realized the importance of higher education in personal and professional fulfillment. I want an MBA to further differentiate me from my peers as I continue growing as a professional. To expand my scope of work and connect with the best support networks that can improve my approach to my work I’ll need an MBA program. In summary, I want an MBA to set a new precedent in my community and reach higher levels of management within my body of work. 

Why an MBA now?

Now is the best time for me because I find myself at a point in my career where I enjoy my work however I don’t find it fulfilling and I don’t believe continuing my career progression will significantly change that. I enjoy the core set of skills and attributes I use to be successful at my work however the scope or challenges I’m being presented with are no longer as stimulating as they were in earlier parts of my career. I’d like to obtain an MBA to take my skills and pair them with a new set of educational frameworks/ practices and pivot into a new industry or function such as Tech Product Development.

Why an MBA at this school?

After living and working on the East Coast for the last 7 years I’d like to make a pivot and start a new chapter on the West Coast. After reviewing the schools I’m interested in along the West Coast this particular school has the highest number of graduates that have successfully moved into my intended profession. With active alumni networks through X and Y organizations I feel confident I’ll be able to smoothly shift from the MBA program to a product development career. Overall, I’m enthusiastic to start my journey at this school because of the city’s culture, the professional fit, and my ability to give back to the program after successfully establishing a post-MBA career in its city. 

Why do you want to make this career pivot? 

I’m interested in CPG because CPG brands and product affiliations have the ability to enhance people’s day to day lifestyles. We all come in contact with a number of CPG products however when those products become staple members of our kitchen cabinets and dinner tables those products become more than just products. They’re carriers of culture, comfort, and reliable expectations. CPG products provide the general population exactly what they need when they need it and that model interests me.

Why are you interested in this Function (i.e. Brand Management)?

Building brands is my passion because each brand serves a purpose to serve its’ customer base and it’s our responsibility to ensure it does so by using our marketing tools. Brand Management is not about making the most sales as fast as possible, it’s about finding or creating a niche audience which can be supported by your offering and speak to them in a language/ medium they feel welcomed by.

30 Second Pitch (General Introduction)

I’m Jesse, I’m a former Digital Media Supervisor and I'm attending UCLA to pursue an MBA with a Marketing Focus. I graduated from the University of Texas with a major in advertising and a minor in business. Over the last five years I’ve worked on both coasts to manage brands digital marketing strategies. What I found is I’m passionate about analytics, consumer research, and connecting with audiences. I’m now starting my MBA to connect my passion points with a brand building framework at Anderson and pivot into a Brand Management role.

90 Second Pitch (Tell me about yourself)

I’m Jesse and I’m a Freelancing Digital Media Supervisor at Omnicom Media on ABC covering network premieres. During the last five years I’ve had the opportunity to tackle media challenges across the non-profit, tech, and healthcare verticals. During that time I worked with a number of brands to build out their consumer funnels by leveraging mass data points. For example, by leveraging Microsoft's CRM data me and my team were able to ensure strategically based ethnic ads were delivered to the right populations in order to improve the Office 365 year over year product line’s cost-per conversions. Within ad agencies I’ve consistently tested solutions to challenges and my efforts landed me a 2018 AdColor Fellowship as well as a 2019 4A’s MAIPer to Watch recognition. I intend  to use my UCLA education and experience to support my passion of improving mass marketing through cultural representation and big data. As a class of 2022 Anderson MBA student I’ll be expanding my business acumen to tackle problems through a collaborative holistic approach. With my MBA and MLT Fellowship I’ll be pivoting into CPG Brand Management to make a difference in companies such as yours. Do you have a card you can share to continue our conversation?

5 MBA FELLOWSHIPS (Applications due before starting B-School)

Forte: We give women equal access to an infrastructure—business education, role models, professional networks, leadership training—that empowers them to rethink what’s possible 

Consortium: The Consortium awards merit-based, full-tuition fellowships to top MBA candidates who have a proven record of promoting inclusion in school, in their jobs or in their personal lives.

MLT MBA Prep: MLT’s MBA Prep programs provide African American, Latinx, and Native American professionals with personalized guidance and effective tools to successfully navigate the business school application process, and optimize their MBA experience (2-5ish years into your career) 

MLT Professional Development: MLT’s MBA Professional Development (PD) program prepares high-achieving, people of color to become senior leaders in business and social sector organizations (apply after applying to an MBA program and before being accepted to an MBA program to with career prep in the months before starting) 

TOIGO: Finance firms are actively seeking diverse individuals to be part of their organization—and they look to Toigo to meet their needs. As a rising MBA candidate, you’re heavily invested in your education. Become a Toigo Fellow, and we will help you earn a higher return on your investment

3 MBA SCHOLARSHIPS

Prospanica: Prospanica Foundation’s Scholarships are designed for undergraduate and graduate students who want to achieve their full educational potential and make meaningful contributions to society.

LaGrant Foundation: Graduate student applicants meeting the following criteria and completing the application will be considered for The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) scholarship in the amount of $3,750:

LULAC:  A scholarship program cosponsored by some 70 LULAC Councils who raise scholarship funds at the grass roots level which are matched nationally by sponsoring corporations. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), has considered education its number one priority since it was established in 1929. 

3 MBA CONFERENCES

The MBA Tour: Connect with the world’s leading business school events an a virtual MBA Tour event - 70 events per year, 50 cities, 30 countries. 

QS World MBA Tour: Our virtual events will help you meet admissions directors and alumni from the world's top business schools without leaving your house. You'll learn more about admissions processes, funding, applications and what makes each program unique. Register now for an event near you.

DMAC: Diversity MBA Admissions Conference, includes full day of school presentations, small breakout sessions, and networking opportunitites that provide a transformational experience in discovering the best MBA program for you.

3 FIRST GEN RESOURCES

LatinX MBA Team: The Latinx MBA Association is a 501c3 non-profit that strives to develop, empower, and advance Latinx leaders in business in order to create positive economic change for the U.S. Latinx community.

National Association of Black MBAs: National Black MBA Association? seeks to align itself with outstanding corporate partners that share our commitment to creating educational opportunities and economic growth for African-Americans and diverse business professionals.

Riordan Programs Mentorship: The Scholars Program, College-to-Career Program and MBA Fellows Program develop tomorrow's leaders by providing a transformational experience through the use of mentors, educational workshops and community service

3 STUDY RESOURCES

Ivy Fellows: Helps underrepresented minorities apply to competitive MBA programs

GMAT Club: GMAT question bank and test prep blog

Beat the gmat: The MBA Social Network has plenty of free question examples

ADVICE FOR YOUR MBA APPLICATION JOURNEY

• Reminder - An MBA does not define you
• Applicants Rank - Your application is holistically ranked with emphasis on - your professional growth in your career (i.e. promotions or developing initiatives), your personal commitments (i.e. volunteer work), and your academic background (i.e. how you performed during undergrad while referencing your personal circumstances). 
• GMAT/ GRE scores - Schools averages are inflated due to higher scoring outliers. Students with very high scores are often admitted into business programs because business programs are ranked on their students scores - this means business programs aren’t looking to solely prioritize high scoring students, high scores just help them improve their schools rank, but the student experience is not improved by only admitting high scoring students: SCORES ARE NOT EVERYTHING. Schools are looking for different types of candidates to ensure they're creating a great student-peer experience.
• The Right School - Applying to the right school for you is just as important as being accepted into school
• Asking students for help - As MBA students a part of our responsibilities is to continue attracting the right people to our programs - don’t ever hesitate to reach out to an MBA student
• Resumes - Organize your resume bullet points via CAR (Context Action Result) or STAR and ask MBA students and/or alumni to review
• Networking - MLT, Consortium, Forte, Prospanica etc the networks you invest in along the way, are the networks that will continue investing in you  
• Application Steps - Everyone’s journey is different