This seems like a simple question, but some of my clients find it difficult to answer.  Going to business school costs about $150K in tuition and living expenses, plus the opportunity costs of not working for two years, and dealing with the uncertainty, especially in this climate, of not knowing when you will find your next job.  With the stakes being as high, shouldn’t this be the first question that you answer?  By answer, I don’t mean a broad answer along the lines of  “to improve my career prospects”, “to switch to a different profession” or, for the more honest among us, “to make more money”.  I mean a specific answer that includes the industries and positions you will focus on, the internships you will target, and the employers that make up your dream list. 

Getting so specific might not appeal to some, and indeed you are welcome to change your mind once you get into business school and learn more from interactions with classmates and career services.  However, researching at least one potential (and viable) career option in detail will help you in multiple ways. One, detailing your well thought career plan in your application is one of the ways of setting yourself apart for the Admissions Committee.  Two, hitting the ground running from day one of business school allows you to make the most of your time there.  And Three, often overlooked, helps you determine if your chosen profession actually needs an MBA.

I recently worked with an MBA applicant who had a strong resume, great references and fantastic writing skills.  In fact, his writing was so good that I was hooked from the first line of his essay, and kept reading as if it was the latest bestseller.  However, somewhere towards the bottom of the page, I blinked.  I had just read a captivating story of my client’s experiences of working in Iraq, but it had nothing to do with the essay question that he was supposedly answering.  Business school admissions essays should be regarded as more professional documents than journalistic articles.  I encourage clients to include personal details, but not at the cost of not answering the question on hand.  Most business school applicants work with MBA admissions consultants to polish their essays, review their resumes and in the best cases, prepare for the MBA admissions interview.  However, this case was different.  I sensed my client didn’t need help with his essays as much as he did figuring out why exactly he was applying for an MBA.

I have found this situation isn’t unique.  We are all part of a culture that puts great emphasis on professional success, and an MBA is a powerful tool to achieve that.  Hence, an MBA becomes a given, rather an option.  Although this may be true for some, it still doesn’t hurt to ask why.  I now begin all consulting sessions by first asking the client why he is thinking of an MBA.  We then work together to develop bulleted lists of the client’s personal and professional attributes, relevant past experiences and preferred school features.  This experience further helps in delineating the client’s reasons for getting an MBA, and consequently, makes him a stronger candidate to enter his top business school. 

Hence, before you start filling out your next online application and stay up late to finish an admissions essay, stop for a minute.  Ask yourself why you are thinking of business school.  If you have a clear answer, you are ahead of the game already.

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