MBA Recruitment events–making them work for you
It’s August, which means that fall recruitment has indeed begun. As I promised in my last post, I am going to use my blog in the next several months to inform you about all things Babson MBA admissions, to continue introducing you to the staff, and hopefully, to give you advice you can use to become a great MBA admissions candidate.
Tours, Fairs, and Forums—there are a lot of opportunities around the world for you to connect live with admissions recruiters. Babson participates in QS World Tours, Kaplan, Idealist, Forte, InsideMBA, as well as hosting our own events on our campuses (Wellesley, Boston, and San Francisco) and in major cities. With a quick stop at our event site, you can quickly see what is coming up and where we will be. In addition, we email anyone who has introduced themselves to us with updates on where in the world you can meet a staff member.
Tours, fairs and forums are a great general introduction to lots of schools, lots of data (and lots of swag!) Use these events for general browsing, general questions, meet and greets. A little prep in advance will help you narrow down the number of tables you will be hopping to, as well as help you develop a good set of questions you need immediately answered in order for your to advance in your research for the“right” school for you.
What else can you can expect from big admissions recruitment events? Lots of: people, activity, high decibel levels, marketing materials, and introductions to recruiters and their programs. Some specific sessions, depending on the tour sponsor, on topics like financing an MBA, the ROI for an MBA, women and the MBA, etc.
What not to expect: intimate and lengthy conversation, barometers of your “chances” for admissions, assessment of your current resume, to name a few.
Major tip: Practice a great opening question. You want to collect useful information from each conversation, right? Example: “Hi, I’m Barbara Selmo and I am interested in an MBA program with a concentration in non-profit management. Does Babson offer that concentration, or any concentrations?”
What I wouldn’t lead with: “Hi, so tell me about your school.” (Just saying.)
For the answer to my example question, and to practice other great opening questions that will help you shine, please visit the Babson table at a tour, fair, or forum coming to you.
Good luck. Think big.
Best,
Barbara
And now, another “Meet the Staff” segment. Please meet Danielle Yetman, Associate Director for the Two -Year and the Evening MBA Program. Danielle will be accompanying the international elective class “Doing Business in Brazil” next week for a visit to Brazil, where she will also be hosting a joint Admissions/Alumni event.
How long have you been with Babson? I started working at Babson in July 2010.
How would you describe your job? I now work most closely with candidates to our Two-Year MBA but am also involved with our Evening program. Graduate Admissions is very cyclical, particularly with our full-time programs which enroll just one time per year. We work each fall to meet with as many potential applicants as possible across the US and around the world. From November through April we spend time interviewing candidates, reading applications and making decisions on files, and then throughout the year are focused on brining in the strongest possible class for all of our programs. I love being able to meet individually with so many fascinating candidates and play a role in helping them to navigate making the big decision of pursuing a Babson MBA.
What do you like the most about the Babson community? The first thing that struck me about Babson is now connected the community really is—and that includes staff, current students, alumni, faculty and friends of Babson. Everyone is very committed to ensuring the best possible experience for our students and that positive energy is truly palpable.
One adjective to describe our students? “Doers.” I’ve worked at several other colleges and universities and really the thing about Babson students that impresses me is that they jump at the opportunities to create and excel, whether it’s in the classroom, in the working world or in developing a new business opportunity. I think it has a lot to do with the entrepreneurial culture we cultivate here on campus. Whether it is starting a new club, running an Information Session abroad for prospective students or finding a way to build a wind turbine on campus, our students find a way to make things happen and our community here embraces this mindset that anything is possible.
One (or two) Fun fact. There are really two personal facts I am very proud of—first, I am an above average parallel parker after living in Boston for several years and second, I consider myself an excellent juggler.
How do you define entrepreneurship? To me, entrepreneurship means intentionally seeking new opportunities and ways to approach challenges. An entrepreneur can thrive in ambiguity and also has the ability to excite others in seizing these new ideas, resulting in endless possibilities.