Going to college is such a huge investment these days — get your money’s worth, and make sure it serves you well far after your four years are up. Leverage available campus resources to supercharge the value of your experience and lay the groundwork for a successful graduate school application.
The test you take to qualify for graduate business school is called the GMAT. And just as you would for the LSAT or GRE, you’ll want to take practice tests and perhaps enroll in a test prep course. But before all that, think ahead and choose electives aimed at slaying your test. Even though you expect to work a couple years before applying, studies show scores are higher when you take the test while still in college (GMAT scores are good for five years). Here are some courses you can add to your schedule that map to specific sections of the GMAT:
- Argumentation and Debate, Rhetoric, Logic, Introduction to Philosophy (analytical writing)
- Analytics, Reading Comprehension, Excel (integrated reasoning)
- Elementary Functions, Mathematics, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics (quantitative)
- Writing, Grammar and Style (verbal)
Get to know your professors by participating in class, attending office hours and asking thoughtful questions. Not only will you get more out of your courses if you have a direct line of communication to your teachers, but the better they know you, the easier it will be for you to ask them for recommendation letters. They’ll be in your corner and able to write authentically about your work ethic, natural aptitude and personality.
Once a student, always an alum! It’s never too soon to start thinking of yourself as an alum and tapping into your college’s well-curated professional network. Go to alumni networking events on campus and rub shoulders with people who have the jobs you want — and find out how they got there.
Take full advantage of the programs already serving your campus to learn more about the MBA degree. The Forté Foundation offers everything from easy-to-access webinars to on-campus events to affordable college leadership conferences in New York, Washington D.C. and other major cities. Whether graduate school is just a twinkle in your eye or you’re already sure you’re applying, programs like Forté Webinars, the Business 360° Blog, Forté Forums and MBAExplore will answer your many questions, explain the process and set you on the path to pursuing your next educational milestone.
