<p>I’d like to gain some insight from someone who has been accepted into a top business school. What tips would you give a current freshman in terms of preparing for the application process?</p>
<p>…Focus on getting your degree and then the 5 years of typical work experience first.</p>
<p>Would I need 5 years of work experience at a big four to be strongly considered for many of the top business schools? Would 2-3 years be adequate?</p>
<p>People here seem to have some huge misconception that big 4 is a golden ticket to a top business school. Go look at class profiles for the top business schools, there probably won’t be ANYONE from big 4. If there is, it’s one or two people. </p>
<p>Big 4 doesn’t mean you’re going to a top MBA.</p>
<p>business schools have people from all backgrounds. The most common is business, but it may not mean specifically accounting. But to answer your question, the schools I have looked at require at least 3 years. Personally, I would wait until I get a senior position, which is probably around 3-5 years.</p>
<p>big4bound - 1 or 2 people? I’m not so sure about that.</p>
<p>At my school, big 4 is the fallback for people who don’t make it into consulting/ibank. Nobody aspires to do big 4.</p>
<p>Blue. I don’t care what you think. The MBA programs publish their class profiles. You can look it up yourself. Sorry to break it to you, but it’s not going to guarantee you anything.</p>
<p>^I didn’t say it would guarantee admission into a top business school. However, you can’t tell me that a student with a 3.7+ GPA, 700 gmat, and 3-5 years of work experience at a big four wouldn’t be competitive at some of the top business schools.</p>
<p>Yes, definitely would be competitive at top business schools, but know that there is more to the application process, like any unique traits or skills that you bring to the table (published work, non-profit work, entrepreneurial work, personal history, etc.) The point big4bound was trying to make is that MBA programs look for a diverse group of students. You need to differentiate yourself a little more than “3-5 years at a big bank” by demonstrating how the program will help you get you where you want to go and if where you want to go aligns with the schools’ agenda.</p>
<p>^Very true.</p>