Hello,

I would be very grateful for your opinion whether I stand a chance for MBA admission in Said (Oxford) or Judge (Cambridge)

I am now a second year at Lancaster University studying BBA and am thinking of preparing for GMAT and my application for MBA.

Here is my profile:

Age: 22 (in 2014 when the MBA starts)
Nationality: Eastern European
About me:

I am from a programming/coding background that I started pursuing when I was 12/13 and started offering little web services online. I quickly started learning about internet entrepreeurship, marketing, etc., read hundreds of books on business and thousands of articles and started lots of small internet business. I have been self-funded since I was 15 and am self-fuding.

I have founded a digital marketing agency that provides services to some mid-size but well known international companies and as well founded and own a casual gaming company that produces casual games and gaming platforms. My revenues, now that am twenty, range in the $xxx,xxx/year range.

I do hold a few formal internships but nothing big - some companies which I consulted for signed for me.

HOWEVER, I am not sure how to put all this into a solid application and whether I stand a chance at all.

Opinions would be much appreciated. Also, if there is anything I need to clarify or any other question that I can answer that will help you make a better suggestion, I will happily do so.

No, I think you will need at least three years' work experience for Oxbridge.

Thanks for the response.

But I do have work experience in internet marketing, which is more than 3 years, and I was also invited to speak at internet marketing conderences, if that counts.

No, AMBA accreditation requires MBA students to have three years post-graduation work experience. Those business schools don't look at pre-graduation work experience.

PS Try US business schools. They can be more flexible. Here are some US top 50 schools with younger than average cohorts:
University of Wisconsin--Madison (WI)
Rice University (Jones) (TX)
University of Notre Dame (Mendoza) (IN)
University of Iowa (Tippie) (IA)
Baylor University (Hankamer) (TX)
Washington University in St. Louis (Olin) (MO)
Iowa State University (IA)
Tulane University (Freeman) (LA)
Brigham Young University (Marriott) (UT)
University of Tennessee--Knoxville (TN)

Hi,

Thanks for the information - I didn't know that.

How would you rank Lancaster among the universities you listed?

It's an excellent school, with AMBA accreditation so at this stage you would fit their MSc programmes rather than their MBA.

Looking through your profile - I wonder if you really need an MBA at this point in your career. MBAs are generally designed for those who are at the mid-career level (think mid- to late-20s) and who want to either make a career shift or grow in their present role.

I'd suggest taking some time to sit down and flesh-out your long-term career goals. Why is it that you really want to do an MBA? And perhaps more importantly, how will an MBA help you get to the next stage of your career? These are questions that adcomms will certainly ask, especially given your age and experience level.

Networking, mostly.

My business does not need me for day to day operations and I have time so I figured it would be a good idea to use this time for learning more and especially, networking with future business leaders.

Networking, mostly.

My business does not need me for day to day operations and I have time so I figured it would be a good idea to use this time for learning more and especially, networking with future business leaders.

Hello,

Yes, thanks for the response.

I do go to all relevant internet and entrepreneurship conferences in Europe. Would you think the network from the MBA program would be as valuable then?

I don't know - it could be.

The thing to keep in mind is that although networking is important in an MBA program, value also comes from the curriculum, projects/internships, career services, etc. I was suggesting that if you don't need the whole MBA experience, then there are other potential avenues you could explore.

Ralph, Could you please put some light on those other avenues.

Appreciate your contribution.

Regards
Nirmal

Well, there are the typical places: conferences and job fairs are a good start. I've found a lot of professional mixers on web outlets like meetup.com, etc.

Then, you can join a professional network. These can be local, regional, or international; and are usually based on industry or functional areas. The Association for Operations Management, for example, is a great networking body for operations professionals. The Association for Financial Professionals is aimed at people in finance, etc.

LinkedIn has become a good source for connections - however, networking groups on LinkedIn can be hit or miss, depending on who's running them, the members, etc.

Thank you for your input all.

I have contacted Stanford and Kellog with the same question and they said that you can apply while in Senior Year without deferred entry, debunking the upper mentioned fact that 2 years of post-grad experience is required.

Could anyone comment on that please?

Thanks

I can't find a reference to that "fact" in the discussion above. US schools are more flexible but, while one can apply without work experience, the probability of acceptance is spectacularly low.

Hello JK,

I have founded 2 startups that are profitable and operating to date, real companies.

Does this count as work experience or do you still have to graduate and THEN start in order to be considered?

Looking forward to hearing from you all

This will vary from school to school. You have to be much better than candidates who are just as smart as you, and have several years experience. Why not apply and find out. The odds are massively against it but, like the lottery, someone has to win.