I passed my graduation in the year 1999 and thought MBA is a good career opportunity for me. I have recently got an admission to University of Liverpool for a course in MBA in Marketing. I really have to grind myself to get an admission. This was because, first, no one in my family was an MBA, second, no one know about education abroad, third, no one knew the formalities. I wasted some of my precious time in completing all the formalities and secure an admission.
I am now here to help. I want to help all those aspiring MBAs who want to go abroad and study. Mostly, I will talk about London universities. But these guidelines apply to most of the universities world-wide.
I have created a step-by-step procedure for you all. Here it is:
1) Decide first
You should be confident yourself that you will be going abroad and will be studying. You should not give up. You should keep on trying. Not one than another university. Everything is possible my friends. I have gone through it. Sometimes I decided not to go abroad. But I should thank my parents as they put in lot of time, energy and money behind me. Now I am planning to repay their kindness in whatever form. But I know, I won’t entirely succeed.
2) Give all your exams
Usually, business schools want their students to appear for some selective exams. The major ones are Gradruate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and IELTS. You must have a score of 575+ at least in GMAT. There is a choice between TOEFL and IELTS. If you are going to a Commonwealth nation, IELTS is advisable. You have to score more than 6.0 in IELTS. Once, you have scored well in these comparatively easier exams, you have taken your first step.
3) Gather some work experience
Most business schools want students with work experience in Supervisory or Executory posts. This may vary and some universities relax this requirement. 1-3 years of work experience is real good. I had a year’s experience with Epicenter Technologies. This helped me gain admission. However, University of Liverpool does not have work experience criterion mandatory.
4) Select your business school
This is the important part. You have to select a school that falls within your reach. Just go on to a search engine and type in ’’MBA schools’’ in so-and-so country. You will get a list of colleges. You can even order free brochures from them! The websites of schools can give you good information. For general information on studying abroad, visit Egurucool.com. I selected a UK business school, because they make you an MBA in a year, unlike other nations who take 2 years.
5) Apply
You can have many options of business schools. They will send you their brochure and application form. You should complete the form and duly attest the required documents. They usually ask you to send several copies of your marksheet, work experience certificates, referral form and your passport copy. Some may want Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), which you can get from the Passport Office.
6) Arrange for the money
Studying and living abroad is damn expensive. MBA fees are also steep. When I created a estimate of money requirement to study in UK for a year, it came to Rs.10 lacs! Some colleges charge more. Australia is a good option for studying MBA. Germany colleges are even cheaper, so are French colleges. But introduction of Euro have made these colleges expensive too. I got my money from Education Loan To Study Abroad from SBI. My father gave his shares as security. I have an option to return the money back in 7 years after getting a job. The loan sanctioning takes 1 month or more to get completed. They give you the cheque. You also got to have foreign currency in cash and traveler’s cheque, which Thomas Cook can give you. Money is very important and one should not spend it lavishly.
7) Documents
Usually, your business school arranges for your visa. But you must have a valid passport and money for the air tickets. You should preserve all your important documents and must not lend the originals to anyone. The PCC and Medical Certificate can be handy. Your admission confirmation letter is most important. It can fetch you loans!
8) Getting Ready
Now you have the money and admission. You are all set to go. You should have the general information of the location of your school. Most schools send a car to pick you up. You should arrange for your stay before-hand. Lodging and mess is also arranged by your school. You have to just pay for them! You will be spending 1-2 years abroad away from your family. You should be prepared for that too. Being independent and strong is advisable.
9) Tips
One should not go out with huge sum of money with them. One should avoid strangers. Any mishap or lost should be reported to the local police. Any difficulties should be made clear with your school. One just cannot trust anyone. Be vigilant everytime. Keep yourself informed with current developings in your locality. Keep informing about your well-being to your parents. Do not misbehave. Do not take any illegible and illegal stuff with yourself. Do not drink or eat anything given by a stranger. Keep yourself away from any trouble and study hard.
Best of luck in your quest, and wish me luck too.
Do send in your comments.