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SkimaTalk Official Course

Preparing for the MBA Application Process Lesson 1: Why an MBA?

Master the “Why an MBA” Question

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One of the most important MBA application questions is:

“Why an MBA?”

In this lesson, you will practice answering this critical question.

To Answer This Question, Think About Your Goals

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Change career / function Earn a promotion / raise Become a manager Become an entrepreneur Grow your professional network

What does success mean to you?

Good Answers are Specific, Address Your Current Weaknesses, and Include an End Result

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“I am pursuing an MBA because I want to become a

product manager in the technology industry. An MBA will give me the marketing,

strategy, and leadership training necessary to make this transition. Upon graduation, I plan to work for Facebook or

Google.

Good Answer ✓

Specific

Current Weaknesses

End Result

Lesson Structure

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Before the lesson you will prepare an answer to the question: “Why do you want to pursue an MBA?” During the lesson you will discuss and practice your answer with your teacher: (10 minutes) – Discuss your goals / reasons for pursuing an MBA. (5 minutes) – Practice answering the question: “Why an MBA?” (5 minutes) – Discuss and make improvements to your answer. (5 minutes) – Practice answering the question again: “Why an MBA?”

Teacher Notes

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Teacher Version Only

Teacher Instructions: 1.  (10 minutes) Spend the first 10 minutes of the session discussing WHY the student

wants to pursue an MBA. Be sure to ask the following questions: •  Why do you want to pursue an MBA? •  What gaps / weaknesses in your background will an MBA fill? •  Can you achieve your goals without pursuing an MBA?

2.  (5 minutes) Ask your student to give a formal answer to the question, interview style: “Why do you want to pursue an MBA?”

3.  (5 minutes) Discuss the student’s answer. •  What worked well? •  What could be improved upon? •  Was the answer well thought out and convincing? •  *** MBA programs work very hard to understand if applicants REALLY know why

they want to pursue an MBA ***. Please stress the importance of this question to the student.

4.  (5 minutes) Ask the student to answer the question again: “Why do you want to pursue an MBA?”

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End of Lesson We Hope You Enjoyed It!