Is your child a potential business major? If the answer is yes, read on.
As the number of students pursuing business increases, so has the need for information on exactly what admissions officers seek. And while admit rates for undergraduate business programs can vary, it is likely that these programs will be more selective than other majors, dipping as low as 2% (yes, 2%!) at places like U Penn Wharton or Cornell.
Some of the Top Undergraduate Business Programs include U Penn Wharton, U Michigan Ross, Babson, Berkeley Haas, NYU Stern, USC Marshall, just to name a few.
But there are many other notable business programs like NYU Stern or Indiana’s Kelley School of Business that are looking for students with great leadership potential. They are especially interested in students with an entrepreneurial spirit who are willing to think outside the box. Many of today’s business programs offer students immediate direct entry, which means students can take coursework in business administration, finance, management, accounting, and so much more from the very beginning.
At Colledge, we help students interested in business make smart choices in high school to build their resumes, develop leadership, and take actions to reach their college goals. You don’t have to own your own business to get into business school. You just need to know how to hone your skills and develop your leadership in the right way. Mary’s story is a great example.
Mary was involved in her Virtual Business organization at school and had many responsibilities beyond her time in class. But she didn’t realize many of these activities could be built upon and connected to business admissions. Mary worked tirelessly with the homeless population in her community every holiday, serving food as a volunteer. We advised her to talk to the local Chinese restaurant about the possibility of providing unused food to the homeless shelter where she volunteered. She not only successfully connected the restaurant to her organization, she was then inspired to raise funds by selling eggrolls from the restaurant on her high school campus during lunch. All of the proceeds went to the homeless shelter, and the Chinese restaurant promoted their delicious food with coupons and discounts through her lunch fundraiser. Mary built on her natural skills and passions for business and social entrepreneurship and was accepted to UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Here are the areas business programs focus on when considering applicants.
1. Strong Math Curriculum, Overall GPA
Coursework in business starts with math and statistics as a foundation and builds from there. If students have taken a rigorous math curriculum in high school and earned high grades, admissions officers can tell they are ready for more complex math challenges at the college level.
2. Entrepreneurial Emphasis
Business programs are looking for students like Mary who think creatively, propose new ideas, and make a difference in their communities. Collaboration and team building within an entrepreneurial venture show admissions officers that you work well with people and communicate effectively.
3. Leadership Skills
Motivating others in high school can be a sign of budding leadership. Whether your child is captain of an athletic team, an everyday leader who brings classmates together on a chemistry project, or has founded a non-profit organization helping homeless youth, she may have more leadership potential than you think. Leadership skills can also be developed online – like inventing a gadget that promotes safety or providing an online forum for discussion on a blog or website. These are skills we help our students build early on.
4. Essays that Stand Out
Strong stories that connect the dots as to why business school makes sense for your child will be compelling in admissions. A strong writing coach or consultant (like ours at Colledge) can make all the difference. We helped Mary her build her resume for business school, but we also gave her the time and space to expand her ideas through our writing process. The summer before senior year, Mary wrote 4-5 drafts of her essays on business school; she not only developed her writing voice, she also clarified her business vision.
To discuss how we can help your child plan ahead for their business application, or to find out more, click here to schedule a free phone consultation today.
