<p>My situation right now is i am a junior EE at UF, with a gpa of about 3.5. Since the beginning ive wanted to business however. How crazy does it sound doing electrical engineering undergrad, and then getting an MBA? I figured you get the best of both worlds. Does anybody do this? Will they accept me with an engineering BS? </p>
<p>Any tips appreciated, thanks.</p>
<p>Go for it.</p>
<p>Where do I even have a shot at with a 3.5? Also i have no business classes (like 2) or experience? Should i apply right after i graduate?</p>
<p>Ok maybe I should ask this question:</p>
<p>Being where i am at right now, junior, university of florida, electrical engineer, 3.5gpa. What do I need to do to go to HBS?</p>
<p>I just signed up to take the GRE march 12. After looking at the 2+2 HBS website i decided im gona apply, kind of pending on the GRE score and going from there so i want to know fast. Anyone know what these essays are about, for resume ive never worked or had an internship, and anything else i should now? Thanks.</p>
<p>"Application Components</p>
<p>The HBS 2+2 Program application for the MBA class entering fall of 2013 consists of the following materials. All materials must be submitted online. Please assemble and prepare them to help us access your qualifications.</p>
<pre><code>* 4 Application essay responses
<p>"</p>
<p>Talk to the peeps at HBS.</p>
<p>Your background is fine for an MBA. I’m not sure about HBS though. You should go get a job and work for a while for either case. Think about an advanced engineering degree. What do you want to do with yourself? Have you considered law school. Patent attorneys are rare and make big bucks. You have to have a science type degree to become a patent attorney. Do a Joint JD/MBA and take the patent bar and you will be golden.</p>
<p>It comes down to your testing for Harvard but not going to Harvard should not deter you from your goal. What is your goal? What do you want to be? What do you want to do? 5yrs from now? 10yrs from now? 30yrs from now?</p>
<p>I’m not saying you can’t get in to HBS. If you believe you can, then you can. Go for it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you want to be a business person you must think practically and set up a plan B and a Plan C. Don’t live by the odds, but understand that the odds of anyone getting into HBS are slim. Plan and be flexible about the outcome and you’ll do fine. Pick several schools that are acceptable to you (To you not to some arbitrary ranking list).</p>
<p>Torfeasor, although i havent posted much in here ive read a lot of your posts and was hoping you would see my thread. Ive been a businessman at heart since i was born. I have an “economic” mentality about everything i do, i think of everything as investments, opportunity cost etc (people might think im crazy because some decisions i make only make sense to me). Since i was 10 ive been playing in the stock market with my dad, I quickly became more agile than him and was basically his broker. I grew nerves of steel daytrading, and almost a sixth sense at it. The reason i had to stop was because of school (engineering is so time consuming) and i dont have $25k to have a daytrading account, which in this market i cant hold a stock for more than a day. Basically, if theres something i love it is the stock market, or investing. I never had to work because if I needed money id find some way to make it always, without exactly working a job (ive had one “job” on sundays at a polo club). However, when it came time to apply to UF it was the time that the stock market was in a steep decline, and I couldnt possibly say “im going to daytrade for a living”. I simply chose the “harder” path pretty much just because thats my personality, and ive been building computers and hacking stuff since middle school. I figured it wouldnt hurt, and buy me 4 years to think about what im doing. Advisors also told me big CEO’s have engineering degrees, and got very inspired when i read on here that people like Bloomberg had engineering degrees then got an MBA which was my random plan since the beginning. My goal is to manage a hedge fund, be a venture capitalist, investor, or CEO etc. I know i wasn’t born to just work in a cubicle for a company forever and settle (unless its a really good “job” as a CEO etc).
The HBS 2+2 seemed very appealing because i can apply right now. Only ~800 apply and seems like 1-3 people max from any University (feels like im only competing against those 1-3 people). Also 50% were engineering. They also say it is intended for people who are not on a business path already, so it is people like me. Lastly, they reiterate a lot on how grades arent a priority, almost hinting at the essays. (PS: Im hispanic, how does that change things?).
Now that i know about it and especially this, I have to apply to avoid my mental punishment later of “what if”. It also forces me to do three things im lacking:
<p>Sounds like you’ve figured it all out. Now, set everything aside and relax and just take the test.I’ve experienced what you’re probably experiencing right now. You did your research, you did your planning and contingency planning. You laid the groundwork. Just take the test. </p>
<p>I can’t help you specifically with HBS. Never been. </p>
<p>For experience:
do what you enjoy. Try a management trainee type job or anything in operations, marketing, or finance. Talk to someone in your schools business department career office for guidance (Types of work out there). </p>
<p>About Recommendations:
I went to law school (The biggest mistake of my life). One of my letters came from my favorite finance professor in undergrad. He taught bank management (and by the way he predicted this crisis in our class. He was so overly enthusiastic about his Nostradamus like visions, that we all took it as crazy talk. That was in '96). I got a C in his class but he so inspired me that I decided he was going to recommend me for law school. I wrote him a letter. I explained who I was to him. I explained what I remembered about his class. I explained what I had been up to until that time, and how he inspired me. Then I closed it by asking for the recommendation. I had no business asking him. I barely passed his class. I may have shown up to class drunk a few times (I’m sure you have never had that problem). He said yes.</p>
<p>The key is in your closing. Ask for the business. Pick your favorite professor and just ask. Most people feel honored to be asked. Be prepared to write the actual recommendation for their signature (That’s the hardest part). Give them at least 1 month and don’t ask during finals or midterms.</p>
<p>If you care:
I went to Temple U.; Finance and International Bus. Admin. '98 I’ve had post grad studies in Law and Economics. Over 10 year in international business finance in Liberia, Guinea, and South Africa. 8 years military. Now I’m in an MBA/Finance program (My calling). My current events: Registration of my investment advisory firm (Yes I’m a solo), and an arrangement with a major Financial Services Company to originate small and medium enterprise loans and guarantees for international business ventures. The last is a big deal because I will show I have “deal flow” for other more respectable financial conquests. Once approved I have over 50 deals in the wings waiting for me to vet just to get started. I probably don’t need an MBA but it makes good marketing sense and I’m having fun.</p>
<p>Good to know about how you got here. Definitely inspiring and helpful to hear from someone who has actually been there. Thanks.</p>
<p>HBS is obsessed with leadership. if you REALLY want to get a headstart, you should go to their admissions page and read the essay requirements. this will help you figure out how to make your application stand-out in a couple years, as you will likely be writing several of the same essays.</p>
<p>specifically, HBS is known for the “three accomplishments” essay. you have to spell out the 3 big accomplishments of your life, and they can’t be stuff like “got into college”. it has to be things that make you stand out.</p>
<p>for example, maybe you can run for student government and become president. or start a successful side business. stuff like that. non-profits are a good target as well, so if you can meaningfully contribute to the community it could be a plus. </p>
<p>you want to show ways in which you were the leader of clubs, your great and realistic ambitions, etc. </p>
<p>btw, hispanic will definitely help. </p>
<p>good luck!</p>