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What kind of work experience are Business Schools looking for?I think I have said it all in one of my earlier posts on work experience, it’s time to hear things from the horse’s mouth.

Harvard: Rather than focus on specific categories of work experiences, applicants should focus on their roles, responsibilities, and what they have learned from the types of work experiences that they have been involved in. The Admissions Staff will look at the nature of the applicant’s work experience when evaluating the applicants’ ability to handle the academic rigor of our MBA program.

UCLA Anderson: There is no “cookie cutter” profile for who is admitted to UCLA Anderson. Consultants, naval aviators, sports agents, retail managers, accountants, professional athletes, marketers, architects, doctors, lawyers, investment bankers ? all of these fields can be a foundation for business school. What’s important is that your academic, life and work (if any) experience before your MBA, along with your MBA, will help you reach your long term goals. We do not distinguish applicants according to industry or job function; however, we are specifically interested in how you have contributed to your organization and what opportunities for leadership you have taken.

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Stanford GSB: Work experience is not required for entry to the Stanford MBA Program. Your quality of experience is much more important than quantity. We will focus on the degree to which you take advantage of opportunities to develop professional and leadership skills, regardless of your experience level. We accept entering students with all types of experience as well as students who enroll directly from an undergraduate program with no full-time work experience. Admission may be granted to college seniors and early-career professionals who present superior academic credentials and truly outstanding evidence of leadership through extracurricular and community activities.
The academic coursework you took in graduate school is considered part of your educational history rather than work experience. If, however, you were required to work either full- or part-time while pursuing your graduate degree, please include that information on the application form under Employment History.
We make a concerted effort to attract and admit students from a broad range of professional backgrounds and experiences. Therefore, there are no preferred industries or sets of companies that put you at a competitive advantage in the admission process. Although investment banks and management consulting firms are represented at Stanford, we also draw students from non-profit organizations, multi-national corporations, family businesses, entrepreneurial ventures, and the public sector. And our personalized education challenges each of you to maximize your potential, regardless of background or experience.
As you approach your MBA application, keep in mind that we are more interested in the impact you have had in your workplace than the name or stature of your organization. Have you made the most of your professional opportunities? Are you cultivating your leadership and team skills and making a difference? In the end, don’t build your resume simply to be an attractive business school applicant, but rather seek opportunities that are truly challenging and rewarding for your own professional and personal growth.

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Wharton: The average student has worked for 5 or 6 years between college and the MBA program. The program does accept early career candidates with limited or no experience who exhibit strong managerial and professional potential. The Admissions Committee looks for individuals who exhibit professional maturity. In other words, we evaluate work experience not in terms of years but the depth and breadth of an individual’s position, his or her contributions to the work environment, and level of responsibility and progression.
Wharton looks for diversity in the professional backgrounds of its admitted students just as it does in all other parts of our applicants’ profiles. No one industry is favored over another, and experience in a Fortune 500 company does not have higher value than experience in a small business or public institution.

The entire discussion boils down to the conclusion that your quality of experience is what will matter the most than the quantity.
Following is the work experience sheet that will give you some ideas about the numbers at various Business Schools. (click to enlarge)

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2010-10-22 21:56

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