by Joice Gumala, MBA 2019
It was Swiss National Day, which meant that I had a day off. Instead of basking in the sun or going for a hike in the beautiful Alps like many of my friends, I was sitting nervously in front of a computer. I told myself, “I can do this”. I was ready to begin my GMAT test, a test that would determine the course of my life. Three and a half painstaking hours later, I held my breath as my score flashed up on the screen… 720. I breathed a sigh of relief. This was the beginning of my MBA journey.
Growing up in Indonesia, I always knew that I wanted to do an MBA abroad one day. After working for four years in a multinational company in the United States and Switzerland, I felt that it was time for me to move on to a different challenge. Six months prior to taking the GMAT test, I started my research on business schools.
I quickly found out that my undergraduate GPA was my main weakness. Moving from Indonesia to Singapore for my undergraduate degree was a big challenge, mainly with the language barrier and adjusting to the education system and culture, hence, it took a toll on my GPA. In addition to explaining these reasons in the optional essay, I had to compensate for my GPA in other ways on my application.
Having great international experience working for a Fortune 500 was my strength. In my essay, I wrote about my post-MBA goals. I cited the skills I acquired from my work experience and the skills that I need to acquire in the MBA in order to build a successful business. I spoke to current students from LBS to find out more about what LBS offered. Speaking with the current students was very helpful in making me solidify my eagerness to go to LBS. During the interview process, I was able to show why I wanted to go to LBS by demonstrating my knowledge of the school, and how I could benefit and contribute to the wider community.
My goal after the MBA is to start a global business. So far, LBS has been the perfect place to pursue my MBA because of its incredible entrepreneurship programme, extraordinarily international student body and the London location as the entrepreneurship hub of Europe.
In summary, these are three things you need to do to submit a strong application to the LBS MBA:
- Do your research about the school. Talk to current students or alumni and find out as much as you can about the programme and the culture.
- Be clear on what your post-MBA goals are and how the LBS MBA can help you reach these.
- Know your strengths and weaknesses. If you can do something about your weaknesses, show that you are working towards this and be sure to demonstrate your strengths to the best of your ability.
Joice Gumala
Connect on LinkedIn to find out more about my MBA journey