Interview
MBA cAndidAte
QS Scholarship winner
The winner of a uS$40,000 scholarship, Galina Petrova from russia is about to pursue an MBA at
Chicago Graduate School. She will graduate in 2010. topmba.com spoke to Galina on applying to
business school, writing essays, and passing the GMAT.
What prompted you to apply for business able to understand my own criteria for choosing What were the application results? How did
school? the best school for me. you decide which offer to accept?
My decision to apply dates back to my studies at At one such session, I was advised to go for a I was admitted to two schools and chose Chicago
university when I realized that I had a passion for campus tour and see the schools for myself. I GSB. My decision between offers was very
business while most Russian universities taught visited five schools, made friends with current straightforward: I chose the school that would be
economics in purely academic fashion. I aspired students, and kept in touch with them. Their more challenging, more relevant in terms of career
to learn as much as possible about the different advice on essays and applications was very advancement, and hopefully more fun to attend.
sides of business – how it is done in different valuable, particularly in the crunch of the second
industries, in different countries, what makes round deadline when I frequently called them and What do you wish you’d known before you
companies successful and how one can manage asked questions. started your MBA preparation process?
them right. When I learned about the excellent I wish I knew that the application process is a
career opportunities that a business school could How did you get through the GMAT? management test in itself. You need to manage
open, I made my decision to apply. It turned out GMAT is a very tough test. I realized it early on your referees: find the right time to approach
that business school could be both a great when a good friend of mine, a mathematician, took them, brief them on the school and why you
academic experience and a very important it five times before he could get it right. From his want to apply there, answer their questions, and
milestone in my career. example, I learned that most people underestimate then wait until they submit their work - usually
the grunt work required to master the test. This work after several reminders and at the last minute. It
How well do you think the MBA is regarded is time-consuming, highly frustrating and difficult takes time.
in your home country? to manage. There are thousands of logical twists and Then you need to organize your transcripts
After I got my acceptance letter, I realized that dozens of books. When you are in the middle of a to ensure they are ready at the right time as well
people around me had mixed feelings about it. 400-page book at three in the morning - after having – for international students, the process in not
When they first heard about my plans, they several cups of coffee - you need a good motivation always straightforward. The most time-
immediately asked why on earth I would need an to continue. To support my interest and morale consuming part of the application process is the
MBA. The next day they approached me and during the six-month GMAT preparation journey, essays. They require soul-searching, scope
asked how they could apply too. I created a system of tracking my progress. This definition, defining a structure, writing,
Employers in Russia are also different in their system gave me direction: I knew exactly my rewriting, feedback, final preparation, and then
opinions: some believe that the knowledge percentage of correct answers, areas for proofreading. You need to write and to
received during the MBA program is inapplicable improvement and my progress. This system boosted coordinate and communicate with people who
to the Russian business environment, while others my morale, made preparation enjoyable and fun. I give you feedback and this also takes time. What
hire MBAs by the dozen and make every effort to owe my 760 to it. I found interesting about essays is that writing is
reach out to them. Most Russian MBAs settle highly creative work, which can’t be done 12
down in consulting, private equity and natural How did you choose which schools to apply hours a day. I could write productively for no
resources industries. to and what were your main criteria? more than four hours a day.
I chose which schools to apply to on a case by case At the end of the day, after the application
How did you get the ball rolling towards basis. While visiting a school, I asked myself is submitted, I believe it is the applicant who
studying for your MBA? questions such as: do I want to learn from these matters. If you are bright, demonstrate a good
I started with attending the information sessions, people? Do we have the same values? Do I feel career record, and have good motivation, you’ll
asking questions and deciding on which schools comfortable here? How serious are students about be admitted. Sometimes the process becomes
to apply to. The information I got from such their careers? Where are they headed after frustrating, be sure to keep your morale up. Believe
sessions was valuable, because I could meet graduation? After my visit, my short list of schools in yourself!
admissions officers and students and understand became shorter. I applied only to those schools Good luck!
what schools had to offer. At the same time I was where I could see myself studying.
72 TopMBA CAreer Guide www.topmba.com
MBA_FALL_08_pp_066-287.indd 72 14/8/08 17:31:22
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