Get B-Schooled

Deciding Whether to Pursue a Dual Degree in Business School

An increasing number of students are pursuing dual degrees in business school. For example, many students pursue an MBA due to the degree's prestige, but also really enjoy marketing, therefore; they decide to pursue a second master's degree (or dual degree) in marketing science. But, how do you know if this is the right choice for you? 

Determine if Your Career Path is in a Unique Industry that Requires More Knowledge
Is your goal to pursue environmental management, civil engineering management, or healthcare administration? All of these career paths require business skills to manage employees, budgets, operations, and more. Therefore, a dual degree in business and the specific field would be very helpful. Remember, to be an effective manager you not only need to be a good leader and skilled businessperson, but also someone who is knowledgeable about the trade/industry you are managing. This is why an increasing number of business schools are offering dual degree programs that are often very unique in nature. For instance, the Columbia Business School MBA program (an AACSB-accredited school) offers several dual degree options. The school offers an MBA and MS in Urban Planning, an MBA and DDS (dental and oral surgery), an MBA and MD, an MBA and MS in Social Work, and more. All of which are excellent programs if your goal is to not only become a dentist or doctor, but also open your own practice. Or, understand the business side of urban development. 

View all of Columbia Business School's Graduate Dual Degree Programs

Find Out the Length, Cost, and Format of the Program
Most dual degree graduate programs last an additional year if not longer. The same is true for undergraduate dual degree programs, which can require five years. Sometimes, tuition can be higher for these types of programs due to the cross function between schools on campus. For instance, lab fees, additional text books, and more faculty requirements. Also, find out if the program allows for part-time attendance. Some dual degree programs are cohort, or full-time, "lock step" with a group of students. These can be difficult if you plan on working.

Determine if a Dual Undergraduate Degree or a Single Undergraduate Degree and Master's Degree is Better
If you are at the undergraduate level and are considering a dual degree, consider graduate school. If you want a graduate-level degree, it may be a better choice to earn a single undergraduate degree in the primary discipline and an MBA afterward. For example, it may look better on a resume to have an undergraduate and graduate degree than a dual undergraduate degree. This all depends on the employers you are seeking and their job requirements. This can be difficult to decipher. Talk to a guidance counselor at your school, speak with professionals in the industry, and discuss your possible decisions with professors. All of these individuals will greatly help you determine which route you should take.

More Resources

Most university websites will provide detailed information about the differences in their dual degree programs. Therefore, start learning by visiting potential college sites and reading as much as possible. 

• Rutgers' website provides an explanation of undergraduate dual degree programs. 
• Florida State University's website also provides an explanation.

Business Classes that are Helpful for Entrepreneurs

In today's uncertain economy, and with the number of competitors in the marketplace, having knowledge of business concepts can be extremely helpful and perhaps critical to the success of your startup. Because of this, many quality business schools are offering custom business degree programs particularly for entrepreneurs. If you are not in a position to pursue a full-degree program, many accredited business schools also offer certificate programs (often lasting less than a year) or one-off classes on a variety of small business topics. For example, business schools will allow you to take entrepreneurship classes as a "non-degree seeking student."

Here are a few courses you should consider taking if you are looking to hone your startup business skills:

Small Business Accounting (or Financial Accounting) and Taxation
Small business accounting and taxation can be very stressful if you do not know where to start. Not only do you need to organize yourself to keep good financial records, you must pay taxes for your business. Classes in small business accounting will teach you how to setup accounting systems for your business, such as tracking accounts receivable, liabilities, payroll, income before/after taxes, and more. All of which can help you organize your books for tax season. If you cannot find an actual "small business accounting" class, a general, introductory accounting course also will be beneficial. For example, a class in financial accounting. In addition to a class in accounting, consider taking a class in taxation for small businesses. Sometimes, you can take these classes for free from local small business centers that are sponsored by local governments or entrepreneurship centers at university business schools. 

Finance
In addition to accounting, it is very helpful to take an introductory finance class. In this class, you will learn how to plan for the future. For example, students are taught how to create cash-flow projections, amortize loans, develop initial outlay projections, predict long-term annuity returns, and more. All of which will help you decide if expanding your business will result in long-term capital gains. 

Strategy
Knowing how to develop a strategy for your business also is critical. Classes in strategy, or strategic markets, will teach you how to position your business as a niche, or find a market with growth potential. You will learn how to analyze a market's performance, as well as construct models for the strategic placement of your business. Classes in international strategy are very helpful if you are considering markets outside of your home country.

Venture Capital and Investment
If you are at the point where you want to expand your business but need financial support from investors, a class in venture capital will help you understand how to approach investors and gain support. These types of classes also are very helpful.

Finding an Online Degree that Fits Your Learning Style

Earning your business degree online may be your only option, especially if you are raising a family, working full-time, or not physically able to attend classes on a campus. But before you choose the first program that appears on the search results, it is important to find a quality online business program that will fit with your style of learning and provide you with the resources you need to succeed.

Determining Your Learning Style

Your learning style is based on your preferred sense. That is, seeing, hearing, moving, and/or feeling. Often times, we have more than one preferred sense. In these cases, finding a program that caters to your most dominate senses is best. One of the easiest ways to determine your learning style is to think about instances where you learned most quickly or easily. Were you listening to a podcast? Watching a video? Reading a book? Partaking in a particular activity? Another method to help you determine your style is to find a couple of online quizzes that measure learning styles. These are not always completely accurate, but they can at least give you an idea of how you may learn best. Here are several free online quizzes:

University of South Florida: Florida Parental Information and Resource Center
This quiz, shown below, provides you with a score and a chart on learning styles to help you understand what your results mean. 

About.com Learning Style Quiz
This quiz is intended to help students determine their learning style for the purposes of developing more successful studying techniques. The quiz has nine questions. To take the quiz, click on the "start quiz" link under the page's introductory paragraph.

University of South Dakota Learning Style Quiz
This quiz provides another series of questions and calculates your learning style.  

All of these quizzes were easily found by googling "determining your learning style." 

Finding a Program that Includes Elements that Align with Your Learning Style

Now that you have somewhat of an idea what your learning style is, look at your list of prospective online programs from that point of view. Are you an audio learner? Does the program offer podcasts or lectures that are recorded? Will you be listening to a real teacher online? If you are a visual learning, find out if the program offers videos or visual examples of concepts. For instance, printable diagrams of concepts such as mathematical formulas and organizational structures. Also, if you are a visual learner, find out if there are text books available for the classes. Often, viewing concepts on paper versus a computer screen is helpful.

AACSB-Accredited Online Business Programs

Since AACSB Accreditation is considered to be the highest level of specialized business accreditation an institution can earn, it is important to start your search with a list of online programs that have this designation. After all, the last thing you want is for your online program to not be recognized by employers or other institutions you may want to transfer to in the future. 

To search for programs, visit AACSB's student website. The site contains a search tool that allows you to narrow down schools with online offerings by particular disciplines and levels (undergraduate, graduate, etc.). The site also has a list of AACSB-accredited schools with online MBA programs. 

Search Schools: www.bestbizschools/search-aacsb-accredited-schools

Finding the Right Business Doctoral Program for You

You have decided that you want to pursue a PhD in business. You know the discipline you want to study (whether it is accounting, finance, marketing, or one of the many other business discplines). Now, comes the difficult, and often frustrating, part of the process—finding a doctoral program that will provide you with the career you want after graduation.

Here are a few tips and steps to help make finding the perfect PhD program easier:

Decide where you can study.
It is pretty rare that students find doctoral programs near where they live. For this reason, you may need to search for programs outside of your state/providence, region, or even country. But before you begin looking for schools, the question you should ask yourself is, "where can I study?" Afterall, there are some locations that are just not feasible. Next, make a list of the places you are able to go to. Remember, you will be a full-time student, therefore; traveling to and from the school is likely not an option. Base your list of locations on factors such as employment opportunities, residency requirements (such as visas and other credentials), living arrangements, and available transportation options.

Find AACSB-accredited institutions with doctoral programs in your desired locations.
Next, create a list of accredited schools that have doctoral programs in your displine in the locations you have listed. AACSB's student website provides a search feature that will populate schools with doctoral programs by discipline and location. The search engine can be found at: www.bestbizschools.com/doctorate/search-aacsb-accredited-schools/search.html.

Find top researchers in your discipline.
Now that you have a list of schools with acceptable programs in your feasible locations, it is time to narrow the list down even further. To help do this, gather a variety of top research journals in your desired discipline. If it is finance, start with the Journal of Finance, etc. These journals should be "top-tear," or "A-rated" publications. For instance, the journals you examine should be peer-reviewed and have tough standards for article publication. Next, look through the articles within these journals. Make a list of authors and their associated institutions. Be sure to note the authors that have been published multiple times. Then, look at each article's reference list. Make note of the authors that have been referenced multiple times. Review more than one issue of each journal, such as archives from the past several years. The goal is to pinpoint top researchers in your desired discipline and the institutions at which they are employed. Ideally, you should find a program that will provide access to top researching faculty. The better your faculty mentor's research and data analysis skills, the better your training will be. Also, you will be able to mention that you have studied under a top researcher in your field.

To help you with this process, AACSB's student website provides a list of common journals by discipline under each doctoral program concentration. Here are a few links to program information and journal websites:

• Accounting
• Decision Sciences
• Finance
• Management
• Marketing

Additionally, there are several organizations that provide listings of "top" journals. AACSB International does not endorce any ranking methodology or the quality of the journals listed by these organizations. However, many business schools and faculty may use these listings as journal evaluation criteria. Several of these organizations include:

Academic Articles on Journal Rankings, 1990–2009 
A PDF listing academic articles concerning journal quality and journal rankings, compiled in part through a 2007–2008 study by Bruce Lewis on how AACSB member schools judge journal quality.

Association of Business Schools (ABS) Journal Quality Guide 
Journal rankings based on the tiered lists from several schools that are members of the UK Association of Business Schools.

Cabell’s Directory of Publishing Opportunities 
A reference guide listing nearly 2,000 journals (mostly U.S.-based) in the subject areas of accounting, economics and finance, management, and marketing.

Eigenfactor.org 
Journal rankings based on citation networks, using Thomson’s Journal Citation Reports.

Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index 
Offered by Academic Analytics, measures the annual productivity of faculty on several factors including publications (books and journal articles), citations of journal publications, federal research funding, and awards and honors. (Subscription required).

Foundation Nationale pour l'Enseignement de la Gestion des Entreprises (FNEGE) 
The French National Foundation for Teaching Business Management publishes a ranking of academic journals in various business disciplines, including many that are published in English and/or in French. 

Harzing.com Journal Quality List 
Journal rankings from various schools and organizations, organized in the following broad fields: economics, finance, accounting, management, and marketing.

ISI Web of Knowledge Journal 
Citation reports and journal use reports, provided by Thomson Reuters.

Mendeley 
Research database that allows the viewing of statistical information on popularity of journals in a given field, including most read authors, outlets, articles, etc. Mendeley provides users with real-time research trend statistics, personal research impact data, as well as the capability to discover one’s own research developments over time.

Metrics from Scholarly Usage of Resources (MESUR) 
Provides an interactive journal ranking service used to assess the top journals in a domain according to a variety of different impact metrics.

Scopus 
Provides abstracts and citations from research literature and quality links. Using this tool one can find how many citations an article or an author has received, as well as who cited the article. One also can analyze citations for a particular journal issue, volume, or year.

Social Science Citation Index, ABI/INFORM, and EBSCO 
Subscription-based services that permit publication searching as well as provide data regarding citation rates.

Social Sciences Research Network 
Publishes a searchable database of abstracts and working papers in a variety of business disciplines, with the goal of encouraging the early distribution of research results as a means of facilitating communication and collaboration among researchers. The network also publishes a ranking of the most downloaded articles and authors within each discipline.

Sympoze 
A network of academic publications that utilizes crowd sourcing for the peer-review process, which aims to resolve problems with the current academic publishing model.

Tinbergen Institute Classification of Journals 
Tinbergen Institute has drawn up a classification of journals in the field of economics. The list is limited to the fields covered by the Tinbergen Institute: economics, econometrics, finance, operations research, marketing, and accounting. The ranking plays an important role in the weighing of the publications of applicants for the admission to the Tinbergen Institute as a research fellow. 

University of Texas at Dallas University Research Rankings 
Based upon publications in 24 top journals for a five-year time period (2000–2004). Visitors can search a database of articles published in those same 24 journals since 1990.

University of Western Ontario Business Library 
A comprehensive list of articles about the rating and ranking of journals in the various business disciplines.

Warning Signs of Possible Accreditation Mills

The word "accreditation" is often loosely used by business schools and universities—particularly by institutions that are not legit, such as diploma mills and schools that do not have the proper credentials to grant degrees. Often times, a diploma mill will gain accreditation from what is known as an "accreditation mill." Accreditation mills are organizations that do not have proper authorization to accredit higher-education institutions. As a prospective student, it is not only very important to inspect a school's level of accreditation, but also by whom it is accredited. This is important whether you plan to study in Europe, the Americas, or Asia.

 Here are a few of the characteristics of an accreditation mill:

• Accreditation Status Available for Purchase: As with diploma mills, accreditation mills will place a price on their accreditation versus the process (e.g., actual review of institutions). Accreditation mills also frequently charge fees that are significantly higher than those of legitimately recognized accreditation organizations.

• Permanent Accreditation: A sure sign that an accrediting body is a mill is if it offers permanent accreditation without requiring a periodic review and renewal. For instance, AACSB Accreditation for business programs requires that institutions maintain their quality through a five-year review cycle.

• Vague or Absent Standards: Genuine accrediting bodies are typically transparent about their accreditation standards. Accreditation mills, by contrast, may only list a few (and in some cases no) quality standards upon which they base their accreditation.

• Dubious Relations: Accreditation mills will sometimes list legitimate colleges, universities, and/or programs that they claim to have accredited, though the colleges, universities, and programs themselves seem to have no relationship with the organization. Alternatively, some accreditation mills do not display lists of their "accredited" schools at all, or do not display their lists until an institution applies for their "services."

• Quick Accreditation: Accreditation mills often provide accreditation over a suspiciously short period of time. For example, it typically takes three to seven years for an institution to earn AACSB Accreditation. However, there are accreditation mills that claim their certification can be obtained in 60–120 days.

• Round-Robin: Diploma mills and accreditation mills are sometimes separate units managed by the same person or entity. Be especially wary if all of the institutions accredited by an organization have websites that are surprisingly similar in form and content, particularly if they all display the signs of a diploma mill.

Warning Signs of Possible Diploma Mills

What are Diploma Mills?

Diploma mills are commonly defined as institutions that operate either illegally or without supervision by proper educational oversight authorities. They grant diplomas that are either not valid (due to the lack of quality assurance) or fraudulent. Because business is the most commonly offered degree field by institutions that can be considered diploma mills, it is especially important for prospective business students to be on guard, particularly when looking for a school outside of their home nation, state, or province. Many such institutions count on students' lack of familiarity with educational systems in other countries and even sometimes within their own country. Thus, it is important to be able to recognize the telltale signs of a diploma mill when searching for a business degree.

Signs of a Possible Diploma Mill

• Credit for Life Experience: Diploma mills frequently offer degrees based largely or even solely on credit for "work experience," "life experience," or "recognition of prior learning." Properly accredited colleges may give a few credits for specific experience pertinent to a degree program, but never for an entire degree.
• Little to No Work Required: Diploma mills rarely require actual attendance or significant coursework, particularly if marketing themselves as online or distance learning institutions. Valid institutions, including those that operate online or via distance learning, will always require a substantial amount of coursework to earn a degree.
• Tailor-Made Study Programs: Diploma mills frequently offer degree programs or majors that are "self-designed" by the student, generally with little to no faculty oversight or approval required.
• Guaranteed Time to Graduate: Diploma mills often guarantee or even require that students earn their degrees in a certain amount of time. Frequently this is significantly less time than would be required at a valid institution. Alternatively, diploma mills may offer to "back-date" a degree, allowing students to show that it was earned at some point in time, even if this is before the student was actually enrolled.
• Flat Fees for Degrees: Valid institutions generally publish tuition fees by the credit hour, semester, quarter, course, etc. By contrast, diploma mills often quote a flat fee for an entire degree program (typically payable up front).
• No Physical Campus Facilities: Institutions with only an office suite or P.O. Box address are a big red flag, as are those that include no physical address whatsoever. A favorite tactic of diploma mills is to base operations within areas of other higher education operations that have little to no oversight. For example, this can be a common practice in war-torn or developing nations in Africa (such as often happens in Liberia), or small island nations and territories in the Oceania or Caribbean.
• No Course Syllabi Available: Valid institutions most often post syllabi or course descriptions for their various degree programs. Diploma mills, on the other hand, typically only have simple course lists with little to no description or indication of how they progress.
• No Contact Information Available for Specific Persons: Though multiple email addresses may be present, diploma mills rarely offer direct access to any specific individual.
• No Listed Faculty Members or Faculty Qualifications: A common red flag for diploma mills is the complete lack of any information regarding faculty that teach at the institution.
• Deceptively Similar Names: A very common tactic for diploma mills is to take a name that is very similar to a valid, prestigious, or publicly known institution. The objective is to confuse the consumer.
• Questionable Authority to Grant Degrees: This is one of the two most evident red flags. Valid institutions generally make it clear exactly where their authority to grant degrees comes from, be it a national Ministry of Education or officially recognized accrediting body for higher education institutions (such as the six regional accreditors in the U.S., or BAN-PT, the national higher education accreditation board in Indonesia). If an institution claims to be "licensed" in a U.S. state, but does not have regional accreditation be cautious.
• Lack of Accreditation from a Recognized Body: This is another major red flag. Diploma mills will frequently use official-sounding terms (which mean little in terms of educational quality) in order to impress potential students, or claim the approval of official-sounding agencies (which may or may not be real). Be especially on guard if the institution claims to be "authenticated," "verified," "licensed," "internationally approved," "notarized," "recognized by the Pope," or "accredited by" agencies that may be legitimate, but have nothing to do with proper authorization to grant degrees or quality assurance. Alternatively, they may devote a web page to explaining why not having accreditation is normal, or no big deal.

Deciding Between a Degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration

Many hopeful entrepreneurs have a tough time deciding between a degree in business administration (such as a bachelor of arts/science or MBA) and a degree in entrepreneurship (such as a bachelor of arts/science or master of science). Both degrees provide a wealth of skills related to running a business, so which one is right for you if you plan to pursue a startup opportunity some day?

Degree Programs in Business Administration
Business administration programs (both undergraduate and graduate) teach students foundational knowledge of business. These programs require that students take a variety of courses related to the many business disciplines. Most programs will allow students to take courses to minor or concentrate in a specific area if they wish to specialize their degree further (such as in entrepreneurship). Business administration programs require that students take accounting, finance, marketing, management (human resources and leadership), statistics, economics (macro and micro), and international business for starters. Programs that offer minors or concentrations in entrepreneurship will often provide several courses that students can choose from as electives. These courses often include topics such as business planning, strategic entrepreneurship, market assessment, and small business administration. If you have little experience or knowledge of general business concepts, a program in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship may be helpful. At the graduate level, many programs provide dual degrees, an MBA and a MS in entrepreneurship. This is often very useful since the degree can assist with a corporate career or a new business idea.

Degree Programs in Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship programs focus on the actual skills needed to plan, fund, and launch a new business. These programs provide students with courses in venture capital (skills to gain funds for startup), market assessment (skills to explore markets were there are opportunities for new businesses), business plan development (writing a business plan around an idea that can be proposed to an investor or group of partners) ... to name few. Students learn how to cultivate an idea into a business model that can become a viable product, service, or organization. Some programs focus more closely on the skills to start a business, while others provide a well-rounded approach of business and entrepreneurship knowledge. The type of program you choose will depend on your knowledge of business concepts (such as finance, marketing, and management). To be sure you select the program that fits best with you, visit the school's website and look at the program's curriculum. What classes will you be required to take? Are these the classes you want or the areas you need additional skills in? If there are classes missing, can you take additional electives in topics that you need (for instance, operations management)?

AACSB's student website provides a search engine that will find programs in both business administration and entrepreneurship. 

Visit the site to search for undergraduate programs.

Visit the site to search for graduate programs (when searching, be sure to search for both "masters gen" and "masters spec" to include both general business (business administration) and specialized business (entrepreneurship) programs.

U.S. Business Graduate Salary Offers in 2011

NACE, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, collects graduate salary data on a regular basis for a variety of degree programs. According to salary data from September 2011, business graduate offers have improved since 2010. For instance, in 2010 business graduates experienced a decline in salary, whereas; in 2011 the average salary increased by 4.6% from 46,672 USD to 48,805 USD. There also were increases in specific business disciplines, such as economics (with an increase of 3.9% to 53,690 USD), finance (with an increase of 4.8% to 51,503 USD), and marketing (with an increase of 3% to 42,923 USD).

Below are the average yearly salary offers for U.S. bachelor degree candidates in business for September 2011 and 2010:

Degree	# of Offers	Avg 2011 Offer (USD)	Avg 2010 Offer (USD)
Accounting	1,326	49,407	48,378
Admin / Management	1,516	46,372	43,991
Economics	605	53,690	51,698
Finance	1,060	51,503	49,160
Hospitality Management	379	46,987	42,378
Human Resources	262	51,661	46,122
Intl Business	102	40,926	41,873
Logistics Management	729	50,499	48,230
MIS	326	52,403	48,932
Marketing	848	42,923	41,670

Below are the average yearly salary offers for U.S. master's degree candidates in business for September 2011 and 2010:

Degree	# of Offers	Avg 2011 Offer (USD)	Avg 2010 Offer (USD)
Accounting	78	46,741	49,254
Economics	1	42,000	N/A
Finance	6	52,917	54,500
Human Resources	1	70,000	N/A
MBA (with non-technical undergrad)	51 (with 1 yr less experience)	76,786	49,875
MBA (with technical undergrad	4 (with 1 yr less experience)	76,625	64,667
MIS	6	66,000	47,000
Marketing	2	53,000	40,933

There is an interesting trend occurring among MBA degree candidate salaries that will serve as good news to many new graduates. Salary offers for 2011 have increased dramatically for MBA graduates (with non-technical undergraduate degrees) with one year or less of professional experience. This could indicate that employers now are less concerned about experience and more concerned with current knowledge and innovative mind sets. This is very good news for many MBA graduates, as prior graduates have often struggled with age and experience barriers in the workplace.

The data from the above tables is from the NACE Salary Survey: A Study of 2010–2011 Beginning Offers, Fall 2011, Volume 50, Issue 4.

Newest Schools to Earn AACSB Accreditation

AACSB recently accredited six additional schools, including the first institution in India to receive the accreditation. 

The schools included:

1. Indian School of Business

Location: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Type: Private

Business Programs Offered: Full-Time Post Graduate in Management, Post Graduate in Management for Senior Executives, Executive Education Programs, and Fellow Program in Management all with areas of specialization available.

Website: www.isb.edu 

2. Kyungpook National University

Location: Daegu, South Korea

Institution Type: Public

Business Programs Offered: Undergraduate programs in economics and business administration, MBA, Master of Science in Business Administration, Master of Science in Technology Management, and Ph.D.

Website: http://biz.knu.ac.kr/eng/index.asp

3. National Cheng Kung University

Location: Tainan, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)

Institution Type: Public

Business Programs Offered: Undergraduate programs, master of science programs, EMBA, AMBA, and Ph.D. level programs in a variety of concentrations.

Website: http://english.web.ncku.edu.tw/bin/home.php

4. SDA Bocconi

Location: Milan, Italty

Institution Type: Private

Business Programs Offered: Executive education open and customizable programs, MBA, executive and specialized master's degree programs.

Website: http://www.sdabocconi.it/en/

5. Stonehill College

Location: Easton, Massachusetts, United States

Institution Type: Private

Business Programs Offered: Undergraduate programs in a variety of disciplines with minors available and Master of Science in Accounting.

Website: http://www.stonehill.edu/x17895.xml

6. Yuan Ze University

Location: Taoyuan, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)

Institution Type: Private

Business Programs Offered: A variety of degrees in business administration and management are available.

Website: http://web2.yzu.edu.tw/eng_2003/ 

Writing an Effective Admissions Essay

Most business programs (even at the undergraduate level) require incoming applicants to provide an essay on a specified topic. The topics generally are very similar between schools. For the most part, a school wants to know what you plan to do with your degree, how obtaining a business degree will provide you with benefits, and what type of work ethic you have. If you are applying to more than one school, essay writing can become cumbersome and often stressful. Here are a few tips to help you prepare and compose your essays.

Think About What Your Educational and Career Goals Are

Undeniably, schools will ask you the common question, "What type of career or job do you want?" In an ever-changing workplace, this is almost impossible to answer accurately. By the time you graduate, your goals may change significantly. But for now, spend some time thinking about what you want. Do you want to eventually have your own company? If so, how do you see yourself getting there? Or, do you want to become a financial planner for a large bank? If this is your goal, how will you work your way into that type of job? Also, think about your educational goals. If you are pursuing an undergraduate degree, how will the school or program you wish to attend align you with your future educational goals? For example, if you want to one day earn your MBA or Ph.D. in Marketing, how will the program you are applying to help you work toward that goal?

Review Essay Writing Standards

One thing you must avoid is incorrectly structuring your essay, or even worse having poor grammar or sentence formation. Your essay must flow from one point to the next. It should be written very professionally, yet convey who you are as a person. The admissions office wants to get to know you a little better. Like a resume, if you have structure, grammar, or spelling issues the reviewer may not bother reading your piece, or worse discount your application altogether. 

Be Clear, Confident, and Achievement Oriented

When you describe your goals, yourself, and/or your future, be clear. Don't let your writing reflect wondering thoughts. Show that you have confidence in your abilities, that you have thought through your career goals, and that you are committed to high achievement. Schools want "go-getters." Businesses want "go-getters." Write your essay as clear as possible and be sure to convey your work ethic to the admissions office.