How much experience do you need before thinking about applying to your dream B-School?.

At enrollment, students in the top 10 MBA schools have four to five years of job experience, implying that they had three to four years of work experience when they applied.

Take note, though, that those figures are average. Each admitted class is made up of individuals with varying levels of expertise. Thus, the number of years can be less and more than four to five years as well.

Some institutions need a minimum of two years of work experience and will not accept applications that do not meet this standard. Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, CEIBS, HEC Paris, and Dartmouth University’s Tuck School of Business are among the top ten.

The cohort at INSEAD, the world’s top MBA in 2021, averages five and a half years of work experience. Despite the fact that the school recommends only two years of experience before applying, this is the case. Similarly, the second-placed London Business School (LBS) recommends three years of work experience before enrolling on its MBA programme, despite the LBS cohort’s average work experience being five and a half years. The above illustration shows the range and average work experience required across a few top B-Schools worldwide.

The average work experience among the 2021 cohort at Stanford Graduate School of Business, the world’s most challenging MBA to get into, is under five years, the lowest among the M7 MBA programmes and FT’s top 20 business schools.

Only the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School has an average of more than five years among the other four M7 MBA schools that do not appear in the 2021 list. Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, and MIT Sloan School of Management students all have an average of five years of experience.

Should you consider MBA with less/no experience?

We know what you’re thinking. Is it conceivable to apply for an MBA with less-than-ideal experience? Or none at all?

Technically, you could apply to programmes that do not specify a minimum work experience requirement in their application. There are no explicit experience requirements at schools like NYU Stern, University of Washington, Foster School of Business, and Yale School of Management.

MBA admissions committees will look at your application as a whole, taking into account all of the different factors such as your GMAT score, GPA, and how well you do in the interview process. This means there’s a chance you’ll be accepted even if you have no prior experience.

What type of experience do you need? 

There is no preference for one industry or sector when it comes to the type of experience that business schools want.

MBA schools are distinguished by their range of expertise and professional backgrounds. Former bankers and consultants are among the admitted classes, as are military veterans, IT product managers Miss India, the list goes on. The rigour of your job experience, on the other hand, will be assessed by admissions committees. Regarding job experience, admissions committees are looking for innovation & risk-taking.

Extracurricular activities, hobbies, and community service activities can all help you stand out in an MBA application. Extracurricular activities allow you to show off your leadership skills while also revealing your principles and interests.

All of this will help you make a case for the value you’ll contribute to an MBA school. Our advice is to choose something you care about and get involved in it—you won’t be sorry!

Now that you know how much and what type of work experience is required to apply to your dream B-Schools, what are you waiting for? Always remember, the sky is the limit.

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