Breaking Down Barriers to an MBA

“Personal development is the belief that you are worth the effort, time and energy needed to develop yourself.”
— Denis Waitley, The Psychology of Winning

Advancing your personal and career journey takes more than just desire. It requires the investment of time, effort and money. It can be challenging to devote the energy, let alone time, to commit to investing in yourself.

We’d like to offer a roadmap to break down barriers and set yourself up for success in achieving your dream of earning an MBA. 

UC Davis’ Graduate School of Management believes in you and your personal and professional development. Below are several tips we hope will help you overcome hurdles that are holding you back.

Respect Your Time

Preparing for and completing the GMAT/GRE exam and admission application can feel time-consuming. By planning ahead you can maximize your time and begin your MBA journey:

• Effectively prepare for and ace your exam by taking practice tests and reaching out to test prep resources to gain familiarity with the exam.
   
• Productively assemble your required application items by starting your personal essay first, reaching out to recommenders one week after your initial request for support, and updating your resume while waiting for your academic transcripts to arrive.
   
• Successfully submit a strong application by double checking all attachments and setting time aside to submit at least one day before the deadline

By reframing your view of the preparation process and remembering that investing your time in an MBA has long-term benefits, you’ll feel better and more confident throughout the MBA application process.

Keep top of mind that your MBA experience will bring much more than monetary rewards: You’ll think in new ways, develop your skills and expertise and mature as a team player and collaborative leader.

Respect Your Effort

Work/life balance requires consistent evaluation. Most UC Davis MBA candidates contemplate whether that balance can be maintained during their MBA journey, or if they need to fully invest in their academic journey before reentering into the workforce.

An MBA honors the effort you’ve put into work/life balance by:

• Empowering your personal story.
• Advancing your understanding of your long-term values.
• Expanding your business knowledge to help you leverage technology and navigate complex dynamics behind people and business.

The UC Davis MBA program prepares you to lead, collaborate and have a positive impact on the world.

Respect Your Investment

Financial planning is a natural consideration in any investment process. We urge our students to strategically plan for the future. Think about your decisions over the short and long terms, from one, two, five and 10 years from now. What are your goals? Where do you see yourself?

Earning an MBA can offer tremendous value. As you weight the return on investment for your personal situation, consider these dividends of an MBA:

• Maximizes your current professional experience.
• Master’s degree holders on average yield a higher salary and opens up potential career advancement.
• Higher education, especially an MBA, stabilizes your opportunities to switch careers during your lifetime.

Pursuing a UC Davis MBA is a decision to discover your future leader within, enhance your expertise and maximize opportunities for success and stability. We encourage you to take the next step toward designing a life and career of your dreams.