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QS TopMBA Expert Chat with Boston College, USA
Our series of online chats featuring experts from the world’s top business schools continues this month with Michael Murphy from Boston College in the USA. An expert on the MBA admissions process, Michael answered questions on a range of topics from how to get into a top business school, preparing for the GMAT and the requirements for studying an MBA abroad.
Michael has been involved in MBA admissions and marketing since 2002. He currently holds the position of Associate Director of Graduate Management Admissions at Boston College's Carroll School of Management. Previously, he served as Associate Director at the Boston University School of Management, and as Assistant Director of MBA Admissions at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business. Mike holds an MBA from Georgetown University, where he also completed the Landegger Honors Program in International Business Diplomacy at the School of Foreign Service. He also holds an M.Ed from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Questions were sent in by MBA candidates from all over the world. Due to high volumes of questions we apologise to those Michael did not have time to answer but please feel free to join the next expert chat to ask your question again.
Q: What is difference between a college and university?
A: I'm glad you asked that question because there is some confusion around the name Boston College, especially among foreign students. At the time of its founding in 1839, the word college was generally used to refer to any institution of higher learning. Now, the word university is more commonly used. Despite its more traditional name, Boston College is, in fact, a full-fledged research university. We offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees at all levels (bachelor, master, and doctorate) across a variety of disciplines.
Q: What are the requirements for studying abroad?
A: All students, regardless of their country of origin, must submit a completed application form, current resume and work history, two personal essays, two recommendations, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and a GMAT score. Applicants who studied outside of the United States as undergraduates must have the equivalent of an American bachelor's degree (usually a four-year degree). If your first language is not English, you'll also need to take the TOEFL exam. Some schools accept alternative exams like the IELTS, but BC requires the TOEFL.
Q: Do I absolutely need the TOEFL certificate or I can use the IELTS one for the MBA admission?
A: The answer to your question probably varies from school to school, so you should ask this of each of the programs to which you'd like to apply. Boston College requires the TOEFL, so we at the Carroll School of Management must also require our applicants to complete the TOEFL.
Q: Which would you consider the best moment to start an MBA? After x years of work experience or directly after a BA?
A: This is actually one of the most common questions that we in MBA admissions encounter. While there are some notable exceptions, most MBA programs prefer that students bring some work experience, usually at least two years' worth of full-time post-graduate experience.
The reason for this is two-fold: First, much of the learning in MBA programs takes place outside of the classroom. Cases and projects that replicate real-world business problems are presented to teams comprised of students of diverse backgrounds. When each student shares his or her perspective with the rest of the team, each member comes away with a more complete understanding. This process simply wouldn't work as effectively if the team members didn't bring significant prior experience. Secondly, employers increasingly seek candidates who have relevant experience, in addition to the MBA. While this experience need not necessarily be within the exact field to which a candidate is applying, he or she should be able to demonstrate having acquired skills that are at least transferrable. In short, students who wait to attend business school until they have gained a good experiential foundation usually get more out of the experience, give more to the program they attend, and get better jobs afterwards.
