If you want to launch your business career in the exciting and fast-developing Asia region, then studying your MBA in China can open doors to opportunities across e-commerce, technology, and infrastructure development.
As more and more consumers shift online, China has become the world’s largest e-commerce market. This market is expected to grow even further in 2022 at an estimated value of around $2.3 trillion.
In the center of this booming business world is the capital city, Beijing: a multinational business hub that’s home to Peking University (PKU) Guanghua School of Management.
Over half of PKU Guanghua MBAs settle in Beijing after graduation, taking advantage of top MBA jobs in China. In 2021, 22% of grads landed roles in the tech industry, with 13% joining the evolving consumer goods field.
The PKU Guanghua MBA prepares students for the changing business world by incorporating real-life Chinese business cases throughout the curriculum. Students can also further their learning about global business issues in subjects such as healthcare, entrepreneurship, data, and social enterprise.
In a BusinessBecause Presents Admissions Q&A webinar, we spoke to Su Xin, executive of international affairs at PKU Guanghua, to find out everything you need to know to ace your MBA application.
What do you look for in MBA applicants at PKU Guanghua?
While every part of your application is important from your GMAT score to your recommendation letter, most importantly we look for candidates who can communicate and articulate themselves well.
We want to hear about your goals and really get to know a candidates’ personality. We look for applicants who are open-minded, who really want to embrace the culture of China, and have a vision for their career development.
Sometimes a student may look impressive on paper, but we want to see that they can live up to this and have the characteristics and drive to succeed.
Which is the best application round to apply in?
There are five application rounds in total and it’s important to check the deadlines to make sure you apply in time. For candidates from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, the final round is earlier than for international students.
I would encourage students to apply in the first two or three rounds as we tend to give out more offers during these rounds. Early applicants also have a better chance of receiving an MBA scholarship.
Who should candidates ask to complete their MBA recommendation letters?
Ideally, we hope for one letter from previous professors so we know how you behave academically and one from a boss or colleague so we can understand your work ethic and performance.
For students who graduated a long time ago, however, it may be difficult to reach a professor so in that case, two recommendation letters from your work background are fine.
It’s most important that your recommenders know you really well so they can give a detailed assessment and stories about you, rather than choosing someone because they are famous or have a high level of seniority.
What questions should candidates expect in the MBA interview?
The MBA admissions interview is designed to get to know you and your background. We aren’t trying to test you with business problems and situations.
Mostly, we will look at the resume and application essays you have submitted and ask you to expand on any projects you have mentioned. We will also ask what you are hoping to achieve in your future career developments.
The MBA interview is really to help is decide if the program is a good fit for you and if you’re a good fit for the program and cohort.
How important is a good GMAT score in MBA applications?
Our average GMAT score from previous cohorts is around 670. However, we don’t have a minimum GMAT score requirement so we will not dismiss an application with a low GMAT score.
Of course, study as much as you can for the test and aim for a high score, but we look at all parts of the application and whether you are independent and have unique characteristics that stand out from other applicants.
A candidate with a very high GMAT score but none of the other qualities we are looking for could be turned down in favor of someone who really impresses us in other areas.
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