The 2 components of success to these programs are work experience and academic success. You need to think about how you sell yourself as a strong candidate. You should either have relevant work experience (like I achieved with my Ernst & Young consulting internship), something significant on your resume, or show strong academic credentials. If you do not have significant work experience and leverage, you need to make sure you have a very strong academic profile as evidenced by high GRE and TOEFL scores as well a strong academic track record. Show that you have performed and delivered well in whatever you have undertaken, which is what the admissions committee is looking for.
Apart from work experience and academic success, the GRE and TOEFL are very important. Just like the admissions criteria to business schools, the tests may not be the most important factor, but they do count substantially. A strategy for these tests is crucial. I didn't use any of the conventional methods. I didn't take any classes, something many Indians feel helpless without.
Here's how you can do so too:
- Work on a daily basis. I worked in a pretty leisurely manner over a long period of time. Persistence and dedication show.
- Crack the Vocab section. I didn't cram words. Instead, I read voraciously. I outlined new words in the newspaper and looked them up in the dictionary at the end of the day. I kept a notebook of new words along with synonyms and antonyms.In another notebook, I made a list of GRE words and their etymology.
- After a good score on the GRE, top it with a TOEFL score. These scores show a strong command of English.
With great scores and a letter of recommendation, you stand a good chance of admission to Duke's MEM program.
