ANDREW CHOI, HEALTHCARE MBA

USC Marshall Admit Weekend 2009 just came and gone this last weekend; I can't believe it has been a year already! I still remember when I was a bright-eyed, energetic prospective student during Admit Weekend last year meeting and getting to know all of my future friends and colleagues. This past year has been a marathon and I know every one of us has hit the wall at one point or another, but most of us survived to continue on. Now seeing this new class coming in is a bit rejuvenating - I think it made us all realized what we went through and why we all PAID to do this in the first place. MBA - Where Amazing Happens...

I have to say that I was very impressed with our new class of 2011. I met a lot of well-rounded, passionate individuals looking to make some moves in this world and I am definitely looking forward to working with this talented group of students.

My buddy Peter Mums had a panel on 'things I wish I had known prior to attending b school' during Admit Weekend for prospective students so I thought I would throw in my 2 cents on what I have learned over this past year personally or through friends.

1. Start early on career-related activities - look into summer MBA programs (P&G, the Consortium), get your resume & cover letters ready over the summer, get that internship before winter break. It will be a huge load off your back, trust me. Develop a strong relationship with your vertical lead.
2. Go to all the National Conferences (these are not exclusive, anyone can attend) - National Black, National Society of Hispanic MBAs, Net Impact Conference
3. If you are in a relationship, set expectations with your partner - This is a difficult stretch of time for most people and relationships. Talk it out, hug it out, tell your partner you'll be gone 'til November, of 2012...
4. Set up an internal network of trusted friends/colleagues after your first month - You will meet a lot of people quickly and develop a huge network, but setup a small group of people you can trust and count on. Business school is an emotional roller coaster and you will need people to lean on and hear you out when the going gets tough.
5. Get involved in a leadership position early - It's hard to stand out in a crowd when you are in a room with a bunch of type-As and driven individuals. Find a couple of clubs you are really passionate about and get to know everyone in that club. 2nd years are always looking for active 1st year students to take over and they want to make sure the club is in good hands once they leave.
6. Take risks - Business school is the best time for you to make mistakes. Do what you normally wouldn't do, work on your weaknesses, be a completely different person. You are paying for it - do what you want to do!
7. Case competitions - Do as many as you can! My take is that case competitions take you through the mental exercise of thinking about business from all perspectives and you get to see how you compete against top competitions from other schools.
8. Give back to the community - You will be really busy, but take time to volunteer and give back. As an MBA, you are a leader in your community and a role model for a lot of people. At USC Marshall, we have programs such as Net Impact Service Corps and C4C where we volunteer with many local non-profits and community organizations year after year.
9. Outlook Calendar is your best friend - Use it wisely to manage your time. Prioritize and don't stretch yourself too thin. Don't make a habit of triple-booking yourself.
10. Sleep a lot over the summer - You won't sleep much during the school year. Especially if you keep a blog. =P

Speaking of which, the Best of Blogging 2008-2009 results are in and my blog has been selected as #8 by the Clear Admit staff, nominated bloggers, and judges! I am honored by the selection and hope to continue to entertain, educate, and provide insight to the MBA experience and USC Marshall School of Business. Congrats to all the BoB winners - definitely check out all the blogs below:

Top 10 Applicant Blogs
1. TienyChesney - mbaveggie.blogspot.com
2. D.G. - www.managingmagic.com
3. Ahembeea - trystwithmba.wordpress.com
4. MissionMBA - missionmba.wordpress.com
5. Soni - sonismbaadventure.blogspot.com
6. PaloAltoForAwhile - paloaltoforawhile.blogspot.com
7. Choc Heaven - dreamer-choc.blogspot.com
8. Helen - lifelessordinary.typepad.com/my_weblog
9. Samantha - bestmbablogever.blogspot.com
10. OMGParisHilton - omgmbaapps.blogspot.com

Top Ten Student Blogs
1. MaybeMBA - tombaornot.blogspot.com
2. JulyDream - julydream.blogspot.com
3. Paragon2Pieces - paragon2pieces.blogspot.com
4. Hairtwirler - mbajamey.blogspot.com
5. Iday - i4iday.blogspot.com
6. TinyDancer - tinydancermba.blogspot.com
7. CS - www.computersexy.com/blog
8. Andrew - www.andrewmchoi.com
9. Mandy - mandylozano.blogspot.com
10. M@ - speedywithchicken.wordpress.com