If your MBA experience is anything like mine was, it will be a whirlwind of activities, experiences, people and projects. At times it will feel like you can’t keep up, yet it will go by in an instant. To maximize your experience, I suggest using the summer before classes start to prepare. Here are my top five tips to get ready for business school:

1. Plan

Think about what you plan to accomplish before beginning your program. What companies/industries do you plan to pursue? What experiences (case competitions, job shadows, internships, etc.) put you in the best position to land those opportunities? Who can help you with your goal (see next section)? Do you want to study abroad? If so where and when? What electives do you want to consider? Thinking through these questions beforehand will help you maximize your time once classes begin.

2. Network

Now is a great time to meet your classmates, other students in the program, faculty, staff and alumni. You may ask the admissions team about starting a Facebook or Linkedin group for your incoming class. You may also want to reach out to alumni in your area to see if they can give you any tips about your program. If you live near campus, I recommend spending as much time as possible immersing yourself in the culture of your chosen school. It also makes sense to introduce yourself to the Career Success Center team and see if they have time to speak with you before the start of the term.

3. Read

As a business student, you will do a ton of reading, mostly business cases. To prepare, I recommend reading every business magazine/journal/website you can get your hands on. As you are reading, ask yourself questions: “What is the main point of the article?” “What arguments does the author use to support his/her point?” “What circumstances, if true, would strengthen or weaken the argument?” “If I was the CEO, what would I do in this situation and why?” These exercises will prepare you for the type of critical thinking and analysis required for success in your coursework. 

4. Math Review

If it’s been a few years since you’ve solved a linear equation, this is a great time to review some fundamentals of mathematics. There are a lot of free resources, like Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/) and Academic Earth (http://academicearth.org/) you can use to reacquaint yourself with algebra, statistics and maybe even a little calculus, just for good measure (and to help in your economics class). If you really want to hit the ground running, you might consider taking some online courses from MBA Math (http://mbamath.com/). While not free, the site offers a great review of MBA-specific math skills.

5. Relax 

While it’s smart to use the summer before business school to mentally prepare for the adventure ahead, it’s also a good idea to relax and recharge your batteries a little. This may be your last opportunity for a while to read a book for pleasure, go on vacation, visit friends or enjoy a hobby. Take advantage of it while you can.

As always feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment with any questions or other suggestions.

Brian Precious is the MBA Program Director at Oregon State University. He can be reached at: OSUMBA@OregonState.edu.

Ask a typical MBA applicant what the most important component of his or her business school application is and you will probably hear GMAT score. While standardized test scores, undergraduate GPA and work/internship experiences are critical, I’m a big fan of one of the more underappreciated components of the MBA application: the letter(s) of recommendation.

Why? LORs offer unique insights on each applicant that aren’t available from the more standardized portions of the application. For example, a strong GMAT score doesn’t tell me if the applicant works well in teams. A high GPA doesn’t tell me if the applicant has the interpersonal skills to impress interviewers and alumni. Even a well-written essay or personal statement doesn’t tell me if the applicant is willing and able to capitalize on the myriad opportunities he or she will have in the MBA program to propel a career forward. High-quality LOR’s provide this information in spades.

What makes a strong letter of recommendation?

1. Details – Since most LORs are positive, it’s the more detailed ones that are most useful. It’s also helpful if the recommender outlines specific skills or strengths and can support them with details. For example, saying the applicant is a good manager is OK. Saying the applicant managed a team of 10 and a $50 million budget for five years, and during that time sales grew by 50 percent while turnover was nearly nonexistent, is much more descriptive and therefore more helpful.

2. Honesty – I once read a LOR stating that as an intern the candidate developed and launched a new product that sold more than 5 million units in its first year on the market. This seemed very impressive and I wanted to learn more. When attempting to contact the recommender, I learned that neither the company nor the recommender actually existed.  While this is an extreme example (and one that did not end well for the applicant), applicants sometimes coach their recommenders to only mention their positive attributes. In my opinion, offering some areas for improvement adds credibility to the recommendation.

3. Perspective – I like when recommenders introduces themselves and explicitly state their relationship with the applicant. Mentioning how long they have known the applicant provides some important context to the admission committee. In addition, contrasting the applicant with other employees they have managed, students they have taught or volunteers they have supervised helps illustrate the traits that make this applicant unique. For example a letter from a professor who states the applicant took her class and earned a B is ok. However, a letter that states that of the thousands of students she’s taught over her career, this applicant stands out due to his passion for the subject matter, work ethic and presentation skills is extremely helpful to the admissions committee.

Feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment if you have any questions about letters of recommendation or any other components of the MBA application.

Brian Precious is the MBA Program Director at Oregon State University. He can be reached at: OSUMBA@OregonState.edu.