A Bangladeshi student's journey to top business school

According to UNESCO, the number of Bangladeshi students going to study abroad for higher education has tripled in the last decade. While there are various facets of the reasons for this, the process can be daunting and may be more complex than it may seem. We recently caught up with Mahir Kamal, a graduate of the Business and Technology Management (BTM) department of the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), who joined the Ivey Business School at Western University, one of the prestigious schools not only in Canada but also around the world, to pursue his Masters in Business Analytics this fall.

With acceptances to over more than 10 prestigious business schools in the USA, Canada, and Europe, including UC Davis, University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, Babson College, and Emory University's Goizueta Business School, he shares insights into his admissions journey and advice for aspiring students from Bangladesh looking to pursue a master's degree abroad.

Question (Q): What motivated you to pursue a master's degree in business analytics?

Answer (A): Tech is booming everywhere. Globally, many companies are digitising their operations. I noticed this opportunity around technology when I was in the US for my exchange semester as part of the Global UGRAD programme. I noticed that there were many vacancies for data skills-based roles, data analyst, and data scientist roles, and the compensation for these roles was also pretty high. After graduating from IUT, I worked as a business analyst for a year and started exploring the field of analytics even more. Hence, a combination of these factors piqued my interest in business analytics and I began looking into it due to its high ROI.

Q: Could you provide insights into the application process for these prestigious business schools? What key elements do you believe contributed to your successful applications and scholarship awards?

A: I believe education requires a huge commitment, so whenever you are planning to invest in a degree, try to invest properly. This was my take when I applied. I took a long-term view into the ROI, weighing the tuition fees and living expenses.

Every top business school has a rigorous application process. They will require your university transcripts, proof of English language proficiency, GMAT/GRE scores, and application essays, in the bare minimum. For some schools, GMAT/GRE score may be optional, as it was for me. I did not take either of these standardised tests since they were optional at the schools where I applied and I felt my profile was competitive enough. After I submitted my application, I was invited for interviews, after which they made the offers.

In terms of what helped me stand out in the application pool, at least within the pool of Bangladeshi applicants, I would say it was my exchange semester experience at the University of Arkansas as business schools value international exposure a lot. I networked with many students, professors, and industry leaders during my exchange semester, which helped me to a great extent. One of the professors who taught me during my exchange semester provided me with a recommendation letter that I think actually made my application stand out in the pool alongside the application essays that I have put a lot of effort into. I have also been involved with a lot of extra-curricular activities since the beginning of my freshman year alongside being in good academic standing, and had a lot of impacts to showcase. This was probably another factor that strengthened my profile.

Besides, I also did not have to take the IELTS/TOEFL exams since I was able to provide proof of English proficiency with my international experiences and Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter. However, if your university's mode of instruction were not in English, most places would ask you to submit your IELTS/TOEFL score. So, if you want the waiver, check with your university for the MOI, but it is always safer to take the tests. What worked for me does not necessarily mean it would work for you.

Q: What advice do you have for Bangladeshi students who aspire to pursue a master's degree abroad, particularly in competitive fields like business analytics?

A: QS and US News Rankings can be a great starting point as you shortlist universities to apply for in North America and the Financial Times for Europe. These rankings will give you an idea of the prestige of business schools and how well they are known in the business world. For example, Ivey is primarily a feeder to management consultancy and finance companies in Canada, whereas the University of Waterloo has a very good reputation in the tech industry.

Another important factor that you should consider is your academic and overall profile. You have to assess yourself first to understand where you stand in the application pool. To be honest, nobody can do this assessment for you but yourself to determine how competitive you are in the application pool. One way to gauge your candidacy is to look at the class profiles of the schools that you are looking into. This will help you analyse where you stand and make an informed decision.

Additionally, use LinkedIn to look up alumni and analyse placements post-graduation. Other helpful resources include Facebook groups for graduate studies in different countries and YouTube videos on the admissions process.

Q: What skills and knowledge areas do you believe Bangladeshi students should focus on during their undergraduate studies to prepare for similar master's programs in this field?

A: One misconception people may have is that they need to have a lot of analytical and technical skills to get into these programmes. My cohort has students from diverse backgrounds -- from medical science to geology, and even from music. However, being able to demonstrate that you have the analytical skills and experience is going to help your application. There will be candidates who have a good technical portfolio, which improves their odds of getting in. Having a quantitative background would also give you some leverage during the programme, although it won't be too much of a problem if you don't have it because you are ultimately going there to learn those skills.

So, suppose you are looking to pursue a degree in a field that you don't know much about. In that case, you can take online courses on relevant topics on EdX, Datacamp, and Coursera to demonstrate your interest to the admissions committee and to be prepared to talk about the field during your interview. For business analytics, some important technical skills to be proficient in include Python, R, SQL, Tableau, and Power BI. This helps create a good impression that you are committed to the field and aware of your goals.

Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that the admissions committee will take a holistic approach when looking at your application package. Hence, your recommendation letters, transcripts, essays, and any other relevant experience would also play a pivotal role in your whole application package.

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