Application to MBA Program at Auburn University

Justin Abercrombie

Tell use about your career goals. How do you envision an MBA from Auburn University will help you achieve these goals? Are there other reasons you are interested in pursuing an MBA at Auburn?

After earning an MBA from Auburn, I intend to work in the business world for a small or mid-sized firm where I can get hands-on experience and learn the ropes, but my ultimate goal is to own my own business. While I am open to a myriad of options, I do have some solid ideas about the type of business I would like to own and operate, specifically, a firm that provides personal assistant services to middle-income people who can't afford or don't need a full-time personal assistant. This service would be on a contract basis, providing people with specific services, such as dry cleaning drop off and pick up, or computer back-ups, or even reminders of important events. My service could also provide more comprehensive assistant services for people with special needs, such as producing correspondence or creating event invitations. In a traditional sense, these services would be provided by a full-time administrative assistant, but for those who don't need to employee someone full-time, or even part-time, my contract-based service would be helpful. Many people are simply too busy to keep track of everything in their lives and my service could help with that.

Before I branch out on my own I would like to learn the ins and outs of various types of service-related businesses in order to better understand what the key issues are in the field. I know that the most successful people understand their businesses from the bottom up and I intend to start small and work my up to running my own firm.

The type of service-oriented business I want to own requires financial knowledge, leadership skills, awareness of social trends and technological proficiency. I know that I will acquire all of this knowledge and more at Auburn. At Auburn I will have access to some of the top business faculty and students in the country as well as the resources I need to maximize my learning. I believe Auburn is on the cutting edge of technology in the business world and this is the type of environment I want to be a part of.

Auburn's accounting, Marketing and Economics departments, among others, are top-rated, and studying with the best will help me reach my highest goals. At Auburn, I will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge that will serve me well throughout my career.

As a current undergraduate student at Auburn, I am already familiar with the campus and area and what they have to offer. I feel comfortable in this environment and I would like to continue my education in this family-style community. I have been a productive member of the Auburn University community for several years and I know that I can continue to make meaningful contributions as an MBA student. Auburn offers a large and diverse student body as well as a long tradition of excellence, and I want to continue to a part of that tradition.

Question 2. Tell us what particular skills, talents, experiences and perspectives you will bring to the Auburn MBA Program.

Three of the qualities that have and will serve me best in my life and career are strong people skills, a healthy work ethic and ambition. Add to these personal qualities my education and business experience, and I know that I am an excellent candidate for the Auburn University MBA program.

Certain personal qualities and characteristics are key to a successful business career, and I believe that I have what it takes on a personal level to succeed at Auburn and beyond.

A relate extremely well with others and I enjoy interacting with people in classes and in my business pursuits. This is important to my goals; I don't believe any successful person gets where they are without a true understanding of and appreciation for what others have to offer. Although I have set my own standards and goals for life, I know that I cannot succeed in a vacuum. relating to other people, whether they be classmates, employers and eventually, my own employees, will help me ensure a successful business career.

A strong work ethic is another personal factor that makes me an excellent candidate for Auburn's MBA program. I have a 3.0 GPA and I received an Associate's degree at the same time as my high school graduation. While an undergraduate at Auburn I have worked as a tutor while maintaining membership and good standing in a variety of academic and professional organizations. In short, I am the type of person who sets goals and works hard to achieve those goals, and I recognize that anything worth having, be it an MBA or my own business, requires hard work.

In addition to being a people-person and a hard worker, I am ambitious and driven to succeed. I recognize that crawling comes before walking and that my first professional experiences will be as an employee, but my ultimate goal is to own my own business. I believe that it is the entrepreneurial spirit that separates mediocre careers from those that are excellent, and I am striving for excellence. Studying for my MBA won't be easy by any means, but I fully expect to excel and use my education to make a difference in the business world. Although am I only 20 years old, I do not believe that youth will be an impediment to my success; instead, I see my youth an advantage in my career. I have many productive years ahead of me and I intend to use them to the fullest.