Прежде, чем отвечать на вопрос о том, зачем же вам нужна степень МВА, найдите время, чтобы хорошо обдумать ответ на данный вопрос. Это поможет вам составить план эссе, и сосредоточить свое внимание на наиболее важных и объективных причинах. Кроме того, так вы быстрее поймете, как лучше рассказать о своем опыте и о своих мыслях и планах представителям бизнес-школ.

Lyle В. Fogarty, Goizueta Business School at Emory University

Before the advent of strip malls, sprawling suburbs and endless freeways. America had cities. There was activity and diversity within city limits, where commercial and residential uses were intertwined, resulting in continuous interaction with neighbors and fellow citizens. Since the exodus to suburban life and the community center shifting from Main Street to the suburban mall, cities have become, in the words of one urban planner, "cities with billions of citizens and no residents." As population density and diversity decreased, local businesses and urban communities dispersed as well. In the past two decades, metropolitan areas have increasingly recognized the need to concentrate resources on the urban renewal of dilapidated areas. Until about a decade ago, "renewal" was the process of razing distressed areas with new development. More recently, the focus of urban renewal has shifted to redeveloping historic and underutilized structures in an effort to stimulate diverse community centers, such as museums, restaurants, shops and apartments. The resurgence of our cities depends on this creative use of our architecture, history and existing infrastructure.

I would like to focus my career efforts on this growing urban redevelopment initiative. There is growing support for these initiatives among city officials and residents, yet these opportunities require business leaders to bring them to fruition. Since my graduation from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in Finance and Spanish, I have developed certain skills that will help me enter and succeed in this arena. For example, at SunTrust Bank, I applied financial analysis techniques to assess the growth potential of bank customers as well as their ability to service the different levels of debt. Several transactions, which I underwrote, pertained to real estate properties and piqued my interest in development. Likewise, as a process risk consultant at Arthur Andersen I have had the opportunity to assess business processes for a variety of clients, analyzing process flows forefficiency, effectiveness, and control breakdowns, as well as implementing continuous improvement methodologies. These acquired skills will strengthen my ability to succeed in future entrepreneurial ventures and are particularly well suited to engage the private sector with urban renewal.