JINBO Xie, CEO and founder of BeBeyond (BeBeyond.com.cn), is the nation's top expert in MBA application and a top trainer for applicants considering the management program.

In the past five years, Xie has helped more than 200 Chinese successfully apply to the world's best business schools' MBA programs. In both 2004 and 2005, more than a third of Chinese admitted to America's top 20 MBA programs were trained by him. Shanghai Daily spoke to him about how to choose an MBA and who can get into those programs.

Q: Who should get an MBA?

A: MBAs are for those who are seriously considering a management and/or business career.

Q: It's strange to mention "seriously" here. Who is not serious?

A: In China, we see a growing trend where more and more young Chinese, ranging from fresh college graduates to working professionals with only one to two years of working experience, are eager to get into an MBA program. MBA programs are not for them.

Based on my experience, business schools, especially those top programs, like to admit people with at least three to four years of working experience and for some programs, significantly longer working experiences are preferred.

This is also ideally in the best interest of the students.

You have got to have substantial working experience to get the most out of the education.

Q: So, who can get into the best MBA programs?

A: Most people can. The basic requirements for getting into those programs are quite simple: A bachelor's degree, three to eight years of working experience and a GMAT score of around 680. Those are the minimal requirements. You do not need significantly better background to get in. This is difficult for many Chinese to comprehend, but it is true. All you need is a score hovering around the average and scores do not play a significant role in your MBA application.

Q: If so, how do the MBA programs evaluate a candidate?

A: They look at qualities beyond the superficial background. For example, how mature are you? Do you have passion or talent for business and/or management? Do you have a clear goal for your future? (Many Chinese applicants know nothing more than getting an MBA, which is far from enough).

What are your special qualities that have helped and will help you succeed in the future?

There are all kinds of different qualities and each applicant is unique in the sense that they have different subset of the qualities which, if fully explored and presented, are sufficient to qualify them for a top MBA program.

So, to really know yourself and to learn how to present yourself is more important than your background in getting a "yes" from the schools.

Q: That's your success secret for helping people?

A: Yes. What we have done in the past five years is centered around two things: To help MBA applicants (they are BeBeyond MBA Application Workshop trainees) to deeply understand themselves through reading, writing and soul searching, and then learn to express themselves.

It is a successful training program that has helped people far beyond just getting into a top MBA program.