Students often jump at the chance to get an MBA but then become surprised and overwhelmed at how different a graduate business school is from an undergraduate education. That’s because an MBA school is focused on giving students a great education and a running start in a career in business. Here are the top three things every student should know about these schools before getting started on their degree.

Job Searches Begin Immediately

MBA school students may be surprised to learn that the job hunt begins almost immediately after school begins. That’s because internships and work placements can be hard to come by, and students want to receive the right type of work experience in school before heading out into the workforce.

Students should keep an eye on job openings that are their dream position or in a related sector. Because an MBA takes generally less than three years, the job search begins after the first semester to ensure that a student has a work experience lined up before graduation.

Extracurriculars Count More Than Grades

A good MBA school has a grade non-disclosure policy, meaning that a student’s grades aren’t released regardless if they earned the degree or not. Even if these institutions don’t, most employers won’t ask as long as the degree has been conferred.

The truth is that a student’s extracurriculars, including internships and business club attendance, matter more than grades. It sounds odd, but it’s true. Employers care about initiative, drive, and passion; grades can’t truly measure that.

If a student has mediocre grades but has built a start-up with less than a $1,000 and has clients, they are an advantage to companies in the sector. Similarly, if a student volunteers for a nonprofit and travels, they are also attractive to employers. In the end, what a student does with the education they receive inside the classroom is more important than the education itself.

A Plan is Always Needed

Forbes tells students that a lot of time and planning needs to go into the MBA school application process; the same goes for when an applicant is accepted into a program. That’s because business school is just as much as a two-year process for finding employment as it is about education. In many cases, the plan is the only thing that keeps a student on track.

Scheduling a plan for an MBA is difficult, but it can be done. That’s why it’s important for a student to know why they are getting an MBA. There should be a five-year plan, MBA included, that every student is following. That schedule will focus a student on what they need to do in order for them to graduate as quickly as possible.

MBA schools are a great way for students to begin their careers in business as leaders. While the application process can be grueling, the results that come with earning an MBA are well worth it. There are, however, many things students should know about getting an MBA, and these three are the most important.