MINI-MBA - (STRATEGY ESSENTIALS)

This course teaches students the fundamentals, tools, and frameworks of strategy within multiple critical disciplines and how to apply those skills to real-world Fortune 1000-level case studies, including ones from Harvard Business School.

Category

Mini MBA

Class Options

Online Only

Skill Focus

Problem Solving,
Strategy, Critical Thinking, Articulate Speaking

Level

6th – 12th

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Covered by our unbeatable 100%
money-back guarantee + $100 on top

Become more
competitive on
the college app

Skill
development

Leave the class having developed strategies for Fortune 1000-level problems by practicing on real-world case studies, including ones from Harvard Business School

Gain experience in
strategy

Who this is for

Curriculum Highlights / Benefits

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“Academic criteria are important to Yale’s selective admissions process, but we look at far more than test scores and grades…

Every applicant brings something unique to the admissions committee table. Perhaps one application stands out because of sparkling recommendations, while another presents outstanding extracurricular talent; maybe your personality shines through a powerful written voice.

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“Even perfect test scores don’t guarantee admission. Far from it: 69 percent of Stanford’s applicants over the past five years with SATs of 2400 — the highest score possible — didn’t get in”

“Of course academic credentials are important, but we’re also looking for evidence that this young person has a passion, that he or she will bring something to our community that is unique.”

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Become more competitive on the college app

All universities, especially the top ones, look at the extracurricular section of the application to differentiate candidates. In many cases, as publicly stated by Yale and Stanford, students can beat students with higher GPAs/SAT scores by demonstrating outstanding extracurricular abilities. Admissions officers want applicants that can demonstrate their real-world talents and ability to grow beyond the classroom. This is what our Mini-MBA (strategy) class does. There’s no better way to demonstrate a student’s outstanding extracurricular talent than by being able to take Fortune 1000-level problems and architecting the optimal strategies for solving those problems.

Almost every student writes about the same things for their college admissions essays: volunteering, leadership, family experiences… To stand out, an admissions officer must be able to envision what a student can achieve after graduating from the university, and that means students must write about their proven ability to achieve into the future. This is why we focus on having students solve real-world Fortune 1000-level problems and practice their skills on case studies, including ones from Harvard Business School. In our course, students build the foundation to gain more achievements, do better in competitions, and land an internship at a young age, which means more meaningful experiences to draw from on their essays.

Nothing is more impressive on a college app than landing a real internship at a real company doing real work – not filing papers and getting coffee. The problem is that it’s very difficult to land internships doing actual work, especially in high school when students haven’t had the right training. We provide that exact training, giving students the tools to optimally strategize in multiple disciplines and, more importantly, apply them to solving real-world Fortune 1000-level problems and case studies. This shows that they can be outstanding in the real world and not just in the classroom.

Recommendation letters are one of the most important differentiating factors for university acceptance. A good one can help a student stand out, and a mediocre one is just as unhelpful as a bad one. This course is a safe and fast–paced learning environment where students are learning very intense material and, more importantly, making their mistakes with us. This way, when they are in moments where it counts (internships, other extracurriculars, competitions, in front of coaches), they aren’t learning but instead are focused on impressing.

Doing well in DECA, FBLA, and other business/strategy competitions or winning highly coveted scholarships or grants are important in the eyes of a college admissions officer because it gives a student’s application credibility. Credibility is one of the best ways to stand out and give them an edge. Our programs are designed to sharpen their critical-thinking skills and provide them with valuable information that they can use to win more competitions, scholarships, and grants – ultimately bringing more credibility to their college application.

The whole point of AP and Honors classes is that students can show universities they are capable of material above and beyond their current age group. This is no different. Our course is based on solving real-world Fortune 1000-level problems and practicing their skills on case studies, including ones from Harvard Business School. This means solving real problems and working on real solutions beyond college-level material; students will have to push their critical thinking skills and intelligence to the next level. When a student passes, they will be able to demonstrate to universities that they can think and work at a much higher level than other applicants.

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Skill development

No matter what a student does in life, it will for sure involve problem-solving and critical thinking. These are skills that need to be practiced, honed, and challenged to grow. Our classes exercise that part of the brain heavily. Students leave our class as better problem-solvers and more creative critical thinkers based on the fact that they solve real Fortune 1000-level problems. In doing so, they’re able to think through any problem/situation, develop the decision–tree, and figure out the optimal outcome for any problems they may encounter.

Being able to recall the definition of certain items is not helpful in a student’s ability to solve problems better. Our course focuses on not only teaching fundamental knowledge but, more importantly, how to exercise the specific part of the brain that translates that information to create solutions where others only see problems.

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are great, but if you cannot effectively communicate your ideas, conclusions, and solutions to others, they are functionally useless. Whether you’re a programmer, scientist, architect, doctor, or CEO, all roles require being able to communicate effectively.

What separates somebody from staying low-level versus becoming a manager and beyond is their ability to think through a problem that others are not trained to think through and to articulate that strategy. This course teaches students how to think at that level. Instead of getting lucky and finding a good mentor who will show them the answers, they go through a 3–month course where they learn all the specific essentials to think through all the same problems that everyone from managers to CEOs think through.

Mastering any topic always starts with ruthless practice. Strategy, problem-solving, and critical thinking are no different. This course gives students the tools they need and allows them to practice so that when they’re in a moment when it matters most, they can solve the problem efficiently and effectively.

Leave the class having developed strategies for Fortune 1000 level problems by practicing on real-world case studies including ones from Harvard Business School

Our class is designed to not only give a student the tools to strategize through multiple disciplines but actually apply them to real situations. By taking Fortune 1000-level problems and architecting the optimal strategies for solving them, they can see and understand how and why certain tools are used and at which time to use them.

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Gain experience in strategy

Since the students focus on solving real Fortune 1000-level problems, they leave the class with truly valuable and marketable skills that they can rely on for the rest of their lives. It’s not something like memorizing a date: they actually leave with tangible skills.

Because of how well we've honed our curriculum and teaching style,
we're able to offer a 100% money-back guarantee

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100% Money-Back Guarantee + $100 Cash

TAKE THE CLASS RISK-FREE

TAKE THE CLASS RISK-FREE

We have honed our teaching style, curriculum, and teacher quality for 10+ years, so we have no problem insuring your money with a 100% money-back guarantee.

We’re so confident that this is the best class you and your student will have ever attended
that we’ll give you $100 cash on top of your money-back guarantee.

*For group classes, students must attend at least 80% of the classes in a course. For 1-on-1 classes, the request must be made prior to the start of the fifth class.

Curriculum

Week 1

Introduction / Organization Structure Overview

Week 2

Persuasion / Leadership / Psychology Strategy

Week 3

Negotiation Strategy

Week 4

Corporate Strategy

Week 5

Growth & Sales Strategy

Week 6

Product Development / Compensation Strategy

Week 7

Supply Chain Management
Strategy

Week 8

Digital Marketing Strategy

Week 9

Legal Strategy

Week 10

Venture Capital /
Entrepreneurship Strategy

We encourage parents to enroll their students early as we are fully booked quickly. Once you click Enroll
Now, you will be given exact instructions on how to become enrolled in this class.

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Time & location

All of our classes are done completely online, fully remote. We have class options on both weekdays and weekends. Classes can be done in small group (2–5 students) or 1–on–1. All depending on availability.

There are 10 classes total in the entire course, and each class is typically 3 hours.

Classes during the school year (Fall/Winter/
Spring) are typically 1x/week for 10 weeks.

Classes during the summer are typically 2x/week for 5 weeks.

Timeline for our next expected class:

Our classes are offered year-round and we often have multiple classes running in the same week, but at different times. To get the most up–to–date information on current and upcoming classes, fill out the enrollment form below and our class coordinator will reach out to you as soon as possible.

Class time options

Class options can be customized around the
availabilities of the students. All you need to do is tell
us when your student is busy, and we’ll work to find a class timing that will work for their schedule. We can customize.

All of our classes are done online and are backed by our 100% Money–Back Guarantee. Classes are possible all days of the week, during all times of the day (morning
to evening), and can occur as frequently (1x,2x,3x/
week, etc.) as requested, and happen throughout the
entire year – depending on availability.

All you need to do is fill out the form below, and our team will do our best to find a time that works for
your schedule.

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Our Reviews

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Arti Purohit

Teachers are very patient and knowledgeable. Teachers encouraged questions and re-explained the concepts.


My 10th grader took the PHP & MySql software development course in Fall 2021 with Zenith Academy. It turned out to be one of the best class she has attended for computer programming. It really helped setup the important foundational concepts for her and then progressed forward towards end-to-end website/portal building including databases. In-detail discussion over concepts in the class. Teachers are very patient and knowledgeable. If she needed additional clarification, teachers encouraged those questions and re-explained the concepts. My daughter learned and enjoyed thoroughly. I would highly recommend this course.

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Sim Aquino

We like the service so much, that our 7th grader son is now also enrolled in the program. We highly recommend Zenith.


My children love Zenith. My daughter is a Sophomore now. She joined back when she was in 8th grade. She enjoys the different programs that Zenith offers. As parents, we like that Zenith helps her explore career choices such as business, technology, and medical fields. We like the service so much, that our 7th grader son is now also enrolled in the program. We highly recommend Zenith.

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Pardeep Bhardwaj

Very knowledgeable and true professionals, understand how to pace the program still keep students motivated. Highly recommended!!!


My son took two courses at Zenith - Web Development and Software Development. These courses are not just about learning computer language, but more about applying those skills in developing real life applications. At the of the course enterprise quality applications were built. This whole process has helped in improving problem solving skill.
Instructors at Zenith are very knowledgeable and true professionals, understand how to pace the program still keep students motivated. Highly recommended!!!

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Prasanthi D

The content and interactive sessions, practice exercises differentiate the course from other online courses.


My 12-year-old son loved the "Programming - Web development " and "Programming - Software development" classes by Zenith prep.
We took 1:1 class for Web development and instructor taught the concepts very nicely. The exercises after the class were very helpful to strengthen the foundation.
We opted for group class in summer for Software development. The class was very interactive and the concepts were explained with good examples. The practice exercises helped my son to think logically and solve the problems on his own and address any gaps in understanding in class reviews.
At the end of the programming courses, my son has developed very good foundation and lot of interest in programming.
Being software professionals ourselves, me and my husband really liked the way the course content was laid out to cover the concepts in a way kids can understand and learn without getting overwhelmed. We highly recommend the computer programming classes from Zenith prep for 6th graders to high schoolers. The content and interactive sessions, practice exercises differentiate the course from other online courses.

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Gokul Rajaram

Zenith class actually taught them how to build something tangible, bolstering their conference and excitement about CS.


We are very happy with Zenith Prep Academy. My kids loved the Zenith programming class. They proactively worked on their homework in advance of the next class, and could not wait for the next class. Unlike prior programming classes they took, which were superficial and overly theoretical, the Zenith class actually taught them how to build something tangible, bolstering their conference and excitement about CS. The TAs are excellent and helpful too. I work in software, and can see how the curriculum has been crafted and iterated upon several times to have maximum learning impact. Thank you Zenith!

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Svetlana Mikhailova

He built his website and started working on his own projects learning more and more AFTER all classes ended.


My son took Web Development and Software Development classes offered by Zenith Prep Academy, and I am sure that it is worth every penny! It was not the first coding class we tried, and my son is naturally interested in this topic but Zenith Academy classes not only lighted his interest several times more but brought him on a completely different level. He was ready to fly on his own. He built his website and started working on his own projects learning more and more AFTER all classes ended. I have never seen him waiting for every next class so badly, and he really was sad when classes stopped. We even suggested to build next class, for example, for Java programming. We would take it without hesitation!

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Sophia Gu

I would recommend the class to the kids who have curiosity to explore outside of curriculum at regular school.


My son, who was 8th grader, took Software Development and mini-MBA and he loved both classes. The content was designed appropriately to his age and presented in a way of challenging but not overwhelming. Not only did he grasp the concept in these areas, he also gained confidence and sense of accomplishment. I would recommend the class to the kids who have curiosity to explore outside of curriculum at regular school.

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Tracy Downey

He really liked this class. He was excited for it each and every day. He felt challenged and engaged. He even brought his computer on vacation...


Our son is very interested in computer science and technology. He has taken some coding classes and cyber security classes during previous summers and has always been disappointed.
He really liked this class. He was excited for it each and every day. He felt challenged and engaged. He even brought his computer on vacation and made sure he was ready for class while we were away.

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Mangesh Darke

The class size is relatively small, so if there is something that is confusing to understand, help is readily available.


As someone who has personally taken courses at Zenith Prep Academy, I can definitively say that it's been one of the best experiences of my life. I have never seen a course so well-designed and well-executed like the ones offered at Zenith. Whether it's the instructors or the material itself, there is something about these courses that makes the student want to keep learning.

I took the web development and mini-MBA courses at Zenith and I was expecting to just learn the basics; however, our instructor taught us much more than I had expected. Not only did we master the basics, we dove into the deeper nuances of programming as well.

The best part about attending Zenith is that your instructors truly care. The class size is relatively small, so if there is something that is confusing to understand, help is readily available. Not only do your instructors care, but they are also super passionate. Believe me, you're not in a room with someone just reading a script or speaking in monotone. The instructors love what they teach and they are just as excited as you when they come to class.

If you're looking for a course that teaches you more than just the cookie-cutter basics found in a textbook, then Zenith Prep Academy is the place for you.

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Klara Fischerova

There aren't many people who will take time to listen to a teen as an equal, and help bring the best out of them in all situations...


My son, 14 years old, took the Mini MBA 1 program last spring at this Academy and a Web Development (Front End) class this summer. Best investment of our time and resources we have been able to gift him so far! I wish we knew about this place before, when our daughter was his age. College choices and possibilities would probably be much wider for her...

These are some of the challenges we have been facing before discovering this program and the transformation we observed:

Our son has been a talented and creative fun child, who's enthusiasm about exploring possibilities has been steadily going down the more time he has been spending in a public school, doing homework and studying for good grades...
It got to the point that when he was interested (or when we were on top of his responsibilities), he would get straight A's- usually just towards the end of the school year, and when not interested or monitored constantly, he would get C's and even D's... Always getting distracted, forgetful and bored...

After only one class at Zenith, he got inspired not only about researching new possibilities, solving real problems but also, he got excited about life in general. He even started working out in the gym ( his own initiative!) and moving up in Kung Fu . A's were not a chore anymore but a natural byproduct of his newly found enthusiasm and confidence. His work was done still in school and we have been able to have very lively and mature conversations at home, including conversations about his business 🙂

At the age of 14, my son has an understanding of business that many business owners like myself can be jealous of. He also became very good in negotiation and quite impressive at understating human psychology ( may it be a warning to you if you don't want your kids become confident and powerful)

He talks about Mr. Frank Song as the "coolest guy and a mentor" 🙂 This aspect is what I value the most about our experience with this place. We appreciate Mr. Song's generosity immensely. There aren't many people who will take time to listen to a teen as an equal, and help bring the best out of them in all situations... This is priceless to me. All of the people Mr. Song brings to inspire and teach at the Academy are high quality, educated, successful young people who are still able to connect with the teens but have a wealth of real life academic and business experiences, to help the teens dream and grow big.

I am very excited where my teen is heading. Thank you Zenith Academy!

Klara F., Lafayette

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Virginia Hom

I feel that I have done my duty to guide my children to gain the opportunity to "learn" what their passion is about themselves.


"Pardon me if I misuse any tech jargons or terms. My work focuses on the business aspects of operations so I only understand programming in general terms.

My son started with Zenith at 12 years old. Though he is very smart, he lacked the proper motivation to guide him to become all that he is capable of. Traditional programs bored him leaving him unchallenged, but Zenith Prep was the answer to identifying his strengths and allowing him to blossom.

Fast forwarding over a year later, he has grasped and combined programming languages such as SQL, PHP, CSC, and HTML in a MySQL database. Just today, he was taught Java-script and has started to incorporate J-script into his arsenal of programming language toolbox. To be able to distinguish and separate the proper use of each language is a defeat on its own. My son does not utilize any drag and drop shorts cuts but writes the codes himself. I am proud he has shown such dedication to learning and utilizing so many languages and hope he can share his knowledge through various volunteer venues in the future.

Not only is programming a basic skill to know but our children's future will be immersed in programming-related life on every business and personal level. My wish for my children is experience not only programming but grasp business understanding so they have the option and knowledge to best choose their career path in the future. Only through hands-on experience and exposure provided by Zenith would I feel that I have done my duty to guide my children to gain the opportunity to "learn" what their passion is about themselves."

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Fei Li

He was proud of himself that he not only learned a new computer language but also built a website that he had never thought he could.


My son enjoyed the one-on-one Software Development class. The curriculum was carefully designed to teach him the fundamentals, get him the logic thinking behind the coding, analyze the mistakes he made and provided good coding practice along the course. He also got the personal attention and feedback in the private on-line class. At the end of the class, he was proud of himself that he not only learned a new computer language but also built a website that he had never thought he could.

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Anita D

Loved the detailed feedback after the class, which focuses not only on the technical part but also on the work ethics.


Zenith Prep Academy is a very professional yet student interest led counseling centre. I was very impressed with their approach which combines best practices with helping a student excel in their area of interest. The counselors are very well informed and are prompt to respond to any questions we have. The whole effort of the team is encouraging the student to work hard and develop successful practices which will lay a foundation for future success.

My son took their Web Development Class online and is very happy with his experience. He was very motivated to work hard in the class. The IA's in the class were very good to work with. I especially loved the detailed feedback after the class, which focuses not only on the technical part but also on the work ethics and tips for a building successful work habits. He is now looking forward to the Software Development class.

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Anjali Sridhar

The instructor was great at teaching the kids the building blocks and then having them use the blocks to create their final design.


My son (age 15) took the Zenith Web Development class and really enjoyed it. He had no software experience but came out with the ability to build a full functioning website (even learning completely online thru Covid). He has always been against any type of tech class but ended up really happy he had taken this one. The instructor was great at teaching the kids the building blocks and then having them use the blocks to create their final design. Would totally recommend this class!

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Vivian La

Thanks to the flexibility on virtual class and excellent teacher! Zenith was also accommodating on early class sessions.


My son just took a software development course from Zenith during 2021 summer as he is coming to 9th grade. He told me that he really likes the course; in fact, after the course he becomes more motivated in coding that he is exploring more in other online coding classes. The teacher is very knowledgeable and my son learned a lot from each of the class sessions and looked forward to the next class session during the course. I was hesitated at first with the online/virtual course, but it turns out surprisingly very good and convenient especially during the pandemic. In fact, during the course, we needed to take an unexpected trip to Houston for 3 weeks and having 3 people in a hotel room with remote working and learning were a bit challenge, but we did it with a breeze. Thanks to the flexibility on virtual class and excellent teacher! On top of that, Zenith was also accommodating on early class sessions since my son’s school started earlier than others’ so that my son can finish the course before his school started. Thanks so much to Zenith team!!

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Arzu Sabuncuoglu

My son can’t wait to start Software Development class with Zenith Academy and improve himself through the field he wants to focus on.


My son took a Web Development class from Zenith Academy during the summer of 2021 before he started to 7th grade. We were hesitant with the online course but it worked so well and my son developed a very good foundation. This year he is taking a computer science class at his school. It goes like a breeze for him since he already learned a lot about HTML/CSS/Javascript at web development class with Zenith Academy. The teaching instructor was excellent and Kevin Hong was incredibly helpful. He identified my son's strengths and weaknesses and helped him to work on them. It was excellent teamwork! My son can't wait to start Software Development class with Zenith Academy and improve himself through the field he wants to focus on.

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