You’ve Submitted Your MBA Application… Now What?

Congratulations! You’ve submitted your MBA application and completed required video essays. But your work is not quite complete. You still have the opportunity to make a positive impression on the admissions committee by demonstrating your enthusiasm for the program. 

Consider the following ways to showcase your interest.

• Follow the school on social media and set up Google alerts with key words so you can easily stay informed of current events, research, or news related to the program. You should also confirm that your social media presence is up to date and represents you well.

• If invited for an interview, try to do it in-person. Interviews are a great way for the admissions committee to get to know you and for you to learn more about their program.  While they will likely give you a virtual option, nothing beats connecting in-person.  

• Attend any admissions events, webinars, or other programming facilitated by the school or the admissions committee. And make appointments with professors or current students who share your interests and/or goals. Prep by creating a brief elevator speech explaining, with specifics, how the school's programming aligns with your interests and why you would be a great addition to the student body.

• Follow-up any interactions with faculty, administration, or students with a brief thank you note reiterating your excitement about the program. 

• Send an update letter to the school if you have a significant accomplishment or update, not previously covered in your application, to share. Examples include: a significant positive change to your GMAT/GRE score, publications, professional development (e.g., you presented at a national/regional conference or received a promotion with additional responsibility at work), awards/honors, and/or extracurricular achievements (you took on a leadership position or received recognition for your work with a community organization). 

• In your update letter, don’t forget to express your continued interest in the program, noting specifics that are particularly compelling to you. If the school is your first choice, make the yield protection statement: If admitted, I will attend. 

• Do not excessively contact the admissions committee, particularly to ask questions with answers readily available online or to ask for feedback on your application or admissions likelihood. 

Community Service Experiences Can Enhance Your MBA Application

Your MBA application should showcase the full range of your interests, abilities, and experiences. In addition to your academic and professional life, how you spend your free time can be telling. But before you run out and sign up for various volunteering gigs, there are a few things to keep in mind. 

• Show commitment and continuity. If you had experiences in college with a particular organization, say supporting the environment or working with the homeless population, you may want to pick up a role with a similar organization locally. Spend time on a cause you really care about. 

• Prioritize depth over breadth. A years-long involvement or considerable weekly time commitment with one organization is preferable to brief interactions working on a large number of causes. You will have more opportunity to make an impact.

• Flex different skills. Volunteer organizations are an excellent place to apply skills you may not yet demonstrate professionally. If you think your resume (or current position) is lacking in experiences that demonstrate leadership, innovation and/or teamwork, see if you can gain that experience in a volunteer setting. Entry-level professional roles typically don’t involve much people management, however, leading a non-profit initiative or committee often does! 

FAQs: 

I volunteered a lot in college, but I haven’t had much time to do so since I started working. Should I include those older experiences in my MBA application?

Your MBA application can include any experiences from the start of college onwards. Do keep in mind that the significance of your contribution matters. Participating in one “walk against hunger” your sophomore year will not carry the same weight as spearheading an initiative or raising a significant amount of money. Again, emphasize depth over breadth.

I am working constantly and don’t have time to volunteer right now. Should I try to fit something into my schedule?

Community service can enhance your application, but it is not a deal-breaker if you don’t have it. That being said, don’t forget to consider any volunteering you’ve done as a part of your company. Many firms include community service as a component of the performance framework. So, if you routinely help organize your company’s “dress for success” program, make note of that. 

I don’t volunteer for a nonprofit organization, but I do serve on committees at my workplace. Should I include this in my application?

Yes. Think about all that you do within your workplace that falls beyond the scope of your professional responsibilities. Are you a member of the holiday party steering committee? Or a participant on a DEI initiative? Those activities that go beyond your role are opportunities to demonstrate leadership, innovation, teamwork, and a commitment to giving back to and bettering your workplace.  

Your MBA Interview: Make a Claim and Back it Up Responses

Claim questions are simple and direct—but your answer should be complex and direct. Just like with your SAR responses, you will want to use stories here, not just statements. They may ask about attributes or skills you have but they're not looking for a list, they're looking for examples of when you’ve exhibited those things. Go ahead and use multiple examples! They don't all have to be long, but they should be detailed. 

Some questions will be about your future goals. Think: "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" A question like this should still be backed up with experiences, if possible, or anecdotes that prove that you have the skills necessary to achieve this goal. You’ll also want to include what you hope to learn in business school that will position you for success.

Other claim questions will require you to showcase your critical thinking. “What advice would you give to your classmates who are interested in working in your current industry?” Don’t just provide advice, tell a story from your experience that inspired this wisdom. 

Questions could also seem to require opinion-only responses. Something like: "How do you feel about your company’s CEO?" But don't get it twisted. This is a "make a claim and back it up"-question. You believe the leader is succeeding (or not) “because…" 

Other “make a claim and back it up”-questions that you may be asked: 

• How will you add to the diversity of our school? 

• What is your greatest strength?

• How do you deal with ambiguity? 

• What traits are the most important for a leader to have?

• What is your management style?

Related:

Your MBA Interview: Day-of Tips

Your MBA Interview: Prepare a Three-Minute Elevator Pitch

Your MBA Interview: Articulate Why You Want This MBA (Not Just an MBA)

Your MBA Interview: SAR Responses

Your MBA Interview: SAR Responses

Throughout your MBA interview, we encourage you to share anecdotes whenever possible. But there are some questions that you MUST answer with a story. These are "SAR responses" because you'll describe the situation (20% of the response), the action you took, and the result (collectively 80% of the response). Some SAR prompts will be familiar because they are commonly used in interviews. You may have also used some of these anecdotes in your essay responses. Go right ahead and reuse any applicable application content. Those were your experiences and your takeaways, after all. There's no need to invent a whole new self. 

Consider how you would respond to prompts like these:

• Describe a failure and what you learned from it.

• Tell me about a time when you challenged the group consensus.

• Tell me about a time when you took on a leadership role.

• Tell me about an experience when you learned from people different from yourself.

• Tell me about a time when you developed an imaginative solution to a problem. 

Related:

Your MBA Interview: Day-of Tips

Your MBA Interview: Prepare a Three-Minute Elevator Pitch

Your MBA Interview: Articulate Why You Want This MBA (Not Just an MBA)

Your MBA Interview: Make a Claim and Back it Up Responses

Your MBA Interview: Articulate Why You Want This MBA (Not Just an MBA)

“Why our MBA?” Or: “Tell me why you are interested in this program,” etc. This interview prompt will appear, in some form, early on in your interview.

Make it clear how this MBA will help you to achieve your goals. Your response should include school-specific details, like what classes or experiential learning opportunities you'll take advantage of, what unique resources you’ll utilize that maybe aren't available at other schools, which professors you're eager to learn from, the student clubs you'd like to join, the names of companies you’re interested in that recruit from the program, and maybe even what you like about the area. And don’t forget to bridge these details with your past experiences and future goals to reinforce your interest in these offerings. 

Whatever you do, don't say something ingratiating and general: "It's an esteemed program where I'll learn from esteemed professors who lead in their esteemed fields." We're teasing about this phrasing, but go deep rather than broad. Answer the question with a few salient details and you'll be golden.

Related:

Your MBA Interview: Day-of Tips

Your MBA Interview: Prepare a Three-Minute Elevator Pitch

Your MBA Interview: SAR Responses

Your MBA Interview: Make a Claim and Back it Up Responses

Your MBA Interview: Prepare a Three-Minute Elevator Pitch

The first question your interviewer asks will likely be something general that invites the widest-ranging answer. This question comes in many forms. It could be as short and blunt as: Tell me about yourself. It could be: Walk me through your resume. It could be: Talk to be about anything you believe will enhance your candidacy for admission. 

These opening questions require a three-minute answer. Think of it as an elevator pitch response. Naturally, your response should reiterate your commitment to pursuing an MBA and make it clear why an MBA will benefit your career and help you to bridge your past experiences with your future goals. It is okay to stay in a linear timeline: I did X and transitioned to Y. What's important is explaining the motivation behind your decisions. You can also share who you are via your three most impactful experiences. 

Practice some possible responses to ensure you're not going wildly under or over the three-minute mark. Don't try to memorize anything word-for-word as this will lead to fumbling with your words or coming off as wooden. But have an outline in mind—some milestones you know you want to pass. 

Some sub-questions you might answer to build your "Tell me about yourself"-answer are:

• What was your path to this point? Did you always know you would pursue a career in business?

• How has your work experience prepared you for business school?

• Do you want to expand on any meaningful professional experiences and how they reinforced your interest in graduate business education?

• What are your post-MBA career goals? 

• How will an MBA bridge your past with your future? 

• What fun fact about you could you close on?

Admissions committees like it when applicants include personality in their answers, especially when answering this question. Revealing something fun about yourself encourages a connection between you and the interviewer.

Related:

Your MBA Interview: Day-of Tips

Your MBA Interview: Articulate Why You Want This MBA (Not Just an MBA)

Your MBA Interview: SAR Responses

Your MBA Interview: Make a Claim and Back it Up Responses

LinkedIn Names Harvard as Top Business School in Inaugural Rankings

LinkedIn just unveiled its first ranking of full-time MBA programs, The 50 Best U.S. Business Schools to Grow Your Career, which uses data culled from the site itself. It includes only U.S.-based MBA programs, with at least 500 alumni, who graduated between 2018 to 2022. Its methodology is based on five pillars:

1. Hiring and Demand: Uses LinkedIn hiring and recruiter InMail data to track job placement rates for graduates and labor market demand

2. Ability to Advance: Uses standardized job titles to track promotions among recent cohorts, and the pace at which alumni reach director or VP-level leadership roles

3. Network Strength: Uses member connection data to track the average connections alumni have with individuals in director-level positions or above (network quality) and the network growth rate of recent cohorts before and after graduation (cohort connectivity)

4. Leadership Potential: Tracks percentage of alumni who take on entrepreneurial or C-suite roles post-graduation

5. Gender Diversity: Tracks gender parity within recent graduate cohorts

LinkedIn also provides some unique insights alongside its rankings, which include the most common industries, job titles, locations, and skills for each program based upon aggregated data collected from the LinkedIn profiles of alumni. The platform also allows the reader to click into each school to see who in their own network attended the school. Find the full ratings here.

Rank Business School

1 Harvard Business School

2 Stanford GSB

3 Dartmouth (Tuck)

4 Penn (Wharton)

5 MIT (Sloan)

6 Northwestern (Kellogg)

7 UC Berkeley (Haas)

8 Yale SOM

9 Chicago (Booth)

10 Duke (Fuqua)

11 Columbia Business School

12 Virginia (Darden)

13 UCLA (Anderson)

14 Cornell (Johnson)

15 Emory (Goizueta)

16 New York University (Stern)

17 Carnegie Mellon (Tepper)

18 Michigan (Ross)

19 USC (Marshall)

20 Texas (McCombs)

Not all stakeholders are impressed with LinkedIn’s initial effort. Poets & Quants called it a “Shrewd concept, botched execution.” Noting a lack of transparency in the methodology, P&Q calls out LinkedIn’s failure to provide index scores so that readers can understand how schools compare to each other. Also missing: an explanation for how the analysis weights the five pillars, or how the methodology accommodates for different class sizes (e.g., HBS graduates double the number of students in one five-year period compared to Michigan Ross). P&Q is also critical of the fact that, for an outcomes-based ranking, LinkedIn neglects metrics on salary or salary growth in its analysis. Read the full critique here. 

Top Five Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your MBA Application Essays

Writing your MBA application essays is a massive undertaking. You must show the admissions committee who you are and what you value, while simultaneously building a case for why you will succeed in business school and beyond. It’s a lot. But we can help.

Below are the top five most common mistakes we see applicants make as they approach their essays. Try your best to avoid them.

1. Trying to include everything: You cannot fit every relevant experience you've ever had into your essays—and hey, that's why you submit a resume. Stick to one or two key experiences will show your abilities in leadership and critical thinking, prompted growth, and reinforced your interest in obtaining an MBA. The essays are about showing depth.

2. Telling instead of showing: The admissions committee is looking for more than a list of your strengths and traits. Not only is that boring, it is unreliable. A good rule of writing is: “Show, don't tell." Listing off your qualities is meaningless if you're not backing them up with real-life examples. Instead of telling the reader, “I am good at solving complex problems,” provide an anecdote that will show them your critical and/or creative thinking in action.

Similarly, don’t tell the school what you will do in the future without showing them why you are capable of achieving such things. We've said it before: Sharing goals works when what comes before it exemplifies your strengths and abilities. More than what you want to do, what you have done tells us who you are.

3. Staying linear: Imagine your intro paragraph as the opening sequence of a movie—the most thrilling ones start mid-scene. You want to see an action star in action, not waking up to a buzzing alarm clock. Don't save the excitement for many scenes later. Show yourself there, then explain how you got there.

4. Being uptight: A personal essay is more like journalism than an academic paper. You're telling a story, and this one is about you. You want to sound intelligent and respectful but being a bit colloquial makes you appear confident and relaxed. As if to say, "This is who I am. This is who I plan to become." Boom.

5. Overusing passive voice: Keep most of your sentences active. Passive voice can minimize your contributions and slow down your essay's momentum. Active sentences move the statement forward.

There is flexibility, of course. Some passive sentences aren't slow-going or unnatural, and there are also times when you'll use passive voice for effect, accuracy, clarity, or flow. Just be mindful of how often you're doing it.

Finally, beware of having too many readers review your writing. If you're an Apply Point client, consider asking two people besides your two Apply Point advisors (who work as a team) to read your essays. If you're not working with a consultant, you could ask up to four people to read your work but make that the maximum just so you won't be overwhelmed by input.

This is not us saying that you shouldn't have any readers at all. You want eyes or ears on this, especially if they're attached to someone you respect who knows you well. In fact, the top question you should ask them is: "Does this sound like me?" Friends, family members, or a mentor can confirm if your essay gets your personality and best qualities across. That said, send them the edited, polished draft rather than your raw first draft. This way their suggestions and questions won't psych you out because you already have a good idea of what you want to present in your response.

Women’s Enrollment in MBA Programs Continues to Climb

MBA matriculation is inching closer to gender parity. According to new data released by the Forte Foundation and reported by the Wall Street Journal, women make up 42 percent of 2023 MBA enrollees. This is up slightly from last year’s 41 percent and up significantly from 34 percent in 2013.

Five MBA programs did achieve gender parity: George Washington University’s School of Business, Oxford Said, Johns Hopkins Carey, U Penn Wharton, and Penn State Smeal. An additional 15 programs came close with women making up at least 44 percent of total enrollees. Among this group are some of the world’s most prestigious MBA programs. They include Northwestern Kellogg (48 percent), Stanford GSB (46 percent), MIT Sloan (46 percent), and Harvard Business School (45 percent).

Notably, two of the five programs that achieved gender parity, Oxford Said and Penn State Smeal, are one-year programs. Administrators from both schools told the WSJ that this shorter time commitment appeals to women, particularly those who carry family responsibilities.

Programs with the Highest Percentage of Female Matriculants (Fall 2023):

• George Washington University (65 percent)

• Oxford University-Saïd (51 percent)

• Johns Hopkins University-Carey (51 percent)

• University of Pennsylvania-Wharton (50 percent)

• Penn State University-Smeal (50 percent)

• University of Rochester-Simon (49 percent)

• University of Toronto-Rotman (49 percent)

• Northwestern University-Kellogg (48 percent)

• University of Washington-Foster (47 percent)

• Stanford Graduate School of Business (46 percent)

• Queen's University-Smith (46 percent)

• MIT-Sloan (46 percent)

• Duke University-Fuqua (45 percent)

• Harvard Business School (45 percent)

• Alliance Manchester School of Business (45 percent)

• Arizona State University-W. P. Carey (44 percent)

• Columbia Business School (44 percent)

• Dartmouth-Tuck (44 percent)

• ESADE (44 percent)

• Michigan State University-Broad (44 percent)

Harvard Business School: Writing Your Post-Interview Reflections

Were you invited to interview at Harvard Business School? If so, congratulations! Once you feel confident in your interview preparation, you will need to start thinking about your post-interview reflection, which should be submitted within 24 hours of your interview. The submission is not a formal essay. Harvard’s Admissions Blog describes the exercise as a chance to both get students’ opinions regarding their interviews, as well as provide them with a real-world practicum. Professionals routinely need to send emails summarizing meetings and offering assessments, and their ability to do this well is critical for workplace success.

Here is our advice for creating your memo:

• Immediately after your interview, take down some notes about the topics you covered, including some specific details and points of connection. You’ll want to ensure that your content reflects back details from the day.

• Take time to reflect before you begin drafting. Think critically about the interview. This submission is an opportunity for you to demonstrate real-world strategic thinking and writing skills, as well as offer any information that you feel you did not adequately explain. Some points to consider:

  • What were the highlights?

  • What could have gone better?

  • Did anything about the interview, or your time on campus, surprise or excite you?

  • Were there any remaining “gaps” after your interview, and if so, how would you have addressed these?

  • Did you make it clear to your interviewer(s) what unique experiences, skills, or perspectives you would offer to your MBA class?

• Strike a tone similar to that of a post-meeting summary you would write to a colleague or supervisor at work.

• After you’ve drafted the piece, walk away. Come back later to review content, style, grammar, and flow with fresh eyes. Keep in mind that Harvard is looking for both a well-written and thoughtful assessment of your interview.

• This piece should not be crafted prior to the interview, adapted from another essay, or used as additional resume space. You’ll want to make the most of this final opportunity to show the admissions committee who you are and how you think.

Department of Education Increases Transparency in Graduate School Outcomes

Prospective graduate students are about to gain access to a lot more financial outcomes data, which they can use to compare programs. Last week the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) announced that it finalized the Financial Value Transparency framework to consolidate financial outcomes data.  

All qualifying graduate programs will be required to submit data to the DoE on program cost, debt, sources of financial aid, and graduates’ earnings starting next July. As applicable, the data compilation will also include licensing outcomes for graduates. For example, law schools will provide data on graduates’ admission to the bar. The data will be consolidated, published, maintained, and made available to the public on a DoE website. As of 2026, the regulations will also stipulate that programs that do not meet an established debt-to-earnings ratio will be subject to a disclosure requirement. For these programs, all prospective students must acknowledge that they have reviewed the data and understand the financial risk, prior to matriculating in the program. 

For medical schools, the DoE’s final regulations acknowledge the lengthy nature of medical training in the U.S. where medical school graduates continue in lower-paying residency training programs post-graduation. To accommodate this practice, the DoE extended the horizon for collecting earnings data for medical schools to six years post-graduation. 

For business, law, and other graduate programs, the data provided to the DoE will use graduates’ earnings three years post-graduation. 

Your MBA Application: The Common Letter of Recommendation

Nearly 40 MBA programs have a shared template for recommendations: the Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR). While the template is shared, the questions are all embedded within the participating schools’ existing application systems. 

The Common LOR includes the following sections. You can review and save the full template here.  

Section 1: Recommender Information/Background

Section 2: Leadership Assessment Grid. 

In this section, recommenders are given 12 competencies and character traits related to leadership and are asked to rate the applicant’s behaviors. The 12 competencies and traits are grouped into five categories: Achievement, Influence, People, Personal Qualities, Cognitive Abilities. Recommenders are also asked to select an overall recommendation that ranges from not recommending an applicant to enthusiastically recommending.

Section 3: Open-Ended Recommendation Questions

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (e.g., what are the applicant’s principal strengths?)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.

4. Is there anything else we should know? (Optional)

U.S.-based programs that accept the Common Letter: 

Related

MBA Application Tips—Letters of Recommendation

Your MBA Interview: Day-of Tips

You’ve been invited for an MBA interview. Congratulations! Amidst your pre-interview preparation, don’t overlook day-of planning. Review our tips below to ensure that you feel your most confident when the day arrives.

Before Your interview:

• Review your application. Don’t forget that anything included in your application could be grounds for discussion. If you have any red flags, be prepared to discuss them calmly.

• Practice brief answers to common questions aloud. This might include your introductory elevator speech (“Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your resume”) and “Why this program?”.

• Eat something light and plain and be sure to hydrate. 

What to bring:

Theoretically, you need to bring nothing. The interviewers have everything they need from you already. But there are a couple of things that we suggest you bring along to an in-person interview (which, if possible, we recommend you choose over the virtual interview).

1. An extra copy of your resume. It never hurts to have an extra copy in the case your interviewer asks for one.  

2. A copy of your application. This application isn't for you to hand over to your interviewer. This copy is for you. Review it while you're waiting so that you can refresh your nervous brain and stick to the same takeaways. You should feel prepared to talk about any experience included within the application and/or resume. If you feel you've reviewed this application all you can review it, take a break, and read the newspaper or a book while you wait. 

3. A notebook. You can and should ask questions during your interview too. Feel free to bring yours prewritten and jot down shorthand versions of your interviewers' answers. Just be sure to look up and nod periodically as you write. 

4. The right clothing and accessories. You already know to wear something professional, but this tip has less to do with being interview-appropriate than with being activity- and weather-appropriate. If you're touring the campus before or after your interview, wear or bring comfortable shoes. If it's going to rain, bring an umbrella. If you're from Florida and you don't have a warm coat, borrow or buy one before your interview in Boston. When you're engrossed in interview prep, these are the kinds of things you'll forget. 

5. Water and a pain reliever. Being physically uncomfortable during your interview is a nightmare. Make sure to bring a bottle of water that you can sip prior to your interview, and if you're prone to stress headaches, have some pain medication on your person. 

6. Fun plans. You might live in this city or town someday. If you have the time, explore it. This will give you something to look forward to after your interview, and it might come up in interview small talk. "Will you be doing anything while you're in town?” Yes! I'm checking out the botanical garden this afternoon. This simultaneously shows your interest in the area and makes you seem like you have a life and interests outside of studying.

Related

Top Ten Tips. MBA Behavioral Interviews

MBA Interviews: When the Interview Requires More than an Interview

Don’t Rule Out “Reach Schools” on Your MBA Program List Just Yet

If you’re on the fence about applying to an MBA program this year or still considering your school list, we have an update for you. Based on 2022 admissions data, it looks like the window for gaining acceptance to a “reach school” hasn’t closed quite yet. A recent Poets & Quants analysis states that the “...2022 acceptance rate data is remarkable for the encouragement it provides anyone considering an MBA at a top-10 school, every one of which saw their acceptance rate climb last year.” 

The analysis goes on to describe that in 2022 the P&Q Top-10 ranked schools averaged an acceptance rate of 22.2 percent, an increase of 3.8 percentage points from 2021 and 7.7 percentage points from 2016. 

The 2023 admissions data (released by schools in the fall) will, of course, provide the most accurate picture of admissions trends. However, the 2022 admissions statistics among elite MBA programs were so applicant-friendly that P&Q walked back it’s pronouncement from last Spring (based on 2021 data) that the window to obtain a spot in a “reach” school is closing.

Here are a few key callouts from the P&Q analysis. You can find the full analysis and findings here. 

• The top-10 ranked schools all saw increases in their admissions rates in 2022. Chicago Booth, ranked first by U.S. News & World Report, saw the biggest increase in acceptance rate, which spiked from 22.6 percent in 2021 to 30.1 percent in 2022. Similarly, UPenn Wharton, ranked first by P&Q, saw a jump from 18.2 percent to 22.8 percent. 

• In 2021 there were no top-10 ranked MBA programs with an acceptance rate over 30 percent, whereas in 2022, there were three (Chicago Booth, Northwestern Kellogg, Dartmouth Tuck). Cornell Johnson and Virginia Darden (ranked 13th and 14th by P&Q) also reported acceptance rates over 30 percent.

• The top-10 ranked schools also saw a sharp decrease in application volume. P&Q reported that eight of the top ten schools saw double-digit percentage decreases in the number of applications between 2021 to 2022. 

• For the 15 schools ranked outside of the top 10, but within the top 25, the admissions data painted a less dramatic picture. In line with the elite programs, all of the schools ranked from 11 to 17 reported increased year-over-year acceptance rates. However, six of the schools ranked between 11 and 25 did report application increases (Cornell Johnson, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Washington Foster, Emory Goizueta, Indiana Kelley, and Carenegie Mellon Tepper). Among these schools, four also saw lower acceptance rates compared to 2021; most notably Emory Goizueta’s acceptance rate plummeted from 53.1 percent in 2021 to 37.1 percent last year. 

Don’t Submit Your MBA Applications Until You Read This

MBA Round One submission dates are upon us. Before you hit “submit,” be sure you’ve avoided some of the most common mistakes applicants make and built your strongest case for the admissions committee.

• Confirm the time (including the time zone) by which you need to submit your application. If you do not submit by the designated time, many schools will move your application to the next round. 

• Read through the entirety of your application. Is it clear why you are pursuing an MBA now? Did you show, through experiences from your life, your abilities in innovation, leadership, and teamwork? Have you highlighted what makes you unique as an applicant, and how you will contribute to your class? 

• Think carefully about any “red flags” that may exist in your application. Did you adequately address any gaps in your work experience or low grades in your transcript? Don’t leave the admissions committee wondering about your MBA readiness. Use the optional essay to explain why certain actions and/or results are not indicative of your abilities. 

• Make sure that each application is customized for that school. Did you address, with specifics, why this MBA program is the right one for you? What specific courses, professors, and experiential learning opportunities appeal to you most?  Why?

• Proofread everything. Again. Editing is never complete. 

Now it’s time to hit submit. Congratulations! The first component of the application process is complete, but your work is not quite finished. 

• Prepare for additional actions you’ll need to take. For example, those applying to the Yale SOM will receive access to their video interview questions only after submitting the application. And video responses for Northwestern’s Kellogg are due within 96 hours of submitting the application. 

• Review your various social media profiles. Do they reflect you as a professional? Are they consistent with your application materials? At the very least, ensure that you have an appropriate level of security around who can view your profiles. 

• Start preparing for interviews. Familiarize yourself with the interview process at all of the schools you’ve applied to. Then start brainstorming ideas for anecdotes you can use in your interview responses. We also recommend reading the news on a regular basis to stay informed.  If you’re asked your opinion on a certain issue during an interview, you don’t want to get caught off-guard. 

• If you haven’t yet, send a thank you note to your recommenders and/or any other contacts who supported your application efforts.

Top Qualities Business School Admissions Committees are Looking for in Your MBA Application

At Apply Point, we often remind our applicants that MBA programs are looking for individuals, not just resumes. Admissions committees want to understand the full spectrum of experiences that have led you to this point of your life and career, and have informed your future goals. But while you brainstorm, in addition to poignant personal experiences, be sure to keep in mind the key tenets of the business school application: leadership, teamwork, innovation, and integrity. 

Leadership. Throughout your application, you will want to showcase your ability to influence a team in order to accomplish a common goal. And keep in mind that there are many ways to demonstrate effective leadership. You don’t need to be the captain of a sports team or a club president to be an inspirational and persuasive leader. 

In what meaningful experiences did you show your leadership abilities? Did leadership come naturally to you, or did you work to get to this place? (Both things are great!) How did you support your team? Did you encourage collaboration or independence? Did you feel supported by your team? Did you experience any pushback, and how did you handle that if you did? What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel? What did you learn that you will incorporate into your leadership style in the future?

Teamwork. Conducting business is a team endeavor. Accordingly, business school is a highly collaborative place where you will spend a lot of your team working together with your classmates. Highlight instances where you have shown humility and elevated the voices of others. 

During what meaningful experiences did you work with a team or collaborate with others successfully? Were you working with people unlike yourself? Was there a struggle for balance in the beginning? Any confusion? What did you appreciate about your team members? How did they influence and impact you and your actions? Did one or two team members step up in a way you admired? What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel? Have you had experiences with teams that were unsuccessful? What did you learn (remember: failures can provide great insight too!)?

Innovation. The pace of change in business continues to speed up and business schools are looking for students who demonstrate skills in both critical and creative thinking and problem solving. 

In what meaningful experiences did you utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills? How did you determine the best course of action? Did you approach something one way at first and then correct yourself? What did you think about these things at the time? What did you learn? How did you feel?

Integrity and a sense of community. Many leading business schools have missions that include educating principled leaders who will make a positive difference in the world. Business schools are, now more than ever, highly-attuned to applicants’ integrity and sense of civic responsibility. 

In what meaningful experiences did you elevate a community that you were a part of? What effect did you have on others? What effect did they have on you? What have you learned about finding common ground with those who are different from you?  What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel? 

MBA Program Announcements Roundup

We’ve rounded up and summarized this summer’s MBA program announcements below.

• Stanford’s GSB has partnered with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability to launch an “Ecopreneurship” program. This program is designed to support sustainability entrepreneurs by providing mentorship and coaching to help students to secure related internships and fellowships, gain comfort in scaling business ideas, and access venture funding. “The Stanford Ecopreneurship program will support a new generation of sustainability leaders and problem solvers in launching new solutions to the climate crisis,” Marc Tessler, Stanford’s President, wrote.  

  Find more information on Stanford’s “Ecopreneurship” program here. 

• Yale’s SOM announced a new two-year dual-degree program combining its full-time MBA with the STEM-eligible Master of Asset Management program. This program will start with the MBA core curriculum and continue, in the second year, with the asset management curriculum. The STEM designation will allow international students hoping to work in the U.S. post-graduation additional time to find a role. Applications to the joint MBA/MMS open this month. Admissions decisions for the two programs are made independently and prospective students must be accepted into both programs. Students can apply to both programs prior to starting, or MBA students can apply for the MMS program during their first year. 

  Find more information on Yale SOM’s new dual degree program here. 

• Beginning in the Fall of 2024, University of Chicago Booth will offer a 10-month Master in Management program designed for recent college graduates. The program begins with a two-week bootcamp to build foundational skills in accounting, business, statistics, and economics. Students will then turn to job search strategy, which will include networking and storytelling. “We are excited to debut Chicago Booth’s one-year Master in Management, the school’s first new degree program in 88 years,” said Madhav Rajan, Dean of Chicago Booth and the George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting. “We look forward to introducing foundational business skills to a new generation of Booth students, enhancing their impact in that first job and beyond.”

  Find more information on Booth’s new degree program here. 

• Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper and ESSEC Business School are teaming up to launch a dual-degree, international Master’s program starting in the Fall of 2024. Participants will earn a Master in Management from ESSEC (France) and a STEM designated Master in Business Analytics from Tepper. The two-year program will host students at both campuses, Pittsburgh and Cergy, a suburb of Paris, for one academic year each and students will participate in a summer internship. The STEM designation will allow international students hoping to work in the U.S. post-graduation additional time to find a role. "The partnership between the Tepper School of Business and ESSEC is a transformative step forward in shaping the future of business education," said Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, Dean of Carnegie Mellon Tepper and the Richard P. Simmons Professor of Finance. "By joining forces, we will position our students for a truly global experience that prepares them to navigate the complexities of an interconnected world."

  Find more information on Tepper and ESSEC’s new program here.

Standardized Testing Continues to Evolve in MBA Admissions

In the world of MBA Admissions, standardized testing has become a lot less, well, standard. Admissions committees used to accept only the GMAT and/or GRE, but more options have opened up in the post-pandemic era including test waivers for past academic or professional performance, and a wider range of accepted tests including the Executive Assessment (EA) and even the MCAT or LSAT. 

The EA is a 90-minute exam, requires minimal preparation, and has historically been used for EMBA admissions. It is a good choice for applicants to full-time MBA programs who have already demonstrated strong quantitative skills through prior academic or professional experiences Today, even some elite schools such as Columbia, Duke Fuqua, and Michigan Ross are allowing students to submit EA scores in lieu of GRE and GMAT scores. 

In addition to the EA, some schools like Virginia’s Darden and NYU Stern are accepting LSAT, MCAT, and Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores. Others, like Georgetown McDonough, will allow applicants to submit expired GRE and GMAT scores. And many top ranked MBA programs are open to accepting the scores from the shorter versions of the GRE and GMAT exams. Chicago Booth, Stanford GSB, and Northwestern Kellogg will all allow applicants to submit GMAT Focus results this year. 

Harvard Business School is one of the few schools that have pointedly said they will not accept GMAT Focus scores for 2023-2024 admissions. And Wharton will accept GMAT Focus test scores dated January 31, 2024 or later, when the GMAT Focus has been merged with the legacy GMAT. 

The chart below shows the standardized tests that each school’s full-time two-year MBA program will accept in 2023-2024. Please note that some schools have not yet commented on when they will start to accept GMAT Focus scores. 

GMAC Survey Finds that Corporate Employers Seek MBAs with Communication, Strategy, and Data Analysis Skills

According to the latest GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey, competency in communication, strategy, and data analysis are the most in-demand skills for MBA recruits. And corporate recruiters predict they will only grow in importance over the next five years. The survey includes responses from 1,028 respondents in 34 countries. Over half of the respondents come from Fortune 500 companies.

Within the survey, respondents who named communication and technology as important future skills were also asked to provide detail on the specific areas of expertise that they predict will grow in importance. Within communication, 81 percent of employers selected cross-cultural competence, 77 percent chose multilingualism, and 75 percent chose active listening. Within technology, 80 percent of employers selected Web3/Blockchain/VR, 75 percent selected cloud-based technology, and 74 percent selected data visualization, AI and machine learning, and statistical analysis.

The survey also asked employers to assess graduates’ preparedness in these skills. Among U.S.-based employers, fewer than half agreed that graduates are well or adequately prepared in the areas of active listening, negotiating, nonverbal communication, multilingualism, cross-cultural competence, and conflict resolution. While U.S. companies were slightly more positive on graduates’ skills in technology, they still registered lower than other regions. Only 54 percent of U.S. employers agreed that graduates are adequately prepared, compared to 65 percent globally. 

Essay Tips: The SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University

Cornell Johnson has published submission deadlines for their MBA application. If you’re applying to the full-time program, it’s time to get started on your short-answer and essay responses.

Round Application Deadline Initial Notification Final Notification          

Round 1 20 September 2023 03 November 2023 08 December 2023

Round 2 10 January 2024    15 March 2024 05 April 2024

Round 3 10 April 2024         17 May 2024 31 May 2024

“You’ll combine your own strengths with the strengths of those around you. You’ll learn how to create solutions to business challenges—and to other challenges facing the world at large. The reality is that success is never a solo act.”

This statement from Johnson’s website encapsulates their focus on collaboration. Keep this in mind as you approach their application. Of course, you’ll want to show the strengths, experiences, and unique perspectives you can bring to their community, but they are also looking for you to demonstrate humility and discuss your desire to learn from your fellow classmates.

Goals Statement Prompt:

A statement of your goals will begin a conversation that will last throughout the admissions process and guide your steps during the MBA program and experience. To the best of your understanding today, please share your short- and long-term goals by completing the following sentences and answering the enclosed short answer question (350 words maximum):

Immediately post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) [Role] at [Company] within [Industry].

Targeted Job Role:

Target Job Company:

Industry:

In 5–10 years post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) [Role] at [Company] within [Industry].

Targeted Job Role:

Target Job Company:

Industry:

How has your experience prepared and encouraged you to pursue these goals?
State your post-MBA goals in precise language that includes your desired role, company, and industry. Ensure that your short-term goal makes sense as an interim step to your longer-term goal. Then make it clear that, given the specific post-baccalaureate full-time work experiences you’ve had, you will be qualified and able to achieve these goals with an MBA from Johnson.

Impact Essay Prompt:

At Cornell, our students and alumni share a desire to positively impact the organizations and communities they serve. Taking into consideration your background, how do you intend to make a meaningful impact on an elite MBA community? (350 words maximum)

Show Cornell Johnson’s admissions officers how you will be a valued member of their community by anchoring your response in experiences from your past that will inform and invigorate your plan. Are you a passionate environmentalist who has spent your career in corporate social responsibility and hopes to spearhead a new sustainability case competition for full-time MBA students? Were you part of a years-long organizational behavior research study in undergrad and hope to find a research mentor in that department at Cornell? Did you start a pro-bono consulting group at your current employer, and you’d like to partner with a local organization to offer similar services alongside a group of your Cornell colleagues? In linking your passions and expertise to your proposed contributions, you will demonstrate to the admissions directors that you are the kind of collaborative, community-minded, and determined student they are looking for.

Optional statement: You may use this essay to call attention to items needing clarification and to add additional details to any aspects of your application that do not accurately reflect your potential for success at Johnson. (350 words maximum)

This essay is for additional context around a weak spot in your application. Did you get a C in calculus? Or withdraw from your courses your sophomore year to help a family member? Do you feel that your lackluster GMAT score isn’t indicative of your abilities?

If you are going to address a low grade in an analytical course or a low GMAT score, don’t make excuses. Spend the majority of your word count demonstrating your ability to excel in rigorous academic or professional environments by using specific examples. Provide information on similar classes in which you achieved excellent grades or give details about a professional pursuit that resulted in success.

If you are speaking to a more sensitive situation, perhaps a big mistake or legal issue that impacted your GPA, spend approximately 20 percent of your essay addressing the situation. Then use the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took to improve and what happened as a result. Again, do not make excuses. Simply address the situation, placing the emphasis on what you learned. Everyone makes mistakes. Taking accountability and moving forward demonstrates maturity.

The Writing Process

Begin with a brainstorm. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Document your experiences, positive and negative, that prompted an evolution in your perspective—you know, those “ah-ha!” moments without which you would be a different student, professional, and/or person today. Then, record those experiences that will show the reader your abilities in innovation (critical/creative thinking and problem solving), leadership, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your interest in business school. Capture as many details as possible, paying particular attention to what you thought, felt, said, and did in each situation. Your focus should be on adult experiences (from the start of college and later), though stories from your youth could comprise up to 20 percent of this brainstorm.

During your brainstorm, don’t limit yourself by worrying about a cohesive narrative, the quality of your writing, and/or the number/length of your stories. Simply focus on collecting those situations that helped to guide your path to this point and impacted your decision to apply to the Cornell Johnson MBA program.

Craft an outline. Select the key stories you will use to anchor your narratives. Remember that you’ll use your essays to go deep into experiences that demonstrate the traits you want to emphasize.

Write. Keep in mind that you must be showing, not telling the reader who you are. In contrast to your resume, which provides a general overview of your experiences, your essay responses should go deep into a story that allows the reader to come to their own conclusions about some of your character traits and abilities. Highlight how you’ve struggled, triumphed, learned, and how these experiences have developed you into the person you are now.

Review. Revise. Repeat. Read your essay aloud noting where you stumble. Make revisions as necessary. Once it reads smoothly, set it down and walk away for at least 24 hours. Then re-read it. Is it you? Is it personal and authentic? You want the reader to see the real person behind the applicant number. While we caution against “oversharing,” being appropriately vulnerable will create connection.

Related:

Essay Tips: Harvard Business School

Essay Tips: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Essay Tips: The Stanford Graduate School of Business

Essay Tips: The Yale School of Management

Essay Tips: Columbia Business School

Essay Tips: Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley

Essay Tips: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Essay Tips: NYU Stern School of Business

Essay Tips: The University of Michigan Ross School of Business