Editorial
application
How to make a really effective business school application
Matt Symonds on where, when and how to get that application in on time and,
more importantly, how to make it stand out above the rest.
W
here to start? Know the schools you want recommenders have provided the school with all they need to make a
An MBA is one of the biggest investments, in time, effort and decision.
money, you are likely to make, so it’s essential to pick the So which deadline should you aim for? The bottom line has to be to
program that is exactly right for you. Start by finding out about the overall apply to a school when you have a great dossier ready. If meeting the
business school experience, ideally by talking to people – friends, November deadline means a poorly prepared GMAT test, with hurried
colleagues, school alumni – who have been through it. What were the essays that lack definition and impact, you’d be better waiting for the next
pluses and minuses? How has it benefited their career? How will it fit with round. If, however, you are preparing well ahead of the game and feel
your personal circumstances? What do they wish they’d known before that your dossier is as strong as it could be, apply early.
setting off along the path to an MBA? Next, you will need to decide on The explanation lies in the numbers game. A top school may receive
which location, which program and which school is going to be right for over 5,000 applications a year for 500 program places. For the first round
you. Use QS Scorecard, a personalized business school ranking tool based deadline in November, all 500 places are typically available (perhaps a
on your individual aims, abilities and circumstances, found on www. small handful of places have already been filled by students with referrals
topmba.com, to help you narrow down your choices. or exceptional circumstances). The Admissions Committee then starts
All schools have websites packed with useful information. However to offer places to the best candidates and by the time you reach the second
there is no substitute for meeting admissions officers and alumni face-to- round deadline in January there may be 300 or so places left (figures are
face. So if your budget doesn’t stretch to visiting campuses around the purely illustrative). Continue to the third round deadline in March, and
globe, attend a major business school fair such as the QS World MBA you may be left with only 80 to 150 places still to be filled. Also, bear
Tour, which visits over forty countries every year. in mind that many schools receive huge numbers of applications in
the last 24 hours before the final deadline – at a time when there are
The ideal time to apply only a handful of places left. It makes your chances of success very slim
Despite the claims from certain schools that there is no ideal time to indeed.
apply, the majority of schools admit that timing can play an important
role. Some schools use what they call a rolling admissions process; Complete the application
receiving and reviewing dossiers throughout the academic year. They So what exactly are you trying to pull together to complete the
accept or reject the dossiers as they are reviewed and provide a response application?
within four to six weeks of reception. For students used to a selection process based on competitive
entrance exams in which the top percentage is guaranteed a place, the
admissions process for MBAs presents a very different model. Sure you
“Despite the claims from certain schools that there is no
have tests like the GMAT to evaluate basic quantitative and verbal skills,
but it is not exam results which guarantee being accepted by a business
ideal time to apply, the majority of schools admit that
school. Throughout the process, there may be common threads of
timing can play an important role. Some schools use
leadership or high-potential, but there is no magic formula for getting
into a school. Schools try to get a better sense of the abilities and
what they call a rolling admissions process; receiving and
characteristics of a candidate by looking at three areas:
reviewing dossiers throughout the academic year.”
Academic ability
Remember that the M in MBA is for Masters. Do you have the academic
aptitude to get you through school? You need to provide an undergraduate
The majority of schools use ‘rounds’ of application, typically transcript with your GPA (Grade Point Average), GMAT score and, for
November, January and March for a September class start. At this stage non-native English speakers, a TOEFL score.
they collect together all the interesting dossiers and decide whether you
are in, out, or placed on a waiting list. These decisions are typically made Professional experience
by an admissions committee, made up of admissions officers, professors Most top programs require an absolute minimum of two years professional
and students. But before decisions are made, applications are checked to experience (unless perhaps you have been studying for a PhD). You need
make sure that they are complete. If any elements of your file are missing, to provide a CV of your career to date, essays which provide examples of
you can expect the file to sit on a desk and start to collect dust. Being professional achievement and letters of recommendation (LoR) from
organized at this stage is crucial, to make sure that both you and your people who are in a genuine position to comment. In other words, not an
68 TopMBA CAreer Guide www.topmba.com

TopMBA CAreer Guide www.topmba.com 69
MBA_SPR09_pp_052-155.indd 68 17/2/09 15:33:52
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