Poets and Quants

Admission Questions? Ask Our Expert

by Chioma Isiadinso

Chioma Isiadinso

I had been in the admissions business for three years at Carnegie Mellon University when I moved to Cambridge to take on an assistant director role at the Harvard Business School. From the open houses and information sessions to the countless phone calls that barraged our offices every day, one thing was clear: MBA candidates were stressed out about their applications. It’s safe to say that with rejection numbers in the 80-to-90 percent range at the best schools, applicants recognize that they are up against significant odds to get an acceptance letter from a top program.

I took away one important lesson from my ten years in admissions: The successful candidates are highly memorable. It wasn’t until I left Harvard and launched my consultancy firm, EXPARTUS, that it dawned on me that the successful applicants to business school had figured out what many consumer goods companies know too well: the importance of selling a value proposition to a customer. I authored The Best Business School Admissions Secrets, and now counsel MBA applicants to help them find the right value proposition to get into their dream schools. Some of my advice can be found here at Poets&Quants, including Understanding the MBA Admissions Cycle and GMATs and GPAs: What You Need to Know About the Raw Numbers.

In any case, I’ve agreed to help anxious applicants with difficult questions at Poets&Quants. No question is out of bounds. Worried about your undergraduate record? Concerned about your GMAT score? Not entirely certain where you should apply to get your MBA? Unsure of how to answer the essay questions? Wondering who you should ask to write your letters of recommendation?

Fire away. I’ll do my best to answer your queries.

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  • SOMer

    Heh.  I know what you mean, but as a ‘diverse’ candidate, I can tell you there are plenty of us that are good and deserving.  What pisses me off most is those that game the system through consultants who in essence write the application for someone too lazy to do it themselves.

    But, rants aside, the other thing you can do to help gear up for a reapp is speak to as many current students and alumni from your top 3-4 target schools as you can.  Ask them thoughtful questions, find the reasons you are a good fit for the school, and the reasons the school is a good fit for you, and make them like you.  This may be equally important to your reapp as building an alternate transcript.

  • The GMATter

    Hi Chioma,

    I am an ardent fan of your posts and the way you answer the questions – crisp and straight.

    I have one major question and I am trying to find an answer to it – How do top schools look at a candidate who has scored well in 3rd or 4th attempt of his gmat but not at the first shot?

    I do work for an MNC as a software engineer with 3+ years of work ex. My job is somewhat hectic and I  needed to work for 16 to 18 hrs straight at times. In this environment, i really messed up GMAT twice and scored a meagre 690 in the third attempt. Being an Indian Male working for IT industry, i understand that there is a ton of competition for me to make it into the top 20 with a 690 GMAT. I am planning to retake and score a 750+ so that I can make a comtetitive profile to one of the top 20 schools.

    Hoewever, i am a bit worried whether scoring on multiple attempts might lower my chances of getting into top schools. What do you think i should do?

  • Chioma

    Hi Manbear,

    Consider schools
    like Haas and MIT Sloan. Throw in a couple other schools that are less 
    competitive to round out your
    list. You need to spend some time doing some more
    introspection on what the tech firm you
    would like to run would look like.

     

    Here are some
    questions I would consider:

    Which firms are
    doing what I wish to do?
    How much research have I done on them? 
    What is their competitive
    advantage? 
    What would be my competitive advantage for my own company? 
    What skills
    (especially things the MBA can help you build) do I lack that would be
    necessary 
    for me to start/lead such a
    venture successfully?

     

    Coming up with answers
    to questions like these would help you articulate your “Why an MBA”

    question for
    business school.

    Good thing you have served as an engagement manager on two out of the four international
    deals….ideally you
    want to have worked in those countries on parts of the project if
    possible; 
    Try and identify instances where you have had to deal with tough cross
    cultural issues and
    resolved them (they make for good MBA essay material)

    Raise your hand to head up/take on
    some additional role/project…go beyond your job
    responsibilities and deliver results…this will allow you to
    showcase your leadership prowess

    Deepen your involvement in the
    non-profit org. beyond website construction….make
    sure that when
    you speak about what you did you show the before and after impact of creating
    a
    website for the company.

     

    I wish you
    great success with your MBA application.

     

    Chioma (CEO,
    EXPARTUS) http://www.expartus.com

    Author of
    The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets

     

  • Chioma

    Hi Kabir,

    Thanks for your question. First, Indian IT guys do get admitted to top business schools. Yes, you will be in a pool that is over represented. But if this is your genuine passion, I don’t recommend just quitting your job to jump into a different industry simply for differentiation. 

    There are ways to stand out in this pool. The most natural way is to showcase your leadership. How can you demonstrate leadership not just good worker? What are the substantial projects coming through that you can become involved in at your company….how can you take on a significant leadership role that leapfrogs you over your peers/competition? What opportunities exist to demonstrate that you have excellent people management skills? What about outside of work? What huge impact can you have? Stay close to your passion and find ways to deliver results that you can point to that sets you apart. 

    The more interesting you are as a candidate both through your job but also beyond, the more likely you will stand apart from your competition. Remember that your personal brand is bigger than your job title!

    To your success.

    Chioma (CEO, EXPARTUS)
    Author of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets

  • Chioma

    Hi Dave,

    B-Schools like entrepreneurs, especially if you can show some real legs to the company. Academically, you are sound (I’m assuming the 710 has a balanced V/Q breakdown). 

    So as for schools to target, US vs European…there are great programs in both regions. What you have to figure out is where you would want your career..if in the US, then it may make sense to do a US MBA. Same goes for Europe. I get the timing issue, though. You could go for the INSEAD/COLUMBIA type programs where you can start by January. Or you could wait. You have to figure out what you would be doing in the meantime and whether it would be time well spent for you or just treading water which you wouldn’t want. 

    The admission decision will likely be influenced by the admissions board understanding your motivations: the perception may be that there has been too much movement (banking, consulting, then education, then commodities trading….) You will need to explain the evolution of your thoughts/experiences/decisions 

    Also the success of the entrep sales/trading gig would help…

    Finally, the goal for the MBA and what you wish to get from it will be looked at closely so make sure to connect the dots of your experiences to where you wish to go in the future.

    Let me know how you progress with your MBA plans.

    Chioma (CEO, EXPARTUS)Author of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets

  • Chioma

    Hi Quantquestion,

    Yes, absolutely retake the GMAT; If you could get the Quant higher, especially since your undergrad didn’t have loads of quant courses, that would help you ensure that there won’t be a huge flag in this area. In addition, if you could take one or two courses like Accounting/Finance/Econ, Stats or Calc, it wouldn’t hurt–if anything it can send a strong signal to the adcom that you are proactive, selfaware and willing to do what you need to to be well prepared for business school. 

    All the best!
    Chioma (CEO, EXPARTUS) http://www.expartus.comAuthor of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets

  • Chioma

    Hi James,

    Lawyers are welcome to apply to business school. The big mistake I’ve seen lawyers make is that some hate their jobs and write the application from the point of view of getting away from a job they hate–not likely to win you friends on the admissions board if that’s the approach. 

    A more successful approach is to highlight achievements you have had/leadership roles/impact you have had, and then identify why you are no longer satisfied with where you are…how you wish to do more (show a big vision that you can’t achieve with just a knowledge of the law); Why the MBA is necessary for your career vision will be a vital part of a successful application so take the time to build a case for that. Doing this and also showing what you have done that added value on people/projects/company will go a long way towards helping you become successful. 

    Hope this helps. I’m in London for a bit the next few months and happy to jump on a call. 
    Chioma (CEO, EXPARTUS) http://www.expartus.comAuthor of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets

  • Chioma

    Hi Dazed and Confused,

    I know how frustrating it can be to work so hard and have the admission outcome that you received. The bottom line for admissions folks when it comes to the academic profile is that either the GMAT or the GPA will have to be quite strong. With the two lower than average, it makes it nearly impossible to overcome this. I’ve covered this in my book, The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets. There are always exceptions and applicants may have heard of someone who got into so and so school despite a weak GMAT/GPA…that’s more the anomaly 

    So regarding what you can do, Somer’s advice was good advice: don’t make up a story of being gay! And creating an alternative transcript with new courses in business and getting good grades helps. Raising the GMAT score can also help. But the truth is you could do all that and the outcome doesn’t change. Then what? The work experience will come in hand. Schools like to see blue chip firms they identify with and are familiar with so it wouldn’t hurt if you can get into a place like that. The actual role will also matter as will your impact there. 

    I’m happy to speak with you further so feel free to contact me directly at EXPARTUS.

    Best,

    Chioma (CEO, EXPARTUS) http://www.expartus.comAuthor of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets

  • Chioma

    Hi The GMATter,

    Schools do care how many times you have taken the test. the ideal is one/two times. I don’t feel there is a huge diff between 3 and four if it does go up significantly on the fourth try. I would also not make the mistake to focus only on the GMAT. Look at what else you have going for you that is interesting about your story. Keep thinking about leadership, impact and unusual experiences you have had/pursued outside work and look for ways to bring that into your story. We have had many clients with GMATs of 680/690 get admitted to top business schools. It comes down to the entire brand of the applicant not just one aspect.

    All the best!

    Chioma (CEO, EXPARTUS) http://www.expartus.comAuthor of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets

  • Chioma

    Hi R. Mani,
    I sent you a response but it looks like it didn’t go through. 
    I think a profile like yours should be able to get into a top 20 MBA program. Obviously, I don’t have all the data/essays and other materials from your original application. I’m happy to discuss offline with you (feel free to contact me through expartus)

    My instinct is that it probably came down to the actual essays and how strong your recommendations were. I would also need to know more about your work experience and connection to your future MBA plans.

    Best,

    Chioma (CEO, EXPARTUS) http://www.expartus.comAuthor of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets

  • Chioma

    Hi UO422811,

    Your experiences sound quite interesting. I also think your goal and background makes absolute sense. So the question you have to address for the adcom is why do you want an MBA when you are already in the space you want to be in. 

    You’ll also need to show that you have more to your brand than work–so look for ways to bring in your own personal story…why Utah, what challenges did you encounter in student investment fund…what aha experiences did you have…what was it like researching and producing the book? What attracted you to it…Schools like curios individuals who are not afraid to follow an unexpected path….also try and accelerate your small biz consulting and communicate the passion for this space…

    Your school list is realistic. I do think that your application success will come down to HOW you share your stories (your brand) so take time to work on your application.

    Feel free to reach out to me if you want to speak further about your application.

    Regards,
    Chioma (CEO, EXPARTUS) http://www.expartus.comAuthor of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets

  • Guy From India_7

    Hi Chioma,
    Hope you are doing good !
    First off, let me thank you in advance for your help. I am sure the expertise you are providing is affecting a lot of lives across the world.

    Given below are my stats (which are quite poor actually)

    Educational Background: 
    Computer Science & Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Trichy, India (NIT Trichy)
    GPA: 5.99/10 i.e. 2.4/4
    Schooling mostly done in India. However, studied a total of 5 years in Qatar, which is a combination of secondary school and high school.

    Work Experience:
    Total Work Experience: 3 years
    1 year as a software developer in a start up
    2 years in another start up – but this experience is in the procurement intelligence field, a niche area.

    Focusing on the 2 years of work experience in procurement intelligence, I have grown from a Research Analyst to a Senior Research Analyst to a Domain Lead(managing a team) position in 1.5 years.
    In all my projects in the past 2 years, I have worked only with F500 clientele. This includes 1.2 years as an integrated part of a top 10 F500 Pharma major to assist in their sourcing activities on a day to day basis, manage their spend of around 5 Million USD, and hence deliver continuous savings(some which are about a few 100000 USD for a single contract). Hence, this particular role included direct client engagement (multiple stakeholders in the US) as well as project running and execution from my 5 member team for other F500 clientele and hence generating continuous revenue(contributed the company’s overall growth from 8-10 Million USD to around 30 Million USD).
    I have also been involved in things beyond my scope of work as I have lead multiple teams, other than my own, to ‘revolutionalize’ the company’s delivery mechanism of research through new initiatives as well as bring about stability to research activities by creating a standard manual, which is being used across the company.

    On a non-professional career front, I have been involved with a private charity association and helped generate funds (total of how much is still not completely visible as the numbers are yet to be collated and calculated). I had also been the Overall Co-ordinator for the CRY club of my college.
    In addition to the above, I have been involved in the management and organization of multiple fests and events during college.
    I am also currently involved in jump starting a start up and leading fund generation as well as the operations vertical.
    Although I would be writing GMAT by the end of the month, I am expecting to score around 750 as I am hitting around 760-770 in the mock exams from Manhattan, GMAT prep.

    AIM: After a lot of research(both primary as well as secondary) and goal setting, I have come to a conclusion that I want jump into the strategy consulting space as I get the maximum thrill and job satisfaction, when I am performing similar tasks. 2014 MBA would help me get the platform to get to the strategy consulting space.

    Based on the above read, it would be great if you could answer the above questions.

    1) Would a good score of 750 in GMAT and my fast growth rate combined with experience with dealing with F500 companies only offset my very very bad GPA(from a premier institution-NIT is a level below IIT)?
    2) In fact, the above question can be made more complete by asking if I would be right in targetting Berkeley/Tuck/Duke/Michigan Ross/NYU Stern with the current profile?
    3) If no, then what part of my profile can I improve so as to target these schools? – For e.g., years of experience(to how many), type of work, extra curriculars’, etc.?
    4) For the strategy consulting work I am looking at, would the above colleges provide a good platform? If not, then what others should I be looking at?
    5) Due to a few problems in my personal life, if I would want to do my MBA by 2013, which other colleges can I aim at?

    Thank you so much for your help again. Your inputs would be very valuable in my decision making process.

    Regards,
    Guy from India_7

  • australianguest

    Hi Chioma,

    Thank you for taking the time answer all our questions!

    I was wondering if I stand a chance at any of the top schools when I start applying in a few years time.

    Info:
    Australian citizen of Chinese descent, native language is English though
    Did a double degree and a language diploma in a Group of 8 University in Australia (lower ranked Go8) only a credit average 5/7 but did a 6 year degree in 5 years, currently doing an honours year in economics and will expect to get a 1st class.
    Exchanges to UCLA 2.4 GPA though as I didnt focus enough on study, than to Tsinghua were I got 82 ave.
    Heading to Peking Uni next year for their one year language program

    Work
    Various internships at big four accounting in Australia and a market entry firm in Shanghai
    Partner in ecommerce startup which is now in Australia and China with plans for India later this year
    Will start career at a big 4 audit with a big focus on Chinese mining companies

    EC’s
    Represented China in Australian Football and worked in development of AFL in China.
    Set up a student assocation at my university]

    Thanks!

  • australianguest

     Plan to get over 700 in GMAT

    Schools I am interested in are

    H/S/W, Columbia, Tuck, Kellog, MIT, NYU, Haas, Booth, LBS, maybe HKU or HKUST depending on factors in a few years time.

  • Uffsatish

    Hi Chioma,
    thanks for taking out time to solve concerns of prospective applicants.
    i have a question about school campus visits. does a visit to the school campus and interaction with their adcom and other official has any bearing / influence on applicants chances of admission

  • Danielmoncaleano

    Hi Chioma,

    thanks in advance for your help, I think my background is a little unusual and Im really worried about getting into a top school.

    My resumed CV goes like this:

    Born and Raised in Bogotá Colombia.
    Lawyer from one of the best universities in my country (Colombia)
    6 months internship on the supreme court of colombia
    1 year experience in 2 top ranked law firms   
    Assistant professor on Civil Liability and property rights
    … Here comes the odd part

    Commercial Pilot and copilot for Copa Airlines for two years
    Boeing 737 Flight instructor
    Aeronautical Regulations instructor

    My main goal post MBA is to work for the airline industry or as a consultant for aerospace/ transportation, which is kind of hard to do if you are just a pilot without administrative background.

    Im working really hard on my Gmat and Toefl, but still haven’t taken either one of them.

    I have been thinking about applying for the following schools but Im really looking for any suggestions:

    HBS
    Kelogg
    Columbia
    Booth

     
    Thanks Again in advance for your insight and for taking the time to answer the previous comments which have been amazingly helpful.

    Daniel 

  • Vishal

    Hi ! I am from India and 43 years old . I took the GMAT in December , 2011 and scored just 570 . Hence did not apply to any B-school of repute . My dilemma and issue of concern is my age & present  
    occupation . I am self employed in my own small business of trading in pharmaceuticals . Turnover of my business is very low . I am just surviving . I wish to know about my chances of getting admission in top ranking global B-schools if I score 700 + in the GMAT. Please guide me and suggest what should I do . Is it possible for an Indian of my age to secure a job post MBA from a global B-school in USA ?

    Warm regards !

  • Obungo

    Hi, I have no undergraduate degree. I am entrepreneur, have my own business. I studied for the gmat and scored 710. I established my company 9 years ago in the healthcare insurance working in africa. I need to expand my business and take it into the next stage, however, I need some deeper knowledge in business management. my question: is an MBA good option for me, if so, which school can be tolerant with those without undergraduate education. ( I am 27 years old, and my business is around $12 m annual sale)

  • Ian

    D&C,

    As a graduate of one of the other academies, I feel your pain in re GPA troubles — mine’s only slightly better than yours.  That said, you need to get off your high horse, stop acting like an entitled brat, and accept the way of the world.  Your stats are subpar — the only one you can fix is the GMAT, so I suggest taking a class, buying the books, and dedicating hours per day to studying to improve your score.

    While I’ve heard adcoms will cut us a bit more slack than your typical college grad, you simply have to ace the GMAT.  You could make a case for a 2.5 GPA with a 750 GMAT, but few will take the chance on you with your current stats.

    Good luck, man.

  • joes310

    Hi Chioma,

    Thank you for taking some weight off of our collective shoulders! If you could, I would like to get an assessment from you of what my chances are at a top 25 b-school. My stats:

    - 2.7 GPA in political science UCLA (all A’s for about a year in major classes but a big fat F at the end in calculus when I tried to look for a job while finishing school)
    - 740 GMAT (49 in quant)
    - 29 years old
    - Chinese American born in Taiwan, came here at age 9
    - 6 years experience as an equity associate at a research firm that applies technical analysis on global equities (1 promotion)
    - strong extracurriculars: volunteer finance director for an Asian American non-profit. Co-founder of my own (5 person) non-profit that brings financial literacy curriculum to low-income students. 

    I think I’m going to brand myself as someone who wants to serve non-profit sector in the much needed finance function. Do you think this is a good angle?

    Schools of interest: Kellogg, Duke, Michigan, UCLA, Georgetown.

    Thanks so much for your help!  

  • joes310

    forgot to mention that I passed level 2 CFA…probably shortened my life a few years but I managed to pass it! does that help bring up the poor grades?

  • P Amos

    Hi Chioma,

     I appreciate you spending time helping out MBA Aspirants
    here.

    My profile is a little unconventional (Atleast in India)

    GMAT : 710 (Q50/V37)

    Engineering percentage: 68% (Top 10% in class) from a low profile college

    Work exp: 28 Months by september 2013

    I rejected 3 reputed job offers at the end of my engineering to
    start my own Nonprofit venture of building websites to guide engg students. I
    developed a model of supporting 4 non profit websites through 2 supporting
    for profit websites. My project now guides 100,000 students a month.

    Due to my profile being a little uncommon, I am unable to
    decide which B Schools to apply to. I liked HBS for its initiatives and student
    activities, but I am unsure of my chances. Also, my income being low (equivalent to $100 a month), I am preferring B schools with need based scholarships.

    How do you think I should go about my app process?

    thanks

    Amos P

  • please advise

    Chioma,I was wondering if you could give me some thoughts as to what schools might be realistic for me. I have a 3.3 GPA from a top 20 liberal arts college with in economics. My GMAT is 660 but I think I could raise this if I retake it (hopefully 700+ but no guarantee). My work experience is about 4 years in major financial/banking related agencies in the federal government. I was also team captain of an NCAA Div 3 sport in college, but outside of this sport and outside of college I don’t have anything else as extracurricular. I don’t really have a sense of how competitive I would be at something maybe in the 10-20 ranked range, and would like some expert opinion. I realize my GPA and GMAT are on the lower side, but I’m not sure how my work experience would be viewed. I’m considering something like Cornell, Duke or Georgetown. Thanks!

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