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The Best Strategies for Female Applicants

‘Sure, Fred Astaire was great. Never forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did…only backwards and in heels.’

Ever hear that one? If you’re a woman, it probably rings too true. You do twice the work to make 77 cents on the dollar. You’re labeled with the b-word if you dare assert yourself. If you’re under 40, your peers are always wondering if you’ll exit the rat race once you have a child. So you shouldn’t be surprised if some women wonder if different rules apply to them when it comes to business school applications?

According to Caroline Diarte Edwards, who served as the Director of MBA Admissions at INSEAD for seven years before becoming and Director at Fortuna Admissions, the rules are slightly different for women. On the plus side, as she notes, “many b-schools are still working very hard to increase the number of women in incoming classes…So as a female candidate, you should know that business schools very much welcome your application.” On the other hand, there are mistakes that, while common, tend to hobble women’s applications more often.

In a recent column with Beat the GMAT, Edwards shared some areas where women can enhance their applications. Here are some of her best practices:

“Don’t downplay your achievements: Relative to their male counterparts, some young women are more modest about what they have achieved, and have a tendency to underplay the impact of their accomplishments. But applying to b-school is not the time to hold back. You don’t want to go overboard, and risk being perceived as lacking humility, but do have the confidence to clearly and concretely highlight what you have achieved.”

“Be proud of an unusual background: Some women worry that b-schools aren’t looking for applicants whose backgrounds are not from the typical pre-MBA career categories like finance or consulting so they don’t showcase their own unusual experience. In fact, most schools look to put together a classroom of diverse profiles, so having a non-traditional background can actually be an advantage. Just be sure to show how your background and perspective can add value to classroom discussions and to your fellow classmates.”

“Be open to making a financial investment in your future: I have observed women applicants who can be more hesitant than their male counterparts to take on the financial risk that is often part of pursuing an MBA, especially for students who require loans. It is important to research the ROI of different MBA schools and consider the potential payoff in the future in their desired career. They could also investigate opportunities for student scholarships as well as work-study opportunities to help cover the cost of their MBA studies.”

“Get others on board: Another challenge I noticed a lot of women face was making decisions about b-schools based on personal situations and relationships. We’ve seen an increase in the number of male partners following women to business school, although there are still many more female partners following male MBA students to b-school. Women with families may want to look for programs that offer options to accommodate your personal situation and you’ll find that many programs offer facilities for students with partners and children. There are even MBA clubs offered for partners/spouses of MBA students so be on the lookout for options that will help your significant other adjust to the new community that you would be joining together. Take time to discuss your plans early on in the process so you can brainstorm together how to make your relationship work during your MBA studies.”

To read all of Edwards’ advice, click on the link below.

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Source: Beat the GMAT