INSEAD Wins European CEO Race

Getting Prepared For The MBA Application Season

It’s 80 degrees with a breeze. I’ll start working on my application tomorrow…or after the weekend…or once the 4th of July has passed. There’s plenty of time, right?

Ah, procrastination. Most candidates do it. It’s human nature. Who (in their right mind) wants to complete GMAT practice tests when you could go surfing? Self reflection? Well, dredging up what made me who I am for an essay is painful – isn’t where I want to go enough?

Maybe…but first round deadlines are right around the corner. It’s September 9th at Harvard – and Stanford and Wharton are a little more than a week later. If you want to get in early – where the scholarship money is – you need to act now.

Actually, if you haven’t been racking up accomplishments and spending time on passion projects, you may want to think about the second or third round (or pushing it back another year for that matter). If you’re ready – and wondering where you should focus your energies, Stratus Admissions Counseling’s Shawn O’Connor offers several suggestions.

First, there is knocking the almighty GMAT out of the park, with O’Connor citing Wharton, MIT, and Kellogg as schools that place particular emphasis on the quant portion of the test. “I always tell my clients to strive for a 49 quant,” O’Connor declares. And it’s no secret: Applicants earn more attention from adcoms with a high GMAT (and sometimes the benefit of the doubt when judged against other candidates).

Second, O’Connor encourages candidates to beef up their extracurricular activities, particularly with causes that reflect your passions. “You need to connect with nonprofit organizations and join committees and boards early so you can have a substantial impact,” writes O’Connor. “To truly rise above others, I always advise that you choose organizations that you are passionate about and are relevant to you, that engage with your personal narrative and then make your best effort to carve out a strong role for yourself with marked achievements.” However, this doesn’t necessarily require applicants to take on leadership roles in these organizations. Sometimes, students must step back, acting as followers and servant leaders. Remember: no applicant has ever been rejected for being too much of a team player. In the end, results matter more to adcoms than brands and titles.

Initiative is attractive in any field. Ask MBA recruiters for qualities they treasure and you can bet that they’ll consistently rank “self-starter” near the top. Alas, “self-starter” is code for entrepreneurs who are flush with ideas and energy – and the desire to originate solutions and crack markets. As you’d expect, adcoms are looking for students who fit this profile in response.  To enhance your prospects, O’Connor directs potential applicants to seek out opportunities to create something from scratch. “Working on entrepreneurial projects and highlighting what you’ve learned is a plus from an admissions perspective,” O’Connor writes. “Remember, innovation does not necessarily mean product innovation; you can draw from examples of process innovation as well.”

Finally, O’Connor touts international projects as a way to make an application stand out. “[MBA] programs are truly global,” he asserts. “If you have not yet had an opportunity to work internationally, build your exposure by working across cultures on a team that spans the globe. You can also work internationally with an NGO, nonprofit, or on some other extracurricular opportunity.”

If candidates have a window in early September, Bryant Michaels, a Fuqua MBA and Goldman Sachs veteran who consults with students for Veritas Prep, encourages applicants to make campus visits. “While classes are still in session,” he writes, “schools will often allow you to come by and sit in, meet professors and students, and sample the wares.  Don’t wait until finals week, but up until the near-end of the school year is a great time to see schools and try them on for size. If you miss this window, you will need to wait until fall, since schools are not as interesting to visit during the summer when all the students are off doing internships.”

For additional advice from O’Connor and Michaels, click on the links below.

Sources: Forbes and Veritas Prep

DON’T MISS: A GREAT 100 HOUR MBA APPLICATION