The Best MBA Admissions Advice From The Class Of 2019

PREPARATION

Katie -Corel Sicora, Oxford (Said)

Decide if the MBA is right for you: I volunteer with the Forte Foundation and one thing that women often tell me is that they are scared that they are not ‘ready’ because they don’t have it all figured out.’ Ladies — In my opinion, people who ‘have it all figured out’ are either lying or just not thinking big enough. Personally, I am excited that the MBA will be a time of exploration and transformation. That said, if you are not sure if the MBA itself is right for you, that is a valid concern, and there are pre-MBA programs that can help you decide. I recommend the Forte Foundation MBA Launch program and/or the Riordan MBA Fellowship at UCLA. I loved both.”

Katie-Coral Sicora / Oxford (Said)

“Focus on fit. Part of the sometimes wonderful, sometimes dreadful process of self-examination every MBA applicant goes through is finding out what matters most for their next chapter. For me, the choice was which school would help me make the dramatic shift from the military to the entertainment industry. My selection process was simple. I initially made a list of target companies and looked at which schools they hired from. Next, I examined what made that school attractive for my ideal companies by researching the curriculum and special programs the schools offered. Finally, I shared my career aspirations with current students and alumni to get feedback on how the program could help me achieve my goals. Once I narrowed my list of schools, the final decision was made only after visiting my top choices. This in-person exploration of campuses is an important step, helping to determine whether or not you can visualize yourself spending the next two years as part of the program. Each MBA experience is deeply personal and you must consider which program fits best with your individual goals.”

Matthew Kaczynski / USC (Marshall)

“Personally, I spent the most time writing and iterating over my resume and my essays. And when I look back now, I think I spent more time on them than I should have. I couldn’t articulate my points well because I had forgotten most of what I had done. I also couldn’t manage to elucidate my points further with the right numbers. And all I ever thought was that I wish I had maintained a journal of all my projects in the S-A-R format. That’s the one thing I’d change if I could go back in time, the one piece of advice I would like to give to future business school applicant: Keep an elaborate record of everything you do in your career along with the impact you created and the learnings you picked up along the way.”

Prateek Gupta / UCLA (Anderson)

“Though I had initially considered applying to business school the year prior, I deferred my business school application process after being offered an opportunity to join a new team in a cross-functional role. My advice to future applicants is to remain open to new promotions or job offers if these responsibilities ultimately allow you to bring more knowledge, perspective, and skill to the classroom. Take the time to weigh which opportunities are worth the wait!”

Sakinah Watts / Emory Goizueta

Julio Zambrano, Duke (Fuqua)

“Keep going. For most of us, the MBA admissions process can be emotionally and mentally draining. Remember that almost everyone is going through the same thing. Find someone – a friend, family member, or a colleague – who you can turn to for support throughout the application process. Just remember to take him or her out for a nice dinner after it’s all over as a ‘thank you’ for acting as your therapist, cheerleader and human Xanax.”

Julio Zambrano / Duke (Fuqua)

“One principle that is a core tenet here at Kellogg is leadership. My advice to future business school applicants is to volunteer to take on and lead a project at work that you find scary or above your means and take full responsibility (but don’t be afraid to ask for help). I would also say get started early in the essay writing piece of the application. Spend a good amount of time upfront thinking through what your story is and the narrative that you’d like to craft together across your essays and applications. Having an authentic sense of who you are, what you want to achieve, and the value you will bring to Kellogg will make the actual writing process easier and more genuine.”

Chuck Feerick / Northwestern (Kellogg)

“Applying to business school can be a long and stressful process, so find people who can go through it with you. I received the best advice and most support from peers going through the application process. If you don’t know anyone applying specifically to business school, see if you can find people going through any application process. They are likely facing similar pressures and will understand what you’re going through, so you can help each other get through it. Plus your friends and family will thank you for finding someone else with whom you can discuss applications (there is only so much they want to hear).”

Alyssa Forman / Northwestern (Kellogg)

My best advice? Go on LinkedIn, find people whose careers you want, and message them to see if they’d be willing to share their experiences with you over the phone. You’d be surprised how many Vice Presidents and Directors actually respond to these sort of messages and are willing to share their time with students. I was able to learn about different fields and industries, daily functions, and what it takes to succeed in different fields.

Jane Marrazzo / Emory (Goizueta)

If you are an underrepresented minority or a woman, I recommend applying to Management Leadership for Tomorrow’s MBA Prep program and Forte’s MBA Launch program, respectively. I did both and they were critical in keeping me on task during the application process. I also gained an amazing network of people who I leaned on in both good times and bad.”

Cecily Sackey / Virginia (Darden)

Kettianne Cadet, University of Michigan (Ross)

The most valuable experience for me was joining MBA prep programs, which provided me with the structure, the guidance and the discipline to beast the application process. I was admitted into two programs – Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) MBA Prep and Forté MBA Launch Fellows Program. Beyond providing guidance for business school applications, both programs offer resources on how to tackle the GMAT, host webinars on application challenges, include virtual or in person coaching, grant access to admission directors and provide feedback on essays. Another key resource was applying through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management – an organization dedicated to increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in business schools and corporate America. The Consortium helps streamline the application process, offers merit based, full-tuition fellowships and hosts a professional development seminar focused on recruiting.

As a first generation Haitian-American, a woman of color, and a nontraditional applicant – these organizations were crucial to my application journey. Not only did I gain the confidence to take on the application process, but I also gained an impressive network of future MBA students from top business schools across the U.S. I would highly recommend prospective students look into these organizations and invest in themselves by applying.”

Kettianne Cadet / Michigan (Ross)

Diversity conferences are a great place to figuring out if b-school is right for you. I was on the fence about applying until I attended the ROMBA (Reaching Out MBA – an organization supporting LGBTQ MBAs and alumni) Conference the fall prior to my application deadlines. ROMBA’s pre-MBA programming helped me understand the application process and get to know a lot of great schools. More importantly, seeing 1,500 MBAs from across the country together all at once gave me a clear sense of what this community really looks like. That is when I knew that I definitely wanted to be a part of it. Most diversity conferences and initiatives (National Black/Prospanica, Forte, MLT, etc.) have pre-MBA components, and they are by no means restricted to diversity candidates.

Additionally, especially for career switchers, look at Linkedin.  It’s a great resource to see where an MBA can take you and decide if it’s the right path for you. The option to filter your search results by company and by school lets you see where alumni of the specific programs have ended up, and what they’re doing. It will give you a better sense of what opportunities are out there post-MBA, and which schools will help you get there.”

John Blake / Rice (Jones)

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.