3 Steps To Streamline Your MBA Application Process
You know that you want to get an MBA. You’ve come that far. But you’re a bit stuck on what to do next.
Experts say understanding your goals before applying to MBA programs can help to maximize your chances of success in the MBA admissions process.
Ilana Kowarski, a reporter at U.S. News & World Report, spoke to recent MBA alumni and admissions directors on what advice they have for MBA applicants.
Know What You Want To Study
Business school goes by fast and you don’t want your two years to go to waste.
Lilian Ngobi, an MBA student at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, says knowing what you want to study can help to maximize your time in business school.
“Do diligent research, whether that’s informational interviews or getting to know an industry with people that are in the fields that you’re interested in being in and find those programs that are really going to help to put you in that place,” Ngobi tells U.S. News.
Connect With Current Students And Alumni
David Simpson, admissions director at the London Business School, says taking the opportunity to connect with current students and alumni can make a huge difference in understanding a school.
“Wherever possible, speak to students and alumni to really understand the culture of a school – what it is, what it isn’t, and what differentiates it,” he tells U.S. News.
How do you get connected with current students? By contacting the admissions office and simply asking. Stacy Blackman, a consultant and contributor at U.S. News, says finding a current student with similar goals can help you understand how a school will help you reach your goals.
“Once you’ve made contact, these are great people to stay loosely in touch with as you make up your final list of schools,” she writes. “Sometimes, you can even name drop a bit in your essays to show you have really done personal research and gotten to know the program and its student body.”
Look Beyond Business School
Knowing what you want to do after your MBA can help you maximize your time in b-school.
Ben Preston, a 2016 MBA graduate from the University of Oxford and a co-founder of ViaHero, a travel technology company, says applicants should know their post-MBA plans before they even write their admission essay.
“Be really, really honest with yourself before you even start the writing process,” Preston tells U.S. News. “Figuring out exactly what you want to do during and after business school will make the entire application process a lot more smooth.”
Comments or questions about this article? Email us.