Do MBA Case Studies Reinforce Stereotypes?

Students gathered to study in a spacious room filled with light pouring in through the glass walls all around them.

Yale SOM students gathered to study.

MBA Application Tips From Yale Students

You want to get your MBA, but you aren’t sure where to start or how to address the application.

In a recent post, Stacy Blackman, of Stacy Blackman Consulting, discusses tips from current Yale School of Management students on how to go about the MBA application process.

RESEARCH

Research for the MBA requires more than just some Google searches.

Rayan Mansour, a Yale School of Management student, says applicants should conduct extensive research to understand why each b-school is unique.

“Each business school has unique characteristics that make it stand out from the others,” Mansour explains. “I found the ones that spoke to me and my interests and took a deeper dive on those. That meant getting on the phone with current students and still more online research. The next step was to actually interact with the schools—go to presentations, go to events, visit campuses, and connect with admissions.”

Particularly, experts recommend for applicants to look closely at data that schools release.

“While you’ll want to digest each school’s website, it’s valuable to start with a look at its MBA Student Profile and employment report,” Caroline Diarte Edwards of Fortuna Admissions

writes for P&Q. “Both reflect data about current and graduating students, which gives you a sense of where folks are coming from and where they’re headed after graduation.”

TIMING

When it comes to the MBA application, timing is everything. Yale students say that working with a timeline can make the process much more efficient.

“MBA applicants are typically working full time and are generally busy people, and it will help you in the long run to know the nuances of each school’s application requirements,” Rebecca Baehr, a Yale School of Management student, says. “There are differences across schools, such as essay question prompts and required supplemental information. It gave me a lot of peace of mind to map everything out and avoid some last-minute surprises before submitting my applications.”

NEED HELP? ASK

The MBA application process can be overwhelming. Having someone to turn to or getting a second pair of eyes on your application can make all the difference in the process.

“Reach out to current students or recent alumni to hear about why they chose a certain school, reach out to friends and family for help revising your essays, set up a GMAT study plan with a friend,” Jordan Woll, a Yale School of Management student, says. “The application process can be challenging, and having a support network will make a world of a difference.”

Sources: Stacy Blackman Consulting, Poets & Quants

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