5 Mistakes To Avoid In Your MBA Application by: Caroline Diarte Edwards, Fortuna Admissions on December 24, 2019 | 0 Comments | 3,466 Views December 24, 2019 Copy Link Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit No matter what business school application round youāre targeting, the single most important thing you can do is apply when your application is the very best reflection of you and your candidacy. Having reviewed thousands of applications during my career in MBA admissions, including as head of Admissions at INSEAD, Iāve read many a terrific application that unraveled when it became clear that the candidate had made a careless mistake. There are several lamentable errors that are both common and preventable. Whether youāre putting on the polish or planning a strategy for the next application cycle, here are five of the most classic mistakes to avoid in your MBA application, gleaned from my colleagues at Fortuna Admissions. Five Mistakes to Avoid When You Hit Submit 1. Donāt squander valuable real estate. Many candidates waste valuable space in the essay, for example, by overstating why the school is so great (regurgitating the website) instead of telling a personal story and conveying what they bring to the table. Another classic essay pitfall is to over-focus on the details of some deal or consulting project, versus lifting up the lessons learned that shaped you into who you are. More broadly, you want to avoid any redundancies between sections ā each section represents valuable real estate to tell your story, so be strategic by avoiding duplication. DO: Review and ask yourself: What are the key messages I want to convey, and do they come through in each element of my application? Are there any areas where I can remove unnecessary duplication? 2. Avoid inconsistency Related to the point above, every element of the application, taken together, should unify to create a picture of the real you ā your accomplishments and ambitions, your potential and your individuality. Sometimes itās a balancing act between communicating the range of skills and experience you bring to an MBA program and getting a specific message across. If your application doesnāt hang together ā from the resume to the recommendations to the essay ā or contribute to the same story, that can raise a red flag. DO: Conduct a careful review of any inconsistencies that might undermine your narrative (between your essays and recommendation letters, for example). In doing so, ensure that the story you tell is unified, coherent and consistent. 3. Donāt write what you think they want to hear. Too many applicants waste valuable time speculating what admissions officers want to hear and crafting a narrative to fit the āperfect profile.ā In reality, the more authentic you are in your application, the more interesting you will be to the admissions committee. Schools pride themselves on really getting to know you as an individual during the admissions process. The admissions committee wants to know who you are, what you care about, and what makes you unique above and beyond your professional excellence and academic triumphs. Thereās no āone profileā thatās more admissible than any other. DO: Build-in substantial time for self-reflection. I believe itās the single most important action you can take to improve your application. Introspection will inspire greater self-awareness, which, in turn, will help you to come across as mature and sincere in your application. 4. Donāt plan to one-shot the GMAT. Like putting off that dental work youāre avoiding, itās all too common to delay taking the GMAT. And the killer mistake that befalls too many applicants is underestimating how long it takes to prepare. āItās not like the SAT, where some students just show up and slam-dunk a killer score,ā says Fortunaās Joanna Graham in her article on how to prep for the GMAT. āThatās because the GMAT exam looks at the skills youāve developed over time. Data sufficiency, for example, is a skill set you build with practice, not something that comes intuitively.ā As a former director at GMAC, the entity that administers the exam, Graham validates that applicants who scored above 700 report studying at least 80-100 hours for the exam. āBut the takeaway isnāt that 700+ score = 80-100 hours, itās that you must study,ā Cautions Joanna. āPreparation, frankly, is imperative.ā DO: Give yourself time to take and potentially retake the exam. The ideal is to start six- to seven-months in advance. Graham recommends anticipating when youāre likely to have the least number of other distractions and blocking out two-to-three solid months of study. 5. Donāt rush an unfinished application. Like removing a cake from the oven before itās finished baking, your application will fall flat if you rush it at the end. While it is vital to take the 30,000-foot view of the key messages youāre conveying across your application (see tip 1), you should also thoroughly review it word by word, noting any points to check or revisit. Admissions reviewers have a practiced eye for spotting errors or sloppiness, such as copy-pasting one section of an essay from another application and leaving in the wrong school name. (Alas, it really does happen, and with alarming regularity!). Other common errors include misreporting GMATs or GPAs (where the self-reported data on the application form doesnāt match the transcript) or mixing up your birthdate with the application deadline. DO: Double-check the details and, better yet, find someone to review everything. Itās invaluable to enlist help from someone who can critique your applications and give you objective, candid feedback. Finally, put yourself in an admissions reviewerās shoes: You want to read something that seems ambitious, honest, thought-provoking and even a little entertainingāsomething that you canāt put down until the end. Present your story in a way thatās both memorable and meticulous, and youāll set yourself up for submitting a standout application. Caroline Diarte Edwards is a director at MBA admissions coaching firm Fortuna Admissions and former INSEAD director of admissions, marketing and financial aid. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA program, sign up for a free consultation. Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.