5 Tips For A Stand-Out Round 2 MBA Application

Round 2 MBA admissions deadlines for the world’s top business schools are less than three months away. Harvard Business School’s R1 deadline is Jan. 4, 2022. Next up are Wharton, Stanford GSB, Northwestern Kellogg, and Cornell Johnson on Jan. 5. Onward to Chicago Booth and Berkeley Haas, with R2 deadlines on Jan. 6. This gives you a little less than three months to apply for a top-notch MBA for next fall.

Focusing on your application for two to three months can really make a difference between a strong application and a stand-out one. For all your efforts, where can you get the best return on investment? Below I’ve consolidated insights and advice from my Fortuna Admissions colleagues on how to best prioritize your time in the coming weeks.

Join us for MBA Admissions Masterclasses: Round 2 Application Strategy for M7 Schools on Thurs., Oct. 28 at 12pm ET, hosted by Poets&Quants with our experts at Fortuna Admissions. This free webinar will offer invaluable advice and a chance to get your questions answered in a live Q&A.

5 TIPS FOR YOUR ROUND 2 MBA APPLICATION

Get self-reflective

From written essays to the admissions interview, the MBA application process is riddled with formidable questions designed to solicit significant introspection and surface profound self-awareness. It’s a heartfelt and thoughtful process by which you’re being asked to really reflect on your life, your goals, your mission, and values, why you want to do this, and why now. Taking the time to summon this clarity of purpose for yourself is the single most important thing you can do to strengthen your application.

“It’s not (your) resume, achievements, GMAT, or GPA that make the biggest difference,” says Fortuna’s Jenifer Raver. “How much time are you willing to invest in yourself and in this process – that’s the question. I’m asking you to get to know yourself.”

Consider this your chance to step back from the relentless pace of professional commitments and really imagine where you want to see yourself in five to 10 years, what matters most to you, and what you have to offer in both the MBA classroom, the wider school community, and beyond. As Fortuna’s Matt Symonds reiterates in a related Forbes article, “The MBA application is a welcome reminder of this meaningful road to self-discovery. If you bring awareness to the process of applying, and not just the outcome, the benefits will extend far beyond an acceptance letter.”

Dial-up your digital networking.

If your plans for visiting campus are hindered by the pandemic, pursue meaningful connections in a virtual format. Be sure to invest a lot of time and effort in reaching out, networking online, and trying to have discussions with people who’ve been there. Sleuth out students and alumni who share similar interests and initiate frank conversations that help you understand a school’s identity beyond its polished brand. By having those in-depth conversations, you’ll build up an impression over time about whether a program is the right place for you and likely garner useful details to sprinkle into your application.

Whether you send messages on LinkedIn or other social networks, ask for 15 minutes of their time to glean advice and learn about their experience. When you’re sincere about asking for someone’s insight and perspective, especially in demonstrating a point of synergy or connection, it’s very likely they’ll say yes. And, if you don’t get a response, don’t assume they’re uninterested or uncaring – just assume they’re really busy. Finally, be strategic about your personal branding and storytelling and make sure how you’re presenting yourself to potential contacts is both authentic and consistent with your online presence.

Position your uniqueness.

Think beyond what you’ve accomplished that’s exceptional – because lots of people have done exceptional things – to what makes you different from others with a similar (or identical) professional profile. Your exceptionalism is a given if you’re applying for the MBA at a top program. As the admissions committee is charged with building a diverse cohort, they’ll be looking for what makes you unique and what value-add you’ll bring to the class. That’s where the work is in your narrative – always, but especially in a Round 2 applicant pool.

If that sounds intimidating, take this to heart: You are more than what you do for a living, and frankly, it’s your unique qualities, how you make decisions, and what motivates and drives you that is so much more interesting to the MBA admissions committee than the fact that you do X for X industry. When I was head of Wharton’s MBA Admissions, my team and I are were always seeking to understand who the applicant was as an individual. Your job – identity shaping though it may feel – is really just the vehicle by which you learn to harness this bevy of skills and abilities. When you talk about the things that really are important to you, it feels genuine and inspires a personal connection with the reader.

Test scores still matter

While more top MBA programs are offering GMAT or GRE test waivers, most schools are still looking to see a test score before making an offer. Broadly speaking, we advise against seeking a test waiver if you can credibly take the exam. Unless you’re a truly exceptional candidate with an amazing story – and have a really good reason for not taking the test – you should plan on submitting with your scores. The GMAT or GRE supply data points schools have relied on for decades to evaluate candidates across educational systems and geographies, and imperfect as the tests are, schools look to it as proof that you can handle the quant-heavy coursework.

Also, know that whether you can leave your test score out of the application or not if you’re already taken the test depends on the school. With INSEAD, for example, if you have taken both the GMAT and the GRE, you must report both sets of scores – you can’t decide to just report one test and not the other because you want to pick the test where you got the best result. If you’re on the fence about taking it or not and whether to report, be sure to check the wording on the relevant application forms where the test is optional.

Release the tyranny of the “perfect profile.”

Too many candidates waste valuable time speculating what admissions officers want to hear and crafting a narrative to fit the “perfect profile.” The question isn’t what do business schools want to hear, but what do I need to tell them? “Having passion and a sincere conviction about what you’re doing translates so much better to a standout MBA application than crafting what you think the school will be looking for,” says Fortuna’s Judith Silverman Hodara, former Wharton Acting Director.

It can be a challenge to articulate who you are and why you’re worthy. It’s subjective, and you’ll be judged, but delivering your narrative with authenticity is about daring to get personal. “When you take the risk to be vulnerable, it inspires a human connection, and it’s so much more appealing to read,” says Fortuna’s Karla Cohen in her article on what Harvard Business School really wants. “The more personal you can be in terms of why you do what you do, the more interesting and memorable you’ll be. Because so few people are. Few people are honest, and fewer are vulnerable in the process of storytelling. But there is something so powerful about the truth when you read it – it hits you.”

For more insight, advice, and round 2 application tips, Join us for MBA Admissions Masterclasses: Round 2 Application Strategy for M7 Schools on Thurs., Oct. 28 at 12pm ET, hosted by Poets&Quants with our experts at Fortuna Admissions. This free webinar will offer invaluable advice and a chance to get your questions answered in a live Q&A.

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.