Don’t Make These MBA Application Mistakes

Applying to business school this year? The decisions that you make right now have the potential to shape your entire candidacy, and even the most thoughtful applicants can inadvertently make choices that hurt their chances. Don’t let these common MBA application mistakes derail your applications.

• Waiting until you are done with standardized testing to start your applications.

Are you applying in the first round, and still working on your GMAT or GRE? Every summer, I talk to applicants who are planning to work on the rest of their applications after they are done with the exam. In most cases, this is not a great idea. The MBA application process is complex, and if you’re doing it correctly, requires introspection, time, and research. Even if you are weaving in test prep alongside everything else, please don’t delay the process.

• Failing to research the schools.

More than ever, I am hearing of initial school lists that are based entirely on the rankings. (“I only want to go to an M7 school” or “I want to apply to the top 15.”) Although ROI is important, and rankings/prestige can be a relevant metric, it is still just one factor. Please check out the very real cultural and academic differences between programs. This will lead you to a more reasoned school list, one that prioritizes your needs and emphasizes programs where you will thrive. The research phase will also enable you to craft stronger applications since you can more persuasively explain to the schools why you want to attend, and what you will contribute. As a bonus, you can build your network while learning about MBA programs.

• Discounting the importance of the essays.

Thinking of using ChatGPT to write your essays? Please don’t. Full disclosure, I have heard of several applicants (not my clients) using ChatGPT to write their essays, with some success. (Interview invites, a few waitlists.) None of them actually got in where they wanted to go, which is admittedly anecdotal data. However, I maintain that dialing it in with the essays is a fundamental mistake that will cost you opportunities. The essays are your one guaranteed chance to thoughtfully present and control your narrative. You can shape the committee’s perception of you and leverage your strengths while addressing any areas of concern. You can demonstrate alignment with the school’s culture and academic and career focus. You can actually connect with the admissions committee and help them hear your voice – which is, after all, absolutely critical if you hope to get in.

What do all of these MBA application mistakes have in common? They are made by people who are underestimating the challenges inherent in the process. This is a great, applicant-friendly time to apply to business school. In order to gain admission to your dream school, however, it is always a good call to start early and invest in the process.

Karen has more than 12 years of experience evaluating candidates for admission to Dartmouth College and to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Since founding North Star Admissions Consulting in 2012, she has helped applicants gain admission to the nation’s top schools, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Wharton, MIT, Tuck, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, Duke, Johnson, Ross, NYU, UNC, UCLA, Georgetown and more. Clients have been awarded more than $50 million dollars in scholarships, and more than 98% have gotten into one of their top choice schools.