5 Must-Dos Before You Hit Submit On Your MBA Application

Round Two MBA application deadlines are coming up quickly in a very busy time of year which makes this a critical moment to pause and get strategic. It’s very important that when you hit submit you feel confident that your application is the very best reflection of you and your candidacy.

I have reviewed thousands of applications during my career in MBA admissions, as head of Admissions at INSEAD and now director at Fortuna Admissions. Unfortunately, I’ve read many terrific applications undermined by careless, preventable mistakes. Don’t let that be you!

When you are putting the final polish on your materials, here are five key steps to take before submitting your MBA application – and some common mistakes to avoid.

1. Ensure you’ve built a consistent, coherent narrative. 

Every element of the application, taken together, should unify to create a picture of the real you – your accomplishments and ambitions, your potential, and your individuality. Sometimes it’s a balancing act between communicating the range of skills and experience you bring to an MBA program and getting a specific message across. From the details of the application form to your resume, essays, and letters of recommendation, every piece should work in your favor, and tell a consistent, unified story.

As you review your application components, ask yourself: What are the key messages I want to convey, and do they come through in each element of my application? Know that admissions readers will also be scanning for any inconsistencies, including what people say about you (i.e., letters of recommendation) and what you say about yourself. If your application doesn’t hang together or contribute to the same story, that will raise a red flag.

2. Remove any redundancy.

Beyond reviewing for coherency and consistency, you’ll want to avoid any redundancy between sections. If you’ve highlighted an accomplishment or leadership story in the application form, don’t repeat the same story in your essays. The essays offer precious real estate to convey your uniqueness, so this is where you want to capture your reader’s attention by bringing your story to life. Redundancy in your essay will be perceived as wasting the reader’s time, or not having much to say to make your case.

A common pitfall is writing an essay that is essentially a resume turned into paragraphs of prose.  Not only does it repeat what may be cited elsewhere in your application, but it also wastes the incredible potential for making an emotional connection with the reader. The same goes when you overfocus on details of some consulting project rather than lifting up the lessons learned that shaped who you are.

3. Let your authenticity shine.

The more authentic you are in your application, the more interesting you will be to the admissions committee. As noted above, above and beyond your professional excellence and academic triumphs, the admissions committee wants to know who you are, what you care about, and what makes you unique. Schools pride themselves on really getting to know you as an individual during the admissions process. That’s why it’s essential to build in substantial time for self-reflection on the front end and ensure it shines through when you hit submit.

Too many applicants waste valuable time speculating what admissions officers want them to be and crafting a narrative to fit that profile. The reality is that there’s no ‘perfect profile’ that’s more admissible than any other. Introspection will inspire greater self-awareness, which, in turn, will help you to come across as mature and sincere in your application.

4. Ensure your online profile is aligned.

It’s no secret that your social media posts are fair game to the MBA admissions committee. Survey data from Kapan Test Prep revealed that nearly two-thirds of MBA admissions officers consider an applicant’s social media in evaluating their candidacy. The survey cited that 36 % of admissions officers visit applicants’ social media profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, TiKTok, and Instagram to learn more, and of those, 58 % say that what they found had a negative impact, up significantly from 32 % in 2019 (42% found something that had a positive impact).

Be aware that a quick skim of your social posts can impart incoherence, or, alternatively, a compelling personal brand. MBA admissions reviewers will be screening for consistency across your personal and professional identities. Do you seem like the person you represented on paper? If you’re invited to join this MBA community, will you represent the school well? In coaching Fortuna Admissions clients, my colleagues and I integrate a thorough social media audit in the early stages of the application strategy. Even if the deadline is days away, it’s not too late to take a quick skim of your online presence and curate a bit.

5. Don’t rush an unfinished application.

Much like a cake removed from the oven before it’s 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 you’re 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’s name. (Alas, it really does happen, and with alarming regularity!). Other common errors include misreporting GMATs or GPAs, so the self-reported data on the application form doesn’t match the transcript) or even mixing up your birthdate with the application deadline!

Take time to double-check the details. Better yet, find someone to review everything. It’s invaluable to enlist help from someone who can critique your applications and give you objective, candid feedback.

Finally, put yourself in an admissions reviewer’s shoes: You want to read something that seems ambitious, honest, thought-provoking and even a little entertaining—something that you can’t put down until the end. Present your story in a way that’s both meticulous and memorable, and you’ll set yourself up for submitting a standout application.

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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.