3 Mistakes to Avoid in MBA Admissions

Mistakes in your MBA application can significantly impact your chances of admission. Whether it’s misspelling a school’s name or not doing enough research on a business school, applicants often overlook critical aspects that admissions committees scrutinize closely.

US News recently highlighted common application mistakes that prospective MBAs make—and what you should avoid if you hope to put the best application forward.

LACK OF RESEARCH

Admissions officers like applicants who can demonstrate a strong fit with their business school—and often they can tell when applicants haven’t done their research.

“Many candidates make decisions based on rankings, but rankings can only tell you so much about a school,” Erin Town, assistant dean of full-time, evening and global MBA programs at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, says. “Consider things like location, culture, curriculum, opportunities beyond the classroom, size, and career outcomes, and figure out what is most important to you.”\

GENERIC ESSAYS

Essays are your opportunity to showcase what makes you different. Avoid writing an essay that paints you as an “ideal” applicant. Rather, tailor each essay you write to the B-school you’re applying to and highlight your unique story in each.

“Every applicant has a unique and powerful story,” Stacy Blackman, founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting, says. “We advise applicants to convey an authentic version as opposed to trying to write what they think the admissions committee wants to hear.”

APPLYING TOO SOON

Too often, applicants make the mistake of applying to business school before they’re ready. Towns recommends taking time to think about how an MBA fits aligns with your goals and determining whether or not now is the time to pursue B-school.

“If you’re finding yourself thinking about the MBA as the goal in and of itself, that can be a sign that you may not quite be ready,” Town says. “The goal should be something beyond the MBA, and the MBA is a means to get there.”

Sources: US News, Stacy Blackman Consulting