Why Are MBA Application Goals Important?

At Personal MBA Coach, we spend a lot of time with our clients thinking through career goals. In many cases, these career goals inform not only school and program selection but also resume strategy, personal story development and much more.

However, we are often asked WHY admissions directors care so much about post-MBA goals. In fact, we are the first to tell our clients that no one will hold them to the goals they write about in their MBA applications, and they will be free to do whatever they choose after they arrive on campus. Unsurprisingly, Personal MBA Coach’s Founder, Scott Edinburgh, did not apply to business school with the intention of being an MBA admissions consultant (though he did start the firm while at Wharton).

So, given all of this, why do goals matter?

MBA admissions directors care about your post-MBA goals for three main reasons.

#1: A strong goal statement shows admissions committee members that you have truly thought through where an MBA fits in your career path.

Admissions directors want to see that you are positioned to make the most of your time at business school, and the best way to show this is by demonstrating that you have put time and effort into figuring out your target career plan and why the MBA is a crucial steppingstone for you in this process. Sharing a well develop goal statement demonstrates to admissions directors that you aren’t simply applying for business because you are bored at work or looking to take a few years off.

#2: Entering an MBA with a plan gives you a place to start when you arrive on campus.

Every business school program is full of opportunities for professional growth, and without a clear plan, you may easily get lost! However, if you have a clear plan for what you want to do after business school, you will have a Northern Star to guide you on where to start. Many who change goals, make more subtle changes (i.e. moving from consulting to corporate strategy or banking to internal finance) so even these early classes or clubs will put you on a path to long-term success. And if not, knowing what you don’t like can be just as valuable as knowing what you do!

#3: Reading your goals helps admissions directors understand how you think and plan

Even if you choose a different path once you arrive, by presenting a vision in your MBA application you are demonstrating that you have the ability to develop a solid plan and the drive to go after it. This is why your post-MBA goals should make sense to the reader. As you explain your path, you are also sharing that values that you deem important in your career and how you plan to make a difference. This same thinking and planning will serve you well even if you change careers.

Need help developing your MBA goal statement? Check out this article to find out how to best articulate your post-MBA goals.

About Personal MBA Coach: Founded by Scott Edinburgh, a Wharton MBA and MIT Sloan graduate who sits on the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants Board of Directors, Personal MBA Coach has been guiding clients for 17 years and has the most positively reviewed consultant globally on Poets&Quants. Last year our clients earned over $11M in scholarships.

All Personal MBA Coach clients work directly with Personal MBA Coach’s founder or a former M7 Admissions Director. We have no junior consultants, and our small team regularly connects with admissions directors, after which we meet weekly to discuss all clients and share our insider knowledge. We help clients with all aspects of the MBA application process including early planning, GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring, comprehensive MBA application support, school selection, essay editing, and mock interviews with former M7 and T10 admissions interviewers.

Founded by Scott Edinburgh, a Wharton MBA and MIT Sloan graduate who sits on the board of AIGAC, Personal MBA Coach has been guiding clients for 16 years. Scott Edinburgh is the most positively reviewed consultant on Poets&Quants, and Personal MBA Coach was named the top boutique MBA Admissions Consulting firm in 2023.

Personal MBA Coach helps clients with all aspects of the MBA application process including early planning, GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring, application strategy, school selection, essay editing, and mock interviews. Our team includes former M7 admissions directors and former M7.