Advice Column: True Or False: Are You Falling For These Business School Application Myths?

Hello P&Q readers, and welcome to my advice column! My name is Karen Marks, and I am the Founder and President of North Star Admissions Consulting. I have been helping people get into their dream schools since 2012, and prior to that I was the Associate Director of Admissions at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Today, my goal is to give applicants the accurate, insider information that they need in order to succeed and make good decisions. Want your question answered in a future column? Ask away, no topic is off limits!

Are you gearing up for Round 1 Applications? If so, you might be trying to sort through all of the MBA admissions “advice” swirling around. Do you know whether these pervasive rumors are true or false?

• True or False: You Can’t Get in With Low Grades and/or Test Scores

False. You totally can, and many of my clients do, including to the most selective business schools. However, it’s critical to substantiate your ability to handle the work. Take additional classes, do what you can to make sure that the test scores reflect your potential, ask for a waiver, if you qualify. Talk about the analytical skills that you use at work. Beyond that, dazzle the Committee with your other sterling qualities, so that they are incentivized to admit you, personally. It’s not enough to hope that the Committee won’t worry about your D+ in Stats or your 27th percentile GMAT – address it head on.

• True or False: The Essays Aren’t That Important

False. The essays matter a great deal, and are your best chance to explain why you should be admitted. DO NOT wait until the last minute to write them, and make sure that you are being thoughtful, honest, specific and strategic in terms of the story that you craft.

• True or False: It’s Better to Keep Your Goals Vague

False. If you don’t have a plausible, specific story about what you’re moving towards professionally – short and long term – you are unlikely to get in. Although it is true that being weirdly, overly specific (I only want to work in new product development for Apple with a focus on the Guam market, stationed in the Netherlands) will also raise red flags, you still need to get specific. The Committee wants to know that you understand what the MBA degree will help you accomplish, and that you have a plan that will enable you to start successfully recruiting as soon as you arrive. 

• True or False: Always Get Recommendations from People with Fancy Titles

False. You want the recommenders to know you well, and to be committed to advocating for you. Admissions officers are unimpressed by fancy titles – they are looking for genuine insight into your character and skill set. Choose the person who knows you best, in a supervisory capacity. Furthermore, when in doubt, go with the recommender who is most excited to write knowledgeably, in a detailed way, on your behalf.

• True or False: Don’t Talk About Failures or Hardships

False. Adversity can build character, and how you bounce back can reflect well. Committees value resilience and grit, as well as the abilities to admit fault and to take feedback. They do NOT value arrogance or overconfidence, so go ahead and exhibit humility and compassion, and help them understand that you have the maturity to own it when things don’t go perfectly.

• True or False: If your Activities Aren’t Formal, Ideally Volunteering, You Shouldn’t List Them

False. This is one of the most common mistakes that I see. Candidates who don’t have “formal” activities tend not to list them, which can lead to a totally blank activity section. Business schools will then worry that you can’t/won’t contribute to the community, which is a problem. They also don’t get a great sense of your personality and might conclude that you don’t have one – which is also a problem. Go ahead, list soap making, frog rescue, walks in the woods. Talk about however you actually spend your time.

• True or False: You Will Be Judged Harshly for Periods of Unemployment 

False. I mean, if you have never held a full-time job, you likely aren’t qualified for a top MBA program. Also, if you have been fired for cause from multiple jobs, it’s likely to be an issue. However, if you have been laid off or taken a while to find your path after college, just explain it. The Committee won’t automatically hold these periods of unemployment against you.

• True or False: Business Schools Prioritize Applicants from Elite colleges and “Name Brand” Firms

False. Although students from Ivies and firms like McKinsey and Goldman are overrepresented at many M7 programs, it isn’t because the Committees automatically think more highly of these applicants. Students from these schools do present with credentials that indicate that they can succeed academically and professionally, based on past performance. However, admissions officers are always looking to diversify their classes, across so many dimensions – they don’t want a cohort of clones. Furthermore, MBA programs obviously know that there are brilliant students at every school and from a wide variety of backgrounds, and they are typically excited to meet them.

One of the many benefits of working with an experienced admissions consultant is having an expert to help you sort through bad advice. If you’re applying to business school, feel free to reach out – I’m happy to help.

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Karen has more than 15 years of experience evaluating candidates for admission to Dartmouth College and to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. In addition, 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 $85 million dollars in scholarships, and more than 98% have gotten into one of their top choice schools.

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